Chapter 139: Formally Picking A Teacher (2)
Su Yu noted the matter down. He was still weak, so he had not considered getting a cultural weapon yet. He still had a middle-tier yellow-grade standard saber. He could even use that weapon until the Infinite Strength Realm if he wanted. But that was a martial weapon, not a cultural weapon.
He had read about cultural weapons before. There was a short introduction in the student manual. The biggest advantage of a cultural weapon was the fact that it could be kept in one's sea of willpower. For example, the Hundred Sword Box Zhao Li had shown him previously could also be kept inside his sea of willpower. It was a magical and mysterious weapon. And it was worth a lot more than a martial weapon.
...
Su Yu took his leave from Zhao Li. He had completed everything he set out to do today. He had confirmed his major and minor faculties. Everything had progressed relatively smoothly.
Bai Feng seemed unreliable, but Su Yu did not expect to get that much of a help from Bai Feng either. He had yet to reach a bottleneck in his cultivation. During the early stages of cultivation, his teachers would serve more as an advisor in his path of cultivation.
And Su Yu had yet to encounter any trouble in his cultivation so far. Instead of returning to the Mental Tempering Garden, he went to a different place that was equally as important.
…
A few minutes later.
Merit Office.
Su Yu handed his merit card over. When the young woman at the counter checked his card, she said, "A high-tier student will receive 100 merit points and 2 secret grotto entries upon joining the academy. Student Su, are you claiming all your rewards now?"
"No," Su Yu shook his head.
The young woman smiled and said, "Student Su, are you cultivating the War God Art? If you are, you should know that there is an advanced version. You can purchase it for 100 merit points."
"It's fine." Su Yu shook his head again. "I want to ask about the price of the advanced War God Art's willpower text."
The woman was surprised, but she soon concluded that Su Yu had probably obtained a copy of that cultivation method himself.
She checked her records before answering, "Since this is an earth-grade cultivation method, there are several requirements.
"Firstly, you need 100 total earned merit. Secondly, you need a researcher from the academy acting as the guarantor. Thirdly, you can only study it in the academy. You are not allowed to take it out of the academy. Entering the academy is easy, but you will be searched when leaving. You need to register any willpower text you carry on you.
"Fourthly, all the above requirements are only applicable to the Great Strength version. For the versions at the Infinite Strength Realm or above, there are different requirements. For the Great Strength version, you need 300 merit points."
Su Yu was dumbfounded. The woman smiled and said, "That is actually quite cheap. A researcher needs a large amount of blood essence to write a copy of it. The blood essence at the Great Strength Realm isn't expensive, but it isn't cheap either.
"Since this is an earth-grade cultivation method, the researcher also needs to add some Infinite Strength blood essence into the mix as well. Additionally, a peak Infinite Strength or even a Skysoar beast hide or bone is required to act as the medium. You also need a researcher that is familiar with this cultivation method to exhaust a large amount of willpower to write it.
.
"I suggest you look around for some public classes opened by the researchers. For these willpower text classes, the academy would subsidize a part of the cost. The remaining cost can be shared between the attending students. Generally, you can attend one for around 10 merit points."
It would be too expensive to buy a single willpower text. But the benefit of an academy was that there would be willpower text classes. He could register for one and share the cost with a bunch of other students. That way, it would be much cheaper. Su Yu gave up on purchasing a willpower text for himself. He couldn't afford it.
"How about a regular copy?"
"The War God Art is still a top-tier profound-grade cultivation method. Even a regular copy isn't cheap. You can get it for 150 merit points. And for a public class of the regular copy, you only need 5 merit points. This is a widely practiced cultivation method so a lot of researchers can provide the regular copy."
"I see."
Su Yu completely gave up on buying anything. He couldn't even afford the regular copy. It was too expensive. The Lightning Source Blade was also a profound-grade martial technique. Although it was only a low-tier technique, Su Yu guessed that it was probably not cheap either.
It wouldn't be cheaper than 100 merit points. Back when Liu Wenyan was writing the willpower text, he had not imagined that it was this expensive. It would seem like that willpower text was his most valuable possession for now. 110 merit points. That was all Su Yu had for now.
If Bai Feng hadn't promised to supply him with a copy of the advanced War God Art, he would only have 10 merit points left.
"I need to put these points to good use."
Su Yu decided to wait until the blood essence he ordered from Xia Huyou to arrive before trying the effect of Infinite Strength blood essence. Only then would he be able to make further plans on how to make use of his remaining merit points.
"Let's hope these points can last longer."
Su Yu wasted no time and left.
And the moment he left, the smiling woman at the counter called a number and reported, "Su Yu, a new student of the Character Faculty, seems to possess an advanced War God Art already."
Before long, the call ended.
The academy would naturally investigate the origin of Su Yu's copy. If they couldn't find a proper origin for the copy, even his actual identity would be subjected to investigation.? This was how the academy operated.
And after finding the source of his copy, they also had to make sure that the source had the rights to distribute the copy. To distribute a copy, someone with the rights would need to report it and pay the relevant fees before doing so. Anyone trying to look for a loophole in the rules would come to regret it.
...
At the same time.
Bai Feng was yawning while speaking to his communicator, "That kid is really a genius. Little Liu, if you wait until he grows up before suppressing him, you would earn big! I'm not asking for too much. I only want an advanced War God Art, 100 merit points, and 10 willpower texts of earth-grade methods or techniques."
"Scram!"
On the other end of the call, Liu Hong had an ugly expression.
"I'm telling the truth. I promise you he can enter the Top 100 Ranking in three months! Amazing, right? Incredible, right?"
"Are you joking with me?"
"I'm being honest!" Bai Feng seriously said, "Why would I lie to you? Would it benefit me? A genius like that has actually appeared in our faction! Tsk, tsk. Some people are going to have trouble sleeping from now on."
Liu Hong coldly said, "Bai Feng, you have yet to give me any return on my investment. The only thing you have been doing is asking for more. Don't you think that you're pushing it too far?"
"This is a long term investment!" Bai Feng laughed and said, "How about this, I'll find some time to beat up Faculty Head Zhou's favorite student and provoke their faction. They will feel pressured and learn that I'm not a pushover. That would also increase your value in their eyes. What do you think?"
...
Liu Hong coldly said, "Are you joking?"
"I'm telling the truth!" Bai Feng said, "Hu Wensheng is nothing. In my eyes, he's worse than you! He's only a ninth-stage Skysoar cultivator. I'll use my real strength and kick his ass."
...
Liu Hong was finding those words hard to believe. He said, "Hu Wensheng is very strong. He has always been the biggest obstacle in front of me."
"Tch. He's nothing!" Bai Feng was indifferent. "In my eyes, in our generation, only Xia Yuwen and Wu Qi are worth competing against me. Hu Wensheng is nothing. Just you wait. Pay up and I'll beat him up for you."
"If you fail and end up defeated, my value would plummet as well. You understand what I mean."
Bai Feng narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you not trust me? Even if I fail, it is still a good thing for you. At least you'll know that you should stop your investment. But what if I win?"
"Your value would skyrocket!" Liu Hong answered. "But at that time, would they still believe that I can be your opponent?"
"You just need to reach the eighth-stage or the ninth-stage and that would do."
"I have just reached the seventh-stage! How am I supposed to reach the eighth-stage?"
Bai Feng grinned and said, "Is that so? If I remember correctly, you still have one chance to enter a secret grotto, right? Use it. You will be able to advance quickly after using it."
"I'm keeping that for my breakthrough into the Cloudbreach Realm!"
"Use it now. With Hu Wensheng out of the way, you would be the number one of our generation in your faction. At that time, you would get plenty of opportunities to enter the grotto."
"You..." Liu Hong clenched his teeth and said, "I don't have that many merit points. I already used them all up."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying! I was raided by the academy guards yesterday..."
"Your backers are rich."
...
Liu Hong was furious.
Bai Feng continued, "Are you doing this or not? If we succeed, you would earn even more than me. As long as I stay in the Skysoar Realm, they won't be able to send their Cloudbreach cultivators to me. And without Hu Wensheng, you're their only option among the Skysoar cultivators! They would have no choice but to support you!
"Old Liu, learn to look at the long term. Faculty Head Zhou and the others are so rich. A few thousand merit points are nothing for them."
...
Liu Hong was really tired of speaking to Bai Feng. He was starting to lose confidence in their partnership.
"Fine. But I have a request. Since you want me to invest so much on Su Yu, I want to see some hope that you're right. Hu Wensheng has a student. He joined the academy last year. He's a seventh-stage Great Strength cultivator at the Mental Tempering Stage. I want Su Yu to suppress him in three months. As for the Top 100 Ranking, stop joking. I'm not going to believe that.
"Also, a freak from the Xia Family has joined the academy. Her name is Xia Chan. She has been accepted as Faculty Head Zhou's student. Even if Su Yu can't surpass her, he must not be suppressed too badly by her. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for me to do anything to him."
"Yeah, yeah." Bai Feng agreed easily and said, "Don't worry. This isn't a problem. You only need to pay up. That's all."
"Fine. I'll trust you one more time. If you fail, you will lose more than me!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Bai Feng then ended the call before grinning widely.
But soon, he frowned and muttered, "Hu Wensheng...this won't be an easy job. Liu Hong...is that fellow hiding his strength or not?"
Bai Feng was unsure. If Liu Hong was really only a seventh-stage Skysoar cultivator, what was the point of even trying to compete against Hu Wensheng?