He Can, So Can I!

How could he possibly win the tournament in two years?

"No! I won't lose! I am the son of Yu Yuanzhen; how could I possibly lose to that piece of trash!"

Yu Xiaogang smashed things frantically, cursing incessantly.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Yu Yuanzhen walked in.

Seeing the mess scattered across the floor, Yu Yuanzhen's expression darkened instantly.

"Enough!"

Yu Yuanzhen shouted in a deep voice.

Yu Xiaogang's movements froze as he turned to look at his father.

"Father, you're here." His voice still carried a hint of a tremor. "Have you heard? That trash Yu Hong, he actually..."

"I have heard." Yu Yuanzhen interrupted him, his tone icy.

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. "Father, that must be fake! How could Yu Hong possibly absorb a six-hundred-year-old spirit ring? He must have cheated!"

"Cheated?" Yu Yuanzhen sneered. "Five members of the Soul Hunting Forest team saw it with their own eyes. Tell me, how could he have cheated?"

Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Yu Yuanzhen walked up to him and looked down at him from his height.

"Yu Xiaogang, do you know what I am thinking right now?"

Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, not daring to meet his father's eyes.

"I am thinking that over these past four years, I have given you more than twice the resources I gave Yu Hong." Yu Yuanzhen's voice grew colder. "And what is the result? Yu Hong is at level 10, while you are only at level 9. Yu Hong absorbed a six-hundred-year-old spirit ring, and you haven't even broken through to level 10."

"Father, I..."

"You what?" Yu Yuanzhen barked. "What have you been doing every day? Slacking off during training, losing focus during meditation, and spending all day feeding radishes to that pathetic martial soul! Do you think I don't know?"

Yu Xiaogang's body trembled, his face turning pale.

"Look at Yu Hong, then look at yourself!" Yu Yuanzhen pointed at his nose and scolded. "You both started at level 0.5, yet he broke through to level 10 in four years. And you? You've been hovering at level 9 for four years! Do you think you're worthy of the resources I've given you?"

Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned red, but he dared not retort.

Because he knew that everything his father said was the truth.

Over these four years, he truly had not worked as hard as Yu Hong.

Yu Hong would get up to train before dawn, while he was still sleeping.

Yu Hong would meditate until late at night, while he went to bed early to rest.

He had always felt that with his father's support and more resources than Yu Hong, winning against him was a matter of course.

But now...

"Father, I know I was wrong." Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, his voice hoarse.

Yu Yuanzhen looked at him, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes.

He was truly becoming more and more disappointed in this son.

If his talent was inferior, that was one thing, but to be inferior in effort as well—how could he ever win?

"From today on, you will cultivate properly." Yu Yuanzhen said in a deep voice. "Your daily training volume will double, and your meditation time will also double. I don't care what method you use; you must break through to level 10 within a month!"

"Yes, Father." Yu Xiaogang nodded hurriedly.

"Once you break through to level 10, I will arrange for someone to take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain a spirit ring." Yu Yuanzhen continued. "At that time, I will find you a spirit beast even stronger than Yu Hong's."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"But the prerequisite is that you must break through to level 10." Yu Yuanzhen looked at him coldly. "If you haven't broken through within a month, don't blame me for washing my hands of you."

Yu Xiaogang's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Don't worry, Father, I will definitely break through!"

Yu Yuanzhen said nothing more and turned to leave the room.

After his father left, Yu Xiaogang collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.

He looked at the mess around him, his heart filled with resentment and fury.

"Yu Hong..." Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth as he spat out the name. "Just you wait, I will definitely surpass you! In the tournament two years from now, I will make you kneel before me and beg for mercy!"

Over the next month, Yu Xiaogang seemed like a different person.

He got up to train before dawn every day and meditated until late at night before resting.

The running, weightlifting, and horse stance training he used to hate so much were now completed without fail, even if he had to grit his teeth to do it.

He used to lose focus during meditation, thinking about what kind of radishes to feed Luo Sanpao, but now he poured all his heart and mind into the breakthrough.

The pressure Yu Yuanzhen placed on him was simply too great.

If he didn't reach level 10 within a month, his father would stop caring about him.

Then how could he possibly compare to Yu Hong?

No, absolutely not!

He had to break through!

Under this near-manic effort, Yu Xiaogang's cultivation speed accelerated significantly.

The twenty-third day.

Yu Xiaogang sat cross-legged on his bed, the soul power within his body churning like boiling water.

He could feel it; the barrier that had blocked him for so long was loosening, bit by bit.

"Break!"

Yu Xiaogang let out a low shout, throwing all his strength against the barrier.

After a while, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes, a look of wild joy appearing on his face.

"Level 10! I've finally broken through to level 10!"

He jumped off the bed and spun around the room in excitement several times.

In one month's time, he had done it!

Although he was nearly a month behind Yu Hong, he was finally a level 10 spirit master too!

"Father! Father!"

Yu Xiaogang rushed out of his room, shouting loudly.

Yu Yuanzhen was in the study handling affairs; hearing his son's cries, he frowned slightly.

"What is it?"

"Father, I've broken through!" Yu Xiaogang charged into the study, his face full of excitement. "I've broken through to level 10!"

Yu Yuanzhen set down the documents in his hand and carefully sensed the fluctuations of Yu Xiaogang's soul power.

It was indeed level 10.

"Not bad." Yu Yuanzhen nodded, a trace of satisfaction finally appearing on his face. "It seems you truly put your heart into it this past month."

"Of course!" Yu Xiaogang puffed out his chest. "Father, you said before that once I reached level 10, you would take me to the Soul Hunting Forest..."

"I remember." Yu Yuanzhen stood up. "I will arrange for someone to take you tomorrow."

"That's great!" Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists in excitement.

Yu Yuanzhen looked at Yu Xiaogang and said in a deep voice, "Xiaogang, have you thought about what kind of spirit beast you want?"

Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment and said, "I want a lightning-attribute spirit beast."

"Lightning-attribute?" Yu Yuanzhen raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Although my martial soul is Luo Sanpao, I feel that a lightning-attribute spirit ring should be able to enhance its attack power. And..."

Yu Xiaogang paused, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes. "I want to absorb a spirit beast over six hundred years old!"

Yu Yuanzhen's brow furrowed. "Six hundred years? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. "If Yu Hong can absorb a six-hundred-year spirit ring, why can't I? I'm no worse than him!"

Yu Yuanzhen was silent for a moment.

He knew his son was competing with Yu Hong.

But a six-hundred-year spirit ring... for a spirit master who had just reached level 10, it was indeed too dangerous.

Yu Hong was able to absorb it successfully because his constitution was special.

But what about Yu Xiaogang?