Chapter 105

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Chapter 105: Can I Touch You?

Looking at the facilities in Songyang High School’s rest area, Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing exchanged glances.

They had both attended the previous Martial Arts Competition at Bailong High School and vividly remembered the state of Songyang High School’s accommodations back then.

Now, seeing such luxurious facilities at PE competition, Zhao Tianxing wondered if they walked into the wrong place.

Qian Shen could not help but think, Wait a second… Does a school with Songyang High’s average score really get a rest area with conditions like these?

Even Wang Hai had to marvel. In all his years of leading teams to PE competitions, this was the grandest event and the best treatment Songyang High School had ever received.

Lian Tianji, who was standing nearby, seemed to sense their surprise. He smiled and explained, “The on-site facilities this time are jointly sponsored by Purple Cloud Pharmaceuticals and the Oasis Group, so the conditions are indeed exceptional.”

He pointed towards the east side of the competition grounds and said, “Over there, Oasis Group and Red Pagoda Ranch are providing a free buffet for all the competitors, as well as for the Purple Cloud students and other staff who are helping out. Would you like to go try some?”

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who had only just sat down, immediately stood up again. “We’re going to get familiar with the competition environment,” they announced.

So the two of them followed Lian Tianji through the grounds to the buffet area on the east side.

From a great distance, they could see students from Purple Cloud High School, their entire bodies glowing with a faint purple light, carrying plates as they ate.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen soon realized the students were carrying their plates because they began eating while walking, right after filling them up.

By the time these Purple Cloud students reached the exit of the buffet area, they had already finished all their food and placed their empty plates on a table designated for used dishes.

A look of understanding flashed in Bai Zhenzhen’s eyes. “I get it,” she said. “These students who eat while walking must be the underperforming ones from your Purple Cloud High School, right?”

“Because their grades are so poor, they aren’t qualified to sit down and eat. From the moment they enter the area to get food until they leave, they have to finish their meal while walking.”

Lian Tianji chuckled. “You think of our Purple Cloud High School as being far too strict. Our requirements for underperforming students aren’t that high.”

“These are just the ordinary students who aren’t qualified to sit down and eat.”

“Ah?” Bai Zhenzhen asked. “Then what about the underperforming students?”

Lian Tianji said calmly, “The bottom fifty students eat in the toilets. They can take as long as they like. There are no other requirements.”

So Purple Cloud High School is bunch of hellspawn after all, Zhang Yu thought to himself.

But then he had another thought. While making the bottom fifty students eat in the toilets was a bit inhumane… on the other hand… did that not just prove that Purple Cloud High School at least had plenty of toilets?

In that respect, at least they’re doing better than Bailong High School, Zhang Yu mused.

Just then, a thunderous sound like ten thousand galloping horses echoed through the area. A large horde of black monsters in Red Pagoda High School uniforms marched into the buffet area.

Zhang Yu’s eyes widened in shock. What the hell… are those students? Red Pagoda High School students?

It was not as if he had never seen the Monsterfolk students from Red Pagoda High School before.

While their appearances differed from humans, their resemblance to brown bears or tigers was still within the realm of what was considered normal.

But the ones before him now were all covered in a glossy, slick blackness. Only their eyes glowed with a crimson light.

He was stunned. My sister said that a technological breakthrough at Red Pagoda High School allowed their Monsterfolk students to awaken the power of a black creature’s bloodline. They successfully extracted it and injected it into the human students…

Could it be that they awakened… the bloodline of ‘Black people’? Gained incredible athletic ability, and that’s why they became black bears, black tigers, and… ‘Black’ students?

Lian Tianji noticed Zhang Yu’s astonished expression and kindly explained, “Red Pagoda High School successfully awakened the Black Dragon Bloodline in their Monsterfolk students, which granted their bodies a complete transformation.”

“Look closely at their skin. The blackness is the texture reflected from their dragon scales.”

As Zhang Yu moved closer, he could finally discern a layer of fine black scales beneath the shimmering dark light, which faintly radiated an iridescent, multicolored black hue.

At the same time, he also noticed more subtle details that had been difficult to perceive from a distance. He saw the two small horns on Xiong Wenwu’s forehead, his sharp claws on fingers that were now far more slender than before, a small tail on his backside, and long whiskers at the corners of his mouth. A heart-pounding predatory pressure also emanated from their bodies, making them feel like hunters that had just spotted their prey.

Lian Tianji continued, “It is said that among these Monsterfolk students from Red Pagoda, those who awaken more of the Black Dragon Bloodline will exhibit more draconic physical traits. Their physiques inherit more characteristics of the Black Dragon, and their physical strength increases to a terrifying degree.”

As he spoke, a hint of excitement crept into his voice. “In terms of physical strength, these guys have a natural advantage. I truly look forward to competing against them.”

Bai Zhenzhen urged from the side, “Are you done talking? If we don’t eat now, there won’t be any food left.”

They watched as the Red Pagoda High School students devoured the food like a whirlwind. With a single opening and closing of their massive mouths, they swallowed entire plates of food.

Zhang Yu quickly pulled Bai Zhenzhen over, grabbed a plate, and shoveled the food into his mouth.

Bai Zhenzhen grabbed a handful of chicken legs. After devouring most of them in a few bites, tears began to well up in her eyes.

For the past month, she and Zhang Yu had been eating synthetic food almost every single day.

It was tolerable at first, but as time went on, the mush became increasingly unpalatable. Their bodies’ craving for actual prepared meals had been suppressed to the breaking point.

As Bai Zhenzhen savored the very real chicken leg, feeling the actual juices burst in her mouth, only one thought remained in her mind. Pre-made roasted chicken legs are absolutely delicious!

After taking a sip of Red Pagoda Ranch’s Beast Protein Milk, the expression on Bai Zhenzhen’s face grew even more satisfied.

Lian Tianji walked over and sat down in front of the two ravenous eaters. He smiled and said, “There’s no need to rush. The buffet here is provided by both the Oasis Group and Red Pagoda Ranch. Even if there were ten times as many people, they could absolutely handle the demand.”

After exchanging a few more casual remarks with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, Lian Tianji finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

“Zhang Yu, how much has your physical strength improved over the past two months?”

Lian Tianji watched Zhang Yu continuously shoving steak into his mouth, his mind drifting back to the moment two months ago when he had been defeated on the Martial Art arena.

I desperately want to defeat you, he thought, but if the gap in our physical strength is too vast, such a victory would be meaningless.

The thought that he might never again be able to overcome the version of Zhang Yu from that day stirred a wisp of regret in Lian Tianji’s heart.

Zhang Yu casually replied, “Level 4.95.”

Lian Tianji paused for a moment before smiling. “I’m not joking. I’m asking what your physical strength is.”

Zhang Yu gave him a strange look. “It’s 4.95. Who’s joking with you?” After speaking, he stuffed a few more lamb chops into his mouth.

Lian Tianji frowned as disbelief flashed through his mind. After undergoing my Super Metabolism transformation from Purple Cloud Pharmaceuticals, I’ve been injecting over ten kilograms of medicines daily.

I’ve endured the constant agony of my flesh tearing and my organs rupturing and have been rushed to the emergency room for treatment multiple times. Even after all that, I’ve only managed to raise my physical strength to 4.56.

How could Zhang Yu possibly be at 4.95?

Is he deliberately lying because he doesn’t want to reveal his true strength? But what’s the point of that? Once the competition starts, everyone’s physical strength will be tested and revealed anyway.

Could he actually be telling the truth? But how is that even possible?

For a moment, Lian Tianji felt that Zhang Yu was probably not lying, yet at the same time, it also seemed utterly impossible that he wasn’t lying.

Just as his mind swirled with doubt, a tall, slender, and strikingly beautiful figure walked into the cafeteria, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Her beauty was only part of the reason for the commotion. The main cause was that all the Purple Cloud students present stood up in unison and bowed to Le Mulan.

Le Mulan had tied her long hair into a ponytail with a purple silk ribbon. Her purple athletic outfit revealed her snow-white arms and slender legs, giving her an uncharacteristically sporty aura.

What naturally drew the eyes of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, however, was the purple mark between her eyebrows.

The mark was far more complex than the simple dot on Lian Tianji’s forehead. It resembled a vertical purple pupil imprinted right on her brow.

The proud, top-ranked student of her grade gave a slight nod. Her face remained icy and expressionless as she said, “Go on with your own business.”

Hearing her response, the bowing Purple Cloud students all returned to what they were doing before.

Le Mulan then strode directly to the table where Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Lian Tianji were sitting and stopped.

Zhang Yu glanced at Le Mulan, who seemed slightly out of breath, and shrugged. “You want to join us for a meal? There’s no seat for you.”

“It’s fine,” Le Mulan replied calmly.

Her gaze swept over Lian Tianji, who occupied two seats due to his large frame. “I need a stool,” she stated coolly.

At her words, several Purple Cloud students immediately rushed forward. The first to arrive, a girl, immediately dropped to the floor, presenting herself as a human stool right in front of Le Mulan.

Holy shit! Zhang Yu thought. These Purple Cloud people seem… even more fanatical than they were two months ago.

The reason for their behavior was actually simple. After Purple Cloud’s technological breakthrough, a large number of first-year top students had undergone Super Metabolism surgery, which caused their physical strength to skyrocket. And then, Le Mulan had proceeded to defeat every single one of them all over again.

The first-year students of Purple Cloud were devastated to discover that even after the surgery, the gap between them and the wealthiest student in their year, Le Mulan, had not narrowed but had instead widened.

The role of wealth in both cultivation and academic scores had once again been magnified.

In the environment of Purple Cloud High School, this disparity had fostered an even more extreme worship of wealth and grades.

Zhang Yu felt Le Mulan’s gaze sweeping over him periodically ever since she arrived, making him feel so awkward that he started to lose his appetite.

Is this woman still planning to get revenge on me? he wondered.

Just then, Le Mulan’s cool voice cut through the air. “Can I touch you?”

Sensing the stunned silence at the table, she added, “I can pay.”