When Jiang Li was initially excited to go to the unknown world, he now felt nothing but disappointment.
This gray world failed to pique Jiang Li's interest in the slightest.
A world with only two things in it couldn't hold any meaning.
The only potential use for this world was for Jiang Li to attempt the tribulation here in the future, to see if there was any chance of ascension.
Maybe this world was connected to the Immortal Realm.
Jiang Li could only console himself this way.
The system had recorded the coordinates of the gray world, and with a little over fifty thousand Source Points, he could go there again.
For Jiang Li, who could effortlessly write out Combined period cultivation techniques, Source Points were like an open treasure trove; he could have as many as he wanted.
What? Someone would take on a mission for just fifty Source Points? No, there couldn't be!
Jiang Li vehemently denied it in his heart.
The communication symbol trembled from a distance, and Jiang Li picked it up.
"Jiang, the investigation you asked me to carry out is complete. The former candidates for the title of Emperor all say that they have never seen the man in black."
The leader of the Imperial Palace contacted Jiang Li.
"That's strange."
Jiang Li couldn't understand why the man in black could be so sure that he could become the Emperor. Was it really just because of his propagation of the demonic path?
"In that case, go to the Celestial Tower and issue a commission. They have connections all over the place; let them investigate who taught Jiang Yixing the demonic cultivation method three hundred and eighty years ago."
"Yes."
Jiang Li opened numerous spatial cracks in succession, but did not receive any notification from the system about discovering the unknown world. It seemed that it had been lucky to find the gray world so quickly before.
Several days later, the system issued a new mission.
[New Mission: The Grand Zhou Imperial Academy is about to begin enrolling students. As the preeminent preparatory institution for the Grand Zhou Imperial Academy, the Four Great Institutes have a 60% success rate in getting students admitted to the Grand Zhou Imperial Academy. As a non-Institute student, being ridiculed and mocked, please achieve first place in the Grand Zhou Imperial Academy's entrance exam.]
[This mission can be abandoned.]
[Mission Reward: A drop of True Dragon Blood, a Demonic Beast Shapeshifting Pill, and the activation of the special mission "Maze in the Immortal Realm."]
"Hmm?"
The True Dragon Blood and Demonic Beast Shapeshifting Pill were automatically overlooked by Jiang Li. He asked, "What is the 'Maze in the Immortal Realm'?"
【The task has not been initiated, and the host has no right to know】
Although this system is as always a bit misleading, it has never lied. If it says it can teleport you, it can; if it promises something, it delivers. Since this task is called "The Mysteries of the Immortal Realm," doesn't that mean completing this task will lead to finding the Immortal Realm?
Jiang Li couldn't resist the allure of this special task and decided to undertake it. It had been a while since he had been to the Great Zhou Imperial College.
Jiang Li is a student of the Great Zhou Imperial College and there he met Ji Zhi, who was just a prince at the time.
When Jiang Li had just broken through the Foundation Building stage, he was being chased and eventually was forced into a corner. He made a desperate decision to burn his Five Elements Spiritual Roots and chose to perish alongside his pursuer.
The pursuer was shocked as well. Burning spiritual roots was something only a madman would do. While it could erupt with an extremely strong force in the short term, it was also extremely dangerous, with only a slim chance of surviving. Even if one were fortunate enough to survive, they would only become an ordinary person with no spiritual energy!
In the Nine Provinces, life without spiritual roots was more unbearable than death. However, Jiang Li did not die; he did not descend to being an ordinary person, but instead forced his Celestial Spiritual Root to awaken ahead of time.
The Celestial Spiritual Root obscures its true nature and only shows itself as the Five Elements Spiritual Root to the outside world. It will only awaken when a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, and from there soar to new heights. Celestial Spiritual Roots are already scarce, and achieving the Foundation Establishment stage with Five Elements Spiritual Roots is even more challenging. With the two combined, it was rare for even one Celestial Spiritual Root cultivator to appear in a millennium.
No one had ever before caused the Celestial Spiritual Root to awaken early by burning their Five Elements Spiritual Roots.
Jiang Li found himself back at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining after being at the Initial Stage of Foundation Building, but his foundation was more solid than before. After cultivating for a period of time, he unexpectedly reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining somewhat absurdly. A Tenth Layer of Qi Refining during the Qi Refining stage? If he continued like this, would he even be able to reach the Foundation Building stage?
Jiang Li was puzzled by his transformation. Hearing that the Great Zhou Imperial College's library was the most extensive place, he wanted to go there to search and see if he could explain his situation.
Although he didn't find the book he was looking for, Jiang Li learned some of the system's cultivation knowledge from the college. Based on this theoretical knowledge, he deduced that he possessed a Celestial Spiritual Root and had awakened it prematurely.
Jiang Li, after becoming the Emperor, would visit the Great Zhou Imperial College every thirty years to give a lecture, as a gesture of gratitude for the guidance and support he had received.
...
"It's really quick, five hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. When I left the college, I was a student, and now I'm still a student."
The enrollment season was in full swing, and students from all over the country had come to take the college entrance examination, causing the inns to be fully booked.
Jiang Li had paid a high price to rent a nearby inn room in preparation for the entrance examination.
The previous task reward from the system was to unlock the source to read books, and the next task was to take the entrance examination and achieve first place. It was clear that it was meant for him to use the new function to study and claim first place.
However, Jiang Li thought it was a joke; in the past, he had been able to achieve first place in the entrance examination at the Great Zhou Imperial College without relying on the system. Now, after five hundred years, he had become a master at the Grand Accomplishment stage. With such a broad vision, handling a small entrance examination should be a piece of cake.
Using the system to insult my intelligence!
The Great Zhou Imperial College had a long history, close to the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It was located in a corner of the royal city and occupied a vast area, but no one dared to complain because every emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty had graduated from there.
Therefore, the nearby inns' prices were extremely high and not affordable to ordinary people. Usually, three or four people would rent a small room together, cramming in and studying diligently day and night. Even the students from the Four Great Academies looked devoted to their studies.
Jiang Li strolled around with his hands behind his back, looking carefree amidst the tense atmosphere of study. Some people were displeased with Jiang Li's demeanor and were about to make some sarcastic remarks, but were restrained by their companions.
"What’s wrong? Why are you stopping me? I just hate people who slack off!"
"You're blind. It's obvious he's a diligent student with lots of confidence!"
Another companion chimed in, "Look at the top students in our college. They never seem to put much effort into studying. After the test, they sigh, yet they end up being first in the class."
"Yeah, they sleep in class more than anyone else, and after the test, they say they made mistakes here and there. I thought being first in the class was just that, but when the results come out, they are still first in the class, and I am last."
The person who wanted to ridicule Jiang Li was persuaded by his companion. Suddenly, he realized that anyone who came to take the entrance examination at the Great Zhou Imperial College could not be just slacking off.
Phew, that was a close call. I almost made a fool of myself. I had better study hard and not make any trouble.