CHAPTER 372: EPISODE 40.3 DADDY BALL X BABY BALL

While Shen Yuan and Chairman Mao are beefing over the Ben Wa ball that is crafted from the Mage Killer daggers, Yanyan was busy leading his school life, just like every student out there.

Their morning class consisted of two basic subjects, followed by a 30-minute break. During this period, the children are given freedom to do whatever they like. They are free to eat a snack, go for a toilet break or play.

The only limitation for these hairy kids is the four corners of their huge classrooms. Since this is only a half-hour break, they are not allowed to go out, especially without their teacher’s supervision.

At this moment, Yanyan was busy watching his classmates playing "a poor kid’s game" (as some of his rich classmates call it).

Twock! Twock!

"Whoa!" Yanyan clapped in astonishment as his classmate hit two marbles in one shot.

Yes, Yanyan’s latest interest was marbles. If only Shen Yuan could see how his son’s eyes became round and focused on the little balls, he would blush because that eerily resembles the Ben Wa ball that Chairman Mao is forcing on his hand.

"You are so good! Sharpshooter!" If Yanyan was crouching on the floor of their classroom, then it is also understandable that his buddies, Xiaolun, Xiaojin, Tiewa and Haoran are present.

Never mind their status as heirs of their respective elite families—the kids were sitting on the cold, polished floor like a bunch of stray kittens sharing a single can of tuna. Their eyes are glued to the curious marbles in the hands of their classmate.

Receiving the praise of his classmates, the kid who shot the marble proudly pounded his chest. "Well, my father is a seasoned awakened marksman. He taught me ways to improve my aim, and because of that, I can even shoot three marbles at the same time!"

Xiaolun didn’t want to be outdone, so he said, "My entire family knows how to shoot a gun!"

"Can you shoot three marbles in just one shot?"

Xiaolun was too honest for his own good. He deflated like a balloon and murmured without energy. "I can’t..." But then again, he quickly picked himself up. He said, "But that doesn’t mean I can’t do it in the future! I just need to practice as much as you did!"

The boy laughed at Xiaolun’s words. "Practice is not enough. You need to have patience and sharp focus to do what I did."

Xiaolun stood up in a huff and stamped his feet. "I am patient!"

How ironic.

Yanyan pulled his friend back to sit on the floor. "Okay, calm down. Why don’t we just start playing? Jun, can we join?"

The boy enthusiastically nodded to Yanyan’s request. "Of course!"

He then asked as he gave his classmates marbles, "Oh, Yanyan. Is your Daddy Shen Yuan a skilled marksman?"

For these kids who are in awe of powerful awakeners, it would be upsetting if they didn’t hear any information from top awakeners that they may relate to. That’s why, even though it was only the second day of class, Yanyan had answered quite a lot of questions about his parents.

"Yes! My Daddy may lack patience, but he never misses his target when hurling fireballs at his enemies!" He looked at the marble in his hand. "I think, if my Daddy plays marbles, he will knock many marbles in one shot! My Daddy is quite gifted at playing balls!"

Teacher Chen, who just entered the classroom, almost spat the water in her mouth. She knows that this is just an innocent conversation between ignorant kids, but he couldn’t help but think about something else when the person in the topic was Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan’s colourful language and unrestrained mouth were currently on the path to establishing notoriety among the teachers and parents of Qilin Academy!

She can’t help but wonder, will Yanyan pick up his Dad’s cheeky attitude as he grows up?

Well, at the moment, nobody can answer that, most especially the current Shen Yuan.

Because right now, Shen Yuan was occupied by the task given to him.

And yes, Yanyan hit the jackpot when he said that his Daddy lacks patience because now, Shen Yuan is frustratedly biting his lip as he eyes the metal ball with piercing eyes.

"This shouldn’t be this hard!" Shen Yuan’s current hairstyle is a far cry from what he had an hour ago. His hair was a bird’s nest. His shirt was a crumpled piece of paper. Lastly, his face showed a few red blotches around the cheek and chin area.

Shen Yuan looked like he had just had a fist fight with a barbarian when, in reality, he spent the entire hour sitting in lotus position and manipulating the mana-repelling ball that Chairman Mao had given to him.

"Fuck this Ben Wa bead!" Shen Yuan begrudgingly threw the ball towards Chairman Mao. It shot like a bullet due to his frustration. However, when it was about to hit Chairman Mao, he conjured a wall of wind, and the repulsive properties of the metal ball instantly activated when it hit the wall.

It shot back at Shen Yuan twice the speed.

"Shit!" Shen Yuan hurriedly covered his hand with flames and caught the spinning ball using both hands. Upon contact with magic, the ball ricocheted in his palms.

It’s like a manic rat trying to break through from its enclosure. Wild and uncontrollable. Because of this, Chairman Mao had no choice but to remind Shen Yuan.

"Listen carefully, Shen Yuan. That metal sphere you’re glaring at isn’t just some decorative toy — it’s crafted from the remains of a Mage-Killer Dagger. Meaning, it inherited the weapon’s mana-repelling property.

To make it float, you’ll have to continuously wrap it with mana and spin your magic around it, counteracting the repulsion force. Only then will it hover in the air instead of dropping like your attention span.

It demands constant output — endurance, precision, and unwavering focus. You slip for even half a second, and it’ll plummet. And don’t even think of brute-forcing it; that’ll only drain you faster.

This exercise isn’t just about power. It measures how long a mage can maintain focus and mana stability under pressure — which, judging from your face right now, might take you the rest of the century to master."

Chairman Mao looked at the struggling image of the omega and couldn’t help but sigh.

He really wanted to laugh now. Shen Yuan looks like he is trying to catch an eel, and it was a very rare chance to see this S-class omega in an awkward position like now.

It’s just that... He meaningfully glanced to his side, where Bai Tingfeng was watching his husband very closely. Dark clouds have been looming behind that intense gaze since Shen Yuan was hit multiple times by that metal ball.

If it weren’t for Shen Yuan’s never-say-die attitude and desire to perfect his task, Bai Tingfeng would end the test in an instant.

"You just need to keep it in the air and under control for thirty minutes." Chairman Mao’s voice carried from the front seat of the stadium to the middle of the field where Shen Yuan was sitting.

Shen Yuan let out a frustrated grunt. But in the end, he still tried again.

"Chairman Mao, don’t you think this is unsafe for Shen Yuan to do?" Bai Tingfeng whispered from the side.

The young alpha didn’t look in his direction and instead kept his eyes on Shen Yuan as the latter continued to work on the training ball. Like before, the metal sphere continued to test Shen Yuan’s patience as it reacted wildly to Shen Yuan’s Heavenly Foxfire.

Chairman Mao watched with Bai Tingfeng as Shen Yuan tried to create a circle of fire in the air to capture the wild ball.

He then answered, "It would be unsafe if another pregnant awakener tried to do this. However, it is Shen Yuan we are talking about. His skills and reflexes are enough to keep himself and the baby safe."

"But—!" Bai Tingfeng rashly countered Chairman Mao, but before he could even speak, he remembered Shen Yuan’s creative methods of protecting his abdomen.

Shen Yuan might be struggling now, but whenever the ball veered toward that delicate region, no matter how fast it came, he would skillfully use his magic—or, failing that, other parts of his body—to intercept the hit.

He had even gone as far as using his cheeks and chin to deflect the rogue sphere when it nearly struck his stomach.

That was precisely why, despite his heart aching at every impact, Bai Tingfeng didn’t intervene. Shen Yuan had the grit to see this test through, and Bai Tingfeng didn’t have the heart to ruin his husband’s stubborn determination.

He looked down and noticed how tense his own legs were. If he couldn’t stop Shen Yuan, then he would at least make sure he was fast enough to move if something went wrong.

Chairman Mao, as if reading his mind, spoke up in his usual sharp tone. "Did you know that omega mages often find it difficult to maintain their magic during pregnancy? Studies show that hormonal fluctuations and physical strain reduce their magical endurance."

He gestured toward Shen Yuan, who was still sweating profusely, his ring of fire wobbling as the metal ball fought against it.

"Do you think normal Shen Yuan would struggle this much?" Chairman Mao’s eyes narrowed.

"This isn’t a qualification test—it’s an assessment. I need to see how much his skill and stamina have been affected by his pregnancy... and whether he can still function effectively when his body begins to push back."

This coming operation is not just a challenge for their country to capture their enemy. It is also a personal challenge for the pregnant Shen Yuan!

"Ouch! Fuck this Ben Wa ball!" Shen Yuan angrily threw the metal training ball, completely oblivious of the difficulties he was about to face.