The day after the Sect Competition ended.

Chen Mobai was brought to a courtyard in Shenmu City by Yuan Chiyi.

The courtyard was not large, but in the middle stood a towering tree that could be embraced by two people. Despite it being winter, the tree was lush and leafy.

A young man in a black robe, with an ordinary face, sat on a bench under the tree. He had already brewed a pot of tea and waved at Chen Mobai with a smile as he entered.

“Greetings, Uncle Master E Yun.”

This was Chen Mobai’s first encounter with this renowned disciple of the Sect Leader.

The current Sect Leader of Shenmu Sect, Meng Hong, had six disciples. Except for the eldest disciple who had passed away early due to his lack of talent, the rest were all exceptional individuals.

The second and third disciples had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

The fourth disciple was Zhou Wangshen, and the fifth was E Yun. The two of them shone brightly, and in the past decade, if it weren’t for the emergence of the Red River, they would have been the ones alternating as the top true disciple.

The sixth disciple was Mu Yuan. If it weren’t for Chen Mobai, he would probably be the leading figure among the three thousand Qi Refining disciples of Shenmu Sect in the next decade.

“Please, sit.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai and Yuan Chiyi sat down. E Yun was an ordinary person who wouldn’t attract any attention in a crowd.

He was average in stature, ordinary in appearance, and his speech was quite normal.

Talking to him felt like chatting with a fellow passenger on a bus, discussing everything from the weather to daily life due to the boredom of the journey.

They were like passing travelers, chatting over tea, and before they knew it, the sky had darkened.

This feeling was very comfortable.

“By the way, I haven’t thanked Uncle Master E Yun for his help in the past.”

What Chen Mobai was referring to was the incident in Yun Country where he was pursued and attacked by bandits.

“At that time, you had already joined our Shenmu Sect. I couldn’t just stand by and watch when bandits were chasing our fellow disciples.”

E Yun waved his hand, indicating it was a small matter.

“I should still express my gratitude in person. In the future, if there are any tasks within the sect, feel free to tell me.”

As for whether he would agree or not, he would decide when the time came. That’s what Chen Mobai thought.

He felt that he had to choose a side within the Shenmu Sect anyway. Instead of worrying about it, he might as well choose the person in front of him.

After all, E Yun had indeed done him a favor.

Moreover, his entry into the Shenmu Sect was also thanks to them.

“Sect Leader Master is about to reach the completion stage of Foundation Establishment and is preparing to form his Golden Core.”

“Before he goes into seclusion, he hopes that we, his disciples, can compete with each other to cultivate a suitable leader for the development of Shenmu Sect in the next hundred years.”

“The second and third senior brothers are not interested in this, they are wholeheartedly pursuing the Dao. So, he is cultivating Senior Brother Zhou, me, and Junior Brother Mu Yuan.”

“I’m actually not very interested either, but if I want to make further progress in cultivation, becoming the Sect Leader is a good shortcut. So, I have no choice but to compete with my senior and junior brothers.”

“Junior Brother Chen is an unparalleled genius and a sword cultivator who is purely focused on the Dao. I suppose you are not interested in this.”

“In the future, you just need to practice according to your own preferences in the sect. After all, the growth of your astonishing sword is the greatest achievement for me.”

E Yun’s words left Chen Mobai somewhat confused.

He had won the first place in the true disciple competition, so calling him an unparalleled genius was a bit of a stretch, but when did he become a pure sword cultivator who is wholeheartedly focused on the Dao?

Moreover, he was quite interested in becoming the Sect Leader.

Although he didn’t understand the meaning of E Yun’s words, Chen Mobai wisely didn’t ask. Instead, he asked a question that he was most concerned about.

“I heard that Uncle Master Zeng is refining a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills. I wonder if I could exchange for one?”

This was his biggest motivation to become a true disciple.

However, after the Sect Competition ended, Meng Hong and the two elders flew away with smiles, leaving Chen Mobai, who had planned to ask the Sect Leader about this, hanging until now.

“If it is successfully refined, and there is more than one pill, if you want it, it’s yours.”

E Yun’s words were decisive, which relieved Chen Mobai, who had been somewhat worried.

It seemed that his effort to become the top true disciple was not in vain.

The atmosphere within the Shenmu Sect was quite good. There were no hidden rules, and everything was done according to the official exchange order.

Thinking this, Chen Mobai didn’t know that if he hadn’t shown his unparalleled talent in swordsmanship during the Sect Competition, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly, and E Yun wouldn’t have been so confident.

“Today I just received my Spirit Rice. Let’s try it together.”

E Yun took out the precious second-grade Spirit Rice, which was the Jade Bamboo Spirit Rice specially supplied to the Foundation Establishment elders by the Shenmu Sect’s Spirit Plant Department.

Chen Mobai tasted it and found it extraordinary. It was soft, fragrant, and glutinous, with a hint of bamboo fragrance. After swallowing, it turned into a cool energy that merged into his blood, nourishing his essence and even slightly clarifying his mind.

Upon asking, he found out that this Jade Bamboo Spirit Rice was an upgraded variety of the Jade Bud Spirit Rice. However, the seeds needed to be buried in the nodes of mature Jade Bamboo.

After the Spirit Rice grew, a mu of second-grade Jade Bamboo would be drained of all its energy, which would be used as nourishment for the growth of the Spirit Rice.

This method was interesting, but it seemed a bit wasteful of bamboo.

Chen Mobai noted this down, thinking that after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage in the future, he could go to the Book Pavilion to find information about Spirit Plants.

After all, once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, first-grade Spirit Rice would be of little use to him. Only by consuming second-grade Spirit Rice for a long time could he enhance his vitality and strengthen his physique.

Although he could buy it from the Immortal Gate, it wouldn’t taste as good as the one he grew himself.

After finishing the Jade Bamboo Spirit Rice, Chen Mobai and Yuan Chiyi bid their farewells and left.

“In the future, you can just focus on practicing your sword in the sect. No matter who asks you to do something, you can just put the blame on me.”

E Yun personally saw them to the door. Before they left, he said these words to Chen Mobai with a serious expression.

“Thank you, Uncle Master.”

Chen Mobai simply thought that he was being valued as a future Foundation Establishment cultivator because he had become the top true disciple.

After talking with E Yun, Chen Mobai went to the Spirit Plant Department.

He hadn’t forgotten that the Divine Wood Sword was only borrowed, and he had to return it after the sect competition.

However, as soon as he entered the Spirit Plant Department, he found that the people here had a completely different attitude towards him.

“Junior Brother Chen… No, Senior Brother Chen, you’re here.”

“Senior Brother Teng, there’s no need for such formality.”

Teng Jie happened to be on duty in the Spirit Plant Department. Seeing Chen Mobai come in, his tone and demeanor were so respectful that the latter couldn’t adapt at all.

They hadn’t even exchanged a few words when Lu Jun, who had received the news, rushed over, his attitude even more humble.

“Senior Brother Chen, Inspector Sun knew you were coming and has been waiting for you since early morning. Please, this way.”

Sun Gaochang?

He, a dignified Foundation Establishment elder, a steward of the Hall of Rewarding Virtue, and an inspector of the Spirit Plant Department, why would he go to such lengths?

Chen Mobai was completely puzzled.

Was the weight of being the number one true disciple really that heavy?