Lu Xuan stared, completely flabbergasted by Ji Fuyao's earnest expression.
"How is my disciple self-strategizing again?" he wondered.
But to Ji Fuyao, Lu Xuan's astonished look held an entirely different meaning.
She smiled faintly. As expected. Master's profound intentions have been exposed by me! From the moment I stepped onto Azure Mystery Peak, Master has been patiently guiding me! What a truly benevolent teacher!
With this thought, Ji Fuyao promptly declared, "Master, as long as I remain on Azure Mystery Peak, I will continue to cook for you."
Lu Xuan was at a loss for words, managing only a single one: "Good."
Ji Fuyao offered a gentle smile. "Master, I will continue to consolidate my cultivation. In the coming days, I plan to enter the sect's Fire Abyss Trial Grounds to temper my combat prowess through actual combat and solidify my cultivation foundation."
"Excellent!" Lu Xuan replied. "Stick to your plan."
Ji Fuyao bowed respectfully, preparing to leave. But then Lu Xuan unexpectedly spoke, "Before you head to the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds tomorrow, come to my cave abode. I have a gift for you."
Ji Fuyao was slightly surprised. "A gift? Master, I don't need anything else right now." Her Dao Foundation had been repaired, she possessed her own one-star Emperor-tier cultivation manual, and she wasn't lacking in spirit stones at the moment. She truly didn't feel the need for anything else.
"You'll see then," Lu Xuan said mysteriously.
Ji Fuyao pondered for a moment. "Alright."
***
The next day, Lu Xuan once again reaped a massive harvest of cultivation reserves. In just these three days, Ji Fuyao's cultivation had soared directly to the mid-stage Profound Emperor Realm! As for Lu Xuan, his cultivation had now advanced to the late-stage Profound Emperor Realm!
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the disciple nurturing quest! Cultivation has surpassed the Profound Emperor Realm, and the Path of Spirit Fire has reached Grand Completion!"
"Due to the host's over-completion, rewards have been upgraded!"
"Congratulations to the host for acquiring a large quantity of cultivation reserves!"
"Congratulations to the host for acquiring the six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique, the Heaven-Burning Art!"
"Congratulations to the host for acquiring the Heaven-Tier Grade Six Alchemist Cauldron, the Sky-Devouring Furnace!"
"Additional Reward: [Myriad Laws Immunity]: Any cultivator with a cultivation level lower than the host will have all attacks rendered ineffective!"
As the system's voice faded, a pure, incomparable surge of spiritual energy flooded Lu Xuan's body. It was like a torrent crashing through his internal world, his Dantian bubbling and churning. Lu Xuan's cultivation increased steadily. Moments later, he broke through directly to the peak of the late-stage Profound Emperor Realm!
Lu Xuan smiled, thoroughly pleased. He began to examine his other rewards. With a thought, a cultivation jade slip, the Heaven-Burning Art, appeared in his hand.
A six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique!
Lu Xuan casually glanced at it. This technique was terrifying; once cultivated to Grand Completion, it could incinerate the heavens, boil the seas, refine the firmament, and possess heaven-defying offensive power.
Cultivate it himself? Nah, that wasn't happening. Lying flat was the way to go. This technique was incredibly suitable for Ji Fuyao, so he might as well give it to her.
Next, Lu Xuan inspected the Sky-Devouring Furnace. It was an incredibly ancient cauldron, currently sealed. Yet, even through the seal, one could discern the brilliant Dao纹 circulating upon its surface, profound and mysterious. This was a Heaven-Tier Nine-Grade supreme treasure, imbued with terrifying "Dao" and "Rhythm," carrying some arcane power. If not for the System's seal, Lu Xuan revealing this alchemy cauldron now would undoubtedly trigger a Heaven and Earth Anomaly!
A supreme treasure indeed!
Lu Xuan considered it. Ji Fuyao's alchemy talent wasn't top-tier. If he made her refine pills, it would be a waste of time. "Leave the professional stuff to the professionals." He decided this cauldron would be better suited for another disciple.
At the thought of alchemy, a slight smirk touched Lu Xuan's lips. He recalled a classic novel he'd read back on Blue Star. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Hehehe… No way I'm actually taking that disciple, right? No way."
Lu Xuan asked, "Can I take a second disciple now?"
"The disciple-acceptance quest has not yet been triggered!" the System replied.
"Not triggered?" Lu Xuan pressed. "How does it trigger?"
"Soon," the System responded.
"Sure enough, the System has limitations," Lu Xuan thought to himself. Otherwise, if he just went crazy accepting disciples, regardless of talent, and relied on sheer numbers, wouldn't his cultivation just take off like a rocket?
Lu Xuan was already quite satisfied. He put away the Sky-Devouring Furnace, a sense of anticipation filling his heart. "Second disciple, hurry up and get in Master's bowl…"
He then examined [Myriad Laws Immunity]. This was an extra reward from the System! Lu Xuan couldn't help but exclaim how heaven-defying it was. It meant he could directly ignore anyone weaker than him in cultivation. Complete immunity to all damage! "Isn't this the ultimate flexing tool?" he grinned.
"Keep it low-key," he reminded himself. "Still, keep it low-key. Right now, I'm only a Profound Emperor, and there are Great Emperors roaming the Southern Wilderness!" His mood was excellent. He couldn't help but marvel, "This invincible disciple-gathering system is just too considerate. Investing in disciples truly yields a ten-thousand-fold return!"
Lu Xuan immediately sent a spiritual message to Ji Fuyao, summoning her.
Soon, Ji Fuyao entered Lu Xuan's cave abode. His abode was extremely simple, containing only a Xuanbing bed, a wooden table, a few wooden chairs, and some basic tools. This simplicity further enhanced Ji Fuyao's favorable impression. It really is the demeanor of a true powerhouse!
As she walked past the wooden table, she spotted a doggerel poem Lu Xuan had written. A faint smile touched her lips.
"Mountains and rivers, a messy sprawl,
Black holes where the wells are tall.
White on the yellow dog's coat,
The white dog's swollen, note."
"The rooster crows once, a defiant squawk,
The rooster crows twice, another talk.
Three crows call the sunrise nigh,
Sweeping away the stars and moon in the sky."
She then noticed some drawings on the table.
"Jiang Taigong Electricity Fishing Chart!"
"Hou Yi's 98k Sun-Shot!"
"Zhuge Liang Cleverly Borrowing the East Wind!"
Ji Fuyao was stunned. These drawings were truly… abstract. As expected of Master, his style is unique and one of a kind, distinct from all others.
"I never imagined Master had such hobbies," Ji Fuyao murmured.
Lu Xuan cleared his throat. "Just some casual scribbles and drawings."
Ji Fuyao merely pursed her lips in a smile.
Lu Xuan chuckled. "Fuyao, the gift I have for you is a cultivation technique. It's very suitable for you."
Ji Fuyao smiled as she declined. "Master, I already have a cultivation technique." She was referring to her one-star Emperor-tier fire-attribute cultivation manual, the Profound Fire Scripture, which perfectly matched her constitution! On the Southern Wilderness, how precious were Emperor-tier cultivation techniques? Once her one-star Emperor-tier technique was revealed, it would surely cause a storm of bloodshed across the Southern Wilderness. She simply couldn't believe Lu Xuan possessed a higher-grade technique.
With a thought, Lu Xuan conjured the Heaven-Burning Art jade slip and flicked it towards Ji Fuyao. "You can take a look first."
*Whoosh!
Ji Fuyao caught it, and without much thought, she delved her divine sense into it. The very next instant, her body froze in place. A six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique—the Heaven-Burning Art! Her divine sense stirred, and a vast void immediately appeared before her. A phantom figure bore the heavens, radiating immense power, far surpassing her peak in her previous life. She couldn't discern its face, but behind it, endless spirit fire surged and ascended, the power to incinerate the heavens and boil the seas permeated the sky, refining the firmament, turning that entire realm into a dazzling sea of spirit fire.
The phantom figure's voice slowly emerged.
"Heaven-Burning Art!"
"We cultivators, defy the heavens in our journey, the path is long and arduous. One must possess the will to soar to the heavens, the ambition to burn the heavens…" With the voice's descent, the phantom figure swept its sleeve. A supreme offensive force pierced through heaven and earth, like burning stars, like a boiling grand domain. Terrifying spirit fire surged skyward, directly condensing into a profound artistic conception: The heavens could burn! The seas could boil! The phantom figure transformed into the Lord of Spirit Fire, standing majestically in the endless inferno, its form gradually fading.
Buzz…
A lightning bolt struck Ji Fuyao's mind, and she retreated from the extraordinary vision. She had received the legacy of the Heaven-Burning Art! Within mere breaths, she was already drenched in fragrant sweat, her fiery red phoenix robe clinging tightly to her body, revealing her incredibly delicate figure, curvaceous and alluring. Her delicate body trembled, and a monstrous wave surged in her heart.
This technique was too terrifying! It was practically tailor-made for her! She possessed the Heaven-Burning Sacred Body to begin with! A six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique! Where did Master acquire it? In her memory, this technique hadn't appeared in the Southern Wilderness for tens of thousands of years. This technique was too precious; even within the Grand Dao Sect, it would only be second to the Grand Dao Scripture as a supreme technique.
Ji Fuyao gazed at Lu Xuan, her voice trembling with excitement. "Master…"
Lu Xuan smiled. "I just thought this technique was quite suitable for you. You can cultivate the Heaven-Burning Art from now on."
A warm current flowed through Ji Fuyao's heart. She was speechless. As a reincarnated Empress, she possessed the mindset of a peak expert, yet even she was deeply moved at this moment. Lu Xuan—she had only become his disciple three days ago, and he was already bestowing upon her such a supreme cultivation technique? Compared to the Heaven-Burning Art, the Profound Fire Scripture she cultivated was utterly insignificant. From now on, she would definitely switch to cultivating the Heaven-Burning Art!
She was truly touched. And she grew even more curious about Lu Xuan. To casually produce a Heaven-Tier perfect-grade Dao Foundation Pill, to casually gift a six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique—his reserves were simply too profound. As for Lu Xuan's true strength… he was probably a high-star Great Emperor! She never imagined that such a top-tier powerhouse resided within the Grand Dao Sect!
But what did Lu Xuan want by taking her as a disciple? Ji Fuyao couldn't fathom it. Perhaps this is what a true Master is—selfless!
Lu Xuan smiled. "Go on. You know how to cultivate it, so Master won't teach you."
Ji Fuyao paused. "Master, if I encounter any difficulties in cultivation, may I still seek your guidance?"
"You may," Lu Xuan replied.
Ji Fuyao tilted her graceful neck and nodded, putting away the ancient jade slip and preparing to depart. Suddenly, she glanced down. "Oh!" While comprehending the Heaven-Burning Art, her fiery red long dress had become soaked with fragrant sweat, clinging tightly to her body. She hadn't even noticed until now.
Ji Fuyao's face flushed as she looked at Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan, meanwhile, wore an expression of 'see no evil,' looking pointedly to the side.
Ji Fuyao's heart warmed again. But then she thought, if Master saw it, it really wouldn't matter. After all, Master was a true gentleman.
"Disciple," Lu Xuan said with a smile, "hurry and cultivate your new technique."
"Mmm," Ji Fuyao gently nodded and quickly departed. Upon returning to her cave abode, Ji Fuyao decided to alter her plans. She would cultivate the Heaven-Burning Art first, then proceed to the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. However, before that, she needed to bathe.
With a thought, Ji Fuyao's fiery red long dress slowly fell away, revealing her incredibly delicate and tender shoulders, followed by her shapely chest. Her smooth, fair body exuded a faint fragrance, her figure perfectly proportioned. Her long, graceful legs moved as she slowly stepped into the bathtub. Steam billowed, and a flawless, ethereal form shimmered into view. It was an enchanting sight, Ji Fuyao's body immaculate and pure, emanating a faint divine radiance, appearing utterly sacred.
Not long after, Ji Fuyao was fully prepared. She began to cultivate the Heaven-Burning Art! She sat cross-legged, her fiery red long dress unable to conceal her curvaceous figure. Her slender, graceful hands continuously shifted, and she chanted softly.
Boom!
A terrifying force of spirit fire surged from her body, rapidly spreading outwards. A supreme killing intent condensed around Ji Fuyao. The temperature in her cave abode instantly soared, and the terrifying spirit fire pierced through the cave abode's seals and restrictions, soaring into the sky. This was a six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique! It was Ji Fuyao's first time cultivating it, and because her Heaven-Burning Sacred Body perfectly matched the technique, she inadvertently triggered a resonance within the art. For a moment, the entire Azure Mystery Peak ignited with towering spirit fire, like a giant sun rising, illuminating the firmament. A terrifying power instantly surged from Azure Mystery Peak, impacting the surrounding spirit peaks, forming a blazing fire wave that set this entire region ablaze.
A Heaven and Earth Anomaly! In an instant, the entire Grand Dao Sect was alarmed.