Su Yuan glanced at the clock in the cultivation room and realized that more than an hour had passed. 

“Almost exactly 0.8 of a time cycle!” 

Su Yuan suddenly understood that the time to enhance cultivation efficiency was one-tenth of the rest time. 

At this moment, Su Yuan had a clear idea in his mind. 

Looking down, he noticed that the Fragment Spirit Stones had long since turned to powder without him realizing it. 

Fragment Spirit Stones need to have an effect; otherwise, the third cycle of his Meridian Rotation definitely wouldn’t have enough time—it wouldn’t be just enough. 

Su Yuan pondered for a moment and tried to start cultivating on his own. 

Right at the moment the cultivation method began to operate, trouble appeared. He could only rotate the Meridian Cycle based on a thread of spiritual energy. The three-in-one special effect was out of the question because even with just a thread of spiritual energy as the foundation, the speed of his method’s operation was twice as slow as before! 

When the Meridian Cycle finished, he gained an extra one and a half threads of spiritual energy: one complete thread and one incomplete thread! The effect dropped sharply but was still much stronger compared to other low-grade spirit roots. 

Su Yuan relaxed: “After the entry cooldown, the cultivation experience is retained. It won’t be forgotten because of the cooldown. My proficiency with the cultivation method has improved greatly. In the future, with better control of spiritual energy and proficient Meridian Rotation, I can eventually achieve the effect after entry activation, provided the resources are met.” 

At the same time, Su Yuan noticed another problem. Due to insufficient experience during the Meridian Rotation, his meridians suffered quite a bit of damage. Now there was a slight swelling pain, and he couldn’t continue cultivating. He needed to rest for half a time cycle before proceeding. 

“The entry effect is still incredible, improving cultivation in every way. Choosing this entry was the right call!” 

Just then, a flash of light came from the cultivation room—it was someone knocking on the door. 

Su Yuan stepped out of the cultivation room and walked into the courtyard, where he saw Zhang Wei peeking curiously inside again. 

Su Yuan asked in confusion, “Zhang Wei, aren’t you cultivating?” 

“I just saw a notice outside the Lecture Hall. Soon, an inner sect senior disciple will come to give a lecture. Do you want to go listen together?” 

“Oh? Really? I happen to be free!” Su Yuan nodded. 

The two of them headed toward the Lecture Hall together. 

Halfway there, Su Yuan saw Zhou Wuyou again, this time followed by seven disciples, looking extremely imposing! 

Zhou Wuyou caught sight of Su Yuan and Zhang Wei, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes. 

“Get out of the way!” Zhou Wuyou said. 

Su Yuan and Zhang Wei could only stand by the roadside, watching Zhou Wuyou and his group leave. 

“So arrogant!” Zhang Wei’s anger surged. “If it weren’t for the numbers, I’d fight him right now!” 

Su Yuan asked curiously, “Didn’t you recruit some followers too?” 

Zhang Wei was stunned. “When did I recruit followers?” 

“Didn’t you get Fragment Spirit Stones from someone?” Su Yuan asked. 

“That was just a trade! I’ll pay back a thousandfold in the future! Recruiting followers means giving out more spirit stones—I’m not stupid!” Zhang Wei said smugly. 

“Did your brother teach you that?” 

Zhang Wei proudly replied, “Do I even need teaching? I figured it out at a glance!” 

Su Yuan: “……” 

“Alright, let’s go listen to the lecture!” 

They quickly arrived at the Lecture Hall. 

This was the first lecture class, and many had come, but there were only 360 seats inside! 

Fortunately, they arrived in time and found empty seats in the last row. 

Soon, everyone was present! 

The Lecture Hall doors closed, and those who were late had to leave regretfully. 

Above the Lecture Hall, a figure rode a sword, performing a 720-degree low-altitude flip in midair, then instantly paused above the podium before floating down like a falling leaf to sit cross-legged on the raised platform, revealing a handsome young man. 

“Another one showing off!” Zhang Wei said enviously. 

Su Yuan nodded. These cultivators loved flashy entrances—it was probably to inspire the disciples’ aspirations. 

“Greetings, fellow junior brothers and sisters. I am the inner sect senior disciple, Zhuge Jian, at the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refining, ready to breakthrough Foundation Establishment at any time. Today, I will give you the first lecture on cultivation: The Way of Qi Refining!” 

“Qi originates from heaven and earth, giving birth to all things. It flows unpredictably, endlessly cycling, gathering but never dispersing…” 

Zhuge Jian immediately began lecturing. One complex sentence after another fell into Su Yuan’s ears. 

Su Yuan listened with a blank expression. This lecture felt nothing like what he had imagined. 

He turned to Zhang Wei and saw a thoughtful look on his face. 

Looking around, some people were already entranced by the lecture, while others, like Su Yuan, looked confused. 

Soon, Su Yuan understood. Judging from their skin, those with delicate, smooth skin could understand, while those with dark, rough skin couldn’t. The issue wasn’t the skin but their family background. 

Disciples from good families had already undergone multiple rounds of education and had high knowledge levels, making it much easier to understand the lecture content. 

Poor disciples sometimes couldn’t even read. Memorizing cultivation methods was forced passive memory through cultivation techniques, and now, during the lecture, their true colors showed. 

Without a doubt, Su Yuan had always been a poor student in both past and present lives. 

Su Yuan subconsciously glanced at the entry but, seeing it hadn’t accumulated much time, gave up on activating it and gradually started daydreaming, drifting off into the void. 

After an unknown amount of time, he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

Snapping back to reality, Su Yuan looked at Zhang Wei in confusion. 

Zhang Wei looked at him speechlessly and pointed ahead. 

Su Yuan saw that the Lecture Hall had emptied significantly; the inner sect senior disciple had left, and most disciples had gone. 

“Is it over?” 

“You tell me! More than one time cycle has passed!” Zhang Wei rolled his eyes. 

Su Yuan cleared his throat and asked, “How much did you understand?” 

“Maybe two or three-tenths!” Zhang Wei said proudly. “Mainly because Senior Brother Zhuge’s lecture was deep. The later content was too advanced, but I wrote it all down. When I cultivate later, I’ll review and verify it. Maybe I’ll gain more insights!” 

“Hehe, in this regard, I guess I’m not much different from those with high-grade spirit roots. I’m confident in my comprehension. My brother even praised me for it!” 

Su Yuan replied perfunctorily, “Congrats then!” 

Zhang Wei comforted him, “I know you don’t understand. Don’t be discouraged. Even if you understood everything, it would at most increase cultivation speed by two or three-tenths. It won’t affect you much!” Zhang Wei laughed heartily. 

Su Yuan glanced at him and said, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re asking for a beating? Now I get why so many people dislike you!” 

Zhang Wei sighed, “I just like to tell the truth! I know the principles, I’m just... simply kind-hearted, you know?” 

“Let’s go!” 

Su Yuan turned to leave. 

“Hey, wait for me!” 

The two walked back side by side. Along the way, Zhang Wei enthusiastically recounted the lecture content, still wearing a triumphant expression. 

Su Yuan understood some of it after listening for a bit. 

On the way back, Su Yuan collected cultivation resources, including a Fasting Pill, a Fragment Spirit Stone, and a bottle of Meridian Nourishing Spiritual Water. 

Upon entering, Su Yuan saw Zhang Wei asking others for resources again. He shook his head and returned to his room. 

He glanced at the system panel. 

Work Hard, Rest Hard: Rest Time Accumulated: 1.8 time cycles. 

Su Yuan thought for a moment and waited for another time cycle. 

When rest time reached 3 time cycles, he immediately activated the entry. 

He wanted to test the entry’s effect and see if cultivation improvement increased linearly or in a curve with extended rest time. 

This time was the effect of three time cycles; next, he would test six time cycles to roughly reach a conclusion. 

However, the moment he activated the entry, countless phrases from the recent lecture by the inner sect senior disciple automatically surfaced in his mind. 

Although he hadn’t listened attentively, his brain had passively memorized those words, and now they all appeared clearly. 

What once seemed confusing became somewhat simpler, and combined with Zhang Wei’s previous words, understanding became easier. 

His grasp of the cultivation method slowly but steadily deepened. 

Su Yuan hadn’t expected the Work Hard, Rest Hard entry to have this effect, but now was not the time to digest it. 

He immediately started Meridian Rotation and cultivation. 

To his surprise, this rotation still only used a thread of spiritual energy, but the process was incredibly smooth. After the rotation, he successfully gained two more threads of spiritual energy. 

The effect was better than cultivating on his own, the overall time spent was much less, and the damage to the meridians was minimal. 

“Seems the effect of three time cycles is also good, but still far from that of more than eight time cycles.” 

With a bit of time left, Su Yuan returned to understanding the lecture content. 

A few minutes later, Su Yuan exited the entry state, and his mind became a bit muddled again. Actually, his mind hadn’t worsened; it was just an illusion after experiencing a clearer state. 

Su Yuan recalled the feeling when activating the entry and pondered thoughtfully. 

“If the Work Hard, Rest Hard cultivation state is considered a small enlightenment, then the more I accumulate normally, the better the cultivation effect! This accumulation doesn’t require deliberate comprehension—passive experiences count, like zoning out during lectures, reading leisure books, or appreciating nature’s scenery! All these can become accumulation, becoming nourishment for cultivation during small enlightenment!” 

Just now, he had already comprehended about half of the inner sect senior disciple’s lecture content. He estimated the next cultivation would increase by one-tenth, an unexpected gain. 

Su Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he figured out a bit of the entry’s usage technique! 

With the thought in his mind, Su Yuan went out the door. 

Soon, he arrived in front of a building. 

The Library Pavilion! 

The Library Pavilion differed greatly from the Scripture Pavilion, though their names were almost identical. The Scripture Pavilion contained cultivation methods—techniques and spells—which required contribution points or Spirit Stones to exchange. The previous method selection was a newcomer’s benefit. 

The Library Pavilion was different. It housed numerous books—some about cultivation experiences, some biographies, some local customs, some poetry and songs. In short, a vast variety of books. Viewing them didn’t require contribution points; it was a sect welfare. 

Su Yuan entered the Library Pavilion and saw an older disciple wearing a miscellaneous disciple’s uniform dozing off. 

“Senior Brother?” Su Yuan called out. 

The older disciple woke, yawned, and glanced at Su Yuan’s disciple token. “Look around as you please, just don’t make a mess!” 

“Thank you, Senior Brother!” 

Su Yuan bowed and then started flipping through the books. 

The older disciple secretly appraised Su Yuan and thought, “The valley just opened, and this kid’s already here to read leisure books? Seems he has no intention of entering the outer sect. Only one day, and he’s already giving up? I worked hard for three months back then…” 

He began reminiscing about the past.