Choice Matters More Than Effort, the Divine Brush Yu Family, Xu Yucheng (Please Follow)

"Cooperation? I'm not interested."

Feng Zaixing swept his gaze over them and decisively refused. "You sneaked over here. How do I know whether you want to cooperate or attack?"

The five of them were grouped together: two Soul Elders, two Soul Grand Masters, and the only Soul Master was Luo Guixing, whose soul power fluctuations hovered around level eighteen.

Luo Guixing looked apprehensively at the two purple soul rings beneath Feng Zaixing's feet. Resisting the urge to look at the hundred-year soul rings beneath his own feet, he said as calmly as possible:

"Although our elders have had some unpleasantness, my desire to cooperate is sincere."

Feng Zaixing slowly shook his head and pointed at the Mandala Snake. "I don't have a habit of teaming up with strangers. Whoever comes looking for trouble with me will end up like that snake."

"Arrogant! Do you know that many Soul Master teams are currently locked in a melee inside the Spirit Ascension Platform? And how many people that great God of Slaughter has already taken out?"

The defense-type Soul Elder in the five-man team was the tallest and broadest. Gripping a large black shield, he stepped forward and scolded:

"Even Young Genius Ranking experts who fought alone have fallen to his Vicious Hand. Do you think you'll be spared?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Feng Zaixing answered lightly, utterly composed.

"Twenty-fourth on the Young Genius Ranking, Qian Zhuangzhi. Your Martial Soul is the Black Dragon Shield, right?"

Qian Zhuangzhi's expression changed, and he spoke rapidly. "I'm twenty-third, not twenty-fourth!"

"A newcomer appeared outside, so you've been pushed down."

Feng Zaixing waved a hand and said casually, "You said there's a powerful expert here. I'm somewhat interested. Could you tell me more?"

"If I'd seen that person, would I still be wasting words on you?"

Qian Zhuangzhi snapped, then called for the others to leave. "You don't appreciate good intentions. Let's go!"

Luo Guixing shook his head and sighed. "Feng Zaixing, sometimes choice matters more than effort. Don't regret this."

"That's true. In the future, remember not to get too close to me. I'm very vigilant, and I might accidentally hurt you."

Feng Zaixing watched the five vanish from sight, his indifferent voice echoing after them.

"Whoosh!"

Na'er slid down from the furry head of the Heavenly Sacred Winged Divine Tiger. Staring at Luo Guixing, Qian Zhuangzhi, and the others, she frowned and asked in a low voice:

"Big Brother, why didn't we keep them here? They didn't have good intentions."

The five had come with malicious intent, seeking to rob them of spirit energy. They had only refrained from acting because they feared the losses would outweigh the gains.

"Those five pieces of trash can be killed anytime. How could that compare to helping our Na'er's soul rings rise to the thousand-year level? There's no benefit in killing them either."

Feng Zaixing smiled gently, though a bone-deep chill flashed through his eyes.

"Still, judging by their behavior, it's true that an expert is stirring things up."

"No matter how strong that expert is, they can't compare to Big Brother."

Having finished absorbing spirit energy, Na'er raised the Silver Dragon Spear, her fighting spirit soaring. "And Na'er won't fall behind either!"

With Three-Tenths of the Source of the Great Silver Dragon within her, along with Feng Zaixing teaching her bloodline cultivation and combat, Na'er was brimming with confidence.

Well, even if she lost in a real fight, it wouldn't be her fault. The Great Silver Dragon's source was simply too poor, causing her to awaken so late.

The first rule of changing from dragon to human was loyalty. The second was forgetting one's roots. The third was shifting the blame—if it wasn't her responsibility, she absolutely would not take it on!

At the Spirit Pagoda, Luan Hongchen rubbed his nose. "Senior Han, are there many young geniuses in the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

"Yes. It's currently the end-of-term season, and some Soul Master Academies like to hold their final exams here."

Han Tianyi stroked his white beard, sending his Spiritual Power into the Spirit Ascension Platform. Squinting, he said, "Let this old man see who's in there."

Luan Hongchen's eyes shifted as he said, "Other than Zaixing, our academy's most outstanding disciple in this age group is named Xu Yucheng. We could call him over to guide them..."

Han Tianyi glanced at him. "Other than Zaixing, does your academy have any other Young Genius Ranking talents below Four Rings?"

"No." Luan Hongchen scratched his head and said somewhat awkwardly:

"Barring any surprises, Zaixing is our academy's strongest student under thirteen, or even under fifteen."

"...You're far too incompetent as an academy head."

Han Tianyi was speechless. What kind of useless fools were working in this academy's admissions office? No wonder they treasured the Feng Na siblings from the Primal Body Sect so much.

Luan Hongchen covered his face. "I was too obsessed with mechas and Battle Armor and neglected things to this extent. Starting today, I'll quit Battle Armor!"

Han Tianyi's face twitched. He did not want to speak with this fellow who avoided the important issues.

Another idiot obsessed with mechas. What a disgrace.

A moment later, Han Tianyi found his target.

"Found her. She actually entered the Spirit Ascension Platform through our tower as well."

Han Tianyi waved his hand, and the soul-guidance screen changed, revealing a slender, beautiful young figure.

Her crimson-purple hair was tied into a ponytail that fell past her shoulders. Beneath a Duckbill Cap was a face as exquisitely sculpted as a statue, while the occasional sharp glint in her ink-black pupils sent chills down one's spine.

A gentle breeze swept through the woods. Her bright eyes were captivating, and the profile of half her face reflected an elusive brilliance.

Beneath her feet, three deep-purple soul rings pulsed. The delicate jade-like fingers of her right hand spun a white brush over a foot long. With casual strokes, she sketched one lifelike fierce beast after another, surrounding three Soul Elders.

"The Divine Brush Martial Soul... the Yu Family?" Luan Hongchen recognized the origin of the girl's Martial Soul, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Within the Federal Military, the Five Great Families stood side by side. Every one of them possessed deep foundations and influenced at least one legion.

Among the Five Great Families, the publicly acknowledged strongest was the Yu Family, which controlled the Central Legion. Its current Patriarch, Yu Guanzhi, was a Federation hawkish general, commander of the Central Legion, vice minister of the Military Department, Deputy Hall Master of the War God Hall, a veteran Demi-God, and bore the title Divine Brush. He was one of the top three giants in the military hierarchy.

The girl before them was naturally still immature compared with His Excellency Divine Brush, but Luan Hongchen could never mistake that inherited Divine Brush Martial Soul!

"That's right. One of the three people she's surrounding is Mighty Mount Tai, twenty-second on the Young Genius Ranking. Looks like they're done for."

Han Tianyi watched the battle intently. Mount Tai's body was enormous, and his Martial Soul was the immensely powerful King Kong Baboon. Even after Martial Soul Possession enlarged him to over four meters tall, he was still at a complete disadvantage.

More than a dozen savage beasts surrounded the three of them, tearing chunks of flesh from Mount Tai and his companions. Scattered sunlight illuminated the shocking wounds.

Moments later, Mount Tai and the other two were swallowed by the beasts and vanished from the Spirit Ascension Platform. Having achieved a Complete Victory, the girl rested nearby and had the beasts stand guard.

"She's Regiment Commander Yu's precious granddaughter, Yu Xin. I met her a few years ago and almost didn't recognize her."

Luan Hongchen stared at the girl painting fierce beasts with splashes of ink and said quietly:

"She's about twelve years old and at the peak of Three Rings. The Yu Family truly has a worthy successor."

"If they had no successors, the Yu Family wouldn't be the military's foremost family."

Han Tianyi Frowned. "I'm somewhat worried about Zaixing. If he runs into her, he could be in danger."

"You mean..."

"Battle Armor! If the Yu Family has completed a One-Word Battle Armor made of living metal for her, Zaixing will be no match for her no matter what." Han Tianyi's expression was grave.

The Yu Family had held the position of the military's foremost family for a thousand years. Though the family had no Divine Craftsman, it did have a Saint Craftsman overseeing it. High-level mecha designers and manufacturers were even less of an issue.

Remembering the power of a One-Word Battle Armor, Luan Hongchen's face twitched.

"That's... Wait, no. Why isn't she on the talent ranking you made? Who at the Spirit Pagoda made such a crude list?"

Luan Hongchen was certain that no one surnamed Yu appeared on the Young Genius Ranking.

"You can't put everyone on the ranking. The Spirit Pagoda makes rankings to display strength, not to offend people."

Han Tianyi replied irritably. "If she doesn't want to be listed, she could sweep through the entire Junior Spirit Ascension Platform and still not make the ranking, unless she agrees to media coverage like Zaixing did."

"Then this is bad. This academy head needs to send someone to help!"

The deep green forest exuded an uneasy air. Rotten earth buried lifeless corpses, while blazing flames burned in heaps, incinerating three masses of dark-purple poison webs.

Boom!

A massive figure that had been flung away smashed into a tree trunk several meters away and collapsed without rising again.

It was a huge eight-legged spider. Its black carapace was shattered into fragments, as if it had been smashed apart by a terrifying blunt weapon. The human face beneath its abdomen was pierced by three sharp arrows and burned to ash.

After calming the surging blood and qi within him, Feng Zaixing looked at the dying demon spider and slowly shook his head.

"A three-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider. Not quite enough."

The spider armor shattered, and the poison webs dispersed. A mass of cold energy rose from its human face and flowed into the purple soul ring beneath the boy's feet, one tinged with black.

"Ao wu! Ao wu!"

Behind him came the delighted roars of the Heavenly Sacred Winged Divine Tiger. With a single leap, the Tiger King in his kitty form carried the supreme Silver Dragon King over, circling the demon spider's corpse with his head held high as he delivered his victory speech.

How dare a tiny demon spider show off before this king? This king did not even need to act to take your life!

"Kitty, don't be anxious. Big Brother is so amazing that he'll soon gather enough spirit energy to help you level up." Na'er happily rode atop Heavenly Saint, stroking his head and giggling sweetly.

The Tiger King's aura immediately wilted again. He did not even look at Feng Zaixing's gloating face, merely lowering his head in silence.

You bastard who values his little sister over his friend, this king has seen through you!

He had tried using the Tiger Clan language to explain that he was not a cat but a tiger. Yet Na'er could not understand him at all and only laughed cheerfully.

The Jade Snow Dragon was equally despairing. It had only just received favor from its lord when the little one stole its right to serve as a mount. Powerlessly fluttering its dragon wings, it flew through the green mountains and clear waters as a sentry.

Suddenly, it shook its wings and issued a warning.

Feng Zaixing also noticed someone approaching. He turned, drew his bow, and condensed an arrow. But when he saw the newcomer's cultivation, the arrow swiftly dispersed.

A Two Rings Soul Grandmaster. No arrow was needed.

Xu Yucheng was small and thin, with gray hair, gray eyes, and a pale face. He carried a Dark Demon Scythe longer than his own body over one shoulder, dragging a long shadow beneath the forest leaves.

"Hello. There's a terrifying person roaming the Spirit Ascension Platform. I'm your senior, Xu Yucheng. I received the academy head's order to guide you. Please advise me."