Zhou Bai's Study Plan

After lying sprawled in a corner of the library until nearly an hour after class had ended, Zhou Bai finally woke from his hazy drowsiness. He sat up straight and yawned.

Glancing at the library clock, he froze slightly. "It's this late already?"

"Christina." Zhou Bai looked at the cat in his consciousness. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Don't bother me." Christina said unhappily, "Are you trying to make me suffer a cultivation backlash? From now on, don't disturb me at all. I'm going to raise my Primordial Spirit Value to 99 in one go!"

Zhou Bai curled his lips and looked at the Auxiliary System, instantly cheering up.

Daoization Degree: 0%

Primordial Spirit Value: 99

Divine Map: Nine Calamities of Heaven and Man

Laziness Qi: 270

"Two hundred points in one afternoon." Zhou Bai nodded in satisfaction and left the library with the borrowed textbooks. "If I can skip class like this every day, my cultivation speed will advance a thousand li a day."

Stroking the textbooks in his hands, Zhou Bai thought to himself, Mm, the best approach from now on is to skip class during the day and farm Laziness Qi Value. I'll study on my own at night, little by little. Even if I can't keep up with Jing Xiu and the others, at least I won't be left too far behind in the basic theories.

With a practical cultivation plan in place, Zhou Bai felt much more at ease.

On the way back, he grabbed a meal and brought Elsa a bowl of food from the cafeteria as well.

The moment he entered the dormitory building, Zhou Bai frowned. "What's that smell? Why does this dorm seem to be getting stinkier and stinkier? Is someone really taking dumps wherever they please?"

When he reached his door, Zhou Bai felt a chill in his heart. There was a note from Lü Chongyang.

"Zhou Bai, I don't know what reason made you choose the road of no return that is skipping class. But cultivation is ultimately a matter of personal will. I will not force you with violence. I only hope you will not waste your talent and the Dao School's investment in you."

Looking at the message on the note, a trace of guilt flashed through Zhou Bai's heart. Doing this must have disappointed Lü Chongyang terribly. He seemed to think rather highly of him.

But there was no helping it. Skipping class and studying on his own was the method best suited to Zhou Bai right now.

Sighing softly, Zhou Bai put away the note and entered the room.

Thankfully, Old Lü should have given up on forcibly dragging me to class. After all, cultivation depends most on personal will. I'm being this uncooperative, so forcing it would be useless. That's probably what he thinks, right?

Shaking his head and casting aside those stray thoughts, Zhou Bai fed Elsa, then took out his notes and prepared to begin studying the textbooks on his own.

Elsa lay obediently nearby, watching Zhou Bai with a serious expression. Every time Zhou Bai so much as moved, she would excitedly stand up, thinking he was about to play with her.

When she saw that Zhou Bai had merely shifted and continued reading, she sat back down with a disappointed look.

Zhou Bai studied the textbook in his hands seriously. He found it far easier to understand than what had been taught in class that day. As expected of a foundational textbook, it gave detailed introductions to much basic knowledge of cultivation: what Spiritual Machine was, how to breathe in and circulate Spiritual Machine, how to sense it, as well as the laws, activation, and related principles of Primordial Spirit Power, Primordial Spirit perception...

Studying these foundational textbooks would greatly make up for the gaps in Zhou Bai's cultivation basics, ensuring that his future path of cultivation would not always rely on the Auxiliary System and thus create all kinds of hidden dangers.

"Mmm~~~~" Zhou Bai stretched and stood up from his chair.

Without realizing it, he had studied from six in the evening until eleven-thirty at night—nearly six hours. Yet Zhou Bai did not feel especially tired, thanks to the changes brought about by cultivation.

Whether in physique or Primordial Spirit, Zhou Bai had already far surpassed the standards of ordinary people. After studying continuously for nearly six hours, he only felt slightly fatigued. He planned to rest for a while before continuing.

"Since I'm skipping class during the day anyway, I'll sleep during the day and study at night from now on!"

Seeing Zhou Bai get up and walk around, Elsa hurried over, wagging her tail as she looked at him expectantly.

"No, Elsa, I can't play with you. I'm just taking a short break before I continue studying." Zhou Bai patted Elsa's head. "If you need to pee, don't forget to go to the bathroom. Christina taught you that, right?"

After midnight, Zhou Bai planned to lie down and rest for a while, conveniently farming some Laziness Qi Value. Then he returned to his desk, intending to study on his own until morning.

However, in the latter half of the night, he grew a little hungry and his energy began to flag, so Zhou Bai decided to go get something to eat.

When he returned after eating, he discovered that the door next to his had opened again.

In the pitch-black corridor, a man and a woman stood at the doorway, bathed in crimson light that seemed to cast a layer of blood-red over their faces.

The woman was the pale girl from next door whom Zhou Bai had encountered before. The man was a burly, square-faced fellow, currently looking at the girl with a stern expression as he said something.

As Zhou Bai gradually drew closer, his sharp ears and clear eyes allowed him to vaguely catch their conversation.

"Sakurako, at your current level, you won't pass the assessment two months from now. If you fail it, you'll be expelled."

"I'll work hard."

"Working hard isn't enough. To speak frankly, Sakurako, cultivation depends on talent. Some people are limited by their talent and may reach the limit of what they can achieve in this life at twenty, or perhaps thirty. During your previous assessment, you already..."

"I'll work hard!!"

The square-faced man sighed softly. "Fine. I know about the matter you mentioned. I'll prepare it for you. But don't push yourself too hard. The path of cultivation cannot be forced. You've been at the Dao School for so many years—you should understand that."

The pale-faced girl bowed to the square-faced man. "Thank you."

As Zhou Bai approached, the two suddenly turned their heads and stared at him expressionlessly.

Zhou Bai paused, then said, "I just got back from eating... You two carry on."

With that, Zhou Bai returned to his room. But no more voices came from outside, as though the other party had already left.

Zhou Bai then studied diligently until dawn. After that, he lay straight down on his bed and began sleeping, waiting for his Laziness Qi Value to increase.

But not long after he fell asleep, Zhou Bai was awakened by a series of knocks on the door.

A woman's voice shouted loudly, "Zhou Bai! How long are you going to hide? Hurry up and come to school with me!!"

"Who is it?" Zhou Bai said.

Zhou Bai decided to play dead, but the door was pounded with loud bangs. The woman shouted, "Zhou Bai! If you don't come out, I'll abort the child in my belly!"

"Damn it!" Zhou Bai instantly sprang out of bed. Left with no choice, he got up, dressed, and opened the door.