My disciples are all villains.

Lu Zhou's question stumped President Zhou. His research after the dawn of the Lotus-severing era had always been classified. The academy's core disciples and the Imperial family were the only ones privy to this matter. It had never been revealed to outsiders.

As Zhou Youcai hemmed and hawed, Lu Zhou said with a sigh, "I remember there was a time where the Big Dipper Academy was righteous and magnanimous. What a glorious period that was. Back then, the scholars under the heavens longed to join the Big Dipper Academy. A few centuries have passed since then… and this is what the academy has become. It's now isolated, egoistic, unconventional, overly subjective, and disregards the world… It's no wonder the academy has been reduced to this."

Zhou Youcai was ashamed when he heard these words.

Huang Shijie said, "President Zhou… what's there to be afraid of when speaking in Brother Ji's presence? Brother Ji is already at the Nine-leaf stage, would he even covet the results of your research? In fact, if you receive pointers from Brother Ji, it'll be even more valuable than ten years of research."

That was not a lie. Many young juniors have been stuck. It was the same as reading. There were thousands upon thousands of books in the world about everything under the heavens. If a person could understand everything just by reading, what need would there be for teachers?

Moreover, even the Evil Sky Pavilion's Yu Shangrong had recultivated to the Six-leaf stage after he severed his lotus. Why was Zhou Youcai guarding his research?

Zhou Youcai was hit with a sudden realization. He said with a sigh, "You have a point, Island Master Huang. I have been narrow-minded… The academy's objective is to educate the world. That's also the foundation of the academy." Then, he continued to say, "I've been researching lotus-severing for the past six months… I have only made minor progress."

"Let's hear it." Lu Zhou tried his best to make himself seem less fierce. He tried to appear nonchalant as though he was just having small talks over afternoon tea.

Zhou Youcai said, "From what we know at the moment, cultivating after the lotus has been severed is more complicated than we had imagined. After the lotus is severed, not only would the cultivation speed be affected, but the avatar would be affected as well. As we all know, avatars can't move; they're like statues. It only serves as a defense after the caster enters the avatar. However, after the lotus is severed… the caster can, through his own powerful will, control the avatar so that it can make certain moves, thereby unleashing more powerful techniques. The number of leaves before the lotus is severed will affect the cultivation speed after they're severed… The more leaves there were, the quicker their cultivation would progress… It'll become unbelievably fast. I've discussed this with the Sky Conduct Academy's President Meng Nanfei before. We agree that the post-severing state is like a… restorative state."

Huang Shijie exclaimed in shock. "Is severing the lotus that beneficial?"

"Not quite so," Zhou Youcai continued to say, "The secret of the Golden Lotus still needs more research. Why do Golden Lotuses absorb the cultivator's longevity and energy? These are unsolved mysteries at the moment. There's something missing in the research. Avatars can attack or retreat with a shocking defensive strength. The Golden Lotus can also be used as a heaven-grade weapon. Without it, the avatar is one-third weaker. Also, up until now, there's no way to find out if it's possible to form another Golden Lotus after it's severed, if there's a limit at the Nine-leaf stage, or if there's a Ten-leaf stage beyond the Nine-leaf stage..."

When Zhou Youcai finished speaking, he, along with Huang Shijie, turned to look at Lu Zhou. They were, naturally, interested in what Lu Zhou had to say since Lu Zhou was a Nine-leaf cultivator who had a Nine-leaf avatar with a Golden Lotus. If there were anyone who knew the secrets, it had to be Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou said, "Before the Nine-leaf stage is stabilized, the Ten-leaf stage is still too advanced."

The two of them nodded.

Now that the lotus-severing era was in full swing, there was no avoiding the tides of change. Nobody knew what the future would be like.

Lu Zhou added, "The Big Dipper Academy has always been close with the Imperial family. Do you know if there's any Nine-leaf elite in the palace?"

Zhou Youcai shook his head and said, "I've never heard of anything like that. The mountain is too small for two tigers. If there's truly a Nine-leaf cultivator there, His Majesty won't be able to rest easy. However… when the former Emperor was still on the throne, there had been rumors." He paused briefly before he continued to say, "The former Emperor was on good terms with you, Senior Ji. His talent for cultivation was inferior to yours, but after he received instructions from a capable teacher, he improved by leaps and bounds. It was also because of that the former Emperor managed to ascend the throne successfully."

Something stirred in Lu Zhou. "Do you know where this capable teacher is?"

Zhou Youcai sighed and said, "He passed away a long time ago. The former Emperor cried for three days and three nights. He was buried with the same rites as a member of the Imperial family. The former Emperor even guarded his tomb for three years."

"Did you witness that yourself?"

"That happened a long time ago, I couldn't have seen it myself. All I've heard are rumors," Zhou Youcai replied.

"Where is that tomb?"

Zhou Youcai said, "This was kept a strict secret. When the former Emperor ordered for the tomb to be built, the workers involved were all killed to keep its location a secret. The scribes were prohibited from putting it into writing. I'm afraid nobody knows to this day where the tomb is."

At this point, Lu Zhou was able to confirm that the former Emperor's teacher was the mysterious elite who came on the coffin. No wonder Liu Ge trusted that elite so much. Was the elite dead or alive? Nobody could be sure about something that they had never seen.

At this moment, Mingshi Yin butted in and asked, "How many leaves does the Emperor have now?"

Zhou Youcai started when he heard Mingshi Yin's question. Sweat began to drip down his face immediately. He hesitated as he looked at the 1,000 academy disciples who were waiting for him some distance away. He knew that a wrong answer could cost him the lives of these 1,000 disciples. In the end, he said, "To tell you the truth, all of the leaf-sprouting pills refined by the academy have been delivered to the palace. For the past six months, the two great academies and the Core Yang Sect have refined 108 leaf-sprouting pills in total."

Mingshi Yin's eyes widened. "Who's the binge-eater? Is he a 108-leaf elite now?"

"…"

Zhou Youcai coughed before he shook his head and said, "Consuming a leaf-sprouting pill doesn't guarantee the addition of another leaf. The theory behind the leaf-sprouting pills is that it aids in the absorption of Primal Qi to boost one's cultivation base. At the Five or Six-leaf stage, the cultivator would have to consume ten to dozens of pills, at least, to sprout a leaf."

Like a dog refusing to let go of a bone, Mingshi Yin asked, "So… how many leaves does the Emperor have?"

"…"

It was annoying to hear Zhou Youcai go on and on, beating around the bush. If his master was not here, Mingshi Yin would have punched him.

"We honestly don't know how many leaves His Majesty has sprouted… Please forgive us, Senior Ji!" said Zhou Youcai anxiously.

"Heh, not telling, huh?" Mingshi Yin was on the verge of losing his temper.

Lu Zhou raised a hand to stop Mingshi Yin. "Alright, I believe you." He did not even know how many leaves his own disciple, Mingshi Yin had, how could he expect Zhou Youcai to know how many leaves the Emperor had sprouted?

"Thank you for your trust, Senior Ji." Zhou Youcai sighed in relief.

"President Zhou…" Lu Zhou suddenly looked at Zhou Youcai with a probing look. "What are your plans from now?"

"Well…" Zhou Youcai cupped his fists at once and said, "I will conduct myself with magnanimity and righteousness to restore the academy to its former glory."

"The Big Dipper Academy has great potential. You're not a narrow-minded person, Zhou Youcai… I'd advise you to go back and think carefully about the academy's future. What is it that the academy should or shouldn't do, how is it going to survive in the long run… Don't make any hasty decisions or be confused by blind loyalty. Think long and hard on these things..." He sounded earnest when he spoke. After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and called out, "Old Fourth."

"Kindly board the chariot, master."

Lu Zhou leaped back onto the flying chariot.

Zhou Wenliang, Wang Jianrang, and Zhang Gong instinctively followed Lu Zhou.

Mingshi Yin turned to glare at the trio. "What are you doing? Get lost!"

"Huh?"

"Thinking of leeching off the Evil Sky Pavilion again? Fat chance!" Mingshi Yin gave them a kick each.

Zhou Wenliang, Wang Jianrang, and Zhang Gong fell to their knees at the same time and said, "Thank you for sparing us, Senior Ji. Thank you for being merciful!"

Huang Shijie stood up as well. He looked at Zhou Youcai and said, "President Zhou, a wise man submits to circumstances, and a fine bird chooses a good tree to nest in. Take care."

"Take care, take care…" Zhou Youcai suppressed the fear he felt. He looked on as Huang Shijie boarded the flying chariot.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

The flying chariot rose into the air.

Lu Zhou looked down from up high and said indifferently, "Tell Meng Nanfei the same thing."

Zhou Youcai bowed deeply. "I will pass the message in its entirety to him!"