As they got closer to the Flameyellow Rock, Jiang Feiling said, “When one cultivates near the Flameyellow Rock, the rock will gather and guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making cultivation more effective than simply refining spirit gems. ”
“The closer to the rock, the more effective cultivation would be. Based on the distance, the sanctum has divided everyone here into five different synchronization levels. Those at level one are the furthest away from the rock, and will therefore receive the least benefits from the rock.”
“As for those at level five, which is the highest possible synchronization level, they are said to have perfect synchronization with the rock, meaning that they can cultivate right beside the rock. It is a sign of the highest possible talent in the sanctum, and whoever can achieve that would be a legend in the institute.” Jiang Feiling finished her explanation with a hint of admiration.
“Perfect synchronization? How many people in the sanctum now has perfect synchronization with the Flameyellow Rock?” Li Tianming asked.
Jiang Feiling clicked her tongue.“Big brother, you must be joking?”
“Very few?” Li Tianming asked.
“You bet. In fact, perfect synchronization has always been a myth in the institute, and even throughout the sanctum’s history, very few could achieve that.”
“For real?” Li Tianming was shocked to hear how difficult it was to cultivate beside the rock.
“Of course. Even the best disciples in the sanctum right now could only only reach level four synchronization with the rock. That’s only about seven people, one of them being Qing’er,” Jiang Feiling explained.
“And who is the one that can get closest to the rock?” Li Tianming asked
“Big brother won’t want to hear that name,” she replied.
Li Tianming got the hint immediately. It must be that number one genius of Lightning Manor, Lin Xiaoting. But even he was only at level four. Perfect synchronization hadn’t appeared in the institute for hundreds of years already.
Li Tianming had learned enough about the Flameyellow Rock. He was aware that the moment he tried to walk into the proximity of the Flameyellow Rock, a spiritual energy storm would appear and surround him. The gust of spiritual energy was highly repulsive, making it difficult to even stand stably within it.
Any disciple who wanted to cultivate here would run the risk of being consumed by the spiritual energy storm, especially when they tried to surpass the limits set by their synchronization level. Most people would figure out what their own synchronization level was the first time they approached the rock. Should a disciple at level one try to cultivate at the location meant for those at level three, not only would it not be beneficial for cultivation, the disciple might even lose his life to the spiritual energy storm.
A disciple's synchronization level was decided by fate, and nothing would change that.
From what Li Tianming saw, the area near the rock was divided into five rings, and both the innermost and the second closest ring were unoccupied. Only in the third ring did he see a dozen people cultivating.
Third ring. That corresponded to a level three synchronization level.
With that said, most of the disciples spectating the fight outside just now hadn’t started cultivating. None of them expected Li Tianming to come into the pagoda, especially since he offended Wei Lingxuan and Wei Qingyi. If Wei Qingyi had the chance, he would definitely try to kill Li Tianming.
Just as Li Tianming was about to have his synchronization level tested, he felt an icy chill from his back. Turning around, he saw Wei Lingxuan and her cousin Wei Qingyi staring coldly at him.
There was no doubt that the two of them were stronger than Li Tianming, especially when he didn’t have Jiang Feiling attached to him. The difference between Wei Lingxuan, who was sixth level Spiritsource, and Li Tianming, who was at the first level, was not negligible.
Jiang Feiling frowned. “Fighting is prohibited in the Flameyellow Pagoda, so you better stay out of trouble.”
“Don’t you worry, Princess Ling, we have plenty of opportunities to have him grovel at our feet.” Even Wei Lingxuan’s tone towards her wasn’t as cautious as it used to be. After all, Wei Lingxuan herself was not far off from being a real princess.
“If Princess Ling is going to stubbornly ignore our advice and continue to stay with this degenerate, then don’t blame us for not warning you when anything happens in the future,” Wei Qingyi mocked, having given up his chances of creating a good impression in front of Princess Ling. After the shame he had gone through just now, he was in no mood for skirt chasing.
“I don’t need your advice to tell me who I should be with. And how convincing is that when it comes from someone who accuses others of being degenerates?” Jiang Feiling argued back.
It was rare for the crowd to see the usually cute, easy-going Princess Ling to have such a tough side to her. They could only envy Li Tianming for being the only one to receive this kind of treatment.
Wei Qingyi was already frustrated enough, and to make matters worse, he had no idea how to refute the princess’s statement.
“Forget it Qingyi, birds of a feather flock together. Why stop them if the losers want to keep each other company?” Wei Lingxuan stepped in.
“Yes, sis Xuan.” Wei Qingyi gritted his teeth in anger.
Wei Lingxuan knitted her eyebrows. She wasn’t willing to let Li Tianming off today after all that he had done. But the pagoda was not a place where she could act, so she could only lower her voice and hiss at Li Tianming with a voice that only the few of them could hear.
“Don’t you think of returning to the Wei Manor to meet your mother. Or else, I’d make sure you won’t be walking out in one piece.”
“That’s right, you better not let us see your cowardly face. Hiding behind a woman’s skirt, what kind of a man are you?” Wei Qingyi added. The two of them threatened Li Tianming under their breath.
“The kind of man that doesn't pee in public like a wild dog. Hmm, do you smell that strange smell?” Li Tianming shrugged, a sunny smile on his face.
Wei Qingyi’s body was visibly shaking. He had already changed his pants and the smell was gone, but Li Tianming mocking him about it was enough to make him want to rip off Li Tianming’s face.
“Don’t be impulsive.” Wei Lingxuan held Wei Qingyi back and turned to Li Tianming, “Li Tianming, you surely are your mother’s son. Back then she angered grandfather and left with that bumpkin from Flamehaven and for twenty years, she cared not for the clan. She really deserved to get Lifesbane. As for you, don’t even think about seeing her before she dies and rots away in the Rainforest Pavilion. I’ll make sure to break your leg if you even dare to get close to the Wei Manor.”
“That’s right, don’t you think we will give you a chance just because we are related by blood. Both you and your mother are a disgrace to the clan!” Wei Qingyi cursed.
“Say that once more, I dare you.” No matter how good-tempered Li Tianming was, he could no longer take in any more insults. He could argue back if they had insulted him, but instead they mocked his mother, his reverse scale — something he could not tolerate.
“I can say anything I want and what can you do about it? Without Princess Ling, do you really think you can still match us?” Wei Lingxuan glared, her expressions that of a pampered child’s.
“Only this level at the age of twenty? People like you don’t deserve to be in the sanctum, least to say that you came back to beg for grandpa’s help. You wouldn’t really think that I have to respect you just because you are my cousin, right?” Wei Qingyi said.
Both of them were confident in their strength. Wei Lingxuan was certain that she could easily crush Li Tianming. As for Wei Qingyi, he firmly believed that without Princess Ling’s interference, he would be the one that had won the previous fight.
“You said that you will break my leg when I return to the manor?” Li Tianming knew more than to count on these ‘relatives’ of his. Since they insisted with their stupidity, then he would not show them any face either.
“Of course!” Wei Lingxuan scorned with her head held up.
“Then you better keep track of my location, and make sure that I can find you when I return,” Li Tianming replied.
Wei Lingxuan laughed.“What a joke. Don’t worry. I’ll be waiting.”
Li Tianming knew that words alone were not enough for him to retrieve his reputation. He turned his attention to the Flameyellow Rock, his main goal of the day.
“Big brother, I will attach to you and then we go in. Let’s see if you have level three synchronization level.” Jiang Feiling suggested. She too did not want to waste her time with those kids.
“Let’s go.” Li Tianming said. The Flameyellow Rock was way more important to him than those two relatives of his.
“Excuse me? Level three synchronization level? Is this some kind of comedy?” Wei Qingyi chuckled when he heard Li Tianming and Jiang Feiling’s conversation, “Sis Xuan, did you hear that?”
“Ignorant moron who only knows how to talk big.”Wei Lingxuan rolled her eyes.
Li Tianming had intended to ignore them, but they were taunting him yet again.
“And what if I can reach level three?” Li Tianming turned around with his eyebrow raised.
“Is this a gamble?” Wei Lingxuan smirked.
“What if it is?”
“If you have level three synchronization level, I will lick your boots clean.” Wei Lingxuan shrugged her shoulder indifferently.
Her confidence was not unfounded. Even she herself barely had level three synchronization level, while Wei Qingyi was only at level two. Most of the disciples in the sanctum could at most reach level two, and those at level three were already the elites of the sanctum. Li Tianming was at the bottom of Spiritsource, and only managed to get into the sanctum by beating Lin Xiaoxiao who was five years his junior. For disciples like him, even getting to level one synchronization level would be a problem, least to say level three.
There was no reason to worry at all, and in fact, she had other plans in mind too. For a disciple to be considered to have a certain synchronization level, they have to cultivate in that particular ring for an hour. That meant that Li Tianming had to spend one hour in the third ring, when his talent clearly wouldn’t even qualify for the first. If he insisted on continuing in the third ring, the spiritual energy storm may backfire on him, injuring him gravely.
That was exactly what she wanted. She knew that Li Tianming loathed her, so she offered a wager that Li Tianming would find hard to refuse.
Sure enough, Li Tianming fell for it.
“What if I lose the bet?” Li Tianming asked with his lips curved.
“Easy. Just bang your head at my feet and shout as loudly as you can: I, Li Tianming, am a perverted degenerate. Do you have the guts to bet with me?” Wei Lingxuan taunted.
“Give me a second.” Li Tianming suddenly ran out of the pagoda.
“Did he just run in fear?” The pagoda was filled with laughters and jeers.
But Li Tianming was back in less that a minute. The first thing that people saw was the mud and dirt all over his shoes. He must have purposely stepped in a mud puddle.
How could anyone not get his hint? He had dirtied his boots on purpose just so that Wei Lingxuan could lick it after he had won. Clearly, he had accepted the gamble!
Things were spicing up in the Flameyellow Pagoda.
As the bystanders watched on, Li Tianming said to Wei Lingxuan with a smile, “Can we start? Do note that I’m quite a particular person, so I won’t want any mud left on my shoes.”
“Oh and Wei Qingyi, do you mind pissing on my shoes?”