Chapter 39: Yuan Control Technique

The other first-year participating in the Three-City Debate was actually a student from the Inner Court in the previous term, having barely scraped by at the very end of his first year. The two representatives from the third year were both acquaintances of Jiang Wang: Li Jianqiu and Wang Changxiang.

Aside from Zhang Linchuan, the other fifth-year representative was a senior whom Jiang Wang did not know.

Because Dao Merit is a consumable, the rankings on the Dao Merit List do not fully reflect one's true strength; at least, Dong A had his own criteria for judgment.

Of course, the debate would still be led by Zhang Linchuan, and Dong A placed his expectations on Wei Quji and Dong A to seize the championship. If Zhu Weiwu were present, they might not have needed to be so pressured, but since Zhu Weiwu could not be found, Dong A could only keep a close eye on Zhang Linchuan.

Regarding this, Zhang Linchuan expressed that the pressure was immense.

The Three-City Debate was scheduled to begin on the tenth of October. Before then, everyone, including Zhang Linchuan and Jiang Wang, had to undergo "special training."

This was not some method to excessively squeeze a student's combat power in a short period—that was not the righteous path. Even if one won the immediate competition, they would lose their future. Instead, Dong A personally provided guidance tailored to each participant, which was a massive benefit and a testament to his importance.

Dong A personally gave a lecture once every ten days. Those classes were invariably packed to capacity; many seniors who spent most of their time away on missions would make a special effort to return to the Dao Academy on those days. Jiang Wang never missed a single one.

However, Dong A's lectures were addressed to the entire academy, so it was impossible for him to specifically cater to Jiang Wang's progress. Consequently, Jiang Wang found them difficult to follow and gained little from them.

Having met Dong A many times, Jiang Wang still did not dare to act impudently in his presence. While he wasn't walking on eggshells, he was certainly respectful. This powerhouse was known for his blunt and upright temperament; even high-ranking officials in Xin'an City would confront him directly. Even Wei Quji felt uneasy in Dong A's presence, let alone a mere junior student like Jiang Wang.

"It has been some time since you opened your meridians; why have you yet to establish your foundation?" Dong A asked directly as soon as he sat down.

Jiang Wang braced himself and said, "Perhaps it is because my aptitude is dull..."

Before he could finish, Dong A reached out. "Forget it, I will look myself."

Jiang Wang did not dare to resist; he could only hope that Dong A would not discover his secret. Of course, even if he did, it wouldn't be a major issue. Dao Academy students shared a master-disciple bond with the Dean, and in the future political circles of the Zhuang State, they would be seen as one. In essence, their fortunes were intertwined. As long as there were no fundamental issues, Dong A would not do anything to him.

Furthermore, the Heaven-Earth Gate served as both a barrier and a shroud. Before the gate opened, the conditions hidden deep within the Heaven-Reaching Palace were not easily detectable. Unless Dong A personally acted to force his way through Jiang Wang's Heaven-Earth Gate from the outside, but doing so would destroy Jiang Wang. Dong A would not do that.

As soon as Dong A's hand touched Jiang Wang's spine, he frowned. "Your foundation establishment is already extremely slow; why have you also taken up body-refining techniques?"

As an orthodox sect, the Dao, Confucian, and Buddhist paths possessed a grand breadth of mind and did not forbid disciples from practicing other schools of cultivation. What concerned Dong A was whether Jiang Wang would become distracted and neglect his cultivation, which was the fundamental core.

Jiang Wang replied, "I have never neglected my meridian冲 (clearing) process. It is merely limited by my blood and qi; I can only clear my meridians twice a day. Therefore, I have taken up body-refining techniques in hopes of strengthening my blood and qi, allowing me to perform more meridian clearing, accumulate more Dao Essence, and achieve foundation establishment sooner."

"Clearing the meridians twice a day is sufficient. Dao Essence is not better the more you have; mastery is the true path." Ultimately, these were mere details, so Dong A only offered a word of advice out of responsibility while using a secret method to sense the situation within Jiang Wang's Heaven-Reaching Palace through his spine.

"The foundation formation you are using is not the Returning Origin Formation?" Dong A suddenly asked.

He had been discovered! Jiang Wang felt an inexplicable sense of relief. In the face of an experienced powerhouse like Dong A, trying to hide anything was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"It is," Jiang Wang admitted honestly. "The foundation formation I use is much more complex than the Returning Origin Formation, which is also why I have been unable to establish my foundation for so long."

"Nonsense," Dong A rebuked. "There are plenty of foundation formations in this world superior to the Returning Origin Formation. Do you know why our Yujing Mountain lineage generally uses this one? Because it is stable, safe, and efficient; it can be used reliably in a Heaven-Reaching Palace of any scale. It is the most versatile foundation formation! For a matter as significant as foundation establishment, how can you act on your own assumptions without consulting your elders?"

Jiang Wang's face flushed with heat, and he felt a surge of shame. Was it not because he had become a bird startled by a bow after Fang Pengju's betrayal? While he didn't suffer from constant paranoid delusions of persecution, he no longer dared to reveal his extraordinary encounters.

Ultimately, he had not yet established complete trust in Dong A as a disciple has for a master.

That day, when Dong A saw his injuries and immediately moved to seal the academy, it had indeed moved him. But in his past time spent with Fang Pengju, had he not experienced plenty of "moving" moments?

Just as he was about to tell Dong A which foundation formation he was using, Dong A waved him off. "Enough. Time has already been wasted; there is no use in saying more."

After a moment of thought, Dong A untied a green jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Jiang Wang. "This jade pendant contains a secret technique that can help you improve your control over Dao Essence, allowing you to complete your foundation establishment sooner. Wearing it constantly also serves to calm the mind and clarify one's nature. Take it."

"This disciple is overwhelmed by your kindness." Seeing it was a personal item, Jiang Wang repeatedly refused. "This is a cherished object of Master Dong; how can I take it from you?"

Dong A rubbed the jade pendant, a hint of reminiscence appearing on his usually stern face. "A gift from an old friend. That friend has already become yellow earth."

He quickly regained his composure and placed the jade pendant into Jiang Wang's hand with an air of authority. "This object is of no use to me. Take it. The future of the Zhuang State belongs to you all."

Holding the jade pendant, as his mind sank slightly into it, a secret technique flowed through his consciousness, titled—*The Essence Control Manual*.

Jiang Wang gripped the jade pendant tightly and bowed deeply to the ground. "This disciple thanks the Master!"

Dong A was not the type to enjoy performing master-disciple affection; he simply helped Jiang Wang up, mentioned a few things to watch out for during cultivation, and waved him away.

...

Because he had to follow Dong A for cultivation today, Jiang Wang had asked Ling He to pick up Jiang An'an. Therefore, he didn't need to make a special trip to the private school; he could just head straight to the dormitory.

The newly acquired secret technique was of immense significance to Jiang Wang. Now that his body refinement was successful and his blood and qi were abundant, he could perform meridian clearing four times a day, absorbing four units of Dao Essence. The only issue was that the Celestial Star Array became increasingly complex toward the end; with his current level of control, every time he laid out the array points, it nearly exhausted his mental energy. In fact, this was the real bottleneck preventing his rapid foundation establishment.

The *Essence Control Manual* would allow Jiang Wang to control Dao Essence with minimal mental effort, making the placement of array points effortless and preventing wasted labor.

Dong A had seen the problem at a glance and provided the solution. A single word from a master was worth ten years of hard work.

Carefully tying the Essence Control Jade to his waist, Jiang Wang intended to never take it off for the rest of his life.

Dong A viewed him as a future star pupil, willing to gift him a cherished possession. At this moment, had Jiang Wang not also come to view Dong A as his pillar of support?

"There is an invitation for you."

When he went to Ling He's place to pick up Jiang An'an, Ling He suddenly spoke.

Holding Jiang An'an in one arm, Jiang Wang took the invitation with the other and read it. Only then did he understand why Ling He's expression was so solemn.

The owner of the invitation was Fang Zehou.

The strongest contender for the next head of the Fang family, Fang Pengju's uncle, and Fang Heling's father.

And the place where the banquet was being held was the Moon-Watching Pavilion.

The very place where Fang Pengju had set a trap to poison him a few months ago.