A quarter of an hour later, Evan Cole left Leon Huang's courtyard with a dark expression and his men in tow.
Even though he'd been extremely polite, he hadn't expected Leon to still refuse his recruitment offer and decline to join the Dragon-Serpent Society.
"Why? How dare a little newcomer like you act so arrogant!"
Not long after Evan left, people from the Sun–Moon Society arrived, also trying to recruit Leon.
But Leon gave the Sun–Moon Society the same answer: a flat refusal.
First he toyed with Black Tiger Society's Galen Long, then rejected the Sun–Moon and Dragon–Serpent Societies—within just a few hours, Leon Huang's name spread among the outer-sect disciples.
Rumor had it that the reason this newcomer refused both the Sun–Moon and Dragon–Serpent Societies was because he planned to start his own faction.
By evening, Leon headed to the outer sect cafeteria with Tyson and Wes.
About an hour earlier, he'd sent Ryan Chen down to the foothill town to bring those two into the sect. Lynn Ning had come along as well, but Leon had her sent to Nate Moore's place.
As for Sean Xiao and the others, once they learned their young master had become a Pristine Way Sect outer-sect disciple, they left the foothill town and returned to New Dawn City.
"Look, that's Leon Huang!"
Leon had just stepped into the cafeteria when people started pointing and whispering about him.
"He doesn't look like much, does he?"
"Heard he's the son of New Dawn City's lord!"
"So what if he's the city lord's son? He's only tier-three Qi-Refining, yet he dared reject the Sun–Moon and Dragon–Serpent Societies. I hear Black Tiger Society's vice-leader Galen Long has already declared he'll make sure Leon can't survive in the Pristine Way Sect!"
"By the way, did you hear? Leon's a total wastrel—he spent over a million taels in the third trial just to hire people as his bodyguards!"
"Damn, he really is a wastrel. A million taels could buy so many tier-two Profound Pills!"
Leon ignored the whispers. He handed his identity token and two taels of silver to Wes: "Go get the food."
The sect cafeteria serves three free meals a day, but only one portion per meal. If you want seconds, you have to pay—one tael per extra plate.
Just then, a large crowd surged into the cafeteria.
They quickly grabbed all the open seats.
"Well, if it isn't Junior Brother Huang. What, you came to the cafeteria to eat in person?" Galen Long strode over, smirking.
Leon blinked, then grinned. "Of course I eat in person. What, does Senior Brother Galen have a dog eat for him, and then he eats what the dog excretes?"
Galen flushed as Leon mocked him, realizing he'd misspoken. Suppressed laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Young Master, the food's here!"
Just then, Wes returned carrying three meals, only to find the entire cafeteria was packed with no empty seats.
Seeing this, Galen felt he'd finally scored a win and said smugly, "Looks like Junior Brother Huang will have to eat standing up!"
"Who says I have to eat standing?" Leon sneered, quickly walking up to two disciples. He smiled, "Senior Brothers, are your seats for sale? I'll give you a hundred taels each!"
The whole cafeteria thought, the rumors were true—this guy really is a wastrel, spending a hundred taels just to buy a seat.
Only a fool would pass up easy money.
The two outer-sect disciples jumped up and eagerly wiped down the table. "Please, Junior Brother Huang, have a seat!"
"Thank you both for your kindness!" Leon said politely, handing each of them fifty taels.
Seeing this, Galen's face froze.
Night fell, stars sparse in the sky.
Leon sat cross-legged on his bed, drawing in the ambient spiritual energy around him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three acupoints burst open inside him, and his cultivation smoothly advanced to Qi-Refining tier four.
Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Leon smiled. With Qi-Refining tier four, and without exposing his true strength, he could walk sideways in the outer sect.
The next morning, Leon went to the Library Pavilion.
The Pristine Way Sect's Library Pavilion was grand and imposing, with nine floors in total.
The first floor held ordinary books; the second, one-star martial techniques; the third, two-star techniques, and so on. The ninth floor contained eight-star techniques—there were no nine-star techniques in the Pristine Way Sect.
Outer-sect disciples could only enter the first and second floors, once per month and for no more than six hours each time.
After his identity token was checked, Leon swaggered into the Library Pavilion.
The first floor was nearly empty, but the second was crowded.
After all, there were over two thousand new outer-sect disciples. Even if some came from rich families and didn't lack low-grade techniques, most were ordinary folk—for them, even a one-star technique was precious.
So after joining, most people came to the Library Pavilion to pick suitable techniques to cultivate.
Leon didn't go to the second floor, but stayed on the first.
He didn't lack cultivation methods or martial techniques. He wasn't even interested in glancing at one-star techniques.
Instead, the books on geography and world history on the first floor caught his interest.
So Leon's choice not to visit the second floor spread quickly, sparking another round of gossip.
Leon read at lightning speed—almost a book every two minutes.
He could finish sixty books in an hour, three hundred sixty in six hours, but with over ten thousand books on the first floor, it would still take time to read them all.
After returning from the Library Pavilion, Wes and Tyson came to greet him.
"Young Master, someone delivered a challenge letter!"
Wes handed him a letter.
Leon glanced at the challenge letter and chuckled, "Heh, these guys really think I'm just a soft pushover who only knows how to burn money? Fine, I'll show them what I'm really made of!"
He tossed the challenge letter aside and beckoned to his two attendants. "You two flunkies, come into the room with me!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Inside the room, Leon sat while the two stood respectfully.
"What tier are the cultivation arts you two practice?" Leon asked.
Wes said, "Young Master, Tyson and I both practice mid-grade Yellow-tier arts!"
"Would you like to learn a Profound-tier art?" Leon asked with a smile.
Their eyes lit up and they nodded eagerly.
"Alright, today I'll teach you a Profound-tier art!"
"Ah!"
"A Profound-tier art!"
It was as if they'd been struck by a pie from heaven—both nearly fainted with happiness.
Cultivation arts are divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow tiers, each split into lower, middle, and upper grades.
Yellow-tier arts are easy to obtain—anyone can buy them with silver.
But Profound-tier arts, even the lowest grade, are hard to buy no matter how much silver you have.
Take the 'Radiant Sun Art' that Huang Shan taught Leon—it's been passed down in the Huang family for generations. It's their foundation, and even if someone offered ten million taels, Huang Shan wouldn't budge.
"Alright, you two flunkies, focus and listen up!" Leon barked.
At Leon's command, Tyson and Wes quickly concentrated. Leon then recited the Huang family's 'Radiant Sun Art'—but only up to Qi-Refining tier nine, keeping the rest to himself.