The First Lesson of the Inner Sect (2)

Not long after Shen Yuxi took his seat, the atmosphere in the classroom quietly changed.

The disciples who had originally been listening to Chu Shihan's lecture with rapt attention began to stir subtly. Some unconsciously bit their lips, while others' gazes started to wander. Without exception, those acting strangely were all disciples who had entered the inner sect earlier.

Just as Li Ming was wondering why his senior brothers and sisters had suddenly become so odd, a clear, slightly excited inner voice exploded in his ears without warning.

"Wow, his train of thought is clear, his structure is well-organized, and he thoughtfully emphasizes the key points. Eldest Senior Brother is way too good! If I'd had a teacher as conscientious as Eldest Senior Brother in college, how could I ever have failed a course!"

The inner voice had come too suddenly. Hearing Shen Yuxi's thoughts so vividly for the first time, the new disciples immediately lost their bearings.

Their eyes widened, their faces filled with shock. Who could have imagined that the usually cold and noble Second Senior Brother harbored such blazing admiration for Eldest Senior Brother in his heart?

This Second Senior Brother could not exactly be called worlds apart from the image they had known before. It could only be said that the two had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The veteran disciples, who had long been prepared, saw that some new disciples were reacting too obviously to Shen Yuxi's inner voice and might draw his attention. They immediately stepped in without showing a trace.

Some secretly signaled with their eyes, some reminded them with concealed gestures, and some simply physically dragged their thoughts back. In the most natural manner possible, they cleverly covered up the newcomers' loss of composure.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuxi's inner voice grew increasingly active. Nearly every time Chu Shihan finished explaining a key point, a string of heartfelt praise burst forth in his mind.

This left everyone in a dilemma, and a strange split in perception immediately formed within the lecture hall. Half their divine sense had to focus on comprehending the cultivation secrets Eldest Senior Brother was imparting, while the other half was drawn to Second Senior Brother's lively inner voice, their attention repeatedly yanked away against their will.

Even Chu Shihan himself was affected. The ever-present inner voice repeatedly interrupted his train of thought, making the lecture halting and stilted, entirely devoid of his usual fluency and composure. His long fingers unconsciously tapped against the scroll, while the faint crease between his brows revealed the helplessness he was forcibly suppressing.

Although the new disciples had been specially warned by their senior brothers and sisters about the strange situation of Second Senior Brother's thoughts leaking out, and had more or less mentally prepared themselves—

Actually experiencing what their seniors had described only increased their shock rather than lessened it. Besides, who could have expected Second Senior Brother to crank things up this hard right at the start of class?

Those lavish praises were like the liveliest spirit sparrows of spring, fluttering straight into their ears. They clearly knew they should focus on the lecture, but whenever Eldest Senior Brother demonstrated an exquisite technique, Second Senior Brother's impassioned exclamation would explode in their sea of consciousness at precisely the right moment, leaving them defenseless.

Shen Yuxi's unreserved, fervent, straightforward praise surged toward them like towering waves that blotted out the sky and covered the earth, leaving them utterly unable to resist. Under such circumstances, asking them to concentrate on the lesson was truly making things difficult for them.

This was Second Senior Brother! The Second Senior Brother who was ruthless and sparing with words, whose gaze seemed capable of freezing people to death, who remained unstained while rising from the mud! And he had such intense mental activity?! Who the hell could have guessed that?!

Several disciples with weaker self-control were already holding it in until their faces turned red, their features nearly twisted into a knot by their tangled emotions. The entire lecture hall seemed to have become a silent training ground, where everyone struggled with all their might against those uninvited inner voices.

Chu Shihan, standing on the platform, felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles.

He was already ashamed beyond measure because the lecture was going poorly, yet Shen Yuxi did not miss a single opportunity to praise him. Even such mistakes could be forcibly polished up by Shen Yuxi: "Eldest Senior Brother truly is a man of action. He must be extraordinarily gifted, so he never paid much attention to these minor details in the past. Yet this time, he deliberately dug them out to explain them for his junior brothers and sisters. He really... I'm crying myself to death."

Upon hearing this, the junior brothers and sisters who had just entered the inner sect immediately looked enlightened, their eyes round and their faces full of admiration.

"So that's how it was? I thought Eldest Senior Brother had also been affected by Second Senior Brother's inner voice, which was why his lecture had gone wrong. Who would have thought Eldest Senior Brother had put so much care into this lesson.

Sorry, Eldest Senior Brother. We wronged you! Please rest assured that no matter how Second Senior Brother's inner voice interferes in the future, we will never let your painstaking efforts go to waste!"

The elders exchanged looks, wanting to speak but stopping themselves.

"...Could there possibly be another explanation..."

They all knew that Shen Yuxi was purely over-glorifying Chu Shihan's mistakes. But seeing the new disciples' faces, utterly convinced beyond doubt, they truly did not know how to explain it.

After all, the effects caused by Shen Yuxi's inner voice were right before their eyes. If they rashly exposed the truth, they would inevitably undermine the new disciples' confidence in Chu Shihan and, in turn, leave the dignity of the sect's chief disciple in ruins.

Hearing Shen Yuxi's remarks and the reactions of his junior brothers and sisters, Chu Shihan felt a jumble of emotions.

On the one hand, he was deeply grateful for Shen Yuxi's intention to defend him. On the other hand, he also knew perfectly well that his poor performance in this lecture was an indisputable fact. Shen Yuxi's praise did not make him feel comforted; instead, it only made the guilt in his heart grow more intense.

"It must be so. After all, Eldest Senior Brother is Long Aotian! Do you even understand what Heavenly Dao's Son means? The cultivation bottlenecks that ordinary mortals like us encounter probably aren't even noticeable to Eldest Senior Brother!"

The instant these words came out, the entire hall was shocked.

The junior brothers and sisters who had newly entered the inner sect had only been briefly told about Second Senior Brother's thoughts leaking out. Hearing this now, they assumed it was merely another example of Second Senior Brother's usual exaggerated praise for Eldest Senior Brother. Though they found the wording strange, they did not pay it much mind.

The old disciples, however, were dumbstruck. They knew about Second Senior Brother's prophetic ability. Their shock was so great that their breathing stalled for a moment, and then their gazes toward Chu Shihan abruptly turned blazing with reverence.

"Eldest Senior Brother truly is beyond compare!" the old disciples silently marveled.

Although there were several terms in Shen Yuxi's words that they found difficult to understand, anything connected to the "Heavenly Dao" was definitely no simple matter. Setting everything else aside, merely cultivating without a single obstacle or bottleneck was enough to make anyone endlessly envious.

What was more, Second Senior Brother had directly called Eldest Senior Brother "Heavenly Dao's Son." Did that not mean the Heavenly Dao favored Eldest Senior Brother greatly and treated him as its own child? How could that not make people green with envy?

Low murmurs of amazement spread among the disciples, while undercurrents surged through the elders' seats. Several elders nearly crushed their teacups in their hands, storms raging within their hearts: "!! So this was what you meant by Long Aotian before! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

They tried their utmost to maintain calm expressions, but the delight at the corners of their eyes and brows simply could not be suppressed. The curves of their lips rose higher and higher, bright glimmers flashing in their eyes. Their gratification and joy were like wine filled to the brim, nearly spilling over.

Hearing this news, True Person Yu Qing could not help but exclaim in amazement, his eyes full of approval and expectation. "Heaven blesses our sect, to have gained such a qilin child!"

Yet Chu Shihan, standing on the platform at that moment, was filled with incomparable conflict and torment.

"...I don't know whether what Junior Brother said is true, but Second Junior Brother, please stop talking. The expectant gazes of the junior brothers, sisters, elders, and sect master are too piercing, too heavy..."

He felt as though he had been placed over blazing fire to roast. Every gaze full of expectation seemed to turn into a cold, heavy shackle, pressing on his chest until he could barely breathe.

He knew better than anyone that he was far from as flawless as Shen Yuxi praised him to be. Yet trapped in this position, like riding a tiger with no way to dismount, he was utterly lost and had no idea how to end things properly. He could only complain bitterly in his heart.

The moment the dismissal bell rang, Chu Shihan immediately gathered his scrolls and left the lecture hall with steps swift as the wind, afraid that if he delayed even a moment longer, Shen Yuxi might blurt out some earth-shattering inner thought and leave him completely unable to step down from the stage.

Watching Chu Shihan's hurriedly departing back, Shen Yuxi muttered to himself, "Eldest Senior Brother left in such a hurry. He must have gone back to grind himself to the bone again. Sigh, is this the self-cultivation of a protagonist? He can't even bear to waste the time it takes to catch his breath. Sigh, you people who can become protagonists..."

Seeing this, the disciples below the platform felt both regretful and inexplicably relieved.

"It's good that Eldest Senior Brother left first. At least he won't keep getting hammered senseless by Second Senior Brother's exaggerated praise."

But the facts proved that they were still far too naive.

It was Shen Yuxi's turn to teach. Today, he was teaching the critically important foundational course, <Basic Concepts of Spiritual Energy and Its Applications>.

At the beginning of class, the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Shen Yuxi's explanations were clear and well-structured, while the disciples listened attentively. Everyone secretly rejoiced, thinking that they would finally be able to sit through a lesson peacefully this time.

But this smooth state of affairs did not last long—

On the platform, Shen Yuxi wore a robe of blue, his expression focused as he seriously explained the concept of spiritual energy. His words were clear and his logic meticulous, every point explained in exhaustive detail.

He began with the most basic nature of spiritual energy. His long fingers traced the paths of its circulation through the air, and his voice was bright and clear. "Spiritual energy is the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the foundation of cultivation. Ghost energy and demonic energy are different. Do you know the differences among spiritual energy, ghost energy, and demonic energy?"

The disciples below exchanged looks. They only knew to keep away from ghost energy and demonic energy in daily life, but had never deeply examined the reasons. Several bolder disciples ventured, "Demonic energy is violent, while ghost energy is sinister?"

"That is not entirely wrong. Demonic energy and ghost energy are formed when spiritual energy is affected by negative influences. The three originally share the same source, yet they are completely different."

Shen Yuxi raised a hand and drew runes in the air. At once, three wisps of energy appeared in midair, each a different color—lustrous green, eerie purple, and gloomy black.

The stark contrast among the three colors instantly drew everyone's gaze. The disciples in the front rows unconsciously leaned forward, their eyes fixed tightly on the three clusters of energy.

"That's pretty fun. It looks a lot like the rainbow bubble gum I played with as a child, just not transparent enough."

The classroom atmosphere immediately became subtle.

The disciples did not know what "bubble gum" was, but they all understood one thing: this lesson was probably about to go off course again.

Shen Yuxi extended a fingertip and directed a thread of spiritual energy to lightly touch the purple cluster. In an instant, the purple energy mass twisted like a ferocious beast startled awake, abruptly forming a hideous ghost face. It opened a gaping, blood-filled maw and let out a hair-raising howl before dispersing into the air with a boom.

Shen Yuxi looked at the dissipating energy mass, his expression solemn. "Demonic energy is violent, like stream water mixed with sand and shattered stones. In the short term, it can bring immense increases in power to a cultivator.

"But this power is extremely unstable. The 'sand and shattered stones' within it seep in through every crack, wearing down the meridians and eroding the mind. To touch demonic energy is to step onto a road of no return, and its end can only be destruction.

"Demonic energy itself is also highly contaminating. Even the misfortune of touching a single trace of it may lead to erosion."

His voice was calm and forceful. Every word seemed like a heavy hammer striking directly upon the disciples' hearts.

However, just as those below the platform were immersed in his explanation, his inner voice rushed into their ears like an unbridled horse, entirely beyond control.

"Put simply, it's the cultivation world's plague-rabies combo. That's why all Demonic Cultivators are short-lived lunatics with worrying mental health—though compared to ordinary mortals, they still live much longer. But compared to cultivators of the same realm, they don't measure up at all. Among cultivators, they absolutely count as dying young. The classic case of drinking poison to quench thirst, trading your life for a quick power-up.

"Still, the effects really are insane. Talented disciples of this generation can go toe-to-toe with seniors from the previous generation. Well, they're just closer to the underworld than those seniors' seniors in terms of lifespan."

After saying that, he moved his fingertip toward the black cluster. As if sensing his approach, the black energy mass instantly turned into strands of mist. Like nimble little snakes, they slowly wound around his finger, clinging tightly to it.

"Ghost energy is more like a swamp—seemingly calm, yet concealing deadly danger." With a light flick of his wrist, the ghost energy was as hard to shake off as a disease clinging to the bone.

"Completely opposite to demonic energy, ghost energy is solid and heavy, more concealed and stable. It slowly devours spiritual power and vitality. Once one is eroded by ghost energy, one's life force will drain away as swiftly as fine sand through an hourglass."

Before his words had faded, the green mist formed from spiritual energy at his left hand moved close to the black cluster. Once the two clusters reached a certain distance, the green mist was violently pulled by an invisible force and instantly absorbed into the ghost energy that had not yet fully dissipated.

"A mercury-sulfuric-acid-parasite set meal. Free delivery to everyone in range, rich or poor. Always delivered on time, never late. The absorbed spiritual energy and life force can directly nourish itself in return; that's where the legends about evil ghosts absorbing yang energy came from."

At the same time, spiritual light burst from Shen Yuxi's palm, shattering that cluster of ghost energy into specks of starlight.

"Spiritual energy, on the other hand, is pure and gentle, much like a spring night's fine rain, silently nourishing all things. Only this clear spiritual energy can resonate with the meridians and help cultivators continuously increase their cultivation without damaging their meridians or harming others." As Shen Yuxi spoke, he lightly swept his sleeve, gathering another cluster of spiritual energy in his palm.

"In short, it's eternal Tang Monk flesh. A huge tonic! A huge tonic with phenomenal effects!"

"This is also the fundamental reason why cultivators generally reject Demonic Cultivators and Ghost Cultivators," Shen Yuxi concluded. "One destroys the mind, harming both others and oneself. The other brings disaster to the world, harming others. Both can easily cause chaos and massive casualties."

He then demonstrated the transformation techniques of spiritual energy in practical applications through several vivid examples. Whenever he reached a crucial point, he deliberately slowed his speech and used spiritual power to trace clear paths of energy circulation through the air.

This should have been a splendid lecture from which everyone could benefit greatly. Yet the disciples below the platform could not absorb the knowledge smoothly, each clutching their temples in pain.

The rigorous explanation from the platform overlapped with the lively complaints in his mind. The two voices spoke one after another, their content and trains of thought completely different, but their tones identical. Blended together, they were like two ancient zithers playing wildly different melodies in their minds at once, making them dizzy and disoriented.

The disciples were utterly dazed and at a complete loss. They could not tell which side they were supposed to focus on. Whenever they tried to follow the lecture, the unfettered inner voice would lead them astray; once they were amused by the inner voice, they had to immediately straighten their faces and take notes.

How... were they supposed to listen to this class?!

The elders seated in the back rows wore equally colorful expressions.

On one hand, Shen Yuxi's ability to divide his attention and carry out both things so perfectly in parallel was truly rare. On the other hand, this was a class for new disciples, and such a state was genuinely inappropriate.

And so, the lesson muddled its way to an end amid complete chaos.

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Spiritual energy

An abstract form of energy, the foundation for the continued existence of all things.

Gentle in nature and can be used properly.

○ Ghost energy

One variant of spiritual energy, usually condensed from Ghost Cultivators, corpses, and resentful energy.

Corpse energy is also a type of ghost energy.

Ghost energy is usually uncontrolled. Those who can control ghost energy and prevent it from spreading at will are all high-level cultivators.

Ghost energy is solid and heavy, concealed yet stable. It slowly devours the spiritual power and vitality of living beings it comes into contact with. Once one is eroded by ghost energy, spiritual power and life force rapidly drain away, and the lost spiritual power and vitality nourish the source of the ghost energy in return.

Usually, ghost energy not emitted voluntarily has little erosive power. Even if its target is an ordinary mortal, unless they remain within it for a long period, they will at most fall ill and grow weak rather than die. Only ghost energy actively released by its source possesses terrifying erosive power. The rate of erosion is directly proportional to the cultivation of the ghost energy source.

Demonic energy primarily erodes the mind and meridians, while ghost energy has no interest in those things and heads straight for "nutrients." Therefore, death from ghost energy erosion comes faster.

○ Demonic energy

One variant of spiritual energy.

When cultivators absorb spiritual energy to improve themselves, they need to circulate it through a specific cycle. If something goes wrong during that process and the circulation method is incorrect, spiritual energy may transform into demonic energy.

Demonic energy can also be used for cultivation. Because there are fewer restrictions on its circulation method, it can be circulated through a cycle faster. But precisely because it is too fast and disorderly, it causes immense damage to the meridians.

Demonic energy is violent. Cultivating with demonic energy harms oneself and also damages the mind. Most Demonic Cultivators become irritable and extreme amid pain.

It is adhesive. Once contaminated by it, it easily takes root within the body, is difficult to purge, and even harder to assimilate.

○ The difference between Ghost Cultivators and Demonic Cultivators

A Ghost Cultivator is determined by the cultivator's own state. It is a difference of race.

A Demonic Cultivator is determined by one's method of cultivation. It is a difference of cultivation path.

A Ghost Cultivator can also be a Demonic Cultivator.

Short skit:

Shen Yuxi: Eldest Senior Brother is amazing! Eldest Senior Brother is handsome! Eldest Senior Brother is an unparalleled genius!

All disciples: Second Senior Brother, please shut up... No, please seal your heart.

Chu Shihan: I want to die...

Feng, the "Both Senior Brothers Are Always Right" bot: ? Strange, wasn't everything Second Senior Brother said true? Why does everyone look so strange?

Zhou Wen before joining the inner sect: Second Senior Brother is astonishing beyond measure.

Zhou Wen after joining the inner sect: ...Doesn't that still count?