Senior Martial Uncle

Cangshu Pavilion. Top floor. Chen Yong remained silent for a while before sighing softly. "Don't go outside for the next few days. Enter closed-door cultivation, and once the Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm opens, head straight inside to cultivate." "Master!" Wu Jia said indignantly, "They're spreading malicious rumors, and now the entire academy is talking about it!" She was furious and deeply aggrieved! Those bastards were taking their bullying too far. "They want to ruin you, do you understand?" Chen Yong sighed. Wu Jia fumed, "I know! I'm going to challenge Huang Qifeng to the life-and-death ring!" "Even though your junior brother destroyed Huang Qifeng's divine characters, his physical strength remains. Even in a life-and-death ring, you might not win against him..." "Then I'll fight until one of us drops dead!" "..." What a headache! Chen Yong glanced at his disciple—stubborn to a fault, bullheaded as could be. After her outburst of anger, Wu Jia hastily added, "Master, they're humiliating you! You're a researcher—can't you make them pay for this? Last time, that Xia Yuwen fined junior brother merit points!" Chen Yong said softly, "They didn't name names..." "They practically cursed at me directly!" Wu Jia was indignant. How was that not naming names? Chen Yong rubbed his temples and only spoke after a long pause: "We could go after them, but at most they'd be fined a few merit points. Understand?" Wu Jia stared at him, still not getting it. In any case, they had to take revenge! Even a fine of merit points was better than nothing! Seeing his disciple still failed to understand, Chen Yong sighed, "It really is exhausting discussing these things with you!" She was being looked down upon! Wu Jia felt aggrieved. This time she could genuinely feel it—she was being disdained! Chen Yong let out a breath and waved his hand. "Go back and rest. I know what to do. Don't step outside for the next couple of days!" "Master..." "Are you disobeying me?" Wu Jia had no choice. She walked into her room indignantly, fuming inside. If her junior brother were here, he would definitely beat those bastards to death! It was maddening that her own strength was so weak! After Wu Jia left, Chen Yong shook his head. He thought to himself that if Su Yu were around, things would be much easier to discuss. After pondering for a moment, a voice transmission talisman appeared in Chen Yong's hand. He fiddled with it briefly, put it away, and closed his eyes again. This disciple of his truly lacked patience. ... Civilization Academy. "Have you heard?" "What?" "Huge gossip! Did you know? Inside the academy, male researchers taking female students are all harboring dirty motives—rumor has it they all have that kind of relationship! Female researchers taking male students are the same! It's unbelievable; our academy's reputation is completely ruined!" "Really?" "Really! Absolutely true! It was spread by people from the Single Divine Character Faction themselves. Like that one in Cangshu Pavilion, and Yu... cough, cough, that elder also has male students... and many others! Holy crap, now I finally know why no one ever took me as a student!" "No way! So that's how it is! I was wondering why every researcher's disciples are either handsome men or pretty women!" "Great Xia Civilization Academy's reputation is thoroughly trashed now. And not just our academy—I heard other academies are like this too!" "..." October 15th. Early in the morning, explosive news broke out. The entire Great Xia Civilization Academy—and indeed, the entire Great Xia Prefecture—was abuzz with such rumors. As long as a student and researcher were of opposite genders, there was definitely an improper relationship between them! This news wasn't just blindly fabricated by random people; it had originated from the Single Divine Character Faction of Great Xia Civilization Academy. It was spread with vivid detail; some even claimed to have seen it with their own eyes, like how the one in Cangshu Pavilion had such a relationship with his student! And the rumors spread wider and wider. Not just that person, but many others—such as Elder Wu Yuehua, Elder Qi, and even... there was gossip about Principal Wan. Wan Tiansheng didn't take female students; he hadn't taken students in many years. As for Wan Mingze, people simply disregarded him. However, it was said... purely rumored, that Principal Wan had illicit relations with several female elders. Not only that, but several female researchers in the academy also had that kind of relationship with Principal Wan. In the academy, every female student studying under a male researcher was caught up in the slander! Even Ji Xiaomeng of the Ji family was rumored to have an unclear relationship with her teacher. Overnight, the rumors spread across the entire Great Xia Prefecture! Now, even passersby outside the academy in the Great Xia Prefecture knew about it. It had become the biggest scandal in the entire prefecture! If proven true, all the major academies in the Great Xia Prefecture would become laughingstocks throughout the entire Human Realm! ... "Outrageous!" "Utter nonsense!" Xiuxin Pavilion. Several elders were enraged, barging straight into the principal's office early in the morning. One elder with a fiery temper smashed a table to pieces with a single palm strike, roaring furiously, "Audacious scoundrels! Pushing things too far! They can fight their battles, but we stopped getting involved years ago. Aside from teaching a few students, we stay out of everything. Are they trying to drag us down with them now?" "What is the Single Divine Character Faction trying to do? Wipe out everyone in one fell swoop? Does no one in their faction take students of the opposite sex?" "..." Several elders were beside themselves with fury! Wan Tiansheng did not lose his temper. He said softly, "Old Zhou isn't that stupid. Everyone, what good does spreading such rumors do him?" Elder Qi cursed, "Good? What good could there be! Those idiots initially only wanted to spread rumors about Chen Yong, but the fools beneath them made a mess of it. When one spreads to ten and ten spreads to a hundred, how could it not blow up?" Even they didn't believe Zhou Mingren had orchestrated this himself. However, it was entirely normal for the fools under him to do idiotic things. Originally, they probably only planned to target people from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. But once something like this got out, how could it not spiral out of control? If you say Chen Yong and Wu Jia are involved, what about everyone else? Could outsiders help making associations? Elder Qi roared in fury, "Now Great Xia Civilization Academy has become a laughingstock! Wan Tiansheng, do you know what they're saying outside? They're saying Great Xia Civilization Academy might as well change its name to the Great Xia Teacher-Student Academy! Do you think that's a compliment?" Beside him, another elder also raged, "Bastards! How can such words be thrown around carelessly? Old Wan, if you don't give an explanation today, let alone anyone else, you won't even be able to answer to the Yuqiang Department! Find the ringleaders spreading these rumors, chop off their heads, and deal with this strictly!" They were livid! This was no longer just an issue of rumors. Now the whole Great Xia Prefecture was talking about it and spreading it. If this continued, Great Xia Civilization Academy's reputation would be thoroughly ruined. Who would dare apply to Great Xia Civilization Academy in the future? When these elders traveled to other prefectures or went to the Quest Realm, they would probably all be laughed at! Even if it was false, when repeated often enough, people would take it as truth. Another elder fumed, "Why doesn't his Zhou Mingren faction dare spread rumors about Zhou Mingren himself? He even took Xia Chan of the Xia family as a student—why didn't anyone dare start rumors about that? So the rest of us get wronged while Zhou Mingren sits up high, completely unscathed?" Wan Tiansheng had a headache. He said softly, "Stop shouting! This news spread through every street and alley overnight, blowing up across all of Great Xia Prefecture. It's likely not an accidental spread, but an intentional campaign. It cannot be ruled out that members of the All-Races Sect are stirring up trouble behind the scenes..." "Everything is the All-Races Sect to you?" Elder Qi snapped in anger, "I refuse to believe we can't find out! Deploy the Guard Army and the Court of Inspectors! Investigate everyone one by one! I want to track down the source! Wan Tiansheng, stop trying to smooth things over! Once I find the source, if it really came from Old Zhou's people, I won't let them off!" Other elders chimed in agreement. "What is real cannot be made fake, and what is fake cannot be made real! Investigate them one by one, tracing it back to its origins. As Civilization Masters, if we lack even that much ability, we've lived all these years in vain!" "Whoever spread it, whoever started it—once the source is found, execute them directly! Slandering rivals at the expense of the academy's reputation and destroying centuries of Great Xia Civilization Academy's pristine standing—what's the point of keeping such people alive if we don't kill them?" Multiple elders blew their tops! They wanted a thorough investigation from top to bottom! Whether the Single Divine Character Faction was behind this or not, as long as they dug to the bottom, nothing could stay hidden. If not, then so be it. If they were, those people could forget about brushing this aside! Wan Tiansheng closed his eyes, contemplated for a moment, and said, "Since you want an investigation, then investigate! Great Xia Civilization Academy's reputation indeed cannot be ruined by a few maggots! Have the Court of Inspectors and the Guard Army mobilize together, trace back to the root, and find the source! Once found, we will convene an elders' meeting to decide on the punishment!" "Humph!" Several elders were indignant. Convene a meeting to decide? They should make an example of the culprits immediately—what was there to hold a meeting over! Elder Qi said coldly, "Not only must we find who spread it, but we must also find who ordered it! Slandering researchers and genius students throughout the entire academy—Old Wan, if this isn't handled, don't blame teachers and students when they lose all reverence for the academy! Blindly playing the peacemaker is not what you should be doing!" Wan Tiansheng was speechless. Did I play the peacemaker? Didn't I just say to investigate? He simply thought the Single Divine Character Faction wasn't foolish enough to drag the entire academy and even the entire Great Xia Prefecture into their attack on Chen Yong; wasn't that courting death? These old fellows were in such a fiery rush that they gave him no room to speak. He wasn't defending the Single Divine Character Faction. The crux was that getting the facts straight was always better than acting blindly! What a headache! There was nothing more to say to these old fellows. Wan Tiansheng waved his hand and said, "Go investigate. Elder Qi, you and the others will take the lead. Once the results are out, we will talk!" The elders didn't waste another breath. This matter absolutely could not be tolerated! ... Soon, the entire Great Xia Civilization Academy was thrown into an uproar. The General Court of Inspectors. Old Huang had no choice but to take office ahead of schedule to lead the matter. Students were escorted in one after another by the Guard Army, with several elders supervising in person while the Court of Inspectors and the Guard Army conducted the interrogations. In a massive interrogation hall. Multiple elders gathered. As students were brought in one by one, Elder Qi barked, "When did the rumors reach your ears? Who told you? What was said? Recount every word clearly and without omission! You all know what methods Civilization Masters possess! If anyone dares lie or deceive, they will be expelled from the academy at best, or condemned as an All-Races Sect follower at worst!" The students trembled in fear. They had never imagined that casual private chatter would get them arrested by the Guard Army and the Court of Inspectors, much less personally interrogated by academy elders. Under such pressure, who dared conceal anything? Name after name was revealed, and soon, student after student was hauled in. Peeling back the layers one by one, several Single Divine Character Faction students were quickly apprehended. ... The Single Divine Character Faction Research Institute. In the massive office, Zhou Mingren remained silent, while several elders wore ashen expressions. Just moments ago, the Guard Army and the Court of Inspectors had barged right in, interrupted their meeting, and hauled away several genius students right before their eyes! Among the crowd, Zhou Pingsheng turned slightly pale, not daring to utter a peep. Right now, those taken were merely students outside the Top 100 Rankings, yet the situation was growing increasingly dire. Zhou Mingren looked at the group below. After a long while, he said calmly, "Summon all faculty and students of the Single Divine Character Faction. Let me see who else they plan to take away!" "Old Zhou!" Yu Hong said furiously, "Have the Court of Inspectors and Guard Army gone mad? With several of us present, how dare they take people from right under our noses!" Zhou Mingren glanced at her indifferently and said calmly, "I have a rough idea of what this is about. I previously thought that while the Single Divine Character Faction has a mixed bunch, they at least had some brains. Now it seems... that may not be the case! Yu Hong, do you not know what happened? There are plenty of ways to deal with the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, but now the entire civilization academy has been dragged in, and the rumors have spread across all of Great Xia Prefecture. We've become a massive joke!" As Zhou Mingren spoke, he sighed. "I believed our people wouldn't be foolish to this extent, but... I'm not sure if someone among us is truly beyond saving!" He cast a sidelong glance at his student, Zhou Pingsheng! Have you really become this stupid? Even if you're an idiot, how could you be stupid enough to drag in the likes of Wan Tiansheng and Ji Hong? Do you truly believe the Single Divine Character Faction is invincible? Zhou Mingren felt deeply exhausted. Among his students, Zheng Yuming had both brains and shrewdness. Because of that, over the past few decades, the Single Divine Character Faction had enjoyed smooth sailing, growing larger and stronger while thoroughly suppressing the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Yet ever since Zheng Yuming was plotted against... yes, plotted against! Zheng Yuming had awakened, and Zhou Mingren had questioned him thoroughly. On that day, Zheng Yuming had had no intention of striking; clearly, either Chen Yong had ambushed him, or Wan Tiansheng had orchestrated it intentionally! Ever since Zheng Yuming was crippled, the entire Single Divine Character Faction had fallen into total disarray! First, spending 100,000 merit points on that laughable blood essence research data! Next, due to his own momentary oversight, he was forced to pay nearly 100,000 merit points' worth of compensation to settle the previous text of will incident. Before one crisis could settle, another arose. The last matter had barely concluded, and now this! Could he still enter closed-door cultivation to break through to the Riyue Realm? He simply had no way to cultivate! After a few clashes, they lost a Shanhai, had a genius crippled, their partner Xia Yuwen was left half-dead, and their merit point losses approached 200,000. And now... was something else about to go wrong? With Zhou Mingren issuing the order, no one dared say another word. Faculty and students of the Single Divine Character Faction entered one after another. Soon, the room was packed, and the hallway outside began to fill up as well. Liu Hong, being a Tengkong cultivator, was fortunate enough to secure a standing spot in a corner inside, quietly observing. In decline! After just a few disruptions, they had declined like this. He could see that the Single Divine Character Faction was strong on the outside but brittle within. Even without the Multiple Divine Characters Faction making a move, they showed an inexplicable tendency toward collapse! *Rumors?* Casting a sidelong glance at Zhou Pingsheng's pale face, Liu Hong cursed inwardly! *It can't really be this idiot, can it?* *Over such a trivial thing, you managed to make such a colossal mess?* *I'm genuinely impressed!* Not a single person from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had even stepped forward, yet disaster had struck out of nowhere! Just as he was thinking this, someone outside the building shouted, "Huang Qifeng, Zhai Feng, Zhu Hong, Qiu Yun... come out, all of you, and come with us!" In the office, Zhai Feng's expression changed dramatically, and he pleaded hastily, "Grandmaster, we didn't spread those rumors! Really, it wasn't us, Grandmaster..." Zhou Mingren said calmly, "Go, follow them! Whoever did it will naturally come to light! Old Qi and the others can investigate all they want, but slandering my people is deliberately looking for trouble!" "Grandmaster..." Several of them grew frantic! "Get out there!" Saying that, Zhou Mingren suddenly stood up. "I'll accompany you. I'd like to hear who spread it and who was making a fool of themselves!" He was furious as well! If it really was done by someone from the Single Divine Character Faction, he could only say that a purge was due. Too many fools would drag the entire faction down! Originally, Zheng Yuming had managed things splendidly. They had only one enemy: the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Toward everyone else—even Wu Yuehua and the others—Zheng Yuming maintained a polite, smiling face, neither offending nor cozying up to them. He yielded slightly to them, but whenever it concerned the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, he wouldn't budge an inch! Consequently, the academy elders understood this dynamic and stayed out of it to avoid bringing trouble upon themselves. A foundation painstakingly built had been completely ruined today! In a short period, they had offended elder after elder! ... The Court of Inspectors. Zhou Mingren arrived, accompanied by Yu Hong and a few others. Elder Qi paid them no heed at all. Old Huang was equally indifferent, remarking casually, "Since you are here, you may observe from the side. Principal Zhou, I hope you will not interfere with the investigation of the Court of Inspectors and the Guard Army! On the surface, this matter may not seem grave, but... if left unchecked, Great Xia Civilization Academy's pristine reputation of over three hundred years will be completely destroyed. To put it bluntly, Great Xia Civilization Academy's legacy might very well be severed starting from today!" By then, Zhai Feng and the others had also arrived. Ignoring the rest, Elder Qi barked, "Zhai Feng, Huang Qifeng, someone identified you as the ones who spread rumors about improper teacher-student relations. Is it true or false?" "False..." "Nonsense!" Elder Qi slammed the desk, his aura flaring as he roared, "You dare lie! Mere Yangxing students—did you truly think you could fool us? Do you take Shanhai experts for useless trash?!" With immense majesty, Elder Qi looked around the room before fixing his gaze on Zhou Mingren and the others, saying coldly, "Whether they're lying or not, you all can tell, right? Old Zhou, as a half-step Riyue, can you tell nothing at all? If so, you might as well resign from your post as vice principal!" Zhou Mingren said nothing. He naturally could tell that they were lying. In the domain of Civilization Masters, a Yangxing cultivator lying... Zhai Feng and the others truly took Shanhai experts for fools! Yu Hong and Elder Sun also looked extremely displeased. Zhai Feng pleaded hastily, "It's true, we didn't lie..." "Insolent!" *Boom!* Elder Qi struck out, sending Zhai Feng tumbling to the floor, coughing up blood, his face ashen. Elder Qi said coldly, "You've already been hauled in here and you still dare deny it! Speak: who ordered you? Audacious scoundrels! Mere Yangxing cultivators slandering Shanhai experts, and even dragging the Riyue Realm into this! Did you think having backers would make you untouchable?" "Old Qi, don't make insinuations!" Zhou Mingren said calmly, "I wouldn't stoop to ordering them to do such idiotic things. If I were that kind of person, I would never have reached half-step Riyue." Elder Qi let out a cold snort, not bothering to argue further. He turned to Huang Qifeng and barked, "Huang Qifeng, speak! Who ordered you to do it?" "No one..." Huang Qifeng's expression changed, and he rushed to explain, "I... we didn't slander any Shanhai or Riyue experts! Elder Qi, I admit that out of hatred for Wu Jia, I provoked her with a few insulting words to bait her onto the stage for a duel. But I really didn't spread rumors about anyone else..." His mind raced as he hurriedly added, "I admit that I intended to slander Director Chen Yong, but I didn't name any names back then! According to academy rules, disrespecting a teacher warrants a fine! I am willing to bear the consequences. Please show mercy, Elder!" "Humph!" Elder Qi scoffed coldly, turned toward the others, and asked coldly, "Huang Qifeng has confessed. What about the rest of you? Also, was it really only Chen Yong?" Saying that, he barked, "Bring him in!" Soon, another student was brought forward. Pale-faced, he dropped to his knees the moment he entered, trembling as he said, "Elder, it wasn't me! I only heard about it! It was... Zhai Feng and the others who told me to spread it! They gave me five merit points! If you don't believe me, you can check my merit card! It was really them—they transferred five merit points to me! Seeing how easy it was to earn money, I... I lost my mind and agreed! Elder, I confess!" Seeing this student, Zhai Feng's face turned deathly pale. He shouted hastily, "Elder, I only... I only asked him to spread a few rumors about Wu Jia! I never said anything else! Huang Hao, speak for yourself—isn't that the truth?" The student named Huang Hao looked distressed. "You're lying! You clearly told me that it's best to drag everyone into this so the other elders would stay out of it to prove their own innocence! The situation simply spiraled out of control and spread outside the academy..." Zhai Feng and the others turned pale with shock! Qiu Yun raged, "Huang Hao, how dare you slander us! Yesterday we only told you to spread news about Wu Jia. Nobody ever asked you to drag in the other elders! You're slandering us! You bastard, are you trying to get us killed?" Huang Hao panicked as well. "Liar! That's not what you said at all! Elder Qi, I'm not lying! I have no grudge against Wu Jia. I just wanted to make some money. There was no reason for me to frame anyone—I was just doing what I was paid for! They clearly said so..." Sweat poured down Huang Hao's forehead in his panic. "I swear, that's what they said! At first, I spread rumors about Wu Jia, but when Wu Jia stopped coming outside, I remembered what they told me and started spreading the rest of the rumors! Why else would I go crazy and drag in the elders for no reason? I figured five merit points was quite a lot, spreading a few rumors wasn't a capital offense, and nobody would investigate anyway. How was I supposed to know it would blow up like this..." "You're spewing utter nonsense!" Despite being injured, Zhai Feng was overcome with fury. He scrambled to his feet and lunged at Huang Hao! *Boom!* With a resounding strike from across the room, Zhai Feng was sent crashing violently into the wall. Elder Qi glared at him coldly, then looked at Zhou Mingren. "Students of your faction sure are daring! Attempting to assault a witness right in the interrogation hall!" Zhou Mingren simply shut his eyes, sighing inwardly at their sheer stupidity! He could vaguely tell that Zhai Feng and the others probably had only spread rumors about Wu Jia. However... that idiot Zhai Feng had actually tried to attack Huang Hao right before their eyes! That was courting death! Even if Elder Qi and the others had held doubts, they were furious now. After a long silence, Zhou Mingren spoke: "Examine Huang Hao's memories to see if anyone tampered with them! Zhai Feng is foolish, but dragging others into this would serve no purpose at all. Huang Hao doesn't seem to be lying either... Old Qi, check him. If it's our fault, we'll admit it! But if we're being framed, we cannot accept this!" Elder Qi frowned. After a moment's thought, he called over another elder and said, "The two of us will examine him together. Old Huang, you join as well! Let's see if Huang Hao's memories have been altered!" Huang Hao's words didn't match Zhai Feng's. However, facts proved that the rumors had originated from Huang Hao, and those who instructed him were indeed Zhai Feng and his group! Two Shanhai experts and one ninth-layer Lingyun expert stepped forward to inspect him. Directly peering into someone's memories was beyond their capabilities. However, determining whether they had been tampered with was simple: inspecting his sea of will would suffice. If an expert had altered his memories, anomalies would inevitably appear in the sea of will—it was impossible to leave no trace. All three inspected him for a long while. Eventually, Old Huang shook his head. "My strength is limited; I see nothing unusual!" Elder Qi and the other elder exchanged glances and shook their heads as well. Elder Qi looked at Zhou Mingren. "If you don't believe us, inspect him yourself!" Zhou Mingren stood up without a word, placing his large hand atop Huang Hao's head. After careful inspection, his heart jolted slightly, and he conducted a rapid sweep. No clues! Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. He noticed a small wound on Huang Hao's hand and asked coldly, "What happened to this wound?" Huang Hao trembled in terror. "A fall! I fell last night..." "A fall?" Zhou Mingren said indifferently, "You're a Yangxing cultivator, yet you trip and fall?" On Huang Hao's hand was a tiny cut. Huang Hao hastily explained, "I really fell! Yesterday I was busy getting people to spread the rumors. In my hurry, I didn't watch my step and fell..." Zhou Mingren said nothing. He leaned over, picked up Huang Hao's hand to inspect it closely, and after a while murmured, "A fall..." With that, he sighed. "I suspect someone tampered with his memories! Not through his sea of will, but by first extracting his blood essence, altering the memory imprints within, and then returning the blood essence to his body, causing memory confusion..." He looked at Huang Hao and asked, "Let me ask you: when you woke up this morning, were you dizzy, with blurred vision and a lack of strength throughout your body...?" Huang Hao muttered, "A little..." Nearby, Elder Qi snapped, "Enough! Zhou Mingren, let me ask you: can you achieve such a feat? Can a Riyue achieve it? Are you telling me an Invincible expert stepped in to alter his memories?" "No Invincible is needed... someone can do it!" Zhou Mingren's gaze turned chilling as he glanced out the window. "Hong Tan, Chen Yong, Bai Feng... people from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction might be capable of this..." Elder Qi was incensed! Old Huang also frowned. "Where is the evidence? Principal Zhou, at this stage, memory tampering isn't something you can just claim without proof. Where is your evidence? Based on mere words, are we supposed to round up everyone from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, torture them, and force them to confess whether they altered Huang Hao's memories?" Elder Qi ignored him entirely, using his energy to hoist up the half-dead Zhai Feng from a distance, demanding coldly, "Speak! Who ordered you!" Zhou Mingren's brow furrowed, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. What a ruthless scheme! This was not Hong Tan's style, and Bai Feng was heavily injured and currently incapable... Could it be... that fellow? Extracting blood essence and altering memory imprints—was it done by him? Had he already reached such a level? Or had he misunderstood? Zhou Mingren lowered his head, quietly returning to his seat, saying nothing more. They had taken the fall this time! Unless evidence could be found proving someone had truly altered Huang Hao's memories, anything Zhai Feng and the others said now would fail to clear their names! ... Cangshu Pavilion. Wu Jia was still pouting, but Chen Yong acted as though nothing had happened. He chuckled, "Still angry? It's not like they're only spreading rumors about you. Now the whole academy and the entire Great Xia Prefecture are in chaos. Those people just love wagging their tongues. Look—aren't they about to face retribution?" "Master, are those people insane? Now they're in trouble—serves them right!" Chen Yong laughed. "That's because they were too foolish. Speaking recklessly always comes with a price! Stop being angry. Today, Master will teach you something new: how to unleash greater explosive power..." "Explosive power?" "A self-harm martial skill—igniting your own blood essence!" Chen Yong sighed. "You're constantly getting beaten half to death. I... sigh! I shouldn't be teaching you this, but you're stubborn and never know when to compromise. Sooner or later, something will happen to you. Today, Master will teach you how to save your own life!" Chen Yong rambled on, "Humans, just like all races, possess blood essence! The all-races blood essence and innate blood essence your martial uncle and the others research—you know about them. Blood essence can be extracted from deceased beings, but it can also be extracted from living ones. Naturally, extracting blood essence causes severe vitality depletion!" Chen Yong said softly, "For humans, depending on strength, the amount of blood essence that can be extracted varies. At the Yangxing stage, one can extract around ten drops. Detonating one or two drops won't kill you, but it will leave you severely injured and weakened..." Wu Jia asked curiously, "Master, does it boost strength by a lot?" "Of course!" Chen Yong smiled. "You're at the Yangxing stage and ninth-layer Qianjun. Detonating a single drop of blood essence can increase your strength by more than ten percent. Of course, afterward you must recuperate thoroughly, or it will leave lasting repercussions." "Blood essence is crucial and wondrous! It even contains certain human instincts and memories. The demon blood essence your martial uncle extracts can activate innate skills because of innate imprints..." "Furthermore, memory fragments can also be extracted from it. That has been one of the primary research directions your martial uncle has pursued all these years!" Chen Yong spoke deliberately, pausing between words. Suddenly, a figure appeared outside the window of the tenth floor. Wu Jia couldn't see it, nor did she notice. Chen Yong glanced over. Wan Tiansheng was looking at him with deep, unfathomable eyes, his lips moving: "Chen Yong, conducting experiments on members of the All-Races Sect is one thing. If you dare lay a hand on academy students again, I will strike you down myself!" Chen Yong gave a slight nod without replying, continuing his instruction to Wu Jia. Wan Tiansheng stared at him with profound eyes for a long time. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction produced monstrous geniuses—many of them. However... if one truly turned into a monster, they ought to be slain! Just as Wan Tiansheng was about to leave, Chen Yong's faint voice drifted over: "Principal, respect is mutual! Back then, Jiajia's parents were ambushed and killed by the All-Races Sect in the outskirts for my sake. I witnessed it with my own eyes. Those who wag their tongues recklessly deserve to die! I have already exercised great restraint!" Wan Tiansheng frowned. "This is the first time. I do not want to see a second!" "There won't be a second time. Last time Jiajia was severely injured, I didn't say anything because she brought it on herself. I, Chen Yong, am still a reasonable man. But this time... they wanted to kill her. If there is a next time, I will kill every last one of them before you can kill me!" Wan Tiansheng's brow furrowed tightly. Turning back, he saw Chen Yong still earnestly instructing Wu Jia on how to detonate blood essence to kill enemies in critical moments. "Chen Yong, advance to the Shanhai Realm sooner, and they will naturally stop targeting Wu Jia..." "Whether I advance or not is my own affair; it has nothing to do with Jiajia. Principal, I have a gentle temper, but... when an honest man loses his temper, it can be terrifying!" Chen Yong looked over with a smile. "I want Zhou Pingsheng's life. Until he is dead, I will not let this rest!" "..." Wan Tiansheng shot him a cold look, said nothing more, and vanished on the spot. Chen Yong continued his lesson gently, a smile still on his face. "Jiajia, remember: to kill an enemy, you don't necessarily have to face them head-on. There are many ways! Learn from your junior brother. He's as sharp as they come. If an Invincible expert faces another Invincible head-on, he might die in the attempt, but with certain methods, he might be able to kill several Invincibles..." "Methods?" Wu Jia said with a grimace, "Master, I don't like using schemes and underhanded tricks!" "You... sigh!" Chen Yong said with an aching head, "This is called... forget it, just keep charging recklessly! Our Multiple Divine Characters Faction isn't counting on you to bring glory to the lineage anyway. You just focus on cultivating properly. As for me, I'll figure out a way to play matchmaker between you and your junior brother. He's sharp and capable of protecting you..." "Master!" Wu Jia protested in embarrassment and annoyance, "I... I don't think of him that way! Why are you spouting nonsense!" "..." Chen Yong chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright, alright, Master won't say any more. It'll depend on your own fate!" He sighed inwardly. A teacher would grow old and die one day; how much longer could he look after her? Su Yu... He had hopes of reaching the Riyue Realm! As for himself, did he still have hope of reaching Riyue? With a soft chuckle, he cast the thoughts aside. Borrowing trouble from tomorrow was a fool's errand; that was still a long way off.