A typical academy week

'To think Wang Hao's haggling went this far…' Wang Wei looked at a sack of 300 primeval stones sitting in his bed. Immediately, he knew he had been tricked.

'He already had a price in mind but at least I got something instead of nothing.'

Wang Wei walked to the bed and sat on it before putting the sack on his shoulder next to the sack in the bed.

Wang Wei took a primeval stone in both of his hands and began nurturing his aperture.

'Was this what he meant by not trusting anyone?' Wang Wei went over the lecture thinking of his mistakes and what he could have improved on.

'I did as much as I could. The problem was the gap in strength and Wang Hao doing as he pleased. In the end, it was all about strength. I need more strength.'

After finishing his quick self-review, Wang Wei looked at the translucent screen in front of him and closed his eyes, pondering if he should choose between seeing his luck or getting 3 answers to 3 questions.

After a while, Wang Wei made his choice. He opened his eyes and unclenched his fingers letting the fine stone dust fall to the floor before extending his arm towards the translucent screen in front of him.

'I can see my luck with a soul path killer move. I just have to experiment and increase my soul but 3 answers to 3 questions is far more valuable.'

Wang Wei could already imagine the possibilities asking for a way to dual cultivate 2 paths without conflict. All the gu recipes in existence or the recipes for lifespan Gu the possibilities were endless if the questions didn't have limits.

'But I first need to know how long I have until the fate war starts. If I'm not a rank 8 by then, I'll be fodder, but if I have 500… no 300 years of preparation, I might be able to dominate this era or at least grow enough to not be devoured by Spectral Soul once I die.'

[3 answers to 3 questions]

The screen changed as soon as Wang Wei's fingertip touched the screen.

[Please choose wisely]

[0/3 questions]

Wang Wei looked at the screen before looking away and carefully choosing his words.

'How do I word it without fucking it up? Specific years were not mentioned, but it should be around 30 years from Fang Yuan's first regression to the Fate war, but what if Fang Yuan hasn't regressed…'

Wang Wei inwardly slapped himself.

'Why is my thinking so rigid? I just have to ask straight up instead of using him for my calculations.' Wang Wei asked himself before realizing the reason.

'Fang Yuan left such a deep impression on me that I still see him as the main character of this world. But this world has no main characters. Without special circumstances, everyone is a puppet of heaven's will.'

Wang Wei looked at the screen and inwardly asked his question. 'How much time is left until the fate war starts?'

[0/3 questions]

The screen remained the same without changing.

'Do I have to say it out loud?'

Wang Wei repeated his question in a whisper.

"How much time is left until the fate war starts?"

[The question is too variable.]

[The answer might not be accurate; would you like to know the most probable answer?]

"..."

Wang Wei stared at the screen in silence analyzing what he knew.

'This thing is not omniscient, its answers can be wrong and are affected by actions and probability. The fate war is too unstable. The others might change it but Fang Yuan's rebirth is… No, it can also vary. This might be the timeline where Spectral Soul revives, maybe he is even a pseudo venerable right now.'

Wang Wei decided to change his question. 'I need to know in what time I am a shame I might have to lose all my questions unless…'

Wang Wei decided to use one of his questions to experiment.

"Show me what I need to know the most."

"…"

[0/3 questions]

A minute passed but the screen remained the same.

'It sounded more like an order than an answer. Maybe it didn't work?'

Wang Wei was about to change the wording of his question, but just then, the screen changed.

[1/3 questions]

[Your answer will be shown in due time]

'Sigh I was too ambiguous.' Wang Wei decided to stop and keep cultivating. 'I'll continue when I'm a rank 3.'

…

"Feng Ruo Lu, you are the last one. Come take your allowance."

A young instructor with rank 2 peak stage cultivation eagerly called for one of the students sitting on the desks while he held a bag of 5 primeval stones in his hand.

"Thank you, Instructor Han." A tall youngster with a handsome face and the aura of a scholar paid his respects before taking the small bag and returning to his chair.

'Father, do I really need to kill Wang Wei?' Ruo Lu inwardly asked while taking his seat on the long wooden table in the front of the class where he and the four B-grade talents sat.

3 b grade talents diverted their gazes from him to the other youngster who sat next to him with envy or, more specifically, towards the youngster's white outer robe and hands filled with stone dust from the decreasing big bag of primeval stones underneath his feet.

'Just how many resources is he using? It's been a week and he already broke through the middle stage. Does he even sleep?'

Ding!

A bell resounded through the academy causing the young instructor to have a bigger smile than usual.

"Classes are over. I won't hold you any longer enjoy the caravan before it leaves tomorrow morning. But remember, don't stay up late tomorrow. The combat classes will start. Not only will you use your Gu, you'll also learn hand-to-hand combat."

The students got up and paid their respects before leaving the classroom.

'The subsidies were finally given, a shame I won't be able to extort them.' Wang Wei thought as he left the classroom, absorbing a pair of primeval stones with his right hand, while his other hand held a sack of 300 primeval stones on his shoulder.

'I shouldn't get greedy. My standing is much higher than a regular clansman. Compared to my weekly 300 primeval stones, 45 primeval stones is too little for too many troubles.'

"Starting today there will be a weekly toll of 1 primeval stone per person!"

Wang Wei's gaze turned to the academy's gate, where 5 students lay sprawled on the ground, and a group of students stood in front of 3 students blocking the gate.

The leader of the small group, the tallest and strongest of the 3, stepped forward like the others. He brandished a broomstick as if it were a staff. "If you don't pay up we'll beat you up and take the toll by force!"

'A group no bigger than 3, and their toll isn't excessive. So far, they haven't broken any of the unspoken rules, and they are all strong even.' Wang Wei analyzed the group with a glance before sitting on a bench and continuing his cultivation. 'A shame they let too many students gather; otherwise, they might have succeeded this time.'

"We are 15 and more are coming our way. What do you 3 expect to accomplish?" Ruo Lu, as the only A-grade talent, assumed leadership of the group and confronted the group of 3 before remembering the reputation he wanted to maintain.

"I know the struggle of few resources. I also know the struggle of being looked down on. I am the son of my father's fifth concubine!"

'Isn't she the most pampered?' One of Ruo Lu's friends quietly looked at the pale, soft, and pristine hands of his friend before looking at his expensive blue outer robe made of rank 1 Gu materials.

"You must see this isn't the way you are stealing from your own kin!" Ruo Lu paused for a moment pointing to the 3 students with annoyed expressions before continuing with his speech.

"I will give you one chance to repent, return the stolen primeval stones or we will defeat you and punish you by taking all of your primeval stones!" Ruo Lu finally finished his long speech.

"So you want our primeval stones?" The leader of the three took out his primeval stones and placed them in his hands. The other 2 followed his example.

"Take them!"

Swoosh!

Bam!

Ruo Lu fell to the ground a moment later, his head oozing with blood.

"Blood?" A dizzy Ruo Lu touched his forehead and looked at his bloodied hand. Before he could even process what was happening, screams resounded through his surroundings.

Swoosh!

Bam!

"Ahh!"

Bam!

"I sur-"

Bam!

"Go!"

The group of 3 quickly exhausted their ammunition and rushed forward with their broomsticks in hand. They started beating their classmates taking full advantage of the disarray before the bigger group organized.

'Good instincts. To think your friends would be useful one day. A shame you go feral in fights Qing Ting.' Wang Wei watched the fight from afar, judging in silence, letting go of the stone dust in his hand and finally stopping his cultivation session.

"Little bitch!" The leader, Qing Ting, stepped on Ruo Lu's belly, taking out his breath with a hit.

"Don't resist ever again, or I'll beat you so much you'll see A-grade talent doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to fight!" Qing Ting spoke, barely concealing his smile. His lips curved and straightened constantly, and his fiery orange eyes shone with a wild light, making him look a bit insane.

"Do we have an understanding?"

"Y- yes!" Ruo Lu spoke in a panic using the little air remaining in his lungs upon seeing the dirty broomstick next to his face.

"All right, Ruo Lu." Qing Ting smiled warmly and moved away, releasing Ruo Lu.

'How has the Qing family survived this long when all its members are battle maniacs? Why did you have to target me instead of your lover Wang Wei?' Ruo Lu inwardly complained not daring to speak his thoughts while he slowly got up.

"Good night." Qing Ting raised his broomstick and swung it at the face of the kneeling Ruo Lu.

"You b-"

Bam!

Ruo Lu was knocked out in an instant bringing the fight to an end.

"Oh, that was a good warm-up." Qing Ting cracked his neck looking everywhere. "Now I'm itching for a good fight. Wang Wei is here or did he escape?"

'Why do the strong have to be wrong in the head?' one of the 2 lootings the students for their primeval stones stopped for a moment, trying to get another pair of hands to help him.

"Qing Ting you can always fight that crazy guy later we should collect the primeval stones before the re-"

"Wang Wei there you are!" Qing Ting quickly spotted Wang Wei sitting on a bench.

He ignored the students gathering behind him and rushed towards Wang Wei with a broomstick in hand. "Let's fight! If you win your toll is free!"

"Give me a primeval stone." Wang Wei extended his hand towards the nearest student behind him.

"Are you also going to extort us?!" A short and slender girl shouted in indignation. "This wo- ah! let go!"

"I don't have time for this." Wang Wei grabbed the slender arm of the girl with his right hand and, without wasting any time, swung her towards Qing Ting and let go, sending her flying like a spinning ax.

Swoosh!

"!!!"

Qing Ting immediately dodged to the side, letting the girl hit the ground before he ducked, forced to dodge another girl thrown at him.

Bam!

Wang Wei took advantage of Qing Ting's weak standing, swinging his sack of primeval stones down like a hammer.

Crack!

Qing Ting's blocked with his broomstick. As expected, the thin stick broke under the boulder made of primeval stones, failing to protect him from taking the blow.

Crack!

Qing Ting moved his head at the last second, and the bag hit his shoulder, fracturing it, but instead of retreating, the pain encouraged him further, giving him a red hue to his tanned face and a wide smile.

Whack!

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

Crack!

Wang Wei didn't let him take the initiative. He kicked him in the crotch and mercilessly threw a barrage of punches to his face breaking his nose, but Qing Ting brushed off the damage and began returning the punches like a madman.

Bam!

Splash!

Whack!

Splash

Crack!

Swoosh!

Bam!

The fight of the two continued for tens of rounds, blood flew everywhere painting the sandy stone ground red and both youngsters with a mix of each other's blood.

"Fuck off don't get in the way!"

Bam!

The fight stopped for a moment with Qing Ting punching a student who wanted to help Wang Wei.

In the blink of an eye that student was knocked straight to the ground with a few teeth sent flying out of his mouth.

Whack!

Wang Wei used the opportunity to send a kick to the liver momentarily putting a stop to Qing Ting's frenzy.

"Rrrrrww."

Qing Ting growled and immediately turned to Wang Wei before rushing towards him completely disregarding defense.

"We should leave there's only one guarding the gate."

"These two can kill each other for all I care."

"I just want to go home."

The remaining group of conscious students came to an agreement and walked past the 2 muscular youngsters fighting like beasts.

"Stop!"

Swoosh!

A voice barely above a whisper resounded through the academy gates, followed by winds in the form of snakes that coiled around Wang Wei and Qing Ting, restraining them completely and raising them to the air.

"Academy elder." The remaining students cupped their fists, even the remaining broomstick wielder dropped his weapon and paid respects while looking at the hunchback elderly man using a staff to walk around.

"This has gone too far. Qing Ting, you are under detention for the day." The academy elder spoke to the wounded Qing Ting with a broken nose and swollen eyes, trying to break free from his restraints like a frenzy beast. He ignored his wounds, opening up with his struggle.

"Elder Han Kang, may I leave? At this rate, I might lose the caravan."

The academy elder turned to Wang Wei who spoke in his usual calm tone. If one were to ignore his disheveled hair, sweating, bloodied face, and heavily bruised arms, one would think he hadn't exchanged almost a hundred punches with Qing Ting.

"You may leave but only after healing." Han Kang gently put Wang Wei on the ground and activated his healing Gu worm before turning to the rest of the students. "You are free to go but I suggest you leave after healing. You may already know this but don't move."

A huge snake made of wind the size of an elephant and as long as 3 elephants exited from Han Kang's aperture. The snake opened his mouth and swallowed Wang Wei in a moment.

'Healing Wind Snake Gu a rank 3 steed type Gu, its healing abilities rival Wang Hao's rank 4 Healing Winds Gu.' Wang Wei looked at his hand healing at a snail's pace. 'Healing takes much longer, and Gu is incredibly frail, but at least there's no pain.'

Swoosh

Wang Wei looked at the snake's mouth, swallowing the other students and suspending them in the air while healing their wounds.

The first one to heal completely was a student who had pretended to be unconscious. She was carried to the back of the snake. A hole opened almost at the end of the tail that spewed out the student almost as if she were an egg.

'Finally, I'm out.' Wang Wei picked up his sack and left for the caravan after confirming the knot hadn't changed and the weight was the same.

'That slaver must have come to his senses and lowered his prices.'

...

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