.
.
.
---
/Half an hour later…/
"Let's see… This must be it."
As he climbed the stairs of the fancy subway into an even fancier mall, Zhuo stepped onto the streets to see a tall wall that stretched into the distance on both sides.
Tall trees hid behind the walls, spreading their flowers everywhere. Right before him, tall metal gates stood half open, soldiers in armor welcoming students as dozens of luxurious brand cars came and went through them.
'As expected, no one's on foot like me… I can't see a single normal person around aside from the cars on the road passing by… even then, there are more high-brand cars around than ordinary ones.'
'Now then, how do I cross this street? I don't see a single traffic light around…'
/Swoop!/
"Student, allow me to escort you to the gates."
"Huh?!"
A voice suddenly rang behind him, and Zhuo was momentarily startled. He turned around to see one of the gate guards behind him, his arms on his back as he looked down at him. His expression was hidden behind his helmet.
"Yes?"
"Excuse me."
/Tap/
The guard tapped Zhuo's shoulder, and in the next moment; they were both before the gates.
"…??"
'How did we get here?'
"Student, the Academy is located further back. Just follow the cars. The attendants will take care of the rest and guide you to your class."
"Thank you. Have a nice day!"
"You too, student."
Zhuo walked through the gates as flashing lights scanned him. They turned green as he passed, and a mote of light formed on the ground before him, guiding him deeper into the Academy's complex.
He hadn't noticed it before, but all luxury cars had unique emblems on their hood. It seemed the security mechanisms were scanning those and letting them pass with little trouble.
'This is all amazing… and ridiculous. Look at the size of this garden. It's what?… Two to three hundred meters long? It's essentially one massive forest.'
/Shaa… shaa…/
The cars kept passing by him as he walked deeper into the Academy, and for once, he worried if he was going to get in on time.
'Hum… I have what? Fifteen minutes left?… Should I run? No… I don't want to be made fun of… then again, I'm the only one walking.'
/Shaaaa…/
"Hm?… Aha!"
As he walked on the sidewalk, he noticed a strange post on the way. Once he pressed the button on the post, the ground lit up with light as a small cart rose from the ground, phasing through the stone.
Once the lights stopped and the cart manifested, it beeped in a friendly way, inviting him to step on it.
"Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's roll!"
/Beep!/
/Fwoosh!/
Zhuo dashed with the cart, reaching the gates of the Academy in less than two minutes.
"… Phew… Right on time."
The first building he saw… was massive. It was six stories high and probably as long as the path he took to get there. It was like a massive wall waiting for him to cross it.
The main road split into two paths, left and right. All cars drove to the right as none stopped at the entrance. That was because this wasn't the main academy building, not at all… this was the professor's department building where the principal and other staff worked at.
'When I saw the map online, things looked much smaller…'
Zhuo scratched the back of his head and entered the building, and immediately after, he was approached by a woman in clothes similar to a hotel attendant.
She was rather pretty and young. He assumed her to be in her late 20s but maybe she was younger given her cultivation. The thing is, all staff in the Academy, regardless of their position, were manned by Golden Core level professionals.
That was the minimum requirement to work at Jal-Xin Academy.
"Good morning, student. How may I help you?"
"Hello… I'm looking for the first year Class 1-A. Can you help me get there? I'm a little lost."
"Of course I can! It's not far. If we quicken up, we'll get there in time."
She led him outside and hopped into the cart, gesturing for him to get inside as well before commanding the cart to speed up all of a sudden, almost throwing him off.
He held on for dear life as the cart sped through the luxurious cars. In five minutes of driving across the forests, she stopped the car in front of another large building.
"Here it is. The first-year department building. Class A is on the fifth floor."
"Huff… Thank you, miss…"
'Fifth floor… Why does a single building for one year have seven floors?! This sole building is about as large as some universities…'
'Enough looking around, I'm late.'
For the first time, he could see other students being dropped off as the expensive cars parked around the entrance. From a single glance, he could tell he wasn't part of this world.
The students' appearances, their clothes, their cars, their servants… and their cultivation… It was all so alien to him.
Even so, he pressed on, getting inside the building before it was too late. He quickly located his locker and opened it by putting his palm on the door. Once it recognized his print and scanned his face, the locker opened to reveal several items.
[Good morning student Zhuo Jalro. Your first class of the day is Interactive Studies]
[There is a note for you: The professor has requested all students to bring their practice uniform]
[Thank you for listening, and have a good day!]
As his locker opened, a woman's voice echoed in his ears. It was faint yet quite strong. If he focused, he could barely hear similar lines on other lockers around him, but he might be imagining things from how weak it was.
While he was overwhelmed, he didn't let himself be dragged around. He quickly picked his uniform inside the locker and changed his shoes to adequate ones, stepping into the corridors for the first time.
Surrounded by students like him, no one seemed to pay him any heed, which was good. He followed the students and his memories of the map to the elevator hall, where he then rode it all the way to the fifth floor, where his class was waiting.
Following others he could only believed to be his future classmates, he arrived at his classroom. First Year A-1.
'Got it… with a few minutes to spare.'
/Swoosh!/
As soon as he stepped before its doors, they opened automatically.
The classroom was extremely advanced. Everything inside screamed technology and splurge.
Each chair was quite long and with an intractable display. The walls were littered with holographic displays and monitors. The professor had an advanced computer for him to use. There were multiple types of video projectors on the ceiling, and that was only a fraction of everything he saw.
Surprisingly tough, the class was only half full, and by the students coming behind him, Zhuo quickly stepped inside while keeping his poker face, taking a seat by the back of the room, one chair to the right of the one in the corner next to the window.
/Chatter…/
While most students chattered away with each other, several were like him, silently waiting for class to start.
'Great… I got in without issue… Now we wait.'
He pulled his newly bought phone and connected it to the table he was sitting on, exploring its features while the others waited, doing their own things.
While he threw a few sneak peeks at everyone around him, he focused on himself… and soon enough, the professor got inside the classroom.
/Clack!/
He closed and locked the door behind him with a gently clicking sound and walked to the center of the wall facing everyone.
The professor was an older gentleman with his hair combed back. He seemed to be in his 60s, but his complexion was quite good. His eyes were sharp, and so were his clothes. He seemed to be a man of composure, discipline, and will.
"Hum… There are a few missing…"
/Knock knock…/
Just as he said that, someone knocked on the door. With a sharp glance, he moved his hand in the air and the door was unlocked. And two children stepped through.
"You two are late."
"I'm sorry, master. We got lost." The first student, a young girl with blond hair, said as she gave the professor a gentle and coordinated bow
"Sorry!"
The other girl, blond as well, bowed in a similar motion as the other. Likely her sister.
"I'll let it slide today. Just take a seat and connect your ID to claim it. I want no confusion in assigning seats. If someone wants to change seats, come to me after class."
He looked at everyone again and nodded, putting his hands behind his back.
"I'll begin the class introduction, but I'll repeat it once at the class end for those that aren't here yet, so don't interrupt me in the future to ask for these details. I'm more than happy to answer questions at their proper time, but I dislike straight interruptions."
"If you have a question, raise your hand and wait for me to address you. I'll always give you time and answer you appropriately. In fact, I expect a certain degree of interaction from you all in future classes, but that comes later."
"My name's Elliot Contradeu. I'll be your professor in Interactive Studies from this day until the end of the year unless something unexpected happens. My class takes all of Monday morning from 7am to 10am right behind lunch from 10:15am to 11:00am."
"Our class, as given in its name, will composed mostly if not solely of practical classes. What types, you ask? Simple, all of them."
"I'll be teaching the basics of everything a cultivator will find out in the field with some theory to complement it. However, you'll learn most of that in the respective classes taught at other times."
"The goal of this class is to make you used to basic tasks and situations every cultivator will find themselves in at least once in their lives…"
/Knock knock…/
"You may enter." Elliot said as he unlocked the door
/Step…/
"Hum… Not going to say anything?" Elliot asked as he looked at the student who had recently arrived
"My bad? Or something like that…" The boy said with a smack of his lips as he walked past the professor
Elliot looked at him sharply, but the boy paid him no heed. He sat down at the back end of the classroom beside Zhuo by the window.
"…"
'Well shit, the troublemaker sat right beside me…'
"That's the last of you… We're all here… excellent."
"You must've heard the notification about getting your uniform. I'll now be leading you to the gymnasium. Follow me! If you get lost, I'll be deducting some points from your score."
"In this class, 80% of your score will be based on your performance on the field and 20% of it is just about your behaviour in class. So as long as you keep your head cool and take part in class, you'll at least get half of that 20%… now get your things and get moving!"
"…"
'Didn't expect things to start on such a high note…'
Zhuo took a deep breath and followed the crowd.
…
The professor led them to a large gymnasium behind the main building. The area of the first years alone was so large it could be taken as a large university on its own.
Zhuo entered the changing room and quickly changed clothes before it got crowded, leaving the room before the troublemaker kid arrived.
He stood outside, the first to get ready, with the professor waiting beside him, arms crossed.
"… You."
"Hm?!"
"Kid, don't be startled. I'm not a monster… Say, are you the kid who got perfect marks on the exams?" He asked with a curious gaze as he looked at Zhuo
"Ah, yes. That was me."
"Hum… Good work, it's been years… maybe even a decade since I saw someone do that well on that gnarly exam. They used to be fair in the past, but in recent times, they ask too many redundant questions out of kids that don't even know how to hold themselves straight."
"That said… Are you part of some family? I mean a Clan or group? I know you got the scholarship, but I needed to ask this."
"No?… I have a good family, but it's no cultivation clan…"
"So you started cultivating when you graduated? Were you born with cultivation?"
"No. I started three months ago when the manuals from the Academy arrived... Is there a problem?"
"Not at all… So you reached the peak of QI Condensation in three months? Hows the progress of your techniques?"
"Yes… I've reached Mastery in the first chapter, Advanced comprehension in the second chapter, and I'm barely at Intermediate comprehension for the third chapter."
"Oh? Are you certain?"
"Yes… at least according to the requirements and supposed effects as written in the manuals, I've reached about those levels…"
Ellio looked at him deeply and, for a slight moment, he smiled.
"Good job, kid. Keep up the good work, and you should reach Foundation within the year. If you need anything answered, I'll be here to help you."
"You're practicing the Hourglass Accumulation Art, and the Flowing Waves Method, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll do just fine. Actually, once you reach Advanced level in the third chapter of the Hourglass Accumulation Art, tell me. I'll help you get a scholarship for a better technique."
"Better technique?"
"Of course. Those you know are nothing but the most basic out there. They may be beyond the reach of the common folk, but there are far better and more efficient arts out there to be learned. In fact, there is a line of techniques that are essentially parts of each other."
"Today we'll be doing light sparring… but I'll spare you the work. Your cultivation is still too low to participate. But don't grow used to it, you need to catch up otherwise you'll be left aside."
"Really?…" Zhuo asked in disbelief, "But I thought the average…"
"The average for Class C and D is indeed QI Refining, specifically True Essence Formation. However, it's not that far from Foundation Establishment either. But for Class A… it's the middle stages of Foundation Establishment."
"What?!"
"Sigh… You've worked hard to catch up, but you'll have to try harder." The professor said as he looked at the other students stepping out of the changing rooms
"Everyone of your classmates was born with fully formed meridians and considerable inner energy. By the time they were six to eight, they naturally became Foundation Establishment cultivators… some before they even learned how to speak."
"This is the natural state of things. The only reason their cultivation isn't higher is because of the natural growth line. Cultivation is usually only beneficial to begin once someone is around fifteen years of age."
"The cultivation of those around you is just how their bodies developed over time. I believe most of them have never even cultivated. They only trained and studied the forms to prepare them for this moment… only a few have gone that far like you in the last few months."
"… Professor… who has the highest realm right now in class?"
"That would be the daughter of the Daxomin Palace of the Dax-Om Clan. She's currently at the 7th Transformation."
"Seventh…"
'Holy shit.'
Foundation Establishment was similar to QI Condensation. It was all about tempering and reinforcing the body by creating layers of energy throughout its outline and condensing them back to a single point inside their navel… their Dantian.
Each layer was a transformation, causing considerable changes and greatly strengthening the body. Even one transformation more than doubled the overall strength of a person. It even increased their overall lifespan by a year.
Once everyone finished all transformations, their lifespan usually increases by ten years. It is not rare for a peak Foundation Establishment to reach 110 years or even more.
There were nine transformations, followed by the Outer Shell and Inner Sun stages… after that, it was Quasi Golden Core.
'That little girl has the same cultivation as my parents, and they're in their forties… this is ridiculous… genetics are scary.'
Perhaps taking his silence for fear, Elliot tapped his shoulder, saying, "Don't be pressed. That kid received help and assistance all her life to end up like that. The fact that you made it this far on your own is far more impressive to me."
"Keep up the good work, and your scores will reflect it. Believe in yourself and you won't embarrass yourself… you made it here for a reason."
"…"
'Right, that I know… But catching up… that'll be a bit rough.'
'For now, I'll put my goal on what the professor said… To get a new technique! Everyone else doesn't matter, only my progress does.'
Zhuo's expression returned to its firm state. Seeing this, the professor smiled slightly again before he focused on the students.
It was time to start class.
…
"Now that everyone's here, listen up! I'll be calling your names, and you'll get up here, introduce yourselves to your opponent and get ready! We'll be doing light sparring."
"This means no energy, no spirit techniques, and especially no using your cultivation! If I see anyone using any of those, it's an immediate disqualifier and a drop to your score."
"Get to know each other right here and now. You'll all be seeing each other for the next three years after all. This little sparring will be nothing compared to what you'll face together."
"Now! You over there and the kid with glasses on the side! Step up!"
"…"
'It's starting… this is an excellent opportunity to see just how good these children are. Just a shame I can't call upon all of my clones to watch… this would be some solid learning experience for them all.'
'Show me then! The powers of the top talents of this nation!'
…
/Around fourty or so minutes later…/
"…"
'These kids… are terrible at fighting… most of them. The most they can do is charge at each other or worse… they can't even bear the courage to step up.'
'As expected, it was just as the professor said. They've been taught everything they know but didn't have the chance to put it into practice… I can tell they have a firm foundation, but maybe they're just shy.'
'There is a strong power within them… they just need to grow out of it… I think I understand why this Academy is so highly evaluated now. It turns these rough rocks into the pristine gems that will rock the world in the future.'
'I must keep up.'
Once all the children faced each other, the professor gave them little time to rest, sending them to run a few laps around the gymnasium without hesitation.
The rest of the class was all about that, physical training until they fell down in exhaustion… and if they ended up like that, you can imagine how much Zhuo suffered with his still mortal body.
Thanks to the physical training from the second clone, he managed to follow up… but he still had difficulty keeping up with the rest of class.
Once it was over, they went straight to the changing rooms to shower and get ready for lunch. Like before, Zhuo was the first to finish, leaving everyone behind so he could take his time doing things.
He could tell he had gathered some attention. He did not take part in the sparring, and he struggled to keep up with "basic" exercises… some had already paid him some attention, wondering who he was.
After all, the only one who had yet to introduce himself was he!
"Sigh… at this rate I won't make any friends."
'I'm not looking to mingle with kids for the sake of it. I am aware that we'll eventually grow up and these kids will take over their parents' positions. Building connections is necessary; I can't just remain still.'
'But mingling like this will be difficult…'
He went to the canteen on the first floor and found out a horrifying fact…
'The food… you have to buy it?… And it's all horrendously expensive?! Look at this… it's almost the cost of a game console!'
He gulped down, approaching the counter where a gentle-looking lady waited for him.
"Hi~, what can I get you, young master? For the first day of school we have several of our signature dishes ready."
"I… I just want some meat that can give me some energy?"
"Then allow me to recommend you our Almant Taurus'le cream! Everyone loves it."
"I'll get that then…"
'Whatever that is…'
"Done! The form of payment…"
"Here." He said as he put his ID card on the table
The lady did not even hesitate to swipe it on the counter, smiling as she did so. The thing was that scholarship students had all their expenses paid off by the school. And this included his meals.
He had the right to three full meals a day and more if he wanted. But still… it was scary just to think of the food's price.
In just a minute, the food was prepared and a butler appeared from the kitchen with his food in hand. He led him to a table nearby and served him the food while asking him what he wanted to drink.
Zhuo was appalled at the service these kids received. With a little hesitation, he asked for what he wanted and began eating.
The plate was a large piece of meat with yellow sauce above it with some plants, potatoes, and veggies all oozing energy.
'Is this… True Essence?… Don't tell me this cow was at the Foundation Establishment realm?… Maybe even higher…'
The level of luxury was so high he feared for his life…
/Chomp…/
"… it's just as good as it's expensive…"
'This energy as well… if I eat this beef whole, wouldn't it be the same as receiving a medicinal pill? Actually… I could just break through right here and now.'
'I can feel the True Essence nourishing my body. With my cultivation, I can't make use of it… but I know who can… I can't let this energy go to waste!'
'This is a splendid chance to push my cultivation even further and grow closer to the other kids!'
Zhuo devoured the food and immediately went to the bathroom. Like everywhere else, the bathroom was luxurious with marble and granite everywhere… it alone was larger than his entire home…
The bathroom was super cold due to the air conditioning, making his breath condense in front of him.
'I know the summer heat is intense around here, but goddamn this is excessive… I'm trembling here. The ass seat must be freezing.'
He got inside a large boot and summoned his clones. They didn't have the space to sit, so they all stood side by side as the energy from his meal spread throughout them.
They all quickly processed the food within a few minutes, and soon enough, he reabsorbed them, his body transforming slightly.
"Yes… it works."
'There isn't really a barrier between QI Condensation and QI Refining. I can easily cross through both realms although right now I'd say I'm between them, belonging to neither.'
'I've cleared several meridians! The clogging… !!!'
"COUGH!… Urg…"
Zhuo spat out some dark spit, grimacing as he looked at it on the toilet.
'The impurities inside my body… yeah, this is dangerous. If I keep clearing my meridians like this, I might end up… having an unfortunate accident.'
'This isn't the kind of thing I should be doing here in school… If I do one thing wrong I'll never be able to recover from the embarrassment… But I can still accumulate and process the True Essence. My body can't do anything to it on its own, but I leave it be inside my body, I can then use it once I'm home.'
'Probably part of it will dissipate, but what about it? I can eat more everyday!'
"It's settled."
Zhuo returned to cafeteria and asked for seconds, eating it all patiently before spending the remainder of his time meditating in the gardens.
Once the next class was about to start, he returned to the classroom. Throughout this entire time, no one approached him, and he was happy for that. The time to make friends would come.
Their second class was just plain mathematics, but with direct correlations to application in cultivation routine. It went from 11am to 12:30Pm.
From here on out, school had ended, but that didn't mean it was time to go home. This was the time to join a club!
There were dozens of clubs to join, each with a goal. Some had no requirements while some had simple requirements, such as loving books or knowing more than one language. But some had quite extreme requirements centered on cultivation!
There was one club that had a ridiculous requirement of being in the middle stages of Foundation Establishment to join… just say you want only members of Class 1-A to join…
'It seems people have begun forming their own circles… I would like to join, but with my clones, it could end up being problematic if I have to be around the place.'
'Rather than joining a leisure club, I'd rather join one focused solely on cultivation, but it doesn't look like I can. Maybe it's better this way.'
'I'll just take my own path.'
With his scholarship, he had access to many facilities at the Academy. Thus, Zhuo's first stop wasn't his home but rather a training room he could seclude himself and train on his own.
At another building near the gymnasium, he used his ID to book a simple training room and sealed himself inside. He had read about those online and already knew what to do.
He set the energy density at about that of True Essence and waited for it to fill the room. As it did so, he summoned his clones.
There was no need to explain anything to them; they already knew what to do… all except for the third clone, who was goofing around as expected.
The goal was to absorb as much True Essence as possible and used to cleanse their bodies. If they coordinated with each other, they could clean different parts of the body at the same time.
"School only closes at 6pm, so we have time."
'I'll surpass the professor's expectations… I'll reach Foundation Establishment within this month! Forget two to six months or longer. I'll get it done in record time!'
"Those kids won't be waiting for us! We can't let them create distance and isolate us! We need to go after them." He declared to the clones as he closed his fists in determination.
The clones agreed, even the third one. He was incredibly inspired today and wanted to do something remarkable.
They all sat down next to each other and focused. Five individuals, all working toward the same goal.
Time passed…
/Five hours later…/
Zhuo left the training room as the sun dusk on the horizon, tainting the skies pink.
"Phew…"
'I've cleared about one twentieth of my meridians. It's slow but undeniable progress. Once I get home, I'll have my clones return to their daily activities.'
'The issue is the time I lost in class… I could have the clones work while I'm at school but what about after? It's far better to train at the Academy.'
'I can't have the clones come to me, that would be far too obvious and expensive to have them move here every day. But neither can I go home and return. Maybe once in a while but every day would be a little strange and noticeable.'
'Should I strike a balance then? Train a few days here and others at home? Can I leave the clones in the training room?… No…'
'Sigh, I can't think of a solution right now. There are too many experts around for me to experiment with my clones. We're going to be discovered eventually if we risk it too much.'
'I'll do it like this then… I'll leave my first, second, and third clones at home training and studying while I'll bring the fourth clone with me. We'll train together in the training room in accordance to training process stipulated by the first clone. This way, even if the three clones mediate and train, it won't coincide with our training in school.'
'The fourth clone is also a perfect defense for me. If I end up being forced to fight, I can have it fight in my stead, and it should do rather well.'
'The first and fourth clones can work during the night in quiet while I sleep. If an emergency arises, the clones can wake me up so I can reabsorb them.'
'It's not the most efficient method out there, but the most efficient requires me to reveal my abilities to someone, so I'll do it like this!'
With a nod to himself, Zhuo returned home, his school life set in motion.
…
In his first day of class, Zhuo didn't change much. He started tackling the next realm like anybody would, but with renewed determination.
His clones working in tandem with him, they were going to make the impossible possible!
The second day rolled by, and nothing special happened. He paid attention in class, ate lunch alone, and went to class again before going to the training room where he spent the remainder of his day with his fourth clone, like the day before.
He did the same on his third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days of school. Reaching Intermediate mastery over the third chapter of his cultivation technique on the third day.
The weekend rolled by, and his first week at the Academy ended. He felt great, but his world would be rocked soon after… because Elliot revealed that of the forty students in class… over ten of them had advanced a minor realm since school began, and one of them was the girl with the highest realm and the brat he saw before, one reaching the 8th Transformation and the other the 5th Transformation.
He had to pick up his pace! Imagine not even being at Foundation Establishment by the time one of his classmates reached Golden Core?!
During the second week, he doubled his efforts. It was to such a degree that even the third clone focused on cultivation. Having ignited a competitive spirit for some reason.
During this week, he reached Advanced comprehension over the third chapter and Pinnacle over his breathing technique! This combination increased his speed of cultivation quite a bit.
Because of this, once he reached Advanced comprehension, he went to meet with Elliot to request a new technique.
Elliot was more than happy to guide him, surprised and elated he had advanced so much in so little time. He helped him gain the continuation of both techniques.
The Cultivation Technique "Stone Mountain Art", and the Breathing Technique "Coiling Snake Inhalation Method".
Both were made with core principles of both techniques he studied before. The processor clarified by saying that both techniques came from the same source but were created from its pieces to be more accessible to the people, given the complexity of the original.
When he asked him about it, he told him to reach advanced mastery over the third chapter as he did before. If he did it again and advanced to Foundation Establishment, then the Academy would give him the scholarship needed to progress. But he needed to prove he deserved it first.
With his low mastery of them, they were far less efficient, so he stuck to the ones he knew while he mastered them. Either way, as the third week rolled by, Zhuo cleared all his meridians, fully stepping into the QI Refining realm!
Now it was time for Essence Alignment. He didn't know how this realm would go given its nature, but he still went for it, nonetheless… It took him one day to reach it.
The reason for that was that the clones were so focused and so in-sync with their energy that they barely needed to take control of it. The problem, however, was his spiritual root… After he made some tests in the academy, he learned of its condition.
His Spiritual Root was completely ordinary. It was as developed as it should be with no damage, which was great from a certain perspective, but also saddening.
This meant he had no unique properties, or innate potential waiting to be awakened. He was on his own to achieve his own destiny… nothing he hadn't been doing already.
He wondered if his clones had different Spiritual Roots, but he couldn't test them. In either case, within three weeks, he had reached the True Essence Formation realm.
It took him the entire week to transform his QI. On the first day, he managed to create several strands with his clones and combine them together into a stable form. And in the successive days, he kept adding more to this ball until it grew enough to envelop his Dantian and change its nature.
Before the week ended, Zhuo transformed all of his QI, albeit it still wasn't enough to step into Foundation Establishment. He could try to accumulate and transform on his own, but that would take too long… he needed a little push.
In this week as well, he reached Basic comprehension on both techniques, and Intermediate comprehension of the corresponding chapter of his new cultivation method. With that done, it was just about equivalent to his previous techniques in terms of efficiency… which he found quite odd.
At the start of the fifth week, Zhuo approached Professor Elliot with news of his current state. He was shocked once more, but it wasn't like he hadn't been following Zhuo's progress firsthand. When class ended, Zhuo was given a Foundation pill, which would help his body transform and reach a superhuman stage.
At this point in time, the average level of his class had risen to the 6th Transformation. Everyone was advancing quickly as they got the ropes of cultivation. So much so that in the next few months, there was a chance the daughter of the Dax-Om Clan would step into the Golden Core realm at the young age of fifteen.
The girl was progressing almost as fast if not faster than him. Such a thought, given all the help he had, was depressing, but he wouldn't let that pull him down.
With the pill in hand as part of his scholarship. Zhuo rushed back home and, with the help of his clones, ate and processed the pill's medicinal properties and energies. Slowly, over the course of several hours, advancing into the Foundation Establishment realm!
With his cultivation advancing. He could finally stand proudly amidst the other students!… Not that it mattered much since he didn't have a single friend.
Because of his obsessive focus and the professor's protection of him, he had been cast aside as a weirdo and strange kid, but he didn't mind… he knew how this world worked. Once he proved himself, they would approach him themselves, and if they didn't, who cares? He'd succeed regardless!
Of course… this had begun to cause some issues. Without friends, no one wanted to do any sort of group activity with him, which didn't matter since he could do it all alone. Although that didn't mean the professors were happy with it.
He could tell the professors were trying to force him to interact with others, and now that his cultivation had risen to their same level, there wasn't much of a reason to protect him and keep him on a box any longer.
On the sixth week, Zhuo focused on stabilizing his cultivation. From there on, it was game.
In the seventh week, he reached Intermediate comprehension of his breathing method. And in his eighth week, he fully stepped into the Foundation Establishment realm by undergoing his 1st Transformation.
Two months of hard work… finally paid off.
At the same time, the first round of exams began… To no surprise, he got perfect marks on everything. The way he did it was simple. He had his clone in the bathroom giving him answers to every question while he worked on his papers.
The thing was that… Zhuo never studied. The one who did so was his first clone. Zhuo's full focus was on his cultivation and… lazing around.
Look, it was difficult to maintain such focus. He needed to play and enjoy life a little from time to time… Zhuo was no aloof immortal to stay sitting all day long.
Because of his perfect score, his ranking on the class board was quite high, which led to more people finally paying some attention to him.
The only one to get it just happened to be the lowest-level student… There were many curious about him now, and a few even approached him. Most of those wanted to know how he studied, since getting good scores was important for their future.
With his social ability, he interacted with everyone with kindness and understanding, but he feared none of them, throwing them aside if they were too rude.
It didn't matter to him. He was going to keep rising regardless… With his popularity rising slowly, he continued with his life.
Now that he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it meant that he was now expected to take part in sparring matches and other activities with the students. And while most expected him to be beaten up and bullied, he soon showed his true abilities.
By changing places with his fourth clone, even with his low cultivation, Zhuo could bridge the gap between them and defeat even 5th Transformation students, shocking everybody!
Of course, most sparring was without energy and merely through physical force, but that only made things easier for him. Because of his extreme battle sense, his popularity rose even more…
At the same time, he unexpectedly awakened his fifth clone! When he broke through, he felt something odd, and within the next few days, he summoned it.
His fifth clone was like him in every single way, like the fourth clone… because it was a perfect clone!
His fifth clone was just that! Another "him", which he promptly named "Another Me".
The thing, however, was now that he had a clone of himself… he could do so much more… But first, he checked the clone for inconsistencies… but it had none. It was a perfect clone, even down to his personality and antics.
It could even create clones and absorb them! This meant he could leave this clone behind or even end it on missions as if it were him, and it would be able to manage his clones perfectly.
He would also learn that every change and progress made by his clones absorbed by his fifth one could be perfectly transferred to him without downside aside from extreme pain… it was already painful to receive the progress of the clones, so if he added another clone or let the fifth clone accumulate progress for multiple days, then the pain would be exorbitant.
In either case, he now had an extra pair of hands to assist him in his training. A perfect replication of him, with the only difference being its inhuman focus and ability to act on its inherent perks to perform its tasks efficiently.
It was no surprise that he sent the clone to the Academy in his place, taking the extra time to sleep and rest because he was tired… Still, it was only for a few days before he resumed going there on his own.
He enjoyed going to the Academy, especially the food. It was delicious… He wouldn't switch it for anything.
There was one caviar to this month… The daughter of the Dax-Om Clan reached the 9th Transformation, and there was no signs she'd be slowing down… He didn't even know when she reached the 8th Transformation…
From his third month onward, he focused on his progression. He successfully advanced to the 2nd Transformation while the class average rose to the 7th.
He reached Advanced comprehension of his cultivation and breathing techniques, speeding up his progression.
With his rising popularity as the smart guy, he finally began interacting with some students by helping them with their studies, receiving nothing in return... for now.
Despite doing nothing strange, he also received unwanted attention… The bullies of the year tried to get him to submit to them, but he persevered by beating them all in sparring matches. With each passing day, the fourth clone's ability to fight increased as it learned from everyone and the Academy's library.
Even now, Zhuo's mind expanded as the first clone studied its contents. Soon enough, there wouldn't be much more to read there…
During his fourth month, nothing much changed. The second round of exams rolled by, but he still scored perfectly. He could tell some professors suspected him of using underhanded tactics, but after they all watched him intently, they found nothing strange and let him pass.
It was a stupid thing to even consider. As if it would be possible to cheat in the face of a cultivator of such immeasurable level… It was important to remember that all professors were well beyond Golden Core…
He didn't ask, but he overheard that one of the professors had reached Soul Manifestation, a realm so high he had difficulty envisioning it… He didn't even know the conditions to cultivate to such a stage… which also meant the mental link with his clones couldn't be detected by such masters.
He threw those thoughts aside in the end, for it wasn't his time to worry about it… Thus, in the fifth month, or during their Winter vacation, he successfully advanced to the 3rd Transformation while the class average was still around the 7th.
He spent most, if not all, of his time at the Academy cultivating. He didn't have anywhere else to be, so he remained there whenever he could. It seemed that some of the professors liked him quite a bit for that.
However, some students were rising faster than he expected… When they went home to their parents and spent time with them, this seemed to cause a wave of transformation in not only the class but the entire year.
That was also when the topmost student, the girl he knew so little about, broke from the 9th Transformation into the Outer Shell stage, and soon enough, others began following suit… thus… the class average rose to the 8th Transformation.
Around the sixth month, as the Academy resumed operation, he reached enlightenment with the fourth clone's assistance, reaching Mastery in his cultivation technique, and a few days after, in his breathing technique.
With this much, he asked the school for better techniques, but this time, they didn't give them to him straight away… The reason for that was because the next set required the military to give him permission.
In the meantime, the school gave him some simple resources to assist him with his cultivation. Thus, in that same month, he reached the 4th Transformation.
Another round of exams rolled by, but as expected, he aced them all. Much to some students' anger… Zhuo's scores had been steadily rising, especially as his cultivation reached theirs, and some of these spoiled brats couldn't imagine a simple man with no unique talents reaching their level.
By this point, Zhuo had already made several friends, and they liked to joke about his growth and the other kids' reactions… Without him knowing, he had been pushing the whole class to exceed as the professors kept praising him for his ability.
In the seventh month, just one month shy of their vacation. More students advanced into the 9th Transformation, although that wasn't enough to fully push the average to that stage… and likely because of one person only… Zhuo was still unable to reach the next stage, even with the simple resources the Academy gave him.
He kept studying and interacting with the other students, improving his clone's ability to cultivate and train every day… The more they experienced, the greater their efficiency and creativity became.
Oh yeah, one more thing… the daughter of the Dax-Om Clan broke through to the Inner Sun stage, just a few steps away from Golden Core…
In the eighth month since his first day of class, Zhuo aced the last exams and cemented his position in the top 10 despite his low cultivation.
He had perfect exam scores, but just above average practical ones… and that came not from his inability to follow suit with those classes, but due to his low cultivation causing him to lack the power to work as well as everyone else.
This was also when his birthday passed, and with it, he turned sixteen. There was a party at one of his friend's manors since it wasn't possible to do it at his home. Even then, he commemorated his birthday with his parents and family, albeit none of them could afford to give him anything to help him with his cultivation at this point aside from a few simple medicinal items for his realm.
Either way, the academic year ended, and they entered summer vacation. While many of the students went back home fired up for the next year, Zhuo already knew where he'd remain…
With his friends, he still had places to go, parties and events to attend with them. Often they'd help him cultivate by sharing resources with him, and in those times, Zhuo would help them with tips on their techniques.
After eight months of sparring with them, his clones had analysed and dissected their techniques and habits. Because of this, his friends could improve faster than others, which was clear in how most of his inner circle occupied positions between the top 20 and 10.
He didn't know the exact and core details of their techniques, but with every conversation they shared on the topic, the deeper his understanding of it all became.
His friends had already understood his worth and knew what he could provide, so they gave him something worth his time… it was a healthy relationship, but still not that of loyal, true friends.
Not that he needed that right now, anyway.
In the ninth month, a few things happened. For once, the military accepted his request for a scholarship. This meant he could now receive the ultimate technique a civilian like him could receive.
For him to get anything better, he'd need to sign a contract with the military with some other higher power willing to sponsor him. But right now, he wasn't interested in any of that.
The Cultivation Technique "Tectonic Shift Mantra", and the Breathing Technique "Spirit Vortex Manifestation". This cultivation technique was the original one where both the Hourglass Accumulation Art and Stone Mountain Art had originated from, and once he studied them, it was clear to him why that was the case.
This technique was far too complex for an ordinary person to learn. But for him, who had reached Advanced comprehension in the first three chapters of both techniques, the Tectonic Shift Mantra came to him as smoothly as humanly possible… like clicking a jigsaw puzzle piece together.
With his graduation, he also learned another bit of trivia. Now that he was a second-year student, actual combat classes would be introduced, and students were going to fight each other for real.
Rankings for Cultivation and Combat power were going to be created, existing in tandem with overall academic scores. Competition was going to be heavily encouraged through many incentives, so if he wanted to keep up with the students, he would need to surpass and excel even more.
This meant he needed actual combat and supportive techniques. And for all of that, the Academy had him covered. Once he became a second-year, the appropriate archive opened up for him. The second-year archive contained thousands of techniques of all levels and forms, most of which he had never heard of.
Every one of them was extremely expensive for the common man to attain, and because of that, he was under a contractual obligation to share none of it unless he went through the proper channels.
He had no intention of sharing anything right now, so instead, he let his clones gorge themselves on the new documents and contents, paving the way for his next year's battle.
Either way, within his first month of summer vacation, he reached Intermediate comprehension on his Cultivation and Breathing techniques and also reached the 5th Transformation… but it wasn't enough.
In the one month, he learned a shocking fact… every single classmate of his had successfully reached the 9th Transformation. The reason for that was because of a tradition he didn't know. Affluent families would usually reward their children at the end of every academic year depending on their scores.
And even though there were those who stood at the bottom of class, it didn't matter because the average score of his class that year had been the highest in the last decade!
It wasn't enough that he was being pressed to run after these children. But now he had to catch up to what was essentially the best class in the last ten years of the Academy's history…
The tenth month arrived, and while his clones were consuming knowledge like holes in a bucket, nothing special happened aside from the holidays.
The near year passed, and he partied with his friends and family, entering the next year with renewed momentum.
In the year's first month… nothing special happened again. With his clones' attention divided everywhere, even though their bodies were far superior to what they were before, the complexity of the techniques he had was still enough to push them back and slow down his growth.
But in the second month, his bottleneck was finally broken. He reached Advanced comprehension of his techniques, and with it, he now felt confident to take the medicinal items he had been keeping to himself.
The Academy had given him a few to help his growth, and he also had a few of the items his family had given him… Now was the time to use them all.
The only reason he didn't do so before was that he wanted to do it once his understanding of the techniques reached a desirable level and with it, their efficiency grew.
Every week, he'd take different materials and process them. With five clones to process the energy and medicinal remnants in his bloodstream, he was like a machine.
In that month alone, he went from the 5th Transformation all the way to the 7th Transformation! And while he was proud of his progress… his friends thought otherwise.
It had been months since he had last checked the average of the class. He had been following the progress of some of his friends and hyping them on with tips and his ears, but he had never thought too deeply about it, focusing on himself solely.
Just how far had they all gone? His answer came rather quickly…
Every single one of his close friends had broken through Golden Core. And if they had done so, then at least half of class had also done the same.
Most likely the average of the class had risen to either Foundation Establishment -Inner Sun-, or the early stages of the Golden Core realm.
He wanted to cry in frustration. No matter how much he tried, it just didn't seem like he was making any progress. Cultivation was meant to grow harder as one reached higher stages, so why were they all growing faster?!
To add salt to his wound, the lady of the Dax-Om Clan had recently broken through the Third Color of the Golden Core. Like… what?!
The Golden Core realm was divided into seven steps also known as the Seven Colors of the Golden Core.
But before that, one first formed the Quasi Core, transforming the Dantian. And once that was formed, one then formed the Silver Core.
Technically speaking, the Silver Core was not a stage but a side effect of failing to form the Golden Core. The transformed Quasi Core did not have the power to fully transform, attaining a silvery color rather than golden.
After that, the seven colors would begin. With each stage, one would add a new color to the Dantian, transforming and strengthening it, slowly breathing life and emotion into this lifeless organ, all in preparation for the next stage…
Nascent Soul!
But before that could occur, one had to condense all colors and harmonize the core, or rather, their entire cultivation.
Some said this was a stage focused solely on the mind rather than anything else. One had to review their progress and identify a "flaw". Once that was done and the flaw was fixed, one could transform the Dantian once again into something else that could house their birthing Soul.
That stage was called, Lifelessness.
Zhuo believed the girl had most likely skipped the Silver Core stage and gone straight into the seven emotions. It would be difficult to keep up, but he put faith in the fact that he would at least be able to see her back!
With that, he went back to school, as confident as ever. And as he stepped into class and greeted everyone again, he came to a shocking realization:
The class' average had risen to the 1st Color of the Golden Core: RED!
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Notes