"Principal, I can't take it anymore. Chen Yan is seriously messed up."
At ten that night, Gao Yuan peered bleary-eyed at the classroom where Chen Yan was. If the principal hadn't checked on him just now and gotten a reply, he would've thought Chen Yan had died in there.
Watching Gao Yuan leave, Principal Zhang Yue could only sigh helplessly. Chen Yan really seemed set on using up all twelve hours in one go.
What use were all those books he'd prepared if Chen Yan used the whole time at once?
Wasn't the Body Refinement Breathing Technique supposed to be extremely difficult to grasp the first time—and even excruciating?
So why was Chen Yan so ridiculously intense about it?
Or was Chen Yan simply wasting time, failing to grasp the core within the Origin Crystal at all?
"Chen Yan, if you can't take it anymore, don't force yourself. Twelve hours is the limit."
Zhang Yue called out.
"I'm fine, Principal! I can keep going!" Chen Yan answered from inside the classroom.
"Heh..." Zhang Yue could only shake his head helplessly. He was an old man, after all. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to sleep.
"Principal, is Chen Yan still in there?"
Wang Yang came over carrying four portions of rice. After learning what was going on, he'd gone to tell Chen Yuxu he didn't need to wait, then bought some food on the way back.
"Wang Yang, you're just in time. Just in time." Zhang Yue smiled and took the food from him.
"Let's sit and chat for a while. I don't know where that Martial Division fellow went. Keeping watch over the time was supposed to be his job."
Wang Yang shook his head. The other man was a martial artist—and no ordinary one. The rules ordinary people had to follow weren't necessarily rules they felt obliged to obey.
Inside the classroom,
Chen Yan took off his shirt, soaked through with blood. His whole body was drenched in blood and sweat, and pain made the corner of his mouth twitch every so often.
Who could've guessed practicing the Breathing Technique would be like this?
Following the person inside the Origin Crystal and practicing the breathing exercises, each breath seemed to tug at his flesh and bones. Chen Yan even felt his skin writhing, every pore struggling.
Beyond the pain, though, it felt incredible.
He knew he was truly growing stronger.
He could feel his bones strengthening, his flesh becoming firmer and more resilient.
Pain, exhaustion, hardship—even the suffocating feeling that had seized him several times.
But were any of those worse than having his dignity trampled for a thousand yuan?
Worse than being in a car accident, his little sister being in one too, and knowing something was wrong but being powerless to do anything?
Sometimes, to hold on to that shred of dignity, he'd had to train day and night, battling himself every hour of every day.
Compared with all that, this hardship was nothing. He could feel himself growing stronger. It was easy.
If he learned everything today, he could start practicing on his own tomorrow. The sooner he got on track, the sooner he'd grow stronger.
"Saint Breaking Tree!"
Chen Yan gave a low cry in his heart, focusing on comprehending the Origin Crystal of the [Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon] while keeping an eye on the changes within the Saint Breaking Realm.
[Saint Breaking Realm: Level 2 (5/15)] [Saint Breaking Fruit: Strength: (95/100) Blood: (36/100) Skill: (55/100)]
The [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit was condensing more slowly.
Even so, it had grown past halfway again. Now, what Chen Yan cared about most was the [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit.
The [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit wasn't growing as quickly as the [Skill] one, but it was nearly full.
His body was in terrible shape, weighed down by all sorts of negative effects.
But as long as he ate a [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, not only would his strength increase, most of his body's negative effects would disappear.
Once he recovered, he could keep going for as long as he could endure!
Time trickled by.
It was midnight.
"Chen Yan..." Principal Zhang Yue pressed his lips together and gave a bitter smile.
"What a reckless kid."
Beside him, Wang Yang set down his newspaper and smiled.
"Then go to sleep, Principal."
"I can't." Zhang Yue hastily shook his head.
"This is an order from a Second-grade Martial Commander. Do you dare disobey?"
"Woo!"
A loud cry came from inside the classroom. Zhang Yue brightened.
"Chen Yan, are you coming out?"
"No, Principal. I'm carrying on!" Chen Yan answered. Inside the classroom, he'd eaten a [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, and the ache in his body had vanished in an instant. His energy had returned to its peak, and he'd let out that cry without thinking.
Feeling his body and strength grow stronger, Chen Yan smiled and kept going!
Outside the classroom, Zhang Yue could only shake his head. He propped his head up with one hand and sighed.
Beside him, Wang Yang's gaze flickered.
Time trickled by.
It was half past three in the morning.
"Wang Yang," Zhang Yue said.
"What is it, Principal?" Wang Yang asked.
"I'm going to sleep for a while. Keep an eye on the time for me. Chen Yan went in at four thirty this afternoon. At four thirty in the morning, wake him up and tell him to come out."
As he spoke, Zhang Yue handed Wang Yang the key to Chen Yan's classroom. He picked up his case and went straight into another classroom to rest.
Wang Yang began watching the time.
Time trickled by.
It was half past four in the morning, the coldest and darkest hour of the day.
"Teacher, is it time?"
Inside the classroom, Chen Yan had already eaten a [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit packed with the full wealth of the Breathing Technique's skills half an hour earlier.
His understanding of the [Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon] had reached a whole new level, and the speed of his breathing-based body tempering had increased dramatically.
Wang Yang stood up. Hearing the faint sound of snoring from the room next door, he lowered his voice.
"Do you think you can hold out?"
"I can, Teacher Wang," Chen Yan said.
"Chen Yan..." Wang Yang's gaze flickered.
"Sit by the door and absorb it. If I cough, you must hand me the Origin Crystal at once."
Inside the classroom, Chen Yan froze. He could hear the conversation outside and knew what Wang Yang was planning.
Outside, Wang Yang lowered his voice.
"Chen Yan, you were born from humble beginnings, and I know you're an upright person. But sometimes, you have to seize your opportunities.
"You might not like what I'm saying, but they don't care. They're high above everyone else, so of course they don't care. If you want to fight against the current, you have to cherish every opportunity."
Inside the classroom, Chen Yan parted his lips. This was a risk, but he stood to gain from it. What about Wang Yang?
Wang Yang was helping him, helping him for no reason other than to help.
He might have felt conflicted, but he couldn't betray Wang Yang's painstaking kindness.
If he refused, what would Wang Yang think?
"Teacher..." Chen Yan said quietly.
A trace of disappointment appeared in Wang Yang's eyes. He slowly shook his head.
"Could you get me a change of clothes?" Chen Yan asked softly from inside the classroom.
At half past seven in the morning, the rosy dawn had already lit up all of Green Mountain Town.
Ding-a-ling!
A bell rang out, waking the entire town.
"Cough!" Wang Yang coughed by the door. He took the Origin Crystal passed through the gap, quickly shut the classroom door, and put the crystal into a box.
"It's seven thirty!"
Zhang Yue cried out from the classroom next door and hurried outside. He saw Wang Yang sitting on a bench in the corridor, with a metal box containing the Origin Crystal on the table.
"Has Chen Yan gone?" Zhang Yue glanced at the classroom opposite, its door already shut.
"He's gone."
"Why didn't you wake me?" Zhang Yue asked, sounding a little reproachful as he took the metal box.
"You're the leader. I wouldn't dare," Wang Yang said with a smile.
"It's my fault, too..." A flicker of regret crossed Zhang Yue's eyes. He picked up his case, ready to leave.
"By the way, how long did Chen Yan use it for?"
Wang Yang's eyes flickered as he was about to answer, but then he noticed the peculiar look Zhang Yue was giving him. He pressed his lips together.
"That kid... sigh. He used the whole lot in one go."
"Mm." Zhang Yue nodded.
"After all, it was a task assigned by a Second-grade martial artist. We couldn't afford to be careless."
Zhang Yue went to the office first, while Wang Yang headed to Class Three.
Around eight, Chen Yan, hiding in the classroom, heard the door open.
A change of clothes was slipped through the gap.
"Go home first. You can rest for these three days, but you absolutely have to come to school on the fourth day.
"The principal just said that the winner of this Town Martial Bonus will get to go to the county seat and join the Town Martial Class. I'll let you know in a few days."
Wang Yang's voice came from outside. Chen Yan changed clothes and walked out of the classroom, but Wang Yang had already disappeared around the end of the corridor.
Chen Yan's eyes held a trace of gratitude and mixed emotions. He slipped past the other students and ran home.
On the country road, Chen Yan breathed out a mouthful of white mist.
"Have I already reached the basics?"
Chen Yan murmured to himself. He'd comprehended the Origin Crystal, and he knew a little about what it meant to have learned the Breathing Technique.
He should have reached the basics by now.
One day, and he'd learned the basics!
At ten in the morning, Chu Feiyuan arrived at the principal's office, yawning.
Yu Zhiwen and Gao Yuan were already seated on the sofa.
"You're here early," Chu Feiyuan said, surprised.
"Yes, we've been waiting for you," Principal Zhang Yue said with an ingratiating smile.
Glancing at Yu Zhiwen and Gao Yuan, Chu Feiyuan remarked casually,
"Wasn't there one more?"
As soon as he said it, Gao Yuan and Yu Zhiwen exchanged strange looks.
They looked at each other. They'd learned as soon as they arrived at Zhang Yue's office that Chen Yan had used all twelve hours of Origin Crystal absorption in one go.
Gao Yuan had initially been stunned. Yu Zhiwen, though, had only furrowed her brows and murmured two words.
A waste.
"Chen Yan..." Zhang Yue said with a hearty laugh.
"He used up all twelve hours last night."
"Hm?" Chu Feiyuan froze for a moment.
"He used all of it?"
"Mm." Zhang Yue sighed helplessly.
"For some reason, the kid insisted on using the whole lot at once."
Chu Feiyuan frowned.
"Even Chu Xuansheng couldn't force himself to last twelve hours the first time."
"How could that kid compare with Chu Xuansheng? He's stubborn. I tried to talk him out of it several times." Zhang Yue smiled.
Chu Feiyuan nodded, walked to the window, and sighed.
He'd just been saying that offhand. How could a backwater place like this produce anyone who could stand alongside Chu Xuansheng?
If just anyone could be compared with Chu Xuansheng, Chu Xuansheng would have a lot more to worry about.
It seemed what Zhang Ge had told him last night was a lost cause. It wasn't as if he could just go after Chen Yan himself.
Using the Origin Crystal to ruin someone's potential could be done without a trace. But if he acted directly, wouldn't he just make enemies for himself?
Zhang Ge could swallow his losses. If he hadn't insisted on calling two women for him last night, Chu Feiyuan wouldn't have arrived so late this morning.
As for the money, there was no way he'd return it.
Zhang Ge had no right to make Chu Feiyuan cough up the money he'd already pocketed.
Before you continue