Class Battle

"The school plans to establish an Elite Class this semester!"

"As the name suggests, it'll bring together all the school's most elite students in a single class, where they'll receive the best training!"

"Students in the Elite Class will get the greatest share of the school's resources!"

"That includes, but isn't limited to, Body Tempering Fluid, Star Coins, Combat Skills, and other rewards!"

!!!

At these words, many students below widened their eyes, excitement showing on every face.

But soon, the excitement faded from the eyes of quite a few of them.

Most of these students had low Star Energy Aptitude and came from families that weren't well off.

Their initial excitement had been nothing more than an instinctive reaction to the news. Once they'd calmed down, they knew perfectly well that there was no chance they'd get a spot in the Elite Class.

That didn't stop them from being interested in it. Even if they couldn't get in, they could still learn more about it.

"Teacher, how do we get into the Elite Class?"

Wang Jing suddenly asked.

"Good question!"

Wang Yuemei gave Wang Jing an approving look.

Qin Chen: ...

Honestly, listening to this exchange made him feel awkward for some reason.

He certainly couldn't see what was so good about the question.

Wang Yuemei cleared her throat and said:

"One week from now, the school will hold a Ranking Battle for all first-year students!"

"Every first-year student must take part!"

"The top thirty-two students will qualify for the Elite Class!"

"Of course, it's fine if you don't make it into the Elite Class this time!"

"There'll be a chance to rotate into the Elite Class once every month. However, after the first time, we won't use the ranking format anymore!"

"Every month, the top three students from the Regular Classes will have a chance to challenge a student in the Elite Class."

"The rules are simple: the winner moves up, and the loser moves down!"

"That's everything you need to know about the Elite Class. Is that clear?"

Though she'd said that everyone needed to know, Wang Yuemei's gaze swept only over Wang Jing and the others with the highest Spiritual Energy Aptitude.

Oh, no. There was one more!

Qin Chen, whose Spiritual Energy Aptitude was the lowest in the entire year, yet whose cultivation had somehow reached Body Tempering Layer One.

Below, Qin Chen also fell into thought as he listened to Wang Yuemei, though what he felt most was excitement.

An Elite Class?

Muyang Third Middle School had never had one before.

It seemed that the school's poor results over the past few years had prompted the higher-ups to make changes!

In any case, this was good news for Qin Chen.

For someone as poor as him, resources were what he lacked most.

Even with the Side Effect Reversal System, he still needed something whose side effects he could reverse!

Otherwise, even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook without rice.

After finishing her explanation of the Elite Class, Wang Yuemei spoke again:

"All right, that's everything I needed to say!"

"Tomorrow is the Class Battle. You're free to do as you like today, so use the time to get yourselves in good shape!"

"I hope you'll give your teacher a pleasant surprise in tomorrow's Class Battle!"

As she spoke, Wang Yuemei's gaze lingered on Qin Chen again for a moment before she left the classroom.

Qin Chen leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowed. After a while, he stood and walked out of the classroom.

Then he headed straight out of the school gates, making for home.

Since they had free time, there was no need to stay at school.

There was still plenty of time. Going home to get in some more cultivation was the way to go!

The first-place prize—a D-rank Combat Skill—was as good as his!

Time slipped by, and soon the next day arrived.

The Training Ground at Muyang Third Middle School was already packed with people.

The place was alive with noise and excitement!

There were ten arenas on the grounds, each with a number in front corresponding to a class.

At Arena Number Seven, Wang Yuemei was speaking to the students in her class.

"Listen up. This may be an internal class battle, but it's being held in public!"

"Other people will be able to watch your fights, so..."

"Make sure you give it your best, got it?!"

"Got it!!"

The students replied in unison, bringing a smile to Wang Yuemei's lips.

"The rules are simple. You'll fight in pairs, and the winners will advance until we have one champion!"

"When I call out two names, those students will go up and fight!"

"Remember! This is only a Class Battle. The moment a winner is clear, the fight is over! I don't want to see anyone seriously injured!"

As she spoke, Wang Yuemei's gaze rested on Qin Chen for quite a while.

It was only later yesterday that she'd learned this He Yi fellow had been left with more than ten broken ribs by Qin Chen.

Medical care was very advanced these days, but recovering from an injury like that in a short time still came at a steep price.

At the very least, He Yi's family probably wouldn't be willing to pay it.

That was why He Yi wasn't taking part in today's Class Battle.

Wang Yuemei didn't intend to blame Qin Chen. Just as He Yi had said before:

Geniuses always had a few privileges.

What shocked Wang Yuemei even more was that Qin Chen's aura was noticeably stronger today than it had been yesterday.

He hadn't yet broken through to Body Tempering Layer Two, but he was very close.

His cultivation was now the highest in Seventh Class.

Even Wang Jing was far behind him.

Wang Yuemei had grown more and more curious about Qin Chen.

How could someone with just one point of Spiritual Energy Aptitude cultivate even faster than someone with fifty-one points?

Qin Chen definitely had a secret.

But Wang Yuemei had no intention of probing into it. Plenty of people in Great Xia had secrets.

Who didn't have a secret or two?

There had been others with extremely low initial Spiritual Energy Aptitude who had eventually become supreme powerhouses.

As long as one's Star Energy Aptitude wasn't zero, one wasn't a Waste Star User, and the path to the summit remained open!

Wang Yuemei didn't dwell on it.

Instead, she looked around at the students and called out:

"Now, let's begin the first match!"

"The fighters are..."

"Wang Jing and Qin Chen!"

!!!

At these words, every student present turned to look at the two of them.

A murmur of surprise rose from the crowd.

"How did Wang Jing and Qin Chen end up against each other in the first match? Talk about a clash of equals!"

"Yeah! I thought they wouldn't meet until later~"

Wang Jing had the highest Spiritual Energy Aptitude in Seventh Class. She was also the first student after Qin Chen to break through to Body Tempering Layer One.

Being the first to break through didn't necessarily make her the strongest, but she was certainly no pushover.

Would the two students who had broken through to Body Tempering Layer One the fastest really be facing each other in the very first round?

Everyone else was surprised, and even Qin Chen himself hadn't expected it.

He hadn't thought he'd be the first one up, let alone that his first opponent would be Wang Jing, the student with the highest Spiritual Energy Aptitude in the class.

But it didn't matter. His goal was first place. Whoever he had to fight, he'd fight.

Qin Chen walked slowly toward the arena. By the time he climbed onto it, Wang Jing had just arrived opposite him.

Wang Jing still wore the black-rimmed glasses she seemed never to take off.

Through the lenses, Wang Jing watched Qin Chen with a grave expression. She didn't underestimate him just because his Spiritual Energy Aptitude was only one point.

The sight of Qin Chen beating He Yi senseless yesterday was still fresh in her mind.

After a whole day, her Body Tempering progress had improved only a little.

The aura coming from Qin Chen was clearly stronger than hers. Even just standing there, he made her feel enormous pressure.

But Wang Jing wouldn't back down because of that.

A Martial Artist!

Must always press forward!!

With that thought, Wang Jing let out a sharp cry, sprang forward, and launched the first attack at Qin Chen...