The sheet recording Yu Bu'e's real-time readings lay flat on the desk. An eerie silence settled over the Martial Arts Classroom.
"Brother Ning, what... what exactly is going on?"
"Right? I've been testing spirit meridians for years, and I've never seen anything like this!"
"According to the readings, Yu Bu'e's blood and qi activity reached 1.7 while he was performing the Meridian-Opening Fist, then rapidly dropped back down once he finished.
"In other words, although his final blood and qi report showed only eleven open spirit meridians, he had far more than that while performing the Meridian-Opening Fist?"
"1.7... isn't that a reading only a Qi Refining Realm martial artist should have?"
The people in white coats exchanged looks of disbelief.
Ning Xiu took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Get back to work. There are still plenty of students waiting."
"Yes." The other staff members could only disperse and return to their work.
Five more students entered the Martial Arts Classroom. Ning Xiu put his glasses back on, firmly committing Yu Bu'e's name to memory.
"Old Yu! You really surprised me! Eleven! You've got eleven now, too!"
Wu Yang shouted excitedly, as though he wanted the whole world to hear.
Word of what had happened in the Martial Arts Classroom had already spread. Someone had recorded a video, and it might already have made its way through every group chat at school.
Not only that, Yu Bu'e also noticed that his jealousy points had risen considerably.
"Now the two of us can make one final push and go to the Martial Arts Academy together. Perfect!"
Many of the students around them offered their congratulations, their eyes full of amazement as they looked at Yu Bu'e.
"Yu Bu'e, that Meridian-Opening Pill of yours is seriously high quality! It actually opened three spirit meridians in a row. Damn!"
"Yeah, Yu Bu'e, are you really not selling that Meridian-Opening Pill? I'd take out a loan to buy it!"
Suddenly, Yu Bu'e had become the best possible spokesperson for the Meridian-Opening Pill hanging around his neck.
After all, everyone knew how poor his talent was. Yet a single Meridian-Opening Pill had allowed him to make such rapid progress. It was hard not to envy him.
As they passed the sports field, they saw a group of workers setting up a temporary stage, with banners and metal supports laid out nearby.
Wu Yang looked puzzled. "Is someone coming to give a lecture today? There wasn't any announcement!"
"Didn't you check the group chat? The teacher said there's supposed to be some kind of commendation ceremony this afternoon!"
"A commendation ceremony? For who?"
Wu Yang froze, then suddenly thought of something and whipped his head around to look at Yu Bu'e.
He distinctly remembered Yu Bu'e mentioning something about a commendation ceremony during his earlier phone call.
"Old Yu, don't tell me..."
Before he could finish, a loud voice cut him off.
"Who else could it be? It's obviously for my Brother Xin!"
Yu Bu'e and Wu Yang turned to see Cheng Ruxin approaching, surrounded by a crowd.
"Cheng Ruxin? You're saying this commendation ceremony is for Cheng Ruxin?" a nearby student asked curiously.
"Of course!" the boy on Cheng Ruxin's left declared at the top of his lungs.
Not wanting to be outdone, the boy on his right immediately chimed in. "That's right! Just last week, our Young Master Cheng caught a criminal on the street and handed them over to the Law Enforcement Team!"
"Oh, that explains it! Nice work, Cheng Ruxin!"
Quite a few students gathered around Cheng Ruxin, lavishing him with praise. They were probably hoping to use this chance to get him to remember their faces.
Outside the crowd, Wu Yang nudged Yu Bu'e with his shoulder.
"Old Yu, do you think that's true?"
"What?"
"I mean, is this commendation ceremony really for Cheng Ruxin?"
"Dunno! Maybe!"
Wu Yang narrowed his eyes, suspicion filling their slits.
Cheng Ruxin parted the crowd and walked up to Yu Bu'e, rolling his neck from side to side.
"Your Meridian-Opening Fist is pretty good. I saw it."
"Oh."
Cheng Ruxin frowned, clearly unhappy with Yu Bu'e's reaction.
He sniffed and said coolly, "Perhaps you can't be my rival, but I have to admit, you've earned the right to serve as my backdrop."
Yu Bu'e's expression was hard to describe.
Whenever he faced Cheng Ruxin, he felt his toes curl with secondhand embarrassment.
He couldn't imagine how thick-skinned someone had to be to say these things in front of everyone. How was this any different from taking a dump in the street?
"Well... good luck, then." After struggling for a long while, that was all he managed to squeeze out.
Cheng Ruxin paused, then took two steps forward, their gazes clashing. "Heh. Good. You've got guts-don't leave after school!"
"..." Yu Bu'e swore he hadn't heard that line since starting middle school.
While he was racking his brain for a response, the other boy had already turned and left, leaving him with nothing but a dashing view of his retreating back.
Wu Yang lowered his voice and whispered, "Oh no, Old Yu. I think something unholy has latched onto you..."
Yu Bu'e wasn't quite so despairing. He thought that spending more time around Cheng Ruxin might give him some inspiration.
After all, people this bizarre were rare.
When they returned to the classroom, every gaze swung toward them.
At this stage, not many students were still willing to have their spirit meridians tested. Those who had stayed in the classroom had already given up, knowing they had no hope.
When they heard the news, they could scarcely believe it.
"Yu Bu'e, you really... opened eleven spirit meridians?"
"Yu Bu'e, is your Meridian-Opening Pill really that powerful?"
Before long, a crowd had gathered around Yu Bu'e, peppering him with questions about everything under the sun.
[Xu Hu's Jealousy Points +90] [Xu Hu's Jealousy Points +43] [Xu Hu's Jealousy Points +65]
Yu Bu'e abruptly turned to look at Xu Hu, who sat in the back row.
Suddenly, that face full of jealousy and resentment looked much more adorable.
"Also, Yu Bu'e, is your Meridian-Opening Fist the proper version? Why does it feel... a little different?"
The moment that question was asked, the entire classroom fell silent.
They knew Yu Bu'e performed the Meridian-Opening Fist well and often received praise from their martial arts teacher, but it had always been fairly standard.
What they had seen today was clearly something else entirely.
Yu Bu'e smiled slightly, and everyone inwardly braced themselves.
"Does it? I don't think it's any different. Probably just a sudden insight. Read ten thousand books, and your writing flows as if inspired! Practice the Meridian-Opening Fist enough, and you're bound to gain some new understanding.
"As for what's different... I haven't noticed anything. Maybe it's just more natural now. You could call it refining perfection..."
Standing beside him, Wu Yang found the constipated expressions on the other students' faces rather strange.
You all know what Yu Bu'e is like. Didn't you think of that before asking?
All he thought was, Yep, just as expected!
Watching jealousy points keep floating up above his classmates' heads, Yu Bu'e shot a grateful look at the boy who had asked the question.
Over the course of the morning, the news that Yu Bu'e had opened three spirit meridians in succession with a single Meridian-Opening Pill spread across the entire campus.
With only a few minutes left before school let out, a shout rang out from outside.
"Er Yuehong has come to request medicine!"
The teacher's mouth twitched. Seeing more and more students gathering in the hallway outside, the teacher could only pick up the textbook and leave.
Before leaving, the teacher gave Yu Bu'e a long look, eyes lingering mainly on the "necklace" hanging around his neck.
"Old Yu, looks like everyone outside wants to buy a Meridian-Opening Pill from you," Wu Yang said, nudging Yu Bu'e's elbow.
Yu Bu'e touched the Meridian-Opening Pill around his neck, then glanced at the bustling scene outside. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and a wicked smile spread across his face.
"Hehehe..."
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