Registering for the Magic Competition and the Monthly Exam Arrives

Registering for the Magic Competition and the Monthly Exam Arrives

Songyang High School.

In the blink of an eye, four days had passed since Zhang Yu rented the Qi Sea Spiritual Root.

Today was the day Songyang High School's first-year students would be selected to register for the citywide Magic Competition.

Magic Power class.

As the dismissal bell rang, Zhang Yu finally paused his Breath Circulation, opened his eyes, and looked toward the big screen.

After several more days of hard cultivation, his Magical Power had continued rising at breakneck speed, jumping from 9.5 to 10.5. The sheer pace of his progress drew many sidelong glances from his classmates.

Zhang Yu's Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method had also climbed from level 6 to level 8 (3/160), though he alone knew about that achievement. If his classmates and teachers found out, they would be far more than merely surprised.

After all, although Zhang Yu's Magical Power had risen rapidly, there were precedents for it. As long as wealthy people threw enough money at the problem, their Magical Power could rise even faster than his.

But raising a Breathing Technique to level 8 in such a short time... at Zhang Yu's current level of understanding, he did not know of anyone else who could accomplish that.

As he looked at the big screen, the Magical Power rankings for the entire grade had appeared.

First place, Bai Zhenzhen, 12.1.

Second place, Qian Shen, 11.9.

Zhang Yu continued scanning downward and quickly found himself in eighth place.

Eighth place, Zhang Yu, 10.5.

"Eighth place?" Zhang Yu nodded slightly. He knew that registering for the Magic Competition would not be a problem now.

But soon, that chill rose in his heart again. Listening to the countdown, Zhang Yu had no choice but to close his eyes once more and seize every second to begin Breath Circulation.

At the podium, Teacher Yan brushed back her hair, glanced at the rankings, and said with satisfaction, "Over the past week, everyone's Distraction Rate has fallen another 8%, while Magical Power improvement efficiency has risen 12% compared with last month. I'm very pleased."

Seeing Zhang Yu already making use of every moment to continue his Breath Circulation, she nodded approvingly and went on. "I would also like to specially commend one student here: Zhang Yu."

"Not only has he maintained a 0% Distraction Rate for two consecutive weeks, but over the past week, his Magical Power has undergone a qualitative leap. He surged from sixteenth place to eighth place. That's truly remarkable. Everyone, give him a round of applause."

Scattered applause rose up, and Teacher Yan went on to announce that the top ten would be participating in the Magic Competition.

"The Magic Competition begins next month. Once I receive the specific competition dates and rules, I'll send them to you."

"Alright, class dismissed."

"Oh, and any students who want to buy Spirit Gathering Pills, remember to come find me in the office. There's a promotional event going on recently..."

Bai Zhenzhen, seated below, seemed to have lost some weight. Even her cheeks had grown somewhat hollow.

Watching Teacher Yan beam with delight, she thought to herself, Everyone has been pushing themselves this hard lately—wasn't it all because...

At that thought, she instinctively looked toward Zhang Yu's seat again, only to find that he had already resumed his Breath Circulation.

You beast! Zhang Yu, you damned beast! Stop right now! Stop fucking making me compete!

After cursing furiously in her heart, Bai Zhenzhen ultimately could not bear to watch her good brother improve all by himself. With pain in her heart, she closed her eyes and began Breath Circulation as well.

Qian Shen, seated not far from Bai Zhenzhen, had been watching both Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu. Seeing them make use of recess and even the time when the teacher was speaking to circulate their breath, his heart sank.

As a student in Songyang High School's Demonstration Class, Qian Shen had always believed he would never fear competition.

But after spending the past eight days competing with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen all the way, his outlook had changed.

They barely even go to the bathroom, and they do not scratch themselves even when they itch. I really can't push myself to their level!

Could it be that compared to them, I'm the one who hasn't evolved completely?!

Staring fixedly at the two still circulating their breath, Qian Shen finally closed his eyes unwillingly.

Compete! Fucking force myself to compete!

During PE class.

The many students either got injections or tempered their bodies. Amid beast-like roars, the floor itself was continuously soaked in the heavy scent of sweat.

Bai Zhenzhen wiped the sweat covering her head and instinctively glanced at the little black room in the corner.

Because Sports Teacher Wang Hai had led the effort to isolate Zhang Yu before, Zhang Yu had been self-studying alone in that small room during PE class lately.

But Zhang Yu was no longer circulating Spiritual Energy as he had over the past few days. Instead, he had begun practicing the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms.

Amid a series of explosive cracks, Zhang Yu's muscles bulged. Surges of savage strength burst from his body as he fiercely lifted the training equipment before him, lowered it, then lifted it again, lowered it again...

At the same time, on the Feather Scroll, he switched his Specialization from the level 8 Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method to the level 3 Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms.

Naturally, Zhang Yu had his reasons for doing this.

First, because he lacked a matching Spirit Root, the amount of Spiritual Energy Zhang Yu himself could gather was too limited. The effects of continuing to level up the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method had grown weaker and weaker.

Second, he had already secured his qualification for the Magic Competition. His next target was the Monthly Exam nine days from now.

My Magical Power has already improved a great deal recently. Even without actively circulating my breath, the level 8 Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method's Passive Breathing Technique is still sixty-five percent as effective as active Breath Circulation.

My Magical Power score on this Monthly Exam won't be bad anymore. If I keep pouring a huge amount of effort into it... the return on investment for raising my score will be a little too low.

Zhang Yu calculated inwardly, To improve my Monthly Exam results next, I'll have to look at Dao Heart, PE, martial arts, and Daoist arts.

As for Dao Heart... although I haven't yet mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart Refinement Art, I've already comprehended all its mysteries. I should be able to earn a decent score in the Dao Heart Exam with it. As for martial arts, aside from twenty points for theory, the other eighty points all depend on actual combat. I'd need to hire people to feed me moves and spar with me. Improvement won't come that quickly.

Daoist arts would be even more difficult. There was no way he could improve in that area within such a short time.

After thinking it over, Zhang Yu still felt that spending the next nine days improving the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms and his Physical Strength would be better.

Especially since, while practicing the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms, he had discovered an additional benefit brought by the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method.

As he exerted force throughout his body, every muscle continually contracted and swelled with his movements. Yet the Magical Power cycle within him kept operating, transforming threads of Spiritual Energy into Magical Power as his Magical Power flowed.

And in this process, as the Magical Power cycle flowed through worn tendons and torn muscles, it began nourishing the areas damaged by training, replenishing flesh and blood, accelerating recovery, and improving the effects of his exercise.

Once the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms reached level 3, it could already mobilize Magical Power to produce similar effects.

But now, under the operation of the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, the more complex and refined Magical Power cycle continuously covered Zhang Yu from head to toe, greatly increasing both his recovery rate and body-tempering results.

He felt that if he could originally practice the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms only twenty or thirty times in an entire day, then with the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method's assistance, he could practice it at least fifty or sixty times per day.

Thus, Zhang Yu planned to begin fiercely competing in the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms from then on.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhang Yu suddenly felt a trace of emotion.

I seem to be getting more and more used to competing.

Damn it, this shitty Kunxu really turns people into ghosts.

But after practicing the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms fifteen times in a row, Zhang Yu realized he had been wrong.

Drenched in sweat, he lay on the ground. The floor soaked through with his perspiration even seemed to bear the faint outline of a human figure.

Even if Sports Teacher Wang Hai saw this scene of diligent training, he would surely say, "You've worked hard. Take a break."

But the one supervising Zhang Yu was not a person. It could only issue... a Ritual: Keep training.

"Please abide by the Ritual Agreement, strive to fulfill your wish, and do not deliberately slack off or delay. 10."

Zhang Yu wailed, "You idiot! I'm already at my limit."

How bitter!

This body-tempering grind was far more miserable than Breath Circulation.

At this moment, Zhang Yu felt as though his lungs were heaving like bellows, while every inch of flesh across his body sent out tearing, aching pain.

I was too young. I actually thought I had already adapted to this shitty world.

Listening to the incessant countdown beside his ears, Zhang Yu still lay on the ground like a dead fish. Only when the countdown was about to reach its final moment did he suddenly leap up, endure the soreness and exhaustion throughout his body, and continue practicing the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms.

Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms Level 3 (22/30)

After barely managing to finish another round, Zhang Yu collapsed into his own sweat again. As he listened to the chilling countdown, he could feel the Ritual Power threatening to tear his body to pieces.

Is this a world humans can adapt to?

Damn it... before I'm forced to jump off a building, I'll definitely break this shitty Ritual!

At noon that day, Zhang Yu behaved unusually. Under the surprised gazes of Bai Zhenzhen and Zhou Tianyi, he spent over a hundred yuan in one go and ordered a huge bucket of food.

If Magical Power growth could not be separated from absorbing more Spiritual Energy—

Then improving body-tempering results could not be separated from eating more and eating more nutritiously.

"I'm going to eat ten jin!"

Seeing the size of Zhang Yu's lunch today, Bai Zhenzhen knew how brutally he had trained in PE class.

Does he think he's competed enough in Magical Power for now, so he's going to start competing in Physical Strength instead?

When exactly had this guy started trying so hard?

Could it be the extra competitive spirit brought on by not being sterilized?

Watching Zhang Yu shove an entire chicken leg into his mouth, crunch the chicken bones into powder in a few bites, and swallow them, Bai Zhenzhen unconsciously sped up her own eating as well.

Zhou Tianyi said helplessly, "Eat slower, you two. Nobody's grading how fast you eat."

Not far away, Su Haifeng was also eating in the cafeteria. Watching some students dawdle over their meals, he thought to himself, The lunch break is still too long.

I've always said the school should install a few more surveillance cameras in the cafeteria. Anyone who spends more than ten minutes eating should be publicly criticized and fined as well.

At that thought, he drafted a proposal, planning to send it to the Principal and put forward this valuable suggestion for cafeteria reform.

Over the following days, aside from his regular classes, Zhang Yu practiced the Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms whenever he had time. Once he reached his limit and could no longer temper his body, he was forced to circulate Spiritual Energy instead.

After being tormented day after day like this, the Monthly Exam finally arrived nine days later.

Thanks to "Wind Dance, Wild Song" for the generous reward.

(End of chapter)