As they approached the captivating green pagoda, the air was filled with the soft growls of beasts and the scent of burning incense, mingling with the chatter of people coming and going.

The atmosphere inside was tense and competitive, with the scent of incense and a peculiar herbal smell hanging thick in the air. The wooden floor, worn smooth with age and polished to a rich sheen, creaked softly beneath the shuffle of footsteps as disciples moved about.

A line of disciples, dressed in simple robes from muted earth tones to bright golden stood with anxious expressions, awaiting their turn at the end of the counter.

To the side, a weathered counter stands, manned by several disciples attending to the needs of the disciples. An old man, his face lined with the wisdom of years, sat behind the disciples on a short stool, puffing thoughtfully on a pipe as he surveyed the bustling activity around him with lazy eyes. His presence exuded an aura of both authority and tranquility. At the edge of the room, a staircase ascended to higher levels of the pagoda. Bathed in soft light filtering through lattice windows from the sides.

Once inside, Jing understood where the growls came from. Some of the older disciples were accompanied by beasts. One in particular caught Jing's attention as it stood there innocently amidst the human disciples. A towering four-meter-tall bipedal creature with iridescent scales, and long dangly thick arms.

There was also a swift-moving shadow with luminous sky-blue eyes, gliding through the air like a whisper as it flew above one of the disciples. A majestic ferret-like creature with wings of crystal, refracting light in a dazzling display of colors.

Jing felt slightly intimidated by the various never seen before beasts, but he followed after Wang Fei and they found their place at the end of the line. Straining his ears, he began listening to their words. After a while, he more or less had a rough idea about what was happening. He learned that there was a merit exchange program of sorts.

Older disciples had merits in their names according to the tasks they had undertaken, and they were eligible to use them in exchange for cultivation resources. Some of them received cultivation pills, spirit stones, crystals, minerals, and even artifacts.

The younger disciples on the other hand were all asking for the same thing: The Integration Bag. Each one of them received a round mass of 1kg of pure gold, a small porcelain bottle with some green drawings that were stored inside ten Qi Gathering Pills, and five low-grade spirit stones.

After waiting for more than half an hour, it was finally the duo's turn. Wang Fei was first in line, and so he walked there with his usual polite nervous and polite smile asking for his resources. After they confirmed his name, he received a relatively large brown pouch that held everything inside. They also provided him with a black Daoist robe and told him to always wear it when attending classes from now on.

Once Wang Fei left to wait by the entrance, Jing stood there and received his own resources and was told essentially the same thing. Nodding in the direction of the disciples who manned the counter, he smoothly exited as well.

When he climbed down the small steps by the pagoda's gate, he found Wang Fei staring at the black robe with the golden emblem of a majestic mountain with bright eyes.

Jing smiled and said, "I suppose we're officially in huh?"

Wang Fei turned around and his smile deepened, "Indeed we are. We can only rise to the top from now on."

Jing gave a wry smile at that, 'Top?' He thought with a defeated look as a sudden intense feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. But he quickly caught on to it and pushed it down, "So I take it that your issues at home would be dealt with?"

Wang Fei's smile disappeared as well and he said with uncertainty, "I don't know..." With just a few words both of their carefree dispositions morphed into something more serious as they blankly stared ahead of them.

Jing who always felt less than almost everybody had a lot of trouble believing he would be able to beat all of the players and emerge unscathed, at the same time Aukhman's words of how terribly strong the other races were echoed in his heart, making it reach a greater state of turmoil.

Sighing deeply to himself, he just mumbled a weak, "Let's go," And embarked on the path back to their dorm. As the two of them walked in silence lost in their particular inner worlds, a sudden sound pulled them up from their reverie. "You're finally here." By then they were deep in the male's living quarters, nestled in an empty passageway between two dorms making way for theirs.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Glancing up, Jing noticed the man whom he hated more than anyone in this world. The despicable disciple who humiliated him in front of everyone like no other ever did. A bad feeling rose in his heart at the sight, and his fists couldn't help but tightly clench up in anger seeing the disciple's arrogant face. Beside him were several disciples who eyed the duo like hungry wolves.

Wang Fei stuttered from the side, "We... we need, let's go back."

As much as it pained him to do so, Jing gritted his teeth and turned back to run away in a different direction. Unfortunately, fate had other things in store for him that day.

His path of retreat was blocked by another group of disciples, and as strange as it was, the leader of the second bunch was the disciple he had been looking for in the amphitheater. The one who kicked him in the entrance test when he was exhausted and helpless.

Jing's eyes widened, and just as he was thinking that it was a mere coincidence, the new disciple spoke with the other one, "Yu Yong, like we agreed upon, half-half."

The disciple called Yu Yong nonchalantly agreed, "Sure thing!" The moment his words were thrown, the two groups began steadily closing in on the two victims in the middle.

Blood drained out from Wang Fei's face, but all Jing could feel at that moment was unbridled rage. He bit his lips so hard they split in the middle adding a metallic taste to his mouth as droplets of blood flowed down.

"Are you certain about this?" He spoke in a slow growl between his closed teeth.

The two groups suddenly paused, as if surprised by the abrupt words before they broke into a series of soft chuckles. "You really are arrogant." Spoke one of them, "I don't understand how someone can be so weak and yet so daring... I am almost inspired by such a degree of stupidity."

The other one named Yu Yong added, "Exactly, this guy doesn't understand the immensity of heaven and earth. I was just minding my business in the morning when he started glaring at me like I was a small worm. I was honestly shocked. Still, I walked there thinking that it was some tough disciple who wanted to teach me a lesson, and I allowed him to do so, and yet, he couldn't withstand one move."

Wang Fei's hand that was carrying that bag was shivering from fright as he continued listening to the duo's amused words.

Jing's chest was heaving up and down from the sheer rage he was feeling at that moment as he gazed at the two and listened to their words. "What do you want?" He questioned with an angry shout.

"Fortunately, nothing you can't give." Said the other disciple as he picked up his pace once again.

Jing's grip tightened over his bag, and the moment one of them reached close range, he swung it with everything that he had. The solid 1kg of gold inside helped the bag dash through the air aiming for the unsuspecting assailant's face.

When Jing saw it connected with his face as a wretched cry of pain reverberated through the dorms, his bloody smile widened and he began to laugh. However, he wasn't allowed to enjoy it for too long as a swift powerful kick hit him squarely in the jaw, sending him flying into an underbush by one of the dorms.

Still, in mid-air, he heard Wang Fei emit a terrible groan before a huge thud resounded. When he finally landed on the ground, he felt as if his brain had short-circuited, and whether his lower jaw was still firmly latched into his face was a mystery to him. His heartbeat began wildly drumming inside of his chest, and as an enormous amount of adrenaline coursed through every fiber of his body, he sprung up to his feet.

A vicious punch cut through the air, vowing to ram him into the wooden house behind. Jing swiftly noticed it and ducked down, grabbed the arm, and pulled it with every bit of strength he had. Yu Yong tumbled forward losing his balance, and before his mind could make sense of the situation, Jing's knee ruthlessly kissed his stomach. As the disciple was sent flying back, Jing followed after him and repeated what happened that morning. With bloodshot eyes, he jumped above him as one vengeful punch after the other struck the attacker in the face. Yet, as the fifth punch was still on its way, a powerful kick made way for Jing's face from the front.

Jing could feel an intense heat generated at the center of his face as he flew backward, and before he could even stabilize himself, a barrage of attacks rained down on him. He could only curl up into a ball and protect his face as his nose continued releasing its vital red liquid and uncontrollable tears streamed down his face, not from emotions but merely the physical reaction of his nose getting kicked.

Yu Yong finally stood up with a bloody mouth and nose, swollen eyes, and an enraged expression. "You're dead!" He mumbled through gnashed teeth. He approached Jing as the other disciples changed their targets and moved to the fallen Wang Fei.

He crouched down beside the still disoriented and groaning in pain Jing tightly gripped on his hair as he hoisted the fallen boy's head. Just as he was about to open his mouth and say something, an astonishingly swift head landed on his nose, making Yu Yong fall backward.

Jing sprung up to his feet with a cold look, he quickly glanced to his left and noticed his bag of resources and a free path of retreat. However, when he glanced to his right he noticed that Wang Fei was still lying there, amidst a group of immaturely hateful disciples whose only concern at that moment was to inflict pain.

He hatefully clicked his tongue and dashed in the bag's direction. He coiled its opening end held it tightly with his right hand and lunged at Yu Yong who was about to stand up. Swinging the bag that was now firmly latched into his hand with 1kg of gold inside with everything that he had, he sent Yu Yong flying toward one of the dorms as an arc of blood followed after him.

The other disciple whose name he hadn't learned yet but he vowed to do so, became alert and instructed the other disciples to leave Wang Fei and surround Jing.

Facing the encirclement of the group of disciples, Jing knew that he wouldn't be able to win, but he was going to teach them a lesson. A depository lesson at least, because what he had in store for them in the future would be much, much worse, that he was certain of as he gazed at their violent eyes as they approached him.