The Immortal Alliance did not yet have anything like "academic journals." But thanks to the Myriad Immortal Mirror, the Myriad Immortal Illusion Realm, with its internet-like functions, had directly replaced every function of paper journals. All papers were collected into the Myriad Immortal Illusion Realm for permanent preservation and made available for everyone to consult.
This also gave the cultivators another way to earn merit points. Every approved literature review paper earned one merit point, while research papers earned three. Research papers would also be specially peer-reviewed by cultivators, who would grant additional merit-point rewards according to the value of the manuscript.
Of course, this did not mean anyone could farm merit points by churning out a heap of shoddy literature reviews. Papers that failed to conform to academic standards, contained logical holes, had unclear citations, or reached absurd conclusions could never be approved. Furthermore, apart from Immortal Academy disciples still in their study period and cultivators who had entered the path less than five years ago, everyone could submit only three summary literature papers per month.
Additionally, once a paper was redeemed by someone else, its author received one merit point as a reward. Every citation of a paper likewise earned one merit point.
The modern Immortal Dao was the scientific community of the Divine Land, while the Immortal Alliance was its largest research institution. This system undoubtedly concentrated resources in the hands of those cultivators skilled at research.
And for Wang Qi...
"This one was worth at least one merit point, you bastard!" Wang Qi said furiously. "Sure enough, after being a rich bastard for so long, you can't understand the pain of the poor anymore?"
"Ahahaha." Su Junyu laughed heartily, scratching the back of his head. The air of an algorithm evolved from the heavens had vanished