五月丁香五月丁香激情

Just a moment ago, Yu Xiaoyu, who had claimed to understand everything, now appeared completely bewildered, while Liu Mingyue, who had seemed utterly confused earlier, was now eloquently explaining the lesson.

She even accurately described a part of the cultivation method!

Zhang Xuan furrowed his brows tightly.

Had he misheard earlier? Could it be that it was actually Liu Mingyue who had said she understood, and Yu Xiaoyu who claimed she didn’t?

As Zhang Xuan was doubting himself, not far away, Chen Hao was also feeling completely thrown off.

Didn’t Liu Mingyue dislike this teacher and not want to be his student? Why was she suddenly helping him? And why did she remember his teachings so clearly?

Chen Hao felt like a clown who had been backstabbed by the very person he was trying to help.

"Chen Hao, do you think Miss Liu might be deliberately trying to help Zhang Xuan save face? Maybe she’s just reciting some old cultivation method she memorized earlier, rather than what he actually taught?" a student suggested from the crowd.

"That’s possible! Otherwise, why would this so-called teacher avoid teaching the basic Returning Energy Accumulation Technique and instead use a method we’ve never heard of?" another student agreed.

"Yeah!" Chen Hao’s eyes lit up. "That must be it! Otherwise, how could Yu Xiaoyu not remember a single word, while Liu Mingyue recalls so much?"

With this idea in mind, Chen Hao shouted, "Miss Liu, just tell the truth. There’s no need to cover for him..."

"Cover for what?" Liu Mingyue rolled her eyes at Chen Hao.

Although she didn’t like Zhang Xuan and didn’t want to be his student, she wasn’t the type to lie or make false accusations. The reason she recited the method was simply because it was accurate and she wanted to be truthful.

Just as she was about to speak, Yu Xiaoyu, who had been fuming in frustration, suddenly spoke up, "No, that’s exactly what Teacher Zhang taught!"

Chen Hao was quick to challenge her, "Then why don’t you explain it? If you can recite it as accurately as Miss Liu, I’ll admit that Teacher Zhang really taught this method."

"I..." Yu Xiaoyu’s face turned red. She hadn’t been paying attention during the lesson and couldn’t recall much, let alone explain it.

"I’ll do it!" Hong Yi stepped forward, his voice clear and confident. "Teacher Zhang’s explanation was even more detailed than what Miss Liu said. After the three dos and three don’ts, he mentioned that cultivation should not be rushed, that Source Energy can be guided but not forced, and the specific steps are as follows..."

Hong Yi had an excellent memory, and as he began to recount the lesson, his explanation was even more comprehensive than Liu Mingyue’s. Every word aligned perfectly with Zhang Xuan’s original teaching, leaving no doubt that this was indeed what had been taught.

Upon hearing this, Dean Lu Mingrong, who had been observing the situation, quickly intervened to stop Hong Yi from revealing too much of the lesson’s content. He then turned to Chen Hao, his expression stern.

"Hong Yi didn’t have the opportunity to access any cultivation techniques before class, and he certainly couldn’t have conspired with Miss Liu just to uphold Teacher Zhang’s reputation. Chen Hao, do you have anything to say now?"

"I..." Chen Hao’s face turned pale.

He knew Hong Yi well, having handpicked him from the crowd yesterday. He was certain that Hong Yi had no access to such techniques and wasn’t involved in any plot with Liu Mingyue. This meant that what Zhang Xuan had taught was genuine.

But how could this be? How could someone who was merely a stable hand just days ago suddenly be able to teach advanced cultivation methods, especially one that even he, Chen Hao, hadn’t heard of?

Desperate to salvage the situation, Chen Hao grasped at straws. "This technique... It’s too obscure and complex. It must be something Zhang Xuan made up to sound impressive. It can’t possibly be effective!"

There were scholars and philosophers who purposely made their teachings sound profound and difficult to understand, just to seem superior. Chen Hao suspected Zhang Xuan was doing the same—throwing out a technique that sounded impressive but was ultimately useless. After all, neither Yu Xiaoyu nor Liu Mingyue had any plans to actually practice it.

Dean Lu frowned at this. Indeed, some of the terms in the technique sounded abstract, making it hard to determine whether it was truly effective or just empty words. However, as an experienced educator, he knew better than to judge a method without seeing it in practice.

But before he could say anything, Chen Hao pressed on. "Dean Lu, I’m only concerned about the academy’s reputation. Miss Yu and Miss Liu are two of the most talented students in White Roc City. If their education is compromised by an unqualified teacher, it would be a great loss for the academy."

Dean Lu felt frustrated. He couldn’t outright tell Chen Hao the truth—that Zhang Xuan was a hidden genius whose methods would eventually prove to be invaluable. At the same time, he couldn’t allow Chen Hao’s accusations to go unchallenged.

"What do you suggest, then?" Dean Lu asked, though he was already planning to have Chen Hao dismissed once this matter was resolved. He couldn’t afford to let someone so disruptive remain at the academy, especially if it risked alienating Zhang Xuan.

"It’s simple. Since the three students have already learned the technique, they should be able to cultivate with it. The first time meridians are exposed to Source Energy, the progress is the most noticeable. If their strength increases, then the method is valid. If not, then it’s just nonsense," Chen Hao proposed, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue. "We know their previous strength levels from the Source Pool assessment. If there’s no improvement, it will be clear that the technique is useless."

Elder He Qin, who had overseen the assessments, recalled the results clearly. "Yes, I remember. Miss Yu Xiaoyu had 0.42 horsepower, Miss Liu had 0.4, and Hong Yi had 0.2."

Chen Hao’s smile widened. "Perfect. Just this morning, I saw Miss Yu cultivating. Even if the progress is small, there should be some change. Miss Yu, would you mind testing your strength again?"

"I..." Yu Xiaoyu hesitated.

"Go ahead and try," Zhang Xuan encouraged her, confident in the power of the Heaven’s Path technique. Even a basic application should yield significant results.

So, he was one hundred percent confident. This time, it was truly a sure thing.

"Um..." Yu Xiaoyu looked conflicted. After struggling for a moment, she showed a face that looked like she was about to cry. "I\'m sorry, Teacher Zhang. I was just pretending earlier... I actually didn\'t cultivate at all!"

"You didn\'t cultivate?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

‘Then why did you act like you understood everything and had it all figured out? Your emotions were all on point... Were you just playing around?’

‘It was the same last time when you lit the furnace. Everyone thought you had succeeded, but it turned out you were just pretending. And now, it\'s happening again... I think you should stop being called Yu Xiaoyu and start being called Pretender Yu!’

"Yes..." Yu Xiaoyu lowered her head in shame, feeling like she wanted to die.

Last time, she listened to her father\'s advice and didn\'t trust this teacher, making a fool of herself in front of thousands of teachers and students. This time, it was the same, with the only difference being that there were far fewer people watching her make a fool of herself...

"You two didn’t cultivate either, did you?" Zhang Xuan sighed, looking at Liu Mingyue and Hong Yi.

One didn’t understand, and the other just memorized without understanding. Upon closer thought, they were probably in the same boat as Yu Xiaoyu...

"We didn’t," Liu Mingyue nodded.

Hong Yi’s face turned red with embarrassment. "I\'m sorry, Teacher. If it’s not too late, we can start cultivating now..."

If I hadn’t been focused on memorizing earlier and had cultivated for even a little bit, maybe the teacher wouldn’t have been humiliated...

"No need!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand to stop him and pointed to the strength-measuring formation not far away. "Just go ahead and measure your strength!"

"Measure?" Hong Yi was stunned, afraid he had misunderstood. He looked around cautiously and saw that everyone seemed equally confused, while Yu Xiaoyu’s eyes were wide with shock.

They had all admitted they hadn’t cultivated, so what could they possibly measure?

Was this just going to be another embarrassing spectacle?

As the city lord’s daughter stood there with a strange expression, she noticed Zhang Xuan waving at her from a distance.

"You go first!" Zhang Xuan ordered.

Yu Xiaoyu waved her hands frantically, almost on the verge of tears. "Teacher, I swear I\'m telling the truth. I really didn’t cultivate..."

"I told you to try it, so just try it! Why are you wasting so much time talking?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Seeing how decisive he was, Yu Xiaoyu didn’t dare to argue anymore. She gritted her teeth and walked up to the strength-measuring formation.

She had already measured her strength once earlier this morning, so there shouldn’t be any changes if she measured it again.

"Why measure if you didn\'t cultivate?"

"Who knows? Maybe she\'s just trying her luck, hoping to somehow beat her previous score!"

"That strength-measuring formation tests overall strength. Do they really think putting in a little more effort will yield a higher score? If it were that easy, it wouldn\'t deserve to be called a formation!"

As Yu Xiaoyu stepped up despite admitting she hadn\'t cultivated, murmurs of disbelief and mockery spread through the crowd. Everyone was watching her as if she were a joke, especially Chen Hao, who wore a sneering expression.

As long as her score remained unchanged, he had plenty of ways to make Zhang Xuan lose face, avenging the humiliation he suffered the day before.

"I... I\'m starting!"

Seeing all eyes on her, knowing she could no longer escape, Yu Xiaoyu gritted her teeth, gathered all her strength, closed her eyes, and threw a punch at the formation.

Buzz!

The formation buzzed softly, the air hummed, and a number appeared on the display.

Chen Hao\'s laugh echoed nearby, "It must still be 0.42 horsepower. How could her strength increase without cultivation... Huh? How is this possible?"

"Could the formation be broken?"

"What happened?"

Surprised by the unexpected reactions, Yu Xiaoyu cautiously opened one eye and peeked at the display. With just one glance, she was frozen in place.

The formation, which had displayed 0.42 horsepower before class, now showed 0.5.

In just a short time, her strength had increased by 0.08 horsepower—nearly a 20% boost.

Strength increased without any cultivation? How was that possible?

Yu Xiaoyu was utterly bewildered. Others might question why she didn’t practice the method Zhang Xuan taught, but having experienced it herself, she knew she was waiting for her father to teach her the superior Five Directions Accumulation Technique!

She had barely paid attention to Zhang Xuan\'s lesson, let alone cultivated, yet her strength had increased this much?

As she stood there in shock, full of confusion, she noticed Zhang Xuan\'s brows furrow with displeasure. "It seems you not only didn’t cultivate at all, but you also weren’t paying attention during my lesson..."

"Yes..." Yu Xiaoyu’s face flushed with shame, as if she had been stripped bare. She couldn’t understand, "If I didn’t cultivate, then why did my strength increase?"

Without answering her, Zhang Xuan turned to the other girl. "Alright, Liu Mingyue, you go and measure your strength too!"

"Me?" Liu Mingyue pointed at herself.

She had remembered some of what Zhang Xuan taught and listened attentively during class, but unlike Yu Xiaoyu, she genuinely hadn’t cultivated.

In her mind, Yu Xiaoyu was clearly pretending that she hadn’t cultivated, just to show off in front of everyone...

"Fine, if anyone’s going to be embarrassed, it’ll be you..." Liu Mingyue initially thought about refusing, but then realized that if her strength hadn’t improved, it would be Zhang Xuan who’d be humiliated. Deciding not to overthink it, she clenched her fist and struck the formation.

Buzz!

The formation buzzed again, and another number slowly appeared on the display.

"I said I didn’t cultivate... Ah?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Liu Mingyue’s voice caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

The strength that had previously measured 0.4 horsepower had now surged to 0.6—a full 50% increase!

"This..."

Liu Mingyue wasn’t the only one shocked; even Principal Lu Mingrong and the others were stunned.

An increase of 50% in strength after just one session...

Even sitting and cultivating continuously for three days wouldn’t produce such a result!

The most perplexing part was... both Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue insisted they hadn’t cultivated.

But how could their strength increase so much without cultivation?

"This isn’t right!"

As everyone stood in shock, Zhang Xuan suddenly looked at Liu Mingyue. "Did you try controlling the Source Energy to temper your meridians, as I instructed?"

"I, I..." Liu Mingyue nodded, feeling embarrassed. "I did control one thread of Source Energy and explored the path a bit. It took me less than half a cup of tea\'s time..."

"Just as I thought..."

Understanding dawned on Zhang Xuan as he nodded. "That’s why your improvement was greater than Yu Xiaoyu’s, and your progress faster!"

"Just by controlling the Source Energy and exploring the path for less than half a cup of tea’s time... it caused a 50% increase in strength?"

"Am I dreaming?"

"The most unbelievable part is Yu Xiaoyu... She didn’t even cultivate at all, not even explore the path, yet her strength increased by nearly 20%..."

"What on earth is going on?"

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward Zhang Xuan, staring at him as if he were some kind of monster.