Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, Lin Taichu opened his eyes in the ruined temple.
He had cultivated until the latter half of the night. The energy within him had made a new breakthrough, and the close-combat techniques that had once felt obscure now flowed exceptionally smoothly. Even his chanting speed for dark magic spells had increased considerably.
After getting up and packing his things, he did not hurry to the square. Instead, he sat at the entrance of the ruined temple and leisurely ate the steamed buns Wang Yue had brought him yesterday.
By a quarter past the hour of the dragon, the square was already packed with people. The Soldiers on either side of the raised platform stood ramrod straight, while the city lord and several officials sat atop the platform with grim expressions.
"It's already a quarter past the hour of the dragon. Why hasn't Lin Taichu arrived yet?" Someone below the platform began discussing it. "Could it be that he knows he has to face Li Mo and that old man today, so he got scared?"
"I'd say so! He got carried away after winning a few matches yesterday. The moment he met real tough opponents, he chickened out, didn't he?" "What a shame. I thought he could exchange a few moves with the old man, but I didn't expect him to be this easily intimidated."
Li Mo stood beside the arena, fanning himself. Hearing the discussion, the corner of his mouth curled up, his eyes full of disdain. Old Man in Grey Cloth, meanwhile, had his eyes closed, lightly tapping his fingers against his cane as though he did not care in the slightest whether Lin Taichu had arrived.
Wang Yue grew even more anxious. She had specifically warned Lin Taichu to be