After going through the battle, Jake had noticed that his energy absorption has become more refined and less rigid.

Also, he could now absorb [Spirit Essence] and fight at the same time. It was essentially multitasking.

Additionally, he had broken through to the small success stage of his technique.

This had helped him greatly during the fights in the tunnel. Despite not possessing his weapon, he used the technique on his hands.

Jake reckoned that without the intricacies of the technique, he might not have won. Most of his attacks, especially his finishing moves, were learned and adapted from the technique.

Using his hands, Jake got a first-hand experience of how the technique worked. It was a bombshell!

Technically, Jake could go faster than he currently was, but he would damage his body beyond repair. Even using his hand to conduct his speed got it badly broken.

However, if push came to shove, Jake could always go beyond his limit at the cost of death or a cripple body.

It depended on the situation!

The fight had helped him understand more about the way cultivators fight.

When he participated in the competition, he rarely saw any of the participants using their true potential. Yet, the masked men used theirs fully.

The senior and junior were beasts in their own rights. They kept Jake on his toes and didn't carelessly flash around their techniques.

They were able to break his bones and counter his quick reflexes, which was saying a lot as Jake's reflexes are extremely abnormal especially when he activates the [Akashic Eye].

It was the same reflex that allowed him to act on time when the senior activated his fire breath.

Ultimately, the masked men fell short of the more intelligent, smarter, more handsome, more skillful side.

Perhaps, if it was any other person that encountered them, they would have died.

This made Jake realize that he was capable of defeating a [Realm-2] cultivator. Previously, he had only thought he was capable of stalemating a [Realm-2] cultivator.

But, today, he had defeated two of them, which were far stronger than the [Realm-2] cultivators at the competition.

Honestly, Jake knew that it was his accumulations that saved him. His body was far stronger than the others of the same cultivation base. He had achieved the [Hidden Stage] of [Realm-0] and had awakened his ultimate physique, which was a major upgrade from the body one gains at [Realm-0].

These realizations motivated Jake to cultivate!

He stood up from the bed and sat in a lotus position on the cold wooden floor, facing the moonlight.

Closing his eyes, Jake cultivates. Blue energy encased him as he tried to search for a spiritual gate.

........

Many hours passed by, and Jake opened his eyes.

He had a look of content as he went to the bathroom to take a bath and wash the dried blood away from his body.

Soaked in the hot tub, Jake played with his fingers.

In just one night, he had passed two more stages and was now at [Realm-1 Stage-8]!

With this, he was more confident to pose a threat to strongest of the participants.

Infact, the competition might just have just reached a forgone conclusion as even before his increased cultivation base, Jake already had the confidence the take on the top participants.

Merrily, he scrubbed his body and refilled the tub with cleaner water.

He washed his silky hair and floated it in the water.

It was evident that he was in a very good mood!

He continued playing around while planning the rest of his days.

...…..

While Jake was playing around, something else was happening behind the curtains...

...

Singing Crow Inn.

Ray was busy eating his breakfast.

Today, he planned to engage in a gruesome training, since tomorrow would mark the day of the competition.

He knew he did not possess the qualified strength to clinch a top spot.

He could remember vividly the group of people he had tricked during his time in the Dark Forest.

All of them including the one called Jake had grown stronger than him!

He grew increasingly frustrated as he recounted his fight with Jaya, "Is this the difference between talent?"

He reckoned that if he told anyone that just months ago, they were in the lower stages of [Realm-0], they wouldn't believe him.

That was just how unbelievable the feat was!

Worst of all, they has a beef and, most likely, they wouldn't let it slide. He had tried to kill them after all.

Feeling the intensity of the matter, Ray drank up his drink and ordered for another.

The body of cultivator possessed a high metabolic rate. There was little to no way they would get fat. There body was constantly kept fit.

Although, if they overate, they would add on weight.

The moment the waitress brought another set of drink fro Ray, he gulped one down.

"Quite nervous, aren't you?" a voice spoke to him.

Ray looked up and saw a young man, around the age of twenty-five(25).

"Now, what is a noble like yourself doing here?" mocked Ray.

After escaping the Dark Forest, he had lodged at the Singing Crow

Inn for months, using the coins that were in the actual spatial ring of the vagrant cultivator.

The Inn was popular with commoners, and was quite expensive. Most nobles would stay at a guest house.

So, when Ray saw a well-dressed young man, he knew immediately that he was a noble.

But the question was what was he doing here?

"Do you mean I can't here?" curiously asked the noble.

"Stop rambling. We both know that you hypocrites dislikes crowded places like this," insulted Ray.

Contrary to the past, the times have changed and commoners have begun to get more voice and power. Now, they had their own representatives among the higher rank of Aztec.

So, insults like this were not rare, but were not publicly accepted and had to be said in dark corners, like the Singing Crow Inn.

In places like this, nobles know not to cause a commotion!

The young noble stopped smiling and looked at Ray, "I will be frank. I am here to give you an offer."

"Oh, i'm listening," teased Ray.

Evident from his scheming mind, he was quite intelligent and knew to full hear the offer before deciding.

"We know that you are struggling against your other participants. What if we can hel you with that?" the noble man told as he sat down on a chair opposite Ray.

He poisely took a big cup among Ray's drink and sipped it.

"First question, who is this "we" ?" asked Ray.

"You can say we are a group of people with similar interest," quipped the noble.

"Ok, how are you going to help me?" said Ray as he wrinkled his brows.

"We have lots of way, but the most suitable one involves directly improving your cultivation base."

"Go on," expressed Ray.

"We know that you are in possession of a dangerous technique, but can't use it as you are weak."

Ray became baffled with the stream of information.

Menacingly staring at the noble man, he asked, "How did you know that? Are you spying on me?"

"No, we aren't. We just have our means," admitted the noble man, "As i was saying, we can help you unlock your potential--"

Ray interrupted, "--At what cost?"

Smiling, the noble man stated, "That is quite simple. All you have to do is join us and assist with a few of oour activities."

"Ohh, and what activity is that?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. But i can assure you, that it is nothing that goes against your conscience."

Listening to the young man, Ray didn't like the sound of his words.

The young man acted like every other salesman, cajoling the public to buy their products. They always hid a few major points from the public and fooled them beautifully.

So, if the young noble in front of him was presenting a spectacular offer, then the stakes are more than he is letting on.

Ray was sure that it was quite dangerous. It was the same way he acted when fooling people. The same technique of re-assurance.

However, it didn't mean he wouldn't accept.

He asked the noble further, "And how would you help me?"

"We have cultivation pills that can improve cultivation base. I believe that you are familiar with such items."

"Yes," replied Ray.

The temptation of the offer was too much for him to resist, and he accepted it.

He could alwayd escape when he had gotten what he wanted, and also, they underestimated the remains of the vagrant cultivator.

As long as he was in [Realm-2], he had enough resources to boost himself up.

Having arranged his mind, he picked the offer and followed the young noble out of the inn.

...…

All over Aztec, the same situation with Ray occurred with a few participants. Some resisted, while most bowed to temptation