Eric Clark burst out laughing, leaned over and gave Eric Clark a hard slap, saying, “I know all about your business! Bragging so much you twisted your tongue. Haha!” He leaned in mysteriously, swallowed, and said, “But Eric Clark, there’s another deadly piece of news I have to tell you: the eldest daughter of the Gao family, Grace Foster, has already joined our Nanhai Academy. Didn’t you brag that you’re the young master of the Zhu family, and that you’re engaged to the eldest daughter of the Gao family, Grace Foster? Now your ‘fiancée’ is here—should I congratulate you on your upcoming romantic luck, haha…”

　　Rachel Bolton laughed without restraint, waggling his eyebrows in a lewd, gloating manner.

　　Eric Clark was dumbfounded. He vaguely remembered that he had indeed boasted about this, but Grace Foster…

　　“Impossible! You’re lying to me!” Eric Clark stared straight at Rachel Bolton and shouted.

　　“Me, lying to you? Would I lie to you? Oh right, I forgot to tell you, Miss Grace Foster has joined our Lingfu Hall—not as a disciple, but as a master! You’d better watch yourself, kid, you’re in for it!” Rachel Bolton laughed heartily, his brows full of mischief and pride.

Chapter Two: What Is an Immortal?

　　The path of cultivating immortality is intricate and complex, with countless schools, but at its core, it is divided into two main branches: nourishing qi and refining the body.

　　Nourishing qi refers to the path of the qi cultivator, who absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to transform the body, defying the natural order. Cultivation levels are divided into Houtian (Acquired), Xiantian (Innate), and Ruxu (Entering the Void), among other realms.

　　When a qi cultivator reaches a certain level, they can wield magical power, command talismans and beasts, control puppets, and manipulate magical treasures and flying swords.

　　They can even have out-of-body experiences, roam the nine heavens, and after overcoming multiple heavenly tribulations, ascend to the immortal realm—truly stepping outside the Three Realms and beyond the Five Elements, becoming a true immortal.

　　Refining the body, on the other hand, is the legacy of ancient gods and demons. The ancient gods and demons were born from the heavens and earth, innately powerful in body. For example, the great god Pangu, who split heaven and earth, is an extreme example of physical might… Thus, the great powers of the immortal realm developed methods for mortals to refine their bodies like gods and demons. Through body refinement, one can achieve indestructible bodies, immense strength, three heads and six arms, rebirth from a single drop of blood, and ultimately, immortality…

　　Both nourishing qi and refining the body are methods of cultivating immortality, with no clear superiority between them. Yet both go against the natural order, and the path of cultivation is extremely arduous.

　　For mortals to cultivate immortality is only because heaven, in its benevolence, leaves a sliver of hope for mankind.

　　For ordinary cultivators, reaching the Xiantian (Innate) realm is already one in ten thousand. As for the later realms—Ruxu (Entering the Void), Wanshou (Longevity), Huashen (Transformation), Du Jie (Tribulation Crossing), Dixian (Earth Immortal), and so on—they are even more difficult, with some being the stuff of legend.

　　Eric Clark spent three days cramming knowledge about cultivation. He had to admit, it opened his eyes and broadened his horizons.

　　He realized he was facing an entirely new world, one completely different from Earth. On Earth, though his body was disabled, his intellect was extraordinary—he was an undisputed powerhouse.

　　But in this vast world of cultivators, though his body was now strong and his mind still sharp, could he still stand out and become a powerhouse of his era?

　　Eric Clark was, at his core, someone with the heart of a champion. Back at Nanhai University, he was a super academic star. Whatever he did, he strove for perfection, for the best, for first place.

　　It was precisely this drive that made him a super academic star.

　　……

　　At dawn, as the sun rose, Eric Clark held a small wooden sword in his hand, squinting into the sunlight as he examined it carefully.

　　This little sword was called a “peachwood talisman sword.” Along with the black robe he wore and a small pitch-black pouch, these were the only few immortal items Eric Clark currently possessed.

　　The “peachwood talisman sword” was a magical implement—every cultivator must have one. Simply put, it’s essential for fighting, robbing, and looting.

　　The black robe was called a “magical robe”—impervious to water and fire, resistant to blades and swords, its purpose was self-defense and protection.

　　The black pouch was a “storage bag”—a tiny bag with three cubic meters of space inside. All the little things a cultivator might need could be stored in it and carried around.

　　Besides these three items he carried with him,

　　Eric Clark found a book called “The Longevity Sutra” in his bedside drawer. This was the secret to nourishing qi. By cultivating the Longevity Sutra, one could improve their cultivation and steadily lay the foundation for immortality.

　　Eric Clark had been cultivating the “Longevity Sutra” for three years now. His current level was Houtian Second Layer—very low. He could vaguely sense a ball of warmth in his lower abdomen.

　　He couldn’t even tell whether that warmth was spiritual energy from cultivation or just a side effect of excess hormones.

　　Currently, disciples at Nanhai Cultivation Academy are divided into three tiers.

　　The lowest tier is Eric Clark’s current level—cultivation below Houtian Fourth Layer. All disciples at this level live in Dormitory Building 103. Eric Clark estimated there were nearly ten thousand low-level disciples.

　　The second tier is for those below Houtian Seventh Layer. These disciples live in the Mortal World Apartments and form the backbone of Nanhai Cultivation Academy, numbering in the thousands.

　　The third tier consists of the top disciples, also known as elite disciples. They all live in the Tiger Mountain Apartments behind the academy. The highest among them are said to have reached the half-step Xiantian realm. There are 108 elite disciples in total, and each one is a cornerstone of Nanhai Cultivation Academy.