"Xu Xiaoshou won?"

"Xu Xiaoshou won!"

​​

The battle had ended. The barrier fell.

The loud cheers coming from the spectator seats startled Xu Xiaoshou. He turned around to take a look. "Wow, when did so many people come?" he thought.

"All of the outer yard disciples who were at the Chuyun Platform are here!"

Many junior disciples were in tears amongst the spectators. Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what they were crying about and could only assume that they'd gone insane.

"Got doubted. Passive Points +324."

"Got respected. Passive Points +1125."

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the notification panel and nearly fell to his knees in shock.

What was this?

He could understand the first wave of doubt that he'd received. After all, Xu Xiaoshou had become the champion of the group-stage competition even though his cultivation level was only Level Five. He would naturally be doubted to some extent.

Even though Liu Zhen and Zhou Zuo were also on the stage, anybody with eyes could tell that they had slacked off during the competition. That meant that Xu Xiaoshou was obviously the champion.

As for the "respect" he'd gotten after that…

He couldn't really explain that!

Also, it seemed like it was the first time this had appeared on the notification panel.

Then…

Over a thousand Passive Points???

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded.

He'd been fully concentrated on getting beaten up to earn more Passive Points and hadn't realized that he'd become a determined individual who'd never give up before turning the tide and achieving glory in the eyes of the spectators!

After all, in the eyes of the people who'd come later, he was a living sandbag being beaten up by the other competitors.

Those people were beasts. How could they be so heavy-handed with him? Look at Xu Xiaoshou's face. It was all green and purple…

Oh? Why were his injuries so minor?

The judge walked over with a tray in his hand, his face expressionless. The prize was a single ring.

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. A space ring?

That was a valuable item. He'd never be able to afford such an item, even if he sold both his yard and his black sword.

He picked up the ring and pointed toward the judge's trembling hand. He then said sincerely, "Thank you, but you need not be excited for me."

The judge's hands trembled even more when he heard this.

Do I seem excited? Holding this tray is the only thing keeping me from unleashing my fury.

The judge didn't feel like he'd participated very much at all during the battle, other than interfering with a few battles, which made him feel a great deal of despair.

He'd wanted to do his job and fulfill his responsibilities well. However, he'd been forced to stand off to the side and do nothing.

Xu Xiaoshou had fooled him since the beginning. It was only after the battle had ended that he'd realized that Xu Xiaoshou had a darned Innate Stage physical body!

"I was wondering where the two auras of an Innate Stage fighter had come from. I didn't expect it to be him!" he thought.

The judge pushed down his emotions and coldly waved his arm. "Keep it up!"

Then he turned around to leave.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that the judge was acting a little strange. However, he returned the gesture and said to the judge's receding figure, "I'll keep working hard!"

The judge's hand trembled, and the tray flew out of his hands.

"Oh, my sword!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted behind the judge.

The judge pounced forward to catch the tray he'd thrown. Then he tossed the sword backward without turning his head around.

Xu Xiaoshou knitted his brows as he looked at the judge's back. He couldn't help but mutter, "He's acting so strangely!"

…

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Everyone in the spectator seats was shouting. At the beginning, only a few young girls had been shouting, but by the end, the people around them had become so embarrassed that they were being stared at that they'd started shouting along with them.

Xu Xiaoshou felt very embarrassed. He didn't know why these people were acting so crazy. However, they were shouting his name and all looked very excited. Thus, he waved at the spectators.

"Sit down. Don't stand on formalities."

Rao Yinyin stood up and stretched. She pulled down the hem of her dress that the young lady had pulled to the top of her thigh and teased, "You can go and look for your Brother Little Beast now!"

Su Qianqian smiled, revealing the dimples in her cheeks. "There's no need. It's just great that Brother Little Beast doesn't have to leave the spirit palace now."

"Look at how agitated the girls beside you are. What if they snatch your Brother Little Beast away from you?"

"What are you talking about!" Su Qianqian blushed. "That thought hasn't crossed my mind."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I'm ignoring you!"

Su Qianqian leapt off her chair, her head accidentally knocking into Rao Yinyin's chest. She lowered her head and picked up her large sword before running away.

"Tsk tsk, how cute…"

Xu Xiaoshou noticed the two of them. There weren't many Innate Stage auras in the area. While his Innate-Stage physical body wasn't easily detectable, that didn't mean that the auras of other Innate Stage fighters weren't.

At the very least, their ethereal demeanors were completely different from those of the girls who were screaming his name.

"Su Qianqian…?"

"It's been a long time…"

He was busy looking in the direction the young girl was running when he noticed the girl in the red dress walking behind her suddenly look back at him. She winked at him and smiled.

"Got seduced. Passive Points +1."

Xu Xiaoshou was still a little distracted, but he was so surprised he almost vomited blood when he saw the new notification.

Darn it. Some things should be left unspoken. You don't always have to announce these things!

Broken system!

Everyone left.

Everyone who'd come was a Spiritual Cultivator. Even though they'd been his fans just now, they'd never do anything out of character.

Um, at least in public…

Xu Xiaoshou moved to leave, but Elder Qiao appeared before him.

"What an impressive lad. To think that you were able to turn the tide even after you got beaten up like that. You sure have your methods!"

"Elder Qiao?"

Elder Qiao's expression turned dark. "You didn't notice me, did you? All your attention was focused on those two girls?"

"Hehe!" Xu Xiaoshou said as he walked. "How could that be? Weren't you the first to come here?!"

"That's right!"

Xu Xiaoshou was relieved. Fortunately for him, he'd made the right guess. He'd also changed his tone so that his words sounded like a statement rather than a question. Elder Qiao didn't see through his lie.

"When did you achieve an Innate-stage physical body? You dared to keep it from even me?" Elder Qiao questioned.

"What? You dare to ask me this question?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou instantly felt indignant. "Didn't I tell you last time that I've reached the Innate stage? You didn't believe me then."

The last time?

Elder Qiao remembered the last time they'd met in the Spiritual Affairs Division and smiled awkwardly. "At that time… Only a ghost would've believed you!"

Seeing that Xu Xiaoshou was about to act up again, he quickly took out a pill bottle and stuffed it into Xu Xiaoshou's hands. "You must've been injured!

"Here, I'll give you this. Go back and tend to your wounds well. I'll see you next time!" He instantly fled after saying his piece.

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"Did he have to do that?" he thought. "All I was going to do was curse a little. I wouldn't have chewed you out."

He looked at the pills that Elder Qiao had given him, and felt his heart warm...

Oh?

Elder Qiao, pills…

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly shivered.

…

Xu Xiaoshou washed up after returning to his room, then lay down on his soft bed that had been cleaned. He felt comfortable.

Even though he had predicted it, actually becoming the champion of the group-stage competition and achieving the best accomplishment he'd had in three years still felt like a dream.

All he could say was that the Innate-stage Strengthen was an extremely terrifying technique!

In the past, he wouldn't have lasted even a second under such an attack. However, now, all he had were a few superficial wounds, and his muscles and nerves were a little strained. His injuries were basically non-existent.

The swelling and bruising on his face could be healed in just one training session.

He thought about the pills that Elder Qiao had given him. He didn't dare to use them.

Xu Xiaoshou took out the champion's ring and established ownership over it with his blood. He saw that there was a space that was about half the size of a house within the ring, and became elated.

There weren't many things in the ring, only a hundred Spirit Crystals and a bottle of pills. Most of its value came from the ring itself.

Xu Xiaoshou took out the pill bottle and had a look.

Spiritual Cultivation Pills…

He was shaken. He quickly put the items back, alongside a few of his miscellaneous items.

It felt great to have a small storage space everywhere he went.

He wasn't in the habit of wearing rings. Thus, he threaded a piece of string through the ring and made it a necklace.

This was the first victory he'd had in this arduous life. It was very memorable. He had to treasure the ring.

He lay on the bed and adjusted his posture so that he could achieve the greatest comfort.

"Then, here comes the main event…" he thought.

"How many Passive Points did I gain from being brutally attacked during that pitiful battle?"

Aside from stealing a few glances at his total Passive Points earlier during the battle, he'd held himself back from looking at the value throughout the battle. He'd tried his best to ignore the number at the bottom of the interface all for this moment!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart beat wildly. He looked at the very bottom of the notification panel in the red interface.

He was overcome with happiness, so much so that he felt a "buzz" in his brain. The notification panel in his mind went dark and then came back on again.

His fingers cramped up as he subconsciously counted, "One, two, three…"

"Five… Five digits!"

Passive Points: 17660.