Listening to Lectures

Though first-tier low-grade spells were simple and easy to learn, they did not appear to have much combat power.

Take the Object Manipulation Technique, for example.

Yet once such simple spells were learned, they would basically accompany a cultivator throughout daily life.

They were exceedingly practical and common immortal spells.

After some discussion in the courtyard, the five decided that after morning cultivation tomorrow, they would head together to the Lecture Ground to attend a lecture.

"Jiang Han, do you want to come with us?" Zhou Chang called toward Jiang Han's room.

It was rare for Jiang Han to be staying in the courtyard today.

After a long while, a reply came from Jiang Han's room. "Sorry, no."

"This guy is still as unsociable as ever." Qian Er curled his lip. They would be living in the same courtyard for so many years, after all.

But Su Bai knew that although this guy did not socialize, he had actually been secretly taking on Outer Sect missions to earn spirit pills and cultivate diligently.

With Four Spirit Root Talent, he had entered the Outer Sect directly. He cultivated so tirelessly, and the moment he entered the sect, he had already clearly known the channels for Outer Sect missions.

Su Bai guessed that Jiang Han must have shouldered some heavy burden. Moreover, there might be an elder he knew within the sect.

"It's fine. Perhaps Junior Brother Jiang is simply slow to warm up?" Zhou Chang said, then called into Jiang Han's room again, "Junior Brother Jiang, I think you'd better go."

"The lectures of the elite senior brothers are immensely beneficial to low-level disciples."

"Thanks." Jiang Han's voice came from inside, but clearly, he still had no intention of joining the courtyard's little "team-building" activity.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning.

The five Outer Disciples of Courtyard 32 finished their morning cultivation early.

At around seven in the morning, they left the courtyard together and headed toward the Lecture Ground.

The Outer Sect's small Lecture Ground was situated right at the center of the Outer Disciple Courtyard.

It covered an area of more than ten mu.

At the center of the Lecture Ground stood a circular Stone Platform.

The Inner Sect senior brother lecturing today was already seated cross-legged atop the Stone Platform.

He was merely waiting for the appointed hour to begin.

Around the circular Stone Platform, Outer Disciples sat cross-legged on the ground one after another.

Su Bai and the other four had arrived fairly early and claimed seats near the front.

Gradually, all thousand-odd Outer Disciples arrived.

The Lecture Ground slowly filled up.

Most Outer Disciples would not miss an opportunity to attend a lecture by an elite Inner Disciple.

The Lecture Ground had rules: unless the lecture had already begun, those below the platform were not permitted to whisper or make any sounds of discussion.

Thus, even with more than a thousand people gathered there, the Lecture Ground remained so quiet that one could hear an embroidery needle fall.

At eight o'clock, a melodious Bell Sound rang out through the Outer Sect.

The elite Inner Sect senior brother on the circular Stone Platform opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Fellow Outer Sect junior brothers, I am Inner Sect Elite Disciple Zhao Fusheng!"

"I am currently at Late Qi Refining, Qi Refining Layer Nine. In last year's Inner Sect Grand Competition, I ranked among the top ten in the sect and was thus bestowed the title of Inner Sect Elite."

A ripple of commotion spread through the audience.

Fearing that Su Bai and the others, who had only recently joined the sect, would not understand, Zhou Chang quietly explained:

"Our Jade Mist Sect is one of Qingzhou's three great sects. The sect requires its cultivators not to focus solely on cultivation while knowing nothing of magic duels."

"The Inner Sect Grand Competition is a magic duel contest specially established for Inner Disciples. The sect holds it once every year, and those who place receive quite generous rewards."

"Our sect has more than a thousand Inner Disciples. Being able to enter the top ten in the Inner Sect Grand Competition is enough to show that Senior Brother Zhao's skill in magic duels is among the very best in the sect!"

So that was how it was. Understanding dawned on the faces of Su Bai and the others.

Now that they understood the weight of a top-ten rank in the Inner Sect Grand Competition, their gazes toward Zhao Fusheng naturally held a few more degrees of admiration.

Amid his admiration, Su Bai secretly pondered that Zhao Fusheng likely possessed a good combat-related talent. If he found a chance to use Immortal Talent Reflection to copy one or two of them, then trained diligently, he too could enter the top ten of the Inner Sect Grand Competition in the future!~

"Fellow junior brothers and junior sisters, today I will share with you my cultivation insights from Qi Refining Layer One until now."

After briefly introducing himself.

Zhao Fusheng began today's lecture.

He sat cross-legged atop a meditation cushion, his gaze sweeping over the thousand-odd Outer Disciples below.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and his voice was clear as a spring. "When I first entered Qi Refining Layer One, I was just like you, my heart filled with confusion."

"The Radiant Qi Refining Technique emphasizes drawing qi into the body and opening the hundred meridians."

"I possess only Three Spirit Root Talent. At first, I could not capture even a wisp of spiritual energy. Whenever the radiance fell, my restless heart and impetuous qi would cause all my efforts to come to nothing..."

"Until one day."

He gathered Spiritual Power and formed an illusory image of light around himself.

At the center of the image was the back of a youth. As he drew the radiance into his body, even his breathing matched the rhythm of the mountain wind...

"After advancing into the Inner Sect, I became somewhat carried away. I accepted my first Inner Sect mission to hunt a Demonic Beast, and during a life-and-death struggle with it, my spiritual energy circulation faltered and I nearly lost my life."

"The Path of Cultivation is fraught with danger at every step. If one's foundation is unstable, it is but a pavilion in the air, liable to collapse at any moment..."

"Now that I have reached Qi Refining Layer Nine, whenever I cultivate in the early morning, the radiance is like this very moment..."

With a flick of his finger, a beam of radiant light shot into the sky, transforming into a rain of light that scattered down and made the entire Lecture Platform shine brilliantly.

After recounting his cultivation experiences, he began speaking of the magic duel experience in which he excelled.

A long while later.

Zhao Fusheng withdrew his spell and looked gently at the audience below.

"Fellow junior brothers and junior sisters, the road of cultivation is long. May you take radiant light as your guide and your hearts as lamps, advancing step by step. One day, when the radiant light reaches the heavens, the Great Dao will be within sight!"

Su Bai and the other Outer Disciples all rose to their feet and bowed.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"

Zhao Fusheng smiled, summoned a magical artifact, and rose into the air before leaving the Outer Courtyard's Lecture Platform.

The lecture had lasted for more than two hours.

Su Bai had reaped a Rich Harvest.

The other Outer Disciples also slowly returned to their courtyards, each wearing a thoughtful expression.

Some had even been struck by the key points in Zhao Fusheng's lecture and directly sat cross-legged within the Lecture Ground, beginning to attempt a breakthrough in their cultivation bottlenecks.

Su Bai returned to the courtyard with the gains from the lecture. After hastily eating his noon Spirit Rice Meal, he began Closed-door Cultivation.

"After condensing a wisp of Spiritual Power, the circulation through the heavenly cycle can be suitably adjusted..."

Su Bai cultivated with his eyes closed, and sure enough, the efficiency of his Radiant Qi Refining Technique increased.

"Free spirit pills, arranged lectures in the Outer Courtyard, and Inner Disciples teaching with almost nothing held back... The cultivation atmosphere of Jade Mist Sect is truly quite good."

"No wonder it is praised by the outside world as an orthodox sect of the Immortal Path. It is fundamentally different from those demonic sects that kill people and refine souls."

Su Bai was glad that his previous self had chosen Jade Mist Sect. If he had entered a demonic sect, then with his previous self's talentless body with no spirit roots—

Immortal Talent Reflection likely would not even have had time to take effect before he was reduced to ashes.

Without realizing it, a faint sense of belonging toward Jade Mist Sect arose in Su Bai's heart.