Chapter 255 Punishment of the Ancient Gods

“This feeling... there can be no mistake.”

Li Shun had once been trapped within the ancient Heavenly Court illusion for countless years. He could be said to be more familiar with the aura there than anyone else.

It was just that he had never imagined that the ancient Heavenly Court, which had existed only on the primordial continent of the past, would actually appear in the real world of Great Qian!

But very soon, he came to a realization.

The world of Great Qian was itself one of the fragments of the Primordial Wilderness.

Although the ancient Heavenly Court was supposedly the dwelling place of the gods, it had ultimately still existed within the heavens and earth of the Primordial Wilderness.

“Could it be that there is actually a relic of the ancient Heavenly Court within the world of Great Qian?”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

The only thing Li Shun found difficult to believe was that Great Qian's national power could actually renovate the ancient Heavenly Court of the past and transform it into the residence of the Taixue Academy.

“Or is there some hidden circumstance behind all this?”

Li Shun still felt somewhat puzzled.

With no Great Qian Sage having appeared, aside from the unfathomable Great Siming and the Qian Emperor, the strongest cultivators in Great Qian were only at the Creation realm.

To mortals, Creation was already an absolute powerhouse.

But compared to the gods, a cultivator of the Creation realm was still far inferior.

Li Shun absolutely did not believe that they possessed the ability to renovate the ancient Heavenly Court.

“Perhaps the Ancient Net can see through some of the clues.”

Li Shun secretly pondered this possibility.

However, considering that he had only just arrived, Li Shun did not immediately call upon the Ancient Net.

Instead, he forcibly suppressed the shock and confusion in his heart and silently stood outside the gate, waiting.

Before long, two figures approached.

One was naturally Cheng Yu.

The other was the Grand Libationer whom Cheng Yu had mentioned.

The Grand Libationer appeared to be a frail-looking man with somewhat pale skin.

Li Shun could not sense even the slightest aura of cultivation from him.

The Grand Libationer of the Taixue Academy could absolutely not be an ordinary mortal.

Clearly, this man's strength was equally unfathomable.

“The head of the Taixue Academy is naturally His Majesty.”

“However, after personally overseeing the construction of the Taixue Academy back then, His Majesty never came here again.”

“The Grand Libationer is now the Taixue Academy's highest-ranking administrator in practice.”

Cheng Yu introduced him.

Li Shun's heart tightened, and he hurriedly bowed.

The Grand Libationer merely nodded slightly and looked Li Shun over.

Then he raised his hand and pressed it against Li Shun's forehead.

“Do not resist.”

A moment later, the Grand Libationer withdrew his hand.

A faint, illusory figure seemed to hover between his fingertips.

It was exactly identical to Li Shun.

It was almost as though he had directly extracted a strand of Li Shun's soul!

Yet from beginning to end, Li Shun had not felt the slightest discomfort, let alone had the opportunity to resist.

The Grand Libationer directly placed the illusory strand of Li Shun's soul upon the three characters, [Taixue Academy], carved into the enormous gate before them.

In the next instant, Li Shun vaguely sensed a mysterious connection forming between himself and the gate.

“From today onward, you may enter the Taixue Academy.”

“Unless there are special circumstances, you are not permitted to leave.”

With that, the Grand Libationer lightly waved his hand.

Li Shun was immediately drawn into the gate.

The scene before his eyes suddenly changed.

A clear blue sky stretched overhead, while ancient buildings extended into the distance.

Farther away, he could vaguely see towering mountains and rivers.

It was as though he had suddenly arrived in an independent world.

Li Shun looked to his side.

The Grand Libationer's figure had already disappeared.

Only Cheng Yu remained, smiling at him.

“Come, I'll first give you a brief introduction to the Taixue Academy.”

“The Grand Libationer oversees all affairs of the Taixue Academy. Beneath him are the Left and Right Vice Preceptors, who are responsible for the academy's daily operations and for coordinating the allocation of resources among the Hundred Schools of Thought.”

“Besides them, the Taixue Academy also has the Scholars of the Hundred Schools. They teach the classics and instruct students in cultivation. If you encounter any difficulties while cultivating, you can always go and ask them.”

“Beneath the Scholars of the Hundred Schools are Assistant Instructors and Lecturers, who are responsible for the students' daily lives and cultivation.”

“Additionally, the academy has Academic Supervisor, Academic Registrars, Record Keepers, and other positions.”

“The one you need to pay particular attention to is the Academic Supervisor.”

“The Academic Supervisors enforce the laws and regulations of the Taixue Academy. They are responsible for inspecting the conduct and speech of the students and assessing their character. If your conduct is improper and they happen to catch you in the act...”

“You'll have a very bad time.”

As Cheng Yu led the way, he continued introducing Li Shun to the basic circumstances of the Taixue Academy.

When he mentioned the Academic Supervisor, a trace of fear involuntarily flashed through his eyes.

“The punishment administered by the Academic Supervisor is said to originate from the punishment once inflicted upon the gods.”

“No matter how steadfast one's mind or will may be, after experiencing it once, you will never want to experience it a second time.”

“Remember that. Remember it well.”

It seemed that Cheng Yu had personally experienced the punishment of the Academic Supervisors before.

As he spoke, his entire body could not help but tremble.

“The punishment of the gods?”

Li Shun's gaze flickered.

His previous judgment became even more certain.

This Taixue Academy must have an inextricable connection with the ancient Heavenly Court.

“Every disciple of the Taixue Academy has their own independent courtyard, so you don't need to worry about being disturbed by others.”

“Yours has already been arranged.”

“You can rest today. Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to attend classes and begin your cultivation studies.”

“Although we belong to the Confucian Spring and Autumn Brush lineage, if you're interested in the theories of the other schools, you can also attend their lectures.”

Cheng Yu gave him a special reminder.

Li Shun was immediately stunned.

“The Hundred Schools of Thought have conflicting doctrines and cannot be cultivated simultaneously. What use is there in attending lectures from the other schools?”

Cheng Yu smiled.

“People say that the stones of other mountains can serve to polish jade. By embracing the strengths of others and discarding their weaknesses, one can innovate and develop anew. Back during the chaotic era of the ancient wars, how could there have been as many schools and traditions as there are today?”

“In truth, there are all sorts of obscure and difficult-to-explain connections between the Hundred Schools of Thought. Some can even be traced back to the same origin.”

“Of course, among mortals, the various schools have different interests, so this is already a subject no one speaks of anymore.”

“But here in the Taixue Academy, the Hundred Schools share the same goal. Everyone seeks only to find a way to resist the erosion of the Outer Gods. Naturally, there are far fewer barriers between them.”

“Of course, there are still distinctions in how close the various schools are to one another.”

“Your residence has also been arranged near the Confucian disciples.”

“Besides you, there are currently five Confucian disciples studying and researching within the Taixue Academy...”

Amid Cheng Yu's introduction, Li Shun soon arrived at his independent courtyard.

The moment he stepped inside, Li Shun sensed an abundance of pure and concentrated Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

It was even denser than that of the Kong Family's Grotto-Heaven.

And at the center of the courtyard, a jade tablet was quietly floating.

Li Shun sensed a mysterious connection between the jade tablet and his soul.

“For students of the Taixue Academy, the imperial court basically grants whatever is requested.”

“As long as the items required for cultivation and study fall within a reasonable range, they can all be obtained through this jade tablet.”

Cheng Yu explained.

As inspiration struck him, Li Shun reached out and took the jade tablet down.

The instant his divine sense made contact with it, rows upon rows of densely packed records appeared within his mind.

Li Shun looked through them.

They were lists of various spirit plants and medicinal herbs, rare treasures, and ancient texts.

They contained not merely their names, but also detailed descriptions of each item.

Li Shun casually selected an ancient book titled [Record of Primordial Wilderness Calamities].

The next instant, he sensed that as long as he needed it, he could borrow the book.

“These items can be obtained without needing contribution points or anything of the sort?”

Li Shun found this somewhat unbelievable.