Chapter 38: The Lecture, An Unexpected Guest and How Far Will You Climb?

An incense stick’s worth of time went by in oppressive silence. The disciples sat frozen in their chairs. The atmosphere of the previous conflict continued to hang around like a cloud of smoke. There were no usual whispers and fidgeting. Everyone was just waiting.

Then footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Elder Wan appeared, gray robes flowing as he walked with steady, unhurried steps. His hair was tied back in a simple knot. His face carried the weathered lines of someone who had spent decades cultivating.

He had an aura of calm confidence about him. He seemed to be one who had stood in front of thousands of disciples and imparted them with the same basics over and over again.

But he wasn’t alone.

Beside him walked another figure. The moment Yu Liang saw him, he understood why the hall had fallen so silent.

The man was tall, posture straight as a blade. His robes were deep blue, embroidered with silver patterns that resembled flowing rivers. His hair was long, falling past his shoulders in a smooth cascade. His face held a sharpness that made him seem both youthful and ancient at once. His eyes swept across the hall with casual disinterest, as though the hundreds of disciples watching him were nothing more than passing scenery.

But it was the aura that truly set him apart.

It was restrained, tightly controlled, yet small traces still leaked through in subtle waves. The pressure was enough to make everyone instinctively tense.

If he were to release it completely, Yu Liang had no doubt it would crush everyone in the hall.

Elder Wan reached the platform and turned to face the crowd. The man beside him stopped as well, standing slightly behind, hands clasped loosely in front of him.

Elder Wan’s voice carried clearly across the hall.

"I apologize for the delay. I had an unexpected guest who wished to observe today’s lecture."

He gestured to the man beside him. The tension in the hall sharpened instantly.

"This is Elder Feng Yun, an inner sect elder. Many of you may have heard of him."

A ripple went through the audience as whispering started immediately.

"Feng Yun... the one who—"

"—condensed his core in three years—"

"—killed a Foundation Establishment beast king alone when he was still at Core Formation realm."

Ding Yun whispered into Yu Liang’s ear, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"That’s him; Elder Feng Yun. He’s known for his legendary achievement for having killed a spirit beast two levels above him when he was younger. Nobody’s been able to do that since then. A legendary figure."

Yu Liang’s gaze stayed fixed on the elder. Feng Yun didn’t react to the whispers. He didn’t acknowledged the attention either. He simply stood there with neutral expression, as though this was beneath his notice.

Elder Wan raised a hand. The hall fell silent instantly. The gesture was simple, but the effect was immediate. Even the rustling of robes stopped.

Now Yu Liang understood. This was why the top ten had all shown up. Somehow they had known that an inner sect elder would be observing lecture today and for them this wasn’t a normal occurrence. It was an opportunity.

If other disciples had known, the pavilion would have been overflowing. But only those with the right connections and the right information had been aware. Everyone else thought it was just a normal lecture.

Elder Wan stepped forward, gaze sweeping across the seated disciples. His expression softened slightly. When he spoke again, his tone carried a warmth that hadn’t been there before.

"Today, I want to begin with something fundamental. Something many of you already know, but perhaps don’t truly understand."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"The cultivation realms."

A few disciples had a questioning look on their faces. This was basic knowledge, taught to every new disciple. Why start with something so simple?

Elder Wan seemed to sense the doubt and smiled faintly.

"I know what you’re thinking. Why waste time on what you already know? But hear me out."

He began pacing slowly across the platform, hands folded behind his back.

"Body Tempering. Qi Condensation. Foundation Establishment. Core Formation. Nascent Soul. Soul Formation. Dao Palace. Divine Lord. And lastly Heavenly Tribulation Realm."

Each name fell into the silence like a stone dropped into still water.

"Nine realms," Elder Wan continued. "Nine stages of transformation from mortal to something beyond. Most of you are in the first or second realm. A few have reached the third. But do you understand what lies ahead? Do you know what you’re climbing toward?"

He stopped and turned to face them fully.

"Many elders believe it’s dangerous to tell disciples too much too early. They say knowing about realms you can’t reach will damage your foundation, or worse, crush your spirit. They think ignorance is safer."

His voice grew stronger."But I disagree."

The whole hall appeared to tilt forward together.

"I believe the opposite is true," Elder Wan said, his tone rising with conviction. "How can you climb a mountain if you don’t know how high it is? How can you push forward if you don’t understand what lies beyond the next step?"

He gestured broadly, encompassing the entire crowd.

"Yes, the path is long. Yes, most of you will not reach the highest peaks. But does that mean you shouldn’t try? Does that mean you should walk blindly, hoping for the best?"

His eyes sharpened.

"No. You should know. You should see the full path, understand the distance, and decide for yourselves how far you’re willing to go."

Silence hung in the air, but it was different now. The disciples weren’t just listening, they were absorbing.

Elder Wan’s voice softened again, but the passion remained.

"Body Tempering refines the flesh, making it strong enough to hold Qi. Qi Condensation gathers that energy, teaching you how to control it. Foundation Establishment plants your roots, giving you a stable base to build upon. Core Formation creates the heart of your cultivation, a source of power that sustains itself. Nascent Soul births something beyond the physical — a second self, a spiritual existence."

He paused, letting the weight of those words sink in.

"Beyond that? Soul Formation merges your physical and spiritual selves into one. Dao Palace constructs a realm within yourself, a space where your understanding of the world takes shape. Divine Lord transcends mortal limits entirely, stepping into a power that defies natural law. And Heavenly Tribulation..."

He trailed off, expression distant for a moment.

"...is a realm so far ahead from where you stand now that even describing it feels like grasping at mist."

The hall went utterly silent. Even the top ten disciples sat motionless, their attention locked on Elder Wan.

"But here’s what I want you to remember," Elder Wan said, with a firm voice. "Every cultivator who has reached those heights started where you are now. They stood in halls like this, listened to lectures like this, and wondered if they would ever amount to anything."

He looked directly at the crowd, his gaze sweeping across every face.

"The difference between them and those who failed wasn’t talent. It wasn’t luck. It was belief. They believed they could climb, even when the peak was hidden in clouds. They believed they could take one more step, even when exhaustion threatened to break them."

His voice rose again, carrying an intensity that made the air feel charged.

"So I tell you this not to discourage you, but to inspire you. Look at the path ahead. See how far it goes. And then decide... will you stop here, or will you keep climbing?"

There was a change in Yu Liang’s heart. The words did not contain magic. The words were not profound in a mysterious way. However, the words reached somewhere very deep inside of him, somewhere that had been hidden beneath years of being told he wasn’t good enough.

Around him, the disciples sat a little straighter. Those who had been half asleep moments ago started paying attention, and the lazy atmosphere in the hall quickly disappeared.

Elder Wan smiled, seeing the change.

"Good. Now let’s begin."