Chapter 38: Level 10 Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Technique

Chapter 38: Level 10 Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Technique

Turning to look at Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen said in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Yu, don’t make this decision too lightly."

"Wanting to apply to one of the Ten Great Sects means you’ll be going against countless people in Songyang City."

"Are you just saying this to show off?"

Zhang Yu angrily replied, "Damn it... I’m being serious here. Do you think I’m joking?"

Seeing Zhang Yu's serious expression, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly smiled, "Alright, I’ll assume you’re serious about applying to one of the Ten Great Sects."

"They gave you a month to decide, right?"

"They gave me a month to make my final decision."

"Over the next two weeks, focus on improving yourself. I’ll take you to meet some people at the Mystic Arts Competition."

"The Mystic Arts Competition?" Zhang Yu’s heart raced. He remembered that the Mystic Arts Competition he had signed up for was starting this month, in just two weeks.

"Meet people? What kind of people?"

Bai Zhenzhen said mysteriously, "Maybe people who can help us."

To hell with riddles!

Zhang Yu pressed, "Who exactly?"

Bai Zhenzhen replied, "I’m not sure yet, but you’ll know when the time comes."

Zhang Yu sighed in frustration, knowing he had no choice but to focus on improving himself over the next few weeks.

No matter what, the only thing he could rely on right now was his own strength.

...

In Martial Arts class.

"Taoist arts are useless."

"Martial arts are the real deal."

"When you face your opponent head-on, a refined set of martial skills is your most reliable weapon."

"At that moment, there are only two outcomes: either you knock your opponent out, or you lie down and get knocked out..."

Listening to Martial Arts teacher Lei Jun’s speech, He Dayou rolled his eyes, clearly unconvinced.

Just then, Lei Jun said, "Alright, now form your groups for the practical training."

"He Dayou, you’re with Zhang Yu."

"Huh?" He Dayou was taken aback, looking at Lei Jun and pointing at himself.

Lei Jun snorted, "What are you looking at? You lost so badly in the Monthly Exam and your grades are terrible. Have you been reflecting on that?"

"Now, I’m giving you another chance to learn from Zhang Yu. Are you refusing?"

With the poor Monthly Exam results hanging over his head, even He Dayou, the son of a Board Trustee, couldn’t argue.

After all, in a system where even breathing wrong is a sin for underperformers, He Dayou couldn’t defy this in class.

Damn, Martial Arts teacher, bullying a Taoist arts high achiever, huh?

He silently approached Zhang Yu, thinking, "But I might not lose to Zhang Yu this time."

He had lost three consecutive times to Zhang Yu, and although He Dayou didn’t hold a grudge, he had reflected on his failures. He had watched the recordings of those battles multiple times and even had his family’s combat instructor analyze them.

The conclusion was that Zhang Yu’s Unarmed Combat had reached Level 3, and once he found an opening, he could deal significant damage.

However, Zhang Yu’s weakness was also clear. From the third battle, it was evident that Zhang Yu lacked practical combat experience.

So, He Dayou had practiced some countermeasures.

On the stage, he no longer took the initiative but focused on defense, waiting for Zhang Yu to become impatient before striking with the Minor Celestial Palm.

With a strategy in place, He Dayou believed that even if he lost, it wouldn’t be a disgrace, and he might even win.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Initially, He Dayou felt fine blocking Zhang Yu’s attacks.

But soon, he felt Zhang Yu’s punches becoming heavier, causing his hands to ache and his mana to churn.

Boom!

Zhang Yu’s punch broke through his guard, and He Dayou was kicked flying.

Landing with a thud, He Dayou felt his mana surge, and he couldn’t get up for a moment.

"Zhang Yu’s Unarmed Combat is even stronger than before?"

"Could it be that he..."

He Dayou looked at Zhang Yu in disbelief.

Lei Jun appeared beside Zhang Yu and exclaimed, "Your Unarmed Combat is at Level 4?"

Zhang Yu, who was actually at Level 5 in Unarmed Combat, smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, I just broke through yesterday."

Initially, Zhang Yu hadn’t planned to reveal his improved Unarmed Combat and had been deliberately holding back. But due to a lack of practical combat experience, he lost control when He Dayou switched to full defense, pushing his Unarmed Combat to Level 4.

Lei Jun laughed, "Looks like you have a natural talent for martial arts."

"How about it? Want to participate in next month’s Songyang City Martial Arts Arena Challenge?"

Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up, "Is there a prize?"

Lei Jun replied, "Of course, the city champion gets 50,000 and the right to use an Expert-Level Martial Art."

Zhang Yu thought, "The Mystic Arts Competition I signed up for has a prize, and this Martial Arts Arena Challenge does too..."

Suddenly, he realized that if he could win more competitions and prizes, he wouldn’t need the Student Council’s funding to cover his expenses and accelerate his cultivation.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s interest, Lei Jun continued, "I’ve always told you that martial arts are useful. If you perform well in practical combat, you won’t have to worry about making money."

"I’ll sign you up, and I’ll take you and Bai Zhenzhen with me."

After Lei Jun left, Zhang Yu looked at He Dayou, who was still on the ground, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, what could happen to me?" He Dayou quickly stood up, giving Zhang Yu a deep look, and suddenly said, "I heard the Student Council called you in yesterday?"

Seeing Zhang Yu nod, He Dayou slowly calmed his anger.

"Don’t get angry with him. We’re all school assets, and it doesn’t affect my Imperial Entrance Exam."

He rubbed his chest, comforting himself, "Being strong or weak in practical combat in the first year doesn’t matter much. Once I build a solid foundation and start an Expert-Level Cultivation Method, I’ll be able to crush Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen soon."

On the other side of the training ground, Bai Zhenzhen impatiently said, "Are you done looking? Let’s continue."

Qian Shen’s gaze shifted back from Zhang Yu to Bai Zhenzhen, feeling a wave of pressure.

If his opponent was a 550-point sub-human, he was confident he could crush them easily.

But when facing the Heavenly Prodigy with 651 points, Qian Shen felt as if every move he made was being seen through. Once he and Bai Zhenzhen started fighting, he felt restricted and his combat power plummeted.

"How can I possibly be her match with such a huge point difference? Old Huang really should have arranged for Zhang Yu, who has 6 points less than me, to fight me."

Zhang Yu glanced at the wealthy students like He Dayou and Qian Shen, and couldn't help but wonder what these seemingly friendly rich kids would be like once they found out he and Bai Zhenzhen wanted to get into the Ten Great Sects' top universities.

Would they team up to target him and Zhen?

Watching Qian Shen being thoroughly dominated by Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Qian Shen seems so fixated on grades, as if he doesn't know that poor students have no way to get into the Ten Great Sects' top universities. Is he just acting?"

Zhang Yu didn't think Qian Shen's sincerity was an act.

Could it be a scenario where "the young master is focused on his studies, and the dirty affairs of society are kept from him"?

Zhang Yu shook his head, unable to come to a conclusion.

...

During the Taoist Arts class.

The teacher looked at He Dayou with approval. "This Health Diagnostic Talisman is well done. It shows that you have a deep understanding of the God of Vital Springtime Health's Talisman."

He Dayou humbly replied, "Thank you, teacher, but I still have a lot to improve on."

The teacher waved his hand. "Excessive modesty is a form of pride."

"To be able to do this in your first year, He Dayou, you don't need to attend any of the school's first-year courses."

"You don't have to attend this class anymore; I'll count you as fully present."

Feeling the envious gazes of his classmates, He Dayou modestly declined.

The teacher suddenly turned and said, "Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, you two need to work harder."

"Being so one-sided in your studies isn't beneficial."

"Come to me for extra lessons when you have time; I'll give you a 20% discount..."

Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu could only lower their heads and accept the scolding, but they were unperturbed. The value of extra lessons in Talisman study was too low, and they planned to spend their money on more cost-effective things.

...

Inside the Cultivation Chamber.

The administrator Wei Xin's voice rang out.

"Zhang Yu, your time is almost up. Do you want to extend it?"

Zhang Yu, who had again achieved the lowest Distraction Rate this week, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Extend it by one hour."

Thinking about the approaching Mystic Arts Competition, Zhang Yu decided to increase his Mana cultivation speed.

He took a deep breath, feeling the Energy Sea Spirit Root in his Energy Core tremble. Spiritual Currents surged from all directions, and he refined them into Mana bit by bit.

An hour later, as Zhang Yu left, Wei Xin sighed, "No wonder you're a Golden Core Disciple. The improvement in your Spiritual Respiration efficiency is incredible."

"Maybe you can upgrade to a Platinum Membership soon."

...

After school.

On the school roof.

Pounding sounds echoed as two figures clashed at high speed, generating a series of thunderous booms.

It was Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in a private sparring session.

Compared to the practice sessions in class, their private sparring allowed them to go all out without revealing their true capabilities, making it much more effective for improving combat experience.

As they exchanged blows, Zhang Yu's Unarmed Combat was more powerful, but his Physical Strength Level was a notch below Bai Zhenzhen's.

While Bai Zhenzhen's Unarmed Combat level was lower than Zhang Yu's, she also knew a basic high school sword technique, which she occasionally interspersed, making Zhang Yu, who lacked experience, flustered.

"Yu, don't just look at my hands. Watch my waist and shoulders to predict my movements."

"Don't rely too much on your familiarity with Unarmed Combat..."

...

At the stationery store near the school gate.

The owner pointed to the first-year rankings and said, "Zhang Yu, third in the first year, improved by 70 points in a month. He bought my sedatives, pain relievers, enhancers, and muscle boosters..."

He then took out a bag of bottles and recommended them to the Songyang City students, "Zhang Yu's original Cultivation package, now at a 10% discount."

Zhang Yu, who had come to restock, stood at the door and watched the adult behind the counter, who was eagerly selling to make money, and felt the ugliness of the adult world once again.

After the students left, Zhang Yu approached and said, "How about it? I told you I'm a campus celebrity, and I can sell well."

"Shouldn't you give me a raise?"

The owner grumbled, "I haven't even recouped my costs on the batch of Neural Fillers I gave you."

He pointed to the gift bag, "Look, I only sold one set today."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "You're selling generic products that aren't even cheaper than online. Where else can't they buy them?"

The owner added, "And regarding the Physique Cultivation drugs, a lot of students say you're a Natural Body Cultivator, not using any drugs."

Zhang Yu quickly changed the subject, "Maybe I'm just not taking enough of your drugs at school. Give me two more bottles of Neural Fillers, and I'll take them every day at school. That way, the promotional effect will be better."

...

Reading, attending classes, cultivating, Spiritual Respiration, and sparring...

Over the five days, Zhang Yu devoted all his energy to cultivation.

That night, as he was practicing Spiritual Respiration in bed, a smile crept onto his face.

After completing the final cycle of his Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Technique, it finally reached level 10.

In an instant, the Mana circulation in his body surged like a mighty river, and he could almost hear the roaring sounds in his ears.

After a long while, as the turbulent Mana circulation gradually calmed down, Zhang Yu felt that his passive Spiritual Respiration had become more powerful and fluid.

"With the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Technique at level 10, passive Spiritual Respiration has the same efficiency as active Spiritual Respiration."

Zhang Yu's smile grew wider. This meant that even without actively practicing Spiritual Respiration, he would be constantly running the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Technique, continuously refining Spiritual Current into Mana.

After this period of intense cultivation, his Mana had significantly improved, reaching 13.3, making him the second-best in the entire grade.

Thinking about this, Zhang Yu's face showed a hint of amusement, "My potential is remarkable, and I have absolute self-discipline. It's not surprising that I've made such progress."

"Why does it feel like Zhen's progress has also been accelerating lately?"

"Could she have also unlocked something?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end