Chapter 109: Chapter 88: Lu Mingrong’s Breakthrough
“Does the school head think this isn’t green enough? No worries, I’ll have Dean Wu bring over some more wild grass to ensure your room is beautifully green, distinctively green, thoroughly green…”
Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.
“Green my ass!”
At this moment, Lu Mingrong really couldn’t hold back any longer.
His tragic past had always been a closely guarded secret. Over the decades, many had forgotten about it, but the incident had caused such a huge stir back then that if someone intentionally brought it up, it would inevitably be dug up again and become a topic of gossip over meals.
This was what he didn’t want to see.
In the past, as an ordinary teacher and a lone figure, it wouldn’t have mattered much if his reputation was sullied. But now, as the head of Baiyan Academy and the second strongest in Baiyan City, how could he face people if this matter were really spread? How could he face his deceased mentor!
His teacher, seeing him in despair back then, had spent a tremendous cost just to help him regain his confidence. In the end, he even lost his life looking for a medicinal herb in Huaiyuan Mountain…
When he saw him again, he was already torn to pieces by a Primordial Beast, leaving only a torn robe.
Since then, he had given up on romantic entanglements and devoted all his energy to this academy, creating the grand occasion of thousands, even tens of thousands, of applicants each year at the start of school.
Previously, descendants of families like Yu Xiaoyu and Mo Yanxue, who had sufficient family cultivation methods, would never consider studying at an academy like this.
“Why is School Head Lu still cursing? Isn’t being green good? It’s pleasing to the eye, invigorating to the spirit! Dean Wu, let me explain in detail why School Head Lu likes the grasslands…”
Zhang Xuan, impervious to persuasion, just smiled faintly and turned his head to look at Wu Yunzhou, who was somewhat embarrassed not far away.
“Shut up…”
Knowing that if the other party continued, his old face would be utterly disgraced, Lu Mingrong could no longer contain himself. With a big stride, he charged over. Before he even reached him, he saw two horse hooves suddenly appear in front of him.
Bang!
His chest reverberated, and he flew backward again.
With the Source Pool sealed, relying solely on his physical body strength, his speed wasn’t slow, but compared with this thousand-li horse capable of cultivation, it was still inferior. Whenever he tried to charge and stop Zhang Xuan, he would be forcefully blocked by the other party.
“Damn it…”
Seeing the young man smiling and whispering in Wu Yunzhou’s ear, broadcasting his embarrassing moments, and even occasionally displaying a mocking smirk, this second strongest in Baiyan City could no longer restrain his fury. The powerful strength within the Source Pool, aimed at the seal, charged forward.
The mighty zhenqi of the Jade Bone Realm, Sevenfold of the Source Pool, clashed with the seal formed by Wu Yunzhou, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge. His whole body flickered like neon lights, alternating between light and dark, releasing astonishing power.
Although Wu Yunzhou’s strength was slightly inferior to his, it was not much weaker. The power of the full-strength seal was immensely powerful, and Lu Mingrong, frantic to break through, found himself unable to do so in the short term.
Just then, whether it was good luck or something else, the two horse hooves, unfortunately, landed exactly on two key points of his cultivation.
Normally, these two points were like rivers blocked by silt; the flow could never pass, and he dared not touch them lightly. At that moment, shocked by the horse hooves, cracks appeared, and the next moment, the mud was forcibly opened by the powerful flow of water, growing larger and larger until, in just a dozen breaths, it could no longer be contained, forming a turbulent torrent.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
Not long after the mighty current advanced, it was blocked again; the horse hooves fell once more, coincidentally landing in the same spot, shattering the obstructions repeatedly. The combined strength of his entire body and the sealing power of Wu Yunzhou converged like the Yellow River and Yangtze River coming together, unstoppable by anyone.
Crack! Crack!
Lu Mingrong felt a jolt throughout his body, his mind exploding like a balloon and his consciousness seemed to suddenly break free from the confines of his body, spreading outward.
At the same time, the previously turbulent flow of zhenqi now became restrained by a powerful soul energy within his meridians, docile like a kitten.
His pupils contracted, and Lu Mingrong froze, “Spirit Soul Realm, Eightfold Realm of Source Pool?”
The other party had mentioned helping him to break through. He had thought it was merely a jest, yet it had actually succeeded…
This, this…
Clenching his fist and paying no heed to consolidating his cultivation, Lu Mingrong could not help but look over at the young man not far away. At this moment, the young man was not engaging Wu Yunzhou in idle chatter but was sitting quietly in a nearby chair, cupping a tea in his hands, serene and unaffected, like an expert from another world, untainted by the dust of life.
Not only that, Dao Li, the thousand-li horse that had viciously beaten him earlier, now stood quietly beside him, its equine face serene, showing none of its previous irritability.
Wu Yunzhou, still not accustomed to the sudden change, curiously looked over, “Mr. Zhang, didn’t you just want to explain why the school head likes the grasslands? Why stop mid-sentence…”
Scraping the tea leaves, Zhang Xuan frowned, “Why would the school head like the grasslands? It’s my horse that likes grass, which is why I troubled Dean Wu to prepare some more…”
“Heh, heh!”
Dao Li nodded, neighing loudly, and quickly moved to the grass on the ground, beginning to eat voraciously.
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed entirely normal.
“Did I mishear that?” Wu Yunzhou scratched his head.
“Indeed, you misheard. Mr. Zhang asked you to cut grass, but it was just to feed the horse…” Lu Mingrong came over.
“Your cultivation…”
Only then did Wu Yunzhou notice the change in the other’s aura, filled with disbelief.
The cultivation realm that had troubled the school head for thirty years had actually broken through in one fell swoop with this man’s help!
“Yunzhou, go to the storeroom and fetch me a Destiny Plate. I’ll pay for the Merit Points and fees personally…” Lu Mingrong instructed.
“Yes!”
Knowing the school head wished to speak privately with this Mr. Zhang, Wu Yunzhou responded and turned to leave.
Watching him go, Lu Mingrong could not help but look over, “Mr. Zhang, how… how did you do it?”
To be honest, even though he had broken through, it still felt like a dream, unclear about what had actually happened.
Setting down the teacup, Zhang Xuan smiled, “To break through to the Spirit Soul Realm, Eightfold Realm of the Source Pool, one needs a certain level of spiritual accumulation. Your thirty years of Pure Skill, naturally, goes without saying. Ideally, it should have naturally progressed, but… due to that emotional affair, feelings of insecurity and timidity appeared in your heart. Coupled with errors in the Bone Tempering Method, you repeatedly fell into self-doubt. In plain terms, it’s like being on the verge of a breakthrough, but failing to achieve it because you lacked confidence.”
Lu Mingrong fell silent.
The other party was right; he had no shortage of attempts at reaching the Divine Soul Realm but each time, just as he neared a breakthrough, he felt within his heart that he could not succeed…
Over time, such negative emotions accumulated more and more, making it nearly impossible for him to advance any further.
“Does this have anything to do with you sealing my power and calling me ‘green’?”
Furrowing his brows, he voiced his confusion.
“Of course it does, and the connection is significant.”
Zhang Xuan explained, “You have sufficient cultivation and soul energy, but your emotions are disjointed. Once you can control them and channel them into a specific torrent, the Divine Soul Realm is a mere trifle… I asked you to recount your experiences to find out what your biggest regret is deep in your heart!”
“Severe illnesses need strong medicine. Your biggest concern is this unbearable past incident, over a woman not only affecting your life but also leading to the tragic death of your mentor…”
“Thus, only by ripping open this wound and forcing out the pus can you have a chance at rebirth.”
“For men, being cuckolded is the least bearable, even less tolerable is being universally known as such, and having it spread right in front of you… Therefore, I deliberately allowed Dao Li to humiliate you, causing you to lose your reason, then repeatedly brought it up in front of Dean Wu… You fell right into my trap, with the force of your anger, forgotten disordered emotions, and the soul energy flowing through, breaking through the Divine Soul became as natural as water flowing into a channel!”
“All of this you came up with after watching me practice boxing…”
All tensed up, Lu Mingrong looked again at the young man in front of him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Initially, he really thought it was just to humiliate him. To his shock, every step was within the opponent’s calculations…
This level of insight, he had exhausted countless efforts, read innumerable books, studied numerous secret manuals, and yet had not the slightest clue. Yet this person, after having watched him throw just a few punches, not only drew conclusions but also organized the treatment flawlessly without any mistakes…
“Could this be the ability of someone graced by fragments of the heavens?”
A thought crossed his mind, and Lu Mingrong speculated in secret.
Fate Master, the true pride of the Source World, possessing numerous unbelievable abilities, some of which only exist in legends.
Considering the other’s low cultivation but being able to truly help him break through, there seemed to be no other reason that fit.
Unaware of his thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly: “Actually, it’s because School Head Lu has good fundamentals, I simply went with the flow…”
“There are not so many opportunities of going with the flow in this world… And even if they exist, they come only when one has sufficient power!”
Lu Mingrong remarked emotionally.
Just like that woman, if he really couldn’t put together ten million as a bride price, if his cultivation had not reached the Jade Bone Realm, if he hadn’t become the dean, would she have come back acknowledging her fault, hoping to make amends?
Impossible!
“Dean, the Destiny Plate is here!”
While he was reflecting, Wu Yunzhou approached, holding a brand new Destiny Plate in his hand.
Lu Mingrong took it and handed it to the young man in front of him: “Teacher Zhang…”
A Destiny Plate, even when bought by Baiyan Academy, would cost 2 million Origin Currency and additionally, due to planned economy with limited supply, it really should not be for sale easily, but at this moment, it was gladly presented as a gift.
Let alone two million Origin Currency, even ten million, if it could buy a chance for a breakthrough, many would pursue it eagerly.
“Many thanks!”
Taking the Destiny Plate, Zhang Xuan studied it curiously and couldn’t help asking, “How should I absorb it? Do I need to go to the training ground?”
The Heavenly Mandate Vitality contained in the Destiny Plate needed a special formation to be activated before being released, and this formation was exactly the nine stone pillars of the training ground.
Lu Mingrong’s face showed embarrassment: “Using the nine stone pillars… I’m afraid it would cause too much commotion!”
Activating the Destiny Plate with the Nine Dragons Pillar, just to let one person absorb, even a fool would definitely see there’s an issue, then the identity of this genius could no longer be concealed.
“Yes, better to keep it low-profile! I am indeed a low-profile and discreet person.”
Zhang Xuan nodded thoughtfully.
“…”
Lu Mingrong’s face twitched, unsure how to respond to that.
Your words say ‘low-profile,’ but every act you take is as high-profile as they come…
However, he couldn’t say that out loud, so he explained instead: “Teacher Zhang, if you want to absorb it, I can arrange a formation similar to the one at Baiyan Trading Company at your residence. This kind of formation doesn’t require talent to set up and it will cause less commotion!”
“That would be excellent, exactly what I had in mind!”
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up as he nodded repeatedly.
As they were about to leave for his residence to arrange the formation, hurried footsteps came from outside, and a voice was heard even before the person appeared.
“Dean Lu, I don’t know if Teacher Zhang has helped you break through?”
Around the corner, City Lord Yu Longqing came striding over, speaking as he walked: “We’ve talked about your situation before, it was my foolish cousin who wronged you. I’ve already applied to the dynasty for the ‘Soft Bone Liquid’… As soon as it’s refined, I’ll make sure it gets to you first thing, it surely can resolve your problem eventually. So, don’t worry too much…”
Before he could finish his words, seeing Zhang Xuan standing with Lu Mingrong, his expression immediately showed embarrassment.
“City Lord Yu, I appreciate your kindness. The incident back then was my own fault, you need not blame yourself…”
Lu Mingrong shook his head.
Love and hatred are matters of the heart; others cannot be blamed.
“It’s not that I blame myself, but rather, with your capabilities and talent, you shouldn’t be in this state. It was due to a despicable member of our Yu family committing an outrage that you got stuck at the Jade Bone Realm for over thirty years, till now unable to advance… Huh? You’ve broken through?”
Yu Longqing was lamenting when suddenly realizing something, his pupils abruptly dilated, standing still in shock.