Normally, Gao Neng would be begging for mercy right now.

But this time, he didn’t. Not only did he not beg for mercy, he stared intently at the blade descending on his head, carefully sensing the power of the strike.

"It’s Spiritual Power fusion!" Gao Neng finally shouted, just as the blade was about to land on his head and the wind it generated parted his hair.

CLACK!

The blade stopped.

A look of surprise flashed in Li Tiannan’s eyes. Then, a faint smile appeared on his lips, but it was quickly replaced by a cold expression.

"What is Spiritual Power fusion?" Li Tiannan asked.

"Spiritual Power fusion means imbuing the blade with Spiritual Power, fusing the Soul Saber it creates with the physical blade in my hand!" Gao Neng replied instantly.

"You thought of this yourself?"

"No, you taught me."

"Smart move. But do you think this means I won’t deal with the traitor in our ranks?" Li Tiannan tossed the blade aside, then turned, found a chair, and sat down.

"You can’t bring yourself to do it. What kind of teacher would be willing to kill a student as brilliant as me, right? Man... now that I think about it, how did I not realize this sooner? My old saber techniques only incorporated physical strength, not Spiritual Power. If I can fuse Spiritual Power into them, it’ll be a huge breakthrough. You’re so incredibly knowledgeable, Teacher, so much better than Gui Zian." After complimenting himself, Gao Neng didn’t forget to butter up Li Tiannan.

"Obviously. Gui Zian is a blockhead who only knows how to teach based on his own experience. How could he ever tailor his teaching to a student’s aptitude like I do? Your ability to transform Spiritual Power into a Soul Saber is a rarity in the entire Alliance. Gui Zian can’t do it himself, so of course he can’t teach you," Li Tiannan said with a proud look.

"But of course, but of course! You’re incredible, Teacher, truly awe-inspiring... Oh, by the way, this blade is a gift for me, right?" Gao Neng continued to lay on the flattery, his eyes glued to the blade on the floor.

"One billion," Li Tiannan said with a nod.

"Teacher, that’s highway robbery! You’re selling one blade for a billion?" Gao Neng was no fool. He started brewing tea for Li Tiannan as he spoke.

"You’re rich now. A billion is nothing to you." Li Tiannan accepted the teacup, took a light sip, and immediately set it back down.

"Heh heh, well that’s just a testament to your excellent guidance, Teacher!"

"I didn’t teach you that."

"Teacher, this blade is incredible. What’s it forged from? I can’t identify the material at all." Gao Neng picked up the blade. It felt surprisingly heavy in his hand.

This was definitely a fine blade.

’Worth a billion...’

He was actually starting to believe it.

"You don’t need to worry about that. Just give me back the card I gave you, and you can take the blade," Li Tiannan said, cutting to the chase.

"Teacher, I don’t have any money..." Gao Neng’s face immediately fell.

"No money? Fine then, you can forget about this blade." Li Tiannan extended his hand, and a powerful force ripped the blade from Gao Neng’s grasp.

"Teacher, no! I want the blade!"

"Then pay up."

"I don’t have any..."

"You little punk, you don’t want to have a civil conversation, is that it?"

"Don’t be angry, Teacher! I have other plans for this money. I can’t use it to buy a blade." Gao Neng stood before Li Tiannan with a pitiful expression, though his eyes remained fixed on the blade in his teacher’s hand.

"You’re a single guy with billions in your pocket. Can you even spend it all?"

"I can. I’m going to develop the Forgotten Land. First, I plan to build a Military University there—the very first Military University in the Forgotten Land. What do you think, Teacher?"

"I don’t think much of it. The Military Department will never approve it. The entire Alliance is short on resources right now. How could they possibly spare any to build a Military University in the Forgotten Land?" Li Tiannan retorted without a second thought.

"I don’t need the Alliance to allocate resources. I’ll fund the entire construction of the Military University myself. I just need the Military Department to approve my application," Gao Neng replied.

"And the instructors? What good is a Military University without instructors? This isn’t as simple as you think. Besides, the Forgotten Land is over a thousand kilometers from the City of Hope. Even if you have the money, transporting resources will be a major issue. Building a Military University in the Forgotten Land... it’s an impossible task!"

"But I still want to try," Gao Neng said with a determined face.

"..." Li Tiannan’s gaze finally returned to Gao Neng’s face. He tried to discern the boy’s true intentions, but he saw no other emotion on his face.

Nothing but pure determination.

"Teacher, you’re the Military Department’s War God. Surely you can help with this, right?" Gao Neng pressed when Li Tiannan remained silent.

"You really want to build a Military University in the Forgotten Land?" Li Tiannan’s tone finally became serious.

"Yes. As soon as the Dragon List challenge is over, I plan to get started!" Gao Neng affirmed with a nod.

"So soon?"

"In war, speed is paramount. Since I’ve decided to build it, the sooner, the better."

"Speed is one thing, but have you considered this? The great war will break out in a year and a half. Even if the Military Department were to build a university, it would take at least that long—from construction to resource allocation, to hiring instructors and preparing for enrollment. So what’s the point of building your university now?"

"I have considered that. The thing is, the Forgotten Land has existing buildings. If resource allocation starts immediately, it could be done in half a year, just in time for next year’s enrollment."

"Fine. Even if you get it built in six months, what kind of soldiers can you train in a single year? Will they be ready for the battlefield? Forget the Forgotten Land—even in the City of Hope, ninety-nine percent of first-year students can’t be sent to war. Take the Eastern Capital Military Academy, for instance. Besides you and Fang Tangtang, is there even a single other Tier 3?"

Li Tiannan paused for a moment before continuing, "Gao Neng, some things are best left as good intentions. There’s no need to take on a thankless task."

"You’re right, Teacher," Gao Neng said with a nod, understanding Li Tiannan’s point. "Even if I establish a Military University in the Forgotten Land, they won’t be ready for the battlefield in a year and a half. They won’t be able to contribute to the Alliance. But at least they’ll have hope in their eyes, won’t they?"

"Hope?" Li Tiannan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"I know that in the eyes of many in the Alliance, hope is just empty talk. Using resources to build an unfounded hope isn’t a worthwhile investment. But I still want to try. Besides, I firmly believe that in a year and a half, humanity will be victorious. Since victory is certain, what’s wrong with cultivating the hope for our future ahead of time?" Gao Neng said again.

Li Tiannan’s brow furrowed.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

The seconds ticked by.

A full ten minutes later, Li Tiannan finally moved.

He slowly rose from his chair and paced around Gao Neng’s dorm room with the blade in hand. Finally, his gaze settled back on Gao Neng.

"That White Jade Bone Forging material you gave me last time... I’ve managed to refine it."

"Hm?" Gao Neng looked at Li Tiannan.

Li Tiannan then tossed a hand-copied secret manual to him. "This contains the King-Realm Bone Forging Technique. Take a look. It might help your training, since Tier 5 is all about magnetizing the bones."

"Thank you, Teacher." Gao Neng immediately took it.

"I have a condition." Li Tiannan said again after seeing Gao Neng take the secret manual.

"What kind of condition, Teacher?" Gao Neng was a bit confused. ’Li Tiannan’s train of thought sure jumps around a lot.’

"If you can achieve an S-rank rating on the Dragon List, I’ll help you secure the authorization to establish a Military University in the Forgotten Land," Li Tiannan said after a moment of silence.

"Deal!" Gao Neng nodded at once.

"Heh, you’re quick to agree. Are you that confident you can get an S-rank rating? There are only twenty S-ranks among the three hundred people on the entire Dragon List. To get one, you’ll have to break into the top one hundred, maybe even higher. Can you do that?" Li Tiannan said with a faint smile.

"I can!" Gao Neng didn’t even hesitate for a moment.

"Ah, the arrogance of youth. Fine, then. I’ll be waiting for you to get that S-rank. If you really manage it, not only will I get you the authorization to build the Military University, but I’ll also find you a few instructors to send over!"

"Thank you, Teacher! You’re incredible, Teacher, truly awe-inspiring! Your glory will last for ages, your merits are immeasurable..."

"Enough with the flattery. Take this Token. Don’t show it to anyone unless you have absolutely no other choice, understand?" With a flick of his wrist, Li Tiannan tossed out a black Token.

Gao Neng caught it and took a look.

The Token’s material felt similar to Li Tiannan’s blade, but it was more refined. Engraved on its surface was a demonic-looking eye.

Other than that, there were only two words...

Ghost Eyes! 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Thank you, Master!" Gao Neng understood at once. This was Li Tiannan’s personal symbol. By giving him this Token, Li Tiannan was truly accepting him.

Perhaps "student" was no longer the right word.

He was now a disciple.

"You little punk, quick on the uptake, aren’t you?" Li Tiannan’s eyes narrowed. Without another word, he opened the door, stepped out of the dorm, and vanished into the night.

As for that blade...

It remained in the dorm room.

’I really am a peerless genius.’ Gao Neng thought, pulling out the card Li Tiannan had given him. There was still a lot of money on it.

A little over seven hundred million.

’Take it back?’

’Not a chance!’

...

「In the dead of night.」

Li Tiannan stood on the roof of a teaching building at the Eastern Capital Military Academy.

Before him sat three Magnetic Crystal Ores, each the size of a human head—one red, one gold, and one black. If Gao Neng were here, he would have recognized them as the three highest-quality pieces from his entire collection of upgraded ores, each one worth over a hundred million.

’The little punk has quite a few treasures, eh? Good thing I took a look around his dorm. Hmm, at least I didn’t leave empty-handed. The total value of these three ores is around four or five hundred million. And what’s more, Old Zhang seems to need these... I’ll have to squeeze him for a good price!’ Li Tiannan mused, stroking the ores with a smile playing on his lips.