Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Twenty-Four: The Lecture

Thus, as the crowd below the platform gazed at Li Xi with anticipation, he calmly met their eyes, creating a peculiar silence that enveloped the entire classroom. Both sides seemed locked in a standoff, neither willing to break the quiet, as if waiting for the other to speak first.

Sensing this stalemate, Li Xi decided to intervene. He appeared to be pondering something for a moment, then cleared his throat and broke the silence, saying, “I’ve just covered some basic aspects of cultivation. Now, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.” At these words, excitement flickered in the eyes of those seated below, as if they hoped to indulge in more gossip, just as they had earlier.

Perceiving their intentions, Li Xi continued, “Of course, let’s not waste our questions on gossip like before. Even if you ask, I won’t answer, and you’ll lose your chance to ask something meaningful.” Upon hearing this, the crowd’s eager curiosity faded, replaced by expressions of disappointment. Li Xi, however, paid no mind to their disappointment. After a brief pause, he added, “Time is limited—one question per person. Let’s begin.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than several students who had been waiting impatiently shot their hands into the air. Seeing so many raised hands at once, Li Xi pressed a hand to his forehead in resignation and said, “Let’s go in order.” He pointed to a boy in the front row, “You may go first.”

The boy, surprised at being chosen, looked at Li Xi in disbelief. When Li Xi nodded to confirm, the boy regained his composure, stood up, and asked, “Teacher, how can we tell when we’re about to break through? Or rather, how exactly does one achieve a breakthrough?”

Li Xi nodded approvingly at the question and gestured for him to sit, then replied, “That’s an excellent question. Let me explain.”

“Generally speaking, when you reach the limit of a certain stage—for example, some of you are at the peak of the Initial Qi Refinement stage, and your next breakthrough will take you to the Middle stage—you’ll sense a sort of barrier, something blocking the flow of spiritual energy within your body, preventing it from circulating smoothly through your meridians. The so-called breakthrough is the act of shattering that barrier, allowing you to reach a higher level.” Li Xi paused, as if concerned he might be going too fast for his audience.

Seeing the thoughtful expressions below, Li Xi continued, “I hope you’ll keep what I’ve said in mind. As you progress in your cultivation, you’ll begin to experience what I’ve just described. Now, let me explain how to break through these barriers.”

“During the Qi Refinement period, breakthroughs are typically achieved by concentrating your spiritual energy at a single point and using it to break through the bottleneck. The process is similar at later stages—be it focusing, condensing, or compressing your energy—the principle remains to gather more spiritual power before proceeding to the next step. As for breakthroughs during Foundation Establishment or Core Formation, you’ll learn more about them as your studies continue, so I won’t go into detail now.”

With that, the students nodded, indicating their understanding as they digested the new information.

Li Xi waited patiently while the students absorbed what he had said.

After a while, seeing that most seemed to grasp his explanation and were eager to ask more, Li Xi said considerately, “Now, let’s move on to the next question.” He looked at another boy who had raised his hand beside the first.

The boy asked straightforwardly, “Teacher, when I joined our Daoist Arts Faculty, I noticed a very tall mountain. Can you tell us about it?”

Li Xi signaled for him to sit and answered, “There’s nothing secret about it. The mountain you saw is the main peak of our Daoist Arts Faculty. Every department in Anze has such a main peak, and their purpose is simply to protect us. That’s all you need to know.” He paused, then added, “Since we’re on the subject, let me remind you: the academy has rules. No student may ascend the main peak without permission. Violation of this rule will be dealt with according to academy regulations. This is important—please remember it.”

Upon hearing this, the students displayed obvious apprehension. After all, in an academy like this, the consequences for breaking the rules were unlikely to be as mild as a simple public reprimand, as in an ordinary school. Between curiosity and personal safety, everyone unhesitatingly chose the latter.

Seeing their reaction, Li Xi knew his warning had been taken to heart, so he said no more on the matter. “Alright, next question, please.”

This time, a girl stood up. Her voice was clear as she asked, “Teacher, when I woke up earlier, I noticed a layer of light above the cushion we’re sitting on. What is that?” It seemed that girls were naturally curious about such things; from the moment she noticed it, she’d been eager to ask, and now, with her turn, she wasted no time.

Li Xi gestured for her to sit and smiled, saying, “That’s a good question as well. It’s my oversight for not explaining earlier, so allow me to apologize.”

The students waved his apology aside, more anxious to hear his answer.

Li Xi resumed with a serious tone, “The cushions you’re sitting on were developed exclusively by our school’s Artifact Refinement Faculty. Their main purpose is to help you cultivate without external distractions, and they also concentrate spiritual energy and aid in calming the mind.”

At this, someone below couldn’t help but mutter, “No wonder I felt so peaceful sitting here, and my mind didn’t wander. So that’s the reason.”

Li Xi smiled and continued, “I assume you’ve all ordered food in your dorm rooms, haven’t you? Convenient, isn’t it?”

The students nodded vigorously in agreement. “Convenient” didn’t seem to cover it; it was as if the meals were delivered right to their mouths.

“Let me tell you about something new you can try when you return to your dorms,” Li Xi said. At this, the students grew even more curious.

One couldn’t help but call out, “Teacher, just tell us already—don’t keep us in suspense!” Others chimed in their agreement.

Li Xi didn’t take offense at their impatience. He smiled and said, “When you’re back in your rooms, just say ‘enter cultivation mode’ like you do when ordering food. You’ll see what happens next.”

Hearing this, the crowd marveled—if ordering food was already so magical, could this help them cultivate even faster? Some were itching to try it immediately, but could only fantasize for now. Though Teacher Li always wore a gentle smile, none dared risk skipping class, uncertain how he’d react.

…

And so, questions continued to pour in—some unique, others already answered by someone else. After an indeterminate amount of time, once all the students’ queries had been addressed, Li Xi let out a long breath and announced, “Alright, that concludes today’s lesson. I believe all your questions have been answered. Besides, some of you look like you’ve been itching for class to end.”

The students responded in unison, “Thank you, Teacher Li! You’ve worked hard!”

“And thank you all for your attention. That’s all—class dismissed!” Li Xi declared.