95: Chapter 95 Sharp Edge

Friday, 6:00 AM, Chen Zhen opened his eyes.

Three points of light rotated slowly within his Dantian; after a night of Cultivate, his Cultivation had increased by 42 points.

Qi Refining Level 4 1150/1800.

He stood up and walked to the window.

The sun outside was bright; it was an ordinary Friday morning.

But he knew that from today on, many things would be different.

He took out his phone and glanced at the messages.

Old Zhao had sent one yesterday: "You must arrive at school tomorrow. Citywide unified exam."

He put his phone away and walked over to the spiritual plants.

The six pots of spiritual plants were growing gratifyingly, the calming flower had bloomed three more flowers, and the Mint leaves were thick and shiny.

He picked the flowers, ground them into powder, and put them away.

Then he pushed the door open and walked out.

At 7:20, Chen Zhen stepped into the classroom.

Zhang Meng was making up homework in the back row. When he saw him enter, he shouted as usual: "Help! Lend me your math homework to copy!"

Chen Zhen threw his homework notebook over.

Zhang Meng caught it and buried his head in frantic copying.

Chen Zhen walked to his seat and sat down.

Su Xiaoya, sitting in front of him, turned her head, her eyes bright.

"Chen Zhen, where have you been these past few days?"

"I had some things to do."

Su Xiaoya stared at him for a few seconds.

"You seem... different again."

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

Su Xiaoya waited for two seconds, and seeing that he didn't speak, turned back.

In the last row, Zhou Rui looked up at him, then lowered his head to read.

Shen Mo was also there today, sitting next to Zhou Rui, flipping through a physics book.

Chen Zhen withdrew his gaze and opened his textbook.

The first period was math, Old Zhao's class.

As soon as Old Zhao entered, he looked toward Chen Zhen's seat, confirmed he was there, and then began the lecture.

"Today we are covering the comprehensive application of derivatives." He wrote a problem on the blackboard. "This problem was the finale of last year's citywide unified exam, and it is very difficult. Who wants to come up and try?"

Below, it was silent.

Old Zhao's gaze swept across the room and finally landed on Chen Zhen.

"Chen Zhen, you come."

Chen Zhen stood up and walked to the podium.

The problem was very long, involving cubic functions, derivatives, extreme values, image transformations, and parameter discussions.

He glanced at it, and a model was automatically constructed in his mind.

[Knowledge Fusion] activated.

[Model Thinking] activated.

[Star Core: Second Layer] buff—his thinking speed was at least twice as fast as before.

He picked up the chalk and began to write.

Function analysis—derivative solving—extreme value judgment—parameter discussion—image plotting.

Eight lines of formulas, two sketches, four steps of derivation.

The whole process took less than two minutes.

When he put down the chalk, there was dead silence below.

Old Zhao stared at the blackboard for five seconds.

Then he spoke, his voice a bit dry.

"The answer is correct. The approach... is twice as concise as the standard answer."

He turned his head to look at Chen Zhen.

"You didn't come for the past few days; what were you doing at home?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"Reviewing."

Old Zhao stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Go back down."

Chen Zhen returned to his seat.

Below, there was whispering.

"Damn, I looked at that problem for ten minutes and didn't understand it..."

"He solved it in two minutes?"

"Is Chen Zhen cheating?"

Chen Hao turned his head from the front row, glanced at him, his expression complex.

In the last row, Zhou Rui was smiling with his head down.

Shen Mo was also smiling.

At noon, school let out, and Chen Zhen went to the cafeteria.

After getting his food, he found a seat and sat down.

He had just taken a few bites when three people walked over carrying trays.

Zhou Rui, Shen Mo, and Zhang Meng.

The three of them sat down opposite him.

Zhang Meng looked confused: "Why did you two follow along?"

Zhou Rui ignored him and lowered his head to eat.

Shen Mo smiled and also started eating.

Zhang Meng looked at Zhou Rui, then at Shen Mo, and finally at Chen Zhen.

"Chen Zhen, is there something you're hiding from me?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"What thing?"

Zhang Meng scratched his head.

"I can't quite say. It's just that I feel... you guys have been acting weird lately."

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

Zhang Meng waited for a few seconds, and seeing that he didn't speak, stopped asking.

He lowered his head to eat, mumbling as he ate: "Forget it, forget it, I don't understand the world of you overachievers."

After finishing their meal, the four of them walked back together.

When they reached the bottom of the teaching building, Zhou Rui suddenly tugged on Chen Zhen's sleeve.

"Master, are you free after school this afternoon?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"What is it?"

Zhou Rui lowered his voice: "I drew another Talisman last night. It feels different this time."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"See you at the usual place."

The third period in the afternoon was PE class.

Today they were testing pull-ups.

The boys stood under the horizontal bar, rubbing their hands and fists.

Zhang Meng went first, doing fifteen, his face not red and breathless when he came down.

"Next, Chen Zhen."

Chen Zhen walked under the horizontal bar and jumped up to grab it.

He didn't hold his breath and pull hard like the others; instead, with a thought, he channeled spiritual power into his arms.

[Physical Optimization] + [Stellar Energy].

One, two, three...

The movements were standard, the rhythm steady, like a precision machine.

When he reached the twentieth, people below started counting out loud.

"Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three..."

At the thirtieth, the PE Teacher walked over and stared at him.

At the fortieth, the whole place went quiet.

At the fiftieth, Chen Zhen let go and landed.

The PE Teacher glanced at the stopwatch, then at him.

"Fifty. You broke the school record."

Below, there was an uproar.

"Fifty in a row?"

"Is he even human?"

"Chen Zhen, did you take drugs?"

Chen Zhen ignored them and walked to the side of the field to drink water.

Zhang Meng ran over with an expression like he'd seen a ghost.

"When did you become so strong?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Practice every day."

Zhang Meng rolled his eyes.

After school, Chen Zhen packed his bag and prepared to leave.

Su Xiaoya called out to him.

"Chen Zhen."

Chen Zhen turned back.

Su Xiaoya took the Calming Talisman out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"This, returning it to you."

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment.

"Are you finished using it?"

Su Xiaoya shook her head.

"My mom said, I can't use it anymore."

"Why?"

Su Xiaoya was silent for two seconds.

"She said that old man came again last night. This time it wasn't a dream; he was standing in front of her bed. He said one sentence."

Chen Zhen looked at her.

"What sentence?"

Su Xiaoya took a deep breath.

"He said: 'Thank him for me.'"

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

Then he took the Talisman and put it in his pocket.

"How is your mom now?"

Su Xiaoya smiled.

"Quite good. She sleeps better than before, and her spirit is better than before."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"That's good."

He turned and walked away.

Su Xiaoya stood in place, watching his back.

A girl next to her leaned over: "Xiaoya, what were you saying to Chen Zhen?"

Su Xiaoya withdrew her gaze.

"Nothing."

At 7 PM, at the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen pushed the door open, and Zhou Rui was already standing inside.

He was staring at the Talismans on the wall; hearing the movement, he turned his head.

"Master."

Chen Zhen walked over and sat down cross-legged.

Zhou Rui took a Talisman out of his pocket and handed it to him.

A complete Calming Talisman was drawn on the Talisman paper.

The core circle, the three-point triangle, the radial curves, the nested geometry—all correct.

Moreover, the lines were smooth and done in one go.

The most critical part was that the spiritual power fluctuation remaining on the Talisman paper was more than five times stronger than last time.

[System prompt: Disciple Zhou Rui's Talisman drawing quality has improved]

[Quality: Mortal · Medium]

[Effect: Calming + 40%]

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"You are improving very quickly."

Zhou Rui smiled rarely.

"Practice every day."

Chen Zhen nodded and returned the Talisman to him.

"Continue. One a day, no stopping."

Zhou Rui put the Talisman away, hesitating for a moment.

"Master, when can I learn other Talismans?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"First, draw the Calming Talisman to the peak quality."

Zhou Rui nodded.

"I understand."

He turned to leave.

Chen Zhen called him back.

"Wait."

Zhou Rui turned back.

Chen Zhen took a petal of the calming flower from his Storage Space and handed it to him.

"This, keep it in your mouth while you Cultivate. It can speed up the process."

Zhou Rui took the petal, stunned for a moment.

"This is..."

"calming flower," Chen Zhen said. "A spiritual plant."

Zhou Rui stared at the pale purple petal for a long time.

Then he carefully put it away.

"Thank you, Master."

He pushed the door and left.

Chen Zhen sat alone in the center of the formation and took out the purified fragment.

Three pieces now.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he put it away and began to Cultivate.

Three points of light rotated slowly within his Dantian, and Stellar Energy poured into his meridians like a tide.

[Cultivation progress: Qi Refining Level 4 1180/1800]

Soon.

He closed his eyes and continued to Cultivate.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

Saturday, one more day to go.