Entry: I Secretly Cultivate Immortality in the Martial Arts World

12: Chapter 12 Grand Lecture at the Preaching Pavilion!The Mission Hall is located on the west side of Changqing Workshop, a simple three-story pavilion.

Gu Yan stepped inside and saw the walls covered in a dazzling array of tasks, but upon closer inspection, most were tedious.

【Clear weeds at the east foot of Danxia Peak for one day: 10 contribution points.】

【Transport iron Ore for one day: 20 contribution points.】

【Collect one stalk of Moonlight Grass: 30 contribution points (limited to Disciples at the Second Transformation Stage or above).】

There were many tasks, and the rewards were more generous than in the Outer Sect, but when calculated carefully, they were still not much.

After all, redeeming a bottle of the most basic Qi Gathering Pill in the Inner Sect required one hundred contribution points.

Gu Yan shook his head helplessly.

The Taiyi Dao Sect emphasized simple cultivation and did not value luxury, so even the task rewards were so plain.

However, thinking about it, it made sense; if resources were too easy to come by, the Disciples would not know how to cherish them.

After browsing for a while, he accepted several weeding tasks for Danxia Peak.

He was familiar with this work.

When he was in the herb garden at Qingyun Peak in the Outer Sect, he dealt with medicinal herbs every day.

He was well-versed in the habits of over a hundred common medicinal herbs and the identification of associated weeds.

Most Inner Sect Disciples were not very keen on such tasks; after all, they aimed for advancement in the Martial Dao and viewed miscellaneous chores as a waste of time.

But for Gu Yan, this work was the easiest.

After accepting the tasks, he walked towards Danxia Peak.

On the way, he met several other Inner Sect Disciples who had also accepted weeding tasks, nodding to each other without saying much.

After noon, the tasks were completed.

Gu Yan went to the deacon Disciple to submit the tasks and received a taiyi currency note with a denomination of ten.

taiyi currency was Sect contribution, and Sect contribution was taiyi currency.

He did not continue doing tasks in the afternoon but returned to his cottage to Cultivate.

Around the hour of the Dragon the next day, Gu Yan stopped Cultivating.

He had to go listen to the lecture again today.

Arriving at the lecture hall area again, watching the Disciples choose their lecture halls with either certainty or hesitation, his heart suddenly stirred.

Why did he have to guess like them?

He had Divine Sense.

At Qi Refining Seventh Level, his Divine Sense covered three hundred meters.

Now at the ninth level, it had reached five hundred meters.

All three lecture halls were within his perception.

If he could see in advance which Elder was coming, he could naturally choose the right lecture hall.

However, the next moment, Gu Yan laughed at himself.

He didn’t know the faces of the Inner Sect Elders at all.

With several old men in Daoist robes moving about in Changqing Workshop within his Divine Sense, how could he judge which one was the person giving the lecture today?

However, this did not hinder him from listening to the lecture.

Since he couldn’t determine it in advance, then... he would just listen with his Divine Sense.

Having figured this out, he simply found a secluded stone platform outside the lecture hall, sat down, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

At the hour of the Snake, an old man in black robes walked straight into Cangfeng Hall.

”I am the Sword-Holding Elder of Sword Perching Peak, with the Daoist name Duanyue. Today, I will lecture on the Foundations of the Sword Dao and the method of condensing Sword Intent.”

Gu Yan’s Divine Sense drifted into the hall, and every word was clearly audible, no different from being there in person.

At this moment, there was a low murmur from the audience in Cangfeng Hall.

Condensing Sword Intent!

This was content that only Disciples at the late Second Transformation Stage or even the Third Transformation Stage would come into contact with!

Duanyue continued: ”In Sword Dao cultivation, the most important thing is Sword Intent.”

”Sword Intent is not a Move, nor is it Internal Energy; it is born from the mind and condensed by the will.”

”If a First-Turn Disciple can integrate a trace of Sword Intent into their swordsmanship, the power can be increased by thirty percent.”

He pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed through the air.

There was no release of Internal Energy, no Sword Qi flying across, but everyone felt a sharp Aura rushing towards them, as if a sharp sword were hanging right before their eyes!

”This is Sword Intent,” Duanyue retracted his finger. ”It has no form or substance, and can only be felt by the heart.”

Gu Yan was shaken in his heart.

This Sword Intent... was actually somewhat similar to the Divine Sense attacks of a cultivator!

Both used mental power to influence the outside world, but Sword Intent was more focused on the characteristic of sharpness.

The Martial Dao really had something!

He hadn’t even cultivated Sword Intent yet!

”To condense Sword Intent, one must first understand the Sword Heart,” Duanyue began to explain in detail.

”What is a Sword Heart? Some use protection as their Sword Heart, some use slaughter as their Sword Heart, others use freedom as their Sword Heart... Different Sword Hearts lead to different Sword Intents.”

”The current Chief Disciple of Sword Perching Peak has a Sword Heart of Unyielding, and his Sword Intent is like a mountain; no matter the storm, I remain unmoved.”

”Thirty years ago, a Senior had a Sword Heart of Annihilation; wherever the Sword Intent passed, all things returned to silence.”

A Disciple asked: ”Elder, can the Sword Heart be changed?”

”Yes, but it requires a price,” Duanyue said solemnly.

”The Sword Heart is the Foundation of a Martial Artist’s mind; changing the Sword Heart is equivalent to reshaping one’s Martial Dao will.”

”Those who succeed are one in a hundred; those who fail suffer, at best, the collapse of their Sword Intent, and at worst, damage to their intelligence.”

There was another silence.

Martial Dao cultivation was truly full of dangerous hurdles.

Elder Duanyue spoke about the Sword Heart, and then about the specific methods for condensing Sword Intent.

Observing the sword, comprehending the sword, nurturing the sword, and refining the sword—a four-step cycle.

He also taught a set of basic sword techniques called ”Clear Wind Swordsmanship,” consisting of nine Moves; the Moves were simple but contained Sword principles.

Gu Yan also listened carefully.

He was cultivating both Immortal and Martial paths; perhaps the method of condensing Sword Intent could be applied to the use of Divine Sense.

An hour passed quickly.

When Elder Duanyue finished, he said: ”In Sword Dao cultivation, it is not about the complexity of Moves, but the purity of the heart and intention.”

”Remember, when there is no sword in hand, but a sword in the heart, only then have you entered the gate of Sword Dao.”

After the Elder left, many Disciples remained in place to practice sword Moves and discuss sword principles.

Gu Yan, however, had already quietly left.

He planned to do one daily task every day and use the rest of his time for Cultivation.

From then on, his life became regular.

Every day from the hour of the Snake to the hour of the Horse, he would listen in on the lectures of the Elders of various branches using his Divine Sense.

After noon, he would complete one Sect task.

He would spend the afternoon and night dedicated to Cultivation, drawing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body’s acupoints.

Five days passed in a flash.

The sixth day was the day of the Inner Sect Grand Lecture.

The Preaching Pavilion is located in the center of Changqing Workshop and is the largest lecture venue in the Sect.

From the hour of the Snake to the hour of the Monkey, a total of three hours, there was only a break of three sticks of incense in the middle.

All Inner Sect Disciples, unless in secluded meditation or out on tasks, were required to attend.

This was probably the most mandatory collective activity in the Taiyi Dao Sect.

Gu Yan followed the crowd towards the Preaching Pavilion.

Walking into the pavilion, it felt even more spacious.

The interior was arranged in a tiered layout, with a wide lecture platform at the front and hundreds of cushions arranged in six sections at the back.

At this moment, more than two hundred people had arrived, each finding a seat.

Gu Yan chose a position at the back and to the side.

It was inconspicuous, yet he could see the entire venue.

He quietly spread his Divine Sense and scanned briefly, and he had a count in his mind: there were over three hundred Inner Sect Disciples.

This number was less than he had expected, but it was reasonable.

Reality was not like a novel; for a Sect to maintain its operations and provide resources, more Disciples were not necessarily better.

The Taiyi Dao Sect followed an elite path; out of five hundred Outer Sect Disciples, only a dozen or so could advance to the Inner Sect each year.

Over the years, maintaining three hundred in the Inner Sect was already a balance.

Moreover, the strength of a Sect had never been measured by the number of people, but by its Legacy and top-tier combat power.

During these days, Gu Yan occasionally heard some Senior Disciples chatting and learned that the Taiyi Dao Sect Master, Xuan Chenzi, was a Peak Fifth-Turn Martial Cultivator.

He was just one step away from the legendary realm of the Sixth-Turn Martial Immortal.

If he could achieve a Breakthrough, he could enjoy a Lifespan of five hundred years.

The Great Qian Dynasty, where the Taiyi Dao Sect was located, had a vast territory, thirty thousand miles from east to west and twenty-eight thousand miles from north to south, divided into nine provinces and seventy-two counties.

Qingzhou, where the Taiyi Dao Sect was located, was in the southeast of the Dynasty.

In such a vast country, there were fewer than ten Sects that possessed a Peak Fifth-Turn powerhouse.

The fact that the Taiyi Dao Sect could be one of them showed that its Foundation was not small.

At the hour of the Snake, the bell rang nine times.

An old man in purple robes walked slowly onto the stage.

The old man had a refined face, a long beard hanging over his chest, and his robes did not Move as he walked.

He stood still, his gaze sweeping across the audience.

In that instant, everyone felt an invisible pressure, and the pavilion fell into silence.

”I am Dao Xuan, the Preaching Elder under the Xuan Chenzi.”

”For today’s Grand Lecture, as per custom, Elders from the three branches will take turns to lecture, one hour for each branch. There will be three breaks in the middle, each for the time of one stick of incense.”

”What is taught in the Grand Lecture is the essence of each branch. I hope everyone will listen carefully and study diligently.”

After saying this, Dao Xuan stepped aside.

The first to take the stage was Elder Qingyuan of Danxia Peak, whom Gu Yan had seen before.

”Today I will talk about the advanced Foundations of Alchemy...”

Elder Qingyuan began to speak, and the content was deeper than what was taught in the small classes, involving the principles of Medicinal Pill refining, heat control, medicinal property matching, etc.

Gu Yan thought as he listened; the mode of this Grand Lecture was very similar to the consecutive classes in his previous life’s school.

It was just that the lecturers had changed from math, physics, and chemistry teachers to Elders in Daoist robes, and the textbooks had changed from textbooks to Martial Dao True Scriptures.

An hour passed quickly.

After Qingyuan finished speaking, Dao Xuan announced a break.

The Disciples either closed their eyes to digest, discussed in low voices, or got up to Move around.

Gu Yan noticed that some deacon Disciples had brought tea and snacks and placed them under the corridor outside the pavilion for Disciples to help themselves.

He also asked for a cup of clear tea and stood by the corridor looking into the distance.

This life was truly comfortable; cultivating immortality and practicing martial arts, with no pressure at all.

”This Junior Brother looks unfamiliar, are you a newly promoted Inner Sect member?” A gentle voice sounded.

Gu Yan turned his head and saw a Disciple in a green shirt.

He was about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a handsome face, and his cultivation had reached the Middle Stage of the Second Transformation.

It is worth mentioning that Inner Sect Disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect were customarily issued black uniform robes.

But the Sect style was relaxed, and whether to wear them or not depended on personal preference; there was no compulsion.

Gu Yan cupped his hands and said: ”I am Gu Yan, I just entered the Inner Sect a few days ago. Senior Brother is...”

”Lin Qingfeng, a True Disciple of the Xuanji branch,” the Disciple in the green shirt smiled and returned the salute.

”I just saw Junior Brother listening intently, I suppose you are very interested in Alchemy?”

”Exactly.”

Lin Qingfeng smiled and said: ”Inner Sect Grand Lectures are rare, with the essence of the three branches gathered in one day.”

”Since Junior Brother is new here, if there is anything you don’t understand, you can ask us Senior Disciples at any time.”

The two chatted for a few words, the bell rang, and the break ended.

The second to take the stage was an old woman with a bun and plain clothes, with a cold temperament.

Gu Yan had seen her when he was listening with his Divine Sense yesterday; this Elder was Elder Xuanji of the Cloud Mist Peak branch.

What she lectured on today was the basics of Formation and the guidance of Qi.

”The way of Formations is mostly auxiliary in the Martial Dao, but it secretly conforms to the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth.”

”The Foundation of a Formation lies in momentum and guidance. By borrowing the advantage of the terrain, guiding the Feng Shui of Heaven and Earth, and supplementing it with Formation patterns, one can achieve various effects such as trapping enemies, gathering Qi, and confusing tracks.”

She brushed her sleeves lightly, and several ordinary jade stones on the stage flew out following her finger force, landing in specific positions.

Although there was no bright light, the Disciples in the front row all felt the airflow in the hall being subtly pulled, and their sense of direction became slightly blurred.

”This is the simplest tracking-disturbance Formation, using jade stones as a base, borrowing their meager essence to disturb the Qi sensing of ordinary people,” Elder Xuanji explained.

”Martial Dao Formations do not emphasize illusory light and shadows, but rather effectively influencing the opponent’s five senses and interfering with the operation of Internal Energy. High-level Formations can even Move the Qi of the earth veins, with unfathomable power.”

Although Gu Yan did not major in Formations, he listened intently.

These principles about the use of momentum and the interaction between the environment and one’s own Qi were quite similar to his cultivation of mobilizing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

It was just that one used Internal Energy to induce the meager essence of the outside world or the natural momentum.

The other directly controlled Spiritual Qi, but the core idea of using the environment to form a Domain was the same.

These pieces of knowledge might one day allow him to draw inferences about other cases.

After Elder Xuanji finished speaking, after a break of one stick of incense, the third Elder took the stage.

”I am a deacon of Sword Perching Peak, with the Daoist name Ling Yue.”

This Elder had no extra small talk and cut straight to the point:

”In Sword Dao cultivation, after reaching the late Third Transformation Stage, one must nurture Sword Momentum.”

”Sword Momentum is not Sword Intent; it is a field born from the unity of sword Moves and the Martial Artist’s essence, energy, and spirit...”

Elder Ling Yue’s words were concise, but his Aura was imposing during the demonstration.

He did not draw his sword, but only pointed his finger as a sword and slashed through the air, and a slight cracking sound rang in the air, as if invisible Sword Qi had cut through.

An hour passed quickly, and the three Elders finished their lectures. Many Disciples in the audience looked tired, but their eyes were burning.

Within one day, hearing the essence of the three branches, even if they could not absorb it all, it was an Opportunity to broaden their horizons.

Finally, it was Elder Dao Xuan who personally explained the profound meaning of the ”Taiyi Dao De True Scripture”.

”Today, you have all tasted the strengths of the three branches.”

”However, in Martial Dao cultivation, while drawing on the strengths of others, it ultimately comes down to cultivating the heart.”

”The ’Dao Scripture’ says: The highest good is like water. Water excels at benefiting all things without contending, dwelling in places that people dislike, so it is close to the Dao.”

”A Martial Artist should be like water, able to be hard and soft, able to advance and retreat, only then can one last long.”

He swept his gaze across the audience: ”You have all entered our Taiyi Dao Sect Inner Sect; you are not lacking in talent or effort.”

”But if your Heart-Nature is insufficient, you will never achieve great things. I hope you will remember that in cultivation, one must Cultivate the heart first.”

These words touched Gu Yan deeply.

Cultivating immortality is the same; those with insufficient Heart-Nature, even if they have strange encounters, will find it difficult to overcome the Heart Demon tribulation they may face in the future.

At the end of the hour of the Monkey, the Grand Lecture ended.

The Disciples left the venue one after another, many with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Gu Yan also followed the flow of people out of the Preaching Pavilion.