Chapter 49

For a moment,

they were all a little confused.

Just then,

Lei Jun spoke,

asking,

"Do you think there could be something in this world that required no effort, no comprehension of the Dao, and only a single choice to obtain a fortuitous opportunity?"

As soon as he said this,

the cultivators grew even more puzzled

and began discussing it.

"Celestial Venerable... you must be joking, right? A so-called fortuitous opportunity is merely part of the cycle of Karma. If something this good truly existed, one would surely have to pay the price for it someday!"

Zulong spoke with certainty.

"Fellow Daoist Zulong is right! I think the same. Everything in the world is part of the cycle of Karma. If something seems to come without conditions, the time for its consequences to appear simply hasn't come yet!"

Another of the Three Clans Ancestors, Yuanfeng, chimed in at the right moment.

After the Spiritual Light entered the Academy,

the Three Clans Ancestors still competed with one another, but no longer fought to the death. Their rivalry was mostly limited to the level of cultivation.

They could even

exchange insights with one another.

Before long,

the other cultivators, aside from Zulong and Yuanfeng, also voiced their opinions.

Their views were much the same.

They believed no such thing existed.

Without exception,

an increase in cultivation meant not only a change in strength, but also a broader understanding.

The lower one's level,

the more one tended to think

that good things would happen.

Conversely,

the more cautious one became

about every fortuitous opportunity.

At that moment,

the cultivators in the Academy were all around the Hunyuan level.

Even the weakest among them

was close to the peak of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm!

With strength like theirs,

they truly couldn't believe that something so good existed in this world—that one could obtain many fortuitous opportunities without giving anything in return.

For instance, the opportunities the cultivators had now.

In truth, they had paid a price.

First,

they had become completely bound to the Academy.

They could not be separated.

Second,

they had to carry out the tasks Lei Jun assigned them.

Nüwa, for example,

had never forgotten that she had to search for another version of herself...

The other cultivators

were much the same.

Of course,

to the cultivators, this bond was not a constraint. On the contrary, it was a very good thing.

They even wished...

that the bond could be a little deeper.

But no matter what,

they didn't believe in good things falling from the sky.

At that moment,

Lei Jun spoke again,

smiling as he said,

"I don't believe it either!"

"But..."

"it has happened in the Primordial Wilderness!"

As he spoke,

Lei Jun shifted the topic and said,

"The Great Era is about to begin. This lecture ends here."

"Lastly..."

"I'll leave you with a few words."

Before Lei Jun had finished speaking, the cultivators quickly focused their minds, afraid of missing any important detail.

It had to be said:

Lei Jun's lectures had been incredibly effective.

Their improvement

had been remarkable.

And no matter their level of cultivation, they had all gained a great deal.

What he was about to say at the end

must be just as important.

A fortuitous opportunity...

Lei Jun paused in thought for a moment.

Before he could speak, boundless Strange Phenomena appeared.

The sun, the moon, Green Lotus...

Countless wonders filled the scene.

Most eye-catching of all was undoubtedly the Purple Qi that spread all around them!

Hongmeng Purple Qi!

Not a single wisp, but countless wisps!

It left everyone dumbfounded.

In that moment,

Dao Sound rang out.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao!"

"The Dao can be spoken of and expressed, but it is not fixed and unchanging. So no matter how it is described, the explanation will always be incomplete, unclear, and imprecise!"

"But there is no need to feel dejected, disappointed, or regretful. Everything we comprehend will become part of the Dao!"

"From this perspective, whether we can explain the Dao itself completely is unimportant. What matters is..."

"The Dao can be written by us!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

everyone was shaken to the core.

For this statement was truly shocking.

For a moment,

the cultivators stared at Lei Jun in astonishment, their shock beyond words.

It could be written by us?

Fortunately,

these words

had been spoken by Lei Jun.

If another cultivator had said them, they would have scoffed.

But since Lei Jun had said them,

they would give the matter serious thought.

They would ponder it carefully.

Still, the meaning behind his words clearly couldn't be understood in a short time.

They would have to keep contemplating them.

While the cultivators were still thinking, Lei Jun had already risen from the platform and said,

"Now that the lecture is over,"

"the Academy will close for a while!"

"For now, you may all descend the mountain!"

Lei Jun's final words were not directed at Zulong and the others,

but at Nüwa, Fuxi, and the others

who had climbed up the Stone Steps.

At once,

Nüwa and the others widened their eyes.

They grew anxious.

Nüwa hurriedly spoke, her beautiful eyes full of worry.

"Celestial Venerable, did we do something wrong?"

After she finished speaking,

the others couldn't help but focus their attention.

Clearly,

they wanted to know the reason as well.

Just then,

Lei Jun shook his head and said,

"No!

"It's just that soon, I may take the Academy somewhere. The place is unknown and perilous, and with your level of cultivation, you won't be able to stay there for long!"

"Even I can't say for certain that I'll return unscathed!"

"When you have attained Hunyuan,"

"you'll sense where the Academy is, wherever it may be!" Just then,

a young Daoist rose among the cultivators.

It was Tongtian.

He asked in confusion,

"Celestial Venerable, if we stay in the Academy, wouldn't its wonders make attaining Hunyuan easy?"

Lei Jun glanced at him and smiled.

"It would indeed be easy!"

"But..."

"Is the Dao of the Academy the Dao you wish to prove—the Dao that belongs to me?"

As he spoke,

Lei Jun looked at Zulong and the others.

"They had no choice!"

"But you..."

"might be able to walk your own path!"

"I'm only offering you an idea. If you follow my methods of the Dao exactly, you'll be wasting your innate gifts and insight!"

"Do you understand?"

Tongtian's heart stirred.

Gratitude showed on his face.

He began to understand what Lei Jun's earlier words had meant.

To walk one's own Dao—

that was to explain the Dao, and to write it oneself!

Compared with walking someone else's Dao,

the latter was undoubtedly a better fit.

Not one of the cultivators present

was of low cultivation.

Nor was their comprehension lacking.

If Tongtian could understand,

the others naturally could as well.

Before long.

They all came to their senses.

Then they bowed one after another.

They cried out,

"Many thanks, Celestial Venerable, for clearing up our doubts! We shall keep your words in our hearts and never forget them!"

"Good!"

Lei Jun waved his hand, and Nüwa and the others

appeared outside the Academy.

The whole process

had happened so quickly that Nüwa and the others had barely had time to react.

In their minds,

there was only one voice echoing between heaven and earth.

"You may go now!"

And then,

the Academy they had spent so long comprehending simply vanished!

Along with the Immortal Mountain beneath their feet!

When they came to their senses,

they were already back in the Primordial Wilderness. It was as though everything that had just happened had been a dream.

But the surging power within them told them

that it had all been real.

Before entering the Academy,

they had been no more than Peak Da Luo.

After leaving,

they had actually reached the late stage of Hunyuan Golden Immortal, or even the peak!

Some had even touched upon the "Dao"!

They were only one step away

from achieving Hunyuan!

Outside the Immortal Mountain—

more precisely, the mountain that had once made many cultivators think it was Mount Buzhou—

it could no longer be seen.

The place where the cultivators now stood was also a Famous Mountain and Great River,

but it still could not compare to that Immortal Mountain.

Looking again,

the Stone Steps on the mountain had also disappeared.

At that moment,

the cultivators were overwhelmed by complicated feelings.

It felt as though a lifetime had passed.

It took them a long while to gradually come back to their senses.

Of course,

the complicated emotions in their hearts had yet to fade.

In the end,

the cultivators bowed toward the Void.

This was a disciple's bow to their teacher!

Although Lei Jun had not taken them as his disciples,

to the cultivators,

such a great gift of fortune

was more than enough reason to acknowledge Lei Jun as their teacher.

Some of them couldn't help but sigh.

Tongtian let out a long breath, his voice tinged with regret.

"Alas..."

"Our cultivation really isn't good enough!"

"If we'd been just a little stronger, the Celestial Venerable wouldn't have sent us away!"

As soon as Tongtian finished speaking,

another cultivator immediately chimed in.

It was Zhen Yuanzi.

He agreed,

"Indeed!"

"If I could, I'd truly want to stay in the Academy!"

"Our cultivation improved so quickly there!"

"Now that I'm back in the Primordial Wilderness, it really feels strange!"

"Hahaha..."

Zhen Yuanzi's friend, Hong Yun, chimed in at just the right moment.

"Forget staying in the Academy. Who knows..."

"Perhaps the Celestial Venerable would have taken us as his disciples by now!"

"What a pity!"

As he spoke,

Hong Yun seemed to think of something. His eyes brightened as he said,

"Although the Celestial Venerable didn't take us as his disciples, he did teach and guide us. We ought to consider ourselves members of the same lineage!"

"Does anyone object?"

The cultivators looked at Hong Yun.

No one voiced any objection.

Seeing this,

Hong Yun continued,

"If so, we can all address one another as fellow disciples!"

"Calling each other fellow Daoists would be too distant!"

"What's more, surely our ambitions aren't limited to the Primordial Wilderness?"

"We'll follow the Celestial Venerable's footsteps and travel to the Myriad Worlds and Heavens!"

"But until we meet the Celestial Venerable's expectations, we can still look out for one another!"

At these words,

Nüwa, Tongtian,

and all the others

couldn't help nodding.

They agreed.

"Good!"

"Brother Hong Yun—"

Tongtian began, but suddenly realized there was a problem.

Puzzled, he said,

"If we're to address one another as fellow disciples, then there ought to be an order of seniority."

"That is..."

"Who will be the senior brother, and who the junior brother? Or the senior sister and junior sister!"

As he spoke,

Tongtian was mostly looking at Nüwa,

as if he had something in mind.

Nüwa smiled faintly.

She understood what Tongtian was thinking.

Then

she spoke as well.

"Why don't we use the order in which we reached the mountaintop and entered the Academy?"

That was actually a good method.

It left no room for argument.

The order in which they arrived was, in a sense, the order in which they had "joined the sect."

Which sect?

The Academy!

Besides,

the Seeking Dao Stone Steps themselves were a test. Those who reached the summit first had to possess outstanding talent, comprehension, and foundations, and had passed the trials. That was why they had arrived first.

Such people would naturally have the highest cultivation, too.

So

there was nothing wrong with using that to determine seniority.

For a moment,

many cultivators voiced their agreement. Only...

Tongtian's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit.

He objected,

"Although this method is good, it's a little biased!"

"When I arrived here, I hadn't found the Stone Steps up the mountain."

"If I'd found them first, I should have been the first to enter the Academy!"

"How about..."

"We settle this with a contest of magic, and let strength decide!"

A contest of magic?

Let strength decide?

The cultivators looked at one another, then shook their heads.

The looks they gave Tongtian

were utterly exasperated.

After spending these years cultivating in the Academy, the cultivators had not only improved their realms; they had also learned quite a bit about one another.

Take Tongtian, for example.

He was practically a "Battle Maniac"!

He was either comprehending the Dao

or fighting someone.

And he didn't challenge cultivators of their generation, either. He went looking for Hunyuan cultivators!

Although he called it a contest of magic, it could just as well be described another way.

That was...

"getting beaten up"!

After all,

the weakest beings in the Academy, aside from them, were still at the Hunyuan realm.

The gap in their realms was right there.

No matter how talented Tongtian was, he couldn't turn the tables.

Fighting another being

just meant getting "beaten senseless" in a different way.

But what left them speechless was

that Tongtian never seemed to tire of it!

It was fair to say

that he had challenged nearly every cultivator above the Hunyuan realm in the Academy,

except Lei Jun.

So,

even though they had yet to fight Tongtian themselves, the cultivators knew just how terrifying his strength was.

They hurriedly waved their hands

and said,

"Senior Brother Tongtian!"

"Go challenge some of the other senior and junior disciples. I..."

"I'm no match for you!"

We should still follow Senior Sister Nüwa's suggestion and decide what to call each other based on the order in which we climbed the Stone Steps!"

At that moment,

even the Innate Gods, Fuxi and Hong Yun among them, were waving their hands.

There was no helping it.

Who could blame them? Tongtian's presence was simply too overwhelming.

Only Nüwa had nothing to say.

Because

she had been the first to reach the mountain peak!