25: Professional Exhibition

The new students stood in the plaza, completely speechless.

The sight before them completely exceeded the limits of human imagination.

Immortal mountains floated in a sea of clouds, magnificent palaces and pavilions, and immortal cranes cried out in unison.

Everything here made them feel as tiny as a speck of dust.

Fang Yuan stood in a daze, his heart pounding, feeling his breathing become difficult.

This was... the place where he would attend classes from now on?

In a corner of the crowd, a young man dressed in a black training suit stood alone, his aura as sharp as a drawn sword.

His name was Lin Xiao.

He surveyed everything before him, his sharp eyes devoid of the shock and confusion seen in others, replaced only by a near-obsessive fanaticism.

Days earlier, in his Family's ancestral hall, he had personally returned the jade pendant symbolizing the Family heir's status, in front of all the elders.

"Martial Dao has its limits, but the path I wish to take is a different one."

Now it seemed his Dao was not mistaken!

"Follow me."

A calm voice awakened everyone from their astonishment.

Li Heng said nothing more, turning and walking towards an ancient, elegant main teaching building at the end of the plaza.

Two hundred new students quickly followed his footsteps, entering the grand hall that exuded the scent of sandalwood.

The hall was spacious and solemn, capable of accommodating over a thousand people.

Li Heng stood on the podium, calmly looking at the two hundred young faces below, some excited, some nervous, some bewildered.

"From today onwards, you are the first batch of students of Kunlun Cultivation Academy."

"The opening ceremony begins now."

There were no leaders, no speeches, only him.

"Before I speak of anything else, I will tell you only one thing."

Li Heng's tone was calm, but his words sent a chill down everyone's spines.

"Cultivators are not for eternal life, not for carefree living, and certainly not for you to flaunt your power before Mortals."

"Immortal Cultivation is for upholding the Righteous Path, and slaying demons."

These words poured a bucket of cold water over all the hyped-up students.

Han Li even shrunk his neck, muttering softly, "This is too righteous."

Li Heng paid no attention to the small movements below.

"I know you are very interested in flying with swords."

He changed the subject.

"But that is merely a drop in the ocean among the myriad techniques of the Immortal Dao."

At these words, the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

Such a god-like technique was merely one of a myriad?

The students' curiosity and anticipation instantly reached their peak.

"Our Kunlun Cultivation Academy initially established seven major academies, which are the specializations you will choose."

Li Heng began his formal introduction.

"Sword Cultivator, Spell Cultivator, Pill Cultivator, Formation, Body Refining, Talisman, Artifact Refining."

"The seven directions each have their strengths and weaknesses."

"Empty words, you won't understand."

Li Heng paused.

"Therefore, I will give you a live demonstration."

He extended his right hand and began to draw in the air.

Golden traces flowed from his fingertips, instantly forming an abstruse and complex golden Talisman in the air.

"The Talisman lineage borrows the power of heaven and earth for its own use. For example..."

"Edict · Palm Thunder!"

As soon as his voice fell, the golden Talisman in his palm exploded violently!

"Boom!"

A thick bolt of lightning burst from his palm, emitting a deafening roar! The violent current even ionized the air in front of him, creating a burnt smell.

The students in the front row screamed and retreated repeatedly, their faces pale.

If that struck a person, wouldn't they instantly turn into a charred corpse?

"This... this is Talisman?" Fang Yuan watched, dumbfounded.

Next, Li Heng demonstrated Spell Cultivator techniques.

He merely waved his hand casually.

The water vapor in the hall gathered out of thin air, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a several-meter-long Water Dragon, vividly circling and roaring in mid-air.

Before anyone could react, Li Heng snapped his fingers again.

The Water Dragon instantly disintegrated, transforming into hundreds of crystal-clear Ice Butterflies, dancing gracefully in the hall, scattering tiny ice crystals with each flap of their wings, creating an extremely dreamlike scene.

"Wow—!"

"So beautiful!"

The female students, led by Li Qingyuan, all let out gasps of surprise, their eyes sparkling.

Li Qingyuan stared intently at the Ice Butterflies; she had already made up her mind that this was what she wanted to learn!

It was the Sword Cultivator's turn.

Li Heng merely pointed his fingers like a sword, gesturing towards the window.

But the next moment, outside the hall, in the sky above.

That huge white cloud, like a marshmallow, was neatly split in two down the middle by an invisible force!

The cut was as smooth as a mirror!

An invisible, sharp Qi instantly permeated the entire teaching building, making everyone gasp for breath.

Lin Xiao's pupils suddenly contracted.

He stared intently at Li Heng's finger, an unprecedented flame of fanaticism burning in his eyes.

This was the true sword!

This was the Dao he sought!

Afterward, Li Heng walked to a corner of the hall, next to a huge jade pillar inscribed with runes, made of an unknown material.

This was the demonstration for the Body Refining lineage.

He extended a finger and casually, lightly, tapped the jade pillar.

"Pop."

A soft sound.

A bottomless finger-hole appeared on the seemingly indestructible jade pillar.

Everyone gasped in unison.

The destructive power of that finger was probably more terrifying than a large-caliber sniper rifle!

"Holy moly! Physical cheats are the deadliest!" Han Li's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "This is fierce! This is good!"

"As for Formation..."

Li Heng's gaze fell on Han Li.

"You, come here."

Han Li was startled, then overjoyed, and scurried over: "Headmaster! You called me? What are your orders?"

He thought he was about to be made an excellent example.

Li Heng casually pointed at his feet.

Han Li only felt the scenery before his eyes blur, and the next second, he was no longer in the solemn hall, but in an endless peach forest.

"Eh? What's going on? Are we filming a movie?"

He walked a few steps, only to find that no matter how he walked, he couldn't get out of the peach forest, and he spun around frantically in place, anxious.

Meanwhile, the others in the hall saw Han Li continuously spinning in place, muttering to himself, his comical appearance drawing roars of laughter from the crowd.

Li Heng snapped his fingers, and the illusion was dispelled.

Han Li stumbled, finding himself back in the hall, and seeing the crowd mocking him, he was completely bewildered.

"I... wasn't I just in a peach forest?"

"Alright."

With the demonstration complete, Li Heng returned to the podium.

"You've seen the seven major specializations. I'll give you a week to carefully consider which one to choose."

He admonished.

"Remember, choose what is most suitable for yourselves, not what seems most powerful or coolest."

"The path is your own to choose."

As his voice fell, the entire hall erupted.

Students gathered in twos and threes, discussing excitedly.

"Sword Cultivator! It has to be Sword Cultivator! Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate, it's super cool!"

"Spell Cultivator is amazing, okay? How beautiful are the Ice Butterflies! I want to be an immortal fairy!"

"I think Body Refining is the most practical. One punch, one kid, whoever doesn't comply gets beaten!"

Han Li's eyes darted around, wildly oscillating between the coolness of Sword Cultivator and the fierceness of Body Refining, and then he thought that a Formation Master who could trick people invisibly also seemed good.

Fang Yuan, however, was plunged into deep confusion.

Each path led to a world he couldn't imagine.

Each path seemed so out of reach.

How should he choose?

Li Qingyuan, however, was unwavering; her heart was only set on those dancing Ice Butterflies.

Li Heng looked at the various expressions of the people below, saying nothing more.

"Your admission notice is also your dormitory key, and it has directions on it."

"Dismissed."