Chapter 31: Fourth Stage of Cast Tripod Realm

“Bang!”

Jiang Yi’s body crashed heavily onto the floor; the back of his head even made brief contact with the floor. But he could obviously feel that Leng Qianqian withdrew some strength in her fist, or else his ribs would have been shattered.

“Haha! My Dragon Elephant Fist is finally at Phenomenal Stage! This hundred taels purple gold is well spent. Lone Wolf, you are seriously amazing…”

Jiang Yi just managed to stand up, but Leng Qianqian shot towards him again, bringing along another fist to his chest. Jiang Yi’s body was sent flying again with a ‘boom’, just like a kite.

“Ss, ss…”

Jiang Yi’s edge of the mouth twitched in pain. He struggled to stand again, just to see Leng Qianqian dashing at him violently. He then frantically shouted, “Since I helped you achieve Phenomenal Stage for your martial skill, why are you hitting me?”

“Haha! Lone Wolf, sorry about that!”

Leng Qianqian let out two heartily laughs, fists flying across like shooting stars. A voice that was like the ‘gong’ of the bell rang again. “I like hitting people when I am angry. When I am happy… I too like to hit people! Just bear with me!”

Mad bitch!

Jiang Yi cursed silently. He could see Leng Qianqian’s fist approaching again so he shouted in panic, “Hold on, Miss Leng. My martial skills were just learned a few days ago. If you have the guts to wait for a few days, shall we see who will be beaten up?”

“Just a few days? Are you sure you can defeat me?” Leng Qianqian’s fist stopped in mid-air. She saw the unwilling expression from Jiang Yi and withdrew her punch. “Sure, I shall wait a few days for you! If you still can’t defeat me by then, I will beat you up so badly that your mom can’t recognize you.”

Jiang Yi stood up. He nodded as he gently rubbed on his aching chest. “It is a promise, but you have to restrain your strength like now because your cultivation stage is much higher than mine…”

“Sure!”

Leng Qianqian smirked and thoughtlessly reached out her hand. She pulled on the robes of Jiang Yi and walked out. She was smiling as she walked and said, “Come, kid. This sister is pleased today and shall treat you to some wine. We shall not return until we are drunk. Heh heh, I shall see how will that Tingyu hussy defeat me during the recruitment ceremony of the Mt. Spirit Beast College?”

No wonder this young mistress is as equally famous as Ji Tingyu. Her temperament is too intrepid!

Jiang Yi sighed in his heart but rejected: “I still need to continue my sparring sessions. Do you think I am like you? You are an invaluable young mistress while I am just a lowly sparring partner.”

“Is it like this? Sure, I will come back to look for you then.”

Leng Qianqian nodded and didn’t force Jiang Yi. She picked up her long robes and energetically walked out. She then reached out her hand and patted on Manager Yang’s shoulder while laughing. “Old Yang, your sparring partner ain’t half bad. This hundred taels purple gold is worth it.”

Leng Qianqian’s words excited those young masters and mistresses who were waiting in the queue. She was affirmed that Jiang Yi did have the ability to help others to achieve Phenomenal Stage on their martial skills, which further increased the queue.

Jiang Yi recuperated for two hours before going in the room again. It was lucky that the other two partners weren’t as valiant as Leng Qianqian, which he could deal with ease.

After three sessions, Manager Yang allowed Jiang Yi the rest that he needed. He rejected all the subsequent requests and asked Jiang Yi to go back to his room for rest. Manager Yang knew that having a long-term plan would be much better. If Jiang Yi was to be overworked or injured, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. He would rather continue having only three sparring sessions a day to bring up the expectations of these young masters and mistresses.

Jiang Yi was rather relieved. Having only to go for three sessions a day allowed him sufficient time to cultivate and recuperate. If he had to spar a dozen sessions a day like before, he would probably be worked to death.

For the next few days, Jiang Yi would spar for three sessions in the mornings. He would then cultivate without any rest during the afternoons and evenings. The days passed by peacefully. He didn’t need to utilize any of the Jiang Clan’s martial skills either. He would only rely on the Extreme Divine Steps and Buddha Palm to fight his opponents. Without the appearance of the top ten prodigies, Jiang Yi could easily deal with his opponents using his current strength.

What made Jiang Yi displeased was that there were members from the Ma and Jiang Clan within the queue for his sparring sessions. Once they knew of a sparring partner who could help assist martial artists achieve Phenomenal Stage on their martial skills, various clans sent their elite clansmen to the Martial Arts Hall.

Jiang Yi fought rather awkwardly against the members of the Ma and the Jiang Clan as he was constantly worrying that they would recognize by him.

But Jiang Yi’s worries were redundant. Except for the Jiang clansmen of collateral lineage, those elites didn’t even see him in the eyes. He was now wearing a mask and using the martial skills from the Martial Arts Hall, how could anyone recognize him? As for the Ma Clan, apart from Ma Fei, the rest of them would naturally be unable to tell that he was Jiang Yi. What’s more, Ma Fei’s dantian was ruined, why would he be at the Martial Arts Hall?

A few days later, young mistress Leng Qianqian, who was even more intrepid than most men, didn’t appear anymore. It was unknown whether she went into training seclusion again. Jiang Yi was rather pleased and at ease. But even if she was to come again, he wasn’t afraid, because… his Extreme Divine Steps and Buddha Palm were already at Phenomenal Stage.

Could it really be the effects of the black essence force?

Jiang Yi was full of suspicion himself. Even with his exceptional instincts, he wouldn’t be able to achieve Phenomenal Stage for two man-tier superior grade martial skills, using just a few days of sparring sessions. Could he truly possess an Astral Body of the Earth? But if he truly had the Astral Body of the Earth, why wasn’t he able to comprehend martial skills so quickly like this?

The next few days were rather serene. Jiang Yi would carry out his three sparring sessions and spend the rest of the time either breaking the seal or cultivating. As the breaking of the seals increased in pace, so did his cultivation speed drastically improve.

Two weeks. Give me another two weeks, and I will finally break through to the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm. I will then… finally be able to go home.

Thinking about Jiang Xiaonu back at home, Jiang Yi felt even more imperative. He extended his cultivation time and slept only four hours a day.

Since he arrived at the Martial Arts Hall for two months, Jiang Xiaonu didn’t send any news from home. He knew that Jiang Ruhu wouldn’t go find trouble with her, but just in case he would.

After ten days, two pieces of huge news came from the Martial Arts Hall and shocked the entire Skyplume City.

On the same day, two of the top ten prodigies exited from seclusion, each having breakthroughs. Jiang Henshui and Ji Tingyu both broke through to the ninth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm. Ji Tingyu, who was five months younger than Jiang Henshui, became the youth generation’s well-deserved no.1 while Jiang Henshui was now suppressing Leng Qianqian who was no.2.

The Ji and Jiang Clan were both delighted. They ordered all their clansmen to return and celebrate their breakthroughs. To achieve the ninth stage of Cast Tripod Realm at such age would mean that they would be able to enroll in the Mt. Spirit Beast College no doubt.

As one of the three major colleges of the continent, Mt. Spirit Beast College didn’t belong to any of the vassal states. But those that enrolled in the college and successfully graduated would definitely be sought after by the various vassal states. They were expected to have lots of achievements in their bright future.

With the two of them breaking through, it was the worst news for the rest of the geniuses. Because the Mt. Spirit Beast College was only going to recruit five students, and now the enrollment spots were left with only three. With Leng Qianqian’s intrepid combat strength, she might take up one spot. In other words, they would all have to fight for the two remaining spots.

Jiang Henshui, Jiang Rulong, and the rest of the Jiang clansmen went back to the Jiang’s residence. It allowed Jiang Yi to be rather relieved. He was most fearful of going against Jiang Henshui. The two of them spent their childhood years together, and they even met previously at the Alchemy lab. If they were to meet in combat, Jiang Henshui might probably identify him.

Within this period of time, Jiang Yi spared some time to comprehend the Exploding Essence Palm. But due to the two and a half missing pages, along with the missing crucial technique on essence force compression, Jiang Yi’s insane martial skills instinct wasn’t able to be fully utilized. He was wholeheartedly trying to break through to the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm and didn’t have sufficient time to comprehend the Exploding Essence Palm; hence, he didn’t bother about it.

Five days later, Jiang Yi walked out from his room and, as usual, sparred with three members of the various clans. Manager Yang’s expression was filled with satisfaction when he saw Jiang Yi. After all, Jiang Yi did help the Martial Arts Hall profit quite a bit during this time. He was beginning to favor Jiang Yi quite a bit.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yi didn’t go into the Technique Practicing Room for any spars, but he came over to Manager Yang instead and whispered, “Manager, I want to ask for two days of leave of absence. I wish to head back home.”

“Mm?” Manager Yang’s brows lifted. He scanned Jiang Yi’s body, and his eyes quickly brightened. He whispered in reply, “Lone Wolf, have you broken through to the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm?”

The eyes under Jiang Yi’s mask were filled with excitement and delight. With his constant diligence in cultivation, the endless supply of Spirit Divine Elixirs from Manager Yang, and the enhancement of the elixirs’ effects using his black essence force, it allowed Jiang Yi to increase his cultivation stage from second to the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm in just a few months. He finally had some strength to protect himself and could finally return home.

“Alright then!”

Although unwilling, Manager Yang still nodded. “It will be good for you to rest for two days. But since you have already attained the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm, the Martial Arts Hall will not be supplying you another more elixirs. It would be hard to use elixirs to improve your cultivation stage anyway. Of course… the money that you earned in the Martial Arts Hall could be used to purchase earth-tier elixirs to assist your cultivation. I will ask the men to give you a discount.”

Jiang Yi didn’t think so far ahead. He, who was previously a sealed trash, managed to attain the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm in a few months. With the assistance of the black essence force, his overall combat strength could barely match the top ten prodigies of the city. What else could he be unsatisfied about?

Ignoring the young masters and young mistresses who were in the queue, Jiang Yi bid Manager Yang farewell and quickly headed out of the Martial Arts Hall. The moment he stepped out of the Martial Arts Hall and breathed in the fresh air outside, Jiang Yi felt an overwhelming satisfaction. He wished he could yell out towards the sky to release his pent-up stress during this period of time.

“Swish!”

Circulating the blue essence force, he dashed forward with lightning speed. Due to his Lone Wolf’s mask, it attracted a lot of attention from the people in the plaza.

Quickly turning into an uninhabited alley, Jiang Yi took off his mask and wore his original black warrior’s robe. He even put on a mantle before sprinting in the alley. He finally arrived at the west gate of Jiang’s residence in thirty minutes.

Xiaonu, I am finally back. Young Master is back!

In a flash, Jiang Yi rushed into the Western Court of the Jiang’s residence before the doors had any reaction. As he approached his own little courtyard, his pace of footsteps turned urgent, even his delicate face was filled with emotions.

“Bang!”

The doors of the courtyard were shut. Jiang Yi immediately pushed it open with force and strode in with large steps as he shouted, “Xiaonu, Xiaonu, Young Master is back!”

The entire courtyard was in silence, not a single voice could be heard. Jiang Yi’s expression changed. He quickly rushed into the house and searched through the entire courtyard but couldn’t find anyone.

“Xiaonu, Xiaonu, where are you?!”

He couldn’t help but roar as he had this bad feeling in his heart. His face contorted into a terrifying expression, just like this sinister look of his Lone Wolf’s mask.