Chapter 95 — A Breakthrough Already?

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"Wait—one last question..." Seeing the impatient look on Jiao Yazi's face, Wei Zhao steeled himself and asked.

"Speak," Jiao Yazi said, neither cold nor warm.

"Just who are you, really? And who is this martial granduncle of yours?" Wei Zhao could not contain his curiosity.

"I am, naturally, Jiao Yazi—as I have already told you," Jiao Yazi said mildly. "My martial granduncle is, naturally, an extraordinarily formidable man. But there is no need for you to know of him, for it has nothing to do with you. And do not think that because you stumbled by sheer luck upon the cultivation manual and the jade pendant he left behind in his idle hours, you have thereby become his disciple. That is impossible."

"Uh..." Wei Zhao looked at the expression on Jiao Yazi's face—one that plainly said, *do not harbor vain hopes*—and was struck dumb for a moment. True, Jiao Yazi had worn an indifferent look just before, but nothing like this. Had he offended the man somehow?

Yet after a brief pause, Wei Zhao understood why Jiao Yazi was so displeased. Since the one who had left the manual behind was his martial granduncle, then if Wei Zhao were to take that man as his master, he would by rights become Jiao Yazi's elder. Of course that would gall him. At this thought, Wei Zhao smiled and said, "Naturally I would not. Even if I were to take a master, it would be you, Elder Jiao."

"Mm... so the boy knows his place." Only then did Jiao Yazi force a trace of a smile onto his face. "Seeing as you are so sincere, I shall put myself out and observe you for a time."

"Heh—" Wei Zhao smiled. He had no wish to expose Jiao Yazi's little schemes, and so said no more. He sat cross-legged on the ground of that space and entered a state of cultivation.

Since Jiao Yazi refused to speak a word about his martial granduncle, there was no need for Wei Zhao to press him. What ought to be said would be said in time; what ought not to be said, asking would be futile.

Enormous energy abruptly surged into Wei Zhao's body from all directions. This sudden phenomenon startled him at once. True, in the mountain forests where true qi was thickest, energy was absorbed faster than in the city—but never this fast. It was as if there were no obstruction at all, as if it were inexhaustible; for an instant Wei Zhao nearly felt his body would burst, and he immediately slowed the pace of his cultivation.

"Phew..." Wei Zhao looked at Jiao Yazi, who stood not far off wearing a teasing expression, and felt rather helpless. The old man had most certainly done this on purpose, giving no warning before cultivation began—did he mean to do Wei Zhao in?

Even though Wei Zhao had slowed his pace, the energy around him still poured endlessly into his body; only the rate of influx had lessened somewhat. Before long, Wei Zhao felt the energy within him swell and saturate to its very limit. Yet still the energy elements all around continued to pour into his body at their former rate.

Cold sweat broke out at once on Wei Zhao's forehead. What was this? It had never happened before. Though alarm filled his heart, he still could not stop the energy from flooding into his body.

At that moment Wei Zhao felt his body was like a lodestone, ceaselessly drawing in the energy that rushed toward him from every side...

"Jiao Yazi..." Wei Zhao felt he was about to explode, and could not help crying out to Jiao Yazi for help.

But Jiao Yazi still watched him with that teasing expression, showing not the slightest intention of lifting a hand.

"Boom—"

Wei Zhao felt his body could bear the vast energy no longer; it was as though he had burst apart, and the clothes on his body in an instant became charred fragments that flew in every direction.

"Phew—"

Just when Wei Zhao thought his end had come, he discovered to his astonishment that he was not dead. He was standing stark naked before Jiao Yazi, and his body was filled with an indescribable sense of comfort.

A breakthrough? Wei Zhao was somewhat dumbfounded. He had never broken through before, nor ever felt that sensation at the critical threshold, when energy brims full and threatens to spill over. He was speechless—he had thought he was about to explode, and instead it was a breakthrough.

No wonder Jiao Yazi wore that teasing look. The old man had clearly foreseen this outcome all along.

Sure enough, Jiao Yazi spoke: "A breakthrough? Well? Feels good, does it not?"

"It does feel good, but I never expected the energy here to be so powerful that it would break through just like that—it gave me quite a fright," Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"You were already on the verge of breaking through. It was only that the environment outside was so harsh there was never enough energy for you to break through all at once." Jiao Yazi chuckled. "Here the energy is plentiful. The moment you enter a state of cultivation, you break through in an instant, as a matter of course."

Only with Jiao Yazi's explanation did Wei Zhao understand: he had in fact long since cultivated his way to the late stage of the first layer, merely lacking the conditions for breakthrough, while here the energy was so abundant that he had broken through in a flash. As for that great surge of energy that had poured suddenly into his body, such a thing likely happened only at the instant of breakthrough; in ordinary cultivation it would not occur.

"Thank you... Mr. Jiao." Wei Zhao bowed to Jiao Yazi in all sincerity. Whatever else might be said, Jiao Yazi's help had filled Wei Zhao with gratitude.

Seeing Wei Zhao so solemn and proper, Jiao Yazi was rather taken aback, and only after a good while did he say, "All right, you brat, don't be so dead serious. From now on, call me Old Jiao, or just Jiao—but spare me the 'Mr. Jiao'..."

"Then I'll call you Old Jiao." Wei Zhao nodded. "Old Jiao, might I ask whether I can now go on to cultivate the second layer of *The Xuanyuan Dragon-Slaying Art*?"

"The second layer? Do you have it?" Jiao Yazi was startled, and asked in return.

"Ah? You don't have it?" Wei Zhao was startled too, and stared at Jiao Yazi in astonishment.

"You never went into the stone gate to take the second layer out—so where would I have gotten it from?" Jiao Yazi was somewhat at a loss for words.

"Isn't it the cultivation manual your martial granduncle left behind? Don't tell me you never cultivated it?" Wei Zhao was even more speechless.

"It was left by my martial granduncle, so I must have cultivated it?" Jiao Yazi rolled his eyes. "My path of cultivation is different from this one. This one only you can practice; I cannot."

"Ah? Is that so..." Wei Zhao scratched his head, a little embarrassed. He had let ordinary thinking confine him; Jiao Yazi was right enough—just because his martial granduncle had left something behind did not mean he himself had to cultivate it.

"If I knew it, why would I have told you to hurry into the stone gate?" Jiao Yazi said, somewhat helplessly. "Don't imagine I can help you with anything. I am only an illusion; my function is about the same as a commentator's—I explain to you the uses of this cultivation space, and when you are idle I keep you company and relieve your boredom... As for everything else, you will have to rely on yourself."

Hearing Jiao Yazi's blunt words, Wei Zhao was speechless at once. It seemed that even if he wanted to slack off, he could not... Only, this first layer had already been broken through, and there was still some time before the five-year deadline. What was he to do with this stretch of time?