Zhao Tang lead these newly promoted disciples, first to orient themselves towards the location of the Wonderful Law Pavilion, then to the disciple courtyards.
To call them courtyards was an understatement, for the True Yiyuan Sect governed a vast territory. They had leveled two immortal mountains and constructed disciple residences, so immense that one could barely discern their boundaries from a high vantage point.
Looking inside from the entrance, one could see dotted bamboo groves and rockeries, all elegantly arranged.
"Male disciples are in the East Courtyard, female disciples in the West. Each person gets one room. The stone pillars at the entrance that don't have a name written on them indicate rooms that can be freely chosen. Once you've selected a room, take your token and leave your imprint on the pillar to claim it."
Having finished his instructions, Zhao Tang turned and left, not lingering any longer.
Shao Heng immediately entered the West Courtyard. She had no need for deliberation. It took her about fifteen minutes to find an empty room. She placed her disciple token on the stone pillar, and her name immediately appeared. A magic circle formation and spiritual patterns materialized at the entrance, which could be activated by the room's owner to prevent other disciples from disturbing her.
Shao Heng pushed open the door and entered, activating the formation simultaneously to block external observation and disturbances.
Her gaze swept across the room. The curtains weren't drawn, the space was very spacious, and the windows were clean and bright.
There were no bedding on the bed, only a large yellow rush mat placed in the center, intended for daily cultivation and meditation.
Additionally, there were two sets of yellow outer disciple robes, laid out beside the mat.
Shao Heng trotted forward, picked up a disciple robe, and felt its smooth texture. Even the finest silk in the mortal world would be inferior in comparison.
She untied her hair and removed her old clothes, changing into a brand new yellow robe. Then, she tied her long hair with a ribbon and let out a long sigh.
"Heavens, this fabric is ten times more comfortable to wear than rough cloth!"
After changing, Shao Heng sprawled out in a starfish pose on the mat, stretching her limbs and closing her eyes for a brief rest.
She had lived a life of luxury for fourteen years. Even after enduring over thirty days of hardship, the ingrained opulence was difficult to shed.
A moment later, Shao Heng stood up, put the other set of disciple robes into her storage ring, and then pushed open the door again, heading towards the Wonderful Law Pavilion.
About a quarter of an hour later, she arrived in front of a bamboo building.
Shao Heng had seen similar structures before; they were mostly a mottled brown-yellow color. However, this bamboo building before her was entirely green, looking vibrant and eye-catching.
It occupied a considerable area. She made a rough estimate: at least twenty mu. The entire structure was divided into five floors.
Even though it was evening, the place was not deserted. There were still disciples in yellow robes entering and exiting, either walking alone with their heads down, or in groups, discussing in low voices.
As Shao Heng entered the main gate and presented her disciple token for identity verification, she received a book list from the disciple guarding the entrance.
Looking at the contents of the list, she was somewhat astonished.
Just the first floor alone housed over 130,000 scrolls. It truly lived up to the accumulation of a major sect.
"Even if I had a photographic memory and read day and night, it would take me two to three years to finish," Shao Heng mused inwardly.
"I must have a clear objective. I need to focus my search on 'Innate Divine Abilities' and 'Human Talent.'"
Although she still had to attend the outer sect elder's lecture tomorrow and gauge the situation, Shao Heng already possessed cultivation. She could restore her mental energy just by circulating her magic power, so staying here overnight wouldn't be an issue.
She followed the index on the book list and soon moved a large pile of books to an empty table.
"Bang." The books were heavy. Despite Shao Heng's efforts to control it, the pile made a muffled sound as it landed on the table.
In the center of the Wonderful Law Pavilion's first floor, an old man sat in a rocking chair.
He had been meditating with his eyes closed. Hearing the sound, he opened his eyes and saw a young female disciple holding a thick book, flipping through its pages at an astonishing speed.
The old man raised an eyebrow, then closed his eyes again. He rocked his chair to the right, settling into a more comfortable position.
The sun had completely set, and the night was thick with stars hidden away. Through the window, the bright moon hung high in the sky.
Shao Heng looked curiously at a snow-white porcelain vase placed on the table.
She had initially thought it was merely a decorative item. But now, red patterns appeared on its surface, and it floated up. A peculiar flame ignited within the vase, and the light it emitted pierced the thin walls of the bottle, bright enough to illuminate the entire desk.
"This is truly excellent," she couldn't help but exclaim.
The girl in the yellow robe lowered her head again, reading "Regles de Cultivation de la Famille Li."
After finishing the entire book, Shao Heng placed it on the table without picking up another.
She understood the principle "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." If she only focused on memorizing, she wouldn't have been able to write such elegant prose before.
By now, Shao Heng had read fourteen books detailing human cultivation. The fragmented information she had accumulated was sufficient for her to draw some conclusions.
"Pilules, Talismans, Formations, and Artefacts Magiques are known as the Quatre Arts de la Cultivation. They can both enhance one's cultivation and be used for combat. Excluding these four arts, the methods of combat between cultivators can actually be divided into three major categories."
Shao Heng spoke to herself.
"Arts Immortels, Divine Abilities, and Méthodes."
She took the prepared manuscript paper and brush from the desk, wrote down the three names, and then categorized them.
"Arts Immortels originate from the evolution of innate abilities or the creation by powerful beings, and are divided into low, medium, and high grades. Arts like 'Sort d'Évitement de l'Eau' and 'Sort de Nettoyage de la Poussière' are considered low-grade. Truly graded Arts Immortels have a general outline that can evolve into numerous variant techniques. The example given in 'Légendes de Jingchuan' is the very famous low-grade Art Immortel, 'Secrets de la Manipulation de l'Eau.' Upon mastery, one can freeze water, stir rivers and seas, summon water to form mist, and control clouds to bring rain..."
"Divine Abilities have no grade divisions. These are bestowed by the principles of the Great Dao when a cultivated being enters the Fourth Realm, 'Infant Rebirth', forging a divine and immortal foundation. Each cultivated being has only this one opportunity. Compared to Arts Immortels, they contain unfathomable principles of rules and often possess myriad inconceivable powers that defy logic. However, they also come with significant randomness. A cultivator who specialized in fire-elemental techniques once received the 'Water Concealment' Divine Ability from the Great Dao, which could enhance the power of immortal arts when in water, eventually forcing that cultivator to master both water and fire arts."
"Méthodes also have no grade divisions and only higher-realm cultivators are qualified to delve into them. The same Art Immortel can be cultivated by many people. And on the Grand Thousand Divine Abilities Ranking, which records all Divine Abilities that have ever appeared, only the top hundred Divine Abilities are unique to their era; it's not uncommon for multiple cultivators to possess the same Divine Ability sequentially. Méthodes, however, are different. They possess true uniqueness and cannot be acquired by others. They are formed through a cultivator's self-comprehension, perfectly matching their own being, and possess greater potential for growth than Arts Immortels."
Shao Heng's thoughts cleared after processing this information, and she understood why that 'Sound from the heavens' had remarked on Jiang Yunjiang's extraordinary talent.
Innate Divine Ability meant that one was born with a gift from the Great Dao, possessing a Divine Ability.
And upon advancing to the Fourth Realm, Jiang Yunjiang would possess two Divine Abilities!
Shao Heng mused, "So that's what 'monstrous talent' refers to. Anomalies, anomalies?... Anomalies!"
Her eyes widened abruptly. She clutched the flash of inspiration that had just flickered in her mind, causing the once-faded memories to sharpen with recollection.
That was a long time ago, possibly when she was four or five years old.
Shao Heng had once overheard the servants of the Fief of the Marquis Pingnan mention that over fourteen years ago, an anomaly had also appeared in the City of Bianjing!