by <unknown>
"Then, I will completely blow it away using the crystal suit that is refined by me."
Jiang Sheng tone was very calm, as if it was not a threat but stating a very common fact.
Having said this, he nodded to Yuan Manqiu before turning around and walking towards the flying shuttle.
At this point, he arbitrarily swept a glance at Li Yao's direction. The eighteen crystals on the metal ring suddenly lit up.
Jiang Sheng slightly smiled as he walked towards Li Yao.
"You must be Li Yao, Floating Spear City's Champion of College Entrance Examination who Professor Xie Tingxian is very optimistic about? I am Deep Sea University's Refining Department associate professor, Jiang Sheng, a descendant of Jiang Family and the distant cousin of Jiang Tao."
"A Jiang Family descendant!" These three words made Li Yao's pupil suddenly contract as he instinctively took a step back.
Jiang Sheng seemed to be oblivious to Li Yao's wariness as he continued, "Student Li Yao, thank you very much. Jiang Tao, who fled from battle, was nothing more than a bandit who had no courage. He is simply the shame of our Jiang Family, so thank you for enforcing justice and helping us clean up our Jiang Family. I will always keep this great act of kindness in mind."
Li Yao was surprised for a moment. He had never imagined that Jiang Sheng had the intention to say this.
Jiang Sheng burst into laughter: “What’s the matter? Did you think that I came looking for trouble? Student Li Yao, you are thinking too much. Not to mention Jiang Tao, that scumbag who was simply seeking his own death, even if it was another descendant of the Jiang Family, I have no interest in helping them raise their head. I am someone who is obsessed technology, and as such, in my eyes, only refining techniques are worth fighting for. I don't have any interest in family or relatives. Those things are too silly. They are simply not worth it for me to waste even half a second."
Li Yao heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Professor Jiang, you are..."
Jiang Sheng's attitude suddenly changed. A smile still hung on his mouth, but his temperament, in the blink of an eye, suddenly became incomparably cold and gloomy as he said:
"However, although I have no interest in family, and even if you, Student Li Yao, turned the Jiang Family upside down, I will still remain indifferent. But you really should not have insulted the Deep Sea University's Refining Department. My feelings for the university are a hundred times deeper than my family!"
Li Yao was baffled: "When did I insult the Deep Sea University's Refining Department?"
He was very clear how strong the Deep Sea University's Refining Department was, and he even held some fear. The "Holy Land of Refiners"—this title wasn’t just for show.
Let alone insulting it, he never even looked down on Deep Sea University's Refining Department.
Jiang Sheng indifferently said, "You have said that you will lead the Grand Desolate War Institution and challenge Deep Sea University's Refining Department—in my opinion, that is like a toad jumping out to challenge a lion. Tell me, is that not an insult to the lion?"
Li Yao narrowed his eyes: "Professor Jiang, you mean to say, my Grand Desolate War Institution's Refining Department is like a toad who doesn’t even have the qualifications to challenge your lion-like university? And we shouldn’t even have any idea, even if it’s just a thought is an insult to your university?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. You are intelligent, Student Li Yao." Jiang Sheng showed a smile which was like a warm and gentle breeze caressing your cheeks.
"..."
Li Yao was rendered speechless.
Supernova Jiang Sheng was truly acting like a direct disciple of Chu Xiuhong should; he did not place anyone in his eyes.
"However—"
Jiang Sheng changed the topic of the conversation as a smile once again bloomed on his face: "As the saying goes, young people make mistakes and the gods will forgive everything. You are young, impulsive, hot-blooded, naive, and you will occasionally say nonsense. There is nothing wrong in itself. I will give you an opportunity to repent."
Jiang Sheng raised his thumb as he pointed at the deformed Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit behind him: "Student Li Yao, here is the opportunity. You have seen the condition of Grand Desolate War Institution's Refining Department. Perhaps the Refining Department would soon be abolished, so if you were to remain here, you would be wasting your talent."
"If you are willing, I can think of some way to transfer you to Deep Sea University's Refining Department. At the beginning, you will enter as an auditing student, and later, I will think of some way to officially enroll you into Deep Sea University’s Refining Department. What do you think?"
Li Yao remained silent.
At this very moment, Yuan Manqiu's loud voice echoed in his ear.
"Cultivators should be fearless of death, and if afraid, then do not cultivate!"
"In any case, I will persevere. I will refine the true Mystic Skeleton Battle Suit!"
A slight frown appeared on Jiang Sheng's glabella: "Student Li Yao, this is your last opportunity. Not every young man is fortunate like you, who has the opportunity to correct his mistakes. As long as you nod, I will personally become your teacher and guide you to the correct road of refining. Isn't that better than staying in this pile of waste?"
"As for your proclamation that you will one day challenge Deep Sea University's Refining Department, everyone knows that it is just the nonsense of a young man. Who would take it to heart? Everyone is frivolous in their youth, so everybody will understand. As long as you achieve success and win recognition, no one will laugh at you."
"Pile of waste..."
Li Yao pondered for a long time while gazing at the distant Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit. At last, he shook his head:
"I'm sorry, Professor Jiang. I am someone who had come out from a pile of waste. For a majority of my childhood, I have only survived by relying on scraps gathered from piles of waste, so I think that this 'pile of waste' is rather suitable for me."
Jiang Sheng took a deep glance at him before he nodded and said:
"Alright, I will still say this: I wish you and Senior Sister Yuan success in refining the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit. I also want to see how the legendary, mass-producible crystal suit would look like. But first of all, try to think of a way to keep this pile of waste, Student Li Yao."
Jiang Sheng, without turning his head, started directly walking towards the flying shuttle before it silently floated away, just like how they had arrived.
...
After about an hour later, the memorial finally came to an end.
However, the doubts and suspicion in the hearts of the students from the Refining Department still hadn't been cleared.
So everyone kept on staring at Dean Xiong Baili anxiously.
The decision to determine the life and death of Refining Department was in his hand.
Seemingly sensing the too-impatient-to-wait mood of the students, Dean Xiong Baili, after the others left, assembled all the remaining students of the Refining Department to announce a very significant decision.
And the professors of the various department, who stood behind Xiong Baili, looked at the students below the stage with an extremely strange look.
It seemed that from this moment on, they were going to pick the talented student whom they favored.
"It seems that the Refining Department is truly going to be abolished. The professors from the various departments are going to pick students."
Huang Tong, who stood behind Li Yao, said in a low voice.
Li Yao took a glance at Yuan Manqiu.
Yuan Manqiu remained expressionless, but her eyes were like two burning red coals.
Xiong Baili took a step forward and directly got to the point:
"Students of the Refining Department, you may have heard some rumors like the institute was preparing to abolish Refining Department, which is indeed correct. I will not hide it from you. At the beginning, the management had indeed de
cided upon this."
“After all, the Refining Department's losses were very serious. Not only was the floating mountain destroyed, but the Refining Department is only left with a single professor, Associate Professor Yuan Manqiu. Whether it is the facilities or the faculty, the Refining Department is lacking in both."
"The institute has limited funding and all the facilities need to be rebuilt, which makes it impossible to invest a lot of resources for the rebuilding of the Refining Department within a short period of time.
"Originally, you students have undergone all kinds of hardships and difficulties in order to enter the Grand Desolate Institution, which is hailed as one of the ‘Nine Elite Universities’, and I, as the dean of the institute, am responsible for every student's future."
"So, the institute had originally decided to abolish the Refining Department, and the students could transfer to other departments."
"However, Professor Yuan Manqiu kept on insisting that there is a hope in rebuilding the Grand Desolate War Institution's Refining Department. She had said that—our Grand Desolate War Institution's tradition has always been to never abandon, to never give up, and if there was even a single soldier left to fight, grit your teeth, straighten your back, and carry the battle flag!"
"What she had said is right. Our Grand Desolate War Institution is indeed different than the other 'Eight Elite Universities'. As long as you are willing to fight, we will give you an opportunity to fight, and we will absolutely not abandon you! This is exactly the spirit of our Grand Desolate War Institution! For several hundred years, we have always been acting like this!"
"So, we have finally decided that we will give all the student an opportunity to choose. The fate of the Refining Department—is in your hand!"
TLN:
[1] Useless troops.
Chapter 136: Eldest Senior Brother and the President |
"If there is a student who is willing to stay in the Refining Department to continue his or her studies, then we will welcome them for sure. Every department has already reached an agreement that all basic training facilities will be open for the students from the Refining Department. At the same time, the resources and the budget which is due to the Refining Department will continue to be provided."
"And if any student feels that the Refining Department isn't enough to realize your dream, the institute will still support that student and every department will be open to them. We will give everyone the opportunity to transfer to another department."
"The choice is in your hand. As Professor Yuan had said, even if there is a single soldier left, as long as there is a student who is willing to stay in the Refining Department, the Institute will adhere to its principle. We will not abandon you, we will not give up on you, and we will continue to support you!"
"However, let me make it clear. If the Refining Department still has not produced a single student who could pass the Refiners' Registration Examination after a year, the Refining Department will then be forcibly abolished by the department of education, and as such, the student who had chosen the Refining Department would have wasted a year in vain."
"And I will also solemnly swear that if there is a student who is able to pass the Refiners' Registration Examination and become a true refiner after a year, then it would mean that Professor Yuan was right. I will then do everything in my power to help the Refining Department strive for more resources, so not only would the Refining Department be rebuilt, but the Refining Department which will be built would be ten times stronger than the past!"
"In the name of the dean of the Grand Desolate War Institute, I, Dean Xiong Baili, promise you this."
"Now, the students can make their choice!"
Xiong Baili's speech was like a lump of ice smashing into a boiling hot frying pan, which burst into a "crackling" noise on the spot.
A freshman who had just entered the institute impatiently shouted as if he was set on fire:
"Dean, I want to transfer!"
"Yes, Dean, we have already thought about this. We are all freshmen and we simply haven't learned any refining, so we request the dean to transfer us as early as possible, lest we give any trouble to Professor Yuan."
From the beginning, these freshmen had only chosen the Refining Department because they had no other choice but to do so; it was their final alternative. And now, as the Refining Department had turned to such a ghastly place in front of their eyes, who would be foolish enough to still head into the abyss of suffering? If they had the opportunity, they would definitely transfer to another department!
Yuan Manqiu had already prepared herself for the freshmen's reaction. From the start, she too did not want the freshmen to remain, and even if they stayed, it would be a waste.
Yuan Manqiu's gaze turned towards several of the older students who could be considered to have good qualifications.
The older students were even more at a loss. They may not like refining, but they had, after all, poured a lot of their time and efforts into it, and if they wanted to change their road of cultivation now, their past efforts would go down the drain.
However, how could Professor Yuan, one person alone, support the entire Refining Department?
"Zhao Ming, you have been learning refining for three years already and your level is highest amongst them all. I have high expectations for you to become a registered refiner next year, so why don't you stay in the Refining Department?!"
Yuan Manqiu sent an invitation to a boy.
Zhao Ming hesitated for a bit as he somewhat tried to dodge her gaze; he did not dare to look straight into Yuan Manqiu's eye. He shook his head and said, "I am sorry, Professor Yuan. After thinking about it, I have decided to transfer to another department."
"Why?" Yuan Manqiu was stupefied.
Zhao Ming honestly replied, "In the past, there was Professor Mo Xuan along with many other professors, which gave me some confidence to become a registered refiner. But now, only you alone, Professor Yuan, is left, and we don't even have a refining workshop. I am not sure whether I can pass next year, so why should I waste a year? It's time for me to cut my losses and change tracks as early as possible for the better tomorrow."
Zhao Ming paused for a bit before he lowered his head in embarrassment: "I am really sorry, Professor Yuan. A few days ago, my father came to know about this, and I have been chatting with him online for the past few days. My family also thinks the same."
"It's alright, it is really alright. You must definitely listen to your family, and you don't need to overthink it. Study whatever you wish to study, I will support you!"
Yuan Manqiu forced a smile before her gaze turned towards a girl who had somewhat rough skin.
A sliver of an ashamed look flashed past her eyes as she lowered her head; she did not speak a word.
Yuan Manqiu's complexion turned even more ugly. One by one, she swept a glance at the other older students, who did not dare to look her straight in the eyes, not even a single one.
Everyone was either bowing their head as they looked at their own shoes or raised their head to count the clouds in the sky.
"Isn't there a single student who is... willing to stay in the Refining Department?" Yuan Manqiu said in low voice.
Xiong Baili heaved a sigh as he also found it somewhat hard to bear. He earnestly said, "Professor Yuan, you don't need to worry. Even if the Refining Department is abolished, the institute could always use a refiner. There is definitely a place for you here."
He lightly patted Yuan Manqiu's shoulder before his gaze turned towards the students below the stage as he said in a loud voice that was akin to a great bell, "Alright, since everyone has decided so, then I... If there is any student who has anything to say, please raise your hand! Please be patient, as for the specific rules of transferring departments, I will announce it to you soon."
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A few dozen gazes turned towards Li Yao, who had raised his hand.
"Dean, you misunderstood. I
do not want to ask about the rules of transferring departments. I wish to remain in the Refining Department and follow Professor Yuan in order to learn refining," Li Yao said in a loud voice.
"What did you say?"
Xiong Baili was stupefied, all the professors were stupefied, all the student were stupefied.
Yuan Manqiu's back, all of a sudden, straightened up, and her whole body was shining like a shining Buddha.
...
After an hour.
Apart from Li Yao and Yuan Manqiu, everyone had left the Refining Department.
Li Yao, who was sitting under the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, set his eyes at the wreckage around him, which was very similar to the Magical Equipment Graveyard.
Everyone, in their childhood, would have some absurd dream.
Some people would dream of quietly sneaking into an amusement park so that they would not have to line up for rides, allowing them to play to their heart's content.
Whereas, some people would dream of entering a supermarket which had no one inside, where all the goods were brilliantly arranged on the shelf, so that whatever you wanted to take, you could take it, and whatever you wanted to eat, you could directly open the package.
When Li Yao was 6-7 years old, just for a meat bun or a rusted, broken sword, he would have to engage in a life-or-death struggle with a dozen robust adults.
At that time, his greatest dream was: if someday, a huge junkyard with no other scavenger but him alone appeared so that he could discover treasure to his heart’s content, how nice would that be?
He had never imagined that his dream would come true in such a way today.
For the past seven days, he had only cleared up a small part, thus there were still many things buried in the rubble.
Whether it was damaged magical equipment, jade chip fragments, or experimental data, in Li Yao's eyes, they were all priceless treasures whose worth was equivalent to a city.
If it was the Refining Department of the past, then it would have been simply impossible for a freshman like him to instantly get started.