Spirit Artificers are a truly unique presence in the cultivation world; one could say that spirit-patterned array gear represents the highest culmination of all achievements in the cultivation world over hundreds of thousands of years.

A single piece of spirit-patterned array gear may involve knowledge of talismans, spirit scripts, formations, artifact crafting, spirit beasts, and much more—virtually encompassing every profession within the cultivation world.

Cultivators capable of creating spirit-patterned array gear are respectfully called Spirit Artificers, and are the most esteemed figures in the entire cultivation world.

Even the lowest-quality spirit-patterned array gear can increase the user's combat power by twenty percent.

For low-level cultivators, this boost might not compare to a high-grade magical artifact, but for true experts, that twenty percent can absolutely produce heaven-defying results!

However, becoming a Spirit Artificer is by no means an easy feat.

First, there is aptitude.

The vast range of knowledge required for a Spirit Artificer means that a cultivator must possess nearly all-around talent. Moreover, they must practice almost every discipline, making progress extremely slow. Many cultivators aspiring to become Spirit Artificers often reach the end of their lifespan before mastering all the necessary knowledge.

Next comes inheritance.

To train a Spirit Artificer, there must be a Spirit Artificer as a master. Not to mention, with so much foundational knowledge, even a super expert at the Sage level could never teach it all.

And finding a good disciple is difficult—a Spirit Artificer seeking a suitable apprentice faces extraordinary challenges. Finding one with the right aptitude, who can break through realms quickly and has a long lifespan, is even harder!

Without longevity, there is simply not enough time to learn the vast sea of foundational knowledge.

After meeting the first two conditions comes the nightmare for ninety-nine percent of Spirit Artificer apprentices: creativity.

Refining spirit-patterned array gear is not a matter of simple repetition. Each piece must be custom-made for its user. Different users require different gear.

After mastering the basics, figuring out how to combine this knowledge to create true spirit-patterned array gear is absolutely a process that demands creativity.

This process keeps ninety-nine percent of apprentices outside the door of becoming a Spirit Artificer.

As a master, one can only offer guidance; it is impossible to instill one's own creativity into a disciple.

……

While True Ryan Brooks and the others were discussing how to grandly and ceremoniously welcome Master Daniel Cooper, Senior Brother Samuel Grant and his fellow disciple brought Brian Carter to a residence.

Su Bao Mountain is divided into the front and back mountains, with the Xuanwu Grand Hall as the boundary.

Besides buildings like the Spirit Beast Garden and the Great Sun Divine Fire Cannon Platform, the front mountain also has many residences and palaces. The "Wangshan Villa" where they were now was one such place. The facilities here were average and had always been used to house inner disciples.

Along the way, Samuel Grant also introduced the situation of Su Bao Mountain to them.

Reaching the third level of the Mortal Realm qualifies one as a disciple of Su Bao Mountain. However, this only makes one an outer disciple; breaking through from the Mortal Realm to the Daoist Realm makes one an inner disciple.

Senior Brother Samuel Grant and his fellow disciple were now inner disciples.

Upon reaching the "Sage Realm," one gains the right to enter the back mountain and open a cave-dwelling. Only then does one become a true power-holder of Su Bao Mountain, a status far above that of an ordinary disciple.

Currently, only elders and grandmasters live in the back mountain; none of the current generation of disciples have yet qualified to enter.

If a disciple is chosen by one of the back mountain elders as a personal disciple, their future will be limitless, far beyond that of an ordinary inner disciple. And Edward Foster is certain to become a personal disciple.

Wangshan Villa covers a large area, spanning half a mountainside. Blue bricks, black tiles, and white walls, adorned with various flowers and trees, carve out a space among the green grass and rocks, stretching all the way to a small river in the valley.

Inside, Samuel Grant found a single-family courtyard for Edward Foster, while Brian Carter was assigned to a small room. That courtyard had four rooms in total, all already occupied.

When Brian Carter entered, the doors to the other three rooms were closed, so he didn't know if anyone was inside. Not being one for socializing, he simply stayed in his own room and had a good rest for the night.

Early the next morning, the entire Su Bao Sect was mobilized. From the sect leader down to the soon-to-be-initiated disciples, everyone prepared earnestly.

The disciples lined up in formation outside the mountain gate according to their order of entry. In front stood the various elders, and at the very front was the sect leader, True Ryan Brooks.

All the disciples were issued new dark blue Daoist robes and cloth shoes. The elders also donned their ceremonial robes, looking solemn and dignified.

They waited until noon, with the blazing sun scorching Su Bao Mountain, but from True Ryan Brooks at the top to the soon-to-be-initiated disciples at the bottom, not a single person showed impatience; instead, they all stood solemnly in place.

Daniel Cooper had sent word that he would arrive at noon.

Suddenly, a hot wind blew from the southwest. Someone, unable to hold back, shouted, "They're here!" only to be fiercely glared at by the sect leader.

From that direction, a figure flew swiftly toward them, followed by a young girl of about thirteen or fourteen.

Chapter Five: The Dark Domain Demon Lord