Kaiyuan Fifth Stage

On the way home, Su Yu's head felt rather dizzy and heavy. Reading a willpower text, capturing a divine character, studying the original bone slip of a Qianjun Realm technique... each of these drained his willpower. Capturing that divine character in particular had taken a long time of deep meditation. By the time he left the academy, dusk had already fallen. Yet today's harvest had been truly immense! Bai Feng had unveiled an entirely new sky for him, showing him how vast the heavens beyond Nanyuan were, how vast the world was, and how magnificent the mortal realm could be. Divine characters, willpower, original techniques of the myriad races, Character Cultivation, Lingyun, Shanhai... Far too many terms swirled through Su Yu's mind. So this was the true world of cultivation. So this was what a Civilization Academy was really about. Cultivation realms like Qianjun and Wanshi, which he had once viewed as impossibly lofty heights, seemed far less extraordinary when viewed from this vantage point today! Every character held a world; divine characters suppressed the all-heavens. A Civilization Master could also grow powerful enough to make the heavens tremble. *Turns out I'm still very weak. My willpower is only at ten percent capacity.* He had always considered himself talented and had carried a bit of pride in his heart. Teacher Liu Wenyan's persistent encouragement to apply to a Civilization Academy had given him the illusion that if he chose not to attend, it would be the academy's loss. Reflecting on it now, the thought seemed laughable. *That genius from the Great Zhou Prefecture must be at the very pinnacle, advancing three layers into Tengkong in half a year. Bai Feng was probably trying to intimidate me a bit, but even so, the Great Xia Prefecture certainly isn't lacking students at the Character Cultivation stage.* Character Cultivation required fifty percent capacity. Su Yu's current capacity was merely one-fifth of that—a massive gap. Considering he had been hunted in his nightmares for all these years, he had previously assumed his willpower wouldn't be weak at all. As he walked, he sensed the character "Blood" resting in his mind. After that brief outburst earlier, the character now appeared somewhat dim. Evidently, that surge had consumed a fair amount of the divine character's power. *A divine character requires willpower to nurture...* Recalling Bai Feng's reminder, Su Yu slowly felt out its presence, gently trying to use his intent to nurture the character. ... Back home, the house was completely silent. After sitting dazed for a while, a sharp pang of hunger hit him. He had skipped lunch, gone to the academy in the morning, spent hours meditating until the afternoon, and returned after dark. By now, his hunger was nearly unbearable. In no mood to cook a proper meal, he quickly whipped up a bowl of noodles and wolfed them down like a starving beast, calling it dinner. Once he finished eating, Su Yu darted straight into his bedroom. *The Kaiyuan Art, the original Qianjun bone slip, and the drop of yuanqi liquid.* These were today's gains—a tremendous haul. Having exhausted so much willpower today, Su Yu didn't plan to push his mental cultivation any further. However, the Kaiyuan Art written by Bai Feng and that drop of yuanqi liquid could both be used for physical cultivation. *After reading the Kaiyuan Art Bai Feng wrote, I feel like I can quickly reach the Kaiyuan fifth stage even without using blood essence to unlock the guide!* The Yuan Absorption Art unlocked with blood essence was, after all, not well suited for human cultivation. *If I activate the guide with blood essence, actively draw in yuanqi, and then use the yuanqi liquid, what kind of result will that bring?* The thought struck Su Yu: while the Yuan Absorption Art was active, he could actively pull in yuanqi. Nanyuan's environmental yuanqi was not particularly abundant, but what if he placed himself in an environment saturated with it? Would his progress be even faster? He still had two drops of Ironwing Bird blood essence left. After finishing yesterday's session, he had already sensed he was close to breaking through to the fifth stage. *I'll cultivate to the Kaiyuan fifth stage first, then use the yuanqi liquid!* His mind made up, Su Yu wasted no time. He swallowed a drop of Ironwing Bird blood essence and initiated the Yuan Absorption Art. ... Activating the Yuan Absorption Art this time to actively absorb yuanqi and temper his acupoint gave Su Yu a completely different sensation. In his mind, the text of the Kaiyuan Art surfaced. The memory of Bai Feng turning into a miniature figure, practicing every single movement of the Kaiyuan Art, was etched deep into his thoughts, granting Su Yu a far profounder understanding of the Kaiyuan Realm. *The Yuan Absorption Art is too rough and lacks the delicate precision of the Kaiyuan Art—probably due to the physiological differences between demons and humans.* Previously, Su Yu had simply let the Yuan Absorption Art run on its own. Today, after giving it some thought, he took the initiative to guide the yuanqi. In the past, he had not dared to do so for fear of injuring his body, but now he had far fewer reservations. The yuanqi began veering toward his right ear acupoint, and a roar rose within Su Yu's right ear. *Rumble!* Waves of sound audible only to himself reverberated as yuanqi surged violently inside his right ear acupoint. The fifth acupoint was on the verge of opening. Right then, the character "Blood" in his mind gave a slight tremor. Su Yu quickly noticed something strange: his little buddy "Blood" was actually siphoning yuanqi as well! *Huh? A divine character needs yuanqi for tempering too?* Su Yu was startled. He had assumed willpower alone was enough to nurture it, never expecting that a divine character also required yuanqi. He did not bother stopping the character from siphoning yuanqi. At his current stage, his demand for yuanqi was not excessively high anyway. After about twenty minutes, the rumble in Su Yu's right ear grew as loud as thunder. *Boom!* A tremendous boom resounded within his ear, imperceptible to outsiders. The vibration made Su Yu's body tremble slightly, but he was overcome with delight! *The fifth acupoint is open!* Kaiyuan fifth stage! He had reached the fifth stage of Kaiyuan! From the day his father departed for the All-Heavens Battlefield until today, exactly ten days had passed. In just ten days, he had advanced from the Kaiyuan third stage to the fifth stage. It was astonishingly fast. Su Yu was thrilled. While the Kaiyuan fifth stage might mean nothing to outsiders, in Nanyuan Secondary Academy it already placed him among the top tier. People like Bai Feng had broad horizons and had seen secondary academy students at the ninth stage of Kaiyuan, but that was Bai Feng. If word got out that Su Yu had reached the Kaiyuan fifth stage, it would stir up quite a commotion across Nanyuan Secondary Academy. His hearing was enhanced once more, and Su Yu felt transformed. When only his left ear had been opened, it had felt slightly awkward, with hearing sharp on one side and dull on the other, frequently causing sensory discrepancies. Now, that imbalance was completely gone. *Splendid!* *Kaiyuan fifth stage!* Su Yu could not hold back his joy, and he hadn't even used the yuanqi liquid yet. Today was April 19. The higher academy examinations were typically held around June 25, results came out at the end of June, admissions were finalized in early July, and school began in early August. That was the upcoming timeline. There were just over two months left until the examinations. While a Civilization Academy did not place heavy emphasis on one's Kaiyuan stage, Su Yu cared deeply. Before reaching Qianjun, one had virtually no combat capability in Kaiyuan. Having killed All-Races Sect cultists, Su Yu held a strong drive for combat strength. He had no desire to die a wretched death at the hands of those cultists; the dozen or so fallen students from the academy were a sobering lesson. Even if activating martial skills through blood essence was an option, that was merely borrowed temporary power. Su Yu much preferred possessing that strength within himself. ... Having broken through to the Kaiyuan fifth stage, Su Yu did not rest. He resumed his previous routine: cultivating, reading, and sleeping. This time, he was no longer reading ordinary books, but the Kaiyuan Art gifted by Bai Feng. As for the Qianjun original bone slip, Su Yu did not look at it yet. It wasn't that the bone slip was superior to the Kaiyuan Art, but rather that the Kaiyuan Art was better suited to Su Yu's current state. Reading the text, familiarizing himself with the entire Kaiyuan Realm, and engaging in willpower confrontation. Only now did reading become truly arduous. Su Yu finally understood how folks like Chen Hao felt when studying—reading a single line made them want to throw the book aside and sleep. Confronting willpower felt exactly like an academic slacker clutching a dense, massive tome. He continued reading until nearly midnight. After a quick wash, Su Yu went to bed, waiting for his dreams to begin. He actually looked forward to the nightmares now, as they were also a form of willpower confrontation. *If my willpower grows strong enough one day that I can slay the monsters in my dreams, maybe... there will be a different reward!* The Illustrated Guide to the Myriad Races was activated using blood essence. Su Yu had often wondered: if he had never thought of using blood essence, how would he have activated the guide and brought an end to the nightmares? By turning the tables and killing them! He had a few conjectures: if he managed to turn around and slaughter the monsters in his dreams, would it yield a different result, a different reward? ... Tonight's dream was rather peculiar. So peculiar that Su Yu had never anticipated it! In the dream, a monster pursued Su Yu, and he was still swiftly killed. Yet he discovered that inside the dream, he could actually trace a divine character! Yes, a divine character! The character "Blood" appeared in the dream! When Su Yu traced the character "Blood," an illusory Ironwing Bird lunged forward to attack in the dream. Su Yu was somewhat puzzled as to why an Ironwing Bird had appeared, though it was likely tied to his own subconscious. Regardless, he had managed to wield a divine character inside a dream. This marked an entirely new beginning. ... The next morning, Su Yu woke up and sank into deep thought. He was pondering a question: was the divine character in his dream real or fabricated? Had the character "Blood" in his head crossed into the dream, or was it a copy generated within the dream itself? It sounded convoluted, but Su Yu wanted to understand, because it mattered tremendously. If the genuine character "Blood" had entered the dream, it meant his dream was not merely a dream, but a distinct space—perhaps a dimension that could interact with divine characters. That would mean the Illustrated Guide to the Myriad Races possessed deeper functions he had yet to uncover. Reaching out to sense the character "Blood" in his mind, Su Yu noticed that the character, which had been dim yesterday, had begun emitting a faint luster once more. He wasn't sure whether it was from a night of sleep, or because it had spent the night within the dream. ... He quickly got up and washed, setting his thoughts aside for now. He had to head to the academy today. Although Bai Feng had said yesterday that he had nothing more to teach today and that biting off more than one could chew was harmful, Su Yu still intended to make a trip to the academy. ... Nanyuan Secondary Academy. At the academy gates. Su Yu hurried over, not even waiting for Chen Hao. Several people were gathered by the entrance today. It was still very early, and most students had not yet arrived. Bai Feng wore a pristine white robe, carrying himself with an extraordinary grace. Standing among the group with a smile on his face, he stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing immediate attention. Beside him were Principal Wang, the City Guards' chiliarch, the master of the Wind Arrest Hall, and Liu Wenyan. Bai Feng had been chatting leisurely with the others, but when he saw Su Yu running over in a rush, a smile appeared on his lips. "Didn't I say there's no class for you today? Why are you here?" Breathing slightly hard, Su Yu greeted the teachers before saying, "I came to see Teacher Bai off, and to thank you for your guidance yesterday." Bai Feng was leaving today. Though he hadn't stated it outright, Su Yu had picked up on it yesterday. With matters in Nanyuan concluded, Bai Feng naturally had no reason to linger. He had taught everything that needed teaching yesterday, and Su Yu and the others weren't ready for the rest yet. Staying longer served little purpose. Bai Feng chuckled and paid him no further mind. Turning back to Liu Wenyan, he said once more, "Martial Uncle, your will has already manifested; the gates of the Civilization Academy are always open to you! Your physical foundation is not yet cast. If you are unwilling to retrieve the flying tiger blood essence yourself, I will have it sent over to you later." Liu Wenyan frowned slightly. "No need. I am old; there is no point in wasting precious blood essence. I will just use ordinary blood essence to temper my body. As for the flying tiger blood essence..." Liu Wenyan glanced at Su Yu out of the corner of his eye, leaving the thought unspoken, and said in a low voice, "Save it for someone who needs it in the future." Bai Feng smiled, understanding Liu Wenyan's implication. Since Su Yu was heading to a Civilization Academy, though no one knew how many years it would take for his will to manifest, he too would need potent blood essence to cast his physical foundation when the time came. Flying tiger blood essence was exceedingly powerful. It came from a race ranked among the top fifty! Even though the academy possessed such potent blood essence, how many people were there at the academy? Could everyone get a share? Impossible! Su Yu came from an ordinary background. His father was merely a Qianjun Realm cultivator; where could he possibly obtain powerful blood essence for him? He could only rely on the academy and his teachers. Even if Bai Feng accepted him as a student, that did not mean Bai Feng would prepare body-casting blood essence for him. The flying tiger blood essence belonged to Bai Feng's teacher, Liu Wenyan's junior martial brother. Now offered to Liu Wenyan, Liu Wenyan refused it, but if he passed it on to Su Yu, Bai Feng's teacher would likely not object. Liu Wenyan had not brought the matter up directly, and Bai Feng understood without speaking. Neither mentioned it further. Body-casting was not an urgent matter anyway; certain things could wait until Su Yu entered the academy. "Then I shall defer to your wishes, Martial Uncle." With that, Bai Feng turned back to Su Yu and said mildly, "Su Yu, your destiny and your future are yours to forge!" "Nanyuan may be small, but that doesn't mean mighty experts cannot emerge from here!" "Background, family status, and innate talent are only slight advantages in the early stages. The road ahead is long, winding over high mountains and distant paths. Who can walk it to the very end, who can laugh proudly over the all-heavens, and who can contend against the myriad races—that can only be seen with time!" "I'll be waiting for you at the Civilization Academy. Nanyuan is too small; the world outside is far more magnificent!" "I'm off!" Bai Feng let out a hearty laugh. With a single stride, he was already dozens of meters away, vanishing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye. Dashing and unrestrained! To the side, several Nanyuan experts watched with eyes full of envy. Bai Feng, a genius of the Civilization Academy, might soon step into the Lingyun Realm. Such a prodigy was rare even across the Great Xia Prefecture. Zhang Yun, the City Guards' chiliarch, sighed with admiration, then turned his gaze toward Su Yu and smiled. "So this is Su Long's son?" Principal Wang smiled. "That's him." "A tiger father begets no dog of a son! From what Research Assistant Bai said before leaving, it's clear he holds high hopes for you." Zhang Yun looked at Su Yu and said with a smile, "Work hard. Nanyuan may be small, but a small place doesn't mean it can't produce the strong!" "I know about your father. Don't worry too much. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, though our human race faces many enemies, wherever our blades point, we remain invincible!" "News from Nanyuan's soldiers arrives at regular intervals. In a few days, when reports from the All-Heavens Battlefield come in, if there's word of your father, I'll have someone bring it to you." When Zhang Yun finished, Su Yu hurried to offer his gratitude, saying sincerely, "Thank you, Lord Zhang!" "Don't mention it." Zhang Yun laughed heartily. "Speaking of which, we're practically family. Your father is a straightforward man who refuses to play politics, which is why, right up until he left for the All-Heavens Battlefield, he insisted on staying at the Traffic Supervision Office without leaving." "A few years back, I invited your father to join the City Guards as a centurion, but he refused. Otherwise, had he joined us, he probably would have broken through to the Wanshi Realm by now. With his fierce courage, the post of City Guards Vice Commander likely would have been his." "A pity, yes, but your father made his own choice, and I admire him for it!" Zhang Yun spoke plainly. Then, adopting a serious tone, he added, "You have a good teacher. Instructor Liu is Nanyuan's guardian of civilization! You have a good principal; Principal Wang may not be strong, but for the past forty years, he has poured his heart and soul into Nanyuan Academy." "Nanyuan is small, but it is pure and honest! I've seen many Nanyuan geniuses go to the Great Xia Prefecture, or even other great prefectures, only to... lose their way midway!" "I hope you will be different, because you are the child of a soldier! Your father may not be powerful, but he is worth learning from. Stay true to your original aspiration, remember who you are, don't overestimate yourself, but don't belittle yourself either. Put your heart into being who you are!" Zhang Yun chuckled and said, "We people of Nanyuan aren't afraid of being weak—we're afraid of being cowards! Don't back down. When you head out, let your strength speak, let your ferocity speak. If you really can't make it out there and feel there's no way forward, come back! The City Guards will keep a spot for you!" Su Yu thanked him once more. Beside them, Liu Wenyan snapped irritably, "Quit spouting nonsense! Leaving Nanyuan only to crawl back when you can't make it... we can't afford that kind of shame! Besides, teaching students is our job—since when was it your turn to serve up inspirational tripe?" "..." Zhang Yun grinned sheepishly, then burst into hearty laughter. Saying no more, he took his leave swiftly. Nearby, the master of the Wind Arrest Hall chuckled as well, exchanged brief farewells with the group, and departed in haste. Watching their banter, Su Yu could not help but smile quietly. Just as Zhang Yun had said, Nanyuan was small, but its atmosphere was wonderful. The teachers here were not cold, the commanders here were not brutal, and the principal here... was genuinely weak. Principal Wang's beard was already twitching with indignation; Zhang Yun had just openly looked down on his cultivation.