Calamity of Tomorro

Shirley said, “We should just expel students who cut class like this!”

Lu Chongyang said with a low voice, “If he can’t pass the test in two months, he’ll naturally get expelled.”

“But…”

Lu Chongyang said, “Tao academy has its own rules. He ranked first in the entrance exam. Sometimes geniuses have strange personalities. Two months is not a long time. We’ll give it to him. If he’s really beyond salvation, he’ll naturally get expelled by that time.”

Shirley’s lips twitched. She was still unhappy about it. She clenched her fists and said unwillingly, “My dad and mom are still fighting on the front line. They haven’t come back for the New Year in five years.

“It’s frontline warriors like that who fight day and night to buy us the time to practice.

“The civilians fifteen hundred meters below us have to pinch and scrape every day to have the resources we use to practice.

“I’ll never approve of people like Zhou Bai who waste their slot at Tao academy!”

Watching Shirley leave, Lu Chongyang let out a sigh. “Zhou Bai, you’ve really given me a tough problem.”

***

Zhou Bai didn’t know about the school’s and students’ attitude toward him, but he knew it couldn’t be anything good.

He could only pour his whole heart and soul into his studies so that he could have the opportunity to prove himself in the future.

That night, Zhou Bai self-studied until almost midnight. He was going to take a break and wait for the 200 points of Laziness of the new day.

He looked at Christina, curled up in a ball, in his mind. Ever since she’d obtained the advanced breathing method, she’d been in this practice mode. She hadn’t gotten up a single time.

Even the cat is working so hard, he thought. I can’t fall behind.

A moment later, the second it passed midnight, thumping sounds came from next door again, but Zhou Bai ignored them

In the past few days, after midnight every day, thumping noises would come from next door. Zhou Bai didn’t know what was going on, but he was immersed in his studies, so he didn’t waste his time checking it out.

But this time, the thumping seemed to be more violent than any other time in the past.

It seemed to be accompanied by the crisp sound of cracking, as if something were snapping.

Zhou Bai couldn’t help looking in that direction, but he didn’t see anything. Yet the thumping noise came again, and it felt even closer than before, as if it was inside his room.

Zhou Bai turned over suddenly, his primordial spirit rolling, his body tightening, instantly raising his guard.

After experiencing so many dangers, Zhou Bai was cautious.

The pounding sounds suddenly disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

***

Thump.

Jian Xing frowned. He seemed to hear something.

Thump-thump.

He heard it clearly this time. Was someone knocking on the wall?

Thump-thump-thump.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

The knocking got faster and faster, more and more aggressive, like the beating of a drum.

Just as he was about to get up to take a look at what was going on, he heard the crisp noise of cracking, as if the wall was broken through.

His eyes widened. He wanted to get up, but felt a strange power bind his entire body. He couldn’t move or open his mouth.

The thumping sound came again, but this time, it was from under his bed.

A wispy voice came up.

“Are you asleep?

“Did you fall asleep?”

As he listened to that wispy voice, Jian Xing’s eyes widened with fear and shock. He opened his mouth to scream, but he couldn’t make a single sound.

The next moment, in Jian Xing’s vision, a strange black shadow slowly crawled out from beneath his bed. It put a pitch-black palm on the bed, slowly feeling its way toward Jian Xing’s shoulder.

The black palm looked rather peculiar; it had a slight curve to it, like long twigs. It reached out from Jian Xing’s shoulder to his entire body.

Jian Xing felt the shadow cover his body, It became heavier and heavier. Terror flashed in his eyes.

***

After another night of studying, Zhou Bai was planning on going straight to sleep. But he saw Elsa’s expression of longing and thought about how he had been immersed in his studies every day, and Elsa could only lie on the side with boredom.

He decided to bring Elsa out for some food and to walk her.

Seeing Zhou Bai pick up the leash, Elsa jumped up in excitement, dashing in circles around Zhou Bai. Finally, she put her head into the leash.

Seeing what Elsa did, Zhou Bai didn’t know how to feel about it. He stroked her head and said, “Elsa, why are you becoming more and more like a dog? Don’t be like a dog. Remember, you’re a human.”

Elsa gazed at Zhou Bai with a blank expression, unsure if she’d understood what he said.

Zhou Bai walked Elsa around. On his way back to the dorm, he saw one dorm building with many people gathered outside it.

Zhou Bai frowned. He didn’t want to approach at first, but noticed many people in his class were over there.

He walked over. Soon he saw someone covered in a white sheet and being carried out of the dorm.

“What the hell? Was there an incident?” Zhou Bai watched this scene in shock.

Then he heard someone say quietly, “I think someone died.”

Another person said, “Yeah, someone died. I heard it’s a student from the new class. They got attacked by something.”

“How is that possible? How can you get attacked in Tao academy?”

“How isn’t it possible?” That person scoffed. “Did you forget what happened five years ago?”

Zhou Bai frowned. He saw Lu Chongyang rush over too. He looked at the corpse on the stretcher with an overcast expression.

Another person was carried out of the dorm building.

It was Jian Xing, who was covered in blood and injured all over. He opened his eyes and glanced at Lu Chongyang before he passed out. Then Lu Chongyang took him away.

Zhou Bai said, “Someone was attacked in Tao academy? What in the world happened?”

He saw Jing Xiu standing not far away. Zhou Bai walked over and asked, “Jing Xiu, you’re here too?”

Jing Xiu looked at Zhou Bai with surprise, “Brother Zhou, you’re finally out?”

Zhou Bai smiled awkwardly. He didn’t answer Jing Xiu’s question. Instead, he asked, “What happened here? Do you know, Jing Xiu?”

Jing Xiu nodded and said, “Two students in our class got attacked. Sun Chuan, who got seventh place in the entrance exam, died. Jian Xing, who placed fourth, was deeply injured and is now unconscious.”

Jing Xiu said with a somewhat solemn expression, “I heard there were marks of Overturn Heaven Cult at the scene.”

Overturn Heaven Cult? Zhou Bai thought to himself. I’ve never heard of it…

Jing Xiu sighed, “I didn’t expect Overturn Heaven’s forces to spread into the Tao academies. Brother Zhou, you must be careful too. By the way…”

As she spoke, Jing Xiu reached into her backpack and took out a notebook, handing it to Zhou Bai, “Brother Zhou, here are the notes I’ve been taking in class. Take a look at them.”

“Jing Xiu…” Zhou Bai didn’t expect her to remember this still.

Jing Xiu said seriously, “Brother Zhou, I know you have an extraordinary gift and comprehension capacity, but my dad always tells me, even if you have amazing comprehension, you still have to listen to lectures. You must learn from others’ experiences when you practice Tao. You can’t just do everything alone. Come back to class soon.”

Zhou Bai nodded. “Your dad is right. You go to class, watch out, and stay safe. As for me…it’s not time for me to go to class yet.”