The battle between Lin Yi and Wang Yue came to an end, and what followed was simple enough.
Fighting for a place in the Red Dragon Pool and a spot in the top ten, the disciples present challenged one another in turn, except for Wan Yong, who had already been carried away, and the invincible Lin Tianqing. Even Lin Yi faced two or three rounds of challenges.
Although Lin Yi's strength didn't overwhelm the others by a whole tier the way Lin Tianqing's did, he was still clearly stronger than the other top-five disciples.
So Lin Yi easily dealt with all two or three rounds of challenges.
Just like that, time flew by, and before long, the disciples had used up almost all their allotted challenges.
"I hereby announce!"
The burly man's voice rang across the Martial Arts Arena.
"The Dongshan Martial Academy's 1,246th cohort has concluded its end-of-November competition."
"The top three in this competition, who qualify to enter the Red Dragon Pool, are Lin Tianqing, Lin Yi, and Wang Yue."
"The disciples who placed in the top ten and qualify to advance directly to the second round of the next competition are Zhou Cang, Chen Chong, Zhou Ru Long..."
The burly man loudly announced each of the top ten disciples, then had them come up onto the arena, where Vice Principal Zhao Hai Hong personally presented their rewards.
As for the head of Dongshan Martial Academy?
He was a Second-Rank expert, powerful and highly esteemed. Under normal circumstances, he rarely attended anything besides the Academy's year-end competition.
So, at the regular monthly competitions, the two vice principals took turns filling in for him. This time, Zhao Hai Hong was presiding.
"Lin Yi, well done!"
On the arena, Zhao Hai Hong smiled as he handed Lin Yi a stack of banknotes and a gold Dragon-shaped Token. A look of satisfaction showed on his face.
"You've made the top three in your very first month at Dongshan Martial Academy and earned a place in the Red Dragon Pool. Your talent is even greater than I imagined."
"This is your reward for placing second in the competition: four thousand taels in banknotes, and a token granting you access to the Red Dragon Pool. For the next month, you can use this token to enter the pool and cultivate every day. Keep it safe!"
"Yes! Thank you, Principal."
Lin Yi nodded and accepted the banknotes and token from Zhao Hai Hong, his heart brimming with joy.
The Red Dragon Pool was a treasure left behind by the Martial Emperor, specifically meant to aid cultivation. If he combined it with his Martial Saint Body, just how powerful would its effects be? How long would it take him to break through to the Sixth-Rank Peak? And how long until he reached the Fifth Rank?
Lin Yi was filled with anticipation.
I'll go see the Red Dragon Pool now.
With that thought, Lin Yi bid Zhao Hai Hong farewell and headed toward the Red Dragon Pool. Lin Tianqing and Wang Yue saw him go but didn't follow.
Among the disciples of Dongshan Martial Academy, there was an unspoken rule: when a disciple entered the Red Dragon Pool for the first time, those who had already been there would make way for the newcomer.
Besides, the Red Dragon Pool's water purified itself. It was spotless, so no one minded bathing in water others had used.
Time passed. About fifteen minutes later, Lin Yi arrived at the tower where the Red Dragon Pool was kept.
After showing the entry token to the two peak Fourth-Rank instructors guarding the entrance, Lin Yi followed one of them inside and saw the Red Dragon Pool for himself.
The pool was about a zhang across. Just as Principal Zhao Hai Hong had said, it was golden all over, with lifelike golden dragons carved into its four sides, their scales sharply defined.
Since it was daytime, the four dragons had their eyes shut, and gave off no hint of anything supernatural.
Even so, the Red Dragon Pool, with its four dragons that seemed almost alive, radiated an aura of nobility, power, and awe. Just one glance stirred a faint feeling of fear and submission deep in the heart.
So this is the Red Dragon Pool? It really is extraordinary! Just looking at it makes even me, a martial artist whose strength rivals the Fifth Rank Late Stage, feel afraid. I wonder how the Martial Emperor forged it back then. Or maybe he didn't forge it at all?
Lin Yi marveled inwardly, making guesses.
But he was too weak to figure any of that out, and there was no point in guessing. Without wasting any more time, he stripped off his clothes and entered the pool naked.
Splash!
The moment his body entered the water, a bone-chilling cold pierced through his skin and into his brain.
The temperature was terrifyingly low. It couldn't compare to the liquid nitrogen of his previous life, which reached minus 196 degrees Celsius.
Still, Lin Yi estimated that the water was at least minus 90 degrees, perhaps even below minus 100. An ordinary person who entered naked would likely freeze to death within minutes!
Luckily, Lin Yi was a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist with abundant qi and blood. Though he still felt unbearably cold, he could just barely endure it.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As Lin Yi withstood the frigid water, wisps of wondrous energy began to burrow into his body, passing into his cells and even deeper, into his particles.
In an instant...
Boom!
Every cell in his body became incredibly active, as if a bedridden invalid had suddenly been cured.
They went from so weak he could barely eat to bursting with life, their "appetite" growing enormously.
At the same time, streams of energy, pure beyond measure, seeped through his skin and into his body.
Roar! Moo! Whoosh! Roar...
Feeling the tremendous energy enter him, Lin Yi's body almost instinctively began to circulate his Breathing Technique.
He rapidly refined the energy in vast quantities, strengthening his bones, skin, qi and blood, and every single cell.
[Cultivation: Late Stage of the Sixth Rank (1%)] [Cultivation: Late Stage of the Sixth Rank (2%)] [Cultivation: Late Stage of the Sixth Rank (3%)]
Lin Yi's cultivation rose rapidly, at a pace several times faster than before.
At last, carried along by this swift progress, Lin Yi became completely immersed in his cultivation. He practiced for more than two full hours, until the instructor outside knocked on the door to remind him that his time was up. Only then did Lin Yi finally open his eyes.
[Cultivation: Late Stage of the Sixth Rank (8%)]
The prominent figure appeared on Lin Yi's Attribute Panel.
"Eight percent? After one session, my cultivation went from 1% to 8%—a full seven percentage points!"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up.
"If progress keeps up like this, even if cultivation gets harder the further I advance, I'll need no more than twenty days to reach the Sixth-Rank Peak."
"Twenty days! Sixth-Rank Peak! The Red Dragon Pool really lives up to its name!"
Lin Yi was overjoyed.
With the Red Dragon Pool's help, his cultivation would advance at an astonishing pace from now on.
By comparison, his Martial Skill and Power Exertion Realms, which had previously stayed far ahead of his cultivation, now seemed a little lacking.
If he wanted his Martial Skill and Power Exertion Realms to keep their lead, the best approach would be to evolve another talent and see if he could get one related to comprehension.
Otherwise, his cultivation would sooner or later catch up with his Power Exertion Realm and Martial Skill, and his combat strength would seem mediocre among those at the same level. It would probably take him quite a while to break through to Third-Rank Martial Arts, too.
"But evolving a talent is great, but it also costs quite a lot of silver."
Lin Yi pondered.
"Last time I evolved a talent, I spent a total of eight thousand taels. Going by the pattern on the Attribute Panel, the next evolution will cost sixteen thousand taels."
"But I only have four thousand taels in banknotes on me. Even if I add the five thousand taels from Wan Yong, that only comes to nine thousand. I'm still short by a full six thousand taels."
"Ugh! This is a bit of a problem."
With that thought, Lin Yi sighed softly. Then he got up and left the Red Dragon Pool, got dressed, and prepared to head into the prefectural city to see if he could find a way to make some money.
Meanwhile, as Lin Yi made his way toward the prefectural city, back in East City, within the Wan Family, a second-rate lineage, Wan Yong—badly injured—was carried back on a stretcher by an Academy servant. The Wan Family Head, Wan Hu, and the three senior members in charge of the family's main, second, and third branches were all roused.
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