Divine Root Bone

The aftershocks on the drill ground gradually subsided.

When the Grand Elder announced that Lin Wanqing would be exceptionally admitted to the inner sect along with Zhang Yang, the disciples were initially in uproar, but were filled with envy and awe.

The sect leader raised his hand and pressed down, his clear voice resounding throughout the entire square:

"The matter is settled. You may all disperse and return to the mountains to cultivate. You are forbidden from discussing sect decisions or spying on your fellow disciples!"

Upon receiving the order, thousands of disciples, both inner and outer, bowed respectfully and dispersed in an orderly fashion.

In a short while, the huge training ground was completely empty, without a trace of human noise.

Only the seven high-ranking members of the Qingyun Sect remained on the field.

The seven elders were all firmly at the middle stage of the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, their auras even and solemn, standing on either side; in the center stood the Qingyun Sect Master, his Daoist robe swirling with flowing clouds, his body surrounded by the heavy Daoist foundation light of the late stage of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, his aura suppressing the entire scene.

The sect leader's gaze fell on Lin Wanqing, who was standing to the side, and his tone was calm and measured:

"You should first go with the steward to the Inner Sect's Tranquil Abode to settle down and focus on your cultivation. There's no need to worry about other worldly matters."

Lin Wanqing was intelligent and perceptive. She instantly realized that the higher-ups wanted to tell Zhang Yang a secret in private. She nodded obediently, took a deep look at the young man beside her, and then followed the steward as he turned and left, disappearing lightly into the mountain mist.

Once everyone was completely alone, the sect leader's expression suddenly turned solemn.

"Zhang Yang, come with me into the secret hall."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sect leader turned and strode away, followed closely by the seven Foundation Establishment Stage 5 elders. The group entered the Azure Cloud Secret Hall, the deepest part of the main peak, which was never open to the public.

The heavy palace doors slowly closed, locking with a click, completely isolating the interior from all outside sounds and human presence. The palace was serene and profound, with only the pure and gentle spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowing gently within, creating an atmosphere of utmost solemnity.

The sect leader took his seat in the main position, his gaze fixed intently on Zhang Yang below. He slowly began to speak, revealing to him the true vastness of this world.

"You possess unparalleled talent, a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for my Qingyun Sect. Your path must not be confined to this small Qingyun Mountain Range. Today, I will explain to you the division of the entire Cangxuan Great World and the hierarchy of power levels."

"Vast and boundless, the entire continent is divided into four major regions and a core central state."

"The four major regions are the Eastern Region, the Southern Region, the Western Region, and the Northern Region. All four regions are located on the outskirts of the continent, with scarce spiritual energy and resources. They are remote, and martial arts are in decline, making them the most marginal and lowest-ranking regions in the cultivation world."

"And the Central Continent, situated at the very center of the continent, is the absolute core of the entire Cangxuan Continent!"

"This place gathers the world's original spiritual veins, the fortune of heaven and earth is at its peak, rare and precious materials are everywhere, outstanding geniuses emerge in large numbers, and sect giants stand in great numbers. It possesses the most and the best cultivation resources on the entire continent, and it rules over the four territories. It is the supreme holy land for enlightenment that all cultivators dream of."

Zhang Yang stood in the hall, holding his breath and concentrating, memorizing every word. In the past, his vision was narrow, knowing only the world of the Qingyun Mountains. Now, he truly understood what the vastness of the world meant.

The sect leader continued to recount the strict power hierarchy of the world, explaining the class barriers within the cultivation realm.

"The myriad sects under heaven are strictly hierarchical, with barriers between them as insurmountable as an insurmountable chasm, impossible to cross in a lifetime."

"At the very top of the continent stand six supreme powers: three holy lands, two ancient pavilions, and one hidden valley."

"Such beings control the rules of the continent, overlook the four seas and eight wastelands, and their foundation is terrifying beyond imagination. Even a wisp of their foundation is enough to crush thousands of sects in the four regions."

"Below the six top powers are the four ancient sects, the mainstays guarding the four territories."

"The ancient sect's lineage has continued for thousands of years without interruption. It has existed for at least eight hundred years and at most eight thousand years. There are countless experts within it, and its territory spans tens of thousands of miles. It holds ancient Daoist traditions and rare spiritual veins, making it the strongest cultivation force that can be accessed in the border regions of the four domains."

At this point, the sect leader's tone became tinged with helplessness and a sense of reality.

"And my Qingyun Sect?"

"It's just a small sect in the Qingyun Mountains on the southern border."

"Ranked below the four ancient sects, it belongs to the lowest level of the cultivation world. It is a small sect that lives in a corner and protects itself. It is unknown in the entire Southern Region and cannot be regarded by the orthodox cultivation world at all."

"You must remember all of our sect's trump cards: the seven elders are all at the mid-stage of the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, more than capable of guarding the mountain but not enough for advancement; my cultivation is at the late stage of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, which is the sect's highest combat strength on the surface; the only mountain-guarding foundation is the peak Foundation Establishment ancestor at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment in the back mountain."

"With such meager fighting strength, it's barely enough to hold out in the Qingyun Mountains. But if we provoke powerful enemies from the outside world, we'll face annihilation in no time."

Zhang Yang was deeply shocked, and he finally understood the purpose behind all the sect's forbearance.

The sect leader looked at him with an extremely solemn expression:

"It is precisely because my sect is weak that we spare no effort to seal away your extraordinary physical attributes and conceal the secrets of heaven."

"If your extraordinary talent were to be exposed, even without the intervention of the Central Plains Holy Land or the ancient sects of the Four Regions, the Black Fiend Sect of the Black Fiend Mountain in the neighboring Azure Cloud Mountains would disregard everything and storm your mountain gate to forcibly seize your bones!"

"In your future cultivation, you must conceal your strength and remain low-key, never revealing the slightest abnormality. Accumulate your cultivation in secret and rise quietly. The day your cultivation reaches the heavens will be the day my Qingyun Sect emerges from the borderlands and becomes renowned throughout the five regions!"

Zhang Yang bowed deeply, his eyes filled with unwavering determination:

"This disciple will heed your teachings! I will dedicate myself to diligent cultivation, bide my time, and never bring shame upon the sect. One day, I will surely use my own cultivation to revitalize Qingyun!"

The seven elders nodded in unison, their eyes filled with expectation and high hopes.

Then, the sect leader spoke in a calm and deep tone, pointing out the most basic foundation of his cultivation: "You have just entered the sect and are still a blank slate in cultivation. Everything must start from scratch. The first step is the two major stages of Qi Refining and Foundation Building. Right now, your physical body is still a mortal and has no original carrier. You must first thoroughly understand the foundation of Qi Refining before you can talk about Foundation Building and stepping into a higher realm."

The sect leader slowly explained all the core characteristics and dangers of the Qi Refining Realm, each sentence a key to survival and cultivation:

"Firstly, cultivators who practice Qi Refining only have a thin amount of spiritual energy circulating in their meridians. They do not have a solidified foundation in their dantian, and their physical bodies are completely mortal, not much different from ordinary mortals."

"Secondly, under normal circumstances, Qi Refining cultivators have no automatic protection on their bodies. The filth and evil energy that are everywhere in the world, as well as the mist left over from the years, will directly erode your flesh and meridians without any obstruction. If you slack off in your cultivation, your meridians will be damaged and your foundation will be left with hidden injuries, making it difficult to make any progress on the Great Dao in the future."

"Thirdly, the only protective measure for Qi Refining is to actively circulate the spiritual energy within the Qi Sea to form a thin spiritual energy shield around the body. However, this shield consumes an extremely large amount of spiritual energy. With your meager spiritual energy as a beginner, you will be exhausted after activating it at full power for a short time, and you will not even be able to protect yourself. You must not withstand external erosion for an extended period of time."

Zhang Yang firmly remembered every word of advice, bowed and clasped his hands: "This junior will keep in mind the patriarch's teachings, diligently hone my skills and build a solid foundation, and never be rash or ostentatious."

The sect leader nodded slightly, and the powerful late-stage Foundation Establishment aura around him slowly subsided, returning to its peaceful state: "Being able to maintain composure is the first hurdle in cultivation. The inner sect has abundant spiritual energy. You and Lin Wanqing cultivate together, steadily accumulating spiritual energy. Once your Qi Sea is full and complete, then seek an opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment. Do not rely on your heaven-defying talent and be impatient for success, thus damaging your foundation."

The other elders chimed in, their eyes full of expectation: "The sect leader's words are golden advice. From now on, the sect will provide you two with the full amount of spirit stones and body-tempering pills every month for your cultivation. You only need to lie low and wait for the day when you are strong enough."

The spiritual energy flowed gently through the secret hall, imparting to the young man the grand scheme of things and the profound principles of cultivation at the grassroots level. From that moment on, the dormant heart of a dragon waiting to take flight took deep root in the inner sect of Qingyun.

A secret discussion in a secluded hall opened the door to the vast world for the young man, and also planted a seed for the Qingyun Sect to rise against all odds.