Chapter 145: The Great Sage's Test

Sumeru Cheng is still the same.

No matter how many times one comes, this place seems never to change.

According to time.

Ai Er Hai Sen should have already entered the city by now.

As for Dixiya and the mercenaries led by La He Man, theoretically they entered the city earlier than Ai Er Hai Sen.

Luo De did not conceal his whereabouts, entering the city openly, and even deliberately wore the Void Terminal on his ear to inform the Great Sage that they had returned.

Previously, Nadixa had made calculations from the perspective of the Void.

In the situation where only Dixiya left, while Fan Lu Shan, Ka Wei, Kantisi, and others did not leave.

According to the Void's analysis, Luo De should now be continuing his study of Wonder Theory School knowledge and research on the Plain Theory School's topics in A Ru Cun.

Yet his action of going against the Void's prediction by directly entering Sumeru Cheng would actually be safer than not entering the city.

"Whether a renowned sage or a scholar just entering the Academy, their confidence in the Void's conclusion is absolute; they neither think about it nor investigate it."

"Therefore, once something occurs that contradicts the Void's understanding,"

"they will fall into a brief state of panic."

This is what Nadixa said to Luo De.

This is also the current state of the Sumeru academic community.

Blind faith in the Void has become the instinct of almost every Sumeru scholar.

Just as Luo De's evaluation of those scholars back in Chan Na Yuan.

Long reliance on the Void has already caused them to lose the ability to think.

After entering the city.

Luo De did not rush to look for Dixiya and the others who had already entered the city, but instead more boldly returned directly to the Academy, then hurried to the Xi Ban Duo Mo Xue Yuan to see Ju Lei Shi.

As for this student whom he liked the most suddenly returning,

Ju Lei Shi, who was writing something, appeared quite displeased and lashed out: "You troublemaker, what are you doing back here?"

"The paper is finished; let me have a look."

Luo De hehe smiled and handed over his newly written paper on the new alchemy potion.

However, Ju Lei Shi casually took it, didn't even look, threw it aside, and without raising his head said: "The paper is unacceptable; get lost, go back to your desert, rewrite the paper and bring it to me."

His words were stiff, also carrying a trace of obviously suppressed anger.

"Teacher, you haven't even looked and you say I'm unsatisfactory."

Luo De seemed not to understand Ju Lei Shi's meaning; he not only didn't obey, but also urged him to look at the paper.

This made Ju Lei Shi even more furious.

He simply tore Luo De's painstakingly written paper into shreds, threw all the pieces into the trash, and then angrily said: "Unacceptable is unacceptable; go back and rewrite."

"Uh."

Knowing that Ju Lei Shi was doing this for his own good, wanting him to hurry back to the relatively safe desert, this was an anticipated reaction; Luo De showed no surprise, merely pursed his lips, and said: "Then I'll come back after I finish it."

However, before Luo De could walk out, he heard Ju Lei Shi shout again: "Stop!"

Afterwards he slammed the thing he had written in his hand heavily onto the table and coldly said: "Take this; it's your new assignment; you're not allowed to come back until you finish it."

"Oh, okay."

Luo De stepped forward, took the paper, neatly folded it, performed a salute, and then left.

There's nothing special about this paper.

It's also not the new assignment Ju Lei Shi mentioned.

It's just some ordinary experimental data.

It's just that a few extra lines were added below.

【A major case has occurred in the desert; Cyno can't return in a short time; you staying in Sumeru Cheng is very dangerous, also don't return to the Life Theory School; hurry back to the desert.】

"Not return to the Life Theory School?"

"Tsk, how could one not return to the Life Theory School?"

"If I don't go back, they won't believe I really could have obtained divine knowledge."

Luo De hehe smiled and set off confidently toward the A Mi Li Duo Xue Yuan.

As for whether Ju Lei Shi behind him would be so angry as to jump like thunder.

There's nothing that can be done about this.

Returning to the A Mi Li Duo Xue Yuan.

Luo De immediately went to find the Degree Examination Department.

His purpose for coming here is simple.

That is to obtain his formal Tuo She Duo Degree.

For Luo De, who is extremely likely to break the record as a degree recipient, after his identity was approved, the examiners, all unusually friendly, invited him to the interview room.

Many students from the Life Theory School apply for the Tuo She Duo Degree.

Luo De's jumping the queue naturally caused some people's dissatisfaction.

But upon hearing Luo De's name, these people fell silent, enviously watching him walk in with his paper.

Soon.

The scholar in charge of the review also arrived.

Among them was an acquaintance Luo De knew.

"Vice Dean Ha Fu Shi, hello."

Luo De sat upright, the two papers neatly placed on his lap; even while greeting Ha Fu Shi, his body did not sway at all.

We meet again.

Hafusai brought two scholars unknown to Luo De to sit in the examiners' seats.

Seeing that the two scholars were wearing degree badges.

They were two Doctors.

After a simple two-sentence greeting, Hafusai began questioning Luo De's thesis according to the normal procedure.

Everything was quite normal.

Throughout the process, the smile on Hafusai's face never diminished.

Luo De also answered fluently, without any hesitation.

This degree interview, similar to a thesis defense, took a total of one hour.

There was also a ten-minute break in the middle.

The review speed was quite fast.

The question-and-answer session ended.

Logically, Hafusai should now stamp Luo De's thesis as qualified and approve his Doctoral degree review.

But Hafusai did not do that.

Instead, he piled the thesis before him together, chuckling, and said: "Apprentice Doctor Luo De, can you guarantee that these two theses are entirely your own work?"

Yes.

Luo De answered quickly.

Hehe—

But as far as I know, many parts of these two theses come from an exiled scholar.

Hafusai crossed his arms, his expression kind, yet his tone carried an indescribable coldness.

He was leveling a serious accusation.

This was his usual tactic.

As long as Luo De admitted that his thesis was not independently produced.

then his formal Doctoral degree application would be rejected, his apprentice Doctoral degree would also be revoked, and he would be subjected to the Academy's strictest cheating investigation.

'Why are they in such a hurry?'

Through Nadixa's mind-reading, Hafusai's thoughts were laid bare before Luo De.

As expected.

This fellow had come on the orders of the Great Sage to stir up trouble, intending to use plagiarism as an excuse to force Jules and Saino to be unable to protect Luo De.

It seems this is why Jules told Luo De not to return to the Life Theory Faction.

He must have received some news beforehand.

Knowing that Hafusai would be unfavorable to Luo De, he therefore specifically added that line about not returning to the Life Theory Faction.

However, such a tactic of leveling a serious accusation is useless against Luo De.

Thus he calmly replied: 'Vice Dean Hafusai, the Academy is a place that values evidence; you say my thesis resembles that of the exiled scholar, so please produce the evidence and mark the similarities.'

His address to Hafusai was no longer respectful.

This also caused Hafusai's expression to turn stern, he put away his previous smile, and then produced two papers signed 'A De Ba Yi', each bearing a bright red 'Sealed' stamp.

'Since you say that, there must indeed be evidence.'

His voice, which had been gentle, turned somewhat gloomy: 'Take a look yourself, huh—I never expected that the student so valued by the Wise Sage Nafis would be a plagiarizing cheat; do you think that by copying an exiled exile, the Academy wouldn't discover your plagiarism?'

As his words fell, a scholar serving as Hafusai's assistant immediately sent those two papers to Luo De.

However, what Hafusai did not expect was that—

He had already laid out the evidence, but Luo De didn't even glance at it, and directly in front of him threw those two papers, which he had taken as evidence, into the trash can.

'Doctor Luo De, what do you mean by this?'

'Do you think you can evade the Academy's scrutiny by avoiding it?'

Do you think destroying the evidence can clear your suspicion? I advise you to honestly accept the investigation and not harbor any wishful thinking.

Hafusai's voice grew increasingly stern, already intending to directly condemn Luo De.

The two scholars sitting beside him wore expressions of watching the drama and taking pleasure in his misfortune.

A genius has fallen into a plagiarism scandal.

What a wonderful, interesting affair this is.

Luo De glanced at their faces one by one, then sighed and looked up: 'Vice Dean Hafusai, do you need me to have A De Ba Yi himself come as a witness?'

As soon as he said that.

Hafusai's face instantly changed slightly as he said: 'What do you mean by that?'

Huh?

Luo De gave him a strange look: 'You don't know that A De Ba Yi lives with me? Whether I copied his thesis or not, wouldn't he know?'

Then.

Luo De then began his defense: 'First, A De Ba Yi's thesis is sealed, right? I cannot access it through the void; I can only obtain it from him personally. Vice Dean Hafusai, you acknowledge this, correct?'

Hafusai and Luo De stared at each other for a moment, then he nodded: 'That's right.'

Well then, look.

This logic is simple enough.

'If I give my thesis to A De Ba Yi to look at, and he says I plagiarized, then it is plagiarism; if he says it is not plagiarism, then it definitely is not plagiarism—is that the principle?'

Luo De spread his hands, chuckling: 'Vice Dean Hafusai, you surely know that when researching topics, there can be overlapping subjects, right? A De Ba Yi's thesis is banned; when I researched these topics, I had no idea my subject overlapped with his, so my thesis has no possibility of being a later publication; it can only be said that it coincidentally has similar parts—do you agree?'

A reasoned, evidence-based debate.

Hafusai listened attentively, then his face cleared from cloudy to sunny as he said: "Excellent debate, Shatuoduoluo Luo De. Given that your degree review still needs further evidence gathering, your degree application must be temporarily postponed. You may leave now; the discipline officer will go to A Ru Cun to gather evidence before conducting the review."

Sure, I'll be waiting for your result.

Luo De got up nonchalantly, didn't bother to greet the moody Hafusai again, and just swaggered off.

Just as he stepped out the door.

Nadixa's voice rang out: "He has already determined your relationship with A De Ba Yi."

Oh, that's necessary.

Luo De chuckled and replied: "It's just a pity for A De Ba Yi, having to be examined again by the discipline officer."

(End of chapter)