Master Brother looked embarrassed and retreated to meditate. It's said that at the Huangtian Palace, the standard duration for the penalty of meditation is three years—no matter how much Master Xiao Feng realizes his mistakes today, he’ll have to faithfully endure it for three full years. Because of his departure, the disciples have also deeply realized the importance Qin Feng holds in their master’s eyes, and now they look at him with much more kindness. Huangtian Emperor glanced at them and said, “You’re all free to go for now. Go ahead. And from now on, pay more attention to the younger disciple, understand?” “Disciple obeys.” The group bowed respectfully and withdrew. Now, only two people remained in the grand hall. Qin smiled cheerfully and bowed, saying, “Thank you, Master, for your recognition. I will surely work hard at my cultivation, never fail my esteemed teacher, and strive to elevate the Huangtian Palace…” “You young fool, don’t rush to say all the nice things yet,” the Emperor murmured. “So far, you haven’t even formally taken your vows as a disciple.” “Formal vows.” "He was taken aback: 'You announced me as your final disciple right before all the senior brothers, didn't you? What further procedures do you need? In truth, I'm a simple man. I'm sure Master isn't one who favors formalities, is he?' As he spoke, he blinked several times, revealing a touch of grace. Hao Tian the Emperor sighed, 'Big Brother is right—you're quite cunning, aren't you?' 'Ahem.' He almost choked on those words, thinking how hard it was these days to find a good person like himself—someone honest and reliable. After all, they were in need of him. Whether or not they could defeat Ju Ling the Giant God within three months would ultimately depend on Hao Tian the Emperor. He smiled warmly, 'Master, whatever you'd like, just say it. Even if it means climbing mountains of blades and descending through molten oil, I'll do it without hesitation.' 'That's about right.'" "Master nodded and said, 'I'm not one for formalities, but there are certain traditions that must be observed—such as the tea ceremony when a disciple formally bows and presents tea. All you need to do is bring a cup of tea, kneel respectfully before me, and invite me to drink it.' With that, Master gave a graceful smile: 'Rest assured, I won't keep my distance. I'll immediately take the cup and drink from it—then the ceremony will be complete.' I wiped my brow—of course, offering tea is expected, but why must one kneel? Regarding the act of kneeling, Qin Shao places great importance on it. In his view, it's a gesture reserved for proposals, typically performed with a single knee to the ground. Clearly, the formality of a formal visit to the grave calls for a single knee, not a full bow. It's obvious that Master deliberately emphasized this point. Having already made it clear that Qin Feng is now a member of the Heavenly Palace, the need to go through this ritual is quite secondary." If you truly intend to leave, why not simply send the other disciples away to watch from the sidelines—wouldn't that show greater respect? Very well, I'll set up a trap—fine, I'm sure my friend won't actually jump in headfirst. He smiled warmly, "This is the disciple's formal拜师 ceremony." With a flick of his wrist, a steaming teapot appeared in his left hand, and a finely crafted cup in his right, already filled with premium tea leaves. As he poured the water, he said, "This is the cloud mist tea personally harvested and processed by the disciple in the mortal realm. It has a fragrant aroma. Of course, Master, you've lived in the heavenly realm for so long and have surely tasted finer teas—should the flavor not suit your taste, I'd kindly ask for your indulgence..." The Emperor of Heaven smiled slightly, saying, "Tea from the mortal world—I haven't had it in a long time. I'd actually like to try it now." As the hot water was poured in, a rich aroma of tea immediately filled the air. Who says heavenly things are necessarily superior to earthly ones? Indeed, just one point proves this—why would the ladies around the Jade Emperor be willing to descend to the mortal world to seek husbands if everyone believed heavenly things were better? The Jade Emperor’s sister, the immortal Princess Yao Ji, married a bookish scholar named Yang Tianyou, thus giving birth to the god Erlang Yang Jian; the Seventh Fairy married Dong Yong, and the Weaver Girl married Niulang... Of course, this could only be imagined in the heart. If anyone were to speak of it aloud, the Jade Emperor would surely be furious and launch relentless pursuits across the nine realms, chasing us to the farthest corners of the world. The Heavenly Emperor remained composed, inhaling deeply several times, silently thinking: everyone claims that the Chinese civilization has been so polluted by modern life that it's beyond repair—yet here, in this very moment, there is still such pure, fresh tea fragrance. Qin Shao, with both hands holding his teacup, gracefully approached, bowed deeply on one knee, and respectfully declared, "Disciple presents tea to Master, kindly take it and enjoy." "Very well...," the Emperor Hao Tian's full attention was on the teacup, so he instinctively reached out to take it. He completely overlooked Qin Feng's kneeling motion—whether it had been completed or how far it had progressed. In fact, Qin's knees were still quite some distance from the ground. As soon as the teacup was released, he immediately straightened up and said, "Thank you, Master." Hao Tian sipped his tea and praised, "Excellent! I didn't expect such a refined cup of tea in the mortal world—quite unexpected. Hmm, how come you've stood up now?" He blinked and asked, "Master has already taken my tea, so do I still need to remain kneeling? Please don't mind—this is my first time being formally received as a disciple, and I'm not very familiar with the customs. If you don't mind, I'd like to kneel once more." "No need at all," said the Emperor. "I've already mentioned that I'm not someone who enjoys elaborate formalities." "The Emperor sipped again, then reluctantly set down his cup, saying, 'As Elder Brother mentioned, you challenged the Giant Spirit and set the match for three months from now.' 'Exactly so,' he said with enthusiasm. 'Three months from now marks the moment when our Hao Tian Palace will truly rise to prominence. At that time, my disciple will display great prowess, easily defeating the Giant Spirit and giving your esteemed personage a splendid showcase.' Hao Tian Emperor furrowed his brows and glanced at him. 'I'd like to know where your confidence and boldness stem from. Do you really think you're the Monkey King who leapt out of a stone, capable of knocking the Giant Spirit down?' 'Of course, from you,' he replied with a cheerful smile. 'Under your patient guidance, I'm certain I'll be able to defeat him.' 'Frankly, I'm quite confident in my own abilities as your master, but I don't have much faith in you,' Hao Tian Emperor said with good grace. 'With only three months, are you truly certain you'll advance to the level of upper-tier immortal cultivator?' "Then it will all depend on you." "I can't teach you." "Hmm, couldn't you simply transfer some of your skill directly to me? That would be the most efficient way." "I've never heard of such a thing. My teacher simply doesn't do it. Even if he did, he wouldn't let you become a master without any prior effort on your part." Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, took out a paper package and smiled, "Here's a tea from your disciple—Cloud Mist Tea. Please take your time to enjoy it." The Emperor brightened, "I actually have a secret treat for you—the *Heavenly Secret Method*. As long as you practice diligently, defeating the Giant Spirit God will be no problem." Well, I knew you had something special—true to your word, never letting go until the hare appears. Qin Shao, satisfied, took the *Heavenly Secret Method* and walked away. The Emperor smiled gently at the paper package in front of him, then suddenly remembered something, "Wait—didn't that young man kneel when he spoke? Was he playing me?"