Star Sky Professional
Chapter 496 - 400 Dao Court (Request for Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 496: Chapter 400 Dao Court (Request for Monthly Ticket)

A small town.

In the center of the town, a winding river flows past, and the main road is paved with blue stone slabs.

In the misty drizzle, a watchman clangs his copper gong as he goes through the streets and alleyways, calling out, "The annual Spirit Testing Ceremony of the Fierce Sun Dao Court is about to begin. If your child has a Spirit Root, they can be sent to the academy without any costs for food and accommodation, and they might even become an esteemed Immortal Master... Children aged ten must hurry to the town’s threshing grounds, don’t be late..."

At the threshing grounds, numerous children, accompanied by their parents, were already waiting anxiously, looking at an old man with a white beard and hair who was feeling for bones.

"No Spirit Root."

The elder seemed to be a typical image of Daoist Immortality; however, he was actually just an early-stage Qi Cultivator, too stingy even to use a Spirit Testing Talisman, idly applying the Sensing Spirit Technique himself.

As soon as he spoke, the little girl opposite him burst into tears.

The elder had seen this scene many times before and calmly said, "Next."

"No Spirit Root!"

"No Spirit Root!"

"No Spirit Root!"

...

In the Cultivation World, having the talent of a Spirit Root is truly one in ten thousand.

The elder casually took a moment to regulate his breath and continued his spellcasting.

"Ah?"

Suddenly, he looked toward a young boy with a fierce look, and above the boy’s Heavenly Spirit, a faint light emerged, multicolored and extremely short.

"Low-grade Mixed Spirit Root... eligible for the academy."

The elder nodded and made the announcement.

"Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Immortal Master!"

A peasant couple hugged their son, repeatedly thanking him.

"Hehe... no need to thank this old man; these are the rules of the Dao Court."

The old Immortal Master shook his head, instructing a scribe beside him to record it: "Your family has produced an Immortal Seed, so you will be exempt from three years of taxes. Alright, next!"

For some reason, there seemed to be a hint of reluctance in his eyes as he watched the young boy’s disappearing figure, as if he saw himself in times long past...

...

"The Cultivation World unites, indeed extending its reach to all aspects..."

High above.

Fang Xing sat in the clouds, indifferently observing everything happening in the town below: "The Fiery Sun Palace governs the Fierce Sun Cultivation World, establishes academies in each city to gather Immortal Seeds, and all the world’s Spirit Veins are under the control of the Dao Court... There likely isn’t much room for Loose Cultivators here anymore."

The so-called Fierce Sun Dao Court was actually just the outer sect of the Fiery Sun Palace.

"Truly a picture of a prosperous era."

Qiong Immortal, witnessing this scene, felt somewhat envious.

"A prosperous era for Cultivation? Heh..."

Fang Xing suddenly scoffed.

His Divine Sense was much broader and more detailed than Qiong Immortal’s, allowing him to see much more.

At that moment, as the Void shimmered briefly, several Jade Scrolls fell into Fang Xing’s hands, he casually handed them to Qiong Immortal: "These are the so-called introductory techniques of the academy, take a look..."

Qiong Immortal’s Divine Sense entered the Jade Scrolls and she lightly nodded: "Plant and Tree Formulas, Bright King Technique... indeed rudimentary, huh?"

"You see, although these techniques are simplistic, they harbor malicious intentions, specialized for creating medicine men and mine slaves."

Fang Xing chuckled and shook his head: "Cultivation, Cultivation, yet in the end, they can’t even touch the edge of true Foundation Establishment, and might even shorten their lifespan, using their own essence to cultivate Spirit Grass..."

"This... If one has low Cultivation talent, they might have no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in their lifetime and can only engage in such tasks."

Qiong Immortal replied meekly.

After all, the lower ranks of Piaomiao Immortal Palace also harbored similar cultivators, just not as blatantly or directly, and there were additional compensations.

But considering the current governance of the Dao Court, clearly, there were no such compensations.

After all, they had no external enemies and didn’t need to worry about criticism.

Even if the lower-level cultivators were in full revolt, the high-level cultivators, with a wave of their hands, could move mountains and seas and suppress them easily.

"If they are talented children, they might still have the chance to enter the Fiery Sun Palace..."

As soon as Qiong Immortal finished speaking, Fang Xing brought her flying into a large city.

"Inside the academy below, indeed there are quite a few good seeds, at least they are Top Grade Spirit Roots..."

Fang Xing scoffed, "Seems they are learning Daoist Soldier techniques, which contain a hidden mechanism; if triggered, it will sever their meridians and kill them... And it’s too simplistic, I’m afraid their hope of reaching Core Formation is slim, not to mention a Nascent Soul."

"This... aren’t they afraid that the legacy within the sect will end?"

Qiong Immortal expressed her surprise.

"The underlying situation is predictable enough, nothing more than familial governance and clan power... In the Fiery Sun Palace, high-level cultivators have countless descendants, they can easily select the best from among them... As for the promotion channel of this outer sect of the Fiery Sun Dao Court, it’s not only rare but becoming increasingly narrow."

Fang Xing shook his head: "It’s only by plundering the resources of the entire Cultivation World that they can continue producing Divinity Transformation cultivators... But don’t even think about Void Refining Ascension."

In this aspect, having used Soul Search on the Divine Beggar Venerable, he was very clear.

The current Fiery Sun Palace appeared splendid on the outside but was rotten on the inside.

Perhaps... this is the corruption and degradation without external enemies?

"Is it really... like this?" Qiong Immortal found it hard to believe.

"Is it not very normal for cultivation that holds extreme importance to resources, to end up monopolizing everything in the end?" Fang Xing laughed, "As far as I know, within the Fierce Sun Palace, there are the Hua, Li, Sun, and Qian bloodlines taking turns holding power... then there are the Alchemy Furnace lineage, Jianyang lineage, and so on that relentlessly oppress outsiders and only recruit their own people... All the Spirit Veins in the entire Great Yang Immortal Cultivation World belong to the Fierce Sun Palace, and those who disobey meet death... Various cultivation methods are considered taboo, and besides the official academies, those who dare to teach privately are executed!"

In such a world, cultivators at the bottom must be utterly desperate, especially since a cultivator’s power lies within themselves.

As long as the Fierce Sun Palace produces Divine Beggar Venerables generation after generation, the cultivators below have no chance to rebel.

Even the most superior Immortal Seeds, practicing Daoist Soldier techniques, reaching Core Formation, would be their limit; how could they challenge a God Transformation?

Such rule has already persisted for tens of thousands of years and it is even imaginable that it could continue for hundreds of thousands or millions of years more... as long as there are no external forces influencing, it can go on.

"What is even more ridiculous is that in the beginning, this cultivation world was controlled by the Jiao Long Royal Court where the Human Clan was treated like livestock; back then, the Fierce Sun Palace was the savior of the Human Clan, overthrowing the Jiao Long Royal Court with the remaining power of six hundred generations, and accomplished great deeds for the Human Clan."

Fang Xing quietly lamented, "But now it has entirely decayed."

"Isn’t there you now to sweep across the universe? Do you have any plans to preach here?" Qiong Immortal asked with a clever smile and sparkling eyes.

"No, this Great Yang Immortal Cultivation World, after I loot it, I don’t mind gifting it to your Piaomiao Immortal Palace."

Fang Xing stated indifferently.

Yet he added to himself in his heart, ’Consider it a tip...’

"Then this lady first thanks you here," the Piaomiao Palace Master said with a clever smile. "But I wonder how you plan to proceed?"

"Such a decayed force, even if they have a Sixth-Order Array, is just like dry bones in a tomb. With the Divine Beggar Venerable fallen, their highest martial power suddenly imbalanced, perhaps they’ve already started fighting amongst themselves."

Fang Xing sneered.

...

The mountain gate of the Fierce Sun Palace is located at ’Great Sun Mountain’.

It is a sublime mountain range, stretching beyond measure and towering thousands of miles, purportedly the ancestral vein of the Great Yang Immortal Cultivation World.

"Such rich Spiritual Energy... the core likely has a sixth-rank top-grade level."

Fang Xing exclaimed as he arrived at the mountain range towering thousands of miles high.

"Such a... gross wastage of natural resources."

Qiong Immortal similarly remarked.

"Heh heh... has disaster already struck their own walls?"

Fang Xing, sensing the surges of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power, suddenly spoke.

"Hmm? Have they already started fighting?"

Qiong Immortal’s eyes brightened.

’It seems the calm on the surface was just an illusion, it’s... ultimately the end of their rule. No matter how the big shots fight on top, it doesn’t really affect them much... those who should be used as medicine continue to be used as medicine, those who should continue to be mining slaves continue so, the Daoist soldiers too...’

Fang Xing silently critiqued in his heart, pinching a technique, a dim radiance enveloped the two, then their figures disappeared.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, they saw a succession of luxurious palaces stretching for hundreds of miles.

At this moment, a pitch-black Jiao Long, thousands of zhang in size, was rampaging wildly within the Fierce Sun Palace.

"Ah? Why isn’t the Mountain Protection Array activated?"

Qiong Immortal immediately noticed something was amiss.

"It was sabotaged from the inside... as expected, calamity has indeed occurred within their own walls."

Fang Xing shook his head as he watched the four Divinity Transformation forces battling.

One naturally was the black Jiao Long, while the other three Divine Transformation Venerables split into two factions.

One, wearing a tall crown and of archaic appearance, teamed with the Jiao Long, battling the other two Divine Transformation Venerables.

’Four Divine Transformation cultivators exist in this generation within the Fierce Sun Palace.’

’Only the Divine Beggar Venerable from the Hua lineage has reached the late stage of Divinity Transformation; the others are all early stages from the Li, Sun, and Qian lineages... This was to be considered the golden era of the Fierce Sun Palace.’

’Unexpected was the rebound of the monster race in the cultivation world, presenting a fifth-tier Jiao Long this generation... and even a Divinity Transformation from the Sun lineage betrayed them by leading the enemy inside.’

In the blink of an eye, Fang Xing grasped the situation, sneering in his heart:

’I was too cautious... always imagining the Fierce Sun Palace as a Holy Land with so much potential to backfire.’

’I didn’t expect, before I even arrived, that they would fight among themselves to the point of brainlessness... even introducing external foes.’

’Even sabotaging their most crucial Sixth-Order Grand Array... The sad shape of the Jiao Long suggests it probably used all its tricks.’

Actually, after the Soul Search of the Divine Beggar Venerable, Fang Xing had a better understanding of the Fierce Sun Palace than even these three Divine Transformation Venerables.

Even the true condition of the Fierce Sun Palace’s main array, the Nine Dragon Sun Holding Formation, wasn’t hidden from him.

He could have crept in undetected, assassinated each Divine Transformation Venerable one by one, and then taken control of everything.

Originally, that was Fang Xing’s plan, yet he didn’t anticipate that his enemies would be even more foolish than he imagined.

With the Sect’s ancestor, their strongest power, deceased, rather than presenting a united front, they had turned on each other.

Even... resorting to including monster race forces!

Whether the fifth-tier black Jiao Long was a spiritual pet or not was quite easy to discern.

Even so, Fang Xing could sense that this Jiao Long was stronger than the three Divine Transformation Venerables, yet intentionally hid its prowess, aiming to exhaust the three Human Clan Divine Transformation Venerables.

’Thus, it seems, had I not come... perhaps the cultivators of Fierce Sun Palace might have been overthrown, and even the Fierce Sun Cultivation World might have fallen into the hands of the monster race.’

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