The Council Hall was found next to the Enlightenment Hall and nestled against a mountainside. Serene and peaceful, it was where the instructors handled all teaching-related work. Over a dozen detached courtyards lay within the Council Hall; each of them distinctively different from one another in terms of style. They were spaces where an instructor could prepare for their classes and handle all matters concerning their students without being disturbed.

Wei Yuan followed Ji Liuli into the Council Hall. He watched as she walked up to a courtyard, removed the nameplate with the name “Hsu Henshui” on it, and stepped through the door. He felt more certain than ever that the original instructor of Dao Foundation Theory was Hsu Henshui. He wondered who exactly was this Big Senior Sister Liuli to be able to cause such a scene without eliciting a punishment or even a reaction from the higher-ups. That said, he didn’t doubt that she was capable of teaching the class. The fact that she threw Hsu Henshui out of the entrance gate in one move more than proved her capabilities.

The courtyard was tastefully arranged, with a set of exquisite teaware sitting on a stone table and a cluster of orchids planted in a corner. Wei Yuan didn’t know what types they were, only that they were both beautiful and fragrant. The rooms of the courtyard were similarly furnished, and many of the objects bore an orchid symbol. They were clearly the personal belongings of Hsu Henshui.

Despite this, Ji Liuli rummaged through the place as if she owned it. She showed no reservation whatsoever.

She opened a pot of tea leaves bearing an orchid symbol, brewed it with a teapot bearing an orchid symbol, and poured the tea into three cups bearing an orchid symbol. She then drank them all in three gulps and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. The whole room was instantly filled with the aroma of tea.

“An excellent brew!” Ji Liuli praised before looking at Wei Yuan. “Unfortunately, the amount of tea leaves is limited, and you’re not yet at the age where you could appreciate such things. So, I shan’t be sharing it with you.”

With that said, she brought out a large barrel from somewhere and placed it at the center of the house. Two-thirds of the barrel was instantly filled with clear water when she pointed a finger at it. She then produced a small bottle and poured an emerald green droplet into the barrel. It instantly turned the whole barrel of water green and caused it to steam profusely.

“Take off your clothes and get inside,” Ji Liuli ordered.

Stunned, Wei Yuan turned a shade of deep red and squirmed on his feet, “I... don’t think...”

He was precocious and grew faster than most kids. That was why he looked and thought like a ten-year-old despite being only six. He simply couldn’t bring himself to strip before an unfamiliar woman.

Ji Liuli didn’t bother wasting her breath on him. She just lifted him into the air, stripped him naked in just a matter of seconds, and gave him a crisp slap to the bum. Then, she tossed him into the wooden barrel while chiding him, “You haven’t even grown out your hair yet. What are you embarrassed about?”

She verbally taught him a method and left him to absorb the medicine on his own. She then grabbed a chair, sat next to the wooden barrel with her feet resting on top of the edges of the barrel, and read a book.

The temperature of the medicinal water changed constantly. Sometimes, it was as hot as boiling water. Sometimes, it felt as cold as the water of a winter lake. Wei Yuan hugged himself inside the barrel, but not because the alternating temperatures made him feel uncomfortable. It was because Big Senior Sister Ji Liuli was sitting right beside him and could see everything from her position.

The woman was clearly distracted. From time to time, she would throw one or two glances at him.

The world of ice and fire was growing intolerable, giving him no choice but to discard the unnecessary thoughts and focus on cycling the method he was given. Wisps of coolness began seeping into his body, and the constant change in temperature no longer felt as intolerable as before. He gradually entered a state of deep focus.

Two hours passed by in the blink of an eye. Wei Yuan suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that the water had turned purplish black in color.

It was at this moment Ji Liuli lowered her book and said, “You can come out now.”

Wei Yuan hesitated as a matter of course. He thought to himself, she’s not suggesting that I come out like this, is she? But the woman cared nothing for his modesty. When he didn’t move, she picked him out of the water and put him in front of her.

As he stood naked before Ji Liuli, Wei Yuan desperately wanted to close his eyes or looked up at the sky. However, either action would reveal the true depths of his embarrassment. Thus, he could only feign calmness and stare straight ahead, not moving a muscle.

Ji Liuli’s eyes abruptly shone a light gold color, and he had the distinct feeling that every inch of his body, inside or outside, was laid bare before the woman. He had no secrets before her.

Ji Liuli circled him a couple times and looked him up and down repeatedly. Sometimes, she would even squeeze a part of his body as if she was checking something. Finally, she went over to the desk and wrote a prescription. Then, after a few moments of deliberation, she removed three medicinal ingredients from the prescription and added in a new one. It was only then she went over to the medicinal cabinet standing against a wall and gathered all the ingredients she needed.

The medicinal cabinet also bore an orchid symbol.

Ji Liuli summoned a tiny pill furnace and tossed the ingredients inside. She then spat a blue flame from her palm and refined them into medicinal powder. After that, she replaced the dirty water in the barrel with clean water and poured the medicinal powder into it, causing it to turn a withered yellow color and become ice cold instantly.

Wei Yuan had learned his lesson this time. As soon as Ji Liuli lifted a finger, he obediently jumped into the barrel and channeled the same method to absorb the medicine. Two hours later, the yellow water turned back to clear water.

The boy felt lighter and purer after taking two medicinal baths in a row. He felt as if he was carrying tens of catties of weight his whole life, but he never even realized it existed until it was removed from his body.

“You’re done. You can come out now.” Ji Liuli tossed him his clothes and said, “According to your profile, your foundation was seven chi and nine inches when you took the aptitude test. However, I noticed that your actual foundation is close to nine chi, even though its quality is somewhat poor. Did you consume a foundation-enhancing treasure as of late?”

Wei Yuan answered, “My grandmaster, Trueman Fen Hai, gave me three Chonglou Sea Pacifying Pills, and I just ate one last night.”

Ji Liuli nodded. “The Chonglou Sea Pacifying Pill ranks among the finest pills for expanding one’s foundation. Trueman Fen Hai must truly like you to part with them so readily.”

Wei Yuan then added, “Master also gave me three Heart Cleansing Pills. I’ve already used all of them.”

“He gave you what?!”

Ji Liuli’s eyes widened dramatically when she heard this. She lifted his chin and examined him closely. A long time later, she finally said, “You’re lucky you have a good shifu. Unfortunately, your shifu is not so lucky.”

Her words were pretty confusing. At the very least, Wei Yuan couldn’t make sense of it.

Ji Liuli fell silent again, seemingly in deep thought. A few moments later, she finally continued, “The Body-tempering stage is the stage where you prepare an embryo for your Dao Foundation. Its size and quality directly determines the kind of Dao Foundation you will form in the future. Naturally, it takes an embryo of unbelievable size and quality to form a Dao Foundation that is greater than Heaven-tier—an immortal foundation.

“Generally speaking, the hard work you need to put in during the Body-tempering stage can be split into two types—accumulation and refinement. What I’m doing right now is refinement. I’m removing the impurities and filling in the holes in your foundation. For the next three months, you will come to the Council Hall with me after my class.”

Thank goodness it’s only three months...

Wei Yuan acknowledged Ji Liuli’s orders and prepared to leave. However, the woman suddenly called out to him and stopped him in his tracks. She then said with a complicated expression, “Your master is a creature of vanity who can never say what he truly wishes to say. When you have finally mastered your cultivation... remember to treat him well, okay?”

This only confused him more. Unfortunately, she blasted him out of the courtyard before he could ask exactly what she meant.