Marching

Ling Yun, refreshed after their conversation, felt wide awake with no hint of sleepiness.

He decided to use this time to thoroughly explore the differences between this "reborn" world and his previous life, especially focusing on the "blank spots" in the entertainment industry, to see if he could seize any business opportunities with his foreknowledge.

He specifically searched for the entertainment giants and phenomenal works that had dominated his past life... and the results surprised him immensely!

In this world, celebrities still shone brightly, but their body of work showed subtle "gaps"! Many classic songs, novels, and films that had been wildly popular and beloved in his past life... simply didn't exist in this timeline!

"This is simply... a godsend!" Excitement flashed in Ling Yun's eyes.

His previous plans for his live streams instantly became much clearer—once Honor of Kings built up a sufficient fan base, the day he made a stunning appearance on Douyin would be the starting point for his cross-genre breakthrough! With his looks, combined with a few "original" hit songs to blow everyone away, and the platform's traffic push, becoming the new "Douyin King" would be no trouble at all!

These "missing" works would be the leverage he'd use to gain even greater fame and fortune in the future!

Immersed in planning his future blueprint, it was unknowingly four in the morning.

Although his body felt no fatigue, Ling Yun decided to get a little rest to recharge his energy.

When he opened his eyes again, it was time for school. Not feeling hungry, he headed straight to the school track on an empty stomach.

As soon as he arrived at the track, he heard Zhou Da, sporting dark circles under his eyes that rivaled a panda's, enthusiastically bragging to a few classmates:

"You guys have no idea! Last night! Brother Yun! Top of the Peak! The number one Ma Chao in the nation! His plays were like a god descending to earth! He carried me to victory after victory! We easily reached Honor of Kings! From now on, call me, Zhou Da the Honor of Kings!"

Seeing Ling Yun approach, Zhou Da immediately ended his speech and scurried over, looking at Ling Yun with surprise: "Brother Yun! What time did you sleep last night? Four AM? Holy crap! Your face... doesn't have any dark circles at all? And your skin is still so good? That's not scientific!"

Ling Yun grinned and playfully poked Zhou Da's waist: "Young man, you need to learn moderation. What's wrong with sleeping at four AM? That's called innate talent, understand? Unlike some people, who clearly look like they have... insufficient kidney energy."

"Ouch! Brother Yun! Easy! Easy!" Zhou Da exaggeratedly clutched his waist, looking pained, "This is my treasure! If you break it, you pay!"

Then he leaned in slyly, lowering his voice, "By the way, Brother Yun, last night... Sister Yingqing sent photos? How were they? Was it... hehehe, was her figure super hot?"

"Comrade Zhou Da," Ling Yun said sternly, patting his shoulder, "Ask less, be curious less. The adult world is complicated, the waters are deep, you... can't handle it."

"Holy crap!" Zhou Da instantly bristled, "Did Xiao Chunnan eat your rice? Aren't you a virgin too? Why are you acting like such a big shot!"

"Oh?" Ling Yun raised an eyebrow, his smile becoming more mischievous, "I can be 'not a virgin' anytime, can you? Want to try being 'not a virgin' anytime too?"

This remark hit its mark precisely. Zhou Da instantly turned "red hot," his face flushed as he stammered, pointing at Ling Yun, "You, you, you..." unable to speak for a long time.

Just as the two were engaging in mutual harm (mostly Ling Yun's one-sided domination), Jiang Yingqing walked over.

Seeing their secretive behavior, she asked curiously, "What are you two whispering about?"

Zhou Da saw his chance for "revenge" and immediately answered, deliberately raising his voice slightly: "Reporting, Goddess Jiang! We're talking about your sister! Sister Yingxue sent Brother Yun some 'cool' selfies last night! I was just about to ask Brother Yun for some advice on the content!"

After speaking, he glanced at Ling Yun with a look of anticipation for the show.

"What?!"

Jiang Yingqing's eyes widened instantly, and she looked at Ling Yun in disbelief, "My sister sent you selfies? And... and 'cool' ones? Did you catch her in some kind of blackmail?"

She knew her cool and aloof sister too well; this was completely against her nature!

Facing the "accusation," Ling Yun remained unfazed, even with a hint of smugness. He spread his hands and said, "What can I do? Perhaps my personal charm is too dazzling, melting even an iceberg."

"Heh!" Jiang Yingqing was amused by his narcissism, and a strange sense of sourness welled up in her heart.

She placed her hands on her hips and posed the classic death question: "Oh? So, who do you think has a better figure, my sister or me?"

Zhou Da, standing nearby, had his eyes wide open like copper bells, almost as if he was about to pull up a small stool and snack on melon seeds.

Ling Yun looked at Jiang Yingqing's slightly puffed-up and provocative little face. Instead of panicking, he took a step forward, a wicked smile curling on his lips.

Ling Yun's gaze swept over her (mostly looking at her school uniform) and he said slowly, "Your sister's figure... is indeed very good. As for you..."

He deliberately drew out his tone, "Wearing this school uniform, all bundled up like a zongzi, you really don't reveal much. How about... you send me some 'cool' photos tonight too? I'll help you both compare them carefully and give you an absolutely fair and just answer! How about it?"

Boom--!

Jiang Yingqing's face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato, from the roots of her ears all the way down to her neck!

She had absolutely not expected Ling Yun to counterattack so "shamelessly"!

Overwhelmed by immense embarrassment and a hint of flustered panic from being teased, her mind went blank. In the end, she could only stomp her foot, point at Ling Yun, and angrily curse:

"Pervert! Small fry! Pervert!"

Then, like a startled little rabbit, she covered her face and ran away.

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant, Brother Yun!"

Zhou Da watched, dumbfounded, and was filled with admiration, bowing down in respect, "This is an extreme counter-kill, turning passive into active, directly breaking through Goddess Jiang's defenses and making her retreat in defeat! Is this the realm of a love guru? I concede!"

"Heh," Ling Yun calmly adjusted his collar, "Your perspective is too narrow. It's mainly thanks to my 360-degree flawless model, skills? That's just icing on the cake."

He glanced at Zhou Da, "Understand?"

Zhou Da: "..." The smile instantly vanished. Well, perhaps he just wasn't naturally inclined to smile.

At this moment, Drill Instructor Cheng Yuanzhou blew the assembly whistle. Today's training session was the highlight of the military training—marching!

This was also the core event for the military training performance evaluation, directly impacting the honor of the final "Military Training Model Class."

[Ding! Sect Trial Mission Released!] [The sect will soon hold the "Body Tempering Training Competition," with each Outer Sect Peak vying for the top spot! The victor will receive a massive influx of cultivation resources!] [Please, Host, lead your respective peak to win first place in this competition!]

Ling Yun glanced at the mission, his brow twitching slightly. This mission was a bit difficult, as it was a team event. No matter how strong he was alone, he couldn't carry the entire team.

However, adhering to the principle of "give it a shot even if there's no guarantee," he accepted the mission: "Accept!"

Cheng Yuanzhou began to explain the essentials of marching: kicking legs like the wind, landing like a crater, swinging arms with precision, and keeping the body upright.

With his Top-tier Comprehension, Ling Yun only needed to watch the demonstration once. His movements were already as standard as a textbook!

The height of his kicks, the angle of his arm swings, his body stability, and even the firmness of his gaze all reached the level of a military model soldier!

Cheng Yuanzhou looked at Ling Yun's dashing and powerful marching demonstration, and couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up: "Good kid! Your marching... is damn cool! You're the flag bearer!"

The front of each class formation required a flag bearer to hold the class number, lead the team, call out commands, and lead the slogans. They were the soul of the formation.

Ling Yun didn't refuse and accepted the symbolic class banner.

The class slogan was "meticulously" created by their homeroom teacher, Liu Shiguo:

Third class enters, like thunder!

Train strictly, strive for first!

Feet on the ground, aiming for the peak!

When third class appears, who can compete!

Looking at the slogan filled with "chuunibyou spirit," the students collectively fell silent, a hint of awkwardness filling the air.

But for the honor of the class, they gritted their teeth and memorized it.

The subsequent joint practice, however, made Ling Yun, the "soul," a little broken.

No matter how he shouted "one, two, one" to adjust the rhythm, the team would start to "bloom like a hundred flowers" as they marched – some shortened their strides, some sped up their rhythm, and some even marched with mismatched legs!

The entire formation looked like a twisted dough twist, a terrible sight.

"No, at this rate, forget first place. We'll be lucky if we don't come in last," Ling Yun frowned. For the system rewards, he had to find a way!

"Mental power..." A flash of inspiration struck Ling Yun! He tried to weave a faint trace of mental power into the commands he shouted.

This wasn't control, but rather guidance and resonance!

Like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, the ripples of mental power carried clear, unified rhythmic instructions, gently and firmly brushing past each student's consciousness.

"One! Two! One!..."

This time, the commands seemed to carry magic! The students only felt the rhythm in their minds become incredibly clear and unified, their bodies involuntarily moving to that "internal metronome"!

Kicking, swinging, landing... their movements were perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person!

The momentum of the entire formation instantly rose several levels. Their steps were powerful and forceful, their footsteps converging into a single, shocking drumbeat!

The effect was immediate!

After a few joint practices, the marching level of Class 1-3 had undergone a qualitative leap!

Compared to other classes still "dancing like demons," they were like a professional honor guard crashing into a recruit training camp!

Cheng Yuanzhou's eyes lit up as he watched, excitedly slapping his thigh: "Good! Excellent! Dismissed for a break! That's all for today! Maintain your condition, and the championship in the upcoming performance will be ours!"

"You kid... you're a true prodigy! This comprehension, this coordination... it's a shame you're not joining the army! If I had your talent, let alone flying a plane, I'd be qualified to fly a space shuttle! Alas, fate is a cruel mistress!"

During free activity, Cheng Yuanzhou walked up to Ling Yun. He looked at Ling Yun's impossibly handsome face, then at his incredibly standard movements, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion, a hint of envy and jealousy in his tone.

His words were filled with amazement at Ling Yun's talent and regret over his own "pilot dream" being shattered.