Chapter 70: Hidden Spiritual Root

Soon after, as the last contestant stepped down from the arena, all the contestants on site had finished scoring.

During that time, two contestants from other high schools withdrew; in the end, a total of 33 contestants were to be divided into 8 groups to start the knockout rounds in each group.

Among them, seven groups had four contestants each, who would draw lots for pairwise matches and be eliminated until only one remained.

One group, however, had five contestants; after drawing lots, with one contestant getting a bye, they would have pairwise matches and be eliminated until only one remained.

Thus, with one remaining in each of the eight groups, these would be the top eight of this competition.

After the scoring round ended, there was a break; Zhang Yu stretched and then wanted to go to the restroom with Bai Zhenzhen.

But after searching for a long time, they simply could not find any restroom around the competition grounds.

Seeing Song Hailong walking by, Zhang Yu couldn't help asking, "Do you know where the restroom is?"

Song Hailong smiled arrogantly and said, "White Dragon High School has no restrooms."

"Ah?" Zhang Yu was shocked. "Do you just relieve yourselves anywhere?"

Song Hailong's face darkened, and he said coldly, "The teachers and students of White Dragon High School have all undergone digestive system modification surgery. We don't need restrooms—such backward, dirty, and time-wasting places."

Zhang Yu was speechless. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Song Hailong said calmly, "Go look on the first floor. There might be restrooms for lower-class people there."

So Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen finally found two simple restrooms outside a corridor on the first floor, each charging 10 yuan per person.

After borrowing money from Qian Shen, the two finished their business while cursing and complaining.

When they returned to the arena, the eight groups had already been formed.

At the same time, eight huge arenas rose on site, and the knockout rounds for all eight groups would proceed simultaneously.

Zhang Yu looked at the grouping situation and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good thing A-Zhen wasn't put in the same group as me."

"But A-Zhen's group..."

Looking at the high-scoring contestant in Bai Zhenzhen's group, Zhang Yu frowned slightly. "That's really strong."

That was a yao descendant contestant from Red Tower High School.

With a humanoid body but a tiger's head and tiger fur, he looked like a human-shaped tiger.

And under Zhang Yu's earlier inspection with his Heavenly Eye Talisman, a series of composition identifications appeared over the other's head.

Reserve | Dragon-Tiger Yao Blood | Medicine Vat | Steel Bones

Zhang Yu recalled Lei Jun's translation of this: "From a monster reserve; a tiger yao bloodline mixed with dragon blood; took a lot of medicine; and underwent some kind of bone modification surgery."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "I remember he got 266 points in the scoring round, right? That's the second highest score among Red Tower High School students."

Combined with Zhang Yu's observation of the other's performance in the scoring round, according to his own understanding, this yao descendant named Hu Yuntao could be described as a high-strength, high-agility, high-offense, high-defense hexagonal warrior, showing no obvious weaknesses in combat.

"This guy didn't participate in the Dharma competition last time, so he probably isn't good at controlling magical power."

"But since he came to the Martial Arts competition, it shows his actual combat and killing ability is especially strong."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over the sharp claws on the other's hands that emitted a cold gleam. "Damn, shouldn't monsters get declawing surgery before competing? Isn't this like bringing your own weapon? That's too unfair!"

"This should be the type of opponent A-Zhen hates the most."

With a hint of worry, Zhang Yu also walked toward his own group's competition area.

"Please don't go bankrupt, A-Zhen. I don't have any more money to lend you."

Bai Zhenzhen arrived at her group's competition area.

Then she saw the other three contestants had already arrived: from White Dragon High School, Purple Cloud High School, and Red Tower High School respectively.

And the most eye-catching was that contestant from Red Tower High School, who looked tiger-headed and not much like a human.

Then the four began to draw lots; Bai Zhenzhen drew Hu Yuntao.

After their one-on-one battle, the winner... would fight the winner of the other two, finally determining the qualifier from this group.

Bai Zhenzhen touched her lower abdomen, feeling the power hidden within, and slowly walked toward the arena.

"I've endured for so long, and finally I have a chance to use you."

"Today, it's finally my turn, Bai Zhenzhen, to soar to the sky and dazzle the whole arena!"

Across from her, Hu Yuntao casually stepped onto the arena platform, seeming to completely disregard Bai Zhenzhen, his gaze wandering around.

…

Hu Yuntao, like Xiong Bufan who had participated in the Dharma Competition that day, came from the breeding base of the Demon Descendants' Protection Zone.

But Hu Yuntao never felt ashamed of this identity, nor did he believe that being a Demon Descendant made him inferior. On the contrary… deep in his bones, Hu Yuntao carried a pride—a pride in his race and bloodline.

Because Hu Yuntao possessed dragon bloodline; within his body flowed the bloodline of a dragon, making him far nobler than any ordinary human!

In the Protection Zone, 'Father,' the school director of Red Tower High School, would inseminate expectant mothers of various races every month, causing the mothers in the breeding base to carry 'Father's' children.

Every month, hundreds of Demon Descendants were born in the breeding base, their bodies containing the dragon bloodline from 'Father,' so they were extraordinary from birth.

Starting from the womb, these children were constantly injected with various drugs and subjected to adaptive training.

The weak work, and the strong study—that was the lesson Hu Yuntao learned as he grew up.

Those who could not adapt to the drugs from a young age were sent to work in food factories.

When they grew a little older, those found lacking in intelligence became employees of the Ecological Protection Zone.

When they grew even older, those discovered to have insufficient potential were sent to work in clothing factories, leather factories, textile factories, and so on.

Only after passing these trials one after another, and escaping work opportunities again and again, could one arrive at the paradise called Red Tower High School.

There, they signed a contract with 'Father,' becoming his truly recognized son.

Only then did they have the opportunity to continue studying and take the college entrance exam.

"I don't want to work! I want to study!" That was the cry in the heart of every Demon Descendant in the breeding base.

And Hu Yuntao was exactly such a son of the school director, who had passed layer upon layer of trials to come to Red Tower High School to study.

He had endured countless trials, broken through the wrong paths of work time and again, and finally earned the qualification to attend high school and take the college entrance exam.

Now, he would use the bloodline bestowed by Father to defeat all opponents in this competition, making Father proud of him!

…

On the arena platform. As the referee counted down 3! 2! 1!, Hu Yuntao shot forward with a whoosh, his claws carrying wisps of bloody wind and cold light, like sharp blades, slashing toward Bai Zhenzhen.

The woman before him was far inferior in size, strength, and speed. Hu Yuntao was confident that in the next moment, he would rip apart her hands, tear open her throat, and make her completely lose.

"This strike will cost you 600,000 in medical expenses."

But in the next instant, a strong sense of threat surged from within his heart, making Hu Yuntao instinctively stop in his tracks and leap backward.

He looked at Bai Zhenzhen again and sensed wisps of spiritual energy in the air surging toward her, even gradually gathering at her fingertips, faintly glowing like sword light.

Hu Yuntao's eyes flickered: "Combat spiritual root?"

…

In the audience seats.

Qian Shen looked at the arena platform where Bai Zhenzhen was and said curiously, "What kind of spiritual root is that? I feel like I've never seen it before. But the commotion it makes drawing spiritual energy is not small—it should be a heavenly spiritual root, right?"

Zhao Tianxing said beside him, "No wonder A-Zhen had no money to eat. She probably spent all her money on renting a combat spiritual root. Looks like she really wants to win."

!

Thinking of the round trip and the several hours the competition would take, Zhao Tianxing estimated that renting such a combat spiritual root would cost at least tens of thousands. He secretly clicked his tongue—participating in this martial arts competition really burned money.

…

On the arena platform.

Bai Zhenzhen felt the spiritual energy filling her entire body at that moment and thought to herself, "Everyone must think I rented a combat spiritual root to participate in the martial arts competition, right?"

But Bai Zhenzhen knew that wasn't the case at all.

Compared to renting a spiritual root, she would rather spend money on buying pills and techniques.

After all, she already had a spiritual root herself.

To hide the spiritual root in her body, Bai Zhenzhen felt as if, since childhood, she had been holding in the need to go to the bathroom—and this holding lasted for ten years.

"Azhen, you must control yourself. Do not absorb any spiritual energy. Don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root."

Countless mornings, the first thing Bai Zhenzhen heard upon waking was this.

"Azhen, endure it! Don't stir up the spiritual energy. Don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root."

Countless nights, woken by others, Bai Zhenzhen had to regain control over her spiritual root, forcing it to stop.

"Azhen, I know it's hard, but only after you've controlled it and kept it hidden can we return to Songyang."

It was like not being able to breathe in air, not being able to drink water, or having the urge to relieve yourself but being unable to go.

Don't get caught having a spiritual root!

Don't get caught having a spiritual root!

Don't get caught!

Don't get caught!

Bai Zhenzhen held it in and held it in… until finally, on her fourteenth birthday, she felt as if her spiritual root had been suppressed into nothing.

That day was the happiest day Bai Zhenzhen had known since she became aware.

After holding it in for nine years, struggling to hide it for nine years, this troublesome thing was finally gone—she no longer had to keep suppressing it.

But soon she discovered that the spiritual root hadn't vanished; it had hidden itself—and not just the spiritual root.

After countless rounds of "holding her breath," the spiritual root hid her along with it.

She became like a ghost—no one could see her, no one could perceive her… or rather, to her, everyone else seemed like ghosts; no one paid her any attention, no one could communicate with her.

That night… the whole world seemed to be left with only her.

Until she found a way to make herself seen again.

…

Seeing the spiritual energy surging toward Bai Zhenzhen becoming more and more intense, Hu Yuntao decided not to give her any more time. With a tiger's roar, he charged forward again.

But the next instant, Bai Zhenzhen vanished from his sight.

Hu Yuntao's eyes flew wide as he scanned the entire arena.

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

"A stealth-type combat spiritual root?"

To locate her, he abruptly retreated to a corner of the arena, sweeping his gaze across the entire stage—yet he could not see even a trace of Bai Zhenzhen.

Could it be…

The next moment, he jerked his head up toward the sky, but still nothing!

In the following instant, he suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger.

Bai Zhenzhen, who had abruptly reappeared before him, already had a finger pointed straight at Hu Yuntao's dantian.

Although her attack was too sudden and too dangerous, Hu Yuntao's reaction was too fast and too swift. Almost the moment Bai Zhenzhen appeared, his claw slashed toward her extended sword-finger like lightning.

"Hmph! Weak in strength, slow in speed—even if you catch me off guard, what makes you think you can beat me?"

But in the next instant, as if she had foreseen the trajectory of Hu Yuntao's move, Bai Zhenzhen changed her sword-finger and withdrew.

Hu Yuntao was about to pursue when he felt a sharp pain in his foot—she had tripped him.

Everything was so perfectly timed, as if he had deliberately rushed forward to stumble.

With a soft thud, Hu Yuntao saw himself falling off the arena, filled with unwillingness.

Roar!

"I refuse to accept this—I haven't gone all out yet!"

Watching Hu Yuntao, who was flailing about and eventually carried out by the referee by the scruff of his neck, Bai Zhenzhen casually flicked her fingertips.

"What an idiot. I wasn't even using my full strength."

In this battle, Bai Zhenzhen wins!