Unprovoked Mockery

The night breeze was slightly cool. Jiang Donghua sat alone on a rock at the edge of the camp, watching Yan Feng guide the other students by the distant bonfire, and could not help feeling deeply moved.

What was the hardest thing for ordinary Dou Zhe cultivation? Time!

Ordinary cultivators had to sit in meditation, circulate their cultivation arts, absorb the energy of heaven and earth, and refine their Dou Qi, all of which required complete concentration.

The moment they became distracted to practice combat skills, their cultivation efficiency would plummet—not to mention that most Yellow-tier Advanced Dou Techniques came with harsh restrictions.

At the very least, one had to be especially careful during the Dou Zhe stage.

The cultivation instructions for Blazing Palm clearly stated that it could only be practiced for two hours a day at most. Any longer would damage the meridians.

The warnings for Cloud-Chasing Steps were even more alarming. After every seven circulation cycles, one had to rest for six hours, or the three yin meridians of the foot would inevitably be damaged.

To ordinary Dou Zhe, these restrictions were ironclad rules.

But what about Jiang Donghua?

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as his consciousness sank into the system interface.

[Current AFK Status]

Clone 1: Practicing Blazing Palm (56/100) Beginner

+2 points per hour (optimal condition)

Clone 2: Practicing Cloud-Chasing Steps (56/100) Beginner

+2 points per hour (optimal condition)

This was what truly defied the heavens!

Other students had to weigh their training time and carefully divide their energy, terrified of damaging their meridians.

Yet he, Jiang Donghua, could cultivate two things simultaneously, with each one continuously operating in its most perfect state!

More frighteningly, the AFK System never grew tired!

Ordinary Dou Zhe had to rest for at least two hours to recover their mental strength after cultivating for three or four hours.

But his clones?

They operated around the clock, twenty-four hours a day!

Jiang Donghua could not help chuckling.

At this rate, Blazing Palm and Cloud-Chasing Steps would both reach the beginner stage in no more than another day.

And his Dou Qi cultivation would reach for Three-star Dou Master within half a month!

In the distance, Yan Feng was loudly berating a student.

"Idiot!"

"Crushing Stone Fist can only be practiced thirty times a day at most!"

"You threw sixty punches this afternoon. You don't want your hands anymore?!"

The student clutched his swollen, reddened fists in grievance, tears nearly falling from his eyes.

Jiang Donghua silently withdrew his gaze and thought to himself.

Sorry, everyone...

That's just how unreasonable life is when you have cheats.

The campfire blazed as figures moved about everywhere.

Jiang Donghua leaned against a large bluish stone, his gaze sweeping over the increasingly lively camp.

Four to five hundred people had gathered here. Among them, the auras of more than twenty instructors stood out like torches in the darkness.

Yan Feng was seated around the largest bonfire with several instructors he knew well, and the sound of wine bowls clinking never ceased.

Jiang Donghua noticed that whenever Instructor Zhao, the man with a goatee, spoke, the other instructors unconsciously leaned forward slightly.

As for the gray-robed old man in the corner, who kept his eyes closed in quiet repose, no one dared approach within three meters of him.

Even a Seven-star Great Dou Master could only rank in the middle here...

Jiang Donghua assessed the situation in secret.

He clearly remembered the might of Yan Feng shattering a mountain rock with one palm outside Black Iron City. Yet at least five or six auras in the camp were more powerful than Yan Feng's.

Especially the gray-robed old man and the person with a jade flute hanging from their waist—they were likely both at the level of Nine-star Great Dou Masters.

Without drawing attention, he circulated the Breath Concealment Art and suppressed his cultivation to the level of a One-star Dou Zhe.

Unless someone examined him carefully, they would only take him for an ordinary One-star Dou Zhe.

Sure enough, when several Da Dou Shi swept their gazes over him, they merely paused slightly before looking away.

"From Black Iron City?"

A freckled young girl came over and studied him curiously.

"I heard your place hasn't produced a single Dou Zhe in decades?"

Jiang Donghua smiled shyly.

"I was lucky. I only broke through recently."

A burst of laughter suddenly came from nearby.

Several richly dressed youths were pointing in Jiang Donghua's direction.

"Look, that's the genius from Black Iron City!"

"A One-star Dou Zhe? Hahaha!"

"I heard their City Lord is only a Two-star Da Dou Shi?"

"It's just some backwater. What decent talent could a place like that possibly produce?"

Yan Feng slammed his wine cup heavily onto the wooden table, splashing several drops of wine.

"Zhao Ming, keep the people you brought in line!"

Yan Feng glared with eyes like bronze bells at a white-robed middle-aged man nearby.

The white-robed instructor unhurriedly took a sip of wine.

"Why get angry, Brother Yan?"

"The youngsters are only joking around."

The richly dressed youths behind him snickered. One of them deliberately raised his voice.

"I heard the City Lord's Mansion in Black Iron City doesn't even have a proper Combat Skill Pavilion?"

Liu Yuting's little face flushed bright red with anger.

"Who says it doesn't! Our Liu Family library has one hundred and thirty-seven Yellow-grade Combat Skills!"

Her brother, Liu Mingyu, tried to stop her, but it was already too late. Laughter erupted all around them.

"One hundred and thirty-seven?"

A youth wearing a jade pendant at his waist raised his brows exaggeratedly.

"Any random aristocratic family in Qinghe City has more than that."

Jiang Donghua pressed a hand on Liu Yuting's trembling shoulder and calmly swept his gaze over those young scions.

In his perception, even the weakest among them had just entered the One-star Dou Zhe stage, while the jade-wearing youth had reached the peak of Two-star Dou Master.

Such strength would indeed count as genius-level in Black Iron City, but to him...

Jiang Donghua spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"If we return to Jia Nan Academy tomorrow, and you Senior Brothers are willing to offer guidance, I would very much like to witness your true abilities."

The jade-wearing youth's face darkened.

"What an arrogant tone! A One-star Dou Zhe who just broke through..."

"Enough."

The gray-robed old man suddenly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze lingering on Jiang Donghua for a moment.

"It is good for young people to have pride, but they must also possess strength worthy of it."

Yan Feng burst into laughter and forcefully patted Jiang Donghua on the back.

"Old Man Mo is right! But..."

He gave the young scions a meaningful look.

"Tomorrow at the trial grounds, the truth will naturally become clear."

Jade Flute Instructor gently stroked her jade flute, a trace of interest flashing through her beautiful eyes.

"Interesting. Little fellow, I hope you can maintain that composure tomorrow."

Jiang Donghua smiled faintly and said nothing more.

He stirred the fire. Amid the scattering sparks, a faint wisp of green and red interwoven Dou Qi could be seen flowing around his fingertips.

The young scions suddenly felt their breathing tighten, as though an invisible pressure had enveloped them. Yet it vanished in an instant, making them think it had been an illusion.

The gray-robed old man narrowed his eyes slightly, while Jade Flute Instructor's red lips curved into an amused smile.

The night wind blew past. Jiang Donghua looked at the cultivation progress that was about to be completed on the system interface, the corners of his lips rising slightly.

At Jia Nan Academy's freshman competition trial in the future, he would let these arrogant young scions understand what true strength was.

After everyone returned to their carriages to rest, Old Man Mo summoned several young scions to his side.

"You must be careful if you encounter that boy called Jiang Donghua tomorrow."

Old Man Mo's hoarse voice was especially clear in the night.

A youth in brocade curled his lips in defiance.

"Uncle Mo, he's only a One-star Dou Zhe..."

"Foolish!"

A sharp gleam suddenly burst from Old Man Mo's cloudy eyes.

"Among four or five hundred people, only thirty or forty have reached the Dou Zhe realm. And you..."

His gaze swept over everyone present.

"Other than Lin Xiuyuan of the Lin Family, who is at the peak of Two-star Dou Master, the rest of you have merely entered the Dou Zhe realm."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been singled out, stiffened and cupped his fists.

"Understood, Uncle Mo."