Chapter 10 : Inner Sect Mini Lecture
Chapter 10: Inner Sect Mini Lecture!
At dawn, the first light seeped through, while the mist had yet to disperse.
Gu Yan pushed open the wooden door of his residence, and the crisp mountain air brushed against his face.
He did not choose to shut himself in for bitter cultivation. After all, as a newly admitted inner sect disciple, that would appear too deliberate and easily arouse suspicion.
Cultivators valued following the natural course, observing the world in subtle details.
Thus, he decided to first take a proper walk around the Taiyi Dao Sect inner sect, spanning dozens of miles.
The residence area where he lived was arranged along the mountain slope, with white walls and green tiles scattered in tiers.
Though not individual courtyards, each was a single room.
Neighbors lived on both sides, separated only by thin walls and bamboo fences.
The location was quite favorable, nestled within a valley embraced by Cloud-Mist Peak, Sword-Resting Peak, and Pill Glow Peak.
Looking up, one could see layered green peaks with drifting clouds circling their waists.
Walking east for less than a quarter of an hour led to Evergreen Market, where inner sect disciples often gathered.
As a newcomer, Gu Yan followed the most fundamental approach to familiarize himself—starting with food.
Evergreen Market covered a vast area, with rows of buildings stretching endlessly. Among them, a grand hall with black eaves stood out prominently—it was the inner sect dining hall of Taiyi Dao Sect.
It was not yet past the hour of Chen, yet smoke already rose within the hall. The heat carried a blend of aromas from cooking, frying, and roasting, surging outward.
Gu Yan stepped inside and saw numerous inner sect disciples coming and going, each brimming with vitality, their steps swift and powerful.
In this world, martial artists tempered their bodies and refined their inner energy. Dietary nourishment was of utmost importance.
Missing a single day of food would deplete one’s vitality, making it difficult to generate inner energy—this was an iron rule of this world.
He followed the crowd and received a standard meal.
A large bowl of rice, a plate of braised beast meat, and two vegetable dishes.
The meat was rich in vitality, indeed nourishing for martial artists.
Gu Yan nodded inwardly. Such a meal would cost a considerable amount of contribution points in the outer sect, yet here in the inner sect, it was a daily standard.
Now at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, he could already begin fasting, sustaining himself solely by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
But…
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—and besides, free food was not to be wasted.
After finishing breakfast, he did not leave immediately but strolled leisurely through the market.
Along the bluestone road, besides the dining hall, there were many halls and pavilions bearing various plaques.
What caught his attention most were several relatively quiet lecture halls.
From time to time, disciples hurried inside.
Gu Yan paused for a moment. Just then, he saw a female disciple in a moon-white dress passing by, her demeanor sharp and composed. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and politely asked:
“Senior Sister, greetings. I am newly admitted to the inner sect. Seeing so many lecture halls here, I wonder what the rules are. I would appreciate your guidance.”
Seeing his respectful attitude, she stopped and replied readily:
“Junior Brother is new? No wonder you don’t know. These are daily small lectures set up by elders of each branch for inner sect disciples.”
Through her explanation, Gu Yan learned that the sect did not entirely adopt a laissez-faire approach for inner sect disciples.
Aside from the large lecture held every seven days at the Teaching Hall, where elders gave unified instruction,
there were also daily small lectures held here in Evergreen Market, with elders from various branches taking turns teaching.
As long as one was an inner sect disciple, they could attend freely.
Gu Yan felt enlightened.
This made much more sense.
Without guidance from elders, entering the inner sect would be no different from the outer sect—both would be like being blind. Such a sect’s inheritance could not last long.
The senior sister then pointed to the plaques of different lecture halls and further explained:
“Look, the lecture halls mainly belong to three major branches.
Taiyi Hall belongs to the Profound Mechanism Branch, focusing on talismans, formations, and arcane arts.
Hidden Edge Hall belongs to the Hidden Sword Branch, specializing in sword principles, blade techniques, and combat arts.
Hundred Herbs Hall belongs to the Hundred Herbs Branch, inheriting alchemy, medicinal theory, and the arts of healing and poison.
Which branch gives lectures each day depends entirely on which elder is available.”
Gu Yan thanked her, already forming a plan in his mind.
For talismans and formations, it would be sufficient to learn some theory—to understand their operating principles and weaknesses—there was no need for deep study.
The same applied to the combat techniques of the Hidden Sword Branch.
With a casual release of his most basic spiritual power, its purity and strength likely far surpassed the sword qi and blade light painstakingly cultivated by martial artists of this world.
In the face of an absolute difference in power levels, techniques held little significance.
Only the alchemy of the Hundred Herbs Branch truly piqued his interest.
The study of pills involved the properties of herbs and minerals, the principles of sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy, and the transformations of heat and timing.
More importantly, it directly affected the essence of life.
Whether it was a martial artist’s vitality and physique, or his own meridians, Dantian, and even soul as a cultivator, all could potentially benefit from it.
Studying this path was undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice.
Not only could it deepen his understanding of himself, but in the future, he might also refine suitable pills for himself, greatly aiding his cultivation.
Having made up his mind, he walked to the entrance of Hundred Herbs Hall and examined the wooden notice board hanging beside the door.
The writing on it was neat:
【Hundred Herbs Branch · Daily Lecture
Lecturer: Not fixed
Time: From the exact hour of Si to the beginning of Wu (ps: around 9 AM to 11 AM)
Rules: The elder begins upon entering the hall. No entry after doors close. Do not be late.】