Ye Mo turned his head, looking at the entrance where the voice came from.

A teen with fire like hairs and a long staff hanging on his back approached.

His attire was unusual, it looked like the Tiger Martial institute clothes but half of his chest was uncovered, like this part of the suit was removed.

The boy directly sat next to Ye Mo and put his arm on his shoulders smiling from ear to ear.

"Such a coincidence, i have been looking for you all this time in vain and just when i thought you were a ghost you appear here of all places." Ma Shinfei laughed loudly, "Wait you're already at the 3rd layer?"

Surprise ladened his face as he sensed Ye Mo's aura.

It wasn't uncommon to see a cultivator spending one or two years before reaching the 3rd layer.

Ye Mo achieving this level in three months, it was understandable for Ma Shinfei to be startled.

"Why were you searching me?" Ye Mo removed his arm from his shoulders as he asked, emotionless.

"Going straight to the point huh, i like that. I wanted to fight with you during the tournament but unfortunately you passed out and was disqualified. After that i wished to have a little spar with you but there wouldn't be any point now, you're only a rank 2 talent and my strenght more than doubled since then, it wouldn't be fun anymore." A trace of disappointement was in his tone at the end of his explanation.

"So it's a battle maniac..." Ye Mo thought as he finished his plate.

Ma Shinfei was very honest and although it was their first interaction, he spoke to Ye Mo as if they knew each other for a long time.

In cultivation, the further you go, the greater was the gap in power between each breakthrough. Although Ye Mo's speed was impressive and his strenght increased as well, this wouldn't make any difference for a powerful cultivator closely nearing to the 8th layer like Ma Shinfei.

"So you heard about it, then what's your talent?" Ye Mo asked without expecting anything.

"Well, it's not really a secret. Im a rank 4 fire talent."

Ye Mo was taken aback.

A rank 4 was already unusual but one with an elemental affinity!?

The world was filled with all kinds of Qi depending on your environment, at the peak of mountains you had wind Qi, near a river or the sea was water Qi, in a cold land filled with frost there is ice Qi and so on.

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A cultivator with an affinity towards an element would make twice the results with half the efforts cultivating in a place filled with the Qi related.

For Ma Shinfei who had a fire affinity talent, he would need to cultivate near a volcano or in a desert.

Noted that such environments could also be created artificially.

If he used martial arts of this element as well he would have an easier time learning them and their power would increase much.

A rank 4 talent with an affinity was as rare as a rank 5 talent, maybe even more!

"I can understand why the flame grandmaster took you as a disciple." Ye Mo sighed

Ma Shinfei expected an exaggarated reaction or Ye Mo acting more respectful towards him but beside a sigh there was no change in his interlocutor behavior.

It was something that Ma Shinfei couldn't help but find refreshing.

He grinned as he refuted, "Not really, when he found me i had only the typical rank 4 talent im born with, master used a very precious treasure he obtained during his travels in the past for me to gain a fire affinity."

Ma Shinfei's eyes brightened, it could be seen he had deep affection and gratitude towards this master of his.

"There is treasures that can give you a talent affinity? Something i didn't find in the books..." Ye Mo didn't react but he kept this information in mind.

Beside him, Ma Shinfei's voice came "Where have you been these three months?".

"Cultivating, you?" Ye Mo returned the question

"Training, of course. I learned a new technique, with this im sure i will be able to beat this bastard Shen Xue. Just wait till i breakthrough the 8th layer..." Ma Shinfei's face gave a fierce expression, his voice full of competitiveness and indignant pride.

Obviously he didn't take his last defeat well.

"Talking about him, since you two fought maybe you know what talent he has?" Ye Mo asked casually.

He could easily gather informations from Ma Shinfei as he didn't bother to hide anything.

"This guy, he's a rank 5 talent..." Ma Shinfei said dispiritedly, gulping in a cup of wine the girl served him

He already saw Shen Xue as a rival, someone he had to surpass, but for him to have a rank 5 talent, even someone like Ma Shinfei would have to work extra hard to not be left in the dust.

While they talked a group of young men entered the cafeteria and made their way towards their table.

"Junior Ma, if you're done eating let's go on, Jin Hao Tian is already there hunting blood beasts." The group was composed of five men, all around eigtheen years old and at least of the 7th layer of the Qi Gathering realm.

Their gazes swept by Ye Mo but with his plain look and his cultivation of the 3rd layer they quickly ignored him and focused on Ma Shinfei.

In the Tiger Martial institute even newcomers had at least a cultivation of the 4th layer when they arrived so it was easy to understand what they would think of him.

Only one of them had his gaze lingering on Ye Mo a bit more, thinking "How come this trash chat with Ma Shinfei so casually, are they friends?"

"My bad, we talked so much i forgot. Im going to the Jade Forest, see you later Ye Mo." Ma Shinfei stood up and walked away, the group of men in his toes.

"What an easy going man, well i would be as well if i had such a master covering me." Ye Mo left soon after, a playful smile on his face.

He didn't go back home but instead left to a martial hall where he rented a courtyard for 50 gold coins.

This was the training facility of the institute. From gardens to meditation rooms or fights against mechanical puppets, everything was at disposal if you could pay accordingly.

Ye Mo chose a vast rocky terrain filled with gravels, stones and boulders that he could occupy at will for ten days.

"Ma Shinfei has a rank 4 fire talent, Shen Xue is rank 5 and the other heirs shouldn't be ridiculous either. They all have the back up of powerhouses as well." Ye Mo walked inside the courtyard.

"In front of these guys, the hard work of rank 2 talents means nothing. Without the right ressources, you can't keep the distance."

"Life is truly unfair." Ye Mo stopped as he stood in front of a stone more than half his size.

Clearing his mind of useless thoughts he closed his eyes and moved his feets apart taking position.

Taking a deep breath he raised his right hand and channeled Qi in his arm, pulling into a bow shape.

After an instant his eyes opened and his hand flashed like lightning!

Bam!

After a loud crash, the stone shook, small fragments flew about as his fist penetrated wrist deep in the stone leaving a spherical dent.

However although the stone was filled with cracks it didn't break.

"This is abnormal. It's not the biggest or thickest of the bouders present but it was still my first time using the Stone Breaking Punch yet i almost shattered it. It must be due to my physical strenght which added to the battle skill, render my punch even more powerful than usual."

"I will have to restrain my body cultivation the next times or i won't be able to ascertain my progress in the Stone Breaking Punch."

With large strides Ye Mo rushed to another boulder.

The whole day dull thuds resounded in the courtyard, stones shook and their fragments scattered in the air while as time passed, the sounds grew louder until from outside it looked like a beast was making a carnage.