Chapter 511 - 435: Sermon, Advancement, Breakthrough

Fearing the powerful faction that might be backing Jiang Qiu, the Nine-tailed Fox opted against making a bloodline oath, settling for a simple verbal wager instead.

He didn’t dare force Jiang Qiu into a situation with such high stakes. While strength was paramount for survival in this world, intelligence was just as crucial.

The real key was to be prudent and protect oneself, not to be overly greedy. He didn’t believe he could win the bet, take Jiang Qiu’s bloodline, and still live to tell the tale.

That was why he’d given up on the bloodline bet with Jiang Qiu, opting for a verbal agreement. Besides, deep down, he didn’t really believe Jiang Qiu could help someone reach the Spirit Control Realm in three hours, so he wasn’t too worried about losing many of his Spirit Fruits.

Besides, worst-case scenario, it would just mean giving one Spirit Fruit to Jiang Qiu. That would already be a huge gain for him, so he likely wouldn’t press the matter further.

With this thought, the Nine-tailed Fox finally felt at ease. The wager began. Jiang Qiu started teaching the Cultivation Technique to Xiong Batian. It was just a common technique from the Primordial world cluster, a dime a dozen over there and not considered particularly powerful. But in this world, it was a priceless, guarded secret—a peerless Cultivation Technique that could lead one to greater heights.

That was what Jiang Qiu’s technique meant to Xiong Batian. And Jiang Qiu taught it verbally, making no effort to hide it from the Nine-tailed Fox, who heard every word clearly.

’It wasn’t a particularly precious technique to begin with, and the Nine-tailed Fox’s attitude has been quite good. He didn’t push for the bloodline bet and even offered to give me a Spirit Fruit as a consolation prize if I fail. Even though I’m confident I’ll win, since he’s showing me this much respect, I won’t be secretive about it.’

Since it wasn’t a particularly valuable Cultivation Technique, he decided he might as well teach it to the Nine-tailed Fox too. At the same time, it would allow the fox to witness for himself just how simple it was to enter the Spirit Control Realm.

As the Nine-tailed Fox listened to the beginning of the Cultivation Technique, his expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, his mind was in turmoil.

Indeed, the technique itself wasn’t all that profound—it was only the beginning, after all—but the logic it contained was like a sharp blade, slicing through the mists of this world.

To put it simply, what Jiang Qiu was describing was nothing less than an analysis of the very essence of Cultivation, and its sheer profundity was, of course, staggering to the Nine-tailed Fox.

Until now, native creatures like the Nine-tailed Fox had always followed a practical approach to Cultivation. That is, they would try something, and if it worked, they would keep doing it, rarely delving into the underlying principles.

Even when they did manage to grasp a few principles, it was only through the natural course of practice, and their understanding was never deep.

But now, in just a few words, Jiang Qiu had clearly explained the vague principles of Cultivation that the fox himself had spent hundreds, even thousands, of years to barely grasp. How could he not be shaken to his core?

’No matter how much my own Cultivation is based on practice, I know one thing for sure: unless someone has mastered a more advanced path, how could they possibly articulate the principles of Cultivation with such quintessential clarity?’

Yes, the Nine-tailed Fox thought, Jiang Qiu must be the offspring of some high-level entity. Only by being immersed in that environment from birth could he have absorbed such profound principles and be able to articulate them so clearly.

’Oh, no, to be precise, he’s teaching Xiong Batian, and I’m just a witness listening in... Wait a second. If the Cultivation Technique is this profound, can it really help that bear break through to the Spirit Control Realm in three hours?’

’The answer is still no,’ he concluded. ’No matter how masterfully Jiang Qiu explains it, even if he has laid bare the very essence of Cultivation with what seems to be a complete Cultivation System, how could anyone possibly internalize it so easily?’

’In other words, how could anyone achieve enlightenment in just three hours? It isn’t about time; it’s about accumulation, about letting the knowledge settle. Countless beings spend their entire lives in pursuit of the very essence of Cultivation he’s describing.’

’Who ever heard of bypassing the entire process of Cultivation with just a few sentences?’

’And by the looks of it, this is the first time that bear has ever been exposed to such a profound method. He must have been using a different technique before, which makes a sudden breakthrough all the more difficult.’

’So, Jiang Qiu is most likely going to lose the bet. Still,’ the Nine-tailed Fox thought, ’losing one Spirit Fruit isn’t such a bad price to pay for hearing the fundamental principles of Cultivation explained so clearly.’

In that instant, the Nine-tailed Fox’s own understanding, built over a millennium of cultivation, suddenly became crystal clear. It was as if a new channel had opened in his mind, connecting all his scattered thoughts. Everything felt so natural. Indeed, the principles of Jiang Qiu’s Cultivation Technique were linking all his ideas together.

Vaguely, he could feel the faint stirrings of a potential breakthrough within himself. It was like a single ray of light suddenly piercing the dark night—not bright, and only a sliver, but a benefit nonetheless.

With these thoughts, the Nine-tailed Fox continued to listen as Jiang Qiu explained the principles of the Cultivation Technique. This was always the first step; one had to explain the theory before anything else. Otherwise, how could the student possibly understand what was being taught?

The principles he was explaining were, naturally, the very same system he had learned back at Northwest Martial University: the Soldier Cultivator system.

One should not underestimate the Soldier Cultivator system. It was the very essence of Northwest Martial University, and could even be called a shining jewel of Blue Star’s entire cultivation civilization. After all, hadn’t it once produced the peerless genius, Luo Beixing?