Chapter 44 – My Life Is Destined to Be a Supporting Role, But Who Doesn't Hope—

Regarding how to activate a new instance, Lu Chen made a rough judgment based on the previous activation of the “Instance: Ancient Cultivator Tomb.”

If he remembered correctly, he had only discovered he had activated the game instance after arriving at the school’s cultivation room.

So, was there anything special about the school’s cultivation room?

There certainly was.

Legend had it that the site for Luocheng High School was not chosen on a whim but was the result of careful selection.

What were the reasons for this selection?

First, whether the spiritual power in the area was abundant, and second, whether the feng shui was suitable.

The former was easy to understand, as the abundance of spiritual power directly affected the cultivation speed of the teachers and students at No. 1 High.

Why were the Four Great Academies able to become the most prestigious higher education institutions within the Nine Provinces?

A significant reason was that the locations of the Four Great Academies were among the few blessed lands with the most abundant spiritual power in the entire Nine Provinces.

Many great divine power users and students willing to join the Four Great Academies as lecturers were drawn precisely by this point.

After all, cultivating in such a place for one year could compare to cultivating for two or three years elsewhere—the difference was clear.

Aside from spiritual power, good feng shui was also one of the criteria for selecting school sites.

For most cultivators, you might not believe in fate, but you couldn’t disrespect it.

Thus, the sites chosen for the Four Great Academies were not only blessed lands with abundant spiritual power but were also often the dragon-rising lands of famous sects or ancient dynasties from the past, with excellent feng shui.

Although the site chosen for Luocheng High School wasn’t as extravagant as those of the Four Great Academies, its feng shui was still top-tier within Luocheng.

And the cultivation rooms were located in the best spots within such favorable areas.

This led Lu Chen to think about the conditions for activating an instance.

“Perhaps the key to activating an instance lies in whether the area has ever been home to an existence capable of leaving traces through the ages.”

“Only by approaching such a place might I have the chance to activate an instance…”

After some analysis, Lu Chen felt he had figured out the method for activating instances.

However, for now, this was still just his speculation, and he couldn’t draw a conclusion immediately.

As for how to prove this point, Lu Chen had already thought of a way.

“If my inference is correct, Second High and Third High, which are on par with No. 1 High, should also have the potential to activate some instance.”

“I just need to visit Second High or Third High, and perhaps I’ll understand the principle behind activating instances…”

As the saying goes, practice yields true knowledge.

At the moment, the best way to verify this conclusion was undoubtedly to actually visit Second High or Third High.

If he could indeed activate a new instance then, perhaps the time for his innate divine ability to awaken wasn’t far off.

[Name: Lu Chen (Azure Cloud Sect Inner Disciple)]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage, Seventh Layer (7700/30000)]

[Innate Divine Ability (32/100): Not Awakened]

[Current Experience Points: 1120]

October 8th, a small shop at the entrance of Luocheng High School No. 3.

“Shouyi, we’re both in our final year of high school now. As a top student from No. 1 High, shouldn’t you be focusing all your efforts on preparing for the college entrance exams? How do you still have time to come chat with me?”

Zhao Lu held two bottles of soda with straws inserted, handing one of them to Bian Shouyi.Bian Shouyi took the soda while frowning at the bruise near Zhao Lu’s eye.

“What happened to your face?”

Zhao Lu sat down on the steps beside Bian Shouyi and said casually, “Nothing, just tripped while walking.”

Seemingly unwilling to dwell on the subject, Zhao Lu immediately changed the topic: “Enough about me, let’s talk about you, Shouyi.”

“I heard from Guan Shanshan – who got into No. 1 High like you – that you lost to a student from the Humanity Class in the mock exam.”

“Has your No. 1 High become so impressive that even a Humanity Class student can defeat a genius from the Heaven’s Path Class like you?”

Hearing this, Bian Shouyi immediately recalled his brief encounter with Lu Chen during the mock exam.

He admitted frankly: “Yes, I lost, and I lost badly.”

Zhao Lu looked at him in disbelief: “No way, you actually admitted defeat so easily? Is this really the same Sword Obsessed Shouyi who used to challenge senior students at the slightest provocation? Have you been Possessed or something?”

Bian Shouyi remained remarkably calm.

He took a sip from the glass bottle and said expressionlessly: “A loss is a loss, there’s no shame in admitting it. But I won’t keep losing.”

Seeing the determination in Bian Shouyi’s eyes, Zhao Lu fell silent beside him.

As Bian Shouyi’s childhood best friend, he actually found Bian Shouyi’s defeat harder to accept than anyone else.

Because he had always been chasing after Bian Shouyi’s shadow since they were young.

Hoping that one day he could stand at the same height.

If Bian Shouyi had lost to another student from No. 1 High’s Heaven’s Path Class, Zhao Lu might not have thought much of it.

But Bian Shouyi had lost to a Humanity Class student just like himself.

Although there was a clear resource gap between No. 1 High and Third High, this gap only existed between the two schools’ Heaven’s Path Classes.

The difference between the lower Earth Classes and Humanity Classes wasn’t actually that significant.

In other words, the person who defeated Bian Shouyi was an ‘ordinary person’ just like himself.

Thinking of this, Zhao Lu couldn’t help but sigh: “Your No. 1 High is truly remarkable, to have such a hidden genius even in the Humanity Class.”

“If I’d known, I shouldn’t have chosen Third High because of tuition issues back then. I should have gone to No. 1 High with you.”

Seeing Zhao Lu’s dejected expression, the usually taciturn Bian Shouyi thought for a moment before saying seriously: “Your mother has been working very hard. Besides, Lu Chen is special – he just plays too many games. Otherwise, he definitely could have entered the Heaven’s Path Class initially. It’s not what you think.”

Zhao Lu took a strong sip through his straw and smiled wryly: “What’s so different about it? The Humanity Class selects based on Aptitude. He ended up in the Humanity Class surely because his initial Spirit Root wasn’t good enough.”

“But since he managed to defeat you, that means he must have exceptional talent in areas beyond just Spirit Root Aptitude.”

“Unlike me – my family background is poor, my Aptitude is lacking, even my Comprehension Ability is completely average.”

“Forget about getting into a Dao Academy – I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.”

“But there’s one thing you’re right about – you, Bian Shouyi, will definitely not keep losing.””Even though you lost to that Lu Chen in the mock exam, your future won’t be changed by this one defeat. You’re still the genius Sword Obsessed we all look up to.”

Having said this, Zhao Lu put down the empty soda bottle in his hand, gazing thoughtfully at the bustling street not far away, crowded with people coming and going.

Among them, some hurried along, faces weary, as if they had just finished a day’s work and were heading home.

Others were beaming with delight, dressed in luxurious attire, driving expensive cars that roared past.

But most were like the shopkeeper behind them—simply dressed, smiling as they greeted passing customers, living their ordinary lives.

Zhao Lu felt his own future might end up like that of most people—common and unremarkable.

Yet the more he thought this, the more unwilling he became.

If he had no Aptitude for cultivation, perhaps he wouldn’t envy others.

But fate had given him the Aptitude for cultivation—an Aptitude that not only failed to elevate him further but instead made him acutely aware of the chasm-like gap between himself and others.

It gave him a glimmer of hope, but that hope was truly just a glimmer…

Perhaps sensing Zhao Lu’s despondency, Bian Shouyi, standing beside him, displayed rare emotional intelligence and said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Zhao Lu, didn’t you once say you wanted to write a novel?”

“You said even if you couldn’t get into the Dao Academy and become a true cultivator, you could still become a respectable novelist and live a decent life.”

“So, how’s the novel coming along?”

Hearing this, Zhao Lu replied self-deprecatingly, “That was just childish talk, and you’re the only one who took it seriously. As for the novel… I stopped writing it long ago.”

“Ah? Why?”

Zhao Lu clutched the empty glass bottle in his hands and said calmly, “Shouyi, do you know why I wanted to write a novel back then?”

Bian Shouyi shook his head. “No, you never told me.”

Zhao Lu lowered his head, his eyes vacant as he stared at the road not far away.

“The reason I wanted to write a novel was because my life was too ordinary and mundane. I wanted to experience a completely different life through fiction.”

“I consider myself average in looks and from an ordinary family—I can’t dazzle anyone’s youth, nor do I have any enduring affection.”

“Whether in the past or the future, my life is destined to remain unchanged, unable to stir even a ripple.”

“But a novel is different. In a novel, there are not only fantastical worlds but also lives I could never attain.”

“And whether the story ends in Perfection or regret, the journey is always thrilling—something I yearn for but can never reach.”

“Shouyi, everyone wishes they were the one on stage, but I know very well the stage is only so big. Ordinary people like me are destined never to stand on it.”

“So, back then, I hoped to build a stage of my own through writing a novel. But reality taught me… falsehoods remain falsehoods. They can’t deceive others—only yourself.”

“No matter how beautiful a bubble is, it’s still just a bubble. One day, it will burst.”

Zhao Lu stood up, preparing to return the empty glass bottle to the shopkeeper.

But as he passed by Bian Shouyi, he suddenly said, “Shouyi, you came to see me today for a reason, didn’t you?”Bian Shouyi finished the soda in his hand in one gulp and stood up as well.

“Auntie asked me to come find you. She said your birthday is coming up soon and hopes you can make time to visit home. After all, you haven’t been back for over a month and haven’t returned any calls. She’s worried about you.”

“She knows you’re under a lot of academic pressure, so she didn’t want to disturb you directly. That’s why she asked me to relay the message.”

“Auntie said you shouldn’t worry too much. She’ll work hard to earn more money and try her best to buy you some cultivation resources to ease your burden.”

“You just focus on cultivating properly at school – she’ll handle everything else.”

Hearing this, Zhao Lu nodded calmly, then placed the glass bottle in his hand into the basket placed at the entrance of the small shop.

When he turned back, he replied with a serious expression: “Shouyi, please tell her I’ll go back when I have time.”

“But…”

“That’s all for now, Shouyi. I’m really glad you came to see me today.”

“But unlike a Genius like you, I have to seize every moment for cultivation. Otherwise, I really won’t have any chance of getting into the Dao Academy. See you later.”

With that, Zhao Lu bid farewell to Bian Shouyi and turned to walk toward the school.

Watching his retreating figure, Bian Shouyi felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to his good friend, yet Zhao Lu clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

If it were someone with a more enthusiastic personality, they might have pressed Zhao Lu for answers right then.

But for Bian Shouyi, who was wholly devoted to Sword practice and poor at social interactions, such intrusive behavior was something he would never consider.

‘Maybe I’m overthinking it. If Zhao Lu really had something going on, he would definitely tell me himself…’

With this thought, Bian Shouyi stopped worrying.

He went to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and left Luocheng High School No. 3.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lu, who had reached the school gate, watched Bian Shouyi get into the taxi and leave, secretly clenching the fist hidden in his pants pocket.

Shouyi, although my life is destined to be a supporting role, who doesn’t wish to stand in the spotlight?

I’m not resigned to this. I’m truly not resigned to this.

Why am I destined to sit in the audience clapping? I want to stand on that stage too, performing the life that belongs to me.

Lu Chen from the Humanity Class, right…

Someone even Shouyi could defeat should make good Materials, I suppose.

After all, you’re from the Humanity Class, Lu Chen, and I, Zhao Lu, am also from the Humanity Class.

If I can consume you, does that mean I, also from the Humanity Class, might one day properly defeat Shouyi on that stage?

This… is really quite exciting.

Thinking this, Zhao Lu somewhat morbidly licked his dry, cracked lips, then strode purposefully into the depths of Third High…

“Student, student, what’s going on with you? I asked why you want to visit our school. Why aren’t you answering me?”

The Third High security guard looked somewhat displeased at the handsome young man wearing No. 1 High’s uniform, asking curiously.

Hearing this, Lu Chen immediately withdrew his gaze from a certain student inside Third High.

He said apologetically, “Sorry, I think I just saw my former junior high classmate, so I got distracted for a moment.”

“But you still can’t ignore people. After all, you’re not a student of our school – I can’t just let you in casually.””I see. Could you wait a moment while I contact my homeroom teacher at No. 1 High to discuss this with you?”

Seeing Lu Chen’s polite attitude, the security guard went along with his suggestion: “If both teachers can reach an agreement, I can let you in.”

“Alright, please wait a moment. I’ll call my homeroom teacher right away.”

“Go ahead.”

Lu Chen walked to the side of the school gate and took out his phone to call Old Chen.

During this process, he stared thoughtfully at the figure that had disappeared into the teaching building inside Third High.

That figure was none other than Zhao Lu, who had just passed by him moments earlier.

Recalling the strange aura he had sensed from Zhao Lu, Lu Chen’s mind filled with questions.

Why could he hear… two distinct heartbeats from a single person?

Moreover, when he had used his Azure Lotus Eyes to observe the young man earlier, the aura surrounding him had been equally peculiar.

So peculiar that the person’s Spiritual Power… appeared clearly divided into distinct parts.

It was as if some of the Spiritual Power within his body didn’t belong to him at all.

Strange, truly strange.

But before Lu Chen could ponder further, the call to Chen Fugui connected.

“Hey, Little Lu, why are you calling me out of the blue? Don’t tell me you want to ask for leave again. You’ve already taken over a week off – there’s absolutely no way I’m approving any more leave.”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming. You’re definitely trying to see if you can skip school to keep playing games. Let me tell you, no chance! Understand?”

“The college entrance exams are almost here! Even with your astonishing Comprehension Ability, don’t think you can skip classes to play that damned game of yours. Focus on your cultivation!”

Hearing the torrent of scolding from the other end, Lu Chen instinctively held the phone away from his ear.

Only after Old Chen finished did Lu Chen bring the phone back and say helplessly: “Old Chen, I’ve told you my last leave was genuinely an accident, not for gaming.”

“And I’m not calling to ask for leave this time. I need you to help me communicate with Third High’s teachers – I want to visit some old classmates.”

“Visit old classmates at Third High? Alright, alright, I’ll contact Third High right away.”

“But listen carefully – after visiting your classmates, come back and focus on your cultivation.”

“Also, I specially purchased some cultivation resources for you. Remember to come see me when you return, understand?”

“Understood, understood.”

After hanging up, Lu Chen couldn’t help but sigh.

Although playing the role of a gaming addict was part of his planned persona,

maintaining such a convincing act did come with its inconveniences.

Case in point: Old Chen had developed serious misunderstandings about him because of this near-perfect performance.

He actually thought Lu Chen wanted more leave to play games.

Did he really think Lu Chen was the type to constantly scheme for time off just to enjoy gaming?

Lu Chen pondered – if he could actually get continuous leave to play True Immortal Cultivation at home all day… that actually sounded… rather nice!

Alright, Old Chen, your judgment of people is quite accurate. You’ve seen right through me.

Maybe I should think of ways to request more leave in the future?

Never mind. If I actually did that, Old Chen would probably come arrest me in person. Better maintain the status quo.

“Alright student, our teachers have been informed about your situation. You may enter.”

“Thank you, uncle. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Lu Chen walked through Third High’s gates and looked up at the unfamiliar campus.I hope I haven’t guessed wrong about how to activate the instance, otherwise this trip would be wasted.

With this thought in mind, Lu Chen headed straight toward the depths of Third High.

His target… was directly aimed at Third High’s Cultivation Room.

(End of Chapter)