The Challenge

In the pagoda, it has been more than a month since Ye Mo entered a room on the second floor.

At this time, he was cultivating cross-legged, his black shirt quickly grew damp and was removed while on his skin, veins of sweat progressed downwards all over his body. On his face, the sweat would travel towards his nose and chin before forming beads that fell on his legs.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, breathing deeply, "Multitasking is very exhausting however this is the most efficient way to train and maximise my gains, i just need to become proficient enough for it to become natural." Ye Mo thought when he stood up and reached in his spatial pouch.

As he pulled up, the opening of the pouch quickly enlarged as a big copper cauldron was placed at the center of the room.

The cauldron was big enough to contain a person inside and if Ye Mo had another, he would have been unable to place it as the room already felt cramped with one. 

Soon, a fire was lit below while water and various herbs were placed inside. When the water started boiling, Ye Mo extinguished the fire and removed his clothes before bathing inside the cauldron.

"This time, my finances truly hit rock bottom, i only have 52 gold coins left. The year end competition is arriving quickly and after leaving this room, i will only have a month and a half to prepare myself before it takes place."

"The best would be for me to cultivate one more month inside the pagoda but with my current wealth, this is out of question. Since it has come to this, i have no other choice." Ye Mo ruminated over this problem for a moment in his bath before his gaze grew firm.

He was unwilling to dwell on this matter for too long so he decided to sell his blood cores excluding, evidently, the one from the rank 3 Wrathful Black Ape.

"The rewards for the year-end competition is a peak-tier Yellow Class martial art, i can't pass on this occasion. Soon after the competition, will be the time for the students under sixteen with a cultivation of the eigth layer or more to go for the Raging Saber Sect, i will have to find the secret cave before that."

When he left his bath, Ye Mo's skin was unchanched under the boiling water. Previously it would always take a red tone, suffering from the high temperature, but now it retained it's auburn aspect demonstrating his body's increased resistance since he broke through the second revolution of the Fiend Body.

He didn't lose a single moment and after he was done with his medicinal bath, he immediately resumed multitasking.

Quickly, the three months of cultivation passed and the stone door rumbled.

When they heard the door move, many students outside stood up and observed the scene eagerly.

Ye Mo's figure appeared inside and walked out calmly, wearing the Tiger Martial Institute's uniform.

After another three months in cultivation, all the scars he wore on his face grew faint then disappeared revealing his plain features.

In the surroundings were a lot of people fighting but even more were waiting for a door to open and a chance to cultivate inside.

The first time he came here, many blocked his path, attacking him from all sides but now as he left, no one budged.

Not only he was much stronger than before, attaining a cultivation of the 7th layer with wisps of Qi completely filling his dantian, but he was also leaving the pagoda. Since he wasn't obstructing their way, they didn't have to fight him.

There were a few that had the idea of causing trouble with him to incur favors towards Li Qiang but his leisurely attitude and his powerful body made them lose confidence.

They weren't sure to win before and even less now, in addition, Li Qiang was different from the friendly Gao Lixin, beating Ye Mo didn't mean he would necessarily receive them warmly.

Creating enmity just for the sake of enmity was the act of a fool and in the end they didn't act.

When he left their sights, the students sized up each other for an instant, restless, before they throwed themselves towards the door like a pack of hungry beasts.

Ye Mo walked down the stairs and left the building only to find Wang Fei waiting in front of the entrance.

When he noticed him, Wang Fei walked towards Ye Mo with a smile making the latter understand he was here for him.

"Hehe, Ye Mo, such a fierce presence you have here, i heard you have been doing well recently?"

Ye Mo nodded silently.

This instructor would always hid his intentions behind a fake smile so people couldn't decipher his thoughts. This kind of people, he would rather keep his distances if he couldn't defeat them.

Wang Fei's smile stiffened for an instant but he quickly hid it and asked directly, "Your cultivation soared since you joined our grand institute, tell me, how did you attain the 7th layer this fast with only a rank 2 talent?"

"There's an old saying, 'A man's efforts are never betrayed', with this notion in mind, this junior worked hard all these months, never slacking off a single instant and this is the result." Ye Mo answered, slightly amused.

"Lies!" Wang Fei shouted in his mind but outside he kept a composed expression as he started emitting a bit of pressure, his presence growing in front of Ye Mo.

However Ye Mo wasn't even looking at him but glancing at the surroundings peacefully. When he entered the pagoda, the air was freezing and the land was covered in snow but now the ground was completely cleared, a small breeze caressed his body and the sunshine warmed the earth as spring already replaced winter.

"Since i started my cultivation, i seldom witnessed the passing of seasons. Cultivating is detaching yourself from the world, rejecting the heavens, focusing only on oneself. By being too involved with the outside world, you can't truly progress, the clan leaders and persons of importance, they have too much responsibilities, cultivating in closed doors for months like i did would be unconceivable for them."

For a cultivator, being slowed down by duties or chasing material goods is the same as someone cooking two meals at the same time, you can't go far by putting only half your efforts in everything you do. Only by being selfish, separating yourself from the rest and only putting your goal in mind do you have the best chances to achieve success.

As he thought of this a slight smile formed on his juvenile face, while a deep silence seated between the instructor and the student.

"This Ye Mo is unbothered and it's not like i can forcefully interrogate him here. Forget it, the private investigation is already in place, i will soon know how he did it." While in thoughts, Wang Fei retracted his pressure and tossed a token.

"It's for you, keep working hard." Wang Fei said as he left.

Ye Mo caught the token which was an entry to the third floor of the tower of his choice but he sneered as he saw Wang Fei walk away.

"They must really grow impatient, to think they would go as far as pressuring me, rank 2 talents are really seen poorly."

Nonetheless, Ye Mo was contented. With this token, he will be able to cover another aspect of his combat system.

As soon as he received the token, he took the direction of the battle skill tower but he didn't even make it halfway that a young man with long green hairs cascading down his back blocked his path.

"So you're this Ye Mo huh, there's no mistake. I came as soon as you left the pagoda, i have a proposition for you."

"Shouldn't you state your identity before anything else?" Ye Mo said as he looked at the man, with a frown.

"Sure, sure. My name is Liu Zhi from the Liu clan. I have been cultivating for seven years in the Tiger Martial Institute so as your senior, you should greet me cordially the next time we meet."

"Oh so it's senior brother, how is your young master doing?" Ye Mo jeered at this senior brother of his.

"Bastard!" Liu Zhi immediately shouted in rage then took a second to calm himself and continued, "I came here to propose you a fight in the arena. If you win i will sell all my pills and hand over 500 gold coins but if you lose you have to follow me back to my Liu clan, what do you think? I heard you're in need of money currently, that's not a bad offer if you want to keep cultivating in the pagoda, right?"

Ye Mo took some time, seemingly in consideration with deep frowning brows however his decision was near immediately taken and after a moment he said, "Alright, but the fight will take place in one week. This is my sole condition if you want it to happen."

"Haha, what do you expect to achieve in one week, either fight or don't, but since you insist fine. See you in a week at the arena." Liu Zhi laughed while leaving the place while inside he was exhulting.

"Ancestor was right! This idiot only see his own benefits, he even accepted this arrangement just for some gold coins hehehe, this time he's done for, with my 9th layer cultivation he's as good as our prisoner. If once he lose, he goes against his own words, the higher-ups will personally send him to my Liu clan." Liu Zhi was thrilled.

He was already 22 years old and with his cultivation this kid had no chance.

"Among those he defeated were weaklings and some he took by surprise but here it will be a 1 on 1 in the arena and im a powerful senior disciple, with me it will be different."

Liu Zhi smiled coldly on his way home.

He couldn't wait for the fight to start.