The days felt as though someone had hit fast-forward at triple speed, leaving everyone struggling to catch their breath. The stuffy heat of late summer seemed like only yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, the plane trees outside had turned golden. Then a few autumn rains sent their leaves fluttering to the ground, carpeting the paths to the classroom building. By the time the first fine, chilly snowflakes drifted silently down, the countdown on the back wall of the senior class had already reached the nerve-racking single digits.
The feeling that the year was drawing to a close began to spread across campus. The snack stalls outside the school gates hung up festive red lanterns, and the cafeteria ladies had grown a little less stingy with their ladles. Every so often, hearty dishes like Braised Lion's Head and Crystal Sugar Pork Hock even appeared on the menu. Even Old Li, the usually stern homeroom teacher, had softened around the edges. During breaks, he would sometimes crack a harmless joke or two with the students.
Yet as the year neared its end and a new one approached, the whole campus was filled with the cheerful atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. Chen Mo, however, remained completely unaffected by it all. He seemed utterly immersed in his own world, focused single-mindedly on his cultivation.
He was like a train running at full throttle, striding forward with firm, unstoppable steps. His pace was astonishing, and he showed no sign of slowing down or stopping for even a brief rest!
Ever since his Qi and Blood Value had surpassed 95 and he had successfully claimed and used that precious Qi and Blood Stone, his cultivation had entered a more meticulous stage—one that demanded even greater patience. He