Chapter 29: What an Incredibly Powerful Sect! No... I Have to Get In with Them.

"Is this still not enough? What more could you possibly want?" Yun Qing stared at Li Muchen, his expression guarded.

Li Muchen paid no mind to his wariness. "Don't worry, it's just a small favor. While you teach me the ways of cultivation, you must also teach those around me. How about it? This request of mine isn't too excessive, is it?"

Li Muchen had already made up his mind. He needed to bolster the combat strength of the NPC guards provided by the system. He had ten Immortal Bone Pills in total. He had consumed one, his mother, the Empress Dowager, had taken one, and Princess Pingyang had taken one. With seven remaining, he intended for his secret guards and personal bodyguards to consume them as well. Once their meridians were cleansed and their spiritual roots opened, they would all become cultivators. If they ever faced another assassination attempt like the last one, they wouldn't have to suffer such grievous injuries. There was one pill left over, but he hadn't decided who to give it to yet, so he would keep it for now.

He had been fretting over having spiritual roots but no cultivation methods. Now that Yun Qing had stumbled into his path, it would be sheer madness not to seize such a golden opportunity.

Faced with Li Muchen's demand, Yun Qing frowned, his face showing clear displeasure. "I am a cultivation genius of the Spirit Physician lineage... Do you intend to treat me like a beast of burden by doing this?"

Back in his sect, Yun Qing had lived a life of luxury. Serving as a teacher to an emperor was at least somewhat respectable, even if this emperor was merely the ruler of a mortal kingdom. But being forced to lower himself to teach the people around the emperor? What kind of nonsense was this?

Seeing Yun Qing’s reluctance, Li Muchen escalated his tactics with a threat: "If you aren't willing, then my palace will no longer be able to host a great Buddha like you."

Left with no choice, Yun Qing conceded. "Fine, I agree."

Li Muchen beamed and immediately addressed him, "Master—"

Yun Qing’s face darkened, and he said testily, "I am only here to teach you cultivation; do not presume to call me your master."

Li Muchen, however, was not one to be deterred, shamelessly persisting: "As the saying goes, 'a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime.' I haven't even called you father yet, so calling you Master is hardly excessive, is it?"

It was a joke—if Li Muchen didn't take advantage of this, he would be a fool. Yun Qing came from the State of Beiji and was a direct disciple of a major sect's genius. If he could establish a connection, the future benefits would surely be plentiful.

Wu Shanggui’s next move was unknown, as was what kind of people he might bring with him. And then there was that Second Prince of the State of Beiji—he was likely no simple character either. Although Li Muchen had never been to the State of Beiji, he knew that the cultivators there were the most powerful among all the surrounding nations. The State of Beiji surely hid many experts. If Wu Shanggui and Li Jiahuo could find helpers from the State of Beiji, he, Li Muchen, could do the same. If the Four Divine Beasts were ever overwhelmed, he could have this nominal master summon reinforcements from Beiji.

Having settled on his plan, Li Muchen was determined to cling to Yun Qing. Before the lessons even began, Li Muchen’s constant "Master" calls annoyed Yun Qing to no end, yet he found himself helpless against the emperor.

Once the master-disciple relationship was established, Yun Qing took up residence in the Great Tang Palace under the title of Chief of the Imperial Medical Academy. To make the lessons more convenient, Li Muchen arranged for Yun Qing to stay in a palace not far from his own.

...

The next day, in the Great Tang Palace, Li Muchen finished his morning court session and arrived at the specially prepared classroom. The class members included Li Muchen, Empress Dowager Dou, Princess Pingyang, three secret guards, and three bodyguards. As for the three maids, there were not enough Immortal Bone Pills to go around; Li Muchen would arrange for them to cultivate once the system rewarded him with more.

The sole teacher for this class was Yun Qing. From Yun Qing, Li Muchen learned for the first time that the sect to which Yun Qing belonged held immense influence over the cultivation world.

Yun Qing's sect was called the Seeking Immortality Sect. As the name suggested, it was a sect dedicated to finding the path to enlightenment and immortality. It was located on a precipitous mountain peak in the State of Beiji, not far from the imperial capital. It was said that since ancient times, many members of the Beiji royal family had been sent to the Seeking Immortality Sect.

The sect was divided into two cultivation branches: the pure cultivator lineage and the Spirit Physician lineage. Only cultivators with dual spiritual roots could become disciples of the Spirit Physician lineage. Not only could they cultivate healing spiritual energy, but they could also wield powerful spells. In the cultivation world, the status of the Spirit Physician lineage was far superior to that of the pure cultivators. Yun Qing himself was the direct disciple of the Medicine Immortal of the Spirit Physician lineage, a position far beyond that of any ordinary Spirit Physician.

Yun Qing explained a great deal of basic knowledge about the cultivation world, leaving Li Muchen and the others stunned. Having been born as mere mortals, they had never encountered such knowledge before. Now, after hearing Yun Qing’s lecture, everyone felt a greater interest in the art of cultivation.

After the basics were covered, it was time to examine the students' spiritual roots.

Yun Qing had heard about the Immortal Bone Pills from Li Muchen earlier. He had not believed that mortals, who possessed absolutely no spiritual roots, could suddenly open them in a short time by taking some unknown pill. In their sect, even opening spiritual roots could take anywhere from three to five years, or even a decade or more, for one to cross the threshold into cultivation. Those with poor aptitude sometimes took twenty or thirty years just to open their roots.

Initially, Yun Qing had only taken the offer as a bit of fun. He thought Li Muchen was ignorant of cultivation, so he agreed casually, intending to teach a few perfunctory lessons before leaving whenever he felt like it. But last night, Li Muchen had suddenly come to his quarters to tell him about the pills. Yun Qing had been skeptical, as he had probed Li Muchen’s body and found no signs of opened spiritual roots. He concluded that Li Muchen must have been swindled by some charlatan.

Li Muchen told him not to be impatient, promising that he would prove the pills were real during the morning class. It was, after all, a product of the system. And that "trashy system" had promised: "Products of the system are always of the highest quality."

Now, Li Muchen led Yun Qing before the Empress Dowager and Princess Pingyang. "This is my mother, and this is my sister. The Immortal Bone Pills have already taken effect in their bodies, and they have now opened their spiritual roots."

Li Muchen didn't actually understand the process of opening spiritual roots; the system had told him so. Whether the system was lying or not, he wasn't entirely certain. "If you don't believe me, Master, feel free to test them."

Yun Qing extended both hands, placing his left hand on the Empress Dowager's crown and his right on the Princess's crown. Suddenly, his pupils dilated in shock: "This—!!"