Chapter 47 - A New Path to Wealth

After a prolonged, peculiar silence, it was Wu Jian's enthusiastic praise that finally broke the stillness.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, Su Mu! You've truly mastered the Spirit-Channeling Runes!"

Wu Jian was full of compliments, extremely satisfied with Su Mu, his face blooming into a wide smile.

The other runic formation Major teachers reacted much the same.

To witness firsthand the improvements to the Spirit-Channeling Runes and to hear the explanations from the innovator himself was to them like witnessing history.

However, this time, the recruitment teachers didn't give them much time to sing their praises. They were eager to quiz Su Mu about the Brilliant Peach Blossom Fragrance Pellet, Fire-Attracting Spell, and Multi-functional Precision Hammer.

They all asked for the theoretical basis behind the improvements, not the specific techniques.

The scene became somewhat chaotic, with Su Mu unsure of which to explain first. Fortunately, the recruitment teachers didn't make it difficult for him; they quickly decided on an order for him to present his explanations, following the sequence of the examination.

Su Mu's explanations on these three topics were also met with great satisfaction from the recruitment teachers.

Their amazement was even more profound!

Examinees who could make improvements to specialized subjects during their examinations were few and far between. To improve upon four areas of knowledge at once, and to articulate the reasoning behind them clearly and logically, was unheard of. If not entirely unprecedented, it was certainly a rarity in recent years.

The recruitment teachers exchanged looks, and without saying a word, they all came to one conclusion—if Su Mu wasn't lying, then he truly was a genius with incredible talent. His future achievements were immeasurable!

They managed to suppress the urge to invite him right then and there.

It wasn't that they didn't want to; it was that there were competitors around. If one were to extend an invitation, the others would surely interfere, and an argument might ensue. What if this left a bad impression on Su Mu? That would be disastrous.

It would be better to approach Su Mu privately after the session.

At least there would be no one around to cause trouble or hold them back.

After speaking so much, Su Mu's throat was dry, and he quickly finished the tea in his cup. It tasted quite good. Initially, there was a slight bitterness, but it wasn't overpowering and was quite pleasant under the influence of the tea's aroma. The aftertaste was sweet, and his mouth was filled with the fragrance of the tea.

He complimented the taste, "Delicious," and then inquired, "Do the teachers have any other questions?"

"No more questions," Wen Wubin responded, finding Su Mu increasingly agreeable. Smiling warmly, he said, "You like it? Let me give you a box to take home and enjoy."

"Thank you, teacher," Su Mu replied without hesitation. Such a gift was not to be declined, especially when it was free.

The other recruitment teachers ground their teeth in envy.

They wished they could give Su Mu some specialty products from their own schools.

They had come to Qingcheng Mountain for examination supervision and student recruitment, not anticipating the emergence of a genius like Su Mu. Naturally, they hadn't thought to bring gifts in advance.

They could only watch Wen Wubin with frustration.

If looks could kill, Wen Wubin would be riddled with holes.

"May I leave now?" asked Su Mu.

Su Mu's sister was still waiting for him at the foot of the mountain. Right after his examination, he received a message from her saying she was at the mountain gate waiting for him. Although he had messaged her to go back to the hotel first when he was detained, knowing her personality, she was most likely still waiting for him there.

Wen Wubin was about to say he could leave when a recruitment teacher suddenly interjected, "Su Mu, I have a question. During the examination, you reviewed all the Major questions, but why did you only answer those on runic formations, alchemical pills, artifact cultivation, and alchemical cuisine?"

The recruitment teacher who posed this question specialized in flying swords.

And his question was what all the recruitment teachers from Majors not chosen by Su Mu were curious to know.

Su Mu replied, "Firstly, there wasn't enough time, and secondly, I'm more interested in runic formations, alchemical pills, artifact cultivation, and alchemical cuisine."

He thought to himself but did not say: Mainly because answering all the questions would cost too much. If you'd put a few hundred million in the examination space, I could have answered even more questions for you.

"Su Mu, I have to say, our beast taming Major is quite interesting too. Do you like playing with birds? What about spiritual beasts? In our Major, you can catch all kinds of spiritual birds and Fantastical Beasts, and you can also raise and command them. It's like a real-life version of Pokémon or Digimon, doesn't that excite you at all?"

"Su Mu, I can't help but criticize you a bit. Men should learn the sword; flying swords are the romance of men, especially under the bright moonlight, riding on a silver sword, that's so cool! Guaranteed to help you find a partner!"

"Yeah, yeah, why study alchemical pills or runic formations. Those two Majors will only make you go bald, and you won't even be able to find a dao companion. It would be such a waste for a genius like you to go bald."

Seeing these people actually trying to get Su Mu to change Majors, Wen Wubin, Wu Jian, and the other recruitment teachers from runic formations, alchemical pills, alchemical cuisine, and artifact cultivation Majors were immediately anxious.

They all stood on the same front, denouncing their colleagues: "What are you doing? Don't influence Su Mu, let him study what he wants, don't interfere! Su Mu, don't listen to them, interest is the best teacher, follow your interests, we support you!"

After silencing those colleagues, Wen Wubin then said, "Su Mu, give me your phone number and let's add each other on WeChat."

"The theoretical basis behind your modifications to the Spirit-Channeling Runes, Brilliant Peach Blossom Fragrance Pellet, Fire-Attracting Spell, and Multi-functional Precision Hammer, later on, our cultivation universities will help you organize in detail and submit to the top-tier core journal of the Cultivation Association, the 'Cultivation Journal'."

"These four pieces of cultivation knowledge, although they are the lowest level, are widely applied, and your improvements are very effective, there's a great chance they will be published. When that happens, a bonus will be awarded to you. We need your contact details to notify you."

Of course, having his contact details would also make it easier for private interactions...

"A bonus?" Su Mu's eyes lit up.

"Of course," Wen Wubin said with a smile, "The 'Cultivation Journal' is a top-tier academic publication in the country. There's not only a significant cash prize for contributions, but it's also designed to encourage people to improve and innovate in the field of cultivation knowledge."

After a brief pause, he added, "Once you've made your university choices and joined a cultivation university, the school will also provide you with monetary rewards and material incentives. Our Qingcheng Mountain Cultivation University is especially known for its generosity in this regard..."

Seeing him once again promote his own agenda, the other recruitment teachers became impatient and, setting aside their disapproval, they each began to tout the rewards their respective schools offered for the refinement of cultivation knowledge and the publication of papers at various levels.

Su Mu nodded repeatedly, his face breaking into a wide smile, feeling as if he had found a path to wealth.

He couldn't share alchemical formulas or recipes, but many of the theoretical aspects could indeed be written up and published as papers.

Earning prize money would allow him to further spend on enhancing his cultivation knowledge, and then he could go back to earn more prize money.

This seemed like a sustainable path for growth!

One could only wonder if he might eventually drain the reward pools of those journals.