Xia Youhui had the best relationship with Chen Chu in school and had been very supportive during his early stages of development. Therefore, Chen Chu was genuinely pleased about Xia Youhui's breakthrough.
While wearing a smile, Xia Youhui confessed, "At first, I was genuinely happy. After all, there are only a little over 30 freshmen who have reached the second level."
"But just now, I suddenly felt even happier."
"Why?" Chen Chu asked with a puzzled expression.
Xia Youhui leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed tone, "Ah Chu, tell me the truth—when did you break through to the Second Heaven?"
Xia Youhui had noticed some inexplicable changes in Chen Chu's body last month. There seemed to be a subtle sense of pressure all around him, which had suddenly become much stronger. At the time, he had questioned Chen Chu, but he brushed it off as a feeling of being mistaken.
However, during the recent ranking competition, Chen Chu had displayed overwhelming strength, surpassing many geniuses. Just now, Xia Youhui had sensed that familiar and somewhat painful pressure emanating from Chen Chu's body.
He couldn't be wrong about this feeling. Chen Chu had grown even stronger, causing Xia Youhui to feel pressured even after reaching the Second Heaven.
Seeing Xia Youhui's reaction, Chen Chu decided not to hide it any longer and admitted with a smile, "It hasn't been long. I also broke through yesterday."
Initially, he had kept it low-key because his rapid progress might have raised eyebrows. However, it had been over half a month now, and as an alternative "genius," it was reasonable for him to reach the Second Heaven.
Upon hearing Chen Chu's confession, Xia Youhui had a triumphant expression. "I knew it. I didn't make a mistake."
"Old Xia, how did you figure out that I had made a breakthrough?" Chen Chu was a bit puzzled.
He had covered his body with spiritual power and concealed his aura after the breakthrough. So far, no one had discovered that he had reached the Second Heaven.
"It's because I've always been sensitive since childhood, especially to changes in aura strength," Xia Youhui explained, looking somewhat proud of this talent.
Chen Chu couldn't help but feel exasperated. He had worked diligently to cultivate his mind-eye state for so long and finally achieved a breakthrough with improved attributes. This allowed him to have a keen sense of danger and malicious intent. However, Xia Youhui's sensitivity to aura strength was still impressive in its own right and could occasionally yield unexpected benefits.
While they were chatting, they finished their meals and found a table to sit at when Luo Fei, who was nearby, waved to them.
As soon as Chen Chu and Xia Youhui sat down, Li Wenwen, who was with Luo Fei, curiously asked, "What were you two talking about over there? You've been chatting for so long."
Li Wenwen had put on weight over the past two months due to her constant eating, and now she had a chicken leg stuffed in her mouth as she talked.
Xia Youhui pretended to be casual and replied, "Oh, nothing special, just discussing the fact that Ah Chu and I both reached the Second Heaven."
"What? Both of you broke through!... Cough, cough, cough..." Li Wenwen was startled and nearly choked on the chicken leg in her mouth.
Xia Youhui gave her a sidelong glance, feeling quite proud. "Of course, I'm a genius. It only took me a month and a half to break through to the Second Heaven."
But at this point, no one paid much attention to him. Li Wenwen looked at Chen Chu and exclaimed, "Chen Chu, when did you break through? And how did you progress so quickly?"
Li Wenwen had established her foundation two days earlier than Chen Chu, yet she was still far from reaching the Second Heaven. She wondered how long it would take her to make the same breakthrough.
"I was fortunate enough to break through yesterday. As for the reason, it's likely due to the combination of the Dragon and Elephant techniques," Chen Chu explained with a smile. "In addition to the contribution points and the 20% discount authority from the top 50 ranking, I also exchanged for some resources to speed up my progress."
"I see, but you're really amazing," Li Wenwen said, somewhat envious.
On the other hand, when Luo Fei heard that Chen Chu had broken through yesterday, she slightly pursed her lips and smiled faintly, not entirely believing it.
"Squad leader and you have both broken through, and here we are, still stuck. I don't know when we'll reach the Second Heaven," Li Wenwen said, sounding a bit disheartened.
"Well, don't count me in. I should reach it soon," Luo Fei coughed dryly, pulling herself out of her stagnant state.
"What? Luo Luo, you're about to break through? Is that even possible?" Li Wenwen was astonished, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Luo Fei brushed a strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear and replied softly, "Since I found a reading method to enhance compatibility, my cultivation speed has significantly improved."
Not only Li Wenwen but even Chen Chu couldn't help but envy Luo Fei's cultivation method. She only needed to read Taoist and Buddhist classics to enhance her exercise compatibility.
"It seems like I'm the only one suffering the most. You guys are so mean," Li Wenwen said with a hint of frustration.
Suddenly, Xia Youhui suggested, "Ah Chu, now that we've both reached the Second Heaven, are you interested in sharing insights?"
"...Are you sure?" Chen Chu regarded Xia Youhui with an odd look, curious about his motivation for seeking such a challenge.
Xia Youhui affirmed, "I acknowledge your strength, but now that we've all broken through to the Second Heaven and harnessed our true power, I doubt you can overpower me."
"Keep in mind that this wasn't just a simple breakthrough for me. After learning that I was practicing Xuanwu Houtu Kungfu, my brother sent me a bottle of giant beast blood essence."
"Giant beast blood!" Chen Chu, Luo Fei, and Li Wenwen displayed astonishment upon hearing this.
Anything associated with the term "giant beast" carried immense value. Even the blood of an ordinary giant beast started at 50 contribution points on the school's exchange list.
Xia Youhui chuckled, explaining, "It came from a common creature known as a mountain giant tortoise. After absorbing the blood essence during my breakthrough, my abilities have significantly improved."
"Typically, advanced exercises that break through to the Second Heaven result in a threefold increase in strength. However, my defense has increased by fivefold, which is quite remarkable."
"My strength has also greatly improved due to the giant beast blood essence. If I were to face Li Meng again, I'm confident that he wouldn't be able to breach my defenses."
Suddenly, Chen Chu asked, "Where's Li Hao?"
Xia Youhui's smug expression instantly froze.
Pfft!
Both Luo Fei and Li Wenwen couldn't help but burst into laughter. Luo Fei, in particular, had witnessed the scene where Li Hao effortlessly overpowered Xia Youhui.
After sharing a hearty laugh, the four of them finished their meal and took a brief break before heading to the third-floor training room.
The training room was nearly empty during this time as most students were on their lunch break. Chen Chu and Xia Youhui positioned themselves over ten meters apart, while Luo Fei and Li Wenwen, serving as the audience, stayed even farther away.
Xia Youhui licked his lips, his excitement evident. "Ah Chu, you'll always be my brother. I managed to overpower you in our previous sparring session, and today will be no different."
"Today, Xia Youhui will rise from here and dominate Nantian Wugao for an era."
As they observed Xia Youhui's self-assured demeanor from a distance, Chen Chu, Luo Fei, and the others felt somewhat lost for words.
Chen Chu, in particular, couldn't help but find it amusing that Xia Youhui had suddenly assumed the role of the "big brother." At sixteen, their age difference wasn't significant enough to warrant such titles.
Nevertheless, Chen Chu couldn't deny that in their previous sparring session, Xia Youhui had managed to suppress him. However, today... Chen Chu's eyes gradually filled with anticipation.
He was genuinely looking forward to witnessing Xia Youhui's reaction after being subdued. Simultaneously, he was eager to explore the enhanced abilities of advanced exercises following the Second Heaven breakthrough. This would mark his first encounter with another Second Heaven practitioner after his own advancement.
As their true strengths unfolded, the unique characteristics of each martial art would become increasingly evident. In Chen Chu's case, his strength-focused training had made his power bursts more potent, and his speed had improved. Furthermore, the defensive capabilities of the Golden Body technique had advanced to the point where it could withstand ordinary weapons with ease...