Han De in his stoic form, reevaluated what just happened.

Yao Qing came back from the Potential Upgrade tribulation in a state similar to that of Ning Bi’s. Void grandpa had mentioned a ‘False Ruler’ when he spoke of Ning Bi’s circumstances.

‘I’m going to ignore that...’

Wasn’t Yao Qing brought back through time by the same person? That person had access to the tribulation system. That person, could alter someone and trigger the Reality Sense!

‘F#$%...’

Han De stared at the Black Chrysanthemum he mutated through his Primordial Light Qi. The so-called tribulation energy inside was just a form of Primordial Qi of different configuration. By using his Wandering Mirage Scripture, replacing, or even dispersing that energy was easy. The flower itself absorbed his Primordial Light Qi as if it was water!

‘Maybe that energy wasn’t Primordial Qi, but some form of fake Chaos Qi? This flower is definitely missing something…’

Han De closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind as much as possible. Panicking in front of his disciples was the last thing he needed right now! A moment later he heard Jin Shu’s voice and opened his eyes.

“…Master, if I may…”

The Nameless Horror, the Death Seeking Master, was giving a strange look towards the Black Chrysanthemum.

‘… Wai, you’re not going to… F#$% she is definitely going to…’

Technically speaking, the Black Chrysanthemum was an illusion. It wasn’t a real flower. Probably.

At most, it was a potential treasure! Definitely not a living thing that could be mutated. Definitely…

Against Han De’s better judgment, his ‘MC’s and Potential Treasures’ flow chart directed him to give the flower to Jin Shu! Which wasn’t a surprising result, because over 90% of the outcomes were the same. Give the treasure to the MC in question! Stop screwing around!

‘Wait… Why not?’

For some reason, Han De couldn’t help but shake off a death-seeking idea.

‘What if she really messed with it? What’s the worst that could happen?’

If Jin Shu were to get altered, all he needed was to touch her head. Problem solved! Easy!

If she pissed off the wrong person, Han De could call for his great-great-grandmother! The old monster was but a thought away. Probably…

If he wasn’t going to take advantage of his status, what was the use of having it? If his standing in the Long family wasn’t enough, Han De would just marry that Wen Jiayi! The danger she posed was far less than that of an unidentified heavenly 3rd party!

‘Yeah, False Ruler from that Void Grandpa should be the stereotypical insult to the will of heavens or something. F#$%, ignore. Ignore!...’

Han De snapped his fingers, and an illusory jade box appeared around the Black Chrysanthemum. It felt fitting that an illusory flower would be stored in an illusory box! Just to be on the safe side, he put 100% effort into the box as well. A Profound Master couldn’t afford to get embarrassed to his disciples!

He gave Jin Shu a half-smile and received a bow from her in response. Now that she had the flower, all he needed to do was wait.

<Keep an eye on Jin Shu, and inform me immediately when she opens that illusory box. Don’t inform others; this task is yours alone.>

<… Yes, young master.>

The voice transmission he sent was to the biggest and the most complex spiritual sense he could find. The positive response he got from Xin Meili, the ex-matriarch, confirmed his presumptions about spiritual sense cultivation levels.

At the same time, Han De spotted Ning Bi’s smile with the corner of his eye. The little purifier of planes seemed to be pleased all of a sudden. Though the circumstances were a little off, Han De let her be. She had gone through a lot, then suddenly left her parents behind once again. For whatever reason she was smiling, as far as Han De was concerned, it was a good thing!

Behind the original three, was the ever-calm Treebeard, confused Liang Cuifen, and one unit of Yu Xian…

‘… Why does he look so constipated?’

Yu Xian, the God-King, was doing his best to interpret what he just saw.

How did the middle disciple break the heavenly tribulation? With only one word no less! Was this a ruse? Was Han De trying to impress Yu Xian and Liang Cuifen?

Yu Xian thought it was possible! Unlike him, Liang Cuifen wasn’t impressed by the celestial boat at all. Which was the appropriate response from a frog in a well. This tribulation was a more direct approach!

However, Yu Xian caught the crucial mistake in this line of thought. Liang Cuifen couldn’t feel the pressure from the heavenly tribulation! How could she? To a mere mortal, those were nothing but thunders from afar!

‘No.’ Yu Xian thought. ‘This is too elaborate to be a ruse. The heavenly intent was real, and it wasn’t ordinary.’

‘Must be the secret arts from the Long family’ was his conclusion. Nevertheless, he also remembered the words of that higher being. Han De could learn and improve arts faster than anyone else!

As Jin Shu carefully put the box inside her storage ring, Yu Xian remembered the strange heavenly phenomena. Did Han De really pluck one of those ominous flowers?!

In Yu Xian the God-King’s knowledge, such a thing was impossible! Even if it was possible, higher heavens wouldn’t allow it! Certainly, at the height of his power, Yu Xian wouldn’t be pleased if someone appropriated his test!

According to Han De’s expert opinion, the MC seemed to be extremely busy overthinking the situation. Why not let him? Therefore, he ignored Yu Xian.

Han De gave his disciples a profound nod, then went back to his seat. Three current and three future disciples took their places. If Han De were to ignore how he almost died just a minute ago, the scene was quite Xianxia-like!

‘Should I translate for Liang Cuifen?’

Han De entertained that thought for a moment, but decided not to. From his encounter with Li Ling, the jade beauty with the System, he already knew that Liang Cuifen could detect lies even if they are in a language she couldn’t understand.

‘No, probably better to maintain some mystery. She can ask Yu Xian later anyway.’

Ning Bi, Yao Qing, Jin Shu. He looked at them one by one.

It felt as if Ning Bi’s bloodline was different somehow. It was just a feeling, something he would normally readily ignore. But since it concerned Ning Bi, Han De made a special note to check her status after the disciple acceptance ceremony.

Yao Qing’s situation seemed stable, at least for now.

He felt some guilt over relying on Jin Shu’s death-seeking tendencies, but he reassured himself by thinking he would give her a crash course of Xianxia mechanics later.

Finally, his gaze landed on Treebeard. Though he was a trusty lackey, vetted by his mother Long Xiu, Han De didn’t know anything about him as a person. Other than he had 28 points of potential, of course.

[Name: Treebeard]
[Race: Human (100%)]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 1171]

[Cultivation: - ]
[Constitution: - ]
[Bloodline: - ]
[Roots: Wood (Destroyed - 34%) - Earth (Destroyed - 31%) - Metal (Destroyed - 33%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 28)]
-------------------------------------------
[Will: 8]
[Talent: 5]
[Comprehension: 8]
[Luck: 7]

[Cultivation Methods]
-------------------------------------------
[Still Mind Scripture (Mortal)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Advanced (47/48)]
[Stage: - ]

[Martial Arts Methods]
-------------------------------------------
[Serene Debate (Mortal)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Advanced (42/46)]

[Expand to view more...]

[Fate]
[Virtuous Sage]

[Notes]
[Good Potential. Would be an exemplary elder of a sect.]

‘Virtuous Sage… That’s really the most positive fate I have ever seen… Why is his name Treebeard though?’

The cultivation idiot never asked for Treebeard’s name. To be fair, before Han De came to being, Treebeard was simply yet another lackey. After all this time though, it felt weird to ask his name!

‘Wait, wasn’t his understanding of the Still Mind Scripture lower? Is he still into that stupid scripture?’

Han De swallowed his sigh. Still, this was a good hook that he could use!

“You have increased your comprehension of the Still Mind scripture even in this state. Lesser minds would’ve perished…”

This wasn’t a lie. Han De remembered almost going into a panic attack during his temporary time as a cripple. Treebeard’s situation was worse, he lost his cultivation while he was at the Immortal Realm! Han De could guess how Treebeard was feeling through extrapolation.

“To some, losing one’s cultivation is equivalent to losing one’s life. Treebeard, you have fulfilled your duties as my servant and surpassed all expectations. That day I offered you a choice, today I will do so again.

If you so desire, I will arrange your reincarnation into a fortune blessed life with immense talent. I, and my family, owe you this much. No one will ever question or find faults. You can forge your own path, free of any ties, any responsibilities. Some of your brethren chose this path as you already know.

But there’s an alternative. So long as you become my disciple, your broken cultivation is of no concern. I will repair your roots. From then on, I will do everything I can so that you can rise to your destiny as the Virtuous Sage.

Whatever you choose, know that your karma as a servant has already been settled.”

Han De was 95% sure that he didn’t utter a single lie. The fact that Liang Cuifen didn’t make any sudden movements increased his confidence level to >99%.

Regardless, Han De was fairly sure that he was 100% sincere. If Treebeard chose to leave, how could he say anything? In a way, this guy gave his life so that Han De and his disciples could live. MC or not, he had the right.

Treebeard though, kowtowed on the spot. “I shall follow master's teachings to the end of my days.”

‘… You could’ve thought about it at least. I mean, I’m not complaining, but really, why not think things through? I’m offering you a VIP reincarnation pass. Take more than 2 seconds to decide at least…’

Han De thought that his silent lackey was unexpectedly naïve. Wasn’t this guy more than a thousand years old?

But he did not dwell on minute details and gave Treebeard a sharp nod instead.

“Good!”

This time, Liang Cuifen felt a phantom needle piercing her heart. The sensation was only barely there, but she knew the reason.

Just like the Jin Shu’s ceremony, Treebeard’s too, was quite streamlined! The future Virtuous Sage brewed the tea leaves brought by the servants, then kowtowed as Han De finished it.

“With this, you are now my fourth disciple.”

“Disciple Treebeard greets master.”

[Quest: Reforesting]
[Difficulty Level: F]
[Status: Issued]

[Summary: Your new disciple’s damaged roots is an obstacle in his cultivation! As his master, you must improve his condition before guiding him! Help Treebeard achieve his dreams!]

[Requirements: Heal Treebeard’s damaged roots.]
[Time Remaining: 49 minutes]
[Failure: Jin Shu’s disciple status will be revoked.]

‘So if there’s a problem with the disciple there’s always a quest huh…’

Originally, Han De was half concerned whether the Spiritual Roots Healing Token could do the trick. After seeing the quest text about healing though, he felt relieved. The System was usually pretty explicit about its wording!

It was quite unfortunate that Liang Cuifen was here! Could she detect non-verbal duplicity? Han De wasn’t willing to find that out. Instead, he silently bought the token. Today wasn’t the day of theatrics.

[Profound Points: 529774 -> 528974 (-800)]

[Activating Spiritual Roots Healing Token on disciple Treebeard]
[Target Confirmed]
[Calibrating...]

[...]

[Calibration Complete]
[Tribulation Triggering Chance: 0.00093091%]

[Commencing Regrowth…]

[…]

[Regrowth Success]
[Time Taken: 0.0000000001 seconds]

[Quest Complete!]
[Congratulations!]
[Notes: You have completed your quest in the allocated time.]

‘System, do you not like Treebeard or something? I distinctly remember Jin Shu’s quest completion note even complimented her! You really got nothing for Treebeard?’

Naturally, there was no response.

‘Well, it’s 3 roots for the price of one. Pretty good deal all things considered…’

None of the disciples could feel the difference within Treebeard. Not even the person in question could understand what had happened!

Only a few breaths after greeting Han De as his master, Treebeard felt the all too familiar sensation of spiritual energy. As a once Immortal Realm expert, he instinctively tried to use his non-existent spiritual sense. To his surprise, he actually had an embryonic version of it!

Even without their cultivation, an Immortal Realm expert was still a different existence than mere mortals. Now that his roots had recovered, Treebeard himself could feel this difference. While he was stunned, Han De spoke once again.

“The technique I just used, can only be used on my disciples.”

Disciples silently nodded once they heard Han De’s serious tone. Even Liang Cuifen mimicked others.

Three original disciples had already guessed what had happened. Compared to inducing once-in-a-cycle bloodlines and body constitutions, repairing spiritual roots could only be called a minor feat! Yao Qing in particular, paid special attention to her master’s phrasing.

‘What technique?’ Yu Xian thought. It took him a few moments, but thanks to his vast experience, the difference within Treebeard eventually became clear. He stopped himself from frowning at the last second.

Treebeard kept his thoughts to himself. Part of him still couldn’t believe that his roots were fixed in the blink of an eye.

Restoring his cultivation was certainly possible with the resources of Han and Long families, but in reality, it was a distant goal. Treebeard had accepted Han De as his master, not to restore his cultivation, but to further refine his understanding of the Still Mind Scripture.

It was Han De that completed his father’s work, and it was Han De that help him improve his understanding. That was enough!

Meanwhile, Han De decided to test one of the new features that came from the privilege upgrade.

‘… He’s really strangely attached to that scripture and probably won’t cultivate anything else. Since I have the points, why not…’

[Redeeming Method Upgrade Token for 200 Profound Points]
[Using Method Upgrade Token]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Still Mind Scripture (Mortal II)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

‘Yep. This S#$% should never get to Grandmaster comprehension level.’

[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Redeeming Method Upgrade Token for 200 Profound Points]
[Using Method Upgrade Token]
[Upgrade Failed]

[Note: Still Mind Scripture reached the maximum allowable rank at Master comprehension level]

[Profound Points: 528974 -> 527174 (-1800)]

[Still Mind Scripture (Heaven III)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

‘I can’t just upgrade it to the legendary [Very Weak] realm with just upgrade tokens huh… Understandable… I guess I’ll need a Method Modification Token, or a higher level modification feature.’

Han De made a mental note to keep an eye on the said token. It was quite unfortunate that the level 3 Profound Points shop was yet to unlock!

‘So, how do I use the Knowledge Impartation feature?’

[Knowledge Impartation Feature Invoked]

[Gathering Statistics]
[Feature Level: 1]

[…]

[Comprehension Limit: Master]
[Power Limit: Average]
[Stage Limit: Core Formation]

[Choose scripture to impart]

‘The Still Mind’

[Processing…]

[Still Mind Scripture (Heaven III)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]

[Choose disciple to impart]

‘Treebeard’

[…]

[Preparations Complete]

[Note: Level 1 Knowledge Impartation feature requires physical presence within 20cm of subject’s temporal lobe.]

‘… Temporal lobe? Where’s that exactly?... It should be fine if I just touch his head, right?’

Han De stood up and slowly approached Treebeard. While the latter was still in confusion, he touched Treebeard’s glabella.

[Knowledge Impartation Complete]

Though Han De didn’t feel anything as usual, the same could not be said for Treebeard! The moment Han De touched his glabella, he felt as if his brain was torn apart and put back together! Instinctively he used his embryonic spiritual sense to check for damage. But of course, he could barely feel the touch of spiritual energy within his body, how could he check for physical damage?

As Treebeard tried to recite the calmness prayer within the Still Mind Scripture, he felt dumbfounded. The lines he had repeated tens of thousands of times, felt as if they had completely new meanings!

Recognition came instantly. Despite the pain that felt worse than death, Treebeard looked up at his master.

Han De smiled in response to Treebeards surprise and spoke in a mildly profound tone.

“Just a bit of refinement.”

Treebeard kowtowed once again.

“It’s fine. You are my disciple, this much is nothing. For now, take it slow.”

Han De didn’t wait for Treebeard’s response and went back to his seat. Partially because this action gave him a master-like aura, and partially because he saw Treebeard’s status after knowledge impartation.

[Still Mind Scripture (Earth II)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

‘Didn’t I transfer Heaven 3? Why does it show only Earth 2 on his status?’

What if he did impart the scripture again, would Treebeard get Heaven III at that time?

Han De’s gamer intuition thought this lossy transfer could be an issue from the disciple’s comprehension score. More tests were clearly required! Thankfully, he had six willing subjects in front of him!

Then, his gaze landed on Yu Xian.

The ex-God-King of the Sable Dusk realms understood it was his turn. He was to brew and serve tea, then kowtow.

The moment had arrived and there was no room for hesitation. Yu Xian repeated the motions of Treebeard with complex emotions.

Both him and Liang Cuifen had spent some time with their weirdly named temporary teacher. Enough that Yu Xian thought he had a firm grasp of Treebeard’s character. Seeing him genuinely kowtow and be grateful, seeing the respectful attitudes of the three disciples, seeing Han De’s impeccable temperament, Yu Xian felt some guilt in his heart.

‘I can’t be too conceited.’ Yu Xian thought. ‘This is a different realm with different rules. There is no shame in accepting someone’s talent.’

If Yu Xian the God-King were to accept a master, son of heavens wasn’t a bad candidate. That was the conclusion Yu Xian had arrived at. So long as Han De was sincere, he too, could be sincere!

Besides, there was also that higher being woman that gave an extreme sense of danger to Yu Xian! Regardless of his internal thoughts, he would have to bow, one way or another!

Sometime after Yu Xian kowtowed, he heard Han De’s voice and felt a sudden chill in his spine.

“With this, you are now my fifth disciple.”

“Disciple Yu Xian greets master.”

Han De waited for a while, but the quest that he expected didn’t come up. Fearing something had gone wrong, he checked the disciples panel immediately.

[Disciples Panel]
------------------------------------------------------

[Core Disciples: 1/1]
-------------------------------------------
[Ning Bi (35)] - [Potential: 35] - [Core Formation - Early Stage]

[Inner Disciples: 2/2]
-------------------------------------------
[Yao Qing] - [Potential: 31] - [Core Formation - Early Stage]
[Jin Shu] - [Potential: 30] - [Core Formation - Early Stage]

[Outer Disciples: 3/6]
-------------------------------------------
[Treebeard] - [Potential: 28] - [ - ]
[Yu Xian] - [Potential: 28] - [Qi Condensation - 3rd Stage]

[Requirements]
[Core Disciple: 32 Points Minimum]
[Inner Disciple: 30 Points Minimum]
[Outer Disciple: 28 Points Minimum]

It looked like the System had accepted Yu Xian as a disciple, but there were no new quests!

‘Uhh, System. Didn’t this guy have an all-purpose hammer thingy? You really don’t have any quests for that? Wasn’t the merging process interrupted or something?...’

Naturally, there was no response.

‘Ok, that’s fine too. He can fix his own issues at his own time. Agreed. Excellent.’

Noticing how Yu Xian was still waiting, Han De acted as if he had made a profound decision. He had momentarily forgotten the presence of Liang Cuifen!

“Your Shattered Veil Scripture is quite good, and so is your comprehension. Cultivate it diligently.”

Yu Xian swallowed his panic and gave an immediate response.

“This disciple doesn’t deserve this praise, and will follow master’s guidance.”

Though Yu Xian’s response was as he expected, the little flinch from Liang Cuifen was not. Thankfully, he didn’t break his character. Once the moment of panic had passed, he made a mental note to talk to her about these ‘little reflexes’ of hers. Without spilling the beans, of course!

‘… It didn’t look like she reacted to my slip-up though…’

Han De decided to risk some simple theatrics.

The first 10 volumes of the Starfall Mountain Standard Forging Scripture came out of Han De’s storage ring and started hovering around him.

[Profound Points: 527174 -> 527156 (-18)]

’There are more than 300 volumes, 10 volumes for the first time should be enough. I can milk the rest of those forging volumes along with other standard scriptures…’

Han De closed his eyes and nodded to himself for effect. Then the volumes went back to his storage ring.

“You are suited to practice smithing techniques. I will impart some of the Starfall Mountain Forging techniques to you, along with a few weapon scriptures.”

Yu Xian bowed ‘reverently’. Just as he stood up, Han De suddenly appeared in front of him and touch his glabella. Pain came all at once.

The first thought Yu Xian had was that this was a method to transfer information. He ignored the pain and tried to organize his thoughts amongst the chaos. Unfortunately, though the pain remained, the transfer was already over!

‘What kind of…’ Yu Xian couldn’t even finish his thoughts! Vast amounts of information had appeared within his mind! Not only of forging, but for sword, spear, halberd, saber… and even shield!

Due to the incredible agony, Yu Xian couldn’t utter a single word! He tentatively took a peak and understood Han De’s intentions. As a disciple, he was to digest those scriptures first before he could ask more questions!

Yu Xian gritted his teeth and gave his all to bow respectfully. Slowly, but surely, he was able to go back to his seat. Somehow. Not to mention the contents of the information, but the fact that Han De uttered the name of the Shattered Veil scripture, came as a huge shock.

Han De inwardly nodded at Yu Xian’s tactfulness. In truth, he would’ve wanted to hype up the standard scriptures, and maybe add some theatrics to the Knowledge Impartation feature too. Because of the uncertainty surrounding Liang Cuifen though, he ended up having to skip everything.

‘Things aren’t looking that bad. I’ll have to slowly learn the limits of her ability and create new scenarios based on those limits...’

Finally, Han De’s gaze stopped at Liang Cuifen, the toxic lie detector in the flesh. While he was gauging her reaction, the future ice empress was trying to control her anxiety.

She truly was a fish out of water in this strange world!

The first thing she noticed was how beautiful everyone was! There wasn’t a single average-looking person on sight! Even their temporary teacher Wu Fu was obviously handsome in his youth!

Then, there was the fact that they were traveling amongst the stars! Who knew, that Yu Xian was actually right that day! Han De truly wasn’t from her world!

As if that wasn’t enough, she arrived here on top of a flying sword! The sword was flying! And Liang Cuifen was on top of it!!

And now she had witnessed the dignity of a true master. Han De, sitting above them, had nobility that she wouldn’t have believed possible! Though she couldn’t understand them, every word he uttered seemed to hold profound meaning.

People with unfathomable power bowed to him, tried to please him! According to the flying servant, Han De could wipe out countless worlds with only a single word! He was so powerful, he had two names!

Liang Cuifen inadvertently gulped, but she still stood up. If others could do it, so could she!

Han De silently watched her brew yet another pot of tea. Because of the nebulous requirements from the System, he didn’t dare to switch things up. Everyone had to brew a new pot! What if the System didn’t recognize the disciple if they didn’t brew the tea themselves? Could he say, “this didn’t count” and order a do-over?

‘…If it ain’t broke don’t fix it…’

A few minutes later, Han De finished tea. Though this time he was slightly faster, because even a blind person could see how nervous Liang Cuifen was!

“With this, you are now my sixth disciple.”

“Disciple Liang Cuifen greets master.”

‘…’

Han De silently checked the disciples panel once again and confirmed that the ceremony worked as intended.

‘Phew… It’s over…’

Now that he had 3 more disciples to act as buffers, he felt much more relaxed! He would be fine even if he failed a few quests in a row! Probably.

‘Now, what kind of cultivation would suit her…’

Han De had to admit, he had lucked out with other disciples’ cultivation methods.

The Blazing Sun was basically the quintessential MC scripture, Yao Qing already had the Celestial Storm, Jin Shu literally created one on her own, Treebeard had that stupid method, and Yu Xian had that perverted scripture that Han De would never touch.

[Name: Liang Cuifen]
[Race: Human (100%)]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 20]

[Cultivation: - ]

[Constitutions]
-------------------------------------------
[Unsullied Ice Body (Unawakened)]
[Progress: 14.10%]
[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Effects:]
[Moderately increases the cultivation efficiency while vital yin is present.]
[Slightly increases the dual cultivation efficiency.]
[Slightly increases the Ice Qi resistance.]
[Immune to absolute zero temperature.]
[Passively reduces the ambient temperature.]

[Bloodline: - ]
[Roots: Ice (24.19%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 29)]
-------------------------------------------
[Will: 5]
[Talent: 8]
[Comprehension: 8]
[Luck: 8]

[Fate: Ice Empress of the Lost Realms]

[Skills]
-------------------------------------------
[Truth Seer (Heaven)]
[Detects lies in forms of direct communication regardless of the cultivation difference.]

‘Judging from potential points alone, she can practice a relatively complex scripture, as long as it’s not masochistic in nature?’

The Blazing Sun required extreme control, the Celestial Storm required extreme patience. Jin Shu’s new Boundless Renewal scripture probably required extreme comprehension.

‘I could modify my scripture, the Light of Creation. If I had a Will score it would’ve been pretty low, right?’

[Light of Creation Scripture (Mortal)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: Nascent Soul - Early Stage]

‘… Still at Mortal level…’

It took Han De exactly 2 seconds to make an executive decision.

[Using Method Upgrade Token]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Light of Creation Scripture (Mortal II)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: Nascent Soul - Early Stage]

‘OK. Not that different?’

[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Light of Creation Scripture (Heaven III)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: Nascent Soul - Early Stage]

‘… Holy S#$%...’

Somehow, the result seemed… off. In Han De the Grandmaster Cultivator’s expert opinion, in light of his previous cultivation session, the Light of Creation had its efficiency tripled! Most importantly, there were no side effects. At least, no new ones!

‘… Is there anything stopping me from upgrading literally everything?’

[Redeeming Method Upgrade Token for 200 Profound Points]
[Using Method Upgrade Token]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Light of Creation Scripture (Heaven-Defying)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: Nascent Soul - Early Stage]

‘… It can go beyond?!’

The six disciples noticed their master’s peculiarity. Three original ones recognized his distracted state from before. And all three couldn’t help but shift in their seats. Was their master going to attempt something again?

[Upgrade Complete]
[Upgrade Complete]

[Light of Creation Scripture (Heaven-Defying III)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: Nascent Soul - Early Stage]

[Redeeming Method Upgrade Token for 200 Profound Points]
[Using Method Upgrade Token]
[Upgrade Failed]

[Note: Light of Creation Scripture reached the maximum allowable rank at Grandmaster comprehension level]

[Profound Points: 527156 -> 524956 (-2200)]

This time, Han De had to take a moment to reorganize his thoughts.

Due to the grandmaster comprehension level, it was hard to keep track of the individual upgrade levels. After every upgrade, the new edge cases became immediately obvious. If Han De hadn’t cultivated the scripture before, perhaps he would even doubt that the upgrade did anything at all!

The integration of knowledge was simply that thorough.

He had this sensation once before with the Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture. But perhaps because the said scripture was at the [Extremely Weak] realm at the time, the effect wasn’t as pronounced.

‘This is good, I can get more data from this…’

[Scripture Modification Feature Invoked]

[Gathering Statistics]
[Feature Level: 1]

[…]

[Choose scripture to modify]

‘The Light of Creation. Change the element to Ice. Regular Ice, not Primordial Ice. Just normal, everyday Ice element. And change the concept to Heat Death.’

Since she was already immune to absolute zero temperatures, Heat Death seemed like an OP concept that fit her.

Of course, if there were any stupid side effects, he could always try his luck once again. Changing concepts only cost 500 profound points! It was beyond cheap for the current Han De!

[…]

[Processing…]

[Notes: Modified cultivation method will become incompatible.]

[…]

[Congratulations.]
[Modified version of the Light of Creation Scripture has been added to the repository.]

[Profound Points: 524956 -> 524356 (-600)]

[Infinite Yin Rebirth Scripture (Mortal I)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Beginner (0/30)]
[Stage: - ]

‘…’

Han De couldn’t help but feel something was truly wrong. Wasn’t this feature just too easy abuse? Why did he need those expensive Derive Cultivation Method Tokens if he could just modify an existing scripture?

‘Not that I’m complaining, but…’

It was super cheap too! Only 600 points to change a [Very Weak] scripture!

‘…’

It almost felt like the System features weren’t well thought out!

‘I’m going to ignore this too. And continue abusing the F#$% out of it. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.’

If the System didn’t say or do anything, everything was a fair game! In fact, despite the presence of his disciples, Han De took out his diary and made a special note. If the System started altering his thoughts over this ‘exploit’ at least he would have some idea!

‘I guess one negative part of it is that I have to relearn the resulting scripture. Doesn’t matter that much though, still extremely cheap compared to the Derive Cultivation Method Token…’

[Infinite Yin Rebirth Scripture (Mortal I)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Grandmaster]
[Stage: - ]

[Profound Points: 524356 -> 524267 (-89)]

‘The Blazing Sun took 315 points to learn and grandmaster... This one is 89 points…?’

Han De the Grandmaster cultivator could tell the reason. Some of the circulation logic between the Light of Creation and the Infinite Yin Rebirth were practically identical. An expected result in hindsight. He was already aware that similarities between scriptures would lower the comprehension cost.

‘No side effects worth mentioning, other than absorbing the ambient temperature during cultivation. Not bad. I could cultivate this easily if I had Ice element roots!’

Meanwhile, Yao Qing was intently looking at the tattered book her master was holding. Just from the residual energy surrounding the pages, she could tell that the book itself was declared taboo by the heavens.

The reaction from her bloodline was similar to that of her tribulation. The heavens that were targeting her master, wasn’t ordinary! Yao Qing had a bold premonition. Soon, this enmity would result in catastrophe. For who though, she could not tell!

Han De closed his diary with heavy motions. Since he was extremely pleased with himself, he didn’t mind showing it! He stood up with a smile and confidently walked towards Liang Cuifen.

Of course, he had long figured out the side effect of the Knowledge Impartation feature. Treebeard was relatively alright, but Yu Xian gritting his teeth was a dead giveaway!

Yu Xian in his current body had already gone through a considerable amount of pain. From forceful breakthroughs, to crashing into a wall by a kick, the ex-God-King had ample real-life experiences. Coupled with the training illusion on “Ning Bi Final Form” difficulty, he should’ve had great tolerance for pain, regardless of his previous life!

And yet, Yu Xian could barely walk back to his seat!

Han De constructed a pain inhibiting mental illusion, and even added some mild healing effects for good measure. After a brief moment of consideration, he did not add a mild anxiety reducer.

In a way, Liang Cuifen’s circumstances were very similar to his own. She had no idea what cultivation really was, and she probably had a very low tolerance for pain. Just like him. Obviously, he couldn’t let the situation be!

With the snap of his fingers, the construct from the Twilight Scripture latched on to Liang Cuifen. Then, he gently touched Liang Cuifen’s glabella.

Liang Cuifen instantly understood what had happened. Just like the time when they first met, Han De, no, her master, had applied a so-called illusion on her. She was fully aware of the pain, but that did not bother her at all.

Then, she noticed something that made goosebumps appear all over her body. She… knew how to cultivate!...?

“This type of transfer isn’t perfect, but it will give you a headstart. I will give you the complete text for the Infinite Yin Rebirth Scripture later. For now, you only need to get used to this sensation. Don’t try to cultivate in a hurry.”

Liang Cuifen looked at her master in stunned silence.

“According to traditional wisdom, you are too old for cultivation. That is both true and false at the same time. Cultivation requires inner silence, a state that is easier to learn and attain as a child. But with enough effort, anyone, or anything, can attain it.”

After a hand gesture from her master, Liang Cuifen bowed and went back to her seat.

“Usefulness of the traditional wisdom ends there. The true size of the universe is beyond anyone’s comprehension. Methods to cultivate are endless.”

It was at that moment, Liang Cuifen realized her master was speaking in another language! Since when could she understand the common language?!

Han De secretly watched Liang Cuifen go through one shock after the other.

It looked like Knowledge Impartation worked just as he suspected. Like the time he learned that Wuxia scripture, Liang Cuifen had learned the useless fluff text of her scripture as well! She received not only the Qi Condensation parts, but also text concerning the Foundation Establishment and Core Formation realms too! That was at least a novel’s worth of text!

With 8 points in comprehension, it would’ve been weird if she didn’t learn the common language on the spot!

‘Oh yeah. This’ll work…’

As a normal human being, he knew what would impress other normal human beings! Even if he couldn’t bulls#$% her, at least he could (very carefully) impress her!

‘How much did she understood that scripture anyway?’

[Infinite Yin Rebirth Scripture (Mortal I)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Intermediate (27/30)]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

‘Damn, that’s not bad. Even if she gets to master level quickly, I can slowly milk the upgrade tokens! The scripture is already [Very Weak], there’s no need to improve it rapidly.’

Han De profoundly nodded to himself. This gesture wasn’t just him patting his own back, but also signified that the disciple acceptance ceremony was over!

He looked over at Ning Bi, Yao Qing, and Jin Shu.

“There were some changes while you were consolidating your gains. The Starfall Mountain sect is no more, because it has achieved its purpose.”

All six disciples were surprised by this piece of news. Even Liang Cuifen and Yu Xian had learned the name of this sect. Not even Treebeard knew of it.

“Everything that has a beginning has an end. Soon, a new sect will be made, and the cycle will begin anew. But we will not be part of that.”

Ning Bi’s eyes opened wide, Yu Xian looked as if he was about to frown.

Han De stayed silent for effect. It looked like this level of theatrics did not trigger the lie detector!

“… When we arrive at our destination, I will establish a new, independent sect.”