Chapter 26: The Ocean of Knowledge The reason the Wu clan could live for such an incredibly long time was, in fact, due to a cheat code...

To the west of the Di State capital lies a sprawling architectural complex, as vast and imposing as an imperial palace, surrounded on all sides by water. The surrounding river is exceptionally wide, spanning over a hundred meters, with dozens of long bridges crisscrossing the water. The railings of these bridges are adorned with sculptures of fierce beasts, lending the scene an air of solemn austerity.

Yet, in this place of gravity and decorum, a boisterous group of five or six-year-olds—dressed in black-and-white patchwork tunics, their hair tied in little buns or cut in bowl styles—ran amok. None of them walked properly; they skipped, swayed, or darted through one another, a chaotic mass of energy arrogantly crossing the bridge outside the academy. One particularly showy child walked along the arm-thick railing, and after a few steps, performed four or five front flips, landing steadily on a decorative post.

Suddenly, a large hand ruthlessly grabbed the child by the back of his collar. A wild-looking teenager of fifteen or sixteen, with bronze skin and spiked hair, scowled, "Little brat, do you know I just finished scrubbing this railing?"

The child’s legs dangled in the air, but he showed no fear, spreading his arms as if flying and asking with wide-eyed innocence, "Brother Wu, did you get punished to scrub the courtyard walls again?"

The teenager looked suspicious as he set the child down. "You know me?"

"Of course I do," the bowl-cut child looked up at him. "This is the tenth time in half a month you've been punished to scrub the walls. Every time the instructors pass by, they tell us not to be like you and lie!"

The teenager’s face twisted in frustration. "You idiots, that guy clearly has something wrong with him. None of you believe me. Hmph, when things go south, don't come crying to me! Get lost!"

The child pulled a face, turned a somersault, and went humming after the main group.

Just as the teenager picked up his rag to resume cleaning, a gentle voice sounded beside him: "Excuse me, who is the official on duty today?"

The teenager paused and turned to see a handsome, elegant young man. Upon spotting the feather ornament hanging from the stranger's necklace, he was startled and replied earnestly, "The official on duty today is Chief Academic Officer Ji Wangzhi. I saw him head toward the Watchtower, but you can forget about trying to find him there."

"Where is the Watchtower?" Lin Zhao asked curiously.

"You must be new," the teenager said with a smirk. "The Watchtower is the highest building on the Ba Great Wall. The Lord of Di usually resides there. The Chief Academic Officer went to report the list of participants for the 'Great Selection.' You aren't actually thinking of going there to find him, are you?"

"Indeed, we have urgent business," Lin Zhao said, stepping closer. "You are an apprentice sorcerer, too, aren't you? Why do you say we cannot see the Chief Academic Officer?"

He signaled to Ji Yaoguang with his eyes. Ji Yaoguang shook his head slightly; he didn't know either. In the past, the senior officials always came to pay their respects to him, so he had no idea what the protocol was for ordinary people seeking an audience.

"Before the Great Selection every year, the place is crawling with parents and relatives of apprentices trying to pull strings, use connections, or hitch a ride," the teenager said with a cold, haughty laugh. "That’s why the Chief Academic Officer won't see any strangers at this time."

With that, the teenager puffed out his chest like a proud rooster, picked up his rag, and went back to scrubbing the despairingly long bridge railings.

"Many thanks for the guidance." Ji Yaoguang smiled gently, and together with Lin Zhao, he bypassed the teenager and walked toward the academy on the other side of the river.

As they drew closer, the academy appeared even more magnificent and awe-inspiring. It was constructed from the sturdiest gilded stone, with every brick and slab shimmering with the flow of sorcerous runes. Even above the structure, a faint silver formation flickered, reminding all who saw it of the immense importance of this place.

Standing outside the academy city, gazing up at the massive complex of buildings over a hundred meters high, Lin Zhao couldn't help but marvel, "You're telling me this is a school? What school could possibly be this big?"

"Two million three hundred and fifty thousand," Ji Yaoguang recalled what the Lord of Di had said during his tour and replied softly. "Ranging from five to sixteen years old, there are over 2.3 million apprentices living and studying here. Of course, a large number of unqualified apprentices are weeded out every year."

Lin Zhao felt his scalp tingle. "That's far too crowded. Won't it harm the students' physical and mental health? Besides, with so many students, the material consumption must be astronomical. Isn't it easy for diseases to spread?"

"Disease?" Ji Yaoguang smiled slightly. "Ah-Zhao, sorcery doesn't fear such things. If an apprentice falls ill, their internal organs can be removed for inspection, treated, and stitched back in. If they have good grades, they can even be rewarded with the organs of powerful spirit beasts."

Lin Zhao found this even more terrifying. "How many teachers does that require..."

"Teachers? Why would we need teachers?" Ji Yaoguang looked at him with some confusion. "Basic knowledge like sorcerous runes, scripts, and arithmetic—there's no need to teach these. The knowledge is simply transferred directly into the apprentices' minds."

"What?" Lin Zhao was stunned.

Ji Yaoguang gave a confident smile, took his hand, and an invisible ripple brushed over them. Lin Zhao was astonished to find that after the ripple passed, his body began to turn transparent.

"Let’s go," Ji Yaoguang's gentle voice came from beside him. "We cannot reveal our identities, so I am taking you in quietly to see. If you had grown up in the Land of Sorcery, you would likely be living here now."

If Ah-Zhao had arrived in the Land of Sorcery, he would surely have gone to the Dashantu school to learn; this would be a good chance to familiarize him with the academy's system.

Lin Zhao felt a twinge of guilt. "Yaoguang, two days ago, you were an honest man who wouldn't even climb a wall." How, in just two or three days with me, did you start using sorcery to stir up trouble?

"We aren't doing anything bad," Ji Yaoguang chuckled. "Given your age, Ah-Zhao, not attending the academy is actually against the law."

He didn't know how long Ah-Zhao had been out of his shell, but judging by his transformed appearance, he was at least a ten-year-old fledgling.

Having already survived the high-stakes college entrance exams, Lin Zhao was immediately displeased. "I advise you not to meddle in other people's business!"

"How is this meddling?" Ji Yaoguang murmured. "You are still young; you will understand how important this knowledge is later..."

Lin Zhao snorted, "That doesn't mean I need to sit with a bunch of elementary school brats. Can't you be proactive and tutor me every day?"

"I was worried you wouldn't have any friends..."

"That's not your concern. Worry about yourself."

As they spoke, they crossed the long bridge over the moat, which was guarded by vigilant sorcerers. In the water below, hundreds of crocodile beasts, which looked anything but friendly, lurked with their fierce, beady eyes.

"These crocodiles are bigger than whales. Are they here to defend the academy against invaders?" Lin Zhao couldn't help but peek over the edge.

"Not exactly. They are there to prevent the apprentices from skipping class," Ji Yaoguang laughed. "Escaping the Crocodile River is actually a mandatory test in the annual 'Minor Selection.' Don't worry, they won't bite anyone to death; it's just to teach them a lesson."

After passing through the main gate, Lin Zhao saw a group of seven or eight-year-olds sitting in a circle under the shade of a tree, surrounding a golden pearl floating in the air.

A young woman was instructing them, "The knowledge we are instilling today is the Leap Spell, used to control the body for rapid movement. These experiences are provided by the Junior Academic Officer. Remember, although the experience is transferred to your minds, you must practice diligently and integrate it with your physical bodies to truly master it."

The children answered in unison, "Understood!"

The woman nodded in satisfaction and waved her hand at the golden pearl. The pearl spat out dozens of mists, one after another, which flew into the centers of the children's brows.

After the children sat in silent concentration for a moment, one opened his eyes and immediately began darting around like a monkey—jumping between trees, the shoulders of other children, and the outer walls of the school building.

A few minutes later, two or three more children opened their eyes. Their bright pupils were filled with light, and they began zipping around like lightning, even starting a game of tag with the others.

*Holy crap, there’s such a way to learn? Downloading knowledge and experience directly into the brain?* This was even more of a cheat than my emulator!

In that instant, Lin Zhao felt a shameful surge of desire. "Um, Brother Yaoguang, I also want to invite this knowledge into my brain. Can you help me?"

"Of course, that is exactly why I brought you here!" Ji Yaoguang smiled. "Come, this is primary knowledge. I will take you to the archives. There is plenty of comprehensive knowledge there. We can learn while we wait for the Chief Academic Officer to return."

"Long live Brother Yaoguang!" Lin Zhao was overjoyed.

Ji Yaoguang’s smile nearly shattered on the spot. He emphasized, "Ah-Zhao, I am not ten thousand years old. I am not that old."

...

"The Pavilion of Inheritance..." Lin Zhao looked up at the academy's golden, heavily guarded tower. "Are you sure we can get in? Those totem beast guards don't look like people you want to mess with."

The tower was estimated to be over two hundred meters tall. The totem beast beside it was a crane, perched on the tower's body. Its massive wings hung like clouds, wrapping around the tower until only a thin gap remained. Its eyes were sharp, its beak gleamed with cold light, and it looked as though it wanted to peck anyone who came near.

Thinking back to the two-meter-tall Golden Crow totem, Lin Zhao felt that being pecked by this crane would be excruciating.

Ji Yaoguang smiled slightly and casually raised the back of his right hand, aiming it at the entire tower. In that instant, the eye totem on the back of his hand opened its vertical pupil. A dangerous, intangible gaze locked onto the crane.

There were no light effects, no massive display of power or killing intent. As the gaze spread in silence, the crane froze entirely, as if turned to stone. The guards at the base of the tower, estimated to be one or two hundred people, were also petrified in an instant; not even their eyeballs moved.

Lin Zhao couldn't help but look at Ji Yaoguang again. No wonder he said he was ranked high in the Land of Sorcery. Judging by the efficiency and level of this crowd-control skill, he was indeed quite talented!

"Let's go." Ji Yaoguang enjoyed the bird's awe and said modestly, "I didn't use much sorcerous power. The effect will fade quickly; they will only feel a moment of dizziness and won't realize we were ever here."

With that, he pushed open the tower doors.

Inside, it was pitch black. Lin Zhao’s spiritual sense could perceive things thousands of meters away, yet he couldn't feel the boundaries of the walls here; it seemed to be another dimension entirely. Once the door closed, not a single ray of light remained.

Ji Yaoguang plucked a green leaf from his hair crown and let it float in his palm, his expression calm. "By the decree of the Spring God, I proclaim the laws of this place to be the laws of the world—reveal!"

In that instant, within the vast, boundless dark space, hundreds of millions of colorful star clusters emerged, erupting with endless light that illuminated the universe. Lin Zhao couldn't help but cover his eyes. That was the vast, boundless ocean of knowledge.