I Can Copy the Talents of All Creatures

Chapter 233: Chapter 173: The Grand Ancestor’s Past

"Huh?"

Yu Fei froze. Ye Shuping’s tone was gentle, but his expression hadn’t changed one bit. The look behind his gold-rimmed glasses was frigid, like an icy blade piercing his heart.

An immense sense of powerlessness washed over him. ’This is absurd,’ he thought. ’How am I supposed to do that?’

Seeing the young man before him, whose spirit seemed utterly crushed, Ye Shuping suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha... How amusing, truly amusing! You were scared, weren’t you?"

Ye Shuping clutched his stomach, doubled over with laughter. His life had been far too long. Aside from nurturing the younger generation’s talents, his mind was entirely consumed with how to breach the Exotic Origin Realm and allow humanity to step out into a wider world.

Though such a life was fulfilling, it was also quite dull. Sometimes, teasing the youngsters was a rather enjoyable diversion.

Those who are exceptional always feel they’re different from the crowd and cautiously hide their true selves. But there’s really no need. Over the millennia of martial arts history, all manner of strange phenomena have occurred.

Youngsters like Yu Fei, with his special constitution and perhaps some unique latent talent, might have been overly precocious, their minds awakening earlier than most. They often develop a baffling sort of persecution complex.

In his long life, Ye Shuping had met many disciples like this. He had his own methods for helping them overcome their inner demons, but first, he wanted to see what this young man was truly made of.

Looking at the chancellor, who now seemed like a mischievous old child, Yu Fei finally realized he’d been played.

But the despair from the life-or-death crisis moments ago hadn’t faded. He couldn’t help but swallow, secretly vowing to break through to the Martial Saint realm in the future and give this old geezer a beating—and not just for his golden talent, either.

「Tingzhu Pavilion, East Private Room, Second Floor.」

It was an antique-style teahouse. Having just passed noon, there were very few customers. Ye Shuping had brought him here, saying he’d get Yu Fei a cup of tea to calm his nerves.

The old man and the young man sat facing each other. By now, Yu Fei’s emotions had more or less settled. He had come to terms with his situation. First Honglian, and now Chancellor Ye Shuping of Shenhan University—he had caught the attention of two figures from the very pinnacle of the transcendent world. Faced with this reality, he found his state of mind surprisingly leveling out.

With such a vast difference in power, there was nothing he could do. And unlike with Honglian, he couldn’t sense any goodwill or malice from the old chancellor at all. The man’s aura was as deep and placid as the ocean, without a single ripple.

Since that was the case, all he could do was accept his fate and follow orders.

"Young friend, try this Ice Soul Condensing Eyebrow. It helps calm the mind and facilitate enlightenment. The flavor is quite remarkable."

Ye Shuping casually pushed the teacup over, and Yu Fei received it with both hands. Starlike motes of cold light floated within the turquoise-green liquid, giving it an extraordinary appearance.

Yu Fei took a small sip. An icy sensation permeated his entire body, and his distracting thoughts melted away like snow. Visibly, frost began to form on his eyebrows and eyelashes.

His mind suddenly grew utterly tranquil. It was like stepping out from a warm hearth late on an early winter’s night, the moonlight illuminating a world blanketed in snow. A cold wind drifted lazily through the air, and the world was completely silent.

By the time he had silently finished the cup of tea, Yu Fei was without sorrow or joy, worry or fear. His mind was pristine.

Yet he remained completely unaware that ice had formed upon his brow.

The effect of the Ice Soul Condensing Eyebrow was remarkable. He felt as if he had been stripped of all emotion, leaving only a being of pure reason behind. In this state, he couldn’t help but begin to analyze his situation.

’After I got into Shenhan University, I haven’t copied any talents or performed any talent upgrades,’ he mused. ’The only one who could possibly know my secrets is Honglian. Maybe Shenhan University’s chancellor, Mr. Ye, has some connection to Honglian. That’s a very real possibility.’

’The priority right now is to figure out exactly how much they know about me. The one thing I absolutely cannot do is reveal anything myself.’

Ye Shuping chuckled. "Before I clear up your confusion, let’s talk about someone else. You should have read the stories of Taizu in your general education classes. I’d like to hear your thoughts on him."

Yu Fei tried to discern the chancellor’s motive but came up empty. He offered an objective assessment, "Taizu... A peerless figure in history. His wisdom was unmatched, and he possessed a compassionate heart."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "He broke the cyclical nature of history and laid the foundation for today’s golden age of martial arts. His greatness surpasses that of anyone who came before. He recognized that ordinary people are the bedrock of the transcendent world and created such a perfect social structure. I don’t know how strong Taizu was, but he must have been a sage whose wisdom transcended time..."

Hearing this, Ye Shuping’s smile turned peculiar. Confused, Yu Fei asked, "Am I wrong?"

The old chancellor raised his cup, took a delicate sip, and said languidly, "Of... course. You’re not right at all. To be precise, the real Taizu will completely shatter your perception of him."

Ye Shuping continued to sip his tea, a wide, amused smile spreading across his face as if he’d recalled something fun. "There’s some information you’ll only gain clearance to access after you become a Grandmaster. I’ll give you the gist of it for now."

"Taizu was an incredibly crude man. His combat strength was immense, and his cultivation speed was frankly ridiculous. That old saying about ’tempering the skin in a day and breaking the five gates in a month’? That was about him. In the eight hundred years since, no one has ever broken his record."

"Do you know how long it took Taizu to cultivate to the Martial Saint realm?"

Yu Fei shook his head. Few people knew that kind of obscure trivia, which bordered on a martial arts state secret.

Ye Shuping gave a mysterious smile and lowered his voice. "Taizu cultivated for three years, and then he ascended to the realm of Martial Saint!"

"How is that possible?"

Even with the Ice Soul Condensing Eyebrow purging his distracting thoughts, Yu Fei couldn’t hide his utter shock.

He was no longer a total novice to the world of martial arts. Experts like Li Jueyin were prodigies with silver-level talents, yet after two years of cultivation, they were still hovering in the Inner Qi Realm. Even if this generation was lacking an outrageous golden talent, it was still impossible for anyone to ascend to Martial Saint in just three years.