"What did you just say?"
At the finish line, surrounded by scattered arcs of violet lightning, Yu Chen stood calmly, his gaze fixed on Tao Bai as he spoke slowly and clearly.
"…"
"You… how did you do that?!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Tao Bai's voice cracked as he staggered backward, his face pale like he'd seen a ghost. His eyes bulged, round as copper bells, and he kept shouting incoherently, unable to accept what had just happened.
He had believed Yu Chen had frozen out of fear or despair, choosing to stand still rather than face a humiliating defeat.
But what he never expected was that Yu Chen had crossed the entire track in an instant—vanishing from the starting line and appearing at the end as though teleporting!
What kind of absurd running speed was that?!
"Teachers… did anyone see clearly how Yuchen moved just now?"
"This speed is beyond what even a high-level agility-type Soul Master could do! And Yuchen didn't even release his Martial Spirit!"
"Master… has your brother always been this… this monstrous?"
On the judges' stand, teachers and supervisors were in collective shock. Their eyes turned to Yu Xiaogang, hoping for an explanation.
But Yu Xiaogang himself stood silent. He had no answers.
First came Yu Chen's mysterious variant Martial Spirit—the Divine Thunder Dragon. Then came the soul ring, absurdly at the ten-thousand-year level despite being his first. And now, such godlike speed… It was far beyond the realm of common genius.
Even Yu Xiaogang couldn't explain his younger brother's terrifying talent. Just how heaven-defying was Yu Chen?
Among the students, those who had scoffed at Yu Chen earlier now stood with their jaws dropped. No one had expected this outcome—let alone such a decisive, effortless victory.
They hadn't even seen how he moved. Yu Chen just… vanished and reappeared at the finish.
"I knew it! Brother Chen always has a way!"
"But seriously, how the heck did he do that?!"
Tang San and Chen Rui rushed toward Yu Chen, faces lit with awe and admiration.
Xiao Wu followed closely, her big, bright eyes locked on Yu Chen in amazement. Though she'd always believed in his strength, she had never imagined he was this fast.
That wasn't running. That was more like teleportation in the blink of an eye!
"The results can be announced."
Yu Chen glanced at his friends, offering a relaxed smile and a small shake of the head. Then he turned toward the teacher in charge of officiating the race.
"Ah—yes, of course!" The teacher snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Yuchen is the undisputed champion of this competition!"
"Brother Chen!"
"Brother Chen!"
As if triggered by the announcement, the students erupted in cheers. The cries of "Brother Chen" echoed across the campus.
"No! Impossible!"
Tao Bai's screams grew more desperate, his mind clearly unable to process what had just happened. He staggered and kept muttering "Impossible…" under his breath.
Seeing this, several teachers motioned for nearby students to help escort Tao Bai away before he caused more of a scene.
"Master, your brother's talent is too terrifying! How about letting him become my disciple?"
"Pah! With your measly 28 levels of Spirit Power? You can barely guide ordinary students. Teaching a prodigy like this is my department—I'm already Rank 33!"
The teachers who had once dismissed Yu Chen were now arguing like children, each vying for a chance to claim credit and offer mentorship.
"Silence! What kind of behavior is this?!"
An elderly man with a long white beard stepped forward. It was the principal.
"As principal of Notting College, I have the authority to accept disciples of Yu Chen's caliber!"
Everyone fell silent at once. The principal's expression was dead serious—but those around him looked away awkwardly.
Yu Xiaogang simply smiled and shook his head.
"It's getting late. Xiaochen, go rest."
He had no intention of handing Yu Chen over to these junior-level instructors. With Yu Chen's gifts, who in the entire Heaven Dou Empire could be more qualified than the 'Number One Theory Master' himself?
The other teachers didn't argue. Deep down, they knew he was right.
Yu Chen, Xiao Wu, Tang San, and the others headed back to the dormitory. Now that the sports meet had wrapped up, there was no reason to stay.
The spectating students from other classes and grades slowly began to leave as well.
After an intense day of competition, night fell quickly.
Back in the dorm, Yu Chen reclined on his bed, calmly circulating his Soul Power. Thanks to the intense stimulation of the earlier event, his Spirit Rank had quietly risen to Level 18.
"B-Brother Chen… I'll really be 'honest' tonight, I promise…"
A soft voice broke the silence. Xiao Wu's cheeks were flushed as she sat on Yu Chen's bed, her eyes sparkling with innocent affection.
Yu Chen chuckled and reached out to ruffle her soft hair. "Mm. I believe you."
But as the moonlight washed over the dormitory, Xiao Wu couldn't help but nestle against him, clinging tightly even as she slept.
Her words of being "honest" faded quickly into quiet breathing as she fell asleep in his arms.
---
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.
During this time, Yu Chen stayed at Notting College, studying diligently under Yu Xiaogang's guidance while occasionally strolling around Notting City with Xiao Wu.
Although the city was small, it was lively and full of quaint shops.
With the wealth Yu Chen received from Yang Xiong and his son—100,000 gold coins—Xiao Wu could buy anything she liked. They hadn't even touched most of the money yet.
On campus, after Yu Chen's overwhelming win and Tao Bai's defeat, students from all grades—yes, even seniors from the fifth and sixth years—treated him with awe and respect.
Meanwhile, the Divine Selection system had activated several more times.
Thanks to his choices, Yu Chen had officially advanced to Level 20, meaning he was eligible to receive his second Spirit Ring.
Even more impressively, the system had rewarded him with a powerful storage-type Soul Tool—the Universe Bag.
Unlike ordinary storage rings, this Universe Bag could hold living beings and elixirs. Its internal space was vast, far beyond any previously known soul guide, even superior to high-grade noble storage tools.
As the days passed, Xiao Wu grew even closer to Yu Chen, always sticking by his side.
---
"Brother Chen! Master told me to inform you—we're leaving for the Soul Beast Forest after lunch!"
Chen Rui rushed into the dormitory, slightly out of breath but visibly excited.
"This time, the group will include two teachers around the 25th rank and three senior academy instructors as the main guards. Then there are three fifth-year students and one fourth-year who need Spirit Rings. With you, that makes ten people total."
Yu Chen and Xiao Wu, who had been enjoying the sunshine on the balcony, exchanged a glance.
The real adventure was about to begin.