《Notebook of Fortune》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Wrong answer!¡± BAM! As Ms. Bai Yu sniffed, a student in school uniform stepped back and hit the back wall of the classroom. He blushed, with blood flowing out from his lips. Shen Zhe, who was in a corner, was startled. The student did nothing more than failing to answer a question, but his punishment was a bleeding slap¡­ Wasn¡¯t it too much? It had been three days. It had been three days since Shen Zhe arrived in that world, but he was still stunned. He had been a weak student who suffered intermittent obsessive¨Ccompulsive disorder on Earth. The College Entrance Exam [1. Commonly known as gaokao, with a full score of 750 points.] was getting closer, but he could barely get a hundred points in the simulation tests. Considering his usual bad performance, the result was not entirely unexpected. However¡­ He had scored only 0.5 points in the real test! As a person suffering from OCD, he couldn¡¯t accept the number since it wasn¡¯t an integer! Depressed, he took a walk outside, only to be hit by a car. After waking up, he found himself in an alternate world. He thought that, since martial arts mattered most in that world, he could distinguish himself with his strong body and will that had been trained through years of class skipping. But he couldn¡¯t be more wrong. Not only did everyone have to study, but they were all star students! They could solve even the most difficult problems easily, and they would be eager to jump into the river, if they could get more than ninety points in a hundred-points test. The person whose body was assumed by Shen Zhe was also an unlucky guy. His average score in the previous semester was 96 points, which was the last place in school. He was criticized and even physically punished by the school, his family and his classmates. His ultimatum was that he would be beaten up even harder, if not killed, if his score didn¡¯t improve in the new semester. In order to survive, he began to work hard. However, because he slept too late, and his wounds weren¡¯t entirely healed, he died abruptly before his performance changed! It turned out that the only outcome of working hard was death¡­ The guy didn¡¯t leave any memories for Shen Zhe, who couldn¡¯t fathom how it felt to get 96 points in an exam, even though it was the poorest result in that world. How could he learn anything when there was nothing in his head? If it were in his previous life, he would¡¯ve slept on his desk or skipped classes¡­ But in that place, whoever failed to answer a question would be physically punished, sometimes very badly. He would¡¯ve only been reprimanded in the past, but he might die there¡­ In the past three days, he nodded casually on occasion in class, pretending that he understood everything, but he was actually terrified by the possibility that the teacher would ask him¡­ He missed the happy life in his past, where he could go home alive even though he didn¡¯t listen to the classes. It was truly hard for a poor student. Bai Yu, the teacher of that class, was a gorgeous woman with a perfect body figure. Her prominent features were magnificent and sexy. But for Shen Zhe, she was a female tyrannosaur. Whenever her students made a mistake, she would burst into fury and slap them¡­ ¡°You should know that your study is related to your training. One mistake right now may result in a fatal problem in the future. It¡¯s better to work hard now if you don¡¯t want to be slain later!¡± Ms. Bai Yu seemed to have done something trivial after beating the student who couldn¡¯t answer the question. She sniffed and continued, ¡°Going back to the quiz. Next question: suppose I am chasing an iron-toothed wolf at ten meters per second, and it can run at nine meters per second, or twelve meters per second for twelve seconds. If the distance between us is five meters at the beginning, what is the color of that wolf¡¯s skin?¡± What the¡­ Shen Zhe shrank his neck and almost cried. Was it a question for human beings? The color of that wolf¡¯s skin? Wasn¡¯t the question supposed to be how many seconds it would take for her to capture the wolf? Although he didn¡¯t know the answer to that question, either, at least he would be able to understand the question! He secretly looked around, and a dozen classmates were already raising their hands. Cui Xiao, the Learning Supervisor, stood up. ¡°There are five types of iron-toothed wolves. Two of them are gray, one is white, one is black, and the last is purple. The gray ones are too fast and strong, even for the level-two Mages and Martial Artists. Since our teacher is only a level-one Martial Artist, she would only flee if she encountered them. So, the answer can¡¯t be gray!¡± ¡°As for the white ones, they are gigantic creatures that live on Mount Thorn. They are highly sturdy, and it¡¯s barely possible to tear their furs. Also, they are aggressive and will never flee from the enemy. So, white is not the answer, either.¡± ¡°Now, only black and purple remain. Their average speed and highest speed meet the requirements. However, the black wolves are ugly, and their meat is stinky. It¡¯s hard to sell them. The purple wolves, in comparison, are beautiful and delicious. Ergo, my answer is that the wolf is purple.¡± Cui Xiao was quite confident. ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡± Ms. Bai Yu nodded her head. ¡°How did you come up with that answer?¡± Shen Zhe almost wept under the enormous pressure. To answer the question, one had to know a lot about the categories of iron-toothed wolves, as well as their strength, speed, habits, and even the teacher¡¯s level and the market, which involved biology, economics, psychology, physics, geology, mathematics, etc¡­ ¡°I really can¡¯t think of so many things for one question!¡± While his heart was a mess, Ms. Bai Yu continued, ¡°Going back to the quiz. How long would it take for me to knock out the wolf?¡± A dozen students raised their hands again. Ms. Bai Yu looked around and said, ¡°Xueru, you will answer the question!¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± A slender girl stood up. She was still a teenage girl, but it was evident that she would grow into an attractive woman. She was Ling Xueru, monitor of the class. ¡°Our teacher¡¯s sword is a standard weapon forged and distributed by the school. Her arm length is seventy-two centimeters. The sword and the arm are 1.52 meters long in total. Considering that the target is a purple iron-toothed wolf which is 2.1 meters long, it will take our teacher 41 seconds to reach it,¡± said Ling Xueru convincingly, ¡°In order to knock it out, you need to hit the head of the wolf, and the most appropriate move is Falling Snow, which requires a 17¡ã angle. Considering that you¡¯re a level-one Martial Artist, and that both of you are moving, it will take 0.27 seconds for you to hit the target and another 0.08 seconds to pierce through the skin.¡± ¡°Then, it will take 0.2 seconds for the nerves to transmit the information before the wolf passes out. Altogether, it¡¯s 41.55 seconds. This is the time it will take for you to knock out the wolf!¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Ms. Bai Yu nodded in satisfaction again, because it was the same as his interpretation in the last class. ¡°¡­¡± Holding his chest, Shen Zhe found his future gloomy. He would probably be beaten to death even if he could survive that day. Arm length, angle, speed of attack, level, moves¡­ Everything was taken into consideration, and the answer was accurate to one hundredth of a second¡­ ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°You are too smart even for the star students!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t understand your world!¡± ¡°Next is the last question, and the most difficult one.¡± Ms. Bai Yu chuckled, since the two other questions were both answered quickly and correctly. She looked around and asked, ¡°How long will it take for me to return to the school at full speed after I knock out the iron-toothed wolf? Any error within an hour will be tolerated!¡± The classroom fell quiet immediately. The students who raised their hands just then stopped talking and calculated on their papers. ¡°Is this¡­ more difficult than the previous questions?¡± Completely baffled, Shen Zhe looked at Wang Qing, who was next to him. Wang Qing¡¯s average grade was 99 points. He was below the average of that class but was still better than Shen Zhe. All the tests in that world had a full score of a hundred points. When the students¡¯ results were the same, the time it took for them to complete the test would decide their place. The requirement of the tests was six hours. The sooner one finished the tests, the higher places they would get. The former Shen Zhe scored 96 points after six hours. Wang Qing scored 99 points but used too much time. So, it was understandable that he was below average. ¡°It¡¯s much more difficult!¡± Looking at his friend in confusion, Wang Qing said in a low voice, ¡°First of all, we have to decide where that iron-toothed wolf was found, which involves geology and knowledge about the beast¡¯s habitat, to calculate the distance between there and the school. Secondly, we need to infer the speed when our teacher carries the wolf back. We need to consider the obstacles on the way, such as rivers and hills, as well as our teacher¡¯s storage of spiritual energy!¡± ¡°Does she need to rest halfway? Will there be any accidents? What¡¯s the density of the woods? ¡­We need to calculate ten times more than just now, without making any mistakes. Okay, I have to focus on calculating. I don¡¯t want to fail to answer it and be beaten up¡­¡± Wang Qing got back to his calculations while his lips twitched. Shen Zhe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it really not a load of bull?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an impossible task for a human being!¡± Seeing that his classmates were all writing fast, Shen Zhe drew a Peppa Pig to avoid attracting the teacher¡¯s attention. He rubbed his eyebrow and was ready to listen to the answer, when the teacher looked at him with a smile. ¡°Shen Zhe, you will answer this question!¡± ¡°Me?¡± His eyes bulging, Shen Zhe was stunned. Even the Peppa Pig he drew wasn¡¯t good enough. Its two eyes were uneven, which was quite embarrassing for someone who had obsessive-compulsive disorder. How was he going to answer such a challenging question? Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations He looked around, hoping to steal an answer from someone else¡¯s manuscript, but they all stopped writing and looked at him. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe stood up, feeling like crying. It was exactly what he feared most. It seemed that physical punishment was inevitable¡­ If he suffered another beating, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the dormitory. Was it so difficult to just listen to the class without answering the questions? ¡°I¡¯ll lower my demand for you. Your answer will be considered correct as long as the error is within half a day.¡± Noticing his hesitation, Ms. Bai Yu looked at him and said, ¡°However, if you can¡¯t answer it or answer it wrongly, you will be punished with one slap¡­ Whether or not you can take it depends on your studying progress in this semester!¡± ¡°A half-day error?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer it even if a half-month error is allowed!¡± Anxiously, Shen Zhe looked at Wang Qing. However, Wang Qing made no eye contact with him at all, as if they didn¡¯t know each other at all. ¡°Calling me bro but not giving me the slightest clue at the critical moment¡­ What an unreliable guy!¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve studied harder to at least understand the question. I will die a confusing death¡­¡± Knowing that the beating was unavoidable however he answered it, Shen Zhe sighed and was about to admit that he knew nothing, when an enormous voice burst out in his brain. ¡°The Best Guide Book for the College Entrance Exam!¡± ¡°This book provides you with a channel to speak to the teachers of Huanggang [1. Huanggang is the name of a famous school.] ¡­ ¡°Is this¡­ Library of Heaven¡¯s Path?¡± Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t be more excited. He was fond of reading novels in his spare time, and his favorite book was Library of Heaven¡¯s Path written by the handsome Heng Sao Tian Ya. The most awesome goldfinger in the book was the library in the protagonist¡¯s head. ¡°Is it happening to me, too?¡± In that case, there would be no questions that he couldn¡¯t answer. Focusing his attention, he saw no enormous libraries in his brain. Instead, there was an old, ragged notebook. It seemed to be about to fall apart into a long scroll at anytime. His lips twitched. Zhang Xuan was given billions of books, but he was only given one. Why was the gap so massive when they both had transmigrated? Confused, he opened the book softly and immediately saw that the first page had been fully written. It said: Harmony, justice, patriotism, hardworking, friendliness¡­ All of them were positive words. After only a quick glance, Shen Zhe felt purified. ¡°Is this my class¡¯ notebook?¡± Shen Zhe was dazed. He recognized that the ragged notebook was the one he used during his six years of high school! He only used one notebook, not because he was thrifty but because he barely wrote anything! After years, there was nothing on the notebook, except for names and symbols he wrote when he was bored. Other people used notebooks to study, but he used it to kill time¡­ After all, it could be quite exhausting to sleep through a whole class. ¡°I left the school with this notebook. Why is it in my head now?¡± He recalled the moment of the car accident. He was upset because his grade was not an integer, and he left the school with his notebook. When he was hit by the car, his blood was shed over the notebook¡­ Was that the reason why the notebook also transmigrated and even entered his head? He was confused, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to figure it out yet. He hurried to turn to page two. The first page only had positive words he wrote for himself, and the real notes started from page two. He didn¡¯t know the usage of that notebook yet, but since it appeared, it might be of help in the current situation. Shen Zhe frowned after turning the page. It was utterly empty, without a single word. He continued turning, only to discover that the following pages seemed to be glued. He couldn¡¯t open them at all. He was given a goldfinger, but there were no instructions¡­ That was so unfair¡­ While he was complaining, he noticed a pencil next to the book. The pencil was thin and unattractive, but after observing it carefully, Shen Zhe noticed it was engraved with two words¡ª¡±Good Guy¡±. One ragged notebook, and one pencil¡­ What were they for? ¡°You will be considered incapable of offering an answer if you don¡¯t say anything¡­¡± While he was wondering what was going on, he heard Ms. Bai Yu¡¯s casual voice again. After a flash, he found himself still in the classroom under the watch of all the students. The scene just then happened in his mental world, and nobody outside had sensed anything. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe gritted his teeth and intended to give a random answer, when he noticed that Ling Xueru secretly raised four fingers at him. Relieved, Shen Zhe looked at her gratefully and said solemnly, ¡°Four hours¡­¡± ¡°Haha!¡± All the students laughed. Ling Xueru covered her forehead and said without making any sound, ¡°I meant four days!¡± She couldn¡¯t calculate the precise time but was sure it was around four days. Since the error margin was half a day, the answer couldn¡¯t be greatly wrong¡­ Yet, the guy said four hours! The difference was too large. ¡°Would it have been necessary to give you a half-day error tolerance if the time needed was so short?¡± She was gloomy but dared not say anything. ¡°You think I can return to the school across Mount Thorn with the unconscious iron-toothed wolf in four hours?¡± Ms. Bai Yu snapped, her kindness gone, ¡°Is this the result of your calculation?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± With everything coming to that point, Shen Zhe had no other choice but to admit it. He was quite experienced after being an underachieving student for a long time. It was important not to leave any blanks unfilled in a test, whether or not he knew the answer. It could prove that he had the right attitude, even though he couldn¡¯t answer the questions. Besides, with his obsessive-compulsive disorder, he found empty paper intolerable, and he had to fill it anyway. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe slapped his head. Just then, the other people¡¯s answers were measured to the a hundredth of a second, which showed that their answers were not made up. For a man who pursued perfection, how could Shen Zhe give an imperfect answer? Thinking about that, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Four hours, forty-four minutes, forty-four seconds and forty-four milliseconds!¡± It was precise and perfect! Crack! Ms. Bai Yu was so infuriated that her spiritual energy almost burst out. Her chalk was crumbled into halves. He was so outrageously wrong, and yet he seemed so confident and relieved¡­ Had he grown bold after days of not being beaten up? ¡°Do you know how far it is from here to the iron-toothed wolves¡¯ habitat?¡± Instead of waiting for an answer, Ms. Bai Yu continued, ¡°The closest purple iron-toothed wolves are not far away in a straight line, but there are mountains in between. I need to cross three mountains and one river to reach them. It will take four days even if I try my best! Even a level-two Martial Artist can¡¯t achieve it in four hours!¡± ¡°Four days?¡± Shen Zhe looked at Ling Xueru, only to see her nodding her head slowly with her eyes covered. He finally knew that he had misunderstood her. He could hardly breathe¡­ Ms. Bai Yu demanded, ¡°Your answer is too wrong even though a half-day error was allowed. Go to the back of the classroom and accept the punishment!¡± Shen Zhe turned pale. As a teacher, she wouldn¡¯t use her full strength, but he was in such a weak condition that one casual slap from her might easily kill him! ¡°Wait¡­¡± Gritting his teeth, Shen Zhe came up with an idea. ¡°Who can decide the correctness of an answer to a hypothetical question? I have reasons for my answer. Unless you can prove me wrong, miss, I will not accept my punishment! You have to convince me!¡± ¡°Are you questioning my answer?¡± Ms. Bai Yu sniffed. Shen Zhe gritted his teeth and did not reply. The teacher¡¯s answer had to be correct, but to prove it, a round trip to catch the wolf would take ten days. He would be more familiar with this body by then, or he would probably escape from the school. The punishment would mean nothing to him. He had to postpone it as long as possible. There would always be a solution as long as he was not beaten up right then. ¡°Very good. This is the first time I¡¯ve been challenged after teaching for so long, and by the last place in the last semester, no less. You¡¯re truly bold!¡± Enraged, Ms. Bai Yu went to the rostrum and grabbed a book. ¡°This is a guidance book the school made for the teachers. The question I asked you is right there. Its answer has been verified by the Mages of the school and can¡¯t be wrong!¡± ¡°A guidance book for the teachers?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. He thought it was a random question whose answer needed proof. It never occurred to him that it was in a guidance book. The guidance book had always been convincing. There was no way that he could deny it. The answer of the guidance book for teachers was a proof itself and essentially a truth. Since it was a truth, it had been tested by too many people. How could it be changed easily? Shen Zhe trembled coldly. Questioning the teacher and the guidance book was a violation against the school rules. The punishment would be much more severe than a simple slap! He might be kicked out! If he was beaten up for failing to answer a question, wouldn¡¯t he be killed if he was kicked out? ¡°I¡­¡± Gritting his teeth, Shen Zhe was about to admit that he had given a random answer without any calculations, when Ms. Bai Yu opened the book and found the question. ¡°Here are the question and the answer. I¡¯ll read it to you¡­ To bring the purple iron-toothed wolf back, it will take¡­¡± As if she had seen the most unbelievable thing, the teacher¡¯s eyes bulged so hard that they were popping out. ¡°How is this possible?¡± It was clearly written on the guidance book that the answer was four hours, forty-four minutes, forty-four seconds and forty-four milliseconds! It was precisely the answer Shen Zhe offered! ¡­ At the same moment when the answer appeared on the book, an iron-toothed wolf which had a cluster of white hair on its forehead slowly walked out of a crack on Mount Thorn far away. Hooooooo! All the trees rattled under the wolf¡¯s roar. Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The teacher¡¯s guidance book was presented to the whole class to convince Shen Zhe. As a result, not just Ms. Bai Yu, all the students saw the answer clearly. Everybody fell silent. They looked at each other while completely dumbfounded. An unremarkable student like Shen Zhe had written the precise answer! How was it possible? More importantly¡­ All of them had calculated that it would take at least four days for their teacher to return. How could the answer on the guidance book be so preposterous? ¡°This is¡­ impossible!¡± Ms. Bai Yu was visibly shaking. She had personally calculated the answer and submitted it to the school for verification. Her answer was four days, two hours and seventeen minutes¡­ How did it turn into four hours? Did someone change it secretly? She shook her head and dropped the idea. She had been keeping the book. Not even the dean could have modified it, let alone a student. Ding-dong! The bell rang, marking the end of the class. Ms. Bai Yu had a gloomy look; she closed the book, knowing that things would be even uglier if she pursued the matter further. ¡°Something may be wrong with this book¡­ I¡¯ll check it at the office. Let¡¯s talk about Shen Zhe¡¯s punishment in the next class. You are dismissed!¡± She turned around and left the classroom. ¡°You figured out the answer?¡± ¡°The answer is too unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°Shen Zhe¡¯s answer is absolutely correct. Since when has he become so good?¡± ¡­ The classroom exploded the moment the teacher was gone. All the students looked at Shen Zhe as if he were a monster. They all agreed that it was barely possible for their teacher to return in four days. They all thought that Shen Zhe¡¯s answer was bulls*it, but it turned out to be correct! The worst student in the class had solved the problem that even the best students found tricky¡­ Could the guidance book be wrong? It was impossible! The guidance book had never been wrong after all those years. Shen Zhe was just as surprised as the rest of the students. He was 100% certain that it was a random answer. Why was it the same as the answer in the guidance book? ¡°Was it because of the notebook?¡± The only thing that could explain this was his seemingly useless notebook. It might have played a role! He focused on his brain again and saw the answer he had just offered on the second page of the notebook. The pencil next to it had been significantly shortened, down to two thirds its original size. He was greatly shocked. The answer was written in the notebook. Was it the reason why the answer in the guidance book was changed? Would he easily get a hundred points in the future by writing random answers on the test paper? Shen Zhe beamed with excitement. The notebook seemed to have sensed his delight. There was a vibration and the word ¡®FORTUNE¡¯ appeared on the cover momentarily; it faded out as if it had never been there. ¡­ There was some distance between the office and the classroom, but Bai Yu walked very quickly due to her anxiety and arrived soon. Director Li received her with a frown. ¡°Director Li, do you have the guidance book for the Class of Talents?¡± asked Bai Yu in a hurry. ¡°They¡¯re all over the place¡­¡± Director Li pointed at a corner. There were dozens of unused books in the bookshelf. The guidance books were identical, and their contents would be revised at fixed periods of time. Bai Yu took out a random book and turned to the page where the question was recorded. She read the answer only to be dazed again. ¡°How could it be?¡± She took out another book and opened it. She found the same answer after checking a couple of books: four hours, forty-four minutes, forty-four seconds and forty-four milliseconds! But the answer she had calculated was clearly more than four days! Unable to hold it back anymore, she turned around and asked, ¡°Director Li, how long would it take for me to return to the school with an unconscious purple iron-toothed wolf with my current abilities?¡± ¡°You?¡± Director Li pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Four days and two hours, probably.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But why is the answer in the guidance book different?¡± Bai Yu gave him one of the books. Director Li was also stunned after taking a look. ¡°How would you be able to make it back in four hours? Even I couldn¡¯t make it. Who verified this answer?¡± Bai Yu said, ¡°It was you¡­¡± His lips twitched. He checked more guidance books and remained confused. ¡°It was indeed me who verified it, but why is the answer so unreasonable?¡± He said after considering for a moment, ¡°Ms. Bai, why don¡¯t you check this out for real? It would be considered as a business trip. Remember to take note of the time. Calculations are often not as good as real practice.¡± Bai Yu nodded her head. Practice was the only way to verify a truth. ¡°I¡¯ll start right now¡­¡± Bai Yu turned around and left. ¡­ Shen Zhe studied the notebook in his mind at length and finally realized that it did have a special ability. Whatever answer he wrote would be taken as the correct answer in the teacher¡¯s guidance book, updating the information accordingly. It was a matter of course that not all answers were changeable, due to certain causal links. ¡°So¡­ My word is the law?¡± He would never need to cheat if he used that ability, because all the answers he wrote would be correct¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see if I have other abilities.¡± He looked at Wang Qing. The guy didn¡¯t offer him any help when he was asked a question moments before. That wasn¡¯t something you would expect of a loyal friend. After considering that idea, the pencil floated and quickly wrote on the notebook, ¡°Wang Qing is a pig!¡± Hu! The words disappeared immediately after they were written. Nothing was left. Wang Qing was still Wang Qing the moment he turned to see him. That wasn¡¯t what he had in mind. ¡°Wang Qing is a piece of s*it¡­¡± The victim remained unchanged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work this way¡­¡± He tried multiple statements, but his classmate remained absolutely the same. He shook his head. It seemed that the notebook was not as helpful if it could only change the answers to questions and make him a good student. Wang Qing looked at him and said, ¡°Why are you staring at me? I didn¡¯t know the answer. Besides, the teacher was right next to us. How would I dare say anything? On the other hand, I didn¡¯t know that you had the ability to provide a standard answer¡­¡± ¡°I have other abilities, but I haven¡¯t figured them out yet¡­¡± Shen Zhe smiled. He was in a good mood after avoiding the disaster. They chit-chatted for a while. The morning classes were soon over. Shen Zhe stretched out his arms and walked out of the classroom, heading to the cafeteria. His home was quite far away from the school. He normally visited home twice a year and had meals at the cafeteria. While he was enjoying his food, he heard someone calling him close by. ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it Shen Zhe who is no longer one of the Four Gentlemen? You¡¯re not hanging around with us anymore now that your grades improved, are you?¡± Shen Zhe raised his head and saw three sulky young men before him. ¡°Zhao Chen, Wang Xiaofeng, and Liu Pengyue!¡± The names popped up in his head. Although he didn¡¯t have the memories of the former Shen Zhe, he managed to figure out some of his previous social connections after living in that world for three days. There were a dozen Classes of Talents in the school, and the four of them were at the last place in four of the classes. They stood at the last four places school-wide. They were recognized as the worst of the worst among all the students! Every teacher found them to be a headache and wanted to expel them. As odd as it may be, they were all descendants of major families and had influential backgrounds. They were supposed to be excellent, but their grades ranked as the worst every time. Since they had claimed the bottom ranks of their grade and nobody else could compete with them, they cherished each other and forged an alliance which was known as ¡®Society of Scums¡¯. Of course they didn¡¯t like the name. What¡¯s wrong with having a bad grade? Did it make them lesser than a human being? Did they have to be despised because of that? They called themselves the Four Gentlemen as a counter. Shen Zhe had always been the second to last place in the school. Surprisingly, the usual last place¡¯s Liu Pengyue submitted the test paper one minute earlier than him in the last semester. Although their test results were the same, Liu Pengyue¡¯s rank became higher than his. Shen Zhe worked harder in that semester and kept his distance from them, since he was upset by the result, and because of the physical punishments that came with it. ¡°What¡¯s good about having a remarkable grade? Not everybody can be a Mage, even if you get a hundred points every time. Shen Zhe, you¡¯d better abandon your obsession! None of us are born for this, we are all aware of that. Why do you have to give yourself such a hard time?¡± Liu Pengyue approached him and patted his shoulder. ¡°All we need to do is to sleep through classes, avoid answering questions, and to secure the last places in all exams. We will be expelled that way, so we can go back to inherit our family¡¯s wealth and marry a hundred wives. Is such an ordinary life not good?¡± ¡°They¡¯re studying so hard just to be a Mage, a Martial Artist or a Body Practitioner just to protect themselves, but the learning process is killing them. Why do we have to make ourselves suffer?¡± Wang Xiaofeng also comforted him. ¡°Join us. You¡¯re one of the Four Gentlemen!¡± Zhao Chen nodded. They had been best friends for a long time, having in common their weak performances in studies. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe was tempted to say yes to their offer, but he hesitated when he thought about the prospect of him being beaten to death. A girl approached them right then. ¡°Shen Zhe, you can¡¯t listen to them. You¡¯ve worked hard for such a long time and your grades are improving. You can¡¯t give up on yourself.¡± He sensed the vague fragrance and saw a tall and slender girl. It was precisely the person who had secretly given him a hint in class. Ling Xueru! Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Give up on myself?¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Should I sleep every day, inherit billions of dollars and marry dozens of wives, or should I die of exhaustion while I¡¯m studying hard for nothing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a dilemma¡­ I wonder whether I should choose the former or abandon the latter.¡± ¡°But why am I smiling while I hesitate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that you may inherit your family properties if you return to your family, but you must know that money is meaningless in this world, without the power of the Mages and the Martial Artists! Your family¡¯s enterprise in Green Abyss is based on Shen Yun, a level-three Mage, isn¡¯t it?¡± Putting her food on Shen Zhe¡¯s opposite side, Ling Xueru sat down and said solemnly, ¡°You must not abandon yourself!¡± Holding his chest, Shen Zhe felt that he had suffered a critical strike. If it were in his previous life, few people would¡¯ve rejected the opportunity¡­ ¡°You¡¯re Ling Xueru from Class Three?¡± ¡°Xueru, I¡¯m your idol¡ªNo, you¡¯re my idol. I adore you¡­¡± ¡°Can you autograph my clothes? It¡¯s fine. I was going to throw them away anyway¡­¡± ¡­ Zhao Chen and the rest of them were excited to see the famous genius in school who had gone there to see Shen Zhe. Ling Xueru¡¯s excellent grades were well known in the whole school. However, according to Shen Zhe¡¯s observation¡­ she could be quite enthusiastic, or nosy, if you will, about things where she wasn¡¯t involved. Otherwise, as the monitor, she wouldn¡¯t have secretly given a hint to Shen Zhe. Ling Xueru smiled at her crazy fans but didn¡¯t reply to them. She simply looked at Shen Zhe and asked about the thing that puzzled her. ¡°How did you get the answer?¡± As the monitor, it was her responsibility to help the less smart guys. Also, they were both from Green Abyss and had known each other since childhood. So, she didn¡¯t give him a hint because they were in any kind of relationship. After calculating and recalculating, she couldn¡¯t figure out the reasoning behind ¡®four hours and forty-four minutes¡¯. That was why she had gone there to ask him. Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been barely any interaction between two students whose grades differed that greatly. ¡°I calculated the same way everybody else did¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. ¡°If I say that your four fingers were construed as four hours, would you believe that?¡± ¡°What did you use? The Moya Formula? The Wuxiang Theorem? Or the Fujiang Function?¡± Ling Xueru¡¯s eyes glittered. Moya, Wuxiang and Fujiang were all famous Mages who had found unquestionable principles. ¡°None¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. He was wondering how he should reply, when another person approached them and said unhappily, ¡°Xueru, what are you doing here?¡± It was a tall young man. He looked at Shen Zhe and his pals and frowned. ¡°What can you possibly discuss with them?¡± He was Lu Zihan, a genius and the monitor of Class Two. He was also the rightful heir of the Lu family, which was one of the four greatest families of Green Abyss. The other three greatest families were Ling, Wu and Shen. Ling Xueru was from the Ling family, whereas Shen Zhe was from the Shen family. Zhao Chen and the rest of them were from less notable families, but they were still among the wealthiest in the city. ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of unintelligent people who make no effort to seek progress! Let¡¯s eat over there¡­¡± Lu Zihan continued. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Zhao Chen was the first to stand up under his obvious mockery. ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t want Xueru to be affected by you,¡± said Lu Zihan proudly. ¡°Affected? By whom? It was Ling Xueru who came to Shen Zhe, not the other way around!¡± Zhao Chen was angry. Lu Zihan chuckled condescendingly, ¡°She did? You think he¡¯s worth it?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only worthy person?¡± Shen Zhe had decided to keep a low profile before he figured everything out, but he couldn¡¯t stand the humiliation anymore. Was someone with good grades entitled to despise other people? ¡°Xueru and I are top ten of our grade in every exam. With any luck, we will both pass the Mage test and reach the upper class. For someone as silly as you, could you get the answer even if you were given the method? Could you train yourself with it?¡± With his hands behind him, Lu Zihan snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t pester Xueru if you can¡¯t achieve that. She and you are not in the same world.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Before Shen Zhe spoke, Ling Xueru was already frowning. ¡°Lu Zihan, there¡¯s nothing between us, and we¡¯re not in the same world, either. It¡¯s not up to you whom I talk to!¡± ¡°Xueru, why are you defending them?¡± Lu Zihan frowned. ¡°I can defend whomever I want. I don¡¯t need to explain it to you!¡± Knowing that it was impossible to ask that day, Ling Xueru looked at Shen Zhe and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble¡­¡± Then, she left the cafeteria. ¡°Xueru¡­¡± Lu Zihan chased the girl gloomily, but she stopped and said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me, or I will teach you a lesson!¡± Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get what he wanted even if he were to follow her, Lu Zihan clenched his fists and looked at Shen Zhe. ¡°Shen Zhe, do you dare to duel against me? Whoever loses will stop haunting Ling Xueru!¡± If it weren¡¯t for Shen Zhe, he would¡¯ve had a meal with her that day, instead of getting her upset. ¡°A duel?¡± Shen Zhe was at a loss for words. It seemed that the guy was under the impression that he liked his monitor. Although it was ungrounded, Shen Zhe was angry because of the man¡¯s tone and attitude. Finishing the food and putting down the chopsticks, he looked at Lu Zihan and asked, ¡°How will we duel?¡± ¡°We¡¯re studying to become Mages or Martial Artists. But you would be accusing me of taking advantage of you if we compete in computation or fighting.¡± Lu Zihan said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to study because you think you can still become a Body Practitioner, right? Then, let¡¯s see if your body is stronger than mine!¡± There were mainly three categories of cultivators on that continent. Firstly, the Mages who could cast spells. They were the foundation of many professions and they were the most respected. Secondly, the Martial Artists who could cultivate spiritual energy. Most cultivators on that continent were Martial Artists. Ms. Bai Yu, for example, was a level-one Martial Artist. Both Mages and Martial Artists needed to plan new routes in their bodies and calculate precisely in every training session, which had a high demand on their studies. People with bad grades would never achieve anything. However, some people were less talented in studying than others. Shen Zhe, for example, could only get around to score ninety points in every exam¡­ So, Body Practitioners emerged as a compromise. Such cultivators didn¡¯t need any calculations. They only had to polish their bodies and fortify them. However, their achievements would only be limited! It was almost impossible for them to become as strong as Mages and Martial Artists. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shen Zhe stood up with a smile and rolled up his sleeves. Did the nerd want to compete with him physically? Was he asking to be humiliated? ¡°Of course!¡± Lu Zihan slapped the table hard. Crack! The mark of a fist immediately appeared on the table, which then cracked and fell apart. ¡°¡­¡± Speechless, Shen Zhe rolled his sleeves down and looked at the sky. What a beautiful day it was¡­ Hehe! He had thought that Lu Zihan had to be very weak since he had been focusing on studying. He didn¡¯t think the guy was that tough¡­ Considering how slim he was, wouldn¡¯t he be killed by a slap? Were all the star students so ferocious? ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Lu Zihan stared at him. After a brief silence, Shen Zhe said solemnly, ¡°We¡¯re both civilized people, and civilized people shouldn¡¯t fight!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Zihan was rendered speechless. ¡°You are not intimidated, are you?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him and said casually as if it were nothing, ¡°Yes, I am! What can you do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Zihan was stunned. ¡°Do you have no sense of honor at all?¡± ¡°Declaring your timidity so confidently and straightly¡­ Are you serious?¡± Zhao Chen and the rest of them covered their foreheads, pretending that they didn¡¯t know him. He had chickened out before the game started¡­ How embarrassing! ¡°Where¡¯s your grit and hot blood?¡± But for Shen Zhe, grit and hot blood were nothing compared to his life. His enemy could break a table with a slap. Why would he fight such a guy? He didn¡¯t want to die yet! ¡°Alright, admit your failure and promise that you will not approach Ling Xueru¡­¡± said Lu Zihan. ¡°Why would I admit my failure without a fight?¡± argued Shen Zhe, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s none of your business who I talk to.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to fight, and yet he didn¡¯t admit his incompetence¡­ What could Lu Zihan possibly do? ¡°You¡­¡± Almost fuming in fury, Lu Zihan pressed forward, grabbed Liu Pengyue, and said domineeringly, ¡°Are you fighting me or not? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll beat Liu Pengyue! He¡¯s from my class. As the monitor, it¡¯s my responsibility to boost him. I wouldn¡¯t be punished for teaching him a lesson!¡± Liu Pengyue: ¡°???¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an onlooker here. How did I get involved?¡± Shen Zhe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shoot. Are the star students so shameless, too?¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡± Knowing that Lu Zihan could really beat Liu Pengyue and get away with it, Shen Zhe could only agree. ¡°However, we won¡¯t compete physically¡­¡± A student who performed poorly would be beaten by both the teacher and the monitor¡­ ¡°What a terrifying world¡­ I want to go home¡­¡± ¡°How are we going to compete then?¡± ¡°Studies¡­¡± Shen Zhe proposed. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°Shen Zhe¡­ You do know what place you were last semester, right?¡± ¡°Someone wake him up! He must be daydreaming!¡± ¡­ Zhao Chen and the rest were stunned. They knew their friend very well. Competing with Lu Zihan physically would result in him being beaten up, but nothing more. However, a competition of studies would only be a great humiliation for him. Did he not know how bad his grades were? The onlookers also burst into laughter. The last place of the school challenged a top ten in studies¡­ Was it really not some kind of entertainment show? ¡°How are we going to compete?¡± Lu Zihan released Liu Pengyue and asked. ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡± Shen Zhe reached for a handful of coins in his pocket and laid them on another table, ¡°We¡¯ll toss the coins!¡± ¡°Toss the coins?¡± ¡°The rule is simple. We¡¯ll have someone trustworthy toss those coins on the ground. Then, each of us will predict the number of heads and the number of tails. The one with the correct prediction will be the winner!¡± said Shen Zhe. ¡°Is this really¡­ about studies?¡± Everybody was stunned. Lu Zihan¡¯s eyelids twitched, too. Do you even know what studies mean? This is gambling! A gamble! ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t dare?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him. The most important thing when competing with geniuses was to choose what they were the least capable of! Gambling was all about luck¡­ The most likely result was that they would both fail. Having been a weak student for years, he had come up with too many excuses for his teacher and his parents. Shamelessness had already turned into a habit of his. He wasn¡¯t scared of anyone when it came to coin flipping. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it, but I have one condition¡­¡± Lu Zihan grew cold after he gathered himself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who tosses the coins, but the coins must fall vertically from the table!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Seeing that he agreed, Lu Zihan waved his hand. Soon, someone else came with two pieces of paper and two brushes. He smiled, ¡°Write your answers!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe counted the coins on the table. There were thirty-seven of them. Since it was all about luck, any random number would do. He was about to write the number with the greatest odds, when Zhao Chen approached him and said anxiously, ¡°You will lose this game!¡± ¡°Only if I am unlucky, right?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him in confusion. Who could tell the side of a coin when it fell to the ground? ¡°Look over there¡­¡± Zhao Chen pointed at Lu Zihan. Shen Zhe looked at him, only to be shocked. He saw that Lu Zihan was doing fast calculations on the paper; that piece of paper was swiftly filled up. Shen Zhe suddenly had a bad feeling. ¡°What¡¯s he calculating?¡± ¡°He demanded that the coins fall vertically from the table. So, the height of the coins is fixed. Now that he knows the number and the current side of the coins, he will be able to calculate their flips in midair and their final status after they hit the ground based on the hardness of the floor, the speed of the coins, and their elasticity, considering momentum, elastic collision, and acceleration of gravity¡­¡± Zhao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shoot!¡± Shen Zhe shivered and almost vomited blood. ¡°Are the geniuses all so omnipotent?¡± What kind of world was he in exactly? Lu Zihan had reached an answer. He wrote it on the paper and folded it, before he said, ¡°I¡¯m done. It¡¯s your turn¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s face trembled. He had intended for the both of them to lose, but his enemy had found the result through calculation. What could he do? ¡°Fine¡­¡± Writing a random number, Shen Zhe folded the paper. He resorted to a guess rather than to calculate. His only hope was that his guess was correct¡­ Both of them placed their answers on the table and laid a cup on top of them. Then, another student slowly pushed the coins off the table. Clang! Clang! Clang! The coins fell and were sprawled everywhere. Soon, they all came to a stop. ¡°Twenty-two heads, and fifteen tails!¡± The result was obvious. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s verify the answers¡­¡± Smiling, Lu Zihan asked the student who pushed the coins to unfold his paper where his answer was written. It said: Twenty-two heads / Fifteen tails ¡°It¡¯s absolutely correct!¡± ¡°As expected of a top ten! His calculation abilities are remarkable¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s already won¡­¡± Everybody whispered. Even though Shen Zhe gave the same answer, Lu Zihan would still win the game, because it took Shen Zhe more time to answer the question. One could say that Shen Zhe was already a sure loser. There was nothing he could do. Stiffened, Shen Zhe found the world becoming dark. That was not a star student, but a God of Gambling¡­ ¡°If you were on Earth, Chow Yun-fat [1. A leading actor in God of Gambling, which is a 1989 Hong Kong action comedy-drama film.] wouldn¡¯t have gotten that part at all!¡± There were so many coins, yet the guy calculated their final status so precisely¡­ Shen Zhe was rather bummed. ¡°It¡¯s your turn¡­¡± seeing that his calculation was exactly as in reality, Lu Zihan smiled and said to Shen Zhe. ¡°Let¡¯s check his answer.¡± ¡°It must be a random answer. I didn¡¯t see him calculate at all¡­¡± All the students in the cafeteria looked at him, wondering what the last place of the whole school had written. Shen Zhe sweated hard, being the center of attention. He didn¡¯t expect that his face would be smacked in a game that he proposed¡­ ¡°Wait¡­ Isn¡¯t the first page of my notebook capable of changing answers?¡± Shen Zhe suddenly had an idea. He had tested that the blank parts on the first page of his notebook could change answers. Since the real answer was already out, he could completely change the answer that he had just written¡­ As he thought quickly, the pencil in his head rose. Huala! After everything was done, the paper he just wrote on was opened. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Everyone was stunned as they checked the paper. There were no written words or numbers; it was only a picture. On the picture, there were thirty-seven coins with the tiniest details. ¡°In this¡­ an illustration of the coins on the ground?¡± ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ Twenty-two heads and fifteen tails¡­¡± ¡°The position of those coins is exactly the same as depicted by the picture¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even the dent on that coin has been drawn, and it¡¯s in the identical position¡­¡± ¡­ Everybody¡¯s eyes popped out as they looked at Shen Zhe as if he were a ghost. It was already unbelievable to calculate the final status of the coins, but Shen Zhe had even calculated the exact landing points of those coins without any errors¡­ How did he do it? Even Lu Chengze, first place of the grade, couldn¡¯t have achieved that¡­ Not just them, Lu Zihan also trembled and almost went crazy. He read the picture carefully and looked at the coins, shivering. ¡°Bro¡­ Are you sure that you¡¯re a bad student?¡± ¡°I can calculate the sides of the coins, but you have calculated the landing points of the coins and even illustrated them¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep a distance from Ling Xueru in the future!¡± said Lu Zihan, who took a deep breath to calm himself down. Even a fool would know that he had lost the game. It would be even more humiliating if he didn¡¯t admit it. He gritted his teeth and left. He felt lucky that Ling Xueru was not there. Otherwise, he would be too embarrassed to live anymore. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you need to compensate for the table you broke?¡± said Shen Zhe. With his face cramping, Lu Zihan tossed a block of silver on the table. ¡°This is worth three taels of silver. It should be enough¡­¡± Then, he left the cafeteria in a hurry. ¡°Three taels of silver? This table is worth a hundred wen at most. Here¡¯s a hundred wen. I¡¯ll take the silver¡­¡± Shen Zhe then threw a hundred wen on the table. One tael of silver equaled a thousand wen. Having been there for three days, he was well aware of the prices for daily items. That ordinary table was worth a hundred wen at most. Extravagance was not expected of a civilized young man. Everyone¡¯s faces cramped again. ¡°You¡¯re from a major family, and you¡¯re embezzling only a couple of taels of silver¡­ Is it really worth it?¡± ¡°Shen Zhe, how did you get the answer?¡± Zhao Chen and the rest surrounded him and asked him, their curiosity piqued. The guy had been at the bottom of the school and bullied by everyone else just like them, but why had he improved so much in the blink of an eye? It was too unbelievable! ¡°It¡¯s just a lucky guess¡­¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and dropped the topic. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time I go back!¡± ¡°Back where? There are no classes in the afternoon. Aren¡¯t you going out?¡± Zhao Chen chuckled. Generally speaking, there were only classes in the morning, and afternoons were given to the students to train themselves. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To play polo! I¡¯m told that a few beautiful chicks have gone to the polo grounds. They¡¯re very good¡­¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I have books to read¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. He was interested in the game, but he had to weather through the difficulties first. He was still under the threat of being beaten to death. If Ms. Bai Yu found that his answer was wrong after the field trip, he would be doomed. Besides, there was still a lot that he didn¡¯t know about that world. He needed to get more knowledge in case he betrayed himself. ¡°You have books to read?¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes bulged even wider. He was surprised that his friend had defeated Lu Zihan, but he was frightened to hear his friend talk like that! If the guy were really so fond of books, he wouldn¡¯t have become one of the Four Gentlemen at all! ¡°I¡¯m told that the library is full of gorgeous gals who love studying¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng suddenly said. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zhao Chen and Liu Pengyue, greatly enlightened, said, ¡°Got it! Got it! You can go!¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head but didn¡¯t explain himself. He walked to the library. While their grades were terrible, they were indeed good friends to the former Shen Zhe. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if he could give them a hand in the future. However, he had to make sure that he could survive first! For survival, Shen Zhe had to become a good student! ¡­ While Shen Zhe was on his way to the library, a team of riders went to the gate of the school. A middle-aged man got off from the horse and reached the gatekeeper. ¡°I am Shen Qing, butler of the Shen family. I¡¯m here to meet Shen Zhe and give him some training resources¡­¡± He presented an ID badge to the gatekeeper. ¡°You can come in!¡± The gatekeeper waved his hand. Shen Qing strode into the campus with the horse behind him. Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The afternoon passed quickly as he focused on the books. ¡°This is an unusual world¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head with mixed feelings. That was a continent of scholars. Calculating and studying was the foundation of surviving and thriving. All the cultivators had astonishing grades and could¡¯ve been at the top places in the national College Entrance Exams in his previous life. Take the Mages for example. Filling the Learning Ocean and casting spells both required complicated calculations. One mistake might result in the wrong construction of power; all their efforts would have been made in vain. Therefore, bad grades and weak calculation abilities would limit one¡¯s future achievements. They could become rich, but it was impossible for them to become dominating experts. Wealth was vulnerable in front of power. That was the reason why Ling Xueru despised the idea of inheriting the family fortune instead of studying. Shen Zhe was in a Class of Talents. He should have been working hard, trying to calculate the precise locations of the Learning Ocean or the Elixir Land to build up power in his body. If he broke the Learning Ocean, it would be possible for him to become a Mage; if he broke the Elixir Land, chances were that he could become a Martial Artist! The two classes mastered the greatest power on that continent. Mages in particular, were revered for the laws they established. However, not everybody could break the Learning Ocean or the Elixir Land. They had to locate seven special acupuncture points, known as the Seven Stars, in their bodies through calculation. Those acupuncture points were not fixed; they kept changing all the time. It required fast and accurate calculations to locate and illuminate them, and the work could only be done in person. The former Shen Zhe had studied the calculation method for nine years since he was eight, but due to his limited gift, he had only illuminated the two simplest stars. If the Seven Stars of a student were not illuminated after nine years of education, it meant that they would be hopeless. They would lose the eligibility to study further and sink to the bottom of society with their useless money. Lu Zihan, whom Shen Zhe had defeated, and Ling Xueru, the most beautiful girl in his class, had both illuminated the Seven Stars and were qualified to break the Learning Ocean or the Elixir Land. ¡°No wonder I was considered a scum student¡­¡± Shen Zhe smiled bitterly. There were detailed criteria for a semester final¡¯s rank, including the time it took to complete the test, the number of illuminated stars, the level of the stars, etc. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been impossible to determine the rank of the students whose grades were the same. The former Shen Zhe had the fewest illuminated stars and the lowest average grade. That was why he was in the last place. ¡°After the stars are illuminated, one will be in the Seven Star Stage. It¡¯s no real cultivation, but it will nurture you physically and mentally. The more stars are illuminated, the better one¡¯s body and mind will be. So, those with better grades will be better, and those with worse grades will be worse¡­¡± The strong stayed strong, and the weak remained weak. It was a law that had never changed. ¡°No wonder my body is weak!¡± After the former Shen Zhe¡¯s soul was replaced, the two illuminated stars died out. Also, his previous wounds had yet to heal. He might not even be able to stand for a long time, much less taking a slap from the teacher as a punishment. ¡°I have to train myself¡­¡± Rubbing his eyebrow, Shen Zhe was considering how to resolve the imminent trouble, when he saw a delighted middle-aged man. ¡°Third Young Master!¡± He had returned to his dormitory from the library without him realizing it. All the dormitories in the school had four beds each, except for Shen Zhe¡¯s. The other parents had moved their children away, fearing that they might be affected by him. So, he was the only one living in the dormitory. He enjoyed the spaciousness. He wondered who the guy was, but he didn¡¯t ask. Since the guy called him young master, he had to be from his family. He asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°The master¡­¡± Shen Qing hesitated but refrained from continuing. Eventually, he handed a bag to Shen Zhe and said, ¡°The Master asked me to bring you some herbs. He said that being a Body Practitioner was not a bad choice if you really couldn¡¯t cultivate!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Through the books, he had learned that few people wanted to become Body Practitioners, not just because their future achievements were limited. More importantly, it was because the Mages and the Martial Artists could also fortify their bodies with the power of the Learning Ocean or the Elixir Land. Polishing the body without any help would be hard and boring. Shen Zhe accepted the herbs and was relieved since he could recognize them. He felt lucky that he spent the afternoon in the library, or he wouldn¡¯t have recognized any of them. ¡°Those herbs can be refined to make a Body Polishing Liquid with this recipe. It¡¯s very simple, but it demands a lot from the furnace! All you need to do is to prevent the furnace from being broken by the high temperature, with the power of the stars in your body.¡± After giving him the instructions, Shen Qing hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Young Master, you probably shouldn¡¯t come home soon. If you can¡¯t illuminate four stars, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you would be beaten to death!¡± Shen Qing shook his head and left. ¡°What a dangerous world¡­¡± His teacher wanted to beat him, his monitor wanted to beat him, and his family also wanted to beat him. There was truly no way for a weak student to survive¡­ Shen Zhe sensed an enormous pressure. He observed the herbs in front of his eyes. Since they were no real medicines, it was indeed easy to refine them, but it still required the power of the stars in his body! However, since the two stars had died out, he was no different than an ordinary person. There was no star power at all! He couldn¡¯t let anyone know that, or his identity as a transmigrator would be exposed! ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m expected to heat those herbs until they are liquefied. It¡¯s not complicated at all. I can try a few furnaces and see if they can bear the temperature.¡± Without any hesitation, he went to one of the special refining rooms in the school and placed a standard furnace that he had just bought on the burning coal. According to the procedures, he introduced the herb with the highest melting point into it and boosted the fire. ¡°Crack!¡± The furnace fell apart, and the herb didn¡¯t change at all. He bought a few more furnaces, but the result was the same. The furnaces were all simple, because the power of the stars could guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t break when herbs were refined. But Shen Zhe didn¡¯t have such power at the moment¡­ ¡°The furnaces are too lousy¡­¡± While complaining, Shen Zhe suddenly thought of something. ¡°I seem to recall that my chemistry teacher kept saying that a certain item was heat-proof and could be used as a container of liquid metal. What was it called¡­?¡± Some of the knowledge he overheard during classes in his precious life was currently useful. His chemistry teacher mentioned a container which could be used for melting metals. If such containers existed in that world, wouldn¡¯t they be perfect furnaces to refine the herbs? ¡°I believe it was called cru¡­ crucible!¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°I¡¯ll ask if there is such a thing first¡­ After all, I¡¯m just refining herbs, and it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s done in standard furnaces or not¡­¡± Shen Zhe walked out of the refining room. It finally occurred to him that it was already eight at night. He hadn¡¯t eaten anything for supper yet, and he was starving. ¡°I¡¯ll have supper first. Perhaps I can find out if and where crucibles are available¡­¡± Nodding his head, he went to the cafeteria again. Because it was too late, few students were around. The vendors all cried. ¡°Dear customer, have some steamed dumplings!¡± ¡°Cheap fried rice here!¡± ¡°Have anything you want¡­¡± Looking around, Shen Zhe was going to have something random before he continued his research, when something he heard changed his mind. ¡°Spicy lobsters! Griddled spicy lobsters, thirty wen apiece!¡± ¡°Griddle1¡­¡± Shen Zhe hurried to turn his head over. He was looking for a crucible (griddle), and it was right there. It seemed that he was truly lucky! Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations As a student who spent most of his time sleeping and reading novels in classes, Shen Zhe had never done any experiments for real and never thought that a griddle (crucible) was not a crucible (griddle). ¡°I¡¯d like a piece!¡± Mistaking them for the same thing, he ordered Griddled Spicy Lobsters. Soon, the steaming food was brought to him, with a small stove below it. Shen Zhe found its warmth comfortable. ¡°Is this a crucible? It¡¯s much thinner than a furnace. Can it really bear the heat without being broken?¡± Shen Zhe observed the griddle carefully and even touched it. It was just regular ironware. By common sense, it couldn¡¯t bear high heat. But why did his teacher claim that it could contain melted metal? Could he have remembered it wrongly? It couldn¡¯t be! That was the pronunciation he remembered! Crucibles worked with crucible tongs¡­ Thinking about that, Shen Zhe asked, ¡°Boss, do you have tongs?¡± ¡°Tongs?¡± After a brief daze, the boss smiled and took out a poker. ¡°You meant this, right? Of course we have such tools. The fire is too hot for us to reach with our hands!¡± ¡°It seems that I was correct¡­¡± Shen Zhe was relieved after ascertaining the answer. Since he had found what he wanted, he felt even hungrier than before. Without any hesitation, he began to devour the delicious food. He had to admit that it tasted really good. There were lobsters as well as fish, potatoes and other ingredients. After he ate his fill, he put the chopsticks down and wiped the griddle with a piece of cloth carefully. Studying it for a long time, he went to see the boss and asked, ¡°Could you sell this pot to me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Stunned, the boss asked as if he thought Shen Zhe was a retard. ¡°You¡¯re not letting go of the pot? Child, it¡¯s made of iron and it¡¯s not edible!¡± Nearly choking, Shen Zhe explained, ¡°I¡¯m buying it for other purposes¡­¡± ¡°If you want it, I can sell it to you for thirty wen!¡± The boss waved her hand. She had seen people packing up the food that they couldn¡¯t finish, but it was the first time she saw someone pack up the pot! But it didn¡¯t matter. For enough money, she could sell anything in her place. Relieved, Shen Zhe gave her thirty wen. He was about to leave, when he thought of something else and asked, ¡°This griddle is not as thick as I would like. How do you prevent it from being burnt through?¡± The boss looked at the kitchen and said, ¡°You¡¯re definitely not a cook! It¡¯s never exposed to fire without having oil and ingredients inside. If the temperature is too high, you can put soy sauce, vinegar or soup into it. How can you let it be burnt through if you want to cook anything?¡± ¡°Oil? Soy sauce? Vinegar?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. Was refining herbs the same as making food? Wasn¡¯t he looking for a utensil to refine herbs? ¡°Young man, nobody will laugh at you for never making any food. Since you want to experience it, I¡¯ll give you some helpful seasonings for free. You can try them at home!¡± The kind hearted boss gave him a basket that contained oil, soy sauce, vinegar and other seasonings. They weren¡¯t worth much money. Since the customer bought the container, she decided to offer them. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Although finding it hard, Shen Zhe decided to give it a shot since regular furnaces did not work. Returning to the lab, he closed the door and placed the herbs on the griddle above the scorching fire. The fire for refining was much hotter than the fire for making food, or it couldn¡¯t have broken the regular furnaces. The griddle was only for home usage and certainly couldn¡¯t take the heat. Very soon, it was cracking and reddening. Noticing that the herbs didn¡¯t melt, Shen Zhe frowned and poured oil into the griddle. BOOM! Fire rose from the griddle and nearly burnt Shen Zhe¡¯s hair. He stepped back in a hurry, but he discovered that the herbs were turning black and showing the signs of melting. Enthused, Shen Zhe poured some of the vinegar and soy sauce into the griddle; the fire was even brighter after that! The whole room was blackened by the smoke. After the ingredients were added, the griddle that was falling apart was not as red as before and turned back to the normal color. ¡°It¡¯s true that crucibles are designed to melt metals and refine herbs!¡± His chemistry teacher was correct. Crucibles were indeed more awesome than furnaces. Oil and soy sauce were certainly not things that could be added into furnaces! He thought he was wrong just then, but he was completely reassured. The fire was more and more exuberant, melting the herbs that couldn¡¯t be melted in furnaces. After a while, Shen Zhe noticed that the oil container was empty. Since it was offered for free, there wasn¡¯t much oil in it, and Shen Zhe had used it up. He was running out of soy sauce and vinegar, too. According to the books he had read, if he stopped in the middle of a herb refining process, the herbs would be ruined, and he would obtain nothing in the end. Those herbs had been delivered by his family. He couldn¡¯t waste them. ¡°I have to make it¡­¡± As he gritted his teeth, the notebook in his head seemed to have sensed his thought and wrote it down. Bo! After the writing, the last third of the pencil was used up and vanished. Shen Zhe, who was concentrated in refining, didn¡¯t notice any of that. He simply sprayed the pepper powder into the griddle. Zi! Zi! Zi! Zi! The fire was even brighter, and the herbs were melting faster. Soon, the reactions stopped. The herbs had been melted into a bowl of gold liquid that had the intense smell of barbecue. Taking a long breath, Shen Zhe wiped his sweat. Refining was truly hard. He could hardly open his eyes under the smoke. The fire, while failing to burn his hair, had blackened his face. He could barely recognize himself in the mirror. ¡°I need to prepare an exhaust hood for refining, or at least an anti-smoke mask¡­¡± Shen Zhe took out a spoon and transferred the melted herbs into a porcelain bottle that he had prepared. The herbs were too powerful to be taken all at once. He needed to take them gradually. After cleaning everything up, Shen Zhe picked up the griddle again and appreciated it. Then, he packed up all the items and returned to his dormitory. Since he was successful in attaining the liquid, it was then time to try and find a way to polish his body. Even though his stars weren¡¯t illuminated, he would be able to take a slap if his body was stronger. He didn¡¯t want to die when his journey had not begun yet! ¡­ Soon after Shen Zhe left the room, an intimidating middle-aged man stepped in. ¡°What has brought you here, Mr. Xin?¡± The director of maintenance saw him and greeted him in a hurry. That Mr. Xin was neither a Mage nor a Martial Artist, but he was highly respected in the school, even by the headmaster. It was because he was the only qualified level-one Druggist in the whole Abyssal Ocean Kingdom! Druggists could melt herbs, minerals, blood of beasts, and other things into drugs of specific effects. They had a deep understanding about the nature of herbs and other resources, as well as the possible reactions when they were combined. There were only a few of them. ¡°I just figured out a recipe, and I¡¯m planning to test it¡­¡± Waving his hand, Xin Qi went to the room where Shen Zhe had just worked and opened the door. Wu! Wu! Wu! The moment the door was opened, the smoke that hadn¡¯t entirely dispersed embraced the newcomers. Their tears were almost flowing out. ¡°Well¡­¡± Xin Qi and the director of maintenance were both stunned. ¡°Was there¡­ a fire in this place?¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fire; someone barbecued here¡­¡± The director sniffed in the room and found it weird. ¡°Unbelievable! This is unbelievable!¡± Xin Qi shivered in fury. ¡°Feng Gan, is this how you¡¯ve been managing the refining rooms? By letting people barbecue and picnic here? The sanctuary of refining is now a diner? Unacceptable!¡± The suffocating smoke and the intense smell of pepper and cumin both suggested what had been done there. Thinking that someone had barbecued in such a holy land, Xin Qi couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Feng Gan, the director, lowered his head and almost cried. He approached the fire and saw the marks of oil, soy sauce and vinegar all over the floor. It was obvious that someone had barbecued or cooked there! Gnashing his teeth, Feng Gan hurried to explain, ¡°It was all my fault, Mr. Xin. I¡¯ll check who used this room today¡­¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Xin Qi finally nodded, ¡°Find out who it is. If it¡¯s a student, they will be expelled; if it¡¯s a teacher, I¡¯ll tell the headmaster to give them the most severe punishment!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Feng Gan nodded quickly. ¡°This lab is unavailable for refining. I¡¯ll use a different room. Have someone clean this up, especially the platform¡­¡± Xin Qi was about to use another refining room, when he was stunned. A drop of gold liquid had been left on the platform, where herbs were kept not far away from the fire. ¡°Is this¡­ the liquid of herbs?¡± He went up close. The liquid was bright gold with intense spiritual energy. He felt that his muscles were revitalized even before touching it. He grabbed the drop of liquid and observed it with a magnifier. The more he observed, the redder his face became. ¡°Mr. Xin¡­¡± Feng Gan, thinking that Xin Qi was angry, said prudently, ¡°I¡¯ve asked someone to investigate it. There will probably be a result soon¡­¡± Students with one illuminated star were already qualified to refine herbs, and that refining room didn¡¯t require registration. So, it wasn¡¯t so easy to track the users of that room. ¡°Shut up!¡± Xin Qi interrupted Feng Gan before he could finish. Xin Qi¡¯s fury had been replaced by passion. He mumbled nonstop as if he had seen a treasure. ¡°The Smoke Grass and the Gold Thread Flower are perfectly melted!¡± ¡°The White Wood and the Tail Leaves are perfectly melted!¡± ¡°The Secondary Dawn Wood and the Purple Silver Leaves are perfectly melted¡­¡± ¡°¡­Perfect!¡± ¡­ ¡°The twenty-seven herbs are perfectly melted without the slight conflict¡­¡± Xin Qi shivered nonstop. It was easy to melt herbs, but melting them perfectly without wasting any of them or causing other chemical reactions was an intricate task! One could even say that it was impossible! Even he, as a real Druggist, found it challenging. Furnace explosions were anything but unusual for them. However, the liquid in front of him was a perfect combination of dozens of herbs. It was in the most perfect gold color! Even if he were to do it personally, he could only melt them at best, and the product wouldn¡¯t be half as impeccable as that! It meant that whoever did it was even stronger than him in terms of refining! ¡°Mr. Xin¡­¡± Feng Gan looked at him carefully. He wondered if the Druggist had been driven mad. If so, he would certainly be fired as the person responsible for the place. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Mr. Xin kept mumbling, ¡°The Masculine Sun Grass requires 971 degrees to be melted, and the Purification White Lotus requires 1432 degrees. The former will be ruined if the temperature is above a thousand degrees, but the latter will not melt if the temperature is too low¡­ I¡¯ve tested 129 times but still failed to melt them¡­¡± ¡°The Gold Threat Flower is cold in nature. Normally speaking, it has to be put in a three thousand degrees fire, when the fire has burnt for 13.7 seconds. Also, it needs Heavy Agarwood to melt other herbs. This gold liquid doesn¡¯t contain any Heavy Agarwood. How did he make it?¡± ¡°The blood of the spiritual fox and the True Gold Grass are opposite ingredients. They have to be soaked in Purple Sun Water to eliminate their power before they are put in the furnace. The combination here obviously didn¡¯t follow the procedure. I can even see that the blood of the spiritual fox and the True Gold Grass are perfectly integrated¡­¡± ¡­ For a Druggist, inferring the ingredients of a medicine was a daily task. The gold liquid, despite the smell of barbecue, was obviously designed to polish the body! Xin Qi figured out the ingredients and the way to refine them easily. However¡­ no matter how he calculated and deduced, it was impossible to refine those herbs perfectly in such a refining room! Even if he performed the mixture, the product would be acceptable at best! Even he was incapable of doing that. Who was it that achieved it in the Green Abyss Academy? Also, the most unbelievable thing was that, since perfection allowed no errors, the weight of the herbs had to be absolutely precise. The tiniest smoke or saliva during refining could have ruined the product! So, to achieve perfection, the first requirement would be to work in a dust-free refining room! There were no such facilities in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom¡­ However, a perfect product had been made in a room full of dust, grease, and smoke! ¡°Mr. Xin, I¡¯ll find out who was here and I¡¯ll teach him a good lesson about the rules¡­¡± Feng Gan was anxious seeing that Xin Qi¡¯s face became weirder and weirder. ¡°Teach him a good lesson?¡± Returning to himself, Xin Qi asked with his eyes bulging, ¡°Who are you going to teach?¡± ¡°The saboteur who messed up this place just now, of course¡­¡± answered Feng Qian in a hurry. ¡°That¡¯s bulls*it!¡± Xin Qi burst into fury. ¡°A saboteur¡­ What saboteur? He was a master!¡± ¡°A master?¡± ¡°Yes. He was a real master of refining, and it¡¯s our privilege to appreciate his work¡­ Investigate it carefully and in secret, and do not piss him off. I¡¯ll visit him in person after you find out who he is¡­¡± said Xin Qi. Startled, Feng Gan looked around and felt like crying. The smoke, the pepper powder and the stink of barbecue¡­ ¡°You¡¯re saying that a master refined herbs here?¡± ¡°Why do I feel that someone had a barbecue party?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Body polishing is also divided into seven stages!¡± Not knowing the consequences of his experiment, Shen Zhe was reading books in his dormitory. In order to become a Mage or a Martial Artist, one had to illuminate the Seven Stars. After each star was illuminated, they would improve physically and mentally. Therefore, the illumination of the Seven Stars was considered a continuous process of seven stages. Body polishing, on the other hand, was also divided into seven stages, namely Spirit Concentration, Skin Hardening, Veins Practice, Blood Practice, Bone Practice, Organs Practice, and Marrow Practice. Only when the marrow was built would practitioners turn their bodies into Connate. The Connate bodies meant a longer life and infinite strength. However, the strength was purely physical. Not just a Mages, even Martial Artists could crush them easily. Besides, it was unimaginably challenging to achieve a Connate body. As least, nobody in the history of the Green Abyss Academy had achieved it purely by body polishing. ¡°To polish the body, I have to concentrate the spirit. Spirit Concentration is the foundation of cultivation. I have to gather the spiritual energy into an ocean to illuminate the stars and nurture my body¡­¡± Shen Zhe closed his eyes and perceived the environment carefully. He did sense the glittering lights in the air around him. As he took a deep breath, the spots of light flowed into his body and wandered. His former self had illuminated two stars and was certainly capable of Spiritual Concentration. While he had lost the memories, his body still remembered what to do. ¡°Gather the spiritual energy in the flesh and drink the herb liquid¡­¡± Reaching the first level, Shen Zhe controlled the spiritual energy he had just absorbed and consumed a drop of the herb liquid he had just made. The moment it entered his mouth, a stream of pure and condensed power surged throughout his body and accelerated his blood flow. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit salty but the taste is not bad. I need to put less salt next time. Since it¡¯s so salty, I will have to drink lots of water, and that means I will have to go to the toilet a lot¡­ It¡¯s certainly not good to go to the toilet while training!¡± Although he didn¡¯t know a lot about cultivation, he had read a lot of novels in his previous life. The other cultivators often lived in seclusion for half a month when they were training. If he went to the toilet every once in a while because he had drunk too much water, it would be most embarrassing. BOOM! While he was having random thoughts, the herb liquid worked. His muscles were itchy and sore, as if they were being torn apart. The wounds that had been caused by previous beatings were healing fast. Shen Zhe sensed that his strength was obviously improving. After two hours, his skin and his flesh were completely polished; he was twice as strong as before. ¡°Have I reached the peak of Skin Hardening?¡± Shen Zhe scratched his head, because his feelings were exactly the same as the description of the peak of Skin Hardening on the books. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that body polishing was uncomfortable and challenging?¡± Why was it so easy for him? ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the former Shen Zhe had practiced it before¡­¡± Shen Zhe speculated, not knowing what the reason was. His former self had illuminated two stars anyway. Skin Hardening was the easiest step in body polishing. So, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why he had succeeded so quickly. Shen Zhe had a few more drops of the herb liquid and continued training. After another two hours, he scratched his head while stunned. It seemed that he had reached Veins Practice, the third level! He continued swallowing the liquid. Another two hours passed¡­ Another four hours passed¡­ ¡­ After eight hours, as he finished the last drop of the herb liquid, Shen Zhe heard cracking noises in his body. All his bone marrow was currently the color of metals. It meant that, after a night of training, he had reached Marrow Practice, the highest level of body polishing! His every movement was powerful at the moment. He had envied Lu Zihan when he broke a table with a casual slap, but he could easily twist an iron plate with his current strength! Against those who weren¡¯t Mages or Martial Artists, Body Practitioners in the seventh stage were definitely the strongest. ¡°It seems that body polishing wasn¡¯t so hard after all¡­¡± Shen Zhe was dazed as he sensed the overwhelming power in his body. He was a bad student who knew nothing, but he had improved his body to the seventh stage that easily. It seemed that body polishing was not as horrifying as it was said to be! The real reason was probably that people intentionally said so to keep students from the profession, since Mages and Martial Artists were more honorable. It was like in his previous life, all the parents would rather have their children study regular subjects than let them study sports. For the parents, sports students had more brawn than brains. ¡°So to speak¡­ Mages are mathematicians, Martial Artists are physicians, and Body Practitioners are sportsmen!¡± Shen Zhe understood everything. Mages focused on calculation and constructed their power with calculation. Mathematics was their tool. Martial Artists cultivated spiritual energy and relied on the fundamental theories of the world that were similar to physics. As for the Body Practitioners, they were nothing but sportsmen. No wonder few people were interested in becoming that¡­ They could easily strike other people as strong as them while being unintelligent! Since he had reached the seventh stage and his wounds had been healed, Ms. Bai Yu¡¯s possible punishment in the next class would no longer be a fatal threat. Stretching out his arms, Shen Zhe looked out of the room, only to discover that the sun had risen. He did not sleep at all the night before, but he couldn¡¯t be more energetic. ¡°However¡­ Why are there seven stages, and not eight or nine?¡± Very soon, Shen Zhe was torn again. He had a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. Seven was too unreasonable a number for him. Eight sounded better [1. Eight has the same pronunciation as ¡°rich¡± in Chinese.] and was an even number. Nine was the largest one-digit number. They were much better choices¡­ Seven was not nearly half as good. ¡°I should find more herbs and refine new medication. Maybe I can create an eighth stage, or I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night¡­¡± He had run out of the herb liquid and couldn¡¯t continue his training anymore. It seemed that he would have to wait until he had access to more herbs. If he could create an eighth level, he would feel much more comfortable. He was relieved after he made the decision. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he had breakfast and left for the classroom. He didn¡¯t want to skip classes, which could help him in getting to know that world. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Shen Zhe went to the classroom, Wang Qing was waiting for him. He said anxiously, ¡°Shen Zhe, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Did Ms. Bai ask for me?¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s heart palpitated. It had been only one day. Was it possible that Ms. Bai realized that his answer was wrong and decided to teach him a lesson? ¡°Ms. Bai?¡± Wang Qing shook his head in a daze and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s Liu Pengyue. He¡¯s been here for you three times!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shen Zhe was puzzled. The Four Gentlemen were good friends, but they weren¡¯t in the same class and only hanged out after school. Why was Liu Pengyue so eagerly looking for him before the class? ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it has something to do with Lu Zihan. He said you should go to the playground behind the teaching building!¡± said Wang Qing in a hurry. ¡°Alright!¡± Nodding his head, Shen Zhe turned around and left. Although he had never met them until the day before, they left a good impression on him. They were probably Shen Zhe¡¯s former best buddies. However¡­ Hadn¡¯t Lu Zihan already failed? Was he there to trouble Liu Pengyue¡¯s in order to indirectly get back at Shen Zhe? ¡°Shen Zhe, the class will start soon. Where are you going?¡± Ling Xueru blocked Shen Zhe before he was able to leave. ¡°I have something to do!¡± Shen Zhe frowned. Had it not been for her, Lu Zihan wouldn¡¯t be bothering him. ¡°You¡¯re finally working hard in this semester. Can you not give up on yourself?¡± Ling Xueru was rather unhappy because he was obviously full of anger and aggressiveness. As the monitor, it was her responsibility to keep everyone from falling behind. Besides, she calculated for a few hours more hours the previous night, but she still failed to reach the answer stated on the guidance book. Since Lu Zihan had interrupted her the other day, she was intending to ask Shen Zhe that day before the class. However, Shen Zhe was leaving the classroom. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t give up on myself¡­¡± Waving his hand, Shen Zhe wasted no time talking and walked toward the playground. ¡°You¡­¡± Ling Xueru stomped angrily hearing Shen Zhe¡¯s casual reply. The two of them had known each other since childhood. Although she had no feelings for him, she didn¡¯t want him to sink into uselessness. He was apparently working hard and making progress in that semester. She had secretly given him a hint the day before because she wanted him to remember the lesson and keep trying¡­ Little did she expect that her answer was wrong! She had been feeling guilty. If the guy were beaten up for giving a wrong answer, it would¡¯ve been her fault. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten who you are after giving one correct answer? I¡¯m going to check what you¡¯re up to!¡± The more she thought, the angrier she got. She then followed Shen Zhe. ¡­ The playground at the rear of the campus was for the students to relax in. There was a small arena at the center, as well as facilities for playing chess or painting. Few people were around, since classes were about to start. Soon, Shen Zhe saw that Zhao Chen and Wang Xiaofeng were sitting next to the arena. Both of them had been badly injured. Liu Pengyue, on the other hand, was anxiously standing on the opposite side of Lu Zihan on the arena. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Shen Zhe narrowed his eyes. They were fine the day before. It was obvious that someone had beaten them up just then. Was it Lu Zihan? He had wounded them so badly just for a quarrel! Shen Zhe was infuriated. ¡°We had a match with Lu Zihan¡­ and we lost!¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s wounds were affected when he talked. His face cramped in pain. ¡°A match?¡± ¡°Yes, father¡­¡± Zhao Chen was about to explain, when Lu Zihan looked at them with a fake smile and said, ¡°Shen Zhe, you¡¯re here¡­ Let¡¯s talk after I defeat him!¡± As he talked, he punched his enemy. Liu Pengyue hurried to dodge. Lu Zihan pressed forward and hit with his elbow. BAM! Liu Pengyue was hit right in the face. Blood gushed out of his nose; he stepped back and fell. He was slightly stronger than Shen Zhe, but he had only illuminated three stars. It was impossible for him to resist Lu Zihan who had illuminated seven stars. After dealing a critical strike, Lu Zihan charged forward and kept kicking his enemy. Liu Pengyue¡¯s face was swollen while being under attack. Lu Zihan finally stopped and took a long breath. ¡°You lost!¡± Then, he turned to Shen Zhe and said proudly, ¡°Victory and failure cannot be decided by one contest. I did lose yesterday, but today, we¡¯ll have another match that is only about strength. Do you dare to accept it?¡± The more he thought about it after he went home, the angrier he became. He couldn¡¯t admit that he had been defeated by the last place of the school! The coins were provided by Shen Zhe, and Shen Zhe ran no calculations. So, the guy must¡¯ve cheated somehow. Otherwise, how could such a bad student have calculated the precise landing points of the coins and even drawn a picture of them, when a top ten student couldn¡¯t? If he went straight to Shen Zhe, other people would¡¯ve mocked him for lack of graciousness. So, he went to Liu Pengyue and his friends and beat them up. He knew that Shen Zhe would certainly not hold back when his friends were taught a lesson. Then, he would have an opportunity to beat him up and interrogate him about how he won the other match. ¡°You want another contest?¡± Looking at his swollen friends and Lu Zihan¡ªwho was feeling proud after having found a flaw in the school rules¡ªShen Zhe became exasperated. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shen Zhe only fought back since Lu Zihan had provoked him first. He thought that it had been the end of everything, but his friends were beaten up because of him! Lu Zihan¡¯s body had reached Blood Practice, the fourth stage, and he had illuminated seven stars. How could Shen Zhe¡¯s friends defeat him? It was obviously a one-sided match. Lu Zihan was clearly doing it on purpose. ¡°Only if you dare!¡± Lu Zihan sniffed. He had been tricked by the guy the day before, but it wouldn¡¯t happen again. He had to beat Shen Zhe up and force him to admit failure. ¡°Alright, bring it on!¡± Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe strode to the arena. ¡°Shen Zhe, you are no match for him¡­¡± ¡°He has learned battle techniques. He killed a bull with one punch¡­¡± Zhao Chen and the rest of them were quite shocked. They knew their friend very well. Even they were unable to defeat Lu Zihan in a real match. How could Shen Zhe resist the star student? If he were that strong, he wouldn¡¯t have chickened out the other day. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand. He had not dared to say anything when the guy provoked him the day before, but that day¡­ He had reached the seventh stage of body polishing. Even though Lu Zihan had illuminated seven stars, he had nothing to be scared of! Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°As long as you¡¯re up for it¡­¡± Lu Zihan, delighted that Shen Zhe did not back off, declared, ¡°If you lose, yesterday¡¯s gamble will be nullified, and you will stop pestering Ling Xueru!¡± ¡°What if you lose?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him and asked. ¡°Me? How could I lose?¡± Lu Zihan sniffed. ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting that I¡¯m a sure loser. In that case, why would I have this match with you?¡± Shen Zhe said, ¡°It¡¯s true that my grades are terrible, but I¡¯m not an idiot!¡± Lu Zihan was stunned. It did make sense. Why would anyone take part in a game that they would surely lose? Besides, Shen Zhe did win against him the day before. He frowned and asked, ¡°What are your conditions?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. If you fail, you will apologize to my friends in public and provide healing herbs for them. I¡¯ll make a list of the herbs they need!¡± said Shen Zhe. ¡°Public apology? Herbs?¡± Lu Zihan frowned. For a descendant of the Lu family, healing drugs were not a big issue, but apologizing in public would certainly demean him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s call it a day if you¡¯re scared of failure!¡± Stretching out his arms, Shen Zhe pretended that he was leaving the arena and said, ¡°After all, you lost the last contest, and you will remain a loser if there are no more contests¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Zihan gritted his teeth. He had learned everything about Shen Zhe: the last place in the school, two illuminated stars after nine years in school, awful grades¡­ The guy had only defeated him by cheating. It wouldn¡¯t happen again! He clenched his fists firmly and said, ¡°Alright, I agree!¡± If he refused, it would¡¯ve been a denial of his years of hard work. How could a top ten student be scared off by a slim possibility? ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Shen Zhe nodded in satisfaction. He needed new herbs, and the guy was ready to offer them. Before he said anything else, Lu Zihan had charged at him full of fury. The genius showed extraordinary abilities at the very beginning of the battle. Seven stars glittered in his body, imposing a heavy pressure on Shen Zhe. BAM! Before his fist approached She Zhe, the air was already exploding. Shen Zhe didn¡¯t dodge and simply punched back. He had never learned any battle techniques, but he was quite experienced in street fights. His target was exactly Lu Zihan¡¯s face. Faces were certainly the enjoyable part to smack. Not expecting that the guy dared to fight back, Lu Zihan sneered and was about to knock Shen Zhe out with a graceful posture to show his extraordinary strength, when he discovered that Shen Zhe was twice as fast as himself. His face turned pale. ¡°How could Shen Zhe be so fast? Wasn¡¯t he a weak student?¡± He had checked Shen Zhe¡¯s grades in the previous semester. The guy might not be capable of killing a chicken. Why was he so strong at the moment? If he was that strong, why did he chicken out the other day? While those ideas popped up in Lu Zihan¡¯s head, Shen Zhe¡¯s fist reached his face. BAM! Lu Zihan trembled dizzily. Having illuminated seven stars, he was far sturdier than ordinary people, but it was of no use for Shen Zhe, whose body had reached the seventh stage. After one collision, the power of the stars in Lu Zihan¡¯s body was dispersed. ¡°Is this¡­ the power of a Body Practitioner?¡± At that moment, Lu Zihan knew that the guy must¡¯ve polished his body, or he couldn¡¯t have been so ferocious. He didn¡¯t know the specific stage Shen Zhe was in, but the guy was obviously stronger than him¡­ He was about to attack again, when he was kicked in the face. His head went blank and he fell. Then, Shen Zhe sat on his chest heavily. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! His cheeks moved beyond his control. ¡°I surrender¡­¡± Almost weeping, Lu Zihan cried out. He had to surrender! Considering the enemy¡¯s strength, if the fight continued, not only would his face be broken, but it was possible that he would die on the spot! He thought he was there to brutalize noobs, but he didn¡¯t know that he was the actual noob who couldn¡¯t put up any resistance. Shen Zhe shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t accept it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Zihan freaked out. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®I don¡¯t accept it¡¯?¡± ¡°¡®I surrender¡¯ means you can stop smacking¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t accept it? Are you serious?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that¡­ Where¡¯s your dignity and manners?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Shen Zhe is smacking Lu Zihan?¡± ¡°Lu Zihan has illuminated seven stars and has reached the fourth level of body polishing, but he couldn¡¯t survive Shen Zhe¡¯s one punch¡­¡± ¡­ Zhao Chen and the rest of them, who had been worried, were shocked at how things turned out in the end. Shen Zhe had been their friend for the longest time. They knew his strength very well. But why was he beating such a genius as Lu Zihan as easily as if he were a chicken? ¡°Is the face actually a vulnerable part?¡± Liu Pengyue was deep in thought. He never had a chance to fight back just then. He decided to attack his enemy¡¯s faces first in future fights. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about face smacking; this is¡­ a prodigal student?¡± said Zhao Chen with mixed feelings. He had heard that certain geniuses had bad grades at the beginning, but after they realized their mistakes, they could catch up with the top places and make great achievements soon! Those people were called prodigal students! Was his friend one of such people? He had turned out to be so good, when he had never worked hard until that semester. If he carried on, what level would he reach? ¡°It seems that he won¡¯t be last place this semester¡­¡± Thinking about that, Zhao Chen remarked, ¡°I really wonder about his place in the finals of this semester!¡± Strength was directly related to grades. Those with good grades were strong, and vice versa. Since Lu Zihan, a top ten, was no match for Shen Zhe, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that Shen Zhe¡¯s result in the next exam couldn¡¯t be bad. ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s rather fast¡­¡± Ling Xueru didn¡¯t chase Shen Zhe until after a brief hesitation. She didn¡¯t know his destination, and she failed to find him around the classroom. The class would start soon. If she couldn¡¯t find him, the teacher would definitely punish him. ¡°I thought that he had changed his attitude, but he¡¯s horsing around again¡­¡± She sniffed and was about to abandon her search, when she heard an announcement. ¡°I surrender!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Lu Zihan? Was he messing with Shen Zhe?¡± Briefly stunned, Ling Xueru looked awful. Lu Zihan had been pursuing her. She knew exactly what he did in secret. He would secretly attack those who were interested in her. Many students had been injured by him in the recent years. It was also the reason why he threw a tantrum at Shen Zhe the day before. Was it possible that he would still not let go of Shen Zhe? The gamble that Lu Zihan lost to Shen Zhe was too humiliating. Lu Zihan kept it from spreading with his connections. Since Ling Xueru had left early, she didn¡¯t know anything about it. She thought that Lu Zihan had picked on Shen Zhe that day because he had failed to do so the day before. However¡­ If he was teaching Shen Zhe a lesson, why was he giving up? Had Shen Zhe somehow defeated the proud guy? In that case, Shen Zhe would¡¯ve truly made tremendous progress. Thinking about that, Ling Xueru felt satisfied and comforted. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Reassured, Ling Xueru went to the source of the voice and saw that Shen Zhe was sitting on Lu Zihan¡¯s chest, bashing his face in the arena located at the playground. They were truly ¡°close¡±. Satisfied and comforted? Ling Xueru almost passed out in fury. ¡°Shen Zhe, what are you doing? Unreasonable fights are forbidden in the school. Do you want to be punished?¡± she scolded. Shouldn¡¯t Lu Zihan be the beater? Wasn¡¯t Shen Zhe a bad student? What was going on? It wasn¡¯t until he heard her shouting that Shen Zhe finally noticed Ling Xueru. His face cramped. That monitor had always been a snitch. If she reported it to the teacher, it was quite possible that he would be punished. Thinking about that, Shen Zhe grabbed Lu Zihan who was half dead and declared angrily, ¡°Monitor, Lu Zihan is determined to beat me up. I¡¯m only defending myself¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s beating you up? And you¡¯re defending yourself?¡± Ling Xueru nearly choked. ¡°Bro, you could¡¯ve told a better lie!¡± ¡°Even a blind person could see that you¡¯re beating him up, not the other way around!¡± ¡°Wu! Wu! Wu! Wu¡­¡± Lu Zihan, whose head was too swollen for him to see anything, almost vomited blood after hearing that, but he was unable to say anything and could only twist his body to show his discontent. ¡°Look, he just admitted it¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Zihan cramped even harder. After a long time, Ling Xueru was finally back to herself. Looking at Lu Zihan who had been deformed, she blushed and said, ¡°Shen Zhe, you¡¯ve heavily wounded a fellow student, which shows that you have no respect for the rules. I¡¯ll tell the teacher¡­¡± Whoever the victim was, she couldn¡¯t condone such a violation! If everybody fought each other every day, how could they illuminate their stars and become Mages or Martial Artists? ¡°You can do whatever you want, but don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t follow the rules. Ask him if I obeyed the rules!¡± Shen Zhe picked up Lu Zihan again. He hated those who told everything to the teacher in his previous life. It was as if keeping a secret would kill them¡­ ¡°What could the teacher give you in return?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Struggling for a while, Lu Zihan came up with nothing. He was the cause of everything. He asked for more trouble after the failure, only to be crushed again. He was depressed when he thought about it. Ling Xueru frowned at Lu Zihan¡¯s silence. She was about to ask further, when Zhao Chen and the rest of them approached. ¡°This is what happened¡­¡± They soon explained everything. After figuring things out, the girl¡¯s eyes popped out. So, that was a normal duel which was allowed in the school. However¡­ The loser was Lu Zihan, a top ten student who had illuminated seven stars. Yet, he was smacked on the butt of the tailender. Why did it feel so not right? How could a bad student be so strong? ¡°Have you¡­ polished your body?¡± Ling Xueru looked at Shen Zhe after a brief hesitation. There could be no other reasons. Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°Body polishing¡­¡± Ling Xueru paused for a moment and continued, ¡°¡­is only a trivial art. If you can¡¯t illuminate the Seven Stars and pass the test at the end of this semester, it will be impossible for you to become a Mage or a Martial Artist. You can¡¯t achieve much with body polishing. This is a world of Mages and Martial Artists after all¡­¡± Even the Connate Body Practitioners were only on par with level-one Mages and Martial Artists, with a much lower combat ability. Besides, it was barely possible to become Connate only with the physical body. Nobody had ever succeeded in the history of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom. That was the reason why people would rather study than polish their bodies. The efforts were not worth it. However, although she despised body polishing, Ling Xueru thought more highly of Shen Zhe at the moment. He had been an unremarkable student, yet he reached such a high level in body polishing. Even she found it incredible. ¡°Alright, get it over with and come back to class! It¡¯s Mr. Xin Qi¡¯s class. He is always strict. You know the consequences if you¡¯re late!¡± She reminded them and left. It was a fair competition. While Lu Zihan was terribly beaten up, Shen Zhe¡¯s friends were not any better. They could call it even. It was no longer Ling Xueru¡¯s business. The arena fell quiet. Lu Zihan almost wanted to kill himself after the girl he liked witnessed his embarrassment. He might have had chances to win her favor before, but there was no hope after that. Reduced to such a state by a lousy student¡­ How could he live on if other people knew about it? The top students had their integrity. ¡°I give up, and I will fulfill your requirements. However¡­ Can I give you twice or three times more herbs instead of apologizing in public?¡± asked Lu Zihan, gritting his teeth. After resting for a while, although his tongue was still numb, he was finally able to talk. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe frowned and looked at his friends. He agreed to the duel exactly to avenge them. ¡°Shen Zhe, it was you who won the match. You can decide on your own. Don¡¯t worry about us!¡± ¡°We have no reputation anyway. Apologies don¡¯t matter to us!¡± ¡­ Knowing his intention, Zhao Chen and the rest of them spoke in a hurry. Seeing that, Shen Zhe stopped hesitating and said, ¡°Alright, apologies are not necessary. Here are the herbs I need. You will give me three¡­ no, five pieces of each, or we will tell everyone what happened today. I¡¯m always here if you want to ask for more trouble!¡± Zhao Chen was quite right. They were bad students anyway. Nobody would believe it even though they claimed that they had beaten Lu Zihan up. They might even think that those bad students had used dirty methods. It was better to demand concrete compensations instead of apologies. ¡°No problem¡­¡± Lu Zihan nodded in a hurry. The Lu family had been involved in the herb business. While he had no access to the precious herbs, it wasn¡¯t a problem for him to fetch a few body polishing herbs. As long as the news weren¡¯t leaked, he would still be the talented and gracious gentleman of the Lu family. ¡°I¡¯ll have the herbs prepared and sent to you in the afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Shen Zhe nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s over now. Let¡¯s go back to class. We¡¯re running late¡­¡± Without any hesitation, he rushed to the classroom. He had heard a lot about Mr. Xin Qi in the past four days. The man was the only Druggist in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom. Rigorous and bad-tempered, he punished students severely when they made a mistake during the experiments. Shen Zhe didn¡¯t want to be punished for being late. ¡°Drugs include both pills and the herb liquids made of chemical substances¡­ So, it¡¯s a profession related to chemistry!¡± On his way back, he recalled the information about Druggists. They were different from the Pill Makers in some of the novels he read. Rather, they created medical liquids and pills through all kinds of chemical reactions. The knowledge involved was similar to the chemistry he knew. Mages were mathematicians, Martial Artists were physicians, Body Practitioners were sportsmen, and Druggists were chemists! Shen Zhe wondered if there were other disciplines. Before Shen Zhe reached the classroom, the bell had already rung, marking the start of the class. Xin Qi looked around from the rostrum and frowned. The day before, Feng Gan, the director of the refining rooms, spent all night investigating but did not find out who the refiner was. He only found an eyewitness who saw a blackened guy running out in the school uniform. The age and look of the guy were unknown. Since he was in school uniform, he had to be a student. So, Xin Qi was hoping to find out whether or not the refining master could be in his class. ¡°We¡¯re having a test today!¡± Looking around expressionlessly, Xin Qi said, ¡°You will melt the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus without any herbal catalysts!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The classroom fell quiet, and everyone¡¯s faces changed. They all knew the nature of the two herbs and the difficulty to melt them. ¡°Write down the method to melt them and the tools you need. I¡¯ll collect your answers half an hour later!¡± said Xin Qi casually. ¡°May I come in?¡± Right then, Shen Zhe had finally made it to the classroom. Seeing that someone was late for his class, and it was none other than the infamous student, Xin Qi squinted. Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°I have few requirements in my class. Being late, or even not coming at all, is no biggie¡­¡± Turning around, Xin Qi declared, ¡°However, that is on the grounds that you can answer my questions satisfactorily!¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s face cramped. He ran as fast as possible, but he still arrived late. How unlucky! ¡°Considering your grades, I won¡¯t give you a hard time. It¡¯s a simple question. What are the characteristics of the Hundred Beard Grass we learned in the last class?¡± asked Xin Qi. ¡°The Hundred Beard Grass?¡± Shen Zhe scratched his head. It was the former Shen Zhe who took the class. How could he possibly know what had been taught in the previous class? He did read a lot of books in the previous afternoon, but certainly not all of them. He had never heard about the Hundred Beard Grass before. How was he going to answer the question? Awkwardly, he hesitated for a moment and ventured, ¡°Is it¡­ a grass with a lot of beards?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°Is the Hundred Beard Grass an herb with a hundred beards?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep through the last class, did he?¡± ¡­ The students burst into laughter. Xin Qi nearly exploded in fury, ¡°You are truly unteachable!¡± He had taught so much in the last class, but Shen Zhe didn¡¯t remember a thing¡­ The student was truly hopeless. Ling Xueru frowned. Hadn¡¯t he changed his attitude? He answered Ms. Bai Yu¡¯s question precisely in the last class, and he even beat Lu Zihan up just then¡­ Why was he making a fool of himself in the drug class? ¡°Cui Xiao, you will answer this question!¡± Xin Qi sniffed and said. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Cui Xiao stood up and declared proudly, ¡°The Hundred Beard Grass, also known as the Hundred-Year-Old Long-Beard Grass, is an herb which has a white rhizome that looks like the beard of an old man. It has a great effect on the wounded and the weak and can lengthen their life spans. Its full name means that it can make a person live beyond a hundred years. It¡¯s about three to five inches long when mature, and it prefers coldness!¡± ¡°To melt it with other herbs, it has to be dried first. Its melting point is 377 degrees, which is the best temperature for the herb to take effect. Every degree above that temperature will result in a 0.13% loss of the effect. Iron-made furnaces and high-temperature coal should be avoided when such herbs are refined.¡± ¡°After they are refined, they cannot be contained in wood-natured containers or raw porcelain made of mud, because they will absorb the effect of the herbs¡­¡± ¡°¡­This is the end of my answer!¡± Cui Xiao elaborated on the nature, effect and methods for refining the herb in great detail. ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyebrow twitched. It was so detailed. He couldn¡¯t have memorized it in three days. Should he remain a bad student instead of trying to become a good one? ¡°Very good!¡± Xin Qi nodded in satisfaction again, because it was the same as his interpretation in the last class. He looked at Shen Zhe angrily and said, ¡°Did you memorize it?¡± They were students from the same class, but why were they so different? ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe scratched his head. Cui Xiao had spoken too fast for anyone to remember. ¡°I have no time to waste on you today. Get in and take the test. If you get more than sixty points, I¡¯ll forgive you for being late; if not, you will take two punches from me as punishment!¡± Xin Qi said without asking further. The most important issue was to find out the master who had made the perfect herb liquid. If he could learn from him, it was possible that the conundrums that haunted him for years could be resolved. As for Shen Zhe¡­ He had always been the last place. It would be fine as long as he didn¡¯t cause any trouble in class. Not every teacher had Mr. Xin Qi¡¯s sense of responsibility. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Shen Zhe returned to his seat gloomily. What were the bad students most scared of? Exams! Every exam was a chance for the geniuses to show off, but it was also a time of embarrassment for the bad students. While Mr. Xin had temporarily let go of him, getting more than sixty points in the test was even more difficult than a slap. ¡°This is the question. Copy it down. I have to start calculating¡­¡± Wang Qing, who was sitting next to him, gave him a piece of paper. Shen Zhe hurried to copy the question, but then he was stunned. ¡°The Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus? Aren¡¯t they the ingredients to make the body polishing liquid?¡± He didn¡¯t know much about other herbs, but he remembered those two clearly because he had just melted them the day before. ¡°Was this the question?¡± He held his chin and recalled. It seemed that he didn¡¯t use any other things to refine them the day before, right? Well, no, he did use oil! After he inserted the Masculine Sun Grass, he added some oil to improve the temperature. That was when the Purification White Lotus had melted¡­ ¡°Fantastic! I actually know this one¡­¡± Confirming the question on his friend¡¯s paper, Shen Zhe was quite excited. He had thought that he was doomed, but it was a question he knew how to answer. How lucky! ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be too cocky even though I can answer it¡­ I should study the pencil when the school is over. Something will happen sooner or later after I lose it¡­¡± He realized that the pencil was gone in the morning, but he had little time to investigate it. He planned to conduct some tests when the school was over. He was not certain that he could be that lucky, that every question he were to be asked would be something he knew. Making the decision, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all and simply wrote ¡°oil¡± on the paper. He was about to drop the brush, when he noticed that everyone else was running calculations. Would it be too eye-catching if he were to submit the answer that quickly? Should I write something more? The paper was rather spacious, and it would take a lot of time to fill it up. Shen Zhe remembered how he refined the herbs the day before and wrote on. ¡°After the Masculine Sun Grass is put in, you need to lift the pot and keep it away from the fire. The remaining heat of the pot is enough to melt it. When you lift the pot, you¡¯d better wear thick gloves, or cover the handle with a wet towel, in case your hands are hurt by the heat. If it¡¯s still too hot, you can clutch the handle with pliers. However, I have never tried it in person, and I speculate that it could be inconvenient because you might accidentally drop the pot when you roll it. Also, you should wear a mask and a hat, because the grease and the smoke are rather overwhelming¡­¡± Shen Zhe nodded as he wrote on. It was his precious real-life experience. He was certain that it was a standard answer! Smiling in satisfaction, he wrote on. While his handwriting was not good with the brush, he didn¡¯t think he would be beaten that day, because he had offered the answer. ¡°He knows the answer to this question¡­¡± Ling Xueru, who was not getting anywhere, was astonished to see that Shen Zhe was writing fast. Even she had a rough time producing a speculation and was not sure of its correctness. However, Shen Zhe was getting more and more confident as he wrote on. It seemed that he had been truly working hard in that semester, and would not be a bad student anymore. Ling Xueru was satisfied and comforted again, being able to witness a classmate changing from a tailender to someone who could answer a question that she couldn¡¯t. She smiled and ignored him, focusing on her own calculations. Not knowing that someone observed him, the more Shen Zhe wrote, the happier he was. ¡°¡­After the Purification White Lotus is put in, move the pot back to the fire. At that moment, the coal will be too hot for the pot. To prevent it from being burnt through, you have to pour an appropriate amount of oil¡­¡± Shen Zhe hesitated when he wrote ¡°appropriate amount¡±. He had poured the oil randomly and didn¡¯t measure it. It would be inaccurate to give a specific number. ¡°Appropriate amount¡± sounded much better. Every exam was a headache for him in his previous life, but he could pay attention to such tiny details at the moment. He was truly a new person! No wonder everybody wanted to answer questions and impress the teacher. It truly felt great. It seemed that he had taken the first step to becoming a real genius¡­ ¡°Fire will spring when the oil enters the pot. After about three breaths, the Purification White Lotus will melt. Then, add a fair amount of pepper powder into the liquid, and the herbs will integrate perfectly¡­ Right, don¡¯t add too much salt, or the liquid will taste awful. This is my lesson. You must remember it carefully¡­¡± The paper was filled up very soon. He wrote all the steps he performed when he refined the herbs the day before, even with notes about the smell and intensity of the smoke. Shen Zhe was finally relieved after it was done. He looked around, only to discover that a lot of students were still frowning. Some even hadn¡¯t written anything yet. ¡°Don¡¯t they know the answer?¡± Shen Zhe scorned them. They did not know the answer to such a simple question, yet they called themselves good students? How embarrassing! ¡°Is this a difficult question?¡± Seeing that Wang Qing was also chewing his brush, puzzled, Shen Zhe asked him. Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Of course it is difficult¡­¡± Wang Qing was upset. He said in a low voice, ¡°The melting points of the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus are 971 degrees and 1,432 degrees respectively. There¡¯s a gap of 461 degrees in between. The effect of the former will decline if the temperature is too high, and the latter will not melt if the temperature is too low¡­ It¡¯s impossible to integrate them without herbal catalysts!¡± ¡°I tested eight herbs just now. The Green Wood Grass can raise the melting point of the Masculine Sun Grass, but only by 76 degrees, so there¡¯s still a long way to go. A flower can lower the melting point of the Purification White Lotus by 87 degrees. However, there¡¯s still a gap of 298 degrees¡­¡± ¡°If the temperature of the fire can be raised within five breaths, the problem can also be resolved, but our standard furnaces can¡¯t bear drastic increases. Look¡­ According to my calculations, they would explode in 4.75 seconds. They cannot endure five breaths at all¡­¡± ¡°Also¡­ the place where the herbs are positioned also matters. The top of the furnace is the part with the least heat, while the bottom is the hottest. The year when the herbs were collected is another factor. The water percentage of the herbs would depend on this¡­¡± Wang Qing¡¯s words and the dense formulas on his paper were dazzling. ¡°Is it that complicated?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. The previous day, he had succeeded by simply adding oil and pepper powder¡­ He didn¡¯t consider the harvesting year or the melting points of the herbs¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you overthinking?¡± Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°How could I be? To be honest, I am under-thinking. Look at Cui Xiao and Ling Xueru. They¡¯re considering even more factors!¡± said Wang Qing as he secretly pointed at them. Shen Zhe looked at them. Their papers were even denser; they had even used up a couple of sheets. Their notes were too far away for Shen Zhe to read, but he could tell that the paper was full of functions, theorems and calculus. ¡°Well¡­¡± With eyes back on his own paper, Shen Zhe hesitated as he read his answer. ¡°Is ¡®appropriate amount¡¯ not accurate enough? I don¡¯t remember how many ounces of oil I used¡­ Besides, I think it has something to do with the pot. Large pots need more oil¡­¡± ¡°Time is up!¡± While he was wondering if he should change the term ¡°appropriate amount,¡± Mr. Xin Qi¡¯s sniff dragged everybody back to reality. ¡°This is too hard¡­¡± ¡­ The students whispered to each other in frustration. Cui Xiao collected everyone¡¯s answers and delivered them to the rostrum. ¡°The guidance book for teachers doesn¡¯t have a conclusion about how to melt the herbs without a catalyst, which means that there¡¯s no standard answer. This test is only meant to measure your analysis and calculation abilities. Mistakes are inevitable in drug making. What matters is how you correct them, and the direction you¡¯re working on. If your direction is wrong, you will achieve nothing, no matter how many times you try!¡± Checking a few random answers, Xin Qi explained. He had calculated 129 times, to no avail. Therefore, there was no specific answer. All the students who could provide correct procedures would be given points. Nobody could have a full score, but as long as their methodology was correct, it was easy to score eighty to ninety points. ¡°That explains a lot¡­¡± Everybody was enlightened and relieved. ¡°Cui Xiao, randomly distribute the answers, and write my procedures on the blackboard. Every procedure will mean a specific number of points. You will grade each other. The result will be announced later!¡± Such class quizzes were generally not checked by the teacher but by the students. The answers were soon distributed. The one Shen Zhe received was actually Ling Xueru¡¯s. Her handwriting was as beautiful and as elegant as her looks. Her answer was on five sheets of paper, written without any modifications. It was obvious that she had taken everything into consideration before she wrote the answer. Shen Zhe was surprised as he read the answer. It was just like Wang Qing had said. In fact, it was even more detailed. Various formulas, theorems, even the quality of the furnace, the temperature of the fire, and the volume of the air had been taken into account. He looked at the answer on the blackboard. It was identical to Ling Xueru¡¯s. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes widened. No wonder Ling Xueru was proud. She certainly had every reason to be. The calculations were too complicated for him to understand. ¡°Ninety-eight points!¡± Soon, he determined her result. Her answer was absolutely the same as the teacher¡¯s, except for the speculation at the end. She deserved to be the student with the best grades in her class. Coincidentally, Shen Zhe¡¯s paper had been given to Ling Xueru. Ling Xueru was satisfied and comforted to see that Shen Zhe wrote confidently just then, but the moment she read his answer, she knew that she shouldn¡¯t have felt happy that soon! ¡°What did he write?¡± ¡°Cooking tips?¡± ¡°The question was about refining, yet you¡¯re adding oil and pepper powder¡­¡± She thought that Shen Zhe was making progress, but he had betrayed himself in the test, showing that he was even worse than before! While his grades were bad in the past, he was able to get some points, but he had apparently given up on himself. Shaking her head, she looked at the correct answer on the blackboard and wrote a score after hesitating for a moment. ¡°Submit the answers now!¡± said Xin Qi, seeing that everyone had stopped writing. Soon, all the papers were piled on the rostrum. ¡°I¡¯ll announce your grades now!¡± Sorting the answers according to their grades, Xin Qi said, ¡°Ling Xueru, 98! Cui Xiao, 95¡­¡± Although the quiz was difficult and there was no definitive answer, more than half of the students had scored higher than ninety points, while the rest were all above eighty points. Shen Zhe noticed that even Wang Qing had gotten 86 points. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. My answer is different from the one on the blackboard, but it has been verified in practice¡­ Why has my name not been announced yet?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. He was very confident about his answer. After all, the herb liquid had been produced; it improved his body to the seventh stage. Such a correct answer should score at least ninety points, if not a full score¡­ Why was his name not mentioned? ¡°The last one¡­ Shen Zhe!¡± While he was puzzled about this, Xin Qi read his name aloud. Everybody looked at him, as if wondering how many points the last place of their class could get. ¡°Three points!¡± said Xin Qi with determination. ¡°Three points?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. Such a perfect answer had produced so few points? ¡°I thought that you could get at least sixty points, but I didn¡¯t know that you could be so bad!¡± His face grim, Xin Qi was about to explode. He had never seen a lower score in all his years of teaching. It certainly had created a new record. You could get points by writing a few random formulas on the paper. Three points meant that Shen Zhe had gotten everything wrong! ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to become a Druggist, even for those with more than 95 points. Three points¡­¡± The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Xin Qi raised his eyebrow and slapped the desk furiously, ¡°Shen Zhe, tell me, what can you do with three points?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sheepishly standing up, Shen Zhe scratched his head and said innocently, ¡°Avoid getting a zero?¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t think of anything else when Xin Qi asked him. Xin Qi felt that he was passing out due to anger. ¡°To avoid getting a zero?¡± ¡°Do you have no better goals?¡± ¡°What can you do after your graduation if your grade is so terrible? Do you have no plans for your future at all?¡± ¡°I said before the quiz that I would forgive you if you scored more than sixty points¡­ Since you only have three points, you will take two slaps from me!¡± Calming himself down, Xin Qi wasted no time talking to the bad student and gathered power in his palm. While he was a Druggist and fighting was not his strongest suit, he was on par with level-one Mages and Martial Artists anyway. A storm seemed to be rising in the classroom, giving everyone enormous pressure. Shen Zhe¡¯s face cramped. He knew that if the teacher did hit him, he would be terribly wounded even though he had reached the seventh stage of body polishing. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Raising his head, Shen Zhe said stubbornly, ¡°Sir, let me ask you¡­ Can your standard answer melt the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus without any herbal catalyst?¡± Seeing that the student was not embarrassed but questioned him instead, Xin Qi was even angrier, ¡°Are you doubting the validity of my answer?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing it again¡­¡± Ling Xueru¡¯s lips twitched. The other students in the class were also stunned. Shen Zhe was bold enough to challenge Ms. Bai Yu the previous day, and he was challenging Mr. Xin Qi just then¡­ Since when had the bad students become so confident? For a while, everybody wondered whether or not Shen Zhe was the actual genius who had been laying low. ¡°Of course not!¡± said Shen Zhe, ¡°But my answer can perfectly melt the two herbs. I¡¯ve even tried it myself!¡± ¡°Have you?¡± Xin Qi frowned, ¡°You claim that you can melt those two herbs perfectly without any herbal catalyst?¡± The Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus had covert effects that would be compromised by herbal catalysts. It was the reason why Xin Qi had been studying how to melt them without any herbal catalysts. He had run more than a hundred experiments, all being unsuccessful. But the student who scored three points said that he successfully integrated them¡­ How was it possible? ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Seeing how certain he was, Xin Qi read the answer more carefully. He focused on the grade just then and didn¡¯t really notice what the answer was. His lips twitched as he read the answer. It wasn¡¯t refining at all but more like cooking¡­ By common sense, it couldn¡¯t work at all! ¡°Wait¡­ The master of refining yesterday¡­¡± He suddenly thought of something. After the master of refining made a perfect herb liquid the other day, the room was full of smoke and had the smell of barbecue. Was that the method what he used? Was it possible that the master Xin Qi had been looking for was the student who had the last place of the school? However, it was too great a deal for him to jump to any conclusions. He had to confirm it first. Thinking about that, Xin Qi paused for a moment and asked, ¡°You wrote that oil and pepper powder had to be added. What about other seasonings?¡± Shen Zhe considered for a moment and replied, ¡°The product will taste better if soy sauce and vinegar are added at the right moment!¡± ¡°¡­¡± All the other students looked at each other as if stunned. Wasn¡¯t the discussion about how he got three points? Wasn¡¯t he going to be taught a lesson? Why was he talking about pepper powder, soy sauce, and vinegar? ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Wang Qing swallowed. He was starving. To sleep more in the morning, he didn¡¯t have any breakfast. When pepper powder was mentioned, he immediately thought of a delicious barbecue and couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Ignoring the other students¡¯ shock, Xin Qi grew solemn. He was certain that the person who had used the refining room the day before was deeply connected to Shen Zhe, if it wasn¡¯t Shen Zhe himself. Otherwise, Shen Zhe wouldn¡¯t have mentioned soy sauce and vinegar. ¡°Ling Xueru, you will tell everybody how you resolved the question. Shen Zhe, come with me!¡± After the confirmation, Xin Qi gave an instruction and left the classroom. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± Shen Zhe followed him. The room was filled with whispers after they were gone. ¡°Shen Zhe said he tried it in person. Was he serious?¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t be. You think he¡¯s capable of refining?¡± ¡°Three points in the quiz means that he knows nothing about the reactions of the herbs. His furnace will explode if he starts refining!¡± ¡°I assume that Mr. Xin Qi is taking him to the office to punish him for his nonsense!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Mr. Xin Qi has always been revered as a rare Druggist. Beating a student in public would be too demeaning for him. There will be fewer things to worry about if it¡¯s in his office¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s pray for Shen Zhe¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s mourn for him¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for his funeral¡­¡± ¡­ Everybody looked at Shen Zhe¡¯s back in sympathy. They all knew Xin Qi¡¯s bad temper very well. He was as explosive as the herb liquids he made. He had shown enough self-control by tolerating the three points and the nonsense about soy sauce and vinegar. ¡°This guy¡­¡± Ling Xueru frowned and eventually shook her head. Her opinion was different. Shen Zhe¡¯s answer was identical to the one on the guidance book, he had beaten up Lu Zihan bare handedly, and Mr. Xin Qi took him away from the classroom because of a remark he made¡­ Since the day before, the infamous tailender in her class had become too mysterious for her. She didn¡¯t know why the teacher ended discussing barbecue with Shen Zhe in the class, but she was certain that the teacher didn¡¯t take him away to punish him. Everybody knew that Mr. Xin could explode at any time. He had beaten up too many students over the years. Why would he waste his time by taking Shen Zhe away? While Ling Xueru was confused, Shen Zhe was relieved behind Xin Qi. If he didn¡¯t say that he had tried it, the teacher might¡¯ve enforced the punishment. It seemed that he had temporarily survived the disaster. It was truly not easy to be a bad student! However, when you were playing while other people were studying, it felt great, too! ¡°This is my office. Here I have the hottest coal and the most appropriate furnaces. Since you said you tried it, melt the two herbs for me right now!¡± Xin Qi stopped at one of the rooms. As the only Druggist in the country, Xin Qi had his own office with refining room facilities, so that he could run experiments the moment he had inspirations. Of course, it was mainly a place for work. He did most of his experiments in the refining rooms. He had been studying the integration of the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus. A lot of them were left in that room. ¡°Well¡­¡± Not expecting that the teacher would take him there for refining, Shen Zhe hesitated and asked, ¡°Mr. Xin, do you have a crucible? I need a crucible for refining!¡± ¡°A crucible?¡± Xin Qi frowned and said, ¡°Alright, wait a moment!¡± The crucible was a necessary tool for making drugs. He had one in his office. He went to the closet and delivered the crucible to Shen Zhe. ¡°I asked for a crucible¡­ Why are you giving me a cup?¡± Shen Zhe was confused. Xin Qi¡¯s crucible was one made of quartz in the size of a regular teacup. Xin Qi was stunned. ¡°This IS a crucible!¡± Shen Zhe said in amusement, ¡°You must be kidding! This is not even large enough to contain two lobsters, much less potatoes, tofu, bean sprouts, etc. Who can be satisfied with so little food?¡± ¡°Spicy lobsters? You make spicy lobsters with a crucible? Satisfied with the food?¡± ¡°What the heck is he talking about?¡± Xin Qi felt that the world was falling apart inch by inch in front him. Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It wasn¡¯t until a long time later that Mr. Xin finally realized what was going on. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the container where spicy lobsters are made?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°You can make drugs¡­ with that?¡± Xin Qi was truly going crazy. Crucibles could melt herbs thanks to their high melting point, but what could griddles do? It was weird enough that oil and pepper powder were added in the process, and Shen Zhe was even asking for a different pot¡­ Holding his chest, Xin Qi felt that he was having a heartache. Why did it feel less and less related to refining? Was it a mistake to bring Shen Zhe to his office? ¡°Master, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go and fetch my pot¡­¡± Seeing that the teacher was confused, Shen Zhe smiled and ran to his dormitory. He returned ten minutes later with the iron griddle he had used before. His lips twitching, Xin Qi waved his hand helplessly and said, ¡°Here are the drugs. You can refine them for me¡­¡± Words were always easier than action. He wanted to find out if it could work. ¡°Alright!¡± Shen Zhe was about to get started, but then he turned around and asked, ¡°Do you have seasonings in your place?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Qi left his office speechlessly. After another ten minutes, he returned with soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, pepper power and other seasonings that he had just bought. ¡°Are they enough!?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Shen Zhe nodded in a hurry. All preparations were done. Shen Zhe picked up the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus and placed them in the griddle. Fire sprang again when he added oil into the griddle, and smoke spread out as he sprayed the pepper powder. Shen Zhe had learned to put less salt that time. ¡°They have indeed melted¡­¡± Xin Qi was stiffened and dumbfounded to witness the whole procedure. He had done 129 experiments without any success, but Shen Zhe made it with nothing but some oil and pepper powder¡­ Since when had herb liquids become so easy to make? Xin Qi¡¯s world collapsed even harder. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± It was very easy to melt the herbs. Shen Zhe grabbed the griddle and poured the product into the crucible. It was perfect with the attractive amber color. Xin Qi moved closer in a hurry and studied the crucible carefully, only to discover there were no flaws at all. ¡°Can¡­ Can I try it?¡± Xin Qi asked excitedly, his hands shivering. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Shen Zhe nodded in a hurry. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Xin Qi cleaned the griddle, put the herbs in, and poured oil according to Shen Zhe¡¯s procedures. Fire was burning, and the fragrance of oil spread out. As a Druggist, Xin Qi had an even better memory than Ling Xueru¡¯s. Although Shen Zhe had only done it once, he had remembered all the details. BAM! The moment Xin Qi added the Purification White Lotus, the griddle exploded with a dull noise, and the herbs splashed out. ¡°Well¡­¡± Xin Qi was stunned. He did exactly what the young man had done, but why was there an explosion? ¡°My crucible¡­¡± Shen Zhe, upset by the loss of a great tool, asked with a scolding tone, ¡°Are you really capable of refining?¡± He had spent quite a lot of money on the griddle¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Xin Qi was rather embarrassed. Their procedures were the same, but Shen Zhe had created the perfect herb liquid whereas he broke Shen Zhe¡¯s pot¡­ It was truly humiliating! It was truly a fiasco for a renowned Druggist¡­ He wished that there was a hole on the ground that he could hide in! ¡­ ¡°The class is already over, and the teacher and Shen Zhe are still not back. Is he really giving him a beating?¡± After Ling Xueru explained her answer, the bell rang. She turned around, only to see that Mr. Xin Qi and Shen Zhe were still not back. She was slightly worried. Shen Zhe hadn¡¯t explained to her how he resolved the question the other day. How could she find the answer if he was sent to the hospital? ¡°I¡¯ll take the answers to Mr. Xin¡¯s office¡­¡± While she was stunned, Cui Xiao approached her. ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. Let me take them.¡± Glad that she had a chance, Ling Xueru collected the paper on the desk and walked to Xin Qi¡¯s office in a hurry. She was about to knock on the door, when she heard someone scolding angrily. ¡°Are you really capable of refining?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­ Shen Zhe¡¯s voice?¡± Ling Xueru was stiffened once she heard that. Having been his classmate for nine years, she could easily tell whose voice it was. Shen Zhe¡­ That infamous student was questioning someone else¡¯s ability of refining? While she was puzzled, she heard Mr. Xin Qi¡¯s apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ling Xueru trembled. She had thought that she would overhear Mr. Xin berating if not abusing Shen Zhe. Little did she expect that it would be Shen Zhe who was the one doing the scolding! He was even questioning Mr. Xin¡¯s ability of refining! What was going on? Ling Xueru felt that she was passing out because of the shock. She could accept that Shen Zhe had defeated Lu Zihan because he might be a good Body Practitioner. However¡­ Questioning the only Druggist in the kingdom, whom even His Majesty respected, and even letting him apologize willingly¡­ Why did it feel so weird? ¡°Whatever it is, I shouldn¡¯t be involved¡­¡± The girl was too scared to knock on the door anymore. Mr. Xin had been criticized but he didn¡¯t dare try to defend himself. Whether or not her eyes had deceived her, it was too uncanny, and it would be inappropriate for her to barge in. She thought for a moment and decided to leave. It was too scary¡­ She¡¯d be better off by staying out of it¡­ ¡­ ¡°Forgive me, sir, I was too blunt¡­¡± Shen Zhe was covered in cold sweat after he scolded his teacher. That was one of the most bad-tempered teachers in the school, and Shen Zhe had just reprimanded him¡­ He was too audacious! ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Xin Qi waved his hand and said, ¡°It was my mistake that caused the explosion. I should take the blame.¡± Despite his crankiness, he respected the truth. Shen Zhe had successfully created the liquid with the griddle. It meant that what he said was true. Although he was only a student, what he said didn¡¯t matter when what he did was correct. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe was finally relieved. ¡°Sir, the next class is about to start. Can I go back?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Realizing that a whole class had passed without him knowing it, Xin Qi nodded. He had remembered all the procedures. He could buy a few more griddles and try more times. It was unnecessary to keep Shen Zhe there. ¡°Good bye!¡± Seeing that he had survived the trial and the teacher probably wouldn¡¯t beat him, Shen Zhe hurried to leave the office. After he left, Xin Qi sat down and began his calculation. Very soon, his eyes glowed as he read the results. ¡°While the griddle is thin and cannot take the high temperature, it can transmit the heat dozens of times faster than regular furnaces can! The greatest problem to melt the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus was their different melting points. If the temperature is improved within five breaths, they can be melted without any herbal catalysts! Once oil is added, the heat in the griddle will be transferred to the herbs, and the problem will be solved¡­¡± ¡°Most importantly, because of the fast transmission of heat, the herbs are melted without any attrition, and their characteristics are perfectly maintained¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is the reason!¡± Xin Qi burst into laughter after figuring out the puzzle that had bothered him for years. He had found it odd that griddles were used instead of furnaces, but after calculating, he realized that griddles met the requirements perfectly! It meant that Shen Zhe¡¯s procedures were correct! As a Druggist, he had worked on it and failed for years, but a student who had only scored three points had found a solution¡­ It was truly an irony. ¡°Is it possible that he didn¡¯t find it out on his own but had a great teacher behind him?¡± The idea suddenly popped up in Xin Qi¡¯s head. Calculation was the foundation of everything. Xin Qi didn¡¯t believe that Shen Zhe could devise such a brilliant method when his grades were so terrible. Perhaps, he had a mentor who offered him guidance. However, Shen Zhe didn¡¯t mention any names. It was possible that the master didn¡¯t want to be known. ¡°It seems that I have to investigate secretly¡­¡± In any case, that thing had to be kept a secret until he had more discoveries. ¡­ Ling Xueru, who had just stepped away, heard that someone opened the door. She hurried to hide herself. Then, she saw Shen Zhe rushing to the classroom. ¡°He¡¯s gone¡­ I can deliver the paper now!¡± Shen Zhe had left, which meant that Xin Qi was alone. It wouldn¡¯t be too awkward for her to visit then. She returned to the office and was about to knock, when she heard a voice again. ¡°Hahaha! This is the reason!¡± Xin Qi was obviously excited, if not frantic. ¡°Well¡­¡± Ling Xueru was confused. ¡°Is Mr. Xin crazy?¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After she returned to the classroom, Ling Xueru eyed Shen Zhe even more weirdly. He wasn¡¯t punished for getting three points in the quiz. Instead, he scolded the teacher and drove the teacher mad¡­ What did Shen Zhe do to the teacher? Ding-dong! While Ling Xueru was having random thoughts, the bell rang, and a grim middle-aged man entered the classroom. He was Geng Xing, a level-one Mage, which was the most honorable profession on the continent! ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Bai supposed to teach this class? Why is Mr. Geng here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m told that Ms. Bai is on a field trip to verify the answer on the guidance book. She hasn¡¯t returned yet!¡± ¡°The answer was completely different from our calculations, but the guidance book has never been wrong because of the magic rules. There¡¯s no way to dispprove it other than testing it in reality!¡± ¡­ Everybody whispered. It was Ms. Bai Yu¡¯s class. Since she wasn¡¯t there, Mr. Geng substituted for her. ¡°Silence!¡± Putting the guidance book down, Geng Xing looked around and said, ¡°The class now begins!¡± ¡°Mages practice the most honorable profession on this continent. I¡¯m sure you all know it very well. Mages can set up rules, law, and order, which will change reality when they are ascertained to be truth. Also, Mages can attack remotely. They¡¯re far stronger than Martial Artists and Druggists of the same level¡­¡± Thanks to Mr. Geng Xing¡¯s interpretation, Shen Zhe had a deeper understanding about Mages. Same as his knowledge, Mages could perform spells and turn the impossible into possible. However, different from the novels he read, Mages didn¡¯t need to chant, nor was any magic power required, to cast a spell. Instead, they needed to summon the power of their Learning Ocean and construct special equations based on the terrain, the environment, the enemy¡¯s strength, etc. If the equations were correct, they would be able to cast spells perfectly and unleash great power. It meant that spells were essentially equations and calculations. There couldn¡¯t be any errors. ¡°No wonder everyone has to study hard, and those who can¡¯t get a full score are considered losers¡­¡± Shen Zhe sighed. Spells were continuous equations that had to be resolved as fast as possible in battle. Any mistake could get the Mage killed. No wonder everybody studied hard. It was also the reason why the grades of the students were ordered by time when their scores were the same. In his previous life, neither the teacher nor the parents were allowed to physically punish the students. The students would only be scolded, which couldn¡¯t harm them, if they didn¡¯t work hard. However, in this world, those who didn¡¯t study would die, and those who gave wrong answers might be killed on the spot¡­ Under such pressure, even the weakest student had to work hard. ¡°To become a Mage, the most important step is to illuminate the Seven Stars, namely Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang and Yaoguang!¡± ¡°You can view the stars by meditating. The brighter they are, the easier it will be for you to become a Mage! If they are too dark, your future achievements will be limited.¡± ¡°The stars are divided into five tiers according to their brightness. The fifth tier means less than ten percent chance of becoming a Mage; the fourth tier, fifty percent; the third tier, almost a hundred percent; the second tier and above are the signs of geniuses.¡± ¡°Take the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom for example. Thirteen people have lit up tier-two stars in the past hundred years. Even the weakest of them became a level-two Mage. The strongest amongst them reached the fifth level and was a renowned expert in the court!¡± ¡°The stars that Ling Xueru from this class illuminated are exactly in the second tier!¡± Everybody whispered again after Mr. Geng Xing¡¯s introduction. They all knew that Ling Xueru had illuminated seven stars, but they did not know that her stars were in the second tier! She was truly intimidating! ¡°Alright, you can start meditating. The most important thing is to illuminate the Seven Stars now. If you fail to do that by the end of this semester, you will be expelled and sent home, to spend the rest of your lives there!¡± Geng Xing waved his hand. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The students nodded and began to meditate. After a brief hesitation, Shen Zhe also focused his attention according to the book. Meditation could broaden the brain and sharpen the mind. After his rebirth, he knew that the two stars in his body had perished, but he didn¡¯t know much more. It was a great chance for him to observe himself. He could also check the magnitude of the stars that the former Shen Zhe had illuminated. BOOM! When the meditation began, Shen Zhe¡¯s consciousness broke into a new world. He could see nothing but darkness and two dim stars in the sky. ¡°Those two stars denote Tianshu and Tianxuan, two acupuncture points on my body! To illuminate them, I have to calculate their coordinates and gather my spiritual energy in them¡­¡± He recalled the method to illuminate the stars. Under normal circumstances, the Seven Stars were invisible, and their locations had to be calculated without any errors. However, since his former self had illuminated two of them, their locations had been exposed, although they had died out. All Shen Zhe needed to do was to gather his spiritual energy and reignite them. With his experience in body polishing, Shen Zhe was good at attracting spiritual energy. He directed spiritual energy at Tianshu. Zi! Zi! Zi! Nurtured by the spiritual energy, the dim Tianshu point glimmered. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s lips twitched. No wonder his former self was a weak student. That star, according to the teacher¡¯s criteria, was even lower than the fifth tier¡­ More importantly, based on his speed of cultivation, it would take him at least two years to restore it into a tier-five star! Two years to illuminate one star¡­ And it would be more difficult to illuminate the rest¡­ Shen Zhe didn¡¯t think he could accomplish it in his entire life. That was the reason why his grades were so bad! Shen Zhe complained. He considered inheriting the fortune of his family, but after a few days, he had realized that it was barely possible to survive in that world without becoming a Mage or a Martial Artist. Besides, he could live a longer life after he became either of them. Longevity was more tempting than power and wealth. However, while he wanted to become someone better, his capabilities prevented him from doing so! It would take him decades to illuminate the five lowliest tier-five stars. He would probably kick the bucket before he became a Mage. ¡°Can I change my talent with the notebook?¡± Shen Zhe had an idea. Different from other people, he had a goldfinger as a transmigrator. While it wasn¡¯t as good as the Library of Heaven¡¯s Path, it wasn¡¯t bad at all. If it could change his talent into the first tier, he would be invincible in the exams and dwarf the geniuses easily¡­ He was fascinated by the thought. ¡°However¡­ The pencil has been used up. How can I get more?¡± Holding his chin, Shen Zhe wondered again. The pencil in his head was gone after being used three times. It should be an expendable. He had to get it back. ¡°Condense a pencil!¡± ¡°Pencil, show up!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s roll, pencil!¡± ¡°Brother Pencil, I sincerely request to meet you¡­¡± ¡­ He cried and tried hundreds of times, but there was still nothing next to the notebook. ¡°It seems that the pencil doesn¡¯t appear for no reason¡­¡± Shen Zhe was worried. The pencil didn¡¯t have any instructions¡­ How long would it take for him to find out its usage through experiments? The notebook appeared because something was activated when he wanted to work hard¡­ But it was useless when he thought of the same thing. ¡°Right, there are the words ¡®Good Guy¡¯ on the pencil. Also, the first page of the notebook is full of positive words. Will the pencil appear if I do good things?¡± After many failed attempts, an idea suddenly popped up in Shen Zhe¡¯s head. He noticed that ¡°Good Guy¡± was engraved on the pencil when it appeared. Since the notebook was so positive, was it possible to condense the pencil by doing good deeds? ¡°Huh¡­ Let¡¯s give it a shot¡­¡± Thinking about that, he looked at Wang Qing, who sat next to him. Let¡¯s do something good to him! However, what were good things? In his previous life, helping the elderly to walk across the street was generally considered a good thing, and Shen Zhe had done it plenty of times. Should he help Wang Qing to walk across the street? It didn¡¯t make sense. Helping the old to walk across the street was a good thing because it was inconvenient for them to do it on their own. But it was obviously not a problem for Wang Qing. So¡­ Should he break Wang Qing¡¯s legs first? That way, it would be inconvenient for Wang Qing to walk across the street, and helping him would be a good thing! Thinking about that, Shen Zhe looked at Wang Qing aggressively, his eyes glittering. Wang Qing was meditating, but he sensed something wrong. He opened his eyes, only to see that Shen Zhe was staring at him in excitement. Wang Qing felt terribly cold. Was there something wrong with his friend¡¯s head again? Sir, could I have a different seat? Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t do it in the end. Doing a good thing meant helping those in need. Breaking someone¡¯s legs was certainly inappropriate. Shen Zhe thought of Lu Zihan, who had been terribly beaten and probably couldn¡¯t walk anymore. Shen Zhe could carry the guy to his dormitory. Lu Zihan asked for trouble first, but he held no grudges at all and even helped him¡­ That was certainly a good deed! ¡°I¡¯ll go to him after school¡­¡± Shen Zhe was moved after he came up with the plan. He was indeed much more positive after he got the notebook. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! After a morning of meditation, the school was finally over. Geng Xing left as quickly as he had arrived. Such teachers were the students¡¯ favorites because they had few demands¡­ But of course, they didn¡¯t really care if the students were learning, either. ¡°Shen Zhe, where are you going after school?¡± Wang Qing was worried for a whole class. He was finally reassured after realizing that his friend was not going to harm him. It was a miracle that his friend had walked out of Mr. Xin Qi¡¯s office alive after getting three points in the class quiz¡­ They had been classmates for years, but Wang Qing didn¡¯t know that Shen Zhe had such an ability. ¡°To do good things!¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and stood up. He had to hurry, or there would be no good things to do if Lu Zihan had left on his own. Wang Qing was stunned. ¡°Good things?¡± ¡°Good things!¡± Shen Zhe nodded and asked, ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± Wang Qing was rather curious. His friend had played polo, football or fished after school, but never did he do good things¡­ It was rather weird. Ling Xueru, who was packing up her books, frowned when she overheard their conversation. What was Shen Zhe up to? After only one day, he had driven a teacher out of the school, made another teacher angry, and brutalized a fellow student¡­ ¡°What is he doing now?¡± ¡°I must follow him. He can¡¯t cause any more trouble¡­¡± Ling Xueru gritted her teeth and followed them out of the classroom. Shen Zhe was in Class Three, and Lu Zihan was in Class Two. Their classrooms were next to each other, so Shen Zhe soon arrived at his destination. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Lu Zihan in your class,¡± said Shen Zhe to one of the students present. ¡°He asked for a leave and didn¡¯t come today¡­¡± It was a girl who obviously liked Lu Zihan. She was disappointed that Lu Zihan was not present. ¡°He asked for a leave?¡± Shen Zhe was at a loss for words. ¡°Are we allowed to do that?¡± He had been meaning to ask for a leave. But was asking for one allowed? ¡°He¡¯s a top ten student and has illuminated seven stars. It¡¯s totally fine even if he asks for a half-month leave¡­¡± said the girl. ¡°Chen Feng, don¡¯t talk to him. He¡¯s¡­ Shen Zhe from Class Three¡­¡± Another girl approached her and said to her in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the tailender?¡± The girl was rather stunned. It was obvious that Shen Zhe was quite infamous in the school. ¡°Of course!¡± The second girl lowered her head. ¡°You¡¯re the last place¡­ Why are you looking for Lu Zihan?¡± the girl said, ¡°You¡¯re not in the same world at all. Stop interrupting him, or I¡¯ll show you no mercy¡­¡± Seeing that the girl was defending Lu Zihan, even though she was too ugly for him, Shen Zhe shook his head and said, ¡°I only want to do good deeds. I don¡¯t intend to make friends with him¡­¡± Since Lu Zihan was not there, it was impossible for the good deed to take place. It did make sense. Lu Zihan was clearly a proud man who valued his appearance. He certainly wouldn¡¯t return to the classroom after he had been deformed. It was too humiliating for him. ¡°Are you really going to do good deeds?¡± Wang Qing thought that Shen Zhe was joking, but he seemed to be serious. ¡°Of course!¡± Shen Zhe said solemnly, ¡°Every man of honor and integrity should do good things!¡± ¡°Then¡­ Why are you looking for Lu Zihan? He¡¯s handsome and rich. What else would he need?¡± asked Wang Qing. Shen Zhe paused for a moment but did not divulge that the guy had been deformed by him. It wasn¡¯t a good thing to expose someone¡¯s secret. ¡°Doing good things means helping those in need. If you really want to do good things, there are a lot of beggars outside. You can help them!¡± Although he didn¡¯t know what his friend was up to, Wang Qing still proposed solemnly. There were a lot of people in need of help. Lu Zihan was rich, handsome and had good grades. Did he need any help? Shen Zhe nodded. He had neglected the beggars. Helping them was certainly a good thing! While the elderly walking across the street were rare, miserable beggars were everywhere. He wondered why he didn¡¯t think about it earlier. ¡°Take me to see the beggars!¡± Wang Qing and Shen Zhe left the campus. ¡°The beggars? Are they going to take advantage of them?¡± Ling Xueru only caught the last part of their conversation because she was too far. She frowned. What was Shen Zhe up to? No, she had to follow them and check. The Green Abyss Academy was located in the most prosperous part of the city. There was an enormous mall right outside the campus. It wasn¡¯t nearly as quiet and comfortable as the school. The peddling and bickering all over the place were most refreshing. They searched the street but found no beggars. Wang Qing said in embarrassment, ¡°They probably don¡¯t dare to show up because of the administration rules¡­¡± Shen Zhe agreed with him. According to the administration rules, no solicitors or beggars were allowed to appear on the street. ¡°Gu! Gu! Gu!¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s belly made fulminating sounds. ¡°Should we have lunch first?¡± Wang Qing scratched his head. ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got griddled food!¡± The food he had yesterday was delicious. Also, since his griddle had been broken by Mr. Xin Qi, he needed to buy another one. Lu Zihan promised that the herbs would be delivered in the afternoon. He needed the griddle to make herb liquid for Zhao Chen and the rest of them. ¡°Alright!¡± Wang Qing was not picky about food. They soon found a restaurant and ordered a gridded spicy lobster. However, its price was fifty wen. In the school, it was thirty wen, with complimentary salt, oil, soy sauce, pepper powder, etc. It was truly expensive! This business must be very profitable. However, fifty wen was not a lot for the young master of the Shen family. Besides, he had just swindled Lu Zihan out of two taels of silver the day before. They were enjoying the food, when a wretched beggar approached them, as if he knew that Shen Zhe was looking for a beggar. ¡°Please give me some money. I haven¡¯t had any food for days¡­¡± said the beggar earnestly with a ragged bowl. ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s have this together. Boss, give me another pair of chopsticks¡­¡± His eyes glowing, Shen Zhe accepted him in a hurry. He was trying to do a good thing, and a beggar had finally appeared. He couldn¡¯t let the guy go easily. ¡°Sir, chopsticks are unnecessary¡­ I only need two wen¡­¡± The beggar waved his hand, and the coins in the bowl bounced, reminding Shen Zhe that he only accepted cash. ¡°I thought you had not eaten for days,¡± Shen Zhe frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have this food together. Your dirt is not a problem for me!¡± ¡°I do appreciate your kindness, sir, but I only need two wen to buy something for myself¡­¡± The beggar smiled. ¡°Something to eat?¡± Shen Zhe frowned and said, ¡°Griddled food, too?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re generous enough, sir¡­¡± nodded the beggar. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Shen Zhe hesitated for a moment and then gave the beggar a few coins. ¡°Here are four wen. You will buy your food with two wen and and bring a serving for me. I don¡¯t want it to be too spicy. Ask them to put more potatoes. Also, I want their griddle, too!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The beggar was speechless. ¡°Bro, can I refuse your money? Are you suggesting that I need to give 48 wen to you when I beg money from you?¡± ¡°You even want more potatoes and even their griddle¡­ Are you trying to get me killed?¡± ¡°This is so unfair¡­¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What a petty man¡­¡± The beggar shook his ragged bowl and left. ¡°You haven¡¯t taken my money yet¡­¡± Shen Zhe said as he looked at him leave. ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore¡­ You can keep it for yourself, sir¡­¡± said the beggar without looking back. ¡°I need to pay you more if I take your four wen. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Shen Zhe stood up. He had met many fake beggars, and it was easy to distinguish them: give food to those who asked for money, and money to those who asked for food. There was indeed something wrong with that beggar. However, since he was there, it didn¡¯t matter if he wasted a few wen on him, as long as it could give Shen Zhe more pencils. Thinking about that, Shen Zhe snatched the beggar. He would try it whether or not the beggar was faking. ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!¡± cried the beggar as his wrist cracked. ¡°Bro, I¡¯m only begging for money¡­ You can refuse me, but beating me up is too outrageous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Shen Zhe hurried to retract his hands. He wasn¡¯t used to the power of the seventh stage of body polishing yet, and he exerted too much strength¡­ ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want your money¡­ but I really can¡¯t buy what you wanted with two wen. Please let go of me! I¡¯m just a beggar¡­¡± Seeing that his hand was red and swollen, and knowing that it would take days for his hand to recover, the beggar wept. ¡°I really just want to beg for some money¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have talked to you if you weren¡¯t a beggar!¡± Pausing for a moment, Shen Zhe said, ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t need to buy anything. Here are two wen!¡± Then, he gave the beggar two wen. ¡°You¡¯re really giving them to me?¡± The beggar found it hard to believe after he accepted the money. ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°Thank you, sir¡­¡± Putting the money in his bowl, the beggar left in a hurry for fear that Shen Zhe would regret it. ¡°Huh? No pencils?¡± After doing the good thing, Shen Zhe hurried to concentrate his attention and checked if there were new pencils. But he frowned. It seemed that assisting a fake beggar was useless. ¡°Is this¡­ a good thing?¡± His face cramping, Wang Qing couldn¡¯t help but ask. He had witnessed everything. It wasn¡¯t a good thing at all; it was more like a robbery. Forcing a beggar to accept his gift¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe held his forehead. Fine. The misunderstanding was completely justified. ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s too scary¡­¡± The beggar left the restaurant in a hurry. He was bummed about his wrist being so badly hurt, when he did nothing more than beg for money. However, he didn¡¯t dare stay any longer. ¡°Unsympathetic and petty¡­ It¡¯s really not easy to earn two wen¡­¡± The beggar grabbed the coins in his bowl and was about to put them in his pocket, when he heard a voice not far away. ¡°Unsympathetic? Did the young man in school uniform bully you?¡± The beggar turned around, only to see a pair of bright eyes and an impeccable face. It was Ling Xueru, who had followed Shen Zhe to that place, fearing that he would cause trouble. She didn¡¯t enter the restaurant because she feared they might discover her. She watched the beggar begging for money and when he was captured by Shen Zhe. However, she didn¡¯t hear what they said, due to the long distance. ¡°Exactly! Are beggars not human beings, and do we deserve no respect?¡± Seeing the beautiful and caring girl, the beggar rolled his eyes after being briefly stunned. As an experienced beggar, he knew that such girls were the most sympathetic, and he would earn a lot if he pretended to be miserable. ¡°How did he bully you?¡± Ling Xueru almost exploded hearing that Shen Zhe took advantage of a beggar. Teachers, classmates, and even a poor beggar¡­ Did Shen Zhe not let go of anyone at all? ¡°Look¡­¡± With glittering eyes, the beggar knew that he had tapped the girl¡¯s sympathy. He hurried to raise his wounded hand, which was holding the ragged bowl, because he had just picked up the coins with the other hand. Ling Xueru lowered her head, only to see a broken bowl with multiple holes. She burst into fury. ¡°He broke your bowl! How outrageous! Are beggars not allowed to use good bowls? This is unbelievable!¡± Then, without any hesitation, she grabbed the bowl and threw it to the ground. Clang! The bowl was broken into smithereens. ¡°¡­¡± The beggar was speechless. ¡°Are they lunatics?¡± ¡°Was I showing you the bowl?¡± ¡°Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?¡­¡± ¡­ After he was full, Shen Zhe negotiated and paid another twenty wen for a griddle, as well as a bunch of seasonings. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a real beggar, and it¡¯s pointless to find him now. Where should I do good things?¡± After they left the restaurant, he looked at his friend. Most beggars that day were fake. They earned even more than some in the working class. Giving them money was not a good thing but an encouragement of corruption. He should think of other ways. ¡°Well¡­ The good things I know are helping the beggars and the old. I don¡¯t know about anything else!¡± Wang Qing scratched his head in embarrassment. They had been partnering up with mathematics, physics, and various data in school since the age of six or seven, and they didn¡¯t know much about the normal life. Good things were an ambiguous concept for them. A lot of geniuses were actually terrible at their personal lives. ¡°So¡­ We¡¯d better wait for old men here¡­¡± Shen Zhe hesitated, seeing that his friend was clueless about it. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Wang Qing nodded. They waited for ten minutes, but they didn¡¯t see a single old man. ¡°Do old people not go to the streets at all?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. Hesitating for a moment, Wang Qing proposed, ¡°Should I ask someone to capture a few, so that we can carry them across the street? It¡¯s certainly a good thing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe was at a loss for words. While they waited gloomily, a young approached them. ¡°Mr. Shen Zhe, our young master invites you to meet with him!¡± The young man was around fifteen and was quite handsome. ¡°And your young master is¡­?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Lu Zihan!¡± The young man nodded. ¡°Oh! I was looking for him. Where is he?¡± The guy promised that he would provide the herbs in the afternoon, but Shen Zhe didn¡¯t find him after school. As it turned out, he sent a servant to Shen Zhe. The young man bowed and said, ¡°Please follow me!¡± Then, he led the way. For convenience, the Lu family had bought a house for Lu Zihan near the school. He usually stayed there and barely lived in the dormitory. Shen Zhe went to the house and saw Lu Zihan in the middle of the yard. After a morning, his wounds were a lot better. ¡°Here are the herbs you demanded!¡± Hatred emanated from Lu Zihan¡¯s eyes when Shen Zhe approached. He picked up a bag of drugs; an intense fragrance was spreading out from it. He thought that it would be easy to obtain the drugs, but when he returned to his family, he was told that even the Lu family had to pay a huge price to offer so many herbs at the same time. However, since he failed, he had to pay the price. If he went back on his promise after being beaten up, it would be the greatest scandal. Shen Zhe nodded in satisfaction. He reached for the bag, but Lu Zihan sneered and loosened his fingers. The bag hit the ground. ¡°Aya! Shen Zhe, I¡¯m too badly wounded to hold the bag. Sorry¡­¡± Lu Zihan smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize¡­¡± Shen Zhe chuckled, ¡°You can pick it up. I¡¯m not in a hurry¡­¡± Lu Zihan sneered and sniffed, ¡°Forgive me, but I can¡¯t bend right now. There¡¯s nothing I can do¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t bend? Let me help you!¡± After a brief daze, Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glowed. He finally had a chance to do a good thing¡­ ¡°Finally!¡± ¡°Help me?¡± Lu Zihan was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re going to help me treat my back?¡± Before he finished the thought, he suddenly felt that a pair of hands were laid on his head. Then, Shen Zhe exclaimed, ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Crack! Under the enormous pressure, Lu Zihan¡¯s face kissed the ground, with blood spreading out, before he realized what was going on. ¡°Damn you¡­¡± Lu Zihan went crazy. Chapter 20 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What are you doing? Why are you beating him?¡± Ling Xueru, who had finally gotten rid of the beggar, saw that Shen Zhe pressed Ling Xueru to the ground and exclaimed in rage. Why were they fighting again? ¡°I¡¯m not beating anyone. Lu Zihan said that he couldn¡¯t bend, and I gave him a hand!¡± Not expecting that the monitor had followed him, Shen Zhe stepped back and said, ¡°I¡¯m doing a good thing!¡± ¡°A hand? A good thing?¡± Lu Zihan wept. ¡°How could any hand be given this way?¡± ¡°Was this a good thing at all?¡± ¡°When I said that I couldn¡¯t bend, I meant that you could pick up the herbs yourself and lower your head before me¡­¡± ¡°But you pressed me to the ground. Was it help and a good thing?¡± Lu Zihan felt a heartache and had trouble breathing. The physical discomfort was incomparable to the pain of knowing that Ling Xueru had seen everything¡­ He wished that there were a hole on the ground that he could hide in. ¡°Good things?¡± Ling Xueru frowned. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing, beating is not a good thing!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe opened his hands and did not explain. Pressing Lu Zihan down was just a spur-of-the-moment thing because he hated Lu Zihan¡¯s look. It was certainly not a good thing, so he didn¡¯t intend to explain. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ling Xueru approached and helped Lu Zihan back to his feet. Lu Zihan turned his head in embarrassment and replied hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine! I can¡¯t stand up just yet because of the knee injuries¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re hurt that badly?¡± Ling Xueru glared at Shen Zhe and demanded, ¡°How can he go to school with such heavy wounds?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe chuckled and replied, ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ll be responsible for what I did. Starting from today, I¡¯ll carry him to school!¡± His cheeks shivering, Lu Zihan struggled to stand up. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine. See? I can stand up now¡­¡± He would rather die than let Shen Zhe carry him to school¡­ ¡°You¡¯re fine?¡± Lu Zihan secretly wept, but he nodded his head crazily, fearing that Ling Xueru would notice his discomfort¡­ Ling Xueru was not entirely convinced, but she didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further. ¡­ While Shen Zhe was doing good things, Ms. Bai Yu reached the mountain where purple iron-toothed wolves lived after an arduous trip. It was impossible to go there on foot in three days, even without any gear. For the verification, Bai Yu rode the best horses and reached the mountain after only one day. She knew that her answer was correct, but the answer on the guidance book couldn¡¯t be disproved without verification. ¡°This isn¡¯t far away from the school in a straight line, but with Mount Thorn in between, I have to cross three mountains and one river, which will take a day and a night even on horseback. Taking an unconscious iron-toothed wolf back in four hours¡­ It must be wrong!¡± It was certainly impossible to return to the school in four hours with a wolf more than two meters long! The answer couldn¡¯t be true! Releasing the horse, Bai Yu took a deep breath and sneaked to the habitat of the purple iron-toothed wolves. Such wolves were regular beasts that weren¡¯t too strong nor dangerous. She could take care of them easily. Besides, as a teacher, she had many last resorts, and she had been there many times. She was not scared although she was alone. Hu! Soon, after a howl, a purple iron-toothed wolf emerged from the bushes and pranced at her. Prepared for that, Bai Yu dodged the attack and stabbed her longsword at the beast. Sensing the pressure of the sword, the iron-toothed wolf turned around and fled. Bai Yu chased it quickly. Wu! Wu! Wu! Her sword hit an acupuncture point at the center of the wolf¡¯s brow. Putong! The iron-toothed wolf fell and passed out. ¡°Forty-one seconds!¡± Bai Yu secretly nodded as she checked the clock. It was exactly Ling Xueru¡¯s answer in class the day before. It was also the same as her own conclusion. Confirming again that the guidance book was wrong, she carried the purple iron-toothed wolf and rushed toward the school. But very soon, Bai Yu heard howls in the wind again. Shocked, she turned around, only to see glistening eyes gathering in the darkness like lanterns. ¡°A pack of iron-toothed wolves¡­¡± Stiffened, Bai Yu felt cold. She had hunted iron-toothed wolves before, but she had never seen a pack of them¡­ Why had they congregated? She could knock out or slay an individual wolf easily, but a pack of wolves were too much for her. She could only retreat. ¡°Wait¡­ Is that a wolf king?¡± She was anxiously considering if she should abandon the unconscious wolf on her back, when she saw a gigantic wolf with white hair on its forehead in the wolf pack. A purple iron-toothed wolf king! The wolves on that mountain were usually the lone kind, but a wolf king had appeared at some point and united them! No wonder so many wolves had appeared after she hunted one! One wolf was nothing for a level-one Martial Artist, but even level-two Martial Artists would not dare confront a pack of wolves! ¡°Run!¡± Knowing that the wolf king was as strong as herself, and that she might be killed since there were so many other iron-toothed wolves present, Bai Yu left without any hesitation. She thought of throwing away the iron-toothed wolf on his back, but it would¡¯ve rendered her trip useless. So, she gritted her teeth and retreated in haste. The wolves certainly wouldn¡¯t let her go so easily. They chased after her, with even more wolves joining the pack. ¡°Crap¡­ I can¡¯t return to the main road¡­¡± More and more wolves were gathering, and the main road had been blocked by the wolf king. Bai Yu, daring not to break through them, changed her target and ran to the top of Mount Thorn. She had been blocked in other directions, and it was the only path she could walk on. Although vines and bushes were everywhere, she was strong and had a longsword, so she wasn¡¯t slow. She ran fast, but the wolves chased after her, unwilling to let go. Bai Yu climbed higher and higher. After a long time, it finally occurred to Bai Yu that she had been pushed to reach the mountaintop. Cold wind and flying snowflakes embraced her. Mount Thorn was more than five thousand meters high. If she were less strong, she couldn¡¯t have reached the mountaintop at all. Hooooooo! The wolves didn¡¯t stop. The wolf king approached her one step after another. As if they knew she had nowhere to go, the wolves took their time to enjoy the delicious meal. ¡°I¡¯m going to try my luck¡­¡± Behind her was an enormous cliff that would kill her if she fell. So, Bai Yu gritted her teeth and slashed. The wolf king waved its enormous paw. BAM! After the collision, Bai Yu sensed a tremendous force and lost her balance. She fell from the cliff. ¡°I¡¯m doomed¡­¡± Bai Yu smiled bitterly. She did not expect to die there¡­ BAM! She hit something earlier than she thought. Then, she realized that she had fallen into a hole. The cliff was covered in snow. She thought that she would fall straight to the bottom, but the cliff was actually not smooth. She struggled out of the snow and found herself in an enormous cave that stretched down as if it were a crack of the mountain. She pressed forward in the cave for almost an hour and finally saw light. She raised her head, only to be shocked. Outside of the cave was a spacious plain. The enormous city of Green Abyss was on the horizon. ¡°Well¡­¡± Bai Yu shivered. Mount Thorn was an obstacle between Green Abyss and the purple iron-toothed wolves. The journey was longer than four days if one took a detour. Bai Yu thought it was the only way, but there turned out to be a crack within the mountain that led straight to Green Abyss. Seeing that the iron-toothed wolf was still on her back, she took a deep breath and rushed back to the school. She returned to the school an hour later. She felt exhausted the moment she entered the gate. ¡°Let¡¯s check the time¡­¡± She lowered her head and read the clock, only to be stiffened by the shock. The timing stopped when she stepped into the school. It had taken four hours, forty-four minutes, forty-four seconds and forty-four milliseconds! Shen Zhe¡¯s answer was exactly correct! Chapter 21 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Putong! The iron-toothed wolf fell from her back, and Bai Yu felt cold. She knew Shen Zhe¡¯s grades very well. Shen Zhe was a student who made common sense mistakes and who tossed coins when the questions were slightly harder. However, he had given an exact answer that time¡­ Did he know about the crack on the mountain that was buried in the snow? Even though he did, how could he have known that the iron-toothed wolves on Mount Thorn were united by a wolf king, or the accidents that happened during her escape? There would¡¯ve been errors if she had killed one more iron-toothed wolves or stayed in the cave for one moment longer! However, the result turned out to be absolutely the same! It was certainly bloodcurdling. ¡°It seems that I really need to talk to him!¡± Taking a few deep breaths to soothe her shock, Bai Yu secretly nodded. She had thought that Shen Zhe would turn into an ordinary person after that semester and have no interaction with her anymore. But he had distinguished himself! What happened to him exactly? She really needed to talk to him to find out. ¡°Ms. Bai, why are you here? Weren¡¯t you on a field trip?¡± Director Li looked at Bai Yu in confusion as she walked into the office. ¡°It¡¯s already done. Here¡¯s the result¡­¡± Bai Yu handed over the record. The result had to be submitted as the conclusion of each field trip. Stunned, Director Li read the result, ¡°You crossed Mount Thorn in four hours? That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Obviously, he couldn¡¯t believe it, either. ¡°This is what happened¡­¡± Bai Yu told her story. ¡°There¡¯s a wolf king to lead the iron-toothed wolves, and a crack on the back of Mount Thorn?¡± Director Li listened in astonishment and picked up the guidance book before he asked curiously, ¡°How did you notice the different answer on the guidance book?¡± ¡°A student gave a different answer. I checked the guidance book and discovered that it had changed¡­¡± Bai Yu explained. ¡°A student?¡± Director Li was dazed. ¡°Yes. His result was exactly as the answer on the guidance book!¡± Bai Yu nodded. Shocked, Director Li asked, ¡°Who is it? Ling Xueru or Cui Xiao?¡± They were the best students in Class Three. He thought of them first. ¡°Neither¡­ It¡¯s a little bit strange. I need to investigate. I¡¯ll report it to you after everything is found out¡­¡± Bai Yu shook her head and didn¡¯t mention Shen Zhe¡¯s name. While Ling Xueru was famous as a top ten student, Shen Zhe was even better known than she was! Too many teachers had criticized him for his poor grades. Director Li wouldn¡¯t believe it if Bai Yu said that the answer had been given by him. Even she couldn¡¯t really believe it. She intended to ask for more details before she revealed it. ¡­ Shen Zhe returned to his dormitory. ¡°It seems that the pencil has nothing to do with good things¡­¡± With mixed feelings, he reached that depressing conclusion. After he left Wang Qing, he did a few more good things, such as returning what he picked up to its owner, helping lost kids find their parents, etc. But the pencil never showed up. It seemed unrelated with good things. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll study it tomorrow. I can read some books in the library. There must be a way¡­¡± The notebook in his head was still. It showed no response, no matter how he summoned it. Shen Zhe decided to let it go. With the new herbs and the new devices, he could refine the herbs first and see if he could further improve his body. He returned to the refining room. That time, he was well prepared with masks and goggles. He also had an apron and a chef¡¯s hat to prevent him from being smoked. ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± He placed the griddle on the furnace again and added the herbs. It was much easier that time with his experience. After two hours, five bowls of gold liquid were made. Not in a hurry to find Zhao Chen and his friends, he returned to the dormitory and continued polishing his body. The herb liquid was digested, but his body seemed to have developed a resistance for it and couldn¡¯t grow further. ¡°It seems that the seventh stage is truly a bottleneck!¡± He shook his head helplessly. ¡°I still need the pencil¡­¡± Shen Zhe was frustrated after getting nothing from the practice. The seventh stage was already the peak. It was unacceptable for an obsessive-compulsive patient. He needed to see if he could change his body quality with the pencil. Keeping one bowl of the herb liquid for himself, he packed up the other three bowls and went to Zhao Chen¡¯s dormitory. In any case, they had been terribly wounded because of him. As their friend, he should make up for it. Soon, he reached the dormitory. Same as him, Zhao Chen¡¯s roommates had all fled, and he was left alone in the dormitory. At that moment, Zhao Chen was lying on his bed and resting. ¡°What has brought you here?¡± Zhao Chen rose in a hurry after he saw Shen Zhe. ¡°I said that I would help you treat your wounds and polish your body. Here you are!¡± With a smile, Shen Zhe handed over a bottle of herb liquid. ¡°Herb liquid?¡± Zhao Chen looked at it in confusion and asked, ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. There was nothing to deny. ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhao Chen said, his face twitching, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I¡¯ve already taken medications, and I¡¯ll probably be fine in a day or two. Thank you for your offer, though¡­¡± When they studied refining, Shen Zhe gave a dog the drug he had made, and the dog died the most miserable death soon after. Later, whenever rats appeared in the dormitory, he would put the herb liquid he had made in a corner, and the rats were killed every time. The guy¡¯s grades were even worse than Zhao Chen¡¯s. Zhao Chen certainly didn¡¯t dare to take the drug he had concocted. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Shen Zhe was angry since Zhao Chen had refused him. The drug that he had made through hard work with the herbs that he demanded while enduring the greasy smoke had just been despised¡­ ¡°Nothing¡­ It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to die just yet¡­¡± Zhao Chen smiled in embarrassment. Although inheriting billions and marrying dozens of beautiful girls could be hard and humiliating, he would at least be alive. If he took Shen Zhe¡¯s drug¡­ would he die as fast as the rats in the dormitory? ¡°Shut up and cut the crap! You will take whatever I give to you!¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s obsessive-compulsive disorder took place. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhao Chen¡¯s mouth, and opened the bottle. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t!¡± Zhao Chen freaked out. ¡°I really don¡¯t dare take the drug you make¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re good friends. Why do you want to kill me?¡± ¡°Is living not a good thing?¡± ¡°Cry if you want to, but nobody will come to save you¡­¡± Clutching Zhao Chen¡¯s jaw and preventing him from jerking about, Shen Zhe stuffed the bottle into his mouth violently. ¡°I¡¯m doomed¡­¡± Sensing that something warm flowed into his throat, Zhao Chen cramped on the sheet, with tears spreading out of his eyes. He didn¡¯t know that his life would end that way! ¡­ The guys¡¯ dormitories were next to each other. Zhao Chen¡¯s wail echoed throughout the building. The other students heard the noise and looked at each other in bewilderment. They were thinking about knocking on the door and seeing what was going on, when they heard Shen Zhe¡¯s declaration. ¡°Cry if you want to, but nobody will come to save you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Shen Zhe from Class Three¡­ They¡¯re good friends. It should be fine¡­¡± Someone recognized Shen Zhe¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh¡­¡± All the students nodded and looked at each other, astonished. What an exciting game¡­ Were Shen Zhe and Zhao Chen gays? Chapter 22 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It wasn¡¯t until Shen Zhe poured the whole bottle of liquid into his friend¡¯s mouth that Shen Zhe finally stood up in relief. ¡°I¡­¡± Zhao Chen was about to talk, when he felt that an enormous furnace had just crawled into his body and was burning him up. ¡°No¡­! I¡¯m dying¡­!¡± Zhao Chen trembled and freaked out. He had never polished his body or drunk any body-polishing herb liquid. Assuming that Shen Zhe¡¯s medication was as poisonous as what he had made before, he knew that the medication was taking effect. ¡°I haven¡¯t confessed to the girl I like yet¡­¡± Zhao Chen felt that he was on fire as his body was boiling. His face and his skin turned red. Eager to take his clothes off, he tore his school uniform into halves and revealed his naked chest. ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Zhe thought that his friend would be amazed by his herb liquid. Not expecting the guy to take his clothes off, he frowned in confusion. A moment later, he patted his forehead and said, ¡°Crap! I was so angry that I forgot to control the amount¡­¡± It took him a whole night to swallow the herb liquid, and he sipped it every time to give himself enough time for digestion! However, since his friend was reluctant to appreciate his gift, he simply poured all of the liquid into Zhao Chen¡¯s mouth¡­ Zhao Chen had never polished his body, but he had taken a whole bottle of the drug¡­ Would he be fine? ¡°No, I¡¯ll die for sure if I stay here. I need to go home. Someone in my family may be able to help¡­¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s desire for survival suppressed his pain. He gritted his teeth and ran out of the room without any hesitation. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Shen Zhe was anxious after seeing that his friend was fleeing. Such a powerful drug had to be dissolved by practicing the body polishing arts. Why was he running? ¡°Shen Zhe, I considered you a friend and never thought you would do this to me. Don¡¯t come close, or I will kill myself!¡± Fearing that Shen Zhe would stop him, Zhao Chen turned around abruptly and roared. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe hesitated. He had thought about asking him to polish his body, but his friend was obviously too angry to listen to him. ¡°Hu!¡± Relieved, Zhao Chen fled and soon disappeared from the school. ¡­ The other students outside were both astonished and curious. They were wondering if they had been mistaken, when Zhao Chen rushed out of the dormitory half naked and made the angry declaration. ¡°I considered you a friend and never thought you would do this to me¡­¡± All the students were at a loss for words. Their speculation was true! These two guys¡­ were truly unconventional! ¡°I met Shen Zhe before. His grades were bad, but he¡¯s from a renowned family. I thought he was a normal guy, but¡­¡± ¡°Those people have seen too many beautiful girls. It¡¯s only reasonable that he¡¯s not interested in them!¡± ¡°You really can¡¯t tell it from his look!¡± ¡°Poor Zhao Chen! He considered Shen Zhe a friend, but he only wanted to hit on him¡­¡± ¡­ Everybody shook their heads and whispered. ¡°This guy¡­¡± Zhao Chen had fled too fast for him to catch. Having no other choice, Shen Zhe packed the other two bottles of liquid and left. He saw the bewildered students outside the dormitory. They all looked weird and turned around when they saw him. ¡°Right, this is my answer to the question just now. The speed of sound is 340 meters per second. I came 0.058 seconds after I heard the sound, and it took me six seconds to arrive. Then, Zhao Chen left 37 seconds later. One needs fifteen seconds to get dressed and rise from bed. So, Shen Zhe¡¯s duration is 15.942 seconds?¡± one of the students proposed in a low voice. ¡°That¡¯s too long. Zhao Chen screamed, which meant it didn¡¯t work out yet. It would take Shen Zhe at least ten seconds to take Zhao Chen¡¯s clothes off. So, his duration is only 5.942 seconds¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Are they lunatics?¡± ¡°Did they have nothing better to do than calculating his duration?¡± ¡°The life of geniuses is truly boring!¡± ¡°I should probably go back!¡± He had planned to give the other two bottles to Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue, but after all that, it was certainly impossible. If he did go to them, they would probably also think that he was trying to poison them¡­ That was so unfair! It wasn¡¯t easy for him to get the herbs, and he had spent so much time on refining them. He was depressed since he wasn¡¯t being appreciated. He did many good things that day, but the beggar, Lu Zihan and Zhao Chen all misunderstood him. He finally knew why it was difficult to be a good guy. He was the only decent person in the whole world! ¡­ Zhao Chen¡¯s home was not far away from the school. He had been living in the dormitory because he didn¡¯t want his family to nag at him. After rushing for ten minutes, he returned to his home. As he rushed, the power of the medication circulated in his body, and it was less insufferable at the moment. Body polishing was essentially physical exercises, and running was the best way to build up the heart and the lungs. Fearing that he would die, Zhao Chen was running at the highest speed, and his body was greatly improved in the process. Taking that much perfect body polishing medication was unbearable for normal people. However, Zhao Chen had illuminated three stars despite his bad grades. So, while the drug was violent, it didn¡¯t really hurt him. It actually benefited him a lot. Zhao Chen was too scared to notice any of that. Sensing the warmth all over his body, he thought that the poison was attacking him. His face was pale. ¡°Father, Uncle Han, help me¡­!¡± Breaking into the house in panic, Zhao Chen roared. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Two middle-aged men dashed out immediately. Both of them were shocked to see Zhao Chen who was at the moment almost entirely red. ¡°What has happened?¡± Zhao Fan, the patriarch of the Zhao family, laid his finger on Zhao Chen¡¯s wrist and immediately sensed the heat. He changed his face and looked at the other middle-aged man. The man was Zhao Han, the only level-one Mage in the Zhao family! ¡°Father, Uncle Han, Shen Zhe has just poisoned me. Help me¡­¡± Zhao Chen explained in a hurry, fearing that he might die. ¡°Has he?¡± Zhao Han frowned and tested his pulse. ¡°Isn¡¯t Shen Zhe the unworthy descendant of the Shen family? The Zhao family is not as influential as the Shen family, but he can¡¯t bully you just like this! I told you not to hang around with such a scummy student. You should¡¯ve listened to me!¡± A power burst out of the Zhao Fan¡¯s family estate and raised a storm. A Martial Artist! He was a level-one Martial Artist! The Zhao family was not among the four greatest families but was still a famous family in Green Abyss. The young master of the Shen family was truly bold, since he dared to poison his son! ¡°Ah Shun, prepare my sword. I¡¯ll ask the patriarch of the Shen family about the way he has been educating his son¡­¡± Zhao Fan turned around and gave the order. The Zhao family would be too humiliated to stay there any longer if he didn¡¯t act after his son¡¯s poisoning. However, Zhao Han frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty¡­ I think that Zhao Chen is not poisoned!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not?¡± Zhao Fan was stunned. ¡°Poisons are supposed to destroy internal organs and eliminate vitality. However, Zhao Chen is not weakened at all. He¡¯s even getting stronger!¡± said Zhao Chen. As a Mage, he was more sensitive about the changes of power and could observe it more carefully. ¡°Normal people can run ten meters per second at best, and it can¡¯t last. Even a level-one Martial Artist can hardly maintain the speed without the help of spiritual energy. However, Zhao Chen is not exhausted after running all the way here from the school. Although his skin is scarily red, it seems to be mutating, and his muscle density is also improving¡­¡± Pausing for a moment, Zhao Han added, ¡°You can punch him without using your spiritual energy if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Zhao Fan nodded and took a deep breath, before he punched his son, ¡°Son, punch back!¡± Zhao Chen didn¡¯t catch their conversation while under the scorch of the violent power. Seeing that his father¡¯s fist was on the way, he dared not hesitate and hurried to fight back. Two fists collided. Swoosh! Before Zhao Fan realized what was going on, he had been flung ten meters away. ¡°Father¡­¡± Zhao Chen was stunned after seeing his father being blown back. ¡°What¡­ is going on?¡± ¡°Why is my father so weak?¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhao Fan was even more astonished than Zhao Chen. He was a level-one Martial Artist. Although he had never polished his body with spiritual energy, his body had still been significantly fortified as he grew stronger. Even so, he had been punched away by his son¡­ Since when had his silly and untalented son become so good? ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± He rose and checked Zhao Han. Just then, he thought that his son had been poisoned, but he didn¡¯t believe so anymore. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Zhao Chen is not poisoned but has taken a Heavenly Material that can build up the body! He feels that his body is exploding because he hasn¡¯t practiced any body polishing arts and can¡¯t control the power!¡± explained Zhao Han. ¡°A Heavenly Material?¡± Zhao Fan was shocked. As a cultivator and the helmsman of a major family, he knew how rare it was. The Zhao family hadn¡¯t found any medication that could rapidly build up the body without any side effects. His son was lucky enough to find one and take it? ¡°What do we do now?¡± Zhao Fan knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to feel lucky yet. His son was still suffering, and it was still a dangerous crisis. When utilized properly, Heavenly Materials could quickly improve a person, but they could also be fatal when used improperly. It was exactly the case for Zhao Chen. If the violent power of the drug was not unleashed, it would eventually cause a great disaster, like a flood. ¡°He can¡¯t think clearly under the excruciating pain. Besides, even if Zhao Chen is wide awake, he can¡¯t learn a body polishing art soon, considering his aptitude¡­¡± said Zhao Han. Zhao Fan blushed. He knew exactly what kind of person his son was. He had been criticized in every teacher-parent meeting. The teachers¡¯ mockery, the other parents¡¯ indifference, and the students¡¯ laughter¡­ The memories were truly bad. His son had always been a slow learner and couldn¡¯t pick the pace up when he was sober, much less when he was half unconscious. ¡°Are there other solutions?¡± He couldn¡¯t just watch his son explode! ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhao Han said solemnly after a brief silence, ¡°There¡¯s only one way¡­¡± Zhao Fan looked at him nervously. ¡°The idea never occurred to me before, but since Zhao Chen ran all the way here from the school, I think it¡¯s possible to consume the violent power by increasing the amount of his activity! Although the power of the drug will be wasted, it can prevent him from being killed!¡± said Zhao Han. ¡°Increasing the amount of his activity?¡± ¡°Just let him run like just now with all his strength. As long as he runs far and fast enough, the power of the drug will be consumed, and his body won¡¯t explode anymore!¡± said Zhao Han while nodding. Since the flood couldn¡¯t be directed elsewhere, they could dry the ground. As long as the ground was dry enough and absorbed the water fast, the flood problem would also be resolved. ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± Zhao Fan looked at his son and said, ¡°Zhao Chen, listen to me if you don¡¯t want to die. Run as fast as you can, or you will be killed!¡± ¡°Run as fast as I can?¡± Zhao Chen was stunned, but he sensed that the power was still expanding in his body. Knowing that he really might die if he hesitated, he dared not ask anything and rushed in the yard. Thankfully, the Zhao family had a large yard. After running for eight laps in a row, Zhao Chen was exhausted and slowed down despite the sustenance of the drug. ¡°This is not good! I fear that Zhao Chen¡¯s internal organs will be hurt if the power of the drug is not unleashed¡­¡± Zhao Han frowned. ¡°Got it!¡± Zhao Fan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, ¡°Son, this is all for your sake¡­¡± Then, he waved his hand and demanded, ¡°Close the gate, and release the dogs!¡± Hula! The gate of the house was closed, and a couple of dogs, which hadn¡¯t had any food for days, went straight at Zhao Chen. ¡°Ah¡­¡± With a pale face, Zhao Chen screamed and ran much faster than before. ¡°Father, Uncle Han, help me!¡± One of the dogs had already bitten his thigh. ¡°Crack!¡± His blood was flowing out. Zhao Chen ran even faster. Smelling the blood, the dogs chased him even harder. After a long time, all the dogs were lying on the ground with their tongues sticking out, too tired to run anymore. Zhao Chen, on the other hand, was panting hard, but the power inside his body was still boiling. Dog tooth marks were all over his body. Ah Shun, the butler, approached Zhao Fan and hesitated for a moment, before he finally said, ¡°Master, the dogs have been used up¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Fan was stunned. ¡°Even the dogs of our neighbors that we borrowed are exhausted. There are no more dogs¡­¡± said Ah Shun. Zhao Fan¡¯s lips twitched. It was truly understandable. Considering his son¡¯s stamina, even the strongest dog would be exhausted. His previously useless son was at the moment too fast for dogs¡­ He somewhat felt happy about that. ¡°The power of the drug hasn¡¯t been used up yet. Are there other ways?¡± Zhao Fan looked at Zhao Han again. ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhao Han said after pondering for a moment, ¡°The idea never occurred to me before, but since the dog bites on Zhao Chen¡¯s body are recovering fast, I think it¡¯s possible that wounds can consume the power of the drug, too!¡± ¡°Wounds?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! As long as the young master is wounded, the power of the drug will be consumed while he tries to heal!¡± Zhao Han said and nodded. ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhao Fan gritted his teeth and commanded, ¡°All bodyguards whose saber hits the young master will be rewarded with ten taels of silver!¡± ¡°Fantastic¡­¡± ¡°Ten taels of silver! That¡¯s more than my wages for a whole year¡­¡± The dozens of bodyguards in the house lunged at Zhao Chen excitedly like hungry wolves. ¡°Shoot¡­¡± Zhao Chen was crazy. Releasing dogs and asking the bodyguards to attack him¡­ Was it what a father should do? However, there was no time for him to complain. He had to keep running. Puchi! Puchi Puchi! One saber after another made its mark on Zhao Chen. He was soon covered in blood. After another long time, all the bodyguards were lying on the ground and breathed heavily. Ah Shun approached Zhao Fan and said, ¡°Master, we have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?¡± ¡°The bad news!¡± Zhao Fan turned around and said. Ah Shun said in embarrassment, ¡°The bodyguards have been used up¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Fan¡¯s face twitched. His son had worn out dozens of bodyguards by running¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± Zhao Fan was puzzled. Ah Shun said with a smile, ¡°The dogs have woken up¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Fan and Zhao Han were both at a loss for words. Chapter 24 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After a whole night, the power of the drug was finally drained. Zhao Chen leaned against the wall, covered in blood caused by dog bites and sabers. He couldn¡¯t have looked more miserable. However, after the disaster, his strength was significantly higher than before, and he had reached the peak of the sixth stage of body polishing! He could make a breakthrough at any point. The power of the drug that Shen Zhe had given him was enough, but Zhao Chen was not able to absorb all of it since he didn¡¯t practice any body polishing arts. ¡°His body recovery is much faster now. With appropriate medications, his wounds will be healed in three days¡­¡± Zhao Fan was relieved after seeing that his son had finally digested the power of the drug. The night of hard work was worth it. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to reach the sixth stage of body polishing without a decade of arduous training. Only a Heavenly Material would have produced the same result overnight. Zhao Fan had a lot of mixed feelings as he looked at the dogs and bodyguards on the ground. The bodyguards were exhausted, but could recover after resting for a few days. However, a dozen of the dogs had died of exhaustion, and the rest would probably not live for long. What could his son have possibly taken? Why was it so incredibly effective? He couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and approached his son. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the drug in your body, and why did you say that Shen Zhe poisoned you?¡± ¡°This is what happened¡­¡± After Zhao Chen was back to himself, he realized that his father had sent the dogs and the bodyguards for his sake. He recalled what happened the night before and told his father everything. ¡°You said that Shen Zhe made the drug and told you that he would help you treat your wounds?¡± Zhao Fan was shocked. ¡°Yes, father¡­¡± Zhao Chen was embarrassed. He then knew that his friend really didn¡¯t mean him any harm. If only he had known it back then, such a folly would¡¯ve been avoided. ¡°He¡­ He could make such an excellent drug when his grades are so bad?¡± Zhao Fan found it hard to believe. Shen Zhe was even more notorious than his son. Every time he scolded his son, his son would use Shen Zhe to defend himself. Little did he expect that Shen Zhe was so capable of refining. ¡°He¡¯s now a good Body Practitioner, too¡­¡± Zhao Chen told his father how Shen Zhe had beaten Lu Zihan up. ¡°That explains a lot!¡± Zhao Fan said with mixed feelings, ¡°To help you improve, he pissed off Lu Zihan and even made a drug for you¡­ You can¡¯t find a better friend!¡± ¡°But father, didn¡¯t you say that it was a shame to hang around with such a bad student?¡± Zhao Chen said while looking at his father. Although he was in agony, he still caught it clearly. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Zhao Fan coughed in embarrassment. ¡°I was wrong. You should keep being close with him¡­¡± As a parent, he naturally didn¡¯t want Zhao Chen to make friends with the bad students. He strongly objected to his son hanging around with Shen Zhe. ¡°I told you that Shen Zhe was a good friend and not as bad as you imagined¡­ But you never listened to me. Now, everything is clear¡­¡± Zhao Chen was relieved after his rigid father had admitted defeat. Then, he felt extreme hunger. He had run for a whole night. Even the power of the drug couldn¡¯t sustain him anymore. ¡°Father, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have dog meat today!¡± Zhao Fan waved his hands. ¡­ After giving the herb liquid to Zhao Chen only to be misunderstood, Shen Zhe returned to his dormitory. He planned to solve several mathematical questions, but he fell asleep after a few quick glances. He finally realized that mathematics was the best sleeping aid for him in both his previous life and his current one. Clang! In the middle of his sleep, he was woken up by the sound in his head. Rubbing his eyes, Shen Zhe saw a brand-new pencil that had been placed right next to his notebook. ¡°It¡¯s here?¡± Excited, Shen Zhe jumped from his bed, his drowsiness gone. He did so many good things the previous day to get a new pencil, but it never showed up. Why had it appeared while he was sleeping? Would the pencil only appear a day after he did good things? In that case, he should do more good things that day. He recalled the good things he did the day prior. Helping the beggar, helping Lu Zihan¡­ The beggar was a fake one. His gratitude couldn¡¯t be sincere. ¡°It must be because I helped Lu Zihan!¡± Shen Zhe secretly nodded. ¡°I should give the guy another hand when a chance pops up, in a way to make him grateful!¡± He was considering how he could have Lu Zihan thank him, when he noticed that the second page of his notebook was loosened. So, he opened the notebook. Huala! The page which seemed to be glued before was opened easily. Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glittered. He had been using the notebook since junior high school. It was so old that he couldn¡¯t remember at all what was recorded on the second page. However, he was certain that it should be useful knowledge, or the key points that the teacher had imparted. He lowered his head and read it, only to be stunned¡­ ¡°What¡¯s this? This was all I wrote down in the first class after I got this notebook?¡± On the second page of the notebook, there was nothing but an ¡°=¡± sign. It was the first after he got the notebook, and the teacher spoke for forty-five minutes. Yet, a ¡°=¡± was all that he wrote? Shen Zhe didn¡¯t know what to say. There was a reason why his grades were so bad. ¡°The first page is blank and the answers I write on it will change the guidance book accordingly. I wonder how I can use the equal sign¡­¡± He had learned how to use the first page, but the second page was still a puzzle. However, he was in no hurry. Since he had a pencil and the first page was still not full, he¡¯d better change his talent first. Thinking about that, Shen Zhe wrote with the pencil on the first page without any hesitation. ¡°I have the best talent in cultivation on this continent!¡± Hum! His handwriting gradually vanished as he stopped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work this way¡­¡± After his experiences, he understood that his words disappearing indicated that the notebook was incapable of making it happen. It was like when he wrote ¡°Wang Qing is a pig¡±. ¡°I have divine talent!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the most awesome guy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m supreme!¡± ¡°I have illuminated seven stars!¡± ¡°I have a beautiful girlfriend!¡± ¡­ He wrote many lines, but they all dispersed. ¡°I thought it was an awesome goldfinger, but it can¡¯t even change my talent¡­¡± said Shen Zhe in disdain. His hack was obviously not as good as the one from Library of Heaven¡¯s Path. Since nothing was written, the pencil was not shortened at all, and he could still use it three times. After trying so many times, he finally realized that the notebook could only change answers and help him accomplish a task more easily. For example, if it weren¡¯t for his pencil, he couldn¡¯t have refined herbs with a griddle. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go to class first¡­¡± Shen Zhe checked the clock and had to stand up. It was time for class. If he was late again, he wouldn¡¯t be as lucky as when he encountered Mr. Xin Qi. On his way to the classroom, many people pointed at him and whispered. Many girls were even giggling. Shen Zhe found it perplexing. However, being the one with the last place of the school, he was accustomed to public mockery. It wasn¡¯t a big deal for him. Hardly had he sat down in the classroom when Wang Qing approached him with a weird face. ¡°Shen Zhe¡­ Is it true?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shen Zhe was puzzled. ¡°You know¡­ Last night!¡± Wang Qing seemed rather shady. ¡°Last night?¡± Shen Zhe was even more curious. Last night, he made a drug and gave it to Zhao Chen. Nothing else happened¡­ ¡°It has spread out throughout the school. There¡¯s no point denying it¡­¡± Wang Qing chuckled. ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡± Shen Zhe was even more confused. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Wang Qing was about to reply, when Ling Xueru approached them in a hurry. The girl was so angry that her face was pale and she seemed to be exploding. Staring at Shen Zhe, she stammered, ¡°Shen Zhe, let me ask you¡­ Did you and Zhao Chen¡­ do it?¡± ¡°Zhao Chen and I? Do it?¡± Pu! Shen Zhe spewed out the water he was drinking and nearly passed out. Could anyone tell him what was going on? There was nothing between him and Zhao Chen! Chapter 25 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe had sensed something wrong when the other students eavesdropped them, but he didn¡¯t know that the rumor would escalate to such a point! ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man as straight as iron. Why would I be interested in another man?¡± He thought that the students were only into books, but they were obviously fond of gossip, too! ¡°Who told you that?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Me!¡± Cui Xiao went closer and said in despise, ¡°Shen Zhe, you seem to be a normal guy, I didn¡¯t know that you had such a quirk. You¡¯ve embarrassed Class Three!¡± He had always liked Ling Xueru but never confessed his love because his family was too common. He had been studying hard to make a name for himself so that he could later tell Ling Xueru he liked her. Seeing that Ling Xueru had been talking to and even following Shen Zhe in the past days, Cui Xiao was infuriated. Not knowing any of that, Shen Zhe frowned and asked, ¡°Why did you slander me?¡± ¡°Slander?¡± Cui Xiao sneered, ¡°I heard and saw you enter Zhao Chen¡¯s room. Then, he screamed and ran out half naked! Quite a few people from our class witnessed it. Why? You dare not admit it?¡± ¡°I saw it!¡± ¡°I was there. It was most intimidating¡­¡± ¡°Zhao Chen¡¯s clothes were torn when he fled. He was panicking¡­¡± ¡­ Another few students stood up. Shen Zhe remembered they were outside of Zhao Chen¡¯s dormitory, but he was too angry to talk to them back then. ¡°I was only helping Zhao Chen to improve his strength! He tore his own clothes apart¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. ¡°Is that so? Haha! You¡¯re at the last place in school, and you were helping other people to improve their strength? You¡¯d better improve yours first!¡± Cui Xiao sniffed. The other people burst into laughter. They could believe that Shen Zhe helped someone else skip a class, but certainly not that he helped someone improve their strength. Did he even know what strength was? ¡°What¡¯s the evidence for your statement?¡± Shen Zhe shook his head and asked, not enraged, ¡°Do you have any images taken by crystal recorder? Do you have Zhao Chen¡¯s confession?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Everyone was stunned. It was just a rumor, and rumors didn¡¯t require any evidence! Shen Zhe chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re accusing me without any evidence? Cui Xiao, you are so strict when you solve questions. I didn¡¯t know that you were so bad at slandering. If an indictment can be made so easily, can I claim that you hit on a lot of girls?¡± ¡°I do not!¡± Cui Xiao, relieved to see that Ling Xueru didn¡¯t take what Shen Zhe said for real, gnashed back, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t have any evidence, but I¡¯m told that the patriarch of the Zhao family burst into fury and sent bodyguards to execute Zhao Chen last night. Why would a father do that if his son hadn¡¯t humiliated the family?¡± The Zhao family was not far away from the school. The dog barks and the battle noises could be heard very clearly. What could a son possibly have done to make his father that determined to kill him? ¡°Dogs? Bodyguards?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. He fell asleep too fast the night before and didn¡¯t know the fuss that Zhao Chen had caused. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Cui Xiao sneered and went on, ¡°I suggest you admit it now! Otherwise, after Zhao Chen returns and confirms it, you will be expelled for disrespecting the school rules!¡± ¡°Will I?¡± ¡°The school rules must be respected¡­¡± Cui Xiao was about to continue, when another student came and whispered something to him. His eyes glowed as he declared, ¡°Haha, Shen Zhe, you¡¯re screwed! Mr. Zhao Fan has come to see Ms. Bai Yu with Zhao Chen. They will be here soon!¡± ¡°Ms. Bai Yu¡­ is back?¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s heart palpitated. Her return meant that the field trip was over. So, she then knew that he had secretly changed the guidance book. It was possible that he would be punished more badly! It was true that misfortunes didn¡¯t arrive alone! Shen Zhe rubbed his eyes, clueless about what to say. Was that day going to be the end of his new life in that world? However¡­ Wasn¡¯t Bai Yu on a field trip? How could she have returned so quickly? ¡°She returned last night!¡± said an informed student, ¡°She only needed to prove that it was impossible to carry an iron-toothed wolf back to the school in four hours. It was unnecessary for her to carry it back in four days!¡± Patting his forehead, Shen Zhe was enlightened. It was much easier to prove that his answer was incorrect than to prove that it was correct. ¡°Shen Zhe, is what happened between you and Zhao Chen true?¡± While he was upset, Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue had gone to Shen Zhe¡¯s class at some point and were looking at him weirdly. They were best friends in the school, and they had been shocked after hearing the news. ¡°Of course not¡­¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand. He was about to explain, when someone else entered the classroom. He saw Zhao Chen, who was covered in bandages like a mummy, behind Ms. Bai and a middle-aged man. ¡°Haha. Our teacher and the patriarch of the Zhao family are both here. Let¡¯s see how you can defend yourself¡­¡± Cui Xiao laughed and was going to relish witnessing Shen Zhe¡¯s humiliation, when the patriarch of the Zhao family bowed to Shen Zhe, ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Shen! Zhao Chen, thank Mr. Shen for giving you a new life!¡± ¡°Yes, father¡­¡± Zhao Chen hobbled close and bowed, ¡°Ah Zhe, thank you. It was unwise of me to have misunderstood you. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cui Xiao¡¯s eyes bulged, his laughter choked. Shouldn¡¯t the patriarch of the Zhao family be beating Shen Zhe up in fury? Why was he bowing and asking Zhao Chen to thank him? Not just him; everybody else in the room was silent and shocked. The Zhao family was not among the four greatest families but was still quite influential. And yet, the patriarch of such a major family went there to express his gratitude to a seventeen-year-old boy in person¡­ Everybody looked at Zhao Chen. Below the white bandages were tooth marks and blade wounds¡­ It was evident that what Cui Xiao had said was true. Why would the father thank Shen Zhe when he had released dogs to attack his son? Everybody was confused. ¡°Mr. Zhao, this is¡­¡± Ms. Bai Yu was also somewhat puzzled. ¡°Mr. Shen Zhe helped my son to improve his strength. I¡¯m here specifically to thank him!¡± explained Zhao Fan. ¡°He did?¡± Bai Yu was not convinced. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Since when was Shen Zhe able to help other people?¡± ¡°The drug that Mr. Shen made was incredible¡­¡± Zhao Fan explained and thanked Shen Zhe once more. He asked Zhao Chen to appreciate Shen Zhe¡¯s favor and left. Bai Yu followed him and saw him off. ¡°He was indeed helping Zhao Chen to improve his strength!¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to tear the clothes apart during body polishing, right?¡± ¡°Exactly¡­ It seems that we did misunderstand them!¡± ¡°And here I wondered why I never heard that Shen Zhe was gay. It was just a rumor¡­¡± Nobody suspected what Zhao Fan said. They all looked at Shen Zhe full of disbelief. Ling Xueru¡¯s eyes widened. Reaching an identical answer to the one on the guidance book, beating Lu Zihan up, helping Zhao Chen to build up his body, and receiving Zhao Fan¡¯s personal gratitude¡­ The student whom she had always despised was turning into someone more and more impressive and mysterious. ¡°Zhao Chen, are you really a good Body Practitioner now?¡± After Bai Yu and Zhao Fan left, Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and looked at their friend. They had envied Shen Zhe when he rose and had beaten Lu Zihan up. However, another person of their gang seemed to have changed, too. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m an expert in the sixth stage of body polishing now¡­¡± Zhao Chen raised his head proudly. He had suffered a lot the previous day but gained even more in return. He certainly wouldn¡¯t let go of the opportunity to show off. Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue were utterly astounded. Since it was hopeless for them to become Mages or Martial Artists, being Body Practitioners was their only choice. Although they never practiced it, they knew how difficult it was. Reaching the sixth level overnight¡­ How could he have advanced so fast? Unable to hold it back, Liu Pengyue asked, ¡°How did you do it? What did you prepare before you started body polishing?¡± The other students looked at them, too. While being a Body Practitioner was the worst choice, achieving such a high level so quickly was still admirable. ¡°What did I prepare?¡± Zhao Chen hesitated for a while. His eyes became distant and blurred, as if tears were flowing out, when he said, ¡°You need to prepare¡­ dogs. The more brutal they are, the better¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Pengyue, Wang Xiaofeng and all the other students were at a loss for words. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was rendered speechless. Chapter 26 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Dogs?¡± Blushing, Liu Pengyue thought that his ears just deceived him. ¡°I asked you about the preparations for body polishing, and you answered dogs¡­¡± Could it have been more preposterous? Not just him, Shen Zhe was also astounded¡­ ¡°Why does it feel so wrong again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember preparing dogs when I polished my body!¡± ¡°Yes, not only must they be brutal, but they must also be plenty!¡± Zhao Chen nodded and licked his lips to continue, ¡°That way, you will have infinite dog meat to eat the next day¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was rendered speechless. They asked him more, but Zhao Chen knew that it was not the place to talk. He made a deal with his friends to meet after school. After they left, Shen Zhe looked at Cui Xiao and said mischievously, ¡°Cui Xiao, you slandered your classmate. What should you do?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Stiffened, Cui Xiao didn¡¯t know what to say. He thought that he could make Ling Xueru hate Shen Zhe after telling what he had seen the other day, but the outcome was not what he had in mind. His attempt turned him into a scoundrel who gossiped about his classmate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shen Zhe. It was my misunderstanding. You have my apologies!¡± Gritting his teeth, Cui Xiao bowed. Slandering a fellow student was not exactly a crime, but it would affect the validation of his scholarship. So, he had to apologize even though he did not want to. ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and said, ¡°How about this? You¡¯ll give me a hundred taels of silver as compensation for tarnishing my reputation, and this thing will be over!¡± ¡°A hundred taels? That¡¯s too much for me!¡± said Cui Xiao, pale faced. He came from a poor family. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve told Ling Xueru he liked her long before then. A hundred taels was more than his allowance of a whole year. ¡°If you can¡¯t offer them¡­ I¡¯ll propose a different term!¡± Shen Zhe was not actually in need of so much money. It was just a cover for his real aim. He said, ¡°You¡¯ll do good things for me!¡± ¡°Good things?¡± Cui Xiao was stunned. What kind of requirement was that? ¡°Why? You can¡¯t do that, either?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Yes, I can¡­¡± Cui Xiao nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. Although he couldn¡¯t understand Shen Zhe¡¯s requirement, it was definitely much easier than offering a hundred taels of silver. Since he had agreed, Shen Zhe didn¡¯t say anything and returned to his seat. He hadn¡¯t considered what good things to do yet. If there were no other choices, he could beat the guy up and carry him to school, same as he did to Lu Zihan¡­ There were only several minutes to go before class. Everybody returned to their seats and reviewed. ¡°Cui Xiao can¡¯t offer a hundred tales. His family is very poor!¡± said Wang Qing, who was next to Shen Zhe, in a low voice. ¡°Really?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s said that his family was wealthy, until¡­¡± Wang Qing shook his head. ¡°Until what?¡± ¡°Until his grandfather married eight women and had thirty-seven sons!¡± Briefly stunned, Shen Zhe remarked, ¡°It¡¯s true that birth control makes your life happier!¡± ¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll have a quiz today!¡± It was Ms. Bai¡¯s class. She didn¡¯t say anything else and simply distributed the test paper. The super bad student for the last eight years had reached the answer on the guidance book, refined herb liquid, and helped someone to build up his body¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have believed it if she hadn¡¯t witnessed it in person! After much deliberation, she decided to conduct a quiz. That way, she would be able to find out if Shen Zhe had totally changed. Not knowing Ms. Bai¡¯s purpose, Shen Zhe was speechless as he looked at the paper. ¡°Can¡¯t we do anything more delightful than quizzes?¡± ¡°Spring outing, mahjong, wandering, or just sleeping¡­ Anything will be fine!¡± Gloomy, he looked around, only to discover that everyone was solving the questions quickly. He had to rub his eyes and focus on the paper. He read the first question: How long will it take for Ms. Bai Yu to get rid of a purple iron-toothed wolf king after they encounter? ¡°A wolf king?¡± Shen Zhe scratched his head and complained, ¡°How the heck would I know?¡± He couldn¡¯t even solve the questions that had enough information, much less such one. It was more like a riddle for him. ¡°Should I use the pencil?¡± Looking at the brand-new pencil in his head, Shen Zhe hesitated. Based on his experiences, as long as he wrote with the pencil, the standard answers on the guidance book would definitely be changed. However, the pencil could only be used three times, and there were more than sixty questions on the paper. He couldn¡¯t get too many points even if he answered three of them correctly. He¡¯d better not waste the opportunities there. Besides, he had modified it once¡­ Should his ability be discovered, would he be studied like a lab mouse? He knew that it was best not to reveal that he had a priceless treasure. It was like the protagonist in the novel he read in his previous life, who kept a low profile and never showed off, even though he had an unbelievable hack named Library of Heaven¡¯s Path. It was a quality that he should learn after. So, he¡¯d better be careful. However, he couldn¡¯t answer any question without the pencil. Helplessly, Shen Zhe filled all the names and formulas randomly. All the blanks were filled, but he didn¡¯t expect any of them to be correct. Then, in his boredom, he drew another Peppa Pig whose eyes were of similar size that time. He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯d better illuminate my stars fast, or I won¡¯t be able to take the double punishment, no matter how sturdy my body is¡­¡± Shen Zhe was even more worried after filling up the paper. He gave a random answer last time. Although he changed the guidance book, his answer must¡¯ve been proven wrong in the field trip. Then, he offered random answers again in the quiz. The two punishments would definitely be severe. Besides¡­ there would only be more tests in the future. He couldn¡¯t always throw random answers! To survive in that world of geniuses, he had to improve his cultivation. Hopefully, he would be exempt from exams in the future! However¡­ Illuminating the stars according to Mr. Geng Xing¡¯s way was too slow. He couldn¡¯t accomplish it in his entire life! ¡°Are there other ways?¡± He focused his attention on the two dim stars in his body. Absorbing spiritual energy and reigniting them in regular ways were barely effective. There wasn¡¯t enough time for that. Could he find a better way? Maybe he could make certain great drugs and illuminate a few stars overnight, like how he polished his body, right? ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so easy¡­¡± He had read a lot of books. While herb liquid could be helpful, the stars had to be located through calculation and activated with one¡¯s own power. There was no shortcut. Otherwise, nobody would be studying. Illumination of the stars was the foundation of everything. Even the strongest expert had to complete it step by step. ¡°Besides, even if I can illuminate them, the stars will be as dim as candles or lamps, not nearly as brilliant as the stars I know¡­¡± Then, an idea suddenly popped up in Shen Zhe¡¯s head. ¡°Right¡­ if the stars are connected to electricity, will they be quickly illuminated with a high luminance?¡± If he illuminated the Seven Stars, he would have a chance to become a Mage or a Martial Artist. The more stars he had, the more talented he would be¡­ It would take forever to illuminate them with spiritual energy, but what about doing it with electricity? Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡­ After distributing the paper, Bai Yu stood in front of everyone and secretly observed Shen Zhe. She was checking if Shen Zhe had been cheating. She saw that he had hesitated for a long time, as if he didn¡¯t know any answers. ¡°He often scored more than ninety points, even though his grades were bad in the past¡­¡± Bai Yu frowned. Shen Zhe was the last place in the finals of the last semester, but he still scored 96 points. It meant that, of the hundred questions, only four were wrong. Why was he incapable of answering a single question at the moment? She watched him for a long time, wondering what he was up to. Then, she saw that Shen Zhe rubbed his eyes and began writing fast. Relieved, she circled the classroom and stole a glance at Shen Zhe¡¯s paper. ¡°Ampere¡¯s Law, Tesla¡¯s solenoid, Einstein¡¯s theory of relativity, Newton¡¯s coffin¡­ What are these?¡± Bai Yu was stunned. She didn¡¯t know any of the names! If the names were legitimate¡­ how much knowledge would Shen Zhe be able to boast? Chapter 27 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The powerful Mages on this continent could establish laws and theorems that allowed the future generations to walk faster and farther. Just as an example, the Moya Formula, the Wuxiang Theorem and the Fujiang Function had been proven by their predecessors and could be readily used. Bai Yu knew them, but who were Ampere, Tesla, Einstein and Newton? She couldn¡¯t have been ignorant about them if they were Mages! She read on, only to discover that Shen Zhe¡¯s answer was more and more ambiguous and confusing. It seemed that he was only filling the paper with random words so that it wouldn¡¯t be empty. Bai Yu turned grim. Most of the questions in the quiz were of the easiest kind. Shen Zhe could¡¯ve answered them without any trouble in the last semester. However, his current answers were a mess! How could he write such nonsense even if he had learned nothing in this semester? ¡°He definitely did it on purpose!¡± Bai Yu narrowed her eyes. Even her answer to the question the other day was wrong, but Shen Zhe offered an exact answer that was later proven by practice. She didn¡¯t think it was a coincidence. He worked out a difficult question, but then he answered easy questions with nonsense. It was obviously that he wasn¡¯t interested! Otherwise¡­ why would he have drawn a pig on the paper? He was clearly mocking her, implying that she was as silly as a pig! That could be the reason why his pig wore a skirt, when the pigs other people drew were generally asexual. Bai Yu held back his fury and collected the answers. ¡°Mr. Geng Xing swapped his class with mine. So, you will be stuck with me for the whole morning¡­¡± Bai Yu remained in the classroom and began to grade the answers. Soon, her work was done. Her face was gloomy as she looked at the ordered grades. ¡°Your performance is unsatisfactory. Ling Xueru has the highest grade, scoring 93 points. The class average is 82 points. The lowest is¡­ zero!¡± ¡°Zero?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s so good?¡± ¡°The man is a genius¡­¡± Everyone was stunned. It was more difficult to get a zero than full marks, because it meant avoiding all the correct answers. ¡°Silence!¡± Bai Yu interrupted their discussion and looked around, ¡°Only a few questions in the quiz are challenging. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of your results?¡± Everybody lowered their heads. An average grade of 82 points was the worst result in history. Of course, it also had to do with the test duration. Finals would normally take six hours; there was enough time to work on the difficult questions. A class quiz would be much shorter. It was understandable that their performance was unsatisfactory because of the limited time. ¡°Distribute the answers¡­¡± Cui Xiao walked forth and returned everyone¡¯s papers. Shen Zhe¡¯s lips twitched as he checked his own paper. He wrote all the names and formulas he remembered, but none were correct¡­ It seemed that he wasn¡¯t as lucky as in the last class. He truly didn¡¯t know what he could do with a zero. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on question number one!¡± Seeing that everybody had their papers, Bai Yu looked at Ling Xueru and said, ¡°Tell us your answer and how you figured it out.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Blushing, Ling Xueru stood up. That was the only question she answered wrongly. She only got three out of ten points for this question. It was her worst result. ¡°My answer is¡­ around 21 minutes!¡± Ling Xueru looked at her answer and spoke, ¡°The purple iron-toothed wolf king is as strong as a level-one Martial Artist. In a fair fight, our teacher does not have a lot of advantages. However, the question is about fleeing, not fighting. Ms. Bai is famous for her agility in our school, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to get rid of the beast in ten minutes!¡± ¡°However, there has to be a pack in the vicinity since a wolf king has shown up. Although the common iron-toothed wolves aren¡¯t a big threat to our teacher, they can be obstacles when there are lots of them. However, she can use them to avoid the wolf king¡¯s attack if she takes advantage of the limited space. I¡¯ve written the formulas to get rid of the beasts on the paper. According to my calculation, the answer is about 21 minutes!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bai Yu nodded and hinted for her to sit down. She looked at Cui Xiao, ¡°Tell me your answer and how you figured it out.¡± ¡°My methodology is similar to the monitor¡¯s, and my result is seventeen minutes. Our teacher should be stronger than the wolf king with her longsword. Also, she can take advantage of bushes and trees since she is fleeing. So, the time cost should be shorter!¡± explained Cui Xiao. He only received two points for this question. Bai Yu gave no comments after they explained their answers. Then she gazed at an absentminded Shen Zhe while wearing an expressionless visage. ¡°Shen Zhe, you will answer this question!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Shocked, Shen Zhe stood up and felt like crying. ¡°I got a zero. I¡¯m just an outsider here¡­¡± ¡°Why do you have to ask me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You!¡± Squinting, Bai Yu seemed as if she would explode at any moment due to the power boiling in her body. ¡°If your answer is wrong, I will slap you three times consecutively¡­ Whether you die or not will depend on luck!¡± ¡°Three¡­ three slaps¡­¡± Shen Zhe was stiffened. ¡°Why¡­?¡± That was too severe a punishment! Even the two geniuses failed to answer correctly. Why did the teacher demand so much from him and even threatened to beat him? ¡°You know the reason very well!¡± Bai Yu sniffed, ¡°You can try if you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡± If Shen Zhe had calculated the precise amount of time it would take for her to knock out an iron-toothed wolf and carry it back to the school, it would certainly be easy for him to calculate the time it would take for her to get rid of the wolf king. After all, that question was only part of the previous one. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe was almost in tears. ¡°I truly don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± The teacher must be pissed that he got a zero. However¡­ He really couldn¡¯t answer any of the questions! ¡°I tried working hard, and I even studied math yesterday¡­ But I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from closing! There was nothing I could do!¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Tell me your answer, one that is different from what you just wrote!¡± Bai Yu glared at him aggressively. ¡°I want to keep a low profile, and I don¡¯t want to be beaten up¡­¡± ¡°Why do you have to push me?¡± ¡°Is it fun?¡± Seeing that his teacher was not joking and that she would obviously punish him as she promised, Shen Zhe thought hard and helplessly, ¡°What is the answer equal to¡­?¡± As he wondered how he should reply, the ¡°=¡± on page two of his notebook suddenly surfaced and appeared before his eyes. It seemed to be on a screen that nobody else could see. After a momentary daze, Shen Zhe picked up the pencil that just showed up and circled the question. Hum! The most detailed answer immediately popped up, with the steps and the final result. Shen Zhe trembled in excitement. Could the equal sign offer the most correct answer to any question? He could change the guidance book by writing on page one, but he might be busted for doing so. However, nobody would notice anything wrong if he gave correct answers! ¡°This is a treasure¡­¡± With the notebook, he could get a full score easily by copying the answers in the next quiz. In such a case, were exams anything to be scared of? However, Shen Zhe recovered from his astonishment two seconds later. He discovered that¡­ his pencil had been shortened by one third again. It meant that the cost of using the equal sign was the same as writing on page one. He would need twenty pencils to get the correct answers to sixty questions in an exam with the ¡°=¡±. How many good things would he have to do? He was bummed, but he knew that it was not the time to worry about it because the teacher was still staring at him. He raised his head and said, ¡°The answer is¡­ two hours, eight minutes, and 17.32 seconds!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Bai Yu quivered and looked at him in disbelief. She asked with a shaky voice, ¡°How did you reach that answer? Tell us your methodology!¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The purpose of the quiz was to find out whether or not Shen Zhe found the answer through calculation. That was why the hardest question was the first one. Bai Yu intended to check his answer and the reasoning behind it. If the guy had given a wrong answer with steps and analyses, she would¡¯ve thought that his previous answer the other day was a random guess. However, he wrote nonsense in the quiz. It was obviously intentional. So, she asked Shen Zhe and coerced him, trying to find out if he was hiding his knowledge. Her speculation was correct! Two hours, eight minutes, and 17.32 seconds! It was the exact time that her crystal had recorded! It meant that Shen Zhe¡¯s calculations were as precise as what could be measured. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll explain my answer¡­¡± Unaware of her shock, Shen Zhe simply looked at the content behind the equal sign and opened his mouth. ¡°The question we¡¯re discussing is, how long will it take for Ms. Bai Yu to get rid of a purple iron-toothed wolf king, right? It seems simple, but we have to understand the undescribed conditions first!¡± ¡°Everybody knows Ms. Bai¡¯s weapon, her location, her techniques and her highest speed; those are not the undescribed conditions!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not? What would the undescribed conditions be?¡± one of the students couldn¡¯t help but ask. The other students looked at him, too. Were there more deeply-hidden ones? ¡°Simple!¡± With a casual smile, Shen Zhe said, ¡°Why is the iron-toothed wolf king chasing an expert who is as strong as itself and how long will it chase her?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Everybody shivered. Even Ling Xueru¡¯s eyes also widened. The idea had never occurred to her, either! Yes, why would the wolf king hunt her, and how long could it endure? If the wolf king stopped after realizing that it couldn¡¯t catch the prey, this question would be irrelevant. ¡°The question is about how long it will take for Ms. Bai to ¡®get rid of¡¯ the wolf king, which means that the wolf king won¡¯t abandon the pursuit. So, they are already mortal enemies!¡± Shen Zhe continued, ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why they would become mortal enemies¡ªit probably has something to do about the wolf pack! Since Ms. Bai went on a field trip to Mount Thorn yesterday¡­ If I¡¯m not mistaken, she must¡¯ve knocked out an iron-toothed wolf and was carrying the beast. That¡¯s why the pack was chasing her!¡± Then, Shen Zhe raised his head and looked at Bai Yu with a casual smile. ¡°Madam, am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that is indeed the undescribed condition for this question!¡± Holding back her shock, Bai Yu nodded quickly. The guy expounded the matter so vividly, as if he had seen it in person. Even level-two or level-three Mages might not have been as accurate as him! Since when had Shen Zhe become so terrifying? ¡°There¡¯s such a hidden condition?¡± ¡°Our teacher was carrying an iron-toothed wolf so her speed would be affected. It would naturally take her longer to escape¡­¡± ¡°Besides, it is more difficult to deal with a pack of wolves than to deal with a wolf king!¡¯ ¡­ Everybody whispered to each other and looked at Shen Zhe as if he were a monster. He was the worst student in the class. How could he have thought so deeply? ¡°There¡¯s more¡­¡± Ignoring their shock, Shen Zhe continued, ¡°The iron-toothed wolf king must be highly intelligent, given its sovereignty over the pack. There¡¯s only one road between Mount Thorn and our school¡­ Do you think they will allow Ms. Bai to return through that road safely?¡± Everybody trembled again. There was his answer! Since the wolf king intended to kill Ms. Bai, it would certainly block her route of escape. Running on an existing path was the most dangerous choice, if not deadly! ¡°Going down from the mountain is not an option, either. There are villages of ordinary people below the mountain. Many of them would be injured or killed if our teacher draws the wolves to them.¡± Shen Zhe continued reading the answer, ¡°So, the only choice is to climb the mountain!¡± ¡°Mount Thorn is 5,683 meters high, with an average angle of 17 degrees. The steepest part is full of snow and it even has an angle of 79 degrees. Due to the slope, our teacher¡¯s speed will be reduced by 17.4%. Because of the scarcity of oxygen as the altitude increases, her strength would drop by 7.82%.¡± ¡°The wolf king would be barely affected, given its thick fur and its experience on the mountain. However, the common iron-toothed wolves would be unable to follow; that would reduce our teacher¡¯s pressure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why our teacher was able to press forward. However, it snows frequently on Mount Thorn and there are no roads. Also, our teacher has to make a detour to get rid of the wolves. Naturally, it will waste a lot of time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no turning back on the way to the mountaintop. Our teacher would be killed if she can¡¯t get rid of the wolves after she reaches the peak! Since the posed question is to answer how long it takes for her to get rid of the wolves, it means that she achieved her purpose in the end. So, all we need to calculate is the time for her to reach the peak!¡± Shen Zhe continued reading the content behind the equal sign, as it offered both an answer and the detailed explanation. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Everyone was enlightened by his explanation. They hurried to take out the map of Mount Thorn and studied it carefully. Then, they calculated with rulers, brushes and compasses. Nothing could be heard in the room except for the writing sounds. A few minutes later, Ling Xueru got the result first. ¡°In such a case, it¡¯s true that our teacher would need two hours to get rid of the wolves¡­¡± Her previous answer was 21 minutes. It didn¡¯t occur to her that such a simple question contained so many undescribed conditions. Getting rid of the wolf king from the mountaintop was much more difficult than escaping through the main road. However, even she could only ascertain that it would take around two hours. She couldn¡¯t get a more accurate answer. The other students also finished calculating. Most of their answers resulted in around two hours. ¡°Madam, is Shen Zhe¡¯s answer correct?¡± Unable to hold it back anymore, Ling Xueru looked at her teacher. The others were also curious. Taking out the previous crystal recorder and manifesting the time registered on it, Bai Yu clenched her fists and announced, ¡°It¡¯s precisely correct!¡± Although they were prepared for this, the students were still too shocked to say anything. Having worked on the question, they knew that few people in the school could answer it. However, a notorious student had given an absolutely correct answer! Well¡­ Who was the actual genius here? Everyone was stunned. Wang Qing peeped at Shen Zhe¡¯s paper, only to be astounded. He saw a red ¡°¡Á¡±, next to a gigantic ¡°0¡±. Wasn¡¯t Shen Zhe¡¯s answer correct? How did he get a zero? Wang Qing was even more dazed after he read the paper. ¡°Newton, Ampere¡­ Who are they? Are they names at all? You were reading this just now?¡± Wang Qing went completely crazy. Chapter 29 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The content behind the equal sign, just the same as in Shen Zhe¡¯s notebook inside his head, was reflected in reality and could only be seen by Shen Zhe. Wang Qing thought that Shen Zhe was reading his answer from the paper. Little did he expect to see utter nonsense. If he knew the precise answer, why didn¡¯t he write it on the paper? ¡°Is he trying to keep a low profile, like how he helped Zhao Chen to build up his body?¡± Wang Qing was greatly astonished. Nobody would¡¯ve believed that Shen Zhe could refine body-polishing herb liquid, helping a low-grade student reach stage six overnight, if the patriarch of the Zhao family hadn¡¯t gone there in person. It seemed that his friend was not as terrible at studies as he thought. His friend was possibly a super genius who didn¡¯t like unnecessary attention! There were many such examples in history. Xiao Jie, the founding father of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom, had terrible grades and only illuminated four stars by the last semester. Under normal circumstances, he couldn¡¯t pass the trial and graduate. However, he illuminated three stars after one night and established a prosperous country. Because of his example, students who illuminated only two or three stars in school were never kicked out. Was it possible that his friend had such talent, too? Wang Qing had complicated feelings as he began to see his friend in a different way. ¡­ ¡°Shen Zhe, let¡¯s head to my office. Ling Xueru, explain the rest of the questions to the class¡­¡± Holding back the mess in her heart, Bai Yu gave instructions and walked to her office. Shen Zhe could only follow her. Being summoned to offices for two days in a row¡­ It was truly great pressure for him! Young but famous, Bai Yu had an independent office in the school. She laid down the crystal recorder after she entered the office and stared at the young man without saying anything. ¡°Let¡¯s talk! I would like to hear your explanation¡­¡± Shen Zhe saw four hours, forty-four minutes, forty-four seconds and forty-four milliseconds on the recorder! ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°I examined your answer the other day, and this is the result. They are too identical¡­ Shen Zhe, the worst student in my class and last place in the last semester¡­ Don¡¯t you think you owe me an explanation? How did you figure out a question that I couldn¡¯t answer?¡± Bai Yu simply asked what had been bothering her. ¡°The answer¡­ has been proved?¡± Shen Zhe was stiffened. He was certain that it was a random answer! He had checked the map of Mount Thorn, searched the routes and decided that it was impossible for the teacher to return in four hours. So, he had been worrying that he would be punished. Little did he anticipate that his answer would be proven! Was it possible that the notebook in his head could change both the guidance book and reality? That would be fantastic! It would mean that he could modify laws and rules! ¡°That¡¯s right. The question in the class was part of my trip. I was hunted by the wolf king and ran to the mountaintop, where I accidentally found a crack leading to the bottom of the mountain. The time for my return is exactly the same as your answer¡­¡± Bai Yu said with glittering eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you got the answer correctly but you didn¡¯t know anything about the crack!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. He was truly unaware of it before¡­ However, Bai Yu apparently wouldn¡¯t believe him if he said so. ¡°Also, Mr. Zhao Fan claimed that you could refine herb liquid this morning. What¡¯s that about?¡± Bai Yu asked again. Shen Zhe didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°Everybody has their secrets. I won¡¯t force you to say anything if you don¡¯t want to!¡± Seeing his hesitation, Bai Yu stopped pursuing. Every cultivator seemed transparent, but they all had their own secrets. For example, the data of her speed and techniques were universally known for the students to answer questions, but she actually had secret methods that could significantly boost her speed and strength. She barely resorted to such methods because they would reduce her longevity. Other people had their trump cards, too, or they would¡¯ve died a long time ago. This student had been unattractive but was suddenly shining in recent days. He must have his secrets that he would rather not talk about. ¡°Thank you, madam¡­¡± Greatly relieved, Shen Zhe bowed. ¡°I won¡¯t pursue your secrets, but I would like to know one thing. Are you really capable of answering such a challenging question, or was it simply luck or coincidence?¡± Bai Yu asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Since the pencil was precious, Shen Zhe was about to say that it was because of luck, but Bai Yu beat him to it. ¡°Don¡¯t reply too hastily! I can help you apply for school privileges if the answer wasn¡¯t based on luck!¡± ¡°Privileges?¡± ¡°For example¡­ you can be granted a long-time leave, be exempted of all my quizzes, and you can even sleep through my classes¡­¡± said Bai Yu. The last semester of the nine-year education was less demanding than previously. ¡°No need to take quizzes? Sleep through classes?¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes reddened. It was what he desired the most! Getting zeros in every quiz would be too much for him! He said in a hurry, ¡°I can answer difficult questions correctly as long as there aren¡¯t too many of them¡­¡± It was truly easy. All he needed to do was to write an equal sign with the pencil. That was on the premise that he had enough pencils. ¡°Alright!¡± Bai Yu chuckled in relief. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll put your name in the delegation to be sent for the academic contest of Green Abyss.¡± ¡°Academic contest?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. ¡°Am I really the best choice?¡± Him taking part in an academic contest was like a common student in his previous life taking part in the International Mathematical Olympics. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Three candidates from each class will be screened by our school first. You, Ling Xueru and Cui Xiao will go. Don¡¯t disappoint me! In the meantime, you don¡¯t need to take my quizzes and you can sleep through my classes¡­ However, if you¡¯re screened out, or if your results are terrible, you will retake those quizzes and be punished!¡± Bai Yu sneered and asked, ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I do¡­¡± Shen Zhe felt like crying. Why did he feel that he had been set up? But it didn¡¯t matter. The chance to be exempted from quizzes and questions was worth anything. After that, Bai Yu sent him back to the class. Hardly had he sat down when the bell rang. School was over again. Shen Zhe left the classroom in a hurry. He had survived the crisis of Ms. Bai¡¯s class, but he had to find a way to illuminate his stars and improve himself! Otherwise, the pressure from other teachers would still be too much. Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue were waiting for him outside of the classroom. They had gone there immediately after class, hoping to get the herb liquid. They envied Zhao Chen¡¯s improvement. ¡°It¡¯s in my dormitory. Let¡¯s go together!¡± Zhao Chen also arrived, tied up like a mummy. Shen Zhe took them to his dorm. Returning to his room, he handed over the herb liquid to them and said, ¡°Body polishing is insignificant and arduous compared to becoming Mages or Martial Artists. You¡¯d better consider carefully before you take it!¡± His kindness was almost misunderstood the previous day. He knew better after that. ¡°It will take me forever to illuminate the stars! I might as well improve my body first. Xiao Yu wouldn¡¯t have refused me if I were stronger¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng gnashed his teeth. ¡°Xiao Yu? The most beautiful girl in your class?¡± Zhao Chen was stunned as he looked at his friend. ¡°You pursued her?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wang Xiaofeng nodded his head and declared stubbornly, ¡°She never talked to me again after I wrote her a love letter a month ago. She must¡¯ve thought that I was too weak, right?¡± ¡°A love letter? You know how to write a love letter?¡± Amused, Liu Pengyue said, ¡°What was in the letter? I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°Unlike you cowards, I confessed my love directly¡­¡± Recalling his love letter, Wang Xiaofeng said proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten most of the content, but I remember the most elegant part. I¡¯ll say it aloud so that you can learn after me¡­¡± He cleared his throat and read emotively, ¡°Ah, Xiao Yu, I love you. I want us to study together, to take exams together and to get the same grades¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wang Zhe¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Is it possible that she refused you because she didn¡¯t want to get the same grades as yours? It¡¯s more like a threat than a love confession!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng was at a loss for words. ¡°Liu Pengyue, have you ever met someone that makes your heart throb?¡± he looked at his good friend and continued, ¡°Someone that you dare not look straight at, and would blush and palpitate when you do?¡± Pondering for a moment, Liu Pengyue said, ¡°You¡¯re talking about the inspectors during exams, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 30 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°This is the herb liquid¡­¡± Feeling that his wisdom was drifting away as he talked to his friends, Shen Zhe hurried and gave the two units of herb liquid to them. ¡°Thank you, bro!¡± ¡°Call me whenever you need anything!¡± Liu Pengyue and Wang Xiaofeng were grateful. Shen Zhe nodded. The three of them were bad students but loyal friends. They knew that Lu Zihan had beat them up because of him but they didn¡¯t blame him. He appreciated them for that. ¡°Body polishing is serious. You need to make preparations¡­¡± Shen Zhe instructed. ¡°I¡¯ve informed my family. Forty dogs and thirty bodyguards have been prepared¡­¡± Liu Pengyue laughed confidently. ¡°Me too. Shen Zhe, to be honest, all the dogs in this city have been bought out by us. Their market price has soared!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng smartly. Shen Zhe sweated. ¡°I made the herb liquid for you to build up your bodies, but why does it feel so weird now?¡± To build up the body, buy dogs first. If that¡¯s not enough, bodyguards are required¡­ ¡°As long as you are fine with it!¡± Shen Zhe covered his forehead. With Zhao Chen¡¯s successful example, he knew that it was impossible to polish the body with dogs instead of specific arts. After they left, Shen Zhe also got out of his room. He had thought of an idea to illuminate the stars in his body and was eager to try it out. There was no electricity in that world, but that was not a problem. He had a lot of fun experimenting with electricity in physics classes of his previous life. The objects needed were simple: lemon, a copper sheet and a zinc sheet. He didn¡¯t have any of these in his room, so he intended to buy some. The weather was gloomy outside and it might rain at any moment. ¡°I need to hurry up¡­¡± He went to a shop where metals and weapons were sold. There were refining classes in the school and students sometimes went on field trips. So, it wasn¡¯t difficult to buy metals and minerals. Soon, he purchased a bunch of copper and zinc sheets. Then he had someone forge a copper coil. Everything was prepared except for the lemon. Shen Zhe went to a fruit store and soon found what he wanted. ¡°Shen Zhe, no need to follow me. It was wrong of me to have smeared you¡­ just say what you want, I won¡¯t hesitate whatever you ask me to do!¡± Shen Zhe heard the grumbling and saw Cui Xiao standing before the stall gloomily. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ selling fruits?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. ¡°I¡¯ve been working here all the time. Did you really not know?¡± Cui Xiao clenched his fists, thinking that Shen Zhe was mocking him. He had to work to cover the daily expenses in school, having been born in a rural family with poor living conditions; he was recently selling fruits. The students of his class knew about it, if not the entire school. That was why he didn¡¯t dare tell Ling Xueru he loved her. Shen Zhe had never bought fruits before, but he coincidentally went there on the day Cui Xiao pissed him off. It was definitely on purpose. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a misunderstanding, I only came here to buy lemons. I¡¯ll have all the lemons in your stall¡­¡± Shen Zhe knew that he had been misunderstood, so he smiled after seeing the guy¡¯s hostility. He had always been a friendly person. He made peace with Lu Zihan even though Lu Zihan tried to beat him. It was certainly much easier with Cui Xiao. ¡°All of them?¡± Cui Xiao was stunned. ¡°There are hundreds here¡­¡± ¡°Why would he buy hundreds of lemons?¡± ¡°Yes, all of them. Deliver them to my dormitory!¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand. Lemons could generate electricity but not too much. Fearing that it wasn¡¯t enough to illuminate the stars, he might as well buy more. ¡°Well¡­¡± Seeing that he wasn¡¯t kidding, Cui Xiao nodded and weighed the lemons. ¡°It¡¯s seven taels of silver altogether¡­¡± Shen Zhe gave him the money. Cui Xiao was rather embarrassed after seeing that Shen Zhe was truly buying his fruits. The guy was not offended by his insult and even bought his fruits¡­ It was truly a misunderstanding! It seemed that the good things Shen Zhe talked about were true! He was a true kindhearted person despite his terrible grades. After delivering the lemons, Cui Xiao looked at him and said, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± He didn¡¯t have much to do since most of the fruits were sold out. ¡°This is too much work for me to finish alone. I¡¯ll pay you if you can give me a hand!¡± Knowing what he meant, Shen Zhe smiled and asked Cui Xiao to cut the lemons and connect them with copper wire. It was an enormous project that took four hours to complete. ¡°Let¡¯s begin¡­¡± Shen Zhe was about to reach for the electrodes and try illuminating the stars with electricity, but he stopped and looked at Cui Xiao. ¡°Why don¡¯t you seize the two ends?¡± Lemons in that world were bigger and more acidic because of spiritual energy. It went without saying that the electricity they generated was greater. For safety reasons, he¡¯d better let Cui Xiao try it first. Cui Xiao had illuminated seven stars. His resistance should be better than Shen Zhe¡¯s. ¡°These?¡± Cui Xiao grabbed one electrode in each hand and asked, ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Do you feel numb?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him nervously. The afternoon would have been a waste of time if Cui Xiao didn¡¯t feel numb at all. ¡°No!¡± Cui Xiao shook his head. ¡°No?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Well¡­ Try putting the two wires on your tongue¡­¡± ¡°On my tongue?¡± Cui Xiao didn¡¯t know what Shen Zhe wanted to do, but since the guy was so kind, he didn¡¯t hesitate much and simply placed the copper wires in his mouth. Zi! Zi! Zi! He cramped uncontrollably. ¡°How about it?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him nervously. ¡°Numb¡­ Numb¡­¡± Cui Xiao trembled. ¡°It seems that the electricity is enough to make him feel numb, but is it enough to illuminate the stars?¡± Shen Zhe rubbed his hands anxiously and stood up, hesitating. Illuminating stars with electricity was just an idea. He didn¡¯t know if it could work. Now that he had electricity, he could try it¡­ The question remained¡­ How? Attracting the electricity into his mouth, like Cui Xiao did? That was a good way, but what if he was too numb to illuminate the stars? Should he prepare other things? Holding his chin, Shen Zhe was deep in thought. ¡°Numb! Numb!¡± Cui Xiao looked desperate with smoke popping up from his mouth while Shen Zhe was too focused to think about helping. Shen Zhe finally came back to himself and hurried to pull the copper wires out. Cui Xiao finally stopped trembling. He was pale and almost crying. He had just thought that Shen Zhe was a good guy, and still the guy made him feel so miserable. Was it on purpose? ¡°How did you feel?¡± Shen Zhe asked. ¡°I was numb. My body was beyond my control¡­¡± Cui Xiao finally recovered after a long time. He didn¡¯t look too good. He didn¡¯t know what electricity was. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t understand the power in the copper wire. ¡°Numb is good. It means that there¡¯s a lot of electricity¡­¡± Relieved, Shen Zhe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just try it¡­¡± There was electricity and Cui Xiao was not killed. So, he might as well have a try. How could one earn anything without taking risks? To polish his body, Zhao Chen was not scared of dogs and bodyguards. Was electric shock really a big deal? It¡¯s nothing! I can definitely take it! Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe used two new wires and placed them in his mouth. Zi! Zi! Zi! Zi! Electric currents flooded into him. Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes immediately turned white, like those of a stranded fish. Chapter 31 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s no way to direct the electric current to the stars¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s body trembled hard. His nerves were paralyzed by the electricity. It was impossible to control his body, much less illuminating the stars! The idea did not seem to be working. However¡­ He had a trump card. The pencil on his notebook floated. The notebook allowed him to make drugs with a griddle. Could it allow him to illuminate stars with electricity? Hu! With the pencil, he wrote on the book, ¡°I can illuminate the stars with electricity!¡± Zi la! His handwriting glittered and did not disappear. Excited, Shen Zhe felt that his paralyzed nerves were recovered and the electric current was flowing all over his body. ¡°Gather in the stars¡­¡± Concentrating his attention, he controlled the electric current to flow to the stars. BOOM! The dim stars trembled and glimmered, only to die out later! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Frowning, Shen Zhe continued controlling the electric current. Like just then, the stars flashed and perished. It was impossible to illuminate them. ¡°The electric charge must be too little¡­¡± Realizing that the stars were dimmer than before, Shen Zhe realized what was going on. The lemons were bigger and more acidic, but they were still too weak to illuminate the stars. Heaving a sigh, he spat out the wires. It was possible to illuminate stars with electricity thanks to the notebook, but what could he do when the electricity was not enough? It seemed that the task was impossible however many lemons he could find. His efforts proved to be in vain¡­ Shen Zhe was rather bummed. He could generate electricity with lemons, but he didn¡¯t really know how to make a generator. Even an engineer might not be able to make one in the present conditions, let alone a weak student like himself. He should have studied harder! ¡°Are you OK?¡± Seeing that Shen Zhe was back to himself after only a few cramps, Cui Xiao found it hard to believe. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Nodding his head, Shen Zhe looked at the lemons in the room and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need them anymore. You can help me get rid of them¡­¡± Most of the acids had been used up so they had become useless to him. ¡°You don¡¯t need them anymore?¡± Cui Xiao was rather regretful that the lemons were abandoned so quickly after an afternoon of hard work. He stored the sliced lemons into a box and was about to leave the dormitory when a heavy rain poured down. Moments after, the world was illuminated by lightning. Without anybody realizing it, it was already dark. ¡°What a big lightning bolt¡­¡± said Cui Xiao with mixed feelings. ¡°Lightning¡­?¡± Shen Zhe was beaming; he was wondering where he could find a source of electricity. That was his answer! Electricity from lemons was too insignificant to illuminate stars, but lightning had much more! It was even more powerful than the industrially generated electricity. If he could attract the lightning¡¯s electricity into his body, his stars would definitely be illuminated easily! The more he thought, the more sense it made. Shen Zhe was going to attract the lightning when something else occurred to him. ¡°The lightning is very powerful. Will it kill me?¡± He had heard of a lot of victims killed by lightning. What if the electricity was too much for him? He might as well not illuminate the stars if that were the case, because he could still be rich and alive. ¡°Should I try it with Cui Xiao like just now?¡± He looked at the young man not far away. If Cui Xiao was not killed by it, he would try it in person¡­ He shook his head the moment the idea popped up. He was determined to improve his cultivation, but that didn¡¯t mean that he had to hurt other people. He would never place Cui Xiao in such danger, even if the guy had slandered him before. It was a matter of principle. If he did that, would he be any different from a bad guy? ¡°I¡¯m going to try it. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem with the notebook and my stage-seven body¡­¡± Shen Zhe narrowed his eyes. While the lightning was powerful, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the notebook since it could alter reality. Thinking about that, he jumped out of the room and into the rain without any hesitation. ¡°Lightning, come on!¡± He pointed at the sky solemnly. Crack! A thunder rumbled but Shen Zhe was not hit. ¡°¡­¡± Cui Xiao had not left yet and was stunned by this. ¡°What the heck?¡± ¡°It was weird enough that he spent the whole afternoon playing with lemons¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s now even demanding for a lightning strike in the rain¡­ Is he crazy?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cui Xiao couldn¡¯t help but ask him. ¡°I¡¯m trying to practice my art¡­¡± Shen Zhe replied, frowning. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll leave you to it. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Confirming that he was truly crazy, Cui Xiao shook his head. He decided to run back, seeing that the rain was not stopping any time soon. However, his clothes would be wet since he didn¡¯t have an umbrella¡­ Thinking for a moment, he lifted the iron box with lemons above his head to block the rain. ¡°You can leave¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe waved his hand and called again, ¡°Lightning, come on!¡± Crack! Another lightning bolt descended from the sky. Excited, Shen Zhe was focusing to attract the electricity when he heard someone fall. Shen Zhe turned around in a hurry after not sensing any injuries on himself, only to discover that Cui Xiao was foaming on the ground. The lightning missed him but hit Cui Xiao. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Shen Zhe quickly helped Cui Xiao to get back on his feet. He found that he was not fatally wounded, although his face was blackened and his hair was standing on end. It seemed that his body and mind were strong with the seven illuminated stars. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Cui Xiao felt like crying. ¡°Bro, this is the guy who wanted to be hit, not me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be struck¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d better go¡­¡± Resting for a moment and feeling recovered, Cui Xiao gloomily blocked his head with the box again and struggled to walk forth. Crack! Another lightning bolt came. Putong! He fell and cramped again. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe had waited for such a long time and got nothing, but Cui Xiao was hit twice the moment he was under the rain. Shen Zhe said enviously, ¡°Cui Xiao, you are truly distinguished? What can I do to be struck by lightning as many times as I want like you did?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cui Xiao trembled and wept. What was he talking about? Someone might be envied for having good grades, for having a girlfriend, for having a tremendous amount of money, or for being a Mage¡­ But nobody was ever envied for being struck by lightning! The lightning was more and more violent as the storm got heavier. Cui Xiao was back to himself after lying for a moment. He stood up and heaved the box again after he watched vigilantly and saw no lightnings in the sky. ¡°I¡¯m really leaving¡­¡± He peeped at the sky, secretly nodded, and stepped out. Crack! Putong! He cramped on the ground again, this time both foaming and losing consciousness. ¡°Magnificent!¡± Shen Zhe raised his thumb. Was the lightning biased against bad students, too? His body was stiffening after waiting for so long, but Cui Xiao had been hit three times when he was only five meters away¡­ That was so unfair! ¡°Why was he favored over me?¡± ¡°Why are you only striking him? You¡¯re truly unfair!¡± Shen Zhe pointed at the sky angrily. ¡°¡­¡± Cui Xiao cramped even harder. ¡°He wants to be struck but he¡¯s fine. I¡¯m only a passerby, and yet I was hit three times¡­¡± More importantly, he was even complaining about the injustice¡­ Why was he so shameless? Struggling back to his feet, Cui Xiao said, ¡°It can¡¯t happen again¡­ or I might really die here¡­¡± Although he had illuminated seven stars, the lightning was still too powerful. Resisting it three times was his best; he could die if it happened again. Cui Xiao was about to lift up the box with his remaining strength when Shen Zhe said, ¡°Wait¡­¡± He finally understood the reason! It was because of the box. The box in which Cui Xiao kept the lemons was made of iron, with a metal stick on one side to mark the brand of his stall. The top of the iron stick was as thin as a needle, making work as a mobile lightning conductor. It would¡¯ve been a miracle if the guy was not hit by the lightning! ¡°Thank god I overheard this in my previous life¡­¡± Figuring out why, Shen Zhe looked at Cui Xiao in disdain again. ¡°Are you really a good student?¡± ¡°You deserve to be struck for not knowing this!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cui Xiao was going crazy. ¡°I was hit three times because of my misfortune. I can¡¯t complain about that. But why are you eyeing me so scornfully?¡± ¡°Do you despise me for attracting lightning?¡± ¡°I need to borrow your box!¡± Too lazy to explain, Shen Zhe stepped forward and raised the iron box above him. ¡°Come on, lightning!¡± After a boom, a thick lightning bolt fell with the rain and spread down through the iron stick on the box. Stiffened, Shen Zhe immediately sensed infinite electricity. The lemon battery was not worth mentioning compared to this. He had finally been hit by lightning after such a long wait¡­ Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes were wet. He was excited. Chapter 32 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe hurried to focus his attention after the excitement. Zi la! Infinite power flowed towards the two dim stars. They momentarily were as brilliant as barrels of oil that were just ignited, or the sun that had just leaped from the horizon! Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes almost popped out. Mr. Geng Xing had introduced the star luminance concept in his class. The two newly rekindled stars were so bright that his eyes were almost hurt. They were even brighter than magnitude-one stars! He felt that he had just ignited two suns in his body. Well¡­ Could the lightning both illuminate stars and improve their magnitude? The idea thrilled him. He was of a mind to find out whether the two stars would remain bright or would die out later when another lightning bolt hit him. He was immediately frozen. Crack! Just like Cui Xiao, he cramped nonstop on the ground. The first lightning bolt had been used up to illuminate the stars and barely affected him, but the second lightning bolt was overwhelming. His mouth was smoking and his hair was all standing up. He struggled to throw the box away. It is true that you should never feel too good about yourself, or you might die an accidental death! Right then, someone else spoke. ¡°Cui Xiao, you¡¯re not just slandering Shen Zhe but also attracting lightnings to hit him? Do you really want to kill him?¡± Cui Xiao had just sorted out his hair and his clothes when he turned around and saw Ling Xueru. She was standing in the rain under an umbrella, obviously pissed. She was on her way to her dormitory when she saw that Shen Zhe had been hit by the lightning. ¡°I attracted the lightning to strike him?¡± Cui Xiao blushed and clenched his fists. He was the most innocent guy present, but his goddess still misunderstood him. ¡°You¡¯re not admitting it?¡± Ling Xueru sniffed after seeing his expression. ¡°This is Shen Zhe¡¯s dormitory and your room is far away, so why are you here? Also, this box is yours, isn¡¯t it? The box attracted the lightning and directed it to Shen Zhe.¡± Cui Xiao decided to speak the truth since he didn¡¯t know how to explain himself, ¡°Would you believe me if I said that he was asking for lightning strikes and took the box from me?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Ling Xueru had a sterner face as she continued, ¡°You should¡¯ve come up with a more legitimate excuse! Didn¡¯t you tell me that there was something between him and Zhao Chen this morning? Hehe. I won¡¯t believe you anymore!¡± ¡°The lightning was very powerful. Who would ever want to be hit by that?¡± ¡°The guy is truly bad at lying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Please listen to my explanation¡­¡± Cui Xiao became pale. ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡­ I¡¯m not interested!¡± Ling Xueru waved her hand and stopped talking, then hurried to help Shen Zhe get back on his feet. She asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Her care was apparent. Cui Xiao trembled. The feeling was worse than being hit three times by lightning as it happened moments before. His heart was colder than the rainy day. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± After the two stars were illuminated, Shen Zhe felt that his mind and his body had been improved again. The wounds caused by the lightning were in the process of healing. He rose to his feet after taking a long breath. He couldn¡¯t be more delighted. Not only because he had illuminated the stars, but also because he had just discovered how to train himself¡ªby enduring lightning strikes! ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Ling Xueru was relieved after seeing that he wasn¡¯t badly hurt. She comforted him, ¡°Shen Zhe, rest assured. I¡¯ll report the incident to our teacher. She¡¯ll make things right!¡± ¡°Make things right?¡± Shen Zhe finally realized something. He was too paralyzed just then to hear their conversation. He turned his head, only to discover that Cui Xiao was leaving in frustration. He couldn¡¯t have looked lonelier, walking in the setting of a dark world that was occasionally illuminated by the lightning. Shen Zhe called out, ¡°Cui Xiao, please wait¡­¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Cui Xiao¡¯s eyes were filled with wrath. He clenched his fists and continued, ¡°I admit It was my fault this morning. Are you really kicking me when I¡¯m down?¡± Ling Xueru wouldn¡¯t have misunderstood him at all if Shen Zhe hadn¡¯t looked for him. It was impossible for him to explain at this point. He could only leave and study harder to get better grades before he told her that he was her best choice. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± Shaking his head, Shen Zhe looked at Ling Xueru. ¡°I wasn¡¯t struck because of him. Actually, I asked him to help me, and he was injured because of me. He¡¯s the victim in this case.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the victim?¡± Ling Xueru frowned. ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°I borrowed his box because I had to confirm a hypothesis; he didn¡¯t give it to me voluntarily. Don¡¯t misunderstand him!¡± Slightly embarrassed, Ling Xueru paused for a moment and looked at Cui Xiao. She said, ¡°Sorry that I misunderstood you. I was too hasty¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s-It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Cui Xiao was stunned; his head swelled with blood. He Looked at Shen Zhe and asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re defending me?¡± He gossiped about Shen Zhe and slandered him with rumors¡­ And still, Shen Zhe was not infuriated. He even bought out all his lemons and defended him¡­ His lenience was truly remarkable¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been misunderstood before. I know the feeling when you want to explain yourself but can¡¯t.¡± Shen Zhe added with a smile, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault that I was hit by the lightning. I can¡¯t let you take the blame!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Cui Xiao¡¯s face reddened as he bowed with apologies and admiration. ¡°Shen Zhe, I was really wrong about you. I¡¯m sorry! You really are¡­ a good guy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Shen Zhe was about to continue the formalities when he noticed another brand-new pencil next to the notebook in his head. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shouldn¡¯t it only appear when he did a good thing? Explaining a misunderstanding for Cui Xiao¡¯s sake was a good thing? ¡°Is it possible that the pencil doesn¡¯t appear when I do a good thing, but when someone really appreciates me?¡± It wasn¡¯t a good thing technically speaking, but he was definitely positive in doing what he did! No wonder the first page of his notebook was full of positive words. Only by doing things that met the requirements could he gather pencils and summon the power of fortune! Shen Zhe understood everything. ¡°Shen Zhe¡­¡± called Ling Xueru, seeing that he suddenly stopped talking. She was worried that it was a sequela of the lightning strike. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Getting it out of his head, Shen Zhe looked at Cui Xiao again with glittering eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t stop. Please continue your appreciation¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cui Xiao and Ling Xueru were both rendered speechless. Chapter 33 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the end, Cui Xiao didn¡¯t continue expressing his gratitude and left with his face cramping. Shen Zhe was filled with regret. He said goodbye to Ling Xueru and returned to his dormitory while feeling exhausted. He had been preparing for the illumination of his stars since noon and had yet to eat something. The two consecutive lightning strikes had significantly improved him, but he had also been drained and heavily wounded. Cui Xiao was different. Most of the electricity passed through his body and entered the soil. Shen Zhe, on the other hand, absorbed the magnificent electricity. It was still too much despite the sturdiness of his body. His veins were burning in pain as if they were being ripped apart. He took a hot bath and changed to clean clothes. He was starving afterwards. He couldn¡¯t go to a restaurant with the heavy storm outside. He then noticed the remaining herb liquid as he wandered in his dormitory. He had made five bottles of herb liquid with the materials that Lu Zihan offered. Three bottles had been given away, one had been taken by him and there was one last bottle left. It wasn¡¯t food, but the tremendous spiritual energy in it could help with his hunger and his wounds. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can reach the eighth stage of body polishing¡­¡± Shen Zhe swallowed the herb liquid while sitting cross-legged on the bed. Gu! Gu! Gu! The herb liquid turned into a warm stream that entered every cell in his body. While it had been highly effective the first time, it wasn¡¯t working as strongly since he had already reached the seventh stage of body polishing. ¡°Power of the stars¡­¡± The two stars in his body shined, and their magnificent power circulated along his broken veins, changing and improving his muscles. ¡°What a pure power¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know how the power of the stars worked for others, but his stars provided infinite power and nurtured his body after being illuminated by lightning. He was closer and closer to the peak of the seventh stage. ¡°Break!¡± Shen Zhe raised his eyebrow after a long time passed. BOOM! Cracks burst out from inside his body and power flowed everywhere in a domineering manner. ¡°It worked¡­¡± Shen Zhe clenched his fists, finding the situation hard to believe. All the books in the library said that there were only seven stages in body polishing. It was a rule and a law. The eighth stage was only a made-up concept created by his obsessive-compulsive disorder. He never expected it to happen for real. Little did he know that two bottles of herb liquid and the power of the stars would make it work! He looked inside his head. The second pencil was not reduced. He had one last chance to use it. He had changed his fortune twice by reaching a correct answer and illuminating stars with lightning. The pencil was not shortened, which meant that he had made the breakthrough on his own. It was based on his determination, the magnificent power of the stars, and the herb liquid he had concocted. ¡°Spirit Concentration, Skin Hardening, Veins Practice, Blood Practice, Bone Practice, Organs Practice, and Marrow Practice¡­ The seven stages of body polishing are not real perfection!¡± Those were just individual units; grasping them was not the end. One had to integrate them into a whole! ¡°I will call the new stage¡­ the Stage of Unity!¡± After reaching that stage, Shen Zhe finally understood why it was so challenging to become a Connate by body polishing. How could someone gather his skin, muscles, veins and bones to break the Postnatal Barriers and condense the Connate Aura if those parts were not connected? Those who weren¡¯t Connate could not compete with level-one Mages or Martial Artists however strong they were. So, why would they work hard? Besides, the bodies of Mages and Martial Artists would also grow sturdier as their level rose. They didn¡¯t have to waste their time on bodybuilding at all. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can turn to page three¡­¡± Shen Zhe tried to look at the third pace of the notebook since he had a third pencil. The page was stuck and couldn¡¯t be turned at all. After multiple failed attempts, Shen Zhe gave up trying and continued consolidating his cultivation. ¡­ The crescent moon was rising. It was already dark. ¡°Creak!¡± A door was opened. ¡°Mr. Geng, I didn¡¯t know it was your turn to watch over the Hall of Laws. I would¡¯ve come this afternoon if I had known¡­¡± Bai Yu entered the room after putting down the umbrella with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s already late. What has brought you here, Ms. Bai?¡± Geng Xing looked at her in confusion. The Hall of Laws kept the most detailed findings and theorems on the continent. Generally speaking, only Mages were qualified to protect it. ¡°I would like to search for several Mages!¡± said Ms. Bai Yu. ¡°Did they leave findings or theorems behind?¡± Geng Xing frowned. While the names and deeds of countless Mages were stored there, those who hadn¡¯t left any worthy findings had been forgotten. Just like the countless scientists in the history of Earth, few of them were remembered and their stories sung like Newton or Einstein. ¡°I think so¡­ I saw someone use their theorems, but I¡¯m not sure!¡± Bai Yu smiled. Too many Mages had left findings and theorems. Most people could only remember the common formulas and weren¡¯t aware of the less popular ones. ¡°You should be able to find them if that¡¯s the case! Tell me their names and I¡¯ll search for them!¡± Geng Xing smiled. He wouldn¡¯t refuse to help a colleague as it wasn¡¯t much trouble for him at all. ¡°Their names are¡­ Ampere, Tesla, Einstein and Newton!¡± said Ms. Bai. She carefully recalled Shen Zhe¡¯s answer in the afternoon. Although his answer was incorrect, he had written those names clearly. Was it possible that he had calculated the precise time through the formulas and theorems that those people left behind? She found no answers after searching in the library for a whole afternoon. She went there after running out of choices. ¡°Tesla? Einstein?¡± Geng Xing frowned. ¡°Were they names at all?¡± ¡°Please have a try!¡± Ms. Bai blushed. She didn¡¯t know why she was interested in what a bad student wrote. Maybe it was because of his identical answer the day before, or his graceful and casual interpretation that day. Nodding his head, Geng Xing stepped to the other side of the room, which was a gigantic and chilling wall made of white jade. ¡°Ampere!¡± He pointed his finger at the wall, casting a streak of brightness to it. It was magic! BOOM! The white jade trembled. Then, something magnificent and overwhelming bounced back from the wall. Pu! Geng Xing¡¯s face was flushed as he was forced back. He abruptly spewed blood. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ms. Bai hurried to approach him and give him a hand. ¡°This Ampere is either unimaginably strong or has someone who is covering up for him. I am too weak to¡­¡± Intense awe and fear oozed from Geng Xing¡¯s eyes as he breathed hard. ¡°¡­to inquire his name!¡± Chapter 34 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Ms. Bai¡¯s face changed. It was a harmless inquiry and Geng Xing was a registered Mage. Nothing should¡¯ve happened. How strong was this Ampere to have launched a counterattack? He must be beyond level five! Level-five Mages were super experts whose spells could single handedly wipe out a whole city! Monstrous! Shen Zhe was a terrible student at the bottom of the lists, where did he pick up the theorems and laws left by such an expert? ¡°Let me try Tesla¡­¡± After resting for a while, Geng Xing raised his eyebrow and pointed his fingers again as he cast a spell. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only use half of my strength, so that I can be prepared for possible counterattacks¡­¡± He had barely finished talking when the floor started to shake so shard that cracks were sprawling. An even more powerful aura descended after that, as if the sky had fallen. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Geng Xing narrowed his eyes and stopped casting. He hurried to resist the pressure coming from the sky. ¡°Look¡­¡± said Ms. Bai quickly. Geng Xing raised his head, only to see that the wall of white jade was scintillating. The clocks on the wall were also echoing simultaneously. Hualala! The books in the room were opened and their pages were turned at the same time, as if new things were being recorded. Then, they moved and laid toward the same direction. ¡°Inscription and admiration of a thousand books¡­ Has a new theorem been created?¡± Geng Xing was shaking as he squinted his eyes. Ms. Bai also shook. Many Mages had left laws and theorems behind, but most of their work was limited to a certain range. They couldn¡¯t affect all fields of research however good they were. However, theorems that made so many books register and bow at the same time obviously applied to a very wide range! ¡°It¡¯s a theorem that changes the rules of cultivation!¡± While they were still filled with disbelief, three old men had appeared in the room out of nowhere. They stared at the wall with grave faces. ¡°Mr. Zhang! Mr. Wu! Mr He!¡± Geng Xing and Bai Yu hurried to bow at them. The newcomers were exactly the dean and deputy deans of the Green Abyss Academy. ¡°A theorem that changes the rules of cultivation?¡± Geng Xing changed his face. The rules of cultivation had been tested by countless predecessors and barely had any loopholes. For someone to be able to break the rules was beyond their imagination. ¡°Such a theorem will change the current situation and even break the boundaries of the human body. That¡¯s why it makes all the books record and admire¡­¡± Dean Zhang said in a low voice, ¡°It happened fifty thousand years ago, when Saint Master Huang Di established the nine levels of sorcery!¡± ¡°It happened thirty thousand years ago, when Saint Master Lao Zi created the concept of Seven Stars and the ways to train with the power of the stars!¡± ¡°It also happened twenty thousand years ago, when Saint Master Hua Ying compiled the Supreme Book of Medication!¡± ¡­ ¡°So many years have passed since it last happened. Every such incident foreshadows the prosperity of mankind. I didn¡¯t expect to see it happen now!¡± said Dean Zhang in shock. Not everyone could create a law that was followed by thousands of laws. The law had to agree with the Heavenly Truth! Clenching his fists, Dean Zhang said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what it is first¡­¡± Crack! Crack! Three words appeared on the white jade wall; they had a vintage air, as if they had come from thousands of years ago. Stage of Unity! ¡°Is this¡­ about body polishing? The eighth stage for the Body Practitioners?¡± ¡°Someone has created an eighth level¡­ The Stage of Unity makes it easier to become a Connate and sheds new light for the cultivators whose grades are bad¡­ I¡¯m afraid that body polishing will be the new trend!¡± Dean Zhang was dazed and appalled. The seven stages of body polishing had been determined tens of thousands of years before. However, someone had redefined them and created an eighth stage! It broke the shackles in cultivation and ushered in a new epoch. It wasn¡¯t hard to foresee that body polishing would be very popular once the news was out. ¡°Find out which Mage created this¡­ Whoever reaches the eighth stage of body polishing will naturally become his disciple and cannot attack him!¡± said Deputy Dean He. Once a law or theorem was confirmed by nature and announced to the world, its proposer would be honored. Whoever studied the rule he set up would automatically become his disciple. If the disciple intended to kill him, the disciple would be punished by nature. It was a privilege and a benefit endowed by nature. Even the strongest Mage was unable to nullify it. Nodding his head, Dean Zhang pointed at the wall, but he spewed out blood and retreated a moment later, just like Geng Xing did. ¡°This Saint Master would rather not give his name to us¡­¡± Even Dean Zhang couldn¡¯t find out the guy¡¯s name. ¡°He must be extraordinarily strong to create a new stage of cultivation. It¡¯s only reasonable that he doesn¡¯t want to divulge his name!¡± said Deputy Dean He, ¡°However, we need to reorganize our body polishing class now. Where can we find suitable teachers?¡± ¡°I think we can hire more teachers. But first of all, we need to check the students¡¯ aptitude. How about this? We¡¯ll hold a contest three days later! Both physical strength and the power of stars are allowed. The top three will be given herb liquid made by Mr. Xin Qi personally, and will be qualified as Mages or Martial Artists in advance!¡± Dean Zhang said, ¡°Also, promote the eighth stage of body polishing and encourage students to try it. If any of them can reach the eighth stage, we wouldn¡¯t be left behind by other schools like we always are!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform them!¡± Deputy Dean He nodded. Bai Yu slightly shivered while she witnessed the school¡¯s change in cultivation strategies. She only went there to inquire about some names. She didn¡¯t expect to see that. Changing the rules of cultivation and creating the eighth stage of body polishing¡­ Who was this Saint Master? Her heart raced and her eyes were filled with passion. It was truly lucky for her to live in the same age as a rule-changing Saint Master! She truly wished that she could meet the Saint Master once in her life. ¡­ The same situation was happening in the Startling Bird Kingdom¡¯s Startling Bird Academy. The headmaster ordered, ¡°Gather the students who have strong bodies and focus on them¡­¡± ¡­ In another academy found in a far-flung kingdom¡­ ¡°The eighth stage of body polishing¡­ I have to reach it!¡± A student clenched his fists firmly. ¡°You¡¯re already at the peak of the seventh stage. It shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to break the last obstacle¡­¡± said another student as he smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so¡­¡± The first student raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°Tell everyone that I¡¯m going to train in seclusion from here on and will not come out until I reach stage eight¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°The eighth stage of body polishing has been created? Haha. Pengyue is truly a lucky kid¡­¡± Someone laughed in Liu Pengyue¡¯s house. The patriarch of the Liu family was excited. He waved his hand and demanded, ¡°More dogs!¡± ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Liu Pengyue then cried non stop as if he were a pig being butchered. The same thing was happening in Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s home. His family didn¡¯t have that many dogs so they had to make up for it with additional bodyguards. Cries were also bursting out. The patriarch of the Wang family wept. ¡°Son, hang in there. This is all for you¡­¡± ¡­ Many people had a sleepless night after the change in body polishing. Body Practitioners, the least appreciated profession, was the most heated topic that night. Shen Zhe was completely unaware of all that, the bonafide creator of the topic. He was too busy staring at the glowing stars in his body and fantasizing. ¡°Where are the other five stars? How can I find them? Is it possible that the Seven Stars are not the limit and I can illuminate eight or even more? It seems that I need to train myself hard and try it in the future!¡± Chapter 35 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The royal palace of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom was as bright as day, being ablaze with candles and luminous pearls. An intimidating middle-aged man rubbed his eyebrows and stood up after finishing his work. He was the sovereign Xiao Jin, the best expert and a level-three Mage of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom! His power and his own strength made him too intimidating for anyone else to approach. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The Lead Eunuch approached him. Xiao Jin looked outside and asked, ¡°Has the rain stopped?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± said the Lead Eunuch with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re in the rainy season. It¡¯s not easy to see the sun even if the rain stops!¡± ¡°Only with enough rain will the crops flourish and the people prosper. It¡¯s a good thing!¡± Nodding, Xiao Jin wore the cloak that the eunuch gave him and left the room. It was pouring outside; the dim sky was occasionally illuminated by lightning. Standing still for a moment, Xiao Jin turned around and asked, ¡°What about the young princess?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the young princess¡­ is still solving questions!¡± said the Lead Eunuch with pity. ¡°She¡¯s still solving questions?¡± After a brief daze, Xiao Jin shook his head. ¡°She has always suffered from having a weak condition. Why is she working so hard?¡± ¡°I tried to persuade her, but you know her personality, Your Majesty¡­¡± said the Lead Eunuch with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ll check on her!¡± Waving his hand, Xiao Jin strode forward. The young princess he mentioned was Xiao Yurou, the Ninth Princess of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom. Xiao Jin had eight sons first, then he held a national celebration when his wish for a daughter was finally fulfilled. However, a piece of terrible news soon came to him. His young daughter Xiao Yurou was unlikely to live beyond eighteen due to a congenital weakness! He had been looking for medications and prescriptions nationwide, hoping to cure his daughter, but none worked. His daughter¡¯s eighteenth birthday would be three days later; she would probably die by then. Xiao Jin was anxious and regretful, but there was not much he could do. However, Xiao Yurou had a more tranquil attitude than other people. She was completely unworried as she dedicated herself to solving questions. Maybe she was more open-minded because she knew her destiny all too well. To facilitate her care, the Ninth Princess¡¯s room was not far from Xiao Jin¡¯s study. He was there soon. The girl was under glowing pearls, quietly sitting next to the window; it seemed as if she were part of a painting. She smiled and frowned while she appeared to be working on complex calculations. ¡°Father!¡± Noticing Xiao Jin, the girl dropped her brush and stood up. ¡°Why are you still up?¡± Xiao Jin sounded a lot gentler due to his pity. ¡°I¡¯ll have a lot of time for sleeping in the future. I don¡¯t want to waste my time now¡­¡± The girl chuckled. Xiao Jin sighed, not knowing what to say. Everybody knew that death was an external sleep, but it was heartbreaking for a seventeen-year-old girl to say that. ¡°No need to worry, father. I¡¯m already satisfied after having learned a vast amount of interesting knowledge in these eighteen years¡­¡± Seeing his father¡¯s gloom, the girl smiled and said, ¡°Although my body can¡¯t gather spiritual energy to illuminate the stars, I¡¯ve read all the books related to Mages¡¯ training. I have no regrets!¡± After a brief silence, Xiao Jin looked at his ever obedient daughter and said hoarsely, ¡°Do you have any wishes? I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± ¡°Like I said before, I wish to enjoy the great outdoors and go to school like ordinary people do!¡± The Ninth Princess looked at her father with hope. She had lived her entire life like a bird in a cage because of her illness. She wished to fly at least once since death was near. ¡°It¡¯s easy to enjoy the great outdoors. I¡¯ll have someone take you there. As for the school, I¡¯ll have Zhang Fengyuan place you in the best class tomorrow¡­¡± said Xiao Jin. ¡°Father¡­ If you do that, the trips and the school will be no different than the royal palace, won¡¯t they?¡± The Ninth Princess raised her eyes and said hopefully, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to know who I am. I just want to be an ordinary person!¡± Xiao Jin hesitated for a moment. He was unhappy but also unwilling to disappoint his daughter, so he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make arrangements tomorrow. Nobody will know your real identity!¡± ¡°Thank you, father!¡± The Ninth Princess¡¯ eyes glowed. She had always received the best care since childhood, but what she desired most was to smile, cry and go to school like an ordinary person would. She wished to experience that before she died. Xiao Jin nodded and was about to give his daughter a few reminders when a stranger barged in and hurriedly knelt down. ¡°What is it?¡± said Xiao Jin angrily. He hated being disturbed when he was with his daughter. ¡°Your Majesty, a new law has appeared in the Hall of Laws. The eighth stage of body polishing has been created¡­¡± The stranger hurried to inform him of what happened. ¡°The eighth stage?¡± Squinting, Xiao Jin realized how important the news was. ¡°It seems that Body Practitioners will thrive¡­¡± Body polishing had often been criticized because it was almost impossible to become a Connate with a stage seven foundation! With the eighth stage, it might be much easier. ¡°I¡¯ll go there¡­¡± Knowing that many of his soldiers could make great progress because of this, Xiao Jin bid his daughter farewell and went to the Hall of Laws in a hurry. The soldiers of the kingdom were mostly Body Practitioners. With the appearance of an eighth stage, wouldn¡¯t his army become stronger than before? In such a case, all the kingdoms on that continent would be crazy. Xiao Jin gave an instruction while on his way, ¡°Give my order. Whoever surpasses stage seven and reaches stage eight will be accoladed and promoted to Great General!¡± ¡°Great General?¡± The Lead Eunuch narrowed his eyes. There were only four Great Generals in the kingdom, but whoever reached the eighth stage of body polishing would be the fifth one. The king had certainly attached great importance to the new stage! ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Lead Eunuch left to pass the order. ¡­ Crack! Crack! Shen Zhe had changed significantly after his strength was united. The guardrail of his bunk was easily twisted with a gentle grasp. Shen Zhe shivered in excitement. ¡°My body is strong enough by itself. With the power of the stars inside my body, my combat ability will be even higher!¡± Both his body and his mind had been sharpened, making his responses faster. By his estimation, while he was not as strong as a real Martial Artist like Ms. Bai Yu, he should be no weaker than a Druggist like Mr. Xin Qi! If he was punished again, he should be able to deal with it easily without worrying about being wounded. After confirming his strength, Shen Zhe took a breath in relief. Studies mattered the most in this world. Those with good grades were definitely strong. He couldn¡¯t have made the unimaginable progress without the notebook since he was a bad student. He needed to keep a low profile, in case anyone noticed the anomaly and sliced him as a lab mouse. ¡°The wounds caused by the lightning have yet to heal. I need to take care of that¡­¡± His internal organs were mostly recovered, but his veins were still burning due to the severe electric shock. The conditions would not improve any time soon. It would be difficult to illuminate the other five stars if the veins weren¡¯t restored. ¡°Shen Zhe, Shen Zhe¡­¡± Someone knocked the door quickly while he was considering a solution. Chapter 36 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhao Chen entered right after Shen Zhe opened the door. Thanks to the Zhao family¡¯s resources, Zhao Chen was almost fully recovered after a day and a night. He was currently able to walk normally. He looked completely miserable the day before, yet one day later he was virtually as healthy as one could be. The recovery abilities of stage-six Body Practitioners were truly extraordinary. ¡°Last night, the eighth stage of body polishing was created¡­¡± Zhao Chen was excited as he looked at him. ¡°Who told you that?¡± Shen Zhe was greatly shocked. He didn¡¯t tell a soul, and neither did he leave his dormitory the previous day. How did his friend find out? Not noticing Shen Zhe¡¯s unnatural reaction, Zhao Chen explained, ¡°Perceiving a new tier and creating a new path will be approved by nature and enter the Hall of Laws. The whole Green Abyss is now in turmoil¡­¡± ¡°Hall of Laws?¡± asked Shen Zhe. Zhao Chen waved his hand and quickly explained everything. Shen Zhe smiled bitterly afterwards. He intended to keep a low profile, but he had turned into a ¡°Saint Master¡± without even trying. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to admit that I created the eighth stage, nor I can let anyone find out about my strength¡­¡± Shen Zhe secretly made the decision, ¡°I must keep a low profile!¡± A notorious student reaching stage eight of body polishing from nothing would result in major trouble for him. Revealing his capabilities would have been disastrous for him if Zhao Chen hadn¡¯t gone there to inform him. ¡°Although we can illuminate a couple of stars, you know that it¡¯s barely possible for us to become Mages or Martial Artists. However, we can still be better people if we can become Connate Body Practitioners!¡± Zhao Chen was excited. Connate Body Practitioners were on par with level-one Mages and Martial Artists, had longer longevity and were revered by many. With the eighth level of body polishing, the odds of success were much higher than before. Spring had arrived for Body Practitioners. Shen Zhe was stunned. He didn¡¯t know the actions driven by his obsessive-compulsive disorder would cause such a fuss. Luckily for him, nobody found out that he was the one behind this, otherwise he would never sleep well again. ¡°Right, a competition will be held in two days. Both Body Practitioners and Seven Star Stage cultivators can participate. Should we set up a team and try our luck?¡± Zhao Chen said passionately, ¡°We were always beaten up in such contests. It¡¯s time for revenge now that we are stronger!¡± ¡°I would rather keep a low profile!¡± Shen Zhe shook his head in disapproval. His strength was exclusively raised up by the notebook. There might be trouble if he revealed it. The best solution was to keep a low profile and avoid showing off. Not expecting Shen Zhe to refuse, Zhao Chen said after a brief hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s said that the top three will have a chance to directly become Mages or Martial Artists without the finals!¡± Shen Zhe asked, ¡°Have you illuminated the Seven Stars?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Zhao Chen was immediately frustrated. That¡¯s right. If the stars weren¡¯t illuminated, such a chance would mean nothing! ¡°Not just that, it¡¯s said that they will also be awarded with the herb liquid made by Mr. Xin Qi himself. If you don¡¯t want that, you can ask for training resources. Then, if you reach stage eight with those resources or even become a Connate, it won¡¯t matter whether or not you¡¯re a Mage¡­¡± Zhao Chen was anxious. Connate Body Practitioners weren¡¯t as good as level-one Mages and Martial Artists, but they were strong in melee fights and had infinite stamina. Zhao Chen had no hope of becoming a Mage or a Martial Artist, but he could still be respected if he became a Connate Body Practitioner. ¡°Well¡­ you guys can team up if you¡¯re interested, but don¡¯t count me in¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. Seeing that he was determined, Zhao Chen said, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s buy armor together. You can protect yourself with it when you¡¯re in danger!¡± ¡°Shopping? There are no classes today?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. ¡°Bro¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s the weekend!¡± Zhao Chen looked at him as if he were an idiot. He felt that his friend had turned into a geek¡­ Shen Zhe was such a clever kid before¡­ Bad students shouldn¡¯t study; that would only lower their intelligence. Shen Zhe was stunned for a moment as he recalled the information. Students in that world did not study all the time; they rested during the weekends. ¡°Where are we going shopping?¡± Shen Zhe accepted the proposal. He had been in that world for only a few days. Instead of spending all his time in his room, he should know more about the continent. Also, he needed to find ways to help his veins recover. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Gold Source Mall!¡± Zhao Chen smiled, ¡°My family¡¯s businesses are there. We won¡¯t be ripped off!¡± Zhao Chen had prepared a wagon for them. An hour later, they saw an enormous mall. It was the first time Shen Zhe had closely observed a city in the alternate world after his rebirth. Everything was new for him. Thanks to the spiritual energy, horses were bigger and faster than those he knew. The wagon had been specially designed; the journey wasn¡¯t bumpy at all. Shen Zhe saw a lot of students in school uniforms at the mall. ¡°In this contest, whoever defeats the rest through whatever means possible will be the winner. So, everybody is buying herbs and armor to build up their bodies, in case they¡¯re knocked out before they perform any techniques¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. The students who illuminated stars were not as sturdy as Body Practitioners, but their battle techniques launched with the power of the stars could also be devastating; it wasn¡¯t easy to defeat them with pure physical strength. However, it would take time for them to perform battle techniques. Should the Body Practitioners approach them, they would be helpless if they didn¡¯t have any protection. Armor and herbs that could improve defense abilities were popular because of this. Shen Zhe was curious about all the items in the mall. Herbs, weapons, minerals¡­ Anything that anyone would want to buy could be found. ¡°Come here and behold the real Iron-toothed Wolf Skin Armor, which is soft but invulnerable!¡± ¡°I have the best herb liquid made by Qin Zhenyi, one of Green Abyss Academy¡¯s top three. Even Mr. Xin Qi praised it personally! Three wen for a bottle!¡± ¡°Green Leopard¡¯s blood can double your speed and strength! It will only cost you 998 wen! You won¡¯t lose anything if you give it a try¡­¡± ¡­ Hawkers were everywhere. ¡°There are a lot of counterfeits in this place. Let¡¯s go to my family¡¯s booth¡­¡± said Zhao Chen in a low voice. Shen Zhe nodded. He didn¡¯t know much about those items, but he guessed their unreliability from the dealers¡¯ exaggerated tone. For example, beast blood was indeed precious but only effective when refined into medication. People would vomit if they were to drink it directly. Following Zhao Chen, Shen Zhe soon reached an enormous booth. Before he walked in, he heard the same calls. ¡°The very same dog meat that Mr. Zhao Chen of the Zhao family took! Only a hundred wen for a kilogram! If you take it, you will also become a stage six expert overnight!¡± ¡°Mr. Zhao¡¯s choice of underwear, which wasn¡¯t torn after being surrounded by dozens of dogs¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Zhao¡¯s choice of herb liquid! If you buy it, you¡¯ll be the next expert¡­¡± ¡°Are these¡­ the authentic goods you talked about?¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s lips twitched as he looked at his friend in a weird way. He wasn¡¯t sure whether or not the goods in other shops were genuine, but he was certain that all the goods in that booth were fake! A blushing Zhao Chen said, ¡°Cough, cough. Don¡¯t mind the details¡­¡± Then, he walked into the booth. Chapter 37 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Young master¡­¡± They had barely entered when a few people approached them. Nodding his head, Zhao Chen introduced, ¡°This is Mr. Shen Zhe!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Shen!¡± Everybody bowed. ¡°Bring the best leather armor in our shop to Mr. Shen!¡± Zhao Chen waved his hand. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The clerks left in a hurry and soon returned with a black armor. ¡°Mr. Shen, this is purely made of rhino hide. It can protect you from a fully-blown attack of a stage four expert of body polishing!¡± Shen Zhe touched it. The armor was indeed soft and tensile. It was good stuff! He wouldn¡¯t be hurt too badly when the teacher punished him if he wore that in class! No wonder so many students vomited blood but few died¡­ Shen Zhe didn¡¯t know the trick behind it. All of those students were probably wearing armor. Even the blood might be fake¡­ ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pay you for the awesome herb liquid. This is just an armor. It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± said Zhao Chen with a smile. ¡°Thank you!¡± Shen Zhe didn¡¯t insist after seeing that the offer was sincere. He wasn¡¯t afraid of physical punishments anymore, but since he would rather not reveal his capabilities, the armor would be the best defense for him. Zhao Chen asked the clerks to bring a few more items to him. Shen Zhe accepted them with a smile after knowing that his friend was repaying for the herb liquid. Then he said, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for years. Just speak if you have anything you want to say¡­¡± Zhao Chen had invited him over and given him so many things. He clearly had other purposes. ¡°Well¡­¡± Blushing, Zhao Chen said awkwardly, ¡°My father wants to meet you¡­¡± ¡°The patriarch of the Zhao family?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Hadn¡¯t we just met in the morning?¡± Besides, that man could have invited him to the Zhao family estate directly. Why did he ask Zhao Chen to take him there by using that excuse? It was so mysterious! ¡°This way, please!¡± Zhao Chen led the way. Shen Zhe was puzzled. He followed him into a nearby room where the patriarch of the Zhao family was sitting. The room was hidden in the deepest part of the mall. Without Zhao Chen leading the way, Shen Zhe wouldn¡¯t have noticed it even if he passed by. ¡°Mr. Zhao!¡± Shen Zhe clasped his hands. Zhao Fan smiled, ¡°Please sit down!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave¡­¡± Zhao Chen left the room. The door was closed; Shen Zhe and Zhao Fan were left alone. ¡°Why did Mr. Zhao go through all this trouble to look for me?¡± Shen Zhe had nothing to worry about, because Zhao Fan could¡¯ve killed him easily if he wanted to. So, he looked at the guy in confusion. ¡°If my stupid son was half as capable as Mr. Shen, I wouldn¡¯t be worried!¡± Zhao Fan sighed after seeing that the teenager was unperturbed, straight off asking him a question before he did. Why was their gap so vast? His son excelled at nothing but eating and sleeping. However, Shen Zhe was apparently far better than his peers in all aspects. Shen Zhe waited for a moment, sensing that the guy had yet to finish. Then, the patriarch of the Zhao family stood up and bowed. ¡°I was too reckless. Please forgive me, Mr. Shen!¡± ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Zhao?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. Instead of replying, Zhao Fan asked again, ¡°If I may ask, was the herb liquid you gave to my son really made personally by you?¡± Shen Zhe nodded. He had admitted it before. There was no point in denying. ¡°That is the problem!¡± With a bitter smile, Zhao Fan explained, ¡°Without the eighth stage of body polishing, nobody would¡¯ve paid much attention to an herb liquid that could quickly help a person reach the sixth stage. However, there¡¯s a higher chance to become a Connate through body polishing, all thanks to the Stage of Unity! Now, the existence of an herb liquid that grants a quick advancement in such a scenario¡­ what do you think it means?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe was stiffened by the prospect. Body polishing had been previously seen as a secondary choice and nobody paid attention to it. However, he would be mired in infinite trouble if the news that he could create the herb liquid were leaked! He hadn¡¯t thought about any of that. Zhao Fan definitely thought deeper than him, being the leader of a prestigious family. It was quite understandable. He had only been a high school student in his previous life; never did he go through similar situations. After the shock, Shen Zhe took a long breath and asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Zhao, since you¡¯ve foreseen the possibility and have approached me to talk about this matter, do you have a solution?¡± He didn¡¯t trust Zhao Fan completely. The herb liquid would make a lot of people crazy. The patriarch of the Zhao family might have other thoughts. ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Shen. I do not covet the herb liquid!¡± Zhao Fan bowed again and said, ¡°After I visited you this morning, most people in the school knew that Zhao Chen had reached stage six of body polishing overnight. It can¡¯t be undone now, and we can only seek remedies!¡± If he knew that stage eight of body polishing would be created, he wouldn¡¯t have thanked Shen Zhe publicly! What he did had placed his son¡¯s lifesaver in the spotlight. ¡°Remedies?¡± Shen Zhe clenched his fists. Yes, the news was already out and couldn¡¯t be recalled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve informed both the Liu and the Wang families, asking them not to reveal the herb liquid¡¯s effect. Also, I¡¯ve spread the word that your grades were bad not because you didn¡¯t work hard, but because you spent more time in body polishing!¡± said Zhao Fan. ¡°Being the case¡­¡± Shen Zhe immediately understood what he meant. ¡°Our breakthroughs weren¡¯t made overnight but as a matter of course, and the role of the herb liquid would be less important!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Zhao Fan nodded. ¡°Nobody notices whether or not other people are polishing their bodies. So, this might fool them for a while¡­¡± Shen Zhe nodded. The truth would be revealed sooner or later; someone would definitely investigate the herb liquid, even if they claimed that it was not important. It wasn¡¯t easy to deceive them; everybody in that world was smart. ¡°Unless¡­¡± Zhao Fan hesitated. Shen Zhe looked at him. ¡°Unless you¡¯re strong enough, or so talented that others wouldn¡¯t dare to covet it!¡± Zhao Fan said, ¡°Almost all the Druggists above level four can make herb liquids that can improve an ordinary person to stage six of body polishing overnight, but nobody dares to ask them for it!¡± Shen Zhe trembled. It did make sense. Why were certain countries scoured for nuclear weapons, but America and Russia were exempt of this treatment? Because it was apparent that they did have such weapons! Everybody knew what the level-four Druggists were capable of, but did anyone dare to demand their herb liquid? Of course not! Power meant everything in any place. Therefore, Shen Zhe had to raise his power as soon as possible. Once he became a real Mage or a Druggist of a higher level, other people would have to consider carefully if they wanted to ask for trouble. It seemed that he needed an extra pot apart from lightnings. ¡°Thank you for your advice and support, Mr. Zhao¡­¡± Shen Zhe bowed deeply. He was still too simple as a student. If Zhao Fan hadn¡¯t reminded him, he would¡¯ve been surrounded by countless people. Even his life could be at risk. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Shen. You and my son are best friends, and you even refined herbs for him at a great cost. This is the least I can do!¡± Zhao Fan said with a smile, ¡°Besides, your future is nothing but promising when considering that you¡¯ve made such an astonishing herb liquid at such a young age. I¡¯m wagering on you!¡± He was helping Shen Zhe for two reasons: Firstly, Shen Zhe was the young master of the Shen family; their fury would be too much to bear if he tried to blackmail him. Secondly, Shen Zhe was his son¡¯s best friend and had enormous potential. Therefore, the best choice was to make friends with him. He had calculated the gains and losses clearly, thanks to his capabilities as a patriarch and a level-one Martial Artist. ¡°I owe you one for this, Mr. Zhao. I¡¯ll definitely help Zhao Chen whenever I can!¡± Shen Zhe clasped his hands, knowing what Zhao Fan had in mind. Whether or not the patriarch of the Zhao family meant what he said, he was doing Shen Zhe a favor right then. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that, Mr. Shen¡­¡± Zhao Fan was relaxed. Chapter 38 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe had a strong sense of crisis after he left the room. The patriarch of the Zhao family realized it right away because he was involved. However, other people would not be easily fooled. They would find out sooner or later! Everybody in this world was intelligent and responsive! ¡°I have to improve myself¡­ My top priority is to repair my veins!¡± He had to cure his veins first. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t become a Mage or a Martial Artist with only two illuminated stars. He would be cursed instead if that were the case! ¡°Shen Zhe¡­¡± Zhao Chen greeted him. ¡°Do you have medications or treasures that can boost vein recovery?¡± asked Shen Zhe directly. ¡°Vein recovery? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Something happened during my training yesterday, but it wasn¡¯t severe¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. He decided to keep his illuminated stars to himself after the lesson he just learned. ¡°That will be easy!¡± Relieved, Zhao Chen said, ¡°Veins are the foundation of cultivation. The power of the stars, spiritual energy, or the soul have to circulate in them. They must be treated when they are damaged. However, different treatments are required according to the specific damages.¡± ¡°Is it that complicated?¡± ¡°Veins are mysterious; their injuries have to be examined before making any prescription. One tiny mistake may result in even greater damages!¡± Zhao Chen explained, ¡°It so happens that Uncle Qi is here. He¡¯s a medical counselor of my family, I can ask him to examine you. If it¡¯s not serious, you¡¯ll be fine after you take his medication for a while!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. He knew nothing about treatments and could certainly use a doctor. A middle-aged man arrived shortly after and laid his finger on Shen Zhe¡¯s wrist. He soon frowned and asked, ¡°I wonder¡­ have your veins been burnt, Mr. Shen?¡± ¡°Indeed. I was accidentally hit by a lightning strike yesterday!¡± said Shen Zhe. Cui Xiao and Ling Xueru had both seen him being struck, so the plain fact could be revealed. However, he couldn¡¯t tell them he had absorbed the power of lightning. ¡°A lightning strike?¡± Uncle Qi remarked, ¡°That explains why your veins carry the violent power of lightning, even though they are damaged¡­¡± He sensed something wrong during the examination, but he didn¡¯t know that it was caused by lightning. It was the first time he had seen such injuries in all his medical career. Hit by a lightning strike¡­ How unlucky was he? ¡°Uncle Qi, do you know any treatment?¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Yes, however¡­¡± Pondering for a moment, Uncle Qi shook his head and said, ¡°His injuries are very strange. I can only make a list of herbs according to his conditions. However, those herbs are very precious and it¡¯s not easy to refine them into herb liquid, even if you can collect them. Honestly¡­ even Mr. Xin Qi might not be able to refine them!¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. Thinking his injuries were simple, he had not expected for the treatment to be so complicated. ¡°The lightning¡¯s fury is too much even for Mages. You could¡¯ve been killed if your body was any less tougher, Mr. Shen¡­¡± Uncle Qi smiled bitterly. ¡°What do you think is severe if being hit by lightning isn¡¯t?¡± It was probably Nature¡¯s greatest punishment! ¡°Thank you, Uncle Qi. Please write me a prescription¡­¡± said Shen Zhe, not knowing what was in the doctor¡¯s head. He could refine the herbs himself if Mr. Xin Qi couldn¡¯t, just as long as he had a good griddle. Thinking about it, he also had to prepare more oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar. ¡°Okay!¡± Uncle Qi soon wrote a whole page. Then he said in embarrassment, ¡°The herbs are prescribed according to your injuries, but I¡¯m not sure what liquid they should be refined into, or how they can solve the power of lightning¡­¡± You would need to have a deep understanding of every herb and their properties to refine them, so that they melt perfectly in the furnace after following a proper sequence. He was a doctor, not a Druggist; he could prescribe medicine but he couldn¡¯t refine it. Shen Zhe thanked him again. Zhao Chen asked a clerk to fetch the herbs after receiving the prescription. The clerk quickly returned with a tremendous amount of herbs and said, ¡°Young master, we¡¯ve found 71 of the 74 herbs listed on the prescription, but the last three were nowhere to be found¡­¡± ¡°Which three?¡± asked Zhao Chen. ¡°Blood of the Blue Fox, Gold and Silver Tobacco and Bark of Penghe!¡± The clerk who fetched the herbs explained, ¡°The Blood of the Blue Fox is retrieved from Blue Foxes, which are beasts that only appear late at night. Their blood can dissolve the lightning¡¯s aggression since they absorb the coldness of the moon.¡± ¡°The Gold and Silver Tobacco is also a rare herb. It will have two blossoms when it¡¯s mature; one gold and the other silver. The two blossoms will kiss each other and yield fragrance at sunset. As for the Bark of Penghe, it¡¯s the skin of the Penghe Wood. We do not sell it, but it¡¯s available in the mall!¡± ¡°Where?¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°Go and buy it no matter the cost!¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do it!¡± The clerk smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s in the Empyrean One Pavilion!¡± ¡°The Empyrean One Pavilion? The royal store where herbs are not sold but offered if you answer their questions correctly?¡± Zhao Chen was stunned. ¡°Yes!¡± The clerk nodded. Zhao Chen was at a loss for words. Shen Zhe looked at him and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the Empyrean One Pavilion because you¡¯ve never been to the Gold Source Mall before! It¡¯s a store established by the royal family and they have many rare treasures. They¡¯re not for sale though; you can get them for free if you can answer the difficult questions you¡¯re asked!¡± explained Zhao Chen. ¡°If I can answer difficult questions?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m told that the young princess herself was the one who came up with the questions. Many people have tried to solve them ever since the Empyrean One Pavilion was founded five years ago. In fact, some questions were worked out, but the remaining ones became harder and harder to solve. Even the real geniuses in our school would be unable to answer them¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. They certainly couldn¡¯t answer questions that geniuses couldn¡¯t. ¡°The young princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that the young princess is both smart and beautiful. She completed the courses for the fifth grade when she was three, and she answered all the questions and conundrums for the illumination of the Seven Stars when she was nine. She¡¯s as good as any genius in our school!¡± ¡°No questions in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom were hard enough for her by the time she was twelve, which was five years ago. Even His Majesty, a level-three Mage, admitted that he couldn¡¯t compare to her. She was so bored that she came up with these questions, hoping that someone could work them out. However, it¡¯s been five years and many are still unanswered!¡± said Zhao Chen with mixed feelings. Shen Zhe clicked his tongue. He couldn¡¯t understand first grade questions and had seriously considered studying in a kindergarten. And yet, the princess had answered all of them when she was nine. It was unbelievable! ¡°While fate has favored her in that regard, she is less lucky in other aspects¡­ Her physical condition is poor; even though she can answer all the questions, her body prevents her from really illuminating the stars or practicing body-polishing arts. I was also told that her longevity is limited as well!¡± Shaking his head, Zhao Chen concluded, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s a secret of the royal family not to be discussed by us¡­ Anyways, the questions of the Empyrean One Pavilion are too hard for anyone! Nobody dares to steal things from that place, either. The Bark of Penghe is as good as being nonexistent if it¡¯s there!¡± Shen Zhe understood everything. Who would dare to steal the royal family¡¯s possessions? If the questions were too hard to be answered, it would be as if the treasure didn¡¯t exist at all. However¡­ Just because other people couldn¡¯t answer the questions didn¡¯t mean Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t! Would he get the answers straight off by using the equal sign on the second page of the notebook? Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glowed; he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. However¡­ He really shouldn¡¯t show off anymore. He had to lay low if he didn¡¯t want to catch unnecessary attention and be killed. Considering for a moment, Shen Zhe asked for the location of the Empyrean One Pavilion and then said with a smile, ¡°Would you please deliver the herbs to my dormitory? I¡¯ll do some shopping in the mall since we¡¯re free today!¡± ¡°I¡¯m free right now, we can shop together¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. ¡°You¡¯d better treat your wounds first!¡± Shen Zhe replied and shook his head, ¡°Otherwise, your opponents in the contest won¡¯t even bear to attack you if you¡¯re as wretched as this.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lowering his head, Zhao Chen smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Alright. Take care of yourself.¡± He indeed had to soak himself in herb liquid to boost his recovery, but he suddenly stopped when he was walking away. Deep in thought, he asked, ¡°Right¡­ Do you think I¡¯ll recover faster if I eat more dog meat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe was at a loss for words. Chapter 39 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Shen Zhe strolled around in the Gold Source Mall after he left the Zhao family¡¯s store. He saw many good things, but he wasn¡¯t desperately in need of them and didn¡¯t buy any. In the end he bought a cloak, a hat and a scarf in a clothes shop to make sure that nobody could recognize him, before he finally went to the Empyrean One Pavilion. He had never gone through any crises in his previous life; his world had always been peaceful. But Zhao Fan had taught him a lesson that day. He had to look before he leaped; geniuses were everywhere in this alternate world. It was best to keep a low profile. Unfortunately, he was incapable of changing his face; he would be even safer if he could. He soon arrived at the Empyrean One Pavilion. The other stores were all crowded, but this one only had a dozen people who were all frowning and calculating nonstop. Their equations were dense and long, but they all shook and sighed when they reached the end. Difficult! It was too difficult! ¡°Senior Quan, you should go back. You¡¯re not getting anywhere, even after working on this question for two years!¡± An old man looked at another old man who was not far away. Senior Quan continued calculating without looking back at him. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found a methodology. The answer will be ready in three days!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said a year ago¡­¡± The first old man ruthlessly replied. ¡°¡­¡± Senior Quan said in embarrassment, ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ll definitely be the first in Green Abyss to solve this question!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± The first old man chuckled and said, ¡°Whatever you say!¡± ¡°You!¡± Agitated and angry, Senior Quan failed to contain himself and his enormous mental power raised a breeze, showing that he was a level-one Mage! A Mage, proficient at calculation par excellence, failed to answer the question after working for two years¡­ One of Shen Zhe¡¯s eyebrows trembled. He looked at the other side. There were some young men in school uniforms who had piles of used-up paper before them. Shen Zhe approached the counter after observing for a while. Behind the counter was a slightly plump girl in her twenties. She was taking a nap. ¡°Do you have Bark of Penghe?¡± Shen Zhe asked in a low voice as he covered his face with his collar. That was the purpose of his visit; there would be no need to waste his time if it wasn¡¯t in stock. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a top-tier herb. It will be freely given to you, as long as you can answer a corresponding question!¡± The girl yawned and pointed at the wall. People had been inquiring about herbs every day, but the vast majority of them returned empty-handed. There were fewer visitors after learning that the questions were too hard. Shen Zhe raised his head and saw the herbs and treasures listed on the inner wall of the Empyrean One Pavilion. All of them were highly precious. Their respective tiers were noted behind each treasure. Whoever answered a question of said tier would get the treasure. The rule was simple enough. Shen Zhe said, ¡°Then¡­ Could I have a question from the top tier?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to solve a question of the top tier?¡± said the girl in a shrill voice, clearly refreshed from her drowsiness because of this. She gazed at Shen Zhe. The other people in the shop also stopped their calculations and eyed the stranger. It had been years since anyone challenged the top tier. Was he serious? ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°Our questions are divided into three tiers. At the moment, five questions of the tertiary tier have yet to be resolved¡­¡± The girl paused. She didn¡¯t go on, but her intention was obvious. The higher a question¡¯s tier was, the more difficult it would be. If Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t solve a tertiary-tier question, he certainly couldn¡¯t solve one from the top-tier! ¡°I need the Bark of Penghe, so I have to solve a top-tier question¡­¡± said Shen Zhe, not without regret. He would love to solve questions in their proper order, but why did they have to set the herb in such a high tier? ¡°I want to lay low, but I can¡¯t under such circumstances!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Seeing that he was determined, the girl paused for a moment and said, ¡°Generally speaking, questions of higher tiers would not be accessible to the public until the tertiary tier is completed, in case of any confusion. If you insist, I can file an application for you, but you have to prove yourself first!¡± It was possible to end up deranged, if not heavily wounded, when trying to answer a question that was too difficult for yourself. ¡°How should I prove myself?¡± asked Shen Zhe. ¡°I have a question here. If you can answer it within five breaths, you will be qualified to answer a top-tier question. If you can¡¯t, for your own safety, I won¡¯t give you the question!¡± replied the girl. Considering for a moment, Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Is this your rule?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The girl nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no room for negotiation?¡± The girl nodded firmly and said, ¡°No! This rule is not to be violated!¡± Seeing that she was determined, Shen Zhe asked for confirmation, ¡°All I need to do is answer your question within five breaths, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe nodded his head. ¡°Please listen to my question¡­¡± The girl stared at him and said, ¡°There¡¯s a number whose remainder is two when divided by three, three when divided by five, and two when divided by seven. What is this number?¡± ¡°What the heck?¡± Shen Zhe could barely follow the question! ¡°Starting from now, you have five breaths to answer the question!¡± The girl took out an hourglass where sand was fallling. It would be empty after five breaths. Such a test was meant to check if the applicants were capable of solving a question and their speed. It wasn¡¯t really a difficult question. The answer was not unique. Any number that met the requirement would be correct. However¡­ even though it wasn¡¯t difficult, Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t find an answer that quickly! Anxiously watching the hourglass, Shen Zhe didn¡¯t dare to hesitate and wrote a number. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± He handed over the paper. ¡°That fast?¡± The girl was stunned after seeing that Shen Zhe completed it within one breath. She accepted the paper with a look of admiration and then read it, only to be dumbfounded. The number on the paper was¡­ five! ¡°Five? How can five be divided by seven? That¡¯s not even a close one!¡± ¡°I was really fast, wasn¡¯t I?¡± said Shen Zhe. The girl¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Yes, you were, but your answer is wrong¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t require the answer to be correct, did you? If I recall correctly, you said, ¡®if you can answer it within five breaths, you will be qualified to answer a top-tier question¡¯. I¡¯ve answered it in one breath and given the answer to you. Are you going back on your promise?¡± Shen Zhe frowned, ¡°Are you going to violate the rule and sabotage the reputation of the Empyrean One Pavilion?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The girl was at a loss for words. ¡°I am sabotaging the reputation of the Empyrean One Pavilion?¡± ¡°This is such a shameless move!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t all the challengers geniuses who aim for correct answers?¡± ¡°Why is this guy so different from other people?¡± Even a dog would have reacted quickly if any answer was valid, just as long as there was a bone before him¡­ ¡°You just said that the rule was not to be violated¡­ There is nothing I can do if you don¡¯t abide by it, but I answered the question within five breaths as per the rule¡­¡± said Shen Zhe matter-of-factly. ¡°¡­Fine!¡± Choked for a long time, the girl came up with no rebuttals. She could only nod her head and say, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a top-tier question!¡± ¡°This is truly a tricky guy to deal with!¡± Chapter 40 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What a snob!¡± ¡°This is demeaning!¡± ¡°How humiliating!¡± Senior Quan and the other people who watched the whole thing couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. They had thought that a real genius had arrived to challenge a top-tier question. Little did they expect that he would cheat like that! ¡°If this is all you can do, can you really answer the question even if it¡¯s given to you?¡± ¡°You should know better!¡± ¡°What a show off. He will only embarrass himself later!¡± The questions were sealed to protect the challengers from being hurt, but the girl wasn¡¯t interested in dissuading him anymore. The guy had resorted to such a shameless method¡­ If he couldn¡¯t solve such a simple question, could he understand a difficult one? He certainly wouldn¡¯t be hurt if he couldn¡¯t even understand the question¡­ The girl stood up and walked into a room. She returned with a crystal ball moments later. ¡°There¡¯s only one question in the top tier. Nobody has ever challenged it before, so it has never been shown. I¡¯ll show it to everyone since you would like to solve it!¡± She touched the crystal ball; many characters were projected on the smooth wall of the Empyrean One Pavilion as they formed a question. The people present were either Mages or geniuses among geniuses. It didn¡¯t matter if they saw the question. None of them could solve it anyway. As for whether or not they could be hurt¡­ The few old men who went there every day had been regarding that place as a senior center, and the questions as entertainment. They could hardly become deranged by it! ¡°This is the top-tier question?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed hard¡­¡± ¡°The young princess is truly a genius! For her to produce such a question¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s barely possible to solve it. I¡¯m incapable of it anyway¡­¡± ¡­ Everybody whispered when they read the question. They had heard about the top-tier question, but they had never seen it before. Ignoring their shock, Shen Zhe raised his head and read it. The question was even shorter than the previous one. ¡°PROOF: when integer n is greater than two, the equation x^n + y^n = z^n of x, y and z have no integral answers.¡± Shen Zhe blinked his eyes. What is this? What does it mean? What have I seen? He couldn¡¯t be more confused. Mathematical models and concepts such as x, y and z were applied to the laws and rules in this world. However, Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t understand what the question was about at all! ¡°Could someone explain it to me?¡± He turned around, only to see that Senior Quan and other people were frowning. It was obvious that they could understand it but couldn¡¯t solve it. It was understandable. They couldn¡¯t solve the tertiary-tier questions, much less one at the top tier. It was ten times more difficult. ¡°My friend, didn¡¯t you want to see the question? It¡¯s right here. Please hurry up or leave if you can¡¯t solve it¡­¡± Angry about how Shen Zhe tricked her just then, the girl was gloomy and pulled a long face. ¡°You think he can solve it? Stop kidding!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t solve it even if I work on it for a hundred years. You think he can answer this question when he couldn¡¯t solve the simplest question just now?¡± ¡°A challenger of the top-tier question¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re not here to entertain us?¡± ¡­ Everybody laughed. They had witnessed how Shen Zhe had gotten the opportunity to read the question through cheating. A guy who couldn¡¯t answer the simplest test was there to answer a top-tier question¡­ Did he have nothing better to do? The previous question had countless answers, including 23, 128, 233 and 338. Any of them could work. He failed to choose any of those numbers, simply giving a random answer that wasn¡¯t even close. He was truly brazen! Shen Zhe approached the wall without trying to defend himself. How could they know about his plan? His pencil was too precious to be used in a simple test. That was why he took advantage of the flaw in the girl¡¯s statement. He could finally use it after seeing the truly difficult question. ¡°Here¡¯s a brush. You can write your answer on the wall¡­¡± The girl chuckled when Shen Zhe moved forward. ¡°Right, I forgot to remind you. You have to prove that the conclusion is correct, instead of giving an answer. If you can¡¯t, you¡¯d better not humiliate yourself!¡± ¡°Proof question? It¡¯s a proof question?¡± Dazed for a moment, Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°I hate proof questions the most¡­¡± He had worked on many geometry proof questions in the past. The answers of such questions were obvious, yet he had to prove them with formulas and theorems. They were a major headache for him in every test! Anyways¡­ He had never solved any of them correctly. ¡°Puchi!¡± Everyone laughed even harder. ¡°He can¡¯t even tell it¡¯s a proof question, yet he wants to solve it. Where¡¯s this freak from?¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t like you, I have to prove you now¡­¡± Too lazy to talk anymore, Shen Zhe focused his attention, and the ¡°=¡± appeared before him. Hum! Infinite characters immediately popped up in front of his eyes. While the question was hard, it was nothing with his notebook. All he needed to do was to copy the words. Taking a soft breath, Shen Zhe picked up the brush and approached the wall. He could write with the brush without dipping it in ink, thanks to the magic on the wall; his writing would always exist unless the girl wiped it with the crystal ball. The purpose of such magic was to avoid disruptions and to better preserve the answers. ¡°He¡¯s really writing¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯ll probably just write a Q. E. D.¡± ¡°Yeah I¡¯m sure¡­¡± ¡°We need to discuss this with the Empyrean One Pavilion. People like him are only disturbances to our research¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯ll make us look as bad as him if he can¡¯t solve it!¡± ¡­ Everyone was disgusted. They were all geniuses. Although they couldn¡¯t solve it, they knew the mechanism and the difficulty of this question. ¡°What did this guy know?¡± Not only was he covering his face but also lacked the capability. It would be too humiliating if they were compared to him. Hu! Shen Zhe began to write while everybody was whispering. ¡°The original proposition will be true when x, y, and z can¡¯t be non-zero rational numbers while N is an integer greater than two. For x^n + y^n = z^n, if a rational relationship can¡¯t be found, x, y and z will not have rational solutions¡­¡± The more he wrote, the faster Shen Zhe was. ¡°Obviously, the equation can be transformed into the following cases: 1) x^n + y^n = z^n; 2) x^n = z^n ¨C y^n; 3) y^n = z^n ¨C x^n. Let¡¯s analyze the first case¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± An old man frowned. ¡°He must be writing random stuff¡­¡± Another person shook his head. It was too complicated for them to understand. The girl at the counter giggled, too. She had never seen anyone who overestimated himself as much as Shen Zhe did. Shaking her head, she was about to hide the question on the wall when someone shouted in the crowd. It was a famous genius. He was staring at the wall and trembling nonstop with all his muscles tightening. ¡°I just ran some calculations. The few formulas he wrote seem to be correct!¡± ¡°Correct?¡± Nobody dared to ignore his opinion. After a brief daze, they all turned to see. On the wall, the young man wrote more and more. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s correct. Let me check it¡­¡± Another genius started calculating. Soon, his face became pale. ¡°It is correct!¡± ¡°Let me see¡­¡± After two people confirmed it, nobody else could stay calm anymore and joined the verification team. ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ also correct!¡± They all changed their faces as the equations that Shen Zhe wrote were gradually proven to be correct, and were completely stiffened. Senior Quan, who had been focusing on his own question, stood up abruptly and quivered nonstop. ¡°It can be solved this way? How did he come up with that?¡± Chapter 41 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations As a level-one Mage, Senior Quan was better than most people in Green Abyss when it came to mathematical abilities. But he was completely overwhelmed when he read the top-tier question. He did not know where to begin to answer it! After studying it for a while, he had a feeling that he couldn¡¯t solve it even if he were to spend the rest of his life considering the question! However¡­ The phony that everyone despised was writing swiftly and non-stop¡­ Although it was hard to decide if his answer was correct, the steps he had written had nothing wrong. Many of the formulas were so complicated that even he had to ponder for a long time to figure them out. However, Shen Zhe looked as if he didn¡¯t need to think. He was even faster as he wrote on. Senior Quan frowned. ¡°Why? Is it incorrect?¡± The old man who talked to him before approached him. Everybody else looked at them. The challengers present were mostly Green Abyss¡¯ super geniuses who knew each other very well. Senior Quan was definitely among the best of them. ¡°No, it¡¯s not incorrect. It¡¯s just that¡­ I can¡¯t follow it now¡­¡± said Senior Quan in embarrassment. The steps at the beginning could be easily confirmed, but as Shen Zhe wrote on, a lot of the content was already beyond his comprehension. ¡°If even Senior Quan can¡¯t understand it¡­ he can¡¯t be writing nonsense, can he? It seems to me that all he cares about is speed¡­¡± someone else in the crowd proposed. Even a level-one Mage couldn¡¯t understand it. Who could ensure that it was correct? Besides, the answer was given by a guy who had a cheating record. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s correct, either!¡± Someone else agreed with him. Even though the steps at the beginning were correct, it was still far from solving the top-tier question. Besides¡­ The guy who had covered his face had left them too bad an impression to be trusted. ¡°In fact¡­ While we can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s correct, some people certainly can¡­¡± Seeing that everyone grew excited as they discussed, Senior Quan suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Are you talking about HIM, Senior Quan?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­ attempting to reach level two in seclusion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s too old to reach level two now. However, he¡¯s still very good¡­¡± Everyone was stunned, but someone realized whom Senior Quan was talking about. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m talking about Qiao Zimu, Senior Qiao!¡± Senior Quan stopped riddling and gave them the name. ¡°He used to be a deputy dean at the Green Abyss Academy, known as the best rapid calculator. He could solve the arithmetics of more than ten digits without any paper. Many people admired him for that!¡± ¡°I grew up listening to his classes. In my opinion, he¡¯s still invincible to this day¡­¡± Everybody clamored in excitement. Senior Qiao might not be as good as Xiao Jin and the Ninth Princess due to his old age, but he was still one of the most extraordinary people in Green Abyss. Everyone revered him! He was most famous for his mental calculation abilities. However¡­ ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. To tell you the truth, Senior Qiao is not in seclusion. We had tea yesterday. His residence is not far away; he should be able to come soon¡­¡± Smiling, Senior Quan asked a servant to invite him. Everyone was relaxed after knowing that the famous expert would be invited. They watched the wall with less excitement. It was because the formulas and theories were too enigmatic for them! ¡°This is the collection of laws revised this year¡­¡± Soon, someone fetched dictionaries and classics of laws to consult them. The more they searched, the more confused they were. The steps in Shen Zhe¡¯s answer were too intricate to be imagined. Many of the laws and theorems were applied in the most unbelievable way. Right when everyone was at a loss, someone said in satisfaction, ¡°The questions of the tertiary tier are already too difficult for Green Abyss, and you¡¯re telling me that someone is working on the top tier? Are you kidding me?¡± His voice was old but powerful, a telltale of his capabilities. Everybody looked back and saw an old man whose face had a healthy red hue. His specific age was a mystery. His hair, beard and eyebrows were white, but his skin was as elastic as a young man¡¯s. ¡°Here comes Senior Qiao¡­¡± Everyone greeted him with excitement. He was exactly Qiao Zimu, the best mental calculator, and a Mage close to level two! ¡°Brother Qiao¡­¡± Delighted, Senior Quan approached him. ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Zimu waved his hand and looked at Shen Zhe who was writing on the wall. He laughed and said, ¡°Is this the challenger of the top-tier question?¡± Senior Quan nodded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing¡­ Let me tell you, the Ninth Princess showed me the top-tier question once. I studied it for ten days and knew that I couldn¡¯t solve it, so I forfeited!¡± Qiao Zimu sniffed and said, ¡°Are you implying that this random guy is better than me?¡± ¡°You worked on this question before, Senior Qiao?¡± Everyone was stunned. They had thought that it was the first time the question had been shown, but Senior Qiao had worked on it before and failed! ¡°Even Senior Qiao couldn¡¯t work it out. Was this guy really writing nonsense?¡± ¡°The part that we can understand has been confirmed to be correct¡­¡± Knowing that Qiao Zimu was suspicious, Senior Quan explained. ¡°Your disciple told me about it when we got here. How can he answer such a difficult question when he couldn¡¯t solve a much simpler one? I¡¯m going to expose him right now¡­¡± Shaking his head, Qiao Zimu stood still and stared at what Shen Zhe wrote. His Immense mental pressure awed everyone into silence. ¡°Huh?¡± Qiao Zimu read the words on the wall and calculated quickly. Very soon, his contempt was gone, and he was more and more grave and uptight. Zi! Zi! Zi! Sweat popped up on his forehead; due to his fast thinking, it was vaporized before it dripped. Qiao Zimu slowly roamed in special rhythms. ¡°He¡¯s walking the Eight Trigrams Gait¡­¡± Senior Quan swallowed. He knew his old friend very well. The only reason his friend was walking the Eight Trigrams Gait was because he was utilizing all his mental power! His friend had never seemed so overwhelmed! He was about to ask about the result, when his friend frowned and stepped back with a pale face. Exhaling, Senior Quan said, ¡°Give me a brush!¡± ¡°This guy has forced the best master of mental calculation to use a brush. Even if he¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s still a great achievement!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯ve never seen him use a brush¡­¡± Everyone was shocked. They all knew Senior Qiao¡¯s abilities in mental calculation very well. Most of the questions he met could be solved without any aid. It was beyond their imagination that he had asked for a brush. Hu! Qiao Zimu wrote fast. More and more paper was filled up. He started to sweat more intensely as he wrote. Hot air was surging out from him as if he were a mobile steamer. Pu! Spewing out a mouthful of blood, Qiao Zimu stepped back as if he were greatly wounded. ¡°Brother Qiao¡­¡± Senior Quan hurried to approach him. Devouring a pill and breathing quickly, Qiao Zimu had finally recovered. He turned around and said, ¡°Bring me my abacus¡­¡± ¡°He can¡¯t keep up with that guy even with paper and brush?¡± ¡­ The man in the long cloak had been writing on the wall without stopping. Everyone¡¯s eyes bulged as they looked on in utter silence¡­ Chapter 42 In Prince Runan¡¯s Residence, Xiao Lin, Prince Runan, was resting on his armchair. ¡°My lord¡­ someone asked to see you!¡± A soldier came in a hurry. ¡°Nobody can see me when I¡¯m resting. You do know my rule, right¡­?¡± Xiao Lin slowly opened his eyes; an intimidating aura began to spread out. The Abyssal Ocean Kingdom had four Great Generals and Prince Runan was one of them. His responsibility was to defend the southern border of the country. Every year, he only had a month¡¯s leave to spend with his family in the capital. He would normally decline all visits when he was enjoying his holiday. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The soldier lowered his head and said, ¡°However, the visitor says that he was instructed by Seniors Qiao Zimu and Dong Yingquan¡­¡± ¡°Senior Qiao and Senior Quan? What do they want?¡± Frowning, Xiao Lin was slightly puzzled. They were famous and very capable in Green Abyss, but they had never been close friends of his, except for their interactions when they worked on questions or studied new laws together. Why did the two of them send someone to his house? ¡°Let him in!¡± Although dissatisfied, Xiao Lin would rather not piss off the two esteemed seniors. Soon, a young man approached him and knelt before him. ¡°It¡¯s my privilege to meet you, my lord! I¡¯m here at the behest of Senior Qiao and Senior Quan, who wondered if they could borrow your Marching Flag!¡± Grimly, Xiao Lin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you know what the Marching Flag means?¡± The young man said, ¡°The Marching Flag is a national treasure built by His Majesty himself. It can calculate data quickly and automatically! Senior Qiao and Senior Quan are verifying the top-tier question left by the Ninth Princess in the Empyrean One Pavilion, but they¡¯ve met some difficulties during their calculations. Therefore, they¡¯re hoping that you could help them with the flag, my lord!¡± ¡°They¡¯re verifying the top-tier question?¡± Shocked, Xiao Lin quickly stood up in disbelief. ¡°Are you implying that someone worked it out?¡± He had seen the Ninth Princess¡¯s question, but he was clueless after studying it for months and had to give up. He thought nobody in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom could work it out, but an answer was already being verified. ¡°Yes¡­ Someone is answering it, but we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s correct!¡± The young man nodded. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right¡­¡± Dazed for a moment, Xiao Lin thought about something and frowned. ¡°Senior Qiao is best known for his abilities in mental calculation. Dong Yingquan is an expert of arithmetics, too. Now that they have joined hands, even though they can¡¯t work out the question, they should certainly be able to verify the answer, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°My lord¡­ The answer was too complicated and too fast for Senior Quan to verify, so he invited Senior Qiao. However, Senior Qiao couldn¡¯t keep up with the guy even with the help of an abacus. Instead, he was heavily hurt and spewed blood¡­¡± The young man smiled bitterly. Xiao Lin was stiffened. Even he admired Qiao Zimu¡¯s abilities in mental calculation. Currently, not even Qiao Zimu could keep up with the guy¡¯s steps while using an abacus¡­ ¡°Could it be true?¡± ¡°Lead the way!¡± Waving his hand, Xiao Lin stopped talking and followed the young man. They reached the Empyrean One Pavilion ten minutes later. The previously empty Empyrean One Pavilion was jam-packed with hundreds of people at the moment. ¡°Level-one Mage, Bai Ding; Master of Abacus, Huang Muxiang; specialist of the Moya Formula, Wang Yuanhai¡­ Well, well¡­¡± Xiao Lin did not know what to say and his eyelids shivered. Everybody in the room was familiar to him. They were all renowned people of the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom whose position and abilities were high. Most of them were always training in seclusion, and he could barely get a chance to meet them. However, they had all gathered in one place¡­ Had the top-tier question really been answered? He looked over, only to see that everybody in the room was calculating fast with paper and brushes. Senior Quan, who was in front of everyone, was giving orders. ¡°We¡¯ll split the steps. Bai Ding, you will confirm the first formula. Huang Muxiang, the second¡­ Tell me the result when you¡¯re done!¡± Soon, everyone offered their results. Gathering their answers, Senior Quan read for a long time and took a deep breath. ¡°Very good. This part is correct. Let¡¯s work harder. We¡¯ve already confirmed one percent of all the steps!¡± ¡°The most famous arithmetic masters in town have calculated for such a long time, and they¡¯ve only covered one percent?¡± Xiao Lin trembled, unconvinced of what he had seen. ¡°Who wrote the answer?¡± Unable to hold back anymore, he squeezed into the crowd and saw the young man writing on the wall. The young man wrote so fast that he had written a couple of steps while Xiao Lin was drawing near. One step required the confirmation of so many people, yet the guy wrote four in less than one minute. Xiao Lin¡¯s face was livid As a Great General and one of the best level-one Martial Artists, he had a deep knowledge of arithmetics. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have served as the commander of an army. However, he couldn¡¯t understand the answer, either. No more than the others could! That was too unbelievable! ¡°My lord, you¡¯re finally here¡­¡± Seeing him, a miserably pale Senior Qiao approached in a hurry. Qiao Zimu¡¯s health seemed to be at less than half of what it was when he arrived. He was down and his hair was a mess. He seemed to have aged ten years after only half a day! ¡°I¡¯ll calculate and deduce with the Marching Flag now¡­¡± Without any hesitation, Xiao Lin laid the chess board he prepared on the ground. Countless tiny flags wandered quickly under the boost of magic, manifesting rows of data. ¡°The Marching Flag is truly good¡­¡± Everybody was relieved once they saw the data. Senior Qiao was the best mental calculator in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom, but abacuses calculated faster than minds. Above the abacuses was the Marching Flag! It was basically a computer, similar to those that Shen Zhe used to know! ¡°The first step is correct!¡¯ ¡°The second step is correct!¡¯ ¡°The third step is correct!¡¯ ¡­ ¡°The fifty-seventh step is correct!¡± ¡­ As the announcements echoed faster and louder, the plump girl at the counter shivered with pale lips. She wasn¡¯t a genius, but the princess couldn¡¯t have sent her there because her grades were bad¡­ The steps written by the guy she had mocked and derided couldn¡¯t be calculated by so many masters! ¡°How did he do it?¡± ¡°Did he intentionally give a wrong answer just now?¡± Her body trembled. He was answering the question so fast that even Senior Qiao and dozens of other famous experts couldn¡¯t keep up with him. It was challenging even for Prince Runan¡¯s Marching Flag. Nobody would¡¯ve believed that he couldn¡¯t answer the simple question just then if he had such rapid calculation abilities! So, the only explanation was that¡­ He did it on purpose! However, she took it as a serious answer and really thought that the guy was being pretentious. She made a fool of herself! ¡°Maybe¡­ He can really solve this top-tier question¡­ I need to inform the Ninth Princess right now!¡± She had thought that the guy was there to stir trouble, but as more experts confirmed the correctness of his steps, she finally understood that the guy was truly capable of answering the question! Although the princess was the one who came up with the question, she was the princess¡¯ maid, so she knew very well that the princess had never been able to solve it! If the princess couldn¡¯t solve it, how good must the young man be to work it out? She had to inform the princess as soon as possible! She returned to her room and sent an envoy to the royal palace. After it was done, she looked at the young man in a long cloak again. His brush finally came to a stop. ¡°That¡¯s all of it¡­¡± Shen Zhe heaved a sigh of relief. It was truly not easy to obtain an herb¡­ Thank god his body had reached the eighth stage and illuminated two stars. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve been exhausted copying the answer! Nothing was simple. He didn¡¯t know that copying homework could be so troublesome. He rubbed his sore hand while his mind was filled with complex feelings. Suddenly he noticed hundreds of people in the room; all of them were gazing at him so passionately, as if they were going to tear his head apart and see what was inside. Shen Zhe stepped back and almost cried out aloud. The last incident wasn¡¯t over yet, and the potential crisis was still looming before him. His plan was to get the herb in a low-key way, repair his damaged veins to continue illuminating the stars and increasing his strength¡­ But things didn¡¯t quite go as he had planned. He had specifically counted when he entered the Empyrean One Pavilion. There were a dozen people and a handful of cats and kittens. Where were the hundreds of strangers from, and when did they come? Shen Zhe felt like weeping. ¡°I must go¡­¡± Knowing that he would be in even greater trouble should his identity be exposed, Shen Zhe lowered his head and looked around. Finally, he found the plump girl who apparently ran the shop. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°Can I claim the Bark of Penghe now?¡± He solved the question only to get the herb. Since he had solved it, he wanted to leave with the trophy as soon as possible, or he would become famous! What if many beautiful fangirls wanted to marry him and have his children once he became famous? He was only a child! Shen Zhe was rather apprehensive. ¡°The princess instructed me that as long as half of the answer to the top-tier question is confirmed to be correct, you will be qualified to take the herb away¡­¡± The plump girl fetched a long narrow jade box from a room and delivered it to Shen Zhe. ¡°This is the Bark of Penghe collected from a hundred-year-old tree. It¡¯s pure and powerful¡­¡± Shen Zhe accepted the box and opened it. He immediately smelled the fragrance of spiritual energy. Once confirming that it was genuine, he said with relief, ¡°See you¡­¡± ¡°Please wait a moment, senior¡­¡± Senior Quan hurried to approach him. He had finally met a great expert who could solve the top-tier question. He would certainly not let him go easily. ¡°While we can verify the answer to the question, we don¡¯t quite understand the mechanism behind it. Could you please explain it for us, senior¡­?¡± said Senior Quan, blushing. The stranger didn¡¯t show his face but he was obviously a young man, judging from his figure and his skin. It was truly embarrassing for a white-haired old man like Senior Quan to call him senior¡­ However, intelligence was the faculty that mattered most on this continent. His superiority was justified by being able to answer a question that other people couldn¡¯t. ¡°Mechanism?¡± Shen Zhe scratched his head and said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m just a bad student. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t understand any of those formulas or steps¡­¡± He was just copying the answer. How could he understand the mechanism? ¡°A bad student?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡± Senior Qiao and Qiao Zimu both trembled. The plump girl almost vomited blood. He told them such a blatant lie so matter-of-factly. Was he really serious? ¡°If you were a bad student, what would we be?¡± Since the truth didn¡¯t convince them, and knowing he would likely give himself away the more he talked, Shen Zhe escaped from the crowd and left in a hurry. He found an empty corner in the Gold Source Mall and took off his cloak and hat to restore his previous look. He was finally relieved after that and continued shopping. He had collected one of the three missing herbs he needed; two remained to be found. He was going to see if they were available in the mall, or if he could find out where else he could buy them. After he left in a hurry, the Empyrean One Pavilion was almost exploding. ¡°Who exactly is he?¡± ¡°If I solved the question, I would¡¯ve announced it to the whole city¡­ Still, he didn¡¯t say anything and even claimed that he was a bad student¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what low profile really means!¡± ¡°Solving a top-tier question without leaving his name¡­ He¡¯s truly a role model for us¡­¡± ¡°Compared to him, my abilities in mental calculation are nothing worth mentioning¡­ I¡¯m like a kindergartener¡­¡± ¡­ Watching Shen Zhe leave, all the geniuses were awed when they recalled his humble words just then. What was a real expert? Someone like him! Solving such a tricky question without leaving his name or his address, he was as low-key as a cloud¡­ He was too great! ¡°The princess is here¡­¡± While everybody discussed with one another, someone announced the arrival of the princess. They turned around and saw a girl who was in glamorous clothes but seemed slightly weak. Her face was hidden behind a veil, but her wise looking eyes were so bright that none of them could shift their attention away from her. She was Xiao Yurou, the Ninth Princess, and the creator of the top-tier question. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Ninth Princess¡­¡± Everyone lowered their heads and clasped their fists. Although the princess was congenitally weak and couldn¡¯t cultivate, nobody in Green Abyss dared to underestimate her, because she was an unprecedented genius in mathematics. She was the real talent of the whole country! She wasn¡¯t eighteen yet, but she had solved more questions than they did in their entire lives. Even the Marching Flag that Xiao Lin just used was personally designed by her through calculation, before it was forged by Xiao Jin. ¡°Where is the problem solver?¡± Xiao Yurou looked at them. She looked around but didn¡¯t find the person that her maid described. ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡± The plump girl approached her and said, ¡°I was too useless. I couldn¡¯t stop him¡­¡± Even though she was the manager of the Empyrean One Pavilion backed by the royal family, she couldn¡¯t force the guy to stay after he had solved the question and obtained the herb. Xiao Yurou shook her head in disappointment. Even she was unable to solve the question. The person¡¯s academic competence was awe-inspiring. She would love to meet him and learn from him. ¡°Your Highness, we haven¡¯t confirmed all the steps yet, but half of them are correct¡­¡± said the plump girl. ¡°Let me take a look at it¡­¡± Nodding her head, Xiao Yurou approached the wall and read it. She scanned the answer on the wall. Characters glittered with sparks of wisdom in her eyes. ¡°¡­Correct!¡± ¡°¡­Correct!¡¯ ¡­ The Ninth Princess¡¯s conclusion echoed in the room. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it sounded like rumbling thunder for everyone in the room. Although they speculated that the answer was correct halfway through the confirmation, the Ninth Princess¡¯ endorsement was still beyond their expectation. ¡°¡­All the steps are correct¡­ He solved this question!¡± Xiao Yurou was visibly trembling after reading the complete answer. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the answer because she would die in a few months¡­ Little did she expect that someone could really solve her question! More importantly, the intricacies and subtleness of the answer¡¯s methodology was unimaginable even for her. Unable to hold herself back anymore, Xiao Yurou turned around and asked, ¡°Did the senior who solved the question mention who he was?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The plump girl shook her head. ¡°Did he leave any remarks?¡± asked Xiao Yurou hopefully. Hesitating for a moment, the plump girl replied, ¡°He said¡­ that he was only a bad student!¡± Xiao Yurou: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We are all bad students when faced with the skyscraper of academics¡­¡± said Xiao Yurou after a long pause, with mixed feelings and glittering eyes. He had solved such a difficult question, yet he claimed to be a bad student¡­ What a low-key man! It was true that those who were capable were modest, while those who were ignorant tended to be arrogant! ¡°Where did he go?¡± she asked again. ¡°That way. But he was too fast. I couldn¡¯t follow him¡­¡± replied a genius who was still running the confirmation. ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Yurou looked at that direction and said to her guards, ¡°Go and check!¡± Ten minutes later, a guard returned and said, ¡°Your Highness, we found this cloak in a corner over there¡­¡± Looking at the clothes, Xiao Yurou remembered something and sighed, ¡°Alright, stop searching. This senior must really hate to be in the public eye. Investigating his identity would be disrespectful for him¡­ Ask everyone here not to talk about him, or they will be deemed to be enemies of the royal family!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± All the guards nodded their heads. ¡°Who are you exactly?¡± Xiao Yurou had a great deal of complicated thoughts as she touched the cloak and the hat. Disguising his body and his looks on purpose meant that he didn¡¯t want to be recognized. So, he was probably someone that was well known in Green Abyss¡­ However, she knew everybody who could be called a genius in the city. None of them could be that person. She stood still while she remained stunned. Chapter 43 Shen Zhe had no luck in finding Blue Fox¡¯s Blood or the Gold and Silver Tobacco in the mall after searching for two hours. He had to return to school; Zhao Chen delivered the herbs that he prepared for him soon after. ¡°Have you found the rest of the herbs?¡± asked Zhao Chen with curiosity. Shen Zhe shook his head. He didn¡¯t intend to reveal that he had solved the question in the Empyrean One Pavilion just yet. ¡°I told my father that you were wounded. He said that it¡¯s not easy to find the Gold and Silver Tobacco, but the Blood of the Blue Fox shouldn¡¯t be too hard!¡± said Zhao Chen. Shen Zhe asked in a hurry, ¡°Where can we find it?¡± ¡°The Blood of the Blue Fox is rare partly because it¡¯s hard to hunt the fox, and partly because it¡¯s difficult to preserve the blood. Its effect will be gone in one day!¡± explained Zhao Chen. His family ran an herb business. His father Zhao Fan had vast knowledge in medicine and their characteristics. ¡°That is why the useful Blood of the Blue Fox is always newly fetched¡­ we have to capture a living Blue Fox to get the blood. My father has sent a message. There should be responses soon!¡± Zhao Chen continued, ¡°One of my family¡¯s suppliers saw a Blue Fox once!¡± ¡°Thank you for your trouble¡­¡± Shen Zhe said gratefully. Zhao Chen and his father had done him a great favor. He had to return the favor in the future. ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Zhao Chen was about to continue, when someone knocked the door anxiously and said, ¡°Shen Zhe, are you there?¡± He opened the door and Liu Pengyue rushed inside. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here, Shen Zhe. I had trouble finding you¡­¡± said Liu Pengyue nervously, ¡°Wang Xiaofeng seems to be in trouble!¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± Shen Zhe was puzzled. ¡°We were talking just now when a bunch of people showed up. His face changed when he saw them, and he asked me to leave immediately. It didn¡¯t feel right¡­ There was little I could do by myself so I ran to find you!¡± said Liu Pengyue. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± Zhao Chen rose. Shen Zhe nodded. He certainly couldn¡¯t idle by when his friend was in trouble. They went to Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s dormitory and entered without hesitation. Wang Xiaofeng was seated on one side of the room, while a young guy and three middle-aged men were on the other. ¡°Are they your cronies?¡± Sneering, the young man said with disdain, ¡°You people have no shame. Not even when you¡¯re in the last four places of your school¡­ You¡¯re an embarrassment to the Wang family!¡± ¡°Wang Zheng, please show them some respect. They¡¯re my friends!¡± Wang Xiaofeng reprimanded him while he clenched his fists. Shen Zhe and his friends looked at each other and frowned. Although angry, they could tell that the strangers were from Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s family; it was inappropriate for them to intervene as outsiders. ¡°Okay, respect!¡± Wang Zheng ignored Shen Zhe and said condescendingly, ¡°Enough with the crap. You should know why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a smart guy. You¡¯d better stop beating around the bush!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk in plainer terms!¡± Wang Zheng frowned and said, ¡°Everybody knows that the eighth stage of body polishing has been created. You should offer the herb liquid to the family, since it can quickly raise your status to the peak of stage six.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯ll succeed as patriarch with your talent and your grades. However, you should make contributions proportional to your privileges as a member of the family!¡± said one of the middle-aged men. ¡°You needn¡¯t do anything. All you have to do is reveal the source of your herb liquid¡­¡± said another middle-aged man. Shen Zhe became grave. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be involved. It seemed that he had underestimated the influence of the eighth stage of body polishing. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you anything about the herb liquid. You should go!¡± Wang Xiaofeng waved his hand. ¡°Wrong choice!¡± Wang Zheng said gloomily, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how much your father has invested in you over the years? Yet, you¡¯ve only illuminated three stars, and you haven¡¯t picked up any battle technique yet¡­¡± ¡°There are rules regarding the distribution of family resources, and using them for selfish reasons violates the rules. Your father will lose his position as the patriarch as long as three elders file an impeachment! Don¡¯t act as if you¡¯re a young master. I¡¯m not here to discuss with you, but to inform you to surrender the herb liquid whether you are happy or not!¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Wang Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a threat, it¡¯s just a fact. Your branch has controlled the family long enough. It¡¯s time for someone else to take the mantle!¡± Wang Zheng said indifferently, ¡°However, if you give the herb liquid to me, I¡¯ll talk to the elders and allow your father to retire gracefully instead of being ousted!¡± He then stood up and placed a pile of paper on the desk. ¡°Think about it. I¡¯ll give you three days; I¡¯ll have your answer by then. These are the resources that your father wasted on you. If you don¡¯t want me to show it to the family, you know what to do¡­¡± Wang Zheng gave him a scornful look and left after that, followed by the three middle-aged men. ¡°Xiaofeng, what exactly is this about?¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Shaking his head, Wang Xiaofeng said in frustration, ¡°My father gave me a lot of rare resources, but it was all in vain due to my poor grades! According to the family rules, those with good grades should have more resources, while members with my aptitude shouldn¡¯t get any¡­¡± ¡°Wang Zheng is my peer, but he has already broken through the obstacles of the Seven Star Stage to become a level-one Mage. He found out what my father did, so he convinced three elders of the family to force me to surrender the herb liquid, otherwise he would reveal my father¡¯s scandal¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe didn¡¯t look very good. He didn¡¯t know that his herb liquid would become Wang Zheng¡¯s leverage. ¡°Shen Zhe, rest assured. I¡¯ve spoken with Zhao Chen, I won¡¯t say a thing about the herb liquid to anyone!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng as he looked at him. Exposing the truth would only put Shen Zhe in trouble. He would never do that. Shen Zhe frowned and said, ¡°But your father may be punished if you don¡¯t talk¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just argue that I begged my father to do that. I was the one who used up the resources anyway. It¡¯s no big deal!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng. ¡°A Family¡¯s internal strife can¡¯t be so simple¡­¡± Liu Pengyue shook his head. The bigger the family was, the fiercer its competition would be. Things couldn¡¯t be as gentle as he claimed, should Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s enemy attack him! ¡°You should probably reveal it!¡± said Shen Zhe. Although it would be revealed sooner or later, he knew that the secret was best to be kept as long as possible. However, he could tell that Wang Xiaofeng would be in major trouble if he kept it a secret, so it would be for the best to admit it. Shen Zhe was confident that nobody could harm him as long as he stayed in school, also considering his status as a descendant from the four greatest families. ¡°You¡¯ve done me a great favor. As a friend, I cannot put you in danger¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng shook his head. ¡°Actually¡­ There¡¯s a solution!¡± Zhao Chen suddenly opened his mouth. Everybody looked at him. ¡°According to family rules, those with good grades are entitled to more resources. There¡¯s nothing your family members can say about using those resourcesIf you¡¯re first place instead of last place, right?¡± argued Zhao Chen. ¡°Yes!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng with a bitter smile, ¡°But you know how bad my grades are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about grades. There¡¯s going to be a contest in two days, right? We¡¯re all in the sixth stage of body polishing. If we form a team and get a decent result, so what if your father invested resources in you? Your performance would prove you worthy of those resources¡­¡± explained Zhao Chen. ¡°Taking part in the contest and getting a good result?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed the best solution¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng was enthused first but shook his head later. ¡°However, can we really get a good result?¡± Everybody was silent. Although all of them were at the peak of the sixth stage of body polishing, there were too many geniuses in the school who had illuminated the Seven Stars and practiced battle techniques. Those people were too strong for them. ¡°Whether or not we can, it¡¯s the only way!¡± Zhao Chen looked at them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s set up a team! I¡¯ll sign us up today!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on board!¡± Liu Pengyue and Wang Xiaofeng nodded. They looked at Shen Zhe and asked, ¡°What about you, Shen Zhe?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Instead of giving a straight answer, Shen Zhe paused while deep in thought. Chapter 44 What Shen Zhe wanted to do most was to keep a low profile. However, he could barely do that under such circumstances. The news that Zhao Chen had been quickly improved by the herb liquid was already out. It would seem as if they were covering it up if they didn¡¯t take part in the contest. Instead of being suspected, might as well participate in the contest in the most daunting way. As Zhao Fan said, it would be fine as long as they claimed that their achievements boiled down to hard work instead of the herb liquid. Whoever wanted their herb liquid would have to reconsider if they were noticed by the academy after getting a good ranking. It was also the best way to resolve the crisis for Wang Xiaofeng. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in!¡± Shen Zhe nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s settled then¡­¡± Relieved, Zhao Chen said, ¡°However, while body polishing is invincible in melee fights, it has to work with battle techniques. We might not be able to get a good ranking!¡± ¡°We have two days. We can practice it now¡­¡± Liu Pengyue waved his hand. Wang Xiaofeng smiled bitterly. ¡°You think there¡¯s enough time?¡± Every battle technique required a tremendous amount of time to be grasped. Even the simplest would take two or three years; they had only two days to work with. It was definitely impossible. ¡°Besides, battle techniques have higher demands on calculation. You need to calculate the enemy¡¯s position, moves, hardness and power in order to carry out your combat ability. It¡¯s going to be hard for us!¡± Wang Xiaofeng shook his head. ¡°Performing battle techniques requires calculation, too?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. From the books he read a few days prior, he knew that training battle techniques needed calculation. However, was it possible to calculate while fighting a constantly changing battle? ¡°The performance of a battle technique depends on the person who has grasped it!¡± Wang Xiaofeng explained, ¡°You need to calculate your and your enemy¡¯s power when you practice, and conduct the pertaining exercises unless you reach the level of Familiar!¡± Battle techniques were divided into five levels: Beginner, Mildly Fluent, Familiar, Greatly Fluent, and Perfect. Only by reaching the Familiar level of proficiency would they be able to perfect battle techniques automatically without any calculation. ¡°So, is it unlikely to pick up a battle technique very quickly?¡± He was disappointed. As a bad student, he didn¡¯t have enough calculation abilities. Secondly, the contest would be held two days later. There was little time for practice. ¡°Do you have any books of battle techniques?¡± Shen Zhe asked them after a brief hesitation. ¡°I brought one from my family. It¡¯s designed for those in the Seven Star Stage!¡± Wang Xiaofeng took out a book. Shen Zhe accepted the book and saw ¡°Falling Leaves Palm¡± on it. He opened it in a hurry. The book had formulas, equations and detailed data to best carry out the battle technique¡­ He read it for a moment and felt dizzy. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to learn, is it?¡± said Wang Xiaofeng, ¡°When I read it, I had to focus my full attention, or I would fall asleep!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Learning is too difficult!¡± Zhao Chen and the rest of them nodded. Seeing that they were just as bad at learning as himself, Shen Zhe shook his head helplessly. Asking them to learn battle techniques was indeed too demanding. Shen Zhe sighed and said, ¡°Let me borrow your book¡­¡± He had to study it more carefully to see if he could come up with a solution. Wang Xiaofeng nodded. It wasn¡¯t an advanced technique and it did not cost much. Zhao Chen and the rest of them discussed more about their team while Shen Zhe returned to his dormitory. His top priority was to improve himself. As long as he became a Mage or a Martial Artist, all his problems would be solved. ¡°I haven¡¯t found the Blood of the Blue Fox or the Gold and Silver Tobacco yet, so I can¡¯t repair my veins and illuminate the stars. I have to pick up battle techniques to improve myself¡­¡± Shen Zhe considered the situation on his way. Until he reached the Seven Star Stage, his capabilities consisted of the power of the stars, his physical strength and battle techniques. He would be able to solve crises with less effort if he could learn a battle technique. ¡°Learning a battle technique through the regular approach requires years of hard work. I can¡¯t do that¡­¡± He read the book carefully after he returned to his dormitory and realized that practicing it also required calculation abilities. It was impossible to learn it the normal way. He had to find a way to cheat. What was the point of living without being able to cheat? ¡°I want to grasp the Falling Leaves Palm!¡± ¡°Help me assimilate the Falling Leaves Palm!¡± ¡°I can grasp this battle technique¡­¡± ¡­ He wrote hundreds of lines with the pencil in the blink of an eye, but they all dispersed without leaving any trace behind. ¡°¡­¡± His goldfinger wasn¡¯t as reliable as he thought! ¡°The notebook changed the answer in the guidance book, allowed me to refine herbs with a griddle and enabled me to illuminate stars with electricity¡­¡± He had already understood that his successful refining had to do with the notebook, and that griddles and crucibles were different. Both of the two incidents were about redefining the phrases that everybody knew. If he couldn¡¯t learn it directly, could it work if he redefined the learning of battle techniques? ¡°Only by reaching the third step, the Familiar level, would they be able to perform battle techniques automatically without any calculations.¡± However¡­ how could he reach such a level? ¡°The key to Familiar is to know it well¡­¡± An idea suddenly popped up in his head! ¡°I¡¯ll try it¡­¡± His eyes glittering, Shen Zhe placed the book in his pocket and left for the cafeteria. Once again he went to see the person who had sold him the griddle. Ten minutes later, after a long round of bargaining, Shen Zhe entered the refining room with an enormous pot. It was more than two meters in diameter and one meter deep, like a huge fish tank. Few people were on the campus that day; they would¡¯ve been shocked to see him carrying such a massive item. Shen Zhe placed the pot on the fire and poured some water in it. The water started boiling soon after. Shen Zhe beamed after taking a deep breath. Since it was impossible for him to perform the battle technique right then, he would familiarize himself with it first! It wasn¡¯t an option to sleep with the battle technique, which would¡¯ve taken too long. Besides, he didn¡¯t know the sexual orientation of the battle technique just yet¡­ So¡­ there was only one option¡­ He had decided to cook it! Raw vegetables and meat would be edible after they were cooked 1¡­ Was it possible that a raw battle technique that he was incapable of learning would become cooked[familiar] after it was boiled? It was very likely with the aid of his notebook. It may not be too hard for him to learn it! He became excited once he thought about it! Shen Zhe focused his attention on controlling the pencil. Hum! A line of text redefining the word was materialized on the blank page of the notebook. Familiar: 1) to know something very well; 2) when a battle technique is cooked, you will completely grasp it. Then, he took out the battle technique and tossed it into the pot. Gu! Gu! Gu! Gu! The bubbles made the book stick to the surface of the boiling water, sending out creepy noises. After the book boiled for a while, Shen Zhe took it out with a poker when it began to fall apart. The many formulas and training methods that were written on the book had already been blurred after being soaked in water for so long. ¡°Not just the battle technique, I should be boiled, too! Otherwise the pot will be familiarized with it, not me!¡± Greatly enlightened, Shen Zhe took his clothes off and jumped into the pot. It was fortunate that his body was much stronger at the moment, or he would¡¯ve been cooked into meat soup by the boiling water. As he expected, Shen Zhe soon felt a numbness after he entered the pot and the cooked book was inculcated to his body. He jumped out of the pot after a long time passed. He moved as nimbly as a butterfly gliding amongst flowers, and his hand movement was as beautiful as falling leaves. His eyes glowed. He couldn¡¯t even understand the battle technique previously, but he had become so proficient after being boiled with it for a dozen minutes¡­ He had indeed become familiarized with it! Putting on his clothes and practicing some more, Shen Zhe realized that the battle technique had helped him improve by almost sixty percent. No wonder battle techniques played such an important role in any fight. A sixty percent improvement couldn¡¯t have been attained that fast with talent. ¡°Seems like I have to cook more techniques!¡± The book that he borrowed had turned into waste paper after being boiled and couldn¡¯t be returned. Although he lost a book, he had learned an awesome battle technique and found a new way to practice battle techniques. It was definitely worth it. He emptied the pot and carried it back to his dormitory. That pot would be necessary for his training just like the griddle was. He couldn¡¯t lose it. Putting down the pot, Shen Zhe suddenly had an idea: ¡°If I boil all the textbooks that I have, would I be able to grasp all the knowledge and become a genius immediately?¡± Reading books was a challenging task for him, but boiling books was not a problem! Who would want to be a bad student when they could be good? He was going to find a book to try his theory when Zhao Chen returned with an excited mood. ¡°Shen Zhe, there are updates about the Blood of the Blue Fox¡­¡± Footnotes: Ch 44 Footnote 1 ¡°Cooked¡± and ¡°Familiar¡± are the same in Chinese. The author was aiming at wordplay here. Chapter 45 ¡°Where is it?¡± Once he gathered the ingredients and made the medication to treat his wound, he would be able to continue illuminating the stars and improving his strength. ¡°There¡¯s a forest to the north of Mount Thorn where the sun cannot be seen during the day. It¡¯s known as Dreary Wood. The supplier I mentioned saw a Blue Fox there!¡± said Zhao Chen. Shen Zhe asked with a frown, ¡°Is it far away?¡± The contest would be held in two days. They wouldn¡¯t be able to return in time if the place was too far away. ¡°It is. However, fast horses can make a round trip in a day and two nights. It means that they can be back before the contest!¡± said Zhao Chen after some calculations. ¡°One day and two nights?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°It¡¯s still too far away¡­¡± An idea suddenly popped up in his head. ¡°Right¡­ Didn¡¯t Ms. Bai Yu say that there was a channel inside Mount Thorn?¡± His notebook had redefined the time it took for Ms. Bai to carry an iron-toothed wolf back to the school. The iron-toothed wolves¡¯ habitat was even more distant than Dreary Wood. A one-way trip took her a day and a night! However, Ms. Bai returned in four hours through the crack while she was being pursued by a wolf king and burdened with an unconscious iron-toothed wolf. If he were to take that road, would he be able to reach his destination in a couple of hours? ¡°Tell me the specific location of Dreary Wood, the look of the Blue Fox, and the ways to capture it!¡± said Shen Zhe in a hurry. ¡°The ways to capture it? You¡¯re not going to do it yourself, are you?¡± Zhao Chen was stunned. ¡°My father said that he would send someone to hunt it. However, it remains to be seen if they can catch the beast¡­¡± ¡°I would rather do it myself!¡± Shen Zhe stood up. Few people knew about the crack. Besides, with the two ultra stars in his body, his eighth stage in body polishing and the Falling Leaves Palm that he had just learned, he was as good as the weaker level-one Martial Artists! It would be faster if he were to take action himself! It was possible that he could return the next morning without needing to skip any of his classes! It was inappropriate to skip classes all the time, particularly when skipping classes meant physical punishment. ¡°You would?¡± Zhao Chen realized that his friend was stronger than him and could be counted as an expert. Reassured, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll have a fast horse prepared for you. You can read the files on the way. One more thing, my father said that you¡¯d better catch the Blue Fox alive, so that its blood remains effective until you find the Gold and Silver Tobacco¡­¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Soon, everything was prepared. Shen Zhe sat on the horse¡¯s back and said, ¡°Help me ask for leave if I don¡¯t make it back tomorrow morning¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. We can watch each other¡¯s backs. It¡¯ll be too dangerous if you go there alone¡­¡± Zhao Chen smiled. ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. He was still new to that world. With Zhao Chen leading the way, he would be spared of many problems. They requested Wang Xiaofeng to ask for leave in their stead if they couldn¡¯t make it back. Then, they rode to Mount Thorn. ¡°It seems that I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse¡­¡± He didn¡¯t feel anything when the horse trotted in the city, but Shen Zhe immediately sensed that something was wrong when the horse began to gallop. It wasn¡¯t nearly as comfortable as in a car. If his control over his body were any less good, he would¡¯ve fallen off a long time ago. Even so, he felt that his muscles were tightening and he could barely breathe. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Zhao Chen. ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Zhe felt like vomiting. ¡°I have horse sickness¡­¡± There were people who were sick of cars, ships and planes¡­ But he was sick of horses! ¡°Horse sickness?¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Is that even a thing?¡± More importantly¡­ Shen Zhe played polo with them all the time. He never mentioned such an ailment! ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°What does it mean?¡± asked Zhao Chen, who had never seen such a condition. However, Shen Zhe had already thrown up. He shivered so hard that it seemed as if he would fall from the horse at any time. Zhao Chen pulled the reins of both horses out of concern. Shen Zhe fell and vomited for a long time before he finally felt less sick. It never occurred to him that horse sickness was even more uncomfortable than car sickness. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Zhao Chen approached him worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ But I don¡¯t think I can ride a horse¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. Riding a horse was faster, but he didn¡¯t know that his body was unsuited for horse riding. ¡°It will take at least three hours to reach the mountain without the horses¡­¡± said Zhao Chen, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll be dark by then.¡± Although their bodies were sturdy, they weren¡¯t Martial Artists after all, and nor were they good at long-distance running. Ms. Bai could run back in an hour, but they couldn¡¯t. Shen Zhe nodded. He had solved a question in the mall and cooked a battle technique that day; the sun had already set. It would be dark after they reached the mountain if they abandoned the horses, and the beasts in the area could be dangerous at night. ¡°You¡¯ll ride your horse. I¡¯ll run after you¡­¡± Shen Zhe said, gritting his teeth. He didn¡¯t dare to ride the horse anymore. It would be too humiliating if he died of horse sickness. Zhao Chen did not say anything and galloped forward, knowing that his friend was stronger than him. Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe stomped and raced forward as quickly as lightning. Before the herb liquid was digested, Zhao Chen had already been able to run at ten meters per second for a whole night. Shen Zhe was currently in the eighth stage of body polishing; he was almost as fast as the horse that was running at full speed. It felt strange at first, but Shen Zhe immediately felt that his body and the environment were perfectly melded after his breath was adapted to running. Muscles, bones, internal organs, blood¡­ Everything worked together perfectly without wasting any strength. ¡°This is the real Stage of Unity¡­¡± Shen Zhe was fascinated. He had reached that level with the power of the stars, the herb liquid and the notebook, but he had never integrated his strength perfectly. He understood unity better than before while he was running at full speed. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can integrate the power of the stars into it¡­¡± Seeing that he still couldn¡¯t catch up with the horse, Shen Zhe took a deep breath and his two stars glittered, providing immense power. Frankly speaking, the Seven Star Stage was just a foundation. Only after the Seven Stars were illuminated would the body have enough strength for one to break obstacles and become a real cultivator. Then, those with massive mental power would become Mages, those who controlled the power of the stars well would become Martial Artists, and those talented at herbs would turn into Druggists¡­ Shen Zhe had only illuminated two stars. However, they were much brighter than the ones lit by those at the top class. Their light surged in his body like a galaxy. ¡°My fatigue is gone?¡± Shen Zhe immediately felt that his exhausted body had been revitalized. It seemed that the running didn¡¯t cost him any effort. No wonder everybody wanted to cultivate. It was indeed extraordinary. An idea popped up in his head, ¡°There are movement methods in the Falling Leaves Palm, too. Let¡¯s see if they can make me go faster.¡± Falling Leaves Palm was a melee battle technique, but it highlighted agility and was very unpredictable. If he adopted the movement methods in his running, the result might be surprising. Thinking about that, Shen Zhe controlled the muscles and joints all over his body and activated the battle technique. Hu! He surpassed the galloping horse after one step. Shen Zhe was greatly shocked. Using the Falling Leaves Palm for running was just a spur-of-the-moment attempt. He didn¡¯t expect that it would work out so effectively. It was a pity that he didn¡¯t cook it long enough in his experiment. If he had cooked it longer, would he have been more skilled at it? ¡°I¡¯ll try it next time¡­¡± Shen Zhe was quite excited. Zhao Chen didn¡¯t expect that his friend could run even faster than him riding a horse. He almost fell from the horse¡¯s back in shock. He had a lot of mixed feelings. ¡°He¡¯s too fast¡­ Should I try running, too?¡± Chapter 46 Soon, Zhao Chen noticed that something was off. ¡°No¡­ This isn¡¯t pure physical strength. It¡¯s¡­ a battle technique!¡± He had seen plenty of experts who knew battle techniques thanks to his status as a major family¡¯s descendant, but he had never seen one who could unleash the power without any redundancy! ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­ incapable of using battle techniques?¡± ¡°When did you learn it?¡± ¡°Why does it seem as if you had practiced it for decades?¡± Zhao Chen felt that he was going crazy. He had a clear understanding about Shen Zhe¡¯s performance after having been friends with him for almost ten years. However, the drug easily made him improve to the peak of stage six; he was running faster than a horse¡­ Why was their gap so huge? ¡°When¡­ did you learn a battle technique?¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. ¡°A while ago. It¡¯s Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s Falling Leaves Palm!¡± said Shen Zhe while running crazily. Most cultivators had to refrain from talking while running at full speed if they didn¡¯t want to slow down or be hurt. However, Shen Zhe was not affected in the slightest. ¡°A while ago?¡± Zhao Chen almost fell off the horse. He said in disbelief, ¡°How is it possible¡­?¡± The practice of battle techniques required arduous work before they could be used fluently in actual battle¡­ ¡°It¡¯s only been two hours since you got a hold of the Falling Leaves Palm, and you¡¯ve learned it already?¡± ¡°Bro, are you sure you¡¯re in last place?¡± ¡°In fact, battle techniques are not so complicated. You can perform them naturally as long as you become familiar with them¡­¡± Shen Zhe didn¡¯t intend to keep it a secret from Zhao Chen. Since he would be his teammate, he had to help Zhao Chen improve. ¡°Familiar?¡± Zhao Chen was puzzled. ¡°I want to be familiar with them, but the calculations are too complicated. How can I become familiarized with them?¡± ¡°Well¡­ this is where my unique training method comes in handy. I¡¯ll explain it to you when your body is stronger¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. Being boiled in a pot required the eighth stage of body polishing; Zhao Chen was only in stage six and would be unable to handle it. They reached the mountain an hour later. The horse was so exhausted that it crouched. Shen Zhe, however, was as normal as if he had only done some shopping. ¡°The crack should be somewhere around here, according to Ms. Bai¡­¡± Shen Zhe raised his head. Ms. Bai didn¡¯t specify the location of the crack, but it should draw a straight line between the school and the habitat of the iron-toothed wolves when checked on the map. ¡°Here¡­¡± Zhao Chen soon pointed at a corner and Shen Zhe found a narrow cave behind the green vines. It was blocked from view; it couldn¡¯t be found at all without searching purposefully for it. After leaving the horses behind, Shen Zhe took a deep breath and walked in. The cave was narrow at first, but it became more and more spacious as they walked on. They took out the torch they prepared and then quickly ascended the channel. They reached the mountaintop an hour later. It was already dark. However, the environment was clearly visible thanks to the snow and the starlight. Taking out the map, Zhao Chen smiled, ¡°Dreary Wood is that way. We can reach it in an hour if we¡¯re fast¡­¡± The shortcut had saved them almost an entire day. Nodding his head, Shen Zhe turned around and walked down. ¡°Not so fast¡­¡± Zhao Chen shook his head. ¡°A lot of beasts prowl Mount Thorn. It¡¯s even more dangerous at night. There¡¯s no way we can escape if we go there like this!¡± Shen Zhe frowned and nodded as he recalled the iron-toothed wolf king that Ms. Bai had encountered. ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°Our family is in contact with a lot of herb collectors. They¡¯ve marked the distribution of beasts on this map. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we pay attention!¡± Zhao Chen took out a map and smiled. They walked down following the marks for half an hour and met no danger. ¡°We¡¯ll be in Dreary Wood after we pass this area¡­¡± concluded Zhao Chen after confirming the location. Using the starlight, Shen Zhe saw a thick forest on the dark horizon; it was just as creepy as the shadow of the mountain. He was relieved after finding their destination. He continued forward, but then he suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Zhao Chen looked at him in confusion. Then, something swooshed at them from the cold darkness. Zhao Chen was alarmed. He lowered his head, but Shen Zhe pulled his elbow and dragged him down. Hu! A cold wind brushed past him. Cold sweat flowed from his back. Zhao Chen finally realized that his head would¡¯ve been torn off if Shen Zhe hadn¡¯t dragged him back. He turned around, only to see a lion-shaped beast whose bright crimson eyes were glimmering. The beast had a silver color, as if showered by moonlight, which made it eye catching in the dark night. ¡°A Silver Lion?¡± It was one of the dominators of Mount Thorn! ¡°What do we do?¡± Zhao Chen was pale and helpless. He was a student who hadn¡¯t gone through many things. His heart was filled with fear by this encounter with such a fearsome beast at night. ¡°We can only fight it¡­¡± Gloomily, Shen Zhe looked ahead. He had learned a battle technique and illuminated two stars, but he had never been in a real battle. He was also under tremendous pressure. Sha! Shua! Not expecting that the prey would escape its attack, the Silver Lion stared at them coldly and licked its teeth, while it paced and waited for a chance. Cold wind was rising. The woods seemed to be in winter time. Immense pressure was tearing them apart. Hooo! The beast roared and pounced. The wind blew apart the stones and dry leaves on the ground. Knowing that fleeing meant exposing his back to the beast, Shen Zhe gritted his teeth and charged at it. Crouching and stomping, he unleashed the power of his whole body. After he reached the Stage of Unity, his skin, muscles, veins and bones had been condensed and coordinated into a whole. Shen Zhe dodged the beast¡¯s attack like a shooting arrow. Then he slapped back. Sensing the danger, the Silver Lion changed its course and raised its paw. BAM! After the collision, Shen Zhe was forced to take almost ten steps back, and the Silver Lion also stepped back in surprise. Obviously, it never occurred to the beast that a slim human being could be its match physically. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Zhao Chen hurried to check him. The Silver Lions had become the dominators of Mount Thorn because of their capabilities. Their adults were as strong as level-one Martial Artists. They were among the herb collectors¡¯ greatest threats. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Shen Zhe shook his head and narrowed his eyes after summoning the power of the stars. He did not win, but he was much more confident. The Silver Lion found another chance and charged again. Shen Zhe was about to fight back, when the beast turned around and whipped its thick tail at Zhao Chen. ¡°Crap¡­¡± Shen Zhe squinted and moved fast. The beast was smart enough to feint an attack when its real target was Zhao Chen! BAM! Not expecting the ambush, Zhao Chen raised his hand to block it but he was too slow. He was hit in the chest and flung against a tree, not moving anymore. ¡°Zhao Chen¡­¡± In his anxiety, Shen Zhe was even faster and reached the Silver Lion in the blink of an eye. He then smacked the beast. BAM! The Silver Lion was blown away and it rolled on the ground. It gazed at the young man warily. ¡°I¡¯m Greatly Fluent at Falling Leaves Palm now?¡± Shen Zhe was relieved after taking a few deep breaths. After his training in the afternoon, and since he was eager to save his friend just then, he made another breakthrough and reached the fourth level of the Falling Leaves Palm! His capabilities had increased by eighty percent. Sensing his power, the Silver Lion was even more vigilant and began to hesitate. ¡°Hoooooo!¡± Right then, a wolf howled somewhere far away. The Silver Lion suddenly turned around and disappeared into the infinite darkness. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. Confirming that the beast had left, he went to check on Zhao Chen in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± said Zhao Chen, struggling to get back on his feet. He had taken the precaution of wearing leather armor in his clothes. Although the Silver Lion¡¯s attack was powerful, he was not badly hurt. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Shen Zhe in a low voice and walked forward in a hurry, relieved by the outcome. The Silver Lion was so strong, but it left the moment it heard the howl. Was it possible that the wolf king Ms. Bai had encountered was in the area? In that case, they would be in real danger. Chapter 47 As they rushed to the location marked on the map, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore.¡±Shen Zhe, what is your level in body polishing exactly? The peak of stage seven?¡± He was at the peak of level six but he could barely escape after facing the Silver Lion. His friend was obviously much stronger than him. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my battle technique¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. He had caught too much attention by creating the eighth stage of body polishing. He didn¡¯t want to reveal this to Zhao Chen even though he was one of his best friends. Zhao Chen nodded. Stage seven was already his best guess. As for the eighth stage, it must¡¯ve been created by a super genius. He didn¡¯t think that his brother could¡¯ve done that. ¡°I need to work harder and surpass him¡­¡± thought Zhao Chen with determination while clenching his fists. They were both known as bad students, but Shen Zhe was refining herbs as well as practicing battle techniques¡­ The gap was too large! He had to work harder. Shen Zhe felt that something had been staring at him while they walked. He was highly vigilant, but he found no danger after walking for ten minutes. He was finally relieved. ¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. The two of them had reached a dense wood where the tall trees blocked the sky. The place was gloomy even during the day, not to mention the night. Nothing could be seen, at all. Thankfully, they were both high-level Body Practitioners and their sight was extraordinary. They would have been barely able to walk there if otherwise. ¡°The Blue Fox absorbs moonlight essence and only appears at night, so we have to act now, even if it¡¯s dark¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. Shen Zhe nodded. He had read the files about the beast. That was why he went there in such a hurry. It would have been much safer to enter the mountain during the day. ¡°Give me the Pearl Chicken¡­¡± Shen Zhe extended his hand after he walked for a while. According to the files, it was impossible to catch a Blue Fox by searching. After all, this was their territory; it would be impossible to find them without spending half a month searching. More importantly, if they had fled the area in advance, what could they do? Therefore¡­ The only way was to allure them to show up! The Blue Fox, as a fox, liked chicken the best. Pearl Chicken could radiate an intense fragrance and the beast couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. However, foxes were naturally paranoid. It wasn¡¯t easy to catch them even with a tantalizing bait. Zhao Chen took out the chicken and gave it to Shen Zhe, who looked around and found a suitable place. It was an enormous boulder at the center of the woods; it had no grass nearby. Shen Zhe tossed the Pearl Chicken on top of the boulder, and a vague fragrance was spread out. ¡°To the tree!¡± Shen Zhe jumped to a tree top nearby and Zhao Chen followed him. The tree was the only hideout near the boulder. ¡°Control your power and don¡¯t release any smell¡­¡± Mages and Martial Artists had to use special tricks to cover their auras, but Body Practitioners didn¡¯t have to. Even a level-one Mage could barely detect them if they controlled their breath and heartbeat. That was also the reason why nobody discovered that Shen Zhe was a stage-eight Body Practitioner. If a level-one Martial Artist were there, the Blue Fox would¡¯ve sensed the burning scorch from a distance and would have figured out that the chicken was a bait. Sha! Shua! Hiding on the branches for almost an hour, they finally heard noises coming from the dry leaves. A fox that was one foot long was approaching vigilantly. It stopped and sniffed around after taking each step. ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes glowed. The Blue Fox was hooked by the smell of chicken on the boulder, but it seemed to have realized that it might be a trap. It observed the environment with care and approached slowly. The Blue Fox circled around the boulder instead of climbing it. ¡°It¡¯s truly cunning enough¡­¡± Shen Zhe secretly nodded. He had known that the creature was cautious, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so prudent. The fox circled the boulder three times and was relieved after not finding any traps. Then it charged at the Pearl Chicken on top. Zhao Chen was about to jump off, when Shen Zhe held his shoulder and shook his head. He looked again, only to discover that the Blue Fox dashed ten meters away before it reached the chicken. It found no predators or traps after dashing off. So, it went back to the chicken again. ¡°It was a¡­ test?¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes widened. The Blue Fox would¡¯ve probably escaped before he landed if he had jumped down just then. No wonder Blue Foxes were hard to catch. They were too cautious. The Blue Fox jumped to the boulder and ran off immediately two more times. Seeing no anomalies, the Blue Fox was finally reassured. ¡°Do it¡­¡± Shen Zhe made a gesture. He realized that the beast was testing the waters because of its behavior and its eyes. It would never really go for the food as long as there was wariness in its eyes. Swoosh! The Blue Fox moved. As quickly as lightning, it flashed to the boulder, bit the Pearl Chicken that was even larger than itself and retreated to the darkness of the woods. However, Shen Zhe was even faster. He stomped on the trunk and propelled himself like a cannonball; not to the boulder but to the place where the Blue Fox was escaping to. The Blue Box was cunning enough to test three times, but it had also exposed the beast¡¯s habits and escape route. Therefore, Shen Zhe was able to lunge at it directly. Creak! The Blue Fox turned around in fright and accelerated. Although it was fleeing, it did not let go of the Pearl Chicken in its mouth. Cunning as it might be, the Blue Fox was still too gluttonous. Since it had already bitten the chicken, it would never let the food go. ¡°Even the smartest beast cannot avoid greed¡­¡± Chuckling, Shen Zhe flipped and dashed six meters away. The advantages of the Falling Leaves Palm were manifested in the short-distance hunt. He reached the Blue Fox in the blink of an eye. Although it was fast, Shen Zhe had been well prepared, so he caught up with the beast very soon. He opened his fingers and snatched. Creak! The Blue Fox struggled hard when its neck was grabbed, but it was useless. ¡°You got it?¡± Zhao Chen finally reached him, surprised. Body Practitioners with battle techniques were too strong. He was quite envious. Nodding his head, Shen Zhe looked at the fox in his hand. It was panicked, yet it did not abandon the Pearl Chicken. The chicken was even larger than the beast itself, which was quite hilarious. ¡°What a foodie¡­¡± Shaking his head, Shen Zhe was in a great mood. ¡°I¡¯ll give it some anesthetics, so that it doesn¡¯t run away or tries to kill itself. The anesthetics may slightly reduce the effect of its blood, but there are no other ways. It¡¯s barely possible to tame such an animal!¡± Zhao Chen took out a bag of powder from his backpack. He had it prepared in advance, too. The beast could not be executed or injured when it was caught. To prevent it from fleeing, anesthetics were necessary. ¡°Tame it?¡± Shen Zhe looked at him in confusion as he accepted the powder. ¡°Yes, while Mages and Martial Artists are honored the most in our continent, there are a lot of other professions. There are Druggists like Mr. Xin Qi, or Body Practitioners like us. There¡¯s a profession that studies living creatures and can tame beasts for their own usage. They are known as Tamers!¡± Zhao Chen explained, ¡°They have special ways to command beasts. If this fox is tamed, it will follow you and won¡¯t escape even if no anesthetics are applied.¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Mages were mathematicians, Martial Artists were physicians, Druggists were chemists who studied the characteristics of minerals and plants, Body Practitioners were sportsmen who had more brawn than brains, and Tamers could probably be compared to biologists. Biologists could understand and tame creatures, as well as improve themselves with the power of nature! ¡°How can beasts be tamed?¡± Shen Zhe was rather curious. He could easily resolve the crisis he was in if he could tame a beast on par with a level-one Martial Artist. The question remained¡­ How to go about it? Did he have to be familiar with them, too? Should he catch a beast and boil it in a pot? On the other hand¡­ the beast would probably be edible after it was cooked. Taming a pile of meat would be useless! ¡°I¡¯m not very sure. Most beasts are proud and will hardly surrender. The successful Tamers mostly try to be kind to the beasts and make them feel grateful. However, I don¡¯t know the specific approaches¡­¡± Zhao Chen shook his head. There were few Tamers in Green Abyss. He didn¡¯t know much about them. ¡°Make them feel grateful?¡± Shen Zhe frowned and looked at the Blue Fox in his hand, thinking, ¡°Should I try with this one?¡± Chapter 48 The Blue Fox was strong and smart. It was the best target to give taming a try. He wouldn¡¯t be able to beat a beast that was too strong, and it would be useless if it was too weak. ¡°You want to tame it?¡± Zhao Chen shook his head. ¡°Neither of us is a Tamer. Besides, it takes a long time for Tamers to do their work¡­¡± A level-one Tamer would spend months if not years to tame a beast. They could simply return with the Blue Fox. Why would they waste the time? ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to try!¡± Knowing that the beast could understand them, Shen Zhe took a deep breath and said to the fox, ¡°We caught you to borrow some of your blood, not to kill you! I¡¯ll set you free later as long as you¡¯re obedient, and you can have as much chicken as you want!¡± ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox squeaked coldly. Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t understand what it said, but he guessed that the beast would rather die than bend. ¡°It¡¯s your choice¡­¡± Shen Zhe chuckled and tied up the fox¡¯s legs. After finding a cave nearby, he lit a fire with some dry branches and prepared the Pearl Chicken to cook it. Zi! Zi! Zi! Grease started splashing out. Knowing that they might have a picnic, Shen Zhe had prepared salt and pepper powder in advance. Fragrance began to spread out. Gu! Gu! Gu! Gu! The Blue Fox swallowed hard. The gourmet couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore after smelling roasted meat. Shen Zhe secretly smiled. The Pearl Chicken had a golden hue and an intense fragrance. ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Zhao Chen drooled. ¡°Eat your own food¡­¡± Shen Zhe ignored him and placed the roasted chicken right below the fox¡¯s nose. He said, ¡°Obey me, and the chicken will be yours. I¡¯ll roast you after I use your blood if you don¡¯t¡­¡± He used both carrots and sticks. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± Although drooling hard, the Blue Fox shook its head with determination. Ignoring its refusal, Shen Zhe tore the roasted chicken in pieces; the fragrance was even more intense. He then wore an exaggerated expression. ¡°How delicious¡­¡± He had a piece of the meat and licked his fingers. Hesitating for a moment, Zhao Chen said, ¡°Can I obey you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not bothering with his friend, Shen Zhe looked at the Blue Fox again. The beast drooled even harder. A moment later, it gritted its teeth and closed its eyes. Shen Zhe smiled. He opened its eyes and stuck its eyelids with two twigs. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox was almost crying. It had seen plenty of human beings in Dreary Wood, but none of them was as shameless as Shen Zhe. After tearing off a chicken leg and putting it before the beast¡¯s nose, Shen Zhe mumbled, ¡°Eat it or not, the chicken leg is right here. Obey me or not, I will be right here. You will become my fox, or my dead fox¡­¡± ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± Sensing that the fragrance was too much for it to bear, the Blue Fox suddenly opened its mouth and bit its tongue. Hu! Shen Zhe was quick enough to stick a poker into the beast¡¯s mouth and stop it. ¡°It wanted to kill itself¡­¡± Zhao Chen looked at him gloomily while having a dry ration. ¡°I saw it¡­¡± Shen Zhe was grim. A regular fox would¡¯ve succumbed to such temptation. However, this fox was trying to kill itself¡­ It seemed that such a method would not work! ¡°You¡¯re asking for this¡­¡± If carrots didn¡¯t work, he might as well choose sticks. Raising one of his eyebrows, Shen Zhe drew a branch and whipped the fox. Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! The tied-up Blue Fox started to flinch in panic. ¡°You have two choices. You can obey me and live a good life with chicken meat. Or you will die from whipping!¡± Shen Zhe offered his terms. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox gazed at him determinedly. ¡°You¡¯re still not surrendering?¡± Shen Zhe raised the branch and was about to whip again. Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t tolerate the violence anymore. He said, ¡°Beasts need to feel grateful if you want to tame them. Beating it up won¡¯t work¡­¡± ¡°Make them feel grateful?¡± Shen Zhe frowned and nodded. ¡°Alright!¡± He raised the branch and whipped again. Pa! Pa! Pa! ¡°Are you grateful?¡± ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox screamed and shook its head, not daring to move at all. He whipped for a while longer and the Blue Fox stopped moving. Zhao Chen stopped him and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯ll die if you continue¡­¡± Shen Zhe lowered his head. The Blue Fox was indeed barely breathing. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± His lips twitched. Its blood was only useful while it was alive. It would be of no use if it died. He touched the beast, only to discover that its heart had almost stopped beating. Shen Zhe felt like passing out. He merely wanted to tame the beast and it was dying? Wasn¡¯t it a beast? They could be killed this easily? Shen Zhe untied the beast and asked Zhao Chen to give it some water. Zhao Chen sniffed and said, ¡°I told you not to try taming the beast. We could¡¯ve had the chicken ourselves. Why did you waste your time?¡± ¡°Can you think of something else other than the chicken?¡± Shen Zhe snorted, clearly knowing his intention. Before he finished, the Blue Box suddenly jerked and fled out of the cave. ¡°It was pretending to be dead¡­¡± Shen Zhe finally realized what was going on. He thought that it was just a silly animal, but it seemed much smarter than himself! Foxes were truly clever in every world! ¡°You think you can run?¡± Shen Zhe sneered and quickly appeared at the entrance of the cave, catching the Blue Fox that had yet to escape. He had caught the beast in the empty environment moments before; he could certainly do so again in a small cave. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox dropped its disguise after being caught again; it appeared so determined, as if it wouldn¡¯t bend even if it was killed. Tossing it to the ground, Shen Zhe whipped it again and said, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll beat you up every time you escape!¡± The Blue Fox seemed to have understood what he said. It stopped moving as if it had lost the will to live. Waiting for a moment and seeing that it stopped trying to run, Shen Zhe nodded in satisfaction and threw the roasted Pearl Chicken to it. The Blue Fox looked at Shen Zhe in confusion. Maybe it was because the temptation was too much, or maybe it was because it had given up, but the beast began to devour it. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Nodding in satisfaction, Shen Zhe hesitated for a moment before taking out a jade bottle. The herb liquid he made earlier had been used up, but a few drops had to remain in the container. Since the beast had been beaten up, such herb liquid could help it recover. ¡°Have it!¡± Shen Zhe gave the herb liquid to the beast. The Blue Fox swallowed it. Zi! Zi! Zi! The resigned Blue Fox bulged its eyes. It looked at Shen Zhe in disbelief after the herb liquid entered its body. ¡°That¡¯s all I have. If you want more, I can refine some for you next time¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head, thinking that the beast indeed wanted more. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± The Blue Fox hesitated for a moment. It suddenly rose and its tongue; a drop of blood flowed out. Shen Zhe was stunned. After that, he saw that the drop of blood had disappeared into the center of his eyebrows. In the next moment, mental communication was established in his head. It seemed that every movement of the beast could be controlled by him. ¡°Did you¡­ really tame it?¡± Zhao Chen was frozen stiff, feeling that his head was about to explode. Beating it up and then offering it some food and herb liquid¡­ Since when did animal taming become so easy? Chapter 49 Shen Zhe nodded secretly, completely ignoring his friend¡¯s shock. The beast didn¡¯t submit after being beaten up for such a long time. It was obvious that the beast was unyielding. However, it conceded once it received the herb liquid, which was definitely the key element. It seemed that the medication was useful for both human beings and beasts, at least more useful than Pearl Chicken. He lowered his head and saw that the Blue Fox had fallen asleep after taking the herb liquid. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Shen Zhe stood up. They were there only to catch the Blue Fox. They could return since the beast had been tamed. Zhao Chen complained after seeing that the beast had eaten the complete Pearl Chicken. They picked up the fox and extinguished the fire to leave the cave. They had barely stepped out when Shen Zhe felt goosebumps all over his body. He hurried to pull Zhao Chen back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Chen was confused. ¡°Look¡­¡± Shen Zhe pointed at the front. Zhao Chen raised his head and his heart turned cold. Infinite green eyes surrounded the cave in the dark woods. A gigantic wolf with white hair on its forehead was slowly walking towards them. ¡°Is this¡­ the iron-toothed wolf king?¡± Shen Zhe was cold. The wolf pack and the wolf king that Ms. Bai had described were there! The cave was surrounded by them. The purple iron-toothed wolf king was on par with a Martial Artist at the peak of level one. Even Ms. Bai had to retreat when they had faced off. While Shen Zhe had progressed considerably, he was certainly no match for hundreds of iron-toothed wolves and a wolf king. Even fleeing could be highly unlikely. ¡°The iron-toothed wolves¡¯ habitat is far away from here¡­ Were they attracted by the fragrance of the Pearl Chicken?¡± Zhao Chen shivered. The habitat of the iron-toothed wolves marked on the map was dozens of kilometers away. So, they had never been worried. Why were the wolves suddenly there? ¡°The Pearl Chicken is attractive, but most of its fragrance was restricted to the cave. They must¡¯ve been around all the time!¡± said Shen Zhe in a low voice. The Pearl Chicken couldn¡¯t have attracted them if they were dozens of kilometers away. The only explanation was that they had been prowling nearby! Besides, he had heard a howl when he was fighting against the Silver Lion earlier. ¡°It seems that they didn¡¯t return to their previous habitat after Ms. Bai escaped¡­¡± According to Ms. Bai, the wolf pack and the wolf king had chased Ms. Bai to the mountaintop. They might¡¯ve sensed the intruders the moment Shen Zhe and Zhao Chen reached the mountaintop. No wonder Shen Zhe felt that they were being watched all the way. ¡°What do we do?¡± Zhao Chen was shivering as he looked at him. The wolf pack seemed certain that they couldn¡¯t escape, so they simply stared at them as if they were cooked ducks. ¡°I¡¯ll distract the wolf king so that you can escape!¡± said Shen Zhe solemnly. Zhao Chen was there because of him. His conscience would remain forever guilty if anything were to happen to Zhao Chen. ¡°Distract the wolf king? Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Zhao Chen was rather shocked. His friend was in stage seven and had grasped a battle technique. However, a wolf king and hundreds of iron-toothed wolves were their enemies¡­ How could Shen Zhe defeat them? He would definitely be shredded by the wolves if he charged at them. ¡°I¡¯m a fast runner! Besides, you¡¯re also experienced in being chased by dogs; it should be easy for you to deal with the general iron-toothed wolves if I distract the wolf king. There may be a chance for you to escape¡­¡± said Shen Zhe. ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Chen clenched his fists. ¡°Cut the crap. Do what I said!¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and took a deep breath before he glared at the iron-toothed wolf king. The wolf king was much larger than normal wolves. The magnificent pressure from the beast was even greater Ms. Bai¡¯s. ¡°Iron-toothed wolf, the woman who caused you trouble last time was my teacher. That had nothing to do with the person behind me. Just come at me¡­¡± Shen Zhe roared and unleashed all his power. He felt that he was a giant made of iron. ¡°Hoooooo!¡± The iron-toothed wolf king didn¡¯t charge at him; it simply roared. Sha! Sha! Sha! The wolf pack split apart and a Silver Lion walked over through that passage. It was exactly the one that had fought against Shen Zhe earlier, but its look was a far cry from the previous intimidator it was. It was Swollen and bruised, obviously badly wounded. The Silver Lion was followed by a few daunting iron-toothed wolves which seemed to be escorting it. Shen Zhe stopped his impending attack, wondering what the wolves were up to. Hooooooo! The wolf king howled and the Silver Lion shivered and crouched on the ground, cupping its forelegs as human beings did. ¡°Is this¡­ an apology?¡± Shen Zhe looked at the wolf king with bulging eyes. The wolf king nodded its head happily. Shen Zhe and Zhao Chen simply looked at each other while completely stunned. They thought that they were doomed. However, the wolf king had escorted the Silver Lion which was in conflict with them and forced it to apologize to them¡­ What the heck? The Silver Lion stepped back after it apologized. Then, a couple of iron-toothed wolves approached with pheasants, rabbits, fruits and even clean water, placing the goods before Shen Zhe and Zhao Chen. In the end, the wolf king stepped back and slightly bowed, before it left with the wolf pack. ¡°¡­¡± Observing them carefully and confirming that the wolves were gone, Shen Zhe looked at Zhao Chen in disbelief. ¡°They offered us¡­ gifts?¡± Swallowing, Zhao Chen also found it hard to believe. The iron-toothed wolves were known for their brutality and often considered human beings as potential gifts. When had they ever sent gifts to human beings? More importantly, they even taught a Silver Lion a lesson and forced it to apologize¡­ ¡°Whatever happened, the wolves are gone now¡­¡± After calming down, Shen Zhe reached for the gifts. The pheasants and rabbits were newly killed and still fresh. The clean water had been carried in the shell of special fruits; it was sweet and refreshing. ¡°Should we roast one first?¡± The Pearl Chicken had been mostly eaten by the Blue Fox. He would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t hungry. So, Shen Zhe reprepared the fire and roasted the pheasants and rabbits. Then he noticed that Zhao Chen was still stunned. ¡°What¡¯s up? Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out the reason¡­¡± Zhao Chen was deep in thought. ¡°The iron-toothed wolves are notorious. Few human beings can escape from them. Why did they give us gifts instead of feeding on us? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Could it be what?¡± Spraying some salt on a pheasant, Shen Zhe raised his head. ¡°The wolf king is actually a wolf queen and she likes you¡­¡± Zhao Chen said, ¡°Those are her betrothal gifts and she wants to marry you¡­¡± Shen Zhe said gloomily, ¡°Do you want to eat the meat, or do you want to keep talking?¡± ¡°The meat, of course¡­¡± Zhao Chen chuckled and slowly rolled the meat on the grill. After a brief silence, he said, ¡°Shen Zhe, thank you!¡± ¡°For what?¡± Shen Zhe covered his head, feeling that his friend was behaving crazily again. Were there no normal people around him? ¡°For what happened just now!¡± Zhao Chen looked at him with determination instead of excitement. Shen Zhe could have escaped at the time the wolf king¡¯s true purpose was unknown. He didn¡¯t have to outrun the wolf king; he only had to run faster than Zhao Chen! Instead of doing that, Shen Zhe offered to distract the wolf king so that Zhao Chan would have a chance to live. Zhao Chen was determined to follow Shen Zhe for the rest of his life just because of that! ¡°Focus on the meat. If you want to thank me, you can just say¡­¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and said, ¡°Shen Zhe, you are a great guy!¡± He didn¡¯t like sentimentalism. ¡°Shen Zhe¡­ you are a great guy!¡± Mumbling that, Zhao Chen raised his head in confusion, ¡°Why do I feel as if you just declined my love confession? That seems to be what girls like to say. As far as I know, Wang Xiaofeng has been refused more than fifty times this way, and by the same girl, no less¡­¡± Shen Zhe: ¡°¡­¡± Ignoring his nonsense, he looked inside his head. After Zhao Chen said that, another pencil appeared next to his notebook. He strove so that his friend could escape, instead of abandoning him. It was positive energy; the action had earned his friend¡¯s sincere gratitude. Therefore, the pencil came into being. ¡°Huh? I can open the third page now¡­¡± Shen Zhe was excited after turning to page three, only to be dazed after a realization. ¡°Why is it another equal sign?¡± Chapter 50 It looked exactly like the ¡°=¡± he knew, except that it became vertical and turned into a ¡°||¡±. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t the equal sign¡­ it¡¯s the absolute value!¡± ¡°The absolute value!¡± Shen Zhe was stunned. The absolute value could turn a negative number into a positive one. What could it do? He had nothing negative in himself! The equal sign could help him solve questions, but what could this do? Turn a man of negative energies into positive? Or turn a woman into a man? He was completely puzzled by this. There were no instructions at all. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you give me some instructions to use the notebook in my head?¡± Shen Zhe hated that he had to figure out everything by himself, although he probably wouldn¡¯t have read the instructions even if they were given. ¡°Shen Zhe, the meat is ready¡­¡± While he was pondering, Zhao Chen tore apart a pheasant leg and gave it to him. ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe accepted the chicken leg and had a bite. He had to admit that the taste wasn¡¯t bad at all. ¡°Stop thinking. The wolf king must¡¯ve given you gifts because it has a crush on you!¡± Zhao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Although you¡¯re not nearly as handsome as I am, you may be a super heartthrob for the wolf king¡­ While you look plain for regular people, your absolute handsomeness is higher in the wolf king¡¯s eyes!¡± ¡°Absolute handsomeness!¡± Shen Zhe was about to snap back at Zhao Chen for making fun of him, when he thought of something and slapped his head, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± After studies, he had discovered that the notebook could change the guidance book as well as the meaning of words and phrases. For example, he could change the meaning of ¡°familiarization,¡± so that he could be familiarized with a battle technique by boiling himself together with it. The notebook could change the existing vocabulary, but it couldn¡¯t change what was non-existent. The eighth stage of body polishing didn¡¯t exist before; he couldn¡¯t have achieved it with the notebook, only through his own hard work could he do it. The absolute value could turn a negative number into a positive one. It was useless. However, what if it was about handsomeness? Could it change his appearance? It was inconvenient to run experiments with Zhao Chen present. He decided to try it after he returned to his dormitory! Delighted since the problem had been solved, Shen Zhe finished the pheasant leg quickly. They were soon completely full. The threat of the wolves was no more. They left the cave. They didn¡¯t encounter any danger on their way back. ¡°Is it possible that the wolves blocked the other beasts for us when we came here?¡± The idea popped up in his head, but then Shen Zhe dropped it. It was the first time that he had seen the wolves. They were nice enough to offer gifts. Why would they stop the other beasts for their sake? Anyway, their journey was surprisingly smooth. The mountain could be very dangerous even if they had a torch and a map. However, they met nothing other than a Silver Lion. They returned to the mountaintop an hour later. Going through the cave, they reached the foot of the mountain on the side of Green Abyss after another hour. It was already dawn. The red sun sprang from the horizon and illuminated the earth like a brilliant plate. The horses they had brought were still grazing not far away. They were rather scared to see Shen Zhe. That was a man who could outrun them. ¡°Do you want to ride a horse?¡± Zhao Chen looked at him. Shen Zhe shook his head. He was too sick of horses. He might die if he rode a horse again. He had taken cars, planes and ships in his previous life, never getting sick in any of them. Didn¡¯t they say that sickness usually happened when the environment was closed? He wasn¡¯t sick of motorbikes, either¡­ Huh? Wait! He wore a helmet when he rode motorbikes! Could he neutralize his horse sickness if he wore a helmet? ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± Shen Zhe excitedly reached a tall tree and began cutting it with a dagger that he carried. The dagger wasn¡¯t a marvelous weapon, but he soon slashed off a piece of wood thanks to his extraordinary physical strength. Working quickly, he hollowed out the wood and made two holes for his eyes before he wore it. Well, it was a bit large. He seemed to be wearing a bucket. ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± Zhao Chen was too stunned to say anything when his friend used a piece of wood to cover his head. ¡°This is a helmet, shabby as it may be. I¡¯ll make an iron one after we¡¯re back¡­¡± After explaining casually, Shen Zhe filled the bucket with dry grasses to prevent it from jittering. Then he jumped on the horse and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sick of horses now?¡± asked Zhao Chen. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Knowing that it would be difficult for Zhao Chen to understand the mechanism, Shen Zhe would rather not waste his time explaining it. ¡°Hyah!¡± As he roared, the horse rushed to Green Abyss. Once he wore the helmet, Shen Zhe didn¡¯t feel sick anymore, although the trip was still bumpy. He was greatly relieved. The helmet provided both safety and comfort! Knowledge is power! An hour later, they arrived at the school. ¡°Classes are starting soon¡­¡± Jumping off the horse and holding his helmet, Shen Zhe went to the classroom in a hurry. They had made it back in time. Although he had to rush, he didn¡¯t have to ask for leave. For a student of honor and integrity like him, asking for leave was a humiliation! Of course, the more important reason was that he didn¡¯t want to be beaten up. There was no time for him to return to his dormitory. He had barely walked into the classroom when the bell rang. Thankfully, he had been wearing the school uniform during the trip, or he would have caught a lot of attention when he arrived¡­ However, his current appearance was still weird enough. The Blue Fox was sleeping in his pocket, and he was holding a piece of wood that had two holes. His clothes were covered in dust and grease. He looked no better than a beggar. Of course, Shen Zhe wasn¡¯t bothered. Being the last place of the school, he didn¡¯t feel bothered anymore when other people eyed him differently. He placed the ¡°helmet¡± below his desk. He did not disturb the fox since it was sleeping. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this smell?¡± Wang Qing frowned. Foxes generally had a unique odor that could be quite unpleasant. The Blue Fox had slept in Shen Zhe¡¯s pocket for a long time. Besides, he had been busy during the whole previous night. It was certainly not a delight to smell him. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe intended to explain, but he shook his head in the end. He had to keep a low profile! ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll sit there¡­¡± Unable to tolerate the stench, Wang Qing ran to an empty seat with his textbook. His friend was better at solving questions, but he had become weird¡­ Anyways, Wang Qing decided to tell Ms. Bai that he wanted a different seat. Stretching out his arms, Shen Zhe was glad that he was left alone. He had not slept a wink the previous night after all their antics. He was exhausted despite the sturdiness of his body. ¡°Everyone, this is your new classmate who just transferred from another school¡­¡± He was going to take a nap when Ms. Bai arrived at the podium with a girl who appeared to be rather slim. Their contrast was obvious. Ms. Bai had an extraordinary figure, but the new girl looked like an immature kid, except that her eyes were particularly bright. Shen Zhe lay down on his desk again. It didn¡¯t matter to him. After all, the whole class, and even the whole world, was new to him¡­ ¡°Hello, everyone. I am¡­ Xiao Jiu. You can call me Jiu¡¯er. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± The girl bowed and looked around with a smile. ¡°Xiao? That¡¯s the surname of the royal family!¡± ¡°There are too many people in Green Abyss with the surname Xiao. Not all of them are related to the royal family!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ She is so beautiful though!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to win the monitor¡¯s favor. I have to get this one¡­¡± ¡°I like her, too. Let¡¯s compete in this quiz. Whoever finishes it first will be the winner¡­¡± ¡­ All the guys whispered to each other and beamed with interest. ¡°Alright, the class is starting soon. Find an empty seat first. I¡¯ll get you an appropriate seat in a few days¡­¡± Ms. Bai smiled when the teacher of this class arrived. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± Xiao Jiu looked around, and the only empty seat was next to Shen Zhe. She went over and sat down. ¡°Hello, I am Xiao Jiu¡­¡± The girl looked at Shen Zhe with a smile, as if she didn¡¯t sense the stink coming from him at all. ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Zhe slightly nodded his head in response. Chapter 51 ¡°Xiao Jiu¡­ That¡¯s my place. It may not smell too good, why don¡¯t we switch seats?¡± said Wang Qing arduously, not expecting to see a beautiful girl. He certainly didn¡¯t want such a beautiful girl to sit next to Shen Zhe! ¡°That¡¯s fine. This seat is good¡­¡± Xiao Jiu smiled using court etiquette. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Wang Qing was crestfallen after his offer was declined. He shook his head and returned to his new seat. He would have driven Shen Zhe away instead of moving to the new seat if he had known that a beautiful girl was coming. That way, the girl would¡¯ve sat next to him¡­ ¡°Silence!¡± The teacher was a grave looking old man in his fifties. ¡°You¡¯re about to graduate. Some of you will become real Mages and Martial Artists, and some will strive for survival, never to be known. This class, Animal Taming, was added to widen your career choices. It¡¯s not compulsory and you only need to learn the basics.¡± He was Tian Lianshan, a teacher of the Green Abyss Academy. ¡°Animal Taming?¡± Shen Zhe reared his head. He was rather interested in how animals were tamed. ¡°We all know that beasts are naturally powerful. Some of them are stronger than cultivators even though they don¡¯t have any training. That¡¯s a talent we can only envy. However, if you can make use of their power, you will be much stronger than yourselves as individuals!¡± ¡°This is what Animal Taming is about!¡± Tian Lianshan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s part of biology. To tame an animal, you have to learn their characteristics to better communicate with them¡­¡± He elaborated on the details of beasts and how to communicate with them for ten minutes. Shen Zhe yawned hard as he listened on. Academic stuff didn¡¯t appeal to him at all. His head fell on the desk again after deciding to nap. While he was drowsy, somebody nudged him. He frowned and saw his new classmate. The girl said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t sleep on the desk. It¡¯s disrespectful for the teacher!¡± It did make sense. However, Shen Zhe looked around and said helplessly, ¡°But I don¡¯t see a bed around here¡­¡± Xiao Jiu was stunned. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to sleep during class, which is disrespectful. Am I asking you to lie on a bed instead?¡± ¡°I know many students with good grades prefer their own strength over external aids. They are not fans of pets. However, this class is really sophisticated and taming a strong beast can help you significantly¡­¡± said Xiao Jiu. She had seen a lot of geniuses who were determined to become Mages or Martial Artists. Those people weren¡¯t interested in taming or refining at all, because they never had enough time solving the questions they already had. She thought that Shen Zhe was one of such people. Ignoring her, Shen Zhe went to sleep again. He was too sleepy to talk to anyone at the moment. She wanted more time but it wasn¡¯t possible; this guy had abundant time, yet he dedicated it to sleeping¡­ Xiao Jiu frowned while puzzled over the matter. The new student was exactly Xiao Yurou, the Ninth Princess of the royal family and the best genius of the kingdom who had only three months left to live. Despite her good grades, her body was too weak for her to illuminate the stars or to become a Body Practitioner. At the end of her life, she intended to experience the life of an ordinary person, so she went to school under the name Xiao Jiu. She had thought that everybody in that sanctuary would be working hard, not wasting one second. However, Shen Zhe was the first person she met¡­ ¡°There are usually three approaches to tame a beast. Firstly, intimation and gratefulness¡­¡± Mr. Tian Lianshan continued his lecture. Seeing that Shen Zhe had fallen asleep and was even snoring, Xiao Yurou ignored him and focused on the class, although she had learned all of it when she was nine. Soon, the class was over. Tian Lianshan went to Shen Zhe¡¯s seat, apparently in a foul mood. The guy had been sleeping since the beginning of the class and never woke up even once in the next two hours. That was beyond outrageous! ¡°True, it¡¯s not a compulsory class, but¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have snored so loudly!¡± ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Tian Lianshan coughed with the guidance book in his hand. Hu! Hu! Shen Zhe gave no response. ¡°Wake up¡­¡± Xiao Yurou poked Shen Zhe with her elbow. ¡°What now?¡± Opening his eyes angrily, Shen Zhe froze when he was about to yawn, once he saw the teacher before him. His lips twitched as he said, ¡°Sir¡­¡± Would he be beaten up again? Shen Zhe was greatly relieved after remembering that he was still wearing the leather armor. Tian Lianshan looked at him and said, ¡°What do you think of my class?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Pondering for a moment, Shen Zhe said, ¡°It¡¯s phenomenal, but I think it¡¯s too short¡­¡± ¡°Too short for you to sleep?¡± His eyelids shivering, Tian Lianshan snapped, ¡°Fine, if you despise Animal Taming, tame any beast for me! As long as you can do that, you will be free to sleep during my classes! I can even acknowledge you as my teacher!¡± ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± Right then, the previously sound asleep Blue Fox woke up and craned its head from Shen Zhe¡¯s pocket, looking at the old man in confusion. ¡°Is this¡­ a Blue Fox?¡± Tian Lianshan was too shocked to continue scolding. Shen Zhe changed his face and yelled, ¡°What are you doing? Get back inside!¡± Hula! The Blue Fox lowered its head and hid in his pocket again. ¡°You¡¯ve tamed a Blue Fox?¡± Tian Lianshan was rooted on the spot and almost passed out. The Blue Fox wasn¡¯t very strong but it was smart enough. If trained well, it might grow stronger than many beasts with great talents! It was more difficult to tame a Blue Fox than to tame a strong beast like a Silver Lion¡­ He had scolded Shen Zhe because he thought he knew nothing. Little did he expect that Shen Zhe was actually an expert! Even he couldn¡¯t have tamed a Blue Fox! ¡°Sir, you¡¯re wrong¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. ¡°You must be kidding. I am a low-key man. How can I expose myself for such a small incident?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bro, you think we¡¯re blind and deaf?¡± The fox had revealed its head and squeaked¡­ Tian Lianshan looked at him in confusion and then nodded his head. The student had indeed put a lot of thought in preserving his dignity! He just said that he would acknowledge Shen Zhe as his teacher if he could tame a beast¡­ But Shen Zhe had truly tamed one¡­ Wouldn¡¯t he be greatly humiliated if the fox was exposed? The student had obviously taken it into consideration and intentionally denied it to save his face! What a careful and considerate kid! Thinking about that, he said in compliment, ¡°You are a great student. Come to my office if you haven¡¯t rested well. Sleeping on the bed there will be more comfortable¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shen Zhe was seated in the last row of the classroom; not everyone had noticed the fox. They thought that Shen Zhe would suffer from at least three slaps¡­ However, things didn¡¯t turn out as they expected¡­ Shouldn¡¯t teachers beat the students as a lesson for sleeping in class? Even so, he was invited to the office where there was a bed¡­ What was that about? Why? Was sleeping in the classroom not comfortable enough for him? The eyes of Ling Xueru, Cui Xiao and the other students were widely opened; they were completely astounded. Had Mr. Tian Lianshan been possessed? Ignoring their shock, Mr. Tian looked around and asked, ¡°Who is the monitor of this class?¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± Ling Xueru stood up and raised her hand carefully. ¡°OK. Give this student full marks on Animal Taming. We must encourage such talents¡­¡± Nodding his head in satisfaction, Tian Lianshan remembered something else and said, ¡°Right, I remember that the last place of the school is in your class. His name is Shen Zhe¡­ Is he here? He should learn after this student here! That way, your supervisor will have less trouble¡­¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± Raising her hand carefully again, Ling Xueru said with a shivering voice, ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s exactly Shen Zhe!¡± Tian Lianshan: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 52 There were three kinds of students that a teacher could remember: the worst, the best, and the troublemakers! Shen Zhe was in two of those categories. So, he was a famous person for the teaching staff. Before he went to class, Mr. Tian had been informed by other teachers that he had to teach a bad student named Shen Zhe a good lesson. He had thought that the last place of the school didn¡¯t know a thing. However, the student turned out to be a genius who had tamed a beast¡­ To cover his embarrassment, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Other students, dismissed! Shen Zhe, come to my office!¡± Shen Zhe stood up. He wasn¡¯t as exhausted as before, even though he had only slept for two hours. Everybody was discussing this after they left, wondering what had just happened to make Mr. Tian change his attitude. They all looked at the new classmate. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, what happened just now?¡± asked Ling Xueru. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xiao Yurou shook her head. She preferred quietness over company after spending most of her time in solitude. She was Ling Xueru¡¯s direct opposite. The monitor frowned and sat down in Shen Zhe¡¯s seat. She said in a low voice, ¡°I feel that there¡¯s something wrong with the person who sat next to you. You must be careful¡­ Tell me whenever you notice anything!¡± Shen Zhe had been summoned to the office by three teachers in the past four days. What was he up to? Xiao Yurou looked at her and smiled, ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Why would I like him¡­?¡± Jumping as if she had suffered an electric shock, Ling Xueru waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m only¡­ I¡¯m only reminding you as your monitor!¡± Xiao Yurou¡¯s lips curled up, smiling like a blossoming flower. ¡°You¡¯re sitting on the same chair he used fifty-two seconds ago, and the book you touched was his pillow until two minutes and twenty-seven seconds ago. His drool is still on it¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ling Xueru rose in a hurry, blushing and trying to get back to normal. Xiao Yurou stopped talking and continued reading the book. Although she had studied and memorized the books when she was six, it still felt different to read them in the classroom. ¡­ Mr. Tian¡¯s office was a shared space with the seats of multiple teachers. However, none of them were present. The moment Shen Zhe went in, Mr. Tian looked at him passionately. ¡°Can I take a look at your Blue Fox?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Knowing that it was useless to pretend anymore, Shen Zhe grabbed the Blue Fox and tossed it on the desk. Crack! The Blue Fox was rather dizzy after the fall. Then¡­ Pa! The Blue Fox staggered when Shen Zhe slapped it. ¡°Stop sleeping. My teacher wants to see you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t animal taming have to do with making animals feel grateful?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to cater to their every need and adulate them?¡± ¡°Could throwing and slapping work?¡± ¡°Was this fox a masochist?¡± ¡°Zhi! Zhi!¡± After it had completely woken up, the Blue Fox stood up and glared at Mr. Tian with hostility. ¡°Why are there so many wounds on the fox?¡± Observing the fox carefully, Mr. Tian clenched his fists and felt that he understood. ¡°Did it submit to you because it was wounded and you saved it?¡± A lifesaving favor could never be returned. The student might have had a chance to rescue the fox, thereby winning its obedience. ¡°Oh, the wounds were caused by me. Because it pretended to be dead¡­¡± answered Shen Zhe. ¡°¡­¡± Speechlessly, Mr. Tian looked at Shen Zhe and asked carefully, ¡°What did you do to make it feel grateful?¡± ¡°I just kept beating it up! And then, it surrendered¡­¡± said Shen Zhe after thinking for a moment. He skipped the part about the herb liquid. It shouldn¡¯t be a lie to neglect revealing only one step. ¡°¡­¡± Mr. Tian asked further, but Shen Zhe was unable to confess any theories other than beating¡­ Exhausted, Mr. Tian waved his hand and allowed him to return to class. In the end, he stood up and opened another door in the office. An inner room was opened. There was a cage inside the room, where a monkey-like beast was imprisoned. There were peaches, bananas, meat and various kinds of food and toys before the beast. There was even a lot of herb liquid that he had bought with a fortune. However, the beast did not appreciate any of that and eyed Mr. Tian as if he were its mortal enemy. The beast had been caught three months before. He had spent all his wages and even asked for some loans on the temptations, but none of them worked! ¡°Should I try beating?¡± Thinking how Shen Zhe successfully tamed the Blue Fox, Mr. Tian gritted his teeth. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! He punched and kicked the beast. ¡°Zhi! Zhi! Zhi!¡± Seeing that the previously accommodating human had dared to beat it, the beast roared in fury and crashed into the iron bars. Crack! It stopped breathing. ¡°Shoot! You¡¯re truly heartless!¡± Mr. Tian wept. ¡°Beatings didn¡¯t make it feel grateful?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Did it only work on foxes and not on monkeys?¡± ¡­ When Shen Zhe returned to the classroom, the second class had already begun. Xiao Yurou asked curiously, ¡°Did you really tame the Blue Fox?¡± Shen Zhe nodded. His new classmate had seen everything just then. He couldn¡¯t keep it a secret from her. ¡°The Blue Fox lives in Dreary Wood on Mount Thorn and can only be attracted to the Pearl Chicken. It takes a day and a night on horseback from the school to that place. Plus the time to avoid other beasts, it¡¯s barely possible to catch a Blue Fox without spending two or three days!¡± Xiao Yurou said with great interest, ¡°Your school uniform carries a similar scent to the unique plants of Mount Thorn. Also, the mud smeared on it is bright yellow, which is the color of the soil in Dreary Wood. You were exhausted during class, indicating that you hadn¡¯t slept for a while¡­ I asked someone just now, and they said you came to class the day before yesterday. Is it possible that you caught the Blue Fox and tamed it in one day and two nights during the weekend?¡± Shen Zhe frowned and turned his head to carefully observe the new classmate. She had inferred so many things based on his smell and the color of the mud¡­ Where was she from? Her observation seemed even keener than the monitor¡¯s. The girl was weak and emaciated, seemingly about to collapse at any time, but her eyes were so bright that they seemed able to see through other people¡¯s minds. ¡°I am Xiao Jiu¡­¡± Xiao Yurou smiled and extended her hand. She had introduced herself in the last class, but Shen Zhe didn¡¯t respond to it. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Zhe¡­ the very last place in the last semester!¡± Gazing at the new classmate, Shen Zhe extended his hand and shook hers. The girl¡¯s hand was cold. ¡°I know that. I also know that you¡¯ve been doing good things!¡± Xiao Yurou nodded her head. Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Wang Qing has told me a lot about you¡­¡± Xiao Yurou smiled. He turned around, only to see that his old friend was grimacing; he even made a provocative expression. ¡°¡­¡± Too lazy to get back at him, Shen Zhe lay his head on the desk again. ¡°The Blood of the Blue Fox is a rare medication for the veins. Since the Blue Fox has been tamed by you, can I borrow some of its blood? Rest assured, I¡¯ll pay you enough¡­¡± His new classmate looked at him carefully. Due to her congenital weakness, few drugs could be used on Xiao Yurou, and the Blood of the Blue Fox was among them. Even the royal family couldn¡¯t find it easily. ¡°You¡¯ll pay me?¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want money. I need Gold and Silver Tobacco. Do you have it?¡± Briefly dazed, Xiao Yurou nodded her head. ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 53 ¡°You have it?¡± It was Shen Zhe¡¯s turn to be stunned. Neither the Zhao family, the Gold Source Mall, nor the Empyrean One Pavilion had the herb, but his new classmate had it? How lucky was he? ¡°The Gold and Silver Tobacco is a rare herb. It¡¯ll have two blossoms when it¡¯s mature, one gold and the other silver. At sunset, the two blossoms will kiss each other and yield a fragrance. It appeared in Green Abyss seventeen years ago and was purchased by my seniors¡­¡± said Xiao Yurou. Seventeen years before, her disease was diagnosed soon after her birth. Her father collected all the tonics in the capital, whether they were useful or not. The Gold and Silver Tobacco was among them. However, while the herb could reduce the damage caused by lightning, it could barely treat her weakness. So, it had never been used. His new classmate had described it just like Uncle Qi of the Zhao family did. Excited, Shen Zhe said, ¡°How much blood do you want? You can have the whole fox as long as some of the blood is left for me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Blue Fox raised its head gloomily. ¡°I¡¯ve already surrendered to you¡­ Can you be a little more responsible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. I¡¯ll tell you later when and how much blood is needed. I can give you the herb first¡­¡± said Xiao Yurou with a smile. She didn¡¯t need any medication unless she was ill. It would be useless if she got the blood too early, since it would expire fast. Impressed by her generosity, Shen Zhe nodded and said, ¡°You are a much nicer person than Wang Qing is. He¡¯s so petty that he won¡¯t lend his homework to me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe raised his head, only to discover that it was Mr. Geng Xing¡¯s class. No wonder they weren¡¯t scolded when they whispered to each other; the teacher was famous for his tolerance. He probably wouldn¡¯t bother it even if someone died in his class. Shen Zhe, who felt that he hadn¡¯t slept enough in the last class, stretched out his arms and placed a book on his head to block the sunlight from the window. He was about to fall asleep, when Mr. Geng Xing said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask a student to answer this question!¡± He looked around and pointed with his finger, ¡°You, the one with a book on your head¡­¡± He had taught the class for years, but he still couldn¡¯t remember the names of the students. Hualala! Everybody¡¯s eyes were focused on Shen Zhe. He was the only one who intended to go to sleep. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shen Zhe looked around, then took the book off his head to place it on top of Xiao Jiu¡¯s. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody else in the room was speechless. That was too blatant! Did Shen Zhe have any sense of honor? Geng Xing¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Alright, you will answer this question¡­¡± Although bummed by the act, he had to admit that he asked the question in a flawed way; Shen Zhe took advantage of it. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± Xiao Yurou stood up and looked at the blackboard. ¡°Sir, your question is the optimal calculation method to illuminate the stars! Everyone¡¯s body build and talent are different. It has always been a conundrum for all Mages to optimize the limited talent¡­ Personally, I think the best approach is to constitute a galaxy with two stars as the base¡­¡± Soon, Xiao Yurou expounded on a solution that she had been working on since she was nine. ¡°This method is too complicated and nobody is able to reach a solution yet. I think it will be the optimal approach if it can be solved¡­¡± Being a super genius, she had answered all the questions to illuminate the Seven Stars. By the time she was twelve, no questions in the Abyssal Ocean Kingdom were difficult enough for her. However, she had worked on the optimal solution for eight years and still was unable to solve the equations! The difficulty of the method was evident. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ indeed an approach!¡± Not expecting that the new student would offer a brand-new method of calculation that he had never seen, Geng Xing was stunned for a moment and nodded, ¡°You may sit down!¡± It was rather embarrassing¡­ The equations were so intricate that he couldn¡¯t understand them! After she sat down, Xiao Yurou threw Shen Zhe¡¯s book back and glared at him. ¡°Can I copy your equations?¡± Ignoring her anger, Shen Zhe looked at her, glowing. He had five more stars to illuminate, and he didn¡¯t know how to calculate their specific locations. Since his classmate had the steps, he could definitely copy them! While other people couldn¡¯t solve them, he had the ¡°=¡±! It was as easy as pie for him to get an answer¡­ One pencil could illuminate three stars. He had five chances in total. So, he would be able to illuminate all the seven stars! Not knowing what he thought, Xiao Yurou asked in confusion, ¡°Why do you want the equations?¡± This guy was famous for his ghastly grades. What could he do with the equations that even she couldn¡¯t solve? ¡°I think the equations are very good. I would like to study them¡­¡± Shen Zhe nodded. Xiao Yurou chuckled and said, ¡°Whatever you say¡­¡± She then wrote the equations to calculate the stars on a piece of paper and handed it over. Shen Zhe read the equations carefully, only to discover that he didn¡¯t understand a thing¡­ Scratching his head, he carefully kept the paper in his pocket and placed the book on his head again¡­ When he opened his eyes again, he realized that school was already over, and he was the only person left in the classroom¡­ No, his new classmate was still there. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Struggling to sit straight, Shen Zhe felt strange as he looked at her. ¡°Why is she still here when school is already over?¡± ¡°Is she addicted to studies, like the monitor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still checking an answer¡­¡± Without raising her head, Xiao Jiu wrote on the paper nonstop. Her handwriting was elegant and enjoyable. It was much better than most students¡¯, and certainly better than Shen Zhe¡¯s. Shen Zhe read it for a while and felt a headache again. The formulas were too sophisticated. However, they were somewhat familiar to him. ¡°Is it the answer that I copied in the Empyrean One Pavilion?¡± Shen Zhe recognized it. He spent hours copying the answer to the top-tier question in the Empyrean One Pavilion. Although it was an enigma to him, he remembered some of the formulas and steps. His classmate was writing down the steps that he wrote before¡­ There was no telling whether it was because she remembered wrongly or because she didn¡¯t see it clearly, but she made several mistakes. A few students in school uniform were around when he copied the answer. Was his classmate there back then? Shen Zhe searched his memories but he didn¡¯t recall her. Losing interest, he stood up and said, ¡°Carry on. I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± Before he left the classroom, a middle-aged man arrived with a white jade box. ¡°Miss¡­ Here¡¯s what you asked for!¡± Xiao Yurou nodded and pointed at Shen Zhe. ¡°Give it to him¡­¡± ¡°Me?¡± Shen Zhe was delighted. ¡°Is it the Gold and Silver Tobacco?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Yurou didn¡¯t raise her head. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Not expecting that his new classmate would have the herb delivered so quickly, Shen Zhe accepted it happily and saw a scarlet plant with two flowers, one gold and one silver, inside the jade box. Xiao Yurou nodded without looking at him. She frowned at the paper before her. ¡°You¡¯d better stop. That step is wrong¡­¡± Shen Zhe was excited since all the ingredients had been gathered. Seeing that the more she wrote, the more mistakes she made, he couldn¡¯t help but tell her. ¡°Wrong?¡± Xiao Yurou looked up, stunned by his remark. Chapter 54 She remembered the basic methodology of the top-tier question that was answered the previous day, and she intended to deduce it on her own that day. However, something went wrong and she wasn¡¯t getting anywhere. The question was so challenging that even she couldn¡¯t have worked it out on her own after reading the answer only once. She was about to deduce it from the start when she heard Shen Zhe¡¯s remark. She found it hard to believe. The step I wrote is wrong¡­ He was the last place in all the school. How could he tell? Even Zhang Fengyuan, the dean, couldn¡¯t have solved it! Ignoring her shock, Shen Zhe pointed at a step with a smile. ¡°One step is missing¡­ here!¡± Then, he filled the step with a pen. The answers obtained with the ¡°=¡± were etched in his head and would never be forgotten. He just didn¡¯t expect that Xiao Yurou would be working on that question so he didn¡¯t recall it right away. Xiao Yurou was shocked after she saw what Shen Zhe wrote. It was indeed the place where she was wrong. However, the detail was subtle and complicated. Even she could¡¯ve barely detected it. How had Shen Zhe located it after a quick glance? ¡°You know this question?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°This is the answer to the top-tier question in the Gold Source Mall. I happened to see it¡­¡± Shen Zhe smiled and waved his hand, ¡°Alright, talk to you soon!¡± He pointed out her mistake because he was grateful that she gave him the herb so quickly. He wasn¡¯t worried about his identity being exposed, because hundreds of people were watching him back then. He could claim that he was one of them. Xiao Yurou intended to ask more but he had already left. She continued her verification. With Shen Zhe¡¯s steps, she completed the task very soon. Looking at the paper, the girl was lost and suspicious. ¡°Is the last place of the Green Abyss Academy this good? Is it possible that other people have been praising my talent because they¡¯re pleasing me, and I¡¯m actually worse than the last place of this school?¡± ¡­ It was a sunny day, without any rain or clouds. Shen Zhe returned to his dormitory after lunch. Taking out the griddle, the seasonings, and the blood that was extracted from the Blue Fox¡¯s leg, he walked to the refining room. After finding an empty room, he placed the griddle over the fire and added oil to the griddle. He then sliced the herbs into pieces to make sure that it was easier for the herbs to be heated and melted. Zi! Zi! Zi! The herbs were put into the griddle, and fire rose. Shen Zhe added salt and pepper powder to the mix. He had the mask, the helmet and the apron prepared, so he wasn¡¯t stained by the grease. Ten minutes later, a plateful of gold herb liquid was ready. It filled up five and a half bottles. Shen Zhe was relieved. He returned to his dormitory and drank one of the bottles. The power of the stars boosted the herb liquid to repair his damaged veins. The veins were recovered soon after. ¡°This Senior Qi is truly good at medication¡­¡± Shen Zhe secretly nodded, feeling how he was completely fine. Since he had recovered, he could enjoy lightning strikes again. Shen Zhe looked out the window in great spirits, only to discover that it was dark. He had spent the whole afternoon refining and training. It seemed that there would be no rain any time soon. ¡°Since I have nothing to do now, I¡¯d better see if I can study!¡± He could become familiar with a battle technique by boiling a technique book and himself in the same pot. What if he placed his textbooks in the pot? Could he become a good student without reading any books? ¡°I need to try it!¡± Shen Zhe took out the giant pot and searched for his previous textbooks in his dormitory. He bathed in the boiling water with the textbooks, only to sense no new knowledge in his head. Shen Zhe was rather frustrated. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to work this way¡­¡± Learning was truly not as simple! Since he couldn¡¯t learn that way, Shen Zhe decided to study the new symbol on the notebook. The ¡°||¡± was lying in his head peacefully. He pointed his finger at it. Just like the equal sign, the mathematical symbol popped up before his eyes. He circled it with a pencil. ¡°Absolute handsomeness¡­¡± After he said that in a low voice, the two bars floated and melted into his body. Crack! Crack! His muscles and bones emitted dense noises. Shen Zhe sensed that his height had increased by ten centimeters. He approached the mirror and looked at himself, only to be stunned. The person in the mirror was nothing like himself. He was unbelievably handsome, like the most perfect artwork. His every muscle had been carefully designed without making him too fat or too slim. Compared to him, Lu Zihan and Cui Xiao were nothing but random guys on the street. He was too gorgeous! Just as he had speculated, the notebook could redefine specific phrases and symbols. But of course, the new definition couldn¡¯t deviate too far from the original meaning. They had to be similar. With complicated feelings, he continued studying the absolute value which could make him handsome, but for no more than one hour! If he wanted to he could change back to his old self during that hour, but he had to consume the pencil if he wanted to become handsome again. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± He thought that he could keep his new looks, but it seemed that he was overthinking¡­ It was true that there was no such thing as free lunch. ¡°My clothes seem too small now¡­¡± Since he was taller, the clothes in his closet did not fit him anymore. He searched for a long time, but even his largest pants were too short for him at the moment. ¡°I need to prepare some decent clothes for this appearance¡­¡± Shen Zhe left his dormitory at the peak of nightlife. Nobody was outside the door, or they would¡¯ve been shocked to see such a handsome guy walking out of his room. He caught a lot of attention after he left the dormitory building. Both guys and girls were deeply surprised after they saw him. Absolute handsomeness was a shock to anyone. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± ¡°Which class is he from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve seen him. He can¡¯t be from our school. I would¡¯ve recognized him if he were¡­¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m in love¡­¡± ¡°Remember that you¡¯re a man!¡± ¡°So what? Can¡¯t a man be in love? Is a man not a human being? Why are girls allowed to have a crush on him, but not me? Why are men discriminated? Can¡¯t a man like another man?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The whole school was in chaos. As the word spread out, everybody gathered to see the super handsome guy that appeared out of nowhere. ¡­ Lu Zihan was looking at himself in a mirror while on a street outside the school. His eyes were turning red. He had taught Shen Zhe a lesson, only to be beaten up by him in the training area! His family paid an enormous price for medications and he had finally recovered. ¡°You dared to slap my face. Shen Zhe, I¡¯ll definitely get back at you¡­¡± Lu Zihan fumed when he recalled how Shen Zhe had humiliated him. He was part of a major family; he also had good grades and good looks. It was utterly depressing for him to have been beaten by the one who was the last place of the school. ¡°Not only have I treated my wounds, I¡¯ve also consolidated the Seven Star Stage and built up my body with the power of the stars!¡± He had asked for leave in the past two days to improve himself in the best way possible. He was previously in the fourth stage of body polishing. He reached the fifth stage easily after practicing consistently with the aid of abundant resources. With such body hardness, and with the seven illuminated stars, Shen Zhe could be no match for him! He would beat Shen Zhe up and deform him before he showed his handsome face in front of Ling Xueru. Even the silliest person would choose him over Shen Zhe. Putting down the mirror, Lu Zihan couldn¡¯t be more confident. Why am I so handsome? Any woman would be intoxicated by my looks. However¡­ of all the women in the world, Ling Xueru is the only one that I like! Hualala! While he was fascinated with himself, a bunch of girls screamed and ran past him. ¡°Hurry up, or he¡¯ll be gone!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be able to see him if we¡¯re slow!¡± All the girls were excited. ¡°What has happened?¡± Lu Zihan frowned. Many girls would make eyes at him secretly in school. However, they didn¡¯t even bother to turn their heads this time. Why were they so unusual? He looked around and saw another girl who was leading a group of people. ¡°Sisters, I really wasn¡¯t lying. You can take a look for yourself¡­¡± The girl shouted while she rushed. Lu Zihan noticed that she was one of his classmates. He called, ¡°Chen Feng!¡± It was exactly the girl who had been secretly in love with him for years. The girl even yelled at Shen Zhe when he was looking for Lu Zihan. ¡°Oh¡­ Monitor, you¡¯re back¡­¡± Chen Feng stopped, but she was still looking ahead absentmindedly. ¡°What are you doing in such a hurry?¡± Lu Zihan couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ checking up a guy! A super handsome guy has just arrived at our school¡­¡± Chen Feng glowed. ¡°A super handsome guy?¡± Lu Zihan frowned and pointed at himself. ¡°Is he as handsome as me?¡± Chen Feng¡¯s eyes were finally focused on him. Comparison was always the most hurtful. It wasn¡¯t until she saw the handsome guy that she realized how ugly Lu Zihan was¡ªthe one she had a crush on for years. Feeling that her heart was palpitating and she could barely breathe, she said, ¡°Monitor, sorry, I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re not handsome¡­ Please wait a moment, I¡¯m not feeling well¡­ Forget it, you should probably keep some distance from me¡­¡± ¡°What the heck¡­¡± Lu Zihan went crazy. Clang! His mirror fell to the ground and cracked into pieces. Chapter 55 It wasn¡¯t easy for Shen Zhe to leave the campus. He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Thank God it will only last for an hour, or I would be exhausted by using this look!¡± He had thought that staying handsome would be wonderful, but he changed his mind once he walked out of the school. Sometimes, handsomeness was a crime! Girls were flocking to see him. There were even guys who said they loved him¡­ How could he train under such circumstances? He finally got rid of the crazy fans and found a decent clothing store. He bought a few changes of clothes and wore one of them, making him look even more handsome by the way the clothes fitted him. The clerk who fetched the clothes for him passed out in excitement when he smiled at her. After he paid for the clothes, the dull air was ripped apart by thunder, and a heavy storm poured again. ¡°A thunder¡­¡± The thunder meant that he could enjoy lightning strikes again. However¡­ The box where Cui Xiao kept his lemons was not around¡­ ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All I need is a piece of long ironware¡­¡± Looking around in the room, Shen Zhe soon found something. ¡°Are your pole and your hangers for sale?¡± The pole in the clothes shop was made of iron. The hangers were made of fine steel, too. ¡°Well¡­¡± The boss was stunned, not knowing why Shen Zhe would buy those. However, Shen Zhe had bought too many things, and he didn¡¯t want to refuse requests from such a customer. ¡°If you want them, you can take them for free¡­¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Shen Zhe took a pole and a dozen hangers. Tying the hangers on the pole, he strode into the storm. ¡°Handsome, it¡¯s pouring outside. Here¡¯s an umbrella¡­¡± The clerk who had woken up ran out with an umbrella, only to find that he was nowhere to be seen. The handsome guy was no longer there. ¡°He left¡­¡± The umbrella fell on the ground, and the clerk was at a loss. ¡­ He needed to be struck in the rain; umbrellas were of no use to him. His new clothes were covered in oilcloth and wouldn¡¯t get wet. Shen Zhe rushed out of the city. He had caught a lot of attention when he wasn¡¯t laying now. He didn¡¯t want anyone to notice him when he illuminated the stars with lightning. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to explain. Since his veins had been restored, the brilliant power of the stars flowed incessantly; their power supported him, melting him into the rain. Hu! After a long time, Shen Zhe finally left the city. The high wall of the city loomed in the darkness under the heavy storm, just like an unshakable mountain. ¡°This is the place¡­¡± He placed the package with his clothes on a tree branch. Then, he raised the pole high above his head in an empty environment. Hualala! The dozen hangers shivered and vibrated like flags. ¡°Lightning, be more violent!¡± Crack! A lightning bolt struck Shen Zhe and drowned him. ¡­ ¡°Your Highness, a storm is going on outside, and your body is too weak¡­¡± An armored guard was anxiously holding an umbrella for the princess. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just checking the city wall of Green Abyss to see if it needs broadening¡­¡± Xiao Yurou shook her head and reached the top of the wall. She only had three months left to live. The only thing she could do was to consider everything that could be considered to repay her father¡¯s love. In the pouring storm, Xiao Yurou reached a tower on the wall and looked at the city. All the houses were brightly lit by candles and lamps. The dynasty had been established for hundreds of years, but it was still stable and prosperous. Everybody lived a happy life. Her father was truly a magnificent monarch. She then looked outside the city. Mount Thorn protruded from the ground like an enormous crouching dragon, imposing a heavy pressure. The guard suddenly called, ¡°Your Highness, look. What¡¯s that?¡± Looking at the place his finger was pointing at, Xiao Yurou saw a handsome man in a black cloak walking out of the city. He was too far away for her to see his looks, but his manners were so impeccable that he looked like a deity from the sky. ¡°What¡­ is he doing?¡± Xiao Yurou frowned. He left the city without an umbrella in such a storm. Was he planning to commit suicide? While she was puzzled, the stranger had placed a bag with things on a branch and then lifted what appeared to be an iron stick. ¡°Is that¡­ a weapon?¡± Although Xiao Yurou was too weak to pick up any technique, she knew a lot about cultivation. It was even safe to say that even His Majesty couldn¡¯t compare to her in terms of theoretical knowledge. However, even she couldn¡¯t tell what weapon the stranger was holding! ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s not a weapon. It¡¯s a pole and a few hangers¡­¡± The guard blushed. The princess had special maids who took care of her clothes. She had never seen those things. ¡°Pole and hangers?¡± Xiao Yurou was stunned. ¡°What is the guy doing with those things in the heavy storm?¡± ¡°Was his house out of water? Does he want to use rainwater to wash his clothes then hang them to dry?¡± ¡°Look, Your Highness¡­¡± The guard was also wondering what the stranger was up to. Just then, a lightning struck down rapidly. ¡°Not good. He¡¯s killing himself¡­¡± Xiao Yurou changed her gesture and trembled. She had always respected life because she couldn¡¯t live long. She couldn¡¯t hold back anymore once she saw that someone was committing suicide. ¡°Go rescue him!¡± Before she finished, however, she saw that the man in black didn¡¯t collapse after being struck by the lightning. Instead he appeared even more magnificent than before. ¡°Light up now!¡± BOOM! A powerful aura rose to the sky! Sensing the aura before his eyes, the guard couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°He¡¯s not killing himself. He¡¯s¡­ illuminating the stars!¡± As the princess¡¯ guard, he was already a level-one Mage and was highly sensitive about power. The person in the distance was disguised by the storm, but he didn¡¯t cover his strength to attract the lightning. His magnificent aura could be clearly perceived. Before he attracted the lightning, he had the power of two stars at most, but after the lightning struck down, it seemed that three stars were illuminated. ¡°He¡¯s using lightning to illuminate stars?¡± Xiao Yurou was stiffened by the thought. Her body was too weak for her to illuminate the stars. She had tried all the traditional methods, and a lot of novel ones, but none of them had been successful. As time went by, she had already given up. She thought that her death three months later was inevitable, until she saw that someone was illuminating the stars with lightning! Could she adopt the same approach? It could possibly break the shackles of her body¡­ In that case, would her fate be changed? BOOM! The man in black was still under the storm while embracing the lightnings falling from the sky. Then, his aura increased to four stars! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! After each lightning strike, a new star seemed to be shining in the man¡¯s body. Five! Six! In only ten breaths, the guy had illuminated six stars. The power of the stars sprang to the sky, indicating that he might soon have a breakthrough. ¡°He¡¯s indeed illuminating the stars with lightning¡­¡± Xiao Yurou shivered. One star might be a coincidence, but four stars had definitely proven the theory. She gave a command in a hurry, ¡°Bring me brush and paper¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± The guard left in a hurry and soon returned with paper and a brush. Listing the equations and formulas, Xiao Yurou began to calculate. After a long time, she looked at the answer on the paper and clenched her fists. ¡°It¡¯s indeed possible¡­¡± By her estimation, it might indeed be possible for her to avoid her fate by illuminating the stars with lightning! ¡°Where¡¯s the expert?¡± She looked down from the wall; there was nothing but the heavy storm. ¡°He seems to have left¡­¡± The guard found no traces of him, either. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go and search for him¡­¡± Xiao Yurou gritted her teeth. ¡°Yes, madam. I¡¯m on my way¡­¡± The guard jumped off the wall and ran out of the city. Half an hour later, the guard returned to the wall gloomily. ¡°Ninth Princess, forgive my uselessness. I¡¯ve searched ten square kilometers outside the city. There was nothing except this piece of soaked paper under the tree¡­¡± ¡°Paper?¡± Xiao Yurou accepted it. It was a paper that was full of handwriting, but the words had been blurred by rainwater. ¡°Why does this paper look familiar?¡± Xiao Yurou was shocked. Chapter 56 Although the paper was too soaked for her to read anything, the visible traces were still familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before. ¡°Bring it back and dry it. See if you can restore the handwriting. There should be useful clues¡­¡± Pondering for a moment, she covered the paper with a handkerchief and gave the guard instructions. ¡°Find him whatever it takes!¡± The whole royal palace was busy all night long. The king had ordered to search for a man in a black cloak who was about 1.85 meters tall. His look was unclear, but it was easy to determine his height if they considered the height of the wall, its distance from the tree, and the angle. Countless soldiers searched everywhere in the heavy storm. However, the man in black seemed to have been vaporized and was nowhere to be found. In the royal palace¡­ ¡°Are you sure that lightning can illuminate the stars in your body?¡± Xiao Jin looked at his vulnerable daughter anxiously. She was his most beloved child. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give away ten years from his life if that would help her recover. ¡°The chances are more than fifty percent!¡± Xiao Yurou nodded and said, ¡°Father, you know my condition. My body is congenitally blocked, and I will die if the stars aren¡¯t illuminated by the time I¡¯m eighteen. The man in black has shed new light for us when he illuminated his stars by using lightning. Spiritual energy cannot circulate in my body, but electricity can! I did the calculations three years ago!¡± Xiao Jin nodded. His daughter was curious about everything. Three years before, a house in the royal palace was hit by lightning and caught fire. She ran calculations and placed an iron rod above the building. No accidents of that nature happened again in the following three years. Back then, she had calculated that humans were conductive. However, it never occurred to her that electricity could illuminate the stars! ¡°So, I might be able to change the current situation as long as I know how he did it¡­¡± Xiao Yurou clenched her fists. She hadn¡¯t swum in the ocean of knowledge nearly enough, and she didn¡¯t intend to die. She was only a seventeen-year-old girl after all. ¡°However, this art is too innovative¡­ Even if we can find him, there will be nothing we can do if he doesn¡¯t confess!¡± Xiao Jin frowned. Stars had been illuminated with spiritual energy for tens of thousands of years. Illuminating stars with lightning was a revolution. Why would the person reveal the secret? Xiao Yurou didn¡¯t reply. She understood the logic well. She had informed the guard that the incident was not to be leaked. The soldiers deployed were searching for him without knowing why. ¡°I think we should be prepared for the worst!¡± Pondering for a moment, Xiao Jin said, ¡°Since there¡¯s a thunderstorm today, why don¡¯t we try and see if we can figure out the method by ourselves?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Xiao Yurou nodded and said, ¡°Please find some geniuses who haven¡¯t illuminated the Seven Stars yet!¡± It was always best to prepare a backup plan! Xiao Jin nodded and gave instructions. Soon, seventeen young men were summoned to the royal palace. They were all geniuses of the major families. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Xiao Yurou had calculated the amount of electricity in the lightning, the possible damage, and how to self-rescue at the critical moment while they were on their way. She gave them the results of her calculations and allowed them to study for a while. Then, she asked the guard to fetch a pole and a dozen hangers. ¡°There had to be a reason why the man in black used those!¡± ¡°Who wants to try first?¡± ¡°Allow me!¡± A pretty boy walked out. He was Fu Chuanji, a famous young genius in Green Abyss. He had shown astonishing talent by illuminating five stars when he was only fifteen. He picked up the pole and strode into the storm. Crack! Blackened by the strike, Fu Chuanji fell and his body jittered. A guard rushed close and pulled him back into the room. Xiao Yurou frowned and asked him, ¡°What did you feel?¡± Feeling dizzy, Fu Chuanji said, ¡°I felt¡­ I was hit by lightning¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Yurou said gloomily, ¡°I¡¯m asking if you could control the power of the lightning to illuminate the stars!¡± ¡°There was no time for me to react¡­¡± Fu Chuanji was rather embarrassed. He passed out when the lightning hit him. How could he have controlled its power. ¡°Next¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. I think I can still hold on¡­¡± Fu Chuanji gritted his teeth. Every young man adored the princess. How could he disappoint her? Crack! He fell and had muscle spasms again. This time, not only had he been charred black but he was also foaming. He had only illuminated five stars anyway, and his resistance was far weaker than Cui Xiao¡¯s. ¡°What about it?¡± asked Xiao Yurou. ¡°I think¡­ I can try again¡­¡± Fu Chuanji struggled to say, with foam flowing out of his mouth. ¡°Next¡­¡± said Xiao Yurou while waving her hand, knowing that he couldn¡¯t figure it out. Another genius walked into the thunderstorm. Crack! Crack! All the seventeen young men were lying on the floor half an hour later, their hair standing on end, their faces blackened, and their clothes ripped apart. Their experience was the same. They passed out so quickly that they couldn¡¯t even tell where they were, much less the location of the stars. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work this way¡­¡± Xiao Yurou shook her head and tore the results of her calculation into shreds. She had personally seen the man illuminating stars with lightning. How did he manage it? Who was he exactly? Why did he not foam? ¡­ Shen Zhe returned to his dormitory. He sat cross-legged on the bed. The six stars in his body slowly spun, unleashing the magnificent power of the stars to course through his veins. He found and illuminated four stars thanks to the four chances to use the pencil in his head, and the way to locate the stars that his classmate had given him. He was still short of one chance to illuminate the last star. However, he ended with grave wounds after the illumination. He quickly changed back into himself when he entered the city and returned to the school. It took three bottles of herb liquid and four hours to finally recover. His veins were thicker and more tensile after they were healed. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be too badly hurt if he were hit by lightning again. He was significantly stronger than before with the power of the stars circulating in his body. If he were to meet the Silver Lion again, he would be able to knock it out with one punch. He wasn¡¯t a Martial Artist, but he was no weaker than a mid-phase level-one Martial Artist! He looked out the window. A night had passed again. ¡°I¡¯ve run out of pencils again¡­¡± Changing his looks with absolute value and finding the locations of the four stars with the ¡°=¡±, all of that had used up the pencils he had accumulated with great trouble. He was bankrupt again. Where could he do good and positive things? Zhao Chen had already contributed to two pencils. It was inappropriate to always count on him. However, Shen Zhe was not familiar with others¡­ ¡°I should go to class first¡­¡± Unable to figure out a solution, Shen Zhe went to the classroom. Everybody was talking about the contest. He saw that his new classmate was still calculating. Her eyes were also red, indicating that she didn¡¯t sleep much. The equations on her paper were still too complicated for him to understand. ¡°The contest will be held tomorrow. You¡¯ll have a one-day holiday today. You¡¯re free to form teams of no more than five people. Submit your names to the teachers¡¯ office before dark, or it will be considered as an automatic forfeit!¡± announced Ms. Bai Yu. ¡­ Rest and self-adjustment were certainly necessary for such a great contest. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, have you found a team yet? Do you want to join mine?¡± Wang Qing approached the new classmate with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve teamed up with my two good buddies. Both of them are very strong!¡± Stopping her brush, Xiao Yurou smiled politely. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Rest assured. We¡¯re very close. I¡¯ll just tell them that you¡¯re in¡­¡± said Wang Qing confidently. ¡°I haven¡¯t illuminated a single star yet. I¡¯m just¡­ an ordinary person who has never cultivated!¡± said Xiao Yurou. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Wang Qing was stunned. He had thought that the new classmate was a super genius because she was busy calculating all the time. ¡°Do you still want me?¡± asked Xiao Yurou. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± Wang Qing smiled awkwardly. A weak teammate would affect not only himself but also his other teammates. He certainly didn¡¯t want that. Frustration flashed on Xiao Yurou¡¯s face when she was refused, but then she shook her head and continued her work. Another pair of young men approached her, but just as Wang Qing reacted, they declined her after hearing about her lack of strength. Although she did not complain, Xiao Yurou felt even lonelier. She had been by herself since childhood, without any friends or sisters. She craved for company when she was alone for too long. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to school at the end of her life. However, she knew that she was just an ordinary person. Why would anyone invite her in a contest that was related to their ranking? No team would want a person that would hamstring them¡­ Soon, everybody in the class learned that their new classmate was even weaker than Shen Zhe. They all stepped away. Xiao Yurou sighed in disappointment. Quite a few of them had approached her the previous day, swearing that they would do anything for her, but they all backed off when their interest was involved. That was¡­ humanity. She was at a loss. While she was brooding over it, Shen Zhe looked at her and asked, ¡°Have you really not illuminated a single star yet?¡± ¡°No!¡± Xiao Yurou said angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear them?¡± ¡°I thought you were fooling them¡­¡± Shen Zhe looked at her pitifully. What an unlucky girl! He thought she was a genius, but she also turned out to be weak! His former self was the last place of the school but had still illuminated two stars. It must¡¯ve been hard for this girl not to be expelled when she had yet to illuminate one! Ms. Bai claimed that she had transferred from another school, but Shen Zhe speculated that she had been kicked out. Poor thing¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you join my team?¡± Shen Zhe felt particularly generous after meeting someone who was as poor as him. ¡°Join your team? Are you inviting me?¡± Briefly dazed, Xiao Yurou suddenly clenched her fists. Chapter 57 She thought that Shen Zhe would mock her or refuse her like others did. She didn¡¯t expect that he would invite her! ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe smiled and nodded. ¡°My team has Zhao Chen, Wang Xiaofeng, Liu Pengyue and myself. While our grades are not very good, we work hard and treat everyone with kindness!¡± He tried to sound sincere. It was hard to win the sincere gratitude of those who weren¡¯t in need of anything. But the underachieving students like Zhao Chen could provide two pencils on their own, and they could easily be moved. He could totally take advantage of her situation, since his new classmate was even weaker than him. She was a pencil in his eyes, not a teammate! ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard?¡± Xiao Yurou smiled bitterly. She had checked the ranks of the last semester and remembered all the names. The four of them, as she recalled, seemed to be the last four places of the whole school! ¡°Are you in or not?¡± Shen Zhe asked, ¡°Rest assured. I promise you that they won¡¯t despise you¡­¡± Xiao Yurou: ¡°¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t cultivate due to her body conditions, but in terms of theoretical knowledge, even the headmaster of the school had to respect her as a teacher¡­ The most outstanding genius in the kingdom had been despised by the worst students! Seeing that she didn¡¯t reply, Shen Zhe added, ¡°I won¡¯t despise you, either. What¡¯s wrong with bad grades? We¡¯ll prove that we¡¯re as good as any of them!¡± Xiao Yurou chuckled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal then!¡± Shen Zhe nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Yurou nodded and looked at Shen Zhe with complex feelings. ¡°Thank you!¡± She thought that nobody would make friends with her, but Shen Zhe didn¡¯t despise her at all. Shen Zhe looked inside his head and frowned. There were no new pencils! ¡°Shen Zhe!¡± Shen Zhe was wondering if he should ask his new classmate to say he was a good guy, when Zhao Chen and his buddies arrived anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Zhao Chen hesitated and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside!¡± It was too embarrassing for him to talk about that inside the classroom. Shen Zhe nodded and introduced Xiao Yurou to the three of them, ¡°Right, this is our new teammate that I just invited, Xiao Jiu.¡± ¡°Our new teammate?¡± They were all stunned. ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Zhe said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s even weaker than me. She hasn¡¯t illuminated a single star. Nobody wants to invite her to their teams¡­ But don¡¯t talk about that in front of her in case she feels bad¡­¡± Zhao Chen and the rest of them were sympathetic. They knew how hard their lives as weak students used to be. There were too many things that they would rather forget. Zhao Chen approached her and batted his chest, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, rest assured. Whoever bullies you in the future, just tell me and I¡¯ll teach them a good lesson!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be a team in the future. Bullying you would be like bullying all of us¡­¡± Liu Pengyue also nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Xiao Yurou¡¯s heart softened as she sensed their sincere concerns for her. Maybe¡­ This was what real school life was about! Pure, sunny, without conflicts of interests¡­ She had always yearned for it but never lived it in her past seventeen years. Just then, it had been brought forth by a young man named Shen Zhe¡­ ¡­ ¡°Shen Zhe, it seems that we can¡¯t sign up!¡± After they left the classroom, Zhao Chen finally spoke out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Zhe was puzzled. He had read the requirements, which said that everybody could participate. Why had it been changed? ¡°It¡¯s said that His Majesty Xiao Jin will attend tomorrow. In case that some teams are too weak compared to others, a new rule has been set up. Every team must have a student who¡¯s among the top hundred in the last semester!¡± said Wang Xiaofeng. Shen Zhe was stunned. ¡°There are more than a thousand students in total. Let¡¯s say that there¡¯s a student from the top hundred in each team¡­ there could only be a hundred teams in total, which would include five hundred students at most. Where will the other five hundred students go?¡± ¡°Not the top hundred of the overall grades, but the top hundred of any subject. So, almost everyone is qualified to participate¡­¡± said Wang Xiaofeng. ¡°Any subject?¡± Shen Zhe realized that it wasn¡¯t as difficult as he thought. He looked at them and asked, ¡°Were you among the top hundred of any subject in the last semester?¡± The three of them all looked embarrassed. ¡°Our grades are very average¡­ We were beyond the thousandth in every subject!¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re even more average¡­ You¡¯re were last place in every subject¡­¡± said Zhao Chen. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How many teams have been screened out because of this new rule?¡± ¡°One¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite a top hundred student to our team?¡± ¡°Nobody wants to. They all fled when they heard about us¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe was at a loss for words. He was rather bummed. He had been planning to distinguish himself, but the fire of his dream had been doused before it could spread. ¡°Is there nothing we can do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one way, which is to take a test right now. As long as we make it to the top hundred in any subject, we¡¯ll pass!¡± said Zhao Chen. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do that?¡± Shen Zhe was relieved. ¡°Mostly because¡­¡± The three of them were all embarrassed, ¡°None of us can make it to top hundred in any subject!¡± If they could do that, they wouldn¡¯t be the tailenders of the school. ¡°Aren¡¯t you at the peak of stage six in body polishing? Can you not make it to the top hundred in body polishing tests?¡± Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°Body polishing is never appreciated¡­ There are no special tests for that¡­¡± Zhao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe was speechless. It was indeed tricky. ¡°Actually, we¡¯re here to discuss with you. We¡¯re hoping that you can make it to the top hundred in battle technique tests¡­¡± After a brief hesitation, Zhao Chen expressed his thought. His friend had grasped the Falling Leaves Palm and could run faster than a horse. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to make it to the top hundred. ¡°Battle technique tests?¡± He was already adept at the Falling Leaves Palm. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to reach the top ten¡­ However, his crisis was not over yet, so he had to keep a low profile. He had made up his mind to show his abilities as little as possible. Must he expose himself before the contest started? An idea popped up in his head. ¡°I can learn battle techniques with a pot. Can they do the same?¡± If they could learn battle techniques that way and succeed, they would be qualified to sign up and would certainly get a good result in the contest. More importantly, it could divert the public¡¯s attention and allow Shen Zhe to lay low! ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! The problem is that boiling water is too hot!¡± It was a good solution but he had to solve a problem first, which was to prevent the three of them from being cooked. He was at stage eight of body polishing so he could resist the boiling water, but his friends were only at stage six! If they soaked in boiling water, they would be cooked even before the battle technique was. ¡°If only the temperature of the water could be lower¡­¡± Shen Zhe suddenly patted his forehead, ¡°How did I forget that?¡± It was hard to lower the temperature under normal circumstances, but not so on a plateau! When he climbed a mountain in his previous life, water boiled at 89 degrees at the altitude of 3,600 meters. His friends would be cooked on the plain¡­ But what if the pot was moved to Mount Thorn, which was more than five thousand meters high? There, the water would boil at around eighty degrees. That temperature would be no threat for Body Practitioners at the peak of stage six. ¡°Let¡¯s do that¡­¡± Clenching his fists, Shen Zhe glowed and looked at friends. ¡°Do you want to learn battle techniques?¡± Zhao Chen and the rest of them were stunned. ¡°You will become adept at them today!¡± Shen Zhe nodded his head. ¡°Adept at them today?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± After the shock, his friends all said passionately, ¡°Of course we¡¯ll learn! Only an idiot would refuse!¡± Chapter 58 Every battle technique required plenty of time to be picked up. There were no quick ways to grasp it. Zhao Chen wouldn¡¯t have believed it if anyone else had told him that, but he had personally seen his friend turn from a good-for-nothing into someone who could outrun a horse! Shen Zhe¡¯s herb liquid had helped them reach the sixth stage of body polishing from nothing. He certainly knew what he was talking about! What if he could indeed achieve that? ¡°My special method, along with certain special medications, will allow you to pick up a general battle technique in the afternoon!¡± Shen Zhe said that with intimidating pressure as he activated the power of the stars, ¡°However¡­ you must not divulge it to anyone, not even to your parents or teachers. Can you swear that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The three of them looked at each other with excitement and said firmly, ¡°We can swear to God¡­¡± They swore in turn. They knew the rules. The secret arts of many cultivators were not taught easily, and you had to pay a price to learn them. ¡°Now, prepare a battle technique book that you¡¯ve read or learned, as well as herbs that treat scalding, a horse, and some clean clothes¡­ I¡¯ll take you somewhere else.¡± Shen Zhe gave them instructions after they swore their oaths. They all nodded, but Liu Pengyue looked at him in embarrassment, ¡°I haven¡¯t touched any battle technique yet¡­¡± ¡°You can find a random one and learn it on the way!¡± said Shen Zhe. He had learned a battle technique on the way himself. The time was enough. They dispersed and made preparations. Shen Zhe, on the other hand, went to a blacksmith and purchased a helmet. It wasn¡¯t very beautiful, but it was still much better-looking than the one he had made. It was the perfect size for his head. He wasn¡¯t afraid of horse sickness anymore thanks to the helmet¡­ He returned to the dormitory and placed a bottle of vein-repairing herb liquid in his pocket. Soon, Zhao Chen and the rest of them were all prepared. Carrying the pot, the four of them secretly left the school and rode out of the city. Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t feel more comfortable after putting on the helmet. The feeling of riding a motorbike came back to him as he delightedly rode to Mount Thorn. They reached the mountaintop two hours later. The place was cold and covered in snow. The mountaintop was too cold for any beast to stay for too long. It would be relatively safe as long as they were careful. ¡°Are we going to practice battle techniques here?¡± They looked at Shen Zhe with a puzzled look. They had thought that Shen Zhe had a top secret. However, they went to a mountaintop¡­ Was training there any different from training in other places? ¡°Liu Pengyue and Wang Xiaofeng, you will gather dry branches. Zhao Chen, find some stones to help me build a stove¡­¡± Zhao Chen made arrangements without giving any explanations. Everybody was confused. They had sworn and made preparations to learn battle techniques, not for having a picnic¡­ Anyway, there were better locations for a picnic. That place was buried in snow and was too cold. Shen Zhe frowned and sternly said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going!¡± He had become much more intimidating than before without him realizing it, thanks to having illuminated six stars and reaching the Stage of Unity. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Everyone was intimidated; they scurried and carried out their tasks in a hurry. There were many stones on the mountaintop. Soon, a stove was built. Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue also gathered a heap of branches and leaves. The fire of regular branches was enough to boil water. Coal was unnecessary. Shen Zhe placed the pot on the stove and lit the fire. He then asked his friends to dig out some snow. The snow was added to the pot; it melted and boiled after ten minutes. Shen Zhe plunged his hand into it. Exactly as he speculated, the boiling water was only eighty degrees there and shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them. ¡°Wang Xiaofeng, you¡¯ll go first¡­¡± Shen Zhe had gotten the Falling Leaves Palm from him. He certainly knew a lot about battle techniques since there were plenty of them in his dormitory. ¡°Go where?¡± Wang Xiaofeng was stunned. ¡°To practice battle techniques, of course!¡± Shen Zhe nodded and said solemnly, ¡°Enter the pot¡­¡± ¡°Enter the pot?¡± Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s lips twitched and he nearly passed out. ¡°Bro, it¡¯s boiling water!¡± While the environment was cold, the water was boiling¡­ Was Shen Zhe really teaching him a battle technique and not killing him? ¡°Hurry up¡­¡± Too lazy to talk anymore, Shen Zhe grabbed his battle technique and threw it into the pot. ¡°That¡¯s Millennial Punch. It¡¯s the only copy¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng trembled nervously. It was the only copy in their family. His father would kill him if it was ruined¡­ However, seeing how solemn his friend was, Wang Xiaofeng tried to hold back his sorrow. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go in. However, let me ask first. Do I need to take off my clothes? I didn¡¯t bring a bath towel, soap or toothbrush!¡± He thought that they had gone there to practice battle techniques, but it turned out to be a public bath. It was totally unexpected! ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe was sweating profusely. ¡°Why would you take off your clothes? Jump in already!¡± Not daring to talk anymore, Wang Xiaofeng jumped into the pot. Zi! Zi! Zi! Although boiling water at eighty degrees was hot, it couldn¡¯t cause much damage to Wang Xiaofeng. He might end up scalded but he could treat it with balm. ¡°Now, recall your Millennial Punch¡­¡± Shen Zhe then began to add drops of vein-repairing herb liquid that he had prepared in advance. The herb liquid was of no use for learning battle techniques! It was only a move to increase mysteriousness, so that Wang Xiaofeng believed that he was using a special technique, and to prevent the secret from being leaked out. The herb liquid immediately nurtured Wang Xiaofeng as it spread in the water. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Shen Zhe couldn¡¯t help but ask after he was boiled for a while. It worked on him, but he wasn¡¯t sure it would work on someone else. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit hot¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng scratched his head. ¡°¡­¡± Shen Zhe¡¯s veins were starting to pop on his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you feel that you understand the Millennial Punch better now!¡± ¡°No!¡± Wang Xiaofeng shook his head. Shen Zhe had a deep frown. Was it possible that the notebook¡¯s modification only applied to him and no one else? It explained why Mr. Xin Qi couldn¡¯t refine the herbs with the griddle like he did! He had made the promise boldly. It would be too embarrassing if he couldn¡¯t fulfill it. More importantly, he had used up his pencils to illuminate the stars, so he couldn¡¯t change the rules anymore. He had gone there confidently, but it turned out that he would humiliate himself in the end! Chapter 59 ¡°Is there any way to familiarize them with the battle techniques quickly?¡± Pondering for a long time, Shen Zhe didn¡¯t know what to do and mumbled to himself. ¡°Are you talking about getting familiar with other people?¡± Zhao Chen looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m good at that. It¡¯s best to get familiar with someone through a mutual friend. Of course, the fastest approach is to drink with them¡­¡± ¡°Drink with them?¡± Shen Zhe beamed. There was his answer! How could he have forgotten that? Drinking was the best way to get familiar with someone. Strangers could become brothers easily after a few drinks. ¡°Did any of you bring alcohol?¡± Shen Zhe turned around and asked. Everyone¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Bro, we thought we were going to learn battle techniques¡­ We didn¡¯t bring any¡­¡± Shen Zhe promised that he would teach them battle techniques. However, he asked them to boil water and now he even wanted alcohol¡­ That was too perplexing. ¡°There¡¯s no time to fetch it right now¡­¡± A round trip through the shortcut would take four hours. Even if they managed to get the alcohol, it would be too late for them to take the test by the time they returned to school. ¡°Is there any way to get familiar with someone other than drinking?¡± He thought hard. Suddenly, an idea popped up in his head. ¡°Hotpot!¡± As the saying went, hotpot could solve any problem in the world! ¡°Dig as many vegetables as possible!¡± Unable to hold back anymore, Shen Zhe gave instructions. There were plenty of herbs and vegetables on Mount Thorn. Soon, they gathered a pile. After a brief hesitation, Shen Zhe also jumped into the pot. The moment he entered the pot, he immediately sensed that the intricacies of the Millennial Punch were displayed in his head like a movie. Training with the pot still worked for him. He laid his hand on Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s head. Thankfully the pot was large enough, and they didn¡¯t take off their clothes, or it would be rather awkward for two men to sit next to each other. ¡°Heat the vegetables!¡± Shen Zhe ordered them. Zhao Chen and Liu Pengyue hurried to put the vegetables into the pot with the twigs that they had just torn off. Zi! Zi! Zi! Although the water was not too hot, the vegetables soon emitted a fragrance. ¡°Eat it!¡± Shen Zhe looked at the young man next to him. Seeing that Shen Zhe boiled food for him with bathwater, Wang Xiaofeng wept but still gritted his teeth as he ate the vegetables. The moment he ate one vegetable, infinite moves popped up in his head. His eyes immediately bulged. The parts that he didn¡¯t understand about the Millennial Punch were immediately grasped, as if he had practiced it for decades. He raised his arm. It moved so quickly that he seemed to have a new arm that had weathered through time. ¡°I truly learned it¡­¡± Knowing that it was the essence of the Millennial Punch, Wang Xiaofeng¡¯s eyes almost popped out when he looked at Shen Zhe who was close to him. Boiling himself with the technique in the pot, dripping some herb liquid, and heating some vegetables could make him grasp a technique¡­ What was the mechanism? He found it unacceptable¡­ ¡°It truly works!¡± Shen Zhe was relieved. The three ways to bond quickly were barbecue, hotpot and drinking! It was a pity that he didn¡¯t prepare any seasonings or sauces. Otherwise, the training would¡¯ve been even faster. It seemed that he had to prepare those things next time. If his purpose was to train himself, he could just put himself in boiling water; if he wanted to help someone else, he could prepare a hotpot for them¡­ Half an hour later, after Wang Xiaofeng completely grasped the Millennial Punch, Shen Zhe called, ¡°Zhao Chen, it¡¯s your turn¡­¡± Wang Xiaofeng jumped out of the pot, and Shen Zhe laid his hand on Zhao Chen¡¯s head, asking Liu Pengyue to add the vegetables in. An hour later, the three of them had gone through the process. They were shocked. Shen Zhe also jumped out. By helping them, he had also learned three battle techniques: Millennial Punch, White Dragon Palm, and Cloud Exertion. After testing the battle techniques they had just learned, Liu Pengyue suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Wait¡­ Shen Zhe, my Cloud Exertion doesn¡¯t seem to be working well!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Zhe picked up a random rock and delivered it to him. ¡°Try this!¡± Taking a deep breath, Liu Pengyue summoned all his strength and slapped the rock. BAM! The rock cracked and fell into the snow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it very good?¡± Shen Zhe shook his head. Liu Pengyue was very close to the rock, yet he broke it easily, which meant that his Cloud Exertion was very good. ¡°¡­¡± Scratching his head, Liu Pengyue picked up a rock with his left hand and slapped it with his right hand. Pa! The rock remained unchanged. Confused, he asked Zhao Chen to hold it and he slapped it again. The rock was still intact. Shen Zhe frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve perceived the usage of Cloud Exertion, but for some reason, sometimes I can perform it, and sometimes I can¡¯t. It seems that I¡¯m only half familiar with it¡­¡± said Liu Pengyue in embarrassment. The others had learned their skills properly while in the pot. He was the only exception. It was rather humiliating for him. Shen Zhe¡¯s lips twitched. He had thought that he could take advantage of the low boiling point at a high altitude, but it didn¡¯t seem so simple anymore. Water at eighty degrees couldn¡¯t kill a human being, but there were a lot of things that it couldn¡¯t boil, such as beef, mutton, noodles, dumplings¡­ Therefore, the battle techniques were half cooked. However, the problem didn¡¯t happen to Zhao Chen and Wang Xiaofeng. Shen Zhe realized what had happened. ¡°They probably learned the battle techniques before and were already half familiar with them. So, they became fully familiar with them after the boiling, even though the temperature wasn¡¯t high enough. Liu Pengyue hasn¡¯t studied Cloud Exertion for long, so he¡¯s less good at it¡­¡± Boiling again would certainly be useless, so Shen Zhe offered a suggestion, ¡°You should be able to make up for it if you practice it more¡­¡± Liu Pengyue nodded. They changed into their clean clothes and packed up their things. Before they returned to the school, they looked at Shen Zhe gratefully and bowed. ¡°Shen Zhe, you are a good guy!¡± Zhao Chen had obviously told Shen Zhe¡¯s quirk to the two of them. After the special training, they were already at the Familiar level of their battle techniques at the moment. It had saved them years of time. They were certainly grateful to him. ¡°You¡¯re my friends. There¡¯s no need to be so polite!¡± Shen Zhe waved his hand and looked inside his head. He saw three pencils floating next to the notebook. He felt like crying. With the gratitude of three people, he had earned three pencils at the same time. He was finally out of bankruptcy. After a quick glance, he noticed that the fourth page of the notebook seemed to be finally loose. However, it was not the time to study it yet. Shen Zhe took a long breath and said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s keep what happened today to ourselves. If anyone asks, we¡¯ll say that we¡¯ve practiced battle techniques for five years, and that we were actually training when we went out to play polo.¡± According to the files he read, it would take at least five years for someone of common talent to be Familiar with a battle technique. ¡°We understand!¡± All of them nodded. It was utterly unbelievable for them to pick up a battle technique after an hour. They clearly understood that the news couldn¡¯t be leaked out, or they would be mired in infinite trouble. It was already sunset by the time they rode back to the school. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take the test!¡± They clenched their fists in excitement. Having been bad students for years, it was finally time for them to distinguish themselves! Chapter 60 ¡°Congratulations!¡± ¡°You¡¯re already Mildly Fluent at this battle technique. Mr. Lu, you¡¯re definitely going to distinguish yourself in the contest!¡± ¡°You¡¯re among the top ten in the first place. With your physical sturdiness, few students in the Seven Star Stage can resist you!¡± ¡­ A few girls were enviously looking at the guy standing at the center of the school¡¯s Test Hall. ¡°You¡¯re flattering me¡­¡± His hands in his back, Lu Zihan chuckled gracefully. He had been terribly beaten up by Shen Zhe a couple of days before. However, he reflected on himself and cultivated during his treatment, allowing him to make consecutive breakthroughs! His combat ability had also been significantly improved. If he met Shen Zhe again, he was confident that he could more than easily brutalize him! ¡°Mr. Lu, I was told that you have to fight puppets in the test. Is it true?¡± A girl looked at him curiously. They were all Lu Zihan¡¯s fans, just as others had fawned on Chen Feng in the past. ¡°The puppets are cast by sorcery. They¡¯re as strong as you, except that they are incapable of using battle techniques.¡± Lu Zihan nodded and continued, ¡°Every puppet equals ten points. Generally speaking, those who are at the Beginner level of their battle techniques get ten points, and those who are Mildly Fluent get twenty points.¡± ¡°So, have you defeated two puppets, Mr. Lu?¡± Lu Zihan smiled proudly. ¡°Not just that, I defeated them perfectly without suffering any injuries!¡± Victories with injuries and without injuries were highly different. ¡°You¡¯re so good¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re my idol. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Lu Zihan slightly shook her head with an amused gesture, showing that he was an expert. ¡°Mr. Lu, how can we be as good at battle techniques as you are?¡± asked one of the juniors. ¡°Firstly, you must have good grades. Only with great calculation abilities will you be able to figure out the best position, speed and strength in a battle. Therefore, bad students can¡¯t make progress in battle techniques.¡± Lu Zihan stood straight like a spear. He couldn¡¯t have looked more handsome with his white robe. Everybody nodded. ¡°Secondly, perseverance is necessary. I spent almost all of my spare time practicing this battle technique. However, the hard work was worth it¡­¡± Lu Zihan sighed and said with a wise tone, ¡°Remember, you can¡¯t acquire anything without working hard, particularly not in battle techniques. You have to study hard without any sluggishness to reach my level¡­¡± He frowned barely after he finished speaking. Noticing the change on his face, the girls looked back and saw four young men. They were exactly Shen Zhe and his friends. ¡°I know them. The one in the lead is Shen Zhe. He was in the last place of the ninth grade last semester!¡± A girl in white said, ¡°His pals are Zhao Chen, Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue. They are the last four places of the ninth grade. They formed a team for tomorrow¡¯s contest but were refused due to their poor ranking! They must be here to take this test and see if they can make it to the top hundred!¡± Shen Zhe was quite famous in the school. Many people knew him. ¡°The top hundred in battle techniques?¡± Other people chuckled and added, ¡°Are they here to make a fool of themselves? Battle techniques are more difficult than other subjects!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± the girl in white said, ¡°Even a genius like Mr. Lu is only around the seventieth. They don¡¯t have any idea of what they¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°They¡¯re just idiots!¡± The girls laughed. ¡°They¡¯ll definitely run out in tears a moment later!¡± ¡°I think the puppets will beat them up!¡± ¡­ Lu Zihan looked at them coldly while his lips twitched. ¡°Ignorant fools, let¡¯s see how you humiliate yourselves¡­¡± The four young men did not notice them. They entered the test channel. Liu Pengyue walked in first and returned soon after. Lu Zihan was stunned. He had thought that the guy would be miserably beaten. However, even Liu Pengyue¡¯s clothes were still clean, as if he had done nothing but some shopping. ¡°Did he forfeit the test?¡± The girls were also confused. However, an announcement soon echoed in the hall. ¡°Liu Pengyue, thirty points. Ranking: 41st!¡± ¡°Thirty points?¡± ¡°Is he at the Familiar level in battle techniques?¡± ¡°Uninjured and passing it perfectly? How is it possible?¡± ¡­ The girls covered their mouths, their eyes popping out. Thirty points¡­ Was he even stronger than their idol Lu Zihan? They all raised their heads and looked at Lu Zihan¡­ Didn¡¯t he say that you had to study hard to get good grades in order to pick up a battle technique? Noticing their confusion, Lu Zihan felt like crying. ¡°He was only lucky. I don¡¯t think the next one will be lucky again¡­¡± He had barely said that when Zhao Chen walked in. He also returned quickly. His clothes were also clean and intact. The announcement continued. ¡°Zhao Chen, thirty points. Ranking: 39th!¡± The ranking for the same level was decided according to the time it took to defeat the puppets and whether or not there were injuries. ¡°The 39th?¡± Lu Zihan trembled, feeling dizzy. ¡°I became Mildly Fluent after working hard for two years. Those two were capable of nothing when I beat them up last time. Why are they so good after only three days?¡± While he was stunned, Wang Xiaofeng had also returned. ¡°Wang Xiaofeng, thirty points. Ranking: 33rd!¡± Lu Zihan held his chest while his eyes were reddening. He was the 70th¡­ And still, the tailenders were between the 30th and the 40th. Why? If they were truly that good at battle techniques, they couldn¡¯t have been dead last in the previous semester¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Shen Zhe knows battle techniques!¡± He gritted his teeth and looked at them again. When he fought against Shen Zhe the other day, he noticed that he was only fighting with natural instincts. He didn¡¯t use any special moves. He didn¡¯t believe that Shen Zhe could be stronger than him! Under his watch, Shen Zhe walked into the room. Actually, he didn¡¯t intend to take the test. However, his friends were very curious, and he also wanted to know how good he was at battle techniques. The channel was long and narrow, blocking all the noises from the exterior. ¡°Register your name and measure your capabilities!¡± He entered the first room and saw the line engraved next to a crystal ball. Pressing his hand on the crystal ball, Shen Zhe asked, ¡°Can I stay anonymous?¡± He truly didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention right then. Hum! The crystal ball glittered, as if acknowledging his request. The test room was maintained by sorcery; it didn¡¯t require a teacher to supervise. Shen Zhe was relieved after seeing that his name was not demanded. He strode into the second room. The moment he entered, he saw a row of puppets next to the wall. Those puppets emitted intense sorcery waves and could match the strength that was measured in the first room. Hu! A puppet charged at him. During the measurement, he intentionally hid the power of stage eight. So, the puppet was only at stage seven with six illuminated stars. Knowing that the test was related to applying battle techniques, Shen Zhe simply fought back with the Falling Leaves Palm. Crack! The first puppet was easily crushed. Then, two more puppets appeared. They were also crushed. Another three! Another four! ¡­ In a couple of minutes, eight puppets had shown up. Shen Zhe flashed while performing Falling Leaves Palm, Millennial Punch, White Dragon Palm and Cloud Exertion, dashing around the room like a shadow. While the puppets were aggressive, they were unable to deal much damage to him. BAM! BAM! BAM! The puppets were defeated. He had never used the stage eight power of body polishing yet. All his attacks were based on battle techniques. Just as he speculated, the more battle techniques he grasped, the better the control over his body and the power of the stars would be. All this would make him stronger. Taking a long breath, Shen Zhe waited for a while, only to see that puppets stopped appearing. He then realized that all the puppets had been used up! ¡°This is probably enough¡­¡± Shen Zhe shook his head and left the room. ¡°How about it?¡± His friends approached him the moment he returned. They knew his current abilities very well. ¡°Similar to yours¡­¡± Shen Zhe nodded casually. His name was not registered anyway. Nobody would know the result as long as he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°When I say I want to keep a low profile, I mean it¡­¡± However, a sudden announcement broke Shen Zhe¡¯s illusion. ¡°A student who doesn¡¯t wish to reveal his name, eighty points. Ranking¡­ First!¡± ¡°Shoot¡­¡± The world turned dark before Shen Zhe¡¯s eyes. The whole hall fell into absolute silence.