Volume One: First Steps into the Dao Chapter Seventy-Nine: The P.E. Classes That Were Taken From You in Those Years

As Ye Junze resumed his cultivation, the entire space fell into tranquil silence once more. Time slipped away with each breath he took, ebbing and flowing as he cycled his technique through another round. After completing a full circuit, he exhaled deeply—“Hoo”—and sensed that his dantian had reached its saturation point. He paused, letting the energy settle and the dantian absorb.

“Judging by the time, I suppose that’s enough for today,” Ye Junze mused to himself. “After such a lengthy session, I’m feeling rather hungry. The consumption from cultivation seems to have increased.” He unconsciously rubbed his stomach.

He murmured, “Better eat something first.”

Having decided, Ye Junze raised his head and called into the air, “Mengyuan, I’ll be leaving now. See you tomorrow.”

“Goodbye,” came Mengyuan’s voice, drifting from the air in reply.

Ye Junze nodded at the response, then turned to depart from the Void Illusion Realm.

Having finished his practice, Ye Junze sat up and gazed out the window, noticing that dusk had indeed settled over the world.

“Let’s order something to eat,” he muttered, withdrawing his gaze. He quickly placed his meal order, his movements practiced and efficient from familiarity. It didn’t take long before he was done, and he waited patiently for his food.

Soon enough, the meal appeared at the usual spot, delivered as always. His stomach grumbled at the precise moment—“Gurgle”—and Ye Junze couldn’t help but chuckle, rubbing his belly. “Alright, I get it—you’re hungry. Food’s here now.”

With that, he set his meal, preparing to eat.

...

Dinner didn’t take long; eating alone, Ye Junze finished quickly. His hunger, brought on by cultivation, was finally satisfied, and he let out a contented sigh.

“At last, I’m full. It’s getting late—time to tidy up and rest,” he said, rising to wash up.

After his routine, Ye Junze lay back on his bed. “Tomorrow there’s class—if I recall, it’s called ‘Yan Meng’?” he mused aloud.

Uncertain, he picked up his phone and checked the schedule. Confirming that ‘Yan Meng’ was indeed listed, he memorized the time and set the phone aside.

He thought, “Best to sleep now. Who knows what tomorrow’s class will be like?”

“No point in worrying. I’ll find out soon enough.” Ye Junze shook his head, closed his eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep.

...

The night passed quietly.

At dawn, Ye Junze awoke from his dreams, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he looked out at the sun that had already been rising for some time.

Sitting up, he stretched lazily. Glancing at the time, he muttered, “Still early. I might as well get up.”

He quickly dressed, ordered breakfast, and went to wash up. When he finished, breakfast had appeared right on time. He ate swiftly, and soon enough, the morning was well underway.

Checking the time once more, Ye Junze said, “It’s about time. I should head to class now.” With those words, he tidied up and left the dormitory.

After closing the door, he strode purposefully toward the exit of the dormitory building.

...

Having walked the path from the dormitory to the Daoist Studies department many times, Ye Junze now navigated it with ease. He proceeded smoothly, and after a short walk, arrived once more at the department’s location.

Recalling where today’s classroom was, he confirmed the direction and prepared to move on. Just then, he heard someone calling his name, and curiosity rose within him as he turned to look.

“Ye Junze,” the voice called again as Ye Junze turned, waving at him. It was Li Ling, whom he had gotten to know the previous day.

Recognizing Li Ling, Ye Junze smiled and waved back, “Good morning.”

Li Ling, seeing Ye Junze notice him, hurried his steps and came running over. “Good morning! Good morning!” he greeted.

“Did you just arrive too?” Li Ling asked.

Ye Junze nodded, signaling agreement and answering his question.

Li Ling continued, “What a coincidence—I just got here myself. You’re heading to the classroom, right? Shall we go together?”

Ye Junze had no objections. They were already acquainted, and their paths coincided, so he naturally nodded, “Sure, let’s go together.”

A smile spread across Li Ling’s face. “Let’s go, then.”

Ye Junze nodded and set off, Li Ling quickly following to walk alongside him.

On the way, Li Ling launched into conversation, displaying his gift for lively chatter. Ye Junze didn’t mind; compared to Wang Dongdong, Li Ling was downright reserved. Having endured Wang Dongdong’s barrage, Ye Junze found Li Ling quite manageable. He responded occasionally, sometimes sharing his own thoughts, maintaining a balance between polite engagement and reserved distance.

Li Ling found Ye Junze’s manner pleasing—he could tell Ye Junze was genuinely listening, not just leaving him to monologue awkwardly. It also gave Li Ling the sense of steering the conversation, satisfying a subtle desire within him.

Suddenly, Li Ling seemed to recall something. Without pausing, he said, “By the way, I heard today’s classroom is quite different from the others. Did you know?”

Ye Junze was intrigued; he had never sought out such details, preferring to discover them firsthand. Hearing Li Ling’s comment, he grew curious. “What’s different? I don’t know—please enlighten me.”

Li Ling waved his hand. “No trouble at all. I happened to hear about it. If you’re interested, I’ll share, unless you find me too talkative.”

Ye Junze laughed. “Not at all. Go ahead—I am curious, since I haven’t looked into it myself.”

Seeing Ye Junze’s genuine indifference to any inconvenience, Li Ling continued, “I’ll tell you, though I only heard about it. I’m not sure how accurate it is, so we’ll have to judge for ourselves when we arrive. If it turns out differently, don’t blame me.”

Ye Junze understood—Li Ling was providing a disclaimer since rumors often diverged wildly from reality. He replied, “Alright, I understand. Please, go ahead. I won’t hold it against you.”

Reassured, Li Ling began to recount what he’d heard. “Our previous classes were all held in the teaching building—you know that, of course.”

Ye Junze nodded. “Naturally.”

Li Ling was about to say more, but Ye Junze cut in, as if something had occurred to him. “Are you saying today’s ‘Yan Meng’ class isn’t in the teaching building?”

“Exactly.” Li Ling nodded, surprised at Ye Junze’s quick deduction.

He continued, “Today’s class isn’t in a classroom—it’s outdoors, actually.”

“Outdoors?” Ye Junze echoed, puzzled. The thought brought memories of his earlier school days, where only physical education was held outside. Often, those PE lessons were commandeered for other subjects: “The PE teacher is sick, so we’ll have math instead.” “The PE teacher has family matters, so it’s time for an exam.” “The PE teacher is getting married, so we’ll have English.” And so on.

Thus, upon hearing “outdoors,” Ye Junze wondered whether it was another PE class and hoped the teachers at Anze didn’t have the habit of appropriating others’ lessons.

Li Ling noticed Ye Junze deep in thought and refrained from interrupting.

When Ye Junze finally looked up, seemingly resolved, Li Ling continued, “Yes, outside. Apparently, this class is special—certain activities are better suited for outdoors.”

“I see,” Ye Junze replied, nodding. “That makes me even more curious about this class.”

“But honestly, since coming to this school, is there any class that isn’t special?” Ye Junze joked.

Li Ling was surprised; he hadn’t expected the seemingly aloof Ye Junze to crack such a deadpan joke.

He replied, “I never would have guessed you could joke like that—maybe I misunderstood you.”

Ye Junze understood; many had thought the same before. He smiled again, “You can’t judge people by appearances. Who knows, maybe you’ll find I’m even more different than you imagined.”

“Well, I look forward to that day,” Li Ling replied with a smile.

With laughter and conversation, the two finally reached their destination.