Three months passed swiftly. During the day, after completing the menial chores assigned by Baiyun Villa, Ye Jingyu dedicated himself to practicing various martial arts: Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin Changquan, Hung Gar, and even Tai Chi. Sadly, these were only forms he had witnessed in movies; he grasped none of their true essence...

However, this flurry of activity was merely a tactic to lull Qin Minglong into a false sense of security. He had already signed the scroll for a life-and-death duel; failing to appear motivated might lead Qin Minglong to suspect a deeper conspiracy.

Everything unfolded exactly as he had anticipated. Qin Minglong certainly sent spies to observe Ye Jingyu, and upon seeing his daily, seemingly desperate training regimen, the former relaxed considerably. In Qin Minglong's estimation, Ye Jingyu's moves were nothing more than flashy, useless posturing, entirely lacking in lethality. He believed Ye Jingyu had issued the challenge out of sheer terror of being beaten, making a last-ditch, desperate gamble now that he realized the gravity of a death match.

To showcase his magnanimity, Qin Minglong even deliberately instructed his servants to ensure Ye Jingyu was well-cared for, fed generously, so that defeating him would only highlight Qin Minglong’s own generosity.

Thanks to Qin Minglong’s supposed grace, Ye Jingyu no longer had to sleep in the woodshed or subsist on plain steamed buns and thin porridge; his daily meals were now comparable to those of the formal disciples of Baiyun Villa...

For a true prodigal son, this standard of living might still feel lacking, but Ye Jingyu was no spoiled rich kid. At his core, he was just a student with a hint of roguishness. If he could manage on buns and gruel, then this new fare was certainly welcome.

Thus, Ye Jingyu was quite content with his current situation. By day, he performed his cinematic martial arts displays under the watchful eyes of everyone, and by night, he quietly retreated to his room to cultivate the Ba Yuan Jue...

It must be said, the Ba Yuan Jue was truly a profound yet tyrannical cultivation method. Most martial artists absorbed the purest spiritual energy from the heavens and earth to forge their physical bodies and expand their meridians, subsequently converting it into their true qi. The Ba Yuan Jue, however, was entirely different. It absorbed not only ambient spiritual energy but also all manner of other energies, channeling everything through the ring on his chest, where it was transformed into pure force surging into his body...

Initially, though, Ye Jingyu’s cultivation speed was not fast. The energies were like numerous cars jamming a single-lane road. Only after spending ten days successfully refining the Ying Po of the Sea Chakra did this single lane transform into a double lane, immediately doubling his cultivation speed...

Yet, the time Ye Jingyu spent refining the Jing Po took over twenty days—more than double the time required for the Ying Po...

This was the extent of Ye Jingyu’s achievements in the first month. The Elite Second Soul (Er Po), governing physical strength, brought noticeable improvements after its refinement. Ye Jingyu felt significantly more energetic, and his strength had increased considerably. His vision, hearing, and perception had all seen marked improvements. While he couldn't quantify the extent, he knew he was no longer the frail young master he had been a month prior...

With the successful refinement of the Jing Po, his cultivation speed increased dramatically, expanding the pathway from two lanes to four, multiplying his speed severalfold. However, for some unknown reason, as the three-month deadline neared, Ye Jingyu finally managed to refine the Li Po...

This meant that while his cultivation speed increased exponentially with each refined Soul, the difficulty of refining the subsequent one increased geometrically, leading to an overall longer time commitment for each stage.

Furthermore, Ye Jingyu had expected that after refining the Elite Two Souls, the next step would be the Central Soul of the Navel Chakra (Qi Lun Zhong Shu Po). Instead, he jumped over the Central Soul entirely and proceeded to cultivate the Li Po of the Heart Chakra...

The Central Soul, being the nexus of the Seven Souls, led Ye Jingyu to suspect it would be the last one he refined...

After refining the Li Po, the most pronounced change Ye Jingyu felt was a massive surge in physical strength. His entire body felt saturated with power, as if it could explode at any moment. He discreetly tested his new strength and discovered he could effortlessly lift a boulder weighing several hundred pounds from the base of the mountain...

With this accomplishment, Ye Jingyu felt brimming with confidence for the impending life-and-death duel. Even without mastering specific martial arts techniques, possessing agility and strength several times greater than the average person should give him a solid chance against Qin Minglong...

After all, Qin Minglong was not a core disciple of Baiyun Villa. What significant accomplishments could a man in his early twenties possibly possess?

Today was the appointed day for the duel between Ye Jingyu and Qin Minglong, set to take place on the very plaza where Ye Jingyu had first arrived...

Upon arriving at the plaza, it was already thronged with people—mostly disciples of Baiyun Villa, but many elders of the Villa were also present. Whatever their thoughts, they all wore expressions of intense interest...

When Ye Jingyu reached the square, he saw this immense crowd and a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. In his view, Qin Minglong was a minor player, and he himself was less than that. Why so many spectators?

He failed to grasp that while a life-and-death duel was an accepted means of settling grudges across the entire Douhun Continent, Baiyun Villa had not seen such a challenge issued in many years. Such public spectacle was usually avoided unless absolutely necessary. Only a reckless fool like Ye Jingyu would propose it. Since he had, this death match, even between insignificant figures, provided a certain thrill, didn't it? Humans are creatures who crave excitement, and these elders, bored with their usual routine, naturally came to watch the show. Ultimately, in their eyes, both Ye Jingyu and Qin Minglong were merely objects of entertainment...

Ignoring the surrounding crowd, Ye Jingyu walked confidently toward the central stage. Qin Minglong, clad in his black martial attire, was already standing there with a mocking smile, his gaze toward Ye Jingyu filled with undisguised contempt...

"You truly intend to duel Brother Minglong?" Just as Ye Jingyu was about to step onto the stage, a voice tinged with worry drifted over...

Ye Jingyu turned and saw the same plump young man from before squeezing through the crowd, looking deeply concerned as he addressed him...

"Yes..." Ye Jingyu nodded naturally, unsure why this man, whom he had only met a few times, would be worried about him...

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

"Heh, trust me, I will win..." Ye Jingyu smiled and cut the fat man off before he could finish, warmly patting the man’s shoulder. Then, under the scornful eyes of the onlookers, he leaped onto the stage...