Chapter 480: Transcendent

"Hahahaha, what does Prefect Liu think?"

At this moment, Wang Chao, as the host, gestured for Liu Zheng to sit down.

Until now...

Only when these Wangbei people looked at Liu Zheng again did their faces regain the arrogance belonging to an academy with a heritage spanning thousands of years.

Finally, they had saved face!

It would have been perfect if not for the "taking three steps back" a few times earlier!

Wang Chao nodded appreciatively at Mo Chen.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Supernatural craftsmanship, nothing more!"

He gave a wink to Qin Zhangfeng behind him. The latter understood immediately, walked to the side, and took out a whistle to send a message. The Liangzhou Army led by Cheng Kai was still at the foot of the mountain. Since the Nanzhao Army had already "descended the mountain," they naturally could not be allowed to leave safely.

Once this order was given, it was feared that those three thousand Nanzhao Army soldiers would surely be wiped out here.

Dean Wang Chao also gave a cold shout: "The Sixth Senior Brother colluded with outsiders and let them into the Academy without permission. Considering your old age and contributions to the Academy, from today on, you are expelled from the Academy, must hand over the authority of the back mountain passage, and are never allowed to step into the Academy again!"

The Sixth Senior Brother wept bitterly, but the next moment, he was already hauled away by the Second Senior Brother with one hand.

To be honest, the standard of this banquet was not high. But the things on the table were what Liu Zheng preferred. They were all purely natural crops, as well as wild vegetables, fungi, fish, shrimp, chicken, duck, and goose. In later generations, ordinary people really wouldn't be able to eat these.

Wang Chao chuckled: "Simple tea and light meals, I hope Prefect Liu will not mind."

Liu Zheng smiled: "Dean, you are too polite. Liu Zheng came upon invitation, and this time it is naturally for the marriage of Qin Dage and Pei Yanran. If there is anything about the Academy's rules that Liu Zheng does not understand, I ask for your guidance, Dean."

Hearing this, Wang Chao sighed slightly, first looking at Pei Yanran with doting eyes, and then said indifferently: "Does Prefect Liu know that Yanran is a genius rarely seen in our Academy in a hundred years? But marriage is a human norm, and the Academy cannot overly obstruct it. However..."

Liu Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly: "However what?"

Wang Chao laughed loudly: "Since the founding of Wangbei Academy, the Founder has had a rule: those who enter the Academy must be gifted. But wanting to leave the Academy is not that easy..."

Once these words were spoken.

Others also echoed in agreement.

As expected!

Before coming to Wangbei Academy, Liu Zheng knew that this matter would not be so simple. Pei Yanran had also warned him... In this Academy, almost regardless of gender, everyone addressed each other as senior or junior brothers, and she, Pei Yanran, was already considered an exception...

The difficulty of breaking this thousands-year-old rule for her sake today could be imagined.

The existence of Wangbei Academy itself was quite sensitive.

If the identities of their Worldly Walkers distributed in the secular world were exposed, it would definitely be a huge blow to this Wangbei Academy!

Looking at everyone here.

They liked to use the world as a chessboard and the people of the world as chess pieces. For the imperial Xie Family, this was in itself an act of treason. It was only because this Wangbei Academy was tucked away in the Southern Barbarian Lands of the southwest that the imperial court could not reach it.

Letting any one of them out would carry a very great risk.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Since the Dean invited me here, there must be other methods, right?"

"There is, there is, but..."

Wang Chao frowned and sighed softly: "It's just that the conditions are somewhat harsh..."

"Oh?"

Liu Zheng was curious and asked: "Dean, please speak. As long as I can marry the sister-in-law, Qin Dage and I will certainly not fear any challenges!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chao laughed out loud: "If this matter were for someone else, it might be difficult. But if there is help from Prefect Liu, I believe it should be much simpler."

"Oh?"

Liu Zheng's eyes lit up.

Wang Chao chuckled: "Eat, everyone eat first, we shall discuss this matter later!"

After the meal was finished.

Everyone walked out again. This Wang Chao first took a group of people to lead Liu Zheng on a tour of the entire Academy. All kinds of supernatural craftsmanship, classrooms for various subjects, and various "Laboratories"—the more Liu Zheng saw, the more tempted he became.

A treasure land!

This was definitely a treasure land!

Did you think the white marble Square of this Academy was the pinnacle?

Actually, it was not.

Beside the Square, there were other steps towering into the clouds, leading to who knows where.

Everyone arrived in front of these steps, and Wang Chao chuckled: "Prefect Liu must also know that Wangbei Academy has been passed down since the Founder established the Academy here three thousand years ago. The Academy has always upheld the principle of not participating in disputes, not participating in the struggle for the world, and not participating in national wars. Only by being free from worldly strife could it stand for so many years."

Liu Zheng chuckled, noncommittal.

Free from worldly strife...

Just looking at those Worldly Walkers you send out, do you dare say you are free from worldly strife?

Wang Chao seemed to see through Liu Zheng's doubt, stroked his beard, and laughed loudly: "Yes, the matter that Prefect Liu scoffs at is indeed the dilemma the Academy has been facing all these years."

Liu Zheng listened attentively, wanting to hear how they intended to argue.

At this time, Situ Kong beside him spoke up: "Prefect Liu's misunderstanding does exist. Since ancient times, the Academy's Worldly Walkers have all had a Book of Good and Evil!"

Liu Zheng nodded.

Initially, what he was most interested in about this Academy was this Book of Good and Evil! He thought that the Academy's process of calculating good and evil was very much like a database!

And a database was something he was extremely eager to have right now.

Situ Kong laughed: "Then does Prefect Liu know that this Book of Good and Evil is also a Merit Ledger?"

"Merit Ledger?"

Liu Zheng's eyes lit up.

Wang Chao nodded, and at this time led the group up the steps. Unlike the steps below, this section of steps had no extensions on the left or right; it seemed as if this was just a pure set of steps, leading to who knows where.

"Outer Court, Inner Court, Worldly Walk, Transcendent..."

"This is the Academy's path of ascension."

Liu Zheng was left speechless, unable to tell whether to laugh or cry: "Could it be that for your wife to truly leave the Academy, she must reach the final stage of Transcendent?"

He finally understood.

So that was it...

If Pei Yanran wanted to marry, she had to graduate from this Academy! And the conditions for this graduation were likely extremely harsh!

"Prefect Liu, you hit the nail on the head!"

Wang Chao laughed: "But those who can become Transcendent from the Academy are all rare talents of their time, the brilliant and talented of every era. How many spend their whole lives unable to step into the Inner Academy, and how many spend their whole lives unable to achieve the Worldly Walk? Therefore, those who are Transcendent are also few and far between!"

Following the steps, they walked upward.

The group finally arrived at a tall building.

Following a few people up, this tall building was a small platform; it was clear that this platform was also heavily guarded, with four people standing watch here.

Seeing it was Wang Chao, they let them pass.

And upon seeing this platform, Liu Zheng's eyes lit up instantly.

Good heavens!

He had truly come to the right place this time!

What did he see at this moment?

He saw a massive tool made of Counting Rods!

These dense, packed Counting Rods were just like a Computer from later generations!

【Author's Note】

Thanks to brother "Help Me Up I Can Still Update" for the direct 9800 contribution to the rankings...