The elder's announcement was like thunder-claps beside their ears.

No one could believe that he'd call the five best disciples trash, make Mu Ran the class representative, and choose the two pathetic mortals to be his top pupils. It was simply way too unexpected, to the point of being unimaginable.

How did things come to this?

Perhaps Xuhan was the least surprised by the turn of events.

Of course, the protagonist was bound to catch every proper and powerful cultivator's eyes as soon as he started showing off. What he did not expect, however, was the elder's focus on him, one of the two weakest disciples in their generation of the Crimson Snow sect.

If this is not the protagonist's halo rubbing off his own aura of misfortune, how else could it be explained?

Internally, Xuhan vowed to stick around with Mu Ran like a proper lackey. Who knows...he might even pick up a cheat from the roadside someday.

"Now, let's move on to the more practical part of our lessons.

How to achieve control over qi cycles as perfectly as Mu Ran.

I assume all of you have already bought at least one qi absorption method from the sect, yes?"

To the elder's questioning tone, everyone nodded vigorously, including the other mortal disciple apart from Xuhan. The elder's eyes focused on her for a moment and a flash of curiosity seemed to pass by in his gaze for a fleeting second.

"Then everyone must have meditated before coming here too, correct?"

"Yes, elder," the collective voice of the disciples was heard.

"Good. Then take out your cultivation methods in front of you and start cycling the qi inside your body. Don't worry about anyone peeking on your secrets. The sect has taken strict methods to prevent that from happening. Only the buyer of each cultivation method can read their own scrolls."

While every disciple nodded with relief and excitement, Xuhan glanced at his boss immediately. It was time.

He knew he had only one chance at this. He had to make it count.

"Boss, I took great risk for you today, braving all the humiliation and insults thrown at me to defend you! At least give me what you promised."

"What did I promise?"

Mu Ran asked in alarm. He suddenly felt like he was facing a shrewd salesman who has already laid a trap for himself to step into.

"...The method to cultivate to the zeroth layer of physique transformation realm."

"I don't remember promising you that."

"Boss, you want your underling to be an ordinary cultivator who can't even support you when you start accelerating in your ascension?"

"...Well-"

"Boss, is this how you treat your loyal underling ? Are you afraid that I'll surpass you one day if my dao foundation is perfected ? Sigh...

I understand, I resign-"

"Alright, alright, fine. I'm a magnanimous man. But it's way too precious. So you'll have to work harder from now on to pay it off."

Mu Ran gritted his teeth and pulled out the scroll. He understood by now that his underling was a bit of a schemer but that particular jab at his weakness, about being afraid of his own lackey, hurt his pride!

Who was Mu Ran?

He was the future lord of the world of cultivation, the man who has vowed to dominate heaven and earth. The most powerful cultivator this world will ever know of in future!

How can a man like him take that insult lying down?

Inwardly, he decided to beat some sense into his lackey once they both reached the first layer of physique transformation realm to squash out all these rebellious scheming thoughts from his brain.

"You're the best, boss."

Xuhan nodded like a chicken, hiding his wide smile. Both of them opened the same scroll and peered down at the cycling designs drawn on it.

"Begin!"

The elder shouted.

Immediately, the whole class filled with silence as everyone started to mentally connect with the qi inside themselves and slowly move it according to their respective cultivation method.

For Xuhan , it was a fresh experience. He had the barest possible amount of control over qi, and even that was turbulent. Often, he had to concentrate to find the qi first rather than guiding it. The extremely complex cycle that circled all around his body didn't help either, making him falter very few seconds.

After completing the first successful cycle where he had moved nearly one percent of his total qi according to the design of the scroll, Xuhan felt very tired and decided to take a break.

Taking his eyes off the scroll he looked around, only to be greeted by the elder's face three feet away from him, gazing at him curiously.

"You two, your current cultivation technique isn't from this sect."

Xuhan was given a massive fright. Why was this elder so perceptive? Aren't elders in xianxia novels supposed to be dumb old woodblocks who either ignores everything the protagonist does under their nose or simply keep hampering the protagonist's advancement?

There was definitely something wrong with this elder! He keeps veering off the script.

"Yes, elder Kong. The cultivation technique we practice is a family treasure of my martial brother Mu Ran."

Bracing himself, Xuhan answered the elder's question after sneaking a glance at the meditating Mu Ran.

The elder narrowed his eyes and lifted a hand with one finger stretched toward Xuhan's temple.

"Let me examine your progress. Don't worry. I am not going to steal your cultivation technique."

Xuhan swallowed down his immediate urge to protest and let the elder push his finger on his right temple.

"Hmm...about one percent has gone through a cycle and imprinted on your juvenile cultivation base. Along the way, you lost track of nearly half of the qi from the initial amount and your concentration slackened at least nineteen times throughout the cycle. Halfway through the cycle, one of your meridians blocked a portion of the qi due to a natural defect in that particular vessel. This defect will trouble you greatly in future if you don't take any measures to remove it. Seven meridians inside your body are in a bad state from internal blocks and muscle structures. If I'm not wrong, approximately seven months ago, you got beaten thoroughly and you injured four essential vessels of your body. They will definitely slow you down when you cultivate.

In the end, from that initial one percent qi that has been cycled, one tenth of it reached the final point and completed the session.

If this is your first time with this technique, then I'm not going to criticize you for such lackluster performance.

Now, cycle your qi again. Let me see if you can correct your mistakes. "

Xuhan was dumbstruck. You can infer that much just from a casual examination of meridians?

Holy cow! This elder has to be a hidden boss or something. No way can a normal cultivator be so badass!

Even Mu Ran who had been absorbed in his own qi cycle opened his eyes and stared at the elder with a stunned expression. Suddenly, his face became deathly pale and he backed up a few steps from the elder.

"Elder Kong! I think I received a hidden injury earlier in the duel. Please let me visit the medicine pavilion," Mu Ran hurriedly stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait, a hidden injury? Where? I'm good at identifying them. Let me inspect it-"

"No, elder. It would be rude of me to interrupt your teaching. Please keep instructing my martial siblings. This isn't something you need to bother with."

Mu Ran's face become even more pale as the elder tried to inspect him in the same way as he inspected Xuhan.

Without even waiting for the elder to give him his permission, Mu Ran hurried away out of the hall while everyone looked at his back with suspicion.

The elder slowly walked to the door of the hall room and gazed at the half-running form of Mu Ran in the distance.

In a low voice that no one could hear, the elder muttered to himself.

"That boy has the protagonist halo. I have to take him in as a disciple to fill the yearly quota from my 'system' or face dire punishment. Heavens...why is my system such a cruel one? If I can't recruit two protagonists as my disciples within the year, I wont be able to unlock the spirit grade weapons from the system shop.

No, I must keep trying. His Twin Dragon Devil Reverend physique is a top tier physique in this realm. Moreover, he definitely has other cheats. I can't let such a fish off the hook.

Hehe...little boy, do you think just because you have the protagonist halo, you can oppose me, the bearer of 'Divine Teacher of Dao' system?

Prepare to bow down to me and call me master!"