28: Chapter 28 Entering the Holy Court in a Nominal capacity

On the aerial routes, Cultivators came and went in a hurry.

Xu Mingxuan took Shen Moyan, stepping onto a flying boat and passing through layers of pavilions in the sky.

"This Kongsang Prefecture is the second largest gathering place for Cultivators in Langya Prefecture, where most of those Purple Mansion True Men and Gui Zang True Monarchs reside. So you must act cautiously here in the future."

The flying boat passed over the stacked pavilions in the air and suddenly opened up to the center of the main city of Kongsang Prefecture, the Gao Sheng Heavenly Tower.

Shen Moyan observed the surrounding scenery when a stone stele suddenly caught his attention.

That stone stele stood atop the sky tower, and none of the surrounding Cultivators flew higher than the stele.

"That is a stone rubbing of the [origin dao preaching stele], a replica. Every prefecture has a few, as it is the foundation of the Twisted Immortal Path. Never fly higher than it in the prefecture city, or heavenly punishment will descend."

"Passing within a hundred zhang of the stone rubbing is prohibited; only those who have performed meritorious service in the Holy Court or people from the Academy can bring students near."

"If there are Mortals with firm will who single-mindedly seek the Dao, they can also admire the stone rubbing from afar and establish a connection with it through their will, though such people are rare."

Shen Moyan nodded, keeping these points firmly in mind.

"By the way, since there are very few Sects under the jurisdiction of the Holy Court, how do the people of the Three Thousand Prefectures obtain Cultivation Techniques?" Shen Moyan asked the question he had held in his heart for a long time.

The Holy Court monopolized the vast majority of the world's resources, and Cultivation Techniques and knowledge were tightly controlled by Cultivators in small places to prevent Mortals from accessing the Twisted Immortal Path.

But in social development, the masses are the foundation; if the classes are strictly divided, it becomes a stagnant pool. While it prevents lower-class rebellion, it is not conducive to the positive development of the Cultivation World.

However, Shen Moyan saw that the classes in this world were not completely fixed, and Mortals had room for upward mobility—after all, there were people like Meng Chen who practiced Qi Gathering from being a Mortal with nothing.

"Junior Brother, the Twisted Immortal Path is different from the Immortal Dao. All current Cultivation Techniques evolved from the original methods on the origin dao preaching stele."

"In the past, when the Immortal Dao collapsed, even the unfathomably powerful Ancestral Master of our Sword Sect was forced to reference the Dao on this [origin dao preaching stele] to ensure the survival of our Immortal Lineage, revising and recompiling the Biyang First Rising Art, changing the Immortal Dao to the Twisted Immortal Path."

Xu Mingxuan's words were filled with respect for the Twisted Immortal Path.

"The origin of the [origin dao preaching stele] is unfathomable. There is a teaching official position in the Holy Court called the Stele Guardian, specifically for maintaining the original origin dao preaching stele. Although no one dares to damage it, this position has continued from the birth of the Twisted Immortal Path until now."

"In their view, that stone stele piercing through heaven and earth is the manifestation of the [Great Dao] itself; otherwise, there would be no explanation for the miracle of enabling all races to embark on cultivation."

"All races? Even the Yao Race can cultivate?" Shen Moyan was surprised, but he quickly accepted it, as the protagonist of the second chapter of the "records of the mountain and sea official appointments" was not a member of the Human Race, but a small Small Bird.

"That's right. The so-called [Great Dao] is like the sun hanging high, shining upon all living beings and spirits equally."

"Everything has its shadow, and the [Great Dao] is no exception. As day and night alternate, as long as the shadow of the stone stele covers a Mortal, they can instantly comprehend a Cultivation Technique exclusive to them in their mind."

"However, it is after all the shadow of the Great Dao; the obtained Cultivation Technique is incomplete and stops abruptly at the Mortal Transformation Realm. To obtain a higher-level technique, one must tread the Pilgrimage Steps and personally admire the original dao transmission stele."

Shen Moyan quickly reacted.

"So, the headquarters of the Holy Court is located in the region where the original [origin dao preaching stele] is situated?"

"Exactly. To approach the dao transmission stele, one needs permission from the Holy Court."

With that stone stele there, the existence of Sects is simply unnecessary.

A Sect either monopolizes Cultivation Techniques or monopolizes people and resources. But now that everyone can have their own most compatible Cultivation Technique, the path of monopolizing techniques is cut off. As for resources, the Holy Court occupies ninety percent of the world's resources; if you don't join it, who else would you join?

Ordinary Cultivators wanting to establish their own Sects is truly redundant. It's better to keep a city of Mortals like livestock and harvest ginseng to increase one's own cultivation.

Even the twenty-one Immortal Lineages, with their unfathomable foundations and supreme Cultivation Techniques, are merely clinging to the debris of the old immortal dao, refusing to let go.

Having thought this far, most of the doubts in Shen Moyan's heart vanished.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for clearing up my confusion."

"We are of the same Sect; helping each other is only right." Xu Mingxuan waved his hand with a warm smile.

As the two traveled, they discussed various matters of the Great World of Mountains and Seas, and soon arrived at the Merit Examination Department.

The Merit Examination Department is the agency that recruits Loose Cultivators into the Holy Court, responsible for the City Examinations and Prefecture Examinations of various regions.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist Xu, bringing a newcomer?" Just as the two entered the department and stepped off the flying boat, a white-haired old man stood waiting to greet them from a distance.

"This is the Deputy Director of the Merit Examination Department, Fellow Daoist Deng Jinhua," Xu Mingxuan introduced.

"He Liang, a Loose Cultivator from the countryside, greets Director Deng." Shen Moyan bowed and saluted.

Seeing Shen Moyan successfully connect with Deng Jinhua, the corner of Xu Mingxuan's mouth curled up slightly.

"Alright, next he will explain in detail how to engrave the nine songs seal. Also, my business is in your hands; he must be employed within seven days." Xu Mingxuan did not linger, leaving Shen Moyan behind, turning the flying boat around, and hurrying away.

"Is this your first time in Kongsang Prefecture, Fellow Daoist?"

"Yes."

Hearing Shen Moyan's answer, Deng Jinhua smiled, his eyes filled with joy as he looked at him.

"Fellow Daoist, since you were recommended by Fellow Daoist Xu, you can naturally be trusted. Follow me."

Shen Moyan followed Deng Jinhua into the depths of the Merit Examination Department.

With a wave of Deng Jinhua's hand, a register flew into his grasp.

"Fellow Daoist He Liang, right?"

"Precisely."

Deng Jinhua found a suitable spot in the register and wrote down the name He Liang.

"Now, one drop of soul blood."

"Yes."

He saw Deng Jinhua place the soul blood into a lamp, and then the soul lamp began to burn fiercely.

While the other was busy, Shen Moyan leaned in to look at the register and was startled.

On that register were the words: Temporary Dispatched Personnel.

He couldn't help but recall the Mortal Transformation Realm Cultivators he met on the way to Kongsang Prefecture; they probably just had their names registered in the Holy Court without any real power, coming to the Merit Examination Department every month to collect a negligible salary, but having to do the hard and tiring work for the Holy Court.

This is being a pure beast of burden!

Has the Holy Court already become so corrupt?

"Fellow Daoist He Liang, you are truly lucky. Many people want to enter this establishment and have to take a long way around."

"The ink spent on those few words is very precious indeed." Deng Jinhua patted his sleeves and rubbed his hands together.

Shen Moyan's mouth twitched, catching the underlying meaning.

Accursed man, not only am I being a beast of burden, but he actually wants to take my Spirit Stones too.

"We'll be colleagues from now on, I'll need your guidance." Shen Moyan suppressed the indignation in his heart, took out the amount of Spirit Stones Xu Mingxuan had told him to give from his storage ring, and handed them over.

"Ah, easy, easy." Deng Jinhua took the Spirit Stones, his mouth curling up as his wrinkled face crinkled into a ball.

"Then, the nine songs seal..."

"Here is the seal and your medallion. The seal is one-time use; just stamp it on the back of your hand. Once your name is engraved on the medallion, you can use it to collect your salary at the department. I have important business to attend to, so I won't keep you company." After saying this, Deng Jinhua tossed a jade seal to Shen Moyan and hurried away with the Spirit Stones.

Shen Moyan examined the jade seal in his hand, wrapping his Divine Sense around it.

Sensing no issues, he pressed the jade seal onto the back of his right hand.

'Please enter name'

These words appeared in Shen Moyan's mind. He had already connected to the Nine Songs Net.

But Shen Moyan did not answer immediately; after a moment of daze, he looked strange:

"This nine songs seal is just a special totem. You just need to stamp it on your hand and activate it with mana."

A familiar feeling entered his mind; this was the power of the Nine Songs Immortal Lord carrying the Dao through text.

This Nine Songs Net was personally handled by the Immortal Lord.

Shen Moyan had fallen into a misconception that one could only enter the Nine Songs Net by joining the Holy Court.

In fact, that was not the case. As long as one was a Mortal Transformation Realm Cultivator, they could enter the Nine Songs Net by stamping the totem of nine black birds with mana!