Apollo was cultivating peacefully, a relaxed smile on his face. After discovering the reasons for all of his missions and cursing the System over the lack of Alm Points he would receive in the future, he had no choice but to accept everything. In the end, no matter how many doubts filled his heart, there was nothing he could do with his limited strength.
It was more important for him to increase his power than to rely solely on the Alm Points and the System.
Focusing on his dantian, he 'saw' that the small ball of Qi had grown to half the width of a normal person's nail. After several hours, this was the extent of his progress. Still, he was satisfied.
What would happen when this ball of Qi became as large as his fist? It was worth anticipating, especially when it concerned his cultivation.
Opening his eyes, Apollo intended to stand, stretch, and relax before continuing his cultivation. But as soon as he moved, he noticed two feet right in front of him. His eyebrow rose at the sight of black hanfu boots.
Looking up, his soul nearly left his body.
This person! Why the hell is he here?! Apollo's mind raced. He had carefully hidden his identity during the Advancement Examination. When they checked his new face back then, no one had bothered to look past his mask. Even if they tried now, he was confident he could react in time and purchase another item to change his appearance for an hour.
Even as Yoma, Apollo had never encountered the Great Serpent Headmaster. So, there was only one possibility: Did he specifically come to find me? If so, they must not think the Beggar was dead.
"W-who are you?!" Apollo jumped to his feet, his small head bursting through his makeshift roof. Splinters flew through the air, but he didn't care. Wearing a nervous, scared expression, he asked again, "What are you doing here?! This is my spot! Go away!"
The Great Serpent Headmaster smiled, unable to help himself upon hearing the small, trembling voice. "You don't need to act."
"Act? What do you mean?! I'm not acting!" Apollo replied, though inside he was anxious. He had no desire to associate with any of the Headmasters, but it seemed inevitable. Please believe my acting!
"Can Deez," Axton said, staring straight into the Beggar's eyes.
Can deez dck fit in your mouth?! Apollo wanted to retort, but he held himself back. Besides, that sounded... quite colorful.
"Who's that?" Apollo frowned.
"Or Yoma," Axton continued, smiling. "I know everything."
Yomama should have taught you a lesson not to be a busybody! Once again, Apollo restrained himself, knowing he couldn't afford to offend the Cultivator in front of him.
For a moment, the two stared at each other in silence. Apollo felt immense pressure building up inside him, even though Axton emitted no aura. He simply stood there, but it was enough for the Beggar to feel as if he were gazing upon a divine being. Apollo hadn't realized it earlier, as everything that happened on that mountain had occurred too quickly.
"Okay, you win," Apollo finally said, sighing in defeat. He took a step forward but stopped short, accidentally crushing part of the wood he'd used to build his makeshift roof. D*mnit!
"So, what's your real name?" Axton asked, his smile widening. "Are Yoma and Can Deez fake names?"
"Yoma is the real one," Apollo said, his face serious. He would never tell anyone that his real name was Apollo Leone. That name only spelled trouble.
"Yoma," Axton repeated, his jet-black eyes locking onto the Beggar's, as if trying to pierce through any facade.
"Yeah, yeah, Can Deez and I are the same person. How did you find me?" Apollo asked, genuinely curious.
"That's a secret," Axton replied. Inside, however, he couldn't help but think it was a waste to use the Eyeball of the Finder to locate someone within the city. He could've done it himself, though it would have taken a few hours.
The Eyeball of the Finder had led him to the restaurant beside them. When he asked the owner about Can Deez, they refused to answer. Sensing something off, Axton had spread his senses and found Apollo here.
"Is that so… then why did you come looking for me?" Apollo asked, before his eyes lit up. "Is it about my reward?!"
An opportunity to claim his rewards for ranking first in the previous Advancement Examination was right in front of him! He definitely wasn't going to miss this.
"Rewards?" Axton nodded. "That wasn't part of my plan initially, but since you brought it up, I'll give you your rewards."
Not part of the plan initially? Apollo thought. So that's not the main reason for finding me? Still, he was happy to finally claim his hard-earned prizes. "So where is it? I wouldn't mind having that Advanced Cultivation Bead right now," he said, reaching out his small hand.
Axton stared at the hand, surprised by Yoma's straightforwardness. Still, he waved his hand, and a white light materialized, forming into a light green bead that emitted a soft glow.
The bead landed gently in Apollo's hand. Feeling the coolness radiating from it, Apollo suddenly felt revitalized. Moreover, the surrounding Qi became more active, dancing around the light green object.
Apollo's eyes widened in awe. "This is cool."
"I'm surprised you can see it," Axton remarked, impressed but for entirely different reasons.
Ignoring the comment, Apollo looked up at the Great Serpent Headmaster. "How do I take this? Should I swallow it whole?"
"Swallow? Who told you that? You sh–" Axton shook his head. "Let's discuss that later. You still have other prizes to claim. You can get them now."
"Really?" Apollo's eyes sparkled, but then he turned serious. "But you said giving me rewards wasn't your initial plan. Tell me why you came here first."
Axton was silent for a moment before nodding. "I came here thinking you were dead. But it turns out I was wrong."
"I just got lucky," Apollo chuckled, slipping the Advanced Cultivation Bead into his robe.
"That's impossible," Axton said, his eyes turning cold. "I want you to come with me to my Martial School."
"Why would I do that?" Apollo raised an eyebrow, clearly on guard.
"To be safer," Axton said, glancing back at the streets.
"Give me reasons to follow you. To me, it's safer if we talk here," the Beggar replied, smiling confidently.