Chapter 334: Professor Ma's Gifts

While sitting in the aircraft that had come to pick them up, Yaoyun spoke to Wang Sheng telepathically.

"

If it's just cultivation methods, I do have a few immortal arts here. They could be useful for your little sister's cultivation.

"

Since the night that Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had been interrupted, Yaoyun had remained silent. Wang Sheng thought she was still angry at him and his senior sister for breaking some kind of taboo.

"

You want to become my sister's master, Yaoyun?

"

"

What? You think I'm not worthy of being your sister's master?

"

"

Worthy? Of course you're worthy!

" Wang Sheng felt a rush of joy in his heart. "

It's just unexpected, that's all. I never thought you'd volunteer to train her. I'm overjoyed.

"

Yaoyun sighed softly. "

It's time I find myself a disciple or two. I don't know when I'll disappear, but I don't have to cling to my dignity until then. It would be great to leave behind some of my teachings.

"

Wang Sheng didn't know how to respond. No one knew how many years and how far Yaoyun had to progress in her cultivation before she could return to normal from being a spiritual entity.

"

When we get back to the villa, I'll give Xiaomiao my blessing to formally become your disciple.

" Wang Sheng then thought for a moment. "

Do you need her to follow any rituals or rules?

"

"

No need for fuss. Let's keep it simple.

"

"

Mm, alright.

" Wang Sheng rubbed his chin. "

So when she bows, how many times should she kowtow? What should she wear? Do we need an altar, maybe a spirit tablet?

"

Yaoyun was dumbfounded.

"

I said keep it simple.

" She huffed softly. "

Just find a quiet place with no one around, summon me, and let her kowtow a few times. That's enough.

"

Wang Sheng grinned, though he felt a little gloomy inside.

She's acting like she never jumped out to rebuke me and Senior Sister for breaking the taboo! Senior Sister has hardly even held my hand since then! Ahem. Focus on business first.

They would certainly be extremely fortunate to have a celestial immortal like Yaoyun as Xiaomiao's master. Wang Sheng immediately called his master to tell him not to arrange anything for Xiaomiao and then secretly shared the news that Yaoyun wanted to accept her as a disciple.

Qing Yanzi was deeply grateful, thinking it was fate that Xiaomiao had such an opportunity. She was truly blessed to be born into the Wang family.

Though Wang Sheng had chosen a master for Xiaomiao, he still had to visit the Cultivation Research Institute. After all, he had already made an appointment with Ma Zibin. They could just chat over tea now.

They were headed to a branch that was over two thousand kilometers away from Wang Sheng's home, but only a few hundred kilometers from his villa. Since Ma Zibin often experimented with strange inventions, placing his lab in the headquarters would have been too much of a risk for the institute's archives.

After two hours, their aircraft slowly descended. A group of white-coated researchers was already waiting below, along with a drone that was projecting a massive banner in the air.

Welcome, Daoist Master Fei Yu!

Wang Sheng noticed how much more respect and treatment he was receiving now.

This is probably one of the benefits of surviving heavenly tribulation.

The welcoming party was grand. Ma Zibin himself, one of the branch heads, personally welcomed him together with many elderly scholars. As soon as the aircraft landed, they came forward eagerly.

Xiaomiao, who was in a tracksuit, followed her brother confidently and curiously watched as Wang Sheng exchanged pleasantries with the elders.

"Professor Ma, your hair!" Wang Sheng pointed at Ma Zibin's thick, black, short hair and chuckled. "Congratulations, congratulations."

"What's there to congratulate?" Ma Zibin sighed as he tugged at his head. He pulled the entire toupee off, revealing the balding crown beneath.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The Mediterranean Sea's waterline had risen again, drowning another stretch of coastline[1].

He threw back his head and laughed. "

Hahaha!

I was about to lose the last shred of dignity, so I got myself a wig. Anyway, is she your sister?"

"Say hi, Xiaomiao."

"Hello, Grandpa Ma," she said sweetly. She momentarily hesitated, seemingly considering a Young Pioneers salute[2].

Wang Sheng quickly pulled at her sleeve. "Just call him 'Uncle.' Professor Ma is younger than our dad."

"

Eh?

" Xiaomiao blinked, then calmly corrected herself. "Hello, Uncle Ma."

The elderly men behind Ma Zibin burst into laughter.

Perhaps from years of overwork, Ma Zibin looked a little worn, his face full of lines.

"Don't bother with these details." He waved them off. "Come, let's talk in the car. You're a lot more prestigious now, Fei Yu. The headquarters told us to treat you with the highest respect and give you full cultivator privileges. To think I had to sneak you into the lab back then.

Tsk.

"

"Speaking of." Wang Sheng smiled. "I still owe you thanks for saving my life, Uncle Ma."

"

Huh?

How did I save you?" Ma Zibin looked puzzled.

Wang Sheng just smiled. As realization dawned, Ma Zibin brightened up as he glanced at Wang Sheng's lower body.

Xiaomiao noticed the gaze. The mysterious bond between her brother and the older man piqued her curiosity.

The research institute looked ordinary from the outside, but technology surrounded them as soon as they entered the main cavern. Silver-white walls and ceiling glowed, embedded with sliding blocks that handled defense, surveillance, and ventilation. The air inside was fresh, and the qi was cleaner than outside.

A levitating three-carriage train awaited them near the entrance. Inside, soft music played, tea was automatically served, and the train glided smoothly underground.

Ma Zibin sat with Wang Sheng in the rear carriage. The senior figures in front mostly remained quiet and reserved.

"Fei Yu, you visited mainly to check Xiaomiao's constitution, right?" Ma Zibin asked.

Wang Sheng smiled. "Yes. She wants to cultivate, and I want to find the most suitable method for her."

"

Hehe.

Have you decided which sect's teachings she'll inherit?" He glanced at the girl in the back, who was so curious about everything that she was darting around. He then whispered, "The institute has backups of many Daoist texts. The Special Warfare Unit is even planning a training class for family members. Why not let her join that?"

Smiling, Wang Sheng shook his head. "No. Looking for a master is a different matter. I'll help her build a foundation first. After all, we've been apart for over ten years. We need time to grow closer."

From behind, Xiaomiao giggled, ran up, and gently kneaded his shoulders. "How's the strength, Big Brother? Does this add to our closeness score?"

"Subtract one. No strength at all."

Xiaomiao pretended to throw a tantrum, making Wang Sheng cover his forehead in exasperation.

Ma Zibin chuckled, then sighed. "I envy your parents for having both a son and a daughter. Anyway, I can't let you leave empty-handed. We'll check Xiaomiao's constitution first. It won't take long; we'll get the results a few minutes after the test. Once we're done, I'll show you... a few useful items."

Wang Sheng nodded, and Xiaomiao perked up with excitement. On the way over, he had told her that Ma Zibin's artifacts had once helped him greatly.

The train sped silently for over ten minutes, passing a bustling underground campus, before reaching the deepest zone of laboratories. Ma Zibin bid farewell to the other researchers and took the siblings straight to the laboratory.

A dozen young researchers were already inside. Noticing that Ma Zibin had brought guests, the researchers greeted them warmly. Two young women even tried sneaking a few photos of Wang Sheng. They were most likely students—the future backbone of the institute.

Xiaomiao was quickly laid down on a bed. They drew a few milliliters of her blood, scanned her with a glowing ring, and had her swallow a small pill. Most of it was routine, but after swallowing the pill, Xiaomiao soon got a feeling she couldn't ignore.

"Big Brother..." she whispered nervously, tugging at his sleeve. "I need to use the restroom."

Ma Zibin chuckled and waved over a young woman. "Xiao Huang, take her to the restroom. It's a bit tricky to find around here."

Xiaomiao grabbed the young lady and dashed off with her. While she was gone, a report landed in Wang Sheng's hand.

"Not bad," Ma Zibin commented. "Xiaomiao does have two weak points, though."

Wang Sheng studied the report carefully. There were a total of sixteen categories, all related to cultivation aptitude.

Out of 100 points, Xiaomiao scored a total of 75. Her affinity with non-elemental primal qi reached 90 points, but among the elemental primal qi, she only got passing marks in metal, fire, and earth. She barely got 20 to 30 points in water and wood.

"You should take this into account when choosing a cultivation method," Ma Zibin advised.

Wang Sheng nodded seriously. "Can I keep this report?"

"Of course. Just pay the fee first, then it's yours," Ma Zibin joked.

"No problem!" Wang Sheng smiled as he slipped the report into the latest version of his Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch.

Seeing the little pouch hanging from his waist, Ma Zibin frowned. "You're still using that? The representative of heavenly tribulation, the Hua Republic's beast guardian—

ahem

, sword guardian, and you're walking around with a coin purse on your belt?"

"What else am I supposed to use?" Wang Sheng lowered his head to glance at the pouch. The new version had an inner space of two cubic meters. Aside from the sword case that he carried on his back, nearly all his belongings could fit inside.

"You are embarrassing the nation," Ma Zibin shook his head, then waved him over. "Come, I'll get you a proper storage artifact. Rings, pendants, belts, earrings, even golden circlets—pick whichever you like. Each has at least five cubic meters of space, stable and durable, and can be bound to your soul."

"What on earth is a golden circlet?"

"It's a replica from the old

Journey to the West

television series. Want to try it?" Ma Zibin grinned. "It's just a bit of heroic fantasy from some of the researchers."

Wang Sheng immediately shook his head. He couldn't imagine himself pulling items out of the top of his head.

Just as they stepped out of the lab, the young woman who had gone off with Wang Xiaomiao came hurrying past.

"What happened?" Wang Sheng asked quickly.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just fetching some clean clothes for your little sister."

Ma Zibin leaned in and whispered a brief explanation. At once, Wang Sheng's expression turned anxious as he glanced toward where Xiaomiao was waiting.

She probably feels so embarrassed. Will this put a shadow in her heart?

Suddenly remembering something, Ma Zibin called after the young woman, "Go straight to the warehouse and bring a set of Type-366 combat gear for Xiaomiao. Tell them I sent you. Consider it a gift for Daoist Master Fei Yu."

"Yes, Professor!" the woman answered from a distance.

"What kind of artifact is that?" Wang Sheng asked.

Ma Zibin smiled as he tugged at Wang Sheng's Flowing Celestial Robe. "An upgraded version of this."

Wang Sheng cleared his throat. "Uncle Ma, my stomach feels a little off too...

Hiss...

"

"You rascal!" Ma Zibin replied, half laughing and half crying. "Don't worry. I've already prepared one for you and your senior sister."

Wang Sheng instantly became calm and composed again.

1. In China, balding crowns are often called the "Mediterranean Sea." ☜

2. "Young Pioneers" is a youth organization for children aged 6-14. The organization is similar to Scout organizations. "Young Pioneers salutes" are similar to the standard "o7" salute, but their hands are raised above their heads. ☜