5: Chapter 5 Defeating Ye Hao

The Law Enforcement Team and the onlookers dispersed, leaving the entrance to the Ancestral Hall empty.

Ye Tian gripped his broom and looked toward the old servant, Ye Zhong, who was dozing by the threshold.

The old servant's head nodded rhythmically, as if he had fallen asleep again.

Ye Tian said nothing and lowered his head to continue sweeping.

From that day on, Ye Tian became even more silent.

He still went to the Ancestral Hall every day to sweep, wipe, and clean the corners.

His movements were neither hurried nor slow.

He practiced the postures from that nameless booklet more diligently, but also more discreetly.

Only in the dead of night, within his own small room, would he repeatedly contemplate and practice them.

Every posture was extremely difficult, pulling at his muscles and bones, bringing constant aching and pain.

The progress was almost invisible to the naked eye.

The warm air current provided by the stone bead remained minute, merging into his slowly growing Qi and pushing his cultivation forward at a snail's pace.

The gap from Qi Gathering Level 2 to Level 3 was a deeper chasm; the Spiritual Qi required was far beyond what was needed for the first to second level.

He stopped going to the Martial Arts Arena, avoiding all possible gazes.

One day, while he was cleaning the ash from the incense burner, the deacon in charge of distributing the Family's resources brought some people in to replace the offerings.

The deacon froze for a moment upon seeing Ye Tian, then expressionlessly looked away and directed the servants to work, treating him as if he were air.

After changing the offerings, the deacon took out a small cloth bag and tossed it to Ye Zhong by the threshold, his tone flat: "Uncle Zhong, this month's Allocation for the Ancestral Hall."

Ye Zhong didn't even lift his eyelids, merely giving a grunt of acknowledgment.

The deacon glanced at Ye Tian in the corner again, his mouth twitching slightly, before leading his men away.

Once they were far away, Ye Zhong slowly picked up the small cloth bag, weighed it in his hand, fished out two coarse Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and then pulled out a few of the most common body tempering pills, tossing them casually to Ye Tian.

"Use them sparingly. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat."

Ye Tian caught them.

The Spirit Stones felt cold in his hand, containing only thin Spiritual Qi.

The body tempering pills were the lowest grade of Medicinal Pills in the Family, with very weak effects.

Yet, this was an Allocation he had never received in all these years.

He gripped the Spirit Stones and pills tightly and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Uncle Zhong."

"Thank me for what?" Ye Zhong grumbled. "Get back to work."

Ye Tian carefully put away the Spirit Stones and pills.

He didn't use them immediately, continuing to refine his cultivation bit by bit using the stone bead and the faint Aura of the Ancestral Hall.

A few days later, he went to the Family Storehouse to collect brooms and other supplies.

The clansman in charge lazily pointed to a corner for him to help himself.

As he took his items and turned to leave, he ran right into Ye Hao and several others coming in.

Ye Hao's face darkened immediately upon seeing him, and he intentionally leaned in to bump into him.

Ye Tian had noticed him early; his feet shifted subtly, avoiding the direct collision.

Ye Hao hit nothing but air and stumbled a step. Even more infuriated, he turned back and cursed, "Trash! Do you only have eyes for breathing?"

The Storehouse manager and several others looked over with varying expressions.

Ye Tian stopped and turned to look at him. "Who are you calling names?"

"I'm calling you names, so what?" Ye Hao stepped closer, his Aura oppressive. "A piece of Trash who relies on sweeping the Ancestral Hall for scraps—do you even deserve to use resources?"

He was referring to those lowest-grade body tempering pills and Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The news had clearly spread.

Ye Tian said nothing, just stared at him.

Ye Hao grew angry under his gaze, and remembering his previous embarrassment, he lowered his voice and hissed, "Don't get cocky. That old piece of Trash in the Ancestral Hall can't protect you forever. I'll see how you hide during the next Family Competition!"

Ye Tian's gaze remained calm. "What about the competition?"

"What about it?" Ye Hao sneered. "When the time comes on the stage, I'll see what tricks you can play! If I don't beat the crap out of you, I'll consider you lucky!"

A few suppressed snickers broke out in the Storehouse.

Ye Tian didn't respond further and turned to walk away.

Behind him came Ye Hao's disdainful huff and the whispers of others.

Walking out of the Storehouse, the afternoon sun was somewhat piercing.

Ye Tian narrowed his eyes.

The Family Competition, huh...

He clenched his fist, feeling the slow-moving but very real flow of Qi within his body.

Then he continued walking toward the Ancestral Hall.

Days flowed by like water.

Ye Tian continued sweeping and practicing his techniques.

The two Low-Grade Spirit Stones had long since turned to powder, and the body tempering pills had been consumed, their medicinal power squeezed dry by the stone bead and the nameless postures.

His cultivation had grown a bit, but he was still a distance away from the threshold of Level 3.

Soon, the day of the Family Competition arrived.

Drums thundered at the Ye Family Martial Arts Arena.

The Family's youths were eager and ready, the atmosphere both heated and tense.

Ye Tian drew his lot; his number was toward the end.

He stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the exchange of fists and feet and the clashing of Qi on the stage.

Most were disciples at Qi Gathering Level 2 or 3; the fights were lively and the outcomes clear.

"Next match: Ye Tian versus Ye Hao!"

The deacon shouted.

The crowd immediately stirred, their gazes swiveling toward Ye Tian in the corner, filled with the undisguised intent of watching a good show.

Ye Hao gave a cold laugh and leaped onto the stage, cracking his wrists and staring provocatively at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian silently walked onto the stage and took his stance.

"Trash, if you admit defeat now and crawl down, there's still time." Ye Hao lowered his voice, his face filled with blatant malice.

Ye Tian said nothing, merely assuming the opening stance of the Basic Fist Technique.

"I'll cripple you!" Ye Hao roared and struck first. His Qi at the peak of Qi Gathering Level 2 erupted as he threw a direct punch; his speed and power were a notch higher than their last encounter, showing he hadn't been idle these past months.

Ye Tian blocked.

He was shaken back two steps, his arms going numb.

There was a difference in Realms; he would suffer if he fought force with force.

Ye Hao pressed his advantage, his punches and kicks raining down like a storm, all of them vicious Moves showing no mercy.

Ye Tian kept his composure, maneuvering with Basic Fist Techniques and defending step by step. He seemed completely suppressed, only able to parry, yet he always managed to narrowly avoid vital spots at the critical moment.

The situation looked grim, but he had not yet lost.

Boos began to rise from below the stage.

"As expected, still a piece of Trash!"

"He only knows how to hide!"

"Hao-ge, thrash him!"

Unable to land a decisive blow, Ye Hao grew increasingly frustrated.

He gave a low roar, the Qi in his body accelerating. A faint light shimmered on his right fist as he unleashed a Yellow Rank Low Grade Martial Skill he had recently learned—the Mountain Crushing Punch!

The momentum of the punch suddenly became several times heavier and more violent, aimed straight for Ye Tian's chest!

"It's over!" someone below the stage shouted.

The wind from the punch rushed at his face.

Ye Tian's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced, using his left arm to hard-block the punch.

Crack!

A faint sound of bone fracturing.

Sharp pain shot through Ye Tian's left arm, and his body was knocked off balance.

Just as joy appeared on Ye Hao's face, he saw Ye Tian use that tilt to silently whip out his right leg. It wasn't a kick aimed at his torso, but a precise sweep against the side of Ye Hao's left knee, his supporting leg!

At the same time, the Qi that Ye Tian had been holding back—nearly at Qi Gathering Level 3—instantly erupted at the tip of his foot!

All of Ye Hao's attention was on that punch; his lower body was suddenly struck hard, his center of gravity lost, and he cried out as he pitched forward.

Enduring the agonizing pain in his arm, Ye Tian followed through with a shoulder check, slamming hard into Ye Hao's unbalanced chest and abdomen!

"Ah!"

Ye Hao let out a miserable scream as he was sent flying off the ground. He fell directly off the stage, hitting the ground hard and rolling several times before coming to a stop, looking utterly pathetic.

The entire arena fell into an instant, deathly silence.

All the boos and mockery stopped abruptly.

No one had expected this result.

Ye Tian stood on the stage, clutching his visibly sagging left arm, panting, his forehead covered in cold sweat from the pain.

He looked down at Ye Hao, who was struggling to get up below the stage.

"He won?" someone below the stage murmured, unable to believe it.

The deacon froze for a moment before loudly announcing: "Ye Tian wins!"

There were no cheers.

Only all sorts of complex, suspicious, and scrutinizing gazes were pinned on Ye Tian.

Ye Tian ignored them and walked down the stage step by step.

The crowd instinctively parted to make a path.

As he passed Ye Hao, who was being helped up, Ye Hao glared at him with blood at the corner of his mouth, his eyes as venomous as if he wanted to devour him.

Ye Tian didn't even look at him. He walked straight to the edge of the arena, found a quiet corner to sit down, and silently regulated his breathing while tending to his injured arm.

The subsequent matches continued, but many people's eyes still drifted toward that silent figure from time to time.

In the final rankings of the competition, Ye Tian stopped in the middle tier, not particularly standing out.

But that match where he defeated Ye Hao was enough to make many people re-evaluate this "Trash."

After it ended, the crowd began to disperse.

The Second Elder, however, did not leave immediately; he walked slowly over to Ye Tian.

Ye Tian stood up: "Second Elder."

The Second Elder's gaze fell on his unnaturally hanging left arm: "How is the injury?"

"It's no matter."

The Second Elder nodded, pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked, "That last Move of yours didn't look like a Move from the Basic Fist Techniques."

Ye Tian was silent for a moment before saying, "Just something I figured out myself."

"Figured out?" An imperceptible light flashed in the Second Elder's eyes. He seemed to smile slightly but didn't press further, instead saying, "Your Foundation is quite solid. From now on, you can collect five additional Low-Grade Spirit Stones every month."

Having said that, he turned and left without waiting for Ye Tian's response.

Ye Tian watched the Second Elder's back disappear, then looked down at his injured arm.

Five Low-Grade Spirit Stones...

He wondered what the Second Elder's intention was.