Although Zhao Wuji had not explicitly stated how talents were stripped away, judging by how none of those supposed geniuses from the Dao Confirmation Academy had ever resurfaced in the public eye, their ends had likely not been good.
More importantly, Zhao Xian had never encountered anything related to this in his dreams.
This caused him, who believed himself possessed of foresight, to experience a fleeting, barely suppressible jolt of panic.
Yet he was no longer a naive and ignorant youth.
Soon, a surge of cold energy welled up from his heart, quickly calming him down.
His thoughts raced. *Granted, exposing my talent will draw probing eyes from the academy's upper echelons, and I might even lose my life because of it. But crisis and opportunity often go hand in hand.*
*This isn't like the past when the academy could cover the sky with one hand. The Xuan Celestial Vessel has undergone great upheaval. The Severing Immortal Tower and the Immortal Pivot Court are locked in a fierce struggle for control of the vessel's future. Even the Dao Confirmation Academy will have to consider the impact of their contest on the vessel's fate.*
*Talent is just talent, after all. As long as they can survive, there will never be a shortage of geniuses.*
Zhao Xian felt his mind grow clearer than ever before. It was as if something in the unseen depths was guiding him, unraveling tangled threads to deduce the proper path forward.
*If I shrink back in fear, the vessel will still meet nothing but destruction in the end. Only by confronting the vessel's three great powers head-on and seeking life within death can I lead the celestial vessel to find a way to survive.*
At this thought, the fear in Zhao Xian's eyes completely vanished. His breath, once ragged, became steady again.
Zhao Wuji watched this transformation in his disciple with some astonishment, baffled.
Zhao Xian took a deep breath and replied in a deep voice, "A petty man dies for profit, while a sage dies for the world. I have received the academy's favor, which is how I attained today's fortune. If my talent is of use to the academy, then let them take it as they please! Why should I begrudge it?
"On the contrary, if I were to cultivate with the academy's resources only to deliberately hide what I've achieved, wouldn't that make me an ungrateful scoundrel?"
These words were spoken with righteous, unyielding nobility. Standing atop the moral high ground, Zhao Xian left Zhao Wuji entirely unable to refute him for a moment.
Zhao Wuji looked at this young disciple as if truly seeing him for the first time.
The sincere, resolute look in Zhao Xian's eyes even stirred a sense of shame within Zhao Wuji's heart.
The two stood in silence, locked in a standoff.
In the end, Zhao Wuji was the one to concede.
"So be it. Since you possess such conviction, it only makes me look like the petty one." Zhao Wuji let out a long sigh and turned to leave, spirit broken.
Zhao Xian watched his master's retreating figure. A complex flicker crossed his face, then disappeared.
*I must save the celestial vessel.*
This thought grew increasingly resolute in his mind.
Neither master nor disciple realized the real reason behind Zhao Xian's stubborn resolve.
It was not because Zhao Xian possessed such noble character or unshakeable faith.
It was purely because...
A clone hiding within his sea of consciousness was at work.
*Fascinating. To think this Dao Confirmation Academy possesses a method to claim another's talent as their own. As expected of the last surviving civilization lingering in the Pitch-Black Star Sea—it truly has its merits.*
*Whether it's the secrets of the Dao Confirmation Academy or the control the Immortal Pivot Court and the Severing Immortal Tower have over the True Immortal seal characters, both are of value to me. How could I let this boy Zhao Xian back down? Besides, with me here, harming him won't be that easy.*
Three days later, the news that Zhao Xian had broken through to the Golden Core realm in such a short span had spread throughout the entire academy.
It had been far too long since such a genius had appeared in the academy, and now the wind heralded an approaching storm. Thus, pushed along by certain interested parties behind the scenes, Zhao Xian's reputation quickly traveled beyond the academy walls, growing more exaggerated with every telling.
It began as barely breaking through to Golden Core, turned into stepping directly into Golden Core and reaching perfection in seven days,
and finally escalated to the absurd claim that he was a half-step Nascent Soul.
By this point, even when those who knew the truth came forward to clarify, it was useless.
Outsiders simply dismissed it as the academy's attempt to cover up the existence of such an unparalleled prodigy.
The Severing Immortal Tower and the Immortal Pivot Court both dispatched envoys to inquire into Zhao Xian's background.
Within the academy, disagreements also arose regarding how to handle this cultivation prodigy, the likes of whom had not been seen in centuries.
As the surging torrents of the wider situation churned, Zhao Xian cast aside all distracting thoughts.
He settled securely within the secret chamber the academy had specially opened for him, accelerating his cultivation as much as possible.
*Not having to worry about whether there's enough spiritual energy feels amazing. Is this the treatment of a true direct disciple of the academy?*
*And before a final decision on how to deal with me is made, I can enjoy the vast majority of the academy's supplies completely free of charge.*
The strength of his divine sense soared steadily, converting into his own cultivation.
As his cultivation realm rose, it fed back into his divine sense, nurturing and expanding it further.
This formed a perfect cycle, driving Zhao Xian's cultivation speed to an almost unbelievable pace.
Above all, there were no bottlenecks or hurdles whatsoever.
Zhao Xian felt his mind grow as firm as a boulder.
No stray thoughts or demonic barriers could sway him in the slightest.
*I never cultivated this fast even in my dreams. Could it be that I really am a genius?*
*Was my progress in the past so slow only because of a lack of resources and not finding the right technique?*
Zhao Xian could not help thinking to himself.
Meanwhile, Li Fan's clone, who had intercepted every inner demon on his behalf, was beginning to feel somewhat overtaxed.
Even with the Immortal Heart Incantation's support, these boundary-breaking inner demons were not easy to deal with.
Though Li Fan could maintain his clarity through the diverse, hyper-realistic illusions he underwent, escaping each time still cost him considerable effort. Worse, the process of fighting these inner demons seemed to be recorded, making the next demon encountered even stronger.
In the end, it was merely a wisp of divine sense; some degree of wear and tear was only natural.
*One can imagine how difficult it was for cultivators to advance before the laws of the Pitch-Black Star Sea were shattered.*
*No wonder the new method was able to replace the old in the Xuanhuang Realm.*
At this thought, an idea suddenly surged unbidden in Li Fan's mind.
The Pitch-Black Star Sea could be viewed as an enlarged version of the Xuanhuang Realm, with an even higher ceiling for its worldly laws.
It had merely been torn to shreds by the power of the True Immortal seal characters.
Since Chuanfa's new method worked in the Xuanhuang Realm, did that mean that under normal circumstances, the new method could also be practiced normally in this star sea?
*Everything required would simply need to be scaled up to the level of the star sea...*
*Foundation Establishment wonders, Core Formation methods, Nascent Soul grotto-heavens—at the end of the day, all of these are physical manifestations of the world's laws. The laws of the Pitch-Black Star Sea are shattered, permeated with the power of the True Immortal seal characters.*
*Looking at it the other way around, these True Immortal seal characters are the present manifestation of the Pitch-Black Star Sea's laws and power.*
A flash of insight sparked in Li Fan's mind, as if seizing upon a vital thread of truth.
*The Severing Immortal Tower cultivates by drawing upon True Immortal seal characters. Perhaps the underlying principle is identical to that of the Xuanhuang Realm's new method.*
Chapter 1226