Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1751 - 961: My First Time

When Zhuang Jianhui’s long jump result was announced, a member of the sports team inquired, "Tao Nian, care to take a shot?"

Promptly, a tall and lanky student emerged from the sidelines. Standing at a solid 187 cm, he was notably tall, even for someone from the northern regions.

The Physical Education teacher, Li Ying, spotted him and called out with evident excitement, "Yan Muen!"

This particular student had secured his place in Fourth Middle School primarily due to his athletic prowess.

"How are you feeling today? Think you can make the jump?" the teacher asked.

Despite being a sports specialist, Yan Muen possessed a youthful, amiable face that belied his athletic build, and he certainly wasn't dark-skinned.

Cheng Xia, accompanied by her closest friend, had just arrived at the sandpit and encountered Yan Muen, a classmate, prompting them to approach and offer a greeting.

Yan Muen responded with a pleasant smile.

Li Ying then declared, "Alright, give it your best."

The existing members of the sports team shifted aside, making way for Yan Muen as he moved to the starting line, performing stretches to warm up his limbs.

A wave of cheers erupted from many of the female freshmen, with Cheng Xia adding her voice, "Yan Muen, you can do it!"

Yan Muen remained stationary for a moment, raising his arms high and clapping them together, seemingly acknowledging the enthusiastic support from the onlookers.

Zhang Chi, observing this, folded his arms and commented, "This guy’s a bit arrogant!"

Cheng Xia turned her head, her expression one of disdain. "You’re clueless. He's meticulously planning his steps and calibrating his readiness. Can you even perform a long jump yourself?"

Zhang Chi retorted, "None of your concern!"

Cheng Xia decided it was pointless to engage in a debate with someone so unrefined.

Once Yan Muen felt adequately prepared, he initiated his run. His tall, slender frame moved with remarkable agility, maintaining a controlled speed initially before accelerating sharply in the final six strides. He executed a flawless transition, launching himself into the air with power from the jump board.

While several others had already jumped, none conveyed the same sense of complete aerial mastery as Yan Muen. He manipulated his arms in mid-flight, executing a graceful landing.

Physical Education teacher Li Ying exclaimed, "Excellent!"

Gasps of admiration rippled through the crowd, "Wow, that looks like a long one!"

The electronic scoreboard flashed a result: 7.01 meters.

Upon witnessing this score, the members of the sports team fell into a hushed silence.

"Brother Nian, what’s your personal best?"

Tao Nian offered a wry smile. "I haven't managed to break the school record."

Li Ying, beaming with pride, announced, "Yan Muen, you’ve just shattered our school’s long jump record of 6.82 meters!"

This particular record had been set the previous year by Wu Tianyu, a student in the third year of senior high, and few had anticipated it being surpassed so swiftly.

Not only had Yan Muen broken the record, but he had also significantly exceeded it.

"However," the teacher added, "since this isn't an official competition, it won't be officially logged as a record."

Yan Muen simply smiled, appearing unperturbed. "Teacher, this isn't even my peak performance."

Cheng Xia erupted in enthusiastic applause, shouting, "Yan Muen, you’re incredible! I saw the expressions on the sports team members’ faces!"

Tao Nian of the sports team challenged, "Damn, that’s impressive. Want to compete in the triple jump?"

The sports team had faced a similar setback the previous year, and now it was happening again.

Weren't they concerned about maintaining their reputation!?

Tao Nian then looked towards Ye Tian, a female member of the sports team, instructing, "Sweetie, go invite him to join our sports team."

Ye Tian rolled her eyes. "He’s a special recruitment. He'll likely be heading to the provincial team soon."

Tao Nian expressed dissatisfaction. "Provincial team, so what? We'll all be attending Beijing Sports University eventually."

Ye Tian countered, "Jiang Ning was also quite skilled last year; why didn’t you approach him then?"

Tao Nian shook his head. "He's enrolled at Qingbei. You can't compare."

Truly exceptional athletes often received recommendations to top-tier universities like those in the 985 project, while others like them were left aiming for institutions such as Beijing Sports University.

Since Yan Muen's remarkable achievement, the atmosphere at the sandpit had become considerably more subdued.

Chen Siyu scanned the surroundings, her curiosity piqued. "Where is Silly? She’s so tall; she must be good at long jump!"

Yang Sheng regarded her with an expression of disbelief. "But she's not jumping 7 meters, is she?"

"Silly is rather uncoordinated and not particularly athletic. What will her future hold?" Chen Siyu voiced her concern.

Yang Sheng retorted, "How much better are your own athletic abilities compared to hers?"

Chen Siyu posed another question, "What if someone actually jumped 7 meters?"

Yang Sheng replied, "You could probably start studying at Tsinghua this very month."

"A woman achieving a 7-meter long jump would rank among the elite internationally."

Chen Siyu's eyes sparkled. "If I could jump 7 meters, would that mean I'm better than Xue Yuantong?"

Yang Sheng considered it. "Likely, yes."

"I suggest you cease daydreaming about a 7-meter jump. Instead, contemplate this: if you could run the 100 meters in under 9 seconds, you'd become the most celebrated individual in our nation after next year's Olympics, surpassing even the fame of Yao Ming and Liu Xiang combined."

Chen Siyu shook her head. "Being excessively famous isn't ideal; I couldn't handle that pressure alone."

"You have a sister," Yang Sheng reminded her.

Chen Siyu's eyes lit up with realization. "Brilliant idea!"

At that precise moment, Jiang Ning entered the gathering, following closely behind Hu Mengqing.

Hu Mengqing declared, "Tao Nian, I've brought Jiang Ning here!"

Receiving the message, Tao Nian acknowledged Jiang Ning with a nod and gestured towards the sandpit, asking, "Want to give it a shot?"

Chen Siyu, noticing this, quickly beckoned Yang Sheng over, enthusiastically urging,

"Jiang Ning, someone just cleared 7 meters! You're so powerful, you should definitely try!"

At these words, the gazes of the surrounding students all shifted towards Jiang Ning.

Cheng Xia, who had previously been the target of Hu Mengqing and Yang Sheng's teasing, harbored some resentment. Now, with the support of Yan Muen from her class, she shot back, "You think jumping 7 meters is easy? How amusing."

Yang Sheng stepped forward, locking eyes with Cheng Xia, and proposed, "Young lady, dare to make a bet?"

Cheng Xia felt a flicker of unease under Yang Sheng's intense scrutiny, but she quickly mustered her courage, replying, "Alright, let's bet. What exactly are we wagering?"

Yang Sheng considered for a moment before suggesting, "How about this: if Jiang Ning surpasses 7 meters, you'll roll around in the sandpit twice. If he doesn't, then I will."

Cheng Xia declared resolutely, "It's a bet! I'm not afraid of you!"

Duan Shigang seized the opportunity and hurried over, volunteering his assistance, "Yang Sheng, let me help you hold the fort. Can I get a free pass?"

"Sure."

Liu Chuandao and Zhang Chi chimed in, "We'll help hold the fort too!"

Yang Sheng agreed, "Okay."

And so, the three burly fellows positioned themselves to effectively block all of Cheng Xia's potential escape routes.

Cheng Xia suddenly felt a wave of anxiety; she wondered, 'Is this girl really from the streets?'

The top sports student, Yan Muen, frowned slightly and reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Gong Jin, a member of Zhuang Jianhui's group, was also quite tempted by the prospect of using this situation to avoid a punitive task. However, with Zhuang Jianhui nearby, he worried about revealing how poorly he was actually performing in class 8.

Chen Siyu cheered, "Jiang Ning, hurry up! I'm cheering for you!"

Hu Mengqing added encouragingly, "Give it a try."

Yang Sheng offered a simple, two-word phrase: "Good luck."

Under the intense scrutiny of everyone present, Jiang Ning reluctantly agreed to participate, saying, "Okay."

Cheng Xia then turned to Yang Sheng, confidently stating, "Get ready to roll in the sand!"

Jiang Ning made his way to the runway and stood with determination.

The Physical Education teacher, Li Ying, nodded approvingly and commented, "You're Jiang Ning, aren't you? Gu Wei mentioned to me that you have considerable talent."

Jiang Ning replied humbly, "A little."

Li Ying continued, "You're very modest. Have you had any prior experience with jumping?"

Jiang Ning responded, "I'm a complete beginner, not particularly skilled at it yet."

From a distance, Yun Tingting, who was engaged in a game of badminton, noticed the situation and called out loudly, "Jiang Ning, if you manage to break the record, I'll do a celebratory jump for you!"

The atmosphere instantly became electrified with the bold declaration from the most spirited girl in the sophomore year.

The passionate Yun Tingting's words seemed to ignite a fire within the boys.

Before long, someone in the crowd began to shout, "Jiang Ning, break the record!"

"Break the record!"

"Break the record!"

The collective excitement was infectious, and more and more students joined the chant, their voices growing louder and louder until they merged into a single, thunderous roar!

Amidst the surging crowd.

Lin Zida grabbed the visibly excited Gong Jin, exclaiming, "Brother Jin, why are you getting caught up in the fun?"

Gong Jin lowered his arms, responding somewhat sheepishly, "I... I just wanted to see Yun Tingting jump!"

Lin Zida retorted, baffled, "Then why on earth are you shouting along with everyone else?"

And then, at the entrance of the sports field, Pei Yujing, carrying a plastic bag, heard the escalating shouts. The sound of Jiang Ning's name reached her ears.

Pei Yujing's footsteps faltered.

At the southeast corner of the sports field, precisely in the center of the throng.

Jiang Ning stood poised. Middle school students are known for their impulsiveness and their deep-seated pride in collective glory—a sentiment rarely experienced after high school graduation.

He slightly lowered his posture, his gaze fixed intently ahead.

Amidst the din, a sharp whistle abruptly cut through the air.

The tip of Jiang Ning's shoe grazed the ground, and his body propelled forward with immense force, rapidly closing in on the take-off board. He sprang into the air with barely a pause.

His right leg sliced through the air in an upward arc. His entire body soared, suspended in flight. The rushing wind billowed open Jiang Ning's black jacket, causing it to flap dramatically like a cape.

The girls observing his airborne form found their eyes wide with admiration.

"Holy crap!" Gong Jin exclaimed involuntarily.

After a suspended moment in the air, Jiang Ning landed in the sandpit, his legs creating a deep furrow upon impact.

The numbers on the electronic display flickered and then settled, freezing at an impressive 7.22 meters.

The ensuing uproar from the crowd was almost twice as intense as before, with shouts of, "Bro, that was amazing!"

Yang Sheng couldn't contain his admiration, exclaiming, "Incredible!"

Chen Siyu was so exhilarated she leaped into the air, waving her arms wildly, "Jiang Ning, you're absolutely awesome!"

Jiang Ning offered a faint smile as he emerged from the sandpit.

Physical Education teacher Li Ying was left momentarily stunned, thinking, 'His jacket was open, and he still managed such a long jump—does that even make sense according to physics?'

Facing the excited crowd, Jiang Ning walked towards Yang Sheng and Chen Siyu. The students parted organically, clearing a path for him.

Zhuang Jianhui, despite his complex emotions, had no choice but to acknowledge the feat. He offered a thumbs-up, remarking, "Impressive!"

Jiang Ning responded with a slight nod.

With a calm nod, Yang Sheng turned his gaze towards Cheng Xia, who was currently ensnared in Liu Duan Zhang's "pyramid" formation. "It's your turn next, junior."

Chen Siyu's face was flushed, beads of sweat dotting her forehead; she had been the most enthusiastic cheerleader moments ago!

Just as she was reaching out to grab Jiang Ning's arm, she felt her phone buzz insistently in her pocket.

She hurried to the edge of the throng, tapping the screen to answer the call.

Meanwhile, back in the classroom.

Xue Yuantong's voice came through: "Si Yu, where have you gone?"

Chen Siyu, still catching her breath from her earlier exertions, replied: "I, I'm hm~"

Xue Yuantong sounded perplexed: "Si Yu, why are you out of breath?"

Noticing Jiang Ning drawing nearer, Chen Siyu waved, attempting to call out loudly. However, her exhaustion rendered her voice weak, and she could only manage a faint breathy cry: "Ah, Jiang Ning, hurry up~"