Choices and Cultivation Methods

Choices and Cultivation Methods

White Dragon High School.

As one of the Three Great Famous Schools alongside Songyang High School and Ziyun High School in Songyang City, this school had a long history and abundant financial resources. Whether it was the number of students winning competitions each year, the number admitted to the Ten Great Top Universities, or even the number of students breaking down, it held a dominant position in Songyang City.

To many White Dragon High School students, what Three Great Famous Schools? Songyang City had only one famous school, and that was White Dragon High School.

At this moment, in White Dragon High School's cafeteria.

Zhang Pianpian ate while flipping through her Talisman Book, studying the newly purchased Talisman Arts textbook.

Just then, a petite girl sat down across from her and said mysteriously, "Pian Bao, I heard something interesting. Want to know? Treat me to a meal, and I'll tell you."

Without even raising her head, Zhang Pianpian said, "Not interested."

The girl chuckled. "Your little brother caused quite a stir at Central Building last time. Too bad he still wasn't accepted by a Golden Core cultivator. Don't you want to hear his latest news?"

Zhang Pianpian's brows furrowed slightly. "At most, it's worth a nine-yuan Poor Man's Meal. Anything more expensive, and I'm not listening."

"Enough, enough." The girl laughed. "It's rare for Pian Bao to treat me to a meal. No one in class would believe it if I told them."

Seeing Zhang Pianpian's impatient expression, the girl continued, "A friend of mine from Songyang High School told me."

"Your brother placed third in his grade on this monthly exam, with a total score of 620."

Zhang Pianpian said in surprise, "620? Are you sure this information is real?"

"Guaranteed genuine," the girl said. "With that score, he'd be able to enter the top fifteen even among our first-years. Impressive."

"Didn't you say your brother had no talent? Looking at it now, he's not bad at all."

A trace of confusion flashed through Zhang Pianpian's eyes. "My judgment cannot be wrong. He doesn't have the talent to climb the Immortal Dao. Something must have happened to him during this time."

The girl asked, "The Songyang High School Student Union will probably have its eyes on him now. Aren't you going to help him?"

Zhang Pianpian lowered her eyes and said lightly, "We'll see what he chooses."

"If he's willing to sign with the Student Union, at least his high school years will be easier."

"You're testing him?" The girl curled her lips. "Isn't that too harsh? How many students can withstand the Student Union's pressure?"

Zhang Pianpian said coldly, "If he can't withstand it, then he should take the path of someone who can't. Otherwise, helping him would only harm him."

"What he's truly made of will ultimately depend on what kind of choice he can make."

Songyang High School.

Zhang Yu could clearly feel that the atmosphere throughout the school had changed.

During breaks, classmates who were not very familiar with him had begun greeting him.

"Zhang Yu, your Physical Strength has improved so quickly. Is it really Natural Body Refinement?"

"Zhang Yu, can I borrow your Martial Dao theory exam paper?"

In the corridors, students from other classes whom he did not know pointed at him and whispered.

"Look, that's the Zhang Yu Teacher Lei mentioned."

"Seriously, the monsters in the Demonstration Class don't leave anyone else a way to live."

During martial arts class, Teacher Lei Jun repeatedly played the video of Zhang Yu defeating He Dayou.

He even had Zhang Yu explain his combat thinking from back then. He Dayou listened until the qi and blood within him surged, his heart beat stronger and stronger, and he seemed to grow younger by the day.

In the cafeteria, students had begun deliberately passing by Zhang Yu, seemingly sneaking looks at what dishes he was eating.

Some students who had barely any connection with him also wanted to sit at the same table.

At dinnertime, Zhang Yu simply called Zhao Tianxing over and pulled him into eating with Bai Zhenzhen.

After all, Zhao Tianxing alone took up two seats. The three of them filled an entire dining table perfectly.

As for that kid Zhou Tianyi, no one knew what he had gone off to do today. He left school as soon as class ended and did not come eat dinner with them.

Zhao Tianxing had eaten with them several times during this period and had gradually become much more familiar with both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.

Zhang Yu had even noticed that Bai Zhenzhen seemed much more relaxed around Zhao Tianxing than she was around Zhou Tianyi.

At that moment, Zhao Tianxing complained, "How much longer is the cafeteria's electronic screen going to display the monthly exam rankings? It's inconvenient even to check the prices when getting food now."

Zhang Yu took a bite of rice and sighed. "Little Zhao, this is where your vision is too narrow. The school displays the monthly exam rankings to urge everyone to study hard. I think it'd be fine to display them for a few more days."

Bai Zhenzhen beside him nodded slightly as well. "Exams are our duty as students, after all. How could the importance of displaying scores possibly compare to mere food prices?"

Zhao Tianxing looked speechlessly at the two of them before him, especially Zhang Yu.

Then he suddenly realized that Zhang Yu was no longer the student whose monthly exam ranking had been about the same as his. They were no longer in the same campus class.

Those actions that deeply stabbed other students, piled insane pressure on them, and provoked them into vicious infighting were, to the current Zhang Yu, nothing more than naked flaunting.

Zhang Yu was clearly condemning these inhumane practices with me just a few days ago.

And now he's become like this, he lamented inwardly. Do people really change this fast once their scores get higher?

Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu and smiled. "Yu Zi, you seem to be in quite a good mood."

More than good.

Zhang Yu felt absolutely exhilarated right now. He had never found Songyang High School's scenery so beautiful, or its students and teachers so friendly.

For someone like him, who had to persist in bitter cultivation every day, this was simply the most beautiful scenery, a rare comfort, heaven's reward for his diligence and self-discipline.

Zhang Yu modestly waved his hand. "Sigh, they're all useless empty honors."

"I don't know why everyone likes coming to find me."

"A-Zhen, you've been first in the grade for so long. Why haven't so many people come looking to hang out with you?"

Bai Zhenzhen curled her lips, her face full of disdain. "Because my first place leaves them unable to see any hope of catching up. All they feel is the absolute gap between our talents."

"But your sudden improvement makes them feel that you can be imitated."

"So every one of them wants to become your good friend and peer into the secret behind your improved grades."

Bai Zhenzhen swallowed a chicken drumstick in one bite, mercilessly peeling back the cruel reality.

"In high school, scores are king."

"A carefully selected workbook, a paid Talisman Arts technique, or practical combat experience learned from a tutoring class can all make countless high school students swarm toward them like ducks. Not to mention the secret behind your seventy-point improvement in a single month. Even the top ten academic geniuses in the grade would be tempted."

"These students coming to find you aren't really here to be your friends. They just want to obtain the secret behind your huge score increase, preferably moving those seventy points of improvement onto their own heads."

Zhao Tianxing shifted his butt, and the two chairs beneath him let out a string of overwhelmed creaks.

I'm tenth this time. I deliberately approached Zhang Yu before, too.

Could Bai Zhenzhen be hinting at me?

Though I really did want to learn more outstanding study habits from the two of them, then take the chance to ask Zhang Yu how he improved his grades so quickly...

Thinking of this, he twisted even more in his seat. The atmosphere at the table seemed to become cramped, and he temporarily buried his plan to ask Zhang Yu about the secret to his improvement.

Even after parting ways with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, watching one take the bus and the other the subway, Zhao Tianxing was still thinking about it.

Was Bai Zhenzhen talking about me after all?

On the bus.

Just after boarding, Zhang Yu, squeezed this way and that by the people around him, felt his phone vibrate.

He took it out and found a message from Bai Zhenzhen.

"The Student Union may come talk to you about a contract over the next few days."

"No matter what terms they offer, don't agree to anything yet."

"Wait until I've spoken with them, then we'll discuss it together."

Looking at Bai Zhenzhen's message, Zhang Yu's gaze shifted. So high-level contracts are negotiated with the Student Union?

Zhang Yu had never known much about Songyang High School's Student Union.

In his mind, what could a high school Student Union even do?

But judging from Bai Zhenzhen's words, the Student Union was clearly far from simple. It even had the authority to negotiate contracts with students.

I wonder what terms they'll offer me.

From what A-Zhen means, does she want us to advance and retreat together? Raise the price together?

After thinking for several seconds without reaching any conclusion, Zhang Yu heard the countdown sound in his mind again. He could only temporarily set aside these wild thoughts and scroll through the textbooks saved on his phone.

But after reading for a while, perhaps because of the feedback from his monthly exam scores, or perhaps because of the coming contract, Zhang Yu felt restless on the bus today and could not focus on studying.

He simply put down his phone and considered his current path of cultivation.

As for his thoughts in this area, Ritual Power did not force anything upon him.

After all, thinking about the road ahead and planning his cultivation all aligned with his desire to study hard, cultivate hard, get into university, work hard, earn money, and finally buy every antique in his shopping cart.

First, I'll raise the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method to Level 10.

The next goal is the Heavenly Martial Heart Refinement Art. But this Martial Dao heart cultivation method requires a Level 3 Dao Heart, so I can only practice the Basic Heart Refining Method first. While raising that cultivation method to Level 10, I'll raise my Dao Heart to Level 3 as well, then practice the Heavenly Martial Heart Refinement Art...

After that, the only things I have on hand to practice are Basic Breathing Exercises, Freehand Fighting, and High School Basic Swordplay.

After confirming his future arrangements, Zhang Yu thought of his current savings of over seventy thousand, as well as the potential income he might receive after signing a contract, and an idea could not help surfacing in his mind.

Should I buy some more powerful and effective cultivation methods?

Previously, Zhang Yu had no money, so he had never considered it.

But after receiving Wang Hai's sixty-six thousand today, Zhang Yu could not stop thinking about how to spend the money.

Spirit Roots, Talisman Arts, practical combat experience... many things he had once not dared even dream of now faintly took shape in his mind. He only needed to wait until the contract negotiations were finished and see how much money he would have in his pocket before making detailed plans.

And as he considered his future cultivation method arrangements, the thought of purchasing cultivation methods rose within him as well.

Even if I don't buy them, I can look first and get a sense of the prices.

The phone screen flashed as Zhang Yu opened a shopping website and entered his real-name account.

After another round of facial recognition, Zhang Yu finally entered the website for purchasing Immortal Dao cultivation methods. However, with his current status, he could only view cultivation methods for the Qi Refining Stage.

The moment he entered, he saw a row of recommendations reading: Your friends are viewing: Alluring Maiden Great Art, Universal Edition for Men and Women; Great Dream Heart Sutra, Cultivate Even While Sleeping; Nine Heavens Quick Success Eight Section Talismans...