Another year passes.
No events have happened during the whole year. Just a regime of monotonous, hard-core training.
Zeldris is currently in the courtyard, topless and sweating up a waterfall. He is wearing distinct, black bands on his ankles, wrists, waist and even on his neck.
These bands are special artifacts, that have the function to adjust their weight.
He got these things from looting the brothel. They're incredibly useful in training one's body. Which is what Zeldris is currently doing.
The thing about aura cultivation is that while it makes your body more powerful, in it's essence it's an energy.
As an energy, unless you reinforce the vessel, it might grow too powerful for it.
This means you need to actually reinforce your body with training, to be able to contain all of this energy.
Hence if Zeldris didn't spend great amounts of time making his body stronger and tougher, with the speed of his cultivation. He would sooner or later start exhibiting symptoms.
He would no longer be able to use his full power, lest he becomes crippled due to his body not being able to bear the force of his strength. Worst case he would explode to death from his own power...
Luckily the Wudan sect has the best training manuals in the world. Not just in aura cultivation, but also body tempering. This, along with all the pills and resources he consumed, has made his body strong enough to easily contain all of his power. Which is now approaching the 5th tier.
"Kh!" Zeldris grunts as he pushes out the last reps on his handstand pushup.
"Fuah!" *Thump* He collapses on the ground, panting. His arms are in so much pain right now. Having been pushed to complete exhaustion.
"27 reps with 100,000 kg... That's 8 more than last month." He muses.
It's truly incredible for a boy, looking no older than 10, to speak these kinds of things, without lying his ass off.
After a short break, he resumes with his training with the zeal of a thousand men...
In this savage world, only the strong matter. Only the strong have a say. While the weak can only accept whatever the strong decide. Hence his thirst for strength.
Zeldris continues his workout routine, until he can not go on any longer. Proceeding to end the workout and go wash.
Coming out of the shower, he spots One walking towards him. His hair wet similarly to Zeldris. It seems One also trained and showered.
Zeldris and One exchange glances. Understanding roughly what eachothers moods and intentions are.
They have become close friends by now. As close and as friendly as they can be, anyway...
With both of them being brutal bastards, they wouldn't hesitate to let the other die, if the other displays any weakness.
It could be said they're cold... Or ruthless... Or mentally ill...
"Tomorrow an elder is coming to spectate our training." One speaks, as they reach eachother.
"Which one?"
"Don't know. Heard this from Hong." One responds, showing blatant disrespect to his master by not addressing him as such. Even when he's not there.
"Did he tell you what tomorrow's training is?" Zeldris asks.
One nods. "Hm. Each of us is going to have a sparring match against Hong."
Zeldris nods in understanding. Looking at the white haired boy.
Ever since One's drastic colour change, he had not only become colder, his facial expressions are all monotonous. One used to have an innocent smile most of the time. Yet now he almost never changes his emotionless expression.
One received an ice ability. But that ability also changed some of his physical features and personality. It's strange that no such changes occurred in Zeldris, with him having received a fire ability...
Yet even without the abilities considered, both the boys have changed during the past year. Becoming more brutal, ruthless and cold hearted.
A dog kept in chains and beaten every day becomes aggressive. This is much more pronounced in Hong's disciples cases.
Though the most significant example of this is Zeldris himself. Even his base facial expression, the one he has on most of the time, has changed into a deep frown.
Not to mention his behaviour. Becoming more callous, manipulative, malicious, heartless and straight up evil.
Sometimes, during moments of clarity, he wonders to himself at how evil his thoughts sound. Zeldris was never a good person, being an ex-gangster. But he was never really evil as well. Falling somewhere in the middle.
For example he might bash a man's head in with a crowbar. But he will still open the door for an old lady, in an altruistic display.
Where as now he would kill the old lady, if he operated based on his desires...
It's strange... It's definetly not just Hong's inhumane training that's the cause of this.
Perhaps it's stupid, perhaps it's smart, but Zeldris chooses to ignore it for now. Contrary to what one might expect, Zeldris isn't particularly bothered by becoming more evil...
As One and Zeldris depart, Zeldris walks inside the house and heads to his room.
On his way, he spots Three. The only girl of the group walking inside, her face pale like snow. Her whole appearance is disheveled and a trail of blood is left behind her, as she walks.
He doesn't stop to look, other than a coincidental glance. He could care less.
However a thought nevertheless enters his mind when seeing her appearance. 'Oh. So she was stuck in the Hellhole.'
For a week, an annoying presence was gone from the house. That presence being Three. Now Zeldris knows where she was during that time.
The Hellhole is a rather nasty training... thing.
The name was thought up by the disciples themselves. But to put simply, the Hellhole is a coffin, much like the iron maiden, which is filled with venomous insects.
This training method is completely disgusting. You lay down inside the coffin, naked. Locked in there for an extended period of time. Usually for a week or two. Then your neighbours inside the coffin, the venomous insects, will try to kill and eat you. And your goal is to not die...
The purpose of this training is to improve the body's resistance. Atleast that's what Hong sells.
You can imagine what kind of resentment it creates, when your master uses these kinds of training methods. It would still be bearable if it was proven to be more effective.
But Zeldris has investigated a bit about how Hong's disciples measure up to other masters disciples.
There isn't much difference...
With all that said, It's quite mysterious how Hong is still alive. It's not like they're the first generation of disciples Hong has had. He has instructed other's before them.
So how come none of his graduate disciples have killed him yet? Zeldris baffled by this. He is definetly planning to erase his master as soon as he is able to.
Oh well. A mystery for another day...
....
Next day.
The new day starts with a change of plans.
Initially an elder was supposed to come and observe their training. But now Hong and his disciples have been called to an arena.
The new plan was to conduct disciple vs master battles there, but another change of plans was made.
Now it somehow became a tournament between inner disciples...
The oval arena is half full, with spectators from different positions in the sect.
Around a hundred pairs of eyes are looking at the stage on the centre. The stage filled with inner disciples.
Currently there are 16 sets of inner disciples on the stage. Meaning around 70 disciples.
Since a one on one would take too much time with 70 disciples and just one stage. They decided to have a group battle at the start.
Each instructor's disciples will fight against another instructor's disciples. Since an instructor has either 4 or 5 disciples, it will be a 4v4.
Running the whole show is an old man Zeldris has met before. Sect elder Wu Sheng.
Next to him is another familiar face. His good apple friend Wu Mei.
As Zeldris gazes up at the spectator seats, Wu Mei spots him and discreetly waves.
"Is that your lover?" One comments from beside him. Having seen the interaction.
"Yes, exactly. Where's yours?" Zeldris scoffs.
"Over there." One points to someone in the stands. Zeldris has to focus a bit to make out who he's pointing at, but the target itself makes herself known by waving at One.
The target is a busty beauty with light brown hair. She seems to be around 16 years old, though her figure is fully matured and curvy.
Seeing the smile on her face as she waves at One, Zeldris is shocked beyond belief! He doesn't believe that girl is One's lover, as neither of the boys have even grown any hair. But looking at how attached the girl seems to be, based on purely her enthusiasm when greeting One, is incredible.
Zeldris always thought that One had the air of a boy who would get babied by older females. However having the air of one and actually being one, are two entirely different things!
"Who is she?" Zeldris asks, when he calms himself.
"Our seniour disciple sister." One responds.
"One of Hong's?"
"No. She's a core disciple under a sect elder. She has nothing to do with Hong. I met her about a year ago..." One casually mentions.
"Speaking of mine, what about yours?" One shoots the question back.
"Mine is the disciple of the sect master..." Zeldris mentions.
"Hmm... I guess you win at that... But mine is prettier." One states.
"That's bullshit. Yours looks like a sexual predator." Zeldris responds.
"You're just jealous because mine has giant breasts." One reasons.
Damn this kid... Ever since their visit to the brothel, he has become a pervert.
"So? Mei Mei is not at that age yet."
"So? She will still never compare to my older sister's caliber."
"So? What are you even gonna do with those?"
"What so? I have touched them. They're ridiculously soft..."
For some reason, Zeldris feels like One is trying to furiously compete with him. In an area he didn't even think about, due to being in the body of a child.
"Do you think I care about these things? Training is more important." Zeldris comments, changing topic.
"Mm, it is important. But my older sister is still better." One nods and reasons. Creating a small pause.
"I'm still stronger than you." Zeldris comments. Believing nothing else matters.
"I'm better looking..." One immediately responds.
"And I have a bigger dick..."
With Zeldris's last, abrupt comment, both boys fall silent. They have to awknowledge each others fierceness and competence. Both have something over the other...
Considering the boys are only around 9 years old. What are they going to compare when they're 15?