Chapter 114: New World, I Want to Blow Up the School!

Chapter 114 New World—Time to Blow Up the School!

They didn’t arrive empty-handed, but when they left, the Gu Masters, though not laden with bags, were thoroughly satisfied, departing with contented smiles.

The attractant incense used this time was specially formulated to target more powerful insects—the stronger they were, the more they were drawn to it. Ordinary insects with no abnormalities, indistinguishable from those of the past, were barely affected.

This ensured that only the targeted pests were cleared out, preventing a mass eradication that could disrupt the ecosystem.

However, considering that some insects with mutational traits were still in their egg stage—aside from those that couldn’t endure and hatched prematurely—most eggs remained inactive. To be thorough, the Gu Masters would have to return later for a follow-up cleanup.

No Gu Master would turn down such a lucrative opportunity where effort directly translated into rich rewards.

After all, prime specimens were scarce. In the past, to gather enough insects for refining Gu, aside from scouring the wild and crop pest control, the Gu Masters had even considered captive breeding with strong official support.

If people could raise chickens, ducks, snakes, and scorpions, why not insects? Especially since, in Gu arts, both snakes and scorpions were classified as insects.

Captive breeding would theoretically provide a limitless insect supply. With official funding, there was no worry about lacking resources to develop the industry. They could even purchase some in advance to meet urgent needs.

But just as commercially raised chickens couldn’t compare to free-range chickens that roamed the hills and fed on grass and insects, farmed insects proved even worse for refining Gu.

One Gu Master bought batches of silkworms, butterflies, scorpions, snakes, cochineal insects, mealworms… practically every insect available on the market, sparing no expense. Yet the resulting Gu was pathetically weak.

Furious, the Gu Master fed it to his Gu King. To everyone’s surprise, this method wasn’t entirely without merit. Perhaps due to the sheer variety and abundance of insects—many of them vibrantly colored—the Gu King’s appearance underwent a dramatic metamorphic change after consuming the refined Gu.

At first, seeing the Gu King’s near-transformation, the Gu Master thought the consumed Gu had triggered some miraculous enhancement, strengthening the Gu King. He was thrilled.

But upon closer inspection…

The initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment.

The Gu’s only effect had been giving the Gu King a superficial upgrade.

Other Gu Masters, refusing to believe it, tried the same approach multiple times. Eventually, they had to concede that farmed insects simply couldn’t produce effective Gu—all show, no substance.

Now, only the wealthiest and most extravagant Gu Masters would bother with such aesthetic enhancements for their Gu’s appearance. Most pragmatic Gu Masters, unconcerned with aesthetics, had long abandoned the effort.

Yet the Gu Masters couldn’t just release insects into the wild to breed freely for their own gain. The risks were too high, and the results uncertain. What if the insects turned out just as hollow as before? It wasn’t worth the risk.

This made the current opportunity all the more precious.

After this cleanup, the entire planet seemed visibly cleaner. Many people even dared to lie on grassy slopes outdoors without fear of insects crawling on them.

With insect populations drastically reduced, as long as one checked beforehand and ensured no bugs were present when lying down, the chances of being bitten while napping were minimal.

So despite the heat, many were eager to go out and enjoy nature. Parents, too, took their children outside without worrying about tick bites.

Of course, precautions were still necessary, but the risks had undeniably diminished.

It was June—hot but not yet sweltering—and with the college entrance exams over, students, like unleashed animals, were eager to have fun. Parents preferred them traveling over staying home gaming; at least it sounded healthier.

While visiting famous mountains and rivers, people naturally didn’t mind making temple offerings. Especially before admission notices arrived, many parents took their children to pray for acceptance into their dream schools and majors.

Thus, temples saw booming incense sales—a common sight, barely noteworthy.

Even Sheng Qingquan didn’t think much of it… until the new novel appeared.

The moment the new book popped up, even Sheng Qingquan—who had been confident in his deductions—felt a mix of tension and subtle relief.

"Thank goodness, the cheat ability isn’t malfunctioning. The previous book appeared and then disappeared because the original apocalyptic crisis was no longer a concern."

But Sheng Qingquan's heart still hadn't completely settled. He opened the book and saw that the novel had indeed been genuinely flipped open by his consciousness, revealing the inner pages. Only then did his anxiously clenched heart relax halfway.

The other half wouldn't fully settle until this crisis was resolved.

A new book?

The staff members breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately perked up their ears to catch the new book's plot.

Sheng Qingquan didn’t disappoint them.

"Yunteng University’s *this* unlucky?!"

"Before the semester even starts, the campus gets blown up!!"

"And the one who blew it up was a student from the same university."

"Wow, someone actually lived out the childhood dream of countless people. Who didn’t, as a kid, nurse grudges and fantasize about blowing up their school?"

"At least I thought about it more than once—especially every time the holidays ended and I had to return to school—I wished my backpack wasn’t full of books but—explosives instead. Just to blow up the school building and force a vacation."

"But I only ever imagined it. I never thought someone would actually do it."

Sheng Qingquan wasn’t an ace student or prodigy—his IQ was just average. Academically, his grades weren’t outstanding, but they weren’t terrible either. He was the type who could get into college with hard work but might fail if he slacked off.

So, no one was surprised that he had once entertained thoughts of blowing up his school.

Thinking’s not illegal.

Besides, even ace students and prodigies, no matter how effortlessly they excelled, might’ve wanted to blow up their school one day.

And since the Prophecy Book mentioned the school being blown up, it must have happened—but the exact circumstances were still unclear.

Maybe a Yunteng University graduate went into construction demolition work.

The old campus of Yunteng University was indeed pretty dilapidated. In a few years, it might even be classified as a condemned building. For the safety of students and faculty, demolishing and rebuilding it would be perfectly normal.

"I remember Yunteng University has a major in Ammunition Engineering and Blasting Technology. Makes sense."

"The student was just putting their education to practical use."

The staff tried to stay optimistic, but soon Sheng Qingquan’s inner voice crushed their hopes.

"Both the old and new campuses were blown up."

The old campus, one thing—it really needed to be torn down and rebuilt. But the new campus...

"If I recall correctly, the new campus was built less than five years ago?" Yunteng University was located in Yunteng City and was considered the best local university. The construction and opening of the new campus had been under the watchful eyes of local residents. Without even checking, it was clear the new campus was practically new.

As they spoke, a staff member had already pulled the information: "The new campus was built exceptionally well."

"The teaching buildings and labs are state-of-the-art. The dormitories are spacious and bright, equipped with elevators, air conditioning, and mini-fridges. Each floor even has student lounges and laundry rooms. It once went viral online as one of the dream colleges' dormitories."

"In recent years, this has been a huge draw for Yunteng University’s admissions. It attracted a lot of students." When schools were comparable, people naturally chose the one with better facilities.

They had invested heavily in its construction. Yunteng University wasn’t rolling in money—they wouldn’t just blow up their new campus for no reason.

After all, building a campus like that cost a fortune.

"Although the school building was bombed, the school still opened on schedule."

"Hah!"

Sheng Qingquan couldn't help but take malicious pleasure when he saw this.

Just imagining the students thinking the school was gone and the start of term would surely be postponed, only to receive a notice that classes would begin on time—he could easily picture their expressions.

"Yunteng University rented a campus from an affiliated school, rushed to prepare it, and arranged for students to attend classes there."

"It's tight on space, but it doesn't disrupt instruction."

"And then the affiliated school was targeted too."

Sheng Qingquan's expression changed instantly. The smile disappeared completely.

"Two schools targeted in a row. If Yunteng University, along with the affiliated school, continues to secure space from other schools, wouldn't the new schools also be targeted?"

"Earlier, when Yunteng University was bombed, the semester hadn't begun yet, so there weren't many people on campus. The explosion happened late at night, and it wasn't the dormitory that was hit. The school said it was bombed, but it wasn't completely destroyed. Luckily, no one was injured or killed, so the shock and property damage were the main concerns."

"But the affiliated school's bombing was different."

"Though the semester hadn't started there either, it was on the eve of the beginning of the term. Many students and faculty were on campus preparing for the new semester and welcoming freshmen."

"Moreover, the bombing was more thorough. Even though it also happened at night, over a dozen people died on the spot, and hundreds were injured. Later, seven more died from their wounds."

"Under these circumstances, how could Yunteng University risk relocating before the truth was uncovered?"

"The situation has clearly worsened. The attacker's methods are escalating."

"Next time, who knows if they'll choose to detonate the bombs when the school is full of people? How many would be injured or killed then?"

"Yunteng University, along with the affiliated school, went on hiatus."

"And all of this happened because someone uttered a prayer."

["'I hope I can get into college. If I can't, then Liu Caiyi absolutely mustn't get to attend either!'"]

["'I hate other people's kids so much. If she gets into college but I don't, my family will never stop nagging me! They've always compared me to her since we were little—it's so annoying. Anyway, please let me get in!'"]

"If all the schools are bombed, doesn't that mean she can't attend?"