"Chen Chu... Chen Chu," Luo Fei called out to Chen Chu, who appeared lost in thought, as the clock struck six in the evening.
"Hmm? What's up?" Chen Chu snapped back to attention.
Luo Fei brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gestured toward the wall clock, and said softly, "It's already six o'clock. I'm heading back. Would you like to walk together?"
The relentless passage of time, like a rapid river, struck Chen Chu emotionally. He nodded, "Sure."
The two of them rose from their seats, returning the borrowed books to their places before exiting the building.
During this time, most of the Shen Invasion students, who had been immersed in their training, were returning home from Luxi. They strolled out in small groups, engaged in discussions about the upcoming ranking competition in a few days.
As the sun set, its afternoon warmth dissipated. A gentle breeze rustled through the girl's hair, carrying a faint scent of shampoo.
Chen Chu turned to gaze at her lovely profile and asked casually, "Luo Fei, are you planning to participate in the competition next Monday?"
Luo Fei shook her head, explaining, "My skills are unique, and I don't possess much combat prowess in the early stages, so I don't intend to join."
Chen Chu was intrigued by her cryptic remarks. "What kind of skills are you practicing then? You mentioned lacking early-stage combat power."
With a hint of a smile, the girl replied, "That's a secret. You'll find out during the second-year trial."
Chen Chu could only nod and say, "...Alright."
Curious, she turned the question back on him, "And what about you? Are you participating in the ranking competition?"
Chen Chu affirmed, "Yes, I plan to. Over the past few days, I've felt a breakthrough in my cultivation, so I want to test my skills in the ranking competition and gain more combat experience."
Luo Fei didn't overthink it. In her view, both she and Chen Chu were practicing low-level techniques, and their initial talent placed them in the middle of their freshman class. Participating in the ranking competition was primarily for fun.
After all, there were over a hundred "geniuses" who had established their foundations within a week and were practicing advanced techniques. The gap in talent and cultivation level between Chen Chu and these individuals was substantial, making it unlikely for him to crack the top 50.
As they walked, the two conversed like ordinary friends. Luo Fei couldn't help but notice that, occasionally, Chen Chu's mind would wander during their conversation, likely due to his intense training without proper rest.
She admired his dedication. With reasonable talent and diligent practice, one could steadily accumulate skills and eventually reach heights beyond the reach of ordinary individuals.
...
The next day, Friday, marked the start of the end-of-month exams for the senior high school's first-year students. Many students wore grim expressions as they tackled their test papers.
No wonder, they had been preoccupied with their cultivation during this time, leaving little room for academic pursuits.
After the exams, there was no school the following Saturday.
Instead of heading to school for practice as usual, Chen Chu found himself on a bustling commercial street, seeking to train in a noisy environment.
Dressed in a simple and casual outfit of a white T-shirt, gray trousers, and white sneakers, he attracted quite a few glances. His tall, slender frame, refined features, and clean-cut appearance drew attention as he found a shaded spot under a tree and settled into a chair.
Particularly, girls in fashionable attire would deliberately or inadvertently pause when passing by this sunny young man, pretending to peruse the nearby shops.
Unfortunately, despite the allure of these beauties, the moment Chen Chu sat down, he closed his eyes and went into meditation, paying no attention to his surroundings. Some girls who had considered striking up a conversation were deterred by his apparent disinterest.
Undisturbed by the world around him, Chen Chu swiftly immersed himself in his unique state, using his heightened senses to filter out distracting noise, distinguish scents, and sense the airflow around him through the fine hair on his body.
Having practiced this state for a month, he had grown adept at it. Now, he directed a portion of his focus elsewhere, honing his skill in distraction.
Although complete control over the two bodies was not yet achievable, Chen Chu could now divert some of his attention to manipulate the heavy-armored beast while his main body engaged in other activities.
The river stretched wide, hundreds of meters across, with depths exceeding 40 meters. It teemed with aquatic life, including oversized fish that had undergone slight mutations due to the environment.
The riverbank water appeared murky, and an 80-centimeter-long creature, adorned with thick limbs and heavy armor, emerged from a cave, swimming towards the deeper waters.
Having been released for only two days, the heavy-armored clone had already grown ten centimeters larger, boasting increased size, enhanced defense, and greater strength, all thanks to ample food and a notable evolution value increase of 5 points per day, a marked improvement from before.
This progress owed much to Chen Chu's diligence in controlling the heavy-armored beast, ensuring it ate whenever there was time, even waking in the middle of the night to feed it.
Before long, Chen Chu directed the heavy-armored beast to a depth of over 20 meters, where visibility was limited to about five or six meters due to the murky water.
As they swam, a colossal figure entered the heavy-armored beast's view—a three-meter-long fish with a crocodilian snout, covered in thick scales and sporting bone spurs along its back, exuding a fierce and menacing aura.
This appeared to be a mutated fish, likely stemming from an alligator gar.
Spotting the smaller heavy-armored beast, the mutant crocodile gar, which measured over three meters in length and had a girth similar to that of a human body, wasted no time in charging forward, intent on making the smaller creature its prey.
For a fish of its size, the heavy-armored beast, measuring just 80 centimeters, seemed insignificant and easily consumable.
Undeterred, the heavy-armored beast observed the approaching mutant crocodile gar with indifference as it propelled itself forward with a flick of its tail, preparing for a fierce battle.
To the mutant crocodile gar, which possessed immense size and power, the heavy-armored beast was a mere morsel, one it could consume in a single bite.
As the heavy-armored beast remained motionless, the mutant crocodile gar lunged, its immense jaws clamping down on the heavy-armored beast's back, applying formidable kinetic force.
In the past, alligators and birds used their high-speed attacks, leveraging kinetic energy and sharp teeth to tear their prey asunder. However, today was different—the heavy-armored beast felt as sturdy as alloy steel.
The mutant crocodile gar's sharp teeth snapped off instantly. Growling in agony, it thrashed violently in the water, attempting to rend its unyielding prey.
Yet, no matter how hard it struggled, the heavy-armored beast remained unscathed.
Even in areas with weaker external armor, like the abdomen, there were only slight white marks, a testament to its astonishing defense.
It seemed as though the crocodile-like creature was biting into the heavy-armored beast's back and abdomen. However, when it exerted explosive force, the integrated exoskeleton structure dispersed that force throughout the entire body.
Coupled with an internal structure resembling layers of cake, it diffused the weight of each layer while enhancing the strength of the outer armor with body size growth.
These elements together created a heavily-armored beast boasting a formidable defense.
Unable to dislodge its prey, the exhausted alligator was forced to release the heavy-armored beast.
Seizing the moment, the heavy-armored beast, satisfied with its defense test, whipped its tail, turning its body, and unleashed its muscular strength. Its claws descended upon the crocodile gar's head.
The water exploded as a deafening boom resounded, causing blood mixed with white matter to surge out. The heavy blow left the mutant crocodile gar's head crushed and lifeless, a life extinguished by the heavy-armored beast's deadly claw.
Having vanquished the mutant fish, the heavy-armored beast took a substantial bite, tearing away a substantial portion of flesh and blood from the mutant crocodile gar's back, which it greedily devoured. Blood and foam mixed as it chewed voraciously, a fearsome sight indeed.