Chapter 151: Admitting Defeat
Even though there were those where were unwilling, the end was still the end.
The exam candidates gazed at the rankings on the screen. Everyone had their own reaction to their rankings. Some felt joy, while most were filled with dejection, regret, and even despair. No matter how complicated their emotions were, they left the plaza one after the other.
After agreeing to meet in the Hidden Dragon Institute, Su Chen also said his goodbyes to Jin Ling'er and Wang Doushan.
Unlike the others, Su Chen didn't walk over to the Su Clan, instead making a beeline for the exit of the plaza.
To him, the existence of the Su Clan was of no importance. He already gave them plenty of face by attending this exam under their name. As for whether or not he would stand together with the Su Clan to receive congratulations from other clans... that would never happen.
Su Changche and the others had their eyes fixed on Su Chen as they watched him leave the plaza, not even sparing them a glance.
"Hmph, ungrateful bastard," Su Changqing angrily harrumphed, acting as though Su Chen had always received his affection.
Su Changche said in a low voice, "He still refuses to come back to our Su Clan. Feihu, can you try and call him over? He'll probably give you some face."
Su Feihu laughed. "Perhaps he would. So what?"
So what?
Everyone was stunned.
Su Changche said, "In the end, we're all from the same clan. If we can come together, why disperse?"
Su Feihu said, "Father, why didn't you say this before the exam began? Su Chen needed your support so many times, but you never helped him in his hour of need."
"I..." Su Changche wanted to say something, but was unable to find his voice.
Su Feihu replied, "There are two kinds of people that are the most loathsome. The first are those who leave you alone in your hour of need. The second are those who come back after you no longer have need for them. Father, the Su Clan is already the first kind of person. Let's not be the second kind, okay?"
These words infuriated the Su Clan members present.
Su Changche, however, was moved. "Feihu, you're saying that if we try and curry favour with him, he'll only be further annoyed with us?"
Su Feihu replied, "That's right."
"So we should just let him go and wait to rope him back in later on?" Some people weren't satisfied with this conclusion.
"It's the only way to get his respect," Su Feihu casually replied.
After leaving the plaza, Su Chen leisurely walked down the mountain.
He hadn't gotten very far when two people dashed towards him.
One came from the left, the other from the right, squeezing Su Chen in the middle.
The first grabbed Su Chen from behind, instantly preventing him from moving.
The dense Origin Energy emanating from his body indicated he was at least a Blood Boiling expert.
Not far away, a larger group of people surrounded him, enclosing Su Chen in their midst. He was given no opportunity to escape.
One of them said, "Be quiet and come with us!"
Su Chen gently smiled. "Relax. I won't yell."
The person controlling Su Chen from behind was surprised by his calm demeanor. He couldn't help but say, "Prince Su knew we were coming?"
Su Chen sighed as he walked with them. "If I don't go on this trip with you, you won't give up, right? Tell me, where is Sang Zhen waiting for me?"
"..."
In the time it takes to boil a pot of tea, Su Chen met with Sang Zhen, who was sipping tea underneath a tree atop a mountain peak.
Standing next to him were Night Demon, Qingbai, and the others.
Upon seeing Su Chen's calm and composed appearance, Sang Zhen sighed. "It seems our plan failed."
"Even if that's the case, you still want to try, right?" Su Chen replied with a smile.
"Naturally." Sang Zhen waved his hand, and two people stepped forwards, pulling out the Origin Rings and Origin Formation Disks on Su Chen's body.
Sang Zhen glanced at the Origin Energy Disk. He found the four Sark's Energy Nuclei sitting inside.
He scanned the contents of the Origin Ring. Unsurprisingly, he could not find the Corpse Spirit Flowers.
He lifted his head and carefully observed Su Chen. "You were prepared a long time ago?"
Su Chen shrugged his shoulders. "It's not that surprising. The moment I exited the exam grounds was when you were most confident of the Corpse Spirit Flowers' location. If you didn't make a move now, you might not have gotten another opportunity."
Su Chen had anticipated very early on that they would try to pull off something like this.
The Immortal Temple was, in the end, the Immortal Temple. Although they appeared to have accepted Su Chen's conditions, agreeing to hire Su Chen as a reward for the job, they had already come up with a much simpler plan. They would wait for Su Chen to exit the exam grounds, capture him, and forcibly take away everything he possessed.
At the moment Su Chen exited the exam grounds, he would definitely be carrying everything on him. With this tactic, they could forcibly seize the Corpse Spirit Flowers instead of spending a few years to train him for no good reason. That didn't mean they wouldn't train and foster him. Given how smart he was, if he joined the Immortal Temple, they would definitely help him grow. But that was the investment into a new recruit, not the reward given to a shameless brat!
When Sang Zhen saw Su Chen standing there, completely unperturbed, he knew his plan had failed.
Indeed, he couldn't find a single Corpse Spirit Flower on Su Chen's body.
"He definitely hid the Corpse Spirit Flower inside the Red Peak Range. Instead of taking it out himself, he let someone else take it for him," Aaron said angrily. "This brat really is slippery."
"The question is, who helped him? There are over ten thousand exam candidates here. Who knows who it was?" Qingbai shook his head helplessly.
Su Chen's plan was simple yet practical.
The Immortal Temple even sent people to keep an eye on Iron Cliff, Li Shu, and the others, but none of them had entered the Red Peak Range.
They didn't know where the Corpse Spirit Flowers were!
Without Su Chen's cooperation, the Corpse Spirit Flowers would never appear!
"Haa, it looks like you've won again," Sang Zhen said helplessly.
All of the hostility directed at him began to slowly fade away.
Sang Zhen waved his hand, and the person holding onto Su Chen released his grip. "I hope this little incident didn't offend you. Our cooperation can still continue."
If they couldn't find the Corpse Spirit Flower, their previous proposal was still in effect!
Su Chen laughed sarcastically. "I can not take offense. But the actions of your organization have destroyed the integrity of our agreement. It's quite inappropriate, actually. If you guys are willing to ruin the integrity of our agreements on a whim, I'm very worried about our future cooperations."
Sang Zhen squinted his eyes. "Oh? What does Prince Su mean?"
"If the organization has offended me, there must be some display of reconciliation, right?" Su Chen asked. As these words left his mouth, he took out a piece of paper. This piece of paper was prepared just for this moment, and on it was a list of items he required.
When Copper Deer saw it, he almost jumped into the air. "Hundred Fog Cypress seeds, hundred Carnivorous Forest seeds... One rapid growth technique, one lie-detection Origin Skill... You motherfucker, why don't you just rob us blind?"
Su Chen had requested many things that belonged to Copper Deer. It was no surprise that he was infuriated.
Even Sang Zhen was so angry that he laughed. "You seized a large shipment of our goods, and now you still want us to pay you?"
"Should I not?" Su Chen countered. "You broke the agreement in the first place, so you should make some reparations."
"Do you dare say you didn't deceive us when we were dealing with the Shadow Mountain Troops?" Copper Deer rebuked.
"Yes!" Unexpectedly, Su Chen admitted it immediately. "But you didn't catch me! If you had, the spoils from the Shadow Mountain Troops would all belong to you. I would've confessed and done everything for free!"
Su Chen clearly enunciated each word as he spoke. "If you lose, you have to admit defeat. Those are the rules! Can the Immortal Temple not afford to lose this much?"
"You!" The flames of their fury almost set the surroundings ablaze.
At this moment, someone said, "Agree to his terms. He's right. If you lose... you have to admit defeat!"
——————————————
Meanwhile, in a pitch-black, hidden alley.
Lin Jingxuan carefully made his way through the alley until he found a small door at the end of it.
He pushed open a heavy door, then another, and finally he arrived at a sinister, stone room.
In this room sat a person. It was Zhou Hong.
Zhou Hong squeezed out a smile when he saw Lin Jingxuan enter. "You've finally arrived. Where's the stuff?"
Lin Jingxuan pulled out a ring from his bosom and placed it in front of Zhou Hong.
Zhou Hong received the ring without even glancing at it. After stowing it away, he stared at Lin Jingxuan and said, "Did you open it?"
Lin Jingxuan chuckled. "I wouldn't dare disobey Young Master Su and sneak a peek."
However, he was cursing loudly in his heart. Damned slave, using your master to threaten me. Once I break free from Su Chen's control, I'll take care of you.
"No?" Zhou Hong smirked. "Let me ask you, do you feel really cold right now?"
Lin Jingxuan was shocked. "H-how did you know?"
Zhou Hong harrumphed. "When Young Master told you what to do, did he tell you the items inside the jade box were poisonous?"
Lin Jingxuan shrunk his neck, silent.
Yes, Su Chen did tell him that. But he ignored it, because he thought it was just a trick. In his head, Su Chen wanted to use him, but didn't trust him. That was all..
Zhou Hong tossed him a mirror. "Take a good look at yourself."
Lin Jingxuan caught the mirror. When he caught a glimpse of himself, he went into a panic.
His face was incredibly pale, and his lips were a dark purple. He looked like a tuberculosis patient. His previous grace and poise quickly disappeared.
He yelled at Zhou Hong, "It was my fault! I shouldn't have peeked. Young Master Su must have anticipated this, right? I admit I was wrong! Please, give me the antidote, save me!"
He was scared witless.
Zhou Hong said coldly, "Consider yourself lucky. You only took a few glances, maybe even touched it. If you dared to steal one or two and hide them on your body, then even Young Master himself wouldn't be able to save you."
As he spoke, he pulled out a vial.
This was the antidote Su Chen had prepared.
Lin Jingxuan was about to reach for it when Zhou Hong pulled it out of reach. "You disobeyed Young Master's commands and looked at his goods. Do you really think a few words of apology will suffice?"
"What?" Lin Jingxuan was stunned.
Zhou Hong stood up and advanced, holding a thick wooden staff in his hand. "Young Master has already sent down the order. Lin Jingxuan disobeyed the master's commands. The punishment is eighty strokes! Lin Jingxuan, kneel and take your punishment!"
"You...!" Lin Jingxuan glared at Zhou Hong.
"If you want to live, obediently take your spanking 1," Zhou Hong said coolly. "Young Master said..."
"If you lose, you have to admit defeat!"
1. https://youtu.be/Jkt7kHACy_k?t=41s
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Page 2
Chapter 152: Confession
There were two more months before the start of the new school year at the Hidden Dragon Institute.
This was the time for the new students to say proper goodbyes to their families. Afterwards, they would spend a long period of time cultivating in the Hidden Dragon Institute.
They wouldn't stay at the Hidden Dragon Institute for a set amount of time. The students would stay there until they reached the Blood Boiling Realm.
The Blood Boiling Realm was the level of cultivation required for graduation. At that point, there was no need to stay and continue studying. Most students reached the Blood Boiling Realm after 10 or so years. Of course, if they reached the Blood Boiling Realm in less than ten years, they were allowed to remain at the institute, cultivating and studying.
Unlike the other exam candidates, who were trying to spend as much time with their families as possible, Su Chen didn't have many loved ones who he wanted to spend time with.
He refused to meet with Su Cheng'an, and he refused to attend the magnificent celebratory banquet the Su Clan prepared in his honour. He left the Su Palace alone that night and walked to the mountain behind the Su Palace.
Gu Qingluo had been waiting for him there for quite some time.
She opened her eyes wide and glared at him. "I want to take a bath. Prince Su, would you like to stand guard for me?"
Su Chen laughed bitterly. "It's all my fault. I should have told you earlier."
Gu Qingluo stared at him without blinking, grimacing.
She asked after a long pause, "When?"
On his way over, Su Chen prepared a perfect story, an elaborate, airtight web of lies. They would have tricked Gu Qingluo without a doubt.
But when he gazed into her crystal-clear eyes, his heart began to beat wildly. He blurted out, "When I killed Lin Xie."
"That early?" Gu Qingluo gazed at Su Chen in shock.
Her surprised expression slowly morphed into one seeking to draw his blood.
Crap! Su Chen knew it was about to go down.
But he had no regrets.
He gazed at the infuriated Gu Qingluo and said, "I know it's my fault. I should've come clean way before. A proper explanation is all I wanted to give you Qingluo, but when I see you, my reasonings simply pale in comparison. There's no point... Yes, I did sneak a peek at you, and I saw all of you. It wasn't because your movements were too fast that I kept my mouth shut, nor was it because I was worried you would get angry. It was because I wanted to look... I wanted to look at you!"
Gu Qingluo looked at him, startled.
Su Chen continued, "Yes. Yes, I wanted to look at you! I wanted to see every inch of your body, I wanted to watch you smile as you floated in the water, I wanted to watch you play in a carefree way. I wanted to look at your snow-white skin, your beautiful silhouette..."
As he spoke, he drew nearer to her. "I was afraid, Qingluo, afraid that the most beautiful moment would disappear. It was a magical moment, and I didn't want to let my mouth ruin it. Otherwise, I might as well go back into darkness."
Gu Qingluo was speechless.
Su Chen stood next to her. He placed his hand on her face, stroking it gently as he said with a caring voice, "The first time I saw light, I was with you. When I recovered my vision, it was because I wanted to see you. The first thing I saw was the world's most beautiful body. This world is still fair. It allowed me to be blind for so long, but it also gave me the greatest reward, which is that I could see you. If it took three years of blindness for me to see you taking a bath, I am willing to be blind for thirty years just for a gentle embrace."
As he spoke, he took Gu Qingluo in his embrace, gently pressing her lithe body against his chest.
Gu Qingluo was completely dazed.
She leaned into Su Chen's embrace, her heart beating wildly. Her vision swam.
Ahh!!!
What's going on?
Why do I feel dizzy? Why is my heart beating so fast?
Why am I at a complete loss?
What's happening?
She felt dazed and numb, her brain jumping all over the place.
She watched Su Chen lower his head to look at her.
Their faces slowly drew closer and closer.
His lips parted slightly as they inched closer to hers.
Just as they were about to land on Gu Qingluo's lips, she suddenly seemed to realize what was happening. "No!" she cried out, pushing Su Chen away.
Su Chen backed up two steps. He gazed at Gu Qingluo, his face beet-red.
Her face was much like his, her heart in wild disarray. She gazed at Su Chen. Just what is going on? Didn't I come to hear the truth and punish him accordingly? How did it turn out like this?
Gu Qingluo didn't understand what was happening.
Su Chen had already confessed he was only pretending to be blind.
According to reason, she should be furious, turning him from a fake blind person into a real blind person.
But as she gazed at Su Chen, she couldn't muster up a single ounce of anger. All she could feel was her heart beating wildly, as well as the uncontrollable flow of blood rushing to her head.
An answer surfaced in her heart.
Could it be... I've fallen for this guy? Impossible! Gu Qingluo silently cried out helplessly.
Su Chen took two steps toward her, fearlessly embracing her again.
He didn't say anything. All he did was bring her into his embrace, allowing his body heat to mix with hers.
When the two of them came into contact again, Gu Qingluo couldn't suppress her emotions anymore. She felt as if she was about to combust.
The affection she had kept buried during the time they had known each other erupted like a volcano, overwhelming her sense of reason. As she gazed at Su Chen, her mind went blank. She unconsciously wrapped her hand around Su Chen's neck.
She leaned in towards Su Chen.
Her sudden initiative caught Su Chen slightly off guard. But he reacted very quickly, returning the kiss passionately.
In that instant, it seemed as if the Heavens and the earth had disappeared. There was only the passion between him and her, burning furiously.
After a long time, Su Chen and Gu Qingluo separated.
Gu Qingluo backed up a few steps, her face red.
She put her hand to her forehead. "Heavens, what have I done?"
Su Chen gazed at her with a gentle smile. "You followed your heart."
He wanted to hug Gu Qingluo again, but she hurriedly retreated a few steps and said, "Don't come over."
She gazed at Su Chen with suspicion. "What did you just do to me? Tell me! Was it an illusion technique? A bewitching technique? Or did you drug me with something?"
"..." Su Chen was speechless. He could only say caressingly, "It wasn't an illusion technique. It's love."
The word "love" was probably too much for her to handle. Gu Qingluo's shoulders collapsed, and she pulled in her neck. She said, panicking slightly, "Uhhh... I was watching you guys compete these last few days, and I haven't washed my face yet. I hurried over just because I wanted to know when you regained your sight... I'm not used to you making such a sudden movement... Give me some time to recover... some time to think about it..."
"Okay!" Su Chen nodded.
This was probably the biggest mistake he made that night. With love, it was important to strike the iron while it was still hot. When Gu Qingluo heard this, it was as if she had suddenly found an out. She turned around and ran, activating the Snaking Mist Steps to their limit. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared without a trace.
She ran?
Su Chen was dazed. As a youth, he was still quite ignorant. Although he was able to see through all kinds of plots and conspiracies, he was unable to break through the barrier of love.
Gu Qingluo similarly couldn't understand why she chose to run away like a stray dog. After all, she was furious at him and had come to punish him.
That night, both of them tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
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Page 3
Chapter 153: Epilogue
Confessing to Gu Qingluo was not something he had thought out very much, but it definitely resulted in a chain reaction.
The third day after that fateful night, news came to him.
Gu Qingluo was returning to Longxi.
This news felt like being blindsided by a bat to the head.
He didn't know if she decided on this long ago, or if it was a spur-of-the-moment decision that resulted from what happened between the two of them that night.
Had he done something wrong? He didn't know.
He tried to contact Gu Qingluo but never received a response.
Every day, he would go to the back mountain, but Gu Qingluo never showed.
It was as if from that day on, she did not want to ever see Su Chen again. Su Chen felt as though a piece of his heart was forcefully torn out.
The day the Gu Clan was supposed to leave finally arrived.
The Lin Clan sent a large number of people to send Gu Qingluo off.
Su Chen waited all by himself at the place he came clean to her.
He hoped that Gu Qingluo would appear so he could give her a sentence, but she never did. He waited the entire day, but in the end all that waited for him was disappointment. She left without a word.
Su Chen experienced the first breakup of his human life.
In all honesty, it probably didn't even count as a breakup. After all, their love hadn't even begun before it ended.
Su Chen couldn't comprehend why it turned out like this. He was convinced that Gu Qingluo liked him. Even if his confession failed, he thought she would still be willing to be his friend. But if that was so, why did she leave without a word? That was illogical.
It didn't line up with what Su Chen understood about human nature.
Su Chen began to realize that some people and some things simply couldn't be understood with logic.
His jockeying for power and benefits had nothing to do with love.
Love was like an wild horse. It didn't listen to reason and went where it pleased. It was not constrained by ethics or by benefits to those involved.
On that day, Su Chen learned an extremely important lesson. Love and rationality weren't compatible.
Some people would even claim that those who hadn't suffered romantic loss were not well-rounded.
Su Chen, having experienced his first romantic loss, had also become more shaped and well-rounded.
Of course, to him this was an indescribable suffering.
After Gu Qingluo left, Su Chen closed himself up in his room for three days.
It wasn't until the fourth day that he finally walked out of his room.
On that day, he went to pay his respects to his mother. No matter who he ran into, he greeted them with a smile, even those he had dealt with in the past. He would greet them with a polite smile, as if all the unhappiness in the past had disappeared like smoke. Su Changche felt much more at ease, believing that Su Chen had put down the issues from the past, returning to the clan once more.
But his excitement only lasted for a day before it dissipated like a cloud of smoke.
That was because the next day, Su Chen took Iron Cliff with him and left.
He only left behind a letter, saying he wanted to go and see the world for himself. His goal was the Cloud Rising border.
That was a place that had been devastated by the Beast Waves, and danger lurked in every corner. Tang Hongrui almost had a nervous breakdown when she found out.
However, once Su Chen disappeared, he left behind no trace. No one could find him.
Two months later, a letter for the clan came from a faraway foreign land.
It was from Su Chen.
The letter detailed his life at the Cloud Rising border. He told Tang Hongrui he was safe and sound, so she didn't have to worry about him. At the same time, he told her that because he was so far away, he wouldn't have time to return to the Su Clan, so he would directly head for Long Coiling City and the Hidden Dragon Institute. He also told her to send Mingshu and Zhou Hong directly there. Finally, he asked about the various clan members, his words extremely polite. However, it seemed as if they also contained a trace of carelessness and alienation.
After she read the letter, Tang Hongrui let out a sigh. "He's all grown up now."
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Page 4
Book 2: Studying for the Rise to Prominence of the Human Race
Chapter 1: Entering the Institute
Long Coiling City was the most beautiful towards the end of the ninth month of the year.
Every year around this time, the iris flowers would begin to bloom, forming a colorful sea of flowers.
Past the rippling sea of flowers towered a red brick wall, reaching all the way to a mountain five kilometers away. The wall effectively separated the two sides into worlds of their own.
The wall snaked and wound all over the place, like the Great Wall. It appeared like a dragon with its head and tail connected, forming a large circle. It had the horns, head, body, claws, and tail of a dragon. Because it looked like a hidden dragon, the school became known as the Hidden Dragon Institute. There were even walls specially built to form the eyes of the dragon. Altogether, the Hidden Dragon Institute was composed of six parts.
The Hidden Dragon Institute was extremely lively today.
People crowded the main entrance. Many candidates entering the school were present, along with family members seeing them off. Traffic flowed ceaselessly and countless people were engaged in conversation. Carriages with the names of the clan engraved on them filled the road as far as the eye could see.
Of those who walked to the main entrance, eight out of ten people were from Inherited Bloodline Nobility Clans.
Under these kinds of circumstances, the Su Clan's small carriage had no right to be publically seen. It was squeezed into a very remote corner. Mingshu stood inside the carriage, anxiously gazing out the window. "Why isn't Young Master here yet? Today's the last day to enroll! If he misses it today, he might as well not have attended the Hidden Dragon Battle at all!"
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Li Shu laughed. "Young Master is extremely disciplined. If he says he will come today, he will come. Just be patient."
Time flew by and before they knew it, the sun was inching closer to the horizon.
As large numbers of students poured into the main gates, their clamor disappeared. The sun was about to fall behind the horizon when two silhouettes could be seen in the distance.
"It's Young Master! Young Master, we're here!" Mingshu's eyes were sharp. When he saw Su Chen in the distance, he began to yell excitedly.
Hearing that voice, Su Chen lifted his head and glanced over. He revealed a trace of a smile.
When Su Chen neared them, they discovered that after two months of traveling, his temperament had become much more concise. His eyes reflected the changes that had occurred to him, changes abnormal for a child of his age.
Li Shu respectfully said, "It's been two months since I last saw you, Young Master. You seem to have gotten slimmer."
Su Chen laughed. "Not really, but thank you. How is the clan, and how is Mother?"
"Everything is fine. Did Young Master broaden his horizons during your trip?" Lin Shu asked with a smile.
"I was just confirming some thoughts and ideas I had," Su Chen replied as he gazed off into the distance, his expression distant. "Although some things were never a mystery, I still had to personally witness them in order to truly understand."
"Young Master, let's forget about these things for now. Hurry up and enroll; if we delay any longer, the institute won't let us in anymore," Mingshu said coaxingly.
Su Chen headed towards the institute's enrollment area.
Perhaps because it was already late, there was only one person at the enrollment table. The person sitting there was a middle-aged man with some facial hair, sitting there majestically.
When he saw Su Chen walking towards him, the middle-aged man said, "Show me your identity tablet."
Every student had an identity tablet. They had received it after the Hidden Dragon Battle.
Su Chen handed him his identity tablet. The middle-aged man said, "Su Chen, fifth place in the Three Mountains Region's exam, second-tier seedling. You'll be living in the Clear Sky Tower, room 12."
Su Chen already knew that the Hidden Dragon Institute separated its students into three different tiers. Tier one was composed of the elite, with two more tiers close behind. The rest were just regular exam candidates. Those who placed in the top three in their exam region were placed into tier one, the top ten into tier two, and the top twenty into tier three. The rest became common students.
Different levels of students possessed different authority.
Common students were not allowed to bring servants into the institute. They lived in the normal student residences and did not receive any special allowances. This was all in accordance to the school's rules.
Those who were considered seedlings possessed special privileges.
The bearded middle-aged man handed Su Chen a piece of paper. Written on it were the rules that students of different tiers had to follow.
As a second-tier student, Su Chen had five privileges he could enjoy:
1) He could bring one servant with him.
2) He could stay in a residence with denser Origin Energy.
3) He could choose a personal instructor.
4) He would receive a hundred contribution points.
5) He could unlock nine tiers of preferential treatment.
Contribution points were a special privilege granted by the Hidden Dragon Institute. They were fundamental for entering special locations, such as the library.
There were only two ways to obtain additional privileges. Students could obtain contribution points by doing tasks given out by the institute and outstanding performance was appropriately rewarded. The Hidden Dragon Institute had all kinds of competitions, practice sessions, and exams. If it was organized by an official, there would usually be contribution points as a reward. After all, the Hidden Dragon Institute was in essence a place where ability and strength were paramount. Contribution points were often more commonly obtained from good performances rather than completing missions, meaning that the former method was also the more popular way to obtain these contribution points.
As the fifth-ranked student from the Three Mountains Region exam, the one hundred contribution points he received were essentially a reward for his performance.
To many of the exam candidates, obtaining a hundred contribution points was extremely difficult.
Being a seedling at the institute came with many advantages.
However, the privileges that the common students and seedlings possessed were not fixed.
Every year, the institute would hold a large competition to rank their students. If a seedling performed poorly, their seedling status would be given to another student. This was meant to encourage people and prevent them from slacking off. After the first institute-wide competition, some would even become "super seedlings" and obtain an even greater allowance and more privileges.
As he glanced over the rules, Su Chen asked, "Do I need to pick a personal instructor now?"
The middle-aged man laughed. "Of course not. Most people aren't familiar with the instructors yet, and trying to choose one now is just like a blind man feeling an elephant1. The institute has a rule that you can choose one at any time within the first year after entering the institute. The students are picking the instructors, putting a bit of pressure on them as well. If an instructor has no talent and can't take in any students, they can even lose their position as a teacher."
For some reason, Su Chen felt as if the other party was trying to tell him something.
"So that's how it is. I suppose I'm in no hurry right now," Su Chen said.
"Mhm," the middle-aged man said. "I'll just briefly remind you that the Hidden Dragon Institute has a total of thirty-one classes, including subjects like History of Origin Energy Development, Origin Energy Talismans, Absorption Technique Tutorials, Origin Formations, Raw Materials, Origin Energy Elements, Biology, Herbology, and Alchemy, to name a few. All of these subjects are open classes, and their times and locations can be found on the schedule. You can choose which classes you want to be in and what you want to focus on – the institute will not restrict you. We will, however, give you some tips on what classes to join. Normally, we don't recommend you take too many subjects at once, and your classes should at least be somewhat related to one another. For example, if you want to become an Origin Formation master, classes like Origin Formation Fundamentals, Raw Materials, and Origin Energy Conversion are all classes that you must take. If you want to become an alchemist, Herbology, Biology, Alchemy, etc., are classes you must take. If you want to become a powerful Origin Qi Scholar, classes like Absorption Technique Tutorials, Origin Energy Talismans, and History of Origin Energy Development are all must-haves..."
After listening to the bearded middle-aged man talk, Su Chen slowly began to understand how taking classes at the Hidden Dragon Institute worked.
Basically, the Hidden Dragon Institute was employing a tactic similar to raising sheep free-range rather than penned up. The students were given a great amount of freedom, but simultaneously it applied a bit of pressure to them.
However, the open classes only contained basic information. If he wanted to learn more advanced material, especially if he wanted someone to individually guide his cultivation and knowledge, he needed to have a dedicated personal instructor.
Personal instructors also had different tiers of relationships with their students. Some were just students, while others were disciples, and still others were even inheritors.
Those in open courses were all considered students. Only those who had chosen a personal instructor were called disciples. Among these disciples, instructors would usually choose a few outstanding individuals they favoured, calling them inheritors. Inheritors were the only people truly able to continue the legacy of their instructors.
"Thank you, sir, for your help." Su Chen paid his respects to the bearded middle-aged man. He understood the general situation of the institute.
The bearded man rubbed his beard and laughed. "I am called Li Hongyuan, one of the professors at this institute. I focus on how to configure and construct Origin Energy Talismans, particularly fire-type ones. If you are interested, consider taking my class."
The instructors of the Hidden Dragon Institute also had their own tasks. Whoever taught the most students and taught them well would have a higher status and a correspondingly higher reward. They would also receive more glory. Sometimes, instructors would even fight over an outstanding student. Under such circumstances, it was no wonder the bearded man had actively promoted himself.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant
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Page 5
Chapter 2: Supervision
After checking in, Su Chen brought Iron Cliff to the Clear Sky Tower. As for Mingshu, Li Shu, and Zhou Hong, they found a place to stay near the Hidden Dragon Institute.
When they arrived at the Clear Sky Tower, the sky was dark already.
A giant statue with the body of an eagle and face of a human sat next to the entrance.
Su Chen handed over his identity tablet to the statue, which swallowed it. A streak of light shot out from the statue and hit Su Chen's forehead, forming a seal. The eagle-bodied statue laughed gratingly, "I'll remember you. Go on in. Remember this seal will be with you during your stay in the Institute. Don't break the Institute's rules. If you do, that seal will inform the officials. When that happens... hehehe."
The statue let out a fearsome laugh, but Su Chen wore a nonchalant expression.
Seeing its attempts to scare Su Chen fail, he grumbled, "You're no fun."
The door creaked open.
The twelfth room, located on the third floor of the Clear Sky Tower, was his. When he arrived, he found a black-clothed youth standing in front of the door.
The black-clothed youth's eyes lit up when he saw Su Chen. He went up and said, "You must be Su Chen, right? I've waited a long time for you."
His voice sounded anything but welcoming.
Su Chen asked, "Who are you exactly?"
"My name is Pan, Pan Hao. Remember it, because it will be your worst nightmare!"
"Pan..." Su Chen muttered before realizing something. "The Pan Clan of Pinewood City?"
The members of the Pan Clan came looking for trouble after all. They wanted to do so earlier, but because of Su Chen's departure to the Cloud Rising Border, the Pan Clan was unable to locate him.
Su Chen asked, "You are also a student of the Hidden Dragon Institute?"
Pan Hao laughed darkly, pointing his thumb at himself. "I'm a third year student at the Hidden Dragon Institute. I'm ranked 142nd on the Dragon Transformation List!"
When he mentioned his ranking, a trace of pride slipped into his voice.
Su Chen knew the Hidden Dragon Institute had a Dragon Transformation List, used to rank all of the students. The name of this list referred to the students still being snakes, dragons in training. They would have to complete the institute's training to complete the transformation and become a dragon among men. Only then would they be considered some of the most talented members of Long Sang Country.
The Dragon Transformation List was divided into two lists. The first ranked the students in the same year, and the second was to rank all students without taking in consideration how long they were already studying at the Hidden Dragon Institute. The second list only listed the top 1000 students.
For Pan Hao to be ranked 142nd implied he was ranked quite high for a third-year student. His strength definitely was not lacking.
To Su Chen, however, this was useless.
He nodded. "So you came all the way over here just to tell me that?"
Pan Hao angrily harrumphed. "Su Chen, don't act too unbridled! I came to tell you your days at the Hidden Dragon Institute will not be peaceful. I will have plenty of opportunities to deal with you!"
"So you're basically saying you can't do anything to me right now?" Su Chen laughed.
He had read the rules and knew the Hidden Dragon Institute strictly forbid battles for personal reasons. Pan Hao had come to strut around, but all he could do was throw around some threats.
Pan Hao laughed darkly. "Just because I can't do anything to you right now doesn't mean I can't in the future. Yes, the Hidden Dragon Institute prohibits personal battles, but fights are allowed in the martial arts stage, the Demon Hunting Grounds, the Magic Hall, and the Origin Receiving Pavilion. Some places even allow fights to the death! Su Chen, you brat, you better pray you never run into me in any of those places."
"I'll remember that." Su Chen showed a serious expression as he nodded in understandment. "If a day like that does come by, I won't be merciful."
A trace of savagery flashed across Pan Hao's eyes. "You're all talk. I know you were fifth in the Three Mountains Region competition, but you were just competing against ordinary Origin Qi Scholars. Even if you hadn't taken a shortcut, you would still be far inferior to me in terms of strength. Countless students at this institute are many times more powerful than you. Even the all-powerful Ji Hanyan is forced to reign herself in here!"
"Is that so?" A voice sounded out behind them. Not far behind them stood Ji Hanyan, who was dressed in blue.
"Ji Hanyan?" Pan Hao was startled. "What are you doing here?"
Ji Hanyan coldly said, "You don't need to know why I'm here. You said I have to reign myself in? I want to see how you can force me to do so as a third-year student."
As she spoke, she lifted her hand, punching out with a fist.
Boom!
She attacked Pan Hao with her Frostbird White Ice Fists.
Pan Hao was caught off-guard. He hadn't expected her to go crazy inside the walls of the institute, battling on a whim. He instinctively struck out with his palms, attempting to resist the oncoming wave of ice and frost.
However, Ji Hanyan's Frostbird White Ice Fists were frighteningly powerful. Even though Pan Hao struck out three times in a row, he couldn't fully negate the attack.
The punch was about to slam into Pan Hao like an ice hammer when he let out a strange yell. He dashed backwards at a frightening speed. A layer of ice spread out several feet in all directions, its center right where Pan Hao stood mere moments ago.
Undisturbed by the ineffectiveness of her first attack, Ji Hanyan stabbed out with her finger. She used her Profound Soul-Splitting Finger!
A sense of danger welled up in Pan Hao's heart. He called on all of the Origin Energy in his body as he pulled out a sword. He stabbed as he yelled in a high-pitched voice, "Ji Hanyan, don't be too arrogant! Do you really think I'm afraid of you??"
The finger jab and sword collided, generating a turbulent flow of cold air.
As the coldness was spreading, a formless force appeared out of nowhere. The turbulent cold wind and the sword light seemingly ran into an invisible wall, bringing their advance to a halt before forcing them back several steps.
Pan Hao and Ji Hanyan separated. The two of them simultaneously landed on the ground. It was unclear who held the advantage in that exchange.
Ji Hanyan, as a newly admitted student, was able to hold her own against a third-year student ranked so high on the Dragon Transformation List. Ji Hanyan's terrifying strength was clearly manifested in this exchange
"You...!" Pan Hao gazed at Ji Hanyan, shocked and infuriated.
Ji Hanyan indifferently said, "It seems you're incapable of forcing me to reign myself in."
At this moment, a voice entered their ears. "That's enough. The Hidden Dragon Institute does not allow personal battles. You're a new student, so this time you'll only receive a warning. Don't make this mistake again. Pan Hao, you're an experienced student. Why are you strutting around in the Clear Sky Tower? You even dared to attack a new student. How disgraceful! You'll be fined ten contribution points. Get out of here."
Pan Hao was shocked. "Sir, that's not fair. Both of us were involved! Why am I the only one getting punished?"
"What a joke! When I do things, do I need to explain myself to you? Are you not satisfied? 20 contribution points, now get the hell out of here!"
A gust of wind arrived, sending Pan Hao flying out of the tower as if it had a corporeal body.
Su Chen was completely dazed by this scene. What was happening?
This was an exemplary case of displaying bias!
The problem was that they were new students. Why did this supervisor help them out?
As if sensing Su Chen's shock, Ji Hanyan faintly said, "Thank you, instructor."
"Cough, cough." The coughing sound was abrupt as if someone had been caught off guard. "You damned girl, don't be so loud! It won't be good if news of this spreads!"
Ji Hanyan didn't care at all. "I want news of this to spread. How else can I act as I please at the institute?"
Su Chen and Ji Hanyan's personal instructor were rendered speechless by her words.
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