Chapter 156: The Arrival of a Seventh-Rank Powerhouse

Chapter 156: The Arrival of a Seventh-Rank Powerhouse

At that moment, Zhao Zheng suddenly raised his hand to ask a question.

"Teacher, wasn't it said that the Amnesiac Realm is impossible to know its contents? Why is it that the Universal Spirit Realm can reveal so much information, even the team arrangements?"

Old Chu thought for a moment and replied, "It's fine to tell you this... The champion can choose to forgo the extra reward and retain their memory!"

"In our country, there's a top-tier powerhouse who has won the championship multiple times. On one occasion, he chose to keep his memories and reported all the information from the Universal Dungeon to the higher-ups."

Old Chu paused, then continued, "However, most of this information is confidential. All I know is what I just told you."

Hearing this, the students suddenly understood.

Zhao Zheng, however, furrowed his brows.

Just then, the bell for the end of class rang.

As Old Chu packed up his things, he said, "Remember what I just said. Before the Universal Spirit Realm arrives next month, if you can find a way to join a strong team, do your best to do so."

"If you can earn more Spirit Energy Points in the Universal Spirit Realm, you'll have more strength when facing the challenges of the Tenth Spirit Realm."

"Oh, by the way,"

"Next week is Chinese New Year's Eve."

"If you want to go home for the holidays, you can come to me for leave. I can grant you up to a week off."

As Old Chu's words fell, he turned and left.

Superhuman beings didn't place much emphasis on holidays, so there were no special occasions like summer or winter breaks in superhuman high schools.

There were no such vacations at all.

Even during Chinese New Year, the school would do little more than hang a few lanterns and paste some couplets to create a festive atmosphere. Everything else remained the same.

After Old Chu left, the students began to discuss.

"If it weren't for the teacher's reminder, I wouldn't have realized that the New Year is almost here."

"Yeah! We've been in school since May, and half a year has passed without us noticing."

"Old Zhang, are you going home for the holidays? I'm thinking of going back to visit."

"Are you really planning to go back to visit, or are you looking for a strong team to earn more Spirit Energy Points in the Universal Spirit Realm? Don't think I don't know that you're from the capital city."

"Hehe! In that case, I'll be honest. I might not be able to team up with you guys for this Universal Spirit Realm."

"As expected of Young Master Jing! You've got connections!"

"Sun Chen, what about you? Are you going home for the New Year?"

"No, I heard that the school is quite lively during the New Year, so I'll just stay here."

Zhao Zheng left the classroom.

On his way, he contemplated whether or not to go home for the holidays...

Meanwhile, in Class A, Song Haitang was summoned to Teacher Shen's office.

"Haitang, I called you here because of the Universal Spirit Realm.

Teacher Shen, understanding Song Haitang's personality, got straight to the point.

"You know that the higher-ups value you highly. For this Universal Spirit Realm, they plan to place you in a strong team."

Teacher Shen smiled and said, "This team achieved third place in last year's Universal Spirit Realm!"

Naturally, Song Haitang couldn't refuse such an arrangement.

She asked, "Will I be with Zhao Zheng?"

"Well..."

Teacher Shen's expression became difficult. "For a strong team like this, the spots are highly sought after. The higher-ups had to make many promises to convince the team captain to accept you."

Song Haitang understood.

Her spot was only made possible by the higher-ups' intervention, so there was no chance for Zhao Zheng.

"Then I'll decline."

Song Haitang made her decision without hesitation.

However, she wasn't foolish. She knew how to refuse without appearing ungrateful: "It's just a Universal Spirit Realm, and I don't care much about the outcome. It's not worth the higher-ups making promises that might harm others' interests."

Hearing this, Teacher Shen immediately furrowed her brows, looking at Song Haitang with a helpless gaze.

Although Song Haitang's words sounded reasonable, Teacher Shen wasn't easily fooled. She knew that Song Haitang's sudden refusal was entirely because of that boy, Zhao Zheng.

"Haitang, think this through carefully. This is a rare opportunity."

Teacher Shen advised, "If you can join this strong team, you'll earn several hundred more Spirit Energy Points in this Universal Spirit Realm, which will significantly boost your strength!"

"The Tenth Spirit Realm is a solo challenge and quite difficult. With more strength, you'll have a better chance of achieving a perfect task evaluation."

Although Teacher Shen's advice made sense...

Song Haitang still didn't plan to change her mind.

She was well aware of Zhao Zheng's capabilities.

In the Ninth Tier Spirit Realm, Song Haitang had witnessed with her own eyes how Zhao Zheng could shatter an entire island with a single punch.

Such terrifying strength undoubtedly met the national standards for a Seventh Rank Powerhouse.

Perhaps, by following Zhao Zheng, she could even challenge for the champion title in their group!

Why not cling to such a powerful ally? Why bother with strong teams when you can have such a massive advantage? Was she crazy?

"No need to say more, Teacher. Please help me decline the offer. For this Universal Spirit Realm, I'll still be with Zhao Zheng." Song Haitang said.

Upon hearing this, Ms. Shen sighed.

"I knew you'd say that..."

"In that case, you and Zhao Zheng can join the Zhenwu University Teacher's Team!"

"Joining the Zhenwu University Teacher's Team means we won't be aiming for a good ranking, but getting into the top 200 shouldn't be a problem."

"It's a pity that the Principal reached the 35th Tier of the Spirit Realm a few years ago. He'll have to participate in Group 2 for the Universal Spirit Realm. If he were still in Group 1, with him leading, we might even make it into the top ten!"

Song Haitang didn't immediately agree, saying, "I need to ask Zhao Zheng's opinion first."

"Okay, go discuss it with Zhao Zheng," Ms. Shen said. "I'll also report your decision to the higher-ups."

...

Meanwhile, Zhao Zheng received a call from his grandfather.

"Grandpa, why did you suddenly decide to call me?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to see how you're doing at school."

"Of course, I'm doing great at school."

Zhao Zheng guessed that his grandfather's call was probably to ask about his plans for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

So, he asked, "Grandpa, you want to know if I'm coming home for the New Year, right?"

Unexpectedly, his grandfather on the other end said, "New Year? You don't need to come back for the New Year. Wait until you're strong enough, then come back! Avoid any accidents."

Zhao Zheng was speechless.

He had been considering whether to return home for the New Year to spend time with his parents.

He hadn't expected his grandfather to know everything.

"Then, Grandpa, do you have something else to discuss?"

"Yes! There is a small matter I'd like to talk to you about."

The old man on the phone said, "When I ventured into the Spirit Realm in the past, I had a few old buddies, and we were on good terms. One of them, I even saved his life... Now, his youngest daughter is an incredibly powerful powerhouse. At the beginning of the year, she passed the evaluation for the Seventh Rank Extraordinary Being."

"Next month is the Universal Spirit Realm, and you don't have a team yet, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng finally understood his grandfather's intention.

"Grandpa, you want me to team up with that powerhouse?"

"Yes!"

The old man explained, "That old friend's health is deteriorating, and he owes me a huge favor. It's better to use it while he's still around. Once he's gone, the favor will be useless."

His words made sense.

A debt of gratitude is not a financial debt; financial debts can be passed on to the next generation, but a debt of gratitude depends entirely on the other party's willingness to accept repayment.

However...

Zhao Zheng didn't want to trouble his grandfather over this matter.

"Grandpa, it's not necessary to go to such lengths. My strength is already quite good..."

The old man immediately responded, "My dear grandson, I know your strength is impressive, but in the Universal Spirit Realm, there will be countless powerhouses. I'm not trying to discourage you, but with your current strength, it's still not enough for the Universal Spirit Realm!"

Apparently, his grandfather wasn't aware of his current power.

The old man continued, "Let's say your strength is indeed exceptional; you'll still need a powerhouse to cover for you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng's eyes lit up.

He perfectly understood his grandfather's intention.

If he led Song Haitang and the others to a high ranking, or even the championship, his strength would undoubtedly be exposed.

It would be unbelievable for a group of freshmen to win the Universal Spirit Realm's martial arts championship. But with a Seventh Rank powerhouse on the team, it would make sense.

Even if they weren't champion seeds, creating an upset was understandable.

After all, the other party was a Seventh Rank powerhouse, and their strength was evident!

At this thought, Zhao Zheng immediately agreed, "Grandpa, you're right. I'll listen to your arrangement."

The old man smiled and said, "I've already discussed it with my old friend. I'll send you his daughter's contact number later. You can contact her directly. Oh, by the way, you've met her before. During the last Temporal Rift crisis, she was the Seventh Rank powerhouse who came to support."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng immediately remembered the woman in her thirties who was sent by the officials to help when he, as Chen Ye, was blocking the Temporal Rift monsters in his hometown.

The opponent's ability, "Laser Eye," is indeed formidable! It would have been no problem to defeat Zhao Zheng back then.

But now...

...

After hanging up the call, the old man soon sent a message.

The message contained only a number and a surname.

The person's surname was "Gu."

Zhao Zheng didn't hesitate and immediately called the number.

The call was quickly answered.

"Aunt Gu, hello, it's me, Zhao Zheng."

There was a brief pause before the voice on the other end spoke, "According to our generation, you should call me Auntie."

Indeed.

In terms of generation, her father and Zhao Zheng's grandfather were of the same generation.

So naturally, she was a generation older than Zhao Zheng.

Zhao Zheng smiled and said, "Aunt Gu, you're so young, I just don't want to make you feel old, right?"

Aunt Gu was a person of few words.

She got straight to the point, "I know why you're here, and my father has already informed me... However, there's something you should be prepared for."

Before Zhao Zheng could respond, she continued, "My team has encountered some issues... Currently, I'm the only one left. So, for this Universal Spirit Realm, if we're going to team up, you'll be in charge of forming the team!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng was taken aback.

He felt that the team's problems might be because of him!

The general situation wasn't hard to guess. It was likely that Aunt Gu wanted to bring him along, but faced opposition from her teammates, leading to a disagreement...

Otherwise, how could a Seventh Rank Powerhouse fail to find a team?

It seemed that Aunt Gu was a person who valued loyalty and friendship.

To repay the favor his grandfather owed, she was willing to take this "loss."

Zhao Zheng thought about it and said, "Aunt Gu, rest assured, I'll form a good team."

"Then it's settled. On the first of next month, I'll come to True Martial University to meet you."

After Aunt Gu finished speaking, she hung up the phone.

...

Moments later, Zhao Zheng's phone rang again.

This time, it was Song Haitang calling, inviting him to meet at a cafe.

Zhao Zheng arrived as agreed and met with Song Haitang.

The two sat by the window, sipping coffee and chatting.

"Haitang, did you call me out to discuss the Universal Spirit Realm?"

"Yes!"

Song Haitang nodded and explained the situation with Teacher Shen, asking them to join the school's teacher team.

Zhao Zheng was initially surprised, then fell into deep thought.

The teacher team of True Martial University was not weak.

For example, Song Haitang's teacher, Teacher Shen, was a seasoned Fifth Rank Powerhouse, rumored to be on the verge of reaching the Sixth Rank, making her a formidable opponent.

Old Chu was also a Fifth Rank Powerhouse, but he was significantly weaker than Teacher Shen.

"I can agree, but I'll need three spots on your team, including me."

Zhao Zheng explained, "My grandfather just introduced a Seventh Rank Powerhouse to help us. I also need someone to cover for me, or it'll be hard to explain if we achieve good results. So, I agreed."

"That's right! You do need a prominent Seventh Rank Powerhouse... I understand. I'll inform the teacher."

As soon as she finished speaking, Song Haitang called Teacher Shen in front of Zhao Zheng.

Teacher Shen asked, "Haitang? Have you discussed this with Zhao Zheng?"

Song Haitang replied, "Yes! Teacher, but I have four people on my side."

Zhao Zheng was confused: "But I thought it was three?"

"Well..."

Teacher Shen on the phone seemed hesitant.

Song Haitang clarified, "Teacher, besides me and Zhao Zheng, the other two are my father and a Seventh Rank Powerhouse."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng realized what was happening and smiled.

So, Song Haitang wanted to include her father, President Song...

And Teacher Shen, upon hearing about the Seventh Rank Powerhouse, was delighted.

"That's wonderful!"

Teacher Shen eagerly asked, "Haitang, who is this powerful ally you've found?"

"It's not me," Song Haitang explained. "It's Zhao Zheng's grandfather who used his connections to arrange this for Zhao Zheng."

And so, the team was finalized.

The remaining six spots would be filled by Teacher Shen's side.

Zhao Zheng had initially wanted his eldest brother to join, but he politely declined.

He preferred to team up with his comrades and battalion commander.

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(Note: Apologies for the delay, caught up with mundane matters. I'll make up for the missed update.)



(End of Chapter)

Chapter end