Toji breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
It had been a little risky, but this was clearly another opportunity to rise above his station.
As long as he seized it, he would have more resources to continue growing stronger.
Liang Wu was only a stepping stone, but he had also provided Toji with plenty of resources and benefits.
Now, it was time to climb higher.
"Awake?"
A deep, resonant voice came from beside him.
Toji kept his eyes closed and gave no response.
"Stop pretending to sleep. I know you're awake, kid."
Only then did Toji slowly open his eyes, pretending he had just woken up.
He was in a spacious hot spring pool. The water was a pale green and gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.
Some kind of precious medicinal herb seemed to have been added to the water, along with a great many heavenly treasures. The energy was so dense that it made Toji a little dizzy.
Too much of a good thing?
Toji looked ahead and saw Du Busi sitting by the pool with an ancient book in his hand, his gaze resting on Toji.
Du Busi closed the ancient book in his hand.
"How do you feel? You were covered in wounds, and you had hidden injuries left over from years of fighting. Treating you in this pool used up quite a lot of medicinal herbs."
Toji checked his physical condition and found that his injuries had indeed healed considerably.
Even the eye Luo Tian had clawed had been restored to normal, as though it had never been injured.
The medicinal pool's effects were astonishingly pronounced.
As expected of the Body Sect. It certainly had plenty of good things.
"Thank you," Toji said quietly, with a touch of gratitude.
Du Busi said indifferently, "Kid, I learned everything about you from the boss who bought you five years ago."
"You could say I know you. You're very mature for your age, and your combat intelligence and performance are exceptional among your peers. Otherwise, you couldn't have killed that Shrek Inner Court disciple."
Du Busi stood up and walked behind Toji.
"So I won't treat you like a child. I'll just talk to you about what adults ought to do."
"A transaction of interests and value."
Du Busi's tone abruptly turned cold, and Toji felt an invisible pressure envelop his entire body.
"You possess an exceptionally gifted Body Martial Soul, as well as the outstanding talent of Innate Full Soul Power. That alone qualifies you to join the Body Sect, and makes you worthy of our sect investing resources in you and nurturing you."
"However, the Body Sect has always acted overbearingly. This time, my disciples kicked an iron plate and ran into the muzzle of your gun. They were indeed in the wrong, but the fact remains that you killed a whole team of my sect's disciples."
Du Busi's tone grew colder still.
"The Body Sect has few disciples to begin with, and now you've wiped out a whole team. How will you compensate my sect for those dozen or so lives?"
"I understand what you mean. I killed the Body Sect's disciples and became enemies with the Body Sect for good. Compensation is certainly due." Toji remained expressionless, revealing no flaws in front of Du Busi.
"As for my compensation, I have no money, only one life. Everything I own amounts to this one worthless life of mine."
Toji paused, then continued:
"So I can only devote myself wholeheartedly to the sect, serve it, and work hard to cultivate and grow stronger. Only by fulfilling my value to the sect can I far outweigh the loss of those dozen or so disciples."
Du Busi was silent for a moment before he spoke.
"You're saying you alone are worth more than that team of my disciples who died?"
"That's a fact." Toji was neither coy nor putting on an act. He simply stated the fact in the most matter-of-fact tone.
He knew Du Busi's character. The man particularly hated Shrek's hypocritical ways, so all Toji needed to do was show him a personality he would like.
"Not bad. Your courage and intelligence have certainly made me see you in a new light." Du Busi laughed, the sound sending a chill down one's spine. "Anyone else wouldn't dare say something like that in front of me."
"But you dared. Your courage has shown me your hope of fighting to stay alive."
"People don't give up their desire to survive. I look forward to seeing how you perform."
Du Busi patted Toji heavily on the shoulder and called outside:
"Did you all hear that?"
Toji narrowed his eyes and saw a dozen or so people walk in from outside, staring at him with utter fury.
"Sect Master, he killed so many of our people. Are we just going to let him off?"
Du Busi said, "He has a Body Martial Soul."
"But he has no Soul Power! He's just trash. He doesn't deserve the same standing as us Soul Masters!"
Du Busi frowned. "Are you questioning my judgment?"
"Th-this disciple wouldn't dare." The rows of disciples hurriedly lowered their heads.
"Since you've lost your heads over the disciples who died for the Body Sect, I won't hold it against you for defying me this once." Du Busi stood with his hands behind his back and glanced at them. "Of course, as sect master, I have a duty to look after everyone in the sect. You are all my disciples, so naturally I won't play favorites."
"So I've decided to give you a chance to avenge the dead disciples."
"Seven days from now, the sect will hold an arena tournament."
"Disciples under twenty years old and below level sixty may all participate."
"The rules are simple. All you have to do is knock Toji down. The tournament will last one month."
"If none of you can defeat Toji one-on-one within that month, then from that day forward, you must all accept his entry into the sect."
"If you defeat him, I'll leave him to you. I won't interfere."
The disciples looked startled, then immediately raised their heads.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
After they had all left, Du Busi looked at Toji.
"Do you think this is very unfair to you? That I'm trying to put you in your place?"
"Not at all. On the contrary, you've given me an opportunity." Toji shook his head. "You want me to display my potential and value in this tournament, and you're also paving the way for me to cultivate without trouble in the sect afterward."
"As long as I beat everyone into submission, no one will dare breathe a word against me or harbor any grievances."
"If I can't even beat people under twenty and below level sixty, then naturally I'd have no face to be your student."
"Heh." Du Busi was even more surprised. "You know quite a lot for someone so young. Is this what they mean when they say a poor child learns to run a household early?"
"My parents were merchants. I made deliveries while watching how they did things," Toji offered a fairly reasonable explanation. "Even if I've never eaten pork, I've seen pigs run."
Hearing this, Du Busi burst out laughing, a note of approval in his voice.
"Well said! Even if you've never eaten pork, you've seen pigs run! Kid, I'm liking you more and more."
He patted Toji on the shoulder, a note of expectation in his voice.
"Since you understand my intentions, I won't say any more. Prepare yourself well over these seven days and recover your strength as soon as you can. As for the tournament... I hope you'll give me a great surprise."
"Whether or not you win this tournament, I also hope you'll become my student."
Toji remained calm.
"Why?"
"Because my Body Martial Soul is myself," Du Busi said.
"And your Body Martial Soul is yourself, too."