Chapter 51: Li Ming levels up!
The tournament had finally ended. The arena was still buzzing with laughter from the sleeping guy who had attacked Li Ming with nothing but a pillow. Even now, some disciples in the crowd were holding their stomachs, still laughing at the memory.
But the referee raised his voice. "The tournament has ended! And the champion is—Li Ming!"
The crowd exploded in cheers.
"Li Ming! Li Ming!"
"Our chicken-slayer hero!"
"Don’t forget, he also survived the dance attack!"
Li Ming walked onto the stage. His robe was dusty, his hair messy, but his face was calm. Inside, though, he wanted to cry. "Why do all my opponents act like circus performers? Can’t I fight a normal person?"
Still, a prize was a prize.
The sect leader stepped forward, holding a shiny wooden box. His beard flowed in the wind, his robe was spotless, and his face was full of dignity. He raised the box for everyone to see.
"Li Ming," the sect leader said, "for winning the tournament, you shall receive this reward!"
The crowd held their breath. The box opened slowly.
Inside was a golden pill the size of a grape and a jade bottle filled with glowing blue liquid.
Gasps echoed across the arena.
"That’s a Foundation Pill!"
"And that’s Spirit Nourishing Potion!"
"With both of those, someone can break through in one night!"
Li Ming blinked. "Wait... both of them are for me?"
The sect leader nodded. "Not only did you win this tournament, but you also ranked first in the pill tournament. These are both your rewards."
Li Ming’s eyes sparkled. "So... two treasures? At once?"
The crowd roared with jealousy.
"Why does he get everything?!"
"Because he’s insane enough to beat dancers and sleepers, that’s why!"
Li Ming held the pill in one hand and the potion in the other. "Alright. No point waiting."
Without hesitation, he popped the pill into his mouth and gulped down the potion.
The moment the pill touched his tongue, his body heated up. The potion slid down his throat like liquid fire. His stomach growled loudly, and his entire body shook.
The crowd leaned forward, waiting.
Suddenly—
BOOOOM!
A wave of spiritual energy blasted out from Li Ming’s body. His hair flew up, his robe flapped like a banner, and the stage cracked beneath his feet.
Everyone gasped. "He’s breaking through!"
Inside Li Ming’s body, his dantian shone like the sun. The energy poured in like a flood. His meridians expanded, his blood boiled, and his muscles screamed with power.
Li Ming’s face twisted. "Arghhh!"
But then something strange happened. His stomach let out the loudest growl anyone had ever heard.
GRRRROOOOOOWWWLLL!
The crowd blinked.
"...Is he breaking through or just hungry?" someone whispered.
Li Ming clutched his stomach. "Why does leveling up feel like I ate three rotten buns?!"
The energy swirled around him. It was wild, chaotic, and ridiculously noisy. Sparks of light flew into the air. Some disciples had to cover their eyes.
Then—BOOM!—a pillar of golden light shot up from Li Ming’s body into the sky.
"Qi Gathering... Stage Four!" an elder shouted.
But the light didn’t stop. It grew brighter, stronger, wilder.
Another BOOM! shook the arena.
"Qi Gathering... Stage Five!"
The disciples went crazy. "Two levels in one go?!"
"That’s impossible!"
"This guy is insane!"
But it still didn’t stop. The golden light pulsed again, so bright it looked like a second sun had appeared in the sky.
BOOOOM!
"Foundation Building!" the sect leader cried. "He’s jumped straight into the next stage!"
The crowd erupted. Everyone jumped to their feet. Some shouted, some screamed, some simply fainted from the shock.
Li Ming himself was stunned. He looked at his hands, glowing with energy. "What the hell? I skipped a whole stage?!"
The energy inside him was overwhelming. He could feel his strength growing, his body becoming tougher, his qi flowing smoother. It was like his entire body had been rebuilt in one breath.
And then...
RRRRRIIIIIP!
His robe exploded off his body.
The crowd froze.
Li Ming stood there shirtless, glowing like a torch, muscles shining with golden light.
The girls in the stands screamed.
"So handsome!"
"Look at those abs!"
Li Ming turned red. "Damn it! Why does every breakthrough end with my clothes exploding?!"
He quickly grabbed a broken piece of cloth and wrapped it around himself like a towel. The crowd was laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
Zhao Feng, the Dancing Cultivator, stood up in the crowd, tears in his eyes. "Even his robe-breaking is stylish! Such beauty!"
Li Ming shouted back, "Shut up, peacock!"
The sect leader cleared his throat. "Li Ming... you are now in Foundation Building. You’ve achieved what many disciples fail to reach in years. With this, you have proven yourself to be one of the brightest talents of our sect."
Li Ming scratched his head. "Brightest talent? I nearly died from stomach cramps."
The crowd laughed again.
Still, it was true. Li Ming had gone from Qi Gathering straight into Foundation Building. It was unheard of. Even Lan Yue, who watched silently from the stands, couldn’t hide her smile.
But Li Ming didn’t care about glory or fame. He sat down, panting, and muttered, "All I want now... is a bun."
The crowd erupted one last time.
---
Bonus Bit
That night, Li Ming returned to his room. He was exhausted but stronger than ever. As he lay down, someone knocked on his door.
He opened it and found a pile of buns stacked outside, steaming hot.
A note sat on top. It read: Congratulations on breaking through. Don’t forget us when you become an immortal.
Li Ming’s eyes filled with tears. "Finally... someone understands me."
He hugged the buns like they were his family.
To be continued...