Chapter 306: The Venerable Academy

Chapter 306: The Venerable Academy

December 30, 2024

Three hundred and seventy thousand jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones.

If utilized properly, it would be sufficient to cultivate a large number of Dao Palace Realm cultivators.

Of course.

Breaking through the Dao Palace Realm is not easy.

Having Divine Blood Stones alone is not enough; one must also possess the corresponding talent and comprehension.

If one cannot cultivate the True Intent to a certain level, it is impossible to develop the Dao Palace Primordial Spirit.

However.

It is impossible to cultivate Dao Palace Realm cultivators.

But there is no issue in cultivating Ninth Level Divine Transformation Realm cultivators, or even those in the initial stages of the Dao Palace Realm.

Normally.

Ten jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones is enough to cultivate one or two peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivators.

If the foundation of the genius is strong, the required resources will naturally be more.

But regardless.

Three hundred and seventy thousand jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones.

In theory.

It is enough to increase the number of peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivators in the Divine Might Dynasty by tens of thousands.

Among these tens of thousands of peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivators, there will definitely be some with exceptional talent, who will further advance into the Dao Palace Realm.

With this.

The strength of the Divine Might Dynasty will surely increase significantly.

"It is said that war breeds war!"

"Now it seems that this method is indeed excellent!"

Gu Yang shook his head slightly, his expression filled with emotion.

However, he was also clear that the Divine Might Dynasty's victory in this war was extremely fortunate.

If not for Gu Qingfeng's strength, which was enough to crush the Starlight Empire head-on, the Divine Might Dynasty would have had no chance of victory.

Therefore.

Don't be fooled by the great benefits the Divine Might Dynasty gained from this war.

If a single step is taken wrong, the Divine Might Dynasty will surely face a situation of destruction.

The next day, at the court.

Gu Yang distributed all these Divine Blood Stones.

"The Divine Martial Academy is the foundation of the country, so I have decided to allocate an additional one hundred thousand jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones to them. However, I have one request: within ten years, the Divine Martial Academy must provide the court with one thousand Divine Transformation Realm cultivators.

If this cannot be achieved, then the Divine Martial Academy will need to find a new person in charge!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will guarantee that within ten years, one thousand Divine Transformation Realm cultivators will be provided to the court, and I will not disappoint Your Majesty's high expectations!"

Yan Yun's old face was now flushed, and his mood was clearly excellent.

One hundred thousand jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones!

If converted to Low-grade Divine Blood Stones, that would be a full one billion jin.

Since the establishment of the Divine Martial Academy, the total consumption of Low-grade Divine Blood Stones has been less than one hundred million jin.

Currently.

With such a large amount of resources allocated, even with Yan Yun's temperament, he felt a bit dizzy and couldn't help but be excited.

When others looked at Yan Yun, their eyes were also red with envy and jealousy.

One hundred thousand jin of Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones.

They had never seen or even heard of such a large amount of resources.

This is an unavoidable situation.

The Nine Provinces have always been lacking in spiritual energy.

This has been the case for a long time.

Although the Divine Might Dynasty has been working to restore the spiritual energy of the Nine Provinces since its establishment, the spiritual veins in the Nine Provinces are still very limited.

For example, Divine Blood Stones.

Even the lowest grade of Divine Blood Stones can only be nurtured by top-grade spiritual veins.

Medium-grade Divine Blood Stones require sacred-grade spiritual veins to cultivate.

The spiritual energy in the Nine Provinces, even though it has recovered slightly, is still not enough to mine spirit stone veins.

To be precise.

It is not possible to mine spirit stone veins on a large scale.

Mining on a small scale will not affect the root of the vein, but if mined extensively, it will easily lead to vein depletion.

Therefore.

For the Divine Might Dynasty, the spirit stone veins in the Nine Provinces are like a steady stream.

The number of spirit stones that can be mined each year is limited, and as for Divine Blood Stones, they are even rarer.

All the Divine Blood Stones of the Divine Might Dynasty are basically traded from the outside world.

After all, the Nine Provinces are vast, and with the revival of the world's spiritual energy, various spiritual plants and other resources can be cultivated, and with the backing of the Ancient Beast Mountains, a large amount of resources can be obtained.

For this reason.

The Divine Might Dynasty is able to control a portion of the Divine Blood Stones.

However.

This portion of Divine Blood Stones is also limited.

At this time.

Dong Tang immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue is currently facing a shortage of resources. I hope Your Majesty can allocate a batch of resources to alleviate the pressure on the Ministry of Revenue!"

"Ministry of War..."

"Ministry of Works..."

When Dong Tang spoke, officials from other departments also spoke up one after another.

In response.

Gu Yang waved his hand, arranging all the Divine Blood Stones to be distributed.

Although the other departments received fewer Divine Blood Stones compared to the Divine Martial Academy, it was still an unprecedented amount of wealth for the officials.

Especially Dong Tang, the Minister of Revenue, was filled with smiles, and his eyes were brimming with joy.

Subsequently.

Gu Yang turned to Yan Yun and said solemnly, "Currently, the issue with the Starlight Empire is temporarily resolved, but the Return Origin Dynasty remains a threat.

The Evil-Suppressing Nine Cities Army, led by you, will attack the Return Origin Dynasty with half its forces. You must assist Shi Zhen in suppressing the Return Origin Dynasty in the shortest time possible.

"This subject receives the imperial order!"

Yan Yun immediately clasped his fists and accepted the command.

Afterward, Gu Yang spoke again, "Additionally, I plan to establish a Venerable Academy. Any cultivators in the world who wish to join our Divine Might Dynasty, if they have no political aspirations, can enter the Venerable Academy."

"The Venerable Academy is independent of the court. They can meet officials without bowing, but they must not interfere in any court affairs!"

"Your Majesty's wisdom is unparalleled!"

Hearing this, the crowd had no thoughts of opposition.

To put it bluntly, the establishment of the Venerable Academy was to recruit powerful individuals from across the realm for the court's use.

Granting the title of 'Court Venerated' would naturally not have much impact on them.

However, Dong Tang's expression turned rigid after Gu Yang's next statement.

"The Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for the resources of the Venerable Academy!"

"Your Majesty... This subject receives the order!"

Dong Tang wanted to object, but when he met Gu Yang's gaze, he could only lower his head and accept the command.

There was no other way.

The imperial authority was supreme.

This person in the court had the power to veto any decision.

Moreover, each ministry received court resources, and no one would dare to argue over such trivial matters with this person.

Therefore, Dong Tang could only grudgingly accept it.

---

Soon, news of the Venerable Academy spread.

After Gu Yang's order, a location was quickly established in the imperial capital to set up the academy.

The imperial capital had undergone several expansions and was no longer comparable to its past.

After all, the reputation of the Divine Might Dynasty had spread far and wide, attracting more and more cultivators to the capital. The original boundaries of the capital could no longer accommodate so many people.

Expansion was inevitable.

However, for cultivators, expanding the capital was not a difficult task.

Dao Palace Realm cultivators could move mountains and fill seas with a mere thought, possessing countless means.

After the establishment of the Venerable Academy, Chu Daoxuan, who had previously served as the First Field Marshal, became the first Venerated of the academy and was also granted the position of Academy Head.

The Academy Head of the Venerable Academy was the person in charge of the academy.

In the future, anyone else who joined the academy would have to follow Chu Daoxuan's commands.

Chu Daoxuan was very satisfied with this arrangement.

He had originally thought that with a powerful figure like Gu Qingfeng in the Divine Might Dynasty, even if he joined, his status would not be too high.

He never expected that the Divine Might Dynasty would directly grant him the position of Academy Head.

With this arrangement, how could Chu Daoxuan not be satisfied?

Gu Yang had his reasons for appointing Chu Daoxuan as the Academy Head.

Loyalty and strength were indispensable qualities.

During the Starlight Empire's invasion, Chu Daoxuan had come to assist, which was sufficient proof of his loyalty.

As for strength, Chu Daoxuan was a Demi-Sage Realm cultivator, placing him among the top tier in the current Withered Law Era. Serving as the Academy Head was a suitable position for him.

After establishing the Venerable Academy and appointing Chu Daoxuan as the Academy Head, Gu Yang intentionally spread this news.

Instantly, many wandering cultivators in the realm were moved.

It was evident to those with insight that the Divine Might Dynasty was thriving, and it was only a matter of time before it ascended to the status of an empire.

If the Divine Might Dynasty could take another step forward, when the Great Struggle Prosperity arrived, it might even produce an invincible Great Emperor.

The benefits of joining such a dynasty were self-evident.

Not to mention wandering cultivators, even many sect elders were tempted.

However, the Venerable Academy established by Gu Yang did not accept just anyone.

To enter the academy, one had to be at least at the Dao Palace Realm.

Additionally—

Unless they were like Chu Daoxuan, a Demi-Sage, other Dao Palace Realm cultivators who wished to join the academy had to possess exceptional talent.

If their talent was average, barely reaching the Dao Palace Realm, Gu Yang would not even give them a second glance.

Within half a month, many wandering cultivators came to the Nine Provinces to meet with Gu Yang.

After screening them, Gu Yang eventually added five more people to the academy.

Among the five, there was a man named Yan Jun, whose cultivation was at the Ninth Level Dao Palace Realm, only slightly weaker than Chu Daoxuan's Demi-Sage Realm power.

The remaining four were at the First, Third, Fourth, and Sixth Levels of the Dao Palace Realm, respectively.

...

"Ancient Heaven Sword!"

"No wonder it's a Sage's ability; even in its incomplete state, it's profound and unfathomable!"

This was the reward Chu Daoxuan received from the Divine Might Dynasty after joining the Venerable Academy.

A Saint's Incomplete Divine Ability.

Chu Daoxuan, as a wandering cultivator, was a powerful Demi-Sage Realm expert. However, the heritage he possessed was rather ordinary.

Aside from the peak-level cultivation technique of the Dao Palace Realm and the divine abilities of the latter stages of the Dao Palace Realm, he had no other trump cards.

It was only because Chu Daoxuan had obtained an opportunity earlier that he was able to rely on the peak-level cultivation technique of the Dao Palace Realm and make further progress based on his existing foundation, entering the Demi-Sage Realm.

Otherwise, Chu Daoxuan could only be considered an ordinary cultivator at the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm.

Now, having just joined the Venerable Academy, Chu Daoxuan had obtained a Saint's divine ability.

Even though this divine ability was incomplete, in Chu Daoxuan's eyes, this was a message conveyed to him by the Divine Might Dynasty.

As long as he pledged his loyalty to the Divine Might Dynasty, even a Sage's heritage could be obtained.

Previously, Gu Qingfeng had destroyed the Ancient World Sacred Land, and Chu Daoxuan understood that the Divine Might Dynasty would never lack a Sage-level heritage, let alone a heritage above the Sage Realm.

Therefore, Chu Daoxuan had no other thoughts.

He was originally a powerful sword cultivator, and now he had obtained the incomplete Ancient Heaven Sword. Upon receiving this Saint's divine ability, he instantly gained various insights.

In a short time, Chu Daoxuan had already grasped the basics.

He lifted his hand, and a weak sword Qi burst forth, effortlessly tearing the space in front of him.

After a few breaths, the shattered space slowly healed.

Seeing this, Chu Daoxuan's expression became more and more satisfied.

"Even if I've only grasped the basics of this Saint's divine ability, my strength has increased by at least ten percent. If I can obtain the complete Ancient Heaven Sword and cultivate it to perfection, then my strength in the Demi-Sage Realm will absolutely be among the top ranks!"

Just at this moment, the jade talisman at Chu Daoxuan's waist vibrated.

He sent his Divine Consciousness into it and immediately left his seclusion, heading towards the imperial palace.

...

"Your subject, Chu Daoxuan, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

In the Imperial Study, Chu Daoxuan bowed respectfully, his demeanor completely different from his previous carefree and unfettered manner as a wandering cultivator.

Since he had received the Divine Might Dynasty's favor, Chu Daoxuan knew he had to make his position clear.

Moreover, the person before him was Gu Yang, a Fifth Level Dao Palace Realm cultivator and the ruler of the Divine Might Dynasty. The means at his disposal were far beyond Chu Daoxuan's imagination.

If it came to a life-and-death battle, Chu Daoxuan had no confidence in winning.

There was one more point.

Behind Gu Yang stood a true peerless powerhouse.

Chu Daoxuan couldn't help but recall how Gu Qingfeng had shattered the Starlight Imperial Bell with a single sword strike, a scene deeply imprinted in his mind.

Gu Yang was unaware of Chu Daoxuan's thoughts.

However, he was quite pleased with the attitude of the Venerable Academy's envoy.

"This time, I've summoned you here because there's a matter that requires the Venerable Academy's assistance."

"Please speak, Your Majesty!"

"Previously, Yan Yun led our Divine Might Dynasty's army to attack the Return Origin Dynasty, but the Return Origin Dynasty's foundation is not to be underestimated. They resisted with all their might, and for a while, our army couldn't make any progress.

Therefore, I hope that the Venerable Academy can lend its strength, go to the East Domain, and assist the army in conquering the Return Origin Dynasty!"

Gu Yang spoke in a deep voice.

He had indeed underestimated the foundation of an ancient dynasty.

He had thought that with two armies and a Great Sage Weapon in hand, it would be enough to suppress a small Return Origin Dynasty.

But when the Return Origin Dynasty fought with all their might, Gu Yang finally understood the depth of their foundation.

In this battle, both sides fought fiercely.

Although the Divine Might Dynasty would win in the end, it would undoubtedly pay a heavy price.

Gu Yang, at this moment, naturally didn't want to waste too much strength on a single Return Origin Dynasty.

Hence, Gu Yang thought of the Venerable Academy.

Although the Venerable Academy had only been established recently, with Chu Daoxuan and powerful experts like Yan Jun, its strength was not to be underestimated.

If the Venerable Academy could lend its strength, this battle would be much easier.

Hearing this, Chu Daoxuan didn't hesitate at all and directly nodded.

"As subjects of the court, it is our duty to share the concerns of Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will exert all the strength of the Venerable Academy to help the army conquer the Return Origin Dynasty!"

"Good, with Chu Daoxuan's words, I am relieved!"

With Chu Daoxuan's assurance, Gu Yang became even more satisfied, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

Then, Chu Daoxuan took his leave.

In the Imperial Study, Gu Yang muttered to himself.

"With Chu Daoxuan, a Demi-Sage leading the way, and the strength of the Venerable Academy assisting our two armies, let's see how long the Return Origin Dynasty can struggle!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end