The Full Story, the Gains

The elder teaching today was no ordinary man. He came from the Inner Academy and had set up sixteen cloud couches, each bearing a trial. Yet the elder had sent word of only one character: "fate." Those with fate could enter, but those with outstanding cultivation could enter as well.

Wasn't Senior Brother Liu, the man in question, originally a renowned figure in the Outer Academy? The awkward part was that the seat he had set his sights on and fought over belonged to Cheng Du.

Not only was the other party exceptionally gifted, he also had backing behind him. No wonder Senior Brother Liu had not continued the argument.

Even if they fought, Senior Brother Liu's cultivation realm was indeed higher than Cheng Du's.

But if they fought openly, would that not give the Dao Academy an excuse to intervene?

The elders possessed formidable cultivation, and disciples like them did not know the inside story. Yet no matter how powerful someone was, they were still human and had selfish motives. Once the Inner Academy elder who was teaching arrived, the one to suffer would likely be Senior Brother Liu, despite his higher cultivation.

They could fight as much as they pleased in private arena matches, but here in this classroom, Lu Qing guessed that he did not have the nerve to make a move.

After piecing together the story from what he had heard, Lu Qing was about to listen further when the Inner Academy elder appeared.

The man wore a dark purple robe, his aura hidden from view. A purple crown rested upon his head, and he carried a whisk.

Lu Qing paused slightly at the sight, because the man's appearance bore quite a few similarities to the Daoist priests from his previous life.

Moreover, after merely sweeping his gaze across the room, the man began teaching at once. He neither asked nor concerned himself with what had just happened—or, rather, with the sixteen disciples seated upon the cloud couches.

That manner reminded Lu Qing of Elder Yu, who had taught their first lesson upon entering the sect.

"Today's lesson shall begin at the start of cultivation. Cultivators cultivate both nature and life..."

As expected of an Inner Academy elder, he spoke of nature and life as soon as he opened his mouth. Lu Qing's spirits lifted, and he gathered his entire body and mind into the lesson.

The Purple-Crowned Elder's cultivation insights even gave rise to layer upon layer of strange phenomena by the end.

Lu Qing set aside his earlier spectator's mindset and immersed himself completely, listening with profound satisfaction. This elder began with the lowest stages of cultivation.

He did not know whether it was to accommodate his disciples or for some other reason, but Lu Qing was in the Qi Nourishment Realm. After listening through the lecture, he could clearly sense that his body's foundation had become more complete, while much of the fog obscuring his road ahead had been swept away.

"Very well. Today's lesson ends here. I shall be teaching here for the next three days."

Only after all the disciples had awakened from their absorption did the Purple-Crowned Elder slowly speak.

"Yes, disciples respectfully see Elder off."

The disciples on the cloud couches rose one after another and cupped their hands in salute.

"So this is what lies beyond cultivation."

Lu Qing felt incomparably comfortable all over. Once the lecture reached the Purple Mansion Realm and then Core Formation, it was no longer something he could continue listening to.

Although everyone was gathered here, if one's cultivation was insufficient and one forcibly listened to teachings beyond one's grasp, it would only bring harm rather than benefit.

Lu Qing cut decisively. Having heard some of the material before the Purple Mansion Realm, he already felt that today's gains had been exceedingly abundant.

With the cultivation experience of those who came before, along with the broad, lofty guidance of an Inner Academy elder, such experience was undoubtedly precious to cultivators.

"Best leave first."

He glanced around, saw what seemed to be an argument breaking out ahead, and promptly slipped away, leaving first with utmost discretion.

Lu Qing had no intention of involving himself in the confrontation between Senior Brother Liu and Cheng Du.

After returning to his Dao Peak, he reflected on the morning's lesson. Cultivation foundations had always been built step by step. He did not rush to break through; Spiritual Power filled his Dantian, flowed through the meridians of his limbs and body, and finally entered the heavenly spirit at his brow.

"It's beginning to undergo a qualitative change."

"The Spiritual Power is even denser than before. It seems to faintly show signs of transforming into a Spirit Sea."

Lu Qing examined his Dantian inwardly, his gaze sharp as a torch, and quickly discovered that trace of abnormality.

Joy rose in his heart. The Spiritual Power in his Dantian had originally resembled mist, but now, beneath the Spiritual Power filling his Dantian, there was an added sense of heaviness.

A single drop of Spiritual Power could rival half the Spiritual Power contained in one of his full-force strikes.

"Foundation Establishment begins with transforming spiritual energy into a sea, then using spirit items to forge the foundations of one's body and Divine Soul. Only then can one's cultivation foundation become incomparably stable."

"But as the elder said today, Foundation Establishment is only the beginning. It is also the foundation upon which a towering building of ten thousand layers rises from nothing. This step must be approached with the utmost caution."

Lu Qing repeatedly savored the insights he had gained today. The road of cultivation had always been shrouded in heavy fog for every cultivator, but Lu Qing could now peel back one corner of that mist and see the road ahead clearly.

"So that is why Foundation Establishment Spirit Items are so important. In that case, it is no wonder that disturbance has continued until today."

The Profound Heaven Dao Academy was the overlord of the Profound Heaven Domain. Even the cultivation lineages and other cultivation sects probably could not compare their Foundation Establishment Spirit Items to the treasury of a hegemonic power that ruled an entire domain.

"Moonlight Spiritual Items are gentle and risk-free. Perhaps only the dozen or so people at the front have them?"

It was not difficult to understand why some people were resentful.

For disciples like them who had yet to reach Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment Spirit Items were naturally priceless treasures—except for those with powerful backers.

But Lu Qing did not know the backgrounds of the others. It was merely a passing thought, yet after today's lesson, he realized that he had overlooked another treasure trove of the Dao Academy.

"Those cultivation jade slips and cultivation insights are all realizations left by those before me. I never examined them previously, so I should browse through more of them in the future."

Early the next morning, Lu Qing returned to the cloud couch from yesterday and continued listening to the elder's teachings.

Though he did not know why the elder's originally scheduled single day of teaching had been extended to three days, with an elder lecturing, there was naturally no reason not to listen.

"Today, we shall speak of formations."

The elder spoke, setting the theme of the day's lesson.

Lu Qing's eyes brightened slightly. During that month-long task, aside from cultivation, he had spent his spare moments browsing the free jade slips on cultivation knowledge in the Library Tower.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will fight a hundred battles without defeat.

He had no wish to be an illiterate in matters of cultivation, so he had naturally heard of formations.

Formations gathered the spiritual energy of cultivation and assembled the wisdom of cultivators.

From the earliest Spirit-Gathering Formation, they developed into Guardian Formations; from a simple Clear Mind Formation, they advanced to Illusion Formations, Dream Formations, and even the Great Dream Formation. Countless formations were like stars in the heavens, dazzling and brilliant.

Unfortunately, this branch of cultivation, one of the most widely known, tested not one's aptitude for cultivation, but a certain profound and mysterious comprehension of the Dao.

Lu Qing did not know whether he possessed such talent, but what did it matter? Since he had the chance to listen, he naturally could not let it pass him by.

Moreover, as a Longevity Species, he had more than enough Lifespan to spare. Over the past month, he had already shed several decades of Lifespan.

Even if he lacked talent, time stood at his side. Over the long years, there was no need to rush for a single moment.

His mindset was utterly calm.

Yet during today's lecture, he noticed that quite a few cloud couches stood empty.

They were all seats in the front rows.

Lu Qing understood. These disciples had likely already known today's topic. Unlike newly admitted disciples, they already had their own directions in cultivation, and in order to accommodate most disciples, today's content would certainly not be profound.

Since that was the case, it made no difference whether they came or not.

They had come for the first day's lecture on Core Formation cultivation in the first place.