A month later on the fourth floor of the Cleansing Buddhist Sect.
Ezio left his hut after fruitful, week-long cultivation. This month, he studied the manuals he borrowed about botany and discovered that his progress was twice faster with the help of Botanist Ezio. The latter was quick in learning anything related to the plant kingdom, even without manuals, he could deduce the plants' attributes.
Ezio also learned about the herb he picked up in the cave when he went down to hunt Fire Tiger Demonic Beast. The herb's name was Scarlet Fire Peach. The fruit itself was helpful to purify the bloodlines of the demonic beasts with a fire attribute. Botanist Ezio reported his findings to Alchemist Ezio, and let him take over from there. Alchemist Ezio said the information is too limited to deduct the pill formula but he could at least try some if Ezio could bring more materials.
Ezio left his hut to return the manuals he borrowed from Elder Rong. But he halted when he saw a few teens walking towards him. They were Tian Huang and his crew, walking flauntingly. They came in front of Ezio and snickered to his face.
"Why haven't you bow to your seniors yet, Ezio?" asked Tian Haung proudly. He was puffing his chest out to show off his new sect badge. It was jade framed, indicating his core disciple credentials. Inside the frame, there were letters symbolizing his Qi Cultivation, and that he was in the third Realm. Obviously, Tian Huang broke through earlier that day and ran to the Management Hall to claim his new badge.
"Why should I bow to you?" Ezio asked dryly. He noticed his cultivation and still acted indifferent.
"I am a Qi Force Opening Realm Cultivator, whereas you are a pitiful Qi Vortex Creation Realm. Since I am your superior, you have to bow to me and show some respect." Tian Huang was clearly in a good mood. He wasn't angry with Ezio's questions, but he explained clearly.
"And what if I don't bow to you?" Ezio asked with the same smirk on his face. He knew what Tian Huang was talking about, but he didn't have to do anything.
"I can punish you if you disrespect me." Tian Huang started to get angry. He came here to show off his new cultivation, and get back at Ezio to relieve his humiliation. But the bastard was acting like a bonehead.
"Who says I am disrespecting you?" Ezio's smile vanished, and his anger started to surface. "Even though the culture in the sect ordains the respect of seniority, the powers of the individuals are the real indicator of gradation.
You are imposing your cultural embodiments of respect and such, on me, a foreigner. Even if I were to be a member of this culture, I could still choose not to bow to my seniors on the pretext of the bow being solely for parents and teachers.
All above, whether you are stronger than me or not is not even certain yet, but you are claiming to be my superior just because you advanced to the Qi Force Opening Realm, making you vain and pitiful." Ezio didn't let the other party speak even for a second. He was living in the sect for so many years now, yet even Abbot never asked him to bow.
This was a world occupied by numerous cultures. Ezio could bow to them if he chose to do so, but no one could impose this on him. If this culture was imposed on others, the big powers of the other cultures wouldn't stay silent.
"Respect comes from the heart, not from pointless gestures. Even if you bleed your head in bowing to me, I wouldn't for a second believe you are respecting me." Ezio was fuming. He didn't bow to anyone. He was against the idea. Not because of culture, but he just didn't like the idea.
"You rootless beggarly. You are living in my sect and still, act high and mighty. I lost to you once, but still, since I am stronger than you, you should show some respect, since you are not showing any, I will teach you." Tian Huang said angrily. He just broke through and ran to the Sect with the fantasy of stepping on Ezio's head. But he never thought this bastard would act like this.
"Since you are asking for your humiliation once again, let's do it once and for all." Ezio squinted and said. "Thirty minutes later in the arena on the first floor."
"It is better if I humiliate you in front of everybody." Tian Huang said and walked away with his dogs.
His dogs undertook the crier duty and let everybody know about the fight. They were certain Tian Huang would win for sure, this time. Of course the more people witnessed it, the better it would be. Thus they let everyone living in the sect know of it. If they could, they would even invite the other two sects and people from the city.
Ezio wasn't afraid of Tian Huang. Even though he would let a few more secrets out if he were to fight against a Qi Force Opening Realm cultivator, it was better than letting Tian Huang act haughtily.
He walked towards the fifth floor and not long after he returned all the manuals he had borrowed from Elder Rong. As he was walking down, he could hear excited disciples talking among each other about the fight.
"Hadn't Tian Huang lost to Senior Brother Ezio already. How come he still has the cheek to challenge him?" Asked one of the disciples who had a crush on Ezio. She was two years younger than Ezio and had always admired him.
"I heard that Tian Huang already broke through a week ago." Another answered her.
"What if he broke through? He still can't beat Senior Brother Ezio." the same girl answered with a pout.
"Don't be so sure of that. I heard that Senior Brother Tian Huang awakened a Force Signium from the Third Curtain." One of the older ones said proudly. His blood brother was a lackey of the Tian Huang, and he learned it from his brother.
"What?! From the Third Curtain for the first awakening?"
"Yes. Even though it was from the low tier, it is still the third curtain. Normal disciples of the sect can only awaken Force Signiums from the Second Curtain, Low Tier, or Second Curtain, Medium Tier. But genius like Senior Brother Tian Huang can awaken from Third Curtain, Low Tier."
"It is so strong! Rogue cultivators can only awaken from the First Curtain without Sect teachings. We normal disciples can only awaken from the second. Geniuses can awaken from the third for the first signiums. Heavens are not fair."
"You cannot say Rogue Cultivators can only awaken from the First Curtain. Don't you know about the Good Samaritan Carino? He is a Rogue Cultivator, but he was able to awaken from the Fourth Curtain for his first Signium."
"Beh. What do you know? It is impossible to awaken from the Fourth Curtain for the starter. Good Samaritan Carino is a legend. Such a person cannot exist."
Ezio listened to the thrilled disciples and followed behind. When he arrived on the first floor, it was already crowded. Almost all of the disciples in the sect were there. Even though it wasn't long before the fight between Ezio and Tian Huang occurred, with the breakthrough of the latter, the ending could give a surprise. Disciples were excited for the battle.
Tian Huang lost to Ezio pathetically while they were both at Qi Vortex Creation Realm. Now awakening his starter Force Signium, and advancing a realm, Tian Huang could fight against or even win against Ezio. If that was the case, the fight would be more stormy. It also meant bets.
If the powers of the both sides were a Realm apart, the outcome would be unpredictable. If the outcome was unpredictable, the money invested would multiply. No bettor would start a bet when the result was certain. It would be akin to giving out money for free.
"Bettor is here. Ezio versus Tian Huang. Ezio won not long ago when he broke through to the Qi Vortex Creation Realm. At that time Tian Huang was a stone's throw away from the Qi Force Opening Realm.
But now Tian Huang brokethrough and his starter Signium is...
From the Third Curtain. Yes! It is from the Third Curtain. I cannot disclose the details but it is pretty strong. Believe me folk, Tian Huang is not weak!" Bettor started to introduce two sides to increase the bets.
"On the other side, Ezio is the prodigy of the Sect. He achieved the legendary Seamless Body. With it, he was able to trash Tian Huang. But that is not all. Let me give you a secret I learned after swimming through dangers. Ezio has just acquired a weapon from Elder Solon. It is at least Baron Rank, again I cannot disclose the details. Now let's place our bets."
Ezio had a 1 to 1.5 rate while Tian Huang had a 1 to 1.2. Even though Ezio was strong, he was still a realm lower than Tian Huang. And it was the border separating the ground from the sky. After all, one side had a Force Signium, and the other had not.
***
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