Chapter 10: Fierce Competition and Level 3 Body Strengthening

Chapter 10: Fierce Competition and Level 3 Body Strengthening

Finding a random spot to sit, Zhang Yu watched the crowd of people waiting for jobs in the square, feeling a sense of exhaustion.

"This place is such a mess. Is there even a single place that isn’t cutthroat?"

He had barely sat down to rest when a chill ran through his heart.

"Please adhere to the Contractual Ritual. Strive to fulfill your wishes and do not deliberately slack off or delay, Number 10."

"Damn."

Zhang Yu cursed inwardly but had no choice but to get up and start working under the pressure of the Contractual Ritual.

Considering his physical condition was still not fully recovered and that the upcoming job might require physical labor, Zhang Yu chose to practice the Basic Apnea Method to refine Spirit Energy instead of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms.

With each breath, threads of Spiritual Qi from the surroundings began to converge, gradually gathering in his Dantian Energy Sea, where they were refined into Spirit Energy.

Time slowly passed as Zhang Yu continued his Meditative Respiration, and an hour later, he was still at it.

During this hour, three groups of people had come to hire workers. Some were looking for temporary security personnel, others for cultivators to do heavy lifting at construction sites, and still others for cultivators to sort packages at courier companies.

Zhang Yu gradually realized that most temporary jobs hiring Qi Condensation Stage cultivators were related to physical labor.

After all, while Qi Condensation Stage cultivators didn’t have a significant advantage in intelligence or knowledge over ordinary people, their physical prowess was unmatched. They could handle heavy work in construction sites, factories, and security, far outperforming ordinary people in terms of productivity.

Thus, many places that needed to urgently increase their workforce would hire cultivators.

Although the pay for cultivators was much higher than that for ordinary people, it was still a good deal.

If a cultivator could do the work of thirty ordinary people, they often only needed to be paid ten times as much.

The people waiting in the square were all capable of working long, grueling hours, often described as superhuman workhorses.

Compared to them, Zhang Yu, who still needed four to five hours of sleep each day, was just a high school student who could still get some rest.

Seeing the intense competition for each job, Zhang Yu maintained his Meditative Respiration state and didn’t join the fray.

He knew that as a high school student, he stood no chance against those who had already graduated.

He was waiting for the specialized jobs for high school students that Old Wang had mentioned.

There were a few other high school students like Zhang Yu. Some read books, some practiced Meditative Respiration, and some practiced martial arts, all quietly waiting for their chance.

Another hour passed.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Feeling that his body had rested enough, Zhang Yu began practicing the 36 Body Strengthening Forms.

The people around him barely paid attention; it was common to see people practicing while waiting for work, and the 36 Body Strengthening Forms, being a basic technique, didn’t attract much attention.

36 Body Strengthening Forms Level 2 (18/20)

36 Body Strengthening Forms Level 2 (19/20)

After two rounds of practice, Zhang Yu felt his muscles begin to ache, but his spirit was more invigorated. He knew that one more round would bring the 36 Body Strengthening Forms to Level 3.

This was something even Bai Zhenzhen, the top student in the grade, had not achieved.

And he had done it in just two days.

Just as Zhang Yu was practicing the third round of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms, a temporary job for high school students finally arrived.

A small car pulled up to the square, and the driver, lowering the window, shouted, "Anyone in high school? We need two sparring partners for martial arts training."

A sparring partner was someone who would train with a cultivator in martial arts, following specific requirements.

At the driver’s words, the high school students who had been waiting quietly sprang into action, rushing to the car with a flurry of movement and the sound of wind and thunder.

"I’m a second-year student!"

"My Physical Strength Level is 2.15!"

The second-year students, with their higher Physical Strength Levels, quickly took up all the available spots in front of the driver, leaving Zhang Yu no room to squeeze in.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Even getting beaten up is so competitive. Is there no sense of dignity among high school students anymore?"

The driver glanced at the students raising their hands and asked, "Are there any from key high schools?"

Most of the hands immediately went down.

Zhang Yu quickly raised his hand. "I’m from Songyang High School!"

The driver then asked, "Anyone with Level 3 or higher in practical martial arts?"

Looking at the remaining three students, the driver asked, "Three hundred per hour, anyone interested?"

A student with a buzz cut complained, "Three hundred is too little."

But another student beside him quickly said, "I’ll do it for three hundred!"

Watching the other student get into the car and drive away, the buzz-cut student cursed, "Three hundred per hour, what a ridiculous idea."

"Wanting to hire someone for martial arts training for just three hundred? If you can’t afford it, why hire at all?"

Another student chimed in, "Taking a job for three hundred? Traitor! Wait until that guy gets injured. Three hundred won’t even cover the medical bills."

As the employer left, the other students dispersed, resuming their practice and studies, muttering to themselves.

Zhang Yu returned to practicing the 36 Body Strengthening Forms.

At this rate, he felt he might not find a job today.

About ten minutes later, another car arrived, specifically looking for first-year high school students.

The job was to test a new drug developed in a laboratory for Xian Dao beginners.

Considering his physical condition, Zhang Yu decided not to apply and continued his 20th round of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms.

A moment later, with a crack, Zhang Yu completed the final punch of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms, successfully advancing it to Level 3.

36 Body Strengthening Forms Level 3 (0/30)

At that moment, countless memories of practicing the 36 Body Strengthening Forms flooded Zhang Yu’s mind, making him feel as if he had practiced thousands of times.

These memories weren’t just of physical exertion but also of the subtle flow of Spirit Energy within his body.

"Reaching Level 3 of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms allows the practice to activate the internal flow of Spirit Energy, accelerating the repair and enhancement of the body."

While Levels 1 and 2 of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms involved constant damage to the body, forcing the internal Spirit Energy to participate in the training, Level 3 involved the movements guiding the Spirit Energy to circulate throughout the body, nourishing the flesh and greatly enhancing the training effect.

As Zhang Yu began a new round of the 36 Body Strengthening Forms, warm currents flowed through his limbs, subtly increasing his Physical Strength Level, pushing him closer to the realm of superhuman.

The warm currents made the aching and sore muscles feel more relaxed, allowing Zhang Yu to continue his training more easily.

Suddenly, Zhang Yu felt his muscles contract and expand.

Physical Strength Level 0.84 → 0.85

Glancing at the change in his Physical Strength Level on the Feather Scripture, Zhang Yu felt a surge of joy.

Even without the pressure of the Contractual Ritual, he was invigorated and continued his training.

While Zhang Yu practiced the 36 Body Strengthening Forms, the recruitment for the drug testing continued.

However, few first-year students were willing to try it.

Although the recruiter wanted five students, he only managed to find two after much effort.

As the night deepened, fewer employers came to recruit, and Zhang Yu still hadn’t found a job, so he continued practicing the 36 Body Strengthening Forms.

36 Body Strengthening Forms Level 3 (6/30)

After practicing the 36 Body Strengthening Forms six times, Zhang Yu felt he couldn’t wait any longer.

He returned to the Human Resources Agency, where Old Wang was still sitting at his desk, seemingly unchanged from the past few hours.

Zhang Yu took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Old Wang, then asked, "Bro Wang, do you have any jobs I can do?"

Old Wang glanced at the cigarette Zhang Yu offered and said casually, "Didn’t I say that if there were any jobs, they would call out here?"

Zhang Yu persisted, "I mean, besides those outside."

"Is it possible that all the temporary jobs in Songyang City would come here to recruit? Are there any other options?"

After being pestered by Zhang Yu for a while, Old Wang, annoyed, said, "If you don’t believe me, look for yourself. It’s not that I don’t want you to work; other temporary jobs aren’t that easy to come by."

Zhang Yu looked at a screenshot on Old Wang’s phone, which listed various long-term job opportunities.

There were jobs involving long-term drug testing after signing a contract.

There were jobs as test subjects for long-term cultivation technique research.

There were jobs as helpers in exploration teams delving into the Kun Xu underground.

There were jobs assisting the police in fighting crime.

Zhang Yu looked through the list, but most of the jobs were either too dangerous or both dangerous and unfeasible.

"These long-term job openings are indeed all traps."

Suddenly, Zhang Yu pointed to one of the jobs and asked, "Bro Wang, what’s the risk of participating in cultivation technique research?"

Old Wang said dismissively, "You’d just be a test subject, practicing the latest cultivation techniques developed by major companies. They would record any side effects, injuries, or disabilities you might suffer, and how you eventually die..."

Zhang Yu swallowed hard and then asked about another temporary job, "What about this entry-level cultivation technique testing? Ten thousand for one session? Why only for first-year students?"

Old Wang thought for a moment and then said, "Oh, that one. Xianyun Corporation developed a cultivation technique that has already been tested and has no significant side effects or risks of death."

"But the entry process is very difficult. If you fail, you might suffer internal injuries, so they’ve been looking for people to test it."

"Since it’s intended for Xian Dao beginners, they specifically look for first-year students to test it..."

At this point, he looked at Zhang Yu, who was listening intently, and frowned, "You're not thinking of doing this, are you? Last time, a student who tried it suffered from Spirit Energy running out of control and internal injuries, and had to take a two-week leave from school to recover."

"That ten thousand isn’t easy to earn."

Zhang Yu shrugged helplessly, "I have no choice. I need the money, so I’ll have to give it a try."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end