Chapter 1391: The Results of Education

"Your disciple thanks Grand Ancestor and Master for their protection!"

After transcending her tribulation, Han Zhiling's spiritual sense detected Chen Mobai and Zhuo Ming standing together on Beiyuan Mountain. She immediately flew down and bowed to both of them.

"Hahaha, rise."

Chen Mobai said with a smile. As his third-generation grand disciple formed her Nascent Soul, his Dao of Saintly Virtue also saw a slight advancement.

It was almost comparable to the progress he made when teaching Qianxing.

Considering the difference in cultivation realms between Han Zhiling and Qianxing, Chen Mobai concluded that teaching and enlightenment valued results more.

Han Zhiling's successful formation of her Nascent Soul signified that his previous efforts in teaching had reached a phased milestone, and thus the feedback Chen Mobai received was comparable to that from teaching Qianxing.

This implied that if his direct disciples, such as Zhuo Ming, made further breakthroughs, it would be even more beneficial to Chen Mobai's Dao of Saintly Virtue.

It was no wonder the Purple Heaven Palace chose him as its master; Chen Mobai had enjoyed teaching others since his lower cultivation realms, making him perfectly aligned with the Dao of Saintly Virtue from an early age.

He could be described as a Congenital Saintly Virtue Dao Body.

Besides talented individuals like Qianxing and Han Zhiling, whose achievements were palpable, there were also countless subtle results from his educational policies implemented during his tenure as the Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect.

Currently, the Eastern Barrens had become the undisputed educational hub of the Eastern Continent.

Changsheng Academy, as the original academy with the strongest faculty, was hailed as the foremost educational sanctuary. Each year, its enrollment quotas were fiercely contested by all powers across the seven major territories of the Eastern Land. In recent decades, fewer than ten percent of the admitted new students held local Eastern Barrens household registrations, unable to compete with the "Phoenix" cultivators from outside.

The remaining ten percent primarily benefited from academic registration considerations and various preferential admission scores in Beiyuan City.

Thus, household registrations in Beiyuan City became increasingly valuable.

Besides Changsheng Academy, numerous similar academies had sprung up across the Eastern Continent, and Chen Mobai, revered as the Grand Ancestor of Eastern Continent Education, was credited with the success of countless graduating students.

Each year, the top graduates from these academies primarily applied to join the Five Elements Sect. For this reason, even as the number of outstanding local students from the Eastern Barrens dwindled, the Five Elements Sect grew ever stronger.

This was because it was absorbing talent from across the entire Eastern Continent.

Benefiting from these developments, Chen Mobai's control over the Dao of Saintly Virtue progressed at a slow but steady pace after reaching the Void Refinement realm.

On the progress bar of the "Inch Book," it advanced by roughly one hundred-thousandth of a bar.

The progress gained from Han Zhiling forming her Nascent Soul was nearly equivalent to the annual progress generated by the entire Eastern Continent's Five Elements Sect educational system.

In other words, if Chen Mobai cultivated around a hundred thousand individuals like Han Zhiling, he could essentially achieve complete mastery over the Dao of Saintly Virtue. With half that number, he could attempt to merge with the Dao.

However, this was somewhat unrealistic. Still, Chen Mobai believed that Zhuo Ming's advancement to the Spirit Transformation realm or Qianxing's to the Void Refinement realm would yield greater progress for the Dao of Saintly Virtue.

Yet, such exceptional talents were rare and difficult to come by, perhaps appearing only once every few centuries or millennia. Therefore, the most reliable approach was to focus on quantity.

With this in mind, Chen Mobai offered instructions to the recently breakthrough Han Zhiling:

"As the third-generation grand disciple of my Xiaonan Mountain lineage, you must not grow complacent after reaching the Nascent Soul realm. After all, I am in the Void Refinement realm, and with Ming'er's fortune, ascending in the future is hopeful. You should also set your goal on reaching the Void Refinement realm and ascending."

Upon hearing these words, Zhuo Ming, standing nearby, felt a little embarrassed.

She was merely at the Nascent Soul stage, with no hint of Spirit Transformation yet; how could she already be seen as having prospects for ascension in Chen Mobai's eyes?

"Yes, Grand Ancestor, I will definitely work harder."

But Han Zhiling, upon hearing this, nodded solemnly.

The title of Xiaonan Mountain's third-generation grand disciple was both a pressure and a tremendous honor. Having been resilient since childhood, she would not disappoint her Grand Ancestor now that Chen Mobai trusted her.

"After forming your Nascent Soul comes Spirit Transformation. Our Xiaonan Mountain lineage possesses abundant resources for Spirit Transformation, but your share will only become available once you become Sect Master."

"E Yun is set to retire soon, and Chen Lingming will succeed him. You should first gain experience in the education sector. If you can achieve significant merits—for instance, solving the problem of universal access to education—then the sect master two terms from now will certainly be you."

"Education is also what I value most, for only with a future comes infinite hope. As the successor to my lineage's heritage, I hope you will uphold my aspiration: to ensure that every corner of the Eastern Continent hears the sound of learning, that everyone knows propriety, and that by educating generations of children, we build a moral society and achieve universal harmony."

As Chen Mobai finished speaking, Han Zhiling felt profoundly enlightened and inspired, as if a veil had been lifted, revealing the true meaning of her future life.

To inherit the Grand Ancestor's teachings and usher in an era of lasting peace.

"The Azure Emperor truly possesses a grand vision."

Not far away, Xuande listened to the conversation and then said to Qi Jiansu with a look of admiration.

At this moment, he finally understood why the Five Elements Sect, with only a little over three hundred years of development, had already surpassed the Daoist Sect's tens of thousands of years of accumulation.

The key, it turned out, was education.

"In his youth, the Azure Emperor was known as the Great Benevolent Teacher by the locals of the Eastern Barrens."

Compared to Xuande, Qi Jiansu knew more about Chen Mobai, as she frequently visited the Eastern Barrens.

"Junior Sister, do you think we can persuade the Sect Master to open our sect's admission quotas and attract the 'hidden gems' among the graduates of the Five Elements Sect's academies..."

Xuande voiced his thoughts.

As an ancient sacred land, the Daoist Sect had very high entry requirements. Besides those with Heavenly Spirit Roots and Anomalous Spirit Roots, who were admitted unconditionally, even those with True Spirit Roots had to be assessed for their temperament, character, and even fate before being accepted.

Due to the Five Elements Sect, the Eastern Continent's population had exploded, leading to the highest number of disciples admitted to the Daoist Sect in recent years since its founding.

Even so, the total number of disciples from top to bottom was only one percent of the Five Elements Sect's.

After all, the Five Elements Sect attracted talent from the entire Eastern Continent and even overseas, while the Daoist Sect's influence was barely comparable to the Five Elements Sect's, confined to only one region of the Eastern Land.

However, in a few more generations, it was estimated that the Five Elements Sect's influence would overshadow that in the Eastern Land as well.

Currently, in terms of Nascent Soul cultivators, the Daoist Sect still surpassed the Five Elements Sect.

But below the Nascent Soul realm, they were completely overwhelmed.

If this trend continued, it would only be a matter of time before the Five Elements Sect surpassed the Daoist Sect in all aspects.

Therefore, Xuande considered making changes, lowering the Daoist Sect's threshold. After all, thousands upon thousands of students graduated each year, but only a small fraction could join the Five Elements Sect, a challenge akin to thousands of troops crossing a single-log bridge.

The cultivators who were eliminated were not necessarily lacking; it was simply that there were others who were more outstanding or had stronger backgrounds.

And these individuals would certainly be willing to join a sacred land if the Daoist Sect was willing to humble itself.

However, Wuchen and Shenxi had previously felt that accepting those rejected by the Five Elements Sect would damage the Daoist Sect's reputation. They feared that other sacred lands across the Five Continents and Four Seas would mock them as "scavengers." So, although it was never explicitly stated, anyone eliminated by the Five Elements Sect was strictly not accepted.

This policy led to the vast majority of disciples recruited during the Daoist Sect's recent grand admissions—apart from those with Heavenly Spirit Roots and Anomalous Spirit Roots—being individuals who deemed themselves not outstanding enough to take the Five Elements Sect's entrance examination.

This resulted in each successive generation of the Daoist Sect becoming progressively weaker.

After realizing this, and with Wuchen's recent passing, Xuande decided to lower his stance.

Let others call them "scavengers" if they wished; at least the excellent disciples could be brought into their fold.

This would at least ensure the quality of the Daoist Sect's disciples. If they persisted for generations, perhaps one day they would witness the decline of the Five Elements Sect and their own resurgence.

"I'm afraid the Senior Sect Master won't agree."

Qi Jiansu, however, was not optimistic about Xuande's plan, as Shenxi was still somewhat rigid and overly concerned with reputation.

"Then I'll do this once I become Sect Master."

Xuande, however, had made up his mind. He knew that if the Daoist Sect clung to outdated traditions, it would surely be eliminated by the current prevailing trend of the Eastern Continent. He had chatted with Qi Yingyu when she came to pay respects earlier and learned that the disciples of the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect were now selectively recruited from the top graduates of various academies, whose lists were obtained through the Five Elements Sect.

Although these excellent graduates had already been screened by the Five Elements Sect, they were still far superior to those the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect had sought out on its own.

Among the disciples Qi Yingyu brought to the Daoist Sect for experience, there was a very young Core Formation cultivator, not yet sixty years old, who was a top graduate of Changsheng Academy.

He had only been filtered out because he couldn't compete with a few local residents of the same cohort. However, in terms of talent and strength, he was almost as good as someone with an Anomalous Spirit Root.

Forming a Core within sixty years old meant one could directly contend for the titles of Dao Son or Saintess within the Daoist Sect.

Due to the relationship between Ye Qing and Chen Mobai, all graduates from the Five Elements Sect's academies now commonly listed the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect as their second choice, after the Five Elements Sect itself as their first.

Even the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, thanks to the Five Elements Sect's assistance, had incorporated several lessons on sensing void power into their annual curriculum. Anyone demonstrating void talent was directly admitted to the Grand Void Ethereal Palace. This policy had tripled the number of disciples in the Eastern Continent's Grand Void Ethereal Palace within the last century.

Zhang Pankong had never known there were so many individuals in the Eastern Continent with talent for the void.

This even earned praise from the Grand Void Immortal by name, who instructed Shan Miaosu to diligently study the Five Elements Sect's educational system and promote it in the Central Continent and the territories of the other three continental branches.

If the Daoist Sect did not keep up and remained preoccupied with its reputation, it was estimated that it would fall out of the ranks of sacred lands after the passing of their older generation of cultivators.

"Senior Brother, if you intend to adopt the Five Elements Sect's system and change our sect, I support you."

Qi Jiansu had personally witnessed the monumental changes in the Five Elements Sect, and thus she also believed that the various systems established by Chen Mobai represented the most advanced practices in the Eastern Continent.

"Junior Sister, with your support, I feel much more at ease."

Xuande was delighted to know he wouldn't be alone in reforming the sect.

At this moment, Chen Mobai waved to them, and the brother and sister immediately flew over.

"The suspended Dao platform is now vacant. Within three days, Ming'er will summon the Tier 6 spiritual energy from the Xuanhai Sea Eye. Which of you two intends to ascend to Spirit Transformation first?"

Hearing Chen Mobai's words, Xuande stepped forward without hesitation.

He had always sought stability throughout his life. Now, with Wuchen's passing, even though the sect had more disciples than before, its strength had fallen to the bottom among sacred lands. He felt he had to step forward, achieve a breakthrough, and lead the Daoist Sect to greatness once more.

Oh, Xuande's state of mind seemed a little different.

Chen Mobai instantly perceived that Xuande had changed from before, thinking to himself.

Wuchen's death seemed to have made him more resolute.

"If my breakthrough fails, the sect will be in Junior Sister's hands from now on."

Before ascending to the suspended Dao platform, Xuande spoke one last sentence to Qi Jiansu.

"This is the talisman to activate the Dusk Drum. Keep it safe. Ming'er will take you up and explain the other precautions one by one."

Chen Mobai extended a finger, drew a talisman in the air, and condensed it into a tangible form, giving it to Xuande.

To achieve Spirit Transformation, the Dusk Drum needed to exert its Tier 5 power. Aside from Zhuo Ming operating the Heaven-Earth Network Grand Formation, only talismans personally drawn by Chen Mobai would suffice.

"Thank you, and my thanks to Junior Niece Zhuo for her effort."

After thanking them, Xuande followed Zhuo Ming and flew onto the suspended Dao platform.

"Congratulations, your sect is about to gain another Spirit Transformation True Monarch."

Chen Mobai watched Xuande's retreating figure disappear, then smiled and said this to Qi Jiansu, who was inwardly delighted upon hearing it.

As the Great Benevolent Teacher, Chen Mobai's judgment had never been wrong.

If he said Xuande could achieve Spirit Transformation, it was practically guaranteed.

"May I ask, Azure Emperor, if I will successfully achieve Spirit Transformation?"

Qi Jiansu could not help but ask for a prediction.

"My wife is back."

Chen Mobai did not answer. Instead, he turned his head to look down Beiyuan Mountain.

Qing Nu's figure appeared before his eyes.

After finishing matters here, Chen Mobai returned to seclusion at the Xuanhai Sea Eye.

After reaching the Void Refinement realm, he gained significant insights every time he meditated on the Turtle Treasure.

If Wuchen had not passed away this time, he would not have ended his seclusion and taken this step.

Upon returning, Chen Mobai continued to take out the Turtle Treasure, enveloped it with the Dao of Void, and meditated on it with his spiritual sense.

Gradually, he felt his spiritual sense becoming infinitely profound.

Even without using the Void Sky-Track Vision, he found he could perceive the Eastern Continent, the Xuanhai Sea, the Barren Sea, and other regions, all within his grasp.

However, some areas were enveloped by Tier 6 power, preventing complete penetration.

Yet, for him, this already represented a vast amount of information.

During this process, Chen Mobai suddenly recalled something. He used the Turtle Treasure to redirect his spiritual sense and probe into the depths of the Xuanhai Sea Eye.

When his Vacuum Dharma Body was at Tier 6, he had sensed a very peculiar and familiar power deep within the Sea Eye.

At that time, his cultivation was insufficient, and he dared not linger, so he had left immediately.

But now, he felt he could finally explore it thoroughly.

Left-Path Gu Refinement, Beginning as a Geomantic Practitioner

Synopsis: Lu Yuan transmigrated to Lingnan and became a miserable beekeeping slave.Fortunately, he obtained the Earth Emperor Pagoda and awakened the Geomantic Practitioner's divine position.Insects, beasts, and all spirits of heaven and earth could be tamed.