Yuanshi's Divine Anomalies, the Dynasty of Ten Thousand Generations

Gao Linzhi didn't meddle in other people's business, which pleased Miss Cheng.

So she Gao Linzhi, "May I ask how I should address you, brother?"

"Just call me Wuming," Gao Linzhi said directly.

"Alright, Brother Wu, please follow me."

Not long after.

Gao Linzhi followed Miss Cheng all the way into the "Daoist Academy".

To Gao Linzhi's surprise, it was located right beneath the entire imperial city.

Beneath the imperial city lies a dense network of sewers.

The Daoist Academy then used these sewers to expand deeper, building its own underground school.

Miss Cheng led Gao Linzhi through a secret entrance into the sewers.

No wonder the other party appeared in the shantytown on the outskirts of the city; it turns out the two sides were originally very close.

Gao Linzhi suddenly found it funny.

The so-called "Daoist Academy" was actually an academy located in the sewers.

He was truly speechless about it.

Is this how Daoist Academy are actually named?

If that's the case, then it's ridiculous.

Of course, when he stepped into the sewer, he found that it was completely different from ordinary sewers.

It's very spacious and clean inside.

This was clearly caused by extraordinary power. Sure enough, after careful observation, he discovered that the walls and the ground were covered with various rune arrays.

The air is fresh, and there are many moss and green plants growing inside, surviving with the dim light of the ever-burning lamps.

This made Gao Linzhi immediately realize that having extraordinary power really made a difference.

In modern cities, many sewer systems do not meet this standard.

It should be said that only a very small number of core areas in a few major cities have sewer systems of this standard.

This is completely different from ordinary dynastic powers.

Gao Linzhi followed the Miss Cheng, walking through the sewers.

Its intricate details are truly like a maze.

In many places, you walk and then the road disappears.

At this point, you need to press a certain switch, but there's still no way forward.

To go back, at one of the corners, start over.

These complexities are virtually impossible for laypeople to perceive unless they are insiders.

Unless violence is used to sabotage.

But the capital city is right above. If you cause trouble down there, your entire family will be ruined.

If this were to cause the collapse of the imperial city, the consequences would be dire.

It can be said that the fact that they established their stronghold under the imperial city was itself a huge protection.

This prevented even the most skilled warriors of the dynasty from using Powerful methods, even if they discovered this place.

They can only be cleared out manually, one by one.

This gives the other party time to move.

Conversely, if it were built on other islands, Gao Linzhi believed that if the imperial court discovered the threat posed by the Daoist Academy, it would likely send in a giant monster directly, or simply sink the island.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Gao Linzhi finally saw an incredibly spacious underground hall.

The hall was very spacious, filled with various buildings, and at first glance, it looked like a large cluster of buildings on a plain.

The ceiling was bright and clear, and the floor was paved with large bluestones.

There are several different rooms in the middle.

The ceiling is also very high, with the dome at least twenty or thirty meters high.

There were very few pillars, and it was unclear how they were supported.

You should know that ancient palaces were built with very densely packed wood because of poor mechanics and the inability to calculate the required amount of wood, so a lot of wood was needed to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, Miss Cheng kept a close eye on Gao Linzhi's expression.

When she noticed that the other person showed neither surprise nor delight, she nodded slightly.

Clearly, Gao Linzhi is undergoing a test.

If Gao Linzhi makes even the slightest move, he will be killed.

Of course, Gao Linzhi also knew that this underground stronghold was most likely not the main location of the Daoist Academy.

This is just a place where the other person shows off their muscles.

It means: Look, we can establish our nest in the heart of the dynasty, what are you afraid of?

To be honest, Gao Linzhi was reminded of Kaifeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, which had a complex underground water system.

Those underground tunnels harbored a large number of criminals, including countless thieves and traffickers.

Even bureaucratic families have repeatedly suffered misfortune.

The situation then is remarkably similar to what I see now.

"Look, this is the core of our Daoist Academy, the Zhengxin Academy."

"If you want to join our Daoist Academy, you must pass the academy's examination."

"Of course, you can also learn a lot about the strange, mysterious, and enigmatic here."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

That was precisely why he came.

Then, Miss Cheng led Gao Linzhi to the window of one of the large rooms.

Through the glass window, Gao Linzhi could see that many people were reading inside the room.

Then, the other party led Gao Linzhi along a road.

At this very moment.

Before the mist had dissipated, the sound of students reciting their lessons could be heard from beneath the green-tiled eaves.

This academy faces south.

Along the central axis, Gao Linzhi saw in sequence a memorial archway, a lecture hall, and a library.

On both sides are the disciples' study rooms, all built of cedar wood.

Over time, the wood grain absorbs the fragrance of pine resin.

In front of the vegetarian restaurant, there is a crescent-shaped pool.

Beside the pool stood a stone tablet inscribed with the three characters "Heart Cleansing Pool".

A few peach blossoms were floating on the water, creating tiny eddies when the wind blew.

Gao Linzhi realized that someone must have brought this from outside.

It's probably a gift for someone you love.

Sure enough, even in this secret place, human nature could not be suppressed.

Sunlight streamed in through the carved window lattice, falling on the glossy black table.

Gao Linzhi noticed that many people had a copy of "Collected Commentaries on the Four Books" on their desks.

The pages were slightly yellowed, and there were faint traces of lamp oil from the previous night on the corners of the paper.

I never imagined that people in this world also read the "Four Books".

To be fair, this thing is fine for being a good person, but it's utterly useless for governing a country or managing affairs.

Those who truly govern and manage affairs are the artisans, the farmers, the merchants, and the Legalists.

Gao Linzhi also noticed that there were indeed many talented people in this academy.

He noticed a boy sitting upright.

He wore a blue robe and cloth shoes, and his hair was tied up in a bun with a bamboo hairpin.

He lightly pressed down on the pages of the book with his left hand, while holding a rabbit-hair brush in his right.

The person gently turned the tip of their brush in the inkstone, and the scent of ink mingled with the fragrance of pine resin.

The birdsong outside the window was melodious, but he paid no heed, his eyes fixed intently on the pages of his book.

Sometimes he would recite in a low voice, and sometimes he would pick up a pen to make annotations.

The annotations were not neat, but they had a spirited quality, as if the author wanted to swallow the wisdom in the book whole.

However, upon closer inspection, Gao Linzhi discovered that the other party was drawing a terrifying portrait.

One teacher, yet this teacher has a thousand tentacles.

Good grief, even Cthulhu Cultivation mode has arrived.

This made Gao Linzhi deeply understand the bizarre nature of the Skyfall Game.

High up in the library, Sunshine streamed in through the carved window frames, falling on the gleaming black desks.

Suddenly, a bell rang out, its deep and resonant sound coming from the top of the library.

The young man put down his pen, looked up at the direction from which the bell tolled, and a clear light flashed between his brows—like the surface of Heart Cleansing Pool, gently illuminated by the Sunshine.

Gao Linzhi sighed softly.

This young man is highly talented.

But it's ruined.

The other party has already been corrupted by the strange entity within this academy.

He could see that.

The other party was completely unaware.

Clearly, this place is dangerous.

It's not that simple.

As Gao Linzhi was looking around, Miss Cheng introduced him to her:

"Look, these are our seeds of reading."

"Our Daoist Academy focuses on cultivating talents who will serve the country and its people. Everyone studies from a young age. Everyone understands the principle that the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important."

Gao Linzhi listened, finding it all rather amusing.

This woman is incredibly arrogant.

Perhaps I've been fooled too.

In a feudal society, the more eloquently these words are spoken, the more likely they are to be considered lies in the end.

It will be the most powerful lie yet.

Moreover, these people lie while ruthlessly oppressing the people.

Because such lies can numb them, making them believe that they are truly working for the people.

Therefore, they felt it was only natural to exploit the people.

Some people will openly say, "Let the common people suffer, and I'll bear the blame."

But Gao Linzhi naturally wouldn't say it.

He could only say that without a change in mindset, these people are incapable of truly serving the people.

Ultimately, everything they do will become work for themselves.

This is the truth of everything.

Gao Linzhi simply asked, "Then how do I get here to learn advanced magic?"

Miss Cheng immediately smiled.

"If you want to study here, that's certainly possible."

"But you must first study the Four Books and Five Classics for three years and learn the principles of being a good person."

"After another five years of meditation and self-examination, and in total, after eight years, one can then learn advanced magical arts."

Gao Linzhi laughed upon hearing this.

"Then, are there any faster learning methods?"

At this moment, Miss Cheng also smiled.

She said, "I'll have to let my senior brother tell you about that."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Enter a room.

Before Gao Linzhi could go inside, another person came out of the house.

That was a young man.

This senior brother looks exactly like Miss Cheng.

It's obviously the other person.

Gao Linzhi smiled again.

The other party really stopped pretending; they simply changed their clothes and came out.

"The Miss Cheng from earlier, she's my junior sister, and I'm her senior brother."

"I see. May I ask how I should address you, sir?"

You can also call me Mr. Cheng.

"Okay, Mr. Cheng."

"How can I skip the eight-year timeframe and directly learn magic?" Gao Linzhi asked directly.

"That's simple. You just need to pay 5 tons of gold, and we can transfer the spot of someone who has already studied the basics for 8 years to your name. You can take their place and learn magic."

"What about the person from before?"

"Of course, let him study for another 8 years."

"Understood."

"Okay, that works."

Gao Linzhi suddenly realized.

After talking about all sorts of things related to the country and its people, in the end, when it comes to getting things done, it all comes down to personnel.

It still comes down to money.

This is the fundamental point.

Gao Linzhi nodded, and he immediately took out five tons of gold from his Game Backpack.

It's actually just a small cube.

One cubic meter contains as much as 19 tons of gold.

"Very good, you're a straightforward person. Come with me now," Mr. Cheng said with a smile.

And at this time...

Suddenly, another notification appeared in the game.

"Ding! Congratulations to a player for triggering a side quest."

"Study at the Daoist Academy."

"The game now opens up the channel for learning magic at the Daoist Academy to everyone."

"You can register with the Daoist Academy through this channel."

"Given that this side quest was discovered by a player, it is very difficult and high-risk."

"Subsequent rewards earned by players through this quest will need to be redeemed by paying gold."

A portion of the gold will be paid to the player who discovered it.

Gao Linzhi was rather pleased to see this.

It seems that games also encourage exploration.

The rule is that as long as you discover a side quest that helps improve your overall strength, you will receive a reward.

Moreover, this reward came from other players.

This game is basically free.

The main reason is that exploring this place is indeed very dangerous.

Strange creatures roam freely, and exploring unfamiliar lands involves enormous risks.

Even with Revival Stone, it's not actually very safe.

After all, once you've been scared out of your wits, you'll still be a madman after you're resurrected.

That's why they offered such generous compensation.

Gao Linzhi was quite satisfied with this.

However, he won't go looking for missions everywhere just because of that.

They make a profit whenever they encounter a mosquito, that's all.

At this time.

Another uproar erupted in the event channel.

"Good heavens, someone actually created a side quest for this so-called Daoist Academy!"

"What exactly is this thing?"

"Clearly, this is an academy that can teach skills."

"That's great, that's exactly what we need – a systematic learning channel."

"That's right, we can't just learn skills haphazardly, or we'll ruin our character."

"But this place sounds very dangerous."

These players are right.

Gao Linzhi quickly realized the danger involved.

After he impersonated someone and arrived at a classroom to study, he saw the danger.

Because his teacher, who taught him magic, turned out to be a monster!

This monster is a wolf.

It walks upright, wears a human skin, but has a terrifying wolf's head!

It's absolutely terrifying to look at.

The students below, however, seemed unfazed.

They sat there quietly, listening to the lesson.

After the Werewolf Teacher entered, he addressed the group:

"Very good, students."

"Today we will learn about the origins of the strange."

"Where did this strange phenomenon come from?"

"What is called strange is not strange at all; it is merely slander by the ignorant."

"They should be called the Divine Anomalies."

Before heaven and earth, there were no Divine Anomalies.

"This appeared entirely to fulfill people's desires."

Long ago, there lived a wise and benevolent emperor.

"That king wanted to Immortality."

"Therefore, heaven and earth bestowed upon the first Divine Anomalies."

"This Divine Anomalies can grant people Immortality; it is called the Yuanshi."

Good heavens, so that's how the term "Yuanshi" came about.

"And this emperor was overjoyed after obtaining the Yuanshi."

He planned to establish an everlasting dynasty, lasting from one generation to ten thousand.

"Because he wanted to enjoy himself, he passed the throne to his descendants."

"He's manipulating things behind the scenes."

"However, the so-called eternal dynasty was overthrown after only three generations."