"The ancients?" asked Yang Qing with a puzzled expression.
What he knew about the word was very brief and he had only stumbled onto it during his archeology and history research.
Various cultivation practices seemed to have originated from them and what Yang Qing surmised from the brief notes he read through, their identities and race were unknown.
Other than that he didn't know much which was why he looked quizzically at Dean Zhu Lao.
"He wouldn't just say something and leave it hanging all for the sake of adding mystery would he?" Yang Qing wondered as he had used that move a couple of times earning the ire and hatred of those who were listening to him at the time.
Luckily Dean Zhu Lao didn't do that as he continued on whilst still closely examining the clay tablet with deep interest.
" You may have noticed there is usually very little information concerning the ancients whether it's the library books or the course curriculum at the institute.
That wasn't accidental but rather it is by design and is something that is observed by other organizations not only us," Dean Zhu Lao said as his gaze turned solemn.
He turned towards some of the domain realm experts present including Meng Chao, Ren Shu, Vice warden Shao An, Yu Huifang's parents, Dean Chu Zhen, and a few other late-stage domain realm experts.
They all exchanged glances as they all raised their palms to the sky.
The cohort of Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, and Yu Huifang all had dumbfounded looks at what their seniors were planning.
Complex seals were produced from each of the domain experts' hands which then joined together eventually forming a starlight water curtain that rose to the roof enveloping the whole hall room like a dome.
Only after the dome was fully formed did Dean Zhu Lao resume his explanation.
"With this, we can safely talk," said Dean Zhu Lao in a casual demeanor completely absent of his earlier solemn air a few seconds ago.
"Now where were we…The ancients, well in an overly simplified explanation you can consider them as long-lived races," began Dean Zhu Lao.
"Are you really not going to begin the explanation about the dome currently over our heads that required several late-stage domain experts acting together to create?" thought Yang Qing as he occasionally tried to use his eyes as a hint to Dean Zhu Lao to start with the dome first.
However, his signals went ignored as Dean Zhu Lao leisurely continued with his explanation like it was a classroom lecture, and Yang Qing and the rest were his students who had no option but to listen till the end before they could ask any questions.
"The basic lifespan of a human who is not a cultivator, and has an adequate supply of the basic necessities is 90 years and if they take care of themselves well they may reach 120 years.
Now with cultivation thrown into the mix that lifespan gains an astronomical increase the further up the cultivation realm you move.
Let's take you as an example little Qing. When you broke through to the palace realm you got a lifespan of atleast 10,000 years though for someone like you who had a purple core, the lifespan you got when you broke through was higher at 15,000 years because of the special peculiarities of the purple core.
The same thing will happen to my young friend Mao Yunru here and you too Yu Huifang even though you won't get 15,000 years, gold-grade cores receive additional years to their lifespan too.
Dean Chu Zhen, I think you got 11,186 years when you broke through to the palace stage right?" Dean Zhu Lao suddenly asked the clean-shaven neat freak, Dean Chu Zhen.
"Yes, it was that range," Dean Chu Zhen nodded in affirmation.
"For gold grade cores, the life expectancy number isn't fixed like the purple grade cores as I'm sure your father has told you, there are variations among gold cores. I can see yours is a six-striped gold core, the very best among gold cores mmmh is that a faint purple coat hidden in there?" Dean Zhu Lao paused as he detected something within Yu Huifang's core with his domain sense.
"It seems you missed just a tiny step otherwise you would have ended up with a purple core too. But not to worry, purple cores give slight advantages but as long as your understanding of your dao and your techniques are firm and stellar you can defeat even someone with a purple core and have the same lifespan advantages when you break through to the domain realm.
From the palace stage onwards is your familiarity with your cultivation arts and the dao that matters. Proof of that is the instructors at the Institute.
The majority of the instructors in the Institute had blue-grade cores but you have all experienced their might personally. With their foundations and achievements, they can topple those of the gold core and even hold their own against those with a purple core.
At the end of the day it depends on how you use what you have," said Dean Zhu Lao.
Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, and Yu Huifang both shuddered at the mention of the instructors, especially Yang Qing. He had been at the receiving end of their thrashing more than a couple of times with the intensity increasing with his cultivation realm.
Even with his present cultivation base, he wasn't sure he could soundly defeat some of the more senior instructors.
Yu Huifang seemed to have had a new flame ignited in her from Dean Zhu Lao's words. She may not show it but she had a competitive spirit within her, especially with the identity of a legacy looming over her, it was a shackle she couldn't escape.
Legacies was the nickname given to children who had parents that were employees of the Order. They were the equivalent of sect saints and saintesses or direct bloodline or main descendants when it came to clans and royalties.
With all the advantages Yu Huifang had especially being a legacy and with peak domain experts parents at that, she felt ashamed like she had disappointed her parents by not getting a purple grade core, and with the likes of Yang Qing, Kang Huilang, and Zhang Qingge having purple cores in their group she couldn't help but feel inferior. This was despite the fact that even with the enormous talent pool the Order fished from those who eventually ended up with purple grade cores were few and far in between due to the stringent requirements required to form one.
Forming a gold core may not have as many hurdles as a purple grade core but it was not an easy endeavor either as even rank 2 organizations or rank 1 may be hard-pressed to have more than 50 in their ranks. And that is counting the number since they were founded.
Since the inception of the Order, the combined number of those with gold grade and purple grade cores may be around 200 on the generous side.
