126: Chapter 126 The Return of the Veteran?

Before he knew it, Lu Cheng had been at the Navigator Academy for nearly a month.

On Monday morning, Lu Cheng was woken up by the system notification in his head.

[ Hextech refreshing... ]

[ Obtained Blue Hextech: War Treasure ]

[ War Treasure: 30% chance to obtain additional loot every time you kill an enemy. ]

A 30% chance isn't exactly high, but it's not low either. Once you're on the battlefield and kill a few enemies, it's bound to trigger a few times; it just depends on the rarity of the loot that drops.

He rolled out of bed.

Just as he walked into the living room, Lu Cheng's footsteps halted abruptly.

Someone was lying on the sofa.

It was Xia Xi.

She was sprawled across the sofa, her hair a messy tangle, hugging a cushion, sleeping like the dead.

Lu Cheng subconsciously sensed the aura coming from her.

Extreme Realm 1.8. The flow of blood and energy within her body was very active, and Source Power was faintly circulating through her meridians. She was just one step away from the Source Gathering Realm.

"So fast." Lu Cheng muttered.

Actually, it wasn't surprising. Her foundation wasn't bad, and during this time, Luo Qingyan had been giving both of them extra tutoring.

Qian Shuying had already reached 2.0 and would likely break through in the next couple of days.

"But…" Lu Cheng cast his gaze back to the sofa.

"Why is Xia Xi sleeping in the living room?"

This girl had her own room but chose to curl up on the sofa instead?

Lu Cheng was suddenly feeling mischievous.

He tiptoed over to the sofa and looked down at Xia Xi's sleeping face.

The girl was sleeping soundly, her lips slightly parted, her breathing light and even. She had absolutely no guard up.

Lu Cheng reached out and pinched Xia Xi's nose between his thumb and index finger.

One second.

Two seconds.

Xia Xi's whole face began to contort, her brows furrowed, and her mouth opened wider.

"Huu…"

A breath escaped her mouth.

She still didn't wake up.

Lu Cheng was stunned.

"Just how tired is this girl?"

He let go and reached out to shake Xia Xi's shoulder.

"Wake up. If you don't get up now, Old Man Zhang is going to take attendance."

"Old Man Zhang" was the head referee from last time, Zhang Zhenheng.

This old man didn't have a bad temper, but with over a hundred people in the large lecture class, if you were late, he would call your name in front of everyone, giving you no face at all.

"Old Man Zhang!" Xia Xi jolted awake.

She looked like she had been electrocuted, her body springing up from the sofa, and her forehead aimed straight for Lu Cheng's chin.

Fortunately, Lu Cheng's reflexes were fast.

He tilted his head back and took a half-step back, narrowly dodging it.

"Whoa, such a bad mood when waking up?" Lu Cheng looked at her.

Xia Xi sat on the sofa, her hair as messy as a bird's nest, her training uniform wrinkled, and one sock had slipped down to her ankle.

She blinked, looking not yet fully awake.

"Where's Old Man Zhang?"

"In your dreams." Lu Cheng replied irritably.

Xia Xi froze for two seconds, then let out a huge yawn.

"What… You called me…"

Lu Cheng crossed his arms.

"You have a room, so why are you sleeping on the sofa in the middle of the night?"

Xia Xi rubbed her eyes, her voice still a bit hoarse.

"I was practicing in the training room until morning yesterday. It was almost dawn by the time I got back."

"I only meant to nap for a little while, but once I closed my eyes, I fell asleep."

Lu Cheng looked at the faint dark circles under her eyes.

"Why work so hard?"

"Isn't it because of you?" Xia Xi yawned again.

"You've all attained Source Power. If this goes on, I'll be left behind, and that won't do."

"Alright, alright." Lu Cheng reached out and pressed down on her head.

"Get cleaned up and get ready for school. It's Monday today; if you dawdle any longer, we'll actually be late."

Xia Xi's head tilted from his push; she muttered something, then stood up from the sofa and shuffled toward her room.

Ten minutes later, Xia Xi came out in a clean training uniform, her hair tied back up, looking much more refreshed.

As the two walked out of the dormitory, other students were already rushing toward the teaching building in the hallway.

The academy was busy in the early morning; the sounds of impact from the training area, the energy fluctuations from the martial arts target range, and the scent of beast meat soup wafting from the direction of the cafeteria were all mixed together.

Lu Cheng asked casually, "What about Shuying? Was she there when you got back?"

"She didn't come back last night; she probably stayed in the training room," Xia Xi thought for a moment.

"Yesterday afternoon, she said her blood and energy were pushed to the limit and she might break through in the next few days."

"Teacher Luo told her to stay in the lounge next to the training room so it's easier to keep an eye on her."

Lu Cheng nodded. Breaking through from the Extreme Realm to the Source Gathering Realm wasn't easy; having someone watching was definitely safer.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the teaching building, Lu Cheng saw Su Wan standing on the steps, holding a hot drink, waiting for someone with a cold expression.

Xia Xi hurried over first. "Wanwan! Morning!"

Su Wan glanced at her, then looked at Lu Cheng. "Morning."

Then she handed the cup in her hand to Xia Xi. "Red date tea."

Xia Xi took the cup and took a sip with a smile.

Lu Cheng watched from the side, muttering to himself. When did these two get so close?

Su Wan seemed to know what he was thinking and spoke indifferently. "That yellow-haired guy in class…"

Lu Cheng looked at his empty hands. "Where's mine?"

"What do you think?" Su Wan said, then turned and walked into the teaching building.

Lu Cheng's mouth twitched. That yellow-haired guy was the student who had been scared out of his wits by the Dean at the start of the semester. He was from Magic City and came from a big family, but this guy often liked to pull stunts like this in class.

"Fine." Xia Xi followed, clutching the cup, and turned back to make a face at Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng couldn't be bothered with her.

Entering the large lecture classroom, more than half the seats were already filled.

Zhang Zhenheng stood in front of the podium, holding a name list, his gaze sweeping over from behind his lenses.

"Everyone, sit down." His voice wasn't loud, but the entire classroom instantly went quiet.

Zhang Zhenheng placed the list on the podium. "Tomorrow marks your first month of enrollment."

"According to custom, the academy conducts a test for all students every month. Based on the test rankings and levels, we will arrange a final credit sprint for you at the end of the month."

A few students in the classroom started whispering. Zhang Zhenheng ignored them and continued.

"Students who want credits, pay attention."

"The content of the test will be announced on the spot tomorrow. Whatever you've trained for the past month, the test platform will reveal the results."

He turned a page of the list. "Also, tomorrow, one of your seniors will be returning from the front line."

"He is returning to represent the previous batch of students and hold an exchange session with you."

The classroom exploded.

"Returning from the front line?"

"After a year at the Navigator Academy, that guy must have at least reached the Meridian Opening Realm!"

"Holy crap, we get to see a real one."

Zhang Zhenheng tapped the podium. "Quiet." The classroom fell silent again.

"If you have questions, ask him yourself tomorrow. For now, let's have class."

The class passed quickly.

Zhang Zhenheng taught the basic theory of the Source Gathering Realm—Source Power circulation, meridian guidance, and the difference between martial arts and Source techniques.

For Lu Cheng, this content had already been drilled into him by Shen Guhong in the Scripture Pavilion, so listening to it wasn't difficult.

Xia Xi listened attentively, filling her notebook with dense notes.

When the bell rang for the end of class, Lu Cheng was preparing to pack up and leave when he heard a familiar set of footsteps behind him. It was Qian Shuying.

As she walked over, the aura on her was significantly more settled than a few days ago, and the flow of her blood and energy was tightly controlled.

"My Extreme Realm 2.0 has been pushed to the limit." Qian Shuying stood in front of Lu Cheng and got straight to the point. "I plan to break through tonight."

Lu Cheng looked at her. "Nice, congratulations."

Qian Shuying didn't take the bait; instead, she looked up at Lu Cheng. "Before I break through, fight me."

Lu Cheng was stunned. "I'm already in the Source Gathering Realm; are you sure you want to fight me?"

"I'm sure." Qian Shuying's eyes were very serious, so serious that Lu Cheng felt she was holding something back. "Only the strong can put pressure on me."

...

In the training ground, sweat stains from the previous person were still on the alloy floor. Induction protective gear hung on the wall, and the energy shield activated automatically.

Lu Cheng stood in the center of the arena, looking at Qian Shuying opposite him. "Let's get this straight first: if I can't hold back, don't blame me."

"No need to hold back."

Qian Shuying took off her jacket, and her Tiger Pattern talent instantly activated.

Golden-black markings spread from her neck to her arms; she could already activate two Geng Metal Tiger Patterns simultaneously!

Speed increased by 100%, strength increased by 100%, defense increased by 50%.

Qian Shuying didn't waste words; she kicked off the ground and charged straight at him. Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain!

Her movement technique was inherently aggressive and fierce; this charge was truly like a tiger, the wind pressure kicking up dust from the ground.

Lu Cheng stood still, having already adopted the Crushing Fist stance.

The moment Qian Shuying charged within three meters, Lu Cheng made his move. One punch.

No Hardened Meridians, no Dragon Scale Holy Armor, not even using Source Power—it was pure blood and energy explosion.

His fist collided with Qian Shuying's tiger claw. Boom!

The energy shield shook.

Qian Shuying was sent flying, her back hitting the energy shield, and she bounced back half a meter before steadying herself.

"Again!" Her eyes shone even brighter.

For the next five minutes, Qian Shuying unleashed everything she knew on Lu Cheng.

Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain, Wind-Splitting Slash, Tiger Claw Combo—one move after another, with almost no pause in between.

Lu Cheng only defended and did not attack the entire time.

He blocked what he needed to block, dodged what he needed to dodge, and occasionally seized the opportunity to force her back with a punch.

By the fifth minute, the tiger patterns on Qian Shuying had completely faded.

Her blood and energy were depleted, her Source Power was exhausted, and she knelt on the alloy floor, gasping for air.

Lu Cheng retracted his fist. "Enough?"

Qian Shuying looked up, her lips actually curving into a smile. "That was great!"

She fell backward, lying directly on the training ground, her chest heaving violently.

"You are truly… very strong…"

Lu Cheng walked over and looked down at her. "There are definitely differences between people."

Qian Shuying ignored him, staring at the ceiling for several seconds before suddenly speaking.

"Lu Cheng… are you free in May?"

Lu Cheng was taken aback. "That's so far away; how would I know if I'm free?"

He thought for a moment. "But if it's an invitation from you, then I definitely will be."

Qian Shuying smiled. She didn't explain why she asked that, pushing herself up from the floor, her training uniform soaked in sweat.

"Alright, I'm going to find my mentor and prepare for the breakthrough."

"When you see me tomorrow, I'll be in the Source Gathering Realm!"

She waved at Lu Cheng and turned to walk out of the training ground. Her steps were a bit unsteady, but she didn't stop moving.

Lu Cheng stood there, watching Qian Shuying's back disappear at the doorway, looking perplexed.

"What's up with her all of a sudden?"

"Is there something big in May?"

He thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he decided not to think about it at all.

Coming out of the training ground, the sky was already darkening.

The night breeze blew from the training area, carrying the scent of spring…

It's already been a month since I arrived here…