The person arrived with incredible speed, almost as if he had reached the front instantly after speaking.
"Master!"
Even Zhao Ya, who was usually calm and steady, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
As for Jin Zhenming, Shang Tiefeng, and the rest of the martial artists, they were all in turmoil.
"It’s Old Lu!"
"Hall Master Lu has awakened!"
The newcomer was none other than Lu Dingtai.
At this moment, his face was rosy, his eyes bright, nothing like a patient who had been in a coma for several days.
Zhao Ya, who was closest, vaguely sensed something. Upon careful observation, he was first taken aback, then smiled and cupped his hands toward Lu Dingtai.
"Congratulations, Master, on finally breaking through the barrier and advancing to the Fifth Realm."
Upon hearing this, the entire audience was astonished.
Many people stared at Lu Dingtai in shock.
It was known that previously, many had predicted that even if Lu Dingtai managed to wake up by luck, his strength would be greatly diminished, losing the glory of being the Commandery’s top martial artist.
There was even a possibility that he might never wake up at all.
Unexpectedly, not only did Lu Dingtai wake up, but he also successfully broke through the major bone marrow barrier, achieving great success in Blood Exchange, ascending to a Fifth Realm martial artist.
Jin Zhenming also found it hard to believe and couldn’t help but quietly ask, "Old Shang, do you think Lu really broke through this time?"
Shang Tiefeng looked at Lu Dingtai on the distant tower, pondered for a while, then nodded.
"It should not be wrong. Although the distance makes it hard for you and me to see clearly, Ya couldn’t possibly be mistaken."
Upon hearing this, a look of longing appeared on Jin Zhenming’s face.
"That’s wonderful. Previously, Lu firmly held the position of the top martial artist in the Commandery. When he got injured, many thought he would decline, but after all the twists and turns, the position is still his."
Shang Tiefeng couldn’t help but sigh, "I really want to see what it would be like to cross that step!"
Then the two of them fell silent, but a glimmer of hope arose in their eyes.
Shang Tiefeng and Jin Zhenming had been stuck at the half-step to the Fifth Realm for a very long time without any progress, to the point where they were considering giving up.
However, Lu Dingtai’s sudden breakthrough gave them a bit of confidence. After all, they weren’t much older than him; if Lu could break through, maybe they could too.
As for the other martial artists, they were all invigorated and happy.
Meanwhile, on Wei Hongbin’s side, their morale suddenly dropped significantly.
Seeing Lu Dingtai in the distance, exuding a majestic aura, a hint of fear appeared in Wei Hongbin’s eyes, and his previous certainty of the Shi Brothers’ victory began to waver.
What if... if they lose, what should I do?
Putting aside the varied thoughts of the crowd, let’s focus on the Shi Brothers.
When Lu Dingtai stood in front of them, a hint of dread also appeared in their eyes.
Because the imposing manner from Lu Dingtai unmistakably indicated that he was indeed a Fifth Realm martial artist.
Coupled with this extremely troublesome kid, today’s battle probably won’t be as simple as expected.
However, the two quickly calmed down.
So what if he’s at the Fifth Realm?
Keep in mind that the two of us have been entrenched in the Fifth Realm for fifteen years, not something a newly broken-through martial artist can match.
Thus, they exchanged a glance, then formed a formation, faintly surrounding Lu Dingtai.
Lu Dingtai didn’t pay any attention to their little maneuvers; instead, he turned to Zhao Ya, chatting and laughing.
"Not bad, you managed to break through two barriers while I was in a coma, reaching half-step to the Fifth Realm. You’re indeed worthy of being my disciple," Lu Dingtai said with great satisfaction.
Zhao Ya smiled, "That doesn’t compare with you, Master. You took advantage of this injury to cleanse your bone marrow, expelling the Polluted Evil Qi, thus achieving the Fifth Realm. Such an operation is truly admirable."
"Hahaha!" Lu Dingtai laughed heartily, a sense of pleasure from years of accumulation and a sudden breakthrough in his laughter.
"Good kid, you actually guessed how I broke through. You have good insight." After laughing, Lu Dingtai praised.
Zhao Ya smiled without a word.
In fact, from the moment Zhao Ya saw Lu Dingtai, he had already thought of this possibility.
The reason Lu Dingtai had been stuck at the final bone marrow barrier and unable to break through was due to years of practice. His bone marrow had become essentially fixed, difficult to be disturbed by external forces.
This is why it’s best to advance to the Fifth Realm early, ideally before the age of thirty.
Once a person exceeds thirty, the bone marrow stabilizes, making it much more challenging to cleanse the Postnatal Polluted Evil Qi.
However, this injury provided a rare opportunity.
At that time, Lu Dingtai exhausted his Qi Blood, which shook his bone marrow, although the price was a fundamental depletion of Qi Blood, leaving him extremely weak.
But the advantage was that through this operation, the previously rigid marrow became much more active.
Lu Dingtai seized this rare opportunity, regulated his breathing, and slowly sorted out his marrow, which finally led to his advancement.
Of course, this process sounds simple, but it was extremely difficult.
Any slight mistake could result in lifelong disability or even death.
Only someone as skilled and courageous as Lu Dingtai would dare to attempt it; anyone else wouldn’t even dare.
But regardless, Lu Dingtai ultimately succeeded.
At this moment, he felt incredibly relieved, saying with a smile.
"When I awoke, I found that only your senior sister Shiwen and Xu De remained at the Martial Arts Hall. I soon learned you all went to the yamen to eliminate those soldier ruffians, so after taking a few Blood Replenishing Pills, I rushed over immediately."