"Are you telling the truth, Brother Su?"
"Of course." Su Yu said, "Who else do you want to bring along for the ride? Feel free to tell me about it. I'll try to get them into my team as well. Don't pick strong students. I need weaker students to give them an impression that you guys are trying to drag me down. I can't have the others figuring out the relationship between us, right?"
Meanwhile, Lin Yao was completely stunned. His imaginations ran wild. Was the Mutual Aid Club really so influential? Su Yu could actually control the format of a tournament organized by the single character faction?
Right, his teacher was one of the organizers as well. Perhaps...his teacher had a hand in this?
That must be it!
At that, Lin Yao asked, "Brother Su, you'll even allow me to take someone with me? Will that affect your plan?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Then...what do you think about my senior brother?"
"Yang Sha?"
"Yeah."
"Sure." Su Yu replied, "But we need to ensure that he is one of us as well. You can tell him a little bit about the Mutual Aid Club. But don't tell him about me. Just let him know that he will be guaranteed a slot. That much is enough. As for whether he's willing to believe it, that's up to him. You can even consider developing him as your downline and recruiting him into the club. But remember, only a single line of communication can be maintained. Once he joins, he will be directly under you. He won't be able to contact any of the other members."
Developing his own downline? Lin Yao's heart thumped. Had he reached a level where he could develop his own downlines now?
"Brother Su...would this be too early? Why don't I observe and test my senior brother more. If I really find him suitable, I'll recruit him. If not, then you don't need to give him this spot in your team."
"Sure. Do what you think is right."
After ending the call with Lin Yao, Su Yu smiled. There was no need for him to show his face to everyone. That would make him look like a pleb. Unimportant individuals like Yang Sha could be handled by Lin Yao.
And even if Yang Sha ended up exposed as a member of his secret club, it would not affect him. He would be fine so long as Lin Yao kept his mouth shut.
"Liu Hong..."
In truth, he was also quite happy to see Liu Hong's position in the single character faction strengthening. That way, Liu Hong would serve as a good shield. Without a strong position, Liu Hong wouldn't have been able to do anything to him through this tournament so easily.
His best counter against this ploy was to challenge the Top 100 Ranking and enter the top 10 or even the top 3 and establish that he could win the tournament even alone. With that established, he would then be able to spread news about Liu Hong's ploy. Only then would people believe his words and question Liu Hong.
But right now, nobody knew Su Yu's real strength. As for Liu Hong's confidence in him, that might not even be true confidence. Liu Hong could very well be doing something as simple as spreading his eggs in multiple baskets. He had nothing to lose since his little brother and students wouldn't be able to win the tournament anyway.
"It would be great if I could get this selfish person into a position of power. If he becomes the faction master, things would be even more interesting. When trouble comes knocking, that fellow will be the first to run."
Su Yu smiled. Of course, he wouldn't underestimate any opponent. Although he had grown considerably during his seclusion, a lot of old students would be participating. He was not afraid of the single character faction if it was one on one fights. But if it was one against five, things could still get dangerous.
The other participants would definitely pick strong students as their members. Naturally, luck would play a bigger role if the teammates were really picked at random.
"Since this is a tournament organized by the single character faction, the academy might turn a blind eye if they play some tricks during the team allocation..."
Su Yu exhaled deeply. The other higher ups of the academy would be more than happy to see one less competitor for their people. They would be more than happy to see him saddled with weak teammates. None of them would really speak up for him.
They would probably only speak up if people like Zhan Hai were also assigned weak teammates. Otherwise, they would keep their silence. That was the reality of things.
All that was actually part of the rules of the game.
The single character faction was allowed to do this because the tournament was organized by them and the slots were supplied by them. Any other faction could do the same if they were willing to pay as well.
"Who should I pick as the final teammate?"
Su Yu sank into thought. He needed a more reliable person as the final teammate. He couldn't rely only on himself.
People like Zhang Hao had most definitely been given their own slots. They might not participate in the tournament. But even if they were participating, it wouldn't be too proper for Su Yu to drag them into the desperate matches that he was going to face.
"That person needs to be strong, not afraid to fight all out, and not afraid of death. And that person also needs to be immune to the single character faction's reprisals after the tournament..."
Suddenly, a name appeared in Su Yu's mind.
His eyes flickered as he smiled. Interesting. Would that person be interested to join?
...
Deep at night.
Mental Tempering Garden.
Su Yu was knocking on a door.
A gloomy voice rang out from behind the door, "Who is it?"
"It's me."
After a momentary wait, the door swung open. As usual, Zhou Hao was clad in a simple martial outfit. He was looking at Su Yu with doubt and caution in his eyes.
"Can we talk inside?"
Zhou Hao moved aside, allowing Su Yu to enter. But every move of his radiated caution.
Su Yu!
Su Yu was actually visiting him!
What was Su Yu planning to do?"
"Have you recovered?" Su Yu looked at Zhou Hao's arms before sitting down. He smiled and said, "Your teacher is still stuck in a limbo of despair. But you seem to be recovering nicely instead of sinking into despair after your defeat."
"Despair?" Zhou Hao had a stubborn expression as he said, "As long as I am still alive, why should I despair? I am already used to near-death experiences."
"Used to it...yes. Adaptability is indeed a terrifying force." Su Yu smiled, "Sit down. Why are you being so cautious? This is the academy. What can I do to you?"
Zhou Hao said nothing and sat down opposite him.
"Do you want more strength?" Su Yu started.
Zhou Hao calmly replied, "That was the only reason I came out of the wilderness."
"Do you dare to fight with your life on the line?"
"What do you think?"
Su Yu smiled and nodded. "You do. I don't know what is going on with your teacher, but I reckon he can't spare you any attention anymore. Someone like you would probably be ruined without the help of your teacher. You won't be able to get more resources, progress, or cultivate your willpower. I know about the Thousand Mountain Art you cultivate. It is an art famous for causing its cultivator to be stuck below the Infinite Strength Realm. That must be why you have come to the academy. But now, you have yet to find a way to cultivate your willpower, right?"
Zhou Hao said nothing. Xia Yuwen was indeed ignoring him. After all, Xia Yuwen himself was still bedridden. Zhou Hao had basically been abandoned.
"Do you know about the tournament for the slots of the Willpower Grotto? In the grotto, you can grow your willpower rapidly and catch up with those old students. Otherwise, you would probably be stuck in the Great Strength Realm for life."
Zhou Hao asked, "Are you asking me to join the tournament?"
"Yes. Join my team." Su Yu said, "Teams of five will be formed for the tournament. I will need to carry three deadweights with me. I don't want the fourth person to be a deadweight as well. You are not too impressive, but you currently lack a backer. You also have no resources or background. But you are fearless in fights. I need someone like you. Even if you end up killed during the tournament, I won't feel anything. You're the perfect candidate."
In truth, Zhou Hao was actually very strong. He was probably stronger than even some students in the top 30. More importantly, this guy was a savage during combat. He was fearless. Each attack of his would be launched with the intent to kill.
During his match with Su Yu, he had been willing to fight on even after suffering crippling injuries. He was an incredibly troublesome opponent to face.
Zhou Hao grinned, "I heard that a lot of experts will join the tournament. Can the two of us win?"
"Why not?" Su Yu said, "As long as you have the guts to obstruct the opponents I need you to obstruct, I am confident we can win. For example, an opponent like Zhan Hai. I will need you to obstruct him while I deal with his team. We can naturally win after that. But if you fail in your task, our chances will become much lower."
"Zhan Hai?"
"Number one in the top 100. A student who had fought a Skysoar without losing before. Can you obstruct someone like him?" Su Yu said, "If you can, then we can cooperate. If you can't, things will be more difficult for us."
"Someone capable of fighting Skysoars..."
Zhou Hao's face turned solemn. But after a while, he grinned again as he asked, "Can we kill during the tournament?"
"You're aiming to kill him?"
"No. But if we can't kill during the tournament, he will have some misgivings when I fight him in a suicidal manner. In that scenario, I am confident I can keep him occupied for some time."
Zhou Hao added, "A cultivator without the courage to kill isn't scary. As long as there is fear, openings can be found. Truly scary cultivators are those without fear. If he dares to kill, I won't be able to hold him down."
Su Yu nodded. "You're right. He wouldn't dare to kill. Don't worry. Your teacher's heart might be dead, but he is still alive. Zhan Hai wouldn't dare to kill you. If he is weaker, maybe he won't have as many misgivings. But you're only a Great Strength cultivator. He won't dare to be too heavy-handed..."
"If that's the case, I'll be able to stop him."
Su Yu smiled and said, "Fine. I look forward to working with you."
He stood up and said, "If you want a slot, then you need to fight hard. If you're not interested, forget it. You can try to get a slot from your teacher. Maybe you can get one without fighting."
Zhou Hao grinned and said, "I prefer fighting with my life on the line for what I want."
Su Yu also smiled, "I like to do that as well. It feels much better to get what I want with my own hands. Unfortunately, you're too weak. I'm afraid this will be the only time we can work together. Remember to not provoke me anymore in the future. I know you're not afraid of death. But I am afraid of death. Although I am no stranger to death, I am still afraid of death. Due to my fear of death, I prefer killing those who can pose a threat to me."
With a smile on his face, a thick killing intent burst out of Su Yu's body before vanishing. The killing intent was so intense that even Zhou Hao took a step back by instinct.
His face turned solemn.
Su Yu had grown even stronger than before.
"People who lack strength will need to put their lives on the line for more opportunities. I am here for you because you are not afraid of doing that. If you're not willing to do so, don't blame me for abandoning you."
Su Yu smiled before walking out of the door. Zhou Hao was actually a very good partner. As an opponent, he was scary and troublesome. But as a partner, he would be very useful. Su Yu loved working alongide fearless people like Zhou Hao.
In terms of strength, Zhou Hao might even be weaker than Qiu Yi. But if the two fought, Qiu Yi would be the one to die.
Strictly speaking, Zhou Hao was very similar to Su Yu.
Su Yu was also fearless and crazy in combat. He had died way too many times in his dreams, to the point he was numb to the fear of death. As for Zhou Hao, he was also someone who had experienced the threat of death many times. If Su Yu guessed right, this fellow had probably grown up in a den of beasts.
Or he might simply be a feral child who had grown up in the wilderness where demonic beasts were more frequently seen.
"Are you telling the truth, Brother Su?"
"Of course." Su Yu said, "Who else do you want to bring along for the ride? Feel free to tell me about it. I'll try to get them into my team as well. Don't pick strong students. I need weaker students to give them an impression that you guys are trying to drag me down. I can't have the others figuring out the relationship between us, right?"
Meanwhile, Lin Yao was completely stunned. His imaginations ran wild. Was the Mutual Aid Club really so influential? Su Yu could actually control the format of a tournament organized by the single character faction?
Right, his teacher was one of the organizers as well. Perhaps...his teacher had a hand in this?
That must be it!
At that, Lin Yao asked, "Brother Su, you'll even allow me to take someone with me? Will that affect your plan?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Then...what do you think about my senior brother?"
"Yang Sha?"
"Yeah."
"Sure." Su Yu replied, "But we need to ensure that he is one of us as well. You can tell him a little bit about the Mutual Aid Club. But don't tell him about me. Just let him know that he will be guaranteed a slot. That much is enough. As for whether he's willing to believe it, that's up to him. You can even consider developing him as your downline and recruiting him into the club. But remember, only a single line of communication can be maintained. Once he joins, he will be directly under you. He won't be able to contact any of the other members."
Developing his own downline? Lin Yao's heart thumped. Had he reached a level where he could develop his own downlines now?
"Brother Su...would this be too early? Why don't I observe and test my senior brother more. If I really find him suitable, I'll recruit him. If not, then you don't need to give him this spot in your team."
"Sure. Do what you think is right."
After ending the call with Lin Yao, Su Yu smiled. There was no need for him to show his face to everyone. That would make him look like a pleb. Unimportant individuals like Yang Sha could be handled by Lin Yao.
And even if Yang Sha ended up exposed as a member of his secret club, it would not affect him. He would be fine so long as Lin Yao kept his mouth shut.
"Liu Hong..."
In truth, he was also quite happy to see Liu Hong's position in the single character faction strengthening. That way, Liu Hong would serve as a good shield. Without a strong position, Liu Hong wouldn't have been able to do anything to him through this tournament so easily.
His best counter against this ploy was to challenge the Top 100 Ranking and enter the top 10 or even the top 3 and establish that he could win the tournament even alone. With that established, he would then be able to spread news about Liu Hong's ploy. Only then would people believe his words and question Liu Hong.
But right now, nobody knew Su Yu's real strength. As for Liu Hong's confidence in him, that might not even be true confidence. Liu Hong could very well be doing something as simple as spreading his eggs in multiple baskets. He had nothing to lose since his little brother and students wouldn't be able to win the tournament anyway.
"It would be great if I could get this selfish person into a position of power. If he becomes the faction master, things would be even more interesting. When trouble comes knocking, that fellow will be the first to run."
Su Yu smiled. Of course, he wouldn't underestimate any opponent. Although he had grown considerably during his seclusion, a lot of old students would be participating. He was not afraid of the single character faction if it was one on one fights. But if it was one against five, things could still get dangerous.
The other participants would definitely pick strong students as their members. Naturally, luck would play a bigger role if the teammates were really picked at random.
"Since this is a tournament organized by the single character faction, the academy might turn a blind eye if they play some tricks during the team allocation..."
Su Yu exhaled deeply. The other higher ups of the academy would be more than happy to see one less competitor for their people. They would be more than happy to see him saddled with weak teammates. None of them would really speak up for him.
They would probably only speak up if people like Zhan Hai were also assigned weak teammates. Otherwise, they would keep their silence. That was the reality of things.
All that was actually part of the rules of the game.
The single character faction was allowed to do this because the tournament was organized by them and the slots were supplied by them. Any other faction could do the same if they were willing to pay as well.
"Who should I pick as the final teammate?"
Su Yu sank into thought. He needed a more reliable person as the final teammate. He couldn't rely only on himself.
People like Zhang Hao had most definitely been given their own slots. They might not participate in the tournament. But even if they were participating, it wouldn't be too proper for Su Yu to drag them into the desperate matches that he was going to face.
"That person needs to be strong, not afraid to fight all out, and not afraid of death. And that person also needs to be immune to the single character faction's reprisals after the tournament..."
Suddenly, a name appeared in Su Yu's mind.
His eyes flickered as he smiled. Interesting. Would that person be interested to join?
...
Deep at night.
Mental Tempering Garden.
Su Yu was knocking on a door.
A gloomy voice rang out from behind the door, "Who is it?"
"It's me."
After a momentary wait, the door swung open. As usual, Zhou Hao was clad in a simple martial outfit. He was looking at Su Yu with doubt and caution in his eyes.
"Can we talk inside?"
Zhou Hao moved aside, allowing Su Yu to enter. But every move of his radiated caution.
Su Yu!
Su Yu was actually visiting him!
What was Su Yu planning to do?"
"Have you recovered?" Su Yu looked at Zhou Hao's arms before sitting down. He smiled and said, "Your teacher is still stuck in a limbo of despair. But you seem to be recovering nicely instead of sinking into despair after your defeat."
"Despair?" Zhou Hao had a stubborn expression as he said, "As long as I am still alive, why should I despair? I am already used to near-death experiences."
"Used to it...yes. Adaptability is indeed a terrifying force." Su Yu smiled, "Sit down. Why are you being so cautious? This is the academy. What can I do to you?"
Zhou Hao said nothing and sat down opposite him.
"Do you want more strength?" Su Yu started.
Zhou Hao calmly replied, "That was the only reason I came out of the wilderness."
"Do you dare to fight with your life on the line?"
"What do you think?"
Su Yu smiled and nodded. "You do. I don't know what is going on with your teacher, but I reckon he can't spare you any attention anymore. Someone like you would probably be ruined without the help of your teacher. You won't be able to get more resources, progress, or cultivate your willpower. I know about the Thousand Mountain Art you cultivate. It is an art famous for causing its cultivator to be stuck below the Infinite Strength Realm. That must be why you have come to the academy. But now, you have yet to find a way to cultivate your willpower, right?"
Zhou Hao said nothing. Xia Yuwen was indeed ignoring him. After all, Xia Yuwen himself was still bedridden. Zhou Hao had basically been abandoned.
"Do you know about the tournament for the slots of the Willpower Grotto? In the grotto, you can grow your willpower rapidly and catch up with those old students. Otherwise, you would probably be stuck in the Great Strength Realm for life."
Zhou Hao asked, "Are you asking me to join the tournament?"
"Yes. Join my team." Su Yu said, "Teams of five will be formed for the tournament. I will need to carry three deadweights with me. I don't want the fourth person to be a deadweight as well. You are not too impressive, but you currently lack a backer. You also have no resources or background. But you are fearless in fights. I need someone like you. Even if you end up killed during the tournament, I won't feel anything. You're the perfect candidate."
In truth, Zhou Hao was actually very strong. He was probably stronger than even some students in the top 30. More importantly, this guy was a savage during combat. He was fearless. Each attack of his would be launched with the intent to kill.
During his match with Su Yu, he had been willing to fight on even after suffering crippling injuries. He was an incredibly troublesome opponent to face.
Zhou Hao grinned, "I heard that a lot of experts will join the tournament. Can the two of us win?"
"Why not?" Su Yu said, "As long as you have the guts to obstruct the opponents I need you to obstruct, I am confident we can win. For example, an opponent like Zhan Hai. I will need you to obstruct him while I deal with his team. We can naturally win after that. But if you fail in your task, our chances will become much lower."
"Zhan Hai?"
"Number one in the top 100. A student who had fought a Skysoar without losing before. Can you obstruct someone like him?" Su Yu said, "If you can, then we can cooperate. If you can't, things will be more difficult for us."
"Someone capable of fighting Skysoars..."
Zhou Hao's face turned solemn. But after a while, he grinned again as he asked, "Can we kill during the tournament?"
"You're aiming to kill him?"
"No. But if we can't kill during the tournament, he will have some misgivings when I fight him in a suicidal manner. In that scenario, I am confident I can keep him occupied for some time."
Zhou Hao added, "A cultivator without the courage to kill isn't scary. As long as there is fear, openings can be found. Truly scary cultivators are those without fear. If he dares to kill, I won't be able to hold him down."
Su Yu nodded. "You're right. He wouldn't dare to kill. Don't worry. Your teacher's heart might be dead, but he is still alive. Zhan Hai wouldn't dare to kill you. If he is weaker, maybe he won't have as many misgivings. But you're only a Great Strength cultivator. He won't dare to be too heavy-handed..."
"If that's the case, I'll be able to stop him."
Su Yu smiled and said, "Fine. I look forward to working with you."
He stood up and said, "If you want a slot, then you need to fight hard. If you're not interested, forget it. You can try to get a slot from your teacher. Maybe you can get one without fighting."
Zhou Hao grinned and said, "I prefer fighting with my life on the line for what I want."
Su Yu also smiled, "I like to do that as well. It feels much better to get what I want with my own hands. Unfortunately, you're too weak. I'm afraid this will be the only time we can work together. Remember to not provoke me anymore in the future. I know you're not afraid of death. But I am afraid of death. Although I am no stranger to death, I am still afraid of death. Due to my fear of death, I prefer killing those who can pose a threat to me."
With a smile on his face, a thick killing intent burst out of Su Yu's body before vanishing. The killing intent was so intense that even Zhou Hao took a step back by instinct.
His face turned solemn.
Su Yu had grown even stronger than before.
"People who lack strength will need to put their lives on the line for more opportunities. I am here for you because you are not afraid of doing that. If you're not willing to do so, don't blame me for abandoning you."
Su Yu smiled before walking out of the door. Zhou Hao was actually a very good partner. As an opponent, he was scary and troublesome. But as a partner, he would be very useful. Su Yu loved working alongide fearless people like Zhou Hao.
In terms of strength, Zhou Hao might even be weaker than Qiu Yi. But if the two fought, Qiu Yi would be the one to die.
Strictly speaking, Zhou Hao was very similar to Su Yu.
Su Yu was also fearless and crazy in combat. He had died way too many times in his dreams, to the point he was numb to the fear of death. As for Zhou Hao, he was also someone who had experienced the threat of death many times. If Su Yu guessed right, this fellow had probably grown up in a den of beasts.
Or he might simply be a feral child who had grown up in the wilderness where demonic beasts were more frequently seen.
