Chapter 214: The Power of Knowledge

“What’s so strange about an Immortal Weapon?” Yun Jiao looked around at everyone. The sect leaders’ faces were filled with unease, and she sighed softly before speaking in a steady tone.

“A weapon is just a weapon—whether it’s a spiritual tool or an immortal artifact, it’s only a supporting instrument. No matter how powerful it is, it only makes things easier to use; it cannot directly raise one’s cultivation. A tool without a wielder is just a lifeless object. Why attach such importance to something like that?”

Yun Jiao knew exactly what Hall Master Xu and the others were worried about—nothing more than fear that someone might covet Le Jun’s Immortal Sword and kill him for it. Although the Celestial Sect was now peaceful and orderly, the human heart was the most unpredictable of all things. Who could guarantee that, when faced with temptation, a person wouldn’t turn into a monster?

But what she couldn’t understand was why people placed such weight on a mere supporting object. Yes, Immortal Weapons were impressive; in theory, they could make one stronger in battle. But that was only theory. No matter how sharp the sword, wasn’t the wielder’s skill what truly mattered?

“You think Immortal Weapons are precious only because you’ve never seen one before,” Yun Jiao said seriously. “It’s like how you usually cook with iron pots, and one day you switch to a formation-powered cooking pot—one that steams, boils, and fries on its own. Of course you’d think it’s better. But whether a meal tastes good or not depends on the chef’s skill, not the pot.”

She spoke as if recalling something. That furnace of hers—she’d once modified it with automatic cooking and stirring functions. Yet every dish it made turned out awful. Even her Patriarch and the old man couldn’t stand it. She still had to cook by hand every day, and even her Patriarch, who baked cookies daily, still kneaded his own dough!

“Tools are tools,” she continued. “Having them can be a bonus; lacking them is no big deal. What truly matters is you.”

Yun Jiao turned toward the disciples below, her voice ringing clear and firm:

“You must not focus your attention on tools, but on your own cultivation. When your skill reaches true mastery, then every flower, every tree, every blade of grass and speck of dust can become your Immortal Weapon! Remember this—you are cultivating the Dao, not the tools. Put your mind into study, not into whether your pen writes well or not!”

Everyone froze. Not just the disciples, but even the sect masters were wide-eyed in amazement.

It was the first time they’d ever heard such a philosophy—and the more they thought about it, the more sense it made. Somehow, they suddenly lost interest in all so-called magic weapons and treasures.

After all, these tools were made by cultivators. What truly mattered wasn’t the tool itself, but the skill to create and wield it. All external things were illusions; only cultivation was truly your own.

“In our Celestial Academy, we indeed have great treasures,” Yun Jiao said. “But those treasures are not Immortal Weapons. They are the techniques and knowledge you learn here, and the cultivation you gain from them. Those are what you should value. As for Immortal Weapons…”

She walked up to the old man, took the storage pouch from his hand, opened it, and said,

“They are nothing more than medals of academic excellence.”

The next moment, several streaks of white light burst from the pouch—more than a dozen radiant Immortal Weapons floated into the air, their immortal energy gleaming before everyone’s eyes.

“As you can see, there are plenty of Immortal Weapons. If any of you study diligently and achieve outstanding results like Le Jun, come find me and claim your medal—choose any design you like!”

The disciples: “……”

The sect masters: “……”

Le Jun: “……”

The hall fell silent for three seconds—then erupted into thunderous cheers.

The disciples were beside themselves with excitement, many already itching to rush back and cultivate. The zeal for study surged higher than ever. Some had even pulled out their manuals and begun reading on the spot.

Meanwhile, the old man tugged at Yun Jiao’s sleeve, leaning closer and whispering anxiously,

“Girl, do we… really have that many Immortal Weapons?”

“What’s there to fear?” Yun Jiao’s expression didn’t change—her face as serious as ever. She whispered back, “The Grand Competition is only once a year. What we have will last for decades. At their current learning speed, how many students do you think will actually reach the level of crafting Immortal Weapons in the next few decades?”

Hmm. That… actually made sense. Except—

“So… we’re just giving them away?” He winced. These were all items their senior uncle had used to pay off debts! One or two was fine, but if they kept handing them out every year, wouldn’t that be a loss beyond repair?!

“To forge an Immortal Weapon, one must practice first,” Yun Jiao replied calmly. “Do you really think they’ll have less practice assignments?”

The old man suddenly remembered the massive pile of talisman homework their sect’s disciples had turned in. Once, their sect had only one purple-grade talisman. Now, he had so many he could toss them around for fun. An ominous premonition struck him—that the sect might soon be buried under a mountain of Immortal Weapons.

The old man: “……”

He admitted it. As a money-devouring beast, he should never have doubted Yun Jiao’s financial instincts.

“Truly worthy of Master Yun!” The sect masters, finally regaining their composure, all stepped forward, eyes gleaming as they cupped their fists. “Such a firm Dao heart, unshaken by material desires! We were indeed too narrow-minded.”

A few tools were nothing compared to cultivation itself!

Not every disciple would grasp that truth, and there would still be envy over Le Jun’s Immortal Weapon—but Yun Jiao’s promise completely destroyed any thought of theft. After all, once an Immortal Weapon recognized its master, it was nearly impossible to erase that bond. Besides, everyone used different types of weapons; stealing one wouldn’t even suit their fighting style. And with an annual Grand Competition offering freely chosen Immortal Weapon “medals,” why risk your life when you could simply study harder and earn one legitimately?

As the disciples’ fervor to return and train grew uncontrollable, Hall Master Xu finally had to intervene, reminding Yun Jiao,

“Master Yun, it’s time to give the champion his reward.”

“Oh.” Yun Jiao nodded, calmly retrieved the floating Immortal Weapons, handed the pouch back to the old man, and reached into her own storage bag. She looked at Tang Chen and said, “There’s a bit more this time, so hold on.”

The entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward her hands, every breath held. If second place received an Immortal Weapon, what kind of astonishing prize would the champion get?

Then, under the watchful gazes of all, Yun Jiao reached into her pouch—and slowly pulled out a thick, square stack of snow-white objects, each covered in dense little black symbols. The disciples recognized the aura immediately—it was all too familiar. She handed the pile solemnly to Tang Chen.

But she didn’t stop there. She reached in again, pulling out another stack, then another, and another, until Tang Chen’s arms were full and his expression was frozen in disbelief. Finally, she patted the towering pile and declared seriously:

“That’s all. I took every exam paper I’ve ever written since the founding of the Academy, revised and expanded them with new question types, and compiled them into this complete study collection. You may call it the ‘Five-Three.’ The number of problems isn’t huge, but if you work through it, you’ll have no problem preparing for the next Grand Competition. This is my reward for you—not a tool, talisman, or pill, but knowledge.”

“Knowledge,” she said solemnly, “is power!”

Tang Chen: “……”

Le Jun: “……”

All the disciples: “……”

Are you a demon?!

(￣△￣；)

The sect masters: “……”

As expected of Master Yun! Why hadn’t they thought of giving that as a prize?

We’ve been outsmarted!

o(￣ヘ￣o＃)

(End of Chapter)