The Heart Clone continued, voice steady.
"You should also be aware: all of you are among the top talents on Earth. Xinxuan, Vera, and Husa possess purple-level talent. The rest of you are one level below them—red level."
The disciples turned to look at Xinxuan, Vera, and Husa with open envy.
Their gazes lingered especially long on Husa.
In their minds, the same thought flickered: Why can even a beast have stronger talent than me?
Many of them still looked down on him—subconsciously, instinctively—simply because he was not human.
Vera and Xinxuan, however, felt no such disdain.
They saw Husa as a true competitor—someone to respect, challenge, and grow alongside.
The Heart Clone saw every thought clearly but said nothing.
He couldn't force their views to change overnight.
Time, training, and shared hardship would do that.
Then he spoke again, voice carrying quiet encouragement.
"You don't have to be envious of them. Innate talent is something you cannot change without a fortuitous encounter. But I have something that can not only enhance your talent, but also help you transcend your current limits entirely."
The disciples leaned forward, eyes shining with anticipation.
The Heart Clone smiled faintly.
"That is the Mortal Foundation Scripture—a method I created myself. It will refine your bodies, strengthen your foundations, temper your minds, and slowly elevate even your innate talent by stacking more talent on it, over time. With it, hard work and persistence can surpass even the greatest gifts of birth."
He paused, letting the promise sink in.
The Heart Clone then said nothing more, giving his disciples time to process the information in silence, letting the weight of his words settle over them like a gentle but unyielding pressure.
Just then, more beasts began emerging from the depths of the forest—first a few, then dozens, then the entire thirty-two, moving in a steady, disciplined wave.
Each one paused before the Heart Clone, lowering their heads in deep respect, then turned to Husa and offered the same gesture of deference to their wolf leader.
Only after all the beasts had gathered in a wide, respectful semicircle did the Heart Clone speak again.
"Now, you will not be without competition."
His voice carried clearly across the clearing, calm yet commanding.
"You may come to this continent anytime you wish—fight, spar, and sharpen your battle experience against them. But I do not recommend setting foot here until you have reached at least Stage 2. Just like Husa, they are all powerful—far beyond your current strength."
His disciples nodded immediately, eyes wide as they looked at the gathered beasts.
Even a single casual strike from any of them would likely kill the disciples in their present state—no exaggeration, no doubt.
Then the Heart Clone continued, tone steady and deliberate.
"Now, let's begin your training. First, you will practice the Mortal Foundation Scripture for six months. This will earn you the title of genius. Combined with your own innate talent, it will allow you to step onto the true path of cultivation with a solid foundation."
He let his gaze sweep over them slowly.
"Your innate talent is excellent—but talent alone is never enough. Even after stepping into cultivation, if your mind is weak, arrogant, or unstable, you will be destroyed somewhere along the way. Many geniuses fall not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of mental strength."
He paused again, letting the truth settle.
"The Mortal Foundation Scripture will make your mentality stronger than most geniuses—even after only six months of practice."
Xinxuan nodded deeply, a flicker of self-recognition in his eyes.
He had read countless novels and seen the pattern again and again: arrogant young masters, proud geniuses, talented prodigies—all destroyed not by stronger enemies, but by their own weak, unstable minds.
He admitted to himself that he had the same flaws—arrogance hidden beneath humility, a mind that overthought itself into knots, a tendency to let nature take its course instead of actively tempering himself.
But his Master had already foreseen this problem and created a method to solve it.
He couldn't find words grand enough to describe such foresight.
The Heart Clone then explained the Mortal Foundation Scripture in detail—how it granted the "title of genius" as a stacking enhancement on top of their innate talent, how it divided talent into clear levels (genius, limit-breaking, transcendent, and beyond), and how consistent practice could slowly elevate even the lowest starting point toward higher tiers.
The disciples—especially Xinxuan—were shocked by the depth and precision of the method.
They began to dream silently: what would it feel like to become a limit-breaking talent? A transcendent one? To surpass even their own purple-level limits through sheer effort and guidance?