A crisp, clear ringing of bells echoed through the air.
The very heavens and earth changed color.
Everyone looked up in unison.
A wondrous sight met their eyes. The surface of the bluestone statue of the Divine Lady was no longer a dull grayish-blue; it had become warm and translucent, like a piece of fine jade penetrated by celestial light.
The next second.
The stone statue's robes began to flutter without any wind.
Her lowered eyes slowly lifted, and a galaxy-like light rippled within Her stone pupils.
White light and purple energy intertwined and swirled together.
The statue of the Divine Lady transformed into a brilliant pillar of flowing light, soaring into the sky before scattering like flower petals in midair to reveal the true figure hidden within the radiance.
Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, adorned with several delicate, pale purple flowers.
She wore a misty purple celestial gown, its skirt embroidered with the pattern of the Big Dipper in silver thread. She hovered three inches above the white marble pedestal, Her bare feet pristine and untainted by dust. Tied around Her ankle was a thin silver chain adorned with a string of tiny silver bells the size of rice grains, chiming softly.
Everyone stared in utter daze.
【Cheng Ji's Shock Value +100】
【Ye Qingqing's Shock Value +100】
【Fang Yingqiu's Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 1,311,000】
Yun Shu looked at the values displayed on the system panel.
She could not help but marvel in her heart once again. It was indeed much easier to farm Shock Value from rookies who had rarely witnessed divine miracles!
Just by making an appearance, she had earned 600,000 Shock Value, instantly covering the 500,000 Shock Value she had spent to upgrade the Mirror of Retrospection Set from Level 4 to Level 5. If this had been the citizens of Xindu, they probably wouldn't have generated even half of that 500,000.
At the thought that her next major move would definitely earn her even more Shock Value, she felt in an exceptionally good mood.
However, she maintained her cold, detached demeanor as the Divine Lady.
Her gaze slowly swept over the courtyard full of students, then reached past the walls to look at the dense crowd of citizens outside.
“I did not command you to build an academy, yet you have built one of your own accord, teaching without discrimination and welcoming all students.”
“You are indeed worthy of instruction, and fit to be My believers.”
Kneeling on the ground and looking up at the Divine Lady, the people's eyes grew redder and redder, and tears began to stream down their faces uncontrollably.
Only they knew the hardships and toil involved in building such a grand academy in just a few short months.
Yet even so.
Every single one of them had gritted their teeth and persevered.
Among them were parents who wished to send their children to the academy to learn to read and write, officials who cared wholeheartedly for the people, and countless ordinary citizens who hoped to become believers of the Divine Lady through this endeavor.
Ultimately.
It was the life the citizens of Xindu led that had shown them a glimmer of hope. As long as they became believers of the Divine Lady, they could secure a different path of life for themselves and their children.
During this time.
It was not as if no one had poured cold water on them, claiming it was all one-sided wishful thinking and that the Divine Lady probably wouldn't even bother with them.
If it were not for the requirement of maintaining proper decorum before the Divine Lady, they would have loved to stand up at this very moment, grab those cynical mockers, and shout to them that they had passed the Divine Lady's test, that they were not wrong, and that they had truly become Her believers!
“I have three questions. If anyone among you answers correctly, I shall bestow a great fortune upon them.”
The Divine Lady raised Her right hand and lightly tapped the air with Her long, fair finger. Before everyone's eyes, a gate entwined with wisteria flowers materialized out of thin air.
“This gate connects the past and the present. You shall have three opportunities to enter it and seek knowledge from the great minds of all eras, bringing back the wisdom they acquired over their lifetimes to this world.”
Hearing this, everyone was stunned on the spot.
Kneeling on the ground with his hands pressed against the bluestone slabs, Cheng Ji's voice trembled uncontrollably. “Co... Connects the past and present?”
Restraining himself repeatedly, he still could not help but ask, “Divine Lady, if we are fortunate enough to enter this celestial gate, will we be able to meet sages like the Sage Confucius and other ancient worthies to seek their wisdom?”
Bamboo scrolls and books were difficult to preserve, and the works of many great scholars of statecraft had been lost or left incomplete over time, preventing future generations from grasping their true essence.
If they could consult them in person, write down the knowledge, and bring it back, it would be a monumental blessing for all scholars under heaven!
The Divine Lady's gaze swept over Cheng Ji. “Whom you meet upon entering the gate depends entirely on your personal affinity. If the affinity is there, you will naturally meet the one you desire to see.”
These words were like throwing a bundle of firewood into a blazing bonfire.
The crowd grew more and more excited.
“Please present Your questions, Divine Lady.” Cheng Ji subconsciously clenched his fists beneath his sleeves, his expression filled with tension.
This was a divine opportunity bestowed upon Yecheng by the Divine Lady.
All the learned people of Yecheng were gathered here today. He only hoped that someone among them could grasp this opportunity.
“To teach and educate—what is the meaning of this?”
The Divine Lady's eyelashes drooped slightly as She looked down upon all living beings, the very picture of compassion. “This is the first question. You have the time of a single incense stick to answer.”
She waved Her sleeve.
In the blink of an eye,
a bluestone desk appeared on the open ground. A single stick of incense stood in a burner, its blue smoke rising in a straight line.
Most of the citizens outside the academy were illiterate. Let alone answering the question, they could not even comprehend what the Divine Lady meant.
They only knew to look up at the purple-clad figure of the Divine Lady, their eyes filled with awe and bewilderment.
However, the teachers and students of the academy were different.
Almost the very instant the Divine Lady's voice fell,
the front courtyard of the academy erupted into a frenzy.
Hundreds of teachers and students gathered in groups of three to five, some frowning in deep thought, others discussing in hushed tones.
Eager to grasp the opportunity bestowed by the Divine Lady, they no longer cared about the propriety of separating men and women. They only wanted to debate and see whose discourse was superior so they could present the answer.
No matter who it was, as long as someone answered correctly, it would benefit everyone present.
“To teach and educate naturally means to propagate the Dao and impart knowledge...”
“No, no. How could the Divine Lady's question be about a truth known to everyone?”
“Then what do you say it means?”
“If I knew, I would have gone forward to answer already! Why would I be standing here arguing with you?”
Arguments rose and fell one after another.
The more they debated, the more chaotic it became.
The stick of incense burned silently, its ashes falling segment by segment.
Anxiety spread like a plague.
Some began to beat their foreheads, some squatted on the ground clutching their hair, and others stared at the celestial gate, their lips trembling but unable to utter a single word.
Even Elder Ye fell silent.
His brow was furrowed into a deep frown as if weighing his options, yet he remained silent.
It was not that he could not answer,
but rather that he feared answering incorrectly and losing the opportunity.
Time slipped away bit by bit.
More than half of the incense had burned, and the grayish-white ash drooped precariously, ready to break at any moment.
The time of a single incense stick was truly too short.
“Everyone, please make way.”
The crowd instinctively stepped aside to open a path, their gazes turning toward the source of the voice.
It was a gentle-looking woman with her dark hair neatly pinned up, her posture elegant and dignified.
“It's the Governor's wife...”
The expressions in everyone's eyes shifted from surprise to complexity.
There was anticipation, worry, and also relief.
As for what they were relieved about? They were naturally relieved that someone had finally dared to step forward to answer.
Ye Qingqing walked to the very front of the crowd, stopped, and performed a kneeling bow to the Divine Lady.
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