As Zhuge Feng was selecting an Immortal Art, the two people outside were already staring at each other wide-eyed.

"You, you, you..." Xiao Lingxi's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Su Bai. She felt that everything she encountered tonight had overturned her understanding.

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She originally thought she could act heroically and expose a fraud, but unexpectedly, she encountered the real deal.

Su Bai stood with his hands behind his back, smiling, "Little girl, do you still doubt that I'm a fraud now?"

"I..." Xiao Lingxi was at a loss for words, her cheeks flushed red as she murmured, "How was I supposed to know you're actually someone with real skills?"

Su Bai shook his head, too lazy to argue with a naive little girl.

At this moment, Zhuge Feng also emerged from the Immortal Arts Pavilion, holding a yellow scroll in his hands. He approached Su Bai respectfully.

"Master, how much silver does this Immortal Art cost? And if it's just for Qi Refining Level 1th Level, how much silver would it be?"

His voice trembled slightly, and Xiao Lingxi also turned her gaze towards them.

Immortal Arts are the foundation of a sect!

Many sects treat Immortal Arts as treasures, the source of attracting disciples.

Take the Soaring Heavens Sect, for example. Its signature Immortal Art, the Soaring Heavens Art, is a top-tier Immortal Art.

How does one learn the Soaring Heavens Art?

First, you need to become a servant disciple. After half a year, pass the formal assessment to become a formal disciple.

Next, you need to complete various sect tasks to earn points. Only with enough points can you qualify to exchange for the Soaring Heavens Art.

Finally, even with the qualification, it's not free to practice; you still need to pay!

Qi Refining Level 1th Level technique: 100 taels of silver

Qi Refining Level 2th Level technique: 300 taels of silver

Qi Refining Level 3th Level technique: 100 taels of gold

One tael of gold equals ten taels of silver, so 100 taels of gold is 1,000 taels of silver!

And that's just for the first three levels of Qi Refining techniques. The prices for the later levels are even more outrageous!

As the saying goes, without money, how can you cultivate immortality?

Isn't it better to live honestly as a mere mortal?

Given the preciousness of Immortal Arts, how could Zhuge Feng not tremble?

This scripture, even though he hasn't started practicing it yet, he vaguely feels it's no ordinary Immortal Art, and its value might not be inferior to the Soaring Heavens Art.

But with the Immortal Art right in front of him, he doesn't have the silver to purchase it!

"Silver? What silver?"

Su Bai was baffled.

Before he transmigrated, he read so many novels where disciples joined a sect and could practice Immortal Arts for free the entire time.

Why is it that when it comes to him, he needs silver instead?

Zhuge Feng was taken aback, thinking Su Bai hadn't heard clearly, and quickly said, "Master, how much silver do I need to pay to practice this Immortal Art?"

"No need for silver. Since you are a disciple of my Heavenly Dao Sect, you can naturally practice our sect's Immortal Arts freely," Su Bai replied with a smile.

Zhuge Feng was stunned, his mind buzzing as if a bomb had exploded.

Such precious Immortal Arts, for free?

"Master, from Qi Refining Level 1th to Level 9th, none of the Immortal Arts require silver?"

He couldn't believe it, thinking he might be hallucinating.

The first three levels of Immortal Arts were already exorbitantly priced, let alone all nine levels...

"What, you don't want to?" Su Bai raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly, "I'm giving you the opportunity to practice Immortal Arts, don't disappoint my expectations!"

Zhuge Feng looked up, seeing his master standing with hands behind his back, smiling, as radiant as the bright moon tonight.

The moonlight poured down like liquid silver, making him appear like an immortal descended to save the world.

Recalling the hardships he faced as a servant in the Soaring Heavens Sect, and the days of oppression, the contrast was stark.

His body trembled violently as if struck by lightning, a surge of hot blood rushed to his head like a volcanic eruption.

"Thud."

He fell to his knees, bowing deeply, his voice firm and loud, "Disciple Zhuge Feng, thanks Master!"

Seeing this, Su Bai couldn't help but smile.

Beside him, Xiao Lingxi was dumbfounded, her large, watery eyes wide open, her mouth opening and closing without making a sound.

Her heart was filled with extreme shock and disbelief.

A complete set of Immortal Arts for all nine levels of Qi Refining, for free?

Even her family would be strained to the bone to purchase a complete set of Qi Refining Immortal Arts.

Is he really not a fraud?

"Master, what tasks do I need to complete daily?" Zhuge Feng asked, looking up.

Joining a sect, whether as a servant or a formal disciple, requires prioritizing daily tasks, which typically take six to seven hours.

Failure to complete tasks results in severe punishment.

Only after completing tasks can one spare some time for cultivation.

What are the daily tasks in the Heavenly Dao Sect?

"Tasks? Your task is to cultivate well. The higher your cultivation, the greater your contribution to the sect."

Su Bai said calmly.

Hearing this, Zhuge Feng was stunned.

The task is to cultivate?

What does this equate to?

It's like lying down and earning money!

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and start cultivating," Su Bai urged.

Zhuge Feng snapped back to reality, bowed deeply to Su Bai, and said, "Disciple obeys!"

Turning away, tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

When his parents were beaten to death, he didn't cry, silently burying them, vowing revenge.

When Deacon Wang targeted him as a servant, making him do the hardest work due to lack of money, he didn't cry, secretly vowing to become an immortal.

When his spot was taken, and he failed the assessment, he still didn't cry!

But now, all his strength, all his grievances, turned into crystal-clear tears, sliding down his cheeks.

Men don't easily shed tears, only when truly heartbroken!

"Master, for such great kindness, even if it costs my life, I will repay it!"

Zhuge Feng murmured in his heart, wiping away the tears, and found a place outside the hall to sit and cultivate quietly.

He recited the Immortal Art, following its instructions to guide spiritual energy and began cultivating.

Spiritual energy gradually gathered, transforming into a faint silver glow, enveloping Zhuge Feng's body and forming a ring that revolved around him.

"One, two, three, four... seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty breaths to complete a cycle!"

Xiao Lingxi's breathing quickened, as if witnessing the most incredible thing in the world.

She rubbed her eyes and observed Zhuge Feng's cultivation again, finding it exactly the same as before.

How is this possible?!

Xiao Lingxi's eyes widened in shock.

In this world, the quality of Immortal Arts is linked to the time taken for a cultivation cycle!

Some trash Immortal Arts circulating in the black market take an hour to complete one or two cycles, making it uncertain when one would reach Qi Refining Level 1th Level.

Yet, they can still sell for a high price!

After all, reaching Qi Refining Level 1th Level is considered an immortal by mortals.

In some small sects or families, slightly higher quality Immortal Arts can complete a dozen or twenty cycles in an hour.

Her family, a prestigious clan in the Great Zhao Empire, has Immortal Arts that complete fifty-two cycles in an hour.

And the Soaring Heavens Sect, ranked among the top 500 in the Immortal Alliance, has its signature Soaring Heavens Art completing sixty-one cycles in an hour!

And she, what did she just witness?

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Proofreader: Peter Pan