Chapter 17: Fractions and Secrets

"So hungry."

Qian Shen rubbed his stomach, showing no interest in the paintings in the exhibition. He just wanted to find a place for a hearty meal.

After all, he had just finished his remedial body refining lessons and rushed over here. His stomach rumbled so loudly he felt like he could devour an entire ox.

"I'll go look for something to eat."

After greeting his classmates who had come with him, Qian Shen began to search the exhibition hall.

The students who had come to the art exhibition with him were used to this.

They studied the Immortal Dao diligently every day and practiced hard to temper their bodies. The nutrition they needed and the amount they ate were naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.

For a diligent student like Qian Shen, who cultivated hard day and night, his daily intake was even more substantial. Eating only five meals a day would worry his tutors that he didn't have a good appetite.

Just then, Qian Shen's eyes suddenly lit up, his gaze fixed on the buffet table.

He strode forward and grabbed a plate of large prawns, swallowing them in a few mouthfuls. But after eating for a while, he frowned, "Is this stuff not nutritious at all?"

Qian Shen, as the top student in the first year of Songyang High School, always ranked second in the entire grade. Besides his natural talent and hard work, the most important thing was, of course, that his family was rich.

To improve his cultivation effect, especially the effect of body refining, the food he usually ate was rich in various Immortal Dao elements.

For him, a staunch believer in the supremacy of grades, whether the food tasted good or not was secondary. The most important thing was that it could improve his cultivation efficiency.

He could naturally afford the seafood provided by the art exhibition's buffet, but he had no interest in spending money specifically to satisfy his appetite. On the contrary, he felt that it was a waste of his time and stomach.

Seafood, feasts... if it doesn't improve grades? Then it's trash.

So, while looking at the other dishes on the table, Qian Shen called over a waiter, wanting to ask if there was anything else that could be used for dietary supplements.

"Everything edible is here. Take what you want."

Hearing the waiter's somewhat cold voice, Qian Shen couldn't help but frown. But when he looked up, he saw a familiar face.

Qian Shen looked at the waiter's uniform and said in surprise, "You're working here?"

"Yes," Bai Zhenzhen said expressionlessly, "Is there anything else?"

Qian Shen frowned and said, "Are you short of money?"

"Then hurry up and sign a contract with the student council. Otherwise, continuing to waste time on such meaningless work will only hinder your path in the Immortal Dao."

"Even if I surpass you by then, it won't mean much."

Qian Shen's tone was full of emotion. After all, he had always regarded Bai Zhenzhen, the only girl in the same grade who could surpass him in total score, as his opponent.

In his mind, Bai Zhenzhen should also think the same way.

For the next three years of high school, the entire grade, even the entire school, would be the battlefield for their two great geniuses to compete and cherish each other.

They should break through their limits in repeated competitions and ultimately enter top universities together in three years.

But facing Qian Shen's emotion, Bai Zhenzhen said indifferently, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Before Qian Shen could answer, Bai Zhenzhen continued, "You, a guy with a total score of just over 600, want to teach me, who has 650, how to do things?"

Faced with Bai Zhenzhen's blatant grade discrimination, Qian Shen, as a staunch supporter of the supremacy of scores, instantly lost his momentum. The 50-point difference was like a mountain crashing down on him.

Your score is higher, so you're right.

At this moment, in Qian Shen's eyes, Bai Zhenzhen's head seemed to have three glittering numbers, 650, emitting a powerful sense of oppression, making him unable to say a word in rebuttal.

Bai Zhenzhen frowned, "No, when you talk to me, why do you keep looking at the top of my head?"

Qian Shen snorted coldly and turned to leave.

"Just wait, Bai Zhenzhen. If you keep wasting time like this, I'll definitely surpass you soon."

But after taking a few steps, he almost bumped into two security guards.

It was Zhang Yu, who had come to check the situation, and Zhao Tianxing, who had been dragged along by him.

Seeing that Bai Zhenzhen and Qian Shen seemed to have a conflict, Zhang Yu, as a security guard, hurried over.

Qian Shen looked at the two, although they were wearing security uniforms, they were still classmates after all, and he recognized them at a glance: "550 and 580?"

Hearing this title, Zhang Yu was slightly stunned. The next moment, he realized that 550 was his total score in last month's monthly exam, and 580 seemed to be Zhao Tianxing's total score?

Good fellow, only scores in his eyes, can't even remember classmates' names, huh? Another guy who has become a freak from studying.

But in fact, Qian Shen not only couldn't remember names, but also couldn't remember the names and scores of students below 550.

After all, to him... below 550? Aren't they all NPCs? Is there any need to remember them?

Like the 550 in front of him, in Qian Shen's eyes, he was already a subhuman.

According to his observations during this period, the other party would most likely score below 550 in the next monthly exam, so there would be no need to remember him starting next month.

Looking at the security uniforms on Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing, Qian Shen shook his head again, "Why are you guys working here too?"

Faced with 550 and 580, the momentum that had just been suppressed by 650 instantly rose back from Qian Shen. He said proudly, "Instead of seizing the time to study hard and cultivate hard, what are you doing wasting time here?"

Zhang Yu: "Aren't you here too?"

Qian Shen chuckled and said confidently, "I specially pushed back my tutoring time today to come and comprehend the peerless martial arts in the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram."

Zhang Yu: "Okay, we are also here to comprehend the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram."

"And we can also get a salary of 800 per hour."

"We can earn money and comprehend divine skills at the same time. Isn't that much more cost-effective?"

"Hmm?" Qian Shen was slightly stunned when he heard this, and looked at Zhang Yu in surprise, thinking to himself, "Does what a person with a score of 550 say actually make some sense?"

He looked at Zhang Yu and said, "550, I'll remember you."

"My name is Zhang Yu!" Zhang Yu couldn't help but look at the top of his head again, "Why do you keep staring at the top of my head?"

But Qian Shen quickly reacted, "That's not right. You two want to comprehend the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram?"

Zhao Tianxing felt that more and more people were looking over, and Qian Shen's contemptuous gaze made his cheeks slightly red. He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, I didn't want to comprehend the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram."

Qian Shen was too lazy to pay attention to Zhao Tianxing's explanation. He just shook his head and sighed, "The Celestial Martial Arts Diagram was drawn by a Golden Core expert himself. The peerless martial arts contained within are specially used to select true geniuses. Even I don't have absolute confidence in mastering it, let alone you?"

With that said, Qian Shen was no longer interested in looking at the 550 and 580 in front of him. He turned around and left.

Looking at Qian Shen's departing back, Zhao Tianxing's face became even more bitter.

Not only was he seen working as a security guard by the other party, but also because Zhang Yu spoke nonsense, the other party mistakenly thought that he had come to comprehend the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram.

Zhao Tianxing was full of bitterness, and seemed to have already seen himself being ridiculed by the many classmates in the class.

He thought to himself, "This time, I've lost a lot of face."

Zhang Yu, who was beside him, didn't have so many thoughts in Zhao Tianxing's mind. He looked at Bai Zhenzhen and asked, "Are you okay? Are you and Qian Shen not on good terms?"

Bai Zhenzhen curled her lips and said casually, "What could happen to me? In most cases, he just brings it on himself."

Then she looked at Zhang Yu with a strange expression, "You also plan to comprehend the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram?"

Looking at Zhang Yu, who nodded confidently, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "Yu Zi is getting more and more obsessed because of his huge debt. With his level... he even wants to comprehend the martial arts left by a Golden Core Master?"

Zhao Tianxing, who was beside her, just wanted to leave this place quickly. He tugged on Zhang Yu's clothes, wanting to leave, but found that the other party was winking at Bai Zhenzhen.

Then he saw Bai Zhenzhen secretly handing a plate of seafood to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu: "Old Zhao, do you want to try some?"

Zhao Tianxing said anxiously, "The captain said we can't eat the buffet."

While saying that, he hurriedly blocked Zhang Yu with his body, afraid that this matter would be seen.

Zhang Yu said easily, "Isn't it a good thing that Ah Zhen is working here too? We can just fleece the company."

Just as Zhang Yu was tasting the prawns on the plate, a voice came from behind Zhao Tianxing.

"What are you doing?"

This voice startled Zhao Tianxing. When he turned around and found that the person speaking was Zhou Tianyi, a classmate, he breathed a sigh of relief instead.

Unknowingly, Zhao Tianxing seemed to have gradually gotten used to wearing a security uniform in front of his classmates.

Zhang Yu looked at Zhou Tianyi in surprise and said, "Old Zhou, you're here too?"

Zhou Tianyi smiled and said, "Yeah, I came with Qian Shen and the others."

Zhang Yu: "Really? How come I didn't see you just now?"

Zhou Tianyi said, "Hehe, how did you get here?"

The two chatted about their respective situations, and Zhao Tianxing urged Zhang Yu to continue patrolling again.

Zhou Tianyi suddenly said with a mysterious look, "There's a gossip about the Golden Core Master. I don't know if you're interested in hearing it?"

Seeing the curious look on Zhang Yu's face, Zhao Tianxing said, "The captain is already urging us in the group, asking where we are..."

Zhang Yu nodded, "Forget it, work is important. I'll listen to you next time."

Just as the two were about to turn around and leave, they heard Zhou Tianyi say, "True Person Xinghuo was divided half of his cultivation because he resigned, and that's why he plans to retreat back to the first layer."

"Hmm?"

Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing immediately turned around and waited for Zhou Tianyi to speak next.

Bai Zhenzhen, who was beside them, didn't look over, but she pricked up her ears to listen.

Zhou Tianyi smiled and continued, "Golden Core Masters can live up to 400 years, but True Person Xinghuo is already 350 years old last year and was optimized by the Ten Thousand Dharma Sect."

"When he resigned, half of his cultivation was taken back. He was unable to support the consumption above, so he wanted to retreat to Kunxu First Layer to focus on cultivating his descendants and training his disciples."

Zhang Yu was once again shocked by this damned world: "Isn't that... half of your cultivation has to be taken away when you resign?"

Zhou Tianyi said as a matter of course: "The sect cultivated him and gave him the opportunity and resources to form a core. Isn't it normal to hand over half of his cultivation when he leaves?"

Just as the three were listening to Zhou Tianyi's news about True Person Xinghuo, the crowd in the distance suddenly became a little restless.

Some guests whispered, "Ms. Li is here. The Celestial Martial Arts Diagram is about to be unveiled."