I Can Copy the Talents of All Creatures

Chapter 234: Chapter 173: The Grand Ancestor’s Past (2)

Cultivating the martial path requires one to advance step by step, perfecting countless martial skills and Secret Techniques along the way. Three years is nowhere near enough time.

"Hard to wrap your head around, isn’t it? Whether it was his contemporaries or the Martial Artists of later generations, no one could possibly imagine how he did it."

The old headmaster let Yu Fei digest this for a moment before dropping another bombshell. "It’s been common knowledge since the dawn of martial cultivation that the stronger a person’s cognitive abilities, the greater their comprehension, and the faster they will learn a Cultivation Technique. But no matter what, the time a Martial Artist takes to master a Cultivation Technique is always linear.

"But according to historical records, the Founding Ancestor was not like that at all. He would often get his hands on a new technique and, in the blink of an eye, cultivate it to the point of perfection. His combat power would experience a quantum leap in growth. His enemies could never have predicted it. They might have fought him to a standstill one month, only for the Founding Ancestor to have a breakthrough in his realm or master a new Secret Technique the next. Many of his foes died because of this illogical phenomenon."

As Yu Fei listened to Ye Shuping’s account, his mind raced with wild speculation.

The old headmaster’s voice was rhythmic, like a professional storyteller’s, as he continued to recount the tales of the Founding Ancestor.

"There are two more mysteries surrounding the Founding Ancestor. First, his comprehension was actually terrible. To put it bluntly, his intelligence seemed rather low, which was a complete mismatch for the speed at which he mastered Cultivation Techniques. He would invariably fall for the enemy’s ambush in every battle, only to then have a sudden, explosive power-up mid-fight and completely crush all his enemies.

"He could even instantly master a Cultivation Technique he had never trained in before, right in the middle of a battle, achieving the state of perfection. Whenever a major battle occurred, the Founding Ancestor’s power would skyrocket. This is completely unlike any normal Martial Artist.

"Common sense dictates that a Martial Artist will gain deeper insights when on the brink of life and death, but they still need time to process and apply those insights.

"Second...

"Furthermore, the Founding Ancestor invented numerous mundane creations throughout his life. For example, gunpowder weapons, the precursors to our modern super-weapons, were his invention. Not only that, but items we take for granted today—cars, glass, soap, newspapers, and so on—were all things the Founding Ancestor rapidly popularized after he brought peace to the land."

"Yu Fei, can you imagine my bewilderment when I first came across this part of history? I always felt that the Founding Ancestor wasn’t a man of his time. But the most absurd records of all concern his imperial harem!"

"His harem?"

"Yes. The official histories state that the Founding Ancestor’s harem contained three thousand beauties!"

"Huh?" Yu Fei was stunned.

"And there’s more..." Ye Shuping continued, dropping yet another bombshell.

"The Founding Ancestor had so many female companions, yet not a single heir was ever born. He also left a final decree early in his reign. Then, one day, the Founding Ancestor and his three thousand consorts vanished as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth!"

"That... that’s impossible!"

Ye Shuping continued, "All those inventions... there’s no way they came from the Founding Ancestor’s simple mind. He spent his entire life either fighting enemies or fucking women. He was an uncultured man who lacked the most basic common sense. It’s baffling how such a vulgar brute conquered the world and laid a foundation that has lasted for ages."

An utterly absurd yet perfectly plausible thought surfaced in Yu Fei’s mind, and he nearly lost control of his expression. Ye Shuping paid it no mind; when he had first learned this history, his own shock had been no less than Yu Fei’s.

’A story this ridiculous should only exist in fiction—specifically, the kind of novel where the main character has a cheat system. But if that’s true, then who was the Founding Ancestor really? What is the truth of this world? And what about things like the border realms and the Exotic Origin Realm?’

For the first time, an irrepressible desire to explore ignited within Yu Fei. Forgetting even to wonder how Shenhan University got its name, the story of the Founding Ancestor alone was enough to make him restless. It was just too outrageous.

’If my guess is right, then what’s the principle behind my Fate-Defying Pearl? It only boosts my aptitude; I still have to cultivate the martial path one step at a time. Compared to the Founding Ancestor, it seems pathetically weak.’

It was all too chaotic. The Ice Soul Condensing Eyebrow had completely lost its effect. Yu Fei immediately poured himself another glass and downed it in a few large gulps, only then managing to calm himself.

He then heard the old headmaster’s smiling voice. "Alright, enough with the old tales about the Founding Ancestor. Let’s talk about you, Yu Fei. The little fellow who can defy heaven and change his own fate!"

Yu Fei’s expression was blank. "Uh... Headmaster, what are you talking about? I don’t understand..."

"That’s fine. If you don’t understand, just listen!"

Ye Shuping gazed out the window, lost in memories of the past.

"My apologies. When you get to be my age, your memory starts to go. I’ve been the headmaster of Shenhan University for many, many years now. Has it been a hundred? Perhaps.

"In all that time, I’ve seen a great many things. Back in the year 759 of the New Calendar, one of the prodigies the university recruited turned out to be a member of a human-betrayal organization. Our investigative oversight led to a series of disasters. From that day on, we installed surveillance systems in every location in the Yu Kingdom that has power. Since then, I personally review the entire life history of every prodigy who enrolls.

"Of course, ordinary students are vetted as well, but others are responsible for that. I’m getting old, after all, and my energy is limited."

Hearing this, Yu Fei instantly understood. His improvement in aptitude wasn’t instantaneous; it had been a slow process of gradual strengthening and integration. Different levels of aptitude would naturally produce different cultivation results. In a place like Tianning County, a high-quality talent was as rare as a phoenix feather, but at Shenhan University, they were a dime a dozen.

Therefore, if someone were to carefully compare his past experiences, it wouldn’t be difficult to spot the anomalies.

He said nothing, listening quietly.

"You caught the attention of my student, Xiaoming, during the second stage of the Celestial Pride Positioning Competition. That’s Zhuo Feiming, my disciple.

"You may not know this, but the Ghost Cores you wore back then were capable of monitoring every single move you all made!"

BOOM!

Waves crashed through Yu Fei’s mind. His thoughts raced, and he instantly understood why he had drawn Zhuo Feiming’s attention.

’Back then, to upgrade my aptitude sooner, I had snuck into the infirmary and used my Fate-Defying Pearl’s ability to copy talent. That abnormal behavior must have been what attracted her attention.’

’I even remembered a girl had spotted me while I was concealed. I figured it would draw some attention, but with the Ghost Core’s surveillance on top of that, my strange behavior must have been seen by Honglian.’

’And the [Senluo Jade Fruit] that followed was probably a test. I’d been so eager to integrate the new aptitude that I hadn’t thought twice about it. That must have been when I attracted the attention of Honglian, who then watched me as I upgraded my aptitude.’

Yu Fei’s mind was in turmoil, but thanks to the powerful effects of the Ice Soul Condensing Eyebrow, he showed no outward sign of it.

The old headmaster continued speaking, seemingly to himself. People bustled past the window outside, completely oblivious to the two of them.

"Xiaoming then encrypted your file, and was only willing to turn over the data from your time in the Celestial Pride Positioning Competition. Naturally, I couldn’t agree to that. I carefully reviewed your file myself, increased the encryption level, and had all previously stored information about you destroyed. The only thing left is a physical backup in Shenhan’s super-intelligence core.

"In the future, any request to access your file must be put to a vote before the High Council.

"Your aptitude is very special. And very important!"

Yu Fei remained silent. ’With the level of control the transcendent world has over the mundane world, no one’s life story could escape investigation. But for it to be done so silently, without leaving a single trace... I still underestimated the powers that be in this world.’

"Your teacher, Yan Sea, is a clever man. He noticed your anomaly and came up with the most logical solution he could: the [Celestial King Wisdom Elixir]. Unfortunately, his realm is ultimately too low, and his worldly knowledge is limited. To a Martial Saint, whether a Martial Artist’s foundation is damaged is as clear as day. In your situation, you would have been exposed sooner or later unless several Martial Saints were willing to work together to seal your file.

"In fact, the explanation Yan Sea provided was more likely to attract unwanted scrutiny."