Wei Zhixing

The tangled thoughts in Lu Xuan's heart flashed by in an instant. He looked toward the map, compared them briefly, and chose a cave abode facing due east, unobstructed and able to see the morning sun.

Compared to the chosen cave abode, it was positioned slightly lower, halfway up the mountain.

"Junior Brother Zhang, go ahead and choose."

Lu Xuan pointed, settling on his own cave abode, then smiled at Zhang Xuange beside him.

"The sect is fair. They are all Character Mao, fourth-grade Spirit Veins, so there is nothing much to choose between. This one will do."

Without examining them closely, Zhang Xuange casually pointed to a cave abode suited to the Four Seasons Qi and had the attendant register it.

As for Character Mao, fourth grade, that was a classification of Spirit Veins.

The classification of Spirit Veins was exceedingly complicated. They were divided according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, for a total of twenty-two grades.

In ancient times, every Spirit Vein possessed mysterious properties. Living near one for long periods could bring about indescribable transformations. For example, Heavenly Stem Character Jia originally meant vegetation breaking through its shell, symbolizing a beginning. Those who dwelled long upon such a Spirit Vein would gradually grasp the power of "life," and could also observe the sun to gain the power of Heaven.

Those who dwelled long upon Earthly Branch Spiritual Veins could likewise grasp the power of life's evolution upon the earth, as well as the earth's five elements.

In short, every Spirit Vein brought different transformations to those who dwelled upon it for long, as though divinely crafted by heaven.

Spirit Veins were also called immortal veins or divine veins, possessing inconceivable power.

For the sake of a single Spirit Vein, people truly could fight until heaven and earth turned upside down.

By this age, the mysterious properties of Spirit Veins were no longer as exaggerated as they had been in ancient times. Especially with Earthly Branch Spiritual Veins, aside from differences in spiritual energy density, Qi nature, and the growth of surrounding spiritual objects, there were no longer many changes.

Yet the method of classification had endured.

Thus, the twelve Earthly Branch grades used Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu... to rank Spirit Veins. Character Zi was first grade, Character Chou second grade, and so forth, making twelve grades of Spirit Veins in total.

Heavenly Stem Spirit Veins, however, were not divided by grade.

The Spirit Veins of each character differed in their profound mysteries. They could not be defined by ordinary ranks.

For the Heaven-Gazing Sect to provide Character Mao, fourth-grade Spirit Veins during the Qi Refining stage was already a grand gesture.

For ordinary small sects, having a sixth- or seventh-grade Spirit Vein for cultivation was already a blessing.

Thus, to Zhang Xuange, there was no great difference. The cave abodes merely differed in location, furnishings, and scenery.

"This humble attendant has registered the two of you. In the future, you need only use your Jade Discs to sense them, and you will be able to open the cave-protecting formations."

"As for the clothing for all four seasons, robes, the three low-grade dharma artifacts awarded upon entering the inner sect, this month's Spirit Stones, and medicinal pills, this humble attendant will dispatch someone to deliver them to your cave abodes shortly. Once the instruction gathering ends, the two mystics may enter your cave abodes and collect them."

"The island's Culinary Hall is west of the Instruction Hall. If pressing matters prevent you from going to the Culinary Hall, you may also inform the hall attendants, and they will deliver the meals to your cave abodes."

The attendant respectfully registered the two of them and activated the island map, indicating the Culinary Hall's location.

"Thank you, attendant."

After offering his thanks, Lu Xuan headed toward the Instruction Hall with Zhang Xuange.

These were all sect benefits and required no concern from them.

What he was curious about now was... what kind of True Qi had the eight inner sect disciples on this island gathered?

The Instruction Hall was vast, yet its furnishings were exceedingly simple. There were only ten meditation cushions, one at the head and nine below.

Yet Lu Xuan and Zhang Xuange still noticed certain differences.

The hall's beams and pillars glimmered with a bronze-gold hue, while a dim sheen flickered across the stone tiles of the floor.

Even the meditation cushions seemed cast from molten iron, weighty and solid.

At this moment, two people were already seated cross-legged upon the nine cushions.

One had a fair complexion and a tall build, with what seemed to be a perpetual smile at the corners of his lips.

The other was somewhat shorter, but his waist and back were ramrod straight, carrying an unyielding air.

Lu Xuan and Zhang Xuange's gazes landed upon him in an instant.

"It is actually Senior Brother Wei..."

"Senior Brother Wei came too. I wonder what Qi Senior Brother Wei gathered..."

Zhang Xuange wore an especially strange expression.

Senior Brother Wei, Wei Zhixing.

Lu Xuan recognized him. He was quite famous in Hibernation Academy.

Because he was "competitive" and "fond of writing letters."

Back when Hibernation Academy had been cultivating the Dao Scriptures, the instructors had held a "small swordsmanship contest" to assess everyone's progress.

Wei Zhixing had placed second.

But afterward, he painstakingly studied swordsmanship and seemed to achieve something. Then he began "writing letters," using words to recount that day's match, recreating its scenes before further deducing them. He wrote down what he had comprehended, worked out a victory for himself, and sent it to the winner of that day's swordsmanship contest, Qi Heting.

It was as though he were telling the other party: My swordsmanship has greatly improved. I have surpassed you.

Qi Heting had naturally possessed some sharpness to claim first place in swordsmanship. Without another word, he tracked down the letter's author and went straight to Wei Zhixing's residence, where the two fought another match.

The result was another overwhelming victory for Qi Heting and Wei Zhixing's second defeat.

That day, Qi Heting had even left behind harsh words. "You practice the sword for a whole day, which is equal to half a day of my practice. Today, you deduced a sword victory over yesterday's match—how is that not laughable?"

For a time, this matter became the butt of jokes throughout Hibernation Academy.

But Wei Zhixing remained unmoved.

A month later, he wrote another letter, once more pushing his swordsmanship deductions further. He deduced the sword match of his second defeat, then won, and sent the letter to Qi Heting.

Qi Heting flew into a rage, directly carrying his sword to Wei Zhixing.

The two began their third sword duel.

This time, Qi Heting won again, and Wei Zhixing suffered another defeat.

Qi Heting said coldly, "Do not disturb me again. Cultivate in peace, or do not blame me for disregarding our bond as fellow students."

Wei Zhixing said nothing, merely sitting there in a daze. Qi Heting thought he had finally conceded and left with his sword.

But three months later, Qi Heting received a third letter.

Qi Heting did not wish to pay it any heed, feeling only that this man was a rascal.

Yet after that, a letter arrived every three days, each one filled with sword principles and deductions taken to the utmost extreme.

Qi Heting ignored them at first, but nine days later, for some unknown reason, he sought Wei Zhixing out again.

This time, Wei Zhixing did not lose, nor did Qi Heting win.

The two had actually fought to a draw!

Qi Heting seemed provoked. He began studying swordsmanship with fierce intensity, practicing his sword whenever he was free apart from the compulsory lessons taught by the instructors.

And so, one month later, the two fought another match.

This time, there was still no victor.

But another month later—Wei Zhixing won.

Hibernation Academy was in an uproar, and the name Wei Zhixing became known to everyone.

He was a troublesome fellow student: competitive, exceedingly tenacious by nature, extraordinarily gifted, and skilled at using writing to make deductions.

But Wei Zhixing did not strive to be first in everything.

He only strove to be first in matters he loved and excelled at.

If their gathered and refined Qi differed, that was one thing.

But if they gathered the same Qi and cultivated in the same place, they would surely have to determine who was superior.

It was precisely because Zhang Xuange knew this that he wore such a strange expression and asked that question.

"Junior Brother Lu, Junior Brother Zhang?!"

Their exchange had taken only an instant, but the two men on the meditation cushions had also noticed them. The fair-complexioned, tall youth rose first and called to them with a smile.

"Senior Brother Zhan!"

Lu Xuan and Zhang Xuange saluted him.

This man was named Zhan Qingyang. He had entered Hibernation Academy much earlier, so he was naturally their senior brother.

At the same time, Wei Zhixing turned to look at them as well.

But unlike the other man, Wei Zhixing's Spiritual Sense surged hotly from between his brows, like the light of a great sun, pouring down upon Lu Xuan and Zhang Xuange in a vast torrent.

This Spiritual Sense contained no killing intent, but it burned like fire and was hard to withstand. If they did not resist, their Niwan Palaces would likely grow feverish and their entire bodies would feel unwell.

Zhang Xuange had no choice but to circulate his own Spiritual Sense. It seemed to carry a tiger's roar, bearing an overbearing intent as it resisted that scorching Spiritual Sense.

Lu Xuan likewise activated his Spiritual Sense. In an instant, it was as if two beams of sunlight met in midair, stirring invisible ripples.

The clash of Spiritual Senses lasted only an instant, yet a slight distinction of superiority had already emerged.

Wei Zhixing's Spiritual Sense burned like fire and was extremely domineering. But Lu Xuan's Spiritual Sense was long-lasting and powerful, like the rising morning sun and like a spiritual tree brimming with vitality. After blocking the first wave of Wei Zhixing's domineering Spiritual Sense, it began to show signs of counterattacking.

But Lu Xuan withdrew his Spiritual Sense at the proper moment.

Wei Zhixing did the same.

Yet his gaze remained fixed tightly upon Lu Xuan.