14: Chapter 14 The School's Expectations

The next morning, just as the morning light spilled over the windowsill, Zhang Wen adjusted his school uniform collar in the mirror. The teenager's frame in the mirror was much straighter than it had been a few days ago, his shoulders drawn taut, and his every movement carried an indescribable sense of agility—this was the aftereffect of Thunder Power Body Tempering, and also a tangible benefit.

He touched the inner pocket of his uniform, his fingertips brushing against a cold token, and his heart suddenly stirred. It was the 'Heavenly Secret Token' the old principal had stuffed into his hand last month when he helped retrieve a stolen antique inkstone. At the time, he only said it would be 'useful in the library' and emphasized that it was 'highest authority.'

Back then, he thought the elder was just being polite and tossed it into a drawer, but now it felt like he had struck gold. Ever since his Awakening of the SSS-rank Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, he had a body full of thunderous power but lacked a proper attack Cultivation Technique. Last time he dealt with a purse snatcher, he relied entirely on instinct to strike wildly. If... if this token was really as miraculous as the principal said, would there be a thunder-type Cultivation Technique hidden in the library?

Once this thought emerged, he couldn't suppress it. Zhang Wen remembered Liu Zi saying that there was a restricted area on the third floor of the library that was locked year-round, said to contain some 'old things that shouldn't be looked at casually.' He tucked the Heavenly Secret Token away, grabbed his school bag, and rushed to school. He almost knocked over a soda stand while passing a newsstand—he had no mind for soda now, his head full of 'could there be a thunder-type Cultivation Technique in the restricted area?'

Entering the library, the teacher in the reading area on the first floor greeted him with a smile, but he responded haphazardly and ran toward the stairs. The ancient books area on the second floor was empty, with only the administrator flipping through a catalog. When he reached the entrance to the third floor, he indeed saw a wooden door with a brass lock, and a yellowed note pasted on the lintel: 'Unauthorized personnel prohibited from entering.'

Zhang Wen took a deep breath and pressed the Heavenly Secret Token against the lock. Unexpectedly, the rusty brass lock clicked and popped open on its own. As the door hinges turned, they made a slight 'creak,' as if welcoming him, the 'highest authority holder.'

He tiptoed inside, his nose filled with the unique smell of ink from old books. His gaze swept over rows of bookshelves, and suddenly, on the 17th shelf, he caught sight of a thread-bound book with a deep blue cover. On the cover were five gilded characters—'Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist.'

The tag next to it clearly read: 'S-rank · Thunder-type Attack Cultivation Technique.'

Zhang Wen's heart gave a violent leap. As soon as his fingertips touched the page, he felt a faint electric current surge up from his fingertips, faintly resonating with the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder in his body.

Good fellow, he really had struck gold.

As soon as Zhang Wen's fingertips touched the spine of 'Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist,' he felt his heart itch from the pale purple Lightning Radiance circulating on the cover. He hurriedly wrote his name in the borrowing log, grabbed the book and stuffed it into his chest, then turned and rushed out the door—this was an S-rank thunder-type Cultivation Technique; every second wasted felt like a loss, so he had to find an empty place to study it properly.

His footsteps were like the wind; he almost slid down the staircase handrail when going downstairs. As soon as his toes touched the first floor, he shot out like an arrow released from a bow. The sunlight was pouring in from outside the main door, casting long light spots on the ground. He only thought about finding a secluded patch of shade, not noticing the figure standing at the door at all.

'Ah—'

With a short exclamation followed by the clatter of a book hitting the ground, Zhang Wen felt himself crash into a 'soft wall.' He braked hurriedly and looked down to see the Dean of Students' thermos rolling to his feet, the goji berry and chrysanthemum tea inside spilling everywhere.

'Sorry, sorry! Director Wang, are you okay?' Zhang Wen hurriedly bent down to help him up, his peripheral vision catching the 'Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist' on the ground. He was so scared his hands shook—if the Director saw the 'S-rank' label on the cover, wouldn't he ask to the end?

Director Wang adjusted his crooked glasses. Seeing it was him, he didn't get angry. Instead, he bent down to pick up the thermos and said slowly: 'Why are you running so fast? In a rush to put out a fire?' His gaze swept over the book that Zhang Wen hadn't held securely in his arms, and his eyes suddenly brightened. 'Borrowed from the third-floor restricted area?'

Zhang Wen's heart skipped a beat. Just as he wanted to find an excuse, Director Wang waved his hand: 'I was there the day the principal gave you the Heavenly Secret Token, and it's not a secret that you have the Heavenly Secret Token. There's no need to be so nervous; you must have been to the restricted area.' He patted Zhang Wen's shoulder, his tone deepening a bit. 'It seems you've found the way yourself and know where to put in the effort.'

As he spoke, he took a palm-sized wooden box out of his briefcase and stuffed it into Zhang Wen's hand: 'This is the school's reward for you—three 'Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pills'. They can help you stabilize your Thunder Power; it's ten times better than you practicing blindly on your own.'

Zhang Wen held the heavy wooden box, stunned.

'Don't be surprised.' Director Wang looked at him, his eyes filled with expectations. 'We know your family background isn't good, unlike Xue Yuan and Ding Siyi. The little foundation our school has, we help you as much as we can, but how far you can go in the end depends on yourself.' He paused and pointed to the bulletin board not far away. 'Among this year's special enrollment spots for Qinglan University, there is an 'Esper Specialization' specifically for good seedlings like you.'

Qinglan University! It was the top domestic Esper academy he had promised Ding Siyi to attend. It was said that the library there even had SSS-rank Cultivation Techniques.

Zhang Wen clenched the wooden box in his hand, feeling the Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pills in his palm as if they were scalding hot.

'The principal said that it would be a pity if your SSS-rank talent were to fade into the crowd due to a lack of cultivation resources.' Director Wang patted his back. 'Practice that thunder-type Cultivation Technique well, and don't neglect the academic college entrance examination in a month. When you get into Qinglan, there will be a bigger world for you to toss about in.'

After speaking, he turned and left, adding a final remark before leaving: 'Don't run so fast next time. It's a small matter if you hurt yourself, but if you break the school's precious books, I won't spare you.'

Zhang Wen stood there, watching the Director's back, then looked down at the Cultivation Technique in his arms and the Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pills in his hand. He suddenly felt a bit of heat in his nose. He used to think the school was just a place for reading and exams, never expecting it to hide so many tricks, and that even the Director knew his background so clearly.

'Well, can't be lazy now even if I wanted to.' Zhang Wen scratched his head, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. When he ran to the corner of the playground holding the book, his steps were as light as if he were stepping on the wind—

Qinglan University, right? S-rank Cultivation Technique, right? He wanted to let everyone see just how much of a stir this SSS-rank Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder could cause.

The 'Jiangnan Cultivation Hall' in the city center had always been a gathering place for Espers. Outside the glass curtain wall, huge advertisements flashed, scrolling with promotions for the 'D-rank Cultivation Technique Crash Course.' Zhang Wen bypassed the crowds in the lobby discussing how to break through Bottlenecks and headed straight for the elevator at the very back—he specifically chose the cultivation room in the corner of the top floor. The rent was expensive, but it was good because of the soundproofing. Even if he couldn't contain his Thunder Power and blasted through the wall, it wouldn't alarm too many people.

Swiping open the door to room '307,' a rich Spiritual Qi rushed towards him. The room was not big, with a dark black Spiritual Gathering Formation Plate embedded in the center, and an energy measuring device in the corner. Zhang Wen locked the door, threw his school bag on the sofa, and impatiently took out the palm-sized wooden box.

As soon as his fingertips touched the box surface, he felt a faint electric current darting through the cracks of the box. He took a deep breath and carefully lifted the lid—three dove-egg-sized Medicinal Pills lay quietly on the velvet cushion, their whole bodies glowing with a pale purple halo, with fine thunder patterns circulating on the surface. When he brought them close to his nose, he could even smell a crisp scent like a pine forest after rain.

'Is this the Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pill?' Zhang Wen picked one up and held it in his palm. The Medicinal Pill felt warm and moist to the touch, but there was a faint surge of power inside, as if he were holding a mini thunderstorm. He had seen it in Liu Zi's 'Esper Introductory Guidebook' before. This kind of Medicinal Pill required at least three A-rank thunder-type Espers to refine together, and one could sell for six figures. The school gave him three at once; the gesture was truly not small.

He held the Medicinal Pill and turned it around. Remembering Director Wang's words, he took out 'Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist' and turned to the first page. The handwriting on the page had a faint thunderous glow, and the opening chapter read: 'To Cultivate the thunder pulse in the Initial Blooming Realm, one needs to gather thunder into a spring to be able to move the fist and generate power.'

'Just right to try.' Zhang Wen sat cross-legged in the center of the Spiritual Gathering Formation Plate and popped a Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pill into his mouth. The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, turning into a cool, warm current that slid down his throat. As soon as it entered his Dantian, it exploded—not with stinging pain, but with countless tiny thunder threads spreading along his Meridians, like countless small hands gently combing through the chaotic Thunder Power in his body.

He hurriedly focused his mind, adjusting his breathing according to the Myriad Force Thunder Guidance, feeling those originally unruly Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder being tamed and condensed bit by bit by the power of the Thunder Gathering Medicinal Pill. The values on the energy measuring device began to jump slowly, climbing from 'Initial Blooming Realm Early Stage · 37%' slowly upwards.

'At this rate, after three of these...' Zhang Wen felt the increasingly condensed Thunder Power in his body, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, 'Breaking through to the Early Bloom Mid-stage is certain!'

The neon lights outside the window slipped in through the blinds, casting streaks of light and shadow on the floor. Zhang Wen closed his eyes, letting the Thunder Power surge in his Meridians. There was only one thought in his heart: once he broke through, he would go and try the first form of 'Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist'—it was said that a single punch could explode three afterimages in the air, which was much more decent than the 'wild slashing' he did when dealing with the purse snatcher last time.