Volume 1: The True Dragon of Purple Void, Chapter 26: Who’s the Fool?

Nanjing No. 9 Middle School, a traditional prestigious school, is famous throughout the city and even the country for its basketball and arts programs. With its elegant campus environment, Chu Tianyu, sitting in class and gazing out the window, found his thoughts drifting back a month earlier…
While several masters approached him with worried expressions, he was still fixated on the issue of clothing. He thought it would be extremely embarrassing to be seen naked by them. Especially with the masters’ intense stares, he didn’t dare make any unnecessary moves. But considering the time spent on that miraculous training earlier—probably several hours—he felt too embarrassed to remain indifferent. He forced a smile at them and said something that nearly made the elders faint on the spot: “Masters, could you help Tianyu find some underwear first…”
It turned out that the masters had actually waited for ten whole days. And after he woke up, he was still thinking about underwear in a foolish manner, putting their already tense nerves to another test. He knew the consequences would be severe.
As expected, he was then taken by the eldest master to sit in meditation and listen to teachings for three days. After that, he was taken by the second master for five days of seclusion to gain enlightenment. Finally, the third master took him for seven days of solitary training…
After 15 days of “torture,” during which he patiently repeated his experiences over and over again, the three masters finally let him go.
After completing their investigation, the three gathered again in a quiet room and discussed things in secret for most of the day. Their first conclusion was: “Tianyu has finally mastered the secret technique of the Xuanji Sect—transforming through obsession to return to simplicity. From Tianyu’s account, it seems this transformation is a process of refining the fundamental energy of human life. The need to go through paths of killing and obsession is to bring out and weaken negative influences in advance, then replenish them with the calm energy of heaven and earth. Starting from the source, it strengthens the mind and character—truly a preparation tailored for pursuing the Way of Heaven. One must admire the person who created this martial art or discovered the secret of the gem within the box. It’s also speculated that this transformation technique could only remain a legend of the Xuanji Sect because, aside from the first sect master, no one else has been able to master it—likely due to the lack of energy from heaven and earth for supplementation. And for some reason, the existing booklet omitted this detail. If Tianyu hadn’t had great fortune and cleverness, with the essence of heaven and earth already present in his body, he might have truly vanished without a trace!”

Because of this, Zenhe and Xianyun often took the mad scholar to a secret room for “heart-to-heart talks.” Back then, they said that although that booklet was a copy, it missed not a single word—actually, it was full of errors that nearly caused trouble! As a result, the mad scholar started wearing sunglasses more often after each meeting.

The second conclusion, of course, was about his condition. Their joint inference matched what the great master had said—that he had reached the state of “all things following nature.” His originally tall stature had shrunk to less than 1.8 meters, and he had become much thinner. Other than that, he looked just like he had appeared in the first reflection of light—ordinary and no different from ordinary people. He was no longer the bold, wild Chu Tianyu with an aura of violence around him! And judging from his current state, his personality would surely change, shifting from “Buddhist cultivation” to “the path of killing and evil.” After being reshaped and merged by that strange stone and then replenished by the energies of heaven and earth, who knew what he would become?

…

Yes, what would he become? Thinking of this, Chu Tianyu, who was distracted in class, touched his face again. If someone were to judge him by his appearance now, they would surely say carelessly, “Ah, just an ordinary teenager! He should study hard and not play games like ‘All Beings’…”

Or they might think to themselves, “What a pure and sincere young man. Though he seems a bit simple, he will surely grow into an honest and straightforward person in the future.”

Perhaps some compassionate gentlemen would even warn him:

“You young man who isn’t yet deeply involved in the world, be careful of its dangers and the unpredictability of human nature!”

“Look at your honest and straightforward appearance—what good fortune! You’re just a bit dull, but work hard. With effort, you can overcome all obstacles and reach prosperity…”

…

Chu Tianyu had been joining this class for several days now. Since returning home, his grandparents saw him in such a state—less energetic than three years ago—and thought something must have happened. Just as they were about to ask the mad scholar what had happened, the third master handed Chu Tianyu over to Chu Fangshan as if shedding a burden, then left in a hurry without looking back. Before leaving, he hurriedly said, “Ask your precious grandson if there’s anything…”

The three who stayed talked in the room for just over ten minutes before Chu Fangshan came out smiling, leaving the mother and son alone to have a heartfelt conversation and strengthen their bond.

Chu Fang walked along the mountain, smiling. Aside from his mother’s birthday last time, he had never been this happy. It seemed the gamble he made back then had indeed paid off wonderfully! He couldn’t help but think back to earlier—Tianyu suddenly changed from looking dull and old-fashioned to having bright, energetic eyes and a radiant expression, as if he had become a completely different person. He exuded an indescribable aura that attracted everything like a magnet, and it seemed to be covered with a tangible layer of brilliance that flowed around him. Even someone who had seen many people couldn’t help but avoid looking directly at him. At that moment, Tianyu seemed like a towering mountain that commanded respect, like the ocean that embraces everything…

At that time, Chu Tianyu, who was demonstrating his strength by channeling energy, only said three sentences and made one gesture. He immediately decided it was better to go back and do what he needed to do. Each generation has its own blessings; his concern could be summed up in two words—“unnecessary”!

The first sentence: “Grandpa, Mom, I miss you so much!”

The second sentence: “You must have many questions too. But Tianyu thinks the main ones are two. Let me explain the first one first. The first master didn’t come because he wants to continue his ‘pleasure-seeking’ cultivation and no longer wants to be restricted, as he has already ‘suffered’ for me for twelve years. The second master, on the other hand, had all his precious elixirs taken by me, so out of concern, he rushed off to travel around the mountains in search of more rare treasures. As for the third master, besides me pretending to be naive and ‘accidentally’ saying something unfavorable about him in front of the first and second masters, and often wearing sunglasses to hide his injuries, I also got a few keys from him—keys to the martial arts repository, the chamber of rare treasures, and the intelligence archives. He insisted on giving me things like ‘Hidden Wind’ and ‘Hall Entrance,’ but I refused. He wanted to offload the burden on me easily, but I still want to study for a couple more years and experience life as an ordinary young person. Otherwise, I really might fall behind the trends of today’s youth…”

The third sentence: “As for the second question, the one you’re most concerned about, I think while explaining the first question, I deliberately showed rationality and objectivity, speaking concisely. With Grandpa and Mom’s wisdom, I believe you’ve already found the answer. If you really want me to make it clearer, I’ll use the last evaluation the three masters gave me: ‘He’s a ‘fool,’ but if you really treat him as a fool, then you’re the fool!’…”

After speaking, he immediately took action: Tianyu casually drew in the air, and the steaming cup of hot tea on the coffee table was instantly sucked up. By the time it reached his palm, it had turned into an ice pillar emitting cold vapor. With a slight use of his internal energy, a mist rose and vanished in an instant, revealing an empty cup—not a single drop of water left, as if it had never been used at all.
Tianyu’s expression remained calm, yet it seemed to say, “This ‘idiot’ isn’t just not stupid—he’s also extremely capable…”
…
What followed was much simpler. It was announced that Tianyu had recovered, and the entire Chu family was overjoyed. Yet anyone who saw him now couldn’t help but sigh, “Pity this child…”
Next, as per Tianyu’s request, he was arranged to go to school—his age was just right to join the senior year of high school!
But senior year, especially in a top school, was far from the youthful and vibrant experience he had imagined. Days were spent doing nothing but exercises. Those who were already outstanding didn’t need to work harder, while those who were behind or slacking off now struggled desperately to catch up, as this crucial year determined their fate!
Unfortunately, his elder brother and second brother were not at home, so he couldn’t talk to them. His elder brother was far away, studying MBA at Harvard, while his second brother, according to his mother, still didn’t study seriously. His grandfather had forced him to attend a prestigious school in Shanghai, but within a month, he got into countless fights, breaking school records. He couldn’t stay there any longer, leaving his grandfather at a loss. Eventually, through his grandfather’s arrangement, he was sent to an army academy in Kunming to utilize his strengths…
Senior year and college were inevitable stages for most people. For Tianyu too, it was time to adjust his mindset, face the ordinary, and move forward—life could still be wonderful!