Zhang Xiaoman looked at his fingers that had just activated the Skill and suddenly felt a trace of fatigue emanating from his body, but after a moment’s thought, he understood—it must be the physical energy consumed by using One Flash.
"A single use consumes 20 Physical Strength points... if I estimate based on this Status, I should be able to launch four more attacks ..."
Zhang Xiaoman made an assessment based on his remaining physical strength; since this value was not displayed on the System panel, he could only guess this way.
Judging by the current situation, he estimated his Physical Strength was about 100 points.
After a few more trials, indeed by the fourth use of the Skill, Zhang Xiaoman already felt an intense wave of exhaustion spread through his entire body.
If he forced another attack at the expense of his energy, he would basically have no strength left.
With a long yawn, Zhang Xiaoman did not linger there and used the Teleportation Skill to directly return to his home, then fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
This is a famous city in Hua Xia Country, known for its mountains and rich tourism resources, with several world-class natural landscapes.
Dragon Sleep Mountain is located among this range of continuous mountains.
The history of Dragon Sleep Mountain dates back over 1200 years.
Rumors have it that Dragon Sleep Mountain sits on a Dragon Vein, like a giant dragon lying dormant here, and because of its excellent Feng Shui, this has enabled the sect to continue its legacy to this day.
On the mountainside of Dragon Sleep Mountain, amongst a row of buildings styled in ancient architecture, a group of people was bustling about.
Their attire was varied—some were clad in Daoist robes, while others wore long tunics, and there were even some dressed in casual clothes.
In the crowd, there was a middle-aged man directing everyone in cleaning and setting up the place. He looked around and shouted,
"Xiao Liu, have you hung up the couplets in the front yard? What are you standing there for? Go do it now! Who swept this corridor? Can’t you see all these leaves? Go clean them up at once! And the pond—I’ve told you countless times not to feed turtles with bread. Look at what a mess it’s become!"
He patrolled around, ceaselessly barking orders at the people around him, looking very much the part of a bossy manager.
"Everyone better hurry up! The high-status visitor is arriving today, a real master! I don’t want them to see Dragon Sleep Mountain looking so disorganized! If any of you dare to slack off and I find out about it, I’ll cut off your breakfast for a whole month!"
Off to the side, two disciples in Daoist robes were sweeping the ground while murmuring to each other.
"Ugh, who does this Sun guy think he is? Acting like he’s all that. He’s just a manager, but always struts around like he’s the Boss and we’re all beneath him!"
"Yeah, I’ve disliked him for a long time. If it weren’t for my old man insisting I spend three years as a Taoist here, or else he wouldn’t let me inherit the family wealth, I wouldn’t bother putting up with his nonsense! I’m going to teach him a lesson when I leave!"
The disciple who had spoken earlier couldn’t help but show an expression of empathy upon hearing the words.
He waved his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and then, with a look of curiosity, glanced around at the freshly arranged setting and couldn’t help but ask:
"Wang Li, what on earth are we doing going to all this trouble for, anyway? There are lanterns and couplets everywhere, it’s like we’re preparing for the New Year. We’ve swept this place three times already, and Demon King Sun is still not satisfied. Where is there even a speck of dust left? I’m this close to getting a magnifying glass out for him."
The young man called Wang Li then looked in the direction of Manager Sun and replied:
"Don’t you know? They say we’re expecting a distinguished guest today, personally invited by Master Ye, who he met at yesterday’s cultivation exchange conference. This person is supposedly a real master."
"Invited by Master Ye? A master? No way! Is that true? I’ve been here for over two years and have never heard of Master Ye inviting anyone over. And a master at that? That’s even more unlikely! Other people may not know, but you and I should be clear about this. Even Master Ye, who came first in the cultivation conference, is just an ordinary person. Where in this world would you find a real master?"
"Hey, I don’t know about that. Everyone’s talking about it, so I just listen to it as a story. In any case, the person is supposed to arrive today, and we’ll be able to see for ourselves whether it’s true or not, no need to be anxious."
"You have a point, we should just... crap, Demon King Sun is coming, quickly, sweep the floor!"
While they were talking, Manager Sun, surnamed Sun, passed by them. He did not notice their private whispers but walked straight past, heading towards a young man at the other end of the corridor.
The young man was dressed in a casual black outfit and was fuming with anger. Upon spotting Manager Sun not far away, he immediately quickened his pace and walked over to him.
"Sun Guangfeng! What on earth are you doing?! Who gave you permission to arrange all these things here? Take them down this instant!!"
Manager Sun was not the least bit offended by his shouting. On the contrary, he cupped his hands toward him and said unhurriedly:
"Young Master Fei, all of this was ordered by the Sect Leader. You know that the master is coming today. You really shouldn’t be making a fuss here."
The young man’s name was Ye Fei, and he was a grandson of Ye Cang’s great-grandson generation, as well as the eldest great-grandson of the Ye Family.
"Making a fuss? You say I’m making a fuss?! Sun Guangfeng, how many times do I have to tell you, there are no such things as masters in this world! That person must be after our Ye Family’s Dragon Sleep Stone again! Hasn’t this happened before? Great-grandfather is old and can’t see clearly anymore, but as the manager of Dragon Sleep Mountain, are you also going to be confused by such nonsense!?"
Manager Sun’s expression remained unaffected, and he continued with a calm tone:
"Young Master Fei, please do not interfere with my work here. Whether or not someone is a master is not for you or me to decide but for Master Ye to determine. If you have any issues, you should discuss them with Master Ye, instead of making things difficult for someone just doing their job."
Seeing his unflappable demeanor, Ye Fei grew even more furious and raised his voice, attracting the attention of several disciples nearby.
"Sun, let me tell you, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have Uncle Two backing you up! Right now, I suspect that you are colluding with outsiders trying to steal our Dragon Sleep Mountain’s treasures! Rest assured, I won’t let you succeed today! Later, I’m going to expose that guy on the spot, and then have great-grandfather send you packing!"
Manager Sun let out a cold laugh, and was about to retort when he was cut off by an angry shout.
A man in his thirties came over. If Zhang Xiaoman were here, he would definitely recognize him as Ye Yunxiu, the man who was referred to as "Counting King" at the cultivation exchange conference.