Apart from some disciples who left due to dissatisfaction with their treatment, there were others who, like before, chose to leave when the Taoist Academy could no longer further aid their cultivation.
The number of disciples who left due to this reason was actually larger than those who were simply dissatisfied with their conditions, and were welcomed and approved by various factions even more.
After all, in the eyes of these factions, the latter were more valuable for cultivation, especially in terms of loyalty and character.
"Why has the number of disciples leaving the Taoist Academy this year decreased so much?"
"No, based on our initial estimates, there should be at least ten thousand graduating disciples from the academy this year. Considering the circumstances of our Xue ancient country, we should have been able to attract dozens, but why are there less than ten now?"
"…"
Those in charge of various factions in the Daming World looked at the information in their hands with furrowed brows, their hearts filled with confusion.
Referencing Pei Xuanjing's past experiences, it was as if the Taoist Academy he founded to train disciples was a large school and the disciples leaving the academy at certain times of the year were the graduates, while the forces of the Tianhuang and Daming Worlds were like corporations.
Every year, the graduating disciples from the academy would receive invitations and rivalry from these factions, who would then choose the excellent candidates among them to join their own ranks.
After many years, the number of disciples graduating each year and the amount each faction could recruit had effectively resulted in a balanced situation, of which all factions were well aware.
Even this annual time period was an exceedingly significant opportunity for all factions to replenish their fresh blood.
Do not underestimate these dozens of people. They are the cream of the crop, singled out from countless disciples of the academy, all of whom have undergone rigorous training and hardship.
In particular, according to the rules of the academy, these disciples, throughout their growth process, have completed different tasks, experienced and endured things that many counterparts at the same Realm, who lived in the cozy environment within their sects, simply couldn't compare to.
In the eyes of many experts, what they lack is only power. As long as they increase their strength, they will undoubtedly become the backbone of each faction and pillars of their sects.
Therefore, even during this key period of implementing the integration plan of the two worlds, the ones in charge of all factions will not slack off in this matter and pay attention to it every year.
However, this time, or rather the result of this year, was an anomaly. The number of disciples recruited by each faction was nearly halved.
"Could a new faction have intervened?"
"Or did someone from any faction do something?"
"Who on earth is it?"
The ones in charge of all factions in Daming World would naturally not let this go easily. They are guessing the reason and starting to investigate it.
When faced with their investigation, the powerhouse who triggered this change did not cover it up, and the reason quickly reached their hands.
"Is it really so?"
"No wonder."
"Is he unsatisfied with us for acting so rashly?"
"Difficult to say, did we shoot ourselves in the foot?"
"…"
The reason was simple: a large number of new skills suited for cultivating disciples appeared within the academy.
The main reason for most of the disciples choosing to leave was that their cultivation at the academy had reached its limit, and they could no longer gain aid in cultivation from the academy. Therefore, they chose to leave the academy and accept the invitations of these factions.
But now, since the skills needed for their cultivation were available in the academy, naturally, many chose to stay. After all, compared to joining a new faction and adapting to new rules, they have already lived in the academy for so long and are accustomed to its rules- it was better to stay.
The influx of these skills was undoubtedly the work of Pei Xuanjing, who, by introducing these skills, triggered a butterfly effect that resulted in a significant drop in the number of disciples that these factions could recruit.
If this were done by anyone else, the factions would certainly respond, but when they discovered this change came from Pei Xuanjing, they all fell silent, making no further actions.
The actions of the strongest person always attract the attention of many. The heads of the factions began to wonder if their actions over the years have upset Pei Xuanjing, leading to his current actions.
Many people in top factions also laughed bitterly when they learned the origins of these skills. They had indeed messed up their own good things.
Regardless of what they think and see, the situation now has become irreversible. It means that unless something unexpected happens, they can only recruit fewer and fewer disciples in the future.
"Whatever, regardless of the national teacher's thoughts, seeing that the situation is such now, unless our strongest person takes action, we can only follow his rules." A person in charge from a top faction thus privately said.
Whether it's saving their own face or for other reasons, they have now accepted the current situation and dare not make other attempts.
After all, these disciples are good, but for the strongest person, they are nothing more. Even the strongest person in a top-tier faction would not negotiate with Pei Xuanjing over such matters, because it isn't worth it.
What is more important is that the Taoist Academy belongs to Pei Xuanjing. What they did over the years was in essence unreasonable. Even though Pei Xuanjing had tolerated it in the past, now that he has taken action, they should know when to call it quits.
...
At the beginning, Pei Xuanjing paid no attention to these matters. In fact, he hadn't noticed them at all until Qingyang Zi transmitted a message asking whether Pei Xuanjing had any arrangements for the academy's disciples. Only then did Pei Xuanjing realize the ripple effect of his actions.
He sent a message back to Qingyang Zi, saying there is no need for special care. However, he suggested those who chose to stay after graduation could become Instructors and be given some instructor benefits as a reward from him.
But that was all. Pei Xuanjing explicitly told Qingyang Zi not to interfere with the decision of the academy's disciples to stay or leave after graduation. They should continue as before, freely deciding as long as they followed the rules.
Pei Xuanjing was well aware of the series of reactions caused by giving these Taoist Academy students more skill choices. But he neither intended to explain, nor did he think they deserved an explanation. Besides, he himself had his own considerations.
The Taoist Academies covered every corner of the world, virtually gathering cultivators from the most ordinary backgrounds. Those emerging from these academies were far from weak, their futures promising. They, too, had the complete right to build their own futures, rather than joining various forces out of necessity.
In the past, they would leave the Taoist Academies to join these forces, because they had no other choice for accessing cultivation skills and resources. This was done out of compulsion.
Now, Pei Xuanjing had given them another opportunity, allowing them a broader range of choices, enabling them to cultivate according to their own will.
"Although these major forces claim to be good for cultivation, aren't they also a sort of shackle? After all, compared to their own disciples, the disciples of the Taoist Academy would have limited achievements even if they managed to join in, and few could make it to their core," Pei Xuanjing reflected.
Any force would naturally show favoritism toward their core members. Although the disciples from the Taoist Academy may be excellent, they would never really penetrate into the innermost areas. Even if they possess the capability, they fall short in loyalty compared to the disciples who grew up within the forces.
In a way, if a disciple of the Taoist Academy joins any force, an invisible ceiling always exists, which few can break through.
And those who qualify and are capable of shattering this ceiling are truly exceptional among them. Even without joining these forces, as long as they don't die prematurely, they can completely forge their own path.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing's move was to give them better choices.
Many people might think it meaningless, and they themselves may not care, but for Pei Xuanjing, their need for some things was not important; what mattered was whether these things existed or not.
Apart from these, because of Pei Xuanjing's continued promotion of the Taoist Academy, countless academy graduates have left but still retain their entry passes to the academy's contribution system, even if they roam the world alone or join other forces.
Everyone should understand that for the Academy's system, apart from these students, the most significant convenience is the contribution point system. Whoever joins this system, it's like they can utilize this platform, connecting to everyone on this platform, using their strength to gather the things they need.
Indeed, after many years of development, there was no need for Pei Xuanjing to manipulate anything behind the scenes. Once this system and platform were put in place, everything else emerged naturally.
Never underestimate human wisdom. When Pei Xuanjing constructed this contribution point system, he primarily regarded it as a platform for mutual exchange of cultivation practices.
However, this was Pei Xuanjing's need, not necessarily the users'. When a Taoist Academy student once rewarded contribution points and traded for the cultivation resources they needed, this sort of thing gradually increased.
Later, when Bai Xiaosheng discovered these events, after receiving approval from Pei Xuanjing, he also began to infiltrate his influence and intentionally guide such initiatives.
Up to now, this contribution points system platform has fully developed, housing not only Taoist Academy students but also many Independent Practitioners, making the system enormously strong.
"I wonder how this system will evolve in the future," Pei Xuanjing mused to himself.
Pei Xuanjing could quite imagine that in time, with more and more students from the Taoist Academy joining various forces, those forces would slowly start to join this system.
His existence, undoubtedly, acted as an endorsement that would attract entry from various forces, gradually pulling together all the forces between heaven and earth.
As for whether anyone or any force would seek to emulate and replicate this system after comprehending its benefits, Pei Xuanjing did not worry at all.
Setting aside the fact that the actual foundation of the Taoist Academy's contribution point system was Pei Xuanjing's own open mindset of freely exchanging skills and the spiritual network established by the division of his vast spiritual consciousness,
both of these are necessary, and one cannot be missing.
Aside from the difficulty of finding a powerful entity capable of establishing a spiritual consciousness network like this, even if one could, the skills they could provide in exchange would be lacking.
If they cannot provide sufficient skills, how could they attract more people to join the system? In Pei Xuanjing's view, even a top force, despite divulging their treasured skills, would struggle to support or compete with his present system.
After all, Pei Xuanjing's system had been constantly improved over several decades to form a mature, self-sufficient system that operated in a closed loop at the lower levels.
However, due to a lack of high-level skills to break the ceilings, Pei Xuanjing's Taoist Academy had become a kind of talent incubator and served as a bridal gown for these major forces.
Given the current circumstances, even if these forces could accomplish this, all they would have achieved is a start. They would still lack students. The title "Taoist Academy" had deeply lodged in people's hearts. They would have to expend significant effort to compete with it.
So Pei Xuanjing wasn't worried about these possibilities. Even if someone could complete these steps to compete with him, he wasn't afraid.
If he still couldn't beat the others when he was in such a favorable position, then he had no one to blame but himself if he lost.
Ditching all these thoughts, Pei Xuanjing focussed entirely on observing, reading, deducing skills, and accumulating Taoyun.
There's no concept of years in the mountains, but a thousand years had already passed in the world.
Time was quickly passing, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years passed. These twenty years might have seen a new generation for mortals, but for most cultivators, it was just a period of retreat.
In this time, nearly half of the construction of the Anchoring Array was completed. According to the original plan, the rest should be finished within 30 years, kickstarting the grand plan of merging the two worlds.
In these twenty years, Pei Xuanjing hadn't left Shenxiao Mountain. Had his incarnations not been frequently visiting various Taoist Academies to preach, almost everyone would have thought that he had entered retreat again.
"Finally, I've gathered enough Taoyun to start the next simulater.
In the course of twenty years, Pei Xuanjing secluded himself on Shenxiao Mountain, completing the refining of the Taoyun from the skills gifted by various powers, and then deducing countless divine abilities. He stored all of this knowledge within the Taoist Academy.
He thoroughly refined the Taixu Mirror and drew wisdom from the disciples within the Taoist Academy. The amount of Taoyun within Pei Xuanjing finally broke through once again, reaching twenty million—a sufficient amount for him to start another life simulation.
After accumulating the Taoyun, Pei Xuanjing ceased all actions and checked the progress of merging both worlds. Ensuring that he had enough remaining time for the simulation, he took the time to restore his spirit energy state to its peak. Then, he began his new life simulation.
[Taoyun: 23,432,153 points.]
[Would you like to use the life simulator? One use requires 20,000,000 points of Taoyun.]
"Yes!"
Having made all preparations, Pei Xuanjing started a new life simulation.
[Life simulation begins…]
Life simulation:
At one year: You came into this vast Heaven and Earth. Despite being of royal blood, you are just one among ordinary mortals. Even the ruler of a dynasty has to kneel and pay respects to the 'immortal' above.
In this world, the governing power of Heaven and Earth belongs to the immortal sect. They were born mortals but transcended mortals; the dynastic kingdoms are merely their subordinates, serving to shepherd and nourish the common people on their behalf.
At six years: As you matured, you realized that the founder of the kingdom where you were now residing was once a disciple of an immortal sect. He reluctantly left the sect after hitting a dead end in his cultivation path, safeguarding a region for the immortals in exchange for a life of wealth and dignity.
In this world, while there are many kingdoms, none of them possess the right to wage wars against each other. The sole purpose of these kingdoms is to provide resources for the immortal sect and select disciples for them.
At nine years: You were sent to the immortal sect to participate in the selection of disciples. Because you naturally possess a spiritual root, you were fortunate to enter the sect as an outer disciple, earning you the respect of the entire dynasty.
At sixteen years: While your natural aptitude for cultivation is not extraordinary, the royal resources at your disposal allowed for swift advancement, making you one of the leading figures among your peers.
Many people held high expectations for your future; even some senior brothers and sisters from the inner sect were particularly courteous to you, believing you to be full of potential.
At twenty-one years: You made a breakthrough in your cultivation, becoming an Inner Disciple of the immortal sect. Glory enveloped you, and for some time, you were the talk of the sect. However, your brilliance sparked jealousy in some, but they could only silently harbor this resentment due to your influence.
At twenty-nine years: A true disciple of the immortal sect advanced in cultivation, becoming one of the sect's elders. This created a vacancy for a true disciple position – an opportunity coveted by many Inner Disciples, and you were no exception.
This true disciple position not only symbolized status but also represented power, resources for cultivation within the sect, and the direction of future developments. After all, competition within the sect was fierce. Without this status and position, one could not receive more resources and secret methods of cultivation.
To seize this opportunity, you made a total effort, and the royal house you were born into also gave you strong support for this competition. After all, if you succeeded in becoming a true disciple, the kingdom you belonged to would also prosper and expand its territories.
At thirty-one years: Your struggle to become a true disciple was unsuccessful. You should have had a sure victory, having put forth all your efforts, but a prodigy rose and defeated all of you, claiming the true disciple's position.
You could do nothing about this outcome, as you later found out that this prodigy was a disciple of an assistant sect leader who had been secretly cultivating for many years without exposing himself.
An assistant sect leader's position was almost the highest in the sect. Against such a formidable figure, you had no choice but to silently tolerate the result.
At thirty-five years: You failed to secure the true disciple position, and the resources provided by the royal house were no longer sufficient to support your cultivation. For the sake of continuing your cultivation journey, you chose to accept the sect's assignment and oversee a region to accumulate resources for your cultivation.
At thirty-six years: After years ensconced within the immortal sect, you hadn't spent much time in the mortal world. Initially, based on the teachings within the sect, the existence of the immortal sect was supposed to protect all living beings and provide them with peace and stability.
But when you arrived at the place you were to oversee, you found a stark contrast to what you had been taught. It was at this moment that the teachings of the royal house from your childhood came flooding back, and you finally understood the true meaning of the immortal sect's shepherding of mortal beings.
Despite your sympathies for these mortal beings, your compassion was limited and you wouldn't betray your class, for you lacked the capability to do so.
At forty-one years: The place you oversaw was plagued by demons, and as the overseer, it was your responsibility to eliminate them. After investing much time, you finally located the demons and led a charge to capture them.
The demons were incredibly fierce. A massive battle ensued between you and the demon, and although you finally managed to slay it after sustaining numerous casualties, you were also gravely injured in the process. This significantly weakened your cultivation base and hindered your subsequent cultivation advancement.
The competition within the immortal sect was intense. As an Inner Disciple, the restoration of your injury required a significant amount of resources, something you couldn't afford at present.
Given your accomplishments in the past, the sect provided you with two choices: either they could award you part of your rewards- you return to your kingdom of birth, or you could stay in the sect as a steward no longer sent out to fight. The latter choice also meant you wouldn't receive further cultivation resources from the sect.
After much deliberation, you chose the second option. If you were to return to your kingdom, you would completely lose hope of advancing further. Staying within the sect might still present some opportunities.
So, you became a Steward of the Cultivation Methods Pavilion within the sect. On a daily basis, you managed the contributions of the pavilion, aiding younger disciples in selecting and interpreting cultivation methods.
Meanwhile, you also browsed numerous volumes in the pavilion within your authority, hoping to find a way to heal your injuries and resume your cultivation.
At forty-five years: With hope in your heart, you tirelessly poured over various ancient texts, practically reading all essential books, but you were still unable to find a suitable cultivation method.
At the age of fifty-seven: You have completely lost your distinct character, and many who were once inferior to you have surpassed you, each shining with their own brilliance.
You were once a genius among your peers, even if you failed to compete for the position of the true disciple, with your own strength and personal charm, you were still surrounded by countless devotees and held a place of your own within the immortal sect.
However, the battle in which you slew the demons, not only resulted in casualties among your followers, you too were severely wounded. Those who once admired your strength scattered like birds, leaving you behind.
Now, you are just an insignificant soldier in the Cultivation methods pavilion.
At sixty-three: Although you're just in the Cultivation methods pavilion, you're very attuned to news from outside. Based on what you hear, demons are increasingly appearing in this world. They're not just devouring ordinary mortals, even many disciples of the immortal sect are attacked.
But you actually don't care about this news. Even if these demons were to wreak havoc, they couldn't harm you. You know very well the strength of the immortal sect, and while within it, you are absolutely safe and free of any danger.
It was at this time that you discovered an ancient book in the Cultivation methods pavilion titled "The Art of War," but you understood nothing of the descriptions in this ancient book, despite your long study.
At sixty-seven: The news of the demons' rampage becomes more and more frequent. According to many disciples of the immortal sect, these demons were initially covert, hiding their forms. But now, many powerful demons have started rampaging freely, seizing human cities, and enslaving the entire human race.
Faced with these unbridled demons, the immortal sect naturally began to counterattack, organizing manpower and sending out powerful individuals to kill the demons. A war erupted between the demons and the sect, with casualties on both sides.
At seventy-three: The battle between the immortal sect and the demons had been going on for more than ten years. But these demons seemed endless. More and more demons emerged, and they became increasingly powerful.
In contrast, more and more cultivators were dying or getting seriously injured in the process of exterminating the demons. Under these circumstances, the situation didn't seem advantageous for the immortal sect.
Faced with the growing strength of the demons, the immortal sect found that it seemed impossible to suppress them in a short amount of time, and their thinking began to change.
Some parts of the immortal sect believed that there could be no coexistence between the sect and demons, even if it meant a great number of casualties, and they were willing to exhaust their forces to eradicate these demons.
However, faced with sacrifices, some parts of the immortal sect found a different voice. They felt that it wasn't worth their lives to protect these ordinary mortals. They only needed to retain their mountains and coexist with the demons, even if it meant sacrificing some mortal lives.
This conflicting perception immediately split the alliance of the immortal sects.
The sect you belong to, considers being a defender of the human race as their duty and responsibility.
As the compromise of part of the immortal sect led to the increased power of the demons, the sect of the defenders, being obliged to mobilize more disciples to exterminate the demons, you were also drafted.
You didn't refuse this draft, as you believed this was your duty and responsibility that could not be shirked.
At seventy-five: After two years of fighting, you have killed many demons, but your injuries have been increasing and your strength weakening. Some people advised you to leave, but you politely declined and continued to protect the kingdom where you came from, because you believed you owed the kingdom a debt and it was your duty to repay it, even if it cost your life.
At seventy-eight: The demons became stronger, the losses of the immortal sect increased, and the currents of compromise surged. However, all this was irrelevant to you now, as you were facing the threat of life and death. Demons continuously attacked your protected kingdom. Despite your attempts to exterminate them, you were overwhelmed, constantly at a loss.
Faced with brutal demons and the people and citizens behind you that you were protecting, you didn't retreat at all, bravely fighting, blood splattering the sky.
Seeing you fought fiercely, countless citizens prayed for you. The power of endless prayers fell upon you, and suddenly you understood the profound mystery of "The Art of War," received great power, and killed the demons.
Even though you now mastered the power of 'The Art of War,' you were completely drained and could not continue to live.
You looked at this devastated world with deep longing one last time, carrying deep regret, and unwillingly passed away…
[This life ends.]
Each simulated life was like an immersive movie. Pei Xuanjing observed everything that happened in each life as a first-person spectator, clear as every frame.
But after so many life simulations, Pei Xuanjing's resolve was firm. After the despair faced by the human race in the previous life simulation in the wasteland world, Pei Xuanjing felt that he had experienced enough and little could touch or upset him.
But after this life simulation ended, Pei Xuanjing once again fell silent, deeply affected by the experiences of this life simulation, and didn't react for a long time.
The greatest impact of this life simulation experience on Pei Xuanjing was not actually because of the life experience of this main character who was like his incarnation. After all, even if these experiences were a bit tragic, Pei Xuanjing, with his firm resolve, wouldn't be too moved.
What really impacted him was the world of this life simulation, the structure of heaven and earth, or the form of survival.
As Pei Xuanjing in his second life, despite living in the Daming World for nearly a hundred years and experiencing the diverse worlds, he still struggled to accept this structure and environment.
In both Pei Xuanjing's previous life and his current life in Daming World, ordinary beings had the opportunity to ascend, no matter how difficult it was, there were no strict class distinctions.
In the Daming World, as long as you're willing, you can cultivate, work hard, and have the chance to change your destiny.
But the world of the life simulation he just went through was not like this. In this world, you first had to have a Spiritual Root to be eligible to cultivate. Otherwise, you would have no chance, your life would be controlled by others' hands.