Screening Disciples, Identifying Gems with Wisdom Eye

Deep within the Myriad Dao Academy, there are no golden halls or jade towers, but rather a profound space naturally woven from Chaos Qi Flow and boundless literary qi.

The true form of Wanhua sits quietly here, his body seemingly merged with the entire academy dojo.

His eyes are not fixed on reality, but are reflecting the myriad states of all beings inside and outside the academy, especially those before the three trials of "Clear Heart, See Nature."

This is no simple vision, but the supreme Wisdom Eye of a Primordial Chaos Sage, capable of piercing through illusions to strike directly at the source, observing destiny, examining character, and distinguishing truth from falsehood.

In his "field of vision," the most authentic radiance within the depths of the soul of every creature standing before the Dao Seeking Stele cannot be hidden.

He sees those who truly seek the Dao, like the original Xuanjizi and Elder Teng, with a Light of Seeking Dao burning deep within their souls—sometimes faint, sometimes blazing, but always pure and resilient.

As they pass through the three trials, this light resonates with the stele inscriptions, the steps, and the pool water, becoming increasingly brilliant.

These lights, varying in color and form, represent their respective natures and potential; they are the foundation the academy truly requires.

He also sees those Dark Scale Guards from the Dragon Palace, their soul light wrapped in a cold disguise bearing the mark of the Dragon Race; though they strive to simulate sincerity, they cannot hide the calculation and mission at their core.

Like pearls wrapped in grit, they appear smooth on the surface, but their insides are entirely different.

The maiden of the Qingyu Luan Bird clan has a soul light that is clear yet carries a trace of detachment, with an almost imperceptible Karma Thread from the Demon Race coiled at its core, indicating she is not entirely autonomous.

He sees even more of those from the Demonic Dao, their soul light either turbid and unbearable or manifesting in twisted, eerie shapes, exuding unpleasant baleful energy and malice.

They are incompatible with the upright and peaceful Literary Radiance Dao Charm of the academy, like sewage attempting to merge into a clear spring, naturally triggering the intense rejection of the three trials.

There are others whose soul light is complex and obscure, mixed with greed, opportunism, fear, confusion, and various other colors; their hearts for seeking the Dao are impure, and their wills are wavering.

Such beings, even if they manage to pass one or two trials by luck, will find it difficult to go far on the path of the Dao and may even become destabilizing factors for the academy.

"Education for All does not mean harboring filth. Opening the mountain gates wide also requires removing the dross to retain the pure."

Wanhua's thoughts stirred, and the invisible power of a Sage had already begun to intervene in this vast screening process.

Observing with keen insight, guiding according to the situation.

For those few Dark Scale Guards from the Dragon Palace, Wanhua's Wisdom Eye locked onto the discordant soul radiance and the fluctuations of the Mystical Treasure they used to simulate sincerity.

When the leader of the Dark Scale Guards, who was using the Mystical Treasure, caused the clear light before the Dao Seeking Stele to flicker, Wanhua did not directly expose or expel him.

With a slight movement of his mind, the clear light on the Dao Seeking Stele suddenly became scorching and penetrating.

Like a blazing sun melting snow, it instantly pierced through the disguise of the Mystical Treasure, directly illuminating the cold loyalty and calculation at the core of his soul.

"Pfft..."

The leader of the Dark Scale Guards was struck as if by a heavy blow; his face turned pale, he groaned, and he retreated several steps. The Mystical Treasure's light dimmed, clearly damaged. The clear light of the stele extinguished completely, carrying an obvious sense of rejection.

He was horrified, knowing he had been discovered, and dared not try again. He quickly lowered his head and blended into the crowd, transmitting the situation back to the Dragon Palace via secret arts.

The remaining Dark Scale Guards encountered similar situations and all ended in failure, but on their bodies...

Wanhua had already quietly planted a more concealed Literary Qi Mark, like tying an invisible thread.

As for the Qingyu Luan Bird maiden, Wanhua's handling was much gentler.

He saw that this girl was not evil by nature, but merely burdened by clan orders. When she passed the Dao Seeking Stele and stepped onto the Willpower Forging Steps, Wanhua quietly stirred the Dao Charm of the stairs.

He caused the pressure she bore to lean slightly toward the test of choosing between "loyalty" and "self."

The girl struggled on the steps, her heart in turmoil. In the end, her desire to explore the truth slightly outweighed her absolute obedience to her mission, and she barely passed.

Beside the thread of demonic karma in her soul, Wanhua left a trace of literary qi that was impossible to perceive—it was both a mark and a potential opportunity for her to truly achieve a clear heart and see her nature in the future.

Thunderous means, cleansing the filth.

For those with heavy demonic thoughts and ulterior motives, Wanhua showed no mercy.

When another demonic cultivator, attempting to hide his Blood Fiend Energy with secret arts, approached the Dao Seeking Stele...

The stele did not light up; instead, it suddenly erupted with a pure, scorching white light, like a Sword of Judgment, striking directly into his Sea of Consciousness!

"Ah--!" The demonic cultivator let out a shrill scream, clutched his head, and fell to the ground. The black energy around his body dissipated, his cultivation was slashed by thirty percent, and his soul was severely damaged.

It would be impossible to recover without hundreds of years of bitter cultivation. This thunderous display immediately made others in the crowd with similar ill intentions tremble in fear, and they quietly withdrew from the crowd.

Even worse, an evil being skilled in bewitchment attempted to influence the minds of other seekers to create chaos.

However, the moment his spell was cast, it was silently dissolved by the omnipresent literary qi and Dao Charm. Instead, a backlash force traced the path of his spell back to its source.

It directly shattered his century of cultivation, forcing him to reveal part of his true form on the spot, and he fled in a sorry state.

Sifting gold from sand, selecting the talented.

While weeding out these impurities, Wanhua's Wisdom Eye focused more on sifting gold from sand, searching for those truly worthy of cultivation.

He noticed a taciturn Spirit of Metal and Stone whose soul light was heavy and firm.

When passing the Willpower Forging Steps, he took it one step at a time; though slow, he was steady and unshakeable, revealing excellent perseverance and character. Though he was not good with words, he secretly aligned with the principle of "being slow to speak but quick to act."

He discovered a sprite who had attained the Dao through a strand of innate "wisdom light," its soul light clear and transparent.

It had a natural affinity and comprehension for principles, and before the Heart Cleansing Pool, it almost instantly saw its own true nature in the pursuit of "wisdom," showing extraordinary potential.

He also noticed a Rogue Cultivator who had traveled through the primordial world and was widely experienced; his soul light carried the traces of wind and frost.

Yet, he also possessed the thoroughness and reasonableness tempered by worldly affairs. Although his character was not as pure as Xuanjizi's, he was more inclusive and practical.

For these talented individuals, Wanhua either slightly adjusted the focus of the three trials to allow them to better showcase their unique traits;

Or, after they passed the trials, he would use pure literary qi to secretly help them stabilize their nascent Literary Heart.

He would even provide a trace of unique Dao rhyme to guide them while they listened to his lectures, helping them find the Confucian Dao path best suited to them more quickly.

Distinctions between inner and outer were made, and order was initially established.

After this meticulous screening process, about twenty or thirty individuals finally succeeded in passing the three trials of Clear Heart, See Nature, gaining entry into the Outer Academy of the academy to become Registered Disciples.

Among them were those with pure and steadfast characters like Xuanjizi, and those with benevolent and generous natures like Elder Teng.

There were also those with unique characteristics and impressive potential, such as the Spirit of Metal and Stone, the Spirit of Radiant Wisdom, and various Rogue Cultivators who had traveled far and wide. Although their number was far less than the masses gathered on the periphery, their quality was guaranteed.

As for those who failed but harbored no great malice, Wanhua did not turn them away entirely.

He channeled the literary qi from the academy's perimeter to form an Enlightenment Zone, where the light of literary radiance shone and Dao rhymes permeated the air; though not as pure as the Inner Academy, it was sufficient for these beings to perceive principles and cleanse their hearts of dust.

He also made it clear that they could return to try again once their character had improved.

As for the spies who were exposed and the evildoers who were punished, they retreated in disgrace, carrying word of the academy's unfathomable depth and strict rules back to the powers they served.

With this, the first large-scale screening since the opening of Myriad Dao Academy quietly came to an end.

Relying on the supreme Wisdom Eye of a Primordial Chaos Sage and his precise grasp of the spirit of Confucian Dao, Wanhua had navigated the chaotic torrent of seekers.

He successfully identified and selected the first batch of disciples who truly aligned with the academy's philosophy and possessed the potential to carry on the torch of Confucian Dao.

Inside and outside the academy, order was initially established.

Inner Academy disciples practiced with focus, Outer Academy Registered Disciples studied diligently, and many beings sat in contemplation within the peripheral Enlightenment Zone.

A vigorous, upward vitality began to gestate and grow within this Pure Land of Literary Radiance.

Wanhua knew that this was only the beginning. These selected disciples would still need a long period of practice and tempering before they could truly become pillars of Confucian Dao.

And the storms of the outside world would certainly not cease because of this.

But his gaze was already cast toward a more distant future; these seeds, chosen by his discerning Wisdom Eye, would surely bloom with the brilliant radiance of Confucian Dao across this Primordial World.