Chapter 19: White Jade Capital in the Heavens

The development of the Cultivation System in this world, much like the development of civilization, does not have a long history.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the Cultivation System did not exist, and people could not even control Spirit Power. Although some peerless geniuses were born with Spirit Power, or those with high affinity for Spirit Power could easily come into contact with these wondrous energies, they were all unable to utilize them.

Until someone discovered the interaction between Runes and Spirit Power—

One only needed to draw Spirit Power into certain specific symbols to produce wondrous reactions, with different symbols having different effects.

These Runes were the most Basic Runes; later, on the foundation of these Basic Runes, people gradually discovered more complex and powerful Runes.

The first people to learn how to use Spirit Power were also born.

At the very beginning, this ability was still very weak, and these people only used it to perform small tricks, using them to swindle positions like priest.

Some were also burned to death.

But as everyone's application of Runes and Spirit Power became more and more profound, people soon mastered more powerful and complex forces, gradually beginning to use them for agriculture and war.

The earliest Cultivators were born.

This was the prototype of the Spirit Sect.

The Spirit Sect relied heavily on Spirit Power and Spells, and for a very long time, it was the mainstream of cultivation in this land. Later, Shengzu unified the world and integrated the Cultivation System, and the Spirit Sect became the world's first systematic sect, playing a crucial leading role in the progress and development of cultivation methods and Spell Runes.

It is the ancestor of all Cultivation Systems.

But with the development of the cultivation world, the competition among Cultivators became increasingly fierce, and wars became increasingly cruel, causing Cultivators' demand for military force to grow higher and higher. The Spirit Sect's dominant position was gradually replaced by the Sword Sect, and it retreated to become the second-largest Cultivation System.

An era where the world was full of Sword Cultivators had arrived.

But the tide of history is just like this, surging in wave after wave; no one can walk at the very front forever—

The Sword Cultivators' dominant position was eventually replaced by other Cultivation Systems.

The Spirit Sect system still remained in second place.

In the thousands of years of history that followed, the cultivation world had no fixed winner; different eras had different demands for Cultivators, and Cultivation Systems of all sizes each had their moment of glory.

Some lasted for a few decades, others for thousands of years.

The Spirit Sect was always second.

Some have already been eliminated, while some are still here today. Some keep pace with the times, while others still insist on tradition. Some have experienced a second spring, while others are protected by the state.

The Spirit Sect system has always been there.

It can be called an evergreen tree among Cultivation Systems.

The last Cultivation System in history to shock the entire cultivation world was the Secret Sect; it is the closest to the modern era on the timeline.

It was not until a thousand years ago that the great name of the Secret Sect resounded throughout the world, but its bizarre aspect was that it was one of the few Cultivation Systems that shook the cultivation world while having a pitifully small number of Cultivators.

The whole world was spreading rumors about how terrifying the Secret Sect was, yet very few people had ever seen a Secret Sect Practitioner.

No one even knew how many disciples the Secret Sect had, where its sect headquarters was, or if it was even truly called the "Secret Sect."

It was as mysterious as a rumor.

But hundreds of years ago, the Yiguo imperial court joined forces with major sects to search the whole world for Secret Sect disciples, and that movement could not be hidden from people.

So now, major marketing accounts on the internet always drape the Secret Sect in a terrifying veil; everyone is bragging, describing the Secret Sect as the most terrifying Cultivation System in history, to the point that everyone could not tolerate its existence and had to join forces to wipe it out.

The result of the purge is unknown.

It is not recorded in history books; perhaps the result was not great.

But later, the Secret Sect did indeed disappear, which seems to indicate that the purge was useful.

Thus, even in the modern era, people do not understand its core mechanism; they only obtained the Secret Sect's Cultivation Spiritual Method, which is the main reference point for the Cultivation Spiritual Method currently popularized in Yiguo.

……

The train stopped at a few more stations, passing through sunshine and rain.

Ning Qing still had one of Chen Shu's earphones hanging on her ear, but she was no longer looking at the scenery outside the window; instead, she turned her head to look at Chen Shu's sleeping face, her expression serene.

This person was still holding her hand.

"Smile a little

"Success and fame are not the goal

"Letting yourself be happy, that is what is called meaning

"The paper airplane from childhood..."

This was the song coming from the earphone; the lyrics and music were both written by a person named Jay Chou. She remembered that Chen Shu loved to sing it, and he sang it even better than the original.

She looked up at the display in the carriage.

15:32.

Train speed: 453 km/h

Temperature: 23°

There were still more than two hours left until arrival.

Ning Qing glanced at Chen Shu's face on her left shoulder again, and seeing his head showing signs of sliding down, she raised her hand to support it, lest his personal credit be overdrawn. Then, she carefully pulled his Mobile Phone out of Chen Shu's pocket and took off his earphone.

Because only one hand was available, the movement was somewhat inconvenient.

"Emm..."

Chen Shu moved slightly.

Ning Qing stopped her movements, turned her head to observe him carefully for a few seconds, and seeing that he had no further movements, she put on the earphone and picked up Chen Shu's Mobile Phone.

Unlocked successfully.

Let's scroll through some short videos.

News: "Today, our military assisted the Puluo military in wiping out the Two-Tail Sect..."

Popular Science: "Appraising popular exotic beast videos on the internet..."

Talk show: "Setting aside the facts..."

News: "According to Professor Yuan, the identification of the 'Commoner Woman Hairpin' is thanks to a young assistant. It is unbelievable to say, but this young person just finished the Great Exam..."

Game: "Died this round, arrange your time reasonably."

This person watches such a messy variety of things.

Ning Qing continues to swipe down.

Beauty dance: "Ding ding ding ding woo~~"

Ning Qing watches the girl with abdominal muscles and long legs on the screen with an expressionless face, watching her finish dancing.

Long press, click "Not interested".

Then swipe to the next one.

Chen Shu wakes up and sees her playing with his Mobile Phone; he doesn't feel any Surprise, pulling his hand out from hers. His palm is already full of sweat, not comfortable at all. This kind of thing is only comfortable at the very beginning.

Then he asks stammeringly:

"What time is it?"

"Four eleven."

"How much longer?"

"Exactly two hours." Ning Qing glances at him, "You held hands for three hours and twelve minutes, and leaned on my shoulder for three hours and one minute."

"Round it down, boss."

"Fine."

"The boss is generous."

Chen Shu wipes his face, becoming slightly more awake: "This Hama Beer is quite strong; I feel like I might not be able to sleep tonight."

Ning Qing takes out an earphone and hands it to him.

18:11 in the afternoon.

The train pulls into Yujing West Station, opens its doors with a hiss, and passengers stand up one after another to retrieve their luggage.

Chen Shu pulls his suitcase and gets off the train with Ning Qing. His backpack is much lighter than in the morning. Standing on the platform and looking up, the sunset in the distance is orange-red, and the horizon is a patch of orange-yellow. The sunset of the Imperial Capital seems a bit more grand than that of Bai City, yet not as charming as Bai City's.

"Let's go."

This is not the first time the two have come to Yujing.

They came once four years ago, also during summer vacation, to travel. They even brought Xiaoxiao along and played for a week before going back.

After exiting the station, the two hailed a taxi and headed straight for the hotel.

They are not at the same school.

Chen Shu is at Yujing Academy, and Ning Qing is at Ling'an Academy; both are among the most prestigious academies in the world. The two schools are adjacent, and both begin registration after the day after tomorrow.

They booked a hotel closer to the schools. The reason they arrived early is because Chen Shu wants to go see his older sister tomorrow.

His sister is also studying in Yujing; this is her final academic year, and she has rented a house to live in outside.

Arriving at Tuanzi Hotel.

One room per person.

After putting down their things, Chen Shu tells Wei Lvshi, his sister, and Xiaoxiao that he has arrived, then sits on the edge of the bed to take stock of his current assets.

This world has no Alipay, and instant messaging has no money-saving function, but cash is no longer used either. Everyone keeps their money in online banking, and everyone has an account. Chen Shu feels it is even more convenient and standardized than WeChat and Alipay.

There is just over fifty thousand in the account.

It is all money he saved himself.

For an ordinary college student, it is quite wealthy; for a Cultivator, it is nothing.

However, there is still over a thousand Black Gold Coin online. This is valuable, but it doesn't count; it has its uses, and he won't cash it out unless necessary.

As for tuition and living expenses...

There are none.

Universities in Yiguo have support rules:

Over the entire five years, you don't need to pay tuition. But it doesn't mean tuition isn't required; on the contrary, the tuition is much more expensive than universities in his past life. It is recorded as a credit Loan, with no interest for ten years starting from the time you enroll, and interest begins to accrue after ten years.

Living expenses are the same.

After registration, the school will give you a campus card. During the ten months of each year, the Government will deposit a certain amount of money into it every month, the specific amount determined based on the school's recommendation.

If you don't finish it, it can be refunded at the end of the term.

Universities in Yujing uniformly provide 1,500 per month, which can be used for meals in the cafeteria or for consumption in campus shops.

If you are a child from a poor family and your usual expenses aren't large, this money is absolutely enough for your basic living needs on campus, including buying clothes and occasionally eating out. If you want to live a better life, you can think of ways yourself, and it isn't difficult.

Chen Shu, for instance, has very high expenses.

"Knock, knock."

The sound of knocking on the door rings out, very light, followed by Ning Qing's voice, faint and pleasant:

"Going out to eat."

"Coming."