Stepping outside, he flipped open the book and studied the poses and breathing methods. Then he began to practice in the clearing beside his house.
At first, his strikes were weak — his palms barely cracked the surface of a stone. But as the hours passed and the sun climbed high above his head, his body moved with power and precision.
Finally, with one fierce shout, he slammed his palm forward —
BOOM!
The entire tree before him shattered into splinters, the sound echoing across the cliffs.
Xuan Yan stood still, breathing hard, sweat running down his jaw. Then he laughed quietly, full of satisfaction.
He placed the technique book back inside his house, straightened his robe, and said with a calm, confident tone —
"Now, time to visit the Hall of Contribution."
And with that, he turned toward the sect grounds, the faint shadow of a smirk tugging at his lips.
As Xuan Yan approached the Hall of Contribution, a few disciples lounging near the entrance noticed him and immediately began to whisper, their voices dripping with mockery.
"Hey, look! Senior Trash is here again."
"Hah, didn't think he'd be walking around so soon after that beating. Guess he's got a strong skull."
"Don't worry, he'll get his ass kicked again soon enough."
"Seriously, this guy just doesn't know when to give up."
Their laughter echoed through the courtyard, but Xuan Yan didn't even spare them a glance. He simply kept walking, his steps calm and steady, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.
He climbed the wooden staircase and entered the hall.
Inside, the familiar scent of old wood and ink filled the air. At the counter sat Old Song, the lazy treasurer, casually flipping through his worn, erotic book as usual. Beside him was a disciple in a sect robe, speaking with clear irritation.
Xuan Yan stopped beside the man, quietly waiting for him to finish.
The disciple shot him a quick look, clearly recognizing him, but turned back to Old Song as if Xuan Yan didn't exist.
"Treasurer Song," the elite disciple said, his tone sharp, "Junior Sister Xue listens only to you. Can't you tell her something? She keeps avoiding me!"
Old Song yawned and lazily waved his hand. "Boy, that's none of my damn business. As long as no one's getting hurt, do whatever the fuck you want. If she accepts you, fine. If not, that's your problem."
The elite disciple's jaw tightened. With a loud bang, he slammed his palm against the counter, glaring. "Hmph!"
Then he turned and stormed out of the hall, his boots echoing across the floor.
Old Song didn't even look up. He simply turned the page of his book, a smirk forming under his half-lidded eyes.
Xuan Yan blinked at the man's outburst and asked, "Yo, Old Song, who was that guy? Never seen him here before."
Old Song grunted. "That brat? He's an elite disciple of the sect."
"Elite disciple?" Xuan Yan glanced toward the empty doorway, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Then what's his cultivation level?"
Old Song finally closed his book and looked at Xuan Yan with a sly grin. "Why do you care about his cultivation, brat? More importantly—" he narrowed his eyes, "—you didn't tell me you broke through."
Xuan Yan froze. He had suppressed his spiritual qi completely so no one could sense it.
He rubbed the back of his head and forced a laugh. "Haha… hiding it from you really is impossible, Old Song. This disciple apologizes for keeping it secret."
Old Song chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "You brat. Don't worry, you hid it well. No one except me… and maybe the Sect Leader… would ever notice your breakthrough."
Xuan Yan let out a small sigh of relief, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Heh, guess I'll take that as a compliment."
Xuan Yan had no intention of letting anyone know his cultivation had restarted. He wanted to keep it buried, hidden beneath layers of calm — because when he finally took his revenge, he wanted it to be slow and merciless.
Just as that thought flickered through his mind, the doors of the Hall creaked open.
A girl wearing a black mask stepped inside — the same one from yesterday. Her steps were light, her aura cold and controlled. She walked straight up beside Xuan Yan, glanced at him briefly, then turned to Old Song.
"Master," she said softly, her tone respectful yet firm, "I've found the person you asked for."
Old Song closed his book and stretched lazily, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"You've done well, Xue Lin," he said, his voice casual. "But… there's no need for that person anymore. I've already found someone else."
As he spoke, his gaze slid toward Xuan Yan.
Xuan Yan's expression froze.
Master? This masked girl… was Old Song's disciple?
And when Old Song looked at him with that sly smile, his gut twisted.
"Hey, wait—what the hell are you talking about?" Xuan Yan said, pointing to himself in disbelief. "I didn't agree to anything, alright?"
Old Song's grin widened. "Boy, I'll give you a hundred contribution points if you finish the task."
That number hit Xuan Yan like a lightning bolt. His eyes lit up immediately, and greed slipped into his tone.
"Oh really? Hundred contribution points? That's… quite a lot." He rubbed his chin with a scheming grin. "So, what's the task?"
Old Song leaned forward, matching his greedy expression with one of his own. "I'll tell you later. There's still time for that. But first, you'll have to prove that you can protect my disciple—and complete the assignment when the time comes."
The masked girl, Xue Lin, turned her head slightly, her calm gaze falling on Xuan Yan. "Master," she said quietly, "do you really think he can handle that kind of task?"
Old Song chuckled, eyes glinting with amusement. "Don't worry. Just look at him—and sense his Yang energy."
Xue Lin's divine sense flickered to life, invisible waves brushing against Xuan Yan's body. For a brief moment, the air grew heavy.
Then she spoke, her tone slightly surprised. "Master… it's the purest I've ever felt. Purer than the last candidate we found."
Old Song smirked. "Exactly."
"But…" Xue Lin hesitated. "His cultivation is still weak. He's been stuck in the Third Layer for three years. Do you really think he can take that kind of risk?"
Old Song's grin deepened as he leaned back in his chair. "Why do you think I'm giving him a smaller task first?"
Xue Lin's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… he'll grow stronger?"
Old Song nodded. "Yeah. That's what I told you before."
Xuan Yan stood there, still pretending to act clueless—but inside, his mind was already turning.
A hundred contribution points…?
Old Song squinted at Xuan Yan, snapping his fingers to get the boy's attention.
"Hey, brat, stop daydreaming and listen," he said lazily. "Come back after three days. I'll give you your first task then. If you complete it, I'll reward you with a Body Tempering Pill."
Xuan Yan's eyes lit up instantly. "Wait, that pill that costs thirty-two contribution points?"
Old Song smirked. "Yeah, that's the one."
Xuan Yan nearly jumped from excitement. That pill alone was worth a small fortune to someone like him. But as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered the real reason he'd come here in the first place.
"Oh right," he said, scratching his head. "Old Song, I actually came to convert my contribution points to coin."
Old Song glanced at Xue Lin, who was still standing quietly beside them. "You can go now, Xue Lin. Do your work."
She bowed slightly. "Yes, Master." Then, with one last glance at Xuan Yan, she turned and left the hall.
Old Song then looked back at Xuan Yan. "Alright, brat. How much?"
"Three contribution points," Xuan Yan said, pulling a white token from his robe.
Old Song took out his own golden token, its surface carved with glowing green patterns. The two brought their tokens close, and in a flash of light, three points transferred from one to the other.
"Here," Old Song said, fishing out three silver coins and sliding them across the counter.
Xuan Yan put his token away and grabbed the coins. "Then I'll be off. See you in three days, Old Song."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward the exit.
Old Song sighed, already flipping his erotic book open again. "Heh, that brat…" he muttered under his breath. But as he read, a strange thought flickered through his mind.
I knew he had potential… but I never imagined his Yang energy would be that pure.