Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Chapter 13: Dean Lu Mingrong

The small courtyard where the Dean of White Rock Academy lived was usually quiet and rarely visited. But now, there was a rapid knocking at the door.

"Zhou Xu, what's happening? If you don't give me a good reason today, you won't be leaving."

Moments later, Dean Lu Mingrong, his face filled with anger, pushed the door open. He was a peak seventh-level Source Pool expert, one of the top figures in White Rock City. His imposing presence made it difficult for anyone to speak.

"Dean, today we're conducting the Source Pool Assessment..." Teacher Zhou Xu bit his lip but finally spoke.

Dean Lu Mingrong squinted his eyes, "I remember saying we wouldn’t be accepting students this year. Such trivial matters don’t need to be reported..."

Teacher Zhou Xu stammered, "I-I know, but if the dean knew about the results this time, you might change your mind."

Lu Mingrong replied, "Could it be that a genius who refined 16 strands of Source Energy has appeared? A fifth-grade talent is rare, but it's not enough for me to change my mind."

Teacher Zhou Xu hesitated for a moment and then tentatively asked, "Then... what about over 100 strands?"

Teacher Zhou Xu continued, "So far, the Nine Dragon Pillars show over a hundred strands, and it hasn’t stopped... Hey, dean, where are you going?"

Before he could finish, Dean Lu Mingrong had already strode out rapidly.

"To the Martial Arts Field!" Lu Mingrong called back.

Teacher Zhou Xu was stunned, "Dean, didn’t you say we wouldn’t be accepting students this year?"

"I’m just going to take a look, I didn’t say I’d accept them. Besides, if they’re really keen on being my student, as a teacher, it wouldn’t be right to refuse, would it?" Lu Mingrong said, his footsteps swift, and soon, he was out of sight.

Seventh-grade, sixth-grade, even fifth-grade talents could be passed up... But this one was close to second-grade. How could I not take them in? He thought as he sped up, arriving at the stands in a flash.

"Dean!"

Seeing his arrival, Wu Yunzhou and the others quickly stood up and saluted.

"Yes!" Lu Mingrong casually waved his hand, interrupting their greetings, "How is it now?"

Wu Yunzhou responded, "Already... refined 205 strands and still increasing!"

Lu Mingrong trembled slightly, "Over 200 strands? Are you saying... this genius might have a first-grade talent?"

Wu Yunzhou, Ran Qingxu, and Wu Liuyun all nodded repeatedly.

Initially, they had been shocked by the increasing numbers, but now they were numb to it.

One strand, two strands, four strands, eight strands, and now over 200 strands... it continually shattered their understanding and imagination, leaving them at a loss for words.

"What's their name? Mo Yanxue, Yu Xiaoyu, or Liu Mingyue?"

Holding his breath, Lu Mingrong couldn't help but ask. He had heard of these geniuses, so if someone were to stand out, it would likely be one of them.

Wu Yunzhou hesitated for a moment, "None of them. It’s... an audience member!"

"An audience member?" Lu Mingrong was stunned.

What obscure text.

Confused, he saw vice-principle Wu Yunzhou point forward, "Dean, you’d better see for yourself."

Without further questions, Dean Lu Mingrong turned and looked at the nine stone pillars. Sure enough, at the top of one pillar, a series of words appeared.

Name: Not recorded.

Refined: Two hundred and seventeen strands.

In just a few breaths, another twelve strands had been refined...

"Not recorded..."

Dean Lu Mingrong finally understood why Wu Yunzhou had said that. "Not recorded" meant that the person wasn’t on the stage but below it... What else could it be but an "audience member"?

No mistake there!

Looking at the other pillars, not a single name had appeared so far...

This meant that none of the so-called "geniuses" they had selected had managed to refine even one strand of Heaven's Fate Energy, while an unselected audience member had refined 217 strands...

The difference was too great...

This wasn’t just a case of having poor vision; it was complete blindness.

It was like a singing competition where top national stars couldn't compete with a foreigner, and then an unknown security guard outside the venue stole the show effortlessly...

Even as the dean, Lu Mingrong felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Taking a deep breath to suppress his shock, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you found out who it is exactly?"

"No, there are too many people, and it's too chaotic. Everyone is absorbing energy right now, and if we rush over, it might disturb them. I’m worried that any interruption could cause this genius to have unnecessary mishaps..." Wu Yunzhou expressed his concern.

"You're right to be cautious!" Dean Lu Mingrong nodded. "The Source Pool Assessment is a process that requires continuous effort. If interrupted, it could cause the Source Pool to contract, making it almost impossible to expand to its full potential later..."

Absorbing Heaven's Fate Energy into the Source Pool is a refining process and a growth process. Interrupting it would be detrimental in every way. This was why none of the teachers had discovered who this practitioner was.

Seeing that the dean agreed with his point, Wu Yunzhou heaved a sigh of relief and continued, "This genius has already absorbed over 200 strands of Source Energy. Since 256 strands constitute a first-grade talent, even if their talent is exceptional, they will reach their limit soon. Then, we can easily identify who stops absorbing first..."

"Good idea, let's do that!" Dean Lu Mingrong nodded in satisfaction and looked again at the nine pillars.

The pillars, connected with the Destiny Disk, formed a special array, continuously pouring Heaven's Fate Energy like ripples onto the stage. The three thousand students immersed in these ripples had no idea that an "audience member" had already refined over 200 strands, while they were still struggling with just one...

Looking again at the crowd outside, he saw what the Second Elder had mentioned. The nine pillars locked the energy tightly, and only a thin layer, like a light veil, floated in the air.

"To be able to refine over 200 strands with just the scattered energy, this genius is truly terrifying!" Lu Mingrong marveled, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "Since that's the case, why don’t we give them a hand? Make their foundation even stronger..."

"Help? How?" Wu Yunzhou asked, puzzled.

"Simple!" Dean Lu Mingrong smiled slightly. "Since the pillars are locking the energy, we’ll open a gap, allowing the energy to flow out more freely. That way, they can absorb faster and more stably."

Wu Yunzhou nodded, "That makes sense! I'll leave it to you, dean!"

"Alright!" Lu Mingrong nodded, walked to one of the pillars, clenched his fist, and struck it hard.

Crash!

The entire pillar shook slightly, and the nine beams of light connecting it to the Destiny Disk rippled. In an instant, the sealed white mist found an outlet and gushed out continuously, enveloping the practitioners outside the stage.

"It's done..." Lu Mingrong nodded, turned to return to the stands, but saw Wu Yunzhou, Ran Qingxu, Wu Liuyun, and the others staring nervously at the top of the pillar, their eyes wide and bodies trembling.

"What’s wrong?" Seeing their reaction, Lu Mingrong couldn't help but turn back, his pupils contracting as he froze in place.

At the top of the Nine Dragon Pillars, the number had just been 217, but with a slight jump...

It became 257!