“Greetings everyone, this is my first time giving a lecture so if I’m not doing well enough, please forgive me!” Lin Jin said out of courtesy. He was only being polite but someone below shouted, “Brother Lin, in just a few days you managed to achieve a fourth realm blood contract during your first assessment so you must have a unique cultivation method. I find it hard to believe that you’ll give a bad lecture unless you’re just doing this half-heartedly.”
This statement obviously sounded off.
If one listened closely, they could sense the sarcasm in this disciple’s tone.
Essentially, the words implied that ‘if your lecture is bad, your reputation will go down the drain or you’re just looking down on us by skimping through’.
Lin Jin glanced at the person who spoke up. Without saying more, he began the lecture.
That person looked to Chen Cheng discreetly and the latter returned him with a look of approval.
This person was also one of Chen Cheng’s henchmen.
He specifically recruited these people to cause a ruckus, but when the lecture began, Chen Cheng couldn’t rely on them to pick out Lin Jin’s flaws anymore.
He would have to step up personally.
After all, his blood contract was on the third realm and he was ranked fourth among the disciples so Chen Cheng had incredible insights on cultivation as well. If he ever found a flaw, he would definitely go after it in hot pursuit.
‘Oh Lin Jin, I’d like to see just how you’ll give this lecture’. Chen Cheng smirked on the inside.
On stage, Lin Jin began with, “Today, I’d like to talk about visualization!”
The disciples below were stunned.
Visualization?
They had never learned it before.
Some of the more informed disciples knew that visualization was an immortal cultivation method used by friars during ancient times. This method was widely used back then but now, only a handful of people practiced it as most of the standard formulas were lost in time.
‘He’s not talking about pet beasts? This Lin Jin is just trying to get himself killed.’ Delighted, Chen Cheng couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Lin Jin, you’re not kidding, are you? I’ve read about visualization and tried cultivating it too. To be honest, it’s completely useless. Moreover, there’s a book in the Spirit Library about this. Anyone can borrow it and read it. Aren’t you just cutting corners by trying to talk about visualization in your public lecture?”
Chen Cheng obviously wouldn’t let this opportunity of dealing Lin Jin damage pass.
With Chen Cheng to start it off, several others echoed, trying to rile up the other disciples.
The Spirit Library indeed had a book on ‘visualization’ and Chen Cheng had in fact read it before. His verdict? The information it contained was worth nothing.
After all, this was a cultivation method from ancient times. Now that the spirit energy on earth has dried up, with the passing of time, these age-old methods gradually faded away. Even if some were retained, most of them existed only in fragments. They weren’t suitable to be used in blood contract cultivation in this day and age.
If Chen Cheng hadn’t researched ‘visualization’ before, he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble on the spot. It was exactly because he had studied it before that Chen Cheng was confident enough to attack.
Not once had there ever been instances of disciples interrogating the speaker before the beginning of the lecture. It was common courtesy to show the speaker some respect after all.
On this account, it was quite obvious that these people were just looking for trouble.
However, to conduct an open lecture, one must be able to withstand such scrutiny. If the speaker’s foundation wasn’t solid enough, why should he give a lecture at all?
If he didn’t know what he was talking about and got held up by questions he couldn’t answer, the only blameworthy party was the speaker himself.
Lin Jin recognized Chen Cheng and knew that he was trying to make things hard for him.
But since Lin Jin had the guts to stand on stage with the intention of talking about ‘visualization’, he wasn’t afraid of oncoming challenges.
“You’ll soon know if I’m cutting corners once I start the lecture. This ‘visualization’ I’ll be talking about today is beneficial for blood contract cultivation. It also aids in achieving higher realms, expanding veins, and increasing your spirit energy!”
With this statement, Chen Cheng’s skepticism grew even stronger.
He’s claiming that a mere ‘visualization’ technique could also expand veins and increase spirit energy! Was Lin Jin somehow dreaming?
This method could only help them meditate at most.
If there truly was a technique that could help one achieve such wondrous feats, would Lin Jin be this generous and share it with the public?
Chen Cheng was prejudiced that Lin Jin was just spouting nonsense.
“That sounds good and all but I don’t buy it. Setting aside the fact that this method doesn’t even exist, even if it did, would you, Lin Jin, be so generous as to share it in an open lecture? This isn’t false advertising, is it? I won’t say anything else. We’ll all listen together and hear your ‘visualization’ out. But I’ll be honest and say I’m not the least bit interested in this ‘visualization’ thing. I can only imagine this lecture today to be lackluster and utterly boring!” Chen Cheng was waiting to see Lin Jin embarrass himself. When Lin Jin starts spouting garbage later, he would fire difficult questions on the spot, thoroughly humiliating him.
Once Chen Cheng was done with his mockery, several others echoed after him.
“That’s right. If he starts spouting nonsense, we won’t listen anymore. We’ll leave!”
Yang Jie glanced at Chen Cheng.
The latter’s attempt to patronize Lin Jin just happened to be in his favor as Yang Jie too intended to interrogate the speaker.
According to Lin Jin’s claim, this cultivation method that was beneficial for one’s foundation and could help in elevating one’s realm level shouldn’t be something found just anywhere. They could only learn it from renowned mentors, and these are valuable lessons.
Frankly speaking, in Yang Jie’s past lectures, he mostly talked about minor techniques and shared his understanding and insights about cultivation.
As for raw, unadulterated information? He never spoke of them.
It wasn’t because Yang Jie didn’t have any, but he couldn’t possibly speak of them.
Hence, when Lin Jin declared that he would be sharing such crucial information, Yang Jie was immediately unnerved. If Lin Jin shared raw knowledge, where would that leave Yang Jie?
Wouldn’t it mean that Yang Jie had been withholding knowledge during his lectures this entire time?
He was already annoyed by Lin Jin but now, Yang Jie’s hatred for him only increased. Moreover, he didn’t believe Lin Jin would truly share it anyway.
By now, Lin Jin had already begun his lecture.
“Let’s begin with visualization’s formula. First, one must observe before contemplation. Then, contemplation precedes observation…”
Lin Jin was reciting the complete formula of ‘visualization’ from the Museum of Deadly Beasts. As he had never read the Spirit Library’s version of ‘visualization’, Lin Jin had no idea that this version of his was on a completely different plane and dimension.
The Spirit Library’s version of ‘visualization’ was only a fragment of the original concept while Lin Jin’s was the orthodox formula belonging to ancient times.
Those with slightly better intelligence could tell if Lin Jin’s version was good or bad.
Below the stage, an assistant lecturer who was sitting in on the talk widened his eyes. The drowsiness he had felt earlier was gone in an instant as he perked up.
“This formula… It’s wonderful! Interesting…”
The assistant lecturer began searching for a brush and paper, wanting to record it down, only to find that he didn’t have a habit of carrying such stationery around whenever he sat in during open lectures. He could only focus his attention on absorbing the information.
Of course, not everyone could tell how good it was. Most of them either weren’t paying attention or they simply failed to comprehend the value of what Lin Jin was saying.
There were also hardworking disciples with proper attitudes who would listen attentively and jot down notes no matter who the speaker was.
Xue Bao’er was one of those disciples.
Especially since she already respected Lin Jin, she was the most attentive member of the audience right now.
Meanwhile, Chen Cheng was dumbstruck as he listened.
“What is he talking about?”
As he had read the Spirit Library’s ‘visualization’ before, Chen Cheng assumed that Lin Jin’s content would be the same as that book. But Lin Jin’s lecture got him dumbfounded.
Because that wasn’t the case at all.
By the time Chen Cheng came to his senses, Lin Jin was already halfway through the lecture. It was then that the former realized how unique this formula was.
Being able to rise up to rank four among the disciples proved that Chen Cheng also had caliber. After slight contemplation, Chen Cheng was shocked before unconsciously savoring and engrossing himself in the lecture. He couldn’t even help himself from visualizing according to the formula.
His claim from earlier about being uninterested in visualization was now tossed far to the back of his mind.
Forget Chen Cheng, even Yang Jie’s mouth was gaping.
Lin Jin’s formula was indeed ‘raw goods’. Boasting extraordinary memory, Yang Jie memorized the formula and began digesting it, only to then realize that this formula could truly improve one’s realm level.
In an instant, Yang Jie had an odd look on his face.
The opening formula wasn’t anything valuable. From Lin Jin’s perspective, he hadn’t been talking about the technique’s most useful portion.
In ‘visualization’, ‘outer imagery’ was the method’s basic formula. The true core lies in ‘inner cognition’ where the method’s value was concentrated.
Lin Jin obviously wouldn’t present something so priceless in an open lecture.
Even as he talked about outer imagery, Lin Jin only recited part one of the formula and would never reveal the remaining five parts.
The opening formula consisted of thirty-two sentences and Lin Jin was done.
Next, he would begin talking about outer imagery, part one.
The formula consisted of fifty-six sentences.
“The sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, lakes, and sea, even the flora and fauna could be visualized…”
The hall now fell into pin-drop silence. Everyone was listening carefully while many others jotted down the formula. After all, not everyone had the ability to visualize and comprehend the larger picture as they simultaneously listened to Lin Jin’s recital of the formula.
Recording it down and slowly deciphering it once they returned was the best solution.
Lin Jin recited it slowly with a bright voice. However, there wasn’t much to the formula so it didn’t take long before he wrapped up the lecture.
It was quiet all around with no one speaking.
Taking a look below, Lin Jin noticed that his audience either had their eyes closed or were nodding along as they chewed through the new information.
Lin Jin smiled at Chen Cheng.
The latter had his eyes closed as well, immersed in his thoughts. He was murmuring something and by listening carefully, one could tell that he was reciting the formula Lin Jin just presented.
“Chen Cheng, how was my lecture?” Lin Jin proactively asking, interrupting the man from his thoughts.
As he was the individual who publicly challenged Lin Jin, clearly bearing ill-will, Lin Jin wasn’t going to be that nice to him.
Chen Cheng was in the midst of understanding something important. He became irritated and forgot a few sentences when Lin Jin suddenly interrupted him. But by the time he came to, he realized many pairs of eyes watching him.
Chen Cheng’s face immediately flushed red.
Earlier, he had personally declared that he would show no interest in nor expect anything from Lin Jin’s lecture. And yet, he ended up being so engrossed in the talk that he embarrassed himself.
Lin Jin didn’t plan on letting him go just like that.
“Say something, Chen Cheng. Did you find my lecture to be too boring or perhaps it was too hard on your ears?” Lin Jin wore a menacing expression. When Chen Cheng and his crew attacked him earlier, he couldn’t lash out because it wasn’t time yet. Now that his lecture was done, it was time for retaliation.