After the conversation with the God of Destruction, where undercurrents surged, the signature voice of the System rang out within the depths of Furina's Sea of Consciousness as expected.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining the trust and secret blessing of the God of Destruction. Reward settlement: 100,000 points."
"Only 100,000 points?" Furina frowned slightly, muttering to herself. Admittedly, 100,000 points was no small sum; it was enough to summon Neuvillette once in a critical moment.
However, as the scope of her Axis Cult expanded, daily expenses, personnel training, and other costs all required points for support. In the long run, these 100,000 points did indeed seem a bit tight, more like a piece of "seed money."
The System seemed able to read her inner complaints directly and responded immediately with a tone that was almost humanly "annoyed": "Host, be content. This is already the most generous reward possible at the current stage, based on task difficulty and influence weight. Don't forget, there's still the God Trial of the Goddess of Life waiting to be triggered, which will naturally bring other rewards. Once you successfully complete the First Trial of the Water God, this System will also prepare a fitting gift for you."
It paused, seemingly organizing more persuasive language: "If rewards are given too excessively and indiscriminately, and values inflate too quickly, it would instead lose the fun of the challenge and the meaning of growth. Even when facing so-called 'primitive' opponents, isn't the process of planning step-by-step, accumulating bit by bit, and playing out every match the greatest source of fun itself?"
"If one simply relied on the System to stack numerical values and then looked down on those who rely on their own efforts... wouldn't such a path be utterly boring?"
This rapid-fire "sermon," being perfectly reasonable, actually left Furina momentarily speechless. She had to admit that while the System's words were blunt, they hit the mark. Relying too much on external gifts indeed made it easy to lose the path of self-growth and would make future victories taste less deserved.
"Fine, fine, you have a point." Furina waved her hand, accepting the explanation. "I won't be greedy. As long as the points are enough to use, it's fine. Anyway, my main energy must be focused on the upcoming grand plan to poach talent and the blueprint for unifying the continent. The ultimate goal is to pull Tang San down from that high-and-mighty altar."
The System's voice held a hint of encouragement: "It's good that the host thinks this way. Please keep up the good work and advance steadily toward the path of hegemony. However, I need to remind the host that due to your action of reclaiming the remnants of the Tang Sect, Tang San's malice monitoring value toward you has risen significantly recently, currently maintaining at around 50, which falls within the 'highly concerned and hostile' range."
"And once..." The System's tone took on a somewhat playful gravity, "once he learns that you have not only shaken his Foundation in the Lower Realm but also directly exposed his unspeakable secrets to his old rival, the God of Destruction... according to this System's deduction, it's not impossible for his malice value to instantly break the ten-thousand-point mark."
"Ten thousand points?!" Furina felt her scalp go numb, as if she could already feel a bone-chilling killing intent. "Isn't that a bit too exaggerated? I thought it would rise to a hundred points at most, just as a gesture... By that logic, wouldn't he personally descend to the Lower Realm to grind me and the entire Axis Cult into dust, and then scatter the ashes just to vent his spite?"
"Logically speaking, that possibility does exist," the System analyzed calmly. "You have essentially exposed his hidden cards and shaken his fundamental layout. According to the behavioral patterns of deities, especially one with his personality, completely erasing the source of the threat and everything related to it—even tracing back through Reincarnation for liquidation—is standard procedure. However—"
The System's tone shifted, "The host need not worry excessively. You are no longer fighting alone; you have the great God of Destruction standing behind you. This relationship itself is an extremely powerful protective talisman."
"True." Furina took a deep breath, suppressing that trace of trepidation and pulling herself together. "Soldiers to block the water, earth to cover the flood. The feeling of having a backer is indeed different."
She stretched, deciding to temporarily set aside her cluttered thoughts. "So, I won't stay up late to Cultivate today. I'll conserve my strength and get a good night's sleep first!"
The System seemed somewhat speechless at her erratic decision, leaving a silence of ellipses before fading away.
...
The next morning, Shrek Academy classroom.
Furina had clearly become the focal point of the entire class and even the grade level. During breaks, students constantly gathered around her. Some asked for advice on Soul Power cultivation or theoretical difficulties, while more inquired with curiosity or longing about whether they had a chance to join her legendary-sounding "Axis Cult."
For the students who came to ask questions, Furina always answered patiently, showing extraordinary insight and charisma. As for those expressing a desire to join, she welcomed them with a smile, secretly calculating in her heart.
Most of these eleven or twelve-year-old boys and girls did not come from top-tier Sects or the core noble classes of the Empires; their minds were still in a formative stage and far from set. Among them might be children of local nobles, descendants of small Sects, or offspring of rising wealthy merchants.
Compared to those core heirs who were strictly indoctrinated with Family or Sect ideologies from childhood, this group of students was undoubtedly the best target for "poaching" and cultivating a future core team.
As long as appropriate benefits were provided, supplemented by ideological guidance and emotional bonding, it wouldn't be hard to gain a high degree of loyalty. Furina sketched a blueprint of the future in her mind, leaving a good initial impression on every interested person.
Soon, the class bell rang.
The classroom door was pushed open, but the person who walked in was a female teacher who looked both unfamiliar and familiar to many students. She had removed the human skin mask she usually used to disguise herself, revealing her original clear but slightly stern face; it was indeed Zhou Yi.
The students were stunned for a moment, then, recalling yesterday's turmoil, they suddenly recognized her—this was indeed their homeroom teacher, Teacher Zhou, but she looked completely different from before.
The powerful, harsh, and sharp-eyed Teacher Zhou from yesterday was nowhere to be found. Standing on the podium now, her eyes were slightly vacant, and a layer of lingering fatigue and dejection hung over her brow. Her whole body emitted an air of listlessness, as if her spirit had been drained overnight.
Zhou Yi spoke in a tone so flat it was almost numb: "Today's class... will still be hosted by Furina. I feel that I can no longer teach you anything; perhaps letting go is the best choice. The position of class monitor will be held by Huo Yuhao. In the future, for matters large and small in the class, consult with Furina and Huo Yuhao first. Only if the two of them feel it requires my handling should you come to find me."
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