Chapter 58: Senior

Songyang High School.

The students of Class 1, Grade 10, were trickling into the training grounds, preparing for today's Martial Arts Combat class.

As she walked, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "What is Yu-zi up to? I can't reach him even when I try to contact him."

"On sick leave? Since when do high schoolers get sick leave?"

"Could he be unable to hold on?"

While Bai Zhenzhen was lost in her wandering thoughts, she suddenly noticed that, besides the Martial Arts instructor Lei Jun, a large group of people was already standing in the training room.

Looking at the students standing behind Lei Jun—especially the tallest one—Bai Zhenzhen's gaze suddenly sharpened: "Is that the Door-Plank Man?"

Looking at the students surrounding the 'Door-Plank Man' Lan Ling, Bai Zhenzhen immediately recognized them as Grade 11 students.

An extra year of cultivation had caused almost every Grade 11 student to expand in stature compared to the Grade 10 students. Their secondary sexual characteristics had almost completely receded, and their exposed arms were covered in dense, tiny puncture marks...

All these traces of cultivation served as evidence of the strength and hard work of these Grade 11 students.

Naturally, Bai Zhenzhen wasn't the only one who recognized their identities.

Soon, students began to proactively greet the Grade 11 students.

Zhao Tianxing first bowed to the instructor, Lei Jun, and then gave a respectful bow to the Grade 11 students beside him, saying nervously, "Greetings, seniors!"

Zhao Tianxing, who originally weighed over three hundred pounds, looked like a Corgi standing before Lan Ling.

Only after Lan Ling gave a slight nod did Zhao Tianxing cautiously retreat.

This was the hierarchy within the high school, where junior students faced senior students.

Simply because there was a full year of cultivation difference between Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12, it often resulted in an absolute gap in strength.

To the point where some people divided Grade 10, 11, and 12 into Early-stage Qi Refinement, Mid-stage Qi Refinement, and Late-stage Qi Refinement to highlight the differences between the three grades.

In a school like Songyang High, juniors had to proactively greet seniors; seniors couldn't sit down until the juniors did; if you met a senior in the restroom, you had to let them pee first; and if you were taking medicine in the same room, you had to let the seniors go first...

Such things had become part of the daily habits of the high schoolers.

Of course, Songyang High was more humane than the three prestigious schools; it was said that at Bailong High, senior students were even allowed to make junior students kneel and kowtow.

Fortunately, the curriculum content varied greatly between grades, and the teaching venues were different. Combined with the academic pressure, juniors and seniors rarely encountered each other in person.

This was truly something to be celebrated.

At this moment in the training ground, every student who entered would proactively bow to Lan Ling and the others.

This only served to highlight how exceptional one individual was.

Watching Bai Zhenzhen, who had yet to greet the seniors, Zhao Tianxing thought anxiously, "What's wrong with Ah Zhen? She's going to get targeted by the seniors like this."

He could already feel several Grade 11 seniors casting glances at Bai Zhenzhen from time to time; just imagining it made him feel awkward and tense.

Once the students of Class 1, Grade 10, had all arrived, Lei Jun addressed them: "Today, your seniors from Class 1, Grade 11, have specially set aside one lesson to provide you with combat guidance. Let's give them a round of applause!"

What? We're about to be beaten by the Grade 11 geniuses?

Hearing this, the students began to clap enthusiastically: "Thank you, seniors!"

One genius actually laughed, thinking to himself, "These are students from the Grade 11 demonstration class. If you had to hire them for combat training outside, wouldn't a single lesson cost over a thousand?"

Students eager to improve their combat scores couldn't wait, thinking, "Even if I get my arm broken by a Grade 11 genius, it'll be worth it!"

Qian Shen's gaze was fixed on Lan Ling, who was as tall and broad as a door plank, thinking, "Lan Ling, the man who ranked second in total score and first in physical sports for the Grade 11 class last month, the ace of the Grade 11 sports competition team, but..."

"It's boring." Qian Shen turned his head away. "Scores across different grades have no comparative meaning. These Grade 11 students from the demonstration class have been cultivating for a year longer... Any one of them stepping up would be invincible to a Grade 10 student. There's no difference for us."

He Dayou merely smiled and nodded at the Grade 11 students, which counted as a greeting. After all, as the son of a school director, he was acquainted with many of the Grade 11 and 12 geniuses.

Seeing the eager expressions on most of the students, Lei Jun was satisfied with their spirit: "Very good, everyone is energetic."

"Taoist arts require money; the more you spend, the more powerful you become."

"If we want to excel in Martial Arts, we must endure being hit. The less you fear losing, being hit, or being crushed, the faster your martial arts combat progress will be."

"Only by being hit, being crushed, and getting up from the ground time and time again can you improve your combat experience."

Seeing students already raising their hands impatiently, Lei Jun was about to call someone for sparring when he saw Lan Ling lean in to whisper something in his ear.

Lei Jun nodded and turned his gaze toward Bai Zhenzhen, who was hiding in the crowd, and called out, "Bai Zhenzhen, you go first against the seniors to set an example for the other students."

"Lan Ling, this Bai Zhenzhen is a great talent and ranked first in Grade 10 combat. Give her some proper guidance."

While practicing with a barbell in his right hand, Lan Ling slowly walked down to the field and said gently to Bai Zhenzhen, "Junior, let's have a spar."

Bai Zhenzhen's face darkened. Under the envious gazes of the crowd, she slowly walked forward, cursing the "Door-Plank Man" in her heart.

*This shrimp-headed guy clearly has ulterior motives. He's looking for a chance to beat a junior because of the contract, isn't he?*

She guessed that his next move would be far more than a simple spar; he would take the opportunity to teach her a lesson.

She had to strike first!

As soon as Bai Zhenzhen stepped onto the field, she moved with a *whoosh*, aiming a kick at Lan Ling's vital point at the dantian in his abdomen.

However, the opponent didn't even dodge, allowing her kick to land with a heavy *thud*.

Even though Lan Ling's vital point had been struck, his expression remained unchanged and he didn't budge an inch, as if nothing had happened.

Instead, Bai Zhenzhen felt as if she had kicked a block of granite, and it felt as though the bones in her foot were about to crack.

"Is the gap between me and the Grade 11s really this big?"

Just as Bai Zhenzhen tried to retreat, she felt her ankle gripped by a hand like an iron vise.

Lan Ling held her ankle and smiled: "Junior, it seems you've underestimated me."

While the two were fighting, Lei Jun was providing commentary to the students nearby.

"A good sneak attack! Remember, in combat, a sneak attack is a profound skill; it is the best way for the weak to defeat the strong."

"However, Bai Zhenzhen knows too little about Lan Ling."

"Lan Ling underwent an 'absolute' sterilization procedure long ago. Not only has he lost all sexual characteristics and is unaffected by hormones, but he has also lost many conventional weaknesses..."

"Now that Bai Zhenzhen is locked by Lan Ling, even though she continues to kick and strike to break free, Lan Ling's physical strength is above Level 6, while Bai Zhenzhen's is only around 1.4. Once she is locked, it's over..."

Halfway through his commentary, a loud *bang* erupted from under Lei Jun's feet, and his figure suddenly shot out like an electric bolt.

At the same time, a booming explosion rang through the air.

To the shock of everyone watching, Bai Zhenzhen had been violently flung away by Lan Ling, crashing into the training ground wall with a series of afterimages.

But just before her head could hit the wall, Lei Jun appeared behind her. The two of them crashed through the wall together, flying out of the training ground with a roar.

A moment later, Lei Jun returned to the training ground with a limping Bai Zhenzhen, looking at Lan Ling with a grim expression: "You went a bit too hard, didn't you?"

Bai Zhenzhen was one of the top students in Grade 10 martial arts combat; if she were seriously injured, it would mean a decline in Lei Jun's performance metrics.

Lan Ling smiled gently: "I believe that with you present, she will be fine."

"It's a good opportunity to give this junior a lesson in underestimating opponents during combat."

Having said that, he looked at Bai Zhenzhen and said, "Junior, you'll remember this combat experience, right? Shall we continue?"

Seeing him extend the invitation again, anger flared in Bai Zhenzhen's eyes, and a long-hidden power within her body began to stir, as if ready to break through its cocoon.

She thought to herself, *No, I can't let it out. If I reveal it here, it's all over...*

Lei Jun was about to stop her, but was suppressed in place by a single look from Lan Ling: "Teacher, I will be mindful of my strength moving forward."

Although Lei Jun had suspected it before, he was finally certain at this moment.

Recalling how the Student Council had requested that Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu not participate in the martial arts competition, he realized that today was also under the Student Council's direction.

Thinking of the Songyang High School Student Council, he could only sigh inwardly and warn, "This is my class; don't go too far."

Lan Ling smiled: "Don't worry, Teacher. Student Bai Zhenzhen is an important, high-value student of this school; I certainly won't let her be seriously injured."

At this time, the other Grade 10 students nearby also sensed that the atmosphere was wrong, but they couldn't figure out what was happening.

He Dayou's eyes flickered. As the son of a school director, he had already realized: was this a suppression of Bai Zhenzhen? Was there a problem with the contract? Were they trying to drive her price down?

Thinking of this, he felt a bit of regret that Zhang Yu wasn't here today; otherwise, he might have seen that pauper in an embarrassing situation.

Just then, a male voice drifted in from the direction of the training ground entrance.

"Hey, are you bullying my intern?"

Under the shocked and surprised gazes of everyone, Zhang Yu walked in from the entrance. As he spoke, he raised his right hand, his fingertips gliding rapidly across a black-and-white talisman book.

Restraint Talisman—Activate!

In the next instant, countless golden light particles flickered around Lan Ling, transforming into giant golden palms that lunged toward him.

Before Lan Ling could react, his head, shoulders, arms, legs, and waist were each pinned down by nine giant golden palms.

"A Restraint Talisman?"

"That pauper Zhang Yu... where did he get a talisman book to cast a Restraint Talisman?"

Feeling the nine giant palms pinning him down, even attempting to press him into the ground bit by bit, Lan Ling was enraged.