First Lesson

"It was time to see what the sect instructors' lessons were like." Dong Lin rose, tidied himself up, and followed the Sect Jade Token's guidance through a spatial portal to the outer sect.

Between the Soaring Cloud Heavenly Palace and the outer sect, several teleportation arrays had been established so inner sect cultivators could conveniently travel to the outer sect on business.

As for why Steward Xuan had not taken Dong Lin through a teleportation array a few days ago, perhaps he had wanted Dong Lin to witness the Soaring Cloud Heavenly Palace's majestic exterior.

It seemed the inner sect did not offer lessons for the foundational stage; only the outer sect provided introductory explanations for basic cultivation.

Following the jade token's guidance, Dong Lin stepped into this district of classical buildings. Every detail had been meticulously carved and polished: towering stone pillars, lifelike sculptures, and lakes shimmering with ripples of light combined to create an atmosphere of peace and serenity.

"The outer sect's teaching district is this luxurious?" Dong Lin clicked his tongue inwardly.

"North Room Seven. This is it." Dong Lin had wandered around the outer teaching district for quite some time before finally finding the classroom he was looking for.

Dong Lin pushed open the wooden door and walked inside.

The instant he entered, the cramped layout he had expected suddenly opened into a vast expanse. Sunlight poured down through the carved dome, scattering fragmented patches of light across the blue-brick floor. By visual estimate, its depth extended more than three times beyond what its exterior suggested.

As his gaze swept across the room, he saw three azure lotus platforms, each half a man tall, resting upon the dais. Every petal gleamed with a lustrous blue-green radiance, while crystal beads like morning dew clung to their edges. Before his fingers could even touch them, he could already sense their jade-like chill.

More than a dozen people had already arrived in the classroom, scattered here and there. Dong Lin casually found an empty seat in a less crowded area and sat down.

About another half hour later, the lecturer finally strolled into the classroom at an unhurried pace.

Just as Dong Lin had imagined, the lecturer was a white-bearded old man.

The old man possessed the bearing of an immortal sage. His silver hair trembled faintly, his face was benevolent, and kindness shone from his eyes. Every gesture he made exuded the unfathomable aura of an immortal master.

"Isn't that Lian Steward from Division One?" someone not far from Dong Lin said softly.

"We newcomers to the sect are actually being taught by the outer sect's chief steward?"

"So my instincts were right. He truly is a powerhouse of the immortal path." Seeing such an expert personally enlightening him in cultivation, Dong Lin nodded slightly to himself in satisfaction.

"Silence!"

The entire hall immediately fell quiet, forming a stark contrast to the commotion of the moment before.

Lian Baichen looked at this batch of newly admitted disciples. Seeing that they were fairly well-behaved, he nodded in satisfaction.

"My name is Lian Baichen, and I am the chief steward of the outer sect's first division.

"You are the final batch of newly admitted outer sect disciples from this recruitment."

Steward Lian paused, his gaze seeming to sweep over Dong Lin almost imperceptibly before he continued.

"Today happens to be the outer sect disciples' grand competition. The outer sect deacon who was meant to teach this lesson is responsible for maintaining the competition's safety and order, so I will be taking his place."

"You thirty-nine have passed the sect's five trials to enter our gates. All of you possess excellent aptitude, yet none of you have set foot upon the path of cultivation.

"So, I will first teach you the most basic knowledge of the immortal path."

Better to come at the right time than early. I had only just joined this sect, and I already happened upon the chance to receive instruction from such a mighty expert? Dong Lin thought inwardly.

"For mortals of flesh and blood to embark on the road of seeking immortality, they must first shatter the shackle that restrains them. This shackle exists not only within the body's various meridians, but also within the sea of consciousness.

"Unless one is a heaven-defying genius blessed with extraordinary talent, one must rely on spiritual herbs, medicinal pellets, or the flesh and blood of exotic beasts containing spiritual qi to sense spiritual qi and thereby develop qi sensation.

"The moment you can directly sense spiritual qi from heaven and earth, you have stepped onto the path of immortal cultivation.

"The human body possesses the eight extraordinary meridians from birth, as well as the twelve regular meridians acquired after birth.

"The eight extraordinary meridians are the Governing Vessel, Conception Vessel, Penetrating Vessel, Belt Vessel, Yang Linking Vessel, Yin Linking Vessel, Yin Heel Vessel, and Yang Heel Vessel.

"The twelve meridians form the main body of the meridian system. Their primary characteristic is that their interior and exterior channels correspond to one another and connect with their respective organs.

"They include the Hand Greater Yin Meridian, Hand Terminal Yin Meridian, Hand Lesser Yin Meridian, Hand Yang Brightness Meridian, Hand Lesser Yang Meridian, Hand Greater Yang Meridian, Foot Yang Brightness Meridian, Foot Lesser Yang Meridian, Foot Greater Yang Meridian, Foot Greater Yin Meridian, Foot Terminal Yin Meridian, and Foot Lesser Yin Meridian. Together, these three yang and three yin hand meridians and three yang and three yin foot meridians make twelve channels, also known as the 'regular meridians.'

"The various cultivation methods possessed by the great immortal sects, including our Profound Dao Celestial Sect, differ in the routes through which spiritual qi travels within the meridians. The more profound the cultivation method, the more mysterious and intricate the route of spiritual qi's circulation becomes.

"The meridians are tangled and complex. Guiding spiritual qi through them is no easy task. If one fails to control the force precisely, spiritual qi may burst through the meridians and cause injury. Should spiritual qi harm the brain, there is even the risk of qi deviation and demonic possession.

"The second matter is spiritual awareness. Unlike sensing spiritual qi, which leaves traces one can follow, spiritual pills and immortal herbs capable of helping one awaken spiritual awareness are all peerless treasures.

"The process of awakening spiritual awareness is called Spirit Awakening. This process differs for every person. Some naturally awaken their spiritual awareness the instant they sense spiritual qi, while others can sense spiritual qi but simply cannot awaken spiritual awareness no matter what they do.

"If one cannot awaken it personally, then one must rely on the spiritual awareness of a high-level cultivator to trigger it, or use an Illusion Artifact to stimulate it."

Having said this, Lian Baichen smiled and paused.

Dong Lin seemed to realize something. One after another, some people below the stage wore shocked expressions, hardly daring to believe it, while others appeared not to have noticed any issue at all.

Lian Baichen looked over their differing expressions and nodded slightly. "I trust some of you have already realized it. Illusion Artifacts!

"The rarest and most precious sacred treasures of cultivation in this world—the Sect Jade Tokens every one of us carries are Illusion Artifacts!!!"

"So that was it." Dong Lin nodded, confirming his speculation.

Wasn't the Sect Jade Token's incredibly convenient three-dimensional map guidance function one of the most basic applications of spiritual awareness?

The moment Lian Baichen said this, those disciples below who understood the value of Illusion Artifacts cried out in alarm.

It seems this sect's foundations truly run deep, Dong Lin thought inwardly.

"Qi is the master of form and the carriage of spirit. The ancient True Persons regulated their breath in accordance with the four seasons and nourished their true nature by emulating tortoises and cranes. Thus, they expelled the old neither hurriedly nor slowly, and drew in the new as though present yet absent. Their heel-breath connected to the Gushing Spring, and their spirit-light poured into the Muddy Pellet. This was the pivot of embracing the origin and guarding the one."

"The Breath-and-Spirit Absorption Art is universally recognized in the cultivation world as the most peaceful and orthodox cultivation method. It is suitable for nearly all human cultivators and serves as the first step toward the great Dao of immortality.

"Within our sect, aside from a small number of exceptionally gifted geniuses who discover during the Qi Refining Stage that they are highly compatible with other high-tier cultivation methods and thus switch methods, nearly everyone uses the Breath-and-Spirit Absorption Art to complete Foundation Establishment before deciding, based on their actual circumstances, whether to change their primary cultivation method.

"The Breath-and-Spirit Absorption Art has circulated through the cultivation world for tens of thousands of years. Its cultivation system for the Qi Refining Stage is exceptionally complete, and it can help cultivators establish a high-quality Dao Foundation when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Therefore, for newly admitted outer sect disciples like yourselves, the sect guides you into cultivation through the Breath-and-Spirit Absorption Art. As for learning the sect's cultivation methods, that can wait until after you complete Foundation Establishment and enter the inner sect."

Next, Lian Baichen gave a detailed lesson on the fundamentals of getting started with the Breath-and-Spirit Absorption Art, along with some of its key tricks and essentials.

Three hours later, having completed the introductory explanation, Steward Lian left the classroom.

Most of the disciples were still savoring the lesson they had just heard.