Another "Friend", Another Path

The message had been delivered, Bai Feng had departed, and Chen Yong was aware of the situation. Su Yu felt he had done everything he was supposed to do; as for the rest, it wasn't something he could get involved in right now. His urgent priority was outlining divine characters and cultivating himself. One hundred drops of late Wanshi Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence, five hundred drops of Soul-Devouring Insect blood essence, and ten drops of Five Elements race blood essence—this was Su Yu's current fortune, along with several dozen texts of will waiting for him to read. ... On the evening of the 8th. Su Yu met Hu Zongqi again. Without wasting words, he handed over the medallion Zhao Li had given him and said in a low voice, "With this, you can enter without needing accumulated merit. Of course, you still have to pay the entrance fee!" Hu Zongqi gripped the medallion, inwardly shaken. Su Yu... could even pull strings for the secret realms now? Was this Su Yu's own capability, or that of others in the Mutual Aid Society? The secret realms were one of the academy's most critical areas, on par with the Heart Cultivation Pavilion. He naturally knew whom the character "Zhao" on the medallion represented. He had heard from his second grandfather that it was likely Zhao Li's medallion, but... Zhao Li rarely got involved in such matters. Why would he give it to Su Yu? Even if Su Yu was minoring in the Forging faction, how many times had he actually visited the Weapon Forging College? "Su Yu, this..." "Don't ask, and don't say much about it. Don't let anyone else find out, or it'll be hard to explain!" Su Yu warned, "Get stronger as fast as possible. Right now, a tempest is brewing, and the Human Realm is likely in for some upheaval soon. You and I are just small pawns. This is a crisis, but also an opportunity. If we don't grow strong now and miss this chance, we might have to wait another several decades!" "Understood!" Hu Zongqi asked no further, though he remained excited and awed. Su Yu had truly pulled it off! Just who else was involved in this Mutual Aid Society? ... Parting ways with Hu Zongqi, Su Yu returned once more to the Secret Realm Area. The yuanqi secret realm. The two old men were beyond complaining at this point. Again! He was here again! He practically treated this place as his home! "There are people inside!" Old Huang said directly, "A few people are cultivating inside. Why don't you wait a bit before heading in?" He couldn't even be bothered to ask how long Su Yu planned to cultivate or how much blood essence he had brought this time. "People inside?" Su Yu was surprised; very few people came here at night. "Yeah, all new students." Old Huang said wearily, "This year's freshmen are a restless bunch. Every one of them keeps running to the secret realms whenever they have free time." "Who is it?" "Zheng Yunhui, Wan Mingze, Xia Chan, and a few others are inside..." Old Huang shook his head. "Those kids have all accumulated over a hundred merit points." With the Divine Character Competition concluded, they had earned quite a bit of merit, and combined with rewards from a few monthly exams, their accumulated merit points had exceeded a hundred. Su Yu nodded, not surprised. He wanted to grow stronger, and naturally, others did as well. Seeing that Su Yu didn't enter and simply sat down, Old Huang smiled and asked, "Not going in to observe them?" "No need." Su Yu said with an earnest, guileless smile, "Cultivation is one's own business. Watching others is useless." "You little brat!" Old Huang sighed with emotion, then asked, "Are you planning to advance to the Wanshi Realm this time?" "No plans for that yet. I'll see how things go and test out the Soul Devour Art." "That's a good idea!" Old Huang nodded. "Don't rush aperture merging—take your time! The Civilization Academy doesn't pay much attention to this, but if you were at the War Academy, the instructors would tell you that before merging apertures, it's best to open all the apertures for your martial techniques!" "Oh?" Su Yu was surprised. There was such a principle? Seeing his ignorance, Old Huang chuckled. "If you open all your technique apertures while in the Qianjun Realm, then once you reach the Wanshi Realm, those technique apertures can also merge—one aperture for an entire technique! But if you don't open them all and only open part of them after reaching the Wanshi Realm, the difficulty of merging apertures will increase! Merging them into one aperture per technique will become drastically harder. It's not impossible to merge them, but it's extremely difficult!" Su Yu nodded silently and said, "Is it because apertures opened at different realms might be on different levels?" "You could say that. In truth, they're similar, but an aperture tempered with Qianjun yuanqi versus one tempered with Wanshi yuanqi still has differences, which will noticeably increase the difficulty when merging them. Of course, with enough time and patience, you can still merge them." Su Yu nodded; he understood. In that case, did he need to open the later apertures of *Time* as well before advancing to the Wanshi Realm? As for the *Time* martial technique, up to now, Su Yu had only opened the first tier. Opening the second tier required opening 44 apertures—though there was some overlap, meaning he would only need to open around twenty-odd new ones. And there was still the third tier! If he opened them all, his total opened apertures would surpass at least two hundred! He didn't dwell on it too much. If push came to shove, he could just open them after reaching the Wanshi Realm; it would merely add a bit of difficulty. Since he wasn't planning on entering the secret realm right away, Su Yu didn't sit idle. He gave a greeting to the two instructors, took out a text of will, and began reading. He was truly busy right now, and time was precious. Not only that, Su Yu also had to attend basic classes—at least foundational language courses, to master the various tongues. Each race's entry unlocked in the booklet corresponded to a language. For some languages, Su Yu couldn't read the script. Recklessly using innate talents or techniques could easily lead to trouble—who knew if one might turn out to be a self-destructive skill? That would be game over. At this moment, Su Yu was holding a common martial technique, a Yellow rank manual that wasn't particularly rare or precious. *Tiger Bravado Saber Technique*, a trash technique requiring only 16 apertures to be opened. Of course, for Qianjun cultivators, it was still decent—decent relative to those cultivating Yellow rank techniques, that is. When the text of will was opened, a phantom silhouette materialized before him, brandishing a saber. The strikes were not particularly swift, but they were exceptionally fierce and unyielding, well-suited for brutal clashes on the battlefield. To comprehend a divine character, the prerequisite was understanding the technique and grasping its underlying principles. Whether it was *Origin Opening Art*, *Thunder Origin Saber*, or *Sky-Breaker Strike*... Any text of will from which Su Yu had comprehended a divine character was one where, even if he wasn't intimately familiar with it beforehand, he could generally understand it upon reading. Only then did he have the confidence to outline a divine character. If one understood nothing at all, outlining a divine character was practically hopeless. ... "This kid... is certainly diligent! But why is he reading any piece of trash technique?" Old Huang and Old Nie were chatting via voice transmission. A 16-aperture manual was utterly subpar, merely a mid Yellow rank martial technique. For a genius like Su Yu, reading such a technique was entirely pointless, and there was no way he would cultivate it. "Probably to comprehend a divine character?" Old Nie guessed, transmitting, "From the looks of it, he specifically wants to outline a human race divine character?" Old Huang shook his head, not bothering to guess. Perhaps. Human race divine characters were relatively weaker and easier to comprehend, but their power was unremarkable. Who knew what Su Yu was thinking? The two conversed for a moment, and in the next second, both turned their gazes toward Su Yu simultaneously! What was going on? Had he read this many times before? He outlined a divine character just like that? At this moment, a character on the *Tiger Bravado Saber Technique* was slowly fading—the character "Saber"! Su Yu looked utterly calm. He closed his eyes for a moment, opened them the next instant, let out a soft breath, put away this text of will, and brought out another to continue reading. "..." The two old men were flabbergasted! You just outlined a divine character, do you know that?! Setting aside how ridiculously fast it was, didn't this kid feel even the slightest bit of excitement? He was just brushing past it like nothing happened?! He didn't even mention it! "Su Yu..." Old Huang called out. Su Yu turned his head, looking puzzledly at Old Huang. What was it? "Instructor, is something the matter?" "..." Old Huang felt like he might be hallucinating. Doubting himself, he asked, "You didn't just outline a divine character, did you?" "I did!" "..." Old Huang suddenly found himself at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? What could he say? You're... being way too calm! "Have you read the *Tiger Bravado Saber Technique* many times before?" Su Yu thought about it. It was his first time reading it, but since he was fairly familiar with saber techniques, he had understood it rather quickly. Of course, he understood Old Huang's mindset. To humor the old man, Su Yu nodded. "Mm, I read texts of will quite often..." He didn't specify which one! Either way, reading them often wasn't a lie! Old Huang breathed a sigh of relief. That was better; he had thought Su Yu succeeded on his very first read, which gave him quite a fright. Still, this kid was someone made for big things! Even after outlining a divine character, he remained so poised. "Is it the character 'Saber'? That character isn't bad at all. You use a saber, right? That's quite good. A pity it's a human race character, otherwise it could have served as your primary divine character. Matching your cultural weapon with your primary divine character drastically amplifies lethal might!" Old Nie interjected, "That's hard to say. Its trait might not necessarily suit him. Who knows, maybe this 'Saber' character can only conjure a physical saber for him!" "True enough!" Old Huang nodded. That was a valid point. Su Yu smiled. These two instructors were probably just bored out of their minds and enjoying the chatter. As for the trait... Su Yu sensed within himself, sending his willpower into the somewhat sluggish divine character. After feeling it out, a wave of comprehension arose, and he knew what the trait was. What he outlined was never stroke by stroke. It was a complete divine character from the start! As for why this happened to him, Su Yu could only deduce that it was related to the golden album. Normally, one had to write stroke by stroke. Su Yu grew amused as well and smiled. "Instructor Nie, I don't think my divine character will just turn into a saber. I feel there's a strong chance it increases sharpness and unleashes saber qi!" "Oh?" Old Nie looked at him with wry amusement. "Kid, you sure dream big, but it's hard to tell! Conjuring a saber would already be decent. For all we know, this divine character of yours might only sharpen blades, acting as a whetstone!" "Instructor, care to make a wager?" Su Yu gave an honest-looking grin. "You say I'm wrong. If I prove that I'm right, how about letting me enter the secret realm for free in the future?" Old Nie eyed him suspiciously. Only after a while did he say, "How long will it take you to finish outlining it? Traits can only be known once it's complete. Who knows if you'll secretly swap in a different divine character months from now? I wouldn't know if you outlined another one in between..." Su Yu had initially planned to goad Old Nie, but after a second thought, he dropped the idea. Forget it! Outlining a complete divine character in a single go was still a confidential secret; aside from Bai Feng and Instructor Liu, no one knew about it. Exposing this might not be in his best interest. Forget it! Even Bai Feng only thought he couldn't outline a complete one every single time, and still believed Su Yu was outlining a myriad races divine character that had yet to be finished. "Fair enough, no one can say for sure months down the road." Su Yu smiled and let it drop, returning to his reading. Old Nie glanced at him doubtfully, and Old Huang was somewhat curious as well. Just a moment ago, the kid had seemed awfully certain. "Old Nie, could he really know what the trait is?" "Hard to say. Or maybe he already had such a divine character beforehand and wanted to pull a fast one on us?" "Quite likely! This brat isn't nearly as honest as he acts!" The two exchanged a look, convinced they had seen through Su Yu's trickery. They cursed silently: *Little rascal, trying to scam us? Shameless!* *Did you think we couldn't tell?* While they were chatting, someone else arrived outside the door! Two figures entered, both wearing cloaks with their faces concealed! Old Nie and Old Huang's expressions changed slightly as they both stood up. Old Huang said coldly, "Students alone are enough. You Dao Protectors are supposed to wait outside the Secret Realm Area. Who gave you permission to come inside?" The two stood one behind the other. At that moment, a raspy voice emerged from beneath the rear cloak: "Pardon us, elders! Principal Wan stated earlier that we Dao Protectors are also eligible to enter the secret realms from now on, so long as we accumulate sufficient merit. The human race is broad-minded and willing to open the secret realms to Dao Protectors!" Old Huang's expression shifted slightly, and he glanced at Old Nie. Old Nie gave a slight nod; it was likely true. Otherwise, they couldn't even have passed the garrison guards, let alone barged in like this. The two instructors probably hadn't paid attention, but the academy must have issued an official notice. Without wasting words, Old Nie tapped on the console before him and ran a query. Soon, he said, "A notice published on the 1st. We hadn't checked. We'll let it slide this time!" He then added bluntly, "Even if you can enter, the yuanqi secret realm is only for those at or below the Tengkong Realm. Don't barge in recklessly next time!" "Apologies. It is our first time here, and we lack experience..." The raspy voice sounded again. It seemed the speaker didn't dare lose their temper; after all, this was human territory. Su Yu hadn't made a sound, quietly observing the scene. Both wore cloaks, obscuring their appearances. Last time, he had seen someone from the Fox race covered in facial hair and looking exceptionally hideous. He had no idea what race these two belonged to. Their build was fairly similar to humans. Beneath cloaks, unless one used willpower to probe—which was considered a provocation—Su Yu had no desire to be so foolish. While he observed them, the two cloaked myriad races figures were also looking at him. Studying him! Su Yu! They recognized Su Yu—the student who had nearly caused an academy elder to be executed. Perhaps the most terrifying among this year's freshmen! Old Huang couldn't be bothered with them and said, "Wait outside. It will probably take a little while longer since people are cultivating inside! Are you entering the Wanshi zone to cultivate?" He looked at the front cloaked figure and frowned slightly. "Name, student ID, cultivation level. Let me check if your accumulated merit is sufficient!" "Xia Qing. Student ID 021. Wanshi First Layer." A female voice came from beneath the cloak. It sounded pure and gentle. The first thing that came to Su Yu's mind was White Li—that big white cat had used this exact tone the first time she spoke with him. Female? What race? It couldn't be the Fox race, could it—with a face full of hair? Wanshi Realm... certainly not weak. While Su Yu was pondering, Old Huang ran the search and raised an eyebrow. "You actually met the requirement. Top ten in both monthly exams at the Myriad Races Academy, and contributed a Profound rank martial technique..." Xia Qing remained silent. The Dao Protector behind her spoke in that raspy voice once more: "Elders, thank you for your trouble. I shall head to other secret realms to see if there is one suitable for me. I entrust Princess Qing to your care!" Princess? Su Yu grew even more curious. A princess of a race? Her status wasn't low at all! Old Huang didn't bother exchanging pleasantries and casually waved him off. Once the cloaked protector had left, seeing Su Yu staring curiously at the girl, Old Huang chided via voice transmission, "What are you looking at? You'd even ogle something with a tail? She's of the Tiger race—the Cloud Tiger race. Not particularly strong among tigers, just a minor clan." Cloud Tigers! Su Yu recalled and understood; they indeed weren't a very powerful race. Among tigers, the strongest was likely the Flying Tiger race, ranked thirty-second among the myriad races. Cloud Tigers... he hadn't looked into their exact ranking, but they certainly weren't strong, otherwise Su Yu would have known more about them. He didn't pay it too much mind! A small race might only have a Shanhai Realm patriarch. The Dao Protector just now didn't seem as formidable as Old Huang or Old Nie; probably in the Lingyun Realm, but not necessarily stronger than these two. A princess of such a race... no wonder she didn't command much prestige. What Su Yu was actually curious about was why her surname was Xia. Did someone from the Xia family have offspring with a Cloud Tiger? Of course, having the surname Xia didn't mean she was related to the Xia family. While he was lost in thought, Xia Qing suddenly walked over to his side. In a gentle voice, speaking human language, she said, "Hello, Student Su Yu. May we make an acquaintance? I also saw you defeat Senior Brother Huang on the stage last time." Su Yu looked up and closed the text of will in his hands, inwardly suspicious. *Coming so close—trying to peek at our human race's secret arts?* As expected, the myriad races harbored ill intent! Grabbing every opportunity to fish for human secrets! "Hello..." Su Yu wore a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze. "Student Xia Qing, a pleasure! I've heard of the Cloud Tiger race—very impressive. Placing in the top ten in both monthly exams and reaching the Wanshi Realm, you are truly remarkable, Student Xia Qing! By the way, our vice principal is named Xia Changqing. Student Xia Qing, could you..." Xia Qing let out a soft, clear laugh. "I have no relation to Principal Xia. That wasn't my original name; when translated into the human tongue, it contains the character for 'Qing.' Upon arriving in the Great Xia Prefecture, following local customs, I gave myself the name Xia Qing." "Oh, so that's how it is!" Su Yu nodded and said warmly, "Student Xia Qing is even a princess of your race. Forgive my lack of respect!" "Student Su jokes..." Xia Qing said weakly, "Our Cloud Tiger race is very weak, far inferior to the human race. Not even the Great Xia Prefecture—if merely the academy elders were to mobilize, our race would face extinction. Coming to the Human Realm is solely to learn from the human race, hoping that in the future battles of the all-heavens, we might be of assistance to humanity..." *Hypocrite!* Su Yu muttered inwardly. *I don't believe a word of it!* Help the human race... help my foot! It'd already be a blessing if they didn't kick them while they were down. Though inclined to ignore this tigress, after some thought, Su Yu smiled and said, "Mutual benefit and mutual support are only right! Princess Qing coming to the Human Realm to study is a great opportunity. If you ever need help, feel free to call on me anytime. Some students in the academy hold deep misunderstandings about the myriad races. If they show any discourtesy, allow me to apologize on their behalf. Once inside the academy, we're all fellow students, all one family..." As he spoke, Su Yu sighed. "I wholeheartedly support Principal Wan's proposal. Unfortunately... some people are set in their ways. Take those people from our academy's Single Divine Character Faction—all they think about is internal strife. People like that are the real cancer; they're not even as good as our friends among the myriad races..." Su Yu looked thoroughly wistful and indignant, appearing rather helpless. Looking at the tigress again, he chuckled, "I hope Princess Qing won't get mixed up with people like them. Their noses are stuck in the air, thinking they're the greatest under heaven!" Xia Qing replied meekly, "Those of us from outside wouldn't dare interfere in the grand affairs of the Human Realm. We came merely to acquire advanced knowledge, hoping to bring some progress to the Cloud Tiger race. Student Su, my apologies, but I fear I cannot get involved in such matters." "Completely natural, I understand!" Su Yu laughed. "In any case, if you run into any trouble that I can help with, feel free to come to me. Meeting like this is fate! Of course, if you could offer some merit points as compensation, that would be even better..." Su Yu teased, "Princess Qing is royalty after all, surely you aren't short on such petty cash..." Xia Qing smiled. "Then if the need arises in the future, I will surely ask for Student Su's help." "..." As the two chatted away, Old Huang and Old Nie looked at each other. Old Huang transmitted, "This kid... is so polite to the myriad races... Is he genuinely in the peace camp, or does he have crooked schemes?" "What do you think?!" Old Nie retorted bluntly, "Look at him smiling so merrily—shifty-eyed and sly! He's been fishing for information the whole time. If they keep talking, he'll probably start asking how much merit she has on hand!" Just as he said that, Su Yu whispered, "Princess Qing, coming to the Human Realm, you probably don't have much human merit, right? You likely brought along raw resources instead. I have a friend who's extremely well-connected. If you ever need merit points in the future, you can trade treasures with my friend for merit... You haven't been exchanging them with the academy or the Xia Trading Company, have you? That's a total rip-off—they're way too greedy!" Su Yu kept his voice to an absolute whisper. "Take yuanqi liquid, for example. If you give it to the academy, they only credit you 1 merit point, but if you want to buy it from them, it costs 5 merit points! If you deal with me, we'll give you 2 merit points per drop, and if you want to buy, we'll sell it to you for just 3 merit points!" Su Yu murmured, "A great deal, isn't it? Of course, only on a small scale; we wouldn't dare handle massive quantities. I'm only offering because we're classmates. Otherwise, if someone slapped us with the crime of colluding with the myriad races, neither of us could afford the consequences!" Xia Qing was slightly surprised. "Really?" "Of course!" Su Yu nodded, secretly making an assessment. Sure enough, these people were indeed exchanging resources for merit points! Naturally—how could Wan Tiansheng pass up the chance to fleece them! He wondered if he could intercept a cut and make a profit. Either way, these people's resources would inevitably be cashed in for merit points sooner or later. Entering secret realms required it; food and lodging required it. In the Human Realm, without merit points, these myriad races folks couldn't get by. Not far off, Old Huang and Old Nie were speechless. This kid had some serious nerve. He was even trying to poach the principal's business! Cozying up, cutting deals, and in the end, he might even sell the myriad races students out. He was truly no good egg! As they were talking, the portal opened. Someone came out! Several people emerged together. Seeing Su Yu, Zheng Yunhui asked in surprise, "Su Yu, what brought you here? Waiting for me?" "..." Su Yu couldn't be bothered with him. After a thought, he suddenly smiled and said, "Yunhui, the one beside me is a student from the Myriad Races Academy, and a princess of her race to boot..." Zheng Yunhui's face twisted, his eyes widening! Killing intent erupted! Suddenly remembering something, he snorted, swallowed his rage, and strode away. Whatever interest he had in chatting with Su Yu had vanished completely. Wan Mingze and Xia Chan were also present. Seeing this, they glanced at Su Yu, said nothing, and departed swiftly. Su Yu said in a low voice, "Don't mind them. Such a pity—I was hoping to introduce you to a few friends. It seems they still harbor prejudice against the myriad races. Understandable, really. I was the same at first, but later I realized that the myriad races aren't necessarily enemies. They can be friends too..." Xia Qing said gratefully, "Thank you, Student Su!" "Don't mention it!" After exchanging a few more words, Old Huang urged, "Which of you is going in first..." "Instructor, let Princess Qing go first. I'm in no rush. If Princess Qing stays out here too long, she might draw hostility from others." Old Huang impatiently reached out with a hand, hoisted Xia Qing into the air, and tossed her straight into the secret realm! Done! The moment Xia Qing was gone, before Old Huang could say a word, Su Yu blurted out, "Old Huang, does the Cloud Tiger race have any innate talents? How much is their blood essence worth? Do the Cloud Tigers have any special local products? Do they have a lot of valuable things?" "..." *You really aren't human!* Just a second ago, it was "Princess Qing" this and "come to me for help" that, and the moment she turned her back, you're asking how much her blood essence is worth! Do you have any shred of humanity?! Exhausted in spirit, Old Huang snapped testily, "Of course they have an innate talent. Cloud Tigers are tigers that ride the clouds—extremely fast! Their innate talent is Wind Control, reducing resistance. Their blood essence isn't worth that much; for early Wanshi Realm, the academy prices it at 5 points a drop." "Five points?" If the academy only offered that much, it would be even cheaper on the black market. As expected, worthless! On the same tier as Ironwing Birds! "However, that race does have a specialty product!" Old Huang chuckled. "In the habitat of the Cloud Tiger race grows an herb called Qingling Grass. It's the primary ingredient for a certain pill that aids in cultivating movement techniques and opening apertures. A single stalk is worth 10 merit points. If the Cloud Tigers brought items with them, this is likely what they have the most of!" He added playfully, "Don't even think about it. If you want to scheme against the myriad races, you're still too green. Those goods were already claimed by the principal long ago. Don't go getting any crooked ideas!" "Instructor, you misunderstand me!" Su Yu chuckled. "Instructor, you really misunderstand me. I had no such intention! I was just teasing that tigress earlier. By the way, are the myriad races students really that weak? That tigress is only at the Wanshi First Layer, and she made top ten?" "Nonsense! Do you think they come to the Civilization Academy to cultivate their physical bodies? She counts as a Civilization Master too—at the peak of the Yangxing Realm!" "Oh!" Su Yu saw the light, feeling that her value wasn't all that great. Cloud Tiger blood essence didn't seem worth much either. "Instructor, do Cloud Tigers count as a neutral race?" "More or less!" Old Huang said with disdain, "Naturally, they take orders from the Flying Tiger race, who are our enemies! The Cloud Tiger race is weak, so they sit on the fence—they don't dare offend humans, nor do they dare disobey the Flying Tigers. Coming to the Human Realm doesn't mean they harbor good intentions!" He looked at Su Yu. "Why are you asking so much, kid?" "Just curious!" Su Yu grinned. "Just seeing if there's a chance to build some connections. In the future on the All-Heavens Battlefield, if we remember being classmates, it might even save my life. Instructor, do you think I can beat that tigress from earlier?" "Tough!" He continued, "Mainly speed. She's extremely fast; you might not be able to catch up! But if you do catch up, with your strength, beating her to death wouldn't be very hard!" "That's good to hear!" Su Yu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Sounds like she wasn't all that impressive. "Instructor, does she have fur on her face?" "No, but she has a tail. What, are you really having thoughts about her?" "Nope!" Su Yu denied it! He had no inappropriate thoughts whatsoever; it was just making friends! When away from home, one relies on friends! His dad had said so! When out and about, one should make more friends. Another friend meant another path—who knew, maybe one day he could turn a profit off them, or even many profits! "Instructor, among the myriad races, are there any that have genuinely sided with humanity?" "There are!" Old Huang smiled. "Several races have maintained cooperative relationships with us. For example, the Heavenly Horse race. Among the Longwu Guards, there is a unit called the Tianma Guards that rides Heavenly Horses. That race is on fairly good terms with us..." Su Yu silently complained: *Using them as mounts counts as being on fairly good terms?* Never mind, he wouldn't ask further. After waiting outside for about two hours, Xia Qing emerged. Su Yu cheerfully exchanged a few pleasantries before finally heading into the secret realm. ... Once Su Yu entered, Xia Qing took her leave. Old Huang chuckled. "Do you think this kid can actually fool anyone?" "Without much interaction, he can definitely pull it off. In prolonged contact, it depends on whether he keeps up the act. If he keeps acting, the kid definitely has the potential of a con artist!" Old Huang chuckled; there was no fault in those words. Su Yu was terrifyingly good at putting on an act. Unless he felt safe enough to let his guard down around you, you wouldn't see his genuine emotions; otherwise, you couldn't tell at all that this guy was a ruthless, black-hearted scoundrel. As for crushing Huang Qifeng last time, that was revenge, and nobody felt he was in the wrong. ... Meanwhile. Inside the secret realm. Su Yu's cultural weapon materialized. Slashing downward, saber light flashed, feeling more potent than before, the blade glinting with cold light. "Not bad. Although it's not overwhelmingly strong, the trait is pretty good!" Su Yu nodded. Outlining his sixth divine character had gone quite smoothly. It was just that the character was a bit weak! No matter. Worst-case scenario, he could just hammer it several times a day and nurture it well. Su Yu ceased testing the trait, sat cross-legged, and began opening apertures again. This time, he intended to open the apertures for the Soul Devour Art. Once the ability to corrode and burn willpower was unlocked, he would have another trump card. Outlining a few more divine characters on top of that would be even more formidable, giving him solid confidence to challenge the top thirty students. "My teachers told me not to get involved... But if I don't get involved, how do I make money? How do I grow stronger? Growing amidst a storm is much faster!" As for danger, inside the academy, danger was reduced to the barest minimum. If he didn't dare fight for an opportunity now, wouldn't he have even less courage once he left the academy? Su Yu closed his eyes, apertures lighting up one after another. Cultivate! Within his mind, the small hammer sprang into action, striking against the sea of will. At first, there was no pain, but soon, as his willpower was compressed, a throbbing agony surged! A sensation as if his head were splitting apart! Every hammer strike felt like it landed squarely on his heart, each blow making him feel as if he were about to blow apart! Even as it struck, his willpower was nourishing the small hammer. This was a formidable willpower offensive technique! The stronger the hammer, the more terrifying it became. If one day a single hammer blow could shatter the willpower of a Shanhai Realm expert, that would be truly badass!