Chapter Four: Choosing a Cultivation Method

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...

While Feng Xue was still pondering the Hibernating Dragon Technique, the teacher whom Xia Mi called Old Wang suddenly turned around and glared at him, saying, "You two are special admissions, right? Come with me to choose your cultivation technique. But if either of you dares to pick the Hibernating Dragon Technique, get out!"

Feng Xue, inexplicably targeted, glanced at the girl beside him, only to find her looking back at him. They exchanged a smile.

It was hardly surprising that both special admissions chose a cultivation technique. Compared to the dazzling array of benefits, such foundational enhancements were particularly crucial for students from humble backgrounds. The soul cultivation methods passed down in the Tower of Babel had been revised for countless generations, and the collection at the Central Academy of Travelers was the most refined. The techniques captured from demi-planes had to be honed through various trials before they could break through the Soul Gate. (To use a mathematical analogy: if the techniques in the Tower of Babel are theorems and formulas derived by countless people, then those acquired from demi-planes are the original axioms. Both can solve problems, but the latter requires far more time and effort.)

The academy’s Scripture Pavilion was not the imagined loft crowded with ancient tomes, but rather a modern electronic library. Students could input their requirements and receive a detailed directory—simple and convenient.

Feng Xue entered keywords such as intangible, defense, mental, and illusion into the computer, instantly generating hundreds of techniques. After some thought, he added attack, versatility, and passive. The list refreshed, but a dozen entries remained. With no further requirements, Feng Xue began browsing them one by one.

He saw Eastern cultivation classics like Unity of Primordial Spirit and Soul Sword Technique, as well as anime-inspired techniques like Manifestation and Heart Sword Technique, even fantastical arts such as Fate Armament and Soul Weapon. But he skipped them all, for one name had already captured his attention—

AT Field.

Unlike the innate AT Field of the Apostles, this technique had been distilled from countless predecessors studying them, culminating in a cultivable method.

The principle of the AT Field was to form a space outside the body suitable for the existence of soul matter. By orderly arranging free-floating soul matter within this space, a phase-shifted field was achieved. Any attack received by the soul matter would be dispersed as mechanical waves throughout the field. When this method could not entirely neutralize the damage, the soul matter could be concentrated to create a defensive wall of rapidly vibrating soul substance.

In the parlance of Eastern cultivation, this was a barrier constructed from the soul.

Since ancient times, Eastern metaphysics posited that the two celestial souls reside externally, while only the life soul remains within. This technique leveraged the interplay of the three souls: the celestial soul, aligned with yang; the earthly soul, aligned with yin. Through specific methods, they could generate a unique magnetic field, much like the positive and negative poles of a magnet, enveloping the practitioner in a spherical "field" akin to the Taiji. This space was ideal for soul matter. With the aid of the life soul, one could release a soul-derived substance—soul particles.

These particles were intangible yet substantial, normally diffused evenly within the field created by the celestial and earthly souls. If any particle suffered physical harm (including shockwaves from explosions, slicing, blunt force), the energy was dispersed among all soul particles, producing an effect akin to phase-shift armor. If the attack involved energy damage (such as heat, electricity, or psychic assault), the soul particles would transfer internal energy as mechanical waves across the field, converting it to kinetic energy and reducing its impact on the body. Some soul particles would automatically break down, consuming excess energy.

When encountering attacks that passive defense could not withstand, resonance of the life soul could focus the particles in one direction, forming a barrier against targeted assaults. This defense was no longer just phase-shift armor—it repelled directional attacks with high-frequency vibration, causing the AT Field to manifest as a colorful, interlocking polygonal shield.

The defensive capability of the AT Field was directly tied to the density of soul particles. The higher the density in a given space, the stronger the defense. By infusing energy into the life soul, one could temporarily increase the number of soul particles. Thus, the more powerful the user's soul, the more formidable the AT Field. If some soul matter was projected outward, it could deliver mid- to long-range attacks akin to sword energy.

Moreover, since soul particles were products of the soul, the AT Field being breached would not harm the soul itself. However, excessive creation of soul particles could fatigue the life soul for a period.

If the celestial and earthly souls were united, yin and yang would harmonize, forming the "Primordial Spirit." (In real-world Daoist philosophy, the celestial soul represents personality, also called the yang spirit; the earthly soul represents causality, or the yin spirit; the life soul represents lifespan—when the life soul is depleted, death ensues, the earthly soul returns to the underworld, the celestial soul loses memory and enters reincarnation. With meritorious deeds, the two souls may unite, allowing one to reincarnate with memories. This differs greatly from the concepts of yin and yang gods in cultivation fiction.) At this stage, one could freely manipulate the range of the soul particle field. When the Primordial Spirit merges with the life soul, the soul becomes indestructible, capable of reincarnating with memories or possessing other bodies even after physical death. The fully integrated Primordial Spirit could create soul particles at will, producing an almost fully materialized AT Field.

The union of the three souls—celestial, earthly, and life—marked the immortal Primordial Spirit and the breakthrough of the Soul Gate.

The moment Feng Xue saw the name AT Field, he was captivated. Sword flight and spirit avatars paled in comparison—this was the soul technique that perfectly matched his concept and origin.

With his decision made, Feng Xue swiped his student card (actually a device akin to a smartphone, doubling as an e-reader and tablet) through the scanner. A single-use jade slip appeared before him, evidently the result of spatial abilities.

According to Scripture Pavilion rules, jade slips must be used within the pavilion. Feng Xue had no other intentions. The instant his mind touched the jade slip, a torrent of information surged into his brain, and he promptly lost consciousness.

...

"A familiar ceiling..." When Feng Xue awoke, he had already returned to his dormitory. Xiao He was seated by the bed, primly peeling an apple. Each slice was shaped into a charming rabbit, delightful to behold. Seeing Feng Xue awake, Xiao He, wearing a maid's trademark fake smile (as one maid had said, the essence of a maid is the fake smile), skewered a rabbit-shaped apple with a toothpick and offered it to Feng Xue. "Master, the doctor said you'll feel better if you eat some apple..."

With a wry expression, Feng Xue ate the rabbit-shaped apple he'd only seen in anime, his mind muddled. There was no doubt: Xiao He, who had mastered the maid's art, had been peeling apples ceaselessly since he fainted. He could only wonder how many apples had been wasted during his coma.

"I..."

"Master was unconscious for seventeen hours. It's now seven in the morning, September second. The doctor said this is normal for ordinary-level use of jade slips." Before Feng Xue could voice his question, Xiao He answered first.

"Letting the master finish speaking is also a maid's virtue!" Feng Xue said casually, climbing out of bed.

"Understood. So master, where to now?" Xiao He bowed solemnly. For her, the identity of a maid was everything—her pride and her dignity.

"To class, of course!" Stretching lazily, Feng Xue donned his leisure suit styled after anime school uniforms, picked up his spatial-tech-equipped briefcase, and headed for the Extraordinary Level academic district.

...

The weather at the Central Academy of Travelers was always perfect. Here, the "petal-soft drizzle that dampens clothes" was not just poetic imagery—the faint rain contained countless laws, allowing droplets to gently and soothingly fall on students, then transform into breeze and vanish without a trace.

Enjoying rainwater as rejuvenating as a luxury spa, Feng Xue arrived at the Extraordinary Level district.

Though there were only twenty students, the place was far from shabby. While it couldn't rival the vastness of the Supernatural or Heroic districts, nor the grandeur and awe of the Epic or Legendary districts, and certainly not the majesty of the Saint district, it radiated a vibrant, youthful energy, immersing its students in a uniquely motivating atmosphere.

"Hey, buddy! How’s your technique integration going?" As soon as Feng Xue entered the classroom, Xia Mi rushed over. Perhaps because they were both special admissions, Xia Mi was exceedingly friendly.

"Not bad." Feng Xue tried activating his life soul, and a peculiar sensation surged within him. He clearly sensed that he was now surrounded by an intangible substance.

The term "integration" came from the jade slip. Since the jade slip directly injected cultivation methods into the user’s brain, many found this abrupt transmission difficult to accept and needed to reorganize their memories before they could properly use the technique. This process was known as integration.

Feng Xue, carefree by nature, seemed to have subconsciously accepted this method due to his previous exposure to infinite flow novels, so he adapted quickly.

Before Feng Xue could chat further with Xia Mi, the teacher known as Old Wang strode in. "You weren’t here yesterday, so I'll introduce myself again—my name is Wang Dachui, but you can call me Old Wang. I’m your homeroom teacher and in charge of your cross-world missions. I hope you won’t be like this kid, always scurrying back after barely finishing the minimum requirements!"

With that, Teacher Wang glared at Xia Mi again. To him, Xia Mi was a persistent thorn; those who knew him understood he was cultivating the Hibernating Dragon Technique, while outsiders might suspect favoritism!