Chapter 3#
No. 003 chapter#
The moment the name was spoken, the three teachers immediately knew their students were saved.
Lang Xu of the Wan Chen Flying Star Sect had astonishing talent and formidable strength. Like Young Master Zuoqiu, he was one of the most renowned prodigies of their generation.
They dared not delay and briefly explained the situation.
This school was a free academy established by the sect, and the secret realm was also refined by the sect. It was not a large place, containing only some low-tier demonic beasts.
The students of the academy had poor talent. The thirty-four of them were all around mid Qi Refining stage, while the four team leaders were slightly higher, at the peak of Qi Refining.
Today was an assessment. The students had entered early in the morning, and now all contact had been completely lost. It was only then that they suspected an ancient realm might be involved.
Speaking, the men entered the secret realm.
Lang Xu’s spiritual sense swept outward in an instant. “Indeed, there is one. You all wait outside. Do not come close.”
The three teachers watched his figure recede into the distance and left, worried and anxious.
The disciples the sect sent to teach at the free academy were usually at Foundation Establishment or Core Formation. Their cultivation wasn’t much higher than the students’, but after spending so much time with these little brats, being called “Teacher” day in and day out, they had long since come to see it as their responsibility.
Now that the students had been swept into an ancient realm, the three teachers had no idea what was happening inside, nor how many were injured or dead, nor how terrified they must be. Their eyes were red with anguish.
Inside the ancient realm, the poor students were in various states—some eating, some sitting cross-legged in meditation, and others who had been lulled to sleep by another round of heavenly scripture recitation.
On the square, a pale, weak-looking teacher finished his lecture and sat down in a reclining chair, holding a steaming thermos cup in his hands.
His student—over two meters tall and weighing several hundred jin—stood before the blackboard, pinching a piece of chalk as he calculated the area of the shaded region in the diagram. His brain was buzzing from the effort.
The random scenery outside this round was a lake in full lotus bloom, with a light drizzle falling, pattering softly.
Duan Wei sighed faintly.
Last round, every time he saw a mistake during his lecture, he would sigh. The beastman thought he had made another error and hurriedly checked his work, only to hear him lament, “Why does this rain keep falling?”
The beastman’s hand tightened, and the chalk went “crack” as it snapped.
He tossed away the remaining stub, glaring bloodthirstily at the brat while pulling a new piece from the box.
Endure.
He reasoned with himself. This was round three. If he endured the remaining two rounds, it would be his turn to pick the challenge.
Just you wait—I’ll tear you apart alive!
Duan Wei had slept too much last round and wasn’t tired.
He watched the rain idly for a while, feeling a certain emptiness in his mouth, and waved his hand to conjure a small food stall.
Though the food would eventually dissipate, at least it could satisfy his taste buds. It was something to pass the time.
“Splash—”
The tranquil rainy scene was shattered by an abrupt and violent sound. Everyone meditating or sleeping on the viewing stands snapped their eyes open.
The beastman also turned his head.
Duan Wei focused intently on pressing the squid, flipping it from one side to the other. It sizzled loudly.
Beastman: “…”
Students: “?”
The students thought they had grown used to his temperament by now, yet every time, he still managed to shock them.
The people who had been eating looked at their dry rations and felt they no longer smelled appetizing.
A Yuan bore their stares woodenly. “Don’t ask me. I don’t know. Never had it.”
The beastman caught the aroma drifting over, glanced at the problem stuck on the blackboard, and put on a genial expression as he walked over.
He asked, “What’s this?”
Duan Wei said, “Iron-plate squid.”
The beastman asked, “Why not just conjure it already cooked?”
Duan Wei said, “Freshly made tastes better, and I can control the heat myself.”
The beastman said, “Give me a skewer.”
Duan Wei said, “Sure.”
Students: “…”
Wait. Their heads hurt.
Is this what the spiritual energy in the formation is meant to be used for?
When Lang Xu led his people in, this was the scene he was met with.
He took back the candied hawthorn stick from his companion, quickly finished the last bite, destroyed the skewer, and resumed his reliable prodigy demeanor, prepared to face the wailing and panic of these little brats. But when he looked up, he saw the food stall below.
His companions behind him also saw it, privately thinking this ancient realm was rather entertaining. Then a blast rang out in the air, and blood mist rose opposite them.
Well, that doesn’t look so peaceful either… Watching the beast horde devour its own kind, they looked back at the one man and one beast eating skewers in the arena, unsure what exactly was going on.
The team leader noticed them first and shot to his feet.
The others turned, saw them, and scrambled up as well, so moved they nearly cried. They trembled, “Are you… are you the sect’s teachers?”
Lang Xu casually acknowledged them and stepped forward to ask what had happened.
The team leader briefly explained the ancient realm’s rules and the situation from the previous rounds.
Lang Xu sensed something off. “Your teachers said there were thirty-eight people including the team leaders. Why is there one extra?”
The team leader said, “One person came in halfway.”
Lang Xu said, “Who?”
The students pointed in unison toward the arena.
The beastman had gotten his food and gone back, eating while answering the problem.
Duan Wei took a bite of the piping hot squid and felt the taste was actually close to the real thing, about seventy or eighty percent. So after finishing what he had, he conjured a whole row of food stalls, plus a crate of cola, and happily cracked one open.
The beastman heard the hiss of gas and turned again. “What is that?”
Duan Wei said, “Something to drink. Want to try?”
The beastman hoped Duan Wei would break the rules and poison himself, so he took a bottle without hesitation.
When the students pointed him out, the beastman tilted his head back and downed half a bottle of cola. To his surprise, it was genuinely good. He stayed to sample other delicacies, and the two of them looked perfectly harmonious.
The students’ vision went dark.
The sect’s teacher was just expressing suspicion about you, asking questions, and you’re inviting him to eat!
They explained, “The two of them are actually competing.”
“It’s a battle of wits, no blood involved.”
“We owe it all to He Er today—without him, we wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
Lang Xu smiled amiably. “No need to panic, I was merely asking. He’s not on the assessment roster, is he?”
The team leader nodded in confirmation and recounted the process of saving the other person. He explained that they had encountered him first, and only then entered the ancient realm together. He said, “After he woke up, he went straight down to compete. He’s already done three rounds. The breaks between rounds were too short, so we haven’t had a chance to ask why he came in.”
Lang Xu gave an “mm” of acknowledgment, then turned his gaze back to the arena. He first looked at the lotus lake in the rain outside, then took in the things on the blackboard.
His two companions had already been studying it, initially thinking it was some formation or talisman, but on closer look, it didn’t quite match.
One of them asked, “What are they competing on this round?”
The team leader said, “Arithmetic.”
The man was somewhat shocked. “That up there is arithmetic?”
The team leader explained, “His family is well-off. He probably had a tutor hired by his household.”
The two companions had lived for many years and had never seen arithmetic like this. They both turned to Lang Xu, the young lord, wondering if wealthy people learned something different.
Lang Xu pretended not to notice. He walked up and probed the barrier, confirming that it truly couldn’t be forced open, then sat back down to ask about the details of the previous rounds, wondering how this group of Qi Refining cultivators had managed to hold out this long.
Inside the arena, the man and the beast weren’t idle either.
The beastman ate some crayfish, praised it highly, then moved to another stall. “What’s this?”
Duan Wei said, “Ice cream.”
The beastman said, “Why is it frozen?”
Duan Wei said, “It tastes better frozen.”
The beastman said, “Then why are the colors different?”
Duan Wei said, “Different colors mean different flavors.”
The beastman said, “What flavor is red?”
Duan Wei said, “Strawberry.”
The beastman said, “What about purple?”
Duan Wei said, “Taro.”
The beastman said, “And the answer to the problem?”
Duan Wei said, “Concede, and I’ll tell you.”
The beastman had failed to trap him again. He stopped playing nice and went back to work on the problem.
The students only snapped out of it after the rapid-fire Q&A ended, breaking out in a cold sweat on the spot.
After the torment of the last round, they had assumed the beastman had simply given up struggling this round and was just eating and drinking to pass the time. Who’d have thought it was an act? If it had been them, they probably would have blurted out the answer without thinking.
Lang Xu and his two companions had kept part of their attention on the arena the whole time. At this, they gave the youth a second look.
Duan Wei made himself an ice cream scoop, but after only a few bites, he fell into a fit of coughing.
Feeling that his injured heart and lungs weren’t suited for cold things, he switched to a different stall. This time the beastman didn’t come over, and he ate his way from one end to the other alone.
At first it was just to relieve boredom, to indulge his palate. But then he thought—doing missions in a cultivation world meant spans of hundreds or even thousands of years. If he never encountered a similar ancient realm again, this would be his final indulgence.
So after a short rest, he cooked himself a bowl of luosifen. While waiting, he conjured a durian and placed it solemnly on the table, preparing to open it.
The people in the viewing stands had long since finished their conversation and were watching him eat together.
They’d thought he was done, but after sitting for a moment, he got back up and kept eating.
The students’ expressions were wooden, wondering if they should say something to salvage their dignity. Then suddenly they heard the beastman dry-heave.
Beastmen had keen noses. The smell seemed to slam straight into his crown chakra. He couldn’t believe it. “Are you eating sh*t?”
Duan Wei split open the durian shell. “Nonsense. This one just smells bad, but it tastes great. Like stinky tofu.”
He said he was craving it and conjured a stinky tofu stall as well.
The new smells joined the durian and luosifen, spreading rapidly across the arena. The beastman’s chalk went “crack” again.
He ground it into powder bit by bit. “Do you know what the people I used to duel with would do, back when they could barely manage to hold me off?”
Duan Wei said, “What would they do?”
The beastman gathered a ball of spiritual energy. “This formation can’t conjure divine artifacts or legendary treasures, but it can still manifest other rare and precious things. For alchemists, artifact refiners, formation masters—it’s an excellent training ground.”
Duan Wei scooped out some durian flesh and answered casually, “Too bad I’m only at Qi Refining and can’t do anything.”
The beastman waved a hand, and several books floated before the boy. He said, “Pick one you like.”
Duan Wei looked at the books hovering in midair, then at the beastman, who refused to come even a step closer. He knew the smell was only the smallest factor—otherwise the beastman could easily whisk it all away with a gust of wind.
Eating his durian, he scanned the titles of the books one by one, showing no interest. “My aptitude is terrible. Even if you gave them to me, I wouldn’t be able to understand them.”
The beastman said, “I’ll teach you.”
Duan Wei finished the piece of durian, pulled over the luosifen, and took a couple of bites. “What’s the catch?”
The beastman said, “First, put all this away and pick any book. Second, I teach you once, and you point out one mistake I made on the board.”
Duan Wei ate a few pieces of stinky tofu in contemplation, wiped his mouth. “Deal.”
The beastman eagerly activated the formation, and all the food stalls vanished at once.
Duan Wei picked a book related to formations and sat back down in the reclining chair. “Let me flip through it first and see how much I don’t understand.”
The beastman was very considerate. “Fine. Call me anytime.”
Duan Wei acknowledged and lowered his head to flip through the pages.
The students grew uneasy.
From that sudden question earlier, it was clear the beastman had never given up on the match. Now he’d used books to strike a deal. If he managed to work through the flaw and understand the crux of the problem, he might actually calculate the answer.
They would rather the young lord just keep eating.
The two companions looked at Lang Xu and whispered, “Bro?”
Lang Xu knew what they wanted to ask and nodded.
The patterns on the stone bricks, the lotus lake outside… all of it unmistakably indicated this place came from the Nirvana Ancient Domain. Naturally, so did that book.
The two companions couldn’t help but take a deep breath. A book from the Nirvana Ancient Domain would cause a frenzy if it appeared outside. They just didn’t know whether this boy, barely at Qi Refining, would recognize its worth.
Duan Wei flipped from beginning to end. “You tricked me.”
The beastman said, “Hm?”
Duan Wei said, “What is this garbage? It’s too hard to understand.”
The beastman coaxed him gently. “Then let me start you off with the basics. You only need to trade me one mistake. If you don’t understand anything after that, it’ll be one for one.”
Duan Wei reluctantly agreed. “Fine.”
The beastman’s goal was to solve this problem and bite this bastard to death. He was happy to dangle a little bait, and immediately sent a flash of spiritual light into Duan Wei’s brow.
Duan Wei closed his eyes to digest it, then said readily, “You made a mistake on the third line.”
The beastman turned to correct the problem. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy flipping through the book again, and waited in satisfaction for him to come find him, so he could propose more favorable terms.
A moment later, Duan Wei’s hand grew heavier and heavier. The book flopped down onto his face, and he fell asleep.
Beastman: “?”
Students: “!”
Lang Xu and his companions: “…”
The beastman immediately went over and woke him.
Duan Wei blinked sleepily. “What?”
The beastman said, “Why aren’t you studying? What are you sleeping for?”
Duan Wei sighed. “It’s too hard. I must not have any talent in this area.”
The beastman looked at him suspiciously. “You’re excellent at arithmetic, but this doesn’t work?”
Duan Wei said, “Arithmetic and cultivation aren’t the same thing. I’m only good at arithmetic. My cultivation is terrible. Here, return your book. I’m going to sleep.”
The beastman watched this hopeless lump of mud refuse to be plastered onto a wall, then turned and left.
He corrected the third line, but he didn’t know if he’d fixed it correctly. He looked further down and was still stuck.
Staying like this was no different from the last round, and the two rounds after this might well be the same.
He stared at the blackboard for a while, then went over and woke the boy again. He broached, “Want me to swap you a different book?”
Duan Wei said, “Let’s not. I’m not cut out for it.”
The beastman said, “You just haven’t found the right one. Try once more, and it might work.”
Duan Wei was persuaded, tempted. This time he chose a book on talismans. He flipped through it and tossed it back, saying plainly that it was even harder to understand than the last one.
The beastman said, “You can pick a simpler one.”
Duan Wei said, “I’m trading for mistakes. This match is a matter of life and death. Wouldn’t it be a huge loss if I picked something too simple?”
The beastman ignored that. “Let’s go with this cultivation method. It’s easy to start, and its power grows strong later. Once you’ve mastered it, you’re sure to make a name for yourself.”
Duan Wei was moved. “You’re already thinking about my future?”
The beastman seized the moment, speaking earnestly. “Yes. You young people have little experience. Sometimes you need to listen to those who’ve come before you.”
Duan Wei said, “Then concede the match. Otherwise, what future do I have?”
The beastman held up the book expressionlessly. “You want it or not?”
Duan Wei said, “I want it.”
The beastman said, “Did I fix the third line correctly?”
Duan Wei said, “No.”
The beastman tossed him the book and returned to the blackboard.
Duan Wei sat quietly, flipping through the book. The beastman watched his movements from the corner of his eye, just beginning to wonder if he was being tricked, when he saw the boy slump sideways and fall asleep again.
Beastman: “…”
Worthless!
From the viewing stands, Lang Xu spoke up. “Would you say…”
His two companions, hearts bleeding at seeing the young man so squander such treasures, replied, “What?”
Lang Xu smiled and shook his head. “Nothing.”
The beastman had tried to use cultivation manuals to gradually hook the young man, but because of a single mistake, he’d already handed over three books. In this match, who was really the one being hooked?
But that was only his speculation. The boy’s every word and action had been flawless—he’d wanted the manuals, had tried studying them, then said he couldn’t do it. For now, Lang Xu couldn’t tell truth from falsehood either.
Duan Wei slept straight until the round ended.
Looking frail and delicate, thermos in hand, he went up to explain the problem. At the end, he said in disappointment, “I told you it was wrong. You corrected it twice and still got it wrong… cough…”
His voice was pained. “You cough… did you even listen in class? You’re truly the worst student I’ve ever taught!”
Beastman: “?”
You have the nerve to call me that? What good are you, you useless piece of trash!
He didn’t want to stay a moment longer. He waved his hand, ending the match.
Duan Wei stepped back onto the grass, swayed, and was caught by the quick-eyed team leader.
The students startled, crowding around him. “What’s wrong? Is your injury worse?”
Lang Xu and the others also looked over. But before they could approach, the young man grabbed the team leader’s wrist, trembling.
The team leader’s expression turned grim. “Where do you feel unwell?”
Duan Wei took a shallow breath, his expression slightly pained. “My stomach… it feels like a huge chunk was just hollowed out of it all at once.”
Team leader: “…”
Students: “…”
Lang Xu and his companions: “…”
No sht. Just think about how much you crammed into it!*