Chapter 75. Power Up, Changes in Bloodline, an Invitation

Waves of powerful aura pulsed continuously within the chamber.

Lu Yuan's eyes were tightly closed, and wisps of aura resembling dragons rushed out of his mouth and nose. His chest heaved, and a dragon's roar reverberated subtly from within him. His organs trembled as the chamber became filled with a powerful, oppressive pressure.

BOOM!

A deep explosion echoed behind him as the second grotto-heaven manifested; a grotto-heaven was a miniature realm containing a god within.

However, this was just the beginning.

Lu Yuan had just completely digested the energy within the Sleeping Dragon's Crimson Fruit, and its miraculous effects in synergy with the Primordial Dragon Breathing Technique were far better than what any heavenly material or earthly treasure could bestow upon him.

Under the impetus of that powerful energy, the third grotto-heaven began to manifest in a remarkably short period of time. Three grotto-heavens now floated behind Lu Yuan, emanating an overwhelmingly powerful aura.

With but a single thought, he could increase his power threefold. However, Lu Yuan still had no intention of stopping. Lu Yuan partitioned a portion of the Sleeping Dragon's Crimson Fruit's energy for his physical form, filling his limbs, his bones, and even the deepest corners of his cells.

Even an ounce of this potent energy could not be wasted. Without any further ado, he calmed his mind, channeling that energy to wash over his body in an attempt to shatter his genetic shackles.

Crack!

In the blink of an eye, a genetic shackle shattered into pieces! This was his tenth, and it was immediately followed by—

Crack, craaack!

Two consecutive crisp noises rang out as the eleventh and twelfth genetic shackles shattered.

Having shattered so many genetic shackles, Lu Yuan could enter the next realm—the fourth stage of evolution, which was also known as the Golden Body Realm.

The so-called Golden Body Realm signified that one's mythical genes had been unleashed, tempering every part of one's body until it was in unity with each other. One's entire form would be akin to divine gold, virtually indestructible.

However, he had no plans to do that just yet, as he could sense that many shackles deep within his genes remained unbroken.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

If he were to do that, the immediate impact would seem minor. However, Lu Yuan understood with absolute clarity that he had to reach absolute perfection in every stage of evolution to reach the apex.

The human body contained a total of 108 genetic shackles, and only by breaking all of them could he fully unleash his potential and form a broad, solid foundation for his path of evolution.

More importantly, he would be definitively more powerful than other Awakened on the same stage of evolution; his combat power would far surpass his peers. After he had shattered all of his genetic shackles.

Having shattered twelve genetic shackles in total, Lu Yuan opened his eyes, feeling the great power surging within him. Though he had only been in seclusion for ten days, his strength had undergone a considerable transformation.

He clenched his fist, and his bones crackled. His muscles trembled, and his very pores emanated a faint, flowing light.

"It's not just my realm; my physique has improved significantly as well. I have yet to enter the Golden Body Realm, but my fleshly body is already extraordinary. I think I can probably resist even powerful missiles at this point."

Lu Yuan made a rough estimate of his leap in power and realized that it was absolutely massive. His foundation and level of strength had indeed exceeded his own expectations; the Sleeping Dragon's Crimson Fruit truly deserved its status as a divine item.

Even his blood had changed, as the golden luster within it had gotten more obvious. At this rate, he believed that his blood could become pure gold in the future. If that were to happen, then it would be a profound and qualitative transformation comparable to an improvement to one's bloodline.

It had to be known that Lu Yuan had no special bloodline; his origins were ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to go through countless hardships just to become an Awakened in his previous life.

Thanks to the fusion and nourishment of quite a few divine artifacts, even his ordinary bloodline was becoming extraordinary. If he were to have descendants in the future, they could very well inherit his power.

Of course, these changes had just begun and weren't obvious just yet. At this rate, however, Lu Yuan would become an extremely terrifying figure in the future. He would probably be able to create a divine bloodline from his own blood.

Lu Yuan emptied his mind and left the chamber to adapt to his newfound strength. Before he could even walk out, he sensed someone pacing outside his room. Upon opening the door, he saw Zhu Qingyu.

"

Ah...

Hello, Mr. Lu." Zhu Qingyu's eyes brightened upon seeing Lu Yuan. "Mr. Lu, the dean has some urgent matters to discuss with you."

"How long have you been waiting here?" Lu Yuan asked with a smile, noticing the hint of urgency in her eyes. He realized that the young woman had probably been waiting outside for quite a while now but had not disturbed him out of respect for his seclusion.

"Just a little while," Zhu Qingyu answered immediately. Of course, she would not admit that she had been coming by over the past three days.

Ever since she began to suspect that Lu Yuan could be that mysterious figure from Qingyang City, all sorts of thoughts had been popping up in her mind—a deep curiosity and a desire for confirmation.

However, it would be too presumptuous for her to ask such questions, so she decided to bury the matter deep in her heart.

"Then let's go." Lu Yuan shook his head with a faint smile.

She's the same as in my previous life.

However, it was precisely because of her personality that his impression of her was pretty good.

"Alright, please follow me." Zhu Qingyu smiled, turning around to lead the way. She was indeed beautiful—tall, with a slender waist and excellent proportions. Her ponytail made her appear gentle; she was the complete opposite of the proud Zhou Yunqiong or the cool elegance of Ice Fairy.

Due to her quiet personality, Zhu Qingyu was not one to stand out, and few people paid her much attention. However, Lu Yuan knew that Zhu Qingyu would eventually unleash her own unique charm thanks to the Aurora Academy's support.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the dean's office.

Zhu Qingyu waited outside while staring at Lu Yuan's back, recalling their very first meeting. Back then, she thought that he was just an ordinary Awakened, but she could never have expected his strength to far exceed her imagination.

Now, he was an honored guest of Dean Zheng. Moreover, he had already replaced the Southern Sovereign in the hearts of the netizens online.

Of course, Lu Yuan was unaware of what was happening both online and in the outside world. When he entered the office, Dean Zheng immediately rose to greet him. "Mr. Lu, how's your stay these days?"

"Not bad at all," Lu Yuan answered. To be able to spend ten days in seclusion without any disturbance, it was clear that Dean Zheng had arranged everything in advance. Setting all other matters aside, Dean Zheng's respectful attitude alone spoke volumes.

"I'm glad to hear that," Dean Zheng said, nodding. "I'll go straight to the point. I wonder if Mr. Lu would be interested in visiting Ancient Mount Shu?"

Ancient Mount Shu has already appeared?

Lu Yuan was surprised, but after calculating the time, he realized that it was indeed about right. However, he chose not to answer immediately and waited for Dean Zheng's explanation.

Dean Zheng went straight to the point, explaining the whole story.

When Ancient Mount Shu appeared, the officials and the Aurora Academy decisively moved to occupy every single one of those mountains. They displayed their tough stance and overwhelming military might to dissuade the many covetous eyes from behind the scenes.

However, they quickly discovered that there were no spirit fruits or exotic herbs to be found within Ancient Mount Shu; there was only a lone, special mountain covered in a total of ninety-nine massive sword steles.

They conducted some research and determined that each stele contained some form of ancient inheritance, which included visualization methods, breathing techniques, and even some divine abilities and lost forms of ancient Huaxia martial arts.

More importantly, the height at which the sword stele was located on that special mountain indicated the greatness of the boon contained within it. One could say that those lucky enough to obtain the inheritance within would benefit tremendously from the affair.

This ought to be a great cause for great celebration, as it meant Aurora Academy's strength would greatly increase, or at the very least, they would have more choices when cultivating their students.

The problem, however, was that comprehending the inheritance within a sword stele required an extremely high level of talent and comprehension.

Hence, the Aurora Academy made use of the government's authority to gather some of the academy's teachers and even some old Daoists to attempt to comprehend the sword steles.

However, the process proved to be incredibly difficult, as strength didn't necessarily mean that one had a high talent and high comprehension.

After several days of work, they only managed to obtain a few inheritances, and none of them were particularly strong. Some couldn't even compare to the breathing techniques and visualization methods of the academy.

Moreover, comprehending the sword steles was mentally exhausting. If a person couldn't withstand it midway through, their mental state would shatter, affecting their level of strength. Though the backlash wasn't significant, it was enough to make it impossible for them to try again.

In other words, an Awakened could attempt to comprehend a sword stele only once.

"So you decided to temporarily open Mount Shu to the public, inviting all Awakened to try and comprehend the inheritances within the sword steles?" Lu Yuan said with a smile.

He had been in seclusion and was unaware of the recent news outside, but he still knew about what was happening. Moreover, he knew that it was indeed impossible to try to comprehend the sword steles in succession, but it wasn't just one attempt per person for a lifetime.

Instead, it was one attempt every three years.

However, Lu Yuan decided not to say it out loud. The Aurora Academy would eventually learn this fact.

"That's right. You really are easy to talk to, Mr. Lu," Dean Zheng said, smiling. "After the Global Awakening, some Awakened remained devoid of powerful bloodlines, but their comprehension became extremely high.

"We're using quantity over quality; our goal is to comprehend as many of the sword steles as possible. Of course, there is one condition—the Academy must receive a copy of the inheritance they comprehended from the sword stele."

The Aurora Academy's primary goal was to obtain those inheritances, which meant they wouldn't give them away for free. They planned to use those inheritances to teach their students.

Items like spirit fruits and exotic herbs weren't really difficult to obtain with the backing of the officials, and such resources were also becoming more plentiful day by day.

The key issue was that inheritances like breathing techniques and visualization methods were scarce even among the major forces, let alone for a public institution like Aurora Academy.

These things were fundamental to an Awakened's strength and could not be ignored. It was just like the schools of the old era. To teach students properly, one needed to give them textbooks.

To make things even better, it would become easier for the academy to recruit more students with those inheritances in hand.

"Aurora Academy's plan is a good one. It's a great idea," Lu Yuan replied, offering a timely praise. As far as he could remember, the emergence of Ancient Mount Shu was the primary reason behind the Aurora Academy's transformation into a behemoth.

"Surely you jest, Mr. Lu," Dean Zheng remarked. Then, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Since you are here at my personal invitation, Mr. Lu, I've decided that if you comprehend anything from the sword steles, you need not submit a copy to the Aurora Academy."

Dean Zheng's line of thought behind the decision was simple. The inheritances on Ancient Mount Shu were incredibly difficult to comprehend. While Lu Yuan was undoubtedly powerful, immense strength wouldn't necessarily translate to high comprehension.

Fine,

Dean Zheng thought,

even if his comprehension is high, he has only one chance at it. Could he possibly comprehend the strongest inheritance with that one attempt? There's no way.

Each sword stele was more difficult to comprehend than the last. As for the inheritance contained in the highest sword stele, Aurora Academy hadn't even considered that anyone could comprehend it, at least, not at the moment.

"

Oh?

Dean Zheng, are you serious?" Lu Yuan's eyes brightened upon hearing that he wouldn't have to submit anything to the Aurora Academy. The truth was that among the sword steles, there was a heaven-defying sword art that would perfectly match his Great Luo Sword Embryo.

He had thought of it the moment he heard that Ancient Mount Shu had emerged. He had been thinking about how he could circumvent the officials and the Aurora Academy to comprehend it in secret.

Unexpectedly, Dean Zheng had just declared that he need not submit a copy of anything he comprehended on Mount Shu. Wasn't that perfect? It saved him a great deal of trouble.

"

Huh?

" Dean Zheng was momentarily taken aback by Lu Yuan's eagerness, but he immediately nodded. "Yes, I'm serious."

Although his answer was firm, he felt a twinge of pain upon seeing the undisguised delight in Lu Yuan's face. He couldn't help but recall the scene from days ago when he had gifted him the Sleeping Dragon's Crimson Fruit. Lu Yuan's face was exactly as it was days ago. For some reason, Dean Zheng's heart sank to his stomach.

Am I digging another pit for myself?

However, he immediately dismissed the idea. The academy had concluded that it was incredibly difficult to comprehend the inheritances within the sword steles. In addition, he had already let go of the arrow, and it was far too late—petty, even—to retract his words at this point.

With that in mind, he revealed a confident smile and added, "Really."

"Then I must thank you for your kindness, Dean Zheng," Lu Yuan said. He knew what the other man was thinking, but he allowed no hint of it to show on his face.

What a joke,

he thought. With the Bodhi Tree and the blessing of a billionfold talent, Lu Yuan wouldn't claim to be invincible when it came to strength. When it came to comprehension, however, he was unparalleled!

It seemed that his trip to Qinling would have to be postponed again, but it was fine. He still had enough time.

"Good. Then, please get ready, Mr. Lu. We will depart in three days. We'll have someone come and pick you up by then," Dean Zheng said, informing him of the schedule. Of course, he had already made the appropriate arrangements.

Afterward, the two chatted about the specific plans for the trip and some other miscellaneous matters, such as the recent changes in the outside world and the latest news.

When Lu Yuan heard that he had taken over the Southern Sovereign's position, becoming one of the Five Supremes with the title of "Human Sovereign," he couldn't help but be taken aback.

He had no real interest in such things. In his eyes, it was merely like children playing house. However, he had to admit that the title "Human Sovereign" was quite significant and had a great deal of weight.

However, only those unaware of its true meaning would dare to randomly bestow it upon someone.

"By the way," Dean Zheng said, just as Lu Yuan was about to leave. "Longevity Genetics has been very low-key recently; they're doing something unknown even to us.

"The Winged Celestial God of Wuzhou Group has already emerged from his seclusion as well. He has reached the Awakened Realm and claims to have completely awakened his mysterious bloodline. His strength has apparently reached new heights."

Dean Zheng's words were a reminder to Lu Yuan, telling him to be careful. Having been present during the conflict outside the Mausoleum, Dean Zheng knew that the Winged Celestial God would surely avenge himself.

And then there was Longevity Genetics—their silence was strange, and there was definitely something problematic happening behind the scenes. Dean Zheng was worried that Lu Yuan would suffer at their hands.

"I know. Thank you." Lu Yuan nodded. Regardless of Dean Zheng's true motive, his words were indeed an expression of concern. As the saying went, "a gentleman judges by deeds, not by intentions."