A taunt, like a heavy punch, struck Qian Renxue's chest, making her breath quicken.
"You don't believe me!"
"You suspect I'm lying!"
Qian Renxue shouted, her small fists clenched at her sides, her body trembling with anger.
"Suspect? No, absolutely not!"
Wang Zhong picked up the grilled fish that had fallen to the ground, a hint of pain in his voice. He blew on it, dusting off the dirt, and took a bite, mumbling.
"How could I suspect such an obvious lie."
"I'm certain!"
Qian Renxue, whose expression had slightly softened at the previous sentence, turned a beet red as she heard these two.
She was almost driven mad.
"Come, let's fight! Today, I must make you know that I am indeed level twenty with Innate Full Spirit Power!"
Two yellow and one purple spirit rings rose from beneath Qian Renxue's feet, and immense spirit power and pressure erupted from her small frame.
Watching the three spirit rings rise beneath her opponent, Wang Zhong dropped his fish again. He stared at Qian Renxue, his face etched with disbelief.
"Three spirit rings, a level thirty Spirit Elder!"
"How is this possible! How can someone in the same grade achieve this!"
"Could she really be level twenty with Innate Full Spirit Power! Otherwise, there's no way to explain her strength at this age."
Mid-thought, Wang Zhong suddenly realized something and came to his senses.
"No, no, no!"
"If she truly had level twenty Innate Full Spirit Power, even if her martial soul was inferior to Zhao Shi's, with that twenty-level spirit power difference, she'd definitely have a spot in class A."
His eyebrows raised, Wang Zhong looked at Qian Renxue and asked tentatively.
"Um, how old are you this year?"
A cold smile played on her lips, and Qian Renxue's voice, though filled with anger, was still proud.
"I am nine years old, level thirty-six!"
After speaking, she tilted her chin up triumphantly at Wang Zhong. She was very pleased and comfortable with his astonishment.
"Tch! So you're nine. I thought you were the same age as me."
Wang Zhong looked disdainful, glancing at the uneatable fish on the ground. He counted on his fingers and said contemptuously to Qian Renxue.
"I'm six and a half years old, level sixteen in spirit power."
"I joined the academy half a year ago, and I was level ten then. That means I've gained six levels of spirit power in half a year."
"There's a two-and-a-half-year difference between six and a half and nine, which is five halves. So my spirit power will increase by about thirty levels. By the time I'm nine, I'll already be a level forty-six Spirit Master."
"What's so surprising about that."
Wang Zhong waved his hand, his expression clearly conveying, 'Is that all?'
"Innate spirit power level twenty!"
"When I turn nine, I'll definitely announce to everyone that I have level thirty Innate spirit power."
As this thought crossed his mind, Wang Zhong couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't you know that spirit power cultivation becomes harder and slower as you progress! Your calculation is completely wrong!"
"Then don't you know that the speed of spirit master cultivation is slowest in youth and old age, and reaches its peak in youth, prime, and middle age!"
Qian Renxue vehemently refuted Wang Zhong's calculation.
Wang Zhong retorted just as stubbornly.
One clenched her fists tightly at her sides, her small face flushed with anger. The other crossed his arms, his disdain evident.
Pure, scorching sunlight poured down from the sky. Tall, verdant trees, a mist-shrouded pond, and a waterfall cascading down from a height like a silk ribbon—it was a scene of earthly paradise.
But neither Wang Zhong nor Qian Renxue spared it a glance.
The latter desperately wanted to prove that she had level twenty Innate Full Spirit Power, while the former refused to believe such a preposterous claim.
They remained in a stalemate for a while before Qian Renxue broke the silence.
"We must fight today! I will make you acknowledge my level twenty Innate status!"
"This is an order, you are not allowed to refuse."
Golden spirit power overflowed from all parts of her body, forming a thin, misty veil over Qian Renxue's form. This veil enveloped her skin, and under the sunlight, it seemed as if Qian Renxue herself was glowing.
Before he could even utter his refusal, Wang Zhong felt the surging spirit power within Qian Renxue, hot and bright.
"Hey, are you even ashamed!"
"A level thirty Spirit Elder, fighting me, a level sixteen junior Spirit Master."
Wang Zhong's expression was priceless.
Was it really necessary? A boast had been exposed, and now she wanted to resort to violence.
"I don't care, you will personally admit today that I was not lying!"
Qian Renxue shouted, stomping her foot forcefully. Using the counterforce, she lunged at Wang Zhong with astonishing speed, far surpassing Zhang Shuai's capabilities.
Her small fist, encased in thick golden light, unleashed a wave of searing heat that sent alarm bells ringing in Wang Zhong's mind.
The full power punch of a level thirty-six Spirit Elder, fueled by anger, was something Wang Zhong had no intention of testing with his body.
He swiftly dodged to the left. The heat wave grazed his face, making his heart pound.
So fast, incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, Qian Renxue was upon him. Wang Zhong had no time to react, only managing to evade her attack in a flurry.
"Oh, your reaction speed is quite good."
Qian Renxue sounded surprised, but her movements didn't falter. She retracted her fist, turned, and retreated in one fluid motion.
Her technique was as smooth as if honed through countless battles.
"But that's not enough, because I can become even faster."
As soon as she spoke, as if to prove her words, Qian Renxue became a blur of afterimages, charging towards Wang Zhong at a speed several times faster than before.
"Linear attack! I can't face it head-on, the flanks are her weakness!"
In a flash, Wang Zhong quickly turned, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth. Simultaneously, he grabbed Qian Renxue's slender, fair wrist.
The moment he touched her, Wang Zhong's expression turned one of doubt.
Weak. Her strength was very weak, a far cry from the potent power of a Spirit Elder he had anticipated.
"Is her martial soul also weak?"
"No, she's holding back."
Sensing the powerful spirit energy emanating from Qian Renxue, Wang Zhong realized this fact immediately.
"Hey, what exactly do you want?" Wang Zhong asked curiously, tilting his head.
If you want to fight, you have no malice and aren't using your full strength. What are you trying to achieve?
"I want to prove to you that I am level twenty with Innate Spirit Power!" Qian Renxue replied with persistent seriousness.
"If you want to prove it, you can just show your Spirit Master's handbook! Why the need for a fight!!!"
This childish, albeit harmless, display of pique left Wang Zhong feeling both amused and exasperated.