Feng Yuer visibly breathed a sigh of relief, pondered for a moment, as if organizing her words, and slowly said, “Feng Wei, are you the one who entered the sect a year ago?”
Su Hao was surprised, wondering why she was asking this. But he still replied, “That’s right!”
Feng Yuer said, “Feng Wei, I am completely powerless under your hands, so you are the real genius, not me! This is what I realized in the past two days. Then I had a doubt, I am not a genius, so why does Master always say that I am a once-in-a-century genius? Plus, many things are connected together, I feel very confused, but I can’t explain where the confusion lies. I want to ask Junior Brother, do you, who are also acclaimed as a genius, have the same feeling?”
Su Hao’s first reaction in his mind was, “Could this little girl have some kind of paranoia?”
Indeed, Feng Yuer was struck by his words.
Who was Su Hao? Not to boast, but he was over two hundred years old. If some teenagers took him as a reference, wouldn’t that make him want to shut himself off?
Su Hao smiled and said, “First of all, let me correct you, I’m not a genius! I can tell you clearly, many people say I’m a genius, but I’m not! I wasn’t in the past, and I won’t be in the future! Secondly, those who call me a genius do so because they don’t understand what I do, using the mere words ‘genius’ to smooth over my efforts. Finally, I used to think that someone was always out to get me, but when I gained enough power to protect myself, those who wanted to harm me disappeared. So, if you’re worried that someone will harm you, you can work hard to become stronger and gain the power to protect yourself.”
Feng Yuer hesitated, “Gain enough power to protect yourself? But I can’t even beat Junior Brother…”
Su Hao was speechless, “Why are you comparing yourself to me? I won’t harm you!”
Feng Yuer asked, “I always feel that Junior Brother is very powerful.”
Su Hao chuckled, “Why is it always what you feel? Sixth sense can deceive people!”
Feng Yuer shook her head and asked again, “Junior Brother, how do I gain the power to protect myself?”
Su Hao said, “It’s simple, cultivate to the Foundation Establishment realm, then to the Golden Core realm, Nascent Soul realm, and Unity realm. Naturally, you’ll have enough power to protect yourself.”
Feng Yuer said, “It’s not like that! From what I’ve seen, simply advancing realms quickly doesn’t provide enough power to protect yourself. To gain power, I think you need powerful spells, artifacts, formations. It’s like both you and I are in the Qi Induction realm, but I’m no match for you. But… my Master doesn’t allow me to learn these things!”
Su Hao looked surprised, “Huh? Your Master doesn’t allow you to learn spells, refining tools?”
Feng Yuer struggled for a moment and said, “Feng Wei, I don’t know who else to ask. I feel everyone’s eyes on me are strange. I can only come to you. I can feel that you don’t have any ill intentions towards me… Please don’t tell anyone what I said, okay?”
Su Hao nodded.
Feng Yuer continued, “Master always says I’m a genius, destined to achieve Nascent Soul within a hundred years, and tells me to focus on cultivation, not to be distracted. I want to learn spells, but she is unwilling to teach me too much. She just gave me powerful artifacts and said that cultivating spells wastes time, and having artifacts is more useful. I want to learn refining tools, but she says learning refining tools wastes time, and I can ask other refiners for help. No matter what I want to learn, Master always says it’s a waste of time and tells me to focus on advancing realms!”
“But a few days ago, after being defeated by your ‘Wind Bullet’, I realized that Master was lying to me. I used to be ignorant and thought Master had her reasons, so I didn’t think much about it. But these past few days, I’ve been tossing and turning at night, thinking about all these questions. I can’t figure out why Master won’t let me learn spells and refining tools… I know it’s disrespectful to say this, but I’m just scared and don’t know what to do!”
After Feng Yuer said these words, Su Hao also noticed something strange and tried to say, “Perhaps she wants you to first improve your cultivation, reach Nascent Soul, and then come back to learn spells and refining tools?”
Feng Yuer immediately said, “No… Yesterday night, I found a diary under the bed!”
“A diary?”
Feng Yuer carefully took out a worn-out booklet from her bosom and handed it to Su Hao.
Su Hao took it and saw that it was no different from an ordinary diary. The handwriting was elegant, obviously from a girl’s hand. Su Hao quickly flipped through it and finished reading it in no time.
It recorded the cultivation journey of a genius female cultivator, with entries ranging from a few months to several years, spanning over a hundred years.
The key point was that the information revealed in it was very similar to what Feng Yuer had said. The same urging to cultivate quickly, the same prohibition against learning spells and alchemy refining tools wasting time, and then the diary abruptly stopped when preparing to breakthrough to the Golden Core realm.
Su Hao handed the diary back, looking at the girl’s face full of helplessness and panic, and said slowly, “Why did you tell me? Maybe I can’t help you either!”
Feng Yuer fell silent for a moment and said, “I… I don’t know. Actually, when I first came to you, I just wanted to ask if you had noticed anything unusual. I just wanted to confirm my speculation, I didn’t intend to tell you so much! But unconsciously… I always feel, maybe you can help me, maybe you can tell me how to gain power. I don’t know!”
After witnessing Su Hao easily defeat a fellow disciple at the same realm with a ‘Wind Bullet’, Feng Yuer saw hope in becoming strong, like finding a lifeline. Once she confirmed that Su Hao had no ill intentions towards her, she disregarded everything else and wanted to seize the opportunity.
Su Hao didn’t want to get involved in other people’s affairs, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. This sudden appearance of the girl made him realize that this seemingly harmonious sect might not be as simple as it seemed on the surface.
Just by looking at the number of cultivators in the sect, you could see a glimpse of it. More than five hundred in the Qi Induction realm, over nine hundred in the Foundation Establishment realm, over seven hundred in the Golden Core realm, and less than forty in the Nascent Soul realm and above. The number of cultivators dropped significantly at the Nascent Soul realm, previously he thought it was because breaking through the Nascent Soul realm was extremely difficult, but was it really?
Thinking about it now, perhaps not! Besides death in battle or failure in breakthrough resulting in loss, there must be other factors.
Coupled with the strangeness of Feng Caier when he met Elder Feng the day before yesterday…
Anyway, whatever Feng Yuer encounters in the future, it is also something he will have to face, perhaps much earlier than Feng Yuer!
Su Hao wasn’t worried about this, just curious! Perhaps this has a lot to do with the essence of cultivation!
Looking at the pitiful girl in front of him, Su Hao suddenly laughed.
Feng Yuer looked up, surprised, could it be that Junior Brother Feng Wei didn’t believe her? She asked softly, “Junior Brother Feng Wei, why are you laughing?”
Su Hao said, “Senior Sister, am I faster in cultivation speed than you?”
Feng Yuer immediately said, “Of course. Much faster than me, I’ve never seen anyone who cultivates faster than Junior Brother.”
Su Hao asked again, “So, should I cultivate to Nascent Soul first, or should Senior Sister cultivate to Nascent Soul first?”
Feng Yuer replied, “Naturally, Junior Brother should.”
Su Hao asked the last question, “Then, Senior Sister, do you think I’m very powerful, possessing strength?”
Feng Yuer affirmed, “My intuition says so.”
Su Hao smiled, “Then, Senior Sister, what are you afraid of?”
Feng Yuer didn’t understand Su Hao’s meaning.
Su Hao said, “From your description, it’s easy to see that even if there is danger, even if someone intends harm against you, you have to wait until you cultivate to the peak of the Golden Core realm or even break through to the Nascent Soul realm. With such a long time, it will take you at least a hundred years to cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm. By that time, I would have long surpassed the Nascent Soul realm, and perhaps even reached the Unity realm!”
Su Hao’s voice was as calm as ever, but that kind of strong confidence was still conveyed intensely, “In other words, before your Nascent Soul crisis arrives, I would have already faced that so-called crisis. As you said, I possess strength, I will definitely sweep away all these so-called crises! And you will naturally be safe and sound!”
“So, Senior Sister, what are you afraid of?”
Feng Yuer was stunned by Su Hao’s words! That overwhelming confidence struck her, leaving her staring blankly at Su Hao.
An idea couldn’t help but pop into her mind: “That’s right! What am I worried about? Junior Brother can handle everything!”
Su Hao said, “So, Senior Sister, burn that diary! Then go back and calmly cultivate, pretending that nothing happened. You are still the genius your Master imagines you to be. Understand?”
Feng Yuer nodded blankly, watching Su Hao leave.
