Yun Hong had a mysterious background. To have become a teacher in both the Northern Territory Trial Ground and the Imperial City Academy at such a young age was a testament to that. Now, he stood before them dressed in the robes of a Yuanchu Mountain Outer Sect Disciple. The three of them—Yan Zhen, Qin Yu, and Chu Lingguang—gazed at him with excitement, their hearts filled with anticipation for Yuanchu Mountain, hoping to one day enter its gates to cultivate.
The three returned to the academy.
Yun Hong led the three to the same two young men who had appeared in the watchtower, secretly observing all the candidates.
"Greetings, Mr. Zhang, Teacher Li."
Qin Yu and Yan Zhen said in unison, bowing to the two young men.
As two of the top five candidates, they had previously received guidance from these young men and knew who they were: Inner Sect Disciples of Yuanchu Mountain.
One was named Zhang Xuan, the other Li Mao.
The two were in their early thirties. To become Inner Sect Disciples of Yuanchu Mountain at that age was a clear indication of their immense talent and power.
After all, Yuanchu Mountain had a very strict hierarchy.
Back at the Northern Territory Trial Ground, Yun Hong had merely been a Trial Disciple of Yuanchu Mountain. Even now, as an Outer Sect Disciple, there was still a significant gap between him and an Inner Sect Disciple.
This just went to show how powerful Zhang Xuan and Li Mao truly were.
Just then, Zhang Xuan and Li Mao simultaneously released their powerful Spiritual Power, crudely inspecting the trio’s bodies.
As Chu Lingguang felt the fluctuations wash over him, his Sea of Consciousness automatically formed a defense. Three rings of light materialized around it like a three-tiered fortress, preventing Zhang Xuan and Li Mao’s Spiritual Sense Fluctuations from invading.
Furthermore, a whirlpool formed within the ocean of his Sea of Consciousness, and the three outer rings of light began to glow brighter, as if automatically detecting an invasion and bolstering its defenses.
Both Zhang Xuan and Li Mao shot Chu Lingguang a second glance.
They had both sensed a powerful defensive force around Chu Lingguang’s Sea of Consciousness. It was not only difficult to locate, but impossible to breach at will.
Chu Lingguang’s Sea of Consciousness Power seemed a cut above even Yun Hong’s.
"Cultivation is the process of gaining power from a response, then fusing those various powers to break through the body’s shackles. I presume you have all heard this before," Li Mao asked.
Chu Lingguang and the other two nodded.
"This saying is a fundamental truth of the Dao. There are countless methods of cultivation in this world, but all of them fall under this principle. That includes the methods of Yuanchu Mountain."
"However, the Mortal Cultivation and Martial Arts you’ve practiced—even those obtained from the Great Yuan Armory—are things that only servant disciples or Trial Disciples would train in at Yuanchu Mountain."
"The Cultivation and Martial Arts that you see as profound and a source of rapid advancement are, in our eyes, the dregs of the martial world. Even the Mental Realm Advancement Method you acquired at the academy is something few at Yuanchu Mountain would ever practice," Li Mao continued.
His speech left Chu Lingguang and the other two dumbfounded. They had always known Yuanchu Mountain was powerful, but they never expected its disciples to be so haughty that they’d look down on even the Secret Martial Arts Manuals from the Great Yuan Armory.
After all, only a Prince, an Imperial Grandson, or a Duke and Minister who had rendered meritorious service could train in the Secret Martial Arts Manuals of the Great Yuan Armory. Yet, at Yuanchu Mountain, they were deemed worthy only of servant disciples.
They didn’t even give the Mental Realm Advancement Method a second thought.
’A Cultivation Technique that required 100,000 Favor Points to reach Perfection was dismissed so casually. In that case, they probably wouldn’t even waste a single glance on the Mixed Element Skill, which only took 10,000 Favor Points to perfect.’
"Li Mao’s words may be harsh, but they are the truth. You will train under us, but we will not be teaching you the cultivation methods of Yuanchu Mountain, nor will we be sharing our personal insights. We’re telling you this to make you understand one thing: even if you win the title of Martial Champion Scholar, you are still nothing in the eyes of a Yuanchu Mountain Practitioner!" Zhang Xuan warned.
"What you say is true, Teachers."
Though Chu Lingguang and the other two felt a sense of displeasure, they had no choice but to accept this viewpoint in the face of overwhelming power. ’But if they won’t teach us anything,’ they wondered, ’what are we supposed to learn this month?’
"Don’t be so pessimistic. Since we promised the Great Yuan imperial family we would instruct you for a month, we won’t let you leave empty-handed," Li Mao said, having noticed the change in their attitudes.
The dejected trio’s interest was suddenly piqued.
"The two of us will impart to you a Heart Method. It is called the Great Cang Heart Method. While it can’t compare to the cultivation skills of Yuanchu Mountain, as long as you master its secrets, your future training in any Mortal Cultivation and Martial Arts will yield twice the results with half the effort. It could even cause your cultivation speed to advance by leaps and bounds," Zhang Xuan said.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Teachers! We will not disappoint you," Qin Yu said, kneeling.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Teachers."
Yan Zhen and Chu Lingguang knelt as well.
This was, after all, the imparting of a Heart Method by two experts from Yuanchu Mountain. The trio wouldn’t dare show any disrespect. Besides, the two men had taken turns berating them from the moment they met. Even a fool would know that if they wanted to learn any real skills from these two, they had to be as humble as possible.
So, after kneeling, all three pressed their foreheads to the ground.
As expected, smiles appeared on the faces of Zhang Xuan and Li Mao when they saw this.
"As I said before, cultivation is the process of gaining power from a response, fusing those powers, and breaking through the body’s shackles. So, why can the Great Cang Heart Method allow you to get twice the results with half the effort? Because this Heart Method helps you obtain that response more easily, allowing you to draw power from it. The Great Cang Heart Method will have an indirect effect on all the Mortal Cultivation and Martial Arts you practice."