"Wait—"
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As Feng Yue announced that the Moon Sect's session had ended, Tang Jian hurriedly raised a hand and said:
"Reporting to Instructor, there's still one person who hasn't been tested!"
"Oh?" Feng Yue froze, then said coldly, "I said it already—the month-end assessment time is over!"
"If you can't even manage basic punctuality, there's no need for a test. Go be a menial disciple yourself!"
"This..." Tang Jian froze, his expression changing slightly as he hesitated to speak!
The person he meant was naturally Ye Li, whose trait was identical to his own!
The two had the same trait and had attended the same private school since childhood. In terms of comprehension, Tang Jian had been crushed beyond all doubt. Naturally, he could not accept it.
"For this entire month, I made surpassing Ye Li my goal. Even sleeping in the shared bunks, I worked diligently every day to achieve what I have today!"
Tang Jian gritted his teeth inwardly. If I don't defeat him openly and fairly, how can I ever accept it!
Tang Jian still wanted Feng Yue to wait a little longer when a great force suddenly struck from beside him!
"Get lost! Didn't you hear the Instructor? Stop getting in the way!"
Li Xi snorted coldly and shoved Tang Jian directly. Caught off guard, Tang Jian staggered back seven or eight steps!
"You!"
Tang Jian's eyes widened in fury, momentarily overcome with anger! But Li Xi could not be bothered with him!
After impatiently berating Tang Jian, he immediately put on a respectful expression. He quickly stepped in front of Feng Yue, who was about to turn and leave, and asked in a loud voice:
"Instructor, don't be in such a hurry. Have you perhaps forgotten something!"
"Forgotten something?" Feng Yue halted and looked at Li Xi blocking his path, a trace of displeasure appearing on his face.
"What is it?"
Under the envious gazes all around, Li Xi said loudly:
"Instructor, you said that the one who took first place in the month-end assessment would receive a Body Tempering Pill! You haven't given mine to me yet, have you?"
"A Body Tempering Pill?"
Feng Yue's displeasure turned somewhat strange.
"The Body Tempering Pill is a reward for first place. What, are you first?"
"I think I am!" Li Xi's face could not conceal his pride!
"Heh..."
This time, Feng Yue truly laughed, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I won't hide it from you. The Body Tempering Pill meant for first place is already gone."
"G-Gone?"
The moment those words fell, an uproar swept through the crowd!
The confidence on Li Xi's face instantly froze, and he thought inwardly, Could this brute have pocketed it behind the scenes?
Feng Yue did not leave Li Xi wondering for long. Smiling, he said, "Early this morning, Ye Li had already packed his things and gone home for his break!"
Ye Li???
Everyone was baffled, unable to understand why Feng Yue had suddenly brought up Ye Li.
A bad premonition rose in Li Xi's heart.
Feng Yue slowly said, "Before he left, he was the first to arrive at the Martial Arts Arena and leave a fist mark on the wooden pillar!"
Then Feng Yue pointed at the wooden pillar. "Five tenths of an inch into the wood. That was his result after one month of joining!"
Following Feng Yue's fingertip, everyone saw an inconspicuous fist mark amid the dense cluster of indentations.
Five tenths of an inch into the wood!
Among disciples who had been in the gang for several months or half a year, this fist mark was not outstanding. It was even somewhat shallow.
But if it had been made by Ye Li, a newcomer...
The entire Martial Arts Arena fell briefly silent before exploding in the next instant!
Voices of discussion converged into a deafening wave of noise!
"It was actually him!"
"How is that possible!"
"Why him! Why did it have to be him! What gives him the right!"
"What kind of joke is this!!!"
Li Xi staggered and nearly fell. His expression twisted as he cried out:
"How is that possible? That mud-legged peasant—how could he do it!"
"Are you questioning me?"
A hint of displeasure appeared on Feng Yue's face. The disparity in status frightened everyone into hurriedly bowing and cupping their hands. "This disciple would not dare!"
"Hmph!"
Feng Yue snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Leaving the gang members standing there like wooden chickens in the wind!
Watching Feng Yue's receding back, Li Xi stood there blankly, still unable to recover from the shock of five tenths of an inch into the wood.
Meanwhile, Tang Jian had already stumbled toward the menial disciple recording the results.
He snatched the record book from the menial disciple's hands and began frantically flipping through it.
As he flipped, Tang Jian muttered in a daze, "Five tenths of an inch into the wood? He actually made it five tenths of an inch into the wood!"
As he searched, the surrounding disciples crowded forward as well, packing the area so tightly that not even water could flow through!
With too many people around, the disciples in the back pressed both hands on the shoulders of those in front, stretching their necks as long as they could to see the book's contents!
In the blink of an eye, the ledger in Tang Jian's hands had been flipped to the first page.
And on the very first line, the large characters marked in brushstroke painfully stabbed deep into many hearts:
[Ye Li, 31 days after joining the gang, five tenths of an inch into the wood!]
For a moment, the entire place fell deathly silent!
In Guangming City, a figure walked briskly along the road home.
The young man had black hair like ink and wore fitted black clothes patterned with red. His eyes shone brightly, and his steps were light, giving him the air of a gallant hero.
Feeling the porcelain bottle tucked within the inner layer of his clothes, a trace of a smile flashed through Ye Li's eyes.
He had not expected Instructor Feng Yue to be so righteous.
After testing him and learning that he was preparing to go home, Feng Yue had directly given him the Body Tempering Pill.
Originally, Ye Li had worried whether that might violate the proper process, but Instructor Feng had simply said grandly:
"What are you dawdling for, brat!!! If someone gets a better result than you, I'll pay out of my own pocket and make up another pill for him!"
Originally, Ye Li had wanted to wait until everyone finished testing and then take the Body Tempering Pill before leaving!
But since the Instructor had already said so, what else was there for Ye Li to say!
"It wasn't for nothing that I cultivated for this past month!" Ye Li laughed. Sunlight lit up his fair cheeks, making his handsome features seem to soar, drawing the sidelong gazes of street-side girls until they forgot themselves.
His foundation had been decent to begin with; he had merely looked somewhat thin due to the poverty of the past ten-odd years.
But over the past month, the Azure Dragon Gang had provided him with an unceasing supply of grain and meat. The Azure Dragon Force constantly tempered his body, while daily training made up for his innate deficiencies.
After one month, his tendons were strong, his bones robust, and his blood and qi abundant. Naturally, his bearing had grown ever more extraordinary.
As he pondered, he turned his gaze to the panel:
Name: Ye Li Realm: Mortal (416/864) Techniques: "Azure Dragon Force (101→1424/100)" "Nine Chapters Fist Manual (2/500)" Trait: [Dazzling: World-Shocking Wisdom]
Looking at the words on the panel.
In barely more than a month, under more than six hours of grueling physical cultivation each day, his progress bar had already crossed the halfway mark.
The experience points for Azure Dragon Force had even surpassed completion by tenfold!
Or rather, what Ye Li cultivated now could no longer be called Azure Dragon Force!
For driven by tenfold experience, when this technique was used in Ye Li's hands, both the rhythm of breathing and the changes in movement differed vastly from the original version.
With the same aptitude, the modified technique could save at least dozens of days of arduous cultivation compared to the original.
Not only had cultivation efficiency increased, even the intensity with which it tempered the flesh had greatly improved.
Muscles that the original Azure Dragon Force could not temper could be easily engaged by the new version.
The human body had 639 major muscles, yet the revised Azure Dragon Force could train more than 600 of them, leaving Ye Li's entire body almost without flaw!
That was also why Ye Li avoided the other disciples and cultivated alone.
Otherwise, anyone with eyes could tell that Ye Li's breathing exercises were utter nonsense!
The technique itself was a minor issue. What Ye Li feared was his trait being exposed.
If word spread, those great aristocratic clans might refine him in the blink of an eye!
After all, those great clans possessed every sort of bizarre trait. Ye Li did not believe they lacked methods of hypnosis and brainwashing.
As for the Nine Chapters Fist Manual that Feng Yue had given him at the start, Ye Li had merely practiced it twice in passing before setting it aside.
It was a technique that used mathematical calculation in battle to attack and parry with precision.
Its author claimed that so long as one's calculating power was sufficient, one could break every technique under heaven!
But compared with a method of killing, Ye Li felt that his realm was the priority right now.
So long as his strength was great enough, even a basic attack could produce an instant-kill effect.
Thinking of his family at home, Ye Li touched the pinwheel he had bought for his little sister. Tenderness overflowed in his eyes.
But then, seeing the state of the streets on both sides, the smile on his face faded.
"South City is becoming more and more chaotic."