Chapter 9: Moving Up!


    ude took the books he selected out of the first floor of the martial arts library.


    "Did you pick what you wanted?" The second elder asked with scrunched eyebrows.


    "Yes, I did. Thank you second elder for helping me out." ude politely said.


    Looking at ude leaving, the second elder shook his head and said, "I sure hope that you won''t end up disappointing me, young man!"


    ********************************


    Leaving the martial arts library, ude returned home, and began to study the martial art books that he had bought with endless excitement.


    There were thousands of books in the martial arts library and all of them had at least one person train the art in the past, so the students could use their experience for learning.


    However, to choose a few martial art skills from these books wasn''t easy. ude had a smile curl upon his lips, as he started his cultivation training. He shut his eyes and concentrated, as he performed the new set of martial arts techniques.


    He wanted to assimte the techniques into his own body first and make sure that his foundation was firm. After all, muscle memory helps a lot when ites to developing reflexes.


    After studying the Astral Wing de and other techniques, ude started to re-cultivate the Invisible Sword Technique once again, in order to make sure that his new martial art techniques perfectly mixed in with the previous one. Studying martial arts was like dancing. It has to have good choreography, or else it''ll just turn out to be a mess.


    Although the Invisible Sword Technique was a move that he had practised countless times, when he unleashed it once again, he had a very different experience.


    He felt like every single muscle in his body hade alive. He even felt muscle fibers that hadn''t changed much in a long time start to move about vigorously once again.


    ude practised each move slowly and seriously, and when he finished cultivating the full set once, his entire body felt iparably rxed andfortable.


    After training the full set of techniques for two whole days, ude could feel the power that coursed through his body. His strength was stronger than before, by a lot. He had improved drastically.


    "Finally." ude said with a calm smile as he felt himself burst with energy. All of his muscles and bones were full of power.


    He punched his fists forward, and hit out!


    BOOM!


    He had finally broken through to the fifth rank!


    "That was faster than I imagined.." ude felt incredible. Breaking through to the fifth rank was easier than he thought.


    He immediately calmed down. He knew that many others in the outer section had already reached the fifth rank at his age. He wasn''t anyone special. Not yet.


    Even May Stafford had reached the fifth rank, albeit with the help of her new ''friend''.


    "The progress is good, but it''s still not enough if I want to win.." After all, most of the top outer section students had learnt high rank martial arts skills, or had at least trained them to the low level.


    "I have to do something about Colton Grey," ude ced his hands on his chin as he thought to himself. He was sure that Colton Grey was a sketchy guy. He was someone who most probably wouldn''t y by the rules. Which means, he''ll try to find some shady method to hinder ude''s cultivation.


    "I don''t necessarily mind fighting more enemies. But Colton Grey is definitely going to be a tough opponent, even if I somehow get to the eighth rank. I have to do something about him," ude''s lips curled, revealing a cruel smile. He had to make sure that Colton Grey was no longer a threat to him.


    **************************


    Within the room, there was only Colton Grey and May Stafford. Neither of them spoke a word, causing the atmosphere to be extremely tense.


    May Stafford felt extremely frustrated and unhappy about the incident with ude. After all, the reason why they hade to meet ude was to remind him of his position in the Academy and to publicly humiliate him.


    Yet, the things that had happened that day, went directly against the ns that they''d had.


    Colton Grey indifferently nced sideways at May Stafford, and asked, "What? You''re that easily shaken?"


    Her expression trembled, as she looked at Colton Grey. After the incident with ude, she couldn''t deny that she was somewhat shaken.


    "We have to do something about him," May said as she walked over to the side of Colton, and nced at him, a deste look evident in her eyes.


    "He''s the helper of the Second Elder. Don''t even think about going after him, after the fiasco that happened. If something happens to him, the elder will definitely suspect us," Colton levelled his gaze at her, as he lowly intoned, causing May to stiffen.


    ude''s action and words had caused her name and face to be dragged through the mud.


    "But..." May''s expression grew nasty. Today, the enmity between her and ude had already worsened to a state of no return.


    "There''s no need for buts, I will arrange everything. Even though we can''t hurt ude while he''s in the academy, he would eventually have to go out into the city. And the city is filled with danger. Who knows what kind of murderers and evil practitioners are roaming through the alleyways, waiting for a young prey," Colton gently said, as a frosty expression shed in his eyes, causing May to shudder.