I Understand!

Wan Tiansheng did not pursue the previous topic. Soon, he smiled and said, "You certainly are cautious. It has been quite a while since I last summoned you. Did you wait until Hong Tan returned before coming here out of fear that I would harm you?" "Not at all, not at all!" Su Yu replied with an honest, simple demeanor. "Principal, you misunderstand. I was just afraid of causing you trouble! Before my grandmaster returned, if the principal summoned me, wouldn't that cause the Single Divine Character Faction to misunderstand? They would think you were favoring me." Wan Tiansheng chuckled. Rising slowly, Wan Tiansheng blurred before Su Yu's eyes and appeared right in front of him. "Su Yu... do you know why I summoned you?" "I do not!" Su Yu lowered his head, not daring to look at him. This old guy... *cough cough*, this powerful Principal Wan was truly formidable! Far too strong! Wan Tiansheng let out a soft laugh. "I want to conduct a small experiment, and you are the best material for it!" Su Yu's heart tightened! "Afraid?" "No, not at all... The principal is wise and mighty..." Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. "Wise and mighty? You curse me quite a bit in your head, don't you?" "I wouldn't dare." "You wouldn't dare, but you didn't deny doing it, did you?" "I didn't..." Su Yu felt a headache coming on. Why harp on these specific words! Wan Tiansheng smiled again, giving Su Yu chills down his spine. Just what in the world did he want to do! "It is a good thing!" Wan Tiansheng said indifferently. "You have outlined quite a few divine characters. You have seven by now, don't you?" Su Yu was slightly shocked inside, but he nodded. "Yes." "Are they all human race characters?" "...Yes..." "So you can only outline human race divine characters?" "This... Principal... I..." "No need to explain," Wan Tiansheng said calmly. "You have your own opportunities. Just as you told Zhou Pingsheng before, every expert has their own opportunities and heritage. As for me, I have no interest in your secrets!" Wan Tiansheng paused, then smiled. "Since that's the case, all the better! In fact, even if I didn't say anything, you would only be able to outline human race characters anyway. Still, I must advise you: it is best to only outline human race divine characters! Hong Tan is someone close to the Sun and Moon Realm. He should have told you that non-human divine characters currently experience some repulsion when advancing to Sun and Moon, right?" Su Yu nodded. Actually, it wasn't Hong Tan who had told him; Bai Feng had made such a conjecture long before. Of course, there was no need to mention that. Wan Tiansheng continued, "There might be some issues with the divine characters of all races, and perhaps there are issues with human race characters as well. Still, I would like to try and see the result!" *The result?* Su Yu couldn't help asking, "Principal, you mean..." "Do you know that to this day, not a single person has advanced to Sun and Moon with a human race divine character as their primary divine character?" Su Yu nodded! He knew this! The human race had no eternal divine characters, and eternal divine characters could essentially be considered Sun and Moon divine characters. In other words, no human had ever relied on a human race divine character to advance to Sun and Moon. The Fifth Head seemed to have had a few human race characters advance to Sun and Moon divine characters. However, they were not primary divine characters, and their advancement had succeeded through relying on divine character battle techniques rather than advancing as standalone human race characters. Wan Tiansheng said indifferently, "I wonder whether human race divine characters would become exceptionally powerful once they advance to eternal divine characters!" Su Yu hesitated before asking, "Principal, you... haven't had any human race characters advance to eternal divine characters either?" Wan Tiansheng was definitely terrifyingly strong! Wan Tiansheng smiled. "The eternity I speak of is not the eternity you imagine, but true eternity! What you understand as eternity should instead be defined as Sun and Moon divine characters!" Su Yu remained silent. Did this mean Wan Tiansheng actually possessed human race Sun and Moon divine characters? As expected, he was at least a Sun and Moon expert. Moreover, human race characters were likely not his primary divine characters, yet he had still advanced them to Sun and Moon. Was he another Fifth Head? Terrifying! It seemed only the Fifth Head had previously advanced human race divine characters to the Sun and Moon Realm. "Then, Principal, your meaning is..." "Cultivate well!" Wan Tiansheng's eyes were deep as he looked at him. "You are very good! Your divine character battle technique incorporates a great many outlined characters. I have been pondering something: when dozens of human race characters fuse together, can they break through the boundary?" Su Yu was shaken inside. Maintaining his composure on the surface, he said, "Principal, my divine character battle technique does have many base characters, but it still falls short of the Fifth Head..." "Is that so?" Wan Tiansheng said faintly. "Then perhaps my senses were mistaken! Since you have not outlined many characters and hold no value for cultivation, you may leave!" Su Yu spun around and walked toward the exit! *Then I'm leaving!* *Staying around you is terrifying; I feel like I have no secrets left at all!* Wan Tiansheng: "..." He had been completely snubbed! *You clearly knew my next line, even though I hadn't said it yet.* *If you outline many divine characters, you have cultivation value.* *I simply hadn't finished speaking.* *And you really just walked away?* This was the first time he had ever been snubbed like this by a student! Without a word from Wan Tiansheng, Su Yu took several steps, only to freeze in shock. He was still in the exact same spot, and Wan Tiansheng was still right in front of him. In fact, Su Yu was practically pressing against the old man now... *cough cough*, pressing right up against Principal Wan! Su Yu swallowed hard, nervously taking a step back as he said awkwardly, "Principal, you... I... well..." Wan Tiansheng simply watched him. After a moment, he smiled faintly. "Do not be nervous, Su Yu. I merely want to see the potential of the human race. I could have looked for others, but you are very suitable, and I cannot be bothered to seek out someone else." "Principal..." Suppressing his racing heartbeat, Su Yu gave a dry laugh. "Then what do I need to do?" "Outline divine characters as quickly as possible and complete your divine character battle technique!" Wan Tiansheng said calmly, "Stop wasting time on trivial matters! The students of Great Xia Civilization Academy are merely a tiny corner of the myriad realms. Across the heavens and myriad realms, experts and geniuses are countless. Squabbling endlessly here is meaningless! I arranged your upcoming path long ago. If you want to fight, if you want to kill, why do it within the academy? The All-Gods Manor of the God Race, the All-Realms Purgatory of the Demon Race—those are the places where you should fight, where you should unleash your strength!" "I don't have money..." As soon as Su Yu spoke, Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. "No money? How about I confiscate those dozens of willpower texts of yours?" "..." Su Yu silently cursed in his mind... Fine, he gave up. *What do you mean by this!* *You won't give me any benefits, but your words tell me to just cultivate and not get involved. What's the point!* *If I don't get involved and can't go out on missions, are you trying to choke me to death?* *With no resources and no way forward, am I supposed to just wait around and die?* Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. "Biting off more than you can chew will only choke you! Digest your current gains first before anything else! If you truly want to go out on missions, then go. Just stay away from the All-Heavens Battlefield for now. Aside from that, where in the Human Realm can you not go?" "But..." Su Yu said with concern, "If I leave the city and someone tries to kill me, what do I do? My teacher is about to leave, my grandmaster is entering seclusion, and my martial uncle cannot leave..." "Then it means you were fated to die." Su Yu was speechless and rather irritated. Even knowing that the person before him was Wan Tiansheng—a suspected high-stage Sun and Moon Realm expert—he couldn't help snapping, "Principal, according to you, I'm not allowed to compete with the Single Divine Character Faction and should just wait for death?" He felt that Wan Tiansheng was deliberately picking a fight with him today. Even though he had no idea why this grand figure would pick on a mere Yangxing Realm student! *You won't let me fight, won't give me benefits, and then tell me to go out and fend for myself... Am I a Shanhai or Sun and Moon expert?* Wan Tiansheng chuckled. "Getting impatient?" "Young people simply lack patience!" Su Yu stayed silent. *I think I'm plenty patient!* "I never said you couldn't fight. Conflict fosters progress. I am merely reminding you: do not forget the fundamental essence of what you pursue!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "To make yourself strong! Whether you are a Civilization Master or a warrior, the ultimate goal is always self-empowerment! Whether researching cultivation techniques or deciphering civilizations, I simply hope you do not get blindly obsessed with the minutiae! As for taking on missions outside... that is also a tempering of oneself! How about this: I promise that no one at or above the Shanhai Realm will make a move against you at any time. How does that sound?" "..." Su Yu rolled his eyes internally! *Give me a break!* *I'm only in the Yangxing Realm! Why would they need a Shanhai expert?* *A random Tengkong Realm cultivator could slaughter me!* Wan Tiansheng smiled again. "Doesn't your research center have several demonic beasts? Hong Tan applied for mount quotas long ago, so why not put them to use? Reach the Tengkong Realm quickly and stop wasting so much time on trivial matters. Time is running out..." *What is running out?* Su Yu caught the key phrase! He couldn't help looking at Wan Tiansheng! Wan Tiansheng didn't look at him. Walking to the window, he gazed outside and sighed. "The Human Realm is actually relatively peaceful. People speak of the struggle across the heavens and myriad realms as the human race declining, but in truth, the human race is not weak. The most dangerous period was over three hundred years ago during the invasion of the myriad realms. That was when true peril struck. Back then, the Human Realm was united as one, which was why so many Invincible Realm experts emerged during that era!" "Over three hundred years ago, we repelled the enemy. Ever since, however, the Human Realm has actually been steadily declining." "Declining?" Su Yu asked in confusion. "Has it really?" "What do you know!" Wan Tiansheng said calmly, "Over three hundred years ago, dozens of Invincible Realm experts emerged in the Human Realm! Over three hundred years later, newly born Invincibles are scarce—pitifully scarce. Many human Invincibles have fallen, yet the number of new Invincibles is fewer than those who perished!" "This holds true for the Invincible Realm, and it holds true for the Sun and Moon Realm!" "This situation has persisted for many years. People are not fools; many have recognized it. That is why disputes have broken out among the various prefectures. They wish to consolidate power, unify the Human Realm, and see if presenting a united front against external foes can produce a few more Invincibles..." Su Yu scratched his head, feeling that this was far too distant from him. Principal Wan telling him all this seemed rather pointless. Wan Tiansheng smiled. "It is meaningful! Listen to me! Some experts in the Human Realm wish to change the current state of affairs, but others hold differing opinions. Do you know that some individuals have even put forward a philosophy..." "What philosophy?" "That the Human Realm must not produce any more Invincibles!" Su Yu was stunned. *What does that mean?!* "Because the human race is already very strong and poses a threat to the mighty God and Demon Races!" Wan Tiansheng said faintly. "Therefore, whenever a new Invincible is about to be born among humans today, the myriad races launch coordinated assassinations and interference, triggering a massive war... just like what happened to the Fifth Head all those years ago!" "Consequently, some argue that we should maintain the status quo, with no need to cultivate new Invincibles. They claim that by exercising restraint and maintaining balance with the myriad races, as long as we preserve the current equilibrium, we can secure lasting peace!" Su Yu stared dumbfoundedly. "This... isn't this giving up eating for fear of choking? Because the myriad races are wary of us, we shouldn't produce more experts? Are they... fools?" Wan Tiansheng sighed. "Fools? Perhaps you think so! But what if I told you that every time a new Invincible is born, it could lead to the death of a powerful veteran Invincible? Would you still think they are fools?" "Why?" Wan Tiansheng sighed again. "Because of obstruction by the myriad races! Every breakthrough to the Invincible Realm triggers an all-out war, and almost every single time, an Invincible falls! The newly ascended Invincible might succeed, but an older-generation Invincible might perish in the process! It happens every single time!" Wan Tiansheng lamented, "This is the strategy of the myriad races! They do not assault the Human Realm with brute force; instead, they whittle down our strength! If you produce a new Invincible, we will swarm and kill together; if another arises, we strike again! They terrify the human race until no one dares to advance anymore!" Su Yu gritted his teeth. "They're trapping us, forcing us to tie our own hands and wait for death?" "Precisely!" Wan Tiansheng nodded with a smile. "That is the idea! Yet it is also the reality. Think about it: can the older-generation Invincibles endure such losses? For every new arrival, a human Invincible dies. It happens almost every time... Tell me, in such circumstances, is it truly foolish for them to feel that no more Invincibles need to emerge?" Su Yu was speechless. *Were they fools?* It was hard to say. Trading the life of a veteran Invincible for a new one—was it worth it? It was easy to criticize from the sidelines. Going by his own temperament, he would naturally fight to the bitter end! However, the lives of those veteran Invincibles were lives too, and they were heroes who had defended the human race against the myriad realms back then. Under these conditions, could their desire to stop the dying be understood? Yes, it could! Even so, Su Yu couldn't help saying, "If things continue like this, the human race will face a generational gap. Sooner or later, disaster will strike!" "Indeed. That is why King Dazhou and his faction are currently preparing to activate the suppression power of the Human Realm. That is one solution." Wan Tiansheng smiled. "The older-generation Invincibles are caught in a dilemma right now. Which path should they choose? Should they push forward, or should they simply turtle up and endure?" Su Yu was puzzled. "When our human Invincibles fall, can't they kill their Invincibles in return?" "They can!" Wan Tiansheng nodded. "Never underestimate those veteran Invincibles. Generally, even if they die in battle, taking down one or two enemy Invincibles with them is feasible! However, there are far too many races hostile to us, and they have far more Invincibles. The trade is simply not worthwhile!" "Why are they so fixated on invading the Human Realm?" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Because it is worth it! The Human Realm is a treasure trove; you will understand eventually. The Human Realm is actually not that large, and our rise has been relatively recent, yet the number of Invincibles born from humanity is no fewer than those of the God and Demon Races! We simply lack their ancient foundation. Aside from that, there are other reasons, which we won't go into now." With that, Wan Tiansheng added, "Do you know why the Fifth Head died?" "..." Su Yu was at a loss. How could he know? After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Because the myriad races feared the emergence of an Invincible Realm Civilization Master! My grandmaster said that an Invincible Civilization Master is much stronger than a physical warrior Invincible and can fight several opponents alone!" "Fool!" Wan Tiansheng cursed outright. "Hong Tan is a fool! What does he know!" Su Yu felt helpless. Wan Tiansheng's words left him unable to argue. *Jumping from one topic to another, what are you actually trying to say?* Wan Tiansheng glanced at him and said in a low voice, "The death of the Fifth Head proved only one thing! You say the Multiple Divine Characters Faction was suppressed while no one intervened, but in truth, a group of people was covertly fueling the flames behind the scenes..." Su Yu's headache grew even worse! *Why are you telling me all this? The more I know, the faster I'll die.* "I am merely helping you understand priorities!" Wan Tiansheng said indifferently, "Let me put it this way: what, in my judgment, is the greatest function of an Invincible Realm Civilization Master? It is to activate the suppression power of the Human Realm! Do you understand now? Do you get it?" Su Yu froze! Wan Tiansheng said calmly, "This is the crux! The Fifth Head died because of this! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction was suppressed because of this! As I told you earlier, some people want the current peace to last a few more years. Therefore, the existence of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction is actually the trigger that could ignite a war across the myriad realms! The moment someone from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction advances to an Invincible Civilization Master, war... will break out immediately! Why do you think those people targeted the Fifth Head and Liu Wenyan?" "Do you think it was out of fear of a single Invincible appearing?" "Do you truly think it was because an Invincible Civilization Master would be somewhat stronger?" "Nonsense, all of it!" Wan Tiansheng said coldly, "It is because the Multiple Divine Characters Faction—or rather, the Civilization Master lineage—simply cannot be allowed to produce an Invincible! It is that simple! The moment an Invincible emerges, war begins—a conflagration sweeping across all realms! If the Human Realm gains its suppression power, do you think the powerful races coveting the Human Realm will stand by? Understand what I mean: King Dazhou was not necessarily opposed to the Fifth Head, or else his younger brother would not have gone to save the Fifth Head! Remember this!" "..." Su Yu was completely dumbfounded! *Holy crap!* *What did that mean?* He understood the words, yet a chill ran down his spine! Swallowing hard, he asked, "You mean... it wasn't just one person, but an entire group of people who, in order to prevent war from breaking out right now, cannot allow anyone from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction to attain the Dao, or even show the potential to attain the Dao, lest it trigger an early war among the myriad races?" "Now you understand!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "I told you not to cause such a ruckus, but you refused to listen! Liu Wenyan, Hong Tan, and their peers... to be honest, in my eyes, their chances of reaching Invincible are slim. You, however... have a glimmer of hope! So stop running around making trouble! Did you really think your grandmaster and the others were idiots? They felt a sense of crisis to varying degrees. Even if they didn't know the exact details, they could broadly sense the danger, which is why they lay low all these years..." Su Yu was in a daze. *Was that so?* Then... He couldn't help looking at Wan Tiansheng again. But according to what his grandmaster had said in private, the major battle in the war zone this time was likely orchestrated by this very man! *If we aren't supposed to expose ourselves, what are you scheming for?* *Aren't you contradicting yourself?* Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Don't overthink it. Some matters are far more complex than you imagine! Fifty years have passed. In the eyes of many, Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan no longer have any hope of reaching Invincible. At this stage, appropriately displaying some strength is also a method of preserving the Multiple Divine Characters Faction!" "..." Su Yu remained silent. He felt Wan Tiansheng was telling him far too much. So much that it terrified him! *I don't want to know this much!* *I'm only in the Yangxing Realm!* Among the human Invincibles, one faction was delaying the outbreak of total war, so they stood by and watched the Multiple Divine Characters Faction get suppressed—because if someone from this faction became an Invincible Civilization Master, war would arrive immediately. Another faction didn't want new Invincibles to emerge, because that would lead to the deaths of veteran Invincibles. Meanwhile, King Dazhou and his supporters wanted to activate the Human Realm's suppression power, which likely required an Invincible Civilization Master to accomplish. That meant King Dazhou might actually be an expert supporting the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! *Damn it!* *What kind of mess is this!?!* Su Yu felt completely overwhelmed! As a successor of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, it was best for him not to display excessive talent or combat strength during this period, or he would become a target of suspicion and fear. As for the older generation, Wan Tiansheng claimed that some people believed their potential had already peaked. Exposing their strength now was still dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as it was for Su Yu. *So in the end... I'm in more danger than Teacher Liu and the others?* *Is Principal Wan trying to scare me?* Su Yu stared blankly at Wan Tiansheng. Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. "Understood?" "I understand... but... Principal, you... aren't trying to scare me, are you?" Wan Tiansheng laughed. "Would there be any need for that?" Wan Tiansheng added, "You haven't reached Tengkong yet, so it doesn't matter too much right now. What makes you strong is primarily your physical body, and people cannot see much from that for now. Showing strength at this stage isn't a big issue. I summoned you partly to inform you of these matters so you understand the underlying situation, and partly to remind you: do not display anything too unusual in the Dao of Divine Characters. Since you walk the dual path of warrior and civilization, showing off more of your physical strength is fine, but do not make waves with your divine characters and draw wariness." Wan Tiansheng said with a faint smile, "Just keep it in mind. You are a clever person; channel that intellect onto the right path! When you first entered the academy, keeping a low profile was good. Cultivating and studying diligently was good! Now, you insist on stepping into the limelight. If I hadn't summoned you today, were you planning to throw the entire academy into turmoil?" "No!" Su Yu denied it immediately. *What a joke, I'm only in the Yangxing Realm!* *The principal really thinks too highly of me!* Now, he completely grasped the point. He muttered, "So I can show greater physical strength, but when it comes to divine characters, staying mediocre is fine! Or rather, that should at least be the impression I give to others. And as for anyone who truly witnesses the power of my divine characters, it's best if they never speak again?" *I get it!* *Silence the witnesses!* After all Wan Tiansheng's talking, Su Yu finally pieced together the main thread! First, anyone who discovered that his divine characters were remarkably strong, or saw the power of his divine character battle technique, had to be silenced if they were an enemy. Second, keep a low profile and do things in secret rather than constantly showing his face in public. Third, be a scheming pragmatist rather than an upright, righteous fool. Fourth, he didn't actually need to worry about Liu Wenyan and the others; saving his own neck came first. Fifth, the existence of the Single Divine Character Faction might genuinely serve to shield the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, even if the Single Divine Character Faction members didn't realize it themselves. ... Understood! Su Yu no longer argued. Humbly accepting the lesson, he said, "Principal, I understand your meaning! In the future, whenever I make a move, it will be just like now: physical strength as the primary weapon, divine characters as support. And you cannot favor me too openly either, lest everyone realize my talent in divine characters is too terrifying, deduce that I might become an Invincible Civilization Master, and try to kill me. Right?" Wan Tiansheng smiled. *Right?* *Perhaps!* *Is there hope?* *Not necessarily!* He had merely spoken off the cuff, though he genuinely did not want the current Su Yu to be overly ostentatious and showy. That would invite calamity! It could easily bring about fatal disaster! "Actually... I have also considered whether having you perform exceptionally well might lure certain people out. But I feared completely shattering the last glimmer of hope..." Wan Tiansheng murmured under his breath, then said softly, "Your teacher and grandmaster are enough for that role! You should focus on cultivating with peace of mind. As for these matters, forget them once you walk out that door; there is no need to dwell on them! I reminded you only in the hope that your journey might proceed a bit smoother..." It was complicated! In truth, his own emotions were rather mixed. He felt that Su Yu truly had talent and ability, and perhaps, like Liu Wenyan, Su Yu could lure out the schemers behind the curtain. Yet Su Yu was far too young! His potential was immense! As for old fellows like Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan, they were well past their prime, making them perfectly fine as bait. In his view, the chances of those two advancing their divine characters to Invincible were virtually nonexistent. Su Yu scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Principal, I understand your meaning! Since you think so highly of me... how about... giving me some benefits? With more money, I can cultivate faster..." Wan Tiansheng chuckled. "Benefits? The words spoken today are worth ten thousand pieces of gold! Is that not enough?" *He certainly doesn't beat around the bush!* *Demanding benefits right to my face!* Su Yu said sheepishly, "They are very important, and they helped me straighten out quite a few things, but... Principal, they don't help me much right now. Without resources, I can't break through, so it's useless!" "Rely on yourself!" Wan Tiansheng said lazily. "Don't you know about the Heavenly Archer Cult? If you want benefits, go take them yourself! Bai Feng and Chen Yong both know how to extract blood essence memories. Don't tell me you haven't learned?" "..." At this moment, only a heartfelt *holy crap* could express Su Yu's state of mind. *You know everything!* *Are you omniscient and omnipotent?* *I only just thought of that earlier, and you already know!* Not only that, but much of what was discussed today was bound to be top secret, yet Wan Tiansheng knew it all. Su Yu couldn't tell whether he was guessing or truly had intelligence channels, but he clearly knew far more than most people. Su Yu was completely bewildered. This man... felt even better informed than the Great Xia Manor Lord. Though he hadn't managed to extract any tangible benefits, Su Yu had no choice. It wasn't an entirely empty trip either; at the very least, he had acquired information that money couldn't buy. Without saying more, Su Yu took his leave. The moment he stepped through the door, a ray of white light descended behind him and vanished in an instant. ... After Su Yu left, Wan Tiansheng closed his eyes in contemplation. Some of those words shouldn't have been said to Su Yu. What was the use of a Yangxing student knowing so much? Yet, he couldn't help harboring a tiny sliver of hope! *The boy is still young; let him live a little longer!* If for nothing else, then for the vision that had faintly flickered across a corner of the grand tapestry—a battle where Lingyun fought Shanhai, crossing realms to clash. A century of lifespan must have yielded glimpses of crucial scenes. Even if it was only a fleeting flash, it would never feature a nobody or a useless image. "Su Yu..." At this moment, he recalled the trace of abnormality he had sensed from Su Yu that day during his first inspection of blood essence fluctuations. Back then, he had assumed Liu Wenyan had passed down a divine character to him, but that had since been disproven, meaning Su Yu possessed a separate opportunity of his own. Gently rocking his chair, Wan Tiansheng suddenly chuckled. "Pressure breeds motivation. Is this pressure... heavy enough?" *Was it enough?* He felt it was! *Stop bickering endlessly with the Single Divine Character Faction right now. If you truly defeat them... your peaceful days will come to an absolute end!*