Chapter 3: Great Dream Academy

The Grand Ancestor asked his ministers, "I wish to enlighten the people of the world, so that everyone may become as a dragon. What excellent strategies do you gentlemen propose?"

Duke Bi replied, "We could build temples, consecrate spirit soldiers and divine generals, reward good and punish evil, and spread this across the nineteen provinces."

The Grand Ancestor's brows furrowed slightly.

Duke Shao said, "We could compile great scriptures, gather thousands of benevolent laws, and disseminate them throughout the land."

The Grand Ancestor's expression softened slightly.

Duke Zhou said, "The common people lead difficult lives, working from dawn till dusk; we must not add to their burdens. Building temples and compiling scriptures should encourage officials, not burden the populace. The ancient evil sect, the Nightmare Sect, possessed a technique called 'Grand Dream Chronicles' and a treasure named 'A Dream of Heaven and Earth,' which allowed its disciples to kill in their dreams."

"Techniques are neither good nor evil; your servant can adapt their use. All citizens of our Zhou Dynasty can gain wisdom in their dreams without harming their bodies."

The Grand Ancestor clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "Excellent!"

He then ordered Duke Zhou to implement the dream method and make it accessible throughout the land.

Of course, the above anecdote was fictitious.

Zhao Xing clearly remembered that the Yunmeng Academy had absolutely no connection to the Grand Ancestor or the founding minister Duke Dan of Zhou.

The ancient sect, the Nightmare Sect, was not an evil cult at all, but rather the state religion of Dali, another dynasty of destiny that existed before the Zhou Dynasty.

The cultivation technique 'Grand Dream Chronicles' and the supreme treasure 'A Dream of Heaven and Earth' did indeed exist.

The predecessor of the Yunmeng Academy was called the 'Grand Dream Academy'.

It was used by the Dali Dynasty for 'elite education' and to recruit geniuses, and it could indeed be used for assassination in dreams.

After the fall of Dali, several dynasties passed until the Great Zhou acquired the supreme treasure.

The Son of Heaven of Zhou wished to decipher it and make it his own, but he failed entirely.

It wasn't until the reign of Emperor Wu that the supreme treasure 'A Dream of Heaven and Earth' was finally deciphered, and it transformed into the 'Yunmeng Academy' in his hands.

At the same time, this anecdote came into being.

So why did Emperor Wu attribute this accomplishment to the Grand Ancestor?

This was because the treasure was not "deciphered" in his hands at all; rather, one of his ministers accidentally discovered the entry method in ancient texts.

Simply put, one could enter by combining the simplest Soul Calming Talisman and Guiding Talisman with a specific phrase.

Furthermore, its functionalities had already been thoroughly developed by Dali, and it could be used with only minor modifications.

After possessing the supreme treasure for many years without finding a way to decipher it, when a method was finally found, it turned out to be shockingly simple!

Moreover, the ancient emperors had already completed everything he intended to do; only the large-scale implementation and simplification of this step remained.

The proud and arrogant Emperor Wu felt humiliated. He felt as though the Dali emperor was mocking his incompetence, and he certainly wouldn't dare to claim such a 'great merit' or 'grand virtue' in the eyes of the world.

Attributing it to earlier dynasties wasn't suitable either, so he simply pushed it all the way back and ascribed the matter to the Grand Ancestor.

The Soul Calming Talisman and Guiding Talisman glowed faintly, and a profound drowsiness swept over Zhao Xing. His eyelids grew heavy, and soon light snores began to emerge.

Within the dreamscape, Zhao Xing suddenly stood up and looked around.

Endless clouds enveloped his surroundings, so thick they obscured his vision.

Only a gate tower, tens of yards high, appeared before his eyes.

Four characters, carved in ancient script, adorned it: Grand Dream Academy.

"I'm really in?"

Zhao Xing's first instinct was to check his system panel, but he found he couldn't access it, confirming that he had indeed entered.

His second thought was:

"I'm going to get rich!"

"This is the early version of the Yunmeng Academy instance! Oh, wait, it's still called the Grand Dream Academy right now! It's an entirely undeveloped gold mine!"

"It's incomparable to its later state, after Emperor Wu plundered its treasures and it became a mere daily instance for players!"

Zhao Xing was somewhat excited.

In his previous life, he hadn't been in the right place at the right time, but now things were different.

Gathering his thoughts and recalling certain important details, Zhao Xing stepped into the misty gateway.

With a single step, the scenery abruptly changed.

Before him appeared magnificent, gilded palaces, each enveloped in a hemispherical light shield.

The Reincarnation Hall, the Heart-Questioning Platform, the Martial God Pagoda, the Arcane Arts Repository, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, the Sacred Beast Palace, the Destiny Palace...

Pavilions, towers, palace complexes, covered walkways, and sky bridges were scattered in picturesque disorder, stacked layer upon layer, enveloped in mist, as if he were in a celestial realm.

Zhao Xing's eyes widened instantly, and he began to salivate.

In the 'background story' summarized by players in his previous life, Emperor Wu only had the confidence to forcefully conquer the Eight Desolations because he had obtained the treasure trove accumulated by Dali.

Now, these treasures were appearing one by one before Zhao Xing, but before he could examine them closely, most of the palaces receded into the clouds and vanished.

Only a few smaller pavilions remained.

"Huh? What's going on?" Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned. "Why did they disappear?"

He quickly pursued in the direction a palace had vanished, but after just a few dozen meters, he was blocked by a gentle repellent force. He struggled to move forward, eventually unable to advance an inch.

After several attempts yielded the same result, Zhao Xing stood still, frowning in thought for a long while before finally realizing.

This was the Grand Dream Academy, not the Yunmeng Academy.

"Dali's Grand Dream Academy was specifically for cultivating geniuses, while the Great Zhou's 'Yunmeng Academy' embraced education for all, regardless of aptitude."

"The former allowed one not only to learn advanced secret techniques but also to bring back tangible rewards, each of which was a precious treasure. However, it had entry requirements and high-difficulty trials."

"The latter primarily offered mid to low-level secret texts, with very few tangible rewards. But it had almost no entry barriers; even young children could wander through all parts of the academy, and there were no difficult trials."

Understanding this, Zhao Xing could only helplessly watch as the treasure palaces faded into the clouds.

Now, he didn't need to search for them himself.

Because as soon as he moved, he triggered a mechanism, and what remained were the places where he could attempt to earn rewards.

"Let's see what's left. There's no need to rush. It will be at least several hundred years before Emperor Wu empties this treasury." Zhao Xing's mindset immediately relaxed; he had ample time to slowly empty the place.

After a moment's wait, all the myriad palaces and pavilions vanished, leaving only a floating high platform in the sky.

Clouds churned, and a staircase spiraled down from the platform to Zhao Xing's feet.

"The Heart-Questioning Platform?"

"It seems my level is too low to access anything else. Only this 'Heart-Questioning Platform,' which isn't related to cultivation realm, offers a chance to pass a trial and gain a reward."

The trials of the Heart-Questioning Platform primarily tested the seven emotions and six desires, and scenarios were customized for different individuals.

It also had some rules: it would create situations reflecting one's deepest desires or greatest fears.

Gazing at the Heart-Questioning Platform, Zhao Xing seemed to recall an unpleasant memory.

"It's not going to throw something terrifying and unbearable at me right away, is it...?"

Taking a deep breath, he cautiously stepped onto the first stair.

"Buzz~"

The surrounding scenery abruptly changed, and Zhao Xing suddenly smelled an intoxicating fragrance.

Water rippled, petals floated on the surface, and steam rose as a beautiful woman lay perched on the edge of a tub.

Her pert buttocks, bare back, fragrant shoulders, and flowing hair were partially hidden, partially revealed...

"What? A trial of lust?"

"Heart-Questioning Platform, have you made a mistake? Is this kind of low-brow amusement truly what I desire most right now?!"