[ Scripture title: Tentacle Monster ]

[ Description: When you're this desperate, you can't really be choosy. This scripture is entirely new, conceptually a mess, sizewise a giant, and horrifying in terms of complexity. Few beings in this vast universe can come up with an abomination like this, and still not screw themselves up while cultivating according to this scripture. Obviously, the system cannot accurately predict everything that will possibly happen upon cultivating this technique. But the simulations do form a picture— the picture of a giant, horrifying tentacle monster. ]

[ Scripture level: A– tier (predicted) ]

[ Scripture Type: Unorthodox ]

[ System's Remark: No, I'm not changing the title. ]

Kong Ye found it meaningless to curse anyone at this point. Thankfully, the techniques involved in creating this compound scripture were mostly high-grade. The amalgamation had only downgraded the overall quality by a small degree.

Still, the A–tier was just a prediction based on the simulation run by the system. Kong Ye had tried creating compound scriptures before, on a lower scale to save up his system resources. These predictions weren't exactly reliable. Much of the result depended on the performance and behavior of his disciples. Luck was also a powerful factor....speaking of luck, Kong Ye snuck a glance at his worst disciple, Han Xuhan.

This might not bode well for that kid...

Clearing his throat, Kong Ye came to a stop right at the edge of their floating island. He sensed his disciples tensely waiting for him to start speaking, their eagerness palpable in the air.

"None of you clearly will ever succeed in mastering multiple techniques at once, at least not within the timeframe you're confined within. That leaves us with a single option. My teachings from today will, on one hand, lay down the foundation of all four techniques in a singular form inside your dao foundations, a type of cultivation method that falls under the category called 'compound technique'."

Kong Ye sensed Yuen Zhou's heartbeat destabilizing for a very brief moment. Huh...this lass is too knowledgable for her own good.

"On another hand, my teachings will allow each of you to pursue the sort of technique you wish to, even though in terms of theory, I'll be teaching the same thing to all of you."

Puzzlement began to show on their faces, Kong Ye noticed with satisfaction.

"And in another hand, the training plan planned by the sect master will help all of you consolidate your current cultivation, enhancing your control over your powerful physique, let you understand the wonder hidden deep inside your muscles, waiting for your control. Seize it, and you'll reach the apex of the physique transformation realm in no time!"

"...That adds up to three hands," Han Xuhan remarked in a confused tone. Kong Ye chose not to reply to that. This kid really needed his horizon to be broadened. What's wrong with having three hands?

"All four of you, start accumulating qi inside your meridians, now!"

The four martial siblings sat properly to meditate on the ground immediately to fill up their reserves. Kong Ye decided to inspect their improvements in terms of speed and quality of accumulation during the process.

Hmm, Mu Ran's accumulation speed has once more improved by a small margin of 1 percent, which was already unbelievable considering he was the best disciple in his generation in this particular aspect. His speed, finesse, quality of qi, the quantity of qi, total reserve, everything was off the ordinary charts, and off the genius charts as well. The fact that he was still improving was hard to believe. Even higher-world cultivators were rarely this good.

Yuen Zhou was a strange case. Her speed, reserve of qi, and speed of accumulation, all were above average, yet her control of the whole process was extraordinary. She should be capable of a much better performance purely based on her level of control. But she did not, which, Kong Ye guessed was an intentional act on her part.

Xiao Wu displayed a much more ordinary collection of data. Not much improvement in any sector except the stability of accumulation. This boy was slowly becoming a confident cultivator. Hopefully, this tournament's results wouldn't affect him too heavily.

Lastly, Han Xuhan showed a small surprise. Rather than improving in one of the regular categories, which was quite difficult for him due to his rare physique, Han Xuhan had become better at making use of qi. He was nearly as good as Yuen Zhou in terms of achieving what he wanted to do with qi. Perhaps having that disastrous meridian system had wrung out all of his willpower and talent to enhance this one aspect so that he could function as a cultivator.

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Just when Kong Ye was about to begin his lesson, he noticed another unexpected detail.

Han Xuhan was guiding his qi on a path very familiar to him. He saw the boy following this route regularly. However, something about this session felt off. This boy was about to summon his minions. Yet his qi consumption was not what it should have been...

A second later, the familiar red skeleton of a man leaped out from his back, followed by the skeleton of a bird, then a...really ugly-looking snake.

While Han Xuhan busily whispered to his minions, Kong Ye felt his worldview churn.

If that detail he had noticed was what he assumed, this could be an unprecedented discovery!

Minions who can share the burden of their summoner's spiritual capacity?

Or was it the opposite– minions that could potentially be a threat to the summoner, changing the very essence of the technique that created them?!

And right then, the contents of Han Xuhan's whisper registered in his ears.

"All three of you, listen to my master carefully. If you pick up a thing or two, it'll be your good fortune! Don't say I mistreat you, hmph! This is an opportunity any of my peers could kill for!"

Kong Ye really wanted to beat somebody up.

His first disciple was playing with fire, and the fire was already so very close to melting his hands off into a pile of ashes.

The skeleton minions summoned by Han Xuhan were already replacing his will inside his dao tower, slowly and steadily. How many more minions were in line? How much longer before the collective will of his minions overwhelmed his own and Han Xuhan became a walking, talking vessel carrying out the will of these undeads?

Kong Ye didn't know how to persuade this young man to quit cultivating this Skeletal Monarch Technique, seeing how troublesome it would be for him to start from scratch once again. Had he not allowed his minions to cultivate, the technique would have remained a harmless piece of trash. But now...even he didn't know what awaited Han Xuhan in the future. Any prediction he could base on the current state of Han Xuhan's dao tower was full of gloom and tragedy.

Oh well, hopefully, the Snowfall Garden Manual he had given the boy could be of some help. But the problem with his meridians would still remain.

And that left one issue unchecked.

"Disciple Xuhan, are you planning on letting your minions become my disciples as well?" he asked, not exactly suppressing the anger in his tone.

"Huh?" Han Xuhan, who usually was quite perceptive when it came to reading between the lines, looked surprised. "You'd be willing to do that, master? Awesome!"

Acting obstinate intentionally!

Xiao Wu and Yuen Zhou, who had their eyes closed, broke meditation midway to give him a look full of disbelief. Kong Ye couldn't fault them for that.

Mu Ran had kept his eyes open the whole time, brazenly showing off his prowess in qi manipulation. He too, looked dumbfounded by the idea. But Kong Ye felt a headache incoming when he noticed the hint of an approving smirk taking shape in the corner of his mouth.

Bunch of damned weirdos!

"Are you not aware that this teaching of mine is to be kept a secret? The very reason there is a tradition of apprenticeship in the Crimson Snow sect is to prevent precious knowledge from falling into the hands of malevolent forces due to being widely spread among all types of members. No elder, not a single one, will let you casually disperse his hard-learned mastery to those unworthy of it."

His fingers pointed straight at the three minions behind Han Xuhan, Kong Ye made his stand clear. However, the bird skeleton chose not to take it lying down.

"Hey! Who are you calling unworthy? I'm the most talented disciple you'll ever get in your life!"

Such gall! It was HIS teaching these minions were trying to grab onto, and they had the audacity to talk back to him?

He was about to slap some sense into that owl and demonstrate his stand to this troublesome disciple of his when Han Xuhan barged in between the two of them.

"Ah, my bad, my bad!" He pointed a finger at his minions, mirroring Kong Ye's stance. "Guess it cannot be helped, guys. I told you my master's teachings are quite precious. I just didn't realize that it was considered such a big taboo. The only way I can see this working is if you signed a contract of secrecy with my master or something. But that sounds too troublesome. Off you go, back to the dao tower it is. You three can keep cultivating the Spiritual Bones technique or something–"

"I accept!" Zhanxian loudly interrupted him before he could finish.

"...Huh? You accept what?" Han Xuhan asked in confusion.

"I accept the contract of secrecy. I wish to learn under Master Kong!" Zhanxian kneeled instantly, sincerity laced with his movements.

Tun Shi Tian followed suit after a second of stunned silence.

"Me too! So long as the contract doesn't have any humiliating conditions, I accept this solution!"

Hai Yin Zhe, the little snake who had played the role of a silent, inquisitive spectator, began screeching, its juvenile voice grating on their ear drums.

"I WANNA PLAY TOO! IF BIG BROTHER XIAN AND TIAN ARE STAYING OUTSIDE THEN I WON'T GO IN! I WON'T I WON'T I WON'T I WON'T I WOOOOOOON'T!"

The little snake had much more to say, it seemed, from the struggle it displayed as Han Xuhan gently clamped its mouth shut.

Fury and indignation booming inside his heart, Kong Ye decided to put a stop to this madness. It was one thing to teach his own disciples who were recognized by the system. But these undeads? His system wouldn't accept any summoned entities as disciples. Kong Ye had already tried that in the past out of desperation.

Teaching Xuhan's minions would be meaningless, and quite possibly harm Xuhan himself. Moreover, the meddling of his system in his craft was something he wished to keep a secret forever. Disseminating the unorthodox methods provided by his system was hardly a wise thing to do.

Why did this kid not understand that he couldn't willy-nilly share such precious things? He always appeared so crafty, when did his intellect suddenly drop–

His eyes met Han Xuhan's gaze right at that moment, and his head went blank as he caught the blatantly clear look of mirth and satisfaction growing in Xuhan's eyes.

No words were spoken, yet in that fraction of a second, Kong Ye was forced to consider the possibility that Han Xuhan wasn't in fact being a stupid little piece of shit.

What scheme could possibly be involved here?

Kong Ye reversed the chain of events that led to this outcome. If he agreed to sign a contract of secrecy with the minions, they would be bound by certain rules, not to Xuhan but to him, a cultivator who was considered very powerful on this planet.

How would that benefit Han Xuhan?

Wait a second..was Han Xuhan using him to control his minions?

That could potentially be a double-win for this kid. On one hand, the minions would be forced to serve their summoner as he was their medium of contact with Kong Ye. It would be impossible for them to backstab Xuhan in the future if Kong Ye focused on that issue in their contract. On the other hand, by signing that contract, these minions would receive the best teaching they could ever dream of receiving. Their rise to power would be swift so long as they didn't die once more. Han Xuhan, their summoner, wouldn't even need to cultivate seriously so long as he had minions of that caliber.

A scheme that took advantage of its victims' greed...and turned the benefit of the victims into the benefit of the schemer.

Kong Ye suddenly began to feel a sliver of apprehension towards his least threatening disciple.