Chapter 77: Strategic Trump Card
“Of course it’s Sixth Rank.” Elder Tang Ya’s expression did not change as he spoke.
“Only Sixth Rank? If you hadn’t said it, I might’ve thought the threshold was First Rank.”
Shen Yanzhou smiled nonchalantly.
As he spoke, the Primordial Qi vortex within his body suddenly began to hum.
The Breath of Primordial Chaos, which had been completely restrained within, suddenly boiled over, circulating through his body and coursing along his meridians and organs.
In an instant, a powerful aura belonging to the Sixth Rank, Sea-cleaving Realm of the Martial Path spread outward from him.
The once bustling surroundings fell into utter silence.
“What?”
Elder Tang Ya, who had been waiting to see how Shen Yanzhou would continue showing off, froze in place.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
Sixth Rank?
Shen Yanzhou was actually truly Sixth Rank?
Moreover, this aura was far deeper and more vigorous than what Tang Ya himself had possessed back when he was at that realm.
After a brief silence, the area erupted in a wave of astonished murmurs and incredulous gasps.
Many students stood stunned.
“Sixth Rank, Sea-cleaving Realm—how is that possible?”
Liu Zi’an felt as though he had been struck by lightning; his body trembled, utterly unable to believe his own eyes.
He had been gifted in the Martial Path, diligent since childhood, and with the support and resources of the Duke’s Mansion, had only just managed to reach the early stage of the Sixth Rank, Sea-cleaving Realm at his age.
How could Shen Yanzhou—who had always been known in the capital for his indulgence in pleasures and idleness—be of the same realm as him?
Negative emotions from Liu Zi’an +9 +9 +9...
Qi Haoran also found it difficult to believe, his breathing slightly erratic.
But this was something witnessed by everyone before the Dragon-Tiger Institute—how could it be faked?
Negative emotions from Qi Haoran +13 +13 +13...
“This guy really is Sixth Rank? That aura is absolutely genuine...”
Several elders standing at the academy gates shared equally incredulous looks.
Hidden not far away, Ran Yi—who had been assigned to monitor Shen Yanzhou’s movements—couldn’t help feeling startled as well.
However, compared to Shen Yanzhou injuring the Demon Suppression King, this scene was actually easier to accept.
“This man... just how much more is he hiding? How did he cultivate to this point over the years?”
“To possess the strength of the Dragon-Elephant Realm and still be of Sixth Rank in the Martial Path—with such divine power aiding him, there may be few in his realm who could match him.”
“Could the news from the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion this morning actually be true?”
Zhao Qingchan’s eyes glimmered even brighter, clearly never having expected Shen Yanzhou to truly be at the Sixth Rank.
She had originally thought Shen Yanzhou would find another way—perhaps by re-walking the Dragon Gate Path—but instead, he had chosen the simplest and most direct route: to reveal his realm.
Now, the elders of the Dragon-Tiger Institute would have nothing left to say.
Her thoughts churned rapidly, countless ideas flashing through her mind.
Previously, the Marquis of Divine Might’s Residence had sought to form a marriage alliance with the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
But after learning that Shen Yanzhou was merely a fake heir, many elders of her clan—including her parents—had quietly withdrawn their interest and avoided mentioning the matter again.
Zhao Qingchan herself had always been a bit resistant toward this political marriage, but as the young lady of the Marquis of Divine Might’s Residence, she had no choice but to accept it in silence.
When the alliance fell through, it had naturally been a relief for her.
After their last meeting, she had faintly sensed that Shen Yanzhou was not as simple as he appeared.
But once his false heir identity was revealed, her interest in him had faded.
No matter how extraordinary he was—without the status of the Demon Suppression King’s heir—they were no longer a suitable match.
Yet now, that buried spark of thought in her heart seemed to stir again.
...
“Elder Tang Ya, am I qualified enough now?”
Shen Yanzhou withdrew his aura, once again appearing as calm as still water.
Even if a Martial Grandmaster stood before him, they would be unable to discern his true realm.
That was the brilliance of The True Explanation of Primordial Unity.
Shen Yanzhou considered it an essential art for “playing the pig to eat the tiger.”
If he did not stir the Breath of Primordial Chaos and allowed it to return to the Primordial Qi vortex in stillness, he would appear utterly ordinary—no trace of cultivation could be seen, indistinguishable from a common passerby.
Unless he chose to reveal his realm himself.
Of course, there was another benefit—when others thought he was Sixth Rank, he might well break through to Fifth Rank the next day.
No one could ever truly grasp his level.
“Of course you’re qualified.”
Elder Tang Ya’s facial muscles twitched slightly.
He took a deep breath, never having expected Shen Yanzhou to actually display a Sixth Rank Martial Path realm.
Today, he had risked his reputation by siding with Shen Zhigao to block Shen Yanzhou’s entry into the Dragon-Tiger Institute—already a humiliation.
And now, before everyone’s eyes, he had been thoroughly slapped in the face by Shen Yanzhou.
“The Martial Institute has gained another prodigy—how delightful!”
“Indeed, for Heir Shen to have reached Sixth Rank at such a young age, truly hidden so deeply—the Dragon-Tiger Institute nearly missed out on a future Martial Grandmaster in the making.”
The other elders, who had not intervened in the earlier conflict, now stepped forward cheerfully, unafraid of escalating matters, and congratulated with smiles.
“Cultivating the Martial Path is a most arduous endeavor.
I wonder, Heir Shen, how have you managed to reach such a realm over the years?”
A Daoist-looking elder from the Dao Institute observed Shen Yanzhou with curious eyes, as if she wanted to dissect him for study.
“Is the Martial Path that difficult? I only train for one hour a day,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
“...”
The Daoist elder’s mouth twitched, rendered speechless.
Though she did not practice the Martial Path, she knew well how infuriating such words were.
The martial students nearby also fell silent in unison.
It was common knowledge that the Martial Path was the most grueling among all cultivation systems.
Though its entry threshold was low—anyone with decent bones could train—each step was filled with torment: tempering flesh, tendons, and bones, assisted by body-refining pills, enduring the agony of tearing and rebirth of muscles and sinews.
Shen Yanzhou had, of course, said it deliberately—to harvest another wave of negative emotions.
“Heir Shen’s realm already meets the criteria for preferential admission.
In due course, other elders of the Martial Institute will guide you to register formally and begin cultivation within the Institute.”
Another elder, dressed in flowing robes and a crown of stars, spoke kindly.
The events at the Dragon-Tiger Institute had undoubtedly already spread throughout the capital—especially with Shen Yanzhou’s personal appearance and public revelation of his realm, further fanning the flames of the morning’s news from the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
But all of that, by now, had little to do with Shen Yanzhou.
His main objective had already been achieved.
Counting the negative emotions triggered by all the ensuing reactions throughout the capital, he had gained more than two hundred points today.
The Dragon-Tiger Institute was divided into an inner and outer court.
Within, the scenery was exquisite—there were lecture halls, pavilions, the Scripture Repository, and numerous blessed cultivation abodes.
In the depths, clouds and rosy mists interwove, light fog coiled like gauze, giving the place the air of a celestial realm.
With no further obstacles, Shen Yanzhou walked straight inside.
Along the way, though many students followed him, they all kept their distance, not daring to approach or speak.
“The Dragon-Tiger Institute has existed for more than thirteen hundred years. Each branch’s Scripture Repository holds countless classics and cultivation records collected from all over the Nine Provinces for students to study and borrow.”
“However, as for martial arts manuals and secret techniques, those are all stored separately within the Martial Treasury and Literary Treasury.”
“If one wishes to enter the Institute and cultivate higher-level arts, it isn’t easy. Though the Treasuries are connected, access requires merit—so-called academic credits—to exchange for them.”
“At every stage and in every branch, the techniques taught are mostly publicly transmitted. The same manuals are compiled and distributed in the Great Qian Dynasty’s various academies, allowing all students to cultivate.”
“For instance, the Martial Texts created and compiled by the elders of the Martial Institute may not have ranks, but their profundity is such that even Grandmasters praise them. Ordinary folk without any foundational techniques can simply copy the Martial Texts by hand and use them as their entry path...”
“However, most versions circulated outside are only Elementary Martial Texts, suitable only for beginners.”
Zhao Qingchan walked beside Shen Yanzhou, introducing the layout of the Dragon-Tiger Institute as they strolled through the scenic paths.
On both sides, birch trees swayed in the breeze, ripples spread across the lake’s surface, and faint fragrances wafted through the air.
Shen Yanzhou could more or less guess her intentions, but he did not expose them.
He merely nodded slightly.
The scene reminded him faintly of shaded campus paths from his past life’s university.
“That area covered in dense clouds and mist—what is it?” Shen Yanzhou asked.
“That’s the inner depths of the Martial Institute—the Martial Abyss. It’s one of the academy’s few restricted zones. Even inner-court disciples can rarely enter without explicit permission,” Zhao Qingchan explained patiently, quite different from their first meeting.
“Martial Abyss…”
Shen Yanzhou nodded, thoughtful.
He remembered clearly from the original story that within one of the stone caves of the Martial Abyss, there resided a mad old man who had sealed himself in deathly seclusion—one of the strongest known figures in the current plot, a Martial Saint of the First Rank whose sanity wavered between lucidity and madness.
“When he loses his senses, that Mad Martial Saint recognizes no kin and kills all he sees, utterly bloodthirsty. But there is a way to keep him clear-headed.”
“A pear blossom wine brewed in Clouddeep Village of Mist Prefecture can awaken him.”
“When the Mad Martial Saint was young, he entered the Martial Path through killing and made countless enemies. Once, when besieged by a formidable foe, he fled and ended up in Clouddeep Village, where he met a girl named Yun Jin.”
The entire plot played out in Shen Yanzhou’s mind—a typical tragic romance.
The young Mad Martial Saint met the love of his life, but to break through to the First Rank, he ultimately killed her to offer her as a sacrifice to his Path of Slaughter.
On the day he achieved the First Rank, he also went completely insane.
The story of Clouddeep Village came later in the original work and had little to do with the “true and false heir” arc—it involved another protagonist altogether.
For now, none of this had anything to do with Shen Yanzhou.
That protagonist had no connection to him whatsoever.
“Clouddeep Village is too far away, but the pear blossom wine can still be purchased through certain channels. Traveling merchants from Yun Prefecture occasionally pass by that village.”
Shen Yanzhou’s other goal in coming to the Dragon-Tiger Institute was to locate the stone cave where the Mad Martial Saint resided.
It wasn’t that he intended to subdue the man—a half-mad Martial Saint who killed indiscriminately could never be controlled.
Shen Yanzhou meant to use him as a strategic trump card.
Should a crisis arise, he could come here and release him.
That Mad Martial Saint was a born slaughterer, particularly fond of killing the strong.
When the time came, Shen Yanzhou could simply use The True Explanation of Primordial Unity to conceal his realm and blend among ordinary people.
“Brother Qi…”
Not far away, Liu Zi’an gazed at the pair—so well-matched in appearance—that he couldn’t help thinking they looked somewhat fitting together.
Once Shen Yanzhou shed his wastrel habits, his looks alone were quite striking.
After his astonishing display at the institute gates, revealing such deep martial cultivation, many noble ladies within the academy had already begun whispering about him.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Qingchan to take the initiative to guide Shen Yanzhou personally, showing such warmth.
Qi Haoran took a deep breath, retracting his gaze and suppressing his restless emotions.
“Senior Sister Zhao must have her reasons. I need to return and prepare for the Pear Garden Poetry Gathering.”
With that, he turned and left.
Liu Zi’an hurried after him.
He already knew of Qi Haoran’s feelings—not just him, but countless talented young men in the academy harbored admiration for Zhao Qingchan.
But who dared show it? After all, the Crown Prince was watching.
...
At the same time, as Shen Yanzhou wandered the Dragon-Tiger Institute—
In the study of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, Shen Jingxiao sat with a grim expression, holding a secret letter.
Before him floated a sound-and-image mirror.
Reflected in the mirror was a middle-aged man with feather fan and scholar’s robe, refined in manner—it was Ge Qixing, Shen Jingxiao’s strategist, reputed as the reincarnation of Kongming.
Shen Jingxiao said flatly, “Agree to their terms. The Demon Suppression Army will withdraw five hundred miles north and never again step into the Hundred-Thousand Mountains.”
“Your Highness, Luofu Cloud Cavern also demands that the imprisoned elders and disciples of the Southern Border sects be released,” Ge Qixing replied.
“Approved.”
To ransom Shen Tian, Shen Jingxiao had already paid an enormous price.
At his order, Ge Qixing retreated.
“The Demon Suppression Army will fall back to Hantian Commandery. When spring arrives next year and the demon tide attacks Yao Pass again—let’s see how you resist it.”
“Truly picking up sesame seeds only to lose a watermelon—utter foolishness,” Shen Jingxiao said coldly, eyes sharp as blades.
...
In the depths of the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, within a magnificent grand hall whose ceiling shimmered with the illusion of countless celestial stars, an elderly man in wide robes sat cross-legged on a cushion.
His bearing was serene, his Dao aura profound, as though he might ascend at any moment.
Gu Ruoxi stood before him, her peach-blossom eyes soft yet uneasy.
Around her slender white wrist rested a frail, twig-like hand.
After a moment, the elder withdrew his hand and opened his eyes, confusion flashing across them.
“Ruoxi, your body is fine. If you’ve been feeling unwell lately, it’s likely due to fatigue, not any poison.”
Gu Ruoxi was momentarily dazed, then asked again, unwilling to give up, “Third Grandfather, are you certain there’s nothing wrong with my body?”
“Of course not. Have you encountered some kind of trouble?” the feather-robed elder asked.
Gu Ruoxi’s frustration grew.
Could even Third Grandfather not detect anything?
Was this Ten-Thousand Gu Heart-Piercing Pill truly so domineering and strange?
Just then, a young boy with a topknot entered from outside the hall, leaning close to whisper a report into the feather-robed elder’s ear.
Gu Ruoxi remained standing aside, not deliberately trying to eavesdrop—she simply wasn’t in the mood for it, her heart in turmoil.