Chapter 13: Chapter 11: Divulging the Dao, Paths of Cultivation The ethereal chime of the bell rang out, and Ji An felt an invigorating lift in his spirit, refreshed and clear-headed, a comfort akin to when cultivating a cultivation method. It’s actually a sonic-type magical artifact, Elder is indeed generous. He had heard before that cultivators could use melody magical artifacts to play celestial tunes that, when listened to, produce different effects. Clearly, the effect of the Jade Bell is to calm the mind and enhance mental acuity, aiding the disciples in absorbing knowledge more swiftly. Ji An carefully observed the Jade Bell on the desk, the copper frame complementing the verdant bell brilliantly, with the surface of the bell inscribed with symbols the size of rice grains. Through the translucent body of the bell, he saw the intertwined intricate patterns inside, presumably the dharma prohibitions embedded within the artifact. No wonder the duty brother adores Elder Qin so much; melody magical artifacts lose lifespan with every use. Anyone else delivering a lecture wouldn’t dare to use an artifact to invigorate the younger disciples! Qin Yan waved his sleeve, and the door to the lecture hall slowly closed, marking the official start of the discourse. "Depending on the assigned hall, the main cultivation methods you receive vary, but no more than the Qingyuan Scripture, Bing Fire Scripture, or Kun Earth Scripture. With these methods, you can cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage. The sect has its reasons for choosing these methods. These three methods are not the best for the Qi Refining Stage but suit the practical needs of the sect. Now, starting with the Qingyuan Scripture, I will dissect the mysteries of these methods and explain the cultivation tips. Among them, I will elaborate on the content of the first, second, and third layer spells, and briefly on the tips for spells beyond the fourth layer..." Ji An immediately perked up his ears, focusing intently on the lecture. The high cultivators explained the qi refining stage cultivation methods from an overarching perspective; the angle and insights were enlightening, teaching him several practical tips to boost cultivation efficiency. If he had to explore these tips himself, who knows how long it would have taken to discover them. He sighed inwardly once more: "No wonder loose cultivators outwardly show respect but inwardly resent sect cultivators, it’s pure envy." Having mentors to impart teachings significantly reduces the chances of disciples taking detours. This spares the efforts of guesswork, granting sect cultivators more time to cultivate and enhance their cultivation realm. His original body’s father once spent half a year struggling without making progress due to failing to penetrate the mysteries of a cultivation technique. Ultimately, some cost was involved to invite a high cultivator for explanations, allowing the cultivation technique to be mastered. After Qin Yan finished explaining the cultivation methods, a double hour had passed; his thorough yet straightforward explanations left the disciples in attendance greatly enlightened. The duty brother brought out a kettle of tea suffused with spiritual qi from somewhere, placing it on the desk: "Elder, have a cup of spirit tea to moisten your throat." "Nephew Li, you are thoughtful." "Elder, you are too kind," Li Changfeng smiled faintly and stepped down from the high platform. The gentle fragrance entered Ji An’s body, and he felt his mouth salivate, the tea flowing into his throat. Spirit tea, I want to drink it too... He swallowed his saliva involuntarily. Once consumed, spirit tea can be rapidly refined into magical power, making him envious indeed. Qin Yan sipped the spirit tea, cleared his throat, and continued: "Most people’s talents are middle-grade or lower-grade. Without support, lacking spirit pills, spiritual food, and other external aids, merely relying on cultivation methods to absorb nature’s spiritual energy to enhance cultivation is inefficient." "Simultaneously, we also need to practice magic techniques, using them to earn crystal stones and contribution points, an arduous challenge indeed." "I have low-grade talent and understand this well." "Many may not know that there is a conflict between cultivating techniques and practicing magic techniques; we need to find a balance to benefit from both." "The optimal moment for cultivating methods is when there is still more than half the magical power in the body, allowing us to rapidly refine it to fill the dantian. Some might feel this makes the later refined magical power wasted, but that’s not true; this touches upon another matter." "The purpose of cultivating methods is to enhance cultivation and break through realms; cultivation is the foundation of everything." "But is the role of a cultivation method merely to enhance cultivation? Certainly not!" Memories floated in Qin Yan’s eyes, and after a brief pause, he lowered his voice: "We consume meridian opening pills and cultivate the meridian method to open ancestral acupoints and obtain immortal veins, revealing only a few main veins and a small portion of branch veins." "The most important function of cultivation methods is to help us strengthen the immortal veins and expand more branch veins. This way, the immortal vein can connect more acupoints, facilitating further cultivation in the future." "How can we more easily empower the immortal veins and grow more branch veins? Operating cultivation methods when magical power is abundant achieves this efficiently. If the dantian is empty of magical power, most refined magical power is stored in the Qi Sea acupoint, with only a small portion used to strengthen the immortal veins." "Talent is not immutable; as the immortal veins strengthen, talent slowly improves. Elevating to a great realm significantly enhances talent. Foundation Establishment, Chao Origin, and the Three Realms of Golden Core provide opportunities for those with low talent. If we can seize it, by advancing to the Golden Core, even the poorest talent can be elevated to at least the earth-grade level." His words concluded amidst a buzz in the hall, as disciples discussed excitedly, filling the air with energy. Exciting! Hearing these insights is better than reading ten years of books. Ji An gently clasped his chest, took deep breaths to calm his excited mind, convinced that attending this lecture was incredibly worthwhile. Saying that a single trick in the martial world is worthless if not understood... This speech might not be as impactful to others, but to him, it was worth thousands of spirit stones! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦 Ding! Ding! Ding! The Jade Bell was struck three times, and everyone quieted down, their fervent blood gradually settling. Qin Yan rose, casting a glance across the disciples: "Today, inspired by some sudden thoughts, I said quite a lot. Let it emerge from my mouth and cease at your ears, remember!" Having finished, he gracefully rose, and left with a swirl of his sleeves. The door opened automatically, and the big crane followed closely. A cool breeze gusted from outside, billowing his Daoist robe, his large sleeves fluttering, resembling an immortal descending to the mortal world. "Farewell, Elder!" Everyone paid their deep respects, filled with gratitude. After exiting the grand hall, Qin Yan lifted his leg to mount the beast for a ride but paused, patting the crane’s neck: "Wait for me to return." He walked into the main hall of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, ascended the loft, and reached the furthest room. The door was open; he entered directly, bowing respectfully to the elder cultivator seated on the white pudun: "Senior Brother!" The person was none other than the Hall Master of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Xu Banshan. Thin smoke curled from the incense burner in the room, carrying a faint scent of pine resin. "Junior Brother, sit down." "Top-grade Jade Spirit Pine Resin, Senior Brother, you have quite the interest," Qin Yan commented, taking the pudun and sitting across from the elder. Even for a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Jade Spirit Pine Resin is a premium calming incense, only used during the contemplation of profound spell techniques.