Swallowing the Stars: 100x Return for Teaching Apprentices

Chapter 7 Second Return, Thunder Domain
A month after Qi Yuan arrived at Mine No. 5, Old Wu, the captain of the personal guard who looked like a 'blue-faced ghost', came to visit.

In addition to inspecting the operation of Mine No. 5 and transporting away the newly mined Thunder Crystal ore, it also brought Qi Yuan a second month's worth of cultivation resources.

"The master was overjoyed to learn that you had broken through to the third level of the Stellar level. In addition to the monthly Earth Soul Liquid, he also specially bestowed upon you a Wood Seed Crystal as a reward."

Old Wu handed Qi Yuan a crystal bottle containing the Earth Soul Liquid and a white crystal that emitted a faint rice fragrance.

"Mu Ya Jing? Thank you, Master, thank you, Lord Wu!"

Qi Yuan looked grateful, but he was also curious about what good things the system would give him if he gave the Muya Crystal as a gift.

"I'm heading back to the castle now. Keep a close eye on Mine No. 5. The production of Thunder Crystal Ore is extremely important to the master."

Old Wu gave one last solemn instruction before hurriedly leaving with the monthly output from Mine No. 5.

After he left, Qi Yuan immediately summoned Cang Fan to his cave.

"teacher."

Cang Fan bowed respectfully to Qi Yuan with meticulous attention to detail.

Now, Cang Fan has changed out of his tattered clothes, his gray hair is neatly combed, and even his mustache is well-groomed. He no longer looks as haggard and forlorn as he did a month ago, but rather like a spirited and top-notch butler.

Moreover, his cultivation level has broken through from the second level of the planetary stage to the third level, which is close to the average level of the original master's disciples.

Qi Yuan originally intended to use the wooden crystal he had just obtained as a second gift to return, but after thinking about it again, he changed his mind.

"With the large amount of Wood Crystals returned last time, it's more than enough for my stellar-level cultivation. I might as well try out another function of the system."

He hesitated for a moment, then instead of taking out the newly acquired wooden crystal, he asked:

"How has your practice been lately? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Cang Fan bowed and replied, "Teacher, I am currently practicing the new cultivation technique you bestowed upon me, and I do have many questions that I would like to ask you."

"Well, tell me about it. I happen to have some free time today, so I can help you figure it out."

Qi Yuan nodded, and at the same time secretly communicated with the system panel, selecting 'imparting cultivation experience' as the 'gift' to trigger the second return.

"Thank you teacher."

Cang Fan first bowed respectfully, and then carefully considered his words before speaking.

“Master, your disciple had already reached the ‘integration with the Dao’ state mentioned by the Ancestral Star in terms of body movement and technique cultivation.”

"However, after studying the new cultivation method bestowed by the teacher, I discovered that the 'Dao Integration Realm' of the ancestral star does not seem to be a true Dao Integration."

"Above this 'Tao,' there seems to be a true 'Great Tao,' but no matter how hard I study, I can never quite grasp the trajectory of this 'Great Tao.' I wonder if my teacher could offer some guidance?"

"The Great Dao? This old guy's talking about the laws, right? You'd be a ghost if you could grasp it right now."

Qi Yuan was taken aback at first, then smiled and nodded, "You're right, it is indeed the Great Dao, the Great Dao of Laws!"

He organized his thoughts briefly in his mind before beginning his explanation:

"Just as human society has laws and rules, the universe also has its own rules for operation, which are the fundamental laws!"

"The most fundamental laws are of eight categories—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and light, which correspond to the eight energy attributes of the universe."

"The special ability 'lightning' that you gained when you broke through to the planetary level corresponds to the law of lightning. If you comprehend the fundamental law of lightning in the future, it will be easier for you than for other laws."

"The fundamental laws governing the operation of the universe?"

Cang Fan's eyes lit up slightly as he listened, and he asked again, "Teacher, how do we control this law?"

"Controlling the laws?"

Hearing Cang Fan's "lofty ambitions," Qi Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words. Even among the eight lower-level laws, mastering just one would be enough to break through to immortality.

However, understanding something does not equate to mastering it.

If you want to master the laws, you'll have to wait until the strongest being in the universe has their own miniature universe.

My teacher hasn't even scratched the surface of this field yet, aren't you deliberately making things difficult for me by asking me this now?
He thought for a moment, and then, combining the information Old Wu had given him with what he had read in the original novel, he tried his best to explain it in a way that he could understand:

"When you cultivate to a certain level and are able to perfectly combine your soul, primal energy, power, and will, you can form your own 'domain' around your body."

"A domain is like a simplified set of rules. With the help of these simplified rules, the user can unleash greater power within a certain range."

"And beyond that, one must truly comprehend the fluctuations of the fundamental laws of the universe, and attempt to use these fluctuations as a lever to pry open a sliver of the power of the universe's laws for one's own use."

"Only then will we truly have the capital to become a strong person."

"As for mastering the laws, that's still too far away for us. You don't need to consider it for now."

Although Qi Yuan's explanation was rough, it was still quite impressive for Cang Fan, who had never been exposed to this kind of knowledge before.

It was like a beam of moonlight piercing through the darkness and shining into a well, allowing Cang Fan, the 'frog' who was originally trapped in the small well opening, to finally glimpse a corner of the sky.

"The Domain's Laws are amazing, truly amazing!"

In the following days, Cang Fan asked Qi Yuan for advice on the many cultivation problems that were troubling him.

Qi Yuan, on the other hand, combined his own insights to provide as detailed an explanation as possible.

During this process, Qi Yuan discovered that this old disciple's foundation was indeed excessively solid.

Although his cultivation level was not high, he had a deep understanding of movement techniques, artistic conception, and combat skills.

Some of his unique insights sometimes subtly touched Qi Yuan.

And so, the master and apprentice asked and answered questions, sometimes discussing things with each other, and two days passed quickly.

When Qi Yuan sensed that Cang Fan could no longer raise any valuable questions, he appropriately ended the lecture.

"Let's stop here for now. Go back and study it carefully, and don't slack off."

Still somewhat unsatisfied, Cang Fan, upon hearing this, dared not delay his teacher any longer and respectfully bid farewell to Qi Yuan.

"Oh, right, take this with you."

Before he left, Qi Yuan poured out half of the Earth Soul Liquid he had just received and handed it to him.

"Thank you so much, teacher! I can never repay your kindness!"

After bowing respectfully once more, Cang Fan quickly left with the bottle containing the Earth Soul Liquid.

After he left, a wisp of Qi Yuan's consciousness eagerly connected to the system panel in his mind.

When he heard the pleasant system notification sound in his mind, his heart was filled with endless joy!

[Successfully imparted planetary-level cultivation experience to disciple!]

[Base return rate 8x, return begins.]

[It has been detected that some of the taught content has had a profound impact on the disciple, triggering a 50x critical hit reward, with a final return multiplier of 400x!]

[Reward: Cultivation insights related to the Thunder Domain!]

My new book is launching! I humbly request all my dear readers to read and add it to your favorites! Thank you!

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(End of this chapter)