Returning to the classroom.
Everyone in Class Eight looked at Xu Zhou with admiration.
Xu Zhou felt a bit helpless, thinking that if this continued, these classmates might actually build a statue for him and worship it every day.
Returning to his seat, his desk mate Wen Yuehui immediately gave him a thumbs up: "Xu Zhou, you're truly amazing."
"Making a genius from the top ten of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking face public punishment is unprecedented in the school's history."
Xu Zhou gave him a helpless look, thinking it's one thing for others to praise him, but why was Wen Yuehui joining in?
However, speaking of it...
The principal's way of punishing was really surprising to him, actually flogging Huang Yunxuan in public, which was a huge humiliation!
"It seems the school indeed values my talent a lot," Xu Zhou thought to himself.
To clarify false rumors, they humiliated a top ten genius from the Dragon and Tiger Ranking like this.
If they didn't value Xu Zhou enough, the principal definitely wouldn't have made such a decision.
At this moment, Wen Yuehui suddenly changed the topic and said, "But this matter probably isn't over yet."
"I've heard a bit about that Huang Yunxuan; he's known for seeking revenge for the smallest grievances, and those who offend him don't end well, so be careful."
"Inside the school is fine, but outside school, he might have ill intentions towards you."
Hearing this, Xu Zhou's heart tightened.
Indeed, he remembered that after he defeated Huang Hao in the virtual world, Huang Hao immediately retaliated, even with thoughts of crippling him.
If Huang Hao is so ruthless, how could his brother Huang Yunxuan be any different?
The humiliation Huang Yunxuan suffered was all because of Xu Zhou, and he feared it had already planted a seed of vengeance in his heart.
"I'll be careful," Xu Zhou said.
Wen Yuehui looked at him, sighed, and said, "I've heard that when Huang Yunxuan was a freshman, he nearly killed a classmate, so... be really careful."
Xu Zhou's expression turned serious.
Nearly killed someone as a freshman? Could this person truly be so vicious?
For a moment, his heart grew more cautious.
Even if the other party didn't dare to harm him,
what if they were crazy enough to target his parents?
Xu Tianhai and Li Yanping were just ordinary people; if Huang Yunxuan made a move, he could easily injure them seriously.
Thinking of this, Xu Zhou clenched his fists slightly.
The cause of this matter clearly originated from the other side, so why was it that he was the one endlessly troubled by it?
What did he do wrong?!
"I'm still not strong enough." Xu Zhou clenched his fists and thought to himself, "If I had enough strength, I wouldn't be troubled by these matters now."
His gaze grew increasingly determined.
Then, Xu Zhou got up and headed to the training room; he was going to work hard to cultivate and become stronger!
...
Time passed, and a day went by during training.
After school, Xu Zhou didn't leave immediately but went to the entrance of Class Three, Year Three, and waited for a while.
Li Ruoxi was ranked second on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, and her strength was extremely powerful.
As long as Xu Zhou returned with her, Huang Yunxuan wouldn't dare to make a move on him.
But after waiting for a long time, Li Ruoxi didn't come out.
Instead, Lin Shishi came out.
Seeing Xu Zhou, she exclaimed in surprise, "Xu Zhou?"
Xu Zhou recognized her and quickly asked, "Senior Sister Lin, is my sister inside?"
"She already went home earlier," Lin Shishi replied.
Xu Zhou was taken aback, and then his expression turned slightly serious.
It seemed he needed to be careful on the way home today.
Although Huang Yunxuan might not make a move on him, what if? Xu Zhou didn't want to take that chance!
"Got it, Senior Sister, I'm leaving."
"Wait a moment, junior." Lin Shishi blinked playfully and said, "Let's exchange contact information?"
"Sure."
Without much thought, Xu Zhou exchanged contact info and left.
What he didn't know was that not far away, on a street, Li Ruoxi was watching this scene with a slight frown.
"What's he doing chatting with my best friend?"
She had some complaints in her mind, but when she saw Xu Zhou turn and leave, she also moved her feet to follow him.
As per her father's instructions, she was responsible for "escorting" Xu Zhou home.
As for Xu Zhou,
after leaving the school, he cautiously made his way home.
But before long, his expression turned heavy.
Someone was following him!
"Is it Huang Yunxuan?" Xu Zhou was vigilant, knowing he stood no chance against Huang Yunxuan.
After all, Huang Yunxuan was among the top ten on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, his Qi-Blood and combat skills were enough to crush most people.
Xu Zhou walked slowly, highly alert, sensing someone behind following him step by step.
At this moment, Xu Zhou felt utterly frustrated.
He wasn't afraid of death, but if he were to fall at the hands of someone like Huang Yunxuan, he wouldn't accept it.
As he passed a corner, he glanced back.
"Hmm?"
"Sister??"
Xu Zhou turned his head back, utterly astonished.
How was it Li Ruoxi again?
He suddenly recalled that in the morning, Li Ruoxi seemed to be following him like this, not too far, about two hundred meters away.
"So it was her, that's a relief." Xu Zhou breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
At this moment, he was eager for Li Ruoxi to follow him closely.
Although Li Ruoxi was proud, she wouldn't harm him.
But soon, Xu Zhou became puzzled. Why was Li Ruoxi following him all the time?
If it was a coincidence in the morning, how could it still be a coincidence now? Something didn't add up.
Suddenly, Xu Zhou recalled from his past, being bullied by classmates, suddenly a masked hero appeared from nowhere and drove those classmates away.
Many times, on the way to school, when encountering danger, it was resolved in this manner.
At that time, Xu Zhou thought he was just lucky to have a hero help out.
But now, those "heroes" in his memory seemed to slowly overlap with a certain figure.
"It was her?" Xu Zhou showed a look of astonishment.
Since middle school, had Li Ruoxi been secretly protecting him?
Yet in his memories, Li Ruoxi was so proud and even extremely disdainful towards him.
"Li Ruoxi and I have no blood relation, she's not my real sister either." Xu Zhou thought to himself, "She has no reason to do this."
"Unless, it was my father who asked her to."
After figuring that out, Xu Zhou felt a bit uneasy.
Even if it was under his father's request, but if Li Ruoxi was unwilling, she couldn't be forced.
All along, the cold and proud Li Ruoxi had been silently protecting him, and the image of an icy, remote glacier in his mind slowly started to melt.
...
With a complex feeling, Xu Zhou returned home, finding no one there.
He prepared food for the mutated chicken and took it to his room.
The mutated shark-tooth chicken stood on the ground, wearing black school pants.
"Quite stylish."
Xu Zhou nodded secretly; this little guy looked quite dashing in school pants, majestic and imposing.
Especially as it continued to grow, its legs gradually elongating, reaching nearly a meter in height, fitting perfectly with the suspenders it wore.
Xu Zhou's consciousness descended into the mutated chicken, beginning to enjoy today's meal.
"Gurgle gurgle~"
The shark-toothed beak opened and closed, devouring all the food on the ground.
Whoosh!
Soon, the mutated chicken began to grow again.
Its feathers shook, it raised its neck, let out a "cluck cluck," and then its body expanded visibly.
[Qi-Blood +0.1 points]
[Rank +5%]
Host: Xu Zhou
Qi-Blood: 74.1 points
Spirit: 2 Hertz
Avatar: Shark-Tooth Mutated Chicken
Rank: Level 0, Stage 2 (5%)
Net Weight: 41 kilograms
Talent: Grows ten kilograms daily (limit), Devouring All Things
Evolution: Can evolve once the weight reaches the species limit.
——
"The weight broke through 40 kilograms!" Xu Zhou looked at the mutated chicken, now over a meter tall, with slight sentimentality.
In a few days, its weight might catch up with Li Ruoxi's.
Xu Zhou didn't know Li Ruoxi's exact weight, but it was surely less than one hundred twenty pounds; her body proportions were very perfect.
"Once the rewards from the Top Hundred Ranking are distributed, it'll be able to grow ten kilograms daily!"
Xu Zhou pondered, "By then, it won't take long before it can evolve again, right?"
What changes will the next evolution bring?
Xu Zhou was a bit expectant.
But simultaneously, Xu Zhou was also a bit anxious: "This fellow is getting bigger, if it continues growing, it can't be kept at home anymore."
Family is one thing, but if someone else saw the mutated chicken avatar when he wasn't around, it would be troublesome.
"If I let it go, where would it go?" Xu Zhou was a bit distressed.
The surroundings were all urban, without forests.
The only possible place for release was the restricted zone of the Thousand Demon Cave.
"Do I have to go to the restricted zone?" Xu Zhou thought to himself.
He had heard a bit about the Thousand Demon Cave restricted zone, the most renowned in Jiangzhou.
But ordinary people couldn't enter it.
Only students recommended by the school or certified martial artists from society could step into the restricted zone.
As for Xu Zhou, he naturally only had the school's recommendation as a way.
"I wonder if I can get the school's recommendation?" Xu Zhou pondered.
Knock knock knock!
Just then, Li Ruoxi knocked on his door: "Come out to eat."
"Coming!" Xu Zhou put away his thoughts and went out.
...
Arriving in the living room, to his surprise, Xu Zhou saw that his parents hadn't returned home.
He sat at the dining table, eating dinner with Li Ruoxi.
Since his parents weren't home, Li Ruoxi had prepared dinner today.
While eating, Xu Zhou couldn't help glancing at Li Ruoxi repeatedly.
At this moment, he was itching to tell her about following him, to see how the proud and cold sister would react.
"Should I say it?" Xu Zhou glanced at Li Ruoxi again.
Li Ruoxi ate in small bites, her demeanor as cool and aloof as ever.
Seeing Xu Zhou looking at her, her long eyelashes fluttered as she raised her head and said, "What, doesn't my cooking taste good?"