Chapter 106: Chapter 85: Flaws
Grinning with the 18,000 Origin Currency in hand, Zhang Xuan then noticed Yu Longqing and School Head Lu standing nearby, leading Dao Li over to him.
“City Lord Yu, School Head Lu, what are you doing here…”
After slipping the Origin Notes into his pocket, Zhang Xuan then saw Liu Tianzheng and respectfully nodded and clasped his fists, “Clan Head Liu is here too!”
Having just absorbed over ten thousand strands of Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy, not only did he spend no money at all, but he also earned 12,000 from others. The people from the Liu Clan were truly generous, deserving of respect.
“I came to the Merchants to buy some items and just happened to meet City Lord Yu at the entrance, so I invited him to join us. It’s such a coincidence to see Teacher Zhang here too!”
School Head Lu said with a smile.
“It is quite the coincidence, I was just strolling around, saw the Source Pool evaluation and brought Dao Li here to give it a try…” Zhang Xuan explained.
Both men smiled, each with their own cunning plans.
“A thousand-li horse can also find a Source Pool and absorb Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy?” School Head Lu asked curiously.
Yu Longqing and Liu Tianzheng perked up their ears simultaneously, also eager to hear his explanation.
“It absorbed very little, not much effect…”
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan showed a hint of disappointment.
He had thought this Dao Li, with such a massive size, could at least absorb hundreds of strands of Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy. The fact that it ended after about forty strands showed that its talent was truly average.
It seemed that even if it could cultivate in the future, its achievements would not be very high.
“Little?”
Seeing his sincere expression, all three simultaneously twitched.
If absorbing over forty strands of Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy in one evaluation is considered little, wouldn’t that make the rest of us utterly worthless?
“As long as it works, it seems the school really needs to start offering horse-taming classes… I hope Teacher Zhang will not hesitate to teach!”
Suppressing the awkwardness inside, School Head Lu continued, “Does Teacher Zhang need to buy anything else? I am quite familiar with this Merchants, I can take you there…”
Zhang Xuan shook his head, “There’s nothing I want to buy, I am just interested in Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy. I want to continue studying it. I don’t know, Clan Head Liu, when is our Merchants’ next evaluation? I would like to come and register in advance.”
“This… I am not sure.”
Startled, Liu Tianzheng quickly tried to divert attention: “If Teacher Zhang really wants to study Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy, he could ask School Head Lu! He has quite a few unused Destiny Plates, which should contain a lot of Force of Origin.”
Zhang Xuan was startled, “School Head Lu has Destiny Plates too?”
“I…”
With a slightly darkened face, School Head Lu internally cursed Liu Tianzheng several times over.
Baiyan Academy did still have a few Destiny Plates in stock, but they couldn’t withstand being used up like this!
Seeing his troubled expression, Zhang Xuan said, “Is this item very expensive? I can buy it!”
Always sneaking around to absorb it and using various disguises was not the way to go. If these items could be bought, it indeed would reduce a lot of trouble.
“They can be bought, but the price is steep, around 2 million Origin Currency each!”
After a moment’s hesitation, School Head Lu gritted his teeth and spoke.
Zhang Xuan frowned.
He had just earned 200,000 Origin Currency from the Chen Clan and thought he was already wealthy enough to last a while, but now it seemed he was far from it.
He needed to make money quickly!
With that thought, he couldn’t help but look at Liu Tianzheng curiously and asked, “Clan Head Liu, may I know what is the most profitable activity in our Merchants?”
Since taming a thousand-li horse at the horse farm can reward a lot, the Merchants must have similar profitable activities. If one activity earns little, ten or a hundred would suffice.
“There are many profitable businesses, but if you want to earn quickly and a lot, it’s definitely targeting cultivators!”
After pondering for a moment, Liu Tianzheng explained, “For instance, conducting evaluations for those who locate a Source Pool, helping ignite a Furnace, selling top-notch cultivation methods, and helping them advance their cultivation can all yield handsome rewards.”
“I see!”
Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan pondered.
Source Pool evaluation needed a large amount of Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy, definitely not feasible; helping to ignite a Furnace required rare Fire-Starting Materials, which he couldn’t find; as for primordial energy, it was okay to use for his own students, but giving it to others… better not, too wasteful.
Selling top-tier cultivation methods could be considered, but that would require learning them first to create new ones, which meant he needed to read a massive amount of books. And to do all these, Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy was essential…
It seemed that only the last option remained.
With a gleam in his eye, Zhang Xuan looked up at Dean Lu Mingrong, “Dean Lu, if I can help you advance your cultivation to the Spirit Soul Realm, Eightfold Realm of the Source Pool, would you give me one?”
“Help me breakthrough?”
Dean Lu Mingrong gave an awkward smile and shook his head, “I have been stuck at the Peak of the Jade Bone Realm for ten whole years now, having tried countless methods. If it were possible to break through, it would have happened long ago, not waiting until now…”
Zhang Xuan said, “I can try. If it’s not successful, I won’t ask for any compensation!”
Seeing his sincere face, Dean Lu Mingrong hesitated for a moment and said, “Teacher Zhang is not joking, but serious?”
“Of course!”
Zhang Xuan nodded, “Although my cultivation isn’t very high, I am extremely sensitive to the operation of strength. As long as you believe in me, perhaps I can detect the problem and find the main reason restraining your cultivation…”
“I trust Teacher Zhang, but I just don’t know what needs to be done?” Certain that he wasn’t talking nonsense, Lu Mingrong quickly spoke up.
If it had been any other cultivator in the Accumulative Realm daring to speak to him this way, a slap would have certainly been delivered, but having witnessed this individual’s numerous miraculous deeds, since he dared to say so, perhaps there really was a chance…
After all, even his horse had started to practice, so if such inconceivable things could be accepted, what else couldn’t?
Zhang Xuan: “Let’s head back to the academy first; it’s too noisy here.”
Helping someone achieve a breakthrough was a big deal, so it was still better to remain low-key.
“Okay!”
Lu Mingrong nodded, and cupping his fists toward Yu Longqing and Liu Tianzheng, said, “Gentlemen, we will be heading back first!”
Having said this, the two mounted their horse and strode toward the exit of the Merchants, soon disappearing from sight.
Seeing them leave, Yu Longqing couldn’t help but speak up, “Clan Head Liu, do you think… this Teacher Zhang can really help the School Head breakthrough?”
Liu Tianzheng shook his head: “You know how difficult it is to achieve a breakthrough in cultivation, City Lord Yu. If School Head Lu could have succeeded, he surely would have done so already, rather than waiting until now!”
“That’s true…”
Yu Longqing nodded.
From the third to seventh layer of Source Pool Realm, the process involves mobilizing Origin qi to temper the body and bones, but reaching the eighth layer requires tempering the spirit and is considered a transformation from the corporeal to the spiritual, representing the greatest barrier and the most difficult challenge within the entire Source Pool Realm.
School Head Lu always harbored the ambition to compare himself to him, but unfortunately, limited by his talents, he had never succeeded.
His own breakthrough had come about during a journey outside, where he had faced life and death situations that fortunately led to his success.
As a dean burdened with numerous trivial tasks and hefty responsibilities, it was impossible for him to leave the academy, and thus he naturally found it very difficult to gain such experiences, making a breakthrough even more unlikely.
“Teacher Zhang is young and likes to boast. He is quite impressive at Horse Taming, but he has no understanding of the Spirit Soul Realm, Eighth Layer of Source Pool. Even with strong talents and a keen sensitivity to Origin Energy, without actual practice experience, all his conjectures are just castles in the air, fleeting illusions!”
Liu Tianzheng scoffed.
Yu Longqing shared this sentiment but didn’t voice it outright, instead, he simply nodded nonchalantly.
To guide someone else’s breakthrough, you must first have reached that level yourself. If you haven’t even managed that, and you’ve only just learned where the Source Pool is two days ago, trying to guide someone else… indeed sounds unrealistic.
…
“What do I need to do?”
In the dean’s office at Baiyan Academy, Lu Mingrong looked at the young man before him, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
“Perform a set of fist techniques for me to see!”
Zhang Xuan waved his hand.
Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for him to leap so many levels to guide someone else, which completely contradicted his low-key personality, but that morning he had received a warning from Empyrean Kong shi, filled with a deep sense of oppression.
A person like Empyrean Kong shi wouldn’t mention “the situation isn’t good” unless he faced real danger; it was even less likely for him to emphasize twice to be careful.
Without a doubt, there was a great possibility that he might have had a conflict with the Heaven Mandate Hall or even been captured!
Therefore, he needed to increase his cultivation level as quickly as possible to find him.
Thus, despite knowing that offering guidance could be risky, he still made the offer, reasoning that if things went south, he could always flee Baiyan City and change his identity.
And if successful, Patriarch Chen Xiao, Liu Tianzheng, and Yu Longqing would be able to provide the necessary Origin Currency, with tens of thousands of Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy pieces likely sufficient for him to reach the Jade Bone Realm, Sevenfold of Source Pool or even higher.
“Okay!”
Though unsure of his purpose, Dean Lu Mingrong nodded, clenched his fists, and advanced a step.
Hiss!
As he moved, the surrounding air seemed to tear, stirring up a whirlwind.
True to his reputation as a super expert who had been at the Peak of Jade Bone Realm for many years, each of School Head Lu’s moves was like an iron tool striking the air, issuing a whistling sound, exuding an irresistible force.
Glancing at Zhang Xuan, it was clear that defeating such a powerful figure would likely burn at least one-tenth of a new world!
To burn away one-tenth of his soul and realm just to defeat one person… was certainly not worthwhile.
Shaking his head to banish these thoughts, he focused his mind and immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path.
“Flaws!”
Accompanied by a low cry, the stars above immediately converged toward the center, and in the blink of an eye, over two thousand books melded together, forming a brand new tome.
“Such a huge cost…”
Zhang Xuan’s expression grew serious.
Previously, forming the Heaven’s Path Divine Art had burnt over three thousand Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy pieces, and inspecting this dean now cost just as much, whereas observing people like Liu Mingyue required only a few.
If his guess was correct, the larger the disparity between his cultivation level and the subject’s, the more Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy it consumed to investigate.
Indeed, without sufficient Heavenly Mandate Vital Energy, it was best to use the Library of Heaven’s Path sparingly, otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough for his own cultivation…
With a gentle beckoning of his hand, the tome landed in his palm, bearing the words “Lu Mingrong” on the cover.
He casually flipped it open, glanced through, and suddenly a bizarre expression emerged on his face.
“This…”