The next day, Zhang Xiu took the day off.
As Xu Xing had told her, Zhang Yunlu went to school early to report her cultivation level and ask about Foundation Establishment.
Along the way, whenever she saw someone, she found herself instinctively sizing up their vital points.
"..."
It was a lingering aftereffect. It would probably last for quite a while.
After entering the school, she went straight to see the director of studies.
Normally, she should have discussed this with her homeroom teacher, but Fang Chi... never mind.
The director of studies' office.
"Qi Refining ninth level, with a solid foundation. Quite impressive." Bright strands of magical power extended from Zhang Yunlu's wrist.
The director of studies at Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School was named Yu Ming. He was an old man who looked somewhat stern and old-fashioned, with graying hair and patches of age spots on his face. He seemed weighed down by the years.
But after spending some time with him, one could see that he was actually a very gentle elder.
It was said that, in his younger days, he had loved exploring all kinds of Secret Realms. It was also because of this that his foundation had been damaged in an accident, robbing him of any chance to advance further. In the end, he had come to this school to become its director of studies.
"Now that you've reached this level, it really is time I explained a few things about Foundation Establishment." Yu Ming handed her a cup of water. "Information on the Spirit Net is a mixed bag. The three grades of Foundation Establishment it describes have some merit, but the information is incomplete."
Yu Ming knew very well why Zhang Yunlu had come to see him today. By the rules, she should have asked her homeroom teacher about Foundation Establishment.
"There are three mainstream methods of Foundation Establishment: Pseudo Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment with external objects, and the Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation."
In Yu Ming's eyes, disagreements between teachers and students and other unimportant rules mattered far less than a student's future.
He carefully explained the three methods of Foundation Establishment he knew about.
Pseudo Foundation Establishment was more or less what Zhang Yunlu had learned about at first.
Foundation Establishment with external objects was essentially the second and third methods she already knew, along with the first type she had heard about from Xu Xing.
The Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation was also exactly as Xu Xing had described.
But there was another one, wasn't there?
"The Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation is extremely difficult to establish. It requires not only an exceptionally strong foundation, but also a process of gathering the sun's essence, condensing the moon's splendor, and refining the stars' radiance that is incredibly painful." Yu Ming smiled faintly. "Your foundation is strong enough. It remains to be seen whether you can endure these three ordeals."
"I think my willpower is pretty good." After all, I died more than a hundred times in one night. "But natural treasures must be hard to come by, right?"
Xu Xing had said he would give her one, but Zhang Yunlu still wanted to ask.
"Natural treasures are indeed hard to come by. But seventy-three years ago, someone discovered a substitute. I'd personally recommend the 'one-time Foundation Establishment divine essence' from the Pure Moon Flying Sword."
A one-time Foundation Establishment divine essence?!
"It's not too expensive, and it works just as well as the other brands."
The stuff sold by the [Mystic Moon Pavilion], for example, was much more expensive. The effects were exactly the same, so they were a bunch of profiteers.
Yu Ming opened a drawer and took a crystal card from a small box, then handed it to Zhang Yunlu.
"This is the Basic Refining Method created by the Saint Emperor Abyss. Study it carefully when you get home."
"Teacher, this is too..."
"Don't refuse. I'm not making an exception for you. Every student who reaches Qi Refining ninth level gets one. Otherwise, why would it be called the Basic Refining Method?"
The school also had various Refining Methods from the different Immortal Sects, but they were all too extreme and violent. This Basic Refining Method was relatively mild.
Even so, the school only dared to give it to students who reached Qi Refining ninth level during their senior year.
Oh, so that was how it was.
Zhang Yunlu accepted the crystal card and put it into her storage ring.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask, Zhang?"
"Have you ever heard of... the Creation Dao Foundation?"
"..." Yu Ming fell silent for a moment. "I have, but it isn't mainstream, and it's far too difficult."
"Today's Pseudo Foundation Establishment method was created by the Spirit Sound Workshop after researching the Creation Dao Foundation."
Although a few students with Heaven-Forged Dao Foundations appeared at every college entrance exam, the last time anyone had achieved a Creation Dao Foundation was fifteen years ago.
Knock, knock!
"Director, here are the materials for tomorrow's Dharma Combat Test..."
Zhang Yunlu turned around and saw that the person who had come in was none other than her teacher, Fang Chi. The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
At noon, the senior students began filing out of the school.
Since the Dharma Combat Test was tomorrow, the school had given them the afternoon off to prepare.
Zhang Yunlu was among them, but instead of going home after leaving school, she took a taxi to the villa community where Xu Xing lived.
During class that day, several classmates she hardly ever spoke to came over to persuade her to apologize to Fang Chi, saying that there was no conflict between a teacher and student that couldn't be resolved.
Zhang Yunlu ignored them. She found them noisy.
You're about to graduate, and you want me to smooth things over with my teacher?
When they saw how "unreasonable" she was being, they flat-out told her they'd settle things on the Dharma Combat Test field tomorrow.
They might be students, but they were cultivators too.
The Dharma Combat Test... Just how many of her classmates would be stronger than those pain-proof monsters from her dream?
As she thought about it, she suddenly felt a little anticipation.
If she had strong enough opponents to hone her swordsmanship against in this Dharma Combat Test, then the next time she faced that monster, she might not have to suffer as badly as she had last night!
The driver glanced at Zhang Yunlu in the rearview mirror as she alternated between silence and smiling, and couldn't help but sigh.
Senior year students really are under a lot of pressure.
He decided not to strike up a conversation and turned up the music instead.
Soon, they reached their destination.
"We're here, miss. Cars can't go in there, so you'll have to walk the rest of the way."
After paying, Zhang Yunlu entered the community and made her way to Xu Xing's villa.
She used the formation's control hub to open the barrier, walked up to the door, and was just about to ring the bell.
"Come right in. The door's unlocked."
Sure enough, the door opened with a gentle push. Everything inside was just as it had been when she came the day before.
She eventually found Xu Xing in the garden.
Xu Xing was leaning back in a woven lounge chair. A pot of tea sat on the table beside him, and the sunlight fell on him as he lounged in perfect ease.
"Have a seat. You did quite well last night. You should have no trouble with tomorrow's Dharma Combat Test."
"Um... I actually have a question about last night." Zhang Yunlu paused, then continued, "Was everything I experienced real or fake?"
Xu Xing didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "What do you think?"
"It must have been fake. Otherwise, there's no way I could have come back to life so many times, and I woke up in my own room afterward."
How could anyone have that many lives?
"If you understand that, why are you asking me now?"
"But my spiritual power really did increase. It was as if the pills I swallowed during that trial had actually worked."
Zhang Yunlu frowned. That was what she found so confusing.
"Phantom or reality."
Xu Xing lightly tapped the air. A drop of tea floated up, then quickly swelled. As Zhang Yunlu watched, it became a perfectly round, plump pill.
"As the saying goes, when the real is taken for the false, the false becomes real. This is the art of refining the false into the real."
As Xu Xing finished speaking, the pill turned back into a drop of tea and fell into the cup.
"To explain it, everything that happened last night was as if you experienced reality within an illusion. Do you understand?"
Zhang Yunlu nodded, though she only half understood.
Xu Xing didn't mind. After all, all of this was still a very long way off for her.
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