Chapter 5: Watershed

Following Instructor Liu's explanation, Su Jin began to sense spiritual energy. Perhaps it was the astonishing effect of last night's medicinal bath, or perhaps the solid foundation built from the medicinal baths her parents had given her before, so Su Jin only had to sense slightly before she could sense the spiritual energy in the schoolroom.

She began to circulate her Cultivation Technique to absorb spiritual energy and convert it into magic power.

The moment she completed one grand circulation of her Cultivation Technique, she refined her very first wisp of magic power.

Once that wisp of magic power had stabilized, Su Jin immediately raised her little hand.

Instructor Liu soundlessly walked to her side, lowered her voice, and quietly asked, "You've refined your first wisp of magic power?"

Su Jin nodded.

Instructor Liu quickly placed her hand on Su Jin's dantian and sensed.

Indeed, there was truly a first wisp of magic power.

With magic power, one had officially stepped onto the journey of cultivation. She picked Su Jin up and carried her to the room next door.

Although it wasn't as large as the previous schoolroom, the spiritual energy here was far denser than over there.

"This is our class's spare schoolroom. Now it can be considered officially in use," Instructor Liu explained softly to Su Jin.

Su Jin nodded to show she understood. When Su Jin had been carried in, she had already noticed two classmates from her class sitting here continuing their cultivation.

Just as Mother had said, the sect's geniuses were as numerous as carp crossing the river.

Even though her family had prepared medicinal baths for her for so long, she still couldn't claim first place in her own class.

She had only barely scraped together third place.

"The spiritual energy here is denser. You and the other little students should cultivate here at ease and strive to advance to Qi Refining Layer One before school lets out," Instructor Liu encouraged softly. "Instructor Liu still has to continue guiding the students over there in sensing spiritual energy and crossing the threshold into cultivation.

If you have any questions, you may come over and ask me."

"I understand, Instructor Liu. I'll do my best," Su Jin said softly.

Qi Refining Layer One actually wasn't that hard to reach—condensing ten wisps of magic power meant Qi Refining Layer One.

But don't think it's easy to complete.

To break through to Qi Refining Layer One, it actually depends on the quality of the Cultivation Technique in your hands; on the density of spiritual energy in the place where you cultivate; on whether you have enough time to focus on cultivation, and so on. All of these will, visibly or invisibly, affect and hinder your cultivation speed.

The clan school was established precisely to sweep away these various obstacles to cultivation for this group of children.

If you still can't manage it, then the clan school can only expel you.

Waa waa waa—someone suddenly started crying in the next room.

Instructor Liu heard it and hurried off.

It seemed someone over there had run into a mishap while cultivating!!

The moment she left, the other two little classmates immediately opened their eyes and stopped cultivating one after another.

Faking it?

Su Jin looked at them speechlessly.

"Are you thinking we're just pretending to cultivate?" one of the little boys—fair of face like a girl, extremely good-looking—asked with a smile. "Actually, we're all just little students. How could we keep cultivating nonstop? Even if we were willing, our meridians wouldn't be willing. They were already swollen full long ago.

We only did that just now because we didn't want Instructor Liu to think we were slacking off."

Su Jin suddenly understood.

If she were confirmed as slacking off by Instructor Liu, life from then on would probably be rough!

"My name is Su Wuji—the 'ji' meaning 'without any taboos.' I come from Xianshui Ward," he added.

"This one is Su Cheng—the 'cheng' from Chengguang Ward. He comes from Chengguang Ward." The little boy also took the opportunity to introduce the other one beside him.

The little boy being introduced gave little Su Jin a shy smile.

That little boy was also quite good-looking, just not as strikingly handsome as the one who had spoken first.

"My name is Su Jin—the 'jin' meaning 'cautious.' I come from Qing'an Ward."

"So we're all from the old neighborhoods. We'll have to look out for each other from now on," Su Wuji said with a smile.

"We're all classmates, let's just help each other out," Su Jin also said with a smile.

"All classmates, hehe, you'll understand in the future—even though we're all in one class, we're different from them. Well, I won't hold up your cultivation any longer. Hurry up and cultivate, try to advance to Qi Refining Layer One before school lets out tonight. I heard the rewards given this year are very good. Not striving for them would simply be wasting our talent."

Su Jin: This guy sure talks big.

But he wasn't wrong, she still needed to make the most of her time. So she immediately closed her eyes and began cultivating.

In the morning, only the three of them refined their first wisp of magic power.

In the afternoon, more students in the class began refining their first wisp of magic power.

From after lunch until almost school let out, Su Jin's side already had sixteen students who had refined their first wisp of magic power.

Which meant the ten over there had no hope for today.

The closer it got to the end of school, the more crying there was over there.

Probably because they knew in their hearts there was no hope, that's why they cried so miserably.

When there was still an hour left before school let out, Instructor Liu came over and called them back.

So all twenty-six little students in the class were now seated properly again.

But in the future, the gap between them would probably be worlds apart.

Sixteen companions had, in just one day, become cultivators who had refined their first magic power, while the other ten little students were still mortals.

Although Instructor Liu wouldn't give up on them and would continue to guide them in cultivation,

the students who had become cultivators had taken the first step, and every step after would come easier. The various resources they enjoyed in the future would probably be different from theirs.

The other ten little students each had a dejected look, their eyes swollen from crying.

And the sixteen newly advanced little cultivators, looking at their little classmates with swollen eyes, also felt a mix of emotions. This was the first watershed of their lives. Today they had pushed through and become cultivators.

If they fell behind in the future, then the appearance of these little companions today would be their own future.

If they didn't want to cry in the future, then they could only fight harder and work harder!

"Today, a total of sixteen little students in our class refined their first wisp of magic power.

"First place is Su Wuji, second place is Su Cheng, third place is Su Jin…" Instructor Liu rattled off all sixteen students' names and scores in one go. "Everyone did very well today.

Even I didn't expect that the Wood Class I'm leading this year, on the very first day the students began their introductory cultivation, would have sixteen students cultivate their first wisp of magic power.

The last Wood Class I led — on the first day, only ten little students cultivated their first wisp of magic power.

You all seem to have done even better.

Of course, while I'm very satisfied, I also have expectations for the other students — I hope those who haven't yet cultivated their first wisp of magic power will continue to work hard after going home. As long as you cultivate your first wisp of magic power by tomorrow's class time,

you can receive the medicinal bath reward the clan school gives you, together with the students who have already cultivated their first wisp of magic power.

Thirty packs per person, per month."