Chapter 597: You Come to Teach

Ink painting's spiritual sense, approaching fifteen patterns.

From fourteen patterns to sixteen patterns, it's all within the realm of Foundation Establishment mid-stage spiritual sense. The breakthrough doesn't present a major bottleneck; it just requires a bit of time.

And during this time, Ink painting has gradually settled down in Tai Xu Gate.

His life in Tai Xu Gate is calm and uneventful. Apart from classes, it's daily cultivation and drawing array formations.

Tai Xu Gate offers many courses.

Besides array formations, Ink painting's cultivation class is the one he attends most seriously.

The teaching Elder Gongsun is a Featherization Realm Elder, a true inheritor of Tai Xu inner gate. His cultivation is profound and his knowledge vast.

He imparts the path of Foundation Establishment cultivation in a high-level and broad manner, yet it is also profound and easy to understand.

Some basic knowledge points are supplemented by Elder Gongsun's true disciples, who currently serve as inner gate instructors.

These cultivation methods represent the painstaking efforts of generations of Tai Xu Gate Elders, condensed from thousands of years of experience and understanding of the Dao.

Benefiting from this, Ink painting's understanding of Foundation Establishment cultivation has gradually become clear.

However, his cultivation is still considered at the bottom.

This is partly because he is the only disciple in Tai Xu Gate with a middle-lower grade spiritual root.

It's also because he has forged a "divine sense proving Dao" foundation. Although his spiritual sense is extremely strong, his realm has not yet been tempered, and his physical body and spiritual power foundation are extremely weak.

A middle-lower grade spiritual root means a low upper limit for spiritual power circulation and average cultivation speed.

This is especially true when compared to the heaven's favored children of Tai Xu Gate, who all have upper-grade spiritual roots and no low aptitudes.

Therefore, among all disciples, Ink painting's number of spiritual power circulations is the lowest.

Similarly, because his foundation is weak, Ink painting's Dao cultivation foundation is also the thinnest.

Although Ink painting cultivates diligently, he can only barely keep up with the realm. Other aspects are far behind.

Fortunately, the teaching cultivation Elder Gongsun teaches without discrimination and is not harsh with people.

As long as you cultivate diligently and have a serious attitude, the requirements for results are not too strict.

Ink painting can only continue like this, like water wearing down stone, slowly grinding away. With limited spiritual roots, his cultivation realm naturally isn't fast, and his foundation isn't solid either.

However, this is something Ink painting already knows and it's not worth being disheartened about.

Regardless of whether the spiritual root is good or bad, or the foundation is thick or thin.

Since he wants to pursue the Great Dao, he must be single-minded and focused on the path of cultivation.

Whether the spiritual root is good or bad is an established fact. Instead of self-pity and wasting time, it's better to use that bit of effort on cultivation.

Besides cultivation class, within Tai Xu Gate there are also courses on the hundred industries of Dao cultivation.

The most prominent among these are alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman refining.

As expected, Ink painting learns all of them very poorly.

It was like this at Tong Xian Gate in the past, and it's even more obvious now at Tai Xu Gate.

Alchemy herbs are too expensive, he can't swing a hammer in artifact refining, and talisman refining consumes too much spiritual power.

The brush, ink, and array paper for drawing array formations are already not cheap for Ink painting.

But the essence of array formations is the comprehension of the Great Dao through spiritual sense.

The biggest consumption is actually spiritual sense.

Alchemy is different. Alchemy herbs, superior alchemy furnaces, alchemy recipes, and various medicine guides, heavenly materials and earthly treasures are all "unattainable" sky-high prices for Ink painting.

The higher the grade, the more expensive the price.

Only family disciples who are supported by their families, not lacking spirit stones, and not lacking spiritual objects can "burn money" to learn alchemy...

Compared to alchemy, talisman refining is not only expensive, but also very consuming of spiritual power.

Ink painting once heard about talismans from Master Chen, an artifact refining master in Tong Xian City. After entering Tai Xu Gate, he knows even more.

Talismans are a category of Dao cultivation industry that developed from "artifact refining" and "drawing array formations", but is completely independent.

The most initial talismans were drawn on paper, somewhat like array formations.

But this kind of paper talisman, with "paper" as the medium, is not easy to preserve and is prone to "misfiring" and exploding;

The preservation period is also short and they are prone to "muting" and becoming invalid;

The sealed spiritual power is limited, and the power is not too strong.

As the cultivation world developed, this old form of "talismans" was gradually eliminated.

Today's talismans are all jade talismans, made with jade stone as the medium, incorporating sealing type array formations, and special artifact refining techniques.

Talisman refiners seal their own spells inside these jade stone "talismans", refining them into "talismans" with limited uses.

This process requires consuming a large amount of spiritual power.

Since Ink painting's spiritual power is meager, he also has no affinity with talisman refining.

Artifact refining is even less worth mentioning.

Ink painting's vital energy, not to mention compared to body cultivators, even among spiritual cultivators, is considered the weakest.

Most spiritual cultivators among family disciples also cultivate some body refining methods, not for close combat, but just to improve physical defense.

Therefore, they have no problem swinging a big hammer and forging spiritual artifacts.

But Ink painting is different.

Even holding the hammer is strenuous for him.

In class, Ink painting used all his strength, yet still couldn't swing the big iron hammer. His face flushed with anger, and he even pondered in his heart whether to disassemble the big hammer and draw array formations inside to "transform" it properly...

The teaching artifact refining instructor hurriedly advised:

"Alright, alright, don't force this hammer..."

"It doesn't want to either..."

If you can't lift the hammer, it's not the hammer's fault...

Ink painting then asked: "Then instructor, do I still need to learn artifact refining?"

The instructor looked troubled, in a dilemma.

He had taught in Tai Xu Gate for so long, and this was the first time he had seen a disciple who couldn't even swing an iron hammer.

If you can't forge iron, you naturally can't refine artifacts.

The instructor could only say: "Do as you like, learn as much as you can, don't force it, and even more so, don't injure yourself..."

He knew that Ink painting was very good at array formations and was quite favored by Old Mister Xun. If he injured his hand during artifact refining and couldn't draw array formations, he would definitely receive Old Mister Xun's cold glare.

Ink painting sighed.

He was also very helpless.

Artifact refining requires physical strength, talisman refining requires spiritual power, and alchemy requires wealth as a foundation.

He lacked all of these.

Indeed, only array formations, which are based on spiritual sense consumption, were most suitable for him.

Ink painting once again began to reduce his energy in the "artifact refining", "alchemy", and "talisman refining" courses, and instead spent more time on drawing array formations.

But these three courses still had to be attended.

It was still that saying, "You may not know it, but you cannot not know it..."

He didn't need to personally learn alchemy, artifact refining, or talisman refining, but basic refining principles, commonly used spiritual artifacts, talismans, pills, and their respective uses, precautions...

He had to know this Dao cultivation knowledge.

To avoid being poisoned by others, being secretly attacked by spiritual artifacts, or being instantly killed by talismans when walking in the cultivation world in the future...

Additionally, Tai Xu Gate also had Dao arts classes.

Dao arts classes were divided into three categories: spiritual cultivation class, body cultivation class, and sword cultivation class.

You could learn whatever you wanted to learn.

Ink painting was a spiritual cultivator, so his first choice was the spiritual cultivation class.

But he discovered that the spells and spell principles taught in Tai Xu Gate's spiritual cultivation class were completely different from his own path of spells.

Tai Xu Gate's spiritual cultivation, or mainstream spiritual cultivation, followed the path of large-scale killing moves.

Those with upper-grade spiritual roots cultivated upper-grade cultivation methods, learned superior spells, and relied on profound cultivation to condense majestic spiritual power and activate powerful spells.

Then, with one killing move, they would reverse heaven and earth.

Just like that Big Boss Jiang, who accumulated all his spiritual power, urged the Sword Control Art, condensed pure gold sword qi, and then with one move decided victory, one sword decided life and death.

Although he finally struck empty and also died, Ink painting knew it wasn't his fault.

His sword was indeed majestic and powerful.

If it were someone else, they would probably have been chopped to death by him.

It was a pity he was unlucky and encountered himself, resulting in a premature death.

Ink painting felt a bit regretful for Big Boss Jiang.

But this kind of move has great power, takes a long time to prepare, and consumes a lot of spiritual power. During the preparation time, it's either easy to be interrupted or you will stand there "getting beaten".

Ink painting thought of the layer of golden light Big Boss Jiang added to his body before casting the "Sword Control Art".

Because of that layer of golden light, his Water Prison Technique did not interrupt his determination.

Even the power of the Fireball Technique was reduced.

"What exactly was that layer of golden light?"

Ink painting then went to ask the Dao arts sect instructor.

The instructor told Ink painting:

"That is the Golden Body Technique."

"Golden Body Technique?"

Ink painting was slightly startled. It was the first time he had heard of this spell.

The instructor said:

"Golden Body Technique is a special class of spells, primarily for defense, but different from protective spells like Golden Bell Cover."

"The effect of the Golden Body Technique is to add a layer of golden light to yourself, protecting your meridians, and to a certain extent, reducing the damage from received spells..."

"At the same time, it can also prevent the circulation of spiritual power within your meridians from being hindered."

"This point is crucially important!"

"In other words, your spells will not be interrupted."

"While the Golden Body Technique is active, you can cast those spells and killing moves that are time-consuming but extremely powerful without any worries, thereby deciding life and death in an instant and victory in a flash!"

"You can even face ten opponents and rely on one superior Dao art to suppress and kill a group of enemies and turn the tide!"

"This is the pursuit of spiritual cultivation, to generate supreme power with ultimate spells..."

Ink painting listened with boiling blood.

But then he thought, this seemed to have nothing to do with him.

He didn't know any superior Dao arts.

Even if he did, with his poor spiritual root and thin qi sea, he might not have the spiritual power to cast them.

Even if he could cast them, it would be useless...

Among cultivators of the same tier, his physical body was very weak. Even with the "Golden Body Technique" active, he probably couldn't last until a big move was cast.

Ink painting knew that he couldn't withstand being "beaten".

He was originally a piece of paper. Even with the Golden Body Technique adding some damage reduction, he was at most just one more piece of paper, still useless.

However, he still benefited greatly.

As expected of a realm like Qian Xue, with a long inheritance.

Golden Body Sword Control, or Golden Body Spell Casting...

This was a kind of fighting logic that he had never known before and was completely different from his own spell routine.

It was a pity that he couldn't use it...

He walked the path taught by Puppet Grandpa, "Among the world's spells, only speed is unbroken." Plus, his spiritual sense was powerful, and his spiritual power circulated rapidly, so the only spells that could truly unleash their power were low-level spells like the Fireball Technique.

"Superior spells..."

Ink painting suddenly remembered something and asked: "Instructor, this kind of powerful spell, must it be locked on with spiritual sense?"

The instructor was a bit surprised, "You even understand 'spiritual sense lock on'?"

Ink painting said reservedly: "Slightly understand."

The instructor then looked at Ink painting with high regard because of this.

Although his spiritual root was a bit poor, his spiritual power was a bit weak, he knew a bit less about spells, and basically had no superior spells, it was rare that he actually had this kind of insight.

To actually know about spiritual sense lock on...

The instructor said with satisfaction: "This is natural. The myriad phenomena of time are strange and bizarre. What the eyes see is not necessarily 'real', and what is not seen is not necessarily 'empty'. Cultivators relying solely on their eyes is very foolish..."

"Within spiritual sense is the true form of myriad things."

"The stronger the spiritual sense, the truer the true form seen."

"So whether it's the Sword Control True Art or spell killing moves, it's best to use spiritual sense to look and to lock on..."

"Learning to use spiritual sense lock on makes you an excellent spiritual cultivator..."

Ink painting nodded and felt relieved.

This was right.

No matter how powerful it is, if it doesn't hit, it's useless.

His spiritual sense was still quite strong.

Although he said that, he still wanted to make preparations early and prepare for a rainy day.

He had to think about how to deal with those heaven's favored children who had good spiritual roots, good cultivation methods, profound cultivation, and cultivated superior Dao arts or powerful Sword Control Art...

He couldn't rely too much on his spiritual sense just because it was strong.

It was also good to have a few preparations.

Therefore, Ink painting not only attended the spiritual cultivation class, but also audited the body cultivation and sword cultivation classes.

He didn't want to refine his body or cultivate sword arts. He mainly wanted to "know himself and know his enemy", to see what the routines of body cultivation and sword cultivation were, what their attack methods were, how they protected themselves, and what their vital points were...

This way, he would also have methods to deal with body cultivation and sword cultivation later.

This was a kind of "reverse learning", another kind of "learning to use".

The only thing Ink painting learned well through "positive learning" was array formations.

Besides that, Ink painting couldn't compare with his fellow disciples in other areas, including cultivation, alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman refining.

Therefore, Ink painting was an "alternative" among his fellow disciples.

He was excellent at array formations, but poor at everything else.

After getting familiar, other fellow disciples gradually accepted Ink painting, this disciple with a "middle-lower grade" spiritual root, a "scatter cultivation" origin, who was serious in cultivation, but extremely biased.

But that was all.

On the surface, Ink painting was just a somewhat special, but not outstanding disciple.

However, his interpersonal relations were still not bad.

Most disciples in Tai Yi Residence treated him relatively kindly.

The few whose origins were relatively prominent, with arrogant and self-conceited faces that looked troublesome at a glance, Ink painting also kept his distance from them to avoid trouble.

There were also many female disciples in Tai Xu Gate.

Most of them had good origins, fair skin, and beautiful appearances. Although they wore the uniform Tai Xu Dao robes, they were still colorful and splendid, each with her own charm, and had many suitors.

However, Ink painting looked at them a few times, silently compared them in his heart, and finally felt that his little senior sister was still the most beautiful!

Thinking of his little senior sister, Ink painting was momentarily dazed.

Bits and pieces of his time in Tong Xian City and his cloud wandering adventures floated in his heart again.

"I wonder where little senior sister is now..."

Ink painting sighed, finally shook his head, put his little senior sister silently in his heart, and then continued to cultivate diligently and learn array formations diligently...

The scenery of Tai Xu Gate was ancient, elegant, and beautiful.

Thousands of disciples cultivated here.

Besides Tai Yi Residence, there were also numerous heaven's favored children that Ink painting wasn't too familiar with, and had never even met.

Among them were heaven's pride from prominent origins, eye-catching geniuses, and stunningly beautiful female disciples...

These heaven's pride disciples gathered together and competed with each other.

Occasionally there was also jealousy, causing waves to rise and fall.

But these had nothing to do with Ink painting.

Work hard to improve cultivation, enhance spiritual sense, and learn more profound array formations!

This was what he should do!

He didn't care much about other matters.

Ink painting just like this, silently cultivated daily, silently learned array formations.

And his spiritual sense finally, without him noticing, quietly broke through the shackles of fourteen patterns and reached fifteen patterns...

Fifteen patterns was the spiritual sense that cultivators who had achieved minor success in Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation could possess.

While sixteen patterns of spiritual sense could learn second-grade mid-level array formations.

Fifteen patterns was only one pattern away from sixteen patterns!

Ink painting was a little excited. He thought, and still ran to Old Mister Xun, asking hesitantly:

"Old mister, can I learn... fifteen patterns array formations?"

Old Mister Xun was momentarily dazed.

He had predicted before that fourteen patterns array formations would be enough for Ink painting to learn for a while, but he didn't expect that it was really just "a while".

This while was too short...

Even he felt that he had just taught Ink painting fourteen patterns array formations not long ago.

In the blink of an eye, Ink painting already wanted to learn fifteen patterns...

Old Mister Xun was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded, "Okay, but don't be in a hurry for now. You should consolidate it first."

"Understood!" Ink painting nodded.

After Ink painting bid farewell, Old Mister Xun's face sank, his gaze very solemn.

He felt that this child, Ink painting... was already a bit scary...

This was no longer a matter of whether he learned array formations fast or well.

This kind of super-tier spiritual sense, growing so rapidly, was simply unheard of, unseen...

If he was allowed to continue learning like this, he was afraid he would really raise an unprecedented "little monster" in the Dao of array formations...

"But..."

Old Mister Xun frowned.

Learning so fast was absolutely not a good thing.

Wood that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

But Ink painting was probably no longer "wood that stands out in the forest". If he was allowed to grow wildly like this, his branches would almost be able to cross the mountain top and extend to the sky.

Too conspicuous.

Like this, this child was bound to be dreaded by families, envied by fellow disciples, and coveted by demon gates.

Once he truly entered the demonic path, those heartless old demons had ten thousand ways to force his growth and raise him into a thorough, inwardly crazy "little demon overlord"...

There were precedents for this kind of thing...

Array masters with powerful spiritual sense, once they entered the demonic path, were truly too terrifying...

And once they entered the demonic path, their Dao foundation would inevitably be ruined.

They would seemingly be powerful, but they would cut off the Great Dao and become flesh puppets of the demonic path for life.

As for families...

Ink painting himself had no bloodline from any family.

He had only two choices: either become a running dog for families, turning into a hound that profited for them.

Or, he would simply have to be squeezed out by families.

If his heart was upright and his mind broad, and he did things that were contrary to the interests of families, he would even be jointly suppressed and killed by the families of Qian State.

Sect...

Sect could be his reliance.

But the foundation of the sect was also people.

The problem with Ink painting was that his entry was still short, and his foundation was still shallow. Even if he had some friendships with fellow disciples, they were ultimately too shallow.

The road is long and reveals the strength of the horse; time is long and reveals the hearts of men.

Only after spending a long time together and sharing hardships would there be feelings.

With the current relationship, at a life-and-death crisis, it was impossible for fellow disciples to truly take great risks to help him...

Like this, this child Ink painting was very likely to be without reliance and become a pawn in the struggles of the demon gate, and even the families...

Old Mister Xun's brows became tighter and tighter.

"Need to think of a way..."

But for a while, he had no good ideas.

The next day during the array formations class, Old Mister Xun looked at the innocent and lively, well-behaved and serious Ink painting, and then was a bit absent-minded.

He was both regretful and heartbroken, even more distressed.

"This child, what should I do..."

Old Mister Xun's expression was complex.

Ink painting was confused, being looked at by Old Mister Xun for some unclear reason.

It wasn't until class began that Old Mister Xun finally moved his gaze away from Ink painting, unfolded his lecture notes, put away his thoughts, and prepared to explain array formations.

Suddenly, an inner gate Elder knocked on the door from outside.

Seeing Old Mister Xun frowning at him, the Elder suddenly felt immense pressure. He knew that Old Mister Xun hated being disturbed the most during teaching time.

But he still had to speak.

"Old Mister Xun, back mountain... said there is an important matter to discuss."

"Back mountain?"

Old Mister Xun was slightly startled, then nodded, "I know."

The Elder seemed to be relieved of a heavy burden, cupped his hands, and left.

Old Mister Xun then thought about pausing the course, assigning some homework, and letting the disciples study on their own, but when the words reached his mouth, he suddenly froze, his eyes slightly bright, and he pointed at Ink painting and said:

"Ink painting, you come and teach them!"

Ink painting was stunned.

The other disciples in their seats also opened their mouths, their faces looking like they had seen a ghost.

Thanks to Sang Chen, PYHuang, Supervising Wind Envoy, Born Beast Tamer, Wang Shui Lun Lian, Song Zi, new_new for the rewards

Wrote a bit more, finished updating, sorry

Updates are generally at 6 PM. If I have writer's block or write more, it will be a bit later.(.)

(End of this chapter)