Behind Talent Academy, two cave dwellings had been carved out in each of the four directions—east, west, south, and north.
Small hills over a dozen zhang tall rose and fell in succession, their ancient canopies blotting out the sky as they swayed in the wind. A clear, spiritual breeze curled through heaven and earth in every direction.
Though the various academies of Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies possessed differing resources, the spiritual grounds where disciples cultivated were more or less the same. Without a personal subsidy from a seal-bearing master, most disciples could only cultivate step by step.
With so many disciples, how difficult was it to stand out from the crowd? The competition was exceedingly fierce. Only by coming out on top in the various monthly examinations and Dharma assemblies might one perhaps draw a Dao Academy's attention.
Xu Yan pondered inwardly.
These cave dwellings were all empty. Talent Academy had been established for barely a century and had only accepted a dozen or so disciples. Each had their own strengths and all followed the Mystic Gate path. Wang Heng and the others resided in the halls atop the peak, handling all manner of daily affairs.
Though there were few disciples, the benefit was that they would not be driven down the mountain.
The Upper Three Academies held not only monthly examinations, but seasonal examinations as well. If one's cultivation fell even a notch behind others, one would most likely be transferred down to another Dao Academy.
Activating the Edict Script, Xu Yan briefly sensed his surroundings.
After observing the feng shui and terrain, the cave dwelling facing south from the due north was undoubtedly the best. Xu Yan stepped on Mystic Qi and flew over.
He landed steadily before the cave dwelling's entrance.
This cave dwelling had been carved into a small hill fifteen zhang high. Before its door was a little courtyard, full of flowers and grasses that overflowed with spiritual radiance. At the foot of the mountain, a tiny stream flowed murmuringly. It was tranquil and pleasant.
"Tairan..."
Two characters had been carved in Edict Script a zhang above the cave dwelling's door, carrying the meaning: "remain calm in the face of all things."
Xu Yan thought that he had indeed come to the right Dao Academy. Even the names of the disciples' cave dwellings here were engraved in Edict Script. That Master Gongsun must have attained profound mastery in this path.
Xu Yan took out his command token and extended his divine sense into it.
In an instant, the Spirit Protection Array shrouding the entire cave dwelling faintly manifested itself. Array patterns flowed through the air, and Xu Yan was now permitted to enter.
The Spirit Protection Array, along with the Spirit-Devouring Grand Array engraved within the Heavenly Pivot Treasure Vase, were all "spirit" arrays passed down since ancient times. Though they were the most basic of arrays, they had been tested and refined by generations of array masters and were the most universally applicable arrays.
The cave dwelling's interior was fairly spacious.
It stood about five zhang high and twenty zhang wide, with a main hall and two inner chambers.
Every necessary facility was present.
Xu Yan tidied it up a little, then took many ancient items out from his Qiankun Bag.
"Candle Breath Cauldron. This can be used for alchemy from now on."
Boom!
With a flick of his finger, Xu Yan placed the three-legged pill cauldron he had brought from the Immortal Treasury Ancient Temple in the center of the main hall. He also took out the Manifest Sage Method and the Taiyi Alchemy Book, placing them to one side.
Most important of all was the Heavenly Pivot Treasure Vase.
Xu Yan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in an inner chamber and took the treasure vase out from his sleeve.
It was still wrapped in the Miaoyuan Edict, as light as a swan's feather.
With a shake, Xu Yan removed the flawless Embryonic Pill inside and stored it in a separate jade-green bottle. Then, with a slight furrow in his brow, he held this vase in his hand and examined it carefully.
"The Spirit-Devouring Grand Array—this array's power lies far beyond the Foundation Establishment Path."
Xu Yan's divine sense slowly entered it.
Its interior was like a small world. Dense array patterns linked together, as though communicating with the Mystic Gate of heaven and earth.
Arrays laid down by cultivators and Daoists of different realms varied vastly in power. An array set by an ordinary Pulse Opening cultivator could not be mentioned in the same breath as one set by a Purple Mansion Daoist.
Take this Spirit-Devouring Grand Array, for example. Upon studying it, Xu Yan discovered that it possessed nine array cores!
Ordinary Spirit-Devouring Grand Arrays only had one. Even Spirit-Devouring Arrays laid down by Purple Mansion Daoists generally had only one array core.
"This is no ordinary Spirit-Devouring Array. It secretly accords with the numbers of heaven, earth, and the Book of Changes. It is exceedingly complex."
After studying it for a while, Xu Yan found that it could absorb the vital energies of heaven and earth on its own, but extremely slowly. If he used a thread of Mystic Qi to activate an array core, however, its absorption speed would become incredibly fast.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Yan gently placed the Heavenly Pivot Treasure Vase on the ground.
Then, with a thought, the Miaoyuan Edict instantly returned to his palm and concealed itself.
In that instant, Xu Yan felt as though the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly. This treasure vase was simply too heavy. If it fell from the air, it might well smash straight through the cave dwelling.
The flawless Embryonic Pill inside had already been removed. Silver light rippled faintly around the bottle's mouth like a river of stars as it began absorbing the vital energies of heaven and earth on its own, though very slowly.
Bit by bit, they were drawn into the Tianshu Bottle.
Xu Yan seemed to realize something. With great care, he pointed a finger at it, and Mystic Qi activated one of the array cores within.
In an instant, its devouring power surged!
Rumble—
A fierce wind rose within the cave dwelling. Xu Yan's Daoist robe snapped loudly in the gale, and all the vital energy within the cave dwelling rushed away in torrents. Even the Spirit Gathering Array laid beneath the cave dwelling was suppressed!
Beneath this cave dwelling had originally been a Spirit Gathering Array personally set down by Talent Academy's Master Gongsun. Master Gongsun was a [Purple Mansion Path] cultivator, yet the array he had laid was instantly suppressed by the Heavenly Pivot Treasure Vase with only one array core activated.
Xu Yan's expression shifted slightly in alarm.
"Just what heaven-reaching realm had the Daoist who laid the Spirit-Devouring Grand Array inside this vase reached...?"
Back in the Heaven and Earth Furnace, Xu Yan had activated one array core as well.
The devouring power at this moment was exactly the same as before.
As Xu Yan considered this, he felt even his Dao body being tugged. Seeing this, he immediately sent his divine sense into the vase. After several attempts, he finally withdrew his Primordial Mystic Qi from the array core.
"The commotion is too great. Better let it operate on its own for now."
Xu Yan thought to himself.
This was only with one array core activated. If all nine array cores were activated, would not the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies spanning thousands of li around here be struck by rolling heavenly thunder, with all spiritual energy seized away?
Closing the door to the room.
Xu Yan sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion and rested for a while, then took out the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies Dao Rules and read through it with utmost care.
He would be staying here for a long time. This was not the outside world, after all. There were many rules, and he could not violate any taboos.
After reading for some time, Xu Yan's brow furrowed ever more tightly.
The degree of competition among disciples in Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies was far fiercer than he had imagined.
First came the Upper Three Academies. Aside from the first year after entering an academy,
starting from the second year, the Upper Three Academies held minor examinations within their academies every month, every season, and at the end of every year.
Though Xu Yan belonged to Talent Academy, these matters were closely tied to disciples from the other Dao Academies as well. The Upper Three Academies did this to select the finest from among the finest and choose prodigies to participate in the [Spirit Seizing Dharma Assembly].
The Spirit Seizing Dharma Assembly was an important path for disciples to cultivate in the Divine Land. If one could shine brilliantly at this assembly and successfully seize first place, becoming a true disciple of the Taiyuan Divine Sect would be as certain as nails hammered into a board.
Besides that, the various Dharma assemblies also offered some slots for true disciples.
For example, the [Dragon Whale Dharma Assembly], held once every five years by Canghai Cliff, was an assembly for assessing disciples' Dao Embryos and pulse manifestations.
There was also the [Demon Covenant Dharma Assembly].
The Dragon Spine Mountain Range stretched for more than a hundred thousand li, while the Hundred Academies occupied only several thousand li. Within this ancient mountain range lay many perilous forbidden lands, where demons and monsters entrenched themselves.
Moreover, many demons and monsters also plagued eastern Cang Province, wreaking havoc across every region and stirring grievances among the people. The Taiyuan Divine Sect was the eastern overlord; ten thousand sects bowed their heads, and countless great clans submitted. They could not simply ignore such matters.
These three Dharma assemblies were the three paths personally designated by the Taiyuan Divine Sect for becoming a true disciple. Every Dao Academy had to send disciples to participate.
Moreover, they were closely tied to the resources bestowed upon a Dao Academy, as well as whether it could continue operating and accepting disciples.
That was precisely why disciples with talent like Xu Yan's became such prized morsels.
"No wonder those Daoist teachers were willing to throw away their dignity to snatch disciples."
Xu Yan understood inwardly.
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