"Ding! Main mission triggered: Taunt Heaven, Earth, and the Air! Mission objective: Taunt three or more members of the Bronze Alliance. Mission reward: 10000 Anger Points, System Cultivation Technique Level 1 . Mission penalty: Demotion by one cultivation level, turning into a good-for-nothing!"
The sudden mechanical voice exploded in his mind like boulders tumbling down an icy peak, crashing into a tranquil lake. Liu Yichen's steps halted abruptly as if nailed to the ground. The voice buzzed in his head like a swarm of hornets, threatening to burst his skull.
Liu Yichen's heart was in turmoil. He knew that provoking Mo Haohai would be like poking a hornet's nest, making his future days anything but peaceful. Yet, Mo Haohai's actions had infuriated him, and the allure of the Anger Points was irresistible, like a seductive demon tempting him.
The thought of becoming a good-for-nothing filled him with resentment. Gritting his teeth, he swore silently, "For the Anger Points, for not being looked down upon, I'll go all out!" A smirk curled on his lips, his eyes gleaming with desire for the Anger Points, as if he had discovered a mountain of gold in the endless darkness, radiating a dazzling light.
Anger Points were indeed a treasure! With them, he could exchange for divine techniques, secret manuals, elixirs, and magical treasures, paving his way to the pinnacle of life!
As for the penalty... becoming a good-for-nothing? Hmph, Liu Yichen would never fail so easily. That would be an insult to him.
Taking a deep breath, he turned sharply, his blazing gaze fixed on Mo Haohai, as if his eyes could reduce Mo Haohai to ashes in an instant. He scrutinized every detail of Mo Haohai's face, red like a boiled shrimp about to burst, his lips trembling with rage like leaves in a storm.
With a mocking tone, Liu Yichen said, "Teacher Mo, I suddenly feel that having me cook is beneath my talents. I am, after all, the young city lord, destined to become a peerless powerhouse. How can I waste my time on such trivial matters?"
Mo Haohai, already displeased with Liu Yichen, was now incensed. His face turned crimson, as if scorched by flames, and he bellowed, "How dare you! A newcomer like you has no right to question my arrangements! The path of cultivation is arduous, and respecting teachers is fundamental! You don't even understand such basic etiquette, yet you dream of becoming a powerhouse?"
Liu Yichen sneered, the sound like a sharp ice blade scraping Mo Haohai's ears, sending a chilling pain that seemed to freeze his heart. "Respecting teachers? Teacher Mo, are you sure you deserve those words? I've heard that you made Junior Brother Wang work as a laborer in your herb garden under the pretext of insufficient cultivation resources. Every day, before the stars even faded, Junior Brother Wang had to rise like a driven slave, toiling until the sky turned pitch black. For a whole month, his hands developed calluses as thick as armor, and he was as exhausted as a soulless zombie. His cultivation fell behind. Is this what you call respecting teachers?"
The surrounding disciples gasped, their whispers swelling like a storm about to engulf the area. Liu Yichen could hear the waves of sound crashing against his eardrums.
Mo Haohai's face turned ashen, like frost-covered iron, and he pointed at Liu Yichen, roaring, "You're slandering me! When did I ever do such a thing?" But his eyes flickered with unease, like a thief caught by the police, for he knew there was some truth to the accusations. Liu Yichen, like a keen hawk, instantly caught that flicker of panic.
"Oh? Really? Then Teacher Mo must not know how I broke off the engagement with your sister, Mo Wanqing?" Liu Yichen's tone was playful, his eyes teasing, like a fox eyeing its prey. Mo Haohai felt as if he were standing naked in a snowstorm, exposed to countless scrutinizing eyes.
Mo Haohai's expression changed drastically. He never expected Liu Yichen to know about this. Gnashing his teeth, he spat, "You... how dare you bring that up!"
"What? Did I hit a nerve?" Liu Yichen retorted without hesitation. "Teacher Mo, as an elder brother, instead of guiding your sister, you indulged her misbehavior. And now you have the audacity to lecture me? How laughable!"
Mo Haohai trembled with rage, his blood boiling like magma about to erupt. His pointing finger shook like a brittle twig in the wind. "You... you..."
Liu Yichen felt a surge of satisfaction. Taunting someone was like stumbling into an oasis in a scorching desert, the coolness spreading from his feet to his head, every pore cheering in delight.
He ignored the livid Mo Haohai, turned, and walked away, leaving behind a parting shot: "The kitchen is too greasy for me. Farewell!" His voice faded like a free bird flapping its wings, leaving only a faint echo.
Liu Yichen found a quiet corner and began to meditate. Sitting cross-legged, he felt the coolness of the ground creeping up his legs like ghostly hands. He focused on the cultivation energy surging within him, like a radiant dragon reshaping his flesh and blood, bringing a sense of rebirth and vitality.
In the distance, Chen Ziya and Ding Haitao hid behind a tree, gleefully watching Liu Yichen. Chen Ziya giggled softly, the sound like falling snowflakes drifting into Liu Yichen's ears. Ding Haitao chimed in, "Exactly. Teacher Mo is notoriously strict. That kid is in for it."
Mo Haohai, his face dark with anger, watched Liu Yichen's retreating figure, his rage like a supervolcano about to erupt. He approached Chen Ziya and Ding Haitao, sneering, "Just wait and see. Without a teacher's guidance, he'll never pass the Star Soul Theory Test. Let's see how he humiliates himself then!"
Unaware of all this, Liu Yichen immersed himself in cultivation, feeling the cultivation energy within him grow stronger. Time passed, and his energy became more abundant until, finally, he broke through to a new realm!
As the stellar energy settled within him, Liu Yichen couldn't help but marvel at the profound mysteries of the System's cultivation technique. What would normally take others the time to burn through seven spirit candles in focused meditation, he had achieved in mere days! The System's method was like a divine map through the labyrinth of cultivation, each burst of Anger Points illuminating the path like lanterns in the dark.
Where other disciples fumbled blindly through the mysteries of stellar energy, the System's technique had shown him the exact meridian paths to channel starlight, as if an Immortal's hand was guiding his every step. Each taunt, each confrontation had not only earned him Anger Points but had also tempered his spirit like a blade being forged in divine flames.
"Truly, the heavens have blessed me with this System," Liu Yichen thought, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Others walk the long path, but I have found a shortcut through the very fabric of cultivation itself. Let those who mock me continue their slow crawl – I shall soar past them like a shooting star!"
Meanwhile, others were still waiting to see Liu Yichen's downfall, the air thick with malicious anticipation, as if the stench of rotting corpses filled the space.
Finally, the day of the Star Soul Theory Test arrived. Liu Yichen entered the examination hall, received his paper, and glanced over it, a slight smile forming on his lips. The questions were as clear as soldiers awaiting inspection, little demons challenging him, but to him, they were child's play!
Mo Haohai and Ding Haitao sat nearby, seeing Liu Yichen's confident expression, their disdain growing. Mo Haohai sneered, "Putting on an act! Let's see how he cries later!" Ding Haitao added, "Yeah, he probably can't even understand the questions!" Their words buzzed in Liu Yichen's ears like annoying flies.
Ignoring their taunts, Liu Yichen picked up his pen and began answering. The sound of the pen scratching the paper was like an ancient incantation being written. He finished swiftly, his answers flowing like a divine script.
This wasn't due to innate talent but because of his Divine Eye, which had imprinted all the books from the library's first floor into his mind. The theoretical knowledge was already second nature to him.
In the examination hall, others were struggling, some like ants on a hot pan, others frozen in thought, biting their pens as if that would yield answers. Liu Yichen saw their frustration, while he remained relaxed and at ease.
Everyone was waiting for him to fail, to see him hand in a blank paper and be ridiculed. Liu Yichen put down his pen, a faint smile on his lips, and slowly stood up...