Jack Ma initially endured the humiliation, feeling resentful because he saw no hope when he was bullied by Penguin Ma.
But now it was different. He could start cultivating. He only needed to lie low for a few more days, and then he could avenge his humiliation.
Penguin Ma looked at Jack Ma with a strange gaze, his mind full of suspicion.
He had dealt with this fellow for over a decade. Although they hadn't truly tested each other's limits, they knew each other inside out.
Penguin Ma knew Jack Ma wasn't someone who gave up easily, and he certainly wouldn't deign to humble himself before him. Even after being beaten daily, he maintained an arrogant demeanor, only bowing slightly under Penguin Ma's forceful methods.
"Old Ma, I feel you're acting unusually today. Is there something you're hiding from me?" Penguin Ma asked, grabbing Jack Ma's collar.
"What could I possibly be hiding from you here? Since I can't beat you, I might as well accept it. That way, I'll at least get beaten a little less. We've been fighting for half our lives, and neither of us has ever admitted defeat."
"In a conflict, one person must eventually yield. So, I concede. I respect you. After all, as the saying goes, a smiling face is harder to hit."
Jack Ma spoke eloquently, skillfully deceiving Penguin Ma with his convincing words. This made Penguin Ma unable to help but believe him.
Penguin Ma gave Jack Ma a strange look and said, "Since you're being so obedient today, I won't beat you. Go catch fish this afternoon. If you don't get the job done, don't blame me for taking action."
"Yes, yes," Jack Ma quickly agreed, nodding.
As Jack Ma walked towards the lake, Penguin Ma rested his chin on his hand, staring at Jack Ma's retreating figure. He felt something was off, but couldn't quite pinpoint it.
This Jack Ma was an old fox, so he had to be careful.
"Little Ma, what are you thinking about?" Lei Ming asked, walking over and patting his shoulder.
"You didn't see Jack Ma just now. I feel like he's a completely different person," Penguin Ma recounted what had just happened to Lei Ming.
Lei Ming didn't find anything amiss after listening. He advised, "In the face of strength, all schemes and tricks are insignificant. Are you worried he'll play some tricks? If he's not obedient, give him a beating. If one isn't enough, give him two. See if he dares to play tricks again."
"Hmm, that makes sense." Penguin Ma nodded and stopped dwelling on other matters.
Jack Ma was alone in the lake, casting his net from the boat. His figure looked quite desolate.
After casting the net, he rowed the boat, holding a bamboo pole and tapping the water's surface to drive the fish.
"Look, Teacher Ma is fishing in the lake?" Jiang Xin pointed at Jack Ma fishing in the lake from a rock on the mountaintop.
"I truly admire this Teacher Ma. He knows a little bit about everything. Look at his skillful operation of casting the net. Can you tell he's a CEO?"
Guomin Xiao Wang looked at Jack Ma below with admiration.
Many pampered rich people wouldn't dirty their hands. Forget about feeding themselves through their own labor.
It was more like their own labor would lead to their demise.
"The rabbit we ate for lunch was caught by Teacher Ma. He's truly talented. From this perspective, Teacher Ma is an all-around talent." Qin Dou nodded in agreement.
"Brother Yuqin's father beats Teacher Ma every day. Seeing him bruised and swollen at lunch, it's truly pitiful," Jiang Xin said, shaking his head with heartache for Jack Ma.
"Haha... these two have been arguing their whole lives. And their fighting inside was even tacitly approved by Young Master Xia. Under such circumstances, do you think Penguin Ma wouldn't beat him to death?"
Guomin Xiao Wang burst into laughter, looking extremely happy.
"Lin'er and the other three girls were called by Young Master Xia to practice martial arts. The three of us are still here bragging. I guess in a few days, we won't even be able to beat them."
Jiang Xin sighed as he looked at the lake.
"Let's go, the three of us should practice too. Let's not be useless," Guomin Xiao Wang said, turning to leave.
Jiang Xin and Qin Dou followed behind Guomin Xiao Wang.
Xia Feng was practicing with Xia Lin, while Qin Wen, Liu Jingru, and Ma Yuqin were also learning alongside them.
Midway, Xia Feng personally guided them.
Xia Feng was very satisfied with Xia Lin's rapid progress in cultivation.
"Why is Lin'er cultivating so quickly?" Qin Wen asked Xia Lin.
"She's already cultivating. Do you want to? But you'll have to come to the immortal realm with me," Xia Feng explained to Qin Wen.
"I do," Liu Jingru was the first to nod. She had already been told about Xia Lin's cultivation, so she agreed without hesitation.
"Brother Xia, can we return after going to the immortal realm?" Ma Yuqin asked.
"I don't know yet. Probably a fifty-fifty chance," Xia Feng replied.
"No matter where you go, I'll follow. I want to cultivate too," Qin Wen affirmed.
"Alright, you three have three days to consider. Come find me when you've decided," Xia Feng nodded.
Since he couldn't be sure if they could return, Xia Feng didn't dare to guarantee their return.
"Okay." The three nodded.
"Practice according to what I've taught you. I'll be away for a moment," Xia Feng said, turning and walking towards the cave behind the waterfall.
He planned to communicate with the Eastern Emperor Bell to see if it was truly possible to go and then return.
Entering the cave, Xia Feng summoned the Eastern Emperor Bell.
"Master," the Eastern Emperor Bell's voice rang out.
"I have something I want to ask you. Since you can go to the immortal realm, why can't you return?" Xia Feng voiced his doubts.
"Master, I can't answer that. In my memory, I have a bridge that can communicate with the immortal realm, so I can go there."
"But after going, I can't guarantee that there will still be a bridge in the immortal realm that can communicate with Earth."
The Eastern Emperor Bell provided a general explanation, and Xia Feng listened silently.
"So, you mean if I go to the immortal realm and you can still communicate with Earth, then I can return?" Xia Feng asked.
"Yes, I can return anytime," the Eastern Emperor Bell confirmed.
"Let's conduct an experiment," Xia Feng said, creating a clone. Then he added, "Try to communicate with my clone."
"Okay," the Eastern Emperor Bell attempted to communicate with Xia Feng's clone.
After a long moment, the Eastern Emperor Bell said, "I can't establish communication. It's likely because your main body is still on Earth, so the attempted communication is happening through your main body."
Xia Feng felt a pang of regret upon hearing the Eastern Emperor Bell's words. He wished he had left a clone in the immortal realm earlier.
That way, the Eastern Emperor Bell could have sensed if communication was possible.
"Then there's nothing we can do. If I had left a clone in the immortal realm, we could have definitely tried, right?" Xia Feng asked regretfully.
"Yes, but Master needn't worry too much. I have a high probability of establishing communication with Earth after going to the immortal realm, but I don't dare to give you a guarantee without certainty," the Eastern Emperor Bell said apologetically.
Xia Feng understood that the matter was essentially settled upon hearing this.