"Take it easy!"
Seeing the flames suddenly grow instead of die down, Jiang Liu cried out in alarm. Water spiritual energy burst from his body, forming an almost solid layer of water that barely managed to block the scorching flames.
My Supreme Water Spiritual Root at Qi Refining Layer 8 can't suppress her flames?
No way!
Jiang Liu gritted his teeth. His water spiritual energy surged like a vast sea, pouring wildly from his palm. Pure water gathered and sprayed down over Su Weiyang's head like a fountain, visibly extinguishing a small portion of the flames.
Pale blue water faced off against deep red flames. As they clashed, the fire around Su Weiyang gradually receded, revealing her cool yet rosy face.
The surging water spiritual energy drenched the flames, while the flames writhed and fought back. The temperature in the principal's office kept rising and falling, and as time passed, the balance gradually tipped.
Jiang Liu drove his water spiritual energy with all his might, while Su Weiyang struggled to control the outburst of her Pure Yang Body and Supreme Fire Spiritual Root. Working together, they spent more than ten minutes finally suppressing the blaze around Su Weiyang, revealing once more the delicate body that had not been exposed to the air for days.
"That wore me out."
Jiang Liu let out a long breath of relief. As he withdrew his hand, he found he'd pulled out a dozen or so soft strands of hair. He casually shook them off, then wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
With his Qi Refining Layer 8 cultivation, two Supreme Spiritual Roots, and the spiritual energy stored in several magical artifacts, he had nearly nothing left after suppressing the outburst of Su Weiyang's flames. This alone showed just how absurd the combination of a Pure Yang Body and a Supreme Fire Spiritual Root was.
I want that so badly.
Su Weiyang stared blankly at her delicate hands. At last, a flicker of emotion appeared on her usually expressionless face. She looked at Jiang Liu and said earnestly, "Thank you. I could only suppress the outburst of my Pure Yang Body and Supreme Fire Spiritual Root thanks to you."
She hadn't expected much, but as the flames around her gradually subsided, a glimmer of hope had risen in her heart. Once the fire was completely suppressed, she felt even more grateful to Jiang Liu.
If she could live a normal life, who would want to walk around engulfed in flames?
Her classmates kept their distance, and everything she touched—apart from the things on her person—turned to ash. Who could understand what that was like?
She hadn't changed her clothes in days!
If her Pure Yang Body didn't burn away filth, she'd have started to stink by now!
"It was nothing."
Jiang Liu waved it off, speaking as casually as if it were no big deal. "We're classmates. I help you today, you help me tomorrow. We'll all head toward a bright future together."
"Mm."
Su Weiyang nodded quietly, committing his words to memory. They would help each other. With her talent, she believed she'd repay him someday.
"You really did manage to suppress it."
The principal, who had been keeping his distance, came over too. He looked at Su Weiyang, restored to normal, with astonishment and praised Jiang Liu. "Well done, Jiang Liu. You really are one of Third Middle School's top students!"
Top student.
For over two years—no, for eleven years, from elementary school through middle and high school—he had never imagined anyone would call him a top student. He couldn't help feeling pleased.
Me, a slacker, a top student at Third Middle School!
No, no, no.
Jiang Liu shook his head and said helplessly, "Principal, what age are we living in? Who still talks about top students? How about giving me something practical instead?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Su Weiyang a couple of times.
An ordinary white long-sleeved shirt and ordinary track pants, not a single accessory on her, and no messy makeup on her face. Cool and elegant, like a green lotus emerging from flames.
Just from her clothes, it was clear that Su Weiyang's family was quite ordinary. They didn't look like the sort who could afford Spirit Stones.
And yet...
There was no need to mention her Pure Yang Body and Supreme Fire Spiritual Root. She was at Qi Refining Layer 6, and she'd even used a high-grade movement-speed buff for the parkour event. Where had all that come from?
Principal, I'm a top student too. You can't play favorites!
"Uh..."
The principal understood what Jiang Liu was getting at and gave an awkward laugh. "The school's resources are only enough to give one student full support. That spot was reserved for Su Weiyang from the very first day."
"But don't worry. You two are the only students from the whole school who made it to the third round of the parkour event. Oh, and there's also Li Dongze, but he doesn't count."
"Su Weiyang will get the full support, and you'll get the next-best support. You both have bright futures ahead."
Jiang Liu: "..."
Fine, he'd settle for second-best. What could he do? She had a Pure Yang Body. As long as she got enough resources, her future was full of promise.
He wasn't greedy anyway. The school's resources were free, so he'd take whatever he could get. If they didn't give him anything—well, they absolutely had to. He was more than willing to win honors for the school.
"Nothing more to say, Principal."
Jiang Liu held out his hand and wiggled his fingers with a grin. "Just give me something for now. You wouldn't want me to lose to First Middle School or Second Middle School in the third-round event, would you?"
"How do you know that students from First Middle School and Second Middle School made it to the third round?"
The principal looked puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Jiang Liu replied casually, "Even Li Dongze managed to make it to the third round. First Middle School and Second Middle School are stronger than us, so how could the students they're backing be any worse?"
He didn't know how many players would be in the King's Track for the third round, but there were bound to be students from First Middle School and Second Middle School, and probably quite a few of them.
In the early stages of cultivation, wasn't it all about resources?
A student backed by all the resources of a school couldn't be weaker than some rich tycoon out there, could they?
Even Third Middle School could produce a Su Weiyang at Qi Refining Layer 6. The other schools were bound to have students at Qi Refining Layer 6, or even Layer 7.
He even suspected that if they didn't have to divide most of their resources among the whole student body, they might've been able to push someone all the way to Qi Refining Layer 9.
It was just that Qi Refining Layers 7, 8, and 9 were considered the late stage. The weakest Qi Refining Pills only had half, then half again, of their usual effect at that level. They could still force someone to Qi Refining Layer 9 by piling on pills, but it was a waste.
Even he hadn't taken any pills to go from Qi Refining Layer 8 to Qi Refining Layer 9. Could anyone else afford to?
Did they think Spirit Stones grew on trees?
So he predicted that in the King's Track, it was almost impossible for anyone to have a higher cultivation level than him. At most, they'd be at Qi Refining Layer 7.
Higher cultivation, more magical artifacts, stronger Spirit Roots, greater stamina.
He was determined to become the parkour king in the third round!
"You're right."
The principal nodded, walked over to his desk, and took a file from a drawer. He placed it on the desk and said, "This is information on the students backed by First Middle School and Second Middle School. Come take a look."
They'd even gathered intelligence on the enemy?
Jiang Liu and Su Weiyang exchanged glances, then eagerly leaned over and opened the file.
When he saw the student on the first page, Jiang Liu looked stunned. "What a handsome blond!"
The student backed by the other schools was actually more handsome than him, Third Middle School's own Takeshi Kaneshiro!
The key point was, this was a West Coast blond. He immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
When handsome guys met, they stabbed each other right in the kidneys!
Blondie, don't let me run into you in the third round!
Before you continue