Chapter 7
The gates of the Heavenly Dawn Academy loomed ahead as Li Tian descended from the skies, his robe fluttering in the morning breeze. He had barely touched the gravel courtyard when the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears. His students were waiting, their faces lit with anticipation, doubt, and no small hint of excitement. Feng Shan was the first to step forward, his voice brimming with curiosity.
"Teacher Li! You've returned! Did you really get to see the Verdant Blade techniques up close?"
Yin Yue chimed in before he could answer, her eyes sparkling with eagerness. "What did you learn, Teacher? Can you teach us too?"
Li Tian smiled faintly, his composure tempered by the weight of the lessons learned during his time at the training grounds. "Calm yourselves," he said, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of amusement. "Yes, I observed techniques from Verdant Blade and beyond, but the most valuable lessons have less to do with blades and more with understanding. Now, gather everyone in the training yard. If we remain stagnant, those lessons will mean nothing."
The students nodded fervently, determination evident in their features as they dispersed to follow his instructions. Li Tian's expression softened as he watched them—these students, once overlooked, were growing into something remarkable. He could feel it, as tangible as the hum of the Enlightenment System nestled within his consciousness.
When the Earth Division gathered, Li Tian addressed them with a clarity born of purpose. "I have returned with new insights, and they will not be easy to grasp. You will struggle; you will stumble. But through that struggle, you will grow." His tone carried a quiet strength that filled his students with resolve.
He began by introducing concepts drawn from the Teaching Dao and his recent observation of Qi Resonance techniques. Using simple props—a stone, cuts of wood, flowing water—he demonstrated how energy could be directed to overcome obstacles, how resonance created harmony even in conflict. These lessons pushed his students to reread their own techniques, to think beyond the rigid motions taught by standard manuals.
Feng Shan practiced his sword strikes with a new focus, adapting his form to flow naturally with the air currents, his once jagged movements now smooth and sharp. Yin Yue experimented with stabilizing her stance, using Li Tian's water-resonance exercise for balance in both body and mind. Even Jie Ming, typically hesitant, ratcheted through his sparring partners with newfound confidence, his blade movements precise but unpredictable.
But the tranquility of this progress unraveled like a loose thread when whispers began spreading through the academy halls.
It did not take long for the source of those whispers to find its way to Li Tian. Lin Zheng, a senior teacher of the advanced Sky Division, regarded him with a thin smile as they crossed paths in the central hall. "Teacher Li Tian," Lin Zheng said, voice laced with polite condescension. "Your… unique methods have created some interesting ripples. Quite the anomaly, wouldn't you say?"
Li Tian met his gaze calmly, refusing to rise to the bait. "The results speak for themselves, Teacher Lin," he replied.
Lin Zheng chuckled, stroking his neatly trimmed beard. "Ah, but how reliable are these results? The academy's focus has always been strength and tradition, not strange innovation. Tell me, can your students demonstrate this 'progress' of theirs under true pressure? Or is it all but an illusion, born of untested theories?"
Something flickered in Li Tian's eyes—a faint smirk that did not reach his lips but glimmered at the edge of his expression. "If you're so curious, why not witness their abilities firsthand?"
And so, the challenge was laid.
By the next evening, a wide crowd assembled in one of the academy's public training arenas. Teachers, students, and even a few elders filled the spectator seats, their eyes trained on the staging platform in the center. At one end stood Lin Zheng, flanked by two of his top Sky Division students—young cultivators known for their impeccable control and fierce reputations. On the opposite side stood Li Tian, his Earth Division students gathered with him. Though determined, subtle tension rippled through their group; they understood the stakes but couldn't entirely shake their nerves.
The elders called for silence, their gazes sharp as they declared the terms of the challenge. Each teacher would guide their students in a series of practical exercises and theoretical displays. The final task, however, involved direct combat among disciples, with each teacher given the chance to guide their students "in real time." This final portion would not rely solely on strength; it would test whether a teacher's bond with their students truly reflected superior guidance.
The first phases unfolded predictably. Lin Zheng's students excelled in regimented drills, their synchronized movements capturing the crowd's favor. Their discipline was remarkable, their execution flawless. But when Li Tian's students stepped forward, the focus shifted entirely.
Under Li Tian's direction, his students did not simply follow rehearsed exercises. Instead, they adapted to unpredictable challenges posed by their teacher. Feng Shan parried flowing water jets with sharp bursts of qi; Yin Yue balanced on a ridge of sharp rocks while directing her energy toward precisely targeted strikes. Jie Ming performed a perfect counter not once but twice during a sparring exercise with little preparation. The crowd murmured with growing interest as Lin Zheng's earlier superiority began to feel hollow, static when compared to the vibrant growth displayed under Li Tian's guidance.
Finally, the real test arrived.
Lin Zheng's students took to the sparring ring like hawks descending upon their prey. They moved with mechanical efficiency, overwhelming their opponents with sheer force and precision. But when Feng Shan stepped onto the platform, guided by just a steady nod from Li Tian, the dynamic shifted in a way no one expected.
"Remember the rhythm," Li Tian called out softly from where he stood, his arms relaxed at his sides.
Feng Shan adjusted his stance mid-battle, his footwork shifting to mirror Li Tian's previous training. Striking not with brute force but by weaving through his opponent's aggressive strikes, he destabilized the Sky Division student, landing a decisive final blow.
Later, Yin Yue faced an opponent with overwhelming speed, their strikes almost invisible to the naked eye. But Li Tian interjected quietly, "Anchor your energy. Recognize not their speed but their pattern—it repeats, always."
Yin Yue closed her eyes, her breathing aligning with her teacher's familiar exercises. When she opened them again, the hurried, lightning-fast movements of her opponent seemed to crystallize before her. She dodged and countered cleanly, pushing her opponent out of bounds with a single, well-executed move.
By the end of the challenge, silence blanketed the arena as the Sky Division team took their final defeat. Disbelief lingered in many a gaze. Li Tian's students gathered around him, their faces glowing with pride but their respect brimming in how they looked at their teacher.
The elders exchanged knowing glances before one of them stood and addressed the crowd. "Teacher Li Tian's methods are unconventional, it's true. But today we've witnessed the proof of his teachings—not in words, but in true progress. It seems we have underestimated him."
Lin Zheng's expression twisted briefly before he masked it with a forced smile. He bowed slightly toward the elders but avoided Li Tian's eyes as he retreated.
Li Tian simply smiled at his students, his tone quiet but ringing with assurance. "This is your victory as much as mine. Well done."
As the crowd began to disperse and his students surrounded him, Li Tian glanced toward the vast skies above. His path as a teacher had always felt uncertain, rough, but today… today, he knew he was carving something unshakable. And as the System faintly hummed its approval within him, he could not deny the feeling that his ripples were becoming tides.