Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 32 (Patreon)

After a brief, awkward breakfast, the Medicine Hall students assembled in a courtyard. It was a scenic, beautiful place, almost like a garden.

“Good morning, everyone, I’m Assistant Professor An. I’ll be responsible for your introduction to cultivation.”

A youthful, pretty woman with hair in a pixie-cut addressed them, her tone soft and quiet. Her expression was a bit vacant and absentminded, and she clutched a black book under one arm.

From his position near the middle of the crowd, Xu Zhenyan eyed the woman curiously.

‘So, this is what she looks like. It’s not too far-off from my imagination…’

This ‘Assistant Professor An’ was a rather important character in the novel. Somewhat by accident, Lin Xi became familiar with her and the two developed a kind of friendship.

It was extremely beneficial to him, given Assistant Professor An’s medical expertise—on more than one occasion, she helped him out of a tight spot. In fact, if it wasn’t for her, Lin Xi would’ve died at the hands of ‘Demon King’ Zhang Ping.

“I can’t believe it! She’s actually an Assistant Professor?”

Dongmei, Qin Xiyue’s friend who’s name XU Zhenyan learned earlier, voiced her disbelief. It was understandable, given the woman’s age—she didn’t look a day over thirty!

However, before anyone could discuss the matter further, Assistant Professor An suddenly started her lecture.

“If we view our bodies simply as a shell that houses the soul, then the blood that flows through our bodies is precisely what drives this shell to eat, sleep, walk… the source of all movement and power. Meanwhile, soul force can also be interpreted simply as something similar to blood in our bodies. Only, the soul force of normal people is too weak, to the extent where it can’t even be sensed, unable to display any use…”

As she droned on, it quickly became clear Assistant Professor An wasn’t a very skilled orator. Her tone was incredibly monotonous, like reading off a script inside her head, and she never stopped to take questions or expand on topics.

It was to the extent that Xu Zhenyan soon found his attention wandering. Yet, when he glanced at the other students, they all wore looks of rapt attention, spellbound by the secrets they were hearing.

‘…it’s understandable, I suppose. After all, most people’s knowledge of cultivation is extremely shallow. Even basic facts like these are things they probably never heard before.’

After reaching a conclusion inwardly, he swallowed a sigh. This introduction didn’t have much value for him, but left with no choice, he could only sit and listen obediently.

“…even if one cannot sense their own soul force, in reality, the soul force would still experience some growth. However, for a normal person, the amount of time needed is often far too long, which is why for the overwhelming majority of those in this world, they won’t be able to break through this juncture and become a cultivator…”

Assistant Professor An continued speaking, only stopping briefly to sip from a gourd at her waist.

“…meanwhile, when cultivators enter meditation cultivation, if another cultivator approaches and causes a disturbance in the soul force, it might very well cause the meditating cultivator to experience terrifying consequences. From what I have seen, there were some who became half paralyzed, with some even becoming idiots. That is why this was also the principal’s strict rule, the true reason why the students, under no circumstances, are allowed to enter another’s room.”

At last, her talk came to an end after about thirty minutes of intermittent speaking. However given Xu Zhenyan’s wandering attention, he only heard parts of it.

Assistant Professor An remained silent for a moment, giving her warning a chance to sink in, before taking a white-jade bottle from within her robes.

“Please come forward one-by-one to receive a Clear Truth Pill. After receiving it, you must immediately swallow it. It will help obtain the breakthrough needed to sense Soul Force and set foot onto the path of cultivation.”

The students did as she said, all except Xu Zhenyan and Gao Yanan, who refused. The two of them had no need for the medicine, having already started their cultivation journey.

When everyone was seated, the lot quietly examined the pill in their hands, waiting for Assistant Professor An’s signal to start.

“You all can now start to enter a clear state of mind, forget the physical and the self, start meditating.”

Her words, instructing them not only to ingest the medicine, but also cultivate, raised the students’ caution.

“Meditate here? Teacher, shouldn’t we only meditate in our rooms in the middle of the night? Also, we are so close to each other…”

A male student voiced their shared thoughts, his expression careful and uncertain.

However, Assistant Professor An shook her head.

“With your current cultivation levels, even if you were to cultivate all together, how can your soul force possibly influence those around you? There’s no need to be afraid, you can start immediately. Besides, with me here, you are safer than when cultivating alone at night.”

Their worries assuaged, the students closed their eyes one-by-one, trying to enter a meditative state. Xu Zhenyan and Gao Yanan, not having received separate instruction, followed their example.

Soon, no sound could be heard but the soft murmuring of a creek in the distance, the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves from a gentle breeze.

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“Well done, you may all open your eyes.”

After some time had passed, Assistant Professor An spoke, rousing the students from their cultivation.

Many opened their eyes slowly, their bodies trembling slightly. Others didn’t rouse at all, sitting cross-legged like statues—clearly fast asleep.

Those that did immediately showed shocked expressions. Already, the sky was starting to turn dark, but to them it felt as if only moments had passed.

The sound of their gasps was accompanied by another—that of stomachs rumbling. Cultivation was, after all, an extremely calory-intensive process.

Xu Zhenyan, being used to meditation, was extremely calm from start to finish. He simply sat there and watched as Assistant Professor An went from one student to the next, carrying a strange pestle-like instrument in her hands.

Guided by her, they laid their hands on the instrument. It produced a strange golden luminescence each time, either weak or strong in intensity.

However, when Assistant Professor An brought the device to Xu Zhenyan, him placing his hand on it, almost no reaction was produced at all.

“…”

Unable to understand what was going on, he could only look at it in confusion.

Assistant Professor An, despite her expression not changing much, also seemed surprised.

“You are extremely unsuited for Medical Arts...”

After a moment’s hesitation, she announced the results, her brow furrowed.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Xu Zhenyan waited for Assistant Professor An to provide an explanation. Among all those she tested, not a single person had such a weak result as he did.

“The Spirit Stone Pestle tests not only one’s Soul Force resonance, but their disposition as well…”

Tilting her head, she gave Xu Zhenyan a weird look, almost seeming cautious.

“…”

Not knowing what to say, he could only sit there awkwardly. What Assistant Professor An meant, he’d already guessed—his personality didn’t fit with someone practicing medicine.

“I will have to discuss this with elder Mei. If you are to be a Medicine Hall student, well…”

She stood there for a while, seemingly mulling over her next words, but eventually chose to remain silent.

The surrounding students, noticing something was off, also sent him weird looks. It needed to be said that, although many were enamored by his talent and wanted to forge relationships, there were also ill-willed individuals.

The rest of the test commenced in silence, the atmosphere not as relaxed as before. Eventually, Assistant Professor An came to Gao Yanan, presenting the Spirit Stone Pestle.

When the girl laid her hand on the object, something extraordinary happened—it burst into a blinding, golden light, like a chunk of burning magnesium.

The surrounding students cried out in alarm, hurriedly covering their eyes with their hands.

“…such peerless talent!”

Even Assistant Professor An, despite her quiet, introverted personality, couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

Although this scene was never described in the novel, Xu Zhenyan wasn’t surprised. Gao Yanan was easily among the top five most talented people. Really, there was only a single female character more skilled in cultivation than her.

After calming herself, Assistant Professor An gave a slow nod before resuming the process, conducting tests on the few remaining students.

However, it seemed today’s surprises weren’t over, because another girl, shy-looking, thin and with mousey hair, also provoked a big reaction from the Spirit Stone Pestle.

‘…it’s her.’

Xu Zhenyan, although her name hadn’t been announced, could immediately guess the girl’s identity.

She was Jiang Yu’er, also an extremely gifted Medicine Hall student in the novel. However, during the same event resulting in the death of the crown prince, she would also lose her life.

Resting his gaze on her, Xu Zhenyan contemplated the future.

‘If I’m in the area at that time, I’ll consider saving her.’

Sighing quietly to himself, he though that he was really too soft-hearted.

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