Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1683 - 917: Friendly and Harmonious

Class 8 brimmed with lively chatter.

But in this instant, Pang Jiao, who usually stayed far from calm, grew perfectly still.

How could one put this sensation into words? It resembled a typical evening when the heavens abruptly darkened, thick clouds piled up, thunder seemingly on the verge of crashing down!

Song Sheng instinctively recoiled, "bang," his escape halted as he spun around to confront Zhang Yifei’s fierce, ashen-white face.

Song Sheng leaped in shock right there: "Ghost!"

His cry raged through the classroom like a tempest, snuffing out every sound.

Every gaze locked onto that very spot.

Wang Longlong twisted his textbook into a roll and launched into fervent commentary: "Some people, born to be the main character, the darkness of this mortal world cannot hide their brilliance..."

Wang Yan Yan urged: "Jiaojiao, don’t mind his words, losing weight requires persistence..."

Pang Jiao rose gradually, resembling a colossal mound of flesh. Her massive face parted its gigantic maw, akin to a demon poised to swallow all.

With crystal clarity and eerie quiet, she bellowed, "My nutritionist told me, the key point of losing weight is ’control your mouth, move your legs’."

Cui Yu whispered to Meng Gui: "She has a nutritionist? If I were her nutritionist, I’d have already bashed my head in."

Wang Yan Yan exclaimed: "Ah! Jiaojiao you said it perfectly!"

Song Sheng stood solitary against Pang Jiao’s enormous maw and taunted: "What is the point of telling me this? I don’t need to lose weight! As if you can do it!"

"You see if I can do it!" With those words, Pang Jiao lunged forward, her frame lifting off the floor as her massive palm swung at Song Sheng’s face.

Wang Longlong commentated with zeal: "At this moment, Jiaojiao’s aura no longer held back, Ninth Turn Peak!"

In panic, Song Sheng’s reflexes kicked in, lifting his arm to shield his cheek.

"Boom!"

A horrifying power erupted, slamming into Song Sheng’s arm; even buffered, it warped his plump features, and he buckled, torso tilting as he crashed onto the desk.

Suddenly, Song Sheng sensed the world spinning, his mind ringing like angry bees, sight going hazy.

Memories of grueling practice through spring, summer, fall, and winter surged up, all undone by a single blow.

'Did a lifetime’s worth of bitter training end up no match for a naturally gifted player?' Song Sheng inwardly raged.

Wang Yan Yan’s piercing cry rang out: "Ah Jiaojiao, you really listened to the nutritionist!"

Pang Jiao gazed down at her fallen foe, "Roar roar roar, I love losing weight the most!"

Song Sheng sprawled halfway across the desk, utterly still.

The ex-Jianghu overlord Duan Shi Gang gaped in shock: "No way, buddy, you’re too weak?"

Liu Chuandao stirred the pot: "Even I can exchange a couple of moves with Pang Jiao!"

Jeering taunts brimmed with mockery and laughs; nobody bothered to step in.

The chill of human hearts proved utterly frightening!

Class captain Xin Youling felt a surge of emotion: 'Is this really my class? Can I truly awaken their conscience?'

Doubt about what lay ahead gripped her.

Cui Yu yelled: "Song Sheng, stop pretending!"

Wang Longlong hollered with thrill: "Song Sheng, Song Sheng, stand up!"

Song Sheng fumed silently: 'Damn it, it’s not that I can’t stand, just got hit so hard I almost couldn’t breathe!'

"Stand up!" Meng Gui gestured wildly.

"Let my basketball power aid you!" Wu Xiaoqi clutched his basketball.

"Join your heart with mine!" Cao Kun declared.

"Shout loudly to the sky!" Qiang Li recalled his own feeble days.

"We fight by your side!" Duan Shi Gang pounded the desk.

Cheers of support erupted from everywhere.

All wished for the hero’s return, to battle the shadows anew; they poured their encouragement onto the downed Song Sheng.

For that instant, Song Sheng felt deeply touched—he wasn’t battling solo!

The power dispersed by Pang Jiao’s strike reformed at last, fueling his drive to rise again!

Song Sheng pushed off the desk and rose, staring down the terror.

"Pang Jiao, I’ve been working out for three years, boxing for three months, do you think I’m afraid of you?" Song Sheng displayed no dread.

Wang Longlong climbed onto his chair and roared: "The greatest hero of the century has revived!"

Song Sheng scanned his classmates, showing rare honesty: "Thank you all for the support, thank you, thank you!"

Cui Yu: "No need for thanks, I’m here for the show."

Meng Gui: "Just saying a few words."

Duan Shi Gang: "Youngster, the upcoming Jianghu, you’ll have to navigate yourself!"

Qiang Li snapped in fury: "Ah Wei, don’t stop me, I’m going to help Song Sheng, he’s my brother!"

Chai Wei eyed Qiang Li gripping his hands, too drained to argue back.

Song Sheng stood stunned, convinced they were battling alongside him.

Pang Jiao hoisted her enormous fist, eyeing him with savage ferocity.

Song Sheng swiftly regained his composure and began calculating the gains versus the risks.

Pang Jiao's terrifying strike evoked memories of his excruciating broken bone agony—once bitten by a snake, now wary of ropes for a decade.

What if he snapped another bone amid the clash?

He convinced himself: 'Absolutely, there's zero upside to this fight. Even beating Pang Jiao leaves Zhang Yifei and Li Shengnan waiting, and after them, Wang Yan Yan's relentless combos!'

'Precisely, it's pointless!' Song Sheng affirmed inwardly.

Opting for wisdom, he chose retreat as his advance:

"You think I'm scared of you? I trained yesterday. But I always wear gloves for boxing. Forgot mine today..."

Cui Yu instantly shouted, "Yuzhu, got gloves?"

Huang Yuzhu yanked a pair of battered gloves from under her desk and eagerly declared, "Yes, right here!"

"Huh?" Song Sheng froze in disbelief.

Who brings boxing gloves to school anyway?

Yet Tang Jing knew Huang Yuzhu had scavenged those gloves by a trash bin, washed them at home, and repurposed them as winter cycling mitts.

Cui Yu hurriedly passed Huang Yuzhu's gloves to Song Sheng, urging him warmly to don them.

Slipping on the red gloves, Song Sheng's face flickered through myriad expressions.

Right then, a girl's shadow slipped quietly through the classroom's back door, clutching a paper bag.

She caught sight of the strange spectacle inside, tilting slightly so her side braid tumbled down. Ripples stirred in her lake-clear eyes, a faint smile curving her brows. "Pardon me, bad timing?"

Chen Siyu, snacking on sunflower seeds beside Jiang Ning, spotted her and boldly replied, "No, perfect moment!"

Bai Yuxia glided elegantly to her seat.

Today she radiated extra youthfulness, clad in a lemon-yellow fluffy jacket, wool trousers, and a pink scarf. Her entire plush attire begged for a playful squeeze.

The outsider's brief intrusion left the main contenders unfazed.

With Song Sheng still frozen, Cui Yu impatiently prodded, "Well? Fight or chicken out?"

"Cui Yu traded blows with her several times before," Meng Gui noted.

"Yeah, you gonna wimp out like Wu Xiaoqi?" Cui Yu jeered.

Wu Xiaoqi, gripping his basketball, scowled and barked, "If I had an iron bar..."

Cui Yu began, "Yu..."

Wu Xiaoqi snapped his mouth shut.

"Whatever, Song Sheng clearly lacks the guts," Wang Longlong sighed.

Zhang Chi snorted, "Talks big about daily workouts, but looks the part? Nah."

Yu Wen piled on, "Not even abs to show."

Liu Chuandao mocked, "Total weakling—worse than me, and I skip training."

These taunts flooded relentlessly into Song Sheng's ears.

Pang Jiao spotted his cowardice and spat scornfully, "Wimp."

Wang Yanyan chimed, "Oh, but Song Sheng bragged nonstop about his middle school glory!"

Pang Jiao sneered, "Seriously? That punk? Bullies weaklings, cowers from the strong!"

Those treasured tales he once flaunted now stabbed like daggers into Song Sheng's heart again, icing him to the bone.

'Wimp? Trash? Weakling? Useless.'

These barbs scorched across his forehead, condemning him as he'd condemned others.

Refuse to fight, and he'd lose all footing in Class 8!

Song Sheng thundered, "You really think I'm afraid to fight?!!!"

This clash was purely for his honor!

He launched his fist, power surging from feet, waist, shoulders, and arms into a whip-cracking lash!

Three months of grueling training—capping at a 90KG bench press—unleashed fully in that instant.

"Boom!" The punch shattered the boundary of life and death!

Beyond raw might, it channeled years of tormenting heart demons into one explosive strike!

Pang Jiao thrust up her hand, her fan-like palm solidly halting Song Sheng's ferocious punch.

The gusts fell still.

Wang Longlong burst forward, yelling, "Pang Jiao snagged Song Sheng—is she gonna refine him?"

But Song Sheng had slain his inner demons; pure battle rage coursed through him now. Right fist trapped, he whipped up his left to smash Pang Jiao's pancake-flat face.

He was utterly fed up with that visage!

Pang Jiao shot out her hand once more to parry.

Though both fists were pinned, Song Sheng wielded mighty legs still.

He lashed a sudden kick, ramming into Pang Jiao like a rampaging young bull.

The collision hurled Pang Jiao stumbling back.

Just the residual shockwaves from the battle sent Qiang Li and Chai Wei flipping tables over in their frantic dash.

Wang Longlong charged ahead clutching a microphone to deliver live commentary.

The classmates inside buzzed with wild excitement as the repeat show kicked off again.

All surged closer for the perfect vantage point, terrified of lagging even one step behind.

Amid this boiling tension, the classroom's front door flew open abruptly, bringing homeroom teacher Shan Qingrong into view.

Right then, the entire thrill halted dead, just like slamming a pause button.

Shan Qingrong froze in shock, gazing at Pang Jiao and Song Sheng clinched tight amid toppled desks and books flung across the floor...

Wang Longlong twigged fast, snatched up a book to mime a microphone, and launched into song, "Let’s row the oars~"

He gestured wildly to everyone nearby.

Cui Yu and Meng Gui jumped in too, "Let’s row the oars~!"

Song Sheng and Pang Jiao got the hint as well, arms loosely linked while swaying, "The little boat pushes the waves~"

To avoid any punishment, the pair gripped hands, belted out tunes, and danced around, fostering a cozy and upbeat vibe throughout the classroom.