Chapter 21: Advancement

Before long, Daoist Master Suiyuan arrived with unhurried grace.

Yonglu Mountain had no rigid rules regarding attire. Once the disciples received their robes, they could modify them according to their preferences. For instance, altering the thickness or length, layering formations, or embroidering runes were all permitted. They could even change the style if they disliked it, as long as the Yonglu Mountain emblem on the sleeves remained.

Daoist Master Suiyuan wore a moon-white Daoist robe. As he walked, his sleeves shimmered with a fluid, watery light, indicating that quite a few runes had been layered onto them. He was eighty-two years old this year, yet he had already reached the mid Golden Core stage, making him a leading figure among the younger generation of cultivators on the Hengze Continent. In the Tianji Pavilion, located at the very center of the Hengze Continent, stood the “Heaven’s Pride Hundred List”. As the name suggested, the Heaven’s Pride List recorded the favored children of heaven among cultivators. The list had extremely strict requirements for age and cultivation level: one had to be a Golden Core cultivator or higher under the age of one hundred.

Consequently, every single person on the list was a renowned genius of cultivation.

It was worth mentioning that although this list stood in the plaza of the Tianji Pavilion, it was not compiled by the members of the pavilion. According to the Tianji Pavilion’s public statement, the Heaven’s Pride List itself was a unique, top-grade magic treasure. As such, it could communicate with heaven and earth, sense the cultivation levels of these geniuses, and automatically rank them.

The top spot on the Heaven’s Pride List belonged to the current Eldest Senior Brother of the Hehe Sect, True Monarch Qi Yu.

According to unreliable rumors, True Monarch Qi Yu had already reached the mid Nascent Soul stage. However, since he was already ninety-nine years old this year, he likely would not have the chance to advance to Soul Transformation before aging off the list.

In fact, the cultivation world had never seen a hundred-year-old Soul Transformation cultivator. Even with talent as formidable as Jun Zhaoying’s, she had only grasped the threshold of Soul Transformation in her early one hundreds. The threshold from Nascent Soul to Soul Transformation seemed like a single step, but only cultivators who had actually advanced knew that it was the most difficult step to cross. As for why, one could only feel it intuitively once they actually touched that threshold.

Foundation Establishment granted a lifespan of two hundred years, Golden Core five hundred, and Nascent Soul one thousand. Some Nascent Soul True Monarchs advanced early and were even famous cultivation geniuses in their youth. Yet, what of it? There were plenty of Nascent Soul True Monarchs whose lifespans were nearing their end, yet they remained stuck with no way to advance.

As for Yonglu Mountain, they had two people in the top ten of the Heaven’s Pride List. One of them was the Little Martial Uncle of the Refining Peak, Zheng Jin.

As for Daoist Master Suiyuan, he possessed wood and water spiritual roots and a mid Golden Core cultivation. He ranked eighty-second on the Heaven’s Pride List. That might not sound very high, but one had to remember that this list accounted for all cultivators under the age of one hundred in the entire cultivation world.

In other words, he had defeated at least 99.99% of the continent’s under-hundred-year-old cultivators to make the list.

Bian Chunzhou craned his neck to look toward the lecture platform at the front. Cultivators had excellent eyesight, but because of his low cultivation, he did not dare use spiritual energy. Consequently, he could only make out Daoist Master Suiyuan’s elegant, flowing posture in his tall crown and wide sash.

As for what he looked like, it was impossible to see clearly. After all, his current seat was no different from sitting in the nosebleed section at a concert.

However, once Daoist Master Suiyuan sat down and began his lecture, Bian Chunzhou and Chen Zui did not dare make a sound. This was the most basic respect due to an elder, and it was impossible for someone in the Qi Refining Stage to pull any tricks right under the nose of a Golden Core Master. That would be no different from seeking death!

“Today’s lecture is on the concept of ‘intent’.”

“Intent is the thought within the mind. Cultivators cultivate the spirit to… When intent is ceaseless, all things flow…”

He was doomed. This classical Chinese explanation, filled with quotes, effortless rhetoric, logic, and emotion, was completely over his head. Bian Chunzhou had even brought his own charcoal pencil and scrap paper, but… great, he did not need them at all. He did not even know how to write some of the obscure characters.

Cultivators actually had very good memories. At least, Bian Chunzhou’s memory was quite decent. But even so, he still could not memorize this long, dry, incomprehensible explanation. The more he listened, the more confused he became. Why was it that when cultivators spoke to each other, they sounded perfectly normal, but as soon as it was written down, it turned into gibberish?

Why not use simpler, easier-to-understand language to record cultivation methods? Were they afraid people would understand them too easily? Or were jade slips too expensive, and they could not bear to use a couple more?

No, it was probably neither. Everything that existed had a reason. Bian Chunzhou was a science student. He did not believe in mysterious, supernatural nonsense. He only knew that if an established fact existed, then it had a purpose for existing.

Even if this was the cultivation world.

Furthermore, it was not just one person’s cultivation method that was written like an incomprehensible scroll. Everyone chose to summarize their methods using extremely concise wording. So, what exactly was a cultivation method?

It was supposed to help cultivators in their practice, not… act as a stumbling block on their path.

Yet, it was written in such a vague and ambiguous way, which could only mean one thing:

Cultivation methods could only be written this way. If they were written otherwise, they would lose their meaning.

I really am a genius at thinking up useless nonsense, Bian Chunzhou thought. After pondering “intent” for so long, he had ended up running in circles right back to where he started. In the end… he still could not understand it.

Daoist Master Suiyuan lectured for only two hours. He spoke on everything from controlling one’s intent to individual paths, and then to the specific comprehension of the wood and water elements. He explained complex concepts in simple terms, leaving the disciples in the front rows completely spellbound. Bian Chunzhou, however, felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

But he felt he had to overcome this. So, for seven consecutive days, he dragged Chen Zui to Liujiang Peak to listen to the lectures. He did not care who the lecturer was; he just wanted to listen first. Unfortunately, while Chen Zui managed to gain a sliver of comprehension, Bian Chunzhou remained completely locked out.

Harmonization of Water and Fire… how exactly did they harmonize?

He had even sneaked into a lecture by a Soul Transformation Venerable, but he had to admit it was so profound it made him want to sleep. In contrast, the things the senior brothers in the Foundation Establishment Stage explained to him actually seemed easier to understand.

So, did a higher cultivation level just mean they were less capable of speaking like normal human beings?

Bian Chunzhou packed up his paper and pencil. He scratched his head, his face uncharacteristically devoid of any smile.

“Junior Brother Bian, Junior Brother Bian, please wait.”

Among cultivators, capability came first. Disciples of the same generation respected those with higher cultivation. When Bian Chunzhou entered the sect, he was at the third layer of Qi Refining, and he remained at the third layer today. But Lin Congcong was already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining.

“Are you… Senior Sister Lin? What can I do for you, Senior Sister Lin?” Bian Chunzhou was a straightforward person, so he relied on his intuition. Although this baby-faced senior sister looked approachable, he always felt that she… looked down on him.

“It’s like this. Yesterday, I wanted to find Wen… Little Grand-Uncle Master to ask some questions, but the communication talisman went unanswered. I was just worried, so I wanted to ask you about him.”

Hearing her call him “Little Grand-Uncle Master” with what sounded like gritted teeth, Bian Chunzhou smiled and said, “I don’t know either. Why don’t you go to Guochun Peak and check?”

Lin Congcong’s face stiffened. Everyone on Yonglu Mountain knew that Guochun Peak was off-limits to outsiders. Even if the Sect Master himself went, the Divine Venerable of Guochun Peak wouldn’t hesitate to slap him off the mountain. What hope did minor disciples like them, who hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment, stand?

Lin Congcong could never have imagined that a blind man from the Mortal Realm, relying solely on his natural spiritual root, could actually become the disciple of a Body Integration powerhouse. What was more, his master was the only Divine Dragon Venerable in the entire cultivation world.

She was green with envy, but reason told her that she should stay on his good side. Yonglu Mountain would never allow such a meteoric genius to perish prematurely. By befriending someone like him, she would surely benefit as well.

But Wen Xu was one thing. What was Bian Chunzhou? He had a trash spiritual root, yet he had somehow become the disciple of a Soul Transformation Venerable. After becoming an inner disciple, his cultivation hadn’t progressed at all, making him worse than even an outer disciple.

Perhaps after the disciple tournament next year, Bian Chunzhou would be expelled from the inner sect due to his stagnant cultivation.

“Junior Brother Bian, do you have some sort of prejudice against me?”

“No, I was just offering a suggestion.”

Lin Congcong put on her trademark smile. “Is that so? Then it seems Junior Brother Bian’s relationship with Brother Wen isn’t as close as you make it out to be. There’s no need for you to advertise to the entire inner sect that the two of you are best friends.”

Wow, what a fake bitch! Don’t think I can’t see right through you! If he weren’t completely outmatched in a fight, he would have rolled up his sleeves and-

“Of course we have a great relationship.”

Suddenly hearing Wen Xu’s voice, Bian Chunzhou whipped his head around in pleasant surprise. “Wen Xuxu, you’ve finally come out of seclusion!”

Wen Xu smiled gently at Bian Chunzhou before turning to Lin Congcong. “But our relationship is not close enough for us to call each other brother and sister. Disciple Niece Lin should follow the rules and call me Little Grand-Uncle Master.”

Wow, wow, wow, as expected of my good brother! The promise to never forget each other after striking it rich is real! Wen Xuxu is the best, I’m literally crying.

Lin Congcong’s face stiffened. Just as she was about to slip away, she noticed something even harder to accept. “How did you-” It had only been seven days, yet his cultivation had reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining. What kind of terrifying speed was this? During the Mountain Exam, Wen Xu’s cultivation was barely at the second layer of Qi Refining.

Advancing a minor realm almost every day since entering the sect-was this the terrifying speed of a Mutated Spiritual Root?

Lin Congcong was truly miserable now. Without even trying to save face, she slunk away in distress. In fact, she wasn’t the only one feeling miserable. This was Liujiang Peak, where most of the disciples were in Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment. The blind cultivator with the Mutated Wind Spiritual Root was easy to recognize. Even if they hadn’t seen this newly admitted genius Little Grand-Uncle Master before, they could identify him at a glance just by the ribbon over his eyes.

How long had he even been in the sect? Seventh layer of Qi Refining already. As expected of a Mutated Spiritual Root, to think it was this terrifying!

Seeing so many people around, Bian Chunzhou quickly dragged his two friends away from Liujiang Peak and found an uninhabited peak to talk.

“Wen Xuxu, you were super cool just now! But that doesn’t seem like your usual personality,” Bian Chunzhou said happily. “Chen Zuizui, don’t you agree?”

Chen Zui rubbed his head, looking puzzled. “Didn’t he just tell the truth? We really aren’t close with Lin Congcong.”

…

“Forget it, you don’t need to understand,” Bian Chunzhou said with a laugh. “Wen Xuxu, what happened to you these past few days? Why didn’t you reply to any communication talismans?”

Before Wen Xu could speak, Chen Zui spoke first. “He advanced.”

Bian Chunzhou: “OvO?”

“Seventh layer of Qi Refining?” Chen Zui looked at Wen Xu, his competitive spirit burning fiercely.

Wen Xu nodded. “Yes. A few days ago, in my master’s words, I had an epiphany^[1].”

Bian Chunzhou: !!!!!!

As expected of his brother! He immediately offered his congratulations. “Congratulations, Wen Xuxu! You’re so smart!”

Wen Xu pursed his lips slightly, but still couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl up a bit. “Thank you.”

Chen Zui thought, what is there to thank? A real man should… “Wen Xu, do you want to fight?”

Wen Xu: “…” I am a scholar.