C2 Heroes All Had Their past(2)

At the foot of the mountain, there weren't any buildings, just a series of dark caves where the new recruits of the Profound Heaven Sect lived. Even staying in such a place wasn't guaranteed. If they couldn't awaken their Origin Genuine Qi within a year, they'd be expelled from the sect, and a new group would take their place. Only a month remained until that deadline.

Returning to his cave, Woo Zhengyang found everyone full of energy, sitting cross-legged on the ground, deep in cultivation. They had all eaten the Redwood Fruit last night, making this the perfect time to attempt awakening their Origin Genuine Qi.

"Hey, isn't that Woo Zhengyang, the guy managing the Redwood Orchard? Must be tough work, not coming back all night," one of them sneered.

"Of course, he got such a big Redwood Fruit yesterday. How could he not make the most of it?" replied the other.

The two speaking were Yue Liqing and Liu Tiancheng. Yue Liqing's family had an elder in the sect's inner circle, while Liu Tiancheng's brother, Liu Tianli, was an outer disciple with a promising future in the inner sect. Despite having to live in the caves as servant disciples, they enjoyed new bedding and a variety of tools.

Just yesterday, Yue Liqing had been given the largest Redwood Fruit, and Liu Tiancheng received the second one from his brother, Liu Tianli.

Under such conditions, they naturally felt superior and wouldn't associate with those who might be kicked out at any moment. This kind of mocking sarcasm wasn't new. Woo Zhengyang, always known for his kindness, usually stayed silent, letting their jibes pass. Today, he remained quiet, not out of kindness, but because he couldn't be bothered to argue. However, today's events didn't end there.

Yue Liqing, seeing Woo Zhengyang's usual silence, approached him with a pair of cloth boots and said, "Yesterday, when I went to the orchard you manage to distribute the redwood fruits, my boots got dirty. That's your fault, right? Go clean them for me. Anyway, you don't need to waste time trying to activate your Origin Genuine Qi. For the next month, just serve me. Who knows, if I'm in a good mood, I might reward you with a redwood fruit!"

With that, Yue Liqing handed the boots to Woo Zhengyang. In the past, even if Yue Liqing was arrogant, he wouldn't have been so brazen. No one could guarantee who would eventually enter the sect or what achievements they might have. If Woo Zhengyang happened to get into the sect and rise quickly, it would be a loss. But today was different. Woo Zhengyang was already considered average in talent, and after being assigned an unripe redwood fruit yesterday, everyone believed he had no chance of activating his Origin Genuine Qi. So, Yue Liqing had no reservations.

"Get lost!" Woo Zhengyang shouted angrily.

He had ignored the previous teasing from Yue Liqing and Liu Tiancheng, but he couldn't tolerate their escalating bullying any longer. Yesterday's despair had taught him a valuable lesson: in this world, patience might earn sympathy, but it won't earn respect.

As soon as Woo Zhengyang spoke, Yue Liqing and Liu Tiancheng were stunned, and so were the other disciples in the cave.

"What did you say? I didn't catch that. Say it again," Yue Liqing said, his earlier smile now frozen on his face.

"This guy must have gone crazy from eating that unripe fruit yesterday!" Liu Tiancheng said incredulously.

Woo Zhengyang couldn't be bothered with them and went to sit in his spot.

"Looks like you've grown some guts, huh? I told you to repeat what you just said. Didn't you hear me?" Yue Liqing, seeing that Woo Zhengyang was ignoring him, threw down his cloth shoe and ran straight up to Woo Zhengyang, demanding an answer.

"Get lost!" Woo Zhengyang repeated, sticking to his guns.

"So you want a beating, huh? I'll grant you that wish," Yue Liqing snapped, raising his fist to strike Woo Zhengyang in the face.

Yue Liqing wasn't in a hurry to train because he had already awakened his Origin Genuine Qi. The biggest fruit he received yesterday was just a way for the outer sect manager to curry favor with Yue Liqing's influential family elder.

Upon channeling his Origin Genuine Qi into the Refinement Stage, Yue Liqing truly embarked on the martial path, becoming a Martial Disciple. This rank is divided into nine stars, and although Yue Liqing was just a beginner at the one-star level, he was already beyond the reach of ordinary people.

When Yue Liqing launched a swift punch, Woo Zhengyang found it impossible to dodge. He had anticipated trouble the moment Yue Liqing approached, so he had already braced himself. Though he couldn't evade the attack, he managed to shield his face with his hands.

"Thud..."

Yue Liqing's fierce and powerful punch landed squarely on Woo Zhengyang's hands, driving them into his forehead and knocking him to the ground with a heavy thud.

Lying there with his forehead pressed against the cold stone floor, Woo Zhengyang remained motionless, his hands still in a defensive position.

"Impressive, Yue. You knocked him out with just one punch," Liu Tiancheng remarked with a light chuckle, complimenting Yue Liqing as he observed Woo Zhengyang still on the ground.

Woo Zhengyang wasn't unconscious; he was simply stunned. When Yue Liqing's punch connected with his hands, an unexpected sensation of comfort washed over him...