Xia Ning Chang hurried through the sect grounds, her heart pounding in her chest. Her encounter with Yang Kai earlier had left her utterly flustered.
As she arrived at the Contribution Hall, she instinctively glanced back, sighing in relief when she saw that Yang Kai had already left. Yet, a lingering guilt gnawed at her from their earlier exchange.
Her master, Treasurer Meng, let out a dramatic sigh from behind the counter.
"What's the matter, Master?" Xia Ning Chang asked, frowning at his exaggerated expression.
Treasurer Meng sighed heavily, shaking his head. "That boy, Yang Kai... He's a rare one—hardworking, determined, with a strong will and good character..."
Hearing her master heap praise upon Yang Kai, Xia Ning Chang's expression soured instantly. He didn't know the full story! That shameless rogue had stripped naked in broad daylight! He had sullied her eyes and given her the fright of her life!
Yet Treasurer Meng continued his praises, completely unaware of her inner turmoil. Her frustration boiled over until—
"Pa!"
She slammed her hand on the counter in anger.
A stunned silence followed.
Treasurer Meng looked at the counter, his face contorted in distress. "That was my Earth-grade, lower-level Blood Mushroom… Worth twenty contribution points…"
Xia Ning Chang blinked, realizing that the mushroom had been crushed into powder under her palm.
"This... This was a Blood Mushroom?" she muttered in disbelief.
Treasurer Meng inhaled deeply, as if mourning his loss, then exhaled slowly. With a casual wave of his hand, the fine powder scattered into the air and disappeared.
Smoothing his expression, he turned back to her. "Why did you come to see me today?"
"I've broken through," she reported, suppressing her lingering frustration.
His demeanor changed instantly, eyes gleaming with interest. After a quick inspection of her cultivation, he nodded approvingly. "Good, good. As I expected, your physique is perfectly suited for this cultivation method. Here—take this pill to stabilize your foundation."
Xia Ning Chang accepted the pill but hesitated. "Master… how is your injury?"
Treasurer Meng chuckled softly. "You don't need to worry about your master. After so many years, it's no longer a major hindrance."
Meanwhile, Yang Kai sat cross-legged in his small, dimly lit hut, staring intently at the incense burner before him.
The ancient artifact rested silently, its intricate patterns seeming almost alive under the flickering candlelight.
He had already placed the Three-Leaved Chaos Spirit Flower and Dead Jedi Tree Grass inside.
"Let's see what you can really do," he murmured as he lit the herbs.
A strange fragrance filled the room—thick and intoxicating. Within seconds, his breathing grew heavy. His body trembled as an overwhelming force surged through his veins.
At first, he thought he could endure it.
Then—
His vision blurred. His limbs turned sluggish. A sharp pain erupted in his dantian, spreading outward like wildfire.
Gritting his teeth, he staggered to his feet and pushed open the door, hoping the fresh air would steady him. Instead, the moment he stepped outside, his legs gave out.
His body convulsed violently, every last ounce of strength draining from him.
"Damn… This thing enhances the herbs beyond normal limits…"
Most cultivators would have panicked. Most would have given up.
But Yang Kai was different.
He welcomed the pain.
His muscles screamed. His bones groaned. Yet, with sheer willpower, he pressed his palms to the ground and forced himself to stand.
For days, Yang Kai subjected himself to the incense burner's torment.
Each time he collapsed, the golden skeleton within him pulsed with revitalizing warmth, stitching his broken body back together.
The cycle repeated endlessly—push to the brink, fall, recover, push further.
At first, he could barely take a single step outside before collapsing.
Then, it became five steps.
By the end of the fourth day, ten steps.
A small improvement—but in cultivation, every inch forward mattered.
However, a new problem loomed over him. His herb supply was running dangerously low.
"If this keeps up, I'll have nothing left in a few days," he muttered, eyeing the dwindling stash in his hut.
Meanwhile, Su Mu lay in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Ever since his humiliating defeat at Yang Kai's hands, rage had festered within him like an open wound.
If it weren't for Yang Kai, he would still have his engagement to Boss He's daughter. If it weren't for Yang Kai, he wouldn't be drowning in resentment and shame.
He clenched his fists as the bitter thought gnawed at him.
"You would rather destroy ten temples than destroy one marriage," he muttered bitterly.
But the saying that resonated even more in his heart was—
"For a nobleman, revenge can wait ten years. But for the petty, vengeance is an everyday affair."
And Su Mu was certainly the latter.
He couldn't wait a few days to challenge Yang Kai again.
He wanted to do it now.
"Wake up!" he barked, kicking his subordinates awake. "We settle this tonight!"
The next morning, Yang Kai was sweeping the training grounds when Li Yun Tian approached him, an unnaturally wide grin on his face.
"Brother Yang! Your fight with Zhou Hu was incredible! That guy had it coming!"
Yang Kai side-eyed him. Something was off.
Li Yun Tian continued, "You know, I've always admired your resilience. How about a friendly spar? No stakes, just an exchange of pointers."
Yang Kai chuckled dryly. "Not interested."
Li Yun Tian's grin stiffened. "Come on, just one round. Afraid of losing contribution points?"
Yang Kai gave him a long, knowing look. "Afraid? No. But you seem oddly desperate. Makes me wonder what you're really after."
Li Yun Tian clenched his jaw. Su Mu's plan wasn't going smoothly. Desperation crept into his voice.
"It's just a spar! What, exchanging pointers will make you pregnant or something?!"
Silence.
Yang Kai blinked. "...What?"
Li Yun Tian instantly regretted his words. "Forget I said that!"
Yang Kai sighed. "Fine. But I want payment upfront."
With no way out, Li Yun Tian rushed to the Contribution Hall, returning hours later with a handful of herbs, drenched in sweat.
Watching from the shadows, Su Mu fumed. "Why is this taking so long?!"
Finally, an exhausted Li Yun Tian handed over the herbs.
Just as he did, Yang Kai smirked. "Oh, I would've accepted the challenge even without them."
Li Yun Tian nearly exploded.
But the duel had already begun.
With a fierce cry, Li Yun Tian lunged forward, aiming a powerful punch at Yang Kai's chest.
The impact landed—
—but Yang Kai didn't budge.
Li Yun Tian's confidence wavered. He launched another flurry of attacks, but each strike felt like hitting solid iron.
Yang Kai cracked his knuckles. "That all?"
Li Yun Tian's frustration turned into panic.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he blurted out.
Yang Kai smirked. "Your punches feel nice. A good warm-up."
Realization dawned.
This guy… was a monster.
Li Yun Tian tried to retreat, but Yang Kai moved like a phantom, closing the distance in an instant.
A brutal punch to the gut sent Li Yun Tian crumpling to the ground.
"Mercy! Mercy!" he pleaded.
The watching disciples stood frozen in disbelief.
"How did he…?"
"This… isn't normal…"
Yang Kai turned to them, a wicked glint in his eye.
"Who's next?"
For the next few days, Yang Kai systematically crushed Su Mu's lackeys.
At first, Su Mu hurled insults.
Then, he fell silent.
Rumors spread like wildfire
As this news travelled through the many disciples, many were guessing at his cultivation. Some guessed that he was at the tempered body fourth stage, some said tempered body fifth stage and some even guessed tempered body eighth stage. After all he did defeat the tempered body seventh stage practitioner Li Yun Tian.
But no matter who, no one knew Kai Yang's true cultivation.