Chapter 6: One in a Million Talent

"That is a matter from the ancient era, and you likely heard it from a storyteller, didn't you? In the current world of cultivation, almost no one can achieve such a feat," Elder Zhao remarked.

No one? Am I not a person? Wen Yue thought to herself that the forest and grasslands she had perceived were surely no less significant than that vast ocean.

"Why? Are we just less capable?" the pretty girl asked, clearly unconvinced.

"It is not a question of you being less capable, but rather the result of a war in the ancient era that lasted for tens of thousands of years. Think of how prosperous the cultivation world was back then!" Elder Zhao explained.

"Could you tell us more about it?" the girl asked.

Elder Zhao looked at the thirst for knowledge in their eyes. They were still children, after all, and it was no surprise they were interested in such extraordinary tales.

"Very well, I shall tell you how people cultivated during the ancient era."

"In ancient times, people underwent rigorous trials before beginning their formal cultivation. Some even married and had children to gain life experience and temper their mental strength. Most did not begin their cultivation until they were over twenty."

"Even then, not everyone could perceive an endless sea of fire or a vast ocean. Those who could were one-in-a-million geniuses who eventually became great masters." Elder Zhao spoke with a face full of longing.

"May I ask, Teacher, what conditions are required to achieve this? If we undergo trials and gain more insight, is it possible to perceive such things as the ocean?" Liu Changming performed a student’s salute and posed his question.

"It is not that simple. You had better stop asking; even if you do, you will never achieve it."

Is it really that hard? Then what about the forests, grasslands, fields, and gardens that I have perceived? It doesn't seem that difficult!

Wen Yue felt that her perceived forest should be on the same level as the sea of fire Elder Zhao mentioned. Could she perhaps show off a little?

"I still request that you enlighten us, Teacher," Liu Changming saluted again.

It seemed Liu Changming had received a formal education. Although Elder Zhao did not particularly care about the attitudes of these students, he found the respect gratifying.

"Since you have asked, I will share what I know. Though it is of little use to you, consider it a way to broaden your horizons," Elder Zhao said.

Wen Yue guessed that Elder Zhao favored Liu Changming and wanted to answer his questions. Naturally, Wen Yue hoped the elder would speak more, as she likely fell into this category herself. There were no libraries or search engines here; there was nowhere to look up information, so she had to rely on what others said.

Moreover, this was the Heavenly Demon Sect; there was nowhere to even ask questions.

"The vast ocean or the endless sea of fire you speak of are known as 'visions.' Only one-in-a-million geniuses can perceive them. Thirty thousand years ago, a cultivator from the Five Elements Sect perceived ten thousand swords flying in unison. And decades ago, in the Heavenly Sound Temple—they were of my generation—someone perceived the rising sun."

"If they had lived in the ancient era, these people would have cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage without any bottlenecks. With a little effort, they could have become Spirit Severing cultivators and ascended to the upper realms with ease."

"Why? Is cultivation not supposed to be difficult? How could it be so easy for them?" Liu Changming found this illogical.

"It is difficult for ordinary people like us. For geniuses like them, it is easy. Do not doubt it; think about it—they are absorbing spiritual energy with the capacity of an entire ocean, while you are doing so with a bowl of water. That is the difference."

"So powerful? Then why can we not perceive it?" This was likely the shared sentiment of everyone present. Who wouldn't want to possess the vast ocean?

"This brings us to the difficulty of the conditions required to perceive a vision, which is now virtually impossible to meet. First, you must have a perfect-value spiritual root. Regardless of whether you have a single, dual, or other type of root, one of them must be at maximum value. And you must understand, that is only the basic requirement."

Seeing the thirst for knowledge on the children's faces, Elder Zhao continued: "Then, as I mentioned, one must undergo trials, gain life experience, and cultivate mental strength. Currently, the Linyuan Realm lacks any techniques for cultivating mental strength. The two geniuses I mentioned were born with powerful mental strength."

"It is indeed difficult, and we cannot achieve it. What happened to those two geniuses later? Were they able to ascend to the upper realms?" Hearing the story half-told, she wanted to know the rest.

"The genius from the Five Elements Sect thirty thousand years ago stopped at the Golden Core stage and had only five hundred years of life. Several people who were inferior to him back then cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage and enjoyed two thousand years of life. The genius from the Heavenly Sound Temple will, barring accidents, also stop at the Golden Core."

"Why? Didn't you say cultivation was simple for them?" This was not what everyone had expected.

"Did you not hear me? That was the ancient era; it is impossible now. The war in ancient times lasted for tens of thousands of years, leading to the loss of ancient texts and the thinning of spiritual energy, making the environment unsuitable for such geniuses. The loss of texts is particularly critical, as these geniuses require highly compatible techniques. They can practice others, but they cannot reach the Nascent Soul stage."

"That genius from the Five Elements Sect had a single Metal spiritual root, so he could only reach the Golden Core stage. Had he possessed five spiritual roots, it might have been possible to promote to the Nascent Soul stage by practicing the Five Elements Technique," Elder Zhao said, treating it all as a story.

In truth, what Elder Zhao did not say was that he suspected the Sect Master himself had perceived a vision, or something akin to one. Otherwise, how could he have advanced to the Nascent Soul stage just one year after switching techniques? Many people suspected this, but the Sect Master had never admitted it, so Elder Zhao did not bring it up here.

Wen Yue felt deeply depressed. If she hadn't been dragged to the Heavenly Demon Sect, she might have had a chance to reach the Nascent Soul stage in the future—it wouldn't even have been that hard; she was clearly a little genius! But now, her life was at stake.

Even with the memories of two lifetimes, Wen Yue found her composure wavering. She later reasoned that she was already here, and as a small, powerless person, she couldn't change it for now. She would worry about it when she had the ability.

As for the techniques, she was already practicing the Five Elements Technique, so there was no need to change. She would find a way to obtain subsequent techniques when the time came.

Having sorted out her thoughts, she no longer dwelled on the issue.

"Teacher, if our perceptions are useless now, why do you still have us practice them?" Liu Changming asked.

"Who said they are useless? By practicing, for example, you might only perceive a bowl of water at first, but with more practice, that water will grow larger and more abundant. Once you begin formal cultivation, you will see the benefits."

The rest of the time was spent with the students entering meditation under Elder Zhao's guidance, slowly learning to sense spiritual energy.

As for the matter of Niu Hongtian, Elder Zhao did not mention a word. Those who had been fawning over Niu Hongtian yesterday seemed to have collective amnesia, completely forgetting his existence. Thus, the curtain closed on Niu Hongtian.

Perhaps this is the survival rule of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Wen Yue thought.

After understanding this, Wen Yue felt an even greater sense of urgency. In the Heavenly Demon Sect, to lag behind was to be beaten, to lose one's life, and to vanish from people's memories. Though, perhaps, not entirely vanished—if one's bones remained, that was a stroke of luck in the Heavenly Demon Sect.

After listening to Elder Zhao's lecture, her perceptions seemed deeper. She learned specifically how to perceive; for instance, with a Metal spiritual root, Elder Zhao said one could imagine oneself as a piece of ore, repeatedly hammered, tempered, and shaped by a craftsman until finally transforming into a peerless divine weapon.

Building upon Elder Zhao's explanation, Wen Yue added her own understanding—that a divine weapon could be both hard and soft, as vast as the horizon or as fine as a strand of hair, or even capable of being dismantled.

In any case, perception was a matter of one's own understanding. The deeper the understanding, the higher the affinity with the Five Elements. In Wen Yue's words, it was about making the spiritual energy like her more.