Chapter 9 Breakthrough, Fifth Grade!

Half a day passed.

Principal Chu arranged for the teachers' families to be taken home after dinner.

Zhang Yongan stood by the principal's office window, watching the teachers' families get into taxis and leave before he looked away.

Naturally, these people had to be paid for by him.

The entire school was his golden finger, and doing something for it was a rewarding use of his golden finger.

After sending the families off,

Principal Chu knocked on the door of the principal's office.

Zhang Yongan put down the school documents in his hand and let him in.

Principal Chu smiled with a complex expression and walked in, followed by Zhang Luna.

The two of them walked forward together.

"Principal Zhang, although we've temporarily appeased the families, we can't fulfill the other conditions you mentioned."

"After someone dies, the Magic City office will also be disbanded, and their salaries won't be paid."

"The gravestones are easy. There's plenty of open space in the backyard."

Zhang Yongan raised his hand, stopping Principal Chu from continuing.

"Vice Principal."

"Listen carefully. No matter what promise I make."

"As long as I'm in this school and alive, my words count."

"I know it's hard for you to believe, but time will tell."

Principal Chu chuckled dryly. Some things truly require time to test.

Zhang Yongan looked at Zhang Luna with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, "What about you?"

Zhang Luna stepped forward, already prepared in her mind, and spoke quickly, "I'll also cover part of the money."

"We're teammates, after all."

Over the past few days, Zhang Yongan had also inquired about the circumstances of those deaths.

The five-person team accidentally stumbled into the territory of a fourth-grade demon beast, containing several of them.

If a passing fifth-grade expert hadn't rescued Zhang Luna, no one would have made it back.

To navigate the alien battlefield, one needs mid-grade strength; a moment's carelessness can lead to death.

Zhang Yongan pondered for a moment, his eyes deep. "I think I've made myself clear."

"In this school, everything is up to me."

"I'll stand by you through thick and thin."

"Do you understand? If you do, get back to work!"

Seeing Zhang Yongan's unyielding stance, the two reluctantly left.

After leaving the principal's office,

Chu Zihang and Zhang Luna exchanged a glance, saying nothing more.

But they quickened their pace and arrived at a teaching and research room on the third floor.

There were more than a dozen teachers waiting inside, all accompanying the family members who had just seen off the guests.

Seeing the two return,

the three grade directors stood up.

Freshman Dean Zhang Liang was the first to ask, "What did the principal say?"

Chu Zihang had no choice but to tell everyone what had happened in the principal's office.

"Does he really do what he says? Does he mean anything, like providing resources to students or subsidies to teachers?"

"Isn't it just a passing fancy, or just talk?"

Another teacher asked, "Old Chu, are you sure you read that person's profile correctly?"

Chu Zihang said helplessly, "Principal Zhang has been in the army for many years and has no background. His realm was previously at the peak of the third rank, but now it should be the fourth rank. The first-class merit mission is confidential, and I don't have the right to view it."

"But he probably doesn't have much money."

"I guess he wants to use his fourth rank strength to go to the alien battlefield to obtain resources like the monster hunters."

Another director, Wang Jingjing, retorted, "A fourth-rank expert is only a mid-level expert."

"But how much money can he make? For such a large school, even if he can make a million a month, can it satisfy his boasts?"

"It's not that I don't respect Principal Zhang, I just think it's impossible."

Zhang Luna recalled what Zhang Yongan had said to her when they first met, and then recalled those deep black eyes and unquestionable words in the principal's office just now.

She looked at everyone present and said, "Principal Zhang said so."

"Time will tell."

"We can only trust him!"

The teachers' conversation ultimately came to nothing. It was pointless to speculate now.

Only time would tell.

Hopefully, a miracle would happen!

But in everyone's hearts, Principal Zhang had earned their respect. At least they were satisfied with how he handled the matter of the teacher's sacrifice.

In the afternoon,

Zhang Yongan took time to inspect the cultivation progress of students from all grades.

In each training room,

no student was slacking off; all were diligently practicing.

Zhang Yongan smiled. Even if one's talent was somewhat lacking, with persistence and sufficient resources, one's strength could improve rapidly.

But all of this required money.

It seemed that going to the alien battlefield was an urgent matter.

Currently, each person only had three Qi and Blood Pills, and today was the second one he took.

Add to that today's compensation for the teachers' families.

The school was truly running low on cash, barely able to maintain operations.

These past few days, each student was given three Qi and Blood Pills, solely to help Zhang Yongan improve his strength.

After consuming the Qi and Blood Pills, the students would have to wait for a while.

They had to wait until Zhang Yongan secured the funds.

But he believed it shouldn't be difficult.

After all, the boast had already been made. He glanced at the storage ring in his hand, a reward for first-class merit. If all else failed, he could temporarily pawn it for resources.

This ring could fetch tens of millions, at least, but of course it would have to be returned to the Martial Arts Alliance.

It wasn't time to sell the storage ring yet.

After all, it was a military achievement earned with the lives of his brothers.

Soon.

At midnight, golden words appeared before Zhang Yongan.

[Daily Settlement]

The words sank into Zhang Yongan's body, and instantly, a surge of Qi and Blood flowed into him once again.

Today was his first time taking the medicine, so its effects were naturally significant.

In a moment,

his strength had instantly broken through.

"Peak of the Fourth Stage!"

The effect of the medicine hadn't worn off yet, and his strength was still rising, taking another significant step forward. Unfortunately, he still had some distance to go before breaking through to the Fifth Stage.

However, Zhang Yongan felt that once this pill was completely consumed, he would be not far from the Fifth Stage.

Wait until the next pill was absorbed.

He would definitely be able to break through to the Fifth Stage!

This speed was already quite fast.

Of course, this was mainly due to his current low level, leading to a rapid improvement. Once his level was higher, the daily Qi and Blood Energy wouldn't be enough to allow him to break through to a new realm in such a short time.

Two days later, the students had already absorbed the second Qi and Blood Pill.

Having absorbed two Qi and Blood Pills in a row filled the students with excitement. It was wonderful to have the resources to cultivate.

But I wondered how long this life would last.

The teacher said the school was out of money and could only give them one more pill at most. Unless a miracle happened, they would be completely out of resources this year.

So, when the students received the last pill, although they were somewhat reluctant to eat it, they swallowed it all at Principal Zhang's insistence and continued their cultivation.

That night,

Golden words flashed before Zhang Yongan's eyes again.

"I'm just one step away from the fifth rank. Tonight should be enough."

As the golden words sank into his body,

A moment later, his body emitted a crackling sound.

Zhang Yongan opened his eyes with surprise: "Early fifth rank!"