《Suddenly, I Can Duplicate Money》


 Chapter 1: A Mistake

    Chapter 1: A Mistake


    "There are those who were blessed with the gift to destroy mountains with just a single finger. I was not one of them, and I will never be one of them." -- Yun Hao, The Duplicator, the Year 2020


    A few thousand years ago, people with special abilities called Cultivators roamed the earth freely; without consequence, without purpose, and without any barriers.


    They hunted and hunted the creatures that the world once found abundant to almost extinction. They did it for pride, for power, but most importantly


    ...for money.


    Wars upon wars, they made. Graves upon graves, they built; dragging those of the normal poption into their silly pursuit for immortality. But what could normal humans do? Even the weakest of the Cultivators, those of the Early-Stage of the Mortal realm, could beat the strongest champions of the normal poption.


    With this, the normal humans were treated as 2nd ss citizens of the world; almost as a ve, even. It wasn''t until year 142, exactly 142 years after the death of the oldest and strongest Cultivator that a World Governmentposed of the noblest of the Cultivators was born.


    The World Government, now known globally as the Confederation, ouwed discrimination and any inhumane treatment towards the normal poption. It did not stop there, however.


    The Confederation also ouwed the hunting of Magical Beasts for Cores, as they were growing too few in numbers. The Cultivators were also required to register themselves at the Confederation. Those who fail to do so would be treated as a Rogue Cultivator and will instantly be thrown to jail or sometimes crippled if deemed dangerous.


    But also because of this, the poption of the Cultivators started to suffer. They dwindled in numbers, with most of the small nspletely disappearing on the surface of the earth.


    The Confederation was found impartial but not for long.


    They figured out a way for the normal poption to unlock their potential, allowing them to be Cultivators.


    This paved way for a new age-- an age of opportunity, of progress, and most importantly, of peace.


    And now, the present year, 2021, the world has be a much better ce for the normal poption to live in. Some Cultivators still treated them as 2nd ss citizens, of course, but it was not like the past, where they could y with their lives as they pleased.


    While Innate Cultivators, those who were born with already the power to harness their qi, were treated almost as celebrities and royalty.


    In this day and age, every person in the world wanted and craved to be a Cultivator.


    Yun Hao, a former star athlete and a student of Tsinghai Highschool, the most prestigious high school in the country of Qin, was not one of those people.


    ...at least not until he lost everything.


    "Brother Yun, can you buy me milk tea at the cafeteria?"


    "What? But ss is--"


    "Ah! Get me one as well!"


    "Me too! Me too!"


    "Me three!"


    In a certain ssroom in Tsinghai High School, a tall student, whose left face was covered by his long ck hair, was currently being bombarded by coins by the other students.


    "Wait, guys" The tall student, Yun Hao, could not help but utter aint as his hands could no longer fit the coins that were being handed to him. It all happened so fast that he was not even able to refuse them, and the ss was already starting.


    The students of Tsinghai High school housed some of the sons and daughters of some of the wealthiest families in the country of Xin, so why exactly were they giving him coins rather than a full bill?


    Did they also not have credit at the cafeteria to buy their milk tea cravings!? And why were they ordering him around in the first ce!?


    Yun Hao could only let out a small sigh as he shook his head as he already knew the answer to that-- he was being bullied.


    He was being bullied by the ssmates he once called friends. But what can he do? He could barely afford to stay in high school ever since he lost his boxing schrship, if he caused a scene now, he would surely be kicked out-- and that was the best-case scenario.


    If he even looks at these people in the wrong way or somehow offends them, he might even lose his job, or worse, they might just erase him from the face of the earth. They had money, Cultivators they can do that.


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao could only grit his teeth, carefully putting the coins in his pocket as he walked towards the hallway. But as he was about to step out of the ssroom, one of the students slid his foot on his path, causing him to trip and the coins to drop on the ground.


    With Yun Hao''s face nted on the floor, the echoes of the coins repeatedly nging on the floor drummed in his ears, apanied by the waves ofughter of his ssmates, as if a choirpleting the orchestra of Yun Hao''s shame.


    Yun Hao''s breaths started to get heavy as he lifted himself up, his hair, which previously covered half his face was now pushed to the side, revealing his handsome face which was blemished by a huge scar trailing from his eyebrow to his chin. It also revealed his left eye,pletely gray and blind.


    He quickly fixed his hairstyle, covering half of his face once more as he looked towards the student who tripped him. Yun Hao was angry, and it was made obvious by the expression on his face and his steps, whichpletely shut the mouths of the other students that were stillughing.


    Yun Hao wasn''t just tall. With his years of training as a boxer, he was built differently from the rest of the students. Even with his baggy uniform, the muscles that sculpted his body could be seen through it.


    "W what do you want!?" The boy who tripped him could not help but stutter as he saw Yun Hao walking towards him with his hands rolled into a fist, he wanted to back away, but s, his butt was blocked by the desk behind him. "You Do you dare hit me!?"


    With Yun Hao only feet away from him, the student tried his best to stand his ground as he looked up straight towards Yun Hao''s face. Beads of sweat started to form on the student''s face as the thought of Yun Hao retaliating surfaced in his mind. He wouldn''t do it, right?


    And he was right. Yun Hao didn''t do anything as he only crouched down, picking up the coins that were around his ssmate''s feet. He tried his best to control his anger. One wrong move and it was all over for him.


    Yun Hao could only swallow this humiliation as he proceeded to pick up the scattered coins one by one.


    "Ha haha!" Seeing as Yun Hao was not going to do anything to him, the student once again burst out inughter, "That''s right! Maybe you can work as a janitor next since you are so good at picking up trash!"


    The student continued tough as he wiped the sweat that formed on his face. And hisughter also once again ignited theughter of the others, satisfied at watching the scene of Yun Hao being a miserable prick.


    Yun Hao was once the superstar of Tsinghai High School-- he stood on top of it. Schrships, interviews, a magazine cover. He had it all. He was even invited by one of the top Cultivator ns to join them, offering to open up his meridians for him to be a full-fledged Cultivator.


    But he refused-- a mistake he was paying for until now.


    ***


    AUTHOR''S NOTE - Hello, this isn''t a novel with an edgy MC. HE is OP yes, but this MC will react human and make human mistakes. He will break; maybe even more so than most as he is already filled with cracks.


    So if you want an MC that would miraculously be an edgy boy and suddenly knows everything, then I am afraid this novel won''t be for you.


    I have had enough bullshit reading whinyments that expect MC to always make the perfect or best decision, which would be out of character to his current progression.


    He is a wed character-- He has made mistakes and will make more, and it will have actual consequences, but he will learn from it.


    Although I said all of that, his character will actually progress fast in a dozen chapters or so, but it will be in a gradual way.

 Chapter 2: A Regret

    Chapter 2: A Regret


    Yun Hao came from a very humble background, one would even say poor. He rose above it as he found something he was good at no, the best at-- boxing. He trained hard for it and was discovered by the school.


    And in turn, he won the local regionals for them.


    He doesn''t remember much about his parents'' deaths, but he knew enough that they were killed by a Cultivator. Ever since he was young, he had this growing hatred growing inside of him-- when others wanted to be a Cultivator, he wished absolutely nothing to do with them.


    The world... The world would be better off without them. And soon, his hatred turned into a delusion of pride as he stood on top of a pedestal. A pride which the students of Tsinghai Highschool truly did not appreciate.


    How could someone like Yun Hao, a piss poor guy who refused to be a Cultivator, hogged all the attention from the people? It wasn''t fair, the other students thought.


    And so, when Yun Hao got into a fighting ident outside of the high school and caused him to lose his schrship, the students rejoiced.


    Yun Hao even lost his left eye due to the ident,pletely shattering any chance of him stepping into the ring and regaining his lost glory.


    Now if only he swallowed his stupid pride and epted the offer of one of the Cultivator ns to be a cultivator, then maybe he would have still been on top.


    His hatred, his pride; as a human, it absolutely meant nothing to the world.


    That was his biggest regret.


    Even if he wanted to be a Cultivator, he wouldn''t be able to. One needed arge amount of money to have one''s meridian''s unlocked-- money which he didn''t have.


    Once again, with all the thoughts resurfacing in his mind, Yun Hao continued to grit his teeth in silence. It was a good thing that he was trained to be calm at all times. If not, he might have already sent the skinny boy to a hospital.


    He also looked at the first person who ordered him to get a milk tea in the first ce, Long Yazhu, his best friend or at least he used to be.


    Now, he was the main instigator of every unfortunate thing that has been happening in Yun Hao''s life. What was sad about it, is that Long Yazhu did not even try to hide it. Even now, he was smirking at Yun Hao, clearly looking down on him.


    But once again, what can he do? Long Yazhu''s father was the one who paid for his tuition when the school took off his schrship.


    And so, with all the coins back in his pockets again, Yun Hao headed outside the ssroom.


    ***


    "Shit!"


    Yun Hao was now inside thevatory of the cafeteria, hitting himself on the legs as he cursed in frustration. "Come one, Yun Hao! Keep it together. You need this you have nothing else!"


    Yun Hao continued to hit different parts of his body as he tried to contain the rage that was building up inside him.


    "No, no, no, no. I can''t slip now," he muttered to himself, "Just a few months more and I am out of this shithole. Keep it together... I am not going to go insane."


    Yun Hao tried to convince himself to stay sane in every way possible. This bullying has been going on ever since the ident, and he could do nothing but swallow everything. This was already a routine for him.


    Every time he gets bullied, this was his way of letting out his anger. He wallowed in the confines of thevatory alone, hurting himself to calm his nerves. Unhealthy, yes. But this was the only method he found.


    "!!!"


    However, when he once again remembered theughing faces of his ssmates and the arrogant smirk that Long Yazhu had on his face, his anger burst forth from him. Released through his arms as he mmed his fist towards one of the steel pipes attached to the wall.


    "Fuck!"


    The steel tube bent caved from Yun Hao''s fist. But the feeling was mutual, as Yun Hao also caved from the pain as the skin on his knuckles opened up. He couldn''t help but jump up and down, trying to ease the pain.


    This action, however, caused a coin to fall from his overflowing pocket. The sound of the coin echoing throughout thevatorypletely woke Yun Hao up-- he still had a ss to attend and milk teas to buy.


    And so, he took in a deep breath as he crouched, picking up the coin that fell on the floor before rushing out of thevatory.


    "..."


    "..."


    After a few seconds of him leaving, one of the doors of the cubicles opened up, revealing a bald man with a long pencil mustache.


    "..."


    The bald man slowly came out of the cubicle. But after taking a few steps, he also crouched down, grabbing something from the floor.


    It was a coin. The man stared at the coin intensely, feeling its every edge, smelling it and even tasting it. After being seemingly thoroughly satisfied with the coin, the man then looked at the door of thevatory before a wide smile and a whisper formed on his mouth,


    "...Finally."


    ***


    "Mr. Yun, how dare you bete for my ss!? You are wasting the efforts of Mr. Yazhu''s father!"


    The teacher scolded Yun Hao in front of the whole ss for a good minute as soon as he came back to the ss before allowing him to go back to his seat. The chuckles and the snickers whispered into Yun Hao''s ears as his ssmates once again basked at his hardships.


    Today was a good day, they all thought. To see the high and mighty Yun Hao being treated badly so many times in a single day.


    But before Yun Hao could sit down, he handed the milk tea that he bought one by one. He was about to finish, but as he got to Long Yazhu''s desk, Yazhu ''identally'' pushed the milk tea and spilled it all over the floor.


    The teacher, who watched all of this happen, once again screamed at Yun Hao.


    "What are you doing, Mr. Yun!? Do you want me to report you to the guidance office!?"


    As soon as Yun Hao heard that, he could not help but re at the teacher. This was truly unfair, he thought. The teacher was quiet the whole time he was handing out the drinks to his precious wealthy ssmates and now he had the gall to only reprimand him and him alone?


    "What is with that re!? Do you want to be kicked out from this--"


    "Teacher Fu. It''s alright, it was my mistake."


    However, before the teacher could finish his ramblings, Long Yazhu stood up and waved his hand, gesturing that everything was alright, "It was my fault in the first ce," he said.


    "Is that so?" The teacher cleared his throat, "See, Mr. Yun? A real man knows to admit to their mistakes!"


    The teacher smiled as he nodded in satisfaction towards Long Yazhu, clearly showing favoritism. Once again, Yun Hao could only grit his teeth as he bowed his head and walked back to his seat.


    It was a good thing that no one tripped him this time, or he would really lose his shit.


    Yun Hao could only nkly stare at the view outside the ss as he could not concentrate in the ss due to him controlling his anger.


    Finally, the bell rang; signaling the end of the day.


    "I heard you were going to have your meridians unlocked soon, Yazhu?"


    "What? Where did you hear that?"


    Long Yazhu was surrounded by the other students, all gawking at him.


    "You''re turning 18 soon, right!? You can register as a cultivator already!"


    "So jealous, my birthday isn''t until the end of the year."


    The conversations of the other students continued to linger in the air. Yun Hao, however, wanted nothing to do with it. But before he could even stand up from his desk, Long Yazhu suddenly approached him and threw a set of keys towards him.


    "...Yazhu?"


    "Since you''re going home, go and fetch one of my BMWs ande pick me up at the hotelter tonight."


    "...Sure."


    "And don''t scratch it! God knows how many cars you''d have to wash in order to pay for it!"


    Once again, the waves ofughter echoed and pierced Yun Hao''s ears even as he stepped out to the hallway. Washing cars was one of his part-time jobs, being Long Yazhu''s asional driver was another.


    Since he owed a great deal to Yazhu''s father for taking care of him even when he was not currently in the country, he still repaid it by working at his estate.


    ***


    Later that night, Yun Hao was waiting inside the car just outside the Pegasus Hotel, one of the hotels owned by Long Yazhu''s family.


    Yun Hao and Long Yazhu used to be best of friends, almost inseparable. That was why he was lucky enough to be hired by Yazhu''s dad to work at one of his establishments after the ident. Long Yazhu, however, suddenly changed for the worse as soon as Yun Hao was no longer the star of the high school.


    It was as if their years of friendship meant nothing as he treated Yun Hao like nothing but a ve.


    "Fuuu" Yun Hao let out a deep breath as he opened the air conditioning of the car, summer was approaching and heat made it obvious.


    With the cold wrapping around his body, Yun Hao could not help but yawn as drowsiness quickly took over him. If only he had a smartphone, then he wouldn''t be so bored and sleepy, he thought as he reclined his seat.


    But before he could even rx, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a girling out of the hotel.


    "...Ang?"


    Zhang Ang-- Yun Hao''s girlfriend and also the reason why he lost an eye.

 Chapter 3: A Revelation

    Chapter 3: A Revtion


    Yun Hao could not help but lightly tap the left side of his face as he looked at Ang. He felt it throb as the memories of the incident that left his eye blind resurfaced from the deepest corners of his mind.


    About a year ago, He and Ang were on a date, minding their own business as they were leisurely walking down the street when a group of thugs suddenly blocked their path. They started jeering and insulting Yun Hao for whatever reason.


    Yun Hao, however, just grabbed Ang''s hand and decided to walk away, not wanting to have anything to do with them. But Ang had a different n, as she started provoking the thugs, telling them that Yun Hao can beat them with his eyes closed.


    One thing led to another, and Yun Hao had to deal with them physically. But it was just to his luck that one of the thugs was actually a cultivator in the Early-stage of the Mortal realm. He was able to beat the others with ease, but as soon as the cultivator stepped in-- it was over.


    He was able to dodge the cultivator''s barrage attacks at first and was even able to throw in a couple of punches. But s, he was shown the difference between a normal human and a cultivator. The man he was fighting wouldn''t even budge no matter how many hits he took, while it only took one hit to neutralize Yun Hao to the ground.


    But it didn''t end there, while Yun Hao was helplessly pinned down on the ground, the cultivator slowly ced his finger on Yun Hao''s forehead, then proceeded to slice his skin with his sharp nail. Yun Hao could do nothing but scream in pain as the cultivator dragged his finger from his forehead and all the way to his chin.


    Yun Hao didn''t notice it at first due to the shock but his left eye was blinded in the process. He only knew of it when he woke up in the hospital, alone.


    Zhang Ang did not even visit him even once while he was recovering, he couldn''t even call her, as he didn''t have a phone. The only one that visited him was his coach, who took him off the boxing team and told him that his schrship was taken away because of fighting in public.


    All he had left was his girlfriend, but it was as if she disappeared from the face of the earth.


    And now, suddenly, she was there.


    Yun Hao wanted to ask so many questions.


    Why didn''t she visit him in the hospital even once? Did she fell out of love for him since he lost everything?


    But why...


    ...When he lost everything because of trying to protect her? Did she think that he was going to get mad at her for causing him to lose an eye? Why would she even think that when she was the only one that truly understand him?


    He loved her so much that he did not even think of himself when he woke up at the hospital.


    He quickly got out of the car, with so many thoughts that he wished to tell her.


    Where was she all this time?


    How has she been?


    He wanted her back... After all, she was all that he had left in this world.


    He had no parents.


    He had no friends.


    He has no future.


    All that was left


    ...was her.


    And so, as soon as he closed the door of the car behind him, the excitement of meeting the love of his life overwhelmed him, truly. And it was evident from the way Yun Hao waved his hand to greet him.


    "!!!"


    But before he could call her name, a man suddenly hugged Ang from behind and kissed her on the neck. Yun Hao was about to rush towards her, thinking that someone was harassing her.


    But to his surprise, Ang turned around and passionately kissed the guy on the lips.


    "A Ang?" Yun Hao could only stutter as his steps stopped in their tracks.


    "Hao!?"


    Ang quickly let go of the man she was hugging as she saw Yun Hao. "Why why are you--"


    "I told him toe."


    Before Ang could finish her words, the man she had just locked lips with stepped forward and interrupted her.


    "What!?" Ang raised her voice, "But we agreed we won''t let him know until he graduates!"


    "Pft, he''s going to get expelled before that happens," the man burst out inughter as he heard Ang''s words, "Even earlier, he got into trouble with the teacher."


    Yun Hao''s breaths quickly became heavy as he finally realized who the man Ang is with-- his best friend, Long Yazhu. He was too focused on Ang so he didn''t even look at the man, but as soon as he heard hisugh, he quickly recognized who he was.


    "Yazhu!" Yun Hao bared his fangs as he rushed towards Yazhu, but before he could even take 3 steps, 2 men blocked his path.


    "Get out of my wa you?"


    Yun Hao was going to push the two men away, but his eyes widened in shock as he recognized one of them-- it was the cultivator that blinded his eye. Yun Hao''s eyes wandered everywhere as his already confused mind threatened to explode.


    And soon everything clicked. The two men that blocked his path were wearing the uniform of the Long family''s security guards.


    And seeing the smirk on Long Yazhu''s face, it would seem that Yun Hao''s guess was right. He and Ang meeting the thugs a year ago was not an ident. Everything


    ...Everything was set up by Long Yazhu.


    "...Why?" Yun Hao could almost feel his chest being torn apart as he looked at Yazhu, "Why would you do this to me?"


    "Do what?" The smile on Yazhu''s face grew even wider as he saw the slight moisture building up on Yun Hao''s eyes.


    "We were friends, Yazhu."


    "Friends!?" Yazhu once again burst out inughter as he stepped forward, gesturing his guards to move to the side as he stood right in front of Yun Hao, "I will be a Cultivator soon, and you will always remain a poor has-been, Hao. You and I are in different worlds, we always hav-- Ukh!"


    "Young Master Long!"


    Before Yazhu could finish gloating, he felt pressure on his neck as he was suddenly lifted in the air by Yun Hao with one hand. The 2 guards wanted to rush and save their young master, but one wrong move and Yun Hao might snap his neck.


    "Then maybe I''ll drag you down to my world," Yun Hao let out a silent growl, breathing in Yazhu''s neck,


    "Should I


    ...cripple you as well, then?"

 Chapter 4: A Surrender

    Chapter 4: A Surrender


    "Should I blind you as well, then?"


    Yun Hao looked straight into Yazhu''s eyes as he lifted him higher into the air, "...Or should I say cripple you? That''s what the cultivators always like to say, right?"


    Long Yazhu could only groan in pain as the grip around his neck tightened. He wanted to say something, but he couldn''t. And it wasn''t because of the pressure on his neck, no. It was because of the way Yun Hao was ring at him.


    The pitiful look that Yazhu saw in Yun Hao''s eyes earlier was nowpletely gone,pletely reced by nothing. Yun Hao''s eyes were devoid of any emotions-- the eyes of those who had nothing left to lose.


    The other people outside the hotel were also starting to gather, raising their phones and pointing the camera towards themotion; some were even doing a live broadcast.


    "What are we doing!?" One of the guards hollered, "We should save the young master!"


    "Don''t move," the guard that blinded Yun Hao''s eye blocked his colleague''s path, "We don''t know what he''ll do to the young master."


    "He''s just a Normie!" His colleague rebuked, "We can crush him without him even knowing what hit him!"


    "...In what way does that look like a normal human to you?" The guard that blinded Yun Hao''s eye let out a slight scoff as he looked at his colleague. Even though he overwhelmed Yun Hao in the end, he still had first-hand experience as to what Yun Hao could do.


    Even as a cultivator, Yun Hao was able to dodge his attacks and even get a punch in. No normal human could do that. He was told that Yun Hao was a talented boxer but to think it was to that extent.


    One could not help but imagine what it would be like if someone like Yun Hao bes a cultivator. But s, there were only 3 ways one could be a Cultivator legally.


    You need to be born in a family of Cultivators, or at least get the attention of a n to have them open your meridians for you, or pay to have your meridians unlocked in the Confederation.


    Yun Hao wasn''t born in a family of cultivators. He had the attention of a n, but he refused it. As for having to pay to be one How? He had no money.


    "I suggest you let the young master go, Mr. Hao," The guard said as he slowly approached Yun Hao, "Or we will be forced to put you down."


    Hearing the words of the man that blinded him, Yun Hao only let out a scoff as his eyes did not leave Yazhu. Right now, there was only one thought in his mind-- revenge. The others might think he was bluffing, but right now all he could think of was all the humiliation he had suffered.


    And to think that it was because of someone that he once treated almost like a brother?


    Maybe maybe he really should just snap his neck right here and now?


    "Let him go!"


    And as soon as he thought of that, a high-pitched voice pierced his ears, followed by a sting on his cheek. "Let go of Yazhu, you''re hurting him!"


    "..."


    Yun Hao''s jaw started to tremble as he saw Ang trying to protect Yazhu. He wanted to say something, but he couldn''t. Ang''s p hurt more than every punch he ever took inside the ring it even hurts more than when he lost an eye.


    Now that he was thinking about it Ang never once did this for him when he was being beaten up by Yazhu''s guard a year ago. Was she


    ...Was she actually involved with what happened to him?


    "Did you know what was going to happen to me?"


    "W what?"


    Ang could not help but slightly back away as Yun Hao''s dead eyes now stared at him, "Were you part of the n? How long have the two of you been together? Were the two of you already together when you were dating me?"


    "We were! So, please let him go now! It was me, okay!? I was the one who nned everything!"


    "Gukh!"


    "No, let him go!"


    The grip on Yazhu''s neck grew even tighter as Ang''s words reached Yun Hao''s ears, "Y you nned everything? Why? I


    ...I love yo--"


    "I don''t!" Ang raised her voice even further, garnering the attention of even more people as they pointed their phones at them, "You don''t even take me out to eat and I had to pay for our date a couple of times! What kind of man treats his girlfriend like that!? You don''t even have your own house and live inside a box of scrap metal!"


    "..."


    "Yazhu provided me with everything I wanted! When he when he approached me, he made me feel wee!"


    "..."


    "Now, please let go of him!"


    "Okay."


    "W what?"


    "Grah!"


    "Young master!"


    Ang, as well as the 2 guards, could not help but rush towards Yazhu as Yun Hao let him go; One of Yazhu''s arms, however, was twisted in a way that they wouldn''t normally do.


    "B baby!" Ang quickly rushed towards Yazhu to support him, holding his hand she touched his face as gently as possible.


    Yun Hao could only let out a slight breath as he looked at his girl-- at Ang. How blind was he to not realize that Ang has never once treated him like how she treats Yazhu now.


    "Stay where you are!"


    Yazhu''s two guards were about to rush towards Yun Hao to pin him down.


    "Come on! Fucking kill me then! Kill me!" Yun Hao roared as he thumped his chest a couple of times before stretching his arms to the side. His breaths were no longer fettered as he watched the scene of his death.


    But as the two guards were only a meter away from Yun Hao, Long Yazhu shouted.


    "Don''t!" He said, his voice still cracking from having his neck strangled, "Let him go."


    "But young master, he--"


    "He is nothing," Yazhu said as Ang helped him up, "He will always be nothing. You just wait until I be a cultivator, Yun Hao. I will make sure to pay back what you did here today!"


    "...You won''t need to," was Yun Hao''s response before he turned around to leave, "You can drive your way home, I left the keys in the car."


    "Should should we really just let him leave?" One of the guards asked his colleague.


    "Let him be, young master''s orders."


    "But is he really just a normal human? How could he lift the young master that easily?"


    "..." The one who blinded Yun Hao''s eyes squinted his eyes as he watched Yun Hao walking away, "He is but he''s a monster as well."


    ***


    "...Fuck."


    Yun Hao was now standing in front of a small shed no, he was now standing in front of his house. And it was as Ang described it, a box made of scrap metal that looked like it was in the middle of nowhere.


    Yun Hao used to live in one of the apartments that Yazhu''s father provided for his workers, but after he went abroad, Yun Hao was quickly transferred here. It was one of the Long Family''s scrap yards somewhere in the city. All the trash and debris from all the construction were thrown here, and Yun Hao''s shed was made from it.


    Yun Hao always wondered why he was sent here, now he knew why-- it was probably because of Yazhu.


    At the very least, though, it was a quiet neighborhood except for the trucks that wereing in during midnight and throwing in trash and rubbles.


    Yun Hao could only sigh as he entered his tiny house, the metal door screaming as it scratched the surface.


    A desk, a chair, and a bed-- those were the only three things that were inside his house. For bathing, he had to go to the high school early to indulge the showers there.


    With another sigh, Yun Hao approached his desk before grabbing the chair and dragging it to the center of his small house.


    He then went back to his desk, opening its drawer and revealing its content-- a rope.


    "...I guess I''ll just die then."

 Chapter 5: Money Saves Lives

    Chapter 5: Money Saves Lives


    "...I guess I''ll just die, then."


    Yun Hao''s breaths lingered inside the house as he grabbed the bundle of rope from the drawer before proceeding towards the chair that he ced in the middle of his house, proficiently tying the rope into a loop as he did so.


    And without even looking up, he expertly threw the other end of the rope on the wooden railing of the roof of his house. He then stepped on the chair, quickly tying up the rope and securing it, tugging it to make sure that it won''t slide or fall off.


    There were already dents and marking on the wooden beam, obviously made from the rope putting pressure on it even before. Yun Hao nodded in satisfaction as he confirmed the tightness of the rope.


    And after a few seconds, he once again let out a sigh before fixing the cor of his uniform, making sure the rope won''t crease it as he ced the noose around his neck.


    Yes


    ...This has been Yun Hao''s daily routine ever since the ident. He was so used to it that he could probably do it with his eyes closed. Truly, a dreadful thing to get used to.


    But even then, not even once he pushed through in killing himself. After all, he still had the love of his life, Ang. She was the one thing that has kept Yun Hao from ever finishing this grim routine of his.


    But it would seem even that was an illusion. From her not visiting him in the hospital, from her not even showing her face once even as Yun Hao visited her apartment building He should have known, really. He should have known that something was going on.


    Yun Hao closed his eyes as he took in a long and deep breath thatpletely drowned the house. There wasn''t anything holding him back now, he thought.


    He has lost everything.


    His parents.


    His future.


    His friends.


    And now his lover.


    Everything, gone.


    Yun Hao then released the breath that he was holding on to as he opened his eye. Eyes which were now full of resolution as they reflected the rusts and holes of his dpidated house. He then slowly lifted his foot, but as he was about to take a step towards death, something caught his eye.


    "..." He squinted his eyes as he looked back at his desk, only to find another bundle of rope inside the opened drawer, waving at him as a part of it hung outside. Yun Hao let out a slight hum of confusion as he tapped his neck repeatedly, trying to feel if the noose he made was still there-- and it was.


    The rope that has been hispanion throughout these trying months was still peacefully wrapped around his neck and connected to the ceiling.


    What exactly was happening? Yun Hao''s mind started to jumble as he tilted his head. Completely confused, he decided to confirm if it really was another bundle of rope. He approached his desk, forgetting the fact that a rope was currently tied around his neck.


    "!!!"


    "Ughk gah kuk!"


    Gravity.


    Yun Hao was quickly taught the lesson of gravity as it pulled him down, the rope tied around his neck tightening due to his weight. His body started to wriggle, his legs panicking to find the only chair in the house, instinctively struggling to step towards life.


    A gurgling noise started to fill the entire house as Yun Hao began to croak. It was as if a fire was being ignited inside his lungs, his chest feeling even tighter than the rope in his neck. It was as if a truck was currently being pressed on his chest.


    Finally, his left leg was able to step on the chair. But s, his right leg kicked it away.


    Yun Hao thought that he was ready to die, but now that it was happening, his body seemed to be craving for life. Perhaps it was just a defense mechanism, but his mind too, wanted him to live.


    But s, the only thing that was weing him now was death as Yun Hao could feel his vision slowly starting to fade. The rope was tighter than ever before, already threatening to snap his neck and hastened his death.


    And for some reason, it keeps on tightening even as Yun Hao was no longer resisting it. Yun Hao then heard a light nging noise echo throughout the house. He could not be bothered by it, after all, his life was already slipping away.


    But then, it happened again.


    And again.


    ...and again.


    And soon, the reason why the rope around his neck kept on tightening revealed themselves-- coins.


    The rope on Yun Hao''s neck kept on tightening because of the added weight to his pockets, which were now suddenly bloated. Gushing out hundreds of coins endlessly as if a raging waterfall.


    And soon, when his pockets could no longer bear the weight of the coins, it ripped. And like a dam that blew up, the coins that were gushing out like a waterfall became even more enraged. The coins quickly covered the floor of Yun Hao''s humble abode, it wasn''t hard to fill it, as it was small in size, after all.


    Yun Hao''s house was like a pool being filled with water. And soon, the soles of his feet were finally able to feel resistance as Yun Hao found himself being able to breathe again. He quickly loosened the noose around his neck and started coughing vehemently.


    Endless nging noises filled Yun Hao''s ears as he started to crawl on top of the coins that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    It took minutes before Yun Hao recovered from his panic and started breathing normally again as heid his back on the coins. Yun Hao was about to close his eyes, but before he could do so, his house made of thin sheets of metal started to shake.


    "W what now?" He whispered.


    And as if fate was answering him, the thin door of his gave in and opened up like a domino tilting towards the ground.


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao found himself suddenly being dragged outside of his house, rolling along with the coins that suddenly littered and filled half his house.


    "Just just where did all these coinse from?"


    Yun Hao''s breaths started getting heavier as he finally realized the situation he was in. He grabbed one of the coins before standing up, raising it towards the light of the moon to see if they really were coins.


    And it was. He picked up another one from the ground, only to confirm that it was also a coin.


    "..." Yun Hao stared at the coin for a very long time, only to drop it on the ground as his mind was trying to process everything that happened.


    Yun Hao then turned his head towards his house, which was now missing a door. And instantly, he dropped to coins that were in his hand as his jaw almost dropped along with them.


    Coins almost an unlimited number of coins impossible to count filled almost half of his house. Enough coins that he was able to save himself from hanging.


    "W what the fuck?" Were the only words that coulde out of Yun Hao''s trembling lips.


    Yun Hao could only stand there, his eyes, reflecting the thousands of coins shining in the moonlight.


    Suddenly


    ...He found himself surrounded by money.

 Chapter 6: Suddenly, I Can Duplicate Money

    Chapter 6: Suddenly, I Can Duplicate Money


    "Shit. It''s still here"


    Yun Hao went out for a short run to clear his head; he thought he was going crazy after his failed suicide attempt. And now after his short run, his mind was finally able to rx and not think of imaginary things just because he was poor.


    But lo and behold, the insurmountable amount of coins that drowned his house was still here. "...Is this some kind of prank by the construction boys?"


    Yun Hao looked around to see if there were any cameras around. But thinking about it for a while, why would they even bother pranking Yun Hao, when they weren''t even that close. Perhaps it was a good thing as well that the construction guys weren''t here, if not, then they would have seen this colossal pile of coins.


    Yun Hao could only let out a sigh as he looked at the mess in front of him. How exactly was he going to clean all of this? He thought.


    "Where am I even going to--"


    But then his eyes widened in the realization of what he had right in front of him. It was as if his whole body was doused with water as it finally dawned on him.


    All of these coins it was his now, right?


    With the number of coins that wasid in front of him right now, it was probably more money than he had ever had in his life or even more money than he will ever have.


    Yun Hao''s breaths stuttered nervously as he picked up one of the coins. It was a 1 coin, and apparently, all the other coins had the same value.


    "..." Yun Hao then scrunched his eyes as he tried to do a rough calction of how many coins were in front of him.


    "...So my house is about 5sqm and a coin is this small and they''re stacked about a meter high"


    Yun Hao closed his eyes as he let out a long and deep hum. He had always been training as a boxer, and the most numbers he had ever calcted was how many punches it took the opponent down and it wasn''t much as his matches always ended before the 2nd round.


    But still, he tried his best to get an estimate as to how much he had. But after a while of thinking, Yun Hao just groaned in frustration before picking a number that seemed fitting.


    "Let''s just say about 3 million coins ($457,000)," Yun Hao muttered as he used his Asian genes to its maximum, "3 3 million"


    Yun Hao''s eyes widened to the point that both his eyes, even the blind one, almost popped out in shock.


    "33 million!? Fuckfuckha..hahahaHAHAHHAHA!"


    Yun Hao could not help but grab a handful of coins that were on the ground and throw them in the air like it was some sort of confetti. However, unlike confetti, Yun Hao felt each and every solid coin hit parts of his body as theynded.


    It is true what they say, money can lead to pain.


    But still, he was already used to it and heeded it no mind as he once again chuckled like a madman. "3 million 3 million" He once again repeated, "What exactly will I be able to buy with that? A house?"


    But then he realized a huge problem. How exactly is he going to buy a house with a million coins? Won''t he be arrested for suspicious activity? If he was a Cultivator, then maybe it could be exined with him trading in Cores.


    It seems that he needed to think twice before spending this money. He should just sleep tonight and think about it tomorrow when his head is totally cleared.


    He was about to go inside the house, but then he realized another present problem. Half of the inside of his house was buried in coins, not to mention his bed.


    How exactly was he going to sleep? He thought.


    "..." Yun Hao looked around him carefully before walking inside his house and proceeded to dive into the coins. He had watched cartoons before from the TVs for sale in the shops where the characters did this whenever they saw a mountain of coins.


    But s, this time, he definitely felt the pain.


    "Fucking stupid!" He could not help but curse himself, almost throwing the coins in his hand, but he didn''t. Instead, he ced it on his cheeks, the coins were cold to the touch, but still, Yun Hao closed his eyes to relish at the moment.


    But after a few seconds, he let out a long and deep sigh. He still needed to hide these coins first before anyone sees them. He was already lucky enough that no one goes here at this time of the night since the scrapyard was a scary ce.


    There was only one method that was circling inside his brain.


    Bury it. Dig a hole big enough to bury the coins.


    And so, without any more dys and hesitation, he got one of the shovels in the yard. If he wants to be done by morning, then he should dig non-stop, he thought. He himself thought that it was ridiculous, but this was the simplest way he could think of.


    And so he dug.


    He dug until he couldn''t feel his arms anymore, it was as if the shovel had be an extension of his arm. It didn''t help that the ground in this area was hard, even with Yun Hao''s trained muscles, he was no match with the forces of the earth.


    Now, it was 2 in the morning. Yun Hao wiped his sweat as he gave out a satisfied expression. He then looked at the hole he dug...


    And frustratingly threw the shovel that was in his hand. The hole wasn''t even enough to hide a third of the coins.


    Now what? It was going to be morning soon. If he doesn''t find a way to hide the coins he would be in big trouble. But Yun Hao was starting to get sleepy, not to mention tired. So, without any more deliberation, he just decided to use the shovel to put all the coins inside his house, blocking the door with some of the debris scattered in the scrapyard.


    "...Maybe I should have done this from that start," Yun Hao could not help but sigh as he stared at his handiwork. It would seem it had been so long that he felt excitement that it was starting to cloud his already fucked up mind.


    After everything was done, it was now 3 in the morning-- it was a good thing that it was a weekend now.


    Yun Hao then patted his hands clean as he sat down on one of the scrapped cars beside his house. There was no way he was going to sleep in a hotel now. He couldn''t really risk anyone finding this huge piggy bank of his.


    He figured he wouldn''t be able to sleep anyway, with all the things that happened to him today.


    He lost his girlfriend no. He didn''t have her in the beginning. Why did she even get into a rtionship with Yun Hao if she was disgusted with him in the first ce? Was everything just some kind of cruel joke?


    Yun Hao then wondered what Ang would think if she knew that Yun Hao was rich now. Would shee back to his arms and-- No. Fuck, no.


    Yun Hao quickly shook his head off of the dangerous thoughts he was having, "Don''t be a simp, Yun Hao," he said to himself as he pped his cheeks. It was clear he still had feelings for Ang, but he also knows she isn''t worth it.


    He then let out a long and deep sigh as turned his head towards the polluted skies above him. Just what exactly was he going to do now with all of this money? It wasn''t like he could spend it like this. No sane person would let him buy a house with--


    "Wait" Yun Hao quickly paused his thought when he finally realized a very crucial thing-- just where did all these coinse from? There was also the rope that almost killed him in the first ce, there were two of them instead of one.


    ...Could it be that he had the power to copy things?


    Yun Hao squinted his eyes, before letting out a burst ofughter from his silly thoughts.


    "Like that would be possible," Yun Hao then grabbed a coin that was left on the ground before flicking it in the air, "Duplicating things, pft."


    "Yeah right," he then caught the coin in his hand as he stood up. But to his surprise, he held a nging noise beside him.


    "..."


    Yun Hao could not help but blink as he slowly looked towards the direction of the noise. And there, on top of the scrapped car, was a coin spinning on top of its hood. Yun Hao then double-checked his hand, and true to his expectations


    ...The coin was also there.


    "Oh shit," Yun Hao breathed.


    All the bad things that happened to him today were washed away like an umbre in a storm. Even the revtion of what Ang did, waspletely forgotten for a second now that suddenly


    ...He could duplicate money.


    "...Fuck."

 Chapter 7: Rich Boy

    Chapter 7: Rich Boy


    "Ugh"


    The heat of the sun caused Yun Hao''s sweat to trickle as he strolled in the market. It didn''t help that the weight of the bag that he has been carrying for more than half a day now weighed as much as him.


    His eyes, which were still half asleep, made him look as if he was dealing illegal drugs and hiding them in his huge backpack. But in truth, the dark circles around his eyes were from not being able to sleep due to his little experiments.


    It was real.


    He really had the power to duplicate coins, no. He had the power to do more than that. He tested the limits of his powers-- and the result?


    One-- he had to be physically in contact with the object that he will duplicate.


    Two-- Instinct. There wasn''t any learning curve at all, it was as if he could do it naturally with just the snap of his fingers, or just by saying it-- almost like an extension of his limbs.


    Three-- The duplicate emerges from the original. It was as if a droplet of water falling on the ground, splitting on impact. Except with his powers, the volume of the object doesn''t depreciate at all.


    Four-- The moreplex the object was, the harder it was to duplicate. He tried duplicating the old lock to his house, but the result was disappointing, to say the least. The lock was not biting and closing at all, and the key did not even fit the keyhole. He presumed it was because of the small intricate parts that were inside of it.


    Five, and probably the most important one-- Big objects are a no-go. He tried duplicating one of the big bs of metal that was near his house, and he almost lost his life in the process, or at least that is what it felt like.


    It was as if his whole body wanted to copse; as if he was hit in the chin cleanly by another boxer. And the worst part of it all?


    He wasn''t even able to duplicate it.


    After that fiasco, it took an hour for him before he could even lift himself up-- he was not doing that again but it wasn''t over.


    Six-- his power had a limit, or at least his body has. After he duplicated therge b of metal, he was only able to duplicate one more coin before his nose started to bleed and he became light-headed enough to almost copse again.


    And that was it, if there were any other considerations to take into, then he would have to discover it along the way. Right now, he had more important things to do-- distributing his money.


    Come morning, even without sleep, Yun Hao decided to go to a local bank to deposit some of the coins first. However, as he emptied one of the bags he was carrying, the tellers were already giving him odd looks.


    They asked him where he got all of the coins, what his job was, how old he was, and some other questions regarding his personal life. At first, Yun Hao was a bit nervous, but he was assured that it was just standard procedure for those who were creating a new bank ount.


    And so, Yun Hao just told them that he got it from working and that it was his few years of savings from washing up cars.


    And that was that-- he was able to get out of the bank scot-free, with now a bank ount of his own. Of course, he still has more coins inside his bag, but Yun Hao thought that it might not be the best idea to deposit it there, he figured it would be best to go to a different branch some other day.


    Yun Hao had been looking at his back ever since he got out of the bank, trying to see if anyone was following him-- He thought that the authorities would be after him for suspicious activity, but it would seem that once again, his worries were unfounded.


    With the Cultivators roaming around, perhaps Yun Hao was the least bit of their worries. After all, their money came from all over the ce, and they don''t even ask them too much where it came from. After all, they were either from Beast Cores or from other underhanded deeds.


    And now, Yun Hao proceeded with his other n-- to exchange his coins with the local vendors for a full bill; and so far, he''s been sessful. The market vendors were even eager to exchange their bills for his coins as they needed it for change.


    The vendors were scared stiff at first because they thought that Yun Hao was some kind of cultivator gangster who was loaning money due to his stature and the scar on his face. But by the end of it, some were even telling him to drop by again if he gets any more coins.


    From that statement, Yun Hao could not help but let out a chuckle. What would they even do if they knew that he still had a mountain of coins inside his house?


    This was Yun Hao''s n. To go to different branches of his bank and to different markets. It was the most solid n he could think of, given the current situation. He needed the coins gone as soon as possible...


    ...he only hoped that no one notices what he was doing.


    And finally, with his bag much lighter than it was before, he was done for the day. He rested on a nearby bench, calcting everything he got so far in his head, and the number almost made him choke to death.


    Including the one he deposited in his bank-- he should have about $8,000 now. This was more money than he ever had in his life; to think the coins he exchanged today didn''t even make a dent towards the mountain of coins he still had left in his house.


    It would probably take a month or two before he could clean everything.


    $8,000 in a single day.


    It was official, he was rich as fuck.


    "..."


    "Ha ha hahahahaha!"


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a burst of crazedughter as he imagined all the money he would have by the end of it. With all the money he will have, perhaps it was time for him to be a cultivator, and maybe even have the chance to recover the sight of his left eye.


    The people in the market looked at him as if he was some kind of crazy person. It didn''t help that he pulled back his hair, revealing the huge scar that adorned his beautiful face. Without a doubt, he looked like a gangster now.


    "Aha, I envy the poor. Even with no money, they find the time tough."


    Yun Hao''sugh was only disrupted by an annoyingly familiar voice that suddenly passed through his ear. Yun Hao closed his mouth, as he looked in the direction of the voice, only to see some of his ssmates in front of him.


    The group continued tough as they hurled insults upon insults towards Yun Hao. Even the surrounding vendors could not help but click their tongue towards the group''s rude disy. If only they were Cultivators, then they would have surely killed these youngsters by now for offending them, the poor.


    When Yun Hao had heard enough, he quickly stood up. His domineering and towering stature instantly silenced the air as he looked down on his ssmates, literally.


    With this, the group instantly realized their mistakes-- they weren''t at school. Yun Hao could possibly take them into an alley and beat the shit out of them.


    "W wait," the group slowly backed away as they left their stuttered breaths, "We we''re going to be cultivators soon are are you sure you want to offend us!?"


    "..."


    And as soon as they said that, Yun Hao let out a scoff before taking his bag and walking away. That''s right, even if they were outside, it didn''t mean that Yun Hao would just instantly beat them up, if he did, he would still be expelled if someone reported him.


    Knowing this, the group finally let out sighs of relief. And before Yun Hao could fully get away, one of them called for him.


    "Hey, champ. I and the boys are meeting girls today, want toe?"


    "What?"


    As soon as the group heard one of them say that, they quickly pulled him back. "What are you thinking? We can''t possibly take someone asme as--"


    The person who offered Yun Hao toe with them quickly covered his friend''s mouth. "Sshh this would be a good chance to humiliate him, remember the video scattering around?"


    "...Right!"


    And as if a spark ignited in their eyes, the group nodded at each other.


    "That''s right, champ. It might be a good chance to meet somedies since your girlfriend just dumped you."


    "Pft."


    The group once again burst out inughter as they once again took a jab at Yun Hao. They were going to a very fancy restaurant, and obviously, Yun Hao would not be able to even afford a single drop of water there.


    The group''s eyes waited in anticipation if Yun Hao was going to take the bait.


    "We will treat you to make up for our words here."


    "Yeah...


    ...I don''t think so."


    And with that, Yun Hao left the group; chuckling internally as he waved goodbye to the vendors he exchanged his money with. But after taking a few more steps as he was about to leave the market, his stomach started to growl.


    "...Man, fuck those guys," Yun Hao whispered. If it wasn''t for them irritating him, he probably wouldn''t feel hungry. And so, with his stomach howling for him to pay attention to it, Yun Hao had no choice but to answer its call.


    "Fuck."


    And that was a decision he regretted as soon as he the very same guys he refused once again showed their faces to him.


    "What the... Yun Hao? What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 8: Mixer

    Chapter 8: Mixer


    Duplicator 8A


    "What the... Yun Hao? What are you doing here?"


    Yun Hao was about to order his meal when the a pair of irritating faces showed themselves to him. Just what kind of luck did he have to run into these guys again?


    And if that wasn''t enough, they were currently approaching him.


    "That table, we would like that table!" One of the members of the group said as he pointed near Yun Hao.


    "But... that table is upied, sir," the waiter that was assisting them to their designated table could not help but slightly stutter as the group suddenly changed directions.


    "It''s alright, that guy is a ssmate of ours. He''ll understand."


    "But sir--"


    "Didn''t your manager already exin who we are!?" The one leading the group then snarled at the waiter, causing him to slightly flinch back.


    "I... I''ll set up the table for you, sirs."


    With the group of rich haughty spoiled brats egging on him, the only thing that an honest working citizen like him could do was follow them-- after all, he just got this job.


    But the one sitting at the table looked like some sort of gangster. These children they weren''t pranking him, were they?


    "S Sir? I I regret to inform you that this table is actually reserved, I can transfer you to another table if if you want to?"


    "..." Yun Hao looked at the bbering waiter for a few seconds, before letting out a short but deep sigh as he stood up from his seat. He initially wanted to refuse, but that would be making trouble for someone who was just doing their jobs-- something that Yun Hao had a lot of experience with; he wasn''t about to do that to someone else.


    "It''s fine."


    And as soon as Yun Hao''s words reached the waiter''s ears, a smile could not help but form on his face,


    "T then can I take your bags, sir? I''ll put it in a locker for you."


    "It''s fine," Yun Hao quickly said as he grabbed his bags, "It''s fine. I have some valuables inside so I would like to have it with me. Just lead me to my table."


    "O Of course, sir," the waiter nodded. He initially thought this scary man would punch him, but to think he was actually pretty decent-- polite, even.


    "Pft."


    Yun Hao''s ssmates then suddenly burst out in a fit ofughter as they approached Yun Hao.


    "Just leave it with the guy, Champ," one of his ssmates snickered, "It''s not like you have a lot of money hidden there."


    "Oi, don''t be like that. Yun Hao has a lot of cars to wash, that is--"


    "Shut the fuck up or I''ll knock out your teeth."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Tch, let''s just fucking leave the guy, he''ll leave anyway once he sees the prices."


    And so, with that, the group started sitting at Yun Hao''s previous table, asking some of the waiters to add more tables to the side as they were expecting more people.


    Yun Hao had actually thought of leaving as soon as the group arrived; but if he was going to back down every single time these fuckers show themselves now that he had money, then he might as well have proceeded in killing himself.


    "...Take me to my table," Yun Hao then respectfully nodded towards the waiter.


    "Y yes, sir. Right this way, sir."


    The waiter also politely bowed towards Yun Hao. He was a bit turned off when the other guys mentioned Yun Hao not having money, but who was he to judge when he was also struggling?


    And besides, it did not hurt to be respectful. He had read a lot of those hidden CEO novels, and if there was anything he learned from them-- is that hidden young masters are plenty and entric. He wasn''t about to be the one receiving the short end of the stick; it also didn''t hurt his decision that this young man was built like a truck. A young master would cause him to lose his job but if he was a hidden cultivator?


    The waiter would be lucky to leave this ce alive.


    "This is the table, sir."


    "..." Yun Hao could not help but look back and forth between the table and the respectful waiter. He didn''t even have to walk 3 steps to find his new table; at this point, he might as well be sitting at the same table with his ssmates since they added a new table which was basically touching his new table.


    "Are you kidding me?" Yun Hao could not help but breathe out as he stared at the respectful waiter.


    "N no, sir. This this is the only table left."


    The waiter could not help but take in a long and deep breath as he noticed the huge scar on Yun Hao''s face. Was this it!? Was he going to die at the hands of a hidden cultivator?


    Seeing the waiter''s slightly trembling cheeks, Yun Hao could only let out a sigh as he took his seat.


    "L Let me get another chair so you can ce your bags, sir!" The waiter then bowed several times towards Yun Hao before taking his leave.


    ...Why is he so nervous? Yun Hao thought as he grabbed the menu in front of him, but before he could even open it up, one of his ssmates tapped his table.


    "You don''t have to worry, Champ. Just eat whatever you want," the ssmate said, "We will pay for everything. Consider it a charity for our school''s fallen star."


    "..." Should he punch him? A little voice in Yun Hao''s head was telling him to lift his fist. But after much consideration, perhaps there was a better way to release his frustration-- a gentleman''s approach.


    "Then I thank you for your kindness," Yun Hao then smiled as he put down the menu.


    Yun Hao''s ssmates could not help but blink a couple of times as they heard the tone of Yun Hao''s voice. What was with this sudden politeness? They all thought.


    Was he nning something?


    He was.


    Yun Hao has not eaten yet, and since these young masters told him that they would pay for everything, Yun Hao would make sure to eat his fill. One should not underestimate the appetite of a fallen boxer, after all.


    His stomach has not had the chance to be filled with food ever since Tsinghai Highschool took him off the boxing team and stopped sponsoring his meals; but even those meals are controlled and had absolutely no taste and were just purely for their nutrients.


    Tsinghai treated him as nothing but a tool, decreasing and increasing his weight to their liking-- even starving and dehydrating him to the point where his lips chapped with even the slightest movement.


    If the people thought he was ripped now, they should have seen Yun Hao when he was stillpeting.


    "Will all of you be having the usual, young masters?"


    Yun Hao''s scheming thoughts were then disrupted as a waiter approached his ssmates'' table. Where... was the waiter that was assisting him?


    "You know us so well, Jun," one of Yun Hao''s ssmates, handed a couple of dors towards the waiter before whispering something into his ear. Afterward, the waiter nced at Yun Hao, seemingly smirking as he nodded a couple of times.


    This didn''t escape Yun Hao''s notice, of course. But he couldn''t be bothered to care for their silly antiques. He was here to eat, and no one will be able to stop him from ordering everything on the menu.


    "When are the girls going to be here, brother Fen?"


    "I''ve already dm''ed them, just chill, brother Tao. They were on their wayst I checked."


    "You sure? I don''t wanna be spending my weekends with just you motherfuckers."


    The group started talking andughing with each other, leaving out Yun Hao who was just taking in the ambience of the restaurant. Who knew when he would be able to go inside a restaurant like this again?


    Wait he has money now. He could go here every day if he wanted to.


    With that thought, Yun Hao could not help but let out a light smirk. But after a few seconds, he shook his head. Even if he has a lot of money now, practically unlimited, he wasn''t nning on changing his way of life just yet.


    The Way of the Dao for normal people is expensive. If he was nning on unlocking his meridians, then he needed to focus his money on that; indulging in life''s little pleasantries wille after.


    "Ah, there they are!"


    Yun Hao''s thoughts were disrupted by the annoying rising voice of his ssmate. All of them stood up, looking in a certain direction. Yun Hao contemted on whether or not to stand up, but since he was just here to eat then he didn''t bother himself.


    His ssmates seemed to be here to meet girls they met online. He just discovered that his ex-girlfriend had been cheating on him with his ex-best friend-- he wasn''t going to be dating anyone anytime soon.


    And so, he just remained sitting, wondering when the waiter would be handing him the menu so that he could choose what to order-- or what not to order.


    Yun Hao let out a sigh, ignoring the formalities that his ssmates were exchanging with the girls that just came in.


    "Hello?"


    But suddenly, someone sat in front of him. It was a beautiful young woman, reaching her hand towards Yun Hao.


    But that wasn''t the most important factor that caught Yun Hao''s attention-- the woman had a white band tied around her left arm, signifying that she was in the Early-stage of the Mortal Realm.


    A Cultivator.

 Chapter 9: Everything

    Chapter 9: Everything


    "Hello?"


    Yun Hao has been staring at the hand being offered to him for a few seconds now, or more specifically, he was looking at the white band tied on the woman''s left arm.


    "...Hello?" The woman started to blink her eyes a couple of times as she looked at Yun Hao''s ssmates as if she was asking what was wrong with him. And without even a slight pause, one of Yun Hao''s ssmates answered.


    "Ah! Don''t mind him," he said, "We just tagged him along because he looked hungry, don''t bother with him. It was only us five you girls were talking with."


    The one sitting behind Yun Hao, Yin Fen, was initially a bit perplexed that one of the girls chose to sit in front of Yun Hao instead of one of them. He thought that the most beautiful one in the group was walking to the seat in front of him, but s, she was walking to Yun Hao''s.


    "He is our ssmate, you see. But he is poor." Yin Fen said, casually waving his hand as if it wasn''t a big deal, "It''s charity, charity. We have a lot of money to spare, we can even buy this restaurant, so it''s not a big deal."


    "I I see," the female cultivator awkwardly bowed towards Yun Hao as she stood up from her seat, slightly pushing and scooching behind her friend who was sitting beside her. Of course, she still took one final nce towards Yun Hao, who seemed to no longer be looking at her.


    She approached Yun Hao because she thought that out of all the boys that they were meeting today, Yun Hao looked like her match. He looked like the brooding type, not to mention his muscles felt like they were shouting that he trains hard every single day. And it didn''t hurt that he was also the best-looking of the group.


    As a newly awakened Cultivator, the boys at her school had started avoiding her, in fear of being squashed. But it was different with Yun Hao-- but once again, her hopes were crushed as Yun Hao was not part of the mixer today.


    With the thoughts of a girl going through the hormonal thoughts of adulthood targeting Yun Hao. The said target seemed to bepletely oblivious of the looks that were being given to him. As soon as Yun Hao saw the white armband, the huge scar hidden by his hair instantly throbbed.


    Is it fear? Yun Hao thought. Has he developed a fear for Cultivators? Or was it rage?


    No. If there was an object for his rage, it would be his best friend, Long Yazhu, as well as Ang.


    Perhaps it would be wise for him to be a Cultivator as soon as possible. This world was just one colossal boxing ring


    ...and he didn''t fear anyone in the ring. Fighting was all he has ever known, and doing that in the real world as a puny human would just lead to him making a fool of himself. With Cultivators roaming around, he can never win again.


    Yun Hao let out a long and deep breath as he shook his head. It was truly decided then He would be walking in the Path of Cultivation.


    He will--


    "..."


    Yun Hao''s thoughts of glory were then disrupted by the sound of spoons nging beside him. He turned his head to the side, only to see their part of the table already filled with food. They were already merrily eating and talking with each other.


    Seriously? Yun Hao thought. Is this what his ssmate whispered to the waiter before the girls arrived? Not to serve him any food on his part of the table?


    And he was right. Yun Hao could hear his ssmates trying to hold their breaths as they take side nces towards him. He already knew his ssmates would find a way to bully him one way or another, but this is just creative, he thought.


    If it was the him of yesterday, then maybe he would have already attempted to murder these little young masters. But s, he was a rich man now. Rich people should not be so petty, he thought, shaking his head and letting out a light sigh before raising his hand to call for a waiter.


    "..."


    "..."


    "Pft."


    15 seconds. That is how long Yun Hao''s hand has been raised, and yet none of the waiters even bother approaching him. Some were even tantly walking behind him as if he didn''t exist at all. The only waiter that was respectful to Yun Hao was nowhere to be seen as well.


    Yun Hao''s eyes started to twitch as his breath started to get heavy.


    ''Okay,'' he thought. Maybe he wasn''t as calm as he thought he was. His hands, which had not hit anyone sincest night, were starting to itch. But before his hands could have a mind of their own, the female cultivator that was in front of her earlier raised her hand.


    As soon as she did so, one of the waiters that had beenpletely ignoring Yun Hao quickly rushed towards her.


    "Yes, master?" The waiter said, his tone filled with respect as he bowed towards the female Cultivator.


    "Give him a menu."


    "...Eh?"


    "Give him a menu," the female cultivator repeated, her tone bing colder the second time, "Now."


    "A... at once!" The waiter was at a loss as to what to do first as he looked at Yin Fen. But since it was between him and a cultivator, the waiter quickly made his choice to go and fetch the menu.


    But before he could walk away, he felt a slight pain on his wrist. He quickly looked back, only to see the young man he was refusing to serve grabbing his wrist.


    "There''s no need for a menu," Yun Hao said as he shook his head, "I will order everything in it."


    "S sir?"


    "I will order two of everything on the menu," a small smile slowly crept on his face as he let go of the waiter''s hand, "I am a bit hungry. And since my benevolent ssmates are kind enough to offer me charity, I would not let this chance pass by. Please."


    "O okay!" The waiter left in a panic as he felt his wrist still throbbed from the pain, not even waiting for Yin Fen to stop him.


    "S shameless!" Yin Fen quickly stood up, "Yun Hao. You are shame--"


    "It''s fine, friend," Yun Hao once again let out a sigh, "You said you can buy this restaurant anyway, why not pay for everyone''s meals while you''re at it?"


    "What!? What the fuck does it have to do with--"


    "Amazing!"


    Before Yin Fen could even finish his words, the people that have been closely watching their table for any uing drama started to p their hands.


    "Thank you for treating us to our meal, young man."


    "You''re really great!"


    "Did you hear that everyone? This young master here is treating us all!"


    "W well, okay then?" Yin Fen could only sit back down as his pleas were drowned by his ego. With all the people looking at him with awe and adoration, he just bowed his head, smiling at the people that were cheering for him.


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, wasughing menacingly in his mind. This would surely cause him trouble in the future but since he had money now, he was sure he could solve it somehow. He would just bask in the glory on his way to sweet victory today.


    For once, he was winning against his ssmates.


    "..." The female cultivator could not help but squint her eyes as she looked at Yun Hao, who was obviously trying to hold hisughter.


    ''Maybe this man is evil?'' She thought.


    Yun Hao then noticed that the female cultivator was looking at her, and without meaning to, perhaps due to his internal happiness


    ...he winked at her.

 Chapter 10: Ouch

    Chapter 10: Ouch


    The female cultivator quickly turned her head to the front as Yun Hao suddenly winked at her.


    Did he notice that she was staring at him? The female cultivator thought as she once again ate the food in front of her, awkwardly. Yun Hao, who realized what he just did, could not help but slightly clear his throat.


    Did he just wink at a Cultivator? What if he offends her and she just cuts off his neck just like that? Although the Confederation has strictws about Cultivators not harming normal humans, there were still a lot of cases of violence against them. If this young woman was violent, then Yun Hao was sure that he would be leaving here in more than 1 piece.


    But seeing as she was just minding her own food and not even talking to anyone about what just happened, it would seem that Yun Hao would be fine. He just needed to remind himself not to do that again or his ns of bing a Cultivator would be over before it even started.


    Yun Hao waited like this in silence for a while, not even joining the pretentious conversation that his ssmates and the girls they met online were having. He was slightly interested in what the female cultivator was doing, but she just seemed like any ordinary girl with the way she talks.


    And finally, after a good 15 minutes, the dishes he ordered came rushing in. The waiters flocked to ce the 2 more tables near Yun Hao, putting the tes there. The appetizers came first, with Yun Hao eating them before the other tes could make contact with the table.


    "It''s less than I thought," Yun Hao muttered as he saw the 2 tables after all of his orders were delivered. Perhaps since it was a fancy restaurant, the number of their menu is limited to keep the quality of the food consistent, he thought.


    "I think I can actually finish this on my own or do you guys want some?"


    Yun Hao then offered one of the dishes to Yin Fen and the others.


    "Go eat that all by yourself, you shameless bastard!"


    "Suit yourself," Yun Hao just shrugged his shoulders, "You''re the one paying for this anyway." He said as he began eating all the delicious food that presented itself to him.


    "Kh" Yin Fen could not help but grit his teeth at Yun Hao''s statement. He was going to reprimand him earlier, but when the rest of the people in the restaurant started pping their hands and cheering for him, he chose not to do so.


    He could probably afford whatever bill wasing anyway. He just had to suffer through the sound of Yun Hao humming as he leisurely ate all the food that he ordered. How can he even fit all of that in his stomach anyway!? Yin Fen hollered in his mind.


    Yun Hao, however, waspletely oblivious of his thoughts as he was lost in his own. If there weren''t any people here, he would probably start crying. This was probably the most delicious food he had ever eaten for years. Most of the food that he had when he was still training in Tsinghai''s boxing team was nd and only for nutrition.


    And just like that, almost at the same time, he finished his food alongside Yin Fen and the others who were chatting while eating.


    Yun Hao could not help but let out an extremely tiny breath, as his lungs could no longer hold more due to his full stomach.


    "...Are you perhaps a Cultivator?"


    And finally, with her curiosity getting the best of her, the female cultivator asked the question that has been bothering her for quite some time now.


    Yun Hao ignored her at first, but when he realized that she was actually looking at him, his eyes could not help but blink a couple of times.


    "...Me?" He pointed at himself.


    "Yes," the female cultivator nodded.


    "N--"


    "He''s not!"


    But before Yun Hao could even say no, Yin Fen interrupted him. "He used to be a boxer, but ever since he picked a fight with a Cultivator, he lost an eye and was kicked out of the team, pft."


    Once again, Yin Fen let out a slight chuckle, garnering theughs of his other ssmates as well. However, theirughter was cut short as a sudden pressure crawl through his skin when the female cultivator suddenly red at him.


    "I wasn''t talking to you," she said, her previous friendly tonepletely gone.


    Yin Fen could only hold his breath, not even getting the courage to speak as the heavy feeling in his body remained even though the female cultivator was no longer looking at him.


    "So you just trained your body?" The female cultivator once again asked Yun Hao.


    "...I suppose," Yun Hao said, careful not to say anything rude.


    "I see. I thought you were just hiding your cultivation level," the female cultivator let out a small sigh as she no longer heeded Yun Hao any mind.


    ''What the fuck was that?'' Yun Hao thought as he slightly shook his head. The woman was only at the Early-stage of the Mortal Realm, probably even at the 1st or 2nd Level of the Early-stage, and yet the pressure he felt from her was already overwhelming.


    And to think her ire wasn''t even pointed at him.


    Truly, once again, he was reminded of the difference between a normal human and a Cultivator.


    After that, nothing worthwhile happened as the group continued to chat with each other. asionally, there were people going near their table, thanking and shaking Yin Fen''s hand before leaving the restaurant.


    Yun Hao wanted to leave since he was already done anyway, but he wanted to see if his petty revenge would actually bear fruit.


    Yin Fen could only smile and greet them. Perhaps this was actually a good thing, he thought. His and his family''s name was getting renowned from all the other people.


    And so, with them done with their meals, and with a wide smile on his face, Yin Fen asked for the check.


    "!!!"


    Yin Fen could not help but take a deep breath as the number of digits in the little paper he was holding almost drowned him. But even then, he did not let any of his friends or the girls notice his surprise.


    It was, however, clear as day to Yun Hao.


    Yin Fen could only clear his throat and smile as he handed his credit card to the waiter. "Well deserved," he said, "The food here is phenomenal."


    "Thank you again for your patronage, younger master Fen," the waiter bowed respectfully before walking away.


    "...Are you sure you''re alright?" Yun Hao then suddenly asked, "I saw the check, it was--"


    "Perhaps it was a lot for you, but my weekly allowance could cover that." Yin Fen quickly scoffed, not even letting Yun Hao finish his words, "You don''t have to worry about the problems of the rich, Yun Hao."


    Once again, Yin Fen and his other ssmates let out a small chuckle. The other girls as well, except the female cultivator, were slightly letting out a giggle. Like the female cultivator, the first one they noticed was Yun Hao since he was the hottest of the group by a mile. But now, knowing that he was just a tag-along and seeing his shameless disy earlier, they no longer held any attraction to him.


    "Why are you still even here?" Yin Fen added, "Don''t tell me you want toe with us for dess--"


    "Y young master Fen, your card is"


    Before Yin Fen could finish his words, the waiter that handed him the check earlier came back and whispered to his ear.


    "W what? What do you mean declined!?" Yin Fen suddenly shouted, garnering the attention of everyone in the restaurant.


    "Pft," Yun Hao, who was about to drink a ss of water, could not help but let out a snort. Why did he stay? Obviously, he was waiting for something like this to happen.


    "That can''t be," Yin Fen said as he stood up, "Swipe it again!" He then slightly pushed the waiter, following him to the counter.


    And true enough, the dreaded beeping sound echoed through Yin Fen''s ears. "This this can''t be. Try my other cards."


    Yin Fen gave two other cards to the counter, but even then, the situation remained the same, until finally, he realized his blunder. The end of the month wasing, and with that, he had most likely used up all of his credit to the limit.


    "S shit," he let out a short whisper. He then looked at his table, only to see his friends as well as the other girls looking at him with eyes of expectation. Yin Fen silently cursed. What exactly were his friends doing? Shouldn''t they already know that he was in distress and they should chip in?


    Then why are they just looking at him as if they weren''t bros!?


    "How much for my order only?"


    Until finally, a saving grace as one of the people in the group approached the counter. But it wasn''t someone that Yin Fen was expecting at all.


    Yun Hao.


    "S sir?" The cashier could not help but stutter as this tall man suddenly stood in front of him.


    "How much for my order only? I ordered 2 of every single thing on the menu." Yun Hao let out a sigh as he had to repeat his words.


    "That''s" The cashier looked at the check for a few seconds, before writing in a small piece of paper and handing it to Yun Hao, "It is this much, sir."


    "The fuck!?" Yun Hao could not help but slightly back away, almost throwing the piece of paper back at the cashier''s face, "$1,200?"


    Yun Hao''s hand started to shake as he gripped the piece of paper with ''$1,200'' written on it. He knew it was going to cost him, but to think it was this much was absolutely ridiculous, he thought. If he didn''t have $8,000 in his name right now, and a mountain more waiting for him at home... then he would have probably attempted to kill himself again.


    Yun Hao then looked at Yin Fen, who had to pay for everyone''s food in the restaurant. Perhaps his revenge was a little bit too much? Yin Fen wasn''t even saying anything anymore even though Yun Hao almost choked because of how much the food cost.


    Yun Hao could only shake his head as he ced the bag he was holding on the floor, cautiously opening it up, looking in every direction before he finally grabbed something inside of it.


    He was carefully hiding what he was doing to everyone, even the female cultivator became curious as to what he was doing. But after a few seconds, he ced something in front of the cashier.


    "$1,200," Yun Hao said as patted the money he just ced on the counter. $1,200, exact to the tee.


    And just like that, he left the restaurant, patting Yin Fen on the shoulders a couple of times on the way out, but not before literally having the final word. "Ah, young master...


    ...let''s hope the girl you fancy doesn''t reject you like your cards just did."


    ***


    AUTHOR''S NOTES:


    If you like it, please do vote so I would know if it has the potential T_T. Thank you very much!

 Chapter 11: Small World

    Chapter 11: Small World


    "Mama, mama. Look at that--"


    "Don''t look at him, he''s probably on drugs. Don''t involve yourself with men like that in the future, okay?"


    Out in the busy streets, a mother was currently pulling her daughter away as they saw a tall manughing menacingly inside a dark alley. That man was, of course, Yun Hao.


    He had been trying to hold off hisughter ever since he got out of the restaurant, and now that he was alone in an alleyway, he was finally able to let all of it out. But s, contrary to his expectations, his tall stature was too domineering not to notice even in a dark alleyway.


    It didn''t help that he was punching the wall in happiness, not even minding the pain as the skin on his fingers was ripped away due to the strength of his punch and the hardness of the wall.


    "Oi! What are you doing there!?"


    Yun Hao, however, had no choice but to run away when one of the people inside of the building he was punching threatened to hit him with a baseball bat. Hisughter, however, still echoed, causing the people to make way for him as if he carried a virus that came from a small animal.


    It also didn''t help that his hair was bouncing, causing the huge scar on the left side of his face to be visible. That, along with the ck bags he was holding It was enough to make one very suspicious.


    But Yun Hao did not really seem to mind, as his ssmate''s nk expression reyed in his mind over and over again. Thinking about it logically now, he should probably start getting ready in stepping into the world of Cultivators. Trouble would surely be finding him now that he has offended one of the young masters of Tsinghai Highschool. If he was a cultivator, then they would have to think twice about getting even with him.


    "..." How does one be a Cultivator in the first ce?


    Yun Hao blinked a couple of times as he realized that he did not know the first thing about bing one.


    His parents died at the hands of a Cultivator. And it wasn''t only them, a lot more other are dying... but even then, the normal humans wanted to be one of them. Yun Hao at least wanted to be sessful as a normal human using his boxing skills but s, that was taken away from him, leaving him as nothing but a fool who refused power.


    And now that he was interested in being one he had no idea where to start.


    "Mr. Hao!"


    And as he was scrambling his mind for a hint, a familiar voice called to him from behind-- the female Cultivator in the mixer earlier.


    "You?"


    "Good thing I caught up to you, Mr. Hao." The female cultivator seemed to have scurried to chase him, seeing as her clothes were crumpled up, but even though she seemed to have sprinted all the way from the restaurant without pause, she didn''t seem to be short for breath-- another perk of being a cultivator, Yun Hao thought.


    "Did you need something from me, master"


    "Huang Yi, you can just call me Huang Yi." The female cultivator waved her hand, gesturing for Yun Hao to drop the honorifics.


    "Ms. Huang," Yun Hao still bowed respectfully. Who knows when this cultivator suddenly decides to hurt him, he thought. It was best to be on her good side as much as possible, "Is there anything I can help you with?"


    Yun Hao was a bit nervous. Was she here because his ssmate wanted to take revenge on him as soon as possible and asked Huang Yi to hurt him?


    ...She wouldn''t just kill him in front of all these people, will she?


    "No," Huang Yu shook her head before tilting it to the side, "Well, actually, yes. I think I recognize you now."


    "...Me?"


    "Hm," Huang Yu nodded, "You''re the athlete that the Song family wanted to take in, aren''t you?"


    "...How''d you know about that?" Yun Hao could not help but raise his eyebrow as he heard the Song family being mentioned. It was the family that wanted to open up his meridians, in exchange for joining their n.


    "There are only a few Normie-- normal people the ns take notice of, and even fewer ns in this city in the first ce," Huang Yi let out a small smile, "I happen to be close with Song Jian and she told me that someone actually had the guts to refuse her family."


    "Jian Colorful person," Yun Hao muttered. He had only met her once, and she was a little bit too headstrong for him, "Well, small world."


    "Hm," Huang Yi nodded.


    "..."


    After that, there was an awkward silence that lingered for about 5 seconds before Yun Hao puckered his lips, "Right then I don''t want to take too much of your time."


    "Wait, no."


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao was about to turn around, but Huang Yi grabbed his wrist. This caused Yun Hao to drop the bags he was carrying and push Huang Yi''s hand away, immediately backing up and putting up a stance.


    His right eyepletely focused on Huang Yi''s smallest movements.


    Huang Yi as well, put up her guard as soon as Yun Hao''s temperament suddenly changed. But after a while, she realized her blunder. Did she just put up her guard just because of a normal human? And so, realizing her silliness, she quickly put down her guard.


    Yun Hao, as well, put down his guard when he saw the look of confusion in Huang Yi''s eyes.


    "S sorry, instincts," Yun Hao could not help but stutter. How stupid was he that his first instinct when a cultivator touches him is to fight back?


    "N no," Huang Yi as well, stuttered due to the sudden awkward atmosphere that now pestered the air.


    "...Is there something else you needed from me, Ms. Huang?" Yun Hao once again asked while picking up his bags from the ground. There were a lot of people walking around, who knows when someone might nab one of his bags.


    "I was hoping to get your number."


    "My number?"


    Did this female cultivator actually fall in love with his manly charms? Of course, Yun Hao wasn''t stupid. He knew that he was better looking than most men even with half of his face covered with hair but this is a cultivator. And besides, he was still recovering from a heartbreak.


    Although Huang Yi didn''t look too bad herself.


    "Wait, no. It''s not like that!" Huang Yi, who realized the look of judgment on Yun Hao''s eyes, quickly waved her hands, her face almost turning cherry, "I wanted to offer you the same thing that the Song family offered you


    ...Be a practitioner under our Huang fam--"


    "I don''t have a phone."

 Chapter 12: Video

    Chapter 12: Video


    "I wanted to offer you the same thing that the Song family offered you


    ...Be a practitioner under our Huang fam--"


    "I don''t have a phone."


    "..."


    Before Huang Yi could even finish her words, Yun Hao interrupted her.


    "You don''t have a phone?"


    "I haven''t bought one yet," Yun Hao said as he let out a long and deep sigh. He should probably buy one today even if he had no friends to put numbers in it. After all, there were a lot of things that could be done with phones nowadays. It would also be a chance for him to research how to be a Cultivator.


    "I''m afraid not," Yun Hao once again shook his head, "As you''ve already heard from my ssmates, I am poor."


    "...But if you had a phone, would you ept my invitation?" Huang Yi then looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes.


    "Probably not," Yun Hao answered without any hesitation in his words. He then dropped one of his bags before pushing his hair on the side, revealing the huge scar that trailed down from his eyebrows all the way to his chin.


    "That is"


    "I''m injured," Yun Hao muttered as he once again covered half his face, "Whatever the Song family saw in me is gone now. You''d be wasting your resources on me," Yun Hao then let out a short sigh.


    In truth, Yun Hao just didn''t want to be rude and refused Huang Yi outright. He was sure he already had all the resources he would need to be a Cultivator but still, it might not hurt to know someone from the Cultivation world.


    "I have an e-mail, though," Yun Hao added, "You can just mail me there for anything else."


    "I see," the disappointment in Huang Yi''s voice could be heard clearly, "What''s your e-mail ."


    "..." Huang Yi''s fingers, which were about to enter Yun Hao''s e-mail in her phone, instantly stopped. But after a few seconds, she forced her trembling thumbs to enter Yun Hao''s e-mail, "I I sent you an e-mail. I should be on top of your mail if you check it." Huang Yi stuttered, trying her best not to let out augh.


    Afterward, the two exchanged some casual conversation for a few more seconds before saying their farewells. But before the both of them could even take 3 steps away from each other, Yun Hao realized something.


    He wanted to know more about Cultivators, specifically the process of how to be one via the Confederation. And so, he turned around and called her,


    "Ms. Huang."


    "Yes?" Huang Yi quickly turned around as soon as she heard her name being called, her expression somewhat excited for some reason.


    "...Do you know how much I need to be a Cultivator?"


    "By Immersion?"


    Immersion was the name of the process in which a normal human opens his meridians in order to be a Cultivator and that was the extent of Yun Hao''s knowledge on that.


    "Yes," Yun Hao nodded, "Would you happen to know how much money someone needs to pay the Confederation to unlock my meridians?"


    "...You wish to go through Immersion?" Huang Yi squinted her eyes. Her intrigue already died down when she found out that Yun Hao was injured, but now her curiosity was once again triggered, "I don''t really know exactly how much since I was born in a cultivator n... But I think it''s around $300,000?"


    "300" Yun Hao could not help but gulp as he heard the cost. He still had a lot of coins to distribute to other channels, it might take him more than a month to get that amount. Yun Hao had already thought of duplicating the full bills, but seeing as they had serial numbers, he won''t easily be able to distribute them as easily.


    "If you really wish to be a cultivator, then I am sure my family can--"


    "I can''t possibly give you the burden of taking care of a cripple like me, Ms. Huang," Yun Hao quickly refused. It was a very good offer. If he had met Huang Yist week, then he might have epted it.


    Yun Hao might becking in the thinking department, but now that he had the power to duplicate not only money but simple day-to-day objects, he felt that he would be too restricted inside a n. Unless he was offered tons of Beast Cores upon joining, then he had no reason to join them.


    "I see," Huang Yi once again let out a small sigh, "But if ever you change your mind, you know where to contact me. Have a good day, Yun Hao."


    "You to--"


    Before Yun Hao could even finish his farewells, Huang Yi already turned around and left, clearly disappointed that she was refused not only once, but twice by Yun Hao.


    "..." Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times before he grabbed his bags and also went home for the day. He was worried at first that the construction guys from the scrapyard would discover his secret stash of wealth, but they rarely, if at all, go to Yun Hao''s house.


    And true enough, his secret stash is still there and still drowning his house almost through his knees. Yun Hao carefully stepped on the mountain of coins inside his small house, swimming through it as he tried to make his way around the house.


    "...This isn''t going to work," he could not help but mutter. How was he even able to duplicate this many coins in the first ce? Was it some kind of awakening of some sort?


    He still had so many questions.


    Are the copies permanent? Seeing as almost a day had already passed and the coins were still here, that was probably the case.


    Can his power grow stronger? He copsed when he tried to duplicate an object bigger than him was it possible to make it so that he wouldn''t in the future? Can he train his power like a muscle? But that''s where hisst questiones into y.


    Is his power permanent? So far, he still has it. But he was careful in using it as there might be an overall limit. If he wasted it in just duplicating measly 1 yuan coins, then he was sure he would regret it for the rest of his life.


    He had a master n, after all. First, it was to be a Cultivator.


    Second it was to get his hands on a Beast Core.


    Beast Cores had a lot of use. Cultivators use it as money, to trade, to use as an ingredient for alchemy, but most importantly to grow stronger.


    Yun Hao wanted to see if he could duplicate them. If he could


    ...then there was a possibility that he would someday be the champion in the world of the immortals. Leave all of his problems behind and gain his rightful ce amongst the stars once more.


    Yun Hao knew he was being arrogant, but his blood was boiling to once again step into the ring. But first he had to clear out all of these god-damn coins-- Yun Hao thought as he let out a long and deep sigh.


    Meanwhile, a few kilometers away on top of a tall building, a bald man with a pencil mustache was looking in the direction of the scrapyard, his eyes moving as if he could actually see Yun Hao from afar.


    "...Finally," the man once again said.


    ***


    Two days had passed, and Yun Hao had to put the distribution of his coins to a halt as he still had to go to school. After all, if his n fails, a normal paying job was his only escape from this hell.


    So far, in total, he had amassed around $20,000. Since he already had experience in distributing the coins, it didn''t take him too long with the other market he went to yesterday.


    $20,000.


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a slight giggle whenever the amount echoed through his mind. His joy was bursting through, so much so that he didn''t notice the gaze and the quiet chuckles that his fellow schoolmates were giving him as he made his way to his ssroom.


    They were allughing at him while holding their phones, seemingly watching a video on it while ncing at Yun Hao from time to time.


    Yun Hao arrived in his ssroom,pletely oblivious of everything happening in his surroundings. He was already used to being mocked, so any whispers he hears would just go through one ear and exit to the next without even registering in his mind.


    However, as soon as he sat on his desk, he finally noticed themotion happening around him. How could he not, when it was being yed right in front of the whole ss by a projector?


    It was a video showing Yun Hao, Zhang Ang, and Long Yazhu. It showed the video of how Ang screamed at Yun Hao, calling him worthless and that''s why she reced him with Long Yazhu.


    "!!!"

 Chapter 13: F*** This

    Chapter 13: F*** This


    [You are disgusting! You don''t even have a toilet in your house!]


    [You are disgusting! You don''t even have a toi...]


    "!!!"


    The sound of the floor being scratched rang through the air as Yun Hao quickly stood up from his seat. He stared at the video being repeated from the projector, his face which showed his shock and utter desperation being reyed over and over again for everyone to see.


    Yun Hao''s breaths became heavy as Ang''s voice pierced his ears. With everything that''s happened to him the past 2 days, he thought that he had totally forgotten about the issue with his ex-girlfriend. But now that it was being reyed in front of him, the pain of discovering that she was cheating on him with his ex-best friend resurfaced from his heart.


    It didn''t help that the said best friend is in the same ssroom as him right now, with his silent mocking peals ofughter whispering into Yun Hao''s ears. Yun Hao could not help but close his fists, gripping them extremely tight to the point that the calluses on his palms were chafed off.


    He wanted to punch himself so badly so that the pain from his heart would lessen, or at the least distract himself from it. But s, he had never shown that side of him to anyone else, and he wasn''t nning on doing it now in front of all his ssmates.


    What if he just lock the door and beat the living shit out of everyone in this ss? The teacher won''t be arriving in another 10 minutes. He was sure that everyone in this ss would be unconscious by then.


    He would start with Long Yazhu since he was also trained in the boxing team. As long as he knocks him out then everyone else would be easy, half of them were women as well. He had money anyway, he could just run away before anyone catches him. If worsees to worst, he could just kill himself and be--


    Yun Hao then shook his head off the dangerous thoughts that were surfacing in his mind. He was different now. He once again had a future, a future of unlimited wealth and all the power in the world avable to him.


    He just had to persevere. Zhang Ang is just a petty little bitch-- Yun Hao kept screaming in his mind.


    With that thought, Yun Hao slowly gathered his breath as his fists that were itching to hurt someone started to loosen up. Yun Hao then red at Long Yazhu, before just sitting back in his seat.


    It wasn''t worth it. Yun Hao knew that Long Yazhu was provoking him because he wanted him tosh out. One wrong move and Yun Hao was out of Tsinghai High School. Just one more year, and he would be able to graduate. Even if he had the power to gain unlimited wealth now, he felt like he owed it to his past self to see this through... but did he, really?


    All the ridicule, mocking, disdain,ughter, and all the oppression that his past self endured he needed to see it through. He will never let the system that keeps bringing him down win, never.


    He already lost once, never again.


    "..."


    One of his ssmates that was in the restaurant 2 days ago approached Yun Hao, a wide gloating smirk adorning his face. "Hey Champ, I guess even in love you keep on los--"


    However, before the young man could even finish his sentence, Yun Hao did something that none of them were expecting.


    Yun Hao pushed his hair to the side,pletely exposing the huge scar that he had been desperately trying to hide for a year now. The women, who were initially giggling at Yun Hao''s sorry fate, could not help but hold their breaths.


    They were once again reminded of how handsome Yun Hao was. They thought that the scar would make him look disgusting, but the only thing it did was make him even more manly and intimidating as if a warrior calmly resting after a war.


    The male student that was initially approaching him could only step back as Yun Hao red at him.


    "Perhaps it''s time for you to turn that off?" Yun Hao said, his tone neither demanding nor arrogant, but still, the eerie calmness that it contained was enough to cause the male student to flinch, "The teacher ising any minute now."


    "O okay."


    The room instantly became quiet as Yun Hao''s cold voice whispered through the air. The male student was about to turn off the projector, but before he could do so, Long Yazhu suddenly stood up from his seat.


    "Did I tell you that you can bring that down?" He said towards the male student before he could turn the projector off, "Turn that off and I would make sure your family doesn''t do business in the city again."


    "Don''t turn that off and I would make sure your family will be visiting you in the hospital for the rest of your life."


    "!!!"


    Hearing the almost prating threat in Yun Hao''s voice instantly made the male student turn the projector off, almost even pulling it apart due to how fast he did it. The other students, who usually made fun of Yun Hao, now could only keep quiet.


    Just where did Yun Hao suddenly get the courage to threaten other people? Did the boxing team take him back? Did the school give him back his schrship? If not, just where did this piss-poor man get the courage to talk back to his betters!? They all thought.


    But s, not one of them could make a sound. Maybe they have finally cornered Yun Hao to the point that he didn''t care anymore is he hiding a gun somewhere in his bag? No, forget that. Since all of them were just normal humans here, Yun Hao''s fist could be considered the gun itself.


    Now, there was only one who had the guts to provoke him,


    "Really? Threatening to send people to hospitals, since when has our Champ been this hotheaded?" Long Yazhu said as he made his way in front of Yun Hao''s desk, resting one knee on it, "Maybe since you''re like this, I should tell father to kick you out of the scrapyard."


    "Go ahead," Yun Hao said, "Cry to daddy."


    "You--"


    "Everyone in this room knows that''s the only way you can win against me, anyway. No one will judge you."


    "I fucked your girlfriend while the two of you are still together!"


    "Picking up my scraps now? Maybe you should tell sir Long that you should be the one staying in the scrapyard instead."


    "!!!"


    A loud thud resounded through the air as Long Yazhu finally snapped and swung his fist straight towards Yun Hao''s cheek. Yun Hao''s body tilted to the side as his chair was slightly pushed back, but still, he managed to remain sitting even as blood started to trail from his mouth.


    "Fu--"


    "What is the meaning of this!?"


    Before Long Yazhu could follow up anything, a loud roar echoed throughout the room. "It''s too early in the morning for this, all of you go back to your seats!"


    "Tch."


    Long Yazhu could only click his tongue as he made his way back to the seat. He could probably cause trouble even if a teacher already arrived, but this might reach his father, and that was something he was trying to avoid.


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, just let out a long and deep sigh as he wiped the blooding from his cut lip. Yun Hao had seen the teachering into the ssroom right as Long Yazhu punched him. The teacher clearly saw that Long Yazhu punched him defenselessly, but he was acting as if what happened was just something minor. Not even letting Long Yazhu go with a p on his wrist.


    No matter, he already decided never to back down. Perhaps it was the money, but Yun Hao''s confidence definitely took a boost, perhaps in the best direction.


    Long Yazhu was going to be a Cultivator soon, if that happens, the first thing he would do was to probably cripple Yun Hao.


    Yun Hao must be a Cultivator before him. If not, any money in this world would mean nothing.


    "..."


    "..."


    "Fuck this."


    And suddenly, out of nowhere and perhaps on impulse Yun Hao stood up from his seat.


    "Where are you going, Mr. Yun!?"


    As soon as the teacher saw him walking towards the door, he quickly called for him, "Do you want to fail this ss!? You''re already in trouble for your poor grades. If you miss this ss I will you will definitely--"


    *BANG*


    "!!!"


    All the students that were already on the edge all stood up from their seats as a loud thunderous noise echoed throughout the entire room.


    "W why did you--"


    "As you can see, teacher I think my head is bleeding internally," Yun Hao said as he pointed at his nose, which was now profusely bleeding, "I think someone hit me from this ss, I just don''t remember who but you saw it, right?"


    "That''s--" the teacher could only take a gulp as he saw what Yun Hao just did. Yun Hao mmed his head on the wall, enough to shake the papers that were pinned on it.


    "I may need to go to the doctor''s for a week or two," Yun Hao said with a smile on his face, "If not I would probably die inside your ss, violently."


    "Go! Go!" As soon as the teacher heard Yun Hao''s words, he quickly waved his hands, "I I will inform the faculty that you''ll be absent for a few weeks!"


    "Thank you, sir Deng."


    Yun Hao bowed his head as he made his way outside of the ss. It was a good thing that there was no one in the hallway, the teacher thought. If not, word would probably get out that he allowed a student to get injured in his ss to the point of needing medical attention.


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, was all smiles. Two weeks he needed to dispose all of the coins he still had left inside his house.


    Money was the only thing that could get him out of this situation


    ...and money he would gain.

 Chapter 14: I Got Caught...?

    Chapter 14: I Got Caught...?


    "Fu"


    Once again, Yun Hao found himself covered in sweat as he was surrounded by bags that now look deted. Just a couple of hours ago, they were filled with coins that weighed almost more than Yun Hao himself, and he had to drag it all the way to another city so as to not arouse any suspicions.


    Even after a whole week of doing this, the weight of the coins still bothered him. His body was already trained to its full potential from all the years of training and work he had to do. Even when he was washing cars, the people there had asked him to lift gallons of water all on his own.


    That gallons of water was probably heavier than the coins, but there was this certain pressure in carrying money worth more than he had ever held in his hand before.


    After a week of distributing his coins in different channels and markets, Yun Hao had finally shaved off half of the coins that drowned the inside of his house. He initially thought that it would take months to do so, but ever since he got used to talking and mingling with the merchants, he almost certainly empties out his bag in the first 3 hours.


    He had already deposited most of the bills he gained in 3 separate bank ounts, he nned to alternate it weekly to make it look like he was depositing a sry. But of course, he still kept most of the money physically with him. If he puts everything in the bank, then he would be in trouble if somethinges up.


    A week, 9 days in total if you count the first two days that Yun Hao started distributing his money.


    And now, in just less than 10 days, he had approximately $200,000.


    $100,000 shy away from having enough money to turn himself into a Cultivator. Yun Hao was confident that after another week passes, he would have already unlocked his meridians.


    He was still wary that someone from the authorities would start making him out and investigate him, but even after a week of continuously doing this, no one had approached him. There were only the asional stares from the people in the bank since his clothes weren''t really that


    ...fashionable in a way. But once the teller sees that he actually has money, the weird looks immediately turn to a fake professional smile.


    Speaking of which, he should probably start to spend some money to buy new clothes. He had heard before that rich people were now trying to look homeless, but that was obviously a lie.


    He had $200,000 now, but he is not treating it as his own money, yet. It will be gone anyway once he goes to the Confederation to have his meridians unlocked. He doesn''t know if there was a limit of usage to his powers, so he just limits it to using it once a day-- to check if it''s still there.


    And so far, only breaths of reliefe out of his mouth. He needed to be a Cultivator as fast as possible so that he would be able to legally own a Beast Core. Once he gets his hands on one, he would immediately try and use his powers to duplicate it.


    After resting for a while and gathering his thoughts, Yun Hao then checked the time through his phone.


    Yes, he has a phone now. And the only contact he had in it was the female cultivator that sent an e-mail to him-- Huang Yi.


    But besides him telling Huang Yi that he has a phone number now, he hasn''t contacted her since. He doesn''t really need to ask her anything. Just one click on googoru and everything he needed to know was there. The only entertaining thing he was doing with his phone was watching boxing matches until the sun goes down.


    "It''s only 1 in the afternoon?" Yun Hao could not help but mutter as he looked at the time. If it was like this, he should be able to go back to his house, gather some more coins, and distribute them once again.


    He had already thought of transferring the coins to another location, but the safest ce he could think of was still inside his house. No one bothers to go there, not even to check on him. Yun Hao initially thought that Long Yazhu was going to cause trouble for him, asking his father to kick him out, but he didn''t.


    Perhaps Yazhu''s father doesn''t even know that Yun Hao was now living in the scrapyard and not in the apartment that he gave him. But of course, there was no way that Yun Hao could find out not unless he can get his phone number and call him personally.


    Yun Hao then shook his head as he started folding the empty bags wrapped around him, cing all of them inside a single bag before letting out a huge breath and standing up from his seat.


    "...Time to go to work again," Yun Hao let out a small smile as he decided to go home and get more coins from his house. But not even 10 steps from his seat, a group of men wearing suits blocked his path. The other people that were leisurely walking in the streets quickly dispersed upon the arrival of these men.


    "..." The smile on Yun Hao''s facepletely disappeared as he scanned the 6 men that blocked his path. All of them were dressed in the same clothes, as well as wearing huge sunsses that almost covered most of their faces.


    "Woah there, tall guy," one of the men said, "Where are you headed to?"


    "...Home," Yun Hao calmly said even as the men started giggling for no reason.


    "Why don''t you follow us for a few seconds? We have some questions to ask you." Another man stepped forward, immediately cing his hand on Yun Hao''s shoulder. Even with the 6 obviously built men, this one stood out the most as he was even taller than Yun Hao.


    Yun Hao stared at the man straight in the eyes for a few seconds before nodding his head.


    "...Oh, good." The group looked at each other, somewhat baffled that Yun Hao didn''t even ask or hesitate toe with them. But still, this made their jobs even easier as they once again giggled at one another.


    "Come with us then," the tallest of the group then ced his arms around Yun Hao''s shoulders, forcing him to walk with them. The other people that were still around could only shake their heads, especially the merchants that Yun Hao has been in business with.


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, remained calm as he stared at each of the men in suits. Even managing to remain calm as he was led to an isted and dark alleyway with almost no people passing by.


    "We''ve been watching you since this morning," the tallest of the group seems to also be the leader, as he was the one doing most of the talking, "...and you seem to have a lot of burden in your pockets."


    "..." Yun Hao remained silent for a few seconds before shaking his head, "I earned all of this through legal means, sir."


    "Oho, you think we care about that?" One of the men joined in on the conversation, "We just want everything you have, give it to us and you can be on your way."


    "...What?" Yun Hao furrowed his eyebrows.


    "What do you mean what!? Give us all your money and we will let you live!"


    One of the men was about to rush towards him, when Yun Hao raised his palm, "Wait"


    "Good," the man that was rushing towards him stopped to catch his breath, "It would seem that you''re not as stupid as you look--"


    "You people are not from the bank?" Yun Hao then said, interrupting the man before he could finish his words, "What about from the government? Are you people not IRS or something?"


    "What the fuck are you spouting about, boy!? Give us all your money so we can--"


    Once again, the man''s words were interrupted. But this time, not from Yun Hao''s voice, but from the sudden loud thud that echoed through the alleyway as Yun Hao''s fist made contact with the man''s face.


    "You!"


    The group, now only 5 of them, could not help but snarl as they saw one of their friends tumbling across the ground, straight towards the side of a garbage chute. They then all looked at Yun Hao, who was wiping off the sweat that umted on his face.


    "Oh man," Yun Hao let out a long and deep sigh as he slightly shook his hand,


    "I thought you guys were here to arrest me...


    ...turns out you''re just here to get fucked up."

 Chapter 15: Song

    Chapter 15: Song


    "Turns out you guys are just here to get fucked up."


    The men wearing ck suits all looked at each other before looking at their friend, who was now almost nted on the side of the garbage chute. Some of them already knew that they might have a problem with their current target, aka Yun Hao. But they have been following him for a few hours now, and there weren''t any indications that he was a Cultivator.


    But seeing as their friend was now lying unconscious literally beside garbage-- perhaps they were wrong? No. They were sure of it, this tall young man in front of them wasn''t a Cultivator. If he was, then their friend would already be dead instead of just fast asleep.


    "Do you know who you''re messing with, boy?" The tallest and biggest one of the group slightly stepped forward, "We''re part of the Vengeful Serpent gang."


    The tall man unbuttoned his cors, showing a tattoo towards Yun Hao. Yun Hao''s expression quickly changed as he heard the man''s words.


    "...A gang?" He muttered.


    Hearing the concern in Yun Hao''s tone, the tall man let out a small smirk, "That''s right. We''re one of the biggest gangs here in this little city. If you know what''s good for you, then you''ll probably just leave all of your money and go."


    "Do you have a Cultivator in your gang?"


    "What? Why would we--"


    Before the tall man could even finish his words, he felt his vision darken. Luckily for him, before he could feel his head hit the ground due to his legs giving out, he already lost consciousness. How is that lucky? One might wonder.


    He was lucky enough that he was already out for what was about toe next.


    With their number now almost halved, the rest of the group could only look at each other in bewilderment. They were confident in sessfully robbing this young muscr man because they had an even bigger thug with them. But s, that thug was now lying unconscious on the ground as well.


    Like with their first friend, they also weren''t able to see what the young man just did. The only thing they knew was that he was now in some sort of fighting stance. Perhaps they really did make a mistake?


    "Are you Is the good sir perhaps a Cultivator?" One of the men stuttered. His previous arrogant tone was nowpletely gone, reced by a meek but respectful voice.


    "Pft," Yun Hao only let out a light chuckle before suddenly disappearing from the man''s view.


    "!!!" The man blinked a couple of times, trying to see where Yun Hao went. His eyes did not have to wander long, however, as Yun Hao was just slightly below him, his elbows tucked in.


    "Wha--" Before the man could even say another word, Yun Hao suddenly moved up, and along with it, his fist which went straight towards the man''s jaw. Once again, the rest of the Vengeful Serpent gang could only stare at their friend, whose body was slowly falling to the ground while a bunch of his teeth fell with him.


    And then, there were 3.


    "P please forgive us!"


    Yun Hao was about to rush towards the nearest member, but before he could do so, the group suddenly kowtowed on the ground, "We didn''t know you were a Cultivator! You looked so poor that it didn''t cross our--"


    "Shut up, are you trying to get us killed?"


    "I-- We We were blind and could not see Mt. Tai."


    "The fuck is Mount Tai?" Yun Hao slowly removed his stance as he watched as the 3 remaining members of the Vengeful Serpent gang repeatedly banged their heads on the ground.


    It would seem that they were mistaking him as a Cultivator, "...", slowly, a smile started to crawl on Yun Hao''s face. He then slowly pulled back his hair, revealing the huge scar adorning the left side of his face.


    "!!!"


    The three who had seen this all started to let out stuttered gasps. It would seem that they really drew the short end of the stick here. Who said this young man wasn''t a Cultivator!? Bring whoever said that so they could hit them in the face repeatedly-- they all thought.


    Yun Hao then let out a long and deep sigh. "Yes. I am a Cultivator."


    Like a nail finally being hammered through them, the three all widened their eyes in unison as they once again let out gasps of shock. One of them even started whimpering, praying that his mother saved him.


    "P please, master. We--"


    "It''s alright."


    Before they could even finish their words, Yun Hao gestured for them to stand up. The three were reluctant at first, but seeing as they were being ordered to do so, it was not like they had any choice on the matter ''less they want to end up like their friends.


    The three all stood up at the same time. "What do you want us to do, master?" One of them quickly bowed his head.


    "Nothing," Yun Hao quickly replied, "I just hope that none of you remember my face after you wake up."


    "What do you mean--" Were thest words the two heard before the three of them lost consciousness almost at the same time.


    Yun Hao, who was now surrounded by 6 unconscious men, could not help but let out another sigh as he patted his hands clean. He should probably stay away from this market for a while, he doesn''t really know how many members this Vengeful Serpent gang had. Best to return here once he bes a real Cultivator.


    Yun Hao then kneeled on the ground, cing two of his fingers on one of the men''s neck. After a few seconds, he then let out a satisfied nod as he did the same with the rest of the members of the gang.


    "Good, everyone seems healthy." Yun Hao let out another huge breath as he retrieved his bags. He was supposed to get more coins from his humble house, but s, it would seem he had to dy it until tomorrow.


    He only had one more week of break before Tsinghai High School starts probing him. He must make double the effort if he wants to be a Cultivator before he returns.


    Yun Hao took one more nce towards the members of the Vengeful Serpent before finally leaving the alley and making his way back home. Fortunately, no more men in ck suits approached him on the way home, if there were, then Yun Hao might just snap.


    Back in the scrapyard, Yun Hao waved his hand towards the workers who were throwing and arranging all the junk everywhere. However, none of them waved back, instead just lowering their heads and ignoring Yun Hao.


    It had always been like this ever since he was thrown from his apartment. Probably another courtesy by his former best friend. He could only curse himself for being blind and not seeing Long Yazhu for who he really is.


    Yun Hao continued to walk deeper into the scrapyard, where no workers tend to go-- near his house. Perhaps it was also a blessing, as none of them would even bother him and his house, which was still filled with probably more than a million yuan.


    If only he could also cancel his duplication powers, then he wouldn''t even have to trouble himself in distributing them-- Yun Hao thought as he let out a long and deep sigh. This sigh, however, was quickly interrupted as he heard a nging noiseing from the direction of his house.


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao hurried his steps, rushing through the several scraps and cars littered along the way.


    "Who''s there!?" Yun Hao hollered as he reached the perimeter of his house.


    "Eek!"


    And there, in front of his house made of scraps, was a tall red-haired woman.


    "...Miss Song?"

 Chapter 16: Fool

    Chapter 16: Fool


    "...Miss Song?"


    Yun Hao could not help but take in a gulp as he saw the woman standing in front of her house. He thought that it was someone from the workers who got lost or was ordered by Long Yazhu to spy on him, but it turns out it was Song Jian, one of the daughters of the Song family.


    Back when Yun Hao managed to take the belt from the champion during the regionals without so much as a scratch, that was the first time that the Song family introduced themselves to him. Of course, the coach of the boxing team was all smiles, quickly forcing Yun Hao to greet them back


    Yun Hao, of course, did. The school and the boxing team were the ones paying for his meals, after all. He was used to being introduced to people in the first ce, but this time, the coach seemed different, he thought. He almost seemed submissive.


    Yun Hao then got dressed, but instead of meeting outside, he was once again taken inside the boxing ring.


    30 minutes.


    Just 30 minutes passed since he went into the dressing room and there were already no people in to be seen in the arena. The only ones that remained were 5 people that Yun Hao had never met before in his life. He was sure that he hasn''t met them yet-- he would definitely remember people that had a set of hair almost as red as blood.


    They introduced themselves as the Song family, they were the biggest Cultivator n in the city that Yun Hao was in right now, and perhaps the biggest n in the region as well. Yun Hao, of course, tried his best to keep his eyebrows settled.


    He was not a big fan of Cultivators, especially those who became one through Immersion. They have always acted like they were better than everyone else when all they achieved in life came from a power not supposed to be theirs in the first ce.


    But seeing as the Song family seemed to havee from a bloodline of Cultivators, he was not that apprehensive. But still, at the end of their lengthy conversations, Yun Hao said he would think about it.


    Both the school and his coach were furious, of course. To put a family such as the Songs on hold was something even their whole school could not do, and yet him, a student being fed by the school had the guts to do so?


    The Song family took it better than them, evenplimenting him for not thinking too lightly of the situation. Of course, still, at the end, when the Song family once again asked him to join their n, he finally ultimately refused.


    That time, however, the Song was no longer as impressed-- specifically one of their young daughters, Song Jian, who was currently approaching him.


    "Yun Hao," the tone of Song Jian''s voice was calm, but the stomps of her feet failed to mask the heavy heart she carried.


    "...Miss Song, what are you doing here?" Yun Hao could not help but squint his eyes as he looked back and forth between Song Jian and his metal house, "Did you go inside my house?"


    "So that thing really was your house?" Song Jian furrowed her eyebrows, "No, it doesn''t matter. I am not here to see that dpidated house of yours. I am here on an entirely different matter, Yun Hao."


    "Oh," Yun Hao let out a sigh of relief as he heard Song Jian''s words. That would mean that she still hasn''t seen what was inside, and he wasn''t in trouble at least just yet. If there really was a way to cancel out and erase the things he had duplicated, then he wouldn''t be in this predicament in the first ce.


    Although he would also feel bad, as that would mean the merchants would also suffer since half of his coins were already with them.


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a deep sigh at the different thoughts that now pestered his mind. Song Jian, however, took his sigh the wrong way.


    "What, you have more important things to do?" Once again, although Song Jian''s tone was calm, her foot which was tapping endlessly said otherwise, "A girl visited you in your home and the first thing you do is groan?"


    "No no, not at all, Miss Song. I just remembered something funny," Yun Hao cleared his throat as he shook his head.


    "You sighed because you remembered something funny?" Song Jian slightly squinted her eyes, but after a few seconds, she clicked her tongue as she looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes.


    "It doesn''t matter," she once again said, "I heard from a viable source that you wanted to be a Cultivator?"


    "Viable Huang Yi?"


    "It it doesn''t matter where the source came from," Song Jian slightly stuttered as she turned her head to the side. But after a few seconds, she once again looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes and said, "Why?"


    "Why what?"


    "Why now?" Song Jian said, "You refused my Song family two times, and now all of a sudden, you want to be a Cultivator."


    "People change, Miss Song," Yun Hao could only sigh from Song Jian''s words, "It just so happened that being a Cultivator would benefit me now."


    "And it didn''t before? If you would have chosen to join our family, then the tragedy that befell you wouldn''t have happened in the first ce. You could have definitely taken that man in a straight fight."


    "But I have been injured for more than a year now. There is no reason why your family will still have eyes on--"


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao''s breath stopped as a colossal pressure suddenly crawled throughout his skin. He quickly backed away, putting up his hands and looking towards the direction where crippling pressure wasing from-- Song Jian.


    "Normal people would have run away already," the tone of Song Jian''s voice turned cold as she slowly approached Yun Hao, "That, or they would have been frozen stiff. But you, Yun Hao, the first instinct you have against an opponent you know you can''t defeat


    ...is to fight."


    Yun Hao''s eyes did not even blink as he watched Song Jian''s every movement; his clothes, slowly drowning from the sweat that was nowing from his body. He was scared, of course. The pressure that Song Jian was emitting was leagues above Long Yazhu''s cultivator bodyguard.


    "It might be because you''re stupid enough to believe that you have a chance against me," Song Jian continued her words, "Or you''re brave enough to face an opponent that you know you can''t win against I suppose it doesn''t matter. Either way, you have always been suicidal."


    As soon as Song Jian''s words were finished, Yun Hao found himself finally being able to breathe again. He immediately let go of his stance as he gasped for air. If it wasn''t for the scraps behind him, then he would have definitely fallen on his butt.


    "What what did you do that for?" He asked. He also wanted to ask what she meant from herst words, but for some reason, he was afraid to find out how she knew his tendencies.


    "You are wasted in the world of mortals, Yun Hao," Song Jian crossed her arms, lifting up the moderately sized bosom that adorned her torso, "I want to offer you another chance to join the Song family."


    "No," Yun Hao quickly answered without even a slight hesitation.


    "Why!?" Song Jian could not help but slightly raise her voice, "What do you have to lose, Yun Hao? Is this about pride? Pride will not get you anywhere, Yun Hao. I am offering you a free meal here. Even if you''re blind in one eye, it doesn''t matter. I am sure my Song family will still provide you with the resources you need to grow stronger. I do not see why you keep refusing us!"


    "Yes."


    "What?"


    "It is about pride," Yun Haopletely dropped his shoulders as he looked Song Jian straight in the eyes, "I wish to grow stronger on my own, Miss Song."


    "That--"


    "Thank you."


    Before Song Jian could even say anything, Yun Hao suddenly bowed his head towards her, "Thank you for offering me the opportunity to join your family again and again. I will never forget this faith that you have ced on me."


    "You" Song Jian could only lightly bite her lip as he looked at Yun Hao''s head, her words slightly quivering as her eyes slightly turned red,


    "...You fool."


    Those were thest words that Yun Hao heard before Song Jian quickly disappeared, jumping from one tower of scraps to the next. Yun Hao could not help but let out a long and deep sigh as he watched as Song Jian disappeared from his view.


    "...Maybe I am."


    ***


    "Stupid! Stupid!"


    "I take it he refused again, madam?"


    Inside a luxurious car, Song Jian was lightly hitting the seat that was in front of her, causing the driver''s head to lightly bob back and forth.


    "He refused because he is stupid!" Song Jian''s tone waspletely different from when she was talking with Yun Hao just a few minutes ago, "Drive! We''re never going back to this dirty ce!"


    "Perhaps if you told him that you liked him, he would have epted the offer this time?" The driver said as he looked at Song Jian through the rearview mirror.


    "W what? What are you-- Ugh Just


    ...drive!"

 Chapter 17: A New Man (1)

    Chapter 17: A New Man (1)


    "Just a few more."


    3 days after Song Jian visited Yun Hao''s home, Yun Hao dropped face first on his bed. Yes after more than 10 days, he once again had ess to his bed as the number of coins finally dwindled more than half. The pile now reached only up to his ankles, a far cry as to what it was 13 days ago when it reached up almost to Yun Hao''s waist.


    He was even able to free up half of the inside of his house, scooping the rest towards one side so that it would no longer impede his steps. The process was rigorous was it worth it?


    ''Definitely,'' Yun Hao thought as he let out an almost frenziedugh. If it wasn''t for the hard pillow covering his face, the whole city might have heard him.


    $278,000. He now had somewhere in the total of $278,000 he can legally spend. Just $22,000 more, and he can officially be a Cultivator. If he tried his best tomorrow, then he could probably have his meridians opened up the next day.


    Finally, after almost 2 weeks of hard work, the worse would have passed.


    "...Pft," Yun Hao could not help but once againugh at his thoughts. Hard work? If the merchants and the workers heard himining about earning more than $15,000 a day every day, then they would surely put him in a sack and hit him like a pinata.


    Yun Hao then turned his head to the side, stretching his arms and grabbing one of the coins scattered on the ground. Yun Hao stared at the coin for a few seconds before letting out a word, "...Duplicate."


    "..."


    It looked as if nothing happened, but as soon as he slid the coin across his fingers, the coin that he was previously holding revealed the new coin behind it. Even after all this time, he still couldn''t believe how and why he was granted this kind of godly power. He is still afraid to use it too much, as there might be a limit to it. But even after all this time, it was still here.


    Yun Hao then carefully and gently ced the two coins back on the ground before scooching further on his bed as the excitement and exhaustion of today''s work finally got to him.


    Tomorrow, he would definitely do his best to get more than $22,000.


    ***


    "Thanks for the business again, young man!"


    "Thank you as well, Mr. Lei."


    "Come to me again when you''ve collected enough coins, okay? Only to me."


    "You got it, Mr. Lei."


    Yun Hao bowed towards the old merchant before walking away. If only the old man knew that he wasn''t the only one Yun Hao was exchanging the coins with, then he would definitely lose his mind. He was even thest one to receive Yun Hao''s collection of coins for today.


    Yes, after another whole day of distributing his coins to different merchants all over the markets, Yun Hao had finally amassed around a total of $310,000. That was more than $30,000 in a single day, probably his best time yet.


    Finally-- he had enough money to enter the world of Cultivators. Sadly, the sun was about to set in an hour and he wouldn''t be able to make it to a Confederation building. As initially nned, he would have to wait until tomorrow to visit one. Once again, Yun Hao could not help but let out a burst ofughter, garnering the attention of the people shopping in the market.


    "Mommy, that man looks funny!"


    "D don''t look at him, he probably just robbed someone and is celebrating it."


    "..."


    Yun Hao quickly stopped and cleared his throat as he noticed the people in the area started looking around him. He really should stop bursting out inughter whenever he thinks of something satisfactory, he was rich now and rich people had ss.


    "...Pft."


    But s, once again, his thoughts betrayed him as he fell intoughter.


    "Yun Hao?"


    This time, however, hisughter was short-lived as he saw his reflection in front of a window. How could people even see him as rich if the clothes he was wearing looked like he just got them from a thrift store and never even washed it?


    Although he wasn''t really one to care about how people looked at him, he was still going to a somewhat formal event tomorrow. He was going to the Confederation building, it would be disrespectful if he were to go there wearing nothing but a shirt and flip-flops.


    He also started showing his scar more, but due to his long hair, no matter how much he pulled it back, his own sweat was not enough to keep it in ce. And so, after a short deliberation, Yun Hao decided to spend some of his money to buy a new set of clothes to wear tomorrow.


    Nothing really special happened as he was buying the clothes, besides of course the looks of the staff as he walked in with only wearing flip flops. But thanks to the fashion of the new generation of looking like a homeless person, the staff didn''t really give him a hard time; even smiling as Yun Hao showed the three cards in his wallet.


    "Not too short please, I would still like to feel something flowing in between my fingers whenever I y with my hair."


    "Please follow me, we''ll have your hair shampooed first."


    Now the grooming, on the other hand, waspletely the opposite. As soon as Yun Haoid his back to have his hair rinsed, the stylist instantly jumped back in fright as he saw the huge scar that adorned Yun Hao''s face.


    "I I''m sorry!"


    "..."


    Yun Hao could only wipe his face as the shower of water identally sshed on it. Other than that, though, there were only oohs and aahs of amazement as Yun Hao walked out of the salon. Previously, due to his long and bedraggled hair which reached his shoulders, he looked like some kind of gangster whenever his scar was showing.


    But now, with his hair properly kept and parted, even with his scar showing, it made him look like some kind of princely warrior. At least that''s what the female staff thought as she handed him the payment for the haircut.


    It was true what they said: You''re not ugly, you justck money.


    Of course, Yun Hao still looked scary at first nce, but once you get past the scar, the rest of his face truly was beyond handsome, add that to the fact that he was quite tall and muscr-- it was aplete recipe as one of the reasons why the rich young masters of Tsinghai Academy abhorred him.


    He was also extremely popr with the youngdies there at first, but when Yun Hao continually ignored their advances and then found out that he actually had a girlfriend, they started to despise him-- even more when he was finally kicked out of the boxing team.


    Now, with this new look, Yun Hao could finally say it--


    He was apletely different man.


    He was apletely different man than he was just a few weeks ago. He hasn''t even had a day where he thought of just ending it and offing himself.


    Well, that is, not until he arrived back home.


    Yun Hao was whistling, even waving his hands with a smile on his face as he walked past the workers of the scrapyard,pletely weirding them out. He continued to whistle as his steps showed how excited he was for tomorrow.


    This excitement, however,pletely disappeared as he heard something nging from the direction of his house. Yun Hao immediately dropped his empty bags on the ground as he rushed towards his house.


    ''Does she need anything else?'' Yun Hao thought. The only person that was appearing inside Yun Hao''s mind was Song Jian, as she already visited without any warning beforehand. She could have called, seeing as Huang Yi had Yun Hao''s new number, it would be impossible for her not to give it to Song Jian.


    "Ms. Song!" Yun Hao shouted as he reached the perimeter of his house, "You should--"


    His steps, however,pletely came to a halt as he saw the one standing in front of his house. His house, which door was open, with a handful of the remaining coins exposing themselves through the doorway.


    But most importantly, the person who just stepped out of his house was not Song Jian


    ...But one of the workers of the scrapyard.

 Chapter 18: A New Man (2)

    Chapter 18: A New Man (2)


    He already fixed the door which was rammed by the overflowing coins that he identally duplicated weeks ago. But now, the chains that he was using as a lock were split into two.


    Yun Hao''s thoughts werepletely in disarray, especially as he saw a man exiting his house. He could feel a heavy pressure suddenly weighing down on him, causing his chest to tighten. It was as if he could feel a sharp pain every time his chest lifted up. It was different from the pressure that he felt when he faced Cultivators like the one who blinded his eye and Song Jian.


    Although it wasn''t as heavy, it was more suffocating. One of the worst things that could happen finally happened. The number of coins he had now was nothingpared to what it was a week ago. But still, it should still amount to somewhere more than $80,000


    ...and someone finally saw it.


    "W what the!"


    The man could not help but slightly take a step back as he finally noticed Yun Hao''s presence. "What what are you doing here!?" The man said.


    "What do you mean what am I doing here?" The erratic beating of Yun Hao''s heart made his voice tremble, "This is my house."


    Yun Hao''s breaths turned heavier by the second. It was impossible that the man did not see the coins. It was, after all, just clumsily scattered on one side of his house.


    Why? Just why? Just 3 more days and Yun Hao was sure that he would have cleared all the coins already. More than a year he had lived in this house made of thin metal, and not even once did any of the scrapyard''s workers visit him they have not even greeted him once and even tended to ignore him as much as possible. So why now?


    "!!!"


    And then, Yun Hao''s already hammering chest jumped as soon as his eyes caught something-- the man was holding a smartphone. If it wasn''t for the encroaching night, then he probably wouldn''t have seen the light on the man''s hand.


    "Give me your phone and get out of here," Yun Hao quickly bared his teeth as he slowly approached the man. Yun Hao could only think of one reason why the man''s smartphone could be out-- he took a photo of the coins inside his house. Or maybe even worse, he already called someone.


    "Did you call--"


    "Don''te any closer, man!"


    And not even a single step was taken, and Yun Hao got his answer. The man stretched his hand towards Yun Hao, showing his smartphone towards him and on the screen, was the inside of Yun Hao''s house and the coins that littered it.


    Fuck. Fuck! Yun Hao wanted to scream in frustration, but doing so might garner the attention of the other workers a distance away. How confident and stupid was he to just leave his coins unattended? No, in the first ce, no one should be here except for him. So why now? Why now did one of the workers suddenly decide to visit him?"


    "Man," the worker let out a small breath as he shook his head, "The others were talking about how weird you''ve beentely, but to think you were hiding something like this. I knew I had to check what you were up to. Just where did you get all of this, man?"


    "That''s none of your concern. Give me your phone and walk away while you still can," although Yun Hao''s tone was as cold as it could be, the tremble that it carried gave away his restlessness.


    The man let out a short whistle as he heard Yun Hao''s words, "The young master said you were feisty, but all I see is an arrogant boy."


    "Young-- Long Yazhu?" This was perhaps the final nail that caused Yun Hao to finally realize that his situation was even more dreadful than he thought it was. If this man was under Long Yazhu''s thumbs, then he would definitely show the photos to him, whatever happens after that, Yun Hao knew that he was in trouble.


    "Wait ''til the young master sees this," the man let out a slight cackle.


    "Take it."


    "Hm?"


    "Please, you can take all the money. But leave the phone here," Yun Hao said. This time, the tremble in his voice waspletely gone. Instead, it was reced by a somewhat sedated tone, "There''s almost $80,000 worth of coins there. Just take it and we can forget all of this, please."


    "Hahaha!"


    The man heard the desperation in Yun Hao''s voice and he could not help but burst out inughter. "Are you stupid?" He then said, "If I show this to the young master, I am sure he would give me even more than that!"


    And in that split second, it was as if a string snapped inside Yun Hao''s mind, causing a high-pitched noise echo through his ears.


    The man then slowly took a step forward, "I don''t know why the young master hates you so much. But I don''t care as long as I get--"


    But before the man could finish his words, he felt something hard hit his face.


    "Kh?"


    The man had been working in the scrapyard for years, his body was tougher than normal. This was also perhaps the reason why he didn''t immediately lose consciousness as his brain was rocked by Yun Hao''s fist.


    But still, the strength of Yun Hao''s punch was enough to almost spin his whole body in the air, causing the man to fall headfirst on the ground.


    "Grakh" The man wanted to speak, but his broken nose and dislocated jaw deemed it impossible. His body as well was no longer following hismands. The only thing he could do was move his eyes, his eyes that were currently staring at Yun Hao as he stood on top of his body.


    "I I told you to just walk away."


    The man could once again hear the tremble in Yun Hao''s voice. But this time, it was different. It was different in the way because he saw a tear trailing down on Yun Hao''s cheek.


    "Why why couldn''t you just walk away, man?"


    "Hmgh!?"


    The man tried to wiggle his body as Yun Hao suddenly kneeled on top of him. But sadly, before his already uncooperative body could crawl away, Yun Hao''s knees already locked him in ce.


    "I I''m so sorry," Yun Hao''s sedated whispers entered the man''s ears.


    "!!!" Seeing the frenzied look on Yun Hao''s face, the man wanted to scream. But before he could do so, Yun Hao gripped his neck.


    "Fuck" Yun Hao once again whispered, "Fuck!"


    And following Yun Hao''s contained scream, his fist started hammering down the man''s face.


    "Wkh--"


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    With each hit, Yun Hao let out a stuttered gasp; perhaps even almost a whimper.


    Yun Hao''s fist repeatedly smashed the man''s face. The blood on the man''s face, showering almost everywhere. If it wasn''t for the ambient noise of the scrapyard masking the sound of the man''s flesh being mangled, then the other workers would have probably heard it even from far away.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Crack.


    Truly. After this day is over...


    ...Yun Hao would be a new man.

 Chapter 19: Dao

    Chapter 19: Dao


    "F fuck," Yun Hao''s fists were trembling, slightly covering his mouth that was also releasing a burst of stuttered breaths. The skin on his left knuckles were almostpletely grated, but the blood that was running on his arms was not his. In fact, if it weren''t for the blood covering both his hands, he would probably bepletely covering his mouth, trying his best not to let out the frenzied breaths that wanted to burst out from him.


    He was sitting on the ground, his back leaned on a scrapped car beside his house. His previously groomed hair was now once again disheveled and the bag of clothes he just bought was carelesslyid on the ground.


    His eyes wandered everywhere. Everywhere except on the body that was sprawled in front of his house, as every time he identally looked at it, his whole body felt like it was crumbling into dust.


    And once again, with the thought of it, his hands and legs trembled even stronger than before. He couldn''t control the shivering of his own body as the sound of his teeth chattering silenced everything.


    He just killed a person. It was slowly sinking into his mind that the man lying in front of his house was dead. Perhaps it was because it was now dark, or perhaps because it was too sudden, but he still could not believe that there was a dead body near him.


    What should he do now? Yun Hao thought. It had felt like he had been sitting here for almost a day, but in truth, not even 5 minutes had gone by since he stopped hitting the man. The man, he kept calling him by that-- he doesn''t even know his name.


    This man probably had a family of his own, and Yun Hao just killed him. Perhaps he should surrender himself to the police? As soon as he thought of that, Yun Hao reached into his pocket, but his trembling hand was not able to even keep a hold of his phone as it dropped to the ground. Yun Hao quickly picked it up, but s, he could not unlock his phone due to the dirt and blood that was on his hands.


    "Fuck!"


    After a few more tries, Yun Hao screamed in frustration as he violently threw his almost brand new phone away. Surrender to the police? After all the effort he had done to distribute the coins after he had gained this godly power, he would surrender to the police?


    Will this even matter once he bes a Cultivator? Right? Don''t Cultivators get away with murder everyda--


    Before Yun Hao could evenplete his thoughts, the mangled face of the man once again resurfaced in his mind, causing a warm feeling to suddenly climb up from his stomach, quickly crawling through his throat.


    "!!!"


    The sound of Yun Hao retching whispered into the air. "F fuck," he whispered as he wiped the puke sticking on his lips. Perhaps because of the violent feeling that crawled through him, his breathing slightly became sedated.


    But then, after the calm, he once again turned his head towards the body. And suddenly, out of nowhere, like his own body ordered him to do so-- he screamed. He screamed enough that his voice cracked as the tears and snot finally burst from his face.


    Yun Hao also finally covered his face as he tried to suppress the wailing scream that was demanding itself to be let out. The blood, tears, snot, and vomit mixed on his face as his muffled screams continued to seep from the gaps in between his fingers.


    He curled his body, rocking it back and forth as if it was the only thing it could do. The visions and memories of him hitting the man reyed over and over in his mind. He had hit a lot of people in his life, but this this was different.


    He knew what he was doing.


    He did not stop even as the man begged him to.


    He did not stop even as he heard a crack snapping in the air.


    He did not stop even as the man''s face caved in.


    He killed him. He killed him in cold blood.


    There were probably lots of things he could have done instead, but he chose the easiest path he could think of at the moment. Suddenly, Yun Hao started hitting himself on the leg; biting his lip until it bled profusely. He then started hitting his head, cursing himself incessantly.


    Perhaps


    ...Perhaps he should just kill himself. With the long-lost thought once again whispering into his mind, Yun Hao quickly stopped hitting himself.


    There was that option, wasn''t--


    "...brother Bai went in this direction."


    "Are you sure? Isn''t this the way to that dude''s house?"


    "Yun Hao?"


    "Yeah, that dude the young master told us to ignore."


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao quickly stood up as he heard two voices slowly approaching from the distance. His breath once again started to turn erratic as the panic crawled all over him. He then looked towards the corpse near him.


    "Fuck fuck!" Yun Hao''s eyes quickly wandered around the area as the chaos inside his mind turned full circle. He then rushed towards the corpse, tapping it a few times before lifting it from its shoulders.


    "!!!" Yun Hao was going to put the man''s body into his house, but then his eyes caught the two people. If he were to pull the man''s body towards his house, the two will definitely see him from their peripheral.


    But s, it was toote, the two men stepped inside the clearing where his house was.


    "Damn"


    "I told you he''s not here. Let''s go, this ce gives me the creeps."


    "Wait!" One of the men was about to turn around, but his friend suddenly raised his hand.


    "What is it!?"


    "The dude''s door is open."


    "So? Let''s go, man. The young master told us not to bother with him and just let him be. I don''t want to get in trouble."


    "..." The man stared at Yun Hao''s house for a second before turning around and walking away.


    Yun Hao Suddenly, Yun Hao was nowhere to be found.


    "..."


    "..."


    "F fuck."


    But then, suddenly, at a certain hole a few meters away from Yun Hao''s house, a whisper could be heard. It was the hole that Yun Hao painstakingly dug to hide his coins, only to find out that it couldn''t even fit half of it.


    Luckily, as soon as the two men stepped inside the vicinity of his house, he identally fell on the hole, with the man''s body still on top of him. Yun Hao quickly pushed the man to the side, quickly patting himself clean of all the things that stuck on him before jumping out from the hole.


    He then looked at the hole he made, as well as the body of the man that seemed to fit awfully well in it.


    Just a few days ago, he was deciding whether or not to throw some coins here and cover it. Perhaps this was the real reason why he chose not to do so. If there was some kind of celestial being out there somewhere, maybe it was trying to tell Yun Hao something, he thought.


    But after a few seconds, a wry chuckle came out from him. He just killed a person, and now he was starting to believe in a higher power.


    There was no higher power, this was all on him.


    He killed the man because he was selfish.


    He killed the man because he would be in big trouble if he didn''t.


    Perhaps this was who he truly was-- a violent person. But it doesn''t matter


    ...none of those matter right now.


    Yun Hao picked up a clump of dirt on the ground, hovering it above the hole as he slightly opened his hand. The clump of dirt slowly flowed from his hand, raining down on the man''s body.


    1 second.


    5 seconds.


    10 seconds.


    His hand was still above the pit, and the dirt that wasing out of it continued to flow endlessly.


    30 seconds.


    A minute.


    Two.


    His nose started to bleed as the dirt burst forth from his hand like a dam. Until finally, the pit was no more. With the dirt and his own blood thest thing touching his face, Yun Hao then turned his head to the heavens. Closing his eyes before taking a deep and weighty breath.


    He was sure of it; this won''t be thest time he would kill someone.


    Cultivation was different from boxing. There may be rules, but there weren''t any bells to stop him anymore. His Dao will truly be a mountain of corpses, perhaps maybe even more than the coins he has summoned.


    For that


    ...is the only way to be the Champion of the Cultivation world.

 Chapter 20: Young Master

    Chapter 20: Young Master


    "...What''s that kid doing?"


    "Is he a Cultivator?"


    "No, his qi is that of a Normie''s."


    "Will he be going through Immersion?"


    "Who is he, anyway? Does anyone know which family he belongs to?"


    "He looks somewhat familiar. Maybe he''s a model or something?"


    Yun Hao once again found himself the target of everyone''s eyes as he stood on top of a tall building. He had never once thought in his life that he would one day enter a building for Cultivators, but here he was, in front of a branch building of the Confederation.


    One of the people staring at him was about to approach him, but suddenly, a car pulled in front of the building. And as soon as it arrived, the eyes that were looking at Yun Hao quickly rushed towards the car.


    Bright shes of light quickly drowned the car as the people started pulling out their cameras from their bags and waists. It would seem that the people that were previously looking at Yun Hao were actually a part of the media; and most likely than not, the one who was stepping out of the car was someone famous.


    Yun Hao, however, could not be bothered by it as he turned his head upwards, trying to see the top of the tall building. The number of Normies far surpasses that of the Cultivators, so why do they even need a building this big? Yun Hao thought. And to think this was just one of many.


    He then gathered his breath as he slowly made his way inside the building. Surprisingly enough, the inside of the building was quite advanced. He always thought that the majority of the Cultivators were somewhat old school, as they always wear robes and some other stuff that shouted: "We are Cultivators!"


    So, Yun Hao was quite surprised to see almost 80" monitors stering the walls. Even the door was automatic. Yun Hao was right, of course. Almost half of the people inside were wearing robes.


    "Excuse me," Yun Hao then approached the women at the counter before the people''s eyes gather towards him, "Where do I go if I want to go through Immersion?"


    The receptionist let out a silent gasp as soon as she saw Yun Hao, but after a split second, she let out a smile as she looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes, "Yes, how may I help you, sir?"


    "..." Yun Hao could not help but slightly furrowed his eyebrows as he repeated his question.


    "Oh, please go to the 9th floor. You can go through that hallway and take the 3rd elevator on your left."


    "Okay, thank--"


    "Please, let me escort you there."


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, the receptionist quickly went around the counter as she gestured to Yun Hao to follow her. As expected, even if Yun Hao was not a Cultivator yet, he was already being shown respect.


    "Thank--"


    The receptionist escorted him all the way to the elevator. Yun Hao was about to thank her, but his show of gratitude was once again interrupted as the receptionist got into the elevator with him. She quickly pressed the 9th floor before proceeding to close it, raising her palm towards those who wished to take the elevator with them.


    "..." Even if he was going to be a Cultivator, wasn''t this too much of a special treatment? To even go so far as to prevent people from riding the same elevator as them was too much.


    But still, Yun Hao did not say anything as this might just be the standard procedure. It was surely not every day that people go through Immersion-- after all, who could afford the $300,000 Immersion fee other than rich people?


    And it wasn''t that straightforward as well. Yun Hao had read through it before he almost destroyed his phone, one needed to go through a process first. So paying doesn''t mean the Confederation would immediately unlock your meridians, one needed to take a series of tests first.


    If one fails even one of those tests, then one had to retake it. That would mean another $300,000 down the drain. Just with that thought lingering inside Yun Hao''s mind, his expression turned serious as he continued to follow the receptionist as they arrived on the 9th floor.


    There was a long stretch of a hallway before they got into some kind of spacious lobby. And as soon as Yun Hao appeared, the small handful of people that were idling by all looked at him. But after a few seconds, they all went back to doing their business-- ignoring each other and seemingly meditating.


    "Right this way, sir."


    The receptionist then guided him to another counter, where another receptionist was stationed but this time they were wearing robes.


    "Xinya, I brought young master Sun Fang."


    Immediately, the receptionist that led Yun Hao all the way here presented him to the receptionist called Xinya.


    "...Where?"


    "Right here."


    Xinya looked behind Yun hao, but as soon as she realized that her friend was pointing towards Yun Hao, her eyes quickly widened in shock.


    "T that''s not young master Sun Fang, Zemin!"


    "What!?" The receptionist that led Yun Hao quickly looked at him in the face before turning her attention towards Xinya once again, "Are are you sure? But he matches the description; handsome and has a scar on his face!"


    "I am sure, Zemin."


    "Oh my god!" And without even saying anything more, the receptionist bowed towards Yun Hao before rushing back to the elevator, "Why didn''t you send me a photo!?"


    "..." Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times as he heard the receptionist''s voice slowly fade away.


    "I am truly sorry for the mix-up, sir. Which department were you going to so I can help you find your way?" The receptionist called Xinya then politely bowed her head towards Yun Hao. One could see why Zemin would mix it up, she thought. Yun Hao did make for quite a dashing figure, maybe even more so than their VIP guest.


    "There''s no need," Yun Hao awkwardly waved his hand, "This is where I need to go to apply for Immersion, yes?"


    "Ah! So young master wishes to be a Cultivator? Of course. Please, please," Xinya gestured to Yun Hao to go to the front of the counter.


    "May I ask what n you will be representing, Mr?"


    "Yun Hao."


    "Young master Yun Hao" Xinya whispered as she started typing on her keyboard, "And which n will you be representing, Young master Yun Hao?"


    Yun Hao could not help but sigh wryly at being called a young master. After all, that title was reserved only for his wealthiest schoolmates back in Tsinghai Highschool. Never once had he thought that he would be called by that title someday.


    "I am not representing a n," Yun Hao answered.


    "...Are you representing the Yun family, then?" Receptionist Xinya stopped typing as she looked at Yun Hao.


    "No, I am here by myself," Yun Hao once again shook his head. Yun family? Was there even something like that?


    "You will be representing yourself?" Xinya could not help but blink her eyes a couple of times before proceeding to scan Yun Hao from head to toe, "Please do note that if ever you are sessful with the Immersion, you will be listed as a Frence Cultivator."


    "It''s fine," Yun Hao nodded. Frence Cultivators are cultivators that are not in a specific family, n, or sect. They were usually treated as free agents, and other ns could recruit them in the future if an agreement is made.


    There was a huge drawback for Frence Cultivators, however. Is that in a way, they were directly under the Confederation. Until they find a ce to belong or create one themselves, the missions they would take would be closely monitored by the Confederation.


    "Okay then," Xinya once again continued typing on her keyboard before lightly pping her hands, "And done. Now, all we need is the Immersion fee."


    "Can you separate payment in 3 cards? I will pay the rest in cash."


    "...That''s no problem, young master Yun Hao," there was a slight hesitation in Xinya''s tone first, but she quickly smiled as she asked for Yun Hao''s cards.


    The process did not really take a minute. Yun Hao was worried at first that something woulde up, but it would seem that he was now on his way to bing a Cultivator as he was asked by Xinya to wait in the lobby.


    "I''m really sorry, Young master Sun Fang!"


    But before he could take a seat where the other young masters were, a familiar voice entered his ears-- Zemin, the receptionist from earlier.


    She was currently bowing her head repeatedly as she desperately tried to follow the young man stomping his way towards the counter. Yun Hao just shrugged his shoulders before trying to find a seat in the lobby, but once again, before he could do so, a pping noise entered his ears which gathered not only his but the other applicants'' attention as well,


    "Eek!"


    Yun Hao quickly turned his head towards the noise, only to see Zemin groveling on the floor, holding her cheek which was almost as red as cherry.

 Chapter 21: Disrespect

    Chapter 21: Disrespect


    Everyone in the lobby all turned their heads to see what themotion was about. Zemin, the receptionist who escorted Yun Hao to the 9th floor, was now sitting on the ground, grasping her cheek as tears slowly formed from her eyes.


    The other applicants of the lobby, all 5 of them excluding Yun Hao, only had curious gazes on their eyes before going back to what they were previously doing.


    "I had enough of your whining, woman."


    The man called Sun Fang then wiped his hand with a handkerchief he brought, seemingly cleaning it as it made contact with Zemin''s face. Afterward, he casually threw it towards Zemin before heading to the counter.


    Xinya, the receptionist of the 9th floor, was slightly biting her lip as she was at a loss as to what to do. She wanted to help her friend, but at the same time, she didn''t want to offend the obviously ill-tempered young master approaching her.


    "I wish to go through Immersion," Sun Fang then said before Xinya could even collect her thoughts. But still, Xinya managed to let out a smile as she greeted the man in front of her.


    "Of course, young master Sun Fang. Your family has already sent the payment to us a week ago."


    "It is good that you know," Sun Fang let out a scoff.


    "Of course, everyone in the Confederation knows who you are. My colleague might have just been too nervou--"


    "No!"


    "!!!"


    Xinya could not help but suddenly cover her mouth. As before she could even finish her words, a towel suddenly made its way on Sun Fang''s head, covering it entirely.


    There was a certain silence in the air, with only Xinya''s breaths whispering as she tried to hold back theughter that was wanting to burst out of her mouth. The other applicants as well, once again moved from their self-made istions as they were curious as to what was going to happen.


    "..." Sun Fang then slowly removed the towel covering his head, looking at it intensely before turning around to see who threw it back to him.


    And there, he saw Yun Hao, standing beside Zemin with his hand still slightly stretched towards him.


    "Did you just throw this at me?"


    "Do you see anyone else?" Yun Hao said as he flicked his hand; as if repeating how he threw the towel over at Sun Fang.


    Yun Hao was not going to intervene at first. He wanted to keep a low profile as standing out might bring him more trouble than good. After all, each one of the other applicants might be as influential as Long Yazhu, maybe even more.


    Sun Fang was probably the person who got out of the car earlier when he entered the building. If he was bombarded by paparazzi, then he was definitely someone as important as Long Yazhu-- and that was someone he can''t offend directly, at least for now.


    He was only going to help Zemin up, but as soon as he saw her folding the towel neatly and was even about to hand it back to Sun Fang, something snapped inside of him. He was once again reminded of how he was treated in Tsinghai just because of the difference in status.


    And so, without even thinking about it any further, he grabbed the towel from the receptionist''s hand and threw it at Sun Fang without any hesitation. Zemin tried to stop him, of course, but his hand was too fast.


    And now, they were in this situation.


    "Do you even know who I am?" Sun Fang said as he ced the towel on the counter. Xinya, as well as Zemin, was at a loss as to what to do. This wasn''t the first time that a bunch of young masters got heated up and started fighting each other but this was definitely the first time that someone fought because of one of them.


    "Do you know who I am?" Yun Hao repeated Sun Fang''s words back at him.


    "Why the hell would I know a nobody like you?"


    "...You watch too much movies, man. Even if you want to be a Cultivator, doesn''t mean you have to you get what I mean."


    "Enough talk," Sun Fang said as he slowly put up a stance, "It is time for you to know who I am, I will make sure to engrave it on your body."


    Yun Hao blinked his eyes and raised his eyebrows at Sun Fang''s words. After a few seconds, however, he just raised his hands in surrender, "Look, you already win," he said, "Just apologize to the woman and let''s carry on with our lives. I have had enough violence for the month."


    Yun Hao''s tone went quiet upon saying hisst words as he slightly looked to the ground. The face of the man he had killedst night once again resurfaced in his mind.


    "Quit masking your cowardice!" Sun Fang said as he suddenly rushed towards Yun Hao. Yun Hao, who was still lost in thought, instinctively swatted the palm that was threatening to hit his face; this caused Sun Fang to slightly stumble as all his momentum was transferred to the side.


    Yun Hao then quickly put up his own stance, with both his hands guarding his torso and his legs repeatedly hopping on the ground.


    "...Boxing?" Sun Fang let out a loud scoff as he collected himself, "Such a barbaric style."


    "I''d prefer to use the term efficient," Yun Hao said as he threw a fist towards Sun Fang.


    Sun Fang quickly predicted Yun Hao''s move and moved to the side, only to see another fist going straight towards his face.


    "I think that is enough."


    But before the fist could destroy Sun Fang''s face, a man appeared between them. The back of his hand was just a few centimeters away from Sun Fang''s nose, preventing Yun Hao''s fist from destroying it.


    Yun Hao quickly retracted his hand, gently checking if it''s broken before looking at the man who stood in between him and Sun Fang.


    The man was wearing a ck robe, the ends of his long hair tied into a knot as it hung just above his waist. If anything, he looked like the stereotype Cultivator that Yun Hao had been seeing in the public televisions and books.


    "Master, this man is--"


    Sun Fang was about to say something, but before he could do so, the back of the man''s hand casually moved back, hitting Sun Fang''s face and causing him to roll on the floor for a few meters.


    "I saw what happened," the man said before walking to the counter, grabbing Sun Fang''s towel and wiping his hand with it,


    "You disrespected an employee of the Confederation."

 Chapter 22: First Test

    Chapter 22: First Test


    "I saw what happened


    ...You disrespected an employee of the Confederation."


    The old man that just appeared continued to wipe his hand with Sun Fang''s towel. Afterward, he ced it inside his pocket and looked at Zemin, the receptionist that was hit by Sun Fang.


    "I truly apologize for the actions of my student. It would seem that the little fame he had achieved hadpletely gotten into his head," the old man then bowed his head towards her, "I will make sure the Huang family will teach him a lesson in humility from now on."


    "N no. It''s alright," Zemin awkwardly waved her hands as she gestured to the old man to stop. Yun Hao was still quite confused with this sudden development-- that, plus the fact that his hand was a bit numb made him a bit irritated. But as he heard the Huang Family being mentioned, his eyes could not help but follow the old man.


    Huang Family? Was Huang Yi, the woman he met in the mixer, a part of this family?


    "It is not alright," the old man once again bowed his head, "My only hope is that you forgive him for his foolishness today."


    "It''s--"


    "Master Huang Da why?"


    Sun Fang, who finally recovered from the shock of being hit by his own master in the face, slowly made his way back, "This woman made a mistake of--"


    "This woman is an employee of the Confederation," once again, Huang Da repeated his words. "You should know now to disrespect any member of the Confederation, Sun Fang."


    "But she''s just a receptionist!"


    "A receptionist of the government that controls our world," Huang Da''s tone was adamant as he looked Sun Fang straight in the eyes, "Now go wait in the lobby with the other applicants while I fix the damage you''ve done."


    "But--"


    "Go."


    Sun Fang started to feel a slight pressure crawling throughout his skin as his master''s words seemingly pierced his ears. He wanted to say more, but he was afraid that doing so might invite the wrath of his master. All he could do was haughtily walk towards where the other applicants are; of course, not before ring at Yun Hao furiously.


    Yun Hao could only let out a small chuckle before proceeding to follow him to the lobby so he could finally wait for the tests. But before he could take 3 steps, Huang Da suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "Young man, please do wait for a while," Huang Da said as he saluted Yun Hao.


    "What can I do for you, mister?


    With Huang Da blocking his path, Yun Hao was at a loss as to what to do. He knew what he did was going to bite him in the ass sooner orter, but to think it was this soon.


    "I just wanted to thank you for putting my disciple in his ce."


    "...Oh. Ah right, no problem," Yun Hao could only stutter awkwardly, nodding his head repeatedly as he tried to pass through Huang Da''s side. But before he could pass Huang Da, he felt a slight pain on his arm.


    "..." Yun Hao slowly let out a breath as he looked at his arm, which was not being grabbed by Huang Da. Yun Hao tried to budge and pull himself away; but s, the only thing he could do was be the one being pulled near to Huang Da.


    "But if this incident happened anywhere other than the Confederation," Huang Da then whispered into his ears, "...Then I would have crippled you already for daring to harm my disciple."


    ''Oh, there we go,'' Yun Hao thought as the old man''s slithering words threatened him. It was already odd that a Cultivator was apologizing to a Normie, it just turns out that it was selective. It was good to know that Yun Hao''s impression of Cultivators still held-- they truly were an arrogant and domineering bunch of assholes.


    "Hm. Good thing it happened here," Yun Hao quickly nodded as Huang Da let him go, "Thank you for sparing my life, master Huang Da," he then bowed towards the old man before proceeding to the lobby where the others were.


    Huang Da only let out a scoff as he looked at Yun Hao''s back. Afterward, his eyes turned towards his palm, which he used to block Yun Hao''s fist.


    "That young man which n does he represent?" Huang Da then asked Xinya, the receptionist on the 9th floor.


    "He he is a free agent, Master Huang Da," Xinya slightly stuttered as she answered the old man''s query.


    "A Frence Cultivator? In this day and age?" Huang Da could not help but furrow his eyebrows. He then once again took a look at his palm before letting out a slight scoff. He felt a very small pricking on his palm when Yun Hao''s fist made contact with it, a testament to how strong his punch actually was for a Normie.


    If that had hit Sun Fang, then he would have definitely been knocked out, maybe even sent intoatose. He thought that Yun Hao would be a very dangerous adversary in the future, not just for Sun Fang, but for other Huang disciples. But as soon as he heard that he was a free agent, then his worries quickly faded.


    Frence Cultivators usually have a hard time getting missions, only receiving those that were not taken by the others. And half of the Beast Cores they will get are required to be surrendered to the Confederation.


    Meaning, his growth will only be slower than everyone else. And so, with that thought, Huang Da once again scoffed before once again apologizing to Xinya and Zemin for causing amotion.


    Back in the lobby, Sun Fang''s almost burning re did not leave Yun Hao for even a second ever since he arrived. But it wasn''t just Sun Fang, the other 5 Immersion applicants were also looking at him curiously.


    Yun Hao did not mind, however, he was used to being stared at and being the odd one in the room. As long as they only stare at him, then Yun Hao doesn''t really see a problem with it.


    And for almost an hour, it remained that way. Their group had been waiting for any announcement of the start of the tests, but not even once did someone approach them. Even Xinya was just idly sitting by the counter.


    Another hour passed, and finally, Xinya stepped to the lobby. She then handed each of the 7 applicants a number before gesturing everyone to follow her.


    "Everyone, we will proceed to the first test. If you may follow me, please. The number given to you is based on the time you registered, with number 1 being the earliest one."


    Yun Hao and the others didn''t really say anything as they proceeded to follow Xinya to a different room; an even more spacious one decorated only with its white walls. There also seemed to be an enclosed viewing deck above, probably for those who wanted to watch the tests, Yun Hao thought.


    The group then started to line themselves up ording to their numbers. Unfortunately enough, Yun Hao had to stand beside Sun Fang, who was still ring at him furiously.


    Fortunately enough, it stopped as soon as someone else entered the spacious white room.


    "There''s 7 of you? We''ve been getting a lottely," a hurried and somewhat impatient tone entered the applicants'' ears.


    It was a woman sporting long ash brown-hair. And instead of robes, the woman was wearing a casual sweat jacket and sweatpants. "Well, let''s get this show started so we can all go home early. How would you guys like that?"


    "W--"


    Some of the applicants were about to answer, but before they could do so, the woman raised her hand, "I don''t really need your opinion, let''s just start. The first test


    ...would be a test of physical strength."

 Chapter 23: Interesting One

    Chapter 23: Interesting One


    "The first test will be a test of strength."


    As soon as the woman raised her hand, the floor beside her opened up like a shaft; and from it emerged some sort of machine simr to those you can find in arcades-- a punch machine.


    Yun Hao could only let out a slight huh as he looked at the machine twice. When he was still in the boxing team, some of his clubmates let him borrow some novels. He had always thought how the Test of Strength worked in the books he lightly read as they were made with some sort of boulder that apparently lit up ording to how strong your physical strength was.


    But now, seeing a normal-looking punch machine emerging dramatically from the ground, he almost let out a snort. But seeing as the other applicants'' eyes were dead serious, he was able to hold it back. It made sense, after all. Even if most of the Cultivator ns and families could be considered orthodox, it doesn''t mean that they were foolish enough not to adhere to the advancements of technology.


    They were arrogant, but they weren''t fools. Well, maybe some of them are, Yun Hao thought as he noticed that Sun Fang was still staring at him.


    "Are you gay?" Yun Hao finally returned Sun Fang''s annoying re.


    "What did--"


    "Motherfuckers, you can settle your differencester!"


    Before Sun Fang could rebuke, the female proctor immediately pped her hands, telling the two to shut their mouths, "I don''t need a bunch of babies causing trouble in my tests."


    "Sorry, coach," Yun Hao quickly bowed his head as he no longer heeded Sun Fang''s presence.


    "Tch," the female proctor only flicked her ash brown-colored hair to the side before she proceeded to step in front of the punch machine.


    "The test is very simple," the female proctor then said as she got into a stance, "You just need to hit this red mitt with everything you got. I don''t care if it''s your fist, your palm, your leg, or your head. As long as you hit above 1000kg, then it could be considered that you passed this test, even barely."


    1000kg? Yun Hao could not help but let out a slight gasp as he heard the woman''s words. That was way above the strength of the punch of most heavyweight boxing champions. But since the female proctor did say they can use their legs, perhaps it wasn''t that hi--


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao''s thoughts were disrupted as a thunderous echo erupted throughout the spacious hall. It wasn''t only him, but the rest of the applicants as well were looking at where the noise came from.


    The female proctor had her palms slightly stretched, her face, still the same bored and impatient expression she had since she showed herself. The punch machine, however, was the opposite as the disy on top of it lit up in red.


    "9,999 kg!?" Yun Hao once again blinked a couple of times as he let out a loud breath. But after a few seconds, he calmed himself down. Of course, it would be that high-- the woman in front of him is a Cultivator. But to think she just pushed the mitt with her hand


    ...Once again, Yun Hao was shown the difference between him and the Cultivators.


    "And that''s it. That''s all you need to know," the female cultivator said as the mitt automatically lifted up and got back to its original position, "Now whoever is number 1, step up so we can get this over with. I know some of you are just wasting your family''s money anyway."


    "..." This woman is a straight-up savage, Yun Hao thought. He wondered what this woman''s identity was, to be this blunt to the rich young masters of this generation. But seeing how Sun Fang''s master treated an ordinary receptionist of the Confederation, it made sense that she wouldn''t even bat an eyelid to them.


    "My name is Lu Meng, madam Liu Hannah," the one with the number 1 slot was a bald man in baggy clothes. If it wasn''t for the tattoos on his arms, then Yun Hao would have thought that he was some kind of monk from the mountains.


    And Liu Anna was the name of the female proctor? Yun Hao should probably search her up after the tests are over.


    "Just proceed," proctor Anna waved her hand nonchntly as she retrieved her phone from her pocket, pointing its camera towards the first applicant, Lu Meng. For some weird reason, Anna, who had been pissed off ever since she got here, started to let out a light giggle.


    Lu Meng the first applicant, on the other hand, felt something ominous climbing on his back. But still, it was not enough to deter him as he finally put up his stance. He stretched his right hand, cing the tip of his fingers on the mitt.


    "This is the 3-inch punch!" Lu Meng roared before proceeding to move every inch of his body forward, putting all of it to his strike.


    ''69!''


    "..."


    "Get the fuck out of here," proctor Anna almost snarled as she looked the applicant straight in the eye, before turning her phone to the next applicant, "Nex--"


    "Wait!"


    But before she could call the next one, Lu Meng''s loud voice almost pierced her ears.


    "Please let me try again!" Lu Meng bowed his head repeatedly.


    "Yeah, no. That''s not going to happen, next!"


    "Please! My family paid for this!"


    "Then I feel sorry for you family," Anna finally put down her phone as she approached the first applicant, "I feel sorry because they are stupid as fuck for trusting someone like you."


    "The test of strength is not important anyway!" Lu Meng once again raised his voice, waving his hand violently as he tried to plead his case, "Once I be a cultivator, physical strength wouldn''t mean anything as I could just use my Qi to enhance my body!"


    "...Great, another whiner," proctor Anna could not help but let out a sigh as Lu Meng continued to reason with her, "Kid, you didn''t even reach half the required points. Maybe if you just kicked the mitt, you would have. But no, you had to be stupid. Next!"


    "But--"


    "The next word that wille out from your mouth, I will engrave on your body," proctor Anna red at Lu Meng onest time, "Get out."


    Hearing the sudden shift in Anna''s tone, Lu Meng could only swallow his words as he finally ran out of the hall, crying. Yun Hao and the rest of the applicants watched as all of this happened right in front of them.


    Honestly, Yun Hao was slightly taken aback. 69 kilograms for a strike like that? That could already be considered above average. But in the end, the proctor''s words were right. Why in the world would one even try something like that at a test?


    Are the rich people running out of things to do, and decided to just waste them here?


    After Lu Meng dramatically left the hall, the test proceeded ordingly.


    The 2nd applicant was another man, using a roundhouse kick thatted him a glorious 1002 points. Instructor Anna rolled her eyes from the result, but still, a pass is a pass. Instructor Anna just waved her hand, telling the applicant to return back to his line before calling the 3rd applicant.


    This time, it was a woman. There really wasn''t anything notable about her except for her green hair. Scratch that, her green hair was pretty notable, Yun Hao thought. He seemed to be seeing hairs of different colorstely, was that some kind of natural trait that a cultivator should have?


    "My name is Jia Ning, madame Anna," the woman said as she saluted at instructor Anna.


    "Jia? Are you from the Jia n?" Instructor Anna raised her phone even further, zooming in the camera towards Jia Ning''s face.


    "Yes, madame Anna."


    "What? Then what the fuck are you doing here? Shouldn''t you already have your meridians opened by now?"


    "Mother said that my brother and I should take the Immersion test," Jia Ning respectfully answered.


    "I take it that''s your brother?" Anna pointed at the only other applicant sporting green hair.


    "Ye--"


    "You know what, I don''t really care, just start."


    "Of course, thank you, madame." Jia Ning did not seem to mind the tone of Anna''s voice as she stepped in front of the machine, and without even any hesitation, raised her foot and did the same exact kick as the previous applicant.


    Her points, however,pletely overwhelmed the previous applicant.


    ''1,600!''


    "Hm," instructor Anna only nodded before gesturing to Jia Ning to return to the line. Jia Ning''s brother was also impressive, scoring just slightly below his sister at 1,542.


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a whistle as the sibling duo breezed through the test without even looking back at their score. Absolutely impressive, he thought. These two could probably stand toe-to-toe against Long Yazhu if they were fighting in a boxing ring, as expected from someone who grew up in a Cultivator n.


    The fifth applicant didn''t really do too well, scoring just below the passing grade. He, however, epted his defeat like a man as he just bowed and thanked instructor Anna before walking away dejectedly.


    However, to Yun Hao''s surprise, instructor Anna ordered the applicant to stay. Yun Hao had to wait for a while, but finally, it was his turn.


    "Next," instructor Anna casually waved her hand once more, gesturing to Yun Hao to hurry it up as she pointed her phone at him.


    "Yes, coach," Yun Hao only nodded his head before grabbing something from his pocket-- a set of bandages. He swiftly tied a strip of bandage around his left hand as he approached the machine every so slowly.


    "Hurry it up!"


    "Yes, coach!" Yun Hao once again shouted.


    "Enough theatrics, you know what happened to the first appli--"


    "!!!"


    Before instructor Anna could finish her sentence, her eyes widened in surprise as a loud thud entered her ears.


    "Oho It seems we have an interesting one in our hands today," Anna then raised an eyebrow as she quickly panned her phone towards the light that was blinking above. She then flipped her phone as she stood in front of the machine, pointing the camera towards her face, "I can''t wait to upload this so you peasants can see it."


    She then once again focused the camera on the light above as it showed Yun Hao''s score--


    ''2,450!''

 Chapter 24: The Peak

    Chapter 24: The Peak


    "2450!?"


    The other applicants all could not believe what they were seeing. 2450 kilograms? The biggest points that the previous applicants achieved were at 1,600kg, and that was already impressive. Of course, seeing as they were here, their families and their sponsors were confident enough that they would pass-- maybe except the first applicant.


    In short, they were one of the best that humanity had to offer. Be it skill, strength, speed, and potential. But hitting 2,450 kilograms? The strongest ever recorded in the normal poption was from a martial arts champion at the force of 2,142. But that wasn''t the only thing that was abnormal in this scenario.


    That record was from a kick. And Yun Hao


    ...Yun Hao used his fist.


    Sun Fang was the most perplexed of all, of course. His master and sponsor from the Huang family got in between the two of them before Yun Hao could strike him. Now Sun Fang could only take in a gulp as he imagined Yun Hao''s punch hitting his face head-on-- he would have surely died. What kind of punch is that? A shotgun?


    It''s impossible for a Normie to Wait, a normie? Sun Fang took in a deep breath as something came to his mind,


    "That man is a Cultivator!" Sun Fang shouted as he pointed towards Yun Hao, "He''s pretending to be a Normie!"


    "..." Yun Hao, who was lightly massaging his fist, could not help but look at Sun Fang as if he was some kind of retard. It wasn''t only him, even the other applicants were looking weirdly at Sun Fang. The only one that didn''t pay him any mind was the only female applicant in the test, Jia Ning.


    She thought that she would have the highest score on the test, but it would seem she was wrong. She was confused at first as to why their mother made them take this test, but now she knows exactly why.


    There was a famous saying in the Cultivation world about being a frog in a well, and she was shown exactly that today. There were monsters out there hidden in the world, and today, she met one of them. Just what kind of secret did this young man had that he would gain such strength? Was this what her mother was telling her?


    Was this young man in front of them the peak of what normal humans could achieve?


    She then slightly pushed her green hair to the side, hoping that she and Yun Hao make eye contact so that she would be able to talk to him. She could just talk to him instead directly, of course. But years of istion and training made herpletely inept in all things social.


    She wasn''t as talented as the young miss from the other big families like Song Jian, so she had to double and even triple her effort if she wants to be able to match them.


    "You''re called Yun Hao, yes?" instructor Anna then approached Yun Hao, who was currently removing the wraps on his hand, "Good, good job. Let''s talkter so I can put you more in my video."


    "...Video?" Yun Hao then looked at the phone instructor Anna was holding, "Okay?" Was it some kind of documentation? Yun Hao thought as he went back to the line.


    "Bro, that was awesome. What are you, some kind of terminator?" As soon as he got back in line, the previous applicant who was asked to stay even though he did not reach the required points, stretched his hand towards him, "I wouldn''t want to be the next applicant going after you."


    "...Just hard work and repetition," Yun Hao replied as he shook the man''s hand.


    "Ohe on, bro. Everyone standing here worked hard until they puked," the man let out a slight chuckle, "You''re just a fricking monster, why haven''t we heard of you before? What family are you from? You''re even invited to one of madame Anna''s vlogs."


    "...Vlogs?"


    "Yeah, bro. Don''t tell me you don''t know who madame Anna is?" Seeing the look of confusion on Yun Hao''s face, the man could not help but let out a slight gasp,


    "Do you live in a junkyard or something? Madame Anna is one of the most famous influencers in--"


    "No more talking!" Before the man could finish his words, Anna once again pped her hand loudly as she gestured to thest applicant to get in front of the machine-- Sun Fang.


    Once again, Anna raised her phone, pointing its camera towards Sun Fang. However, Anna''s gaze was still focused on Yun Hao. Seeing this, Sun Fang could not help but feel vexed. As far as he was aware, he was supposed to be the spotlight of today''s tests. That''s why he and his master specifically picked this date for him to take his test because he knew that Liu Hannah would be the proctor.


    But now, that spotlight was slowly being taken away from him. He even dered from the paparazzi waiting outside the Confederation that he woulde out as the top applicant of the Immersion, but to think that--


    No. It wasn''t toote. Sun Fang shook his head as he let out a long and deep breath before putting up his stance. Yun Hao was insanely strong, but so was he. He wouldn''t lose to a man whose name has not been heard before.


    He wille out on top!


    ''1652!''


    Or he was supposed to if it wasn''t for the existence called Yun Hao. He made sure to give it his all with his kick, but s, it was not even close. It would have been alright since there were still other tests and Yun Hao can''t win all of them, but to lose to someone with such arge gap truly did a number on Sun Fang.


    Sun Fang could only put his head down as he walked back to his line, not even waiting for instructor Anna to tell him to go back.


    "That was a nice hit."


    But as soon as he got back, the voice of thest person he expected to apud him entered his ears. He then looked at Yun Hao, who had his thumbs up towards him.


    "Thanks?" Sun Fang instinctively replied.


    "Now maybe if you focused more on training instead of hitting women, you might have even scored more."


    "Fuck you," Sun Fang once again instinctively replied.

 Chapter 25: 3 Plus 1

    Chapter 25: 3 Plus 1


    "Okay, enough talking."


    Proctor Hannah once again raised her hand as Yun Hao and Sun Fang kept on going at each other. The first test was finally over, with one being ejected from proceeding any further.


    "Right, the 2nd test," Hannah once again pped her hands, and as soon as she did so, the punch machine returned to the floor. There was an obvious change in Hannah''s tone. From the strict and impatient tone she had when she arrived, there was now some sort of excitement in it.


    Everyone knew why, of course-- It was because of Yun Hao.


    Liu Hannah was a famous influencer amongst the people of Xin. She had been uploading videos for years in the biggest online streaming tform in the world-- WeLine. She has over a million subscribers that watch her videos every day. She uploads different kinds of videos, from training videos to hunting videos, but what made her famous was dissing and roasting people that were going through Immersion.


    Of course, she wasn''t allowed to do it live and have to upload it a dayter once it was made public, but still, almost half of the views on her channel were from those roasting videos. People just can''t seem to get enough of it for some reason.


    Yun Hao, of course, waspletely unaware of this as he didn''t even have a properly working phone just a week ago. Yun Hao just focused on his surroundings, waiting for something to once again pop out from the floor. He checked beforehand, and the 2nd test was a test of Will-- whatever that means.


    But after a few seconds of waiting, nothing popped out from the floor. Instead, proctor Hannah stepped forward.


    "The 2nd test is a test of Will. Even if your physical strength is the most important fundamental in training your body, it is nothing if you cower through just a little pressure," proctor Hannah said as she walked in front of the line, looking at the 6 remaining applicants straight in the eyes,


    "The second test will assess just that. As long as you do not move from your spot for 30 seconds as a cultivator releases his or her killing intent upon all of you, then you will pass the 2nd test," proctor Hannah then winked at Yun Hao as she passed by him, "Lucky for all of you, I will be the one to personally test you today."


    "!!!"


    As soon as Hannah finished her words, the applicants that were previously rxed on their spot all could not help but take in a deep breath as a sudden pressure slowly crawled through their skin. They could only grit their teeth as the pressure became heavier and heavier as if a whole sack of damped rice was weighing on them.


    "Brother"


    Surprisingly, the first one to cave in was Jia Ning''s brother, kneeling to the floor almost instantly as soon as Hannah released her killing intent. Jia Ning could only stare at her brother as he wallowed in his mistakes. But s, he could not evenin as the pressure still shadowed over him.


    They have been training for this for years, but one mistake caused him to fail. It was alright since he was still going to have his meridians unlocked once they go back home, but to think he would fail here will truly bring shame to his mother.


    It was just one mistake-- he didn''t expect the proctor to suddenly release her killing intent without any warning, and instructor Hannah seemed to know that as she looked at Jia Ning''s brother with a smirk on her face.


    She then proceeded to walk to her original position, once again scanning the applicants as the killing intent she was releasing grew even more violent. And by the time she got back to her ce, another applicant caved in.


    "L let me out!"


    It was the 2nd applicant, his feet instinctively rushing to the exit. But s, the door was barred from the other side.


    "Look at this pathetic waste of money," Hannah focused her phone on the man as he was drowned in his own sweat, slowly descending to the ground while his hand still tried to open the door, "Imagine paying for money just so that people could see you crying and puking."


    Hannah continued to diss the poor man for almost 5 seconds. And now, with only half the time left, Hannah then panned her camera towards the 4 remaining applicants.


    As expected, besides an ufortable expression on her face, Jia Ning was doing quite well for herself, even ncing at her brother every now and then. Her brother also looked better than the applicant who ran for the door, but s, he already failed.


    The one that proctor Hannah asked to stay still managed to remain to stand; although the sweat on his face and the redness of his eyes made it seem like his face was about to blow off. Of course, it did not help that Hannah was now dissing her.


    Hannah''s sharp words only stopped as soon as her phone panned towards Yun Hao. Like the rest of the applicants, he too was filled with cold sweat. However, there was a major difference between him and the other applicants that almost made the instructor flinch.


    Yun Hao was looking at her directly in the eyes, his hand, touching the huge scar that adorned his otherwise handsome face. The memories of Long Yazhu''s cultivator bodyguard mutting his face resurfaced in his mind.


    "...Oh," Hannah wanted to say something. But in the end, she was too surprised to even move her mouth. She knew that Yun Hao was already abnormal from the 1st test, but to think he would even have the guts to look at her straight in the eyes even as her killing intent grew more violent by the second.


    But that wasn''t what made Hannah flinched, no. It was the fact that Yun Hao seemed to be releasing a killing intent of his own. Of course, it just seemed cute looking at it from Hannah''s side, but Yun Hao was a normal human, even with his abnormal strength. One could only imagine how strong he would be once someone properly watches over him.


    This was it, she thought. Another video that would surely reach more than 10 million views. The surprise inside of her quickly turned into excitement as she zoomed her camera at Yun Hao''s face.


    This is it, she once again thought. She had the thumbnail for her video.


    Finally, the 30 seconds passed and proctor Hannah retracted her killing intent, causing a barrage of heavy breaths to echo through the testing hall. Jia Ning quickly checked on her brother, who was now seemingly tearing up as he apologized to his sister.


    The one that rushed for the door was now being dragged out, his mouth still foaming.


    "And then there were 4," proctor Hannah once again pped her hands as she announced the end of the 2nd test, "I have to say I am utterly shocked, for four of you to still be here to take thest test... this is the most number in months. Good job, good job."


    Finally, it was time for the final test. Hannah gave the applicants time to rest so that they could proceed to the final test.


    Sun Fang, however, remained on his spot as he watched proctor Hannah''s every move. He had been waiting, waiting for more than a minute now for proctor Hannah to pan the camera towards him. He even made it a point to wipe any sweat that trailed down on his face...


    ...But s, proctor Hannah seemed to have already forgotten about him.

 Chapter 26: Open You Up

    Chapter 26: Open You Up


    "I I''m sorry I have failed you and mother, sis."


    "Don''t think about it anymore, brother. It can happen to anyone."


    "But we trained for this, I I should have been ready."


    After the 2nd test, the 4 remaining applicants were given time to rest and collect themselves. Jia Ning was with her brother, still trying tofort him from losing the test so suddenly. It was as her brother said, the two of them were trained since childhood for this and yet he failed just like that.


    It wasn''t the first time someone released their killing intent on him as well, as it was part of his training. No, it was the suddenness of it. Perhaps it was because, during training, they were always warned when their mother or the other instructors would release their killing intent. But here, with proctor Hannah, there was none of that.


    Proctor Hannah just released her killing intent mid-sentence, without even any warning.


    "...Brother," Jia Ning could only let out a regretful sigh as she watched her brother leaving the testing hall with his shoulderspletely down.


    "He''ll be alright, we all fail sooner orter. It is what you do after that counts."


    "...Mr. Yun Hao?"


    Jia Ning then blinked a couple of times as Yun Hao suddenly approached her out of nowhere. She wanted to fix her hair, but s, it was already toote as Yun Hao was already beside her.


    "...Just Yun Hao is fine."


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, could not help but be slightly weirded out as he saw Jia Ning slightly fidgeting, her eyes seemingly not knowing where to look.


    "O of course, please call me Jia Ning as well," Jia Ning almost bit her tongue as she stuttered. This was probably the first time that a boy her age outside of the family will be talking to her. Throughout her life, it had always been training. She and her brother were not even allowed to go to a normal school, instead, they were taught by a private tutor.


    There was only always one goal in mind that was ingrained in her by their mother-- to surpass the Song family''s youngdy, Song Jian. Talking to boys? That was something reserved for those who have no goals in life, or at least that''s what her mother said.


    "...Okay?" Yun Hao mouthed, "Uh good luck with the next test."


    "Wait!"


    "..." Yun Hao once again blinked a couple of times as he looked at his wrist, which was now being grabbed by Jia Ning.


    "S sorry!" Jia Ning quickly let go of his hand as she realized what she had done.


    "Did you need something else?"


    "No, I" Jia Ning''s eyes once again wandered all over the ce. Her hands instinctively reached out to Yun Hao and she didn''t really have anything to say. But not saying anything now would probably prove to be more awkward, she thought. "Which n are you from, Yun Hao?"


    "I''m not from any n," Yun Hao quickly shook his head, "I''m here as well the receptionist called me a free agent."


    "That''s--"


    "That''s amazing, what the hell!"


    Before Jia Ning could even say another word, the 5th applicant, the applicant before Yun Hao, suddenly joined in on the conversation.


    "Were you trained by some kind of hidden master? How were you even able to do that? I couldn''t even keep my eyes open for 3 seconds. And yet when I did, I saw you staring at madame Hannah like a madman while all of us are struggling!"


    "..." Jia Ning could only bite her lip as she was overwhelmed by the man''s loud voice. But nheless, she remained. She was already here, she might as well take this opportunity to make new friends or rather, make her first friend.


    "Oh, sorry. I got a little excited," the man wiped his hand clean before stretching it towards Jia Ning, "My name is Ding Shun, my family runs a little salon in Duangzhou."


    "...Jia Ning," Jia Ning lightly shook Ding Shun''s hand. Afterward, Ding Shun stretched his hand towards Yun Hao. But after a few seconds, he retracted it.


    "I forgot we already shook hands earlier, you might think I''m gay if I keep shaking your hand," Ding Shun let out a chuckle, "Well, I am. But I don''t like you that way, bro. You get what I''m saying?"


    "...It''s fine," Yun Hao could only let out a sigh as this bundle of energy bombarded them with words.


    "Anyway, what you did there was so cool," Ding Shun continued to talk, "Have you read ''Reincarnated as Both God and the Devil''? The main character there did almost the same thing as you did except of course he is stronger than you. Not that you''re not strong. In fact, you''re abnormally strong. I am just saying he''s like a god and"


    Once again, Yun Hao could only let out a sigh as the guy called Ding Shun continued to talk. He also looked at Jia Ning, who seemed pretty intrigued with whatever Ding Shun was talking about. It wasn''t bad, Yun Hao thought.


    Looking at the two right now, they just seemed like normal people. Yun Hao almost forgot that these applicants were probably almost on the same level as Long Yazhu when ites to their wealth. Well, probably not. But still, Yun Hao had gotten used to being treated like shit by the young masters of Tsinghai High School that he almost thought that rich people were all asses-- it seems that wasn''t the case.


    "What are you guys talking ab--"


    "Alright, enough chatter, people! Gather up!"


    Finally, after a few more minutes of Ding Shun killing their ears with his stories, proctor Hannah asked them to get back in line. Sun Fang, who was about to join in on the conversation, was once again left out.


    "I am sure that the three I mean four of you are probably excited about the 3rd test," proctor Hannah snapped her fingers. And as soon as she did so, 3 old people in robes suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Although we call it a test, this is actually the part where all of you be cultivators or cripples, that is."


    Yun Hao slightly took in a deep breath as she heard Hannah''s words. He had already read this on the inte, the first and second test was just a measurement of whether or not a normal human could actually survive undergoing Immersion, which is actually the 3rd test.


    Of course, those who were born in a cultivator family or n would not have a hard time having their meridians opened up, as the blood of cultivators already runs through their veins. That means besides Jia Ning, the rest of the applicants were about to scream for their lives.


    "Shall we start?"


    As soon as proctor Hannah said this, Sun Fang started to get nervous. There were only 3 people here to help them open up their meridians and there were four of them. Could it be that he had truly already been forgotten?


    But to his relief, one of the 3 cultivators went to him. The only one that didn''t have a cultivator behind him was Yun Hao. Seeing, this, a smile could not help but slowly rise on the edges of Sun Fang''s mouth.


    ''Serves you right, you fucker!'' He cursed in his mind.


    "...Coach?" Yun Hao quickly raised his hand, "What about me?"


    "Oh, you?" Proctor Hannah let out a grin as she tapped Yun Hao''s chest, "You and me are going to have fun."


    "...What?"


    "I''m going to be the one personally opening you up, boy."


    ''God fucking damn it!'' Sun Fang once again cursed in his mind.

 Chapter 27: Immersion

    Chapter 27: Immersion


    "I am going to be the one personally opening you up, boy."


    All the three other applicants could not help but look back and forth between Yun Hao and Hannah, the looks of surprise on their faces could not be hidden. While the three of them were going to have their meridians opened up by random cultivators, Yun Hao was going to have his meridians opened up by proctor Hannah herself.


    Of course, it didn''t make a difference as the number of meridians being opened will still depend on the person. There were 15 meridians, with 12 rting to each major part of the body, while the remaining three rtes to the world.


    The 12 meridians of the body will always be opened in the process without any exception, while the meridians that are rted to the world will rely on the person''s potential and affinity.


    Elements, Beasts, and Anatomy.


    The Element Meridian, as the name suggests, allows one to control the elements of the world. Be it water, fire, wood, metal, or earth. Once a Cultivator opens up his or her Element Meridian, he would have the chance to master the elements that make the world itself.


    The Beast Meridian-- one of the most sought characteristics in modern times as it allows a cultivator to tame and control the magical beasts that now predominantly roam the Earth.


    The Anatomy Meridian allows one to fully master one''s body. One could change their looks and extend and some other parts of the body that would otherwise be impossible to do-- the limit would only be the perseverance and the imagination of the cultivator.


    Of course, with practice, any cultivator could have any of the abilities even if they have not opened a certain meridian. However, it will never be as strong or even half as effectivepared to those that have opened up any of the 3 special meridians.


    Most open up one of the three, but there are rare cases where one opens up two of them, having the ability tobine the special traits into something unique and unpredictable. There were also hearsays that the Confederation were hiding information about cultivators who have managed to open up 3, but of course, those were just rumors.


    But the mostmon urrence is not unlocking any of the three. However, it wasn''t as simple as the one with the higher number wins. It doesn''t mean that those who only have 12 meridians opened will be weaker than those who have 13-- everything will always depend on the person itself. Without practice and dedication, one will never achieve strength.


    And right now, the fate of 4 people will be decided as they find themselves on their way to stepping into the world of cultivators-- Yun Hao, Sun Fang, Jia Ning, and Ding Shun.


    Although Yun Hao was a bit weirded out with how proctor Hannah worded her phrase, he still nodded at her as he imitated the rest of the applicants who were seated with their legs crossed on the ground.


    The other applicants then suddenly took off their shirts, slightly shocking Yun Hao as he looked towards the only female applicant in the test, Jia Ning, who was now only at her brassiere. Yun Hao could not help but notice how smooth her skin was, but most importantly, even with her green hair covering her back, Yun Hao still managed to see the numerous scars that littered her back.


    But even almost half-naked, Jia Ning didn''t seem to mind. Seeing this, Yun Hao let out a breath as he too finally took off his shirt.


    "...Interesting."


    "..."


    Yun Hao could feel proctor Hannah''s fingers crawling across his shoulders. Hannah now had her phone on a tripod, with the camera only focused on her and Yun Hao. Yun Hao had been wondering for a while now, but what kind of authority does Hannah actually have for her to be allowed to do all of these things? Wasn''t this a breach of privacy or something? Yun Hao thought.


    But s, he could only let out aint in the form of a sigh. Hannah, on the other hand, continued to inspect Yun Hao''s body. It wasn''t only her, the other cultivators also could not help but look at the chiseled and almost perfect creases that lined up to sculpt Yun Hao''s body; it was almost as if he was a statue, carved by the queerest of gods that only aimed for perfection.


    "The third test is simple-- You just have to endure long enough to have all of your meridians unlocked. By now, I am sure most of you know the consequences but sadly, I am obliged to still tell you."


    Proctor Hannah started talking while still continuing to check on Yun Hao''s body, "If by any chance you are not able to endure the pain of going through Immersion, then your body will go into shock and the possibility of you dying is a hundred percent."


    "..." Yun Hao had read all of this before going to the Confederation. But still, hearing iting out from a real cultivator''s mouth truly had a nerve-wracking effect, as if making it more of a possibility.


    "Of course, with the advancement of the techniques yada yada, we have reduced the death rates through Immersion to only 32.57%. That''s still pretty high, right? Except for the girl, statistically, one of you might die today," Proctor Hannah then lightly patted Yun Hao''s shoulder, but although it was a light pat, it was still enough to cause Yun Hao to flinch.


    "That''s why you still have a chance to back out. You will receive half of the money you already gave us to take the test because you''ve already wasted our time for being a pussy. So, I ask this now


    ...Does anyone want to back out?"


    "..."


    5 seconds and the only answer that Hannah received was a slight nervous breathing from one of the applicants, Ding Shun.


    "Well alright," Hannah then nodded to the other 3 cultivators, signaling to them to get ready. Afterward, she ced both her middle fingers on each side of Yun Hao''s chest, "This will sting just a little tiny bit. I suggest you take in one deep breath


    ...It might be yourst."


    As soon as Hannah said that, Yun Hao felt a slight tickling sensationing from his chest, slowly crawling towards the rest of his body.


    "!!!"


    But then, the tickling sensation suddenly turned into a jolt. Yun Hao could hear a scream, whether or not it wasing from him, he doesn''t really know as all he could feel now was a pain he had never felt before.


    Even when his lungs almost gave out during his attempted suicide, the most he felt was the feeling of his lungs burning. Was this why it was called Immersion? Because you''ll be immersed in pain?


    Even with the funny thoughts, Yun Hao could still not ignore the excruciating pain that still grew by the second. Yun Hao wanted to open his eyes, but as he did so, it was as if his eyelids turned into sandpaper, grating his eyes with each minute movement.


    In the end, Yun Hao couldn''t even grit his teeth, as his own mouth felt like it was filled with broken ss. None of his body was free from the agonizing outrage that was set loose inside him.


    When when was this pain going to end? Yun Hao could feel his whole body shivering on its own, perhaps instinctively trying to cope with the pain on itself as Yun Hao''s mind was no longer able to do so. He couldn''t help but wonder if this is how the man he killed felt? Unable to even move as Yun Hao smashed his head in.


    No Yun Hao tried to think of something else to upy his mind. Anything. From his earlier memory-- the memory of losing his parents, to the memory of getting into fights, being epted into the boxing team, losing his girlfriend Yun Hao thought of everything he could think of just to ease himself off the pain.


    But s, they did nothing. It came to the point that he no longer knew how long he had been enduring this anguish.


    But finally, a single word whispering into his ears caused him to be brought back to sanity-- "Alright."


    As soon as proctor Hannah''s voice entered his ears, the pain he was feeling instantly died down, as if it was never there. The heavy breaths of Yun Hao and two other applicants mixed in the testing hall as they all tried to regain their calm. However, proctor Hannah''s next wordspletely sedated them once again,


    "That''s one


    a lot more to go."

 Chapter 28: Bear

    Chapter 28: Bear


    "Mom, what''s happening?"


    "It''s alright sweetie, it''s alright. Just hide and wait for mommy or daddy to get you, okay?"


    "Can I have Mr. Teddy with me?"


    "No, sweetie. Please, just stay quiet, okay? Just Oh my god, they''re here!"


    "Dear, get the gun! Mommy loves you, okay? Mommy loves you."


    "I love you too, mo--"


    Before he could finish his words, Yun Hao could not help but flinch as the snapping sound of the trunk closing in on him entered his ears. His mother was just in front of him just a few seconds ago, but now, only the darkness and his fettered breaths apanied him.


    "Mommy?" Yun Hao whispered. He wanted to shout, but as soon as he remembered his mother''s orders to remain quiet. He quickly covered his mouth, letting out a small chuckle as he thought they were ying a game of hide and seek with his father.


    "What do you want!?"


    "...Daddy?"


    Yun Hao then could not help but slightly tilt his head as he heard his father''s scream. Did he find him already? Were his mother and father fighting because of him? Yun Hao wanted to get out of the trunk, but as soon as he heard an unfamiliar voice, he decided to remain still.


    "Where is h.. ch, Y. Feng?"


    Yun Hao couldn''t really make out what the man was saying as it would seem that he was still too far away.


    "What are you saying!?"


    *BANG*


    "No! W why!?"


    "Maybe... freshen up your memory."


    "S-she had nothing to do with this!"


    "Time... you to wake up, Feng. This world is--"


    "Wake up, boy!"


    "Ho!?"


    Yun Hao let out a deep and very long gasp as he woke up from his unnaturally vivid dream. He quickly scanned the scenery around him, only to see a spacious room covered in white walls. He then looked towards the voice that woke him up, only to see Proctor Hannah smirking at him.


    ...Right. His meridians were currently being unlocked, wasn''t it? He haspletely forgotten about it due to the immense and excruciating pain that wrapped around his whole body. He was still awake during the opening of his 3rd meridian, but he couldn''t remember what happened after that.


    Did he actually pass out? Yun Hao then tried to stand up, his legs quivering from trying to lift his exhausted body. It would seem that even though the wave of excruciating pain was over, his body still remembers it. But still, with all of his effort, he managed to stand up.


    "...You really are a monster," proctor Hannah could not help but let out a small breath as she patted Yun Hao''s shoulders, but then, after a few more pats, she pushed him back down to the floor, "But you shouldn''t be moving."


    "W what?" Yun Hao''s voice was weak as he scanned the other applicants. And besides Jia Ning, the two other applicants, Sun Fang and Ding Shun were lying on the floor with their backs fully t.


    Jia Ning, on the other hand, was just breathing heavily as she was also looking at Yun Hao. And as soon as their eyes met, Jia Ning bowed her head towards Yun Hao, her eyes filled with nothing but respect.


    "But she''s moving already," Yun Hao muttered.


    "That''s because she is from a Cultivator n, she already has the blood of a Cultivator flowing through her veins," proctor Hannah quickly exined while still pointing the camera at Yun Hao, "While you, and the two others are just from normal families."


    "But that man is" Yun Hao pointed at the unmoving Sun Fang.


    "He''s just under the sponsorship of the Huang family, he''s a normal human like you," proctor Hannah squinted her eyes as she once again scanned Yun Hao''s body. Weird, she thought. It should have been painful for Yun Hao to even move his body, and yet here he was, even managing to stand up.


    Proctor Hannah thoroughly checked it earlier when she examined his body and nothing in his body suggests that he was in a bloodline of cultivators, not even his grandparents and their grandparents before them.


    No Yun Hao was just built different. Proctor Hannah could only shiver at the thought of what Yun Hao might be in the future if he strives for it. It truly was luck that she was the proctor this week.


    Yun Hao then let out a long and deep breath as he let himself sprawl on the floor.


    "Let me be the first to congratte you, then," Proctor Hannah then sat beside him, pointing the camera towards the both of them,


    "Congrattions. You''re a Cultivator, Yun Hao."


    Proctor Hannah once again patted Yun Hao. Although Yun Hao was a bit ufortable being touched on the chest by someone he barely even knows, he still raised his thumbs up towards the camera.


    "Alright, rest up. We will begin the final test in an hour," proctor Hannah then once again patted Yun Hao as she stood up and made her way towards the cultivators. But before she could take 3 steps, Yun Hao called to her.


    "Wait, Ms. Liu."


    "Hm?"


    "How many did I unlock?" Yun Hao asked as he still tried to catch his breath.


    "...Just 12," proctor Hannah let out a small sigh as she nced at Yun Hao.


    "I see."


    "Don''t worry. It''s not that big of a deal. Even I, only have 12 of my meridians open," proctor Hannah nonchntly waved her hand as she continued her way to the other cultivators to discuss the results.


    "..." Yun Hao could only close his eyes. Honestly, he was looking forward to having the Beast meridian. Although he had only seen one on television, how cool would it be like to have a Bear magical beast as a pet? Yun Hao could even have his own sparring partner avable 24/7.


    "It is as madame Hannah says, it''s not that big of a deal."


    "Huk!"


    "S sorry!"


    Yun Hao''s body jolted up as he felt something cold touching his stomach. He quickly turned his head towards the voice, only to see Jia Ning holding two water bottles. "I I didn''t know why I ced it there!"


    "...It''s okay," Yun Hao said as he grabbed the bottle being offered by Jia Ning, "Thank you."


    "..." Jia Ning''s eyes could not help but widen as she saw Yun Hao drinking all the water in one big gulp, "Do you want more?"


    "Thanks."


    "..." Once again, Jia Ning''s eyes widened even further as Yun Hao just suddenly grabbed the bottle from her. That was supposed to be hers and she was just being polite are people outside of her n really like this? Or maybe friends treat each other this way!?


    A bit of excitement was lit up inside Jia Ning as she thought of making her first friend outside of the n. There was also the talkative Ding Shun, but sadly, he was still out cold.


    Yun Hao then let out a satisfied sigh as he gave the bottle back to Jia Ning with still half of its contents. Did Yun Hao want her to drink from the same bottle? Was this some kind of test of friendship?


    If so


    Jia Ning closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she lifted the bottle towards her lips.


    "What about you? How many did you unlock?"


    But s, before the mouth of the bottle could touch her lips, Yun Hao asked her a question.


    "1 13," Jia Ning stuttered.


    "Nice," Yun Hao snapped his fingers, "What meridian is it?


    "I don''t know yet," Jia Ning shook her head, "We will find out on thest test."


    "What about--"


    "I have also unlocked 13!"


    Before Yun Hao could even say anything, a loud voice interrupted their conversation. The two quickly turned their heads to see where the annoying voice wasing from, only to see Sun Fang crawling towards them with his face drowning in sweat.


    "You also look like you need exorcism."


    "W what was that!?" Sun Fang crawled even fast, "You''re just jealous I got 13 meridians open!"


    "It''s not that big of a deal," Yun Hao repeated the words that Jia Ning and Proctor Hannah said to him.


    "O of course, it is! Our potential has already been decided!"


    "Why don''t you say that again while sitting up?"


    Jia Ning could only look back and forth between Yun Hao and Sun Fang as the two continued to bicker with each other. Fortunately, it onlysted for a minute before Sun Fang lost his breath.


    After 30 minutes, Yun Hao could finally move his body normally again as he stood up. Stretching before punching the air to check if there was anything different now that he was a cultivator. But surprisingly, he doesn''t feel any different.


    "That technique you''re a pugilist, Mr. Yun Hao?" Jia Ning could not help but ask.


    "Pugi yes. I was," Yun Hao nodded his head, "I was actually quite popr back the-- He''s still not awake yet?"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, he noticed that Ding Shun was still fast asleep. "Oi, bro. Thest test is about to start," Yun Hao then approached Ding Shun, nudging him to wake up.


    "...Bro?" But even as he shook his whole body, Ding Shun still had no signs of waking up.


    "...No," Jia Ning, who followed behind Yun Hao, could not help but let out a gasp. Hearing this, Yun Hao quickly called for Hannah.


    "Coach! He isn''t waking up!"


    "Oh, he''s dead," Hannah nonchntly waved her hand before returning to talk with the other cultivators.


    "W what?" Yun Hao could not help but stutter, "Are... are you not going to do anything?"


    "We''ve already informed his family, you don''t need to worry about it."


    "T... that''s..."


    Yun Hao could not help but look back and forth between proctor Hannah and Ding Shun. So all this time, while he was silently celebrating, there was a dead body lying around near them?


    They... they just left him here like this?

 Chapter 29: Death and Rebirth

    Chapter 29: Death and Rebirth


    Yun Hao, Jia Ning, as well as Sun Fang could only remain quiet as Ding Shun''s body was now being dragged away by the Confederation''s staff. They were informed that Ding Shun''s family was already in the building, as a matter of fact, they were now on the tinted ss window above the testing hall, watching what was happening.


    It would seem that the Confederation will not move the bodies of those that died during the Immersion before a member of the family or a friend checks them. But still, Yun Hao found it cold that they just left his body like that without even informing him and the other applicants.


    What if it was him that died? There was no one listed as his guardian or family member would the Confederation just leave them here to rot or just throw him in the dumpster?


    ...Is this how life is treated in the Cultivation world?


    After a few seconds, Yun Hao then let out a long and deep breath as he shook his head. He wasn''t one to talk. He currently had a body buried near his house, and he just left it there the next day like it was nothing just to go through Immersion because he needed to go back to school tomorrow as today was thest day of his ''fake'' sick leave of absence.


    Wait does he even need to go back to school now that he was a Cultivator? Yun Hao''s thoughts wandered as he turned around, trying his best not to think of Ding Shun any further. Although they talked for a while, he didn''t really form a friendship with him to feel anything more than a momentary shock.


    Jia Ning, as well, also turned around as soon as she saw Yun Hao walking away. She was from a Cultivator n, and death wasn''t a foreign concept to her.


    The only one that was still looking at the exit even though Ding Shun was no longer there was Sun Fang, he held a simr expression to what Yun Hao had earlier-- confusion.


    He was a Normal martial artist good enough to be in the Olympics and the Huang family didn''t waste any time recruiting him. And unlike Yun Hao, he didn''t refuse. He had seen a lot of unconscious people, but never a dead body until today.


    "Okay, 5 minutes and we''re starting again!" Proctor Hannah returned, quickly unplugging her phone that she seemed to have been charging during the break. She was about to say something, but as soon as she noticed the look on Sun Fang''s face, she could not help but let out a long and deep sigh.


    "Come, all of you!" She then gestured to the three to join her.


    "Now that you''re cultivators, you will soon get used to this," Proctor Hannah let out another short sigh as she started talking, "Once you decide to go to the Danger Zones and the Dark Areas, you will see a lot of yourrades dying. Death will always be beside you, you guys get it, right? Or did you just waste $300,000 to stay within the confines of the Safe Zones?"


    Jia Ning was the only one who nodded at Hannah''s words. Yun Hao only let out a short breath, while Sun Fang could only bite his lip and look to the side.


    "You will kill people," Hannah then added, "Once you''re outside, the sillyws that the Confederation has set up would just be nothing but a decoration. You will learn to kill people, and you will also learn to move on."


    "Have have you killed people, madame Hannah?" Surprisingly, Sun Fang was the first to ask a question.


    As soon as Sun Fang asked this question, Hannah quickly stopped recording on her phone and looked directly at Sun Fang''s eyes.


    "Yes," she then answered, "And I have already lost count of how many."


    Sun Fang could not help but slightly back away, taking a gulp loud enough for the others to hear.


    "Now enough about that," Hannah then once again started recording, "It''s now time for thest test."


    "Oh," Yun Hao quickly moved his hand as Hannah started throwing something towards them. It''s hot, Yun Hao thought as soon as he caught whatever it was.


    "That is a Beast Core."


    "!!!"


    As soon as Hannah said that, Yun Hao quickly turned his hand around to look at the warm thing in his hand. Just a few weeks ago, he hadn''t even seen what Beast Cores looked like. It was only when he bought a phone capable of going to the inte that he was able to get a glimpse of it.


    But even so, the things he saw in pictures was nothingpared to how it actually looks in person. It was beautiful-- were the only words Yun Hao had for it. It looked like the marbles that other people used to y with when he was just a child, except this one looks like there''s a moving, breathing gxy trapped inside of it.


    Yun Hao was so tempted to use his secret powers on it to see if he could duplicate it, but he resisted the temptation to do so as he might get caught. He was in a building filled with super-powered people, after all.


    But still, Yun Hao''s hands were trembling.


    "...That''s just a low-ss Level 1 Beast Core. No need to get that excited," Hannah could not help but slightly furrow her eyebrows from seeing Yun Hao''s weird expressions, "I can give you one if you agree to be featured more in my vlogs."


    "I agree," Yun Hao, without any hesitation, shook Hannah''s hand.


    "...Right," Hannah was slightly suspicious of Yun Hao''s sudden change, "Let''s finish the test first. Although I say a test, this is more like your first lesson as a baby cultivator. You need to be able to absorb the Beast Core to finally tickle your Energy Center so you could get your qi to start flowing through the meridians we just opened up. For those who have unlocked more than 12 meridians, this is also the part where you will know what special meridian you have."


    Yun Hao listened closely to Hannah''s words. Tickle the Energy Center? Is that why Yun Hao wasn''t feeling any different from before? Because they still haven''t actually turned on their Dantian?


    "...How do we absorb it, coach?"


    "Just ce it near your stomach and leave everything else to instincts," Hannah said as she sat on the floor and grabbed a Beast Core of her own, "Your body will learn to absorb it automatically. And since right now, your Dantian is almostpletely empty, it''ll eat the Beast Core up like a hungry wolf."


    Hannah then closed her eyes as she ced the Beast Core she was holding right in the center of her stomach. She then took a long and deep breath, before releasing it very slowly. And as she was doing so, the light on the Beast Core flickered, as if a beating rhythmically at the same time as Hannah''s breaths.


    And with each breath, the color inside the Beast Core faded until all that was left was an empty marble.


    "Done. See? That easy, all I needed to do was take a deep breath and let it get inside me," Hannah said, "And no dirtyments, alright?" Hannah then winked as she looked at the camera of her phone.


    "..." Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times before turning his attention towards Jia Ning and Sun Fang.


    Jia Ning was already starting to absorb the Beast Core, while Sun Fang still seemed to be a bit affected by Ding Shun''s death. But as soon as Sun Fang saw that Yun Hao was looking at him, he quickly sat down and started trying to absorb the Beast Core.


    "Why aren''t you starting?"


    "Right."


    As soon as Yun Hao heard Hannah''s voice, he quickly sat down and started absorbing the Beast Core as well. And just like what Proctor said, the process seems to be very straightforward.


    Yun Hao could feel a warm feeling coursing through his body, starting from his stomach. It was simr to the feeling of resting after a heavy workout. It wasn''t painful, no. It just felt that all of his muscles seemed to be active, but at the same time, it was not.


    There was a certainfort to it, Yun Hao thought.


    ...Maybe perhaps too muchfort as Yun Hao could feel himself going into dreand. Yun Hao quickly opened his eyes so that he would not fall asleep, but s, it would seem that it was already toote as the scenery in front of him hadpletely changed.


    "..." Yun Hao stood up as he found himself in the center of what seemed to be a gazebo. A gazebo in the center of a hugeke; or perhaps an ocean, as he could not see the end of it. There wasn''t any walkway or anything Was he just supposed to stay here? What kind of dream was this?


    ...Is it really a dream, though? Yun Hao pinched himself, only to feel nothing.


    "Well, this is fucking weird," Yun Hao muttered as he walked to the edge of the gazebo to look at the water.


    "Well, this is truly fucking weird," Yun Hao once again muttered as he didn''t see any reflection on the water, "...at least I am fully cloth--"


    "Why are you here?"


    "!!!"


    Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice entered Yun Hao''s ears, causing him to quickly turn around


    ...only to see that he was still alone inside the gazebo.

 Chapter 30: Light

    Chapter 30: Light


    "Why are you here?"


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao looked to see who the words belonged to that whispered into his ears, only to see that he was still alone in the gazebo. There wasn''t even a slight change of wind or even a shift in the weird still water. Yun Hao then slightly leaned over the fence of the gazebo to see if there was an upper floor to the gazebo, but all he could really see was its roof


    ...and a view of 9 moons that lined up in the skies.


    "Now this just got even weirder," Yun Hao eximed as he blinked a couple of times, trying to see if it wasn''t just a speck of dirt on his eye. But no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, there were still 9 moons in his view.


    Perhaps it wasn''t right to call them moons, as they looked more like Earths if anything.


    "You shouldn''t be here."


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao almost jumped off of the gazebo as a whisper once again entered his ears. But once again, there was no one else to be found other than him. Yun Hao was starting to get irritated as it felt like someone was ying with him. The source of the voice seemed to be almost breathing down into his neck, and yet he couldn''t shake it off.


    "Leave."


    Once again, Yun Hao felt a certain shiver. It felt like the voice was surrounding him, and he couldn''t really pinpoint where it wasing from or perhaps it was better to say that it wasing from every direction.


    "You shouldn''t be here."


    Yun Hao could only sigh as the words started to repeat themselves. For a realistic dream, he could have at least gotten a more exciting one. Because this one was boring as f--


    *BOOM*


    Before Yun Hao''s thought coulde to a conclusion, he heard a thunderous and almost deafening explosion. The calm and almost frozen water started to move, trembling as small ripples started to fly out of it like small litters of fish. But still, even with the scenery around him almost vibrating, the gazebo he was in was unmovable, as if it was unaffected by whatever the explosion was.


    Yun Hao then once again leaned over the fence to see what was happening, only to see two of the nine moons colliding with each other.


    "Oh shit!"


    Yun Hao then quickly moved to the center of the gazebo as a hugeet seemed to be heading over to where he was. Everything turned brighter and brighter as theet entered into the atmosphere, and soon, the only thing that Yun Hao could see was white.


    "Oh fuuuu--


    --ck."


    "Well, fuck you too."


    "What?"


    Yun Hao then blinked numerous times as the light that drowned his eyes instantly dissipated, to be reced by proctor Hannah''s face. Yun Hao then quickly turned his head around, only to see that he was back to where he was before; or rather, he was awake now.


    "I came to check up on you ''coz you seemed to have fallen asleep, and you curse me?" Hannah shook her head in disappointment as she stepped away from Yun Hao, "Now I am starting to think if I should really have you in my vlog and give you a Beast Core."


    "Invite me instead, madame Hannah!"


    "Shut up."


    Sun Fang was quickly shut down by proctor Hannah before she once again turned her attention to Yun Hao, "That''s as empty as it could be, boy," she then said as she pointed at Yun Hao''s stomach, or more specifically, the Beast Core he was holding.


    "...Right," although Yun Hao was still a bit confused from the sudden shift, he quickly stood up as both Sun Fang and Jia Ning were already up on their feet. He then handed the empty Beast Core to Hannah, but the only response he got was a look of disgust.


    "Do I look like your maid? Throw it yourself."


    "...Oh, sorry. I thought you still needed it back," Yun Hao retracted his hand and quickly hid the empty Beast Core into his pocket.


    "Hm," Hannah slightly rolled her eyes at Yun Hao before calling everyone''s attention, "Alright, now that you''ve stimted and fed your dantian, you should start to gradually feel the changes in your body within 24 hours. Those who unlocked more than the ordinary 12 meridians, however, should already be feeling something different."


    Hearing Hannah''s words, Yun Hao quickly turned to look at Jia Ning and Sun Fang. Out of the three of them, he was the only one that didn''t unlock a 13th meridian so he was quite curious as to what they got.


    Proctor Hannah then stretched her hand, and out of nowhere, a couple of what seemed to be 2 branches appeared on her palm. She then gave Sun Fang and Jia Ning a piece.


    "Try inserting your qi into the branch."


    "H--"


    "You can do it in instinct, it should feel like moving a finger, but instead it extends through your veins."


    Hannah did not even let Sun Fang talk. But as Hannah said, they didn''t really need an effort to do it as their mind and body seemed to already know what to do.


    "You don''t have to worry, Mr. Yun Hao," proctor Hannah saw the look of curiosity and confusion in Yun Hao''s eyes, "You''re able to do this as well, just try it with another thing in the near future."


    "I hear you, coach," Yun Hao nodded before turning to look at the branches that Jia Ning and Sun Fang were holding. Nothing was happening, but after a few seconds, both the branches suddenly caught on fire.


    "Eek!" Sun Fang quickly threw the stick away. Jia Ning, on the other hand, just let out a short breath before the fire on her branch dissipated.


    "Obviously, the two of you know what this means?"


    "We both unlocked the Element meridian, madame Hannah." Jia Ning quickly answered as she returned the branch back to proctor Hannah.


    "Exactly. Burning means Element, sprouting means Beast, and extending means yada yada," Hannah waved her handszily before looking at Yun Hao, who was now holding the branch that Sun Fang dropped.


    "Nothing is going to happen, Mr. Yun Hao," Hannah once again could not help but let out a sigh as she saw Yun Hao staring at the branch with his eyes filled with intensity, "Don''t grip it too tight as it''s very fragil-- Ah!"


    Before Hannah could even finish her words, a light clicking sound entered her ears as the branch snapped in half.


    "What did you do!? I told you not to grip it too tight!"


    "I wasn''t--"


    "Give it here!" Hannah quickly grabbed the half of the stick from Yun Hao''s hand. Yun Hao picked up the other half from the floor and also quickly gave it to Hannah.


    The only sound that remained in the testing hall was Hannah''s long and loud sigh as she tried to stick the branch back together. But s, there was no reversing what happened. "...You know how much it would cost to fix this? This branch doesn''t have an Artifact Specialist and I need to go to the countryside to have it fixed!"


    "...Sorry."


    "Well, good thing this isn''t mine," Hannah then shrugged as the branch disappeared from her hand.


    "..." Then what was all theining about?


    "Well then," Hannah once again pped her hands, "Congrattions, the three of you are now officially registered as Cultivators. We''re preparing your license as we speak and it should be ready once you leave the testing hall


    ...which is now, so go. Shoo."


    Hannah then waved her hands as she gestured for them to leave. The three could only awkwardly look at each other before turning to leave. That was it? There wasn''t any grand awarding ceremony or something?


    However, before Yun Hao could even take a step towards the exit, Hannah grabbed his wrist.


    "Where are you going?"


    "...To get my license, coach."


    "That can wait, have you forgotten our deal?" Hannah then let go of Yun Hao''s wrist as she ran towards the side of the testing hall, grabbing her tripod,


    "I''m featuring you in my vlog. Let''s go."


    "W--"


    Before Yun Hao could even protest, he was dragged away by Hannah. Jia Ning and Sun Fang could only stare at him as they passed through a different door and into one of the private smaller testing halls. Hannah didn''t waste any time as she quickly set up the scenery, with different kinds of thingsing out from her hand out of thin air mostly furniture and a sofa.


    Is this the so-called interspatial space that cultivators have? Yun Hao thought as he scanned Hannah, only to notice that she was actually wearing a ring on her pinky finger.


    ...Can he duplicate that?


    "We don''t have much time, sit down so we can start," Hannah then pushed Yun Hao towards the seat and quickly set up her camera, "I''ll be asking you some very light questions, and just answer them however you want, alright? You can curse, it''s not a family-friendly channel."


    "...Okay?" Yun Hao was no longer able to follow Hannah''s pace, so all he could do was nod his head.


    "The huge scar on your face, how did you get it?"


    "..."


    How is this a very light question?"

 Chapter 31: Elevator (1)

    Chapter 31: Elevator (1)


    "How did you get that scar on your face?"


    "...Sorry?"


    Yun Hao could not help but slightly raise his eyebrows at Hannah''s questions. She said that it was only going to be very light questions. How on earth is something this personal a light question?


    "I said, where did you get that huge-ass scar on your face? It''s not every day that we see a Normie with a scar on his face."


    "That guy Sun Fang also has a scar on his face."


    "You call that thing on his face a scar? I thought it was a loose strand of hair. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"


    "...Almost every day," Yun Hao let out a long and deep sigh, "I''d rather not answer that if I could."


    "Hm" Hannah could not help but roll her eyes. But after a few seconds, she grabbed something from her pocket, "You don''t want this?"


    "I got it from fighting with a Cultivator," Yun Hao quickly replied as he saw the Beast Core in Hannah''s hand. He could always buy one with the remaining money he had still in the bank and the coins that were still left inside his house, but having one now would allow him to try and duplicate it as soon as possible, maybe even tonight when he gets home. Besides, if one digs deep enough, they could find Yun Hao''s story in googoru.


    Although it had been more than a year since hest fought in the ring, he could still be considered as somewhat famous with the kids of the Normal poption who liked boxing. After all, he was still a star athlete before everything went to hell.


    And so, Yun Hao told the story of what happened. Perhaps this would also be a good tform to release what truly happened to him as there seemed to be a lot of false rumors that spread about him including allegations of him being involved with a drug gang.


    Hannah did not really interrupt Yun Hao as he told his altercation with a cultivator.


    "That''s basically it. And although I said a fight, it was more like a beating."


    "...So you were able tost that long fighting a cultivator? Even if he was just at the earliest stage, you shouldn''t have even been able to fight back."


    "Well, I was with my ex-girlfriend, I thought I had to protect her however I can even if it costs me my life."


    "Ho," Hannah could not help but fan herself with her hand as soon as she heard Yun Hao''s words, slightly revealing her cleavage as she pulled her clothes, "That girl was lucky to have you. But you said she''s an ex-girlfriend now? What happened?"


    "That''s a story for another time," Yun Hao let out a slight chuckle as he winked at the camera with his only working eye.


    "Alright, I''m sure the viewers would be interested, but I am sure we''ll be seeing a lot of you in the future. What about your left eye? Is itpletely blind?"


    "Sadly so. If it was still alive, then I am sure it would surely be jealous of my right eye."


    "Oh, why so?"


    "Because it''s currently seeing a beauty such as you right now."


    "...Cringe," Hannah could not help but slightly snarl from Yun Hao''s attempt at ttery. But still, there was a slight stutter in her voice and a flicker in her eyes that waspletely visible from the camera. It also captured how her face slightly turned red before she started speaking again,


    "N next question."


    Yun Hao continued to answer some other questions about himself for a few minutes, but they seemedpletely mundanepared to her very first question. Finally, after what seemed like more than 30 questions, Hannah''s questions ran out.


    Yun Hao was about to bow and head out to get his license, but it would seem that they were still not quite done yet.


    "Alright, now time for a good thumbnail!" Hannah then gestured to Yun Hao to go to the corner of the private testing hall where she ced some of the other furniture that came from her interspatial ring.


    So that''s what they were for, Yun Hao thought as Hannah tried to find them a good spot. But after what seemed like 3 minutes, Hannah can''t seem to find a good angle.


    "Why do you have to be so fucking tall? What are you, half European or something?" Hannah clicked her tongue as she kneeled on the sofa, trying to get the height of their eyes to be at the same eye level.


    "Can''t you use your tripod?"


    "No, it doesn''t look authentic that way! Why are you even telling me what to do?"


    "..." Yun Hao could only let out a sigh before trying to grab the phone from Hannah''s hand.


    "...What are you doing?"


    But s, he couldn''t even budge it.


    "My arms are longer, let me take the photo."


    "...Alright," Hannah could only let go of the photo as she realized that their faces were almost sticking to each other. Like most girls and women that were born from Cultivator ns, Hannah was quite foreign to the concept of rtionships and such. It just wasn''t as obvious due to her already being an adult in herte 20s.


    "So, I just press this?"


    "Yes! Have you never held a phone before!?"


    "...I haven''t used my phone''s camera yet."


    "Just press it and smile, you imbecile!"


    "Alright, alright. Why are you cultivators always acting so rude, is that like some kind of inside joke I''m not getting?"


    "Press it."


    Yun Hao once again let out a sigh as he looked at the screen of the phone. With his new stylish haircut, the scar on his face had be more visible and it was made quite obvious from the screen. He was going to tilt his head to the side first to hide his scar, but in the end


    ...he chose not to do so.


    ***


    "...You guys are still here?"


    "We wanted to wait for you so we could exchange information."


    "...You too?"


    "Tch, didn''t want to at first."


    Yun Hao was quite surprised to see that Sun Fang, Jia Ning, as well as her brother, were still in the lobby, seemingly waiting for him.


    "Congrattions on bing a cultivator, brother Yun Hao," Jia Ning''s brother saluted Yun Hao. And although there was a bit of bitterness in his tone, his eyes were still clear as they looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes.


    "Thank you, brother"


    "Jia Su," Jia Ning''s brother once again bowed his head as he introduced himself to Yun Hao, "Your performance truly was a thing to behold. I am sure even the top disciples of our n will not have been able to measure up to you when they opened their meridians."


    "...Right, thank you," Yun Hao could only awkwardly bow his head as he wasn''t used to being treated this formally, "So, about this exchange of information you mean our contact numbers?" Yun Hao then turned his head towards Jia Ning.


    "Y yes," Jia Ning nodded, "My brother suggested it. It would be cool to have f friends outside of our n."


    The stutter in Jia Ning''s voice was quite obvious to hear. But it would seem that none minded as they all exchanged contact information even Sun Fang. Jia Ning''s eyes glittered as she saw two names in her contacts that weren''t from her n.


    "We will go now, brothers Yun Hao and Sun Fang. Let us meet again some other time to discuss pointers," Jia Su once again saluted, "I will be a cultivator as well the next time we meet."


    "Alright, stay fresh," Yun Hao waved his hand.


    "Farewell, brother," while Sun Fang imitated Jia Su and gave a salute of his own.


    There was a slight reluctance on Jia Ning''s face. But s, she had no choice but to also bid her farewells as their mother was already waiting for them in the car outside.


    And so, the only two left were Sun Fang and Yun Hao. The two didn''t really say anything to each other, with Yun Hao going to the receptionist and getting his license.


    "This is it?" Yun Hao flipped the card that was given to her by the receptionist. It just looked like a driver''s license, with a serial on the lower-left corner.


    "Yes. And please don''t lose it, it will take a while before we can issue you another one. It would be best if you store it inside an interspatial storage"


    The receptionist continued to exin to Yun Hao of the certain uses of the cards for a few minutes. But after she was done, she quickly bowed her head towards him and thanked him for standing up for her colleague earlier.


    "Don''t mention it," Yun Hao nonchntly waved his hand before walking away. Surprisingly, the young man that caused themotion was still in front of the elevator.


    "...What are you still doing here?"


    "Waiting for the elevator, what else? This is a tall building, I wasn''t waiting for you."


    "...Right."


    "..."


    "..."


    The two awkwardly waited for the elevator toe, but seeing as it has been on the 32nd floor for quite a while now, they were going to wait for a long time.


    "Fuck this, I am taking the stairs," Sun Fang said before clicking his tongue. But before he could take 3 steps, Yun Hao opened his mouth.


    "Wait," Yun Hao said.


    "What What do you want? You want to fight?"

 Chapter 32: Elevator (2)

    Chapter 32: Elevator (2)


    "Wait."


    "What What do you want? You want to fight?"


    "No, you look like you need a rest," Yun Hao let out a small chuckle, "You''re sponsored by the Huang family, right?"


    "What''s it to you?"


    "What does that mean, anyway? Have they adopted you or something?"


    "I guess, what''s it to you?"


    "Nothing, just curious," Yun Hao shrugged his shoulders, "Do you know anyone named Huang Yi?"


    Yun Hao asked as he had been curious ever since he heard that Sun Fang was sponsored by the Huang family, which happens to be the n of the youngdy she metst week in the mixer.


    "Huang Yi the granddaughter of the current n master? I met her once, why do you ask?" Sun Fang squinted his eyes as he looked at Yun Hao straight in the eye, "Wait don''t tell me you have a little crush on her!?"


    Sun Fang suddenly burst out inughter, garnering the attention of the floor receptionist. But obviously, she didn''t want to be involved with whatever it was anymore. The two were already cultivators, and thus in her mind, they were already of a higher status than her. She had been working for a while here, and while she also wanted to be a Cultivator, with her sry, it would take at least 15 years before she could be one.


    But there''s also the fact that she wasn''t really trained to be one, so she actually might just die like what happened to one of the applicants today. And so, with that thought, the receptionist could only sigh as she grabbed her phone and started fiddling with it.


    "No," Yun Hao bluntly said, "I was just curious, I''ve met her before. Small world."


    "Hm," Sun Fang furrowed his eyebrows. But after a few seconds, he turned away and decided to proceed to the stairs. But before he could even take a single step, a bell rang in his ear as the elevator door opened.


    "You''re noting in?" Yun Hao said as he put the elevator on hold when he got in.


    "..." Sun Fang was tempted to go inside. But after thinking about it for a second, he shook his head, "Pft, who would want to be stuck with someone like you in the elevator."


    "...Shouldn''t I be the one saying that?" Yun Hao let go of the button as he let out a scoff.


    "I''d rather take the stairs and get some exercise," Sun Fang said as he turned around, "I don''t take shortcuts!"


    "...Don''t hit a girl on your way down then."


    "What did--"


    Before Sun Fang could retaliate, the elevator doors closed on him, "Motherfucker! Wait ''til we meet again, I will show you the difference between us!"


    Sun Fang stomped his way to the fire exit, only to find out that it''s locked.


    "Oh, the maintenance is currently working on the pipes there," the receptionist, who noticed that Sun Fang was shaking the door, advised her through her speaker, "You should take the elevator."


    "..."


    "God damn it."


    ***


    The sound of metal hitting each other nged in the air as Yun Hao carefully locked the door to his rustic and dpidated house made of scraps. He still had a barrel-full of sitting on the corner of his house, but for some reason, when Yun Hao was looking at it, all he was feeling was exhaustion.


    For 2 weeks, he did nothing but carry a ton of coins in and out of the neighboring cities. He already knew almost all of the merchants and vendors by name, but now it wasing to an end. He already achieved his goal of bing a cultivator, and the coins that once made a pool inside his house were almost depleted. If he uses the same pace he was used to already, then it probably wouldn''t even take 3 days before the remaining coins arepletely gone.


    And even with him paying the price of $300,000, he would still have a total of about $100,000 in his name.


    He could be considered a young master now, right? A true young master, since he was also a cultivator now.


    "Pft," Yun Hao could not help but snort as he let himself fall onto his bed made of cardboard. He couldn''t really imagine himself living a life of luxury, perhaps it''ll change in the future. But for now, he only had one goal in mind-- to be the Champion of the Cultivator world


    ...and perhaps a new apartment.


    Thetter goal was something he could do once all the coins are gone. The former, however-- he had no idea where to even start. He knew that there werepetitions and such for Cultivators, but how does one even get invited? He had been searching googoru for a while now, and every answer was vague.


    "Pft," once again, Yun Hao chuckled from the thoughts he was having. As Hannah said, they were just baby cultivators. It was probably too early for Yun Hao to be thinking ofpeting with others when he doesn''t even know the basics of being a cultivator yet. Heck, he doesn''t even know the different levels of Cultivators, all he knows is that since he just unlocked his meridian, that puts him at the earliest stages of the Mortal Realm.


    Yun Hao then sat up from his bed and looked at his hand. Liu Hannah said that changes will happen in their bodies in the span of 24 hours maybe he should start moving his body around?


    Wait Yun Hao''s eyes then suddenly widened as he remembered something crucial. He quickly grabbed something from his pocket-- a red pouch.


    It was a pouch given to him by Liu Hannah, containing the promised payment for doing the vlog with her. Yun Hao''s stuttered breaths echoed through his small house as he opened the pouch.


    "I it''s so beautiful," he whispered as the Beast Core reflected in his eyes. He then very carefully ced the Beast Core on his palm, trying his best to still his trembling hand.


    Yun Hao then took a very long and very deep breath before closing his eyes.


    "Please work," he once again whispered, "D duplica--"


    But before he could finish his words, he felt his eye flicker until finally, the only thing that he could see was darkness.


    "...Oh," he muttered before he felt his body falling from the bed and slightly rolling to the ground.


    "...Fuck," was thest word that came out of his mouth before hepletely lost consciousness.


    ***


    "No, not this one."


    "No, I looked like shit in this one."


    "Ack, damn it. I should''ve taken more photos."


    Somewhere in a different city, Liu Hannah was currently inside her house, lying on her sofa as she fiddled with her phone. She had just finished editing the video for today and was already uploading it to the famous streaming tform, WeLine. She was supposed to upload it the day after, but she was sure the others in the Confederation wouldn''t mind since this was just one time.


    And now, she was currently picking on what thumbnail to use. She had been scanning for almost an hour, trying to pick from the almost hundreds of photos she took during the test. Yun Hao was the main focus of her vlog today, even putting "The Strongest Normie Ever" as the title of the video.


    "Ah, not this one!" Hannah groaned in frustration as she could not find a good image. And soon, after a few more minutes, she reached the part of her gallery where she and Yun Hao were taking photos together.


    She stared at the first photo for a while before deleting it. But all it did was pan to the next photo of them together, which she once again proceeded to delete. She doesn''t know why she was doing it, she had been taking photos with other interesting applicants even before, but she never deleted them and even included them in the vlogs.


    But for some reason, she was feeling slightly weird now.


    "Delete. Delete. Delete," Hannah muttered. But then, as she reached the end of the photos, her fingers suddenly stopped moving as her mutters were reced by a stutter.


    "..." Her eyes could not help but slightly squint as she looked at the photo in her phone. It was the photo that Yun Hao took, and they were awfully close to each other. Hannah then unconsciously tilted her head as she focused on Yun Hao, who was slightly smiling.


    Unbeknownst to her, a small smile was also creeping up on her face as her finger double-tapped the screen, zooming at Yun Hao. She then panned the photo a bit, showing her and Yun Hao''s faces close together. She stared at it for a full minute before letting out a long and deep sigh.


    "I should probably start thinking of dating soon," she muttered to herself as she realized she was having... thoughts about a guy that was almost 10 years younger than her,


    "Gah!" She then screamed in frustration as she stood up and lightly threw her phone on the sofa, "Why''d you have to be so god-damn handsome as well!?"


    Hannah contemted for a few more minutes until her video finally finished uploading. In the end, she just chose the photo of Yun Hao holding his scar during the 2nd test as a thumbnail.


    And that was her nightly routine and she was ready to call it a day as she made her way to her bed.


    As for the photo of them together, surprisingly, she found herself looking at it. "Stop this, Hannah. Get a grip," she said as she was ready to close her phone as well as her eyes. But before she could do so, a notification entered her ears.


    "Oh, someone alreadymented on the video?"


    She was about to click the notification, but another one came before her finger could press it.


    And then another.


    And then another.


    "W what the fuck is going on?"

 Chapter 33: Holy S...

    Chapter 33: Holy S...


    "W what the fuck is happening?"


    Hannah, who was about to close her eyes could not help but widen them instead as the notifications kept in her phone kept on popping. The bell icon that showed how many notifications she had now has a red dot on it. First, it had the number 1 on it, then 2, then 3 until it stopped at "10+", but the vibrations never stopped.


    Although she was used to having her notification pop as soon as she finished uploading since she had more than a million subscribers already, it was never like this.


    She didn''t mistakenly upload the photo of her and Yun Hao together, did she!? With this thought, Hannah hesitated no longer as her finger pressed the notification icon. Of course, the very firstment was ament saying "first", the second one, however, was a legitment.


    [Is this THE Yun Hao?]


    Reading this and knowing that she didn''t mistakenly upload the photo of them together, Hannah let out a long and deep sigh of relief. But after a few seconds, she continued reading thements.


    [I already watched til the end, this is Yun Hao!]


    [so thats why he was suddenly gone. smh this is why cultivators should have their own country]


    [still remember this dude''s first match, didn''t even punch the first round thenpletely decimated his opponent with one punch as soon as the 2nd round started. This guy will be a monster]


    [who is that cultivator? ngl i think he did all the other uing boxers a favor]


    [Should have dropped the cultivator''s name!]


    [So that''s why he suddenly disappeared, could''ve been the GOAT]


    [lmao he became a cultivator? gg cultivators]


    [is this guy famous?]


    [lol you have no idea. This guy''s a monster]


    Hannahpletely sat up straight from her bed as she read all thements that were popping out even now. With the way things are going, this video would probably be her most viral video yet, the share notifications were also going crazy. In truth, she was supposed to upload this a weekter to avoid any privacy issues, but she was just too excited since she knew it might be something special...


    ...But to think Yun Hao was this famous? It would seem that Hannah really hit it big this time. Hannah could not help but let out a small chuckle as she returned to bed, tomorrow is going to be a great day. She could only imagine how many views and shares the video will have by the time she wakes up.


    And so, with all that in mind, Hannah was going to end her day with a smile of satisfaction.


    But once again, before she could close her eyes, another notification popped out; but this time, it was a different sound. It was the sound of her InstaPound ount, where she posts all some artsy photos of different sceneries she takes a photo of when she ventures outside the Danger Zones.


    "..." With a gulp, Hannah once again sat up from the bed as her trembling finger pressed the notification, only to find out that her initial guess truly did happen-- she uploaded the photo of her and Yun Hao together. She quickly deleted the photo from InstaPound, almost making a hole in her phone in the process, but who knows


    ...some people might have already seen it.


    "Oh, fuck."


    ***


    "F fuck."


    Yun Hao found himself feeling all sorts of pain in his body as he woke up face-first on the cold hard ground.


    "Uh," he could hear his bones cracking and snapping all over the ce as he tried to stand up. Judging from the light that was sipping from the holes in his house, it was already morning outside. Hannah said that his body would transition in the span of 24 hours, did he just sleep through half of it?


    Judging by the pain all over his body, he probably did. Today was the day he wasing back to Tsinghai Highschool, wasn''t it?


    His long and deep sigh mixed with the cracking of his bones as he sat his way to his bed. One of the reasons he wanted to be a cultivator was to no longer fear Long Yazhu and his exaggeratingly wealthy capabilities. Even if the Long Yazhu''s family was not a Cultivator family, they had enough money and influence to be able to hire cultivators as their security.


    Suffice to say, they probably even secretly own Tsinghai Highschool. He wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case since they own almost all the prime real estate in the country. That would probably exin why his coach and all the teachers there were treating him badly, Long Yazhu probably said something. If not then they were probably all just douchebags-- Yun Hao doesn''t know what''s worse.


    Yun Hao''s first reason to be a Cultivator was so that he could live freely. And now that he finally had the ability to go to the school without fearing for his life that Long Yazhu had be a cultivator already, for some reason, he doesn''t really see the purpose of going to school anymore.


    He is a cultivator now, add to the fact that he had a very special ability that could potentially make him even wealthier than Long Yazhu''s family everything just seemed so mundane. Yun Hao thought for a while as to how he would proceed, and after a few seconds, he slightly scoffed and shook his head.


    There was no use ining to school anymore, at least not that school. But just for today, he will attend. He will attend and officially quit and drop out of the school of his own volition. He decided he wasn''t going to let the bastards in Tsinghai Highschool get the satisfaction of kicking him out.


    And so, with that thought, even with his body still slightly in pain, he started to get dressed. But before he could take 3 steps towards his drawer, he finally remembered something.


    He was doing something very important before passing out-- he was trying to duplicate a Beast Core; that was why he fainted in the first ce.


    Yun Hao''s eyes then quickly scanned his minuscule home for any signs of the Beast Core. He didn''t have to search long, however, as he quickly found it near the stack of coins he had on the corner of the room. It must''ve rolled off from his hand when he fainted, he thought as he once again continued to search for another Beast Core.


    But s, after almost 10 minutes of searching his small house, there wasn''t a sign of another Beast Core.


    Did did he fail in duplicating it? Does that mean the Beast Cores couldn''t be duplicated?


    No, he wouldn''t have fainted from using his powers if it couldn''t. It was most probably because he didn''t even know the basics of how the Cores worked in the first ce.


    With that disappointing thought, Yun Hao could not help but also release a disappointed sigh as he made his way to his drawer to get dressed, cing the Beast Core back into the pouch that Hannah also gave him.


    He couldn''t say he wasn''t pissed off that it didn''t work, and it showed when he opened the drawer, identally using a bit more force than usual.


    "..."


    Okay, maybe it was just not a little bit, Yun Hao thought as the whole drawer flew 3 meters away, almost threatening to wreck his whole house if it had hit the wall.


    "Holy shit," Yun Hao breathed as he looked at his left hand. Maybe perhaps because he slept through half of the transition period, but it would seem that his body was starting to change. Although his drawer was small, it wasn''t light. It was one of those antique drawers that weighed more than it should, which he was able to salvage as soon as he was thrown in the scrapyard.


    To think he was able to throw something like that without any effort. Sure, he would still be able to throw it when he was just a human but he wasn''t even trying to do so earlier. And to think he was still just at the earliest stage.


    The smile that was already growing on Yun Hao''s face grew even faster. One could only imagine how strong he would be once he started training and absorbed more Beast Cores.


    It was just too bad that he wasn''t able to duplicate the Beast Core he had right now. No matter, he could legally buy Beast Cores now since he was a cultivator anyway. Just duplicate something else to sell, then buy Beast Cores with it.


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao walked to his slightly wrecked drawer and grabbed his uniform. He started to get dressed, but as soon as he took off his shirt, he heard a small nging noise dropping near his feet.


    "..." Yun Hao quickly looked to see what it was, only to see the Beast Core rolling on the ground.


    "Fuck," Yun Hao could not help but curse as he picked up the Beast Core. It was the only one he had, so it would truly be a waste to lose it. And so, once again, he securely ced it back inside the pouch that was given to her by Hannah


    ...only to see another Beast Core already peacefully resting there.


    "...Holy shit."

 Chapter 34: Alma Mater...

    Chapter 34: Alma Mater...


    Yun Hao was currently on the train, on his way to Tsinghai High School so that he could make a grand exit. He knew it was somewhat petty to want to shove his withdrawal form on the face of the people there, but just once, he wanted to show them that he could now make it even without their help.


    But that wasn''t really why he was currently lost in thought and just looking at the floor of the train, no. He was thinking of the fact that he was able to duplicate a Beast Core. Sure, it was the lowest rank of the lowest level, but he was able to do so even if he had to faint to make it happen.


    He was going to try and duplicate another one after he got home to see if he was going to faint again, if he managed to stay awake, then Yun Hao would now have another idea about his power works-- it was like a muscle.


    The more he uses it and stretches it to its limits, the stronger it would be. And it wasn''t only that, if that really was the case, then that would prove one other thing, his power won''t have a limit of uses.


    Why would it be stronger the more you use it in the first ce if it had a limit, right? What would be the sense in that? It would be like dying before reaching one''s full potential which could actually happen.


    So which is it?


    Yun Hao could not help but groan in frustration as theplicated thoughts started to cloud his mind. The other people that were already trying to avoid him all started to go to the other car, as some of them thought that Yun Hao was some kind of hooligan.


    "..." He thought these kinds of misunderstandings were going to disappear since he had already groomed himself and got a haircut. Maybe because his scar and his blind grey eye were now for everyone to see?


    But I guess there was an improvement, as some of the girls anddies didn''t seem to mind him, with some obviously even taking a photo of him. He didn''t really mind, though, as he was already used to it when he was still in the limelight.


    Yun Hao could not help but sigh as he once again imagined what his life would have been if he didn''t get involved in that "ident", maybe he would have been famous in the whole country by now or maybe even the world.


    "Pft," Yun Hao shook his head from the thoughts. Those days were and have been long over, his life ispletely different now, and it will continue to stray even farther away from what it once was and the first step to that was shoving his dropout form in the faces of the people in Tsinghai High School.


    "!!!"


    Fits of heavy gasps then interrupted Yun Hao''s thoughts as the women left in the car all started to stare at him or more specifically, towards the broken handle he was holding.


    "...Fuck," Yun Hao could not help but whisper a curse as the grab handle slightly crumbled in his hand. He was still getting used to his newfound strength, maybe perhaps shoving the form on the faces of the people in school wasn''t such a good idea after all.


    After a few more minutes, he finally arrived at his stop, still holding pieces of the broken handle as he got out of the train. He felt it was right to just leave it like that so he quickly found a staff, asking her if he needed to pay for it.


    "You crumbled it with your hand?" The female inspector could not help but look back and forth between the broken handle in her hand and Yun Hao.


    "...Yes, sorry," Yun Hao let out an awkward chuckle, "I can really pay for it if I need to."


    "N no, it''s alright," the female inspector also let out an awkward chuckle. But after a few moments of looking at Yun Hao, she squinted her eyes and asked, "Are you perhaps a cultivator?"


    "...Hm," Yun Hao hesitated for a while before nodding his head, "I''m still getting used--"


    "I thought so!" The female inspector then took out a notebook, "Can I see your license?"


    "...What for?"


    "So that I can log it here and let the Confederation answer the costs? It happens all the time, don''t worry. It''s faster this way so you won''t have to do any nasty paperwork."


    "Oh right, of course."


    The woman quickly jotted down Yun Hao''s name and his license number into her logbook.


    "Also, I know it''s your choice and all" The female inspector then let out a short breath before handing back the license to Yun Hao, "...but I suggest you start wearing an armband when you''re out sharing the space with us Normies."


    "I thank you for the advice, ma''am," Yun Hao bowed his head before heading out. A Cultivator''s Armband, it''s to show that one is a cultivator. Some use it as a sign of superiority, and some use it for security purposes so that the normal poption would be aware of their presence.


    Huang Yi was wearing one, and obviously for thetter purpose.


    Some normal humans also use them to pretend, but there was usually a heavy fine for doing so one is being jailed in the same prison as cultivators.


    Yun Hao didn''t really want to wear one, he was already attracting enough attention as it is with his dastardly dashingly good looks, he didn''t want to add it to the ir. Maybe perhaps in the future, but now, he didn''t really see any benefit in it.


    And as if in queue to his thoughts, the woman he just thought of was calling her.


    "..." Yun Hao stared at Huang Yi''s name on his phone for a few seconds. She was the first contact in it, but aside from the 1st day, the two haven''t really exchanged even as much as a hello to one another.


    But then again, he didn''t really see any reason not to answer she was indeed a bit cute plus she also somewhat helped him in a way, Yun Hao thought as he finally answered her call.


    [You''re a cultivator now!?]


    Yun Hao almost threw his phone away as Huang Yi''s voice pierced his ear almost literally.


    "Hello to you too, friend," Yun Hao replied as he continued to walk to school.


    [H hi, but where are you right now?]


    "...Why?"


    [We need to talk!]


    "Is this about recruiting me into your family n whatever your group is? If so, it''s already toote, I am already registered as a Rogue Cultivator," Yun Hao let out a long and deep sigh, making sure that Huang Yi could hear it from her side. There was only one way that Huang Yi could have found out about him being a Cultivator-- Sun Fang.


    [That''s just hear me out, please? I''ll be in your school in a few hours!]


    "...How''d you know I was going to school?"


    [Where where else would you be? Just wait for me there, okay?]


    "...Okay, it''s a date, then?"


    [Yes, see you What do you mean a date?]


    "Might as well, right?"


    [That''s Let''s talk about thatter.]


    "Alright, looking forward to it. Be careful on your way here."


    [...Thanks, you too.]


    Yun Hao let out a small breath as he put his phone back into his pocket. He then looked at the gate in front of him before once again letting out another small breath, but this time, it was partnered with a smirk.


    This was probably thest time he was passing through this gate-- the gates of Tsinghai High school. He had spent years here and would have graduated in less than a year from now, but those are all over now. Now


    ...it was time to make a proper exit and say goodbye to his alma materfucker.

 Chapter 35: Calm before the Squall

    Chapter 35: Calm before the Squall


    "What is this?"


    "It''s the dropout form, sir. I already filled and signed it."


    "You are dropping out from Tsinghai?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "That''s preposterous!"


    Ah, there we go. Yun Hao thought that it was too peaceful. When he entered the gates of the school, the most he got were the usual stares that he had been getting for the past year, even though he painstakingly groomed himself, it would seem that the people from Tsinghai High School were too far gone.


    Just what exactly did he do to incur these people''s abhor? Now that his focus waspletely elsewhere, his thoughts were finally able to align clearly. Sure, he admits to himself that he was somewhat unsympathetic when he was still the school''s star athlete more than a year ago, but it was only because his only goal back then was to train and win.


    He had no time for anything else except for boxing and Zhang Ang.


    Sure, the students here could have been jealous of him, maybe even loathe him because he was getting too much of the attention while being below the poverty line. But to go so far as to collectively bully him was a tad bit too much, seeing as even the school staff was included, or at least turning a blind eye to it, something else was involved. Or perhaps it was better to say that someone else is involved.


    Long Yazhu.


    Everything was and is Long Yazhu''s fault. He still had one eye left, and yet he was really too blind to see-- the whole school really was under Long Yazhu''s paycheck, and the actions of the guidance counselor in front of him were all the more proving that.


    "Why would you even drop out!? Have you no gratitude to the school for giving you the chance to be more than you are!?"


    "Sir, I don''t want any trouble, I am just here to formally process my withdrawal from the school," that was a lie. He was enjoying every second of this.


    "You are still under the school''s schrship," the guidance counselor scoffed as he tried to calm himself down, afterward, he looked Yun Hao straight in the eye, "If you really wish to withdraw, then you would need to pay the fee for breaching the contract with the school, as well as the costs sustained during this year. Now be a good boy and go back to ss, I see here you just went back from a 2-week medical leave, we don''t want you getting ex--"


    "How much?"


    "Ex...cuse me?"


    "How much do I need to pay for me to officially withdraw from the school? I am willing to pay whatever severance feees up."


    "It''s $15,000, Yun Hao, and we both know that you will not be able to procure that much money," the guidance counselor let out another scoff as he took his eyes away from Yun Hao and started fidgeting with hisputer, "Now run along, I still have other students to see."


    "Do you ept credit cards?" Yun Hao then ced 3 cards on top of the counselor''s desk, trying his best not to let out a smirk. He had always wanted to do this in front of one of the people from the school, and it really was worth it seeing the stupefied look on the counselor''s face.


    "Where did you get this?"


    "I''m actually the son of a hidden tycoon."


    "W what?"


    "Or I won the lotto, which answer would you like to hear, sir?" Yun Hao then tapped the counselor''s desk, slightly shaking it and causing some of the papers littered on it to slide down, "Please, sign my withdrawal, sir."


    The guidance counselor truly was not expecting this kind of situation and he could not help but feel annoyed from the slight arrogance that he was hearing from Yun Hao''s voice, "You dare leave the school after all we''ve done for you!?"


    "Like what, sir?"


    "What do you mean like what!?" The guidance counselor stood up from his seat as he mmed his palm on the desk, "You were nothing, Yun Hao! You were nothing before we gave you the schrship and invited you to join our boxing team!"


    "Last I checked, your boxing team was the one that was nothing before I came," Yun Hao did not avoid the guidance counselor''s re. Although he was trying his best to hold himself back, the tremble in his voice could not be hidden, "Every prestige of your boxing team


    ...came from me."


    "We had good boxers even before you came!"


    "...Sure. Please sign the dropout form before this gets messy, sir."


    "Fine!" The guidance counselor once again mmed his palm on the desk before signing Yun Hao''s dropout form, almost scratching the paper with how deep his pen was scratching it, "Go! Let us see how far you''ll go as a high school dropout! We did our best, and yet you insist on biting the hand that feeds yo-- !!!"


    Before the guidance counselor could finish his words, he felt his vision hindered as the warmth of Yun Hao''s palm covered his face.


    "W what are you doing!?" The guidance counselor''s muffled screams sipped through the edges of Yun Hao''s trembling hand. The guidance counselor was going to say more, but when he saw the somewhat frenzied look on Yun Hao''s face, he chose to shut his mouth.


    Yun Hao really tried his best not to lose control of his emotions, but with thest words that came out of the guidance counselor''s mouth, his hand just moved on its own. If it wasn''t for the fact that he knew that he didn''t have much control over his newfound strength, then he could have probably killed the guidance counselor here and now.


    And if he did kill him, which he didn''t want to as he wasn''t a bloodthirsty murderer, Yun Hao would probably be killed and subdued by the school''s roaming security, which held quite a number of cultivators.


    "Please stop this, stop this!"


    A familiar voice then entered Yun Hao''s ears before he felt his arm being tried to pull away. Yun Hao quickly looked towards the owner of the hands, only to see his former coach, Geng Wei, smiling awkwardly at him.


    "Please calm down, Mr. Yun Hao, let''s not resort to violence. Remember what I taught you?"


    "Respectfully, sir. You didn''t teach me anything," Yun Hao breathed as he let go of the guidance counselor.


    "Of course I didn''t, your potential was above us all," Geng Wei once again chuckled awkwardly as his somewhat sheepish tone slithered to Yun Hao''s ears.


    "..." Geng Wei was up to something, and Yun Hao definitely did not want to find out what it was as he slowly backed away, reaching for the signed withdrawal form from the desk. But before the tip of his fingers could even touch it, Geng Wei suddenly pulled it away.


    "Please, Mr. Yun Hao, let me be the one to hand this over to the Records and ounting department. It will take a few hours before this gets processed, so there might be a time there that you would change your mind and suddenly decide to stay with us after all."


    "...My decision is final, coa-- sir."


    "Geng Wei, what are you doing!? Let the bastard go if he want--"


    Before the guidance counselor could finish his words, Geng Wei covered his mouth.


    "If you do decide to stay, we''ll even give you a full refund of everything you ever paid to the school, as well as your own room in the dormitories. What do you say?"


    "...No, sir," Yun Hao shook his head as he asked for the paper back, "My decision has been made."


    "Alright, alright. Whatever our star athlete says," Geng Wei raised his hands in defeat before giving the form back to Yun Hao, "But it will still take a few hours before the office could process your withdrawal, so why don''t youe with me to reminisce around the school? Your brothers in the gym miss you."


    "No," Yun Hao wasn''t even listening to anything that Geng Wei was saying anymore as he left the room, not even bowing towards the two.


    "That that tant disrespect! Why are you letting that bastard get away with this, Geng Wei!? Do you want me to rmend a cut in the budget of the boxing team!?"


    "He''s a cultivator."


    "What?"


    "Yun Hao


    ...he is a Cultivator now."


    ***


    "Pleasee back in an hour."


    "Alright, thanks."


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a long and deep sigh as his withdrawal was finally being processed. That was a close call back in the guidance office, if his former coach did not arrive, then Yun Hao didn''t know what he could have done. He really should learn how to restrain himself now that he has a lot more strengthpared to a normal human


    ...and with his new strength, perhaps a bigger appetite was required as his stomach started violently growling. The growling was loud enough to get the attention of the people from the ounting window. Yun Hao quickly tucked in his stomach to stop the sound from going any further; it had been a while since he had done so as he has not been hungry ever since he obtained the unusual amount of money he had and has now.


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao quickly headed towards the cafeteria to get something to eat


    ...only to meet the stupid faces of his ssmates that he hadn''t seen for more than 2 weeks.

 Chapter 36: Classmates

    Chapter 36: ssmates


    "..."


    Although Yun Hao was looking forward to meeting his ssmates now that he was a cultivator to show them what''s up, there seemed to be also growing something inside of him that was also hesitant to do so.


    He doesn''t know what it is yet, but he could not help but sigh as he saw their faces sitting in one single group like it was thest supper or something. Maybe it was for the best that they won''t notice him, Yun Hao thought as he made his way to the servers.


    But s, life can never be that simple for him as someone from his ss quickly noticed him.


    "Yun Hao! Is that really you, champ!?"


    And with that shout that resounded throughout the whole cafeteria, everyone was now looking at him. Yun Hao once again let out a long and deep sigh before choosing to ignore the call. If this was before, then he would quickly smile and ask what they wanted him to get but now


    ...now he was free to do whatever the fuck he wants.


    There was a growing orchestra of whispers and mors growing inside the cafeteria, but for some reason, almost half of the students inside the cafeteria all rushed out as soon as they confirmed that Yun Hao really was in the vicinity; mostly those who had their phones in their hand.


    Some of the students of the high school thought that Yun Hao was kicked out of the school, and some say he died.


    Those who knew that he was just on a "sick leave" were his ssmates, who some are now tottering their way towards him. With this action, Yun Hao decided that the best course of action was to leave, but before he could even take 3 steps, another group of his ssmates blocked his path.


    "...Seriously? Did you guys miss me that much?" Yun Hao could only shake his head as he sighed, "Don''t worry. This is thest day you''ll be seeing me."


    Yun Hao wanted to pass through his ssmates, but they seemed to be eager in blocking his path. He didn''t really want to force his way through, as doing so might cause unnecessary problems. He still doesn''t know what the extent of his new strength is. If he was able to crush a grab handle without any effort and throw his desk without even meaning to, then who knows how messy it would be if he lost control here.


    He doesn''t want to be in trouble with the Confederation just a day after his Immersion and getting his license.


    "Champ, we thought you already kicked the bucket?" One of his male ssmates started.


    "That''s right, Champ. We missed you," another one followed, "No one is buying us snacks from the stalls outside during ss anymore."


    "But now that you''re back, you''ll buy us again, right?"


    Theughter of the group started to surround Yun Hao''s ears as they got closer and closer to him. Yun Hao didn''t really know what to do so he just stood there stiff. Now that he had money and was having his official withdrawal from the school being processed, he no longer needed to please the rich kids surrounding him. For him they''re just kids now.


    Their once mockingughter, their arrogant smiles that made Yun Hao''s blood boil it all meant nothing to him now, it wasn''t even annoying. With that thought, Yun Hao finally realized what the growing feeling was inside of him


    ...It was boredom.


    He was feeling bored being faced with the ssmates he once tried to please.


    "Can you guys just stop?" Yun Hao said in a low voice as he looked at the ssmate that was nearest to him, "This is really starting to fucking get old now. True, most of us weren''t really friends even before my ident. But tell me, why exactly do you treat me like this?"


    Faced with Yun Hao''s sudden upfrontness, the group that was previously yapping his hears out all became quiet. One was about to speak up, but he was suddenly faced with Yun Hao''s re.


    "You guys do know that I am way bigger and taller than all of you, right? And besides that, I was still the boxing team''s star athlete," Yun Hao let out a tiny scoff, "Did you guys know how many times I almost snapped and beat the shit out of all of you whiny little rich kids? I could have probably smashed all of your heads in even before I became a cultiv--"


    "If you do that, you''ll be expelled!"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, one of his female ssmates shouted and even threw a chopstick at him.


    "I probably would have, but you see the thing is," Yun Hao slightly walked near the woman, "I already dropped out of school."


    As soon as they heard Yun Hao''s words, the group that was surrounding him quickly moved back, making the gaps of the circle wide enough for Yun Hao to safely pass through.


    "Good choice," Yun Hao said as he slightly clicked his tongue in satisfaction.


    "We we can still call the cops on you, you know!"


    "And you''ll still be in the hospital."


    Once again, his ssmates shut their mouths as the gap grew even bigger. Yun Hao was finally able to exit his ssmates'' circle and was on his way to the door before a group entered the cafeteria-- the boxing team, led by none other than Yun Hao''s ex-best friend, Long Yazhu.


    "...Great," Yun Hao could not help but drop his shoulders and quietly groan in frustration. He thought it was safe to go to the cafeteria since Long Yazhu usually had his food served to him by his goons but to think he was here now; someone must have messaged him that he was here.


    Long Yazhu was clearly here to cause trouble, evident from the wide smirk that was stered on his face.


    "Leaving so soon, Champ?"

 Chapter 37: Goodbye and Hello

    Chapter 37: Goodbye and Hello


    "Leaving so soon, Champ?"


    "Yes," Yun Hao said as he tried to pass to the side. Unfortunately, one of his former teammates blocked the door. "...Again?"


    "I heard from the coach that you''re back," Long Yazhu said as one of his teammates dragged a chair for him to sit on, "Did you do something to him? He told me not to antagonize you for some reason," Long Yazhu then sat on the chair, emphasizing some parts of his sentence.


    The Coach again? Yun Hao slightly furrowed his eyebrows. He was oddly and disgustingly helpful earlier as well. Could it be he knew that Yun Hao was a Cultivator now? But how?


    "...You should have listened to the old man, Yazhu," Yun Hao let out a sigh as he returned Long Yazhu''s gaze.


    "Oho, I guess you really did hit your head hard? You''re really talking back to me now," Long Yazhu scoffed, "Be careful with your words, Champ. Who knows what''ll happen to your other eye if you disrespect those who are above you."


    "Hm," the feeling of boredom was slowly being erased from him as Long Yazhu''s words reached his ears. His eyebrow was also twitching. It would seem that even though the taunt of his other ssmates already became cute, it was still different when it came to the person that destroyed his life.


    If he kills Long Yazhu now, would the Confederation lock his meridians and throw him into wherever the jail Cultivators? What if he makes it look like an ident? He could use the excuse that he still hasn''t learned how to fully control his newfound strength no, this was a bad idea.


    Although he hated Long Yazhu, his father still helped Yun Hao and even gave him an apartment in the past. He wouldn''t want to do that to him. There was also the fact that his father, Long Ma, was one of the richest people on the. He didn''t want to make him sad, but most importantly, he didn''t want to make him angry.


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao could once again only let out a sigh, "Look, I don''t want any more trouble, okay? I don''t want to fight you. You''ve won, you''re the best, congrattions."


    "You don''t sound sincere, Champ," Long Yazhu then stood up from his seat as he took off his shirt, revealing his finely toned muscles, "Why don''t we find out here and now?"


    "You win, alright?" Yun Hao said as he put both his hands in surrender, "And besides, it would be illegal for me to actually fight you."


    "Illegal? Pft, what do you think you are, a cultivator?"


    "Well actually--"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, he felt a tiny itch on the left side of his chin as Long Yazhu''s knuckles made contact with it.


    "..." Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times as his eyes looked back and forth between Long Yazhu''s fist and his face.


    Long Yazhu, who noticed that Yun Hao didn''t even move an inch from his punch, could not help but quickly leap back.


    "Go, Long Yazhu! He''s out!"


    "He''s not even moving anymore! I think you knocked him out!"


    Yun Hao''s next words, however,pletely shut their mouths once again.


    "As I was saying, I am a cultivator now," Yun Hao said as he scratched his chin, "I am only telling you because I am obligated to tell you byw, unlike one of your guards."


    Yun Hao then pointed to the scar on his face, "Just how exactly did you pull that n off? Do you even have people from the Confederation under your thumb? Who the fuck are you, Bruce W*yne?"


    But after a few seconds, his ssmates once again burst out inughter.


    "You, a cultivator?"


    "Even I need to save a year of my allowance just to be able to afford to go through Immersion, stop joking, Champ!"


    "I guess he really did hit his head hard!"


    "Did you wash a billion cars while you were away!?"


    The people continued to throw insults andugh at Yun Hao. Long Yazhu, on the other hand, was fighting the urge not to shout as his fist was currently throbbing in pain. He already knew how strong Yun Hao was, that was why he was training even more after Yun Hao''s ident in order to surpass him and also to be able to pass the Immersion.


    But to think Yun Hao did not even flinch from his haymaker. Could it be he actually was a Cultivator?


    No, it can''t be. That would mean that Yun Hao was individually above him now! Long Yazhu''s eyes flickered from the thought. He was supposed to go through Immersion this week, it was going to be grand and most of the media outlets will be there to interview him.


    It was supposed to be his turn to be in the spotlight, so why was it Yun Hao again?


    No No That''s impossible. Yun Hao is not a cultivator, he can''t be.


    It can''t be!


    Long Yazhu roared as he once again rushed towards Yun Hao. Yun Hao, however, could only roll his eyes as he slowly raised his hand to block Long Yazhu''s oing fist.


    But before he could even fully raise his hand, 2 people suddenly appeared in between them. One holding Yun Hao''s hand, and the other, holding Long Yazhu''s shoulder from behind, causing him to slightly stumble.


    The two were wearing the school''s security guard''s uniform, except there was an armband pinned on their sleeve.


    "The the school''s cultivator guards!?"


    "Why are they here!?"


    "Wait, could it be Yun Hao really is"


    There was only one reason why a cultivator would be involved in a fight amongst students, and that reason was now painfully obvious to all the people present in the cafeteria-- Yun Hao truly was a cultivator just as he says.


    "What was the purpose of you lifting your hand?" The guard that was holding Yun Hao''s hand asked him a question.


    "...I was just going to block his punch," Yun Hao calmly said as he slowly retracted his fist, "I had no intention of fighting back."


    "We will have to ask you to leave the premises," the guard then handed something over to Yun Hao.


    "...Thanks," Although Yun Hao was slightly taken aback that the guard had his withdrawal form, which now had a huge red marking on it saying it was cleared. Yun Hao was about to leave since staying any longer might cause more problems, but before he did so, he looked the baffled Long Yazhu straight in the eyes.


    "Don''t be a Cultivator, Yazhu. Take it as advice from an old friend," Yun Hao said before turning around, "You''d probably lose your life outside in the Danger Zone that is if you live through the Immersion. Also, tell Ang I understand why she left me now


    ...because she''s a bitch."


    And with those final words, Yun Hao finally left the cafeteria, as well as the school. His previous coach, Geng Wei, was waiting for him in the gates.


    "Yun--"


    But Yun Hao didn''t really let him say anything as he just passed by him with his middle finger raised firmly. Yun Hao didn''t even look back at his alma mater, he would just let his middle finger be the one to say goodbye to it.


    Yun Hao could not help but let out a small chuckle as a certain feeling of satisfaction was wanting toe out from him, and soon, that chuckle turned into a full-blown burst ofughter.


    "I see you had a goodst day at school?"


    "...Hello?" Yun Hao''s joyfulughter was interrupted by the feminine voice of someone wearing a silver helmet. The individual gently got off of her motorcycle, taking off her helmet and revealing her long and blonde hair.


    "...You colored your hair?" Was Yun Hao''s first reaction as she saw that it was actually Huang Yi who was on the motorcycle. He wasn''t really expecting her to be riding something as cool as that.


    "Yes, but that''s not what''s important right now, can we talk?"


    "Of course," Yun Hao nodded, "Although I thought we both already agreed...


    ...that it was a date?"

 Chapter 38: Call

    Chapter 38: Call


    "A date? How can it be a date when you seem to already be in a rtionship with someone?"


    "I''m in a rtionship with someone? That''s news to--"


    Before Yun Hao could even finish his words, Huang Yi suddenly ced her phone right in front of his face. Yun Hao lightly stepped a few steps back as he looked at the contents presented to him.


    "Liu Hannah dating a newly immersed-- Isn''t this me and coach!?"


    Yun Hao could not help but raise his voice as he looked at the photo of him and Hannah close together. It was the photo he took when Hannah couldn''t get a better angle since Yun Hao was a lot taller than her.


    "Not only that, but you''re trending," Huang Yi then switched apps to WeLine, showing Yun Hao the video that Hannah made with him as the focus. And as soon as he saw how many digits the views already were, he once again stepped back in disbelief.


    "1 1 million views? But that was just yesterday."


    "It was just uploadedst night, it hasn''t even been 24 hours and it''s already got 1 million views. You''re even creating quite a stir in some cultivation groups."


    "That''s" Although Yun Hao was shocked to see how many views he already has, the other news still weighed more, "Wait, but coach Hannah and I aren''t together!"


    "Pft, I know," Huang Yi let out a small chuckle as she ced her phone back in her pocket, "It''s just how social media is. me Liu Hannah for uploading it, she already deleted it from her InstaPound ount, but it didn''t stop the others from saving it."


    "Huh shit," Yun Hao breathed as he looked to the side in contemtion. But after a few seconds, Huang Yi stretched her hand and another helmet suddenly appeared from it.


    "Here you go," Huang Yi handed the helmet to Yun Hao.


    "Where are we going?" Yun Hao was a little hesitant at first, but he grabbed the helmet in the end.


    "Well, we can''t really talk in front of your school now, can we?"


    As soon as Huang Yi said that, Yun Hao finally noticed the building crowd behind him. The students that were watching them were mostly those who left the cafeteria as soon as he arrived perhaps, they were the ones who have watched the video of his Immersion?


    It would make sense since they left before any trouble brewed in the cafeteria smart. But now, they seem to be taking videos and photos of him with Huang Yi. He already had enough on his te with the photo from Hannah, if he was to be seen with another youngdy of a somewhat influential family, then he would truly be the center of attention for weeks.


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao quickly wore the helmet.


    "Do you know how to ride?" Huang Yi said as she handed the keys to Yun Hao.


    "Sure," of course he does. Besides driving Long Yazhu, he was also tasked with taking his collection of motorcycles to the service centers for a monthly oil change. And of course, he took them on rides at the same time since Long Yazhu had too many to even notice that one was gone.


    "Where are we going?" Yun Hao said as he mounted the motorcycle.


    "I''ll send it to your helmet," Huang Yi said as she once again grabbed her phone.


    "You what?"


    As soon as Huang Yi pressed something on her phone, a sort of 3D hologram appeared on the screen that Yun Hao was wearing, illuminating and lining the road that he needed to take.


    "...Fancy."


    Huang Yi then proceeded to mount on the pillion, and since she was a cultivator, her soft and flexible legs just easily went over the seat and wrapped around Yun Hao''s thighs.


    "Alright, let''s go," Huang Yi said as she lightly grabbed Yun Hao''s waist. Yun Hao, however, let out a smirk as he switched on the engine and quickly opened the throttle, causing the motorcycle to wheelie.


    "Eek!" Huang Yi could not help but quickly embrace Yun Hao due to the sudden eleration.


    "Pft," Yun Hao burst out inughter as he finally steadied the bike.


    "You did that on purpose, didn''t you!?" Huang Yi shouted, almost deafening Yun Hao from the helmet speakers.


    "A beautiful girl is behind me, it would be a shame not to feel her embrace."


    "I bought this motorcycle with my own money, you know!" Huang Yi lightly punched Yun Hao''s stomach, "It''s not like my family has an unlimited source of money!"


    "I think I do."


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing," Yun Hao chuckled as he felt the wind hitting his body, "Sorry, just got excited. I''ll pay for the damages if anything happens on our 2nd date?"


    "Tch. I was kidding," Huang Yi clicked her tongue as she tightened her embrace. Although her voice seemed agitated, there was a small smile building on her face. Even when they first met, Yun Hao seemed to have a way with his words. If she wasn''t careful, then she would really start to fall in--


    Before she could finish her thoughts, her phone started ringing. She quickly pressed something in her helmet to ept the call.


    "Hello?"


    "What was that?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing, someone called me," Huang Yi waved her hand as Yun Hao was the one to answer him.


    "Who are you with!?"


    She then almost jumped out of her seat as soon as the voice from the other line screamed. "You''re with him, aren''t you!?"


    "Hello to you too, Jiji."


    The one on the other line was Song Jian, the youngdy from the n that wanted to invite Yun Hao into their family.


    "I am with who?"


    "Don''t y dumb, I know you''re with him!"


    "With who?"


    "Yun Yun Hao! I saw a picture of you two together circting in InstaPound! You were on a motorcycle!"


    Huang Yi could not help but let out a sigh from how fast news was traveling, "Yes. I am with him."


    "Where are the two of you go--"


    Before Song Jian could finish her words, Huang Yi hung up the phone on her. "H hello? Hello? Yiyi? Hello!?"


    Song Jian, who realized what just happened, could not help but almost crush her phone from frustration. She then slightly stomp her foot, making her driver slightly lose control of the car he was driving.


    "M Miss Song, please calm down!"


    After an hour of riding, Yun Hao and Huang Yi finally arrived in front of a fancy building adorned with almost a thousandnterns of different colors. Yun Hao had passed by this ce a few times years ago, but he never really once went inside. He knew he wouldn''t even be able to afford whatever establishment it was anyway.


    "What is this ce?" Yun Hao said as he and Huang Yi got off the bike.


    "Oh, it''s a restaurant."


    "This is a restaurant?" Yun Hao could not help but widen his eyes as he scanned the ce. Compared to how big the ce is, the number of cars that were parked was too little. But Huang Yi''s next words rified everything.


    "Yes. It''s a restaurant


    ...exclusive for cultivators."

 Chapter 39: Welcome to the Cultivation world, Yun Hao

    Chapter 39: Wee to the Cultivation world, Yun Hao


    "A ce exclusive for cultivators?"


    "Yes, it''s called the Thousand Lanterns Restaurant there''s actually also a casino inside."


    Yun Hao looked at the building filled withnterns in front of him. If Huang Yi told him that it was actually a brothel, then he would have probably believed her. But then again, who brings someone to a brothel just to talk?


    "How much do you know about us, Yun Hao?"


    Huang Yi asked as she put their helmets back inside her interspatial storage. Yun Hao still hasn''t figured out where her storage is, as she didn''t really have any rings adorning her finger, could it be her earrings?


    "Is there something on my face?" Huang Yi could not help but slightly look to the side and check her face on her motorcycle''s side mirror.


    "No, I was just admiring how beautiful you are."


    "...Stop with the pick-up lines," Huang Yi rolled her eyes from Yun Hao''s words. But still, another small smile failed to follow what she wanted to express, "I asked how much you know about us?"


    "About you?"


    "About cultivators."


    "Hm," Yun Hao let out a long and deep breath as he turned his attention towards the restaurant, "Just what I have read on the inte."


    "I see," Huang Yi then took off her motorcycle jacket, revealing her crop-top that slightly exposed the skin of her belly. It also emphasized the finely sized bosom that Yun Hao didn''t know existed until now, "There are actually a lot of things hidden about us to the normal poption. Although the Confederation says their goal is to uphold equality, they actually still give us a lot more freedom than you think, they just have enough influence and power to filter out everything from the inte."


    "They can do that?" Yun Hao''s eyebrow rose as soon as he heard Huang Yi''s words. If they can do something like that, then why didn''t they filter out his and Hannah''s photo? Now there were weird rumors going around. Liu Hannah was quite a character to deal with. Even now, even if it was totally not his fault, it felt like he had to be the one to apologize to people shipping them as a couple.


    "Hm, let''s go."


    "Ah, wait!"


    Yun Hao then suddenly rushed to a nearby garbage bin before ripping off his uniform. With his newfound strength, it was as if he was just ripping off paper, destroying it casually before throwing it in the trash.


    Now he was left with a white undershirt,pletely etching and lining up his muscles that seemed to want to pop out from it. Huang Yi, who was watching Yun Hao approach her, could not help but gulp.


    "You really trained your body, huh?" Huang Yi said before unconsciously trying to touch Yun Hao''s chest as soon as he got near her, "S sorry, shall we go?"


    Huang Yi then turned around, quickly hastening her pace as she trotted her way to the entrance of the Thousand Lanterns, she then presented her license to the man guarding the door before proceeding to enter the building.


    "..." Did she suddenly just leave him outside? Yun Hao thought before imitating Huang Yi and going inside. And as soon as the scenery of the interior drowned Yun Hao''s eye, he could not help but slightly close his eyes.


    Was this some kind of theme park? Yun Hao thought. The sun was about to set outside, but it felt like he stepped into another country as it looked like there were several small suns above them. Yun Hao thought the Thousand Lanterns name came from the design outside, but now he knew that it was because of the almost blindingnterns that littered the establishment''s ceiling.


    "...Are we outside?" Yun Hao could not help butment. When Huang Yi mentioned that it also contained a casino, he thought that it would be like those typical luxurious hotels that he was seeing on the inte, but it almost seemed like they were in some kind of za at daytime.


    "What kind of sorcery is this?"


    Hearing the baffled voiceing out of Yun Hao, Huang Yi could not help but slightly chuckle, "It''s not magic, thosenterns are artifacts made by the owner of this restaurant. Come, I have already gotten us a table."


    "Hm," Yun Hao could only nod as he followed Huang Yi, his eyes traveling everywhere. There were only a few cars parked outside, but the restaurant seemed full. If he wasn''t mistaken, there should probably be more than a hundred people here


    ...a hundred cultivators. Yun Hao slightly took in a deep breath from the thought. To think that one day, he would be surrounded by nothing but cultivators, he didn''t even think that there were that many, and seeing them now just minding their own business-- it honestly just felt like they were ordinary peopl--


    "..." Yun Hao then could not help but pause his thoughts as he saw a woman pass over her, flying in the air while standing on what seemed to be an oversized book, carrying what seemed to be a sword that was bigger than Yun Hao. Nope, definitely not normal.


    "Watch it, kid."


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao then felt himself hitting a brick wall, only to find out that it was a huge man.


    "You''re lucky I am in a good mood."


    Yun Hao could only blink his eyes a couple of times in disbelief as he turned his head slightly upwards to look at the man he bumped into as he walked away.


    "..." The man was about a whole adult leg wider and taller than Yun Hao. He had seen people taller than him, of course, but never has he felt this small.


    "Yun Hao, what are you doing? Come on, someone might take our table!"


    "Y yeah,ing."


    The only thing that Yun Hao could do was nod his head. Even when they sat at the table, his mind was still wandering elsewhere. Finally, his curiosity could not help it anymore as he slowly pointed his thumb towards the man he just bumped into.


    "Right. Sometimes I forget that you''ve only been a cultivator for like now," Huang Yi could not help but chuckle as she saw the man Yun Hao was pointing to, "He probably has the Anatomy meridian unlocked, you at least know what those are, right? The Confederation should have exined it to you."


    "Yeah."


    "Anyway, how tall are you, Yun Hao? I also passed by that guy and I felt like an ant, but you seemed alright. Are you like 6''2" or something?"


    "195 centimeters."


    "That is t-- Are you alright?" Huang Yi then noticed that Yun Hao still had a very bewildered expression on his face.


    "What? Me? No I''m alright," Yun Hao could not help but let out an awkward chuckle, "It''s just that


    ...where have all these people been hiding all this time?"


    "Hiding?"


    "I haven''t seen them anywhere outside. I would have definitely noticed people that weird walking outside."


    "You probably just don''t notice them," Huang Yi said as she called for a waiter, "I told you, the Confederation is good at filtering any news regarding cultivators."


    "That''s starting to sound like an understatement."


    "Well, what can I say except


    ...wee to the world of Cultivators, Yun Hao."


    Yun Hao could only awkwardly smile at Huang Yi''s words. He knew that things and the people he would meet from now on will be different. But this?


    Yun Hao might not know what the future truly holds for him; why he was given such a ridiculous power to duplicate things.


    But what he does know is that his life


    ...is about to get even crazier.

 Chapter 40: Is this You?

    Chapter 40: Is this You?


    "Wee to the cultivation world."


    "...Thanks?"


    Yun Hao felt like he was inside one of those fantasy movies they kept releasing now that were adapted to light novels. He had already been "weed to the cultivation world" by 3 people now, but this was the first time it started to sink in to him.


    Flying people, people that were 3 meters tall, and maybe he would even meet those people he had heard so much about that could destroy mountains with just a single flick of their finger. With that thought arising in his mind, Yun Hao instinctively lowered his head down, trying to gauge who amongst these cultivators was capable of doing that.


    "May I take your orders?"


    Yun Hao slightly flinched back as the waiter that Huang Yi called finally went to their table. Seeing the waiter looking at him like he was some kind of idiot, Yun Hao finally snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to sit straight. But even after that, the waiter still seemed to be staring at him.


    The waiter looked like he wanted to ask him something, but after a few seconds of them staring at each other, he let out a smile and repeated his words,


    "Are you ready to order?"


    "...Oh," Yun Hao didn''t really look at the menu since he was too busy fantasizing about stuff, so instead, he looked at Huang Yi and told her to order for him.


    "Are you sure? Isn''t there anything you like in particr?" Huang Yi said before taking a sip of her water.


    "...I don''t really know what cultivators eat yet," Yun Hao let out a sigh, "Is there like dragon meat here or something?"


    "Pft."


    As soon as Yun Hao said that, Huang Yi almost spat out the water inside her mouth. She quickly tapped her chest a couple of times to calm herself down before finally being able to swallow everything.


    "...Unfortunately not," Huang Yi said as she wiped her mouth, "I am afraid we just eat the same thing as normal humans."


    "You don''t eat dragons?"


    "Well some do," Huang Yi slightly chuckled, "But those restaurants are usually in the Danger Zones and they usually cost a lot."


    "Like how much?" There was a certain tone of resolve slowly growing inside Yun Hao''s voice.


    "I have no idea, but I think they no longer ept yuan there, only Beast Cores since dragons have magical properties that can increase your strength."


    "I see."


    They use beast cores as payment in the Danger Zone? Right now, he only had 2 Beast Cores with him, and it took almost everything he had just to duplicate the lowest ss. It would seem that he had a very long road ahead of him if he wanted to taste dragon meat. Just how exactly do they taste?


    "Sorry to intrude in your conversation, but may I offer a good alternative that we offer?"


    The waiter grabbed a separate menu hidden in his apron, "Right now, we still have the meat of a Level 1 Six-legged Goat, we can have it prepared to your liking."


    "Oh, no. The one from the regr menu is--"


    "We''ll have it as a stew, seasoned to the chef''s rmendation." Before Yun Hao could finish his words, Huang Yi interrupted him.


    "That''s"


    "It is alright, I am the one who invited you. This is my treat."


    "Nice, thanks." Yun Hao quickly said as he rxed in his seat.


    "..." Huang Yi was expecting Yun Hao to at least offer to split the bill, but to think he would just agree without even batting an eye. Huang Yi did not really mind since she was actually here under orders from her family-- meaning she could spend as much as she wanted.


    But although her n did tell her to invite Yun Hao, she also wanted to see him again since he did leave quite an impression on her when they first met-- a very strong impression. And so, she proceeded to order more food from the regr menu since she remembered that Yun Hao had quite the amazing appetite.


    "It truly was a shock to see that you actually became a cultivator. It was just like yesterday that we talked about you bing one."


    "I am a man of my words, I suppose," Yun Hao chuckled.


    "Hm. Just how did you manage to pull it off? And it wasn''t enough that you became one, you even managed to be a hot topic."


    "...A hot topic?"


    "Almost everyone near us is staring at you."


    As soon as Huang Yi said that, Yun Hao finally noticed that the people seated near their table was taking nces at him. Was that also why the waiter was staring at him earlier? He should probably watch that video as soon as he gets home, but for now, he would enjoy that meal that was graciously offered to him.


    "So what exactly was that all about, why did you throw your uniform?"


    "Oh, didn''t I tell you? I dropped out of school."


    "I see. That makes sense... are you going to enroll in one of the cultivation schools?"


    "There are cultivation schools?"


    "Yes, where do you think people like me who were born in cultivation families study?" Huang Yi let out a slight chuckle, but afterward, a mncholic tone escaped her voice, "We couldn''t really... mingle with the other children, so the Confederation set up a school for us. Song Jian has actually been my ssmate since I was 6... you know her, right?"


    "...A bit."


    "If you want, my family could endorse you to attend one?" Huang Yi said as she nervously took a sip of her water.


    "Nah," Yun Hao quickly shook his head, "I''m tired of schools for now, but let''s go there on our 2nd date?"


    "Why are you getting ahead of yourself?"


    "It''s my new motto, if you''re going to prate, then prate hard."


    "That''s... interesting," Huang Yi didn''t really know what to make of Yun Hao''s... interesting motto. If Song Jian were to know that she and Yun Hao were going on dates, then there would surely be trouble. She was aware of Song Jian''s little crush for Yun Hao, but what can she do if she and Yun Hao actually start developing feelings for each other?


    Yun Hao was quite the looker, and his scar even further emphasized that. He was also headstrong and didn''t stop at his goal once he set his mind to it, Huang Yi would be lying if she said she wasn''t attracted to him.


    "...You''re starting to fall for me, aren''t you?" Yun Hao said as he noticed that Huang Yi was staring at him.


    "Shut up," if only he was more perceptive of other people''s feelings. Finally, after a few more small talks, their food arrived. But s, before she and Yun Hao could grab their chopsticks, a man wearing a navy blue robe approached their table.


    "This is you, right?"


    The man suddenly ced a phone straight in front of Yun Hao''s face. Yun Hao tilted his head back to see whatever it was that the stranger wanted to show him, only to see his photo with Hannah again.


    "I suppo--"


    "!!!"


    "Yun Hao!"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, Huang Yi quickly flipped the table and rushed towards him as she saw him being kicked straight in the face.

 Chapter 41: Basic

    Chapter 41: Basic


    Yun Hao''s vision blurred as the thousandnterns that littered the ceiling of the restaurant seemed to flicker. It felt like his face was hit by a truck, his nose bleeding profusely from the shoe that almost made contact with it.


    "Yun Hao!"


    If it wasn''t for his palm absorbing most of the damage, then he would have definitely lost consciousness right there and then. Just who the fuck is this man that suddenly kicked him out of nowhere? Yun Hao then quickly bared his teeth as he stood up and looked at the man straight in the eyes.


    The man was wearing a navy blue robe, indicating that he was at least part of some old-fashioned cultivation n. He also had long silver hair, almost reaching to his waist. But most importantly, Yun Hao didn''t like the smug look on his face.


    Yun Hao then stretched his arms, loading his fists as he slowly approached the stranger. But before he could even take 3 steps, Huang Yi blocked his path.


    "Don''t, Yun Hao! He is at least a rank higher than you!"


    As soon as Yun Hao heard that, he could not help but grit his teeth in distress. But still, his eyes did not leave the stranger. Based on Yun Hao''s research, there are 8 known ranks of Cultivators.


    Mortal Realm.


    Spirit Realm.


    Master Realm.


    Grandmaster Realm.


    Grandmaster Realm was thest rank of Cultivators that were allowed inside the Safe Zones, as those that were stronger were considered too dangerous to live amongst the normal poption.


    Sovereign Realm.


    Great Sovereign Realm.


    Celestial Realm.


    And finally, God Realm.


    There really wasn''t much information about those at the top, the only thing that Yun Hao knew about them was that they could destroy cities with just their breaths. Whether or not there was any truth in them, Yun Hao would have to meet one to find out.


    Each of the 9 ranks was further separated into 9 levels. Levels 1 to 3 were considered as Early Stage, 4 to 6 was Middle Stage, and 7 to 9 was Pinnacle.


    Since Yun Hao just had his meridians awakened and the man in front of him was a rank above him, then he should already be at the Spirit Realm. He doesn''t know the difference between their strength, so the only thing that Yun Hao could do was put down his fists and open his mouth.


    "Why did you do that?"


    "No one gets near my Hannah without my permission," the man said as he ced his phone on one of the chairs, "That goes for every else here, no one touches Hannah besides me!"


    "Tough talk for a man who attacks someone off guard!" Huang Yi, who was checking on Yun Hao, stepped forward and got in between the two, "Even worse is you attacked him knowing full well that he just became a Cultivator!"


    Seeing Huang Yi in front of him, Yun Hao could not help but be reminded of his ex-girlfriend, Zhang Ang, and the "ident" that took his eye. He was reminded of how much of a fool he was.


    Because right here, in front of him, was a woman she barely knew, trying to protect him. Quite a stark contrast from Zhang Ang who even pushed him deliberately so that he would have no choice but to fight and ultimately lose everything he had.


    But still, even though this felt nice, he can''t have a woman covering for him. Surprisingly, Yun Hao had already felt like he recovered from the hit as he gently pushed Huang Yi to the side before smiling at her.


    "Is killing allowed in this restaurant?"


    "...No? Of course not," Huang Yi blinked a couple of times from Yun Hao''s question, "But the staff usually doesn''t get involved until it bes dange--"


    Before Huang Yi could finish her words, Yun Hao suddenly turned around, his feet slightly denting the marbled floor as he rushed towards the stranger with his fist already tightly rolled, threatening to hit the man straight in the face.


    "Hmph, pathetic," the man only let out a scoff as he calmly opened his palm to catch Yun Hao''s fist but it never came. Instead, he felt the scenery in front of him shift as Yun Hao''s fist made contact with his left cheek, causing his body to fly and roll several meters on the floor and hitting some tables along the way as he truly did not expect for Yun Hao''s fist to suddenlye from that direction.


    "...What?" The other people that were watching the scene unfold could not help but let out fettered gasps. It was amon urrence that someone would fight inside the restaurant for whatever reason, but since the one involved was someone who became famous overnight, they truly were expecting for something good to happen but this? This was truly unexpected.


    Even Huang Yi, who was nearest to the two, could not believe what she just saw. Did a baby cultivator that just opened up his meridians able to connect his punch against someone of a higher rank?


    "Hmph, pathetic," Yun Hao imitated the stranger''s words as he started bouncing his feet on the floor, once again putting up his stance. He would lie if he said that he wasn''t a little afraid of the man, but as soon as he heard that killing was not allowed here, he went ahead and had his little revenge.


    The man was already offended by him even though he hasn''t even met the guy, so there was already a high chance that he would continue to harass Yun Hao outside even without Yun Hao retaliating.


    "Seriously?" Yun Hao''s attitudepletely changed as he yfully waved his hands, "You personally blocked your own vision? Who taught you how to fight, a retard?"


    Huang Yi wanted to stop Yun Hao from further enraging the long-haired man, but she decided not to do so as she wanted to see what Yun Hao truly was capable of. She could just step in if the situation bes dangerous for him, as even though she was still at the Mortal Realm as well, she at least had artifacts she could use to protect herself.


    And so, Huang Yi continued to watch as Yun Hao mocked the man, who still seemed to be in shock as he was no longer moving from his spot, his eyes wide awake.


    "Wait, wait. Don''t tell me the only technique you could do is sucker punch people? Are you from the sucker punch sect? Or are you perhaps from the sucker punch retarded sec--"


    "You dare!"


    Finally, after a few more of Yun Hao''s insults reaching his ears, the man quickly stood up and rushed towards Yun Hao.


    Yun Hao swiftly tightened his arms as he watched the man''s movements. He became slightly nervous as the man seemed to be leaving crevices on the floor with each of his steps, but still, his eye did not leave the man for even a single millisecond.


    "What is this, a soundboard? Why do you cultivators always say the same thing!? Do you guys have like a default sett--"


    "Die!"


    "Seriously!?"


    The man then leaped almost 4 meters into the air, before raising his leg, threatening to smash Yun Hao''s face once again with his feet.


    "Dodge it!" Huang Yi could not help but scream as she saw Yun Hao just staring at the man as his foot speared towards him. But Yun Hao, instead of dodging, even jumped into the air, meeting the man''s strike head-on.


    "Fool!"


    A loud crack whispered into the air as soon as Yun Hao''s right arm was grazed by the man''s foot. The expression on Yun Hao''s face, however, did not change as he continued to ascend.


    And as soon as his and the man''s body met halfway, Yun Hao''s fist started to move straight towards the man''s chin.


    Another loud crack in the air reverberated into the air as the man violently rotated in the air, spinning almost 3 times before his body sttered into the ground like a wet noodle it even sounded like one.


    "..."


    The people that were watching the fight were once again covering the restaurant with silence. The only sound that could be heard was Yun Hao clumsilynding back to the floor.


    He then carefully walked towards the man, moving him with his feet to check if he was still conscious-- he didn''t want him suddenly surprising him with another attack, after all.


    And as soon as he saw that the only thing moving in the man was his chest, he let out a sigh of relief, "Well


    ...that shit was basic."

 Chapter 42: Curse

    Chapter 42: Curse


    "Well that shit was basic."


    Aside from Yun Hao''s somewhat heavy breaths, there wasplete silence inside the spacious restaurant. Some had their phones ready, but most of them have forgotten to press record as what happened here truly was shocking, and it happened fast.


    For those who already knew who Yun Hao was from watching Hannah''s WeLine video, what happened just now should have been close to impossible. Sure, there had been cases of people defeating those who have a higher cultivator rank than them, but Yun Hao was literally what is called a "baby cultivator"-- he just unlocked his meridians yesterday, it should have been impossible, at least to their notion, for someone like that to defeat a full-fledge cultivator already at the 2nd rank.


    But now, it just happened and they couldn''t even record it since they were too shocked to even move a finger.


    "Yun Hao how?"


    "I told you, if you''re going to prate, prate hard," Yun Hao said as he put his thumbs up towards Huang Yi.


    "Stop saying that like it actually means something profound!" Huang Yi said before letting out a short eximed gasp.


    "Y your arm!" Huang Yi''s eyes widened as she pointed at Yun Hao''s right arm.


    "What about-- Gah!"


    Yun Hao lifted up his right arm, only for it to twist in a way that it wasn''t supposed to. If it wasn''t him catching his iling arm as soon as he did, his radius and ulna, which were split in two, would have probably pierced through his skin. Yun Hao didn''t realize it earlier, but it would seem that the damage truly was critical when he tried to divert the man''s drop kick earlier.


    "Do you have like a Sen-beans or something!?" Yun Hao could not help but scream as he rushed towards Huang Yi.


    "What do you think this is, Phoenix Orb Z!?" Huang Yi could not help but slightly avert her eyes as Yun Hao''s broken forearm iled about, "Just don''t use it and it''ll heal in a week or so


    ...and stop iling it around!"


    "...It''ll heal in a week?" As soon as Yun Hao heard that, his panicked voice started to calm down, "That''s kind of fast."


    "You''re a cultivator at the Mortal Realm now, Yun Hao, wounds like that usually typically heal--"


    "It would seem that there is quite a party here that I was not aware of."


    Before Huang Yi could finish her words, a calm and sonorous voice reverberated throughout the whole restaurant, as if whispering to everyone, "I also wasn''t aware that we were in the presence of an up anding celebrity cultivator."


    As soon as the words reached the diners'' ears, the already silent restaurant became even more silent, not even a breath could be heard. Those who were in the path of the voice all quickly dispersed and made way for the old man that was slowly walking towards the man that Yun Hao just knocked out.


    The old man seemed finely groomed and dapper, wearing a ck long coat thatplemented his thick beard, which also seemed like it was being groomed every morning.


    "Hm, isn''t this He''s family''s boy?" The old man said as he slightly pushed the unconscious man''s head with his fine leather shoe to check his face, "A little troublesome, but the benefits outweigh the cons, I suppose. Take this brat away to my office and call the He n."


    The old man then casually flicked his fingers, and as soon as he did so, several guards suddenly appeared to take the unconscious man away. Afterward, the old man slowly walked towards Yun Hao and Huang Yi.


    "This junior greets Grandmaster Deng!"


    And before the old man could even say anything, Huang Yi clumped her fist and saluted him. Yun Hao, on the other hand, could not help but slightly take in a breath as he heard Huang Yi. Grandmaster? Was that some kind of honorific, or was this old man in front of them a cultivator of the Grandmaster Realm?


    But either way, Yun Hao decided to greet Grandmaster Deng, even lifting his broken arm to salute.


    "No need for such a formality, Huang Yi," Grandmaster Deng chuckled as he grabbed Huang Yi''s clumped fist and slightly pulled it down, "But I didn''t think that Mr. Yun Hao here and you were acquainted."


    Yun Hao once again took in a breath. Even this old grandmaster knew who he was? Now he really should watch that video once he gets the chance to.


    "Don''t be so surprised, boy," Grandmaster Deng smirked as he saw Yun Hao''s perplexed face, "It isn''t every day that someone of Liu Hannah''s caliber would speak so highly of a baby cultivator. Anyone who is anyone knows who you are."


    Yun Hao didn''t really know how to respond or even talk to the person in front of him. He still hasn''t really gotten over the fact that there was a Grandmaster in front of him, a man that was just a Rank away from being barred from living inside the Safe Zones.


    "Here, have my card," Grandmaster Deng then put something inside Yun Hao''s pockets, "Just remember that you owe me for washing this incident, boy. Also, we''ll rece your order that was tossed on the floor for free. I can''t have guests leaving the Thousand Lanterns hungry, after all."


    "...Thanks?" Was the only word that Yun Hao muttered throughout the whole conversation. And with that, Grandmaster Deng nodded before leaving abruptly, just gesturing for the other diners to carry on.


    "I thought we were going to get kicked out," Huang Yi then let out a long and deep breath before looking Yun Hao straight in the eyes, "But that was crazy, Yun Hao! You defeated someone at the Spirit Realm!"


    "Is


    ...it really that impressive?"


    Huang Yi continued to tell Yun Hao how incredible of a feat he just achieved today as the waiters began fixing their tables. Telling him all sorts of examples of other scenarios of the same kind, and how few there were.


    And finally, after a few more minutes, their order was now once again at their table. Although Yun Hao was still a little heated from the exchange earlier, the food in front of him seemed to be even more so as the trails of smokeing from the 6-legged goat stew made their way to Yun Hao''s nose.


    Although it smelled like any other meat stew, there was a certain aroma to it that made Yun Hao calm-- was this an effect of the magical beast? Will he actually get stronger just by eating something like this?


    Yun Hao was about to dive in, but before he could do so, Huang Yi took his te. Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times as Huang Yi suddenly served him, cing the rice and stew on his te.


    And as if that wasn''t enough. Huang Yi even took his chopsticks and


    "H here."


    "What are you doing?" Yun Hao once again blinked a couple of times as Huang Yi seemed to want to even feed him, the chopsticks filled with meat already in front of his mouth.


    "Your right arm is broken, isn''t it?" Huang Yi stuttered as she tried her best to maintain eye contact with Yun Hao, "It''s alright, I used to do this for my younger brother."


    But he was left-handed and fully capable of feeding himself-- Yun Hao thought before slowly opening his mouth and eating the food offered to him.


    "Is it deliciou--"


    Before Huang Yi could finish her words, she quickly mmed the chopsticks on the table and stood up.


    "Oh, what now?" Yun Hao could only groan in frustration as he looked to where Huang Yi was suddenly staring, only to see a red-haired woman staring at the two of them-- Song Jian.


    "Ji Jiji, what are you doing here?"


    "You thought I wouldn''t find out?"


    Song Jian''s voice was calm, but it held a certain tremble to it. Yun Hao, on the other hand, sneakily ate another piece of meat as he awkwardly looked back and forth between the two women before letting out a short but deep sigh.


    Why was he cursed with such handsomeness? He thought.

 Chapter 43: Between Two Fernds

    Chapter 43: Between Two Fernds


    Yun Hao''s every bite of the meat in front of him was like being trapped in heaven. Heaven because the taste of the food was nothing like he had ever tasted before, especially the magic beast stew that seemed to tickle his tongue as it melted right inside his mouth. It also seemed to have an effect on his broken arm as well, as it felt warmer and warmer with each bite.


    And trapped because he was currently in between two friends, ring at each other as if there was some sort of hammer in the middle of them, and the one that would blink would be privy to the hammer''s strike.


    "The food will get cold--"


    "Shut up, Yun Hao."


    "..." Yun Hao could only raise his eyebrows as Song Jian mmed the table, "Why exactly are the two of you fighting?"


    "Do you want to know why?"


    "We''re not fighting!" Song Jian once again mmed her palm on the table, causing the tes to slightly bounce. If it wasn''t for Yun Hao securing the stew pot, it would have surely been thrown to the side.


    "Can we just eat first? Then the two of you can work whatever is going between the two of you without my presence?"


    "This involves you, Yun Hao!" Song Jian then pointed her finger right in front of Yun Hao''s face.


    "...Why?"


    "Because she likes--"


    "B... because she is trying to recruit you to her family!" Song Jian raised her voice before Huang Yi could finish her words, "Why else do you think she would invite you to a fancy meal?"


    "Because we''re on a date?" Yun Hao casually said.


    Huang Yi crossed her hands, gesturing to Yun Hao to stop whatever it is he was saying, but s, it was toote.


    "D date!?" Song Jian''s eyes could not help but twitch, "You? Don''t you already have a fiance!? Why are you involving Yun Hao with your affairs!?"


    "Let''s all calm down," Huang Yi said as she slightly chuckled, "And that marriage is being forced upon me. And yes, I am trying to recruit Yun Hao to my family I sincerely apologize for deceiving you, Yun Hao."


    Huang Yi then bowed her head towards Yun Hao, "But I did like spending time with you."


    "T that''s," Song Jian could not help but take in a gulp as she heard Huang Yi''s words.


    "It''s alright," Yun Hao let out a long and deep sigh as he gestured to Huang Yi to raise her head, "I kinda had an idea already. But still, a date is a date, right?"


    A smile slightly appeared on Huang Yi''s face as she nodded, "Right."


    "But I have already said this before, as far as affiliations go, I am flying solo for now."


    "Of course, I respect that," Huang Yi nodded, "Unlike someone else I know."


    "W what? I respected his decision earlier than you," Song Jian quickly said as she saw Huang Yi ncing at her.


    "Oh? Are you sure it wasn''t because he was injured and you thought he wasn''t worth recruiting anymore?"


    "Never! Yun Hao is--"


    "Yun Hao is what?" Huang Yi smirked.


    "Yun Hao is" Song Jian''s face slowly became as red as her hair as she took side nces at Yun Hao, "I have always seen his potential, even when my n did not. I wouldn''t have invited him many times if I didn''t."


    Seeing the small droplet of water wanting to fall from Song Jian''s eyes, Huang Yi could not help but let out a sigh as she decided to stop teasing her anymore. She was perhaps the only one who knew of Song Jian''s one-sided crush on Yun Hao. No, perhaps it was even more of a crush, it was bordering towards idolization as she even set Yun Hao as her wallpaper once maybe even stalker-ish.


    She remembered how she rushed to her when Yun Hao got into an ident, crying her eyes out that she couldn''t protect him. Yun Hao was like a celebrity to her, it was sort of ironic, now that she was thinking about it.


    Yun Hao, on the other hand, could not help but smile from hearing Song Jian''s words. Even though he did not really know Song Jian that much, it was true that she saw him in a different light even after she was injured.


    When he got out of the hospital, Song Jian was the first person to approach him. But he was too broken to even respond to her, even shouting at her to leave him alone.


    "Thank you, Miss Song Jian. I really appreciate you appreciating me."


    "R right, don''t mention it," Song Jian quickly looked to the side as her words slightly stuttered, "And please don''t use honorifics, I am just two months older than you."


    "Oh, how did you know I am only two months younger than you?"


    "I know everything about-- my family did a background check on you when they tried to recruit you, how else?" Song Jian muttered as she drank a whole ss of water in one gulp.


    "...I see."


    None of them knew how long, but there was an awkward silence between the three of them after that. But finally, after who knows how long, Huang Yi cleared her throat as she grabbed a chopstick and started eating. After that, Song Jian also split her chopsticks and casually started eating.


    Seeing this, Yun Hao finally nodded his head in satisfaction as he too dug in the food. Who knew all it took was an awkward silence for the two to make up.


    "I''m really sorry for taking Yun Hao on a date, Jiji," Huang Yi muttered.


    "W what? Why are you saying sorry to me? Yun Hao can date whoever he wants to," Song Jian stuttered.


    "Really? So you don''t mind us going on another date?"


    "..."


    "I am just kidding," Huang Yi chuckled, "You are right, I need to sort out my arranged marriage first. You know how papa and mama are, they are traditionalists."


    "Right," Song Jian let out a sigh, "I remember how they are now."


    "How about the two of you try to go on a date then?" Huang Yi suddenly opened up.


    "Yes what? Why? Why?" Song Jian almost dropped her chopsticks as she nced at Yun Hao, who was also looking at her, causing her to quickly look away.


    "I think Yun Hao is interested in seeing our school. I told him I will tour him there on our next date, but since I will be busy, you can do it in my stead, right?" Huang Yi blinked at Song Jian as if telling her that this was her chance.


    Before Song Jian could even say anything, Yun Hao already opened his mouth.


    "That sounds fine with me," Yun Hao shrugged his shoulders, "That is if it is fine with Song Jian?"


    "I need to check my schedule first," Song Jian stiffly said.


    "Oh, then I suppose--"


    "It''s clear. You can visit tomorrow afternoon, I will just pin you the location."


    "...Well alright then," Yun Hao could not help but let out a chuckle, "It''s a date?"


    "D d d d d d date!?"

 Chapter 44: You again?

    Chapter 44: You again?


    "It''s a date?"


    "D d d d d d date!?" Song Jian stood up before her whole body becamepletely frozen.


    "Song Jian? Are you alright?" Yun Hao''s eyes widened as he too stood up from his seat and stopped eating. But before he could do anything, Huang Yi also stood up and rushed towards Song Jian.


    "It''s her uh condition, I''ll take her to her car and get her home. You go and finish up without us," Huang Yi said before throwing a set of keys to Yun Hao, "Don''t leave a scratch on her, okay? Or I will hunt you down."


    "What?" Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times as he caught the keys to Huang Yi''s motorcycle.


    "My right arm is broken, how am I even going to--"


    "Figure it out yourself!"


    "W--"


    He didn''t even get a chance to say anything before Huang Yi pushed Song Jian and suddenly ran away, towing her.


    "Move, move!" Huang Yi waved her hands as she asked the other diners to move as she went straight towards the exit. It wasn''t until they got inside the car that Song Jian was finally able to move again.


    "D date?"


    "He''s gone," Huang Yi could not help but let out a sigh as she stared at her friend.


    "...Oh," Song Jian blinked a couple of times as she realized that they were now inside her car, with Huang Yi and her driver staring at her, "...Thanks for getting me out."


    "Don''t mention it," Huang Yi once again let out a sigh, "But to think you''re still catatonic whenever you''re extremely stressed, I thought you already cured that?"


    "I think it''s forever," Song Jian shook her head.


    "...I am sorry too, Jiji," Huang Yi then held Song Jian''s hand, "I went behind your back and talked to Yun Hao I even went with him on a date. My family will cancel the arranged marriage if I can invite Yun Hao to the family, you see."


    "So it was like that?" Song Jian could not help but also hold onto her friend''s hand, "Maybe I can talk to uncle and auntie? Let them see the error of their ways?"


    Huang Yi quickly shook her head, "It''s fine, just focus on your date with Yun Hao tomorrow."


    "Is is it really happening?"


    "Of course, but don''t thank me yet."


    "...Why?"


    "Because this is thest time I am giving way for you, Jiji," Huang Yi then looked Song Jian straight in the eyes, "Because I think I am starting to like him too."


    Although Song Jian could not help but furrow her eyebrows from Huang Yi''s words, in the end, she still nodded her head, "Whatever happens


    ...you are my friend."


    As the two were sincerely talking to each other outside, Yun Hao was left all alone staring at the air inside the restaurant.


    Yun Hao then sat back down, looking at the two seats that Song Jian and Huang Yi left. The truth is, Song Jian''s feelings for him were quite obvious to see. Yun Hao was well aware of what would happen if he continued this path.


    But he already had his heart broken once, and whether or not he was ready to be in a rtionship again was something that he could not answer, whether it was Huang Yi, Song Jian, or the other women that suddenly started appearing in his life.


    "..." Come to think of it, besides Sun Fang and Jia Ning''s brother, every number in his phone was from a female. "...Damn."


    With that thought, Yun Hao quickly finished every meal before thanking the staff and taking Huang Yi''s motorcycle home to the scrapyard, he was careful not to ride it inside, as there might be people watching him.


    But this would be thest day, as tomorrow morning, he would deposit all of the remaining coins inside his house and rent his own apartment, it shouldn''t take that long, Yun Hao thought as he looked at the barrel of coins beside his bed.


    This is thest night thest night he would spend in this shit hole. The official start of his new life but first--


    Yun Hao then grabbed a pouch from his pocket, shaking the two low-ss Beast Cores it contained; one given to him by Hannah as a token for interviewing him, and the other a duplicate.


    Yun Hao then took in a long and deep breath as he put one of the Beast Cores back into the pouch, and held onto the remaining Beast Core tight. There was a sort of frustration growing inside of him, and his furrowed eyebrows showed it. But after a few more heavy breaths, he nodded and hit himself in the face.


    "You can do this, Yun Hao. You can do this," he motivated himself as lifted the Beast Core to the air,


    "...Duplicate."


    Yun Hao''s vision quickly blurred as he felt his whole body drop to the bed. He could feel his chest tighten as a sudden torrent of fatigue crawled throughout his whole body, but still, it wasn''t enough for Yun Hao not to feel and hear the slight cling that whispered into the air.


    "Ho," Yun Hao''s hands violently trembled as he moved it near him, and with his face trembling to produce a smile, Yun Hao opened his hand.


    And in it, were two Beast Cores.


    "Y yes, yes!" Yun Hao could not help but murmur in excitement. Although he truly did feel like shit, at least this time, he did not faint.


    Well


    ...at least not immediately.


    ***


    "Is this the ce?"


    Yun Hao revved Huang Yi''s motorcycle a couple of times before turning it off as he confirmed the address that was given to him by Song Jian. He had just finished distributing thest of his coins, and with the help of Huang Yi''s motorcycle, it truly did not take that long.


    And so now, he was in front of their school or at least he should be. Yun Hao got off the motorcycle as he once again looked at his phone, and no matter how long he stared at it, he was at the right address.


    "...Should I knock?" Yun Hao said as he looked at the colossal wooden gate that towered over him. The fence, if he could even call it that, was also as tall as a 5-story building. Was there really a school beyond this?


    But before Yun Hao could knock, a familiar voice called for him from behind.


    "What the? Yun Hao? You again?"


    "The fuck you doing here?" Yun Hao quickly said as he saw who it was.


    "What do you mean? I''m enrolled here now, the fuck you doing here?"


    "Why? Lots of girls to hit inside?"


    "What!? Want to fight!?"


    Of course, it was none other than Sun Fang.

 Chapter 45: Euphoria

    Chapter 45: Euphoria


    "What, want to fight!?"


    Yun Hao wasn''t really expecting to meet Sun Fang here, out of all ces. They might have shared their numbers along with Jia Ning because they all passed the Immersion together, but he didn''t really think that he would be seeing Sun Fang so soon, or at all.


    But now, here he was in all his glory.


    "I am already only a level away from Middle-stage, I''d fuck you up!" Sun Fang said as he stood directly in front of Yun Hao, his forehead almost sticking on Yun Hao''s chin.


    "My right arm is slightly injured, so as much as I''d like to apany you..." Yun Hao could only shake his head a couple of times as he turned around, "Anyway, how do you enter this thing? I was supposed to meet someone here."


    Yun Hao once again examined the colossal wooden gate in front of him, and the longer he looked at it, the harder it was for him to imagine that there was a school on the other side. If he was told there was some sort of shrine inside, then he probably would have believed it in a heartbeat.


    But a school?


    "Psh, haven''t you watched Danny ughter?" Sun Fang mockinglyughed at Yun Hao before stepping towards the colossal wooden gate, "You are unworthy to go inside, so long, fucker."


    "What are you--"


    Yun Hao could not help but furrow his eyebrows as Sun Fang continued to walk towards the gate, seemingly not even minding that he would hit it. But before Yun Hao could finish his words, Sun Fang continued to walk towards the colossal wooden gate and eventually walk through it and disappear.


    "...What?"


    Even though it happened right in front of him, Yun Hao still rubbed his eyes to check if he wasn''t hallucinating. Did he just see Sun Fang pass through the wooden gate?


    Yun Hao immediately stretched his hand to the gate to see if it was going to pass through, but all that happened was him feeling the somewhat cold and solid texture of the gate.


    "!!!"


    He then almost jumped back as a person suddenly emerged from the door.


    "Weirdo," the man said while rolling his eyes as he passed by Yun Hao. The man was wearing the same thing as Sun Fang was wearing, a white robe. Was it some kind of uniform? If so, it made sense that only the students of the school were allowed to pass through the gate.


    Although he was still a bit bewildered, Yun Hao finally gave up on getting in on his own and decided to do the logical thing-- call Song Jian. He probably should have done so from the start, but his curiositypletely got to him.


    "Hello!?"


    "...Hi," Yun Hao could not help but slightly raise his eyebrows as Song Jian instantly answered his call, not even allowing for a single ring to finish, "I think I am outside your school? It''s the one with the huge-ass wooden gate without any neighboring buildings, right?"


    "Wait for me there," were thest words Yun Hao heard before Song Jian hung up the phone. Yun Hao decided to park Huang Yi''s motorcycle to the side while waiting for Song Jian, but before he could even touch the handlebars, a woman suddenly shot out from the gate.


    Song Jian''s breaths were rapid, but as soon as she saw Yun Hao, she quickly calmed down and cleared her throat. "That''s Huang Yi''s bike, right?"


    "Yes?"


    As soon as Yun Hao said that, Song Jian snapped her fingers, and with it, the motorcycle beside Yun Hao instantly disappeared. "She told me to take it back."


    "...Right, tell her I didn''t leave any scratch on it," Yun Hao can''t say he wasn''t the least disappointed from having the motorcycle taken away. He has somewhat grown attached to it even though it has only been a day perhaps he should buy one? Was there like a motorcycle for cultivators?


    "S shall we go then?" Song Jian said as she stretched her hand towards Yun Hao, "You... need to hold my hand so you can pass through the barrier."


    "That''s rather simple, isn''t it?" Yun Hao let out a slight hum as he gently held onto Song Jian''s hand. Yun Hao could feel her trembling, and he could not help but let out a slight smile before lightly tightening his grip to calm her down, "Shall we go?"


    "Y yes, of course," Song Jian woke up from her stupor as she started walking to the gate.


    "By the way, what rank are you, Song Jian?"


    "I''m at Early-stage, Master Rank."


    "...Oh," Yun Hao lightened his grip upon hearing this. He fought someone at the Spirit rank yesterday, and as a result, his right arm was currently bandaged up and healing. One mistake and Song Jian might just tear his hand away.


    He truly didn''t expect that Song Jian would already be at the Master rank, as even Huang Yi was at the Mortal Rank. Perhaps he should learn how to detect cultivation levels soon, else he might meet his maker.


    "Don''t be nervous, Yun Hao," Song Jian said as she passed through the gate. Yun Hao could only hold his breath as his hand also went through it. There was a slight tingling feeling as his body passed through the gate. He tried his best not to close his eyes as he entered, but s, they just closed on reflex when his face was only an inch away from the gate.


    He could only feel the tingling sensation tickling his face, and soon, a sort of cold breeze wafted through his face. He then opened his eyes, only to close it again as a certain brightness drowned it.


    But after a few seconds, he was finally able to see what was on the other side.


    "...What the fuck."


    Yun Hao could not help but take in another deep breath as the sky itself seemed to greet him. No, the sky literally was right in front of him, the clouds that were freely traveling in front of him made it evidently so.


    A slight gasp then came out from his mouth, which soon turned into a small chuckle as his eyes could not sit still. Mountains, waterfalls, the lush green that bombarded him made it feel like he was in some kind of dream.


    There were long bridges that connected every cliff and mountain, mountains and cliff that each contained their own pagoda. The hustle and bustle, the moring of the outside world were non-existent here. There were still noises, of course, as you would expect from a ce containing teenagers, but still, it was


    "...beautiful," Yun Hao could not help but mutter.


    "Y Yun Hao?" Song Jian was about to say something as she heard Yun Hao''s words, but when she saw that there was a single trail of tears falling across his face, she could only stare at his face. She was d that Yun Hao was able to experience this for the first time and that he experienced it with her holding his hand.


    Song Jian slightly leaned closer towards Yun Hao, making sure that their hand remained together, "Wee to the Echo Hills Academy, Yun Hao."


    If only they could stay like this forever, in their own little world with just the two of them--


    "What the fuck, you got in!?"


    Plus Sun Fang.

 Chapter 46: My, My...

    Chapter 46: My, My...


    "What the fuck, you got in!?"


    Song Jian''s eyes could not help but widen as her moment of serenity with Yun Hao was broken by a very annoying voice. She also could not help but let out a silent and stuttered gasp as Yun Hao suddenly let go of her hand.


    She honestly thought that Yun Hao would hold her hand throughout the tour, but to think it would be broken just like this. Her eyes twitched as she slowly looked towards the direction of the voice, only to see a man that also had a scar on his face, albeit like a pinkiepared to Yun Hao.


    "Who is this budget version of yours, Yun Hao?"


    Song Jian''s cold words pierced Sun Fang''s ears like a knife. Although Sun Fang looked somewhat familiar, Song Jian could not determine where she had seen him before, but considering he was wearing the Echo Hill''s uniform, she had probably seen him walking around here from time to time.


    "B budget version!?" Sun Fang could not help but quickly react to her words. However, as soon as his eyes met Song Jian''s eyes, Sun Fang quickly shut his mouth and saluted, "This junior greets Master Song!"


    After that, he quickly walked away, but not before clicking his tongue towards Yun Hao.


    "...What was that all about?" Yun Hao squinted his eyes as he watched Sun Fang scampering away. Come to think of it, even though they have been standing here for quite some time because of his sudden euphoria, none of the other students seemed to be minding them.


    As a matter of fact, they even seemed to be adamantly avoiding the two of them, some even walking back to the other side of the bridge as soon as their eyes met.


    "It''s nothing, I am of a higher grade, so it''s normal to be greeted as such," Song Jian just waved her hand nonchntly, "Shall I give you the tour, then? Which ce do you want to go first?"


    "Wait, don''t you have any sses?"


    "I do," Song Jian nodded, "But it''s just a refresher ss, there isn''t really a point deducted if I miss it."


    "Let''s go there, then."


    "...Are you sure? We have a beautiful garden as well as the stables where we kept the magical beasts."


    "Hm. Since I am touring your school, I might as well experience your sses as well


    ...or am I not allowed to see since I''m not enrolled?"


    "No, of course not. Come on, let''s go!"


    Song Jian excitedly nodded her head as she gestured to Yun Hao to follow her. Yun Hao, however, could not help but stop in his tracks without even taking 10 steps.


    "...Yun Hao?"


    "..." Yun Hao blinked a couple of times as he looked at Song Jian, who was cutely bouncing on the abnormally long rope bridge. It looked cool from afar, but now that it was right in front of him, the only thing that Yun Hao could think of was what would happen if he fell down.


    His eyes could not help but widen as he looked below the cliff, only to see fog covering the ground. Just how high up were they? And how was it even possible that there was a ce like this only a few hours away from the city?


    "...Maybe we should check on the garden? Which way-- never mind."


    As soon as Yun Hao saw Song Jian pointing slightly upwards, he quickly shook his head, "Maybeter."


    "Are you perhaps scared of heights?" Song Jian said as she finally realized what was happening.


    "I am now," Yun Hao awkwardly chuckled. Did this rope bridge even pass the department of safety? Yun Hao thought as he once again heard the rope slightly make a cracking sound as Song Jian walked towards him.


    "H here," and with this, Song Jian''s face could not help but let out a small smile as she once again had the chance to hold Yun Hao''s hand, "You don''t have to worry, this bridge is enhanced by magic, it won''t--"


    s, as soon as she said that, Yun Hao immediately stepped onto the bridge without holding her hand.


    Yun Hao let out a hum as he wiped the sweat that built up on his forehead, he then hopped a couple of times, as if trying to test the rope''s sturdiness, "Oh shit, you''re right, it''s not even budging!"


    "..."


    "Look! Even if I--"


    "Let''s just go."


    "Ah, wait for me!"


    And so, Song Jian stomped her way to the other side of the bridge, clearly disappointed that she missed her chance. But after a while, she just let out a slight sigh. It was enough that Yun Hao was with her now, she shouldn''t be too greedy.


    "So you have never really been to a cultivation school before?"


    "No. I didn''t even think that there was one."


    "There are, but in Xin, there''s only 2 in the whole country."


    "Quite prestigious then?"


    "I guess? I didn''t really think of it that way," Song Jian let out a soft chuckle. The two crossed over two more bridges before Song Jian gestured Yun Hao to follow her inside one of the tallest pagodas in the Academy.


    "This is where we hold all of the mixed sses, where all students of all levels merge. It''s all usually refresher courses and sses, so I do not reallye here often."


    "So, you''re like an honor student then?"


    "Y yes," Song Jian could not help but meekly nod her head as she saw the smile on Yun Hao''s face, "Are you proud of me?"


    "...Uh," Yun Hao slightly widened his eyes from the sudden question, but after a few breaths and Song Jian''s expectant eyes, he could only nod his head and smile, "Of course."


    A wide smile then slowly crept onto Song Jian''s face as she heard Yun Hao''s words. She wanted to jump in joy, but since there might be other people suddenly popping out of nowhere, she chose not to do so.


    "It''s here, my ss is here." And finally, after a few more walks and a few more stairs, they arrived in front of a huge door. And seeing as there were already noises inside, it would seem that the ss was indeed already ongoing.


    "...You''re sure I am allowed to sit in?"


    "No problem," Song Jian said as she quickly opened the door, causing all themotion inside to focus on them. And as soon as they saw who it was that entered, the unusually spacious room quickly quieted down.


    "There''s an empty seat there, let''s go," Song Jian quickly waved her hand towards Yun Hao, ignoring all the stares she was getting. And since Song Jian didn''t seem to mind, Yun Hao just shrugged his shoulders and followed him.


    But just what kind of ss was this? Yun Hao thought as his eyes scanned the room. No, perhaps it was better to say that this was some kind of arena. It reminded him of the first time he tried out for amateur boxing, where there were 4 boxing rings for all of the applicants to get tested. Except here, there were even seats surrounding the four tforms for other people to publicly watch the students'' performances.


    If his estimate was right, then there should be about a hundred students here, and some were already fighting on the stage.


    "This is a refresher on how to control the flow of your qi," Song Jian finally answered his questions as she saw the confused look on his face, "I learned how to do this when I was 6, so I don''t really attend it anymore."


    "...6? You were already a cultivator at that age?"


    "Hm."


    Song Jian just nodded casually as if it wasn''t that big of a deal. Yun Hao, however, was extremely bewildered. For normal people, the minimum age to go through Immersion was 18. Considering all the dangers and training one had to go through just to go through the process, one needed at least that many years to even think of taking it.


    But to think Song Jian was already one at such a young age People from cultivation ns truly were of a different breed.


    "d you decided to join us for once, Ms. Song Jian."


    Yun Hao almost pped his ears as a loud but somewhat sedated voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire room, almost as if it was whispering straight into his ears.


    "And you even brought a very interesting boy to ss."


    "...We should go, I didn''t think it would be her that would be teaching today," Song Jian quickly urged Yun Hao to stand up and leave. But as soon as Yun Hao stood up and walked out of the bleachers, a woman or perhaps a man blocked his path,


    "My, my... sweetie. You just got here...


    ...where do you think you''re going?"

 Chapter 47: Celebrity

    Chapter 47: Celebrity


    "...Where do you think you''re going?"


    Yun Hao stared at the man woman in front of him. It was quite hard to tell what she was at first, but Yun Hao finally figured it out as he heard her voice directly. Her muscles, which bulged up and were even bigger than Yun Hao''s head, did not help. She was even more muscr than Yun Hao, who was more on the lean side.


    "Um" Yun Hao did not really know how to respond as the unusually muscr woman blocked his path, so he could only turn his head back towards Song Jian.


    "What are you doing, Pan Jing?" Song Jian furrowed her eyebrows as she stepped in front of Yun Hao, the tone of her voicepletely different from when she was talking with Yun Hao.


    "He is not a student of the Academy, you have no reason to hold him here."


    "Oh my, as cold as always, Song Jian," the woman embraced herself as she shivered, looking towards Yun Hao seductively. Afterward, she once again turned her eyes towards Song Jian, her eyebrows slightly furrowed,


    "Even if you are already of a higher level than me, I still am a teacher in this Academy, you know," Pan Jing then clicked her tongue several times as she wagged her finger, "And you are in my ss. And as they say, when in Italia"


    Pan Jing did not even finish her words as she slowly walked back to the tforms at the center of the ssroom, which was honestly more like an indoor stadium if anything.


    "Quick, let''s go," Song Jian urged Yun Hao to leave the ssroom in haste. But before they could even move an inch from their position, the lights suddenly went out. But after just a second, a spotlight was lit up pointed straight towards Yun Hao.


    "..." Yun Hao could not help but slightly cover his eyes as the lightpletely drowned his vision. At first, when Huang Yi invited her to enroll at the school, he refused without even thinking about it. He thought that it was just going to be simr to Tsinghai Highschool, and he had already had enough of that life. But as soon as he entered through the gates, he was quickly proven otherwise.


    Just what kind of school was this?


    "Ladies and gentlemen!"


    Another light emerged, pointed at the very center of the hall. In the middle of the four tforms, stood a tall pedestal where Pan Jing was now standing, her waist wiggling with her every word.


    "We have a very special guest with us that some of you may know!"


    "No it''s locked!" Song Jian truly wanted to leave the ss. But s, the door had already been barred. Pan Jing''s earlier words about her being in charge weren''t just a figure of speech or intimidation-- it was a fact.


    The teacher of the ss had total control of the ssroom, and if you''re not at least at the Grandmaster rank, then forget even leaving a dent on the walls of the Academy. "This is harassment, Pan Jing!"


    "And look at that, you are even lucky enough to hear the voice of none other than the Academy''s pride!" Another light lit up as it pointed towards Song Jian, and as soon as it happened, all the noise and loud whispers of the other students instantly stopped.


    "But this isn''t about our local ice goddess," the light that pointed towards Song Jian was quickly turned off, "This is about him, Yun Hao!"


    As soon as Yun Hao''s name was called, the murmurs that have previously already died down once again echoed throughout the stadium.


    "Did Teach just say Yun Hao?"


    "Yun Hao?"


    "Isn''t he the one dating Madame Hannah?"


    "He''s the one on that viral video!"


    "Wow, he''s hot."


    "He was a student of the Academy? Since when?"


    "Bro, we would have known if he was."


    "Why is he here then?"


    Although the stadium was exaggeratingly big for the number of students it had, the students'' whispers were still loud enough to echo throughout the whole room. Yun Hao, who was literally the center of everyone''s attention, could not help but raise his hand and wave awkwardly.


    It had been a while since thest time he was put into a spot like this. He wasn''t really in it for fame when he became a boxer, but still, the feeling of being in the spotlight he didn''t dislike it.


    "Oh my god, I am so sorry for this," Song Jian could not help but cover her face in embarrassment as she approached Yun Hao, "If I knew she was going to be the one handling this ss, I wouldn''t have even let you go near the building."


    This was supposed to be their date, and now, it was ruined.


    "...It''s fine," Yun Hao chuckled as he gently held Song Jian''s arm, "Come on, let''s leave if you''re ufortable."


    "We can''t," Song Jian looked at her arm endearingly before shaking her head.


    "...What do you me--"


    "Why don''t youe down here and say a few words? It isn''t every day that we are visited by a celebrity!"


    "!!!"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, the bleacher he was standing on suddenly moved downwards, as if he was standing on an esctor and since when did he be a celebrity?


    "Whatever she wants you to do, don''t do it, okay!?" Song Jian wanted to run towards the descending Yun Hao, but an invisible barrier seemed to be blocking her path, "Pan Jing Pan Jing hates Liu Hannah!"


    "...Fuck," Yun Hao could only curse as he slowly descended towards the center of the stadium. Ever since Liu Hannah uploaded the picture of them together, it has brought him nothing but trouble. First, it was the altercation with that random man in the Thousand Lanterns


    ...and now this? Should he make a public statement that he wasn''t dating her? He hasn''t even seen or contacted her ever since the Immersion, and she was still having this much impact on his life.


    Yun Hao wanted to move away, but also found himself trapped in some kind of invisible barrier. Once again, Yun Hao could not help but wonder just what kind of school this ce was.


    As soon as he reached the ground, the lights of the stadium were once again fully opened. Yun Hao could finally see all the other students staring at him, their eyes filled with curiosity. But the one that Yun Hao was focused on was the woman in the center of the stadium, who was currently looking down at him from her pedestal.


    Just what exactly did this crazy woman want from her?


    Pan Jing then suddenly jumped from her pedestal,nding right in front of the severely confused Yun Hao.


    "I don''t get it, just what exactly do you men see in Liu Hannah that I don''t have?"


    "...What?"


    Yun Hao could not help but squint his eyes as he heard Pan Jing muttering. But afterward, Pan Jing pped her hands, causing Yun Hao to slightly flinch from the sudden shockwave.


    "Mr. Yun Hao here is a man that would someday achieve wonders! A potential that none of you could ever hope to achieve!"


    "What--"


    "Do any of you want to see him in action!?"


    As soon as Pan Jing said that, the howls and cheers of the students quickly filled the entire stadium. But now, Yun Hao finally got what Pan Jing wanted to do-- she wanted to humiliate him just because she thought he was dating Liu Hannah.


    "I think there''s been a misunderstand--"


    Before Yun Hao could even finish his sentence, Pan Jing''s rock-hard hands grabbed his shoulder. And before he could even do anything, he felt his whole vision shift as he was thrown straight towards one of the tforms.


    Yun Hao quickly rotated his body, allowing him tond gracefully on that tform. And as soon as he raised his head, Pan Jing was already climbing her way to the tform.


    "...So that''s how it is going to be?" Yun Hao let out a long and deep sigh.


    ...He was probably fucked.

 Chapter 48: A Strike

    Chapter 48: A Strike


    Yun Hao could hear the cheers of the students of the Academy as the bulky muscr gori-like woman slowly approached him. If it wasn''t for her licking her upper lip as she walked towards Yun Hao, then he probably wouldn''t be as nervous.


    Surely, she won''t do anything to him in front of all these students, right?


    Yun Hao then looked towards Song Jian, who was now talking with someone on the phone. If she was asking for help, then it bettere fast before something drastic happens to him, he thought as he took in a big gulp as he once again focused his attention towards the approaching cmity.


    Back in Tsinghai High school, the only bullying he experienced was his ssmates'' derogatory and insulting words, as well as being used as a bellboy. The obvious reason that it never got physical was that Yun Hao was stronger than most of them.


    But now, he was about to be manhandled in front of a school he doesn''t even attend.


    "I actually have prior meetings I need to go to," Yun Hao chuckled awkwardly as he scratched his chin, "As much as I would like to stay--"


    "Now, now, young cultivator," Pan Jing once again blocked his path of escape as she stood in front of him. Afterward, she leaned in closer to Yun Hao, whispering into his ear with a seductive voice that doesn''t match her muscr appearance, "This won''t take long."


    "What... are you nning to do to me?"


    "Rx, I will just make sure that Liu Hannah gets--"


    "I am not dating Liu Hannah!" Right now, Yun Hao was truly nervous. The woman in front of her was of the Master rank, 2 ranks ahead of him. His right arm was still healing from being hit by a Spirit-rank cultivator, and now this woman was practically telling him that he would be fighting with her, a Master-rank?


    "My right arm is still healing from an injury," Yun Hao raised his right hand, which indeed was still obviously sore.


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry. We only need a demonstration of what you can do," Pan Jing let out a smile as she stepped back and turned towards the crowd of students, "Yun Hao has agreed to exchange pointers with us!"


    Hearing their teacher''s words, most of the students once again howled and cheered, grabbing their phones and either hitting the record button, or the "live" button on their WeLine App. Of course, one of the rules of the school was that there was absolutely no use of phones while in ss, but Pan Jing didn''t seem to mind right now. There were a handful of students, however, who were not seemingly being carried over by the other students'' hype. Instead, they all looked at their Yun Hao with their eyes expressing different emotions.


    One of them had her eyebrows furrowed, one had his eyebrows raised, and the rest held a certain curiosity within their eyes.


    "What do you think, Xinyue?" One of the male students among the group of five spoke up.


    "What''s there to think?" The female student called Xinyue crossed her arms in response, tilting her head slightly upwards as she red at Yun Hao, "He''s just a baby cultivator."


    "He''s not just a baby cultivator, though." If Yun Hao was focusing on the group of students, he would clearly recognize the male student that just spoke, as he had already encountered him back in the Thousand Lanterns-- it was the 3-meter tall muscr man he bumped shoulders with. Well, Yun Hao''s shoulder and the man''s arm.


    "I saw him taking down He Kang yesterday," the freakishly tall student continued to speak, "With one punch."


    "Really? Isn''t He Kang already at the Middle-stage of the Spirit Rank?" The male student who first spoke could not help but widen his eyes, "Video or it didn''t happen, Bernard."


    "I heard it too," the only other female student in the group spoke, flicking her blonde hair to the side, "But most importantly, why is he with Song Jian?" The female student then looked towards Song Jian, who was still trapped by an invisible barrier.


    "Stop prying into other people''s affairs, Wang Yan," Xinyue let out a scoff, "We''re wasting our time here, let''s just leave."


    Xinyue then stepped away, ncing at Yun Hao for onest time before turning around. However, before she could even take 3 steps, she looked back towards her other ssmates.


    "What are you guys doing? Aren''t you leaving?"


    "...Why?" The other female student named Wang Yan blinked a couple of times as she looked at Xinyue, "You''re not our leader or anything."


    Seeing as the others weren''t also moving, they were all in agreement.


    "Tch," her eyes could not help but twitch as she once again quickly turned around to leave, stomping her way through the stairs. She also took a nce towards the trapped Song Jian before letting out a smirk.


    "It suits you, being lower than me," Xinyue said as she was higher on the stairs, looking down on Song Jian. Song Jian, however, as if not hearing anything,pletely ignored Xinyue and was just focusing on Yun Hao.


    "..." Xinyue once again clicked her tongue as she finally made her way to the exit. But s


    ...It was locked.


    "..." And so, Xinyue awkwardly made her way back to her circle of friends.


    Back in the center of the stadium, Yun Hao was closely watching as Pang Jin was continuing to talk to her students, talking about exchanging pointers or whatnot. What does that even mean? Yun Hao thought.


    "Since our lesson for today is how to distribute your qi to certain parts of your body. How would you guys like for Yun Hao to personally show us how he does it!?" Pan Jing continued to hype up her students, "I know most of you have watched the video, and you all know how special he is, right!?"


    The students that were clearly interested were seated at the front, nodding their heads with every word their teacher was saying. Seeing this, Pan Jing''s excitement went over the roof. This was her chance to get revenge on Liu Hannah, she thought.


    She worked hard, if not more, to get fans in WeLine and InstaPound. But the ones that were following her were either just her students or people interested in fighting her. Just what was the difference between her and Liu Hannah!? She even dared to unt that she got a young, handsome, muscr guy!?


    Her blood once again boiled just thinking about it. Perhaps it was a heaven-sent that the man in question was now right in front of her. She couldn''t take it out on Liu Hannah as she was stronger than her, but she could certainly take Yun Hao.


    "Come on then, Mr. Celebrity," Pan Jing pped her hands, "Show us what you got


    ...Hit me," Pan Jing then mockingly gestured to Yun Hao, waving her hand and pointing towards her cheek, "Show us how well you use your qi, we all saw how strong you are."


    It was quite obvious what Pan Jing was trying to do, and Yun Hao knew it. It has only been around 3 days since he became a cultivator, he hasn''t even gotten the chance to train and see what he could fully do. He nned to go to the Danger Zone soon to test it... but to think he was going to be challenged here and now.


    "...You won''t be fighting back?" Yun Hao squinted his eyes.


    "Of course not," Pan Jing shook her head, "That would be bullying."


    "...Alright," Yun Hao nodded his head as he got into his stance, "If you''re going to prate, prate hard," he then whispered quietly to himself to hype himself up.


    Afterward, he took in a long and deep breath as he tried to control his qi. As Liu Hannah initially exined, a cultivator would already know how to control their qi by instinct, and Yun Hao was not any different.


    There was, however, a difference between controlling and mastering it. Yun Hao, sadly, did not even know the basics. But still, he could feel his body getting warmer as he tried to distribute his qi to the muscles that mattered.


    "Ho?" Pan Jing could not help but raise an eyebrow as she sensed Yun Hao releasing his qi, and the only thing she could think of was how badly distributed they were. The other students could also sense it, as some of them started looking at each other.


    "Here Ie, Mr. Pan Jing."


    "What do you mean Miste--"


    "!!!"


    Before Pan Jing could finish her words, the flow of Yun Hao''s qi suddenly exploded as he rushed towards her. The distance between them wasn''t too far, so it wasn''t that weird that Yun Hao was able to instantly cover it.


    ''This is too fast for a Mortal Rank,'' Pan Jing could not help but squint her eyes as they followed Yun Hao''s fist, ''But still a Mortal Rank,'' she thought as she just let Yun Hao''s fist connect with her right cheek.


    But then, as Yun Hao''s fist was only an inch away from her face, Pan Jing could sense that Yun Hao''s qi once again exploded, specifically the ones in his leg as he suddenly twisted his waist.


    Pan Jing''s eyes widened as she felt her body slightly shift to the side.


    The students that were on the front row could not help but slightly flinch as a loud thunderous bang rippled towards them as Pan Jing stomped her foot on the tform to stop herself from being thrown away by the unexpected strength from Yun Hao''s punch.


    By the end of it, Yun Hao''s distribution of his qi could still be considered rubbish. However, perhaps because of the sheer recklessness of his distribution, he was able to put in more power than usual. This was, however, dangerous and should only be used as ast resort, and everyone in the ss knew that, except Yun Hao.


    But since this was just a demonstration, it didn''t really matter.


    "...This bitch," Pan Jing could not help but quietly curse. Yun Hao was about to prepare another attack, but this time


    ...Pan Jing threw a punch of her own, causing Yun Hao to roll several meters on the ground like a ragdoll, only stopping as his body embedded itself into the wall.


    "..."

 Chapter 49: Aftermath

    Chapter 49: Aftermath


    Yun Hao could feel his consciousness fade, but he tried his best to stay awake; as there was this growing fear inside him that if he did indeed fall asleep, he would never wake up again. Yun Hao had been injured a lottely the past few weeks, but this one was different-- he doesn''t feel any pain.


    And no, it wasn''t because he left unscathed, no. His spine most likely broke in half, causing parts of his body to be paralyzed. If he was still a human, then this would have definitely killed him.


    ''...Fuck,'' he could not help but curse in his mind as he could not even talk. If he knew he was going to be like this, then he should have just probably spent his time duplicating money and living a life that normal humans could only dream of. He could have just spent time inside hotels, being served food every day in his room.


    No. What was the use of living a boring life like that? And damn, it has been a long time since he gotid, Yun Hao thought. If he was going to get out of this situation alive, he promised himself that he would get a lover.


    Yun Hao let random thoughts drown his mind, as this was the only way he could remain awake. He didn''t even see what hit him. Come to think of it, didn''t that abnormally muscr woman say she wouldn''t hit back?


    Truly, one cannot trust cultivators. He should have known, he was one of them now.


    No, no, no. Yun Hao tried to stress his mind as he could feel his vision fading. Was he really dying like this!?


    "S shit, turn off all of your cameras!" Pan Jing, who instinctively countered Yun Hao''s punch, could not help but look all over the ce. Her only goal was to humiliate Yun Hao in front of all students and the people watching live from their social media ounts but to think it was going to be evidence of her crime.


    It was Yun Hao''s fault, she thought. He was only supposed to be a baby cultivator, and yet the strength of his punch was almost at the Pinnacle of the Spirit Rank. Of course, it wasn''t enough to actually hurt Pan Jing, but it was enough for her to slightly lose her bnce.


    She was taken by surprise by Yun Hao''s first punch, and so her body moved in reflex. It was already toote when she realized what she was doing as Yun Hao''s body was already rolling on the floor.


    If he died here, then she would truly be in trouble with the Academy. It would have been alright if it was a sanctioned duel, but this? She was fucked. She could use the excuse of Yun Hao not really being a student of the Academy, but since he had been gathering clout the past few days, the Academy would surely make her responsible for this.


    "I will be confiscating all of your phones! Give them to me!" Pan Jing then rushed towards her students, adamantly demanding that they give her their phones. But before she could even take a single one, someone suddenly leaped to the stage.


    "Y you?" Pang Jin could not help but slightly gasp in surprise as Song Jian suddenly appeared near her. Due to her panicking, she must have lost control of the room, allowing any restraints and seals in the room to disappear.


    Song Jian, however, did not rush towards Pan Jing, but instead towards Yun Hao. Her stuttered breaths could be hearding from her mouth as her legs slightly slowed down as she reached Yun Hao''s position.


    She wanted to avert her eyes, but she did not. Yun Hao''s body was all twisted up, embedded on the wall with no part of his body left untouched by the blood that profusely slid across the bones that prated out of his skin. Song Jian bit her lips as she gently ced two of her fingers on Yun Hao''s neck.


    And as soon as she did so, her expression quickly brightened up. She then quickly flicked her finger, causing what seemed to be a Pill to appear out of thin air. Song Jian did not waste any time as she quickly caught the Pill, putting it in her mouth before touching her lips with Yun Hao''s. She then pushed the Pill inside of Yun Hao''s mouth with her tongue, using a mixture of her saliva and Yun Hao''s blood for it to slide down his throat.


    "You''ll be alright," Song Jian then let out a long and deep breath as she caressed Yun Hao''s cheek. She then wiped the blood on her face as she quickly turned, slowly walking towards where Pan Jing was.


    She did not really say anything. But her steps were enough for Pan Jing to know that she was no longer going to hear any reason. Song Jian was one of, if not the most promising student of Echo Hills Academy.


    And she was, indeed, stronger than Pan Jing, who mostly handled the younger cultivators. But still, that doesn''t mean that Pan Jing had no chance of winning against her, after all, Song Jian was only higher than her by a level.


    "...Shit," Pan Jing looked back and forth between the students and the approaching Song Jian. On one side, if she focuses on taking the students'' phones, then Song Jian might attack her off guard, and everyone would see her being crushed by a student.


    On the other, if she chooses to fight Song Jian head-on without taking the cameras away, then if she loses the fight, everyone could still see it.


    "Damn it!" Pan Jing no longer thought about it as she focused on Song Jian, "It was an ident, student Song Jian. It is not like it is umon for things like this to happen."


    Song Jian still did not speak as she leaped on the stage, "This student greets the teacher," Song Jian looked straight at Pan Jing''s eyes while saluting to her, "And respectfully


    ...this student wants to exchange pointers."


    ***


    "Ho!"


    Yun Hao then sat up as he was awoken by the sound of his own gasp. He then quickly looked around him, only to see that he was in a room he didn''t recognize. Before his confusion could kick in, the events before he passed out reyed in his mind.


    He then quickly touched his body, to see if anything was broken. But surprisingly, he feltpletely normal. Even the hand he had injured yesterday waspletely healed.


    "...Wow, technology," was the only thing he could mutter as he continued to check his body for injuries.


    "Hm, more like magic."


    "Huang Yi!?"


    Yun Hao almost jumped out in surprise as he finally realized that there was someone sitting beside his bed-- Huang Yi.


    "Very expensive magic," Huang Yi held her tone for a few seconds.


    "...What do you mean? And why are you here?"


    "Why wouldn''t I be here? I also go to this school, you know," Huang Yi rolled her eyes as she stood up, "And what I mean is you''re only alive now because Song Jian fed you some very expensive pills."


    "...Pills? Like a Sen-beans from Phoenix Orb?"


    "No, those don''t exist. But yes, it is simr to that."


    "Wait, where is Song Jian now? What happened?"


    "I told you, she fed you something very expensive."


    "...How expensive?"


    "Enough to be a n''s treasure."


    "W what?" Even though Yun Hao still doesn''t have any idea how much that would be, it was probably an astronomical sum by the sound of it, "Song Jian gave me something like that?"


    "Uh-huh," Huang Yi took in a breath as she lightly gritted her teeth.


    "Where is she now then!?" Yun Hao repeated his question. He didn''t even ask about what happened with the muscr teacher as he stood up from the bed.


    "Well, since she gave away something like that


    ...she''s probably being flogged by her family right about now."

 Chapter 50: The Song Family

    Chapter 50: The Song Family


    "She is being punished for helping me?"


    Yun Hao''s eyes traveled across the room as his mind started to wander. He knew that Song Jian liked him, but he didn''t know that it was to this extent. For her to give Yun Hao a pill enough to be considered a n Treasure Yun Hao didn''t even imagine someone would do that for him. At least not his ex, Zhang Ang. He had always been the one giving her something, even though he didn''t have anything.


    Yun Hao truly had no idea how expensive the pill was but considering it was enough to heal him with the massive injuries he umted, it was probably worth--


    "Wait, how long has it been since I lost consciousness!?" Yun Hao then stopped his thoughts as he grabbed Huang Yi''s shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.


    "Rx," Huang Yi could only let out a sigh, "You''ve only been out for like give or take 5 hours. You''re in the Academy''s clinic. You should rest and not waste the medicine that Song Jian gave you."


    "Where does she live then?" Yun Hao breathed out, "I need to--"


    "Trust me. You do not want to get involved in the Song''s family matters," Huang Yi''s eyes turned serious as she urged Yun Hao to get back in bed and rest, "Especially if it is you."


    "...What?"


    "You declined the offer to join their family twice, I am pretty sure her family didn''t like that," Huang Yi then let out a long and deep sigh as she sat on the bed, "In fact, she''s probably even more in trouble because she gave it to you, of all people."


    "Take me there."


    The tone of Yun Hao''s voice quickly changed upon hearing Huang Yi''sst words. He looked Huang Yi straight in the eyes, not even faltering one bit.


    Huang Yi could not help but slightly shiver from Yun Hao''s gaze as she fanned herself with her hand, "You''re pretty intense, has anyone ever told you that?"


    "If you''re going to prate--"


    "I know, I know," Huang Yi then rolled her eyes as she pushed herself off the bed, "Way to kill the mood. Let''s go then," she then said as she threw a set of keys at Yun Hao, telling him she would be the one sitting on the back again.


    Yun Hao nodded his head as he caught the keys and followed Huang Yi out of the clinic, "Thank you, Huang Yi."


    "We better hurry--"


    Huang Yi was not able to finish her words, because as soon as she opened the door, 3 people suddenly stumbled their way inside the clinic.


    "...You?"


    "Ah, Lady Yi. H hello!"


    One of the students that were obviously eavesdropping on Yun Hao and Huang Yi''s conversation was Sun Fang. Huang Yi then turned her head towards the other two, but she could not recognize them.


    "S sorry for eavesdropping!" The only female of the three quickly got up and bowed towards Yun Hao. Yun Hao had to think for a second before he could finally recognize who it was-- Jia Ning, one of the people that passed the Immersion along with him and Sun Fang. And thest one of the three was her brother, whose name Yun Hao haspletely forgotten.


    "We heard themotion so we came here to check on you, but Sun Fang said that you were currently getting all hot and giddy with someone. I don''t know what it means, but it seems important!" Jia Ning once again bowed her head to apologize. Her brother also did the same but kept quiet instead.


    "The two of you are also enrolled here?" Yun Hao could not help but ask.


    "Our mother is a teacher here," Jia Ning meekly replied.


    "Ah, are the two of you Instructor Jia''s children!?" Huang Yi snapped her fingers as she examined the two.


    "Yes, senior," the siblings bowed to Huang Yi.


    "...But why are you with him?" Huang Yi then pointed towards Sun Fang, "No, scratch that. We''ll talkter, let''s go, Yun Hao!"


    "Alright, smell you guyster," Yun Hao waved his hand as he rushed to follow Huang Yi, who already ran ahead.


    "Are you going to enroll here, Yun Hao!?" Jia Ning screamed, but s, the only answer she got was the echo of her own voice.


    "It''s alright, sis," her brother let out a sigh as he patted her shoulder, "You can just dm him, you have his number."


    ***


    "Do you still not repent from what you have done!?"


    "N-- Kh!"


    A sharp snapping sound echoed through the halls, causing the candles that were dancing on the wall to be extinguished, only for them to once again lit up after a few moments. But with another thunderous snap, their dance once againes to a halt.


    This has been repeating for more than an hour, with Song Jian''s quiet whimper to apany the sound of theshes that were being endlessly whipped on the soles of her feet as shey face-first on the floor in front of several people.


    Her whole body was already trembling from the excruciating pain that was starting to crawl from her feet. The only physicalfort she found was the warmth of the blood oozing from her leg.


    "How could you be so stupid, girl!?"


    "Kh!"


    Once again, she was struck with the very thin but unusually durable stick by an old woman.


    "Perhaps this is enough, uncle?" One of the women seated in front of Song Jian averted her eyes as she turned her head towards the old man seated in the center end of the hall, "She''s just a child."


    "No, continue theshing," the man said as he waved his hand nonchntly, "You are being too lenient because she is your daughter, but she gave away a Phoenix Pill. It was supposed to be for her consumption once she undergoes a breakthrough to Grandmaster-rank."


    "Well, then you shouldn''t have given it to her since--"


    "Silence!"


    Song Jian''s mother could only lean back as the old man, who seemed to be the leader of the family, stomped his foot on the floor, causing a slight crack on the enchanted marbled floor, "This is also a test of character, and your daughter has failed it! It wasn''t enough that she gave it away, she gave it to that Normie!"


    "Well, technically, he''s a cultivator now. So--" Song Jian''s mother shut her mouth as she saw the look that the Family Head was giving her.


    "And have you seen how she gave it to her!? It was all caught on camera!"


    "Yes, that was a bit too bold," Song Jian''s mother nodded her head, "But it was a good move, no? The young man would have died if it wasn''t for--"


    "Silence! She should have just let that ungrateful boy die!"


    The other people seated around Song Jian nodded their heads in agreement with the Family Head''s words. "I have also warned your daughter that she should avoid andpletely cut ties with that boyst year. But instead, she went behind our backs and even tried to investigate the boy''s unfortunate ident, almost letting us get on bad terms with the wealthiest family in the country! Do you still want me to go on about your daughter''s transgressions!?"


    "Uncle, maybe sister is right," one of the men then raised his hand as he tried to calm down the seething Family Head, "Song Jian still is the number 1 prodigy in the family, perhaps we should cut her some ck?"


    "Hm you think so?" The Family Head then stroked his grey beard as he quickly listened to the man that just spoke.


    "..." Song Jian''s mother could not help but roll her eyes as soon as she saw that.


    "Yes, perhaps you are right," the Family Head then stood up from his seat as he gestured to the old woman that was striking Song Jian to stop.


    "You may stand, Song Jian," the Family Head breathed out, his words echoing through the halls, "Hopefully, you have learned from your mistakes and stop chasing that fool. You are but a fish in a pond right now, not knowing that there are many more fishes in ake. Now tell me, do you still insist on meeting with that boy?"


    "Y yes," Song Jian''s stuttered breaths whispered through the air as she struggled to stand up.


    "You" The Family Head could not help but pinch the bridge of his nose, "Do you really think he would do the same for you? I am saying this for your own good, but a boy like that will never do anything for you--"


    "Family Head!"


    "What!?" The Family Head then screamed as his speech was suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone barging inside the hall.


    "There''s someone outside wanting to see Lady Song Jian."


    "...Who?"


    "Lady Huang Yi."


    "What? It''s only Yiyi, why are you being so dramatic? Let her in."


    "As well as a young man n named Yun Hao. He said to give Lady Song Jian back to him...


    ...if we don''t want any trouble."


    "..."


    "What''s he going to do, tickle us to death?"

 Chapter 51: Trouble

    Chapter 51: Trouble


    The Family Head could not help but remain quiet as he looked at the attendant that disturbed them during Song Jian''s punishment. The news that hended on them truly was quite shocking, but even more, it made him lose face-- something that should never happen to the Family Head.


    He just told Song Jian that Yun Hao would never do anything for her, but here he was, barging through their family gates like he wasn''t afraid of anything. But most importantly did he just ask them if they wanted trouble?


    "Bring that bastard here now!"


    "A at once!" The attendant bowed clumsily before rushing to the outside.


    "How dare that bastard make trouble in our estate!? Who does he think he is!?" The Family Head''s head looked like it was about to blow up as his face almost turned as red as their hair color.


    "Uncle, your blood pressure is starting to affect your dantian, please calm down."


    "What do you mean calm down!? Do I not look calm to you!?"


    While the higher members of the Song family were agitated with the current development, Song Jian, on the other hand, could not believe what was happening as her face was also as red as cherry, and considering the blood she had already lost, this showed how dazed she was.


    Did that attendant just say that Yun Hao Yun Hao wanted her!? Although the pain crawling from her leg was still causing her body to tremble, her mind waspletely zoning and filtering out the pain.


    What should she even do once he arrives here? Run into his arms and hug him? Maybe grab his hand and run awaypletely from her family? Then maybe they could have a baby in the future.


    Song Jian started to cover her face from the random jumping thoughts she was having. But finally, after a few more minutes, the young man that caused all of thismotion arrived on the scene.


    "Song Jian!"


    However, contrary to her expectations, she was not able to jump onto Yun Hao''s arms as Huang Yi was currently walking in front of him.


    "..." Although she should be happy that Huang Yi would always be her loyal friend, maybe she should have scoot just a little bit to the side.


    "Yiyi, you''re the one who brought this bastard into our home!?"


    "Hello, Grandpa Chao." Even though the Family Head was already fuming from his nose, Huang Yi just casually waved her hand at him, "It''s been a long ti--"


    "Silence! I am done talking to you. I will make sure Huang''s Family Head knows about this!"


    "..." Huang Yi could only writhe in contemtion as she heard the Song Family Head''s words. She was already getting in too much trouble with her family since she has not been attending their meetings, and now this. She better bepensated after this whole fiasco was over, she thought as she walked over to Song Jian to check on her.


    "And you, you are Yun Hao!?" Song Chao then focused his attention towards Yun Hao, who had been quiet ever since he entered the hall, "I have heard great and bad things about you, but to think only the bad had its authenticity."


    "I am just here to--"


    "Silence!"


    Yun Hao was not even allowed to talk as Song Chao''s voice thundered across the entire hall, causing the dozen pirs that support it to tremble, "You said that if we don''t hand over Song Jian, you would cause trouble!? Are you capable?"


    "Wait what?" Yun Hao could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard the old man''s words.


    Yun Hao did not say that. Yes, he did tell the attendant that he wanted to get Song Jian since she was getting punished, but he didn''t say that he wanted trouble. In fact, what he specifically said was that he did not want any trouble.


    He was here to apologize and ask what he could do to repay them.


    Did the attendant sabotage him or something? Yun Hao then looked towards the attendant that escorted them here, only to see him smirking mischievously at the side.


    "..." Just what the fuck is wrong with cultivators, Yun Hao thought. Did they exist to make his life harder and even moreplicated than it was? Did he kill a god of cultivation in his previous life? Was that it?


    "I think there''s been a misunderstanding," Yun Hao then raised his hands in surrender. He already had enough beating in one day from a force he couldn''t handle, he wouldn''t want to try his luck with an even greater force. Since the old man prancing in front of him seemed to be the Head of the family, it would make sense for him to be at the Grandmaster rank-- thest cultivators legally allowed to stay inside Safe Zones.


    "I am just here to--"


    "I understand enough, young man," the Family Head stomped his foot on the ground, causing the ceiling of therge hall to open up, revealing the already darkening sky and its sedated lights to shower the people inside the hall.


    "You are a frog wishing to eat a swan''s meat!"


    "...What?"


    Yun Hao could only breathe in confusion as the people that were previously seated at the end of the hall all started to stand up and transfer to different sides of the hall, surrounding the center. And before he could even figure out what was happening, he felt the marbled floor beneath him shake as it extruded upwards by a meter, creating a very familiar tform.


    Recognizing what the shape of the tform was, Yun Hao could only shake his head in frustration.


    "Words are not enough, young man," the Family Head, who was right in the center of the stage, pped his hand. And as soon as he did so, several people leaped onto the tform, "Prove your worth by your fists! These are all disciples of our family that have a simr rank with you, choose who you will challenge!"


    "You don''t need to do this, Yun Hao!" Song Jian finally broke her silence as she rushed to Yun Hao. But sadly, before she could even reach halfway, several masked people blocked her path, "Just go!"


    "..." Song Jian was not able to get near him, but it was enough for Yun Hao to see the blood-stained footsteps that Song Jian left on the floor. Seeing this, Yun Hao could not help but feel a sudden irritation growing inside him.


    And perhaps it was toote, he could no longer stop it from bursting out inside of him. He tilted his head, cracking his as he looked at the 5 people lined up on stage, looking at them one by one. But then, his eyesnded towards the young man standing on the most left.


    It was the attendant that purposely sabotaged him. Seeing this, Yun Hao let out a small smile, mixed with a slight scoff as he nodded his head. He wanted trouble? Then Yun Hao will give him trouble.


    "You all look weak," Yun Hao said as he walked across that tform, examining the disciples one by one like he was just shopping for a new glove,


    "Especially you," he then said as he stopped right in front of the attendant.


    The attendant didn''t say anything, but he didn''t need to as his trembling eyebrows gave away his indignation.


    "Ho, so you are challenging the weakest looking one?" Song Chao let out a scoff as he shook his head, "Very well, you--"


    "No," Yun Hao did not let the Family Head finish his as he stepped away from the attendant while shaking his head as well, "You misunderstood me, respectable Song n Head. They all look weak


    ...So I might as well fight them all at the same time."

 Chapter 52: The Yun Hao I Know

    Chapter 52: The Yun Hao I Know


    "I''ll fight them all at the same time."


    Yun Hao tilted his neck, causing a slight crack to whisper in the air as he started stretching his body. The disciples on the stage could only look at each other in disbelief if they truly heard what they just heard. But seeing they all have the same aggrieved face, it would seem that Yun Hao definitely said what he said.


    "Yun Hao are you serious about this?" Huang Yi, who was previously checking on Song Jian''s condition, could not believe that Yun Hao wanted to fight again. He just got back from being literally hammered until his body twisted in all sorts of weird ways, and now he wanted to fight with 5 people?


    She couldn''t pretend that Yun Hao wasn''t insanely strong, because he was, especially for his rank. He was able to defeat someone of a higher rank than him with a single punch, but that was also partly because his opponent underestimated him.


    Yun Hao was a true prodigy, maybe even a genius. But the 5 cultivators in front of him were trained to be fighters from birth. And unlike how the movies depicted it, one man fighting a group on his own was not that simple. It was made clear that even though Yun Hao''s punches were abnormally strong, his body was still just that of a Mortal Rank. One mistake will be followed by an onught of strikes.


    "Don''t waste the Pill Song Jian gave you, you fool," Huang Yi said before looking towards Song Jian, "Tell him to back off, this isn''t worth it anymore, you''re fine now."


    Song Jian, however, seemed to no longer be listening to anyone as she just stared at Yun Hao, her eyes glistening endlessly. Yun Hao always shone when he was in the ring, this was the reason why Song Jian became infatuated with him from the start, and she just becamepletely lost in it when realized that he was now fighting for her.


    "This will be messy," Huang Yi could only let out a sigh as she looked across the room. Besides her, everyone else in the hall seemed to be eager to see the uing battle. Well, everyone except Song Chao.


    "You continue to mock my family, boy."


    The enraged tone in the Family Head''s voice could no longer be heard. Instead, it was reced by a certain authority that caused the air to slightly tremble. "I have given you the chance to redeem yourself and show your worth, and yet you take it by spitting on my face."


    Yun Hao did not really respond, as he just nced at Song Chao before continuing to stretch his limbs, hopping on the ground to check the condition of his body.


    "No pill can save you after this," Song Chao then leaped away from the stage, once again sitting on the small throne at the end of the hall, "We will do as the fool wishes, all of you will be fighting him at the same time. You may begin at any time."


    Hearing this, the five disciples on the stage could not help but be slightly bewildered by the Family Head''s words. They might just be Mortal Rank and have not been a cultivator for that long, but Yun Hao was even younger than them. Wasn''t this a bit unfair? -- was the thought of four of them. One of them, on the other hand, was already rushing towards Yun Hao.


    "You really have it out for me, don''t you?" Yun Hao let out a slight scoff as he saw the slithery attendant from earlier running towards him. He chose not to move as he watched if the other 4 would also do the same, but they remained standing in their original positions, still slightly confused.


    A mistake-- Yun Hao thought as he also finally started to move. However, he moved not to dodge the oing attack, but to sprint towards one of the four other cultivators. He rushed towards the one that was still busy looking at the Family Head, choosing hispletely unguarded liver as a target.


    "Look out!"


    "!!!"


    Unfortunately, before Yun Hao''s fist could make contact with the man''s body, his fellow disciple pushed the man away. Yun Hao then had to raise both his arms to cover his face as a foot quickly came flying towards him.


    He leaped back, using the momentum he received from the kick to fly towards his first target. And Yun Hao seemed to have made the right decision, as there was still an indecisive look on the man''s face even as Yun Hao''s fist made contact with it.


    The man''s body rolled a few meters away, falling over the stage without even offering the slightest resistance.


    "One dow--"


    Before Yun Hao could even taunt the remaining four, two of them were already on each of his sides, their feet threatening to strike him; one to the ankles, the other to the face.


    Yun Hao immediately lightly kicked himself up to the air, spinning his body to swiftly avoid the two strikes that wereing from both sides. However, he was not able to dodge the 3rd attack that suddenly introduced itself to his back,ing from another disciple.


    The only thing that Yun Hao could do was grit the pain as he was also thrown several meters away. He was able to stop himself from being thrown outside the ring, but before he could even have a chance to recover, the disciple doubling as an attendant was already in front of him.


    A loud thud reverberated in the air as the attendant''s fist made contact with Yun Hao''s face. But instead of Yun Hao being thrown out, the one that retreated was the attendant, sping and shaking his hand as he threw out some unttering words.


    The other disciples were about to follow through with another barrage of attacks, but they all stopped when they heard a slight ominous chuckle whispering into their ears.


    "Heh" Yun Hao''s body was slightly tilted upwards, his head facing the ceiling as his chuckle turned intoughter. He then slowly straightened his body as he held his bleeding forehead.


    "Y Yun Hao," Huang Yi could not help but stutter as he saw Yun Hao''s face. Besides his bleeding forehead, his nose also looked like a red waterfall as blood seemed to endlessly trail from it, "We should stop this, Song Jian."


    "No." This time, Song Jian quickly replied to Huang Yi''s words.


    "What do you mean no!?"


    "He he''s enjoying this," Song Jian then said as the smile on her face grew even wider. She then touched her cheeks, which looked like they were about to burst from how red they were, "This is it this is the Yun Hao I remember."


    "...Am I the only sane person here?" Huang Yi thought as Yun Hao''s peals ofughter continued to echo into her ears.


    The four remaining disciples once again looked at each other, before nodding their heads at the same time. Although Yun Hao looked menacing,ughing as he bled and emphasizing the huge scar on his face, it did not change the fact that he is, indeed, still bleeding.


    And so, the four once again continued their coordinated attacks. Two of them once again rushed towards Yun Hao, targeting his leg as well as his head.


    "This again!?" Yun Hao let out a smile. This time, instead of leaping in the air, he bent his body to the side, using the momentum of his fist to twist his body downwards to dodge the strike towards his head.


    And before the kick that threatened to break his leg could connect, the fist he already released went straight towards the disciple''s ankle, causing a disgusting cracking noise to whisper through the air.


    Yun Hao did not stop there, however. To everyone''s surprise, Yun Hao suddenly lifted the man whose leg he just broke, smashing him towards another disciple that was rushing towards him. Afterward, he slightly rotated his body, turning towards the disciple that targeted his head and hitting him on the liver all at the same time.


    "!!!"


    Although the strike did not seem substantially strong, the disciple quickly fell to the ground, letting out a stuttered groan as his saliva proceeded to bubble from his mouth.


    And then suddenly, there was 1.


    "Time for round 2."

 Chapter 53: Surprise Surprise

    Chapter 53: Surprise Surprise


    "Time for round 2."


    Yun Hao could not help but let out augh as he looked at the four people lying t on the stage. Although one of them was already standing up, Yun Hao was still content from the result of their little skirmish.


    He could still feel the warm blood bleeding from his forehead as well the stream that was profusely flowing from his nose. But even as his blood dropped endlessly on the stage, Yun Hao did not seem to mind as he even slowly walked towards the remaining two disciples who were looking at him carefully.


    "Did you see what he just did?"


    "Pft, so what? Everyone could do that."


    "Well, maybe not everyone," back to the sides, Song Jian''s mother returned to her seat, next to the Family Head as she started talking to him, "This Yun Hao person truly is a genius, no wonder my daughter wanted him in the family."


    "Pft, so what?" The Family Head once again shook his head as he continued to watch what was happening on the stage. Although he was letting out an expression of disdain, he would be a fool not to recognize Yun Hao''s worth as a fresh cultivator. But still, he wouldn''t let anyone tell him that he was wrong, because he was not-- he thought as he folded his arms, stomping his foot several times in frustration.


    If he knew that Yun Hao could actually defeat 5 of their most promising young cultivators, then he wouldn''t have put up this challenge in the first ce. He should have chosen people that he knew were absolutely stronger than Yun Hao to prove that he was right. But s, it was toote. If he was to stop this match here, then the only thing he would do was to p himself in the face even more. It was as if telling his family that he did not have any honor, which he has plenty of.


    "Why not just let this go?" Song Jian''s mother once again whispered, "We''ve already punished my daughter for giving away a Family Treasure. And shouldn''t we be d that she has friends that would barge into peril, at the cost of their own life, just to make sure she was safe?"


    "Silence!" Song Chao once again pushed Song Jian''s mother''s face away as he continued to watch this match. Song Chao vividly remembers the first time that Song Jian came to him about recruiting Yun Hao. He would never forget it, as it was the very first time in Song Jian''s life that she even asked him, the Family Head, for a favor.


    Song Jian had always been the family''s number one prodigy. Even he, as the family''s head, could notpare to her when he was at the same age, so Song Chao did his best to amodate the one single request that Song Jian had.


    Song Jian''s life had always been about training, and being the best. Even in Echo Hills Academy, she made it her life''s goal to stand on top, and she is. So imagine Song Chao''s surprise when her request was to recruit someone into the family.


    For someone to have caught the eyes of someone like Song Jian, whose life was centered in training, then the person she wanted to recruit would definitely be an extraordinary person. This was, perhaps, his first miscalction.


    He, as well as Song Jian, Song Jian''s mother and uncle, all went to see Yun Hao''s boxing match. When Song Jian told them that he was some kind of boxer, Song Chao thought that they were seeing a country championship match, but in the end, it was only an amateur match of some regional championship.


    Song Chao shook his head from this. Someone of his stature shouldn''t even be looking at something like this. But still, they were already there, and he couldn''t just upset Song Jian. And so, he continued to watch,pletely bored from the preliminary matches.


    However, as soon as it was Yun Hao''s time to fight on the stage, Song Jian quickly let out a smile, nudging and pulling on his sleeve, telling him not to miss it.


    And as soon as Song Chao saw the dashing Yun Hao, as well as the wide smile on Song Jian''s face, he knew that Song Jian had a little crush on him. Suffice to say, this made him furious. To think that their number one prodigy would drag them all the way here because she actually just had a crush on a normie.


    It wasn''t umon for a cultivator to have a normie as a boy toy, as a matter of fact, he also had one when he was a bit younger. But Song Jian truly was too young to think of such things. And so, with that thought, Song Chao could only shake his head, dragging Song Jian out of the bleachers.


    But before he could even take three steps, the sound of the bell ringing several times, as well as the apuse of the people, almost pierced his ears as they reverberated in the air. This made him quickly turn his head towards the ring, only to see Yun Hao already stepping out of it, not even celebrating or looking at his opponent, who was being surrounded by the doctors,pletely unconscious.


    Seeing this, Song Chao quickly let go of Song Jian''s hand and sat back down.


    "We must get this boy," were the exact words he said before he ordered Song Jian''s uncle to talk to Yun Hao''s coach. Everything was set and done, Song Chao was ready to offer Yun Hao anything he might want.


    But to his surprise, Yun Hao said he would think about it.


    A normie, refusing the offer of one of the top 5 ns of the country? The main branch of their family, which was situated out in the Danger Zone, could also be considered a top n.


    For a normie to refuse them, what is this if not disrespect? Of course, he didn''tsh out then, as he had appearances to keep. But the second time they met with him, he quickly refused them. This is the time that Song Chao had forbidden Song Jian to ever make contact with Yun Hao, even confiscating her phone until she would change her wallpaper to something that''s not a photo of Yun Hao.


    She was obsessed with him, and Song Chao thought it was probably a blessing that Yun Hao didn''t want to join their family. Because if he did, then Song Jian would surely no longer be able to train and would just fawn over him.


    But surprise surprise, Song Jian once again met with Yun Hao. This was right after Yun Hao''s unfortunate run-in with a cultivator, the incident that took the vision of one of his eyes. Song Chao locked Song Jian inside her room to prevent her from visiting him.


    But surprise surprise, Song Jian was able to escape, but not before Yun Hao already got out of the hospital. Song Chao was furious, but as soon as Song Jian went home with her eyes clearly red from crying, he quickly considered their meeting to be a blessing.


    It would seem that Yun Hao''s disdain against cultivators grew because of the ident, and he luckilyshed out on Song Jian. Song Chao quicklyforted Song Jian, telling her that she would meet the right man for her, maybe a few hundred years when she is traversing the Dark Zone as the Main Family''s head.


    But surprise surprise, Song Chao came to know that after a week, Song Jian ordered some of their men to investigate what happened to Yun Hao. He immediately ordered the men to halt their operations, but not before he got to know one juicy fact.


    Yun Hao got into an altercation with the young master of the wealthiest family in the country, and that his ident was not an ident at all. As soon as came to know of this information, even uttering Yun Hao''s name inside the estate had be forbidden.


    The Long Family wasn''t just the country''s richest family, they were also known all over the globe as one of the top five wealthiest families in the world, dealing with real estate, as well as artifacts that came from the Dark Zones.


    How could a Normie family be one of the richest families in the world? It was a sort of mystery to him, but one thing he remembered from his master, who was now residing in the Main Family in the Danger Zone, was that the Long family had a hidden master as a backer, hiding in the depths of the Dark Zones-- that was why they were able to procure such precious treasures from the Dark Zone in the first ce.


    He did not know the authenticity of this story, but none of the other families have tried offending them and he was not going to be the one testing out that story.


    Finally, with Yun Haopletely gone in the picture, everything went back to normal in the estate


    ...but surprise surprise, Song Jian had met with him again. This time, he came to know that Yun Hao was trying to be a cultivator. After refusing them so many times, he was going to go through Immersion? But most importantly, he once again refused help.


    He ignored andughed at this, of course. He knew of Yun Hao''s circumstances, he wouldn''t have the capability of paying for something like that.


    But surprise surprise, he became a cultivator.


    And surprise surprise, the obsession of his family''s number 1 prodigy had been rekindled, causing them to be in this awkward situation. Song Chao then once again turned his focus towards the said situation


    ...only to find that Yun Hao was now the only remaining participant left standing on the stage. His precious Mortal Rank cultivators, all sprawled on the stage in embarrassing positions.


    Yun Hao then looked towards him before imitating their salute, as well as the sound of a bell, "Ding ding


    ...with respect," Yun Hao said as he sped his hands firmly. Yun Hao then turned around, leaping from the stage as he approached Song Jian and Huang Yi.


    "We should probably go?" Yun Hao quickly said.


    "I agree," Huang Yi quickly replied as she let go of Song Jian, "You''re alright now, right? Let''s just chat about what happenedter, I think grandpa Chao is about to burst he might actually charge us with kidnapping if we take you."


    But before Yun Hao and Huang Yi could run away, Song Chao''s loud roars once again made the pirs that supported the hall tremble.


    "Wait!" He shouted. With this, Yun Hao had no choice but to turn around to once again look at Song Chao with respect. "Are you forgetting something, young man?"


    "W what?" Yun Hao could not help but gulp from Song Chao''s colossal presence as he slowly approached him.


    "You still owe me a Phoenix Pill."

 Chapter 54: Perhaps?

    Chapter 54: Perhaps?


    "You still owe me a Phoenix Pill, boy."


    If Yun Hao had an avatar inside of his mind, it would be wincing right now. He has been lucky that Song Jian''s family was still lenient with him, and did not outright kill him on the spot. He had heard stories before of cultivators killing each other because of simple reasons, some even include the innocent family members in their squabble, killing them without any mercy.


    Although he didn''t personally take the so-called Phoenix Pill, he was still the reason why Song Jian used it. In their eyes, he might as well have stolen it. Now that he knew that Song Jian was and would be fine, he had no intention of staying any longer. But s, it would seem his escape was too slow and the old bearded fellow who seemed to be their leader was already behind him, his hand grabbing Yun Hao''s shoulder with a little bit of pressure.


    "Uncle, it is my fault. I will be the one to pay for the Phoenix Pill!" Song Jian quickly grabbed Song Chao''s arm, pleading to him with her eyes slightly glistening, "I would--"


    "Silence!" Once again, Song Chao''s roars silenced any other sound in the hall, "You have already been punished, and that is enough. The Phoenix Pill is a different matter, however. That was supposed to be reserved for you to use for your breakthrough in the future. But to think it would be wasted to a cultivator not even our own."


    Song Chao continued to voice out his displeasure, either by a click of his tongue or by the sigh that reverberated throughout the entire hall. He then looked towards their family''s promising young cultivators, who were all still lying unconscious on the stage. Yun Hao might be a troublesome fellow, who will most likely bring a lot of baggage with him...


    ...But Song Chao would be lying if he said he doesn''t see his potential after everything that has happened. He would lie if he said he did not want Yun Hao in his family. But then again, the baggage he was carrying really was too much. Although he doesn''t know how heavy Yun Hao''s altercation with the Long''s young master is, it was still a path he did not want to tread.


    And so, with all those thoughts circling in his mind, Song Chao looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes and said, "We both know that you will not be able to pay for the Phoenix Pill as you are now."


    "...How much is it?" Yun Hao could not help but take a gulp.


    "It is worth more than a few Level 5 Beast Cores."


    Although Yun Hao was still quite uninformed with the Beast Core currency, he knew that that was a lot. The highest level Beasts are at level 9, and they are beasts of legend only seen in the deepest trenches of the Dark Zone. He would probably need to train his duplication to the extreme in order to even have the capacity to pay for it.


    Even as a cultivator, money is still god. If he was to gain the ability to duplicate the Phoenix Pill into thousands... wouldn''t that make him practically immortal? He would just chuck a mouthful of them while he fights. But forget duplicating something that valuable-- he can''t even duplicate a Level 1 low-quality Beast Core without feeling like shit.


    Well, at least for now. As soon as he gets the time to, improving his duplication powers should be his top priority, as well as absorbing the Cores that he had already duplicated to see if they still have the same efficacy.


    There was a very long road ahead of him maybe he should imitate those hermits that go into secluded cultivation, except instead of cultivating, he duplicates Beast Cores in secret instead?


    "Now that we have established that you will not be able to pay for it," Song Chao interrupted Yun Hao''s thoughts as he saw theplicated expression on his face, "We need to find a different way for you to pay for it."


    "Can you give me a month or so?" Yun Hao then meekly said, "I''ll try to find a way to pay for it. How many Level 1 beast cores do I need to be able to pay--"


    "Enough," Song Chao quickly dismissed Yun Hao''s words, "You need thousands. As I was saying, I have already thought of a way for you to pay for the Pill. It doesn''t count as fully paying for it, however."


    "...What?"


    "There is supposed to be a Treasure Hunt next week out in the Danger Zone. And seeing as you have incapacitated our Mortal-rank cultivators mentally, I want you to go in their stead."


    "...A treasure hunt?" Yun Hao blinked a couple of times as he looked at the people around him as if asking if the family head was serious, "Why not just send someone stronger?"


    "The Confederation has deemed the Area only for Mortal ranks, we can not disobey them," Song Chao shook his head, "Anyway, this is final. I will have someone send you the location in a few days. I hope you can find a team to go there before then. You may go."


    "But--"


    "That was an order, get the fuck out of my estate."


    "I--"


    Yun Hao was no longer able to rebuke or even say anything as 2 robed men carried him away. He couldn''t even budge the two as he was swiftly and forcefully thrown through the Song family''s steel gate.


    "..." Yun Hao could only stare in disbelief as the steel gate proceeded to close on him. He came here to "rescue" Song Jian, but all he managed to do was dig himself into deeper problems. He doesn''t even have a ce to crash for the day.


    He had already decided not to go home to the scrapyard anymore as he had enough money to rent an apartment. But how was he even going to go back to the city? He rode here using Huang Yi''s motorcycle, but he couldn''t just steal it now, can he?


    Yun Hao then let out a long and deep sigh as he walked towards Huang Yi''s motorcycle, grabbing the bag that he left hanging on the seat. It was a good thing that Song Jian''s house was in a private vi, if it wasn''t, then his bag would have surely already been nabbed.


    Yun Hao was about to leave, but before he could do so, his phone rang. He wasn''t really in the mood to talk to anyone, but when he saw it was Huang Yi, he quickly answered it.


    [Sorry, I have to stay with Song Jian.]


    "It''s fine. Tell her I''m sorry about her being punished because of me."


    [I will. Also, can you take my bike? I don''t want it gathering dust outside. You still have the key, right?]


    "...Sure."


    [Thanks, I owe you one. Just don''t leave a scratch on it, okay?]


    "I''ll try not to."


    [Aight, bye.]


    Yun Hao let out another long and deep sigh as he put the phone back in his pocket. Maybe he should buy the motorcycle from Huang Yi in the future? He was starting to get attached to it, he thought as he hung the bag back on the motorcycle and started riding away. He had already thought of duplicating it before, but even if he managed to do that, there was still the registration to worry about.


    Yun Hao continued to ride until he got back to the city''s business district. There should be a few apartments for rent around the area, so he parked the bike in a za and started inquiring. He found arge apartment in no time, but when he found out that it was owned by the Long family, he quickly left the building.


    He found another one in less than an hour, but once again, it was owned by the Longs. Just how much can one family own in this country!? Yun Hao thought. He was already in a different city from Long Yazhu, and yet their influence could still be felt here. Just why was someone like that, who had everything he could ever want, be jealous of Yun Hao?


    "...Rich people," Yun Hao could not help but breathe out as he once again stepped out of the building. At this rate, he might just end up spending the night in some crazy expensive hotel.


    Wait


    ...He could afford it, couldn''t he?


    And so, with that thought, Yun Hao returned to his motorcycle and found the nearest fancy hotel he could find that was not owned by the Longs.


    And within an hour, he was already looking over the city, a ss of non-alcohol wine in his hand, inside a penthouse suite that he had booked for a month. He then turned around to look at his room, only to let out a short but deep sigh.


    He had told himself that he would never live in luxury but is it truly luxury when one could afford it without even batting an eye?


    If Zhang Ang knew he was living like this, would she return to--


    Before Ang''s face could continue to manifest inside his mind, Yun Hao quickly shook his head off the thoughts he was having. That chapter of his life was over and he needed topletely erase her from his mind.


    Perhaps because of the spacious room he had, he felt lonely. Yes, that was probably just it.


    "..."


    Yun Hao then quickly grabbed a Beast Core from his pocket as he stepped outside the veranda. He then sat on the marbled floor, in front of the private swimming pool of his suite.


    "Duplicate."


    He needed something to distract him, and this was probably the best way to do it. And finally, Zhang Ang''s face was drowned by the city lights that soon filled Yun Hao''s entire view. He could feel his whole body turn to noodles as he slowly dropped to the floor.


    His stuttered breaths almost silenced the noise of the city as heid t on the floor. He then turned his eyes towards his hand, only to see two Beast cores in it. Once again, he was sessful in duplicating the Level 1 Low-quality core--


    And this time, he did not lose consciousness. Although it was weak, a small peal ofughter still escaped from his mouth. Now, if there was only a way to recover as soon as possible


    ...Wait.


    Yun Hao then used all of the strength he had left to sit back up, looking at the 2 Beast Cores in his hand firmly. He then gently ced one of the beast cores to the side, leaving only one to remain in his hand.


    "Will this actually work?"


    Yun Hao muttered as he started absorbing the Beast Core


    ...as a way to recover his strength.

 Chapter 55: Song Ming

    Chapter 55: Song Ming


    "Ha Hahaha!"


    Yun Hao''s bursts ofughter almost drowned the noise of the city as he almost jumped into the private pool in joy. At first, he thought that it was just a desperate and crazy idea, but now that he felt his body slowly being filled with vigor, he could not help but scream in glee.


    He started hitting himself in the face, to see if his strength truly did return, and it did. Tonight was the third time that he had duplicated a Beast Core, and tonight was also the first time that he did not faint by doing so.


    And to think he would also find a way to recover his strength by absorbing the Beast Core he duplicated, truly he must be some kind of genius?


    As soon as the thought perched in his mind that he was a genius, he quickly let out a light scoff as he finally sobered up. If he was a genius, then he shouldn''t have needed to rely on his unnaturally gifted body to gain a schrship at Tsinghai high school.


    What he had was some kind of hack or a cheat. If he was just a little bit smarter, then he was sure he would have already been a billionaire by now with this kind of power. Once again, the thought that had not sat on his mind for a while reappeared inside his mind.


    Just where and how on earth did he gain this godly power? In truth, he felt like he didn''t really deserve it. There were many others out there who truly had nothing, no matter how hard they worked for it. With Yun Hao, even without the power, there were tons of jobs he could take.


    He could be a bodyguard, join the normal military, maybe even be a gangster if he truly needed to. So why exactly was he given this kind of power?


    Yun Hao then quickly shook his mind. He had been asking the same question over and over again the first few weeks he had the power, and he knew he was not going to get an answer. And so, with that thought, Yun Hao grabbed his pouch and took the original Beast Core once again.


    How did he know it was the original? Like always, he had no idea. But it doesn''t matter, what''s important right now was to test how long he could keep on duplicating the beast core and absorbing the copy.


    And so, once again, Yun Hao felt the fatigue drowning his whole body as he was forced to sit back down on the floor. However, Yun Hao could feel that the exhaustion he was feeling now was slightly lighter than the one earlier-- his power truly was bing stronger the more he used it. If only there was a visual indicator of how much it was improving, then it would have been perfect. But s, he had no right to ask for more.


    With the looming exhaustion traveling throughout his body, he once again gently ced Beast Core on his stomach. Even though he had already done it twice, absorbing the Beast Core was still a surreal experience. Although it was just a very tiny and sublime fraction, he could feel his body growing stronger and stronger.


    It was like the sense of relief after a very intense workout-- it was almost addicting.


    "..." He won''t be an addict after this, would he? Yun Hao stared at the now dim and colorless beast core, before cing it to the side together with the other empty copy. He should probably buy some kind of ss container soon, as without a doubt he was about to have hundreds of them.


    Maybe put them inside an aquarium? Without a doubt, it would be a sight to see.


    With a light chuckleing out of his mouth, Yun Hao once again grabbed the original and continued to duplicate it.


    Sadly, before he could reach even a hundred, he felt a sharp pain drowning his brain. It would seem that although the beast core may be rejuvenating his body, the toll in his mind remained the same.


    He wanted to duplicate and absorb more cores, but his mind was already crying for him to stop, and his body had no choice but to obey. Yun Hao then slowly stood up, looking at the almost hundred beast cores around him.


    Yun Hao did not really notice how long he was absorbing and duplicating the cores for, but considering the noise of the city was a lot tamer than before he started, it was probably way past midnight.


    "...I''ll clean this when I wake up," Yun Hao took onest look at the scattered empty beast cores, before heading back inside his room and groggily hopping onto the bed.


    "..."


    "..."


    Although Yun Hao could feel his body wanting to sleep, he could not do so. The only thing he could do was grab the original beast core from his pocket once again, cing it right in front of his eye to stare inside of it.


    "...Oh."


    This was the first time he was ever seeing the beast core this close. Due to its small size, from afar, it looked like there was a small gxy inside of it. But now that Yun Hao was looking at it like this, the inside of the core looked like some sort of animal, asleep and fidgeting.


    "...Interesting," Yun Hao muttered as he let out a short yawn. He was really trying hard to fall asleep, but he still could not do so.


    "..."


    "..."


    Finally, after a few more minutes of just staring at the beast core and lying on the bed, he did the most sensible thing he could think of.


    "...Duplicate."


    He would continue duplicating and absorbing the cores until he passed out. And as he wished, as soon as he absorbed the first one he duplicated, the whites of his eye revealed itself and he fell into unconsciousness.


    ***


    Yun Hao thought that he could finally rest, but as soon as his eye was forcefully opened, the view in front of him quickly changed. He once again found himself on a gazebo, with the oddly still and unreflecting endlesske surrounding him.


    ''You are here again? I have told you countless times that you do not belong here.''


    And once again, the voice that seemed to exist nowhere and everywhere whispered into his ears. Thest thing he remembered when he was here during the Immersion was that one of thes beyond the sky exploded, but now that he was looking at it again, it was once again there.


    "Where is here, exactly?" Yun Hao let out a deep but short sigh as he spoke. But s, the voice did not answer him.


    ''You do not belong here.''


    Instead, the voice just continued to repeat itself.


    ''You should not even exist. You should be dead. You should be dead.''


    But suddenly, Yun Hao could feel a sudden chill surround him as the voice seemed to be more and more agitated.


    ''Your existence will bring only doom.''


    And as soon as the voice said that, Yun Hao could feel the gazebo tremble, as a bright lightpletely drowned theke. Yun Hao did not even need to look out to the sky to know that one of thes once again exploded.


    ''You should be dead.''


    "Fuck you too." Yun Hao raised both his middle fingers as the light became even brighter. And soon, a ringing noise entered his ears, followed by unhindered darkness.


    Yun Hao wondered where the ringing wasing from, but the only thing he needed to do was for him to open his eyes to realize that he was now awake, and the ringing was literallying from his phone.


    [Hello, is this Yun Hao?]


    "...Yes," Yun Hao could not help but lightly groan as he sat himself up.


    [You just woke up? I thought a sturdy and fit man like you would already be up and awake at this time.]


    "..." Yun Hao could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked at the number on the phone, only to see Song Jian''s name on it.


    "Song Jian?"


    [Unfortunately not, try a little bit older. W wait, don''t hang up! It''s me, Song Ming


    ...Jiji''s mother.]

 Chapter 56: Coincidence?

    Chapter 56: Coincidence?


    "Jiji''s mother?"


    Yun Hao once again looked at the name of the caller, and as he confirmed that it was indeed Song Jian''s number, he once again ced the phone near his ear still as confused as to when he woke up, "Song Jian''s mother?"


    [Yes, that''s what I said. Seriously, have you truly just woken up? What did you dost night?]


    There was a certain pace in Song Ming''s voice that made Yun Hao doubt that the one he was talking to was Song Jian''s mother. But still, since she was calling from Song Jian''s phone, the only thing that Yun Hao could do was believe her.


    But still, why does she talk so quirky?


    "I absorbed a few Beast Cores," Yun Hao said as he stared at the almost hundred empty cores outside his room.


    [...Suspicious, are you sure you weren''t doing something dirty?]


    "...Are you really Song Jian''s mother?"


    [Is that a way to talk to your elders!?]


    Yun Hao could not help but slightly remove the phone from his ear, before letting out a sigh and returning it, "Sorry, Miss Song. What can I do for you? Is Song Jian alright?"


    [Please, I am not that old, just call me sister Ming]


    "..."


    [And my daughter is alright, she''s just a bit gloomy since she is banned from leaving the house for a few days. I called you for another reason. I''m just here to remind you of the schedule of the Treasure Hunt.]


    "...Right."


    Yun Hao almost forgot all about that because of what he didst night. Truly an enthralling experience, absorbing cores.


    "Are your disciples still injured? I am sure they can--"


    [You still owe our family a Phoenix Pill, Hao. Please don''t forget that,] the previous yful demeanor in Song Ming''s voice turned cold, [And you caused my daughter to go under painful punishment. Do you know how much it hurts to get whipped by old Baba? It hurts, I got hit by her many times when I was younger.]


    "...I''m truly sorry for getting your daughter in trouble, sister Ming," Yun Hao sighed, "But that gori of a teacher is the one that''s--"


    [Good, as long as you know it,] the joy in Song Ming''s tone quickly returned, [Anyway, go to the Hengyang Safe Zone exit 4 days from now, 13:00 t.]


    "Heng...yang?"


    [Yes.]


    Yun Hao could not help but repeat his words to see if he heard right. Although Hengyang wasn''t the farthest province from the current city he was living in, it was still a ways away. Even with Huang Yi''s motorcycle, it would probably take a full 16-hour ride and he couldn''t just take a motorcycle he doesn''t exactly own there.


    [Don''t worry, you''re in the Monarch hotel, right?]


    "...Yes?"


    [I heard you liked motorcycles, so I decided to give you one.]


    "What did you say?"


    [I gave you a motorcycle, one of thetest models.]


    "W why?" Although there was a certain excitement in Yun Hao''s tone, the disbelief and confusion drowned it. He already owed the Song family a Phoenix Pill, but now, all of a sudden, Song Jian''s mother gave him a motorcycle?


    "But I still owe you--"


    [It''s a gift. If you haven''t noticed yet, my daughter doesn''t really have any friends other than Yiyi. And for one of her new friends to even go as far as standing up to my stupid Uncle? If that doesn''t deserve a gift, I don''t know what is.]


    "I don''t know what to say, sister Ming,'' Yun Hao could not help but let out a somewhat awkward chuckle.


    [You don''t need to say anything, just ept it. I exchanged Yiyi''s keys from the valet, you don''t have to worry about anything since it''s already registered under your name. I also rode Yiyi''s motorcycle, so don''t be surprised it''s not there anymore.]


    "Okay..." Although Yun Hao was truly excited, once again, he felt that something was amiss. And after a few seconds, he finally knew what it was. Song Ming knew where he was staying, and if what she was saying was true, then she was even in the hotel early this morning.


    ...Was he currently being stalked right now?


    "How did you know I was he--"


    [Alright, that''s all. Please pick a good team to go outside since it is your first time out in the Danger Zone.]


    "Wai--"


    Before Yun Hao could even get in a word, the beeping of the phone weed him as Song Ming hung up the phone.


    "..." It would seem that the mother and daughter duo were more alike than he imagined. How on earth do they always seem to know where he is? And how was she even allowed to exchange the motorcycle in the first ce!? Fuck... he really was being stalked by both mother and daughter, wasn''t he?


    Yun Hao then looked around him, once again checking the scattered empty beast cores in his terrace. Song Ming didn''t go inside his room, did she? If she did, then there was a chance that she saw the almost hundred beast cores.


    Yun Hao could only hope that Song Ming still had an ounce of respect for his privacy, if not, then his secret would have been short-lived. He thought about it for a while, but after a few seconds of silence, he shook his head and just decided to take a bath to start his day.


    But first...


    Yun Hao grabbed the original beast core from the bed, before duplicating it and absorbing the copy. Doing all in a very nonchnt manner.


    "..." It would seem that one of his fears have materialized-- he was a beast core addict now. But he could not help but furrow his eyebrows as there was something missing-- he could no longer sense the feeling of his body getting stronger.


    It was as if the only thing the beast core did was recover his fatigue and strength. Was his power waning? Or did he already reach the point where the low-rank beast core was no longer effective?


    He tried to do it again, but to no avail-- he truly was not getting stronger. But still, he could not say there wasn''t any improvement. He reckoned with the way he felt after duplicating the beast core, he could probably make two copies before his exhaustion eats him away.


    "Weird," Yun Hao muttered. But he couldn''t do anything about it now, so he just threw the beast core back onto the bed and just decided to take a bath. This time, since the hotel provided hair products, he decided to pull up his hair,pletely revealing the huge scar on his face. Since he was going to be testing out his new motorcycle, it just seemed proper to have a new hairstyle, Yun Hao thought.


    And finally, after scooping the beast cores in the terrace and hiding them beneath a sofa, Yun Hao headed down to the reception. The staff immediately greeted him upon seeing him, he wasn''t really used to this kind of treatment so he just nodded his head, garnering small giggles from the female staff.


    "..." Was there something in his face? Yun Hao momentarily thought before heading to the valet, handing out the ticket excitedly. Just what kind of motorcycle did Song Ming give him? Although he could probably buy any motorcycle he wanted now if he wanted to


    ...free things are still the most fulfilling things in life.


    "Please wait inside the lounge for a few minutes, master Yun. We have prepared a beverage for you."


    "Right, thank you."


    Yun Hao was trying his best to hide the excitedughter that wanted to burst out from his mouth as he headed back inside the hotel. He could not help but act like a child as he was about to see the motorcycle he got for free.


    "What do you mean the penthouse is already booked? Don''t you know who I am!?"


    "We truly apologize, but the guest has booked it for a month. May we rmend you the presidential suite instead?"


    "No! I want the penthouse! Don''t you know who I am!? I own the other hotel near here!"


    "...Then why don''t you stay there, sir?"


    Penthouse? Wasn''t that the room he was currently staying in? Was something happening? Yun Hao could not help but turn his head towards the reception counter, only to see someone arguing with the staff.


    Spoiled brats exist everywhere, it would seem-- Yun Hao thought as he shook his head before heading to the lounge. But before he could take 3 steps, his eye suddenly met the eyes of someone he knew dearly.


    "Yun Yun Hao?"


    It was none other than Zhang Ang. Yun Hao blinked a couple of times in disbelief, before looking back towards the spoiled brat that was arguing with the receptiondy.


    And, as a matter of course, it was also none other than Long Yazhu.

 Chapter 57: A Roar

    Chapter 57: A Roar


    "Yun Yun Hao?"


    Yun Hao''s eye went back and forth between Zhang Ang and Long Yazhu. Out of all the ces he would meet them, this was thest ce he could think of seeing them. And what the receptiondy said earlier was right. The Longs have a hotel just a few kilometers away from here, why weren''t they staying there?


    He had initially thought that he already got over Zhang Ang, but it would seem that his body still remembers her clearly as his heart started beating erratically. But feeling something and doing something about it were two different things. And so, Yun Hao just nodded his head as he walked past Ang, not even looking back at her.


    This was the best course of action he could think of. He had already decided to cut the two of them from his life, and the best way to do that was topletely ignore the two of them. The two have destroyed his life once, whatever he was feeling now was probably just a sentiment that his body will soon also detoxify.


    Even if she was a bitch, none of the people in the hotel could say that she didn''t look like a celebrity. But even though she still probably ranked on the top of the most beautiful faces that Yun Hao had encountered, he knew that a pretty face was all she was.


    If devils existed, they were probably hiding because of Zhang Ang, Yun Hao thought.


    However, it would seem that Ang wanted something different as she grabbed Yun Hao''s wrist.


    "Wait!" She raised her voice.


    Yun Hao could only look at Zhang Ang''s hand, before ring at her, "What do you want?"


    "I I heard you became a cultivator," Zhang Ang still did not let go of Yun Hao''s arm, "Congrattions."


    Hearing Zhang Ang''s words, Yun Hao''s furrowed eyebrows trembled. The memories of her congratting Yun Hao whenever he won a boxing match resurfaced in his mind, memories that Yun Hao wanted to forget.


    "Thanks," Yun Hao''s tone remained cold, "You should probably check up on your boyfriend, he seems to need someone to wipe his ass for him."


    He then carefully waved Zhang Ang''s hand away, before proceeding to turn around and quickly walk away. But s, it would seem that he was not allowed to rx, as Long Yazhu''s annoying voice pierced his ears like sandpaper.


    "Yun Hao, what the fuck are you doing here!?"


    "Yazhu, no!"


    Before Long Yazhu could approach him, Ang quickly blocked his path, "He''s a cultivator, don''t do anything stupid!"


    "Why is everyone saying that!? He''s probably just duping all of you!"


    Hearing this, Yun Hao could not help but feel slightly amused. Last he checked, even people he didn''t know knew he was a cultivator because of the video that Liu Hannah uploaded. The video was at a million views was it really possible that Long Yazhu still had not seen it?


    Or was his hatred for him so far down the road that he was refusing to ept that Yun Hao could ever be more than his chauffeur? But no matter the case, it was no longer his problem.


    Yun Hao once again turned around, but it would seem that Long Yazhu was not letting up as he rushed in front of him, grabbing him by the cors.


    "What are you doing in this hotel, Yun Hao!? Are you here to steal something!?"


    "...Seriously, man? What the fuck is your problem?" Yun Hao could only let out a long breath of disbelief as he looked at Long Yazhu.


    "Yazhu, stop!" Zhang Ang quickly rushed to pull Long Yazhu away from Yun Hao, but as soon as she did so, she was quickly pushed away by Yazhu, her butt hitting the hotel''s floor hard. But still, even as she sat there in pain, Long Yazhu''s eyes were still fixated on Yun Hao.


    "You have issues, Yazhu."


    "Kh!"


    Long Yazhu could not help but wince in pain as Yun Hao grabbed his hands, pulling them away violently before lightly pushing him to the side. He almost helped Ang up, but quickly decided not to do so as he just looked at her while slightly shaking his head.


    Zhang Ang could not help but look to the side as she saw the look of pity in Yun Hao''s eye. It wasn''t until one of the guards helped her up that she finally once again gained the courage to look at Yun Hao. But s, he was no longer looking at her, but instead already stepping out of the hotel.


    Long Yazhu was about to rush to follow Yun Hao again, but before he could do so, he was stopped by the guards.


    "We are truly sorry about this, master Yun!" The receptiondy that was previously talking with Long Yazhu then ran and bowed towards Yun Hao, "Mr. Long wanted to book your room, I didn''t think he would go as far as harassing you. We are truly sorry about this!"


    Hearing this, both Long Yazhu and Ang could not help but stare at Yun Hao. He was the guest that booked the penthouse suite for a month? Perhaps even more than Long Yazhu, it was Ang that held the look of utter shock in her face.


    Thest time she was with Yun Hao, he was living in a scrapyard. And now, not only was he on his way to bing a celebrity cultivator but he could also afford the most expensive room in a 5-star hotel?


    Suddenly, he remembered the times that Yun Hao had treated him even though he had nothing to offer, even going as far as not eating anything for the day just to buy her things. Did she really just give all that up for a whiny rich kid who had never worked a day in his life?


    She wanted to say something to Yun Hao, but remembered the cold look in his eye when she fell earlier there was probably no longer any chance for them to get back together.


    "It''s alright," Yun Hao then said as he gestured to thedy who had been bowing for a few seconds now to stop, "It''s not your fault that there are retards in the world."


    "What did you say!?"


    Long Yazhu once again tried to rush towards Yun Hao as he heard his words, "Just you wait, once I be a cultivator, I will kill you! You hear that!? I will hunt you--"


    But before he could say anything more, a loud rumble thundered in the air, almost shaking the chandelier that littered the ceiling of the hotel. The others thought that someone was firing a gun inside the hotel, Yun Hao, however, could not help but put a wide smile on his face.


    "Don''t overdo it, your father is not here to clean up your shit," Yun Hao then whispered into Long Yazhu''s ears.


    "You fucker, if no one was here--"


    "If no one was here, you would already be dead," Yun Hao once again whispered before excitedly heading out of the hotel, not even taking a second nce towards the young man he just threatened.


    He could hear Long Yazhu still screaming, but the sound of his new motorcycle weing himpletely overwhelmed whatever it was he was previously feeling. The hotel''s automatic doors opened up, allowing Yun Hao to get a full view of the motorcycle.


    "...Holy shit."


    Yun Hao could only curse as he saw the monster in front of him. Yun Hao''s knowledge of the Danger Zone was almost non-existent, but he knew his motorcycles and this motorcycle was one of the few capable of surviving the harsh and unpredictable environments of the Danger Zone.


    It was huge since it was an adventure motorcycle, but for Yun Hao''s height, it proved no problem. The engine is rated at 3,40, and due to this, only cultivators were allowed to own one. Yun Hao was wrong, even with money, he wouldn''t be able to buy this as there were only a few in development.


    Most cultivators immediately wanted to get flying swords, artifacts, or other fancy mounts they could get their hands on, and so only a few of these motorcycles were made by thepany. Yun Hao even thought that it was illegal to ride them in the Safe Zones apparently not.


    Yun Hao could not help but slightly cover his mouth as he sat on the motorcycle, even though it was producing noises of thunder as he throttled it, he could not even feel any vibration on it. Truly, a wonderful specimen.


    "Master Yun, please don''t forget to wear your helmet!"


    The valet quickly rushed towards Yun Hao before he could take off, handing him his helmet.


    "Thanks."


    "T this is--"


    "I''m in a good mood," Yun Hao said before wearing his helmet and proceeding to take off, causing the windows of the hotel to tremble. The valet attendant was also trembling, but for a different reason-- Yun Hao just gave him a beast core as a tip.


    The valet attendant quickly hid the beast core. From now on, he promised himself that he will always be the one to assist Yun Hao. Even though he was scared of riding Yun Hao''s motorcycle, he would always get it ready as soon as Yun Hao wanted to use it.


    Yun Hao, who waspletely oblivious that he just made someone''s month, wasughing hysterically as he zipped through the traffic. Of course, once he got to the congested part of the city, he quickly started riding responsibly.


    "Hi Boxby," he then said.


    [Yes, I am here. What do you want me to do?]


    As he said that, a monotonous voice rang through his helmet as the virtual assistant that was connected to his phone was activated.


    "Call Sun Fang."


    First things first, he needed to gather a team.

 Chapter 58: The Contemplations of Jia Su

    Chapter 58: The Contemtions of Jia Su


    Jia Ning''s green bubbly hair bounced up and down as she happily walked down a street. Her brother, who was walking slightly behind her, could not help but have a smile on his face as he watched his sister''s happy mood.


    They were currently on their way to meet with the friends they have met during the Immersion. And although he would lie if he said that he too, wasn''t excited to meet with their new friends, he was more excited for his sister.


    All his sister knew ever since her childhood was to train, not even letting herself rest for even a second. Their mother was to me, as she always tried topare his sister to Song Jian-- an extremely unfairparison, he always thought. Song Jian was a genius amongst geniuses. Even if the influence of his Jia Family and the Song Family could be said to be the same, Song Jian seemed to be of a different breed simr to the likes of Liu Hannah-- people who could skip their training and stille out on top.


    As for him, he wasn''t really one for socializing, as besides training, his only happiness was his hobby-- readingics. And for him, that was all he needed. He didn''t want to brag, but he considered himself as an excellent judge of character, probably from all the stories he had read all these years.


    Sun Fang, for example, has a superiorityplex. People might think he was just misogynistic, but he was probably not. It had more to do with him being surrounded by weaker women when he grew up. Maybe a female close to him abandoned him when he was just a child, maybe his mother, causing him to think that most women were weak and could not handle stressful situations.


    While in school, he looked down on everyone he knew was weaker than him; while at the same time trying to challenge those who were stronger than him. He might seem annoying at first... and he is really annoying sometimes, but once you get to know him, he wasn''t that bad.


    "Sun Fang."


    "Aha! I have arrived here first!"


    Jia Su could not help but nod to himself as Sun Fang quickly asserted his dominance as soon as they saw each other. People might see it as somewhat of an inferiorityplex, but in truth, he was just that delusionally arrogant.


    But his arrogance did not reallye from nothing, as out of the three of them, Jia Su could objectively admit that he was the strongest one solely based on their performance in Echo Hills academy.


    "Do you know why Yun Hao called us?" Jia Ning breathed out as she approached Sun Fang, who was wearing sunsses even though they were in a shade, "I haven''t heard from him since we saw him in school, what do you think this is about?"


    "Don''t know, don''t care," Sun Fang scoffed as he crossed his arms.


    "...Then why are you here?" Jia Ning blinked a couple of times as she tilted her head in confusion.


    "T... that''s... That''s because I was already here when he called," Sun Fang said as he awkwardly looked to the side, before quickly pointing at a random boutique along the street, "I was buying something there!"


    "From a lingerie shop?"


    "Ye-- No! Stop asking!" Sun Fang could only once again look to the side, "A... anyway, that guy said he would meet us here, but he''s not even here yet. Who does he think he is to let us wait!?"


    "Well... considering he is meeting us near the school. It makes sense that--"


    "Stop trying to defend him!"


    "S... sorry."


    "Why are you apologizing!?" Sun Fang haughtily said as he pointed his finger directly on Jia Ning''s face, "Never apologize if you know you''re not wrong! This is Yun Hao''s fault!"


    "Okay!"


    Jia Su could only let out a long and deep sigh as he watched the two talk to each other. He was not surprised that his sister and Sun Fang started to get along in the end, as theirpletely opposite attitudes seemed toplement each other well. He didn''t want to admit it, but perhaps Sun Fang''s influence as a friend might even be good for her sister.


    As for the person they were talking about-- Yun Hao, Jia Su somewhat idolized him... and feared him at the same time. In appearance, Yun Hao had a very simple character, but at the same time, he was probably the hardest to discern out of the people he had met.


    He was not arrogant, but at the same time, there was a certain bravado within him that somewhat showed he was. He was most certainly proud of his strength, as Jia Su reckoned that he probably wouldn''t have chosen to be a cultivator if not for the ident that happened to him.


    He also seems to have a certain discrimination against cultivators, maybe even looking down on them for some skewed reason. But based on his interview with Liu Hannah, he had a reason to be. But Jia Su could feel that he already had a prejudice against cultivators even before the incident.


    There was a hidden darkness inside of Yun Hao, Jia Su was sure of it; he just could not determine what it was, but the darkness hidden inside of him is biggerpared to other people he has met. Truly, an interesting individual.


    But that was not even why Jia Su was intrigued by Yun Hao. There were geniuses like Song Jian and Liu Hannah... and then there''s Yun Hao. If Jia Su could fit a word for him, then it would probably best to say that Yun Hao was a monster.


    Judging from what he had seen so far, Yun Hao seemed to have a lot of free time; meaning he doesn''t even train that much. Maybe his body, as it was evident when they took off their shirts during Immersion... but how could a guy who seemed to be loitering all over the ce be capable of fighting like that?


    Once Jia Su came to the knowledge of Yun Hao''s past as a Normie boxer, he tried searching up all his videos. There were only a few, but it was enough for him to see how abnormal Yun Hao really was. Truly, a very interesting individual.


    "...Your brother is in his own world again."


    "It''s alright, just let him be."


    Jia Ning could not help but let out a long and deep sigh as she looked at his brother, who had been nodding to himself for a whole minute now. Jia Ning had to drag his brother here, as he seemed to be too busy in his room, probably reading the mountains ofic books he had stacked there.


    She wouldn''t say his brother was special but she would lie if she said she wasn''t a little weirded out by him. As sometimes, if you leave him alone, he would start talking to himself. Jia Su didn''t want toe at first, but when she told him that Yun Hao wanted to meet, he quickly rushed out of his room.


    Jia Ning was a little happy that his brother seemed to be taking an interest in meeting friends, as she thought he was starting to go crazy from reading all of thoseic books.


    "Should I get us something while we wait for Yun Hao?" Jia Ning then asked after looking at the phone to see if Yun Hao left a message.


    "I''m the one buying," Sun Fang said as he gestured to Jia Ning to stay put, "What do-- !!!"


    But before he could finish his words, a loud roar entered his ears, causing him to almost hug the wall as the roar seemed to be rushing towards him. He quickly looked in the direction of the noise, only to find out that he was right-- a motorcycle wasing towards him.


    "Is someone after my life!?"


    "Sorry, did you guys wait long?"


    "..."


    Sun Fang could only remain awkwardly frozen in his stance as the motorcycle quickly stopped in front of them, with Yun Hao revealing himself as the rider as he flipped the visor of his helmet up, "I''ll just park this somewhere so we could grab something to eat, my treat."


    "It''s okay," Jia Ning shook her head, "We didn''t wait that long."


    "Alright, I''ll just park this thing somewhere."


    The sound of Yun Hao''s motorcycle once again thundered through the air, causing the crowd of people that instantly gathered to flinch as they took a video of Yun Hao.


    "He really is bing a celebrity, isn''t he?" Jia Ning could not help but slightly chuckle as he watched the people continue to take a video of him even as he left.


    "Pft. That''s just because of the motorcycle," Sun Fang, who had finally recovered from the shock, let out a loud harrumph to rival the motorcycle''s exhaust, "Who does he think he is riding something like that!?"


    Sun Fang continued to raise his voice as he said things about Yun Hao, in which some Jia Ning rebuked and reasoned. Jia Su, on the other hand, could only close his eyes inment as he reimagined Yun Hao''s entrance.


    For him to have a motorcycle like that truly, a mysterious person.


    ***


    "So, hurry up and tell us why you suddenly called."


    After a minute of waiting for Yun Hao toe back from the parking lot, the four immediately headed to a cafe inside the za near their street. Yun Hao ordered beverages for the three, while he himself just ordered a bottle of water.


    "I have a lot of things to do, so spit it out," Sun Fang once again urged Yun Hao while sipping his coffee.


    "Right, very assertive. I like it," Yun Hao let out a slight chuckle before nodding his head, "The reason why I gathered you here is because I need a squa--"


    "Wait."


    "Hm?"


    Before Yun Hao could finish his words, Jia Su suddenly interrupted him. Jia Su then stood up from their table, looking at Yun Hao from head to toe.


    "Jia Su, what are you doing!?" Jia Ning could not help but pull his brother back as he embarrassingly looked at the other guests of the cafe, who were all staring at his brother, "Sit back down!"


    "Wait!" Jia Su once again said as he raised his hand, gesturing to Jia Ning to stop pulling him back to sit.


    Yun Hao could only slightly lean back as he looked at Jia Su. "Is your brother alright?"


    "I''m really sorry about this, he isn''t usually this weird!"


    "I am not the weird one, sis," Jia Su then said before pointing at Yun Hao, "He is."


    "Jia Su! That''s rude! You should apolo--"


    "You don''t see it?" Jia Su did not let Jia Ning finish her words as he remained pointing at Yun Hao.


    "Yun Hao


    ...has already advanced to the Middle stage."

 Chapter 59: Yun Haos Team

    Chapter 59: Yun Hao''s Team


    "You... are already at the Middle stage?"


    As soon as Jia Su''s words reached both Sun Fang and Jia Ning''s ears, they all turned their heads towards Yun Hao, looking at him straight in his eye. They then imitated what Jia Su did, standing up from their seat, and even circling around Yun Hao before looking at him from head to toe.


    But it wasn''t only them, even the center of attention, Yun Hao, waspletely baffled with what he just heard. He was already at the Middle-stage? Was that the reason why he wasn''t feeling any more improvements in his strength? Because the low quality beast core was no longer effective for him?


    So it wasn''t because he over-saturated himself because of the cores? It wasn''t because his duplicating powers caused the beast core to be ineffective?


    Yun Hao had thought up a lot of reasons why the core was no longer working for him... but to think he already advanced to the Middle Stage of the Mortal Realm, and all it took was for him to snort in almost a hundred beast cores. This was...


    "...Unbelievable," Sun Fang''s whispers echoed throughout the cafe, "I knew you were just pretending to be a Normie! What''s your real cultivation base?!"


    "No, do your research," Jia Su shook his head from Sun Fang''s words, "He has an unknown hatred for cultivators, he only became a cultivator when he thought that it was the only choice for him to continue living in this world."


    "...How would you even know that?"


    "I''ve done my research."


    "..."


    The group all looked at each other for a while before turning their attention back to Yun Hao.


    "Since when did you advance to Middle stage!?" Jia Ning asked, the tone of her voice filled with advent curiosity, "You were just like us when we saw you in school!"


    "Cough it up, Yun Hao!" Sun Fang followed, "If you''re on some kind of cultivation steroids, then share it with us!"


    "No, it isn''t like that," Yun Hao then let out an awkward chuckle, his eye wandering all over the cafe as he tried to reason his way out. But finally, once he saw the boba on Sun Fang''s drink, he quickly thought of something.


    "It''s the Phoenix Pill, it caused me to advance to the Middle-stage."


    "But that''s a medicinal pill, at most it could only help alleviate the pain of breaking through the next Rank," Jia Su quickly said as his eyes seem to focus on Yun Hao''s single eye, "...Very sus."


    "Turns out the effects are different from person to person!" Yun Hao quickly raised his voice.


    "Well, no. It''s--"


    "The reason why I called all of you here is because of a Treasure Hunt!"


    Before Jia Su could continue what he was saying, Yun Hao pped his hands as he once again raised his voice, to the point of garnering the attention of the other customers. And as soon as some of the customers saw who it was, some of them raised their phones to take a video of Yun Hao.


    "A... treasure hunt?"


    Seeing that Yun Hao really had no ns of telling them anything, Jia Ning just let out a short but deep breath as she sat back down. Sun Fang and her brother were still vividly curious, but in the end, they also sat back down. After all, everyone had their secrets.


    And so, with a sigh, Sun Fang could only back down, "What''s this treasure hunt you speak of?"


    "There will be a Treasure Hunt in Hengyang a few days from now..."


    Yun Hao then exined his current circumstances to the group, about how the Song family head tasked him to go to the hunt as a representative of the Song family. And as a short payment for the Phoenix Pill that was ''wasted'' on him, all of the things he would be getting from the treasure hunt will be given to the Song family.


    "...So you called us here to shoulder your debt with you?" Sun Fang could not help but shake his head as he stood up, "Let''s go, this dude is wasting our time. What''s the use of going to a Treasure Hunt if we can''t get any artifacts in the end? And why the fuck are you the one paying for the Phoenix Pill? Shouldn''t it be that gori teacher?"


    "She''s actually been barred from teaching for 3 years since the ident," Jia Su quickly added, "And since it was the Confederation that passed the judgment, she would also be having a hard time joining any other jobs. The Song family probably thought that was enough punishment."


    "How do you seem to know everything!?" Sun Fang could not help but be freaked out by Jia Su''s words. It was kind of cool at first, now it was just freaky.


    "That''s actuallymon knowledge in Echo Hills," Jia Ning followed up.


    "What? Are you saying I am stupid!?"


    "N no, sorry!"


    "..." Yun Hao could only look at the team he gathered. Maybe it wasn''t such a good idea to get these guys on his team? Should he just go solo?


    As soon as he thought of that, he quickly shook his head. Going to the Danger Zone alone was probably not a good idea, it wouldn''t have that name for no reason. He knew how strong he waspared to others of his level, but that was probably the same thought of the thousand others before him who are deceased now.


    "I will reward you personally," Yun Hao then interrupted the three''s heated conversation, "In truth I have a secret backer."


    "You cheat! I thought so! How else could a man like you even get stronger this fast!?"


    Sun Fang once again returned to his seat as he pointed haphazardly at Yun Hao, "Speak, what will you be giving us? Will it also help us advance to the Middle-stage!?"


    "How about 50 Level 1 low-quality beast cores?"


    "Heh? You think we''re beggars--"


    "For each of you," Yun Hao followed. Since he could duplicate two beast cores of that quality now, he figured he could just leave out 1 and absorb the other. The hunt isn''t until a few dayster, that should be sufficient time to get 150 beast cores for them.


    They get their beast cores, and Yun Hao''s duplication powers could improve. It was sort of a win-win situation for all of them.


    "50 for each of us?" Jia Ning could not help but take in a gulp as she heard Yun Hao''s words. Her family could easily provide that... but to a single person? Just what kind of backer did Yun Hao have?


    "Does your backer have some kind of farm?" Jia Su asked.


    "I suppose you could say that?" Yun Hao tried his best not to look away so as to not expose his lies.


    "There are only 7 families in the whole world that are allowed to have Beast Core farms," Jia Su mentioned as he ced his hand on his chin, "Two of them are here in Xin, the Long family, and the Tao family."


    "Long?" Yun Hao was a bit shocked to hear that the Longs had even ventured into this business. He knew of how wealthy Long Yazhu''s father was, and he treated Yun Hao nicely as well despite their differences. There was even a point that he wanted to adopt Yun Hao into his family, but he refused as he didn''t want to get in the way of Long Yazhu''s and his father''s already broken rtionship.


    If he knew Long Yazhu was actually a dick, then he probably would have epted it just to spit on Long Yazhu''s face now. Yun Hao hasn''t seen Yazhu''s father, Long Ma, ever since he left for another country perhaps he should try getting in touch with him in the future just to mess with Yazhu?


    "Are you rted to the Longs?"


    Yun Hao''s thoughts were then disrupted by Jia Su''s inquisitive voice.


    "You could say that," Yun Hao let out a short but deep sigh, "But no, they are not my backer."


    "Then it is the Tao family, then?" A look of shock appeared on Jia Su''s face, "Not much is known about them, but it somewhat makes sense that they would back someone like you."


    "Let''s not talk about this anymore," Yun Hao then waved his hand as he tried to shift the topic, "How about it


    ...do you guys want to join me on the treasure hunt?"


    ***


    "Just the two of us, huh?"


    "Don''t misunderstand, I had some extra free time!"


    "I see."


    Yun Hao scanned the area within Sun Fang, but considering he saw him just walking towards the Hengyang Gates, with only just a single backpack he was also probably checked in on one of the hotels near here.


    The day of the Treasure Hunt had arrived, and it would seem that only Sun Fang was the only one that decided to go with him.


    "You''re Yun Hao, yes?"


    A man in a ck suit then approached the two of them, looking between his tablet and Yun Hao back and forth as he stopped in front, "I am an attendant from the Song family. I need to register you and yourpanion to the Treasure Hunt but


    ...there''s only two of you?"


    "Huh? Are you looking down on us?" Sun Fang then stepped forward as he looked the man straight in the eyes.


    "No," the man casually said before looking at his tablet, "Well, actually yes. Most of the groups that have already registered have at least 3 members in their group. I worry about the chance of you even getting anything in the Treasure Hunt."


    "What did you--"


    "We''re here!"


    Before Sun Fang could rebuke, a familiar voice approached them from afar. It was Jia Ning, running towards them as she waved her hand. Her brother was following her from behind, holding what seemed to be arge camera.

 Chapter 60: On to The Danger Zone

    Chapter 60: On to The Danger Zone


    "Why... are you holding a camera?"


    Not only Yun Hao, Sun Fang, and the attendant from the Song family were looking at Jia Su, but also the other people that were doing business in front of the entrance of Hengyang Safe Zone were looking at him.


    How could they not, when Jia Su was carrying a camera the size of a medium-sized dog.


    "Well... I decided to document y-- I mean to document the hunt," Jia Su''s awkward chuckle traveled through Yun Hao''s ears like a blunt knife. He knew something else was going on, but the only thing he could do was nod his head in response.


    "Why didn''t you say so in advance!?" Sun Fang approached Jia Su, checking the camera he was holding carefully, "I would have worn my best outfit. Make sure to only capture my good side, okay?"


    "That''s no problem. This camera is fitted with Somy''stest movement and facial tracking technology. It''ll automatically try to capture any movement at an almost distant speed."


    "Is that why it''s sorge?"


    "Yes, it''s fitted with its own gimbal, not to mention it captures everything at a 360 degree--"


    "Excuse me."


    Before Jia Su could finish his words, the attendant from the Song family also approached him, "But you are aware that thing would impede your ability to perform well in this hunt, right?"


    "It''s alright, I can just attach this to my body, see?" Jia Su then hang the camera in front of his chest and started running around all over the ce. And as he exined, the camera was moving on its own.


    "Ho," Yun Hao could not help but exim in awe, "Technology."


    "Okay, enough. Enough," the Song family attendant waved his hand as he fidgeted with his tablet, "So there are a total of four of you? Please follow me, we need to finalize your registration. By the way, do you already have a name for your team?"


    "...Is that necessary?" Yun Hao blinked a couple of times at the attendant''s question.


    "Most likely. The Confederation would not require it if it is not," the attendant said as he continued to walk towards Hengyang''s gate, where a crowd of people has already gathered, "Just pick a simple one if this is a temporary party."


    The group all looked at each other, before giving a collective nod.


    "Wolf''s Fang--"


    "Champion."


    "Alright, I will have your group registered as Champion," the attendant nodded, "Leader would be Yun Hao, members are Sun Fang, Jia Ning, and Jia Su. Please wait for your group to be called."


    "...Did we even say our names?" Jia Su could not help but slightly be taken aback, "W--"


    "What kinda name is that, man!?"


    But before he could finish his words, Sun Fang stepped in front of Yun Hao, slightly tip-toeing as he was a bit short than him, "Champion? That''s a retarded name! And since when did you decide your leadership?"


    "Rx, Sun Fang," Yun Hao only let out a sigh as he patted Sun Fang''s shoulder, "That''s just the way life is."


    "W-- Guys?" Sun Fang then looked at Jia Ning and Jia Su, "Champion is a stupid name, right?"


    "It is," Jia Ning nodded her head, "But it is starting to grow on me now that it''s being repeated a lot of times."


    "Same," Jia Su also nodded, "Also, it is only natural that he would be our leader-- he brought us together, after all."


    "Tch," hearing the other''s opinions, Sun Fang could only click his tongue as he walked in front of the group, "Fine. But don''t expect me to follow yourmands, okay!? I only follow my own path, the path of glory and--"


    "Hitting women?"


    "--and hitting wome-- No!"


    The other two could only let out a chuckle as Yun Hao and Sun Fang''s exchange of words once again echoed through the air.


    "We''re live already, by the way."


    However, one line from Jia Su quickly made Sun Fang stopped, causing him to fix his hair and straighten his walk as he nced at the camera, "What''s up, viewers?"


    "..."


    Seeing this, the attendant that was walking back to them could not help but roll his eyes, "You''re already registered. Just go to the terminal as soon as your name is called."


    The attendant then walked away, leaving the four by themselves. And not even a few minutes after...


    "The Champion team, please go to booth 7 to im your tracker."


    And with their group name being called, the four immediately proceeded to the booth with the number 7 hanging on top of it. And as soon as they walked into the crowd of people, the crowd''s eyes quickly fell upon them.


    "Is it just me, or is everyone looking at us?" Yun Hao mentioned.


    "I told you it''s a stupid ass name!"


    "Language, Sun Fang. We''re on camera right now," Yun Hao smirked. And his words seemed effective as Sun Fang quickly let it go and just let out a small smile.


    "You have no awareness of how famous you''ve be in thest few weeks, have you?" Jia Ning then walked beside Yun Hao, "You... don''t visit social media that much?"


    "I deactivated my ount a few years back."


    "W what? No social media?" Jia Ning could not help but blink a couple of times. She already considered herself quite introverted due to her incessant training, but whenever she rests, she always goes to social media to see what was going on outside these days, "What about WeLine? Surely you watch videos?"


    "I watch boxing matches and motorcycle idents from time to time."


    "..." Jia Ning didn''t know what to feel upon hearing Yun Hao''s words, "Then what do you do in your free time?"


    "I train my body," Yun Hao said as he suddenly swung his fists in the air, bobbing his head to the side as if he was fighting with someone.


    "I I see."


    Even though Jia Ning was the one asking Yun Hao questions, it would seem she wasn''t the one that was most focused on Yun Hao-- it was her brother.


    Jia Su was currently fiddling with his camera, making sure that it tracked every movement that Yun Hao was making. Yes, this was the main reason he brought a camera. He tried to scout the inte to find if Yun Hao had a WeLine ount, but no matter how deep he searched, he didn''t have any.


    And so, he decided to create one for him-- a channel dedicated to his exploits. Yun Hao was already getting famous, and the person himself waspletely oblivious of it. So, Jia Su took it upon himself to control and filter out what content will be brought pertaining to Yun Hao.


    After all, there were vultures out there who would try to defame him every chance they got, Jia Su shall be his secret public rtions manager.


    "You are the Champion team? Please give me your licenses so I can attach a tracker in it."


    The group quickly handed their license cards to the teller, and the teller''s next actionspletely baffled Yun Hao. She touched their licenses one by one, with her two fingers letting out some sort of hologram simr to those alchemical circles as she did so.


    He had already perceived it before as he started his cultivation journey, but cultivation "It''s like magic, isn''t it?"


    However, as soon as he said that, the teller quickly gave him a weird re. "Here are your cards, truck number 3 is your ride," and without even looking, she quickly threw their cards back at them. Go, there are still other groups to amodate."


    "...What''s her problem?" Yun Hao muttered as they walked away.


    "Some cultivators don''t like their techniques being called magic, Yun Hao," Jia Su exined, "It''s like beingpared to the people from the west with their spells and stuff."


    "...Isn''t that the same thing?"


    "Well I suppose," Jia Su let out a sigh. He was currently live right now, so he could just imagine what kind ofments were being made by some of the cultivators that were watching. But it wasn''t bad, since the viewers will know what kind of person Yun Hao was right away.


    "Pft, how did you even live with that kind of stupidity," Sun Fang let out a smirk.


    "By not hitting women."


    "You-- Delete that footage after!" Sun Fang quickly walked back beside Jia Su.


    "I''m live right now," Jia Su said as he stepped away to try and avoid Sun Fang, "And that''s our truck, you guys get inside first."


    "Wai--"


    Before Sun Fang could bother Jia Su any further, he was dragged away by Yun Hao onto the truck, pulling him by the scruff, hisints being drowned by Jia Ning''s chuckle. The group, however, quickly stopped with their banterings as soon as they got on the truck, as the group that was already on the truck was all ring at them.


    The only thing Yun Hao and the others could do was clear their throats as they awkwardly took their seats on one side of the bench. They weren''t really able to talk anymore, as the group they were with seemed to be pretty serious.


    The silence made Yun Hao finally feel his trembling nerves as the truck started to take off. The sound of Hengyang''s Gate opening almost followed the erratic beating of his heart. The noise of the gate sounded like a hum, a testament to how thick and heavy it was and it is.


    For the first time in Yun Hao''s life, he had finally seen how colossal the wall truly is. It took the truck almost a full minute for it to pass through the thick metal gates that still continued to slide open to allow the five trucks to pass through. Granted, they were moving slow, but still it almost felt like the wall was going to swallow them whole.


    Its sheer size was enough for Yun Hao to finally acknowledge how perilous the Danger Zone was and is. Whatever he finds there he knows that the way he looks at the world will never be the same.


    ***


    "Are we sure this is only for Mortal ranks?"


    "It''s already been rated, you should rx. Let''s go up so we can go home."


    "I don''t know man. This ce feels a little


    ...cold."

 Chapter 61: The Danger Zone

    Chapter 61: The Danger Zone


    "So, what exactly do you think we will find there?"


    "Is this seriously your first time out in the Danger Zone?"


    "Normies aren''t allowed outside. Shouldn''t this also be your first time?"


    "I have the inte, my friend. I have even seen it in VR once."


    With the sound of the truck going through the rough surface of the Danger Zone, Yun Hao and the others could not help but raise their voice just so that they could hear each other talk. And seeing the looks of the other party they were with, their conversation didn''t seem weed.


    But still, it would seem that Yun Hao and Sun Fang didn''t notice, or just didn''t care as they continued to talk and bicker with one another.


    "So, what will we find there, exactly?" Yun Hao then repeated his question.


    "Be--"


    "Beasts."


    Before Sun Fang could answer Yun Hao, Jia Su answered Yun Hao, "88% of deaths in the Danger Zone are ounted to Beasts. The world had almost wiped them out, buttely, they just keep on spawning everywhere from god knows where."


    "And the remaining 12%?"


    "Well, it is called the Danger Zone. There are natural-made traps made by nature... some say they were made by an ancient civilization, buttely, the working theory of researchers all over the world is that the terrain of the Danger Zone is just built like that, by nature."


    "Soundsplicated," Yun Hao could not help but blink a couple of times from Jia Su''s words, "Next thing they''ll tell us is that the Danger Zone itself is a beast."


    "That''s actually also one of their theories."


    "W... what?"


    "Yup," Jia Su nodded several times, "It''s weird, I know. But if you think about it--"


    "Can you guys just shut up for a moment!? We''re not going on a pic here!"


    Before Jia Su could finish his words, one of the members of the other party they were with stood up, throwing his cap on the floor of the truck before pointing his finger towards Yun Hao.


    "And you! Why are you here if you don''t even know anything about the Danger Zone!?" The seething man roared, "This isn''t a ce for half-baked cultivators! Just go back to the Safe Zone!"


    Seeing the man raging out on him, the only thing that Yun Hao could do was blink a couple of times as he looked at his group, "Is he talking about me?"


    With that question, team Champion quickly nodded their heads.


    "You''re the only one who doesn''t know about the Danger Zone among us, Yun Hao," Jia Ning answered without any hesitation, "So it is probably you he is talking about. P... plus, he is pointing at you."


    "Pft," Sun Fang breathed as he patted Yun Hao''s shoulder a couple of times, "How is life in the mountains? Seen any hidden cultivators there?"


    "It''s alright, Yun Hao," Jia Su followed with a sigh, "Since we are here now, we can fill in the gaps for you. The world shall know..."


    With team Champion suddenly continuing their conversation, the man from the other team that just scolded them could not help but twitch his eyes a couple of times. But after a few more seconds of their voice echoing through his ears, he had enough and walked his way towards their bench.


    His team, on the other hand, let out unified sighs as they followed theirrade.


    "This is not a game," the man said, "Do you know how much I had to sacrifice to go through Immersion? Not everyone who takes it are young masters like you are, Yun Hao."


    Hearing the man''s words, Yun Hao once again blinked a couple of times in bewilderment. Considering how this man knew him and even called him a young master, he had probably watched Yun Hao''s video.


    "I had to sacrifice everything just to be a cultivator," the man continued, "This isn''t some entertainment for me, bud. This is a livelihood I need in order to have my family live well. It''s--"


    "...Why didn''t you just use the money you had for Immersion to put up a business? Are you fucking stupid, or what?"


    Surprisingly, it wasn''t Yun Hao that answered the man, but Sun Fang. "That''s three hundred thousand fucking dors, man. You could have used that to live willfully with your family for a couple of years without even working."


    "You don''t know my story, boy!"


    "And I don''t fucking care. All I see is a middle-aged man who wasted his family''s entire life savings just to y cultivator so he could be treated like some kind of big shot that''s fuckingme, man."


    "You--"


    "Let''s go, Hong. Just leave them be."


    Before the man could continue to argue with Sun Fang, his team dragged him away. Yun Hao and the others could only watch as the man struggled, before looking towards Sun Fang.


    "Damn, you toasted that man," Yun Hao said.


    "Tch, people like that are worse than you, Yun Hao."


    "...Thanks?"


    "Did your mother leave you to pursue her own dreams?"


    "Wha--- how the fuck did you know that!?"


    "Brother!"


    Sun Fang could not help but suddenly stand up as he heard Jia Su''s words. Jia Su, on the other hand, only let out a sigh.


    "...A working theory-- Well, a theory no more."


    The group once again continued to have their conversation, but when they noticed that the man from the other team was once again looking at them weirdly, they decided to lower their voices and eventually stop talking altogether.


    Finally, after a few hours of awkward silence, the truck stopped moving. The other 4 trucks also started unloading the other teams as they reached their destination.


    Yun Hao, who just leaped off of the truck, could not help but be slightly taken aback. He could not see much from the truck as it was closed down by a protective barrier as soon as it passed through Hengyang''s gate, so now that he had a clear view of the Danger Zone, the only thing he could do was let out a halted breath.


    There was nothing here. It was a desert, maybe even worse as there were no signs of any nts or even insects-- if anything, this should have been called the Dead Zone instead. How exactly are they going to find treasures here?


    But then, Yun Hao''s eyesnded on a huge hole, surrounded by people, which judging by their uniform, were part of the Confederation.


    "First time seeing it?" Jia Ning then walked beside him.


    "Yes is that the Rupture?" Yun Hao gulped.


    "At least you know what they''re called," Jia Ning giggled, "They''re formed--"


    "They''re formed by Magical Beasts."


    "..."


    Jia Ning could not help but pout as soon as her brother interrupted him. She hasn''t gotten the chance to talk much since they arrived, so he could not help but feel the urge to suddenly hit his brother.


    "A lot of people say that they''re some kind of portal to another world, but not true," Jia Su said as he focused the direction of the camera towards the so-called Hole, "They''re just formed by the magical beasts that dug their way from the Dark Zone."


    "Walking encyclopedia strikes again," Sun Fang said as he passed by.


    "Interesting thanks for all the info, Jia Su," Yun Hao patted Jia Su''s shoulder a couple of times as he followed Sun Fang to the hole. But before he could even take 3 steps, a loud voice echoed through the air.


    "Please gather to the front of the Rupture!"


    With that, the other teams quickly made their way towards the members of the Confederation that were waiting near the Hole. And since Yun Hao and his team were already on their way there, they were the ones in front of the whole group.


    "This is thest chance for your teams to back down." The voice once again echoed through the air. Yun Hao''s eyes wandered all over the ce to try and find the owner of the voice, only to see someone slowly descending from the sky.


    "..." Flying people he should probably get used to seeing that soon.


    "But do note that your payment for this hunt will not be refunded," the old man that descended from the sky then said.


    "...We paid for this?" Yun Hao whispered to Jia Su.


    "...Yes? At least the Song family did. That''s how the Confederation earns money."


    "...Cool."


    "Tch, fucking rich kids."


    Yun Hao could once again hear the man from the other team cursing them from afar. But he was too intrigued by what was happening in front of him to even care anymore about anything else.


    "We have rated the Rupture to be at the lowest level, your level," the old man continued, "So do not expect that this will be easy. That''s all."


    The old man then walked away, gesturing for the first team to go inside. And soon, the cultivators all jumped to the rupture one by one.


    "..." Yun Hao was a little hesitant at first, but since the Jia siblings jumped without any hesitation or even a slight pause, the only thing he could do was hold his breath and jump inside. And once again, what he saw there made his mouth open in awe.


    In contrast to the barrennd above, there was almost an entire ecosystem inside the Rupture. He had seen photos of it from the inte, but seeing it in person truly was different. Even though they were underground, it was bright-- the glowing nts made it so, and there were plenty.


    Almost like a forest that left one in trance, and he is. If it wasn''t for the scream that echoed through the air, then Yun Hao would still be in a stupor.


    Yun Hao quickly rushed towards the others, who were already on their guard as their eyes traveled everywhere. They did not have to travel far, however, as something flew its way towards them.


    The group quickly dodged, but as soon as they saw what it was, their eyes all turned wide-- It was the head of the man that scolded them earlier.


    "What the fuck?"

 Chapter 62: Dark Shadows

    Chapter 62: Dark Shadows


    Yun Hao and the others could not help but look at each other as the head of the man they were arguing with earlier came flying towards them; with the blood he had left on his head squirting out as it bounced a couple of times on the ground.


    They haven''t even been here for a full minute, and someone already died? And it would seem it wasn''t only him. The team he arrived with was nowhere to be found, the only ones here were the others that had gone ahead of them. And suffice to say, all of them were on their guards.


    Yun Hao could only hold his breath while gritting his teeth. How can he be so stupid sometimes? He was too rxed and mesmerized by the scenery in front of him that hepletely forgot where he was for a split second.


    He is in the Danger Zone death is nothing but a blink here.


    Yun Hao then looked behind him as thest team jumped into the Rupture. Seeing Yun Hao and the others on guard, one of the female members of the group quickly asked,


    "What''s going on?"


    And as soon as she said that, a dark figure rushed from behind her. Jia Ning was about to warn the woman and her group, but before she could do so, her brother''s trembling hand prevented her from saying anything.


    She could only watch in horror as the woman waspletely cleaved in half, followed by her team members who tried to rescue her. Jia Ning quickly pped her brother''s hand away, but before she could do anything else, it was Yun Hao who stopped her this time.


    Yun Hao shook his head slowly, cing a finger on his lips as he gestured to Jia Ning not to make any sound. Jia Ning also noticed that Yun Hao was slightly trembling, but after a few seconds, it was gone.


    Jia Ning realized that no matter how strong Yun Hao was for his rank, almost all of them here were not ustomed to death. Even she could feel herself unconsciously trembling from fear.


    Yun Hao thought he would be used to seeing dead people, as he had already taken the life of another. But seeing someone cleaved in half in front of him truly woke him up from the realities of life.


    The man from earlier was right, they were not here to y games. They could die at any moment if they weren''t careful.


    "..." Yun Hao''s thoughts were then disrupted as he felt a light tap on his shoulder. It was Jia Ning, whose mouth he was still covering with the palm of his hand. He quickly removed his hand and bowed to apologize, before once again focusing on the magical beast, who was now eating the cultivators it just mowed down.


    What''s so magical about this? Yun Hao thought. The creature had 3 mouths ovepping each other; a long w that protruded from the back of its wrist; unusually short legs belt like a chicken and not to mention the disgusting wet fur.


    There was nothing magical about this, it''s just a monster. The 6-legged goat he ate, perhaps it was--


    Before he could continue the ominous thoughts he was having, he once again felt a tap on his shoulder. This time, it was Jia Su, holding a phone towards him with a note written in it.


    [Grey-w Mole. Level 3 Beast. Blind but very sensitive to vibrations-- should not be in a Rupture rated for Mortal realms like us. The Confederation made a mistake.]


    ''A Mistake!?'' Was what the rest of team Champion would have shouted, but could not as another grey-w mole appeared and started feasting on the dead cultivators. They were still near the entrance of the Rupture, just what exactly were the members of the Confederation doing up there!?


    "Senior, shouldn''t we be checking on them if they all dropped safely?"


    "They are not babies, rx."


    The cultivator in charge, the one that briefly exined to them about the details of the rupture, nonchntly waved his hand, "They are cultivators, they should know the dangers of exploring Ruptures."


    The cultivator in charge then started rxing on a soft chair he bought, before sipping on a cold beverage as he looked towards the empty horizon.


    "It''s just when we did a check earlier, I felt a little cold. Maybe--"


    "Then wear more clothes next time what the fuck," the cultivator in charge once again gestured to the man to go away, "You young ones are too sensitive," he then said before a Beast core suddenly floated in front of him. He then closed his eyes and started meditating,pletely ignoring the man.


    "..." The Confederation staff could only sigh as he made his way to look at the Rupture, but before he could check it, he heard a song ringing into his ear. He quickly looked back, only to see that the sound wasing from the cultivator in charge.


    The man could only roll his eyes as he turned around, "At least answer your god-damn phone," he whispered before heading back to his tent. The treasure huntsts for 6 hours. After that, the cultivator-in-charge would start pulling them back up; he might as well rx until then since everyone seems to be casually doing it.


    Nothing eventful should happen anyway since the Rupture was only rated for Mortal ranks.


    [What do we do now?] Sun Fang raised his phone after typing on it.


    [Wait for the Confederation to notice.] Jia Su started typing, [They could detect if we are alive from the tracker they attached on our license. Since we''re dying too fast, they should notice something is amiss


    ...I am sure they are calling the cultivator in charge right now to rescue us.]


    [And what do we do in the meantime?] With Jia Ning typing that, Jia Su quickly turned toward Yun Hao, who had only been watching them exchange notes.


    [Leader, what do we do?] Jia Su said as they all looked at Yun Hao.


    [Why aren''t you contributing to this conversation!?]


    As soon as Sun Fang nted his phone on Yun Hao''s face, he quickly stole it and started typing on it, [I didn''t think I would need my phone with me here.]


    [What are you, an old man!?] Sun Fang quickly grabbed his phone back, [You should always bring your phone with you!]


    [What do we do, Yun Hao?]


    Yun Hao then felt Jia Ning tugging on his shirt. As he saw this, Yun Hao quickly looked around at the other teams, who were also not making any sound. The two grey-ws were still chomping on the other team.


    [We wait for them to stop eating, create a distraction and--] Yun Hao then stopped typing as he looked up towards the entrance of the Rupture. How exactly were they going to return to the surface? He hasn''t tested how far he could jump yet, but he was sure he wasn''t going to reach even half of that with a single jump.


    Yun Hao could only let out a quiet breath as he turned to look at his team, before focusing on Jia Su and typing,


    [You''re the brains, what do you think we should do?]


    [Stupid useless leader!] Sun Fang wanted to pull his hair out but did not do so as he might warrant the attention of the moles.


    Jia Su, however, only nodded his head as he started typing.


    [Grey-w moles are highly territorial, only their mate could hunt in their area. Judging by the size of the two, they are adults. So there is probably at least one more of them, their children. But there shouldn''t be any more of them in another 500 meters.]


    500 meters? Yun Hao blinked a couple of times. Just how big is this ce?


    [Are you saying we should make a run for it? Shouldn''t we just stay and wait for help!?] Sun Fang waved his phone around.


    [We can. But somehow, there will always be noise. The mole may be blind, but it is not stupid. It''ll know there are more of us soon and start randomlyshing out.]


    [So what do we do?] Jia Ning intruded.


    [We still run, but not now. As soon as a noise loud enough to distract the moles happens, then we run. I just hope the noise


    ...isn''t us.]

 Chapter 63: A Pencil

    Chapter 63: A Pencil


    [So what do we do?]


    [We still run. I just hope it isn''t our team that bes the bait.]


    Seeing what Jia Su typed, Yun Hao and the others looked around. Trying to prevent the heavy breaths that wished to burst out from them.


    It was a morbid n, but for now, it was the only option they could think of. Although it was already leaving a bad aftertaste in their mouth, they had to survive.


    They waited and waited. And with each second, it made it harder for them not to make a sound. Either to prevent an urge to stretch a leg, to sneeze, or to just want to clear their throats. It did not help that the grey-w moles were still in the vicinity even after they finished eating the other team.


    But finally, after an hour, Yun Hao noticed something and very lightly patted the others, before pointing at one of the other teams. They all looked at the same time, only to see the group seemingly about to get into an argument.


    Seeing this, team Champion all looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. And without even a minute after, a frustrated voice came out of one of the other member''s mouths. And as soon as Yun Hao and the others heard that, they did not even wait to see what happened next as they all started running away.


    The other teams who saw them also started running away. Due to this, the gurgling screams that were being echoed by the abandoned team were no longer enough to keep one of the grey-ws from hearing their steps.


    The other grey-w started rushing towards them-- towards Yun Hao''s team.


    Seeing this, Yun Hao''s eyebrows started to furrow; but the calmness of his eye had never been clearer as he grabbed Sun Fang''s phone. He quickly started fidgeting with it, before throwing it far away from them.


    "Why did you do that!?"


    "Just run."


    And after a few seconds of saying that, Sun Fang''s phone started ringing, causing the grey-w to shift directions. Sun Fang was d that they were now safe. But still, that was thetest model, so he could only cry in silence as he continued to run with all his might.


    They continued to run for a full minute before Jia Su stopped to catch his breath.


    "We should be okay now."


    Haering Jia Su''s loud breaths, the rest of the team all stopped as they too caught their breaths.


    "We should be in neutral territory, they won''t go here," Jia Su said before he started typing on his phone.


    "Fuck" Sun Fang breathed before a fire was ignited in his eyes and he looked at Yun Hao, "If any of us dies, it''s on you! You dragged us to this stupid treasure hunt, you stupid fuck! And my phone!"


    "Sun Fang!"


    "Ah!" Sun Fang waved his hands in frustration as Jia Ning stepped in between them. Jia Ning was about to say something, but Yun Hao quickly shook his head.


    "What he said is true," Yun Hao then let out a bitter sigh, "...Shit."


    "Yun Hao, it''s--"


    "It''s fine. I I will get you out here alive."


    "What? You think we''re children? We already joined you and that means we''re a fucking team whether I like it or not, Yun Hao. We''re going to get out of this together."


    Hearing Sun Fang''s sharp words of encouragement, Yun Hao could only let out a smile, "Thank you, Sun Fang."


    "Tch, now what? Why is it taking so long to rescue us?" Sun Fang snarled as he waved his hands.


    "They should have. Their response times are usually fast to prevent as much loss of life as possible." Jia Su muttered.


    "Then what are you saying?"


    "We are probably alone here."


    "Ah, fuck," Yun Hao could not help but let out a long and deep breath as his eye wandered around. Now, he was really starting to think that the world is out to get him. It seems that wherever he goes, trouble always seems to find its way towards him.


    Screams continued to echo inside the Rupture, almost piercing the ears of Yun Hao and the group as they continued to wait for a rescue.


    "What do we do now?"


    "I have already messaged our viewers, some of them are already calling their contacts at the Confederation," Jia Su muttered.


    "Maybe the Confederation just doesn''t care about us," Yun Hao muttered as he stood up, "That was the 12th scream we heard. People have been dying for more than an hour and they haven''t even bothered checking on us. They do what they do best, abandon us cultivators are trash."


    "...You''re one of them now, Yun Hao," Sun Fang briefly said before he turned around.


    There was an awkward silence amongst the group after a while, only broken by Jia Ning''s voice.


    "How old are you, Yun Hao?"


    The others could not help with the sudden question. But seeing as they had nothing else to do at the moment, Yun Hao let out a sigh and answered.


    "I''m turning 19 in a couple of months."


    "You''re only 19?" Sun Fang could not help but blink a couple of times, "The fuck. You''re the youngest out of all of us? What gave you the right to be so tall?"


    "My parents?" Yun Hao shrugged his shoulders before turning towards Jia Su, "Since we are alone here now, think of a way to get us out, Jia Su."


    "Already on it," Jia Su nodded his head as he continued to fiddle with his phone. And as soon as he said that, a clicking noise started to approach them.


    "..."


    The chittering steps became louder and louder until the direction it wasing from was followed by the rustle of a bush near them.


    "I thought you said the moles won''t follow us here?" Yun Hao quickly tapped Jia Su.


    "They won''t."


    "Ah, fuck," Yun Hao cursed as soon as he heard that, "This is something else, isn''t it? Great."


    "Fuck, Yun Hao. Are you the god of bad luck or something!?"


    "Twice in one day, I agree with you," Yun Hao could not help but let out a groan as he said that, "I guess we really are dying here."


    Jia Ning quickly summoned a ball of fire as she got into a stance. Her 13th meridian, Elemental. Cool, Yun Hao thought before the thing that was approaching them finally revealed itself.


    It was an ant except it was as big as Yun Hao.


    "Jia Su?"


    "Giant Ant, Level 2."


    "What the how is this even a Rupture for Mortal ranks like us!?"


    "It''s not. The Confederation made a mistake in evaluating the Rupture," Jia Su said, "We can handle it, it''s weak on its own."


    "Bro, you just said it was a Level 2!" Sun Fang continued to let out his dismay.


    "Yes, it is weak individually."


    "...Oh," Yun Hao quickly got what Jia Su meant by that, "This ce really wants to kill us."


    As soon as he said that, the bushes and trees around them started to rustle.


    ***


    "Why isn''t he answering his fucking phone!?"


    The member of the Confederation from earlier could not help but feel annoyed as he snuck a nce from his tent at the cultivator-in-charge, who was still meditating and ignoring his ringing phone.


    He then let out a sigh as the phone stopped ringing, but not even a few seconds after, a ringing once again entered his ears. He was about to lose it, but when he realized it was actually his phone ringing now, he quickly answered it.


    "What!?"


    [Are you handling the Rupture near Hengyang? The one for cultivators of the Mortal Realm?]


    "Yeah, so what!?" The man was still clearly pissed as it showed in his voice.


    [Your cultivators are in trouble. I''ve been watching this livestream for more than an hour now and groups of them already died, man.]


    "An hour!? Then why did you just call now!?"


    [I don''t know, I thought something interesting would be happening. But they''re just sitting there and talking.]


    "You motherfucker!" The man quickly hung up the phone as he rushed to the cultivator-in-charge. But before he could even take a step out of the tent, he felt his vision fade as his body soon fell to the ground.


    "Well, we can''t have that."


    A man then slowly appeared out of thin air behind him, holding a phone that was showing Yun Hao''s channel on it. The man then stroked the neat and clean pencil mustache on his face, still looking at his phone with great interest,


    "What are you going to do now, child?"

 Chapter 64: Too Excited

    Chapter 64: Too Excited


    "What are you going to do now, child?"


    The man stroked his pencil mustache once more before quickly disappearing without a trace, only to reappear somewhere far away, in a ce where the light of the sun did not seem to reach.


    And as soon as he appeared, he was instantly surrounded by gigantic beasts, whose blinding speed did not seem to match the sizes of their bodies. They all looked at the man, growling at him as they slowly and carefully approached him.


    The man''s eyes, however, did not leave his phone even for a bit. He only raised his free hand, before snapping his fingers.


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he did so, a ripple of wind thundered through the air, causing the dark clouds to open up and reveal a hint of sunlight, before once again quickly closing in. The man with a pencil mustache then tapped the screen of his phone a couple of times, before letting out a short but deep sigh.


    "...Right," he muttered, "There''s no reception here."


    He then finally looked around him, finding himself surrounded by bits and pieces of guts and fleshbined. "Sorry about that," he then said before once again disappearing into thin air.


    ***


    "There''s no end to them!"


    "Ha, I should have just let those oversize alien rats kill me!"


    Team Champion''s breaths sounded like an orchestra of exhaustion as they all tried their best to survive and stray off as many giant ants as they could. But at this point, they would get tired before they even see the end of these insects. With this thought, Jia Su could not help but squint his eyes as he looked at Yun Hao.


    "Yun Hao, take it easy," it was not Jia Su that spoke, but his sister, "At this point, you''ll end up overexerting yourself."


    However, Yun Hao does not seem to hear them. As with his breaths, there were also chuckles. Chuckles that grew louder and were slowly drowning his breaths, growing evident by the growing smile on his face as his fists continued to smash the heads of the ants one by one.


    Her sister is right, Jia Su thought. Each of Yun Hao''s attacks was explosive. He could feel his qi being overused with each movement. At this point


    ...Yun Hao would be the first to get tired-- and they truly can''t risk that. He truly was still a baby cultivator-- was what Jia Su was thinking right now as they continued to fight off the barrage of colossal ants that were endlessly crawling towards them.


    He was using too much force to one-shot everything in his path. It might have worked against a group of people to demoralize and scare them, but mindless beasts were different. They would continue to attack until either one of them is dead.


    Yun Hao said he had a backer but it would seem he was not teaching him anything, Jia Su thought. Seeing Yun Hao now,ughing but clearly getting exhausted; his hand bleeding-- more and more of the darkness that Jia Su was seeing in him was surfacing. Yun Hao might have a few loose screws in his head Probably a masochist who hurts himself, even.


    But still, Jia Su once again took a nce at Yun Hao. Even with Sun Fang and Jia Ning unlocking an Elemental meridian, an advantage which should allow for them to kill more of these ants efficiently-- Yun Hao was still surrounded with more carcasses.


    If he could only learn how to manage his qi At this rate, Yun Hao is going to run out of juice if he doesn''t think of anything. But still, what a fucking monster.


    And he was not alone in that sentiment. The viewers that were still watching were also flooding thements section of his livestream.


    [The fuck is the confederation doing!? Yun Hao gonna get killed bruh.]


    [Already called my friend, but not doing anything.]


    [fk, champion team dead. Time to find a new stan.]


    [Impossible, are you watching what I am watching right now? The guy is a monster!]


    [Who do you think will win, Song Chou or him?]


    [Are you kidding? Song Chou would eat him alive for breakfast. Yun Hao is strong, but he is still in the Mortal realm.]


    [Still doe, dude is fking nuts. Share share.]


    [Share share.]


    Their viewers all watched; the expressions on their faces were all different. Awe, fear, excitement-- they all want to find out how this was going to end. For some of them, they just randomly clicked the video since it was getting an unusually high amount of views for an unknown and seemingly new channel but they were going to stay for sure.


    They just hoped that this wasn''t thest video they will see of Yun Hao and team Champion. And in that sentiment, they weren''t alone, as Jia Su finally found a way to save themselves from the dire situation they were in.


    "I have an idea!"


    "Finally, our strategistes into y!" Sun Fang let out augh as he pped his hand, summoning a wave of wind that made the ants lose bnce.


    "We''re going to go back to the grey-ws territory!"


    "Are you fucking crazy!? At least here we might have a chance!"


    "No, brother is right," Jia Ning said as she stepped back, "At this rate, we''re just going to tire ourselves to death."


    "We let the monsters kill each other," Jia Su muttered, "Since grey-w moles are highly territorial, they should start fighting each other."


    "Why didn''t you think of this earlier!?"


    "Because I was trying hard not to die!" Jia Su shouted before looking at Yun Hao, who seemed to be lost in his own world, "Yun Hao! We need to retreat! Yun Hao!"


    With his name being called a couple of times, the light on Yun Hao''s eyes faded, along with the smile on his face as he finally looked towards Jia Su and the others.


    "...Right, let''s go."


    He then nodded his head as he punched the giant ant that was rushing towards him before following his team, "Are you sure this n will really work?"


    "So you could hear us?"


    "Of course," Yun Hao shrugged as they continued to run away, "Why wouldn''t I be listening?"


    "...Right," Jia Su looked at Yun Hao weirdly, "


    Sun Fang and Jia Ning shifted from time to time as they tried to stray off the ants that were starting to gank up on them. With Yun Hao and Jia Su carving them a path to run smoothly.


    "Nearly there!" Jia Su roared as his pace hastened. Upon hearing that, the others also stretched their steps as they nowpletely ignored the ants and only focused on getting to the de. And as soon as they reached it


    ...They were greeted by nothing.


    "..."


    "Where are the alien rats you promised, Jia Su!?" Sun Fang said as he once again pped his hands to throw the ants rushing towards them. Yun Hao also once again stepped forward, releasing a barrage of punches to give Jia Su more time to think of n C.


    But after a few seconds, they found out he didn''t need to, as a dark shadow weaved its way through the ants, cleaving them in half with each of its steps.


    "Haha! You guys are fucked now!"--


    --Was what Sun Fang shouted before the grey-w mole very slowly turned its head towards him.


    "...Fuck me."

 Chapter 65: Finally

    Chapter 65: Finally


    "Ah... fuck."


    As the grey-w mole slowly turned its disgusting head towards Sun Fang, the only thought he had in his mind was that he wanted to cut his stupid tongue off. He became too excited that Jia Su''s n of letting it and the ants kill each other was working, that hepletely forgot that they were still right in the middle of the fray.


    ''Maybe it was just stretching its neck?''-- Was what Sun Fang thought before the grey-w mole started rushing towards him. He just had to test his luck, didn''t he?


    "Sun Fang!"


    A thin wall of fire instantly zed in front of Sun Fang as Jia Ning raised her hand. But with her attention focused on another, she left herselfpletely defenseless for the giant ants that were still rushing towards them even with the presence of a predator.


    "Kh!"


    Jia Ning could not help but wince in pain as a small piece of her arm was chomped off. If it wasn''t for Yun Hao smashing the head of the ant away, her bone would have surely exposed itself.


    "T... thank y--"


    "Focus!" Yun Hao did not let her finish her words as he ran towards the rushing grey-w mole.


    "You''re starting to piss me off!" Yun Hao roared, allowing its attention to transfer from Sun Fang as it quickly waved its w towards the approaching Yun Hao. Yun Hao, however, quickly leaned his torso back to an almost 90-degree angle. He almost lost bnce as the w attached itself to his shirt, ripping its frontpletely.


    His right foot stomped the ground as he was able to stand his ground, he then stretched his arms and opened up his palms, before whipping both of them towards the grey-w mole''s head, right on each of its ears.


    "!!!"


    A disgusting shrill traveled through the air as the grey-w mole''s movements instantly became erratic, waving its ws everywhere.


    "Thought so," Yun Hao muttered through his breath as he quickly backed away. A smile slowly rose up on his face as he watched the ws of the mole cleaved the giant ants that dared to go near it.


    "Quick thinking, Yun Hao," Jia Su whispered as he continued to kick away the giant ants. It would seem that even with a bigger predator around them, the giant ants were still adamant in devouring them-- the weaker creature.


    Jia Su only had his 12 regr meridians unlocked, so he doesn''t really have anything in his arsenal to kill off two of these ants at once, causing him to only focus on them. But still, he still spent a time to nce at Yun Hao.


    At one point, he would even consider Yun Hao ignorant. His wasteful use of qi,ck of knowledge about everything that had to do with cultivation made on almost irritated. Perhaps it was because of this hidden hatred he had for cultivators, but he really should start changing that soon.


    But seeing him now, killing off the giant ants at the same rate as they arrive, Jia Su was once again reminded of the abnormal battle sense he had. There was also the fact that he rushed towards the grey-w mole, ''blinding'' it by smashing its ears in.


    Sure, any one of them could have probably done that; but the proficiency, uracy, as well as the guts, to do it was of a different matterpletely. The grey-w mole has the capability of killing all of them by itself-- it will only take one swing to cleanly cleave the bodies of Mortal realm cultivators.


    Jia Su himself had thought of what Yun Hao did, but he never really voiced it out as he thought no one was crazy enough to try it. But here was Yun Hao, fighting off the giant ants as if what he just did was just something to shrug off.


    "Yun Hao, take a rest--"


    And before Jia Su could even finish his words, Yun Hao suddenly rushed towards the hysterical grey-w mole. "What are you doing, Yun Hao?"


    Jia Su wanted to scream, but the fact that there should be another grey-w mole somewhere sedated his voice. He could only watch as Yun Hao leaped towards danger with a smile on his face.


    Yun Hao raised both his hand to the air, before pping them and quickly moving to the side. With the sound of his p slightly getting the attention of the frenzied beast, Yun Hao took this chance to punch it on the head, straight towards its left ear.


    Although the grey-w mole slightly moved to the side, it would seem that it wasn''t enough to hurt it, as it just snarled, its 3 ovepping mouths seemingly trembling in frustration as it once again waved its ws everywhere.


    This time, though, instead of leaping back, Yun Hao continued to rush head-on, dodging its ws while letting out a punch of his own. And his fists, no matter if it was the left or the right, always onlynded on one area- the mole''s left ear.


    "Holy fuck," Jia Su muttered as he watched Yun Hao dodge all of the grey-w mole''s berserker barrage, "Holy fuck." If only he wasn''t so busy trying to stave off the ants, his eyes would not leave Yun Hao.


    Yun Hao continued to swiftly deliver his punches, until finally, the grey-w mole''s legs momentarily shivered, causing it to back down. One of his punches may have been meaningless, but no matter how strong this creature was, its brain would still be affected by the numerous punches it took-- not to mention he always struck its left ear, slowly but surely disorienting it.


    Seeing this, Yun Hao wanted to take this chance to give it a beating, but before he could do so, the giant ants that were somewhat avoiding the grey-w mole earlier all swarmed towards it.


    "..."


    Yun Hao could only watch as even the giant ants that were relentlessly rushing towards Sunf Fang and the others all turned around to swarm over the grey-w mole. The two species of beasts once again started fighting off one another. Even with the almost hundred giant ants threatening to devour it, the grey-w mole was still able to cleave three of them in one single swing.


    But with one of its swings, 5 more rushed towards it; the only thing it could do was let out a roar as soon, one of the giant ants was able to bite its hide.


    "We should probably go," Jia Su then patted Yun Hao on the shoulder, "That roar is a call for help, its reinforcements would be arriving soon."


    "...Yeah," Yun Hao muttered as he turned to leave with the rest. His eye, however, was focused on the corpses of the giant ants that they had managed to kill. But after a few seconds, he could only let out a sigh as they continued to run away from the skirmish.


    And as soon as their breaths were able to rx in the air, Yun Hao quickly asked,


    "Why aren''t there any beast cores?"


    "Seriously, you don''t even know this?" Sun Fang could only shake his head, "Now I am starting to think you''re just fooling us. Cough it up, you''re pretending to be ignorant, aren''t you?"


    "Cores only develop once a beast matures enough," Jia Su answered even as he tried to catch his breath, "But before that could happen, they usually kill each other. That''s why Beast Core farms exist. But since the concentration of qi is being shared by multiple beasts, the cores produced by the beasts in farms are weaker."


    "That''s pretty detailed."


    "...You don''t know? I thought your backer had a farm?"


    "Anyway," Yun Hao waved his hand as he sat on the ground,pletely taking off his shirt that was ripped in half by the grey w. It left a slight thud on the ground, as it waspletely drenched with his sweat, "Let''s rest for a bit before proceeding with the treasure hunt. Do you guys have any ideas where this so-called treasure might be?"


    They came here for a Treasure Hunt, but all the weed them were death topped with even more death.


    "You still want to find treasures? We almost got diced," Sun Fang was careful not to raise his voice, so he justpensated by iling his hand all over the ce to show his frustration.


    "Well, that''s what we came here for, right?" Yun Hao let out a sigh, "We almost died once, so we might as well continue with the hunt."


    "What kind of logic is that?"


    "Look, I have a motto."


    As soon as Jia Su heard that, he quickly made sure that the camera he had would have a clear view of Yun Hao.


    "If you are going to prate, then prate hard," Yun Hao said with confidence, even using his hands to prove his point.


    "...I know a therapist. Get yourself checked," Sun Fang muttered.


    Jia Ning''s eyes, on the other hand, started to lit up as she nodded at Yun Hao''s words.


    "..." Jia Su, who was excited to hear what Yun Hao had to say, could not help but twitch his eyes. Thest time he checked, they had like 2,000 live viewers and they definitely heard Yun Hao''s weird motto. But no matter, what''s done is done.


    The group rested for about 5 minutes before beginning to move. Even if they weren''t getting any of the treasures they do manage to find, Yun Hao still promised them 50 Low-quality beast cores. They could just turn the other tail and wait for rescue, but that wouldn''t be cool-- Sun Fang thought. Unlike Yun Hao, he hated receiving free lunch.


    "Keep your ears and eyes peeled, let''s just run at the first sight of a monster," Yun Hao said before looking at Sun Fang and pretending to run away.


    "Fuck you," Sun Fang said as he raised both his middle fingers, garnering the chuckles of everyone.


    After a few minutes of walking, surprisingly, they haven''t encountered any more beasts. It would seem that the war between the moles and the ants still hasn''t ended. But at the same time, there was also no sign of any treasures.


    "Just what exactly are we looking for here?"


    "Anything that looks out of ce."


    "Like that?"


    "..."


    Finally, as soon as the group reached a vast clearing, their eyes all quickly turned towards the shining nt that was right at the center of the de. Even though there weren''t any beasts or objects guarding it, the fact that the des of grass that surrounded it were all dead made it quite ominous.


    But still, it wasn''t guarded by anything. Team Champion, however, instead of rushing towards it, only looked at each other.


    "That


    ...looks quite suspicious."

 Chapter 66: Shitty Situation

    Chapter 66: Shitty Situation


    "That looks awfully suspicious."


    Even after a full minute of staring at the shiny nt, team Champion still did not move an inch from their position as they just continued to look at each other. They had spent almost an hour trying to find whatever treasure this Rupture has, but now that it was presented to them in in sight, they started hesitating.


    "Jia Su, what kind of nt is it?" Yun Hao then said as he looked at Jia Su, who was already fiddling with his phone.


    "It''s a ss Moringa nt, one of the main ingredients for High-quality Recovery Pills such as...


    ...a Phoenix Pill."


    "...That can''t be a coincidence, right?" Jia Ning blinked a couple of times as she looked at Yun Hao, who also had the same expression. He was asked by the Song family to participate in this Treasure Hunt as a way to repay the Phoenix Pill that was used on him, is it possible they already knew what treasure this Rupture had?


    "Doesn''t matter, it''s right there," Sun Fang said as he squinted his eyes, "Why don''t you go and grab it, Yun Hao?"


    "Are you kidding? It looks like something will pop up and kill us," Yun Hao quickly waved his hand, "Jia Su, does it say somewhere there if the nt is poisonous or something? The grass around it is dead."


    "Hm," Jia Su dragged his fingers at blinding speed as his eyes scanned his phone, and after a few seconds of doing this, his eyebrows started to furrow, "...Shit."


    "What, what is it!?" The rest of the group could not help but lean in closer as they heard Jia Su curse.


    "Shit, it grows on shit," Jia Su repeated, "The reason for the fauna around it dying is because the feces is toxic, but for the ss Moringa, it acts as a sort of fertilizer. It''s developed inside the beast''s stomach, an umtion of a unique collection of nts eaten by the beast and then... released."


    "That''s highly detailed," Yun Hao blinked a couple of times. It basically shits gold, doesn''t it? Somehow simr to him in some aspect.


    "..." Yun Hao quickly shook his head from the thoughts he was having as he focused on Jia Su, "What kind of beast are we talking about here, the grey-w moles from earlier?"


    "No," Jia Su took in a gulp as he looked Yun Hao straight in the eyes, "It''s--"


    "It''s there! We found it!"


    Before Jia Su could finish his revtion, one of the groups that joined the Treasure Hunt suddenly appeared at the other side of the clearing. But unlike team Champion, the group quickly rushed towards the ss Moringa.


    Yun Hao was going to warn them at first that there might be danger, but in the end, he chose not to do so. He only let out a long and deep breath as he watched the group continue to make their way to the shiny nt.


    He had seen how the other groups died as soon as they jumped inside the Rupture-- he will make sure that he and his group will not suffer the same fate. It might be cruel, but more and more, Yun Hao was starting to learn what it means to be a cultivator in the bigger picture of the world.


    Back in the Safe Zones, cultivators were treated with respect and fear. But the Danger Zone doesn''t care about any of that. Out here, amongst the beasts, some of them were just normal people.


    The others, who saw Yun Hao wasn''t doing anything, just nodded their heads as they understood what he meant by his silence. If there truly was a beast nearby, then they were letting these people die.


    "What kind of beast is it, Jia Su?" Yun Hao then whispered as he watched the other team starting to celebrate as they surrounded the ss Moringa.


    "It''s... probably the apex predator in this Rupture," Jia Su let out a long and deep sigh as he shook his head, "It''s an Earth Gori, and like the grey-w moles, they are also categorized as Level 3."


    "...Only at level 3? How is it the apex?" Jia Ning blinked a couple of times, "Even Yun Hao almost defeated the grey-w earlier."


    "Yun Hao is abnormal."


    "No, I barely even damaged it," Yun Hao let out a sigh, "If it wasn''t for the giant ants, I doubt I could''ve won in the end. But still, your sister has a point how is it the apex when it''s just at the same level as the moles earlier?"


    "Because they are herbivores. They also don''t attack humans, even if they are in their territory," Jia Su said.


    "What!? Then we should have grabbed the stupid nt!" Sun Fang hollered. He was about to rush out of the trees they were hiding behind, but Jia Su stopped him.


    "They are not territorial, but if you move something that belongs to them that''s a different story."


    "...Even their shit?"


    "Even more so their shit."


    "...Oh shit."


    Team Champion all slowly turned their heads back to the other team, who were now storing the ss Moringa in their bag, cheering and jumping around as they cheered while covered in the Earth Gori''s shit.


    "If the Earth Gori and the grey-w mole were to fight, how long would the fightst?"


    "I don''t know. But it says here that Earth Goris specialize in--"


    Before Jia Su could finish his words, a loud thundering noise quaked the ground beneath them. They did not have to look for the source, however, as the giant boulder that suddenly mowed down half the team that grabbed the shiny nt was hard not to notice.


    "I take it, it throws rocks?" Yun Hao muttered monotonously.


    "As the name suggests, it has the ability to control earth," Jia Su answered.


    And soon, the Earth Gori showed itself. Itnded right in front of the members of the other team that was still alive, thumping its chest while it roared, its saliva showering everywhere.


    "We should go," Yun Hao said as he shook his head. At first, he thought that there would be a chance to get the nt amidst the panic. But seeing this gigantic ape towering over the cultivators, with its arms even thicker than Yun Hao, he abandoned all the ideas he had in his mind.


    At least with the grey-w moles, they were still at the same size as Yun Hao and he still had the stupidity to rumble with it, but this one? Its sheer size made Yun Hao''s confidence fall down to zero.


    "W wait," but before the group could leave, Jia Ning let out a quiet holler as she pointed towards something, "That''s that''s the bag."


    The bag where the other team stored the nt waspletely intact. And it would seem that due to the force of the giant boulder, it was thrown near team Champion''s location.


    "..."


    "...You know that''s how people die in movies, right?" Sun Fang whispered.


    "But it''s so near."


    "Stop being stupid, let''s go," Yun Hao let out a short sigh. Although he would lie if he said he wasn''t tempted to just grab it, but with the distance, he reckoned the gori would notice them before they could even run.


    "...I think I can make it."


    But out of nowhere, Jia Su stood up as his eyes locked on the bag, "I am confident with the speed of my legs I I can make it. I just need a boost from Sun Fang''s wind arts."


    "What? No way, it''s not worth risking your life for," Sun Fang quickly waved his hands as he stepped away, "This is stupid."


    "I agree with the woman-beater, let''s go," Yun Hao also stepped back, "We should just go, there might be another treasure lying randomly around somewhere."


    "No," Jia Su then gently removed the camera attached to his torso, "I can make it."


    "B brother, you should listen to the others," Jia Ning let out a small stutter. If she knew his brother was going to react like this, she never would have pointed to the bag, "What''s gotten into you?"


    This was his chance, Jia Su thought. Since watching Yun Hao, there was this sort of passion that started to ze inside of him. If he could be like Yun Hao, then would he also be famous?


    With all of theics he had read, he knew what his role was in the team. He was a side character, and with Yun Hao''s existence, that will never change.


    Out of the team, he was also the weakest one but it doesn''t mean he can''t be useful. He may be a side character, but he would at least be a major one.


    "Boost me, Sun Fang!"


    "Fucking hell!"


    Sun Fang was about to summon a gale of wind as Jia Su suddenly started to push his feet. But before Jia Su could even take 3 steps, he felt his vision suddenly turn dark. The only thing he could do while falling was look at Yun Hao, who suddenly punched him on the liver.


    "W why?"


    "We still need you to get us out of here in case a rescue doesn''te," Yun Hao said before carefully lifting Jia Su on his shoulder and grabbing his camera,


    "We will die without you, Jia Su. Don''t do something like that ever again."-- was what Jia Su heard before hepletely lost consciousness.


    "Thank you, Yun Hao," Jia Ning could not help but let out a short but deep sigh as she checked on her brother, "My brother can be difficult sometimes."


    "He''s a chuuni is what he is," Sun Fang shook his head.


    "...A chuuni?"


    "It''s a never mind, let''s just go."


    Sun Fang was going to exin at first, but when he realized that he was talking with Jia Ning, who was somewhat socially inept, he just shook his head, "I''ll share with you the site where I watch anime illegally. Learn it yourself."


    And with that, the group decided toy low until Jia Su regained consciousness. They decided to rest a distance away from the Gori''s vicinity, but not too far as to reach the grey-w''s territory, which could still be alive.


    ***


    "W what happened?"


    After almost an hour, Jia Su finally woke up, only to find himself still in the Rupture. His sedated eyes traveled everywhere until itnded towards Yun Hao, who was currently digging his hands on what seemed to be the body of a grey-w mole.


    "Ah, finally, he lives."


    Jia Su then felt a hard pat on his shoulder as Sun Fang sat beside him, letting out a very deep breath.


    "What happened?" Jia Su repeated his question as he also saw his sister, all out of breath.


    "As you can see, we killed a grey-w mole," her sister then pointed at the corpse Yun Hao was fiddling with, before letting her body rest on the ground as she tried to catch her breath.


    "You defeated what now?"


    Just what happened while he was unconscious? They defeated a grey-w mole without him?"


    "Ah, if you''re thinking what I am thinking, don''t," Sun Fang once again patted Jia Su,


    "Trust me you were useful as fuck."


    "..." Jia Su then looked at the sleeves of his shirt, only to see it ripped in half. Seeing this, he quickly searched for his phone to try and watch what happened while he was away.


    And as soon as he watched what Yun Hao and the others did, he quickly swore to himself that he will never ever again, lose consciousness in front of them.


    "You guys I will get my revenge for this!"


    "Here, there''s a team here!"


    And finally, after a few more minutes, members of the Confederation, as well as the cultivator in charge arrived at their location. And their eyes quickly wavered as soon as they saw the corpse of a grey-w mole.


    "You you guys did this? How?"


    "Please...


    ...don''t ask."

 Chapter 67: An Offer

    Chapter 67: An Offer


    "Here, we have more wounded here!"


    "Gods damn it! Why didn''t anyone tell me about this!?"


    "Civilization!"


    Sun Fang''s roar almost drowned the panic of the members of the Confederation as his lungs finally felt the fresh air of the outdoors. Most of team Champion knew they had only been there for less than 6 hours, but it truly felt like they had been stuck there for a week.


    "Are any of you injured?"


    One of the members of the Confederation then approached them, checking on them one by one. Yun Hao was going to say that it was alright and none of them were injured, but the man suddenly stopped in front of him and looked into his eye.


    "This one! Qi exhaustion!"


    "...Me?"


    Yun Hao could not help but look at his teammates as soon as the man pointed at him. Jia Ning and Sun Fang looked somewhat surprised, Jia Su, however, only nodded his head.


    "You''ve been generously using your qi since the start, Yun Hao," Jia Su mentioned, "We''ve been trying to warn you but you wouldn''t seem to listen."


    "But I feel fine?" Yun Hao blinked a couple of times as he looked at his hand-- which was now trembling erratically, "W... what?"


    And as soon as he realized that, a heavy pressure slowly emerged from his stomach, slowly crawling all the way towards every part of his body. Although it wasn''t as painful as when he had his meridians unlocked, it was still enough to make Yun Hao scream.


    "It''s probably adrenaline," Jia Su let out a short sigh, "You''ll be fine, think of it as just me taking revenge on you."


    "T... that was Sun Fang''s idea."-- was what Yun Hao said as he was dragged away in a stretcher. Jia Su''s head slowly turned towards Sun Fang, who was now trying to avoid his eyes as hard as possible. But after a few seconds, he let out another scream.


    "Your sister was also in on it! She was the first to agree!"


    "N... no!" Jia Ning quickly waved her hand, "B... but it was a solid n, though."


    "You guys!"


    Jia Su hoped that what happened would never resurface again. But s, everything was recorded live through his camera.


    ***


    "She... she wasn''t involved in this! She was just a normal human!"


    "Then maybe you shouldn''t have involved her. Time to wake up, Yun Feng. You do not belong in this world."


    Yun Hao could once again feel himself trapped inside the trunk of a car, and the only thing he could do was listen as the people outside talk.


    "We... we had a family."


    "A family? With a normal human and that... that thing? You escaped from us... to live in a lie?"


    "He is my son! He has a name, it''s--"


    "--Yun Hao."


    "Ha?"


    Yun Hao doesn''t know how many times it has been, but ever since he became a cultivator, he had always been waking up looking at an unfamiliar ceiling-- this time, he found himself inside what seemed to be a room in a hospital.


    But his dream he had been dreaming of that memory a lottely.


    Yun Hao struggled to get up as the weight of his body seemed to have tripled itself. But still, even with his whole body trembling, he managed to pull himself up. He immediately felt all of his blood go up, instantly covering his whole head with nausea.


    If it wasn''t for the old man standing on the corner of the room, staring at him like some kind of sleep paralysis demon.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, this old man was the cultivator in charge of the Treasure Hunt.


    "Yun Hao."


    And seeing as he uttered his name, he was the one who woke him up from his state of unconsciousness, "That is your name, correct?"


    "...Yes?"


    Yun Hao could only furrow his eyebrows from confusion as the old man started approaching him. Just what exactly did this old man need from him? However, Yun Hao''s eyes quickly opened wide as soon as he saw the thing in the old man''s hands.


    "That''s" Yun Hao quickly recognized it-- it was the Beast Core he got from killing the grey-w mole. He instantly pocketed it when he found it; he was going to try and duplicate it first, before giving it to Jia Su, who valiantly almost sacrificed his life in order for them to kill the grey-w.


    "Oh, this?" The old man let out a slight chuckle, "You don''t have to worry."


    The old man then lightly threw the beast core to Yun Hao, "You got it fair and square from a treasure hunt, the Confederation won''t be confiscating it. I just took it so the other staff won''t be tempted to steal it. But I must say, mighty impressive for a Mortal realm cultivator to kill a level 3 beast."


    "...I didn''t kill it alone."


    "Well, I suppose it doesn''t matter," the old man then let out a long and deep sigh, "I came here to express my gratitude."


    "Gratitude for what?"


    "I saw the video. Your team managed to eliminate 2 grey-ws, as well as a good number of giant ants," the old man muttered, "You prevented more deaths by doing so, which is probably why I only received light punishment from the Confederation."


    "I see."


    Although Yun Hao appreciates the act, as soon as he found out that it was this old man''s fault that they almost died in the first ce, he could not help but let out a sigh and just shake his head.


    "I only did what I had to do to survive," Yun Hao muttered, "If there is anyone to thank, then it should be the guy with the green hair, Jia Su."


    "I saw the video," the old man once again repeated his words, "Without you there, they would have died within an hour."


    "..."


    "As thanks, you can have that," the old man said as he pointed at the desk beside Yun Hao''s bed.


    "!!!"


    Yun Hao almost jumped in shock as he saw a shining nt just casually sitting on a vase beside him. Isn''t this the ss Moringa? He then once again looked at the old man to confirm, only to see him nodding his head.


    "Please also tell my thanks to the green-haired kid," the old man then once again bowed, before casually stepping out of the room.


    "Huh." Maybe the old man wasn''t that bad at all, Yun Hao thought. He had always imagined that most cultivators were arrogant pieces of shit that always wanted to use people to their own advantage, making sure to cripple someone daily; but it would seem some were alright.


    Yun Hao then once again looked at the ss Moringa,pletely perplexed as to what he was going to do with it. He had a prior deal that was forced upon him by the Head of the Song family to give any treasure he got from the hunt but technically, this was given to him.


    "..." Yun Hao then quickly shook his head from the thought. Song Chao was definitely part of the cultivators who cripple someone daily. He also had a strange anger towards him; perhaps it wasn''t wise to agitate him once more.


    But there was one thing he could do-- Yun Hao let out a short smile as he looked at the shiny nt. It was time to duplicate a tre--


    "Yo, giraffe. You alive?"


    Yun Hao''s thoughts were instantly disrupted as soon as Sun Fang''s voice entered his ears. He was going to retort, but he just didn''t feel like it now.


    "How are you feeling, Yun Hao?" Jia Ning then added as she entered the room. And after a few more steps, she let out a small chuckle, "This is the 2nd time we''re visiting you in a hospital bed. We might get used to this."


    "Don''t jinx it," Yun Hao quickly shook his head, "Why didn''t anyone tell me I was draining my qi too much?"


    "...We all told you," Jia Ning could only sigh as she heard Yun Hao''s words, "And and about that. We we--"


    "We think you should go to school, Yun Hao," Jia Su then followed as he stepped inside and closed the door, "For all of our sakes."


    "...School?"


    Yun Hao blinked his eyes a couple of times as his eyes scanned his teammates.


    "Yes," Jia Su nodded his head, "You are the leader of team Champion, Yun Hao. If you fall during battle, we''ll all fall."


    "That"


    In truth, Yun Hao thought that team Champion would only be a one time thing, after that, he would be doing his own thing. He had always been alone in doing things and never worked in a team before this.


    But he would be lying if he said that it wasn''t nice to have someone to rely on for once.


    "There are a lot of things you could learn from the inte," Jia Su followed, "But this isn''t one of-- is that the ss Moringa!?"


    "...Yes, the cultivator in charge gave it to me."


    "I see," Jia Su nodded, but after a few seconds, he cleared his throat, "A anyway, back to the topic at hand. We could have eliminated the giant ants without relying on the grey-w, but you were wasting too much of your qi because you do not know how to control it properly."


    "..."


    "W we really think you shoulde attend the academy with us, Yun Hao."


    "Or not, you''ll only cause trouble in Echo Hills anyway."


    "You''re the one who suggested this, Sun Fang."


    "This man speaks the bullshit!"


    Yun Hao could only once again look at his teammates as he tried hard to think on their words. Enroll in another school when he just left that toxic environment behind? Was it really worth it to go through like that again?


    "S so, what do you think, Yun Hao?" Jia Ning stopped Sun Fang and her brother from bickering as she stepped forward, "Do you


    ...want to go to school with us?"

 Chapter 68: No

    Chapter 68: No


    "You... live here?"


    "Look, this TV is bigger than Jia Su''s potential."


    "S... Sun Fang! That''s not nice to say. My... my brother may not be gifted in--"


    "Please, don''t ever try to defend my honor again, sis."


    Sun Fang, Jia Su, and Jia Ning''s breaths all traveled through the spacious area that was Yun Hao''s hotel room. Even after a whole day had passed since he was invited to attend the Echo Hills academy, he still hasn''t given them an answer.


    He invited them here to give them the 150 Beast Cores he promised to give them; of course, he pushed all the empty beast cores that were on the veranda into the pool, before covering it with its tarpaulin-- they almost looked like pearls down there.


    "How the fuck is a newly awakened, not to mention Frence cultivator capable of renting a ce like this?"


    "He has a backer, remember?" Jia Su quickly let out a sigh as he shook his head. Since Jia Su also came from a cultivator family, they could probably afford something like this-- but s, most of their wealthes in the form of treasures. If they sold all of their artifacts, then they could probably afford to buy this whole hotel.


    But once again, s, they were a cultivator family.


    "Here you go, 50 for each of you."


    Yun Hao then casually threw 3 pouches towards them, containing all the Beast Cores he promised. Of course, Sun Fang immediately counted it to see he wasn''t duping them all. But to all of their surprise, the pouch truly did contain 50 beast cores each.


    "Your... backer truly has a Core Farm," Jia Su could not help but open his eyes wide as he examined each of the beast cores that was now in his hand, "These all came from the same type of beast, yes? They all weigh the same."


    Hearing Jia Su''s question, Yun Hao just shrugged his shoulders instead of answering. Still... beast cores weighed differently? He should probably check it with the Beast Core he got from the grey-w mole. He tried duplicating it earlier, but the only thing he got was his nose bleeding all over the ce.


    "But why is your backer not teaching you anything?"


    Once again, the topic that Yun Hao can''t seem to avoid once again rose. Maybe he should have thought of a better excuse for his mysterious wealth, but considering that would be the only viable exnation, it was the best he could have thought of at the moment. Besides, every question could be answered by ''I have a backer''.


    "He... leaves me to learn things on my own," Yun Hao then recited the words he had been practicing the past few days, "He says that a real cultivator will only learn by experience."


    "Speaking of experience, have you already decided to go to Echo Hills?"


    "That... I have already attended school," Yun Hao then let out a short but deep sigh as he finally answered their question, "I am afraid it''s not for me."


    "Bro, don''t be stupid."


    And as soon as his answers reached his teammates'' ears, Sun Fang was the first to react, "I thought it was also going to be a normal school when I was enrolled by the Huang family, but as soon as I got there, I was quickly proven wrong. They call it an academy, but it''s more like a training ground for cultivators. Don''t even darepare it to Normie schools where normies learn how to science and shit.


    We do the important work in Echo Hills-- they reach us to explore the world and kill shit."


    "Well... I think scientists are pretty import--"


    "Do not speak your mundane words to us!" Sun Fang quickly stopped Jia Ning from talking. He was going to say more, but Jia Su beat him to it.


    "Sun Fang has a point, Yun Hao," he muttered, quickly gathering a nod from Sun Fang.


    "His words might have been crude, but it''s true. I might not have any experience in going to a Normie school like the both of you, but I have read enough to know that it''s vastly different. I am sure you know this too, as the first thing that happened to you when you visited Echo Hills was get clobbered by one of the teachers," Jia Su then let out a sigh as he looked at the pouch of beast cores that Yun Hao gave him, "No matter how fast you gain strength by absorbing cores, it will be meaningless if you do not know how to use your power wisely. This isn''t like boxing where skills and strategies will let you win, you also need to know how to control your qi; you are very effective against a human opponent, but against beasts, I am afraid there wille a time when you--"


    "Fine."


    Before Jia Su could continue his long speech, Yun Hao leaned back from his seat as he scratched his hair, "Since we might be working for a very long time... I can always just quit if it truly doesn''t suit me."


    "So... so you''ll enroll in the Academy, then!?" Jia Ning lightly jumped from her spot as she heard Yun Hao''s words.


    "Yeah," Yun Hao nodded, "I have nothing to lose, anyway. Do I need to know anything for the entrance exam?"


    "There''s no entrance exam."


    "...What? What kind of school doesn''t have an entrance exam?"


    "Oh my dear brother," Sun Fang then let out a long and deep sigh as he ced his arm over Yun Hao''s shoulder, "We already told you to stopparing it to a Normie school."


    "..."


    "You just need to present your Cultivator License," Jia Su mentioned, "Since it already contains all Echo Hills needs to know about you, the only thing they need to do is to interview you; but they ept everyone since we cultivators are already just a fraction of the entire poption."


    "I see. But why are you guys still standing?"


    "...Right."


    As soon as they heard Yun Hao''s words, Jia Ning and Jia Su immediately took a seat on the suite''s oversized sofa. Sun Fang as well, rxed himself as the four continued to talk about certain things.


    After they went home, Yun Hao was going to start duplicating more cores; but before he could do so, a woman iming to be from the Song family knocked on his door. And if he wasn''t mistaken-- it was none other than Song Ming, Song Jian''s mother.


    "Hello, hello."


    Song Ming did not even wait for Yun Hao to offer her to go inside, as she immediately stepped through the door as soon as Yun Hao opened it.


    "Not bad," Song Ming then nodded to herself as she leaped to the sofa, immediately making herself cozy.


    "Oh, isn''t that the ss Moringa?" She then quickly pointed towards the ss Moringa that was peacefully resting on Yun Hao''s table, "So the old dude really gave it to you, huh."


    "That do you have someone watching me every second?"


    "Nonsense," Song Ming let out a chuckle as she waved her hand, "Just a daily report. And don''t look at me like that, my daughter is the one keeping tabs on you. It just so happens I am the one paying for her people, so I also know everything."


    "What?" Yun Hao blinked a couple of times. He already had an idea, but he was just denying that someone would actually do something like that. Although Song Jian''s blind trust for him was weird, it was also somewhat sweet-- but to think she truly was stalking him to this extent.


    But for some reason, instead of finding it creepy, and it truly was; Yun Hao found it quite endearing that someone would be interested in him that much.


    "Since when has she been watching me?"


    "Before this," Song Ming then iled her finger across her left eye as she looked at Yun Hao.


    "Even before the ident?"


    "Yes," Song Ming shrugged nonchntly, "She wanted to rage when she found out what happened to you, but uncle stopped her since the other party is quite troublesome. I thought you already knew?"


    "...No."


    "Oh, my bad. My daughter is probably going to kill me," Song Ming then let out a sigh as she stood up from the sofa, "Also, you can keep the ss Moringa. It was unexpected that the Confederation would make a mistake on rating the Rupture, it''s not worth risking your life for something like that."


    "What? Then what about the Family Head?"


    "Don''t worry about the old man," Song Ming casually waved her hand as she walked towards Yun Hao''s fridge.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Finding something to drink, duh. You didn''t even offer me anything," Song Ming rolled her eyes as she took a soda from the fridge, "Also, you shouldn''t be drinking this stuff, it''s bad for your health."


    "...I don''t, it''splimentary from the hotel."


    "Oh," Song Ming shrugged her shoulders as the fizz from her opening the soda can sizzle in the air, "Also, I am sleeping here."


    "Please get out."


    "...No."

 Chapter 69: Nice

    Chapter 69: Nice


    "Please get out."


    "No."


    Yun Hao could only stare at Song Ming as she continued to roam around his penthouse. Yun Hao didn''t notice it earlier since her visit was all too sudden, but seeing as she was in her pajamas, she probably already had the intention of staying the night in the first ce.


    "Why are you really here?"


    "Hm?" Song Ming then slightly turned her head towards Yun Hao as she opened another can of soda, "Because I can?"


    "...That''s not really a valid reason."


    Hearing the frustration slowly growing in Yun Ha''s voice, Song Ming just shrugged her shoulders, slightly pushing her finelybed red hair to the sides. "Why are you here?"


    "Why wouldn''t I be? I live here."


    "I mean why are you still here?"


    "...What?"


    "If I suffered the same fate as you, I would have already run away," Song Ming muttered as she once again rxed herself on the sofa, letting herself be almost swallowed by its soft confines; careful not to spill her soda, "You were betrayed by your lover, lost an eye, lost your schrship-- If I were you, I would have already left as soon as it happened."


    "..."


    "But then again, I have no idea what you really went through," Song Ming then let out a small giggle, "My daughter and I, you see; all we have known is the Song family. We have no choice but to be stuck here because of that. But you, didn''t you have the freedom to leave?"


    "I had no money," Yun Hao then finally decided to give in and just took a seat on the other sofa, "Even if I wanted to leave, I have no means to. You think it might have been easy since you have everything ready for you but it wasn''t like that for me."


    "Oh?"


    "Since you know so much about me, then you should know who the Long family is, right?"


    "Even if my daughter wasn''t stalking you, we would still know about the Long family."


    "I owe the old man there everything," Yun Hao then let out another long and deep sigh as he leaned back on the sofa, "I was an orphan, you see. My parents were reported to have died in a car crash but the truth is, there''s a part of my memory that says otherwise. They were killed, and I remember it-- they were killed by a cultivator."


    "..."


    "Anyway, long story short, Long Ma pretty much adopted me when it happened. I don''t really know how close he was to my parents, but it was enough for him to treat me as his own son. I was happy enough to work for their family, but when he found out I have a talent for beating people up, he worked his magic and got me to the most prestigious school in the country


    ...He was the reason why I even had the chance for a future in the first ce. Call it sentimentality, but I--"


    The sound of Song Ming slurping her soda quickly interrupted Yun Hao''s story.


    "We both know that''s bullshit," Song Ming then said as she exhaled loudly after finishing up her soda, "It''s because the only thing you know how to be is a ve."


    "..."


    "You''re too afraid to be anything more."


    "That''s not--"


    "You have this sort of hatred for cultivators because of what happened to your family, but that''s not enough reason for you to have refused my family''s offer to you to be a cultivator twice. You''re afraid, Yun Hao."


    "You don''t know me enough toe up with such a conclusion, Song Ming."


    "And when you realize that everything that defined who you are was slowly slipping away you tried to kill yourself."


    "...Is Song Jian truly the only one stalking me?" Yun Hao could not help but be slightly taken aback by Song Ming''s words. If she knew that about him, then what else could she know?


    "I just want what''s best for my daughter," Song Ming then let out another sigh as she once again stood up, grabbing another can of soda from Yun Hao''s fridge, "But in terms of having rtionships, she ispletely clueless. My husband died just a year after she was born, so I didn''t really have any time to teach her anything as I had to take over his duties in the family."


    "Why are you really here?"


    "To know the kind of man you are now, Yun Hao," Song Ming slightly leaned forward, cing her soda on the table between her and Yun Hao, "You just suddenly changed. Out of nowhere, you suddenly became a different man, almost overnight."


    "..."


    "I don''t care if you have some kind of secret backer, or found some kind of magical treasure that suddenly made you rich. But what I need to know is what you intend to do from now on."


    "I don''t really think that is any of your business, Song Ming," Yun Hao then lowered his voice as he looked Song Ming straight in the eyes, "I don''t know who you think you are, but you can''t just dissect my life just like that. Just because you have the means to, doesn''t mean you can invade my private life."


    "Ho?"


    "I don''t appreciate it, Song Ming."


    "Did you really think my family is the only one investigating you, Yun Hao?"


    "...What?"


    "With your sudden rise in poprity in the cultivation world, almost everyone in the world has their eyes on you," Song Ming said, "Even now, the floor beneath you is filled with people from other ns, their ears all opened up so they could learn more about you. Better us than them, right?"


    Yun Hao could not help but slightly twitch his eye as Song Ming''s mischievous giggle echoed through his ears. Didn''t she hear what Yun Hao just said? Even if there were other people also spying on him, it doesn''t mean that it gives them the right to also stalk him. But it would seem that whatever he tries to say to Song Ming doesn''t have any effect on her.


    Is this some kind of innate attribute of cultivators, being stubborn?


    "Alright, I''m done saying my piece."


    With Song Ming standing up from the sofa and heading to the door, Yun Hao could not help but let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he thought; Song Ming would finally leave.


    But s, instead of leaving through the door, she went and opened up the bag she left in front of it, taking out what seemed to be a thick set of nkets before dragging it back towards the sofa; covering herself up with it, andfortably falling on the confines of the awfully rxing and soft sofa.


    "...Fuck," was the only thing that Yun Hao could mutter as he went to his bed. It would seem that he would not be able to duplicate anything right now so he just decided to sleep again.


    ***


    "Yun Hao! We came to visit you again! Open up, you bastard!"


    "Don''t hit the door too hard, he might still be resting from his injuries."


    "What injuries? He doesn''t--"


    "He''s still asleep."


    "Wha--"


    Sun Fang, who was about to knock on Yun Hao''s door for the nth time, could not help but slightly back away as a red-haired woman, wearing nothing but her loose pajamas, weed them.


    It wasn''t only him, even Jia Ning and Jia Su also looked at each other in confusion as they looked at the red-haired woman. They then turned to look at the door number, to see if they were really in the right room.


    But seeing as the hotel only had one penthouse, they couldn''t be in the wrong room.


    "What the, why are you opening my door!?"


    And seeing as they could hear Yun Hao''s voiceing from inside the room-- they truly were there.


    "Go back inside!" Yun Hao then suddenly appeared from behind the woman, pulling her back to the house before stepping out and shutting the door.


    "Why are the three of you here!?" Yun Hao''s breaths then littered the entire hall as he scanned the three.


    "...We thought we were going to the Academy?"


    "What? Since when? Was that today?" Yun Hao breathed.


    "If you''re busy, then we could just schedule it some other time?" Jia Ning muttered as her eyes tried their best to avoid Yun Hao''s face.


    "What? No, we can go. Just wait here for a few minutes."


    "Wait."


    Yun Hao was going to rush back inside, but before he could do so, his hand was grabbed by Sun Fang.


    "Who is that woman, Yun Hao? Spit it out, bro."


    "Oh, her? She''s Song Jian''s mother. She just visited me yesterday," Yun Hao waved his hand nonchntly as he let out an awkward chuckle, trying his best not to escte the situation. But seeing the trio''s eyes slowly widening...


    ...it would seem that his words had the opposite effect.


    "You


    ...you even nabbed the mother!? Nice!"

 Chapter 70: Weirdest Interview

    Chapter 70: Weirdest Interview


    ***For my old readers, as of 11/8/2021, I have rewritten some parts of the story. So if you want to reread it, this is probably the best time to do so***


    "I don''t think I will ever get used to this view."


    Yun Hao was now back at Echo Hills Academy for the 2nd time, and the scenery was still as memorable as the first time he saw it.


    The sea of clouds that fogged the ground he was walking on; the almost hundred towering hills that each housed their own pagoda on top of them; the long and tantalizing bridges that connected them-- truly, a sight one would not forget.


    "Eh, trust me. It''ll die down after a few hours."


    "..."


    And if Yun Hao didn''t notice the stares he was getting before, he did now. Some of them were even trying to take photos of him, if it wasn''t for Jia Su expertly blocking them away while they were walking, then Yun Hao would probably have thousands of photos circting around InstaPound by now.


    "...Are you some kind of bodyguard?" Yun Hao could not help but mutter as Jia Su even went to the point of covering him with robes, "You do know doing this attracts more attention, right?"


    Yun Hao was not a stranger to fame, so it didn''t really bother him that much. And since he was nning on enrolling himself in the Academy, these people will get tired of him sooner orter.


    "B brother, maybe you should listen to him," Jia Ning was also trying her best to cover her face. She knows all of the students that were staring at them were actually just trying to peek a look at Yun Hao, but she still could not help but be somewhat embarrassed from all the eyes pointed in their direction. "L let''s just hurry up!"


    And with that, Jia Ning pushed Yun Hao, Sun Fang, and her brother away until they reached their destination-- the Registrar''s office.


    "Go ahead, we will be in our sses while you take the tests."


    "...Tests?" Yun Hao was about to enter the office, but as soon as he heard Jia Su''s words, he could not help but take a step back, "I thought you said there weren''t any exams? I didn''t review for this."


    "Pft, what? Big celebrity afraid of some small letters?" Sun Fang quickly took this chance to assert his dominance; crossing his arms as he tiptoed so that he would have the same eye level as Yun Hao but s, he was still a few inches short.


    "There''s no written exam," Jia Su quickly waved his hand, "It''s just a test for the Academy to gauge where you currently are in terms of cultivation level, skill, andbat awareness."


    "...Shouldn''t they know that already since I almost died thest time I was here?" Yun Hao breathed out.


    "It It''s really all just an borate interview," this time, it was Jia Ning who answered Yun Hao, "As long as you present your Cultivator License, the school has pretty much epted you."


    "Pft, it would be funny if you''re the first one they refuse to ept."


    "..." Yun Hao squinted his eye as he continued to listen to the others, but after a few more seconds, he let out a small but deep breath and said, "Well if you''re going to prate, then prate hard," before entering the office.


    "...Does anyone know what that actually fucking means yet?"


    ***


    "He...llo?"


    Yun Hao was expecting a small office simr to the one they had in Tsinghai Highschool, but as soon as he entered Echo Hills Academy''s registrar office, his eye was quickly showered by the bright white light that the walls of the room seemed to exude.


    And right in the very center of the spacious white room, was a single desk.


    "...Hello?" Yun Hao once again repeated his greeting as he approached the old man sitting at the desk; the old man, however, seemed to have not noticed Yun Hao as he continued to write whatever it was he was writing on arge book, stroking his long, white glorious beard as he did so.


    "I came here to enroll in the Academy," Yun Hao slightly raised his voice to get the old man''s attention, "I was told that you were going to interview me first and--"


    "License."


    And before Yun Hao could say another word, the man stopped writing and quickly stretched his hand towards him, his eyes, however, were still stered on the book.


    "..." Seeing as the old man didn''t seem to be that much of a talker, Yun Hao just decided to give him the license without saying another word. For all Yun Hao knows, the old man might be doing some cultivator ritual he didn''t know about.


    "..." The old man ced Yun Hao''s license on the table, not even looking at it before he proceeded to once again write in his book.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    But finally, after what seemed like almost half an hour of waiting, the old man finally closed his book and looked at Yun Hao''s license.


    "Immersion?" The old man then scratched his beard, "I see you only acquired the license this month."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Call me Wang Gang," the old man then stood up from his seat as he turned to look at Yun Hao, "...You''re already the Middle-stage of the Mortal Realm?"


    "I I think so, sir Wang," Yun Hao could not help but take in a small gulp. Judging by the looks that Wang Gang was giving him, it would seem that his Cultivation level was rising a little bit too fast.


    It was a good thing he had not yet started duplicating and absorbing the Level 3 Beast Core he got from the Grey-w Mole. If not, then the people in the Academy might just start dissecting him instead.


    "Impressive."


    But it would seem that he was worrying for nothing, as Wang Gang only stroked his beard before handing him back his license. But as he was about to grab it from Wang Gang''s hand, he quickly leaned his head to the side.


    "What the fuck!?" Yun Hao then said as he leaped a few steps back, "Are you crazy!?"


    "Blind in one eye but still able to dodge a strikeing from your left," Wang Gang then said as he once again stretched his arms, as if trying to tell Yun Hao to get his license, "Impressive."


    "You--" Yun Hao was about to say more, but then he remembered what Jia Su said about the tests. Was this it?


    "..." And so, with that thought, Yun Hao quickly took in a long and deep breath before getting into a stance.


    "A Pugilist?" Wang Gang then raised an eyebrow as he let out a small hum, "An odd choice of--"


    And without even letting Wang Gang finish his words, Yun Hao''s feet exploded from the ground as he rushed towards the old man.


    "Not bad," Wang Gang then said as he looked at Yun Hao''s opened palm, which was only a foot away from taking the license card he was casually holding in his hand. And as Yun Hao''s hand was only a few inches away, Wang Gang swiftly moved to the side, raising his hand in the air topletely avoid Yun Hao.


    "!!!"


    What he did not expect, however, was Yun Hao suddenly shifting the path of his strike mid-way-- already going straight to the new position of the card.


    "Ho?" And without even realizing it, Wang Gang grabbed Yun Hao''s wrist.


    "Tch," Yun Hao quickly tried to pull his arm away but found that he was not even able to budge the old man''s hand for even a millimeter. He was about to punch Wang Gang in the face, but before he could do so


    ...Wang Gang suddenly ced the card in his hand.


    "You truly are quite the impressive one, aren''t you?" Wang Gang then breathed out as he let go of Yun Hao''s wrist.


    "So we''re done here?" Yun Hao said before letting out a small sigh of relief; checking if his wrist was not broken.


    "We were done as soon as you entered the room, Mr. Hao."


    "What are you doing?" Although Yun Hao was truly relieved at hearing Wang Gang''s words, he could not help but slightly take a step back as Wang Gang suddenly took off his robes, revealing the raging muscles hidden beneath.


    "But it would be a waste to leave just like this..." Wang Gang then got into a stance, his muscles almost threatening to rip his skin as he contracted them,


    "...Don''t you think so too, young man?"


    "...What?" Yun Hao muttered. This...


    ...is probably the weirdest interview he will ever be a part of.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!