In the days that followed, Ye Xuan spent his time either training or reading.
At some point, he had developed a daily habit of reading. Of course, now it was not about showing off, but about calming his mind and grounding himself!
Since the battle in the Dao Universe, the Guanxuan Academy had no enemies left. He chose not to wander around aimlessly. For now, he simply wanted to focus on self-improvement and strengthening the academy.
Of course, the main reason was that he did not want to end up as the weaker one again!
Become invincible, then go out!
In less than a month, over three thousand grand halls were built in the Guanxuan Mountain Range. As this was the main academy, Qin Guan spared no expense. Every hall was crafted with utmost luxury, especially the central Guanxuan Grand Hall, which occupied the entire Guanxuan Mountain. It was built like an immortal palace, extravagantly splendid.
At the main entrance of the Guanxuan Grand Hall stood a statue!
It was a statue of Ye Xuan!
Rumour had it that Ye Xuan personally oversaw its creation!
After more than a thousand revisions, Ye Xuan finally nodded in satisfaction…
Once the academy was built, more and more people arrived at the main academy. It now had over ten thousand students, all recruited from various branch academies!
They were the geniuses among geniuses!
Learning this, Ye Xuan sought out Qin Guan. She smiled and said, “Is it about the students?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “These ten thousand students are all prodigies among prodigies. What about the ordinary students…”
He paused, then continued, “Of course, I understand. It’s just that our original goal was to give all ordinary people a chance to learn and cultivate…”
Qin Guan nodded. “True! But you’ve overlooked something!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
He understood now!
Qin Guan said softly, “Fairness! There’s no such thing as absolute fairness in this world! At the branch academies, we admit students without restrictions or fees, beyond character and integrity. Anyone can join the Guanxuan Academy! But once inside, the gap between ordinary people and geniuses widens. Why? Often, it’s talent. Talent matters a lot. Some people can’t grasp something in a month, while others get it instantly. That gap isn’t always bridgeable through effort alone! And if those with talent work harder than you…”
She shook her head slightly. “Also, many prodigies come from powerful families. Born into wealth, their vision, perspective, and character aren’t comparable to ordinary people. They receive the best education from birth. Sure, there are plenty of clueless second-generation heirs, but in established clans and sects, they raise exceptional successors. Our academy has many such people. When these prodigies are in the academy with ordinary students, the gap is glaring!”
Ye Xuan remained silent.
Qin Guan continued, “We want to close that gap, but it’s very, very hard! Only a rare few can catch up… and we’ve found that those who do are already exceptional themselves… they just lacked an opportunity, a platform. In the academy, we must differentiate. The top students must be rewarded, even given the chance to come to the main academy, while those at the bottom will be eliminated!”
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. “Eliminated?”
Qin Guan nodded. “Yes, eliminated! There needs to be a sense of urgency. Without it, some treat the academy as a cozy nest, just coasting along, perfectly content.”
Ye Xuan sighed softly.
Qin Guan looked at him. “There are those without talent who work hard, and they exist. But those without talent who don’t strive are far more common!”
She shook her head. “Many students, when they first join, don’t study or work hard. When they face elimination, they complain about unfair fate, call the academy cruel, or even accuse us of rigging things…”
Ye Xuan stayed silent.
Qin Guan said, “This world isn’t absolutely fair. When you don’t have the same starting point as others, all you can do is work harder! So, I believe to change a person, you must change their mindset. I’ve discussed with Elder Shu, and we plan to implement a nine-year compulsory education!”
The Literary Academy. Ye Xuan was stunned. “Nine-year compulsory education?”
Qin Guan nodded. “In all the universes under the Guanxuan Academy’s rule, once children come of age, they must attend our affiliated schools, with free education!”
She shook her head slightly. “This generation, many are already lost! So, we place our hopes on the next generation!”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then said, “Will it work?”
Qin Guan smiled. “It will definitely work. During the nine years, if they can’t graduate, we’ll require them to repeat another nine years. If they fail three times, we’ll send them to Coal Mountain to mine coal!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled. “Why?”
Qin Guan said calmly, “If someone can’t pass nine years of compulsory education, I think they’re only fit for mining coal! Of course, mining pays a wage, and they can still study during that time. If they pass, they’ll have a chance to enter the academy!”
Ye Xuan asked solemnly, “What if they keep failing, even after mining for a long time?”
Qin Guan glanced at him, then said, “Set them free!”
She smiled faintly. “For someone unwilling to strive, we can only let them live the carefree, ordinary life they want. If they’d rather mine coal than study, what else can we do? But such people will be blacklisted by the academy, never to be admitted.”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “That works!”
Qin Guan said, “Education is always the hardest thing to tackle. All we can do is provide a platform. Their ultimate fate depends on them. People can only save themselves!”
She smiled faintly. “In short, this is a long, long road, one even our generation may not complete.”
Ye Xuan smiled. “If our generation can’t finish it, the next generation will keep trying!”
Qin Guan nodded. “I have another idea: legislation!”
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. “Legislation?”
Qin Guan looked at him. “Targeted at you!”
Ye Xuan was curious. “At me?”
Qin Guan nodded. “To reduce the dean’s authority!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Qin Guan smiled. “If we’re all gone one day and the Guanxuan Academy becomes a one-man rule, that would be very, very dangerous. A good dean is fine, but a bad one would be a disaster for the academy!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Agreed!”
Qin Guan nodded. “It’s simple. For major academy decisions, the dean can’t decide alone. The heads of the academies must decide together! Also, I plan to establish a Council of Academy Heads with the power to impeach the dean. However, the Law Academy can’t join this council. It’s an independent body. To impeach the dean, the council must first file the motion, and the Law Academy must agree that the dean is at fault. Only then can the council remove the dean. Likewise, the dean can remove the Law Academy head, but only with the council’s approval!”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “A three-way balance of power?”
Qin Guan nodded. “Of course, if a dean is far stronger than everyone else, this system’s effect will be much weaker!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “It works!”
He nodded slightly. “Only if you set this precedent can this model continue!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I’m fine with it. You all manage the academy anyway, and I always consult you, Qingqiu, and Aunt Ding before deciding.”
Qin Guan nodded. “There’s basically no other issue now! Oh, wait! There’s one major problem you need to solve!”
Ye Xuan was curious. “What problem?”
Qin Guan said seriously, “Money!”
Ye Xuan’s expression froze.
Qin Guan smiled. “It’s really expensive! I can’t draw too much from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, or it won’t function properly. So, you need to figure out how to make money! We’re paying salaries to countless experts every month, a huge expense. The academy has some revenue-generating projects, but we’re not profitable yet, so we’re still funding it ourselves.”
Ye Xuan asked solemnly, “Will the academy be profitable in the future?”
Qin Guan smiled. “Of course! We’re in the early stages, burning money. Once we get past this, the academy will be very profitable. For example, we can have the Martial Academy teach at major clans and forces regularly. That alone will bring in huge revenue! After all, our academy’s martial civilisation surpasses any known universe. In ten years at most, the academy will generate significant profits, which will be used to build the academy!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Can I use it?”
Qin Guan rolled her eyes at him. “Of course! You’re the academy’s greatest contributor. You can use it however you want!”
Without Ye Xuan and her early financial support, the academy could not have reached this scale!
It was incredibly expensive!
Qin Guan added, “Remember, you’re the academy’s founder, the creator of the new order. Your authority is undoubtedly the greatest! These councils or whatever can’t constrain you!”
Ye Xuan smiled, then said, “Let’s not talk about that! How much money does the academy still need?”
Qin Guan said seriously, “A lot, a lot, a lot!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, “Archaeology? Fishing for enforcement? Your choice!”
Qin Guan: “…”
