While storms were brewing on all fronts, as both enemy and ally were silently preparing their next moves, the one who had stirred the pot, "Lam Minh," was doing something completely different.
He was sitting cross-legged, hovering in the sky above Lac Hong Academy, right above the giant Lam Tinh Stone, his eyes half-closed, his expression utterly serene.
"System," he whispered in his mind.
A mechanical information panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Lam Minh]
[Age: 19]
[Cultivation: Early-stage Golden Core Realm]
[Immortality Points: 2,581,000 / 800,000 (Required for breakthrough to Mid-stage Golden Core)]
Lam Minh looked at the number of Immortality Points and couldn't help but crack a satisfied smile. "That Tenth fellow, he's truly a kind soul. I tortured him to hell and back, and he still 'gifted' me such a huge fortune. I've never felt so rich."
He had showered and changed into a comfortable set of training clothes. He spent three hours just sitting there, regulating his breath, allowing his state of mind to reach its most tranquil and perfect state.
When he felt that everything was ready, he opened his eyes.
"Break through," he whispered again.
[-800,000 Immortality Points.]
[Remaining Immortality Points: 1,781,000]
[INITIATING BREAKTHROUGH TO MID-STAGE GOLDEN CORE REALM!]
Instantly, an earth-shattering change occurred.
The Dragon God Golden Core in his dantian began to spin at a frantic pace. It created an invisible yet extremely powerful suction force.
The pure spiritual qi pouring from the Lam Tinh Stone below, along with the spiritual qi throughout the entire valley, was suddenly stirred. It converged, forming a gigantic spiritual qi tornado with Lam Minh at its center, swirling and surging into his body.
His aura began to skyrocket.
His body glowed. Golden patterns of the Dragon Clan emerged on his skin. Crimson streams of Dragon Blood energy also began to race through his meridians, cheering joyfully as if being cooled in a hot summer.
POP!
A tiny, almost imperceptible sound echoed from within his dantian. It was the sound of a bottleneck being shattered.
His Golden Core became brighter, more lustrous, and the dragon patterns on it grew more vivid.
At the same time, his body was once again cleansed. The last remaining impurities within were expelled, turning into a layer of black dust that was swept away by the surrounding spiritual qi. His muscles became firmer and more perfect.
A pressure several times stronger than before radiated from him in all directions.
Below at the academy, the hundreds of thousands of cultivating students suddenly felt a terrifying pressure. They had never felt so breathless. This aura made their hearts beat faster than ever, and the spiritual power in their bodies seemed to freeze solid.
"What... what's happening?"
"It's... it's the Principal's aura!"
"THE PRINCIPAL IS BREAKING THROUGH!"
Someone shouted.
Instantly, all the students poured out of their rooms, looking up at the sky, watching the divine spectacle before them in awe.
They saw their principal hovering in the middle of a spiritual qi vortex, his whole body glowing like a god.
On a distant mountain.
Lac Long Quan, who was sipping tea, had to put down his teacup, looking towards the academy, a few veins popping on his forehead.
"This damned brat," he muttered. "Can't he find a quiet place to break through? Does he have to show off right in front of the students?"
The astonishing phenomenon lasted for a full thirty minutes before slowly dissipating.
The spiritual qi vortex vanished. The sky returned to its clear blue.
Lam Minh slowly opened his eyes. A golden light flashed in them before disappearing. He felt the surging power in his body, a feeling that he could cover the sky with one hand.
He stood up and stretched his back with great satisfaction.
Then he did something no one could have expected.
He tilted his head back and let out a long roar. His roar, carrying the pressure of the Mid-stage Golden Core, echoed throughout the academy, throughout the entire valley.
"BRING ME TEN UNCLES! I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!!!"
Below, the students: faces covered in sweat, mouths agape.
In the command building, To Quyen could only facepalm.
Ly Thien Ba's eyes were shining brightly: "So cool!"
Quynh Nhu pouted: "Idiot!"
On the distant mountain, Lac Long Quan: The veins on his forehead twitched, almost crushing the teacup.
This principal, he truly could never be "normal."
...
"BRING ME TEN UNCLES! I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!!!"
Lam Minh's arrogant and domineering roar, after a moment of deathly silence, ignited an explosion even greater than the breakthrough itself.
The students below, after recovering their senses, were no longer in awe, but in a state of fanatical worship.
"PRINCIPAL IS MAJESTIC!!!"
"PRINCIPAL IS 666! TRULY THE IDOL OF MY HEART!"
A few female students were even bolder, shouting without a hint of shyness: "PRINCIPAL! I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES, ENOUGH FOR A SOCCER TEAM!"
This declaration, amplified by the sound equipment, reached the command building.
Minh Thu, who was sitting in front of her computer screen, blushed as red as a tomato upon hearing it. She subconsciously recalled the recent nights of "great battle," and only she knew that this principal's "strength" wasn't just on the battlefield. Lately, Lam Minh had been clinging to her almost every night, turning her from a genius hacker into a panda hacker with distinct dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
To Quyen and Quynh Nhu, standing beside her, saw Minh Thu's expression and thought otherwise.
"Poor girl," To Quyen said with a concerned look. "She must be worried about the safety of humanity, staying up all night working so hard."
"That's right," Quynh Nhu nodded, taking out a box of high-quality bird's nest soup. "Here, Minh Thu, eat this for nourishment. You have to take care of your health to have the strength to keep 'fighting'."
Neither of them knew that they were diligently "nourishing" their own "love rival," so that she would have enough strength to "fight" with Lam Minh every night. Minh Thu accepted the box of soup, feeling extremely guilty but not knowing how to explain, so she just lowered her head and ate in silence.
Two hours later, when all the commotion had died down, the students had also returned to their rooms to continue cultivating in the abundant spiritual qi.
Lam Minh was still sitting cross-legged in the same spot in the sky. He had completely familiarized himself with the power of the Mid-stage Golden Core. But he felt... it still wasn't enough.
A "mischievous" smile bloomed on his lips again.
He once again closed his eyes.
"System! Break through!"
[-1,600,000 Immortality Points.]
[Remaining Immortality Points: 181,000]
[INITIATING BREAKTHROUGH TO LATE-STAGE GOLDEN CORE REALM!]
Without hesitation, he used a massive amount of reward points to continue his breakthrough. Breaking through two minor realms consecutively in a single day was an unthinkable feat, going against all laws of cultivation. But for Lam Minh, laws were made to be broken.
BOOM...!!!!
The celestial phenomenon appeared once more.
The scene from a few hours ago repeated itself. But this time, it was three or four times more terrifying and powerful.
The spiritual qi tornado was even larger, spinning at a more horrifying speed.
The golden light from his body was even more brilliant, illuminating a part of the sky like a second sun.
And the pressure radiating out was even heavier and more domineering, making not only the students but even the Peak Foundation Establishment instructors feel breathless, forcing them to use all their strength to resist.
The students, who had just settled down, were once again awakened. They rushed out in panic.
"Again... again?"
"Oh my god! The Principal... is he breaking through again?"
"Impossible! How can anyone break through twice in one day?"
They looked up at the sky, their eyes no longer filled with worship, but with a kind of terror, as if looking at a real monster.
On the distant mountain.
CRACK!
The jade teacup in Lac Long Quan's hand finally couldn't take it anymore and shattered into pieces.
"THIS GOD-DAMNED BRAT!!!" he roared, no longer able to maintain his composure. "DOES HE TREAT BREAKING THROUGH MAJOR REALMS LIKE EATING A MEAL? IS HE GOING TO LET ANYONE ELSE LIVE?!!"
He truly couldn't understand. Even though he knew his nephew had secrets, this had completely surpassed the scope of understanding for an expert who had lived for thousands of years like him.
And when the pressure of the Late-stage Golden Core fully erupted from Lam Minh, Lac Long Quan could only shake his head and laugh bitterly.
"It seems... this old man's title of 'Silver-Haired God of War' will have to be passed on to him soon."