"Who's this guy? Doesn't he know young master Kong is a member of the third strongest faction?"

"Since he dares, he must have the confidence to suffer the consequences."

"Not necessarily. He might be a naive new disciple."

"A new disciple? Then isn't that worse?"

"Why should we care? Shut up, and let's watch the show."

The group of onlookers analyzed and concluded my situation; honestly, I'm amazed by how much they can conclude without any knowledge.

"You dare start a fight in the sect?" Kong Lin frantically struggled to his feet with one hand clutching at his chest.

"…"

I was stunned, speechless with his hypocritical words. "Fight? Can you prove it?" Saying that. I started to walk away.

"You think you can act arrogant just because you sneak attacked me?" My back was turned to Kong Lin, but my senses weren't. I felt his momentum change, and like an arrow from a bow, he launched himself towards me with an outstretched palm the shape of a tiger claw. Just before he could reach me…

I turned with a fierce grin and unleashed my pressure on his body. For a moment, he lost his momentum, and that's all I needed.

*Bam!*

I reached out for his head and viciously slammed it onto the hard floor. Luckily, the floor was hard enough to endure the hit, but the same can't be said about his head. Although he wasn't hurt badly, the visual impact to any onlooker should be enough for them to think twice before messing with me.

"This will be the same fate for anyone who dares to trouble me," I stepped on Kong Lin's head and coldly declared to the crowd.  The onlookers were silent, none dared to utter a cough or a sneeze, and with that, my work was done. I know the threat isn't enough as cultivators can kill as easily as they breathe, but it should be enough to scare off the annoying weaklings.

After that, I arrived at the stairs. This time the pressure was negligible, so I easily ascended and stopped at the first floor. Initially, I wanted to train on the first floor since I didn't have any money for higher floors, but Kong Lin, as hateful as he is, managed to give me some unexpected benefits; his pouch surprisingly has five hundred stones. This shouldn't be possible as, according to reason, even if he belongs to a faction, he should be a low-leveled member; hence he shouldn't have this many stones unless I'm missing some critical information.

Apart from the spiritual stones, I discovered a colorless pill inside. I fished it out and tried to recognize it to no avail. I sniffed it, and a rich herby smell assaulted my nostrils. Apart from that, I also sensed a faint trace of spiritual qi penetrating my meridians.

This Kong Lin isn't simple, from the number of stones to a mysterious pill. I started to suspect a more profound background. I shrugged the thoughts away as his background had nothing to do with me. The most they could do was hunt me, but they shouldn't know I was the one that snatched the pouch. I took the pill and fed it to the stele. I didn't dare to directly consume it as who knows what was used to concoct it?

***

Contrary to my thoughts, the steps leading to the second floor had no pressure at all; it wasn't different from walking outside. I ascended them with a doubtful face. At the entrance,I found a white-haired old man with blue Taoist robes. His closed eyes and uninviting aura surrounding him reminded him of the old man at the martial hall.

"One hundred stones for one hour," the old man's monotonic voice reached my ear. The surprising thing is that his lips remained shut, I figured it to be a special technique, or I wasn't paying attention. I wanted to ask what and why exactly I was paying, but as I said, the old man had an uninviting aura surrounding him, so I handed him my hard-earned stones.

He waved his sleeves, and a white token appeared on my palm.

"The token will allow you one hour inside the rooms," again, his lips didn't move.

Hmph! Trying to act mysterious? I sneered as I walked away from him. I didn't give him all the stones as I'm not sure what exactly I was paying for.

The second floor, just like the first floor, was vast. The only distinguishing factor is the compartments on the second floor. I approached a door and presented the white token given by the elder. Immediately, it turned into a stream of pure white light and shot for the door.  The door leading to the compartment softly opened to reveal a small square room with a meditation mat at the center.

I stepped into the room, and it automatically closed. Suddenly, a tremendous pressure descended on me. The pressure is particularly terrible since it caught me off guard. Initially, after experiencing no pressure, I relaxed and forgot about the tower's specialty.

*Crack*

The cracking sound from my dantian alleviated my spirits. I gritted my teeth and endured the terrible pressure. My very bones cracked, leading to unimaginable pain, but luckily for me, self-mutilating with poison had long increased my pain tolerance. My back was drenched with sweat as I struggled to head for the meditation mat. Every step was like carrying a mountain while climbing another mountain.

*Crack*

At this moment, thin lines snaked the top of my dantian. I needed a slight push, and I'd be able to break to the third layer. I circulated my qi and directly attacked the glass-like membrane that hindered my advancement.

*Crack*

With a final step to the mat, my dantian broke with a bang. My momentum surged like a dragon soaring the heavenly clouds. Apart from that, something more amazing followed. The soaring momentum didn't stop at the third layer. It continued to rise and finally settled at the peak of the fourth layer. I was ecstatic; I don't know a lot about cultivation, but breaking through two realms in one go should be amazing, right?

As for a reason as to why I managed such a feat, I guessed it to be thanks to the pill I acquired from Kong Lin. I sensed the mysterious locket supplying my dantain with energy during my breakthrough. At least that is as far as I could guess.

Time was already running out, so I started to practice the martial technique. Right now, I can summon two palms from the 100 Yin and Yang's palms, but from the technique's name, I should be able to summon 100. Two palms are already heaven-defying. What of ninety-eight more?

***

Time passed like a river flowing down a mountain; it waits for no one and can't be blocked. The one-hour allocated ended, and the door automatically opened, not giving me any chance to exploit the unmanned compartments. As I walked out, I met a familiar male figure waiting at the entrance. If I remember correctly, he was the one that asked a question during elder Da Wei's class. The arrogance on his face made me expectant of a face slapping confrontation, but contrary to my expectations, he silently passed me and entered the compartment.

I shrugged his indifference and walked towards the elder; I pondered if I should renew the token. After all, I discovered the energy from the stones became negligible the more I grew, so without hesitation, I gave the elder all the remaining stones.

"You'll have to wait as all the rooms are full," the elder still pretended to be mysterious and detached from mortal things.

"This disciple can wait," I cupped my fist to the elder and said though deep down I regretted it. I regretted not paying all the stones at the beginning. I regretted letting that boy, I can't remember his name, inside the compartment, but what could I do? The elder handed me the token, and I picked a room and sat at the entrance in a lotus meditative stance.

I was brooding on how long I'd have to wait when I heard movement.

"One hundred stones for one hour," the elder's monotone voice sounded, prompting me to look in his direction.

Shit! He actually came with reinforcement. I hid all contents of my ring into the small world and closed my eyes, and pretended not to hear the commotion.

"Young master Ye,there he is," the ugly voice that just sounded belonged to none other than Kong Lin. I expected him to come but not this fast. A boy with black hair tied at the top of his head and held in place by a golden hoop was accompanying him. I could tell that his robes were specially made from fine materials that made them different from the ones provided by the sect. Is he a member of the Ye family? The Ye family is one of the four great families that govern Star-light city. Of course, the top family that calls the shots is still the city lord mansion.

"Jiang Ming, hand over the storage pouch you snatched from me?"

I opened my eyes and pretended to narrow them as if I didn't recognize them, "What pouch?" Kong Lin gritted his teeth and looked back at the elder. From his frustrated face, I guessed that he was anxious to use force to make me give him the pouch.

"Young master Ye, he is definitely pretending. Apart from him, no one dares to snatch my things," Kong Lin then cupped his fists and said. "I suggest we drag him out and investigate his body. I met him just a while ago. There is no other place that he can hide it." Ye Qing, I got his name from the identification talisman on his waist, remained silent. His face showed no ripples; whatever he was thinking was a mystery.

"Jiang Ming, do you dare allow us to search your body?" Kong Lin asked after getting no reaction from Ye Qing.

"Why shouldn't I dare? It's just that I'm a little uncomfortable to be searched by men," I intentionally looked at Kong Lin with disgust.

"Boy, if you really have the pouch, hand it over. Otherwise, you'll suffer," Ye Qing finally decided to speak after enduring our silly conversation.

"What pouch is young master Ye referring to?" I continued to feign ignorance.

Ye Qing squinted his eyes in suspicion and looked at Kong Lin.

*Plop!*

"Young master, it's him. I swear," Kong Lin surprisingly got on his knees and repented while pointing at me. I was surprised and disgusted at how far he would go to please Ye Qing. I wouldn't doubt that he can sell out his sister to get on his good side.

"I agree that we have had a few fallouts, but could it be that you want to use me as a scapegoat after losing the pouch? If I remember correctly, you're the one that approached me. Could it be that you planned all this from the start?" I narrowed my eyes at Kong Lin, and he shuddered at my every word.

"I don't know what young master Ye is looking for, but I suggest you thoroughly search Kong Lin in case he is hiding something from you," sure enough, Ye Qing grew more suspicious of Kong Lin.

"I would never dare to betray you…." Before Kong Lin could finish speaking, he was brutally kicked by Ye Qing. I looked at the elder, and he still remained unmoved. So this much is allowed? 

"Shut up! I don't know what games you two are playing, but I want my pill," Ye Qing's eyes shone with a violent light. Was that pill that important?  The pill was only able to improve my realm by one level. That is amazing to me, but to him, it shouldn't be that important. Or is it the pill's effect that he is concerned with?  Ye Qing then turned to me.

"You will let me search you!" His sentence was more of a command than a request.

"Hehe… I won't hide it from young master Ye, all the things I own are in this ring. If you want, you can search it," I pulled out my ring and presented it to him. Immediately, his face turned from anger to confusion. I expected him to be confused. That's the sole reason I showed him the ring. After all, someone like him stores his goods and treasures in a pouch despite his background that shows just how much spatial rings are valued.