Seals and Merit Nurtured Each Other, Deeds Forged Destiny

With a thought, Chu Bai summoned the translucent panel only he could see.

[Name: Chu Bai]

[Realm: Qi Refining First Layer (5/100)]

[Cultivation Technique: Minor Qi Gathering Technique (Proficient 19/500)]

[Skill: Spirit Water Needle (Skilled 8/200)]

Little had changed in the first few entries. Chu Bai's gaze swept past the two active Fate Destinies and settled on a new line of pale golden text at the bottom.

[Acquired Fate Pattern: Seals and Merit Nurtured Each Other, Deeds Forged Destiny (Inactive)]

[Source: Received Ordination and entered the rolls, bearing the dynasty's seal and gaining Fortune.]

[Effects:

1. Merit: Earn merit to accumulate Fortune. While blessed with Fortune, the effects of all other active Fate Destinies are enhanced across the board.

2. Wrongdoing: Accumulate Karmic Burden. While burdened by karma, everything goes awry, but adversity tempers the mind, making the Dao Heart clearer and firmer.]

[Note: Merit and wrongdoing run side by side and cannot cancel each other out. Merit is merit; wrongdoing is wrongdoing.]

As Chu Bai read, waves rose in his heart.

This new Fate Destiny had plainly been tailored to his new status.

Seals and merit nurtured each other... Chu Bai turned the phrase over in his mind.

Its effect was unusual. It did not directly increase his combat strength or cultivation.

If he earned great merit and gained the blessing of Fortune, then paired with Food Injury Leaks Elegance's efficient conversion and Relentless Effort's disregard for bottlenecks, his cultivation speed might reach a jaw-dropping level.

For someone who urgently needed to grow stronger, it was charcoal delivered in the snow.

As for the effect of wrongdoing, it sounded like a punishment, but tempering his Dao Heart might work wonders in certain situations.

Still, he would have to discover over time exactly what counted as "merit" and "wrongdoing," and how either was gained.

While he pondered this, Vice Dean Lu He spoke again from the dais, breaking his train of thought.

"Now that you have received Ordination, you are formally disciples of the Dao Academy."

Lu He swept his sleeve. Countless streaks of light flew out, each striking the gray register between a student's brows with perfect precision.

"Your class assignments are inside. This cohort has three hundred disciples, randomly divided into ten classes according to their chosen paths of study."

Chu Bai sensed the message in his sea of consciousness: [Class Three].

He turned to Li Han beside him.

"I'm in Class Two." Li Han gave a rueful smile and shook his head. "Not quite that lucky."

"No matter. We're in the same Dao Academy. We'll have plenty of time," Chu Bai said.

It was a pity they could not stick together, but he had expected as much.

Lu He then briefly covered a few practical matters: lessons would begin tomorrow at the hour of Chen, where to find the dining hall, when the scripture repository opened, and their room assignments. Then he vanished from the hall in a flash of light.

The remaining arrangements were left to Instructor Sun and the other instructors.

The Dao Academy's residential quarters stood halfway up the rear mountain, in quiet, secluded surroundings.

Following the directions, Chu Bai found his lodging—Room Seven, Yi Block.

He pushed open the door, and a faint breath of pure, refreshing air met him.

Though the room housed four people, it was spacious. Four beds stood in the corners, with a round rosewood table in the center for tea and discussions of the Dao.

What pleased Chu Bai most was the comfortable temperature. He did not know whether it had been specially regulated. Cultivators might not fear heat or cold, but compared with his drafty old shack in Anping County, this was heaven and earth apart.

Three people were already inside, arranging their bedding.

All three paused when Chu Bai entered. The slightly plump youth nearest the door was the first to break the silence.

"Well, the last brother's here."

The plump youth came forward with an easy smile and cupped his hands as though they were already friends. "I'm Jiang Kuo, born and raised in the Prefectural City. Judging by your getup, brother, have you just come back from Ordination too?"

Jiang Kuo wore expensive clothes, and the jade pendant at his waist gave off a faint spiritual glow. His family was clearly well-off, but he spoke with hearty ease, without the overbearing manner common among scions of Aristocratic Clans.

"I'm Chu Bai, from Anping County." Chu Bai returned the greeting, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Anping County? Fine place."

Jiang Kuo tossed out the remark, then pulled a packet of tea leaves from his storage pouch and, like a conjurer, brewed everyone a cup. "Come on, have a taste. It's Cloudmist Spirit Tea from my old man's private stash. Nothing top-grade, but since we're meeting for the first time, let's wet our throats."

The gesture looked warm, but it was also a silent display: I have resources. Stick with me, and you won't lose out.

"Thank you, Brother Jiang."

The youth who accepted the cup was thin, with remarkably quick eyes. His name was Zhou Tong, and he too came from the Prefectural City. His clothes were ordinary, and by his own account, his family ran a general store.

Zhou Tong was plainly sharp. In a few sentences he had Jiang Kuo beaming, while making sure neither Chu Bai nor their other roommate felt left out. He had a smooth way with words.

Their last roommate was Chen Shi, from remote Linshan County.

The youth had dark skin and few words. He quietly arranged his somewhat worn bedding.

When Jiang Kuo offered him spirit tea, he seemed ill at ease. He accepted it with both hands, murmured his thanks, then retreated to his corner.

The four sat around the table, and over tea, the atmosphere gradually warmed.

There was none of the melodrama from storybooks, with some villain hurling senseless insults.

Most who made it into the Dao Academy had received a decent education, whatever their background, and knew how to read the situation.

Until their interests clashed, everyone was happy to keep things civil.

"Say, what do you think they actually teach at the Dao Academy?"

Zhou Tong knew plenty of rumors, but they came from the streets. Now that he had entered these imposing gates, he felt uncertain and could not help raising the question. "I've heard plenty about the Dao Academy's reputation in the Prefectural City, but now that I'm here, I'm stumbling around blind. I haven't even seen a timetable."

"My old man did mention something about that."

Jiang Kuo set down his cup and cleared his throat, looking a little smug at having inside information. "I hear the first three months are mostly 'general studies'—building a foundation.

"Spirit Plant Identification, Introduction to Talismans, the Demon Beast Compendium... we have to study it all.

"And I hear the assessments these first few months are especially strict. If you can't keep up, they deduct something called 'Dao Merit.'"

"Dao Merit?" Chen Shi, who had been silently arranging his bedding, stopped and turned around, confusion in his eyes.

"It's something like money inside the Dao Academy." Jiang Kuo rubbed his chin, not entirely sure himself. "I don't know exactly how they calculate it. Anyway, my father said it's more useful than spirit stones in there. Apparently, you can even trade it for special resources."

"Can you trade it for cultivation techniques?" Chen Shi pressed suddenly, an urgent longing flashing through his eyes.

"I think so..." Jiang Kuo blinked at the question, then looked at Chu Bai, who had said little. "Brother Chu, you came first in the county examination. Didn't the examiner tell you anything on the way here?"

Chu Bai smiled and shook his head. "The examiner only told us to attend lessons tomorrow at the hour of Chen. I'm afraid we won't learn the specific rules until then. But this is the Dao Academy. It should have no shortage of cultivation techniques and texts."

"True." Zhou Tong picked up the thread, his face full of anticipation. "I heard the scripture repository is nine stories tall, and it even holds true teachings that lead straight to Foundation Establishment! We've only just entered, but once we save up enough Dao Merit, sooner or later we can go in and see for ourselves."

Chu Bai's heart stirred.

Obtaining a new cultivation technique was his most pressing concern.

"We'll find out in tomorrow's lessons," Chu Bai said with a nod.

When night fell, the four settled down to rest.

Chu Bai lay on the soft bed, feeling threads of spiritual energy gathering around him.

His roommates seemed easy enough to get along with. In this unfamiliar place, it was a good start.