Chapter 1045: Tai Xue
Chapter 1045: Tai Xue
Inside the fast-food restaurant.
Before Fang Xi lay fried chicken and a drink. In his hand, he held a transparent, glass-thin screen, his fingers deftly sliding across it.
Streams of information and news flashed by rapidly.
The Da Xin had long entered the electrical age, and its communication network was highly developed.
Through this latest generation of mobile phone, a quick search revealed everything that had happened over the past few millennia.
"Ever since the Mortal Law was promulgated over two thousand years ago, the Immortal Dao has flourished greatly!"
"Various foundational cultivation methods, along with supporting talismans, alchemy, and formations, have been continuously researched and developed, constantly innovating and reaching an extremely high level. . ."
"That the Da Xin could endure for over two thousand years is also related to this. . . This dynasty actually implements the 'Nine Ranks Official System'! What a corrupt and backward system? Yet it is so brazenly public, and even protects the dynasty from collapse for two millennia. . ."
He continued his search, and his eyes immediately sharpened:
"All cultivators of the Da Xin, upon achieving Foundation Establishment, may enter the 'Clan Registry' and establish a Nine Ranks family. . ."
"Nine-rank, eight-rank, and seven-rank families are called 'Cold Gates'. . . They can produce one Foundation Establishment cultivator in each generation, and occasionally a Core Formation True Monarch, ensuring their family's continuity."
"Six-rank, five-rank, and four-rank families are called 'Noble Families'. They can consistently produce Core Formation cultivators in each generation, and even occasionally a Nascent Soul True Monarch."
"The top three-rank families are 'Grand Clans', ruling the world alongside the Da Xin, with experts as numerous as clouds. It is even rumored they possess terrifying hidden reserves. . . Perhaps those who besieged me back then were the founding ancestors of such clans?"
"Only those who enter the clan lineage are qualified to be taught the secret Foundation Establishment methods, and participate in various examinations hosted by the Lesser Middle Inspector and Great Middle Inspector, thereby obtaining opportunities for Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul condensation. It is said that 'those of lower rank produce no True Monarchs, and those of higher rank have no Cold Gates'. . . This is the Da Xin's Nine Ranks Official System, known as the 'Law Unchanging for Ten Thousand Generations'!"
"The gap between these Grand Clans and Noble Families, though seemingly only one rank apart, is actually too vast, isn't it?"
Fang Xi looked at the information he had gathered, feeling somewhat at a loss for words to criticize it.
"Indeed, the Mortal Law, in its final evolution, leads to monopoly. . . Ordinary sects monopolize Foundation Establishment Pills and other breakthrough elixirs, while higher-tier ones monopolize resources for Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, and Return to Void. . ."
"At the very top, it's a monopoly on the Great Dao itself!"
He swept his Divine Consciousness, discovering that ninety-nine percent of the new capital consisted of mortals and Qi Refinement cultivators.
These Qi Refinement cultivators were the 'commoners' of ancient times; they did not enter the 'noble scholar' ranks and had almost no hope of ever attempting Foundation Establishment in their lives.
Instead, they labored and worked for the noble scholars in various factories and shops. . .
The entire society was surprisingly orderly, reminding him of a busy ant nest.
Seeing this scene, Fang Xi couldn't help but recall his previous life.
The historical Nine Ranks Official System relied on a small group monopolizing official power through the monopoly of knowledge and interpretation.
But in the Da Xin, it was even more ruthless; they directly monopolized cultivation. If you weren't even in the Nine Ranks, not even considered a Cold Gate, then at most you'd be a petty Qi Refinement cultivator!
Knowledge required conversion to become power, but cultivation could directly bring power, and far greater power at that.
Thus, this rule was as solid as a mountain!
"But I only passed down a single 'Hunyuan Art' back then, which could at most cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm. How did it suddenly blossom into a hundred flowers? And how were even the four supporting immortal arts of cultivation deduced from it?"
Fang Xi caught a whiff of conspiracy.
Such a flourishing era of the Immortal Dao might be possible if it had developed for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
But in a mere two thousand years, it was clear someone had accelerated the process.
It must have been Heavenly Immortals or Dao Monarchs from the upper realm making a move!
The immortals of this world were extremely adept at deduction and divination. As long as they obtained the Hunyuan Art, they could use it as a foundation to deduce higher realms, and even cultivation methods of other Five Elements attributes, with the ease of turning over their hand.
"It seems the immortals of the upper realm highly value the Mortal Law. . ."
However, Fang Xi understood it after a moment's thought.
While the ancient methods of the Shushan School progressed extremely quickly, they placed very high demands on innate talent; even a genius would find it difficult to get started.
Moreover, once one entered cultivation, there were numerous tribulations.
Even at the Sword Immortal realm, one would encounter various tribulations, which were quite troublesome.
In comparison, the Mortal Law was much simpler, primarily dealing with heart demons and lightning tribulations, both of which could be mitigated with external aid.
If combined with this world's unique reincarnation method, reincarnating multiple times would greatly increase the chances of cultivating to the Immortal realm!
"Indeed, there are experts in this world. . ."
"If one could cultivate both paths, combining the Heavenly Immortal methods of this world with the Mortal Law to achieve Heavenly Immortal status, the difficulty of attaining Dao Monarch status would significantly decrease. . . Perhaps it's the only hope for many immortals who have no prospect of further advancement?"
As the first to achieve Dao Monarch status by integrating two major systems, Fang Xi had ample say in the matter.
"Therefore, it's quite possible that some Heavenly Immortals deliberately reincarnated to cultivate this Mortal Law. . ."
"As for Dao Monarchs, it's less likely; their path is already chosen and difficult to alter. . ."
"Heh heh, cultivators of this world, they just love to reincarnate and change their foundation once they hit a bottleneck. . ."
"But now, I, the Dao Monarch of Reincarnation, have arrived!"
Fang Xi's gaze was distant, as if he saw the omnipresent, yet traceless, Wheel of Reincarnation.
The wheel slowly turned, countless true spirits floating within, and he couldn't help but reveal a faint smile.
...
After finishing his fried chicken, he left the restaurant and walked casually down the street.
Before long, he arrived in front of a university town.
This university town was located in the suburbs of the new capital, occupying a vast area. At the same time, a formation tightly locked the spiritual energy of the spirit vein within each campus, preventing any leakage.
The universities capable of establishing themselves here were naturally extraordinary.
Among them, there were only two truly famous immortal cultivation schools.
They were not Meishan and Zhushan Universities; these two universities had declined a millennium ago and later merged to become "Meizhu University," ranking third among immortal cultivation schools.
The second-ranked immortal cultivation university was a private university run by the Wang Family of Langya—Langya University.
And the top-ranked one was 'Tai Xue'!
'Tai Xue', as the official university established by the Da Xin dynasty, ranked first among all universities. It was said that the success rate of its graduates achieving Foundation Establishment exceeded fifty percent!
In comparison, Langya University's Foundation Establishment success rate was only ten percent.
Meizhu University was even worse, with a graduate Foundation Establishment success rate of around one percent.
But compared to the millions of "corporate slaves" and Rogue Cultivators in society who could never cultivate to Qi Refinement Perfection in their entire lives, let alone the numerous failed Foundation Establishment attempts, this was already much better.
For some reason, if a Qi Refinement Perfection cultivator in the Shushan World couldn't obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill or other Core Formation Spiritual Item, and relied solely on their own efforts, the success rate was one in ten thousand. . .
This was likely due to the subtle differences in the laws between the two Great Thousand Worlds.
As for these immortal cultivation universities, one did not simply test into them. Instead, the Da Xin court dispatched officials such as the Lesser Middle Inspectors to various regions to examine the character, aptitude, and destiny of various Noble Family scions. . . They would then provide evaluations, which were ultimately submitted to the Great Middle Inspector for final decision, selecting the best to enter Tai Xue.
If one could not enter Tai Xue, they could rely on personal connections, meet minimum requirements, and pay high tuition fees to enter Langya University.
"There are far too many opportunities for manipulation here. . . Therefore, the Lesser and Great Middle Inspectors, as admissions officers, hold incredibly lucrative positions. . ."
Fang Xi shook his head: "Scions of Cold Gate and Noble Families can at most enter Langya or Meizhu University. Few can break through this barrier and enter Tai Xue. . ."
As the highest institution of learning, ninety-nine percent of Tai Xue's students came from the top three-rank Grand Clans.
The solidification of their social strata had reached an outrageous degree.
The more this was true, the more consolidated the Da Xin court's rule became, which was also logical.
"Survival of the fittest. . . It's nothing more than that."
"As for Rogue Cultivators from ordinary backgrounds, they have no connection with universities their entire lives. . ."
Fang Xi stood outside the university district, not entering.
The hierarchy here was strict, with gatekeepers and patrols. . . Ordinary mortals and Rogue Cultivators would only be expelled.
"Ninety percent of those reincarnated from the Heavenly Realm should be studying at Tai Xue. . ."
"It seems I should go and be a teacher again?"
He scoffed inwardly.
Suddenly, accompanied by cries of flood dragons, a retro carriage appeared in the sky.
The carriage was entirely crafted from bronze, engraved with complex and profound runes.
Pulling it forward were six flood dragons!
Although these flood dragons were mixed-bloods, they were all at the third-tier Core Formation level. At this moment, they brandished their claws and fangs, exuding an extraordinary aura.
"It's the Six Dragon Carriage! The newly appointed Great Middle Inspector has arrived!"
"This current Great Middle Inspector seems to be from the Ma family? The Wang and Ma families rule the world together; even the position of Great Middle Inspector, which appraises the various cultivation prodigies and can determine their future with a single word, is jointly held by the Wang and Ma families, truly a fitting saying. . ."
The various cultivators watched, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
The Six Dragon Carriage stopped on the Tai Xue plaza, and from it emerged a middle-aged man with a dignified face, a starry robe, and a high crown.
His demeanor was stern and meticulous.
Within Tai Xue, a group of Core Formation-level teachers had already flown out, respectfully bowing: "Greetings, Great Middle Inspector. . ."
"Mm. . . The new round of 'Moon Assessment' is about to commence. This is of utmost importance and must not be neglected."
The Great Middle Inspector, surnamed Ma, instructed lightly, taking out a jade slip from his long sleeve.
On the jade bamboo slip, lines of golden characters spelled out names and evaluations.
The first name on the list was precisely 'Ma Liang', and after his personal information, there was an eight-character evaluation: "Ma Family's Ten Talents, White Brow Most Excellent! "
These eight short characters could determine whether a cultivating genius would ultimately go to Tai Xue, or only to Meizhu University, or even be quietly eliminated. . .
After Ma Liang, there was a scion of the Wang family, named 'Wang He Long', with the evaluation: "Langya's Vigor, Dragon and Crane Compete! "
"Great Middle Inspector's evaluations are brilliant, we are all impressed. . ."
All the cultivators bowed in admiration.
"Naturally so. We select talent for the nation, and we must be worthy of our consciences. . . This old man simply avoids favoritism when promoting kin and avoids vengeance when promoting enemies. . ."
The Great Middle Inspector, surnamed Ma, waved his hand: "You all examine it. If the list is correct, then issue it as such. . ."
He bid farewell to the teachers and returned to his own immortal abode.
Suddenly, a green-robed youth appeared before his eyes.
"You. . ."
Before he could speak, the world seemed to become illusory, and the youth before him grew impossibly tall.
"Life and death, rise and fall, are but fleeting bubbles. . ."
Fang Xi chanted softly, gazing at the tiny figure within the soap bubble in his hand, and gently squeezed.
Pop!
The soap bubble burst instantly, and the tiny figure vanished without a trace.
"To die under the law of illusion and destruction is your honor. . ."
Fang Xi sneered.
At this moment, although he was still the green-robed youth, after employing the law of illusion and destruction, in the eyes of others, he had transformed into the Great Middle Inspector.
This even confused magical artifacts and bloodline restrictions, truly a technique of 'stealing the heavens and replacing the sun'.
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