Thunderfire Hall, the Divine Ability Dojo.
Hundreds of figures were sweating profusely inside, bitterly practicing their divine abilities. Ripples of primordial energy rose as rumbling thunder and flashes of fire continuously erupted, making the entire area appear chaotic and noisy.
At this moment, however, quite a few male disciples practicing in the hall were somewhat distracted, casting their gazes toward the steps of the dojo. There stood a girl dressed in a jade-green dress. Her skin was exceptionally fair, and she possessed delicate, elegant features, with bright eyes and white teeth. Every glance she cast was heart-stirring.
Her figure was also slender and graceful, with a slender waist and full breasts. Even though she was merely leaning lazily against the railing of the steps, her posture made hearts itch with desire.
Although Senior Sister Gao Yu in the hall was already captivating enough, compared to the girl before them, she lacked a certain air of nobility and refinement.
Yet, no one actually dared to let their blood rush to their heads and go over to strike up a conversation.
This was because Hall Master Lu Jin had personally welcomed her inside earlier. It was said that this beautiful young lady was the biological niece of the Qingyuan Ward Master. Such a status was not something ordinary disciples of a Grade 3 Divine Ability Hall like them could hope to get close to.
Thus, they could only steal glances at her in the gaps between their divine ability practices.
Zhou Fuling completely ignored these measuring gazes, having long since grown accustomed to them over the years. However, after waiting for a good while without seeing Lu Ming come out, she could not help but feel a bit impatient.
“What is this kid doing, making me wait for him?”
Zhou Fuling pursed her red lips and muttered. Under normal circumstances, she naturally would have been unwilling, but after witnessing Lu Ming's stunning performance at the Hall Meet with her own eyes, she could not help but feel a bit more patient.
“Miss Zhou, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Fortunately, after hearing the news brought by Lu Jin, Lu Ming had rushed over to the Divine Ability Dojo. Looking at the pretty girl waiting before him, he spoke with an apologetic look.
Zhou Fuling tilted her head slightly, sizing up the straight-backed youth before her. He had clean-cut, somewhat handsome features and carried a gentle aura. Overall, he was an amiable youth who easily elicited a favorable impression at first glance.
However... having personally witnessed the ferocity and trace of defiance Lu Ming had displayed at the Hall Meet, Zhou Fuling knew that this kid before her was actually quite good at putting on an act.
Thus, Zhou Fuling's current impression of Lu Ming was that of a gentle, motivated youth who, once his bottom line was crossed, would expose the deep-seated ruthlessness hidden in his bones.
“Miss Zhou, is something wrong?” Noticing Zhou Fuling's gaze, which felt as if she were sizing up a stranger, Lu Ming could not help but find it a bit strange. They had met a few times by now; while they might not be close, they shouldn't be considered strangers either.
“Do you know what they're calling you outside right now?” Zhou Fuling asked teasingly.
“What?” Lu Ming was startled. He had been resting for the past two days and had rarely even come to the hall.
“The Thunderfire Butcher,” Zhou Fuling said, unable to hold back a chuckle.
Lu Ming's lips twitched. He wondered which bastard was ruining his reputation outside. If he found out, he would smash their mouth to pieces.
“Divine ability duels are inherently unpredictable. Sometimes it's hard to hold back, so it's inevitable that I might go a little too far,” Lu Ming explained.
Zhou Fuling remained noncommittal. She waved her hand and said, “Let's go. Don't keep my fourth uncle waiting too long.”
“Is the Ward Master going to reward me with the Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill? For such a small matter, there was no need for you to make a trip yourself, Miss Zhou,” Lu Ming asked with a smile.
“The Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill?” Zhou Fuling was taken aback, only then remembering the reward Zhou Xuan had mentioned. However, she had not paid any attention to such a trivial matter, and her coming to invite Lu Ming this time certainly could not be for that.
“The Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill is just a minor detail. My fourth uncle has something else to discuss with you. This might be an opportunity for you—if you can grasp it, that is.”
Lu Ming was stunned. What did that mean? Ward Master Zhou Xuan had other matters to discuss with him? And from the sound of it, it did not seem simple at all.
This caused Lu Ming's steps to halt. His gaze swept the surroundings, trying to find Lu Jin. He did not understand Zhou Xuan's intentions and felt it might be safer to have Lu Jin accompany him.
“What? Are you worried he'll harm you? If you're scared, you don't have to go,” Zhou Fuling laughed when she saw this.
“What kind of figure is the Ward Master? If he wanted to harm a minor disciple of Thunderfire Hall like me, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths,” Lu Ming thought about it and felt a bit more at ease. After all, Thunderfire Hall had no grudges with Zhou Xuan, so there was truly no reason for the man to act against him.
“Then let's go.” Zhou Fuling turned and headed toward the Ward Office, with Lu Ming following close behind.
Inside the Divine Ability Dojo, many Thunderfire Hall disciples watched this scene, bursting into gossipy whispers.
“Wow, the Little Hall Master left with the Ward Master's niece.”
“Hehe, could he have caught the eye of a noble lady?”
“It's only natural if she did. The Little Hall Master possesses a High-grade Divine Ability Bone and has special talent in cultivating divine abilities. In time, he might even become a Divine Ability Grandmaster.”
“If he really becomes a Divine Ability Grandmaster, let alone the Ward Master's niece, even the daughter of the Fengyang Prefecture Prefect would be a worthy match.”
“I'm so envious. I don't want to work hard either; practicing divine abilities is too bitter.”
“Stop dreaming. Your hands are about to be charred.”
“...”
...
Ward Office.
In the inner courtyard of the office, Lu Ming met Zhou Xuan once again. At this moment, the Ward Master was dressed in casual attire, carefully tending to some herbs that were obviously quite rare. After Lu Ming waited for a while, the older man finally walked over with a smile.
“Lu Ming, congratulations on shining so brilliantly at the Hall Meet.” Zhou Xuan's smile was gentle, devoid of the Ward Master's majesty he usually displayed in public.
“I have yet to thank you, Ward Master, for opening up the high-grade primordial energy. With this cultivation environment, Thunderfire Hall will be able to attract many new disciples. My grandfather told me that when I see you, I must express Thunderfire Hall's gratitude on his behalf.” Lu Ming clasped his hands, his face filled with appreciation. Regardless of Zhou Xuan's true motive for opening the high-grade primordial energy, Thunderfire Hall had indeed received immense benefits from it.
“You won it through your own strength,” Zhou Xuan waved his hand. His gaze sized up Lu Ming as he pulled a wooden box from his robe, opened it, and handed it over.
“Here, this is the Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill I promised you before.”
Lu Ming quickly received it with both hands. Inside the wooden box lay a round, jade-green pill. A rich pill fragrance wafted from it, and just smelling it caused the Divine Ability Bone within Lu Ming's body to rumble with desire.
An irrepressible joy surfaced on Lu Ming's face, and he bowed once more to express his gratitude.
A Barrier-Breaking Pill of this grade might be nothing in Zhou Xuan's eyes, but to a divine ability practitioner like Lu Ming who had completed his third bone refinement, it was an incredibly wondrous item. If Wang Chen of the Golden Gang Sword Hall had been able to obtain such a Barrier-Breaking Pill before the Hall Meet, Lu Ming would have had to face more than just an incomplete Divine Ability Dharma Inscription. If that had been the case, it would have been hard to say who would have won.
But now that Lu Ming had this Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill, he was confident that he could attempt to shatter the Divine Ability Barrier within a month, condense a true Divine Ability Dharma Inscription, and become a Grand Divine Ability Practitioner.
One had to know that even Zhang Yue, after completing his third bone refinement, had to spend several months relying on sheer brute force to break through that layer of the Divine Ability Barrier because he lacked a Barrier-Breaking Pill.
Thus, as Lu Ming looked at the newly appointed Ward Master before him, the man seemed to exude the aura of a benefactor. After all, whether it was the high-grade primordial energy or this Lesser Inscription-Transforming Pill, both were timely and crucial forms of assistance for both Thunderfire Hall and himself.
After Lu Ming put away the pill, Zhou Xuan suddenly spoke.
“I heard from Fuling earlier that you have a talent for sensing pill energy?”
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