What makes a genius

Luo Yun looked somewhat grave. He slowly shook his head, then turned his gaze to Liu Qingfeng.

"Liu, did you know he came from Sin City?"

Liu Qingfeng's expression remained unchanged. "What does where he comes from have to do with whether he's my student?"

"Besides, under Sin City's rules, no matter how heinous someone's crimes were before, once they walk out, the past is no longer held against them."

"Unless they kill again."

"As long as he hasn't done anything wrong, he remains my student."

As Liu Qingfeng spoke, he walked in front of Yu Sheng, shielding him behind his back.

Yu Sheng, who had remained silent all this time, raised his head in bewilderment and looked at Liu Qingfeng's back, seemingly puzzled. Only after a long while did he silently lower his head again.

Meanwhile, Du Xu, who was still lying on the ground, looked at Yu Sheng with a faint, unfathomable undertone in his gaze.

Seeing Liu Qingfeng's attitude, Luo Yun scratched his head in irritation.

"Forget it. None of this has anything to do with me anyway."

"My enemies are demons, not humans."

Speaking in a subdued voice, Luo Yun glanced at the fading light. "That's it for today's assessment. We'll continue tomorrow."

"There's plenty of room in the factory. Find somewhere to sleep."

"It's been years. Want a drink?"

Luo Yun threw an arm around Liu Qingfeng's shoulders, looking somewhat expectant.

Liu Qingfeng shook his head. "My students are still here."

Luo Yun snorted and furtively leaned over to Liu Qingfeng's ear, muttering a few words while arching his eyebrows toward a surveillance camera in the corner.

But Liu Qingfeng had no intention of entertaining him any further. He turned and left.

"Ah, Boss Liu is still as boring as ever."

"A real clam."

With those teasing remarks, Luo Yun returned to his off-road vehicle under everyone's gaze and drove away, leaving the students standing there dumbfounded.

He... he just left?

We're fucking outside the city!

Without the protection of the Guard Bureau, the Reserve Corps, or the Ink Pavilion, who knew what might happen!

And nobody said the assessment would last until tomorrow.

Looking at the darkening sky and the desolate surroundings, everyone's hearts instantly rose into their throats.

Fortunately, the accompanying teachers were still there, and each led their own school's students into the factory.

However, the factory looked as though it had stood unused for years. The air smelled damp, and the plaster on the surrounding walls had cracked.

Some of the iron doors were covered in patches of rust.

"What the hell is this guy doing?"

"I swear, if I ever go on another assignment with him, I'm an idiot!"

The two people in the surveillance room were still groaning in anguish.

He ran off halfway through the assessment?

And left them behind too?

If they'd been assigned to some other remote city, they would probably have finished by now!

And...

What made it even harder to bear was the teammate lying behind them, snoring away.

Their only consolation was that this assessment could at least be said to have uncovered a few promising prospects.

Xiao Zifeng, who had been the first to think of shouting.

Du Xu, with his innate streak of madness.

And most importantly... Yu Sheng, who came from Sin City.

To most people, Sin City was synonymous with mystery to begin with. On top of that, the decisiveness and ruthlessness Yu Sheng had displayed when he struck had astonished even them.

In fact, if the rules of this assessment had allowed killing...

Du Xu might have become a corpse the instant he made his move.

That was absolutely no joke.

For the moment, Yu Sheng had become a primary focus of their observation.

In a corner.

Zhao Zicheng looked at the filthy floor, but ultimately could not bring himself to sit down. Li Kai and Yang Ruoxin likewise remained standing.

Liu Qingfeng and Yu Sheng, on the other hand, sat down without a care.

"Teacher, there's something I don't understand."

Zhao Zicheng looked at Liu Qingfeng with a trace of respect in his eyes and asked cautiously.

Liu Qingfeng nodded. He always grew a little gentler when facing his students. "Go ahead."

"Doesn't greater talent mean greater achievements in the future?"

"Why has that person from the Demon-Slaughtering Pavilion... never looked at our talent...?"

Zhao Zicheng was puzzled.

He thought his five-pattern potential might not be particularly high in the grand scheme of things, but compared with everyone present, it was still excellent.

Those childish fights were nothing but a joke before awakened individuals.

That included Yu Sheng.

Although his current strength overwhelmed everyone present, once they all awakened and their eggs hatched, if the Awakening Object Yu Sheng hatched had mediocre effects while theirs had exceptional destructive power, Yu Sheng would fade completely into mediocrity within half a year at most.

They, meanwhile, would soar.

So, to Zhao Zicheng, this made very little sense.

Liu Qingfeng raised his head and looked seriously at Zhao Zicheng before speaking slowly. "Do you think talent is important?"

"Yes, talent is the most important factor in determining whether someone can reach the pinnacle."

"But this world has no shortage of geniuses."

"With the Human Race's enormous population, it's perfectly normal for some geniuses to emerge every year. If having talent meant you would stand at the pinnacle of this world, the Human Race would have subdued the Demon Clan long ago."

Liu Qingfeng's words had clearly also drawn the attention of students from the other schools.

Everyone instinctively listened to Liu Qingfeng.

"I've lost count of how many geniuses I've seen myself."

"But what became of them?"

"How many truly rose to greatness?"

"I've seen those who considered themselves exceptionally gifted and superior to others, only to fail where they least expected because of their arrogance."

"I've seen the pride of prestigious schools set foot on Demon-Suppressing Pass, only to tremble in terror and lose their heads without killing a single enemy."

"I've also seen those who thought too highly of themselves, lost themselves in luxury, missed the best years for cultivation, and ultimately faded into obscurity."

Liu Qingfeng's voice was somewhat low, a look of reminiscence in his eyes.

He, too, had once been young.

His aptitude had not been outstanding.

He had also personally witnessed some of the prodigies praised by countless people in his day. Some had risen like blazing suns, displaying invincible might.

Others... had been like a joke, like canaries, never displaying any edge of their own.

"The last thing this world lacks is geniuses."

"You could pick out a whole handful at random from the Ink Pavilion, and every one of them would be more talented than you."

"But does that have any value?"

"You've never been to the Human Race's Four Great Passes. Human lives are like grass there, worth even less than a mouthful of water or a loaf of bread."

"Whether you survive depends not on your talent, but on your temperament and your luck."

"Poor talent doesn't mean you can't cultivate your way to the pinnacle of this world."

"But a poor temperament is what's truly terrifying."

"Without the resolve to press forward fearlessly, without the presence of mind to stay calm when things happen, without sufficient vigilance..."

"In the end, you'll be nothing but a joke."