The next morning, Ye Feng went to attend Teacher Li's class. The students who noticed him greeted him politely one after another, yet they kept casting strange looks in his direction. Ye Feng returned their greetings with a smile and sighed inwardly.
'Getting my own dwelling destroyed definitely ruin my reputation. I don't even know how to deal with this crap—can't I catch a break?'
Ye Feng took a seat at the back of the classroom and quietly waited for Teacher Li to arrive and begin the lesson his lesson for today.
Five minutes later, Fu arrived to the classroom. When he spotted Ye Feng, a wide smile spread across his face, and he walked over to take a seat beside him.
As Fu approached, the surrounding students began whispering among themselves, some even pointing in his direction. Ye Feng noticed their reactions and couldn't help but sigh inwardly in frustration.
Fu stood in front of Ye Feng, crossing his arms over his chest and smirked "You defeated me yesterday, but don't think this is over. The next time we battle, I'll be the victor."
After saying these words, Fu sat down beside him without saying another word.
Ye Feng couldn't help but smile to himself. 'This guy is so simple-minded—almost amusing.'
At that moment, Zhang Wei strode into the classroom. The instant his eyes fell on Ye Feng, a sharp glint of ambition and greed flickered across his gaze. 'The rank three monster core will be mine… just you wait.'
He moved to the back right corner of the classroom and settled into his seat, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Ye Feng.
Soon, Teacher Li arrived. He scanned the classroom before addressing his students. "Alright, everyone. Today, we'll be talking about monster beasts. In two weeks, the academy will hold a competition, and everyone is required to participate. It's called the Monster Beast Core Hunting Competition. Don't worry—you'll receive all the details in a few days."
All the students buzzed with excitement at the news of the competition. Teacher Li cleared his throat, and the classroom immediately quieted as they caught the annoyed look in his eyes. He began his lesson: "Monster beasts have ranks and distinct cultivation styles. The differences between humans and monster beasts lie in intelligence, physique, innate abilities, and inherited memories."
"Humans are born intelligent, whereas monster beasts only gain intelligence as they advance in cultivation. Their bodies are naturally stronger than humans, and the more they cultivate, the more their physical strength grows."
"Some monster beasts are born with innate abilities, such as breathing fire or spitting poison. As they advance in cultivation, they may unlock additional abilities stored in their inherited memories, or even gain entirely new powers, depending on their species."
Teacher Li continued discussing the monster beasts, and the students listened intently. After two hours, he began answering their questions.
________
After the class
Ye Feng was about to leave the classroom when he noticed Zhang Wei blocking his path, his eyes narrowed into a sharp, calculating gaze. Confused, Ye Feng paused and met his stare.
Slowly, Zhang Wei rested his hand on his space belt. With a faint shimmer, a small pill bottle materialized in his palm, the pills inside were dark green.
Ye Feng's eyes widened in shock as recognition struck him. He had read about these pills back in the Ye Clan's book pavilion, and he had even seen them in person when his father had shown them to him. These were Pure Cleansing Pills—rare and potent pills.
These pills expelled impurities from the user's body, purified their saint force, and helped build a solid foundation for cultivation. With such a pill, a cultivator could advance more steadily and break through their limits with far greater ease.
Zhang Wei's lips curved into a proud smirk as he observed Ye Feng's reaction. "I challenge you to a battle," he declared, holding the glowing bottle aloft. "I'll wager this bottle of Pure Cleansing Pills, and you… you must wager your rank-three monster core. Do you dare accept?"
The classroom buzzed with excitement as the students reacted to Zhang Wei's bold challenge to Ye Feng.
Ye Feng's eyes widened in disbelief. Zhang Wei was actually willing to wager the Pure Cleansing Pills! He was about to accept without hesitation—these pills could skyrocket his cultivation. But before he could utter a word, a loud BAAM! CRACK! CRASH! shook the room as Fu slammed his hand onto the table, sending a jolt through everyone present.
Fu's palm slammed onto the table with a deafening CRASH, shattering it into splinters. He shot to his feet, eyes blazing as he glared at Zhang Wei. "How dare you scam my brother!" he roared, his voice shaking with fury. "You expect him to wager his rank-three monster core for nothing more than cheap bottle of pills?"
Ye Feng broke sweatdrop as he heard this, thinking to himself, 'Doesn't he know how valuable these pills are? They're among the most precious produced by the Zhang family… and when did I even become his brother?' He looked at Fu, utterly bewildered.
Zhang Wei sneered at Fu with clear disgust. "This isn't your concern," he spat. "This is between me and Ye Feng, you stinking villager." He then turned his piercing gaze toward Ye Feng. "So, what's your answer, Ye Feng? Are you going to accept my challenge—or are you going to chicken out?"
Fu smirked at Zhang Wei and cut into their conversation again. "I am the personal disciple of the academy headmaster. Not only did you try to scam my brother with some cheap pills, but you also disrespected me—the headmaster's personal disciple."
Ye Feng was speechless. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'He really doesn't know the value of Pure Cleansing Pills…', he thought. 'Hehe, I won't interfere. I just want to see how this will play out.'
All the students witnessing the scene began murmuring loudly. Ye Feng and Zhang Wei overheard them: "So the rumors were true—the headmaster really accepted him as a disciple." Both of them were taken aback, surprised to hear the same revelation from the students around them.
Zhang Wei began to sweat, his heart pounding. 'Damn…' he thought. 'Father warned me to show the academy headmaster respect—after all, his influence stretches far across the Hidden Dragon Kingdom.'
Fu smirked, and Zhang Wei felt a chill run down his spine at that expression. "If you want to wager against my brother in a fight, you'll need to produce five bottles of these cheap pills," he said. Ye Feng almost burst out laughing upon hearing this, he couldn't help but like Fu even more.
Zhang Wei's face flushed crimson with anger. He bellowed, completely forgetting his father's warnings: "Why should I wager five bottles of the Pure Cleansing Pills? Do you even realize how valuable these pills are?"
Fu gave him a cold, uninterested look. "I don't care," he said calmly. "First, you tried to scam my brother with just one bottle of cheap pills to steal his rank-three monster core. That cost you one bottle. Then, you disrespected me, the personal disciple of the academy headmaster—another bottle. And finally, three more bottles to match the value of the rank-three monster core."
The students who had been listening to Fu's words stared at him as if he had grown a second head. Shock froze them in place, their eyes wide with disbelief. Some whispered among themselves, "He's actually trying to rob the son of the Zhang clan patriarch… isn't he afraid of the consequences?"
Ye Feng, unable to contain himself any longer, threw back his head and burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! This… this is absolutely hilarious!"
Fu then looked Zhang Wei directly in the eyes and said, "Can the noble Zhang family not afford a mere five bottles of those pills as a wager?'"
At Fu's words, Zhang Wei completely lost his composure. With a furious glare, he grabbed four more bottles of Pure Cleansing Pills and slammed them onto the table. "Is this enough?" he demanded.
Fu nodded in satisfaction and looked at Ye Feng, rubbing his palms together eagerly.
"Brother Feng, go beat him up so we can take those pills."
Ye Feng sweatdrop when he heard these words. After a brief pause, he shook his head helplessly, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Zhang Wei calmly stored the pill bottles back into his spatial belt and said coldly, "Meet me at the same fighting arena where you fought that stinky villager—don't be late. If I win, I take your monster core. If you win, you get five bottles of Pure Cleansing Pills."
After speaking, he left the classroom. Instantly, the room erupted into chaos. Whispers quickly escalated into excited chatter, and soon every student was buzzing with the news of the bet between Ye Feng and Zhang Wei.
______
The Fighting Arena
Ye Feng and Fu walked toward the arena together. By the time they arrived, Zhang Wei was already waiting, standing on the fighting arena grounds. Ye Feng stepped forward calmly, entered the arena, and took his place opposite Zhang Wei.
Students from every corner of the academy flocked to the arena to witness the battle. The crowd was even larger than the one that had gathered the day before, and the growing commotion drew the attention of many academy staff as well. Even Ye Feng's eldest brother, Ye Long, arrived with his friends to watch the battle unfold.
Zhang Wei took a halberd from his space ring. Seeing this, Ye Feng calmly summoned his Blood Dragon Fang from his dantian.
The moment his saint weapon appeared, the entire arena fell into stunned silence. Not only Zhang Wei, but everyone watching froze in disbelief.
Zhang Wei was so shocked that his words came out in a stutter.
" y y y you breakthrough i i i i into the saint realm, m m m? h h h h how? Yesterday you u u were at the saint force e e e e realm m m m ".
Ye Feng smiled at him, "I breakthrough yesterday.".
Zhang Wei completely lost his cool after hearing Ye Feng's reply and charged forward, swinging his halberd in a wide, reckless arc, devoid of any finesse. Ye Feng calmly sidestepped the attack, and the moment an opening appeared, he thrust his Blood Dragon Fang straight toward Zhang Wei's left shoulder.
"Pu!"
"AAGGHH!"
Zhang Wei grunted in pain after Ye Feng stabbed in the shoulder.
Ye Feng pulled the Blood Dragon Fang from Zhang Wei's shoulder, forcing Zhang Wei to stagger back several steps.
Ye Feng smirked. In the next instant, he charged forward, his left fist coated in a swirling cloud of saint force, and smashed it hard into Zhang Wei's face.
"BAAM."
Zhang Wei was sent flying into a stone pillar, his back slamming against it with bone-rattling force.
"BAAM."
"COUGH."
Zhang Wei cursed under his breath and struggled to his feet, but the moment he did, he froze. The cold tip of Ye Feng's blood dragon fang hovered inches from his throat, its cold tip was making his scalp prickle.
"You lost."
Zhang Wei was stunned at how easily Ye Feng defeated him.
'How is this possible? How could he defeat me so easily? He's far stronger than he was yesterday! Does advancing to a higher realm really grant this much power?'
Zhang Wei gritted his teeth after coming back to his senses. "Fine, I give up."
After saying these words, Zhang Wei reluctantly retrieved the five bottles of Pure Cleansing Pills from his space belt and handed them to Ye Feng.
Ye Feng's eyes lit up when he saw the five bottles of Pure Cleansing Pills. He quickly grabbed them and stored them in his space belt.
________
With the onlookers
All the students erupted into an uproar, stunned by how easily Ye Feng had defeated Zhang Wei. A red-haired youth, who looked a year or two older than Ye Feng, narrowed his eyes as he stared at the arena and muttered coldly,
"Damn it, Fourth Brother. Now I have to clean up your mess. You should be grateful. Once I'm done dealing with this, I'll report everything to Father. You deserve to be punished by him."
"TAP, TAP."
Step by step, the boy made his way toward the fighting arena. His short crimson hair caught the light, complementing his fair complexion and striking azure eyes.
He had an average-looking face with sharp eyebrows. His slim yet muscular frame moved with controlled precision, reflecting both agility and strength.
The boy, known throughout the academy, was Zhang Da—the third young master of the illustrious Zhang family and the favorite son of the clan patriarch.
_______
In The Fighting Arena
Zhang Da stepped onto the arena with measured, deliberate strides, his calm gaze locked on Ye Feng. "I can't let you take the Pure Cleansing Pills," he said. "They are among the Zhang family's most precious pills. But perhaps we can strike a deal—I'll trade you Saint Concentrating Pills in exchange."
He reached into his space belt and produced five pill bottles, extending them toward Ye Feng. Just as he was about to hand them over, Fu leaped into the arena, positioning himself in front of Ye Feng.
Fu looked at Zhang Da solemnly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've heard of you," he said. "You are Zhang Da, if I'm not mistaken."
Zhang Da smiled, meeting Fu's gaze with intensity. "Yes," he replied, "and I've heard a great deal about you as well. You are Fu, the new personal disciple of the academy headmaster, correct?"
Fu nodded seriously. "Yes I am, sorry to disappoint you, but Zhang Wei was the one who started all this—and he suggested wagering these pills for my brother's Rank Three Monster Core. So if anyone deserves blame, it's Zhang Wei, don't you agree?"
Zhang Da smiled and nodded. "My fourth brother has always been arrogant."
_______
With Zhang Wei
Zhang Wei clenched his fists as Zhang Da's words sank in, but there was no room for argument or defense. After all, he had lost the pill bottles his father had entrusted to him—these pills meant to sustain him until he ascended to the Great Saint Master Realm.
_______
On The Fighting Arena
Zhang Da paused for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Look, these pills are extremely precious. How about this? We fight—I'll wager five Saint Concentrating Pill bottles, and you put up the pills you won from my foolish brother. What do you say?"
Fu opened his mouth to reply, but Ye Feng cut him off. "Deal."
Zhang Da smiled at Ye Feng, but the glint in his eyes was anything but friendly—malicious intent lurked behind that calm exterior.
Fu glanced at Ye Feng, concern etching his features. He stepped closer and leaned in, whispering, "Be careful. This guy is Zhang Da. I've heard he's as sly as a snake." Ye Feng met his gaze with a serious nod. With that, Fu stepped down from the fighting arena, leaving Ye Feng alone.
_____
On The Stands
Cheers erupted from the spectators when they saw Zhang Da was about to battle Ye Feng.
______
On The Fighting Arena
Zhang Da summoned a saint weapon ablaze with fiery light—a bo staff that shimmered like molten fire. Flames snaked along its length as he spun it effortlessly in his palm. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he lunged at Ye Feng, swinging and thrusting the staff with uncanny precision. Ye Feng barely managed to block, his body recoiling from the intense heat that scorched the air around him.
Ye Feng could no longer dodge or parry. With a swift, unrelenting motion, Zhang Da thrust his flaming bo staff straight at his chest. The searing flames licked at Ye Feng's attire and scorched his skin, sending waves of pain coursing through him. Gritting his teeth, he endured the burning agony, refusing to yield.
Zhang Bo's lips curled into a sinister smirk as he swung and thrust his flaming bo staff relentlessly at Ye Feng. The scorching heat from the flames made each dodge more grueling than the last. Gritting his teeth, Ye Feng tightened his grip on the Blood Dragon Fang, letting a brilliant blue cloud of saint force swirl along its crimson blade, readying himself for a counterstrike.
He flipped backward through the air, tightening his grip on the Blood Dragon Fang before bringing it down in a fierce, sweeping strike.
"SWISH."
A brilliant blue arc of energy erupted from his crimson blade, catching Zhang Da completely off guard.
"CLANK."
Zhang Da blocked the brilliant blue arc of energy with his saint weapon, but the force of the flying slash drove him backward a few feet.
For a brief moment, Zhang Da was stunned. Then his killing intent surged toward Ye Feng, only to be met by a barrage of brilliant blue arcs of energy, hurtling at him with incredible speed.
"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH."
"CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK."
Zhang Da blocked every brilliant blue arc with his saint weapon, but each impact drove him backward, the force behind the arcs pushing him off his feet.
Just as Zhang Da was about to fall off the arena, he drove his saint weapon into the ground, using it to flip back onto the platform.
While Zhang Da flipped through the air, Ye Feng unleashed multiple arcs of brilliant blue energy, charging relentlessly toward him.
"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH."
"CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK."
Despite blocking each arc, Zhang lost his balance as he landed—and at that precise moment, Ye Feng appeared before him, swinging the Blood Dragon Fang straight at his chest.
"BURST."
"AAAAAGGGHHHH."
Blood erupted from Zhang Da's chest like a fountain in the air, and he screamed in agony.
He then fell on his his knees clutching his injured chest.
At that moment, Ye Feng pointed his Blood Dragon Fang at his throat and spoke triumphantly.
"You lost."
______
On The Stands
The onlookers burst into excited cheers at Zhang Bo's defeat, disbelief written across many of their faces.
Zhang Wei was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How could my third brother lose? He's the strongest among our clan's young generation!"
______
On The Fighting Arena
Zhang Da glared daggers at Ye Feng; killing intent blazed in his eyes, and Ye Feng saw it clearly.
'You've won today, but this battle is far from finished. I will hunt you down and make you pay in the most agonizing way possible. Just wait—my time will come.'
Zhang Da struggled to his feet, retrieved five bottles of Saint-Concentrating Pills from his space belt, and handed them to Ye Feng. Then, without another word, he turned around and dragged Zhang Wei toward the medical bay.
After Zhang Wei and Zhang Da left, the students immediately gathered around Ye Feng. However, the academy staff ordered them to step back, explaining that Ye Feng needed to go to the medical bay to receive treatment for the injuries he had sustained during his fight with Zhang Da. Many of the students felt disappointed—they had hoped to build a relationship with Ye Feng—but in the end, they obeyed the instructors' orders.
After storing the Saint-Concentrating Pill bottles into his space belt, Ye Feng made his way to the medical bay, accompanied by Ye Long, Fu, and Ye Long's friends.
On the way, Ye Feng introduced Fu to his first brother and his friends. Ye Long and his companions took an immediate liking to Fu, and as they walked toward the medical bay, they began chatting animatedly with each other.
______
Medical Bay
Upon reaching the medical bay, a Radiant Saint Masters immediately began healing Ye Feng's burned chest. Reassured that his condition was no longer serious, Ye Long and his friends bade farewell to Ye Feng and Fu before departing. Fu then remained outside the medical bay, waiting for Ye Feng.
________
With Ye Feng
Once the Radiant Saint Masters completed his treatment, Ye Feng emerged from the medical bay. His expression softened into a smile the moment he spotted Fu waiting for him outside.
Fu nodded back, his gaze turning grave as the playful glint in his eyes vanished without a trace. He looked Ye Feng straight in the eye and spoke in a low voice.
"Ye Feng, you need to be careful from now on. Zhang Da is Zhang Wei's third brother. I've heard he's extremely vicious. I'm certain he won't let this defeat go—he'll come after you sooner or later."
Ye Feng couldn't help but recall the look Zhang Da had given him after his defeat—eyes brimming with cold, murderous intent.
Ye Feng nodded seriously. He took out two bottles of Pure Cleansing Pills and two bottles of Saint-Concentrating Pills and handed them to Fu.
Seeing Fu's surprise, Ye Feng smiled and said, "You helped me obtain these pills, and they'll greatly boost my cultivation. Sharing them with you is the least I can do."
Fu smiled back at Ye Feng and took the pill bottles from him without hesitation. Ye Feng then said seriously, "Listen, Fu. I don't know if you understand just how valuable these pills are, so let me explain."
He pointed to the Pure Cleansing Pill bottles in Fu's hand and continued, "These bright green pills are called Pure Cleansing Pills. They expel impurities from both the body and our saint energy, making it much easier to break through in cultivation. At the same time, they help build a solid foundation for future advancement."
Fu was stunned, his mouth hanging open when he heard this. Ye Feng nearly burst out laughing but managed to hold it in. He pointed at the Saint-Concentrating Pill bottles and said, "These golden pills are called Saint-Concentrating Pills. Each one contains an incredible amount of gentle saint energy—it will aid our cultivation tremendously."
Fu could hardly believe his ears. Then he suddenly burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHA! Wow! It looks like we really scammed those two and robbed them of some incredible treasures, my brother!"
Ye Feng rolled his eyes, but a smile still tugged at the corners of his lips.
The two chatted amicably as they walked, before bidding each other farewell. Ye Feng soon arrived at Ye Long's dwelling and knocked on the door. Ye Long opened it, greeting him warmly. Stepping inside, Ye Feng and his brother settled into a relaxed conversation. Ye Long commended Ye Feng on his performance in the fighting arena, and Ye Feng smiled modestly, quietly accepting the praise. After a brief pause, he handed his brother a bottle of pure cleansing pills and another of saint-concentrating pills.
At first, Ye Long refused to take the pill bottles, but after Ye Feng insisted, he reluctantly accepted them.
After bidding farewell to Ye Long, Ye Feng decided to return to his new dwelling to continue his cultivation.
_______
Ye Feng Dwelling
After arriving at his dwelling, Ye Feng sat in the lotus position and took out the Azure Heart Sutra Sword Art—the book the headmaster had given him—from his space belt.
He began to skim through it, and the more he read, the wider his eyes grew. 'These five sword arts… so profound… I never imagined they could exist.' His heart nearly skipped a beat when he came across one entry in particular: Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula.
After reading the Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula, Ye Feng closed the book and took a deep breath. His eyes lingered on the pages as he thought, 'So sword arts can be this profound…' He stared at the book intently, then frowned slightly. 'As for the body refinement formula… it's a pity I can't practice it yet. The formula isn't complete, and I'd need to absorb a dragon's blood essence to even begin cultivating the Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula.'
Ye Feng sighed in disappointment. 'Oh well, no use crying over spoiled milk. I may not be able to cultivate the full Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula, but I can still focus on the foundational stage of this method. It will strengthen my body beyond its current limits and give me a significant edge over anyone at the same cultivation realm.'
'Besides, I don't need to absorb dragon blood essence or bathe in dragon blood to cultivate the foundation stage of the Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula. With two bottles of Saint Concentrating Pills in hand, my progress at the foundation stage should be astonishingly fast. I just hope… that two bottles will be enough to carry me through the entire foundation stage of this cultivation method.'
Ye Feng mulled over his cultivation plan for a long moment before nodding decisively. 'Yes, this plan is perfect… but first, I must purge all impurities from my body and saint energy before I can begin cultivation.'
After making up his mind, Ye Feng carried a large wooden barrel and filled it with water. He stripped off his clothes and took a single pure cleansing pill before stepping into the barrel. The moment the pill touched his tongue, he swallowed it. Almost instantly, warmth began spreading through his body, rising like a gentle fire. Within moments, a black, foul-smelling liquid started to pour from him—the accumulated impurities within his body being forcefully expelled.
After five hours, Ye Feng had expelled all the impurities from his body. He then took a bath, washing away the last traces that clung stubbornly to his skin. Once clean, he donned a fresh robe and seated himself in a lotus position at the center of the room, ready to begin his cultivation.
He took a Saint Concentrating Pill and swallowed it. Instantly, a tremendous surge of gentle energy flooded his body. Drawing upon the foundation stage instructions of the Berserk Dragon Fiend God Body Formula, Ye Feng quickly channeled the energy toward his skin using his soul power, compelling it to absorb the energy gradually.
Ye Feng's skin began to take on a strange tinge of grey and red, and wisps of steam rose from his body. He gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain that seemed to claw at every nerve. Minutes stretched on, each one a battle, until finally he exhaled a long, trembling sigh. A swirl of black smoke escaped his mouth, curling into the air.
'This… was really painful," he muttered, voice hoarse, "but the reward is worth it. I've only scratched the surface of the foundation stage of this cultivation method. I must keep going.'
With that, he swallowed another Saint Concentrating Pill and resumed his cultivation, determination blazing in his eyes as he steeled himself for the trials ahead.