...

In the following period, under the guidance of the super-brain team led by Wang Ningxi, Wang Fugui, and Wang Liyue, everyone had the opportunity to participate in the simulated trials, with analyses and targeted training to address individual weaknesses.

Moreover, under Wang Liyue's leadership, the team began to study and analyze the simulation pods, attempting to understand their principles. Unfortunately, the technology used in these simulation pods was far too advanced. They couldn't even fully grasp the principles, let alone replicate them.

Previously, they had deciphered quite a bit of technology from the "junk" obtained in the recruit training camp, but compared to the technology displayed by these simulation pods, it seemed they were not even on the same level.

No matter how smart they were, without the relevant theoretical foundation, replication was far from possible.

However, this opened up a new line of thinking for them. Since they couldn't replicate such advanced simulation pods for the time being, why not try with simpler ones?

The simulation pods from Lingyun Holy Land were actually quite good. If they could gradually conquer the technology within, perhaps they would qualify to crack these advanced simulation pods.

Even though replication seemed out of reach, they were not without gains.

At the very least, they confirmed one thing: these advanced simulation pods were definitely not products of the Shenwu era. Although the technological level during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty was far more advanced than now, it hadn't reached such a level of advancement.

So the question arose.

Where exactly did His Majesty the Holy Emperor get this so-called "advanced simulation pod"?

Regarding this question, the three of them had no clue, and even Spirit Artifact Ai Pan was at a loss.

Time passed bit by bit.

The elite members of the Wang's Clan and the elites of various allied families, who rarely had the chance to stay together, learned and progressed together. As they spent time together, their relationships grew rapidly.

As for Liu Ruolan, she had long set up her mahjong table, playing with the family's wives of all ages while constantly encouraging them: "This Shenwu instance is an opportunity for everyone, make sure to seize it well. Once this game of mahjong is over, I'll have Yingxuan give everyone a tactical lesson."

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Wang Shouye's wife, Lei Yanyun, replied weakly, "but tactics are so hard to learn."

"Seventh Sister-in-law," Liu Ruolan simply put the tiles together, looking at her, "we are all wives from the noble families of Changning, so naturally, I stand by you. But I must say something."

"You're only two hundred years old, and although your bloodline aptitude has barely reached the level of a great prodigy D with the family's support, your cultivation has only just entered the mid-Celestial Realm, which shows your negligence in cultivation."

Lei Yanyun blushed slightly and replied in a low voice, "Shouye has been too busy these years, and I've had to manage all the big and small matters at home, which inevitably delayed my cultivation."

As a direct descendant of the Celestial Lei Clan, she had been pampered since childhood, inevitably becoming somewhat delicate and not very diligent in cultivation. Her biggest life goal had been to find a good man to marry and live a steady, peaceful life.

Now, she was already a matriarch, considering her life to be very fulfilling, and naturally, she paid even less attention to cultivation.

She never expected that one day she would be reprimanded for neglecting her cultivation.

"You can leave the household matters to the three wives; you just need to oversee the big picture. They are all over a hundred years old; can't they handle such matters?" Liu Ruolan said solemnly, "You must work hard and take this opportunity to at least elevate your bloodline to the level of a great prodigy A or B. This way, if there are extra codices in the future, you'll have the chance to reach the Void Realm and live for three to four thousand years without a problem."

"Grandmother is right," Qian Yurou chimed in, "Seventh Uncle's wife, you mustn't be careless. If you stop at the Divine Realm, you'll only live up to two thousand years at most, and wouldn't that be a waste for that fox spirit from Northern Zhou? An imperial daughter, huh? I think she's just waiting for you to pass away so she can take your place. Our Wang's Clan has never had such a precedent, and we must not let her succeed."

Clearly, the gossip about the ambiguous relationship between the Northern Zhou imperial daughter Luojia and Wang Shouye had already spread back to the Wang's Clan.

The women were always sensitive to such topics, and naturally, they shared a sense of camaraderie when mentioning that imperial daughter.

Hearing this, Lei Yanyun couldn't help but feel nervous.

Thinking about a thousand years later, when she would be old and faded while that Northern Zhou imperial daughter remained youthful and stunning, she found it unacceptable. What if she kept pestering Shouye, and he couldn't resist marrying her?

Her gaze became resolute: "Fourth Sister-in-law is right, I will definitely work hard."

"Everyone, let's all work hard and at least try not to fall behind," Liu Ruolan encouraged the women, "Codices aren't that rare. Once I'm stronger, I'll help each of you get one."

Such boldness was truly impressive.

While Liu Ruolan was having a meeting with the women of the Wang's Clan, Wang Shouzhe was also mingling with his brothers and descendants, encouraging and scolding as needed, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

In the midst of busy learning and preparation, time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed.

According to the academy's regulations, students who had broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm had to participate in the academy's assessment within a year of their breakthrough. Wang Shouzhe and a group of students who had reached the Purple Mansion Realm had reached the point where they had to participate in the assessment.

The plan devised by Wang Ningxi and Wang Fugui to "reap benefits" was finally set in motion.

On this day.

Everyone gathered once again at the assessment venue.

But this time, it was not a simulated exam, but a formal one.

Under the arrangement of Wang Ningxi and Wang Fugui, all the cultivators who had reached the Purple Mansion Realm were divided into the first, second, and third tiers. Each person in each tier had a clear and specific stage to reach.

The first to go was Wang's Clan's first ancestor, Wang Long Yan.

After years of training in the Demon Dynasty, having seen so much, Wang Long Yan had changed significantly. Her once cold eyes now held a depth and wisdom, yet her icy and jade-like demeanor remained untainted by the mundane.

It was clear that years of training had not worn down her sharpness; instead, it had honed her like a polished sword, making her even more formidable than before.

The current Ancestor Long Yan was no ordinary figure. She possessed the bloodline aptitude of a Heavenly Daughter, and her cultivation had reached the late Purple Mansion Realm, with her bloodline awakened to the eighth level of the Great Saint Body.

It was worth noting that ordinary Divine Realm cultivators only had the seventh level of the Saint Body bloodline.

With Ancestor Long Yan's current strength, she not only didn't fear challenging Divine Realm cultivators but also had a certain advantage. After all, Divine Realm cultivators only had more profound energy compared to her, but in terms of understanding the laws of the Heavenly Dao, they were far inferior.

Her appearance immediately captured everyone's attention.

Prince An said solemnly, "I didn't expect Wang Shouzhe to play his trump card right from the start. Is he planning to leave a mark on the Hero Ranking?"

He only knew that Wang Long Yan's cultivation had become unfathomable, and her bloodline had reached the level of a peerless prodigy B. If she reached the Divine Realm and was given an Immortal Scripture, her future would undoubtedly reach the True Immortal Realm level.

"Husband, want to make a bet?" Princess Gongye Qingrui suggested, "I bet Ancestor Long Yan can make it to the top three."

"The top three?" Prince An frowned, "The top three are records left by Ancestor Ai Pan, who was a Heavenly Daughter back then."

Regarding Huari's sudden change in identity, Prince An had mixed feelings of joy and complexity.

It was naturally a good thing for Ancestor Ai Pan to reincarnate, but the problem was, Huari was a junior he had watched grow up. Should he regard her as an ancestor or a junior in the future?

Prince An was almost torn apart by this dilemma.

"The Heavenly Daughter bloodline is indeed extraordinary, but don't forget Ancestor Long Yan's current cultivation..." Princess Gongye Qingrui reminded him, "Such a cultivation gap should offset the bloodline gap with a Heavenly Daughter, right?"

"It's still a bit difficult." Prince An pondered for a moment and said, "Ancestor Long Yan is indeed skilled in combat, but she's not very adept at military strategy. Even though she's been catching up recently, it's not enough. I bet she'll take fourth place."

Besides Prince An, the allied families of the Wang's Clan were also whispering among themselves, wondering if Wang's Clan was trying to boost morale by playing their trump card right away.

Amidst various speculations, Ancestor Long Yan began the ordinary graduation test.

Unexpectedly, she also showcased her ability to lead troops in the ordinary graduation test, completing one task after another with excellence. Although she didn't achieve a perfect score, she still scored a high 98.

This demonstrated that she had put in significant effort in military strategy, and her performance was considered outstanding.

It was no wonder that Wang Shouzhe had long deduced from the name "Intermediate and Advanced Officer Training Academy" that this instance wouldn't solely test combat prowess. Leading troops in battle was bound to be a focus, so how could they not be prepared?

"Student Wang Long Yan, congratulations on scoring 98 points. Our academy will grant you the rank of 'Provisional Captain' and award you a high-quality Divine Spirit Artifact from the primary prize pool. Additionally, you can select two more prizes."

Then, Spirit Artifact Ai Pan formally listed the rewards from the primary prize pool.

The primary prize pool included various high-quality Divine Spirit Artifacts, Divine Black Armor, Divine Realm inheritance, pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm puppets, High-Grade Essence version of bloodline improvement liquid, ninth-level spiritual beast cubs, spiritual plant seedlings, Legion Commander's Protection, high-quality Earth Bracelet, spiritual beast space bag, a small bag of top-grade spiritual stones, and more.

In today's world, the value of Divine Spirit Artifacts was far less than a Divine Realm inheritance ground, and even less than a pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm puppet.

However, considering the different eras, during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, Divine Realm inheritance wasn't as precious as it is now. For people of that time, obtaining a chance for Divine Realm inheritance wasn't as difficult as it is today.

Similarly, high-quality Divine Spirit Artifacts were also valuable.

Therefore, in this prize pool, their values were equivalent.

"High-Grade Essence version, pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm puppet." Wang Long Yan followed the predetermined plan and chose these two treasures without hesitation.

The rewards in the prize pool were not at the assessment venue but stored in a dedicated warehouse. As Wang Long Yan confirmed her choices, Spirit Artifact Ai Pan promptly opened the warehouse according to the procedure, and the academy's remaining mechanical puppets retrieved the rewards and handed them to Wang Long Yan.

Wang Long Yan handed the rewards over to Wang Ningxi's team for unified management.

There were many items in the primary prize pool, and they weren't difficult to obtain. If they couldn't get them all this time, the future descendants of the Wang's Clan could slowly acquire them over hundreds or even thousands of years. After all, they would eventually end up in the hands of the Wang's Clan descendants.

The primary prize pool was naturally not Wang Long Yan's main target.

Subsequently, she activated the elite trial mode.

This trial mode posed no pressure on her, as she easily defeated enemy commanders and suppressed large areas on her own.

This time, her score was slightly lower, only 96 points.

But that didn't affect her ability to claim rewards.

In fact, Wang Long Yan knew that she was more skilled in one-on-one combat, and her performance in strategy and commanding troops was average. It was entirely due to her formidable strength that she completed the tasks smoothly without major issues. Scoring 100 points was indeed challenging for her.

"Congratulations, 'Provisional Captain' Wang Long Yan," Spirit Artifact Ai Pan continued to congratulate, "Your performance in elite mode was outstanding. Our academy will grant you the rank of 'Provisional General' and award you a Dao Artifact. You will receive the title of 'Outstanding Graduate.'"

"Your name will be included in the recommendation list for the 'Advanced General and Marshal Training School,' and you can choose to further your studies there."

"Additionally, scoring 80 points or more, and 90 points or more in elite mode, allows you to select two additional rewards from the intermediate prize pool."

As Spirit Artifact Ai Pan's voice fell, the intermediate prize pool was officially opened.

It contained a dazzling array of treasures, including various Dao Artifacts, a single inheritance slot for the Lingxu Codex, a True Immortal Strike, top-grade bloodline improvement liquid essence version (Extreme Essence), pinnacle-level Divine Realm puppets, a large bag of top-grade spiritual stones, eleventh-level pet beast or spiritual plant seedlings, and more.

All were valuable items.

But Wang Long Yan didn't even take a close look and made her choice according to the plan: "Extreme Essence, Lingxu Codex inheritance slot. I'll leave the codex slot for someone else."

"Are you sure you want to leave the slot for someone else?" Spirit Artifact Ai Pan reminded, "You should know that the Lingxu Codex is not a gift to you; you only have one inheritance right. When you no longer need the codex, you must return it to the academy. If you want to transfer the slot to someone else, that person must be a student or graduate of the Four Major Officer Academies."

Even during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, the Lingxu Codex was considered a strategic resource and naturally couldn't be given away directly.

However, now that the Wang's Clan had already taken control of this training academy, the slot and a gift were almost the same.

After returning the codex to the academy, wouldn't the next inheritor still be a descendant of the Wang's Clan coming to farm the instance?

Moreover, who could predict what would happen thousands of years later? Even if the Wang's Clan didn't return it, the academy couldn't do anything about it.

"Confirmed," Wang Long Yan said, "Transfer all rewards to Wang Ningxi for distribution, and then activate the hero mode."

These prizes were of no use to Wang Long Yan, so she naturally left them to the family to handle.

Soon, Spirit Artifact Ai Pan retrieved the rewards from the warehouse and handed them over to Wang Ningxi as requested by Wang Long Yan.

Wang Long Yan finally began the hero mode trial.

Everyone's attention immediately focused on the crystal screen, carefully observing and learning from Ancestor Long Yan's performance in hero mode.

As one task after another was completed, those who didn't know Wang Long Yan well, like Prince An, were left with their mouths agape, full of disbelief.

What kind of operation was this?

Was this how hero mode was supposed to be played?

When Wang Yingxuan had tried hero mode before, they had seen all sorts of extreme maneuvers, showcasing tactics, strategies, and intelligence to the fullest.

But when it came to Wang Long Yan, where were the tactics? Where were the strategies? She simply charged at the enemy commander and finished it.

The demon lord, comparable to a Divine Realm cultivator, was truly unlucky, never surviving more than a quarter of an hour.

Wang Long Yan's approach to killing demon lords was like slicing through vegetables, leaving no sense of the demon lord's strength.

"What kind of combat power is this?" Prince An's eyes were about to pop out, "Even for a peerless prodigy, it's extremely difficult to challenge a Divine Realm cultivator from the late Purple Mansion Realm, right? Wang Shouzhe, what's going on with your ancestor?"

"If you don't understand, just keep quiet."

Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea and replied leisurely.

"Could it be that she's already..." Prince An thought of a possibility, his expression turning as exaggerated as if he'd seen a ghost, "already a Heavenly Daughter?"

A Heavenly Daughter at the late Purple Mansion Realm was not the same as an ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Her bloodline level could suppress ordinary Divine Realm cultivators.

If the Little Holy Emperor Gui Wushuang, who had also challenged the hero ranking, were alive, he would have been easily defeated by her.

"A Heavenly Daughter at the Purple Mansion Realm, a Heavenly Daughter!" Prince An's expression was dazed, "I've finally seen a living Heavenly Daughter, and it's a Heavenly Daughter at the Purple Mansion Realm."

Although a Heavenly Daughter at the Divine Realm was also formidable, it was highly likely that her bloodline had only advanced to the Heavenly Daughter level after inheriting an Immortal Scripture. For example, Princess Suiyun and the newly promoted Princess of Chunnan, if given the opportunity to inherit an Immortal Scripture, could reach this level.

But a Heavenly Daughter at the Purple Mansion Realm clearly hadn't inherited an Immortal Scripture, which meant that once she did, her bloodline would directly advance to the Heavenly Daughter C level, and the mid-True Immortal Realm would be within reach.

"Great, great, our Wang's Clan is about to rise~~!" Wang An'nan, as a young representative of the Daqian Wang's Clan, couldn't hide his excitement, "If our Ancestor Long Yan visits the Immortal Palace, there's no doubt she'll secure the inheritance of the Immortal Scripture."

No wonder he was so excited. Cultivating a mid-True Immortal Realm expert was of immense importance to the human race.

Although they didn't know much about True Immortal Realm experts, they imagined that a mid-True Immortal Realm expert would at least be able to suppress the early stage, right?

On the outer region battlefield, they could flaunt their power, deterring those demon gods from acting recklessly.

For a moment, the members of the Wang's Clan and their allied families were extremely excited.

Now that they were deeply intermarried with the Wang's Clan and tightly united, if the Wang's Clan could produce a True Immortal, all the families would rise together.

No, they were already rising together now.

After this instance ended, each allied family would experience a significant boost in their foundation.

Our Daqian might just become the next Immortal Dynasty in the future!

Listening to the discussions around him, Prince An felt immense pressure.

He gazed at Wang Shouzhe with a deep look, and for a moment, he almost wanted to slap the title of "Emperor" onto Wang Shouzhe's face~

"Congratulations, 'Provisional General' Wang Long Yan, you scored 90.25 points, breaking the previous hero ranking record of 90 points set by Gui Wushuang." Spirit Artifact Ai Pan exclaimed excitedly, "This is simply unbelievable."

"Stop the chatter, tell me about the rewards." Ancestor Long Yan emerged from the trial simulation pod, drenched in fragrant sweat, clearly indicating that the hero ranking trial had been a significant burden on her.

It wasn't because the fight was too exhausting, but because of the control over her score!

Especially in the last task, she had to calculate her total score and Gui Wushuang's total score, then surpass it precisely, which was extremely challenging for her.

If it weren't for Wang Ningxi, Wang Fugui, and others constantly teaching her the scoring points for each task, she wouldn't have been able to achieve it.

"Yes, yes, 'Provisional Marshal' Wang Long Yan," Spirit Artifact Ai Pan said politely, "First, you completed the hero trial mode and can receive a 'Half-Step Immortal Artifact.' Additionally, by reaching '80 points,' '90 points,' and 'entering the top ten of the hero ranking,' you can choose three additional rewards from the advanced prize pool."

"In the advanced prize pool, there are 'Immortal Spirit Stones' (a small bag), 'Void Realm Guardian Puppet,' 'Half-Step Celestial Plant,' 'Half-Step Celestial Beast,' 'Mid-Level Lingxu Codex,' 'Half-Immortal Artifact,' 'Immortal Grade Bloodline Improvement Liquid,' 'Chaos Essence' (a small bottle), 'Holy Emperor's Protection,' and more."

But that's not all. Spirit Artifact Ai Pan continued with fervor, "Because you broke the historical record and topped the hero ranking, you can also choose one treasure from the super prize pool."

"In the super prize pool, there are 'Immortal Beast Cub,' 'Celestial Plant Seedling,' 'Immortal Artifact,' 'Immortal Grade Bloodline Improvement Liquid Essence Version,' 'Chaos Essence' (a large bottle), 'High-Level Lingxu Codex,' 'Late Void Realm Guardian Puppet,' 'Holy Emperor's Wrath,' 'Chaos Spirit Stone.' Please note that the treasures in the super prize pool are unique and shared among the Four Major Officer Training Academies."

The rewards in the prize pool had long been thoroughly investigated by Wang Ningxi and others, and detailed plans had been made. At this moment, Wang Long Yan unhesitatingly followed the plan: "From the advanced prize pool, I choose the 'Mid-Level Lingxu Codex,' 'Immortal Grade Bloodline Improvement Liquid,' and 'Holy Emperor's Protection.'"

"From the super prize pool, I choose the 'Immortal Artifact.'"

...