Bai Yuefeng quickened his pace by a couple of steps until he was walking alongside Qi Tian, then began his introduction.
"Lord Baron is a powerful Realm Lord who rose to prominence in our Beihua Branch over the past thousand years. They say he can match an Ordinary Immortal powerhouse, and he holds a very high position here."
Seeing the admiration and longing in Bai Yuefeng's eyes as he spoke of Realm Lord Baron, Qi Tian asked curiously,
"A Realm Lord who can match an Immortal—shouldn't someone like that go to that place?"
By "that place," Qi Tian meant the Four Great Secret Realms at headquarters. But as a Universe Level cultivator from a medium-sized empire, Bai Yuefeng had no access to detailed information about that level.
"Everyone thinks so. Even the minister personally asked him about it, but Lord Baron publicly said that he wouldn't go. He also said that he would become an Immortal within a thousand years."
"Now, the thousand-year deadline Lord Baron set is almost here, and people around here often talk about whether he'll become an Immortal. That's how I learned about him."
As Bai Yuefeng spoke, the two of them had reached the classroom's back entrance without even realizing it.
Qi Tian followed Bai Yuefeng into the classroom. It was spacious, with a wooden floor and neat rows of cushions.
He glanced around. There were well over a thousand cushions, enough for a thousand students to attend a lesson at once.
At the very front of the classroom was an open area, surrounded by a platform about a meter high that served as the instructor's lectern.
Quite a few people were already sitting on cushions near the lectern, waiting for class to begin. Bai Yuefeng led Qi Tian briskly to the front and found them seats.
"Do you know that Baron plans to break through to Immortality within a thousand years?"
"I heard from the instructor that once Teacher Baron becomes an Immortal, he'll immediately be a powerhouse among the Immortals. He's incredible."
"Maybe we'll get to witness Teacher Baron's breakthrough."
Qi Tian sat cross-legged on his cushion, listening as Bai Yuefeng and some other students he knew discussed Realm Lord Baron.
"To be confident enough to say he'll break through to Immortality by a set deadline, Baron must have already been capable of doing so back then. He probably held back for some reason."
Qi Tian was also curious about what made this Realm Lord Baron so special.
Before long, it was time for class.
The classroom was already full. Aside from a small number of Universe Level cultivators who had grasped the Origin Law of Gold, most of those present were Domain Lord Level cultivators.
As everyone waited in anticipation, a flash of golden light appeared on the lectern at the front of the classroom, and Realm Lord Baron materialized.
"Greetings, Teacher Baron."
The moment Realm Lord Baron appeared, the students greeted him in unison. Qi Tian joined them in welcoming their instructor, while also taking a closer look at this legendary figure from the Beihua Branch.
On the lectern, Realm Lord Baron looked somewhat like an Earthling of European descent. He had long golden hair, and faint dark-gold patterns marked his face and skin.
A golden droplet was set in his forehead, clearly a sign that he had gained the recognition of the Origin Law of Gold.
"Today, I'll be teaching you the fundamentals of applying the Origin Law of Gold. I'll demonstrate with the first form of the Yan Shen Armament. Watch closely."
Baron's voice was slightly hoarse and deep. The students' eyes lit up the instant they heard "Yan Shen Armament."
It was one of the Controller's nine divine weapons, and nearly everyone present knew of it. A few of the Domain Lords even used this weapon themselves.
"Whoosh."
"Whoosh."
"Whoosh."
As Realm Lord Baron raised his right hand, nine golden little swords floated above his palm. Then, under his deliberate control,
the nine golden little swords flew above the students' heads at a measured pace. As Baron infused them with Origin Force, they traced nine clearly visible golden paths through the air.
Qi Tian stared fixedly at the nine golden trails, watching them sweep overhead and form a pattern that resembled a rotating galaxy.
So that's how it works. If I used Hundred Flowers Bloom to make petals fly...
In his mind, Qi Tian repeatedly simulated the flight paths of the nine golden swords with scattered petals. The mysteries of the Origin Law of Gold began to stir within him, little by little.
In the classroom, the demonstration also gave a few Domain Lords new insights. Their domains covered only themselves.
Within a domain roughly one meter across, they tried applying the Origin Law of Gold, and specks of golden light began to shimmer throughout the classroom.
Qi Tian, seated in the front row, likewise used his domain to control a space about a meter around him. He released wisps of Origin Force and tried to use them with the Origin Law of Gold, bit by bit.
Gradually, Qi Tian's understanding deepened. A golden lotus formed from a wisp of Origin Force slowly revolved at his chest.
"Drawing on the Law like this adds a touch of flexibility to its fierceness, making attacks less rigid."
"Hm? Why won't it take shape...?"
As Qi Tian kept experimenting, the golden Origin Force lotus at his chest broke apart. Then the Origin Law of Gold reassembled it into a new flower.
As the lotus slowly bloomed, each petal stirred the flow of the Origin Law of Gold as it unfurled. Bai Yuefeng, sitting beside him, stared in astonishment.
Many of the Domain Lord Level students furrowed their brows at the sight of the golden lotus blooming on Qi Tian's chest and its petals stirring the golden energy of the Law, as if the scene had given them an idea.
"What remarkable comprehension of the Origin Law of Gold. I'll give you a hand."
Realm Lord Baron sat cross-legged on the lectern, watching Qi Tian combine a lotus of Origin Force with his insights into the Law of Gold. Appreciation showed in his eyes.
He raised his right hand and slowly curled it into a fist above his head. The nine golden little swords gathered together, forming a single illusory sword.
As soon as it appeared, eight more illusory swords appeared around it, as if they had been copied.
All nine illusory swords slowly took shape in midair. The process was slow, and the gradual fusion of the Origin Law of Gold unfolded clearly before Qi Tian's eyes.
Little by little, the nine illusory swords became real, fusing into a golden sword just over a foot long.
The petals of the lotus at Qi Tian's chest, which had been spread wide, folded shut again. The incredibly solid Law of Gold was concealed within the flower bud.
Seeing this, Baron knew Qi Tian could still comprehend more. So he stopped holding back and formed eight more solid golden swords.
The nine golden swords were like a foundation, answering one another as countless streams of sword energy burst forth, like an army under command.
Silk-thin strands of golden sword energy circled the nine golden swords. The strands and swords resonated with one another, slowly forming the phantom image of a giant sword.
Qi Tian made his own lotus bloom again. As each petal opened, a strand of golden light traced from its tip.
Each strand was like an incredibly sharp blade, leaving a cutting sensation in the air around it.
As more and more strands appeared, they slowly outlined the shape of a lotus, encasing the flower formed from the Origin Law of Gold.
"Clang!"
A sudden sound rang out as two strands of golden light collided while crossing, ringing like metal striking metal.
The other strands seemed to be affected as well. They gradually fell into disorder, then finally exploded.
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