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Chapter 1446, Shall we grab a bite to eat?
Hearing this, Yi Shuihan roughly understood what these people were there for—to cause trouble under the pretext of forced enrollment.
Logically speaking, their thinking was not wrong. If they hadn't encountered Yi Shuihan, Van Gogh and the others would definitely have felt like they had relatives when they saw these people. They would have poured out their grievances on the spot and joined forces to denounce Yi Shuihan.
But the situation is different now. It's their bad luck to have encountered Yi Shuihan. Only a fool would help them fight against Yi Shuihan. On the contrary, after understanding the cause and effect, they immediately started speaking up for Yi Shuihan.
"Everyone, could you please let us say a few words? We were not forced to join the Oneness faction. On the contrary, joining the Oneness faction was entirely of our own free will, without any coercion whatsoever."
“That’s right, we all joined voluntarily. I am very grateful to the sect leader for giving us the opportunity to join the Unity Sect, because the Unity Sect is really good. You have misunderstood the sect leader.”
"Since everyone's here, why don't we all learn about the Oneness School? If any of you haven't joined yet, you might want to consider it. The Oneness School is really a great place to join."
Van Gogh, Feng Xishan, and Jia Lin all spoke out, not only stating that they were not forced, but also starting their own propaganda efforts.
"Are you being threatened? Don't be afraid. There are so many of us here today. He wouldn't dare do anything to you. Tell us the truth!"
In fact, the middle-aged man in black could tell that Van Gogh and his companions were not lying and were sincere. However, he was unwilling to believe this result and preferred to believe that Van Gogh and his companions were being controlled and threatened by some means.
“We have not been threatened. If you don’t believe me, I can let you test us.”
The moment the words "open up testing" were spoken, the scene quieted down considerably. People basically believed Van Gogh's words. After all, opening up testing meant completely letting go of everything and opening oneself up from the soul to the body. Then it would be clear whether or not someone had been tricked.
Originally, everyone came to cause trouble for Yi Shuihan with great momentum. The script was that they arrived at the scene like heroes, and the victims of Van Gogh were moved to tears and asked them for help. Then they criticized Yi Shuihan together, and finally the Unity Faction failed in the final trial, and Yi Shuihan was disgraced and expelled from the Holy Academy.
Unfortunately, the script was well-planned, but reality didn't follow it, and things went wrong right from the start.
The group stared at each other, unsure of what to do.
"Master Yi, do you use this kind of contract for all students who join the Unity Sect?"
Suddenly someone pointed to the contract on the table and spoke.
"Huh, this contract doesn't seem to be a White Fortune Contract! This color, could it be a Silver Fortune Contract?"
"No way! This is so extravagant?"
Those who hadn't noticed the types of contracts suddenly realized it and were all surprised.
"The Unity Faction has so much money!" This was the thought that came to their minds after confirming the silver transport contract on the table.
"Even the contracts are signed using silver transport contracts. No wonder these guys would join voluntarily. The Unity Faction is so rich, there must be a lot of benefits to joining."
Well, not only did they fail to strike a blow against the Unity Faction, they also got a chance to show off. Of course, the leaders of those schools wouldn't be tempted, but the ordinary students who came along might be different, and many of them started to have their eyes gleaming.
"Since there's no question of forcing us to join, let's not bother you any longer and go."
The middle-aged man in black felt that staying there was just making himself uncomfortable, so he decided to leave.
"Since you're already here, why don't you sit down for a while before you leave? We're your guests, and it's almost lunchtime, so let's have a meal together."
Yi Shuihan extended a friendly invitation.
"no need."
The middle-aged man in black looked grim, thinking Yi Shuihan was being sarcastic. Inviting him to dinner? Was he really that kind? If someone came looking for trouble, he'd be lucky not to get a beating, let alone be invited to dinner.
"No need, lunch is very exciting, there are plenty of delicious foods that can increase your strength, you'll definitely regret it if you don't eat."
Yi Shuihan was not lying. The food he ate was not substandard. If he were to take out his usual food, these people would be stuffed to bursting. Of course, Yi Shuihan knew this, so he prepared to take out ordinary food, which could even be considered barely edible among his collection. However, even this barely edible food was a panacea for people of Van Gogh's level, and eating it would provide them with endless benefits.
As for why Yi Shuihan was so kind, it was simply to show his strength. He believed that after eating this meal, those who came to cause trouble would definitely change their minds. This would make it easier for the Unity Sect to pass the final review, and it would also help them gain a foothold in the Holy Academy in the future.
Anyway, they used things that Yi Shuihan didn't care about to win people's hearts. Yi Shuihan didn't care at all. It's like a billionaire who spends tens of thousands on a meal, but gives a few hundred as a tip and then forgets about it.
"Today it's my treat, let's all go to a restaurant for a meal."
Didn't you say you were going to treat us? I'll treat you too, and we'll go to the most famous restaurant in the Holy Academy. The food there is definitely much better than what you have here. Aren't you ashamed?
The middle-aged man in black looked at Yi Shuihan with a provocative expression, but Yi Shuihan was completely oblivious to being humiliated and just watched him show off.
"Master Yi, you can come if you want. Why don't we go together and have a better meal?"
"No, I think my meals are fine, there's no need to improve them."
To the middle-aged man in black, Yi Shuihan was just putting on a brave face. He chuckled and walked out with a victorious expression.
A few minutes later, only Yi Shuihan, Van Gogh, and the other three remained at the scene, which became deserted again.
"Well then, let's go and finish our mission first."
Van Gogh was determined to get the official members and didn't want to waste a single moment.
"Wait a minute, there's no rush. I wasn't kidding when I said we were having dinner. Come on, you're in luck today."
Yang Dapan was the first to join in. He almost drooled when he heard about the delicious food. Van Gogh and the others followed suit, intending to finish quickly and save as much time as possible.
However, when they actually saw the food at Yi Shui Han, Van Gogh and his companions completely forgot their original intentions and became so engrossed in the sea of food that they knew nothing but eating.
Chapter 1447, Deception
"Why have I never seen these things before?"
After licking the plates clean, Van Gogh and his three companions sat in chairs gazing up at the stars, too full to move.
"Of course you haven't seen it. If you had, you wouldn't be in such a miserable state. I dare say that only those powerful figures in the Karma Realm can enjoy these things. Not only are they delicious, but they can also increase your cultivation. I feel like I'm about to break through."
The breakthrough that Garin mentioned was not from the Gong Realm to the Karma Realm, but from the lower level of the Gong Realm to the middle level.
There are five realms, each of which is divided into four sub-levels: lower, middle, upper, and perfect.
In the Holy Academy, those at the lower level of the cultivation realm belong to the lowest group of students. Generally, only students who have not joined a school or have joined an ordinary primary school have this level of cultivation.
Once you break through to the middle level, you'll be considered a core member even in a general school. As for the upper level, that's the core of the major school. If you can achieve the perfect cultivation level, you can become an elder in a minor school. The major school also has the title of quasi-elder. Some school successors are only at the perfect cultivation level.
Creating a school of thought requires a certain level of attainment, but inheriting a school of thought is not so strict. If certain conditions are met, and one's attainment of perfect attainment is achieved, one is qualified to become the master of a school.
Of course, if one becomes the master of a school after reaching the peak of the cultivation realm, one will definitely not be able to become powerful among the masters of schools, and will not even be qualified to have a seat in a school. Even if one is at the lower level of the cultivation realm, it is impossible for one to become powerful among the masters of schools.
The average cultivation level of the school leaders who hold seats is at the middle level of the Karma Realm. Only those at the upper level of the Karma Realm are considered big shots. In the entire Holy Academy, there are only a handful of school leaders at the upper level of the Karma Realm, no more than ten.
The Perfection of the Karma Realm is the level of the Lord of the Prefecture. Even the two Deputy Lords of the Prefecture are still at the Upper Karma Realm. Although they are veteran Upper Karma Realm masters, they are still a level below Perfection.
Among the leaders of the schools, there is one who has reached the pinnacle of his cultivation, but his strength is not comparable to that of the head of the academy. Therefore, the head of the academy is currently in charge of the Holy Academy, and only by uniting the entire school can the head of the academy be barely kept in check.
Okay, that was information from before. Things are different now. Not to mention Yi Shuihan, Rong Shi Huang and Hua Zhen Huang are both Dao Enlightenment cultivators, even stronger than those in the Xue Jing realm who are above the Ye Jing realm. If they were to reveal their cultivation levels, they could easily crush the Mansion Lord.
As a top-tier power in the Great World of Destiny, the Holy Academy would be impossible without the Academy Realm. The Academy Master is not necessarily the strongest; it's just that once someone reaches the Academy Realm, they are no longer suitable to be the Academy Master. Once someone reaches the Academy Realm, they are basically immortal except in the face of the Great Calamity. The Academy Realm experts in the Holy Academy are all secretly watching over the Holy Academy.
According to Yi Shuihan's investigation, there are at least three academic realms in the Holy Academy. He doesn't know if there are others, because he can't explore freely. Under the restrictions of the Great World of Destiny, it's already good that he was able to find three that haven't been discovered yet.
The Great World of Struggle for Fate has not been through the 7th Immeasurable Kalpa for long, and it is already quite remarkable that it has developed so many academic realms. Yi Shuihan estimated that the Holy Academy could have a maximum of 5 academic realms. Based on this calculation, the entire Great World of Struggle for Fate should have around 20 to 50 academic realms.
It's insane that a great world has dozens of powerful beings comparable to the Chaos Emperor. The only consolation is that these cultivators themselves are only comparable to the Seeking Dao Realm.
Their strength is comparable to that of a Chaos Emperor, but in reality, these cultivators are not Chaos Emperors. If they were truly Chaos Emperors, their names would definitely be on the stone tablet in Chaos City. They are only comparable to Chaos Emperors in terms of combat power, but they are still a little lacking in essence.
Van Gogh and the others were all at the lower level of the cultivation realm. It would have been a long time before they could become the middle level, and the time required for a breakthrough was calculated in decades. Now, this one meal saved them several decades of time, which is quite impressive.
The cultivation realm belongs to the immortal level. Breaking through to a lower level in the prehistoric world would normally take several thousand years. However, since this is the Great World of Destiny, the difficulty of breaking through is like this, much easier than in other worlds.
In the Great World of Struggle for Fate, even those at the Cultivation Realm cannot achieve immortality. If one cannot break through to the Karma Realm, the lifespan is limited to ten thousand years. Once ten thousand years are up, one is immediately doomed. From another perspective, this is a kind of balance, since breaking through is relatively simple.
Think about some worlds, once you break through the silver level corresponding to the fairy realm, you live as long as the world. Unless the world is destroyed, you can live forever. Who can you reason with?
……
Ten days have passed since Van Gogh and others joined the Unity Faction, and there are only four days left until the final review is completed. The number of people who have registered to join the Unity Faction has now reached more than 500.
Van Gogh and Feng Xishan recruited over a hundred people, making them confirmed members. Jia Lin recruited over two hundred, becoming the first core member. Yang Dapan recruited fewer, but still over seventy. It's estimated that by the end, there shouldn't be much of a problem with the number of confirmed members.
Of these 500-plus people, about three-quarters were recruited from those who had not joined the school, while the rest were poached from within the school. Overall, they did a very good job.
With over 500 students joining, which is more than 10 times the standard set by the final review, as long as no one causes trouble, this Unification Faction is firmly established.
The temporary headquarters of the Unity Faction was bustling with activity, filled with people dressed in Unity Faction uniforms, resembling a small market.
“Young man, who brought you into the Unity faction? I was brought in by Van Gogh.”
"I came in through Garin. Garin told me that joining the Unity Faction would give me the strongest spear technique. I just received this beginner spear technique and took a quick look at it. It is indeed the strongest. This beginner spear technique is like a divine book to me! I heard that there are intermediate and advanced levels. I wonder when I will have the honor of seeing them."
"Is it really that good?"
"Of course! Come, come, let me tell you why..."
Conversations like this happen from time to time.
"Enforcement team, why is the enforcement team here?"
Someone shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
A group of people dressed in black with indifferent expressions walked in through the main gate.
"Someone has reported that the Unity Sect is engaging in fraud and deceiving students by claiming to have the strongest gun skills, fist techniques, sword skills, etc. We request the Unity Sect leader to cooperate with the investigation."
Chapter 1448, What Crime Has He Committed?
Yi Shuihan had sensed the arrival of the enforcement team early on. Just as the enforcement team explained their reason, he walked out and bumped into them.
"Sect Leader!"
"Greetings, Sect Leader."
The newly joined members greeted Yi Shuihan respectfully, showing no panic at the arrival of the enforcement team.
Apart from a few new members who have just joined and haven't had a chance to receive their basic training, most other members are full of confidence in the Unity Faction. A lie? Absolutely not! They truly have the strongest spearmanship, fist techniques, swordsmanship, and more!
"My name is Lian Qie, a captain in the Enforcement Hall of the Holy Academy. You must be Yi Shuihan, the sect leader?"
Lian Qie was a middle-aged man who was thinner than average, with his eyes half-open and half-closed, giving him a slightly eerie appearance.
It was obvious, yet Lian Qie asked again, which seemed a bit old-fashioned.
"I am Yi Shuihan."
After gesturing to the members around him to calm down, Yi Shuihan spoke calmly to Lian Qie.
"Then please come with us!"
While it was called an invitation, there was a sense of coercion in it, leaving no room for refusal.
"Master, don't go. The charges they're making are completely fabricated."
"That's right! What fraud? It's clearly a frame-up."
"The investigation hasn't even been completed, so what right do you have to arrest people?"
Seeing so many people speaking up for him, Yi Shuihan felt somewhat comforted; at least he hadn't been taken in by a bunch of ungrateful wretches.
"How dare you! How can you act so presumptuously when the enforcement team is in charge? Do you intend to defy the School of Thought?"
The School, not the Holy Academy, represents the stance of these enforcement teams; they are the School's henchmen.
To be able to enter the enforcement team, one's cultivation level must be at least at the upper level of the Gong realm, and the leader, Lian Qie, is even at the lower level of the Ye realm. In contrast, the students who have just joined the He Yi sect are only at the lower level of the Gong realm, so they naturally lack imposing presence.
In fact, if it weren't for Yi Shuihan being there as a pillar of strength, none of them would have dared to utter a single word in front of the law enforcement team.
“I know everything. There’s definitely no fraud involved. But since the academic society has been alerted, I’ll go there myself. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
Yi Shuihan could choose to ignore Lian Qie and the others, but that would make him seem a little guilty. Therefore, he decided to go and see what other tricks they had up their sleeves. He would deal with whatever they did. If things really got out of hand, Yi Shuihan wouldn't mind using force to suppress them.
As Yi Shuihan followed the enforcement team away, the atmosphere at the temporary camp became somewhat somber. Although they had confidence in Yi Shuihan, they were, after all, students of the Holy Academy, and they still had some fear of the enforcement team and the academic society behind it. This was not something that could be changed in a short time.
The news that Yi Shuihan had been taken away by the enforcement team quickly spread throughout the entire Holy Academy. In fact, the news had already been circulating even before Yi Shuihan was taken away, which clearly indicated that someone was stirring things up behind the scenes.
Van Gogh and his team, who were still recruiting people outside, were also affected. They had made arrangements, but upon hearing the news, they became hesitant. Suddenly, the difficulty of Van Gogh's mission changed from normal to hellish.
The enforcement team led Yi Shuihan to a place resembling a courtroom, where he stood in the defendant's seat. Looking up, he saw that he was surrounded by judges.
"Is this a public trial? It's quite a big event!"
Upon closer inspection, there were a total of 108 judges, including the few Yi Shuihan had met during the preliminary trial. It was easy to guess the identities of the other judges; it seemed that everyone in the entire school of thought had been present!
Being watched by more than a hundred people, all of whom were powerful figures in the Karma Realm, would probably make anyone else's legs go weak, or at least make them nervous. However, Yi Shuihan only felt that there were a few too many people, and nothing else.
"Is the one below Yi Shuihan?"
An elderly man with a white beard but vigorous spirit, judging from his position, should be a relatively important figure in the academic society.
Yi Shuihan didn't reply, because he felt there was no need to. After all, who was Yi Shuihan in the hall? Why did it sound like ancient interrogation dialogue? It was so low-class. Wasn't there something more sophisticated? This made it impossible for us to communicate properly!
Why does it feel like a bad movie when it's set in front of the Holy Academy, one of the top schools in the world of the Great Struggle for Fortune, and a school that represents half of the Holy Academy's influence?
1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...
Yi Shuihan remained silent for a long time, and the old man who had shouted turned red in the face, his eyes glaring at Yi Shuihan as if they were about to pop out.
Fortunately, those present were all leaders of their respective schools of thought and possessed composure; otherwise, it would have been even more awkward if someone had laughed out loud.