"Cultivators cultivate the Way and their minds. Most of you have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so your understanding of cultivation has likely deepened. I will not elaborate on every detail."
Wen Jiuyin said, his hands behind his back, "The main purpose of today's class is twofold: first, to help you understand our current cultivation levels, and second, to teach you the correct methods of cultivation."
"Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, and Mahayana. Each stage is divided into nine layers. However, on the Divine启 Continent, no one has ever broken through to the Nascent Soul stage..."
Bai Shengyi listened, lost in thought.
She knew that Wen Jiuyin was correct. This was the common understanding among the people of the Divine启 Continent. But Wen Jiuyin was also wrong. She had seen someone in the Nascent Soul stage...
"Elder Wen, why is that?"
Bai Shengyi looked over. It was the white-clothed man who had questioned her on the bluestone steps. Bai Shengyi now knew who he was: the third prince of the Qi Zhou Kingdom, Qi Zhou Zhengping.
Wen Jiuyin's temper was much better than Mu Xing's, and he patiently explained, "Some say it's due to the scarcity of spiritual energy in the heavens and earth; others attribute it to insufficient cultivation. As for the exact reason, you might find out once you reach the late Golden Core stage."
"Ah..." Qi Zhou Zhengping was very disappointed.
Was the Golden Core stage so far away?
Perhaps for some, it was.
But for them, the proud sons of heaven, it was merely a matter of time.
He had thought that the Divine启 Academy would have a way to break this limitation.
"Alright, now let's discuss cultivation—"
"Elder Wen, pardon me." A female cultivator at the doorway interrupted with a smile.
Elder Wen frowned slightly and walked out to ask, "Fellow Daoist Chu, why have you come?"
"I have a small matter that requires the elder's assistance..."
"That's Chu Tianle's aunt!" Luo Feihua knitted her brows tightly, a bad premonition dawning in her heart. "Did Chu Tianle agree to Li Shiqing's terms?"
"It should be correct," Feng Wuya peeked from the front row.
Bai Shengyi's gaze also deepened, "I saw the three of them."
As soon as Bai Shengyi finished speaking, Wen Jiuyin led Chu Tianle, Li Shiqing, and Bai Murong into the room and told the three, "Find your own seats."
Then, he continued his lecture.
"Now, everyone, circulate the spiritual energy within your bodies in your usual manner," Wen Jiuyin said. He walked down from the podium and inspected each person's method of circulating spiritual energy.
Bai Shengyi finally understood why the classroom was furnished with cushions instead of tables and chairs – it was for their meditation.
"Alright, stop and listen to me."
After making a round, Wen Jiuyin felt confident. "You all directly absorb external elemental energy and refine it into spiritual energy. In reality, true cultivation begins with a settled mind, starts with clear perception, proceeds to absorbing spirit, and emphasizes the Dan Hai..."
Wen Jiuyin's gentle and patient voice echoed in their ears. According to him, spiritual energy should not be a medium to categorize power, but rather a tool to aid cultivation.
206 bones, 12 meridians, 8 extraordinary vessels. Spiritual energy circulated within them, widening the meridians, purging impurities, thus becoming inexhaustible and endless...
Bai Shengyi's cultivation, which had been stagnant for a long time, suddenly fluctuated. As if sensing it, she gradually closed her eyes, and the absorbed spiritual energy began to circulate according to Wen Jiuyin's instructions.
In the classroom, three others had a moment of enlightenment just like her: Xi Men Hongchun, Hua Xueji, and Li Shiqing.
After Wen Jiuyin finished speaking, he also allowed everyone to practice on their own.
"Elder Wen, why can't my spiritual energy pass through the Dai Mai? Also, why does cultivation feel so difficult today? Have I gone astray in my cultivation?"
Qi Zhou Zhengping was always the one with the most questions. Before long, he posed several questions to Wen Jiuyin.
What's more, as he spoke, he made those around him panic.
"Me too, it's so strange. It's never like this normally."
"Me too! Something feels really off! What if something's really wrong!"
...
After all, it was a new cultivation method, and everyone was uneasy, afraid that the academy's teachings were unreliable, causing them to be crippled or fall into demonic practices. They all chattered anxiously.
Even Wen Jiuyin, as much as he cared for his students and as patient as he was, couldn't help but feel a throbbing in his temples when faced with such a scene.
"Silence!" Wen Jiuyin called out lightly, and his voice deepened as he explained, "You feel that things are different from usual because there are fifty people cultivating now. Naturally, the elemental energy you capture is not as abundant as before, and its circulation is somewhat sluggish, not causing any significant movement..."
Before he could finish, someone exclaimed, "Hey! Look quickly, is someone about to break through!"
The spiritual energy in the room was so dense that it condensed into two streams of wind, one green and one red, completely enveloping a person.
Wen Jiuyin took a look. It was Bai Shengyi.
"Don't make a sound," Wen Jiuyin hurriedly walked over. However, in just a breath's time, he saw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flooding into Bai Shengyi's body.
Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, achieved!
Instantly, Bai Shengyi felt her senses sharpen. The myriad things in heaven and earth seemed to be within her grasp. Spiritual energy naturally surged into her body without any deliberate absorption.
Was this what it felt like to be in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?
Bai Shengyi opened her eyes in surprise.
"Shengyi, congratulations!"
Luo Feihua, Feng Wuya, Zhu Wu, and Chen Qiyang all offered their blessings.
Wen Jiuyin asked, "How do you feel?"
"Everything is good," Bai Shengyi smiled. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Wen. I have benefited greatly."
Wen Jiuyin stroked his beard and said with satisfaction, "It is also due to your excellent comprehension."
Seeing that Bai Shengyi had indeed broken through smoothly, he went to check on the others, telling Bai Shengyi to close her eyes and regulate her breathing.
With Bai Shengyi as a living example, there was no need for Wen Jiuyin to urge them. The others spontaneously began practicing the method taught by the academy. In just one hour, Xi Men Hongchun, Li Shiqing, Hua Xueji, and Qing Bu Li successively broke through their ranks.
However, because Bai Shengyi was first, none of them were as spectacular as she was.
"Sister Li, why can't I still do it?"
Bai Murong, seeing that even Luo Feihua had successfully corrected her cultivation method and broken through a level, couldn't help but feel anxious.
Li Shiqing sighed helplessly. "Murong, your mindset is too impatient. This won't do. You need to calm down first, clear your mind, and enter a state of concentration."
"But he didn't just now!" Bai Murong pointed to a lively boy in front of her.
The boy, realizing she was talking about him, turned his head and said, "That's because I don't need to enter a state of concentration when I cultivate normally."
Bai Murong became even more anxious.
She had entered the main peak to prove that she was no worse than Bai Shengyi. But now, not to mention Bai Shengyi, she couldn't even compare to an ordinary person. How could this be?
"Sister Li, please help me. I'm clearly just a little bit short," Bai Murong said, her eyes turning red with anxiety.
Li Shiqing couldn't bear to see her like this and sighed softly, taking out a pill for her. "Take this."
"What is this?"
"A fourth-grade Clarity Heart Pill." In reality, this pill was one of the items she had prepared for her own breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.
Upon hearing this, Bai Murong quickly took it and soon broke through, even advancing by two levels.
"Excellent!" Wen Jiuyin even praised her.
Bai Murong was overjoyed but maintained a humble demeanor, saying, "I am still lacking in many aspects and need to learn much from fellow Daoist Bai Shengyi."
As she spoke, she smiled at Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi ignored her childish provocation. Hearing that the morning class had concluded, and thinking of Qin Si in the courtyard, she quickly said goodbye to Luo Feihua and the others and hurried to the mess hall to pack two portions of food, preparing to return.
However, she was intercepted halfway.
"Stop right there! Little lady, you're running quite fast. Are you afraid I'll kill you?" On a small path at the foot of the main peak, Luo Chengli blocked Bai Shengyi with his arms spread, sneering, "Weren't you quite formidable earlier?"