Xiang Beifei had always held a good impression of Li Nanxing.
This was a true exemplar of education, refined and gentle, a model for teachers, imparting knowledge without discrimination.
He would patiently guide even an N-level student.
One could say he was highly esteemed and respected.
However, Li Nanxing didn't quite understand Xiang Beifei, thinking that Beifei's absence from the mock exam was due to despair over unimprovable grades.
Xiang Beifei didn't know how to explain himself.
But what pleased him was that his recent hard work had not been in vain.
These past few days coincided with the mock exams, and he was at a critical point in his cultivation, so he chose to skip the exam.
That morning, he finally reached the mid-stage of Qi-Controlling!
With the Awakening System for a month, he cultivated day and night and finally elevated his cultivation to the mid-stage of Qi-Controlling.
This had surpassed all of his classmates.
Even the S-level Lu Zhiwei and Qin Yi, who were a year older than Beifei and took five months to reach the mid-stage of Qi-Controlling, were only at the late stage of Qi-Controlling by the end of their freshman year.
Yet, Xiang Beifei had taken only a month to cultivate from an ordinary person to the mid-stage of Qi-Controlling.
The most crucial point was that he used four spiritual power crystals to activate the third constellation, the Di Constellation.
[Di Tu Mao: Abruptly Stop]
[Source: "Wen Shi Tong Yi": Suddenly arriving, abruptly stopping]
[Ability: Able to make moving objects suddenly stop]
Xiang Beifei had tested this ability; he could stop anything Xiaohei threw towards him in its tracks, and even when Xiaohei lunged at him, he would be frozen in place.
However, this ability also had its limits, the duration it could hold depended on its power and was also related to Xiang Beifei's own strength.
For those whose cultivation was weaker than his, he could easily stop them; however, for those with higher cultivation, it was difficult to make them abruptly stop, and for those of roughly equal cultivation, it would only briefly pause them.
"Right now, I can stop a tree solid in place; even a strong wind can't move it, pretty good."
Xiang Beifei returned to his seat and continued to look at the banyan tree outside the window.
Principal Li Nanxing had thought he was giving up on himself, staring out the window in a daze, but actually, he was practicing the "Abruptly Stop" ability.
He could now make the tree's shaking abruptly stop; next, he planned to try stopping the blowing wind.
That was challenging.
Because the wind is intangible and blows over a wide area, when he blocked one side, the wind from the other side would always sneak past and move the tree.
"The principal was looking for you just now, are you alright?"
Kong Xiuwen prodded the daydreaming Xiang Beifei with his pen.
But if he didn't ask, he was constantly worried about Xiang Beifei's improvements on Rapid Flame. This matter was extremely important to him.
It was the first time Lu Hong felt so conflicted. He really wished Xiang Beifei would come by; he wanted Xiang Beifei's help with the case and also wanted to inquire about Rapid Flame.
Just five days ago, he was handling a fight near the school, and he took the opportunity to look for Xiang Beifei and asked him briefly.
However, at that time, Xiang Beifei explained that he had been very busy lately and hadn't made much progress in training Rapid Flame but would come to seek advice in a couple of days.
But that "couple of days" turned into five, and Xiang Beifei still hadn't come!
It left him unable to concentrate on his tea or his meals.
Lu Hong held his chopsticks, unable to eat, only fiddling with the green peas in the meal box, listlessly counting: "He will come today, he won't come today. He will come today, he won't come today..."
"Dad, what are you muttering to yourself?"
Lu Zhiwei peered in, looking puzzled at her dad.
Lu Hong's face turned red, and he quickly coughed and said, "Nothing, I'm thinking about a case. You're here."
"Why do you seem odd?"
Lu Zhiwei threw her schoolbag aside, went to pour a glass of water, and while drinking, she skeptically scrutinized her dad.
"I'm eating, just finished handling a case."
Lu Hong picked up a pea, threw it into his mouth, chewed twice, and then, while his daughter was not looking, he quickly used his chopsticks to finish counting the rest of the peas.
"He won't come today! Sigh!"
Lu Hong discarded his chopsticks, looking quite depressed.
After a long pause, he asked, "Xiao Wei, how many days until Beifei's college entrance exam?"
"Nineteen days and twelve hours!"
Lu Zhiwei said without hesitation.
"Hm?"
Lu Hong looked puzzled at his daughter: "You remember so clearly?"
"He hasn't been here in many days; he promised to teach me reasoning skills!" Lu Zhiwei huffed.
"Then don't disturb him. Beifei needs to prepare for the college entrance exams. He must be studying hard these few days, you know?" Lu Hong instructed.
"I haven't disturbed him for four days already; he clearly told me he'd come in a couple of days." Lu Zhiwei muttered, depressed.
"Alright, don't mind it too much. Help me clean up the meal box, I still need to go interrogate some criminals." Lu Hong had no appetite and got up to leave.
"He said he'd come in a couple of days, it's been four days already, not keeping his word..."
Lu Zhiwei walked over to the meal box, about to clean it up, but then she noticed the green peas her dad had left.
Thinking of Xiang Beifei, she sighed wistfully, then picked up the chopsticks and started fiddling with the green peas, muttering, "He will come today, he won't come today, he will come today, he won't come today..."