Su Long was gone.
Gone, just like that—free and unburdened.
But Su Yu was left with a strange emptiness. His father had left without warning, giving him no time to prepare.
On one hand, he was worried about his father's safety; on the other, he was already anxious about how to manage life on his own.
He had gotten used to his father's care, his constant presence. Living alone now felt foreign, disorienting.
"Dad… you left… and didn't even wash the dishes!"
Su Yu muttered bitterly, trying to find humor in his frustration. He sighed. There were things he didn't want to think about—because once he did, the fear crept in. The battlefield of the myriad realms was unimaginably dangerous, and he worried that if he dwelled on it too much, he'd end up chasing after his father to drag him back home.
"Civilization Academy…"
He couldn't be bothered with the dishes anymore. Slumping onto the couch, he stared blankly ahead.
Before leaving, his father had nagged him to apply to the Civilization Academy. That had indeed been Su Yu's plan—until now.
"If you weren't going to the battlefield, I'd be happy to go to the Civilization Academy. But you just had to run off to the frontlines. Can't you be more considerate?"
"You'll be gone for years. You expect me to sit back here worrying every day?"
"You're not young anymore. Don't you know your limits?"
Su Yu massaged his temples, a headache forming.
"You brought this on yourself. Since you're gone, I've changed my mind. I'm not applying to the Civilization Academy. I'm going for the War Academy!"
He clenched his teeth. The Civilization Academy had so much to offer—deciphering the cultures of the myriad races, studying their techniques, exploring their civilizations.
Civilization researchers were national treasures. They could stay safely in the rear, far from the carnage of war.
But the War Academy? That was built for the frontlines.
All those years Su Yu had spent studying the languages of the myriad races—he had done it so he could stay out of harm's way, so he could always be near his father.
And now look at this! That stubborn old man had gone off to the deadly battlefield of the myriad realms on his own!
If you got into the Civilization Academy, chances were you'd never see combat.
But the War Academy? Their practical courses often took students directly to the frontlines.
"The War Academy… they base admissions on strength."
Su Yu's resolve faltered. The War Academy wasn't easy to get into. In fact, for someone like him, it was even harder than the Civilization Academy.
The Civilization Academy didn't prioritize combat strength, but the War Academy had strict physical requirements—they were training future frontline warriors, after all.
In the human cultivation system, progress came in stages: Kaiyuan (Origin Opening), Qianjun (Thousand Pound Strength), Wanshi (Ten Thousand Stone Strength)…
The human body wasn't naturally suited for cultivation. Only after opening the nine Kaiyuan orifices could one connect their body with vital energy and truly step into the path of cultivation.
These nine orifices included the mouth, nose, eyes, ears—seven in total—plus the Shenque (navel) and Baihui (top of the head). Only by opening all nine could one begin to absorb vital energy, strengthen the body, refine the bones, and undergo a true transformation—becoming a powerful martial artist.
"I've only opened the mouth and nose, and the ears show no sign of opening yet. I haven't even reached Kaiyuan Tier 4. Getting into the War Academy isn't going to be easy."
Su Yu muttered. The War Academy was designed to nurture the strong. It required massive investment and wouldn't waste resources on the weak.
To gain admission, it was safest to reach at least Tier 5 by opening the ear orifices.
Of course, opening the eye orifices would put someone at Tier 6 or 7, practically guaranteeing entry.
And if someone managed to open the Shenque and Baihui orifices—well, the War Academy would recruit them on the spot.
Anyone who could open all nine before the age of twenty would be welcomed into any War Academy without question.
"But I'm just Tier 3…"
Su Yu sighed. Tier 3 wasn't terrible, but it wasn't impressive either.
At his school—Nanyuan Intermediate Academy—there were nine pre-exam classes with a total of 750 students. Over a hundred were at Tier 3, and more than a dozen had surpassed that.
Based on past records, War Academies accepted no more than 20 students from Nanyuan each year.
In other words, Tier 4 gave you a solid shot. Tier 3? That was like finding one in a hundred.
And let's not forget—War Academies varied in quality. A school willing to take Tier 3 students likely wasn't that great. If that was the case, why not just go to the Civilization Academy instead?
"There's still more than three months left… Let's see what happens by then."
Su Yu gritted his teeth. If his father couldn't be counted on, then he had to be reliable himself.
Running off to the battlefield at that age—was he crazy?
Whew…
In the middle of the night, Su Yu jolted awake.
His entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
"That damned dream again… Dad…"
He instinctively called out. In the past, whenever he had nightmares, his father would come rushing in.
But now, there was only silence beyond his room.
He froze for a moment, then remembered—his father had left that afternoon.
"Sigh…"
Su Yu sighed, turned on the light, and checked his communicator. It was just past 3 a.m.—still hours before dawn.
"Over ten years… and still no peace!"
He'd had this recurring dream for more than a decade. Anyone else would've gone crazy.
He had simply gotten used to it. In the early years, the fear of sleeping nearly led to his sudden death from exhaustion.
"What is going on with me?"
Leaning back against the headboard, Su Yu pondered the same question he'd asked himself for years.
He'd talked to his father about it. They'd even gone to the hospital. The doctors said it was likely psychological trauma from a severe fright.
But Su Yu didn't remember ever being frightened that badly.
"It's always the same… the dream ends with me being chased—by people, by monsters, by things I can't even describe…"
He felt deeply troubled. The dream repeated night after night. Not exactly the same each time, but always the same outcome—being hunted. And not always by humans.
The creatures were strange, surreal. Judging by their forms, they didn't even seem to be from the same species.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
Being hunted in your dreams every night for over ten years—who else could say that?
Back then, Su Yu's father had even suspected that he might have been cursed by the Nightmare Clan. But this was the Human Realm. If a member of the Nightmare Clan had really cast a spell—one that had lasted over a decade—they would have already been hunted down by Hu
If a Nightmare Clan operative truly managed to infiltrate the Human Realm, they'd target top-tier warriors. Wasting ten-plus years on an ordinary person? Unless the enemy was a complete idiot… or a super idiot.
"This is endless and so damn annoying!"
Su Yu muttered in frustration. He still had no idea when it would all end. At this point, he'd gotten somewhat used to it. If not, he wouldn't have been able
"Dad said once I open all nine apertures and reach the Thousand Pound Realm, I'll be immune to illness and evil influences. My body will be tempered by Origin Qi... Maybe by then, the nightmares will
That was the only hope Su Yu had now—that once he broke through to the Thousand Pound Realm, the
Time passed quickly as he thought. Before he knew it, the first light of dawn had crept through the window.
Morning
Su Long was gone, but life had to go on. It wasn't a holiday, and Su Yu still had school.
…
After a quick wash and a simple breakfast, Su Yu slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped outside.
Downstairs, a buzz-cut teen was already waiting. When he saw Su Yu coming down, he quickly called out, "Ah Yu, I heard from my dad… Uncle Su left yesterday?"
"Yeah."
Su Yu cut him off before he could finish.
The buzz-cut teen grew agitated. "What's Uncle Su thinking? He's not young anymore! Going to the All-Heavens Battlefield now... that's basically—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
He was about to say he's going to die, but bit his tongue just in time. He might believe it, but he couldn't say it in front of Su Yu.
"He insisted. I couldn't stop him," Su Yu forced a smile. "Besides, there are millions of troops on the battlefield. Plenty of invincible human powerhouses are stationed there. It's not as easy to die as you think."
"I get that, but Uncle Su is only in the Thousand Pound Realm!"
The teen was more anxious than Su Yu himself. "That's impressive around here, sure. But on the All-Heavens Battlefield, that's basically the weakest tier. Even the foot soldiers of the Ten Thousand Races are mostly Thousand Pound level."
"I know."
"Then why aren't you worried, Ah Yu?"
Su Yu's calm made the other boy even more agitated. If it were him, he'd be bawling his eyes out.
"What good would worrying do?"
Su Yu shrugged. His dad was already gone. Worrying wouldn't bring him back.
What mattered now was taking action—not wasting time on panic. His friend was still as hot-headed as ever.
"Let's go. We've got school. Cut the chatter."
"School?"
His friend blinked. "You're still going to school…"
Su Yu gave him a long look that made him squirm.
"What, you expect me to just stay home, weep, and wait for bad news from the front?"
Su Yu rolled his eyes. What kind of logic was that?
"Let's go. School's finalizing the recommended candidates for the academy entrance exams soon. I need to sign up."
"Didn't you already register?"
Chen Hao was puzzled. "You and I registered together last week. Remember?"
"I know. That was for the Civilization Academy. This time I'm registering for the War Academy."
Chen Hao froze. War Academy?
"You…"
"Let's go."
Su Yu didn't give him a chance to argue. He'd made up his mind the day before. Whether he passed or not, he was applying for the War Academy.
…
Nanyuan Intermediate Academy.
Registration Office.
The teacher on duty looked up Su Yu's records and frowned slightly. "Su Yu, didn't you already apply for the Civilization Academy? You've mastered 18 different languages of the Ten Thousand Races—that's among the top students here in Nanyuan. You'd be almost guaranteed a spot at the Great Xia Civilization Academy. Why apply to the War Academy?"
Usually, students who applied to both systems lacked confidence in getting into either one, so they cast a wide net.
But Su Yu? Sharp mind, relentless effort. He'd mastered 18 languages over the past few years. Even the most prestigious Great Xia Civilization Academy would welcome him with open arms.
That's why Su Long was so confident before leaving—he was certain his son would get in and even asked Su Yu to write to him afterward.
Su Yu didn't explain much. He just smiled. "Just a backup plan, teacher. Everyone can apply for both systems, right? It's good to have options."
"That's true… but you really don't need a backup. Just do your best on the entrance exam."
The registration teacher smiled warmly. "The school already submitted the top students' names to the province. While you'll still need to pass the test, the major academies in Great Xia have already flagged you. Even if you don't do well on the test, they'll probably give you a second chance."
Hearing this, Chen Hao looked on with envy.
"Teacher, what about me?" he couldn't help asking.
The teacher glanced at him and chuckled. "Sure, you're on the list for the Domestic Affairs Academy."
Chen Hao's face fell.
The Domestic Affairs Academy.
Among the four academy systems—War, Civilization, Research, and Domestic Affairs—only the last one dealt with everyday life skills: mechanical repair, cooking, logistics, administration, entertainment, etc.
The first three systems all trained elites.
Only the Domestic Affairs Academy was seen by teens like them as the last resort when you had no better option.
The teacher ignored him and finished registering Su Yu, smiling. "Still, I recommend focusing mainly on the Civilization path. If you can learn one or two more Ten Thousand Races languages before the test, it'll really help you down the road. As for cultivation, don't rush it. In the Civilization Academy, reaching the Thousand Pound Realm is more than enough. You'll be immune to illness—that's what matters."
The Civilization Academy didn't require high combat strength. The teacher was just worried Su Yu might be veering off track.
Su Yu nodded with a smile. He didn't argue—he knew the teacher meant well.
Still… over the next few months, he'd have to start putting more effort into cultivation.