By rights, it should be a great honor for a lower-tier cultivator to be accepted as a disciple by a Jin-Dan stage cultivator. However, upon hearing this, Han Li was struck by astonishment and instinctively sensed something was amiss. Given his own aptitude and cultivation techniques, such a fortunate turn of events simply shouldn't have befallen him. As for the claim that he would be rewarded handsomely for his significant contributions to Huang Feng Valley, Han Li found it utterly unbelievable. If the master had won the bet and, in a moment of enthusiasm, decided to take him as a disciple, that would have made sense. But here, despite having lost decisively, he was still being asked to become his disciple—this was truly puzzling. While Han Li was pondering this matter deeply, Li Shizhu grew increasingly displeased. After expressing his intention to take Han Li as a disciple, he had expected the latter to be overjoyed and immediately agree. Instead, Han Li remained motionless, his face filled with surprise and disbelief, failing to respond promptly—this only slightly irritated Li Shizhu. Yet on the surface, Master Li naturally wished to uphold the dignity of a senior master, and thus spoke gently: "Han Li, if you do not wish to take me as your teacher, merely state so—I will not insist upon it! I can instead bestow upon you several magical artifacts as compensation!" Upon hearing this, Han Li immediately sensed that while the words sounded polished and courteous, his inner feelings were clearly dissatisfied. He knew well enough—without needing to think deeply—what consequences might arise from offending such a senior master. Moreover, as a cultivator at the Qi Stage, refusing the mentorship of a Dan-Stage cultivator seemed utterly out of the ordinary. He feared that such a refusal might bring about even greater complications. With this thought in mind, he clenched his teeth, deciding to focus solely on overcoming this immediate obstacle, regardless of the master’s true intentions. After all, the current situation clearly indicated that he would not be satisfied with any outcome. "Indeed, to be under Master Li’s guidance is a great honor," Han Li replied, "and I am truly delighted. I was so excited that I momentarily forgot to speak. I beg your indulgence!" A deep blush spread across Han Li's face as he seemed to just recover from his excitement, speaking with eager anticipation. Then, showing good judgment, Han Li bowed respectfully to Li Shizhu and immediately performed the formal拜师 ceremony. "Excellent! From today on, you are my disciple, Han Li. This jade-light sword technique shall serve as my welcome gift." Li Huayuan beamed with delight, reaching out to help Han Li rise and presenting a long, jade-colored sword that shimmered with luminous energy—undeniably a top-tier artifact. Han Li took the sword solemnly in both hands, bowed once more in respect, and then stood up with evident joy and satisfaction. Meanwhile, the other disciples, who had been staring in open amazement, were now furious, their eyes blazing with resentment, gazing at Han Li with expressions of disbelief and envy—desperately wishing that it had been them who had received the artifact, rather than Han Li, whom they had already found difficult to tolerate. Although Han Li wasn't sure what the others were thinking, the steady, intense glares directed at him made him guess quite well, leaving him both amused and a bit embarrassed! If it were possible, he'd have preferred that his senior master had taken someone else—someone other than himself, this unfortunate one! After all, the lessons he'd learned from his previous master, Mo Doctor, were still fresh in his memory. Now, here came another master even more capable and clearly more interested—what could he say? He was truly at a loss! "Once I've successfully established my foundation, I'll personally take you to my place and formally accept you as my disciple. Should that not happen, I'll still be able to offer you guidance on the techniques." Master Li instructed Han Li. "Yes, master!" Han Li naturally had no objections and simply nodded in agreement. "It's getting late now. Let's return to Huang Feng Valley!" Master Li glanced at the sky and said. Next, everyone mounted Li Shizhu's silver-armored horned serpent once more and flew for several days, returning to Huangfeng Valley. As soon as they entered the valley, Li Shizhu, Li Hua Yuan, took two senior administrators to the council hall for meetings. The others dispersed to their respective residences, waiting in quiet anticipation for their rewards several days later. "Han, you've truly made significant gains on your journey to the sacred precinct—far more than I expected!" the elderly man sighed, saying this. "I didn't expect that myself!" Han replied casually. "But do you know what Li Shishu's real intention was when he took you as his designated disciple?" The elderly man's next remark, tinged with a touch of regret, made Han momentarily startled, then immediately delighted. Yet he managed to suppress his inner excitement and feigned genuine surprise: "Master Ma, does Li Shishu have any other reasons for taking disciples?" "Master? Haha! Since Han has formally joined Li Shishu's sect, you may now call me Master Ma. I'm not at all willing to continue using that title!" the elderly man shook his head gently and spoke with calm deliberation. "Hmph! Master Ma, why should you tease your junior? Who doesn't know that in the immortal world, seniority is determined by the level of cultivation techniques? As long as I haven't yet reached the Foundation Stage, Master Ma will always remain my senior." "Han Li spoke sincerely, immediately pouring a cup of medicinal flower tea for the elderly man and presenting it to him. "Excellent! Excellent! You truly have potential! It seems you haven't been overwhelmed by all these events. Then I'll share some details with you now. In fact, even if I don't mention it, you'll find out within the next three or four days." The elderly man nodded contentedly, speaking calmly. Han Li was slightly taken aback but listened intently to what followed. After all, he had been anxious ever since the unexpected news of his appointment as a disciple under Li Shizhu, and he naturally wanted to learn the full story as early as possible. "What do you think you'll receive in return for submitting so many medicinal herbs?" the elderly man suddenly changed the subject and asked. "I believe I'll be awarded two Foundation Pills. I've already inquired about this—anyone submitting around ten herbs typically receives one Foundation Pill." Han Li knew that the elderly man's question carried a purpose, so he answered honestly. "Hmph!" "When the rewards finally come after a few days, you'll only be lucky enough to receive one Foundation Pill—don't even dream of getting two!" the old man said with a slight scorn. "What? How could this be? Isn't there anyone who's withholding the rewards?" Han Li nearly jumped up, his face filled with disbelief. "No one is withholding the rewards—no one dares to do so! Only you have received fewer rewards than expected. Everyone else should have received their full share. Otherwise, who would attend the Blood-Color Trial next time?" the old man remarked, shaking his head. "Could it be due to Master Li's influence?" Han Li thought for a moment, then said seriously. "You're not that slow after all—quite sharp to have figured this out so quickly. Indeed, it's because Master Li took you as his disciple that this situation has arisen!" A spark of admiration flashed in the old man's eyes, and he nodded in agreement. "There's an unwritten rule in our sect: whenever a clear master-apprentice relationship exists, the master is entitled to take half of the apprentice's offerings to the sect as a token of gratitude. Of course, this applies only once—no exceptions thereafter. The medicinal herbs you collected deep within the禁地 can be considered a form of offering to the sect. Therefore, I believe Kungsi, your senior master, is particularly eager to take you as his apprentice precisely because he's eyeing those ten or so herbs as his share of the offering. Since only half of the herbs will reach the higher authorities, your reward will naturally be halved as well. Thus, you may well be looking at a single foundational pill, not two." The elderly man explained this carefully to Han Li. Han Li furrowed his brow slightly, yet showed no sign of annoyance or dissatisfaction—only remained silent and thoughtful, which surprised the old man quite a bit. He naturally didn't know that Han Li, instead of being upset, had actually exhaled a deep breath, finally easing the weight he had been carrying all along. The young apprentice had originally been eyeing his medicinal herbs—this truly surprised him, yet it also gave Han Li peace of mind. A single Foundation Pill wasn't much to ask for someone like him, who was about to begin his furnace training in alchemy. As long as he succeeded in refining the pills, even one would be of little consequence. The old man didn't know about Han Li's mindset. Seeing that Han Li remained silent throughout, he thought Han Li must be holding back a storm of resentment, merely suppressing it rather than expressing it. So he smiled gently and comforted him: "Though you've lost one Foundation Pill, gaining recognition as a named disciple under Li Shishu is a solid gain—not a real loss. After all, your aptitude has always been rather average. Even if you take two Foundation Pills, your chances of successfully establishing your foundation remain slim." Why not trade one pill for Master Li's support? With that, even if you remain in the Qi Condensation stage, no one in the sect will dare to treat you unfairly. Though Master Li hasn't truly taken you as his disciple, you still carry his name—how could ordinary disciples or administrators easily find fault with you? Moreover, I've heard that Master Li is quite protective of his students! Hearing this, Han Li felt deeply touched. Since Master Li had sent him two bottles of pills when he first went to the sealed realm, Han Li had already sensed that he was an outwardly cold yet warmly compassionate person—indeed, a truly admirable character. But this latest conversation left a lasting impression on him—Master Li clearly deserved to be a close friend. While thinking this, Han Li still maintained a composed, slightly reluctant demeanor, offering a few polite smiles before finally speaking, and engaging in a casual conversation. Seeing that Han Li had recovered from the initial setback, the elder Ma felt greatly pleased and soon bid farewell, returning the Hundred Medicine Garden to Han Li.