Gabriel arrived at his mountain with Serana walking right by his side. Both were treated coldly and had been lonely for years, making it hard for them to start a conversation. However, the ice was broken when they arrived at the gate.
"From now on, this is your home. The rules are simple: keep the environment clean and quiet. In the future, when there are other disciples, be friendly and help each other, okay?" Gabriel smiled at her.
Serana looked up, seeing his smile, which stunned her for a moment before nodding her head. "I understand, master," she said, dazingly looking around. Her master's smiling face was instantly etched into her mind. "Master is handsome when smiling," she muttered to herself, shaking her head to refocus.
"Pick any of the caves you want. Since you're my first disciple, you'll be the eldest and shall be my future successor. I hope you'll make me proud," Gabriel said as they walked closer to the caves. These caves were not just caves; they were more like houses embedded in the mountain, with furniture inside suitable for a home.
But because this peak had been neglected by the previous master, everything was in shabby condition and dirty.
"Go and settle in. After you settle, meet me there," Gabriel said, pointing at the peak hall where he was staying now as the peak master of the mountain.
...
Because Serana had been treated severely by her aunt's family, she hadn't brought much with her—only some spare clothes and some important items that her father had left her with. After cleaning her abode for an hour, she left and went to the main hall where Gabriel was sitting in the middle, waiting for her.
His silent attitude made Serana feel mysterious about him but also made her feel calm. This quiet environment suited her taste well, and she felt some connection with her master.
Seeing Serana enter the hall, Gabriel smiled slightly, feeling excited deep inside as he was finally able to take a disciple to activate his system, which would turn his fate around!
At this moment, both master and disciple were expecting from one another to turn their fates around and beat the expectations of those against them!
"Disciple, sit," Gabriel motioned. Serana quickly sat in front of him.
The two looked at each other in silence before Gabriel nodded and took a deep sigh. "Disciple, I'll be brutally frank: your master is not strong and not talented. My previous master, your grandmaster, was a selfish man who left me unattended, causing my cultivation to suffer from the consequences of doing it on my own. As such, I don't want the same thing to happen to you."
Learning the truth from his mouth shocked Serana, making her heart feel bitter as she realized that the rumors were actually true. She had held the belief that her master was secretly strong, but it seems that wasn't the case. She could only sigh deep inside and not show it outside.
But one thing that made Serana feel glad was that her master seemed to be an honest person.
"As you're the future successor of this mountain, I'll do everything to help you and make you stronger. I'll sacrifice everything for you, make you a worthy successor of this peak, and remove the tarnished reputation this mountain had in the sect," Gabriel said to his disciple as he smiled faintly. Hearing this, on the other hand, Serana once again was shocked. "Master is devoting everything to me? Doesn't that mean he'll bring every resource he has for her just for her to get stronger?" she couldn't help but ask herself as she stared at her master.
These sincere words made her awaken deep inside, her fighting spirit rejuvenated as future goals seemed to be forming deep inside her mind. Gabriel reminded her of her weak father, and now her fighting spirit was telling her to protect this weak master of hers. The moment she thought of that, her future plans had now changed with Gabriel being at the top of her list, to protect and serve.
"Thank you, master. As your future successor, I'll make you proud and will never disappoint you," Serana stood up, clasping both of her hands as she promised Gabriel and silently to herself.
Gabriel nodded. "Good. Now, let's make a heaven oath and solidify our status as master and disciple. Kowtow to the heavens and earth." As soon as he said that, he stood up and walked towards the ancestral table in the center of the hall behind his seat and lit some incense.
Serana kowtowed to the heavens and earth three times.
"Kowtow to the ancestors."
She kowtowed at the altar three times.
"And lastly, kowtow to your master."
She faced Gabriel, kneeled, and kowtowed to him three times.
At that moment, she became an official disciple of Gabriel. It was as if the heavens gave them favor, as light seemed to surround them, and soon a wisp-like thread appeared between them, connecting the two threads together. From now on, these master and disciple were connected by Fate.
Meaning, in this life or the next, Gabriel and Serana would be somehow connected and would always start as master and disciple.
"You are now my disciple, Serana. Thank you for trusting me," Gabriel smiled and expressed his feelings. Because at this moment, his life would definitely change forever.
"Master, you can call me Sera in the future…" a slight tint of blush on her face as she said that.
"Okay, Sera," Gabriel smiled.
Seeing that smile again made Serana close her eyes and scream deeply. Why was she feeling this way?
As she was getting occupied by her conflicting thoughts, Gabriel was laughing deep inside as he saw the system.
[Serana has been registered.]
[User: Gabriel]
[Age: 18]
[Disciples:
Serana Stark (15 years old) (Mortal) (Talent: Average)]
[Rank: Vitality Infusion Mid stage]
MP: 0 GMP: 0
[First disciple detected, unlocking access to the system]
[Introduction: The Master Disciple System, as the name suggests, the user will be able to defy his fate as he teaches his students in the path of immortality. As your student grows, the system will grant you chances to increase your strength and talent to challenge your predestined fate.]
[System Introduction: MP (Master Points) are points that can be spent on RNG rolls to obtain various cultivation techniques, pills, items, or armaments. These points can be earned through teaching disciples.]
[Teaching Sessions: Teaching sessions can be divided into individual sessions, group sessions, and specialized sessions. Each session, the user will be able to receive 20 MP, 10 MP, or 50 MP, respectively.]
[Reminders: MP generation is influenced by the user's student comprehension and talent. There's a chance the user will receive lower MP if the student does not comprehend your teachings.]
[MP Usage: MP can be used for rolls to obtain cultivation techniques, pills, items, and weapons. The cost of each is as follows: 100 MP for cultivation techniques, 50 MP for pills, 30 MP for items, and 70 MP for weapons. Each roll has a predefined probability distribution for different quality tiers (Earth, Heaven, Immortal, Supreme Immortal). The system also grants a guaranteed pity system: Every 10 rolls guarantee at least one rare item.]
The long introduction to the system made Gabriel excited! He then continued,
[To prevent users from abusing the system through loopholes, the system places limits. There is a daily MP cap, with a maximum of 200 MP that can be earned regardless of the number of sessions and students taught. Special lectures and imparting high grades of martial techniques have a cooldown period to prevent spamming, and RNG rolls are limited to only 5 rolls each type per week.]
[Lastly, the system will introduce the Gift Merit system!]
[The Gift Merit System rewards the user when he gifts high-quality items, techniques, or pills to his disciples. This system ensures that generosity is rewarded but with safeguards to prevent abuse.]
[GMP points are received when the user gives gifts to his disciples. Only gifts of significant value and rarity will generate GMP. For example, only above Heaven grade is a qualifying grade that can generate GMP. The number of GMP points that can be earned is the same as MP, plus the reaction of the user's students.]
[GMP cap: 100 GMP per day, 700 per week.]
[GMP points can be spent on enhancing RNG rolls for a 25% chance of getting higher grades of any type (50 GMP), Cultivation Mastery, which unlocks any technique at 100% walkthrough (100 GMP), and Disciple Empowerment, providing a temporary boost to disciple cultivation speed by 50% per week.]
Gabriel couldn't help but smile stupidly when he read about the gift merit system. Such an amazing system! With this, he shouldn't have to worry about his future as long as he teaches his student diligently!
[Since the user has successfully unlocked the system, the system will grant the user a spatial ring and MP points.]
[User: Gabriel]
[Age: 18]
[Disciples:
Serana (15 years old) (Mortal) (Talent: Average)]
[Rank: Vitality Infusion Mid stage]
MP: 250 GMP: 0
As soon as he finished reading, the system popped up, and he suddenly felt something on his finger. When he saw it, he was shocked.
"A Spatial ring!" It was a ring that could store items. However, unlike any spatial ring he had seen before, his was the simplest one, basically a plain iron ring. When he sent his consciousness inside the ring by pouring his qi into it, he was once again shocked to find that the internal space was huge! A mansion could easily fit in here!
Gabriel recollected himself as he reminded himself that he had a disciple waiting for his instructions. He looked at Serana with a faint smile. "Change into your 7th peak disciple clothes, then come back here. We'll start your first lesson."
Serana nodded and then retreated out of the main hall. When her figure disappeared, Gabriel opened his system and looked at the gacha with four choices on it.
"Since I have nothing to impart to Sera thanks to my 'master,' I think I'll have to roll for a technique first, then pills, and maybe a weapon for her. Hopefully, that's enough for me to earn GMP points," Gabriel decided as he clicked to roll for a technique.
[Rolling for technique! … … … Ping!]
[Supreme Immortal grade!]
"What!" Gabriel was shocked that he almost fell in his seat when he read that. A Supreme Immortal grade!? A peak grade!
[User will receive a cultivation technique!]
*Gasp* He couldn't help but take a deep breath—a cultivation technique, just as what he wanted!
[Absolute Zero: Ice Emperor Technique!]
[Description: Uses black ice to freeze everything in the universe. When Qi is refined near immortality, no fire can melt the black ice but freeze the fire instead. When cultivated to the peak, even time itself can be frozen.]
An Extreme Yin Cultivation technique? Although this isn't exactly what Gabriel wanted, this technique is perfect for his first disciple! But what made him appalled is the ability of this cultivation technique—to freeze fire? And no fire can melt it? What's more shocking, it can even freeze time itself?! Truly a Supreme Immortal grade technique!
[Receive, yes, or no?]
"Hell yes!"
Without a second thought, foreign knowledge entered his mind, and what shocked him was the cold qi that it carried along with it! It seemed to try to freeze him to death, but it seems the system is interfering to prevent it from attacking him completely. It didn't take long for Gabriel to read and learn all the content of the cultivation technique!
After checking the cultivation technique a couple of times, Gabriel continued to roll, but this time for pills.
[Rolling for pills! … … … Ping!]
[Immortal grade!]
[One pill of Heaven's Rebirth pill!]
[Description: This pill is designed to reconstruct the talent of a practitioner and unlock their hidden potential, with a chance to awaken a divine body. This pill is crafted from the rarest ingredients and imbued with celestial energies.]
Reading the description, Gabriel snapped his fingers. Another lucky pull!
Gabriel felt tempted to take this pill for himself but refrained from doing so. This pill is perfect for his disciple! He didn't take it because it would only be a waste for him when he could get it later because for now, he doesn't have the right cultivation technique to start with. He'll be able to pull it later. So, for now, he'll give this pill to Serana.
After receiving the pill, he then tried to pull for weapons.
[Rolling for Armament! … … … Ping!]
[Heaven Grade!]
[You receive Heaven Deceiver!]
[Description: A long sword lost in chaos. It was said that countless immortals were deceived by this sword, resulting in countless lives taken.]
After reading that description, he received the sword and took it out. When it fell from his hand, he could feel the mysterious aura this sword radiated. It didn't have a scabbard, only the blade itself. The sword's appearance could be described as really deceiving, as it looked like any common sword that could not even be classified as an Earth-grade armament.
"This sword isn't simple at all! If used constantly, the user might be able to comprehend sword intent easily and develop it," Gabriel muttered as he swung the sword, creating a sharp sound.
*swish! *
"Hm, a good sword!" Gabriel appreciated it. He then stored it back into his spatial ring.
After three rolls, his remaining MP from 250 MP was left with only 20 MP points, making his heart ache. But this was only a start, so it wasn't that bad. He could earn that back within a week as long as he teaches his student properly, which is a challenge, but with his system behind his back, it'll be easier!
Gabriel planned to gift Serana the Supreme Immortal grade cultivation technique today so that he'll be able to receive 100 GMP and use that 100 GMP to learn the Absolute Zero Ice Emperor technique to 100%, thus ensuring a 100% success rate in teaching and receiving higher MP points in return.
With the plan in mind, Gabriel noticed the door open in the hall, and soon his disciple entered wearing his peak disciple robes. This robe was light blue in color and very light to wear. Serana had worn the exact same robes yesterday, but now, she was wearing an 8th peak master robe.
After washing her bruises and cleaning herself properly, Gabriel could finally admire her beauty. Although there were some imperfections here and there due to her wounds, it was nothing that couldn't be fixed.
"How's the outfit? Is it perfect?" Gabriel asked as soon as Serana arrived near him.
Serana slightly flustered, nodded and gave her master a bow. "Yes, Master, it's very comfortable."
"Mn, that's good to hear. By the way, here's your identification token. Tie it on your robe," Gabriel walked to his table, took a token from the drawer, and gave it to Serana. This would identify her as a disciple from the Grey Mountain sect and a disciple from the 7th peak.
Serana received the token with both of her hands and tied it to her waist. She then peeked at her master a little, and a faint blush appeared on her face. She spread her arms out and asked, "Master, how do I look?"
"Perfect!" Gabriel laughed and gave her a thumbs up.
He then motioned for Serana to come closer, and startled a little, Serana stepped forward.
"For today's lesson, I'll teach you a cultivation method so that you can start to feel the qi in your surroundings, gather it, and refine both your body and your internal qi," Gabriel slowly explained as he continued, "I'll pass you a cultivation method, and you better remember this."
Gabriel lifted his hand, and with his finger, he poked her forehead between the eyebrows. Soon, a stream of light entered Serana's mind, along with the information.
"Focus on learning the technique," Gabriel's faint voice entered her ears as she closed her eyes and focused on the information entering her mind.
She was shaken when she learned the name of the technique. When she read "Ice Emperor," it sounded too domineering for her, but she couldn't help but get excited. She had some doubts about this, after all, what rumors about this mountain turned out to be true. However, there was no turning back now.
She focused herself on learning the information, and when she memorized everything from start to finish, it was as if a loud bang could be heard by only her. Soon enough, freezing cold air seemed to surround her.
[Serana Completely learned the Absolute Zero: Ice Emperor technique! You earn bonus points of 10 MP!]
[System Detects user gifted Absolute Zero: Ice Emperor technique to Serana, earning 100 GMP due to the quality of the technique!]
MP: 30 pts GMP: 100 Pts