Returning to Source:Tao of Imitations!

"You don't see me asking how you two could set up camp in the dark, right?" She retorted, making Qin Lin stunned.

"I'm Qin Lin," she could only honestly say her name. She thought Fu Qing was a headache.

"Wu Shuang!" Wu Shuang replied with a smile, clearly not acting like the one that dragged her like a dead body last night.

"Wu Shuang is right! This blacksmith empress remembers you." After saying this, she actually threw out some coins that turned into a three-meter plate, and she landed on it.

"Let's meet at the Nine Towers Academy!" With these words left behind, the plate turned into a stream of light, vanishing from sight.

"Huh! What the hell was that? I thought she was rich?" Wu Shuang suddenly complained, and this caught Qin Lin off guard.

"Huh! What do you mean?" She asked as she looked over.

"I thought she was going to give us some weapons from her blacksmithing? Sigh!" As he thought of this, he realized that the sword he had on him was missing.

"Huh! Where is my sword?" He was shocked.

"You just realized? That witch took it away. I thought you had given it to her?" Looking at her mischievous smile, he could only sit down helplessly.

"What? You don't seem happy about the turn of events. Isn't it good to be owed a favor by a blacksmith empress?" The moment he heard this, Wu Shuang almost spat out the saliva in his mouth.

"Hahahaha!" What was left was laughter from the two of them as they started their journey.

The encounter with Fu Qing just happened to be one of the many they had along the way to the Academy.

But something that he found interesting was that his opening of veins was becoming faster and faster, and when he asked his master, she said he had to thank his martial body.

Other than that, he didn't get any other information, but he communicated with Qin Lin occasionally and learned a lot of things, including the weird murmurs that appeared during the night.

Apparently during that night, remnant wills of gods and demons from ancient times come out to play. Well, she didn't exactly call it coming out to play but to seek followers. Those that were corrupted by this power would become their agents and also the biggest threat in the Barbarian domain.

The ancient god tree is considered a rare and important treasure, with numerous reflections all over the barbarian domain. But this group is said to have means to destroy some of them.

One could imagine the impact of this. In a way, even Wu Shuang, who had just entered the Barbarian domain, was already aware of the threat this madman could bring.

Their actions clearly indicate their master's goals. Once the entire world is plunged into darkness, perhaps then such existences could be satisfied.

Wu Shuang didn't know much about the world, but he knew the Barbarian domain was massive.

But from everything he had learned, he couldn't help but ask something, "By the senior sister Qin, since the power that appeared at dawn has followers, what stops it from using it to attack us?" He indeed was curious.

"It's actually difficult! The positions of these weird demons aren't particularly stationary. Just the same way it is difficult to pinpoint them, they can't locate us." She then looked into the distance.

She turned and looked at Wu Shuang before saying, "Anything is possible in this world. It would be foolish to assume that what you know is absolute."

As for what she was saying, Wu Shuang couldn't understand it in the slightest. He thought it was because he was too weak to understand it. It was just that what Qin Lin may have been saying was literal.

"By the way, you asked me about something right after that crazy woman left just now?" She suddenly asked about something else.

"I was just curious about the reason most people are eager to enter the Academy. After all, the resources in the Academy alone are not enough to attract talented people like you or those with strong backgrounds just like Fu Qing." He indeed was right about this, and Qin Lin couldn't help but give him a second glance. 

"Little Wu! It turns out you are not stupid. Yes! The academy is an interesting place with all kinds of good things, but this alone is not enough to attract large groups of people. Some have strong backgrounds and could be able to gain what the Academy can provide in terms of resources. Even though it might not be easy, most can acquire it. The real reason for entering the academy for most is to forge bonds and make friends and comrades. Once in the real world, having powerful comrades means that it is not easier for others to pick on you. Of course not everything is absolute, but it at least means that even if something happens to you one day, someone else might care and settle accounts for you." The moment Wu Shuang heard this, he was impressed.

Just thinking about it, he couldn't help but be interested, and seeing the look in his eyes, she rolled her eyes at him before continuing.

"Back then the Academy produced a group of super geniuses. Some of them came from powerful clans, while some had no backgrounds. This did not hinder them from getting along, and just a few decades after graduation, a clan was wiped out. It was said this was done by a strong man in the ninth level. A few years later, news spread that the group of comrades that had yet to enter the ninth realm teamed up and killed that expert to get revenge for their comrade. That was a brutal battle, and even some gained insights from the battle, reaching half a step into the ninth level." The words from her mouth made Wu Shuang dazed.

"Several eighth levels were able to kill a level nine? Is this true?" He was indeed shocked. Forget about him; even the soul of his master in his body seemed to have a slight improvement in her attitude towards the Academy. 

"Actually, I also didn't believe this; after all, if a ninth-level expert wants to leave, the eighth-level experts couldn't keep him. But I heard that each of them had unique innate abilities cultivated to strong levels and even without being in the ninth level, were not far off." The moment Wu Shuang heard this confirmation, he was indeed shocked. 

At the moment, Wu Shuang was sure he couldn't make much waves before those that had reached the third level of innate ability. If he couldn't escape, then death might be the only outcome. If that was the case, how could those that have gone even higher be able to accomplish this, unless their innate abilities were just too strong?

"Master! Can martial artists at the eighth realm fight those at the ninth realm and even behead them?" He indeed couldn't help but ask. 

"Disciple! This is impossible. Let me ask you this: Can you, in the first realm, fight the you that had just forged a martial body?" The moment this question was asked, he shut up. 

The moment he forged a martial body, his strength increased by about ten times. A casual punch could completely decimate his previous self. This was the situation without factoring in that the True Martial realm encompasses more than just the Martial Body stage. The stage is considered the first level of this realm, but others exist, such as the vein opening he was at. Even so, with every vein he opened, his strength increased. The situation will also be the same when he opens his Dantian. 

He didn't need to be told much; he could be sure that it was impossible to accomplish such a feat even relying on numbers. 

"Disciple! Martial arts become mysterious and powerful the higher the realm you climb, and you should keep at it; you will soon realize the massive gap you have with those that have only practiced using their innate ability." She said as she gloated about it.

"It seems that in the future I also have to seek more means to enhance my foundation. The difference between innate abilities might be bigger than I had anticipated. If that is the case, then I can only make up the gap with my practice of martial arts." The information that Qin Lin had provided him made him more determined to practice martial arts. 

If he was just like that ninth-level expert that was ganged upon by those on a lower realm and beaten to death, it would be an insult. He didn't want to find himself in such a situation as that; he could only work hard.

"By the way, in the Nine Tower Academy, one rule is used for almost everything: 'The strong make the rule.'" She reminded him of this and then walked towards the head of the Wolf.

"We're here!"