Among the students in Zhang Wan's cohort, he was the nineteenth to break through to the Houtian Realm.
He was not at the very top, but he was not bad either, and his future was promising.
Compared to those eighteen ahead of him, he had only broken through a few months later.
Yet the attention he could bear was far less than theirs.
The first few to stand out always drew the most attention.
But that was precisely what Zhang Wan had wanted.
At this stage, he did not want too many experts turning their eyes toward him.
After revealing his cultivation, Zhang Wan no longer stood in formation during morning practice to drill the Ox Demon Body Tempering Fist. He stayed to the side and watched.
Xu Hui, who had broken through much earlier, did not even come to the Fifth Martial Practice Field.
Zhang Wan also sensed that after revealing his cultivation, quite a few classmates cast envious looks at him.
A small number even carried other emotions.
Zhang Wan remained unmoved in all directions, completely unconcerned.
After morning practice, Zhang Wan first followed Instructor Liu to the exclusive cafeteria that the academy had opened for the martial artists.
There, he enjoyed a breakfast made entirely from pseudo-spiritual items.
Before breaking through, Zhang Wan had very much wanted to come in and eat a meal. Now that he had, the meal did not disappoint him.
It was indeed nourishing and delicious.
But its nourishment was relative.
Once the meal entered his stomach, Zhang Wan clearly felt that he was still unsatisfied.
Even food made entirely from pseudo-spiritual items could not satisfy the needs of a First Level Postnatal cultivator.
It could only count as a supplement.
For ordinary people, this would be extremely nourishing and unsuitable to eat in excess, with the risk of being overnourished. But for Houtian martial artists, it falls just a little short. Zhang Wan grumbled inwardly, but he was not disappointed.
Food made from pseudo-spiritual items still provided far more energy than ordinary rice, flour, and meat.
Moreover, it truly tasted excellent.
Its deliciousness alone was an enjoyment.
But Zhang Wan also discovered that although the food was made entirely from pseudo-spiritual items, it was not available in unlimited quantities just because they wanted to eat more.
The exclusive cafeteria seemed to allocate portions according to their cultivation.
The portion he received was only a small one, roughly the same amount of food an ordinary person would eat in a meal.
Instructor Liu, however, received more than ten times as much as he did.
The difference was obvious.
Zhang Wan did not think the cafeteria was targeting him. The recently advanced First Level Postnatal cultivators he knew had received portions identical to his.
Moreover, after Instructor Liu finished eating, he was clearly still savoring the meal and remained unsatisfied.
It seems the pseudo-spiritual items cultivated by the Jade Bone Sect are not plentiful enough to let their disciples eat their fill.
After breakfast, Instructor Liu took Zhang Wan to the academy's register room, which was overseen by Vice Dean Huang.
The moment Vice Dean Huang saw Instructor Liu and Zhang Wan, he knew why Instructor Liu had come and said with a smile,
"Liu Changfeng, you sure are lucky, boy. Your class has produced another Houtian cultivator."
"Vice Dean, it was all luck." Liu Changfeng laughed heartily, then gave Zhang Wan a push.
Understanding, Zhang Wan cupped his hands and said, "Student Zhang Wan greets the Vice Dean."
Vice Dean Huang looked Zhang Wan over a few times. Zhang Wan immediately felt as though he had been seen through completely. He could not help feeling fortunate that he had not rushed to use his experience points to increase his cultivation. Otherwise, he would have immediately exposed himself and let them see that something was wrong.
"Mm, your foundation is solid and firm. Not bad."
As he spoke, Vice Dean Huang took out a register and recorded Zhang Wan's name in it.
Zhang Wan had heard of that register. It was the Jade Bone Sect's disciple register.
He had heard that the register was a parent-child magical artifact. The primary body was kept at the Jade Bone Sect's mountain gate, while the secondary bodies were distributed to the Jade Bone Sect's various branches and academies.
As long as a name was recorded in a secondary body, the primary body would automatically update.
Once one's name was entered into the register, one became a member of the Jade Bone Sect!
The process was not complicated. Once cultivation was confirmed, all that was needed was to register a name. The remaining investigation into one's identity and background had already been conducted when one entered the academy.
Afterward, one would only undergo another review upon breaking through to the Prenatal level and becoming an inner disciple, or upon taking an important sect position while possessing Postnatal cultivation.
"Come, Zhang Wan. Send your cultivation power into this register." After entering Zhang Wan's name, Vice Dean Huang summoned him forward.
Zhang Wan did as instructed and sent his cultivation power into the register.
He keenly sensed that apart from his cultivation power, a wisp of his aura had also been absorbed by the register.
Zhang Wan's heart tightened.
He knew this was used to confirm a disciple's identity and prevent anyone from impersonating Zhang Wan and infiltrating the Jade Bone Sect in the future.
But he also knew that once the sect possessed his cultivation power and bodily aura, if he ever harbored divided loyalties and committed an act of rebellion against the sect,
then even if he fled to the ends of the earth, the sect could still rely on that wisp of cultivation power and bodily aura he had left behind to find him!
The registration was complete.
Vice Dean Huang took out another ten jade slips and placed them on the table.
"Each of these ten jade slips records a cultivation method. All of them only contain cultivation methods up to the Sixth Level Postnatal. You may choose one to cultivate. Once you reach the Sixth Level Postnatal, you can go to the sect's Inheritance Hall yourself to receive the subsequent cultivation method."
At this point, Instructor Liu interjected, "Send your spiritual sense inside them, and you can read their contents."
Zhang Wan nodded, stepped forward, picked up the jade slips, and read their contents one by one.
Vice Dean Huang and Instructor Liu began chatting idly.
When Zhang Wan sent his spiritual sense into the jade slips, he found that he could indeed read their contents, but he could only read a few lines of introduction. The actual cultivation methods were all obscured by mist.
He did not bother with the obscured methods. Instead, he carefully pondered the introductions.
"Bronze Iron Body, Crimson Sun Fist, Clear Spirit Moon Scroll, Overlord Will Art, Five Talisman Scripture, Five Elements Cultivation, Primal Chaos Art, Golden Sword Canon, Extreme Yang Cultivation, Fine Rain Spring Breeze Palm." After reading the introductions to the ten cultivation methods, Zhang Wan silently weighed their strengths and weaknesses in his mind.
These ten cultivation methods were all inherited methods of the Jade Bone Sect. The sect possessed subsequent methods for all of them, allowing one to cultivate all the way to the Prenatal level.
There was no need to worry about having no path forward after reaching the Ninth Level Postnatal.
Each of them also had its own strengths and weaknesses.
They all made Zhang Wan's heart stir.
Among them, the Bronze Iron Body, Crimson Sun Fist, Five Elements Cultivation, and Primal Chaos Art stirred him the most.
The Five Elements Cultivation and Primal Chaos Art were famous for being balanced and gentle, suitable for all martial artists to cultivate. Although they were not fast to cultivate and did not possess particularly great power, their balanced and gentle nature could ward off external demons and made deviation into insanity less likely. They were extremely compatible with Zhang Wan's cautious style.
However, the Five Elements Cultivation and Primal Chaos Art collected by the Jade Bone Sect only extended to the Sixth Level Prenatal, with no content beyond that.
If he chose either one, he would have to find a way to obtain the subsequent cultivation methods himself.
Although the Bronze Iron Body and Crimson Sun Fist were not as steady as the Five Elements Cultivation and Primal Chaos Art, and cultivating them was arduous and painful, these two cultivation methods had been split off from the Jade Bone Fist Scripture!
Both could be cultivated up to the Ninth Level Prenatal.
Moreover, if he could obtain the Jade Bone Fist Scripture afterward, he could seamlessly switch over and cultivate the Jade Bone Fist Scripture.
"The Jade Bone Sect was founded by our ancestor, True Man Jade Bone. It has only existed for two hundred years, and the sect possesses only this one True Core cultivation inheritance: the Jade Bone Fist Scripture."
"Even if I choose the Bronze Iron Body or Crimson Sun Fist, whether I can obtain the ancestor's impartation of the Jade Bone Fist Scripture later remains unknown."
Zhang Wan weighed the matter in his heart, then chose the "Bronze Iron Body" cultivation method.
There was no other reason.
Compared to the subsequent cultivation methods of the Five Elements Cultivation and Primal Chaos Art, whose whereabouts were unknown, the Jade Bone Fist Scripture that he could actually see offered a greater hope of obtaining it.
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