https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-162-The-Strongest-High-School-Student/13686631/
Chapter 163: The Profoundly Unfathomable Zhang Yu
Under the astonished gazes of countless students and the divine observers present, Zhang Yu suddenly halted the flow of his Martial Energy.
At that moment, the rest of the students were all pushing themselves to the limit, with rankings tightly packed—except for the top two. But then, with Zhang Yu’s abrupt stop, his bar shot downward like a plummeting stone, rapidly retreating toward the very last position.
As his rank continued to fall, Zhang Yu’s eyes blazed with fiercer resolve. In his mind, the image of the remaining cow roared defiantly, its broken limbs raised to the heavens, its shattered horn pulsing with icy radiance.
“Come on—push yourself to the brink, and then rise from death!”
Driven by his own relentless pressure, the Cannibal Cow Serenity Heart Technique amplified its effect—pushing him further into the abyss, yet awakening an unprecedented surge of vitality within him.
Zhang Yu felt every fiber of his body ignite with energy, as if oil had been poured onto a blazing fire, his Martial Energy now thrumming with unprecedented power. His mind raced at lightning speed, precisely directing the flow of energy through his meridians.
“My control over Martial Energy is strong, but I’ve always lacked the cultivation of explosive power.”
“To break through in this exam, I must fully leverage my control—my greatest advantage.”
Then, like a flash of inspiration, a technique came to mind: the Dragon-Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm, a universal martial art he had spent 200,000 gold coins on.
Just like the Beilong Fanyue Hand before it, this purely physical martial art was called “universal” because it could be enhanced by any type of Martial Energy, unleashing devastating force.
“If I channel my Martial Energy through the Dragon-Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm… it should be the most explosive technique I possess.”
With a thunderous crack, Zhang Yu’s Martial Energy erupted violently into the sensor pad on his palm.
At the same instant, a sharp pain shot through his meridians.
“My meridians aren’t strong enough yet…”
“Then I’ll wrap them in Wuxiang Yun’gang, forging a new pathway.”
“Then I’ll use the Dragon-Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm—and blast that damn Martial Energy straight out!”
A wave of Wuxiang Yun’gang surged from Zhang Yu’s dantian, instantly transforming into layers of Subcutaneous Spirit Armor, enveloping his meridians and carving a new, reinforced channel from his core to his palm.
In the next instant, a deafening explosion tore through his body. The burst of Martial Energy surged along the newly formed path—brutally, mercilessly—pounding outward.
Pressure from the brink of despair, the Cannibal Cow Serenity Heart Technique amplifying every second, Wuxiang Yun’gang serving as the conduit, the Dragon-Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm acting as the explosive charge—each release sent violent tremors through Zhang Yu’s spirit armor.
At that moment, he felt like a cannon—his Wuxiang Yun’gang the barrel, the Dragon-Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm the gunpowder, and his Martial Energy the bullet—firing round after round within his own body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With such raw, violent force, Zhang Yu’s rank shot upward like a rocket.
30th!
28th!
21st!
In the blink of an eye, he not only reclaimed 21st place—but was now surging toward 20th, accelerating relentlessly.
At that moment, the student holding 20th was Li Tongyun.
As she watched the bar representing No. 55 relentlessly close in on her, a crushing weight settled upon her chest.
“Damn it… why?”
“Why am I being forced into this?”
Recalling her past glory—once ranked among the top five at Xianyun High School—only to see her status crumble over the past half-year, a wave of bitter resentment surged through her.
Half a year ago, her father had lost a corporate battle, sacrificed as collateral, and was kicked out of the company.
With severance pay delayed and mounting debts, loans, and cultivation expenses piling up, her family’s savings had barely lasted a month.
To maintain her image among friends, classmates, and teachers, Li Tongyun dared not reveal her financial collapse. Instead, she borrowed more and more, clinging to the illusion of wealth.
As the old saying goes: when your bank account is empty, your loan limit is full.
Now, her account stood at -1.5 million.
And despite her desperate efforts, her cultivation had stalled—unable to keep pace with her peers. In a world where everyone was rapidly advancing along the Heavenly Path, slowing down meant being left behind.
“I can’t lose…”
If it were just about falling behind, being abandoned by her former circle—she could still get into college, find a decent job.
But Li Tongyun knew it wasn’t that simple.
She couldn’t afford to lose.
Back when her family was at its peak, when she was ranked among the top five at Xianyun High School, when she believed a spot in the Top Ten was guaranteed—she and her father had signed a Bet Contract.
“I must obtain the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate… or else… I become company property.”
As No. 55 drew closer, Li Tongyun felt as though she were being pursued by an endless abyss—a chasm of despair, creeping up from beneath her feet, ready to swallow her whole.
“I can’t lose!”
With a roar in her soul, she pushed her Martial Energy to twelve full levels. Pain like her meridians tearing apart shot through her body, yet she forced the energy forward.
But no matter how hard she fought, no matter how much she bled—her efforts were in vain.
Zhang Yu kept overtaking her, steadily pushing her down to 21st.
As he reached 20th, Zhang Yu exhaled deeply.
“Finally made it.”
With the pressure easing, he deliberately reduced his Martial Energy output. His crude method had taken a toll—though he’d secured the top 20, he still needed to preserve his body.
But then, he noticed—21st was still chasing him.
As the gap closed, pressure mounted once more. He had no choice but to increase his output again, violently pulling ahead.
Even with Wuxiang Yun’gang shielding his meridians, the brutal release of energy was beginning to damage his body.
“Damn it… is this guy that persistent?”
Zhang Yu rubbed his aching stomach, glaring at the 21st-ranked student—36, he noted.
Li Tongyun, blood streaming from her eyes and nose, her meridians torn like frayed threads, stared fixedly at the Light Screen.
Every time she closed in, No. 55 accelerated again—leaving her far behind.
But once she was left behind, the bar would slow—almost as if waiting… for her to come back.
A surge of fury welled up in her heart.
“Is No. 55… that rich outsider from out of town?”
“Is he toying with me? Playing with me?”
She could almost picture him smirking, eyes gleaming with malice—watching her struggle, gasping, unable to catch up.
Meanwhile, Dai Xingzhi had been closely observing No. 55’s performance.
When No. 55 abruptly stopped his Martial Energy—plummeting to last place—Dai Xingzhi was utterly bewildered.
When he saw No. 55 surge back to 20th—Dai Xingzhi thought he was about to challenge for the top three.
But when No. 55 simply stopped at 20th… Dai Xingzhi felt even more confused.
Then, as he watched No. 55 remain perfectly still at 20th—while 36 kept chasing, only to be repeatedly shoved back—Dai Xingzhi’s eyes flickered with sudden understanding.
“He… is playing.”
Watching No. 55 maintain that position until the end of the exam, Dai Xingzhi became certain.
“Deliberately stuck at 20th—refusing to surpass the one above, yet never letting anyone else pass him.”
“Controlling his rank in the Foundation Establishment Exam… on purpose?”
“This kind of confidence… only comes from absolute certainty in oneself.”
Dai Xingzhi turned to look at Zhang Yu, silently thinking: Just how rich is this guy?
He wasn’t the only one with that thought.
Yun Jing, who had secured second place, stared at Ye Lingshao for a long moment before glancing at Zhang Yu.
Hmph. Hiding behind, playing games like this. Showing off his control? Or deliberately concealing his strength?
After claiming first place, Ye Lingshao wore a faint, weary expression.
So easily provoked… I actually reached for first place.
Guess I still don’t have enough composure.
He glanced at Zhang Yu again.
But this guy… even in the middle of an exam, he’s got the mindset of someone playing a game.
At that moment, Zhang Yu seemed even more profoundly unfathomable to Ye Lingshao.
Especially after this round—Ye Lingshao was certain Zhang Yu had held back.
An opponent whose depth is unknown… that was far more threatening.
He might even be more dangerous than Yun Jing.
Then, Ye Lingshao turned and gave Zhang Yu a nod.
“Nice game.”
“Huh?” Zhang Yu blinked, confused.
“What was that ‘nice game’ about?”
Is this guy mocking me?
Did he see me struggling at 20th and come to laugh at me?
There was something about the tone—cold, layered, full of quiet disdain.
Zhang Yu decided right then: After this, I’ll never compliment Zhao Tianxing’s punches in class again.
Damn it… that kind of remark really stings. So full of passive-aggressive venom.
Bai Zhenzhen patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
“Yu, being looked down on has its perks. Because when you finally surpass them, it’ll feel even sweeter.”
“Outpacing the rich? That’s our poor guys’ special privilege. They’ve never known what it’s like to rise from the bottom.”
To her, Ye Lingshao’s words and gesture were clearly dripping with mockery, disdain, and condescension.
But Zhang Yu didn’t feel comforted at all.
Damn it… there are still two exams left. Is he going to keep doing this?
Just because I criticized him for throwing random red packets—does he have to hold a grudge this long?
As the Mana Exam concluded, the students prepared for the next test—physical cultivation.
Deng Bingding announced, “A cultivator’s physical strength reveals itself in countless ways.”
“But one thing remains constant—something everyone experiences daily, and one that cannot be faked.”
“That is… appetite.”
“The stronger the person, the more they eat. The more they eat, the stronger they become. Appetite is one of the clearest signs of a cultivator’s physical endurance.”
“Today’s second exam—Feast Battle!”
(End of Chapter)
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