In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Liou Yuan entered the Five Extremes Mountain.

The fifth peak cliff.

At the top of the cliff sat a figure in a gray robe.

He appeared to be around fifty, his face showing a sense of calm and composure that comes from a life full of experiences.

His forehead was broad and smooth, with a few strands of white hair quietly growing from his temples, resembling the first snow of winter, adding a touch of elegance and wisdom to his appearance.

His name was Ji Wenyue, a teaching elder of the Outer Sect.

Today happened to be the Outer Sect’s bi-monthly lecture day.

The open space below the cliff was already crowded with the disciples who had just joined this year.

They were all assigned to live around the fifth peak and fall under its jurisdiction, so naturally, they had to come to the fifth peak for the lecture.

At a glance, there were as many as two or three hundred people.

And the number was still trending upwards over time.

Liou Yuan came early today, so he was positioned relatively near the front.

His gaze shifted to his sides.

To his left, sat Xie Miaobo and Fu Xueping respectively.

On his right was a burly, gigantic young man, as large as a mountain of meat — Qiu Ming, the most talented among their batch of disciples.

The two also got to know each other after their skirmish.

After the fight in front of Liou Yuan’s hut, although Qiu Ming did not verbally submit, he fully acknowledged Liou Yuan’s strength in his heart.

Moreover, since their accommodations were not far apart, they would often run into each other, plus both practiced body refining, naturally leading to mutual appreciation and understanding.

Over time, whatever little conflict there was between them was resolved.

Qiu Ming also felt guilty about destroying Liou Yuan’s hut and helped carry back a lot of timber from the forest when Liou Yuan was busy rebuilding it, as a form of compensation.

Seeing Qiu Ming’s straightforward nature and lack of craftiness, Liou Yuan only scolded him briefly and didn’t hold a grudge.

With this experience, their relationship became even closer than Liou Yuan’s with Xie Miaobo.

The sight expanded into the distance.

The newly joined disciples gathered under the cliff were scattered in a very particular way.

Disciples like Liou Yuan, whose families had ties with the Five Extremes Mountain, naturally formed a group.

Whereas those with no foundational training who only obtained the Breathing Skill after joining formed another.

The two groups consciously or unconsciously separated, forming distinct lines.

Disciples like Qiu Ming, Fu Xueping, and Xie Miaobo, who possessed considerable talent, stood out among the family disciples, forming a new group.

Liou Yuan naturally was among them.

All of this was an instinctive behavior, nobody deliberately formed the groups.

Scanning the two to three hundred new disciples, Liou Yuan murmured softly, "Wolves run with wolves, tigers and leopards congregate."

On the cliff, the gentle voice of the gray-robed elder occasionally drifted down: "All things in heaven and earth are divided by the five elements, as are cultivators’ Star Acupoints."

"Take gold as an example, a Gold Acupoint cultivator practicing gold-related magic cultivation technique will naturally gain twice the result with half the effort."

"But it is not absolute."

"Gold generates water, so a Gold Acupoint cultivator practicing water-related magic cultivation techniques is not unfeasible, the five elements generate each other."

At this time, Qiu Ming’s loud voice burst in Liou Yuan’s ear.

"Dear Mr. Ji, for a Gold Acupoint cultivator, what about earth-related magic cultivation techniques?"

"Gold generates water, but earth also generates gold."

Mr. Ji cast a gentle glance at Qiu Ming, patiently answering his question: "Earth is heavy and supports all. A Gold Acupoint cultivator can certainly study earth-related magic cultivation techniques."

"But a Gold Acupoint cultivator can only borrow the power of the earth without possessing an Earth Acupoint. How can illusory earth generate gold?"

"While it can be studied, there is no saying of getting twice the result with half the effort."

Saying this, Mr. Ji added: "Additionally, Gold Acupoint cultivators must not touch the magic cultivation techniques of wood and fire."

"Sharp gold cuts wood, raging fire tempers gold."

"Ultimately, it would be like drawing water with a sieve, if not worse, potentially backfiring."

Mr. Ji used Gold Acupoint as an example to warn these newly-admitted disciples.

They must not touch those magic cultivation techniques incompatible with their Star Acupoints.

Liou Yuan listened quietly, occasionally revealing a thoughtful look in his eyes.

He had two Star Acupoints, Water Acupoint and Gold Acupoint.

This meant he could practice both water-element and gold-element magic cultivation techniques.

Moreover, as gold produces water, and water produces wood, he could also practice wood-element Dao Skills.

Similarly, since earth produces gold, even without an Earth Acupoint, he could still practice it, albeit without the half-effort full-result effect.

"The only thing I can’t touch is fire."

Liou Yuan thought for a moment and realized he didn’t have any magic related to the fire element, so he immediately smiled.

In this way, there were so many things he could cultivate.

However, a question also arose in his mind. Since the teachings at Five Elements Mountain allowed disciples to ask questions, Liou Yuan did not hold back and gently asked Mr. Ji, who was on the cliff above, "May I ask Mr. Ji, does the quality of one’s Star Acupoint aptitude, apart from affecting cultivation speed, also influence the cultivation of magic?"

"Does someone with a higher aptitude grasp the essentials of magic more easily than someone with a lower aptitude?"

"Or, does the magic performed by someone with higher aptitude have greater power than that performed by someone with lower aptitude?"

Mr. Ji chuckled softly and replied, "Indeed, those with higher aptitude reap many benefits, but mastering magic depends on perception. Aptitude and perception are like your physical body and spiritual wisdom."

"Aptitude is the physical body, perception is the spiritual wisdom; the two should not be confused."

"A strong body does not necessarily mean great wisdom."

"A weak body does not necessarily mean poor wisdom."

Mr. Ji replied in a gentle voice, clearly demonstrating his patience in answering each disciple’s question.

Liou Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Mr. Ji continued, "However, those with high aptitude indeed have significant advantages in the early stages of cultivation."

"The Qi Cultivation Realm is merely a process of accumulating spiritual power. It requires painstaking effort, with no room for laziness. Those with higher aptitude often take the lead."

Most of the disciples gathered around the cliff were of Three-Star Star Acupoint aptitude, and upon hearing this, they all showed a look of despondency.

Mr. Ji noticed this and smiled warmly, reassuring them, "Do not be discouraged. While Star Acupoint aptitude is necessary, it only means that those with higher aptitude progress faster in the initial stage of cultivation."

"Ultimately, whether one can reach the other shore and how far one can go depends on a persistent Dao heart."

"My own aptitude was not high, but with diligent and uninterrupted cultivation day and night, I also made it to Foundation Establishment."

"The Sect’s one-year timeline, with rewards of merit points based on cultivation, may be tempting, but do not be overly eager or rely too much on external aids to forcibly enhance your cultivation."

"An excess of pill toxicity can block the meridians, causing endless troubles. It can even affect your future transition from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment."

Mr. Ji was undoubtedly a good teacher, his voice persuasive and insightful. Many disciples with lower aptitude appeared thoughtful after hearing him.

At this moment, a female voice rose among the disciples.

"May I ask Mr. Ji, what is Foundation Establishment?"

"In the Qi Cultivation Realm, internal spiritual power has no distinction between the Five Elements, as it is purely the power of the heavens and stars absorbed."

"Foundation Establishment is different. Depending on the cultivator’s Star Acupoint Five Elements, their internal spiritual power transforms into Five Elements True Essence."

"The condition to generate Five Elements True Essence is to open a Qi Mansion at the Star Acupoint, which is the foundation of Foundation Establishment."

"How does one open a Qi Mansion?" the woman asked again.

"Achieve perfection in the Qi Cultivation Realm, absorb the essence of the stars into the body, and channel it through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians; the Qi Mansion forms naturally."

...

The first teaching session lasted for a full half-day.

The issues encountered by the disciples during cultivation were numerous, evidently not something that could be fully addressed in half a day.

Observing that it was about time, Mr. Ji kindly said to the disciples below, "Haste makes waste. That’s all for today. This teaching session occurs once every half-month. Take the remaining time to properly digest what you’ve learned today."

After saying this, Mr. Ji departed through the air.

The disciples beneath the cliff wall, who were enraptured by the teachings, reluctantly watched as Mr. Ji left.

The time was now precisely noon.

Within Five Extremes Mountain, the harsh cold of winter had not made much impact.

Yet the blazing sun in the sky was not warm.

After sitting cross-legged for half a day, Liou Yuan’s body had stiffened, so he stood up and twisted his waist.

His keen senses suddenly caught the feeling that a gaze from behind was fixed intently on him.

He instinctively turned his head towards the source of that gaze.

The person was less than three zhang away from Liou Yuan.

He wore a green robe, had a gaunt frame, and his skin was so pale it seemed almost sickly, making his slightly messy black hair appear even darker.

As Liou Yuan turned, their eyes met, his gaze locking with a pair of cold eyes.

Even when noticed by Liou Yuan, the youth did not immediately look away but leisurely adjusted his collar before slowly turning toward the leaving crowd.

This scene made Liou Yuan narrow his eyes.

For some reason, the youth’s eyes gave him the illusion of being stared at by a venomous snake.

"I’ve just arrived, and I haven’t offended anyone." Liou Yuan muttered to himself, feeling a bit cautious and wondering if it might be someone his older brother Liou Zhen had offended at Five Elements Mountain.

Maybe the grudge had been placed on him.

"It’s not impossible."

Simultaneously, Liou Yuan committed that grim face to memory.

"If someone tries to set me up in the future, he’s the first one I’ll look for! That guy doesn’t seem like a good person at first glance."

Liou Yuan chuckled coldly.