Chapter 1735 - Breakthrough in Ten Breaths
Jiang Hongran had been the one to challenge him first, so Liu Wuxie could only accept.
"That's a deal!" Liu Wuxie agreed readily. If he failed to help Xiang Rulong break through to the True Immortal Realm within ten breaths, he would have to leave the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
"Let's begin," Jiang Hongran said, urging Liu Wuxie to start before he could go back on his word.
Many students even pulled out timers, their eyes fixed firmly on Liu Wuxie.
"Has this brat gone insane? He wants to help Xiang Rulong reach the True Immortal Realm in ten breaths? That's simply impossible!" The surrounding mentors grew increasingly annoyed with Liu Wuxie, feeling that he acted far too recklessly.
"What an ignorant fool. Let's see how he embarrasses himself," Wei Wenbin sneered. Since he had failed to stop Liu Wuxie from joining the Azure Flame Dao Hall yesterday, he could still drive Liu Wuxie out today.
Voices surged in from every direction, but Liu Wuxie ignored them all.
"Come here," Liu Wuxie said, beckoning to Xiang Rulong.
Xiang Rulong hesitated briefly before walking over to Liu Wuxie.
Liu Wuxie began giving instructions before Xiang Rulong could ask any questions. "Do as I say. Circulate your immortal energy. When it reaches the Governing and Conception Meridians, split it into two streams. Guide one portion through them, then direct one-third of your immortal energy from the Shangzhong acupoint to the Tianchi acupoint..." Liu Wuxie said.
He merely described how Xiang Rulong should circulate his immortal energy, and nothing about it sounded special.
Xiang Rulong looked doubtful, and even the surrounding mentors looked baffled.
Xiang Rulong had never attempted the method Liu Wuxie had described, and splitting immortal energy into two paths was extremely risky. After all, one mistake could cause his cultivation to deviate.
Though Xiang Rulong remained doubtful, he still sat down and circulated his cultivation technique as per Liu Wuxie's instructions.
The surrounding mentors also sent their divine senses into Xiang Rulong's body to see what would happen next.
When Xiang Rulong's immortal energy reached the Governing and Conception Meridians, he split it into two streams following Liu Wuxie's instructions. Three breaths out of ten had already passed, which meant Xiang Rulong didn't have much time left.
Just when everyone thought Liu Wuxie was merely spouting nonsense, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Xiang Rulong. The moment his immortal energy reached the Shanzhong acupoint, it surged forward with unstoppable momentum, awakening the gateway to the True Immortal Realm.
"Seven breaths! It only took seven breaths for Xiang Rulong to reach the True Immortal Realm!" Terrifying True Immortal Realm laws swept outward, and Xiang Rulong's aura grew stronger with every passing moment.
Wei Wenbin's mouth hung open, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Liu Wuxie had only changed the circulation route of Xiang Rulong's immortal energy, yet he had broken through so easily?! This was simply unbelievable.
Not only Wei Wenbin, but even Jiang Hongran, who had been guiding Xiang Rulong all this time, looked dumbfounded. The fourteen students behind Xiang Rulong also stared at him with envy. They then turned to Liu Wuxie with anticipation in their eyes, hoping that he could guide them into the True Immortal Realm as well.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, Xiang Rulong finally consolidated his cultivation at the first-level True Immortal Realm. The moment he rose to his feet, he gave Liu Wuxie a deep bow, acknowledging him as his mentor. This meant that from now on, Xiang Rulong could only be Liu Wuxie's student.
An assistant mentor beside Jiang Hongran stepped forward, angered by Xiang Rulong's actions. "Xiang Rulong, what are you doing?!" he reprimanded.
However, Xiang Rulong ignored the assistant mentor and walked to the side, standing beside Zhang Hua.
Anyone could tell that Liu Wuxie was the main reason Xiang Rulong had reached the True Immortal Realm. Xiang Rulong had followed Jiang Hongran for so long, but the latter had failed to discover his problem and had even wasted so much of his time.
The remaining fourteen students looked at one another, completely at a loss.
"As long as all of you become my students, I guarantee that I can help all of you reach the True Immortal Realm within one month," Liu Wuxie said to the fourteen students.
Joy appeared on all of their faces when they heard that. After all, they knew that if they continued following Jiang Hongran, they might not reach the True Immortal Realm for at least another half a year.
"Alright. We believe you," the fourteen students said. They didn't truly believe in Liu Wuxie, but they trusted Xiang Rulong.
With Xiang Rulong's personality, the fact that he had willingly bowed to Liu Wuxie as a student said everything.
This outcome caught everyone by surprise. Ten breaths were far too short, and before they could even come to their senses, Xiang Rulong had already become a true immortal.
"This must be a coincidence! Xiang Rulong was already one step away from the True Immortal Realm, and that bet earlier doesn't count!" Tu Zhengbao said, standing on Jiang Hongran's side.
"That's right! Xiang Rulong was already at the Quasi-True Immortal Realm, and that circulation earlier allowed his breakthrough to come smoothly," said the two assistant mentors beside Jiang Hongran, agreeing with Tu Zhengbao.
"I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen people so shameless as you. I'll make all of you fully convinced today," Liu Wuxie replied with a cruel smirk. He turned to Xiang Rulong and said, "Go on and tell them."
Upon hearing Liu Wuxie's words, everyone turned toward Xiang Rulong, wanting to know what he meant.
"Xiang Rulong, what's going on?" Wei Wenbin asked urgently.
The other disciples were equally anxious to know the truth.
"My meridians are different from ordinary people's. I have an extra branch at the Govern and Conception Meridians. If Mentor Liu hadn't guided me, I might never have known about it," Xiang Rulong explained. He had only discovered it during his breakthrough earlier.
Liu Wuxie recognized Xiang Rulong's rare bloodline the moment he saw him. Thanks to Ghost Pupil, he could perceive clues invisible to ordinary cultivators.
Without Liu Wuxie's earlier guidance, Xiang Rulong might not have reached the True Immortal Realm even after cultivating for several more months.
The reply stunned everyone, and they finally understood why he had bowed to Liu Wuxie as a student the moment he completed his breakthrough.
"I see. If that's really true, that means Liu Wuxie is truly extraordinary!" Many mentors from neutral factions remained impartial, choosing not to take sides in the conflict between Jiang Hongran and Liu Wuxie.
Even though they had failed to notice the issue, Liu Wuxie had seen through it with a single glance. In terms of insight alone, Liu Wuxie had already surpassed all the mentors present.
"A bet is a bet. Hand over the Fire Spiritual Pill," Liu Wuxie said, extending his hand toward Jiang Hongran.
Seeing his fifteen best students transfer to Liu Wuxie's class and losing a Fire Spiritual Pill on top of that, Jiang Hongran felt as though his heart was bleeding.
"Liu Wuxie, this isn't over yet between us!" Jiang Hongran said and threw the Fire Spiritual Pill over. Without another word, he left with his two assistant mentors, knowing that remaining any longer would only subject him to further humiliation.
"Bye bye!" Liu Wuxie said, catching the Fire Spiritual Pill.
Xiang Rulong remained calm and composed. He had spent a large amount of resources each month cultivating in the Azure Flame Dao Hall with the clear purpose of improving his cultivation. Thus, he didn't really care who became his mentor.
Including Ye Linghan's original three students, the class now had twenty students, leaving only ten spots open.
"Anyone else willing to join the class?" Liu Wuxie asked, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. If no more students joined, he would end the matter there and slowly recruit more in the future.
Many mentors had arrived, and even if some students had other thoughts, they didn't dare step forward under their mentors' gazes.
"Can I join?" A crisp voice echoed from the crowd as a young girl in her teens squeezed her way out. She looked adorable, with two sharp canine teeth.
However, her right hand hung limply at her side, which made her gait appear odd. She wore coarse hemp clothes washed pale from repeated cleaning, with several large patches sewn across them.
Liu Wuxie looked at the little girl, who was the first person to take the initiative to join his class.
"Are you also a student of the Azure Flame Dao Hall?" Liu Wuxie asked.
"No. I only arrived at the Azure Flame Dao Hall today. I came over when I saw this class recruiting students," the girl said shyly, looking insecure. She pinched the corner of her clothes with her left hand, appearing nervous.
"Little cripple, stop wasting your time! Which mentor has been willing to take you in the past few months? You'd better leave!" Many students began to jeer, making the girl lower her head even further.
It wasn't the girl's first time at the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Unfortunately, every mentor she had approached had turned her away. After suffering several more rejections that day, she came across the class recruiting students and decided to try her luck once more.
"Even if you accept her, she won't be able to afford tuition. She should just get lost already," another student mocked, making the girl tremble.
As mocking laughter echoed around her, the girl hung her head low, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling to the ground.
"Why do you want to join the Azure Flame Dao Hall?" Liu Wuxie asked.
Everyone had their own reason for joining the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Some came to fulfill their dreams, some came for strength, and others came to gain more knowledge.
"My parents are both ill, and I need a lot of money for medicine. My elder brother lost one of his hands while gathering herbs in the mountains. I heard that I can learn skills in the Azure Flame Dao Hall. This way, I won't be at the mercy of the monsters when I go gather herbs in the Dragon Burial Mountain Range," the little girl said with tears blurring her vision.
The surrounding mockery gradually died down, and the girl's perseverance moved many people. There were also people at the bottom of the food chain in the celestial realm, and many ordinary people couldn't even be considered heavenly immortals.
"Very well. I will accept you," Liu Wuxie said, patting her head.
"Thank you, Teacher!" the girl exclaimed. She was about to drop to her knees when Liu Wuxie stopped her.
Liu Wuxie discovered that the girl was all skin and bones, with arms so thin they looked frail. Years of malnutrition must have caused it.
"Go and register," Liu Wuxie said.
"But... I don't have any immortal stones," the girl said nervously, still clutching the corner of her clothes with her left hand.
"I won't charge you any fees for your lessons. I'll teach you for free," Liu Wuxie said. He recalled how similar his circumstances had been to the little girl's in his previous life. Before meeting his master, the Heavenly Daoist, he had also gone hungry every day.
Overcome with gratitude, the little girl wanted to kneel again, but Ye Linghan stopped her. If Ye Linghan had known about her situation beforehand, she would have already taken her in.
"Liu Wuxie, you're really desperate. This girl was born with blocked meridians, and you won't be able to change her aptitude even if you spend a large amount of resources," Tu Zhengbao mocked.
