Chapter 192 — The Most Hopeless Batch

Long Jiaonan summoned the giant serpent. Wreathed in surging demonic aura, it rose into the air, carrying the two people and the dragon off with a howl, and only then did the soldiers in Tianbo City react—but they were too late to give chase.

"Who exactly stirred up this trouble this time, to bring about such a defeat?"

The Dragon King asked, "How many of my Yulong School's people survived?"

"Only us."

Long Jiaonan gave a cold snort. "I heard the scholars of the Taixue Academy call him Doctor Shen. It was he who summoned the demon god and annihilated our Yulong School. The hateful thing is that your son was useless and let him escape."

"As long as father and son live, the Yulong School is not destroyed."

The Dragon King said coldly, "Now that we know who he is, this will be easy to settle. Such a great vengeance must be repaid; we will chop him into ten thousand pieces!"

Shen Mu and his party followed Imperial Preceptor Jingping southward. Before long the great army came surging up from behind, passed them by, and hurried on ahead.

They walked neither fast nor slow, and Shen Mu seized the chance to seek instruction from Imperial Preceptor Jingping. "Imperial Preceptor, your learning fathoms heaven and man. This student is troubled by one matter and begs the Imperial Preceptor's guidance."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping said in surprise, "Who did you learn to flatter from? You are quite skilled at it."

Shen Mu was doubtful. "Is this flattery?"

Yue Qinghong, Yun Que, Shen Wanyun, and the others all nodded repeatedly, and even Si Yunxiang nodded without stopping.

Shen Mu said hesitantly, "My elder taught me this. My elder is a lame old man who always wears a smiling face; his words are pleasing to the ear, but his strikes are vicious... But never mind that. Imperial Preceptor, I would like to ask: in the Spirit Fetus realm, the spirit fetus is very useful—it coordinates one's own vital essence. But the Five Luminaries realm is somewhat..."

He thought for a moment. "Somewhat like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away. The Five Luminaries realm seems very powerful, yet it is hard to bring that power out. For example, in the Five Luminaries Divine Treasury there are five gods, each with its own strength. But how can one bring out the power of the Five Luminaries Divine Treasury?"

Shen Wanyun and the others felt a chill in their hearts; they had wondered about the same question Shen Mu asked, but had never found an answer.

Compared with the Spirit Fetus realm, the Five Luminaries realm indeed seemed somewhat like a chicken rib: one's cultivation grew, but it was only growth, with no qualitative leap.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping said in astonishment, "You have not discovered the secret of the Five Luminaries? Or is it that the Taixue Academy never taught you?"

Shen Mu shook his head, and Shen Wanyun and the others shook their heads repeatedly too.

"This batch of the Imperial College is no good."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping said with feeling, "They do not even teach this—the worst batch of the Imperial College I have ever seen. The Five Luminaries Divine Treasury is the Divine Treasury of the Five Elements; it contains the five elements within and corresponds to the Five Luminary Star Lords in the heavens. These five gods are king-level gods, not ordinary minor deities. When you activate your respective arts, do you not sense something strange—an inexplicable power descending from the heavens into your bodies, resonating with the Five Luminary Star Lords?"

Everyone nodded repeatedly.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping said, "This is the power of the Five Luminaries. The Metal Luminary corresponds to metal, the Fire Luminary to fire, the Water Luminary to water, the Wood Luminary to wood, the Earth Luminary to earth. When these five powers are activated, they allow you to command the power of the five elements. Have the Five Luminary Star Lords within your bodies each returned to their star palaces?"

Everyone nodded again.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping sighed, "The Taixue Academy teaches too shallowly, far too shallowly. What is the Imperial College teaching these days? It does not even teach anything the least bit profound. When the Five Luminary Star Lords take up residence in their star palaces, it means you have gained command of the power of the Five Luminaries—that is, the power of the five elements. When the power of the five elements joins with your vital essence, it can give your vital essence five additional attributes."

He raised his palm, and a golden shield appeared before him. "Metal."

"Wood."

The golden shield dispersed, and the trees and grasses of the surrounding mountains and forests grew wildly. Imperial Preceptor Jingping said, "Water."

Then great waves surged up, lifting them all and leaving them floating in midair, treading on the crests.

"Fire."

Clouds of fire floated in the sky, lifting Shen Mu and the others so they advanced through the air, treading upon fiery clouds.

"Earth."

The earth heaved; countless clods of soil and rocks flew up, floating in the air to form an enormous ball of earth.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping dispersed these five powers, and everyone drifted lightly back to the ground. He said, "The power the Five Luminaries let you command differs from the power the spirit body and spirit fetus let you command, and it is also different from the four vital essences of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger. Those four vital essences cannot be distinguished by wood, fire, water, and metal alone; each of the four vital essences contains the five elements within... Why do you look as though you are listening to a heavenly book? You do not understand?"

Imperial Preceptor Jingping was perplexed and shook his head. "You scholars of this batch are too stupid. You are the worst batch I have ever taught."