Dao Academy

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Dao Academy
Original Name	道院
Type	Cultivation academy
Occupation/Role	Provides cultivation education, specialist training, assessments, resources, and instructor positions
Status	Active
First Appearance	7

Education and Training

Dao Academies train cultivators from childhood onward. At the Lingxia Sect's Dao Academy, students take cultivation theory in the morning and practical classes in the afternoon under instructors such as Inner Disciple Liu Yan. 8 9

• Theory classes include Introduction to Cultivation, Qi Sense Assessment, and methods for activating Spiritual Acupoints. 10
• Practical classes allow students to pursue techniques, cultivation arts, puppetry, medicinal-herb study, spirit beasts, and other disciplines; the academy provides dedicated practice spaces. 10
• Students who have activated Spiritual Acupoints may select cultivation techniques, though additional techniques require payment in Spirit Stones according to their grade. 10 13
• Technique grades are divided into Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow Orders; Yellow Order is further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. 13

Facilities and Resources

The Lingxia Sect's Dao Academy places its teaching facilities and Outer Sect Disciples on its western side, where a Tier 1 Spirit Vein branches from a Tier 2 vein. Its antique buildings are arranged amid water and vegetation. 7

Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's Qingyun Immortal City branch is built against Pure Yang Peak and includes an Earth Fire lake secured by sealing arrays. 156

• Cultivation residences — New disciples receive furnished cave residences formed from Tier 2 spatial crystals and inscribed with Spirit Gathering Formations. Standard residences may offer Fire and Wood spiritual energy, while superior residences provide four attributes. 156
• Earth Fire workshops — Northern-district workshops use an Earth Fire vein for Artifact Crafting and alchemy. Disciples may rent furnaces for their work. 161
• Dining halls — Academy dining halls sell spirit food, including Spirit Porridge, Spirit Chicken Eggs, and Meat Buns. 162
• Affairs Hall — Handles academy missions and Dao Point rewards. 162
• Scripture Pavilion and Sword Forest — Preserve cultivation methods, sword arts, and treasure swords left behind by previous Technique Masters and disciples. 196 202
• Refined dwellings — Specialized teaching spaces are divided by disciplines such as alchemy, Artifact Crafting, formations, and runes. 232

Dao Points and Benefits

Dao Academies issue missions that reward Dao Points, which may be exchanged for cultivation resources including Foundation Establishment Pills and high-grade cultivation arts. 162

Benefit	Details
Residence payment	Zhou Ling's initial residence costs thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones per month, or three Dao Points. 162
Foundation Establishment Seed token	Grants discounts on meals and materials, plus fifty Dao Points monthly. 164
Competition rewards	Inner Academy competition rewards can include an Earth-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, High-grade Spirit Stones, free refined-dwelling residence, and Dao Points. 212
Instructor position	A Dao Academy instructor may remain at the academy for life and gain access to further resources. 212

Student Advancement

At Xuanyuan Daoist Academy, Outer Sect Disciples generally have six years to achieve Foundation Establishment. Those who succeed during this period become Inner Disciples; those who do not must leave the academy. 154 158

Foundation Establishment Seeds

Foundation Establishment Seed status is awarded through a selection assessment. Successful candidates receive monthly cultivation resources and accommodation suited to their circumstances. 154

The academy's Foundation Establishment Test evaluates a disciple's prospects before their breakthrough. It distinguishes ordinary Foundation Establishment from the far more demanding Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment. 158

Zhou Ling became the twelfth Outer Academy disciple to achieve Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment at Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's Qingyun branch over its two-thousand-year history. 195

Known Great Daoist Academies

Academy	Noted specialization or distinction
Tianxia Daoist Academy	Described as the Dao Alliance's foremost Dao Academy; four of the Dao Alliance's nine great Dao Divisions originated from it. 115
Xuanyuan Daoist Academy	Focuses on Technique Masters, particularly alchemy and inscriptions; it possesses two eighth-grade Technicians. 115
Nine Heavens Sword Academy	Specializes in sword cultivators; Seventh-Grade sword cultivator Chen Qi'an originated from the academy. 115
Flying Dragon Battle Academy	Primarily trains disciples for opening and developing new realms. 115 148
Butian Daoist Academy	One of the Six Great Daoist Academies represented at the main academy competition. 333
Kunyang Daoist Academy	One of the Six Great Daoist Academies represented at the main academy competition. 333

Xuanyuan Daoist Academy

Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's main campus is located in Qingyang Immortal City. Outer Sect Disciples first cultivate at its Qingyun Immortal City branch; only Inner Disciples may advance to the main campus. 115

The academy's precept is:

“Xuanyuan began; seek the Dao and question the heavens.” 158

Its Cloudy Sky Plaza features four symbols representing the major technical disciplines: an ancient cauldron for alchemy, an array plate for formations, a jade sword for artifacts, and a Rune for rune arts. 158

The academy places significant value on both technical mastery and combat strength. As Tianxia Daoist Academy surpassed it in several technical fields, Xuanyuan increasingly encouraged its disciples to improve their fighting ability and offered substantial rewards for strong competitive results. 207

Competitions

Four Great Daoist Academies Competition

The Four Great Daoist Academies competition sends eight Inner Academy disciples from each participating academy. First-round opponents are selected by drawing lots, and disciples do not face members of their own academy in that round. 254

The competition serves as both a contest of strength and a means for academies to earn resources and prestige. Xuanyuan's competitors are primarily Technique Masters, while other academies often field disciples with stronger practical-combat cultivation. 254

Grand Academy Competition

The Grand Academy Competition is held among academies from different Immortal Cities and includes both Inner Academy disciple matches and instructor matches. 302

Its results affect an Immortal City's evaluation: city grades depend in part on the performance and grade of their representative Dao Academy. 302

Instructors and Disciples

Dao Academies rely on instructors to provide specialized guidance, which can prevent disciples from taking inefficient or mistaken cultivation paths. 160

• Liu Yan — Lingxia Sect Dao Academy Inner Disciple who teaches the children's class. 8 9
• Hu — Instructor of Jia Third Dormitory at Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's Qingyun branch; guides Zhou Ling and Wang Xin after their enrollment. 156
• Zhong Yuan — Dean of Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's Qingyun branch. 158
• Zhang Yi — Daoist Academy supervisor responsible for Foundation Establishment testing. 158
• Zi Ling — Instructor and Zhou Ling's master; later oversees parts of his Dao Academy assignment. 194 234
• Zhou Ling — Became an Outer Academy Instructor after achieving Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment and demonstrating third-tier Artifact Crafting ability. 227 232

Trivia

• More than four hundred disciples entered Xuanyuan Daoist Academy's Qingyun branch in Zhou Ling's cohort, divided into roughly twelve Study Halls; only eight held Foundation Establishment Seed status. 156
• The academy's Sword Forest contains several thousand Second-Tier and Third-Order swords, many left behind by former Technique Masters and graduates. 196
• Dao Academy living conditions are considered safe enough that Zhou Ling does not expect to encounter Foundation Establishment cultivators in daily academy life. 162