Lin Fan turned to Wang Wu and the others and cupped his hands. "Thank you for your support, brothers."
Wang Wu patted Lin Fan on the shoulder. "Of course. We share a dorm room. When one of us prospers, we all prosper; when one suffers, we all suffer."
"Exactly."
"That's right."
"Unlike a certain someone, who wouldn't help and even made snide remarks."
The other three spoke in turn. At the last speaker's words, Lin Fan and the others all turned their gazes toward the person lying on the bed.
He was one of those who had earned the top-five rewards, the fourth to stand up. His name was Jiang Tong.
All five of them looked hostile as they gathered around Jiang Tong. His eyes flickered, but he forced himself to remain calm. "What do you want? If you lay a hand on me, how are you any different from Li Feng and his lot? Wouldn't you just be spineless cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong?" he said, fierce on the outside but cowardly within.
"Stop trying to pin labels on us." Wang Wu sneered. "I wouldn't stoop to hitting you. Since ancient times, fence-sitters who stay neutral have always been the first to die. I'll be waiting to see how you die."
"Heh..." Jiang Tong sneered. "You'd better worry about yourselves. Let me tell you, minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt adds two hundred jin of strength and makes you hard to wound with swords or sabers. If Li Feng reaches minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt, dealing with you will be as easy as dealing with little brats."
Lin Fan narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to see who gets dealt with first. Just wait and see."
"Just wait and see!"
The other three echoed him. In the end, they did not attack, instead returning to their beds to sleep.
Early the next morning, Lin Fan and the others got up before dawn. The air between the two dorm rooms' occupants was thick with gunpowder in the dining hall. Zhao Tao, whose face Lin Fan had battered black and blue yesterday, stared venomously at Lin Fan and the others and clamored for a fight, but Li Feng held him back.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tong sat to one side, drinking porridge and eating his medicinal meal as he watched the show.
After they had soaked in the secret medicinal preparation for an hour, the instructor brought them to the slope again.
"This morning's task is ten rolls down the slope. Start now," the instructor ordered coldly.
Many faces fell. Five rolls were already enough to kill them, and yesterday's injuries had yet to heal. After ten, even if they survived, they would be half-dead. But they had no right to refuse.
Li Feng took the lead, quickly climbing up before leaping off and rolling down. The instructor nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Fan rolled down and looked at his fate panel. Sure enough, his Iron Cloth Shirt cultivation progress had updated.
Iron Cloth Shirt (minor accomplishment 1/400).
By the time he rolled all the way to the ground, his cultivation progress had reached 10.
If I roll down twenty times a day, my Iron Cloth Shirt will reach minor accomplishment tomorrow. Lin Fan calculated silently, growing increasingly excited. At this rate, full mastery of Iron Cloth Shirt was just around the corner.
They rolled down again and again. Two people passed out completely after just two rolls. After three, only the top five remained conscious.
After four, only Lin Fan, Li Feng, and Wang Wu remained. After five, only Lin Fan and Li Feng were left.
Gritting his teeth, Li Feng propped himself up and stood, looking down at Lin Fan lying on the ground. His lips moved. Though no sound came out, Lin Fan knew he had said, "Trash."
Lin Fan could not be bothered with him. His progress toward minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt had already reached a quarter, while Li Feng had not even reached the entry level. What could he possibly use to compete with him?
Li Feng only lost consciousness completely on his seventh roll, while Lin Fan pretended to pass out on his sixth, letting the instructor throw him up to roll down.
After ten rolls, the instructor left, abandoning Lin Fan and the others to their own devices.
Li Feng was still the first to wake. Lin Fan secretly opened his eyes a sliver to watch him.
Li Feng looked around, fixed his gaze on him, then walked over with a vicious grin curling his lips.
This fellow really is a petty villain. Lin Fan secretly ground his teeth. He did not even need to think to know Li Feng planned to do something while he was unconscious.
Li Feng came up beside Lin Fan and raised his foot to stomp on his face. He wanted to humiliate Lin Fan thoroughly.
Just then, Lin Fan opened his eyes and stared coldly at Li Feng. "What are you trying to do?"
A trace of surprise flashed across Li Feng's face. He withdrew his foot and gave Lin Fan a contemptuous glance. "Lucky you woke up quickly. You won't be so lucky next time." With those parting words, he turned and left.
Lin Fan quietly watched Li Feng's retreating back, considering how to teach this fellow a lesson.
He did not leave immediately, instead waiting until Wang Wu woke up so they could return together.
In the afternoon, they continued with another ten rolls. During his second roll, Li Feng suddenly felt the pain in his body ease enormously, while a surge of powerful strength welled up within him.
Something occurred to him, and his expression grew excited. He sprang to his feet with a carp flip.
"Instructor, I think I've reached the entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt!" he shouted to the instructor, as though seeking praise.
With a single step, the instructor crossed seven or eight meters to stand before Li Feng. He drew a fingernail across Li Feng's arm and found that it left only a white mark.
Looking extremely pleased, he patted Li Feng's shoulder several times. "Hahaha... Good! You reached the entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt in less than a day and a half. Your aptitude is excellent. From now on, you'll get an extra serving of medicinal food at every meal."
"Thank you, Instructor!" Li Feng was overjoyed.
Hearing this, the others looked at him with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Li Feng's roommates hurried over to surround him, each looking as though they shared in his glory.
"Congratulations on reaching the entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt, Brother Li! May your martial path flourish from here on. Becoming a martial artist will be as easy as plucking something from your pocket!" Zhao Tao's face was full of flattery.
"Congratulations, Brother Li."
"Congratulations, Brother Li!"
The others also offered loud congratulations.
As for Lin Fan's roommates, their faces were utterly dark. Now that Li Feng had reached the entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt, their days would be difficult.
Li Feng turned his gaze toward Lin Fan, looking at him as though at something by the roadside. His lips moved again, still forming the word, "Trash."
Beside him, Zhao Tao looked like a rooster that had won a mate, regarding Lin Fan with contempt. "Lin Fan, Brother Li has already reached the entry level. When will you?"
Li Feng's other roommates also looked at Lin Fan scornfully, as though they had him firmly in their grasp.
Lin Fan could not be bothered with these petty villains. Noticing the change in his roommates' expressions, he knew he had to reveal a little of his ability, or their dorm room would lose its unity.
"Things aren't looking good," Wang Wu said quietly in Lin Fan's ear, his tone heavy.
"Don't worry. I feel like I should be close too," Lin Fan whispered, giving Wang Wu a little inside information.
Surprise rose on Wang Wu's face. He did not know where Lin Fan got his confidence, and neither did the other three roommates.
Nearby, Jiang Tong laughed outright when he heard this. "Heh... Don't talk so big. If you still haven't reached the entry level two days from now, you'll have embarrassed yourself beyond all measure. You still want to compete with Li Feng? You simply don't know your own limits. I advise you lot to sincerely apologize to Li Feng and beg for mercy. Perhaps there's still time!"
Lin Fan frowned slightly, his gaze cold as he looked at Jiang Tong.
Wang Wu glared furiously at Jiang Tong. The other three roommates looked unhappy, but for a moment they had nothing to say. Their resolve was wavering.
The instructor understood the gist of it at a glance. His gaze swept over Lin Fan, already carrying disgust.
What he hated most were fools who had no talent and still failed to recognize which way the wind was blowing. In his eyes, Lin Fan was precisely such a person.
"What are you lot still standing around for? Get your asses up there!" he pointed at Lin Fan and the others and barked.