Expounding the Dharma, the Dao Path

The ethereal toll of a bell rang out, and Ji An felt his spirits jolt awake. His mind became clear and refreshed, his entire body as relaxed and at ease as when he cultivated.

It was actually a soundwave-type Dharma artifact. Martial Uncle was truly generous.

He had once heard that cultivators could use musical Dharma artifacts to play heavenly melodies, which would produce different effects upon hearing them.

Clearly, the Jade Bell's effect was to soothe the mind and calm the qi, heightening mental activity so the disciples could absorb knowledge more quickly.

Ji An carefully examined the Jade Bell on the desk. Its frame was made of red bronze, complementing the bell's jade-green color beautifully. The bell itself was covered in rune characters the size of grains of rice.

Through its semi-transparent body, he could see dense, crisscrossing patterns filling the Jade Bell's interior. They were likely Dharma Restrictions embedded within the artifact.

No wonder the senior brother on duty held Martial Uncle Qin in such esteem. A musical Dharma artifact consumed its lifespan with every use. If someone else were giving the lecture, who would be willing to use an artifact to invigorate junior disciples?

With a sweep of his sleeve, Qin Yan slowly closed the doors of the Dao Inquiry Hall. The lecture officially began.

"According to the halls you have been assigned to, the primary cultivation techniques you received differ. Yet they are no more than one of the Clear Origin Scripture, the Propitious Fire Scripture, or the Kun Earth Scripture.

"With these techniques, you may cultivate all the way to the Foundation Establishment Realm. The sect's choice of these techniques carries profound meaning.

"These three techniques are not the best techniques for the Qi Condensation Stage, but they are the techniques best suited to the sect's actual circumstances.

"Now, beginning with the Clear Origin Scripture, I shall analyze the profundities of these techniques one by one and explain the essentials of cultivation to you all.

"I will explain in detail the formulas of the first, second, and third layers, while briefly covering the essentials of the formulas from the fourth layer onward."

Ji An immediately pricked up his ears and listened intently.

A high-level cultivator explained Qi Condensation Stage techniques from a lofty vantage point. Both his perspective and intent made Ji An's eyes light up, and he learned several practical tricks that could increase his cultivation efficiency.

If he had needed to explore those tricks himself, who knew how long it would have taken to discover them?

He sighed inwardly once more. No wonder Rogue Cultivators act respectful on the surface yet hate sect cultivators behind their backs. This is pure, fucking jealousy.

With elders to impart the Dao and resolve their doubts, disciples were far less likely to take detours.

Spared the effort of blindly fumbling about, sect cultivators had more time to cultivate their techniques and raise their cultivation realms.

The original owner's father had once failed to grasp the mysteries of a cultivation technique. He had tossed and turned over it for nearly half a year without making the slightest progress.

In the end, he had paid a price to invite a high-level cultivator to explain it before finally mastering the technique.

By the time Qin Yan finished explaining the cultivation techniques, an hour and a half had passed. His simple yet profound explanation left every disciple who had come feeling greatly rewarded.

No one knew where the senior brother on duty had brought out a pot of tea wreathed in spiritual qi. He placed it on the desk.

"Martial Uncle, have a cup of Spirit Tea to moisten your throat."

"Martial Nephew Li, you are thoughtful."

"You are too courteous, Martial Uncle." Li Changfeng smiled faintly and withdrew from the platform.

The faint fragrance entered his body, and Ji An felt saliva well up in his mouth and trickle down his throat.

Spirit Tea... I want some too. He swallowed helplessly.

Once Spirit Tea entered the stomach, it could rapidly be refined into Dharma power. It truly made him covet it.

Qin Yan took a sip of Spirit Tea, cleared his throat, and continued.

"Most people possess only mid-grade or low-grade aptitude. With no one to support them and a lack of external aid such as spirit pills and Spirit Food, relying solely on cultivation techniques to absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to raise one's cultivation is terribly inefficient."

"At the same time, we must practice spells and use them to earn spirit stones and Contribution Points. Our circumstances are exceedingly difficult."

"I myself possess low-grade aptitude, so I understand this deeply."

"Many of you may not know that cultivating techniques and practicing spells conflict with one another. We must find a balance that lets us have both."

"The best time to cultivate a technique is when more than half of one's Dharma power remains in the body. This allows us to refine Dharma power more quickly and fill the dantian.

"Perhaps some of you think that the Dharma power refined afterward would be wasted for nothing. That is not the case. This leads to another matter."

"The purpose of cultivating techniques is to raise one's cultivation and thereby break through realms. Cultivation is the foundation of everything."

"But is the function of cultivation techniques merely to raise cultivation? Of course not!"

A look of reminiscence surfaced in Qin Yan's eyes. After a moment, his voice lowered.

"The Immortal Meridians we open by taking Meridian Opening Pills and cultivating the Meridian Cultivation Method to open the Ancestral Aperture reveal only several main meridians and a very small portion of the branch meridians."

"The most important function of cultivation techniques is that they can help us strengthen our Immortal Meridians and develop more branch meridians.

"In that way, the Immortal Meridians can connect to more acupoints, benefiting our further cultivation in the future."

"How can one more easily strengthen the Immortal Meridians and develop more branch meridians? Only by circulating cultivation techniques when Dharma power is brimming can these two things be accomplished more efficiently.

"If the dantian is empty of Dharma power, the overwhelming majority of the refined Dharma power will flow into the Qi Sea Acupoint for storage, with only a small portion used to strengthen the Immortal Meridians."

"Aptitude is not fixed forever. As the Immortal Meridians grow stronger, aptitude will slowly improve.

"The advancement of major realms will improve aptitude even more dramatically.

"Foundation Establishment, the Chaoyuan Realm, and the Golden Core are three realms that Heaven has granted to all those with poor aptitude as an opportunity.

"If we can seize it, then upon advancing to the Golden Core, even the worst aptitude can be raised to at least the Earth-grade level."

The moment his words fell, the great hall erupted in uproar. The disciples discussed it fervently, their voices boiling over like a cauldron.

Thrilling!

Hearing your words once was better than reading for ten years.

Ji An stroked his chest and took deep breaths to calm his surging emotions. Coming here to hear this lecture was so fucking worth it.

A secret trick from the martial world was worthless once exposed, but if one could not see through it—

These words might not be of such great use to others, but to him, they were absolutely worth ten thousand Spirit Stones!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The Jade Bell was struck three times. Everyone quieted down, and their boiling blood gradually calmed.

Qin Yan rose to his feet and swept his gaze over the disciples.

"Today, a stray thought came to me, and I said rather too much.

"What leaves my mouth must stop at your ears. Remember this!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve, rose, and departed in an unhurried manner.

The doors opened automatically, and the great crane followed closely behind him.

A cool breeze rose outside the doors, billowing his Daoist robe. His great sleeves fluttered, and he looked like an immortal descending into the mortal world.

"Farewell, Martial Uncle!"

Everyone performed a grand salute, deeply moved in their hearts.

After walking out of the great hall, Qin Yan lifted his leg, about to mount his spirit beast, but suddenly halted. He patted the immortal crane's neck.

"Wait for my return."

He entered the main hall of the General Affairs Hall, climbed the stairs to the loft, and arrived before the innermost room.

The door stood open. He walked straight inside and bowed to the elderly cultivator seated cross-legged upon a white cushion.

"Senior Brother!"

The other man was Xu Banshan, the master of the General Affairs Hall.

Thin smoke curled from the incense burner in the room, carrying a faint scent of pine resin.

"Junior Brother, sit."

"High-grade Jade Spirit Pine Incense. Senior Brother is in fine spirits." Qin Yan picked up a cushion and sat upright opposite the old man.

Even for a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, Jade Spirit Pine Incense was a first-rate calming incense. He was only willing to light it when comprehending profound cultivation formulas.