Chapter 69: Hidden Spiritual Roots

Soon after the last competitor stepped down from the arena, all the participants had finished scoring.

During this time, two more competitors from other high schools withdrew from the competition. In the end, a total of 33 competitors were divided into 8 groups to engage in a round-robin elimination tournament within each group.

Seven of these groups each contained four competitors, who would be drawn into pairs for a head-to-head duel, eliminating contestants until only one remained.

The remaining group held five competitors. After the drawing, competitors would face each other in pairs, with one competitor receiving a bye in the first round, until only one remained.

Thus, with one contestant left in each of the eight groups, the final eight of the competition would be determined.

After the scoring competition ended, there was a period of rest. Zhang Yu stretched languidly, intending to go to the restroom with Bai Zhenzhen.

However, after searching for a long time, he couldn't find any restroom facilities around the arena.

Seeing Song Hailong walk past, Zhang Yu couldn't help but ask, "Do you know where the restrooms are?"

Song Hailong proudly smiled and said, "White Dragon High School has no restrooms."

"Huh?" Zhang Yu was shocked. "Do you just relieve yourselves anywhere?"

Song Hailong's face darkened, and he coldly replied, "The teachers and students of White Dragon High School have all undergone digestive system modification surgeries. We have no need for such backward, filthy, and time-wasting places as restrooms."

Zhang Yu was speechless. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Song Hailong said indifferently, "Go look on the first floor. There might be restrooms there for the lesser beings."

Thus, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen managed to find two makeshift restrooms outside the corridor on the first floor, each charging ten yuan per use.

After borrowing money from Qian Shen, the two finally finished their business, muttering complaints.

By the time they returned to the arena, the eight groups had already been decided.

At the same time, eight enormous arenas rose up on the spot, and the elimination matches for the eight groups would begin simultaneously.

Zhang Yu looked at the group assignments and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thankfully, Zhenzhen isn't in the same group as me."

"But Zhenzhen's group..."

Looking at the high-scoring competitor in Bai Zhenzhen's group, Zhang Yu frowned slightly. "He's strong."

It was a demon-blooded competitor from Red Pagoda High School.

He had a humanoid body but possessed a tiger's head and a coat of tiger fur, making him look like a humanoid tiger.

Earlier, using his Heaven's Eye Talisman, Zhang Yu had examined the opponent and found a series of assessments above his head.

'Protected Area, Dragon-Tiger Demon Blood, Medicine Barrel, Steel Bones'.

Zhang Yu recalled Lei Jun's translation: "From a demon preserve, a tiger demon bloodline mixed with dragon blood, takes a lot of medicine, and has undergone some kind of bone modification surgery."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "I remember he got 266 points in the scoring competition, right? That's the second-highest score among the students from Red Pagoda High School."

Combining Zhang Yu's observation of the opponent's performance in the scoring competition, and according to his own understanding, this demon-blooded youth named Hu Yuntao could be considered a hexagon warrior with high strength, high agility, high attack, and high defense, showing no obvious weaknesses in combat.

"That guy didn't participate in the magic competition last time, so he probably isn't good at controlling magical powers."

"But being able to participate in the martial arts competition means that his practical combat abilities are especially strong."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over the sharp claws gleaming with cold light on the opponent's hands. "Shouldn't demons have claw removal surgery before participating? Isn't this like bringing your own weapons? That's too unfair, isn't it?"

"This should be the kind of opponent that Zhenzhen hates the most."

With a hint of worry, Zhang Yu also walked toward his assigned group's arena.

"Don't go bankrupt, Zhenzhen. I don't have any money to lend you."

……

Bai Zhenzhen arrived at her group's arena.

She saw that the other three competitors were already there, coming from White Dragon High School, Purple Cloud High School, and Red Pagoda High School, respectively.

The most eye-catching was the competitor from Red Pagoda High School, who looked tiger-headed and didn't resemble a person.

Then, the four began to draw lots. Bai Zhenzhen drew Hu Yuntao.

After the one-on-one battle, the winner... would fight the winner of the other two, ultimately determining the qualifier for this group.

Bai Zhenzhen touched her abdomen, feeling the power hidden within, and slowly walked toward the arena.

"I've endured for so long, and finally, I have a chance to use you."

"Today, it's finally my turn, Bai Zhenzhen, to soar into the sky and amaze the entire crowd!"

On the opposite side, Hu Yuntao casually stepped onto the arena, seemingly not taking Bai Zhenzhen seriously at all, looking around as if searching for something.

……

Hu Yuntao, like Xiong Bufan who participated in the magic competition that day, came from the breeding base of the demon preserve.

But Hu Yuntao never felt ashamed of this identity, nor did he believe that the demon's status was inferior. On the contrary... Hu Yuntao had a sense of pride in his bones, a pride in his race and bloodline.

Because Hu Yuntao had the blood of the dragon. Hu Yuntao's body contained the bloodline from the dragon. Hu Yuntao was much more noble than those mortals!

In the preserve, the 'Father', who was also the chairman of the Red Pagoda High School board, would sow seeds into the wombs of various races every month, so that the wombs in the breeding base would conceive the 'Father's' children.

Every month, hundreds and thousands of demon children were born in the breeding base. Their bodies contained the dragon bloodline from the 'Father', and they were extraordinary from birth.

From the womb onward, these children would be constantly injected with various drugs for adaptation training.

The weak work, the strong study, that was the lesson Hu Yuntao learned in his growth.

Those who could not adapt to the drugs from a young age would be sent to work in food factories.

After growing up a little, those who were found to be lacking in wisdom would become employees of the ecological preserve.

After growing up even more, those who were found to have insufficient potential would go to work in garment factories, leather factories, textile factories... and other factories.

Only by passing these tests one after another, getting rid of one job opportunity after another, could they come to the paradise called Red Pagoda High School.

Signing a contract with the 'Father' here, becoming his truly recognized son.

Only then would they have the opportunity to continue studying and attend university.

I don't want to work! I want to study! This was the cry in the hearts of every demon in the breeding base.

And Hu Yuntao was such a son of the chairman who had passed through layers of trials and came to Red Pagoda High School to study.

He had gone through countless tests, broken through one dead end of labor after another, and finally obtained the qualifications to study in high school and attend university.Now, he would use the bloodline bestowed upon him by his esteemed father to vanquish all rivals in this contest, making his father proud!

…

On the arena.

As the referee counted down, 3! 2! 1! Tiger Yuntao shot forth with a whoosh, his claws stirring a fishy and cold wind, like sharp blades, slashing towards Bai Zhenzhen.

The woman before him was far inferior to him in terms of physique, strength, and speed. Tiger Yuntao was confident that in the next instant, he would tear apart her hands, rip open her throat, and utterly defeat her.

"This strike will directly bankrupt you of 600,000 in medical expenses."

But in the next moment, a powerful sense of threat surged within him, causing Tiger Yuntao to instinctively halt his advance and retreat rapidly.

He looked at Bai Zhenzhen again, feeling wisps of spiritual energy gathering around her, even coalescing at her fingertips, emitting a faint sword-like glow.

Tiger Yuntao's eyes flickered. "A Combat Spiritual Root?"

…

In the audience.

Qian Shen, watching the arena where Bai Zhenzhen was, asked curiously, "What kind of spiritual root is that? It seems I've never seen it before? But the commotion of drawing in spiritual energy is quite significant, it should be a Celestial Spiritual Root, right?"

Zhao Tianxing said from the side, "No wonder Ah Zhen is so poor she can't even afford to eat. She must have spent all her money on renting a Combat Spiritual Root. It seems she really wants to win."

Thinking about the travel expenses and the hours spent in the competition, Zhao Tianxing estimated that the Combat Spiritual Root would cost at least tens of thousands to rent. He secretly clicked his tongue, realizing how expensive it was to participate in these martial arts competitions.

…

On the arena.

Bai Zhenzhen, feeling the surge of spiritual energy throughout her body, thought to herself, "Everyone must think I rented a Combat Spiritual Root to participate in the martial arts competition, right?"

But Bai Zhenzhen knew that wasn't the case.

Compared to renting a spiritual root, she would rather spend money on buying medicine and cultivation techniques.

It's just that she already possessed a spiritual root herself.

To conceal the spiritual root within her, Bai Zhenzhen felt as if she had been holding back from going to the restroom since she was a child, and this suppression… had lasted for ten years now.

"Ah Zhen, you must control yourself, don't absorb spiritual energy, don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root."

Countless mornings, the first thing Bai Zhenzhen heard upon waking up was this.

"Ah Zhen, endure! Don't stir up the spiritual energy, don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root."

Countless nights, Bai Zhenzhen was awakened and forced to regain control of her spiritual root, forcing it to stop.

"Ah Zhen, I know it's difficult, but only when you have control and prevent others from discovering your spiritual root can we return to Songyang."

It was like being unable to breathe when encountering air, unable to drink when encountering water, and unable to relieve oneself when feeling the urge to.

Don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root!

Don't let anyone discover you have a spiritual root!

Don't be discovered!

Don't be discovered!

Bai Zhenzhen suppressed and suppressed… until one day when she was 14, she felt as if her spiritual root had been suppressed out of existence.

That day was the happiest day Bai Zhenzhen had experienced since she became aware.

After nine years of suppression and nine years of effort to conceal it, that troublesome thing was finally gone. She no longer had to constantly hold back.

But she soon discovered that the spiritual root hadn't disappeared, but rather had hidden itself, and it wasn't just the hiding of the spiritual root…

After repeated 'holding of breath,' the spiritual root hid itself along with her.

She was like a ghost, no one could see her, perceive her… or rather, everyone was like a ghost to her, no one paid attention to her anymore, no one could communicate with her.

That night… the entire world seemed to be left with only her.

Until she rediscovered a way to make herself visible again.

Pubescent Non-Virgin Boy Doesn't Dream of Impoverished Bai Mom

…

Seeing the spiritual energy flowing towards Bai Zhenzhen becoming increasingly turbulent, Tiger Yuntao decided not to give her any more time. He roared and charged forward again.

But in the next moment, Bai Zhenzhen vanished from his sight.

Tiger Yuntao's eyes widened as he looked across the entire arena.

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

"A stealth-type Combat Spiritual Root?"

To find her, he retreated to a corner of the arena, his eyes scanning the entire space, but he couldn't find even a trace of Bai Zhenzhen's figure.

Could it be…

In the next moment, he abruptly looked up at the sky, but still nothing!

In the next instant, he suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger.

Bai Zhenzhen, who had reappeared before him, had already pointed a finger towards Tiger Yuntao's dantian.

Although the attack was too fast and too dangerous, Tiger Yuntao's reaction was too quick and swift. Almost the moment Bai Zhenzhen appeared, he swiped his claw like lightning towards her outstretched sword finger.

"Hmph! Weak strength, slow speed, even with a surprise attack, what makes you think you can win against me?"

But in the next moment, as if she had already seen through Tiger Yuntao's attack trajectory, Bai Zhenzhen's sword finger changed and retreated.

Tiger Yuntao was about to pursue, but he felt a pain in his foot, as if he had been tripped.

Everything was so perfectly timed, as if he had actively rushed forward to be tripped.

With a soft thud, Tiger Yuntao looked at himself falling off the arena, his heart filled with unwillingness.

Roar!

"I'm not convinced, I haven't used my full strength yet!"

Watching Tiger Yuntao flailing and roaring, before being grabbed by the referee by the scruff of his neck, Bai Zhenzhen flicked her fingertip nonchalantly.

"Fool, I haven't used my full strength either."

In this battle, Bai Zhenzhen wins!