Conspiracy and the Magic Competition Begins

When Zhang Yu saw the complex Energy Circulation Diagram, he was slightly taken aback as well.

But once he actually tried it, he realized that wasn't this far simpler than the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method he circulated every day?

Compared to the full-body Magical Power circulation established by the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, this route that transformed Magical Power into sharp Sword Qi was far too simple.

Zhang Yu had raised the Magical Power circulation of the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method all the way to Level 10. He had practiced it an unknown number of times already.

Practicing this again... was as easy as a college student from his previous life going onto a mental-arithmetic PK platform to stomp little kids.

So when he followed the projected Energy Circulation Diagram and guided Magical Power to his right arm, then gave it a slight try, he felt a sharp aura burst from his fingertips.

This sharp aura could not even be called Sword Qi, and its power was barely stronger than a utility knife, but Zhang Yu was still thrilled.

"A-Zhen, look! I did it!"

Bai Zhenzhen: Shrimp-brained Zhang Yu! Steamed goose heart!

Teacher Yan immediately looked over as well and asked in surprise, "Have you learned this before?"

When Zhang Yu shook his head, she sighed. "Looks like you really have talent in this area."

After noticing Zhang Yu's talent in this regard, Teacher Yan taught even more attentively.

She then taught them several basic Mana Conversion Paths, such as heating, low temperature, and electrification. Seeing that Zhang Yu could master every one of them in a short time, she nodded again and again, full of praise.

"That will be all for today. Go back and practice more."

"Don't forget, come back at the same time tomorrow and the day after. I'll give you two more make-up lessons."

"Then I'll teach you Mana Dissolution and Mana Infiltration."

Watching Zhang Yu's departing back, Teacher Yan secretly thought, You brat had better grind all eight of those who didn't come for make-up lessons beneath your feet in the Magic Competition.

As for actually placing in the Magic Competition? Entering the top ten, earning prize money, and gaining bonus points for university interviews...

Teacher Yan had never even considered it.

If it were a Physical Competition, Songyang High School would still have some competitive strength.

Though competitions were competitions and the Gaokao was the Gaokao, Songyang High School had produced the city's top scorer in physical education before. It had always been a strong sports school.

But competitions other than Physical Competition had almost always been the playground of the Three Great Famous Schools. Their only opponents were one another, and even a Key High School like Songyang High School rarely dared to get involved.

By Teacher Yan's best estimate, Zhang Yu would become the highest-ranking contestant among Songyang High School's ten participants, making those students who had skipped the make-up lessons regret it bitterly and rush to pay her for tutoring after the Magic Competition ended.

Meanwhile, after Zhang Yu left the classroom, he found a message from Zhou Chechen on his phone agreeing to let him continue fulfilling the loan contract and making monthly payments.

After all, Zhou Chechen had previously bought Zhang Yu's 700,000 loan debt and become his new creditor for the monthly repayments. However, to show his sincerity, he had said Zhang Yu did not need to rush to repay him each month.

Over the past few days, Zhang Yu had brought up repayment with Zhou Chechen several times through his phone. The other party had refused several times before finally agreeing to his request, saying that he understood Zhang Yu's unwillingness to carry debt.

"He agreed?"

Zhang Yu paid this month's 15,000 loan installment with some heartache. It hurt, but he did not want to end up like Bai Zhenzhen had said, with an overdue loan becoming a handle that could be forcibly enforced against him at any time.

Especially once those rich people learned that he wanted to break through the blockade and get into one of the Ten Great Top Universities, an overdue loan would become a huge weakness.

After that 15,000, plus the 3,000 for make-up lessons, Zhang Yu's savings had fallen to a little over 43,000.

"Ugh, money really disappears too fast."

"I hope this Magic Competition lets me earn a bit more."

Elsewhere.

Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen left the Demonstration Class classroom to attend Teacher Yan's make-up lesson,

Liang Qin, who had just returned from the restroom, looked at Zhang Yu's empty seat and immediately frowned.

After searching the entire floor without finding any trace of Zhang Yu, he could not help cursing inwardly, He was clearly in the classroom just now. Where the hell did he go?

Is this guy deliberately avoiding me?

So what if he got lucky and became a Golden Core Disciple? Does he have to act so high and mighty?

If he hadn't become a Golden Core Disciple, he wouldn't be much better than me...

He left the stairwell with a bellyful of anger, only to receive another call.

Listening to the question from the other end, he answered vaguely, "Yeah, he already went home."

"Nothing happened all day."

"Ever since this guy became a Golden Core Disciple, his attitude's been ridiculously arrogant. He's been guarding against his classmates like thieves, like he's terrified someone will find out the secret behind his score improvement."

"I know. I'll keep watching him. Don't forget to send the money."

After hanging up, Liang Qin looked distracted. Only when the transfer notification arrived did a beaming smile appear on his face.

The reason was simple: he had been desperately short of money lately.

Although most people at Songyang High School, whether students or teachers, lacked money,

Liang Qin needed it even more badly than ordinary poor people.

His family circumstances had actually been fairly decent before. They did not live in the city center, but neither did they live in the far suburbs. Instead, they lived in an apartment on the edge of the Ring City District.

His mother was a full-time housewife, while his father was a low-level company employee. Supporting his education was difficult, but they had at least never lacked food or clothing.

The change began one month after he entered Songyang High School.

Perhaps it was the crushing academic pressure, perhaps it was his steadily declining ranking, perhaps it was the pressure brought by one top student after another, or perhaps it was the deliberate or casual flaunting of wealth by rich students, along with the teachers' extreme strictness...

Liang Qin did not know why, but after always being a top student from elementary school through middle school, he suddenly started losing focus during high school classes.

Halfway through Breath Circulation, he could not resist opening his eyes to scroll through his phone for a while.

During Body Tempering, he always felt weak all over and listless.

When studying Talisman Arts, he could never resist spacing out.

He... seemed to have started hating school. What would happen if someone hated school at Songyang High School?

Just thinking about it made him feel suffocated, which only made his condition worse.

It was then that a second-year student he had met by chance introduced him to a way to relax and vent his stress.

The other student said, "Go have some fun on this platform."

Liang Qin hesitated. "This is for gambling Magical Power?"

The other student smiled indifferently. "A little gambling is good for the mood. If you win, you can relax for a few days and take a break. If you lose, treat it as giving yourself some pressure so you can study even harder."

The other student patted Liang Qin on the shoulder and persuaded him, "I wasn't used to first year when I first started either. I just went on there to play and relax a little."

"You don't need to be so scared. Geniuses like us who can get into high school have willpower beyond ordinary people."

"As long as you keep yourself under control and don't get addicted, relaxing a little does no harm and only good. You can even earn some extra Magical Power..."

Thinking of the self-discipline he had maintained since childhood, Liang Qin finally could not resist giving it a try.

It was a platform where users could top up funds, place bets, and gamble to win Magical Power.

If you won, you could obtain Magical Power cultivated by others through Parasitic Spiritual Roots.

If you lost, you either helped others cultivate Magical Power through Parasitic Spiritual Roots, or used money to settle the debt.

Liang Qin lost his first bet.

He lost his second bet too.

Just when he thought all his money would be lost like this, and that the platform really was unreliable, he won 0.3 Magical Power on his third bet.

Even now, he still remembered the excitement he felt at that moment.

He still remembered the sheer exhilaration of withdrawing the 0.3 Magical Power from the Parasitic Spiritual Root sent over by the platform.

The thrill of that sudden surge in Magical Power was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.

After that, he would occasionally place a small bet on the platform.

At first, things really were just as that senior student had said.

If he won, the Magical Power he gained would spare Liang Qin the pressure of one Magical Power class for several days, and he would immediately feel much more relaxed.

If he lost, he would cultivate twice as hard to make it back, feeling even more motivated.

"Sure enough, as long as I can control myself, this platform does no harm and only good..."

That was what Liang Qin had thought two months after school started.

But now, four months after the start of school...

Regret! Regret! Regret!

Whenever he thought about secretly using his parents' Bank Card, whenever he thought about the mountain of debt he had accumulated, Liang Qin would wake from nightmares again and again, staring at his bedroom door in terror, as if someone might burst in the next moment and take away his dantian, organs, flesh, and blood...

Yet at the school gate right now, looking at the 500 yuan he had just received, Liang Qin once again felt his hands itch.

A moment later, watching the 500 he had just gotten melt away in an instant, Liang Qin beat his chest and stamped his feet, sinking into regret once more.

"It's fine, it's fine."

He comforted himself, "I'll keep following Zhang Yu tomorrow, and there'll be money again."

"Next time, once I win 300, I'll stop immediately."

"As long as I use absolute willpower to control my greed, I can slowly pay off my debts..."

While thinking through his Mending the Sky Project, Liang Qin walked toward home.

Inside an office at Songyang High School.

Su Haifeng watched the man before him hang up and said, "So you were the one who sent Liang Qin out?"

"But that student has already turned into a rotten gambling dog. His words aren't trustworthy."

The man across from him smiled faintly. "I merely had him keep a slight eye on Zhang Yu for me. It was an idle move to begin with, just making use of trash. I never expected him to uncover anything for sure."

Su Haifeng shook his head. "Zhang Yu has already spoken with the Student Union. He'll probably sign the contract before long. You still won't give up?"

The other man said coldly, "I was the one who got Zhang Yu in here. Though things have developed somewhat beyond my expectations, I won't let go so easily."

"Don't worry. I've already received word that Zhang Yu and the Student Union will sign after the next Monthly Exam."

"I'll seize the time and settle everything."

Over the following days, Zhang Yu happily cultivated the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Sutra, feeling full and content as his Dao Heart Level rose bit by bit.

Besides This, he continued attending classes and studying every day.

He also practiced the methods he had learned from Teacher Yan from time to time, preparing for the Magical Power Competition.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed, and the day the Magic Competition began finally arrived.

Over those ten-plus days, relying on the Valiant and Vigorous Advance of the Level 10 Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Sutra, Zhang Yu's Dao Heart Level had risen to Level 2 (42%).

He felt that around the next Monthly Exam, he should have a chance to raise his Dao Heart Level to Level 3.

His Magical Power had also steadily increased through day-and-night Breath Circulation with the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, reaching 15.4 now.

Zhang Yu's explosive growth in Magical Power once again shocked the students. But after discovering that his Physical Strength had barely changed, they could only marvel that he had poured all his effort into Spiritual Energy Breath Circulation and Magical Power refinement, guessing that he was preparing to make an all-out sprint for the Magic Competition.

At the entrance of Songyang High School that day,

Teacher Yan led Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Qian Shen, He Dayou, and the others onto a bus headed for the first-year Magic Competition venue in Songyang City.