Great Wisdom Appears as Stupidity

Bai Feng was indeed a man of swift action. Once it was decided that he would enter seclusion in a secret realm, he did not waste a moment, packing up immediately to leave. In truth, Su Yu was rather curious: did Bai Feng even have the money to enter a secret realm? He had serious doubts! Of course, it could have been some reward opportunity, so he did not pry. As he was leaving, Bai Feng seemed to recall something and mentioned casually, "Don't forget to feed those fellows. If they die, it won't be easy to explain to your grandmaster. The yuanqi liquid is in the storage room—you saw it, right?" "..." Su Yu's expression grew exceedingly complicated—so complicated that Bai Feng halted in his tracks and turned to look at him. Master and disciple exchanged a look! Soon, Bai Feng muttered, "It should be fine. I seem to recall feeding them once on the thirtieth of last month. It's only been ten days, so they shouldn't die, right?" "..." Su Yu was utterly stunned! *Teacher, you fed them last month? I thought you fed them on the fourth! When the two of us went down to check on them last time, why didn't you feed them? It's been ten days! They haven't starved to death, have they?* Bai Feng looked at Su Yu, pondered for a moment, and said solemnly, "In any case, when I handed them over to you on the fourth, they were in one piece! Even if they really starved to death, when your grandmaster returns, that's your responsibility. Su Yu, you're finished!" "..." Su Yu pulled a long face. "Teacher, they shouldn't be dead, right?" "How would I know!" Bai Feng shirked all responsibility. "It has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving—you're in charge of the Research Center now!" Leaving those words behind, Bai Feng bolted. Yes, he ran very fast. *How should I know whether they're dead or alive? In any case, it has nothing to do with me—it's Su Yu's responsibility. When Teacher comes back, let him beat his own granddisciple!* ... "He sure runs fast..." Su Yu was helpless. Calculating in his head, he figured they probably wouldn't die. The weakest among them was at seventh-stage Tengkong; how could a few days be enough to kill them? "Whatever, I'd better go take a look!" ... The detention area. It was deathly silent. The golden lion sprawled on the ground, no longer able to maintain its majesty. Listless and with dazed eyes, it let out a faint voice after a long while: "Are you hungry..." No one—or rather, no demon—bothered to answer it. Nonsense, of course they were hungry! Here, they could not absorb yuanqi. On top of that, they were bled and had flesh sliced off from time to time. This had been going on not just for a year or two, but for many years! These demons' strength had long since withered away. How could they not be hungry? In the past, Bai Feng would still come down to feed them occasionally. Now, with a new caretaker, how many days had it been since anyone showed up? If the weakest of them hadn't been in the Tengkong Realm, they would have starved to death years ago. "Save your strength..." The Shadow's voice was as eerie as ever. "You'll get used to it. I arrived here earlier than you. Back then, Hong Tan hadn't even accepted Bai Feng as a disciple yet. Chen Yong was away on business, and Hong Tan didn't feed me for three months..." You just had to get used to it! Back then, Hong Tan hadn't come down with food for three months, and it had still survived. It had only been a few days! This little Suanni was simply too impatient and hasty. A few days ago, it had been told not to make a fuss, yet it insisted on thrashing around. It had been electrocuted for half the day, burning up a massive amount of energy. Otherwise, why would it be on the verge of starving after just ten days without nourishment? Look at the Water Person—how sensible. It never spoke much. Whenever it had nothing to do, it turned into a puddle of water. Its energy consumption was minimal, so it wouldn't die even if it went without food and drink for a whole year. The Suanni did not reply. It lacked the energy to do so! Hungry! It was truly starving. Its cultivation wasn't particularly high—ninth-stage Tengkong—so it naturally couldn't compare to the Shadow, who was at third-stage Lingyun. As it was thinking, the Suanni's large ears twitched slightly. "Someone's coming..." The Suanni wanted to weep! Someone had finally remembered them! A person had arrived! If no one came, it truly would have starved to death here. Footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Su Yu hurried down the stairs and entered the hall. Seeing the Suanni staring wide-eyed at him, he breathed a sigh of relief. The big lion wasn't dead yet. "Are you all still alive?" No one replied. Su Yu frowned. "Numbers One through Five, sound off! Whoever doesn't answer, I'll assume you're dead, and you won't get any yuanqi liquid later. Putting on airs now, are we? I don't even have enough yuanqi liquid for myself! The fact that I'm giving you any is already generous, yet you're throwing a temper with me?" "One!" "Two!" "..." The next moment, voices rang out one after another from the five metal cages! They couldn't endure it any longer! When it was time to yield, one simply had to yield. Su Yu finally relaxed. They were all alive; that was a relief. As Su Yu poured yuanqi liquid into the cages, he remarked, "I've been busy with a lot of things lately, so I forgot about you." While frantically absorbing the yuanqi liquid, the Suanni spoke up: "Kid, what could you possibly be busy with? We experts are right here. Tell us about it, and maybe we can help you solve it. Next time, remember to come on time!" "That's right, little Su Yu. If you have any problems, this older sister can help you!" The White Li spoke as well, her voice entirely devoid of temptation, carrying only an ethereal innocence—just like the friendly girl next door! Su Yu said crossly, "You're all locked up in here, mere prisoners. How can you help me? A seventh-stage Qianjun bastard is giving me trouble, and I'm preparing to train bitterly to beat him down!" "Qianjun..." A trace of disdain appeared in the Suanni's large eyes. "A mere Qianjun. If I were out, I could blow him to death with a single breath!" "Nonsense. If my grandmaster intervened, he could blow you to death with a single breath too!" Su Yu retorted petulantly. "We're fighting in the same realm, understand? You think being at ninth-stage Tengkong makes you impressive?" A vicious glint flickered in the Suanni's eyes before quickly fading. It spoke: "If you want to defeat someone above your stage, isn't that simple? It's just the Qianjun Realm! At this stage, speed is king! Have the White Li teach you how to comprehend a Li race divine character. The Li race possesses speed-type divine characters. Once you comprehend one, your speed will skyrocket, and anyone in the Qianjun Realm will be putty in your hands!" "A divine character?" Su Yu asked in surprise. "This white cat knows divine characters?" "Little Su Yu, this sister isn't a cat; I'm a White Li." Inside the cage, the small white cat looked toward Su Yu, pacing with graceful steps. Her tone carried a smile: "In terms of strength, our Li race is far inferior to other races—inferior even to the lower races. But the speed of the Li race is famous throughout the myriad realms! "And my White Li clan is the royal family of the Li race. Once we comprehend wind-path divine characters, our speed reaches the absolute peak..." "The White Li clan..." Su Yu asked curiously, "You're Civilization Masters too?" "In your human terminology, we are indeed Civilization Masters," the White Li said. "We wield divine characters as well, though what we study isn't as varied as what you humans pursue. Generally, we only master a few divine characters. For instance, I only possess two divine characters, both of which are wind-path. One is 'Wind', and the other is 'Swift'." "Swift Wind?" Su Yu asked. "Are you very fast?" "Of course. Although I'm only at eighth-stage Tengkong, back then on the All-Heavens Battlefield, even Lingyun experts couldn't catch me." "Can divine characters be passed down?" Su Yu grew increasingly curious. "In your current state, how could you teach me a divine character? You don't have a willpower text..." "Silly little brother!" The White Li let out a crisp laugh. "I can write one! I'll write it on the spot for you to see. Just prepare some materials for transcribing a willpower text, and I'll write it right in front of you..." "Heh!" Su Yu sneered contemptuously. "Do you take me for a fool? Writing that definitely requires blood essence and the like. What if you take it and refuse to write, or keep it for yourself? My teacher has written them before; you can do it without blood essence. I'll just hand you a random sheet of paper. If you write it out, I'll believe you!" The White Li cursed inwardly! *Am I insane? I can barely hold on as it is. Transcribing directly for you without auxiliary materials would be seeking death!* Just as the White Li was thinking this, the Shadow suddenly spoke: "Writing a willpower text without blood essence is actually possible, though the effect will be much weaker. Su Yu, if you're willing to give me a few extra drops of yuanqi liquid, I will write a willpower text of the Shadow race for you!" Su Yu asked in astonishment, "You know how to as well?" "Naturally!" the Shadow said eerily. "The Shadow race are natural-born Civilization Masters!" "You'll really write one for me?" "You just need to give me a few more drops of yuanqi liquid." "You aren't trying to harm me, are you?" Su Yu frowned. "I'm not stupid. What if the willpower text is fake? If you feed me a bogus cultivation technique or manual, not only will I fail to comprehend a divine character, my willpower might become disordered, and I'll end up dead!" With that, he added, "No, don't talk to me. Teacher was right—all you know how to do is bewitch people!" Su Yu turned to leave! The Suanni and the others panicked. Su Yu had finally come down; if he left, who knew when he would return? They truly didn't have much time left! "Su Yu, don't rush!" the Shadow called out suddenly. "How about we make a deal? Give me ten drops of yuanqi liquid, and I will write a willpower text for you..." Just as it finished, the White Li interjected, "Don't trust him! The Shadow race is deceitful and cunning, and his cultivation is high. Ten drops of yuanqi liquid might allow him to recover his strength. I'll write one for you—five drops will suffice!" With that, the White Li hurried to add, "The Shadow race has an innate skill that allows them to attach themselves to others' shadows. But I know they can also attach things to other objects, such as willpower texts! If you take his text, beware of him escaping or sending out a message!" "..." Su Yu's expression shifted! The Shadow snarled, "White Li, how dare you spout nonsense!" The White Li huffed softly. "We're all prisoners. You want to leave, and I want to leave too. I don't ask to escape this place; I only seek better treatment in the future. Little brother Su Yu, I don't ask to leave the Civilization Academy. I only ask that one day... when they decide to kill me, you can plead for me. Even being sent to the Beast Taming College as a pet would be better than death. Their ambitions are enormous—they all want to escape..." "White Li, you act as though you don't want to run! Stop feigning innocence!" "I'm not as foolish as you all. Run? Where would I run to? This is the Human Realm, not the All-Heavens Battlefield!" The White Li looked back at Su Yu, a sorrowful expression on her cat-like face. "Little brother Su Yu, you understand my thoughts. Five drops of yuanqi liquid is actually a loss for me. I only do this... so that I might receive a bit more care in the future." Su Yu frowned. "I don't believe any of you! Every single one of you is scheming. I need to go back and ask Teacher before making a decision..." The White Li said frantically, "I'm not lying to you! If you ask Bai Feng, he'll probably covet our willpower texts. Do you think he'd still give it to you? Last time, we heard him withhold your own merit points..." Su Yu's eyes flickered with mixed emotions. He let out a snort, turned around, and walked up the stairs. Behind him, the White Li shouted once more, "Trust this sister, little brother Su Yu! If you want to become strong, you cannot hesitate! Only when you grow stronger will I have a chance to leave here. Trust me..." "..." Su Yu was already gone. A heavy thud echoed as the door shut. After he had departed, the Shadow spoke in an eerie voice: "This little fellow is extremely guarded. Without offering real benefits, it will likely be difficult to sway him." Pausing, it continued, "I truly have nothing left on me. Do the rest of you... still have anything valuable? At this juncture, keeping it will only lead to death. We might as well take a gamble and give him a taste of sweetness first!" Turning to the Water Person, it asked, "Water Person, don't you want to escape?" Inside Cage One, the pool of water gradually coalesced into a human shape. The Water Person spoke softly: "I do want to escape, but... your plan is far too rushed! Furthermore, none of you are willing to cooperate sincerely, so how could you succeed? Even the White Li herself could hardly tell whether her earlier words were true or false. "This little fellow is still inexperienced, and he is our only opportunity. By the time the next newcomer arrives, we might already be like the dry bones in the other cages. In a few years, once he grows and matures, we likely won't have a chance anymore." The Shadow asked eerily, "Then what do you propose?" "Let him reap real benefits—though not right now!" the Water Person replied softly. "Find an opportunity! When he is dejected, when he is frustrated, when he is in dire need of help—not now. My impression of him is that he has no desperate desires and is completely on guard against us... Didn't he mention that a seventh-stage Qianjun human holds a grudge against him? Wait. Wait for that opportunity. When he is blinded by hatred, when he desperately craves power, our chance will arrive!" The Shadow fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Then we shall wait a bit longer! When his desire peaks, I hope... everyone will offer something of genuine value. Otherwise... we truly have no chance left!" The golden lion grew impatient and snapped, "Wait again? Fine! The next time this kid comes, I will pass him a Heaven-rank martial technique! The rest of you had better bring out something real as well!" "A Heaven-rank martial technique?" The others were somewhat astonished. The Suanni scoffed, "A human one! In the past, I was also an apex genius among the myriad races! Seventeen years ago, I entered the Xingyu Mansion and killed a human genius from the War God Temple, obtaining a human Heaven-rank martial technique!" "You've been to the Xingyu Mansion?" At these words, even the Shadow was taken aback! The Suanni said coldly, "Is there an issue? My Suanni race is one of the top hundred races; naturally, I had the qualifications!" The Shadow remarked eerily, "The Suanni race naturally possesses the qualifications, but seventeen years ago, your cultivation..." "Eighth-stage Tengkong—is that weak?" The Suanni said with lingering annoyance, "After I emerged, a few more years would have definitely seen me step into Lingyun. Yet fifteen years ago, I ran into that devil Hong Tan!" Less than two years after coming out, it had been captured by Hong Tan. Otherwise, fifteen years later, it would have entered the Lingyun Realm long ago. The Shadow fell silent. It made sense. Eighth-stage Tengkong wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but the Suanni race was small in number, and younger-generation members were few. It wasn't strange that it had been selected to go. It was simply unlucky, having been captured shortly after emerging. At the mention of the Xingyu Mansion, the Shadow and the others said no more. That place was the domain of geniuses from every race. Killing a human genius there and acquiring a Heaven-rank technique was perfectly normal. It had likely been a willpower text, as few people carried regular technique manuals on their persons. Willpower texts, on the other hand, were often brought along by those traveling far who needed them for cultivation. Many of the cultivation techniques seized by humanity had been obtained in this manner. Carrying a willpower text brought peace of mind and made cultivation far more convenient; otherwise, spending extended periods away would be a waste of time. ... "Eleven apertures left until sixth-stage Qianjun. "My willpower needs to advance as well. I can already cultivate the second stance of the Sky-Breaking Slash, so I should study it properly. "I wonder if this Sky-Breaking Slash can grant me another divine character... "I'd better look over the Thunder Yuan Saber again. It feels practically ruined; the subsequent strikes seem to have lost all willpower." Su Yu felt somewhat helpless. Although the Thunder Yuan Saber wasn't high in rank, it was the first martial technique willpower text Teacher Liu had given him. Moreover, the Thunder Yuan Saber required opening forty apertures, some of which he still had a chance to open. Once opened, unleashing the ninth strike of the Thunder Yuan Saber might possess even greater power than the third stance of the Sky-Breaking Slash! Forty apertures, minus the nine apertures of the Kaiyuan Realm, left thirty-one apertures. Su Yu had already opened quite a few last time, and now a portion overlapped with the War God Art. Su Yu checked: by the time he reached sixth-stage Qianjun, only twelve apertures of the Thunder Yuan Saber would remain uncovered. By seventh-stage Qianjun, only eight apertures would remain uncovered. "Once I reach seventh-stage Qianjun, I'll only need to open eight more apertures to fully master the Thunder Yuan Saber. If I master the ninth strike, the explosive power will definitely reach the Wanshi Realm!" Pondering this, Su Yu grew anxious. He had no money to cultivate! No money to buy blood essence! No money to enter secret realms! That night, Su Yu continued his bitter cultivation. Since he couldn't afford secret realms, he would spend more time training in the filtration chamber and the fragment chamber. With his remaining 246 merit points, he planned to exchange for more Ironwing Bird blood essence. It remained the cheapest option! He would make do with it for now! At three merit points per drop, he could still exchange for eighty-two drops. At worst, he would just consume more blood essence and open apertures two or three times a day. Cultivating late into the night, Su Yu returned to the living quarters exhausted. Looking at the filthy living area, he felt helpless; he had to clean again. He missed Haozi a bit! He wondered how that fellow was doing at Longwu Academy. "Has he reached seventh-stage Kaiyuan yet?" It had been over a month since enrollment. ... Longwu Academy. In the dead of night, Chen Hao was busy working. Sweeping, pouring tea, serving water, and even doing laundry. Not in the dormitories! This was the faculty residential area. Inside the room, Old Xie couldn't take it anymore. He walked out and scolded, "Chen Hao, get lost! Who told you to run over here again?" "Teacher!" Chen Hao grinned foolishly. "A-Yu said that a drop of water received in need should be repaid with a gushing spring! When you arrived at the academy, you gave me a fine saber, so I must repay your kindness! A-Yu said that while I can't do much, I'm very good at cleaning..." "Are you genuinely foolish or just playing dumb?" Old Xie rubbed his aching temples. "I don't take disciples! I'm only in the Tengkong Realm myself; where would I find the time to take on disciples and guide students? I told you, I'm only responsible for admissions, not teaching students!" "It doesn't matter, Teacher," Chen Hao said with a goofy smile. "Whether you accept me or not is all the same. I'm not busy at night anyway..." Old Xie desperately wanted to curse! *You're not busy, but I want to cultivate!* *Dammit!* Why had this foolish brat set his sights on him? There were so many experts in the academy—go bother them! Too exhausted to argue further, Old Xie slammed the door shut with a bang and began to cultivate. Having finished cleaning, Chen Hao grinned from ear to ear. He walked out of the living room, shut the main door, and sat cross-legged in the stairwell to cultivate. *A-Yu, I've discovered a business opportunity!* *There are so many Tengkong and Lingyun experts here!* *When they cultivate, the yuanqi boils, churns, and gathers—yuanqi is everywhere! I've struck it rich!* *Cultivating in the dorms is so miserable, but here... hehe, in one night, I can absorb as much yuanqi as an entire drop of yuanqi liquid!* *The other classmates are so stupid!* *I, Chen Hao, am brilliant. Using the excuse of helping with cleaning, I refuse to leave. Old Xie thinks I want to become his disciple... Heh, who wants to become your disciple? There are plenty of Tengkong experts around; who says I have to apprentice under you!* *It's just an excuse to cultivate here.* *A-Yu was right—you have to create opportunities for yourself. By cleaning here, the teacher can hardly drive me away. This is even better than living in the Wanshi premium area, saving several hundred merits a year!* *When I enrolled, I was only at sixth-stage Kaiyuan. Hehe, now... eighth-stage Kaiyuan!* Chen Hao was delighted; he had nearly caught up to A-Yu. Too bad A-Yu wasn't here. Otherwise, he would tell him that there were plenty of fools here gathering yuanqi for him to cultivate every day—it was beyond magnificent! *It's only been a little over a month since enrollment. With another month or two of cultivation, I'll reach ninth-stage Kaiyuan—maybe even in just one month! Qianjun... A-Yu, by the end of this semester, I might have a shot at Qianjun!* Entering the academy at sixth-stage Kaiyuan wasn't terrible, but it wasn't particularly impressive either. Only those at seventh-stage Kaiyuan and above had teachers looking to take them as disciples. He had nobody! Fortunately, he had latched onto the lifeline that was Old Xie. Not having merit points was fine—did cultivating here require merit points? It was just a bit of cleaning; he was used to it. An hour or so a day wasn't nearly as tiring as working at A-Yu's house. He swept fast and clean! Shortly after school started, he had discovered this secret holy land. Under the pretext of repaying a favor, he had sought out Old Xie's residence and visited every single day. He didn't even want to return to the dorms—the dorms were too miserable! As for having no bed or blanket... what did that matter? Sitting right outside the doorway was pretty sweet too! Chen Hao cultivated with relish, absorbing yuanqi. Now at eighth-stage Kaiyuan, he was able to absorb yuanqi directly, and his cultivation speed was remarkably fast. ... Inside the room. Old Xie opened his eyes, caught between tears and laughter. That kid was keeping watch outside the door again. "Great wisdom appears as stupidity?" The phrase involuntarily surfaced in Old Xie's mind. Chen Hao looked honest and simple-minded, but one had to admit... the brat was shockingly shrewd. Cultivating in the faculty area! Only he could have come up with that! To tell the truth, which freshman didn't tremble with trepidation upon seeing a teacher? This was a residential area reserved for researchers at the Tengkong Realm and above; even geniuses were reluctant to interact much with teachers like them. Yet Chen Hao feared neither heaven nor earth. The brat had actually thought of coming here to clean, and then... had simply settled down here! Truly shrewd! Here, in just over a month, Chen Hao had risen from sixth-stage to eighth-stage Kaiyuan, leaving everyone else in the dust! By calculation, he had saved at least twenty to thirty drops of yuanqi liquid and over a hundred merit points. Among the freshmen, how many possessed such resources? Yet Chen Hao had gained the upper hand. Cultivation was like that: sometimes everyone had opportunities, but it came down to who could seize them. "Eighth-stage Kaiyuan..." Old Xie hesitated. Should he take him on? "But I'm... only at sixth-stage Tengkong, from an ordinary background. I don't have spare merit points to nurture him. Accepting him would only hold him back... "If this kid can swiftly enter the Qianjun Realm, at least a Lingyun expert will take him as a disciple." Longwu Academy had enrolled two thousand students this year, and so far, barely over fifty were in the Qianjun Realm. Chen Hao had enrolled at sixth-stage Kaiyuan. If he could quickly break through to Qianjun, stronger researchers would definitely accept him! "Stupid brat... trying that trick on me..." Old Xie chuckled with emotion and allowed a bit of the gathered yuanqi to spill out beyond the doorway. *That fool... being so close to a Tengkong expert, did he really think he could absorb much yuanqi?* *Damn it, if a Tengkong expert like me gathered yuanqi and let that much leak out on its own, I ought to drop dead!* Still, the yuanqi in this area was indeed vastly denser, so the brat had stumbled onto something good. "Always 'A-Yu' this and 'A-Yu' that... Su Yu went to the Civilization Academy, and who knows how he's doing? What a pity. I heard he joined the multiple divine characters faction; who knows what his situation is like." Old Xie shook his head. Over there, if one did well, they soared to the heavens. If one did poorly, they weren't worth a copper!