In class, every student just laid all over their tables, completely unable to mount any semblance of interest in the lesson.
While the old teacher completely ignored the circumstances and continued to recite from his book monotonously and mechanically.
“When the great tomb manifested, a rain of corpses and blood descended from above”
“The underground of our Tomb of Myriad Beasts suddenly manifested billions of bones and corpses that each gave off immense miasma”
“Fortunately, as we were the original inhabitants of this world, we were able to use our connection with the world to move through its natural barriers and traverse freely between the Grottos”
“Anybody from other worlds would only die by the miasma of those corpses”
“For the past few thousand years, we’ve slowly but surely researched the Apocalypse, even eliminating a few weaker ones, as well as sealing away a few others. However, against the especially powerful Apocalypses, we would still be helpless to do anything but perish”
“For that reason, all of you must quickly mature”
“Now, I’ll go on to explain how some of the past literary experts have described the Apocalypses…”
“The Darkness Apocalypse, is an Apocalypse that will strip away the sense of sight as well as all senses of perception, it…”
…
“The lesson is over today, you’re dismissed”
The old teacher closed his book and left.
The students awoke from their dreams one by one.
“Hm? We’re done?” one of them yawned and asked.
“Yeah, let’s go back and have lunch” another student stretched his back and said.
The students all left the classroom one by one.
Gu Qing Shan sat still for a while.
He had never heard any of this knowledge before, so even though the old teacher just rambled on mechanically, he was still absorbing it like a sponge.
However, regarding the Apocalypses, the billions of corpses, as well as more detailed information regarding the great tomb, the old teacher only stopped at the most basic descriptions, neglecting to go deep into their truths and secrets.
It was like he only found an itch without being able to scratch it!
Gu Qing Shan sighed.
In the Tomb of Myriad Beasts, ‘Secrets’ and ‘Mysteries’ are things of the highest value, so they would naturally not be randomly disclosed to newcomers in a place like this.
Seems like I’ll have to think of another way if I want to quickly collect the information I want.
Since I’m now a Wind Listener, tasked with the responsibility to find and research ‘Secrets’ as well as ‘Mysteries’, I can probably put in some effort here.
He pondered for a bit, then slowly stood up and prepared to go back.
It would soon be noon, so he needed to return and rest quickly, as there was another class in the afternoon.
As he reached the entrance of the classroom, he was stopped by a group of people.
Gu Qing Shan looked at them.
They were the thug-like young men from this morning, as well as many others who also had tattoos all over their bodies, surrounding Gu Qing Shan.
“What are you doing?” Gu Qing Shan smiled and asked.
This group of youngsters, are they thinking of bullying the newcomer?
Then…
Gu Qing Shan slowly clenched his fist.
The group of teenagers gestured to one another with their eyes, then stood still without moving while continuing to gesture.
“Greeting, big brother Shan!”
They all called out in unison.
“Aya, aya, big brother Shan, after your arrival, we finally have a boss” the thug-like student said.
Another young man with a fierce expression said: “That’s right, the cruelest slaughtering man in our School of Shan Hai is Li Chun Dao, and the most seductive Bone Master Li Qiu Yu is also a renowned character, and you are their younger brother!”
The teenagers all said: “Please become our boss, big brother Shan!”
Gu Qing Shan was stunned.
So they didn’t want a fight…
“You want me to be your boss?” he asked again.
“That’s right, with big brother Shan’s arrival, our reputation would soar through the roof. We’ve all gathered here this noon to invite big brother Shan for our lunch reception!” another teenager said.
“Please honor us, big brother Shan!”
“Please honor us, big brother Shan!”
Gu Qing Shan scratched his head, acting a bit embarrassed.
He wasn’t against mingling with people of the same age, since that would be more natural for his act; not to mention, it was nothing but a meal.
“Now that’s not appropriate at all, it would be costly for you” he said.
One of the teenagers replied: “There’s nothing to be concerned about, we still have plenty that we got from the poor sods the previous time, big brother Shan can feel at ease”
Everyone laughed.
Gu Qing Shan’s smile slowly receded.
“Money you got? How did you get it?” he asked.
The thug-like teenager answered: “We protected them, so they gave their money to us out of gratitude”
“After all, we’re stronger than they are!” another teenager called out.
“That’s right, strong people deserve certain privileges”
“Like people like big brother Shan, who should naturally be the leader of our Study Lodge”
The teenagers all called out full of life and vitality.
Gu Qing Shan sighed.
“How unfortunate, if you had been able to earn that money yourself, I would have probably accepted your invitation”
“But if that’s where you got your money from, I’m not going”
He lightly pushed the people in front of him to one side and walked out.
Silence.
Everyone exchanged glances.
What does that mean?
Someone called out, seemingly frustrated: “Who would’ve thought Li Chun Dao’s younger brother would be a good student, looking down on people like this”
Gu Qing Shan stopped.
“That’s right, I’m looking down on you”
He looked at the teenagers and sincerely told them: “Power isn’t something you use to bully the weak, because bullying the weak isn’t hard——- and because of how easy it is, it gives you a sense of false strength”
“There’s a special name for people who do such things——- thugs. So before you pin that title onto yourselves, I hope you will have seriously made up your mind”
“Someone who could truly be considered strong must face true challenges, for example——-”
“Giving up all material possessions, focus on training your skills, travel the world, challenge those you know to be stronger than yourselves for the sake of surpassing them, surpassing everyone and stand at the very peak of the world watching over all living beings”
“Or to win against the Apocalypse that brings despair to all living beings, swearing yourselves to protecting those you consider worthy of laying down your lives for”
“This is the life of a strong person who lives up to their strength”
“All of you, I hope that you can use money that you earned yourself in order to invite me next time”
“When that happens, maybe I’ll let you call me ‘big brother Shan’”
He waved his hand and left the room.
The teenagers were completely silent.
“He… doesn’t allow us to call him ‘big brother Shan’?” one of them was very confused.
…
At the same time.
A certain secret room.
Several of the School’s VIPs were having tea as they silently listened to Gu Qing Shan.
“Tsk tsk, such a young and impulsive age, yet he doesn’t rely on the two of you to look down on people”
A silver-haired old man praised.
“What a decent young guy indeed, now I’m tempted to take him in, what do you say he joins my Eliminators squad” Li Chun Dao said.
“Don’t even think about it, he’s already been determined to join the Wind Listeners, this is the sect master’s decision” the long-bearded man in a white coat replied.
Li Chun Dao cracked his neck, then silently put a Blade onto the table.
The white coat man narrowed his eyes: “You want to fight? My Extinguishing Hands can’t be used against allies, so I’m not going to fight you, if you want to, try and ask your sister if she’s willing to let him go”
Li Chun Dao turned to his sister, already prepared to spar.
However, his sister was unusually calm this time around and lightly said: “Brother, don’t joke around, I’m currently his acting guardian, so I can take good care of him while staying in the Wind Listeners. You, on the other hand, are constantly busy every day, how are you going to find the time to manage him?”
Li Chun Dao frowned and didn’t answer.
A few moments later.
He took a sip of his tea, then sighed: “Fine, there’s another place that needs me to put out the fire, I’ll be going first”
He grabbed the Blade on the table and vanished right away.
A female voice sounded.
“From what we’ve seen, I can feel assured about this child. I’ll leave him to you from now on, Qiu Yu, hope you don’t mind it”
“Understood, sect master”
…
Gu Qing Shan returned to his current dwellings after his afternoon class.
When he pushed the door open, Li Qiu Yu was sitting at the balcony terrace, looking down on the town below, apparently lost in thought.
Gu Qing Shan pondered a bit, then apologized: “I’m sorry, what I said this morning was only a joke, you don’t have to take it to heart”
Li Qiu Yu turned around and glared at him: “Skip the nonsense, I’ve almost starved waiting for you to return”
The atmosphere became relaxed again.
Gu Qing Shan also relaxed and rolled up his sleeves: “Since breakfast was a bit simple, dinner will be more filling, don’t worry, I’ll get everything ready soon”
He went into the kitchen.
——-Gu Qing Shan’s cooking skills naturally needed no descriptions, even an expert of the six arts, Qin Xiao Lou, felt delighted to eat a meal cooked by him, let alone Li Qiu Yu.
After the meal.
Li Qiu Yu didn’t mention a word about getting married or not, only took out a bone fragment and put it on the table.
“What is this?” Gu Qing Shan curiously asked.
“Our School of Shan Hai’s secret Source Flow Seal, capable of helping you quickly achieve the second stage of spirit linking”
Looking at Gu Qing Shan’s look of utter confusion, Li Qiu Yu patiently explained: “The first spirit linking is to form a connection with the origin of the inheritance, sometimes, this process would take you to see unfathomable, inexplicable entities, perhaps even leading to an Apocalypse, do you understand this?”
Gu Qing Shan nodded.
Li Qiu Yu continued: “However, the second spirit linking, isn’t quite as dangerous. It’s merely to stimulate your sense of perception, allowing you to further connect with the inheritance you already received and obtain the next step of your ability”
“Ah, I understand now, so it’s meant to help me quickly evolve the inherited ability” Gu Qing Shan said.
“Indeed, that is exactly the case”
Li Qiu Yu pointed at the bone fragment and said: “As soon as you touch this unique bone fragment, your second spirit linking will be forcefully activated, from which you will obtain a new fist technique—— or even another kind of ability. Since no one knows for sure what you had inherited, I wouldn’t be able to tell you what you will obtain either”
She took out her folding fan and lightly spread it, sincerely telling him: “You can begin, I’ll be here to protect you, don’t worry”
Gu Qing Shan then took the unique bone fragment in his hand.
“I’m guessing it’ll be another fist technique”
He said that while smiling, but his voice was suddenly cut off.
Hoh——-
He first felt an immense power transferring from that bone fragment before he found himself being pushed underground.
The countless underground tunnels and the people within them quickly receded away from him.
He was continuously falling down, and down, and down.
Continuously descending——–
Gu Qing Shan immediately understood that he was now in a soul-only state, otherwise, he wouldn’t fall so deeply underground.
But isn’t this spirit linking item supposed to help me activate my inheritance?
Where is it leading me to?
While Gu Qing Shan was pondering, he found himself no longer descending.
A voice suddenly boomed into his ears:
「 Save me! Hurry! 」
