Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

"Eons ago, the Heavenly Master perceived the great Dao of heaven and earth amidst the chaos beyond the realms, and with inspiration, he thus created such a divine art. However, due to its complexity, it was difficult for later generations to learn, and consequently, it was simplified and divided into five parts," explained Situ Yin, the dean of Qingyun Academy.

"I see," Gu Chen nodded, following behind the dean. Together, they moved through the deepest parts of Qingyun Academy, passing numerous spiritual mountains, pavilions, waterfalls, and fountains until soon, they arrived in front of a small world.

"Of this divine art, besides the Moving Mountain Seal you've mastered, two more techniques remain within the academy," the dean of Qingyun Academy said, looking at Gu Chen.

Instantly, Gu Chen caught on and said, "So, the two divine arts mentioned by the dean are in this small world."

"Exactly," the dean of Qingyun Academy nodded slightly, his approving gaze falling upon Gu Chen as he asked, "Do you have confidence?"

"Naturally," Gu Chen nodded, though he was somewhat puzzled. Why keep the divine arts here and not in the library?

"Wait," just as Gu Chen was about to enter the small world before him, the dean of Qingyun Academy stopped him.

"Does the dean have any further instructions?" Gu Chen's gaze shifted, looking over.

With a slight smile, the dean of Qingyun Academy asked, "Do you know what factors determine the strength of a cultivator at the same level?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen appeared slightly startled, but he answered, "Physical body, cultivation level, spirit, foundation, techniques, and divine arts."

These six aspects are universally recognized in the higher realms as factors that determine the strength of a cultivator.

The physical body, cultivation level, and spirit represent a cultivator's core of essence, energy, and spirit.

Foundation, a somewhat intangible concept, can also be understood as a cultivator's personal accumulation up to the present.

It's like the foundation of a building in Gu Chen's previous life: if the foundation is unstable, a high cultivation level is useless, and the risk of deviating into madness is significant.

Furthermore, at the same realm, one's combat power is definitely greatly affected. The usual cause of an unstable foundation is often due to being overeager for quick success.

The dean of Qingyun Academy wouldn't ask a meaningless question. Suddenly, Gu Chen realized and said, "The dean means that to obtain these two divine arts, one must pass these tests?"

"Precisely," the dean of Qingyun Academy smiled and said, "The rules are not set by me, but by the Heavenly Master of Azure Cloud Sky long ago."

"Rules set by the Heavenly Master?" Gu Chen was somewhat surprised when he heard this.

The Heavenly Master of Azure Cloud Sky, who was this person? An extraordinarily powerful being of the previous great era who could fight alongside the Ice Emperor, a sovereign among the heavens!

It was under the leadership of this Heavenly Master that Azure Cloud Sky reached its most glorious peak, placing it at the forefront of countless realms and powers in the previous great era.

Of course, this also meant that Azure Cloud Sky made many enemies, harboring grudges with numerous realms and forces.

Dressed in a green robe, the dean of Qingyun Academy - Situ Yin said, "After all, this is a divine art created by the Heavenly Master, not something just anyone is qualified to cultivate. If one cannot grasp its essence and forcibly cultivates it, there's a high chance of falling into madness."

"I understand," Gu Chen nodded, grasping the painstaking intentions of that supreme being, the Heavenly Master.

After all, his status was incredibly exalted, and his strength unparalleled. Therefore, anything related to this Heavenly Master naturally attracted countless gazes and longing.

Not to mention, this was a divine art personally created by a sovereign of the heavens, bound to be immensely powerful.

Even more so, if one were to successfully cultivate it, one might become a direct disciple of the Heavenly Master. Such an opportunity was hard to come by even once in many years—who would want to give it up?

However, given the caliber of this divine art, it was destined to be extraordinary, and few could comprehend it. To prevent people from risking madness in their desperation to grasp it, the Heavenly Master set up these rules initially.

At the same time, he clearly intended to select his inheritors, or else he wouldn't test a cultivator in these six areas.

And this is the fundamental reason why these two divine arts are placed here and not in the academy's library.

"Are you ready?" After informing Gu Chen of all the reasons, the dean of Qingyun Academy looked at him expectantly.

Even as a formidable being, the dean was very curious about the true capabilities of this genius of the academy.

He had discovered that in such a short time, Gu Chen's cultivation realm had once again broken through, reaching the great perfection of the Huanxu Realm, leaving all others in the academy far behind!

Although the dean of Qingyun Academy often secluded himself from the outside world, he was very clear about everything happening in the academy.

When Gu Chen first joined Qingyun Academy, his cultivation was merely at the Cave Heaven Realm; even Yan Qi and Ao Guang were stronger in this regard than Gu Chen.

Not to mention Yun Zishu, who joined the academy later.

Regardless of talent, the dean of Qingyun Academy had not expected that Gu Chen would reach this level in such a short amount of time.

Moreover, he noticed that Gu Chen had not been recklessly eager for quick results; his foundation was exceedingly solid, surpassing everyone in Qingyun Academy.