Deep within Myriad Dao Academy lay no golden halls or jade towers, but a wondrous space naturally interwoven from Chaos Qi Flow and boundless Literary Qi.
Wanhua's true body sat quietly there, seeming to merge with the entire Academy grounds.
His eyes were not fixed upon reality, but reflected all that lay within and beyond the Academy, especially the myriad states of All Beings before the three trials of "Clear Heart, See Nature."
This was not mere sight, but the supreme Wisdom Eye of a Primordial Chaos Sage, capable of seeing through falsehood and reaching the source, observing fortune, discerning temperament, and distinguishing truth from deceit.
Within his "vision," the truest radiance buried deep in the souls of every living being standing before the "Dao Seeking Stele" had nowhere to hide.
He saw those who sincerely sought the Dao. Like Xuanjizi and Elder Teng in the beginning, deep within their souls burned Lights of Seeking Dao, whether faint or blazing, yet pure and resilient.
As they passed the three trials, this light resonated with the inscriptions, the steps, and the pool water, growing ever more brilliant.
These lights came in different colors and forms, representing their respective natures and potential. They were the true foundation the Academy needed.
He also saw those Dark Scale Guards from the Dragon Palace. Their soul light was wrapped in a cold disguise bearing the mark of the Dragon Race. Though they did their utmost to imitate sincerity, they could not conceal the calculation and mission at their core.
They were like pearls wrapped around grains of sand—smooth on the surface, utterly different within.
The Qingyu Luan Bird Maiden's soul light was clear and bright, yet carried a trace of detachment. At its core was entwined a nearly imperceptible Karma Thread from the demon race, revealing that she was not entirely acting of her own will.
He saw even more practitioners of the Demonic Dao, whose soul lights were either murky beyond measure or twisted into strange forms, radiating unpleasant hostility and malice.
They were utterly incompatible with the righteous and peaceful Literary Radiance Dao Charm within the Academy, like filthy water seeking to flow into a clear spring, naturally provoking fierce rejection from the three trials.
There were also some whose soul lights were complex and obscure, mixed with greed, opportunism, fear, confusion, and many other colors. Their hearts that sought the Dao were impure, and their wills wavered.
Even if such beings were fortunate enough to pass one or two trials, they would find it difficult to travel far upon the Dao path. They might even become unstable factors within the Academy.
"Education for All does not mean harboring filth. Though the mountain gates stand wide open, filth must still be removed and purity retained."
With a slight movement of Wanhua's thoughts, invisible saintly power began to intervene in this vast selection.
Examining Every Detail, Guiding According to Circumstances
For those Dragon Palace Dark Scale Guards, Wanhua's Wisdom Eye locked onto the discordant glimmer of their souls and the fluctuations of the strange treasure that simulated sincerity.
When the Dark Scale Guard leader wielding the strange treasure caused the Clear Light before the "Dao Seeking Stele" to flicker unstably, Wanhua did not expose or expel him directly.
With a shift of his intent, the Clear Light upon the "Dao Seeking Stele" abruptly turned searing and piercing.
Like the blazing sun melting snow, it instantly penetrated the strange treasure's disguise and directly illuminated the cold loyalty and calculation at the core of his soul.
"Pfft..."
The Dark Scale Guard leader seemed to have suffered a heavy blow. His face turned pale, and he grunted as he staggered back several steps. The strange treasure's glow also dimmed, clearly damaged. The Clear Light of the inscription extinguished completely, carrying obvious rejection.
Horrified, he knew he had been seen through. He did not dare try again, and quickly lowered his head to blend into the crowd, transmitting the situation back to the Dragon Palace through a secret technique.
The other Dark Scale Guards met similar fates and all failed, but upon their bodies—
Wanhua had quietly planted a more concealed Literary Qi Mark, like an invisible thread tied around them.
Wanhua's treatment of the Qingyu Luan Bird Maiden was far gentler.
He saw that her nature was not bad; she merely bore her clan's mission. When she passed the "Dao Seeking Stele" and stepped onto the "Willpower Forging Steps," Wanhua quietly stirred the Dao Charm of the stairs.
He made the pressure she endured lean slightly toward a test of choosing between "loyalty" and "self."
The maiden struggled along the steps, her heart locked in intense conflict. In the end, her desire to uncover the truth slightly outweighed her absolute obedience to her mission, allowing her to barely pass.
Beside the demon race Karma Thread in her soul, Wanhua left behind a nearly undetectable wisp of Literary Qi. It was both a mark and an opportunity that might one day enlighten her into truly achieving Clear Heart, See Nature.
Thunderous Methods, Cleansing Filth
Wanhua showed no courtesy whatsoever toward those with deep Demonic Thoughts and malicious intentions.
When another demonic cultivator who attempted to conceal his Blood Fiend Energy with a secret technique approached the "Dao Seeking Stele."
Not only did the inscription fail to light up, it instead erupted with a pure, blazing white radiance. Like the Sword of Judgment, it cleaved directly into his Sea of Consciousness!
"Ah—!" The demonic cultivator let out a shrill scream and collapsed to the ground clutching his head. The black qi around him scattered, and this single strike actually stripped away thirty percent of his cultivation, while his soul suffered severe damage.
Without several centuries of arduous cultivation, he would find it difficult to recover. This thunderous method immediately left some nearby people with similarly sinister intentions silent as cicadas, and they quietly withdrew from the crowd.
More than that, a demonic creature skilled in arts of beguilement attempted to influence the minds of the other Dao seekers and create chaos.
Yet the moment its spell was cast, the omnipresent Literary Qi Dao Charm silently dissolved it. A force of backlash instead traced the spell's marks back to its source.
It directly shattered its century of cultivation, forcing it to reveal part of its true form on the spot before it fled in humiliation.
Sifting Gold from Sand, Selecting the Worthy
While removing these impurities, Wanhua's Wisdom Eye focused even more intently on sifting gold from sand, seeking those truly worth cultivating.
He noticed a taciturn Spirit of Metal and Stone whose soul light was heavy and steadfast.
When it passed the "Willpower Forging Steps," it took one firm step after another. Though slow, it was unshakably steady, displaying exceptional perseverance and temperament. Though it was not skilled with words, it secretly accorded with the principle of being slow to speak yet swift to act.
He discovered a Spirit of Radiant Wisdom that had attained the Dao from an innate wisp of Wisdom Light. Its soul light was clear and flawless.
It possessed a natural affinity and comprehension for Dao principles. Before the "Heart Cleansing Pool," it almost instantly perceived its true nature in pursuing "wisdom," revealing extraordinary potential.
He also took note of a Rogue Cultivator who had traveled across the Primordial Era and gained broad experience. Its soul light bore the marks of wind and frost.
Yet it also possessed the insight and reason tempered by worldly affairs. Though its temperament was not as pure as Xuanjizi's, it held greater inclusiveness and practicality.
For these promising talents, Wanhua either slightly adjusted the focus of the three trials so they could better display their own traits;
Or, after they passed the trials, he secretly used pure Literary Qi to help stabilize their newly formed Literary Hearts;
He even gave them a trace of unique Dao Charm guidance while they listened to lectures, helping them more quickly find the direction of the Confucian Dao that suited them.
A Distinction Between Inner and Outer, Order Taking Shape
After this meticulous selection, around twenty to thirty individuals ultimately passed the three trials of "Clear Heart, See Nature," entered the Academy's Outer Academy, and became Registered Disciples.
Among them were those as pure and resolute as Xuanjizi, and those as inherently Benevolent Generosity as Elder Teng.
There were also those like the Spirit of Metal and Stone, the Spirit of Radiant Wisdom, and the traveling Rogue Cultivator, each possessing distinct traits and considerable potential. Though their numbers were far fewer than the All Beings gathered outside, their quality was assured.
As for those who failed to pass but had committed no great evil, Wanhua did not bar them entirely.
He drew upon the Literary Qi around the Academy's perimeter, forming an "Enlightenment Zone." Literary Radiance shone throughout it, and Dao Charm permeated the air. Though not as pure as that of the Inner Academy, it was still enough to allow these beings to comprehend Dao principles and cleanse the dust from their hearts.
He also made it clear that once their temperaments improved, they could return and try again.
Those exposed spies and punished evildoers retreated in disgrace, carrying word of the Academy's unfathomable depths and strict rules back to the powers behind them.
Thus, the first large-scale selection since Myriad Dao Academy opened quietly came to an end.
Relying on the supreme Wisdom Eye of a Primordial Chaos Sage and his precise grasp of the spirit of the Confucian Dao, Wanhua, amid the mixed torrent of Dao seekers,
Successfully identified and selected the first batch of disciples who truly matched the Academy's ideals and possessed the potential to inherit the Firewood of Inheritance of the Confucian Dao.
Order had begun to take shape within and beyond the Academy.
Inner Academy disciples devoted themselves to cultivation, Outer Academy Registered Disciples strove diligently in their studies, and many beings sat in meditation throughout the outer Enlightenment Zone.
A vigorous, upward-rising vitality began to take root and grow within this Pure Land of Literary Radiance.
Wanhua knew this was only the beginning. These selected disciples still needed longer periods of cultivation and tempering before they could truly become pillars of the Confucian Dao.
And the storms of the outside world would never cease because of this.
Yet his gaze had already turned toward a more distant future. These seeds selected by his Wisdom Eye would surely bloom with the resplendent radiance of the Confucian Dao across the Primordial World.
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