'In just a few days, my physical condition has improved again. Once I finish tempering all four major stages, what level will my body reach?' Li Yang couldn't help but wonder.
He had tried running earlier and could break ten seconds with ease. If he went all out, it seemed he could even break nine seconds without much trouble.
He'd even had the impulse to sign up for a track meet.
If he truly demonstrated such an ability, it might even be possible to request a dose of the Anticancer Agent.
However, Li Yang also had major concerns. After all, his body's transformation came from cultivation. This world now seemed far from simple in his eyes, and he couldn't be sure he wouldn't be dissected for research.
But Li Yang knew that the stronger he became, the more leverage he would have. When that time truly came, if he revealed himself and encountered any risks, his ability to withstand them would be much greater.
Because only personal strength could make others wary.
All things considered, Li Yang didn't act rashly. Instead, he chose to lie low and slowly improve himself.
The desire to help his father was urgent, but Li Yang would still choose the best method to solve the problem, not one born from a moment of impulse.
'I should head to the beach and check it out.'
Standing up, Li Yang prepared to go to the beach. The risk of exposing his cultivation was too great, and he was unsure of the attitude of the authorities.
Therefore, finding treasures in the ocean, earning enough money, and then buying the Anticancer Agent was still Li Yang's first choice.
But before he could leave, he received a phone call. He glanced at the caller ID; it was from Sun Datao.
Sun Datao was his deskmate, and the two were good friends. After the college entrance exams had ended, Sun Datao had even come to his house to comfort him, saying that he would definitely get into his dream university on his next try.
"Hello, Datao," Li Yang answered the phone.
"Brother Li."
The rough voice of Sun Datao came through the phone. "Today is the class reunion, using the last of our class funds. Are you coming? The homeroom teacher will be there too."
Hearing what Sun Datao said, Li Yang thought for a moment and replied, "Okay, I'll be right over."
This reunion had actually been planned before the college entrance exams.
Although he hadn't taken the exam, Li Yang didn't feel awkward or embarrassed about going.
On the contrary, having obtained a Cultivation Technique that allowed him to breathe and walk effortlessly on the seabed, his mindset had changed drastically.
The college entrance exam, which he had once considered incredibly important, now meant very little to him.
After failing the exam, he had considered retaking it in a year—which his parents and sister also suggested—but his perspective had changed after spending these past few days walking on the ocean floor.
Soon, Li Yang arrived at the destination.
It was a mid-range restaurant. Since they were using the class funds, they couldn't choose a place that was too high-end or expensive.
When he arrived, Li Yang immediately spotted a few familiar figures standing in front of the restaurant. They were all his classmates.
"Li Yang's here."
"Sigh, Li Yang's grades were so good, but he fainted right before the college entrance exam."
"His nerves must be too weak."
"On the last mock exam, Li Yang was second in the class. With scores like that, getting into a top-tier university would have been a breeze."
Seeing Li Yang arrive, his classmates had various thoughts. Some felt it was a pity, while others were clearly taking pleasure in his misfortune.
"Li Yang!"
"You're here!"
"Don't worry about missing the exam this time. Just retake it next year, man. We believe you could even get into Qingbei University!"
These classmates walked up, smiling at Li Yang.
Li Yang smiled back at them and exchanged a few casual words.
Meanwhile, on the other side, another group of students was gathered, their eyes fixed on a BMW.
"Brother Qiang, your family is so rich."
"Yeah, you got a car right after the exams ended. I'm so jealous."
"You have to take us for a spin after the reunion."
The crowd of boys and girls chattered excitedly around the BMW. A young man, about five-foot-nine and slightly overweight, was clearly the car's owner.
"No problem," Lin Qiang promised, patting his chest. "But we'll definitely be drinking today, so I'll take you all for a proper drive tomorrow."
He looked smug, basking in everyone's envious gazes.
He came from a well-off family. After the exams ended, he had begged his father to buy him a car specifically for this class reunion.
In reality, the car was second-hand. After all, Lin Qiang's father wasn't yet bold enough to buy his son, who wasn't even in college yet, a brand-new car, let alone a BMW.
But you couldn't tell just by looking at it. Besides, for a group of students who had just finished their college entrance exams, seeing a classmate with a car of their own was enough to inspire immense envy in most of them.
As Lin Qiang was enjoying the attention, he noticed Li Yang. His eyes shifted, and he walked straight over.
"Li Yang, you came too, huh?"
He greeted him with a smile, then shook his head in mock sympathy. "Sigh, I heard what happened to you. What terrible luck, having an accident right before the college entrance exam. Otherwise, with your grades, getting into a great university would have been a piece of cake."
He put on an act of feeling sorry for Li Yang.
The people around them heard him. If it had been any other classmate, they wouldn't have thought much of it, but coming from Lin Qiang, they didn't believe a word of his so-called pity.
'This Lin Qiang must be gloating right now.'
'Of course he is. Everyone knows he and Li Yang don't get along.'
'Lin Qiang is just a petty person who got lucky. With his grades, he'll be lucky to get into a vocational school.'
'Sigh, so what if he only gets into a vocational school? His family is rich. He'll just inherit the family business after graduation.'
A few classmates whispered among themselves.
Li Yang glanced at Lin Qiang. Previously, Lin Qiang had written a love letter to a girl in the class next door, but that girl had written a love letter to Li Yang instead. After that, Lin Qiang couldn't stand the sight of Li Yang and always tried to pick a fight.
However, Li Yang had taught him a lesson during one of his attempts to cause trouble, and Lin Qiang hadn't dared to provoke him since.
Even before he started cultivating, Li Yang had always been strong, capable of taking on several people at once without a problem.
Before, Li Yang probably would have been bothered by Lin Qiang's words. But now, the college entrance exam carried much less weight in his mind, and with other plans taking shape, he was genuinely calm.
"Lin Qiang, how did you do on the exam? What's your estimated score?" Li Yang asked casually.
At this question, the smile on Lin Qiang's face instantly faded a little. His estimated score was low, probably not even enough to meet the minimum threshold for a bachelor's degree program.
"Haha, Brother Li, I know Lin Qiang's score! It's 380!"
Just then, a booming voice rang out, and a burly young man about Li Yang's height walked over, laughing loudly.
The young man came straight to Li Yang's side. It was Sun Datao, Li Yang's best friend in the class.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Sun Datao, Lin Qiang snorted. He didn't say anything more. In terms of grades, he was in the bottom tier of the class. If he kept talking, he'd only make a fool of himself.
After all, for third-year high school students, grades were more important than anything else.
"The class monitor is here!"
Just then, a classmate suddenly shouted.
Everyone turned to look. Not far away, a girl in a white shirt was walking toward them.
The girl had her hair in a ponytail and was dressed simply.
Zhou Yao, the class monitor of Li Yang's class, was also the top student. Moreover, Zhou Yao was very pretty, the most outstanding girl in their class.
It wasn't just her beauty; she also carried an air of simple elegance.
Countless boys in the class had a crush on Zhou Yao. Li Yang also looked at her. It was only natural for a boy to admire such a beautiful and elegant girl, and Li Yang was no exception.
He and Zhou Yao had been in the same class since their first year of high school and were placed together again after the class reshuffle in the second year. To him, Zhou Yao was the girl he had secretly loved for three years, the object of his first crush.