Chapter 36: I Also Want to Join South School

"You come with me." The School Master of South School gestured to Titus. Titus followed. Under the guidance of the School Master of South School, Titus returned to the Road of Life and Death, where the Virtual Realm Heavenly Clock still hung in its original place. "You can live here for now," said the School Master of South School. "Live here?" Titus frowned, "School Master, doesn't our South School have other accommodations?" "There are, but they were taken over by North School," the School Master of South School casually replied. "Taken over by North School?" Titus looked at School Master William in surprise. "Originally, our South School occupied half of the territory in South Figaro Martial Hall. Later, due to the conflict with North School, not only our living places but also half of our Martial Cultivation resources were taken away." School Master William slowly said, "Now, our entire South School is left with only this Road of Life and Death. It wasn’t taken because this place is where we assess disciples for South School, and with over a hundred mechanical guards stationed, the disciples of North School dared not come here." "However, the mechanical guards here were destroyed by you. In a month, North School will surely come to fight for it. By then, not to mention a place to stay, whether you can survive is a question." "School Master, does South School have a grudge against North School?" Titus couldn't help asking. "No grudge, it's a tradition, a tradition passed down by our ancestors. South School and North School have always had different philosophies. South School values quality over quantity, so we don't have many members, the most being only ten at one time. Even with just ten, we were comparable to the thirty thousand of North School at that time." School Master William said, his eyes shining differently, "The disciples we accept in South School must be able to match three thousand. It was so in the past, and it is the same now." "North School, on the other hand, believes in the power of numbers, thinking the more disciples, the stronger the force." "The conflict between the southern and northern academies of South Figaro Martial Hall has been around for nearly a thousand years. My junior brother Zenith, the current School Master of North School of South Figaro Martial Hall, always believes that more disciples are better, but he never realized that true strength is not achieved by numbers." Hearing this, Titus roughly understood what the conflict between the two academies was about, but he did not expect to be caught in the middle of it. "School Master, I heard from the School Master of North School that I only have one month?" Titus looked at School Master William. "If South School has no disciples, it will be temporarily dormant, and North School will take over the entire South Figaro Martial Hall. However, if South School recruits a disciple, then South School will be re-established, and North School will rise again. The two academies have an agreement for fairness, so the disciple of South School will have a month of safety time." School Master William slowly said, "During this month, as long as you don't provoke members of North School, they will not touch you." "And after a month?" Titus quickly asked. "After a month? Naturally, they will want to kill you," School Master William said. "Why?" Titus was stunned. "Because the existence of South School will divide the rights and interests of North School. Originally, there were no disciples in South School, so it was dormant, and North School took over the entire South Figaro Martial Hall. Now, with South School re-established, a portion of the rights and interests must be divided. If you were the ruler of North School, would you be willing?" School Master William glanced at Titus. "Of course not..." Titus smiled bitterly and shook his head. He had felt something wrong earlier, and as expected, he had fallen into a trap. Then, remembering something, he asked School Master William, "School Master, didn’t you say I am the seventh direct disciple of the eighty-first generation? What about the other six disciples?" "They died," School Master William replied indifferently. Titus fell silent, originally thinking there would be others, but they were all dead. "Aren't you going to ask why they died?" School Master William was somewhat surprised by Titus's silence; normally, Titus should have asked by now. "What's there to ask, it was their own choice." Titus shook his head, "The Road of Life and Death was their choice. Since they entered the Road of Life and Death and joined South School, they must have been prepared for death." Everyone might have different reasons for joining South School, but they must have been voluntary. Titus joined South School because of his family. School Master William nodded slightly, pleased that Titus could see things clearly. "The conflict between the southern and northern academies is not a bad thing for you; it might even be a good thing. That is, if you can survive the challenge after a month," School Master William said. "A good thing?" Titus frowned. "Don’t you think our South School is impoverished? Let me tell you the truth, if you can survive the challenge after a month, you will be able to divide a tenth of the Martial Cultivation resources of the three thousand members of North School from that month." School Master William slowly said, "A tenth of the Martial Cultivation resources is more than enough for you to break into the Innate Realm.You must understand that your Sea of Qi is only filled to thirty percent. In terms of Martial Cultivation, you are already half-crippled. It's not that a half-crippled Martial Cultivation cannot break through and become stronger, but the difficulty is higher, and the resources required are much greater." "To break through to the Innate Realm, the Martial Cultivation resources you need are at least tens or even hundreds of times more than those of other Martial Cultivators." "Such a massive amount of resources would be coveted by any power, including North School. They would choose to allocate Martial Cultivation resources to other Martial Cultivators." "Without the conflict between the southern and northern academies, you would have no chance of obtaining so many Martial Cultivation resources. And the first time, it's only a tenth; the second time, it will be a quarter; by the third time, it will reach half. If you survive to the fourth challenge, which is a year later, you will own the entire South Figaro Martial Hall's cultivation resources." Titus's expression remained unchanged, unfazed. Others might be excited by these words, but Titus, with the memories of the Venerable Clowde, would not be excited. Even without the cultivation resources of South Figaro Martial Hall, Titus could go further in the future, only it would take a bit longer. If he had the cultivation resources of South Figaro Martial Hall, naturally, it would be faster. "Aren't you excited at all?" School Master William frowned, finding Titus's expression too calm. Usually, when he said these things, the six disciples were very excited, only Titus remained unchanged. "The first challenge from North School will result in my death, right?" Titus looked at School Master William. "There's a ninety percent chance of death, only a ten percent chance of survival," School Master William said. "How strong will the opponent be?" Titus continued to ask. "At least members of the gold order level, and possibly even members of the purple crystal order. Don't worry, members of the ground list won't take action in the first round. They will probably take action in the third or fourth round," School Master William explained. "Does South Figaro Martial Hall have ground list members?" Titus expressed surprise. The ground list is a list established by the Yanille Empire, covering all Martial Cultivators in the Yanille Empire region from ages ten to thirty. However, those who can be listed on the ground list are the top Martial Cultivation geniuses in the Yanille Empire. "Of course, there are. Our South Figaro Martial Hall is, after all, a top martial hall in the Xanth City of Yanille Empire, how could it not have ground list members? But, I hope that you can be listed on the ground list in the future." "Of course, that's for the future. What you need to do now is to survive the challenge in a month. Only by surviving can you qualify to continue cultivating. Having said so much, you should understand, right?" School Master William said. "I understand," Titus nodded. At this moment, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed in. Anya, in a light blue martial robe and slightly pale due to injuries, had the look of a frail beauty. "School Master, I also want to join South School," Anya said, biting her silver teeth.