16: News from Little Bi

The day after acquiring the incomplete Golden Bell Shield, Lin Ye had already committed the thin booklet to memory.

He didn't rush to input it into the System; instead, he carefully pondered its almost masochistic Cultivation method during breaks from his daily chores.

"Guiding Qi and blood to impact the major acupoints throughout the body..."

This method was completely different from Martial Skills like Iron Sand Palm, which solely strengthened specific body parts.

It already touched upon the fundamental essence of Body Refining, requiring extremely strong control over one's own Qi and blood.

Lin Ye understood that once this Cultivation Technique began to Cultivate automatically, the burden on his body would likely far exceed that of Iron Sand Palm.

He decided to play it safe first, waiting until his body had fully adapted to the power of Iron Sand Palm's Minor Achievement before starting a new automatic Cultivation task.

Life, it seemed, had returned to its former tranquility.

Lin Ye was still that inconspicuous presence among the chores.

Every day, he chopped wood, carried water, ate, and slept, occasionally having to deal with Zhao Tian, whose gaze had become even more venomous after recovering from his injuries.

However, Zhao Tian seemed to have learned his lesson; he no longer directly attacked, but instead subjected Lin Ye to extreme verbal humiliation and pushed all the hardest and most tiring tasks onto him.

Lin Ye accepted it all without complaint, his submissive demeanor further solidifying his reputation as a "cowardly good-for-nothing."

However, this suppressed and calm facade was completely shattered three days later, one morning, by a sudden piece of news!

That day, when all the Outer Sect Disciples finished their morning chores and dragged their weary bodies towards the refectory, they found that the Sect's largest notice board was already surrounded by people, three layers deep.

A suffocating, tense, and even somewhat despairing atmosphere permeated from the crowd.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, the Deacon Hall posted a new notice early this morning.

Look at their faces; it can't be good!"

A hint of curiosity also arose in Lin Ye's heart.

He blended into the crowd and, relying on his slightly more agile movements than average, quietly squeezed to the front.

On the huge stone wall, a brand new, large annunciation written in cinnabar was posted.

The handwriting was like a Dragon and Phoenix dancing, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Sect Edict: To assess the results of Outer Sect Disciples' year of Cultivation, to encourage diligence, and to spur the mediocre, an annual Minor Competition will be held one month from now at the Outer Sect Martial Arts Training Ground.

All Outer Sect Disciples who have been admitted for at least three months must participate.

The Minor Competition aims to test practical combat ability, with no rules, continuing until one side admits defeat or loses the ability to fight..."

At this point, there were only quiet discussions among the crowd.

The Sect's Minor Competition happened every year; although cruel, it was considered commonplace.

But when everyone's gaze fell on the last line of the annunciation, the blood-red characters deliberately enlarged several times, the entire crowd instantly fell into a deathly silence!

"In this Minor Competition, the last one hundred ranked will be immediately expelled and never rehired!"

Boom!!!

If the previous content was just a pebble, then this last sentence was a giant rock capable of smashing through ice, stirring up monstrous waves in the hearts of all Outer Sect Disciples!

Expulsion!

And it was the direct expulsion of the bottom one hundred!

This number, like a cold iron hammer, struck hard at everyone's heart.

The total number of Disciples in the entire Outer Sect was no more than a thousand.

To expel one hundred people at once, what a cruel elimination rate!

After a brief deathly silence, the crowd completely erupted!

"What?!

Expel a hundred people?

Has the Sect gone mad?!"

"It's over... It's completely over now!

My Cultivation is already at the bottom of the Outer Sect; I'm definitely dead this time!"

"One month!

Only one month to prepare!

How can that possibly be enough time?"

Despairing wails, incredulous exclamations, anxious curses... all kinds of sounds intertwined, forming a torrent of panic that swept across the entire notice board.

Lin Ye stood in the crowd, looking at the blood-red words "Expulsion," his pupils also slightly contracted.

He hadn't expected the year-end assessment to arrive so early, in such an intense and cruel manner!

His gaze swept over the twisted faces around him, contorted by fear.

He saw the old Disciples who usually threw their weight around, now looking solemn; he saw the chores who struggled at the bottom, just like himself, now ashen-faced and trembling.

An invisible, immense pressure instantly enveloped the entire Outer Sect.

No one could remain unaffected!

This was no longer a simple assessment; it was a life-or-death battle for survival!

To avoid being expelled, you had to climb over others' corpses!

In the time that followed, the term "internal competition" was taken to the extreme.

The entire Outer Sect went completely mad.

Disciples who used to gather in twos and threes for casual chats had all disappeared.

Instead, there were figures everywhere, desperately Cultivating.

The testing ground was packed from morning till night, and incidents of fighting over a testing wooden stake or bluestone frequently occurred.

In secluded spots in the back mountains, by the streams in the ravines, and even in some abandoned woodsheds, one could see figures sitting cross-legged, meditating intensely.

Everyone was like a wound-up machine, their eyes bloodshot, not letting go of even a tiny bit of time that could improve themselves.

Even the refectory became unusually quiet.

Everyone buried their heads in their food, finishing their meals as quickly as possible, then hurrying away to continue their frantic Cultivation.

The air was filled with a frantic aura of anxiety, oppression, and even a hint of bloodlust.

However, amidst this Cultivation frenzy that swept through the entire Outer Sect, there was one person who was out of place.

That was Lin Ye.

When everyone else rushed to the testing ground like madmen, he still carried his carrying pole, unhurriedly walking on the path to the mountain stream to fetch water.

When everyone else couldn't eat and hastily shoveled down their food, he still sat in the corner, eating every last bit of his meal, even savoring the occasional encouraging smile from Senior Sister Yun Shu.

When everyone else stayed up all night Cultivating and meditating, he still returned to his cramped wooden hut at the appointed time, lay down, and then "fell asleep peacefully."

He still chopped wood, ate, and slept every day.

His calm, numb, and even somewhat "self-defeating" demeanor formed an extremely stark and glaring contrast to the frantic internal competition around him.

His behavior naturally caught the attention of those who noticed.

"Look at that Lin Ye; has he completely given up?"

"I think so.

He's already a good-for-nothing, and with his bad luck of offending Senior Brother Zhao Tian, he probably knows he's going to be expelled, so he's just given up entirely."

"Good, the sooner people like him get out, the fewer competitors we'll have."

Lin Ye paid no attention to these sneers and taunts.

Had he really given up?

Only he knew what a magnificent transformation was hidden beneath this calm exterior!

Night deepened once more.

In the wooden hut, snores echoed like thunder.

Unlike usual, there were three fewer people in the room today.

Those three roommates, who were usually quite diligent, had all chosen to Cultivate outdoors overnight.

Lin Ye lay on his bed, his consciousness sinking into his mind.

"System, input new Cultivation Technique!"

He completely recalled the incomplete Golden Bell Shield, which he had exchanged for in the Scripture Pavilion during the day, in his consciousness.

【Detecting Cultivation Technique information... Analyzing...】

【Cultivation Technique Name: Golden Bell Shield (Medium Grade Mortal Rank) (Incomplete)】

【Cultivation Method: Body Refining Cultivation Technique】

【Current Realm: Not yet initiated (Proficiency 0/100)】

【Remark: This Cultivation Technique is an incomplete fragment and can only be Cultivated to the second layer, the "Refining Flesh" Realm.】

【Confirm input into System?】

"Confirm!"

【Cultivation Technique input successful! Added to Cultivation Technique list.】

Looking at the Golden Bell Shield icon alongside Iron Sand Palm in the Cultivation Technique list, an unprecedented surge of ambition rose in Lin Ye's heart.

Both offense and defense, his Foundation would become incredibly solid!

"System, create a dual automatic Cultivation task!"

【Warning: Simultaneously running two background automatic Cultivation tasks will result in double the consumption of the host's Qi and spirit, and the proficiency gain efficiency for single Cultivation Techniques will decrease by 50%.

Confirm?】

"Efficiency drops by fifty percent?"

Lin Ye frowned slightly, but then his brow relaxed, "Confirm!"

Time was short; he had to tackle both at once!

【Dual background automatic Cultivation task created successfully!】

【Task One: Iron Sand Palm (Minor Achievement).

Automatic Cultivation Efficiency: Halved.

Proficiency Gain: 5 points/hour.】

【Task Two: Golden Bell Shield (Not yet initiated).

Automatic Cultivation Efficiency: Halved.

Proficiency Gain: 5 points/hour.】

【Please set automatic Cultivation duration.】

"8 hours!"

【Task created successfully!】

The moment the command was confirmed, Lin Ye felt his body transform into a huge vortex!

A scorching Coiling Force still flowed steadily into his palms, tempering his palm bones.

Meanwhile, another deeper, heavier force was drawn from the depths of his Qi and blood, transforming into countless tiny streams that began to slowly, yet pervasively, cleanse and nourish the skin of his entire body according to the Golden Bell Shield's Mind-Cultivation Technique route!

An indescribable tingling and itching sensation emanated from every inch of his skin.

Lin Ye's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly relaxed.

While others were in seclusion, he was living his life.

While others Cultivated diligently, he was slacking off.

While others frantically competed for the Minor Competition a month later, even at the cost of their bodies.

He, Lin Ye, closed his eyes peacefully in the quiet night.

He knew that when the sun rose a month later, he would use a pair of Iron Palms and a Golden Bell to give everyone who looked down on him a huge "surprise"!