The month of true hell had shaped him. After the grueling, non-stop training, he was a different boy.

  The soft edges of his youth had been hammered away, leaving behind a tougher, more resilient frame.

  Though not yet visibly bulked, the slight, wiry muscles that now defined his arms and legs were dense with a newfound power.

  He was no longer the skinny boy a small girl could so easily critique.

  He smirked at the memory, a flicker of genuine gratitude in his eyes. I

  f not for Lin’s innocent observation, he might have neglected his physical vessel once more.

  He finally entered his room, the plan to search for Ming Mei a distant thought, completely overshadowed by a wave of exhaustion so profound it felt like a physical weight pressing him down.

  It was an entity in itself, a silent beast urging him to sink into the soft cushions of his new mattress.

  He didn't fight it. The moment his body met the plush surface, his eyes felt as if they weighed a hundred tons each.

  He could no longer keep himself awake.

  This was no mere nap. He sank into a waking abyss, a deep hibernation of the soul that lasted for five straight days.

  There were no dreams, no tossing and turning, just pure, uninterrupted rest as his body and spirit mended the microscopic tears of his brutal training, reforging them into something stronger.

  When he finally emerged from the depths, his body felt brand new, humming with a quiet, potent energy.

  He rose from the bed, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he cracked his neck, back, and arms in a satisfying chorus of pops.

  He donned his robes, straightening them out before catching his reflection in a small, polished bronze mirror.

  "Hah," he breathed, a cloud of steam fogging the metal.

  "That rest was really needed. I feel like I can take anyone on."

  He descended the stairs, stepping out into a courtyard crackling with a desperate, feverish energy.

  The monthly contribution deadline was only a week away, and the Outer Disciples were scrambling to secure their points.

  High on a second-floor walkway, an Inner Disciple leaned against a pillar, his fine robes marking him as a predator observing a chicken coop.

  He chuckled, a sound of languid amusement, but his eyes were bored.

  All the duels were between disciples below the 4th Stage, a pathetic display of flailing limbs and wasted Qi.

  A much larger disciple, his aura pulsing with the formidable strength of a 6th Stage Qi Sensing cultivator, grumbled as he paced the grounds.

  He was looking for a worthy opponent, but everyone he approached either paled and refused or was too far beneath him to be a valid target.

  His frustrated gaze swept the courtyard and finally landed on Bi Kan, who had just set foot on the stone floor.

  *A Stage 5! A close enough cultivation level!*

  He made a beeline for Bi Kan, his heavy footsteps thudding on the ground.

  "Brother!" he boomed, his voice a mixture of desperation and excitement.

  "I am Rei Mu! I greet you and formally challenge you to a duel!"

  Bi Kan smiled, a slow, eager expression spreading across his face.

  Finally. A chance to test the fruits of his labor against a worthy opponent.

  A Stage 6 expert was the perfect whetstone. He could almost imagine it was Shi Lam standing before him, a benchmark for the power he now sought.

  "This Brother Bi Kan accepts your challenge," he said, his voice calm and clear.

  "But instead of the measly three contribution points, how about we make this interesting? Let's bet ten. That way, you won't have to duel so many people after I'm done with you."

  The man's eyes widened, the color draining from his face.

  The monthly toll was five points, and the deadline was a week away.

  Ten points was a fortune and a disaster rolled into one.

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  "E-err," Rei Mu stammered, his bravado deflating. "I don't have enough…"

  "Now this is a proper wager."

  The Inner Disciple, Si Gun, pushed himself off the pillar and strode forward, his lips curled in an intrigued grin.

  The boredom had vanished from his eyes, replaced by the keen interest of a spectator who had just found a promising show.

  "Very well," he declared, his voice carrying easily over the din of the courtyard.

  "I'll add onto your contribution points. How many do you have?"

  Rei Mu gulped, his gaze darting from the imposing Inner Disciple to the unnervingly calm Bi Kan.

  "T-this junior thanks Senior Brother! I have three contribution points!"

  "Three it is," Si Gun nodded, holding out his hand as if sealing a deal in the air.

  "Okay! You have my word. I, Si Gun, bet seven contribution points on this man!"

  High on a nearby rooftop, a Junior Elder, who had been observing the escalating tension, made a small, deliberate mark on a jade slip.

  The bet was now officially witnessed and recorded. An Inner Disciple's word, once given so publicly, was as binding as a spiritual contract.

  There would be no fleeing, no deceit. The stage was set, and the price of failure had just become very, very steep.

  The chaotic brawls that had filled the Outer Disciple courtyard sputtered and died out like untended campfires.

  A new spectacle had arrived, one that promised a true contest of power.

  Disciples scrambled for a vantage point, their petty squabbles forgotten as they formed a wide, expectant circle around the two central figures.

  A smile, slow and confident, spread across Bi Kan's face.

  Across from him, Rei Mu planted his feet, his bulky frame sinking into the dirt as he adopted a low, powerful stance, his eyes narrowed in absolute focus.

  For ten seconds, the world held its breath.

  The only sound was the rustle of a lone leaf skittering across the stone.

  Then, the wind picked up, and with it, Rei Mu exploded into motion.

  He launched himself forward and up, a human cannonball arcing through the air.

  He clasped his hands together above his head, forming a single, massive hammer meant to pulverize his target.

  Bi Kan’s grin widened. At the last possible moment, as the shadow of his opponent fell over him, he flowed to the side, a single, effortless step.

  BOOM!

  The ground erupted where Bi Kan had been standing.

  A cloud of dust and pulverized earth billowed outwards as Rei Mu’s powerful strike created a small crater.

  "Haha! Not bad!" Bi Kan’s voice came from directly behind the still-crouched disciple.

  Rei Mu spun around, his eyes wide with surprise.

  "You're not bad yourself," he grunted, his respect mingled with frustration.

  "Your strength is quite formidable." Bi Kan said

  High on the second-floor walkway, the Inner Disciple, Si Gun, nodded in silent appraisal, his bored expression replaced by one of keen interest.

  That Rei Mu has impressive raw power, he thought, his eyes tracing the lines of the larger disciple's frame.

  If he were to break through to the Body Tempering Realm, where Qi truly begins to settle into the meridians and forge the body, his increase in strength would be astronomical.

  Truly daunting. I must take note. He produced a small, leather-bound notebook and a charcoal stick, carefully writing down the name: Rei Mu.

  Rei Mu, unaware he was being scouted, prepared himself again.

  This time, he didn't leap. He charged, a human battering ram, his shoulder leading the way, aiming to simply overwhelm Bi Kan with sheer mass and momentum.

  Instead of retreating, Bi Kan shifted his weight, his hands shooting forward to meet the charge.

  Aiming to contest strength with me?! Rei Mu thought, a flash of contemptuous victory in his eyes.

  Are you an idiot?! I am far more bulky than you! His shoulder connected with Bi Kan’s waiting palms.

  And stopped. Dead. It was like hitting a concrete wall.

  A jarring shockwave traveled up Rei Mu’s arm and into his chest, the impact rattling his bones.

  "W-wha!" he gasped, his momentum completely, impossibly, negated.

  With a grunt, Bi Kan pushed.

  Rei Mu was sent stumbling back, his footing lost, his balance shattered. In that single, critical moment of vulnerability, Bi Kan stomped his right foot, the ground thudding beneath the force.

  He leaned his fist far back, a faint glimmer of Qi gathering around his knuckles.

  "Boaring Fist!" he roared.

  He lunged, his entire body a coiled spring of power

  The blow connected cleanly with Rei Mu’s stomach.

  The sound was a wet, sickening thud.

  Rei Mu coughed, a fine spray of blood misting the air, and was launched backwards like a stone from a catapult.

  He crashed into a nearby tree with a heavy crunch that shook the entire trunk, sending a shower of leaves down upon his crumpled, unconscious form.

  The courtyard was utterly silent.

  Bi Kan let his arm fall to his side. He didn't cup his fists. He didn't bow. He simply raised his chin, his gaze locking directly onto the stunned Inner Disciple on the walkway.

  "Junior Brother Bi Kan thanks his senior for the contribution points!" he called out, his voice dripping with a false politeness that was sharper than any blade.

  Si Gun’s hands, which had been resting on the railing, clenched into tight fists.

  The charcoal stick in his grip snapped with a sharp crack.

  "Congrats… Junior Brother," he forced out through gritted teeth.

  Below, the Outer Disciples were sweating, their eyes wide with a mixture of terror and awe.

  To end a fight in one hit, first Gar Yu, and now a Stage 6 expert… This Bi Kan was a monster.

  Bi Kan held Si Gun’s gaze for a moment longer, a silent, insolent challenge that needed no words.

  The Inner Disciple’s pride, so publicly wounded, finally snapped.

  "You dare taunt me?" he snarled, launching himself from the walkway, his own powerful aura flaring to life.

  "Let's duel!"

  He landed on the ground, ready to attack, but a shadow fell between them.

  A swirl of leaves heralded the silent, instantaneous arrival of a Junior Elder.

  "You are a realm apart, and many stages," the Elder stated, his voice calm but carrying the unshakeable weight of sect law.

  "Remember the rules, Si Gun."

  The Inner Disciple let out a frustrated "Tch!" His rage, though potent, was useless against the unbending wall of the sect's hierarchy.

  He shot Bi Kan one last look, a venomous promise of future retribution, before turning and stalking away. A moment later, a notification chimed on Bi Kan’s disciple token.

  Seven contribution points had been added to his account.

  "Heh, that was easy,"

  Bi Kan murmured to himself, a genuine smile finally breaking through his cold facade.

  "A nice warm-up." He turned his back on the silent, awestruck crowd, his mind already on his next task.

  The duel was over, the points were won, but a more pressing question remained.

  He made his way towards the Mission Hall, to inquire about a certain disciple, who was none other than Ming Mei.

  It was time to find out where she had been.