Although the group was puzzled about where Yao Shifeng had gotten the spirit stones to treat them to such a luxurious spiritual al, they accepted the invitation since the restaurant owner confird that Yao Shifeng had already paid.
At Yao Shifeng's repeated insistence, everyone picked up their chopsticks. Hu Hai and Wu Jinfei, in particular, devoured the al as quickly as they could—this feast was a rare opportunity to enhance their cultivation. In contrast, Gu Mo and Chu Feifei maintained a more refined approach.
As for Yao Shifeng, he rely took a few symbolic bites before putting down his chopsticks, leaving the rest for the others to enjoy.
This gesture only reinforced Gu Mo's suspicion—sothing significant was about to happen. But what major event could possibly concern them, re servant disciples?
Yao Shifeng waited until everyone had eaten their fill before he finally spoke. "Starting today, I am no longer a servant disciple of Qinglu Sect." His words dropped like a bombshell.
"I have earned the favor of Young Master He and will be serving him from now on," he continued before anyone could react.
"What? Boss Yao, you've been chosen as a retainer for the Sect Master's direct disciple?" Wu Jinfei exclaid in shock. Many knew that a direct disciple of the Sect Master had recently been recruiting retainers.
Wu Jinfei's own peak, the Artifact Peak, had already seen a servant disciple receive such an invitation. That person had since soared in status, becoming the envy of many as a retainer of the Sect Master's personal disciple.
Back then, Wu Jinfei had been green with jealousy. And now, Yao Shifeng had also secured the sa opportunity. How could Wu Jinfei not be excited? This ant they had latched onto soone powerful.
"Boss Yao, does this an you're disbanding our team?" Gu Mo had already grasped the implication behind Yao Shifeng's words.
Wu Jinfei's naive assumption—that Yao Shifeng's new position would benefit all of them—was laughable.
In reality, anyone who beca a retainer of an inner disciple, whether they were previously a servant disciple or an outer disciple, would lose their disciple status entirely. They would no longer be mbers of Qinglu Sect but instead personal attendants of an inner disciple.
With their statuses now different, it was inevitable that the team could no longer continue.
"That's right."
Yao Shifeng nodded. "Of course, I will compensate you all for your past investnts in ."
As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle and handed it to Hu Hai. Hu Hai accepted it with a dazed expression—everything was happening too suddenly for him to process.
Only when he uncorked the bottle and the rich fragrance of dicinal herbs wafted out did he snap back to reality. As a servant disciple of the Pill Peak, Hu Hai had a solid understanding of pills, so he imdiately recognized that this bottle contained elixirs capable of boosting cultivation.
Such pills were treasures he had long desired but could never obtain.
While Hu Hai was still in shock, Yao Shifeng retrieved a magic sword and handed it to Wu Jinfei. Though the sword was of low grade, it was not a standard-issue weapon—it was perfectly suited to Wu Jinfei's needs.
A sword tailored to its wielder was sothing Wu Jinfei had dread of day and night. It was vastly superior to the crude, unranked weapons he had forged himself.
Next, Chu Feifei received a set of formation disks, while Gu Mo was given thirty catties of Water Spirit Rice.
Glancing at the bag of Water Spirit Rice, Gu Mo couldn't shake the feeling that it looked familiar. Could it be the sa rice he had once submitted to the sect?
"Although our team is disbanding, our friendship remains. If you ever encounter difficulties, you may seek out, and I will help as much as I can within my personal capacity." Yao Shifeng deliberately emphasized "personal capacity," making it clear that while he was willing to assist them as a friend, he would not leverage Young Master He's na for their benefit.
As a re retainer, exploiting his master's reputation for personal favors was absolutely forbidden.
Yao Shifeng's words instantly cooled Wu Jinfei's excitent.
"Then, I wish Boss Yao a bright future ahead!" Wu Jinfei raised his cup in a toast.
Seeing this, Hu Hai, Chu Feifei, and Gu Mo also lifted their cups. With that, they each set forth on their own paths.
"And I wish you all smooth journeys on the road to immortality!"
Yao Shifeng drank his spirit wine, then turned and left the lavish private room.
With his departure, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy. No one had expected things to unfold this way.
Wu Jinfei glanced around at the others, the thought of forming a new team flashing through his mind. But in the end, he remained silent—he lacked Yao Shifeng's charisma.
Gu Mo, anwhile, felt a mix of emotions. He had believed that their small group, which had co together in their humble beginnings, would support each other through the treacherous path of cultivation.
Who could have imagined that in just a few years, their team would dissolve?
At least their friendship remained, though Gu Mo knew that ti would eventually erode even that bond.
—
"Is everything settled?"
Upon leaving the private room, Yao Shifeng made his way to the most luxurious suite on the top floor of the restaurant. As soon as he entered, Young Master He spoke up.
"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master." Yao Shifeng bowed. The spirit stones for the feast, as well as the pills and weapons he had given to his forr teammates, had all co from He Shaogang.
"Do your job well, and I will ensure you get what you desire." He Shaogang nodded in satisfaction. He had initially chosen Yao Shifeng for his ambition, but now, seeing how Yao Shifeng handled affairs, he was even more pleased. This was indeed an outstanding retainer.
—
As Yao Shifeng walked away, the others slowly dispersed as well. Whether they would ever reunite like this again was uncertain.
"Here, take it."
Gu Mo tossed the bag of Water Spirit Rice to Chu Feifei. In a few months, the spirit fields would yield a new harvest, so he didn't need these thirty catties.
"I can't take this for free." Chu Feifei was about to refuse when Gu Mo waved her off.
"Consider it a deposit for a new formation." He then outlined his requirents.
With the plants in his spiritual field growing more potent, he felt that relying solely on illusion formations was no longer safe. However, defensive formations lacked concealnt properties. Thus, he wanted to add another formation for better protection.
"Alright!" Chu Feifei agreed. Although she was still a servant disciple, if she could reach the third level of Qi Refinent, she would have the opportunity to advance further and learn true formation techniques.
This was a crucial opportunity given by the Formation Peak—any servant disciple who reached the third level of Qi Refinent could attempt to beco a formation master.
Great sects with long histories understood that simply exploiting servant disciples without offering hope would lead to stagnation and discontent.
But by providing a chance for advancent, they could fully unlock the potential of servant disciples, who would then pour all their efforts into changing their fate.
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