Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 536 - 37: Restoring Order

In the midst of a sect consisting of the Three Academies, there is a saying subtly circulating: intellectuals are inherently lowly.

Even if they profess concepts like restraint, principles, spiritual essence, and proclaim they would never yield, when the undeniable reality crashes like relentless tides, intellectuals somehow always find enough reasons to joyously acquiesce.

Currently, Cyan Lotus Academy faces a remarkably similar situation.

During Zhao Chenlu’s forceful intrusion, led by Shang Miaoyu, Elder Cyan Lotus collectively resisted, using the scholars’ integrity to fend off the temptation of corruption. Yet when she announced her research direction of cross-species reproduction, the elders almost wished to disembowel themselves in protest, seeking unity against such an aberrant pursuit — though they had to abandon this idea due to a lack of volunteers.

However, when Zhao Chenlu completely ignored these dissenting voices and moved into Cyan Lotus Academy with Wang Jiu’s support as a special advisor to oversee operations, none of the Cyan Lotus scholars jumped out to challenge her to a duel, and once Zhao Chenlu broke her research on cross-species reproduction into multiple sub-tasks and assigned them to five project teams, the scholars, despite their complaints, fervently engaged in the study, even working overtime and pulling all-nighters.

——

Gazing at the daily report laid out on the desk, Wang Jiu felt relatively satisfied with the efficiency it showcased.

Among the five research project teams, four teams achieved a work saturation of over 85% — meaning they were active for more than 20 hours out of a 24-hour day.

Only the Sword Group lagged behind due to the absence of both a group leader and a deputy leader, with work efficiency at merely 56%, and there was a risk of dissension and strike within the group. Nonetheless, Wang Jiu planned to focus on revamping the Sword Group. Despite its low efficiency period, with 56% efficiency, the Sword Group still completed the tasks assigned by Zhao Chenlu within the stipulated time.

Overall, Cyan Lotus Academy truly lived up to its reputation among the Three Academies, boasting a leading research level among its peers. Yet, when viewed by the stringent standards of the Jiuzhou Era, Cyan Lotus Academy currently has many inadequacies.

This is one of the major challenges Wang Jiu plans to tackle after assuming the role of dean.

To Wang Jiu, the vacancy for the dean position at Cyan Lotus Academy was a godsend.

Because the means to transform Xiangzhou and expedite the revival of human civilization boil down to two paths.

The first is to drive comprehensive reform across Xiangzhou, improving and enhancing every existing system with countless sizable and minute measures, propelling myriad beings forward in unison, and achieving the sublimation of Xiangzhou.

Yet the difficulties here are beyond the means, even from the perspective of the Celestial Divine Sword.

Historically speaking, those capable of such worldwide reform were none other than wise sages adept in political matters, with wisdom and fortitude beyond ordinary people. Wang Jiu, however, doesn’t possess any special political skills. Similarly, considering Zhao Chenlu’s experiences in both the Jiuzhou Era and Xiangzhou Era, she is clearly unfit for this monumental duty.

In Xiangzhou’s two thousand-year history, only the two founders of the Saint Sect managed such feats. Their triumphs, historically speaking, compare to the Celestial Divine Sword leading the Jiu Immortal Venerables in vanquishing the Immortal Demon War. Without them, human civilization might have languished in the Dark Era indefinitely, with extinction a possibility given the era’s adverse conditions.

They transitioned human civilization from the Dark Era directly into the Civilized Era, crafting a politically stable order that persists today—an unparalleled achievement that Wang Jiu deeply admires. If those two could resurrect, they might lead Xiangzhou even further forward.

But the dead can’t return. The word ’hatred’ seen at the Golden Cloud Peak Ruins further signifies the complete end of their era. Hence, Wang Jiu only has the second path.

Driving Xiangzhou’s societal progress through technological innovation.

Reviewing Jiuzhou’s history, most major historical reforms are closely tied to technological advancements.

The establishment of the Myriad Immortals Alliance arose when several large cultivation sects first discovered methods to breakthrough to the Heaven Shattering Realm, while others lingered at the Earth Split Realm or even the Sea Overturning Realm—suddenly, the families produced unrivalled Heaven Shattering Realm masters. The advantages of such supreme experts at this realm are almost impossible to offset, and the vast lands of Jiuzhou Continent seemed manageable in their eyes. Consequently, the influence of these families swiftly extended to every corner of Jiuzhou Continent, and the previously fragmented situation quickly dissolved under the might of the Heaven Shattering Realm powers, morphing into a Myriad Immortals Alliance led by large families and sects.

Unified human civilization vastly accelerated overall progress. In the early days of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, Heaven Shattering Realm was a secret exclusive to very few giants. A century later, cultivators of the Heaven Shattering Realm became widespread across the continent, with revolutionary cultivation techniques emerging continuously, maintaining the giants’ relative advantage despite evident civilization-wide progress.

Similarly, if a technological revolution occurs within Xiangzhou Continent, it would naturally bear similar societal impacts, such as designing a universally applicable cultivation technique for all individuals to smoothly transcend the Earth Split Realm, or establishing a Xiangzhou geomantic array enhancing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Wind’s circulation and elevating its velocity, thereby advancing humanity’s overall cultivation level.

However, these technologies cannot materialize out of nowhere, and even Wang Jiu alone cannot accomplish them—his understanding of the Immortal Dao largely stems from the Jiuzhou Era’s cosmological environment; due to changed Dao Laws, theoretical designs must start from scratch.

This foundational theoretical improvement is a colossal undertaking, and Wang Jiu possesses exceptional talent only within the Sword Dao Domain; in other areas, he relies solely on fundamental intellect for research while his intelligence, though extraordinary, isn’t omniscient.

Xiangu’s collective progress requires participation from Xiangzhou people themselves, and Cyan Lotus Academy, as Xiangzhou’s premier research institution, holds Wang Jiu’s high hopes. Should Cyan Lotus Academy’s efficiency rise to theoretical levels upon successful transformation, Wang Jiu is confident he could guide Xiangzhou’s immortal culture fully into the Earth Split Realm era within a century, brushing against the threshold of the Heaven Shattering Realm.

Yet by typical historical progression, this would take over 500 years of prolonged evolution.

Currently, Cyan Lotus Academy evidently remains unfit for such monumental tasks. Even internally, its operations aren’t in a normal state. After the former dean’s unfortunate demise, Cyan Lotus Sword Group—the largest in the academy—is in perpetual semi-standby, significantly impairing overall efficiency.

"So next, the primary issue to resolve is the Sword Group."

——

Among the five research teams in Cyan Lotus Academy, the Sword Group bears the most deep-rooted historical flaws.

Cyan Lotus Academy, established during a special historic period, intrinsically harbors the internal conflict of Books versus Swordsmanship, as its founder, Cyan Lotus True Master—a Grandmaster of Swordsmanship adept in merging theory with practice—boasted one of the world’s few martial prowess and single-handedly established the groundbreaking enlightenment theory breaking the Dark Era.

Even amidst an era of emerging heroes, Cyan Lotus True Master shined brightest, earning praise as a great cultivator next to the two Saint Sect founders.

However, although Cyan Lotus True Master managed the harmony of theory and martial prowess, it doesn’t imply future generations can achieve the same. For most people, theory and practice pose a dilemma requiring a choice, and over two thousand years of extensive history, an organization inevitably leans towards one aspect.

The academy favored theoretical pursuits, thus relegating the Sword Group—symbolizing practice—to an awkward status. In terms of practical combat abilities, Cyan Lotus Academy continuously confronts Wuxiang Sword Academy as an adversary, with the academy prevailing less than one-tenth the time over two thousand years. In research capability, despite Sword Group constantly ranking atop academy’s research groups, it consumes several times more resources compared to others, yet barely hangs onto the top spot, with a cost-effectiveness deemed unfavorable.

Thus, hundreds of years ago, some advocated for the academy’s full transition, with continuous internal resistance suppressing such measures. By Sang Yue and Sang Jing’s generation, forceful elevation of Sword Group’s status ensued with truculent attitudes, but results backfired. Prior to their tragic demise, Cyan Lotus Sword Group distinctly showed decline despite receiving over 40% of academy’s budget, contributing a mere 15%, lower than average!

No justification suits such inefficiency, but it was the utmost effort the two deans could muster, compelling Sang Yue sisters to risk dangers seeking breakthroughs at Primordial Ruins.

——

"I’ve said it before, Cyan Lotus Academy should completely abandon swordsmanship research; swordsmanship simply is incompatible with us here at Cyan Lotus Academy! Despite vast efforts, it accounts for nothing!"

Inside the Sword Group’s laboratory, an elderly man with graying whiskers vexedly scratched his sparse hair, voicing complaints involuntarily.

Beside him, a young cultivator remarked, "But the previous work yielded some results, albeit barely."

"You know it’s merely a tenuous result! It was sheer luck that I managed to test the correct algorithm before the deadline; the working efficiency pales compared to other groups!... Alas, had I known it better, I should have forced my exit from Sword Group, even if Dean Sang retaliated since swordsmanship research is utterly tiresome!"

While griping, the elder shredded a pile of papers left blank for ages.

Yet, those paper fragments abruptly halted midair.

The next moment, scattered shards reunited to form pristine sheets.

This near-phenomenon of reversing time attracted everyone’s attention.

Then, Wang Jiu’s voice resonated within their ears.

"Swordsmanship research seems tedious because none of you truly understand what Sword Dao embodies."