Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

Xie Ruoxi really couldn't take it anymore.

Cultivators' Three Arts and Five Spells, shouldn't they be like skills in a game that, once learned, could be easily used?

Why is there a need to practice every day to accumulate proficiency!

Alas, save me, I'm not good at PE classes, nor at playing MOBA games, maybe I'm just not cut out to be a cultivator...

Perhaps, I should just run away?

Seeing her troubled and downcast expression, Lin Ning thought she was worried about falling behind, not realizing she was considering beating a retreat, so she patiently advised:

"Take it easy, take it slowly. You should first practice the Shifting Technique and Cloud Ascension Technique, and then alternate between them to ensure you can switch at any time and any place. Being able to use them is the first step, mastering their use is the second step. Once you can cast them instinctively, as naturally as your heart desires, then I'll teach you the rest..."

Listening with a pained expression, Xie Ruoxi thought to herself that getting dizzy and confused is the first step, becoming disoriented and bemused is the second step, and by the time she's driven to madness, she'd probably be ready to rest in peace.

"How long do we usually practice?" she asked tentatively.

"We get to the training field at 9 a.m. to watch videos and discuss tactics, then go for lunch at 11:30," Lin Ning explained. "We start practicing at 1:30 p.m., continue until 5 p.m. for dinner, and have free time in the evening... But don't you also have fan operations work? You'll probably only be able to do that at night."

Xie Ruoxi did the math; so after becoming a cultivator, she would have to wake up at 8:30 a.m., study all morning, practice all afternoon, and then work when she got home at night.

I might as well kill myself... If there's no freedom, then life isn't worth living!

I absolutely must escape!

"Sister Lin Ning, you've worked hard." She said sweetly with a beaming smile, "You've said so much, are you thirsty? I'll go buy us some drinks."

"Oh, okay." Lin Ning was somewhat taken aback, as she and Su Yunjin usually took care of preparing the drinks during training, but since Xie Ruoxi was so obligingly volunteering, it would be rude to dampen her spirits, so she cautioned, "I'm fine with any drink.

Ling Yun likes tea-based drinks, Yun Jin needs low-sugar ones, Sister Zhao prefers Assam milk tea or Energy Drink, and Yan Yu only drinks mineral water, nothing else."

"Got it," Xie Ruoxi nodded and walked towards the exit of the training field, "I'll go buy them."

Time to slip away! Head to the campus gate and then straight into a taxi, and find somewhere nearby to hide for a few days!

While she was making a quick getaway, Yan Yu was completely unaware because he had been talking to Su Yunjin for a moment when his phone suddenly rang.

Hmm, an unfamiliar number calling from Shengjing.

Yan Yu picked up the call from the stranger, only to hear a male voice over the phone:

"Hello, Yan Yu?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"Cai Qianlong," the voice on the other end said with an arrogant tone, "The captain of the Flying Dragon Battle Team, heard of it?"

"Oh, seems familiar," Yan Yu casually responded, "Are you the one who had a face-off with Lord Master and then got beaten so badly you were picking up your teeth off the ground?"

"Damn it!" the caller exclaimed in shock, "Has the news already spread to Jinling?"

Before Yan Yu could say anything, the caller quickly asserted his own defense:

"Right now, I'm indeed no match for him, but that may not be the case in the future!"

"Oh, then good luck," Yan Yu said indifferently.

"You're not going to mock me?" Cai Qianlong asked curiously, "Since you know I lost to Liu Longtao, aren't you going to ridicule me?"

"Why would I do that?" Yan Yu was puzzled, wondering if the guy was going nuts from the stress of being publicly defeated by Lord Master, surrounded by negative public opinion.

"Because before the protagonist soars to the heavens, they always have to endure oppression from the antagonists," Cai Qianlong sneered, "But I don't care. All the mockery and scorn will become the driving force for me to strive and become stronger!"

Yan Yu: ...........

"So you called me just to hear me insult you, to fuel your motivation?" he questioned, doubt evident on his face, thinking to himself that he didn't remember Cai Qianlong being this messed up in his past life.

Oh right, in his past life, this guy never appeared at press conferences...

"That's not it, I just wanted to say hi," Cai Qianlong changed the subject, then asked seriously, "And I wanted to ask, why is everyone on your Zhenhai Team, except for you, female?"

"Uh..."

"The internet says that Zhenhai Team is your 'Selection Team for Concubines', is that true?" Cai Qianlong asked with a frown.

"No," Yan Yu was completely speechless, "You believe such a low-level rumor? I've explained this in an interview with 'Ethical Weekly', didn't you see it?"

"I saw it," Cai Qianlong replied, "You said in the interview that it was because only they met your team's standards."

"That settles it, right?"

"But Liu Longtao says it's all excuses, that you just like to play with women and build a harem."

"I'll be damned..." Yan Yu wanted to curse, but he held back, saying coldly, "That's all slander and defamation! Do you know he has lost to me before? Old Liu has held a grudge against me ever since, looking for ways to bad-mouth me. You actually believe those lies?"

"I do," Cai Qianlong said without hesitation, "because others have said the same."

"Who else?" Yan Yu was shocked.

"Li Zhaojiang," Cai Qianlong replied. "He says you're a lecher who's always looking to take advantage of pretty female cultivators."

"Li Zhaojiang has also lost to me." Yan Yu restrained his anger and scolded, "When they can't win, they defame. Such a lack of character!"

"Zhou Hongyu said so as well," Cai Qianlong continued. "She mentioned that if you get lost in romantic entanglements, you might soon find your strength stagnating and make no further progress."

"Everyone who loses to me bad-mouths me, is that it?" Yan Yu finally erupted, "Where did they say it?"

"In the group chat that [Shifting Technique] created," Cai Qianlong clicked his tongue before adding, "I've seen the video of Yan Zhanlong. Your skills are indeed impressive. But if you're getting lost in lust recently, I'm afraid you'll regress too quickly. If you can't give it your all in the Mysterious Realm showdown next week, that would be really boring.

That's why I'm calling you, to remind you not to let women slow down your progress in becoming stronger."

After hanging up, Yan Yu was disheveled and stayed silent for a while before slowly uttering a word:

"Shit."

"What's wrong?" Chen Lingyun came over and asked.

She was smiling as she stared at Yan Yu's expression as if enjoying his chagrined look, but Yan Yu quickly composed himself. He entered the cultivator group chat set up by Qiu Ze and began to search through the chat history in detail.

The group wasn't large, but it was full of nonsense. They either forwarded various short videos and chat histories all day or sent a plethora of emoticons—especially [Miao Border Girl Tang Lingling] and [Clouds Roll and Unroll], these two idiots.

The former would constantly post photos of meals at restaurants, while the latter would always ask 'where did you eat this' and 'oh, I really want to eat that too', turning a proper cultivators' chat into a flood of chatter. Yan Yu was too lazy to even check it.

Now, with Cai Qianlong's snitching, Yan Yu searched for keywords in the group, and hey, those three really had talked.

[Yi De Fu Ren]: @Liu Shao, @Ri Zhao Zhu Jiang, @Zao La, you three are being unfair, huh? Talking behind my back in the group, right?

People in the group quickly began to respond.

[Liu Shao]: What's up, Old Yan?

[Ri Zhao Zhu Jiang]: Sorry, I've bad-mouthed you far too many times, which time are you referring to?

[Chu Kou Cheng Zhang]: I think Yan Team is referring to you guys saying he's starting a harem in the team. I have to say, joking about this is indeed not nice, it's disrespectful to the ladies.

[Miao Border Girl Tang Lingling]: Indeed.

[Lion Dog Da Bao]: Indeed.

[Clouds Roll and Unroll]: Indeed, but Liu Team was really just joking. Old Yan, cool down, I'll scold him for you.

[Liu Shao]: Alright alright, my bad. I spoke out of turn. Sorry, Old Yan.

[Ri Zhao Zhu Jiang]: Then I'll also apologize. What I said before was just in jest. Yan Yu, you're mostly good-hearted.

[Yi De Fu Ren]: What about Xiao Zhou?

[Zao La]: ?

[Yi De Fu Ren]: Did you talk behind my back?

[Zao La]: What the hell is wrong with you.

[Zao La]: Whoever said you're running a harem, go find them.

[Yi De Fu Ren]: Haha, Xiao Zhou is still so easy to rile up.

Yan Yu closed the chat window and started to contemplate.

Even familiar cultivators from the same cohort would joke about this; what more the public opinion out there — even if they don't dare to speak openly, in private they would definitely cook up stories however scandalous they can get.

It doesn't matter anymore. When I chose this team lineup, I was ready to face criticism.

I fear nothing!

As long as I become the strongest in this world, all criticism will vanish!

Yan Yu quickly steeled his resolve and turned to watch the girls' training.

Good, they all look spirited... huh?

"Where's Xie Ruoxi?" he suddenly exclaimed.

"She went to buy drinks," Lin Ning paused her sword technique and replied.

Yan Yu was stunned for a moment, then angrily said:

"That useless thing is trying to run away! Stop training, everyone, and bring her back to me right now!"