Three months slipped by quickly. Every day, after finishing the menial chores assigned by White Cloud Manor, Ye Jingyu practiced various martial arts: Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin Long Fist, Hung Gar, and even Tai Chi. It was a shame that these were only the techniques he’d seen in movies; he had no grasp of their true essence...

However, this was merely a tactic to lull Qin Minglong into a false sense of security. Since he had already signed the life-and-death duel contract, if he didn't appear diligent, how could Qin Minglong possibly believe him? He might even suspect some hidden conspiracy.

As expected, everything unfolded just as he had anticipated. Qin Minglong did indeed send people to observe Ye Jingyu. Seeing him practice desperately every day, Qin Minglong finally relaxed. In his eyes, all of Ye Jingyu’s moves were mere flashy posturing, completely lacking any real lethality. He had always believed Ye Jingyu issued the challenge out of fear of a beating, a desperate measure taken when he realized the seriousness of a life-or-death battle, leading him to train ceaselessly as a last resort...

To demonstrate his magnanimity, Qin Minglong even deliberately instructed his servants to treat Ye Jingyu well, ensuring he was fed and lodged properly. After all, winning would only make his generosity appear more pronounced, wouldn't it?

Because of Qin Minglong’s supposed generosity, Ye Jingyu no longer had to sleep in the woodshed or subsist on steamed buns and thin porridge; his daily meals were nearly on par with those of the formal disciples of White Cloud Manor...

For a true profligate son, this lifestyle might still fall short, but Ye Jingyu was no rake. In the end, he was just a student with a slight air of roguishness. If he could eat steamed buns and porridge, what else could he not endure?

So, Ye Jingyu was quite content with his current existence. By day, he performed the cinematic moves under everyone’s watchful eyes; by night, he quietly secluded himself in his room to cultivate the Bā Yuán Jué...

It must be said that the Bā Yuán Jué was truly an exceedingly (For the full novel text, please visit .1.(1.m.Literature Website)) profound yet tyrannical cultivation technique. Most martial artists absorb the purest spiritual energy between heaven and earth to forge their physical bodies and expand their meridians, subsequently transforming it into their true qi. However, the Bā Yuán Jué was entirely different; it absorbed not only heaven and earth spiritual energy but also various other energies indiscriminately. All of it was channeled through the ring situated on his chest, converting into the purest power that surged into his body...

Yet, initially, Ye Jingyu's cultivation speed was not fast. Those energies were like numerous cars crowding a single-lane road. Only after Ye Jingyu spent ten days successfully refining the Yīng Pò (Heroic Soul) of the Lower Dantian did this single lane transform into a dual lane, doubling his cultivation speed...

But the time Ye Jingyu spent refining the Jīng Pò (Essence Soul) took over twenty days—more than twice the duration required for the Yīng Pò...

This was the achievement Ye Jingyu gained in his first month. The Jīng Pò is responsible for strengthening the body. After successfully refining these two souls, Ye Jingyu distinctly felt much more spirited, his strength significantly increased, and his vision, hearing, and perception all showed marked improvement. Though he didn't know the exact extent of the progress, he knew he was no longer the frail young master from a month ago...

With the successful refinement of the Jīng Pò, the cultivation speed drastically increased, expanding the pathway from two lanes to four lanes—a multiplication of several times. But for some unknown reason, as the three-month deadline approached, Ye Jingyu only managed to refine the Lì Pò (Strength Soul)...

This meant that while his cultivation speed multiplied with each refined soul, the difficulty of refining the next soul increased geometrically, causing the time taken to actually lengthen...

Furthermore, he had assumed that after refining the Yīng Pò and Jīng Pò, the next would be the Zhōng Zhōu Pò (Central Hub Soul) of the Navel Chakra. Unexpectedly, he bypassed the Central Hub Soul entirely and went straight to cultivating the Lì Pò of the Heart Chakra...

The Central Hub Soul is the core of the Seven Souls. Ye Jingyu vaguely felt that this would be the last soul he refined...

After refining the Lì Pò, the most obvious change Ye Jingyu felt was a massive surge in strength, his entire body brimming with power, as if ready to explode at any moment. He had privately tested his strength and found that he could effortlessly lift a stone weighing several hundred catties from the foot of the mountain...

With such accomplishments, Ye Jingyu felt full of confidence for the impending life-and-death duel. Even if he didn't know any martial arts techniques, with an agility and strength several times greater than ordinary people, he believed he had a good chance against Qin Minglong...

After all, Qin Minglong wasn't a core disciple of White Cloud Manor. What could he achieve in his twenties?

Today was the agreed-upon day for the duel between Ye Jingyu and Qin Minglong. The location was the very plaza where Ye Jingyu had arrived that day...

At this moment, the plaza was already packed with onlookers—disciples of White Cloud Manor, and even many of the Manor's elders were present. No one knew what they were thinking, but every face held an expression of keen interest...

When Ye Jingyu walked into the plaza, he was met with this scene, his eyes flashing with confusion. In his view, Qin Minglong was merely a minor character, and he himself wasn't even that. Why were so many people gathered?

He didn't understand that while a life-and-death duel was a universally recognized method for settling grievances across the entire Dou Hun Continent, no one in White Cloud Manor had proposed such a duel in years. This involved people's lives, and who would resort to a life-and-death battle unless absolutely necessary?

Only a reckless fool like him would propose it. Since he had proposed it, even a small-scale duel between insignificant figures held a certain thrill, didn't it? Humans are creatures who enjoy excitement, and these elders, having nothing else to do on a daily basis, naturally came to watch the spectacle. In the end, both Ye Jingyu and Qin Minglong were merely objects of their amusement...

Ignoring the surrounding crowd, Ye Jingyu confidently strode toward the raised platform in the center of the plaza. Qin Minglong, already dressed in a black martial arts uniform, stood there with a wide smile, his gaze towards Ye Jingyu filled with disdain...

"Are you truly going to duel Senior Brother Minglong?" Just as Ye Jingyu was about to step onto the stage, a slightly worried voice called out...

Ye Jingyu turned his head and saw the same fat man from before emerging from the crowd, his face etched with concern as he spoke to him...

"Mmm..." Ye Jingyu nodded naturally, wondering why this man he’d met a few times would worry about him...

"But you are no match for him. Going up there is just suicide..."

"Heh heh, trust me, I will win..." Before the fat man could finish, Ye Jingyu smiled and cut him off, patting the man's shoulder warmly before leaping onto the stage under the disdainful eyes of the crowd...