Immortal Dao is dead, I am the mastermind behind it all.

"Langya Prefecture, Kongsang Commandery, He Liang."

After entering his name, the temporary token in Shen Moyan's hand trembled slightly. The nine black bird totems on the back of his hand seemed to sense something, and one of the black birds lit up, emitting a faint golden light.

"Wait, this... I see, I understand now."

Ordinary cultivators who have transcended the mortal realm can access the Nine Songs Network, but without an official position granted by the Holy Court, not a single one of the nine Xuan Birds can be activated. However, they can register an identity and browse the forums online.

Those like Shen Moyan, who joined the Holy Court through connections, could obtain a position of Yixuan rank by virtue of their status as temporary dispatchers.

That's right. There are nine ranks in the Holy Court. The more Xuan Birds there are, the higher the rank.

Although their starting point was not as high as that of the cultivators who took the exam, they were at the lowest level of cattle and horses.

Participating in the city, prefecture, and state examinations involves a series of reviews by high-ranking officials. If a cultivator is recognized as a talent by these officials, they will gain a higher starting point. However, most will fail.

To pass the city examination, one must pass at least the first level; the prefecture examination, the second level; the state examination, the third level, and so on.

Jiang Zhiqi, the patrol inspector, is none other than Sanxuan.

The governor of Kongsang County is Liu Xuan, and the governor of a prefecture is Qi Xuan.

There are three ways to get promoted: first, by improving one's cultivation level; second, by receiving support from superiors; and third, by making great contributions to the Holy Court.

This is the orthodox promotion path within the Holy Court!

Shen Moyan probed the Nine Songs Seal with his divine sense and began to explore the vast sea of ​​information within it.

"There are several sections: forum, communication, and location. Currently, only these areas are open to users of Yixuan."

Shen Moyan now only regrets not participating in the city examination and taking the formal assessment route. That way, at least the starting point might have been higher.

"To hell with Xu Mingxuan, I actually got tricked by him." Shen Moyan felt disgusted when he thought of Xu Mingxuan's smiling face.

He took out the token that Xu Mingxuan had given him; it was the token of the deputy director of the Construction Department, a position of the Third Rank.

"You want me to sit in the deputy director's position for a month? How am I, a mere first-level dispatcher, supposed to...?"

Shen Moyan pressed the token against the back of his hand, and the three black birds on the back of his hand instantly lit up.

At the same time, several dark areas within the Nine Songs Seal were illuminated in my consciousness.

"With Sanxuan's permissions, you can access geographical maps, provincial and municipal histories, and make emergency contacts..."

Looking at the several new features that had suddenly been unlocked, he suddenly understood.

The Nine Songs Seal only recognizes the token, not the person.

Wouldn't that mean that others could do whatever they wanted just by using the authority of high-ranking officials?

Shen Moyan suddenly recalled the scene in the Great Qi Kingdom when his ministers, relying on his Supreme Token, could command a large following in the martial arts world as if he were there in person.

"Heh, in the end, it all comes down to strength," Shen Moyan sneered.

In any case, this official position is directly linked to one's cultivation level.

If you are a True Lord of the Gui Cang Realm, you will directly become a Prefect of the Six Mysteries after joining the army.

Rights are built upon strength.

Ultimately, the underlying logic of official positions in this world is still the level of one's cultivation.

No matter what token you hold, without real power, you're just a fox borrowing the tiger's might.

"Alright, this matter is settled. Let's go check out the academy."

Perhaps because the position of Sanxuan official was still too low, knowledge about cultivation was not made available.

The Holy Court maintains strict control over cultivation beyond the Transcendent Realm.

"As for Xu Mingxuan's matter, we'll talk about it when I get back."

Things should be done one step at a time, and Shen Moyan quickly made a decision.

…………

Before the morning dew had dried, the Spirit Gathering Hall of Kongsang Academy was already faintly glowing with spiritual light.

The entire lecture hall is built with beams made of thousand-year-old submerged wood, and the walls are inlaid with polished white jade. The spiritual energy flowing in the jade meanders like a stream, weaving a semi-transparent spiritual pattern array on the ground.

This is a unique calming and energy-gathering array used in the academy, which can help listeners clear their minds and make it easier to grasp the true meaning of the techniques taught by the instructor.

The hall was filled with disciples sitting on three hundred prayer cushions. The young men and women wore silver crowns or had long black hair. Their fingertips were surrounded by wisps of spiritual light, and the storage bags and spirit mirrors hanging at their waists jingled.

They were either disciples of various immortal clans or outstanding scholars from the common people, who entered the academy through layers of selection.

They sat upright, their eyes bright and alert, all gazing at the figure before them.

"Spiritual power is directly related to the soul, the physical body, or natural spirituality. It is the energy foundation contained within the cultivator's own life form." Zhou Zhanpeng's voice was not loud, but it carried the tremor of magical power and clearly entered the ears of each disciple.

"After the collapse of the immortal path, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth cannot enter the body whole. The quality of the spiritual energy that is divided and collected after entering the body naturally depends on the strength of its grade."

"For example, a spiritual cultivator who cultivates the Qi of the fifth grade of Heaven can improve their will and physical strength through training, and the nature of their energy may change depending on their personality."

"Magic power, on the other hand, is the product of the extreme compression of spiritual power. It is usually described as the power that a spellcaster condenses by combining their mental power with external energy and specific rules of heaven and earth. Its core lies in the precise control of spells."

"Unlike spiritual power, magical power emphasizes conforming to so-called rules and driving specific spells. The total amount of magical power may be limited, and efficiency needs to be improved through skills. Magical power is often shaped into structured energy, dedicated to specific purposes."

"Through the three stages of 'forming the Dharma body,' 'transforming into feathered robes,' and 'seeing the ethereal realm,' one's magical power continuously increases until it reaches perfection, at which point one can see the threshold of the Purple Palace..."

After the class ended and the students left, Zhou Zhanpeng received a notification.

"Someone is looking for me?" He walked out of the academy and came to the outside of the church, where he saw a handsome man in a blue robe.

"Instructor Zhou's explanation of the principles of spiritual magic was truly profound yet easy to understand, and very vivid," Shen Moyan complimented.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Shen Moyan. I have come here to study at the invitation of Fellow Daoist Jiang."

At this moment, Shen Moyan had changed out of his disguise and returned to his original attire.

In the Holy Court, he was He Liang, a newly hired servant; in the Academy, he was a diligent student seeking knowledge from a master.

Zhou Zhanpeng looked puzzled, but his expression changed abruptly after hearing "at Fellow Daoist Jiang's invitation":

"Fellow Daoist Jiang? Could it be that brat Jiang Zhi Qiu?"

"Indeed, Inspector Jiang and I were old friends, but it's a pity he was murdered and died in Dongshan City." Shen Moyan looked dejected.

"Before he left, he saw that I had some talent and recommended that I come to Kongsang Academy to find Instructor Zhou. Today, I see that I have indeed come to the right place."

"Is that so..." Zhou Zhanpeng's gaze toward Shen Moyan became indifferent, and his previous wariness had largely dissipated.

"That kid really knows how to cause me trouble." He smiled wryly, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a long sigh.

"Alright, come here now."

"Thank you so much, Instructor Zhou!" Shen Moyan said excitedly.

Shen Moyan ascended to the cultivation world, and his understanding of the Great World of Mountains and Seas was nothing more than killing and searching souls.

Soul searching is influenced by the person themselves, and most of the souls that Shen Moyan searches are those of rogue cultivators in the countryside. How broad can their knowledge be?

Now, having entered the academy run by the Holy Court, I can finally systematically catch up on my studies!