Nine Branches of Immortal Learning

The Lone Pavilion Master noticed the looks in her disciples' eyes, and a faint smile rose to her lips.

The old woman immediately shifted the subject again:

"Before I explain these shortcuts into the Immortal Sect, this old woman must first go over the same old lesson and test you all.

I shall also teach the newly initiated disciples: just what branches make up the broad road into the Immortal Sect—the Immortal Learning as the world sees it?"

The other disciples, Fang Shu excluded, saw that the Lone Pavilion Master was deliberately keeping them in suspense. Their excitement faltered, but unwilling to miss the lecture, they all focused themselves.

The Lone Pavilion Master's gaze swept across them before finally settling on one person:

"Li Hou'er, come forward and explain."

Li Hou'er's expression was solemn, without a trace of the grinning playfulness he showed when alone with Fang Shu.

With clear, ringing diction, he shouted out as if reciting a menu:

"Reporting to Master, the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning are: the Life-Preservation Discipline, Divination Arts Department, Majesty Empowerment Discipline, Witchcraft Suppression Discipline, Bedchamber Form-Refining Discipline, External Elixir and Alchemy Discipline, Spirit-Striking Netherworld Rite, Five-Element Thunder Arts, and Spirit-Illusion Beast-Taming Discipline."

Hearing this knowledge, Fang Shu found several parts of it strangely familiar. He felt that he had heard some of those terms before.

But this was his first time hearing of the "Nine Branches of Immortal Learning," and he found it incomparably novel.

Seeing that Li Hou'er had answered correctly, the Lone Pavilion Master nodded slightly, then added:

"These nine branches are also the nine great schools of spells and incantations in the world, the source of all Dao veins under heaven.

The spells and cultivation methods learned by us immortals—apart from those overly crude arts that do not even require Mystic Script, such as the method demons often use to face the moon and swallow its light—

all originate from these nine branches.

For example, the Insect Method and Insect Arts of our Solitary Gu Hall..."

The Lone Pavilion Master's gaze shifted again, landing on the disciples. Li Hou'er was about to answer, but she looked instead at Fang Shu:

"Fang Shu, you have only just entered the inner courtyard. This is likely your first time hearing such principles. Which branch do you think this old woman specializes in?"

Fang Shu answered in a low voice:

"Reporting to Master, the hall has Venom Pits and Insect Methods. I presume it is the Witchcraft Suppression Discipline mentioned by Senior Brother Li."

"Precisely." The Lone Pavilion Master nodded.

Then the old woman lifted her chin slightly and said with composed self-assurance:

"All the cultivation methods in this hall trace their origins to the Witchcraft Suppression Discipline. From top to bottom, we are one whole, a proper inheritance of Immortal Learning, unlike those rogue cultivators and miscellaneous cultivators outside.

Their spells are too sprawling and mixed. The Mystic Scripts they learn come in every conceivable variety. Perhaps they lack nothing in spell combat, and because their methods are bizarre, they often possess strange tricks of their own. They cannot be underestimated.

But when it comes to prospects upon the immortal path, they fall far short of us orthodox practitioners of Immortal Learning."

After that, the Lone Pavilion Master gave a clear and detailed explanation centered on the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning.

The other disciples around them showed little reaction as they listened. They had likely heard these principles long ago and found nothing surprising in them.

But Fang Shu was hearing such knowledge for the first time, and he was utterly absorbed.

He had never imagined that the Immortal Learning of this world had developed to such a level, that every Dao and every art beneath heaven was contained within the "Nine Branches."

Moreover, according to the Lone Pavilion Master, the founders of these nine branches had all been Heavenly Immortals. Because each had established a Dao path, they were also revered by the world as "Dao Masters" and "Dao Patriarchs."

The one best known to the world was the ancient sage and teacher who, more than ninety thousand years ago, had first established the Divination Arts Department and laid down the framework of the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning.

When this sage attained the Dao through Void Refinement, he preached the Dao to the living beings of the world in Heaven Beyond Heaven, leaving four empty seats on each side of himself.

At the time, a holy being listening to the lecture was puzzled and asked the ancient sage and teacher what this meant.

The other replied:

"These eight empty seats are reserved for future Dao companions."

Later generations called this "Friendship Across Time."

Thereafter, every ten thousand years in the Outer World, someone would indeed build upon their predecessors' foundations, establish a new Dao path, ascend to become a Void Refinement Heavenly Immortal, and add another branch to Immortal Learning.

By now, nine Heavenly Immortal Dao Masters had emerged in the Outer World.

And Immortal Learning, too, had become complete with all nine branches, flourishing like oil poured upon roaring flames, like brocade upon blooming flowers!

Later generations no longer needed to open new frontiers within Immortal Learning. They only needed to cultivate step by step, or mend and patch the grand mansions built by their predecessors.

Fang Shu listened with rapt attention, feeling as though his eyes had been opened to an entire new world.

This was the first time he understood the roots and origins of this world's immortal Dao, and the first time he learned that immortals called the world they inhabited the "Outer World."

After speaking at length, tirelessly and eloquently, the Lone Pavilion Master suddenly gave a soft sigh:

"Unfortunately, though the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning are before your eyes, you cannot make use of them."

This surprised Li Hou'er amid the crowd. He cupped his hands in salute.

After receiving the Lone Pavilion Master's permission, Li Hou'er immediately spoke:

"Reporting to Master!

Did you not previously say that if we wished to walk steadily and far upon the path of Immortal Learning, we had to choose one of the nine branches and devote ourselves to studying it?

Once we choose a primary branch, we must not grow restless and pry into other branches. At most, we may use other branches to supplement ourselves. Only then can we specialize in one Dao and comprehend its principles.

Otherwise, even if we enter an Immortal Sect in the future, succeed in Refining Qi, or even luckily achieve Foundation Establishment, our immortal path will end there. We shall never have the day we forge a Golden Core."

Li Hou'er recited this as though from memory, then asked in puzzlement:

"You taught us that although these matters are far too distant, it would be best to choose one now and follow it from the start... Why do you now say that the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning are of no use to us?"

Li Hou'er's question was precisely what Fang Shu wished to ask. He immediately focused even harder and pricked up his ears to listen.

As for the other disciples, such as Qin Min, when they heard Li Hou'er's question, some sneered while others remained indifferent. None showed much reaction.

The Lone Pavilion Master smiled at Li Hou'er and Fang Shu.

"You little monkey have asked the very heart of the matter. This is also connected to the shortcuts into the Immortal Sect that I intend to explain to you today."

She continued:

"Though the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning are excellent, you are merely children beginning to learn the Dao. Though you have already set foot upon the immortal path, you are like mortal children who barely recognize a few 'characters'—how can you speak of scholarship?"

The Lone Pavilion Master said earnestly:

"To study the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning immediately upon entering the Dao, one must be a disciple of an orthodox Profound Gate or an immortal clan and noble family. Such people are born with Spirit Roots. They may receive enlightenment through empowerment or Dao comprehension, and from childhood they need not even learn the writing of the mortal world, learning only Mystic Script.

Only those with such foundations use the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning as their initiation into the Dao.

As for you, although the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning are the orthodox path, you must cultivate into Spirit Immortals and enter an Immortal Sect before you are qualified to consider them.

What you can do now is merely find every possible way to temper your strength, accumulate a few spells, and learn a few more Mystic Scripts.

As for matching spells, studying principles, and the like, it is far too early for you. Learning such things would only mean aiming too high and wasting your energy. When the time comes to truly involve yourselves in them, your master will naturally lay the groundwork for you."

Li Hou'er listened with an expression of half-understanding as he slowly digested her words.

But Fang Shu, standing nearby, understood at once.

The Lone Pavilion Master's lesson could be summed up in a single sentence:

"None of the people here are worthy."

Though this broad road was good, to truly study the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning, they first had to step into Refining Qi and enter an Immortal Sect before they had the chance!