Chapter 87: At a Loss

One by one, golden points of light vied to rush into Luo Tian’s consciousness. These sparks, some large and some small, all radiated dazzling brilliance, making them exceptionally conspicuous. Meanwhile, the Divine Eye was also gradually changing; the tightly shut eyelids, as more golden lights merged within, seemed to show faint signs of opening. Of course, though this tendency was quite apparent, Luo Tian was very clear that the Divine Eye was still some distance away from truly unveiling its gaze and revealing its true nature.

Luo Tian had no way of probing the state of the Divine Eye, yet this piece of knowledge seemed to arise from the depths of his heart, undeniable and compelling belief. Though curious, Luo Tian knew he could not deduce the truth of it, and could only attribute it to the Divine Eye’s mysterious properties. To be frank, when Qin Tianyu had voluntarily left his body and entered Luo Tian’s sea of consciousness, only to be destroyed by the Divine Eye without hesitation, Luo Tian had realized that this Divine Eye possessed a tyrannical power beyond imagination. As its host, he could certainly not allow other souls to stir up such trouble. This was, in fact, a blessing.

Luo Tian relaxed a little. That a peak expert of the Origin Core Realm could wield the power to seize another’s body was shocking—although Qin Tianyu’s failed attempt proved it was not an all-powerful ability, it was still something to be wary of. Exhaling softly, Luo Tian slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the respectfully waiting outer disciple before him, nodding slightly. “Junior Brother Liu, congratulations!”

“Senior Brother Luo, I owe it all to you!” Liu Longze’s face was filled with astonishment. “At first, when I heard about your abilities, I found them hard to believe. Then, during the grand competition in the eastern sector of Ziyang Mountain, you demonstrated that miraculous power once again, and I was left half in doubt.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Luo Tian’s lips.

“It wasn’t until Brother Fei returned and advised me to come to you for help that I finally decided to give it a try!” Liu Longze’s tone grew excited as he spoke. “He said that the speed of your own progress is so astonishing, you must truly possess the ability to guide others in cultivation. Otherwise, your cultivation speed could never be explained by talent alone!”

“Junior Brother Liu, though the path of cultivation is deep and unpredictable, fraught with countless difficulties, in truth, as long as we find the right direction and choose the proper path, these bottlenecks are not so hard to break through.” Luo Tian waved his hand dismissively, his tone full of reflection. “Usually, when we face a bottleneck, it always feels like we’re just one step away from grasping the gate to breakthrough. Yet, unable to see where the problem lies, we are left helpless.”

Liu Longze nodded fervently, his expression one of heartfelt agreement. Not only he, but even the surrounding disciples of the Tang and Chen clans shared the same sentiment.

Senior Brother Luo spoke with reason—his words struck home! Regret filled their hearts; had they not been so suspicious and sought his guidance earlier, would they not have broken through sooner?

At this thought, the outer disciples felt a pang of remorse, but their resolve to seek guidance from Senior Brother Luo in the future only strengthened. Not only was Senior Brother Luo approachable, but his advice was sharp and precise, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Even the elders of their clans could not match such remarkable skill. It was not that the elders lacked cultivation or vision, but that they could only offer advice based on their own experience, mostly in broad strokes and generalities. How could that compare to Senior Brother Luo’s incisive and targeted guidance?

“But these problems are, in fact, not problems at all!” Luo Tian declared resolutely, waving his hand. “If any of you encounter difficulties in cultivation in the future, as long as I am here, I will not refuse to help.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Luo!” This time, the disciples’ gratitude was deep and sincere. In the world of cultivation, one’s realm was everything. There were not a few who, in pursuit of greater strength, would betray their sects or even rob other cultivators—such was the importance of advancement.

“If your family’s elder brothers encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation, they may come to seek guidance as well. So long as I can help, I will not withhold my aid!” Luo Tian righteously shifted his focus to the true elite progeny of the four great clans. These were the true fat sheep—if he didn’t profit from them, how could he be at ease?

“This—” Liu Longze looked at Luo Tian’s earnest expression and knew that this Senior Brother Luo was truly committed to contributing to the sect’s development, setting aside personal and family biases. Admiration filled his heart. “To be honest, Senior Brother Luo, that may not be so easy.”

“Junior Brother Liu, speak freely. There’s no need for concern,” Luo Tian replied calmly, his expression serene.

“As you know, Senior Brother, Shenyang Mountain is home to the inner disciples of the four great clans who have reached the Vein Flow Realm.” Liu Longfei looked hesitant.

“Indeed, they are the true pillars of our Shenyang Sect, the anchors of our sect’s foundation—absolutely vital,” Luo Tian agreed.

Pillars and anchors—these phrases drew admiration from the outer disciples. Though they didn’t fully grasp their meaning, the words sounded profound and powerful.

“Upon reaching the Vein Flow Realm, spiritual energy becomes denser, transforming from gaseous to liquid form, flowing endlessly like a mighty river. It can be projected outward at will, and in both quality and quantity, it far surpasses the qi of us Foundation Condensation cultivators. Only at this level can one practice pill-refining, forging, and runic arts. The Danbao Pavilion in the Yi Hall of our sect is almost entirely supplied by the uncles of Shenyang Mountain, giving us access to precious items.

The inner disciples are almost all from the four great clans. They select the most outstanding elite juniors from their families to pass on their arts, sharing detailed cultivation techniques. Thus, these elite disciples want for nothing, whether in resources or instruction. Therefore—” At this, Liu Longze glanced cautiously at Luo Tian and fell silent.

So there was no need for Senior Brother Luo’s concern. Luo Tian rolled his eyes inwardly. That was the implication—those elite disciples rarely faced true cultivation problems, and even when they did, they could rely on vast resources to break through. If they encountered a bottleneck, it would be the divide between realms, namely the leap from Foundation Condensation to Vein Flow.

Luo Tian knew well that, though he had gained some renown and won the trust of outer disciples from ordinary families and less successful scions of the great clans, it would be nigh impossible to convince the true elites to seek his advice sincerely. After all, they were all Foundation Condensation cultivators—what right did he have to instruct others in breaking through? Even if Luo Tian argued until he was blue in the face, there would be little progress; those elite disciples were proud and aloof, disdaining to believe.

After advising Chen Qingshan and Tang Yu, and seeing nearly a hundred more disciples, Luo Tian was exhausted. By the time the last of them had left, the sky was already darkening.

Forcing himself to practice his body-tempering secret art, Luo Tian finally felt at ease. If he could not excel in quality, then quantity would be his path. The four regions of Ziyang Mountain held many disciples; if he could help them all, the breakthrough of the Divine Eye would not be far off.

Yet, though he had this plan, Luo Tian still wished for haste. Qin Tianyu’s memories made clear the importance of age to a cultivator—the earlier the progress, the greater the potential for future growth.

Without the Divine Eye, Luo Tian knew that even upon reaching the Vein Flow Realm, he would have no advantage—indeed, he would lag far behind the inner disciples of the four great clans, who enjoyed immense sect resources.

Sighing softly, Luo Tian put aside these thoughts. For now, the best plan was to reach the peak of Foundation Condensation as soon as possible, making thorough preparations for the Divine Eye’s breakthrough. To condense and compress spiritual energy, transforming it from vapor to liquid, would take patience and time—a slow, grinding process that could not be rushed.

No matter what, to improve his strength as much as possible within his means was always the right course.

With his mind set, Luo Tian drifted peacefully into sleep.