Principal Niu Is Truly Incredible!

Great Ming Prefecture. On the second day after taking over the research institute, Su Yu welcomed a heavyweight figure in the academic sphere—Wen Zhong! Wen Zhong was intimately familiar with this institute, more so than his own home. Back when Hu Xiansheng worked on the space transmission array, Wen Zhong had served as his capable right hand. In the blink of an eye, he was stepping inside once more. The only difference was that the institute now had a new master. …… Inside the institute. Having just entered under Su Yu’s lead, Wen Zhong suddenly cast his gaze toward the little fur ball playing with the small animals. His expression shifted from confusion to curiosity, then to deep contemplation... and finally to growing astonishment! “Th-This is...” Wen Zhong stared at the little fur ball, then looked at Su Yu in surprise. “Is this an ancient race?” Su Yu looked at him, and Wen Zhong quickly added, “An ancient race whose civilized heritage has endured unbroken for countless years!” Su Yu shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure about that, but it should be a species that only recently appeared on the All-Heavens Battlefield. My grandmaster captured it not long ago.” Wen Zhong marveled, “What a treasure! This physical body... it hovers between reality and illusion, looking somewhat similar to a divine character. It must be an ancient beast targeting the sea of will or divine characters.” Su Yu nodded. Wen Zhong had a sharp eye. He had likely never encountered a little fur ball before. Spotting such anomalies at a glance was already no small feat. Wen Zhong sighed with emotion and said nothing more on the subject. Following Su Yu upstairs, he asked as they walked, “So at your current stage, what direction do you most want to pursue in your research?” “The three hundred and sixty origin apertures.” Su Yu thought for a moment and said, “I was wondering whether, once all three hundred and sixty origin apertures are gathered, they can automatically form a complete circulation, or if one needs to deduce it oneself. If deduction is required... the combinations of three hundred and sixty origin apertures...” Su Yu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Deducing that would be far too difficult, as hard as ascending to the heavens!” Even a cultivation method composed of thirty-six origin apertures had countless variations, let alone three hundred and sixty. Wen Zhong nodded. “That is indeed a tough nut to crack. First, simply gathering the locations of all three hundred and sixty origin apertures is an immense challenge. Of course, I’ve tracked down quite a few over the years since I’ve been researching this constantly. In a moment, we can cross-reference them with what you have. Furthermore, if they cannot naturally form a great cycle on their own... the difficulty will skyrocket!” Having said that, Wen Zhong smiled again. “It’s difficult, certainly, but according to our deductions, forming a Zhou Tian cycle of three hundred and sixty apertures must follow underlying laws. In fact, once you master the apertures, reverse-engineering the cultivation method becomes easier! Take the Heaven-Cleaving Blade’s one hundred and forty-four apertures that you gave me: even without the manual, one could deduce the operational pathway.” Wen Zhong grinned. “Every powerful cultivation method uses apertures that conform to regular patterns. Knowing the apertures makes deducing the technique much less daunting because they contain so many internal rules. You needn’t worry too much on that front; it simply takes time.” Su Yu smiled. “If we truly manage to locate them, I’ll be troubling Senior Brother Wen then!” Before long, the two arrived on the third floor. The third floor held models—puppet models. They were not left behind by Hu Xiansheng, but prepared by Su Yu himself, all originating from the models gifted by Zhao Tianbing. The moment he saw them, Wen Zhong’s face lit up with delight. “Great Ming Prefecture has a wide variety of puppets with plenty of intricate detail, but we lack elite weapon-forging experts and cannot craft top-tier, exquisite puppet models. These models of yours must have been crafted by Zhao Tianbing of Great Zhou Prefecture.” “Senior Brother has a discerning eye!” Wen Zhong chuckled with a hint of smugness. Indeed, his eye for craftsmanship was quite keen. Wasting no time on idle chatter, he picked up a puppet and said with a smile, “This is an origin aperture puppet, extremely intricate. Su Yu, in truth, if you can locate more than three hundred and fifty origin apertures, it won’t matter if you can’t find the rest. You can attempt to deduce their locations. As I said, the more origin apertures you master, the more apparent the patterns become, making it possible to deduce the remaining positions. Of course, the risks are substantial.” Su Yu nodded and, without unnecessary words, swiftly began marking red dots on the puppet to indicate the aperture positions he had mastered. Soon, Wen Zhong’s expression shifted slightly. So many! By the time Su Yu finished, Wen Zhong exclaimed in awe, “Three hundred and forty-six! Going by this alone, you might be familiar with even more cultivation methods than I am. You have seen much and understood deeply. Have you opened all of these?” “Yes.” “Genius!” Wen Zhong offered heartfelt praise, utterly astonished. A true genius, opening three hundred and forty-six origin apertures already! The outside world believed Su Yu had only opened around three hundred. While three hundred and forty-six was technically over three hundred, it far exceeded anyone’s imagination. After studying the puppet for a while, Wen Zhong began marking his own red dots, saying, “I don’t know as many aperture locations as you do, but a few of mine are different...” Soon, he added seven distinct red dots. “Only seven different ones!” Su Yu’s brows furrowed slightly. That brought the total to three hundred and fifty-three. Wen Zhong was considered a profoundly knowledgeable scholar, yet he only knew seven aperture locations beyond what Su Yu already possessed. Wen Zhong quickly said, “If you don’t mind, I can take this and consult a few people on your behalf. They are all senior figures with vast knowledge and experience, such as our Principal Niu, Director Hou, and the others... truly erudite seniors.” He then added, “That includes the principal of the War Academy as well. Warriors have a deeper understanding of origin apertures, so we can seek guidance there too.” Su Yu hesitated. “Would they be willing to offer guidance?” “Don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal and doesn’t involve any profound secrets...” Wen Zhong laughed. “You haven’t met the principal yet, right? You can take this opportunity to pay him a visit. In the future, if you encounter difficulties, you can turn to him for help.” “Then... I will trouble Senior Brother!” “No trouble at all. Your aperture fusion method has benefited me immensely as well!” “……” The two exchanged a few more words, and Su Yu made up his mind. He really ought to ask. There was no need to worry about losing face; practically speaking, he had no pride to defend anyway. He had come to Great Ming Prefecture precisely to grow stronger. Since the opportunity was right there, he would seek guidance. Su Yu did not delay. In research, day and night made no difference. Since it was roughly dinner time, Wen Zhong smiled and said, “No day like today! Let’s go find the principal right now. Bring a few bottles of fine wine... Junior Brother Su, let your senior brother teach you a trick for surviving in Great Ming Prefecture: always keep good liquor on hand! Very few people here dislike fine wine. Sometimes, a single bottle is worth tens of millions of merit points and works far better than spending money.” “Understood!” Su Yu chuckled. “Perhaps I could outline a few divine characters tailored for brewing fine wine.” “Now that would be interesting! Different divine characters produce distinct brews, and what is unique is always the most precious!” Chatting and laughing, Su Yu called out, “Wu Lan, find something for dinner on your own...” “Got it!” In the archives, Wu Lan was immersed in sifting through reference materials. She had no interest in paying attention to him, answering casually before ignoring him completely. Seeing this, Wen Zhong smiled and walked downstairs alongside Su Yu, teasing, “A beauty by your side as you study—you have refined tastes, Junior Brother. Well, doing research all on your own is rather lonely after all.” Su Yu felt helpless and gave a wry smile, offering no explanation. Perhaps in the eyes of these Great Ming Prefecture veterans, that was simply how it appeared. In reality, when Wu Lan was reading, she couldn't care less about him! …… On the way, Su Yu stopped by a shop inside the academy to purchase several bottles of good wine. They were neither cheap nor exorbitantly priced, costing him ten merit points in total. By now, night had fallen. Wen Zhong said with a smile, “The principal just got back. He probably won’t leave over the next couple of days since he has academy business to attend to. Right now, he should be at home...” Walking along the academy’s picturesque gardens, they passed small bridges spanning flowing streams, with the faint strains of soothing music drifting to their ears. After walking a while longer, Su Yu was surprised to find a massive lake within the academy grounds! It was truly vast! At least in Great Xia Prefecture, he had rarely seen such a large lake, especially situated inside an academy. In the distance, the outline of a small island was visible in the middle of the lake. Wen Zhong smiled and said, “The principal lives on that islet, which he named Yuexin Island...” With that, Wen Zhong suddenly called out, “Old Turtle, time to pick up passengers!” As soon as the words left his mouth, the lake’s surface churned, and a colossal turtle emerged from the depths. “A xuan turtle!” Su Yu froze for a moment, genuinely startled and pleasantly surprised. A xuan turtle! Su Yu had asked Xia Huyou to purchase the blood essence of this creature for a long time, but Xia Huyou had never managed to find any. They were considered a neutral race. Xuan turtles were not warlike. While they existed on the All-Heavens Battlefield, they rarely took part in combat. They were exceptionally rare, even more elusive than gods or demons—not because they possessed overwhelming strength or dwindling numbers, but simply because they seldom showed up on the battlefield. Even after passageways were opened, they staunchly guarded the Xuan Turtle Realm and rarely ventured outside. Yet right here, he was looking at a xuan turtle. A living one, no less! Sensing its aura slightly, he was surprised to find its strength was quite formidable. The massive xuan turtle glanced at Su Yu, its huge eyes shifting as a voice tinged with laughter rumbled forth: “Little Wen, is this a newcomer? I haven’t seen him before.” “A newcomer!” Wen Zhong smiled. “Old Turtle, take us to Yuexin Island. The principal is in, right?” “He’s here.” Wen Zhong stepped into the air and landed upon the xuan turtle’s shell. Su Yu hurriedly followed suit, stepping through the void to join him. The moment his feet touched the shell, he felt an immense sense of heaviness. As Su Yu stared at the carapacial plates beneath him, Wen Zhong explained with a smile, “This is a xuan turtle taken in by the principal during the founding era. It has lived in the academy for over three hundred years now. If you want to go to Yuexin Island, Old Turtle has to ferry you across; otherwise, you’re liable to be treated as an intruder.” Beneath them, the xuan turtle swam swiftly toward Yuexin Island, remarking with a chuckle, “It’s only because Little Wen is here; Old Turtle doesn’t ferry just anyone. Since the newcomer has arrived, is there no treat for me?” Wen Zhong laughed. “Junior Brother Su, give it a bottle of wine. Old Turtle, remember Junior Brother Su’s aura—he might be visiting often in the future.” The xuan turtle let out a low rumble of laughter. Su Yu tossed a bottle of wine without hesitation. A moment later, the bottle hovered in the air, releasing an intoxicating fragrance. The old turtle drank as it swam, remarking somewhat critically, “Not top-shelf, but passable. Young newcomer, why do you keep staring at my shell?” Su Yu smiled unperturbed and said, “Senior...” “Just call me Old Turtle, no need for ‘Senior.’” Su Yu did not argue the point, continuing, “Senior, if I remember correctly, records state that the xuan turtle race possesses extraordinary defensive power. May I ask whether that is an innate talent or the result of a body tempering method that makes your physical form so formidable?” He then added, “Compared to an iron-eating beast, is the defense of a xuan turtle stronger, or that of an iron-eating beast?” The xuan turtle paused, then chuckled. “That’s hard to compare. Our strength lies in defense, which is essentially an innate talent combined with our naturally resilient shell. As for the iron-eating beasts... that likely has to do with their body tempering methods.” Su Yu understood. Without beating around the bush, he asked directly, “Senior, are you in the Lingyun Realm or the Shanhai Realm?” He had not quite been able to tell. “You could say I’ve newly entered the Shanhai Realm.” Su Yu bared his teeth in a faint grimace. True enough, it had been taken in by the principal back during the founding era. Over three hundred years to reach early Shanhai... that was normal, or perhaps even on the slower side. “Senior, do you happen to have any blood essence preserved from your weaker days that you could trade with me? In truth, I have been searching for xuan turtle blood essence for a very long time...” The xuan turtle sighed. “I could sense it. The scent of blood essence on you is far too dense. It reminds me of someone—Hong Tan! Your lineage is researching innate blood essence, aren't you?” “Yes!” It was hardly surprising that Hong Tan had visited this place. Besides, this turtle had served since the first principal's era; over three hundred years, it had ferried who knew how many prominent figures. “You want to study my innate skill?” The xuan turtle chuckled. “My innate skill is purely defensive—turtle shell defense. You don’t have a shell, so it might not suit you.” Su Yu nodded. “I understand that, but extracting the innate skill to study it might still grant me some inspiration.” “Blood essence from when I was weak... who would extract and preserve their blood essence during their youth? If you wish to trade, I can condense a single drop of blood essence to give you. However, beneath your calm exterior, you carry far too heavy a killing intent. If you encounter my kin on the All-Heavens Battlefield in the future, please spare them where you can.” Su Yu smiled. “Senior misunderstands. I merely outlined a ‘Kill’ character; I hold no desire for wanton slaughter.” “……” The xuan turtle remained silent. It had lived for a very long time. Don’t try to fool an old turtle! This youth was a born killer through and through! Su Yu continued, “Extracting Shanhai blood essence is still too difficult for me right now, so let us set that aside for the moment. Senior, please rest assured: whatever requests you have, feel free to voice them. A drop of blood essence would severely deplete your vitality. State your terms, and I will see if I can satisfy them.” “We’ll discuss it another time. If you truly need it, you can come find me.” The xuan turtle raised no demands. Su Yu was unlikely to possess what it needed anyway. It merely wondered how much bloodshed this youth would leave in his wake once he stepped onto the All-Heavens Battlefield. As they spoke, they reached Yuexin Island. At this moment, Niu Baidao was not resting inside his island manor. Instead, an enormous table had been set up outdoors. A continuous stream of lifelike puppets moved back and forth, serving him dish after dish! Countless dishes! The table stretched dozens of meters long. Niu Baidao was busy sampling each course, paying no mind to Su Yu or Wen Zhong as he grumbled, “No, this flavor is off—not at all like what I tasted in Great Han Prefecture!” “Needs improvement!” “This dish is decent, capturing a bit of Great Qin Prefecture’s flair...” Chewing away, Niu Baidao turned his head toward the two of them and called out, “Care to join me for a taste?” “Greetings, Principal!” “No need for formalities!” Niu Baidao paid them no further mind and kept eating as the puppets continued delivering plates. He smiled and said, “These are preparations for the upcoming All Foods Festival. It’s only a few days away, so young Su Yu, make sure you participate.” Su Yu was bewildered. What on earth was that? Wen Zhong explained with a grin, “Every year on January 28th, the academy hosts the All Foods Festival. Mind you, the academy has far too many festivals, so you don’t need to take them all to heart. There’s also the Hundred Flowers Festival, the Wine Tasting Festival, the Beast Fighting Festival, the Moon Gazing Festival, the Immortal Music Festival...” “……” Su Yu felt he truly needed to reexamine this place. Great Ming Academy certainly knew how to enjoy life, hosting all these bizarre, whimsical holidays. As if reading his thoughts, Niu Baidao laughed. “Alternate work with rest, and cultivate both the Dao and the mind. When the mind is weary, whatever you cultivate turns sour; when the mind is at peace, everything flows smoothly.” Niu Baidao added with a grin, “Human nature is just like that. When things go well, everything sails with the wind! When things go poorly, nothing feels right! Great Xia Prefecture cultivates the body, while Great Ming Prefecture cultivates the mind. They are different paths, neither right nor wrong, just different choices.” Su Yu nodded. “I am enlightened!” Niu Baidao gestured downward with his hand and smiled. “Have some food. In this life, everyone must have something to pursue. Only a saint has no desires! The pleasures of the palate are a form of enjoyment in themselves. Let me ask you: why do we wage war against the myriad races and endure bitter cultivation? Is it purely to practice asceticism? Wrong! It’s all to enjoy life more!” Su Yu said in a low voice, “Enjoyment, in my view, is something for the future.” He did not agree with everything, though that did not mean he opposed it; he simply did not want someone else’s Dao forced upon him. Niu Baidao did not mind in the slightest and continued eating. Wen Zhong also joined in, chuckling as he watched the two debate. Niu Baidao smiled. “To you, it’s for the future, but to me, it’s for the present. I’m already over four hundred years old, approaching my five-hundredth birthday soon. How much life do I have left? Isn’t eating and drinking to my heart’s content precisely what I ought to be doing?” “It is.” “Then that settles it.” Niu Baidao wiped his hands, sat down, and motioned for Su Yu to take a seat, saying warmly, “Little fellow, set your mind at ease. The sky hasn’t fallen yet! Don’t go thinking that the heavens are collapsing while we old fogies are just here indulging ourselves!” “The human race is very strong, with plenty of Invincible experts. If the sky were truly about to fall, do you think internal strife would still be going on?” “Everyone knows and sees the threat posed by the gods and demons, yet why does the fighting persist? Because the crisis hasn't reached that point yet...” Niu Baidao smiled. “The human race holds immense potential. Many people actually stand a good chance of attaining the Invincible Realm; they are merely lying low, awaiting the right time and opportunity!” “I know all about what happened in Great Xia Prefecture, and I know about your two teachers.” Niu Baidao said cheerfully, “Going to the All-Heavens Battlefield is no bad thing! There’s no need to worry yourself sick!” Su Yu nodded, remaining silent. Niu Baidao continued, “Your top priority is to manage your own affairs and improve yourself; there’s no need to fret over others! Having a sense of crisis is a virtue, but don’t assume that you alone can save the human race...” Niu Baidao remarked playfully, “If things truly deteriorated to the point where humanity teetered on the brink of ruin and only you could save it, then in my view, there would be no point in saving it at all. If the vast human race, with its countless powerhouses, ended up relying entirely on you, Su Yu... then if it perishes, let it perish!” Su Yu shook his head. “Back in intermediate academy, and when I was a child, I had grand ambitions—to fight for the human race, to fight for justice! But now, I don’t dwell on those thoughts. What I think about is fighting and eliminating enemies for my family, my friends, and my teachers!” A person’s mindset changed over time! In his youth, he had been hot-blooded and ambitious, longing to battle for mankind... a principle instilled by his father. Once he truly entered the cultural academy, his mindset had undergone transformation after transformation. “And that is more than enough!” Niu Baidao laughed. “Fighting for those you wish to protect is plenty! Fighting for ‘the human race’ or ‘the Human Realm’ is far too hollow! Not every single human deserves your protection anyway. That, in fact, is the normal perspective of an ordinary person! Besides, is the human race righteous?” He smiled faintly. “Not necessarily! Gods and demons invade us, and we invade smaller races; there is fundamentally no difference. There’s no need to paint gold on our own faces. In a world where the strong devour the weak, on what grounds can we claim righteousness?” Niu Baidao picked up the wine Su Yu had brought, uncorked it, took a sip, and shook his head. “Mediocre. Bring some rare vintage next time, don’t be so stingy!” “People like us—conducting research, deciphering secrets, battling on the front lines... generally do so for fame, for profit, or to protect our families. Very few are truly free of desires. If someone genuinely had no desires, they wouldn't be human; even saints have things they pursue.” “Take you, for instance. Bringing wine today means you want something from me, right?” “Yes!” Su Yu smiled as well and nodded. “Principal, I have come to seek your guidance!” “I knew it!” Niu Baidao chuckled again, sipping his wine lazily. “Ask away. Whatever I know, I will share.” Su Yu brought out the puppet. Niu Baidao glanced at it and said promptly, “Asking about aperture locations?” “Yes.” “I know four more, but no others.” With that, he swiftly dotted four red marks onto the puppet. At this point, Su Yu had acquired the locations of three hundred and fifty-seven apertures. Niu Baidao pondered for a moment before saying, “Opening all three hundred and sixty apertures is no small task. As for the final three... when you have time, pay a visit to the Bai family and ask around. Back in the day, that fellow Bai Tianhao opened a tremendous number of apertures. He might not have reached three hundred and sixty, but he surely unlocked a few obscure ones.” “The Bai family...” Su Yu hesitated. “I am Teacher Bai Feng’s student, which the Bai family surely knows. Yet even when Bai Junsheng met me, he never invited me to visit. Would it be improper for me to show up uninvited?” Niu Baidao chuckled. “Young man, don’t overthink it! If the Bai family doesn’t invite you, just go on your own! Furthermore, you’d best produce some results in the near future...” “Hmm?” “To slap them in the face!” Niu Baidao grinned. “You should pop up every now and then so Great Xia Prefecture doesn’t forget you. It’s not about begging for anyone’s attention, but showing the entire world that you, Su Yu, haven’t run out of talent! People are forgetful; the moment your genius fades, many will feel that losing you was no great loss!” “If you make a splash now and then, it will prick their hearts repeatedly, forcing them to remember you, to acknowledge your existence...” Niu Baidao smiled. “Building a reputation has real practical value! The greater your fame, the more it tips the scales in people’s minds. Right now, because of you, a Sunmoon expert perished. Certain bystanders who weren't directly involved might think you took things too far, wondering why you couldn’t tolerate such a minor matter.” Su Yu frowned. “A Sunmoon expert trying to murder me is a minor matter?” “Because they’re bystanders!” Niu Baidao chuckled. “As the saying goes, talk is cheap when you’re standing on the sidelines! Let’s flip the scenario: suppose a genius from Great Zhou Prefecture was hunted by a Sunmoon expert, and that genius found someone to turn the tables and kill the pursuer. From your perspective, how would you view it?” Su Yu thought about it. “Well, since the genius didn’t suffer any losses, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal. Killing the Sunmoon wasn't strictly necessary; it might have been better to send him to the All-Heavens Battlefield to slay enemies, given how formidable a Sunmoon's combat power is.” “Exactly!” Niu Baidao laughed. “You catch on fast! That’s the bystander’s perspective! So right now, a bunch of armchair critics think Jin Yuhui shouldn’t have been killed—that even if he were demoted to the Vanguard Camp, he would have made a fine blade for slaying foes! What you must do now is overturn that perception and make everyone realize that this fool Jin Yuhui tried to murder you, and he deserved to die ten times over!” Niu Baidao laughed heartily. “Trying to kill you should be seen as an unforgivable, heinous atrocity! Ideally, you should infuriate the neutral Invincibles until their stance tilts entirely, making them roar: ‘Damn it, how could Su Yu be allowed to die? A bunch of utter morons!’ You can even push that perception to the point where they believe you are more vital than a single Invincible!” Niu Baidao grinned radiantly. “Weak strength is nothing to be ashamed of; being weak doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish great things! Once certain Invincibles value you enough to think you’re worth trading an Invincible for... everything becomes simple. Troubles cease to be troubles. Without you lifting a finger, someone will chop off heads and deliver them to your doorstep, saying: ‘Su Yu, don’t take it to heart. Those people were idiots. We’ve killed them for you—come see if their heads were lopped off to your satisfaction...’” Su Yu fell into thought. “Then... about dismantling divine characters... does the principal know about that?” “Not that!” Niu Baidao replied bluntly, “Absolutely not! That won’t just draw the attention of human Invincibles; it will draw the attention of Invincibles from all races!” Niu Baidao did indeed know, and stated firmly, “Things like aperture fusion methods are fine, but that technique is strictly off-limits, at least for now! The myriad races are deeply wary of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. We can all see this clearly. It likely has to do with divine character battle techniques... or perhaps attaining the Invincible Realm. Of course, everyone currently plays dumb while knowing full well what’s at stake.” “Do not provoke the myriad races at this stage; it serves no purpose. What you need to do is establish your own prestige and authority!” As Niu Baidao instructed him, Su Yu nodded continuously. “You can release a method for fusing divine apertures, or even put out a basic cultural art covering thirty-six divine apertures... and spread it exclusively within Great Ming Prefecture. Remember, don’t spread it to other prefectures! That way, people will come begging you!” He smiled. “No, authorize the Zhu family to handle it, so they have to beg Prefect Zhu instead, leaving you completely out of it! You can stick to being a pure researcher, and that will be plenty. The Zhu family will protect you with all their might, while the others, getting burned time and again, will curse under their breath: ‘It’s all the damn fault of Great Xia Prefecture’s Single Divine Character Faction...’” Continuing, he suggested, “Or you could set a restriction: prefectures with a Multiple Divine Characters Faction can distribute it, while those without one cannot! Place the Single Divine Character Faction in opposition to everyone else, time after time. Oh, and don’t target the Single Divine Character Faction as a whole—pin it specifically on Great Xia Prefecture!” Su Yu was plunged into deep contemplation once more. This principal... was truly intriguing. Yet what he said made immense sense! Niu Baidao smiled again. “Right now, the chaos is largely confined to the Quest Realm and the Civilization Masters, not the warriors. I think you can win over the warriors and the commoners. You could even distribute certain cultivation methods for free—methods that are fairly important, not overly cumbersome, and accessible for everyone to practice...” “Of course, once the Primordial Spirit Aperture is deduced and you distribute that, tsk tsk... everyone will have to hail you as the Father of Primordial Spirits!” Niu Baidao’s smile grew increasingly brilliant. “That is how you turn public sentiment! By that point, you will be the embodiment of justice; whatever you say will be righteous! You will occupy the moral high ground! Anyone targeting you will be branded a traitor! If a human Invincible tries to kill you, they will be an absolute traitor to humanity. Driven by the overwhelming tide of popular support, those in power will have to execute them whether they want to or not! Even if someone objects... whoever objects is an accomplice to treason!” Niu Baidao beamed so broadly that his weathered face bloomed like a flower. “Young man, you’re clever, or you wouldn't have come to Great Ming Prefecture! And as a clever person, don't drive yourself into a dead end thinking you must reach the Invincible Realm yourself before you can slay an Invincible! Who made that rule? Who said so? Isn’t bottling it all up exhausting? Isn’t enduring it miserable? The more talented someone is, the more prone they are to obstinacy—look at Liu Wenyan and his ilk, living such agonizing lives!” “Liu Wenyan’s entire family was virtually wiped out. Was that an accident? Hard to say! Yet he bottled it up, refused to make a scene, and stayed silent. The baby that doesn't cry gets no milk!” “Does the human race know the Liu family’s contributions?” “A small fraction does, but the vast majority does not!” “And that small fraction keeps their mouths shut because it doesn't affect them personally...” Niu Baidao shook his head. “A genius who doesn’t know how to cry, who only thinks of seeking revenge alone and clashing head-on—that isn’t clever! It lacks broad wisdom! He should have cried out, letting tens of billions of humans across the Human Realm know just how much his Liu family sacrificed for humanity, only to suffer such grotesque injustice! Harness the momentum of the masses to pressure the Invincibles! If Liu Wenyan had raised his voice decades ago, countless people would have answered his call. But now... forget it, barely anyone remembers him!” “You, however, are different. You are the sensation of the hour. You must let your fame climb higher day by day. When the time comes, fame alone can kill!” Su Yu’s eyes grew steadily brighter! Indeed, he had previously thought only of growing powerful so he could aid his teacher and eliminate the hidden Invincible traitor. Yet Principal Niu was entirely right! How long would it take him to reach the Invincible Realm? Which year, which month would that finally happen? Fame could kill! This time, the reason Jin Yuhui and the others were eliminated was precisely because of his fame. If he had been a nameless nobody, would Zhu Tiandao have executed Jin Yuhui on his behalf? Impossible! He had strayed from the path; what he had done before was actually the correct approach—borrowing momentum and borrowing blades to slay two Sunmoon experts and more than a dozen Shanhai experts. That was true capability! “Thank you, Principal. Su Yu is deeply enlightened!” Su Yu offered his heartfelt gratitude. Principal Niu... was truly a guiding beacon in life! This was no petty scheme; it was an open grand strategy, riding the unstoppable tide of public sentiment! The prerequisite was that Su Yu had to remain brilliant enough to ensure the entire Human Realm knew him and valued him! Sipping his wine, Niu Baidao sighed with emotion. “It’s good that you understand. Stop brooding so much. Great Ming Prefecture is the right choice for you. Here, there are people willing to shield you, bold enough to shield you, and of course, powerful enough to shield you! Young man, turn yourself into the embodiment of justice. Never follow in the footsteps of those who set themselves against the world, crying: ‘The whole world is wrong and I am right!’ Even if you are right, you will still be wrong!” “Since you cannot fight against the entire world, lead it! Ordinary people and many experts don’t truly understand the grand scheme; they simply follow the crowd. You can become that roaring torrent! Whoever opposes you becomes your enemy, and by extension, the enemy of the world. That is the path you must walk!” Su Yu nodded vigorously! He had truly learned a profound lesson! Principal Niu was incredible; these words cleared away all the fog! Back then, Teacher Liu should have come here for guidance. Perhaps things would have turned out entirely differently today!