Origin Control Technique

Another first-year taking part in the Three Cities Dao Discussion was actually a student from the previous class of the inner academy, just barely at the tail end of his first year. The two third-years representing them were both acquaintances of Jiang Wang's: Li Jianqiu and Wang Changxiang.

The other person besides fifth-year Zhang Linchuan was a senior brother Jiang Wang didn't know.

Since Dao Merit was something that could be spent, the rankings on the Dao Merit Board didn't fully reflect one's strength. At least Master Dong had his own standards for judging it.

Of course, Zhang Linchuan would still lead the discussion this time. He also hoped that Wei Quji and Dong A would take the top spot. If Zhu Weiwu were there, they might not have to rely on them, but now no one could find Zhu Weiwu, so Dong A could only keep a close eye on Zhang Linchuan.

Zhang Linchuan's response was that he was under a lot of pressure.

The Three Cities Dao Discussion would begin on the tenth day of the tenth month. Before then, everyone—including Zhang Linchuan and Jiang Wang—would undergo "special training."

It wasn't a matter of using some method to squeeze every last bit of combat strength out of the students in a short time. That wasn't the right path. Even if they won the match in front of them, it would be their futures they lost. Instead, Master Dong would personally guide each participant. That was an enormous boon, and showed just how much importance he placed on the event.

Master Dong personally gave a lecture once every ten days, and his classes were always packed. Many senior brothers who spent most of the year away on missions would make a point of returning to the Dao Academy that day. Jiang Wang had never missed one, either.

But Master Dong's lectures were for the entire Dao Academy. Naturally, he couldn't tailor them to Jiang Wang's pace, so Jiang Wang struggled to follow and didn't get much out of them.

Though Jiang Wang had met Master Dong many times by now, he still didn't dare act rashly around him. He wasn't exactly tiptoeing, but he remained respectful. After all, this powerful man was known for his upright and unbending temperament. Even the high officials of Xin'an City got chewed out by him. Even Wei Quji felt ill at ease when Master Dong was around, let alone a little student like Jiang Wang.

"You've been opening your meridians for a while now. Why haven't you laid your foundation yet?" Master Dong asked as soon as they sat down.

Jiang Wang braced himself and said, "Perhaps this disciple is dull-witted..."

Master Dong had already reached out. "Forget it. I'll take a look myself."

Jiang Wang didn't dare resist. He could only hope Master Dong wouldn't discover his secret. Of course, even if he did, it wouldn't be a major problem. The students of the Dao Academy shared a bond of teacher and student with its head, and in the future, they would be regarded as one in the Zhuang Kingdom's officialdom. At their core, they shared both glory and disgrace. Unless there was some matter of principle involved, Master Dong wouldn't do anything to him.

Besides, the Heaven and Earth Gate was both a barrier and a concealment. Before it opened, the situation hidden deep within the Heaven-Connecting Palace wasn't easy to investigate. Master Dong would have to act personally, forcing open Jiang Wang's Heaven and Earth Gate from the outside in—but that would ruin Jiang Wang. Master Dong wouldn't do that.

The moment Master Dong's hand touched Jiang Wang's spine, his brows knitted together. "Your foundation is already taking far too long to establish. Why are you also practicing a body-tempering technique?"

The prominent schools of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism had broad-minded traditions, and didn't forbid their disciples from learning the techniques of other schools. What concerned Master Dong was whether Jiang Wang would be distracted by this and neglect his cultivation, which was the true foundation.

Jiang Wang replied, "This disciple opens his meridians every morning and evening, and has never slacked off. But my qi and blood are limited, so I can only open my meridians twice a day. That's why I've also practiced a body-tempering technique, hoping to strengthen my qi and blood so I can cultivate my meridians more often, gather more Dao Essence, and lay my foundation sooner."

"Opening your meridians twice a day is already enough. More Dao Essence isn't necessarily better; control is the proper path." In the end, these were only minor details, so Master Dong merely offered the reminder out of a sense of responsibility. Using a secret technique, he felt for the state of Jiang Wang's Heaven-Connecting Palace from outside his spine.

"The foundation array diagram you're using isn't the Return to Origin Formation?" Master Dong suddenly asked.

So he'd found out! Jiang Wang felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Hiding something from a powerful man as experienced as Master Dong was harder than climbing to heaven.

"Yes." Jiang Wang admitted it honestly. "The foundation array diagram I'm using is far more complicated than the Return to Origin Formation. That's why I've been unable to lay my foundation for so long."

"Foolishness." Master Dong rebuked him. "There are plenty of foundation array diagrams better than the Return to Origin Formation. Do you know why our Yujing Mountain lineage still generally uses it to establish a foundation? Because it's stable, safe, and efficient. It can be used reliably in Heaven-Connecting Palaces of any size, making it the most versatile foundation array diagram! Establishing your foundation is no small matter. How could you make assumptions on your own without first asking your teachers?"

Jiang Wang's face burned, and shame welled up inside him. Wasn't it because Fang Pengju had betrayed him, turning him into a startled bird that took flight at the slightest sound? He wasn't constantly imagining people were out to get him, but he no longer dared reveal his strange fortune to anyone.

In the end, he still hadn't fully developed the trust a disciple should have in his teacher.

When Master Dong saw his injuries that day, he had sealed off the Dao Academy without hesitation. That had truly moved Jiang Wang. But in all the time he'd spent with Fang Pengju, hadn't he been moved just as many times?

He was about to tell Master Dong which foundation array diagram he was using, but Master Dong waved a hand. "Let it go. At this point, the time has already been spent. There's no use saying more."

He thought for a moment, then untied a cyan jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Jiang Wang. "This pendant contains a secret art that can help you improve your control over Dao Essence, letting you complete your foundation sooner. Wear it regularly, and it will also calm your mind and clarify your nature. Take it."

"This disciple is overwhelmed." Seeing that it was such a personal possession, Jiang Wang hurriedly refused. "This is an item Master Dong treasures. How could I take it from you?"

Master Dong stroked the pendant. A trace of nostalgia appeared on his usually stern face. "It was a gift from an old friend. That friend has long since returned to the earth."

He quickly returned to his usual demeanor and placed the pendant in Jiang Wang's hand with finality. "It's no use to me anymore. Take it. The future of the Zhuang Kingdom belongs to you young people."

As soon as the jade pendant was in his hand, Jiang Wang let his consciousness sink into it. A secret art flowed through his mind, named—Origin Control Technique.

Jiang Wang gripped the pendant tightly and bowed to the ground. "This disciple thanks his honored teacher!"

Master Dong wasn't the sort to put on a show of deep affection between teacher and student. He briskly pulled Jiang Wang back to his feet, gave him a few more pointers on what to watch out for during cultivation, then waved him away.

Since Jiang Wang had to train with Master Dong today, he had still asked Ling He to pick up Jiang An'an. So he didn't need to make a special trip to the private school now; he could head straight back to the dormitory.

The newly acquired secret art meant a great deal to Jiang Wang. His body-tempering had now paid off, leaving him with abundant qi and blood. He could cultivate his meridians four times a day and draw in four units of Dao Essence. The only problem was that the Celestial Star Formation Map grew more complicated the further he went. With his current level of control over Dao Essence, arranging each formation point nearly exhausted his mind. In truth, this was what had later held him back from establishing his foundation quickly.

The Origin Control Technique could help Jiang Wang control Dao Essence with the least effort, letting him arrange formation points with ease instead of wasting himself on painstaking labor.

Master Dong had spotted the problem at a glance and given him a solution. One sentence from a master was worth ten years of hard work.

Jiang Wang carefully tied the Essence-Control Jade Pendant around his waist, planning never to take it off for the rest of his life.

Master Dong regarded him as a promising future disciple and was willing to give him a treasured personal possession. And now, hadn't Jiang Wang already come to regard Master Dong as someone he could rely on?

"You've got an invitation."

When Jiang Wang went to pick up Jiang An'an from Ling He, Ling He suddenly said.

Holding Jiang An'an in one arm, Jiang Wang took the invitation and looked it over. Only then did he understand why Ling He looked so grave.

The invitation had come from Fang Zehou.

The strongest contender to become the next head of the Fang Family, Fang Pengju's uncle, and Fang Heling's father.

And the banquet was being held at the Moon-Gazing Pavilion.

The very place where Fang Pengju had plotted to poison him a few months ago.