Chapter 389 - 229: Misunderstanding
He looked at Wei Wu, his expression countless times gentler than it had been during the tea break. A hint of an encouraging smile touched his lips:
"Xiaowei, that project idea you mentioned to me during the tea break... do you have a more systematic proposal document for it now?
After hearing what the Changning King said, I’m quite interested myself. If you have a detailed proposal, please send it to me as soon as possible, if it’s convenient."
A sudden turn of events! Wei Wu could hardly believe his ears.
This titan, who didn’t seem to want to waste a single minute, was now taking the initiative to ask about his project.
He immediately shot to his feet, his voice trembling with excitement.
"I do! I have a detailed proposal! Academician Wang, I... I’ll organize it and email it to you right away! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"
Wang Shouzhuo smiled and waved his hand dismissively, as if he had just done something insignificant.
"Good. Send it over, and I’ll take a close look. For the Changning King to value it so highly, it must be something extraordinary."
The atmosphere in the private room instantly became much more harmonious.
A faint smile played on Li Wen’s lips.
He knew that the outcome of Academician Wang "taking a close look" was more or less a foregone conclusion.
As for what came next, he would let these two top-tier scholars clash and create their sparks, following the rules of the academic world.
And he, for his part, had achieved his goal for this trip: helping an old friend.
At the same time, his much larger plan to level up as a Scholar would accelerate under this new momentum.
Outside the window, the lights of the academic district began to flicker on, illuminating a night sky made even deeper by the distant, phantom-like silhouette of the Demon Realm.
Inside the private room, amidst the clinking of glasses, the trajectory of a young lecturer’s destiny had already been invisibly and monumentally altered.
As for Li Wen, this unexpected reunion had allowed the warmth beneath his cold, King-level facade to inadvertently show through.
It had also subtly closed the distance between him and the top intellectuals in the humanities and social sciences who were present.
This intangible network of connections might just prove to have an unexpected use in the future.
...
「March 25th, 245, Galactic Calendar.」
The morning sun streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the meditation room in a warm, golden light.
Li Wen slowly opened his eyes. For an instant, it was as if lightning and the flash of a blade sparked in their profound depths before they returned to a state of calm.
After a month of dedicated accumulation, he had made significant progress in both his insights into saber techniques and his experience as a Scholar.
With a mere thought, the familiar panel materialized before his eyes.
He completely ignored the 99-plus notifications of "Experience +XXX" that cascaded down like a waterfall.
His gaze landed precisely on the core information:
[Name: Li Wen]
[Age: 36]
[Realm: King-level]
[Profession: Scholar Lv. 17 (2,425,486 → 6,548,654 / 6,553,600)]
[Skill: Saber Technique - Domain Realm (65%)]
[Cultivation Technique: Shocking God Stab - 7th Layer (100%)]
’6,548,654 / 6,553,600...’ Li Wen murmured the experience value, a barely perceptible curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
’Less than five thousand points away from Lv. 18.’
Over the past month, he had maintained an astonishingly high output, publishing three high-quality papers on the academic platform that spanned the four major planets of the Human Race.
Thanks to the positive reputation of his earlier papers spreading and their wider circulation, the download counts had climbed steadily.
Even the least popular one had surpassed three hundred fifty thousand downloads, bringing him a torrent of experience points that far exceeded his expectations.
’These last few thousand points... I’ll definitely get them today.’
He closed the panel and rose, heading for his study.
On his desk, next to several thick, open tomes, lay the first drafts of a few papers, waiting for a final review.
Time was tight, and he needed to make use of every second.
Just then, the personal terminal on his wrist chimed.
Li Wen glanced at it. The message was from the Celestial Martial King.
He opened it, and the Celestial Martial King’s steady voice seemed to emanate from the text:
"Junior Brother Li, have you been well? Regarding the Star Domain, the Venerables wish to organize another expedition for comprehension.
Before we depart, I’d like to gather everyone for a small get-together to share what we’ve learned and exchange information. Do you have time to attend?"
Attached to the message were coordinates for a location: a quiet chamber within Xin Huo University, reserved for high-level Dao discussions.
Li Wen looked at the message and fell silent for a moment.
The Celestial Martial King’s invitation was well-intentioned and also customary.
But right now, he truly couldn’t spare even half a day.
He quickly tapped out a reply, his tone respectful yet apologetic:
"Thank you for the invitation, Senior Brother Tianwu. My cultivation and my research are both at a critical juncture, and I simply can’t get away. I won’t be able to make it over for the gathering, but I will be there on the day of departure."
Message sent successfully.
Li Wen set down the terminal, his gaze returning to the papers on his desk, his mind completely focused.
In order to max out his Scholar class (Lv. 20) as quickly as possible, he had already compressed his life to the absolute extreme.
Every day, aside from the few sacrosanct hours he spent on saber practice—to consolidate and improve his Domain Realm technique, which was at 65%—all his remaining time was poured into the vast ocean of books and the writing of his papers.
He refused nearly all social obligations and activities.
He even turned down the private Dao discussion conferences organized by the circle of King-level experts, which were believed to be hugely beneficial for gaining insights into the Martial Dao.
It was this almost-brutal level of focus and dedication that allowed him to maintain the terrifying efficiency of consistently producing three high-quality papers every month.
After all, even the most respected top scholars, who had been immersed in their fields for decades, might only publish a handful of high-quality papers in their entire lifetimes.
But Li Wen was like a precision academic machine, churning out papers month after month.
His name was already legendary throughout the research communities of the four major planets, where he was hailed as a legend straddling the worlds of the Martial Dao and academia.
However, in the Martial Arts Realm, especially within the elite circle of King-level experts, opinions of Li Wen were quietly undergoing a subtle shift.
"He refused again?" Inside the Dao discussion chamber at Xin Huo University, the atmosphere was congenial.
Besides the Celestial Martial King, the Heaven-Dominating King, Ling Feng, Sun Rui, and three other peak King-level experts from the other planets, including the Myriad Phenomena King, were seated around a table.
When one of them heard Li Wen’s reply on the Celestial Martial King’s terminal, they couldn’t help but speak up, their tone laced with unconcealable regret and confusion.
"Mm," the Celestial Martial King said, putting down his terminal, his expression calm.
"Sigh..." Another burly King-level expert sighed and shook his head.
"What in the world is Junior Brother Li doing? He’s ignoring the supreme path of the Martial Dao to bury his head in books all day, writing those... papers? Even if they’re brilliant, what good are they in the fight against the Demon Race?"
"For our Human Race to repel the phantom of the Demon Realm, we must rely on real Martial Arts Cultivation, on Venerables, on the Saint Realm! Technology? We’ll be waiting until the end of time for that to work!"
"Exactly," Sun Rui couldn’t help but add.
"Senior Brother Li’s talent is something I’ve never witnessed before. Reaching King-level at such a young age, achieving the Domain Realm with his saber technique, possessing a powerful Primordial Spirit... For him to do this now... it’s truly... a waste!"
"Letting trivial pursuits sap his will!" the rather short-tempered Myriad Phenomena King muttered. Though his voice was low, everyone present heard him loud and clear.
Ling Feng opened his mouth, wanting to offer a few words in Li Wen’s defense, but then he recalled his own several, fruitless attempts to persuade Li Wen in private. In the end, he could only sigh.
These criticisms weren’t coming from nowhere.
Over the past few months, Li Wen had missed nearly every private gathering of the King-level circle.
At first, everyone was merely curious. That curiosity gradually turned to confusion, and now, there were quite a few private complaints.
Many felt that this newly ascended Changning King, a man with a boundless future, had seemingly gone astray, squandering the unparalleled talent the heavens had bestowed upon him.
Some even felt he was neglecting his true calling.
Even Fang Chengwu, upon learning of Li Wen’s "obsession" with academia, had personally come to persuade him on several occasions.
Fang Chengwu spoke with heartfelt gravity, recalling Li Wen’s past dedication and diligence on the path of the Martial Dao. He earnestly implored him not to get sidetracked and to always put the Martial Dao first.
Faced with his former teacher and benefactor, Li Wen felt a mix of warmth and helplessness.
He could only respond respectfully, assuring him that he knew what he was doing, while being unable to explain the secret of his system panel and Scholar levels.
Li Wen was not unaware of this advice and the discussions happening behind his back.
He simply chose to remain silent.
He couldn’t possibly tell everyone he had a "Scholar System" and that leveling it up brought core benefits like a qualitative transformation of his Primordial Spirit and a massive surge in his comprehension.
He could only endure the misunderstandings—that he was "wasting his talent" and "letting hobbies sap his will"—and continue walking his own path.
The only thing that brought him some small measure of comfort was that the three Venerables of Xin Huo University—Principal Ye Qin, Venerable Xingxuan, and Venerable Gu He—had never commented on the matter.
They seemed to have tacitly approved of Li Wen’s choice, continuing to grant him maximum autonomy and allowing him to "cultivate on his own."
In the quiet chamber, the murmurs of discussion grew, mostly filled with regret and confusion.
The Celestial Martial King picked up his teacup, took a gentle sip, and let his gaze sweep across the others before speaking slowly.
His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable weight. "Everyone, calm yourselves."
The others quieted down and looked at him.
"Junior Brother Li has always had his reasons for his actions." The Celestial Martial King set down his cup, his eyes profound.
"You only see him writing papers, but have you ever considered this? He broke through to King-level in a remarkably short time, condensed a Cosmic Domain, and his saber technique has entered the Domain Realm. Furthermore, his Primordial Spirit cultivation far surpasses that of his peers. Are these achievements that can be gained through ordinary, grueling cultivation?
Perhaps he is simply walking the path that is most suited to him. This path of writing papers... it may well be his unique method for comprehending the heavens and earth, for tempering his will."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Besides, his refusal to join us is not a sign of laziness. His reply clearly stated that both his cultivation and his research are at a critical juncture.
Knowing him, I believe he’s telling the truth. He is likely on the verge of a critical breakthrough.
Instead of sitting here speculating, we should simply wait and see. I believe Junior Brother Li will not disappoint us, and he most certainly will not disappoint the Human Race."
The Celestial Martial King’s words carried a powerful, persuasive force.
Upon hearing this, the others, though still harboring doubts, felt they could not press the matter further.
After all, Li Wen’s past achievements spoke for themselves, and the Celestial Martial King’s judgment and prestige were beyond question.
Still, as they looked at the empty seat, many of them couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
They could only hope that the Celestial Martial King was right, and that the Changning King was not truly squandering his time.
The Dao discussion in the quiet chamber resumed, with the conversation turning to the upcoming expedition to the Star Domain.
Meanwhile, Li Wen, far away in his residence near the watchtower in Changning City, knew nothing of this conversation, nor did he have any desire to.
He was completely absorbed in proofreading the final formula of his paper, waiting for those last few thousand experience points to arrive and herald another jump in his Scholar level.