Chapter 14: Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate

"This..."

Even Lu Mingrong, who had seen much and knew a great deal, felt unable to react.

The Source Pool evaluation had a limit of first-grade, which is 256 strands, and the one on the stone pillar just reached 257...

I thought the janitor was Sun Nan, but it turns out to be Pavarotti...how is anyone supposed to compete with this?

"Dean, it looks like...it looks like it's not over yet?"

As Lu Mingrong stood there, too shocked to speak, a trembling voice came again from the crowd, causing the dean to look up and go pale.

258!

259!

260...

With the continuous influx of Heavenly Mandate Vitality, the "Unrecorded student" who initially appeared, like a Serpentine Dragon encountering a deluge, soared abruptly into the sky. The numbers on the display shifted many times faster than before. In just over a dozen breaths, it had already burst through the barrier of 500, charging towards 1000.

The Destiny Plate in the sky also seemed not to have anticipated someone absorbing Heavenly Mandate Vitality so rapidly. As if a latent strength had been activated, it began to spin rapidly and suddenly released a dazzling crimson light. In the next instant, endless Heavenly Mandate Vitality cascaded down without ceasing.

Boom!

As more Yuan Power descended, the nine Dragon Pillars seemed to be bearing the weight of ten thousand tonnes, as if shouldering world after world, emitting thunderous rumblings, similar to that of a grinding mill. The ground also began to tremble slightly.

Wave after wave of white mist surged forward like ocean tides, beating against the shore and exerting an overwhelming pressure on all present.

"What's happening?"

In all the years of Source Pool evaluations, such a phenomenon had never been seen before. All the teachers were speechless, each scouring their stored knowledge for a corresponding explanation only to find a void where none seemed to have been documented before.

Even the Deputy School Head of Wu Yunzhou could not help but furrow his brow. After a long time, he could not resist asking, "Dean, with this unexpected development, should we stop the evaluation and continue another day...Dean? Dean?"

After calling out twice in succession, they realized that Lu Mingrong had not heard a thing.

Wu Yunzhou turned his head to look and was immediately stunned.

At that moment, Lu Mingrong had lost his former authority and seemed to have remembered something astonishing, with his pupils filled with shock and his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Dean..."

Fearing that something had gone wrong, Wu Yunzhou called out again. Before he could finish his inquiry, the dean's voice had already resounded, "Could it be, could this be the legendary 'Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate'?"

"Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate?" Wu Yunzhou was full of confusion.

Ran Qingxu, Wu Liuyun, and others also saw bewilderment in each other's eyes.

Knowing that their knowledge might be limited and that they may not have heard of it, Lu Mingrong took a deep breath, suppressing the astonishment in his heart, and explained, "The Source Pool is the foundation for cultivating Origin qi, and to our knowledge, it is divided into nine grades, from first to ninth. This is how we at Baiyan Academy have always taught and imparted knowledge to the students."

The crowd nodded.

The tiers of the Source Pool were not only known to them but even to children on the street.

"What nobody knows is..."

Lu Mingrong went on to say, "Above the first-grade, there exists a Saint-tier!"

Wu Yunzhou: "Saint-tier?"

Lu Mingrong: "Correct! This kind of talent, upon their first absorption of Heavenly Mandate Vitality, can not only accommodate more than 256 strands but can also easily break through the barrier of 500... Because they absorb the vitality so quickly, the ordinary Destiny Plate cannot provide enough power, and therefore, latent formations are triggered, and the nine Dragon Pillars coordinate to attract even more vitality... That's why it's called 'Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate'."

The crowd had an epiphany.

Only then did Wu Yunzhou understand the dean's shock and couldn't help asking, "Do you mean to say...this 'Unrecorded' student might very well possess Holy-grade Talent?"

A first-grade talent was already exceedingly rare, difficult to find throughout the dynasty, let alone Saint-tier... without even contemplating, one knew it to be even more powerful and fearsome!

"Indeed!"

Lu Mingrong nodded, "However, possessing Holy-grade Talent isn't necessarily a blessing!"

"What do you mean by that?"

Not only was Wu Yunzhou baffled this time, but all the teachers were also brimming with confusion.

Isn't higher talent always better?

If one can reach Saint-tier, it's naturally coveted, so why would the dean say such a thing?

Realizing their confusion, Dean Lu Mingrong didn't keep them in the dark and continued, "When the Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate is triggered, the Heavenly Mandate Vitality that descends will be more and more abundant and will flow ever more swiftly. It is both help and assessment. If the absorber can keep up, their Holy-grade Talent can be unlocked and thus set them on the path to supreme power. Should they fail to keep up, they will face unbearable consequences... It's just like when a pipe is too narrow to handle a greater flow of water, there's only one outcome... a 'bang,' and it bursts open!"

Dean Lu Mingrong clenched his fist tight, "If that's the case, this genius... is highly likely to be severely injured on the spot, let alone surpass first-grade, he might not even match an Eighth Grade, or he might even become completely crippled."

"The chance to surpass first-grade, only to end up not even reaching Eighth Grade?"

"This... the gap is too huge."

Everyone's faces were painted with shock.

They thought a super genius had emerged, but after all this commotion, it turned out to be a gamble!

Fortune comes at the cost of risk, and disaster lurks within fortune. Every sip and every morsel is predestined!

Sometimes, a heavenly hand at the start isn't necessarily a good thing.

"Quick, look, the Heavenly Mandate Vitality is descending faster and faster. Let's hope he can make it..."

Seeing that everyone had caught on, Dean Lu Mingrong said no more and instead turned his worried gaze towards the crowd below.

Wu Yunzhou and the others fell silent as well and looked intently, their eyes scrutinizing every detail, all wanting to see clearly where exactly this genius causing such a commotion was.

Unaware of the people's discussions and the so-called "Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate," Zhang Xuan was focused on his own predicament, knowing that he hadn't found the Source Pool and couldn't practice, he was filled with disappointment.

Such a grand opportunity lost, who knew when he could freeload on Heavenly Mandate Vitality again.

"Forget it!"

Casting aside his negative emotions, Zhang Xuan controlled the Library of Heaven's Path, increasing the speed at which it devoured the descending Yuan Power. For him, not wasting the opportunity was all that mattered.

As more and more Heavenly Mandate Vitality was absorbed, clearer books also increased in number. At this moment, Zhang Xuan felt the Yuan Power in the air become denser and easier to absorb, so he no longer hesitated and commanded the Library, devouring it voraciously.

The Library seemed as if it connected to the heavenly path of the Source World, frenetically revolving, and a phantom of a library appeared in the sky, instantly enveloping all nine Dragon Pillars within it.

Boom, boom, boom!

Streaks of white mist were devoured like a giant whale sucking in water, transforming into a special nourishment that cascaded into every page of the Library.

1000 streaks!

2000 streaks!

5000 streaks!

…

The Library devoured faster and faster, like a bottomless pit. The Heavenly Mandate Vitality that had just accelerated its descent was once again insufficient...

That is to say, while the Nine Dragons Summoning Heavenly Fate is magical and summons a plethora of Heavenly Mandate Vitality, it still falls well short of the devouring capacity of something like the Library of Heaven's Path.

Perhaps also sensing the accelerated depletion of Yuan Power, the Destiny Plate in the sky and the nine Dragon Pillars increased their speed once more, especially the Destiny Plate, which now turned a fiery red, as if ablaze.

Boom, boom, boom!

The shaking of the ground and muffled sounds from the sky grew louder and louder.

"This is bad!"

Dean Lu Mingrong's face suddenly changed, paying no heed to finding the "Unrecorded" but instead hurriedly looking up, only to see the rotating Destiny Plate in the sky. Now, it could not withstand the rapid depletion of Yuan Power and with a "crack," a visible fissure appeared down its middle.

Subsequently, lines proliferated, turning into clusters of pure strength that burst outward in all directions.

The Destiny Plate that Baiyan Academy had used countless times for Source Pool evaluations was, at that moment... shattered!