Inside the room, surges of powerful aura emerged, raging endlessly.
Though Lu Yuan's eyes were tightly shut, his chest heaved violently, churning in undulating waves.
Between his mouth and nose, dragon-shaped breaths surged, unexpectedly letting out dragon roars.
The internal organs within his body shook, causing the entire room to fill with immense pressure.
Boom!
Suddenly, a sound rang out behind him.
The second grotto-heaven directly manifested, enshrining a deity within.
Yet this was not the end. The Crouching Dragon Scarlet Fruit's energy had already been completely digested by him.
It possessed miraculous effects on cultivating the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method, far surpassing ordinary natural treasures.
Thus, under that powerful energy, the third grotto-heaven also emerged, forming in a short span of time.
Three grotto-heavens hovered behind Lu Yuan, carrying layers of majestic aura.
In other words, with a single thought, reinforced by his true body, he could directly gain three times the combat strength.
However, Lu Yuan still had no intention of stopping. During these days of cultivation, a portion of the Crouching Dragon Scarlet Fruit's energy had been thoroughly absorbed by his body, suffusing every limb, bone, and corner of his cells.
This energy could not be wasted.
Without another thought, he settled his mind and used it to scour his body, intending to break through genetic shackles once more.
Crack!
In an instant, a genetic shackle was shattered!
This was the tenth.
Right after, crack! Crack!
Two more sounds rang out in succession. The eleventh and twelfth genetic shackles were broken.
Under normal circumstances, as long as Lu Yuan was willing, going all out would likely allow him to step into the next realm—the fourth stage of evolution: the Golden Body Realm!
The so-called Golden Body Realm was when mythic genes were released, tempering every part of the body until they ultimately united into one, making the human physique as indestructible as divine gold!
However, he had no intention of doing so, because he could sense that deep within his genes, many shackles remained unbroken.
Though the impact might seem negligible, Lu Yuan knew full well: if one wanted to reach the supreme pinnacle, one had to cultivate every stage of evolution to perfection. There were a total of 108 genetic shackles in the human body. Once all of them were broken, one's potential would fully erupt, paving a broad and solid path of evolution.
More importantly, stepping into the next realm after breaking all genetic shackles would make one far stronger than other Awakened in the same realm, widening the gap in combat power substantially.
And now, as Lu Yuan broke twelve shackles, he opened his eyes at the right moment, feeling the power inside him far more boundless than before.
Though his seclusion had lasted merely ten days, his strength had undergone an extraordinarily considerable transformation.
He clenched his fists, and his bones produced cracking thrums. His muscles vibrated, and a faint glimmer flowed across his pores.
"Not just my realm, but my physique and every aspect have improved greatly. Even without entering the Golden Body Realm, my current physical body is definitely extraordinary. Enduring small missiles without taking the slightest scratch should be well within my ability, right?"
Lu Yuan evaluated his current physical condition and estimated that his progress was enormous.
Such a foundation and strength truly exceeded his expectations. The Crouching Dragon Scarlet Fruit truly lived up to its name as a divine object.
He even discovered that the blood within him had changed, its golden luster becoming more pronounced. If this continued, it would likely turn entirely golden in the future.
Such a transformation held immense significance—it was equivalent to a bloodline advancement.
One must realize that Lu Yuan originally possessed no talented bloodline whatsoever; he was ordinary. Otherwise, in his previous life, he wouldn't have had to endure countless hardships just to become an Awakened.
Yet now, under the fusion and nourishment of various divine objects, even his own bloodline had become extraordinary. If he had descendants in the future, they would be able to inherit it.
Of course, this was only preliminary and not yet prominent. But if it continued, the results would be terrifying—he might very well forge a divine bloodline from himself.
Putting further thoughts aside, Lu Yuan stepped out of the training room, intending to acclimate himself properly.
Soon, however, his senses picked up someone pacing outside his room. Opening the door, he saw it was Zhu Qingyu.
"Ah, hello, Mr. Lu." Zhu Qingyu's eyes lit up upon seeing him. "Mr. Lu, the dean has an urgent matter to discuss with you."
"How long have you been waiting?" Lu Yuan asked with a smile. Sensing the urgency in her eyes, he immediately understood that this girl had probably waited outside his room for quite a while, yet hadn't disturbed him because he was in seclusion.
"Just a little while," Zhu Qingyu replied immediately, indicating it hadn't been long. Of course, she wouldn't say she had come for three consecutive days.
Ever since she suspected Lu Yuan might be the person from Qingyang City, countless thoughts had arisen in her mind. Curiosity, the urge to verify—yet she felt it would be presumptuous, so she kept it buried in her heart.
"Let's go, then." Lu Yuan shook his head. She was still the same as in his past life. Yet precisely because of this, his impression of her was genuinely very good.
"Alright, please follow me." Zhu Qingyu smiled and led the way.
She was indeed very beautiful—tall and slender with a narrow waist and excellent proportions. Her ponytail gave her a gentle demeanor, entirely different from Zhou Yunqiong and Ice Fairy.
Yet due to her personality, Zhu Qingyu did not stand out, nor did many people pay attention to her.
However, in the future, once nurtured by Zhendan Academy, she would release a brilliance uniquely her own.
Soon, the two arrived at the dean's office. Zhu Qingyu did not go inside, choosing to wait outside.
Watching Lu Yuan's back, she recalled their first meeting. She had thought he was just an ordinary Awakened, never imagining his strength was so far beyond what she could conceive. Now, he was even an honored guest of Dean Zheng. Furthermore, in the fervent discussions online, he had replaced the Southern Sovereign.
Lu Yuan naturally knew nothing of this. Upon entering the room, Dean Zheng immediately rose to greet him. "Mr. Lu, have you been comfortable staying here these past few days?"
"Very much so," Lu Yuan replied. Going undisturbed through ten days of seclusion was clearly something the other party had arranged in advance. Putting everything else aside, this attitude alone proved plenty.
"That's good." Dean Zheng nodded. "I invited you here to cut straight to the chase. I wonder if Mr. Lu would be interested in making a trip to Ancient Mount Shu?"
Ancient Mount Shu has emerged? Hearing this, Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised, but calculating the time, it was indeed about right. However, he chose not to answer, waiting for the other party to explain.
Dean Zheng did not waste words and recounted the background.
It turned out that after Ancient Mount Shu emerged, the authorities and Zhendan Academy had seized it with lightning speed. At the same time, they displayed a tough stance and armed might, deterring all covetous parties.
However, they soon discovered there were no spiritual fruits or wondrous herbs on Ancient Mount Shu at all; only a Sword Mountain was peculiar.
On it stood ninety-nine massive sword steles. Subsequent research revealed that each sword stele contained some ancient legacy, including visualization methods, breathing methods, divine arts, and even lost ancient Huaxia martial arts.
What was more important, the higher a sword stele was, the greater the fortune it contained.
It could be said that comprehending them would grant tremendous benefits.
This was originally something worth celebrating. Zhendan Academy's strength would surge as a result, or at least give them far more choices in nurturing students.
Yet the problem lay in the fact that comprehending the fortunes within the sword steles required exceptional talent and comprehension.
To that end, under instructions from the authorities, they brought in teachers from the academy and even invited veteran Taoist priests down from their mountains to comprehend them.
Yet it was exceedingly difficult. High strength did not necessarily equate to exceptional talent and comprehension.
Several days passed, and in the end they had only obtained a few legacies, none of which were very formidable—some couldn't even compare to the breathing and visualization methods the academy already possessed.
Moreover, they discovered that comprehension consumed an immense amount of mental energy. If one could not hold on midway, they would be knocked out of that state, which would also have some physical repercussions. Though minor, if one wanted to continue comprehending, they found they couldn't. This meant that for each sword stele, a person only had a single chance to comprehend it.
"In the end, you made the decision to temporarily open Ancient Mount Shu and invite Awakened across the land to enter the mountain and comprehend the legacies and fortunes in the sword steles?" Hearing up to here, Lu Yuan smiled.
Though he had been in seclusion and out of touch with outside news, he still knew about these matters from his past life.
Furthermore, he was aware that while comprehending the sword stele legacies of Ancient Mount Shu did have restrictions, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; it was once every three years. But Lu Yuan didn't mention this. Such a thing would become common knowledge to Zhendan Academy and everyone else in due time.
"Indeed. Speaking with Mr. Lu truly saves a lot of trouble." Dean Zheng smiled. "After the cataclysmic change, some Awakened may not have awakened powerful bloodlines, yet their comprehension is remarkably high.
"We are casting a wide net, stacking the odds through sheer numbers to comprehend as many sword stele legacies as possible.
"Of course, there are conditions: any fortune comprehended must be submitted as a copy."
Zhendan Academy's goal was precisely those fortunes, so naturally they wouldn't offer this for free. Their plan was to use these legacies and fortunes to teach students.
With the backing of the authorities, acquiring spiritual fruits and wondrous herbs wasn't very difficult. Especially as the cataclysmic changes deepened, such items would become increasingly abundant.
The crux was that legacies like breathing methods and visualization methods were scarce, not just for Zhendan Academy, but across every major faction. This was one of the core fundamentals of an Awakened's strength and could not be overlooked. Just like schools in the old era—to teach students well, you needed textbooks first, didn't you? Moreover, with these legacies and fortunes, recruiting students in the future would become easier.
"Zhendan Academy's plan is sound; it's indeed a good method," Lu Yuan complimented appropriately.
In his memories, Zhendan Academy's eventual rise in power in the future was closely linked to the emergence of Ancient Mount Shu.
"Mr. Lu flatters us." Dean Zheng paused thoughtfully, then said, "Of course, Mr. Lu is someone I personally invited. Therefore, whatever you comprehend from the Mount Shu sword steles, I give my word that you do not need to hand it over to Zhendan Academy."
His reasoning was simple: fully comprehending the sword stele legacies of Ancient Mount Shu was exceedingly difficult. Lu Yuan was indeed formidable, but strength didn't equate to high comprehension.
Fine! Even if his comprehension was extraordinary, he only had one chance. Could he possibly comprehend the strongest one in a single go? Impossible. Among the ninety-nine stone steles, the difficulty of each was several times higher than the one before it. As for the fortune held in the highest sword stele, Zhendan Academy hadn't even entertained the idea that anyone could comprehend it—at least, no one at the current stage could do so.
"Oh? Is Dean Zheng's word truly in earnest?"
Hearing that nothing had to be handed over, Lu Yuan's eyes lit up.
In truth, among the sword stele legacies, there was indeed a heaven-defying sword dao divine art that happened to perfectly match the Daluo sword core. He had thought of it the moment he heard of Ancient Mount Shu's emergence. He had originally been pondering how to bypass the authorities and Zhendan Academy to comprehend it in secret. Never had he expected Dean Zheng to actually declare that nothing had to be turned over. Wasn't that just perfect? It saved him the trouble.
"Ah." Dean Zheng was taken aback, then immediately nodded. "Yes, of course." However, his answer lacked conviction, especially after seeing Lu Yuan's expression. It couldn't help but remind him of the scene just a few days ago when he gifted the Crouching Dragon Scarlet Fruit. He suddenly wondered if he was digging another pit for himself.
But immediately, Dean Zheng dismissed the thought. The difficulty of comprehending the sword stele legacies had been thoroughly researched; there was no way they were mistaken. Furthermore, the words had already left his mouth, and taking them back would seem too petty. Thus, a smile promptly surfaced on his face, and he heavily added, "My word is true."
"Then I thank Dean Zheng for your kindness." Lu Yuan naturally knew what was going through the other man's head, yet he remained impassive on the surface.
What a joke—he had fused with the Ancient Bodhi Tree, blessed with hundred-million-fold talent. In terms of raw combat strength, he wouldn't dare claim to be invincible globally. But when it came to comprehension, not a soul in the entire world could stand as his peer!
However, this meant the trip to Qinling would have to be postponed once more. No matter, there was still plenty of time.
"Good. Please make your preparations, Mr. Lu. We depart in three days; dedicated personnel will escort you." Dean Zheng spoke up, informing him of the departure time for Ancient Mount Shu, having already made the arrangements.
Subsequently, the two discussed specific plans and various incidental matters, such as recent changes and news from the outside world.
And when Lu Yuan heard that he had taken the Southern Sovereign's place online to become one of the Five Great Sovereigns, and had even been given the title of "Human Sovereign," he couldn't help but be taken aback.
He had little interest in such things—they were mere child's play. But that title of Human Sovereign was rather extraordinary. It carried immense weight. Only ordinary people would dare bestow such a title so casually.
"By the way," just as Lu Yuan was about to leave, Dean Zheng suddenly spoke up. "Longevity Genetics has been keeping a very low profile lately, acting quite mysterious. Also, Winged Celestial of Wu Zhou has ended his seclusion, having reached the Awakening Realm. It's claimed that he has fully awakened the mysterious bloodline in his body, taking his strength to the next level."
He mentioned this to remind Lu Yuan to be careful. He had been present during the clash outside the imperial mausoleum and knew Winged Celestial would not let the matter rest. As for Longevity Genetics, their behavior was far too abnormal; something was definitely brewing. He worried Lu Yuan might suffer a hidden loss.
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Lu Yuan nodded. Regardless of motive, this was an expression of care, and a gentleman judged deeds rather than hearts.
Chapter 56