I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Monks well-versed in the classics were masters of verbal sparring.

Among them were monks proficient in healing through discourse, who could conjure reason from unreasonableness, so debates were relentless.

In just one day, it was nearly impossible to decide on changes to the Investiture of the Gods.

After arguing for two or three hours, not even the division of the monasteries was clear, with Taoist priests claiming expertise in lecturing and monks promoting enlightenment as their purpose.

Zhou Yi sat in silence at the head, pouring and drinking by himself, as if it truly all depended on their decision.

The monastery belonged to the Ministry of Rites. Future reserve officials of the Heavenly Court, aside from the first generation of deified gods, had to start from Ninth Grade, and disciples of great teachings were the same.

Therefore, in theory, the monastery might cultivate an Emperor of Heaven.

Moreover, the monastery gathered numerous classics of sages. What teachings to impart and which sect to emphasize were decisions made by the lecturing scholars and attendants, a perfect opportunity to promote one's ancestors!

This importance was undeniable, yet it was not the only department worth fighting over.

Such as the Immortal Registry Department of the Ministry of Revenue, the Outfitting Department, the Selection Department of the Ministry of Personnel, the Merit Evaluation Department, the Treasure Department of the Ministry of Works, the Court Justice Department of the Ministry of Punishments, the Redemption Department, the Deliberation Department of the Ministry of War, the Military Registry Department, and so on—all wielded essential power, which could be convenient for disciples and relatives when in control.

Other departments like the Thunder Department, Rain Department, Water Department, and Fire Department managed mundane affairs, a laborious task not entering the eye of the exalted.

Each one had an immortal background and the decrees of ancient ancestors, and thus they vied over every detail, unwilling to yield an inch.

They argued from dawn to darkness and awaited the break of day.

From arguing to cursing, they were on the verge of escalating to spell battles, creating a situation increasingly difficult to manage.

Zhou Yi, calculating with his fingers, laughed and said, "Only a quarter of an hour remains. Without a decision, the Investiture of the Gods cannot be changed!"

The Taoist priest about to roll up his sleeves immediately stopped, and the glib monk silenced at once. Eternal Prosperity Hall fell silent for a moment before everyone bowed to Zhou Yi in unison.

"Eldest brother, please calm your anger!"

Among them were clever and astute cultivators who sensed an insight and said, "We have wasted time and days with our disputes, please, eldest brother, guide us out of this perplexity."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yi's reputation in Dongsheng Divine Continent was somewhat marred by personal issues, but he had never made mistakes in distributing benefits.

"Naturally, there is a way."

Zhou Yi said, "The blessed lands of the Heavenly Court are formed from countless minor Spirit Veins, amounting to 108,000. Go forth and draw from these Spirit Veins, and arrange your positions according to the quantity of your contributions."

"Eldest brother, isn't that improper?"

The speaker was a disciple of the Heaven's Mandate Sect, casting an undisguised look of disdain over the Royal Family.

An elder from the Holy Yang Dynasty snorted coldly in support, "Eldest brother is right. Positions should be distributed based on contributions; those who offer more to the Heavenly Court naturally deserve to choose first."

The other dynasties and sects voiced their approval. Already weaker than the great teachings, they were extremely satisfied with the opportunity for fair competition.

Zhou Yi, representing the three Immortal Sects by himself, saw the other disciples from great teachings reluctantly agree, though not without resentment.

"Remember, gentlemen, the affairs of the Heavenly Court have spread throughout the world; it won't be long before the Investiture of the Gods does as well. Your every word and deed represent the face and dignity of the Heavenly Court," he said.

"When extracting Spirit Veins, remember not to loot or plunder. If anyone causes chaos and wrongdoing, I will assign them to the Thunder or Rain Departments to toil through the clouds and rain!"

Everyone agreed promptly, clearly understanding the importance of the prestige of the Heavenly Court.

At such a crucial time, who would dare tarnish the reputation of the Heavenly Court? That would be obstructing the ancestors' ascension, an unthinkable consequence.

"Very good," said Zhou Yi. "Let us first determine the positions that need to be exchanged. If I have more than any of you, we will proceed to selection based on the quantity."

"The lecturing scholar of the monasteries."

"The seal-holder of the Outfitting Department."

"There is also the scribe of the Redemption Department..."

Having studied all the divine positions of the Heavenly Court beforehand, they quickly named the positions they wanted to exchange. It was almost as Zhou Yi had anticipated.

Several key positions were not mentioned by anyone, such as the Selection Department's pen-holder and the Prison Department's jailer.

Before the banquet, Zhou Yi had leaked the exchanged positions, and the cultivators, keenly aware, tacitly avoided mentioning the positions reserved by the Three Sects.

The power structure of the Cultivation World resembled a pyramid.

At the very peak were the three Immortal Sects, which could modify the Investiture of the Gods without consultation.

Below them were the great teachings and royal families, with a chance to exchange before Investiture.

Further down were the cultivators who could only listen obediently to their Investiture, being listed on the Investiture of the Gods was considered a great fortune.

For the rest, who wished to enter the Heavenly Court system, they needed to study the classics in the monasteries and pass an examination before they could begin from the very bottom as Ninth Grade deities.

A moment later.

All the positions needing exchange were tallied, roughly more than twice the number of people in the hall. Thus, those ranked at the forefront could choose an additional position, ensuring fierce competition was inevitable.

After spending half a day feasting, everyone took their leave.

They went back to report to their ancestors, then set out to collect minor Spirit Veins.

Because of the abundant Spiritual Energy in Dongsheng Divine Continent and the lack of formations restricting it, the Spiritual Energy around large Spirit Veins was denser than around minor ones.

So, minor Spirit Veins were often unowned territories, albeit the extraction was somewhat troublesome.

...

As Zhou Yi had predicted.

The list from the Investiture of the Gods spread rapidly through Dongsheng Divine Continent.

The ancestors never intended to keep it secret, as too many disciples were aware. They let it circulate openly to gauge the response.

The great changes in the Cultivation World were unpredictable to all, with only cautious advancement as the path forward. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

As the list circulated, the Cultivation World was abuzz.

Some approved, some criticized, many were pleased, and many more envied and resented.