Chapter 87: Chapter 2: At the End of the Day, I’m Just a Poor High School Student
Ever since the world’s governments officially announced the Spiritual Energy Revival and revealed the Extraordinary to the public, the major Academies have all dispatched their own Transcendents to educate the public on the relevant knowledge and key principles.
Moreover, ordinary people who wanted to cultivate could go directly to the information desks of the major Academies to pick up textbooks and practice on their own—of course, neither the government nor the Academies would take responsibility for any negative consequences caused by reckless cultivation.
For safety’s sake, it was still best to cultivate under the guidance and supervision of a professional teacher.
As for current students having an advantage with free Spiritual Energy Classes and professional Transcendent professors to teach them, that was something everyone could understand.
In short, Zhengguo had established three new A Class Extraordinary Academies and created a new major: the Spiritual Energy System. As the first generation of participants in the Holy Ascension Selection Test after the Spiritual Energy Revival, all current third-year high school students aspiring to join the Spiritual Energy System were incredibly enthusiastic.
Needless to say, Su Zhou was one of them.
His original plan was simple: display his powerful talent at the academy, smoothly enroll in one of Zhengguo’s three A Class Extraordinary Academies, and eventually become one of the new Saints. This was the highest aspiration of every student in Zhengguo, and Su Zhou was no exception.
But maybe it was a minor delusion, brought on by having fought a global-scale Mysterious Organization and a first-generation Divine Race Evil Demon from the very beginning, and by his long-standing habit of rapid cultivation through absorbing Evil Demon Crystals and Ghost Soul Crystals.
During the first Spiritual Energy Class, while everyone was attempting to Introduce Qi into their Bodies for the first time, Su Zhou, who felt he had already suppressed a large portion of his power, instantly drained all the Spiritual Power from around his two hundred classmates, severely disrupting the class.
After that, he became a celebrity at school (which he already was) and settled into a new routine where he was observed by multiple academy professors and other Transcendents of a similar caliber during every Spiritual Energy Class.
—Innate Daoist Body! Initial Spiritual Qi cultivation absorption speed is approximately three hundred and eighty-nine times the standard value! Exceptional physical aptitude!
All in all, a huge pile of titles were thrown at him, so much so that it gave one the distinct impression of being set up for a fall.
But in reality, it wasn’t just the Academies. Even Feng Qiang, the owner of Rui’an Fitness Center where Su Zhou often worked out, had revealed that the higher-ups at their Celestial Capital Headquarters were willing to "invest" in him—and that was just one of many such offers.
His mother, Dr. Ning, was especially proud. With an ’I knew it all along’ expression, she would pinch her son’s cheek and boast to his father, ’How could a normal person’s skin be this smooth and resilient!’ ’My ten months of hard pregnancy were truly worth it.’ Meanwhile, his father would often mutter to himself with delight, ’As expected of my seed!’ ’My son is amazing, my wife is amazing, so I’m amazing too!’
The sudden jump in his grades across all subjects, which was actually due to the Wisdom Fruit, was instead attributed to the mental enhancement from his progress in Spiritual Qi cultivation. After all, any student at his high school was well aware that a certain "ordinary" high school student possessed a not-so-ordinary physique even before the Spiritual Energy Revival.
"I don’t say this to make you arrogant, Su, but if the Saints hadn’t already set the rules that everything depends on the Holy Ascension Selection Test and the students’ own choices, a Holy Dao Seed like you would have had at least a dozen Academies gathering in Hongcheng to fight over you back in the old days."
These were words of praise from a professor from White Deer Grotto Academy. "Cultivation isn’t about speed; the most important things are smoothness and stability. For now, just cultivate quietly here, build a good foundation, and study the relevant Spiritual Qi knowledge. When the academy’s collective assessment comes next year to test everyone’s foundations, you will surely amaze everyone, and maybe even take the top spot in the Holy Ascension!"
’This is what you call cultivating quietly? Well, I really have you to thank for that!’
In response, Su Zhou flashed a smile that was tinged with melancholy—or rather, displeasure. The meaning of this smile, however, seemed to be misinterpreted. The professor laughed heartily and said, "No need to be so polite! This is the New Era, and it’s all about free choice. It’s the same no matter which academy you enter. You’re contributing to the cause of all humanity!"
’Since when was I being polite?!’
When the Spiritual Energy Class ended, a somewhat sullen Su Zhou and five other students who had already begun Introducing Qi into their Bodies were asked to stay behind—Shao Qiming was among them. Besides reminding them about the precautions for practicing the True Origin Condensing Breath Technique, the professors also shared some safety-related news.
"Your regular teachers may have already mentioned this, but I’m going to say it again. Due to the Spiritual Energy Revival, carp across the country are showing signs of Spiritualization. You’ve probably seen them online—they’re the Dragon Blood Carp that are becoming more and more common in other regions."
The old professor from Yuzhang Academy spoke crisply and efficiently, as if he had been on a battlefield before. "These carp have a trace of Dragon Blood, their bodies are entirely red, and although very weak, their Life Force is tenacious. They can survive anywhere, and heaven knows when they might awaken their true blood and become a Dragon Species... They should be running rampant by now, but they have never appeared in Hongcheng. This means one thing."
At this, his gaze filled with deep worry. "It means this city is likely home to a true Dragon Species.
And what’s more, its bloodline is remarkably pure.
As talented children with Spirit Roots, you’re different from ordinary people. To that Dragon Species Demon Fiend, you’re likely seen as nothing more than a meal to replenish its Spiritual Energy. So, it’s best you stay away from the water, especially the Ganjiang River."
"The strange thing is, seven or eight Black Emperor Guards have scoured the sewers and the bottom of the Ganjiang River four or five times already, cursing up a storm, but they just can’t find that rumored Dragon Species... It’s just too cunning!"
