Under Ye Xuan’s mix of coercion and inducement, he recruited five Third Knowledge Realm experts, along with quite a few Ancient Dao Realm ones!
Of course, he knew these experts were not genuinely loyal to the academy yet. But that was fine. He firmly believed that with enough money, their stances and minds would shift!
At that moment, Qin Guan arrived at the Small Guan Universe!
This time, she was not alone. Qingqiu, Ding Shaoyao, and a group of core figures from the Guanxuan Academy came along!
A middle-aged man approached Ye Xuan, giving a slight bow. “Dean!”
Ye Xuan looked at the man and smiled. “Elder Zhang, long time no see!”
Zhang Shi!
Ye Xuan naturally recognised him. He had been with Ye Xuan from early on!
Now, Zhang Shi had reached the Order Realm and was a core figure in the main branch of the Guanxuan Academy, wielding considerable influence.
Zhang Shi smiled faintly. “Dean, seeing you feels so familiar.”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily. Indeed, seeing Zhang Shi felt familiar, but it also brought some reflection!
Along the way, he had met many people but had gradually forgotten many as well!
Perhaps that was life. Everyone had passersby in their lives. He was a passerby to others, and others were passersby to him!
At that moment, Qin Guan suddenly said, “My people found a prime location. Shall we take a look?”
Ye Xuan snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. “Sure!”
The group left.
Soon, they arrived at the peak of a mountain. From the summit, the entire mountain range stretched out below, a magnificent sight!
Qin Guan smiled. “This mountain range spans a hundred thousand miles, covering a vast area. Beneath it lies a super dragon vein, a dragon that has matured, stretching tens of thousands of miles, coiled deep underground. Because of this, the spiritual energy here is extremely dense, perfect for cultivation!”
Ye Xuan asked, “Is that dragon vein willing to submit to the Guanxuan Academy?”
Qin Guan nodded. “It is!”
Ye Xuan looked at her. She blinked and said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t fight it! I gave it money!”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile.
Qin Guan continued, “This mountain range will be called the Guanxuan Mountain Range, and the mountain we’re standing on will be Guanxuan Mountain, the main academy!”
Ye Xuan glanced around. Hundreds of thousands of strong cultivators were already building the academy.
These were Qin Guan’s people!
All cultivators, unlike ordinary folk, with great strength. Because of this, they built palaces at an astonishing speed!
Of course, it was mainly because the money was right!
As if struck by a thought, Ye Xuan suddenly said, “Do we need to bring some people to the Small Guan Universe?”
Qin Guan shook her head. “No!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled.
Qin Guan smiled. “This is the main academy. In the future, the top talents from all branch academies will be brought here, so we won’t lack people!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Qin Guan smiled. “I know what you mean. Your original goal was to create a more accessible academy for common people. But the main academy can’t be like that. It must be exceptional. Only by being exceptional can it oversee all branch academies. Moreover, only by being exceptional can it become a sacred place in the hearts of all students, motivating them to strive to enter the main academy.”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Fair enough!”
Qin Guan smiled faintly. “Later, I’ll set up some benefits. For example, those who enter the main academy can bring their families to visit the Small Guan Universe, tour the academy, and so on… In short, we need to give those kids a sense of honour! Of course, that’s just one part. I’ll work with Qingqiu and Ding to create more specific benefits later!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “This reminds me of the Cangmu Academy!”
Canglan Academy!
Back in Qingzhou, joining the Cangmu Academy was truly a matter of family pride!
Qin Guan smiled. “Oh, right! You need to choose someone!”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Choose someone?”
Qin Guan nodded. “The academy is now divided into the Martial Academy, Literary Academy, Law Academy, Shadow Academy, and Demon Academy, plus the Heavenly Dao Academy. The Martial Academy’s head is Qingqiu, the Literary Academy’s head is Elder Shuxian, the Shadow Academy’s head is Anyou, and the Heavenly Dao Academy’s head is Niannian. But we’re missing heads for the Law Academy and Demon Academy. To be the head of the Law Academy, besides strength, one must be impartial and fearless! This academy is crucial, as it oversees the other three and upholds the academy’s laws. The law is the core of our academy, so it’s vital! In simple terms, it’s a role that will offend people. But the key is, the head must dare to offend people.”
The Law Academy!
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No candidates for now!”
Qin Guan blinked. “How about your plain-skirt sister?”
Everyone present froze!
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. “Are you trying to make the academy disappear?”
Qing’er as the head of the Law Academy?
How did Xiao Guan come up with this?
Sure, if Qing’er were the head, no one would dare break the academy’s laws. But one misstep, and Qing’er might just wipe out the entire Guanxuan Academy!
Qin Guan smiled. “Anyway, you find someone for this academy!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out for a suitable candidate!”
Qin Guan nodded. “Alright!”
At that moment, Qingqiu suddenly said, “Brother, there’s something you need to know. The heads of the academy can also cultivate faith power!”
Ye Xuan looked at Qingqiu, who smiled. “For example, Elder Shu, head of the Literary Academy, is highly respected among the students. Many admire and believe in him, so he also has faith power!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “That’s fine!”
Qingqiu nodded. “Besides, the academy is now huge, and managing it is quite challenging. If mismanaged, you could face backlash from the faith power!”
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. “Backlash from faith power?”
Qingqiu said, “Yes! Faith power backlash! When people stop believing in you, or their faith turns to hatred, you’ll face backlash. This is called faith collapse, and it’s deadly!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Qingqiu smiled. “Responsibility! You’re responsible for protecting all the universes under the Guanxuan Academy’s rule because they believe in you! Responsibility is often a constraint!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “I understand!”
He looked at Qingqiu. “Little sister, is responsibility like putting a shackle on my own heart?”
Qingqiu shook her head. “No!”
Ye Xuan asked for guidance. “How so?”
Qingqiu smiled. “There are countless paths in swordsmanship. Most sword cultivators choose freedom, with no restraints on their heart or sword. These cultivators are often powerful, unbound by obsessions or constraints, reaching the pinnacle of the sword! But that doesn’t mean other sword cultivators are weaker! Take you, for example. What’s your choice? You chose emotion, so emotion is your swordsmanship belief. Fighting for family is your swordsmanship faith. When you fight for your faith, your heart isn’t bound. Emotion is your faith, your swordsmanship. It all comes down to your true heart. Whatever your heart pursues, that’s your faith!”
She looked at Ye Xuan and smiled. “A man should have faith, responsibility, and duty.”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “I understand!”
Qingqiu smiled. “I know protecting countless universes is a heavy burden. But this is the path you chose. Since it’s your choice, walk it well! All beings believe in you, giving you immense faith power. But if you see them as a burden, that’s not good. Many suffer faith collapse because they forget their original intentions! Cultivation is like being human. Never go against your true heart. Your true heart is your standard, your bottom line. If a person has no bottom line, they can’t be called human!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I understand!”
Qingqiu nodded. “As the academy grows, so does the responsibility. But your Mortal Sword Intent will also grow stronger, which is good. I estimate that in the near future, your Mortal Sword Intent will surge explosively. The academy is now on the right track, so faith power will flow to you like rivers. Once your Mortal Sword Intent transforms qualitatively, your strength will leap forward! By then, your realm should break through too!”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “Heaven Unknown Realm?”
Qingqiu shook her head. “No!”
Qin Guan suddenly said, “You’re walking the path of outer order. From the moment you reached the Order Realm, you stopped following the path of the Great Dao Pen Master. Now, you must create your own realm!”
Create your own realm!
Ye Xuan was stunned!
Qin Guan smiled. “Yes! You can’t follow the Great Dao Pen Master’s path anymore, nor do you need to! To keep advancing, you must create your own realm, one only you can cultivate!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, “So, I’ll be walking a path even I don’t fully understand?”
Qingqiu nodded. “Yes! But that’s a good thing. Walking your own path is a necessary journey for all cultivators in the future. Following someone else’s path means you’ll always be limited! Do you know why the Great Dao Pen Master is so strong? One reason is that those who follow his path provide him with endless faith power. The stronger they are, the more faith power they give! And he already has countless believers. In the current universe, he’s the first to fully master the concept of faith!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Can I get Qing’er and Father to believe in me?”
Qingqiu smiled. “You can! But it’s unnecessary! Unless they genuinely believe in your path, you’re better off just asking them to help you fight! And do you think you can get Father to believe in your path?”
Ye Xuan’s expression froze.
…
