Chapter 298: Cruel and bloody internal strife

"So that's how it is."

Jiang Ding understood.

The Immortal Sect is a civil society; there is no such thing as implicating one's entire clan. If a student commits a mistake, it is impossible for it to implicate their mentor.

As for framing Liu Jun with a trumped-up charge, creating something out of nothing, and forcibly bypassing procedure to execute "factual justice," to be honest,

he is not qualified.

Moreover, bypassing the law would bring about a terrifying backlash.

If such things happen too often, it will cause severe anxiety among the citizens, and mutual trust will rapidly diminish.

This small problem might be solved, but the unity and stability within the Immortal Sect would be gone, potentially triggering a terrifying internal war and causing immense destruction.

Boom!

The bell for class rang, and a dignified woman flew onto the stone podium.

"Good morning, Teacher Ouyang."

Everyone stood up to bow.

"Good morning, students. Please sit."

Ouyang Hui nodded with a smile and picked up the test papers: "Today, we will discuss the papers from your last exam, regarding how to deploy and manage mid-to-low tier cultivators in Dao Soldier Sects..."

Through the magic treasure of the stone podium beneath her feet, her voice appeared individually in the ears of every student, explaining the problems that existed in the last exam, how to improve, and so on.

"Student Jiang Ding's management method... the effect is actually quite alright."

Ouyang Hui's tone paused: "It's just that it consumes too many spirit stones. Tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones—this is the net worth of many Foundation Establishment cultivators. To waste it for a single exam is truly putting the cart before the horse."

"In the future, you must make some changes in cost-cutting. For example, water conservancy projects can involve large-scale conscription of mortal laborers. This can both train the administrative ability of the new Li Kingdom and reduce costs. More importantly, it is teaching them how to fish..."

"Yes, Teacher."

Jiang Ding was extremely well-behaved and listened earnestly.

The test papers were explained for five consecutive days before they finally concluded.

It involved people's livelihood, water conservancy, administrative systems, taxation, official selection, the construction of intelligence organizations, and the reconstruction of Dao Soldier Sects.

How to set up internal systems for Dao Soldier Sects, how the various peaks can cooperate while simultaneously harboring irreconcilable centrifugal forces, and so on—it was all-encompassing.

"These are the ideological and moral courses of the Minor World. Next, we will talk about matters concerning the Immortal Sect."

Ouyang Hui clapped her hands, bringing everyone's divided perspectives back into one, drawing their gazes over: "In this exam, both the Xu and Wang Soul Transformation families participated. These are the court trial and sentencing records I downloaded from the network. Everyone, take a look."

She distributed a stack of materials to each student.

Jiang Ding scanned them with his spiritual sense, recording the relevant information into his soul within a single breath.

Unlike the trial materials he had seen before, Ouyang Hui had added the identities, experiences, and general backgrounds of each offender to their names.

"Does everyone see any patterns?"

After everyone had digested the content of the materials, Ouyang Hui asked with a smile.

"Teacher, I know!"

Kong Yuling raised her hand impatiently and said: "The main culprit, Xu Qiwu, is a descendant of the older brother of the Xu family's Soul Transformation cultivator. Gathered around him were a large group of collateral Xu family cultivators, and the other involved personnel, such as Xu Zhengliu, were all the same. They are all elite collateral members of the Xu family's new generation."

"The Wang family is the same."

She said decisively:

"This time, the Xu family took a huge risk. While there was an element of currying favor with the outer-realm Immortal Sects and showing loyalty, the intention of the direct line to eliminate dissenters was very obvious."

"Not bad, that should be the case."

Many students nodded in agreement. With such clear intelligence placed before them, it was hard not to think so.

"Compared to the direct descendants of the Xu clan, the vast number of collateral descendants truly produce talent in abundance."

An Siyan added, "As far as I know, Beidou University has a cultivator with a Heavenly Fire Spiritual Root named Xu Tianwu, but he only cultivated a classic-level technique; he likely did not receive proper nurturing during his growth."

"Only after arriving at Beidou University did he have the opportunity to access top-tier education."

"This is the inherent, intense infighting between the direct and collateral branches of the family system."

Some classmates revealed looks of disdain.

A Heavenly Spiritual Root—is the aptitude good or not?

It is indeed good.

But it also depends on where one is born.

If one is in an Immortal Sect, receiving a complete Immortal Sect education, and is not lazy but willing to learn, there is a great hope for reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

But if one is elsewhere, it is just so-so.

One more is not too many,

one less is not too few.

"But even if the so-called talent-abundant Xu clan collateral branch exists, so what?"

Ou Daocheng revealed even more confidence: "Qingfeng or Beidou, the students of any one university in a single year are enough to crush their accumulation of talent over thousands of years."

"If viewed as enemies, it is simply sleep-inducing; one cannot muster any spirit at all."

"This cannot include the Xu clan Soul Transformation cultivator."

An Siyan added a correction for him.

"This person was originally a brilliant pearl in the Immortal Sect's educational system, a Soul Transformation cultivator of heaven-defying talent; they were not nurtured by the Xu clan, and one person alone could crush billions of outstanding individuals."

"That is true."

The crowd's breathing hitched, and they dared not speak of bravery again.

"It is good that the students have such a clear understanding."

Ouyang Hui nodded with satisfaction.

After school.

Jiang Ding ran back to the mining area to cultivate for three days.

Following that, he rushed without pause to Master Dinghai's language class to study compulsory knowledge on various Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan techniques, precautions for Core Formation, and the difficult points and essentials of Jin Dan techniques.

"There is less than two years left."

"Your graduating class will be finishing soon."

Master Dinghai revealed a look of emotion and asked, "What do you know about the Immortal Sect's eighty-year Master's postgraduate program? How does it differ from the undergraduate stage?"

"I was just about to ask for your guidance."

Jiang Ding's expression turned serious.

"The biggest difference is that Immortal Sect Master's postgraduate students begin to participate in research within a specific branch of Immortal Dao science."

"The choice of this direction is very important; it relates to your future Dao path."

Master Dinghai explained, "For example, if someone likes aerospace command operations, then during the Master's postgraduate stage, they must engage in the research and development of Immortal Sect aerospace military formations, assist teachers in handling some research affairs, or even independently research a small, specific branch of military formation."

"Many famous great figures, such as that Xu clan Soul Transformation cultivator, led an upgrade of the Immortal Sect's Tier 3 military formations during their Master's postgraduate stage, allowing the gathering speed, response speed, and power of aerospace fighter formations to all improve by about ten percent."

"With this achievement, they swept the Immortal Sect's highest scientific progress awards for four hundred years."

"They are indeed a heaven-defying talent."

Jiang Ding said solemnly.

"For your direction, I suggest choosing the Major Sun Sword Pavilion Immortal Dao Technology Salvage and Excavation major."

Master Dinghai said directly, "For your advisor, it is best to choose Professor Zhang Junsheng, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He has not made any major achievements that impacted the Immortal Sect, so he does not have a Dao title."

"However, if you can break through to the Nascent Soul realm, he should have one then."

"Professor Zhang Junsheng?!"

Jiang Ding's spirit lifted: "The one who excavated the 'Major Sun Seed Sword Refining Technique' at the Major Sun Sword Pavilion ruins?"

"It is him."

"It is my honor to be able to conduct research with Professor Zhang Junsheng."

Jiang Ding said without hesitation.

"That is good; I will pass this on to him."

Master Dinghai nodded and hinted, "For your research direction, you could consider Tier 2 electromagnetic sword escape, the feasibility analysis of electromagnetic systems combined with Major Sun Sword Dao Core Formation, what the difficult problems are, how to solve them... things of that nature."

"You cannot research this alone; your knowledge is insufficient. Isn't there still Zhang Junsheng and his team?"

"I heard they recently applied for a large amount of spirit stones and library credits..."

"This is also completely in accordance with the regulations of Immortal Sect scientific research!"

"Understood!"

Jiang Ding's eyes lit up.

Same here.

(End of chapter)