Chapter 291: Chapter 291 - Breakthrough Denied
After a moment, a pleased grin crossed his face.
"That kid’s impressive." Old Master Sean burst into laughter.
"The Johansson boy must be seething right about now." Old Master Sean shook his head over and over.
Mabel Sean’s stunning eyes brimmed with concern, as she’d been fretting about whether Mason Raymond might encounter Vance Johansson and what would unfold if they crossed paths.
She’d assumed Mason Raymond would dodge the Johansson family’s assault temporarily and wait for the perfect moment to counterattack.
But she never expected Mason Raymond would actively goad Vance Johansson, making it impossible for him to maintain his dignity.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
This approach was far superior to simply hiding!
Now the entire martial arts community was aware of this situation. If Vance Johansson attempted to crush Mason Raymond, wouldn’t he be confessing his own inadequacy?
"Mason Raymond..." Mabel Sean whispered the name quietly.
She yearned to rush to Mason Raymond’s side right away.
"Cough cough!"
Just then, Old Master Sean suddenly began coughing harshly.
"Grandpa, what’s the matter?" Mabel Sean rushed to steady Old Master Sean.
Old Master Sean feebly gestured and said, "It’s just old age catching up with me, my body can’t handle it anymore."
"Grandpa, are you... have you fallen ill or something?" Mabel Sean appeared anxious.
Old Master Sean grinned and said, "I’m okay, don’t fret. Whatever happens, I’ll manage to hang on until you and Mason Raymond tie the knot."
"I won’t find peace if I don’t witness my precious granddaughter’s wedding. Haha."
Though his tone was casual, there was an undertone of seriousness.
——
At this moment, I had consumed all eight Earth Rank Pills.
I’d been trapped at the Foundation Building Stage Peak for ages, and if I couldn’t break through this time, defeating Patrick Ivory would be nearly impossible.
Time slipped away, and before I knew it, three days had passed.
Only four days remained until my fight with Patrick Ivory.
The Valley was silent and serene, and even the sky was bright and cloudless.
"This doesn’t seem like breakthrough conditions." Dimitri Brynlee folded his arms behind his back.
"Could it be... that I won’t be able to trigger heavenly tribulation at the Foundation Establishment Stage?"
But Dimitri Brynlee was convinced that with my talent, I would definitely attract heavenly tribulation!
Finally, on the fourth day, I opened my eyes.
However, my aura hadn’t shifted much.
"I actually didn’t break through..." My expression turned sour.
Remember that those were eight Earth Rank Pills, created from an entire Thousand-year Divine Medicine plant!
Plus, I could distinctly sense that the breakthrough was right there within my grasp.
"Is it because a single Thousand-year Divine Medicine isn’t sufficient for a minor stage breakthrough now that I’ve reached this level?" My face darkened.
If that was true, how challenging would future cultivation become?
I looked grave as I stepped out of the Valley.
"How did it go?" Dimitri Brynlee and Victor Green rushed toward me.
I shook my head and said, "The breakthrough failed."
"What? You actually failed?" Dimitri Brynlee was shocked and his eyes went wide.
He muttered to himself, "A Thousand-year Divine Medicine should be enough to advance several stages in the Monastic Stage. How could it fail?"
I was equally confused, since that was a Thousand-year Divine Medicine!
"I’ve got it!" Suddenly, Dimitri Brynlee exclaimed with excitement.
I looked at Dimitri Brynlee, waiting for his explanation.
"They say the greater a person’s talent, the more qi they require to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage."
"The fact that even a Thousand-year Divine Medicine couldn’t help you break through the Foundation Establishment Stage means your potential is absolutely limitless!"
Dimitri Brynlee was clearly thrilled, unable to contain his excitement.
I stayed quiet, having already considered this possibility.
After all, the Foundation Establishment Stage was when you built the groundwork for your martial arts path. Requiring more qi wasn’t necessarily bad.
This would actually help strengthen the foundation.
But... what about Patrick Ivory?
With my current power, there was no way I could handle Patrick Ivory.
"Don’t go fight Patrick Ivory," Dimitri Brynlee said at this point.
I frowned, and just as I was about to respond, Dimitri Brynlee continued, "If you die now, it would be such a tragedy."
"But... Master Brynlee, forgive my directness, but you’re no match for Patrick Ivory either." I said seriously.
Dimitri Brynlee laughed carelessly, "Doesn’t matter. I’m already old, and I’ve lived plenty long. It’s just death."
"But you’re different. You’ve got a long future ahead, and you can’t die at this stage."
I didn’t know how to respond.
I was quiet for a moment, then looked at Dimitri Brynlee and said, "Master Brynlee, let me handle it. I’ve already figured out a way to deal with this."
Dimitri Brynlee frowned and said, "That’s not realistic. How can I let you face Patrick Ivory when I couldn’t keep my promise to your father?"
I smiled and said, "Master Brynlee, don’t turn me down. Do you really think that even if you fight Patrick Ivory, he’ll spare me?"
"For him, now’s the perfect time to flex his power. If he kills me, he can still invade Chuzzle."
While Chuzzle’s martial arts were weak, its economic growth was outstanding, and countless people wanted this wealthy land.
Patrick Ivory was no different.
Dimitri Brynlee was at a loss for what to do.
"Master Brynlee, trust me." My eyes blazed with resolve.
As our gazes locked, Dimitri Brynlee was suddenly moved by my determination.
"Alright!" Dimitri Brynlee nodded firmly.
After that, I didn’t say anything else and went back to my secluded training.
I was crystal clear that in terms of cultivation level and aura, I was no match for Patrick Ivory.
The only thing that could compete with him was my physical body!
My physical body wasn’t inferior to Patrick Ivory’s, and might even exceed it.
As long as I could get close, there was a small chance of winning.
After my battle with Dimitri Brynlee, I’d already spotted my own weakness.
"Patrick Ivory’s speed probably isn’t any worse than Dimitri Brynlee’s." I thought to myself.
In that case, I needed to master a more powerful technique.
So, I closed my eyes slightly.
In crucial moments, I still had to depend on the heritage treasure left by my father.
A flood of information rushed into my mind.
Finally, a technique called "Shrinking Ground Into An Inch" appeared in my thoughts!
The effect of Shrinking Ground Into An Inch was quite similar to what Dimitri Brynlee had shown.
After studying it, I was even more convinced that the technique Dimitri Brynlee had used was Shrinking Ground Into An Inch!
I got up and quickly walked out of the Valley.
"Master Brynlee, was the technique you used called Shrinking Ground Into An Inch?" I asked.
Dimitri Brynlee nodded and said, "Yes, your father taught me that too."
I quickly asked, "Did you ever teach this technique to Patrick Ivory?"
