Concentrated Teaching

Wei Yuan turned around and saw a burly cultivator standing not far away. The man was nine feet tall, two heads taller than ordinary people, with a thick short beard and a dignified appearance. The man was leading a young boy, having just disembarked from the immortal boat.

The cultivator's eyes were sharp as lightning. The moment Wei Yuan's gaze met his, he felt as if struck by thunder, and the intangible thing within his body reacted, stirring restlessly.

A flicker of surprise flashed in the cultivator's eyes. He then withdrew the divine light from his gaze and said, "You are asking about an eternal dilemma. Since ancient times, very few people have been able to answer it, and those who could didn't want to. If you have the will, then remember this question and slowly seek the answer in your cultivation journey! This is my grandson, Xiao Yu. If you don't mind, you two can support each other on the immortal path from now on, and perhaps you can both go further."

The cultivator grabbed the boy and placed him in front of Wei Yuan. Both Wei Yuan and the boy instinctively turned their heads away, unwilling to look at each other.

This boy was exquisitely beautiful. He was none other than Xiao Yu, who had relentlessly attacked Wei Yuan with hundreds of sword strikes to no avail, only to have his waist broken by a single spear thrust. Wei Yuan recalled how he had killed the boy with one spear, leaving him in a most undignified state. Now, seeing the wronged party, he felt a bit guilty.

The burly cultivator slapped Xiao Yu on the head and said, "Why don't you pay your respects to Senior Brother!"

The boy looked to the side and stubbornly said, "He's not necessarily older than me!"

The cultivator slapped him again. "You can't beat him right now, so you should naturally call him Senior Brother!"

The boy asked, "What if I can beat him in the future?"

The cultivator paused and said, "Then it will be as you wish."

Only then did the boy turn back, staring directly at Wei Yuan's chest without making eye contact, and said stiffly, "Xiao Yu greets Senior Brother."

Wei Yuan quickly returned the bow. "Wei Yuan, I dare not accept such a title from Junior Brother Xiao Yu."

The burly cultivator impatiently said, "Alright, alright, stop with all this superficial politeness. As long as you remember the question you asked today in the future, and don't end up like your masters and grandmasters."

Zhang Sheng was displeased. "What is wrong with my master and me? Please enlighten me, Senior!"

The burly cultivator laughed heartily and said, "Don't you know the reputation of your Azure Hall lineage? Arrogant and conceited, believing yourselves to be above factional disputes, you claim neutrality but ultimately only care about yourselves. I'm too lazy to argue with you, especially since you've been out of touch for six years."

The burly cultivator grabbed Xiao Yu and strode towards the distant grand hall. With a single step, he vanished from his original spot.

Just then, another girl walked over and first bowed gracefully to Zhang Sheng. "Greetings, Mr. Zhang Sheng!"

The girl was truly beautiful, with a pleasant voice, and she knew how to respect her elders. Zhang Sheng felt a good impression of her and said kindly, "Your Bao family has always produced talented individuals generation after generation. It seems this generation will surpass the previous ones."

The girl bowed again. "To receive your praise, I am reassured. It seems I made the right choice in entering Taichu Palace."

Zhang Sheng noticed a faint golden light flickering between the girl's eyebrows. He then recalled something and asked in surprise, "That's right, I heard that someone from the Bao family's current generation inherited the Dharma Idol of the Great Precious Flower Pure Land. It couldn't be you, could it?"

The girl replied, "The Pure Land Dharma Idol is merely an external object. Since I have entered Taichu Palace, I lack neither skilled teachers nor diligence. Within a hundred years, I will be able to cultivate a Dharma Idol no less powerful than the Pure Land inheritance. The immortal path is long, and the Dharma Idol is but a stop along the way; it is not worth worrying about."

The Buddhist Dharma Idols were passed down through successive generations, and their power was universally acknowledged as the greatest in the world. The fact that the girl could so readily give up such an inheritance and speak with such conviction impressed Zhang Sheng.

The girl looked at Wei Yuan and said, "Since we are fellow disciples of the same cohort, Senior Brother Wei will have to take care of me in the future."

"Of course!" Zhang Sheng immediately pulled Wei Yuan forward and placed him in front of the girl. "Wei Yuan, come and meet Senior Sister Bao Yun!"

Wei Yuan turned his head away, afraid to look at Bao Yun. Zhang Sheng slapped him. "Where are you looking?"

Wei Yuan could only steel himself and bow. "Wei Yuan greets Junior Sister."

Zhang Sheng slapped him again. "No manners! Call her Senior Sister!"

Wei Yuan had no choice but to say, "Wei Yuan greets Senior Sister."

Bao Yun's clear eyes stared at Wei Yuan, making him feel extremely uncomfortable, before she covered her mouth and chuckled. "I will undoubtedly need to ask for Junior Brother's guidance in the future."

The expressionless old man behind Bao Yun said, "It's almost time, we should go in."

Zhang Sheng checked the time and, taking Wei Yuan with him, stepped into the grand hall.

Inside the hall, dozens of Daoist priests and cultivators responsible for the rites were busy. As Wei Yuan entered, he suddenly felt something behind him. He looked back and saw another immortal boat landing on the square, followed by people disembarking one after another. It seemed another group of new disciples had arrived.

A Daoist priest in charge of rites hurried over and smiled at Zhang Sheng. "Junior Brother Zhang, it's been many years! I heard you've taken in a fine disciple, with your demeanor from back then. Truly commendable!"

Zhang Sheng smiled and returned the bow. The Daoist priest carefully examined Wei Yuan and said, "This must be Wei Yuan. I heard he has brought great honor to True Monarch! Junior Brother Zhang, you should be familiar with the sect entry procedures, so I won't go into detail. In three days, when disciples from all provinces have arrived, there will be the ceremony to worship the Patriarch. However, this year there is an additional process: after worshiping the Patriarch, you will need to choose your method of study. Will you choose self-study or centralized instruction?"

Zhang Sheng looked puzzled and asked, "What is centralized instruction?"

The Daoist priest explained, "In the past, new disciples were taught by their respective halls after entering the palace. But this year, True Monarch Yanshi proposed to consolidate general subjects like cultivation fundamentals, human history, and Dao Foundation basics, and have them taught uniformly by capable individuals selected from within the palace. Unique secret techniques will still be taught by each palace and hall individually. This is centralized instruction. This is the first year, so new disciples can decide for themselves whether to participate in centralized instruction."

"The Ding Xin Sect is moving so quickly?" Zhang Sheng frowned slightly.

The Daoist priest did not answer but said, "You can make your decision after worshiping the Patriarch. I will record your names first, and then I will take you to your quarters."

The Daoist priest shone a jade scroll he held towards Wei Yuan. A page on the scroll automatically displayed Wei Yuan's likeness, birthplace, master, and other information. After recording the information, the Daoist priest led Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan out of the grand hall. With a flick of his sleeve, a cloud of mist enveloped the two.

Wei Yuan felt the scenery before his eyes constantly changing and flashing. The speed was like a flying arrow, much faster than the legendary galloping horses.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Daoist priest retracted his Daoist Arts. A serene mountain valley appeared before Wei Yuan's eyes. Several streams flowed through the valley, with quiet courtyards scattered in groups of three to five.

Before Wei Yuan stood three adjacent small courtyards, surrounded by several strange trees, ten to twenty feet tall, bearing abundant fruit.

Wei Yuan followed the Daoist priest into the courtyard on the left. The Daoist priest said, "This is your residence, where you will stay until you forge your Dao Foundation. All supplies for new disciples have already been placed inside; you can use them as needed. Your master is aware of the palace rules, so I won't elaborate. The sect map is on the table inside, showing the areas you can access. Junior Brother Zhang, shall I briefly explain centralized instruction now?"