Everyone stared at Jake as he walked slowly towards the mission hall. He heard whispering, muttering and laughing.

“I thought he had to remove the rock?” Said one.

”He probably quit already.” Said his friend. “He is trash and cannot cultivate. We should follow him and watch the show. Elder Hang will surely be in fine form, he is waiting for this moment.”

People started to gather behind him as he walked towards the hall. Most of the outer disciples who were not busy walked with him.

What a bunch of assholes, he thought. They are all expect me to fail. I cannot wait and rub their faces in it especially the mission hall elder. His face lit up with a grin at the thought.

“What is he grinning at?” He heard behind him. “Is he happy because he is going to die? Has he lost his mind?”

“He has been under a lot of pressure since he could not cultivate.” Another said. “Maybe he has cracked.”

Jake ignored them all and walked into the mission hall and up to the mission desk and looked at the disciple behind it; it was Wang Ha, another of the Wang clan in the sect. Wang Ha kept his eyes closed and acted like Jake was not there.

Jake just stood there and waited. He had learnt that the best offense was a good defense, so let them make the first move. Time ticked past and no one stirred, even the spectators were quiet, everyone watched Jake and Wang Ha, eager for the show to start.

Thirty minutes later Wang Ha finally opened his eyes and stared at Jake. Jake started back not willing to do anything, it was a battle of wills. Wang Ha was Xiantian level 1, he had just moved into this from Houtian level 9 and was very proud. He then released his aura at Jake, slowly increasing the pressure.

Jake started to sweat but he gritted his teeth and tried his best. He knew he would be on the floor soon kneeling, as this was a common bullying tactic of those bastards. He slowly started to lose the strength in his body and started to slowly bend his knees. He did not want to kneel to him and strained his hardest and reached inside to his dantian, he knew about the hole but he still cultivated at every opportunity. He ran the basic cultivation technique that he had been practicing for a year in a vain attempt to fight back.

He then felt a burning in his belly, this was the first time he felt anything from his dantian. Inside and unseen the black smoke moved to cover his body internally coming out of the black stone in his dantian and further strengthened the patch over the hole in his dantian. His dantian suddenly filled up quickly as qi rapidly entered him from around him, like a hurricane, and then it burst and expanded becoming larger. With the recreation of his dantian the hole was repaired. Incredibly he had successfully cultivated and entered Houtian level 1. He was now a cultivator!

But it did not stop there, it filled again and expanded this time; he was now level 2. And again he became level 3, then level 4, then 5 and finally 6. He came to his senses then and stopped his technique.

What just happened? He thought. How did this happen? He had never accumulated qi but all of a sudden he had leveled again and again. He could feel the qi in his dantian and his body felt so powerful, is this cultivation?

He slowly straightened and looked back at Wang Ha and released his own aura. Wang Ha then began to sweat and his knees started to bend. Jake increased the pressure and Wang Ha was slowly forced down and let out a scream as he was forced to his knees in front of all the spectators. Everyone looked on in disbelief, why did Wang Ha kneel?

“Enough!” said a voice. It was Wang Hang, the mission hall elder, Jake’s enemy. “Who is causing a disturbance in my hall?” Jake released his aura when he heard the voice.

“It was this trash Jake.” Said Wang Ha with an evil grin as he jumped to his feet. “He has been staring at me for a while and will not speak. He then attacked me for no reason. I guess he has failed his mission and wants to beg forgiveness.”

“Wang Ha how could this trash attack you? There is no forgiveness in my hall.” Shouted Wang Hang. “It is success or death! Are you admitting defeat trash?” He slowly walked toward Jake with an evil grin on his face. “I can take care of you right now since you have not finished the mission.” Finally this trash will be gone and my Wang family can rest assured that their family’s fortune will stay ours.

He slowly raised his hand and decided to beat Jake to death with his fists; that would be so much fun. Inside he was a sick bastard and got a thrill out of beating on others males or especially females. Many disciples had disappeared through “accidents” over the years to fuel his sick fantasies. He could hear the spectators around them laughing and muttering which gave an even bigger thrill.

“Hmm?” Said Jake. “Who said I did not finish the mission?” He laid the contract and badge on the desk in front of Wang Ha. “The stone has been removed and I expect the reward to be given to me in full right now!”

It was quiet for a second and then the entire area erupted in laughter. No one believed that he could remove a rock that no one else in the sect could.

Wang Hang looked at Jake with disdain. “Coming here and lying to an elder, I will make your death last a week. You will not be buried with a full body or buried at all, I will destroy you completely.” He raised his hand to start the beating.

“Elder Hang?” Said a sweet voice behind him. Everyone stopped talking and looked toward the voice. It was the beautiful, petite girl Ling Lin. “What seems to be the problem with the mission? Jake said he has succeeded so just send someone to check. I would not want to tell grandfather that you did not follow the rules Elder hang.” Her grandfather was Ling Mu, the first elder of the sect and was an old friend of Jake’s grandfather. She had heard from a friend of Jake coming to the mission hall and hurried over to try and help. They had been friends since they could walk as were their parents and grandfathers in the past. Her parents had disappeared on the same mission as Jake’s parents. They were inseparable until they were twelve and had to stop playing together when he could not cultivate. This was the order of her grandfather. He doted on her but everyone else was trash unless you could help him.

Elder Hang just stared at her in disbelief and said. “No one in the sect could do this not even me, an elder, it is impossible for this trash to succeed. He is just lying to try and steal from the sect.”

“Well did you check then to see if the stone is still there?” Asked Ling Lin.

“Why would I check on an impossible task?” Asked Elder Hang.

“If it is an impossible task then why was it given to Jake then? I know an esteemed elder would not give out impossible mission’s right?” Asked Ling Lin. “If it is impossible it should have not been issued but if it is a real mission that could be accomplished then he could succeed. Furthermore if he did succeed and you killed him would that not be murder on your part? Send Wang Li or Hu to check and gather evidence about this impossible task.”

Elder Hang looked at her with an angry glare. He could not disregard her because of her grandfather, he might not protect the trash Jake, but he doted on his little granddaughter. He had been known to erupt in anger at anyone who disrespected her. He did not want to anger the second most powerful person in the sect.

He turned and looked at Wang Hu and said, “Go and check now.”

Wang Hu stood up and sauntered out of the hall towards the fields.

He then looked at Jake and said, “I will punish you when he gets back and proves that the stone has not been removed. Are you happy now Ling Lin?”

“Thank you Elder Hang.” Answered Ling Lin with a beautiful smile. “I know an honorable elder like you would not break the rules of the sect.”

Jake bowed to Ling Lin and smiled at her. One of his two friends had come through for him even though he had not seen her for a year. As he looked at her she seemed different, beautiful, like a fairy. He felt something in his heart.

She walked over to Jake and took his hand and whispered. “This is all I can do, I am sorry I have let you down over the past year.” She hung her head sadly thinking that the elder would soon kill Jake. She also did not believe he accomplished the mission. She just wanted to spend a few last moments with him. In her heart she had always loved Jake, but he had always treated her like a little sister.

“Silly girl.” Said Jake. “You have not let me down. I have let you down in the past year, but after today I will make it up to you. Wait for the idiot to come back.” He looked at her with a big grin on his face. She just stared at him and shook her head. Maybe he did crack like the others were saying. She gripped his hand tighter unwilling to let go.

Everyone just stood around and waited for Wang Hu to come back so the show could proceed. The elder was getting angrier so it would be the best show of the year.