The Study Group Was Canceled

When Meng Chao entered the classroom, his classmates were gathered in little clusters of three or five, chatting animatedly.

The monster attack last night had seen many of them fighting alongside their parents. Those who had made small gains were smugly embellishing their stories as they boasted.

One boy had suffered a minor injury and deliberately peeled back his bandage, letting the girls see his "ghastly" wound and provoking half-genuine, half-fake shrieks.

"Meng Chao, I heard a mysterious super beast appeared in your Tianfu Garden last night. Was it scary? Was it thrilling?" The moment they saw him enter, his classmates immediately crowded around him.

Fighting monsters was a form of entertainment beloved by the people of Dragon City. Monster enthusiasts had long since posted pictures of the Ghost Eye Golden Winged Flame Beetle online.

Although its head had been smashed to pulp, the eerie eyes on its two golden wings still revealed how extraordinary it was.

Meng Chao thought for a moment. "A little scary. A little thrilling."

Everyone was somewhat disappointed. But then they considered Meng Chao's utterly ordinary combat ability. When the mysterious super beast had appeared, he had probably been trembling in a shelter. What details could he possibly know?

So they did not press him for answers or expose his shortcomings.

"Meng Chao, you rushed home yesterday and missed the study group. You practically missed out on five million!" another classmate said with a grin.

He was the class's little fatty, Wang Tao.

"Brother Xiong taught us a few moves from the Super Raging Bull Force last night. It was incredible! I only practiced twice, but I already felt my strength skyrocketing. I could punch a monster to death!"

The little fatty struck a bodybuilding pose. "You didn't see the scene back then. Everyone looked like they'd caught mad cow disease. It was insanely wild!"

"You're the one with mad cow disease!"

Another classmate who had joined the study group laughed and cursed. "Meng Chao, don't listen to Fatty Wang's nonsense. Brother Xiong's Super Raging Bull Force is the real deal. It definitely doesn't rely on blindly flailing around in a frenzy. Stay after school and try it tonight, and you'll know."

"That's right. Once you try it, you'll be howling your head off."

"Practice hard with Brother Xiong. We'll guide you too, and we'll definitely help you make up for the cultivation you've fallen behind on. Strive to get into... the best vocational college!"

Other than having offended the class monitor, Meng Chao usually got along quite well with everyone in class.

Chu Feixiong had also said in the study group that if Meng Chao had not spoken up, he would never have shared the Super Raging Bull Force publicly.

That was why everyone was especially enthusiastic toward Meng Chao.

Just as the crowd was talking excitedly, they suddenly realized the main character was missing. "Huh? Where's Brother Xiong?"

"Brother Xiong is in the teachers' office. I passed by just now and saw the homeroom teacher talking to him through the window," one student said.

"This is bad!"

At that moment, another boy staggered into the classroom. Without even bothering to wipe away his sweat, he shouted, "Someone ratted out our privately organized study group to the homeroom teacher! Old Wang is talking to Brother Xiong right now and wants to cancel the study group!"

"What?"

The students first stared blankly, then erupted in outrage. "Who's so rotten? Are they insane?"

Meng Chao froze slightly, then immediately looked toward Zuo Haoran's seat.

He found the class monitor sitting like an old monk in meditation, intently studying an Encyclopedia of Monsters supplementary textbook, deaf to all their discussion.

Meng Chao slammed his palm on the desk and rose.

"That's right, who's so rotten? Who ruined everyone's good thing?"

He said loudly, "Almost everyone in our class joined the study group. Even those who haven't joined yet can watch others cultivate during self-study and gain some insight. Everyone benefits. Who would report themselves for no reason?

"Could it be another class that can't stand seeing us become stronger than them? But the study group only lasted one night. How could another class have heard about it so quickly?

"Or did Fei Xiong offend someone recently? No way. I know him. He's as honest and loyal as I am. Who could he possibly offend?

"He hasn't had any conflicts with anyone lately, much less beaten someone until they were flat on their back and utterly humiliated..."

As Meng Chao spoke, his voice gradually lowered.

He glanced at Zuo Haoran with disbelief written all over his face.

Following his gaze and train of thought, the students immediately caught on.

That was right. Zuo Haoran had been blasted away by Chu Feixiong's punch yesterday and made a complete fool of himself.

In the eyes of face-conscious high school students, that was an irreconcilable hatred, one that could not exist under the same sky.

"Class monitor, that's really beneath you!"

Little fatty Wang Tao was the first to jump up. "You had a conflict with Brother Xiong, so settle it the Dragon City way. Go duel in the cultivation room, or even settle it in the woods. Whoever wins or loses, let your fists speak the truth. Why do this and ruin everyone's good thing?"

Wang Tao's build was the closest to Chu Feixiong's. As the class's big fatty and little fatty, they normally got along well. He had gained the most from the Super Raging Bull Force last night and could faintly see hope of breaking through his plateau.

If Zuo Haoran wanted to play dirty now, then forget the class monitor—even if the Heavenly King himself came down, Wang Tao would still slap him without mercy.

"Yeah, Class Monitor, is that any way to handle things?"

"You can't stand seeing everyone raise their scores!"

"Your punch strength is over two hundred kilograms, while mine is only one hundred ninety. I'm not greedy. I just want to reach two hundred kilograms. I won't surpass you, so why do this?"

The National College Entrance Examination determined one's fate, and every single point had to be fought over. In other matters, the students could submit to the class monitor's management. But when it came to their scores, what the hell was a class monitor worth?

For a moment, public indignation boiled over.

Even the girls who, in Meng Chao's memories from his previous life, had flirted shamelessly with Zuo Haoran and acted like hooligans toward him at their high school reunion were glaring angrily at him now.

Zuo Haoran finally could not keep up the act. His handsome face flushed crimson. With a smack, he slammed the Encyclopedia of Monsters onto the desk and shot to his feet. "Meng Chao, don't spew blood from your mouth!"

"I didn't name anyone. Class Monitor, don't confess without being accused," Meng Chao said with a grin.

"You—"

Zuo Haoran took a deep breath and said loudly, "Everyone, don't listen to his nonsense. I absolutely did not tell the homeroom teacher about this!"

He had merely "accidentally" told his uncle, who was the dean of students.

After a pause, he said sternly, "Besides, I don't think the student who reported it had any malicious intentions. This study group should have been canceled in the first place!"

One stone sent up a thousand waves.

The students became even angrier and shouted, "Class Monitor, what do you mean?"

"I'm doing this for everyone's own good."

Zuo Haoran regained his usual composure and said calmly, "There are no pies falling from the sky. In Dragon City, there are naturally many secret methods that can instantly increase one's strength, but every one of them comes at a terrible price.

"Chu Feixiong's Super Raging Bull Force is so domineering. If I'm not mistaken, it must use a secret art that stimulates the body's potential, severely overdrawing the body and leaving behind all sorts of hidden injuries. It's a classic case of pulling up sprouts to help them grow."

The students were doubtful but uncertain.

Seeing that he had gained control of the situation, Zuo Haoran sneered and dropped a bombshell. "I know many of you don't care about leaving behind aftereffects as long as you can gain a few more points on the National College Entrance Examination. You think you can slowly recover after entering the Undergraduate Program. But you should all know that inspections are becoming stricter and stricter now. Once you are found to have taken prohibited drugs or cultivated unorthodox methods, it will be treated as cheating, and your results will be voided.

"Yes, we all consume large amounts of Gene Serum, cell activators, and growth hormones during cultivation, and we cultivate all kinds of secret methods to enhance our potential. But everything has a bottom line. In cultivation, that bottom line is not seriously harming the body or mind.

"Once you cross that line, you may lose your eligibility for the National College Entrance Examination. Do you really want to gamble?"

"This..." The students hesitated.

"How do you know Brother Xiong's Super Raging Bull Force is definitely an unorthodox method?" Wang Tao asked unwillingly.

Zuo Haoran sighed, wearing an expression that said, "I didn't want to say this, but for everyone's sake, I have no choice." "Because I was worried about everyone's future and Class 6's honor, I asked around in many places last night and discovered that Chu Feixiong's bizarre Raging Bull Force actually came from the Deep Web!"

The students gasped sharply.

"Everyone knows what kind of place the Deep Web is. Many lunatics and madmen look for 'lab rats' there to test experimental martial arts with extremely high danger ratings. Meng Chao was unfortunate enough to fall victim to it last year, and his bright future was ruined."

Zuo Haoran gave Meng Chao a deeply sympathetic glance and said sorrowfully, "Chu Feixiong and Meng Chao are good friends. I think he probably obtained the website and account from Meng Chao by accident and, without realizing it, strayed onto the wrong path.

"Of course, I believe their intentions were good, and they absolutely did not mean to harm their classmates. But wrong is wrong. How can we stand by and watch them sink deeper and deeper?"

The moment he said this, several students wore strange expressions.

Chu Feixiong had indeed found them last night and frankly admitted that the Super Raging Bull Force came from the Deep Web. They had not thought too deeply about it then.

But after hearing the class monitor say this, they realized the consequences could be endless.

Wang Tao was so furious that he had nothing to say. He dropped back into his seat, nearly crushing the chair beneath him.

All eyes fell on Meng Chao.

Just as Meng Chao was about to refute him, a line of information suddenly popped up before his eyes:

Ordinary citizen Wang Longjun received your indirect guidance and comprehended part of the profound meaning of the Wild Bull Technique. Learning progress: 30%. His combat ability and teaching ability have both improved. In the future, he will teach more powerful students, raising Dragon City's overall combat ability. Congratulations on your contribution to civilization. Contribution Points +50

Wang Longjun was the homeroom teacher.

Meng Chao blanked for a moment. Then his eyes rolled, and suppressing his laughter, he said, "Fine, this is all my fault. If Fei Xiong really gets angry later and stops running the study group, everyone can curse me to death!"

The students looked at one another. Was Meng Chao backing down?

Seeing his dejected face, Zuo Haoran wanted to burst into laughter three times, but he forcibly held it in until he started coughing.

At that moment, Chu Feixiong pushed open the door and entered, his face full of conflict as he walked toward Meng Chao.

The moment everyone saw his expression, they knew things were bad. Their hearts rose into their throats.

Chu Feixiong did not notice the strange atmosphere in the classroom. He leaned close to Meng Chao's ear and whispered, "Old Wang is very interested in the Super Raging Bull Force and wants to promote it throughout the class. It's your stuff, so I didn't dare make the decision. What do you think?"

Meng Chao smiled faintly and raised his voice. "What? The homeroom teacher really canceled the study group?"

"Sigh..."

A huge sigh echoed through the classroom.

The last hope in Wang Tao and the others' eyes dimmed.

But Zuo Haoran stood up. "Everyone, stop overthinking it. There are no shortcuts in cultivation, only the four words 'Heaven rewards diligence.' Forget about the Super Raging Bull Force. Come with me and race against every second as we strive!"

Only after he finished did Meng Chao unhurriedly deliver the second half of the sentence. "The homeroom teacher really wants to cancel the 'secret study group' and openly promote the Super Raging Bull Force throughout the class?"