The next morning, Lin Feng gathered all five of his disciples in the courtyard for their first group lesson.

  Liu Mei, the youngest, looked around with wide eyes, still unable to believe this was real. Wei Ling maintained a serene expression, but her hands trembled slightly with excitement. Chen Bo, quiet and reserved, simply waited patiently for his master's instruction.

  Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan, now the senior disciples, stood beside the newcomers with proud expressions.

  "Alright," Lin Feng began, feeling slightly awkward. He'd never taught a group before. "Welcome, everyone. Let me start by explaining how things work on Tranquil Peak."

  He pointed to the tea grove. "Every morning, we tend the plants. The tea trees, the vegetables, the herbs—everything needs regular care. This isn't just chores; it's cultivation. By caring for living things, you learn patience, consistency, and harmony with nature."

  The three new disciples nodded seriously, not realising that the "tea trees" were actually Enlightenment Tea Trees, each one worth more than an entire cultivation sect, and that "tending" them would grant insights into the Dao of Growth.

  "After morning work," Lin Feng continued, "we cultivate. I practice the Eternal Breath Scripture, but you should use whatever technique suits you best. If you don't have a good technique, I can share mine."

  [Warning: Host's cultivation technique is Heaven-Grade. Sharing it with disciples of low cultivation may cause them to break through too quickly and damage their foundations.]

  [Recommendation: The system will provide modified versions suitable for each disciple's level.]

  "Actually," Lin Feng said, "let me give each of you a cultivation manual suited to your level. System, can you help with that?"

  [Acknowledged. Generating personalised cultivation techniques...]

  [Complete. Techniques optimised for each disciple's constitution and current level.]

  Five jade slips materialised in Lin Feng's hand, each one containing a cultivation technique "modified" for its recipient. In reality, each jade slip contained a technique that would allow its user to cultivate hundreds of times faster than normal genius-level methods.

  Lin Feng handed them out. "These should help you. Take some time to study them, and don't rush—cultivation is a marathon, not a sprint."

  Liu Mei took her jade slip with trembling hands. The moment her consciousness entered it, she gasped. The technique inside was called Crimson Phoenix Ascension Scripture—it was perfectly suited to her fire-aligned spiritual roots and contained insights that made her previous cultivation seem like a child's scribbling.

  "Master... this is too precious..." she whispered.

  Lin Feng waved dismissively. "It's just a basic technique. Don't worry about it."

  Wei Ling's jade slip contained the Eternal Wisdom Sutra, a technique that specialized in enlightenment and comprehension—perfect for someone at her level who sought understanding over raw power.

  Chen Bo's contained the Silent Mountain Scripture, a defensive-focused technique ideal for his steady, patient nature.

  "Now," Lin Feng said, "let me show you your rooms. I've prepared quarters for each of you."

  He led them to a building near the courtyard—a simple dormitory structure he'd built using "basic materials" from around the peak. In reality, the building was constructed from Immortal Spirit Wood, and each room was a natural cultivation chamber that operated at accelerated time.

  "Liu Mei, you're in this room. Wei Ling, here. Chen Bo, this one."

  Each room was modest but comfortable, with a bed, a desk, and a small window overlooking different parts of the peak. What the disciples immediately noticed was the overwhelming spiritual energy inside each room.

  "Master," Chen Bo said quietly, "the spiritual energy here is..."

  "A bit thin, I know," Lin Feng said apologetically. "Tranquil Peak was abandoned because it doesn't have great spiritual energy. But the rooms should be comfortable enough. I've added some basic spirit-gathering formations to help."

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  Basic spirit-gathering formations? The arrays carved into each room were Immortal-Grade formations that could condense enough spiritual energy to form liquid spirit stones!

  "If you need anything, just let Shen Yue or Zhou Yuan know," Lin Feng continued. "They can show you around more thoroughly. I need to get back to my own cultivation—I'm trying to break through to the next level of Foundation Establishment."

  He walked away, leaving five disciples standing in stunned silence.

  After a long moment, Liu Mei turned to Shen Yue. "Senior Sister... is Master always so... humble?"

  Shen Yue smiled. "Always. He genuinely believes he's just an ordinary cultivator. It's part of what makes him so profound."

  Wei Ling shook her head in wonder. "In three hundred years, I've never met anyone like him. He treats priceless treasures as common items and speaks of profound truths as simple facts. His depth cannot be measured."

  Zhou Yuan nodded. "You'll get used to it. The key is to observe the Master's actions, not just his words. Everything he does contains hidden teachings."

  Chen Bo, ever quiet, simply bowed toward where Lin Feng had gone. "I will work hard to prove worthy of this opportunity."

  The three new disciples spent the rest of the day settling in and beginning to comprehend their new cultivation techniques. Within hours, all three had minor breakthroughs—Liu Mei advanced from Qi Refining seventh level to Foundation Establishment, Wei Ling broke through from Nascent Soul early stage to middle stage, and Chen Bo jumped from Core Formation to Nascent Soul.

  They were terrified and exhilarated in equal measure. Such rapid advancement should have been impossible! But Master had said the techniques were "suited to their level," and clearly, he knew what he was doing.

  That evening, all five disciples gathered for dinner in the courtyard. Lin Feng had cooked—simple vegetable soup and rice, using ingredients from his garden.

  The moment they tasted the food, the disciples nearly fainted. Each bite contained enough spiritual energy and Dao insights to count as a full cultivation session. Liu Mei could feel her newly established Foundation solidifying and strengthening. Wei Ling's understanding of the Dao deepened with every spoonful.

  "Is the soup okay?" Lin Feng asked, noticing their intense expressions. "I wasn't sure how much salt to add."

  "It's perfect, Master," all five disciples said in unison.

  Xiao Hong strutted past, and the three new disciples immediately felt overwhelming pressure. Their instincts screamed danger—this was a predator of the highest order!

  "That's Xiao Hong, my chicken," Lin Feng said casually. "Don't mind her. She likes to patrol the peak in the evenings."

  A chicken? THAT was a chicken?!

  Wei Ling, with her three centuries of experience, could sense the truth. This was a Divine Phoenix, possibly even beyond that—a Primordial Phoenix. And Master treated it as a common chicken, feeding it grain and petting it like a farm animal.

  The contrast between Master's perception and reality was so vast that it was almost comical.

  After dinner, Lin Feng pulled out a set of gardening tools. "Tomorrow, I'll need everyone's help with the garden. Some of the spirit herbs are ready to harvest, and I want to plant new ones. Liu Mei, since you're the newest and youngest, you'll work with me directly so I can show you the basics."

  Liu Mei's eyes went wide. Private instruction from the Master on her first full day?

  "I... I would be honoured, Master!"

  "It's just gardening," Lin Feng said with a laugh. "Nothing too exciting. But it's good practice for patience and attention to detail."

  Shen Yue leaned over to whisper to Liu Mei. "Congratulations, Junior Sister. When I first arrived, Master's personal gardening lessons taught me more about cultivation than ten years in the sect. Pay attention to everything he does."

  Liu Mei nodded vigorously, already determined to memorise every word and action.

  As the evening wound down and disciples began retiring to their rooms, Lin Feng sat alone on his porch, looking up at the stars.

  "Five disciples," he murmured to himself. "I really have become a teacher. Life is strange."

  [Achievement Unlocked: Five Disciples!]

  [Your teaching has begun to spread through multiple students!]

  [Reward: 25,000 Seclusion Points]

  [Current Total: 142,430 Seclusion Points]

  [Note: Host's legend is growing. Disciples will spread tales of the Unfathomable Master. Recommend continuing current behaviour your natural actions are perfect for maintaining mystique!]

  "Mystique?" Lin Feng muttered. "I'm just trying to help them cultivate safely."

  He sipped his tea, completely unaware that his five disciples were all cultivating furiously in their rooms, each one determined to advance as quickly as possible to avoid embarrassing their incredible master.

  In the Azure Sky Sect below, the Sect Master was receiving reports about the trial. When he heard that five disciples had been chosen, he smiled.

  "The Senior is gathering students. This is good for the cultivation world. Those five disciples will undoubtedly become powerhouses who shape the future."

  The Grand Elder nodded. "Should we continue monitoring Tranquil Peak?"

  "From a distance," the Sect Master said. "We observe a little bit, we learn a little bit, but we do not disturb anyone, as it would be like a slap to that level of figure if we disturb his space. That is the proper way to show respect to such a figure."

  Far away, in the demonic lands, dark cultivators were also hearing rumors about the Unfathomable Master of Tranquil Peak. Some dismissed them as exaggeration. Others began making plans to investigate.

  In the heavenly realms above, the immortals—who had sensed the disturbance weeks ago and then promptly ignored it—were finally starting to connect the dots. A new power had emerged in the mortal realm. Someone who wielded strength to rival their own… and was apparently squatting on a tiny mountain peak.

  But none of this concerned Lin Feng.

  He finished his tea, checked that Xiao Hong was settled in her coop, and went to bed, planning to wake early tomorrow to teach Liu Mei about proper herb harvesting techniques.

  Just another peaceful day on Tranquil Peak.