Chapter 451: Darker And Darker (2)
Both parties started waging a war of words. Even though Su Yu was alone, he showed no fear.
Most of the elders were too proud to engage a nobody like him in a war of words. That was why Su Yu was able to fearlessly say what he wanted. Those elders were too proud, despite how shameless they actually were.
Elder Sun did not say more. Su Yu was right. For Elder Sun, even if he could ultimately win the argument, it would still be embarrassing for someone of his status to be arguing with a student.
After leaving those words behind, Elder Sun left. The tournament was over. What was the point of staying? Was he supposed to stay and give others more chances to humiliate him?
With a smile, Su Yu said, "Teacher Li, I'll be visiting your respected self tonight. Please don't avoid me when I'm there."
Liu Hong frowned.
What was this bastard planning?
"Su Yu..."
"Teacher, you must have forgotten about this. You're the head counselor of the new students. And I'm a new student. Is it so weird for me to be visiting you? I am a top 100 student. Why are you prejudiced against me, Teacher?"
Su Yu had a wide smile on his face while Liu Hong frowned as he looked at Elder Sun and the other elders.
Elder Sun's voice transmission arrived, "It's fine. Meet him. Let's see what he's trying to do."
"Alright." Liu Hong smiled and said, "Sure, Su Yu. Let's meet up tonight."
Inwardly, he was suspicious. What was this kid trying to do? Was the kid plotting against him again? But if the kid wanted to screw him over, announcing the visit in public was actually not that good of an idea. A better option would be to visit him secretly.
During the secret visit, the kid could deliberately expose the visit. That would be much better. Announcing the visit so openly had instead reduced the suspicion others might feel toward him. Just what was the kid thinking?
...
The sky was getting dark.
Su Yu did not spend much time there. After telling Liu Hong about his visit, he returned to the research center. Hong Tan was sipping on a cup of tea while Bai Feng was nowhere to be seen. He was probably still helping Liu Wenyan with his characters.
When Hong Tan saw Su Yu, his emotions turned complicated. This was a really impressive kid. Just how long had it been since the kid had joined the academy? He had even defeated the top student.
"I heard about what happened today. Are you planning to start your own research center?"
Su Yu flashed his honest smile and said, "Grandteacher, the research center isn't the goal here. That is merely an excuse for me to rope in some people to our side. Our faction is too small. We need more people. Even if these people can't do much for us, numbers will still be good to make us look strong. We can always use these people for some menial tasks."
Hong Tan nodded. After thinking about it, he said, "Making us look strong...In truth, the multiple character faction is not as weak as you think. We still have some allies in the academy. But...cough, cough. Forget about them. Those are the allies of your martial uncle. If you want to rope in your own people, feel free to do it."
He wasn't too bothered. The multiple character faction wasn't completely alone. Su Yu's eyes flickered. Was that the case? He had thought that they were all by themselves.
"Grandteacher, how about the expelled members?"
He wasn't referring to the members expelled during the incident 50 years ago. He was talking about the students who had been kicked out for failing to form enough characters before the Skysoar Realm. Could these people be considered allies?
Hong Tan smiled, "I have to take responsibility for that as well. I had failed to teach them properly. Because of that, some of them couldn't resist breaking through prematurely. In a fit of anger, your martial uncle kicked all of them out."
"Some of these people were spies. Some were truly sincere when they joined us."
Hong Tan sighed, "Now that I think about it, we were probably too overbearing back then. Let's wait and see. Wait for your teacher to further perfect his disassembly method. Maybe we can try to get those people back after that."
"Are they still in the academy?"
"Some of them are."
Hong Tan did not say much. Chen Yong had his own arrangements regarding these expelled students. In fact, Chen Yong had been the one to truly run their faction for quite a while. Bai Feng's disassembly method would be the key to their rise in the future.
Without the disassembly method, it didn't matter what they said or did. The multiple character faction would only continue to decline.
After thinking for a bit, Hong Tan looked at Su Yu and solemnly said, "You are still too weak. Stop provoking those people so much. Be careful lest they pull something dirty against you. It is better for you to stay low profile."
Su Yu disagreed, "Grandteacher, I understand what you're saying. But even if we do nothing, those people will never coexist peacefully with us. Nothing will change even if we keep a low profile. Just look at what they did to Senior Sister. She had never gotten involved in these conflicts. But what happened to her?"
Wu Jia had never gotten involved in the factional conflicts. She had mostly been focused on cultivating, growing, and challenging the top 100...
And look at what happened to her! There were some issues that couldn't be solved just by staying low-profile. In fact, Su Yu would love to maintain a low profile. He would be able to focus on cultivation and nothing else.
After thinking about it, Hong Tan nodded, "Wait until I reach the Sunmoon Realm. At that time, these things will happen less unless Zhou Mingren can reach the Sunmoon Realm as well."
At that point, he sank into silence. Entering the Sunmoon Realm...
He might encounter some new troubles after entering the Sunmoon Realm as well. He just didn't feel the need to burden Su Yu with the knowledge. Upon reaching the Sunmoon Realm, Zhou Polong might come after him.
Hong Tan stared at Su Yu for a bit before smiling, "Forget it. Make your own choices. You are someone with a good head on your shoulders. You can figure out what you want to do yourself. You are better than your teacher. Even if...your teacher is actually not that bad either."
Bai Feng wasn't someone who enjoyed scheming. But he was also someone who was very hard to scheme against. Even though he wasn't a schemer, he was smart enough to get as much benefit for himself. He would generally only pay attention to things that would benefit him. As for things that wouldn't benefit him, he would shut off all communication. '
For example, he would never bother talking to Liu Hong. Back when the two were competing as students, he had only talked with his fists and not bothered listening to the words of the crafty Liu Hong.
As long as he felt like Liu Hong was trying to do something that would harm him, he would draw his sword and start fighting. One could only imagine how helpless Liu Hong felt when dealing with a rival so unreasonable.
Su Yu smiled and moved on to a different topic. "Grandteacher, the principal invited me to see him previously. I have not gone to meet him yet. Do I still need to go?"
"Wan Tiansheng?"
Hong Tan was aware of this matter. After thinking about it, he said, "Yes, you can. I have no idea what exactly Wan Tiansheng is thinking. But I do know that you don't have to worry too much about him. Remember to empty your thoughts in front of him. Don't forget what happened during your meeting with Fatty Xia."
"..."
Su Yu had nothing to say.
He couldn't resist asking, "Grandteacher, can they read minds?"
"No. But your willpower is too weak, allowing them to sense some of your thoughts each time you think of something. And that sense will be amplified when it is something related to them."
Su Yu nodded. He really needed to start being careful, then.
When meeting these super experts in the future, he would have to think about how much he loved them even if he actually hated them.
Hong Tan said, "Your teacher will be busy recovering from his injuries and helping my senior brother with his characters. He won't be able to return for now. And he will need to depart for the Allheaven Battlefield next month. I will also be entering seclusion for my advancement soon. Your martial uncle will still be around so you can look for him if you need something."
"Martial Uncle..."
Su Yu lowered his voice, "Martial Uncle seems somewhat off recently. Grandteacher, has he encountered some trouble in his cultivation?"
"Seems off?"
Hong Tan had not noticed that. After thinking about it, he said, "It might be related to Jia. Sigh. I don't know what to say about this. Back then, your martial uncle was hunted by the Myriad Race Cult while he was away from the academy. Jia's parents had died saving him from the ambush.
"Because of that, your martial uncle has always felt guilty toward Jia. He has been raising her like his own daughter. He has been blaming himself for Jia's injuries. He blamed himself for not teaching her well enough to be flexible and less stubborn, resulting in her injuries.
"And those people have targeted Jia for the second time. That must have further annoyed your martial uncle."
Hong Tan sighed, "Zhou Mingren and his people should stop after doing it once. They shouldn't have continued provoking him. I have even considered telling your martial uncle to give up on the books depository and just put his focus on entering the Mountainsea Realm."
"Giving up?" Su Yu gloomily said, "Grandteacher, if we give up on the books depository as well, we will have nothing left."
Hong Tan smiled, "Physical possessions are not important as long as our people are still around. As long as we are alive, there will be hope that we can regain what we lose. Am I wrong?"
Was it worth getting into more conflicts just for the books depository? Chen Yong would be fine, but Wu Jia would be targeted repeatedly. The single character faction might have suffered several losses, but they might not give up so easily.
Wu Jia had not been able to return to the top 100 even after so long.
Su Yu nodded and asked, "Grandteacher, will someone be found out if they plot the death of a researcher of the academy?"
"..."
Hong Tan looked at Su Yu silently. What was the meaning of that question, kid?
But clear!
Su Yu had a simple expression as he said, "I was only curious. If someone plots to frame a researcher for colluding with the Myriad Race Cult, what will happen to that person?"
Hong Tan frowned, "Do not attempt something like that. It might get out of hand. Nobody is stupid. Unless you can create a perfect proof, there will be an opening to be found somewhere. And if they discover your involvement upon further investigation, you will either be executed or exiled to the Vanguard Regiment."
"What if they can't find out the truth?"
"Nothing can be kept secret forever."
Su Yu replied, "But that Invincible enemy of ours has been able to stay hidden for so many years."
Hong Tan stared at Su Yu with a frown. This grandstudent of his was completely unlike Bai Feng. Nor was the kid similar to his father.
Hong Tan had seen the kid's father on the battlefield. That was such an honest person. Wait...was that really the case?
Not necessarily.
Hong Tan sighed. After a short silence, he said, "The truth will be uncovered one day. You don't need to be the one to solve all our problems. Do not look down on us too much. We can solve these issues even without your help. Just focus on your cultivation."
Su Yu smiled and nodded. Hong Tan didn't know if the kid was taking his words to heart.
Su Yu said, "I understand, Grandteacher. The single character faction is currently our shield. That has been your belief. But in my opinion, they are starting to forget their place after so long. Every now and then, we need to remind them of who we are. We have been too gentle with them. As a result, Senior Sister was injured, Teacher was injured, Teacher Liu was injured, and even Senior Xia Yunji and the others were injured..."
Su Yu met Hong Tan's gaze and said, "Grandteacher, if we do not strike back, they will start to believe that we are pushovers. I have always wanted to maintain a low profile and focus on my cultivation. But look at what they have been doing. Even if I don't want to provoke them, they will never stop provoking me."
Hong Tan frowned, "Don't make too big of a mess, or not even I will be able to protect you from the consequences. Don't forget that we still have the principal in the academy. He can protect you from the others, but his protection also extends to all the other members of the academy. He might not interfere in minor conflicts, but the moment people start losing lives, he will get involved."
Su Yu nodded. He was aware of that.
Hong Tan said nothing else. The youngsters nowadays seemed much more ruthless and treacherous than the people of his generation. Forget it. Talking too much wouldn't change anything.
In comparison to Su Yu's generation, their generation almost seemed pure and innocent.
Things seemed to have started to change starting with Chen Yong's generation. At Bai Feng's generation, things continued changing. And when those from Su Yu's generation started joining the academy, Hong Tan felt like he could no longer keep up with the thoughts of these kids.
In comparison to them, the only thing he could do was probably fight and research. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveI[F]ire.net
Su Yu stopped bothering Hong Tan and went upstairs for his cultivation. He would visit Liu Hong later. As for Wan Tiansheng, he should probably get the visit over with. He was starting to get curious about the principal as well. After being in the academy for several months, he had only seen an indistinct silhouette of the principal. He had yet to meet the principal in person.
Chapter 452: First Meeting With Wan Tiansheng (1)
Night.
Staff Residential District.
Liu Hong's house.
Su Yu had arrived with a smile on his face.
"Teacher, thank you again for giving me this opportunity..."
The moment the door opened, Su Yu started praising Liu Hong repeatedly.
Liu Hong stood there with a smile. Yes. Keep acting. Go on.
After Su Yu was finally done speaking, Liu Hong asked, "Aren't you going to kneel down and thank me as well? That will make this look even more believable."
"Forget it."
Su Yu smiled, "Maybe you have already spoken to the single character faction elders about this. They will be more inclined to believe what you told them before this. Even if I kneel down, it won't really work that well."
Liu Hong smiled. Exactly. The kid had openly announced this visit. He would be in great trouble if he accepted the visit before communicating with the elders.
"Let's talk inside."
Liu Hong invited Su Yu into his house with a smile.
Su Yu stepped in without any hesitation. When he looked around, he saw that Liu Hong's place was still as clean and neat as ever. What was a guy doing living in a house this clean? This Liu Hong was clearly not a good person!
"Take a seat."
Liu Hong asked, "So why are you here?"
"No particular reason. I'm only here to visit you, Teacher."
Su Yu paused to look around before asking, "Teacher, is this conversation being monitored?"
Liu Hong said, "How is that possible?"
Inwardly, Su Yu thought that the more Liu Hong denied it, the more likely that this conversation was being monitored.
Great!
Su Yu smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. Teacher, our cooperation has been very smooth this time. In fact, our previous partnership has been very smooth as well. Through the two jobs, we have broken the spine of the single character faction..."
Liu Hong felt a headache coming. He said, "Stop saying all that, Su Yu. Just be honest and tell me why you're here. If you're really here to get me in trouble, it's pointless. Those elders aren't that stupid. If we were really in cahoots with each other, you would have come in secret instead of announcing your visit openly."
Su Yu smiled, "Teacher, there are only the two of us here. What are you afraid of? The public announcement is merely a diversion. That way, they won't suspect you..."
Inwardly, Liu Hong was rolling his eyes. Did this kid have too much free time in his hands? Was the kid doing all this just to give him some trouble?
With a tired tone, Liu Hong said, "Just go straight to the point and say what you're here for. If you don't have anything else to say, you can leave now."
Su Yu smiled, "Of course I have something to say. You see, I have established a club called the Single Eradication Club. I wish to invite you to the club. Are you interested, Teacher?"
"..."
Liu Hong was speechless. Had this kid gone mad? Or had he gone mad? Single Eradication Club? Was this a fucking joke? Was this kid here so late at night just to play a joke on him?
"I'm being serious." Su Yu solemnly said, "I have really established this club. And I have invited a decent number of people into the club. Oh, don't worry too much about the name of the club. It isn't important. I am now here to invite you to the club as well. Are you interested, Teacher?"
"..."
Liu Hong felt like Su Yu was pulling his leg.
Was the kid sick in the head? Establishing a Single Eradication Club before inviting him into the club? What was the meaning of that? And the kid had even openly invited him in front of the elders. He was starting to get confused about what the kid was planning.
"Single Eradication Club...and an invitation for me?" Liu Hong laughed and asked, "So do I gain anything from joining?"
"Of course." Su Yu solemnly said, "We aim to work together with the common purpose of creating a harmonious environment in the academy. We aim to expel all elements that are harmful to cultivation and remove some of the tumors in the academy. That way, the academy will be able to grow stronger and healthier."
Liu Hong was starting to suspect that Su Yu had gone mad. Was this something a mere student could do? Just what exactly was the kid planning? Liu Hong was getting more and more confused.
Su Yu stopped wasting time and put down a voice transmission talisman before saying, "This is your invitation, Teacher. I hope you can take care of me more in the future."
He then stood up and left. Behind Su Yu, Liu Hong blinked his eyes in stupefaction.
Fuck!
What the hell was that?
The kid was only here to give him a talisman and an invitation to the so-called Single Eradication Club? That was all? There was nothing else? His head started hurting. Liu Hong remained seated. After Su Yu left, the door swung open and Elder Sun walked through it. He first looked at the talisman on the table before looking at Liu Hong.
With a gloomy expression, Liu Hong stood up and said, "Elder Sun, I don't know what he's up to. He left after leaving this talisman behind. He claimed that he was here to invite me into the so-called Single Eradication Club. Elder Sun, just what is he trying to do?"
With a wave of his hand, Elder Sun pulled the talisman into his palm. After checking it out, he frowned. The talisman was empty. No information was recorded in it.
He tossed the talisman to Liu Hong and said, "What do you think? He is probably aware that someone else will be here tonight. Did he say all that to scare us?"
After a slight pause, he continued, "Or has he really been successful in recruiting members to this Single Eradication Club?" Thıs text ıs hosted at novel~fire~net
"..."
Liu Hong smiled bitterly and said, "Elder Sun, this is most probably his true goal. He aims to make us suspect everyone of being a member of this so-called club. In truth, maybe the club is merely a joke by the kid. We can't take his words seriously."
Liu Hong believed that he had caught on to Su Yu's plan. Su Yu intended to make them doubt everyone in the academy. As for the so-called Single Eradication Club, the club might not even exist. No, wait a minute.
Liu Hong's heart thumped as he thought of a certain possibility. Was it possible that the club really existed? And...that dumb student of his was a member of that club?
After a while, Elder Sun said, "You might be right. He is probably trying to sow confusion among us."
At that moment, the talisman suddenly vibrated.
Liu Hong looked at Elder Sun for an instruction. With a frown, Elder Sun said, "Take a look."
At that, Liu Hong picked the talisman up. That was a uniquely made talisman, allowing the user to send and receive messages from multiple individuals. Currently, a certain message could be seen in the talisman.
"Heaven9: Oh, we have a new member. Welcome, newbie. I am Heaven9. Pick one word between heaven, earth, profound, and yellow before adding a number behind it as your username. Do not use your real name here."
"Earth7: Yeah, it's a new member. There is one extra person on the contact list."
"Earth12: Welcome, newcomer. The goal of the Single Eradication Club is simple. We aim to forge a harmonious environment for cultivation in the academy. Feel free to ask us if you have any questions. Of course, some information can only be purchased with single eradication points."
"..."
Liu Hong had a stupefied expression. He passed the talisman to Elder Sun. After looking at the contents, Elder Sun scanned the talisman. But after a while, he shook his head and said, "I can't trace them. This is a modified talisman. Unless we can get everyone in the capital city to stop using voice transmissions, I won't be able to trace the source of these messages."
With a look of disbelief, Liu Hong asked, "Elder Sun...is...this real?"
So many people had appeared out of nowhere! What was this? Just what was going on? Even Liu Hong was starting to get confused.
Elder Sun frowned and said, "Is this organization real? I have never heard of it. Is this a diversion by Su Yu to keep us occupied with something imaginary?"
Liu Hong shook his head. He had no answer to that. Suddenly, the academy felt a lot more complicated than before.
"Use a fake name and join them. Pay close attention to them and try to find something out from their communication. Also, keep me updated on what you find."
Elder Sun was also having a headache. Previously, he had assumed that the club was not real. But after reading the messages in the talisman, he wasn't so sure anymore. Just what was going on exactly? Was there really such an organization in the academy?
Single Eradication Club?
Was this Su Yu's smokescreen or was this real? But it felt more like a lie. Why would that kid openly come and give Liu Hong this talisman otherwise?
One Mountainsea and one Skysoar were greatly troubled by a mere Su Yu.
Before long, Elder Sun calmly said, "It doesn't matter if this club is real or not. Just pay some attention to it. You don't even need to put all your energy into it. Su Yu might be under someone else's order to shift our attention away. A lot of people are secretly unhappy with us. But what can they do?"
"Elder Sun, why don't you keep this talisman..."
The talisman was a hot potato. Liu Hong did not want to keep it with him.
Elder Sun frowned and said, "Keep it. I'm too busy to pay attention to it. We don't want to miss out on any information that might be important. Also, don't tell anyone about this. We don't want the others to panic."
If the other members of the single character faction find out about the Single Eradication Club, chaos might arise. And they couldn't afford to allow something like that to happen. Elder Sun's head was aching badly. Nothing had been smooth for them recently.
Liu Hong smiled bitterly and said, "Fine, Elder Sun. But you need to be my witness. I have not joined the Single Eradication Club. Also, we don't even know if this club is real."
"Don't worry. I'm not that stupid."
Elder Sun placated Liu Hong. There was no need to suspect anyone because of something like this. But inwardly, he was actually slightly suspicious of this. Was there really such a club in the academy? And was there a secret group of individuals working against them? But he wouldn't say that out loud. That would be creating more trouble for himself.
Chapter 453: First Meeting With Wan Tiansheng (2)
While both Liu Hong and Elder Sun were feeling greatly troubled, Su Yu was having a lot of fun.
Using multiple smurf accounts was a lot of fun!
This invitation to Liu Hong and the creation of the so-called Single Eradication Club was merely a random idea of his after taking references from the situation the multiple character faction was in.
Due to the potential existence of an Invincible traitor, the multiple character faction had to live while in doubt of everyone. They had to worry about every single Invincible in existence. And they didn't even dare to make their suspicions public because they were afraid of attracting even more trouble and attention from the hidden enemy.
In short, they were living an uncomfortable life. Based on that, Su Yu created the Single Eradication Club to both annoy the single character faction and act as a cover for the Mutual Aid Club.
The usage of voice transmission talismans was quite widespread in the academy. But it was less widespread among the students. The moment people like Lin Yao were found using these talismans, people would start suspecting that something was off.
Su Yu had even decided to give out thousands of voice transmission talismans to the students in the academy.
These talismans weren't cheap, but he could get his grandteacher and martial uncle to help with the money. He only needed a few hundred merit points and they could provide him with that much money easily.
After spreading the talismans among the students, the members of the Mutual Aid Club would look far more inconspicuous with voice transmission talismans. He would also cause the single character faction to suspect everyone of being a member of the Single Eradication Club. That would be really amusing.
He would torture those fellows with doubt and suspicion. He would make them doubt everyone. Would they dare to investigate the voice transmission talisman of everyone in the academy? Not even the Discipline Hall was authorized to check everyone's talisman.
The actual members of the Mutual Aid Club were connected to an entirely different system. The Single Eradication Club was merely a toy for him. He would probably spend about ten minutes or so per day creating countless smurf accounts to chat with the fools he had invited into the Single Eradication Club.
He would just consider the time he spent as his daily relaxation period.
Liu Hong was already a member of this Single Eradication Club. If Elder Sun was interested, Su Yu wouldn't mind recruiting Elder Sun and having some chat with him through his smurf accounts either.
"I am such a genius."
Su Yu couldn't help but praise himself smugly. This little plan of his might even work. It could potentially cause chaos among the single character faction members. They would start suspecting everyone of being their enemy.
With this plan, not only was he able to sow confusion among them, he could also cover up the existence of the Mutual Aid Club. Additionally, Su Yu also had other plans in mind. He had been getting more and more annoyed with the single character faction recently. He had successfully broken the spine of their younger generation, but he was sure that those at the Skysoar Realm and beyond would not stop giving them trouble.
"The best way to stop these troubles is to eliminate the root of these troubles. But the root isn't in the academy. Instead, the root is somewhere else..."
Su Yu sighed. There wasn't anything he could do about that. He still wasn't strong enough. All those were still too far from him, including the affairs of those at the Skysoar Realm. Fortunately, there was a big guy in the academy preventing all these people from going crazy.
Su Yu knew very well that Wan Tiansheng was the sole protection he had in the academy. Without Wan Tiansheng, someone like him who had offended people like Elder Sun repeatedly would have been slapped to death long ago.
As a mere Mental Tempering Stage student, he dared to provoke a Mountainsea? They would simply slap him to death and that would be the end of the matter.
"The big guy is my one true shield in the academy!"
As for Hong Tan, that grandteacher of his was indeed strong. But not strong enough to suppress the single character faction. Even after Teacher Liu demonstrated the strength to defeat a Sunmoon, that was still not enough to keep the single character faction at bay.
The single character faction was not weak.
Su Yu straightened his clothes, ensuring that he was clad in a neat white outfit with a gentle smile on his face, giving him the correct appearance a cultural researcher should have before walking toward the Heart Cultivating Pavilion.
Ahh, his beloved Principal Wan was probably still awake. He wondered what business the mighty and incredible Principal Wan had with him. The great Principal Wan was such a busy person yet he had actually spared some of his time on a puny student? Su Yu felt greatly honored.
Su Yu started madly praising the principal in his mind.
Yes. This was the mindset he needed to maintain. He still remembered how Xia Xiao'er had knocked him unconscious after sensing him talking trash about the fatty in his mind. What an asshole!
...
Heart Cultivating Pavilion.
Wan Tiansheng did not have his own villa. Instead of staying anywhere else, he stayed in the Heart Cultivating Pavilion itself. That was what all the past principals had done as well.
With 36 floors, the Heart Cultivating Pavilion was a tall building. In fact, it was the tallest building in the academy. Wan Tiansheng lived on the 35th floor instead of the top floor. A group of academy guards could be seen in front of the Heart Cultivating Pavilion.
The academy guards were actually quite strong. Even though Su Yu couldn't see through their strength, he could see that even the weakest among the guards here were at the Skysoar Realm. Perhaps there were even some Cloudbreach experts among them.
The guard on duty went over Su Yu's credentials and talked to someone through his communicator. Before long, he nodded and said, "You may enter. Do not roam around randomly. Just follow the stairs and walk until the very end and you will reach the principal's office."
"Thank you, Big Brother!"
Su Yu had a bashful look on his face. The guards merely glanced at him silently and said nothing.
Wan Tiansheng would rarely meet a student. They didn't know what business the principal had with this student here. Of course, they also knew very well that it wasn't their place to question the principal's intentions.
Su Yu...they were familiar with this name. This kid might look innocent with that smile, but this kid was definitely not some pushover. He could be very ruthless when doing something.
...
Su Yu started climbing the stairs.
He did not stay at any particular spot. He simply walked while singing the principal praises in his mind. But as he walked, he suddenly felt like he had walked into a different world.
His vision swam. Suddenly, he found himself back outside the Heart Cultivating Pavilion. But everything was no longer the same. He was faced with crumbling buildings and dilapidated walls.
The Great Xia Cultural Research Academy had changed. Corpses littered the ground and rivers of blood ran through the academy. All around him, one student after another was fleeing in fear. His expression changed repeatedly. Was this an illusion?
There was no other answer for this. Just a short moment ago, the academy was still perfectly fine. The academy was also filled with experts. How could this much damage be done in such a short period of time?
Right that moment, a booming sound came from the sky.
Su Yu's expression changed.
In the sky, people like Chen Yong, Hong Tan, and Bai Feng appeared one after another.
Kill!
Slaughter.
Hong Tan was carrying out a massacre. Chen Yong was doing the same. Bai Feng was doing so as well.
And...he was also there, doing the same.
Su Yu's expression changed completely.
He was also partaking in the slaughter. He could even see that he was the core of all these people. Or to be precise, he was the one who had initiated the slaughter, forcing the other members of the multiple character faction to make a stand as well.
Bang!
Sounds of explosions rang out everywhere. Corpses rained down from the sky. And blood splashed all over the academy.
In the sky, Su Yu was clad in the same white outfit he always wore. But the white outfit was already stained red with blood. He was busy killing the fleeing students and researchers.
Right that moment, a palm as big as the sky itself appeared and descended.
Bang!
Su Yu's vision swam yet again. He recovered from his stupor and found himself faced with a door. The door swung open by itself. Beyond the door was a room. At the very end of the room was a large window. In front of the window was a chair. And seated on the chair was an old man with a book in his hand. The old man was looking at Su Yu with a smile on his face.
As for Su Yu, his attention was caught by the old man's hand. That...was the exact same palm he had seen in the illusion. The palm that had dropped down from the sky to kill all of them. His heart trembled.
He didn't dare to ask any questions. Instead, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Principal."
"Be at ease."
With a calm voice, Wan Tiansheng said, "Did you see that?"
"Yeah."
"That is the future."
Wan Tiansheng said, "One future. One possibility out of a myriad possibilities. One possible path the future might take. But also the path that is most likely to happen in accordance to your current mental state. Of course, everyone will see a different future in that illusion. What you saw might not be the same as what I saw. But what you saw was most definitely what you wished for the most. So are you happy with what you saw?"
Su Yu did not say anything.
Was that really his future?
How was this possible? Fınd the newest release on novel⁂fire.net
He had turned into a butcher, reaping countless lives in the academy before being killed himself?
And he had even led his grandteacher and teacher down the same path?
That was his future?
No!
He refused to believe that!
Wan Tiansheng said, "That is only one of the myriad possibilities. Don't worry about it too much."
"Principal, were you the one who showed me the future?"
"Not really. That corridor you walked through, it has always been a mystical corridor. Generations of principals have resided here. Numerous Mountainseas and Sunmoons have walked that corridor. It won't affect us that much, but you're too weak so you might end up seeing something when you walk that corridor."
Wan Tiansheng smiled.
Su Yu looked at the principal silently. The principal looked like a friendly and kind old man.
The principal had long, white hair, clad in a green robe, a book in his hand, and a pair of eyes filled with wisdom.
Wan Tiansheng also spent some time looking at Su Yu. After a while, he smiled, "A cause will always be followed by an effect. This is the cycle of karma. Do you understand?"
Chapter 454: First Meeting With Wan Tiansheng (3)
Su Yu said, "But as you said, there needs to be a cause for there to be an effect. If what I saw is really the future, then it could only be the result of what those people did. They are the ones pushing things too far. When I first entered the academy, I entered with a heart of yearning. Because of my father, I joined the academy with the goal of doing what I could for humanity. I vowed to kill any cultist I encountered. I admired Prefect Xia.
"People told me that the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy is a messy place. My first teacher, Teacher Liu, told me the same. But he also said that despite the chaos, everything is still being done within the bounds of the rules.
"I viewed this place as the holy land of cultivation. Even if it is somewhat chaotic, it won't affect me or my goal. But I was wrong. From the very first day I stepped into the academy, I realized that I was wrong."
Su Yu looked Wan Tiansheng straight in the eyes and said, "Principal, if this is the true face of the holy land that I had yearned for, I believe what I saw in the corridor might really happen."
Wan Tiansheng said, "You will be the one choosing the path you walk. You will be the one to ultimately make the choice."
Su Yu asked, "Should the single character faction not be punished for all the oppression and evil they have done?"
Wan Tiansheng had the same calm expression as he said, "They will eventually reap what they sow. Just like how the multiple character faction reaped what they sowed back when they dominated."
Su Yu disagreed. He felt like Wan Tiansheng was being unreasonable and trying to smooth things over too much. The multiple character faction had not declined as consequences of their evil actions.
"The fifth principal and the others had perished fighting the enemies of humanity on the Allheaven Battlefield. They had even killed the Invincible experts of our enemies. If even that can be considered karma for their evil actions, then everyone is evil."
Wan Tiansheng said, "That's where you're wrong. The fifth principal had sinned by dragging so many people down with him. He could have gone to the battlefield alone. Why implicate so many people? He had sinned by not passing his character to the academy. Why pass the character to Liu Wenyan and cause him to be stuck for 50 years? He had sinned by causing the death of the Invincible from Great Zhou. Without that sin, the multiple character faction wouldn't have suffered for all these years. There is a cause for every effect you see.
"You are understanding some things differently because of the perspective you are using to look at things. The son of that dead Invincible is called Zhou Polong. His father had perished because of the fifth principal. Isn't it karma that he is taking his revenge on you guys, the successors of the fifth principal?"
Su Yu frowned and said, "That person had perished while reinforcing an ally on the battlefield. How can that be considered the fifth principal's fault?"
"But prior to that, the fifth principal had claimed that he did not need any help." Wan Tiansheng said, "And he went back on his words. At first, he arrogantly claimed that he alone was strong enough to sweep through the Myriad Realms and defeat any Invincible he encounter. But he failed. He ended up asking for help. He ended up causing the death of the Invincible from Great Zhou. Wasn't that his fault?"
Su Yu had nothing to say about that. Was that the fifth principal's fault? He really didn't have an answer.
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "This is human nature. Everyone is biased. Look at yourself. You don't even know what to say anymore.Let me give you another example. There is a 100-man commander in your father's 1000-man army. That person is overbearing and insists on provoking the enemy. He claims that he can deal with the enemy alone. He refuses all help. As a result, he falls for an enemy ambush. And he ends up asking for help. Your father goes to help him and ends up perishing. In that situation, would you put your hate on that 100-man commander?"
"Yes."
Su Yu replied with a gloomy voice.
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "And that is human nature. Isn't it normal that Zhou Polong would hate you guys? His father was an Invincible. An Eternal. Someone with a lifespan so long he could have probably lived for thousands of years. But someone like that had perished. Could he not feel angry about it?"
Su Yu was completely speechless.
"Thus, you can't blame him for hating you guys. As for what he has been doing to your faction..."
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Let's continue with the example. The 100-man commander has perished alongside your father. He should be the target of your hate. But he is dead. You can't be bothered to follow up with your anger since the culprit is not around anymore. But what if you're a big shot? The people under you will start trying to read your mind. Some will come to the conclusion that you wish to target the descendants of that 100-man commander. So they start suppressing those descendents. When you eventually find out about the suppression, would you bother telling your people to stop?"
Su Yu said nothing. Would he? Since someone from the other side was the reason his father was dead, they should be thankful that he had not gone after them for revenge. As for what the others were doing to the descendants of that person, why should he do anything about it?
Was he really such a saint?
Once again, Wan Tiansheng smiled, "You see, this is human nature. You hate Zhou Mingren. That is understandable. But if you let your anger spread toward others, then you are merely taking your anger out on innocent individuals. The Human Realm is not as dirty as you think. Just remember the source of your hatred. Do not let everyone suffer your wrath just because a few individuals have angered you."
Su Yu looked at Wan Tiansheng and asked in confusion, "Principal, are you telling me not to hate Zhou Polong?"
"Am I?"
Wan Tiansheng said, "You're only a Mental Tempering Stage kid. Are you even qualified to hate him? Zhou Polong can kill you just by breathing on you. Don't overestimate yourself. I only want to tell you that you are free to hit back against anyone in the academy who has targeted you. But don't drag the others into your conflict. Not everyone is willing to take on burdens that shouldn't be theirs to begin with."
He then smiled and asked, "Is slaughtering the academy really your choice? Is cleansing the academy of filth really your choice? If you want to cleanse the academy, why don't you look for the origin of filth, Zhou Polong, and kill him? Everything will end with his death. By taking out your anger on the single character faction, aren't you doing the same as them? You are cowering before the strong and bullying the weak. Am I wrong?
"But the source behind Zhou Polong's power is Great Zhou King. So why not take a step further and kill Great Zhou King? Everything will truly stop with his death. Why kill anyone else apart from him?"
"..."
Su Yu sank into thought.
Wan Tiansheng continued, "A lot of things happen for a reason. Not everything you see or believe is the truth. You might be wondering why the principal isnt suppressing the single character faction and allowing the multiple character faction to be suppressed."
Wan Tiansheng said, "But why don't you ask yourself another question? Why had nobody suppressed your multiple character faction and allowed the single character faction to grow more back when your multiple character faction was in power?"
Su Yu frowned and said, "But they are doing more than pure suppression. They are trying to kill us. There was a special warzone in the capital itself not long ago for them to kill us. They even tried to rob the grave of our predecessor and kill my senior sister. Principal, is all that still acceptable in the name of competition?"
Back then, things hadn't been so excessive when they competed against each other. But was that still the case? Su Yu felt like Wan Tiansheng was simply trying to smooth things over.
Wan Tiansheng said, "Are any of you dead? Has the grave been robbed? Is your senior sister dead?"
"That's because we're strong..."
Wan Tiansheng interrupted him, "Strong? Do you really think the single character faction is weak? They have a lot more Sunmoons and even some Invincibles. Sure, these Invincibles had entered the Invincible Realm through physical cultivation, but they are still Invincibles. Are you really strong?"
"They actually have Invincibles in their faction?"
Su Yu was astonished.
Wan Tiansheng said, "What do you think? Do you think all the Invincibles at the Knowledge Seeking Realm are beast tamers? Pillmakers? What's so surprising about that? Even the multiple character faction has some Invincibles. But none of them have done anything. Why should they? Do we want to escalate this conflict into a battle between Invincibles?"
Wan Tiansheng said, "What you see might not necessarily be the truth. Your people are alive because you are strong? No. You're wrong. Your people are alive because some people are biased toward you guys. For example, the Xia Family. For example, Ji Hong. All these people agree that the single character faction has crossed the line. Thus, they decided to teach the single character faction a lesson. And that includes Zheng Yuming's injuries. Do you think that was accidental?"
Wan Tiansheng said, "Whoever you are, you will be punished if you cross the line. Nobody is an exception to that. Over the past decades, has anyone from your faction died? You guys have merely been losing in a normal competition against each other. Are we supposed to help you because you can't outcompete them?"
Su Yu was completely speechless. The principal actually...made sense. Fınd the newest release on NoveI[F]ire.net
In short, the single character faction had been so unlucky recently because they were being punished for crossing the line?
In the special warzone, Ji Hong had moved against them. Marquis Xia and the others had moved against them as well. Even Wan Tiansheng had done something against the single character faction in the academy.
All these people were the real reason the single character faction had suffered one loss after another recently.
With that pointed out to him, Su Yu couldn't deny that the principal was right. If they relied only on Hong Tan and the others, they might not have been able to deal so much damage to the single character faction.
Su Yu glanced at Wan Tiansheng. Was the principal trying to give him an explanation on behalf of the principal himself and Great Xia?
It wasn't that they didn't want to help. But everything that had happened prior to that had been done within the bounds of the rules. When the multiple character faction was in power, the other factions had also been suppressed.
But recently, the single character faction had crossed the line. Because of that, they were punished.
Su Yu seemed to have caught the meaning of the principal's words. But at the same time, he was still somewhat confused. Was this a warning? A reminder to him? Or a reminder to the entire multiple character faction to not cross the line?
While Su Yu was thinking, Wan Tiansheng said, "Don't think too much. I'm just telling you that it's good to be alive. Do not use your intelligence for something you shouldn't. You're better off using your time and talent to form more characters."
Su Yu was direct, "I lack money and resources. The academy is not giving me anything. I need to work for the resources I want. But I can't even leave the academy for missions because I might end up killed. The only thing I can do is earn some money from the single character faction. It's not like I am a parasite. Before this, I would accept missions and kill enemies whenever I needed money. But I can't do that anymore."
Su Yu was very honest. If it wasn't for the single character faction, he would have left the academy on missions long ago. He wouldn't be wasting his time on them. But he couldn't leave the academy anymore. He was afraid of death.
Once he stepped out of the academy, there was no guarantee that he would be able to return alive. How would he dare to go out for missions with such a worry in his mind? Even when he found out about the Divine Skywing
He hurriedly emptied his mind.
He was wary.
What if the principal read that thought of his?
His mind was empty. That was nothing. Yes. The principal was handsome, incredible, mighty, and awesome.
Wan Tiansheng merely smiled as he gazed at Su Yu. What an interesting kid.
Truly worthy of being a person who would grow strong enough to battle Mountainseas as a Cloudbreach in the future.
That future he had seen was merely one of the myriad possibilities, but after this meeting, Wan Tiansheng was more and more sure that it had a very high possibility of happening. This was indeed an outstanding kid.
Not only was this kid talented, he was pretty lucky as well.
Chapter 455: I Understand! (1)
Wan Tiansheng moved on from the topic.
He said, "You are very cautious. It has been a long time since my invitation. You have waited until Hong Tan is back before seeing me because you're afraid that I would harm you?"
"Of course not!" Su Yu flashed a simple and honest smile as he said, "You misunderstand me, Principal. I have merely been afraid of troubling you. I was worried that a meeting between us would cause the single character faction to misunderstand you, Principal! I don't want them to think that you're siding with me!"
Wan Tiansheng laughed. He stood up slowly. Suddenly, Su Yu's vision blurred. Before he knew it, Wan Tiansheng was already standing right in front of him.
"Su Yu, do you know why I have invited you here?"
"No."
Su Yu answered with his head lowered. This geezer-cough, cough. This mighty and great principal was too strong. Too powerful.
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "I wish to perform a little experiment. And you are the perfect test subject."
Su Yu's heart chilled.
"Scared?"
"Not at all! The principal is wise and mighty..."
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Wise and mighty? You must have scolded me a lot in your mind, right?"
"I wouldn't dare."
"You wouldn't dare, but you would love to, right?"
"Nope!"
Su Yu's head was hurting. Why was the principal pursuing this line of conversation?
Once again, Wan Tiansheng laughed. But when Su Yu heard the laugh, his heart became even colder. Just what was the principal planning to do?
"It is something beneficial to you." Wan Tiansheng said, "You have formed a lot of characters. You must have like seven characters already, right?"
Su Yu was slightly alarmed that the principal knew so much. He nodded, "Yes."
"Are all of them human characters?"
"Yes..."
"So you are only capable of forming human characters?"
"Well...you see....I..."
"You don't need to explain yourself." Wan Tiansheng said, "You have your own fortuitous encounters. Like what you told Zhou Pingsheng previously, each expert has their own fortuitous encounters. I am not interested in your fortuitous encounters."
Wan Tiansheng then smiled, "That's good to hear. Even without hearing this from me, you are probably going to be stuck with human characters. But it's better for you to know this. It will be much better to continue forming only human characters. Hong Tan is someone near the Sunmoon Realm. He must have mentioned that the non-human characters are making it hard for him to advance, right?"
Su Yu nodded. Hong Tan wasn't the one who had told him that. Even prior to Hong Tan's return, Bai Feng had already reached such a conclusion. But there was no need for him to mention that to the principal.
Wan Tiansheng said, "The non-human characters might be problematic. I even suspect that there are some issues with human characters. But I still think it's worth trying to form only human characters and see what happens."
See what happens?
Su Yu couldn't resist asking, "Principal, you mean..."
"Did you know that up until now, not a single human Sunmoon has reached that realm with a human character as their main Divine Character?"
Su Yu nodded.
He was aware of that.
There was no Eternal human character in existence. To be more precise, these so-called Eternal characters were not at the Eternal Realm. Rather, they were at the Sunmoon Realm. And not a single human had advanced into the Sunmoon Realm relying on human characters.
It was said that the fifth principal had several human characters at the Sunmoon Realm. But none of those characters was his main Divine Character. Instead, he had made his advancement by growing his entire character technique instead of any single character.
Wan Tiansheng said, "I am wondering if a human character will become extremely strong upon reaching the Eternal Realm."
Su Yu asked with hesitation, "Principal...not even you have an Eternal human character?"
There was no doubt that Wan Tiansheng was very strong.
Wan Tiansheng said, "The Eternal I'm talking about is not the Eternal you're thinking about. I'm talking about the true Eternal Realm. What you know as Eternal characters should be termed Sunmoon characters instead."
Su Yu remained silent.
Did that mean that Wan Tiansheng actually had Sunmoon human characters?
So the principal was really at the Sunmoon Realm or beyond. And the principal's main Divine Character was probably not a human character. Even with the limitations of having non-human characters, he had still been able to reach the Sunmoon Realm. Was this another fifth principal in making?
How terrifying. As far as he knew, the fifth principal was the only person known to have grown his human characters into the Sunmoon Realm.
"Principal, you mean..."
"Cultivate hard." Wan Tiansheng had a profound look in his eyes as he said, "You're very outstanding. Your character technique has a lot of foundational characters. I am curious about one thing. When dozens of human characters are brought together, will they be able to break through a certain limitation?"
Su Yu's heart thumped. He maintained a calm expression as he said, "Principal, my character technique might have a lot of characters, but I can't compare with the fifth principal..."
"Oh?" Wan Tiansheng said, "Then I must have sensed wrongly. Well, in that case, you're not worth nurturing. You may leave now."
Su Yu turned around without any hesitation.
Sure principal. Goodbye.
He had zero interest in spending more time with the principal. He simply felt like he had no secrets in front of this principal. This was too terrifying.
Wan Tiansheng: "..."
He felt like he had been slapped in the face. The kid was definitely aware of what he was going to say next. He was going to say that only someone with a character technique with a high number of foundational characters would be worth investing in.
He had simply left those words unsaid. Was the kid really leaving? This was the very first time a student had done something like this to him.
Su Yu walked silently, but shortly after, he was stunned. Despite how he walked, Wan Tiansheng remained in front of him. In fact, he was walking nearer and nearer to the geezer-cough, cough, to the principal.
Su Yu swallowed and took a step back nervously. He awkwardly said, "Principal...you...I...uhm..."
Wan Tiansheng stared at Su Yu silently. After a while, he smiled, "Don't be nervous. Su Yu, I only want to see the true potential of the human race. Sure, I can look for someone else. But since you're such a suitable person, I won't bother."
"Principal..." Su Yu calmed himself and laughed dryly before asking, "What should I do, then?"
"Form your characters as fast as possible and complete your character technique." Wan Tiansheng said, "Don't waste your time bickering with these people. The Great Xia Cultural Research Academy is only a small part of the Myriad Realms. Across the Myriad Realms, there are countless experts and geniuses in existence. It is pointless to spend all your time and effort competing against the single character faction.
"I have already planned everything out for you and the other genius students. If you want to compete and kill, there is no need to do so in the academy. The Myriad God House of the divine race, the Allheaven Purgatory of the devil race, all these are the places you guys should be fighting at. Those are the true places for you to showcase your strength." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel-fire.ɴet
"I've got no money..."
Those words had just left Su Yu's mouth when Wan Tiansheng smirked, "No money? Do you want me to confiscate the dozens of willpower texts you have collected?"
"..."
Su Yu wanted to curse in his mind...but he quickly gave up on that thought.
Just what was this principal trying to do here? The principal was basically telling him to cultivate and don't get involved in all the internal struggles without giving him any benefits. Just what was wrong with this principal?
Leaving the academy on missions to earn money was not possible for him. If he had to stop taking actions against the single character faction as well, was he supposed to starve to death?
Without resources, he wouldn't be able to do anything. Was he supposed to sit around and wait for death to come knocking?
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "It's not wise to be too greedy. Digest what you already have before asking for more. If you really want to leave the academy on missions, just do it. You can go anywhere you want in the Human Realm. Just don't go to the Allheaven Battlefield."
"But..." Su Yu said worriedly, "What can I do if people come after me right after I leave the city? My teacher is going to leave soon. My grandteacher is entering seclusion. My martial uncle can't leave..."
"If just leaving the academy is enough to kill you, that simply means that you are fated to die either way."
Su Yu was speechless. He was also slightly furious. He knew that he was facing Wan Tiansheng, someone suspected of being a high-stage Sunmoon, he couldn't resist questioning with a furious tone, "Principal, are you telling me that I should stop my quarrel with the single character faction and obediently wait for death?"
He felt like Wan Tiansheng had called him over just to make things difficult for him. He couldn't understand why a super expert like that was going through the trouble of making a puny Mental Tempering Stage student's life hard.
He was not allowed to participate in internal struggles, he was not given any benefits, and he was expected to rely on himself for cultivation resources...Did the principal think that he was a Mountainsea or a Sunmoon?
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "You're getting angry? Youngsters like you are indeed impatient."
Su Yu said nothing. But inwardly, he felt like he was already being really patient.
"I'm not saying that you should stop competing entirely. Competition is the driver of growth. I am only reminding you to not forget your true pursuit: strength.
"As long as you're a cultivator, your ultimate goal would be strength. It doesn't matter if you're a cultural researcher or a warrior. It's the same. It's fine if you want to spend your time studying cultivation methods or deciphering foreign cultures. But I also hope that you don't get overly obsessed with all that. As for leaving the academy on missions, that is actually a way to temper yourself.
"How about this? I can give you a personal guarantee that those at the Mountainsea Realm and above won't lay a hand on you."
"..."
Su Yu rolled his eyes. Don't joke around! He was only at the Mental Tempering Stage. Did people even need to send a Mountainsea over if they wanted him dead? A skysoar was enough to take his little life!
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Don't you have a couple of beasts in your research center? Hong Tan has already registered them as mounts. Why don't you take them out for a stroll? Reach the Skysoar Realm earlier. Don't let these pointless affairs delay your cultivation. We don't have that much time left..."
What?
Su Yu suddenly caught on to something important.
He focused on Wan Tiansheng.
But the principal ignored him. Wan Tiansheng walked to the window and looked outside before sighing, "In truth, things are still quite peaceful here in the Human Realm. As for the battle with the myriad races, people have been saying that humanity is declining. But we are actually not weak. Our darkest moment was that period of time over 300 years ago when the myriad races invaded us. That was a true crisis. At that time, the entire human race was united. One Invincible after another rose up.
"We reached the peak of our power over 300 years ago when we pushed the invaders out of the Human Realm. Alas, humanity has been in a constant decline since then."
"Decline?" Su Yu asked doubtfully, "Are we declining?"
"What do you know?" Wan Tiansheng said, "Back then, dozens of Invincible experts had appeared in a short frame of time. But after over 300 years, very few new Invincibles had appeared from the human race. And during this period of time, a lot of human Invincibles had perished. We have not been able to replenish the numbers of our Invincibles."
"And that's also the case for our Sunmoons. This trend has been continuing for a very long time. Everyone is not stupid. A lot of people have noticed this. That was why the various prefectures started competing against each other to unify the Human Realm under a new order. Perhaps with unity achieved, we can produce more Invincibles than before..."
Su Yu scratched his head. All that was too far from him. It was pointless to tell him all that.
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "It isn't pointless. Listen to me. Some human experts intend to change our current situation. But some human experts disagree. There are multiple popular opinions. One of these opinions is very interesting..."
"What is it?"
"They suggested that the human race should stop producing new Invincibles."
Su Yu blanked out. What?
Chapter 456: I Understand! (2)
"Because the human race is strong enough. We are strong enough to threaten even the almighty divines and devils. Thus, each Invincible we produce will result in a great battle with the myriad races. They will battle us to prevent the birth of a new Invincible, just like how they battled us to prevent the fifth principal's ascension back then.
"Thus, some people suggested maintaining the status quo. We don't need new Invincibles. We should restrain ourselves and maintain the balance with the myriad races. This is the way for prolonged peace."
Su Yu was shocked. He said, "Isn't this the same as not eating for fear of choking? We stop producing experts because the myriad races would be afraid of us. Are these people stupid?"
Wan Tiansheng sighed, "Are they? Perhaps that's what you think. But what if I tell you that each new Invincible will result in the death of an old Invincible? Would you still think that?"
Su Yu asked, "Why?"
Wan Tiansheng sighed again, "Because of the myriad races. Each time someone attempts to break through into the Invincible Realm, a major battle will erupt. And almost each time, at least one Invincible will perish. The new Invincible might be successful in the breakthrough, but an old Invincible will die as a result. This has happened each time a human tries to advance."
Wan Tiansheng sighed, "This is the long term strategy of the myriad races. They won't invade us. Instead, they are slowly grinding us down. The moment we try to produce one Invincible, they will attack us en masse. They will scare us so much that we won't dare to produce new Invincibles anymore."
Su Yu clenched his teeth and said, "So they are trapping us, forcing us to restrict our own growth and die a slow death?" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs ɴovelfire.net
"Yeah." Wan Tiansheng nodded, "That's the gist of it. But that is the reality. Can those old Invincibles accept such a cost? Losing an old Invincible each time we produce a new Invincible? This has happened almost every single time. Do you still think that they are stupid for making that suggestion?"
Su Yu had nothing to say. Was that stupid? It was no longer so straightforward. Replacing a veteran Invincible with a new Invincible? Was that worth it?
Since he wasn't the one who would die, it would be easy for him to say that humanity should stand up and fight until the very end.
But what about the old Invincibles? They wanted to live as well. These were the heroes of humanity who had risen up and protected humanity when humanity was on the brink of extinction. It was understandable that they didn't want to die after finally pushing the myriad races out of the Human Realm, right?
Yes, that was perfectly understandable.
But Su Yu couldn't help but say, "If this continues, the human race will not be able to produce enough new Invincibles to replace the ones we're losing. This is not sustainable."
"That's right. Thus, a different group led by Great Zhou King is trying to reactivate the Human Realm's suppressive power toward the foreign races. That is one of the solutions we have."
"The old Invincibles are hesitating. Which side should they choose? Should they keep fighting or should they take a defensive stance?"
Su Yu asked, "Can't we kill some of them each time they attack us as well?"
"Sure we can." Wan Tiansheng nodded, "Don't look down on the old Invincibles. They will have no problem taking one or two enemy Invincibles down with them before dying. But we are fighting against so many races. Combined, they have a lot more Invincibles than us. We will still be the ones to lose more."
"But why are they insisting on attacking us?"
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Because it's worth it. The Human Realm is a land of treasures. You will understand why one day. The Human Realm isn't too big. And it hasn't risen to power for long. But despite our short history, we have been able to produce as many Invincibles as the powerful races such as the divines and the devils. The only thing we lack is accumulation. There are also some other reasons for that, but that's irrelevant to our current discussion."
Wan Tiansheng asked, "Do you know the reason for the fifth principal's death?"
"..."
Su Yu was speechless. How the fuck was he supposed to know that? But he still answered after a short thought, "Because they don't want to see us produce a cultural researcher Invincible. My grandteacher said that a cultural researcher Invincible is much stronger than a warrior Invincible. One of them can fight multiple warrior Invincibles."
"Idiot!" Wan Tiansheng said, "Hong Tan is a fool. What does he know?"
Su Yu was out of words. What could he say to that? Just what was this principal trying to say?
Wan Tiansheng glanced at Su Yu and gloomily said, "The fifth principal's death proved one thing. You said that everyone is ignoring the suppression of the multiple character faction. In truth, there is a group of people encouraging this suppression from behind the scenes..."
Su Yu's head started hurting. Why was the principal telling him all that? Knowing more would only put him in more danger.
"I am only trying to make you realize what your priority is." Wan Tiansheng said, "Let me put it this way. Do you know my theory about a human cultural researcher Invincible? What is their biggest function? To activate the Human Realm's suppressive force. Do you understand now?"
Su Yu blanked out.
Wan Tiansheng said, "That's the crux of the issue. That was why the fifth principal was killed. That is why the multiple character faction is being suppressed. Like I said, some people wish to prolong this status quo and maintain this peace for a longer time. But the multiple character faction is the spark that will result in a major war with the myriad races. The moment the multiple character faction cultivators start advancing into the Invincible Realm, a major war will break out. Do you think the fifth principal and Liu Wenyan are the targets of those people? Do you think they only attacked because they fear a single new Invincible? Do you really think they attacked because a cultural researcher Invincible is stronger? Bullshit!"
Wan Tiansheng coldly said, "Because the multiple character faction, or to be more precise, human cultural researchers are not allowed to produce an Invincible. It is that simple. The moment one such Invincible is produced, war will come. A war that will engulf the Myriad Realms. Will the myriad races be willing to see us reactivate the suppressive force of the Human Realm? You need to understand this. Great Zhou King might not even be an enemy of the fifth principal. His little brother wouldn't have been there to help the fifth principal otherwise. Remember my words!"
"..."
Su Yu was completely stunned.
Holy shit!
What was this?
He finally understood. But he couldn't help but shiver in fear.
He swallowed and said, "You mean...there is more than one person. There is an entire group of people trying to stop the multiple character faction from producing an Invincible to avoid war? They are even going as far as preventing any multiple character faction member from even producing someone with the potential to enter the Invincible Realm just to prevent a major war with the myriad races from happening in advance?"
"So you finally understand." Wan Tiansheng smiled, "I told you to maintain a low profile. But you were stubborn. To speak the truth, I don't hold high hopes for people like Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan. It is very unlikely that they will be able to reach the Invincible Realm. But you...have some potential. Therefore, don't show off too much. Do you think your grandteacher and the others are all stupid? They have been able to sense the impending crisis. Therefore, even without knowing the truth, they have decided to lay low for so many years."
Su Yu was completely stunned. Was that the case? In that case...He couldn't resist looking at Wan Tiansheng again. But according to his grandteacher, the warzone incident might be related to this principal?
Since they had to stay low key, why had this guy pushed for that confrontation to happen? Wasn't this guy contradicting himself?
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Stop thinking. Some things are less complicated than you have imagined. It has been 50 years. For a lot of people, Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan have exhausted their potential and can no longer reach the Invincible Realm. At a time like this, allowing them to show some strength is also a valid way to protect the multiple character faction."
"..."
Su Yu said nothing. But he felt like Wan Tiansheng was telling him too much. He was starting to feel scared of how much he knew. He didn't want to know that much! He was only at the Mental Tempering Stage!
Among the human Invincibles, a group of them was trying to delay the major war. These people were supportive of the suppression of the multiple character faction since the multiple character faction might produce cultural researcher Invincibles and cause the major war to happen sooner.
There was also a group of Invincibles that did not wish to see new Invincibles to rise and old Invincibles to die.
And there was another group led by Great Zhou King aiming to activate the Human Realm's suppressive force. They believed that a cultural researcher Invincible was required to actually do that. Thus, Great Zhou King could actually be a secret supporter of the multiple character faction.
Fuck!
What the fuck?
Su Yu was completely stupefied.
And as the successor of the multiple character faction, it was very advisable for him to hide his talent for a bit. If he showed too much talent and strength, he would alarm some people.
As for the older generation of the multiple character faction, according to Wan Tiansheng, some people believed that they had exhausted all their potential. It might be slightly dangerous for them to reveal some strength at this point, but the danger on them still wouldn't be as high.
So...he, a mere student, was much more dangerous than Teacher Liu and the others? There was no way this was true, right?
Su Yu stared at Wan Tiansheng blankly. The principal smiled, "Do you understand now?"
"I understand...but...Principal...are you not exaggerating to scare me?"
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Do I even need to? You're not at the Skysoar Realm yet so it will still be fine for now. You can only demonstrate the strength of your physical cultivation. I am only trying to make you understand the truth.
"I want to remind you to stop exposing your talent on the path of cultural research. Since you have chosen to walk both paths of cultivation, it is fine to show off your strength in physical cultivation. Just hide your talent in willpower cultivation. Those people won't feel threatened by you.
"Since you already know all this, it will be fine. You're a smart person. Use your intelligence where you should. When you first entered the academy, you were quite low key. That's very good. Just focus on cultivating and learning. But nowadays, you have been showing off repeatedly. Without this meeting, you will probably do something to shake the entire academy next. Am I right?"
"No."
Su Yu denied. What a joke. He was only a Mental Tempering Stage student. The principal sure looked highly upon him.
He finally understood what the principal was trying to say. He muttered, "So I can display the strength of my physical cultivation. As for my willpower cultivation, just show a rather ordinary level of talent? At the very least, that is the impression I need to show everyone. As for the ones who have witnessed my true talent in willpower cultivation, I need to ensure that they can't talk anymore?"
Ohhh, Su Yu finally understood! So he needed to kill some people and silence them forever! Principal Wan had spent so long talking, and finally, Su Yu was able to draw a conclusion from all the talking.
Firstly, if an enemy found out about his talent in willpower cultivation, he needed to kill and silence that person.
Secondly, he needed to be low key. If possible, he should scheme and plot in the dark, not in the open.
Thirdly, he was better off as a treacherous snake, not a righteous dumbass.
Fourthly, there was no need for him to worry about Liu Wenyan and the others. Instead, he should be worried about his own life.
Fifthly, the single character faction might actually exist to protect the multiple character faction even if they themselves were unaware of their true purpose.
...
Su Yu nodded in understanding.
Instead of retorting, he said, "Principal, I understand what you're trying to say! From now on, I will keep doing the same: only reveal the strength of my physical cultivation. You don't need to show too much bias toward me, Principal. I don't want people to think that I'm very talented in willpower cultivation. I don't want anyone to believe that I can become a cultural researcher Invincible and kill me to eliminate me as a threat. Am I right?"
Wan Tiansheng smiled. Was the kid right?
Perhaps.
Did the kid really have the potential to enter the Invincible Realm?
Not necessarily.
As far as he was concerned, this version of Su Yu still couldn't be relied on. The kid was too conspicuous and attracted too much attention. And attention was the source of all danger. The kid could easily get himself killed.
"In truth, I have also been considering a different possibility. Perhaps if you can show enough talent, you might attract a different group of people. They might finally decide to make a move. But I'm also worried that if you show off too much, even the final hope will be extinguished...
"It's enough for your teacher and grandteacher to be the ones attracting all the attention. You should just focus on cultivation. Forget all these after leaving this place. Do not keep thinking about them. I am only telling you all this so that you will have a smoother path of cultivation."
Complicated.
Principal Wan's feelings were complicated. He believed that Su Yu was really talented enough to lure out the hidden enemies.
But Su Yu was too young. He still had a lot of untapped potential. As for people like Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan, it was fine for them to be used as bait. It wasn't like they had a high chance of entering the Invincible Realm.
Su Yu scratched his head and said, "Principal, I understand. Since you look so highly upon me, why don't you give me some benefits? With money, I can definitely cultivate faster."
Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Benefits? The words I've spoken today are invaluable. Is this not enough?"
What a straightforward kid. He was actually directly asking for benefits.
Su Yu bashfully said, "Yeah, those words are important. They have helped me understand some things. But Principal, they aren't really that helpful for me. Without resources, I can't advance. What's the point of telling me all that if I can't keep growing?"
"Rely on yourself," Wan Tiansheng said lazily. "You know the Divine Skywing Sect's hidden stash, right? Just go look for it if you want money. Both Bai Feng and Chen Yong know how to extract memories from blood essence. You probably know how to do so as well, right?"
"..."
At that very moment, only the word fuck could express what Su Yu was feeling.
Why was this principal aware of everything?
Was this principal omniscient and omnipotent?
That thought had only crossed his mind for a split second yet the principal had caught on to that.
Additionally, a lot of the things the principal had told him were definitely top secrets. How did the principal know all that? Did the principal guess all of that or did the principal really have proof of all that? It was clear that the principal knew a lot more than many people.
Su Yu was starting to get confused. Why did it feel like this principal might be even more well-informed than even the prefect?
There was nothing Su Yu could do about the lack of material benefits from this meeting. At the very least, he had learned some information that money couldn't buy. With nothing left to say, he took his leave.
Unknown to him, when he was walking through the door, a white flash appeared behind him before vanishing immediately.
...
After Su Yu left, Wan Tiansheng shut his eyes and sank into thought. There were some words that shouldn't have been spoken to Su Yu yet. Was there a point in letting a mere Mental Tempering Stage student know so much? But he couldn't let go of the tiny hope he saw.
The kid was still so young. In that case, the kid should live longer. At the very least, he needed to preserve the future of a Cloudbreach with the strength to battle Mountainseas.
That future he had seen after sacrificing a lifespan of 100 years was most definitely an important future.
Even if Su Yu had only appeared in a tiny part of the future he saw, the sheer fact that the kid had appeared signified that the kid was definitely not someone of no significance.
"Su Yu..."
Once again, he recalled the unique aura he felt from Su Yu when the semester first started. During that time, he had assumed that the kid had inherited Liu Wenyan's character. But he had concluded that instead of Liu Wenyan's character, the kid had stumbled upon his own fortuitous encounter.
Shaking his head, Wan Tiansheng smiled, "Pressure is the greatest source of motivation. Is this pressure enough for you?"
Was that enough?
He believed that it was.
The kid should stop putting all his effort on defeating the single character faction. The defeat of the single character faction would only be the start of an even harder life for the multiple character faction.