Chapter 109: The Challenges of Advancing to Grandmaster

“Come with me to the principal’s office!” Huangfu Sheng said, then led the way toward the principal’s office.

Xin Lang turned to Gu Pangzi and the others. “Wait here for me, I’ll be back soon!”

The principal’s office was not as luxurious as Xin Lang had imagined. It was about the same as the principal’s office at Xuyang Academy’s Meng Linglong. Considering the martial arts academy’s strength and financial status, Huangfu Sheng’s office was quite modest.

“Principal Huangfu, what do you want with me? If you’re here because you see my extraordinary potential and want to take me as your disciple, you can forget it!” Xin Lang said bluntly upon entering.

“Oh? Why not? You should know how many people are eager to become my disciples at the martial arts academy!” Huangfu Sheng asked curiously.

Xin Lang had read the Martial Arts Academy Chronicle and already knew that the principal’s name was Huangfu Sheng. Given that the surname Huangfu belonged to the royal clan in the Great Xia Dynasty, he had long suspected Huangfu Sheng’s true identity.

Feigning an air of mystery, Xin Lang replied, “Am I obliged to say?”

“Fine! If you don’t want to be my disciple, so be it! But…” Huangfu Sheng’s tone shifted, “I want to know why you are using the ‘World-Shaking Imperial Fist.’ That technique is an exclusive royal art of the Great Xia Dynasty. How did you come to possess it?”

“Hmph!” Xin Lang scoffed coldly. “Royal art of the Great Xia Dynasty? I don’t think that’s entirely accurate. Principal Huangfu, you’re part of the royal family as well. The royal secret texts clearly record the origin of the 'World-Shaking Imperial Fist.' You’ve read it and should know its source better than I do!”

Without waiting for a response, Xin Lang left the office immediately.

He wanted to give Huangfu Sheng the impression—just like Huangfu Shaoqi before—that he had some connection to the Immortal Dao sect.

Huangfu Sheng was stirred by Xin Lang’s words. He was far more familiar with the royal secret texts than Huangfu Shaoqi. “Could he also be a disciple of the Immortal Dao sect? But that doesn’t fit! Disciples of the Immortal Dao sect are all of supreme talent, starting at the ‘Qi Transformation’ master level, yet he cultivates dark energy techniques. He shouldn’t be one of theirs.”

“But he defeated Huang Shiyu, who is at the master level, with dark energy cultivation—how to explain that?” Huangfu Sheng was puzzled. “I’ll have to investigate him thoroughly.”

The four of them ate at “Flavorful Fresh” until nightfall.

After dinner, Gu Pangzi took Hong Jingang to Lan Kwai Fong for drinks, but Xin Lang and Qian Baidu were not interested in such places, so they returned to the martial arts academy.

Back in his dormitory, Xin Lang entered the upgrade device with his consciousness. “Strange! I’m already a level ten peak martial artist, yet this time no promotion quest has appeared.”

He pressed the upgrade button beneath his character image to see if he could ascend to the rank of first-level master.

“To ascend to first-level master, the user requires 1,000 experience points and a heavenly-grade martial art,” the upgrade device prompted.

Xin Lang smiled to himself. “Looks like this time, ascending to master rank won’t require a mainline promotion quest. All I need is enough experience and a heavenly-grade martial art!”

“I have over 2,800 experience points now, just lacking one heavenly-grade martial art to ascend to master rank!” He was elated; mastery was within easy reach.

“But according to the academy’s rules, only gold-ranking students can borrow heavenly-grade martial arts! I just became a silver-ranking student. Even at this pace, it will take a few days to reach gold rank.”

A few days wasn’t long, but Xin Lang couldn’t wait.

After defeating Huang Shiyu and those declarations, it was as if he had declared war on all gold-ranking students. If he didn’t quickly advance to master rank, he wouldn’t be able to handle their challenges, let alone use those matches to gain experience.

“Where can I get a heavenly-grade martial art?” Xin Lang pondered.

“The auction house in the summer capital must have heavenly-grade martial arts for sale, but the price will be exorbitant!” Xin Lang recalled that in Jiuyang City, a regional-grade technique was auctioned for tens of thousands of gold coins. A heavenly-grade technique would cost dozens of times that—spending hundreds of thousands of gold coins to buy one was hard to accept.

“Damn it, I guess I’ll have to try my luck at the academy’s library and see if I can steal one to study.”

Determined, Xin Lang planned to check the library first. If he failed to steal one, he would have to go to the summer capital’s auction house the next day and spend money to buy one for emergency use, then resell it later.

The sun had just set; it wasn’t yet time for theft, so Xin Lang patiently waited for night to fall.

Though his meridians had healed, Xin Lang was still used to soaking in a hot bath.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, someone knocked on Xin Lang’s dormitory door.

“The door’s unlocked. Come in!” Xin Lang called.

At this hour, the only person likely to visit dorm 2012 was Qian Baidu, so Xin Lang didn’t pay much attention and continued his bath.

“Uh… it’s you! What are you doing here?” Seeing who it was, Xin Lang hastily grabbed a robe to cover himself.

Hu Qingqing was dressed as provocatively as usual tonight. Her ample curves pressed against her tight clothes with an almost overwhelming allure. Even Xin Lang’s willpower, stronger than most, was stirred.

But he noticed Hu Qingqing’s face looked pale—she was still recovering from injuries sustained during her duel with Murong Yueyin, her blood and qi unstable, her meridians damaged.

Hu Qingqing caught sight of Xin Lang soaking naked in the tub. At first, she was slightly flustered, but quickly composed herself and smirked. “Today, in front of nearly a thousand people, you called us your forbidden treasures. If we’re your forbidden treasures, what’s so strange about us showing up in your dormitory?”

“Uh… ha ha…” Xin Lang gave a wry smile. “Well, beauty, could you let me put on my clothes first?”

Hu Qingqing raised her eyebrows and stared at him teasingly. “Go ahead and dress. I never said you couldn’t.”

“Heh… then I will!” Xin Lang made a move to get out of the bath.

Hu Qingqing’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she turned away, pretending to admire the room’s decor. “Your room is so tidy. I wonder which campus belle helped you clean? Let me guess—Murong Yueyin?”

Seeing her turn her back, Xin Lang quickly jumped from the tub and hurriedly put on his clothes.

Just as he buttoned the last button, Hu Qingqing turned around and asked, “You still haven’t answered me: who helped you clean this room?”

Xin Lang smiled. “You came all the way to my dorm this late. You’re not here to clean for me, are you? Someone’s already done it. If you want to do something, you can warm up my bed for me!”

Damn!