A single breath, or perhaps, two breaths...
Just a short while passed in the outside world, but to Zhang Jing in his present state of consciousness, it felt like a few months had elapsed.
During this extended period of time, the only thing Zhang Jing could do was continually practice the Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing.
Attempt after attempt.
Insight after insight.
His understanding of the Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing or rather, the Visualization Method was gradually deepening.
The heaven and earth possessed Spiritual Energy, nourishing the divine aura of all beings. However, the body of a mortal, being as perishable as rotten wood, found it difficult to perceive the existence of Spiritual Energy, let alone draw it in and nourish their body.
Luckily, the Way is not constant; destiny is not predetermined.
The Human Race, despite its feeble body, nurtures the inherent Spirit God within.
The Spirit God is weak, and only by using the Visualization Method, drawing strength from the Heaven and Earth Spirits, can the Spiritual Energy be sensed and subsequent Divine Skills developed.
"So, the cultivation of Immortal Way in this world is essentially a path to draw nutrients from the 'Heaven and Earth Spirits', to strengthen one's Spirit God and eventually attain immortality."
Zhang Jing abruptly opened his eyes, ruminating on this thought.
He suddenly recalled a saying from the Tao Te Ching in his previous life: The law of man is the law of the earth, the law of the earth is the law of heaven, the law of heaven is the law of the Way, and the law of the Way is the law of nature.
The literal meaning of this seemed to share similarities with the Immortal Way of this world.
Could it be that the Tao Te Ching held an alternative interpretation...
At this thought, Zhang Jing realized another issue: Would the 'Heaven and Earth Spirits' agree with humanity's method of cultivation? Could it potentially lead to conflict?
However, on second thought...
The Immortal Way of the Human Race had been passed down from generations, and it hadn't been disrupted to this day. Surely, this would mean that the mighty figures standing at the pinnacle of the Immortal Way have remarkably formidable strength.
The least it could do was deter these so-called 'Heaven and Earth Spirits' from causing any upheaval.
From this perspective, the prospects of cultivation looked rather promising!
Upon regaining his senses...
Zhang Jing, feeling somewhat of a prickling sensation at his brow, couldn't help but force a bitter smile.
From a practical standpoint, the Dharma Seeds of the Mind's Eye could undoubtedly be regarded as an accelerator for cultivation.
However, this endurance problem... It genuinely gave one a bit of a headache.
After much contemplation, Zhang Jing understood that he could only wait until he grasped the basics of the Visualization Method and strengthened his Spirit God to alter the current situation.
He looked at his Jade Talisman.
[Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing – Not Initiated (4/50)].
"Cultivating the Visualization Method under the state of the Mind's Eye can indeed accelerate my progress. If I continue cultivating in this manner, I will likely attain the basic proficiency in another nine days."
"This is far beyond the thirty days stipulated by the Dao Institute!"
"I should be able to consider this performance as exceptional."
"Right, when the Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing reaches its first level, a skill trait should appear!"
With a look of anticipation in his eyes, Zhang Jing saw a bright future ahead.
He hadn't forgotten that initially, to reach the beginner level, the skill of the Three Character Classic and Six Classics required just 10 points of experience, far less than the 50 points required for the Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing.
"I wonder what kind of powerful Dharma Seeds will evolve when the Visualization Method of Pure Yuan Breathing reaches level ten."
Once his mind relaxed...
Strong drowsiness washed over him.
As Zhang Jing laid on his bed, he could barely keep his eyes open. He mumbled, "I feel like... I've forgotten something."
He had an uneventful night's sleep.
The next day.
In the preaching hall.
Onstage.
The rugged features of Coach Wang, paired with his white attire for the day, looked a bit disharmonious.
Fortunately, the Visualization Method he expounded was incredibly profound, which allowed the audience to overlook his attire without it appearing abrupt.
After a while...
"If you have any questions about your cultivation, you can ask them now," Coach Wang said.
No sooner had he finished speaking...
Zhang Jing saw Chu Lingyun, seated at the front, rise and ask softly:
"Sir, may I ask, the Pure Yuan spiritual brightness is invisible and without form, how can we determine if our Visualization is correct? And what should we do if it is incorrect?"
"Good, you're not far from mastering the Visualization Method."
Listening to this, Coach Wang's eyes held a sense of satisfaction as he regarded Chu Lingyun.
He then explained, "Pure Yuan spiritual brightness holds no form but imports significance. The saying yet goes 'a thousand faces, one person.' As long as you visualize and comprehend the true quality and texture of the Pure Yuan spiritual brightness, there would be no room for concern."
Upon saying this, it seemed as though he recalled something. Coach Wang's gaze hardened as he reminded the crowd below, "The Visualization method of Pure Yuan Breathing, being one of the foundational methods, is very gentle. Its mental image is moderate and pure. If you become overly obsessed with the form and the appearance, you fall into a lower level path."
"We understand, sir!"
Everyone chorused in response.
"Does anyone else have a question?"
"Sir, how..." A scion of a nobility, Deng Yuan, who was also seated at the front, rose and asked.
...
Afterward, Zhang Jing observed Ji Bochang and the other three continuously raising questions, to which Coach Wang provided clear and comprehensible answers.
Furthermore, Zhang Jing noticed an expression of sudden enlightenment simultaneously appearing on the faces of the four individuals, indicating their substantial gain.
Besides this, a few more individuals also proposed the issues encountered in their cultivation of the Visualization Method. However, compared to the questions raised by Ji Bochang's group, theirs were somewhat uncomplicated.
But this was a relative comparison.
After all, in the audience, apart from these individuals and Zhang Jing, the vast majority wore utterly bewildered expressions, seemingly unable to understand a word being spoken.
Zhang Jing couldn't help but be astounded.
He had initially intended to request Coach Wang to clarify his doubts from yesterday.
But given the circumstances... he decided he'd better stay quiet until he masters the Visualization Method.
Zhang Jing suddenly remembered his mother's advice.
The most inscrutable thing in the world is the human mind. He hadn't yet entered the Dao Institute. Standing out too much could lead to...
Anyway, for Zhang Jing, all he needed to do was practice to increase his skill proficiency. As soon as his proficiency was full, his skill could be directly upgraded.
Mastering the Visualization Method is only a matter of time.
As long as it doesn't affect the assessment, he ought to prioritize stability!
"If I didn't have the Jade Talisman, I would probably be amongst those looking bewildered. Wait, no, if I didn't have the Jade Talisman, I possibly wouldn't even have the chance to participate in the Dao institute exam."
Comparatively, regarding Ji Bochang's group.
The gap between ordinary people and the scions of noble families with a lineage of cultivators was simply too substantial.
"Why has the Dao Institute designed the assessment in this way?" Zhang Jing couldn't help but wonder, "With such an assessment, ordinary people could barely catch up with, let alone surpass these noble scions, barring special circumstances or exceptional talent."
Is the luck movement truly that important?
No matter how one looked at it, this doesn't resemble a conventional way of selecting disciples for heritage.
At this moment...
Coach Wang's gaze lingered on Ji Bochang, the other three, and a few others who had just raised questions.
"It seems that those who can pass Dao Institute's test this time are just these few. Especially these four, they might have a chance to get a Grade-B evaluation?"
After some thought, Coach Wang said:
"By the way, I think it necessary to share a piece of news with you."
"Yesterday night, in the Second Temporary Institute, a youngster named Shen Qingqing managed to master the Visualization Method and successfully passed the assessment. Overall evaluation- Grade-A!"