Sect Recruitment: I Can See Attribute Entries

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: That Damned Thief! Who Stole My Rejuvenation Herbs?!

Chapter 4: That Damned Thief! Who Stole My Rejuvenation Herbs?!

Li Yingling stared at the rough cloth sack forced into her hands.

At this point, she wasn’t a fool.

It was obvious this so-called ”sect field” belonged to another sect entirely.

As a well-educated noblewoman, stealing was something that struck directly at her moral bottom line!

She was about to ask for an explanation when Chu Xingchen’s sudden gesture for silence startled her into closing her mouth.

He whispered urgently, ”Quiet! Don’t wake up the brothers sleeping inside! Hurry—grab whatever you can see!”

The sack in her hands, the spirit herbs before her, and her master’s urging behind her—

At this moment, there was no turning back!

Clenching her teeth, Li Yingling carefully crawled through the hole in the barrier.

Hadn’t the storybooks always said it? The cultivation world was full of deceit and treachery!

For one to become immortal, others must fail to do so!

Yes—cultivation had to be like this!

Once inside the field, her nerves vanished. Without caring what the herbs were for, she grabbed the nearest plants and yanked them straight out of the ground.

She didn’t know their effects, nor whether she was doing it right—everything went into the sack!

Before long, she even got excited, deliberately searching for the ones that glowed brightest.

They shone like candles; even if they were useless, she could use them as night lamps!

By the time she was done, the sack was stuffed full.

Chu Xingchen stood dumbfounded when she returned. Good heavens—this entire field was small to begin with.

It clearly belonged to a minor sect; he wouldn’t have dared mess with a major one.

But this girl wasn’t the least bit polite—she had practically uprooted a quarter of the field!

Just as Li Yingling, grinning proudly, ran out of the barrier, her overexcited steps echoed too loudly.

The disciple guarding the field woke up groggily—only to see a large portion of the spirit herbs gone.

Worse still, several of the sect leader’s most critical herbs had been ripped out completely—roots and all!

Which idiot of a thief would even steal rejuvenation herbs?! What, was the thief just as weak as the sect master?!

The disciple roared in fury and rang the alarm bell. ”Thief! There’s a thief! Someone, come quickly!”

Li Yingling’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

Chu Xingchen reacted instantly, grabbing her hand and using Earth Escape to flee underground.

As they vanished, Li Yingling vaguely heard a despairing voice in the distance:

”That damned wretch! You dare steal the immortal herbs I painstakingly gathered?! Furong! Forgive me, my love!”

Chu Xingchen’s Earth Escape was a skill specially granted by the system for running away.

He practiced it regularly, and his speed was astonishing.

By the time they resurfaced, they were already in an unknown area.

Chu Xingchen expertly set up false trails to confuse pursuers, then took her in the opposite direction.

He repeated this routine at least eight times before cautiously returning to the ruined temple.

Taking the sack from Li Yingling’s trembling hands, he began sorting through the spirit herbs.

After identifying two of them, Chu Xingchen frowned deeply.

This girl... why did she only grab things that replenish yang energy?

Still shaken, Li Yingling stammered, ”M-Master... we won’t get caught, right?”

Chu Xingchen replied calmly, ”Of course not. I already made all the preparations. We’re perfectly safe!”

Recalling his swift, practiced movements and flawless Earth Escape technique, and seeing his utterly composed expression now—

Li Yingling couldn’t help but think her master might actually be a seasoned criminal!

Li Yingling could tell at a glance—her master was clearly an old hand at this!

”Master,” she asked suspiciously, ”do you... do this often?”

”Not really,” Chu Xingchen replied casually. ”Back when my cultivation was lower, I often got into trouble while traveling around Xuanwu Kingdom, so I practiced running away as a habit.”

”Then, Master, your cultivation shouldn’t be low now. So why still run?”

”What else should I do? Stay and kill everyone who shows up?”

As he sorted through the spirit herbs, Chu Xingchen added, ”Don’t overthink it. That sect and I have had some small grudges before. Pulling out a few of their herbs today just evens the score.”

Curious, Li Yingling asked, ”What kind of grudge?”

Chu Xingchen sighed. ”Their sect master had a Dao companion—a pretty woman, though not the most virtuous. Unfortunately, he was deeply in love with her.”

”One day, that Dao companion noticed my unparalleled charm and tried several times to seduce me. When her husband found out, I tried to explain that she hadn’t only targeted me—his own first disciple had an affair with her too.”

”But instead of listening, the old dog went berserk and chased me for three days and nights!”

Li Yingling couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Chu Xingchen gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing, continuing to sort the herbs instead.

He selected a few stalks of spirit grass with suitable age, cut off the roots, and tossed them into a pot nearby.

The remaining herbs, not yet needed, he carefully stored in his spatial ring.

Lighting a fire and adding water, he began to brew.

The system’s beginner gift pack included basic alchemy and forging techniques.

Unfortunately, one required a furnace for forging and the other a cauldron for alchemy.

After some study, Chu Xingchen discovered that while forging absolutely needed a furnace, alchemy could technically be done in an ordinary pot—though the results would be rougher.

The form might not be elegant, but it worked.

He steadied his breathing and began refining.

Indeed, after reaching the Golden Core stage, his control over spiritual energy had become smooth and precise.

The essence within the herbs was quickly extracted, turning the water in the pot into a rich emerald green.

Next came the high flame reduction to preserve the medicinal power.

Soon, the water condensed into a single droplet about the size of a pill.

Chu Xingchen carefully wrapped the glowing drop in spiritual energy, then looked toward Li Yingling.

”Open your mouth, good disciple.”

Li Yingling stared in disbelief.

Other people’s pills were solid—how did hers end up liquid?

And that green, viscous glow... it looked more like poison than medicine.

How was she supposed to open her mouth for that?

”Master, are you sure this thing is edible?” she asked weakly.

”If eating the raw spirit grass weren’t so inefficient and full of side effects, I wouldn’t bother refining it for you,” Chu Xingchen said impatiently. ”Now hurry up and swallow it, then go cultivate.”

With no choice, Li Yingling opened her mouth and gulped down the bright green droplet.

The instant it burst on her tongue, a wave of bitterness assaulted her senses, twisting her face in agony.

She barely resisted the urge to spit it out.

Still, the effect was remarkable. Spiritual energy immediately began to surge through her body.

Li Yingling hurried back to her bed, sat cross-legged, and started cultivating.

Chu Xingchen observed her closely for a while. Seeing no signs of trouble, he relaxed and sat down again.

Opening his system interface, he glanced over his quests.

There were two beginner missions: one was to recruit a qualified disciple, and the other was for that disciple to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

Once Li Yingling broke through, the second mission would be complete.

The reward was a divine ability, and formal missions would finally unlock afterward.

Tears nearly filled his eyes.

What kind of system made its ”beginner missions” take over three years to complete?!