The Second Floor

Ye Mo casually walked the stairs all the way to the second floor.

The second floor was as large as the first one but it had ten doors less and the students here gave a much fiercer aura.

He looked around at people fighting and others waiting expectingly in a corner and found out compared to the first floor, there were very few 6th layer cultivators.

Most experts were at the 7th layer here with several 8th layer Qi Gathering realm cultivators mixed with the crowd.

"In the first floor, the strongest cultivators were at the 8th layer while here they are at the peak of the 8th layer." From his sighting, Ye Mo could infer the power level of each floor.

"In the third floor they should be at the 9th layer and the fourth floor must have cultivators of the peak of the Qi Gathering realm!"

In the first floor, Ye Mo only saw two 8th layer cultivators among the students present and he didn't have to fight against them to reach his door.

Theses cultivators were the strongest in the base of the pagoda so you would rarely see or need to fight them because they were all cultivating inside rooms in the first place.

With their high cultivation they didn't have much trouble battling and reaching a stone door at this level so the rooms that were closed mostly contained these students, the two that Ye Mo spotted likely had other reasons to wait, probably trying to meet someone.

In the second floor it was the same. Although the strongest students have a cultivation of the peak 8th layer, most of them were inside a room cultivating so there was no need to fight them.

The 7th and 8th layer cultivators were the true opponents!

Near an open room was a group of dozens of students fighting, the sound of punches, kicks and battle skills flying around in a loud banter.

It was one of the largest group currently battling on the second floor and overall, it was very chaotic.

Everyone was attacking the nearest student without rhyme nor reason, sometimes switching opponents without realizing.

Ye Mo used the first phase of Shadow Walk then mixed with the crowd feining attacks at times or taking some in turns as he slowly progressed towards the stone door.

Because his presence was concealed, barely anyone noticed him in this brawl much less target him. Sometimes, attacks would randomly go in his direction but it wasn't something he couldn't block or dodge particularly when he wasn't the one aimed at in the first place.

This way, he advanced until he reached the end of the crowd where two 8th layer cultivators faced each other near the room.

"Now that im here, don't even think about taking a step inside."

"This room is mine, i was here first. Leave right away or i won't have any pity even if i have to break every single bone of your body!"

"Do you think this is some kind of race where the first here get to use the room? It's all about strength, if you can't defeat me you have no right to go in."

Both cultivators were in a heated argument as they fought for the place behind the stone door.

One had a bulky body and abnormally large hands and feets as he threw very heavy strikes while the other had a thin stature and was very swift and nimble, evading every blows without batting an eye.

None of them could defeat the other as one couldn't touch the thin cultivator while the other couldn't deal enough damage to the bulky one hence it became a battle to see who would lose all his Qi or abandon first.

While they battled each other, Ye Mo suddenly arrived by the side of the large cultivator and threw a punch, the Qi in his body circulating quickly.

These two stood right between him and the stone door, he couldn't bypass them without being seen so he attacked first!

The cultivator with large hands and feets didn't realize Ye Mo was this close when he was hit by a Stone Breaking Punch.

The large cultivator retreated multiple steps before he fell on his knees, releasing a mouthful of blood on the ground.

His organs just took a heavy blow and his bones were broken.

"He must have been cultivating with techniques that modified his body. I didn't hold back much this time but to think he's still conscious and supporting himself." Ye Mo observed before activating Wind Flow.

He quickly followed before the cultivator could recover and kicked him in the face, his nose breaking in two places while his eyes rolled back as he fainted.

"Thanks for the help, you can go join him now for all i care!" the thin cultivator used this opportunity to attack Ye Mo.

He moved with impressive speed as he appeared behind him and sent a palm strike.

However, sneak-attacks were Ye Mo's specialty, how could he let himself get a taste of his own medicine when he was already aware of this person's presence?

While turning back, he raised his arms and used his forearms to block the palm.

Taking the full brunt of the attack, Ye Mo retreated two steps before he regained his stability.

"For an 8th layer cultivator, this attack was only average at best. This guy focused heavily on movements and neglected the rest." Although Ye Mo realized it, this didn't help him deal with the situation.

The cultivator's speed far surpassed him and he had no way to touch him, all he could do was passively endure the opponent's attacks.

"Another one with a powerful body, such luck i have today!" The cultivator scowled as he stormed Ye Mo with strikes, both attacking and retreating in turns while the later slowly pulled back.

Every time he was close enough for Ye Mo to catch him, he would escape his grasp and pull some distance before returning with another serie of blows.

Being fast and evasive was the battle style of his foe!

It went with the principle, "if you can't touch me, you can't defeat me."

Ye Mo kept retreating while his opponent threw himself at him, raising a palm once again.

At this moment, Ye Mo's shoulder bumped against another student who was fighting near the door, among the crowd of contestants.

For an instant, the student paused and looked at him confused but Ye Mo without any hesitation grabbed his leg and raised him upside down, using his body to block the palm strike.

"Bastard!" The cultivator shouted as he ceased his palm, trying urgently to halt his momentum.

Since the start, he has been attacking with all his strength, Ye Mo being a body refining cultivator, was not easy to bring down.

However the student he caught was an ordinary 7th layer cultivator, if he took the palm strike at full force, there was a chance he could die.

If he broke the rule, he would be subjected to a severe punishment before being expelled. This was something no member of the Tiger Martial Institute would want to face.

Exerting himself to the best of his abilities, he was able to stop his charge right before Ye Mo, but the latter smiled deviously as he used the student in his hand like a weapon and swiped the space before him.

His opponent's movement abilities were formidable as even in this situation he was able to jump back and retreat while just an instant ago he was charging forward quickly.

If Ye Mo was barehanded, he still wouldn't have been able to touch him, but with the body of the student in his hand, his reach increased tremendously and the head sweeped the cultivator's legs midair, making him lose balance and fall on the ground.

Ye Mo released the student who continued it's course and went flying until he crashed against several cultivators fighting a few meters away while he used Wind Flow.

His opponent only had the time to raise his head when a foot suddenly fell on his tibia, crushing the muscles and shattering the bones.

"AAAAH!!!" The cultivator gave a blood-curdling screech and his face became pale as he looked at his leg. 

Between his knee and the ankle, it was nothing more than a flat mess of flesh.

Surrounded by wind currents, Ye Mo quickly closed the distance with the stone door and inserted 900 gold coins in the small hole in one go.

Immediately, the interior lit up while the door rumbled and started to close itself.

"Wait!"

"Stop him!"

"Sneaky bastard!"

The scene attracted the attention of many students who tried to prevent him from going inside.

One of them threw three needles from the distance which closed the gap in an instant.

They were so fast Ye Mo didn't even have the time to dodge so he raised his hand to block them as the needles penetrated his palm and blood sprayed on the ground.

Another rushed towards him while opening his mouth, his tongue extending like a whip as it coiled around his wrist.

With a movement of the arm, Ye Mo pulled the tongue expert towards him then with a kick he was returned crashing on the other side of the floor.

After this, he slipped in the room through the remaining gap of the closing door and used it to take cover against the multiple attacks that flew in his direction.

The door didn't even budge before it completely closed itself, Ye Mo was safe for the next three months.

Unbeknownst to him, a few minutes later, a team of Li clan members with their young master at their head arrived in the second floor.