Shared Talent: Traveling through a hundred worlds simultaneously

He smiled and said in his usual calm tone, "The idea is good. But do you know why the academy teaches theory first, to lay the foundation?"

Lin Hu, his neck stiff, said, "I know the basics are important, but..."

“Look at that locust tree,” Su Chen pointed to the old tree in the courtyard.

"The reason it can grow so tall and strong, and withstand wind and rain, is because its roots are deep and firmly planted in all directions."

You're like a sapling that only wants to grow taller but refuses to put down its roots; it looks impressive, but a strong wind can easily blow it over.

"The martial arts to defeat the demon race require a deeper and more solid foundation. Your vital energy is active, but too scattered, like a wild horse without a bridle."

Su Chen casually picked up a branch from the ground, flicked his wrist, and the tip of the branch traced a few simple trajectories in the air, with a faint whooshing sound.

"These are the most basic 'stab,' 'flick,' and 'block.' Try to concentrate 30% of the energy you can currently mobilize in your arm, instead of dispersing it evenly. Imagine the energy flowing like mercury along the trajectory of the branches, not covering, but being pulled by the 'lines.'"

Practice this every day until every 'line' you pierce consistently produces that sound from the tip of the branch, then we can talk about anything else.

Lin Hu took the branch with some skepticism and tried it as instructed.

At first, there was no method at all, but Su Chen corrected a few subtle aspects of his posture and breathing rhythm.

Gradually, as Lin Hu focused his attention on the "line" of vital energy, his chaotic aura seemed to be sorted out. At the moment of the "stab", the tip of the branch actually made a "hiss" sound that was much clearer than before!

Although faint, it sent a jolt through Lin Hu, and his eyes blazed with astonishing light.

He suddenly understood that those dry theories could be transformed into a tangible feeling of power.

Su Chen patted his shoulder, still with that gentle demeanor that barely made him noticeable.

"Avoid arrogance and impatience, and first solidify this 'line' (referring to the foundation of martial arts). Martial arts are techniques for killing enemies; if the foundation is unstable, the technique is like a tree without roots."

He didn't give Shi Xiaohai and Lin Hu any treasures or impart any earth-shattering secret techniques. Based on his instantaneous observation of them, he simply gave them a sentence or two that best suited their current predicament, or a couple of extremely simple practice methods.

For him, it was as natural as breathing; it was truly a "no big deal."

But the seeds of changing one's destiny are often sown in these seemingly insignificant "just right" moments.

As Su Chen walked back to his dormitory, he heard Lin Hu's excited and focused soaring shots coming from the training ground behind him, and a barely visible smile curved his lips.

This feeling is very novel.

It's not the grandeur of creating the world, nor the indifference of the governing laws, but rather the subtle joy a gardener feels when he sees a seed striving to break through its shell because of a drop of water he accidentally sprinkled or an inch of loosened soil.

He is still the invincible Su Chen, who can be restarted at any time.

But at this moment, he enjoys the ordinariness of being "Instructor Su" even more, and enjoys the process of accidentally and unintentionally becoming a ray of insignificant sunlight in someone else's life, which happens to shine into the cracks.

Perhaps this is what it means to cultivate one's mind amidst the hustle and bustle of life.

Find a warm balance between infinite power and finite experience.

The evening breeze brushed against the eaves of the Taoist temple, and the bells jingled softly.

Another ordinary yet fulfilling day is about to end.

And some otherwise bleak destinies have been subtly altered in direction by a few casual words from someone.

This slight deviation was nothing more than a casual stroke in the game for Su Chen, who possessed invincible strength.

For teenagers like Shi Xiaohai and Lin Hu, however, it may be the first glimmer of light illuminating the road ahead and unlocking the future.

In the hall.

"There's really not much to say about the Cang Yuan Tu world. As you all know, Tomato's worlds generally don't have many female protagonists or female characters."

"But that's what makes tomatoes special, and that's why they've developed a unique worldview based on their own characteristics."

Global Martial Arts World.

The leaves on the sidewalk swirled in the wind, and before the last withered leaf had even fallen to the ground, the air on the entire street suddenly froze.

No, it's not a metaphor.

Su Chen yawned and gently tapped the air with his right middle finger. The fallen leaf hovered just a hair's breadth from the ground, and even the drifting dust was frozen in the sunlight, like a three-dimensional painting.

Across the pedestrian crossing, the guy who always walks on the sidewalk suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Zhang Tao was followed by four people, three of whom were at the eighth rank and one who had just entered the ninth rank. They all remained in the same position as a moment ago, as if time had been taken away.

Only his eyeballs could still move, revealing an extreme level of shock and horror.

Su Chen walked over slowly, without making a sound.

He walked around to the man's front, looked at the man's incredulous expression, and grinned.

"Are you surprised? Are you surprised?"

As he spoke, the frozen space shattered like glass, the fallen leaves finally drifted to the ground, the dust began to swirl again, and the group suddenly resumed their movements, but all took three steps back and assumed a defensive stance.

This person's expression was the most complex—shock, wariness, and a hint of bewilderment: "You...aren't you a freshman this year? Su Chen, Magic and Weapon Academy, how can you be so strong?"

“Yes.” Su Chen nodded and stretched. “But sometimes, the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs.”

"What level of skill have you reached?"

"It's hard to say." Su Chen stroked his chin, looking like he was thinking seriously. "If I had to make an analogy, it would be roughly equivalent to taking two steps up from the 'Emperor' level in your world."

silence.

Dead silence.

Zhang Tao took a deep breath: "What do you want to do by showing this?"

"It's boring," Su Chen said frankly. "You're all hiding things, either you're reincarnations of ancient powerhouses or you have memories of past lives. I'm laying it all out; I'm not going to pretend anymore. By the way—"

He snapped his fingers, and several transparent insects flew from the direction of the Magic Martial Arts Academy in the distance, landed in Su Chen's palm, and disappeared as specks of light.

"And let those kids know what a real cheat is."

So that's the reason? Zhang Tao, who was following the path of the emperor, was speechless.

However, this is also a great thing, as such a powerful figure has emerged from their human race.

Magic Weapon Academy, training ground.

Fang Ping shattered the seventh test steel plate with a single punch, his brow furrowed slightly, feeling that today's progress was still not fast enough.

Suddenly, his whole body stiffened.

An invisible pressure surged in like a tide, not targeting the body, but directly impacting the depths of the soul.

The pressure carried a certain message, as clear as if someone were whispering in your ear.

[Su Chen, a new student in the Magic and Martial Arts Academy, possesses strength roughly equivalent to two major realms above the Emperor level. He's laying his cards on the table; he's not pretending anymore.]

Pressure comes quickly and goes quickly.

Fang Ping stumbled, nearly collapsing to his knees. Beside him, Qin Fengqing sat down on the ground, her face pale. Further away, Wang Jinyang's alloy spear clattered to the ground, its tip embedded half a foot deep in the earth.

"What...is going on?" Wang Jinyang asked with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

"It's mental pressure, but how could it be this strong?" Qin Fengqing gasped for breath. "And that information..."

Fang Ping had already stood up, his eyes sharp as knives: "It's Su Chen. I recognize his mental fluctuations, although I've never seen him truly display them."

"Two major realms above the Emperor level?" Wang Jinyang repeated this absurd statement. "He's the same age as us! How is that possible? Even if he's a reincarnation of an ancient emperor, this is too—"

"Even cheating is too much." Fang Ping gritted his teeth, but a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Qin Fengqing smiled wryly: "Compared to him, we so-called 'special beings' are like children playing house."

Fang Ping remained silent.

You don't have anything special about you, do you? Old Wang is the one who's right.

Outside the training ground, several figures rapidly approached. It was Zhang Tao and his group, their expressions more varied than the last.

Zhang Tao looked at the three young men and gave a rare, wry smile: "You received it too?"

"Information that feels like someone smashed a hammer into your head." Fang Ping rubbed his temples. "So it's true?"

“It’s true.” Zhang Tao sighed. “We just saw it with our own eyes. He casually solidified a space, including the five of us.”

There was another moment of silence.

After a long silence, Wang Jinyang suddenly laughed: "Interesting. So, we've suddenly gained a nuclear-level combat capability?"

“It’s more than just a nuclear bomb,” Zhang Tao shook his head. “It’s a walking apocalyptic weapon. The question is, why is he revealing his hand now?”

“He said he was bored,” a ninth-rank expert behind Zhang Tao interjected, his expression strange. “And he wanted to see our shocked expressions.”

Fang Ping was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! I like that reason!"

Everyone else looked at him.

“Think about it,” Fang Ping wiped away the tears of laughter, “We reborn people and reincarnated people keep secrets every day, always thinking that we are the chosen ones. Suddenly, an even more outrageous guy appears and comes out of ‘bored’. Isn’t that ironic?”

Zhang Tao's expression relaxed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Indeed. However, with him around, we might actually be able to change something."

I would be letting down such a powerful figure if I didn't do something big.

"But is he willing to take action?" Qin Fengqing asked the crucial question.

"I don't know." Zhang Tao looked into the distance, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the buildings and see the figure strolling around the campus. "But since he's willing to reveal his strength, it at least shows that he's on the side of humanity. As for more... we need to talk about it."

That night, on the rooftop of the Magic Weapon Academy.

Su Chen sat on the railing, his legs dangling in mid-air, with the ground dozens of meters below.

Footsteps sounded behind him, neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for him to hear.

"You're here?" Su Chen didn't even turn his head. "A little later than I expected."

“You need to process this.” Zhang Tao walked over to him and looked down at the night view of the campus. “You scared a lot of people today.”

"including you?"

“Including me.” Zhang Tao admitted frankly, “I thought that we special beings were already a variable. I didn’t expect there to be an even bigger variable.”

Su Chen took a sip of cola: "So, how are you going to deal with me, this 'variable'?"

"Cooperation." Zhang Tao turned around and looked directly into Su Chen's eyes. "We need you."

He had no idea how many powerful beings or ancient monsters were lurking in the shadows, or in the other underground world.

Why do you think I would help?

“Because if you didn’t want to help, you wouldn’t have revealed your hand,” Zhang Tao analyzed. “Hiding your strength until the very end would have been easy for you. The fact that you chose to expose yourself now means you want to get involved, or rather, you want to change something.”

Su Chen laughed: "That makes sense. But don't get me wrong, the main reason I'm coming clean is because I'm really bored. You guys are always putting on an act, it's tiring to watch."

"And now? Still bored?"

"Feeling better." Su Chen jumped off the railing and casually tossed the Coke can into a trash can some distance away. "At least I can see your bewildered expressions. It's quite amusing."

Zhang Tao shook his head and chuckled: "Fang Ping said that he actually likes your personality a little."

“That guy,” Su Chen raised an eyebrow, “is quite interesting. But you’ve guessed wrong about one thing: I’m not some reincarnation of an ancient powerhouse.”

"Then who are you?"

“I am who I am,” Su Chen interrupted him. “An ordinary person with a cheat code, it’s that simple. As for where the cheat code comes from,” he pointed to the sky, “that’s a secret, understand?”

Zhang Tao was stunned, then smiled wryly: "An even more outrageous premise than reincarnation."

Cheating?
He wants to open one too, but where can he do it?

"The world is already absurd enough." Su Chen shrugged. "Alright, let's get down to business. I'll take action. But don't expect me to handle everything; some battles you'll have to fight yourselves."

“That’s enough,” Zhang Tao said solemnly. “With you holding us back in terms of high-end combat power, we can do many things that were originally impossible.”

"Okay." Su Chen stretched. "That's all for today. Oh, by the way, tell Fang Ping and the others not to let their guard down just because I have a cheat code. Your growth path is also very important. I don't want to play the whole game by myself."

Zhang Tao nodded, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

"Any more questions?"

"Your skill level... really comes from just signing in?"

Su Chen blinked: "A year of signing in, and you're invincible. Don't ask about the system."

Watching Zhang Tao's still bewildered figure as he left, Su Chen finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The moonlight spilled onto the rooftop, enveloping the newly exposed "cheating expert" in a silvery glow.

In the distance, Fang Ping, Wang Jinyang, and others stood on the roof of the dormitory building, looking in this direction.

Su Chen waved to them.

Fang Ping waved in response, then turned to his companion and said something. The three of them burst into laughter.

"This isn't bad either," Su Chen muttered to himself, taking out another can of cola from his system space. "At least this script is much more interesting than the original."

The final battle four years from now? The Emperor? The Celestial Emperor?

Su Chen pulled open the can, and the sound of bubbles bubbling out was particularly clear in the night sky.

"Then let me see just how muddy this pool of water I can stir up."

A night breeze swept by, carrying away the lingering laughter of the boys into the distance. (End of Chapter)