After Zhou Xing's little episode, all the students quieted down and immersed themselves in their studies once more.
As Gao Teng listened to the lesson, he began planning his next move.
Zhou Xing had gone insane, and his life was completely hopeless. Next, he would steal Zhao Dapeng's cultivation.
Although Zhao Dapeng practiced a hodgepodge of cultivation techniques and martial arts, which would hinder his progress with the foundational ones, learning higher-grade techniques would help him achieve better results in the college entrance exam's practical combat matches.
Students at key high schools usually began practicing high-grade techniques after thoroughly mastering the basics, in order to secure a high ranking.
A high ranking would not only attract special attention from pharmaceutical companies, but also earn them preferential treatment at university, which was crucial to their future prospects.
Although Gao Teng followed a unique path in martial arts, he still wanted to achieve excellent results in the practical combat matches and prove his worth.
And he wasn't worried about the foundational techniques, either. There were still more than fifty days until the college entrance exam, which was more than enough time for him to reach perfection.
With that in mind, the lesson ended before he knew it, and Gao Teng's once-every-ten-days strength test came around.
On the way to the physical training room, Meng Yao walked up beside Gao Teng and pouted. "Why are you ignoring me?
"It's been two whole classes and you haven't said a word to me. If I don't come talk to you, are you just going to keep pretending to be mute?
"We were eating together just yesterday, but today we're acting like strangers."
Gao Teng rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot to say hello."
"You forgot?"
Meng Yao couldn't believe it. "I'm so pretty and adorable. Shouldn't I be firmly lodged in your heart? How could you forget me?"
Gao Teng nodded repeatedly. "You're right. I was completely in the wrong."
"Oh, I get it now."
Meng Yao understood and comforted him. "Look, I'm not only pretty and adorable, I'm also strong and come from a powerful family. You must have felt inferior, so you kept your distance.
"You don't have to do that. I won't look down on you."
Gao Teng scratched his head. "You're overthinking it."
Hearing the helplessness in his voice, Meng Yao's eyes widened.
She stared at Gao Teng in surprise, then saw how calm he looked, as if everything she was proud of meant nothing to him.
"So you just don't want to talk to me?"
"No..."
"Then I won't talk to you either!"
Meng Yao tossed her twin ponytails and hurried off, her hips swaying.
Watching her go, Gao Teng couldn't help laughing.
Meng Yao was such a child at heart. She was just too funny, like a silly little kid.
He didn't follow her. Instead, he silently counted to himself.
Sure enough, Meng Yao suddenly turned around and ran toward him, her little fists clenched.
When she got close, she leaped up and smacked Gao Teng on the head.
"You! Couldn't you even come after me and apologize?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. From now on, I'll make sure you're the first person I greet whenever I come to school."
"That's so insincere!"
Meng Yao snorted, pulled a blister pack of pills from her pocket, popped one out, and held it out to Gao Teng.
"Do you think I just wanted to chat with you? I wanted to give you a pill so you could improve faster. You're so ungrateful!"
Gao Teng didn't reach for it. Instead, he asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Of course it's to repay you for saving my life." Meng Yao rolled her eyes. "Yesterday, I wanted you to take private lessons with me, but you wouldn't. This was the only way I could think of to help you."
Gao Teng smiled and declined. "Forget it. I can afford to buy pills myself. You don't need to help me."
Meng Yao said excitedly, "These are Marrow Cleansing Pills made by Hundred Flowers Pharmaceutical Company. They're the best-quality pills on the market.
"The cheap pills you usually buy are less effective and have more side effects. They're no match for the big companies' products."
"I know the big companies' pills are good, but one or two won't make much difference to me."
Meng Yao waved her hand grandly. "From now on, I'll cover all your pills every day!"
Gao Teng raised an eyebrow. That would cost a fortune, and Meng Yao was really willing to spend it.
But he didn't want to accept her kindness. If word got back to Meng Yao's family, they'd suspect he had ulterior motives.
He really didn't want to get involved in that kind of hassle.
"Meng Yao, I appreciate the thought.
"I'm making good progress already, and I have my own cultivation plan. You don't need to help me."
Meng Yao lowered her hand in surprise. She hadn't expected Gao Teng to turn her down again.
How could he refuse such a good deal?
Gao Teng thought for a moment, then added, "Don't keep thinking about repaying me. Even if I hadn't been there yesterday, that snake wouldn't have posed a threat to your life."
Meng Yao disagreed and argued, "The snake bit me on the neck, and I immediately lost strength all over. I couldn't have twisted it into a pretzel like you did. You have no idea how I felt at the time."
"Putting it that way, I suppose you do owe me."
Gao Teng rubbed his chin. "I'll decide how you repay me. For now, just remember that you'll never be able to repay what you owe me."
With that, he walked into the physical training room.
Meng Yao followed him in, pouting. "You insist on turning down the pills, and you say you're making good progress. I want to see how much stronger you've actually gotten."
The two of them lined up with their class. Class Five only had a dozen or so students, so it wasn't long before Gao Teng's turn came.
He lay down inside a high-tech-looking alloy pod. As the hatch closed, immense pressure immediately began squeezing him from all sides.
Gao Teng's breathing hitched. As the pressure grew, his bones began to creak and groan under the strain.
Fortunately, the crushing sensation, as if his body were about to be squeezed to pieces, didn't last long. The pressure suddenly eased after reaching a certain critical point, then vanished from the pod entirely.
"Hiss..."
With a soft hiss of escaping pressure, the hatch slowly opened.
Gao Teng sat up inside the pod. His body felt weak, and even breathing caused a slight ache.
"Physical strength: 3.46?"
Chen Yan took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes before putting them back on.
She hadn't misread it. Gao Teng really did have such high physical strength!
"Th-this is impossible!"
Chen Yan stared in disbelief at the sheet in her hands. "Your physical strength was 1.56 ten days ago. How did you raise it to 3.46 in just ten days?"
At her words, all the students were shocked.
Meng Yao especially was so stunned her mouth could fit a fist. Was this what Gao Teng meant when he said he was making good progress?
This wasn't just fast—it was downright ridiculous!
In ten days, his physical strength had gone from 1.56 to 3.46. Had he eaten an immortal pill?
"Gao Teng, what exactly have you been doing lately?"
Chen Yan voiced the question on every student's mind.
Before you continue