The classroom's silence was like the calm before a storm.
Li Gang's pupils contracted sharply, as if he'd heard something impossible.
Wang Hao's mocking smile froze, then exploded into even more piercing ridicule: "Lin Mo, did you sleep yourself stupid? Drawing qi into your body? You? If you can draw qi into your body, I'll write my name backwards!"
"Haha, Trash Lin says he drew qi into his body!"
"I think he's so desperate to avoid the discipline office that he's talking nonsense!"
The classroom erupted in laughter again, full of contempt and disdain. To them, Lin Mo's claim was just another dying gasp of lies.
"Silence!" Li Gang sharply stopped the students' laughter, but his look toward Lin Mo was equally full of doubt and impatience. "Lin Mo, you can eat the wrong food, but you can't say the wrong words! Drawing qi into your body is such an important step—how dare you spout such nonsense!"
He'd already decided Lin Mo was using clumsy lies to buy time.
Lin Mo remained calm, ignoring everyone's mockery. "Teacher Li, our classroom should have a basic qi sensing crystal, right? One test will tell."
A qi sensing crystal was standard equipment in martial arts high schools, capable of roughly detecting whether students had successfully drawn qi into their bodies and measuring weak qi fluctuations.
Li Gang frowned. They did have one, but it was usually only used in formal assessment classes.
"Fine, let me see what tricks you can pull!" Li Gang snorted coldly, retrieving a fist-sized, completely transparent crystal ball from the storage cabinet under the podium.
He placed the crystal ball on the podium. "Put your hand on it."
Everyone's eyes focused on Lin Mo with anticipation for the show. They were all waiting to see his lies brutally exposed.
Wang Hao crossed his arms with a smug expression, ready to watch Lin Mo make a fool of himself.
Lin Mo walked slowly to the podium, ignoring the mocking and pitying looks, extending his right hand to rest it lightly on the cold qi sensing crystal.
Time seemed frozen in this moment.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The crystal ball showed no response.
"Tch, I told you so, just showing off!"
"Wasting everyone's time!"
Scattered murmurs arose in the classroom again.
Li Gang's face darkened, about to scold Lin Mo.
Just then—
Humm!
A slight vibration, and the previously dark crystal ball suddenly lit up with a faint white light from within!
Though weak, that white light was like a star in the night, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
"It... it lit up?" a student cried out.
Li Gang's pupils contracted sharply, staring fixedly at the crystal ball.
Wang Hao's smile froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
And this was just the beginning!
That dot of white light was like a stone thrown into a lake, rippling outward in gentle waves. The light grew brighter and brighter, expanding from rice-grain size to pigeon-egg size, then chicken-egg size!
The entire crystal ball filled with brilliant white light, emanating pure, refined qi fluctuations!
The light was so intense it actually brightened the whole classroom!
"This... how is this possible!" Li Gang gasped. In all his years of teaching, he'd never seen a student's first qi drawing produce such intense light from the sensing crystal! This was at least... a sign of minor success in qi cultivation!
Wang Hao was thunderstruck, unconsciously stepping back with his face pale as a sheet, lips trembling but unable to speak.
When he'd first drawn qi into his body, the crystal had only lit up with a thumb-sized glow, and he'd been hailed as a genius!
Lin Mo's performance was... monstrous!
The other classmates were struck dumb by the scene, falling completely silent.
All their previous mockery and disdain had transformed into shock and awe.
Lin Mo slowly withdrew his hand, and the crystal's light gradually faded.
He remained calm, as if he'd just done something trivial.
"Teacher Li," Lin Mo looked at Li Gang, "do you believe I wasn't lying now?"
Li Gang opened his mouth, something stuck in his throat. After a long moment, he managed to force out a few words: "You... you really... drew qi into your body?"
His voice carried undisguised shock and a trace of... regret.
If Lin Mo truly possessed such talent, then his previous behavior was like treating a precious jade as worthless stone!
Just then, the system's notification chimed in Lin Mo's mind.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host! Mission completed!
The host used thunderous methods to prove his potential before the entire class, successfully drawing qi into his body with brilliant light, making nemesis Wang Hao lose face completely and his conspiracy fail!
Wang Hao has become a mere clown, while the host's reputation begins to show its magnificent potential!
Congratulations on successfully completing the mission "The Nemesis's Provocation"!
Innate Qi Cultivation Art (Incomplete) has been distributed. Learn now?
"No."
Lin Mo thought silently.
The two security guards, who had been aggressive before, now exchanged uncertain glances, their eyes toward Lin Mo filled with doubt. They no longer dared approach carelessly.
A student capable of drawing qi into his body and causing such a phenomenon with the qi sensing crystal was definitely not ordinary! Would someone like that really steal qi stones?
"As for the qi stone theft," Lin Mo's gaze returned to the ashen-faced Wang Hao, his lips curving in a meaningful smile, "I think Teacher Li and the security office teachers should check the abandoned old sports equipment room. Last night I seemed to see a sneaky 'rat' moving some things in that direction."
Wang Hao trembled violently at these words, his eyes flashing with extreme panic.
The abandoned old sports equipment room was exactly where he'd hidden the qi stones! How could Lin Mo possibly know?!