Lin Zichen led Shen Qinghan home and as soon as they entered the door, they saw the high school principal of Shanhai High School.

She was a middle-aged woman wearing gold-rimmed glasses, her hair tied up high, dressed in a women’s suit that gave her a very capable appearance.

“Xiao Chen, Hanhan, come sit over here and have a good chat with Principal Bai.”

Seeing both children had arrived, Zhang Wanxin immediately waved them over to sit on the sofa.

Soon, Lin Zichen was sitting opposite the principal.

He knew very well that this principal had come to recruit him, so after some small talk, he chose to get straight to the point,

“Principal Bai, I personally prefer to go straight into the high school division, but I have one small request. I’d like to continue being in the same class as my childhood sweetheart. Is that possible?”

“Of course, no problem!”

The principal answered without hesitation.

She had already spoken with Principal Chen of the middle school division beforehand and knew Lin Zichen would make such a request.

She had also familiarized herself with everything about Shen Qinghan.

Her academic performance was excellent, only falling short in the physical test, which prevented her from qualifying for the elite Martial Arts Class.

For a student whose scores weren’t that bad, letting her slip in through the back door was no big deal.

After a brief chat.

In the end, both Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan confirmed they would enter the high school division of Shanhai School and as before in elementary and middle school, they would be in the same class.

The only difference was that Shen Qinghan wasn’t as happy about it as she had been when entering middle school.

Back then, upon learning she’d be in the same school, same class and even desk partner with Lin Zichen, she was overjoyed.

But now, moving up to high school, she felt ashamed, inferior and depressed.

With age, Shen Qinghan realized that relying on the back door was disgraceful.

And yet, every time she had to rely on it just to stay in the same class as Lin Zichen.

It made her feel useless, like an oversized baby who only knew how to depend on others.

* * *

A few days later.

At the middle school division of Shanhai Middle School, inside the gymnasium.

Guo Xiangyuan, the Martial Arts Team coach, was sternly training twenty-six team members.

In the past, the Martial Arts Team wasn’t valued by the school leadership and with fewer members, he had little enthusiasm for training, basically letting them run wild.

But ever since Lin Zichen joined and raised the team to a whole new level, everything changed.

The leadership began to value the Martial Arts Team.

More students wanted to join.

These changes also gave him a greater sense of responsibility to lead the team well.

““Hello, Captain!””

““Hello, Senior Shen!””

As soon as Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan stepped into the gym, the team members stopped their training and greeted them.

Even Coach Guo Xiangyuan dropped his stern demeanor, smiling warmly, “Zichen, Xiao Shen, there’s tea on the table, it’s just right to drink now, sit down and have some.”

“No need, I just came to get a yoga mat and will leave shortly.”

After saying that, Lin Zichen casually picked up a yoga mat and set it down in a corner to help Shen Qinghan stretch her muscles.

Shen Qinghan had just finished training outside on the field, her muscles sore and exhausted. When she saw the mat laid out, she immediately flopped down.

She then skillfully spread her legs apart, making it easier for Lin Zichen to massage her leg muscles.

After years of training, Shen Qinghan’s physical condition had improved greatly and her figure had become more balanced and beautiful.

Take her legs, for example. They used to be thin, stick-like legs lacking any aesthetic.

Now, they have filled out, becoming fuller and healthier, making them look much better.

“Xiao Chen, you can use a little more strength on my thighs.”

“Alright.”

“No, no, that’s too much, it hurts!”

“How about now?”

“Now it’s just right.”

Shen Qinghan relaxed on the yoga mat, closing her eyes to rest while enjoying Lin Zichen’s steady massage.

* * *

About half an hour later.

The massage ended.

Shen Qinghan stood up from the mat, stretching comfortably.

Then she looked down at Lin Zichen sitting nearby and smiled, “Xiao Chen, now it’s your turn to enjoy my massage skills. Lie down.”

“Remember to use some strength.”

“No problem, I’ll meet all your needs!”

“Then go ahead, start with my calves.”

Lin Zichen lay down as he spoke, letting Shen Qinghan’s soft hands serve his body.

* * *

A month later, August 1st.

Lin Zichen, who had been in the Martial Arts Team for three years, faced his third Eight School League.

As in the previous two times, he single-handedly crushed an entire school by himself.

Winning three rounds straight, he secured total victory.

After receiving the prize money.

Lin Zichen immediately went to the mall to find the old man to make purchases.

The Ghost Shadow Squid Compendium was just 20% short of completion. With his 20,000 yuan winnings, today he could finally unlock it.

Soon, the Ghost Shadow Squid meat he ordered arrived.

Lin Zichen left the mall and went to a small grove without surveillance, eagerly beginning to devour it.

[You have devoured the Life Origin of a large amount of “Ghost Shadow Squid”]

[Ghost Shadow Squid Compendium: 100%]

After the text appeared, a blue squid gradually emerged in the void, swimming leisurely through the ocean of emptiness.

This was a Ghost Shadow Squid.

It had 18 tentacles.

Each tentacle bore an eye.

It looked incredibly bizarre.

Suddenly, as if sensing Lin Zichen’s gaze, the Ghost Shadow Squid dove into the ocean of void and vanished instantly without a trace.

At the same time, new text appeared in the void.

[You have successfully unlocked the Ghost Shadow Squid Compendium, obtaining the biological attribute—Blessing of Water Fusion]

[Blessing of Water Fusion: Greatly enhances your affinity with water, allowing you to move freely in water, appearing and disappearing without a trace]

‘That’s it?’

After reading the description, Lin Zichen’s first thought was that the Blessing of Water Fusion seemed a bit useless.

To be thorough, he immediately went to the nearest swimming pool to test its effect.

He soaked in the pool for three full hours.

In the end, he found the Blessing of Water Fusion had the following effects.

First: Long soaks in water no longer wrinkled his skin.

Second: Being in the water felt very comfortable.

Third: While swimming, the resistance of the water was noticeably reduced.

Aside from that, there were no other effects.

Lin Zichen was a bit disappointed. Compared to Use It Or Lose It, Innate Wisdom and Survival of the Fittest, this attribute was far weaker.

But on second thought, it made sense.

After all, the Ghost Shadow Squid was a very low-level aberrant beast, valuable only as food, with no worth for gene fusion.

Accordingly, the biological attribute gained from unlocking its compendium would naturally be low-level as well.

To obtain higher-grade attributes, he would need to consume aberrant beasts used in gene fusion.

With that thought, Lin Zichen accepted it.

After all, the Blessing of Water Fusion only cost 100,000 yuan. That was already quite a bargain, nothing to be too disappointed about.

If he wanted better biological attributes, he would just need to save up and buy them later. He would get them eventually.

Or perhaps, once he became stronger, he could hunt wild aberrant beasts to devour.

Like the giant aberrant rats nearest to him… Lin Zichen suddenly thought boldly.