June 26th was the examination day for the Internal Affairs Academy and the Scientific Research Academy.
Naturally, this had little to do with Su Yu. In fact, people did not pay much attention to them; in an era where the strong reigned supreme, such institutions were easily overlooked.
Even though they were indispensable, they still failed to draw much public interest.
Students only considered taking exams for these two academies if they failed to qualify for the War or Civilization Academies.
...
At this moment, Su Yu was entertaining guests.
A great many of them!
There were examiners from civilization academies as well as war academies.
Great Xia War Academy, Great Xia Civilization Academy, Longwu Academy, Jiutian Academy, Wendao Academy...
Virtually every well-known academy had sent representatives today.
Top-low for the War Academy, top-high for the Civilization Academy.
This was not Great Xia Prefecture's capital; if Great Xia Prefecture had a genius like this, recruiters would not bother trying to woo them, as nine times out of ten such talents were already claimed.
Take Wu Lan, for instance—she was dead set on going to Great Xia Civilization Academy, so there was no need to bother with her.
But Su Yu was different.
His rise to fame had been far too recent. The only one keeping an eye on him was Bai Feng. Bai Feng was indeed a genius, but Bai Feng was weak—merely in the Tengkong Realm. There were plenty of Tengkongs at the academies, and Su Yu did not necessarily have to apprentice under him.
Several examiners were wandering around the Su family home with keen interest, milling about the place.
The Demon Suppression Army chiliarch remained silent, but his eyes stayed fixed on the photograph of Su Long in the living room.
After a while, he muttered under his breath, "A humble man who forgot not the peril of his nation; in times of direst need, at a single decree, he rushed back to the battlefield. A true hero of humanity!"
The examiners shot him strange looks. *Give it a rest!*
*A rough soldier like you spouting high-flown rhetoric—who are you trying to impress!*
The elder from Jiutian Academy was more straightforward. He smiled and said, "Su Yu, I've already laid out my terms, and I guarantee they're the best you'll find in Great Xia Prefecture! Everyone, listen to me for a moment. Let's talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each option.
"Take Great Xia Civilization Academy. It has plenty of experts, plenty of monsters, and plenty of geniuses. Even with Bai Feng there, if you go, Su Yu, frankly speaking, Bai Feng's faction is having a rough time right now. Elder Hong went to the All-Heavens Battlefield, and who knows how long it'll take before he returns? Right now, Bai Feng is the one running their faction..."
The elder continued with a chuckle, "Bai Feng is only at Tengkong. Truth be told, he doesn't even have the right to speak in the Heart Cultivation Pavilion. What could he possibly secure for you? Opportunities to enter secret realms? Or more chances to read willpower texts?"
"Jiutian Academy is different—"
Before he could finish, Huang Sheng remarked indifferently, "If he attends Great Xia Civilization Academy, he doesn't necessarily have to take Bai Feng as his master. Bai Feng is only an assistant researcher. With a top-high evaluation, it wouldn't be much of a problem for him to study under an intermediate or senior researcher."
On the side, Old Xie from Longwu Academy chuckled and said, "Why fixate on a civilization academy? What's wrong with a war academy? A martial arts prodigy like Su Yu ought to go to a war academy. He dared to assist the Wind Arrest Hall in killing a Wanshi while still in the Kaiyuan Realm! The boy should follow in his father's footsteps and prove his mettle on the battlefield!"
Old Xie tempted, "Su Yu, if you come to Longwu Academy, you'll study in your first year, and in your second year, you can intern with the Longwu Guards—slaying criminals, fighting the All-Races Sect, exploring secret realms... Can any civilization academy compare to that?"
At these words, the representative from Great Xia War Academy chimed in, "Well said! Real men forge their renown in war academies! Severing mountains and seas with a single saber, cleaving the heavens with a sword—a real man should slaughter to his heart's content! How could anyone waste away in the rear, doing nothing but writing and scribbling..."
The moment those words were spoken, trouble brewed.
The expressions on Huang Sheng and the other civilization examiners darkened. The elder from Jiutian Academy narrowed his eyes and chuckled coldly. "Fine, since you're so tough, the army won't need Civilization Masters next time. The Civilization Combat Battalions can just be disbanded."
"I didn't mean the Civilization Masters in the army..."
"So you meant us?" Huang Sheng said coldly. "Why don't you ask the tens of thousands of Civilization Masters in Great Xia Prefecture if they'll accept that!"
"..."
"I can't be bothered with you all. You're just twisting words!" Flustered and vexed, the lead examiner from Great Xia War Academy stopped arguing.
If he kept talking, these folks would rally a gang of Civilization Masters to teach him a lesson.
Everyone turned to look at Su Yu. Su Yu put on an apprehensive, uneasy look and said, "Teachers... after all, I'm still young and know nothing. I really don't know where it's best for me to go. If it were up to me, I'd want to go to all of them...
"However..." Looking sheepish and anxious, Su Yu continued, "as you all know, I was mentored by Teacher Liu Wenyan. Teacher Liu called me last night and insisted that I apply for Great Xia Civilization Academy..."
Hearing this, Old Xie and the others fumed!
"Good old Liu Wenyan, that shameless old thief! How could he interfere with a student's own choice? Su Yu, ignore him. Your father is in the Demon Suppression Army—ask for your father's opinion..."
Su Yu made a bitter face. "Even if my dad were home, he'd still listen to Teacher Liu. He taught me for five years and was my mentor on the path of civilization. He poured in so much effort without asking for anything in return... My dad and I can't be ungrateful.
"Since Teacher said Great Xia Civilization Academy is best, I can only go there. I'm truly sorry, teachers," Su Yu sighed.
The recruiters didn't hold it against him. Su Yu was still young and had never stepped outside Nanyuan; what would he know?
It was all that old thief Liu Wenyan tricking him!
If they were going to hold a grudge, it should be against that shameless old scoundrel Liu Wenyan!
Refusing to give up, Old Xie pressed, "Su Yu, won't you really reconsider the Longwu Guards? If you join Longwu Academy, in a few years you could enter the Longwu Guards and become one of Great Xia Prefecture's elite military experts..."
"Hmph!"
At this, the Demon Suppression Army chiliarch took offense. He said coldly, "My Demon Suppression Army garrisons the heavens and sweeps across them invincibly! Since when did the Longwu Guards become the most elite legion?"
Old Xie rolled his eyes and clamped his mouth shut.
Any further, and they in the military would be coming to blows.
Scholars had no undisputed first, but warriors admitted no second. As the two most elite military forces of Great Xia Prefecture, although the individual strength in the Demon Suppression Army was comparatively lower, they had the numbers and vast combat experience, permanently stationed on the All-Heavens Battlefield. They would never concede that the Longwu Guards were number one.
Su Yu acted as though he had not heard their squabble. Pouring tea for each examiner, he expressed his gratitude: "Thank you all for thinking so highly of me, teachers. I am truly flattered, and deeply sorry."
"It has nothing to do with you!"
Old Xie waved his hand. Still reluctant to let such a talent slip away, he asked, "Aren't you going to ask about the benefits Great Xia Civilization Academy is offering before agreeing so readily?"
Su Yu smiled brightly. "Teacher Liu said there's no need to hold out for the highest bidder. Great Xia Civilization Academy is full of experts and boundless resources; they wouldn't mistreat an incoming student. If I really tried to hold out for better offers, had all of you make proposals and spend half a day applying for approvals, only for me to turn them down in the end... wouldn't that just be wasting your time, teachers?"
Everyone could not help but chuckle.
Huang Sheng smiled as well. "Instructor Liu is quite right. Great Xia Civilization Academy has uniform standards; we will never mistreat any gifted student! Even if Bai Feng has already taken you in ahead of time, the outcome remains the same—what's yours will not be shortchanged.
"Of course, you can consider whether to actually apprentice under Bai Feng. That is entirely up to you; it doesn't have to be him."
He was very pleased with Su Yu's decision.
The boy had unswervingly chosen Great Xia Civilization Academy. While Liu Wenyan seemed to have played a role, it was a good thing that Su Yu did not waver.
It saved time and avoided having the examiners shout themselves red in the face.
Now that Su Yu had made his choice, the other examiners were disappointed, but there was nothing they could do. The elder from Jiutian Academy rose to his feet. "Su Yu, before you formally enroll, you can still choose to come to Jiutian Academy. The offer stands as I promised! Once enrolled, however, there won't be any chance to change your mind."
Old Xie spoke up as well: "Since you've made your decision, we won't waste your time. You come from a military family, so joining the Longwu Guards after graduation works just as well. Still, I should offer a friendly word of advice..."
Old Xie paused, then said with a faint smile, "Civilization academies aren't like war academies. There are too many old foxes in civilization academies, too many clans, too many prominent families. A warrior can cultivate even without an inheritance; many powerhouses rise from the battlefield. But at a civilization academy... heritage matters more. There are too many factions, too many aristocratic clans. Once you get there... watch your back!"
Huang Sheng's expression shifted slightly, but he kept quiet.
Old Xie had hit the nail on the head.
The warrior path was relatively pure.
The civilization path had far too many factions.
There was the divine character faction, the pure willpower faction, the hybrid faction combining both, and all sorts of other chaotic little factions.
There were those who championed all-races civilizations, and those who acknowledged only human civilization.
There were those who favored external objects, such as fighting in mecha, and those who favored body-modification... like replacing parts of their own bodies with monster race parts...
In short, the civilization path was immensely complex.
The civilization path harbored many madmen and many powerhouses, each unique. Strictly speaking, while they did not match the warrior path in sheer numbers of strong practitioners, in an actual fight, nine times out of ten a warrior of the same cultivation realm was no match for a Civilization Master.
Warriors fought in a limited number of ways, whereas Civilization Masters fought with vast variations that were utterly unpredictable.
Old Xie was merely offering a well-intentioned warning. Su Yu's background was simply too ordinary.
His father was only a centurion in the Demon Suppression Army. Given how civilization heritage operated, Great Xia Prefecture was filled with Civilization Master clans, many with centuries of lineage, and some Civilization Masters from the King of Great Xia's era were even still alive.
In the warrior path, such clan lineage imprints were less pronounced, because new warriors rose every year; many rising powerhouses clawed their way up from the battlefield, and coming from ordinary families was not uncommon.
"Thank you for the warning, Teacher."
Su Yu thanked him without saying much more. With Civilization Masters present, it would be inappropriate to elaborate.
"As long as you understand. Well, I'm taking off!"
Old Xie felt some regret, but he was decisive and departed shortly after.
The others did not linger either, taking their leave one by one.
In the end, only Huang Sheng and a local staff member from Nanyuan remained in the house.
Once they were gone, Huang Sheng smiled. "Su Yu, your choice is not wrong! Ninety-nine percent of the geniuses in Great Xia Prefecture choose Great Xia Civilization Academy. It is a place where the strong clash and monsters roam free. On the Grand Dao, you will have a host of equally monstrous peers advancing alongside you—you won't be lonely on the path of the strong..."
As Huang Sheng spoke, a wave of emotion touched his voice. "There, you can witness the rise of heroes and the fall of geniuses. Years later, you might take pride in having been classmates with someone, or others might take pride in having had you as a classmate or student!
"Among your cohort, some will become the luminous center of the myriad races, while others will fall early and turn to dust... Great Xia Civilization Academy witnesses it all, experiences it all, and possesses it all!"
Su Yu felt a faint warmth stir in his chest, a flicker of anticipation, a surge of hot blood—which quickly settled into calm.
All of that was too distant.
"Teacher, since I've made my choice, I won't regret it."
At this moment, Su Yu dropped his ingenuous demeanor and went straight to the point: "When will the twenty merit points for placing first in the civilization assessment be issued? Also, for placing first in Nanyuan, I remember there's an original Qianjun Realm cultivation manual of the myriad races—when will that be handed out?
"Furthermore," Su Yu pressed on quickly, "as a top-high tier student entering the academy, there should be other perks, right? It couldn't be that there are none at all? Could you tell me about them, Teacher?"
Huang Sheng took no offense, chuckling instead. "Instructor Liu probably didn't force you to choose Great Xia Civilization Academy... It was your own decision all along, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Su Yu nodded. "I want to go further, so naturally I chose Great Xia Civilization Academy. While Jiutian and Wendao might offer better initial conditions, those are short-term gains. Great Xia Civilization Academy offers long-term value."
"Smart!"
Huang Sheng chuckled. "Then let's cut straight to the chase. The merit points can be delivered to you this afternoon, including the rewards from the War Academy side—both the yuanqi liquid and merit points will be brought over. It won't take long.
"As for after enrollment, top-high tier students definitely receive additional benefits..."
Huang Sheng turned serious. "Upon enrollment, a reward of one hundred merit points, one free viewing of a willpower text, one free entry into the 'Yuan' treasure realm, and one free entry into the 'Zhan' treasure realm!"
Su Yu knew of these two places; Bai Feng had mentioned them.
The third and fourth Headmasters had each left behind a manifested divine character that formed a mini-world—these were the two treasure realms.
Su Yu thought for a moment and asked, "What if someone only receives a top-low evaluation?"
"Then there's only the one-hundred-merit-point reward," Huang Sheng said with a smile. "A mid-high evaluation adds one secret realm entry, and a top-high evaluation adds another! Such opportunities are exceedingly rare. As for the secret realm entries offered by academies like Jiutian, they pale in comparison to ours."
Su Yu nodded. Now that carried the prestige befitting the top academy.
Three entries or five entries into other secret realms couldn't match a single one of theirs!
If a student was only evaluated as top-low, they didn't even get that chance—take it or leave it. Only mid-high and top-high students were granted access.
"Then these two treasure realms..."
"You'll see once you arrive at the academy!"
Huang Sheng then said rather solemnly, "As for your opportunity in the Yuan Treasure Realm, I recommend using it right after enrollment—no, wait until you reach the peak of the ninth stage of Kaiyuan! It will be of tremendous help for breaking through to Qianjun. Qianjun is about opening apertures and forging the physique; breaking through inside the treasure realm yields far greater benefits!
"Naturally, this is usually chosen by students whose willpower has reached the Character Nurturing stage. You aren't there yet, but you may have opportunities later on. Rapidly converting your gains into combat power is also beneficial to you. How you choose is entirely up to you."
Su Yu nodded. "Teacher, may I ask an off-topic question?"
"Go ahead."
"I heard the academy plans to open the All-Races Training Academy this year. Is that true?"
"It is."
Huang Sheng nodded, then lowered his voice. "This plan has been in the works for a long time. It was even implemented once before, but ultimately got scrapped. The reasons behind it are rather complicated."
"Did the Prefecture Lord wipe out their races?"
"It wasn't that simple!" Huang Sheng shook his head. "What you heard was probably what Instructor Liu told you. The actual situation was more intricate. Of course, there's no need for you to know; it's all in the past now."
Huang Sheng added, "This time is different. This time, Great Xia Prefecture has given its tacit approval. Marquis Xia made exorbitant demands and extorted a massive amount of resources from the myriad races. No trouble can be allowed this time, or Great Xia Prefecture's credibility will be destroyed. Last time, Great Xia Prefecture hadn't endorsed it—it was done through private contact by the academy, so when things went south, there were excuses. This time, there are none...
"The reason I'm telling you this is that if you encounter students from the myriad races at the academy, normal rivalries are fine, and competing with them is fine. If you have the ability to goad them into a duel to the death, even that is permitted! But... do not resort to methods outside the rules."
Huang Sheng chuckled. "Actually, this doesn't have much to do with you. It's mainly directed at those monstrous geniuses... Some people have never suffered a loss; once they do, their reaction is extreme, and with a bunch of muddle-headed people egging them on from the sidelines, huge trouble gets stirred up behind the scenes."
Su Yu understood. Causing trouble behind the scenes meant resorting to underhanded methods, perhaps even assassination.
For Great Xia Prefecture, that would mean a total collapse of credibility.
It indeed had nothing to do with Su Yu. Even if he did suffer a loss, he had no prominent clan to lean on, nor could he employ such tactics.
However, Su Yu caught the underlying implication and asked solemnly, "Are the students from the myriad races even stronger than our monstrous geniuses?"
"Some of them certainly are,"
Huang Sheng remarked casually. "It's quite normal. After all, certain races don't measure maturity by human ages. Some races cultivate for hundreds of years before reaching adulthood—how can you compare? Most human students are still in their teens; there's simply no comparison. What's more, certain races start out in the Qianjun or Wanshi Realm right from birth—how do you calculate that?"
"Do the myriad races also have Civilization Masters?"
"You could say that. Naturally, they don't call them Civilization Masters; they have all kinds of messy names... some are called mages, some demon masters, some sorcerers..."
Huang Sheng laughed. "Civilization Master is only the human term. Even among humans, people don't all say the same thing. Some Civilization Masters call themselves Divine Character Masters, some like to call themselves Explorers, others call themselves Collectors, Modifiers, Destroyers... There are all sorts of titles. You don't need to pay too much mind to them."
Su Yu nodded once more, gaining a vague understanding. Different titles likely corresponded to different paths.
"Then once we enter the academy, will conflicts break out with the students from the myriad races?"
"Both sides will exercise some restraint and try to avoid being in the same area. In fact, they probably won't be assigned to the main areas, precisely to prevent disputes."
"And if a dispute does arise, how will the academy handle it?"
Huang Sheng glanced at him and smiled. "You keep asking about this—are you planning to pick a fight with the myriad races?"
"No, I'm just worried about potential friction. Who knows if they'll intentionally cause trouble."
"No need to worry about that. This is Great Xia Prefecture. The myriad races paid a steep price to send people here; they didn't send idiots. If anyone picks a fight on their own initiative... if you have the ability to challenge them to the life-and-death ring, then killing them is just killing them..."
Huang Sheng chuckled. "If they're killed and nobody collects the corpse, chopping them up to serve as extra rations for the other myriad races' students wouldn't matter in the least. Don't overthink things just because of the All-Races Training Academy. Rest assured, they will be far lower-profile than you imagine."
"Understood!"
Su Yu inquired about the general situation regarding these matters. In the end, Huang Sheng recommended several researchers to him, advising him to consider switching mentors. Bai Feng's cultivation was too low, and Huang Sheng earnestly warned Su Yu that Bai Feng was exceptionally irresponsible!
As he was leaving, Huang Sheng reiterated once more, "Bai Feng is a genius, and geniuses are self-absorbed! They have to spend enormous amounts of time cultivating, exploring secret realms, treasure hunting, and competing; they don't have time to teach students. Finding a steady, seasoned mentor is much better for newcomers like you.
"Bai Feng has many rivals in the academy as well. Among the younger generation, he can hardly be considered a leader, yet he happens to have friction with people like Xia Yuwen. Now that Elder Hong has gone to the All-Heavens Battlefield, he might barely be able to protect himself going forward. You need to think this through carefully."
"Barely able to protect himself?"
This time, Su Yu picked up on something else and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that? Can people actually kill each other in the academy?"
"It's not killing..."
Huang Sheng hesitated for a moment before answering, "Some things are worse than being killed. Stripping genius benefits, demoting evaluation tiers, barring access to secret realms, restricting resources, revoking crucial qualifications... Su Yu, since you've chosen a civilization academy, you must understand that none of this can be avoided.
"The academy fosters geniuses and powerhouses. It's the survival of the fittest, natural selection!
"If you cultivate quietly and contentedly, like me... serving as an ordinary teaching assistant, no one will make things hard for you. It's not worth their time! But if you want to compete, certain resources are limited..."
Huang Sheng sighed wistfully. "Take the blood of gods and demons, for example. Who wouldn't want to use it to forge their physique? I want to as well, but I dare not fight for it, because I know I could never win it. I can only honestly use the blood essence of weaker races to forge my body, and in doing so, no one pays me any heed. But if I tried to compete for it, do you think others would let me have it easily?
"You reap only what you sow! The strong remain strong! It's not that everyone is out to target you; rather, if you don't possess the capability, don't try to snatch things beyond your reach. Doing so will only bring you trouble."
Huang Sheng spoke with utter sincerity. In his middle age, though reaching the Tengkong Realm seemed remarkable to outsiders, he knew his own circumstances best. If he, Huang Sheng, truly had great ability, why would he come to Nanyuan to serve as chief examiner? Was it really worth spending several days just to earn those few merit points?
People like Bai Feng and Liu Hong were out of his league.
If not for that, why would he curry favor with Liu Hong and run errands for him?
They were all at Tengkong; who was truly afraid of whom?
The point was, it wasn't worth it, wasn't necessary, and he couldn't afford to offend them.
At this moment, Su Yu seemed to glimpse the flashing blades and crossing swords beneath the surface. Civilization academies were not peaceful... No, every academy was like this!
If you lacked value, why should they nurture you?
"Then is Teacher Bai in great danger?"
"I can't say for sure. But now that Bai Feng has reached the seventh stage of Tengkong, he probably has other ambitions. Things he wouldn't have contested for in the past, he will definitely strive for with everything he has. When that time comes, his rivals won't just be people like Liu Hong, but an entirely different group, far stronger than Liu Hong."
"Liu Hong?"
Su Yu murmured the name. Huang Sheng smiled and said, "Bai Feng's old rival. You'll understand once you arrive at the academy. Still, Bai Feng recently broke through while Liu Hong is still at the sixth stage of Tengkong, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Understood. Thank you, Teacher!"
"Don't mention it!"
Huang Sheng had taken Liu Hong's perks and stirred up a bit of trouble for Su Yu during the assessment, but now that the exam was over... he naturally wanted to smooth things over to avoid trouble later. Bai Feng wasn't someone he could afford to provoke either.
In the ways of survival, these people understood how to survive far better than geniuses did.
"By the way, regarding the rivalry between you and Wu Lan, it's best not to involve outside matters, and certainly don't think about using other underhanded tactics against her... The Wu family is very powerful. Even Bai Feng wouldn't dare provoke her older sister..."
After Huang Sheng left, Su Yu scratched his head, only saying after a long pause, "Rivalry?"
He thought about it for a while, but there had been no such thing!
*I never even thought about competing with that idiot. How on earth did Huang Sheng think we had a rivalry going on?*
Su Yu shook his head. Huang Sheng had probably misunderstood. In his eyes, Wu Lan was just an overgrown child, even sillier than Chen Hao. What rivalry could there possibly be with someone like that? If he wanted to deal with her, it couldn't be simpler—a few well-placed words, and she'd probably run off to duel those monstrous geniuses to the death.
"Crushing her with pure IQ is enough. Who'd bother using underhanded tricks?"
Su Yu shut the door and muttered to himself. Huang Sheng had truly underestimated him. He, Su Yu, was no fool.
Chapter 61