Heaven Awakening Path - Chapter 2

“Mo Sen Laoshi truly cares for you.” Lu Ping said while facing Su Tang as they walked on the pathway.

“True, Mo Sen Laoshi is a good person.” Su Tang said.

“Unusually good.” Lu Ping said.

“So, can you stop stepping on his plants in future?” Su Tang said.

“Actually, I am behaving with propriety. All I have done is help him remove the weeds.” Lu Ping said.

“Dormant Fire Lotus is also a weed?” Su Tang glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Can’t say for certain!’ Lu Ping’s vision, as if avoiding Su Tang, wandered over to the Flower Garden once again.

Two people chatted as they walked. They were drawing the attention of other students and even many teachers. Their position in the institute was a combination of the famous Bright Flower and Cowhide Candy. Originally, everyone wished to say Bright flower and Cow-dung. However, a student of high grade firmly opposed this idea. He felt cow dung although feels disgustingly ugly, it still provides nutrients for the flower. On the other hand, Cowhide candy just curls into a sticky lump, having no use at all. Such a description is much more apt.

There were some people who felt that this description was more apt for describing Lu Ping, but at the same time, there were also who liked Cowhide candy. This was basically slandering and disrespect of the Cowhide candy. However, regardless, this name was spread around. Ultimately, the people had no choice but to accept this setting.

Lu Ping and Su Tang were already accustomed to this kind of looks. They didn’t mind it too much. Unconsciously, the two individuals while casually walking on the pathway, reached the main building of the institute.

The building had altogether six floors. Till the fourth floor, all were classrooms from first to fourth grades. The fifth floor was for the use of teachers while the sixth floor was Dean’s personal watch. It is said that many collections of institute’s rare-precious books and techniques were being concealed here.

“It makes no sense, how did I end up here?” He mumbled to himself.

“For how long, you haven’t come? Shouldn’t you reveal your face once in a while?” Su Tang said.

“All right…..” Lu Ping’s entire face looked like as if he was having a great deal of trouble. But, in the end, he did follow Su Tang inside.

The first floor revealed a lobby.

At the extreme left of the left side wall, rules of the Zhai Feng institute were being suspended. The content was fairly simple. Rules were genuinely acknowledged and treated as important by the students. Also, it contained only a single clause which was: Students who fail three Major Assessments will be expelled.

Rules being so simple and generous was only because when the institute was in its early stages of establishment, the Dean casually hung a six-lettered guideline, which was now present beside the rules.

‘ Strict with yourself, lenient with others.’

From the beginning, these six characters had always been the way in which the institute had carried itself. To speak the truth, the words “from the beginning” didn’t count for a long time. The history of the institute was suspended down opposite to the six lettered guideline. Its content was even more simple than the rules.

In the entire continent, there were explicitly written accounts of the positions of the four hundred and forty-two institutes. Zhai Feng ’s position among these was not too inferior. However, it was certainly not above the long-established institutes. Considered as qualified to be called as long-established, there were only four major institutes. The head of Zhai Feng institute himself was from one of the four major institutes. He was a graduate from Black Tortoise institute’s 327th year. After many years of travelling outside, he returned back to his homeland and established the Zhai Feng institute. Twenty-four years had already passed since then. At present, the Dean was stationed at the institute’s sixth floor.

Institute’s rules, institute’s teachings, and institute’s history were written on the left side of the wall, while on the right side, there was a list of outstanding geniuses which have emerged during these twenty-four years. It included teachers as well as students; some were still alive while some were already dead. As for when it comes to the names which had shaken the heavens, there wasn’t a single one of them. However, there were still four names which were often enthusiastically discussed among the students. The common point of all four of them was that they all went for Advanced Learning through recommendation of Zhai Feng institute and ultimately entered the four Major institutes.

Both were institutes, but the difference between them was like the difference between heaven and earth. Everybody knew that many heroes have emerged within the past several hundred years and most of them were from Four Major institutes.

Four Major institutes were destined to be out of ordinary. The four students who have entered the Four Major institutes, when they will emerge, they will certainly not use the identity of the Zhai Feng’s students again. Even though it was like this, just by making into the four Major institutes, they were considered to be successful and glorious. In the Zhai Feng institute, they were considered to be the individuals who’d the most bright future ahead them.

Contents on the left and right side wall of the hall seemed already familiar to students. Very rarely would someone halt. Su Tang was planning to follow the staircase to the third grade. Suddenly, she felt the in-existence of the individual beside her. She turned her head around and found that Lu Ping had turned towards the classroom on the first floor.

“Where are you going?” Su Tang hurriedly shouted.

“I am a repeater, so obviously, I am going to the first-grade classroom. You go on.” Lu Ping waved his hands.

“You are only too lazy to go upstairs….” Su Tang was speechless. Due to the liberty offered by Zhai Feng institute, even if a first grader wanted to go to a third-grade class, there won’t be any hindrance whatsoever. However, Lu Ping casually found the first-grade classroom and made his way in.

Quite a few students were already seated. For most of the people among these, Lu Ping would be considered as a strange face. But with such a casual atmosphere, everyone was already accustomed to not mind such strange faces too much. However, a few individuals after carefully confirming were eventually able to recognise.

“Lu Ping?”

“Who is that?’

“Cowhide Candy Lu Ping.”

“Oh, oh, oh!”

As soon as this nickname was brought up, everyone immediately followed up. Everybody’s gazes , carrying surprise, curiosity, wonder as well as disdain, were aimed at him.

“That Lu Ping, who is always holding on to the thighs of senior Su Tang?”

“Right, he failed the Major Assessment two times. He is still a first-grade student, the same grade as us.”

“Just because he doesn’t have any talent himself, he is desperately clinging to the thighs of senior Su Tang?”

“Truly Shameless.”

“Thinking that he would be taking this year’s assessment together with us makes me sick.”

“But this would be the last one time.”

“Senior Su Tang could be finally free of this scoundrel.”

All kinds of cold eyes, disdain and all kinds of taboo words were included within the mockery aimed at Lu Ping. However, Lu Ping was as if he didn’t hear any of it. He selected a seat by an empty corner at the window and immediately sat down.

Classroom bell rang up. The teacher had yet to arrive, however, the classroom immediately turned silent. Everyone returned to their respective positions and began to meditate in order to polish their Soul’s Power.

The class arrangements at Zhai Feng institute is said to be an advanced experience brought back by the Dean from one of the four Bigs, the Black Tortoise institute. These common students, who might not even get a chance to touch the doors of the big four, just get too tense upon hearing a claim that had to do something with the big fours. Just by the sound of bell, they’d begun to cultivate without wasting a single bit of time.

Shortly after, teacher Luo Wei arrived in the classroom. Upon seeing such an attitude of the students, he was completely satisfied. Merely, at the corner of the classroom, there was a solitary figure looking out of the window and pondering about something. His mind was clearly not on cultivation.

Luo Wei stared at that corner for ages in hopes to get the attention of that student. The result was, the student didn’t even turn his head. Luo Wei was beginning to get a bit angry, he was just about to personally go and warn that student, but the student finally gave up and turned his head.

As soon as he saw that face, Luo Wei turned his face to the other side and walked away.

Lu Ping. It turned out to be that garbage.

The individual who hadn’t been seen throughout the entire year had finally shown up in his classroom. Luo Wei couldn’t help but feel a little honoured. Just like any rotten wood can’t be carved…. or all kinds of similar descriptions are simply made to describe Lu Ping. Saying anything to him would simply be a waste of energy. It would be much better to use this energy on the other children.

As his vision returned back to students who were putting serious efforts, his mood became much better. These children, although they are no geniuses, they, at least, know to strive hard. They know how to treasure this hard to come by opportunity. Liberal rules of the institute are precisely in order to provide even more opportunities for these children. The result, on the contrary, is that these rules are allowing this Lu Ping to act as a parasite. It’s disgusting just to think about it.

After once again shooting a quick glare towards Lu Ping, Luo Wei didn’t bother with him anymore. He turned to the teaching board and wrote down six characters in huge letters.

Infusion, Sound, Qi, Pivot, Strength, Essence.

Six big characters were arranged in a circle. There was an empty block inside the circle. It seemed like these six characters were pointing towards that blank space.

Student’s spirits were roused, they already had a faint idea about what will be explained by the teacher. Although they still had not officially began to read this content, but due to the open-mindedness of the institute, they had already heard somewhat about this from high-grade students or through high-grade lectures. And now, they were finally going to study it for real.

Under the enthusiastic gazes of the students, Luo Wei was also smiling. In that blank space between six big characters, he wrote down the seventh character.

Excellence!

Seven souls. These seven souls are precisely the cause of the strength produced by the cultivators. However, during this one year, all the students had begun to perceive the power of six souls according to the given directions. These six souls are Infusion, Sound, Qi, Pivot, Strength and Essence.

What is this seventh soul? Why was it omitted in provided cultivation guidelines; all the students were totally curious about it. Although they had heard some theory through various means, but it couldn’t compare to the official explanation provided by their teacher.

“The Seventh soul, Excellence’s Soul!” Luo Wei said while pointing to the teaching board. Just by looking at the middle position in the layout, one could tell the importance of the Excellence’s soul. Students excitedly maintained silence.

“What are the previous six souls, I assume everyone already knows.” Luo Wei said.

Students nodded, six souls, in fact, are the counterparts of six intellects of an individual. Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Body and Thought. These six kinds of feeling are the means to observe. It is similar to the way in which the six souls works. This was not hard to understand. The cultivation of the six souls; Each soul was divided in partitions of six Heavenly Layers adding up to a total of thirty-six Heavenly Layers. One soul at the second Heavenly Layer or two souls at the first Heavenly Layer, both would be considered as in the realm of the second Heavenly Layer. However, an individual in the second Heavenly Layer would be much stronger than the two individuals in the first Heavenly Layer. Moreover, further cultivation would also be much more difficult.

Currently, for the first year students, the primary lesson was to perceive the Soul’s Power. Which soul, it didn’t matter. Just catching onto the existence of this kind of strength first was good enough. Furthermore, they were not asked to reach any realm.

This step, all first-grade students could easily achieve. There were many individuals who could even perceive the power of many souls. However. breakthrough to attain the first Heavenly Layer was exceedingly rare.

“Amongst us, everyone has already perceived the power of souls. For example, fellow student Ba Yong in this respect is outstanding. He is even able to perceive five kinds of Soul’s Power. On top of it, he has also broken through into the first Heavenly Layer of the second soul, Sound’s soul; Extremely outstanding.” Luo Wei kept on going. As his name was pointed out, Bai Yong showed somewhat a proud look. Other students also sent envious looks in succession towards him.

“However, even if you are outstanding like fellow student Ba Young, it is still too early for you to touch upon the Excellence’s soul.” Luo Wei’s words suddenly took a turn in direction.

“So, why do we need to mention the power of Excellence’s soul this early? Because it is the future. It is the final direction that comes after attaining six Heavenly Layers realm in all six souls.”

Luo Wei on one side was talking, while on the other side, he was circling the six big characters and arrowing them towards the Excellence’s soul.

“Linking Up of a soul. This term, I assume everyone here has heard about it. Linking Up a soul is the establishment of a connection between the first six souls and the Excellence’s soul. And for this to happen, there is a prerequisite, which is the sixth Heavenly Layer!” Once again, as he spoke, he marked Six on top of every arrowhead.

“Only after a soul has reached the sixth Heavenly Layer, it can be linked with Excellence’s soul. And after we link the meridians, our abilities would be able to enter into a completely new domain.” Luo Wei said.

“What is that? Laoshi!” Some students impatiently asked.

“Laoshi will demonstrate it for you all. Everyone should know that Laoshi has linked up Infusion’s soul, right?” As Luo Wei was speaking these words, he had already closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, the skin above his eyes was already covered with a layer of faint white light.

“Wa!” Students immediately began to shout in surprise. Luo Wei’s face revealed a tiny smile. Raising his eyes, he casually swept a glance and began to talk: “Fellow student Yuan Min, you only brought three packets of snacks? Isn’t it a bit insufficient?”

“ Eh?” Yuan Min was completely startled as soon as her name was called. She couldn’t figure out why would teacher talk about this matter. Other students who had turned their head towards her were also confused, snacks? What snacks?

“Fellow Student Kang De, are your clothes buttoned up properly? No, I am not talking about the coat, rather the fourth button of your cream coloured inner vest.”

All students once again looked towards Kang De. Cream-coloured inner vest? Where is it? After astonished Kang De took off the coat, all people could see that there truly was a cream coloured vest inside and its third button was wrongly matched with the fourth buttonhole.

“Laoshi…..” Ba Yong was worthy to be called the smartest student among them. He was first one to react. He astonishingly looked at that white light in the eyes of Luo Wei.

“ That’s right. This is my newly obtained ability after linking up my Infusion’s soul, Penetrating Vision. That’s why Laoshi could see fellow student Yuan Min’s snacks under the table, or fellow student Kang De’s inner vest. Eh?” The moment Luo Wei spoke till here, his expression suddenly transformed. He wished to take the advantage of the situation and see through a few more things to increase his persuasiveness, but when his vision shifted and fell upon the corner, he saw a figure sneakily and cautiously moving along the wall.

Who is it? Luo Wei set his thoughts in motion. He was just about to intensify his Penetrating Vision, but he caught somebody’s neck being raised through the corner of his eyes.

“ Mo Sen Laoshi, what a coincidence. Huh?”

Mo Sen? Is he Mo Sen? At long last, Luo Wei’s Penetrating Vision finally intensified. That circular wall immediately appeared transparent like glass in the eyes of Luo Wei. He was able to clearly see through the wall. Sure enough, it was Mo Sen who was about to lose his head from fear.

Who spoke?

Lu Ping?

Lu Ping was lying on the window with half of his body protruding outside the window. The corner of his neck was raised with the same angle as Lou Wei had seen from the corner of his eyes. He was smiling as he was speaking with Mo Sen.