Chapter 15: The Young Lady's Invitation

The old yellow ox's attitude made Jiang Man feel strange.From the very beginning, the old yellow ox didn't believe he could complete the second phase's fate requirements.

Even with his rapid improvement speed, it still hadn't changed the ox's opinion.

It seemed the problem lay with this visualization method.

Riddler.

You'll get your comeuppance sooner or later.

There were still fifteen days until the assessment, which should be enough time to raise his cultivation to the peak of the third level of Qi Refinement.

Once he obtained the blood energy method, he could continue improving.

However, with one more cultivation technique, the consumption would also be greater.

He would probably need spirit sources quite badly.

The income from just the Spirit Gathering Hall alone seemed somewhat insufficient.

Three days later.

Jiang Man was still cultivating in the small courtyard.

Everyone else had already gotten used to it, as they were all waiting for Luo Xuan, who ranked first, to break the atmosphere.

So they could leave the courtyard.

It had been like this for half a month.

No one broke the rules.

Evening.

Checking the time, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Luo Xuan also finished her cultivation.

But she didn't leave immediately.

Instead, she turned to look at Jiang Man.

Jiang Man was also waiting for her to leave at this time.

It was about time to go earn spirit sources.

After these past few days of cultivation, he discovered that filling the third "gourd" required nearly two thousand circulations.

A several-fold increase indeed.

But when Luo Xuan finished, she didn't leave and instead looked at him, which surprised him somewhat.

Especially since she was walking toward him.

"Miss Luo, are you looking for me?" Jiang Man asked politely when she arrived before him.

"Would you like to cultivate with me? I don't care about scores or cultivation level, as long as you're more diligent than me." Luo Xuan ignored the surrounding gazes as she asked Jiang Man.

Little Fatty and the others looked astonished.

Luo Xuan had asked this question last time, and Jiang Man had refused.

They never expected her to ask again.

Did she think Jiang Man was worth cultivating?

Little Fatty sensed danger - he needed to work hard too.

Otherwise, Jiang Man might really surpass him.

His cultivation was about to improve, so he needed to spend some spirit sources during the remaining half month.

To widen the gap.

He absolutely couldn't be last place.

Jiang Man said politely, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Luo, but I need to earn spirit sources in the evening."

Luo Xuan looked at Jiang Man and said, "At night? How much can you earn?"

"Sixty spirit sources per hour." Jiang Man said without blushing or his heart racing.

"And you can't cultivate during that time, right?" Luo Xuan looked at Jiang Man and said, "I'll give you seventy, for two hours you just need to be more diligent than me."

Hearing this, Jiang Man hesitated slightly, then finally gritted his teeth and agreed: "When do we start?"

Seventy spirit sources - not even dogs would do that crappy work at the Spirit Gathering Hall.

"Tomorrow." Luo Xuan said before turning and leaving.

As Luo Xuan left, a young woman immediately followed her.

After leaving the sixth courtyard, the woman finally spoke: "Luo Xuan, why are you giving so many spirit sources? Are you cultivating a guard? Cultivating someone with zero points - are you trying to cultivate a death warrior?"

The woman was named Cheng Yu, from a branch family of the Cheng clan.

Fifty-one points, ranked fourth in the sixth courtyard.

"Neither." Luo Xuan shook her head. "Fang Yong seems to be targeting this Jiang Man recently."

"Why? There's a world of difference between them, is there any need to target him?" Cheng Yu asked curiously.

"I don't know, perhaps personal grievances." Luo Xuan said calmly. "But if I befriend Jiang Man, it will definitely draw his attention and consume some of his mental energy. Using seventy spirit sources to slow his pace isn't bad.

His Qi Refinement technique has reached the eighth level, and his blood energy method has also improved.

His score is about to catch up with mine soon."

"But you two will still be first and second." Cheng Yu said.

"Quotas change quite drastically. In the past two years, the sixth courtyard had three quotas, then when everyone thought it would be three, it suddenly became two.

What if it suddenly becomes one this year?

While improving yourself, slowing others' pace is also a good method.

Spirit sources should also be used to their fullest potential."

"What if Jiang Man still has zero points when the mid-month ranking comes out?" Cheng Yu asked.

"Half a month should have some effect, and I won't need him afterward." Luo Xuan answered softly.

"I'm just afraid he might have other ideas."

"Poor people love to fantasize."

"This Jiang Man must be overjoyed in his heart right now."

The two chatted as they walked.

Soon leaving Azure Cloud Pavilion.

Jiang Man was indeed quite excited at this moment.

Thirty becoming seventy per day - even Little Fatty was envious.

Of course, what he envied was being able to spend time with Luo Xuan.

But before leaving, Little Fatty kindly reminded him.

Saying that wealthy young ladies like those from the Luo family would never take a fancy to poor boys.

Some people just enjoy toying with poor people, so he needed to recognize his position clearly.

Don't get any wild ideas.

Jiang Man expressed his thanks.

But he felt Luo Xuan definitely had some purpose.

But it didn't matter.

As long as he surpassed all these people, everything would resolve itself.

Cultivate!

That night, Jiang Man went to the Spirit Gathering Hall again.

After collecting his spirit sources, he informed Manager Miao that he wouldn't be coming tomorrow.

She didn't mind.

She just said it was a pity for a promising seedling, that continuing further studies would definitely lead to achievements, and even though the early stages might be physically uncomfortable, these were necessary hardships on the path to success, and enduring hardship was the shortcut to success.

If not for the fact that the physical damage was real, Jiang Man might have been persuaded.

In the following days, Jiang Man cultivated in the sixth courtyard until evening, then followed Luo Xuan to her residence courtyard in Azure Cloud Pavilion to cultivate.

At first he was worried about other things, but after discovering he didn't even need to communicate, he cultivated peacefully.

His progress was considerably faster than before.

Especially since the spiritual energy in Luo Xuan's courtyard was more abundant.

He felt somewhat guilty about earning seventy spirit sources per day, but this thought flashed through his mind for only a moment before disappearing.

The only headache was that Fang Yong's gaze toward him grew increasingly gloomy.

Especially recently, when Young Master Cheng and those people started coming and going with the third-ranked student from the sixth courtyard, making him feel that Fang Yong's worsening situation was his fault.

Fortunately, the other party was also worried about the rules, as taking action would easily disqualify him from competing for the quota.

Young Master Cheng and those people were probably deliberately waiting to see Fang Yong become furious and act like a clown.

Just waiting for him to take action against Jiang Man.

Especially since Jiang Man being hired by Luo Xuan further stimulated Fang Yong.

The person he hated most had hooked up with a wealthy young lady.

This hurt him more than being ignored by Young Master Cheng and the others.

Thinking this, Jiang Man suddenly realized.

Could it be that Luo Xuan was using him to provoke Fang Yong?

The competition for first place had always been brutal.

After all, only the first quota was truly secure.

When the mid-month ranking updated, Fang Yong's stimulation would intensify even more.

If he couldn't withstand it, who knew if he would take action.

Then Jiang Man would be the one to suffer.

Unfortunately, the blood energy method required points to exchange.

He couldn't afford to hide his abilities.

Additionally, there was nothing to steal at Luo Xuan's residence, which was somewhat regrettable.

Afterward, Jiang Man followed the routine, cleaning the stables in the morning, then listening to the instructors explain cultivation techniques.

Completing his cultivation plan in the afternoon.

Cultivating at Luo Xuan's place in the evening, collecting spirit sources daily.

This continued until September fourteenth.

Tomorrow was the fifteenth, when the assessment would begin.

Scores would be released on the seventeenth.

That afternoon, Jiang Man had already started using spell innate qi to cultivate Divine Movement Steps.

However, Little Fatty gave Jiang Man a mysterious smile and confidently said: "Little Jiang, you've worked hard recently. Chasing after me must be quite exhausting, right?"

Jiang Man looked stunned - yesterday he was Brother Jiang, today he's Little Jiang?