292: Chapter 290 The Transformation of the Protectorate

The lingering echoes of the celebration flowed through the streets and alleys of Yongning City for a full three days.

Those spiritual lamps still hung on the city walls, retracting their light during the day and lighting up again at night, as if trying to stretch out this century of joy a little longer.

But Shen Nian no longer had time to immerse himself in these joys.

On the fourth morning after the celebration, he stood at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena of the Guardian Academy, watching the Disciples who were doing their morning exercises.

The sword lights were like rainbows, the shouts of killing shook the heavens, and over seven hundred Disciples were arranged in seven square Formations, every movement as standardized as if measured by a ruler.

Their garments were neat, their hair buns were immaculately arranged, and even the frequency of their breathing was surprisingly uniform.

Neat, beautiful, and flawless.

The brows of Shen Nian furrowed slightly.

Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi had walked to his side at some unknown point, likewise looking at those Disciples.

Her white hair drifted gently in the morning breeze, and her gaze was calm yet sharp: "Have you spotted the problem?"

Shen Nian nodded, his voice very soft: "They are too neat."

The corners of the lips of Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi curved up slightly: "Your Master said the exact same thing back then."

"Back then, the Disciples of the Guardian Academy were just as neat, so neat that they looked as if they were carved from the exact same mold."

"He said, 'Disciples like this can fight favorable battles, but they cannot fight adverse ones.'"

Shen Nian fell silent for a moment.

He recalled that among the manuscripts left behind by Patriarch Shen Zhao, there was indeed an article specifically discussing Disciple training.

The opening of that article was written like this: "The method of guarding the Dao lies first in actual combat. Without actual combat, the Dao Heart will not be firm. If the Dao Heart is not firm, one will collapse upon meeting a strong opponent. Therefore, Disciple training should prioritize actual combat and treat theory as secondary. One must not reverse the root and the branch."

Yet today at the Guardian Academy, training clearly placed theory at the very front.

Every day, the Disciples recited various Formation chants and the essentials of sword techniques, yet they spent very little time on actual spiritual power application and real combat confrontations.

On the Martial Arts Arena, a young instructor was correcting the sword Move of a Disciple.

The movement of that Disciple was indeed beautiful, leaving a perfect arc as the sword blade swept through the air, but Shen Nian could see that there was no spiritual power flowing within that sword Move; it was purely posing.

"Senior Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi," Shen Nian turned his head to look at Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi, "This Disciple wishes to visit the Scripture Pavilion."

Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi nodded: "Go. Director Su Yun is over there."

Shen Nian left the Martial Arts Arena, passed through the corridors of the Guardian Academy, and walked toward the Scripture Pavilion.

The Disciples encountered along the way bowed in salute one after another. Their movements were likewise standard, likewise flawless, but Shen Nian always felt something was missing.

The gatekeeper of the Scripture Pavilion had changed through several generations.

The one sitting on this bamboo chair now was a Cultivator who looked no more than middle-aged, yet whose cultivation had already reached the Soul Transformation Stage.

He nodded at Shen Nian without asking much, and simply continued to close his eyes and rest his mind.

Shen Nian walked straight toward the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

The top floor was the highest-grade book storage area of the Guardian Academy, housing the manuscripts and insights of past Guardians.

He walked among the bookshelves, occasionally stopping to pull out a Jade Slip, probing it with his Divine Thought, then putting it down and moving forward.

He read for a full three hours.

From the Sword Dao Essays of Bai Yunzhou to the Guardian Miscellaneous Notes of Ling Shuang, from the Chronicles of the Sea of Reincarnation of Shen Zhao to his own New Era Guardian Records.

In every single Jade Slip, there was a recorded emphasis on actual combat.

Bai Yunzhou wrote in the Sword Dao Essays: "When I observe Disciples practicing swordsmanship, they mostly favor fancy tricks and dislike actual combat. Fancy tricks can please the eye, but they cannot guard the Dao. The sword that guards the Dao lies not in the complexity of its Moves, but in the purity of its Sword Intent. Purity brings firmness, and firmness makes one indestructible."

Shen Zhao wrote in the Chronicles of the Sea of Reincarnation: "Many of the Souls deep within the Sea of Reincarnation were once powerful Cultivators. The reason they were harvested was not because their cultivation was not high enough, but because their Dao Heart had rusted away during the long peace. Having lost vigilance against danger, no matter how strong the cultivation of a person was, it was merely for show."

Shen Nian put down the last Jade Slip and stood in the empty top floor for a long time.

Footsteps came from outside the Scripture Pavilion, and Director Su Yun walked in.

Her hair was completely white, but her pace remained steady, and she held a thick stack of case files in her hands.

Seeing Shen Nian standing by the window, she walked over and placed the case files on a nearby table: "After reading for so long, what have you discovered?"

Shen Nian turned around, a hint of solemnity in his gaze: "Senior Su Yun, this Disciple has discovered a problem."

"What problem?"

"The Disciples of the Guardian Academy are too settled." The voice of Shen Nian was very calm: "Their swordsmanship is precise, they recite Formations very fluently, and their theoretical foundation is so solid that even Patriarch Shen Zhao back then would feel inferior. But this Disciple stood at the Martial Arts Arena for half an hour and did not see a single Disciple truly infuse spiritual power while practicing swordsmanship."

Director Su Yun fell silent.

Shen Nian continued: "Among those Disciples, the highest cultivation has already reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage. But this Disciple can sense that the circulation of their spiritual power is not smooth. It is like a river—the water is deep, yet it does not flow. This Disciple worries whether they can truly make use of that river water if they genuinely encounter danger."

Director Su Yun sat down on a nearby chair and remained silent for a long time.

Then she spoke: "What you saw, I saw too. No, I saw it ten years ago. But I never said anything."

"Why?"

"Because I did not know what to do either." The voice of Director Su Yun carried a hint of exhaustion: "The New Universe is too safe. There are no The Designers, no Tribunal, no Void King. There are no wars between various realms, no enemies at the borders, and even Yao Beasts have been tamed gently. The Disciples have nowhere to go for actual combat, no enemies to hone themselves against. They can only practice swordsmanship in the Martial Arts Arena that they will never use, and recite Formations they will never use."

Shen Nian fell silent.

He knew Director Su Yun was telling the truth.

The peace of the New Universe was exchanged with the lives of countless people.

Bai Yunzhou, Ling Shuang, Zhou Zhiting, Song Xinghe, Guardian Lin Jingyun, Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao, Shen Yuan, Shen Zhao... and countless unnamed people.

With their blood and lives, they paved a path without enemies for those who came after.

This path was too stable, so stable that it made later generations forget how to fight.

"This Disciple has an idea." Shen Nian spoke up.

Director Su Yun looked at him: "What idea?"

"Restart the Star Sea Cruise system. Let the Disciples step out of Yongning City, step out of the Guardian Academy, and walk around and take a look at the various realms of the Star Sea. Not to fight, but to understand. Understand how the ordinary people of the various realms live, how Spiritual Veins circulate, and how the order of the New Universe operates. Only by understanding these can they truly comprehend what it is they are guarding."

Director Su Yun was silent for a long time, then smiled: "You are really a lot like your Master. He always said that a Guardian must first understand the meaning of guarding before they can learn the method of guarding."

The lips of Shen Nian curved up slightly: "This Disciple is inferior to the Patriarch. This Disciple merely feels that the Disciples of the Guardian Academy need to witness the true Star Sea."

Director Su Yun stood up and gathered the stack of case files: "Go. Discuss this with Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi; she will support you. The Guardian Academy is yours; change it however you wish."

Shen Nian bowed deeply to Director Su Yun: "Thank you, Senior Su Yun."

He turned and walked out of the Scripture Pavilion.

The afternoon sunlight shone into the courtyard of the Guardian Academy, casting long shadows of those ancient trees.

The Disciples on the Martial Arts Arena had already finished their morning exercises and were resting in the courtyard in twos and threes.

Some were discussing Formations, some were exchanging insights on swordsmanship, and some were just sitting there in a daze.

Shen Nian stood in the center of the courtyard, looking at these young faces.

The oldest of them was no more than three hundred years old, and the youngest was only in their teens.

Their eyes had not yet experienced true Life and death, had not seen true blood, and had not experienced true despair.

Their Dao Hearts were still very pure, yet very fragile.

If one day a new threat descended, could they hold on?

He walked up to a young Disciple who was in a daze, squatted down, and looked directly into the eyes of that Disciple.

The Disciple was startled and hurriedly got up to salute: "Shen, Senior Shen Nian!"

Shen Nian motioned for him to sit down: "What is your name?"

"This Disciple is called Lin Yuan."

"Lin Yuan, how long have you entered the Guardian Academy?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment: "Almost twenty years."

"In these twenty years, have you ever left Yongning City?"

Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "No. This Disciple has always been cultivating in the Guardian Academy and has never even been to the spiritual fields outside the city."

Shen Nian fell silent for a moment, then stood up and patted the shoulder of Lin Yuan: "This Disciple is going on a long trip in a few days to walk around the various realms of the Star Sea. Do you want to go together?"

The eyes of Lin Yuan lit up instantly: "This Disciple... can this Disciple go?"

"Of course you can. As long as you want to go." Shen Nian smiled: "Go and see the outside world, and see how the people you guard live. After you return, tell me whether your swordsmanship has become better."

Lin Yuan nodded heavily, eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Nian turned and walked toward the direction of the Council Hall.

His pace was a bit lighter than when he came.

Yue Li appeared by his side at some unknown point, walking side by side: "I heard you want to restart the Star Sea Cruise?"

Shen Nian nodded: "The Disciples of the Guardian Academy need to step out."

Yue Li fell silent for a moment, then said: "I will go with you. The Reincarnation Hall also needs some fresh blood."