The next day, as Chen Chu settled into the classroom and took his seat, Xia Youhui, who was sitting in front, approached him once again.
"Ah Chu, did you hear that An Lingqing, who's ranked first, completed her foundation building yesterday afternoon and has already started learning real martial arts at Building C today."
"So quickly," Chen Chu expressed his surprise.
Completing foundation building within two days was an exceptional feat. It required significant talent, as demonstrated by their class monitor, Lin Xue.
Xia Youhui nodded with a tinge of envy. "It's not just her. I've discovered that the top ten students on the list are all expected to finish their foundation building within a few days."
"This includes our squad leader. I've heard that she's already visualized the tenth petal and can cycle her qi and blood eight times in half an hour. She might be able to start building her foundation the day after tomorrow."
Curiously, Chen Chu inquired, "What about you, Ah Hui? How's your cultivation progressing?"
"Well, I'm getting by," Xia Youhui responded with a grin before complaining, "Ah Chu, could you please stop calling me 'Lao Xia'? I'm quite handsome, you can call me Ah Hui."
Chen Chu agreed, "No problem, Lao Xia."
"Ah Hui, it's Ah Hui."
"I get it, Lao Xia."
"...Ah Chu, I'm breaking up with you for three hours!" Xia Youhui exclaimed, turning away in frustration to chat with the attractive girl at the front desk.
Chen Chu simply chuckled at the situation.
"You're straightforward but a bit old-fashioned, and you don't want to admit your age. What else do you expect me to do? Should we form a hacking duo or something?"
Perhaps because someone had already achieved foundation building, Chen Chu observed that the practice class that afternoon was marked by diligence and seriousness.
However, talent played a significant role.
Some individuals had practiced for three days without noticeable progress, while others showed decent improvements. Then there were those who made astonishing strides.
For instance, Yi Rui, a member of the martial arts committee.
Chen Chu didn't know the extent of Yi Rui's progress, but he could cycle his qi and blood seven times in half an hour, and he seemed to do it effortlessly, not exerting his full strength.
As for their squad leader, Lin Xue, she exceeded all expectations. She completed eight cycles in less than half an hour before finding a place to sit cross-legged and continue her meditation.
Their mental stamina was remarkably abundant, unlike Chen Chu, who needed half a day to recover from his meditation.
Clearly, they must have used resources similar to replenishing qi and blood, which could also replenish or activate their mental power.
After practicing twice today, each session lasting 20 minutes, with a proficiency gain of +2 and a physical attribute increase of +0.1, Chen Chu stopped for the day. His progress was moderate but steady.
As the school bell rang, Chen Chu, who hadn't sweated much that day and was only slightly fatigued, packed up and prepared to leave.
"Ah Chu, wait a minute," Xia Youhui said, rushing over anxiously.
"What's up?" Chen Chu inquired.
Xia Youhui rushed over, laughing, "It's only 4 o'clock; why are you leaving so soon? Do you want to join the Scented Tea Club with me?"
Chen Chu regarded him strangely. "You still have time to join clubs when the squad leader is about to build her foundation?"
Though Chen Chu hadn't asked about Xia Youhui's family, he believed that it should be well-off, at least not lacking money. Xia Youhui also possessed good talent, so he should be working hard to build his foundation early.
Xia Youhui casually responded, "There's no rush, no rush at all. My brother said that cultivation involves relaxation and that one shouldn't chase fleeting gains or losses."
"The squad leader is talented, and it's only natural for her to build her foundation a few days earlier than the rest of us. It's dull to compete with her, and..." Xia Youhui abruptly stopped, casting a cautious glance behind him, as if he were afraid that Lin Xue might suddenly appear. Chen Chu couldn't help but find it amusing.
In response to Chen Chu's amused expression, Xia Youhui changed the topic. "Ah Zuo, don't you find cultivation too tedious? It's better to admire beautiful women and clear your mind."
"Let me tell you, after a few days of research and observation, the beauties in the Flower Tea Club are ranked first in Wugao, and there are many high-quality beauties."
"Not to mention the beautiful girls from the second and third years of high school; they're as lovely as us first-year students."
"Imagine, sitting down to enjoy tea and chat with a group of young, beautiful girls on a scorching summer day. Wouldn't that be delightful and refreshing?"
Xia Youhui seemed to have already imagined himself surrounded by a bevy of beauties, his face filled with intoxication. He didn't notice Chen Chu's increasingly odd gaze.
"Cough!"
Chen Chu cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Your suggestion is good, but I need to head back early, so you can go on your own."
"By the way, look behind."
Chen Chu finished speaking and patted Xia Youhui on the shoulder. He nodded slightly to the girl standing behind him with arms crossed, then turned and left.
"Wait!"
Xia Youhui was taken aback, turned around abruptly, and saw Lin Xue giving him a flat look, mouthing the word "disgusting" before walking away.
Xia Youhui was a bit perplexed. He hadn't said anything negative about Lin Xue this time, so why did she find it disgusting?
The next morning, Chen Hu's voice echoed from downstairs as he announced, "Brother, I'm going out to play with my friends, and I won't be back for lunch."
Chen Chu replied from upstairs, "Go ahead."
It was Saturday, so there were no classes. Zhang Xiaolan, however, had to work overtime and was not at home.
Inside the room, a hexagonal salamander, now 28 centimeters long, rested on the desk. The creature had a wide, flat head, and its body displayed a combination of white and pink colors, with a tail resembling a small tadpole trailing behind. Its black eyes, along with three pairs of red, feathery tentacles behind each cheek, spread backward. The creature's limbs were sprawled out on the ground, giving it a somewhat cute appearance.
The clone had accumulated 9 evolution points, and its body size was nearing the species' limit.
As the salamander nibbled on a piece of fish meat, its thin teeth produced a distinct crunching sound. Heat radiated through its body from the stomach, initiating another round of growth.
While eating and digesting, the plates of food on the table rapidly dwindled in size, disappearing before Chen Chu's eyes.
After devouring two plates of food, equivalent to more than twice its own size, the salamander had reached a length of 30 centimeters. At this point, a series of messages appeared in front of Chen Chu's eyes.
"Your salamander avatar has gained a few evolution points from consuming a substantial amount of food."
"Your avatar has reached the biological growth limit. Further consumption will not result in additional growth. Your current evolution point accumulation has reached 10 points, satisfying the requirements for evolution."
"Do you wish to initiate evolution?"
"Note: This avatar's potential is currently low and won't significantly enhance the host's combat capabilities after evolution. You can choose to absorb a biological gene to increase its potential when initiating evolution."
Chen Chu's surprise was evident as he read the last remark. "Absorb other biological genes to enhance potential!"
Chen Chu had been concerned about the weakness of his salamander clone. Although it could break through biological limits through evolution and grow to one meter in length, what about ten meters? With a fleshy body, could it withstand bullets? Beyond combat capabilities, could its frail limbs support a large body and allow it to move swiftly?
But now...