Celestial Academy

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Celestial Academy (天书院)
Alias(es)	Great Xia Sacred Sect
Affiliation	One of the Seven Great Immortal Sects; the Great Xia Sacred Sect 14 151
Occupation/Role	Cultivation academy that recruits and trains Outer Court and Inner Court disciples
Leader	Sect Master You Yingqiu 342 344
Status	Active 378
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Background / History

The Celestial Academy traces its lineage to the first human sages. According to its tradition, the Heavenly Dao bestowed the Heavenly Tome upon those sages during an age of darkness; they established the academy, and the first sage became its first headmaster 16.

Situated on Mount Ni north of Shengjing, it became the Great Xia Sacred Sect. Great Xia's founding Emperor originated from the academy, and the sect's historical ties to the dynasty give it exceptional standing among both cultivators and mortal officials 14 146.

For over two centuries, the previous Sect Master remained on Mount Ni after reaching the Immortal Approaching Realm, delaying succession among the Five Hall Masters and contributing to perceptions that the academy had stagnated 149. Following the great catastrophe, the old Dean ascended to heaven and You Yingqiu succeeded him as Sect Master 342 344.

Campus and Organization

Mount Ni

The academy occupies Mount Ni, reached by a divine path leading to a towering white-jade gate. Five great halls stand amid the clouds at the summit 14.

The Inner Court is arranged around six peaks:

• Zizai Hall
• Jixiang Hall
• Changsheng Hall
• Buchen Hall
• Wuyu Hall
• Heavenly Tome Hall — the central and tallest peak; residence of the Sect Master and sacred site of the academy 21 148

Courts and Departments

• Outer Court — Receives newly admitted disciples. Students generally have five years before they must advance or leave the academy 58.
• Inner Court — Houses the academy's elite disciples and the Five Sacred Halls. Entry gives a cultivator status comparable to a recognized prodigy of an Immortal Sect 148 164.
• Affairs Management Courtyard — Handles discipline, dispatches, external reports, and institutional affairs. Its three stewards include Qin Rong, Lang Hetong, and Ji Jingyao 29 189.
• Instructor's Courtyard — Oversees teaching and recruitment. Eight Outer Court Instructors preside over the admission ceremony 14.
• Sect Affairs Department — Allows some former Outer Court disciples to remain as itinerant personnel or recruitment assistants after their normal term ends 58.

Major Locations

• Dao Comprehension Ground — Outer Court site where disciples observe the Heavenly Dao and attempt to sense the Heavenly Tome 16 17.
• Sword Testing Forest — Martial training ground used for sword, spear, and other weapon practice 16 18.
• Ascending Immortal White Jade Platform — Venue for admissions, public challenges, tournaments, and disciple competitions 14 209.
• Heavenly Tome Hall — A white sacred hall decorated with the history of humanity and the Seven Sages' enlightenment; it is closely associated with the Heavenly Tome 149.

Teachings and Cultivation

Heavenly Tome

The Heavenly Tome is the Celestial Academy's Heavenly Dao Sacred Artifact 105. Disciples who establish a connection with it are believed to establish a connection with the Heavenly Dao itself, greatly improving their cultivation efficiency 16.

• A successful connection begins with a fleeting glimmer of light that guides a disciple toward the Heavenly Dao 18.
• Sensing the Tome is not formally required for Inner Court entry, but no exception to this pattern had been recorded for thousands of years 164.
• The artifact's true location and nature remained unknown to ordinary disciples for generations 16.
• The Sect Master is traditionally believed to be the only person capable of wielding it; Ji You later proves capable of summoning and controlling it as well 377 378.

Heavenly Secrets Art

The Heavenly Secrets Art is the academy's foundational supreme art, intended to discern the connections between people, the Great Dao, and heavenly secrets 247.

• It requires at least the Heavenly Response Realm to cultivate properly 247.
• It is exceptionally difficult; You Yingqiu was the only Hall Master known to possess meaningful mastery before becoming Sect Master 247 326.
• Even its practitioners cannot truly divine the Heavenly Dao itself; attempting to do so reveals only boundless darkness 326.

Dao and Martial Cultivation

The academy primarily values pure Dao cultivation and sorcery, while Martial Dao is widely treated as an inferior or unconventional route 15 209.

• Pure Dao cultivators employ arts such as All Laws Adorned, which apply comprehension of laws directly in combat 118 191.
• Martial cultivation remains available through facilities such as the Sword Testing Forest, though dual cultivation is often regarded with skepticism 15 18.
• Ji You's body refinement and sword cultivation repeatedly challenge the academy's preference for pure Dao cultivators 144 209.

Admission and Advancement

Stage	Requirements / Significance
Outer Court admission	New disciples are awarded plaques by Outer Court Instructors and receive lectures from the Five Hall Masters on doctrine and academy rules 14.
Heavenly Tome sensing	A major mark of aptitude that normally foreshadows Inner Court admission 17 164.
Inner Court admission	Marks a disciple as an elite cultivator; selection is influenced by talent, cultivation, and internal hall interests 149.
Direct disciple selection	Hall Masters select direct disciples, though family ties and factional interests can take precedence over merit 149.

The academy also maintains affiliated smaller sects and immortal villas across the realm, which can receive disciples who fail to advance within the academy proper 20.

Relationships

• Great Xia Dynasty — The academy is Great Xia's Sacred Sect; its founding Emperor was a former disciple, though academy officials generally avoid close involvement with mortal administration 146 189.
• Spirit Sword Mountain — A major rival. Their disciples jointly besieged Celestial Academy disciples with the Dao Seeking Sect in the Qiling Ruins, and later defeated two academy representatives during the Dao Seeking competition 58 119.
• Dao Seeking Sect — Participated in the Qiling Ruins attack and later joined other Immortal Sects in pressuring the academy over Ji You 58 311.
• Pill Sect — Sent gratitude to the academy for Ji You's actions during the Qiling Ruins incident, helping prevent his proposed expulsion 82.
• Ji You — Initially an Outer Court rogue cultivator recruited by Cao Jinsong; he became a central figure in restoring the academy's prestige, won the Heavenly Dao Gathering's Profound Connection Realm division, and later gained the ability to wield the Heavenly Tome 7 133 246 378.

Major Incidents

• Ji You's admission — Cao Jinsong recruits Ji You after revealing him as a newly accepted Celestial Academy student to deter Fengxian Mountain Villa 7.
• Heavenly Tome phenomenon — Ji You senses the Heavenly Tome for three quarters of an hour, drawing the personal attention of Inner Court Hall Masters Zuo Qiuyang and You Yingqiu 21.
• Qiling Ruins deployment — The academy dispatches Outer Court disciples to investigate and seal ruins connected to Evil Seeds, despite Cao Jinsong's objections to Ji You's inclusion 39.
• Qiling Ruins siege — Celestial Academy disciples are attacked by Spirit Sword Mountain and Dao Seeking Sect cultivators while competing for resources in the ruins 58.
• Dao Seeking competition — He Lingxiu and You Buyu suffer defeats at Spirit Sword Mountain, damaging the academy's public prestige; Ji You's later breakthrough of the sword forest preserves its remaining honor 119 133.
• Heavenly Dao Gathering — The academy's overall performance is considered mediocre, but Ji You wins the top rank in the Profound Connection Realm after five victories 246 248.
• Protection of Ji You — When five major Immortal Sects pressure the academy after Ji You kills five Boundless Realm cultivators at Pill Mountain, Hall Master Zuo orders protection for Ji You's family and associates 311.
• Succession crisis — The old Dean ascends amid world-wide disasters, and You Yingqiu becomes the new Sect Master 342.
• Heavenly Tome awakening — Ji You summons the Heavenly Tome from Celestial Tome Peak, causing widespread alarm among instructors and disciples 377 378.