If one cannot pursue cultivation, then they resort to murder.

It didn’t take long for the other five candidates to return from the depths of the Supreme Profound Academy, as if they had merely gone for a casual stroll. Their expressions remained calm; the ability to cultivate had long been confirmed for them, and it was simply a matter of receiving some advice about spiritual perception. Yet they were quite concerned about whether Zheng Fanren could cultivate.

At that moment, Zheng Fanren was holding a slip of paper in his hand. On it was written: “Unheard of—Ten Dead Points.” To be so inferior as to be unheard of was itself a kind of boundary. Zheng Fanren only felt nervous when he discovered an opportunity; as for disappointment, he had long since become numb to it. He muttered to himself, “I absolutely must win over a few female classmates in the Supreme Profound Academy, so I can live comfortably after graduation. If you’re not a genius, don’t expect to accomplish anything earth-shattering.”

Strangely, even though he already knew the result, no one had opened the door to let him leave. Just as he was about to call out, an aged voice came from outside the room: “Young man, may I have your book?” Zheng Fanren was startled—the voice seemed to possess a certain magical power. His hand unconsciously reached toward the pocket inside his jacket. The Mystic Sense of Heaven and Earth was slowly drawn out, his hand completely out of his control. Zheng Fanren struggled with all his strength to resist, yet his hand continued to stretch forward, holding the book up.

A gentle, aged laugh sounded, and the Mystic Sense of Heaven and Earth floated up, flying toward the skylight in the wall. At that moment, the positions of the ten mystic points within Zheng Fanren’s body suddenly throbbed with intense pain, and he collapsed to the ground with a sudden crash.

A sharp sound followed. The Mystic Sense of Heaven and Earth also fell to the floor. At the same time, Zheng Fanren felt his body finally “obeying” him again; with a quick roll, he seized the book in his hand.

The aged voice sounded somewhat unwilling: “You do not wish to give it?” Zheng Fanren replied loudly, “Find a safe place, and we can talk.” The voice answered, “Heh, young man, I do not ask you—I am asking it.” The final words sounded as if from a great distance, and then the door opened of its own accord. Zheng Fanren immediately rushed outside.

He emerged to see an old man, with a shifty appearance, staring at him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he was genuinely startled—not just a fleeting shock, but a real leap backwards. The old man was half a step away, as if he had materialized out of nowhere. His smile grew even more sly, yet his voice was pleasant to the ear. Zheng Fanren found it somewhat familiar, for “Winter Plum” would occasionally imitate it.

The old man teased, “Young man, you have no composure at all.” Only then did Zheng Fanren confirm that he was not a ghost. Once he steadied himself, he asked, “Are you the Headmaster?” The old man nodded, somewhat approvingly. “The Han say your judgment is sharper when you’re nervous. Seems they’re right.”

This time Zheng Fanren asked calmly, “The person just now wasn’t you—who was it?” The old man laughed. “You’re not really wondering about his identity, but rather why your body wasn’t under your own control, aren’t you?”

“The world is filled with mystic energy. When it moves naturally, it affects nothing. But once the surrounding mystic energy is disturbed, everything within it moves chaotically as well. Accordingly, if you can control the flow of mystic energy and direct it as you wish, you can control people and objects within it.”

It was the first time Zheng Fanren had heard this theory, but after a moment’s thought he understood. So cultivation was simply about using various methods to control the mystic energy between heaven and earth.

Realizing this, he felt even more apprehensive. “Just now, was he using me as a mystic device? Isn’t a mystic device supposed to take a long time to cultivate?” The old man scolded, “Fool! The reason it takes a long time to cultivate a mystic device is because the practitioner’s skill is lacking! They cannot properly control mystic energy, so the device must slowly become familiar with what the practitioner wants it to do.”

“To put it plainly, since you’re a fool and not eloquent, you have to keep telling it what you want, so it can understand.”

Zheng Fanren’s talkative nature was instantly awakened, and he feigned a playful tone: “So you’re not eloquent either. Isn’t it just like practicing with a sword? After long practice, there’s a familiarity between a person and the sword, so one can accurately control the angle and force of each strike.”

This time, the old man didn’t scold him; instead, he nodded in approval. Seeing that the old man wasn’t angry, Zheng Fanren continued, “So what level of cultivation is needed to do what he did?”

The old man stroked his beard and replied, “Open the Ten Mystic Points—everything becomes a mystic device! That’s why it’s said a gentleman is not a tool, for he has no need of any mystic device.”

Zheng Fanren exclaimed, “Everything becomes a mystic device? Does that mean you can move mountains and turn seas?”

The old man replied with pride, “The founder of the Supreme Profound Academy, the Supreme Profound King, moved a mountain for his tomb before his death.”

Zheng Fanren couldn’t stand the old man’s proud face and muttered, “He died a heroic death, but still, he died.” The old man grew somewhat melancholy. “Indeed, who can escape it?” Zheng Fanren knew that elderly people became sentimental when discussing life and death, so he quickly asked, “Is there a way to control mystic energy without relying on the perception of the mystic points?”

The old man looked at him with a mischievous smile. “You? Impossible.” Zheng Fanren protested, “Then why can the Music Mystic Masters control mystic energy through music?”

The old man scolded again, “Fool! Music Mystic Masters also control mystic energy through the perception of their mystic points. They merely use the combination of music and mystic energy to lure more mystic energy to attack.” Zheng Fanren laughed at the old man’s scolding and couldn’t help but say, “Lure is the perfect word for it. Someday I’ll have to discuss this with Old Yin.”

The old man’s heart tightened, a flash of fear in his eyes; then he cursed, “You little scoundrel, don’t think there isn’t a use for me yet!” Zheng Fanren thought to himself, “Negotiating terms? Looks like Old Yin has some weight in his mind!” So he hurriedly asked, “Then please, tell me—how can one control mystic energy without relying on the perception of the mystic points?”

The old man’s expression was clearly hesitant, but finally he shook his head. “It’s very difficult. But remember, if that book says you can, you can; if it says you can’t, you likely never will.”

Zheng Fanren was still unwilling to give up. “Then is it possible to become a Physical Mystic Master?” The old man replied with frustration, “A Physical Mystic Master also uses the mystic points to gather mystic energy within the body, increasing attack power through intense concentration, or improving speed by letting mystic energy flow around the body. To put it simply, you treat yourself as a mystic device.”

After saying this, he left behind a mirage and disappeared instantly.

Zheng Fanren cursed, “With that look, you’re pretending to be a sage!”

He had no interest in staying at the Supreme Profound Academy, much less discussing with his classmates why the most dazzling candidate couldn’t cultivate. Because he wanted to kill—and the sooner, the better!