Master and disciple walked back along the road. Leaving early and returning late had become the norm for both of them lately.
Once they entered the city, they went their separate ways.
Su Yu headed home, while Liu Wenyan made his way to the academy.
***
Outside the residential complex entrance.
Chen Hao was sulking, squatting on the ground and counting ants.
The moment he heard footsteps, he snapped his head up. Seeing Su Yu, he instantly grumbled, "A'Yu, what took you so long to get back!"
Seeing him waiting there, Su Yu couldn't help but chuckle. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you, what else!"
Chen Hao complained, "You've been running off outside every day with Instructor Liu lately. What are you even doing? Instructor Liu is playing favorites. It's not like he's your private tutor, yet he only takes you along. Our classmates have been talking behind your back."
Jealousy and envy practically dripped from every word he spoke.
"A Tengkong expert! Taking only you! A'Yu, why don't you put in a good word with Instructor Liu and have him bring me along too?"
Before Liu Wenyan's willpower had achieved Manifestation, he was merely an instructor in the Qianjun Realm. Even if he was exceptionally skilled in all-races languages, he was still just an ordinary instructor.
Yet the moment Liu Wenyan's willpower broke through to the Tengkong Realm, he transformed into one of the most prominent figures in Nanyuan City in the blink of an eye.
Even City Lord Wu Wenhai was only at the second stage of the Tengkong Realm, and prior to that, Liu Wenyan had slain a second-stage Tengkong expert. That matter had long spread throughout tiny Nanyuan.
Nowadays, what student at Nanyuan Academy wouldn't want to get closer to Liu Wenyan?
Even if the students didn't fully realize it, could their parents fail to understand?
Every day Chen Hao's father came home, he would unleash a torrent of scolding, berating Chen Hao for being inferior to Su Yu. *Look at Su Yu—Liu Wenyan keeps him by his side and grooms him like a personal disciple. But look at you! You're on such great terms with Su Yu, yet you haven't even grazed the edge of an opportunity!*
"Are you sure you want to come along?"
Su Yu chuckled and said, "If you're sure, I'll mention it to Instructor Liu tomorrow."
"Never mind!"
Chen Hao, who had been brimming with righteous indignation a moment ago, instantly deflated. He said dryly, "I wouldn't dare. My legs shake just standing next to Instructor Liu. He's way scarier now than he used to be."
"He isn't trying to be scary. His willpower just achieved Manifestation, but his physical body hasn't been properly tempered yet, so he can't fully restrain it."
Su Yu offered an explanation on his behalf anyway; this fellow was all talk.
Liu Wenyan truly wasn't trying to look fierce. The crux was that after his willpower manifested, his physical body had not yet caught up, and having only recently stepped into the Wanshi Realm, he couldn't completely rein in his willpower aura, which naturally made him appear imposing.
As a result, to rookies like Chen Hao, he inevitably seemed ferocious.
Chen Hao didn't entirely understand, but he didn't dwell on it either. Instantly tossing the previous topic aside, he fell into step beside Su Yu, grinning from ear to ear. "A'Yu, I'm almost at the fourth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm!"
"Lately, my ears have been buzzing and rumbling. Do you think I'm about to open an acupoint?"
"So you waited here just to show off to me?"
"No way!"
Chen Hao protested his innocence. "Even if I reach the fourth stage, aren't you already at the fourth stage too? I didn't come to show off. My dad wants to treat you to dinner. Didn't you let me claim the credit for that kill back then?"
"I told him I killed the guy, but my dad beat the stuffing out of me and said I was full of crap! Then... I told him I did it with you, and only then did he believe me. He said you have a good head on your shoulders and that you yielded the credit to me. He kept saying he wanted to treat you to a meal, but you've been running all over the place this month, so he couldn't catch you at all."
Chen Hao wore a pitiful expression; he had taken quite a beating from his father last month.
His dad was really something. A'Yu was only at the fourth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm too, wasn't he?
Why wouldn't his dad believe him when he claimed the kill, yet the moment he said Su Yu was there, his dad took it as absolute fact that Su Yu had done it? Where was the justice in that!
Chen Hao had almost convinced himself that he was the one who made the kill, but after a few thrashings from his dad, he had snapped back to reality and remembered: *Wait, I didn't kill him, A'Yu did. How strange, why did I keep thinking it was me?*
"Why is Uncle Chen being so polite?"
Su Yu chuckled and said, "Didn't you pay for it? Over ten thousand yuan, and you gave me the merit points too. Those thirty bonus points wouldn't do me any good anyway."
"I told him that! I said we're brothers, no need to be polite, but my dad insisted on treating you."
Chen Hao waved it off casually. "Let's just go eat. In any case, Uncle Su isn't home, so you'd just be eating instant noodles if you went back."
"Fair enough, then."
Su Yu didn't decline any further. He was quite familiar with Chen Hao's father; back when his own dad was home, they saw each other frequently.
However, ever since Su Long left, Su Yu had been running around with Liu Wenyan and hadn't visited the Chen household since.
Chen Hao didn't say much more about it, walking alongside Su Yu as he asked, "A'Yu, after going out with Instructor Liu all this time, has your strength improved?"
"A little."
"Then how much longer until you reach the fifth stage of Kaiyuan?"
Chen Hao said rather gloomily, "Someone in class has been talking trash about you. It's that Zhou Chong. Wasn't he at the fourth stage before? While you were away these past few days, he actually broke through to the fifth stage. He claimed you only rely on cheap tricks to suck up to Instructor Liu, and that even if you get into a Civilization Academy, you won't amount to much."
Su Yu replied nonchalantly, "Why lower yourself to his level? Better to spend that time cultivating properly."
"A'Yu, you can't look at it that way!"
Chen Hao said indignantly, "I'm planning to challenge him to a duel. It's not like the gap between the fourth and fifth stages is that big. Once I reach the fourth stage, I'm going to settle scores with him. All he knows is how to talk behind people's backs!"
"If you hadn't forbidden me from talking, I'd have told everyone you killed Qianjun cultivators. Who does that guy think he is, acting so smug!"
He remained full of resentment. So what if Zhou Chong was at the fifth stage of Kaiyuan?
What was so great about that?
A'Yu had killed two seventh-stage Qianjun experts!
After venting a few curses in righteous indignation and noticing that Su Yu genuinely seemed unbothered, Chen Hao couldn't resist asking, "You've got a whole bunch of cuts on you. Have you been going through special training lately? Did you reach the fifth stage?"
Su Yu's current appearance was indeed rather scruffy, with numerous bloody scratches on his cheeks.
Hearing Chen Hao ask again, Su Yu couldn't help but smile. "The fifth stage of Kaiyuan? Haozi, can't you set your sights a little higher?"
"What do you mean?"
"The sky over Nanyuan... is too low!"
To his best friend, Su Yu decided to share some heartfelt thoughts. He sighed and said, "Nanyuan is too small, its sky is too low, and everyone's horizons are far too narrow! The Kaiyuan Realm... what does Kaiyuan even amount to?"
"In the Great Xia Prefecture, ninth-stage Kaiyuan cultivators are everywhere, simply waiting for matriculation before breaking through to Qianjun."
"And that's just Kaiyuan... Some people have slain fourth-stage Tengkong experts half a year after entering the academy!"
"Haozi, that's Tengkong! The sky over Nanyuan only reaches as high as Tengkong!"
"Even our City Lord is only in the Tengkong Realm, yet in the Great Xia Prefecture, a student who enrolled just six months ago can kill someone in the Tengkong Realm—stronger than our own City Lord. Tell me... what's the point of squabbling over petty things here in Nanyuan?"
In the past, Su Yu might have bickered with Zhou Chong over such remarks.
Now, however, he couldn't summon the slightest interest.
The fifth stage of Kaiyuan?
Sure, in Nanyuan that was considered impressive. But the sky over Nanyuan was horrifyingly low. Having met Bai Feng and heard about the deeds of that prodigy from the Great Zhou Prefecture, how could he possibly care about such petty rivalries?
Liu Wenyan and Bai Feng had opened the doors to an entirely different world for him, allowing a country bumpkin born and raised in Nanyuan to glimpse a much grander horizon.
Hearing Chen Hao bring up those grievances now, he only found it amusing, feeling nothing else.
"A'Yu..."
Chen Hao looked somewhat bewildered. "What does any of that have to do with us? The prodigies in the Great Xia Prefecture and the Great Zhou Prefecture—that's their business, isn't it? It has nothing to do with us."
To Chen Hao, Su Yu's words sounded far too distant.
Did it concern them in any way?
"Why wouldn't it?"
Su Yu glanced sideways at him. "Are you content to remain mediocre your entire life? We're all human. Why can't we become the prodigies that others look up to?"
"But..."
Chen Hao wanted to argue, but found himself at a loss for words. Rather dejectedly, he muttered, "That's just way too far off. I only asked if you reached the fifth stage of Kaiyuan, so why are you telling me all this?"
"I'm at the seventh stage of Kaiyuan,"
Su Yu said with a light chuckle. "I plan to attempt a breakthrough in the next couple of days to see if I can reach the eighth stage."
"..."
Chen Hao was dumbstruck. He reached out to feel Su Yu's forehead, but Su Yu swatted his hand away with a slap.
"I'm not daydreaming. I really am at the seventh stage of Kaiyuan."
Su Yu stepped into the stairwell, talking as he climbed. "There are still twenty-four days before the exams. Reaching the eighth stage shouldn't be an issue, though the ninth stage might be a stretch. Still, there's another month after the exams, so there's a good chance I can reach the ninth stage before entering the academy."
"And that's with me spending a lot of time on other things recently. Otherwise, I would have advanced even faster."
"Haozi, do you understand what I mean now? Zhou Chong reaching the fifth stage is truly nothing in my eyes. If you want to enter a War Academy, if you want to grow stronger, if you want to make something of yourself in the future, you have to put in far more effort."
"Stop fixing your eyes solely on the Kaiyuan Realm all day long. Look further ahead."
Chen Hao remained in a daze, only speaking after a long silence: "Even if I fix my eyes on Tengkong, it's not like I can reach Tengkong."
"Your horizons determine your future. If your mind is entirely fixed on Kaiyuan, then Kaiyuan becomes your ceiling, and you lose the drive to climb higher."
Su Yu said earnestly, "Before, my goal was simply to reach the Wanshi Realm in this lifetime—to surpass my dad! Or reach Tengkong, and maybe become a City Lord in Nanyuan. But ever since I saw more and heard more, I now feel that Tengkong is merely the starting line, so I aim for much more."
"In fact, over the past month and a half, I've worked harder than ever before. Because I know that in the grand scheme of things, I'm nothing. Am I a genius? Not at all. At best, I have a sliver of talent. Thrown into the Great Xia Prefecture, I'd just be an ordinary person, nothing to brag about."
The illustrated book in his mind was one factor—one driving force behind his desire to become stronger.
Yet after hearing so much about that wider world from Liu Wenyan and the others, Su Yu had indeed changed. Previously, after mastering eighteen all-races languages, he had considered himself formidable and outstanding, and had initially planned to take things easy over these couple of months.
Ever since he learned about the world of Civilization Masters and the world of true geniuses, however, he was no longer satisfied with his former ambitions.
Tengkong was not the end point; it was only the beginning!
That was why over this past month, no matter how bitter or exhausting it became, he hadn't uttered a single complaint, knowing full well that this was necessary.
Others came from better backgrounds and possessed superior talent. If he didn't strive to catch up, how could he ever rise?
"A'Yu, you've changed,"
Chen Hao mumbled. "Ever since Uncle Su left, you've changed. Could it be... that once your old man leaves, you work harder? What if... my dad and I split the household..."
"..."
Su Yu stared at him blankly. *After everything I said, you conclude that you should split the household from your dad? How on earth is your brain wired?*
"Rotten wood cannot be carved!" Su Yu cursed!
Liu Wenyan had frequently scolded him with those exact words over the past few days. Su Yu thought to himself that it was fortunate Liu Wenyan hadn't taken Chen Hao under his wing; otherwise, the old man's temper would have exploded.
Chen Hao ignored the scolding and muttered again, "Are you really at the seventh stage of Kaiyuan, and almost at the eighth? That's impossible. You were only at the fourth stage last month. How could you suddenly reach the seventh?"
"Nothing is impossible!"
After a moment's thought, Su Yu said, "It's unlikely you'll suddenly become extremely powerful, but you can prepare yourself. For instance, starting today, spend an extra hour every day practicing martial techniques. Once you reach the eighth stage of Kaiyuan, you can save the time usually spent on them."
"Read more books. If nothing else, have you truly grasped the *Kaiyuan Art* inside and out?"
"Read it dozens of times a day until you know it by heart, and you'll find your cultivation runs much smoother."
"I have a copy of the *Kaiyuan Art* written by Teacher Bai Feng. Its power has faded considerably by now, but that makes it just right for you to study. When you have free time, read it often."
If it were right when Bai Feng first penned the *Kaiyuan Art*, Chen Hao wouldn't have been able to look at it at all; his willpower wasn't strong enough.
Now, however, as the residual power gradually dissipated, Chen Hao could actually read it.
Though not quite as potent as the day it was written, it still carried a trace of Tengkong might. If he could glean some insights from it, his cultivation in the Kaiyuan Realm would progress with twice the results for half the effort.
Chen Hao scratched his head, feeling a surge of excitement mingled with distress. "I'm terrible with books. The moment I look at one, I start dozing off..."
"Then endure it!"
Su Yu unlocked the door and snapped, "If you don't cherish the opportunities given to you, then forget about growing stronger! Just scrape by until Qianjun and come back to Nanyuan! Don't go throwing your life away on the All-Heavens Battlefield! Someone who doesn't know how to seize an opportunity handed to him has no right to talk about getting stronger!"
"I don't want to have to collect your corpse on the All-Heavens Battlefield one day!"
"Pui!" Chen Hao mumbled. "If anyone's collecting my corpse, it'll be my parents..."
"I..."
Su Yu couldn't even be bothered to curse at him. This guy was hopeless!
"A'Yu, thank you!"
Chen Hao spoke up suddenly, his tone a bit downcast. "I am kind of dumb, not smart like you. You're right, I'm just rotten wood. You're so smart and you work even harder than me. Trying to catch up to you... my dad was probably right, there's no hope in this lifetime."
"So I'll listen to you. From now on, I'll spend an extra hour every day practicing martial techniques, and another hour... reading!"
Chen Hao found the words painful to say. Two extra hours every day—what misery!
Practicing martial techniques was one thing, but reading for an extra hour was downright lethal!
"How about... an hour and a half of martial techniques, and half an hour of reading?"
He looked hesitantly at Su Yu. *What do you think of that?*
Su Yu felt utterly exhausted. "You brute!"
"Cut the chatter. When you read, do it here at my place. You read while I cultivate, and I'll keep an eye on you. It'll do you good!"
When Su Yu cultivated, devouring blood essence gathered yuanqi, which would indeed be beneficial.
In the future, he could cultivate inside his room while Chen Hao read outside. With the surrounding yuanqi denser while he read, it would aid Chen Hao in opening acupoints.
Furthermore, Su Yu planned to consume that half-drop of yuanqi liquid over the next couple of days, which would make the ambient yuanqi even richer.
"Alright then. Whenever I read alone, I end up falling asleep before I know it..."
"That's precisely why you're only at the third stage of Kaiyuan while I'm almost at the eighth!"
Su Yu rolled his eyes and went into the bathroom to wash up. Changing his clothes, he called out, "Don't go blabbing about me being at the seventh stage of Kaiyuan. It's pointless. Also, the next time Zhou Chong talks trash about me, go beat him up."
"Huh?"
Chen Hao was stunned. *Didn't you just say not to lower yourself to his level?*
"Huh what? It's to hone your actual combat skills!"
Su Yu stated as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "A target delivered right to your doorstep, at the fifth stage of Kaiyuan—he's the perfect match for you! Beat him up until his face is black and blue, beat him until he doesn't dare run his mouth again, beat him until he trembles the moment he sees you! Did you expect me to step in?"
"I'm someone who has killed Qianjun cultivators. Why would I bully a little kid like him?"
"If anyone else at the academy dares to talk trash, challenge them on the spot. Beat up every single one you run into! Don't be afraid of getting hit; taking a beating is training in itself!"
"If you don't even have that much courage, what kind of Dao are you trying to cultivate!"
Su Yu recited Liu Wenyan's words verbatim. Truth be told, bossing around a sidekick felt pretty satisfying.
Chen Hao nodded blankly, muttering, "Some girls were saying those things too..."
"Beat them too!"
Su Yu said sternly, "Does the battlefield distinguish between men and women? Do female warriors of the myriad races and the gods and demons refrain from killing? Would they spare you? Just beat them, as long as you don't maim them!"
"Oh..."
Chen Hao felt something was slightly off, yet A'Yu's words seemed to make sense.
"Those girls need a good beating. Instead of studying properly, all they do is whisper behind people's backs and gossip about this and that. If you don't hit them, they'll think you're a coward. Haozi, boys and girls are all the same. Anyone who talks bad about me, just go beat them up. Nothing wrong with that!"
"Oh, but... what if they call their parents?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Even if they call their parents, would a Qianjun cultivator dare bully you? Tell them that the academy exists to foster the strong! Anyone below the eighth stage of Kaiyuan can come at you anytime. In a one-on-one duel, you're invincible; whoever cowers is a coward! If they have the guts, let them find a seventh-stage Kaiyuan cultivator to beat you up. No matter how badly you get thrashed, you won't go crying to your parents—you can't afford that embarrassment!"
Su Yu fed him ideas, egging him on. "A seventh-stage Kaiyuan's combat strength is only so-so. As long as you don't flinch mentally, he might not even beat you. If you, a third-stage Kaiyuan, manage to beat a seventh-stage into submission, who would dare mess with you? What could their parents possibly say? If they still complain, report it to the Academy Head. Since when is picking on the weak justified?"
"Besides, your dad is the Deputy Chief of the Traffic Supervision Office. Would those people really dare do anything to you? Who takes children's scuffles seriously?"
Chen Hao nodded repeatedly. That made so much sense.
"Then I... start fighting tomorrow?"
"Yeah. When you get to the academy tomorrow, beat up Zhou Chong first. Once you're done, shout that anyone who has a problem can come find you. They might even deliver themselves to you for a beating. These are prime opportunities for actual combat, which you don't usually get. Free sparring partners—isn't that great?"
Having washed up and changed into fresh clothes, Su Yu stepped out of the bathroom and continued, "Let's go eat. By the way, if your dad asks, don't say I told you to do it. Say you wanted actual combat training yourself. Otherwise your dad will give me trouble, and setting up a friend is not what a good cultivator does!"
"Don't worry, I definitely won't say a word."
Chen Hao thumped his chest. A real man didn't run to his parents about every little thing; did Su Yu think he was a toddler?
Su Yu gave him a thumbs-up and chuckled. "Right, when you fight, find an instructor to watch over it so nobody goes too far. If the instructor asks, just say you're honing your combat skills. The academy won't stop you."
"Got it."
"Also, when fighting girls, yell out that both men and women are cultivators and you don't pick on women. If they don't want to duel, tell them to shut their mouths, or it won't look good for them when they cry."
"Understood, I've got it down."
"Oh, and when dueling girls, don't hit their faces, or it'll be hard to explain."
"Got it. Anything else?"
"And... absolutely do not say I taught you this!"
"I won't, don't worry!"
"..."
After Su Yu gave instructions all the way, they soon arrived at the Chen residence.
Chen Hao felt enlightened, itching to get started. Starting tomorrow, real combat training officially begins!
He, Chen Hao, was going to fight his way across Nanyuan Academy! Free sparring partners—just as A'Yu said, hiring a sparring partner would cost a hundred yuan an hour, and fighting for three hours a day would be earning three hundred yuan!
After a month of fighting, he would earn at least ten thousand yuan, essentially saving all his pocket money from being spent on hiring sparring partners!
Sure enough, A'Yu was the smart one when it came to crunching numbers.
Chapter 30