Chapter 197: High School Saint Body? Qi Cultivation Saint Body! (Requesting Monthly Votes)
Zhang Yu could feel it—the deeper he practiced Chunqiu Wujin Chan, the more his body strengthened, and the nagging abdominal pain that had plagued him just moments ago gradually faded away.
Worse still, the Buddhist seal etched onto his chest darkened further with every passing second, greedily absorbing the toxic essence from the medicine.
It was during this process that Zhang Yu slowly realized something profound: the true value of the High School Saint Body.
Or rather, he had severely underestimated its power all along.
"I've been cultivating Chunqiu Wujin Chan, and yes—it nourishes my flesh, enhances my strength, and gathers the toxic residue from the medicine. But..." Zhang Yu mentally compared his state before and after the cultivation, murmuring inwardly: "My ability to metabolize medicine hasn't improved at all."
Chunqiu Wujin Chan didn't improve his metabolism?
The only two possibilities Zhang Yu could think of were:
Either Chunqiu Wujin Chan was incapable of metabolizing Fangfeng Functional Essence.
Or... his metabolism had already reached its absolute peak before he started the cultivation. A limit so absolute that there was no room for further improvement.
But since the technique could gather the toxic essence, the first possibility was ruled out.
That left only one conclusion.
A flash of insight struck Zhang Yu’s mind—the true function of the High School Saint Body:
All aspects of drug tolerance, absorption, and metabolic efficiency pushed to the peak of Qi Cultivation Stage.
Peak Qi Refinement could mean many things. Some considered it the level of a senior high school graduate. Others believed it referred to the state of someone who had completed ten years of post-graduation cultivation. Some even argued that a university graduate without a Foundation Establishment was the true peak.
Originally, Zhang Yu had thought of this "Peak Qi Refinement" as a vague benchmark—something like the level reached after years of post-high school cultivation.
But now...
"Is this 'Peak Qi Refinement' actually referring to my drug tolerance, absorption, and metabolism being pushed to the absolute limit of Qi Cultivation? That's why the Chunqiu Wujin Chan has no further effect—because I've already reached the ceiling?"
"Does that mean... even without cultivating, my natural state already has the metabolic capacity of a Qi Cultivation peak?"
"Why didn't I notice this earlier?"
The answer came instantly.
"Back then, I was taking only weak, ordinary medicine. The potency was too low—my body absorbed and expelled it effortlessly. I couldn’t feel any difference."
"It was only with this Fangfeng Functional Essence—so potent, so fierce—that I finally sensed the true worth of the High School Saint Body."
At that moment, a surge of unshakable confidence filled Zhang Yu’s heart.
"No. 23 (Ye Lingshao), even if that Xian Du Elder is powerful, he’s still just a high school student. As long as his metabolism hasn’t reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Stage..."
"Then this exam is mine for the taking!"
For a fleeting instant, Zhang Yu’s mind redefined the High School Saint Body.
This isn’t just a High School Saint Body.
It should be called the Qi Cultivation Saint Body!
With that thought, he immediately resumed his cultivation, pressing deeper into Chunqiu Wujin Chan. His flesh and blood roared with energy, grinding his muscles, bones, and internal organs into unbreakable strength, then replenishing them with Eternal Martial Energy.
Though he could already absorb and metabolize Fangfeng Functional Essence without the cultivation, it was a rare chance to freely consume such a precious substance to refine his physical form.
Zhang Yu wasn’t about to let it slip by.
Meanwhile, the Zheng Shen present watched Zhang Yu’s transformation in stunned silence.
The way he devoured the medicine, then unleashed punch after punch with thunderous impact, left them all momentarily speechless.
One Zheng Shen muttered, "This Zhang Yu just took two pieces of Fangfeng Functional Essence in one go? His performance doesn’t even match his past scores—this is impossible."
At the same time, the others scanned the real-time data streaming from the Detection Patch.
Huang Zichou spoke up, voice sharp with surprise: "His current physiological data exceeds his Monthly Exam results. This kid’s been hiding his strength all along."
Hiding his strength during the Monthly Exam?
The Zheng Shen exchanged glances, momentarily taken aback—then their eyes cleared with understanding.
In a world where grades ruled and scores determined fate, hiding one’s strength seemed absurd.
But these Zheng Shen were veterans who’d seen it all. In the Kunxu First Layer, there were countless reasons why students might conceal their true power.
Especially when a student came from poverty.
In such cases, hiding one’s strength—deliberately underperforming to stay unnoticed, avoid drawing attention from the wealthy—was a common survival tactic.
Methods varied: some students injured themselves on purpose; others took dangerous drugs with severe side effects; some even practiced techniques designed to mask their cultivation level.
But such concealment always came at a cost.
Injury hampered progress. Drugs wasted time and energy. Low scores meant losing school benefits, financial aid, and other privileges—making cultivation even harder.
And yet, those who hid their strength were often the poorest.
They already lacked funds for cultivation.
So to reach the level of competing for the High School Foundation Establishment Certificate…
Huang Zichou felt a chill.
"Could this sudden rise… be tied to the Evil God?"
He double-checked the data—body structure, physiological metrics, background records—all clean.
Only then did he exhale, relaxing slightly.
But glancing at Deng Bingding, Huang Zichou mentally chided himself.
Why am I being so cautious? With Deng Elder in charge, who am I to uncover any Evil God Cultist?
A different Zheng Shen nodded thoughtfully. "This boy’s Dao talent is limitless. If he secures a good mentor in the Second Layer, reaching the fifth layer or beyond isn’t impossible."
Another added, "He’s only in sophomore year! He can retake the Foundation Establishment Exam next year. He’s already one foot inside the Top Ten."
"His talent is terrifying."
As October arrived, Zhang Yu had already officially become a sophomore, having started the new term in September.
But Huang Zichou remained silent, lost in memory.
He’d seen this kind of meteoric rise before—about half a dozen times in his career.
And the pattern was always the same.
"Genius?"
"Genius, my ass!" Huang Zichou scoffed inwardly. "Genius is the bare minimum. The real reason poor geniuses rise? It’s because they’ve got someone behind them."
"Relying on talent and hard work alone to climb the Dao path? Only fools who’ve been brainwashed by companies and media would believe that."
Huang Zichou knew this well—he’d spent his life overseeing education.
Every rising genius from poverty had either been taken under the wing of a powerful figure… or their talent had been planted by someone even more powerful.
"Times aren’t like the ancient era anymore. You can’t rise on your own."
Meanwhile, Deng Bingding said nothing, but his mind drifted back to his previous investigation into Zhang Pianpian.
That Zhang Pianpian… must’ve caught the eye of some high-level figure. She’s already ascended to the Second Layer.
If Zhang Yu’s progress is this rapid… maybe he’s got a god behind him too.
A thought flickered in Deng Bingding’s mind: Should I help him? Could I build a connection with the master behind him?
But then he remembered the aftermath of reviewing Zhang Pianpian’s file.
No. Better not.
The higher-ups’ every move, every word—there’s always a reason. Maybe they’re hiding Zhang Yu. Maybe testing him. I shouldn’t interfere.
Still… maybe I can add him as a friend after the exam.
While the Zheng Shen debated Zhang Yu’s rise in their internal network, the other examinees were equally stunned by his performance.
Especially Ye Lingshao.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
When he saw Zhang Yu devour two pieces of Fangfeng Functional Essence in a single breath, his battle lust flared even higher.
So this is your real strength?
You hid so much in the last exam.
But I won’t lose to you.
I am the ultimate product of the Ye Clan—invested in by the entire corporation, destined to claim the Foundation Establishment Certificate.
Only by securing that certificate could his family arrange his Foundation Establishment. Only then could he break into the Foundation Establishment Realm before college, laying the foundation for a future ascension to the Second Layer and a master’s apprenticeship.
"My Dao path isn’t just about the Top Ten..."
With a decisive motion, Ye Lingshao seized a Martial Energy Meridian Injector and plunged it into his arm.
As the serum injected, his Martial Energy roared to life—like gasoline ignited, exploding through his body.
His heartbeat accelerated. His breath grew ragged. His meridians trembled under the relentless pressure of the energy surge.
Hah!
A low, guttural shout escaped him as he activated the 10th Level Chunqiu Wujin Chan, channeling all his will to neutralize the overwhelming strain.
"Nothing to worry about..."
Thanks to his Perfect Bloodline, his body felt like a whale in the ocean, gulping down the torrent of energy and nutrients like water and fish. Every cell, every organ devoured the essence, metabolizing it without waste.
With Chunqiu Wujin Chan amplifying the process, Ye Lingshao could feel the power transforming within him—flowing, processing, expelling the byproducts harmlessly.
A confident smirk curled his lips.
Just as the storm of energy peaked in his body, a new thought struck him.
One more injection… shouldn’t be a problem.
Let me push it further. Let me pull ahead. Let him feel the weight of despair.
But as he reached for another injector, his eyes flickered—only to lock onto Zhang Yu, who had silently stepped beside him.
Zhang Yu calmly picked up a syringe of his own.
"I’m not just refining my body," he murmured. "I’ll boost my Martial Energy too."
Before Ye Lingshao could react, Zhang Yu plunged the needle into his arm.
The impact made his body twitch slightly.
Then—Boom!—the Great Sun Qi Sea erupted like a volcano, violently drawing in Spirit Energy from the surrounding air.
(End of Chapter)
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