Ye Feng looked at the cultivation level introduction behind his name and fell into deep thought.
"System, am I not a mortal? When did I become Qi Refinement Seventh Layer?" Ye Feng wondered to himself.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for discovering a key point. As a Sect Leader, you will obtain a cultivation level equal to the total sum of your disciples' cultivation levels. Currently, there are two disciples at Qi Refining Third Layer and one at the Fourth Layer, which together is indeed equivalent to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer," the System explained.
In the Shenzhou Continent, the known realms of cultivation are: Gazing Breath, Qi Refinement, Element Gathering, Spirit Sea, Divine Origin, Void Break, Ancient Saint.
Ancient Saints are aloof and rare, with their realm's subdivisions being little known to most.
The Gazing Breath Realm is just the foundational stage; strictly speaking, one is only considered a cultivator upon entering the Qi Refining Realm.
The five realms of Qi Refinement, Element Gathering, Spirit Sea, Divine Origin, and Void Break each have nine grades.
Within these five realms, each advancement increases the total amount of spiritual energy in the body by one third.
Hence, the energy of a Qi Refining Ninth Grade at the peak is roughly equivalent to that of ten cultivators at the First Grade of Qi Refinement.
Ye Feng had some understanding of the division in cultivation. After the System's explanation, he knew that he indeed possessed the cultivation level of Qi Refinement Seventh Layer.
But the problem was, no matter how much Ye Feng tried to comprehend his own body, he was never able to utilize his cultivation, and his physical condition did not change at all; he was still just a mortal.
"System, where is my cultivation?" Ye Feng asked with a puzzled look.
The System did not respond.
"It seems I can only explore this on my own," Ye Feng said, his brows slightly furrowed.
The other three disciples just happened to see Ye Feng furrowing his brows and grew tense, thinking another mishap had occurred.
"Sect Master Uncle is frowning; does it mean that even he has no plan?" Li Jiaojiao said worriedly.
"If even the Sect Leader has no plan, then we are even more at a loss," the Senior Disciple Shi Lei sighed with a look of concern.
Huo Yunjie remained silent, but his face looked even more troubled.
When Ye Feng heard the two of them talking, he lifted his head and said, "I will continue thinking of a plan; you should also try to think of one or make other preparations, such as improving your own strength."
Through the System, Ye Feng knew that each of the three disciples had cultivated a spell, but after so long, they had not even reached the Beginner's level, which was really weak.
Thinking this, Ye Feng subconsciously added, "Ultimately, the upcoming battle is still a competition of strength. Without sufficient mastery, how can you win the contest? Have you mastered your spells yet? Shouldn't you be cultivating right now?"
Upon hearing this, the three disciples also realized that strength was indeed the most crucial factor and quickly began cultivating their spells in the courtyard.
The Second Disciple, Huo Yunjie, had the highest cultivation level and was the most diligent.
He came from a noble family but had to run away from home due to certain events. In the wilderness, he faced an attack by demonic beasts and was saved by the Old Sect Leader, which is why he stayed at the Misty Sect to cultivate.
Even though the Misty Sect faced a crisis, Huo Yunjie stayed, steadfast and loyal.
Because of his diligence, he managed to cultivate up to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining at the age of fifteen.
Due to his hard work, Huo Yunjie was making fast progress in the First Grade Spell "Fiery Cloud Palm" and was close to reaching the initial stage.
"The Old Sect Leader saved my life; now that his Misty Sect is facing a crisis, even if I'm not powerful, I must still try my hardest."
"Within three days, 'Fiery Cloud Palm' must reach the Beginner stage!"
"Even if I'm defeated, I must lose gracefully and not disgrace the Old Sect Leader!"
Huo Yunjie thought to himself, his gaze more determined than ever, his moves becoming more practiced, and he could feel the energy in his palms surging, growing hotter.
It's close, very close!
Seizing the moment, Huo Yunjie continued his rigorous cultivation.
The Senior Disciple, Shi Lei, and the Third Disciple, Li Jiaojiao, also worked hard at their cultivation.
Shi Lei, an orphan raised by the Old Sect Leader, was a simple and honest man with a staunch loyalty.
He was practicing the "Iron Shield Technique." Despite being somewhat clumsy, he was also working hard, diligently following the Old Sect Leader's initial guidance to the letter.
The only female disciple, Li Jiaojiao, was practicing the First Grade Spell "Wind Spirit Step," running laps around the courtyard like the wind.
Even though her clothes were drenched with sweat, she did not stop, but instead gritted her teeth and persevered, hoping to master the technique as soon as possible.
Li Jiaojiao came from a small mountain village.
Her parents were alive and well, and she had a little sister still full of childish innocence.
As the only person from the village discovered to have talent for cultivation, she carried the hopes of all the villagers and did not want to fail or see her parents and fellow villagers with faces full of disappointment.
Ye Feng lifted his head.
Looking at the three disciples working hard at their cultivation, he felt moved, clenching his fists tightly.
"The disciples are working so hard; how can I fall behind? But this Dog System doesn't seem to offer any substantial help. As a mere mortal, how can I be of aid?"
Chi chi!
At that moment, Huo Yunjie's hands became scorching hot, like glowing red iron, even heating the surrounding air.
Crack!
Huo Yunjie slapped a wooden post next to him, burning it to charcoal before it crumbled apart.
"My "Fire Cloud Palm" has reached the beginner level!"
Huo Yunjie was thrilled, looking at his red-hot palms filled with excitement.
Palms hot as iron, able to break wooden posts, this was the sign of mastering the beginner level of "Fire Cloud Palm".
"Eh, it really reached the beginner level."
Ye Feng's eyes widened in amazement, silently admiring the spell of a cultivator. A casual palm strike shattered a wooden post as thick as a water bucket. How envious and eager he was to learn!
Suddenly, Ye Feng discovered some strange new memories had appeared in his mind.
These were the details of the first-grade spell "Fire Cloud Palm".
He felt he had an extremely deep understanding of this spell and was sure that, if he could utilize his cultivation level, he could easily perform a "Fire Cloud Palm" at the perfect stage.
"System, what's going on?"
Ye Feng felt certain that this matter was related to the system.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for uncovering a hidden feature. As a Sect Leader, whenever any of your sect disciples achieves the beginner level or higher in any spell, you can instantly master it at the max level, and you'll have comprehension far beyond ordinary people."
The system finally spoke.
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng's eyes widened in shock.
This passive ability seemed really strong!
If he could get through this crisis, with more disciples in the future and a variety of spells being practiced, wouldn't he be able to master countless spells at the perfect stage?
But then, remembering that he, though having cultivation level, couldn't perform spells like a mortal, Ye Feng's face turned gloomy.
In the Shenzhou Continent, spells are divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the lowest and the ninth the highest.
Each spell, according to the level of proficiency, is classified into the following four stages:
Beginner, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, and Perfection.
The higher the proficiency, the stronger the power.
Normally, cultivators at the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Refining Realm can only reach the beginner level; by the fifth or sixth layer, they may achieve minor accomplishments; and only Sect Leader level senior cultivators at the seventh layer can reach major achievements.
As for perfection, it was not so easily attained.
Upon hearing that Huo Yunjie's "Fire Cloud Palm" had reached beginner level, Shi Lei and Li Jiaojiao were overjoyed.
"With your cultivation level, Second Brother, using the beginner-level "Fire Cloud Palm" should be enough to secure a victory," said Li Jiaojiao, pausing to catch her breath.
"I need to work even harder!"
Shi Lei, upon seeing Huo Yunjie's "Fire Cloud Palm" reach the beginner level, felt a surge of motivation and prepared to continue his own cultivation.
"It's just the beginner level," Huo Yunjie shook his head, his expression still grave.
At the Qi Refining Realm's third or fourth layer, one could generally bring a first-grade spell to the beginner stage. To ensure a solid victory, he knew he needed to reach at least the minor achievement level in "Fire Cloud Palm".
"Indeed, it's just the beginner level," Ye Feng then spoke up.
Upon hearing that, Huo Yunjie felt slightly uncomfortable.
All their fellow disciples were diligently cultivating, while Sect Leader Ye Feng was the only one sitting idle, doing nothing.
"Yes, indeed! But now, the beginner level is already the highest achievement in our Misty Sect," Huo Yunjie said, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
"Who told you the beginner level was the highest our Misty Sect could achieve?"
Ye Feng stood up and said.
He took a small twig and pointed to a few spots on Huo Yunjie's arms, saying, "Here, here, and here, do you feel some blockage when circulating your energy?"
"Huh?"
Huo Yunjie's heart filled with confusion.
How could Sect Master Uncle, a mere mortal, see these issues?
"Reverse the flow of energy at these points and increase the speed of your energy gathering by one-fifth, then see what effect it has."
Ye Feng, not minding Huo Yunjie's puzzled expression, continued leisurely.
After hesitating, Huo Yunjie decided to try it, seeing the calmness in Ye Feng's eyes.
Whoosh!
This time, Huo Yunjie felt his hands instantly become scorching hot, and a wisp of flame emerged from his palms.
With a gentle slap down,
An entire wooden post was burnt to ashes.
"Minor… Minor Achievement?"
Huo Yunjie looked at his own hands in disbelief, then his eyes widened as he turned to Ye Feng.
"Just a pointer from Sect Master Uncle, and my "Fire Cloud Palm" reached Minor Achievement?"
Shi Lei and Li Jiaojiao were also left agape in astonishment, looking back at Ye Feng as if they had seen a ghost.