What, You Have a Fortuitous Encounter Too?

Deep inside the aperture-opening institution, past rows of laboratories housing second-generation aperture-opening equipment.

Lü Yuan, whom Qin Huai had brought here, raised his head and murmured in amazement.

"What a spectacular sight..."

"Is this the aperture-opening equipment that uses third-generation Spirit Aperture technology? It seems very different from the second-generation equipment we saw along the way."

It was no wonder he called it spectacular-

The creation was powered by a dense network of Spiritual Qi supply pipes, its surface smooth and rounded like a twenty-meter-tall "water droplet."

Any ignorant factory bumpkin like him would have reacted the same way.

Several staff members were calibrating the device together, and Qin Huai seemed quite interested in talking with Lü Yuan while they worked.

Otherwise, Lü Yuan, who had always made a living reading people's expressions, wouldn't have invited embarrassment.

And this further confirmed, indirectly, just how important a top-tier Pseudo Spirit Root like him was!

The head of the aperture-opening institution himself was willing to waste time chatting with a prospective elementary school student like him.

My heavens...

If it were anyone else, wouldn't he charge a few hundred Spirit Stone Vouchers first?

Qin Huai knew nothing of Lü Yuan's little thoughts. Otherwise, he would surely have berated him: How could a few hundred Spirit Stone Vouchers possibly be enough?

Do you take me, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, for some common cabbage?

Qin Huai made no comment on Lü Yuan's earlier exclamation.

As for Lü Yuan's follow-up question, he had even less intention of concealing anything.

"Of course there's a huge difference between second- and third-generation equipment."

"Otherwise, how could third-generation technology break through the limitations of the second generation and open the human body's third Spirit Aperture?"

"You're fortunate, child. Since our Mingyang City obtained this device a hundred years ago, you're the second person qualified to use it."

Qin Huai had the makings of a fine researcher. Without keeping him in suspense, he explained the advantages of opening a third Spirit Aperture in plain terms:

"You should know that after opening a second Spirit Aperture, your cultivation speed doubles compared to having only one. After opening a third, the increase is even greater."

"Based on the data from the person before you, after opening the third Spirit Aperture, cultivation speed will increase by at least threefold over the speed with the second Spirit Aperture."

"That's why only top-tier Pseudo Spirit Roots like you, whom that lord values, are qualified to use it as an exception."

Six times. Lü Yuan didn't care about that figure in the slightest. No matter how fast cultivation with Spirit Apertures was, it couldn't compare to even one of Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan's High-Grade Spirit Roots.

So after putting on a show of surprise and exclaiming for a while, he fell silent and began thinking about another question.

That lord...

Who exactly is the one at the subsidiary?

Lü Yuan chose not to torment himself over it. Instead, he suddenly asked out of the blue:

"Mr. Qin Huai, may I know exactly who that lord is?"

"Why does he value me so highly that he would... make such a large investment?"

Lü Yuan's question, which could have been called either rash or frank, brought a smile to Qin Huai's face.

But he answered regretfully, "I really would like to tell you, and I understand your concerns, but child, I can't say anything until that lord meets you in person."

"But there's no need to be impatient. When school starts in a month, you'll naturally get your answer."

The head of Mingyang City's only aperture-opening institution is so apprehensive that he won't even mention his name...

Sure enough, just as I thought, it really is the one at the very top of the Bright Yang Tower who has taken an interest in me.

But... I'll get my answer when school starts...

Does he mean that when school starts, I'll be received by the master of Mingyang City?

A top-tier Pseudo Spirit Root is really that important?!

All sorts of possibilities ran through Lü Yuan's mind, but those dark and miserable thoughts were dismissed.

Otherwise, why would Qin Huai bother saying so much to someone who was about to die and had no value?

A moment later, something occurred to him, and he asked Qin Huai, "The person from ninety years ago should be the first one you mentioned who was granted an exception, right?"

"May I know how he's doing now?"

Qin Huai didn't appear particularly surprised. Or rather, Lü Yuan's question had been within his expectations from the start.

"He got into junior college. He's also one of the few people from Mingyang City to have gotten into junior college in more than a hundred years."

"But I don't know what happened after that."

Qin Huai stopped there and said no more.

After receiving his answer, the few concerns Lü Yuan still had slowly faded, and he no longer cared about the threat from that person at all.

If that's the case, there's nothing to worry about.

Whatever the one atop the Bright Yang Tower wants, as long as he dares let me get as far as junior college...

Then any scheme against me is doomed to remain a pipe dream.

Because Lü Yuan seriously doubted that by then, it would even be certain whether the one atop the Bright Yang Tower could withstand a single sword strike from his other self next door.

After all, given Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan's talent, by the time he himself cultivated step by step to Foundation Establishment Peak and got into junior college,

his other self might already have achieved perfection in all five methods and be preparing to attain Golden Core.

So he asked no more questions. After expressing his thanks, he watched the progress of the calibration on the enormous device before him.

71%

84%

99%

After a long wait, Lü Yuan watched the progress bar finish loading, and saw an opening appear in the giant water droplet, large enough for a person to enter.

Qin Huai spoke up immediately afterward. "Go on in."

At that moment, it would have been a lie to say Lü Yuan wasn't nervous or excited.

After all, having his apertures opened was something Lü Yuan had looked forward to since childhood.

Ever since he had realized that this was a society where capital ruled cultivation.

Having experienced the hardships of life at the bottom, there had not been a moment when he hadn't wanted to change his life and fate through cultivation.

And even though he had established a connection with Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan not long ago and could already borrow his Spirit Root to cultivate,

Lü Yuan's desire to have his apertures opened hadn't diminished in the slightest.

After all, this was a cultivation world ruled by capital, where even cultivation required a legal license.

And now, at last, he had waited for this moment.

Lü Yuan had never felt so refreshed in his life. It was as though he could already see his rebirth.

Because from today onward, he would be free of restraints and cultivate legally!

I heard online long ago that opening your apertures is agonizing beyond endurance.

Come on, then. Today, let's see if you can shatter my iron will!

Don't go easy on me just because I'm a tender young flower!

Lü Yuan didn't hesitate at all. He walked forward, step by step, and before entering the device, he scorned it thus in his heart.

Half an hour later, in front of the aperture-opening institution's main gate.

With Lin Qi and Wang Yan, who had been waiting for him for a long time, each supporting him on one side, Lü Yuan's legs trembled uncontrollably, and he felt like crying but had no tears.

In fact, he had regretted it in the very first second after entering, and had spent nearly half an hour thinking about how to run away.

But as luck would have it, the pain of opening his apertures had started in his legs.

Lin Qi had heard about this and had expected it, but Wang Yan couldn't help asking:

"What happened to you? I thought the aperture-opening process was fine. It only seemed a little worse than the pain a woman feels giving birth."

"When we were practicing martial arts before, didn't you usually treat that level of pain as relaxation training?"

Lü Yuan didn't want to recall what had just happened, so he merely said irritably:

"Don't ask, and definitely don't make me remember what I went through. That way, we can still be good friends-"

Then he looked at Lin Qi, who was supporting him on his right. "Having Wang Yan help me here is enough. You go on back."

"Give the two of us some privacy. We still have something to talk about."

Lin Qi knew what he intended to do, and understood that it really wasn't appropriate for her to be present under the circumstances.

So after making sure Wang Yan really could support him properly, she left first.

As Lin Qi's figure receded into the distance, Lü Yuan finally recovered some feeling in his legs.

He let go of Wang Yan's support and took a step forward.

After making sure he was all right, Lü Yuan turned to Wang Yan and said softly:

"The things I mentioned before that can help you are at my place now."

"I traded for them with Lin Qi last night: a Secret Method that can raise your Spiritual Qi Aptitude by ten points, and a Technique Method that can conceal the changes in you."

"Come with me-"

"That's all I can do for now. If there are other ways in the future, I'll keep an eye out for you."

Lü Yuan spoke word for word according to what he had planned long ago, but at that moment he was distracted, and as he turned his head back...

He failed to notice that the last trace of hesitation in Wang Yan's eyes had vanished.

He decided to tell Lü Yuan about some of the changes that had happened to him.

So, just after Lü Yuan brought Wang Yan back to his rented place, before he had time to fetch the two Secret Methods,

he heard Wang Yan close the door behind him and then say softly, "Wait, Lü Yuan. I have some things I want to tell you too-"

"I'm only attracted to someone's original sex. Just so we're clear, even if you get a sex change, I still won't be interested in you!"

A chill ran down Lü Yuan's back when he heard this.

Instinctively deciding not to leave his back exposed to Wang Yan, whose tone was starting to sound off, he rejected him preemptively.

But the next moment, he realized he had misunderstood.

Because Wang Yan took out an ancient-looking old book and shook his head at him.

"That's not what I mean-"

"I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to worry about me, because I've had a fortuitous encounter too."

Lü Yuan was dumbfounded. "What, you have a fortuitous encounter too?!"