Chapter 74: Su Yuan's Lecture

"So it's that old fellow Nangong Shanyu." Su Yuan suddenly understood. Nangong Shanyu had developed secondary recognition for him, hence awarding ten times more reputation points than before. With this, he only needed 10,000 more reputation points to obtain another entry! This thought made Su Yuan eager to accumulate reputation points quickly. 10,000 points - not too many, yet not too few either! Su Yuan suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, I promised Xu Guangwen I'd give lectures to the peak's disciples. Might as well test how effective lecturing can be." With this thought, Su Yuan took out his token and sent Xu Guangwen a message, asking him to arrange publicity for his lecture within the peak and secure a venue. "Understood, Ancestor Master. I'll make arrangements immediately. The lecture can commence within half a day," Xu Guangwen replied promptly. Su Yuan nodded with satisfaction. "I appreciate it!" "My duty!" Xu Guangwen responded. Though Xu Guangwen was technically the peak master, Su Yuan commanded him with natural ease, and Xu Guangwen found nothing unusual about this arrangement. Three Peaks Peak had become properly organized. Golden Core elders each handled their responsibilities, with disciples managing various peak affairs. Having long operated within Three Peaks Peak, Xu Guangwen smoothly stabilized the peak's situation after taking over. Yet because of this, many disciples still didn't know Three Peaks Peak once had another master named Su Yuan. Many had heard about new supreme techniques being available but remained indifferent. Since Hidden Peak disciples could previously study techniques from other peaks, they didn't particularly care about gaining another legacy. Though freely learning from other peaks became difficult after Three Peaks Peak's establishment, those who had already learned could continue. Thus the biggest impact fell on new disciples entering Three Peaks Peak - they all learned Su Yuan's techniques, though only superficial aspects so far, causing barely a ripple. In an inner sect courtyard, seven disciples including Gu You, Xie Yingying, Li Yuexin, and Meng Changle discussed Su Yuan's techniques with troubled expressions. "This is so difficult! The first volume seemed simple at first but gradually became incomprehensible. Now I'm completely lost," Xie Yingying complained. "I wonder if Valley Master Su made a mistake - the first volume shouldn't be this hard!" Li Yuexin sighed. "I'm only focusing on five texts compared to Gu You's seventy-one, yet my progress is slower. Mine is the real struggle!" Meng Changle looked puzzled. "Wait, what do you mean seventy-one?" Gu You explained, "Brother Meng might not have noticed - another text on spiritual plant cultivation was recently added to Ancestor Su's first volume." Meng Changle shook his head. "I'll stick to alchemy texts. Ancestor Su is practically omniscient!" "I have this strange feeling that I can't learn as fast as Ancestor Su creates new techniques," lamented a top-grade spirit root disciple. "Uh..." No one could refute this. Even Gu You with his Heavenly Spirit Root was stumped, stuck at two-thirds through the first volume. Though ahead of others, he felt suffocated knowing eight more volumes awaited - and each might keep expanding! "If only someone could guide us! Our discussions can't solve these problems," sighed another top-grade spirit root disciple. Before them, seven spiritual fish played in a pond, occasionally demonstrating the Seven Stars Mystic Technique. The seven new disciples often observed them, progressing far beyond peers - even surpassing senior disciples like Ye Bufan and Liu Muwan from two batches prior. Thus they could only discuss among themselves - others weren't on their level anymore. "Brother Gu, can you defeat those senior disciples now?" Xie Yingying suddenly asked. Gu You shook his head. "I could hold my own against one, but not all seven together. I'd need further progress to fight multiple opponents." They sighed, clearly remembering past humiliations and yearning to redeem themselves. Just then, someone knocked. Gu You opened the door curiously. "Junior brothers and sisters, Peak Master announces that Elder Su Yuan will lecture on supreme techniques in the First-Class Scripture Hall in two and a half hours. All interested may attend. Message delivered, farewell!" An inner sect disciple departed immediately after speaking. Gu You and the others exchanged delighted looks. "Our chance!" "Let's go! Mustn't miss this - we should secure seats now!" "Quick, quick!" The seven hastily prepared and rushed to the Scripture Hall, finding many disciples already gathered - mostly new Three Peaks Peak disciples, plus some of Su Yuan's batchmates. Xie Yingying spotted a familiar figure and brightened. "Shanyu! Where have you been?" Nangong Xianweng sighed internally at her approach. "Out training." "Why didn't you take me? I've gotten much stronger!" Xie Yingying clenched her fist, flames dancing over it. Nangong Xianweng glanced dismissively. "Not bad - halfway through 'Elementary Spell Theory.' Keep working." Xie Yingying gaped. "How could you tell at a glance?" Her expression turned awed. Regretting his habitual showing off, Nangong Xianweng turned away without another word. Among the crowd, Ye Bufan from Technique Extremes Peak arrived too. Having frequently visited Three Peaks Peak lately, he'd heard the news and came specifically to listen. Persuaded by Ye Bufan, Liu Muwan had also begun studying Su Yuan's techniques and was present. Liu Muwan felt complex emotions. Never had she imagined attending a peer's lecture - she'd once surpassed Su Yuan, yet now he was an elder, having leapt from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core realm. She'd considered leveraging their past connection to seek guidance, but pride stopped her. Scanning the hall, she noticed mostly Qi Refining disciples from recent batches, some older Qi Refining disciples, and very few Foundation Establishment ones. But when her gaze reached the front rows, she froze at the sight of blue robes. "Blue robes?" Looking closer, her heart jumped - those were Golden Core elders' garments! Some bore one stripe, some two or three. She even spotted four-striped elders - Golden Core pinnacle experts! When she saw five stripes, her mind blanked completely. Five-striped blue robes indicated either current or former peak masters - the strongest among Golden Core cultivators. And she counted ten such figures! Moreover, the number of Golden Core elders exceeded twelve hundred! So many Golden Core elders attending a lecture? Arriving so early? Her mind reeled. She realized she knew nothing about Su Yuan's true standing. That a single lecture could attract so many Golden Core elders spoke volumes about his significance! Others gradually noticed the Golden Core elders in front too. Conversations died instantly as astonishment spread. Some quick-witted disciples immediately messaged friends to come. But the First-Class Scripture Hall only held three thousand seats. With over a thousand taken by elders and many new disciples, fewer than a thousand remained. Later-arriving Foundation Establishment core disciples used speed-enhancing spells to claim remaining spots, leaving late Qi Refining disciples out of luck. Thus the seating arranged strangely: Golden Core in front, Qi Refining in middle, Foundation Establishment at back. As the hall doors closed at the appointed time, seven points of starlight suddenly blazed across the sky! The Big Dipper shone brilliantly as seven meteor-like stars descended with terrifying fire and metal energy, like doomsday manifesting! Explosive flames and tremendous impacts created fiery rings in the sky, roiling heat and deafening booms shaking the heavens! Boom! Boom! Boom! The meteors grew increasingly massive as they approached, their hundred-meter diameters terrifying Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples. The falling stars seemed aimed directly at the Scripture Hall. Should they flee? This looked deadly! The terrifying momentum made some Qi Refining disciples collapse in fear, some closing their eyes awaiting death - escape seemed impossible at such speeds. But observant disciples noticed the Golden Core elders remaining calm, realizing this wasn't an attack. The seven stars carried overwhelming conceptual might. The twelve hundred Golden Core elders intently observed the meteors' profound trajectories, seeking enlightenment. Some elders showed sudden comprehension, others joyful realization, while some still frowned in thought. Clearly, for Golden Core experts, the lecture had already begun! Yet the meteors descended too quickly! Contemplation time proved brief. As the stars reached the hall's apex, they abruptly slowed and shrank, finally landing in a young man's palm at the front. There, the seven stars orbited mystically as if held by an immortal capable of plucking stars from the sky! "The Dipper illuminates sun, piercing starry vaults; Seven Stars descend, linking abyssal depths! Three hundred nights meditating by silver falls, Enlightenment came - the Dipper in my grasp!" "I am Su Yuan. Today's lecture: the Big Dipper's Seven Stars!" ... (Excellent!)