Beggar Cultivation System-Chapter 303 : Avoid the Dragons

"Boring… this place is so boring!" A kid's voice echoed through the air, carried by the strong whistling wind.

Kuo flew high above the skies of Belthias City, having explored everything the city called "entertainment," but none of it left an impression on him.

Most of the activities bored him, and the adult pastimes held no appeal. There wasn't even a red district! From what he'd learned, the new mayor had completely "destroyed" that business, making anything related to it illegal.

"The mayor doesn't know how to create fun places," Kuo-Pal muttered with a sigh as he ascended to a height that offered a panoramic view of Belthias.

Scanning the city below, he spotted his Master entering a restaurant. It appeared to be an ordinary establishment, but the long line of people waiting outside suggested otherwise.

"Oh? I thought Master wasn't hungry after that banquet in the Empire. Why is he entering a restaurant?" Kuo whispered, puzzled. He observed for a moment longer before shaking his head. He'd already eaten his fill back in the Empire, where even the Emperor had personally greeted them. What he craved now was entertainment, but Belthias had nothing to offer.

*Seems like I really need to challenge some of these weak-ss cultivators to pass the time, Kuo thought, a frown forming on his face. He expanded his senses as he resumed flying.

He wanted to find a worthy opponent, someone who was at least "somewhat" worth his time.

Flying for a few more moments, he came to a halt above a bustling street. Below, a ragged man leaped into a fountain. The old man wore a simple black-and-white robe, but his disheveled appearance made him look insane.

No, he wasn't just disheveled—he was insane. The old man began washing himself with the fountain water, oblivious to the stares around him.

But what caught Kuo's attention wasn't the man's bizarre behavior—it was the aura emanating from him.

"This lunatic is strong," Kuo muttered, a hint of amazement in his voice. "To think this small place has someone of this caliber… but he's definitely deranged."

As Kuo observed the man, their eyes met. Kuo immediately averted his gaze, pretending he hadn't noticed.

I can't defeat him… I can't even sense his cultivation level, Kuo thought, a cold realization washing over him. While impressed to find such a person in this backward continent, he wasn't entirely shocked. He knew that sometimes dragons lived among chickens for reasons beyond his understanding.

There were certain things Kuo had no desire to meddle with, and dragons were one of them. His Master had emphasized that while the Middle Continent was the strongest of Luan's five continents, there were still experts stronger than them scattered across the lands.

Avoiding such figures was paramount if Kuo wanted to reach the top.

He was still young and far from reaching the true peak of his cultivation. He couldn't afford to gamble his future—or his life—by provoking the wrong person.

Fortunately, dragons among chickens were rare, meaning Kuo could still do as he pleased as long as he avoided them.

Resuming his flight, he soon spotted a place that piqued his interest.

"Oh?" Kuo raised an eyebrow as he landed near a training ground with a central platform. On the stage, two kids were sparring, one clearly toying with the other.

"Interesting. This will do, but I should observe first," Kuo murmured, his lips curling into a faint smile.

...

"Use everything, think about what is appropriate, and do what is needed," Apollo said while deflecting his disciple's fist to the side with the back of his palm. At the same time, he stepped to the left and delivered a slap to Don's back.

A resounding slap echoed as the kid slammed against the floor.

Apollo took a couple of steps back, allowing his disciple to stand on his feet.

"Focus. You have the Essence of Fighting. The answer is within your hands; you just have to reach it," Apollo said, adopting the most mysterious tone he could muster. Apparently, spouting cryptic nonsense—even if it was complete bullsh*t—was oddly satisfying.

All he wanted was for Don to understand that not everything in battle relied on cultivation.

Don had grown too confident after gaining sudden strength, even believing he could defeat Apollo because of the handicap his master had imposed.

With this mindset, Don would surely die if he returned to save the people he had left behind.

Now that Apollo had a disciple, he wanted the best for him—not only so Don could handle the challenges that would inevitably come for Apollo but also because… well, that was part of it.

Furthermore, Apollo knew it wouldn't be long before he recruited more disciples. The more disciples he had, the more passive Alm Points he could earn. He needed someone to teach them how to become the ultimate Beggar, just like their master.

As the first disciple, Don would carry that responsibility.

Don stood, his back aching in pain. His face was bruised, and blood seeped from his split lip. Yet he didn't utter a sound, his eyes burning with determination.

He didn't know how many times he had been hit or how many times he had fallen. Don had learned to endure the pain, refusing to grunt even when it felt like daggers were piercing his body with every small movement.

His master wasn't "holding back" at all. Even with their cultivation matched, Don couldn't land a blow on Apollo, let alone defeat him.

Apollo's words echoed in Don's mind. It's within reach… it's in my hands… How can Master dodge my attack even though I'm faster? How come I can't land a hit even though my fist is quicker? Why? How does Master do it?

Don replayed their exchanges in his head. He would appear before his master, throw a punch, but before it could connect, Apollo had already dodged, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground.

Essence of Fighting… Master said he's using the same technique, but why is he better? Focus… use everything? Think about what is appropriate? Do what is needed?

"Don't think too hard; just do what is appropriate," Apollo's voice echoed again, this time offering an actual hint.

Hearing this, Don's eyes widened. Yeah, I don't have to overthink. I just have to do what is appropriate!

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Don had been stuck in a single-minded goal: hitting his master. He hadn't considered what to do next.

If his target disappeared, was it really appropriate to just stand there and let his opponent land a counterattack?

All this time, Don had been allowing himself to get hit because he was stuck in the wrong mindset.

With this realization, Don finally smiled. Then he dashed toward his master with renewed vigor!

Apollo smiled as well as a fist came flying toward him. Like always, he dodged it easily and sent a punch toward Don's side.

However, Don reacted as if he had been expecting this, quickly rolling to the side.

Apollo's punch hit nothing but air, missing his disciple by a hair's breadth.

"Good," the beggar praised. "It took you some time to realize, but this is better than nothing."