Mummified Corpse Incident

Mu Qing's eye twitched violently.

After seeing Jiang Pangzi's pretentious wailing yesterday, he knew things were going south.

Well, this was great; his notorious reputation had truly spread, though what puzzled him was that while Song Qing had been beaten quite badly by his Thunderstorm Fist, he shouldn't have died. Could it be that the News Department was exaggerating?

Afterward, Mu Qing flipped through the news section again, his face darkening as he discovered that most of it was about him. Even when he was considered a top student, he had never been this famous.

"It seems like things have really blown up this time."

Mu Qing gave a bitter laugh, feeling both love and hate for the Purple Lightning Bamboo in his mind.

He had originally intended to keep a low profile and reveal his full strength during the Mock Exam to give Wang Haixuan a surprise, but he hadn't expected the strange state brought on by the Purple Lightning Bamboo to ruin his original plan.

"However, the Purple Lightning Bamboo my dad gave me seems to have a terrifying ability, far exceeding ordinary blood spirits!"

Mu Qing stroked his chin, focusing his attention on the Purple Lightning Bamboo in his mind. This time, he took the initiative to make contact with it.

Suddenly, Mu Qing's entire body jolted, his eyes brightening instantly as the Purple Lightning Bamboo's mist churned, swirling with purple vapor that drifted down in wisps.

His pupils gradually faded, his gaze becoming vacant, as if his entire consciousness had detached from his body and entered a strange state.

This was the exact same bizarre state that had helped Mu Qing quickly comprehend the first three stages of the Thunderstorm Fist last night!

He could actually enter it at will!

Mu Qing was ecstatic. Ignoring the news on the school's official website, he hurriedly dived into his comprehension of the Thunderstorm Fist.

There was no need to summon his blood spirit; just like practicing the Blood Refining Technique, he sat cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed, appearing perfectly normal on the outside.

But only he knew that inside his mind, the Purple Lightning Bamboo was swaying gently. The incandescent patterns branded upon it were trembling, having sprouted five branches. Each bamboo leaf fluttered softly, shedding purple mist as electric sparks flickered within.

A strange, invisible energy dissipated, creating ripples throughout his mind.

Mu Qing's body was now completely unconscious, as if his whole being were immersed in the insights of the Thunderstorm Fist.

The third stage of the Thunderstorm Fist, which he had just grasped last night, was now rushing toward the fourth stage at an inconceivable speed.

Twenty-some minutes later...

"Hiss!"

Suddenly, Mu Qing's face turned pale, and he was forced out of the state of comprehension. His lips were white, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes revealed a trace of exhaustion.

"It seems that relying on the Purple Lightning Bamboo to enter this state of comprehension isn't without its limits. I'm afraid it primarily consumes my mental energy." Mu Qing collapsed onto his bed, breathing rapidly. A piercing pain emerged from the center of his forehead, only subsiding after a long while.

"The reason I was able to reach the third stage so quickly yesterday, aside from the state of comprehension, was also because the first few stages of the Thunderstorm Fist are quite easy to practice." After resting for a while, Mu Qing realized this.

Mu Qing couldn't help but feel that his father was even more mysterious. The Blood Spirit Potion he gave him not only allowed one to possess a dual blood spirit but also possessed such a heaven-defying ability to rapidly comprehend martial arts!

Even though it exhausted all of Mu Qing's mental energy, it only allowed him to practice for twenty minutes, yet the effect was still terrifying. His third stage of the Thunderstorm Fist was already extremely proficient; he believed that after entering this state of comprehension a few more times, he would be able to master the fourth stage.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Mu Qing finally managed to recover some of his mental energy.

"My mental energy hasn't fully recovered yet, so I'd better practice Origin Force first." Mu Qing raced against time; since he couldn't enter the state of comprehension for now, he would practice other things instead.

The day after tomorrow was the school's Mock Exam, which tested the strength of the students at West Lake High School, and the entire campus would participate.

The reward for the top ten in the Mock Exam was ten bottles of Blood Refining Potion worth a million!

Mu Qing's father had bought him a few bottles of Blood Refining Potion before to help him break through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank, so he knew deeply how surging the power contained within these potions was.

Ever since his father sent over the Blood Spirit Potion, Mu Qing hadn't been able to contact him, or rather, he had no way to reach him; after all, Mu Yu's communication device had been given to Mu Qing.

Mu Qing knew that his father must be busy with that so-called important matter right now.

"The surging energy contained within the Blood Refining Potion will, to a certain extent, stimulate the power within my bloodline. Although it's unlikely I'll break through directly, it will at least allow my cultivation to improve by a notch." Mu Qing took a deep breath, secretly planning to secure a top-ten spot in the Mock Exam.

Now that he possessed the Purple Lightning Bamboo, he had the strength and confidence to do exactly that!

"Eh? Mu Qing!"

Suddenly, a tall figure entered the dormitory. Wearing a school uniform, the person froze upon seeing Mu Qing.

The person who arrived was Ling Fei.

"Did you practice in the Cultivation Room all night?" Mu Qing stopped the Blood Refining Technique he was halfway through and looked at the visibly exhausted Ling Fei, asking.

"No..." Ling Fei looked at Mu Qing with a strange expression and said, "I was called away by the Student Council president last night. Something happened on the East Campus that caused the school's top brass to be furious. The Student Council members were investigating all night; nobody slept."

"Caused the school's top brass to be furious!" Mu Qing looked stunned.

Ling Fei had joined the Student Council during his second year of high school, and the Student Council's tasks were basically to handle special incidents within the school or to discipline students who violated school rules.

Therefore, the personnel recruited by the Student Council were all powerhouses from each grade, almost all of whom had the strength of top students.

Mu Qing had also received an invitation to join the Student Council in the past, but he hadn't been very interested at the time.

It could be said that the Student Council was composed of students with the strength of top students.

For an incident to require the entire Student Council to investigate all night, it was likely extraordinary, not to mention the fact that the school's top brass were furious.

"Did you break through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank and awaken your blood spirit?" Ling Fei suddenly asked.

"Yes, not long ago, and I also bought an advanced martial art." Mu Qing nodded in reply. Clearly, Ling Fei had learned about his breakthrough to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank through the many news articles about him on the school's official website.

"It seems you've been biding your time; you just broke through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank and already practiced the Thunderstorm Fist to the third stage." Ling Fei paused, his expression darkening slightly as he said to Mu Qing, "Actually... the matter the Student Council is currently investigating has something to do with you."

"Me?" Mu Qing was suddenly stunned, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Not bad." Ling Fei nodded, saying, "Just last night, the Student Council received news that a student on the East Campus had turned into a dried corpse, their blood completely drained, and they were dead."

"Died by turning into a dried corpse?"

Mu Qing exclaimed in shock. Since entering West Lake High School, he had never heard of such a thing; no wonder it had incited the fury of the school's upper management.

"Why do you say this matter has anything to do with me?" He still didn't understand, his handsome face etched with confusion, though for some reason, a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

"I recall the news on the school's official website saying that you fought Song Qing last night and took him out in just three punches?" Ling Fei did not answer immediately.

"Are you saying... the student who turned into a dried corpse was that guy Song Qing?"

Mu Qing's pupils suddenly constricted. He wasn't stupid; seeing Ling Fei's strange gaze and expression, he realized the truth immediately.

"Correct." Ling Fei smiled bitterly and said, "You were the only one who had a conflict with Song Qing last night, and you showed no mercy, beating him half to death. With the News Department's exaggeration, some students even thought you had killed him on the spot."

"According to the Student Council's investigation, Song Qing was severely injured and unconscious after you beat him. After you left, someone went to help him up, only to find his skin shriveled and his entire body's blood seemingly drained, turning him into a dried corpse."

"So, the Student Council, and even the school's upper management, suspect that I was the one who did it?" Mu Qing's body trembled, an expression of disbelief appearing in his eyes.

He knew the power of his Thunderstorm Fist. At the time, because of Song Qing's carelessness in failing to use Origin Force to resist in time, he had been severely injured by Mu Qing's Thunderstorm Fist, but it was absolutely impossible to kill him in three punches.

Something he was unaware of must have happened during that time.

"I don't think you would do such a thing. Given your personality, even if you hated someone, you wouldn't do something so irrational." Ling Fei gave a wry smile, then added, "But it is just too coincidental. The moment you left, Song Qing's body shriveled up and became a dried corpse."

"In fact, besides the school's upper management and the Student Council, even the students across the entire campus are spreading rumors that you practice an evil martial art and drained Song Qing into a dried corpse."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qing's expression turned heavy. He hadn't expected such a thing to happen just after breaking through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank. It was possible he wouldn't even be able to participate in the Mock Exam, let alone the College Entrance Exam.

"The Student Council originally intended to arrest you overnight, but later news came that a student on the West Campus had also turned into a dried corpse, and the time their blood was drained was exactly the same as Song Qing's."

"Since you were on the East Campus at the time, it was impossible for you to have harmed that student on the West Campus. Therefore, the Student Council and the school's upper management temporarily abandoned the plan to arrest you, though you remain a primary suspect."

Ling Fei sighed; he had already done his best to help Mu Qing.

He had been very happy to hear that Mu Qing had finally broken through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank, but he hadn't expected Mu Qing to suffer such an unmerited disaster now.

"Ding-dong!"

Suddenly, a notification sound emitted from both Mu Qing and Ling Fei's communication devices.

The next moment, a voice message played automatically.

"Attention all third-year students. As the College Entrance Exam approaches, in order to help everyone adapt to the environment and pressure of the exam as early as possible, the Mock Exam will be held at three o'clock this afternoon. The Mock Exam is expected to last for three days. Please prepare yourselves as soon as possible to participate." A sweet voice came from the communication device.

"This is likely a move by the school's upper management to observe you!" Ling Fei said sharply, "They want to catch you off guard and, during the Mock Exam, attempt to find some clues to determine whether or not you are the killer."

Hearing this, Mu Qing took a deep breath, a terrifyingly sharp glint suddenly erupting in his eyes.