Primordial Spirit Aperture

After finishing his conversation with Hu Qiusheng, the instructor arrived to begin the class. Su Yu went back to playing his role as an obedient little angel, listening intently to the lecture. In his mind, however, he was thinking about other things. For instance, he was short on cash lately, and he wondered whether he could still collect his allowances. On the Top 100 Rankings, he was the highest-ranked freshman. Logically speaking, that made him first place in the monthly exam, which meant ten merit points. The class monitor stipend was five merit points. The top-high student stipend was three merit points. As for the Top 100 Rankings, he was currently ranked twenty-ninth. He had been twenty-fourth before, but recently some had dropped off the board while others rose, bumping Su Yu down a few spots. Even so, according to the ranking brackets, he should still be entitled to a ten-point subsidy. Adding it all up, Su Yu was owed twenty-eight merit points in subsidies for the previous month. However, some bastard had declared last time that his subsidies were canceled. He wasn't sure if the academy was actually enforcing that. That guy was merely an inspector, not the head of the Disciplinary Court. *I’ll have to go ask. Twenty-eight points is no small sum.* Su Yu calculated in his head. He was dirt-poor right now. Setting aside the eleven hundred points of debt he owed, he had only about a hundred and thirty merit points on hand; the rest had been burned through on all sorts of expenses. Moreover, these counted toward cumulative merit points. Entry to certain secret realms was only permitted once a person's cumulative total reached a certain threshold. It wasn't just secret realms, either. Even certain cultivation methods—though Su Yu didn't particularly need them—required sufficient cumulative merit points. Accepting missions, purchasing resources... In Great Xia Prefecture, cumulative merit points represented a person's social standing. The higher the accumulation, the higher the status, and the more things one could accomplish. Future researcher titles, promotions, and competing for quotas all required cumulative merit points. …… He listened through the class absentmindedly. The moment it ended, Su Yu headed straight for the exchange office. "Please check for me: have my merit rewards from last month arrived?" Su Yu asked directly the moment he stepped through the door. It was the same young lady behind the counter as the last few times. Seeing Su Yu, she no longer wore her previous smiles. Keeping a stern face, she processed the inquiry in a strictly businesslike manner. After a moment, she said, "You were originally due twenty-eight merit points, but there is a disciplinary record canceling your high-tier student stipend. You have twenty-five points remaining." Su Yu thought back. That sounded about right; Xia Yuwen had only specified the student stipend that day. Twenty-five points was still a decent amount. Still, being docked three points wasn't just for a single month; there were years to come. He would have been entitled to that allowance all the way until he broke through to Tengkong. That bastard Xia Yuwen—Su Yu would definitely make him cough the money back up sooner or later. The cumulative loss was far too steep! Su Yu didn't care about the woman's cold attitude. It was undoubtedly related to the all-races affair. Women were driven by their feelings, believing every rumor that blew by. It was only natural she looked down on him. "Can it be reinstated?" "You may appeal to the Disciplinary Court!" "Understood. Just transfer the merit points to me, then." Su Yu didn't say another word, handing over his merit card. Soon, the twenty-five points were credited to his account. To be fair, the reward was quite generous. Su Yu thought about the rewards for the Top 100. First place earned thirty merit points a month, an original copy of a Wanshi Realm cultivation art, and maintaining first place for six consecutive months yielded a drop of god or demon blood essence. Compared to his current twenty-ninth place, those rewards were far more lavish. Holding first place for six months... also gave god or demon blood essence. A single drop of god or demon blood essence was worth well over a thousand merit points. For the Tengkong Realm, ten drops of god or demon blood essence were usually enough. Of course, that was something only towering clans with deep pockets could afford to pull off; ordinary people didn't have much hope of it. If one truly had no money, maintaining first place on the Top 100 Rankings for five straight years would yield ten drops of blood essence just the same. Mulling this over, Su Yu quickly left, paying no heed to the young woman's disdain. Women... *heh!* Taking whatever Xia Qing said as gospel truth. How foolish. Su Yu couldn't even be bothered to explain himself; it was utterly pointless. Having collected twenty-five merit points, Su Yu was reasonably pleased. At least he had some income trickling in. …… Divine Character College, Instructor Building. Elder Sun was a powerhouse of the seventh stage of Shanhai. Among the academy's thirty-six Shanhai Realm experts, those in the late stage were few. Elder Sun was also the vice head of Divine Character College. Yu Hong was likewise at the seventh stage of Shanhai. However, she was not a vice head, but the director of the Resources Office. That position was equally significant, perhaps even more practical than a vice head's, as Yu Hong held nearly absolute say over the allocation of resources within Divine Character College. Both maintained offices in the Instructor Building. Unless they were in secluded cultivation, they were typically found there. Su Yu didn't hold back in the slightest and headed straight for the vice head's office. He knocked on the door. Inside, Elder Sun was speaking with someone. Hearing the knock, he sensed the aura outside, and a peculiar look crossed his eyes. "Enter!" Su Yu pushed open the door and stepped inside, greeting with a smile the moment he walked in. "Greetings, Elder Sun..." As he spoke, he glanced at the old man sitting in the room. The man looked familiar, and Su Yu quickly recognized him—it was Lin Yao's grandfather! "Greetings, Teacher Lin!" Su Yu wore an utterly obedient expression. Elder Sun raised an eyebrow slightly. He strongly disliked Su Yu. Or rather, previously, he hadn't disliked him, hadn't paid him any attention, and hadn't cared. But Bai Feng had killed his student, so he now despised anyone associated with Bai Feng. For Su Yu to come to his office in person... was truly beyond his expectations. "Elder Sun, I'll take my leave then." Lin Yao's grandfather smiled and stood up to depart. Elder Sun gave a faint smile. "We haven't finished our discussion yet, what's the rush? Su Yu, whatever business you have, speak plainly." "Last time, Elder Sun promised to help me apply for a research institute site..." Su Yu chuckled sheepishly. "These past few days, I was nursing my injuries and couldn't attend to it. Now that I've recovered a bit, Elder Sun, could you take a look...?" Elder Sun was momentarily at a loss for words. This brat actually dared to come apply! Lin Yao's grandfather also gave Su Yu a surprised look and smiled. "Su Yu, are you really planning to establish a research institute?" Su Yu chuckled naively. "Of course! How could I go back on my word? I'm not the type of person who swallows his own promises; I can't afford that kind of embarrassment!" These words were practically an oblique barb aimed at someone else! Elder Sun let out a cold chuckle and said flatly, "Behind the Wen Tan Research Center, there's a decommissioned research institute. It has plenty of space! You want to apply, right? Very well. Assemble one Tengkong Realm expert, plus five students or instructors to meet the application threshold, and then come submit your application! Furthermore, your research proposal must be submitted to the scientific research committee. Once the proposal passes review, there naturally won't be any issue!" Su Yu bared his teeth in a smile. "Elder Sun, when an application for a research institute is approved, doesn't the academy disburse startup funding?" "There is!" Elder Sun said indifferently. "Are you sure you want to accept it? If you accept it, the academy reserves the right to use your research results free of charge! In addition, if no results are produced within the designated timeframe, that startup funding must be refunded!" Although the clawback clause had historically existed only on paper, this year, it was hard to say. The Disciplinary Court was preparing to make big moves, and research institutes were at the top of their list! There was a very real chance that some funds would actually be clawed back this year! "Free of charge?" Su Yu smiled. "Elder Sun, that can't be right. The academy only holds the right of first refusal; there's no policy granting free usage." Elder Sun sneered, too lazy to argue, and said nonchalantly, "You want to apply for startup funds, do you? There are too many projects lately, and the academy is about to slash a batch of useless research initiatives. To be blunt: your funding will not be approved!" It was as simple as that! He simply wouldn't give him any startup funds! Take it or leave it! Su Yu sighed helplessly. "Fine then. Elder Sun, so you're saying as long as I gather enough people and my research proposal is approved, I can open the institute?" "Correct." Elder Sun said coldly, "Once you've settled all that, come apply!" "Thank you, Elder Sun!" Su Yu wore an expression brimming with gratitude. "I will definitely get the institute up and running. Any future achievements that bring blessings to humanity will all be thanks to Elder Sun's tremendous support, granting me such good fortune..." Elder Sun shot him an impatient glare, gave a cold chuckle, and couldn't be bothered to respond. *Go ahead and bring blessings to humanity!* Su Yu said nothing more and departed swiftly. The moment he left, Lin Yao's grandfather smiled and asked, "Elder Sun, are you really going to approve it for him?" "It's just an empty shell. Setting it up costs almost nothing." Elder Sun dismissed the matter offhandedly. Lin Yao's grandfather pondered for a moment. "If he actually produces results, it might look rather embarrassing for us." "No matter!" Elder Sun chuckled. "Let him be. Delaying his cultivation is a good thing!" If you, Su Yu, haven't even reached Tengkong and spend all your time meddling in this sort of nonsense, that was fine by him. He could fool around as much as he liked. The two chatted for a few more moments and dropped the subject of Su Yu entirely. …… Meanwhile, Su Yu moved with remarkable efficiency. It was best to wrap this up today! Five students and one Tengkong expert. The students weren't difficult: his senior sister counted as one, Hu Qiusheng counted as one, he counted as one himself, so he only needed to find two more. As for the Tengkong... Asking Liu Hong was out of the question; that guy would probably swallow his research institute whole if he wasn't careful. Soon, Su Yu arrived at the Top 100 Building. Zhao Ming! Yes, the referee. A member of the Neutral Faction! Su Yu had consulted Zhao Li, as well as Old Huang and Old Nie. They had all given the same advice: it was best to find a researcher from the Neutral Faction. That way, they would be impartial. He could simply put their name on the roster and hand over a few merit points each year. If Zhao Ming dared to interfere with the institute's affairs, the Neutral Faction would penalize him. Today, no one was challenging the rankings. Zhao Ming wasn't on the stage, but resting inside the Top 100 Building, casually chatting with the young ladies handling administrative tasks. Su Yu had barely set foot inside the Top 100 Building before; on previous occasions, he had simply stepped onto the arena, fought, and left. This was the first time he had truly walked inside. Zhao Ming quickly sensed Su Yu's presence. Turning his head to look at him, he asked in surprise, "Su Yu?" The kid hadn't shown up yesterday, yet here he was today. "Here to challenge the board?" "No." Su Yu smiled. "I came to ask Teacher for a favor." "Speak." "Lend your name to a roster. Thirty merit points a year." Su Yu was direct, putting his offer on the table immediately. Zhao Ming understood instantly. At that moment, a few students passing through the main hall looked over at them upon hearing the offer. Su Yu couldn't be bothered with them, and Zhao Ming cared even less. Chuckling with amusement, he said, "A research institute?" "Yes." "Coming to me means you understand my value!" Zhao Ming chuckled. "I'm a man who plays by the rules! Whatever we agree on is what stands; I never dabble in foul play. But thirty points is too little. In the academy, finding someone to lend their name is extremely hard. Even if you find one, they might not be trustworthy..." Su Yu smiled. "Senior Brother Liu Chuan would be a good choice too." "Tch!" Zhao Ming knew who he meant—Liu Wenyan's student. But the man was no longer young and remained stuck in the Tengkong Realm. Zhao Ming curled his lip. "You want to drag him into muddy water? After what happened last time, those higher-ups overlooked him because they didn't care about a minor figure like that. If he stands out now to lend his name to your institute, he'll be thrust right into the spotlight. Would your conscience sit well with that?" Su Yu chuckled. "That's precisely why I came to Teacher Zhao. But I really do have other options, don't I, Teacher Zhao?" "A hundred points!" Zhao Ming skipped the pleasantries and named his price. "Fifty points every year, and you don't have to lift a finger. If you don't agree, Teacher, then forget it." "Deal!" Zhao Ming agreed without hesitation, laughing. "A small matter—talking money hurts feelings! What's your research topic? Do you need me to help you fabricate one? Just cobbling together something passable. Don't worry, the academy doesn't really care. "I don't charge much, and I guarantee it'll pass review!" Su Yu smiled. "Currently, I intend to research the Primordial Spirit Aperture." "The what?" "The Primordial Spirit Aperture!" Su Yu smiled. "According to my theory, there exists an aperture within the human body that connects origin apertures and divine apertures. Once it is located and opened, humanity can bypass the passive cultivation of the Kaiyuan stage! One could directly cultivate the Primordial Spirit Aperture! That way, origin qi and willpower can be cultivated simultaneously. In the future, there might not even be a Kaiyuan stage anymore—everyone could start directly with standard cultivation." Zhao Ming froze. He stared at Su Yu, speechless for a long time. He had thought the boy was just playing around, only for him to turn around and toss out a colossal, unprecedented topic! The Primordial Spirit Aperture! Su Yu had even named it! If such an aperture truly existed and humanity entered the era of the Primordial Spirit Aperture, Su Yu... might very well rewrite history, leaving a monumental mark in the annals of the human race! Zhao Ming's expression turned grave. "The Primordial Spirit Aperture... a connecting aperture between origin apertures and divine apertures?" "Yes!" "Does it exist?" "I don't know." "Then why research it...?" "You only find out whether it exists by researching it!" Su Yu smiled. "All discoveries come from exploring the unknown. Over the years, I've noticed that the path of Civilization Masters has stalled. There's far too little exploration. The Quest Realm—'seeking high and low'... yet today's Civilization Masters..." Su Yu gave a faint laugh and stopped himself, so as not to paint everyone with the same broad brush. Still, it had to be said that in Su Yu's eyes, the field of Civilization Masters had made no significant breakthroughs in recent years, merely rehashing the same old topics. Zhao Ming stared at him for a long while before asking, "You must have had an origin for such an idea. How did this thought come about?" "It came about after I opened three hundred apertures." Su Yu spoke casually. Much like Hu Qiusheng before him, Zhao Ming was rendered entirely speechless. *Damn it!* *Who are you trying to trigger?!* Feeling somewhat sour, Zhao Ming muttered faintly, "What's the use of opening so many apertures? You can't connect them all anyway." Su Yu laughed. "If we discover the Primordial Spirit Aperture, there'll be hope! Even merging origin apertures and divine apertures into one could become possible! I'm even wondering if the Primordial Spirit Aperture might be a crucial key for Civilization Masters to attain the Invincible Realm!" "……" At that moment, Zhao Ming was completely stunned. Su Yu... blinked. *Damn!* *What did I just say?* *It couldn't be true, could it?!* He had just been bragging offhandedly. Su Yu's eyes flickered. Divine character battle techniques were a key to attaining the Invincible Realm; human divine characters were a key to attaining the Invincible Realm; so why couldn't the Primordial Spirit Aperture be one as well? Did it truly not exist? He felt there was actually a chance it did! When he opened a vast number of apertures, he genuinely felt a faint sensation that there was another extraordinarily important aperture within the human body that had never been discovered. Su Yu's thoughts drifted, while Zhao Ming also seemed somewhat dazed. After a long pause, Zhao Ming suddenly said, "I'll lend you my name for free! But I want to join your research institute!" Just then, someone beside them spoke up. "Su Yu, can I join too?" Jiang Mu! Su Yu had noticed him earlier. Glancing at Jiang Mu now, he smiled. "I was just talking off the cuff earlier. You took it seriously?" "No, I didn't take the Invincible Realm part seriously! But the Primordial Spirit Aperture..." Jiang Mu said earnestly, "I think it might really exist! I once read a travelogue that recorded a powerhouse in the early days of the Anping calendar who unleashed a world-shattering strike, slaying a seventh-stage Shanhai expert while only at the ninth stage of Lingyun..." Zhao Ming asked in surprise, "You mean Bai Tianhao?" "Yes!" Jiang Mu nodded. Su Yu, on the other hand, was bewildered. He had never heard of that name. Zhao Ming explained, "Bai Tianhao was a figure from the early Anping calendar. Come to think of it... he's actually related to you. Your teacher Bai Feng is a descendant of Bai Tianhao. It was recorded in history that he once slew a Shanhai from the Lingyun Realm, but he perished shortly after unleashing that strike. As for the specifics of whether it's true or false... it's hard to verify nowadays. You usually only find mentions of it in travelogues and unofficial records." "Bai Tianhao?" Bai Feng's ancestor? Su Yu was thoroughly astonished. Looking at the two of them, he asked, "You mean he opened the Primordial Spirit Aperture, merged his apertures into one, and thus slew a Shanhai above his level?" "Yes!" Jiang Mu said seriously. "You said earlier that you felt something after opening three hundred apertures. I think this hypothesis might actually be true. In the early days of the Anping calendar, quite a few people opened hundreds of apertures. Of course, most of them died, because people opened apertures haphazardly back then without a systematic method. Later on, some died of old age, and others fell in battle... Bai Tianhao was rumored to have opened many apertures as well. Perhaps the Primordial Spirit Aperture really exists! "Of course, he might not have consciously discovered it. Perhaps in that final battle before his death, he stumbled upon the location of this aperture, merged his apertures into one, and unleashed unprecedented combat power!" Su Yu was speechless. He had only put forward a casual hypothesis, and now they were telling him it might actually exist? He didn't really mind people knowing. What a joke—who would open hundreds of apertures just to run experiments? You'd have to be crazy! Aside from people doing that in the early days of the Anping calendar, no one in later generations would ever attempt it. "Both of you are interested in joining?" Both men nodded! Zhao Ming chuckled. "It's quite an interesting topic. If this Primordial Spirit Aperture truly exists, one might currently need to open hundreds of apertures to sense it. But once you discover and locate it, you can work backward. Perhaps one could directly open the Primordial Spirit Aperture without having to open any other apertures first!" Jiang Mu also nodded. "It's an immensely meaningful topic. And besides you... right now, probably no one else is capable of conducting experiments in this area! Su Yu, if this Primordial Spirit Aperture really exists, the future of humanity will be rewritten!" Su Yu smiled. "It's just a hypothesis of mine. If you want to join..." Su Yu considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, but let's be clear: I am in charge. You will only be researchers at the institute, not part of management!" "No problem!" Both agreed. They were deeply intrigued by this topic. In fact, once Su Yu submitted this proposal, it might draw the attention of many high-ranking figures. Of course, given the unique nature of the project—requiring hundreds of apertures opened just to catch a faint glimpse of it—almost no one would think to replicate the experiments. First, opening hundreds of apertures was absurdly difficult; only monstrous geniuses could even attempt it. Second, it consumed far too many resources and took too long. Cultivating another genius like that from scratch might take several years, or even a decade. Third, if someone were already that talented and could open hundreds of apertures, why wouldn't they just advance to the next realm? As for Su Yu... he was an anomaly. Who knew how he had managed to open so many apertures so quickly! Thinking of this, Zhao Ming suddenly said, "Su Yu, I think you could recruit one more person: Zhou Hao! He opens apertures quickly too, currently at a hundred and forty-four. But his Thousand Mountains Art... having cultivated it to this point, it's hard for him to advance further! At this stage, if he doesn't break through to Wanshi, he can only keep opening apertures to boost his strength!" He added with a chuckle, "Didn't you team up with him last time? You could totally pull him in as a test subject and have his teacher provide the resources for his cultivation and aperture opening. There wouldn't be any problem at all! Once the topic of the Primordial Spirit Aperture gets out, Xia Yuwen will definitely be interested and itch to get involved. If you have him spend some money to open apertures for his disciple, he might have been reluctant before, but now... I guarantee he won't refuse!" Su Yu's mind stirred! That made sense! Maybe he could even swindle some resources out of it. Besides, he possessed certain unique traits. Furthermore, he had opened divine apertures, whereas Zhou Hao had not. Without having opened divine apertures, would Zhou Hao even experience that sensation? The Primordial Spirit Aperture was merely a topic he had pulled out of thin air to fool people. Yet now, Su Yu found himself genuinely interested. This way, his persona as a research prodigy would be firmly established. Zhao Ming and Jiang Mu had been hooked immediately, and so had Hu Qiusheng. It showed how much value these people placed on it. Su Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Do the two of you have any special skills? Fighting doesn't count." Zhao Ming was speechless. "Does healing count? I'm a doctor. You'll frequently get injured during experiments!" Fair point! Su Yu nodded. That counted. What about Jiang Mu? He wasn't very familiar with Jiang Mu, but since the man belonged to the Neutral Faction, letting him in was acceptable. Still, he had to have some utility, right? Fighting... for someone who hadn't even reached Tengkong, his fighting ability wasn't impressive. Even if he was on the verge of breaking through to Tengkong soon! Jiang Mu lowered his head and thought for a moment, then spoke up: "In my spare time, I like reading travelogues. I've read several thousand volumes over the years. Does that count?" "……" Su Yu was stunned for several seconds before nodding. "It counts!" That definitely counted! Look at that—the moment he heard "Primordial Spirit Aperture," he immediately connected it to Bai Tianhao and deduced that the aperture might genuinely exist. That was a real skill, and it certainly counted. Unofficial histories and ancient legends were often preserved in travelogues. Su Yu hadn't read many books of that sort, mainly because he lacked the time. Jiang Mu, on the other hand, had plenty of leisure. Thinking of this, Su Yu asked curiously, "My teacher's clan had glorious days in the past?" A Lingyun slaying a Shanhai! Zhao Ming chuckled. "Of course! It's rare for extraordinary geniuses to come from ordinary families; that's just the truth. Although the Bai Clan isn't overwhelmingly powerful today, they're still doing fairly well. The clan still has several Lingyun experts, just no Shanhai." Su Yu truly had no idea about this. Bai Feng had never mentioned it. Zhao Ming added, "The Bai Clan isn't from Great Xia Prefecture; they're from Daming Prefecture. The fact that Bai Feng came to Great Xia Civilization Academy was actually... partly due to the Fifth Generation. The Fifth Generation was simply too famous. When Bai Feng enrolled back then, it was entirely for the Fifth Generation's sake. That was why he joined the Multiple Divine Characters Faction without hesitation, even though the faction had already severely declined by then." Su Yu raised an eyebrow. Really? He hadn't felt that his teacher worshipped the Fifth Generation that much. But... on second thought, maybe he had come because of the profound research projects within the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. One could tell just from how Bai Feng shut himself inside the research institute all day. That man was a technical nerd. If political struggles hadn't demanded it, he probably wouldn't have bothered stepping outside at all. "The Bai Clan still has Lingyun experts... then when my teacher was exiled to the All-Heavens Battlefield this time..." Su Yu pondered for a moment and stopped himself. Zhao Ming knew what he was thinking and smiled. "As for the Bai Clan... how should I put it? Bai Feng joining the Multiple Divine Characters Faction meant he was caught up in the factional struggle. It's actually a good thing that the Bai Clan doesn't interfere, so they don't get dragged in. However, the Bai Clan never issued a statement severing ties with him either. Broadly speaking, they can be seen as remaining on the sidelines." "Are my teacher's parents still around?" Zhao Ming said exasperatedly, "You truly know too little about your own faction. You don't know the first thing about your own teacher's family situation." Nonsense! Su Yu rolled his eyes inwardly. Who would ask their teacher about that? Would your students ask if your parents were still alive? "They are. His father is a Lingyun expert himself—not the head of the Bai Clan, but the clan head's younger brother. He currently serves as a myriad-commander in the Daming Prefecture army, which makes him quite a notable figure." Su Yu asked no further. Picking up two members for free here was an unexpected harvest. Since they had practically gathered enough people, and the topic was the one he had just described, it was time to apply for the research institute. …… On the afternoon of November 6, Su Yu submitted an application to the Academy of Sciences. He submitted his research proposal. With Zhao Ming as the supervising instructor, and Su Yu, Hu Qiusheng, Wu Jia, Jiang Mu, and Xia Huyou as the student members, they formally applied to establish a research institute. The moment Su Yu's research proposal was submitted, it caused a massive stir, drawing the attention of the upper echelons. …… Great Xia Prefecture. The Prefectural Lord's Grand Palace. Marquis Xia held the report submitted by Great Xia Civilization Academy. In fact, he had already received a copy of it beforehand. Xia Huyou had sent it over. "The Primordial Spirit Aperture..." Marquis Xia murmured softly. One had to admit, people from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had sharp, agile minds. Su Yu proposing this concept of a "Primordial Spirit Aperture" had actually given him a few ideas. "Old Hu!" Marquis Xia called out briskly, "Check for me whether the Quest Realm and the War God Hall have conducted any research in this area over the years." Chief Hu had actually received word earlier as well, since Hu Qiusheng had known about it from the start. Hearing the request, Chief Hu stroked his beard and smiled. "They have! Three hundred and twenty years ago, the first exploration was conducted, but it ended in failure and came to nothing. "The topic was raised a second time a hundred and eighty years ago by Great Qin Prefecture. They even had someone conduct experiments back then, which also failed. "The third time was eighty years ago... proposed by King Daxia." "Huh?" Marquis Xia froze. His father had proposed it, yet he knew nothing about it? Chief Hu chuckled. "In truth, they tested it on Eldest Master Xia back then. In the end, Eldest Master Xia opened a hundred and eighty apertures, but couldn't open any further. He didn't have the energy to keep going, so he gave up, and the project fizzled out." "My older brother tried it?" Marquis Xia was genuinely surprised. He truly hadn't known; he hadn't even been born yet back then. "Yes, but all of them ended in failure." Chief Hu smiled. "Of course, they didn't explicitly formulate the concept of a 'Primordial Spirit Aperture.' It was merely a vague idea, and every attempt failed. There have been far too many failed projects like that, so few people paid it any mind." "Then do you think Su Yu has a chance?" "Hard to say." Chief Hu thought for a moment. "He is the newcomer who has opened the most apertures in all these years! A full three hundred or more apertures. Almost no one has ever achieved that, and even if someone could, they generally wouldn't. With the time it takes to open so many apertures, they would have long since reached Wanshi or Tengkong." To open more than three hundred apertures in the Qianjun Realm was simply having too much time on one's hands. Even Marquis Xia couldn't fathom what Su Yu had been thinking. All one could say was that his talent was simply too monstrous. Having nothing better to do, he just opened a few extra apertures for fun... that was roughly the idea. Marquis Xia pondered for a moment, then spoke: "This project is still immensely meaningful. The Quest Realm, the War God Hall, Great Qin Prefecture, and Great Xia Prefecture have all raised it before, which means the Invincible experts are paying attention to it as well. It's related to Bai Tianhao's strike back then, isn't it?" "Most likely!" "Inform Great Xia Civilization Academy to expedite the review and approve it. Don't let the Single Divine Character Faction cause trouble right now!" Marquis Xia said lazily, "Su Yu might be the person closest to the Primordial Spirit Aperture right now. Let him try! If the Primordial Spirit Aperture truly exists and can be opened in advance, humanity will never need to go through the passive Kaiyuan stage again. That could save five to eight years for every single human. That's no small matter!" Chief Hu nodded. "Should we arrange for someone to protect him?" Marquis Xia fell silent for a moment, thinking it over, then said, "Make the arrangements, but don't let him notice. If someone truly makes a move to silence him, make sure no one traces our involvement!" "Understood." Chief Hu smiled and asked, "Should we invest a bit?" "Forget it." Marquis Xia curled his lip. "There's no sign of success yet. Besides, that brat... to be honest, I think he might just be spouting nonsense without any real clue." Chief Hu nodded in agreement. Dropping the subject, Marquis Xia continued, "How are Liu Wenyan and the others doing?" "Fairly smoothly. Some people caused trouble along the way, but it looked more like probing. The All-Races Sect also made a move, lost several Lingyun experts, and has quieted down for now." "How long until they reach the All-Heavens Battlefield?" "About ten days." "Then have our people keep a close watch. The Dragon Martial Guards must remain on standby to strike at any moment. Inform the various prefectures to purge those All-Races Sect cultists along the route. If they cannot purge them... Great Xia Prefecture will dispatch troops to assist!" Marquis Xia said coolly, "If they can't even guarantee security within their own borders, is there any need for their existence? Tell them directly: if the All-Races Sect is overly active within their territory, that indicates instability within the human realm, and we will send troops directly to assist them! "I have too much time on my hands anyway, and there haven't been many battles lately. If they're short on soldiers, I'll rotate the Suppressing Demon Army back in a few days to help them wipe out their local pests!" Chief Hu chuckled and nodded. "That works. This way, the various prefectures won't be able to shirk their duties any longer." Marquis Xia sneered with disdain. "They're all just bystanders who love a good spectacle, wishing for nothing more than to see Great Xia fight with others! Some of those fellows are even lusting after the Fifth Generation's divine character... keep dreaming!" After chatting for a while, Marquis Xia dismissed Chief Hu and headed to the inner residence to rest. …… Meanwhile. Su Yu's research proposal began circulating among high-ranking powerhouses. The Primordial Spirit Aperture! For many, this was the first time hearing this term and concept. Some were astonished, while others scoffed, thinking Su Yu was merely indulging in wild fantasies. Yet regardless of what people thought, the fact that Su Yu had proposed such a theory at this moment earned him a new label in many people's eyes: a research prodigy. Having the time to open over three hundred apertures instead of cultivating and advancing despite such extraordinary natural talent—one had to admit, having capital meant one could be arrogant! While others struggled to death just to open several dozen apertures, this bastard had opened three hundred! Comparisons really were odious. For a time, the concept of the Primordial Spirit Aperture spread rapidly in all directions. The idea had existed in the past, but now, it was being put forward by a newcomer—perhaps the young man who had opened the most apertures in all these recent years.