C8 Hall of Limits!
That pleasant voice belonged to Lu Xiaoqing. She was standing beside him with a blushing face looking at him with her cute beady eyes. Her head was down a little as if she was too embarrassed to look at him straight.
Lu Xiaoqing was a kind-hearted girl; she sympathized with Xiang Shaoyun.
Before Xiang Shaoyun could say anything, a voice that causes physical revulsion resounded. "Oh, what do we have here? A five star talent relying on a little girl? Have you fallen so low? Pathetic!"
Who else could it be other than Gou Zai?
He had even appeared right beside Xiang Shaoyun with two other people. Gou Zai looked at him with contempt and scorn as if just wanting to crush this so-called genius.
Xiang Shaoyun ignored Gou Zai's words and looked at Lu Xiaoqing sincerely. "Thank you, but I can't take it."
After that, he stood up, looked straight at Gou Zai and his lackeys, and said, "From now on, keep this one thought in your mind: today you have successfully humiliated me. Just because of this one stupid little mistake of yours—I will hunt you in the future and return today's grace tenfold!"
Gou Zai sneered, "You dare to say that? I give you three days at most before you die of starvation. You sure are reckless."
Gou Zai and the rest did not dare to fight Xiang Shaoyun here. Why? Because the Hall of Martial Arts forbade infighting. Private fights, except the mock ones inside the cafeteria, were strictly prohibited lest they are done in a supervised arena.
"You're going too far!" Lu Xiaoqing shouted in dissatisfaction.
"Miss Lu, we have no intention of offending you. Please, leave this matter alone. Otherwise, you are well aware of young master Wu's anger. I'm afraid you'll suffer from his anger too." Gou Zai threatened Lu Xiaoqing.
"Good, very good. I will report this to the martial instructor," Lu Xiaoqing replied angrily.
Martial instructors were tasked with guiding and teaching the other sect disciples.
"Hehe! Report me? Haha! Go ahead!" exclaimed Gou Zai with mock fear.
"I appreciate your kindness, but there is no use in getting angry over these dogs. I, Xiang Shaoyun, can still take care of myself!" Xiang Shaoyun turned around and left after saying that.
"Y-you... don't you know how to appreciate kindness?" With a blushing face, Li Xiaqing stomped her feet and left as well.
"Haha! Look! A five star talent fleeing like a dog with his tail tucked." Gou Zai laughed crazily.
Right now, Xiang Shoyun's heart was burning with resentment, anger, and shame. He had one goal now—revenge!
If one looked far away, they would be able to see an intimidating Ash Wolf. Atop that wolf sat Zi Changhe, who sighed and said, "If he can't even endure this, then his five star talent will indeed be a waste."
Xiang Shaoyun walked towards a martial instructor.
That martial instructor was a middle-aged man with mediocre cultivation. He was looking at the synchronized movements of the outer sect disciples like a hawk. Noticing Xiang Shaoyun, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Martial instructor, I want to eat." Xiang Shaoyun said without any chitchat.
"It's already past lunchtime. If you can't even "take" the food sitting right in front of you, then it's your own fault. Take this as a lesson, and remember to "take" more during dinner." The martial instructor indifferently replied.
"I just want to know if there are any other ways to eat?" Xiang Shaoyun asked again.
"Outer disciples procure rations from the cafeteria, inner disciples can eat in our clan's restaurant or any other restaurant outside; finally, direct disciples can eat with their elders or teachers. Understood?"
Xiang Shaoyun could not help but feel a little disappointed. He was already starving, but he still had to wait for six hours. He feared that his will might give up.
Just when Xiang Shaoyun was about to leave in disappointment, the martial instructor continued, "How about something daring? A challenge? If you can beat a certain record, giving you food would only be a small matter. Do you dare?"
"What challenge?" Xiang Shaoyun asked, feeling a sudden wave of confidence and glee.
"Hall of Limits! Every cultivation stage has its limits; if someone is able to surpass those limits, they are entitled to great rewards. Beware, breaking through limits is an arduous and dangerous task. One has to be the strongest among their peer to even begin thinking about breaking the limits," said the martial instructor said.
"Where is it? I accept the challenge!" Xiang Shaoyun said with conviction.
"Haha! Spoken like a true genius! Follow me!" The martial instructor revealed a faint smile.
The martial instructor and Xiang Shaoyun left for the place of the challenge—the Hall of Limits! During the walk, the martial instructor told him about the various workings of the Hall of Limits.
Everyone reached the next cultivation stage once they accumulate enough qi. So, even though breaking the limit sounds quite similar to breaking into the next cultivation stage, it couldn't be further away from the truth. Why? Because breaking the limit actually meant strengthening one's current cultivation stage—without entering the next cultivation stage. This constant strengthening made them invisible among their peers who had similar cultivation.
"I can only bring you this far. From here on, you have to have to surpass the limit yourself. Food won't be an issue once you do that." After the martial instructor gave his instructions, he turned around and left.
A five star talent could get a little care from the marital instructor, but not everything would be given on a silver platter.
If it was any other disciple, he would only be guiding them to find their own way! Had it been any other disciple, he would have left them on their own devices.
Hall of limits. It was an ancient pavilion built on the peak of a sacred mountain. Chaotic energy enveloped the entire pavilion, giving it a nebulous and unrestrained atmosphere.
"Disciple Xiang Shaoyun greets the elder." Xiang Shaoyun gave a respectful bow to the elder sitting near the hall in an armchair.
"You want to challenge the limit?" The elder glanced at Xiang Shaoyun with his turbid eyes.
"Indeed, please guide me, elder."
"Head straight and enter the first room. Make sure that you are alone and... wait. If you can come out unscathed after an hour, you, you have passed." Treasuring every word said, the elder gave him a blunt reply.
Bowing one last time, Xiang Shaoyun went inside the Hall pf Limits.
Before long, he arrived at the gate of the first room. Without hesitating, he pushed the door open.
The moment he entered, the door automatically closed.
At the same time, some mysterious power flitted across the room. Suddenly, Xiang Shaoyun felt as if a giant boulder was dropped on his shoulders.
Puff!
Xiang Shaoyun spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Gravity room!" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in his heart.
This room in the Hall of Limits focused on one's ability to withstand pressure. The monstrous pressure forced cultivators to strengthen their cultivation and make it rock solid. With the help of numerous profound formations, the room created a false sense of gravity. The gravity was ersatz, but the gravitational pull generated was something only a few could endure. Disciples who entered this room were either crushed or transformed. Squashed till their will gave up or molded into someone with nerves of steel.
Xiang Shaoyun was someone with immense experience. So the moment he stepped into the room, he knew that the pressure was at its peak.
And surprisingly, the pressure he felt was similar to lifting a 1,000 pound stone!
Xiang Shaoyun was a fifth grade Martial Entering Stage cultivator with a strength measuring up to 500 pounds. Even with his talents, shouldering a 1,000-pound pull put him at his limits.
Even though Xiang Shaoyun didn't practice martial arts during his childhood to strengthen his body, he wasn't afraid of the pressure. Why? Because he happened to be a rich young lord. A young lord who took baths in water saturated with the essence of countless precious herbs. He was sure that that gravitational pull would almost give him some injuries.
"What was that cliched line? Ah, yes. Limits are meant to be broken! Overlord Dominating Heaven Mantra!" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed and activated the Overlord Dominating Heaven Mantra.
The Overlord Dominating Heaven Mantra was a high-grade ancient technique. After Xiang Shaoyun activated it, endless energy surged through his meridians, and his nine star talent shone with a dazzling radiance.
Following the activation of the ancient technique, the pressure on Xiang Shaoyun's body gradually dwindled.
