'This body is still far too weak.'
Once he was out of sight of Yang Lang and the others, a flicker of helplessness crossed Yang Xiao's face.
What no one knew was that his finger—the very one he had just used to execute the Gathering Essence Finger—had gone completely numb.
Clearly, gathering the Fire Elemental Power just now hadn't been as effortless as he had made it seem.
In the end, it was all because this body was too weak.
'It seems I must reach the Great Success of the Red Flame Realm as soon as possible. Only then can I refine Red Flame Essence Qi to temper my body and mind. By then, my physical strength and my control over Fire Elemental Power will both have improved. The next time I use the Gathering Essence Finger, its power will be several times greater.'
Right now, Yang Xiao's body was far too weak.
Although his injured finger could be healed with a little time and care, in the heat of battle, there was no time to spare. The slightest hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.
Yang Xiao had no desire to put himself in danger because of such a weakness.
Moreover, his clash with Yang Lang had given him a preliminary assessment of the Red Flame Realm's power.
'Judging from its aura, the Red Flame Realm is equivalent to the starting stage of the Martial Dao, the Body Refining Stage. The Body Refining Stage is divided into three levels: Martial Disciple, Martial Artist, and Martial Master. The Mid-stage Red Flame is roughly equivalent to a Middle-level Martial Artist. My current aura is only at the Peak of Martial Artist Fourth Layer. I'm pathetically weak.'
The former Yang Xiao had stood at the Peak of the Gods from the moment of his birth. His rivals were Divine-level Powerhouses at a minimum, some even Great Emperor Level Powerhouses who had stepped into the Realm of Dominator.
As such, Yang Xiao only had a passing knowledge of mortal Martial Dao cultivation and lacked a clear framework for comparing these lower power levels.
Back then, anyone beneath the Great Divine Power Realm was unworthy of his notice. Whether they were a mere Martial Artist of the Body Refining Stage, a Martial Saint who had condensed True Intent, or even an expert at the Small Divine Ability Realm—to him, there was no difference.
Even in his second life, he was born an Innate Venerable, protected by Divine-level Powerhouses, so he had little understanding of low-level Martial Artists.
But now, things were different.
In Martial Dao cultivation—from a Martial Disciple tempering their qi and blood, to a Martial Artist condensing Inner Qi, to a Martial Master perfecting their form—he now had to experience every single step for himself.
And this was just the Body Refining Stage.
Beyond that lay the realms of Innate Grand Martial Master, Martial Arts Grandmaster, and Martial Arts Saint.
So far, Yang Xiao had only encountered beings at the Innate Grand Martial Master level.
One was Yang Lang, and the other was his father, Yang Zhentian.
He may have managed to injure Yang Lang, a 1st Layer Innate Grand Martial Master, with his Gathering Essence Finger, but Yang Xiao knew the truth.
It had been a lucky shot.
If Yang Lang had been serious about killing him, even if he had fought with all his might, his chances of survival would have been slim to none.
Furthermore, in the Innate Grand Martial Master realm, the gap between each layer was enormous. Every advancement in layer would result in a multiplicative increase in power.
His father, Yang Zhentian, was at the Ninth-Layer Peak of the Innate Grand Martial Master realm. His aura alone could probably crush him to death.
With a single casual slap, he could turn a newly-promoted Grand Martial Artist like Yang Lang into a bloody pulp.
Yang Xiao had experienced a taste of this before.
Even Liu Junyi, the quack doctor his father had thrashed, was a Seventh-Layer Innate Grand Martial Master.
Although his strength was artificially inflated by Spirit Medicines and Pills, dealing with the current Yang Xiao would still be child's play for him.
'Only after I reach Red Flame Great Success and finish tempering my body and mind will I have the bare minimum strength to survive. As for facing an Innate Grand Martial Master head-on, I'm afraid I'll need to break through the Red Flame Realm and reach the second level of Mortal Fire, the Orange Flame Realm, to even stand a chance.'
A glint flashed in Yang Xiao's eyes. Ahead of him was the Purple Sun Sect's largest trading hub for Spirit Medicine: Spirit Medicine Street.
'The biggest shop on Spirit Medicine Street is Juhua Studio, and what it's most famous for is Spirit Medicine gambling. The old Yang Xiao probably wouldn't have dared to get involved, but me…'
Yang Xiao smiled and strode into Juhua Studio.
He had just stepped into Juhua Studio when a group of people appeared, walking straight toward him.
His face fell instantly.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Yang Family's own Young Master Yang Xiao! I heard you bit off more than you could chew a few days ago trying to pick a Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine, fell, and died. How'd you come back to life? Did that old fossil of a father of yours go lick that geezer Liu Junyi's boots again to get him to save you?"
Arrogant and willing to say anything—that was Ye Chenghao.
He had held a deep-seated grudge against Yang Xiao for a long time.
When they were young, Yang Xiao had beaten him once. Ye Chenghao had harbored a grudge ever since. Because of that incident, Yang Zhentian had slammed his fist on the table in front of Ye Chenghao's grandfather, Ye Zongling, the First Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall. If the Sect Leader hadn't intervened, a full-blown fight might have broken out.
From that day on, the two families were locked in a bitter feud.
The reason Yang Xiao had fallen from Spirit Medicine Peak this time was primarily that he had overreached. He had tried to pick a Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine and was injured by a restriction.
However, Ye Chenghao was not without blame.
To put it bluntly, it was he who had ordered his guards to ambush Yang Xiao, which led to his death.
And that was how the current Yang Xiao came to be.
How could Yang Xiao not avenge such a mortal enemy?
Especially since the man had also insulted his father.
SLAP!
The crisp sound of a slap echoed as it landed squarely on Ye Chenghao's face. The bustling hall instantly fell silent.
Ye Chenghao clutched his face, staring at Yang Xiao in disbelief. It took him a long moment to react. "Ah! Yang Xiao, you… you dare hit me?! You're dead meat! You're dead!"
"You insulted the Honored Guest Elder Chief. As his son, why shouldn't I hit you? If you've got a problem with it, fine. Let's go to the Life and Death Platform. A single battle to decide who lives and who dies. How about it?"
Yang Xiao sneered, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
"You… you want to face me on the Life and Death Platform?"
This time, it was Ye Chenghao's turn to be startled and uncertain.
He stared at Yang Xiao, his heart filled with doubt.
True, Yang Xiao was widely known as trash who could never become a Martial Artist. And while Ye Chenghao himself wasn't particularly talented and hated training, he was still the grandson of the Law Enforcement Grand Elder. Fueled by a mountain of Spirit Medicines, he had managed to reach the Seventh-Layer Peak of the Martial Artist realm.
Logically, Ye Chenghao should have no reason to fear such a good-for-nothing.
But when he saw the icy look in Yang Xiao's eyes, Ye Chenghao flinched.
Especially since Yang Xiao had just slapped him and he hadn't even been able to react.
This made his confidence waver even more.
His eyes darted about for a moment before he sneered, "A man of my stature doesn't stoop to your level. You're nothing but trash. Why should I bother fighting you on the Life and Death Platform? But since you want to compete, fine. We'll compete in something else…"
As he spoke, he glanced at a figure by his side, and an idea struck him. "I'll challenge you to a Spirit Medicine gamble!"
"A Spirit Medicine gamble?"
Yang Xiao paused for a moment, saying nothing.
'Isn't that exactly why I came to Juhua Studio?'
'Besides, challenging me—the progenitor of the Human Race's Medicine Realm—to a Spirit Medicine gamble? Is he asking for humiliation?'
Ye Chenghao, however, thought Yang Xiao had lost his nerve and began to jeer. "What's the matter, scared? If you don't have the guts, just get on your knees, apologize, call me 'Grandpa' a hundred times, and I'll let you off the hook. How about it?"
"You're sure you want to have a Spirit Medicine gamble with me?"
This time, Yang Xiao wasn't angered by Ye Chenghao's words. Instead, his tone was mocking.
"Of course! Would I lie?"
Ye Chenghao's face was a mask of confidence.
"Fine. I accept."
Yang Xiao agreed. 'It would be a joke not to take advantage of such a great opportunity,' he thought. 'Only an idiot would pass this up.'
Especially when it was at his enemy's expense. He absolutely had to take it. 'I'll just consider this collecting some interest in advance!'
'And as it happens, I'm in desperate need of Spirit Medicine.'