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"Thoughts are the intentions within one's heart. Cultivators use the cultivation of the spirit as... thoughts unceasing, all things flowing and turning..."

He was doomed. With all this quoting of classics, spouting refined literary Chinese at the drop of a hat, reasoning with both logic and emotion, he could only understand bits and pieces. Bian Chunchou had even brought along a charcoal pencil and scratch paper, but... great, there was no need for them at all. Some of those obscure characters, he did not even know how to write.

Cultivators actually had excellent memories. At least, Bian Chunchou's memory was quite good. Yet no matter how good it was, he still could not remember these long, dry explanations that read like heavenly scriptures. The more he listened, the less he understood. Why was it that cultivators spoke so normally when conversing, yet the moment it was written down, it became heavenly scripture?

Why not use simpler, easier-to-understand words to record cultivation methods? Were they afraid others might understand them too well? Or were jade slips so expensive that they could not bear to use even one or two more?

No, it should have been neither. Everything that existed had its reason. Bian Chunchou was a science student; he did not believe in things that were mysterious beyond mystery. He only knew that if an established fact existed, then it had meaning in its existence.

Even if this was the Cultivation Realm.

And it was not just one person's cultivation method that had been written into a book of heavenly characters. Everyone had chosen to use extremely concise words to summarize their cultivation methods. So what exactly were cultivation methods?

They should have helped cultivators cultivate, rather than... become roadblocks on their path of cultivation.

Yet they had been written so clouded and mist-shrouded, so ambiguous and equivocal. That could only mean one thing—

Cultivation methods could only be written this way. If they were not, they would have no meaning.

Bian Chunchou thought, I really am a little genius at talking nonsense. I spent all this time thinking about thoughts, only to circle around in my head and return to where I started. So... I still can't understand it.

Sui Yuan True Person's lecture lasted only one hour. He went from controlling one's thoughts to one's personal minor Dao, then to the specific way of comprehending wood and water. He explained profound principles in simple terms. The disciples seated in front listened as though intoxicated, but Bian Chunchou felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, with thorns pricking his back.

But he felt that he had to overcome it. So for seven consecutive days, he dragged Chen Zui to Six Lectures Peak for lectures. It did not matter which lecturer it was; they would listen first and talk later. Unfortunately, Chen Zui had gained a trace of insight, while he still could not find the door in.

Water-Fire Harmonization—what exactly was the harmonizing method?

He even sat in on a lesson by a Spirit Transformation Venerable, but it had to be said that it was so profound it made one want to sleep. Instead, he found the content explained by Foundation Establishment Realm senior brothers somewhat easier to understand.

So the higher one's cultivation, the less they could speak human language?

Bian Chunchou put away his paper and pencil, scratched his head, and for once, there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

"Junior Brother Bian, Junior Brother Bian, wait."

Among cultivators, the accomplished came first. Disciples of the same generation respected those with higher cultivation. When Bian Chunchou entered the sect, he had been at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, and now he was still at the Third Layer. But Lin Congcong had already reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.

"You are... Senior Brother Lin? What does Senior Brother Lin need from me?" Bian Chunchou was not someone with many schemes, so he acted by instinct. This baby-faced senior brother looked approachable enough, but he always felt that this person... did not think much of him.

"It's like this. Yesterday, I wished to seek out Wen... Little Martial Granduncle to ask a few questions, but my communication talisman went unanswered for a long time. I was merely worried, so I thought I would ask you."

That "Little Martial Granduncle" sounded rather gritted through the teeth. Bian Chunchou smiled. "I don't know either. How about you go take a look at Springless Peak?"

Lin Congcong's expression stiffened. Who on Yonglu Mountain did not know that idlers were forbidden from entering Springless Peak? Even the Sect Master could have his peak summit slapped down by the Divine Venerable on Springless Peak, much less little disciples like them who had not even reached Foundation Establishment.

Lin Congcong had never expected that a blind man from the Mortal Realm would rely on his gifted Spiritual Root to become the disciple of an Integrated Body Great Talent! What was more, his master was the Cultivation Realm's sole Divine Dragon Divine Venerable.

Jealousy filled his heart, but reason told him that he should befriend him. Yonglu Mountain would never allow such a genius, who had appeared out of nowhere, to perish midway. By becoming friends with someone like him, he would surely benefit as well.

Wen Xu was one thing, but what was Bian Chunchou? A person with a Waste Spiritual Root had actually become the disciple of a Spirit Transformation Venerable. After becoming an Inner Sect disciple, his cultivation had not advanced in the slightest. He was simply worse than an Outer Sect disciple.

Perhaps after next year's grand disciple competition, Bian Chunchou would be expelled from the Inner Sect for failing to meet the required cultivation level.

"Junior Brother Bian, could it be that you hold some prejudice against me?"

"No. I merely offered a suggestion."

Lin Congcong put on his trademark smile. "Is that so? Then it seems that your relationship with Brother Wen Xu is not as good as you make it appear. There is no need for you to proclaim throughout the entire Inner Sect that the two of you are so close."

Wow, what a vile green tea bitch! Don't think I can't see through you! If I could beat you, I'd have rolled up my sleeves and—

"Our relationship is indeed very good."

Hearing Wen Xu's voice all of a sudden, Bian Chunchou whipped around in delighted surprise. "Wen Xu-Xu, you finally came out of the mountain!"

Wen Xu smiled lightly at Bian Chunchou before turning to Lin Congcong. "But our relationship is not close enough for us to address each other as brothers. Martial Nephew Lin should follow the rules and call me Little Martial Granduncle."

Wow, wow, wow! As expected of my good brother! 'When fortune comes, do not forget the poor'—that was true, and 'do not forget one another' was true too! Wen Xu-Xu is so good, I'm going to cry myself to death.

Lin Congcong's expression stiffened. Just as he was about to flee, he noticed something even harder for him to accept. "How did you—" It had only been seven days, yet Wen Xu's cultivation had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. What a terrifying speed! During the Mountain Examination, Wen Xu had only barely been at the Second Layer of Qi Refining.

He had advanced by a minor realm nearly every day since entering the sect. Was this the terrifying speed of a Mutated Spiritual Root?

Lin Congcong truly felt awful now. Without even trying to save face gracefully, he left in misery. In truth, Lin Congcong was far from the only one suffering. This was Six Lectures Peak, where most of the disciples were in Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment. A blind man with a Mutated Wind Spiritual Root was easy to recognize. Even if they had never met this newly admitted genius Little Martial Granduncle, they could identify him at a glance from the ribbon over his eyes.

How long had he even been in the sect, and he was already at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining? Worthy indeed of a Mutated Spiritual Root—truly terrifying beyond measure!