When Meng Qi said that four people emerged from the top of one of the tall buildings in their sect. They retrieved something from their storage rings, mounted it, and flew into the sky.
Below, the new disciples were alarmed by the tremors they felt. One of the disciples noticed something flying in the sky and immediately asked their elder, "Sister Meng Qi, what is that?" pointing at the four people flying on an unidentified object.
They all turned to look in the direction their companion was pointing. Upon seeing it, Madara couldn't help but mutter, "Is that..."
When Meng Qi saw what one of her disciples was referring to, she spoke up, "That's Sect Master Han Feng and the Three Pillars, riding their respective spiritual weapons."
"The Three Pillars?" one of the disciples asked her, puzzled.
When the tremor finally stopped, she continued speaking.
"Yes. Do you see those three tall buildings?" she pointed.
"That's where the Three Pillars are secluded. And the building in the middle of the three—that's where Master Han Feng is secluded, and it's also where all the sect elders hold their meetings."
As they watched the four figures in the sky rapidly moving toward the source of the tremor, Long Wei asked "Are the Three Pillars also sect elders like you?"
"Yes, they are sect elders as well, but their cultivation realms are much stronger and higher than mine and the other sect elders in the Heavenly Dao Sect."
When Madara heard this, he followed up with a question, "Sister Meng Qi, if I may ask, what cultivation realms do Sect Master Han Feng and the Three Pillars possess, and what grade are their spiritual weapons?"
Even Madara's fellow disciples were taken aback by his question. This piqued the curiosity of all the disciples, who now wondered just how powerful their sect master and the Three Pillars truly were.
Noticing the reactions of the disciples, Meng Qi answered, "Well, Sect Master Han Feng's cultivation realm is in the early stage of the sovereign realm. As for the Three Pillars, to my knowledge, all three of them are at the late stage of the void realm."
The disciples were astonished and amazed when they heard this.
"As for their spiritual weapons, Sect Master Han Feng's weapon is of supreme grade, and of the Three Pillars, two of them wield high-grade weapons, while one has a supreme-grade spiritual weapon."
Upon learning this, they couldn't even begin to imagine how powerful their sect truly was. Afterward, Meng Qi invited everyone to enter the pagoda. Inside, she resumed her lesson on the different types of pills and medicinal plants. Once she finished explaining, one of the disciples raised their hand.
"Sister Meng Qi, what exactly is an artifact? Is it similar to a spiritual weapon?" asked the chubby man, Tang Hao.
Upon hearing this, Meng Qi asked, "Wasn't this taught to you by Elder Xu Feng?"
All the disciples nodded, and Meng Qi let out a sigh before explaining.
"Artifacts are typically crafted by powerful beings or through mystical means, often imbued with specific abilities or powers from the start."
Once she finished speaking, Meng Qi noticed one of the disciples raising their hand.
"Yes?"
"Sister Meng Qi, the powerful beings you mentioned who create artifacts—are they more powerful than Sect Master Han Feng?"
"Yes, we speculate that they were created by immortals or high-level cultivators."
"Sister Meng Qi, are immortals real?"
Meng Qi looked around to see who had asked the question. She spotted Madara, who had raised his left hand while sitting in the center of his fellow disciples.
"Yes, in fact, they exist in higher realms."
"In that case, how can we identify if the cultivator we're facing is an immortal cultivator?"
She smiled and replied, "Because their cultivation realm is so high, you won't recognize them immediately unless they release their qi. Their spiritual energy is purer and more powerful."
"The basics for recognizing them are that they exude a refined and intense presence. They have flawless skin and often glow. They are also capable of flying through the air using their spiritual qi."
"Besides our world (Lantian World), are there other worlds that exist?" Zhou Lei asked.
"Yes, that's why the path of a cultivation is incredibly dangerous."
Madara and the other cultivators were astonished, as this was the first time they had heard and learned about this.
When no one else had any more questions, Meng Qi continued with her lesson.
"Artifacts don't necessarily possess a consciousness or spirit like spiritual weapons, but they are valued for their inherent abilities and the craftsmanship involved in their creation."
"Using an artifact doesn't typically require forming a deep, spiritual bond. Instead, mastery comes from understanding its functions and abilities. Artifacts can be immensely powerful."
"They are prized for their ability to channel and amplify the user's power, but unlike spiritual weapons, they don't grow or evolve in the same organic way."
"Like spiritual weapons, artifacts also have grades, ranging from mortal grade to divine grade."
...
Mortal Grade: Artifacts with faint spiritual energy
Earth Grade : Better crafted artifacts with refined spiritual essence.
Heavenly Grade : Strong spiritual energy for high-level cultivators, offering powerful abilities.
Divine Grade : Rare treasures with advanced abilities, sometimes sentient.
...
"Sister Meng Qi, in that case, do Sect Master Han Feng and the Three Pillars know the grade of the artifact that will emerge?" Jia Li asked.
"No, because all artifacts signal their emergence in the same way—through the shaking of the earth. Only once they find the artifact can they identify its grade."
"I should also add that it's known that once the wearer of an artifact dies, the artifact will vanish and respawn in another world or location. That's why some immortal cultivators secretly visit our world."
After that, they were assigned a task to identify all types of pills and medicinal plants, totaling 750,000. They were informed that an exam on this would take place in three days.
By the time they finished, it was already late in the evening. Their exhaustion was evident from the strain on their faces after memorizing so much. As a result, Madara skipped the library and headed straight to his room. Once inside, he resumed his usual routine. The next morning, they continued their studies, focusing on memorizing the pills and medicinal plants.
Two days later, the day of the exam finally arrived. One by one, the disciples were called to enter the pagoda to take the exam prepared by their elder. While one disciple was inside taking the exam, the others outside were quietly whispering and discussing the nature of the test given to them by Sister Meng Qi.
Meanwhile, some disciples remained focused, silently absorbing qi with their respective qi absorption techniques, sitting in meditation at a distance. As the hours passed, the number of disciples outside the pagoda gradually began to dwindle.
When Madara's name was called, he stood up from his meditation position and made his way to the pagoda. Upon entering, he found various medicinal plants and pills neatly arranged on the tables. At the far end of the room, Meng Qi was seated.
"Uchiha, Madara. Your exam sheet and brush pen are on your right. Good luck."
Madara cupped his fist to his elder before picking up the exam sheet. To his surprise, there were 1,500 questions in total. He signed, "I didn't expect it to be this long, and it's not multiple choice; I have to write full sentences."
Over an hour later, Madara exited from the back of the pagoda, where those who had finished their exams were instructed to go. "Feels just like taking a college entrance exam," he said quietly.
Outside, he saw some of his fellow disciples chatting about the exam and speculating on their scores.
Not wanting to waste time, Madara decided to head to the library to continue his reading.