Half an hour after he broke through, the results of the Tempered Body Record were evident. Although his own knowledge contributed, if not for that technique, he believed that he needed another three to four months before advancing.
The speed difference was staggering. Three months compressed into thirty minutes. That was the power of a true cultivation technique versus the basic body tempering exercises every disciple learned.
With this, he took a deep breath and exhaled the impurities from his body.
A pitch black smoke emerged from his mouth, filthy as it tumbled to the ground. After expectorating this smoke out, his six senses all became more acute and sharpened.
His vision became clearer. Colors more vivid. He could see individual leaves on trees fifty meters away. His hearing picked up conversations from distant courtyards. Even his sense of smell detected scents he had never noticed before.
While his prior knowledge of cultivation mechanics, gleaned from countless transmigration novels, guided him, he knew this world's rules might differ. Still, the principle remained:
Purge impurities, strengthen the body, climb the tiers.
The fundamentals were universal across cultivation stories. Build your foundation. Remove impurities. Advance through realms. The specifics might vary, but the core progression system remained consistent.
His modern mind raced. In most stories, early breakthroughs are fragile. Stabilize first, rush later.
Yang Kai forced himself to sit and consolidate his cultivation. Rushing to the next stage without stabilizing the current one was a common mistake protagonists made. He would not repeat that error.
As he exhaled a plume of inky smoke, his senses sharpened. Body cleansing, classic trope, he mused. But the intensity surprised him. Previous breakthroughs had been mild, but this... Like a detox spa gone wild. He smirked. If only his old gym buddies could see him now.
The amount of impurities expelled was shocking. The original Yang Kai's body had accumulated years of toxins from poor food and polluted World Energy. All of it was being forcibly purged now.
The Tempered Body Record's fist technique lagged.
He had made no real progress in the Tempered Body Record's fist technique. His daily practice could only produce one percent of the total result, out of the 101 punches.
The technique was vast. Complex. One hundred and one distinct movements, each with subtle variations depending on circumstances. Mastering it would take months, maybe years.
Patience, he reminded himself.
Haste breeds plot holes. Or in this case, qi deviations.
Cultivation required patience. Rushing led to unstable foundations. Damaged meridians. Crippled potential. Yang Kai had read enough stories to know the consequences of impatience.
Later, after eating something he continued to sweep the area, his modern instincts nagged. Menial labor in cultivation worlds always hides secrets. He scrutinized the spotless path. Maybe hidden formations? Or a buried spatial ring?
His eyes scanned every inch of ground. Looking for irregularities. Strange patterns. Unusual stones. Anything that might indicate a hidden treasure or secret.
Nothing. Just dirt and leaves.
Yang Kai sighed internally. Not every courtyard had buried treasures. Sometimes a broom was just a broom. Sometimes sweeping was just sweeping.
Within the trees, Xia Ning Chang had started to monitor the disciples and inadvertently saw Yang Kai sweeping away. To not have some emotions would be weird. Today, there was something different about him, but she was not sure. For over half an hour, he had not left that spot, sweeping it until it was shiny and spotless. It was so slick that if a mosquito were to go on, it would have a sprained ankle.
The Dark Hall disciple watched with growing confusion. Yang Kai's behavior had changed noticeably. Yesterday he had been desperate, erratic. Today he seemed focused, methodical. And that one section of courtyard...
Why was he sweeping the same spot repeatedly?
This guy... Xia Ning Chang did not know what to make of him.
Her analytical mind tried to piece together the puzzle. Yang Kai had always been strange. Stubborn beyond reason. But this was different. This felt purposeful.
Xia Ning Chang noted his unusual diligence though. Is he scanning the ground for something?
The thought made sense. Treasure hunting perhaps? But there was nothing special about that section of courtyard. Just ordinary stone pathway.
At that moment, Yang Kai was thinking about other things. Yesterday he had obtained a huge opportunity, so naturally he was considering his future.
The Black Book changed everything. With the Unyielding Golden Skeleton and Tempered Body Record, his cultivation speed would be phenomenal. But speed attracted attention. He needed to be careful.
While he was pondering, rapid footsteps approached quickly from behind. He quickly went to dodge, but did not realize that the other party was making preparations to avoid him too. So they crashed into each other.
The collision happened in an instant. Both moved at the same time. Both dodged in the same direction. Result? Direct impact.
Though he did not sustain any major injuries, when he crashed into that person, it felt as if he had crashed into a steel wall. With a cry, he fell to the ground and the place he bumped felt numb.
Yang Kai hit the ground hard. His shoulder throbbed where it made contact. The other person's body was solid, reinforced by higher stage cultivation.
Yang Kai quickly recovered and apologetically asked: "This fellow disciple, are you okay?"
Proper etiquette demanded apology. Even if both were at fault, Yang Kai was lower ranked. Trial Disciples apologized to everyone.
The young man was annoyed and when he looked up to see that it was Yang Kai, that explosive anger dissipated. Holding anger for such person held no meaning and it was also his own fault.
Getting angry at Yang Kai was pointless. The Trial Disciple was beneath notice. Not worth the emotional energy.
Replying immediately while waving his hands: "It is alright, it is alright!"
The young man's tone was dismissive. Not friendly, just indifferent. Yang Kai was too insignificant to bother with anger.
While saying this and getting up, he then energetically ran away.
Whatever had the young man in such a hurry must be important. He barely paused after the collision before resuming his sprint.
Yang Kai asked: "Fellow disciple, where are you going to hurriedly?"
Curiosity got the better of him. What could make an outer court disciple run that frantically?
The young man faintly shouted: "The Contribution Hall, where else?"
The words echoed back as he disappeared around a corner. Contribution Hall. Monthly distribution day. Of course.
Startled, he could not help but frown. Each month, the amount of points he received was quite meager.
Contribution Points were everything in High Heaven Pavilion. Resources. Techniques. Medicine. Everything cost points. And Yang Kai earned almost none.
Sweepers could earn ten points, but in the last month he was challenged six times, and each time he lost! With reductions after each loss, he was left with only four points. This, this was truly pitiful.
Four Contribution Points. Barely enough for anything useful. A single bottle of basic medicine cost ten points. Even the cheapest cultivation pill was five points.
Worse than a minimum wage gig.
Yang Kai's previous life memories provided the comparison. At least minimum wage guaranteed payment. Contribution Points could be taken away through challenges. He could end a month with negative points.
Thinking of this, Yang Kai thought even a small mosquito has flesh.
Four points was better than zero. He needed every advantage he could get. Time to collect his monthly pittance.
At noon, Yang Kai headed to the Contribution Hall. Contribution Points, the universal currency.
The hall was located in the inner sect area. A large building that handled all point transactions. Distribution. Exchange. Recording. Everything related to Contribution Points happened here.
As he entered the hall, he spotted an old man dozing off at the counter.
The interior was spacious but empty. Most disciples had already collected their monthly distribution earlier. Yang Kai had deliberately come late to avoid crowds.
This old man was the treasurer of the school. He was about fifty with thin white hair and a kind face. Looking at him, he looked harmless to animals and humans. Yang Kai thought old man trope: either a hidden master or a comedic lech. Yang Kai's modern sensibilities leaned toward the earlier. Still, worth testing.
Treasurer Meng had a nickname that everyone in High Heaven Pavilion called him, Bully Meng. Despite holding the treasurer position, he was notorious for extorting Contribution Points from disciples.
The name was well earned. Every disciple who dealt with Treasurer Meng came away feeling cheated. The old man had a talent for squeezing extra points from transactions.
Take the Blood Clotting Cream, for example. Normally, two bottles cost twenty Contribution Points, but Meng sold three bottles for the price of four, and worse, he split the contents of two bottles into three.
The math was absurd. You paid for four bottles but got three. And those three bottles contained only two bottles worth of cream. A fifty percent markup disguised as a bulk discount.
His reasoning?
Simple: "Buy it or scram!"
No negotiation. No alternatives. Take the deal or leave empty handed. Treasurer Meng controlled all official sect resources. If you needed something, you paid his price.
Of course, Meng was not stupid enough to rob everyone blind. He only targeted the rich disciples, the ones who had no choice but to buy from him.
Core Disciples with wealthy families. Elite Disciples backed by elders. Anyone with enough points to afford being gouged. Those were Treasurer Meng's preferred victims.
As for poor, struggling disciples like Yang Kai? Meng did not even bother.
There was no profit in extorting people with four Contribution Points. The effort was not worth the reward. So Trial Disciples and poor outer court disciples were largely ignored.
Still, Contribution Points were hard earned, and many disciples had reported him to the sect council in frustration. But Meng was like a greasy loach, impossible to catch. The council needed him, and no one else could take over his role.
The investigations always ended the same way. Insufficient evidence. Conflicting testimonies. Meng's meticulous record keeping that somehow never showed wrongdoing. He was untouchable.
Thus, every disciple despised him, except one.
The One Exception: Yang Kai
Meng was ruthless to everyone, but he never dared to cross Yang Kai.
Why?
Because once, Meng had been caught red handed peeking at female disciples bathing.
What a scandal!
The incident had happened six months ago. Yang Kai had been hunting in the forest near the sect's hot springs when he stumbled upon Treasurer Meng crouched behind bushes, eyes glued to the bathing area.
Yang Kai had witnessed it all, and ever since then, Meng lowered his head whenever he saw him.
The leverage was absolute. If Yang Kai revealed what he had seen, Treasurer Meng's reputation would be destroyed. Possibly expelled from the sect. Definitely humiliated beyond recovery.
The lecherous old man, thick skinned as ever quickly adjusted his attitude and said: "Same as always?"
His tone was careful. Almost respectful. A stark contrast to how he treated other disciples. The power dynamic had completely reversed.
Yang Kai shook his head. "No. How many Contribution Points do I have now?"
He needed to know his exact balance before making decisions. The challenges last month had cost him dearly.
Meng rolled his eyes, already flipping through the records.
The old man's fingers moved with practiced efficiency. He knew every disciple's balance by heart but maintained the pretense of checking records.
"Twelve. What, you want to exchange them for a bottle of Blood Clotting Cream?"
The question carried faint mockery. Twelve points could not even buy one bottle at normal price. At Meng's inflated prices? Forget it.
Yang Kai tapped the counter thoughtfully. "Twelve points, that is 120 silver if I cash out, right?"
The exchange rate was standard. One Contribution Point for ten silver coins. Simple conversion that every disciple knew.
Meng froze for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
Suspicion flickered across the old man's face. Cashing out Contribution Points was unusual. Most disciples hoarded points desperately. Converting to silver was seen as admitting defeat.
"You are thinking of cashing out? You idiot, what can you even buy with that?"
The criticism was harsh but not entirely unfair. Silver bought mundane goods. Food, clothes, basic supplies. Nothing that would help cultivation.
Yang Kai leaned in slightly. "Oh? Afraid I might spend it on something better than your overpriced stock?"
The jab hit its mark. Meng's eye twitched. His pride as a merchant, however corrupt, did not appreciate being called overpriced.
Meng clicked his tongue, then suddenly lowered his voice.
The old man's expression shifted from annoyed to concerned. This was genuine worry, not mockery.
"Little Yang Kai, do not tell me, were you not trying to save up for the Tempered Essence Pellet?"
The Tempered Essence Pellet cost fifty Contribution Points. It was the most effective medicine for breaking through Tempered Body stages. Yang Kai had been saving toward it for over a year.
Yang Kai's fingers tapped against the wooden counter rhythmically.
He had one thing in mind.
Gambling.
The Idea of Gambling
For the first time since arriving in this world, Yang Kai considered it.
His previous life knowledge included understanding probability. Statistics. How gambling systems worked. The house always won in the long run, but in the short term, informed players could exploit patterns.
With his Earthly knowledge, he knew how odds worked.
Card games. Dice games. Any gambling game had mathematical foundations. If he could identify patterns or weaknesses, he could gain an edge.
If there was a gambling den in Black Plum Village, he could turn 120 silver into 1,200.
Black Plum Village was the nearest settlement outside High Heaven Pavilion. Disciples frequented it for supplies and entertainment. Where there were young men with money, there were always gambling dens.
If he was smart and cautious, he could multiply his money rapidly.
The key was discipline. Set limits. Walk away when ahead. Never chase losses. Basic gambling strategy that most people ignored.
Of course, the risk was high.
Gambling was gambling. No matter how skilled, luck played a role. He could lose everything. Walk away with nothing. Be worse off than when he started.
Was it worth it?
The question was not simple. Twelve Contribution Points represented a month of work. Converting and losing them meant setting back his cultivation by weeks.
Seeing Yang Kai lost in thought, Meng's brows furrowed.
The old man recognized that expression. He had seen it on countless disciples before. The look of someone about to make a terrible decision.
"What are you scheming now?"
Meng's tone carried warning. Whatever Yang Kai was planning, it probably was not wise.
Yang Kai snapped out of his thoughts and shrugged. "Nothing important."
The lie was transparent. But Yang Kai was not ready to share his plans. Especially not with Treasurer Meng, who might try to stop him.
Meng was not convinced.
His expression turned slightly serious.
"Brat, I heard you got beaten up yesterday."
The statement was casual but carried weight. Information like that spread quickly through High Heaven Pavilion. Yang Kai's one hundred and forty eighth loss was notable.
Yang Kai froze for a split second, then turned around to leave.
The reminder stung. Yesterday's beating was still fresh. The humiliation still raw. He did not need Treasurer Meng rubbing it in.
Meng called after him, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Oi, do not run away! I am just asking!"
The old man's tone was playful now. He enjoyed getting under Yang Kai's skin. It was one of his few pleasures in this boring treasurer position.
But inside, he was laughing.
Meng had seen many reckless disciples before. They got crushed, fell behind, or left the sect in disgrace.
Yang Kai? No different.
Every Trial Disciple followed the same pattern. Initial hope. Gradual decline. Final departure. Yang Kai had lasted longer than most, but the ending was inevitable.
"Little Yang Kai!" Meng finally shouted. "You should hurry up and leave. High Heaven is not a place for the weak. Sooner or later, you will get yourself killed!"
The advice was genuine despite the harsh delivery. Meng had seen disciples die from stubbornness. Refusing to admit defeat until challenges became fatal.
Yang Kai paused for a moment, but did not turn back.
The words registered. But Yang Kai would not give Treasurer Meng the satisfaction of a response. He continued walking, leaving the Contribution Hall behind.
Meng watched him go, gripping his teacup.
The old man sighed quietly. Stubborn fools never listened. Yang Kai would learn the hard way. Or die trying.
Yang Kai returned to his hut, then briskly walked out.
He was heading to Black Plum Village, like every month, to buy food with his silver.
The routine was familiar. Walk two hours to the village. Purchase rice, vegetables, maybe some preserved meat if he could afford it. Walk two hours back. Survive another month.
But this time, something felt different.
His body felt lighter, stronger.
The breakthrough to Fourth Stage was noticeable. His steps had more spring. His breathing was easier. The two hour walk that normally exhausted him felt manageable now.
The Golden Skeleton's effects?
The enhancement to his bones was proving more valuable than expected. Not just combat strength but everyday endurance. Every movement felt more efficient.
A smile crept onto his face.
This world's rules were becoming clearer to him.
Cultivation was not just about techniques and resources. It was about understanding the system. Exploiting opportunities. Making smart choices with limited assets.
And right now, his smartest choice might be taking a calculated risk in Black Plum Village's gambling den.
The path to the peak required resources. And sometimes, acquiring resources required risks that traditional cultivation paths would not take.
Yang Kai's journey was just beginning. And unlike the original Yang Kai, this one was not afraid to bend the rules.