Lan He rapped her knuckles against the desk a few times. The chatter among the disciples gradually died down.
“Alright, that’s enough. I only brought this up so you’d understand what kind of world we live in. We’re all working toward the goal of ascending to immortality! As for reincarnators... even I’ve never met one before. These are people powerful enough to preserve their memories and reincarnate into the next life. You probably won’t find a single one in the entire Daxia Territory.”
The disciples let out a collective sigh of relief. They had thought reincarnators were common.
Lan He continued, “I mentioned immortals because I wanted to tell you something—the worlds of immortals and humans are not completely separated!”
Everyone in the hall jumped at her words, including Li Guanqi. Did she mean that the immortals of the Upper World were connected to the Lower World?
Lan He paused momentarily, then said gently, “It’s not how you imagine it. Otherwise, why would we need to cultivate to ascend to the Upper World? That’s why our next topic is important—spirit voids and Fate Marks!”
Li Guanqi frowned. He had no idea what those were, and neither did the other students.
“There’s no need to worry,” Lan He said. “I’ll explain it all.
“Humans who reach the Foundation Building Realm before turning eighteen can open their spirit void through a special ceremony and array!
“The spirit void exists inside the Spirit Platform. Various items can form within it, and it appears naturally. Ninety-nine percent of people will have nothing in their spirit voids. Only very, very few people will find something inside. But even then, those items may not be useful—only weapons and magical treasures are truly valuable.”
Li Guanqi frowned. “Elder Lan, what’s the use of the items from the spirit void?”
Lan He smiled and reached out to grasp the air. Suddenly, a blue silk ribbon coiled around all the disciples in the hall like a lasso.
“This was the item in my spirit void years ago—a Blue Ribbon. It can be used to attack or restrain people. The items in your spirit void function like a magical treasure and can directly connect to your mind. They’re like weapons forged within your own bodies. If the item complements your abilities, it will greatly enhance your strength.”
Lan He’s tone became solemn as she continued, “You can only open your spirit void once in your life! Never attempt to force it open a second time!”
Now, everyone understood what a spirit void was, though none of them held out much hope.
Then, Lan He continued, “When you break through to the Golden Core Realm, you’ll experience a profound sensation, as if someone from the heavens has visited you! If you’re fortunate, an Upper World immortal may grant you a Fate Mark, allowing you to borrow their strength in battle temporarily. As such, if you ever face someone with a Fate Mark, you must be extremely cautious when fighting them!”
“Elder Lan, do you have a Fate Mark?” Zhong Lin asked.
Lan He gave a small smile. A mysterious, milky-white symbol lit up between her brows before vanishing an instant later.
“When Daxia Sword Sect disciples break through to the Golden Core Realm, most of them can receive a Fate Mark. After all, the founder of the Daxia Sword Sect is a powerful cultivator who has ascended to the Upper World!”
The disciples erupted with shock.
“Woah! The Daxia Sword Sect has a founder in the Immortal World!”
“Good heavens! Other sects probably don’t have this, right?”
“The founder...? How many years ago was this person born?!”
“Joining the Daxia Sword Sect is the luckiest that’s ever happened to me.”
All the new disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect swelled with pride. They were proud to be part of such a special sect.
Once the conversations died down, Lan He said, “Alright, that was just a brief introduction. Now, we shall begin the first lesson in cultivation, which is about the Body Tempering Realm!”
There was no response.
Most of the disciples here were normal people from peasant backgrounds, so they did not even know what body tempering was.
Lan He explained the concept, and they gradually understood.
She then handed out a scripture containing the sutra and training method for the Body Tempering Realm.
“It takes anywhere from one to three years to achieve a perfectly tempered body. For example... Li Guanqi.”
Li Guanqi rubbed his nose sheepishly.
Lan He pointed to a five-hundred-jin stone barbell that had been prepared for the lesson and smiled. “Come, Guanqi, show everyone how you can lift this with one hand.”
Since she had called him out so directly, Li Guanqi had no choice but to comply.
The barbell consisted of five massive stones threaded together by a steel bar.
All eyes were on Li Guanqi as he walked over. While everyone had recognized his talent from day one, some were skeptical due to his slim, weak-looking frame.
“That barbell is at least a hundred jin!” someone muttered. “Can his tiny body really lift it? He’s not even as muscular as me!”
“Yeah, can he? He’d better not get crushed to death by that thing.”
There was a twinkle in Zhong Lin’s eye. He was also at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm and estimated that he could pick up three hundred jin at most.
This was where Li Guanqi made a small mistake. He did not know how many stones Lan He wanted him to lift.
Standing in front of the barbell, he shrugged and wrapped his right hand around the bar in the center.
The crowd sucked in a sharp breath.
With ease, Li Guanqi hoisted the barbell above his head. He even gave it a casual wave before turning to ask, “Elder Lan, ?”
Lan He’s eyes widened.
“Did he just lift five hundred jin like it was nothing?!”
“He even waved it around! How strong is his Body Tempering Realm physique?!”
Lan He coughed, and her expression stiffened. “Uh,that’ll do. You may sit down.”
Li Guanqi set the barbell down with a heavy thud. Even though the disciples were seated on cushions, they could still feel the tremor beneath them.
Zhong Lin was in disbelief. He moved it so effortlessly that his shoulders did not even budge! What technique did he use to achieve such terrifying strength?!
Lan He distributed another sutra—the one for the Qi Refinement Realm—and instructed them to keep it safe for now.
Li Guanqi read through it with his heart’s eye, then adjusted his posture to match the recommended meditation position.
Three breaths later, his breathing fell into a steady rhythm.
Lan He didn’t pay him much attention at first. She continued instructing the other inner sect disciples at the Body Tempering Realm.
“Being able to guide the Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth into your body is the most crucial cultivation step. Follow the sutra and feel the qi. Find the energy in the qi that matches your spirit root, then guide it into your body using qi absorption. Finally, when it stabilizes in your dantian and forms a whirlpool, you achieve a breakthrough and enter the Qi Refinement Realm.
“The most difficult part is sensing the qi. Those with purer spirit roots will have an easier time, but even for them, it’s a struggle to guide it. Even someone with a Heavenly Spirit Root may take anywhere from three days to a few months. That’s why we must be patient and work hard—”
Buzz! A mysterious ripple radiated from Li Guanqi, spreading across the entire pavilion.
Lan He’s face paled. Her Blue Ribbon appeared and shot out, cordoning off a ten-zhang radius around him. Then, she threw down a circular array tray on the ground. It was embedded with six spirit stones the size of a palm.
There was a ray of spirit light and the space around him became thick with spirit qi, which surrounded him like a veil of smoke.
As he inhaled, the white smoke entered his nostrils.
The sound of an explosion echoed from within him. Black impurities flowed out of countless pores in his skin, clinging to his skin like mud.
Li Guanqi opened his eyes, unsure what just happened. The first thing he saw was the shock in Lan He’s eyes.
Li Guanqi had achieved a breakthrough, reaching the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm in his first class!
Lan He was a prodigy with a Heavenly Water Spirit Root, and even she had needed two and a half days to break through.
“Some people are just born gifted...”
Lan He was not alone in her shock. The other disciples turned pale.
Jealousy flashed in their eyes for a moment, but in the end, they could only sigh.