Chapter 111: The Situation Outweighs the Person

As his words just fell, Huang Haiming, with four figures, stepped out from behind a phantom light screen.

"Ha ha! Master Lu Fan truly isn't simple; my petty tricks are unfit for the public, a laughingstock!"

The Fifth‑level Qi Refinement Realm Rune King, Huang Haiming, the most advanced Rune Dao cultivator of the Bright Moon Empire, actually called Lu Fan "Master," and everyone around was utterly stunned.

Liu Changsheng, Song Renjie, and the now‑appearing Huang Haiming truly constitute the three great pillars of the Bright Moon Empire—towering and revered by ten thousand. A casual stomp makes the empire tremble. That they all appear together now, bestowing a treatment so mismatched to a boy like Lu Fan, is utterly abnormal.

Though the rune war chariot is formidable, there's no reason to let these three behave so politely, speaking softly to a junior.

"Captain Huang, you're truly humble; I, Lu, am unworthy!" Lu Fan said, but with a light smile—his "unworthy" was nothing but a swaggering pose.

A masked woman behind Huang Haiming snorted coldly and snarled, "Pretentious, shameless!"

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, paid no mind, glanced lightly at her, then was drawn to the three figures beside her.

The three were young men, handsome and dignified, their aura not sharp but unusually lingering. Strangely, their faces resembled each other, clearly brothers by blood.

"Jian, Kang, Di, you three just emerged from seclusion and are clamoring to see Lu Fan right in front of you—why didn't you say hello!"

Huang Haiming waved at the three and chuckled, "Heh heh."

The three brothers immediately clasped their hands and together said to Lu Fan, "Yang Jian, Yang Kang, Yang Di, pleased to meet Master Lu!"

Lu Fan's gaze hardened as he took a deep breath. The three bore an aristocratic air, appearing modest yet unruly. To meet him for the first time and be so "courteous"—their temperament was truly exceptional.

Song Renjie, seeing Huang Haiming appear, let his expression darken imperceptibly, but upon seeing the three brothers, he smiled slightly and said, "Three princes, are you here to join the Dragon Tower trial as well?"

His reminder snapped Lu Fan back to attention. The three were indeed the Bright Moon Empire's three princes, explaining their bearing; their conduct was even more astonishing.

"Honored Lord Song, my brothers and I follow our family master to see the world; for the Dragon Tower journey, my junior sister will attend!"

Yang Jian led the other two, bowing slightly; outwardly respectful, yet exuding a perfectly measured pride, with no loss of royal bearing.

Song Renjie frowned, about to speak, when Huang Haiming interrupted, "Master Lu! The Dragon Tower teleportation array was about to collapse, usable only a few more times and quite dangerous. Now that you have reforged it, you've truly benefited our Bright Moon! I must thank you!"

As his words ended, he bowed slightly, bending toward Lu Fan in a salute. Even as a Fifth‑level Rune King, a figure of note across the entire Dragon Elephant Dynasty, there's no need to pay such homage to the Dragon Elephant sovereign, yet he does so for Lu Fan.

Zhan Xiao and the others were speechless; no matter how illustrious or powerful they were, they had no right to receive such treatment from Huang Haiming. Yet Lu Fan did, making it seem as if a peer suddenly possessed the dignity of a senior master—a gap too great to accept.

Lu Fan inhaled lightly, raised a single hand, and said, "Master Huang, no need for that; I also need to use the teleportation array, and I wasn't comfortable with its previous state."

Huang Haiming's demeanor was genuinely sincere, not a perfunctory act. He could understand; clearly his affection for the Bright Moon Empire runs deep, and seeing Lu Fan's contributions prompted this gesture.

Huang Haiming rose slowly, nodded, then shifted tone, shouting loudly, "Master Lu has spent a huge cost repairing the teleportation array; Director Liu has exhausted the entire academy's resources to maintain it. Those of you here for the trial should state your intentions and help fund Tianyuan Academy's upkeep of the array, right?"

The words rang like thunder, full of authority, even wielding the vast spiritual power of a Rune King, striking straight to the heart.

Zhan Xiao, Zhang Heng and the like all felt a deafening shock and involuntarily wanted to nod, unable to muster resistance.

Liu Changsheng flinched slightly, not expecting Huang Haiming to speak that way. Lu Fan had just said that non‑friends of Tianyuan Academy could not enter the array. Now this royal technique master, clearly the troupe leader, is looking for a way out of the awkward situation.

"Fine, Huang Haiming, the rules of Tianyuan Academy since its founding—are you going to break them with a few words? The talented participants here for the Dragon Tower trial all bear Dragon Spirit Talismans, which should grant them entry; you must not fabricate excuses to demand favors."

Tianyuan Academy's ties with the Bright Moon royalty run deep; if Huang Haiming's words are fulfilled, the academy's strength would surge, flooding the Bright Moon Empire with talent. Strengthened imperial power would diminish the Holy Hall's authority, and he could not stand by idly.

At this moment, Lu Fan fully understood that Huang Haiming's words, rather than his "rules," better fit the current situation.

He curled his lip, let out a wry laugh, casually stepped onto the rune war chariot and shouted, "Hey! This array is too powerful; I'm alone and weak, probably can't refine it—big trouble ahead!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed at the empty space ahead; a crystal crossbow materialized on the rune war chariot and fired at the teleportation array again.

The crystal crossbow exploded, turning into a rune formation that merged into the teleportation array. In an instant, the array roared and trembled, space rippled, and wave after wave of spatial ripples unfurled. The elders stationed inside leapt out, their faces turning pale.

Liu Changsheng was slightly stunned, unable to grasp what Lu Fan was doing. Yet the outsiders who came for the Dragon Tower trial glared at Lu Fan with fierce, unspeakable resentment.

"What a pity! Pity! You illustrious clan heirs, sect's pride, who traveled thousands of miles over mountains and rivers—now you'll return empty‑handed, coming in high‑spirited and leaving defeated!"

Lu Fan spread his hands, plopped his bottom onto the rune war chariot, looking helpless.

The crowd was slightly stunned, almost unable to bear it. This guy was clearly doing it on purpose, demanding a favor!

"Brother Lu, noble and righteous, I, Zhang, have traveled far and brought no fine gifts! Here is a Four‑Treasure Golden Core Pill, given to you to thank Tianyuan Academy's generous hospitality!"

Zhang Heng clasped his fists, drew a jade bottle from his sleeve, and tossed it toward Lu Fan through the air. He claimed to thank Tianyuan Academy, yet the gift went to Lu Fan, disregarding Liu Changsheng's honor—clearly harboring ulterior motives.

Lu Fan obviously understood, but didn't care; he took the jade bottle, smashed it open, and four‑colored light burst forth, vital energy surged, and his dantian instantly emitted a wave, causing a slight tremor in his peak Warrior Shield.

"Four‑stage Golden Core Pill! Looks like today is my chance to break through the Bone‑Tempering Realm!"

His face brightened; he tipped his head back, poured the contents of the jade bottle into his mouth, and a four‑colored pill slid into his abdomen.

"Bang!"

A booming sound echoed from his dantian, followed by a strange suction that formed a vortex, engulfing the surrounding elemental qi.

On the rune war chariot, light clouds flickered, seals rotated, gathering from all directions, pouring massive qi into the vortex.

"What? He's breaking through! How is that possible?"

Zhan Xiao wore an incredulous expression, yet he still vividly recalled his own recent breakthrough of the Bone‑Tempering Realm—it was exactly like this.

Zhang Heng's face grew even darker; he had intended to ambush Lu Fan, but Lu Fan ignored him entirely—such conduct was a blatant slap in the face.

The others also suddenly realized, their eyes wide with shock. Advancing the Bone‑Tempering Realm is like facing a great enemy, surrounded by layers of restriction, relying on precious pills and even senior clan guardians. It would never be as carefree as Lu Fan's, a child's play before a crowd.

Within a heartbeat, the aura around Lu Fan rose to its peak, the vortex slowly faded, and he then swung, his vigor…

"Thanks, Brother Zhang, for your assistance. I've gained some strength, but I still need more time to refine the teleportation array!"

He clasped fists toward Zhang Heng, then scanned the scene with a sly smile.

Liu Changsheng and Huang Haiming exchanged a glance, a hint of both laughter and tears. They had thought their actions were already bold, without regard for face, but compared to Lu Fan's conduct, theirs seemed a fraction of the proper gentlemanly demeanor.

"Hmph! Master Lu truly is extraordinary; the Holy Martial Hall is willing to fund Tianyuan Academy's cause. Here is a fourth‑tier mysterious artifact—take it!"

Song Renjie let out a cold snort, losing his earlier gentle demeanor. He casually tossed a mysterious sword, then ignored Lu Fan, clearly angry.

Lu Fan didn't care at all, cheerfully took it, cradling the mysterious sword and gently polishing it, laughing broadly.

The others, seeing the hall master act thus, lost any will to resist; helplessly they took out a treasure and a spirit pill and tossed them toward Ye Fan.

Lu Fan waved his hands continuously. Streams of clear, luminous light hovered before him, impressive in scale—dozens of items, including mysterious artifacts, spirit pills, rare treasures, and even cultivation manuals.

He swished his sleeve, about to gather the treasures, when a blasting sound rang in his ears.

"President, the benefits for members of the Heavenly Dragon Society are due for distribution, aren't they?"

Lu Fan turned toward the voice and saw Zhan Xiao, wearing a bizarre, forced smile, one hand oddly pointing behind Lu Fan.