Holy Maiden, wait a minute. Why are you asking me to cultivate again?

Upon hearing Cui Yu's words, the students burst into laughter.

Who wouldn't want to earn spirit stones while attending class?

"I'll play!"

"I'm playing."

"I'll play too!"

All six disciples agreed, staring at the gate with cold smiles on their faces.

Cui Yu laughed even louder in her heart.

Do you really think she's stupid and rich?

The sect leader directly sent someone to break through from the third level of Qi Refining to the eighth level within twenty days. This kind of hidden gem will not be able to withstand your efforts.

Oh dear, how am I going to spend these nine hundred spirit stones?

At this moment, Song Zhao, who was handing over the handpan to the guards outside the palace, was unaware of what was happening inside.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Oh, it's nothing."

The two guards looked at Song Zhao with curiosity and found that this disciple was particularly polite and gentle, but also particularly old.

They had never seen a disciple that old before.

"Once you enter the hall, come to the execution ground for the morning prayers."

As soon as Song Zhao stepped into the palace, Cui Yu's voice rang in his ears.

"Elder Cui is indeed fond of teaching. I've barely reported for duty before he's already trying to teach me something..." Song Zhao was slightly taken aback.

Then, following the directional signs, we arrived at a small courtyard with its gate tightly closed.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his voice sincere: "Disciple Song Zhao has come to report for duty."

"You can just push the door open and come in yourself."

Cui Yu sat in the armchair, thinking about what was about to happen, and felt a sense of anticipation.

"it is good."

Song Zhao pushed the door open and entered. Before he could even see what was inside, a burly man, as solid as a mountain, blocked his way.

"New junior brother, did you bring your apprenticeship fee?"

Apprenticeship fee?

When did they mention the apprenticeship fee? The sect leader didn't mention it either.

Song Zhao was a little confused and asked, "I wonder if this senior brother has made a mistake?"

"When I came to the Grand Elder as his disciple, there was no mention of a master-disciple fee."

The burly man chuckled: "Just because I didn't say so, you think you can refuse to give it to me?"

"Everyone here gave the Grand Elder a master-apprentice fee of 1,500 spirit stones, so of course you need to give one too."

The other five nodded in agreement.

Even Cui Yu, sitting in the armchair, smiled.

If she handed over 1,500 spirit stones, even if she lost all her bets, she would still make 900 spirit stones.

At least they have some brains.

1,500 spirit stones? Why don't you just rob me?

Song Zhao felt like he had been tricked and turned to leave.

"Hey, junior brother, where are you going?"

The burly disciple blocked the way in a flash, extending his broad palm: "The apprenticeship fee of 1,500 spirit stones, not a single spirit stone less, I will collect it on behalf of the elder."

Song Zhao frowned, turned to look at the gloating group, and instantly understood.

So these guys were trying to give him a hard time.

In this case...

He smiled and said, "Senior brother, I'm going back to get spirit stones to pay my apprenticeship fee. Why are you stopping me?"

"I see..." The burly student scratched his bald head awkwardly, thinking he was about to make Song Zhao suffer.

To everyone's surprise, Song Zhao slapped his forehead and suddenly said, "Look at my memory, I almost forgot."

"The sect leader said that because I am old, I can become a disciple without paying tuition."

"metropolitan?"

The burly man looked Song Zhao up and down and found that the other man was indeed quite old.

But what does this have to do with the sect leader?

"Have you met the sect leader?"

Song Zhao nodded: "Yes, the sect leader sent me."

The burly man's disciple fell silent, knowing he was about to throw out one hundred spirit stones.

The newcomer was sent by the sect leader. How dare he ask the sect leader to hand over spirit stones? Wouldn't that be going against the sect leader?

Cui Yu secretly covered her mouth and chuckled, thinking to herself that this new disciple was no ordinary person and had the powerful backing of the sect leader.

Song Zhao bypassed the burly man and walked toward Cui Yu, but another person blocked his way.

The person blocking the road had a handsome face and carried a spiritual sword that shone with a bright light in his hand.

"I wonder which magical artifact you excel at, Junior Brother?"

Song Zhao bowed and said, "I am unworthy, but I practice the same magical implement as my senior brother."

"Oh? You use a sword too?"

The Lingjian disciple smiled and distanced himself, saying, "As the saying goes, no fight, no friendship."

"How about we have a match?"

Song Zhao was about to refuse when he noticed that the other disciples had all stepped back, and Cui Yu above was also looking over with interest.

"Then we will do as Senior Brother says."

Seeing that Song Zhao had agreed, the others secretly chuckled to themselves.

They all knew that Zhang Xing's swordsmanship was unparalleled, and none of the contemporary disciples could fight him for more than a few rounds.

"The new disciple is going to be in trouble now. I bet he'll be defeated within ten rounds."

"That's too many, three rounds will suffice."

"Heh, you made me lose a hundred spirit stones, but I'd rather this old guy be defeated in a single move!"

"..."

The group communicated with each other using their spiritual senses, as if they could already see Song Zhao lying on the ground, with Zhang Xing pointing at his throat.

"Junior brother, where's your sword?"

Standing in the training ground, Zhang Xing noticed that Song Zhao was hesitant to draw his sword and wondered, "Could it be that he forgot to bring it, like the spirit stones?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The crowd burst into laughter, looking at Song Zhao with a slightly puzzled expression.

Isn't it ridiculous for a sword cultivator not to carry a sword?

With a faint smile on his face, Song Zhao made a sword finger gesture, and the flying sword "Heyi" flew out from his sleeve, like a white lightning bolt with traces of snow.

Everyone present was stunned by what they saw.

This also includes Cui Yu.

What the hell? Flying sword technique? What Qi Refining cultivator has the money to buy a flying sword and practice flying sword technique?

The mocking voices abruptly ceased, replaced by words of shock in his mind.

"Are you crazy? What's the background of this new disciple? He's using a flying sword just to practice Qi cultivation?"

"And that flying sword looks like it's been tempered very well; it must cost at least tens of thousands of spirit stones, right?"

"Wait a minute, how could a Qi Refining cultivator have such strong spiritual power to control a flying sword? Can you even do that?"

"Of course we can't do it..."

Cui Yuqiu's long, watery eyes showed even greater interest.

She had seen people who could use flying swords at the Qi Refining stage. Those people were undoubtedly sword geniuses, and if they hadn't died, they would have become prominent figures.

Across from him, Zhang Xing, who had been absolutely confident, narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard.

He has been practicing swordsmanship since childhood, for thirty-two years now, and has absolute confidence in his swordsmanship.

"Even if you have a flying sword, it doesn't necessarily mean you're as powerful as me!"

Zhang Xing roared, his spirit sword bursting forth with a vast sword light, and he rode on wind and thunder as he arrived!

Song Zhao's eyes flickered slightly. He already knew how to dodge and defend when the other party started using his magic.

There's no way around it; this is the benefit of the Golden Core and the Eye of Truth. There's absolutely no need to take any unorthodox methods.

"go."

Before Zhang Xing could get close, the flying sword "Heyi" suspended in the air transformed into a blue rainbow and white light, moving in a line a hundred feet long. In an instant, the sword arrived before the sound did.

Clang!

As the sword energy burst forth, Zhang Xing's body stiffened, his movements abruptly halted by the monstrous strength. Then, a sharp pain shot through his tiger's mouth as the wound tore open, and the spirit sword slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground.

He could feel the weight of that sword strike; if he hadn't held back, his sword would probably have broken in two.

The surroundings were deathly silent, punctuated by quiet gasps.

"What an amazing flying sword."

"This handyman looks so old, could he have spent decades practicing swordsmanship?"

"It's hard to say. The Grand Elder has already won two hundred spirit stones."

"..."

With a flick of his sleeve, Song Zhao sent his flying sword, accompanied by a gentle breeze, back into his sleeve. He bypassed Zhang Xing and continued toward Cui Yu.

"Newcomer, your sword is so powerful, I wonder if it can break through my protective aura?"