Ethan suddenly stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes. "Negative intents?"
Not just one, but many of them loomed at him with hostile intentions.
Even though he hadn't stepped onto the path of cultivation and was still a mortal, his instincts could still pick up on mortal hostility.
On top of that, he was still under the effects of the [Clarity Potion], which boosted his mental prowess to a certain degree.
For the rest of the day Ethan's mind and instincts would be working in overdrive, and his metabolism would burn through everything he ate.
That was what he planned to do, after class he would eat until he couldn't anymore and let his metabolism handle the rest.
Everything he gained from the food would be stored within him and used later for his rush-and-heal training.
He needed to eat, because as much as the potion helped him heal, the process of healing itself consumed a great deal of energy, which he could only get from food.
The three meals he'd had last night were nowhere near enough.
If they had been, he would have been able to push his body harder, train more, and achieve far better results than he currently had.
Ethan estimated he needed at least ten high-calorie, protein-rich meals per day if he wanted to train to the extent he desired.
Food wasn't a problem, the meals seemed to be made from some kind of monster meat, packed with protein and calories.
He just had to eat a lot, and he'd be good to go.
"The real problem is that I'll still have to wait until the end of the day before I can train again. But what if I run into someone much stronger than me? By the looks of it, I'm sure many are going to come looking for trouble. I guess my experience and skills should close the gap." Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Again, I should buy a weapon after class," he muttered as he noticed his fellow sect members gathering.
"Let's get to class."
He joined the others and entered a giant hall not far from the place where the entrance exam had taken place.
It was a vast open hall that could easily house hundreds of people sitting cross-legged on the floor.
At the head of the hall was an elevated platform where the elder would teach, looking down at the sect members.
Not everyone attended the class.
Some members came from kingdoms or powerful cultivation families and already knew everything about cultivation.
They joined the sect not for basic knowledge but for opportunities they could never gain outside, secrets, resources, and influence among fellow sect members to strengthen their own backgrounds.
The class was for those without any background.
The sect gave them a chance to stand on equal footing with those from powerful families, since within the sect, there was no discrimination, rich or poor, everyone was treated the same.
Ethan could feel many eyes on him.
It seemed that his display of sword intent during the entrance exam, despite still being a mortal, had spread throughout the sect. He was already attracting unwanted attention.
It wasn't anything new to him. He found himself a spot near the middle of the lineup as an elder walked up to the platform.
"I am Instructor Lu Ming," the Instructor said.
In response, the sect members joined their fists and bowed their heads slightly in greeting.
Instructor Lu Ming nodded and continued, "I will first explain how this works. Three classes will take place, during which every sect member will learn about Qi cultivation and everything related to it.
"At the end of the third class, you will undergo an assessment. Once you pass, you will be rewarded with a cultivation technique and resources to help you on your path."
"Now, about the classes," he said, raising three fingers.
"They will be divided into three parts, based on three concepts you must learn: the physical body, the spiritual body, and the soul. These are the three fundamental aspects absolutely necessary for a cultivator to walk the path of immortality.
"Today's class will focus on the physical body, and I will teach you everything about how it works during Qi cultivation."
And so, the class began.
Four hours passed like the morning wind.
The session remained silent for about three and a half hours, and the instructor then gave an additional half hour to answer questions one by one.
After that, he dismissed the class and left.
"It's not completely a waste of time…" Ethan murmured as he watched the sect members disperse.
The instructor had covered a wide range of topics: energy flow, energy control, cultivation levels, [Qi], how it worked within the body, theories, practical applications, everything related to the physical body explained as simply as possible so new sect members could understand.
"Almost everything he talked about matches what I know from my previous experiences cultivating other paths. The only difference is the energy itself, [Qi]."
"Every energy has its own special properties. For example, mana can transform into elements through magic spells, while [Auria] can draw out and empower intents. From what he said, Qi's special property seems to be its ability to assume the properties of whatever it's applied to."
It's similar to [Mana], but also different.
Let's say [Mana], through a user's elemental affinity, can transform into that element up to its natural state.
Qi doesn't transform into the element but instead adapts to the user's nature.
So, if a Mana user with lightning affinity creates lightning, then a Qi user with a lightning nature creates lightning Qi.
It's not true lightning, but Qi infused with lightning's properties.
"And like every other martial energy such as Auria, Qi can also be manipulated, used to control objects, empower techniques, or even for enchantments." Ethan smiled to himself.
"Of course, I'll need firsthand experience before forming solid theories of my own. It might be completely different from what I'm imagining. But first things first, I need to buy a weapon. I don't like being empty-handed."
He shook his head.
Glancing around, he noticed several groups of sect members glaring at him with open hostility.
"Looks like I'm getting into a fight already. Too bad for them, fighting on common or unspecified grounds is forbidden."
Ignoring the glares, Ethan went to the Weaponry Department.
This department handled the manufacturing, maintenance, and sale of all kinds of weapons.
He could even order a custom weapon if he wanted, provided he was willing to pay a hefty price.
The shop was large and well-organized, with dozens of shelves filled with neatly arranged weapons.
Two people managed the counter.
"What are you looking for?" one of them asked.
"A spear," Ethan replied.
"A spear user, huh? Let me see…" The man scrolled through a system prompt only he could see, listing all weapons in stock with model numbers and details.
"We don't have any spears in stock right now," he said, shaking his head.
"Damn my luck," Ethan sighed.
"We are primarily a sword sect," the man explained. "We don't produce many spears, and the few that are made sell out within days. If you really want one, you'll have to order it, though it'll cost an extra 50 gold on top of the weapon's price."
"Fine, I'll take a sword instead," Ethan conceded.
"What kind of sword do you want?"
"Whichever costs the least. I can only spend around 70 gold," he replied.
"A basic sword costs 100 gold," the man said.
"Is there anything I can get for 70 gold?"
"You can buy a short-type sword. They're not popular, so they're fairly cheap."
"Good. I'll take a short scimitar."
"I'll get it for you." The man disappeared into the back room.
"Tch… they're following me now?" Ethan muttered, sensing the same hostile group from the teaching hall lingering nearby.
A few minutes later, the shopkeeper returned with a short scimitar.
It was a dagger-like weapon with a curved blade and a sharp, widened end, sheathed in simple leather.
Ethan unsheathed it, studying the quality.
It was better than nothing, and more than enough until his strength surpassed normal human limits.