Chapter 7: The Gap Between People

Chapter 7: The Gap Between People

On the bus.

With the Feather Codex in hand, Zhang Yu had initially thought his future life would be: "Feather Codex, let me see your limits!"

But it quickly turned into: "Ritual: Zhang Yu, let me see your limits!"

However, now that he was in this situation, Zhang Yu's only way to lift the Ritual's power was to become stronger.

So he focused on his cultivation.

With each breath, the Spiritual Qi from the surroundings flowed into his body, gathering in the Dantian Sea, where it was refined into Spiritual Power, reinforcing the foundation of his Immortal Path.

Recalling his practice of the Mighty Physique 36 Forms the previous night, Zhang Yu decided to try the same approach to quickly level up the Basic Qi Circulation.

The Feather Codex unfolded at his mental command, and Zhang Yu's attention focused on the "Basic Qi Circulation Level 1" entry. He dragged it over to his character portrait.

But just as he was about to drag "Basic Qi Circulation Level 1" to his character, a sudden insight emerged from the Feather Codex.

"You can only focus on improving one skill at a time."

"Switching skills requires a one-day cooldown."

Zhang Yu mentally named this feature "Specialization."

At that moment, he understood that a specialized skill could be improved rapidly, but he could only specialize in one skill at a time, and switching skills would require a one-day cooldown.

"So, if I switch from specializing in the Mighty Physique 36 Forms to the Basic Qi Circulation, the Basic Qi Circulation will improve quickly, but the Mighty Physique 36 Forms will revert to normal practice efficiency."

"Unless I switch back after a day..."

Thinking about his physical education class, Zhang Yu decided not to switch for now and continued focusing on the Mighty Physique 36 Forms.

Time passed, and Zhang Yu maintained the Basic Qi Circulation until he got off the bus.

...

In the school cafeteria.

Bai Zhenzhen sat down in front of Zhang Yu, who looked like a zombie, and glanced at him curiously. "Studying all night again?"

Zhang Yu swallowed a large meat bun and grumbled, "I was working hard on my exercises until late last night."

Bai Zhenzhen's face remained expressionless, but she spoke without hesitation, "Sigh, you're the only one in the whole school who didn't do the Sterilization Rite. I've been telling you, don't skimp on the 20,000 yuan. Look at how much time, energy, and protein you've wasted."

Zhang Yu swallowed an egg and smiled confidently, "Bai Zhenzhen, let me tell you something. My self-discipline and potential are even surprising to me. It won't be long before I take your top spot in the grade."

Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes quickly and said, "Feather, this kind of overconfidence is fine to say to me, but if others hear it, they'll probably laugh so hard they'll wet their pants."

"You're competing for the top overall score in the grade, not the top score in the Sterilization Rite. Your advantage of not being sterilized won't help you there."

Zhang Yu shook his head speechlessly, thinking, "Ah Zhen, you act so cold on the surface, but you say anything you want in private."

Talking about being the only student who hadn't done the Sterilization Rite, Zhang Yu wasn't as surprised anymore. He had gradually gotten used to the crazy world and school.

However, not being sterilized was still a small secret, and among his classmates, he had only told Bai Zhenzhen.

But at that moment, a thought suddenly crossed his mind, "Why was I allowed to enroll without doing the Sterilization Rite?"

Just then, Zhou Tianyi also sat down with his meal tray, looking at Zhang Yu curiously. "You look exhausted. Did you stay up all night studying?"

Zhang Yu shook his head. "Just practiced the Mighty Physique 36 Forms for a bit and had a small breakthrough."

While eating and chatting, Zhang Yu noticed that Zhou Tianyi's presence seemed to make Bai Zhenzhen less talkative, reverting to her usual cold, quiet self.

After breakfast, the three of them walked toward the classroom along the track.

Zhang Yu occasionally opened his palm, watching the Feather Codex appear and disappear.

"Sure enough, no one can see the Feather Codex."

At that moment, a loud bang came from the teaching building, followed by a cacophony of voices.

A crowd had gathered in front of the teaching building.

People were discussing the incident.

"This is Lu Chao from Class 3, Grade 12. He used to be in the Demonstration Class, but his grades have been slipping, and he's about to be demoted again."

"Lu Chao? He was in the top ten of the grade in Grade 11."

Some people were making discriminatory remarks.

"So what if you did well in Grade 11? Poor people are still poor. Look at how many poor people are left in the Demonstration Class by Grade 12. Poor people just aren't suited for cultivation."

Others were making snide comments.

"Hmph, jumping from the sixth floor isn't impressive. If it were a top student from the Demonstration Class, they'd have to jump from at least the tenth floor."

Bai Zhenzhen sighed as she walked by. "Another one from Grade 12?"

Zhou Tianyi said, "This is the third incident this year. It seems the pressure on this year's Grade 12 is immense."

Zhang Yu suddenly asked, "Was he poor?"

Bai Zhenzhen glanced at him, not sure if she was warning or lamenting, and said, "He probably took out a lot of Spiritual Loans. If you need to take out loans to study, you're definitely not rich."

"Students like him usually do well when they first enter Songyang High School."

"But by Grade 12, they often can't keep up with their wealthy classmates and usually end up at second- or third-tier universities."

"As for the Ten Great Sects, it's been over a decade since a commoner from Songyang High School has been admitted."

Zhang Yu was taken aback. He knew the Ten Great Sects referred to the top ten universities affiliated with the Ten Great Sects, the dream schools of countless students.

But he didn't realize that no commoner had been admitted to the Ten Great Sects from Songyang High School in over a decade.

He thought to himself, "Is it because of a lack of resources and money?"

Zhang Yu also recalled some stories about the wealthy students. It was said that the best tutoring teachers, secret manuals, advanced cultivation techniques, and experimental drugs were only available in the wealthy circles and never shared with the poor.

He thought, "If I hadn't unlocked my potential, I might have ended up like them."

The incident sparked a wave of discussion, but for students busy with their studies and cultivation, it was just a topic of conversation during breaks.

Soon, no one paid much attention, and students continued their daily Immortal Path studies, striving for their future.

Though they were still young, everyone knew a harsh reality.

Different scores led to different universities.

Different universities determined different Sects.

Different Sects determined one's life.

Classmates, regardless of their relationships, would part ways if their grades differed.

...

Time passed, and it was time for three consecutive PE classes.

After once again rejecting PE teacher Wang Hai's sales pitch, Zhang Yu had a feeling that Wang Hai's gaze toward him had changed.

But he had no choice. Both the financial and health issues prevented him from taking the drugs again.

So Zhang Yu pretended not to notice and continued his practice.

Mighty Physique 36 Forms Level 2 (1/20)

Including the practice at the bus stop, Zhang Yu now needed to practice the Mighty Physique 36 Forms 19 more times to level up.

This gave him extra motivation during his training, pushing his muscles and squeezing every bit of Spiritual Power out of his body.

Even when he wanted to rest, the Ritual's force would remind him to keep going.

The pain was excruciating, but each breakthrough and each challenge brought a mix of pain and joy.

After more than two class periods, Zhang Yu finally collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

Mighty Physique 36 Forms Level 2 (17/20)

"I've reached my limit."

The Ritual's force didn't push him further, recognizing that he had reached his limit.

But Zhang Yu wasn't discouraged. In just two days, he had nearly leveled up a foundational martial art from Level 1 to Level 3, something the old Zhang Yu could never have imagined.

"If I hadn't practiced extra last night, I probably could have completed three PE classes."

"But with this stupid Ritual forcing me to exercise every moment, I'll likely be too exhausted during PE classes to practice, which will become a routine."

Zhang Yu felt this was like someone in his past life staying up all night studying and then sleeping in class, clearly not a healthy schedule.

"It's all because of this dumb Ritual, which can't tell the difference between day and night."

Just then, lying on the ground, Zhang Yu felt a shadow covering him, as if a mountain had blocked the sky.

Wang Hai looked down at Zhang Yu and said coldly, "What are you doing in PE class?"

Zhang Yu quickly replied, "Teacher, I practiced extra last night and can't move anymore."

Seeing Wang Hai's displeased expression, Zhang Yu added, "My Mighty Physique 36 Forms broke through last night and reached Level 2."

He explained this because he knew that in this results-driven school, most teachers wouldn't be hard on students who were doing well.

He thought Wang Hai would understand and not be too harsh if he knew about his progress.

This was something Zhang Yu had been thinking about after noticing Wang Hai's change in attitude.

But he was wrong.

There are many types of teachers in this world.

For example, most main subject teachers at Songyang High School favored students who did well, enjoyed teaching them, and were more tolerant of their mistakes.

Some teachers focused more on helping struggling students improve, as they had more room for growth.

Many secondary subject teachers didn't care how well students were doing, as long as they showed up for class and left on time.

But there were also teachers who cared more about students' obedience and respect for their authority.

In their classes, they were the absolute authority, and any defiance, even using a different method to learn, would be met with ridicule and criticism.

Clearly, Wang Hai, who liked to sell drugs and use corporal punishment, was one of these teachers.

PE class was his little kingdom, and students were his customers for Enhancement Serums.

Zhang Yu's refusal to buy drugs had already annoyed him.

Seeing Zhang Yu lie down to "slack off" just now made him even more displeased, and he wanted to use this opportunity to teach him a lesson and set an example, making students ashamed of not using drugs during class and encouraging them not to follow Zhang Yu's natural cultivation method.

But Zhang Yu's statement, "My Mighty Physique 36 Forms broke through last night", blocked his criticism.

To Wang Hai, this was a challenge to his authority in PE class.

"Is Level 2 of the Mighty Physique 36 Forms so impressive?"

Wang Hai pointed at Bai Zhenzhen. "Does she stop using drugs or slack off in class after reaching Level 2?"

Zhang Yu said helplessly, "Teacher, that's not what I meant..."

Wang Hai said coldly, "Zhang Yu, I've seen many students like you, who think they're so talented that they don't need to follow the teacher's guidance or the school's teaching plan."

"You need to understand that your breakthrough is due to the solid foundation built by diligently attending classes and using drugs over the past three months, with my guidance."

"As for your self-study or extra tutoring, those are just desserts."

"Only the classes in school are the main meal."

"I will inform your homeroom teacher about your issue. You better watch yourself."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end