"To hear the Way in the morning and to die in the evening without regret," this saying originates from the Confucian classic The Analects, in the chapter Li Ren. Confucius said that if he understood the Great Way in the morning, he would die that evening without feeling it a pity.

This divine ability, bearing that name, is a peculiar method created by later generations of Confucian inheritors who achieved enlightenment regarding the universal Grand Dao.

It uses one's own life force as the catalyst to unleash an attack conforming to the Great Way of heaven and earth's rules, granting a massive surge in power over a short period. It can be described as a divine ability that harms the self first, then the enemy.

This shares the same outcome as the Great Method of Heavenly Demon Disintegration, though the manner of execution is vastly different. However, as an inheritor of the School of Soldiers, how could one distinguish such subtle differences?

Feng Zikang retrieved a piece of azure jade military tally from a cabinet and handed it to Huo Zhongguang.

“The cultivation method for this divine ability is recorded here. However, Senior Brother Huo, you absolutely must not study it too deeply. When Master spoke to me about this divine ability, he specifically instructed that this represents the Confucian path of achieving benevolence through sacrifice and righteousness through death. While it may be acceptable for Confucian disciples to cultivate it, for us in the School of Soldiers, seeking a sliver of survival amidst ten thousand deaths is fundamentally incompatible with this divine ability. Should you cultivate it to a profound level, I fear you risk falling into deviation!”

Huo Zhongguang accepted the azure jade tally, nodded in agreement, and cautiously inquired, “Did Martial Uncle Ye mention at what stage it would be appropriate to stop cultivating?”

He currently believed every word Feng Zikang had spoken to him, harboring not the slightest doubt.

Feng Zikang’s objective was to prevent Huo Zhongguang from falling too deep into deviation within a short timeframe; otherwise, if a high-level expert noticed an anomaly, it could jeopardize Feng Zikang’s subsequent plans before they could be implemented.

“Master said that before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivating up to about the fifth level should be harmless…”

The fifth level of the Great Method of Heavenly Demon Disintegration could instantaneously unleash approximately double the attack power. Given the current disparity between Huo Zhongguang and Liang Si’an, if applied skillfully, it could indeed achieve a surprising, decisive victory.

In ten more days, it would be the day of the Sunset Peak Grand Competition.

A cold sneer touched the corner of Feng Zikang’s mouth, and his eyes shone with a peculiar, expectant light.

Revenge for old grievances, settling old scores.

Regardless of the outcome of the contest between Huo and Liang, Liang Si’an had to die.

This, perhaps, would settle the karma tied to this body… The term, which did not belong to the cultivation path of the School of Soldiers, suddenly surfaced in Feng Zikang’s mind.

※※※

Sunset Peak.

Two days before the year-end grand competition, all the disciples were busy making preparations. Feng Zikang, alone, ascended the peak and proceeded directly toward the Scripture Hall.

Elder Wu was still basking in the sun at the entrance of the hall, eyes closed, as if he intended to spend the remainder of his life this way.

“You haven't even reached the fourth layer of Qi Induction; you have no Merit Points. What brings you to the Scripture Hall?” Seeing Feng Zikang approach, Elder Wu asked with his eyes half-open, half-closed, in a faint tone.

Feng Zikang smiled, pulled out a paper packet from his robes, and presented it like a treasure to Elder Wu.

“I’ve always heard Master say that Martial Great-Uncle Wu is fondest of tea. While sweeping the Small Bamboo Grove earlier, I unearthed a packet of Thousand-Year Snow Bamboo Ginseng Tea. We juniors don't know how to drink it, so I specially brought it as a token of respect for you, elder!”

Elder Wu’s eyes snapped open suddenly, and he grinned widely, “A good lad! You stole your Master’s most treasured possession and gave it to this old man. Aren't you afraid of punishment?”

He sniffed deeply, inhaling the rich aroma of the tea.

“Back then, if I asked him for half an ounce or an ounce, he wouldn't agree, yet now his disciple brings me the whole packet! Haha, truly, the cycles of heaven repay every misdeed!”

Elder Wu snatched the tea packet without hesitation, not even pausing to open or smell it, stuffing it directly into his robes as if afraid someone would steal it.

“Speak up. Offering kindness without reason means you’re either a thief or planning mischief. Tell me what benefit you seek, young man! As long as it is within my power, I will certainly help you!”

His expression turned serious again. “However, do not even think about the core techniques or divine abilities in the Scripture Hall. Exchanging Merit Points for abilities is a thousand-year rule of our School of Soldiers, which absolutely cannot be altered!”

Feng Zikang laughed, “I would never dare. I came today merely because I have many doubts regarding my cultivation. Since my Master is in seclusion, I thought it over, and among our sect members, only Martial Great-Uncle Wu is the most profoundly knowledgeable, so I came specifically to seek your guidance!”

Elder Wu laughed heartily, his bones clicking with the movement. Having accepted a packet of tea, his mood seemed considerably improved.

“Stop flattering me, lad. Hurry up and ask whatever it is!”

Feng Zikang did indeed have some cultivation questions he needed to ask, but his primary goal was to subtly probe and understand Liang Si’an’s actual level of cultivation and his ultimate trump cards.

After all, the cultivation of the School of Soldiers is vast and complex; perhaps only this old man, who has guarded the Scripture Hall for hundreds of years, could fully comprehend it.

Within the School of Soldiers, there are many branches, but the fundamental method of cultivation is the same: drawing the killing energy of blades and weapons into the body to cleanse the marrow and establish the Dao foundation, then condensing it into a Golden Core, manifesting an Nascent Soul, splitting into countless divine senses, finally passing the Tribulation to reach the Great Ascension stage, accumulating perfect Merit Points, and then ascending to the Immortal Realm.

That is, Qi Induction, Foundation Establishment, Core Condensation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Tribulation Passing, and Great Ascension—a total of seven tiers.

Feng Zikang was currently only at the third layer of early-stage Qi Induction. The path of cultivation for the School of Soldiers was truly a long journey ahead.

When one advances to the fourth layer of Qi Induction, entering the middle stage, a confirmation of the disciple's Dao Heart by the elders is required. If the disciple truly aligns with the Soldier School’s concept of 'Contention,' they will be taught the orthodox, direct lineage cultivation methods.

For instance, the ‘Strategy and Command to Decide a Thousand Miles Mind Method’ from the Small Bamboo Grove, or the ‘War God Mind Method’ of Sunset Peak, are considered orthodox techniques of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain School of Soldiers.

When the Mind Method is cultivated to the twentieth level, and the nine internal Qi circulations within the body merge into one, reaching the peak of the tenth layer of Qi Induction, one can prepare for Foundation Establishment. Upon completing the task obtained from the Merit Hall, with the aid of the Great Reincarnation Disk to stabilize the Dao Foundation, success means officially entering the Foundation Establishment stage.

Of course, during the Qi Induction stage, one could temporarily forgo Foundation Establishment to prioritize cultivating their Mind Method to the thirtieth level—Luo Lianxin did exactly this. This way, her foundation is deep, and her future potential may be greater. Nowadays, everyone rushes to advance their realm, so those patient enough to first enhance their Mind Method rank are considered unrivaled among those at the same level.

Within the Qi Induction stage, one cannot cultivate the Mind Method higher; thus, the thirtieth level is the absolute ceiling.

If, during the Foundation Establishment stage, the Mind Method is cultivated to the thirtieth level while the Dao Foundation is condensed and True Qi liquefies, one can attempt Core Condensation. Naturally, one could also cultivate the Mind Method up to the fortieth level. Core Condensation allows up to the fiftieth level, and so on. The Great Ascension stage allows up to the ninetieth level of the Mind Method, achieving the state of Heaven and Man.

Besides determining one's own cultivation level, the rank of the Mind Method is crucial because it dictates the maximum level achievable for both one's inherent sect divine abilities and external divine abilities.

For example, Luo Lianxin cultivated the Water Moon Pavilion Mind Method to the thirtieth level, enabling her to perform the thirtieth level of the ‘Ten Thousand Armed Southern Barbarian Slaying Divine Ability.’ Meanwhile, Liang Si’an has only cultivated the War God Mind Method to the twentieth level, so no matter how formidable his ‘Chi You Army-Breaking Evasion Technique’ is, it can only reach the twentieth level.

External divine abilities, being incompatible with the sect Mind Method, can still be cultivated, but their maximum level is usually about ten levels lower than the sect Mind Method. The two divine abilities Huo Zhongguang learned from Feng Zikang, ‘Heavenly Demon Devouring’ and ‘Great Method of Heavenly Demon Disintegration,’ could, at his current Mind Method cultivation level, only reach the tenth level at best.

However, external divine abilities attached to magical artifacts are not subject to this restriction. This is why Feng Zikang acquiring two peak-grade treasures, especially the Spirit Witch Bone imbued with a seventeenth-level Veil Art, was truly extraordinary luck.

“Furthermore, whether a divine ability can be cultivated also relates to its inherent grade…”

Elder Wu spoke with enthusiasm, spittle flying, in a ceaseless torrent.

Disciples below the second layer of Qi Induction, if fortunate enough to possess a Mind Method, could only cultivate Yellow Grade First-Rank divine abilities, such as the technique known as Li Fire Earth-Splitting Chop. Those below the fourth layer of Qi Induction were restricted to Yellow Grade Second-Rank divine abilities, and so on, until the peak of Qi Induction, where the highest level of divine ability trainable was Yellow Grade Fifth-Rank.

Luo Lianxin’s ‘Ten Thousand Armed Southern Barbarian Slaying Divine Ability,’ Huo Zhongguang’s ‘Primordial Unstoppable Single Blade Rend,’ and Liang Si’an’s ‘Chi You Army-Breaking Evasion Technique’ all belonged to Yellow Grade Fifth-Rank divine abilities—the highest level trainable for disciples in the Qi Induction stage.

The Foundation Establishment stage allowed cultivation up to Yellow Grade Tenth-Rank divine abilities. Elder Wu’s proud technique, the ‘Iron Armor Cavalry Charge Formation Method,’ was a Yellow Grade Tenth-Rank ability.

Core Condensation stage practitioners could cultivate Profound Grade Fifth-Rank divine abilities; Nascent Soul stage, Profound Grade Tenth-Rank divine abilities; Spirit Transformation and Tribulation Passing stages could cultivate Earth Grade divine abilities. Only upon reaching the Great Ascension stage could one begin cultivating Heaven Grade divine abilities.

As for the ethereal Heaven Grade Sixth-Rank and above, these were legendary cultivation methods, absolutely unattainable without an extraordinary, unique opportunity.

Since divine abilities and Mind Methods are tiered, there are differences not only in their destructive power but also in the maximum level attainable.

Yellow Grade Mind Methods and divine abilities could only be cultivated up to the fortieth level. Elder Wu’s breakthrough of his ‘Iron Armor Cavalry Charge Formation Method’ beyond the fortieth level was a singular miracle that caused irreversible damage to his body.

Profane Grade Mind Methods and divine abilities could be cultivated to the sixtieth level, Earth Grade to the eightieth, and Heaven Grade could reach the one hundredth level!

Feng Zikang’s thoughts stirred, and he asked, “Then what grade are the Mind Methods of our Dragon-Tiger Mountain School of Soldiers?”