Chapter 6: Raising Hatred Frenetically

Xu Xiaoshou was on his way, walking with an odd gait, one foot turned inward, the other outward, pressing on through wind and rain.

He had woken up an hour early to start his journey, but after walking for most of the day, he still hadn't arrived. "Damn this Breathing Technique..." he cursed.

An old man, wearing a straw hat and leaning on a cane, walked past him. Though he didn't seem to be moving quickly, his passage managed to stir up a gust of wind.

A moment later, the old man turned back, seemingly surprised that the young man's pace was slower than a turtle's.

"From the Outer Institute?" he asked. "Young man, aren't you going to participate in the 'Wind and Cloud Competition'?"

Xu Xiaoshou's teeth chattered as he stammered, "I-I'm on my way!"

The old man glanced at his trembling legs and smiled meaningfully. "Youngsters shouldn't overdo it!" he advised.

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened, and he nearly stumbled and fell. He could only curse inwardly: "Damn this Spirit Refining Pill..."

The root of all this was the terrible combination of the "Breathing Technique" and the "Spirit Refining Pill."

During the three days of preparation, he endured the intense... *unusual* sensations in his body, managing to absorb twenty Spirit Crystals. His cultivation immediately soared to the peak of the Fourth Realm.

After repeatedly confirming that this cultivation method had no side effects, Xu Xiaoshou also realized the power of the "Breathing Technique." While it didn't absorb quickly, it absorbed a lot at once.

This cultivation was becoming increasingly addictive. At this point, he was just a step away from the Spirit Refining Fifth Realm, and Xu Xiaoshou couldn't possibly stop.

He suppressed his trembling body, thinking that there was still one night before the competition. How could he waste it?

Time is money, time is life!

So he took out a Spirit Refining Pill. He thought for a moment, afraid the medicinal power wouldn't be enough for a breakthrough, so he emptied his lungs and took a powerful sniff, his nose directly over the pill.

That single sniff led to a major incident!

Spirit Crystals, being fist-sized, didn't allow for much energy absorption. But Spirit Refining Pills were tiny, like fingernail-sized. With such a powerful sniff, the pill shrank by half!

What did half a pill signify?

Ordinarily, when spirit refiners absorbed a Spirit Refining Pill, ninety-nine percent of the spiritual energy would dissipate. Yet, even so, it was enough to increase cultivation speed several times over.

But the "Breathing Technique" absorbed one hundred percent...

So when Xu Xiaoshou realized something was wrong, hundreds of times the pleasure had already surged over him. Who could withstand this?

This was no longer pleasure; this was oral dynamite.

His feet arched, his heart stopped abruptly, and Xu Xiaoshou fainted on the spot!

This single sniff was equivalent to an ordinary person simultaneously consuming dozens of Spirit Refining Pills; the potency was evident.

While unconscious, Xu Xiaoshou's cultivation not only broke through but soared directly to the peak of the Fifth Realm, almost reaching the Sixth.

When he regained consciousness, he felt completely drained. His steps were light and unsteady, his eyes rolled back, and his teeth chattered...

It was as if he had been... while unconscious.

Yet, he had only taken a tiny sniff of the pill. Damn it!

Even when walking, he had to drag one foot with the other, each step a struggle to maintain balance.

If he didn't clench his legs tight enough, he'd collapse into a squat!

Xu Xiaoshou quickly swallowed the remaining half of the pill and refined it using an ordinary cultivation method. Only then did his condition improve.

Although it was wasteful, there was no other choice at the moment. Being able to participate was the most important thing.

"Dong—"

A long, resonant bell chime broke his contemplation.

Xu Xiaoshou bade farewell to the old man and quickened his pace towards the Cloud Ascent Platform.

The old man with the straw hat watched him stumble with every step, shaking his head with emotion. "Ah, to be young is truly wonderful!"

...

Cloud Ascent Platform, Ring No. 12.

"Last call!"

"Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou!"

As everyone eagerly awaited, a sword-wielding youth stumbled forth under the scorching sun.

"Here... wait!" he called out, his voice incredibly weak.

In the spectator stands, the white-clad girl Su Qianqian pointed excitedly, her large eyes filled with excitement: "Brother Xiaoshou!"

"That's him?" Rao Yinyin felt a slight curiosity. However, seeing the young man's walking posture, she was instantly taken aback. "Sister Su, what did you do to him?"

"Huh?" Su Qianqian was puzzled. After glancing at Xu Xiaoshou again and clearly seeing his gait, her cheeks immediately burned red, and she playfully punched the red-clad woman's chest with her fist. "Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Elder Qiao, from a distance, also breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Xu Xiaoshou. "He's finally here, that kid..."

"Uh, that walking posture... what mischief has he been up to?"

...

On the ring.

Xu Xiaoshou weakly cupped his fists at the referee. "My apologies, I was delayed by something."

After speaking, he clenched his legs tighter.

The referee: "..."

Your words and that action could easily lead to improper thoughts, young man!

At the same time, another bell chime echoed from the horizon.

"Dong—"

The referee made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Let the competition begin!"

The moment his words fell, the scene erupted instantly.

Some participants took advantage of those nearby whose attention was drawn to Xu Xiaoshou, immediately blasting them out of the ring. Several participants were eliminated in an instant.

"You're asking for death!" Those who hadn't been successfully ambushed immediately flew into a rage and engaged in a fierce brawl with the attackers.

Xu Xiaoshou had just entered the ring and was hugging the edge, currently far from the main battle. When he saw the numbers decreasing, he immediately grew anxious.

These were potential points!

His grand plan for wealth depended on these headcounts. Each one of them was a 'passive value'; how could they be fighting among themselves?

"Stop!" A forceful shout, strained with inner power, echoed throughout the arena. Its feigned strength barely concealed its underlying weakness. Yet, it was this very voice that made everyone on the ring cease their fighting.

Everyone was stunned. They turned their heads to look at Xu Xiaoshou, not knowing why they had been startled into stopping.

What was this person doing? Could it be that being a bit far from the crowd made him feel overly confident?

A few people began to move over, ready to beat Xu Xiaoshou.

The referee was also stunned. He hadn't expected that this latecomer would possess the power of Xiantian in his voice.

However, he checked his cultivation realm: Spirit Refining Fifth Realm? Uh, was he seeing things?

The three people in the spectator stands were also baffled. Elder Qiao was burning with anxiety but couldn't discern anything, merely agitated: "What on earth is this Xu Xiaoshou doing? Isn't he afraid of death?"

Rao Yinyin turned back to the girl. "Your Brother Xiaoshou has quite the sacrificial spirit, giving up his own chances to help others advance to the breakthrough round?"

Su Qianqian remained silent, gripping the massive sword on her lap tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

On the ring, after Xu Xiaoshou shouted, his legs immediately began to tremble. He quickly used his long robe to cover them.

Glancing around, he saw that the highest cultivation level nearby was only the Eighth Realm. They probably couldn't break through his 'strength'.

"Luckily, I didn't run into any grandmasters," Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself. "Otherwise, my grand money-making scheme would have ended prematurely."

"Cough, cough!" He lightly coughed a few times. Seeing that everyone's attention was on him, he plunged his black sword into the ring, leaned against the edge of the barrier, and said with forced composure:

"Everyone!"

"I have cultivated a peerless divine technique, and my physical body is unparalleled in strength. As the saying goes, when one emerges from seclusion, it is time to test what has been learned..."

"So, without further ado, one against a hundred, come at me!"

"You are all surrounded by me, Xu!"

The people in the arena, who had initially been stopped by his shout and somewhat surprised, now burst into arrogant laughter upon hearing Xu Xiaoshou's words.

"One against a hundred?" one scoffed. "Did you not pee when you woke up this morning? Can't you see yourself?" another taunted. "Don't think I can't see your feet shaking and your teeth chattering. If you're challenging a hundred, what are you afraid of?" A third added, "You, a soft-legged shrimp? Don't you weigh your own worth?" And so on.

Xu Xiaoshou looked down at his own feet. And he had to admit, the term "soft-legged shrimp" was truly fitting!

This wave of provocation from him was truly maxed out. A barrage of insults followed, unbearable to hear. Even the referee was eager to join in.

But clearly, he was a cool-headed referee. He forcibly suppressed his fighting intent.

"Received ridicule, Passive Points, +42.""Received ridicule, Passive Points, +21."

The information bar in his mind refreshed. Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow; indeed, a place with many people was truly his battlefield!

Excellent ridicule!

Mock me as much as you like!

Xu Xiaoshou's fighting spirit soared. He seemed to envision everyone charging at him in a group. He pointed to the black sword beside him and said: "This is a ninth-grade spirit sword. Whoever defeats me..."

"Hey, why are those people fighting over there? Listen to me!" he complained. "Hey! Hey! Over here, look at me!"

He was halfway through his speech when the crowd, dismissing him as a madman, completely ignored him and resumed their brawl.

Xu Xiaoshou got angry. He slapped a few of the approaching guys, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"Stop it!" With a roar, a faint Xiantian pressure descended once more. Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. What was happening? They had inexplicably stopped again.

Turning their heads again, they saw several people kneeling in front of Xu Xiaoshou, clutching their faces.

Fifth Realm, Sixth Realm, Seventh Realm... What the hell was going on? Why were they kneeling?

Everything happened too quickly. Even the slapped individuals were bewildered. "Weren't we here to beat him up? Why did my face suddenly hurt, and I ended up kneeling?"

Those who saw it most clearly this time were the three people in the spectator stands.

Rao Yinyin's beautiful eyes showed surprise as she exclaimed: "This Xu Xiaoshou's physical body is very strong! He's only at the Fifth Realm, yet he possesses such speed and strength."

Su Qianqian nodded repeatedly. "Of course!"

The referee was also utterly bewildered. He had just turned his head for a moment, and a Xiantian aura had reappeared. Who on earth was emitting it?!

As far as he could see, there were no Xiantian masters!

As a referee, he felt it necessary to curb Xu Xiaoshou's disruptive behavior. So he coldly spoke:

"Competitor, please do not interfere with the match," he warned. "Otherwise, I will have to intervene and ask you to leave!"

Xu Xiaoshou retorted, "How am I interfering with the match? I'm also on the field, aren't I? I'm a competitor!"

The referee was speechless for a moment. "What you said makes so much sense!"

"But the match needs to continue!" the referee retorted.

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. "Isn't the match continuing?"

He turned to face the crowd, his eyes incredibly sincere. "I just want to say..."

"Whoever can break my defense with their bare hands, I will give this ninth-grade spirit sword to them!"

He picked up the black sword, activated his spiritual power, and the black sword glowed with spiritual light, its sword energy surging forth freely.

I don't believe you guys won't be tempted.

"Received suspicion, Passive Points, +86."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

Why did no one believe him?!

He looked at the referee and directly tossed the sword to him. "You be the witness!"

The referee: ???

Did I agree to that? And you just throw the sword to me?

Xu Xiaoshou quickly spoke before the referee could. "A referee's duty is to try and prevent injuries or casualties among competitors. It doesn't say I'm not allowed to do this on stage, does it!"

The referee was momentarily speechless.

"That's right!"

"I agree with Xu Xiaoshou!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd spoke up. It was a tall man, at the Seventh Realm of cultivation, with an imposing aura. However, his gaze was fixed intently on the black sword.

"I agree too!"

"Agreed!"

The atmosphere suddenly changed. Dozens of people stared at the ninth-grade spirit sword, each one almost drooling.

The tall man who had spoken first looked at Xu Xiaoshou. "Are you serious?"

"Serious, more serious than real gold!" Seeing that someone agreed with him, Xu Xiaoshou immediately declared loudly.

These people really won't turn their heads unless there's profit involved; all of them are the same!

The three in the spectator stands were also bewildered by Xu Xiaoshou's outrageous maneuvers. They each looked at the other rings, where fierce, relentless battles were raging.

But Ring No. 12... was essentially an auction site.

Xu Xiaoshou, acting as host, was spreading tempting words, the referee, like an usher, held the spirit sword, and a pack of hungry wolves stared with greenish-glowing eyes.

Rao Yinyin covered her forehead with her elegant hand, sighing speechlessly. "What an oddball!"

"Brother Xiaoshou is amazing!" Su Qianqian clenched her fist.

Elder Qiao was dumbfounded. He picked up his jaw from the floor.

"What in the world is that brat up to?!"