Chapter 95: Investing in Mrs. Yun

Mr. Ya was in his early thirties but still hadn’t gotten his college diploma. Although it wasn’t particularly useful to him now, it had always been a weight on his mind.

Therefore, after arriving in Dongli, he decided to try and earn a diploma from Dongli University.

Su Ze asked, "Is everything settled with Dongli University? Are you starting as a freshman, or...?"

Mr. Ya grinned, baring his teeth. "Dr. Liou spoke to Mr. Zhou for me this morning. Dongli University agreed to let me take the graduation exam directly. And considering my special circumstances, they’ve even changed the rules for the combat assessment."

"I’m a Cocoon Stage evolver. Mr. Zhou said that as long as I can last twenty minutes against a Butterfly Stage examiner without being defeated, they’ll grant me special approval to graduate and issue me a Dongli University diploma."

Su Ze was genuinely happy for Mr. Ya. "When are you planning to take the graduation assessment?" he asked.

Mr. Ya said sheepishly, "I’m sure I’ll have no problem with the combat assessment, but the key is the written exam... I haven’t touched a book in years. I need to spend some time reviewing."

"Besides, I have to complete the enrollment procedures before I can take the assessment. The process is pretty troublesome. Since I’m not a citizen of Dongli, I have to go through the international student channel."

Su Ze said, "Why don’t you just get a Dongli Kingdom identity like me? It’ll save you the trouble."

"That makes sense." Mr. Ya’s eyes lit up.

"It’s just your name. You’ll have to change it, or people will know you’re not a native Dongli citizen just by hearing it. Why don’t you take my surname? Call yourself Su Ya. How about it?"

’I suspect you’re trying to take advantage of me...’ Mr. Ya shook his head frantically. He had acknowledged a boss, not adopted a father.

Mr. Ya said, "Actually, I don’t need a new identity. I just have to become a Dongli citizen and renounce my original Luofan Country citizenship."

"Too small. You’re thinking too small!" Su Ze shook his head. "If you get a new identity, you can find a powerful figure and get yourself registered under their household. Wouldn’t that open up more paths for you?"

He had gotten to where he was today all because he thought big enough.

After chatting with Mr. Ya for a bit, Su Ze let him go handle his business, since he was in a hurry to sort out his citizenship application.

Su Ze looked around, very pleased with his new home.

First, there was the location. This was a residential area built by Dongli University specifically for its top experts and scholars. The neighbors were all renowned professors from the university, so there was no noise or disturbance.

Second, the yard was spacious, the environment was beautiful, and the air was fresh. The wooden wall in the backyard provided excellent privacy, allowing him to practice his Swan Dance in peace without worrying about being seen.

He pushed open the main door and entered the living room. He saw Mrs. Yun sitting on the sofa watching TV, while Liou Wenxin had a laptop in front of her, frowning in thought.

When they saw Su Ze walk in, they both looked over.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Liou Wenxin asked. "I made some porridge this morning. It’s still warm in the kitchen. Do you want some?"

"Yes, I haven’t eaten this morning."

Liou Wenxin got up to get Su Ze a bowl of porridge. Su Ze plopped down on the sofa opposite Mrs. Yun and said, "Mrs. Yun, I brought something good for you."

As he spoke, he opened the case in his hands, took out a small vial, and handed it to Mrs. Yun.

Mrs. Yun took the vial and saw the words "Strengthening Elixir" on its label. She looked slightly puzzled, wondering what Su Ze was up to.

She opened the cap and saw a few drops of a faint green liquid inside, not knowing what it was.

Just then, Liou Wenxin came out with a bowl of porridge. She placed it in front of Su Ze and asked curiously, "What’s this?"

"Tree Marrow. From the Spirit Root Tree!" Su Ze replied.

Liou Wenxin and Mrs. Yun both froze, their faces filled with disbelief.

Mrs. Yun’s hand trembled slightly. Of course, she knew what these few drops of Tree Marrow meant for her. Her voice quavered as she asked, "How did you get this?"

Liou Wenxin was also full of curiosity. They still didn’t know what Su Ze had experienced in the Black Rock Mountain Range that day after being taken away by Feng Bqing, or how he had managed to escape.

So, Su Ze gave them a general account of what had happened, naturally omitting the small parts that involved his own secrets.

When Su Ze finished, Liou Wenxin and Mrs. Yun were both stunned. They never expected he had gone through such a bizarre and convoluted ordeal.

Mrs. Yun could well imagine how difficult it must have been and how much risk Su Ze had faced to obtain these few drops of Tree Marrow. She couldn’t help but feel even more moved.

Liou Wenxin’s focus, however, was elsewhere.

"You said you drank a lot of Tree Marrow, and it was absorbed by your Regeneration Core, causing your Regeneration Skill to upgrade?"

"And Feng Bqing mutated into a half-human, half-tree creature after drinking the Tree Marrow and the Spirit Root Tree extract?"

An interested look appeared on Liou Wenxin’s face—the instinct of an evolutionary scientist.

Su Ze nodded. He had accumulated many questions related to evolutionary science recently that he wanted to ask Liou Wenxin. He was eager to discuss them with her, but right now, taking care of Mrs. Yun’s matter was more important.

He urged, "Mrs. Yun, drink these few drops of Tree Marrow first and see how it works. It’s a pity there’s so little. I didn’t have a chance to get more at the time."

Liou Wenxin said, "Although Tree Marrow can extend one’s lifespan, the more you consume, the more the effect diminishes. With just these few drops, the life-extending effect will actually be more pronounced."

Mrs. Yun didn’t refuse. The Tree Marrow was indeed what she needed most right now. Even if it only meant living for a few more days, she would cherish it.

She poured the few drops of Tree Marrow into her mouth, smacking her lips. She couldn’t taste anything.

After a moment, there was no visible change in Mrs. Yun’s appearance, but her overall spirit and vitality seemed to have improved.

A smile spread across Mrs. Yun’s face. "It should have extended my life by three to four months," she said.

"So, that means, with the time you had left, you should now have five or six months..." Su Ze asked, "Is that enough time for you to absorb a vial of Tier 4 extract?"

Mrs. Yun understood Su Ze’s meaning. "You want me to try and break through to the Saint level?"

Su Ze nodded.

But Mrs. Yun sighed. "I’m already content with living a few more months. I daren’t even think about the Saint level. It’s too difficult."

"Are you worried about the extract?"

"The extract is one thing, but there are many other reasons. In short, the success rate is too low. It’s not worth trying on someone who is already dying."

Mrs. Yun explained, "To complete the fourth evolution, your foundation must be strong enough, or failure is certain. The threshold for the fourth evolution is that all three vials of extract absorbed during the Butterfly Stage must be high-grade Tier 4 extracts—that is, Grade B or higher."

"But the first vial of Tier 4 extract I absorbed back then was only Grade C, and the second was Grade B. To make up for my deficient foundation, the third vial of extract would need to be at least a Tier 4 Grade A."