Zhang Jingmo said with a smile, "If you had your junior brother's speed, I would treat you the same way."

Ji Jinglun pretended to cry, "So it turns out Master looks down on me..."

Zhang Jingmo said helplessly, "You..."

Ji Jinglun actually knew in his heart that Zhang Jingmo treated him well. Which master would personally refine Foundation Establishment Pills for his disciple? And prepare so many high-grade spirit stones for his disciple. Ji Jinglun was not an ungrateful person. He only said, "How did Master come to accept this junior brother in the first place?"

Zhang Jingmo said indifferently, "Entrusted by someone." In his first life, he indeed took in Lu Guijiu because he was entrusted by someone.

Lu Guijiu had an aunt who was the emperor's concubine. She happened to owe a favor to Zhang Jingmo's mortal family. She also doted on Lu Guijiu very much. So when she learned what the fortune-teller said, she tried her best to reach the Zhang family, making a bunch of promises, and finally moved the Zhang clan's patriarch to come to Zhang Jingmo to ask for a favor.

Ji Jinglun didn't ask who it was, but he also knew that this kid Lu Guijiu had entered through the back door like him and his second junior sister.

Ji Jinglun said again, "Junior sister should be coming back soon too, right?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "Probably soon." He said soon, but he knew that his second disciple's return would take some time. She had encountered some strange experiences outside and did not return to the sect to establish her foundation, but instead formed an eighth-grade spiritual platform alone. In a sense, her talent was even more formidable than Ji Jinglun's, but later, due to various reasons, she did not progress as smoothly as Ji Jinglun.

Speaking of Zhang Jingmo's disciples in that lifetime, they could all be considered geniuses. But who knew that because of a disciple like Lu Guijiu, they would end up in such a state...

Ji Jinglun got his answer from Zhang Jingmo and considered the matter settled. He had just formed his foundation, and at this time, the top priority was to lay a good foundation and advance further. Zhang Jingmo also cultivated daily. He had been in the Golden Core stage for hundreds of years. Although there was still a long time before his lifespan was exhausted, he didn't dare to relax too much. After all, he couldn't rely on Lu Guijiu for everything.

During this year, Zhang Jingmo spent another three months refining two more Foundation Establishment Pills and handed them over to the sect leader.

And as the new year was approaching, the elder Gong Jiguang, whom Zhang Jingmo had been waiting for a long time and who specialized in refining magical tools, also returned.

Gong Jiguang was the uncle of the twins Gong Yujin and Gong Huaiyu. It was precisely because of this that the twins had the opportunity to become disciples of the sect leader and a Nascent Soul elder, respectively.

The Gong family was also an ancient family of considerable size in the cultivation world. Although they were still slightly inferior compared to the sect leader's faction, they were not something Zhang Jingmo could provoke at present.

However, Zhang Jingmo didn't take them seriously either. After all, no one knew better than him that the twins Gong Huaiyu and Gong Yujin, who were known as the "Double Stars", were once Lu Guijiu's subordinates, and not even in a high position.

Gong Jiguang was out searching for refining materials this time. He was somewhat similar to Zhang Jingmo's senior brother Bai Lingxiao, single-mindedly immersed in refining and completely ignorant of worldly affairs.

Back then, Bai Lingxiao's sword was forged by Gong Jiguang. He spent seventeen years before finally forging that magical tool that Bai Lingxiao always kept by his side.

Seeing that Gong Jiguang had returned, Zhang Jingmo took Lu Guijiu to find him.

Arriving at Gong Jiguang's cave residence and entering the refining room, they saw Gong Jiguang bare-chested, hammering iron. His muscular upper body was covered in glistening sweat, looking very powerful. He knew Zhang Jingmo had come, but he didn't turn around, only raising the iron hammer and striking down again and again.

Zhang Jingmo slowly called out, "Elder Gong."

Gong Jiguang didn't turn his head, and said, "Speak."

Zhang Jingmo said, "You just came back from outside?"

Gong Jiguang said, "Bullshit." Only then did he turn his head, revealing a face covered with dense hair, "Speak."

Zhang Jingmo wasn't angry, he knew what kind of temper Gong Jiguang had, and only said calmly, "My disciple took the first place token."

Gong Jiguang's movements stopped, and his eyes burst with a light that made Zhang Jingmo feel a little chilled on his back when he saw it: "What did you say??"

Zhang Jingmo could only say it again: "My disciple took the first place token."

After he said this, Gong Jiguang swooshed over to Lu Guijiu. The look in his eyes, combined with his rugged, hair-raising face, was enough to give anyone goosebumps. His voice, however, was softer than water and sweeter than honey as he said, "Little brother, want to refine?"

If Zhang Jingmo was born in modern times, he would probably mishear it as "Want to hook up?"

Fortunately, he still didn't know what "hook up" meant, so he only felt that Gong Jiguang's eyes and expression were creepy. Lu Guijiu retreated two steps; judging by his expression, he obviously wanted to retreat even further, preferably all the way out the door where Gong Jiguang couldn't see him.

Zhang Jingmo said helplessly, "Take out the first place token."

Lu Guijiu hurriedly took out the first place token from the Sumeru ring.

Gong Jiguang stared at Lu Guijiu's hand movements, and after the first place token was taken out of the Sumeru ring, he said in a little girl-like tone, "Can you let me see it?"

Lu Guijiu cast an inquiring look at Zhang Jingmo, and Zhang Jingmo nodded.

So Lu Guijiu handed the first place token to Gong Jiguang's hand, and as soon as Gong Jiguang received this first place token, tears actually fell down, he wailed, "A thousand years ah, a thousand years... I thought, I would never see this first place token again."

This was a feeling that both Zhang Jingmo and Lu Guijiu found very difficult to understand. Gong Jiguang didn't even wait for Zhang Jingmo to make a request and directly said, "Say it, how much do you want?"

Zhang Jingmo: "..." He knew that Gong Jiguang was obsessed with refining tools, but he didn't expect it to reach this point, no, to be precise, he didn't expect that this trip out would make it even more serious.

Gong Jiguang said, "Five hundred high-grade spirit stones, let me refine it."

Zhang Jingmo shook his head.

Gong Jiguang's face sank, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Eight hundred, no more."

Zhang Jingmo shook his head again.

Gong Jiguang was angry: "Zhang Jingmo, don't push your luck." Before he finished speaking, he heard Zhang Jingmo's cold and clear voice coming over: "Gong Jiguang, I won't take your spirit stones, and I'll give you twelve moonfish stones, how about it?"

Gong Jiguang was not stupid, and immediately became alert and said, "What is your purpose?"

This first place token, there was not a single refining master in the world who did not want to refine it personally, back then when Gong Jiguang had just entered the Golden Core stage, Bai Lingxiao had handed over his own first place token to Gong Jiguang, and he never thought that in this life he would actually be able to refine a second first place token...

Zhang Jingmo said, "I only give you ten years."

Gong Jiguang was stunned: "Just that?"

Zhang Jingmo nodded: "Just that."

Gong Jiguang said, "You won't regret it?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "We can sign a contract."

Gong Jiguang immediately said, "Sign." After saying that, he signed a karmic agreement with Zhang Jingmo. If this agreement was violated, the violator's state of mind would have flaws, seriously affecting future cultivation, and generally, unless it was absolutely necessary, very few people would violate it.

Gong Jiguang got the first place token, and didn't pay attention to Zhang Jingmo and Lu Guijiu anymore, holding it like his own little heart, with a look of being on cloud nine, he flew away, not even taking the moonfish stones that Zhang Jingmo said he would give him.

Lu Guijiu watched in confusion from the side. "Master, isn't he losing out?"

Zhang Jingmo said lightly, "How is he losing out?"

Lu Guijiu said, "He only took the first place token, and has to refine a flying sword..." How much material and energy would be consumed in this...

Zhang Jingmo smiled and said, "Silly disciple, you don't know, what he gained from these materials was to make a name for himself on the entire continent." If Gong Jiguang really used the first place token to refine a magic weapon, he was afraid that not only would his cultivation level improve, but his ability to refine tools would probably break through again.

With Gong Jiguang's current state, every step forward was extremely difficult; how could he give up such an opportunity?

"Let's go," Zhang Jingmo said as he walked, his face devoid of joy. "When he refines it to the last moment, you will inject your essence blood into it, and that will be a magic weapon that belongs only to you."

Lu Guijiu followed Zhang Jingmo and walked out.