But what was different?
Qin Fangyang scanned the room again but found nothing unusual. Yet that sense that something was wrong refused to fade; instead, it grew stronger. He looked over everything carefully once more, then suddenly his eyes widened in shock.
At the very back of the classroom, by the two most inconspicuous seats, Qin Fangyang saw a dazzling light of star soul power, its brilliance almost surpassing that of the three gifted prospects at the very front!
Qin Fangyang focused and looked more closely. Above that brilliant star soul power was unmistakably a vortex, slowly rotating and drawing star soul power into itself!
And judging by its size, this star soul power vortex was actually larger than that of the top-ranked Long Yusheng!
Below it, a boy sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his posture perfectly upright.
"His... Zuo Xiaoduo? It's him? That charlatan!"
Qin Fangyang's shock was no small matter. It nearly scattered his internal energy and sent his cultivation awry.
That unusual point of star soul light was actually the cultivation vortex of Zuo Xiaoduo, who had only just joined them!
How was that possible?!
If he had been a genius to begin with, Qin Fangyang would not have been shocked. But for something like this to happen to someone who had repeated a grade for five years was rather abnormal.
"That can't be..." Qin Fangyang watched closely. "With talent like this, he ought to be a heaven-blessed genius. How could he possibly have repeated a grade for five years?"
Utterly bewildered, Qin Fangyang immediately focused his attention on Zuo Xiaoduo.
He saw countless streams of star soul power pouring into his body like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea. Yet this influx, far exceeding the normal cultivation rate of Martial Warrior class students, was like a clay ox entering the sea, producing no further response.
This result left Qin Fangyang even more puzzled on top of his surprise.
Every cultivating student's exposed skin, on their faces, hands, and elsewhere, was faintly glowing to varying degrees. This was the natural reaction of star soul power entering and acting upon the human body.
But Zuo Xiaoduo... the spiritual energy vortex above his head was clearly larger than anyone else's. Even seated in the worst spot, without a star soul stone in his hands to aid his cultivation, he was absorbing the most star soul power.
Yet what the hell was with his skin showing no glow whatsoever?!
What could explain that?!
"Could this fellow be eating star soul power directly? Bypassing his meridians? Digesting it straight into his stomach and intestines?" Qin Fangyang could not make sense of it, no matter how he thought.
"But if he can absorb it like this, why did he keep repeating a grade?"
"Could he have kept repeating a grade because he crapped it all back out?"
Qin Fangyang felt rather dazed.
Chapter 16: Work It Out
Meanwhile, with his eyes closed, Zuo Xiaoduo wholeheartedly stoked his star soul flame and circulated his star soul power, ravenously absorbing more. He had long since entered a state of forgetting both himself and the world.
Just then, the coolness traveling down from between his brows abruptly stopped when it reached his chest.
Meanwhile, the other stream that had entered his head continued to advance slowly along the meridians there.
Wherever it passed, Zuo Xiaoduo felt an added clarity, his mind lucid, and unwittingly developed the illusion that he had become much smarter.
After circling his head three times, that stream of coolness sank through the meridians in his neck, then split in two, one stream entering his left shoulder and the other his right.
They gradually traveled down his left and right arms all the way to his fingertips, making a full circuit through every meridian along the way before reversing course.
Back at his shoulders, both streams sank simultaneously and converged toward the middle, joining forces with the coolness that had previously traveled downward, then advancing farther down.
In response, the star soul power at his dantian abruptly accelerated, surging upward against the flow to meet them.
Above was a cool current mixed with star soul power; below was a current of volatile spiritual energy stirred up by the star soul flame. Within Zuo Xiaoduo's meridians, they were like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, like an adulterous whatsit meeting his adulterous whatchamacallit. The moment they met, they tangled together, each mingling with the other.
The two currents, traveling in different directions and possessing vastly different properties, suddenly converged. Zuo Xiaoduo, already in a state of forgetting himself and the world, shuddered all over, then began twisting violently as though convulsing, white vapor billowing from his body.
Immediately afterward, his internal organs shook violently as well.
A moment later, Zuo Xiaoduo abruptly let out a muffled grunt, and two streams of foul-smelling blood instantly poured from his nostrils.
At the same time, as though summoned, the power of the star soul formation suddenly spun, pouring the vast majority of its might toward Zuo Xiaoduo.
An even more powerful tide of energy surged in forcefully and merged into Zuo Xiaoduo's body.
With the aid of more power from the star soul formation, the two forces generated within Zuo Xiaoduo grew increasingly powerful. After merging into one, they surged mightily through the meridians throughout his body. Finally, the cooling force gradually contracted, clinging to the star soul flame and returning with it to his dantian. Only then did this round of cultivation reach its conclusion, drawing to a temporary close.
Returning to awareness from his meditative cultivation, Zuo Xiaoduo drew a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, his mind utterly clear.
From the inside out, he radiated an indescribable vigor and high spirits.
"That feels good!"
Zuo Xiaoduo murmured.
At that moment, all the other students were still cultivating, entirely unaware of what had just happened.
Only Qin Fangyang, on the teaching platform, watched Zuo Xiaoduo for a moment before closing his eyes again. His expression was calm, as unruffled as an ancient well, showing nothing unusual.
Within his heart, however, towering waves raged. He was utterly shaken!
Only he, only their homeroom teacher, had seen what had just happened-Zuo Xiaoduo's spiritual energy vortex had unmistakably surpassed the current limits of everyone in the class. At its peak, it had even grown to the size of half the classroom.
Although that peak state had lasted only a very short time, Qin Fangyang was certain he had not been mistaken. It was an undeniable fact!