3: Chapter 3 Two Crystallizations of Faith

To collect the reward, one needed to find the Principal, not Vice Principal Zhao.

The Principal was already quite elderly and was previously a legendary Rank 9 Creator; he was affectionately known as the Old Principal.

The Old Principal's office was on the top floor of the administration building, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire campus of Qingshi City No. 1 Middle School. At this moment, the sun was setting, its afterglow dyeing the interior a warm red.

When Su Bai pushed the door open and entered, the old man was standing in front of the window with his back to him, seemingly admiring the distant scenery.

"You're here?"

The Old Principal turned around, a kind smile on his face. He pointed to the sofa: "Sit."

Su Bai sat down as told, his back straight, his gaze calmly meeting this legendary Rank 9 Creator.

The Old Principal sat across from him, not in a hurry to speak, but instead carefully sizing up the youth before him.

After a moment, he smiled slightly.

"In sixteen years, you are the first student to ever make me misjudge them."

Su Bai was slightly taken aback.

"Don't misunderstand, what I misjudged was your forbearance." The Old Principal picked up his teacup and took a light sip. "Before the Awakening, your grades always remained in the top thirty of the grade, never standing out or drawing attention. This kind of control is harder than taking first place."

Su Bai didn't respond.

The Old Principal didn't mind either, taking an envelope from a drawer and pushing it across the coffee table.

"The school's top prize, one hundred thousand federal credits."

Su Bai looked down at it but didn't reach out to take it.

The Old Principal then pulled a bank card from his robe and placed it next to the envelope.

"This is my personal addition, also one hundred thousand. Two hundred thousand in total."

Two hundred thousand.

Su Bai's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Seeing his reaction, a flash of approval crossed the Old Principal's eyes. For a youth of this age to maintain such composure when faced with the huge sum of two hundred thousand was indeed not simple.

"Take it." The Old Principal leaned back. "You earned it. Although your world was rated as Trash Grade, your creativity and execution are worth this much."

Su Bai was silent for two seconds before looking up.

"Principal, I have a request."

"Speak."

"Can all of this money be exchanged for faith crystals?"

The Old Principal's movements paused.

He slowly set down his teacup, his gaze becoming profound: "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Do you know what you can buy with two hundred thousand federal credits if you purchase civilization resources?" The Old Principal leaned forward, his tone turning serious. "You can buy ten Rank 1 monster eggs that can be put directly into battle after hatching; you can buy three Rank 2 spiritual plant seeds that can form a small spiritual garden within a year to continuously produce Power Of Faith; you can even buy a miniature spiritual vein which, once implanted into the world, can slowly transform the environment to allow mortal life to take root."

He paused and stared into Su Bai's eyes: "But faith crystals are just the purest form of creation energy. Two hundred thousand for two of the lowest-grade faith crystals only gives 200 faith points. What can 200 points do? Create twenty Rank 1 units? In your world that is ten kilometers of nothing but Yin Qi, how many days can twenty Rank 1 units survive?"

Su Bai listened quietly, and only after the Old Principal finished did he speak.

"Principal, everything you said is correct."

"Then why do you still..."

"But everything you mentioned is useless in my world."

The Old Principal was stunned.

Su Bai's voice was as calm as if he were stating facts: "monster eggs need spiritual energy to hatch; my world has none. spiritual plant seeds need soil to sprout; the soil in my world cannot support cultivation. A spiritual vein needs an environment to transform; transforming a ten-kilometer world of pure Yin Qi would take at least a thousand years."

The Old Principal fell silent.

"My path is not to make the world adapt to life." Su Bai looked up, a deep light flashing in the depths of his eyes. "It is to make life adapt to the world."

The office was quiet for a few seconds.

The Old Principal looked at the youth before him and seemed to see his younger self. Back then, he had also taken a path no one had walked before, had also been doubted by countless people, and had eventually fought his way through to become a Rank 9.

"Good, good, good." Saying 'good' three times, the Old Principal stood up, walked to his desk, and made a phone call.

Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man who looked like a secretary entered, carrying an exquisite wooden box.

"Principal, the faith crystals you requested."

The Old Principal took the wooden box and handed it to Su Bai: "Two of them, exactly two hundred thousand."

Su Bai stood up and took it with both hands: "Thank you, Principal."

"No need to thank me." The Old Principal waved his hand. "The path is your own choice; just keep walking it. However, I must remind you, once the faith crystals are used up, what then? Your world has no civilization cycle and cannot naturally produce Power Of Faith."

Su Bai put away the wooden box and looked up, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

"Principal, what did you say two hundred thousand could buy again?"

The Old Principal was taken aback: "monster eggs, spiritual plant seeds, miniature spiritual veins..."

"Those all need time to yield returns." Su Bai interrupted him. "But faith crystals are immediate combat power."

The Old Principal's pupils constricted slightly.

"My world doesn't need to evolve slowly." Su Bai said word by word, "I will first create the strongest beings, and then, I will go and seize what I need."

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

After a long while, the Old Principal burst into laughter, the sound so loud it made the window glass vibrate.

"Good lad! I've lived for over eighty years, and this is the first time I've seen someone thinking about plundering others on their first day of Awakening!"

Once he had laughed his fill, his eyes were full of appreciation: "Go then, let me see what kind of name you can make for yourself by plundering."

Su Bai bowed slightly, turned, and pushed the door open to leave.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over him, stretching his shadow very long.

By the time he returned to the dormitory, it was already dark.

Su Bai locked the door, drew the curtains, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

His consciousness sank in.

The grayish-white Yin Qi rushed toward him.

The Netherworld World.

The ten-kilometer diameter miniature world was still deathly silent, with Yin Qi churning like a sea. But this time, as soon as Su Bai stepped into the world, a red figure lunged over.

"Master!"

The Ghost Bride ran to Su Bai's side and looked up, her deep eyes full of grievance.

"Where did you go? You haven't come back for so long."

Su Bai looked down at her breathtakingly beautiful face, feeling somewhat helpless: "It's only been a few hours."

"A few hours is also a long time." The Ghost Bride pouted aggrievedly. "It's so cold here, so dark, and I'm all alone."

Su Bai only nodded slightly.

"Be good, go play for a bit, I have things to do."

The Ghost Bride looked up and blinked her eyes: "What things? Can I help?"

"Creating new companions."

"New companions?" The Ghost Bride's eyes lit up. "Are they like me?"

"Different." Su Bai thought for a moment. "But you will be fighting together in the future."

"Fighting?" The Ghost Bride tilted her head, seemingly not quite understanding the meaning of the word.

She felt some doubt; did it refer to devouring that ugly monster earlier?

She let go of Su Bai and floated to the side, squatting in mid-air with her hands on her cheeks like a small animal waiting to be fed.

Su Bai paid her no more mind, his consciousness sinking into the world core.

[Current World: Netherworld]

[World Level: None (No Civilization)]

[Power Of Faith: 0]

[Available Actions: Create Species]

Su Bai took out the two faith crystals and held them in his palm.

A warm touch came from his palm, and two streams of pure energy flowed through his meridians into his body, surging into the world core.