It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

Deng Youcai simply gave a faint "hmm," his gaze lingering on Qing Hemiao for a moment longer.

He seemed to want to see something special in this seemingly ordinary teenager, but didn't say much.

Clearly, he wasn't very interested in this "little brother" who was specifically mentioned by Bai Xianjia.

He got straight to the point:

"Grandma is already waiting for you inside. Come in with me."

As he spoke, he stepped aside, fully opened the heavy courtyard gate, and gestured for the others to enter.

Master Chai quickly thanked him and led Qing Hemiao to follow behind Deng Youcai into the courtyard, which looked particularly grand in the deep mountains.

Upon entering the courtyard, one discovers a hidden paradise within.

It's less of a farmhouse and more of a small complex of buildings.

The ground is paved with blue bricks, clean and tidy, and several houses of different sizes are scattered inside.

At this moment, most of the doors and windows of the houses were tightly closed, and there were no idle figures in the yard. Only the occasional low bark of a dog could be heard from afar.

This made the huge courtyard, under the afternoon sun, exude a sense of seclusion and solemnity, as if it were isolated from the world.

Deng Youcai walked very fast and was extremely familiar with the paths in the courtyard. He led the master and apprentice through many twists and turns.

Passing through several moon gates and corridors, avoiding the main house, we headed straight for a relatively independent and quiet courtyard deep within the compound.

There were no special signs at the entrance to the courtyard, and the courtyard wall was just an ordinary rammed earth wall, with some parts even showing signs of wear and tear.

The gate to the courtyard is even simpler, consisting of just two thick old wooden planks pieced together, exuding a sense of returning to simplicity.

Upon reaching the entrance of the small courtyard, Deng Youcai did not say much. He simply raised his hand and lifted the half-closed wooden door, making a slight creaking sound, before stepping inside first.

Master Chai paused outside the door, took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm his inner tension, and even subconsciously tightened his grip on Qing Hemiao's hand beside him.

His hands, rough from years of hard work, were now slightly damp with sweat.

Then, he pulled his apprentice across the simple threshold.

Qinghe Miao could feel the pressure in his master's palm. Without saying anything, he silently followed and stepped into the courtyard.

The courtyard is indeed not very large; you can see the whole thing at a glance.

The muddy ground on both sides, which could have been used for planting flowers and grass, has been carefully turned over and transformed into two neat vegetable plots.

Inside, some lush green seasonal vegetables are planted, making it look particularly simple and full of life.

The group did not linger in the courtyard; Deng Youcai led them directly to the inner room facing the courtyard gate.

The door to the inner room was open, and a scent mixed with a faint aroma of herbs and incense wafted out.

Inside the room was an exquisitely crafted kang (heated brick bed), its surface smooth and covered with a clean reed mat.

Beside the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) stood a heavy-duty armchair with shiny armrests.

At this moment, an old man is sitting comfortably in a grand chair.

Her short, curly silver hair was neatly combed, and she looked very energetic.

He was not tall, slightly plump, and wore a navy blue cotton diagonal-front dress.

On the small kang table beside her was an enamel tray filled with roasted melon seeds.

On the long table against the wall behind him, there was an exquisite bronze incense burner and a small memorial tablet. A wisp of straight and thin smoke was rising from the incense burner in front of the tablet, slowly blending into the air.

She is none other than the leading figure in the current lineage of shamans, and one of the ten most respected figures in the world of supernatural beings – “The Witch Doctor” Guan Shihua.

Chapter 15's level is not right.

Hearing footsteps at the door, the old lady paused slightly while eating sunflower seeds, and looked away from the TV screen at the two people who had just entered.

It's clear that the years have ultimately left deep marks on her face.

But his face was plump and his skin was full and shiny.

When her gaze fell on Master Chai and Qing Hemiao, her eyes were unusually clear and deep, as if they could penetrate the skin and reach the heart.

Master Chai dared not be negligent in the slightest, and hurriedly released Qing Hemiao's hand, bowing deeply in respect.

Seeing this, Qing Hemiao immediately followed suit, bowing respectfully to the legendary old man who was famous in the world of supernatural beings.

"Hey bro, stop it, we're all family, why are you making such a fuss?"

Seeing this, Guan Shihua quickly put down the sunflower seeds in her hand, clapped the crumbs off her hands, and spoke in a loud and cheerful voice with a typical accent from outside the Great Wall, instantly making the atmosphere in the room much more down-to-earth.

"Quickly, get up, get up. We don't do this kind of formality here."

Master Chai then straightened up, but maintained a respectful posture, and said earnestly:

"Before the Grand Master, etiquette must not be neglected. This humble old man, Chai Ningshen, along with my unworthy disciple Qinghe Miao, has taken the liberty of coming to pay our respects. We apologize for disturbing the Grand Master's peace and quiet."

"What do you mean by 'causing trouble'?"

Guan Shihua waved her hand dismissively, her gaze immediately falling on Qing Hemiao with obvious curiosity and scrutiny:

"Bai Xian'er from your lineage sent a message a few days ago, praising your little apprentice to the skies, saying that you are a rare gem, with an astonishingly clear spirituality."

She smiled, revealing two rows of still-strong teeth:

"If what Bai Xian'er said is true, then it's not just your good fortune, but also the good fortune of our entire lineage of shamans. Give me some, let this old woman take a good look."

Master Chai was delighted to hear this and quickly patted Qing Hemiao's back gently, whispering:

"Miaozi, go over there and let the Grand Master take a look."

Qinghe Miao followed his instructions and took a few steps forward, stopping about an arm's length away from the armchair.

Guan Shihua looked him up and down, a warm smile on her face:

"Don't be nervous, child. Just think of it as a visit to your grandmother's house so she can see you."

As she spoke, she extended her hand, which was covered with age spots but still steady, and casually placed it on Qing Hemiao's shoulder.

The instant her hand touched his shoulder, a system notification popped up in Qing Hemiao's mind:

[You have been detected by LV51 Shaman Sekihana and will be required to perform a Strength [Precision Motion] check. Failure to perform the check will force the opponent to learn a portion of your attributes.]

At the same time, an extremely subtle yet exceptionally gentle "qi," like an invisible stream of water, emanated from the point of contact between the hand and the shoulder, instantly reaching the entire area.

It was as if a hand was penetrating his skin, flesh, and bones, directly "touching" the Qi, meridians, and acupoints flowing within his body.

Qinghe Miao remained outwardly calm, but his heart was suddenly in turmoil. No matter how well he controlled his expression, a very subtle and strange look inevitably flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Although the work is titled "Under One Person", the old master Zhang Zhiwei of Longhu Mountain is recognized as a unique figure with an unparalleled talent.

But Guan Shihua is not only one of the Ten Elders of the Extraordinary People, but also the current head of the lineage of shamans, and an Extraordinary Person who has survived from that era and grown up to this day.

He could be considered one of the top experts in this world, standing at the very top of the pyramid, right?

...only level 51?

This level, although far higher than his current level, seems... not as exaggerated as he originally expected.

It seems that the power system of this world has some subtle differences from his initial guess.

Qinghe Miao's mind raced, but he maintained a calm state within his body, without mobilizing his internal energy to resist or conceal anything.

He allowed that subtle and vast power of perception to flow and explore within his body.

Anyway, if the existence of the system could be detected so easily, that would be too much of a rip-off.

Then you might as well quit.

Directly plan to take the "None of the Pass" exam to get a job.

After a moment, Guan Shihua frowned slightly, a hint of undisguised doubt flashing in her eyes.

"Well, please forgive me, this old lady may be a bit clumsy, or perhaps I'm just getting old and my senses aren't as sharp as they used to be."

She slowly withdrew her hand from Qing Hemiao's shoulder, hesitated for a moment, and said in a calm tone:

"This child... has healthy bones, and while the amount of Qi in his body isn't much, it's normal for his age. He might be a promising talent in the future. However... it seems... we haven't discovered anything particularly 'out of the ordinary' or extraordinary."

As for the feeling that Bai Xian'er described as "once in a century" and "frighteningly insightful," she didn't really feel it.

Qinghe Miao had anticipated this and reacted calmly.

Where does his true "miracle" come from? Doesn't he know his own limitations?

Moreover, there are two glaringly negative statuses in the system, so it's already quite good that it didn't give a bad rating.

It is normal that the stamen flower cannot be detected.

Master Chai, standing to the side, was getting a little anxious.

He regarded this meeting as a rare opportunity for his disciple and even his own lineage. Seeing that the Grand Master did not seem to see his disciple's "extraordinary" qualities, he was afraid that this trip would be in vain.

He quickly stepped forward, his voice urgent as he eagerly began to sell:

"Grand Master, you...would you like to take a closer look? Perhaps the child is nervous, or perhaps you didn't examine him carefully enough? This child's talent is truly exceptional! I'm not just bragging, but he learns everything incredibly fast. He can master almost any technique in no time. When he first tried to comprehend Qi, he succeeded in entering the path in just three days!"

Moreover, he was precocious by nature, and his thoughts were completely different from those of ordinary children. His understanding of power and his views on cultivation sometimes even made sense to me. People from all around who had seen him said he was a reincarnation of the God of Literature, a natural-born scholar destined for the highest honors!

He spoke earnestly, saying that Qinghe Miao's matter didn't need to be exaggerated, and he only hoped to attract Guan Shihua's attention.

After he finished speaking, Guan Shihua raised her hand and made a downward pressing motion, indicating that he should not rush.

Her face still wore a kind smile, but her gaze returned to Qing Hemiao, and her tone was gentle:

"Old Chai, don't worry. With Bai Xianjia's personal guarantee, I naturally believe what you're saying."

Besides, I'm not a true immortal. If there truly are some extraordinary innate qualities or hidden talents in this world that even I cannot detect, that's not impossible.

Her words both reassured Master Chai and left herself room to maneuver.

Then, instead of probing with her Qi, she directly took Qing Hemiao's hand and, as an elder would show concern for a younger person, asked kindly:

“Child, tell your grandmother the truth. Your master said that you felt the entry into the Qi realm in just three days. Is that true? What did it feel like at that time? Do you remember?”

Qinghe Miao had now snapped out of her reverie.

He looked at the kind-faced old man before him, then glanced at the anxious and expectant master beside him, smiled calmly, and said:

"Actually, it wasn't three days."

Chapter 16 Investment

Upon hearing this, Master Chai and Deng Youcai, who was standing next to him, were both stunned for a moment, and even Guan Shihua raised her eyebrows slightly.

However, before they could ask any questions, Qinghe Miao continued clearly:

"To be precise, I successfully sensed the Qi that very night and, following the methods taught by my master, completed a small circulation, which can be considered as officially entering the path."

This truly surprised everyone.

Master Chai stared wide-eyed at his apprentice in disbelief.

Even he, as the master, didn't know about this!

He had always thought his apprentice's three-day completion time was already genius-level, but he never expected...

Guan Shihua's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

She was initially worried that her child was too young and might be nervous in front of strangers, unable to explain things clearly.

I plan to guide him little by little, exploring the extent of his natural talents.

Also, take a look at the child's character, speech, and how he behaves.

Now, she keenly sensed that a few words from the boy in front of her had subtly altered the course of the entire story.

This is no longer the usual scenario of an ordinary country master bringing a reasonably talented apprentice to seek guidance from a senior.

The conversation that follows will likely shift from her and her master to this astonishing young man.

Moreover, she had a premonition.