Obtaining the methods

Golden chains stretched across the sky, and before long, something stirred.

Beside Jiang Yan, the chain shooting from one man's Dao platform kept twisting.

Soon, the chain bound a fist-sized ball of light and hauled it from the river of stars above, as though reeling in a fish.

The chain dissipated, leaving only the ball of light to rush into him. The instant it touched his body, it merged into him.

Having successfully obtained a cultivation method, the man had intended to greet Jiang Yan, the prodigy, before leaving.

But he had no time. As the ball of light entered his body, it seemed to trigger some mechanism. His whole body stiffened, and he vanished from the Dao platform.

It seemed that anyone who obtained a cultivation method would be sent out.

As time passed, several more people were sent out in succession.

At last, something happened on Jiang Yan's side as well. The golden chain that had been winding and swimming about suddenly pulled taut.

Judging by the commotion, the chain must have hooked something good. After a pause, it forcibly dragged out two enormous balls of light.

The chain had actually fished out two cultivation methods for him at once!

The two enormous balls of light trembled slightly, struggling against the chain as though trying to escape back into the river of stars above.

As they pulled back and forth, the two sides briefly reached a stalemate. Watching from below, Jiang Yan burned with anxiety, wishing he could rush up and lend a hand.

Fortunately, the chain was worthy of having been conjured by the immortal stele and had extraordinary capabilities of its own.

Seeing that it seemed unable to prevail, the chain shook as if in anger, sending a wave along its length. In a few deft moves, it wrapped both balls of light up like rice dumplings.

Once completely wrapped in the chain, the two balls of light could no longer struggle and were obediently dragged back.

The chain withdrew into the square platform and dissipated, and the two balls of light entered Jiang Yan's body.

A vast flood of information poured in, and Jiang Yan vanished from the Dao platform.

A short distance to one side, Lü Fang watched Jiang Yan disappear and could not help marveling again.

This man's potential on the immortal path truly far exceeded his own.

As he watched Jiang Yan contend with the two balls of light, Lü Fang had been astonished, but he had also entertained the thought of enjoying the spectacle, even hoping Jiang Yan would fail.

But he knew that was impossible. The immortal stele made no mistakes.

Even if Jiang Yan could not obtain both methods, he would have no trouble securing one in the end.

He simply had not expected Jiang Yan to succeed after all.

"Ah, what a shame I couldn't make his acquaintance."

Lü Fang sighed again.

Clatter~

The sudden shaking of the chain overhead made him hastily gather his wandering thoughts and fix his gaze on it.

However great another person's potential on the immortal path might be, it belonged to them. His own cultivation mattered more.

Meanwhile, before the immortal stele, Jiang Yan slowly opened his eyes.

The moment he did, the immortal stele also shot out a ray of light, which entered the Command Tally in his hand.

"What's this?"

Jiang Yan looked down and saw several small characters clearly displayed on the Command Tally.

Jiang Yan-Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao.

He let out a long breath. From the rough understanding he had just gained, his two cultivation methods were indeed extraordinary in quality, but without a comparison, he still could not be sure what level they were.

Now that he had entered the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao, this was the best possible result.

Having obtained superior cultivation methods, Jiang Yan relaxed. His expression easy, he turned to look around.

Most of the disciples seated on the surrounding cushions had their heads lowered, their bodies limp and powerless, as though their souls had departed. A few were looking around just as he was.

"It seems I didn't go to that Dao platform in the flesh. The immortal stele must have drawn in our souls to receive the cultivation method inheritances."

Jiang Yan turned toward the golden toad. "Jinbao, how long did it take me to obtain the methods?"

"Croak, croak~"

"Two days? Neither long nor short. That's fairly reasonable."

The time it took to obtain a cultivation method had nothing to do with its grade.

Someone who obtained an inferior method might take three to five days to emerge, while someone who obtained a superior method might need only a quarter of an hour. The immortal stele was mysterious and unfathomable; no one could make a judgment.

After looking around, Jiang Yan rose from his cushion and walked over to the minor official to hand in his Command Tally.

Since the Command Tally recorded his immortal Dao, presumably this would be taken into account during the Prefecture Examination later.

For example, if someone cultivating the Sinew-Shifting and Bone-Transmuting Dao passed the Prefecture Examination, they certainly could not be assigned to an instructor cultivating the Classic-Reading and Divination Dao.

Even setting aside the distinction between orthodox and heterodox paths, the two Daos were vastly different.

The Sinew-Shifting and Bone-Transmuting Dao sought not from the outside world but from oneself, emphasizing the use of bloodlines from various Demon Beasts and unusual species to strengthen oneself, even directly exchanging limbs.

The Classic-Reading and Divination Dao was the complete opposite. Its practitioners emphasized drawing close to the Heavenly Dao, changing themselves along with it.

The theories of these two Daos were, if not as incompatible as fire and water, close enough.

Studying an outer Dao to broaden one's repertoire was something to consider only after reaching eighth rank at the earliest.

If disciples newly embarked on the immortal path attempted such things, there was only one outcome: knowing a little of everything but mastering nothing, and instead diminishing their own potential.

As Jiang Yan speculated, he handed over his Command Tally.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist, you've actually entered the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao! You truly are a Dao Seed destined for immortal cultivation. My admiration!"

The minor official had an Upper Ninth-Rank Realm cultivation base, but upon seeing that Jiang Yan had entered the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao, he still addressed him as a fellow Daoist.

His exclamation also drew the eyes of everyone nearby.

"Isn't that Brother Jiang Yan?"

"It really is him. No wonder he could enter the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao."

"Ah, if only I could enter the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao too. Why did I only get into the Netherworld-Penetrating and Beast-Commanding Dao?"

"You've done well enough. I'm in the Furnace-Refining and Cauldron-Commanding Dao."

Those words immediately drew considerable attention. Even Jiang Yan could not help looking over.

The speaker was a female cultivator with alluring features and a graceful, shapely figure. Every movement exuded seductive charm.

It was little wonder she was unwilling to cultivate the Furnace-Refining and Cauldron-Commanding Dao. After all, in High Antiquity, this Dao had also been called dual cultivation.

It specialized in harvesting yin to replenish yang and harvesting yang to replenish yin. Thus, it could not even be considered an unorthodox path, only a heterodox one.

Even now, many people still called it the Harmonious Union Dao.

"The Furnace-Refining and Cauldron-Commanding Dao? Fellow Daoist, why don't we get acquainted beforehand? Then in the future..."

With her seductive looks and cultivation of the Harmonious Union Dao, she immediately attracted several disciples to approach her. Even a female disciple was rather tempted and gathered around.

Jiang Yan withdrew his gaze and looked no further. Food and desire were human nature, and he was naturally no exception. But time was pressing now, and cultivation mattered more.

As for everything else, it would naturally come once his cultivation rose. He had already ranked among the best in the Dao Academy, and now he had the stone book as well. The immortal road stretched far ahead; why seek a single night's pleasure?

He shook his head and waved a hand.

"You flatter me, fellow Daoist. It was merely luck."

After exchanging a few words with the minor official, Jiang Yan explained that he still had to go to the Dao Academy's stone cultivation chambers to cultivate his methods in seclusion.

"Cultivate your methods? Fellow Daoist, has your physical body reached perfection?"

Without cultivating the physical body to perfection, few people would begin practicing cultivation methods early. That was no different from diminishing their own potential.

Upon learning that Jiang Yan's physical cultivation had reached perfection, the minor official became even more eager than Jiang Yan himself. He even returned the gratuity he had just received and introduced Jiang Yan to his friend in charge of the cultivation chambers.

As Jiang Yan hurried toward the cultivation chambers, many of the disciples left behind gathered around the female disciple who cultivated the Furnace-Refining and Cauldron-Commanding Dao.

Their physical bodies had not reached perfection, so naturally, they were in no hurry to cultivate their methods.

Those with resolve, however, would continue honing their bodies, making whatever progress they could. Those who stayed were all weak of will.

"Heh, she's a calculating one too."

The minor official looked at the female disciple amid the crowd. She had been waiting nearby for quite some time without making a move.

Only when Jiang Yan, a practitioner of the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao, emerged did she immediately step forward and announce her own immortal Dao. What she intended was not hard to guess.

But that was only natural. Even among cultivators of the Harmonious Union Dao, there were differences, especially among its female cultivators.

If they absorbed from too many disparate sources, cultivation became troublesome, didn't it? Unless they had particular tastes, who would want a whole pile of partners if they could attach themselves to a genius and cultivate together?

What a pity. That young fellow had no appreciation for romance either. Tsk, tsk, what a waste!