Zhang Jingjing

The fist wind was fierce, nearly condensing into astral energy.

--Beep beep beep, beep beep beep...

The alarm on his phone rang, somewhat inopportunely.

"Phew..." Jiang Ran let out a long breath and slowly withdrew his fist.

The Vajra Fist was a martial art passed down through the Liu Household. Once mastered, it could manifest external astral energy, shattering rocks with a single punch.

With the help of the Superior Spirit Root, Jiang Ran quickly grasped the essence of the Vajra Fist.

In just over an hour, he had pushed this fist technique to an extremely profound level. He was only one step away from mastery.

GOOGLE Search TWKAN

Unfortunately, the Superior Spirit Root trial card had expired.

"You're right on time."

Outside the door, the female manager from the rental company had been waiting for quite a while.

The Water Spirit Root flew out and returned to the wooden box, its radiance fading away.

"The spirit root is intact. Your deposit will be returned through the original payment method."

"Student Jiang Ran, we look forward to your next visit!"

For some reason, watching the spirit root leave his body filled Jiang Ran with an inexplicable sense of loss.

After the Superior Spirit Root was removed, he became an utterly ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Root cultivator once more.

The gap between a Low-Grade Spirit Root and a Superior Spirit Root was simply enormous.

No cultivator who had experienced a Superior Spirit Root would be willing to possess only a Low-Grade Spirit Root for the rest of their life.

"Give me a little more time..." A fire ignited in Jiang Ran's heart.

"I have to transplant a Superior Spirit Root... No, an Earth Spirit Root would work too!"

News of Jiang Ran successfully breaking through to Qi Refinement Level Two caused a huge stir in Class Three.

"Have you heard? Jiang Ran broke through to Qi Refinement Level Two."

"That's unbelievable... I remember he used to be a poor student."

"You're seated close to him. Once he gets here, make sure to ask him for advice."

Over more than two years of high school, there were not many students who could consistently rank at the bottom. Jiang Ran was one of them.

But now, the former underachiever had suddenly awakened. His grades kept improving, and his cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds as well.

Qi Refinement Level Two? Class Three only had three students at that level.

One was the class monitor, Cheng Qian. The other two were the class representatives for physical education and ancient language.

As the physical education representative and Class Three's perennial second-place student, Xiao Yichen was practically going crazy now.

Discussions among the Class Three students drifted into his ears from time to time, most of them praising Jiang Ran.

The rise of the weak and the comeback of a poor student had always been something most people loved to see.

What the hell? I was clearly the first to break through to Qi Refinement Level Two. Xiao Yichen felt deeply stifled.

So what if he broke through to Qi Refinement Level Two? I have a Mid-Grade Spirit Root. In the end, he still can't surpass me!

The Xiao Household had once been a great family, owning several large chain hotels in Pingjiang.

Xiao Yichen had lived in luxury as a child, with access to nothing but top-tier resources.

If nothing had gone wrong, Xiao Yichen would have undergone Spirit Root Transplant Surgery at fourteen. At minimum, he would have received a Superior Spirit Root, and if he was lucky, he might even have obtained an Earth Spirit Root.

But later, everything changed. After losing in business competition, the Xiao Household's various industries suffered one heavy blow after another.

When the old head of the Xiao Household passed away, the entire family fell into decline.

The company went bankrupt, its assets were liquidated, and the planned Earth Spirit Root naturally vanished as well.

Xiao Yichen had always been proud. Born with a Mid-Grade Spirit Root, he believed himself superior to others.

Jiang Ran's appearance shattered his understanding again and again.

Why? Why could a poor student make a comeback? Why could an ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Root break through to Qi Refinement Level Two just like him?

Jiang Ran walked into the classroom as if nothing had happened and returned to his seat.

The discussions were only natural. Everything had gone as expected.

Since he had decided to display his talent, he had long prepared himself to face controversy.

Jiang Ran did not want to become some so-called "genius."

The bird that stuck its head out got shot first. A poor student without backing or family influence had no right to climb to the very top.

But for now, mere Qi Refinement Level Two was not even enough to enter the top five hundred in the grade, so it would not attract too much attention.

"Is everyone here?" The homeroom teacher's voice came from the front.

The homeroom teacher, Sun Jun, was an elderly man with a full head of white hair. He was a veteran teacher rehired by First High School, with a wealth of teaching experience.

Sun Jun's gaze passed over the crowd and settled on Jiang Ran at the back of the classroom.

After confirming the steady aura of Qi Refinement Level Two, he nodded slightly, his satisfaction obvious.

"Everyone should already know that student Jiang Ran has broken through to Qi Refinement Level Two."

"Teacher Sun has told you many times: Qi Refinement Level Two is a threshold."

"If you want to get into one of the top universities, Qi Refinement Level Two is a hard requirement!"

"I know many of you have a good chance of breaking through, but time waits for no one..."

"There are only a few months left before the college entrance exams. I hope you all give it everything you have and make one final push, so you leave no regrets in life!"

"..."

A homeroom teacher was a homeroom teacher indeed. Every word Sun Jun spoke was deeply inspiring.

The students' fighting spirit was quickly stirred. If Jiang Ran could do it, then everyone else could do it too.

They all had Low-Grade Spirit Roots. There was no reason for anyone to be weaker than anyone else.

"Oh, right. I have one final announcement." Sun Jun adjusted his glasses.

"For the National High School Spell Competition, each class has five slots. Any student who feels confident may come sign up."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed at Jiang Ran again.

"Jiang Ran, one of the slots is yours. You must participate this time."

"Huh?" Jiang Ran froze, clearly not expecting that.

"A spell competition? Me...?"

It was still Cafeteria No. 3.

Tao Dapeng grabbed Jiang Ran, eager to drag him into the restroom to investigate.

"Let go! What kind of sight are two grown men tugging at each other?" Jiang Ran desperately protected his pants.

"Come on, good son. Let your dad take a look. It's not like you'll lose a piece of flesh."

"No..." Jiang Ran was exasperated.

"Tao Dapeng, what the hell are you doing? It's not like we haven't gone to the bathhouse together!"

"True..." Tao Dapeng awkwardly released him and scratched the back of his head.

Then he looked at Jiang Ran suspiciously.

"Say, Jiang, you really didn't get castrated?"

"Castrate your sister! Mine's harder than yours!" Jiang Ran flung his hand away and headed straight out.

"Hey... That can't be right. Then how did your cultivation improve so quickly?"

"No, you must have gotten a vasectomy!"

"Get lost!"

The two bickered as they arrived at the private seating area on the east side of the cafeteria.

Tao Dapeng's doubts were not entirely unfounded.

High school was precisely the age when one's blood and vigor ran high. For boys, that downward rush of vital energy affected all kinds of cultivation to varying degrees.

For the sake of their cultivation and better college entrance exam results, quite a number of boys chose to undergo "castration" surgery.

Every summer, major hospitals rolled out buy-one-get-one-free promotions, and they sold extremely well.

Tao Dapeng was a hopelessly talentless underachiever, so there was no need for him to get castrated.

"Jiang Ran, you can't do something stupid like those idiots."

"Cultivation is precious, but sexual happiness is worth even more. Aren't you still pursuing Zhang Jingjing? If you get cut, you won't be able to..."

Jiang Ran's cultivation had improved far too quickly lately, making Tao Dapeng worry that his best friend had gone astray.

"Tao Dapeng! What nonsense are you talking about?"

A girl's reproach suddenly came from the next table.

The two girls' cheeks were slightly flushed.

Clearly, they had heard Tao Dapeng's well-intentioned advice loud and clear.

"Chen Rong, Zhang Jingjing?" Tao Dapeng stared in astonishment.

"Why are you two here..."