Chapter 28: Chapter 28 work hard young man!
More than ten minutes later.
Liu Wenyan returned.
Su Yu stole a few glances but didn't notice anything wrong.
Liu Wenyan looked indifferent. "Bai Feng went into seclusion after returning, couldn't reach him. You should have told me about this sooner. Next time, speak up clearly. Hesitating like this doesn't befit a cultivator!"
Liu Wenyan admonished him, somewhat dissatisfied. "You should know, whether you're a scholar or a warrior... Warriors call themselves physical cultivators. Strong ones share common traits—decisiveness and firmness are necessary. For such a trivial matter, you hesitated for a month. Don't you think it's too indecisive?"
Liu Wenyan slapped the table, nearly breaking it!
The more he spoke, the more he felt he was right!
"Are you going to hesitate for a month next time in the Celestial Battlefield when facing the advance of demon armies?"
"Are you going to collect corpses for the human army?"
"Even if the commander doesn't give you a chance, you must create opportunities yourself to speak!"
Liu Wenyan had a look of regret. "I thought you were steady, but turns out you're indecisive! I'm very disappointed!"
Su Yu hesitated, then felt that staying silent might seem more indecisive, so he quickly said, "Teacher, I was wrong. I won't do this again next time!"
"Good!"
Only then did Liu Wenyan smile, took a deep breath, finally regaining face as a teacher.
"Show me the eruption of the divine script."
Just as he finished speaking, the "blood" character erupted in Su Yu's mind.
A hallucination reappeared!
This time, it wasn't the Iron-winged Bird, but hundreds of demon clan soldiers rushing in, rumbling.
Liu Wenyan squinted, slightly frowning.
These demons seemed very real, but there were also some flaws.
"Are these evolved from the demon corpses you saw at the Xia Clan Trading House?"
"Yeah."
"It's somewhat realistic, but what you saw were just corpses, lacking vitality. Some ordinary Qianjun Realm might be deceived, but those who have truly been on the battlefield will quickly realize."
Liu Wenyan commented briefly, then added, "Not bad, at least an average Qianjun Realm might be fooled temporarily."
Nodding, Liu Wenyan's eyes lit up slightly, the previous hallucination disappearing instantly.
Su Yu's face was slightly pale, but it didn't have much effect on him.
"Not bad, your willpower isn't very strong, but it's resilient enough, like a general forging a thousand times."
After saying that, Liu Wenyan looked at Su Yu with a hint of confusion. "According to reason, since you haven't been on the battlefield or experienced any major changes, your willpower shouldn't be so resilient. When I shattered your illusion, you should have suffered some backlash."
Even if Su Yu's willpower was weak, excessive exhaustion shouldn't just pale his face; that's more like overuse, not backlash.
Su Yu quickly replied, "I often watch the Lord behead people. I don't know if there's any connection."
"..."
Liu Wenyan couldn't help but want to ridicule. "You often watch Xia Longwu behead people... Do you record it and watch reruns every day?"
How much of a pervert are you!
Could this kid... have a tendency?
Glancing at him suspiciously, Liu Wenyan didn't say much, continuing, "You mentioned wanting to suck blood, show me a demonstration."
"No blood..."
"No need for blood. Command the divine script to suck my blood with your consciousness!"
Su Yu tried, shaking his head. "The 'blood' character doesn't seem interested."
After considering for a moment, Liu Wenyan suddenly pricked his finger, a drop of blood oozing out.
"Continue!"
"Teacher... this..."
"Hurry up, what's the hesitation!"
Su Yu dared not delay and commanded the "blood" character once again to suck blood.
This time, the "blood" character responded, causing a tremor in Su Yu's mind. In the next moment, a suction force erupted, and the drop of blood on Liu Wenyan's finger began to break free from his control.
Liu Wenyan's eyes flickered slightly. "That's enough!"
He didn't let the blood escape, nodding. "Not bad, this is the path of attack! Previously, it was the path of illusion!"
"Your divine script... it's quite interesting. Although weak, it has quite a few functions."
"Normally, a divine script may have several functions, but usually one is primary and the others secondary. What about yours... does it have any other functions?"
Liu Wenyan looked at Su Yu. "In battle, when your divine script becomes powerful, if the opponent is injured with a wound, your divine script erupts, the opponent may bleed excessively and die from blood loss. That's why I say this is the path of attack."
Su Yu nodded, then shook his head. "For now, it seems it can only create illusions and suck blood. I haven't discovered any other functions."
"So that's two functions..."
"No, wait!"
Liu Wenyan hesitated for a moment, then produced a drop of refined blood. "This is the blood of a Qianjun Realm Fire Boar. Try absorbing it..."
He shook his head. "No, wait here. I'll go get some ordinary monster blood. Wait for me to come back and try absorbing it."
With that, he disappeared.
Soon, Liu Wenyan returned with a bottle. "This is ordinary blood from a Rampant Bull. Try absorbing it."
Su Yu commanded the "blood" character once again to do its job. The blood in the bottle trembled slightly, then a strand of blood vanished into thin air.
Su Yu felt it; the "blood" character in his mind suddenly changed color, becoming slightly deeper than before.
"Suck more!"
Without delay, Su Yu continued to absorb.
The blood in the bottle gradually disappeared, evaporating. Soon, the small bottle of blood was completely gone.
And the "blood" character's color became even more vibrant.
"How does it feel?"
"The divine script seems a bit stronger, but I don't feel anything else."
"Stronger?"
Liu Wenyan fell into thought, then spoke up quickly. "So, this divine script can strengthen itself with blood. That's a good thing. Normally, divine scripts can only be strengthened by willpower, but some special ones can be strengthened in other ways."
"Your divine script, just freshly drawn, being able to strengthen itself with blood, is considered a special attribute."
"Very good!"
Liu Wenyan nodded repeatedly. Su Yu's willpower was still weak, so it was difficult to strengthen the divine script at this moment. The ability to absorb blood to enhance itself was excellent for the growth of his divine script.
"Teacher, can I condense refined blood then?"
Su Yu hurriedly asked, "I've heard that some people's divine scripts can condense refined blood."
"Not yours."
Liu Wenyan shook his head. "Your divine script is too weak, and it's about absorbing blood to strengthen itself. So the power of the blood is consumed, not gathered together."
"Of course..."
Liu Wenyan smiled. "It's not impossible either. Right now, your divine script is weak. If it becomes strong in the future, it might be possible to refine refined blood by absorbing blood."
"You can't try it now, and there's no need to try it. Wait until you reach the Manifestation Stage or the later stages of nurturing. Even if you can refine it now, with your absorption speed, it might take ten days to half a month to condense a drop of refined blood, which isn't worth it."
Upon hearing this, Su Yu felt disappointed. It seemed like his dream of getting rich was shattered, but bankruptcy might be the next step.
This guy really only sucks blood without making money!
"Illusion, bloodsucking, strengthening, three characteristics!"
Liu Wenyan nodded again. "Not bad."
As for refining refined blood, it doesn't seem like a significant function at the moment, and Liu Wenyan isn't particularly concerned about it.
Upon hearing this, Su Yu was somewhat pleased. "Teacher, having three characteristics, does that mean the divine script is very strong?"
He had heard Liu Wenyan mention that many divine scripts only have one characteristic.
"Very strong?"
Liu Wenyan chuckled. "The number of characteristics doesn't necessarily mean much. Let me give you a simple example: I have a divine script that specializes in breaking the enemy's willpower. It has only this one characteristic! Which do you think is better, that divine script or yours?"
"..."
Su Yu felt embarrassed. Indeed, a divine script specializing in breaking willpower was incredibly potent.
"So don't focus on quantity, focus on effectiveness and strength."
"Take for instance the Fourth Generation Prefect of the Civilized Academy, who left behind a 'Yuan' character. It can only absorb Yuan Qi, forming a Yuan Qi Treasure Realm. Now, tell me, is this function strong or weak?"
Liu Wenyan smiled. "In fact, it's quite weak. Would you rely on this divine script in battle just to absorb Yuan Qi and recover faster to be considered powerful? But for the entire human race, this divine script's value exceeds that of a Mountain and Sea Realm powerhouse!"
"No matter how strong you are in the Mountain and Sea Realm, you're still one person. But the Yuan Qi Treasure Realm can benefit countless students of the Civilized Academy. So, do you think this divine script is strong or not?"
Su Yu understood and nodded slightly, responding, "I understand what Teacher means. Strength doesn't lie in the number of characteristics but in how it is used and where. The 'Yuan' character divine script isn't noteworthy in combat, but as a support, it's invaluable!"
"Exactly!"
Liu Wenyan smiled. "So, the number of characteristics isn't something to worry too much about. Having multiple characteristics early on is actually good, but later on, one generally seeks specialization—one characteristic per divine script—to cultivate it to its utmost potential more easily."
With that, he tossed the Fire Boar refined blood to Su Yu again. "Try absorbing some refined blood this time. You can't use the Qianjun Realm refined blood for cultivation, but your divine script can absorb it regardless. I'm more concerned about whether you can handle it."
Su Yu continued to control the "blood" character without hesitation and started absorbing.
This time, it was difficult, very slow!
Su Yu keenly felt his willpower being depleted. The "blood" character trembled, resembling someone trying to drink through a long straw over several meters—a daunting task.
The "blood" character, which had been excited and bouncing at the sight of refined blood earlier, now seemed deflated.
It couldn't suck properly when it really needed to!
After expending tremendous effort, Su Yu felt like his head was about to explode. The Fire Boar refined blood in front of him only trembled slightly, with no significant change.
Liu Wenyan, however, noticed some differences and chuckled. "You've absorbed about one percent of the essence. It seems the blood-sucking power is still weak."
At this moment, Su Yu felt the "blood" character in his mind enveloped in a blood-red hue, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated. Aren't you done sucking?
It acted all excited earlier after sucking a bit of refined blood, but now it's acting like it's too tired to continue.
I thought you were powerful, but turns out you're this weak!
"One drop of Qianjun refined blood, and you've only absorbed one percent. What were you bouncing around for earlier?"
"Teacher, if I continue sucking blood, can it strengthen the divine script?"
"It should be able to, depending on the characteristics of your divine script!"
Liu Wenyan nodded, then warned, "Don't suck indiscriminately. If your divine script becomes too powerful, it's also not good! If your strength isn't enough, if your willpower isn't strong enough, let me put it this way: once your divine script becomes powerful to a certain extent that your willpower can't suppress it, it might backlash against you!"
"Even if the backlash is mild, I'm afraid... it might directly drain your willpower!"
Liu Wenyan spoke solemnly, "Back then, among those people, several died exactly like this! These idiots, blindly trying to strengthen their divine scripts. Among them were a few like you, who could enhance their divine scripts through external means. They paid a huge price to strengthen their divine scripts, but in the end, their divine scripts became so powerful that they required massive amounts of willpower to nurture..."
"Now, what happened? Their willpower wasn't strong enough. They were drained of their willpower in an instant, their willpower sea collapsed, and they were finished!"
Liu Wenyan continued seriously, "So, when you feel you can't bear it anymore, when your willpower is under pressure, immediately abandon the idea of strengthening the divine script! The divine script and willpower complement each other. It's okay if your willpower is stronger than your divine script, but if your divine script is stronger than your willpower, then you're almost certainly doomed to die or worse!"
Su Yu nodded solemnly.
Previously, he had thought about it. He wondered if, after his divine script became powerful, he could directly suck the sky dry...
But as soon as Liu Wenyan spoke, he immediately understood the danger involved.
When he first drew the "blood" character divine script, he had fought it many times.
A powerful divine script could also backlash against him.
"These are common sense things taught by the Civilized Academy. However, you are somewhat special, having drawn the divine script early. In the Southern Yuan, only I have some understanding of these things. If you don't understand anything, be sure to come and ask me. Never try experiments randomly."
Liu Wenyan's tone was extremely serious. "Absolutely do not experiment blindly! Also, since you've drawn the first divine script, you may draw the second or more in the future. That's okay, but it must be within your capacity to bear!"
"When you feel you can't bear it, even if the divine script is hovering in front of you, don't try to draw it, lest greed take your life!"
"Having many divine scripts isn't necessarily better. Many and miscellaneous, few and refined, focusing on cultivating one you can't bear, let alone many."
Su Yu nodded again. This was wisdom from his teacher's experience, something a novice like him needed to earnestly remember.
Liu Wenyan continued, sharing some of his knowledge. It had been many years since he had taught these things, but his experience was still relevant.
By the end, Liu Wenyan sounded somewhat regretful. "After all, I have just manifested and stayed in the Southern Yuan for too long. Some things I can't keep up with the times. The era is changing, and the path of cultivation is changing. Some things you can only understand by going to the Civilized Academy."
"For the next month, don't try to draw any more divine scripts. Focus on one, and also strengthen your own willpower. Willpower is fundamental!"
"Teacher, I understand."
"And also..."
Liu Wenyan hesitated for a moment, then pondered aloud, "Your innate willpower talent is average, but your speed in drawing divine scripts is remarkable. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it certainly qualifies as an extraordinary talent."
"With your talent, if it were to be exposed, when you enter the Civilized Academy, you should be able to find a good teacher to nurture you."
"Bai Feng mentioned before that he wanted to take you as his student. Initially, I thought it was luck on your part, but now... I'm actually quite conflicted."
Su Yu looked puzzled, and Liu Wenyan smiled wryly. "I've been thinking, should I inform Bai Feng's teacher about your situation? If I do, he might accept you."
"But... it's not guaranteed to be better than Bai Feng."
Liu Wenyan sighed, "He has many students and is quite powerful himself. So, he may not stay long at the Academy, and he may not have the inclination to mentor you extensively."
"He is a Civilization Master in the Mountain and Sea Realm, who travels to various battlefields, oceanic realms, and many places... So throughout the year, he has limited time to teach you."
"Although Bai Feng is only in the Empty Sky Realm, at this moment, he has a longer stay at the Academy, which could provide greater initial assistance to you. Later on... once you reach the Empty Sky Realm, his teacher will also guide you because you would be considered his disciple, and geniuses are valued anywhere."
Initially angered, upon closer consideration, Liu Wenyan realized he needed to consider Su Yu's welfare.
Bai Feng's teacher might be weaker than him, but Bai Feng didn't have any students and stayed longer at the Academy, offering more assistance to Su Yu.
When Su Yu became stronger, being Bai Feng's student could naturally lead to guidance from Bai Feng's teacher.
Liu Wenyan reconsidered and slowly suggested, "Actually... there's another option! You could apprentice under Bai Feng's teacher and have him instruct Bai Feng to mentor you as an elder brother... Of course, provided Bai Feng is willing and won't beat you to death."
Su Yu coughed dryly, smiling wryly, "Teacher, I think I might be beaten to death. Bai Feng's teacher is preparing to take me as a student, and suddenly I become his younger brother and ask him to mentor me... Isn't that a bit... too much?"
Liu Wenyan shrugged, "That's your own affair. Of course, how you choose is up to you! Bai Feng is also an option, but this guy... it's hard to say. He's about to break through the Seventh Stage of the Empty Sky Realm, and even preparing to breakthrough to the Mountain and Sea Realm. You need to think carefully; his time might not be abundant either."
Su Yu nodded; that was indeed true.
"There's no rush to apprenticeship; the Academy's researchers aren't limited to just those two," Liu Wenyan pondered for a moment, then added, "Don't reveal the fact that you can draw divine scripts to others; consider it your trump card."
"Even during assessments, there's no need to showcase it. Suppose you successfully draw them, but only a few strokes, establishing the foundation, that will suffice."
"Civilized Academies, War Academies... whichever Academy, it's not necessarily peaceful."
Liu Wenyan sighed, "Su Yu, remember, people's hearts are unpredictable! While most of humanity is fighting against the myriad races, not everyone is like that. If they were, the Myriad Teachings wouldn't have arisen!"
"The Myriad Teachings have numerous factions, with some deeply hidden. It's more profitable to kill weak geniuses. It's necessary to expose your talents appropriately; otherwise, you won't garner attention or receive cultivation."
"But keeping a trump card is also necessary!"
Liu Wenyan said sternly, "Keeping a trump card can save your life! You can showcase yourself, prove your worth to everyone, monopolize the limelight during assessments, and attract the Academy's attention. That's what you should do because you don't have Mountain and Sea Realm elders to rely on!"
"Suppress those geniuses in the capital, move forward, and rise!"
Liu Wenyan grinned at Su Yu, "There's not much your teacher can do to help you, so... work hard! The harder you work now, the greater your future rewards!"
Su Yu trembled slightly; when his teacher spoke like this, he felt as though he might be in for a rough time.
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