As the Dao Academy had just been established, many of its systems and rules were incomplete. Since Lu Yun was from Earth, he borrowed wholesale from her education systems and used them to shape his academy.

However, given that Earth was in the Degenerate Age and lacked immortals and cultivators, her systems and rules might not be the most suitable for the world of immortals. [1] Unfortunately, Lu Yun was pressed for time and had no other choices available to him.

The less-than-two-million batch of founding disciples relaxed when they heard the rules. Sixty years! If they didn’t pass the examinations and enter the inner academy after sixty years, they’d have to scuttle back home in ignoble defeat. But, this also meant that the academy wouldn’t place any restrictions on their movement or departure at all.

They rejoiced at the unexpected good news. After all, each of them belonged to their own factions or clans. They were only here to learn various combat arts and cultivation methods, they didn’t really want to become one of Lu Yun’s.

For immortals, sixty years would pass by in the blink of an eye.

“I have a question for you, Headmaster!” someone called out. “When we leave the academy, are we allowed to teach others what we’ve learned here?”

“Whatever knowledge you gain is yours, you can pass it on to whoever you wish,” came Lu Yun’s answer.

The crowd relaxed further when they heard his words. They’d been apprehensive that Lu Yun would force them to swear a blood oath and prevent them from sharing anything they’d learned here. Who would’ve thought that the Dao Academy wouldn’t care about this at all!

The end goal of many was to bring whatever they learned back to their own factions.

“In addition,” Lu Yun continued, “everything taught in the outer academy is just the basics. True knowledge is found only in the inner academy. You’ll have to work hard if you want to glean what the Dao Academy is really capable of. And of course, whatever is taught in the inner academy can be shared with outsiders as well.”

Here, he paused for a long chuckle. “Do keep in mind that the various combat arts and cultivation methods of the immortal dao are obscure in meaning and difficult to comprehend. A good teacher is required if one wants to properly absorb all that knowledge.”

With that, he left with a flourish of his robes.

……

Thus marked the first day of class at the first dao academy in the world of immortals. Its first matriculating students comprised of less than two million immortals, cultivators, and ordinary mortals. The system here was very similar to tertiary education on Earth, marked with a few differences.

Disciples had to choose between required courses and electives for their daily cultivation and class schedule. Each class was taught by an appropriate teacher—the professors of the Dao Academy mostly drew from Lu Yun’s Infernum or trusted geniuses such as the little nun, Lin Yu, Lin Xuan, and others.

The nascent spirit method, breathing method, and laws of body tempering were general education courses that every single disciple had to take. Tests were administered at regular intervals, and those who failed to meet the bar were punished accordingly.

The three great methods were rudimentary practices to fortify the nascent spirit, internal organs, and physical body. They wouldn’t conflict with cultivation, and in fact would supplement cultivation efforts and bring about greater effect and better result in student study.

Apart from the three great methods, there were a plethora of combat art classes to choose from. Each general category of combat arts incorporated tailored lectures, which could be modified according to each disciple’s spirit root and expertise.

Disciples could freely choose among classes for combat arts related to sword, martial, boxing, spear, blade, and other treasure dao. Naturally, examinations were a part of those electives as well.

Instruction in the supplemental paths rounded out the curriculum of the Dao Academy. This was where the core knowledge resided, and was the main purpose of most students who’d enrolled. Formula, pill, equipment, formation, talisman, and medicine dao!

Classes were likewise freely available in all of them for disciples to choose from; they could even dual major if they wished. However, apart from the three great methods, formula dao was also a requisite course. Every disciple had to take classes in it.

When utilized to maximum benefit, formula dao could infer everything between the heavens and earth. Be it supplemental dao, combat arts, or cultivation methods—all could be analyzed and weaknesses found. Formula dao was thereby the process of continually improving and perfecting all of these tools.

In fact, formula dao was showing signs of becoming the basis for immortal dao.

Lu Yun imported everything about schedules, classes, grades, and majors into the world of immortals and treated every student equally. However, his actions were utmost heresy in contemporary society. Every peak faction and even the celestial courts were highly partisan and kept everything strictly to themselves, even if it was a tiny scrap of paper they considered utter trash.

The celestial emperors had tried numerous times to make the world set aside their differences and look beyond their sectarian divisions, but each attempt had ended in failure. It wasn’t until the battles six years ago at Dusk Province did a new breeze softly touch upon the situation.

But even so, the Dao Academy was a tremendous shock to the world order. Thankfully the institute stuck to sharing its own knowledge and didn’t encroach on factional treasures; otherwise, the world would’ve likely erupted in an immediate crusade against this heretic.

Everything proceeded in perfect order. There was some initial confusion, but as a whole, the academy marched forward into livelihood and prosperity.

No one dared stir up any trouble in Dusk Province either. The immortal restriction might not be present anymore, thus allowing immortals over golden immortal realm to set foot onto Dusken soil, there was something even more frightening in place now—the sword formation.

……

“Lu Yun, you need to think this through. If you do this, karma from the entire world might fall upon your shoulders. Your Karmic Tree might not be enough to block the terrifying retribution that happens!” Qing Yu looked gravely at her dao partner, reluctance writ large between her brows.

Mo Yi, Chen Xiao, Qing Buyi, and Lu Feng also wore solemn expressions.

“The Dao Tree is a cancerous tumor in the immortal dao and must be excised.” Lu Yun’s tones were calm, but a hint of determination threaded through his gaze. “We already have the inklings of what the new dao immortal realm should be. If we follow those clues to their conclusion, we’ll be able to create a new dao immortal realm in the immortal dao.”

“If the Dao Tree is destroyed, current dao immortals will be irrevocably discarded by time. Think about how many dao immortals there are in the world! Though we are not in the Primordial Era anymore, when almost everyone was one, there are bound to be a multitude of them after eighty thousand years!” Mo Yi looked at Lu Yun and spoke slowly, “In all of the worlds and the entire multiverse, it is through their efforts that the numerous ruins of other worlds hang on. This will be the resentment and hatred of hundreds of millions of living beings concentrated upon you. It will prove too much to handle.”

Qing Yu grabbed Lu Yun’s hand, even more reluctant now.

“We don’t have much time, the celestial emperors can only endure for a hundred years. The World Gates will fall after a century.” He squeezed her hand with a smile. “Some things must be done, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be me who does the deed either.”

“Eh?” The others started at this idea.

“My Xing Chen replica has accepted the legacy of the underworld and become its fourth holy king. He can do all this.”

If Xing Chen undertook this action, some of the consequences would still fall on Lu Yun. However, the Karmic Tree would be able to bear the load then.

“But before I do that, I need to find the spleen and refine it into his body.”

1. The Three Ages of Buddhism are three divisions of time following Buddha's passing:

1. Former Day of the Dharma: also known as the Age of the Right Dharma (正法), the first 1,000 years in which Buddha's disciples are able to uphold Buddha's teachings. Cultivators are highly confident, acts of kindness abound, and many reach the dao.

2. Middle Day of the Dharma: also known as the Age of Semblance Dharma (像法), the second 1,000 years, which only resembles the right Dharma. Focus turns to scripture and images of Buddha, but still bears a great deal of resemblance to the first age.

3. Latter Day of the Dharma: also known as the Degenerate Age (末法), lasts for 10,000 years, during which Buddhism/Dharma is in decline.