CHAPTER 957: CHAPTER 525: THE CEREMONY

"Master, this is my humble gift!" Li Shiming also took out a jade box, presenting it in front of Grandmaster Hu.

Grandmaster Hu had previously instructed him that although some disciples give a master-apprentice gift upon entering the sect, Li Shiming had become a Nascent Soul Cultivator recently and joined Ten Thousand Beast Sect shortly after, having been a Loose Cultivator before. Hence, Grandmaster Hu did not require Li Shiming to prepare a master-apprentice gift.

Li Shiming’s offering of the gift brought a gratified smile to Grandmaster Hu’s face.

No matter what Li Shiming’s gift was, the gesture alone satisfied Grandmaster Hu.

"Good child!" Grandmaster Hu accepted the jade box and, without reservation, opened it.

Inside the jade box were thirty Fourth-grade Spirit Tea Leaves, initially thought to be resources Li Shiming had collected over the years from the sect.

But upon sensing the aura on the thirty Fourth-grade Spirit Tea Leaves, he noticed something unusual.

"Oh!" Not only Grandmaster Hu sensed the anomaly, but Master Ding and Grandmaster Chai also noticed the special nature of the Fourth-grade Spirit Tea Leaves.

"Shizhen, is this tea brewed by you?" Grandmaster Hu, feeling the aura of the Fourth-grade Spirit Tea Leaves, asked with a hint of anticipation.

"Yes, I used an alchemy technique to develop a method for roasting the spirit tea. I hope the master will not disdain it!" Li Shiming replied.

The master-apprentice gift Li Shiming presented was the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea he personally roasted.

Back on the Beishu Continent, both local and foreign Nascent Soul Cultivators were captivated by the Third Grade Spirit Tea he brewed.

Now, the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea he produces is a whole tier higher in quality than the previous Third Grade, and even more attractive to Nascent Soul Cultivators.

"Not bad, I’m very pleased with this gift!" Grandmaster Hu laughed heartily.

"I say, Old Hu, share some of this spirit tea with us so we can also have a taste!" Grandmaster Chai couldn’t help but say.

Grandmaster Hu would not neglect his guests. He took out another set of Fourth Grade Tea Set and brewed three cups of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea himself.

This Fourth Grade Spirit Tea was only for the three Great Cultivators; other cultivators, although guests, did not have the privilege to have Grandmaster Hu brew tea for them.

Moreover, the box of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea was a master-apprentice gift, not meant to entertain all guests at this time.

Grandmaster Hu’s tea-brewing skills were exceptional. Using Fourth Grade Spirit Spring Water and his mastery over fire, he quickly filled the entire hall with the revitalizing fragrance of the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea.

This aroma made all the cultivators who smelled it feel mentally clear, making one wonder about the effect of drinking this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea if its mere fragrance was already so effective!

The Nascent Soul Cultivators all suddenly felt the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea before them lost its appeal. Although the tea served to them by Grandmaster Hu couldn’t be poor quality,

compared to the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea personally roasted by Li Shiming, the tea in their cups seemed devoid of flavor.

In contrast, after a gentle sip of the spirit tea, the three Great Cultivators closed their eyes and savored the spirit contained within.

A whole thirty minutes passed before the three Great Cultivators opened their eyes.

"Old Hu, I’m truly envious you have such a good disciple!" Grandmaster Chai remarked to Grandmaster Hu.

Even though Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master and displayed considerable talent, it wasn’t enough for Grandmaster Chai to make such a comment, but a cup of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea did earn his genuine praise.

The main reason was that this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea offered benefits to late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators, which was extremely rare.

Resources beneficial to Great Cultivators were scarce even on the Dongqi Continent, and every valuable resource was among the top-tier.

Li Shiming’s roasted Fourth Grade Spirit Tea almost counted as a top-tier resource.

Though the effect of this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea would diminish with repeated use, as a resource for long-term use, even a slight boon could lead to considerable gains.

Most importantly, the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea had no side effects, eliminating any worries about overuse affecting the body.

Master Ding’s gaze showed hesitation. With Li Shiming possessing this ability, his plans to deal with Li Shiming required rethinking.

Truly killing Li Shiming would sever access to such a resource.

He wasn’t concerned about Li Shiming not producing Fourth Grade Spirit Tea; with his methods, the sect would undoubtedly compensate him enough to keep brewing, and even Grandmaster Hu would encourage Li Shiming to continue.

Li Shiming was unaware that presenting the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea as a gift had temporarily deterred Master Ding from acting against him.

Sect Master Ji and Feng Lanxin looked at Li Shiming, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Given their relationship with Li Shiming, acquiring this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea from him should not be difficult.

Li Shiming was not afraid of revealing his identity by presenting his hand-roasted Fourth Grade Spirit Tea because he had become the disciple of Grandmaster Hu.

As a disciple of Ten Thousand Beast Sect, he no longer needed to worry about troubles from Skywalk Trading Company and the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.

The only thing he didn’t want to expose was his alchemy skills. His prominently displayed alchemy talent on the Beishu Continent was too formidable, potentially causing many issues, so he preferred to downplay his alchemy abilities to a level only moderately above other alchemy masters.

Now that he was apprenticed to Grandmaster Hu, even if Skywalk Trading Company and the Heavenly Inquiry Sect suspected the origin of the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea, they dared not investigate Grandmaster Hu’s side.