A stream of power slowly flowed into Luo Zhou's body. It came from the Dead Spirits that had touched him moments ago.
It came in gradually, and it was divided into three kinds.
Essence, qi, and spirit!
Every time he killed a Woodworm Devil, he gained this kind of reward.
Essence meant vital energy entering his body, silently transforming Luo Zhou from within.
His flesh and bones, five senses and meridians, limbs and organs, mind and soul—all were gradually strengthened and improved as the essence flowed into him.
Qi meant that, in some mysterious way, he had gained strands of true qi, each with its own unique property. These were Geomagnetic Qi.
Each strand of Geomagnetic Qi represented one year of cultivation. He had gained forty-seven strands, representing forty-seven years of cultivation.
This was the cultivation true qi of the Woodworm Devil Gu Shanhe!
In truth, Gu Shanhe's own cultivation was far beyond forty-seven years. Sacrificing a young man by the bridge could grant him five years of cultivation.
But Luo Zhou was only at the fifth level of Body Tempering and could not absorb the true qi, so he could only store it in his dantian.
It was merely being stored, not part of Luo Zhou's true cultivation. Only after he advanced to the Qi Refining stage could he turn this true qi into his own cultivation.
In fact, for Qi Refining cultivators, the limit was a hundred years of cultivation. No matter how healthy they were or how early they began cultivating, Qi Refining cultivators could live at most a hundred and twenty years—just two sixty-year cycles. Their lifespan was fixed, and hard to defy.
Of course, that was true of ordinary cultivators. A rare few geniuses and elites were exceptions.
Spirit meant that Gu Shanhe's life experiences, cultivation insights, special skills, and abilities had been turned into streams of spiritual consciousness and poured into Luo Zhou's mind, becoming part of his own life experience.
Luo Zhou silently absorbed the reward for punishing evil and rewarding good, feeling himself grow stronger bit by bit.
After a long while, he had absorbed all of Gu Shanhe's essence, qi, and spirit. Suddenly, Luo Zhou's whole body shuddered.
He advanced to the sixth level of Body Tempering!
The impurities in his body were expelled. His mind sharpened, his bones grew sturdier, his flesh stronger, and his senses keener. Everything about him had been enhanced!
This was not only the result of tempering his body with the essence gained from killing Gu Shanhe. It was also the culmination of his earlier kills, Jiang Ziyou and Yu Jun.
The cultivation realms taught at the Dao Academy were Body Tempering, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, and Void Returning. Luo Zhou knew nothing beyond that.
Luo Zhou let out a long breath, first bathing to wash away the foul, black impurities expelled from his body.
Then he cultivated, adapting to the changes brought by his improved realm.
Once he had adapted to everything, he quietly disguised his cultivation, returning to the appearance of someone at the third level of Body Tempering.
All five Woodworm Devils had been skilled at disguising their cultivation. Combining the strengths of all five, Luo Zhou had mastered the art.
Besides the ability to disguise his cultivation, Gu Shanhe had also given him a knack for getting along with people: how to judge someone's temperament and strength from their face, build, and clothes; where to stand; how to smile; how to draw closer and win people over...
He had also gained the ability to appraise items, methods for bargaining and trading, and, last but not least, the fishing skills of an old fishing enthusiast.
Luo Zhou had mastered more than that. There was the disguise technique, physiognomy, and the art of recognizing people brought by Qiu Jun, the Eyed Devil; the art of finding ore deposits, porcelain-making, and knowledge of porcelain appraisal from Li Feng, the Yellow Earth Devil; slave control, managing people, tea ceremony, flower arranging, calligraphy, and chess from Jiang Ziyou; and a memory of a thousand ancient poems and the ability to perform thirteen kinds of traditional opera from Yu Jun...
As for cultivation methods, all five had practiced the three basic cultivation arts of the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect taught by the Dao Academy during Body Tempering: the Baiyang Body Refining Technique, the Green Profound Body Refining Technique, and the Purple Heavens Body Refining Technique.
To be honest, they knew less about these than Luo Zhou did. Still, even stones from other mountains could polish jade, and their experience had taught him a great deal.
The cultivation experience they had gained in the Qi Refining stage came from the advanced versions of the Baiyang Body Refining Technique, Green Profound Body Refining Technique, and Purple Heavens Body Refining Technique.
Luo Zhou had obtained their insights, but his current realm was too low for him to practice them.
However, Luo Zhou had gained Gu Shanhe's Geomagnetic Qi, Qiu Jun's Three Eyes Qi, and Li Feng's Heavy Dust Qi. Once he advanced to the Qi Refining stage, he would be able to master all three kinds of unique true qi.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ziyou and Yu Jun had not mastered any unique true qi.
But along with these benefits came drawbacks.
Absorbing Gu Shanhe's essence, qi, and spirit would influence Luo Zhou to a certain extent.
For example, he might develop a taste for torturing young men, enjoy crushing people beneath his feet, become miserly and loath to spend money, or take up fishing and sit by the water all day...
He had to face everything calmly, absorbing the essence and letting the dross dissipate. That was the only way to truly benefit.
That was the advantage Luo Zhou's Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil ability had brought him.
Once again, he activated his ability and silently sensed it!
"Soul..."
"Listen, move, sever, nature, good, respond, Dao, evil, law, fate, seize, reward, punish..."
It seemed to be made up of countless overlapping noises, but gradually they joined together into a single, complete voice!
"Reward the underworld with law, reward saving lives with the Dao, reward protecting one's clan with fortune, reward saving the world with fate!"
"Punish evil spirits with execution, punish defiled gods with annihilation, punish earthly calamities with rupture, punish the heavens' collapse with extinction!"
"Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil!"
Law, Dao, fortune, fate!
Spirit, god, earth, heaven!
It sounded incredibly powerful!
And it truly was!
The next day, Luo Zhou woke up early. His first feeling was that someone had reminded him: thirty-two days remained!
Today was the first day of the sixth month, and he had to get to the Dao Academy early. He could not be late.
On the first day of every month, the Dao Academy's immortal masters taught the Dao and imparted cultivation techniques. It was an important occasion.
After washing up, Luo Zhou ate breakfast on the street, then arrived at the Dao Academy early.
Along the way, at every crossroads, the Dead Spirits killed by the Full Moon Devil were there. When they saw Luo Zhou, they cried out to him desperately, pleading for justice.
By the rivers and lakesides, the Dead Spirits killed by the Rainy Night Devil were the same.
It was especially bad near the Caobang. Countless children wailed there, and Luo Zhou could not go near!
Only Luo Zhou could see these things. If ordinary people had to experience them every day, they would go mad.
Luo Zhou had gradually gotten used to it. It no longer affected him, and he made his way to the Dao Academy.
Today, even the students who usually studied at home had come.
Nearly everyone in the class was there, a full thirty-three students.
In the classroom, everyone chatted with their close friends. Most of the talk was still about the Head-Exploding Devil, whose identity had been confirmed yesterday.
But Yuan Zhen and Liu Yueqing, whose families were the wealthiest in the class, were talking about the pear-blossom-pill merchant ship that had just arrived today and the fine goods it had brought from Fuyu.
At last, the bell rang!
"Stand!"
Cui Jian, the senior class monitor of Class Three in Xianya Hall, called out loudly.
An immortal master from the Dao Academy drifted into the classroom.
All the Xianya students stood up at once and shouted together, "Greetings, Immortal Master!"
Immortal Master Wang, dressed like a refined scholar in middle age, nodded.
Everyone sat down, and Immortal Master Wang began his lecture.
"As you all know, in ancient times, mortals needed spiritual roots to cultivate immortality.
"Over the ages, the world has changed. Immortal cultivation has continued to develop, changing with each passing day and flourishing ever onward. The range of what counts as a spiritual root has also continually expanded.
"First, people discovered thirteen unusual spiritual roots. Then they discovered sixty combined Dao Bodies.
"Now, as long as mortals possess spiritual roots, Dao Bodies, divine abilities, talents, traits, supernatural powers, and the like—in short, spiritual potential—they can cultivate immortality.
"Moreover, even if they lack spiritual potential from birth, they can gain it through cultivation later on. Many of you began your immortal paths this way!
"Among acquired forms of spiritual potential, divine abilities are the strongest, followed by talents, then traits, and finally supernatural powers.
"If you truly have no way to awaken acquired spiritual potential, then you can only remain an ordinary mortal. You will not be able to take part in the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect's Ascension Ceremony, and you will spend your life as a mortal, lost in the crowd."
As he spoke, Immortal Master Wang quietly began casting a spell.
He was a Qi Refining cultivator who wielded Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi.
An invisible aura spread from him, passing through the ritual implements on the classroom lectern and filling the entire room.
Everyone present silently endured the Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi.
As the Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi invaded him, Luo Zhou felt goosebumps rising on his skin and a strange, itchy soreness in his flesh.
Stimulated by the imparted technique, his qi and blood surged, his strength increased, and his constitution grew stronger!
Immortal Master Wang used his spiritual qi to stimulate the students, imparting cultivation and tempering their bodies!
"Everyone, the Ascension Ceremony of the Liang Kingdom branch of the Dao Sect's main sect is a year and a half away. You must make the most of your time and cultivate diligently.
"You are receiving my Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi to temper your bodies and strengthen your Body Tempering cultivation. Only then will you qualify to take part in the Ascension Ceremony of the Dao Sect's main sect.
"Even if you cannot advance into the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect itself at the Ascension Ceremony, you will become an immortal citizen when you return.
"Only with the status of an immortal citizen can you work for the sect's affiliated forces, serve as an official or constable, and so on. Then you'll have the chance to rise above others, live without worry, and enjoy a carefree life.
"Cultivators of my Heaven and Earth Dao Sect generally possess spiritual potential, innate or acquired, and focus on cultivating spiritual abilities. Unlike other sects, we are known throughout the land as spirit cultivators!"
Under the stimulation of the Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi, some students could no longer bear it and had to stand up and leave the classroom.
Immortal Master Wang continued:
"Cultivation has been passed down for countless years. It changes with each passing day, casting aside the old and bringing forth the new.
"In the past, the true qi cultivated by Qi Refining cultivators had no special properties. It was utterly useless.
"Now, the true qi of Qi Refining cultivators develops special properties. One of them can take on ten of those old relics whose true qi has no special properties.
"The Blood Fiend Spiritual Qi I'm using to impart cultivation will temper your bodies, but it may also make you feel tired and nauseated. Your skin may develop red patches and blisters, become dry and flaky, or ooze fluid.
"If your symptoms become severe, you may vomit or feel pain. If you can't endure it, leave at once!
"If you insist on staying, you might develop the Dead Tumor Disease and lose your life. Remember, do not try to tough it out..."
Half an hour later, only eleven people remained in the classroom: Cui Jian, Yuan Zhen, Liu Yueqing, Lu Jie, Zhang Quan, Zuo Sanguang, Wang Heyu, Meng Junzheng...
Luo Zhou was among them.
Immortal Master Wang let out a long breath and slowly stopped the flow of his technique.
He was exhausted and drenched in sweat.
"Good. This month's cultivation lesson for Class Three is over.
"Remember, you only get this opportunity once a month. Make the most of it and cultivate well.
"Class dismissed. I'll continue imparting cultivation next month."
All the students who remained called out in unison, "Thank you, Immortal Master, for imparting your cultivation!"
Immortal Master Wang smiled and said slowly:
"Heaven and earth, wind and clouds; sun and moon, mountains and rivers. May all laws unite, and may our Dao flourish forever!"
This was the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect's ceremonial verse!
He turned and left after reciting it. Only the Dao Academy's immortal masters had the right to proclaim the sect's ceremonial verse.
The students saw him off together. They were not yet entitled to recite the sect's ceremonial verse.
Once the lesson was over, everyone headed to the training grounds and began practicing.
Some practiced their forms and threw punches; others lifted stone locks, ran and leaped, or sat cross-legged to refine their strength.
They were using the opportunity to consolidate the gains from the immortal master's instruction.
Students from the ordinary classes nearby watched them with envy.
Students from ordinary classes still had a chance to join Xianya Hall.
The Dao Academy taught the three basic cultivation arts of the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect: the Baiyang Body Refining Technique, the Green Profound Body Refining Technique, and the Purple Heavens Body Refining Technique. They were taught to many students.
Each of the three Body Refining Techniques had seventy-two forms. Anyone who mastered forty-nine forms of one technique was considered to have succeeded, and might awaken their own spiritual potential!
Luo Zhou had awakened his supernatural power, Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil, two months ago.
As everyone practiced, Lu Jie suddenly let out a soft cry. She had advanced to the fourth level of Body Tempering.
Three or four of Lu Jie's close friends immediately came over to congratulate her.
Not long after, Yuan Zhen also advanced to the fifth level of Body Tempering, thanks to Immortal Master Wang's instruction.
Luo Zhou felt the time was right. He had already advanced to the sixth level of Body Tempering yesterday, so he made a show of breaking through and announced that he had reached the fourth level.
At once, more than twenty classmates—nearly the whole class—came over to congratulate him!
His popularity was off the charts!
Before you continue