Chapter 106: Geniuses from Other Planets

“What if I have nine Aperture Points?”

Jiang Yan countered.

Cheng Wu was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. Wiping tears from his eyes, he explained with a smirk, “Bro Jiang, stop joking around. You’ve already opened one Aperture in the Acquired stage—how could you possibly have nine Aperture Points?”

Jiang Yan stared calmly at Cheng Wu. “I’m saying what if.”

“Uh…” Cheng Wu scratched his head, not understanding why Jiang Yan would ask such a question, but he answered truthfully nonetheless. “If you really had nine Aperture Points, Bro Jiang, you’d have to spend a massive amount of time and resources to refine each of those Apertures. It would be like upgrading them one by one.”

“The more Apertures you refine, the more solid your foundation becomes. That’s why Martial Artists who open more Apertures often remain in the Mystic Aperture Realm for a long time—otherwise, they would have already broken through to the Spirit Platform Realm long ago.”

“Of course, some Martial Artists are impatient for success and skip the Mystic Aperture Realm entirely, stepping directly into the Spirit Platform Realm. The consequence of doing so is the complete ruin of their martial path—they’ll never amount to anything for the rest of their lives.”

“Refining Apertures requires a huge amount of Spiritual Plants and precious medicines. The consumption for each Aperture is terrifyingly high. Generally speaking, those geniuses who open many Apertures but lack background are fiercely competed for by major powers. These powers provide them with cultivation resources, and in return, when those individuals grow stronger, they give back to the organization.”

Jiang Yan understood Cheng Wu’s meaning. Simply put, the Mystic Aperture Realm is about developing the body’s Aperture Points. Once that development is complete, breaking through to the Spirit Platform Realm becomes a natural progression.

Of course, this only applies to Martial Artists with cultivation talent.

In other words, if Jiang Yan wanted to, he could immediately skip the Mystic Aperture Realm and step into the Spirit Platform Realm.

Jiang Yan pondered silently, “In that case, the amount of rare treasures I’d need to consume would likely be a terrifying number, simply because there are so many Aperture Points.”

“With sufficient resources and the boost from [Heaven Rewards Diligence], I could even open Apertures and refine them simultaneously, achieving astonishing cultivation speed.”

Relying solely on the meager monthly merit points was clearly unrealistic. Jiang Yan would open even more Apertures in the future, consuming even greater resources.

Cheng Wu suggested, “Bro Jiang, even though you haven’t opened many Apertures, your strength is undeniable. Have you considered joining a major power?”

Jiang Yan shook his head.

Opening multiple Apertures in the Acquired stage was simply too unbelievable. Moreover, he wasn’t a native of Tianyuan Star. If he encountered someone like Professor Lan, who loved academic research, he’d probably be dragged into a laboratory for study.

“I’ve heard your planet has quite a few Secret Realms, with many rare treasures inside that aid in Aperture Opening?” Jiang Yan asked.

“That’s true, but many of those Secret Realms are controlled by major powers or the authorities. It wouldn’t be easy for you to enter, Bro Jiang.”

“Fortunately, our Silver Radiance Academy offers good benefits. Last year, we jointly purchased a promising Secret Realm with Golden Radiance Academy. It’s only been opened once, and most of its treasures remain untapped.”

“Are there any conditions for entering the Secret Realm?”

“Of course. To prevent those bastards from Golden Radiance Academy from taking advantage, the academy last time sent its most powerful senior students to compete.”

“After all, it’s a jointly purchased Secret Realm. The more benefits the students from one side gain, the more their academy recovers its investment.”

“Bro Jiang, you’re the man who broke through to the ninetieth floor. When the Secret Realm opens next time, you’ll definitely have a spot. You can rest assured.”

…

Jiang Yan returned to his room to continue cultivating.

A massive surge of black Qi erupted, and a deep, mysterious shadow gradually took shape.

Jiang Yan had grown too lazy to customize appearances; this pitch-black form was more suitable for ambushes anyway.

Within him, three Doppelgangers were already stored, each uniformly dark and exuding a sinister, unrestrained aura.

“Hmm, why does this feel a bit like the murderer from that detective show?”

After admiring them for a while, Jiang Yan continued to condense the next Doppelganger.

…

That day, the dormitory door was knocked.

Jiang Yan was in the Battle Space, fighting insects. The five Doppelgangers had greatly enhanced his stamina, giving him hope of surviving the insect tide in a single life.

Cheng Wu went to open the door and found two unfamiliar faces.

“Hello, brother, I’m Pei Qin.”

The speaker was a thin, frail-looking boy with delicate skin, appearing harmless.

The other man didn’t speak, his face cold and aloof. He snorted disdainfully and walked into the room on his own.

Oh? Daring to give your Grandpa Cheng attitude? Go out and ask around—which hero in the Jianghu doesn’t respectfully call me Lord Cheng when they see me?

Just as Cheng Wu was about to roll up his sleeves to teach the rude guy a lesson, he noticed a woman with a cold expression standing outside the door.

Cheng Wu immediately changed his expression to one of flattery and lowered his sleeves.

“So it’s Teacher Su! Come in, come in, have a seat.”

Teacher Su waved her hand and said calmly, “No need to come in. I’m here to give you some instructions.”

“Teacher Su, just give the order. Whether there are credits or not, I, Little Cheng, will do my best. But, speaking of which, if there really are credits… hehe.”

“The two who just entered are the strongest Geniuses Professor Lan brought from other planets. From now on, they’ll be living in the same dormitory as you. As the dorm leader, you need to observe their cultivation progress and report to me daily via text message.”

Cheng Wu’s eyes widened like bull’s eyes. “When did I become the dorm leader? And observing their cultivation progress—isn’t that just like being a peeping tom? What if they misunderstand?”

Cheng Wu frowned, looking unwilling.

Teacher Su: “There are credits.”

Cheng Wu pouted. “It’s not about the credits, and also—”

Teacher Su: “And points.”

Cheng Wu paused, testing the waters. “How much?”

Su: “Three hundred.”

Cheng Wu immediately declared righteously, “I, Cheng Wu, would never do something like peeping.”

Su: “Three hundred. Daily.”

Cheng Wu stood at attention, back straight. “I guarantee the mission will be completed!”

After Teacher Su left, Cheng Wu closed the door and muttered to himself, “Why observe their cultivation progress? Is there some secret involved?”

“Forget it, I’ll tell Bro Jiang later.”

Inside the dormitory, the thin boy named Pei Qin was tidying up his bedding.

As for the slightly taller man, he was sitting in the living room, legs crossed, watching TV. Noticing Cheng Wu looking at him, he turned his head disdainfully.

“What are you looking at? Clean out your room for me to live in.”

“F*ck you—”

Cheng Wu had never endured such disrespect. He immediately rushed over and slammed a slipper into the man’s face.

“You bastard, who do you think you are? Bro Jiang? Daring to order me around? If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’ll write my name backward!”

“Damn it, you dare hit me? Do you know who I am?”

“Do you know who your ancestor Cheng is?”

In the living room, two figures wrestled together, devoid of Martial Skill or special effects, engaged only in the most primal contest of human muscle.

Meanwhile, in another room, the slender young man named Pei Qin paid no heed as he smoothed out his bedding, closed the door, and sat cross-legged to begin his cultivation.