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The Yin Yang Academy is an existence known to scholars who have managed to enter the circle, a place that can truly change the fate of a scholar, transforming an ordinary person into one of the elite, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with those from bloodline families.

The number of spots available... is extremely limited!

Great Jin admits three hundred Imperial Scholars each year, but less than thirty are accepted as apprentices at the Yin Yang Academy!

Typically, recommendations from the Academic Commissioner are given during the Chosen Man selection process, and in reality, many scholars don’t realize that at that time, you have already been more or less confirmed to have technique aptitude.

Once you’ve arrived at the Capital City, a more professional Grand Sorcerer will evaluate you, and then, only if a major family from the Sorcerer Family recommends you, can you be admitted to the academy!

Yes, it’s a monopolized industry; whether you can get in doesn’t just depend on the examination by the Imperial Court but also requires recommendations from the major families. Otherwise, no matter how capable you are, you won’t be able to get past that threshold.

As a result, every year there are very few individuals from non-noble families who can enter the Yin Yang Academy, and unless you have top-tier qualifications, you’re unlikely to catch the attention of those families, after all, if possible, who wouldn’t want to recommend their own child?

Even if they don’t recommend their own, the descendants of Sorcerer Families who have received magical education from a young age are far more qualified than children from ordinary families. In many cases, no children from non-noble families make it into the yearly admissions.

This monopoly is even more exaggerated than the ordinary scholar class hierarchy...

Certainly, children from established Scholarly Families have a huge advantage over those from common families that value education, but this advantage does not completely block the rise of children from ordinary families; more than half of the three hundred Imperial Scholars admitted each year are still children from common families.

But when it comes to Sorcerer Families...

All the masters looked at one another; after so many years, among all the scholarly descendants in Lyuzhou, only Wang Ye had managed to enter the Yin Yang Academy as a non-noble.

And today, this chubby fellow in front of them claimed he wanted to establish a Yin Yang Academy in Lyuzhou?

"Educational Governor Zhou..." Master Wei, taking the lead, widened his eyes in disbelief, "Do you realize what you’re saying?"

"Uh..." Zhou Haitao scratched his head. Coming from a merchant family, his father traveled far and wide and knew some rumors about sorcerers. He also saw the female sorcerer named Chen Ying every day. Indeed... he didn’t find the matter to be very peculiar.

Seeing Zhou Haitao’s puzzled expression, the other masters shook their heads. It was probably just a gimmick, they thought; how could it possibly be real?

But as the masters were shaking their heads, preparing to sit back down, an unexpected figure appeared.

It was Chen Qing, dressed in a blue shirt.

"Do the masters have any questions?"

"Prefectural Governor?"

The group hurriedly stood up to show respect, while Zhou Haitao kept a little distance; the Chen Qing above the city gates and the real Chen Qing seemed somewhat different to him, always giving off a somewhat eerie vibe.

"The establishment of the Yin Yang Academy in Lyuzhou is a decision made out of expedience under the present circumstances," Chen Qing invited the masters to sit down before sitting down himself and continued, "As you have seen, it is currently uncertain how long Lyuzhou will be sealed off.

Apart from needing to enhance military strength to protect the city, having only Lord Chen Ying as a sorcerer is insufficient.

What if the lockdown lasts a year or even longer? "

"We need more sorcerers to prevent any accidents that might occur in Lyuzhou. Moreover, relying solely on humans to defend Lyuzhou will always leave gaps. Just like the Capital City or Nanyang City, Lyuzhou should also have its own defensive formation to ensure everyone’s safety, but this requires the involvement of more sorcerers. "

"This..." The dozen or so masters exchanged glances before Master Wei was the first to speak, "But does Lyuzhou have the conditions to train a large number of sorcerers?"

"Naturally, it does," Chen Qing replied with a smile, "Among the people we’ve rescued, there are over a hundred scholars of Chosen Man origin, and that’s not counting many young students who also have the talent.

The masters here are all experienced scholars and should know that, in fact, ninety percent of Chosen Men have sorcerer qualifications! "

The masters nodded in agreement, aware of this secret known among the circles.

In Great Jin, the key to becoming a Chosen Man was not so much your literary prowess but rather that the Educational Governor and his apprentices had assessed and determined you to have sorcerer qualifications, and with that, you had one foot through the doorway of becoming a Chosen Man!

"All of our nation’s Chosen Men are prospective sorcerers. The reason they are not admitted is well known by everyone; it’s merely... the nobility wanting to maintain their monopoly."

The teachers fell silent once more. Such words... many dare not speak, for even though the sorcerers’ families may overstep, it is with their support that the literary lineage stands firm today. Otherwise, the clans of noble blood would have long since crushed them.

"Sir...." Unable to hold back, one of the teachers began, "Since you’ve brought the matter this far, we shall speak freely too. You mentioned that Yin Yang Academy has few admission spots because the sorcerer families want a monopoly—and rightfully so. When Lord Duke of Song established the Yin Yang Academy, the sorcerer families provided a vast amount of precious tomes. For such concessions of resources, the Imperial Court naturally grants favor to the sorcerers’ households, else no one would be willing to contribute.

If Lyuzhou wishes to open a Yin Yang Academy, not to mention anything else, where will the resources for cultivation come from? "

"That’s true..." Master Wei chimed in, "To cultivate magicians, let’s not even mention the auxiliary tools, essential tomes are needed, right? I heard that the Yin Yang Academy has tens of thousands of tomes for basic techniques, tailored according to each apprentice’s innate attributes for specialized training.

Such conditions can only be provided by the Yin Yang Academy, with its many sorcerer families.

Who does Lyuzhou rely on? Surely not just that female magician, right? "

Chen Ying, who was listening from a distance, clenched her teeth slightly. Even though she was now a magician respected by all, people still distinguished her by gender. This world was never too friendly to women who pursued a career.

"Everyone is correct," Chen Qing said with a smile. "It’s true, Lyuzhou will definitely not have the same collection of tomes as the Capital City Yin Yang Academy, but does that matter?"

The others were startled, how could it not matter?

"What Lyuzhou needs now are magicians who study formation techniques. In this regard, Lord Chen Ying, due to her dedicated research in the field, can provide relatively complete basic teaching materials. Focusing on a single path, why can’t Lyuzhou start its own academy?"

"Focusing on a single path?" The crowd furrowed their brows, still puzzled. "But that would mean fewer options, no? What if many are not suited for this field?"

"Then we simply won’t admit them," Chen Qing said with a chuckle. "What’s there to agonize about? Lyuzhou is offering a Yin Yang Academy that doesn’t require one to be an Imperial Scholar to study.

This enables a vast number of students to be exposed to sorcery from a young age.

Those with talent in formations can be specially cultivated. Isn’t that enough?"

"Firstly, if they have talent in this area, we in Lyuzhou will cultivate them wholeheartedly. I can assure you, those who graduate from the Lyuzhou Academy will be in no way inferior in the field of formations to those from the Capital. And if they are not adept in this area, no time would be wasted. Having been exposed to the basics of sorcery, they can identify their talents early on. If they later become Imperial Scholars, this will also assist them if they enter the Capital City’s Yin Yang Academy. Isn’t it all good?"

Upon hearing this, all the teachers suddenly ran out of counterarguments.

Indeed, any way you looked at it... it was all profit!

Chen Ying, overhearing this from afar, blushed.

This Chen Qing, so boldly declaring whatever comes to mind.

Claiming his formation techniques would not be weaker than the Capital City Yin Yang Academy—although she was talented in this field, she wouldn’t dare make such a boast. The great masters of the Capital had been in the game since she was but a fetus.

The other teachers also considered this point, but it was not something they could outright criticize.

Master Wei took a more indirect approach: "What you mean is, our Lyuzhou’s Yin Yang Academy will focus on formations, correct?

Then... if I may be so bold to ask, what could you offer to a particularly talented student? "

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing burst into laughter. These old fellows were quite cunning, clearly probing the extent of support he could offer.

"The new Yin Yang Academy I intend to establish will be named Tsinghua Academy, divided into the fundamental academy and the Heaven Earth Mysterious Yellow four academies. Those of exceptional talent will enter the academies with the names ’Heaven’ and ’Earth,’ and I will provide them with superior sorcerous inheritance. "

"Superior, to what extent?" Master Wei pressed.

"Of course, it’s the level that the word itself implies!

" Chen Qing said with a smile. "Since we’re establishing an academy, we must have something substantial to offer. Since our academy will focus on formations, the techniques we’ll present will certainly not be inferior to those of the Capital. Are the teachers satisfied?"

"You can guarantee this?" Fire gleamed in the eyes of all the teachers!

"Of course," Chen Qing replied without hesitation.

Give me a break, those formation heritages from the Capital are nothing. As a designer, Chen Qing knew that not just the Capital, but the entire sorcerers’ realm, apart from the Shen Family’s heritage, was worthless in the current version!

The real heritages lay in the Dragon Palace.

Since the introduction of the Dragon Palace Replica, players who were magicians became more powerful, especially the Array Masters and Rune Masters, professions that emerged at that time.

The newly-minted Array Masters then became a weapon of war between nations, capable of constructing both defensive and offensive formations on the battlefield.

In the future, all sorts of troops combined with Array Masters would see their combat power increase manyfold.

Take, for example, the renowned Martial Peak Formation, which could instantly double the vitality of soldiers, not to mention significantly boosting their speed and strength.

The blood formation’s shock waves even had a demon-dispelling effect, leaving those ancient sorcerer families battered and bruised.

Not to mention formations like the Three Momentum Formation and Eight Gates Golden Lock, capable of providing extraordinary effects.

Including the enhancements from the Azure Dragon Heritage, the Azure Dragon Great Array could increase the effects of the Azure Dragon Technique by dozens of times.

When the Dragon Palace update arrived, it enabled magicians to escape from being dominated by bloodline warriors, marking a comprehensive upgrade for the whole sorcerers’ realm!

Though Chen Qing pursued the path of divinity, he would not ignore these two new dominant professions. If possible, he intended to monopolize these professions with the upcoming opening of the Dragon Palace!