Thousand Hand Imprint

Qin Wentian's eyes held a trace of amusement as Mustang approached. He stood and greeted, "Teacher Mustang."

"Please, have a seat." Mustang glanced at Qin Wentian, and a smile crept across his face. Today, Qin Wentian had delivered quite a surprise.

"Qin Wentian, you certainly have courage. Killing Orfon in front of so many witnesses," Mustang remarked. "The Ou Clan, they are a formidable aristocratic clan with great power and influence. Your actions today, killing Orfon, have put you squarely on their radar."

Qin Wentian replied with a laugh, "But didn't you tell me, Teacher Mustang, that whether I killed or not, the Ou Clan's authority and power would remain unchanged?" Since Orfon had instigated this by attempting to kill him in the Dark Forest, there could be no compromise between them. Qin Wentian didn't expect mercy from the Ou Clan, even if he had spared Orfon.

"That's true, but it was still incredibly risky before you revealed your Astral Souls and showcased your talent," Mustang pointed out. "Thankfully, the turbulent waters have temporarily calmed. Given the current situation, even if the Ou Clan or the Ye Clan want to take action against you, they'll have to consider the stance of our Emperor Star Academy."

Mustang chuckled, "However, your personal strength remains the most crucial factor. In any case, a spear in broad daylight is easy to avoid, but an arrow in the dark is hard to defend against. If someone truly wants to eliminate you, they will find countless ways to do so without leaving a trace. So, it would be wise for you to focus on raising your cultivation and be extremely cautious when you need to venture beyond the academy grounds."

"Understood," Qin Wentian nodded in agreement.

"By the way, I came here to share some information about the Emperor Star Academy with you," Mustang continued. "Our academy's history dates back even further than that of the Chu Country. It was founded by a figure known as the Viridian Emperor. Legend has it that 3,000 years ago, there were only a handful of Stellar Martial Cultivators. The Viridian Emperor established the Emperor Star Academy, ushering in a new era for Stellar Martial Cultivators."

Mustang went on, "Today, the Emperor Star Academy is governed entirely by Stellar Martial Cultivators. The leadership includes the principal, three vice-principals, nine supreme elders, 36 elders, and an undisclosed number of guest elders. As for the rest of the student body, they are all students."

"The students of the Emperor Star Academy are only deemed to have graduated once they step into the Yuanfu Realm. Even though each new batch comprises several hundred students, the majority take an exceptionally long time to reach the Yuan Realm. Therefore, once a student graduates and enters the Yuanfu Realm, they have the option to become a guest elder of the academy."

"Guest elders are at the Yuanfu Realm too?" Qin Wentian was astonished. The might of the Emperor Star Academy seemed overwhelming.

"Indeed, these guest elders were originally students under the 36 elders. After graduating, some of them choose to stay in the academy for further cultivation and take on the role of guest elders, assisting their former mentors in guiding new students. Among the new students, only the top 30 in the ranking competition have the privilege of selecting one of the 36 elders as their mentor. The rest are taught and guided by guest elders under the supervision of one of the 36 elders."

"However, don't underestimate these guest elders. Some of them have far surpassed their original mentors in cultivation," Mustang explained with a smile as he shared more details about the Emperor Star Academy with Qin Wentian and Fan Le. Both understood that if Senior Sister Luo Huan or Senior Brother Mountain reached the Yuanfu Realm, they could choose to become guest elders under Mustang.

"I haven't taken on any students from this new batch yet. Would both of you be willing to study under me?" Mustang finally revealed the purpose of his visit, looking at Qin Wentian and Fan Le.

Qin Wentian readily agreed. His primary reason for coming to the Emperor Star Academy was to learn from Mustang, so this was an easy decision. However, Fan Le appeared restless, his eyes darting around. He chuckled mischievously and said, "Boss, I have a feeling that the 36 elders of the Emperor Star Academy will be competing to accept you as their students now. How about we put this on hold for a bit, accept 'Apprentice Gifts' from the various elders to gauge their sincerity?"

Mustang froze upon hearing Fan Le's words, and as he observed the shameless expression on Fan Le's face, he felt an overwhelming urge to give this fatty a good beating. Fan Le was actually attempting to extort the elders in broad daylight – how audacious!

Turning to Qin Wentian, Mustang saw him grinning as well, further fueling his frustration with the fatty. Mustang retrieved two secret manuals from his robes and handed them to Qin Wentian, saying, "One of these is a cultivation method, and the other is an innate technique. The cultivation method is a top-tier Yuanfu Realm cultivation art, sufficient to support your cultivation until you reach the Yuanfu Realm. The innate technique is an Earth-Grade, Mid-tier technique, and it can only be truly unleashed by cultivators at the Yuanfu Realm. Thus, it's quite challenging to cultivate. Consider these your 'Apprentice Gifts'."

Cultivation methods were categorized by their corresponding realms. A Yuanfu-level cultivation method could adequately support a cultivator up to the Yuanfu Realm, while Heavenly Dipper cultivation methods could assist a cultivator in reaching the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Innate techniques could be categorized into three different grades, each comprising nine tiers. The three grades represented Human, Earth, and Heaven Grades, while the nine tiers encompassed low, mid, and top tiers within each grade. Human Grade techniques were for Arterial Circulation Realm cultivators, while Earth Grade techniques were suitable for those at the Yuanfu Realm.

"Teacher, thank you very much." Qin Wentian accepted the two gifts without any formality, addressing Mustang affectionately as "Teacher" with genuine warmth. This display of affection caused Mustang to roll his eyes, but soon he couldn't suppress his laughter. The matter with Qin Wentian was finally resolved.

"Ahem, Teacher, what about me?" Fan Le playfully winked at Mustang.

Mustang glanced at Fan Le and burst into laughter. "As for you, if you want to be my student, I might need to think twice."

"Don't do this, Teacher. I know I was wrong earlier." Fan Le's expression suddenly turned serious, making both Qin Wentian and Mustang burst into laughter. This fatty was truly shameless.

"Fatty, I already have a suitable cultivation method, so this one is for you." Qin Wentian handed the Yuanfu Realm cultivation art to Fan Le but kept the innate technique for himself.

"Thank you. What's the innate technique?" Fan Le asked curiously.

"It's the 'Thousand Hands Imprint,'" Qin Wentian replied. "This innate technique is extremely challenging to cultivate. At its peak, the user can unleash a thousand palm prints, which can be earth-shaking. Elder Thousand-Hands earned his nickname because he mastered this technique. You'll need to put in a lot of effort to study it."

"I will, thanks again." Fan Le nodded.

"These are Emperor Star Jade Medallions for both of you," Mustang said as he handed them two medallions. "You should spend this month of imprisonment focusing on your cultivation. After your release, I'll have your seniors catch you up on what's happening in our Emperor Star Academy."

Mustang departed, leaving Fan Le to study the Yuanfu-level cultivation art.

Qin Wentian turned his attention to the Thousand Hands Imprints' manual. At first glance, this innate technique seemed straightforward, with five martial imprint methods: Diamond Imprint, Revolving Sea Imprint, Emptiness Imprint, Loneliness Imprint, and Great Thousand Hands Imprint.

The first martial imprint, Diamond Imprint, emphasized tremendous strength and unparalleled hardness. The second, Revolving Sea Imprint, symbolized the relentless waves of the ocean tides, growing stronger with each wave, blending softness and hardness. And then, there was the Great Thousand Hands Imprint, where each strike released the might of a thousand palm prints, overwhelming both heaven and earth.

"This Thousand Hands Imprint technique is incredibly powerful but consumes a substantial amount of energy. It materializes a terrifying palm print using the Yuan Energy in your body to strike your enemies..." Qin Wentian mused. The innate technique was formidable but energy-intensive.

Suddenly, he thought of a possibility. "The Spiritual Refinement Method, Divine Imprints." Qin Wentian remembered that the first level of the Spiritual Refinement Method required a first-level divine imprint to convert Astral Energy into Divine Energy. If he used a first-level palm-shaped divine imprint alongside the Thousand Hands Imprint innate technique, the unleashed strength could be even more formidable.

s these thoughts raced through Qin Wentian's mind, his heart quickened with excitement. In his memories, he recalled the existence of palm-shaped divine imprints, primarily used for crafting glove-type divine weapons to enhance attack power.

With this newfound idea, Qin Wentian set his plan into motion and began cultivating with the Spiritual Refinement Method.

Cultivating this method was incredibly demanding, draining his Astral Energy massively. It required inscribing a divine imprint using copious amounts of Astral Energy, then utilizing specific techniques to compress and refine the Astral Energy into a single granule of Divine Energy, which was stored in acupuncture points. The entire process was painstakingly slow, and soon enough, Qin Wentian found himself slipping into the Shallow Dream State. In this state, he continued to condense and refine Astral Energy even while asleep.

In the Shallow Dream State, the absorption rate of Astral Energy from the 9 Heavenly Layers increased significantly, with the rate skyrocketing if one entered the Immersed or Forgotten Dream State. This boost compensated for the lengthy process of cultivating with the Spiritual Refinement Method, but it also required more Yuan Meteor Stones to maintain. After this month of imprisonment, Qin Wentian would need to devise ways to acquire more Yuan Meteor Stones to support his cultivation.

Over time, Qin Wentian grew more adept at the Spiritual Refinement Method, quickening his progress. Sometimes, he would remain in this sleep-induced cultivation state for three to four days before awakening, all the while refining his Astral Energy. Fatty, on the other hand, was on the brink of madness due to boredom. He yearned for their imprisonment to end so he could socialize with the attractive students of the academy.

As the one-month period neared its conclusion, Qin Wentian chose to rest in a pavilion. The Astral Light bathed him, providing a continuous stream of Astral Energy. Within his Stellar Meridians, clusters of Astral Energy coalesced as he diligently condensed it into a palm-shaped imprint, followed by compression and refinement. Finally, he channeled the Divine Energy through the completed circular pathways of his Stellar Meridians and stored it in his acupuncture points.

Throughout this month of cultivation, Qin Wentian relentlessly practiced the Spiritual Refinement Method, mastering its first level and comprehending the principles behind the Diamond Imprint. Simultaneously, he expanded his acupuncture points, allowing them to store even larger amounts of Astral Energy. He knew that when the expansion reached its peak, he would break through to the 2nd level of the Arterial Circulation Realm.

Breaking through to the next level in the Arterial Circulation Realm was undeniably more challenging than the Body Refinement Realm. It required time to consolidate and accumulate Astral Energy. In just one month, his storage capacity had increased by six to seven times compared to when he first broke through. However, he was still unable to connect the 2nd circular arterial pathway, illustrating the vast gap between each level of the Arterial Circulation Realm.

Qin Wentian had defeated Orfon due to his explosive strength, but in a prolonged battle, he would have been at a disadvantage because of his limited Astral Energy reserves.