"Th-thank you, Master."
Hua Yuntian stretched out his hand to take the Seven Star Robe, forcing the words out after a long silence.
[Ding! Detected Host gifting disciple Earth-Rank Spirit Artifact Seven Star Robe! High-Multiple Rebate Triggered!]
[Rebate Successful!]
[Congratulations Host on obtaining Middle-Grade Immortal Artifact Seven Treasures Glazed Robe! (Note: This immortal robe emanates seven-colored glazed divine light, boasting astounding physical defense. It can automatically absorb spiritual energy to repair damage, resist soul attacks and mental erosion to a certain extent, and is also highly effective in stabilizing the Dao heart.)]
Jiang Ling paused, his eyes softening with a hint of complexity.
This disciple was far from perfect, but his luck was truly off the charts.
Well, as a master, he ought not to quibble with his apprentice. He would give him one more chance.
"Yuntian is also my disciple," Jiang Ling said. Before Hua Yuntian's stunned gaze, he pulled out a fairy robe shimmering with seven-colored radiance and handed it over. "This is the Middle-Grade Immortal Artifact Seven Treasures Glazed Robe. Its defense is unparalleled—it can resist soul attacks to a certain extent and steadies the Dao heart remarkably well. I bestow it upon you for protection. May your immortal path be unobstructed, and the Great Dao within your grasp."
Hua Yuntian froze.
Staring at the resplendent fairy robe before him, its glowing divine light swirling with misty immortal aura, his mind went blank.
A-a Middle-Grade Immortal Artifact?
And an extremely rare defensive immortal treasure that shielded the soul!
Its value far surpassed Jincancan's pair of offensive Black Yellow Heavenly Blades!
Master... he was not biased, not truly ignoring me?
A whirlwind of tangled emotions crashed through the wall of resentment Hua Yuntian had built over time—astonishment, disbelief, and then a jumble of pent-up frustrations he had borne for so long.
His Adam's apple bobbed. He silently took the robe, which seemed to pulse with life beneath his fingertips, feeling the immense power it held. At last, he whispered, "Th-thank you for your great bounty, Master."
His voice was hoarse, yet stripped of some of its usual coldness. Even his tightly pressed lips seemed to relax a fraction.
With all disciples bestowed with treasures, the two great demons could not be left out.
They were the sect's strongest combat power—indispensable.
Jiang Ling's gaze fell on the gleaming bald head beneath the mountain gate archway.
"Great Sage, you rendered immense service in defending the sect earlier." A fist-sized piece of metal, red-hot as a branding iron, flew toward Scarlet Sun Demon Sage. "This Blazing Sun Essence Gold contains fiery primordial energy—it may aid you in tempering your physical body."
Scarlet Sun Demon Sage took it with an impassive expression.
Blazing Sun Essence Gold was an Earth-Rank spiritual material, rare indeed, but trivial to him. His storage space already held a larger, more valuable chunk of it.
[Ding! Detected Host gifting Mountain-Protecting Spirit Beast 1x Blazing Sun Essence Gold! Rebate Triggered!]
[Rebate Successful!]
[Congratulations Host on obtaining 1x Great Sun Immortal Crystal! (Note: This celestial material is forged from the core of the sun, brimming with pure, unadulterated True Sun Fire power. It offers unimaginable benefits for cultivating the Great Sun Dao.)]
Great Sun Immortal Crystal!
This was a celestial-grade divine material!
And this crystal was as large as a water vat—infinitely bigger than the Blazing Sun Essence Gold he had given away!
After his excitement faded, a question struck Jiang Ling.
"System, Scarlet Sun Demon Sage isn't a sect disciple. Why is there a rebate for him too?"
"Anyone bound to a sect token is deemed a member of the sect and eligible for rebates."
The system's reply was crisp.
"Then if those two advance in cultivation, will my strength increase as well?" Jiang Ling asked eagerly.
"Yes."
"Holy shit! Does that mean I can ascend on the spot in no time?!"
Jiang Ling's hands trembled with excitement.
Scarlet Sun Demon Sage was a Void Refining great demon! If he advanced, with the hundredfold amplification, how sky-high would his own strength soar?
Transcendent God would be a given, Integration Realm entirely possible—he might even blast straight to Void Refining!
The thought alone made his blood boil.
[Host, do not rejoice too soon. The higher the realm, the harder each small breakthrough becomes. The fastest path is to take in more disciples, sparking a qualitative change through quantitative growth.]
The system doused his excitement with a bucket of cold water, lest he lose touch with reality.
"I see. Guess I really need to recruit more disciples then."
Jiang Ling stroked his chin, nodding in solemn agreement. He broke off a small piece of the Great Sun Immortal Crystal and handed it to Scarlet Sun Demon Sage. "Great Sage, do not be anxious. I have an extra piece of Great Sun Immortal Crystal here—I have no use for it at present, so it is yours."
The system's rebated crystal was as large as a water vat; he could not bear to give it all away. He had the system cut it into pieces first—convenient for gifting to disciples or using himself later.
"Great Sun Immortal Crystal?"
Scarlet Sun Demon Sage's casual expression shifted in an instant.
His palm-sized hand shot out to seize the crystal. The moment it touched his fingers, the violent, pure True Sun Fire power surging from it made his blood-red eyes blaze with an astonishing light.
This treasure was tailor-made for him!
He jerked his head up to look at Jiang Ling, his gaze a whirlpool of emotions—shock, confusion, and a faint, ineffable touch.
He had thought himself a disgraced criminal, a mere gate guard and thug. Never had he imagined his treatment would be no less than that of the master's direct disciples.
His rough fingers caressed the scalding crystal, veins throbbing faintly on his bald head as he struggled to contain the turmoil in his heart. At last, he rumbled out two awkward words, his voice thick and gruff: "Th-thank you, Sect Master."
Black Rock Demon Lord had long since stared dumbfounded, his eyes fixed on the Great Sun Immortal Crystal in Scarlet Sun Demon Sage's hand, half-convinced he was hallucinating.
Immortal artifacts and celestial materials, given away like cabbages!
Just what was the origin of this Primordial Beginning Sect?
If the Great Sage had a treasure, surely he would too?
Perhaps his gaze was too blazing—Jiang Ling could hardly stand it. He turned to the mountain-like figure beside him.
"Demon Lord, this Earthly Primordial Stone aligns with your innate origin. Refine it well, and do not let it go to waste."
Jiang Ling's voice was calm as he tossed a earthen-yellow stone, exuding a thick aura of the earth, toward Black Rock Demon Lord.
Black Rock Demon Lord straightened up abruptly, catching the stone with one hand, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.
It had never mentioned the grudge of its son's death, and Jiang Ling had never brought it up either. Man and demon shared an unspoken understanding, skirting the matter entirely.
[Ding! Detected Host gifting Black Rock Demon Lord 1x Earthly Primordial Stone! Rebate Triggered!]
[Rebate Successful!]
[Congratulations Host on obtaining 1x Star Fall Core! (Note: This relic is the remnant core of a dead star. A single grain weighs as much as a mountain, brimming with pure stellar power and the essence of earthly origin. It is an unparalleled celestial material for cultivating the Earthly Dao.)]
Staring at the Star Fall Core in his system space—fist-sized, its surface swirling with star-sand like shimmering light—Jiang Ling could barely hold back his laughter.
According to the system, this was even rarer than the Great Sun Immortal Crystal, found only in the remnants of dead stars.
And to extract a Star Fall Core required the power of at least an Immortal King!