Chapter 107

Looking at the setup in Songyang High School's rest area, Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing exchanged bewildered glances.

They had both been to White Dragon High School and watched the previous martial arts competition, where they were deeply impressed by the treatment of Songyang High School's rest area at that time.

Now, suddenly seeing such a well-equipped rest area at a sports meet, Zhao Tianxing wondered if they had taken a wrong turn.

Qian Shen couldn't help but think, "Wait... is a rest area of this standard really fitting for Songyang High School's average scores?"

Even Wang Hai had to admit that in all his years leading teams to sports meets, this was the grandest setup and the best treatment Songyang High School had ever received.

Lian Tianji, standing nearby, seemed to know the surprise in everyone's minds and explained with a smile, "All the on-site equipment this time is jointly sponsored by Purple Cloud Pharmaceutical and Oasis Group. The conditions are indeed quite excellent."

He pointed toward the east side of the venue and said, "Over there, Oasis Group and Red Tower Ranch are offering free buffet meals for all contestants, as well as for the Purple Cloud students helping out and other staff. Would you like to go try some?"

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who had just sat down, immediately stood up. "We'll go check out the competition environment."

So the two followed Lian Tianji across the venue to the buffet area on the east side.

From a distance, they could see numerous Purple Cloud High School students, their bodies tinged purple, eating from plates inside.

They were eating from plates because Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen noticed that these Purple Cloud students would start walking and eating as soon as they had filled their plates.

By the time they reached the exit of the buffet area, they had all finished their food, then placed their plates on the table for returned utensils.

Bai Zhenzhen's eyes flickered as she said, "I see—these students who eat while walking must be the underachievers from your Purple Cloud High School, right?"

"Because their grades are too poor, they don't qualify to sit and eat. They walk and eat from the moment they enter the cafeteria to fill their plates until they leave and return the utensils, finishing everything in that time."

Lian Tianji chuckled. "You're imagining Purple Cloud High School to be too harsh. We don't have such strict requirements for underachievers."

"These are just ordinary students who aren't qualified to sit and eat."

Bai Zhenzhen: "Huh? Then what about the underachievers?"

Lian Tianji said coolly, "The bottom fifty students eat in the restroom. They can take as long as they want—no restrictions."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "This Purple Cloud High School really is full of bastards."

But then he reconsidered: even though making the bottom fifty underachievers eat in the restroom was a bit inhumane, on the flip side... didn't it at least show that Purple Cloud High School had plenty of restrooms?

Zhang Yu thought, "In that regard, at least they're doing better than White Dragon High School."

Just then, with a rumbling sound like thousands of galloping horses, a large crowd of black monsters wearing Red Tower High School uniforms entered the buffet area.

Zhang Yu's eyes went wide in shock. "What the hell... are these students? Students from Red Tower High School?"

Zhang Yu had seen the monster-ethnic Songyang students from Red Tower High School before.

Though they looked a bit different from humans, forms like brown bears and tigers were still fairly normal.

But these in front of him... every single one was coated in a glossy, slick black, with only a pair of eyes gleaming blood-red.

He thought in shock, "My sister said that Red Tower High School made a technological breakthrough, awakening a black creature's bloodline power in their monster students, successfully extracted it, and injected it into human students..."

"Could they have awakened the Black Man bloodline? Gained superior athletic ability, so they turned into black bears, black tigers, and... black students?"

Lian Tianji, seeing Zhang Yu's astonished expression, kindly explained, "Red Tower High School successfully activated the Black Dragon bloodline in their monster-ethnic students, giving their physiques a transformative change."

"Look closely at their skin—the black is the luster reflected by dragon scales."

Only when Zhang Yu moved closer could he vaguely discern a layer of fine black scales within that dark glow, faintly radiating a kind of iridescent black.

He also noticed more subtle black details that were hard to see from a distance.

For example, the two small horns on Xiong Wenwu's forehead, the sharp, elongated claws far longer than before, the little tail at the rear, the long whiskers at the corners of the mouth... and a constant oppressive aura emanating from their bodies, like predators eyeing their prey.

Lian Tianji continued, "It's said that among these monster-ethnic students from Red Tower, the ones who have awakened more of the Black Dragon bloodline exhibit more Black Dragon traits, inherit more Black Dragon characteristics in their physique, and their physical strength increases to a terrifying degree."

His tone grew excited as he said, "In terms of physical strength, those guys have an innate advantage. I can't wait to compete with them."

Bai Zhenzhen urged from the side, "Are you done talking? If we don't eat soon, there'll be nothing left."

They saw the Red Tower students in the buffet area devouring all kinds of food like a whirlwind, each open-and-shut of their mouths gulping down an entire plate.

Zhang Yu quickly pulled Bai Zhenzhen and rushed in, grabbing a plateful of food and pouring it into his mouth.

Bai Zhenzhen grabbed a handful of chicken legs, took a few big bites, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

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

At first it was fine, but later she felt more and more unwilling to eat the paste, and her body's craving for prepared food had been suppressed to the limit. Now that she actually bit into the chicken leg, feeling the real chicken juice burst in her mouth, Bai Zhenzhen had only one thought left: "Prepared roast chicken leg is really delicious!"

After taking another sip of Hongta Dairy's animal protein milk, Bai Zhenzhen's expression grew even more satisfied.

Lian Tianji walked over, sat down in front of the two who were wolfing down their food, and said with a smile: "No need to hurry. The buffet here is provided by Oasis Group and Hongta Dairy together. Even if there were ten times as many people, they would definitely be able to supply enough."

After casually chatting with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen for a while, Lian Tianji finally asked a question he had been curious about for a long time.

"Zhang Yu, over these two months, how much has your physical strength improved?"

Lian Tianji looked at Zhang Yu, who was currently stuffing steak into his mouth, and seemed to recall the scene two months ago when he was defeated by the other party on the martial arts arena.

He muttered inwardly: "Although I really want to defeat you, if the gap in physical strength is too wide, then such a victory would be meaningless."

Thinking that he might never be able to defeat Zhang Yu under those circumstances, Lian Tianji couldn't help but feel a trace of regret.

Zhang Yu said casually: "Level 4.95."

Lian Tianji was slightly stunned, then smiled and said: "I'm not joking with you. I'm asking what your physical strength level is."

>

Zhang Yu gave Lian Tianji a strange look: "Level 4.95. Who's joking with you?" After saying that, he stuffed a few more lamb chops into his mouth.

Lian Tianji frowned. His first thought was disbelief: "After undergoing Ziyun Pharmaceutical's super metabolism modification, I inject nearly a dozen kilograms of agents every day."

"Enduring the pain of tearing flesh and ruptured organs all the time, and being sent to the emergency room several times for rescue, I've only managed to raise my physical strength to level 4.56."

"How could Zhang Yu be at level 4.95?"

"Is he deliberately lying, not wanting to reveal his actual physical strength? But what's the point? Once the competition starts, everyone's physical strength will be tested."

"Could it be that he's not lying? But how is that possible?"

For a moment, Lian Tianji felt that Zhang Yu probably wasn't lying, but it was also unlikely that Zhang Yu wasn't lying.

While he was puzzled, a slender, cold, and beautiful figure entered the cafeteria unnoticed, drawing everyone's attention.

The reason she attracted attention was partly due to her beauty, but the main reason was that all the Ziyun people present stood up and saluted Le Mulan.

At this moment, Le Mulan had tied her long hair into a ponytail with a purple silk ribbon. The purple sportswear she wore exposed her fair arms and slender legs, revealing a rare athletic vibe.

What attracted Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's attention the most was naturally the purple mark on Le Mulan's brow.

That mark was far more complicated than Lian Tianji's dot; it was like a purple vertical pupil imprinted on Le Mulan's brow.

The proud top-of-the-year nodded, said expressionlessly with a cold face: "Everyone, go about your own business."

Upon hearing her response, the saluting Ziyun people returned to their previous state.

Then Le Mulan walked straight to the table where Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Lian Tianji were eating and stopped.

Zhang Yu glanced at Le Mulan, who was breathing a bit quickly, and shrugged: "Do you want to join us for a meal? But there's no seat for you."

Le Mulan said indifferently: "It's fine."

She glanced at Lian Tianji, who was occupying two seats due to his size, and said indifferently: "I need a stool."

Immediately, several Ziyun people rushed over. The first girl to arrive directly lay on the ground, crouching like a stool in front of Le Mulan.

Damn! Zhang Yu thought to himself: "These Ziyun people... seem even more obsessed than two months ago."

The reason Zhang Yu was curious was actually simple: after Ziyun achieved a technological breakthrough, a large number of top students in the first year underwent super metabolism surgery, greatly increasing their physical strength... Le Mulan then defeated all of them again.

The first-year Ziyun people despairingly discovered that after having the super metabolism surgery, the gap between them and Le Mulan, the richest person in the first year, had not narrowed but had grown even larger.

The role of wealth in cultivation and grades had once again been magnified.

And under the environment of Ziyun High School, this gap created an even more exaggerated worship of wealth and grades.

Zhang Yu felt that after Le Mulan came over, she kept glancing at him, making him feel awkward even while eating.

He thought to himself: "This woman isn't still thinking about taking revenge on me, is she?"

At that moment, Le Mulan's clear voice rang out: "Can I touch you?"

Sensing the silence at the table, Le Mulan added: "I can pay."

——

Qidian is running a "War of the Gods" competition. Can everyone help by giving a nomination so I can stay in the contestant area to watch up close, and also sneak into the Oasis Group's buffet (w) thanks.