Chapter 14 - Chapter 14 What Is a Genius?

Luo Tian's expression was grave as he slowly shook his head, then his gaze fell on Liu Qingfeng. "Old Liu, did you know he's from Sin City?" Liu Qingfeng's face remained impassive. "What does where he's from have to do with him being my student?" "Besides, by Sin City's rules, no matter how heinous one's past crimes, they are forgiven once you walk out." "Unless you shed blood again." "As long as he hasn't sinned a single day, he's still my student." As Liu Qingfeng spoke, he stepped forward and stood in front of Yu Sheng, shielding him with his body. Yu Sheng, who had been silent this entire time, lifted his head in a daze now, staring at Liu Qingfeng's back, a hint of confusion in his eyes. After a long moment, he lowered his head again, falling silent once more. Du Xu, still lying on the ground, looked at Yu Sheng with a faint, unreadable glint in his eyes. Seeing Liu Qingfeng's stance, Luo Tian scratched his hair in frustration. "Forget it, this has nothing to do with me anyway." "My enemies are monsters, not humans." He spoke in a low, gruff voice, then glanced at the darkening sky. "The assessment ends here for today. We'll continue tomorrow." "This factory's huge—find any spot you want to sleep." "It's been years since we last met. Drinks?" He slung an arm around Liu Qingfeng's shoulders, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. Liu Qingfeng shook his head. "My students are here." Luo Tian scoffed, leaned in close to Liu Qingfeng's ear with a furtive look, and muttered a few words, even raising an eyebrow at a monitor in the corner. But Liu Qingfeng had no intention of entertaining him any longer. He turned and walked away. "Sigh, Boss Liu's still such a bore." "A stick in the mud." Chuckling to himself, Luo Tian walked back to his off-road vehicle under everyone's gaze and sped off, leaving the stunned students standing there. H-He's just leaving? This is the outskirts of the city! Without the protection of the Guard Department, the reserve corps, or the Mo Pavilion, who knew what could happen! Besides, he never even said the assessment would last two days! Staring at the pitch-black sky and the desolate, empty surroundings, everyone's hearts instantly rose to their throats. Fortunately, the leading teachers still remained, and they herded their respective students into the factory one by one. The factory, however, had clearly been abandoned for years. The air was thick with dampness, the paint on the walls was peeling, and the iron doors were covered in mottled rust. ... "What the hell is he thinking?!" "I swear, if I ever team up with him again, I'm an idiot!" The two men in the monitoring room were wailing in despair. He just left the assessment halfway through? And left them here too? If they'd been assigned to any other remote city, they'd have finished their mission by now! To make matters worse, a teammate was still snoring loudly on the bed behind them. The only consolation was that this assessment had at least uncovered a few promising talents. Xiao Zifeng, the first to think of shouting his introduction to catch his opponent off guard. Du Xu, who had a fierce, unyielding streak. And most of all... Yu Sheng, the boy from Sin City. Sin City had always been a synonym for mystery to most people, and Yu Sheng's crisp, ruthless moves had left even them astonished. In fact, if killing had been allowed in this assessment... Du Xu would have been a corpse the moment the fight started. This was no joke. In an instant, Yu Sheng had become their top observation target. ... In a corner of the factory. Zhao Zicheng stared at the dirty, messy floor, unable to bring himself to sit down. Li Kai and Yang Ruoxin stood with him, equally reluctant. Liu Qingfeng and Yu Sheng, however, sat down calmly and unconcernedly. "Teacher, there's something I don't understand." Zhao Zicheng looked at Liu Qingfeng with a hint of reverence, asking cautiously. Liu Qingfeng nodded. He was always a little gentler when facing his students. "Speak your mind." "Isn't higher talent supposed to mean greater achievements in the future?" "Then why hasn't that man from the Monster Extermination Pavilion... paid any attention to our talent at all?" Zhao Zicheng was genuinely perplexed. He knew his Five-Pattern potential might not be considered high on a grand scale, but among the people here, it was certainly above average. Those childish scuffles were nothing but a joke in the eyes of a true Awakened. Even Yu Sheng— though he was overpowering everyone here now, once everyone fully awakened and their eggs hatched, if Yu Sheng's Awakened creature was only mediocre, while theirs had devastating power, it would take no more than half a year for Yu Sheng to fade back into obscurity. And they would soar to great heights. This, to Zhao Zicheng, was utterly illogical. Liu Qingfeng lifted his head, looking at Zhao Zicheng earnestly, and spoke slowly. "Do you think talent is the most important thing?" "It's true—talent is the most crucial factor in whether someone can reach the pinnacle." "But geniuses... this world has no shortage of them." "With humanity's vast population, it's only natural that a few geniuses emerge every year. If pure talent alone was enough to stand at the top of the world, humanity would have already crushed the monster clans long ago." Liu Qingfeng's words clearly piqued the interest of the other students too. They all listened instinctively, hanging on his every word. "I've lost count of how many geniuses I've seen in my time." "But what became of them?" "How many truly rose to greatness?" "I've seen those who thought themselves gifted and superior, full of arrogance, only to stumble and fall in the gutter." "I've seen prodigies from prestigious academies, the darlings of heaven, step onto Demon Suppression Pass—yet freeze in fear, kill not a single enemy, and end up decapitated." "I've also seen those with an overinflated opinion of themselves, drowning in luxury and pleasure, missing their prime cultivation years, and ultimately fading into nothingness." Liu Qingfeng's voice was low, his eyes clouded with memories. Once, he too had been a young man. Not particularly gifted. And he had watched with his own eyes as many prodigies of his era, lauded by countless people, rose like the scorching sun, displaying invincible power. Others... became a joke, like caged canaries, never once showing their true edge. "This world has no shortage of geniuses." "The Mo Pavilion could pull out a dozen at random, every single one with better talent than all of you." "But what value does that hold?" "You've never been to humanity's Four Great Passes. There, human life is as cheap as grass—even less valuable than a sip of water or a piece of bread." "Whether you survive or not doesn't depend on your talent. It depends on your temperament, your luck." "Poor talent doesn't mean you can't cultivate to the pinnacle of this world." "But a weak temperament... that is the most terrifying thing of all." "Without the resolve to charge forward without hesitation, without a calm mind in the face of trouble, without enough vigilance..." "In the end, you'll be nothing but a joke."