Chapter 782: Branches Grow, Leaves Sprout
The moment the schoolmaster absorbed the violet snowflake, Xu Qing, who was in his private chamber in Ningyan’s mansion, opened his eyes. He looked in the direction of the Imperial University.
The schoolmaster really is a decisive individual.
Obviously, he had been the one to send that bag. The jade slip explained the pros and cons of using the snowflake. He hid nothing, and made it very clear that he could take the soul seed away with a thought.
That was something the schoolmaster could accept. After all, there was no one besides him who was so interested in seeing the Xeno-Immortal School return to the peak of glory. He was willing to sacrifice everything to see that happen. In reality, he had been waiting for that bag of holding for a while now. In the hopes of getting it, he had taken complete responsibility, and had pushed himself into a corner from which there was no retreat. He had done that on purpose. He had used his actions to create something like a blood tribute for the enigmatic master!
Xu Qing had witnessed all of that. Therefore, he sent a soul seed as a gift. And through the connection created by that soul seed, he was now able to sense the schoolmaster’s progress assimilating it, and his cultivation.
That sensation was one-way. Xu Qing’s recent research had given him a much more thorough understanding of soul seeds and how domineering they were. After they were absorbed, it was difficult to trace them to their source. In contrast, the person who absorbed them was clearly visible to the senses of the source.
Based on what I can tell, after the schoolmaster absorbs the soul seed, he’ll experience a huge increase in soul threads.... Of course, that’s assuming his soul is strong enough. From what I can tell, his upgrade will also benefit me.
Xu Qing’s eyes gleamed with determination. A short time later, he closed them and began meditating, absorbing mutagen from his surroundings and converting it into godsource. That was the best method he was aware of to make more soul threads. The only downside was that it was a slow process.
Time passed. The schoolmaster of the Xeno-Immortal School currently trembled excitedly as he used his techniques to make new soul threads. He could sense the number of threads within himself increasing dramatically. He started with 30,000, and with every second that passed, the number increased by several hundred. It was a freakish level of speed that left him completely blown away mentally.
This is what Xeno-Immortal School cultivation is supposed to be like!
He continued with his cultivation, full of vim and vigor. There was no question that the schoolmaster was the most suitable person in the Xeno-Immortal School to use a soul seed. He had done more research than anyone else into Xeno-Immortal School techniques. Though his ordinary cultivation didn’t produce soul threads very quickly, his focus on soul nourishment over the years had resulted in his soul being very tough.
That was one of the unique things about the Xeno-Immortal School. That said, there was another school of thought who operated similarly. The God-Merging School. Because the God-Merging School required a godly body, it also involved strengthening the soul beyond what was common for ordinary people.
Due to the soul seed, the schoolmaster’s soul vibrated for four straight hours. During that time, his soul thread count went from 30,000 to 40,000. At that point, the process slowed down, though it didn’t stop.
Meanwhile, Xu Qing, who wasn’t even in the Imperial University, used his soul thread connection to keep track of what the schoolmaster was accomplishing.
Thanks to the schoolmaster’s rapid power up, the soul thread vortex in Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness began to rotate more forcefully. Slowly but surely, a thread of godsource began to appear in the vortex. Although it was only one thread, to Xu Qing, that was a big boost. It was far superior to godsource formed by slowly absorbing mutagen and converting it. In fact, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
It really does work!
Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with further anticipation as he continued his cultivation.
The next morning at dawn, Xu Qing went to the Xeno-Immortal School tower. In a bit of a deviation from the norm, the schoolmaster wasn’t present in the lower levels of the tower, which was quite a surprise to the other conclave students. Normally speaking, the schoolmaster rarely went to the top level. He preferred his chair in the main hall.
Only Xu Qing knew what was going on. The schoolmaster was still working on his cultivation. During the night, his soul thread count had already reached the level of 45,000.
Given that rate of speed, it will only take a few days for him to break through to 50,000. That’s the weaving requirement for an earthchild.
As Xu Qing thought about that, he was roped into working on the Xeno-Immortal Enquirer . Thanks to the schoolmaster’s two months of passionate promotion of the school, they were getting loads of hot tips for the tabloid. The mysterious young woman was now part of the group. She had taken the initiative to join the Enquirer team, and was currently pumping out tabloid jade slips and occasionally asking Xu Qing and the others for cultivation tips.
Three days passed.
At noon on the fourth day, as Xu Qing was browsing some of the ancient records in the Xeno-Immortal School, an astonishing shockwave rolled out of the top level of the tower. The shockwave contained godliness, and it caused every student in the Xeno-Immortal School to look up in shock.
That included Xu Qing. Beneath his mask, he was smiling. He could sense that the schoolmaster had broken past the level of 50,000 soul threads.
Next, a howl swept through the tower. A moment later, a massive godly earthchild flickered into being above it, right in mid-air above the Imperial University. It had a black body and a very strong aura, and caused widespread shock in the university. Students from numerous schools of thought looked over, and exclamations of astonishment could be heard everywhere.
The godly earthchild emanated intense pressure for a short time before transforming back into the form of the schoolmaster.
The commotion in the university grew even more intense.
“Is that... the schoolmaster of the Xeno-Immortal School??”
“He actually weaved a godly earthchild!”
“Another instance of major success in the Xeno-Immortal School?”
The conclave students of the Xeno-Immortal School rushed out and looked up at the schoolmaster, the astonishment visible in their eyes. Xu Qing had already grown used to assuming a surprised look.
The mysterious young woman was shaken to the core. I knew it! The enigmatic master in question isn’t the schoolmaster! But I’m going in the right direction. This Xeno-Immortal School... has some really big secrets!
When the schoolmaster saw that he was the center of attention, he clasped his hands behind his back. And when he spoke, the cultivation base breakthrough thanks to the soul threads ensured that his voice echoed loudly for all to hear.
“You have just witnessed the private techniques of the Xeno-Immortal School! Those who cultivate the private techniques of our school of thought will, in three months at the most, form 50,000 soul threads. Of course, that’s assuming your soul is strong enough.”
All of the students who heard his words were shaken to the core.
Seeing that, the schoolmaster took a deep breath. Eyes shining with determination, he said, “Furthermore, starting today, the Xeno-Immortal School will break from tradition. We’re opening our tower and accepting conclave students to learn our techniques. We want to open up a path for all human cultivators to walk!”
With that, the schoolmaster vanished.
Almost instantly, the entire Imperial University was abuzz with talk about the schoolmaster’s transformation, and the fact that the Xeno-Immortal School was accepting new students.
The reputation of the school had been starting to plummet, but now it was rising again. The schoolmaster’s huge measure of success, coupled with everything from before, merged into a tempest that affected all the schools of thought in the university.
Word quickly spread to the imperial capital. In no time at all, the Xeno-Immortal School became incredibly popular. In fact, Xu Qing and the other twelve conclave students soon had no personal time at all, as they were forced to deal with a constant stream of students coming to inquire about the school. That said, there weren’t many people who were truly interested in becoming conclave students. Although the students were obviously moved, it was going to take more time, or some other dramatic event, to get them to make a final decision. For example, if another person appeared who achieved major success with soul threads, or if some of the students experienced dramatic progress in their cultivation.
Therefore, Xu Qing started to consider giving out another soul seed.... Before he could decide who to give it to, he sensed something about the schoolmaster through the soul seed.
On the third day after the schoolmaster succeeded with the earthchild, Xu Qing sensed the schoolmaster’s soul seed forming a vortex. Although it wasn't as impressive as Xu Qing’s, it still produced snowflakes. They weren’t violet, but rather, green, indicating that they were on a lower level. But they worked all the same. And given that Xu Qing was the ultimate source, he could influence them.
That actually surpassed what Xu Qing had predicted would happen, and it was quite a surprise. Before he could analyze the situation deeply, the schoolmaster sent down a dharmic decree from the top level of the tower, calling Xu Qing and the original three conclave students up. He gave each one of them a bottle.
“Inside those bottles are dao seeds from the private technique of our Xeno-Immortal School. Absorb them and you’ll qualify to learn the private technique!”
The other three conclave students were visibly excited. Meanwhile, Xu Qing scanned the bottle and found that it contained a single soul seed snowflake.
“The dao seed from the private technique is the result of countless years of research in our school of thought,” the schoolmaster continued. “The reason I never gave them to you before is that they contained potential calamity. But I’ve resolved that, and they’re now perfectly safe. Absorb them, then use the Xeno-Immortal School techniques you know, and your progress will accelerate dramatically.”
The schoolmaster didn’t mention that after they absorbed the soul seeds, he would still be able to control them. Eyes glittering like lightning, he looked at Xu Qing and the others.
“Break the bottles and absorb the seeds. I’ll stand as dharma protector for you while you do.”
The three conclave disciples exchanged glances, then looked at the schoolmaster. It was impossible to tell exactly what they were thinking. But in the end, they chose to break the bottles, take out the green snowflakes, and absorb them.
Upon seeing the three students absorb the snowflakes, the schoolmaster nodded. Then he looked at Xu Qing.
“Sir Dark-Thunder, aren’t you going to accept the dao seed?”
Though Xu Qing felt it was a very strange situation, he didn’t hesitate to break the bottle and then absorb the tiny green snowflake. Though no one could sense it, not even the schoolmaster, the snowflake immediately melted. The vortex within Xu Qing sped up a bit.
Looking very pleased, the schoolmaster dismissed them and went back to meditating.
Xu Qing clasped hands respectfully, then left with the others. Later, on the way back to the mansion, Xu Qing confirmed that the green snowflake was actually subsidiary to his violet snowflakes.
I never could have guessed that something like this would happen. And how could I have known that the schoolmaster’s subsidiary soul seeds would be so limited in number. If there were a hundred of them....
Xu Qing turned and looked back at the Imperial University. He suddenly had the premonition that the Xeno-Immortal School was going to experience a dramatic change thanks to his violet snowflakes. The school was definitely going to rise to prominence. If things went as normal, and the school didn’t violate human morality, then he was more than happy to watch it climb to glorious heights. But if they did violate human morality, he would put an end to it immediately.