Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Once the second-generation disciple token was officially issued, the matter of Ye Cheng becoming Yun Jin's disciple was finally set in stone.

Outside, rumors swirled that Ye Cheng must have accepted it out of humiliation and desperation.

Inside Tianjian Peak, however, Ye Cheng seemed surprisingly calm. He had already begun working diligently in the spirit fields.

Previously, Yun Jin had tended to these fields herself. The others had no clue about planting techniques, so she could never delegate the task.

Now that a professional had arrived, she could finally let go and focus on other things.

Standing by the edge of the spirit fields, Yun Jin looked at her first disciple and felt very satisfied.

Sure, she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and this disciple of hers was already at the Core Formation stage.

But so what? It wasn't a problem at all.

Still, Yun Jin felt a faint sense of urgency.

I need to reach Golden Core soon.

Whether it was refining the Bu Tian Dan or leveling up her skills, she would need to advance to the next stage. Without it, the number of simplification uses required was far too high.

With that in mind, she pulled out another box of pills and started munching.

Gu Jinghong was used to this by now, though he still twitched slightly at the sight.

Pills were incredibly rare. Alchemists were precious.

Even within Xuandan Gate, no one consumed pills like this.

And the worst part was—it wasn't even necessary.

He had just thought the words "not necessary" when, in the very next instant, a wave of spiritual energy burst from Yun Jin's body.

She had broken through to late-stage Foundation Establishment.

Gu Jinghong: "????"

Wait, what?

Just like that?

He had never seen his master cultivate properly!

Was she really advancing just by eating pills?

And it wasn't even a pill for cultivation. It was a Huiyuan Dan. Since when did Huiyuan Dan boost spiritual power?

Yun Jin, on the other hand, remained calm. She quickly stabilized her cultivation level, then casually pulled out another bottle of pills.

Gun Gun, sitting nearby, looked on enviously before digging out its own stash and eating in a corner.

Gu Jinghong stared at this odd master-pet pair, momentarily at a loss for words.

This time it was still a Huiyuan Dan, but Yun Jin frowned slightly after taking it.

"Master, what's wrong?" Gu Jinghong asked cautiously.

"The spiritual energy gain feels slower," Yun Jin muttered.

Gu Jinghong: "..."

He wanted to console her.

But his last shred of conscience wouldn't allow it.

"You agree, right?" Yun Jin turned toward him. "How could one pill add only a sliver of spiritual power?"

Gu Jinghong abandoned his conscience entirely. He nodded solemnly. "You're right. That's outrageous. The Huiyuan Dan has gone too far."

Sure, it's a healing pill. But if it can't skyrocket Master's cultivation, then yes—it's a failure.

After a moment, he added, "Perhaps switching to pills designed to increase spiritual power would be more effective. Within Foundation Establishment, pills like Huanglong Dan, Jingsui Elixir, and Ziyang Dan are common choices. But such pills are rare and often consumed immediately. If Master wants to buy them, it might require a significant investment."

Everyone knew pills were a shortcut to advancement, but few could afford them.

It wasn't about effort. It was about cost.

Even Gu Jinghong, the Sect Leader's disciple, had only earned ten Huanglong Dans during his own Foundation Establishment phase. After that, he couldn't afford any more.

"Pills that directly boost spiritual power..." Yun Jin's eyes lit up.

That made sense.

She usually consumed Foundation Establishment Pills and Huiyuan Dan, both focused on utility rather than raw power.

Her growth relied entirely on the system's "eating = power" rule, which treated pills as high-energy food.

But if she took actual cultivation pills?

With both the pill's innate effects and the system's boost, reaching Golden Core would be a breeze!

Once she reached that stage, she could sit for the third-rank alchemist exam and start simplifying Bu Tian Dan.

Time was short before the Grand Sect Assembly—every step counted.

"You're not entirely useless," Yun Jin said, glancing at Gu Jinghong.

He looked genuinely flattered.

In the distance, Ye Cheng had just finished tending a section of land and was preparing to move on to the next.

"Ye Cheng, come here," Yun Jin called.

He paused, then walked over. His tone was formal. "Master."

Though Yun Jin's cultivation was lower, Ye Cheng called her "Master" willingly.

First, she had saved his life.

Second, he cared most about agricultural techniques—and Yun Jin's talent and skill in that field far surpassed his own. She was more than qualified to be his teacher.

Yun Jin coughed, straightening with faux solemnity.

Now that I'm a master, I must project dignity.

"Two days have passed since your apprenticeship began. There are matters I've yet to clarify—today, we'll settle them."

"Understood." Ye Cheng listened respectfully.

Yun Jin first presented a token. "This is your Tianjian Peak second-generation disciple token. From today, our master-disciple bond is formalized."

"Understood." Ye Cheng accepted it calmly, his mind already drifting back to the fields.

Yun Jin had intended this as mere protocol—but the moment the token left her hand, a notification chimed in her mind.

[Ding. Host has taken a disciple. Master-Disciple Mode activated.]

[Senior Disciple: Ye Cheng (click to view detailed status)]

[Master-Disciple Bond: 60]

[Ding. 'When the Master is Busy, the Disciple Shall Toil' mode activated. Ye Cheng may perform daily tasks on behalf of the host. With a current bond level of 60, 60% of Ye Cheng's emotional value, proficiency gains, and other system-related progress will be returned to the host. The higher the bond, the greater the return.]

Just from taking Ye Cheng as a disciple, the system had developed a whole new function.

Yun Jin couldn't help but smile.

When she took in Gu Jinghong as a servant, it was mostly for personal reasons.

Taking Ye Cheng, though, had been driven more by compassion. She simply didn't want to watch him die.

The system's upgrade? A pleasant surprise.

Maybe this was proof that doing good deeds really paid off.

Then again, wasn't recruiting Gu Jinghong a good deed?

Also, having a servant yielded 100% returns, no bond requirement.

Meanwhile, taking a disciple had conditions. She needed to build rapport first.

Is this system encouraging me to be a tyrant?

Thankfully, Yun Jin was naturally kind, gentle, and wise—otherwise, with a system like this, nine out of ten hosts would've turned into supervillains.

After basking in her own moral superiority, Yun Jin finally addressed the main topic.