Chapter 71: A Public Opportunity
"Alright then."
Hearing Gao Yunrui's explanation, Qi Chunde let out a long sigh and agreed to the matter. After all, as a guest elder of Qinglu Sect, he didn't want to see anything happen to the sect.
After sending off the sect master, Qi Chunde headed towards the third-tier spiritual field, preparing to plant the spiritual herbs in his hands. Suddenly, his movements paused.
The sect master had returned.
"Junior Brother Qi, I have good news. A third spiritual planter has emerged in the sect. It's said that this person mastered the basics in just over a month. Would you like to meet him? Perhaps he could inherit your mantle." Gao Yunrui looked at Qi Chunde with a bright smile.
Gao Yunrui knew that Qi Chunde came from a powerful lineage of spiritual planters. He had tried several times to persuade Qi Chunde to pass on his knowledge, but until now, no disciple in the sect had managed to catch his eye.
Now, such a disciple had appeared—someone who became a certified spiritual planter in just over a month without any guidance. This level of talent should surely make Qi Chunde reconsider.
"Very well!"
Upon hearing Gao Yunrui's words, Qi Chunde immediately thought of Gu Mo. In his opinion, during the class he taught a month ago, this menial disciple had shown the best comprehension. He just hadn't expected that Gu Mo would manage to become a spiritual planter in such a short time.
"Disciple Gu Mo greets the Sect Master and Elder Qi!" Gu Mo arrived at the peak of Qinglu Sect Mountain and greeted them respectfully.
"A menial disciple?"
Gao Yunrui was slightly taken aback when he saw Gu Mo. After receiving the message from the Spiritual Plant Hall, he had rushed over to find Qi Chunde without delving too deeply into Gu Mo's background. After all, the Spiritual Plant Hall wouldn't dare falsify information, would they?
"Sigh."
Seeing Gu Mo again, Qi Chunde sighed inwardly. Becoming a spiritual planter in just over a month was indeed impressive enough to make him consider taking Gu Mo as a disciple. However, Gu Mo's poor spiritual roots would be the biggest obstacle to advancing further as a spiritual planter.
"Young man, come here."
Gao Yunrui beckoned to Gu Mo. The disparity between Gu Mo's demonstrated comprehension and his status as a menial disciple was too stark. The sect master decided to personally test Gu Mo's spiritual roots. After all, the initial assessments for menial disciples weren't always completely accurate.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Since the sect master wanted to test his spiritual roots personally, Gu Mo naturally couldn't refuse. He also realized that some of his secrets wouldn't stay hidden for long. However, the other party was the sect master of Qinglu Sect, a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core stage. He wouldn't stoop to coveting the opportunities of a mere Qi Refining novice, right?
"Sigh."
Gao Yunrui placed his hand on Gu Mo's shoulder and instantly discerned the quality of his spiritual roots. At that moment, all joy vanished from Gao Yunrui's heart, as his plan to have Qi Chunde accept a disciple had fallen through.
"Hmm?"
However, Gao Yunrui's expression soon shifted to one of surprise. While he confirmed that Gu Mo indeed had inferior spiritual roots, he also discovered that Gu Mo had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining and possessed a foundation six times deeper than that of other cultivators at the same stage.
Inferior spiritual roots and fourth-level Qi Refining—this was an odd combination. Typically, those with inferior roots struggled to surpass the third level of Qi Refining. Reaching the fourth level suggested that Gu Mo had encountered some fortuitous opportunity.
As for Gu Mo's opportunity, Gao Yunrui had no interest in investigating. As the sect master of Qinglu Sect, why would he care about the fortunes of a minor Qi Refining cultivator? He could casually provide resources that would help a third-level Qi Refining menial disciple break through to the fourth level.
"Sigh."
Gao Yunrui sighed softly and withdrew his hand. If not for Gu Mo's inferior spiritual roots, he would have been a prime candidate for an elite inner sect disciple.
Gu Mo noticed the sighs from both the sect master and Elder Qi. His heart sank with disappointment, realizing that his chances of becoming Elder Qi's disciple had evaporated.
There went his second-tier spiritual field.
"Becoming a spiritual planter in such a short time is still quite an achievement," Gao Yunrui said, offering some consolation when he noticed Gu Mo's disappointment. He then took out a porcelain bottle containing three breakthrough pills, capable of directly advancing Gu Mo to the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Since Gu Mo had found an opportunity to reach the fourth level, Gao Yunrui decided to offer another one. What seemed like a grand opportunity to a Qi Refining cultivator was nothing more than spare pills to a Golden Core cultivator.
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
Suppressing his excitement, Gu Mo respectfully accepted the porcelain bottle. He wasn't thrilled about the pills themselves—he didn't need them. Once his Sunflower upgraded, he could directly cultivate to the peak of Qi Refining.
What truly excited Gu Mo was that with the sect master's reward, he now had a plausible explanation for his rapid cultivation progress. In the future, he could attribute his swift advancements to the sect master's generosity.
After all, who would dare covet an opportunity bestowed by the sect master?
"Here's a secret technique exclusive to spiritual planters. Take it back and study it carefully," Qi Chunde added, taking out a booklet after seeing the sect master's gesture.
"Thank you, Elder!"
Gu Mo accepted the booklet respectfully and, driven by curiosity, flipped through a few pages. He was stunned—this secret technique was almost identical to the method he had previously devised to accelerate the growth of spiritual plants.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem?"
Qi Chunde was puzzled by Gu Mo's reaction. He could understand surprise or confusion, but Gu Mo's expression seemed to say, So that's how it is.
"Reporting to Elder, I had previously devised a method to accelerate the growth of spiritual plants. It's quite similar to what's written in this booklet," Gu Mo explained honestly. There was no need to hide anything in front of Golden Core cultivators—what he tried to conceal might not even be worth noticing to them.
"What!"
Qi Chunde felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity. To comprehend a secret technique for accelerated growth on his own—was Gu Mo's comprehension really this monstrous?
"Show me."
Qi Chunde took out a spiritual plant, ready for Gu Mo to demonstrate.
"Um, Elder, could we use one of my plants instead?" Gu Mo eyed the spiritual plant in Qi Chunde's hand, which radiated powerful spiritual energy. That had to be a third-tier plant. For a small Qi Refining cultivator like him to mature a third-tier plant? He'd be drained dry and still wouldn't make it budge.
"Alright then."
Realizing his oversight, Qi Chunde calmly put the plant away.
At that, Gu Mo took out a stalk of Spirit Jade Rice he had prepared for demonstration. He activated plant perception to reveal the plant's veins, then injected spiritual energy into them, driving the circulation of energy within. Under his influence, the Spirit Jade Rice rapidly grew.
Seeing this, Qi Chunde stood up and paced back and forth before finally making a decision. He handed a token to Gu Mo.
"If you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, bring this token to me. I will accept you as my personal disciple." Faced with Gu Mo's extraordinary comprehension, Qi Chunde was finally moved. However, he didn't accept Gu Mo as a disciple immediately, leaving a challenge instead.
If Gu Mo could reach the Foundation Establishment stage with his inferior spiritual roots, Qi Chunde would take him in—not just as a disciple, but as a personal disciple. This meant Qi Chunde would dedicate himself fully to Gu Mo's cultivation, even investing resources far beyond what an ordinary cultivator would receive.
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