Just as Ye Jingyu retreated to the woodshed to cultivate, more than thirty pampered young masters were undergoing Qin Minglong’s inspection at the foot of White Cloud Mountain. Everything unfolded exactly as Ye Jingyu had anticipated; the so-called assessment was nothing more than another shakedown by the White Cloud Villa. As long as one was willing to pay the fee, passing was guaranteed…

Although not every single one of these young dandies actually desired to ascend the mountain to learn martial arts, the moment they heard that those who couldn't ascend would be kept at the base to perform hard labor for physical training until the next assessment, no one objected anymore…

These were individuals accustomed to being waited upon hand and foot, who had never known a day of manual labor. To subject them to such work was tantamount to a death sentence!

Because of this, in the end, only Ye Jingyu remained…

It was at this moment that the door to the woodshed was once again violently kicked open from the outside. Having learned from the previous encounter, Ye Jingyu did not immediately attack. Instead, he looked up toward the doorway and saw Qin Minglong, his head still wrapped in bandages, walk in with a sinister grin. Trailing behind him were three disciples from the White Cloud Villa who had been involved in the previous day’s scuffle…

“Boy, how do you like the accommodations here? Satisfied?” Upon entering, Qin Minglong immediately sneered at Ye Jingyu…

“Senior Brother Qin, if you feel yesterday’s beating wasn't satisfying enough, feel free to try again today. After all, I’m the only one here, and no one will ever know. Why bother with these formalities?” Ye Jingyu gave Qin Minglong a look of distaste and said with profound indifference…

Although he had acquired a superior mental technique overnight, Ye Jingyu certainly did not believe that a single night of cultivation had transformed him into a supreme master. Let alone facing four opponents, even if only one person had come, with his current abilities, he was certainly no match for them…

“It seems you’re quite sensible. Good. I am indeed here to bully you. What can you do about it?” Hearing Ye Jingyu speak so directly, Qin Minglong was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, responding coldly, as if humiliating the son of a local magnate were a trivial matter for him…

“What can I do? You have so many people, how can I possibly compete? If I fall into your hands, I accept my fate… It’s just unexpected that even the disciples of White Cloud Villa resort to ganging up on one person…” Ye Jingyu spoke with disdain, his objective being to provoke the man and buy himself sufficient time…

“Watch your mouth, brat. We at White Cloud Villa act with integrity. How could we possibly resort to ganging up on someone? Dealing with a scoundrel like you, I alone am more than enough…” Upon hearing Ye Jingyu accuse them of ganging up, especially mentioning the White Cloud Villa by name, Qin Minglong became furious. For a disciple like him, raised within the Villa, the honor of White Cloud Villa was paramount…

“Is that so?” Ye Jingyu snorted, his face etched with unconcealed disbelief…

“You three, don’t interfere. Today, I will personally teach this brat a lesson so he understands there is always a higher mountain to climb and a greater expert beyond oneself…” Qin Minglong was completely enraged by the look on Ye Jingyu’s face. He immediately ordered his three junior brothers and strode forward with righteous indignation…

“Heh. I was thoroughly beaten by so many of you yesterday, and now I can barely raise my hand. What difference does it make if one person comes or all of you come? You’re still just bullies who pick on the weak. If you have any guts, give me three months. Once all my injuries have healed, I will personally issue you a Life-and-Death Duel challenge… Of course, if you’re afraid you can’t beat me, I have nothing more to say. Feel free to strike while I’m severely injured now…” Ye Jingyu glanced dismissively at Qin Minglong…

A Life-and-Death Duel was the most sacred form of combat across the entire Dou Hun Continent. From royalty to commoners, everyone utilized this method—the most common, yet the most direct and fair way to settle disputes…

Generally, unless one was cornered to the absolute limit, no one would propose such a duel. Once the challenge was issued and accepted, it was equivalent to signing a life-or-death waiver; if one died during the duel, the court would not pursue any responsibility…

Furthermore, the parties involved in such duels were usually irreconcilable enemies, and the fight would not cease until one lay dead. This was the cruelty of the Life-and-Death Duel…

Naturally, the challenged party had the right to refuse the challenge. However, unless their cultivation level was lower than the challenger’s (though generally, no one would challenge someone of a lower rank, as it was self-inflicted humiliation), refusal was almost unheard of. Refusal signified cowardice, and a coward held no status on the Dou Hun Continent. Many people would rather lose their lives than refuse a challenge…

Qin Minglong had grown up at White Cloud Villa. Although not considered a core disciple, after years of cultivation, he had successfully advanced from the Martial Apprentice realm to the Martial Warrior realm. He could handle twenty or thirty ordinary people simultaneously, let alone a pampered young master like Ye Jingyu…

In his view, Ye Jingyu was utterly useless, a spoiled brat who only knew how to enjoy life, not even qualifying as a Martial Apprentice. If he refused the challenge, how could he maintain any standing later? Not to mention, his three junior brothers would certainly look down on him. Moreover, could he, an advanced Martial Warrior, truly not defeat a dandy who had never studied martial arts?

Therefore, Qin Minglong agreed almost without a second thought…

Immediately, Ye Jingyu drafted a challenge letter. Qin Minglong, in front of his three junior brothers, affixed his grand signature and thumbprint onto the document. This meant that from that moment on, this was their sworn pact for life and death—an unending battle three months hence…

To ensure fairness in the duel, Qin Minglong was forbidden from bothering him during these three months, nor could he dispatch others. Of course, since this was White Cloud Villa territory, the imperial court held no jurisdiction. If Qin Minglong sent people to continuously harass him, Ye Jingyu could say nothing. However, he trusted that the arrogant Qin Minglong would not stoop to such tactics. In fact, if others tried to trouble him, Qin Minglong would likely handle it himself—not out of righteousness, but because he held Ye Jingyu in utter contempt. If others knew he used tricks against someone like Ye Jingyu, Qin Minglong wouldn't be able to maintain face at White Cloud Villa anymore…

Thus, these three months would be his safest period. With three months to cultivate, Ye Jingyu was confident he could absolutely defeat Qin Minglong…