I Can Recognize Everything, But the Information is Wrong

Sigh, half a month just passed like that. Over this half a month, Tian Lin had already adapted to life in the Wendaos Sect.

Every day, apart from attending the Academy to audit classes, he was cultivating the Heavenly Water Breathing Technique with the aid of the Heavenly Birth Water Pill.

Now that he was not lacking in True Qi, the Five Elements Spirit Liquid distributed by the sect was barely needed for his own use; most of it was stored away, with a small portion given to Yu'er and her sisters.

As an Outer Disciple in Class D, besides the tuition fees for attending classes every month, Tian Lin could still have ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones and ten bottles of Five Elements Spirit Liquid.

The sect granted him access to cultivate the Five Elements Dharma Body, a top-grade Divine Skill comprised of five parts, but because the status of a Class D Outer Disciple was not high, they would not provide him with auxiliary elixirs for the Divine Skills.

When Tian Lin first met Ju Yunhai, Ju Yunhai told him that Alchemy was a mandatory skill for all those on the heterodox path.

Because even for the inner sect disciples of a sect, it was impossible for the sect to provide an unlimited supply of auxiliary elixirs for Divine Skills, let alone an Outer Disciple?

Therefore, to cultivate the Five Elements Dharma Body rapidly, one must learn to concoct their own auxiliary elixirs.

This is why, out of the five subjects Tian Lin chose to study, Alchemy was the primary compulsory one.

Apart from Alchemy, he opted for four other subjects.

First was Array Formation, which, taken to the extreme, allows one to form arrays using the landscape.

Second was Swordsmanship, which at its peak, could break through any situation with sheer force.

Third was talisman making, using animal skins as paper and vermillion and Demon Blood as ink to inscribe all kinds of spells.

Fourth was Funeral Science, a subject that encompasses a great variety and is the most mystical. Tian Lin chose it because this subject was easier to pass exams in.

Five subjects, each requiring one hour of study per day, which occupied five hours in total.

After reporting his chosen subjects to Elder Xue, he was recommended by Elder Xue to join Class D.

The Academy where Class D was located taught these five subjects.

The next day, early in the morning, Tian Lin's first class was Funeral Science.

In the vast hinterland of the mountain, a chorus of weeping echoed throughout the Academy.

Tian Lin lay on his desk wailing along with the others, but his Spiritual Sense had already swept through the desk, scanning the "Elementary Exploration of Spirit Grass" in his bag.

Like him, many didn't take this subject seriously, because everyone studied Funeral Science for the easy assessments.

It was completely possible to use the time during this class to study for heavier subjects.

Right now, Tian Lin was howling without any real grief, but he was silently reciting "Elementary Exploration of Spirit Grass"; since he wanted to learn Alchemy, he had to start with identifying herbs and Spirit Grass.

However, unlike others with a family tradition in this knowledge, Tian Lin had no background in such 'elementary studies' and thus was the one reciting it.

"Cry, cry with real emotion when mourning. As the saying goes, 'The key to a day lies in the morning; if you don't mourn with your heart early on, then why study Funeral Science at all?'"

On the podium, Chang Xue held a disciplinary ruler, lamenting like a mentor with utter disappointment: "Don't think that Funeral Science is useless. I'll tell you, the knowledge and application of Funeral Science are vast.

Outside, you can earn a living through it. At home, when your father or mother passes away, you don't need to beg others; you can take care of it yourself."

No matter what he said, the students below just howled dryly, unable to shed a single tear.

There was even someone who, thinking of something pleasant, accidentally let out a snicker.

Fortunately, Chang Xue was not one of the Teaching Elders and was rather lenient in dealing with students; he merely glared at that person without using the disciplinary ruler in his hand.

He earnestly instructed, "You might think that Funeral Science is useless, but you must know that the Corpse Chasing Sect, which is as famous as the other immortal gates, originated from Funeral Science.

This knowledge is one of the oldest branches of study. I dare say, within our Wendaos Sect, it is the fiercest among the heterodox and secondary paths."

An hour passed amidst the collective mourning, and Chang Xue assigned homework, which was to memorize a eulogy, to be tested in the monthly exam.

The reason everyone felt that Funeral Science was easy was because it only required the memorization of eulogies and such.

Using the memory of someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm, which was obviously not comparable to that of mere mortals, a mere few eulogies were effortless.

"Alright, let's move on to the second lesson, Alchemy, which I will also substitute for the Teaching Elder."

After a fifteen-minute break, once the students in the Academy were assembled, Chang Xue took the stage again.

He looked seriously at everyone sitting below the podium, stating:

"Alchemy is one of the oldest branches of knowledge. I dare say, within our Wendaos Sect, it is the fiercest among the heterodox and secondary paths. Remember, you must learn this with dedication."

At these words, Tian Lin was momentarily taken aback.

However, he noticed that the other twenty Outer Disciples from the Academy were already quite accustomed to Senior Brother Changxue's hyperbolic statements.

"You are Class D Outer Disciples, with the weakest foundations among the Outer Disciples. Apart from memorizing Spirit Grasses, the most important thing is to identify Spirit Grasses.

How to identify Spirit Grass? First, look at its shape and color; second, taste its flavor; third, feel its texture—"

After speaking, Senior Brother Changxue said:

"You take out the medicinal herbs on the table, among them are the most basic five hundred types of herbs. What I want you to do is, a month later, without using Spiritual Sense or your eyes, but solely with your tongue, you must distinguish what these Spirit Grasses are, what their properties are, where they are suited to grow, and how old they are."

After saying this, Changxue pointed at Tian Lin and said, "Newcomer, let me see what your foundation is like."

Tian Lin calmly stood up and took a leaf out from a parcel on the table.

He stuffed the leaf into his mouth, where the sweet juice immediately filled his mouth as he chewed.

Changxue asked Tian Lin, "What herb is this, what flavor is it, what disease does it cure, and what Elixir can it be combined with?"

With full confidence, Tian Lin replied, "This is Dragon Liver Grass, with a spicy and bitter taste, cold nature, beneficial for liver and kidney essence. It has detoxifying effects and can be combined with Hundred Poison Pill, Qi Binding Powder..."

Tian Lin spoke for half an hour, and Changxue nodded in satisfaction, "I hope you can make it into Class C in the monthly examination."

Tian Lin sat down as Changxue indicated, but he couldn't help furrowing his brows.

The Dragon Liver Grass in his mouth tasted sweet, not spicy at all, and had the efficacy of strengthening yang, how could it detoxify?

The reason he was able to accurately speak the answer was merely because he had memorized the properties of Dragon Liver Grass during half a month of eavesdropping.

The Dragon Liver Grass on the table had not changed its shape or been disguised, so he was able to recognize it.

However, during the monthly exams, Dragon Liver Grass and the other few hundred medicinal herbs would all be crushed into powder, making it impossible to identify them by their color, shape, or touch.

If Tian Lin wanted to distinguish the herbs through taste, it wasn't that he couldn't do it, but it would be much more difficult for him than for ordinary people.

"Actually, as long as the prompt shows 'Everjoy Grass', I just need to call it 'Dragon Liver Grass'. It's all about fooling the Teaching Elder anyway, as long as I can pass the monthly examination, it doesn't really matter."

Soon, the class was over. After a rest of quarter of an hour, Senior Brother Changxue stood on the podium again.

"As everyone knows, Sword Dao is one of the Three Thousand Great Dao. It can be said that Sword Dao is the strongest Heterodox branch of Wendaos Sect."

After the opening remarks, Changxue first drew the iron sword from his back and inserted it on the podium before looking down at the students and saying:

"Take out the iron swords you have prepared and insert them on the table, just like me."

After everyone did as instructed, Changxue said:

"The iron in front of you is ordinary mortal iron, but without using Spiritual Sense or True Qi, can you control it with just your thoughts?

To control the sword with the heart is to have Sword Intent. Once you cultivate Sword Intent, you can then cultivate Sword Qi."

After speaking, Changxue instructed, "Now, stare at the sword in front of you, communicate with it with your heart, and try to control it with your thoughts."

Everyone stared intently at the swords before them, and after half a period, finally, a Disciple stood up and said, "Senior Brother Changxue, this mortal iron has no spirit, how can we communicate with it?"

Changxue was immediately furious: "If I knew how, would I be teaching you in Class D? I would have run off to Class C to cultivate Sword Qi long ago."

As soon as Changxue's voice fell, the iron sword on Tian Lin's desk suddenly 'clang' flew out of the table.

In an instant, everyone's gaze turned to Tian Lin, to the sword that was now held in his hand.

"Are you a Sword Cultivator?"

Changxue was somewhat incredulous; Sword Cultivators were not Heterodox, and the only reason Wendaos Sect called them Heterodox was simply because Wendaos Sect did not primarily cultivate swords.

Because one's life experiences are limited, if one spares some time from the Five Elements Foundation Establishment to cultivate the Sword Dao, hoping to make both their 'main business', it is likely that they will not excel in either.

But Tian Lin had a Five Elements Foundation Establishment, and now his Sword Intent seemed to be quite high.

Most crucially, Tian Lin was still very young, how did he manage to achieve Five Elements Foundation Establishment and cultivate Sword Intent?

He was not an Inner Sect Disciple with access to a large supply of Elixirs.

"To let Senior Brother know, I am not a Sword Cultivator, but I have somehow managed to cultivate Sword Intent unexpectedly," Tian Lin said.

Showing this skill in class wasn't to show off, but rather to ask Senior Brother Changxue for some special consideration.

He bowed with cupped fists to Senior Brother Changxue and said:

"The swordsmanship class in Class D is for cultivating Sword Intent, but I have already achieved it, so I would like to ask Senior Brother to allow me to leave the Academy during swordsmanship class to cultivate other subjects."

After hearing Tian Lin's words, Senior Brother Changxue did not agree outright but instead asked Tian Lin:

"Sword Intent is for cultivating and controlling the power of Sword Qi, and in the eyes of Sword Cultivators, the vastness of Sword Qi cannot be clearly defined by simple text into grades. Thus, like Sword Qi, Sword Intent is also divided into first-grade Sword Intent, second-grade Sword Intent, third-grade Sword Intent, and upwards to the countless grades of Sword Intent—

Now, which grade of Sword Intent do you possess?"

Tian Lin shook his head in response, "As a latecomer, my ability to communicate with sword weapons is purely coincidental. As for which grade my Sword Intent is, I do not know myself."

Changxue said, "Indeed, you don't need to take the sword lessons in Class D, but if you want to free up the time for sword lessons to cultivate other Heterodox methods, it's not something I can decide.

We need to wait for me to report to the Teaching Elder; with his permission, I can then grant you leave."

Upon hearing this, Tian Lin replied ceremoniously, "Then I would trouble Senior Brother to convey my request to the Teaching Elder."