Classroom of Senior Year, Class Seven.
It was between classes, and the room buzzed with noise. Some students were discussing problems, while others argued over certain points of knowledge.
Third row by the window.
After several changes in desk arrangement, Andrew Han once again sat in the third row by the window.
"I've reached the Fifth Rank in martial arts. I can enter an Elite University."
A sense of satisfied joy flowed through his heart as he gazed out the window... watching the younger students run across the green playground, and looking at the building where he practiced martial arts. His thoughts gradually drifted far away.
For now, he could relax a little. After all, getting into an Elite University was a certainty.
But Andrew Han asked himself: Is this enough? Am I really satisfied with just the Fifth Rank in martial arts?
He had returned through rebirth, with the mysterious Graywhite Aura within him. The Fifth Rank was far from his ultimate limit! In this life, he refused to drift along or settle for mediocrity.
Fate would never crush him.
Especially since, whether it's the Fifth Rank or the Third Rank, there's no fundamental difference. Against those monsters and demons, neither means anything—they can't be stopped.
"Hoo."
Andrew Han slowly exhaled, gradually coming to an understanding. If he wanted to achieve his ultimate goal, keep his family together, and protect them for a lifetime, he had to hold firm to his beliefs and fight endlessly.
He could not slack off, could not stop.
First, the goal was Seventh Rank, then Fifth Rank. He had already achieved both. Why hesitate to set a third goal for himself—Third Rank!
A smile played at the corner of Andrew Han's lips as he gazed out the window.
......
Beside him, Gavin Bright idly flipped through his book, bored out of his mind. He glanced at Andrew Han. "What's up with this guy? He's been daydreaming through the whole class."
Lost in thought, he couldn't help but shake his head.
Since early March, his once quiet and reserved deskmate, Andrew Han, had gradually become a stranger, undergoing a dramatic transformation.
He gestured for Gavin Bright to make way, then walked down the aisle toward the door.
"Strange." He frowned, puzzled. "I don’t really have any friends at school. Who could be looking for me?"
In the blink of an eye, Andrew Han strode to the doorway.
Zoe Li’s gaze was oddly curious as she studied Andrew Han, saying nothing before returning to her seat in the first row.
"What’s going on?"
Andrew blinked, then saw Monica Zhang standing at the classroom door, hands clasped behind her back, leaning against the wall. Her delicate face looked nervous and a little shy.
"Monica, what’s wrong?"
Andrew quickly stepped outside, frowning. "Is Gavin Bright bothering you again?"
"No, no!"
Monica Zhang stood nervously, waving her hands in a hurry.
In three years of high school, this was her first time coming to another class to find someone—let alone a boy. Even without any other intentions, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
"Here, this is for you."
Like a timid little rabbit, Monica glanced around and handed Andrew two packs of Qingfeng tissues—twenty packets in total, each labeled 'Pure Wood Essence.'
Andrew was taken aback.
A warm feeling welled up in his heart. Smiling, he accepted the tissues. "I won’t be polite, so don’t even think about taking them back."
"Please, they’re meant for you." Monica smiled. "My dad bought three boxes of Qingfeng tissues just for me. Use these first, and I’ll bring more when you run out. But you really shouldn’t use toilet paper on your face."
As she spoke,
She pursed her lips in mock disgust.
"Haha."
Andrew couldn’t help but laugh.
Monica Zhang’s nervousness faded, replaced by a warm smile.
Andrew Han tucked the tissues away, feeling a sense of gratitude.
"I’ll see you later." Monica said softly, then hurried back to her own classroom.
Andrew watched her leave, his heart still warm from the small gesture.
Returning to his seat, he found Gavin Bright looking at him with curiosity.
"Who was that?" Gavin asked, a teasing smile on his face.
Andrew shook his head and smiled, "Just a friend from another class."
Gavin Bright raised his eyebrows but didn’t press further.
Andrew Han looked down at the tissues, determination flickering in his eyes.
He knew that kindness and support from friends and family were precious, especially on the path he had chosen.
Taking a deep breath, Andrew refocused on his new goal: reaching the Third Rank in martial arts.
The journey ahead would be long and arduous, but he was no longer alone.
With renewed determination, Andrew Han opened his textbook and began to study, preparing for both the challenges of school and cultivation.
Outside the classroom window, sunlight streamed in, illuminating his resolute face.
The future was uncertain, but Andrew Han was ready to face it head-on.
He would fight for his dreams, protect his loved ones, and strive to change his fate.
A new goal had been set, and the journey continued.
The classroom buzzed with quiet energy, each student lost in their own thoughts.
But for Andrew Han, everything had changed.
He was ready for whatever came next.
"Alright, class is about to start. I should head back." Monica Zhang waved and turned to leave.
"Mm."
Andrew Han responded, quietly watching Monica’s graceful figure disappear at the stairwell.
...
First row of the classroom.
Zoe Li glanced at Andrew Han as he returned, quietly shaking her head.
After her failed attempt to persuade him last time, she understood she couldn’t sway Andrew from his martial arts path. Any lingering regret or disappointment vanished.
"We’re just from different worlds. It’s hard to become friends."
"After the college entrance exam, you’ll probably only get into an ordinary university. I, on the other hand, will enter the Academy. Our lives will follow completely different paths—the difference is clear."
Zoe Li pursed her lips.
Rustle.
She gently opened her politics workbook, gazing at her neat handwriting and focusing on memorizing key points.
Sometimes she closed her beautiful eyes to silently recite, sometimes she flipped to the next page to review more content.
...
Third row by the wall.
Gavin Bright stared at Andrew Han, having just watched his deskmate interact with the beautiful girl at the podium.
"Tsk tsk."
He glanced at Andrew, then at the two packs of Qingfeng tissues on the desk, a bit envious. "You’re so quiet, yet you managed to win over such a pretty girl."
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Andrew shook his head. "It’s not like that. We’re just friends."
"Oh." Gavin Bright sneered, clearly unconvinced. "Just friends? She gave you Qingfeng tissues? There’s no such thing as pure friendship between boys and girls."
Andrew Han smiled faintly. "That’s only because you don’t want it to be pure."
At that,
Gavin Bright let out a sigh.
If Zoe Li ever gave him a gift—even just a tissue—he would be overjoyed. But that was just wishful thinking.
After a moment’s silence, he asked, "That girl—is she from Class 32?"
Andrew picked up the tissues, stowed them in his desk, and glanced at Gavin Bright, puzzled. "How did you know?"
Gavin grinned. "Even though our school doesn’t do beauty contests for class belles, and we don’t bother with such trivialities, there are only a handful of pretty girls in the senior year. The girl who gave you tissues is one of the prettiest in the science class—she could easily be called the class belle."
He sighed again.
He discreetly glanced at the desk behind him. It was evening self-study, and Zoe Li, an arts student, had already left.
Gavin Bright waggled his eyebrows and whispered, "The prettiest girls in our class are Zoe Li and Monica Zhang. They’re definitely the class belles."
"Boring."
Andrew Han tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Class belle, school belle... These are just terms from TV dramas. Real high schools don’t hold such silly contests. Just thinking about it was embarrassing.
Maybe only elite schools would have such rankings.
——
Time flew by.
Ever since reaching the Fifth Rank in martial arts, Andrew Han hadn’t relaxed at all. He squeezed every spare moment to practice the Yang Pole Stance, and his search for Graywhite Aura grew more precise and skillful.
It was as if he was entering a new realm.
In Riverdale City’s People’s Square, parks, memorial halls... ancient gardens, famous landmarks, historic sites, untouched streets—Andrew Han could be found in all these places.
He searched everywhere, never stopping for a moment.
By late April, Andrew Han had gathered thirty-two strands of Graywhite Aura, fully absorbed into his body, enhancing his physique and greatly shortening the bone and tendon fusion period.
Of course, the Yang Pole Stance was a crucial aid.
Otherwise, the bone and tendon fusion period would have been much harder to shorten.
It’s important to know:
The Nine-Tier Martial Arts Ranking System mainly focuses on enhancing physical attributes; mastering techniques is secondary. As long as you learn an advanced stance technique, you don’t need to worry about internal strength training or refining resilience and agility.
A good stance technique is essential.
Obtaining a high-level stance technique is extremely difficult—even if you’re willing to spend a fortune, you need the right connections.
...
Time flew by; it was now April 23rd, and less than fifty days remained until the college entrance exam.
It was Saturday evening, during self-study, in the third row by the window of Class 7’s classroom.
"Andrew Han!"
Gavin Bright lay pitifully on his desk, looking at Andrew and muttering, "All these years as desk mates—it’s been something special."
Andrew was busy thinking about where to search for Graywhite Aura tomorrow and rolled his eyes, not knowing what Gavin was going on about.
No school on Sunday.
He had a whole day to search for Graywhite Aura. If luck was on his side, he might collect four or five more strands.
"Desk mate."
"My dear desk mate... exemplary desk mate..." Gavin Bright looked at Andrew with puppy eyes. "The fourth mock exam is next Saturday. I’m so anxious and hopeless."
The fourth mock exam?
Andrew was stunned. He’d been so focused on martial arts training and exhaustion that he’d almost forgotten he was a senior about to face the mock exam.
"Sigh."
He said helplessly, "Don’t worry. I’ll take first place in the mock exam as usual. You just stay comfortably in second."
Gavin’s eyes lit up and he lifted his head, as if a monochrome painting had suddenly become vibrant. "Really?"
Andrew replied expressionlessly, "Really."
"Desk mate!" Gavin quickly turned, wiped his palms on his school uniform pants, and grabbed Andrew’s right hand, tears welling up. "You’re a good person... Good people are rewarded!"
"May good people have a peaceful life!"