Turning to Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen asked in surprise, "Are you sure?"
"Yu Zi, don't make a decision so lightly."
"If you want to get into the Ten Great Top Universities, that means making enemies of countless people in Songyang City."
"You aren't saying this just to show off, are you?"
Zhang Yu snapped, "What the hell... I'm talking to you seriously. Do you think I'm joking?"
Seeing how serious Zhang Yu looked, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly smiled. "Fine. Let's say you want to apply to the Ten Great Top Universities too."
"They gave you one month to think it over, right?"
"My deadline is one month from now too."
"For the next two weeks, focus on improving yourself. At the Magic Competition, I'll take you to meet some people."
"The Magic Competition?" Zhang Yu's heart stirred. He remembered that the Magic Competition he had registered for was starting this month, two weeks from now.
"Meet people at the Magic Competition? What people?"
Bai Zhenzhen said mysteriously, "People who might be able to help us."
May all riddlers drop dead!
Zhang Yu pressed, "Who exactly are they?"
Bai Zhenzhen said, "I'm not sure yet either. You'll know when the time comes."
Helpless, Zhang Yu could only spend the following days trying to devote all his energy to improving himself.
No matter what, the only thing he could grasp now was his own strength.
During Martial Arts Class.
"Dao Arts are useless."
"Martial Dao is what truly matters."
"When you meet on a narrow road and collide head-on with your opponent, a body full of exquisite martial skill is the most reliable thing in your hands."
"At that time, there are only two outcomes: either you beat your opponent to death, or you lie down and let your opponent beat you to death..."
Listening to Martial Arts Class teacher Lei Jun's speech, He Dayou secretly rolled his eyes. Clearly, he did not think much of those remarks.
Just then, Lei Jun said, "All right. Split into groups and begin practical combat practice."
"He Dayou, you're with Zhang Yu."
"Huh?" He Dayou blanked out at those words. He instinctively looked at Lei Jun and pointed at himself.
Lei Jun snorted. "What are you looking at? You lost so miserably in the monthly exam and got such terrible results. Did you reflect properly after going home?"
"I'm giving you another chance now. Learn from Zhang Yu. Are you unwilling?"
With the great banner of his poor monthly exam practical combat score pressed down upon him, even a school board member's son like He Dayou had no words to refute it.
After all, in the political correctness where even breathing was wrong for poor students, He Dayou could not defy that point in class.
Damn Martial Dao old geezer, bullying a Dao Arts honor student, huh?
He silently walked over to Zhang Yu and thought, But I might not actually be unable to beat Zhang Yu now.
Though he had suffered three consecutive losses at Zhang Yu's hands, He Dayou did not intend to hold it against him. That did not mean he would refrain from self-reflection and self-criticism.
He had watched the recordings of those three battles over and over himself, and had even specially shown them to his family's practical combat instructor.
The conclusion was that Zhang Yu's Freehand Fighting had already reached Level 3. Once he spotted an opening, his opponent was liable to suffer a heavy blow.
But Zhang Yu's weakness was also obvious. The third practical battle showed that Zhang Yu severely lacked practical combat experience.
So He Dayou had practiced some countermeasures for this.
For instance, on the ring now, he no longer attacked first. Instead, he defended with all his strength, waiting until his opponent grew impatient before searching for an opportunity to strike unexpectedly with the Little Heavenly Star Palm...
With a strategy in hand, He Dayou believed that even if he lost, he definitely would not lose badly. He might even have a chance of winning.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
After blocking several of Zhang Yu's moves in succession, He Dayou felt fine at first.
But soon, he felt Zhang Yu's fists growing heavier and heavier. His hands ached from blocking them, while the magical power within his body began to surge slightly.
Boom!
Zhang Yu's next punch blasted apart his guarding hands, and He Dayou was kicked flying immediately afterward.
With a bang, he crashed to the ground. He Dayou felt the magical power within him surging again and again, and for a moment, he could not even get back up.
"Zhang Yu's Freehand Fighting is stronger than last time?"
"Could he..."
He Dayou looked at Zhang Yu in disbelief.
On the other side, Lei Jun's figure flashed, and he had already appeared beside Zhang Yu. "Your Freehand Fighting reached level 4?"
Zhang Yu, whose Freehand Fighting was already level 5, smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I broke through yesterday."
Originally, Zhang Yu had not intended to reveal the progress of his Freehand Fighting. He had even been deliberately suppressing its power while sparring with He Dayou.
But he ultimately lacked practical combat experience. After He Dayou switched to full defense, Zhang Yu launched a string of fierce attacks and accidentally lost control of his Freehand Fighting's power, pushing the circulation of his flesh and blood and magical power to level 4.
Lei Jun laughed loudly when he heard that. "Looks like you really do have talent in Martial Dao."
"How about it? Do you want to join next month's Songyang City Martial Arts Combat Competition?"
Zhang Yu's gaze shifted. "Is there prize money?"
"Of course," Lei Jun said. "First place in the city gets fifty thousand, along with the right to use an Expert-Level Martial Arts technique."
Zhang Yu thought, The Magic Competition I registered for earlier has prize money, and this Martial Arts Combat Competition has prize money too...
He suddenly realized that if he could earn placements and prize money in more competitions, then even without support from the Student Union, he should have enough money to cover his daily expenses and perhaps even speed up his cultivation.
Seeing Zhang Yu's interested expression, Lei Jun continued, "I told you long ago that martial arts are highly useful. As long as you fight well in practical combat, you won't have to worry about making money."
"I'll register you, then. When the time comes, I'll take you and Bai Zhenzhen there together."
After Lei Jun left, Zhang Yu looked at He Dayou, who was still lying on the ground. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me?" He Dayou hurriedly got to his feet. He gave Zhang Yu a deep look, then suddenly said, "I heard the Student Union called you in yesterday?"
After seeing Zhang Yu nod, He Dayou slowly smoothed down the anger in his heart.
No need to get angry with him. He's just campus property, and it won't affect my Gaokao.
Rubbing his chest, he comforted himself inwardly. Being stronger in practical combat during first year doesn't mean much. Once I build a solid foundation and start cultivating Expert-level Cultivation Methods, I'll soon crush Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and the rest.
On the other side of the Training Field, Bai Zhenzhen said impatiently, "Are you done watching? Keep going."
Qian Shen withdrew his gaze from Zhang Yu and looked at Bai Zhenzhen before him, only to feel waves of pressure bearing down on him.
If his opponent had been a demi-human with a score of 550, he was confident he could crush them like rotten wood. But facing a Heavenly Prodigy with 651 points, Qian Shen felt as though every movement he made had been seen through. Once he fought Bai Zhenzhen, he felt constrained at every turn, and his combat strength plummeted.
My score is so much lower than hers. How could I possibly be her opponent? Old Huang really should have arranged for Zhang Yu, whose score is six points lower than mine, to fight me.
Zhang Yu glanced at He Dayou, Qian Shen, and the other rich kids, and suddenly could not help thinking: once these seemingly friendly wealthy students learned that Bai Zhenzhen and he wanted to apply to the Ten Great Top Universities, what would they become?
Would they join forces to deal with A-Zhen and him too?
Watching Qian Shen being completely suppressed by Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu secretly thought, Come to think of it, Qian Shen's severe score-above-all attitude makes him seem like he doesn't know poor people have no path to the Ten Great Top Universities. Could that be an act?
Zhang Yu did not think so. Qian Zi's purity was too genuine to be fake.
Could it really be some drama of "Let the young master focus on studying; don't let him learn about the filth of society"?
Zhang Yu shook his head, unable to be sure.
During Daoist Arts Class.
The instructor looked at He Dayou with a face full of appreciation. "This Physical Examination Talisman is well written. It seems your understanding of Healthy Spring Growth Great God's talismans has already penetrated to the bone."
He Dayou said humbly, "You flatter me, Teacher. I still have many areas where I need to work harder."
The instructor waved a hand. "Excessive humility is pride."
"To reach this level in first year, He Dayou, I don't think you need to attend any of the school's first-year courses anymore."
"It's fine if you don't attend this class in the future. I'll mark you present every time."
Feeling the envious gazes of the surrounding students, He Dayou offered another round of humility and refusal.
But the instructor suddenly turned his head. "Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, you two need to work harder too."
"There's no benefit in being so severely lopsided in your subjects."
"Come to me for supplementary lessons when you have time. I'll give you two a twenty percent discount..."
Both Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu could only lower their heads and endure the lecture, yet neither felt anything. The value for money of paying for supplementary lessons in Talisman Arts was simply too low; they still planned to spend their money on more worthwhile things first.
Inside the Quiet Room.
Administrator Wei Xin's voice came through.
"Student Zhang Yu, your time is almost up. Would you like to add more time?"
Having once again obtained the lowest Distraction Rate of the week, Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Add one hour."
With the Magic Competition drawing ever closer, Zhang Yu decided to increase the speed of his magical power cultivation a little.
He took a deep breath. As he felt the Qi Sea Spiritual Root in his dantian tremble, spiritual energy surged in from all directions of heaven and earth, thread by thread refined into magical power.
An hour later, watching Zhang Yu's departing back, Wei Xin sighed, "As expected of a Golden Core Disciple. The rate at which his Breath Circulation efficiency is improving is so fast."
"When will he top up for Platinum Member status, though?"
After school.
On the school rooftop.
Amid a barrage of banging collisions,
Two figures continuously clashed at high speed, erupting with bursts of wind and thunder.
They were Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, engaged in a practical spar.
Compared with their sparring during Practical Combat Class, their private sparring allowed them to go all out without worrying about exposing their trump cards. It was also more effective at improving their practical combat experience.
As fists and kicks flew between them, Zhang Yu's Freehand Fighting was more powerful, but his physical strength was a notch below Bai Zhenzhen's.
Though Bai Zhenzhen's Freehand Fighting level was lower than Zhang Yu's, she had also mastered High School Basic Swordsmanship. From time to time, she slipped Sword Finger strikes into her attacks, forcing the inexperienced Zhang Yu into a frantic scramble.
"Yu Zi, don't watch my hands. Watch my waist, hips, and shoulders to predict my movements."
"Stop always trying to judge based on your familiarity with Freehand Fighting..."
Inside the stationery shop by the school gate.
The owner pointed at this year's first-year rankings and said, "Zhang Yu, who ranks third in first year, raised his score by seventy points in one month just by buying my sedatives, painkillers, nerve fillers, muscle supplements..."
As he spoke, he took out a bag of medicine bottles and recommended them to the Songyang students before him. "The Zhang Yu Original Cultivation Package is now on sale at ten percent off."
Zhang Yu, who had come to restock, stood at the entrance. Looking at the adult behind the counter endlessly wagging his tongue to make money, he once again felt the ugliness of the adult world.
After that batch of students left, Zhang Yu walked up and said, "See? I told you I'm a campus celebrity. My product-promotion effect is great."
"Shouldn't you pay me more?"
The owner said unhappily, "I haven't even made back the cost of that batch of Nerve Filler I gave you."
He pointed toward the gift bags. "There. I've only sold one set today."
Zhang Yu thought, Everything you sell is common stock, and it isn't cheaper than online. Where can't people buy it?
The owner added, "And about those body-tempering medicines, lots of students are saying you use Natural Body Refinement and don't inject drugs."
Zhang Yu quickly changed the subject. "It's because I don't take enough of your medicine at school. Give me another two bottles of Nerve Filler. I'll take them at school every day, and the promotional effect will be better."
Studying, attending class, cultivating, Breath Circulation, practical combat...
Over five days, Zhang Yu poured all his energy into cultivation.
That evening, while performing Breath Circulation on his bed, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled into an uncontrollable smile.
After completing his final Heavenly Cycle, his Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method had finally risen to Level 10.
In an instant, the circulation of magical power within Zhang Yu surged and roared like the Yangtze River, endless and unceasing, until he seemed to hear an illusory howling in his ears.
After a long while, as the agitation in his magical power circulation gradually subsided, Zhang Yu felt that his Passive Breathing Technique had become more powerful and more nimble.
"After the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method reaches Level 10, Passive Breathing Technique has already reached full active Breath Circulation efficiency."
The smile on Zhang Yu's lips widened. In other words, even if he no longer actively performed Breath Circulation, it was equivalent to continuously operating the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method to absorb spiritual energy. The magical power within him would improve every moment.
After this period of bitter cultivation, the magical power within him had also advanced greatly, reaching 13.3. He had become second in the entire grade.
At that thought, a strange expression appeared on Zhang Yu's face. "My potential is astonishing, and my self-discipline is peerless. It isn't strange for me to improve this quickly."
"But why does A-Zhen's rate of improvement seem to be getting faster and faster lately?"
"Could she have one too?"
Before you continue