Shen Binghua had once again been driven away by Li Yang.
She had stayed behind with the intention of watching Si Kui go crazy, but in the end, she didn’t get to see the spectacle she hoped for.
Instead, she had managed to land herself in trouble.
There was no turning back now.
What if she was really caught up in the natural school faction?
The consequences would be disastrous…
“Damn!”
Shen Binghua couldn’t help but curse.
She felt like she was no longer blameless in this situation.
She thought she shouldn’t have helped Li Yang this time.
Instead, she should have let her be caught by that fifth-grade fool…
No, she couldn’t think like that.
If Li Yang really died, Si Kui would undoubtedly kill her.
Shen Binghua never imagined that her simple attempt to defend a “tree tower” would bring her into such a disaster.
Li Yang had even reminded her:
“Shen teacher, if you find out anything, remember to tell us.”
Shen Binghua hurried off, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Si Kui sneered, “She understands the art of ‘self-preservation’ better than anyone. There’s no way she’d go digging for information.”
Li Yang observed as the teacher’s emotions seemed to calm, no longer crying, and then said, “It would be good to investigate, but it’s no big deal if we don’t. Anyway, Shen Yuanjiang can forget about jumping ship. This is the cost of their plot to steal the secrets of our Agricultural School.”
Li Yang’s eyes were full of resentment.
She had a long memory.
Once the outsiders were gone, the two of them finally spoke in private.
“Teacher,” Li Yang had refrained from asking before, but now, in this situation, she could no longer avoid the question.
“Can you tell me what exactly happened with our Agricultural School back then?”
Si Kui slowly sat back down on her rattan chair. After a long pause, she spoke, “I didn’t want to keep this from you, but I didn’t want to get you involved.”
Li Yang sat beside her, “The moment I became your disciple, I was already a part of this situation.”
Si Kui sighed lightly, “According to the rules, with your current level, you shouldn’t know too much about the Star Realm…”
Li Yang had already read enough on the forums where seniors warned new students:
“Don’t probe too early into the matters of the Star Realm; it will affect your mental cultivation. Once the mind is damaged, it will create hidden dangers for future cultivation.”
“I can handle it,” Li Yang assured Si Kui.
Si Kui nodded.
“I estimate it won’t be long before you’ll be able to enter the Star Realm yourself, so it’s better to know a little earlier.”
Li Yang had already reached second-grade and was progressing quickly in her cultivation.
It wouldn’t be long before she reached the peak of second-grade.
Once she broke through to third-grade, she would have to venture into the outer edges of the Star Realm.
Most students began to learn about the Star Realm once they reached second-grade, but because Li Yang had entered school so recently, people hadn’t realized that she was already qualified.
“I’ll give you a basic overview of the Star Realm,” Si Kui began.
“Okay.”
“The Star Realm is actually a general term, and no one really knows how it came into being. The earliest records go back hundreds of thousands of years.”
Li Yang was shocked, “Hundreds of thousands of years? But didn’t people say the Star Realm appeared three hundred years ago?”
Si Kui explained, “That’s to protect ordinary people. For lower-grade Star Seekers, it’s a mental hazard, and for humans, it’s an even more unspeakable existence.”
Li Yang was stunned, “So it was kept secret to avoid causing panic?”
“Exactly,” Si Kui continued, “Around three hundred years ago, the Star Realm suddenly descended. The starlight caused mutations in plants and animals, and the first grandmasters fought to restore human civilization.”
“But the real situation is far more complex,” Si Kui added.
“The Star Realm is vast and endless. Even grandmasters know very little about it. What I can tell you is that it’s a central hub that connects multiple domains.”
“Multiple domains?” Li Yang asked.
“Yes. The beings in the Star Realm come from different domains. Even if they appear humanoid, they might not necessarily belong to the human race.”
Si Kui finally revealed the true nature of the Star Realm.
Li Yang, already familiar with the idea of the Star Realm being like a universe station, began to see the picture come together.
The Star Realm was like a transit hub in the cosmos, where beings from various planets met.
These beings, much like humans, came from their own domains.
One day, an entry point into the Star Realm might suddenly appear in their domain, and starlight would spill over, causing mutations and evolution of species.
Those who could still use the starlight without losing their rationality became known as “Star Seekers.”
The Star Seekers of the human domain were human beings, but in other domains, they could be monsters, demons, or even insectoid species.
These Star Seekers were the rulers and guardians of their respective domains.
Each domain in the Star Realm had its own city, and the main city guarded the entry point to the domain. If the main city fell, the entire domain would collapse.
“What happens if a domain falls?” Li Yang asked.
Si Kui’s eyes darkened.
“The living creatures suffer terribly.”
Li Yang was horrified.
Si Kui continued, “We treat many things as food, such as the mutated buns you eat, the chickens, ducks, fish, and geese slaughtered in the cafeteria…”
Li Yang gasped, “You mean some domains treat us as food?”
“Exactly,” Si Kui affirmed.
“If the Star Realm’s main human city falls, the creatures from those domains will flood into the human realm and feast like hungry beasts.”
Li Yang couldn’t help but imagine it: a ravenous beast, overwhelmed by hunger, charging toward a banquet table laden with food.
It would consume everything, with no pity or remorse.
“So, does that mean we humans are the natural enemies of the Star Realm?” Li Yang asked.
“Yes,” Si Kui said with a touch of bitterness.
“You could think of the Star Seekers as part of a food chain.”
Li Yang’s heart sank.
“Where do we fit into that chain?”
Si Kui hesitated before answering, “Not at the very bottom, but close enough.”
Li Yang frowned, “Isn’t that where most are oppressed?”
Si Kui asked, “Would you eat bugs unless you had to?”
Li Yang thought for a moment and then understood.
Predators, even the mightiest like lions and tigers, had no interest in eating grass or insects, but they would eat whatever they had to.
Li Yang then asked, “Are there omnivores?”
Si Kui’s eyes flashed. “Yes.”
“Which domain?” Li Yang pressed.
Si Kui smiled faintly. “Our human domain.”
Li Yang stared, “We’re omnivores?”
Si Kui nodded.
“Humans are the only race that can absorb the power of starlight in all its forms. We can digest meat, grass, and even insects, as long as the creature contains starlight.”
Li Yang was surprised, “Then humans should be at the top of the food chain.”
Si Kui’s tone grew colder.
“But we don’t have the strength to match that position. No matter how much we can digest, we don’t have the power to protect ourselves. The food chain doesn’t see us as allies.”
Li Yang felt a dark premonition rising in her chest.
“Our position is…”
“The public enemy of the Star Realm.”
Li Yang’s vision blurred.
Now, she understood why the teachers never shared the truth about the Star Realm.
What good would it do?
It would only make students like her, filled with doubts and hesitation.
The Star Realm was unavoidable; the enemy was unavoidable.
She could hide in the human domain, but once she reached third-grade, she would have no choice but to face the reality of the Star Realm.
“Then, what happened to our Agricultural School?” Li Yang asked, her voice soft but urgent.
Si Kui’s eyes grew distant.
“We were once known as the ‘Natural Faction’ in the Star Realm.”
Li Yang blinked.
“The Natural Faction?”
Si Kui explained, “Most Star Realm creatures found the term ‘Agricultural School’ to be too brutal. Especially the plant-based races, who saw our cultivation of star plants as an evil, barbaric act.”
Li Yang was speechless.
“Wait, are you saying…?”
Si Kui sighed, “We tried to live in peace with the Star Realm’s various races, so we changed our name to ‘Natural Faction.’ It sounded less threatening, and it allowed us to move more easily within the Star Realm.”
Li Yang agreed, “That makes sense. We don’t need to give them more reasons to hate us.”
Si Kui added, “The name also better fits our cultivation philosophy. We don’t rely on pills to break through; we believe in comprehending star techniques naturally.”
Li Yang nodded.
“You mean… no breakthrough pills, only understanding star techniques through our own insight?”
Si Kui’s gaze softened.
“Exactly. The Natural Faction values the purest form of cultivation, especially when it comes to breakthroughs. The creation of the ‘Tree Tower’ was a breakthrough for us. Before it, students struggled to comprehend star techniques.”
Li Yang’s eyes sparkled with awe.
“That’s amazing!”
Si Kui’s expression darkened.
“But twenty-eight years ago, our rise triggered the human threat theory in the Star Realm. A few powerful domains, led by the Feng Lie race, planned to attack our base and exterminate humanity.”
Li Yang gasped.
“They attacked?”
Si Kui’s voice grew grim.
“Yes. They came in force, but it wasn’t just the external threat we had to worry about. The internal strife among humans was just as devastating. Some even suggested handing over all members of the Natural Faction to appease the invaders.”
Li Yang’s hands clenched the armrest.
“That’s insane!”
Si Kui’s voice trembled, “The Star Realm Council rejected the idea, but it caused a rift. My master, your grandmaster, led a counterattack and ambushed the Feng Lie’s starport. We slaughtered their top warriors and forced them to retreat.”
Li Yang was stunned.
“That… sounds like a nightmare.”
Si Kui’s expression turned somber.
“We won, but we lost a lot. Your grandmaster perished in the Starport City, and most of our people died on the way back to the human realm.”
Li Yang’s chest tightened.
“Who ambushed them?”
Si Kui’s face hardened.
“It was the Fire Walkers, allies of the Feng Lie. Worse, someone in the human city misled us with false information, leading us straight into their trap.”
Li Yang’s heart sank.
“Who betrayed us?”
“I already killed him, but he was just a puppet.”
With these words, Li Yang finally cleared up the entire sequence of events in her mind.
While external enemies were certainly detestable, internal traitors were even more heartbreaking!
Li Yang said, “So, the fifth-grade Star Seeker who ambushed me was also arranged by this mastermind?”
Si Kui nodded, “Mm.”
“Has the teacher found anything over the years?”
“Nothing,” Si Kui sneered.
“The Star Pivot Pavilion doesn’t want me to investigate further.”
Li Yang felt a surge of anger in her chest.
If she were really a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, she would have been furious and angrily denounced the unfairness of the world.
But she had lived two lifetimes and had seen enough of human coldness and the ways of power.
Compared to the declining Nature System, it was clear that the Star Pivot Pavilion only wanted to stabilize the situation.
After a great war, they just wanted to recuperate quickly and didn’t dare to risk internal strife.
Si Kui continued, “As long as you don’t leave the school, they won’t dare to touch you. As for your breakthrough to the second-grade realm…”
“This won’t be a problem,” Li Yang said.
“When the time comes, I’ll have Dean Shen protect me.”
Si Kui: “…Right, my disciple is more cunning than I am. She’s already made arrangements.”
Si Kui then added, “But once you reach the third-grade realm, you must go to the Star Realm. As the dean of the Star Law Department, Shen Binghua can’t leave the China domain without summons.”
By then, Shen Binghua wouldn’t be able to protect her anymore.
Si Kui herself couldn’t go to the Star Realm either, due to the Nine-Petal Lotus Heart…
She gritted her teeth and said, “I’ll break through to the Ninth-grade as soon as possible. At that point, I’ll be able to protect you in the Star Realm…”
Li Yang responded, “Teacher, there’s no need to force yourself. Cultivation is about steady progress.”
If breaking through from the eighth to the ninth grade was that easy, Teacher would have already become a Ninth-grade Supreme.
She continued, “Besides, there’s only a thousand days for a thief, not a thousand days to guard against a thief. We need to take back the initiative! They want to snuff out the spark of the Nature System? Well, I’ll make that spark blaze, and let it grow into a wildfire that consumes everything!”
Si Kui froze for a moment.
Li Yang already had a plan in mind.
She looked at Si Kui and said, “Teacher, don’t rush. Even if you break through to the Ninth-grade Supreme, so what? Does the Star Pivot Pavilion lack Ninth-grade Supremes? The mastermind behind this might even be a Ninth-grade Supreme!”
“So, we can’t just rely on our fists. We also need to expand our influence and form alliances.”
Si Kui said, “The old people in the Star Pivot Pavilion each have their own positions. They’ve remained silent all these years, which means…”
“Not speaking out in the past was to protect their immediate interests. But what if speaking out now brings even greater benefits?” Li Yang said.
“If that doesn’t work, we can force them to choose sides, just like how Teacher Shen… does she want to stand with the Nature System?”
“She doesn’t want to,” Si Kui replied.
“Then, did she stand with us now?”
Si Kui paused and said, “She did.”
Li Yang said, “Exactly!”
Si Kui still felt it was difficult.
She said, “But the others…”
“They won’t be like Shen Binghua, sending themselves to the door to join us.”
Li Yang said, “If we can’t convince the big ones, let’s start with the small ones… The mastermind only wants to sever the legacy of the Nature System. We’ll go against that and recruit openly, expanding the Nature System.”
“But if we accept ordinary students, they’ll be walking straight into a trap…”
This was also the reason Si Kui hadn’t taken in students these past years.
Li Yang immediately said, “Then let’s be selective. We won’t take ordinary students—only those from the noble families!”
Si Kui: “?”
Li Yang smiled slightly.
“They’re forcing us to be bold now!”
She thought for a moment and said, “Starting with the upcoming monthly exams, I’ll defeat them all and show them what the Nature System can do. I’ll let them see the results of your teachings, which allowed me to make rapid progress, reaching the second-grade realm in less than a month… No, it’ll be the middle stage soon!”
At most, she would have Dean Shen accompany her for a breakthrough again.
One time wasn’t enough, but after doing it once, she wouldn’t be afraid of any more hidden dangers.
Si Kui widened her eyes slightly.
Li Yang continued, “Teacher, think about it—when the children of the Shen family, the Lin family, the Ying family, and the Zhong family all join the Nature System and become your students, how will their ancestors in the Star Pivot Pavilion choose sides?”
Si Kui took a deep breath and said, “It’s not that simple. These families have their own factional inheritances. They won’t let their descendants switch to the Nature System.”
Li Yang smiled.
“Nothing is impossible. I’ll go… persuade them. Ahem, I mean, I’ll convince them.”
For Si Kui and Shen Binghua, convincing them was impossible, but was it really impossible?
Li Yang didn’t think so.
Both Si Kui and Shen Binghua were somewhat limited by their thinking, but Li Yang wasn’t.
In fact, because she wasn’t familiar with the world’s hierarchical system, she dared to dream big and act boldly.
The older generation was divided by factions, but the younger generation hadn’t formed firm identities yet.
At eighteen, they were at the rebellious age.
The stricter the family control, the more likely it was to trigger a rebellious mentality.
For example, the young lady from the Ying family—after the Tree Tower incident, she might have already shattered her illusions about the Star Law System.
Li Yang planned to showcase the rapid cultivation and strength of the Nature System and quietly spread the story of its former glory.
If that didn’t work, she could use some psychological tactics…
With this series of strategies, she was confident some fish would bite.
Ying Qi was one possibility.
Zhong Kun’s probability wasn’t small either!
The Star Pivot Pavilion was the highest authority for the Star Seekers, with twenty-four elders.
Half of their descendants were in the Central Military Academy.
Li Yang didn’t expect to recruit all of them to the Nature System, but if she could pull in three or four, it would be enough to change the wind.
The mastermind wanted to extinguish the legacy of the Nature System?
Then, let them try to kill these noble descendants too.
If they didn’t dare to touch them, there was no need to waste time targeting a low-ranked student like Li Yang.
Once the Nature System expanded, the mastermind would have a lot more to worry about…
After all, Li Yang was nothing to them.
They didn’t consider her a real threat.