Waste Pill Appraisal

"Phew~"

Chen Zhuo finished his exercise and walked slowly up to Wang Heng. Looking down at him, he said, "You lost. Want to keep going?"

Wang Heng wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

He wanted so badly to argue back, but he seemed to have no excuse.

Just then, the Spirit Message Jade Slip on the floor suddenly spoke.

Wang Heng seemed to have accidentally turned on its speaker when he fell. In an instant, Little Jade's clear, ringing voice filled the classroom.

Little Jade: "Although your opponent is only at Qi Refining Second Layer, he has extensive combat experience and exceptionally sharp battle instincts. I recommend surrendering immediately to avoid further injury and damage to your Immortal Dao Potential."

Wang Heng's face instantly burned red.

The students around them froze for a moment, then burst into laughter they could no longer hold back.

Even Meng Yan couldn't help laughing.

Chen Zhuo paused too, then shook his head and turned back toward his seat.

He wanted to toss out a few taunts, but kept them to himself.

After all, only Meng Yan and Liang Ningwan had received implanted Acquired Spiritual Roots like him. If he provoked the whole class, things could get ugly.

Besides, there was a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator in the classroom.

Chen Zhuo returned to his seat and sat down calmly, as though nothing had happened.

Meng Yan leaned over, beside himself with excitement. "Brother Chen, you're incredible! How did you do it? He's at Qi Refining Fourth Layer!"

Chen Zhuo glanced at Wang Heng on the floor and said evenly, "It was nothing. He was just too weak."

Wang Heng heard him. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes rolled back. That damn Chen Zhuo had nearly made him faint with rage.

Damn it, how could a guy with an Acquired Spiritual Root Implantation be this rotten?

"All right."

Just then, the rather frail-looking Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator spoke up. "It was only a little friction. We're all classmates in the eight hundred and ninety-fifth Pill Appraisal cohort, so we should stick together. As class prefect, I'll say what's fair: let's leave it at that."

With that, the prefect turned to Wang Heng. "Wang Heng, don't look down on classmates who have undergone Acquired Spiritual Root Implantation from now on."

Wang Heng had gotten to his feet, but he kept his head down and said nothing. He only clenched his fists, sending fresh waves of pain through them...

It was as if he had heard someone say, "Battle Qi, third stage," or something of the sort.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never mock a young man for being poor!

Then the prefect turned to Chen Zhuo. "It's obvious that the Spiritual Root implanted in Chen Zhuo is of a very high grade. Everyone should be friendlier to him from now on."

At the prefect's words, the others nodded one after another.

It was true.

Reaching the first three layers of Qi Refining wasn't particularly difficult, but it usually took around five years.

Chen Zhuo had reached Qi Refining Second Layer in just three months. That was proof enough of his strong Immortal Dao Potential!

How could Wang Heng have been so blind?

"Hi, Chen Zhuo, I'm Chen Ye. Fifty thousand years ago, we might've been one family! Add me on the Spirit Message Jade Slip? I'm expanding my contacts."

"Chen Zhuo, I'm Zhao Qi. My father's a deputy team leader on the production line at Factory One. Could we get to know each other?"

"Chen Zhuo! Remember me? I was in the next classroom during Senior Si's meeting! Can you lend me ten Spirit Stones?"

"Looking for a couple. DM me."

"..."

Everyone grew lively.

They didn't have sufficient access to see the grade of Chen Zhuo's Spiritual Root.

After hearing the prefect, they naturally assumed its grade was through the roof.

Anyone who could have such a high-grade Acquired Spiritual Root implanted had tremendous Immortal Dao Potential!

They had to make friends with him now. It would make borrowing money easier later.

Seeing this, Chen Zhuo didn't hesitate. He added every classmate who came over to cozy up to him.

It was only a contact request. What if there was a chance to borrow money later?

Not to lend them money, of course—to borrow from them!

Most of them probably wouldn't lend him anything, but if even one fool did, he'd come out ahead.

"What's so great about him?"

Wang Heng was grinding his teeth to pieces, but after that defeat, all he could do was tuck his tail between his legs and slink to the other side. He sat down beside a classmate he knew and said, "If I hadn't been careless..."

The classmate glanced at Wang Heng, immediately bent forward, picked up his Spirit Message Jade Slip, and asked in a low voice, "Little Jade, Little Jade, give me your most honest answer. A Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator who lost to someone at Qi Refining Second Layer with an implanted Acquired Spiritual Root is sitting next to me and trying to buddy up. Should I talk to him?"

"Absolutely not! One look tells me he's here to borrow money! Your Spirit Stones are extremely valuable. For the sake of your future, don't lend him any! He couldn't even beat someone at Qi Refining Second Layer. He's finished—he'll probably struggle to graduate! I suggest you talk more with that Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator. He defeated someone at Qi Refining Fourth Layer despite the gap between them. He's definitely extraordinarily gifted, at least..."

Little Jade's voice rang out, making no attempt to be discreet.

The classmate turned to Wang Heng at once and said haughtily, "You. Go sit in the back. Don't talk to me. We're not close."

Ties severed.

At that answer, Wang Heng fainted again.

"Fine, fine, fine. Zhao Qi, just you wait!"

Wang Heng got to his feet, fuming. "I'll be back!"

With that, Wang Heng went to the last row and sat down all alone.

Endure!

Chen Zhuo, who had watched the whole thing, fell into thought.

Why did cultivators these days seem so dependent on Doubao... No, on Little Jade?

On reflection, Chen Zhuo thought Little Jade really was quite impressive.

He hardly used it himself, since the professional version cost money.

But even the locally deployed version could be useful.

In the Spirit Pearl World, he needed its help identifying things.

Once I have more Immortal Dao Potential, maybe I can buy the professional version...

That way, he could use Little Jade to identify herbs and the like in the Spirit Pearl World.

His own knowledge was limited. He certainly couldn't match an Immortal Artificial Intelligence like Little Jade.

Even if Little Jade did like telling little lies now and then.

Chen Zhuo let out a breath.

The nourishing effects of the leopard meat were still working. Together with his earlier cultivation in the Spirit Pearl World, they made him feel that Qi Refining Third Layer was close.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the classroom.

A cultivator in lecturer's robes walked in. At the sight of the disorderly classroom, he frowned.

"What happened?"

A student hurried forward to explain.

After listening, the lecturer gave Chen Zhuo a surprised look, then waved a hand. "All right. Take your seats and get ready for class."

The students returned to their seats, though their eyes still drifted toward Chen Zhuo from time to time.

Chen Zhuo acted as though nothing had happened. He opened his notebook and prepared to listen.

His major coursework was more important!

He was curious what the courses for his major would be like.

This was Immortal Dao University!

The classes were bound to be extraordinary!