74: Chapter 74 Qin Yan in a Dazed State!

She silently cheered herself on in her heart, "I, Wen Ning, will definitely rely on my own efforts and wisdom..."

"...to seize every opportunity and become a true powerhouse!"

"I will never be a mere flash in the pan!"

Just then, her smart bracelet resting on the table...

...lit up at an inopportune moment, emitting a buzzing vibration.

Wen Ning looked down.

When she clearly saw the name on the caller ID...

...her beautiful brows immediately furrowed tightly, and a flash of undisguised disgust and resistance crossed her face.

On the screen, three words were clearly displayed—[Mentor Zhao].

She stared at the name, hesitating for a full ten seconds, her face written with reluctance.

Ultimately, she took a deep breath and pressed the answer button...

The connection was established, and a slightly low male voice with a certain specific implication came through the bracelet...

...

Over the next six days, Qin Yan seemed to fall into a state bordering on paranoia.

He ignored the intensifying stinging and grogginess in his mind.

He persisted in taking one high-grade spirit nurturing pill every day.

Attempting to forcibly break through that final spirit barrier.

The price of this near-manic behavior was obvious.

His face grew paler by the day, and his once spirited eyes now appeared dull and lifeless.

Faint dark circles even emerged beneath his eye sockets.

Walking down the street, his steps were somewhat unsteady, exuding a sickly sense of weakness.

His head was in a state of grogginess almost constantly.

As if shrouded in a thick fog, his thinking became exceptionally slow, and his reactions to the outside world grew dull.

...

In class.

Sunlight spilled through the window onto the desk, yet it could not dispel the gloom and exhaustion between Qin Yan's brows.

He forced himself to stay alert while sitting in his seat.

Trying to understand the knowledge being taught by the mentor on the podium.

But those points of knowledge that should have been clear now felt as if they were behind a wall, unable to enter his mind.

His eyelids were so heavy they nearly drooped shut, and he was barely holding on through sheer willpower.

Lu Youyou, sitting beside him, had long noticed his abnormality.

Seeing his paper-white face and his swaying, precarious appearance, her large, expressive eyes were filled with worry.

"Junior Brother, are... are you okay? You look terrible!"

Lu Youyou asked in a low, urgent tone.

"Senior Sister, I... I'm fine."

Qin Yan responded feebly, his voice so weak it almost seemed squeezed out of his throat.

He forced a smile, but it only made him look more haggard.

He truly hadn't expected the side effects of continuously taking an overdose of nourishing spirit pills to be so severe and rapid.

At this moment, he only felt as if his head were a container filled with lead and constantly being pricked by needles, buzzing incessantly.

Pain and grogginess intertwined, making it nearly impossible to think effectively.

His only thought now...

...was to return to the dormitory immediately and collapse into a deep sleep on his bed.

"You call this being fine?!"

Lu Youyou was both anxious and angry; she leaned in close to Qin Yan, her lips nearly touching his ear.

In an extremely low voice that only the two of them could hear, she said, "Junior Brother, stop pushing yourself! Teacher told me everything!"

"Are you still taking those nourishing spirit pills consecutively? Stop it immediately!"

"Your current spirit state is on the verge of collapse!"

"If you continue, something major will go wrong!"

She had already learned from their mentor, Xiao Huo, that Qin Yan was taking a large amount of nourishing spirit pills.

Regarding this, she and Xiao Huo were both filled with immense confusion.

Because normally, given the 'monstrous' level of comprehension and learning ability Qin Yan had previously shown...

...his spirit talent should be extremely high.

He shouldn't need to rely on a basic pill like the nourishing spirit pill to improve at all!

For geniuses of their level, the effect of a nourishing spirit pill was negligible!

But right now, Qin Yan's appearance...

...was clearly a typical symptom of damaged spirit origin caused by an overdose of nourishing spirit pills!

This left her utterly perplexed, yet incredibly worried.

At the same time, she was also very careful just now.

She kept her voice extremely low, fearing that other nearby Classmates might overhear.

If others found out that Qin Yan, Xiao Huo's disciple and the tenth-ranked in the Monthly Exam...

...had actually suffered spirit damage due to an overdose of pills...

...he would definitely become the laughingstock of the entire Modu University of Martial Arts!

She would never allow her Junior Brother to be mocked!

Qin Yan only felt a warm breath accompanying his Senior Sister's anxious voice brushing against his earlobe.

It brought a slight ticklish sensation.

He subconsciously lifted his head slightly.

His ear happened to brush past Lu Youyou's soft, warm lips in a flash.

However, his head was like mush at the moment, groggy and stinging.

He had no time at all to register this momentary intimate sensation.

He didn't even realize this slightly close accident had occurred.

"Senior Sister, I know I was wrong..."

Qin Yan shook his heavy head, his voice carrying a weary rasp.

"Rest assured, for a while... I won't take them anymore."

"Junior Brother, you... you..."

Lu Youyou's pretty face suddenly turned beet red from that unintentional touch just now.

Like a ripe apple, even the tips of her ears were stained pink.

She subconsciously pointed a finger at Qin Yan, stammering to say something.

But seeing Qin Yan's dazed and weak state, she swallowed her words back down.

"I... what happened to me?"

Qin Yan looked completely bewildered, entirely unaware that he had just "trifled" with his Senior Sister.

"No... it's nothing!"

Lu Youyou snapped her hand back, forcing herself to stay calm.

But the flush on her face was hard to fade for a moment. "You... just take care of yourself! You must get some good rest!"

After saying this, Lu Youyou spoke no more.

A short while later, the bell rang, marking the end of class.

Lu Youyou gave Qin Yan a fierce swat.

Then she grabbed Xiao Wangshu, who had been quietly reading beside her.

She practically fled the classroom.

Xiao Wangshu was pulled along by Lu Youyou.

Her cold gaze swept between Lu Youyou's reddened profile and the dazed, withered state of Qin Yan behind them.

The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.

Well, it seemed she had accidentally stumbled upon some interesting "gossip."

However, her personality was cold and she was not one for many words.

She simply noted this little interlude in her heart and did not speak up to tease her.

She allowed Lu Youyou to pull her away.

Qin Yan watched his Senior Sister's departing back with a look of utter confusion.

He couldn't understand at all why she had suddenly "gotten angry" and left.

He shook his groggy head, trying to clear his thoughts, but only felt more dizzy.

He simply stopped thinking about it.

He stood up with difficulty and stumbled out of the classroom.

Meanwhile, the other students of Class (1) in the classroom...

...especially those ranked highly and intent on challenging for the top ten of the grade...

...had almost all observed Qin Yan's withered state during this period and his current staggering steps.

In many eyes, a sharp light flickered, and their minds began to race with possibilities.

(There's another chapter coming later, sweeties. hhh)