Not as Good as Li Juefeng

Ding, ding, ding.

A faint sound came from somewhere, like fingertips lightly tapping a screen.

Thump! Thump!

The crisp knocking abruptly smashed open Jiang Qiu's eyelids. A glaring light bulb filled his vision, a sour stench invaded his nostrils, and viscous filthy water tickled his neck.

"Fell asleep?"

Turning his head, he saw that the gray sky outside the window had already brightened.

Thump! Thump!

"Jiang Qiu, are you awake?"

Liu Zili's bright, birdlike voice pierced through the door at the entryway, knocking Jiang Qiu's pupils wide awake. "Liu Zili?!"

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

The increasingly urgent knocking came with increasingly panicked cries. "Are you okay? Can you talk?!"

"I'm fine—stop knocking for now. Give me a few minutes!"

Jiang Qiu immediately rolled over and climbed out of the large wooden barrel. Frowning, he glanced at the black filth clinging to his abdomen and waist, then at the sloshing red bloody water in the barrel. His face quietly paled as he ran naked into the bathroom.

Whoosh—

Water streamed down like rain.

After a quick rinse and toweling himself off, he ran back into the living room naked. He grabbed the Outstanding Student uniform he had folded on the chair that morning, stuffed his legs and arms into it, and picked up his lit-up phone—rows upon rows of unread messages and video-call requests had popped up, all from Liu Zili.

It was already 6:31.

Click.

The moment the front door opened, Liu Zili, who had been standing there with furrowed brows and pursed lips, gave a startled shudder as the familiar figure suddenly entered her sight.

Drops of water Jiang Qiu had failed to wipe from his hair dripped onto his shoulders and the floor. His arms, extending from the black sleeves with gold-trimmed cuffs, were like yellow jade fresh from water, their contours sharply defined.

He did not look crippled or uncomfortable. Compared to yesterday, his eyes even seemed several shades brighter.

"Sorry, I haven't cleaned that barrel yet. How about I buy you a new one another day?"

Jiang Qiu gave an embarrassed smile and casually tugged at his crooked collar.

He had not expected that he still failed to endure his first medicinal bath completely. Later, his consciousness had simply cut off, and the water in the barrel had turned into an unbearable mess.

He truly felt bad for ruining something she had kindly lent him.

"Ah, there's no need to buy one. Just clean it and return it to me." Liu Zili smiled as she tucked the messy strands of hair by her ear back, the back of her hand happening to wipe away the sweat sliding down the side of her face. "It's getting late. Shall we go to school together?"

"Yeah. Let me dry my hair first."

"Okay."

Copper Transformation

Characteristic: Qi and blood transform into force, condensed into copper

Perhaps yesterday's body tempering and transformation had drained the nutrients and energy stored in his body. When Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili arrived at the school cafeteria for breakfast, Jiang Qiu had to stack ten stainless-steel trays before he was full, drawing sidelong looks from countless students and leaving the chatting cafeteria staff too stunned to speak.

"The effects of your first medicinal bath are obvious. Even your appetite has increased that much." The two stainless-steel trays in Liu Zili's hands clattered onto the return window. Her eyes swept over the stack beside him as she pressed her lips together. "When the school arranges the Practical Training Hunt, if you place highly, you might really surpass Li Juefeng before the college entrance exam arrives."

"I will."

Jiang Qiu replied casually.

The Practical Training Hunt was held every year. The higher one ranked, the richer the rewards. Even merely participating as the top Outstanding Student of each field earned one a Martial Spirit Incense as a reward.

If he achieved a high ranking, it might not be just Li Juefeng he surpassed.

After a filling meal, the two headed to the Elite Training Hall. The glass doors slid open, and the moment they stepped into Field No. 8, the few scattered students in black shirts inside all turned to look at them like rats startled by a cat.

Under everyone's covert yet unabashed stares, Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili each took a long spear from the weapon cabinet and silently entered the Small Room.

"Didn't Hu Yeye say that he'd barely spoken a word in the two and a half years since he enrolled? But in the past half month, he first used Spear Tip Shatters Armor to utterly defeat Wang Guanjia, who had once beaten Brother Xie, then yesterday used Spear Shaft Shatters Armor to instantly kill Brother Xie, who ranked second only to Li Juefeng in this field. His true martial arts talent must be insanely monstrous!"

A thick-browed youth who looked both fat and burly frowned in thought. "How long do you think he lasted in his first Martial Spirit Incense medicinal bath yesterday?"

"The longer someone lasts in their first Martial Spirit Incense medicinal bath, the better their body-tempering talent. That thing is pure agony. My dad pulled me out after just over twenty minutes back then, and even Brother Xie said he was dragged out at the forty-minute mark."

Someone clicked his tongue and shook his head, recalling the painful experience.

"Getting pulled out is already pretty good. I remember Hu Yeye saying he'd become an orphan before enrolling, so there might not have been anyone at home. What if he couldn't endure the medicinal bath and passed out—hiss—"

Someone sucked in a sharp breath, only for the thick-browed youth to interrupt him with a wave. "Isn't he fine? That Liu Zili is also from the Slum Area. They usually walk together, so she must've looked after him last night."

"But normally, you have to take everything off for a medicinal bath. How could a girl look after him?"

"Damn it, why are you even thinking about that? Back to the medicinal bath—given his performance, he's definitely already surpassed Wang Guanjia's one hour. What we're saying is, can Jiang Qiu match Li Juefeng in duration?"

The thick-browed youth waved a large hand, and discussion immediately erupted all around them. "Other than the Principal's grandson, who was selected for the Heavenly Prodigy Project, Li Juefeng is the strongest across all eight fields. An hour and a half would boil us into bone broth. How could anyone surpass that so easily?"

"Exactly. Li Juefeng is one of the rare talents at No.8 Middle School. He's already comprehended both Ming Jin and Subtle Force to the level of practical application, and he's even begun figuring out his own Transformative Force."

"What are you talking about? What does spear talent have to do with body-tempering talent?"

The thick-browed youth bristled, his muscles trembling all over. The crew-cut boy holding a spear let out a cold laugh. "What, is Li Juefeng not a genius who's already entered the Iron Flesh Realm? There are still more than two months left, yet he's already reached this level. Zhang Shan, have you cultivated Copper Skin? Do you even dare dream of it?"

"Fuck!" Zhang Shan snapped his spear, his thick brows twitching. "Li Si, I'm killing you today!"

"Hmph, you think I'm scared of you? Li Juefeng is just that awesome. Honestly, even if Brother Xie and the top students from the other six fields joined forces, they might not be able to suppress him!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

"Beep—"

"Verification passed."

A surging aura crashed in from the entrance. Everyone turned toward the sound and hurriedly lowered their spears, bowing their heads. "Hello, Teacher."

Wu Shan remained silent. Beside him, Xie Kuang, who had just replaced his spear shaft with a brand-new one, wore an icy expression. His needle-sharp gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on a crew-cut boy with a miserable look on his face.

I'm finished.

Li Si gulped down a mouthful of saliva.

"Keep practicing your spear techniques. When the Practical Training Hunt begins, kill more demonic beasts and master the techniques. You'll all have a chance of getting into Northwest Martial Arts University in the college entrance exam."

Wu Shan casually arranged the others, then called out the four people from the Small Room, including Jiang Qiu. "The Ancient Martial Arts Spear Technique has more or less been taught. There's no need to keep staying in the Small Room. Get to know each other.

"Recently, many Small Secret Realms outside Plateau City have been stirring. The Practical Training Hunt may be arranged before long. Try to stick together, so no one dies without even knowing the others' names."

Before he could finish.

"Beep—"

"Verification passed."

Everyone focused their eyes on the entrance. Zhao Gongzheng stood at the glass door with his hands behind his back. Even his thick spectacle frames could not conceal his eagle-sharp gaze. "Teacher Wu still likes teaching students this way?"

"No, I only say that occasionally," Wu Shan replied with an awkward curl of his lips, then changed the subject. "Why has Director Zhao personally come to Field No. 8 so early?"