Chapter 152 - 129: Breakthrough
Chapter 152: Chapter 129: Breakthrough
"Break through."
Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately choosing to break through. The next moment, Innate Qi practically overflowed from his body, hovering around him and causing the very air to distort.
His meridians received an unprecedented level of nourishment. The Refined Golden Bell Shield activated at the same time, and the Mixed Element Qi within his organs continuously revitalized them.
With every breath, a sound like rolling thunder echoed from his chest.
"HUMMM!"
Following the hum, Lu Yuan broke through completely. His cultivation had reached Innate Great Success, but for him, this was only the beginning.
He popped an Innate Fruit into his mouth, and in the next instant, it turned into Skill Level, converting into the purest form of cultivation.
It circulated throughout his body.
Even his skin vibrated unceasingly.
Time flowed on. As dusk approached, the medicinal power was finally depleted, but Lu Yuan still didn’t stop his breakthrough.
He consumed another Innate Fruit.
An astonishing amount of energy coursed through him.
His Innate Qi underwent a qualitative transformation, faintly manifesting a Divine Light. His Dantian was now a brilliant expanse of gold, and a roar echoed from the boundless spiritual sea within it.
"WHOOSH!"
Lu Yuan exhaled a breath that was actually dark gold in color.
It shot out in a straight line and struck the ground.
It blasted a deep pit into the earth.
At this moment, he felt an incomparable clarity throughout his entire body.
Then, the system panel appeared.
[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill: Mixed Element Qi Skill (Void Manipulation) (31/1000 to Minor Achievement)]
He had now officially stepped into the Void Manipulation realm.
It was as if he had broken free from the shackles of the world.
With just a slight movement, he was already soaring through the air.
Lu Yuan had never felt so comfortable in his own skin.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, so not many people were paying attention to the distant sky.
If it had been daytime, everyone would have likely witnessed the scene.
After reaching Void Manipulation, Lu Yuan finally had a decent ability to protect himself.
By now, the sky had grown completely dark.
Only the camp on the Withered Leaf Plain was illuminated by torches.
Lu Yuan walked toward it and found Wu Han not far away.
At the same time, Wu Han saw Lu Yuan and hurried over to meet him.
"I’m leaving things here to you. I have to go, but don’t disband the army. Keep them ready for battle at a moment’s notice and wait for my orders."
Lu Yuan had no intention of letting this opportunity for expansion slip by.
’Since the imperial court doesn’t treat me as one of their own, if I don’t find a way to protect myself, I could be thrown to the front lines to die at any moment.’
’The memory of hundreds of thousands of Border Army soldiers dying in the Xirong campaign still flashed before his eyes, along with the time they were made scapegoats during the war with the Northern Barbarians.’
’Both times, it was a miracle he survived.’
’If he hadn’t been strong enough, he’d likely already be dead on the battlefield.’
’If it were a fair fight, he would have nothing to say. But to be repeatedly used as cannon fodder or made a scapegoat... he didn’t want to be thrown away one day, to die an obscure death for nothing.’
’And then there were the scenes in the Imperial City. If the Noble Disciples had won, he was sure their treatment would have been completely different. He later heard that a banquet had even been prepared in the imperial palace.’
’It was to celebrate Dayong’s victory.’
’But because Lu Yuan was from the Border Army, the celebration was never mentioned again.’
’All of it, every last thing, fostered a sense of detachment and vigilance toward Dayong in his heart, an attitude that was growing clearer by the day.’
"Alright. Keep in touch," Wu Han said immediately.
He then took out a jade stone and handed it to Lu Yuan. "We seized this. It’s a Sound Transmission Stone. We can use it to talk to each other. Just infuse it with your True Essence."
"Mm," Lu Yuan acknowledged, taking the stone and putting it directly into his Space Ring.
Then, he mounted his warhorse and left the camp.
After a full day’s journey, the main force of the Northern Patrol Camp should have arrived.
However, he had forgotten that Sai City closed its gates after dark.
Staring at the imposing, dark city walls, Lu Yuan was tempted to try flying over, but the thought of the Arrays on the fortress made him dismiss the idea.
He had no choice but to find a place to rest outside the city and wait until the next day to enter.
「The night passed without incident.」
Early the next morning, as soon as Sai City’s gates opened, he entered directly. He didn’t reveal his identity, however, and instead went to where the Northern Patrol Army was stationed.
The army had already been resting there for a night.
They were in high spirits.
Lu Yuan removed his mask and changed his clothes in the distance. Just as he approached the main camp...
...he saw Zhou He already waiting at the entrance.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan, Zhou He gave him a meaningful look, and the two of them entered a tent.
"How did you know I’d be back at this time?" Lu Yuan asked as he picked up a bowl of medicinal congee brought by a Personal Guard and began to drink.
"When the army arrived, I figured you would come as soon as possible. Either yesterday or this morning. Since you didn’t return before nightfall yesterday, it had to be this morning," Zhou He said with a chuckle.
"Has there been any movement from that contingent?" Lu Yuan’s voice grew serious.
Zhou He nodded. "It’s just as you guessed. They entered the pass yesterday. The Captain of Withered Leaf Pass had no intention of stopping them. In fact, he even gave them some supplies."
"It was all food and drink."
"Right now, they’re camped less than thirty li from Withered Leaf Pass."
Lu Yuan’s eyes glinted. "Then let’s make our move," he said coolly. "Notify the army to set out at once."
"After our army arrived yesterday, the Captain of Withered Leaf Pass came looking for you twice, saying he wanted to pay his respects," Zhou He said to Lu Yuan as he was about to leave the tent.
Lu Yuan waved a dismissive hand. "Ignore him. We’ll settle the score with him after we’ve dealt with these people from Prince Lie’s Mansion. He let people from the buffer zone through the pass without any reason. How many heads does he think he has to spare?!"
As his voice fell, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
Even if he took action, it would be justified. The entire reason the court sent him here was to prevent anyone who had left the pass from re-entering. Xiao Heng himself had made that explicitly clear.
A short while later, the army was assembled.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial City, inside Prince Lie’s Mansion, the Prince who wore a Python Robe—and had previously been full of confidence—now wore a furious expression.
He didn’t actually care about dominating the buffer zone; he knew full well that the most intense struggle would be among the several Princes. What he wanted was business.
To put it bluntly, he wanted the unique resources of the Northern Barbarians.
Only by having his own people there could he ensure a future share of the buffer zone’s benefits.
But now, his men had actually been wiped out by some local mountain bandits.
He had lost everything—both face and substance. The thought that he had just returned that pair of Pixiu statues to the Seventh Prince yesterday made him even more frustrated.
He turned to the glamorous woman beside him and said, "Send a contingent of your people to support the Northern Border. My forces haven’t been completely scattered yet. Another ten thousand men will be enough to rally them and raise a new army in a short time."
"Whatever it takes, you must seize back Withered Leaf Plain. And make sure to kill everyone from Celestial King Stronghold on sight."
"Yes, my Prince," the woman replied hastily.
Then, at a signal from Prince Lie, she carefully withdrew.
「Elsewhere, in the Imperial Guard’s Government Office in Jizhou」
Xiao Heng slammed his palm on the table. "That Captain of Withered Leaf Pass! What audacity! He let ten thousand men through the pass without authorization."
"Prince Lie is still in the Imperial City, yet his reach already extends to Withered Leaf Pass! Transmit my order at once! Command the neighboring pass cities to dispatch troops and suppress the stronghold soldiers who have crossed into our territory!"
"As you command!" the Marquis of Mucheng quickly responded.
He then withdrew.
’Xiao Heng knew why he had been sent here. It was precisely because of his reputation for being steadfastly loyal and impartial, someone who would give no one special treatment.’
’If he were to back down this time, he would lose his true value in the eyes of the Yong Emperor.’
’Therefore, he could not retreat. On the contrary, he had to be firm to the very end.’