While heading back to his courtyard, a thought flashed through Shi Li's mind as he used [Flame Bursting Step] to hasten his journey.
"Now that I think about it, I should be cultivating the hammer right now," Shi Li said to himself as he tried to recall the contents of the hammer technique he chose.
After a few minutes of recalling, Shi Li finally recalled all of the information regarding the hammer technique he picked up, which was named the [Five Roaring Smash Technique].
"Once I get home, I should cultivate to the peak of the Martial Novice stage, consolidate it for a few days before breaking through the Martial Adept stage." Shi Li decided to plan his cultivation path out as he knew that with his aptitude that was still growing to become more and more monstrous thanks to the red pearl around his neck, cultivating to the Martial Adept stage would be as easy as cutting tofu.
"After that, I should focus on at least raising the [Five Roaring Hammer Technique] to the Elite stage, which is three consecutive roars if I remember correctly." With his mind becoming set on achieving the plan he formulated to the end, he put in more strength to his [Flame Bursting Step] as he dashed back to his courtyard.
...
Around seven minutes later, Shi Li was around thirty meters from his courtyard until he noticed a silhouette standing by the gates of his courtyard. The silhouette wore an extremely familiar gray robe while one of its hands held onto a decently sized jug of liquor.
At first, he stood where he was from the shock he received. He knew that silhouette extremely well after beating him in the finals, it was none other than Shi Shisi!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He did not hesitate to use [Flame Bursting Step] to reduce the distance between them, arriving in front of Shi Shisi a few seconds later.
"Shisi, what are you doing here?" Shi Li could not help but ask while looking at Shi Shisi face-to-face.
Shi Shisi looked at Shi Li for a bit before raising the jug of liquor he held with a smile. "Didn't you tell me we would be celebrating our places in the tournament until we faint?"
"Oh." Shi Li took a few seconds for him to remember what he said before chuckling. "Haha, I did say that. Come in, come in." Afterwards, Shi Li opened the gates to his courtyard, letting Shi Shisi enter.
...
Clink. Clink.
Shi Li and Shi Shisi currently sat down on the ground of Shi Li's training space while two small bowls were placed beside the jug of liquor Shi Shisi brought.
"I apologize that we couldn't drink together in the living room," Shi Li apologized. "My pet is currently cultivating there and I don't really want to disturb it."
"It's fine, it's fine," Shi Shisi lightly smiled before opening the cork that covered the jug of liquor.
Plop!
Glug glug glug glug...
Shi Shisi took a whiff of the liquor's scent before pouring it down on the two bowls. Not long after, he grabbed one of the two bowls while Shi Li grabbed the other one.
"Cheers." Shi Shisi smiled as he raised his bowl of liquor up.
"Cheers." Shi Li wryly smiled as he raised his bowl of liquor up.
After that, they both clinked their bowls before downing the liquor in the bowls in one gulp.
"This is some sweet liquor," Shi Li could not help but comment as the sweetness lingered in his mouth.
"This liquor is not really that strong, mild enough for us to endure really so drink till your heart's content." Shi Shisi could not help but chuckle as he poured another bowl of liquor and downed it in one gulp once more.
As for Shi Li, he could not help but look at Shi Shisi weirdly, as if he forgot the happenings yesterday. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Shi Li could not help but ask, "Shi Shisi, why did you weaken your attack?"
"Hm?" Shi Shisi hemmed as he put his bowl of liquor down as he listened to Shi Li's question.
"If it wasn't for that, then you would have won the tournament." Shi Li could still vividly remember the aura that Shi Shisi's sword exuded, it was far beyond the fully mastered Flame Slash he shot out.
"Oh, did that bother you?" Shi Shisi now understood why Shi Li asked this question. He then replied, "I have been stuck in the peak of the Martial Novice stage for a few years now, I think it's time to give it away to the new generation, don't you think?" Shi Shisi lightly smiled after he said this, his smile was filled with the feeling of being carefree.
"Plus, I could already break through the Martial Adept stage at any time I wanted to, I just thought that this was the perfect time to finally move on," Shi Shisi added. Surprisingly, he stood up and walked towards the strength measuring pillar, unsheathing his sword afterwards. "If I told you that I can unleash a strength beyond 136 ren, would you believe me?"
"Of course I do." Shi Li nodded. "The attack you would have used to counteract the Flame Slash I shot out must have a strength of 200 ren at the very least."
"Are you curious as to what the limit of my current strength is?" Shi Shisi mysteriously smiled, as if he was trying to taunt Shi Li to accept.
"Sure, go ahead." Since Shi Shisi was taunting him, Shi Li decided to agree.
"Alright!" Shi Shisi licked his lips and used the final technique he would have used to counteract Shi Li's Flame Slash at its full power.
Weeennggg...
"Third Art: Galaxy Collapse!"
Bang!
An extremely loud explosion resounded throughout Shi Li's training space before being hastily muffled by the white strength measuring pillar. A few seconds later, with the faint light that covered the pillar fading away, a three digit number was shown to Shi Li.
"408...ren..." Shi Li could not help but look at Shi Shisi like some sort of monster. After seeing this, he felt like he was making a fool of himself by setting Shi Shisi as his rival in his mind. "You totally suppressed your strength in the tournament."
"Haha." Shi Shisi just laughed it off. He then placed his sword back behind his back and looked at Shi Li for a bit. "Just think of me showing my full strength as a favor I owe you. Also, the jug of liquor is all yours."
He then turned around as he waved his hand. "I'll be leaving now." After saying that, he disappeared from Shi Li's courtyard within seconds.
Shi Li continued to stay seated as he poured himself a bowl of liquor before downing it in one gulp.
"Am I a fool to consider him a rival even though I can only deal 1/3 of his full strength at my limit?"
"Of course it is!" Shi Li could not help but reflect on his decision on making Shi Shisi his rival in the tournament. After seeing Shi Shisi's full strength, surprisingly, the decision to make him his rival never disappeared. Instead, it strengthened by tenfold as flames of motivation radiated from his eyes.
"Hehe! But that's what makes it fun!"
"I'm going to start cultivating right now!"