landbeastnovel Chapter 72 Liu Xiangdong's 'True Colors': Dowry Money!
Chapter 72 Liu Xiangdong's 'True Colors': Dowry Money!
Chapter 73 Liu Xiangdong's 'True Colors': Dowry Money!
[Number 7 - Su Chen: 46 minutes 89 seconds]
Su Chen stared at the numbers on the electronic screen, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing.
This was at least two seconds slower than he had expected.
He clearly surpassed Liu Xiangdong! But he didn't even make it into the 45-second mark.
This guy used to be 7 minutes and 46 seconds, but after a week, he's regressed!
He turned his head to look at another result.
[Number 47 - Liu Xiangdong: 7 minutes 53 seconds]
really!
"It seems I've thrown Liu Xiangdong off track. His score is almost a second slower than the ten-school joint exam! That's equivalent to not improving for a whole week."
Su Chen withdrew his gaze and moved down one line.
[Number 58 - Zhang Yan: 7 minutes 47 seconds]
He raised an eyebrow.
Zhang Yan's time improved by a solid five seconds!
This girl may have a loose tongue, but her skills are definitely not to be underestimated.
Eating one king fruit and digesting it for a week will improve all aspects of your physical fitness.
"Brother Chen!"
Just as Su Chen turned his gaze away from the electronic screen, Yang Fan, Liu Yongchao, and the others rushed up.
Liu Yongchao, brimming with barely suppressed excitement and shock, exclaimed, "Brother Chen, you've been hiding this for ages! If Brother Dong hadn't organized this event and dragged everyone along, I wouldn't have known you were this amazing!"
"Haha~" Su Chen laughed, but before he could even say a few words of modesty, the short boy who was on Yang Fan's team also came over.
"Chen-ge, you're insane!" The short boy's eyes widened. "Dong-ge is fifteenth in the grade! How could you surpass him in a single subject? Who would believe it if word got out?!"
Su Chen's lips twitched, and he was about to say something like "good luck" to make it sound polite.
"Bang!"
A dull thud silenced everyone.
Su Chen turned his head.
Liu Xiangdong's right foot was still in the kicking position.
He kicked the empty water bottle, which hit the metal edge of the trash can, bounced, and rolled twice on the ground.
That kick was really powerful! The bottle is now dented.
The commotion was so loud that everyone quieted down.
Yang Fan's smile froze on his face.
The short boy's mouth was half open, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes, as if he had gotten himself into big trouble.
The air was silent for about three seconds.
Liu Xiangdong had his head down, with beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead.
He stared at the water bottle he had kicked flat on the ground and muttered to himself, "I didn't kick it in."
He took two steps forward, bent down, picked up the bottle, and threw it into the trash can.
The whole process was unhurried, and there was nothing unusual about his expression.
"What a terrible mentality!" Yang Fan's voice was low, his eyes glancing sideways at Liu Xiangdong's retreating figure. "So what if he lost to Brother Chen? He can't stand seeing others do well!"
Su Chen watched Liu Xiangdong's retreating figure and remained silent for a moment.
Then he looked away, patted Yang Fan on the shoulder, and a relaxed smile returned to his face.
"My improvement during this period has been truly remarkable; even I find it a bit unbelievable!"
As he spoke, he waved to the people around him, "But don't overdo it, you're making me feel too good for you! There are still more than half a year until the college entrance exam, anything is possible, so you should all work hard and strive for success!"
He took half a step forward, raising his voice slightly: "Right! Aren't you all going to have a competition? Take turns, let me see how much you've improved lately!"
"Those who make significant progress will be rewarded. The minimum is... one Qi-replenishing pill!"
The crowd was silent for half a second, then became excited.
"A Qi-replenishing pill!?"
"Three thousand Federal Credits! Fifteen Points!"
"Holy crap! Brother Chen is so generous!"
"Hurry, hurry, who's next! Quickly!"
"Long live Brother Chen!"
The slightly tense atmosphere caused by Liu Xiangdong's kick was completely dispelled by Su Chen's words.
Several boys who were originally standing by the fence watching have already rushed onto the starting line.
Su Chen looked at the howling beasts, chuckled, and turned to walk towards the rest area.
He walked to the water dispenser, took a paper cup from the shelf, and filled it halfway with warm water.
My gaze went beyond the edge of the paper cup and landed on the other side of the rest area.
Wang Yichuan sat next to Liu Xiangdong, leaning to the side with one hand on the back of the chair, whispering something to Liu Xiangdong.
Liu Xiangdong nodded occasionally, but not very much.
"Bang""
The sound of the starting pistol rang out.
A new round of competition has begun!
Su Chen stood next to the rest area with a paper cup in his hand, his gaze returning from the other side of the track.
Turning around, I saw Wang Yichuan pulling Liu Xiangdong along, and they had come to Zhang Yan and Lin Xiyue's side. The four of them were already sitting in the audience.
I got a seat in the second row.
Su Chen paused for a moment, then walked over.
Liu Xiangdong finished another bottle of water.
He held the empty bottle in his right hand, twirling it three times in his palm. Then he unscrewed the cap, tightened it, and unscrewed it again.
"By the way, Xiyue," he suddenly spoke, "how far are you from that hurdle?"
Lin Xiyue was talking to Zhang Yan in a low voice.
Upon hearing Liu Xiangdong's words, she raised her head, her light brown eyes turning towards him.
"I feel like I've already found it. It's just that out of the thousands of low-level spirit orbs the school currently has, I haven't found the one that's most suitable for me yet."
She tilted her head slightly, and a few strands of hair slipped down from behind her ears and fell to the side of her face.
"Yes, spirit pearls aren't something you can just fuse with casually! You still have to choose carefully." Liu Xiangdong nodded, his tone carrying a hint of agreement.
"Yes!" Lin Xiyue tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Everyone's constitution is different, and their meridian pathways are also different. The same spiritual pearl is a match made in heaven for some people, but for others, it's like fire and water."
"Subtle differences in physical constitution determine whether the immense energy within the Spirit Pearl will accept you."
She paused, then continued, "The process of fusion is far more complex than cultivating martial arts techniques."
"You must first release your spiritual energy to sense the inside of the spirit pearl. The energy inside the spirit pearl is alive, and it will respond to your senses."
"When the state of your meridians and acupoints matches the energy structure inside the Spirit Pearl, you will be able to sense the spiritual arts contained within it."
"This is just the first step!" Wang Yichuan added.
Lin Xiyue gave a soft "hmm" and continued, "After sensing the spiritual technique, you still need to spend time comprehending it. There are no shortcuts at this stage; you can only synchronize your spiritual energy with the fluctuations of the spiritual orb, over and over again."
"When your understanding reaches a certain critical point, the energy of the Spirit Pearl will actively flow into your body. At that moment, the enormous energy will open up all the acupoints related to this Spirit Pearl."
As she said this, she unconsciously pressed her fingers lightly on her wrist: "This is my current state. I can sense the fluctuations of a few spirit orbs, but there are no signs that I can fuse with them yet."
"So during this period, I have been specifically strengthening the relevant meridians and acupoints, hoping that one of them will respond to me the next time we meet."
"Do you already have a direction?" Liu Xiangdong asked.
"Hmm. I've applied to contact over thirty water-attribute spirit orbs, and I'm currently planning to choose from four. Let's see which one responds to me first."
Liu Xiangdong paused for a second, then softly uttered two words: "Impressive!"
He put the empty bottle under the seat and turned to look at Wang Yichuan: "Where's Brother Chuan? I remember you told me three days ago that you'd hit the mark."
Upon hearing Liu Xiangdong's words, Wang Yichuan scratched the back of his head and gave a wry smile.
"I did manage to touch it. But the path on my side is more complicated than Yuzuki's."
"Sigh~"
He lowered his hand, sighed, and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "It's also my fault for not planning well. I used to focus on speed and thought I would fuse with this kind of spirit orb in the future."
"But in the second semester of my junior year, after practicing lightning-based martial arts and magic, I suddenly discovered that I had a special affinity for lightning-attribute things! I felt that I should pursue this path!"
"However... Lightning techniques are still in their early stages, and it will take some time to reach a suitable level."
After listening, Liu Xiangdong said, "Speed-type is fine too! It has a lot of potential for future development."
"I know." Wang Yichuan nodded, but his brows didn't completely relax. "But I think, since I feel I have an affinity for lightning, it's better to go for a high-damage output system!"
"The burst damage of the lightning element ranks among the top three of all attributes. Combined with my combat skills and combo rhythm, it can theoretically deliver very considerable control and damage."
"Moreover, many spirit orbs of the lightning element have more promising spiritual techniques! They offer more room for maneuver."
"Anyway, there are still more than half a year left until the college entrance exam, not just three months. I still have time!"
"That's true," Liu Xiangdong replied.
Then he turned his gaze to Zhang Yan, a slight smile playing on his lips: "You're definitely going for a power-based build, right?"
Zhang Yan was leaning against the back of the seat in front of her. Hearing Liu Xiangdong's words, she raised her head and gave a soft hum: "Yeah! So what?"
"It's nothing," Liu Xiangdong shrugged. "I was just asking out of curiosity."
Zhang Yan stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly turned around.
"Speaking of which...didn't you exchange for the Fire Elemental Orb this Tuesday? That means you definitely met the requirements. Why haven't we heard anything yet?"
Upon hearing this question, Liu Xiangdong's smile widened slightly.
He said calmly, "The fusion time... will probably be in the next day or two."
Zhang Yan was stunned.
She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.
"Really?" Her voice held a hint of doubt. "The energy of the fire-elemental spirit orb is notoriously volatile. Even if you get your hands on it, it doesn't guarantee you'll be able to fuse with it successfully. You might even suffer a backlash!"
Liu Xiangdong chuckled, stood up, stretched, and raised his arm above his head, his knuckles cracking.
"Don't forget how spiritually compatible I am!"
He paused.
"I would only say that if I was certain."
Zhang Yan fell silent.
Her fingers, gripping the back of the chair, tightened unconsciously. She subconsciously turned her head and glanced behind her.
Su Chen was leaning back in his chair, holding a blood orange in one hand, breaking off a segment and putting it in his mouth.
When Zhang Yan turned her head, he blinked, seemingly oblivious to the anxiety in her eyes.
Zhang Yan gritted her teeth.
She turned her body back, raising her voice by half an octave.
"Which pantheon's fire-elemental spirit orb did you choose?"
Liu Xiangdong picked up a towel hanging on the back of the chair, draped it over his shoulder, and laughed, "Haha~ that's the secret!"
"I've drunk two bottles of water and I feel like I need to go to the bathroom. Let's talk later."
The footsteps echoed along the corridor, fading into the interior of the stadium.
Zhang Yan stared at Liu Xiangdong's back as he disappeared around the corner of the corridor, then she made a face in that direction.
"Hmph! Trash!"
Wang Yichuan peeked out from the back row, his expression full of bewilderment.
"What's wrong? Did you and Xiang Dong have a fight?"
Zhang Yan crossed her arms and remained silent.
Wang Yichuan was even more confused. He scratched the back of his head, turned to look at Su Chen, and asked with his eyes, "What's wrong with her?"
Su Chen ignored his gaze, lowered her head and broke off another segment of blood orange, stuffing it into her mouth.
Zhang Yan turned her head and glanced at Su Chen, then looked in the direction Liu Xiangdong had left.
"What the hell! This Liu Xiangdong is pretending to be something he's not!" Her voice rose uncontrollably. "He clearly lost to you in speed just now, and got completely out of control, yet he's still kicking bottles to try and feel important! Now he's talking about spirit orbs, just to get revenge and feel superior."
She got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and forcefully flicked her finger in the air.
"Hmph! Now I finally understand why you don't like him! Every time he talks about this kind of thing, he deliberately excludes you!"
Her speech quickened: "It was always like this, and it's still like this now! Although... your previous grades weren't really suited for this kind of topic. But this time, after your significant improvement, I really felt it—he was being so deliberate! It's disgusting!"
After listening, Wang Yichuan frowned, but his expression showed more confusion than anything else.
"Xiang Dong was just... excited about his upcoming integration, so he talked about this, right? Before we came to the training center, I was with him the whole way, and he kept bringing it up. He was definitely quite emotional after the run... but is he alright?"
Zhang Yan suddenly turned her head and rolled her eyes at Wang Yichuan.
"You...you're so dense! You don't understand the adult world!"
Lin Xiyue, sitting next to Zhang Yan, couldn't help but turn her head and chuckle softly while covering her mouth upon hearing this.
Wang Yichuan was even more bewildered.
He glanced at Zhang Yan, then at Lin Xiyue, and finally looked to Su Chen for help: "Brother Chen, do you really hate Xiang Dong? I don't see any conflict between you two..."
Su Chen waved his hand, his tone relaxed: "Hey~ don't listen to this kid's nonsense."
Zhang Yan's eyes widened suddenly, and she opened her mouth to refute.
Su Chen raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling her not to rush. Then he turned around and his gaze fell on Lin Xiyue.
"Yuzuki."
Lin Xiyue raised her head, her light brown eyes exceptionally clear.
"If those resources are available, how long do you think it will take to complete the integration?"
Lin Xiyue tilted her head slightly, her fingers twirling the hem of her clothes as she pondered, "At least a week."
Five Water Essence Pills, one Enlightenment Fruit, and...
Everything on her list was carefully selected by her.
Su Chen nodded: "Okay! We should get half by tonight. As for the rest, I'll have my family prepare it for you first."
Lin Xiyue glanced at him.
Her light brown eyes lingered on his face for a moment, a sweet smile on her face, and then she nodded gently.
"Thank you~"
"No need to thank me! It's only right."
In the back row, Wang Yichuan opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.
He finally couldn't resist.
"Why can't I understand anything you're saying today?"
He scratched the back of his head, his brows furrowed, his face full of confusion: "Have you been hiding a lot from me? 'That resource'... what exactly is it?"
Before Su Chen could speak, Zhang Yan had already turned around abruptly.
"Can't you see that?"
She said in a serious tone, "Of course it's the bride price!"
Her tone was matter-of-fact, seemingly without any flaws: "Otherwise, why would we have our families prepare? The two families must have secretly arranged the engagement!"
She said with feigned seriousness, "After all, in this world, who knows how long we'll live? Su Chen is the only son in his family! We definitely need to leave a seed as soon as possible."
"We'll be getting married right after the college entrance exam. You absolutely have to come! I'm already waiting for the invitation."
Wang Yichuan's mouth was wide open.
"Absolutely!" He nodded vigorously, his tone full of solemnity. "I absolutely cannot miss Brother Chen's wedding!"
Zhang Yan proudly raised her chin.
"Snapped!"
A hand landed precisely on her head.
It wasn't heavy, but it produced a muffled sound.
Zhang Yan cried out "Ouch!" and shrank back, clutching her head. She turned her head away, looking utterly dejected.
"Damn it!" Su Chen withdrew his hand, his finger still poking Zhang Yan twice in mid-air. "Nonsense! You're sitting at the same table as Liu Xiangdong!"
Zhang Yan pouted, not yet figuring out how to retort, when Lin Xiyue also turned her head away.
Those light brown eyes now held a hint of reproach.
She reached out her finger and gently patted Zhang Yan's head, with a force more than ten times lighter than Su Chen's.
"Hmph~ Nonsense."
Her voice was very soft: "At the same table as Liu Xiangdong."
Zhang Yan looked at Su Chen, then at Lin Xiyue, and pouted.
"Hmph!! I would never sit at the same table as him! I need to be given the head seat at the wedding."
"Smack!"
After another slap, Su Chen cursed and scolded her a few times before she finally quieted down.
Lin Xiyue, standing to the side, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
Wang Yichuan opened his mouth, gave an awkward smile, leaned back, and decided not to get involved.
The competition on the other side of the track has already finished several rounds.
Su Chen stood up, threw the leftover blood orange peel into the trash can, wiped his hands on his pants, and then gently touched Zhang Yan's calf with the tip of his shoe.
"After I distribute the rewards to them, I'll head to the strength training area and start my special training!"
Zhang Yan jumped up: "Yay!!! I'm starting my grueling training! Xiao Zi has to keep up too!"
Beside the track, Little Purple, having finished running ten kilometers, heard its name called and its ears immediately perked up.
It glanced at Zhang Yan's face, which was glowing with excitement.
"Awoo~"
Its ears drooped back down, and its tail thumped weakly on the ground.
Su Chen glanced at Lin Xiyue out of the corner of his eye.
Lv8!
And then there's Zhang Yan, that little girl. Her favorability rating was clearly flashing this afternoon, but it still hasn't reached Iv9.
"If Zhang Yan jumps to Iv9, it will extend her time by one day."
"With the resources obtained here, Xiyue can fuse with the Spirit Pearl."
The Spirit Pearl!
Even the most ordinary beginner-level spirit pearl, suitable for the Opening Meridian Realm, contains a vast amount of energy that can be used for more than just one spirit technique!
The base layer also has ten layers!
Of course, after the fusion, one can only master two or three spiritual techniques in the short term.
But each of these spiritual techniques is incredibly powerful!
"I wonder if the spirit spells on the panel start from Iv1, or go straight to Iv7?"
Su Chen was still very curious about this.
"Is it too rushed to contract with Yuuki next week?"
"How about we form an agreement with another target to buy some time?"
"But... there's really nothing suitable right now! Unless we contract someone with low strength, let's postpone it for now."
"Sigh~ It's a pity the contract only considers favorability. If it included something like hatred, it would be so satisfying to learn something from people like Liu Xiangdong!"
"Besides...making friends is difficult, but making enemies is easy, isn't it?"
"I'll just say one thing: everyone here is trash!"