Insight

Insight

Under Zhang Yu's repeated attempts, he discovered that the two identical chills and two identical countdowns were pressing him in different directions.

One stopped counting down after he circulated Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The other stopped counting down after he contemplated the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

Zhang Yu immediately became even more certain of one thing: one of these two countdowns was fake.

"Most likely, it's an effect brought by the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram."

"Facing the terror in my heart... so it recreated the Ritual Power's oppression over me?"

"I just didn't expect the Ritual Power recreated by the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram to conflict with the real Ritual Power on me."

But of the two strands of Ritual Power, which one was fake?

"The one that stops counting down after I circulate qi?"

"Or the one that stops counting down after I contemplate the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram?"

Zhang Yu leaned toward the latter, yet he could not make the decision lightly.

Because the price of choosing wrong was death.

"Which side do I choose?"

Listening to the ever-changing countdowns in his heart, Zhang Yu's mind twisted in turmoil, unable to decide for a long time.

"Since I can't choose, then I simply won't."

His gaze sharpened as he made his decision. "I'll treat both countdowns as real."

Zhang Yu sat down cross-legged where he stood and began operating the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, circulating the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

As the countdown in his heart continued, falling from ten to five and then to three, Zhang Yu stood again and looked toward the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram, trying to comprehend the martial art contained within it.

And so, under the simultaneous pressure of the two countdowns, Zhang Yu alternated between the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method and comprehending the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram, advancing through both in turns.

At the same time, people at the exhibition gradually began noticing something odd about Zhang Yu.

The Songyang City director of Xianyun Corporation watched Zhang Yu curiously and said, "This kid circulates qi for a while, then gets up to contemplate martial arts. What exactly did he see?"

Li Xuelian beside him also swept her gaze toward Zhang Yu and said thoughtfully, "It looks more like someone is forcing him to circulate qi."

"Perhaps it comes from his respect for some teacher in real life."

Just then, Zhang Yu changed movements again. He stopped circulating qi and began practicing the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms.

Zhang Yu had suddenly realized something. The countdown that stopped after he circulated qi might not have been forcing him to circulate qi at all. Its true nature might have been forcing him down the path of studying, cultivation, getting into university, working, and earning money.

So he began trying to see whether he could practice martial arts while looking at the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

After all, the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms had long since become muscle memory for him. If he could practice martial arts while contemplating the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram, he could devote most of his attention to the diagram.

After all, his main purpose at this moment was to comprehend the martial art on the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

After this attempt succeeded, he felt that practicing while comprehending was still too troublesome. He simply took out his phone and tried scrolling through the textbooks on it while looking at the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

When he found that reviewing textbooks posed no problem either, he simply played the textbooks aloud on his phone, listening to the material while comprehending the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

Li Xuelian watched Zhang Yu circulate qi, practice martial arts, and study, then sighed sincerely. "There must be an incomparably harsh teacher behind this boy, forcing him to work hard every step of the way, until that teacher gradually became an image he feared beyond measure."

"Next, we'll see whether, beneath layer upon layer of crushing pressure, he can use his mind to break through..."

Before Li Xuelian had finished speaking, Zhang Yu actually moved away from the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram. He ran straight to the buffet table, loaded up a huge plate of seafood, then returned to the diagram and began eating while comprehending it.

Because he had suddenly remembered that eating should be something the ritual would not prevent.

Li Xuelian was slightly surprised by the sight. "Oh? He broke through so quickly. Under layer upon layer of oppression, he directly established the Lying Flat Ideology? Only then could he face the terror in his heart and continue comprehending the martial art in the diagram."

"Perhaps even he himself has not realized that, without noticing it, he has already overcome the fear in his heart, passed the diagram's test, and returned to acting as normal."

When she saw a security guard about to step forward and stop Zhang Yu, Li Xuelian waved him away. She was now rather curious how much Zhang Yu could comprehend from the Martial Arts Diagram.

As Zhang Yu ate lobster and looked toward the Martial Arts Diagram, he gradually began seeing clearly what martial art the figure was performing.

"Looks like a fist technique?"

The fist technique itself was not complicated. After watching it a few times, Zhang Yu vaguely grasped the concept. But when he looked at his Feather Scroll, he found no change whatsoever. Clearly, he had not truly learned this martial art, much less mastered it.

Based on his experience learning High School Basic Swordplay and the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, a martial art like this should have appeared on the Feather Scroll at level 0 after he watched it once.

"What's wrong?"

Just then, Lian Tianji laughed loudly and said with a face full of confidence, "I've thoroughly comprehended the martial art within it. As expected, it's an exquisite palm technique."

Before his words had even faded, Qian Shen in the distance spoke up. "What palm technique? It's clearly a leg technique."

Under normal circumstances, Qian Shen, with his total score of six hundred, would never have dared speak loudly before someone with a total score of six hundred and seventy. But after the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram had just tempered his Dao heart, this was when Qian Shen's courage was at its peak.

Their words quickly drew objections from others.

Someone argued, "No, no. What's hidden in the Martial Arts Diagram is clearly a saber technique."

Someone began mocking everyone indiscriminately. "A bunch of blind men. It's clearly a finger technique."

Bai Zhenzhen frowned slightly. What she saw before her was a sword art.

Clearly, while Zhang Yu ate and contemplated the diagram, more and more students had already completed their comprehension of it.

Hearing everyone's discussion, Lian Tianji simply turned to Li Xuelian and asked, "Ms. Li, what martial art exactly is hidden within this Martial Arts Diagram?"

As everyone present looked over, Li Xuelian merely smiled faintly and said, "I cannot disclose what martial art it specifically is."

"But let me remind you all of one thing. The Martial Arts Diagram contains its own mysteries. If anyone here has mastered the martial art within it, the diagram itself will naturally reveal the answer."

Everyone understood. This meant that if anyone present mastered the martial art in the diagram, the diagram would naturally display a sign.

With that thought, Lian Tianji stepped forward without hesitation.

Lian Tianji of Ziyun High School had always possessed the absolute confidence of a favored son of heaven.

And after undergoing that test just now, his confidence had swelled to its peak. The moment he made his move, he unleashed the palm technique he had just comprehended from the Martial Arts Diagram.

As he struck, bursts of wind and thunder rang out. Surging force and killing intent erupted from within him, as though they would blast the entire exhibition into the air.

Zhao Tianxing had been observing the results from afar. Seeing this scene, a wave of amazement rose in his heart.

"Such high Physical Strength, such a terrifying palm technique. This is a killing martial art meant for combat."

Lian Tianji's Physical Strength was impressive among first-year high school students, but many of those present were cultivators who had long since graduated from high school. What astonished them more was how proficient Lian Tianji was with this martial art.

Someone marveled inwardly, "Did he really comprehend this palm technique from the Martial Arts Diagram just now? Every move is so polished. A top student from Ziyun High School truly is a genius among geniuses."

But after Lian Tianji finished performing the palm technique, the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram did not move at all. There was not the slightest response.

"How can that be?" Lian Tianji said in disbelief. "I've clearly mastered the martial art in the diagram. How could it not work?"

Qian Shen chuckled and stepped forward, stopping before Lian Tianji. "I already told you, it's a leg technique."

He then displayed the martial art he had comprehended from the diagram before it. Though he was not as effortless as Lian Tianji, his movements were already smooth and practiced.

Bai Zhenzhen watched this scene and frowned again. "This is a Body Tempering martial art? It's specifically for training the legs."

After Qian Shen completed his final move, the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram still did not move in the slightest, showing no abnormality whatsoever.

"How can that be?"

Having spoken the same words as Lian Tianji, Qian Shen too stared at the Martial Arts Diagram in disbelief.

After that, students continuously stepped forward to demonstrate the martial arts they had comprehended.

Including Lian Tianji and Qian Shen, twelve students successively displayed nine martial arts in total: fist, palm, leg, finger, claw, saber, sword, spear, and staff techniques.

Three of them had comprehended martial arts that overlapped with those of others.

Yet after this succession of demonstrations, not one person managed to provoke a reaction from the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram.

Lian Tianji could not help turning to Li Xuelian and asking again, "Ms. Li, out of so many of us, has no one truly succeeded?"

Li Xuelian did not answer. She merely shook her head slightly, and disappointment seemed to fill her eyes.

Just then, Bai Zhenzhen slowly stepped forward. Under everyone's watchful eyes, she used her fingers as a sword and began demonstrating a sword technique.

Though the sword technique was peerlessly sharp and every move Bai Zhenzhen made could be called accomplished, the people present lost interest after only a few glances.

After all, two people had previously demonstrated sword techniques, and neither had caused any change in the Martial Arts Diagram.

But after Bai Zhenzhen finished demonstrating this sword technique, her style suddenly changed. She used her hand as a saber and performed a saber technique.

Then came fist techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques...

Zhao Tianxing said in surprise, "Bai Zhenzhen learned all the martial arts everyone demonstrated earlier?"

Lian Tianji frowned at the sight, thinking, In such a short time, she watched once and can already perform every martial art everyone demonstrated. Which Key High School's top student is this woman from?

Watching Bai Zhenzhen's every move, as though she had trained them bitterly for years, Qian Shen's thoughts likewise churned.

On one hand, he was astonished that Bai Zhenzhen could perform all nine martial arts. On the other, doubt kept rising in his heart. Will performing all nine martial arts everyone comprehended really work?

Just then, beneath everyone's astonished gazes, the man in the Heavenly Human Martial Arts Diagram moved. Smiling with his eyes, he looked toward Bai Zhenzhen, and two words surfaced upon the scroll.

Not bad.