https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-54-Tianwu-Cultivation-of-the-Heart/13686464/
Chapter 53: Monthly Exam Ends — Storms Loom
Inside the abandoned construction site.
Zhang Yu, clad in his weighted training suit, delivered a thunderous punch. His foot slammed onto the concrete floor, and the entire structure echoed with a deep, resonant boom.
Drenched in sweat, Zhang Yu didn’t pause. He continued relentlessly, flowing through the precise movements of the Jianti Thirty-Six Forms, one strike after another.
His body burned with heat, radiating waves of faint white vapor into the cold night air.
Since last week, he’d managed to maintain the Huangniu Zhenhun Xinfa while training Wuji Yunshou up to Level 10—wearing the weighted suit all the while. Now, he’d pushed himself further, attempting the Level 10 Jianti Thirty-Six Forms.
At first, it was grueling—physically and mentally exhausting.
But as long as he could sustain the cultivation method, the Huangniu Zhenhun Xinfa always gave him a flicker of joy, a quiet thrill born of anticipation and fulfillment.
And when he failed to hold the state? The Ritual would intervene, its voice rising like a scolding child in his mind, pulling him back on track.
Just like now.
As Zhang Yu’s focus wavered, the mental image he was visualizing began to blur. Instantly, he felt the familiar, nagging presence.
"Please adhere to the Ritual’s covenant. Strive to fulfill your wish. Do not deliberately slack off or delay. 10."
Zhang Yu snapped back, concentrating fiercely. The mental image sharpened once more.
Damn it.
The chill had vanished, yet he still cursed under his breath.
At that moment, the silence of the ruined building shattered—his phone rang.
Hearing the sound, Zhang Yu nearly jumped. It was like hearing heavenly music.
Thankfully, this idiotic Ritual had at least a shred of sense—it let him answer calls, offering a brief reprieve.
He picked up the phone.
A message from Zhou Chichen, the Vice President of the Student Council.
> Zhou Chichen: Zhang Yu, what’s your decision?
Zhang Yu glanced at the time.
Hmm. 4 a.m. Another “normal” waking hour for us in Songyang.
> Zhang Yu: I’d like to focus entirely on preparing for the Monthly Exam first. Let’s talk about signing the contract after it’s over.
> Zhou Chichen: Haha, no problem. We’ll wait until after the exam. I’ve already prepared a contract you’ll absolutely love. I’m looking forward to the day we sign it.
Zhang Yu knew Zhou Chichen probably said the same thing to every recruit.
Still, the constant flattery over the past month—though clearly calculated—wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
"Too bad it’s never pure. Never just friendship, free of ulterior motives."
The thought of continuing this charade made him uneasy.
"I wonder… if I refuse him again after this exam, will he finally drop the act and turn cold?"
Zhang Yu looked up, toward his Feather Scroll.
Dao Heart Level 2 (93%)
Martial Energy: 18.7
Physical Strength Level: 1.33
After days of brutal training, his power had surged.
His Dao Heart was now on the verge of Level 3—closer than ever.
In Songyang High’s first-year class, his Mana level was already far ahead, leading by a staggering margin. Even Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t match him.
Only his Physical Strength Level had dipped—after a two-week break and only recently resumed training—now hovering around 7th or 8th place.
But Zhang Yu had no doubt: with his current pace, he’d soon dominate the Physical Strength rankings across the entire first year.
Still, even with all this progress, he was still worlds away from qualifying for the Top Ten elite schools.
Taking a deep breath, he plunged back into his training.
…
On the day of the Monthly Exam.
A tense, oppressive atmosphere hung over the high school campus.
But for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, the exam itself was no longer a source of anxiety.
They completed the morning theory test smoothly. After lunch, Zhang Yu did a short meditation session, then headed to the martial arts exam room—drenched in sweat as he finished the written questions.
Then came the final test: live combat.
This time, his opponent was Qian Shen.
Qian Shen’s gaze on Zhang Yu was complicated.
Because Zhang Yu had scored six points lower than him last month—but had outperformed him by a significant margin in the Mana Competition.
So while Zhang Yu had lower scores, he still felt like a threat.
That made him unpredictable. And for the first time, Zhang Yu was the only one who’d scored lower than Qian Shen in the previous exam yet still made him nervous.
Zhang Yu smirked at Qian Shen’s cautious expression.
“Then I’m coming.”
In an instant, he lunged forward with a palm strike—blurring across the space between them in a flash.
Despite Qian Shen’s vigilance, after just a few exchanges, he began to falter.
Finally, a sudden gust of wind swept past him—Zhang Yu’s fist stopped mere centimeters from his face.
Qian Shen sighed.
“I lost.”
Before the second round began, Qian Shen stared at Zhang Yu, suddenly serious.
“You didn’t give it your all, did you? You didn’t even use Wuji Yunshou.”
He’d seen Zhang Yu learn Wuji Yunshou during the competition. He knew the boy had full access to the martial arts.
And over the past two weeks, every time Zhang Yu sparred with Bai Zhenzhen in class, he’d used it.
“Use Wuji Yunshou,” Qian Shen said firmly. “Fight me with everything you’ve got.”
“This is the exam, not a practice session,” Zhang Yu replied.
“Every point I earn must be earned honestly.”
“Don’t make me feel like I’m being cheated.”
Zhang Yu took a deep breath.
“I understand.”
Inside, he sighed.
"My rare moment of peace during this grind… it’s over."
With a burst of speed, Zhang Yu surged forward again—his palm glowing with Wuxiang Yun'gang, slamming into Qian Shen with full force.
Qian Shen, having seen the power of Wuji Yunshou in real combat, didn’t dare block.
He dodged sideways, then launched a sharp kick at Zhang Yu’s lower body.
But Zhang Yu’s other palm rose, swirling with layers of mist—deflecting the kick.
The kick landed on the mist, feeling like striking a soft, weightless cloud.
Then—boom—a sudden, explosive force shot back, hurling Qian Shen out of bounds.
Second round over.
Third round began.
After that fight, Qian Shen desperately wanted to take back his earlier words.
Sure, it had looked cool to challenge Zhang Yu like that—but getting crushed in the exam? That stung.
From afar, Lei Jun turned his attention from Zhang Yu and Qian Shen, then shifted his gaze to the other match: Bai Zhenzhen versus He Dayou.
Watching Bai Zhenzhen dispatch He Dayou in just a few swift moves, Lei Jun thought to himself:
"Too far apart in skill. Next Monthly Exam, just pair Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen together. No need for random draws."
…
The next morning: Dao Heart and Mana Exams.
Zhang Yu stepped back into the Ling Realm.
This time, he found himself strapped to a hospital bed—on one side, a syringe; on the other, a button.
A woman’s voice echoed through the speakers:
> “Good medicine, choose Ziyun. Ziyun Corporation—your trusted name for all ages. One swallow, and all ailments vanish. Thank you for Ziyun Corporation’s joint sponsorship of this Mana Competition…”
As the broadcast played, Zhang Yu realized the rule.
This Daoxin Exam was about dependency.
Each press of the button injected Neurochemical Scatter—popularly known as “Happiness Powder”—into his system.
At the start of the exam, the system would automatically inject it, flooding him with euphoria, contentment, and calm.
But the goal? Press the button as few times as possible.
Fewer presses → higher rank → higher score.
Zhang Yu gritted his teeth.
“Damn it, these people are insane.”
“Pulling out ads during the Monthly Exam?”
“The exam creators are getting worse. One day, I’m going to break them.”
…
Compared to the psychological chaos of the Daoxin Exam, the Mana Exam and Physical Education Exam felt dull and ordinary.
But after the Physical Education Exam ended, Wang Hai once again requested that Zhang Yu be added to the competition team—only to be rejected once more.
The official reason: Zhang Yu’s physical performance had declined. He still needed time to settle.
But in private, Wang Hai was told the truth: the Student Council was behind it.
After a moment of thought, Wang Hai sent Zhang Yu a message the next day.
> “You got any issues with the Student Council? They seem dead set against you joining the sports team.”
…
Back in the abandoned building.
Zhang Yu stood motionless, senses attuned to the changes within his mind-sea.
At last—his Dao Heart had reached Level 3.
His control over his body grew finer, more precise. The Martial Energy in his dantian surged with vitality and responsiveness. Every muscle, every fiber of his being felt more harmonized, more in tune.
Even the mental fatigue from days of relentless training seemed to vanish—replaced by a profound sense of ease and clarity.
Dao Heart Level 3 (0%)
This was what Level 3 felt like—enhanced mastery over self and power.
“Finally… Dao Heart Level 3.”
“Now I can begin the Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture.”
He’d been waiting for this expert-level cultivation manual, passed down by a Golden Core Immortal, for far too long.
Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture! Show me your limits!
The moment his Dao Heart reached Level 3, Zhang Yu instantly switched his Feather Scroll’s specialization to the scripture.
The Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture contained nine martial arts forms: fists, palms, legs, fingers, claws, knives, swords, spears, and staffs.
Each form served a purpose—some for combat, others for body cultivation.
But none were the true key.
The real essence lay in understanding the underlying essence within each form—using it to forge his own Martial Dao Intention.
Just like that time at the art exhibition, Zhang Yu began from the start, flowing through all nine forms.
With each movement, the air trembled. The concrete floor cracked beneath his feet with every step.
After upgrading San Shou to Level 5, pushing Jianti Thirty-Six Forms and Wuji Yunshou (now Level 10), and sparring with Bai Zhenzhen over a hundred times, his perspective had changed entirely.
The deeper he trained, the more he realized: this wasn’t just combat or conditioning—it was a complete system.
Master it, and he could both refine his body and dominate in battle.
“…Though it’s incredibly time-consuming.”
Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture – Level 1 (0/10)
It took Zhang Yu nearly 14 minutes to complete all nine forms—still in his weighted suit.
As he finished, a dull ache spread through his chest.
He knew—this cultivation method was going to be a pain to master.
(End of Chapter)
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