As Xiao Bai collapsed with a thud, Wang Jiu’s little class on reproduction had to come to an end. Upon closing his mouth, the Celestial Sword Spirit showed a look of obvious disappointment.

Xiao Bai’s reaction was as clear as day, indicating to him that his advocacy for a reproductive plan had no hope of being implemented.

No matter how socially awkward he might be, Wang Jiu was not the kind of fool who never learned. After living in human society for so long, he had roughly grasped some patterns. For instance, when he seriously put forward a viewpoint or proposal, the other party might react extremely due to their limited capacity to accept it, saying things like, "Wang Jiu, just die!" or "I’m going to kill you!" or "Ah Jiu, I’m begging you, shut up."

And Xiao Bai’s reaction was obviously more exaggerated, directly cutting off his mental circuits and rejecting Wang Jiu’s sincere proposal by willingly self-destructing.

Despite the disappointment, Wang Jiu didn’t find it surprising. Based on his observations, the human culture on the Xiangzhou Continent made people quite conservative and cautious about issues of reproduction. Human mating behavior was considered extremely private and taboo to be discussed or conducted in public.

He just didn’t expect that the Wuxiang Sword Academy retained the cultural habits of the Mortal World. The Three Academies gathered the most elite cultivators of the Xiangzhou Continent, and should have the most advanced culture to lead the progress of the Mortal World. Yet, the cultural atmosphere of the Wuxiang Sword Academy was far behind his expectations.

Therefore, when formally taking over as Sect Leader of the Saint Sect, he must start a reform concerning cultural conservatism...

As Wang Jiu was systematically planning the Sect Leader’s duties, he heard a helpless voice beside him: "Dean Wang Jiu, with all due respect, I’m afraid that no immortal cultivation organization on the Xiangzhou Continent will advocate for too open a... reproduction culture."

While watching Xiao Bai being helped off by the Sword Academy disciples, Wang Xiao said: "In fact, it’s precisely because we are cultivators that we must be more cautious on this issue. In the Mortal World, polygamy and polyandry are common and there’s no restriction on childbirth. But such situations in the Immortal Cultivation Realm are exceedingly rare, with most cultivators practicing monogamy and exercising great restraint in childbirth. Part of the reason for this is the tremendous resources needed to nurture the offspring of cultivators, which even the wealthy families struggle to manage, let alone ordinary cultivators. Another reason lies in the self-discipline of cultivators. As cultivators, we possess unmatched advantages over the Mortal World, including a longer lifespan, greater strength, and more resources. Even a cultivator who has just entered the Wind-Rising Realm stands above most mortals. In such situations, Mortal World resources are easily accessible for us. But looking from another angle, for mortals, we cultivators are equally precious resources. Even the smallest slip of resources between our fingers can drastically change a mortal’s fate, not to mention our cultivator bloodline..."

When this topic was mentioned, Wang Xiao’s expression became unprecedentedly serious.

"The offspring of cultivators have a greater probability of becoming cultivators, a fact that was well-understood during the Dark Era thousands of years ago. So... those with the aptitude for cultivation once endured a distressing time. At that time, human society hadn’t developed the sophisticated cultivation civilization we have now, and the decline of the Immortal Dao meant the power advantage of cultivators wasn’t absolute; they couldn’t resist the organized advantage of mortals. So... what happened afterward, you should be well aware."

Wang Jiu showed interest at these words: "I regret that I haven’t studied that history yet. Please explain in detail."

Wang Xiao was tongue-tied, feeling as if he dug his own grave.

Fortunately, someone nearby came to his rescue. Zhao Chenlu chuckled, "It’s no big deal, they were just treated like breeding livestock. Back then, apart from a few families and sects with Primordial Inheritance or other extraordinary encounters, most independent cultivators had no means to resist large mortal armies. So, many were captured by warlords or chieftains for breeding, producing cultivation armies to enhance military strength. The ones who had it better enjoyed an endless supply of beautiful men and women and finest aphrodisiacs, a life that many considered godlike. Those worse off were truly treated like animals, with no options to choose from."

With Zhao Chenlu casually recounting the tragic past of the cultivators, Wang Xiao coughed, diverting the topic back: "And the result of this was a profound increase in the hatred between cultivators and mortals. As cultivators gradually grew, the military advantage of the Mortal World quickly collapsed. Those cultivators who had suffered embarked on insane acts of revenge, and this war of revenge inevitably led to new wars... Before the Dark Era ended, countless mortals had died at the hands of cultivators, with human civilization on the brink of collapse. Fortunately, the Saint Sect intervened in time, giving rise to today’s Xiangzhou Continent. From the Dark Era, we’ve learned enough lessons that cultivators and mortals must maintain a distance. Otherwise, even if no harm comes to cultivators, it would surely damage Mortal World civilization... Most cultivators, after all, come from the Mortal World. The aristocratic families and sects can monopolize the upper echelons but cannot sever their roots, so maintaining distance is essential. And issues of love and reproduction precisely break down the boundary between immortals and mortals, so on these matters, cultivators must exercise strict self-discipline."

After hearing all this, Wang Jiu nodded, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of Xiangzhou’s culture. After some thought, Wang Jiu said, "This conservative culture indeed has its value, but as the elite of the Immortal Cultivation Realm, we can’t restrict our thinking to the ordinary level. When we ponder issues, we shouldn’t be bound by cultural norms that apply to most people. Take her case, for example. If she intends to contribute to the development of the Xiangzhou Continent and has the ability to do so, why shouldn’t she be allowed to excel?"

Wang Xiao gasped sharply: "Do you realize you’re suggesting she work as a breeding sow!"

Wang Jiu said, "Based on your tone and context, I believe you harbor serious discrimination against the occupation of breeding sow."

Wang Xiao’s eyes widened: "Do I—must I respect breeding sows!?"

Wang Jiu pondered for a moment and said, "Indeed, the work you currently do is essentially no different from that of a breeding sow."

Wang Xiao nearly spat blood but fortunately, his naturally calm disposition allowed him to suppress his irritation and asked in a calm voice, "I’d like to hear your explanation!"

Wang Jiu explained, "At present, the Two Primary Responsibilities of Xiangzhou’s Three Academies can be divided into two: first, assisting the Saint Sect in handling various administrative affairs across the Xiangzhou Continent by deploying personnel when necessary; second, nurturing talented cultivators to ensure their optimal growth. And from your personal preference, you favor the latter responsibility."

Wang Xiao said, "So what if I do?"

Wang Jiu said, "So your value primarily lies in providing cultivation talent for the Xiangzhou Continent, right?"

"Right." Wang Xiao furrowed his brows, puzzled by why the other party was beating around the bush, not grasping the crux of the matter. As the Dean of Wuxiang Sword Academy, having cultivated numerous elite Sword Cultivators for decades, I am hailed as a renowned educator in the cultivation world. How can I possibly be compared to a so-called breeding sow!?"

"Therefore the so-called breeding sow, isn’t it doing the same work? By producing offspring, it provides a wealth of cultivation talent for the Xiangzhou Continent. In a certain sense, it’s even more crucial than the work you do."

Wang Xiao was furious: "How is that possible!?"

Wang Jiu said, "From a rational perspective, the conclusion shouldn’t be difficult to ascertain. The primary recruitment standard of the Three Academies is the innate talent for cultivation, and individuals with excellent talent do not materialize out of thin air. Without being born, who would you nurture?"

As soon as this question was raised, Wang Xiao felt his heart twist as if it were poured over with a bucket of cold water.

And Wang Jiu pressed further: "Moreover, for those truly possessing excellent talent, they can achieve significant accomplishments even without the Three Academies. However, most of the sect’s cultivation techniques only suit a few geniuses, and mediocre cultivators cannot practice them at all. So, the former can exist independently of the latter, whereas the latter cannot exist without the former. As the first link in the entire production line, the importance of the breeding sow is, no matter what, not lower than a later educator. Therefore, I believe that being an excellent breeding sow is not a shame but rather a glory, and harboring discrimination against this glorious occupation is irrational behavior."

"..." Wang Xiao’s facial features twisted, feeling an immense assault on his principles.

But as the Dean of the Three Academies, a Great Cultivator with decades of cultivation, he had enough confidence and restraint to suppress momentary agitation.

Rationally speaking, although some details of Wang Jiu’s words were arguable, his broader perspective wasn’t mistaken. A "breeding sow" capable of producing high-talented individuals consistently was indeed as valuable as, if not more than, a dean of the Three Academies. In these two thousand years of Xiangzhou’s development, the level of civilization far exceeded any past era, yet exceptionally talented cultivators were still scarce resources.

So, in this context, encouraging Xiao Bai to become a breeding sow was, in some sense, assigning her a more beneficial endeavor for Xiangzhou than being a dean of the Three Academies?

After a while, Wang Xiao finally came to terms with this conclusion from a rational standpoint.

At this moment, Xiao Bai also awoke from the protective coma induced by logic. Seeing Wang Xiao, for the first time, she felt a faint sense of kindness toward this detestable senior.

"Senior brother, I..."

Before finishing her sentence, Wang Xiao patted her on the shoulder: "I understand. It might feel uneasy at first, but you’ll get used to it. Just go for it. I support you."

"What are you supporting me for?!"