Observations of the Advanced Class

Su Yu genuinely enjoyed his role as a keeper. As for danger... They were still locked up, so he wasn't particularly worried. Having been imprisoned for so many years, if those creatures were capable of escaping, they would have done so long ago. Naturally, Su Yu didn't dare jinx himself, just in case something actually went wrong. That night, he continued his grueling training. *** September 5th. Su Yu resumed his classes. Divine Character College, intermediate class. Su Yu began handing over duties to the new class monitor. In truth, there wasn't much to transfer—simply handing over the students' class schedule was enough. The new class monitor was Wang Yun, who had placed second in the previous monthly exam. Su Yu arrived before class to complete the handover. Hearing that Su Yu was moving up to the advanced class, many students looked reluctant to see him go. Although they had known for a while that he would advance, now that he was truly leaving, everyone felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Seeing their reluctance, Su Yu chuckled and said, "Don't worry. Everyone's goal is the advanced class. No one wants to stay in the intermediate class forever, right? I'll be waiting for you all there, and I hope to see you classmates again starting next month! "I've been very happy this past month, and I want to thank everyone for your help and support!" After expressing his gratitude, Su Yu looked at the crowd, let out a breath, and said, "Everyone came to the academy to cultivate and become stronger! The intermediate class is great, I like it very much, and the atmosphere is wonderful... But I still hope everyone can feel a bit more urgency!" Su Yu added earnestly, "The intermediate class certainly isn't as intense as the advanced class, but I hope you will approach this brief intermediate journey with the mindset of advanced class students! I hope that before long, we will be classmates again in the advanced class!" "Class Monitor, why don't you stay? We're going to miss you..." a girl called out with a giggle. Su Yu gave an honest smile. "I'll miss everyone too, but we're all in the same college, so we'll run into each other from time to time." Internally, he muttered, *Women are stumbling blocks. This girl actually wants me to stay behind and be a stumbling block on my path of cultivation!* *** After chatting briefly with his classmates, Su Yu packed up his things and headed toward the advanced class. Both classes were located in the same teaching building. However, there was rarely much contact between the two. They were on different floors, and advanced class students seldom came down. "A fresh start..." Su Yu murmured, feeling a touch of anticipation. The advanced class—this was where he truly belonged. Filled with prodigies and monstrous geniuses, intense pressure... This was the place that truly suited him! Jia Mingzhen, Xia Chan, Wan Mingze, Hu Qiusheng... In this intake alone, there were so many people worth striving to catch up to. Moreover, he heard that in the advanced class, they occasionally shared lectures with geniuses from previous years. Su Yu felt a faint buzz of excitement. In the intermediate class, there truly was no pressure at all. Not a single student in the Yangxing Realm, nor in the Qianjun Realm. Staying in a place like that for a few days was fine, but if he stayed too long, Su Yu feared his fighting spirit would be eroded away. He was someone destined to become a powerhouse! From his very first day at the academy, he had set his sights on the Top 100 Rankings. *** Advanced class. In the year 350 of the Anping Era, this year's advanced class at the Divine Character College had a substantial enrollment, nearing a hundred students. Almost all of them were high-grade geniuses! A total of eight people had entered the academy with a monstrous genius rating. Six were in the Divine Character College, one went to the Willpower College, and one went to the Divine Talisman College. Hu Qiusheng, Xia Chan, Zheng Yunhui, Wan Mingze, Zhao Shiqi, and Zheng Hong—all six had received monstrous ratings. The claim that the Divine Character College harbored three-quarters of the academy's top talents was by no means an exaggeration. Normally, not every student attended lectures in the advanced class. Today, however, the classroom was packed. Yet the atmosphere was thoroughly chilled! When a crowd of arrogant individuals sat together, if you didn't initiate conversation with me, I couldn't be bothered to talk to you either. The mood was even somewhat stifling. Jia Mingzhen and his companions were also present. At that moment, Jia Mingzhen felt a pang of regret and transmitted his voice: "Hurry up and let that fatty from the Xia family out. When he's here, things are at least lively. Without him, it's boring to death!" "Let him out?" "What's the point of keeping him locked up if we don't?" The few exchanged voice transmissions. Without the little fatty around, things just lacked flavor. Locking him up for a few more days was useless anyway; Marquis Xia wouldn't cough up a cent, so there was no point hoping. Bored, Jia Mingzhen suddenly spotted someone. His eyes lit up, and he called out with a grin, "Lin Yao, you came too? Did you find out Su Yu is reporting today and came specially to welcome him?" "..." To the side, Lin Yao sat alone. Hearing this, he glanced toward Jia Mingzhen with a trace of wariness. His expression shifted slightly before settling back into composure. "Yes, I came to wait for Su Yu!" Even Jia Mingzhen was taken aback. A light flickered in Lin Yao's eyes. "I lost. Even without an actual duel, I lost! But so what? Even invincible powerhouses suffered defeats in their youth! "Winning once doesn't mean winning forever! "Su Yu might be stronger than me today, but tomorrow... who can say for sure he'll still be stronger?" Lin Yao grew somewhat worked up. "In this era, anything is possible! Coming here to wait for Su Yu today isn't to concede defeat, but to remind myself that above my head, there is a target I must surpass!" "..." Jia Mingzhen looked at him, then glanced at the others, and finally at his old companions, transmitting, "Did this kid take the wrong medicine?" Someone murmured faintly, "Nothing to make a fuss about. That kid Liu Hong is famous for talking circles around anyone. Lin Yao was probably brainwashed by him. You'll get used to it." Jia Mingzhen was speechless. Looking back at Lin Yao, he hardly knew whether to laugh or cry. Well, earlier it had seemed like this guy was on the verge of a breakdown, yet here he was, brimming with vigor and ready to wage war against the world. He was actually quite curious: down the road, would this guy turn out stronger, or even more useless? Despite thinking this, Jia Mingzhen chuckled and said, "Makes sense. But those targets above your head... there are quite a few! Counting Su Yu, there are ninety-eight people in this class. Excluding you, that leaves ninety-seven, and probably twenty or thirty of them are above you. Don't be scared, keep at it!" "..." Lin Yao's surge of emotion sputtered out. He glared at him, thoroughly irritated. Right as he was getting inspired, this guy had to pour cold water on him! Bastard! If not for his wariness toward him, he would have taught him a lesson right here and now! Having teased Lin Yao, Jia Mingzhen turned his gaze toward Wu Lan and said with a chuckle, "Wu Lan, your old rival Su Yu is here. You're falling behind a bit; it feels like he doesn't even view you as a rival anymore!" Wu Lan glanced sideways at him, seemingly pondering something. After a moment, she held her head high and said coldly, "I checked your file. You're already twenty this year, two years older than me! Mediocre talent. In two years, I'll be far stronger than you. You don't have the standing to talk to me!" "..." Jia Mingzhen choked, his face stiffening. Back then, in order to make their rapid growth appear more plausible, their recorded ages had indeed been bumped up by a year or two compared to these students. Claiming they were all eighteen would have been too suspicious. Yet now... he was being looked down on, and this little girl had just called him a mediocre talent? "Pfft..." Suppressed chuckles echoed faintly through the classroom. The several elders were also snickering inwardly. You just had to go and provoke this girl, didn't you? Didn't you know her nose was pointed straight at the sky? You're an 'old genius' of twenty; why would she look up to you? Now look who got insulted! Wu Lan paid no mind to the others and reiterated with absolute seriousness, "In two years, I will definitely be far stronger than you. So... Jia Mingzhen, although you're strong right now, you don't have the standing to mock me, nor are you worthy!" "..." Infuriating! With a darkened face, Jia Mingzhen ignored her. *You little brat, if your grandaunt weren't around, I'd smack you into the distance with a single palm!* Amidst the classroom's chuckles, Su Yu walked through the doorway. Carrying his bag, Su Yu gave the door a light knock, a pleasant smile on his face. "I'm here to report. Am I interrupting anything?" Glancing around, there were so many familiar faces. Setting aside Wu Lan and the like, there were also several students who had shared a carriage with him on the way here. Hu Zongqi, Tong Wei... And Jia Mingzhen, the one who had walked the farthest during the monthly exam. His teacher had warned him that these few individuals might be somewhat unusual and to remain cautious around them. After Su Yu spoke, Wan Mingze stood up in the classroom, a faint smile on his lips as he called out, "Su Yu, come on in. The instructor hasn't arrived yet; just find any seat you like!" "Thank you, Student Wan!" Su Yu offered a bright smile, looking even more cheerful than Wan Mingze, and stepped into the classroom. Looking around, he noticed a peculiar phenomenon. Two people had the fewest neighbors, with plenty of empty seats around them. One was Lin Yao, and the other was Wu Lan. After a brief thought, Su Yu decided against sitting near Lin Yao. It wouldn't look great after having just won three hundred merit points off him. He walked over toward Wu Lan, wondering why her popularity was so abysmal. There were nearly a hundred people in the class, yet the space around her was practically deserted. Would people rather crowd together than sit beside her? As he walked toward Wu Lan, many students watched him, several wearing amused, teasing smiles. Wu Lan... a genius of the Wu family, equipped with pedigree, background, talent, and looks. Aside from her habit of looking down her nose at everyone, quite a few people initially wanted to get close to her. Yet after a month of classes, everyone had experienced this young lady's temperament firsthand. Xia Chan was aloof and disdained talking to people, but Wu Lan possessed a razor-sharp tongue that could make someone cough up blood! If you ignore someone, fine, but she consistently threw out words like "trash," "mediocrity," and "unworthy." What was worse, she said it with absolute seriousness, as if stating an indisputable fact. Who could tolerate that? There had been times when a classmate tried to sit beside her, only for her to blurt out bluntly, "Back off, a mediocrity isn't worthy of sitting with me." The only reason Wu Lan hadn't been beaten to a pulp was her family background. Otherwise, someone in the class would have thrown a burlap sack over her head long ago! Seeing Su Yu approach her, several students waited for the show to begin. Yet... when Su Yu sat down beside Wu Lan, she didn't utter a single peep. Instantly, quite a few students turned green with envy! Bah! Sure enough, that Wu girl was a complete snob. A top-high genius was fine, while the rest of them weren't. Of course, it seemed not all top-high geniuses got a pass either—Lin Yao, for instance, had been thoroughly mocked by her on multiple occasions. Su Yu was oblivious to all this. At the moment, he was discreetly observing the rest of the class, noticing that many were also eyeing him. He said nothing. As a newcomer, maintaining a low profile was key. It was just that he didn't see Xia Huyou. Where had that little fatty gone? Su Yu felt a bit disappointed; if Xia Huyou had been here, he would have had someone to chat with. With the fatty absent, Su Yu, who knew little about the dynamics of the advanced class, had no one to ask for information. Thinking this over, Su Yu lowered his voice. "Student Wu Lan, where did Xia Huyou go? Why isn't he here for class?" "Him?" Wu Lan frowned with evident disdain. "Arrested! He violated academy regulations by organizing illegal gambling. He's been locked up for several days!" "..." Su Yu was stunned. Arrested? How could that fatty be so unlucky? Last time, the guy had bragged about being so well-connected in the academy that running a gambling pool wouldn't cause any trouble, yet he was caught just like that? Offering a silent wave of sympathy, Su Yu didn't dwell on it. If he was arrested, so be it; nothing serious would happen to him anyway. At worst, he'd be slapped with a fine. Wu Lan hadn't originally intended to speak to Su Yu first, but since he had initiated the conversation, she thought it over and decided there was no harm in talking to him. She asked, "You just asked me a question, so now I'll ask you one: how did you reach Stage Three Qianjun?" The moment she spoke, even the students who weren't looking over pricked up their ears. Indeed, Su Yu's cultivation speed was far too rapid. Everyone knew that he was still in the Kaiyuan Realm when he entered the academy. In just one month, he had reached Stage Three Qianjun! That speed was frighteningly fast! Su Yu was rather speechless. She actually had the nerve to ask that so casually. Naturally, being an 'honest' person, Su Yu replied with an innocent look, "Didn't enrolling with a top-high rating grant an opportunity to enter a mystic realm? I went into the mystic realm, and by the time I came out, I was already at Stage Three Qianjun." "I see!" Wu Lan felt enlightened! She was only at Stage Nine Kaiyuan and hadn't yet reached the threshold of Qianjun, which was why she hadn't visited the mystic realm yet. Hearing Su Yu's explanation, she didn't think much of it. When she made her breakthrough later, she would also use the mystic realm. Perhaps she would emerge at Stage Three Qianjun as well. However, Su Yu's words sent a shockwave through the rest of the room. People had speculated before, but hearing Su Yu confirm it personally prompted someone to ask immediately, "Su Yu, you mean when you entered the mystic realm to break into the Qianjun Realm, you advanced directly to Stage Three Qianjun?" Su Yu smiled. "Yes. At the time, I used Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence, which is extremely effective, so that day I directly opened thirty-six apertures." At these words, in the back of the room, Lin Yao felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest! Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence! He had missed out on it by an inch! Xia Chan and the other prodigies merely arched their brows slightly. Su Yu used Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence, but did he think they hadn't? None of them had shot straight to Stage Three Qianjun in a single sitting! Over on the side, Wan Mingze asked with a pleasant smile, "Su Yu, I heard that a few months ago, you were only at Stage Four Kaiyuan. To cultivate so quickly, do you have any special trick?" Su Yu pondered briefly, then replied, "If you're asking about a trick, there might be one!" Everyone's ears pricked up once more! From Stage Four Kaiyuan to Stage Three Qianjun! Even for the monstrous geniuses who drank source qi liquid like water, it had taken a considerable amount of time. In reality, nobody in this classroom lacked source qi liquid. Consumption in the Kaiyuan and Qianjun Realms was minimal; having a single Tengkong Realm powerhouse in the family was more than enough to keep them supplied. A Tengkong cultivator could condense source qi liquid on their own! Right now, the differences in their cultivation levels were not driven by resources, but by talent and effort. Currently, the only students in the class who had stepped into the Qianjun Realm—aside from the monstrous geniuses—were a few top-high talents. They were exceedingly rare. The vast majority remained in the Kaiyuan Realm. That included Wu Lan and Hu Zongqi. As for Lin Yao, though he had broken through, his advancement had been somewhat forced. Su Yu smiled and said, "Back in Nanyuan, because it was poor, source qi was sparse and we couldn't afford source qi liquid. So from a young age, we relied entirely on bitter, self-reliant cultivation, rarely coming into contact with concentrated source qi. "It wasn't until right before the Higher Academy Examination that I exchanged for some source qi liquid at the intermediate academy to cultivate with, and I suddenly found that my progress was incredibly fast! "After coming to the Great Xia Prefecture, I discovered the source qi here is shockingly dense, so my cultivation became even faster." Su Yu stated earnestly, "So my guess is that because it was my first time encountering such rich source qi, my cultivation speed could be so high. My suggestion is that before turning eighteen, everyone should refrain from using source qi liquid, and perhaps not even stay in the Great Xia Prefecture. Go to Nanyuan to cultivate and study, and return after turning eighteen. Then you might be able to cultivate just like me..." The entire classroom fell dead silent. Speechless! Was he lying? Not necessarily! There was probably some truth to that factor. Yet who among them wasn't already eighteen or older? Who among them hadn't been cultivating with source qi liquid since childhood? Asking them to go cultivate in Nanyuan now... Forget it, they would just pretend they hadn't heard a thing. Over to the side, Jia Mingzhen looked slightly surprised, transmitting his voice: "Is that really the case? The effect is that pronounced?" The Kaiyuan Realm was far too distant for him! Furthermore, he rarely paid attention to such things anymore. As for his own experience, events from so many years ago had long faded from memory. "Such cases exist, but they are rare and vary from person to person. Did you forget the one from the Great Xia War Academy? He also came from an impoverished background, worse off than Su Yu. Once he joined the Great Xia War Academy, within a few short years, he reached the Lingyun Realm! His cultivation speed was astonishingly rapid. When he entered our source qi mystic realm back then, he also jumped straight to Stage Three upon breaking through!" At this reminder, Jia Mingzhen recalled the matter! "In that case... If someone with great talent refrains from source qi liquid when young and only begins using it once older, the results might genuinely be superior!" Jia Mingzhen said hurriedly, "Has anyone conducted comparative trials on this? If so, show me the trial materials and data later. If it truly works, we should send the children of our clans to remote areas in the future. Saving resources is one thing, but tempering them so they understand hardship firsthand is another!" He sighed with feeling. "Children from poor households mature early. This kid Su Yu didn't come from a grand background, but now it seems that was a precious treasure. Looking at him, he's far more modest and honest than the others." The elders discussed amongst themselves. They didn't harbor many doubts regarding Su Yu's explanation. Indeed, for a boy who grew up in Nanyuan, had never touched source qi liquid, and had never even visited a source-qi-dense location, suddenly receiving source qi liquid and entering a rich environment could very well cause his cultivation speed to skyrocket. In the past, his talent had simply gone undiscovered. In terms of physical cultivation, this kid was an absolute genius! It wasn't as though no other students had come from Nanyuan, but Su Yu was the only one advancing at such a breakneck pace. Talent was still the deciding factor. *** Since Wan Mingze had asked a personal question, Su Yu wasn't about to hold back. He was never one to take a loss quietly. With an innocent smile, he looked toward Wan Mingze and asked, "Student Wan, my teacher said you are all monstrous geniuses. To be honest... I've never quite understood. How many divine characters... have you all actually outlined?" Wan Mingze froze slightly, then quickly smiled. "Well... I have outlined three divine characters. Of course, we don't belong to the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, nor do we intend to form divine character battle techniques, so under normal circumstances, we don't seek to cultivate too many divine characters. "We focus primarily on nurturing a few core characters. At other times, even if we can outline a divine character, if it isn't suitable, we choose to abandon its nourishment." Su Yu nodded repeatedly, calculating internally. Three divine characters was quite impressive! No wonder his exam score exceeded a thousand points! He wanted to probe further, but decided against it after some thought. Playing dumb was fine, but asking once looked innocent; asking too much would make him seem ignorant and foolish. Just now, Wan Mingze had asked him first, so asking one question in return was completely natural. Entering the advanced class, perhaps because it was his first day and he had displayed his strength and talent, the atmosphere felt decent, and no one tried to pick a fight. Even Lin Yao was remarkably quiet today, which left Su Yu rather satisfied. Peace and harmony for everyone. Su Yu disliked senseless bickering that yielded no benefits. It was meaningless! A cordial atmosphere was wonderful! Just as he was thinking this, a figure flashed past the window. Su Yu's expression shifted slightly. *Not this guy again!* The moment this person showed up, all hopes of harmony vanished! Liu Hong! *** Liu Hong stepped through the door, a smile still fixed on his face, though a gloom hung in his eyes. Damn it all! Who the hell framed him? Lately, rumors had been circulating through the black market that Liu Hong was willing to frame a mere student in an attempt to crush the Xia family's black market trade and monopolize it for himself. Pure nonsense! Did he have that kind of appetite? Did a minor matter like Xia Huyou's scheme really require him to go around reporting it? Yet two days ago, the academy suddenly rewarded him with a hundred and twenty merit points... Liu Hong had nearly choked on his own rage. A seasoned hunter, pecked blind by a goose! Someone had set him up! He didn't even need to guess; it was far too blatant. If this wasn't a frame-up, what was? He had spent the last two days scrambling to smooth over the fallout. Just as things quieted down, this kid Su Yu came out of seclusion—and rather quickly at that. Meanwhile, the higher-ups were pressing him again to teach Bai Feng a lesson. That fool Zhou Pingsheng was merely a Lingyun; did he think he was a Shanhai already? Ordering him around like that! He cursed internally. Nothing was going right! Zhou Pingsheng was an idiot. As a Lingyun, he couldn't beat Chen Yong, yet he had the gall to push Liu Hong forward to stick his neck out! Despite his turbulent thoughts, Liu Hong showed none of it. Looking at Su Yu, he smiled and said, "Today Su Yu has joined the advanced class. You all know him already, so I won't bother with introductions! "Now that you're in the advanced class, your objective is to enter the Top 100 and reach the Tengkong Realm! "Moving forward, everyone's workload will be heavy. Previously, when selecting a class monitor, no one was enthusiastic and nobody volunteered to register. Student Su Yu performed exceptionally well in the intermediate class, serving as a fine leader. Today, as he has joined the advanced class, it's best not to trouble another person. The position of advanced class monitor goes to Su Yu. Does anyone object?" Silence filled the room. No one cared! They were all busy anyway. Frankly, many students didn't care for the few merit points offered as a reward, viewing it as a waste of time. If Su Yu wanted it, let him have it. Su Yu cursed furiously in his head! *I thought things would be easier in the advanced class, and you pull this stunt again!* He hadn't expected that the advanced class had gone all these days without a class monitor! Bastard! Did he care about those three miserable merit points? He, Su Yu, was a wealthy man now! With the remaining eight hundred merit points plus his own one hundred and forty-six, he possessed nine hundred and forty-six merit points. He lacked neither merit points, cultivation arts, nor willpower texts. He was preparing to throw himself into rapid cultivation, so how could he have time to be a class monitor? Whoever wanted to be monitor could take it! Thinking this, Su Yu spoke up hurriedly, "Teacher, doing it in the intermediate class was one thing, but the advanced class is full of geniuses far superior to me. Please spare me; I have no confidence in serving as their leader..." Liu Hong smiled. "Believe in yourself, you can do it!" Su Yu urged, "Teacher..." Feigning displeasure, Liu Hong said, "Student Su Yu, you just arrived. Making you class monitor is intended to help you understand the advanced class's circumstances better and give you access to more resources. Do you not cherish this opportunity at all?" Su Yu took a deep breath. He desperately wanted to snap back: *Cherish your ancestors!* Never mind, he swallowed his anger. A Tengkong cultivator wasn't someone he could afford to provoke. Liu Hong gave him no chance to argue, immediately continuing, "The matter of the class monitor is settled. Additionally, the academy will organize a divine character contest in a few days. It's a very interesting little competition, and I encourage everyone to participate enthusiastically! "There will be rewards for the winners." With that, he looked toward Su Yu again with a smile. "Su Yu, you are the sole new student of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Decades ago, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction consistently dominated competitions like this. Make sure you don't embarrass your faction, and strive to take first place! "By the way, I heard the reward for first place this time is a set of willpower texts whose willpower has already dissipated. It was written by a Shanhai Realm expert and is quite famous, titled the *Seeking the Secluded in Mountains and Seas Scroll*. Although the willpower has faded, there is still some artistic resonance remaining..." At these words, many students didn't think much of it. However, a few individuals experienced an immediate change in expression. One after another, they turned to look at Su Yu! Su Yu was bewildered. What was going on? Was that scroll extremely important? Was it that Liu Hong told him to take first place, and these people were displeased? These monstrous geniuses... weren't very composed either! Just then, Jia Mingzhen seemed to recall something. He chuckled and remarked casually, "Isn't that the scroll written by Hong... Old Director Hong? I heard he was exceptionally fond of that piece of calligraphy. Why would it be offered as a reward?" Liu Hong smiled. "I wouldn't know the details. The reward was set by the academy!" Su Yu's expression shifted. Hong Tan... a scroll written by his grandmaster? What did this mean? Put up as a reward? Was it very important? At the end of the day, it was just a scroll whose willpower had dissipated. Did it carry some special significance? He couldn't fathom what these people were thinking! Su Yu kept his mouth shut, deciding to ask his teacher once he got back. Did that item hold some deeper meaning? What he didn't know was... this item had originated from the black market. Something belonging to Hong Tan had surfaced in the black market. Someone had deliberately brought it out to slap them in the face! At this moment, Su Yu couldn't have imagined such a plot even if he tried. All he knew was that Liu Hong, that bastard, was probably trying to set a trap for him again!