Chapter 1144: Thanks for the Teacher's Guidance

Shi Hao had spent a full twenty years at the peak of Saint 1-dan to accumulate such formidable power. He had assumed the other person, like himself, must have taken at least several decades to express such a sentiment about time. He never dreamed it was... one month... One month... What's so long about that?! To accumulate such immense power in so little time and still complain about it being long... Is he trying to show off? Shi Hao felt an even sharper pang in his heart. Everyone else wore similar expressions, wishing they could rush forward and give the fellow a good thrashing. He was just too obnoxious. If he thinks one month is long and yet can't even compare to his students... then his students must be flying, not cultivating!

After uttering his remark, Zhang Xuan noticed the expressions on everyone's faces and gave a helpless, bitter smile. He had spoken from the heart, not intending to show off. Not only were Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and others who received legacies progressing rapidly, but even Wang Ying, who remained by his side, was already at the peak of Conferred Saint, on the verge of a breakthrough. Luo Qiqi, his alchemy student, had also reached the same cultivation level as him, the peak of Saint 1-dan. If he didn't break through soon, there was a real possibility of being surpassed by them. It wasn't that he was compelled to cultivate desperately; his students were catching up, and if he didn't cultivate, he would fall behind. In truth, he, too, felt a sense of bitterness, but he knew that if he voiced it, no one would believe him. Being a teacher was not easy.

"To accumulate such formidable power in just one month, how does Master Sun cultivate? Would it be possible... for you to share your method, so we might learn as well?" Shi Hao asked, barely suppressing the urge to strike him. The others were equally curious. At their cultivation level, it took them years, even decades, to gather enough power to break through a single stone tablet, often with great difficulty. Yet, this person, after only a month of cultivation, had effortlessly shattered ten. If they could learn his method, they too would surely progress rapidly.

"How do I cultivate?" Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan turned to him. "It's actually very simple: it's about the artistic conception! Take your Torrential Ocean Art, for example. I heard that during your cultivation, you hunted sacred beasts and gathered sacred herbs to compensate for innate deficiencies, and even went underground to temper your true qi with lava. While these methods might seem to offer tangible progress, it's actually very difficult to achieve greater breakthroughs this way." He continued, "The Torrential Ocean Art, meaning 'to empty rivers into the sea,' truly requires you to observe the vastness of the ocean and experience the natural world to fully comprehend it. Once your state of mind aligns with this, your body will also become as broad and boundless as the ocean!" He had just reviewed the Torrential Ocean Art's cultivation manual in the library, and after integrating the information, he understood its core essence.

"Artistic conception?" Shi Hao hesitated. "I once stayed on a deserted island in the sea for a full six months, but gained little benefit. That's why I resorted to other methods, cultivating from the outside in..." The library contained thousands of texts explaining the Torrential Ocean Art, many of which mentioned the importance of artistic conception. He had indeed tried to cultivate it, but his progress had been minimal. The Torrential Ocean Art truly required comprehending a specific artistic conception, and cultivating from the inside out was the optimal method. Since he was unable to achieve this, he had reversed his approach, working from the outside in. Fortunately, his efforts had paid off, and his strength had reached an extraordinary level.

"Do you know why you couldn't cultivate from the inside out?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This..." Shi Hao paused, unable to answer. If he had known, he would have adopted that method long ago, saving himself so much arduous effort.

"You were too desperate to break records!" Zhang Xuan sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. "Because of your desire to break records, you were constantly plagued by anxieties about success and failure. You even lacked the courage to participate in a single assessment, always thinking you needed to accumulate power to the absolute peak before trying... But what *is* the peak? Are you at the peak now? If you are, why couldn't you even withstand a single one of my fingers?" He continued, "'The sea accommodates all rivers, and thus becomes vast.' To cultivate the Torrential Ocean Art, your state of mind must first be expansive, free from contention and desire. Only then can you grasp its true essence. You were too preoccupied with surpassing Battle Master Feng Moxia's record, which narrowed your perspective from the very beginning, naturally preventing you from perceiving the ocean's vastness!" Zhang Xuan sighed. As he engaged with the other party, various flaws in Shi Hao's technique became apparent to him. He could tell at a glance that although Shi Hao had cultivated the Torrential Ocean Art solidly, he had fundamentally taken the wrong path.

"I..." Shi Hao's body froze. Twenty years of arduous effort flashed through his mind, and scenes from his past resurfaced one after another. After an indeterminate period, he slowly closed his eyes, then suddenly took a step forward and prostrated himself. "You have taught me well. If it weren't for Master Sun's guidance, I might have continued down that path, deviating further and further, ultimately limiting my strength!" Recalling all his efforts, he now fully understood that his cultivation approach had indeed been mistaken. Had it not been for this individual's warning, continuing on that path, though it might have increased his strength faster in the short term, would have made it nearly impossible to advance to higher realms or break through to the Primeval Spirit realm in the future. Fortunately, it was not too late to correct his course.

"No need for formalities, we are simply exchanging ideas!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"I have been at the peak of Saint 1-dan for a full five years. Five years ago, I couldn't pass the assessment, and five years later, I still haven't succeeded. I hope Master Sun can provide some guidance. Is it because my cultivation is flawed, or is my state of mind insufficient?" A Battle Master stepped forward.

"Punch!"

"Yes!" With a punch that cut through the air, the Battle Master's true qi crackled within his body.

"Hmm!" Zhang Xuan gestured for him to stop, then said, "If I'm not mistaken, you're cultivating the Overturning River Art of the Battle Master Hall, aren't you? Both Overturning River and Torrential Ocean Arts belong to the Internal Qi Pavilion, representing the most profound true qi cultivation methods. Under normal circumstances, with five years of accumulation, passing the assessment should be very straightforward. The reason you haven't succeeded isn't due to a lack of talent, but rather... you are cultivating according to the method left behind by Battle Master Bai Mo two thousand years ago!"

"You... how did you know?" The Battle Master was startled. Battle Master Bai Mo was renowned for his mastery of the Overturning River Art, and this Battle Master had greatly admired him, diligently training himself according to Bai Mo's personal insights. However... cultivating based on private insights was highly secretive; how could the other person possibly know?

"Battle Master Bai Mo possessed innate divine strength and was proficient in water-attribute techniques. Cultivating the Overturning River Art in water naturally led to tremendous progress for him. However, you have an earth-attribute constitution, and earth counters water. Cultivating in water, your progress will naturally be slow. I suggest you cultivate the Thick Earth Art left by Battle Master Hong Jiang; you should be able to break through successfully in less than a month!" Zhang Xuan said, waving a hand.

"Earth-attribute? Am I not a water-attribute constitution?" The Battle Master was taken aback.

"You do have a water-attribute constitution, but you once consumed an earth-attribute treasure, and now the earth attribute has gained the upper hand in your body..." Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. While a person's constitution is generally determined at birth, certain extraordinary treasures can alter it. This Battle Master was a prime example. He was born with a water-attribute constitution, but at some unknown point, he had consumed a special treasure. The earth attribute had then forcefully suppressed his original constitution, causing his cultivation speed to slow down, making him less of a genius than before.

"This..." The Battle Master was momentarily stunned, then seemed to recall something, his body trembling. Moments later, he bowed profoundly. "Thank you, Master Sun, for your guidance. I have learned a great deal..." At that moment, he fully grasped that the individual before him possessed not only immense strength but also superior insight.

"Master Sun, I also have some issues with my cultivation..." Seeing that two Battle Masters had already benefited, the eyes of the other Battle Masters lit up, and they surged forward.

"Everyone, please don't rush. I understand you all wish to accumulate more profound true qi within your bodies. In that case, I will share my insights, which might be helpful to you..." Watching everyone gather around, Zhang Xuan smiled and began, "To possess robust internal qi, you must first understand the vessel that stores true qi... the Dantian! Only if your Dantian is sufficiently broad can it contain enough vital energy..." His voice was clear and resonant, as if celestial flowers were falling. Battle Masters represented the Master Teacher Pavilion's strongest combat force, and Zhang Xuan would not decline to guide them. It was for the Master Teachers, and for humanity as a whole. Although these Battle Masters would eventually interact with members of the Xuanxuan Society, having stronger opponents would provide greater motivation, perhaps enabling the latter to progress even further. After comprehending the heart of a true teacher, he no longer held such rigid views on different sects; as long as someone was willing to learn, he would impart his knowledge without reservation.

"You're saying... Master Sun did this?" Standing in the passage, Hall Master Wei's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yes, it was perfectly intact before Shi Hao came out, but it became like this after Master Sun left!" Xiao Bo quickly confirmed.

"Shattering all the stone tablets with a single palm, scoring a hundred points... Just how profound is his true qi?" Hall Master Wei's mouth twitched, and his breathing quickened. He had always believed that Master Sun possessed great combat power and impressive explosive force, but that the profundity of his true qi couldn't compare to that of an ordinary Battle Master, much less a genius like Shi Hao. Now, he realized how naive that thought had been! Clearing the test with a single strike, the profundity of the other party's true qi had reached an astonishing level.

"I don't know exactly how profound it is, but... if he can do this, once he joins us, the Internal Qi Pavilion will undoubtedly become renowned throughout the Titled Empire Battle Master Hall, unrivalled by anyone!" Xiao Bo asserted.

"Indeed!" Hall Master Wei nodded. Since the Battle Master Hall was established, the highest record had been Shi Hao's recently broken thirty-eight. Yet, this Master Sun scored a hundred in one go... it was simply astounding. It was probable that no other Battle Master Hall of comparable standing possessed such a profound true qi reserve.

"Come on, let's go discuss it with him and see if we can invite him to join the Internal Qi Pavilion!" The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and Hall Master Wei turned to leave.

"Hall Master... this place is so damaged..." Xiao Bo couldn't help but interject. This area was meant for everyone's assessment, and now that it was so extensively damaged, what was to be done?

"It's fine. After we've sorted out Master Sun's matter, I'll go to the Formation Master Guild and invite President Han to help me repair it. Although this formation is Level 8 and he can't set it up from scratch, he has thoroughly studied its detailed diagrams, so repairing it won't be too difficult!" Hall Master Wei smiled. He himself was incapable of repairing the formation within the internal qi passage, but President Han Xu of the Formation Master Guild could. He would simply arrange for him when he had time; it wasn't a major issue.

"Let's go!" After a brief explanation, Hall Master Wei said no more. He exited the passage and walked towards the spot where Zhang Xuan had been standing, mentally rehearsing how best to approach the other party to recruit him. Before he even reached them, a faint voice reached his ears.

"...This is the cultivation method for increasing internal qi!" He quickly looked up and immediately saw numerous Battle Masters from his own Internal Qi Pavilion kneeling in sincere admiration, their faces filled with reverence and piety, shouting in unison: "Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance!"