Chapter 64: Choice [Fifth Update]

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Yefeng followed the four mentors on the path to the Inner Courtyard. This journey was bound to be fraught with all kinds of dangers, requiring them to cross several rivers and climb several mountains, taking about a month. By the time they reached the Inner Courtyard, it would still be the end of the year.

With his family's affairs on track, Yefeng had no worries and was fully focused on pursuing martial arts. Throughout the journey, a faint smile lingered on his face.

Days passed, and before he knew it, half a month had gone by. Although the journey was arduous and they encountered many dangers, the presence of the four mentors ensured that they were generally safe.

In a desolate town, a group of over twenty people entered, planning to spend the night and continue their journey the next day. Along the way, the four mentors had told them a lot about the Inner Courtyard, including its hierarchical structure, which made the disciples even more eager to experience life there.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Just as Yefeng was about to meditate and rest, he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Please come in!" Yefeng put on his clothes, having just finished a bath, feeling much less tired.

The door creaked open, and Mentor Li walked in.

"Salutations, Mentor!" Yefeng greeted Mentor Li with a bow.

"No need for such formality. I came tonight to discuss something with you and to seek your opinion," Mentor Li said solemnly. Yefeng quickly brought out a chair, and the two sat down at the table.

"Please speak, Mentor. If I can do it, I will certainly complete it." Yefeng trusted Mentor Li the most. Over the years, Mentor Li had taken good care of him, and their relationship was special.

"This is a long story. You already know that the Heavenly Spirit Inner Courtyard is divided into four academies, four halls, four observatories, and one Central Heaven. But do you know what these divisions actually mean?" Mentor Li had explained the structure of the Heavenly Spirit Inner Courtyard on the journey, but not in detail.

Yefeng shook his head, admitting he didn't know.

"Since that's the case, I'll take this opportunity to explain it to you in detail. The Inner Courtyard is far more complex than you think. The total number of disciples, including servants, is around one hundred thousand, and possibly more. Every year, a large number of new disciples join, making it impossible to manage them all accurately. Therefore, the sect has divided the area into several regions, which are the origins of the four halls, four academies, four observatories, and one Central Heaven."

Yefeng nodded, understanding that managing such a large number of people would be impossible without dividing them into regions, which would make management much easier.

"Whether it's the four halls, four academies, four observatories, or one Central Heaven, their purpose is to cultivate more talented disciples for the academy and to enhance the academy's status in the Southern Divine Continent. This leads to competition, as everyone wants to be the best in the academy, causing the various halls to vie with each other. There is a competition every year to see who can come out on top," Mentor Li continued.

Yefeng agreed with this point. Where there are people, there is a江湖 (jianghu), and where there is a jianghu, there is competition. This is normal, and even a sect cannot avoid it. However, Yefeng was still puzzled about what Mentor Li was trying to convey, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Are you confused about why I'm telling you all this?" Mentor Li asked, noticing Yefeng's puzzled expression.

"Yes, I have many questions in my mind," Yefeng admitted. He had only heard about the Inner Courtyard from Mentor Li and was still quite vague about many things.

"I was once like you, joining the Inner Courtyard with great excitement. But in the end, I was assigned to this desolate place and stayed for ten years," Mentor Li said, his face full of helplessness.

Yefeng could see that Mentor Li was not content with staying in the Open Source Kingdom and hoped to go further. Even though those at the先天境 (Xiantian realm) could live for two hundred years, for cultivators, two hundred years was just a blink of an eye.

"Why don't you choose to leave here and return to the Inner Courtyard?" Yefeng asked.

"It's not that easy. We operate on a points system. The more points we have, the higher the chance of returning to the Inner Courtyard. I estimate that even if I wait for another ten years, I won't have enough points," Mentor Li sighed.

"Is that so?" Yefeng was puzzled.

"It's quite normal. Our talent in the Inner Courtyard is not very good, making it difficult to improve. Therefore, we are assigned to other places to gather talented disciples and send them to the Inner Courtyard to earn points. Once we reach a certain number of points, we have a chance to return to the Inner Courtyard. The geography of the Open Source Kingdom is not favorable, and the number of talented disciples that appear each year is very few. Last year, only three successfully joined the Inner Courtyard," Mentor Li sighed again.

"Mentor, what do you need me to do?" Yefeng asked directly, sensing that Mentor Li had something to ask of him.

"You're right, I do have something to ask of you. This is also the will of the Dean. Whether we can return to the Inner Courtyard depends on you," Mentor Li's eyes gleamed, seeing Yefeng's sudden rise, he felt a glimmer of hope.

"Me?" Yefeng was confused, not understanding how their return to the Inner Courtyard could depend on him.

"Yes, you!" Mentor Li confirmed.

"I don't understand," Yefeng shrugged, completely puzzled.

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to you. I have a reason for saying this. Your rapid rise in three months is not a coincidence. In the ten years I've been in the Open Source Kingdom, no disciple has been able to defeat a Xiantian realm practitioner at the后天 (Houtian realm)," Mentor Li said, his face glowing with pride as he spoke of Yefeng's recent growth.

Yefeng felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that his rapid improvement had indeed shocked many people.

"What do you need me to do?" Since Mentor Li had mentioned it, Yefeng could not refuse. Within his capabilities, he would do his best to help.

"Don't rush. Let me explain the situation of the four academies, four halls, four observatories, and one Central Heaven before you make a decision," Mentor Li said, continuing to introduce the Inner Courtyard. Yefeng had no choice but to listen.

"The four academies are the Heavenly Star Academy, the Literary Star Academy, the Martial Champion Academy, and the Xuan Yuan Academy. The Heavenly Star Academy is the strongest, followed by the Literary Star Academy, and so on," the names of the four academies clearly indicated their ranking, with the character 'Heaven' at the top.

"The four halls are no less powerful than the four academies. They are the Arhat Hall, the Mighty Hall, the Asura Hall, and the Black and White Hall. The strongest is not the Arhat Hall but the Asura Hall, which attracts a group of killing fanatics. Anyone with a penchant for killing is willing to join the Asura Hall," Mentor Li seemed a bit wary when speaking of the Asura Hall.

"As for the four observatories, they are the Alchemy Observatory, the Artifact Observatory, the Body Cultivation Observatory, and the Array Observatory. The four observatory masters specialize in alchemy, artifact creation, body cultivation, and array formation, respectively. Many disciples join the observatories for obvious reasons."

"Finally, there is the Central Heaven, which gathers the most talented individuals in the entire academy. Every year, the most outstanding geniuses are selected to join the Central Heaven Peak. Only exceptional disciples are accepted, and their numbers are clearly fewer than those in the four halls, four academies, and four observatories. In terms of strength, they are undoubtedly the best in the academy," Mentor Li explained the entire structure of the Inner Courtyard.

Yefeng was already stunned, not expecting the Inner Courtyard to be so clearly divided. It seemed that after thousands of years, the academy had already established a well-ordered system.

"There are a total of seventeen divisions. If we rank them by overall strength, the Central Heaven is first, followed by the Heavenly Star Academy, then the Asura Hall. The rankings of the others change every year, with the Mighty Hall, the Arhat Hall, and the Body Cultivation Observatory ranking lower."

Mentor Li spent a considerable amount of time explaining the entire structure of the Inner Courtyard, ensuring that Yefeng would not need to learn about it again after joining.

"Which division did you come from?" Yefeng asked.

"The Xuan Yuan Academy!" Mentor Li said with a hint of helplessness.

"According to what you said, the Xuan Yuan Academy should be in the middle, not too bad."

"However, in recent years, the Xuan Yuan Academy seems to have declined. Few good disciples are willing to join. Since the Xuan Yuan Academy Master was injured ten years ago, he has rarely managed the academy, leading to the disciples becoming lazy in their cultivation. With no good disciples joining, the academy's ranking has dropped significantly in recent years," Mentor Li's face was filled with pain as he spoke of the Xuan Yuan Academy, as he had also come from there.

"Do you mean that if I pass the assessment, you want me to join the Xuan Yuan Academy?" Yefeng understood Mentor Li's intention.

Mentor Li looked up at Yefeng, hesitating to ask. Given Yefeng's talent, other divisions would likely extend better offers, and Mentor Li was unsure if Yefeng would agree.

"If you have any difficulties, we understand and will not force you to do anything. As long as you achieve a good ranking in the academy, it will also benefit us," Mentor Li added.

"I agree. If I pass the assessment, I will join the Xuan Yuan Academy!" Yefeng answered without hesitation.

"Are you really willing to join the Xuan Yuan Academy?" Mentor Li seemed a bit skeptical.

"Yes, I am. Over the years, you have taught me diligently, and I am very grateful. Not only for this, but for anything else, I will also agree," Yefeng had his reasons.

First, he wanted to repay Mentor Li for his help during his difficult times.

Second, for Yefeng, it didn't matter where he cultivated. He had the Divine Transformation Technique and the Seven Heaven-Slaying Techniques. Joining any division would not provide him with anything better than these treasures. Moreover, the Xuan Yuan Academy had fewer people, reducing the risk of others coveting his secrets, which was better for him.

Another reason Yefeng chose the Xuan Yuan Academy was that, with its decline, there would be fewer disciples, leaving more space. Yefeng preferred a quiet environment, and the Xuan Yuan Academy suited his needs. It was a win-win situation, so why not agree?

"Good, good, good. The Dean and I did not misjudge you. You are a person who knows how to repay kindness," Mentor Li laughed heartily, relieved that Yefeng had agreed.

"But how will my joining the Xuan Yuan Academy help with your points?" Yefeng still didn't fully understand.

"As long as you can become a core disciple, we will have a chance to return to the Inner Courtyard. If you can become a true disciple, our status will also rise, as we are your initial mentors," Mentor Li's face was excited, no longer showing the previous dejection.

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Chapter 64: Choice [Fifth Update]

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