Chapter 22 It''s Perseverance That Counts
Evan just kept on talking with a wide smile on his face.
"My cultivation base is not yet back to normal. I just fought back today because Bates was too
aggressive and I had too much of their bullying shit," Austin stated calmly. "Before I regain my original
strength and possibly break through to the Earth Realm of vital energy, we''d better keep a low profile
and avoid making trouble in the Sun Sect."
He surmised that he had been envied and plotted against years ago because of his reputation for being
number one in cultivation base among the outer disciples.
He realized that one should be modest and patiently bide his time until he was strong enough.
Evan couldn''t help but argue in his heart, ''Tin, you''re not being humble! It was obvious that you were
bullying Bates too much today!''
But he was even more surprised when he just realized what Austin said about breaking through to the
Earth Realm of vital energy.
"You want to ascend to the Earth Realm of vital energy!" cried Evan. "That''s what the elders and
stewards in the sect have achieved! But it took them twenty or thirty years of hard work before they
reached the Earth Realm. It''s not going to be easy for you!" Evan continued.
As a grunt disciple in the first level of Energy Gathering Realm, Evan hadn''t dreamed of achieving the
Earth Realm of vital energy even for a single moment.
Austin rolled his eyes at Evan. "What can be so difficult in breaking through to the Earth Realm of vital
energy?" he asked in disdain. "A few years ago I was already in the ninth level of Energy Gathering
Realm and ready to break through to the Earth Realm of vital energy. If I had not been backstabbed, I
could have been in the Earth Realm of vital energy already."
Evan then remembered that Austin was known as the most gifted disciple among all the outer disciples
of the Sun Sect three years ago. "Sorry, Tin. I almost forgot your glorious history. With your ranking first
among the outer disciples, you were known as one of the few wizards of all time. It would be a piece of
cake for you to break into the Earth Realm of vital energy," heplimented, scratching his head
sheepishly.
"Tin, when you get to the Earth Realm, I will be the proudest and I will hold my head high in the Sun
Sect!"
His ttery gave Austin the creeps. "Can you be more disgusting?" said Austin grumpily. "You''re a
grown man. You can''t always rely on other''s glory. You should start making up your mind and practice
hard. Strive to break through to the Earth Realm as soon as possible. Then you will feel proud of
yourself. That is your true glory."
"But you know my potential. I''m just in the first level of Energy Gathering Realm. God knows when I will
reach the Earth Realm."
Evan looked discouraged.
"You can rest assured that when I be stronger in the future, I will definitely search for quantities of
elixirs and treasures of heaven and earth. I''ll do whatever it takes to help you improve your vital energy
to the Earth Realm or even a higher level," Austin said kindly, trying to cheer up his frustrated friend.
"But it''s your perseverance that counts," Austin added in all earnestness. "I can''t help you if you don''t
help yourself."
Evan was moved to tears by Austin''s inculcation. "Tin, you''re so nice to me," he babbled. "I''m d to
have followed the right person!"
With that, he jumped out of the water and lunged at Austin for a big hug.
At the sight of a naked swarthy man rushing towards him, Austin got scared and cried, "Pervert!"
He immediately dived into the water to avoid his friend. Evan missed him, sending spray across the
At the foot of Sun Mountain, where grunt disciples lived, three meny moaning on long cane chairs in
an exquisite house with a small courtyard.
They were the three men who tried to bully Austin. But this time, beside them stood three grunt
disciples who were busy treating their wounds.
The grunt disciple who was patching Bates up identally pressed on the wound too hard and touched
the bare white bone on his shoulder.
Bates winced in pain, gasped, and scolded, "Damn, are you blind? Don''t touch my wound!"
The grunt disciple took Bates as his boss. Upon hearing Bates''s curse, he freaked out and hastened to
apologize.
Bates was driven by the fury in his heart. Whenever he thought of what happened, he felt the searing
pain on his shoulder.
"Damn you, idiot Austin! How dare you torture me like this! I''ll make you pay for what you''ve done to
me countless times," he shouted curse at Austin, who wasn''t there, through gritted teeth. "I will break
you into pieces until I please!"
Then he stopped and tried to catch his breath. "Ben, what time is Matiasing back exactly?" he
asked.
"Bat, Matias has gone to Z City to do some purchase. He just left yesterday morning and would spend
a whole day on buying. After each purchase, he will go to a brothel to indulge himself. I suppose he
won''t be back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."
Ben Wang was the disciple who was dressing Bates''s wound.
"Son of a bitch! He went to Z City to make out with a woman and left me here to be humiliated and
beaten by that idiot,"ined Bates bitterly.
"Bat, don''t be mad," Ben pacified. "When Matiases back and learns that the fool is fine, he won''t
let him off the hook. Then you won''t have to avenge yourself."
"Bat, that fool looked much more normal today, and he seemed to have used bewitchment," said Lane,
the tall disciple that Austin first pped.
He was lying on the cane chair next to Bates with his whole face swollen like a pig''s head. Another
grunt disciple was dabbing at his face with salve to help reduce the swelling.
"Matias is in the level four of Energy Gathering Realm, and he has even tried to challenge a higher-
level outer disciple. Moreover, his people are more powerful than any of us. The fool, strange as he
may be, is outnumbered. We can get enough men to knock that fool out."
Bates, though in a blustery tone, was still a little shaken up at the thought of what happened today. He
still wondered if that Austin had mastered bewitchment.
"Ben, go to the ce where the inner disciples are on the mountainter. See if my cousin is back. Last
month, he said he would practice in Grand Destion Mountain for a month, so he should be back by
now. You send the message to him that I was bullied, and ask him to get back at that idiot," Bates
instructed Ben Wang in an icy tone. "I''ll see with my own eyes how you will die, idiot Austin!"
Ben Wangplied with his request.
Bates broke into a sinister smile while resentfully thinking, ''My cousin is in the seventh grade of Energy
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Gathering Realm. So, even if you can perform some mysterious tricks, there''s nothing you can do
about my cousin''s absolute power.
By then, I''ll tread you under my foot and trample you like an ant again and again until you die!''
Meanwhile, the entrance of a cave on Sun Mountain was misty, and the cave was full of rich vital
energy of Heaven and Earth.
Inside the cave, a young man sat cross-legged in meditation. He was good-looking, but the corners of
his mouth turned up in a touch of defiance and clear haughtiness, and his eyes shone sharply.
The undisguised vital energy indicated that his strength had reached the Earth Realm!
Next to him stood a teenager who looked inferior to him. The teenager was reporting something to him
in a respectful manner.
As the teenager finished his sentence, the young man''s narrowed eyes flew opened in amazement.
"What? Are you saying the fool has be sane, and he has given several grunt disciples a good
beating today?"
"Yes, Young Master Roger. A few grunt disciples tried to pick on Austin, but he beat them up bad. Since
there were other grunt disciples who witnessed it, the story quickly got around."
"How is that possible? It''s incredible! Hasn''t his brain been broken three years ago? How did he
suddenly recover?"
Roger Luo frowned. The news seemed to depress him.
"I never expected that bastard would have such good luck. Oh, by the way, now that he has recovered,
how is his cultivation base of vital energy?"
Roger suddenly remembered this question and asked anxiously.
"Judging by the fluctuation of his vital energy in the fight, he is probably in the third or fourth level of
Energy Gathering Realm, Young Master Roger," replied the teenager reverently.
"He''s in the third or fourth level of Energy Gathering Realm?"
Roger Luo muttered with a strange look after a moment''s pause. Then heughed with evident relief.
"That''s good news! Unbelievable! He used to be the first ce in the outer disciples being at the ninth
level of Energy Gathering Realm. Now his strength has reduced to the third or fourth level of Energy
Gathering Realm. Very well. This is exciting news!"
Roger Luo said andughed hysterically.
"Young Master Roger, shall we do something about him?"
"There''s no need," Roger Luo waved his hand, appearing rxed and delighted.
"I''m in the Earth Realm of vital energy, after all. Do you think he can still put pressure on me as he did a
few years ago with his current strength? His time has passed. Since then, Austin has been a nobody to
me!
Austin, I won''t kill you just yet because I want you to witness my glory in the future. That is more
exciting than killing you!"