Chapter 14: Inside and Outside the Immortal Dynasty

In the heartland of Zhongyuan, north of Shengjing.

From afar along Yong’an Avenue, ten thousand hectares of forest crown the peaks; below them, a divine road carved through Shunshan climbs to the mid-slope, where a white jade gateway rises above the trees, and atop the summit five grand halls stand scattered, hidden within clouds and mist.

This is the Tian Shu Academy of the Great Xia Sacred Sect, passed down since ancient times with profound roots.

Two gilded, jewel-encrusted carriages arrived before the divine road, and two figures stepped down from them.

One was nearly sixty, his hair white but his face ruddy and spirit radiant, clad in a purple everyday robe; the other stood tall and imposing, wearing a pearl-crowned hat and jade belt, draped in an embroidered grand robe, exuding noble majesty.

“Old servant Wei Li pays homage to Prince Chong.”

“Minister Wei, rise quickly—between us, such formalities are unnecessary.”

Prince Chong stepped forward and helped the veteran minister to his feet: “I heard His Majesty has been overexerting himself lately, his health declining?”

Wei Li squinted and smiled faintly: “He’s just obsessing over some new policy to revive imperial authority—worrying himself sick.”

“His Majesty, like my elder brother, still doesn’t understand that this world isn’t his—it belongs to the immortals. Under immortal authority, where is imperial power?”

“Your Highness speaks truly.” Wei Li’s eyes flickered slightly. “Yet I hear His Majesty summoned Ye Sheng back from Han Tie Pass—could this be tied to the new policy?”

Prince Chong frowned slightly: “Has the war in the Northern Plains ended?”

“General Ye reportedly broke through in battle—he’s now fully stabilized in the Upper Five Realms, slew the enemy commander with a single slash, and the Wu-Man tribes have temporarily retreated.”

“He has no sect lineage; fully stabilized in the Upper Five Realms is the peak of his life.”

Wei Li nodded vigorously, then pulled a porcelain vial from his sleeve and offered it to Prince Chong.

Inside was a blood elixir crafted by an Elder of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, delivered monthly by Wei Li to officials of the Immortal Faction, to nourish the bones and aid cultivation.

After presenting the elixir, Wei Li turned his gaze to Tian Shu Academy’s divine road: “I’ve been occupied lately with tax collection and haven’t inquired—why has the academy’s entrance ceremony been suddenly delayed?”

“I just learned this morning: this year, Tian Shu Academy selected one more candidate under twenty, fully stabilized in the Lower Three Realms, who has just arrived in Shengjing.”

“Truly? Then Your Highness will have to spend even more on patronage?”

Outer academy disciples who fail to reach the Upper Five Realms cannot receive the people’s offerings.

Yet many high officials and noble families scramble to sponsor and befriend them, for an immortal who reaches the Upper Five Realms is already a supreme being among mortals—Prince Chong understands this well, spending vast sums every year to support Tian Shu disciples.

But this time, he shook his head, showing little interest in this extra recruit.

“That’s odd—normally, every under-twenty Lower Three Realms cultivator is snatched up by you.”

“This time is different—he’s not an immortal descendant or noble scion, but a rural self-cultivator.”

Wei Li blinked in surprise: “A self-cultivator?”

Prince Chong stood with hands behind his back: “I’ve sponsored thousands of outer academy disciples over the years, spending enormous sums—but only a handful ever truly succeed, for each realm beyond the Upper Five requires vast quantities of immortal herbs and spirit medicines, more than even I can afford.”

“So Your Highness has no interest in him?”

“No—I’m determined to secure the other two students.”

Prince Chong couldn’t help smiling: “Chu He, the younger brother of Chu Xian, the personal disciple of the Xuan Yuan Patriarch—this family is exceptionally gifted. The other is from the Lu family of Yunzhou, who control Yunzhou’s spirit mines.”

Wei Li narrowed his eyes: “Your Highness’s ambitions are great indeed.”

“Hmph—don’t speak such disrespectful words again. Come, it’s time for the ceremony.”

Prince Chong silenced Wei Li’s words and walked into the academy with hands clasped behind his back.

Within, robed cultivators moved about—walking, hovering, riding swords—radiating an aura of immortal grace.

Ascending inward led to the White Jade Ascension Platform.

The newly arrived talents from the Nine Provinces gathered here, whispering and chatting among themselves.

They had been at Tian Shu Academy for three days, already familiar with one another, yet puzzled: if all had arrived, why was the entrance ceremony delayed?

Rumors spread that this year, Tian Shu Academy had discovered in remote Fengzhou a cultivator under twenty, fully stabilized in the Lower Three Realms—and a self-cultivator.

They had never heard of a self-cultivator reaching the Lower Three Realms; astonishment mingled with curiosity and doubt.

For until now, the man had not appeared.

At that moment, Prince Chong, Wei Li, and the capital’s noble families all gathered on the White Jade Platform, when suddenly a glow of immortal light bloomed from the clouds deep within Ni Mountain, revealing five figures descending through the air, landing swiftly upon the platform.

These were the Five Hall Masters under the Tian Shu Academy Patriarch.

Seeing this, the incoming students straightened their postures, their eyes filled with reverence.

After arriving, the five Hall Masters scanned the disciples below; their gazes met briefly upon the man and woman directly ahead, then nodded slightly.

The man wore a tall crown, a long sword at his waist, standing proud against the wind.

He was Chu He, the younger son of the Chu family, as Prince Chong had mentioned.

The Chu family was universally recognized as a lineage of fortune—every member had reached the Upper Five Realms; Chu He’s elder brother, Chu Xian, was even the personal disciple of the Xuan Yuan Patriarch.

Ever since he began cultivation, countless immortal sects had fixated on Chu He, eager to recruit him.

Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion had the best chance—his brother was their personal disciple—but Chu He refused to live under his brother’s shadow, and unexpectedly chose Tian Shu Academy.

The woman stood tall, her makeup refined, her immortal robe clinging to her slender waist and long legs.

Most striking was the phoenix hairpin atop her head, carved from a spirit core deep within a spirit vein—she was Lu Qingqiu of the Yunzhou Lu family.

The Lu family had thrived for a thousand years, rising from prospecting and mining spirit veins, amassing boundless wealth.

Both were under twenty, both fully stabilized in the Lower Three Realms, both prodigies of their respective provinces.

Tian Shu Academy’s inner academy slots were extremely scarce—thus, they were natural rivals.

At that moment, a commotion stirred through the crowd; Chu He and Lu Qingqiu turned simultaneously to see a man and woman arriving late, escorted by a senior sister.

At this sight, whispers erupted on and off the platform; all eyes turned toward the man—Ji You—even the five Hall Masters lifted their gazes slightly.

“So there truly is another under-twenty Lower Three Realms cultivator?”

“They say he’s a rural self-cultivator—unbelievable.”

“Chu He declared on his first day that he would enter the inner academy next year—now he has a rival.”

“Hardly a rival—he needs spirit herbs and immortal medicines to reach the Upper Five Realms; Chu He can afford them, how could he?”

Ji You stepped onto the White Jade Platform amid the murmurs, his expression weary.

They had departed from Yuyang, taken an immortal boat at Changning Ferry, and only arrived in Shengjing this morning.

Kuangcheng had left ahead of them in Shengjing to prepare at Chunfeng Relay Station, while they rushed straight to Ni Mountain without rest, then were brought directly to the White Jade Platform.

Is this cultivating immortals? This is training special forces.

“Ji You, go stand at the front, beside those two.”

“Ruoyao, come with me to the rear…”

The Tian Shu Academy entrance ceremony involved eight outer academy instructors bestowing badges, followed by the five Hall Masters delivering teachings and rules, lasting roughly two hours.

After the badge-giving and lectures ended, the five Hall Masters departed, and the stage belonged to imperial officials and capital noble families.

Prince Chong had already prepared invitations, heading straight for Chu He and Lu Qingqiu to invite them to his mansion; others received constant invitations from noble houses.

Only Ji You, Fang Ruoyao, and others who gained entry through other means stood alone on the White Jade Platform, conspicuously out of place.

This was the ironclad hierarchy of Great Xia—ordinary people, even those as brilliant as Ji You, were never first choices; only the discomfort of being shut out by class.

“I’ve never seen a Lower Three Realms cultivator so ignored.”

“After all, he’s just a rural self-cultivator…”

“Chu He already has eight invitations…”

“Miss Lu has seven…”

Comparison brings pain—and now the pain centered entirely on Ji You.

Others not from noble families, like Fang Ruoyao, almost felt relieved they weren’t as dazzling as a Lower Three Realms cultivator.

Standing on the platform with cultivation but no attention, yet under the gaze of thousands—perhaps it was more awkward than having lower cultivation.

(End of Chapter)