Beasts

"Our class's Zhou Leng is strong enough. He should rank in the top five among Ru University's freshmen."

"Xu Kang'an from the next class seems to have scored 3 points higher than Zhou Leng. Who has a screenshot?"

"I do."

Everyone looked at the screenshot in the group chat.

Zhou Leng opened it and saw that Xu Kang'an's total score was 9, 2 points higher than his own.

"Xu Kang'an scored full marks in all Five Pill Subjects and is already in the Blood-Circulating Stage. Once Zhou Leng makes up for the Five Pill Subjects, he'll definitely overtake him."

"Right. Zhou Leng, you and Xu Kang'an probably won't make the top hundred on the Ru City Freshman Ranking this time, but you definitely will in a few months. Then get onto the National Ranking and let us see your national rank. I hear the top few hundred on the National Ranking are packed thick as crows with beast-level big shots."

Zhou Leng nodded without saying anything.

But inwardly, he repeatedly considered how to compensate for his shortcomings while strengthening his advantages.

The Five Pill Subjects required the long-term accumulation of time and pills. There was no use in rushing them.

"It's updated! It's updated!"

Zhou Leng also opened Martial City and refreshed the "Ru City Freshman Ranking." The list scrolled, and his position appeared in the center of the screen.

Zhou Leng.

Affiliated Martial Academy of Ru City Martial University.

Martial Index: 92.

Rank: 503.

Zhou Leng looked at the index. It was a statistical result derived from vast amounts of data on both the individual and everyone else.

At the very top of the screen were the top three.

First: Shanhe Yuan, Martial Index 25.

Second: Yu Jueyong, Martial Index 23.

Third: Jiang Xiaoyin, Martial Index 21.

Looking at his own index of 7 and Shanhe Yuan's index of 9, Zhou Leng felt a faint pressure.

A difference of 1 point in Martial Index was essentially equivalent to a difference of one realm.

He was at the peak of Qi-Nourishing.

An index of 8 was roughly equivalent to the Blood-Circulating Stage, while an index of 9 meant one possessed the strength of the Body-Refining Stage.

With Shanhe Yuan's physical qualities, ordinary Body-Refining Stage experts were simply no match for him.

Zhou Leng sent a screenshot of his ranking to Zhang Xinglie, who was far away in Xiong City.

Zhang Xinglie sent back a screenshot as well.

Zhang Xinglie.

Yunhua Martial Arts University, Xiong City.

Martial Index: 73.

Rank: 153.

National Ranking: 172.

Zhou Leng thought for a long while, not knowing how to reply.

With such an incredible Martial Index, Zhang Xinglie still could not make the top hundred in Xiong City.

Just what kind of monsters were Yunhua, Jinjing, and the Military University raising?

But when he saw Zhang Xinglie's national rank of 172, he was immediately at ease.

Xiong City was the capital and was basically equivalent to the entire country. For Zhang Xinglie to rank in the hundred-plus range among freshmen nationwide was already an utterly terrifying display of strength.

Barring surprises, Zhang Xinglie could rank among the top fifty freshmen at Yunhua.

Zhou Leng sent a row of thumbs-up emojis.

Zhang Xinglie replied, "Your ranking has improved far more terrifyingly than mine. I suspect that in a year or two, you'll catch up to me."

"Bro, stop roasting me. Hope you make the top hundred soon."

"See you in the top hundred of the National Ranking in two months!" Zhang Xinglie said with a spirit as mighty as a rainbow.

Zhou Leng stared at Zhang Xinglie's screenshot again and again before continuing to browse the local "Ru City Freshman Ranking."

He gradually spotted some familiar names on it. Some belonged to minor celebrities, while others were classmates.

The top-ranked person from Ru City Martial University was Ji Changnian, with a Martial Index of 09 and a rank of 135.

Second was Xu Kang'an, the top Martial Academy student, with a Martial Index of 01 and a rank of 205.

Other than those two, no one else from Ru University had an index above 8.

It seemed that most students who had forcibly entered the Blood-Circulating Stage through pills had inflated results, causing their Martial Indexes to remain below 8.

"Zhou Leng, you're pretty fierce. 503," Wei Hong shouted.

Everyone turned to look.

"Awesome! You shot forward two thousand places in one go."

"Try to move up another hundred places in the monthly exam. By next semester, get into the top 100 on the city ranking!"

Zhou Leng then checked the "Ru City Blood Qi Ranking."

The page displayed the citywide top ten.

Below it was a line of small red text.

"You have not entered the rankings."

He then opened the "Ru City Martial University Ranking."

The same line of small red text appeared below.

"You have not entered the rankings."

Zhou Leng tapped to close the rankings.

Beside him, Wei Hong cried out strangely, "My phone is too useless! When I opened the 'Ru City Blood Qi Ranking,' it actually said, 'I have not entered the rankings.' I'm getting a more capable phone tomorrow!"

"Mine's useless too!"

Everyone chatted and laughed.

A message popped up on Wuxin, and Zhou Leng opened it.

Xu Qingjin had sent a screenshot of Zhou Leng's ranking, followed by text and an emoji.

"Congratulations!"

The emoji first showed a little white cat scattering flowers, then a row of little white cats scattering flowers, and finally a dense crowd of little white cats scattering flowers.

"What's yours?"

Xu Qingjin sent her screenshot as well.

Xu Qingjin.

Ru City Martial Arts University.

Martial Index: 65.

Rank: 2308.

This ranking was considered middling among martial arts students.

"Keep it up!" Zhou Leng sent encouragement as well.

"Mm!"

It was followed by a picture of a spotted dog nodding repeatedly.

"Oh, right, Zhou Leng, don't forget to go to No. 8 High School for your commendation ceremony!" It was followed by an emoji of a little dog holding a large loudspeaker.

"Going together on Saturday?"

"Okay!"

On Chang Luan's Demonic Wristwatch screen not far away was the "Ru City Freshman Ranking."

It was positioned right at rank 503—Zhou Leng's ranking.

Chang Luan looked lower on the screen, where his own ranking was 697.

Chang Luan opened Wuxin. Tao Bing, who was in the hospital, had sent a message along with a screenshot of Zhou Leng's ranking.

"Young Master Chang, sorry I couldn't help you."

"It's fine. Recover properly. I'll cover the medical expenses, and I'll send you some Great Supplement Pills later. At most, you'll be lively as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger in a month."

"What are you planning to do about this?"

Chang Luan glanced at Zhou Leng.

If he made a move against an ordinary classmate, the Martial Academy would at most make him pay medical expenses. It might not even give him a demerit.

But Zhou Leng had All-Nine Scores and had now even caught the academy director's attention.

The Martial Academy was under the Martial Guard Department, whose predecessor had been the armed police.

Even the color of his underwear today was crystal-clear to the Martial Guard Department.

If he truly severely injured Zhou Leng, his life would be over.

Chang Luan replied, "My dad said to wait for now."

"You're just going to swallow this? You're not competing for senior disciple anymore?"

"I mean I'll run for class monitor first. We can take the senior disciple matter slowly. There are still several months to prepare, anyway."

"You can swallow this anger, but I can't."

"Tao Bing, don't do anything reckless."

"Don't worry. I won't drag you into it."

"He has All-Nine Scores."

"You don't dare touch him because you're afraid of getting a demerit and carrying a stain on your record. I'm different. I was already a delinquent to begin with. As long as I control the degree, make him stay in the hospital for a few months, the Martial Academy can at most make me pay the medical bills and give me a major demerit."

Chang Luan looked at Zhou Leng again and sighed.

Inside the equipment room for the Destructive Intensity Meter, not far from Class 01's martial arts hall.

A Demon Spirit Master with a floating ball of light above his shoulder frowned as he observed.

A maintenance worker in overalls leaned on a crutch, cursing as he carried out repairs.

"These Martial Academy instructors are rough as hell when they do things. Are they using the Destructive Intensity Meter like a mule?"

"It's clearly been overused."

"Look at the wear on these parts and demon inscriptions. What have they been reduced to?"

"Don't rush."

"If this happens again next time, I'll report them directly. You can't abuse equipment like this. They might as well use a high-grade Destructive Intensity Meter. Those things are made from premium materials; you can work them to death and nothing will happen."

Outside the martial arts hall, a piercing whistle sounded.

"Assembly!"

Zhou Leng and his classmates slung on their backpacks and slowly made their way outside.

The instructors were sitting in a green demonic electric pickup truck.

Every student had question marks in their eyes.

Students had to run while the instructors rode in a vehicle?

"Everyone, follow along! The results of this military training will count toward your credits."

The students cursed the sky and earth in their stomachs, but kept their mouths shut as they quickly walked over.

"Start running! Are your ears deaf?"

Deng Zhijue stood in the pickup truck, slowly pulling off his glossy black leather belt, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

Everyone lowered their heads in fright and hurriedly lifted their legs into a jog.

Wei Hong muttered softly, "Careful your pants don't fall down."

"The timing... begins. The last ten will be responsible for cleaning the martial arts hall for a month."

Everyone lifted their heads in unison, their eyes filled with curses.

"The route map has been sent to the group. Those willing to run fast can speed up."

Zhou Leng glanced at the map, activated projected navigation, and quickened his pace.

After jogging for a while, everyone suddenly felt something was off. Zhou Leng was already leaving them in a cloud of dust, his back about to vanish at the end of the road.

Wei Hong looked ahead and took a long time to recover, saying blankly, "The instructors are beasts among teachers; Zhou Leng is a beast among students."

"How can he still run that fast? Didn't he faint yesterday too?"

"Yeah, he took at least five more minutes of beating than we did. How is he still lively as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger?"

"He really isn't human. I'm betting on him making the top hundred of the Freshman Ranking."

"But he betrayed us."

Wei Hong said, "I want to betray you too, but my legs won't allow it."

A circle of middle fingers rose around him.

The girls nearby pursed their lips and smiled.

Feng Wenhao gazed at the figure ahead, smiling.

Following the map navigation, Zhou Leng jogged silently.

Ru University's Ruge Mountain campus was located at the edge of the city. This road wound forward around the foot of Ruge Mountain.

After running for more than ten minutes, Zhou Leng felt that something was wrong, yet he could not put it into words and could only keep running.

Fortunately, he was allowed to circulate qi during the weighted run. Zhou Leng sent threads of true qi into his legs, greatly easing his bodily fatigue.

After enduring an entire day of tests and assessments yesterday, then being beaten unconscious alive, even after sleeping through the night, that indescribable exhaustion still clung to him like glue.

However, Zhou Leng's expression remained calm as he continued running.

There was no one ahead of him. As long as there was a finish line, that was enough.

A few more minutes passed when someone ran up beside him. Keeping pace at his side, he smiled and said, "Zhou Leng, right?"

Zhou Leng turned his head and saw a refined, scholarly classmate wearing glasses, a faint smile on his face and an exceptionally steady gaze.

Zhou Leng immediately recalled the screenshot from the class group and asked, "Xu Kang'an, this year's number one?"

"I wouldn't dare claim this year's number one. Ru University's number one is Ji Changnian. Your body has recovered so well?" Xu Kang'an asked.

"I've recently started taking pills more aggressively. You seem completely fine?"

"I have True Qi Perfection. My qi can emerge through my skin, and once I reach the Blood-Circulating Stage, my qi will flow with my blood, greatly mitigating this kind of superficial injury."

"Those who rely on Perfection Pills can't do that," Zhou Leng said.

Xu Kang'an looked ahead and said slowly, "They all say you didn't go to West Sea Martial University because you were rejected. But after seeing your results, I believe that, like me, you simply don't want to step into that quagmire."

Zhou Leng thought, You've misunderstood.

"Although my family arranged a path for me, I have my own principles. I prefer cultivating in a relatively free environment. I believe you're the same."

Zhou Leng nodded. "That's true."

"I reckon that Chang Luan has approached you too. No need to pay them any mind. People like that may rise high in the future, but they'll be of no use to humanity. Demon City and the foreign races are our true targets."

Zhou Leng quietly gazed at the fields in the distance.

Xu Kang'an continued, "Once you advance to the Blood-Circulating Stage, if you can't find a good Martial Path Study Team, come straight to me. I have some regular friends, and we're all about the same level. Besides, we all follow Extreme Martial Arts."

"Alright. If there's a chance, we'll hunt demons and slaughter monsters together."

The two added each other on Wuxin.

"Keep it up." Xu Kang'an smiled and slowed his pace.

Zhou Leng immediately understood. With Xu Kang'an's strength and experience, the moment he saw Zhou Leng's report card, he could tell that Zhou Leng was desperately short on pills.

Xu Kang'an did not lack pills. He had simply been more willing to yield the first-place pills to Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng looked ahead, warmth in his eyes.

Zhou Leng drew a deep breath and accelerated once more.