Plague Lord

On the way to the Imperial Academy.

Li Qi contacted Liu Shenzhi directly through that name card.

The name card isn't just for people to see; it also includes the contact information for the terminal, so it's quite easy to use.

The Imperial Academy and the Imperial Guard were gathering places for geniuses of Human Path.

Just like the young master of Wushen Mountain, they are both top-tier next-generation talent reserves.

The Human Emperor's Guard is a specialized training ground for military talent. They are not only extremely powerful in combat but also capable of commanding troops in battle. They are one of the cornerstones of Human Path expansion. Countless famous generals have emerged from the Guard. Within the Guard, the ability to command troops and personal combat prowess are the only two things to be pursued; nothing else is required.

The students of the Imperial Academy have a wider range of career paths after graduation. They can pursue research, become officials, or become the backbone or even top experts in a certain industry. They are more like technical and research talents.

This is the difference between the civil and military factions in Human Path.

Wushen Mountain doesn't have such detailed divisions. The great shamans each take on their own disciples and train them according to their own methods. It's very lenient. Some teach by example, while others leave it to their own devices, depending entirely on the master's choice.

However, in Human Path, such free-range training is unlikely. Almost all training is centralized, without specific masters. Instead, a group of top teachers conduct classes and assessments collectively.

When speaking to outsiders, they usually say that they are students of the Imperial Academy Chancellor, and that all Imperial Academy students are students of that Chancellor.

When we arrived at the Imperial Academy again by carriage, it was already noon.

At the entrance of the Imperial Academy, Li Qi looked at the gate.

In ancient times, families had private schools, villages had academies, schools were established in various fields, and the state had schools.

This is the national learning of the Tang Kingdom.

It represents the essence of the entire Tang Kingdom's legacy and descendants.

A stone tablet stands in front of the gate, inscribed with the words: "Those who follow the righteous path will gain it, and those who follow the unrighteous path will lose it."

The surrounding area is winding and stretches for thirty miles.

In other words, the Imperial Academy covers an area of 225 square kilometers, which is almost the size of a city.

There were only a little over a thousand people in total, including all the teachers. The Imperial Academy did not allow anyone else to come in, whether it was a servant or anything else.

So, including the teachers, there are actually only this many people inside; most of the area is for students to conduct research and study.

"We enroll fewer than ten students a year, and about 90% graduate," Li Qi murmured, looking at the gate.

Ninety percent, that sounds like a lot, right?

But think about it, what kind of people are allowed to enter the Imperial Academy?

Only the most talented geniuses, the kings of the kings of the kings, can come here. And even among these super kings of the...

What kind of learning intensity is this?

Just then, a voice came to Li Qi's ear. "The Imperial Academy is an important place. If you don't have something important to do, do not crowd around. Don't stand at the gate. Leave now. Someone may come to kick you out in a while. If you have something to do, just leave your visiting card at the gatehouse."

Li Qi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a simply dressed teacher walking up behind him, giving him a reminder.

The tone wasn't harsh, but it wasn't particularly familiar either; it was probably just a polite reminder, which was quite friendly.

"Thank you for the reminder, but I'm just here to take a look at this future school and will be leaving soon." Li Qi cupped his hands in thanks for the reminder.

Upon hearing this, the teacher stopped and glanced at Xia Li Qi.

Then he asked, "Future? You're a student who arrived this year? Hmm... what a strange aura. What kind of Cultivation Method do you practice?"

Because of the unique nature of Shaman Path Cultivation Method, they are basically able to blend into nature and do not emit any special aura.

However, the fact that it doesn't emit any aura is itself the biggest oddity, making other Dao Path feel that something is amiss.

"Young man, you are indeed a new student. You came today to see what the school looks like. As for the Cultivation Method ... I'm afraid that's not convenient to talk about," Li Qi replied politely.

"New student, have you completed all the other procedures?" The teacher stopped and asked Li Qi.

"All the procedures have been completed on the terminal; we're just waiting to enroll," Li Qi replied.

The teacher nodded and said, "I see. You should already be enrolled. Although it's still the holidays, many students are still practicing inside. If you want to familiarize yourself with the place in advance, just report to the gatekeeper."

"Thank you for the reminder, Master." Li Qi bowed.

"It's alright. Remember, coming to the Imperial Academy is not your end, but your beginning. Your path has only just begun." The teacher gave this advice and then went inside to attend to his own business.

Li Qi watched the other person leave, pondering the meeting that had just taken place.

This family has a pretty good reputation.

His attitude remained consistent from beginning to end; he was neither humiliated because he was a bystander nor did his attitude change because he was a student of the Imperial Academy.

This master must be the teacher inside, right?

Their cultivation level... is far higher than mine, I can't tell, but judging from the fact that the other party can't recognize my Shaman Path aura, it shouldn't be too high.

Around the fifth rank?

If the teachers are only fifth-rank officials, then the teaching quality of the Imperial Academy seems to be lagging behind that of Wushen Mountain.

After all, the young masters all have their teaching plans personally designed by third-rank teachers, and they receive one-on-one instruction. Occasionally, there may be one-to-many situations, but generally, there will not be more than three people.

So, in terms of cultivating successors, does Wushen Mountain place more emphasis on it?

Not necessarily. It's better to experience it for yourself before drawing conclusions.

I registered at the gatehouse, but there were no staff there; it was all automated. I don't know if it's artificial intelligence or something else...

For some reason... Li Qi always felt that Human Path could perform the operation of refining someone else's soul into a gate, then that wouldn't be artificial intelligence; it would be turning a living person into a gate.

Maybe I'm overthinking it?

After verifying his identity, Li Qi entered.

The world around you changes instantly with just one step inside.

Fortunately, Li Qi was already used to this kind of Technique Method that changed the scene with just one step. He just didn't know the principle behind it. He could learn it in the future. It felt not only cool, but also quite practical.

Did they expand the space inside?

Upon entering, Li Qi could see that the sky above the Imperial Academy was shrouded by a massive array visible to the naked eye. The array's incantations swirled above it, displaying profound mystery and providing both defensive and surveillance capabilities.

Then, what came into view was a row of neatly arranged palaces.

Zhou Butangyu, Dongxi Nanyan.

Its colors are bright and radiant, flowing brilliantly.

The eaves soar and the golden pillars stand in neat rows.

The building is magnificent and its structure is lofty.

This is a very, very striking palace complex, but it is very quiet, almost silent.

Perhaps because it was a holiday, there were very few people walking around. You could only see people passing by occasionally, and you couldn't tell if they were students or teachers.

Li Qi was one of those 'occasionally' people.

However, his purpose was very clear: he took out his name card, read Liu Shenzhi's name, and headed towards the Second Academy of Refiners according to the map navigation on the terminal.

Since I'm lucky enough to have found a classmate in advance, I can contact them and introduce them to the roads and landmarks.

They followed the map all the way to the Second Academy of Refiners.

Liu Shenzhi had been waiting there, was already standing at the door. Upon seeing Li Qi arrive, he immediately waved enthusiastically, "Hey, Brother Li! Over here! Over here!"

At this moment, Liu Shenzhi changed his clothes. He wasn't wearing the previous flashy pink outfit, but it wasn't much different. He was wearing a light green silk robe with a reflective sheen. He still had flowers in his hair, but instead of red peach blossoms, he had changed them to white magnolias. His flamboyance had only increased.

Honestly, it's quite an eyesore, but also very eye-catching.

Li Qi saw him too, but Li Qi was not fond of crowds and was not very lively, so he simply walked forward and quickly interrupted the other person's shouting to avoid attracting attention.

Li Qi stepped forward and quickly said, "Alright, alright, Brother Liu, keep your voice down, don't disturb others."

Liu Shenzhi, who came to pick up Li Qi, laughed and said, "Don't worry, Brother Li, how could we disturb others outside? It's the rest period now. Even if there are still people in the academy, they are most likely in their rooms and won't disturb us."

"Won't the room be disturbing? Is it soundproof?" Li Qi asked curiously.

Liu Shenzhi looked puzzled. "Huh? Why would you ask such a question? The room here is just a door. Oh, there doesn't seem to be any information about the outside. You can think of it this way: all the doors with nameplates in the Imperial Academy are actually hidden worlds. If it's a large classroom, it's a small world inside. There are a total of 1,112 such worlds. When school starts, you'll be given a table to refer to. Different courses will take you to different worlds for on-site teaching."

"So that's how it is..." Li Qi nodded.

Similar to Wushen Mountain, it is just a mountain peak as a gateway, and once inside, there is a hidden world.

Liu Shenzhi put his arm around Li Qi's shoulder. "By the way, Brother Li, why didn't you say you were a new student back then? You only contacted me later, you really kept it from me for so long! Come on, let's talk as we walk. I'll take you to the cafeteria first. Food is the most important thing for people, and for a new student, the cafeteria is definitely the first place to go when visiting the academy!"

On the way here, Li Qi had already talked with Liu Shenzhi for a while, so this cheerful and outgoing guy had started calling Li Qi" brother," even though Li Qi was still a little uncomfortable with it.

However, this enthusiasm was probably not without reason. The Law Treasure that Li Qi gave him seemed to be of great help to his Dao Path, so he seemed to have a good impression of Li Qi.

"Okay, okay, wait a minute, don't pull me away..." Li Qi nodded helplessly and pulled the other person's hand away from his neck.

Officer, I have a wife. Don't flirt like that; it's not a good thing.

Of course, Li Qi would never say this aloud. He simply said, "Brother Liu, just walk properly. What kind of decorum is this, with such unkempt posture?"

"Tch, just like those teachers. Never mind, let's go. It's lunchtime, time to eat. I'll show you the cafeteria, and then I'll take you to visit the various colleges." Liu Shenzhi shook his head, but put his hand away and led the way.

"By the way, Brother Li, where did you come from before you came to the Imperial Academy? How did you get in?" Liu Shenzhi asked Li Qi curiously as they walked.

"Ah, I didn't take the exam; I was directly admitted through special recruitment," Li Qi said.

"Special recruitment? Oh, I get it, you mean that kind, right? There was one like you last year, from a Seventh Rank World. He was personally brought back by the Grand Master of Ceremonies. He was said to have exceptional talent, and was even given the special title of 'Plague Lord'," Liu Shenzhi said eloquently.

"'Plague Lord'? Why was this title bestowed upon you? This name isn't very good, is it?" Li Qi asked again.

"Because the Plague Lord himself attained enlightenment through an unconventional method, his origins are extremely unique, making him a rarity throughout the myriad realms," Liu Shenzhi casually remarked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Li Qi asked, having heard that someone like him had been specially recruited and given such a strange title.

"Oh, I heard that back then, a plague swept through the world of the Plague Lord."

"All the humans, animals, and plants in that world were infected, but you know how life is, life is incredibly resilient. In the fight against this plague, it kept getting stronger and stronger, defeating the disease time and time again."

"But every time, the epidemic will come back, and constantly fighting against the epidemic is the main theme of this world."

"I don't know how many years have passed, maybe several million years. In the end, what was clearly just an unranked world, in the struggle against disease and life, both sides moved forward together, forcibly raising the world's rank to the seventh rank."

"However, after that, the epidemic changed." At this point, Liu Shenzhi paused, looking at Li Qi expectantly.

Li Qi could tell what his expression meant from it.

They're missing a straight man (or a good partner).

So he immediately asked, "What changes have occurred?"

With Li Qi supporting him, Liu Shenzhi continued with satisfaction, "This change is the Plague Lord."

"Those diseases, after undergoing countless evolutions and changes, finally acquired an extremely rare talent, namely 'spiritual wisdom'."

Xia Li Qi.

Intelligent!?

Has the virus developed intelligence?

Looking at Li Qi's expression, Liu Shenzhi said smugly, "That's right, it's Linghui! As we all know, the essence of the epidemic is countless tiny insects. As the saying goes, 'Buddha sees eighty-four thousand insects in a drop of water.' The Buddhist sect has long since realized the essence of the disease."

"However, these insects usually acted solely on instinct, but after this change, they developed a way to communicate with each other, and it was extremely fast, allowing them to communicate without delay even when separated by thousands of miles."

"Look, isn't this talent just like the countless neural connections in our brains?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi immediately understood why he was called the 'Plague Lord'.

Through this communication, countless viruses have created a kind of 'collective intelligence'.

Is this the true form of the Plague Lord?

Such a footwear is no wonder it's considered rare.

At this point, Liu Shenzhi leaned closer to Li Qi: "Now you understand, right? By the way, you and the Plague Lord were specially recruited. Brother Li, what's your background? I imagine you're not more ordinary than the Plague Lord, are you?"

"Uh... well." Li Qi scratched his face.

How should I put it?

I should be able to finish the extra chapter by Saturday, don't worry.