Over the next few days, with the combined help of the High-Grade Bone Refining Pill, the Rain Pearl, and the special cultivation environment created by the black rain fog, Lu Ming's cultivation progressed at astonishing speed.
In just a few days, he had completed more than half of his third round of bone refining, the most difficult one.
It was a slight pity, however, that the supply of the Rain Pearl, a special resource, could not be maintained. After the six four-armed Rain Spawn came to the herb garden that night, there had been no more hauls like that.
Only two four-armed Rain Spawn had appeared sporadically, along with a few wandering two-armed ones.
There was nothing Lu Jin could do about it. After all, this was only the Rain Fog Period, not the true black rain season, so only a few Rain Spawn would break through the seal. They had managed to harvest these Rain Pearls because they had used Lu Ming's Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone as bait.
During a normal Rain Fog Period, even a single Rain Spawn appearing at the herb garden was a rare occurrence.
But Lu Jin could not leave the herb garden to search for Rain Spawn himself. During the special period of black rain fog, he could not feel at ease leaving Lu Ming at the herb garden.
Amusingly, though, while Lu Jin and Lu Ming regretted that the Rain Spawn had stopped appearing, Qian Shan, who guarded the herb garden, was instead on edge and unable to eat or sleep in peace because of the Rain Spawn that had repeatedly appeared over the past few days.
Qian Shan did not know the secret of Lu Ming's Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone. Naturally, he was baffled as to why Rain Spawn, which had rarely appeared in the past, had kept showing up over the past few days.
At that rate, if Lu Jin had not happened to come to the herb garden this time, Qian Shan would probably have perished defending it.
After all, Qian Shan was only an ordinary Great Divine Ability Practitioner. He could not have fought the three four-armed Rain Spawn that had appeared on the first night alone, let alone the six on the second.
Fortunately, the Rain Spawn had appeared less frequently over the following two days. Otherwise, Qian Shan would probably have considered resigning once this was over.
He had come to guard the herb garden in the first place for a peaceful, undemanding post. If Rain Spawn appeared this often during every Rain Fog Period, it would be little different from braving the Black Rain Zone.
A clearing in the herb garden.
Lu Ming was cultivating with complete concentration, a Lesser Geng Metal Stone held in one hand. As it gradually melted, sharp Geng Metal Qi poured into his body.
Half an incense stick later, the Lesser Geng Metal Stone had completely melted.
Lu Ming's eyes snapped open, and sharp golden flames appeared in them. He held out a hand, and a ball of golden flame condensed above it, flowing slowly like molten metal.
Its light was scorching and sharp.
The Middle Divine Ability, Golden Plasma Fire.
The Golden Plasma Fire that appeared this time was brighter and fiercer than before. Most importantly, a golden flame core had appeared at the very center of the flames.
"Good. The flame core has condensed, so you've truly grasped the basics of Golden Plasma Fire," Lu Jin said from the side with a slightly gratified laugh.
"Tsk, tsk. You grasped the basics of Golden Plasma Fire in less than ten days. Lu Ming, your talent for Divine Abilities is even greater than that bastard Zhang Yue's! Haha, it looks like our Thunderfire Hall has a chance of becoming a fourth-rank Divine Ability Hall within three years!" Qian Shan exclaimed in amazement. He had naturally cultivated the Middle Divine Ability Golden Plasma Fire himself, but compared to Lu Ming's cultivation speed, his own could only be described as pathetic.
Lu Ming's performance also showed Qian Shan the potential of Thunderfire Hall. It seemed he needed to maintain a closer relationship with the hall in the future; he must not start entertaining other thoughts just because Zhang Yue had left.
Lu Ming looked at the Golden Plasma Fire in his hand, having finally grasped its basics, and joy rose in his heart. His cultivation at the herb garden over the past few days had brought him tremendous progress, far more than he would have made by staying at the hall and cultivating diligently.
Now, only three days remained until the hall assembly.
Lu Ming had undergone an earth-shaking transformation compared to nearly a month ago.
Back then, Zhang Yue had left the hall, and Lu Ming had yet to open his Divine Ability Bone. As a result, all of Thunderfire Hall had fallen into a slump.
Now, Lu Ming had completed seventy to eighty percent of his third round of bone refining. Both Flame Blade and Lesser Thunderlight had reached Major Accomplishment, while Golden Plasma Fire had entered the Minor Accomplishment realm. In terms of strength and Divine Ability cultivation, he had caught up with the hall's veteran disciples, such as Yuan Da and Gao Yu.
Such progress might not have been enough to shake the world, but it was rare in Qingyuan Market.
At the very least, Zhang Yue had not progressed this quickly back then.
However, there were differences between High-Grade Divine Ability Bones to begin with, so no one was likely to guess that Lu Ming possessed a Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone. Habitual thinking led many people to believe that a Divine Ability Bone of that grade could not possibly appear in a small place like Qingyuan Market.
"Let's go. The Rain Fog Period has ended, so there's no need to stay at the herb garden any longer. The hall assembly is in three days, and I imagine things will be busy at the hall," Lu Jin said when he saw that Lu Ming had finished cultivating for the day.
For Thunderfire Hall, the upcoming hall assembly was the real main event.
The effects of Zhang Yue's departure from the hall had persisted throughout the past month. Although Lu Ming's High-Grade Divine Ability Bone had reassured the unsettled members of the hall, the number of new disciples who had joined that month had still fallen sharply. For a Divine Ability Hall, this was an extremely serious matter.
Thus, Thunderfire Hall had to use this assembly to make its name. At the very least, it had to hold on to its position as the second-ranked hall and show everyone in Qingyuan Market that even without Zhang Yue, Thunderfire Hall could still hold its ground.
Only then could Thunderfire Hall gradually erase the negative effects of Zhang Yue's departure.
"Hall Master, I'll wait here at the herb garden for your good news from the assembly," Qian Shan said with a smile.
"Thank you for looking after the herb garden."
Lu Jin nodded, gave him a few instructions, and was the first to turn and leave the herb garden, heading back to Qingyuan Market.
As soon as Lu Ming returned to Thunderfire Hall, his mother, Zhong Ying, greeted him with anxious questions about his well-being. Clearly, she had been terribly worried about his leaving Qingyuan Market for the herb garden during the Rain Fog Period, afraid that something might happen.
But she also understood that Lu Ming carried the hopes of the whole family on his shoulders, so she could not bring herself to stop him.
Fortunately, Lu Ming had now returned home safe and sound.
To welcome Lu Ming home, Lu Mengmeng generously brought out the snacks and pastries she had secretly saved to treat her brother. Feeling playful, Lu Ming made no attempt to be polite and ate his fill. Under Lu Mengmeng's dumbfounded gaze, he devoured every last one of her carefully saved treats. As expected, he ended up teasing her into pouting and crying, earning himself a scolding from their mother, Zhong Ying, who was both angry and amused.
Amid this atmosphere of family happiness, Lu Ming relaxed and began preparing himself for the hall assembly.
Golden Gang Sword Hall.
Lin Changkong sat on a raised platform in the training ground, looking down at the many disciples practicing Divine Abilities below. Dazzling golden Sword Qi filled his sight. He held out his hands, and a strand of brilliant golden sword gang wound around his ten fingers, swimming like a fish and brimming with life.
He casually toyed with the golden sword gang as though it were an object, even though it could pierce metal and split stone.
"Xu Xiong, the hall assembly is in three days, isn't it? Is everything ready at the hall?" Lin Changkong suddenly asked in a mild voice.
"Hall Master, everything is ready."
A long-haired man stepped out from behind Lin Changkong. He had a powerful build, and several sword scars crossed his face, giving him a somewhat fierce appearance.
The man was Xu Xiong, the hall's teaching hall master. He was a formidable fighter with an impressive record, a Great Divine Ability Practitioner who ranked among the best in Qingyuan Market. Wherever he went, the various parties would show him some respect.
"Rest assured, Hall Master. At this assembly, our Golden Gang Sword Hall will surely rank first again. No one will dare challenge us," Xu Xiong said with a grin, his words brimming with arrogance.
"Naturally, I'm not worried about that."
Lin Changkong smiled faintly. "I was thinking about Thunderfire Hall and Red Sand Hall."
Xu Xiong was taken aback. "Are we going to do as we have in the past and sit back and watch them fight each other?"
As a member of the strongest Divine Ability Hall in Qingyuan Market, Xu Xiong usually looked down on the other halls. After all, neither Thunderfire Hall nor Red Sand Hall had dared provoke them in recent years.
Golden Gang Sword Hall regarded many of the most lucrative opportunities in Qingyuan Market as its exclusive preserve, forbidding the other Divine Ability Halls from having a hand in them. Over time, this had naturally fostered the hall's arrogance.
"No."
This time, however, Lin Changkong shook his head and said calmly, "This time, I'm going to support Red Sand Hall and make Thunderfire Hall take a fall. This assembly is especially important to them, so if they fail to hold on to their position as the second-ranked hall, the reputation Thunderfire Hall has spent years building in Qingyuan Market will be largely ruined. It will be difficult for them to recover."
"Support Red Sand Hall?" Xu Xiong asked in some surprise.
Lin Changkong nodded slightly. "It was a request from an important person. I wouldn't dare neglect it. Although Thunderfire Hall hasn't done anything wrong, they offended someone they shouldn't have. That's simply how the world works."
"Then what you mean is..."
Lin Changkong stood up with his hands behind his back, his indifferent voice reaching Xu Xiong's ears.
"As long as Golden Gang Sword Hall remains in Qingyuan Market, Thunderfire Hall will never rise again."