C47 Servant Disciple.

Min Zhenkang quickly surveyed his surroundings, and the sight that met his eyes was startling. The once verdant trees were now barren, with every plant within hundreds of meters withered away—a testament to his voracious absorption of the Profound Qi.

Despite the presence of the Spirit Concentration Array, Min had drained the area of its Profound Qi, leaving even the plants devoid of their life force. This explained the desolate landscape before him.

Beyond this immediate area, the vegetation was not dead but noticeably drooping, the Profound Qi so sparse it was dozens of times thinner than that found beyond the mountain's reach.

"Brother Murong, I apologize for causing such trouble upon my arrival," Min Zhenkang said, preempting Murong Lin's response with his own regret.

"No worries at all. These plants will soon rejuvenate, and the Profound Qi will quickly replenish. Congratulations on your breakthrough in cultivation, Brother Min!" Murong Lin hadn't initially noticed the drastic change in the environment until Min pointed it out.

Seeing the situation, Murong Lin wasn't concerned; the Spirit Concentration Array would rectify any issues.

"Now that you've advanced in your cultivation, Brother Min, please accompany me back to my estate. I've informed the elders about you and Lil' Long, and I expect the sect's decision will soon arrive. In the meantime, would you and Lil' Long be willing to stay at my place?"

"Thank you, Brother Murong," Min Zhenkang replied, extending the Wind Thunder Talisman back to its owner. "I didn't need to use it on my journey, so I'd like to return it to you."

"You're too kind, Brother Min. You've been a great help to Xiao Long on the road; who knows what trouble he might have stirred up without you. Please, keep the Wind Thunder Talisman as a token of my gratitude. I hope you won't find it unworthy."

"Brother Murong, you're the one being too generous. I owe my entry into the Fang Sect to your assistance. Besides, I consider Xiao Long a friend and naturally look out for him. To receive this talisman from you is a joy; I wouldn't dream of refusing it!" Min Zhenkang graciously accepted the gift, recognizing its value to him at this moment.

Currently, I'm only a match for those at the first tier of the Martial Warrior Realm, and I can just manage to escape from someone at the second tier. Yet, this Wind Thunder Talisman can withstand a full-blown strike from a fifth-tier warrior. If I were to face an expert below that level, I might even be able to seriously injure them with the element of surprise.

I have a real need for this talisman, so when Murong Lin offered it to me, I saw no reason to refuse.

"Brother Min, after you," Murong Lin gestured invitingly and took the lead.

Min Zhenkang and Murong Fu trailed behind.

"Man, what kind of cultivation technique are you practicing? Your breakthrough caused such a stir! And you absorb Profound Qi so greedily—are you not worried about your dantian bursting?"

Murong Fu's question from behind piqued Murong Lin's interest, who listened intently, curious about Min Zhenkang's secretive practice.

"I stumbled upon a cultivation technique while hunting as a kid and just started practicing it. I can't explain the commotion during my breakthrough. No matter how rapidly I absorb Profound Qi, my dantian seems unaffected, showing no signs of strain."

Min Zhenkang, intent on keeping his practice of the Heavenly Imperial Immortality Spell a secret, spun a tale.

Besides, even if someone else knew of it, they wouldn't be able to practice it. After all, one must have completely severed meridians and a shattered dantian to begin—no small feat.

Who would dare abandon their current level of cultivation to pursue an unproven technique?

That's precisely why Min Zhenkang hadn't pursued the technique after acquiring it. At the time, he was already a peak expert in his realm and saw no need to take such a gamble.

"Is that so? Maybe I should take a walk outside and see if I can come across such a technique," Murong Fu said, skeptical of Min Zhenkang's story and half-joking about finding the Heavenly Imperial Immortality Spell for himself.

"Lil' Long, everyone has their secrets, so let's not press Min for more," Murong Lin interjected, seeing his brother persist in his questioning. He quickly intervened to stop Murong Fu.

"Brother Xiao, Lil' Long's curiosity got the better of him. Please, don't take it to heart! And here we are—welcome to my estate."

"It's no trouble at all."

"As a man devoted to cultivation, I don't keep maids around, so my home is somewhat modest. I hope you won't find it too lacking, Brother Xiao."

"You're far too gracious, Brother Murong."

Murong Lin then showed them to a temporary resting place before retiring to his own room.

Min Zhenkang surveyed the spartan room: a square table with a kettle and four cups, two chairs, a bed, and little else.

The simplicity didn't bother him. Min Zhenkang had experienced both opulence and the bare essentials during forest encampments. Being a man not tied to one place, he never put much stock in material possessions.

Despite its austerity, the room was impeccably clean, indicating that someone must regularly tend to the place, even without the presence of maids, as Murong Lin had mentioned. Who that person was, however, was not Min Zhenkang's primary concern.

His thoughts were occupied with Min Qigang. How was he faring now? What rank of disciple had he achieved?

But without word from the Fang Sect, Min Zhenkang remained an outsider, not yet a disciple. To avoid complications, he kept these questions at bay.

Once the Fang Sect's elder reached a decision and he became an official disciple, he would seek out Min Qigang.

If Min Qigang was faring well, Min Zhenkang could then turn his attention to other matters.

Settling beside the bed, Min Zhenkang sat cross-legged and began his cultivation practice.

He couldn't afford to miss the opportunity to harness such rich Profound Qi. Once he left this village, he might not find such a place again. But this time, Min Zhenkang was cautious not to recklessly consume the Profound Qi as he had before.

Although Murong Lin claimed to be indifferent to certain behaviors, they were still not commendable. Consequently, Min Zhenkang had no choice but to absorb the surrounding Profound Qi at a gradual pace.

Despite the deliberate slowdown in his cultivation, Min Zhenkang's progress remained significantly faster than the rate at which the Spirit Concentration Array condensed Profound Qi. This discrepancy wasn't due to the Array's inferior level, but rather the sheer dominance of Min Zhenkang's practice of the Heavenly Imperial Immortality Spell.

As dusk fell and Min Zhenkang continued his cultivation, Murong Fu came looking for him.

Knock, knock, knock ~

"Fierce man, are you there?"

Upon hearing Murong Fu's knocks, Min Zhenkang ceased his practice and opened the door.

"What's up, Little Long?"

"Fierce man, my elder brother has invited Miss Xia to join us for a meal. He sent me to fetch you."

"Got it. Just give me a moment to freshen up."

"Sure thing."

Min Zhenkang welcomed Murong Fu into his room before going to wash up.

"Ready to go!" After freshening up, Min Zhenkang joined Murong Fu and they both left the room.

They soon entered the living room, where Murong Lin and Tang Tian were engaged in conversation, surrounded by a spread of top-notch dishes and wine.

The feast before them was no ordinary fare; the dishes were meticulously prepared from a variety of rare beasts, and the seasonings were ground from an assortment of medicinal herbs.

The wine, too, was exceptional. A single sip not only brought a wave of comfort throughout the body but also promised to enhance one's cultivation.

"Brother Min, please take a seat."

"Thank you." Min Zhenkang took his seat.

Murong Fu sat down beside him, intentionally seating Min Zhenkang next to Tang Tian, allowing himself to keep a distance from her.

"Here, Brother Min, a toast to you."

Murong Lin stood up to toast Min Zhenkang just as he settled in.

Min Zhenkang raised his glass in response and stood.

"Cheers!" He downed his drink in one go.

"Ha, that's the spirit!" Murong Lin watched Min Zhenkang empty his glass and followed suit, laughing heartily after finishing his own drink.

After Murong Fu took his seat, he paid no mind to the others, eagerly grabbing his chopsticks to dig into the meat. Alternating between bites of food and sips of wine, he was the picture of contentment.

Tang Tian merely sat and observed the pair.

"Min, aren't you going to toast Junior Sister Tang? I've heard she was the one who finally resolved the Steelgrave issue!" Murong Lin signaled to Min Zhenkang after settling in.

"In that case, this toast goes to Miss Xia. Thank you for your assistance," Min Zhenkang said, lifting his glass and emptying it in one gulp.

"Just try to stay out of trouble from now on," Tang Tian advised, though her actions were decisive—her cup of wine disappeared just as quickly, her demeanor as commanding as any general's.

"Haha, what a blast! We're not stopping until we're thoroughly inebriated," Murong Lin declared, clearly enjoying the atmosphere.

And so, they drank from evening until the early morning hours before parting ways.

Murong Fu, having quickly succumbed to the wine, was sprawled across the table, sound asleep, not long after sitting down. The others didn't intervene, simply continuing their merry drinking.

Once back in his room, Min Zhenkang sat on his bed and channeled his Profound Qi to purge the alcohol from his system.

Then he resumed his training. With the Jee family looming over Min's mansion, despite Tang Guo's promise of half a year's protection, the threat of unseen dangers persisted. If the Jee family were to sabotage Min's mansion covertly, Tang Guo would be powerless to stop them.

Furthermore, once the six months passed, there would be no one left to shield Min's mansion from the Jee family's clutches. Thus, Min Zhenkang couldn't afford to pause; any available moment was an opportunity for cultivation.

He didn't cease his rigorous training until the afternoon arrived.

As he opened the door, the sun was already inching its way down the western sky.

"Fierce one, you're up. Big brother wants us to come over. He mentioned that the Fang Sect has reached a decision."

Just then, Murong Fu approached.

"Okay."

Min Zhenkang shut the door and made his way to where Murong Fu and Murong Lin were waiting.

"Brother Murong, you mentioned the Fang Sect has come to a conclusion?"

"Yes, but I hope you won't hold it against me after hearing it. The decision was made by all the elders of the sect. Even as a core disciple, I have no sway over it."

"No worries, Brother Murong. Just let me know what it is!"

"Alright, the elders have deliberated and decided that Xiao Tian will be an inner sect disciple, while you, Min, will be a service disciple," Murong Lin said, clearly uncomfortable with the news.

"A service disciple, huh? That's not too bad. I'm still a disciple of the Fang Sect, after all. From now on, I'll be addressing you both as Senior Brother."

Min Zhenkang had anticipated this outcome, so he wasn't disheartened.

"Don't lose heart, Min. Though you're starting as a service disciple, the sect has an annual promotion system. Any disciple who believes they can advance a rank has the opportunity to challenge a higher-ranked disciple during the promotion tournament. Succeed, and you'll be promoted on the spot."

Murong Lin offered these words of encouragement to Min Zhenkang.

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