C37 He Wanted to Sleep

Peng Gengkun awoke with his bones still aching from the previous day's exertions.

Having executed the formidable Vajra Subduing Dragon technique, he could tell his body hadn't fully recovered.

"This is, after all, a Grade Four Martial Art! Without reaching the Soul Refining Stage and the enhancement of a Martial Soul, it's incredibly difficult to perform. Even though I'm stronger than those at the High Rank of Qi Refining, I can only just manage it. I should refrain from any action for now, focus on my cultivation, and allow my body to heal," he mused, contemplating a return to sleep.

But before Peng Gengkun's eyes could shut, a knock at the door jolted him awake.

With some effort, he rose and answered the door, only to find a stranger he neither recognized nor remembered ever seeing.

Leaning against the doorframe, Peng Gengkun said with a hint of annoyance, "Autographs are five bucks, photos are ten. I'm not lending you money. If that's all, I'd like to get back to sleep."

"Your words are quite amusing..." The stranger chuckled. "Your battle earned me a tidy sum of Spirit Stones. I'm here to pass on a bit of that fortune to you."

With that, the stranger nonchalantly tossed a Space Ring to Peng Gengkun.

Upon inspecting the ring, Peng Gengkun was astounded to find several hundred Spirit Stones within. He quickly retracted his focus from the ring, but before he could inquire further, the stranger had already departed.

Peng Gengkun stood there, momentarily dumbfounded.

"Could this person be a tycoon? To give away such a valuable Space Ring so freely!" he pondered, ultimately pocketing the ring.

Yet, as he watched the stranger's retreating figure, Peng Gengkun sensed something extraordinary about him.

Despite attire similar to other Inner Sect disciples—equally lavish—there was an air of distinction about this person, as if he were inherently a cut above the rest.

When the man spoke earlier, Peng Gengkun found himself without any desire to object. It seemed only natural that he should receive these hundreds of Spirit Stones.

"This person..." Peng Gengkun's brow furrowed slightly, sensing something amiss. "He's wearing a python robe? His status must be extraordinary! In this world, there are sects and nations, but ordinary people aren't entitled to wear such robes."

After mulling it over and getting nowhere, Peng Gengkun decided to drop the matter and return to his slumber.

He had barely settled in for ten minutes when the knocking resumed, much to his annoyance.

"All I want is some sleep. Why must there always be interruptions?" he grumbled.

Leaping out of bed, Peng Gengkun flung the door open to find yet another stranger, this time a woman he didn't recognize.

Scratching his head, he felt a twinge of curiosity. Considering the earlier encounter with the enigmatic man, Peng Gengkun bluntly inquired, "Are you here to deliver Spirit Stones to me as well?"

"No," the woman replied, reaching into her sleeve and handing Peng Gengkun an item—a letter.

His heart leapt. "Could this be a love letter? To think a woman would write one to me!"

As Peng Gengkun's excitement mounted, the woman clarified, "It's from our young miss."

His excitement soared. "She's a lady from a prestigious family!"

But as quickly as she arrived, the woman departed without a backward glance, leaving Peng Gengkun to collect himself and open the envelope.

He read the contents with a wry smile. The letter was from an unexpected source—Xi Yingzhu. Yet, calling it a letter was generous; it was more of a note.

Moreover, Xi Yingzhu uttered just a single sentence in her note.

"You have indeed impressed me."

Beyond that, she wrote nothing more.

Peng Gengkun scratched his head, feeling somewhat bewildered.

"What's with this woman, slipping me a note out of the blue? Never mind, I shouldn't overthink it. I need to get some sleep! After yesterday's brawl, my bones are still aching. Sleep first..."

Peng Gengkun nonchalantly stowed the note in the Leviathan-roc Space and was about to settle down when another round of knocking came from the door.

Peng Gengkun let out a resigned sigh.

"Looks like sleep isn't in the cards for me today. Who's there?"

This time, it was a familiar group at the door—Lin Huaqiao, Yue Yun, and the others.

Recognizing them, he refrained from showing any irritation.

Peng Gengkun welcomed them into his room and inquired, "Senior Brother Dou, Junior Brother Wang, Junior Brother Yue, what brings you here?"

Lin Huaqiao replied with a smile, "I'm guessing you're up to speed with the Inner Sect happenings. In half a month, the trial for Outer Sect disciples to advance to the Inner Sect begins. The elite disciples from the Outer Sect will be taking part. Given your nature, I bet you're still in the dark about your competitors! So, we took the liberty of gathering some intel for you."

Gratitude washed over Peng Gengkun's face. "Thanks a lot. I admit, I'm a bit on the lazy side. I wouldn't have thought to look into this myself!"

Even though Peng Gengkun's current prowess suggested the Outer Sect's elite disciples might not be much of a challenge for him, he sincerely thanked them.

Their intentions were clearly good, and gathering such information was no simple task. Peng Gengkun was genuinely appreciative.

Seeing Peng Gengkun's appreciation, Lin Huaqiao and the others were even more delighted. Yue Yun then proceeded to give Peng Gengkun a brief rundown.

"The trial for advancing from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect isn't too complex, just two main tasks. First, a sparring match. Second, ascending the Flying Cloud Tower within the Flying Cloud Sect. We haven't set foot in the Flying Cloud Tower ourselves, so we're not sure what to expect. But with your level of cultivation, tackling these challenges should be a breeze!"

"We're going to be in the trial too, but let's be real—we don't stand a chance of passing. Most of the elite disciples won't pose much of a challenge to you, so we'll just focus on those who could actually threaten you."

As soon as Yue Yun started talking, he brought up a contender that caught Peng Gengkun's attention.

"Meet Ruan Lang, an elite disciple. Despite the less-than-stellar name, his capabilities are quite impressive. He's not just an elite disciple; he's a Core Disciple as well."

Lin Huaqiao chimed in to clarify for Yue Yun, "A Core Disciple is someone who's shown they have the chops to join the Inner Sect during the first round of competition, but then stumbled in the second round at the Flying Cloud Tower. They're a notch above an elite disciple, yet not quite at the Inner Sect level. In essence, Ruan Lang's abilities are not far off from those of an Inner Sect disciple. He's certainly someone you need to watch out for!"