Ch. 3
Xuan City No.1 High School.
The next morning, after arriving at school, Bai Ningxue had already returned to her usual cold and aloof demeanor.
The warmth she showed at home had vanished without a trace, replaced by the icy indifference that everyone at Xuan No. 1 High School had long grown accustomed to.
She was the undisputed school goddess.
With her waist-length black hair, flawless features, and amber eyes as cold as winter, she possessed a beauty that seemed almost untouchable. Combined with the aura of quiet elegance she naturally exuded, countless boys admired her from afar, yet few dared to approach.
She wasn't merely beautiful.
She was exceptional in every aspect.
As the top student of Class One—the elite class reserved for the school's brightest students—Bai Ningxue had ranked first in every examination since entering high school, never once surrendering her position.
Academically unrivaled, she was equally gifted in athletics. Whether it was endurance, speed, martial fitness, or physical aptitude, she consistently stood at the very top of her peers.
Within Xuan No. 1 High School, her name had become synonymous with excellence.
From the teachers to the students, and even the principal himself, everyone believed Bai Ningxue possessed the highest chance of awakening an S-grade Talent during the upcoming Spiritual Awakening Ceremony.
Some even believed…
She might awaken an SSS-grade Talent.
As a result, few people in the school dared to approach her.
It wasn't because she looked down on others.
Rather, Bai Ningxue always carried an air of quiet detachment that naturally kept people at a distance.
In her previous life, every spare moment had been devoted to preparing for her Spiritual Awakening. She had studied countless cultivation theories, martial principles, and historical records, determined to build the strongest foundation possible before turning eighteen.
This life was no different.
However...
Her priorities had changed.
Before stepping onto the path of the Dao once more, she intended to perfect her physique.
It was one of the few regrets she carried from her previous life.
Born in the insignificant Xuan Civilization, her foundation had been built with the limited resources available to ordinary cultivators. Although her talent had allowed her to overcome countless shortcomings, a flaw in one's foundation was a flaw nonetheless.
It was only after entering the starry sky that she learned how the true heirs of ancient clans and immortal Legacies were raised.
From the moment they were born, they consumed precious spirit medicines, soaked in medicinal baths refined from heaven and earth treasures, and tempered their flesh with secret techniques passed down for countless generations.
Such a foundation was something ordinary cultivators could never hope to replicate through talent alone.
In her previous life, Bai Ningxue had relied on her heaven-defying aptitude to force her way past every obstacle.
Yet she knew better than anyone that talent could compensate for a weak foundation—but it could never erase it.
Among the true supreme geniuses of the Myriad Realms, one's foundation often determined the height they could ultimately reach.
If she wished to surpass the Emperor Realm...
Then she could not allow herself to repeat the mistakes of her previous life.
The day at school was boring and monotonous.
For Bai Ningxue, the lessons that occupied the attention of her classmates were nothing more than basic knowledge she had already surpassed long ago.
Throughout the morning, most of her thoughts were focused on one thing.
How could she create a suitable medicinal bath using only the resources available within the Xuan Civilization?
Fortunately, money had never been an issue for her.
Since childhood, Bai Qingluo had raised her with the best resources available, ensuring she never lacked anything. In the eyes of ordinary people, her life could be described as that of a princess.
She lived in a luxurious apartment, wore designer clothing, carried high-end accessories, and enjoyed every convenience that the advanced Xuan Civilization could provide.
During lunch break, after finishing her meal, Bai Ningxue remained seated at her desk.
A small notebook lay open before her, filled with detailed records of medicinal herbs, spiritual plants, and various materials she planned to use for her body tempering.
Her handwriting was neat and precise, with every calculation and combination carefully analyzed.
Just as she was deeply focused on her notes…
A boy suddenly approached her desk.
He was tall and painfully thin, with a long pockmarked face that resembled a gaunt horse. His appearance was so unremarkable that it bordered on ugly.
Yet he stood before Bai Ningxue with complete confidence.
"Classmate Bai, tomorrow is the weekend. Would you like to come to the Beast Martial Dojo with me?"
Bai Ningxue raised her eyes slightly.
She immediately recognized him.
Zheng Yuan, the son of Vice Principal Zheng.
He was in the same class as her and consistently ranked near the top academically. Backed by his family's influence, he carried himself with an overbearing attitude, often bullying weaker students and acting as though the school belonged to him.
Yet in front of Bai Ningxue...
Whether it was inviting her to the Martial Dojo, offering to buy her lunch, or finding excuses to strike up a conversation, he never seemed to know when to give up.
Bai Ningxue had rejected him so many times that she had long since stopped counting.
Just as she was about to refuse him once again...
A timid voice suddenly came from beside her.
"S-Stop bothering Goddess Bai, Zheng Yuan..."
The speaker was her deskmate, Lin Fan.
His school uniform was always neatly worn but he was a thin, unremarkable boy with slightly messy black hair. Everything about him could only be described as ordinary whether it be his height, appearance, or grades.
Bai Ningxue, however, looked at her deskmate with a trace of surprise and a slight glint in her eye. In her previous life...
She would not have spared him a second glance. While he was ordinary in every way, that was only among the populous. In this Class One of Xuan No.1 High School, every student could be considered among the best on their planet. Being ordinary in a group of overachievers naturally put him at the very bottom of the pyramid.
Yet...
Bai Ningxue remembered him.
Because in her previous life, against everyone's expectations, Lin Fan had eventually stepped beyond the Xuan Civilization and entered the boundless starry sky alongside her generation.
At first, she was still far ahead of him. But after entering the Outer Universe, his cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace.
Time and time again, he turned impossible situations into opportunities.
It was only after she entered the Inner Universe, obtained her own fortuitous encounters and steadily rose to become one of the Ten Zeniths that she finally left him behind.
While Bai Ningxue was lost in thought, Zheng Yuan's expression darkened.
In his eyes, Lin Fan was nothing more than a loser who consistently ranked near the bottom of the class. What irritated him even more was the fact that such a waste had somehow ended up sitting beside Bai Ningxue every day.
"What did you just say?" Zheng Yuan sneered. "A waste like you dares to interrupt me?"
Lin Fan instinctively lowered his head.
His hands clenched tightly beneath the desk, yet after a brief hesitation, he gathered his courage once more.
"I... I said… S-Stop bothering Goddess Bai."
A faint chuckle came from around the class and Zheng Yuan's face immediately turned cold.
"You've got some nerve—"
Before he could continue, a calm, icy voice interrupted him.
"That's enough."
Bai Ningxue finally looked up from her notebook.Her clear amber eyes met Zheng Yuan's, causing his anger to falter in an instant.
"Stop bullying Lin Fan, Zheng Yuan. "As for this weekend..."
"I'm sorry, but I already have plans."
Her tone was neither loud nor emotional. Yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.
Faced with Bai Ningxue's direct rejection, the arrogance on Zheng Yuan's face instantly disappeared, replaced by an awkward smile.
"I... I see."
He scratched the back of his head and forced a laugh.
"Maybe next time then."
With one last glare at Lin Fan, he reluctantly turned around and walked back to his seat.
Lin Fan raised his head. For some reason, his back straightened a little. "Thank you…"
It was as though Bai Ningxue speaking up for him had given him confidence, despite the fact that she had merely said two sentences. After hesitating for a moment, he nervously scratched his head.
"I-If Goddess Bai is interested..."
"There's... there's an auction in Xuan City next week. I... I could take you there."
It was well known that Lin Fan came from a wealthy family. His parents owned one of the largest corporations on the Xuan Civilization's main planet, and their assets far exceeded those of most families in Xuan City.
Yet despite his background, Lin Fan had an exceptionally timid personality. He disliked drawing attention to himself and never relied on his family's influence, making him an easy target for ridicule.
An icy snort came from someone in the hall. "...Hmph."
Bai Ningxue didn't even look up from the notebook in front of her.
"No need." Two simple words and Lin Fan's face immediately flushed crimson, he forced an awkaward smile before he lowered his head again.
A few chuckles came from around the class before it returned to normal for the rest of the day.