Chapter 5: Enhancing the Method of Spiritual Roots

When Ding Jinglue announced the end of class, everyone in the classroom rushed to the training room. Chen Mobai deliberately feigned falling behind, missing the first wave. Then, stomping his foot and sighing, he used the excuse of going to the restroom to slip into the teachers' office.

In Immortal Gate teaching, classes were only held in the morning, with self-study in the afternoon. After class, students all crowded into the training room, and teachers were no exception. Except for old cultivators like Ding Jinglue, whose potential was exhausted and who were destined not to form a foundation again, others, such as Chai Deyun, practiced every minute outside of teaching. Even so, in the second-tier spiritual energy training rooms, only Ding Jinglue relinquished his spot. Chen Mobai had initially thought that Old Man Ding would be the only one in the teachers' office at this time. But as soon as he reached the door, he found that, besides himself, a classmate was already there.

It wasn't Song Zheng, Ding's direct disciple, but Yan Bingxuan, another late-stage Qi Cultivation genius from their class. Her face was beautiful without makeup, her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her tall figure could not be concealed by her loose school uniform. When she saw Chen Mobai standing at the door, she subtly frowned, then bowed slightly to Old Man Ding and excused herself. Chen Mobai nodded to Yan Bingxuan as she walked out. After a moment's hesitation, she returned his nod. The two moved in different social circles within the class; though classmates, they were truly only nodding acquaintances. However, Chen Mobai felt that compared to last semester, Yan Bingxuan's personality and demeanor seemed a bit colder this semester. It was as if to match her name, this genius cultivator was becoming increasingly aloof.

"Chen Mobai, why aren't you waiting at the training room? What brings you here?" Old Man Ding considered himself a rather humorous person. Hearing this, Chen Mobai entered with a fawning smile. "Well, Teacher Ding," he began, "my mother hired a tutor to guide me on the practical application of spells, hoping I'd do well in the college entrance exam. Yesterday, he gave me homework: to decipher a wave-like defensive enchantment. But I'm truly too dull; I couldn't figure it out, so I had no choice but to come and ask for your guidance, Teacher Ding." After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Old Man Ding showed no suspicion.

After all, the best way to improve in spell cultivation is through continuous practical application. Although the school taught a wide range of content, for some specific spells and enchantments, it indeed couldn't compare to private tutors outside. "Your mother is quite generous; private tutors aren't cheap," Old Man Ding remarked casually, simultaneously searching his spell database for the origin of the wave-like enchantment based on Chen Mobai's description. "My mother has high hopes, so I can only work hard. Thank you for your trouble, Teacher Ding."

Chen Mobai dared not say too much, only speaking vaguely. He then meticulously and precisely described to Ding Jinglue how he had repeatedly tested the wave-like enchantment in the water mansion using coins. "Hmm, based on your description," Ding Jinglue said, "it's very likely an enchantment solidified from these three spells." After losing hope of forming a foundation, Ding Jinglue dedicated himself wholeheartedly to education. He was very diligent with Chen Mobai, who had taken the rare initiative to seek guidance, pulling out three spells from his spell database: Flowing Water Shield, Surging Wave Charm, and Scale Ripple Art.

"I've sent the specific spell content and breaking methods to your personal data library," Ding Jinglue said. "Go home and experiment more. If it still doesn't work, you can write the problem as a report and send it to me." Chen Mobai saw Ding Jinglue send the documents for the three spells to his interface address and thanked him profusely. The information for these three spells, if downloaded from the Immortal Gate Spell Library, would cost at least thirty Merit Points. Furthermore, without Teacher Ding Jinglue, who had deep expertise in spell research, Chen Mobai alone would have wasted days and nights searching through the vast network. The school's benefits were truly great!

Chen Mobai sincerely lamented, realizing why they placed such importance on the college entrance exam. If one could get into those Grand Academies, not only spells but even breakthrough secret arts and divine immortal techniques could be obtained for free. On Earth Star, due to the previous mechanical civilization, there was basically no sectarian view on knowledge. The secret techniques of transformation inherited by the Immortal Gate could be acquired free of charge once one's cultivation reached the late Nascent Soul stage. It was precisely this open atmosphere that allowed the Immortal Gate to still produce cultivators who had achieved the Spirit Transformation stage in Earth Star, a realm depleted of resources.

"Oh, by the way, Teacher Ding, was Yan Bingxuan also here to ask you about spells?" Before leaving, Chen Mobai recalled the earlier encounter and subconsciously asked. "Her?" Ding Jinglue replied. "After entering the late stage of Qi Cultivation, she seems to have decided to transform her dual-attribute True Spiritual Root of Metal and Water into an Ice Spiritual Root. She's been consulting me for advice on purifying and enhancing spiritual roots." Chen Mobai hadn't expected to get an answer, but Ding Jinglue's direct reply made him widen his eyes in shock. "This... spiritual roots can still be transformed and improved?"

"Oh, you haven't yet encountered this level, but there's no harm in telling you in advance," Ding Jinglue said. He tapped on his keyboard twice, selected a document, and sent it to Chen Mobai. "I was accepted exceptionally into the Pure Yang Academy because I cultivated in seclusion for twenty years at Danzhu Academy, transforming my spiritual root into the Three Yang Body, which is considered a variation of an anomalous spiritual root. However, twenty years of arduous cultivation, while transforming my spiritual root into a superior grade, left me insufficient time to reach the culmination of Qi Cultivation. You all know the story of my later life: despite possessing the Three Yang Body, I failed to form a foundation twice, and my potential was exhausted."

Chen Mobai quickly browsed the document about spiritual roots that Ding Jinglue sent him and understood the reason. On Earth Star, due to resource scarcity, the great powers of the Immortal Gate could only dedicate themselves to researching spells and cultivation techniques, hoping to improve the overall quality of Immortal Gate cultivators through this. Six thousand years ago, Grand Master Tianbo created the "Alchemy Art," which could enhance the spiritual root attribute of the Metal element. Cultivated to its peak, it could transform an ordinary pseudo-spiritual root with a value below 20 into a Heavenly Spiritual Root of the Metal element. To this day, the Immortal Gate possesses over a dozen secret arts that can purify and enhance spiritual roots. Even secret arts for transforming into Ice, Lightning, or Wind spiritual roots were widely circulated among the major Grand Academies.

"The better the spiritual root, the faster the cultivation," Ding Jinglue continued. "However, if you spend time enhancing your spiritual root, your time for Qi cultivation will be proportionally reduced. I am a negative example of this. Therefore, the Immortal Gate has a rule: before university, this content is not taught in class, so as not to distract you. After university, all major Grand Academies have secret techniques for purifying and enhancing spiritual roots that are suitable for their respective foundational arts. However, whether or not to cultivate them still depends on the individual."