Surging Vitality and Blood

An afternoon of training had sent Chen Lie's body temperature soaring.

After swallowing the last small piece of Blood Linglong, Chen Lie resumed practicing the Basic Body Tempering Art.

At that moment, every cell in his body had been activated and was in an extremely active state. Before he could even perform the first movement of the fourth form, the cells within him were already frantically devouring the energy brought by the Blood Linglong.

Seeing how domineering the fourth form of the Basic Body Tempering Art was, Chen Lie performed the fifty-eight movements only once this time. Afraid that his body's nutrients would be drained dry, he left the remaining medicinal power of the Blood Linglong, which had yet to dissolve, for his active cells to absorb slowly.

After staying in the personal training room for over half an hour, the cells in Chen Lie's body finally ceased their activity and gradually fell dormant.

By then, the medicinal power of the final small piece of Blood Linglong had almost been completely absorbed. Less than one-tenth remained, stored within his muscles.

Leaving the personal training room, Chen Lie went straight to a vitality and blood scanner. He entered its cabin and began testing his vitality and blood value.

Blue light began scanning inside the instrument's cabin. Once the scan was complete, the machine announced the result.

"Ding. Test complete. Vitality and blood value: 22.91 calories."

Chen Lie stepped out of the vitality and blood scanner and looked back at the number displayed on it.

"My vitality and blood value has doubled. As expected of a fifty-year spiritual medicine."

As Chen Lie thought this, he suddenly felt a sense of discomfort in his body. He extended his mental power to inspect himself and came to a conclusion.

"Looks like increasing my vitality and blood value by such a large amount all at once has put quite a burden on my body."

There was nothing he could do. He did not have the corresponding resources to nourish his body. It was only a minor burden, though; it would not affect him much. A few days of recuperation with medicine would be enough.

Leaving East River Martial Arts Hall, Chen Lie found that the sky had already darkened somewhat. He went to the bus stop beside the martial arts hall and took a flying bus home.

Early the next morning, Chen Lie ate something casually before leaving home for school.

Upon reaching the elite campus, Chen Lie headed straight for the Elite Class 5 classroom.

There were roughly several dozen students in the Elite Class 5 classroom at the time. Chen Lie walked in, picked a seat, and sat down.

"Chen Lie, why didn't you come yesterday?"

No sooner had Chen Lie sat down than he heard a voice behind him.

Turning around, he saw the student who had spoken to him on his first day in the elite class. His name was Wang Chen.

"I had something to do yesterday. What, do you come to the elite class every day? When I registered, the instructor said it was fine even if I didn't come for a month," Chen Lie said.

"Not every day, but pretty often. We lower-tier elite students don't come from particularly wealthy families. What else would we do if we didn't come to school? After all, the school provides two nutritious meals a day."

"That's true." Chen Lie nodded.

"I only entered the elite class two months ago. I came up from a regular senior class too. What about you, Chen Lie?"

As Wang Chen spoke, he came to the front row and sat beside Chen Lie.

"I came from a regular senior class too," Chen Lie said.

"Then we're screwed. The instructors won't value people like us who only got into the elite class in our senior year."

"What does it matter whether the instructors value us or not?" Chen Lie asked.

"Let me put it this way. My family is average, so coming to the elite class means I get two nutritious meals a day. The elite class also has two martial arts guidance lessons every week. Do you know how many star credits it costs to learn a martial art at a martial arts hall? Even hundreds of thousands is considered cheap. So I can only count on learning martial arts at school.

"That's why I have to come to school often. I've only just entered the elite class, so my vitality and blood value is definitely lower than everyone else's. Most people in the elite class curry favor with the strong and trample the weak.

"Since I didn't enter the elite class in my first or second year, the instructors don't value me. So when the old elite students bully me, the instructors usually just turn a blind eye."

Wang Chen shook his head and sighed.

"So elite students promoted from regular senior classes have it this rough in the elite class." Chen Lie fell into thought.

"Yeah. Once, I overheard school officials talking. They said the school spends over a billion star credits every month on subsidies for elite students. It burns through money like crazy.

"Those students who only enter the elite class in their senior year, along with those who have been in the elite class for half a year but still can't get their vitality and blood value past 10, should all be kicked out.

"Another official said: 'There's no helping it. The school needs to cultivate elite students at the top. Elite students promoted from regular senior classes, and elite students whose vitality and blood values are still single-digit, are both indispensable.

"'Without these lower-tier elite students to serve as foils, how can the top elite students develop the spirit of the strong?'

"Listen to what that means. Doesn't it mean people like us are cannon fodder for the top elite students? That we exist solely to help them cultivate the mentality of the strong?"

Wang Chen's face was filled with indignation.

Chen Lie nodded. The universe followed the jungle law of the strong devouring the weak.

At that moment, a beautiful girl walked into the classroom and angrily sat down in the seat beside Chen Lie.

The moment Wang Chen saw the beautiful girl sit beside him and Chen Lie, he quietly shifted farther away.

He also whispered, "Chen Lie, move farther away."

"Why?" Chen Lie asked.

Just as Wang Chen was about to explain, another male student entered through the classroom door. Wang Chen immediately lowered his head.

The boy came to Chen Lie's desk and rapped it with his fingers. Without even looking directly at Chen Lie, he merely said, "Move."

Chen Lie did not say anything. He simply shifted to the side, since there were plenty of empty seats.

"Wanwan, don't be angry anymore, okay? That girl just now really was only my little sister."

"You think I'm blind, Zhang Xun? You were practically hugging each other, and she's only your sister? Since when did your parents give you another sister?"

The beautiful girl spoke coldly.

"This... I never said she was my biological sister. She's my sworn sister."

"Get lost!"

The male student smiled awkwardly, but showed no intention of retreating. Instead, he sat down in Chen Lie's former seat and continued talking to the beautiful girl.

Wang Chen leaned toward Chen Lie again and said, "That guy is Zhang Xun. He entered the elite class from a key second-year class and has already been here for a year. His vitality and blood value broke into double digits ages ago. We'd better stay away from him. He relies on his high vitality and blood value to bully new students all the time."

"Understood."

Chen Lie nodded. It seemed that the elite class managed its students in a semi-hands-off manner.

The weak got bullied, while the strong bullied others.

Wang Chen lowered his voice. "Zhang Xun comes from a wealthy family and is strong, so he likes hitting on new girls. But he has a girlfriend—that girl, Xie Wanwan. Judging from this, Zhang Xun must have been flirting with another girl and got caught by Xie Wanwan.

"We should stay farther away, in case the two of them get angry and take it out on us."

"No need." Chen Lie waved a hand. "I'm sitting here."

"Fine."

Seeing that he was not particularly close to Zhang Xun, Wang Chen nodded.

"How about this, Wanwan? Aren't you practicing Water Soft Palm? My uncle is a martial arts hall instructor, and Water Soft Palm is what he specializes in teaching. I'll ask him to guide you one-on-one. Stop being mad at me, okay?"

Zhang Xun spoke to Xie Wanwan beside him again.

"Hmph!"

Xie Wanwan turned away and ignored Zhang Xun.

"Fine, I promise you. From now on, I absolutely won't have contact with any other girls. Can you forgive me one more time?" Zhang Xun asked again.

"Really?" Xie Wanwan turned to look at Zhang Xun and blinked.

"Of course. When have I ever failed to do something I promised you?" Zhang Xun asked in return.

"Fine. I'm free this Saturday, so have your uncle guide me in Water Soft Palm then."

"Alright. I'll go talk to my uncle after school."

After saying that, Zhang Xun reached out and wrapped an arm around Xie Wanwan. She did not resist, and the two began cuddling together.

"Hmph, it's all your fault. You're always making me mad. I didn't even eat breakfast, and I'm still hungry!"

After cuddling for a while, Xie Wanwan suddenly took out her anger on Zhang Xun.

Zhang Xun laughed. "What's the big deal?"

He turned around, swept his gaze across the classroom, and pointed at the students behind him.

"You there. Yeah, you. Go right now and buy two breakfasts."

After pointing around, Zhang Xun finally stopped at Chen Lie, who was closest to him. Without waiting for Chen Lie's response, he turned back around and continued cuddling with Xie Wanwan.

Wang Chen could not help glancing at Chen Lie. "Come on, Chen Lie. I'll go with you."

"Go? Where?"

"To buy breakfast."

"Why would I buy breakfast? I'm not hungry."

"What does whether you're hungry have to do with it?" Wang Chen said. "Didn't you hear Zhang Xun tell you to buy two breakfasts and bring them back?"

"I'm not his father. Why should I buy breakfast for him?" Chen Lie said.

"Zhang Xun's vitality and blood value is already in the double digits. On average, seven out of every ten new students in Elite Class 5 have been beaten up by him.

"We came from regular senior classes, so we're at the bottom of the class. The instructors won't value you. If Zhang Xun beats you up, even if you report it to an instructor, they won't do anything.

"If you don't listen to Zhang Xun and go buy breakfast, this definitely won't end well today."

"Don't worry about it."

"Sigh..."

Seeing Chen Lie's attitude, Wang Chen could only shake his head and sigh.

When he had first entered the elite class, had he not also been high-spirited, believing himself extraordinary and far beyond ordinary people?

Unfortunately, it was only after taking several brutal beatings in the elite class that he finally understood he was merely at the very bottom among elite students.

He believed that in another half month or so, Chen Lie would become just like him. People could not be taught by people, but events could teach them in one go.

Zhang Xun was talking to Xie Wanwan in front, but he noticed that Chen Lie had not moved at all. He immediately rose to his feet, walked to Chen Lie's desk, and slammed his hand heavily against it.

"I told you to buy two breakfasts! Are you fucking deaf? Why the fuck haven't you gone yet?"

Chen Lie stood up. Facing Zhang Xun, he showed no fear at all. "You want me to run errands and buy breakfast for you? Sure. Get down and kowtow to me, then call me Dad."