At Songyang High School, the students of Class 1, Grade 1, were filing into the training hall for their martial arts combat class.
Bai Zhenzhen walked in, her mind preoccupied.
"What's going on with Yu? I can't get in touch with him," she thought.
"Sick leave? Since when do high schoolers get sick leave? Did he crack under pressure?"
As Bai Zhenzhen's thoughts wandered, she suddenly noticed that the training hall was already filled with a large group of students, aside from their martial arts teacher, Lei Jun.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the tallest figure among them.
"Is that the 'Doorboard Man'?" she wondered.
Looking at the students surrounding Lan Ling, the so-called "Doorboard Man," Bai Zhenzhen quickly recognized them as seniors from Grade 2. Having an extra year of cultivation under their belts, these Grade 2 students were noticeably more robust than the Grade 1 students.
Their secondary sexual characteristics had almost completely faded, and their arms were dotted with countless needle marks—clear signs of their rigorous training and strength.
It wasn't just Bai Zhenzhen who recognized them.
Soon, other students began greeting the seniors respectfully.
Zhao Tianxing, for instance, first bowed to their martial arts teacher, Lei Jun, and then turned to the Grade 2 students, bowing deeply and saying nervously, "Hello, Senior Brothers!"
Zhao Tianxing, who weighed over 300 pounds, looked like a Corgi standing next to Lan Ling.
Only after Lan Ling gave a slight nod did Zhao Tianxing cautiously step back.
This was the hierarchy at Songyang High School—juniors always showed respect to their seniors.
The difference in cultivation time between grades often translated into a significant gap in strength.
Some even likened the three grades to the early, middle, and late stages of Qi Refinement, highlighting the stark differences between them.
At Songyang High, it was customary for juniors to greet their seniors, wait for them to sit before sitting themselves, and even yield to them in the restroom.
These practices had become ingrained in the students' daily lives.
Fortunately, Songyang High was more lenient compared to the top three elite schools, where seniors could reportedly force juniors to kneel and kowtow.
Thankfully, the curriculum and training grounds for each grade were different, and the heavy workload meant that juniors and seniors didn't cross paths often.
This was a small blessing.
As more students entered the training hall, each one bowed and greeted Lan Ling and the other seniors.
This only made Bai Zhenzhen stand out more, as she remained silent and didn't offer any greetings.
Zhao Tianxing, watching from the side, grew anxious.
"What's going on with Zhenzhen? She's going to draw the seniors' attention," he thought.
He could already feel the seniors' eyes occasionally glancing in her direction, and just imagining himself in her position made him feel awkward and tense.
Once all the students from Class 1, Grade 1, had arrived, Lei Jun addressed them.
"Today, your seniors from Class 1, Grade 2, have taken time out of their schedule to give you some combat guidance. Let's give them a round of applause!"
The students erupted in cheers.
"Thank you, Senior Brothers!" Some were already excited, thinking, "These are the top students from Grade 2. If we had to pay for their guidance, it would cost a fortune!" Others, eager to improve their combat skills, thought, "Even if I get my arm broken, it'll be worth it to learn from them!"
Qian Shen, however, was less impressed.
He stared at Lan Ling, the towering figure who had placed second in last month's Grade 2 rankings and was the star of the school's sports team.
"Lan Ling, the second-highest scorer in Grade 2 and the top athlete. But... it's meaningless," Qian Shen thought.
"Comparing scores across grades doesn't make sense. These Grade 2 students have been cultivating for a year longer than us. Any one of them would be unbeatable for us Grade 1 students. There's no point in comparing."
He Da, the son of the school's board chairman, simply nodded and smiled at the seniors.
He was already familiar with many of the top students from Grades 2 and 3.
Lei Jun, pleased with the students' enthusiasm, continued, "Very good. You all seem eager. Remember, in martial arts, the more you're willing to endure, the faster you'll improve. You have to be unafraid of losing, unafraid of being beaten, unafraid of being humiliated. Only by getting back up after every fall can you truly improve your combat skills."
As Lei Jun was about to assign sparring partners, Lan Ling whispered something in his ear.
Lei Jun nodded and called out, "Bai Zhenzhen, you'll go first. Show the others how it's done. Lan Ling, Bai Zhenzhen is one of the top combat students in Grade 1. Give her some pointers."
Lan Ling, who had been lifting a dumbbell with his right hand, slowly walked to the center of the training hall.
He smiled gently at Bai Zhenzhen.
"Junior Sister, let's spar."
Bai Zhenzhen's face darkened as she stepped forward under the envious gazes of her classmates.
Internally, she was cursing Lan Ling.
"This jerk is definitely up to no good. He's probably using this as an excuse to beat me up over that contract issue."
She suspected that this "sparring" session wouldn't be as simple as it seemed.
Lan Ling likely intended to teach her a harsh lesson.
Determined not to let him have the upper hand, Bai Zhenzhen decided to strike first.
As soon as she stepped onto the mat, Bai Zhenzhen lunged forward, aiming a powerful kick at Lan Ling's lower abdomen, targeting his dantian—a vital energy center.
To her shock, Lan Ling didn't even try to dodge.
Her foot connected with a loud thud, but Lan Ling didn't flinch.
It was as if she had kicked a block of granite.
The impact sent a sharp pain through her foot, and she felt as though her bones might crack.
"How is the gap between us this big?" Bai Zhenzhen thought, panic rising.
She tried to retreat, but before she could move, Lan Ling's hand clamped down on her ankle like a vice.
Lan Ling smiled faintly.
"Junior Sister, it seems you've underestimated me."
As the two engaged in combat, Lei Jun began offering commentary to the other students.
"That was a good sneak attack! Remember, in real combat, surprise attacks are a key strategy for overcoming stronger opponents."
"But Bai Zhenzhen doesn't know enough about Lan Ling," Lei Jun continued.
"Lan Ling has already undergone an 'absolute' sterilization procedure. He no longer has any sexual characteristics, isn't affected by hormones, and has eliminated many conventional weaknesses."
"Now that Lan Ling has her locked down, it's over for Bai Zhenzhen. She's trying to struggle free, but Lan Ling's physical strength is at least Level 6, while Bai Zhenzhen's is only around Level 1.4. Once she's caught, there's no escape."
Before Lei Jun could finish his analysis, a loud bang echoed through the training hall.
In the blink of an eye, Lei Jun had dashed forward, intercepting Bai Zhenzhen just as Lan Ling hurled her toward the wall.
The two crashed through the wall, landing in the adjacent training area.
Moments later, Lei Jun returned with a limping Bai Zhenzhen.
His expression was grim as he glared at Lan Ling.
"That was too much, don't you think?"
Bai Zhenzhen was one of the top combat students in Grade 1. If she were seriously injured, it would reflect poorly on Lei Jun's teaching record.
Lan Ling smiled calmly.
"I trust that with you here, Teacher, she'll be fine. This was a good lesson for her about the dangers of underestimating her opponent."
He then turned to Bai Zhenzhen.
"Junior Sister, I hope you've learned something from this. Shall we continue?"
Bai Zhenzhen's eyes burned with anger as a hidden power within her stirred, threatening to break free.
"No, I can't let it out. If I reveal it here, it's over..." she thought.
Lei Jun was about to intervene, but a sharp look from Lan Ling stopped him in his tracks.
"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll be more careful from now on."
Lei Jun had his suspicions, but now he was certain.
Recalling the student council's recent decision to exclude Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu from the martial arts competition, he realized that today's incident was likely orchestrated by the council.
Thinking about the power the student council wielded at Songyang High, Lei Jun could only sigh inwardly and issue a warning.
"This is my class. Don't push things too far."
Lan Ling nodded.
"Of course, Teacher. Bai Zhenzhen is a valuable student. I wouldn't dream of seriously injuring her."
The other Grade 1 students, sensing the tension but unsure of its cause, exchanged uneasy glances.
He Da, however, had a clearer understanding.
As the son of the school's board chairman, he recognized that this was an attempt to pressure Bai Zhenzhen.
"Is this about the contract? Are they trying to lower her value?" he wondered.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret that Zhang Yu wasn't present.
It would have been amusing to see the poor guy's reaction.
Just then, a voice rang out from the entrance of the training hall.
"Hey, are you bullying my intern?"
All eyes turned to the door as Zhang Yu walked in.
As he spoke, his right hand moved swiftly across a black-and-white talisman book.
"Binding Talisman—activate!"
In an instant, golden light particles surrounded Lan Ling, coalescing into nine massive golden hands that clamped down on his head, shoulders, arms, legs, and torso.
"Binding Talisman?!" someone exclaimed.
"Where did Zhang Yu, that poor guy, get a talisman book to use something like that?"
Feeling the immense pressure of the golden hands forcing him to his knees, Lan Ling's face twisted in anger.
(End of Chapter)