White mist curled around Evan Lin, swirling endlessly as waves of fog rolled and surged. Deep within the haze, a dragon with closed eyes drifted up and down through the sea of clouds, as if basking in pure enjoyment.
The Three Maiden Spirits felt a crushing pressure descend, like Mount Tai bearing down on them—they didn’t dare move a muscle.
At this moment, every bone and limb in Evan’s body was being expanded and strengthened; his meridians widened and his qi apertures churned.
The medicinal power merged into his blood, surging like the Yellow River in flood, growing faster and faster. As it did, the white mist condensed from the qi seas throughout Evan’s body became thicker and richer.
A thunderous boom echoed through the room.
The true qi swirling around Evan Lin poured back into him in an instant, like the Yellow River reversing its flow.
With a loud crash, Evan’s entire bed collapsed beneath him, and the hotel’s glass shattered to pieces.
Centered on Evan Lin, within a five-meter radius, the walls cracked and the floor turned to powder, spreading out evenly across the ground.
Evan Lin slowly opened his eyes. They were clear and bright, his gaze deep and steady as the sea. His jet-black pupils were as profound as the distant, lonely universe.
Inside his body, blood surged through his veins like the mighty Yangtze River.
Evan Lin glanced at his arm. What used to be rough skin now looked especially smooth and fair.
He gently swung his arm, and a gust of wind swept out. The powdered dust from the shattered floorboards instantly exploded into the air, swirling and floating.
“I didn’t expect that divine medicine to transform my body so much. This is way beyond what I imagined.” Evan Lin slowly stood up.
The floating dust in the air, as it neared Evan Lin, seemed to hit an invisible barrier and was gently bounced away.
“Looks like I crossed several realms in one go. Judging by my current strength, I’m probably just one step away from Foundation Building.”
Theoretically, that divine medicine should’ve only helped Evan Lin break through two realms at most. But now, feeling the changes inside, the sense of power clearly went far beyond that.
It’s still that dragon.
Evan Lin glanced at his left hand, where the dragon had already fallen into a deep sleep, as if it had never awakened.
If anyone saw Evan Lin’s face right now, they’d be astonished.
Even as Evan Lin grew stronger and shocked everyone again and again, outwardly he had only seemed more spirited than before.
Even though everyone could sense Evan Lin’s increasingly aloof aura, it was just a feeling, after all.
But now, Evan Lin’s brows and eyes were sharply defined, his gaze steady. His once-youthful face now showed determination, and his knife-cut profile exuded a faint, commanding majesty.
Knock, knock, knock.
At that moment, someone knocked at the door.
"Evan Lin! Come out, we’re gathering in the lobby! There was just an earthquake! Hurry up!"
Outside, someone called out anxiously. Not waiting for Evan Lin’s reply, he rushed off immediately.
Obviously, he was afraid to stay here—if there really was an earthquake, he’d be crushed to death.
Evan Lin opened the door and saw many people already rushing out of their rooms.
They looked anxious and dazed.
"Damn, an earthquake! I thought River City wasn’t on a seismic belt!" a boy exclaimed as he ran past Evan Lin, still shaken.
"Who the hell knows? Damn, I was just showering when the showerhead suddenly fell and smacked me on the head! If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t believe it either!" another boy grumbled, looking thoroughly annoyed.
Not far away, Sisi Shao and a few others also burst out of their rooms, hurrying downstairs.
As she passed Evan Lin, Sisi Shao paused, glancing at him with a look of shock and confusion.
"Are you... Evan Lin?" Sisi Shao stared at him in disbelief.
Sisi Shao just stood there, staring at Evan Lin, momentarily forgetting to keep running.
Evan Lin gave her a slight nod, said nothing, and strolled downstairs with his hands in his pockets.
Down in the lobby.
Old Man Liu frowned, standing there and shouting, "Quiet down, everyone! Is everyone here? I’m going to do a headcount! Settle down!"
The noisy students quieted down as soon as Old Man Liu spoke.
Howard Huang was also helping organize the group. He’d brought First High to the Olympiad, and if anything happened, he’d be the one responsible.
When Old Man Liu finished the roll call and reached Evan Lin’s name, he happened to see Evan just coming downstairs. His gaze lingered on Evan for a moment before moving on.
"It felt just like an earthquake. I think everyone noticed it," Old Man Liu said, his tone steady.
"Yeah! I was just getting into bed to sleep when suddenly there was a loud bang, and my whole bed started shaking! I got tossed right onto the floor!" Allen Zeng shouted impatiently from the crowd.
"Me too! I thought someone was setting off firecrackers!" Thomas Zhao said, his voice nervous and scared.
"You guys are lucky—I was on the toilet when it hit, got shook right off!" Owen Ou blurted out, looking excited. Before he could finish, he realized people nearby were covering their mouths and quickly moved away from him.
"Mr. Liu, River City isn’t on a seismic belt. I don’t know what just happened, but for the students’ safety, we should switch hotels." Howard Huang walked up to Old Man Liu and suggested, "As for the extra costs, we can apply to the city education bureau."
The Olympiad is supposed to bring honor to the city education bureau, so a little extra funding isn’t much of a burden.
"Alright, let’s move." Old Man Liu was decisive—after what just happened, nobody wanted to stay here. If something else happened, it’d be impossible to explain.
"Everyone, go grab your things from your rooms. Meet downstairs in five minutes. Pair up in groups of two, and don’t get separated! Stay safe, and if anything happens, shout out loud!" Old Man Liu reminded them.
Howard Huang volunteered to start looking for the next hotel.
The students who’d just come downstairs began heading back to their rooms en masse to grab their stuff.
On the way upstairs, hardly anyone noticed the changes in Evan Lin—everyone was too rattled to care.
Only Sisi Shao couldn’t help but sneak a few more glances at Evan Lin.