276: The Heavenly Emperor's scheme, undercurrents within the academy

Inside the Hall of Miraculous Mist, Li Chengqian watched Gu Yuan and others below, who were completely engrossed in fervent discussions about how to respond to the edict and promote the Immortal Dao. In the depths of his eyes, a subtle, profound glint flickered.

“Cultivation for All” was a move he had decided to make after much deliberation.

Its purpose was far more than simply raising the overall strength of this world or consolidating the Luck of the Human Race.

At a deeper level, it was a grand, Heaven-Defying scheme he had laid out for his “Great Human Dao Plan,” spanning across eons!

He knew very well that once a world’s power system underwent a fundamental change, it would inevitably lead to intense social upheaval.

Old classes would be shattered.

New forces would emerge like bamboo shoots after a rain.

Conflicts of interest, clashes of ideologies, struggles for resources… these would all become the perfect soil for “Chaos” and “strife” to breed.

And this was exactly what Li Chengqian wanted!

Clear water has no fish.

A monolithic world where everyone was loyal and subservient to him, while stable, lacked… vitality.

It lacked that “wolf-like” nature, where individuals would stop at nothing, striving to be first, just to climb higher and seize that sliver of opportunity!

Such a world could only provide limited Human Dao Luck.

Only a world full of competition, variables, and countless ambitious individuals and chosen ones could function like a high-speed furnace, continuously refining the purest and most magnificent… Human Dao Luck for him!

What he wanted was not a flock of docile sheep.

Instead, he wanted a pack of… hungry wolves, tearing at each other, devouring each other under his rules, ultimately determining the strongest king!

The “Royal Cultivation Academy” was the first and most important… gladiatorial arena he had prepared for these “hungry wolves”!

He divided Immortal Dao Cultivation Techniques into various grades.

The most basic ones would be spread throughout the land, giving everyone a chance to step onto the Immortal Dao.

The more profound ones, however, would all be collected within the five great academies.

Want to obtain them?

You can.

Then rely on your own abilities to compete and seize them!

In the academies, talent, background, cunning, tactics… all of these would become your capital for climbing higher.

The victors would ascend to greatness, gaining more resources, stronger Cultivation Techniques, and even the opportunity to enter the Heavenly Court and become a person above others!

The losers would have nothing, perhaps even becoming stepping stones for others’ success!

This was the new, and most brutal… Law of the Jungle that Li Chengqian had established for this world!

“Your Majesty, regarding the instructors for the academies…”

After his initial excitement, Gu Yuan quickly calmed down. He thought of a crucial issue.

To establish academies and teach immortal methods, there must be sufficiently powerful teaching staff.

But currently, throughout the entire Divine Continent, apart from the divine generals of the Heavenly Court, only that boy Xiao Yan could be considered to have truly stepped onto the Immortal Dao.

They couldn't possibly let grand marshals like Lü Bu and Bai Qi be academy instructors, could they?

That would be a colossal waste of talent.

“I have already made arrangements for that,” Li Chengqian said indifferently.

With a wave of his hand, dozens of golden rays of light flew out from his sleeve, landing in the center of the great hall.

As the light dispersed, dozens of figures were revealed, each with a different aura, but all without exception, immensely powerful!

There were great Confucians in scholar robes, holding scrolls, full of profound knowledge!

There were generals in armor, wielding weapons, exuding Killing Intent!

There were Daoists in Daoist robes, performing hand seals, possessing an ethereal and immortal demeanor!

There were even a few Demonic Path magnates, bare-chested, with menacing faces, who didn't look like good people!

“These people are ‘talents’ I ‘invited’ from other worlds, all of whom have achieved considerable success in their respective fields,” Li Chengqian said lightly, pointing at the still somewhat bewildered figures.

“From today onwards, they will be the first batch of… instructors for the five great academies.”

“I have already erased their original memories and implanted new identities and… loyalty in them.”

“What you need to do is cooperate with them to set up the framework of the academies as quickly as possible.”

Hiss—!

Seeing this, Gu Yuan and the others once again gasped in cold air!

“Talents” “invited” from other worlds?

And their memories erased, loyalty implanted?

What a Heaven-Defying method!

They looked at these “instructors,” whose auras were not weaker than their own, and their reverence for His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor deepened even further.

This Majesty was like an omnipotent creator; any problem seemed to be easily solved in front of him.

“Yes! Your subject and others obey the edict!”

Gu Yuan and the others, without any further questions, respectfully accepted the order and withdrew.

They knew that an educational reform storm sweeping across the entire continent was about to begin under their hands.

And just as the entire Divine Continent was in a frenzy and bustling with activity over the edict of “Cultivation for All.”

Some hidden… undercurrents also began to stir quietly.

In the Soul Realm, amidst the spatial ruins that Li Chengqian had erased with a single finger, now only a void remained.

A faint, almost dissipating wisp of black mist was churning intensely and unwillingly.

This black mist was precisely a remnant Soul that had narrowly escaped from Soul Heaven Emperor back then!

“Li Chengqian… Great Tang Heavenly Court…”

“I, Soul Heaven Emperor, will not let this go!”

“Do you think that by destroying my Physical Body and annihilating my clan, you can rest easy?”

“You are wrong!”

“My Soul Clan’s greatest trump card has never been the Soul Realm, nor those Dou Saint Elders!”

“It is… infiltration!”

“It is that demonic seed I planted in the Gu Clan, in Xiao Yan’s heart, and even… deep within the Soul of your precious disciple, Gu Xun’er!”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Just wait, Li Chengqian!”

“The day the demonic seed takes root and sprouts will be the doomsday when you are betrayed by all, and your Immortal Kingdom collapses!”

“At that time, I will personally watch you, pulled down from that supreme imperial throne by the person you trust most, to be smashed to pieces!”

The black mist let out a venomous and insane curse, then silently merged into the Void Realm and vanished.

At the same time.

In a distant, unknown Chaos Star Domain.

A massive palace, constructed from countless white bones and resentful Souls, filled with evil and deathly aura… was quietly suspended.

The Soul Hall!

In the deepest part of the palace, on the throne, a terrifying entity shrouded in endless black mist, its face obscured, slowly opened its eyes.

His gaze seemed to penetrate endless time and space, seeing everything that was happening on the Divine Continent.

“Great Tang Heavenly Court… Li Chengqian…”

“A bit interesting.”

“To be able to force that fool, Blood Demon Emperor, to use his true body, and then to be instantly annihilated by an unknown divine general.”

“It seems this newly emerged world hides quite a few secrets.”

His hoarse yet supremely majestic voice echoed in the empty hall.

“Protector Wu.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

A black shadow silently appeared beneath the throne; it was none other than Protector Wu, who had previously escaped from Xiao Yan in a sorry state.

At this moment, his aura was much weaker than before, clearly indicating that his Soul had been damaged and had not fully recovered.

“Have you found out the background of that boy named Xiao Yan?”

The Soul Hall Master asked indifferently.

“Reporting to the Hall Master!” Protector Wu respectfully replied, “It has been investigated! That boy is Yao Chen’s disciple! His peculiar golden energy and powerful Soul should all be thanks to Yao Chen!”

“Yao Chen…” The Soul Hall Master pondered for a moment.

“Is that old geezer still not completely dead?”

“Perfect, this Venerable One’s ‘Ten Thousand Soul Banner’ still lacks a main Soul ingredient.”

“Issue my command.”

“Dispatch the Four Heavenly Venerables of ‘Heaven,’ ‘Earth,’ ‘Profound,’ and ‘Yellow’ to personally go to that world.”

“They have two missions.”

“First, capture Yao Chen and that boy named Xiao Yan… alive for this Venerable One!”

“This Venerable One is very interested in their Souls.”

“Second…”

A greedy glint flashed in the Soul Hall Master’s eyes.

“That so-called ‘Royal Cultivation Academy’ sounds like a good… Soul harvesting ground.”

“Have the Four Heavenly Venerables find a way to infiltrate the academies.”

“This Venerable One wants to turn those so-called Geniuses into… nourishment for my Soul Hall!”