Chapter 5: Main Character for a Reason
Liu Feiyang woke up early, the excitement coursing through his veins as he prepared to cultivate the secret art he had "received" the day before.
He found a secluded spot where the rising sun was visible. This was the perfect place to begin practicing the Tempered Body Record.
As Liu Feiyang started, he felt his bones cracking and healing in a rhythmic cycle.
"Ouch, ouch! If I knew cultivation was going to hurt this much, maybe choosing a magic-based world would've been better. Still, this doesn't compare to yesterday's ordeal, so BRING IT ON!"
Despite the agony, Liu Feiyang gritted his teeth and persevered, sensing his physique becoming stronger and more resilient with each passing moment.
After half an hour of intense pain and relentless practice, a surge of energy coursed through his body.
"What's this overwhelming feeling? Am I about to have a breakthrough?" he muttered, focusing on the energy and let it flow freely in his meridians.
[The host has reached Tempered body 3rd stage]
"Haha! I take my words back. Cultivation is the best" He couldn't contain his excitement but suddenly he vomited a large amount of black substance. The foul smell made him gag, but he recognized it as an aftereffect of breaking through. Without hesitation, Liu Feiyang hurried back home to bathe.
After a quick bath and a simple meal, Liu Feiyang decided to visit the Contribution Hall to check his points balance and see if he could acquire the herbs needed for his incense burner. From what he recalled from his memories, he still had over 20 contribution points remaining.
On his way to the Contribution Hall, a small crowd caught his attention.
'They are all ordinary disciples so its probably a match between disciple .' Feiyang decided to observe the fight as a learning experience.
"Pick me."
"I will go easy on you so please pick me!"
"I will end the match in just one punch so please pick me."
He squeezed through the gaps in the crowd. Everyone was dying to get a chance to fight, which struck him as odd.
But after looking at the person of interest, he understood why. It was Yang Kai- A trial disciple who has been stuck at the 3rd Stage Body tempering realm for 3 years. He is an easy target for almost every outer disciple to gain contribution points.
At the moment, he was sitting cross-legged, meditating, his face not showing slightest bit of concern for the jeering crowd.
'This is probably the match showed in the earliest chapters of the manhua,' Feiyang thought. 'The one where he later gets up and throws a spinning broom into the sky to select his opponent.'
After a few minutes, Yang Kai awakened from his meditation with determination in eyes, one you would not expect in someone with all the odds against him.
Just as Liu Feiyang had expected, he picked up a broom, spinning it into the air. The broom's tip landed on a purple-haired disciple.
"Haha, the heavens are smiling on me today," the chosen disciple laughed. "I hope my brothers here won't blame me for this!"
The crowd's scornful looks said otherwise.
"Ordinary disciple Lou Peng, Tempered body 5th stage"
"Trial disciple Yang Kai, Tempered Body 3rd Stage"
"Thank you for the opportunity" x2 and with that the match started.
Both of them exploded into action right form the beginning. Luo Peng charged like a bull, his massive fists pounding forward with terrifying force. Yang Kai ducked and sidestepped, his movements a seamless flow of precision and timing. He countered with sharp strikes—targeting Luo Peng's ribs, wrists, and shins.
Luo Peng grunted, his frustration mounting. "How can someone so weak move like this?" he thought, unleashing a ferocious hook. Yang Kai narrowly evaded it, retaliating with a swift palm strike to Luo Peng's abdomen. The impact wasn't powerful, but it was enough to disrupt Luo Peng's rhythm.
For every heavy blow Luo Peng attempted, Yang Kai found a gap, slipping in to land pinpoint attacks. The crowd was enthralled by the stark contrast between Luo Peng's brute strength and Yang Kai's refined skill.
But Luo Peng wasn't a fighter to be underestimated. With a roar of frustration, he feigned a wide hook, forcing Yang Kai to step back, then followed up with a crushing punch to the chest. The impact sent Yang Kai flying to the ground, the air knocked from his lungs.
Luo Peng stepped back, grinning as he wiped the dust off of his hands. "What's the point of trying so much when you already know the outcome?" he declared arrogantly.
He was about to leave, when, to his astonishment, Yang Kai stirred. Slowly, he pushed himself up, wiping dust from his face as he fixed Luo Peng with a steady gaze. "Not done yet," he said, his voice unwavering.
Even Liu Feiyang was taken aback. "This guy…" he murmured.
The crowd gasped, their murmurs growing louder. Luo Peng's smirk faltered. "How is he still standing?" he wondered.
They clashed again, Yang Kai pressing the offensive this time. He struck with precision and speed, landing quick blows to Luo Peng's torso and legs. Though the strikes lacked raw power to cause decisive damage to the opponent, they forced Luo Peng to adjust constantly, his strength tested by Yang Kai's relentless skill.
But brute force found its opening. As Yang Kai stepped in for another precise strike, Luo Peng deflected the blow with his forearm, spun, and brought his hand down in a devastating chop to Yang Kai's neck.
Yang Kai froze for a moment, his body swaying before crumpling to the ground. The fight was over.
Luo Peng stood over his unconscious opponent, panting heavily. His chest heaved, and his muscles trembled with exhaustion. "Tougher than I thought," he muttered, a grudging respect in his tone.
The crowd slowly dispersed as there was nothing left to watch, leaving behind an unconscious Yang Kai and Liu Feiyang.
'Well, main character for a reason,' Feiyang thought. Deciding to help, he carried the unconscious Yang Kai on his back and walked to his hut.
Arriving at Yang Kai's hut, Feiyang kicked open the door and dropped him on the hay stack cum bed. His role was done so left him and went to the contribution hall.
At the Contribution Hall,
Liu Feiyang stepped through the door and was greeted by an odd sight. An elderly man was drooling in his sleep, his position utterly bizarre.
Liu Feiyang stepped through the door and was greeted by an odd sight. An elderly man sleeping on his chair in a weird position with his mouth drooling.
'God knows what kid of perverted dre----' just as he was thinking about the old man's perverseness he was hit with a several different memories, all which were fragmented but they all had one thing in common, this sleeping old man whose name is Meng Wu Ya, popularly known as Treasurer Meng.
As the flashback ended, Feiyang snapped back to reality, only to find Treasurer Meng's face inches from his own.
"AHHH!" Feiyang yelped, stumbling backward.
"Liu boy, what are you doing dozing off while standing?" Treasurer Meng asked.
"I was just trying to remember something and what were you doing, watching me so closely?" Feiyang pointed his finger at him.