Chapter 30 be bigger-minded

The teacher and student duo walked back, leaving early and returning late, which had been their routine recently.

Once they entered the city, they each went their separate ways.

Su Yu went home, while Liu Wenyuan headed to the academy.

...

At the community gate.

Chen Hao was squatting on the ground, sulking and counting ants.

When he heard footsteps, he quickly looked up. Seeing Su Yu, he immediately complained, "Ah Yu, why are you back so late!"

Seeing him waiting there, Su Yu couldn't help but smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, what else!" 

Chen Hao complained, "You've been running around with Instructor Liu every day. What's going on! Instructor Liu is really biased, he's not a private tutor, but he's taking you alone everywhere. The classmates are all talking about it."

As he spoke, his voice was full of envy and jealousy.

"He's a Soaring realm instructor, and he only takes you along. Ah Yu, why don't you ask Instructor Liu to take me along too!"

Before Liu Wenyuan's willpower materialized, he was just a Thousand Pound realm instructor. Even with his excellent proficiency in the languages of the Ten Thousand Races, he was still considered an ordinary instructor.

But once Liu Wenyuan's willpower materialized, he suddenly became one of the top figures in Nanyuan City.

City Lord Wu Wenhai was only at the Soaring realm's second level, while Liu Wenyuan had previously killed someone at the second level. This news had long spread throughout the small Nanyuan City.

Now, every student in Nanyuan Academy hoped to have more contact with Liu Wenyuan.

Even if the students didn't understand, their parents did.

Chen Hao's father cursed at him every day, saying he wasn't as good as Su Yu. "Look at Su Yu, being personally mentored by Liu Wenyuan, while you, despite being good friends with Su Yu, can't even get close to him."

"Are you sure you want to join us?"

Su Yu chuckled, "If you're sure, I'll talk to Instructor Liu tomorrow."

"Forget it!"

Just moments ago, Chen Hao had been full of righteous indignation, but now he shriveled, saying dryly, "I don't dare. I tremble just standing next to Instructor Liu. He's much scarier than before."

"He's not scary; his willpower has just materialized, and his body hasn't been tempered yet, so he can't fully control it."

Su Yu defended him, "It's not that he's scarier, it's just that his willpower has manifested but his physical body hasn't undergone tempering. He's just entered the Ten Thousand Stone realm and can't fully restrain his willpower yet, which makes him seem more imposing."

As a result, to rookies like Chen Hao and the others, he naturally seemed intimidating.

Chen Hao didn't fully understand, but he didn't care much about it. He quickly changed the subject, following Su Yu with a grin, "Ah Yu, I'm almost at Kaiyuan fourth level!"

"I feel a buzzing in my ears lately. Do you think I'm about to open a new orifice?"

"So you came to show off?"

"Not at all!"

Chen Hao shouted his innocence, "Even if I reach Kaiyuan fourth level, you'll be at fourth level too, right? I didn't come to show off. It's my dad. He wants to invite you to dinner because I claimed that credit before."

"I said I killed him, and my dad beat me up, saying I was talking nonsense! Then... I said we did it together, and he believed it, saying you're smart and let me have the credit. He's been wanting to treat you to a meal, but you've been out all month, so we couldn't catch you."

Chen Hao looked pitiful, having been beaten up badly by his dad last month.

His dad was too much. Su Yu was only at Kaiyuan fourth level, just like him.

Why didn't his dad believe he did it, but when he said Su Yu was there, he was convinced Su Yu did it? No justice!

Chen Hao almost believed it himself. After getting beaten a few times, he remembered it was actually Su Yu who did it. Strange, why did he initially think it was him?

"Uncle Chen is too polite."

Su Yu laughed, "Didn't you spend money? Over ten thousand yuan. You also gave me the merit points, and adding 30 points doesn't help me much."

"I told you, no need for such formalities, but my dad insists."

Chen Hao said nonchalantly, "Let's just have a meal then. Since Uncle Su isn't home, you'd be eating instant noodles if you go home."

"Alright then."

Su Yu didn't refuse. He was familiar with Chen Hao's father, having met often when his own father was around.

But since Su Long left, Su Yu had been following Liu Wenyuan and hadn't visited Chen Hao's house much.

Chen Hao didn't say more and continued following Su Yu. As they walked, he asked, "Ah Yu, did your strength improve by going out with Instructor Liu?"

"A bit."

"How much longer until you reach Kaiyuan fifth level?"

Chen Hao was annoyed, "Some classmates have been badmouthing you, especially that Zhou Chong. He reached Kaiyuan fourth level before, and now he's at fifth level. He says you're just using your wits to curry favor with Instructor Liu. Even if you get into the Civilization Academy, it won't mean much."

Su Yu said indifferently, "Why bother with him? Spend the time cultivating instead."

"Ah Yu, you can't say that!"

Chen Hao was displeased, "I'm planning to challenge him. There's not much difference between fourth and fifth level anyway. Once I reach fourth level, I'll settle the score with him. He always talks behind people's backs!"

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have told everyone you killed a Thousand Pound realm. This guy, what's he showing off for!"

Still indignant, he cursed Zhou Chong, "So what if he's at Kaiyuan fifth level? Is that amazing!"

"Ah Yu has killed two at Thousand Pound seventh level!"

After venting his anger, seeing that Su Yu didn't seem to care, Chen Hao couldn't hold back, "You have so many wounds. Have you been training hard recently? Have you reached Kaiyuan fifth level?"

Su Yu indeed didn't look great, with many cuts on his face.

Hearing Chen Hao ask again, Su Yu smiled, "Kaiyuan fifth level? Haozi, can't you aim higher!"

"What do you mean?"

"The sky of Nanyuan... is too low!"

Su Yu shared some heartfelt words with his close friend, sighing, "Nanyuan is too small, the sky too low, and everyone's vision is too limited! Kaiyuan... what's the big deal about Kaiyuan?"

"In the Great Xia Mansion, there are plenty of people at Kaiyuan ninth level, just waiting to enter the Qianjun realm."

"And it's not just about Kaiyuan... some people, after half a year in school, have already killed someone at Soaring fourth level!"

"Haozi, the Soaring realm! In Nanyuan, the sky only reaches the Soaring realm!"

"The City Lord is only at the Soaring realm, but in the Great Xia Mansion, a student who has been there for just half a year can kill someone at the Soaring realm, stronger than the City Lord. So, what's the point of competing in Nanyuan?"

In the past, Su Yu might have taken Zhou Chong's remarks to heart.

But now, he genuinely didn't care.

Kaiyuan fifth level?

Sure, it's impressive in Nanyuan, but the sky here is depressingly low. After meeting Bai Feng and hearing about the genius from the Great Zhou Mansion, Su Yu lost interest in these petty competitions.

Liu Wenyuan and Bai Feng had opened a new world for him, letting this native of Nanyuan see a broader horizon.

Now, when he heard Chen Hao mention these things, he found it amusing, nothing more.

"Ah Yu..."

Chen Hao was a bit confused, "What does this have to do with us? The geniuses of the Great Xia Mansion and the Great Zhou Mansion are their own business, right?"

To Chen Hao, Su Yu's words were too distant.

"What do they have to do with us?"

"Why doesn't it have anything to do with us?"

Su Yu turned his head to look at him, "Are you content with mediocrity for your whole life? We're all human, so why can't we become the geniuses in others' eyes?"

"But..."

Chen Hao wanted to say something but found himself at a loss. Frustrated, he said, "That's too far away. I was just asking if you've reached Kaiyuan fifth level, and you're telling me all this."

"I'm at Kaiyuan seventh level now."

Su Yu chuckled, "In a couple of days, I'm preparing to break through to Kaiyuan eighth level."

"..."

Chen Hao was stunned. He wanted to reach out and touch Su Yu's head, but Su Yu slapped his hand away.

"I'm not dreaming, really at Kaiyuan seventh level."

Su Yu walked into the building, saying as he went, "There are 24 days left until the assessment. Getting to eighth level shouldn't be a problem, though ninth level might be a bit challenging. But there's another month after the assessment, so I should have a chance to reach Kaiyuan ninth level before entering the academy."

"And that's despite 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 at Kaiyuan fifth level really doesn't mean much to me. If you want to get into the War Academy, if you want to become stronger and have a better future, you have to put in more effort."

"Don't just focus on the Kaiyuan realm, aim higher."

Chen Hao was in a daze for a long while before he said, "But even if I focus on the Soaring realm, I can't reach it."

"Your vision determines your future. If you only focus on Kaiyuan, you'll see it as the ultimate goal and lose the motivation to move forward."

Su Yu spoke earnestly, "Before, I thought that reaching the Wanshi realm in my lifetime would be enough, better than my dad! Or maybe reaching the Soaring realm, so I could become the City Lord in Nanyuan. But after seeing more and hearing more, I now think that the Soaring realm is just the starting point. I aim for much more now."

"In fact, over the past month, I've been working harder than before because I realize that I'm really not that special. Am I a genius? Not really, I just have some talent. In the Great Xia Mansion, I'm just an ordinary person, nothing to be proud of."

The atlas in his mind was one factor driving Su Yu to become stronger.

But since learning more about the world of civilization masters and geniuses, Su Yu's mindset had changed. Previously, he thought mastering 18 languages of the Ten Thousand Races made him exceptional, planning to relax for the next two months.

But after learning about the world of civilization masters and geniuses, he was no longer satisfied with his previous goals.

Soaring is not the endpoint, just the beginning!

Therefore, over the past month, no matter how tough it was, he never complained because he knew it was necessary.

Others have better backgrounds and more talent. If he didn't work hard to catch up, how could he rise?

"Ah Yu, you've changed."

Chen Hao muttered, "You changed after Uncle Su left. So, does that mean... if my dad left, I'd become more diligent too? Maybe I should separate from my dad..."

"..."

Su Yu stared at him in shock. After all I said, your conclusion is to separate from your dad? How does your brain work?

"A rotten piece of wood cannot be carved!"

Su Yu scolded!

Liu Wenyuan had been scolding him like this a lot lately too. Su Yu thought it was fortunate that Liu Wenyuan didn't take Chen Hao along; otherwise, the old man would be exploding with anger.

Chen Hao ignored him, muttering again, "Are you really at Kaiyuan seventh level, almost eighth level? That's impossible. You were just at Kaiyuan fourth level last month. How did you suddenly reach seventh level?"

"Nothing is impossible!"

Su Yu thought for a moment, then said, "If you want to suddenly become very strong, it might be difficult, but you can prepare well. For example, starting now, spend an extra hour every day practicing martial arts. By the time you reach Kaiyuan eighth level, you can save that time for something else."

"Read more books. Have you really thoroughly understood the 'Kaiyuan Art'?"

"Read it dozens of times every day until you know it by heart. You'll find your cultivation smoother."

"I have a copy of 'Kaiyuan Art' here, written by Teacher Bai Feng. Its power has weakened significantly now, but it's just right for you to read. You should read it more when you have time."

The 'Kaiyuan Art' written by Bai Feng would have been too much for Chen Hao to handle initially, as his willpower wasn't strong enough.

But now, with its power gradually dissipating, Chen Hao could read it.

Although not as potent as when it was first written, it still contained some of the power of the Soaring realm. If Chen Hao could gain insights from it, his Kaiyuan cultivation would be much more effective.

Chen Hao scratched his head, feeling excited yet troubled, "I'm afraid of reading. I get sleepy as soon as I start..."

"Then endure it!"

Su Yu opened the door and, in a bad mood, said, "If you don't cherish the opportunity given to you, then don't think about becoming stronger. Just settle for Qianjun and return to Nanyuan! Don't go to the All-Heavens Battlefield to die! If you can't seize the opportunity right in front of you, you have no right to talk about becoming stronger!"

"I don't want to have to collect your corpse on the All-Heavens Battlefield one day!"

"Pfft!" Chen Hao muttered, "If anyone collects it, it'll be my parents..."

"I..."

Su Yu couldn't even muster the energy to scold him. This guy was hopeless!

"Ah Yu, thank you!"

Chen Hao suddenly said, a bit dejected, "I'm a bit slow and not as smart as you. You're right, I'm just a block of dead wood. You're so smart and even more hardworking than me. If I want to catch up to you... it's probably like my dad said, I have no hope in this lifetime."

"So I'll listen to you. From now on, I'll spend an extra hour every day practicing martial arts and another hour... reading!"

Chen Hao spoke with some difficulty. Spending an extra two hours every day felt torturous!

Practicing martial arts was fine, but reading for an extra hour... that was killing him!

"How about... one and a half hours for martial arts and half an hour for reading?"

He hesitantly looked at Su Yu, wondering if that was acceptable.

Su Yu was exasperated, "Brute!"

"Stop babbling. You'll read here with me. While you read, I'll cultivate, and I'll keep an eye on you. It'll be beneficial for you!"

When he cultivated, he could absorb the essence blood, and the gathered energy would indeed be helpful.

In the future, he could cultivate in the room while Chen Hao read outside. The increased energy around would help Chen Hao with his cultivation.

Also, he planned to use half a drop of essence liquid in the coming days, which would make the energy even denser.

"Alright, because when I read alone, I end up falling asleep..."

"That's why you're at Kaiyuan third level, and I'm almost at eighth!"

Su Yu rolled his eyes, entered the bathroom, and started washing up. While changing his clothes, he said, "Don't go around talking about me being at Kaiyuan seventh level; it's pointless. And next time Zhou Chong talks bad about me, just go and beat him up."

"Huh?"

Chen Hao was stunned. Didn't he just say not to bother with it?

"Huh, what? Practice your combat skills!"

Su Yu said matter-of-factly, "A ready-made punching bag at Kaiyuan fifth level is perfect for you! Beat him until he's black and blue, until he doesn't dare to talk nonsense anymore, until he's afraid at the sight of you! Do I have to do it myself?"

"I've killed people at Qianjun. Bullying a little guy like him?"

"If anyone at the academy dares to talk nonsense, challenge them. Fight anyone you encounter. Don't be afraid of getting beaten up; it's part of the training!"

"If you don't have the courage, what's the point of cultivating!"

Su Yu was quoting Liu Wenyuan's words, and it felt great to instruct a lackey to do the work.

Chen Hao nodded dumbly, mumbling, "But there are also girls who say things like that..."

"Fight them too!"

Su Yu said sternly, "Is there a distinction between men and women on the battlefield? Do the women of the gods and demons not kill? Will they not kill you? Just fight, but don't hurt them too much!"

"Oh..."

Chen Hao felt something was off, but what Su Yu said seemed to make sense.

"If the girls need to be taught a lesson, do it. If they don't focus on their studies and just gossip, if you don't put them in their place, they'll think you're a pushover. Haozi, men and women are the same. If anyone badmouths me, just go and beat them up. No problem!"

"Oh, but... what if they call their parents?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Parents of kids at Qianjun level won't bully you. Tell them the academy is for training strong individuals. Challenge anyone below Kaiyuan eighth level, and if they can't beat you, they're the ones who are cowards! If they have the guts, they'll find someone at Kaiyuan seventh level to beat you up. Even if you get beaten badly, you won't call your parents. Don't embarrass yourself!"

Su Yu gave him ideas, egging him on, "Kaiyuan seventh level's combat power is nothing special. As long as you're not scared, they might not be able to beat you. If you, at Kaiyuan third level, can subdue someone at seventh level, who will dare to mess with you? What can their parents say? If they have a problem, report it to the headmaster. Who has the right to bully the weak?"

"Your dad is at least the deputy director of the inspectorate. Those people wouldn't dare to do anything to you. It's just kids fighting, who would take it seriously."

Chen Hao nodded repeatedly. It made perfect sense.

"So I... start fighting tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow at the academy, start with Zhou Chong. After you beat him up, shout out that anyone who's not convinced can come find you. They might even come to you voluntarily. It's all good practical experience. You don't usually get such opportunities. Isn't it great to have free sparring partners?"

Su Yu finished washing up, changed his clothes, and walked out of the bathroom, continuing, "Let's go eat. By the way, if your dad asks, don't say I told you to do this. Say you want practical experience. Otherwise, your dad will come after me. It's not right to set up your friends!"

"Don't worry, I won't say anything."

Chen Hao patted his chest, thinking he was being a real man. Who tells their parents everything? You think I'm a kid?

Su Yu gave him a thumbs up, smiling, "Also, when you fight, get a teacher to supervise. Otherwise, you might go too far. If a teacher questions you, say it's for practical training. The academy won't stop you."

"Okay."

"And when you fight girls, declare that men and women are all cultivators. If they don't want to duel, they shouldn't gossip. If you make them cry, it won't look good."

"Got it, I'll remember."

"Right, when fighting girls, avoid hitting their faces. It's hard to explain otherwise."

"Oh, anything else?"

"And... never say I taught you this!"

"I won't, don't worry!"

"..."

After giving instructions for a while, they soon arrived at Chen's house.

Chen Hao felt he had learned a lot and was itching to start practical training tomorrow!

He, Chen Hao, was going to challenge everyone in Nanyuan Academy. According to Su Yu, getting a sparring partner costs 100 yuan an hour. If he fought for three hours a day, that's 300 yuan!

After a month, he could earn at least 10,000 yuan, all spent on hiring sparring partners!

Indeed, Ah Yu was smart and good with numbers.