Chapter 2985: The Assistant's Guidance

Offering a mortal body to Transcendence?

Leaving the filth to the "self" so clarity could ascend to the "superego"?

Though she was only a latecomer to the path, her methods genuinely carried the flavor of true cultivation.

Being scrutinized by two faces at such close range exerted quite a bit of pressure.

The Old Lady's primary face wasn't too bad; at most, her expression was a bit stern.

But when the severed head dangling from her hair suddenly opened its eyes, the sheer impact of that gaze—despite having the exact same eye color—was potent enough to repel ghosts and gods.

Perhaps that face had once been rich in expression, but at this moment, even any contempt for the interloper standing before her had completely vanished.

In the face of Transcendence, such emotions were nothing but meaningless dust. Along with all other impurities, they had been left behind in her mortal shell.

"Hmm... not bad."

But Professor Fu clearly didn't suffer from stage fright. Upon her invitation, he genuinely looked thoughtful.

"By actively splitting your identity and using your own body as a seedbed to nurture your transcendent half, you strip away the rot to seek the truth. There's some real vision in that."

Of course, this was entirely devoid of substance. He was essentially just repeating her own concepts back to her, which fell quite a bit short of actual guidance.

"But did you conduct any detailed comparative research before attempting this? Has anyone in the Sword Comprehension Institute or elsewhere proposed a similar approach?"

This lack of substance wasn't an issue at all. Professor Fu effortlessly steered the topic into the realm of academic collaboration he excelled at.

"If no one has ever done this before, then you must be mindful of the risks.

"If someone else has already done it, then your attempt lacks innovation, making it seem like you didn't think this through."

He proceeded to break down both possibilities with the lofty perspective of a true academic.

"To my knowledge, no one has ever done this before... which is exactly why I need Professor Fu's suggestions for improvement," she said.

The Old Lady wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. With a cold sneer, she openly admitted that she was taking a risk, using that point to firmly press him for guidance.

"Such a reckless attempt? No wonder your underlying structure is so crude..."

Unfortunately for her, she would never comprehend Professor Fu's true level of operation.

"Forget it, I'll let my assistant give you a few pointers."

Frowning slightly, Fu Qian failed to mask his disappointment as he gestured toward Su Gao.

"...I don't recall the Apocalypse ever having a habit of assigning assistants."

The youthful version of the Old Lady managed to maintain her composure, but the severed original head looked like it was about to snap. She openly questioned Su Gao's identity, refusing to let Fu Qian dodge the issue.

"The Apocalypse certainly doesn't. She is my assistant in the commercial sector."

Unfortunately, some people only brought humiliation upon themselves. Professor Fu gave her a puzzled look, making it abundantly clear that offering her guidance didn't require high-tier credentials.

Besides, Su Gao was an actual salaried employee of The Bookstore.

...

The shadows of the Black Banners swayed.

In this academic spar, the Old Lady, despite being a veteran of her field, seemed to have been utterly crushed by the newer generation.

No matter how fiercely she clung to her arguments, Professor Fu remained impossibly slippery. Her persistence only earned her the treatment of a clown.

But she was no pushover. Since she couldn't gain any ground with words, she simply stopped speaking.

Staring at Fu Qian in dead silence, the Old Lady slowly closed her left eye. A moment later, the right eye on her severed head closed in perfect synchronization.

It was an incredibly eerie sight. Adding to the chilling atmosphere, the surrounding Black Banners began to flutter without any wind.

As they swayed, the space they had already sectioned off seemed to fragment even further.

Swish—

It was no illusion. The moment Professor Fu lifted a finger, an invisible blade sliced right across it.

Even though it left no physical wound, it felt exactly like taking a vicious bite, sapping away a fraction of his life force.

But he always looked on the bright side. If he hadn't blocked that strike, his clothes might have gotten torn.

He only had a fraction of a second to entertain that thought before the Black Banners began thrashing violently.

Clang!

Just as the Laboratory—which had previously been transformed into an enlightenment platform—was about to escalate into a full-blown Netherworld Killing Array, a crisp sound rang out.

Though it was clearly the clash of metal, the tone hung in the air with a long, lingering resonance.

As the sound waves rippled outward, they felt like a sacred chant soothing the soul, purifying all ghosts and monsters in their path.

That might sound a bit exaggerated, but Fu Qian felt it was a perfectly factual description. The Black Banners that had been wildly fluttering just moments ago came to a dead halt in the blink of an eye.

Even the invisible blades lurking in the air dissipated instantly. The killing array that the Blue-Robed Old Woman had deployed in her fury was completely dismantled.

In short, the display was packed with incredible style. Even the legendary Heart-Purifying Universal Kindness Incantation couldn't top this.

As for where that sacred tone had come from? Fu Qian turned his head and saw that Classmate Su Gao had rested her hand on her Curved Sword once more.

She hadn't drawn it, however. Rather, she had sheathed the blade from her previous strike, and that sharp ring was the sound of the sword sliding home.

Paired with her flawlessly serene expression, standing amid the Black Banners, she fiercely embodied a transcendence that did not belong to the mortal realm.

"Neither the wind moves nor the banner moves; it is only the Venerable's mind that stirs."

It was just that Professor Fu's reaction was a clear case of the fox exploiting the tiger's might. Facing the Tower that had returned to complete tranquility, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back and sighed deeply, looking for all the world like an enlightened master bestowing wisdom.

"Now do you believe my assistant is capable of offering guidance?"

Hmm...

Once the banners stopped moving, the Old Lady's boiling thoughts finally seemed to cool down.

Recalling how her severed head had been so easily discovered earlier, she realized that this assistant was far from simple.

More importantly, unlike this newer generation from the Apocalypse, the assistant was clearly the type who let her blade do the talking.

"Regarding my cultivation, I humbly ask for Your Excellency's guidance..."

The ability to swallow one's pride was vividly demonstrated a moment later.

Bowing to the pressure, this senior professor finally gritted her teeth and humbled herself to ask a junior for advice.

Guidance...

Clearly, Classmate Su Gao had never done anything like this before.

However, as an elite professional hired by her employer at a hefty price, she didn't back down from the challenge.

"You are not cultivating. This is, in fact, the path of faith."

She didn't even take a step forward or pause to compose her thoughts. She simply delivered her flat, undeniable assessment.

...

See? This was the true meaning of never resting until one's words astonish.

Professor Fu had always held absolute confidence in Classmate Su Gao, and she hadn't let him down this time either.

Having silently listened from the sidelines, seemingly unable to chime in on their highly technical discussion, she had now opened her mouth to deliver a table-flipping level of insight.

Not cultivation, but the path of faith? This claim instantly changed the flavor of the entire discussion they had just had. It made the prior bickering between the two professors look like the antics of clowns.

"I don't understand what Your Excellency means," the Old Lady said. "Are you implying that I'm lying?"

Although the girl appeared somewhat cold, she still looked like a far more decent person than Professor Fu. The Old Lady had genuinely harbored a bit of expectation toward this unique "assistant."

But precisely because of that, the staggering contrast of her blunt assessment felt absolutely suffocating.

After standing in stunned silence for several breaths, the Old Lady finally caught her breath, determined to demand an explanation.

"Yes. You are lying."

Unfortunately, Su Gao simply gave her a serious nod.