Divine Map

Just as Zhou Bai left his dormitory, intending to find Jing Xiu and go to class together.

Zhou Bai had looked over the course schedule yesterday and found that every class was related to cultivation. There was not a single mathematics or physics class.

What a pity. One of my strengths is gone.

A figure had somehow appeared before him, waiting.

Zhou Bai narrowed his eyes. This was a man whose gaze was sharp as a blade. After thinking back for a moment, he recognized him as one of the five examiners from the third round of the entrance test.

Xing Jun looked at Zhou Bai and nodded, revealing an unnatural smile. "You should still remember me. My name is Xing Jun, a teacher at Donghua Dao School and a cultivator of the fifth realm. I was the one who voted for you to take first place in the entrance test."

The fifth realm? That means his Daoization Degree is above 50%, right? Zhou Bai was slightly taken aback, then nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Senior."

"No need to thank me. It has been a long time since I last saw a student with as much potential as you. This is my contact information. Come find me if you have any problems in the future."

"Keep it up. I think very highly of you."

After exchanging a few words, Zhou Bai left, replaying Xing Jun's words in his head. Is this... him showing me goodwill? Trying to recruit me?

Before he could think any further, Jing Xiu was already waving at him from afar. "Big Brother Zhou! I'm here!"

The Dao School's efficiency was as high as ever. There was no opening speech, and for elites like them, there was neither encouragement nor instruction.

The very first class began with lessons on the Dao.

Before the six hundred students stood the three teachers: Sun Yuzhen, Xing Jun, and Lü Chongyang.

Sun Yuzhen, her hair tied in a ponytail, waved her hand. "At Donghua Dao School, students are assigned instruction according to their individual progress, regardless of which class year they belong to. However, there will be an assessment every two months. Students who fail to pass will be expelled."

"All right. Those whose Primordial Spirit Value has not yet reached 99, come with me."

Most of the six hundred students immediately left. Then Xing Jun, standing nearby, said, "Zuo Dao, come with me."

Zuo Dao left. Twenty-four people remained, including Zhou Bai, all examinees whose Primordial Spirit Value had reached 99.

With a gentle expression, Lü Chongyang said, "All of you have reached a Primordial Spirit Value of 99. At a Daoization Degree of 0%, 99 is already a limit.

"From now on, I will teach your daily classes, instructing you in the method of entering the Dao—that is, raising your Daoization Degree so that your Primordial Spirit Power can break through the limit of 99 and continue growing."

Hearing this, everyone present grew expectant. Zhou Bai felt a faint thrill as well. His Auxiliary System still had more than a thousand Laziness Qi Value with nowhere to spend it. He had been waiting for this breakthrough.

Lü Chongyang said, "In ancient times, the Heavenly Dao was gentle and mysterious. Back then, cultivators only needed to devote themselves wholeheartedly to cultivating their Primordial Spirit and raising their Daoization Degree to wield divine powers capable of overturning rivers and seas."

"But now, the Heavenly Dao has become twisted, and the Spiritual Machine is polluted. Cultivation is a hundred, a thousand times more dangerous than it was in the past. Cultivating only the Primordial Spirit and Daoization Degree is no longer nearly enough."

Lü Chongyang said, "With every point the Daoization Degree rises, one's synchronization with the Heavenly Dao increases, and the influence of the Heavenly Dao's distortion deepens. To reduce this risk, one needs powerful Primordial Spirit Power, an unwavering will, and a strong physique."

"Your Primordial Spirit Power has all reached the limit currently attainable, so I will not teach you any new breathing methods or techniques for increasing Primordial Spirit Power."

Lü Chongyang said, "Your main task from here on will be to strengthen your will and physique. The best way to do so is to choose a Divine Map and cultivate it. This will be your opportunity to enter the Dao."

Zhou Bai's heart stirred. "A Divine Map?" He had seen Divine Maps in the Auxiliary System before, but had never cultivated one. At last, he could begin.

With a movement of Lü Chongyang's Primordial Spirit Power, nine images appeared before everyone. Six depicted a blade, spear, sword, bow, axe, and talisman, while the other three depicted the sky, the earth, and a human.

Lü Chongyang said, "Some of you may have heard of this already, while others may not. Let me explain it all at once.

"After the Heavenly Dao became twisted, countless sages paid the price in blood, sparing no sacrifice, to extract and organize these shortcuts to cultivation from tens of thousands of twisted and evil forms of knowledge.

"There are eleven major realms of cultivation. By choosing the corresponding Divine Map to cultivate at each realm, one can follow the path through to the end and continuously improve oneself."

As he spoke, Lü Chongyang enlarged the nine Divine Maps before them one by one. "These nine Divine Maps are the nine basic Divine Maps available in the Return to Origin Realm, from Daoization Degree 0% to 9%, at Level 0 of cultivation.

"Whichever of these nine Divine Maps you choose, your future cultivation path will be entirely different. The Divine Maps you can choose again at each subsequent realm will also be completely different. They represent the nine great paths of cultivation.

"Over the course of a lifetime, each person can only choose one basic Divine Map as their starting point. You cannot start over, so you must choose carefully. Next, I will explain the differences between these nine types of Divine Maps..."

As Zhou Bai listened to Lü Chongyang's introduction, Christina, who had been curled into a ball in his mind, said, "Zhou Bai, choose the Sword Diagram."

"Why?" Zhou Bai said. "I was just about to ask you: my Auxiliary System's Divine Map is the Nine Calamities of Heaven and Man. Can I still cultivate another Divine Map?"

"You can't. You can't cultivate any other Divine Maps." Christina cried, "But I remembered—I can cultivate one! And my Divine Map is the same as your Divine Map. If I cultivate it, it's the same as you cultivating it."

"Really?" Suspicion showed on Zhou Bai's face. "That sounds too unbelievable."

"Of course it's true!" Christina said, patting her chest. "How could someone as cute as me lie to you!"

Zhou Bai still did not agree to Christina's request right away. He intended to wait until Lü Chongyang had finished his lesson.

Lü Chongyang went on to explain the traits and future directions of the nine basic Divine Maps, then began to teach them how to cultivate the Divine Maps.

"Every Divine Map is not merely a drawing. They are Dao Fruits forged by the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court together with humanity's top cultivators, through tremendous effort, countless resources, and condensed knowledge of the Heavenly Dao."

Only a top human cultivation sanctuary like Donghua Dao School could provide every student with a Divine Map.

Even these nine basic Divine Maps were each worth a fortune in the outside world, and one was nearly impossible to obtain, because they represented the gate to entering the Dao.

As he spoke, Lü Chongyang controlled a Blade Diagram and floated it into the air. The Divine Map transformed into specks of light that filled the sky, then the points of light spun and formed the Divine Map once more.

"Once the Divine Map has been infused into your sea of consciousness, it can combine with your Primordial Spirit and become a Supreme Unity Disc. By channeling Primordial Spirit Power into the Supreme Unity Disc, you can..."

Listening to Lü Chongyang's detailed explanation, Zhou Bai finally understood how Divine Maps were cultivated. This truly was a simplified method of cultivation, greatly saving a cultivator's time.

It was like making cultivators run along a designated track. They only needed to choose different Divine Maps at each realm, then continuously improve according to the Divine Maps.

The lesson gradually passed amid Lü Chongyang's explanations, until it finally came time to choose Divine Maps.

The other students had cultivated the Dao for years. More or less, they all understood the importance of Divine Maps, and had basically chosen the Divine Maps they wished to cultivate long ago.

One Divine Map after another was drawn out by Lü Chongyang and infused into the students' seas of consciousness. They then closed their eyes and sat in meditation, beginning to sense the changes within their seas of consciousness.

Only Zhou Bai looked at the nine Divine Maps before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

When Zhou Bai was the last one who had yet to choose, Lü Chongyang looked at him and smiled gently. "What is it, Zhou Bai? Haven't you decided which one to choose?"

Zhou Bai recalled the introduction to the Divine Maps. Foremost in slaughter, especially skilled in extreme speed...

"Teacher, I choose the Sword Diagram."