Chen Yan, you have to give me a good beating!

Chen Yan had never imagined that Teacher Wang, who had just been so impassioned, was actually going to pull strings for him.

He was grateful, but still felt that something was a little strange.

In the end, he followed Wang Yang to the principal's office to ask for leave. Zhang Yue gave Chen Yan a complicated look, but said nothing.

As they left the office, they happened to run into Xia Tong, the director of studies. The moment Xia Tong saw Chen Yan, his gaze dimmed. It seemed he had something to say, but for a while, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

Watching Chen Yan's retreating back, Xia Tong sighed and shook his head.

Chen Yan had well and truly entered his sights. Xia Tong felt sorry for what had happened to him, but also thought it was only to be expected.

"If he'd come to me sooner, he'd be even stronger now. With more strength, no one would have been able to take his Town Martial Class quota." Xia Tong murmured, then went into his office.

What was missed was missed.

He had been a teacher for many years and had seen countless students. There had naturally been geniuses among them, and he had once regretted not discovering Chen Yan sooner.

But when he saw Chen Yan's Town Martial Class quota taken away, he no longer felt quite so regretful.

A while later, after Chen Yan got someone to pass word to Chen Yuxu that he wouldn't be coming home, he boarded a bus to Luoshan County with Wang Yang.

"Teacher Wang, thank you for helping me." Sitting in the back of the nearly empty bus, Chen Yan spoke softly to Wang Yang.

Wang Yang chuckled and slowly shook his head.

"You might be wondering why I'm helping you?"

Chen Yan said nothing. Wang Yang continued:

"There's no reason. If I had to give one, you'd probably think it was childish. These days, even middle schoolers talk about how people are cold and heartless, how human nature is dark, and how you can only survive by being selfish.

"But..."

Wang Yang smiled.

"There are still some people who, even at thirty or forty, keep..."

Wang Yang stopped. Some things sounded so childish even to him when he said them aloud, but he didn't think they were wrong.

If you couldn't stand something, you ought to oppose it. If you could do something, you ought to do it.

The bus rattled along for three hours before finally reaching the county seat.

Luoshan County was clearly much more developed than Green Mountain Town, but it still had an old-fashioned feel.

Puddles of foul-smelling water dotted the somewhat wider streets. Three- and four-story buildings lined both sides, housing shops, restaurants, and libraries.

Chen Yan and Wang Yang arrived at the gates of a school far more imposing than Qingshan High School.

Luoshan County Second High School.

Wang Yang spoke briefly with the security guard, then led Chen Yan into the school. They followed a tree-lined avenue to the office building.

"This is the place. Let's go."

Wang Yang took a deep breath and entered the building. They went up to the top floor, where he stopped in front of an office marked "Vice Principal Office" and knocked gently.

"Come in," called a man with a slightly aged voice.

Wang Yang led Chen Yan inside.

"Wang Yang?" The white-haired old man seated behind the desk frowned when he saw Wang Yang, then glanced at Chen Yan behind him.

"Chen Yan, this is Zhuang Xihang, the principal of Second High.

"Principal Zhuang, this is Chen Yan, my student."

Wang Yang hurriedly introduced them. Chen Yan greeted the old man respectfully.

"Hello, Principal Zhuang."

Zhuang Xihang nodded, his expression turning slightly cold as he looked at Wang Yang.

"You haven't been to the county in a long time, have you?"

"It's been two years." Wang Yang smiled.

"Is this about the Town Martial Class?" Zhuang Xihang had seen through the reason for their visit at a glance.

"That's right." Wang Yang smiled as he set a box of fruit he'd just bought in town in the corner. "Principal Zhuang, this student has already received the Town Martial Bonus. It's just..."

"The Chu Family?" Zhuang Xihang narrowed his eyes.

"Mm."

"Ha." Zhuang Xihang gave a somewhat exasperated laugh. "You haven't come to the county in two years, and the first thing you do when you show up is bring me this mess?"

Chen Yan's gaze shifted. It seemed Principal Zhuang didn't want to oppose the Chu Family either.

Wang Yang smiled faintly. "That's not what I mean. I heard you also train the Town Martial Class, so I thought a teacher might be able to get an extra spot to sit in."

Zhuang Xihang paused slightly and looked at Chen Yan.

"Chen Yan, step outside for a moment. Principal Zhuang and I have something to discuss." Wang Yang winked at Chen Yan.

"All right." Chen Yan nodded and left the office, feeling a little uneasy. From their conversation, it was obvious that Zhuang Xihang had some grievances with Wang Yang.

"Whether Teacher Wang can help me or not, I have to remember this kindness!" Chen Yan murmured. Of course, he hoped Teacher Wang could succeed in helping him.

But if it didn't work out, that certainly wouldn't be Wang Yang's fault.

At that moment, faint voices drifted out from the office. Chen Yan froze. It sounded like the two of them were arguing.

"Qianqian's almost taking the College Entrance Exam, and you're not going to see her. Instead, you're here doing this for an outsider..."

"You said you wouldn't pull strings. So what are you doing now? Back then, I practically wore my tongue out, and you still—Wang Yang, you're really something!"

"I should've kicked you flying back then. Don't come bothering my daughter!"

Standing in the hallway, Chen Yan's expression grew colorful. He could hear that Wang Yang and Zhuang Xihang were both deliberately keeping their voices down.

But ever since he began cultivating the Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon, his senses had become much sharper, and he could hear them now.

So they were father-in-law and son-in-law.

Chen Yan was dumbfounded. He hadn't known Teacher Wang had this connection.

After a while, the office door opened. Wang Yang, his face slightly flushed, waved Chen Yan over.

When Chen Yan entered, Zhuang Xihang said coolly:

"Go to Room 3, Basement 1. There's someone named Zhang Tie down there. Fight him, and if you win, come back."

Chen Yan was secretly delighted. He had heard their conversation just now and knew that if he beat this person, he could enter the Town Martial Class.

"Chen Yan, give it your all!" Wang Yang patted Chen Yan on the shoulder. Zhuang Xihang gave a cold snort beside him.

"All right, Teacher Wang!" Chen Yan answered firmly and left the office.

At the same time.

Under the lights, the room in the school building's basement was spacious and empty. Its walls were dark blue-gray, carved with statues of people practicing punches. At the very front stood a smooth, pitch-black stone tablet more than two meters tall.

In the center of the room, a shirtless, sweaty, bald student stood in a horse stance, panting heavily.

Just then, a tall, slender boy in a blue T-shirt walked in. The bald boy immediately stood up, his face showing envy and wariness as he asked cautiously:

"Brother Wu... you're here."

"Mm. Had nothing else to do, so I came back to look around the school." The boy named Wu Chuhua smiled.

"I was going to practice in the Body Tempering Room. Since you're here too, Zhang Tie, let's have a match."

Zhang Tie's face changed instantly. Wu Chuhua was a martial arts fanatic who wanted to fight everyone he saw.

The problem was, he couldn't beat him! Wu Chuhua was one of the top five students in the whole school. One punch would knock Zhang Tie down, and he wouldn't even get the chance to fight back.

"Brother Wu, I've got something to do. My stomach hurts. I..." As he spoke, Zhang Tie hurried toward another doorway.

"Hey, don't go! I haven't fought anyone all afternoon. Brother Tie, you're my big brother. I'm miserable here, hey!" Wu Chuhua called after him, but Zhang Tie had already run off.

"Forget it. Another one ran away." Wu Chuhua watched Zhang Tie leave, utterly disappointed.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Wu Chuhua stood in the room for a long while, looking rather lonely.

"Everywhere I look, no one dares fight me. What loneliness! Those stronger than me, I can't beat. What a pity, what a pity..."

Murmuring to himself, he turned around and saw a handsome young man with a tall, slender build and plain clothes standing in the doorway.

Chen Yan met Wu Chuhua's gaze and asked:

"Hello. Are you Zhang Tie?"

"Hm?" Wu Chuhua looked at Chen Yan. "What do you want with Zhang Tie?"

"Principal Zhuang told me to find Zhang Tie and fight him."

A glint flashed in Wu Chuhua's eyes. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he beckoned. "Then come on."

When Chen Yan didn't move, Wu Chuhua rolled up his sleeves.

"What are you standing there for? Didn't Old Zhuang tell you to fight me?"

Chen Yan understood. So this was Zhang Tie.

He walked into the room, took a deep breath, and warily watched the person in front of him. Whether he could enter the Town Martial Class depended on this fight.

His gaze swept across the room. On the walls, the carved images of martial artists throwing punches glowed with a vast golden radiance inside the Saint Breaking Realm.

The statues were carved in exquisite detail, each figure either focused, resolute, or fierce.

Skill Energy!

So much Skill Energy!

Chen Yan's heart pounded. Just looking around at the walls made greed rise in his eyes, beyond his control.

The amount of golden radiance he gained from observing these sculptures was no less than what he got from comprehending the Origin Crystal.

What were these things? Could they be some kind of external body-tempering technique?

Such precious things were just displayed in a classroom, where this Zhang Tie could look at them as long as he wanted. Was this the level of the county high school?

Soon, Chen Yan's gaze locked onto the Wordless Stone Tablet standing at the front of the classroom, and his eyes narrowed.

The tablet plainly had no images on it, yet when he looked at it, the golden radiance inside the Saint Breaking Realm surged more than ever before!

[Saint Breaking Realm: Level 2 (11/15)]

[Saint Breaking Fruit:

Strength: (3/100)

Blood (97/100)

Skill: (83/100)]

The nearly ripe [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit immediately progressed from eighty-three to eighty-four.

Chen Yan struggled to shift his gaze and look at Wu Chuhua. A fighting spirit rose in his heart.

"Are we fighting here?"

"Right here. Even if you're a third-tier martial artist, you won't be able to smash the sculptures or the stone tablet." Wu Chuhua said calmly.

Hss...

A breath of hot air escaped Chen Yan's mouth. He lowered his body, having already activated the Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon.

The Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon was only a Breathing Technique, not an external combat technique. But Chen Yan had found that when he used the breathing technique, his muscles and internal organs entered an extremely vigorous state, and the strength he could unleash grew greater too.

"You... haven't fought much, have you?" Wu Chuhua looked at Chen Yan and seemed disappointed. Fighting with a breathing technique would indeed make the tendons, bones, and skin more active.

But it was exhausting.

The more you fought, the more tired you got. What would you do after that?

"Not much." Chen Yan replied calmly, his gaze growing intensely serious.

"Then..." Wu Chuhua let out a soft sigh. His muscles bulged all at once, and he punched toward Chen Yan.

"One punch, and it's over!"

A dull impact rang out, like two iron blocks weighing a ton slamming into each other.

Chen Yan caught Wu Chuhua's charging punch in his hand.

Wu Chuhua's expression changed instantly. He had condensed a Strength Stripe. Even though he hadn't used his full strength, he would normally have sent an ordinary student flying with a single punch.

To catch that punch meant—

"You practice Horizontal Refinement too! You have a Strength Stripe too!" A glint flashed in Wu Chuhua's eyes, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Chen Yan's expression didn't change. A surging force flowed through his waist and arms as he grabbed Wu Chuhua's right fist and swung him up. Wu Chuhua flew through the air, his eyes full of intoxication.

Chen Yan slammed him down hard. Wu Chuhua's body crashed heavily into the floor.

Another hard slam.

Chen Yan swung him up again, exhaled a mouthful of white mist, and slammed him down once more. This time, Wu Chuhua planted both feet on the floor, a wild grin spreading across his face.

"Interesting! Interesting! Hahahaha!"

His body stretched out straight, parallel to the floor. Looking up at Chen Yan from below, he shouted:

"What's your name?"

"Chen Yan." Chen Yan's expression tightened. His right foot shot out in a fierce kick. Since his opponent was so tough, Chen Yan stopped holding back.

His foot struck Wu Chuhua in the back from below, sending him flying into the corner. But Wu Chuhua braced both arms and both legs against the corner, clinging to the wall like a spider. The veins stood out on his neck as he grinned.

"Chen Yan, you have to give me a good beating!"