A True Genius and a Fake Genius, Naturally Returning to the True Immortal Academy
A True Genius and a Fake Genius, Naturally Returning to the True Immortal Academy
“Am I just too stupid? It’s been a full three days, and I still haven’t opened up my Spiritual Sea. And I’ve used up so many of Gu Gongzi’s resources, swallowed so many pills...”
Hearing Gu Changge’s explanation, Xiao Ruoyin opened her eyes, looking somewhat dejected.
Yan Ji, standing to the side, remained quite calm. She shook her head slightly and said, “Your aptitude is very good. Even among the more outstanding geniuses, it takes months to open up a Spiritual Sea when they first begin cultivating. You sensed spiritual energy on your third day—that speed is already frightening.”
“At your current pace, at most a month, and you’ll be able to open up your Spiritual Sea. Don’t rush.”
Hearing this, Xiao Ruoyin felt much better and regained her motivation. She couldn’t help but nod. “Mm-hm, I understand, Shifu. I’ll definitely cultivate even harder from now on.”
As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Gu Changge, then lowered her head again.
Over these past few days, she had also learned about the rumors circulating in the outside world.
She had even come to clearly understand some of this world’s common knowledge and the general layout of its powers.
And so, Xiao Ruoyin could feel even more keenly just how terrifying Gu Changge’s status was, and enormous pressure welled up in her heart.
Because of this, she no longer dared to act as unrestrained in front of Gu Changge as she had before.
After all, the more one knew, the more one could feel this chasm-like gap that could never be crossed.
It was exactly as the saying went—the ignorant know no fear.
Xiao Ruoyin even admired her former self for having had such audacity, to speak to Gu Changge the way she had.
No wonder Gu Changge had found it amusing back then, saying it was the first time a woman had ever spoken such words in front of him.
That was because none of the women he had met before were as ignorant as her—they all feared Gu Changge immensely and dared not say a word.
Thinking of all this, Xiao Ruoyin still felt somewhat fortunate. If she weren’t a transmigrator, without the mindset of a modern person, she probably wouldn’t even have had the courage to open her mouth and speak to Gu Changge back then.
And now, what qualifications did she have to sit nearby and listen to Gu Changge’s guidance?
Among the heaven-blessed maidens at Gu Changge’s side, which one wasn’t peerlessly beautiful, terrifyingly talented, and immensely powerful?
She alone was as ignorant as a fool.
“Gu Gongzi, forgive my presumption, but may I ask—when you opened up your Spiritual Sea back then, how much time did it take you?”
Still, Xiao Ruoyin was quite clever.
She guessed that the reason Gu Changge found her interesting was probably because she dared to open her mouth and chat with him about things other women wouldn’t dare discuss.
So her eyes filled with curiosity, and she couldn’t help but ask, wanting to set a goal for herself in her heart.
Hearing this question, Gu Changge set down the teacup in his hand and looked over.
But that smile of his made Xiao Ruoyin feel as though she had just asked a very stupid question.
“To tell you the truth, opening up my Spiritual Sea didn’t actually take me any time at all, because before I was even born, my Spiritual Sea was already fully formed...”
Gu Changge smiled and answered her question quite earnestly.
“...”
Xiao Ruoyin’s expression froze. She really wanted to say “sorry to have bothered you” to him. So this was the gap between a true genius and a fake genius?
Before this, she had genuinely believed her aptitude was quite good. Now it seemed she had simply been overthinking things.
“Xiao Guniang, there’s really no need for you to compare yourself to me. The geniuses of this world are as countless as carp crossing a river, and your aptitude already ranks among the finest. Compared to them, your starting point is already very high.”
As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Gu Changge offered this consolation.
The smile on his face remained gentle and refined, distinguished and flawless, without a single fault to be found.
Xiao Ruoyin shot him a rather resentful look. This was consolation? Why did she still feel so utterly crushed?
“In a while, Xiao Guniang, you’ll go with Yan Ji to cultivate at Skyward Schloss. There will be quite a few Elders there to guide you, and on top of that, many fellow disciples. Sparring with one another will let you mutually verify your cultivation, which will greatly benefit your training.”
Then, Gu Changge added that he planned to toss Xiao Ruoyin off to Skyward Schloss.
He couldn’t keep her by his side forever—not because he found her an eyesore, but purely because before she recovered the memories of the High Priestess of Destiny, she wasn’t of much use.
Besides, the full maturation of the Nihility Destiny Physique would still take a very long time.
“Mm-hm, I’ll do whatever Gu Gongzi says.”
“Skyward Schloss? What kind of place is that?”
Hearing this, longing showed in Xiao Ruoyin’s eyes.
She had no idea what Gu Changge was actually thinking. She assumed he felt her cultivating like this was too monotonous and had decided to let her join a sect, and a wave of gratitude rose in her heart.
Skyward Schloss—just from the name alone, it gave off an extraordinary, otherworldly air.
Over the following days, Hei Yanyu dispatched numerous experts to clean up the battlefield. At least, that was how it appeared to outsiders—after a great battle, weapons, Storage Rings, and other items scattered everywhere amounted to an indescribable fortune, and someone had to clear it all away.
And taking advantage of this opportunity, Hei Yanyu also, per Gu Changge’s orders, gathered up the Sources that had yet to dissipate.
Without any surprise, after devouring and refining these Sources, Gu Changge’s cultivation still failed to break through to the Perfect Prodigy realm.
However, the Fortuity points he had fleeced from the Fortuitous One Chu Hao by destroying the Vermilion Bird Empire along the way did allow Gu Changge to exchange for quite a few more Bones of Absolute Detachment.
Once matters here were settled, Yan Ji took Xiao Ruoyin and headed for Skyward Schloss, while Hei Yanyu led the Celestial Ancient Army back to the Celestial Ancient Continent.
As for Gu Changge, he naturally and rightfully took his band of followers and returned to the True Immortal Academy.
After this incident, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had died miserably at Gu Changge’s hands, which had even indirectly led to the destruction of Purple Mansion.
The Six-Crowned King Jun Yao, Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, the Phoenix Lady, and the others now avoided him like venomous snakes.
In the entire True Immortal Academy, no one dared oppose Gu Changge anymore. He could practically cover the sky with one hand, his power vast and overwhelming—even those Elders who had already become Sacred Emperor Realm beings had to hold him in three parts awe.
And after Gu Changge returned to the True Immortal Academy...
Although this entrance trial had ended early, after deliberation, the Elders still decided to reward the disciples based on the points they had earned and the number of Yin Spirits they had eliminated.
Without any surprise, the one with the most points was naturally the Saintess of Mortal Palace, Jiang Chuchu.
In this trial, the Yin Spirits that had died at her hands were beyond count. Not to mention she had also resolved an entire Yin Spirit calamity. Such ability left all the Elders full of praise, secretly sighing that she was indeed worthy of being the Saintess of Mortal Palace.
On this matter, Jiang Chuchu actually really wanted to say that the Yin Spirit calamity hadn’t been resolved by her, but by Gu Changge.
It was just that Gu Changge seemed to care nothing for such empty fame, playing at doing good deeds without leaving his name—no, rather, doing good deeds and then tossing the credit onto her, paying it no further mind.
It left Jiang Chuchu not knowing what to say about him.
Moreover, after returning to the True Immortal Academy, Gu Changge seemed to have gone into seclusion, refusing to see any outsiders.
Although Jiang Chuchu wanted to find him to ask about some things, she couldn’t come up with a suitable excuse, and so had no opportunity to see him.
After all, in the eyes of outsiders, what relationship could there possibly be between her and Gu Changge?
However, Jiang Chuchu still clearly remembered how Gu Changge had last time accused her of trying to get something for nothing. The more she thought about it afterward, the more she felt Gu Changge had been toying with her.
She brooded over it constantly. Every time it came to mind, she wished she could grind her teeth and take a bite out of him to vent her anger—she had to find him and get to the bottom of it.
He ate his fill, wiped his mouth clean, and then just refused to acknowledge it again?
Gu Changge, of course, had no idea what was going through Jiang Chuchu’s mind. After returning to the True Immortal Academy, the first thing he did was properly take stock of his gains from destroying Purple Mansion.
Then he picked out quite a few things that Yue Mingkong could use and had them sent over to her. She was, after all, his fiancée.
Of course, the main reason was that he had matters to discuss with her next.
Besides that, during this period, that girl Gu Xianer, idle and bored, kept running over to his palace to wander around, asking about this and that, just to make her presence known.
But Gu Changge knew exactly what she was scheming. He casually tossed out a few Transcendent grade weapons and a few Heavenly Herbs and sent her packing.
After Purple Mansion’s destruction, countless orthodoxies had seen with their own eyes how its accumulation of untold years had all fallen into his hands. It would be strange if they weren’t green with envy.
Given Gu Xianer’s money-grubbing personality, after learning he had obtained so much wealth, it was already quite good of her not to clamor for a share.
For all he knew, her wandering around his palace these past few days was her mulling over how best to knock him out as quickly as possible, so she could rob Gu Changge blind.
That sort of thing—Gu Changge believed she was absolutely capable of doing it. The way she stared at him, her eyes were practically glowing green like a wolf’s.
Of course, when sending Gu Xianer away, Gu Changge naturally took the opportunity to bully her a bit. For at least the next ten days or half a month, that girl would probably be too embarrassed to show her face in front of him again.
When she fled the palace, her face was as red as a boiled shrimp, and even her steps were unsteady.
...
“Black-Robed Senior, where is this place?”
At this moment, two figures came to a stop before a stretch of misty immortal mountains. The one speaking had delicate, handsome features and a tall, upright build, giving off a sunny, cheerful air.
It was none other than Jiang Chen and the black-robed man, who had traveled far from the territory of the Vermilion Bird Empire, journeying the whole way.
With the Elderly Man in Black Robes’ powerful cultivation, the two quickly traversed millions of miles, passing through several Transportation Arrays along the way, and finally left the range that the great battle could reach.
The sight before him gave Jiang Chen a feeling of immortal elegance and indescribable nobility.
The atmosphere was entirely serene, with lush fine trees, pavilions and towers dotted throughout, flowing springs and cascading waterfalls, immortal cranes in flight, and auspicious beasts roaring—every bit the bearing of an immortal’s abode.
“This is Heavenly Ruin Gate. Within ten thousand miles, this is the strongest power. Starting today, you will cultivate within Heavenly Ruin Gate. Based on the inheritance I’ve imparted to you, within a month, you’ll be able to become a Spiritual Sea Realm cultivator. If anything unexpected happens during this time, crush the Jade Talisman, and I will appear to save you.”
The Elderly Man in Black Robes pointed at a great cyan boulder nearby as he spoke. Upon it were written two simple yet grand characters: “Heavenly Ruin.”
Jiang Chen nodded, his expression turning somewhat solemn. “I understand, Senior.”
The might of the Everchanging Demonic Arts—he had come to understand it very well during this time. Truth be told, it was an extremely sinister cultivation inheritance, one that required devouring the cultivation of others.
But having accepted this inheritance, Jiang Chen had come to terms with it.
In this world where the weak were prey to the strong, nothing mattered more than power. This was what the Elderly Man in Black Robes had taught him.
Jiang Chen was not one who couldn’t adapt. After several days of struggle, he had figured it out. With his modern mindset, he could accept all of this more easily.
To become stronger, what did it matter if he harmed other cultivators? In this world, weakness was a sin. Only with great power could one survive.
“I hope you won’t disappoint this old man.”
The Elderly Man in Black Robes nodded, and his figure swiftly vanished.
Jiang Chen then took a deep breath and strode toward the mountain gate of Heavenly Ruin Gate ahead. From afar, he saw two youths kneeling there, seemingly pleading for something.
“You two should go. Your aptitude is too mediocre. No matter how hard you try, it won’t work.” Before the mountain gate, an old Daoist shook his head slightly.
“Immortal Master, please give us one more chance.” The two youths kneeling there were very stubborn, remaining on their knees and kowtowing repeatedly.
The old Daoist sighed. “You’ve already knelt for a full half month. I’m not a heartless man, but rules are rules. Your aptitude is truly too mediocre. You really cannot pass the assessment. Hurry down the mountain and leave.”
The two youths were utterly despairing. With things said to this point, they understood that no matter how much longer they knelt, there would be no hope.
Heavenly Ruin Gate was the best cultivation sect within ten thousand miles. It was said that above it stood the Heavenly Ruin Sect, and the Heavenly Ruin Sect was an affiliated force of the Hidden Ji Family.
As long as one could join Heavenly Ruin Gate, even as a mere menial disciple, it would be enough for a lifetime of endless glory and riches.
Hearing all this, Jiang Chen’s expression remained calm and indifferent as he walked over briskly, feeling not the slightest sympathy for the two youths.
“Daoist, please wait!” Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Jiang Chen spoke first.
“You are...?” The old Daoist had been about to turn and leave. Hearing this, he frowned and looked Jiang Chen up and down, somewhat puzzled.
“Daoist, I’ve come to become a disciple.” Jiang Chen said, quite confident in his cultivation talent.
“You’re too old. Even if you have a Cultivation Root, it doesn’t conform to the rules. Our Heavenly Ruin Gate only accepts disciples under eighteen years of age.”
The old Daoist’s tone was rather gentle. He didn’t drive Jiang Chen down the mountain because of his age, but instead tried to persuade him.
“Over eighteen and still coming to become a disciple? Didn’t you see Heavenly Ruin Gate’s rules?”
The two youths carefully examined Jiang Chen’s clothing and found it ragged, nothing like someone from a great family. Their expressions immediately turned contemptuous.
In this world, mortals who could cultivate were either wielders of great power or fabulously wealthy.
Someone like Jiang Chen, dressed in tatters like a beggar—even if he had talent, he had no money to buy the many resources needed for cultivation.
“Daoist, I believe my aptitude will make Heavenly Ruin Gate break its rules.”
Jiang Chen paid no mind to the two youths’ mockery. He smiled and spoke with confidence.
“Break the rules? Why don’t you piss on the ground and take a look at yourself? Utterly laughable.”
Hearing this, the two youths burst into mocking laughter, their words full of disdain and ridicule toward Jiang Chen. “A beggar dreaming of cultivation, and even claiming he’ll make Heavenly Ruin Gate break its rules—are you trying to make us die laughing?”
Though Jiang Chen didn’t want to stoop to their level, being so belittled at this moment still left him feeling quite displeased.
Still, his composure was well-honed, and his face maintained its calm confidence.
He believed that with the old Daoist’s discerning eye, he should be able to see the extraordinariness of his physique and Cultivation Root.
“If you truly wish to become a disciple and cultivate, you should first learn the rules of my Heavenly Ruin Gate. If you’ve come to cause trouble, then don’t blame this old Daoist for being impolite...”
However, to Jiang Chen’s surprise, upon hearing this, the old Daoist before him suddenly dropped his gentle demeanor and spoke with some anger.
The old Daoist felt Jiang Chen had come to make a fool of him. If he was so confident in his cultivation talent, wouldn’t it be better to join some other great sect?
Why come all the way to Heavenly Ruin Gate?
“Daoist, please hear me out. I’ve truly come with a sincere heart to become a disciple. It’s just that the journey was long and arduous, and along the way I encountered many fierce beasts and barely escaped death. All my servants perished, and I alone survived with great difficulty, living on wild fruits the whole way, before finally arriving here...”
Jiang Chen hurriedly explained, beginning to recount how perilous and miserable his journey had been. The two youths who had just been mocking him were nearly dumbstruck listening to it.
Hearing this, though the old Daoist’s face still showed some disbelief, his expression softened considerably.
Even so, he insisted,
“Rules are rules. Your age has already passed the best time for cultivation. Please go back. Since its founding, my Heavenly Ruin Gate has never accepted a disciple over eighteen years of age...”
Jiang Chen’s brows knitted together. He hadn’t expected that even after all he’d said, this old Daoist still wouldn’t let him test his aptitude.
At this point, could he only crush the Jade Talisman and call the Elderly Man in Black Robes for help?
But if he couldn’t even handle something like this, wouldn’t that make him seem too incompetent and useless?
“Pfft—”
“Just give him a chance.”
Yet at that moment, a clear, melodious laugh suddenly rang out from within the mountain gate, like black ice striking a jade plate, tinkling like the music of heaven.
Hearing this voice, Jiang Chen’s body and mind trembled, and he immediately looked over.
He saw a young girl appear within the mountain gate, standing upon a white jade step. Her hair was soft and smooth, without any ornament, seeming to shimmer with a faint luster.
The girl wore a goose-yellow long dress. Her figure was tall and slender, with an otherworldly air like a spirit of the mountain forests.
Her face looked quite ordinary, nothing remarkable, but her eyes were very large, incomparably clear and spirited, bright and moving like the moon.
Seeing this person, the old Daoist before the gate changed expression and hurriedly saluted with great respect. “Greetings, Xiaojie.”
The girl nodded slightly, her gaze falling upon Jiang Chen. She smiled with pursed lips. “You, beggar—why aren’t you hurrying in?”
Jiang Chen was somewhat dazed. And just then, the voice of the Celestial Boat of Creation’s Artifact Spirit sounded in his mind.
“Little Chenzi, this girl’s identity is not simple. You need to be careful.”
“I’m no beggar. My name is Jiang Chen.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chen quickly recovered. He smiled faintly at the old Daoist at the gate, then immediately strode in through the entrance.
Though the old Daoist looked puzzled, he didn’t dare ask anything further.
“Immortal Master, who is that young lady?”
The two youths were also stunned for a long while. They never imagined that the beggar they had just been mocking would, in the blink of an eye, enter Heavenly Ruin Gate. They were instantly filled with envy and jealousy.
“Xiaojie, she... how could the likes of you possibly inquire about her?”
Hearing this, the old Daoist, whose expression had been so gentle, suddenly changed from his earlier manner and became quite severe, berating them.
The two youths were frightened out of their wits and dared not linger. Filled with envy and jealousy toward Jiang Chen, they scrambled and tumbled their way down the mountain.