Purple Cloud Pill

Purple Cloud Pill

A burst of sharp, ear-piercing air friction rang out through the arena.

Zhang Yu held one palm high, and above it spun a flying sword at high speed, like a helicopter rotor.

I've decided—it's you! Spiral Shuriken!

The next moment, he expelled his Magical Power, and the spinning flying sword became like a massive disc, sweeping from low to high through the signal markers in midair.

Ascetic Cultivator (View Details)

When Han Xingye focused on the expanded information above Zhang Yu's head, he saw another long string of text.

Ascetic Cultivator | Athletic Talent Student | Songyang City's Extremely Impoverished Resident | Loan Slave | Card Slave | ???

After seeing that string of evaluations above Zhang Yu's head through the Heaven's Eye Talisman, Han Xingye was shocked for the second time that day.

"Songyang High School again?"

"Where did they find all this talent this year?"

The first two labels, Ascetic Cultivator and Athletic Talent Student, were easy enough to understand. They simply meant he cultivated diligently and with self-discipline, and that he was outstanding in athletics.

The next three evaluations were equally easy to understand. Summed up in two words: poor person.

But those final three question marks were what truly shocked Han Xingye.

"Question marks?"

"A Stealth Talisman? A Disguise Talisman?"

Since the Heaven's Eye Talisman could inspect someone's composition, there were naturally countermeasures to keep it in check, such as Stealth Talismans and Disguise Talismans.

But first, how could someone this poor afford Talisman Arts?

And second, Han Xingye had never seen anyone use a Stealth Talisman or Disguise Talisman and deliberately create this ??? effect. Wasn't that practically telling everyone they were hiding something?

"Those three question marks are awfully arrogant."

Arrogance and poor person—two words that should never have been placed together—were both things Han Xingye sensed above Zhang Yu's head at that moment.

So he began to grow curious about Zhang Yu's performance.

Then he saw the flying sword spin up and soar upwards like a disc.

Han Xingye's gaze sharpened. Watching the rapidly spinning flying sword stir up gusts of air and sweep through the signal markers dancing in midair like a full moon, a trace of astonishment appeared on his face.

Then he laughed. "Heh heh, this really does make it easier to hit the signal markers. In the shape of a disc, he can sweep through all the markers with just a few passes. It makes up for his lack of experience operating a flying sword."

80 points

Han Xingye nodded slightly at the score, only to hear many students voicing their dissatisfaction and beginning to accuse Zhang Yu of cheating and violating the rules.

Han Xingye swept his gaze over them.

Not worth mentioning, rare, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.

Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, rare.

Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, rare, not worth mentioning.

Looking at the dissatisfied students, Han Xingye curled his lip and thought, A bunch of idiots.

To make a flying sword spin like that while maintaining control, without letting it fly out of control and crash around everywhere, requires incomparably precise control over Magical Power.

This flying sword was designed for straightforward paths in the first place. To spin it like this, he has to constantly alter the rhythm of his Magical Power output every single instant.

This guy used his powerful control over Magical Power to make up for much of his lack of experience operating a flying sword.

Not only was 80 points not high—it was actually too low.

The judges must have considered their relationship with the sponsors and decided not to encourage this sort of thing.

Han Xingye glanced at Ziyun High School and Red Pagoda High School. Sure enough, not one student from the Three Great Famous Schools objected. Clearly, they could all see how difficult it was.

During the following matches, people began attempting Zhang Yu's method, but they all failed one after another, flinging their flying swords away.

Fortunately, judges were watching over the scene at all times, so no casualties resulted.

By then, the many students who had initially objected gradually realized that Zhang Yu's operation of the spinning flying sword had been anything but simple.

On his way back, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. This flying sword still doesn't really support this kind of operation. My Magical Power could clearly speed up the rhythm even further, but the frequency at which that scabbard receives commands has already reached its limit. Otherwise, my score could have been even higher.

Clearly, the high-speed spinning operation had not yet reached the limit of the Magical Power control Zhang Yu had developed through the level 10 Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method. However, it had already reached the flying sword's design limit. After all, it had never been designed to be used this way.

The moment Zhang Yu returned to Songyang High School's rest area, he received Teacher Yan's praise.

"Zhang Yu, you did very well. You used your Magical Power control to make up for your shortcomings in flying sword operation. Even 80 points was too low."

"As for the complaints from those poor students at ordinary high schools, just treat them as air. Don't take them to heart."

Thinking of Zhang Yu's score, Teacher Yan secretly rejoiced. If the next two rounds have events better suited to Zhang Yu's strengths, maybe he can squeeze into the top ten?

Only the top ten in the Magic Competition's overall rankings received prize money, held genuine rankings, and could benefit from university interviews. High schools also attached vastly different levels of importance to that.

At the thought that Zhang Yu might truly squeeze into the top ten, and that her year-end bonus would certainly rise as well, Teacher Yan's spirits immediately soared.

She casually pointed at Bai Zhenzhen, the student with the worst score this time, and said, "Bai Zhenzhen, go get Zhang Yu a bottle of water. Zhang Yu, don't get nervous for the next two rounds. Just perform at your usual level..."

Bai Zhenzhen's eyes flew wide open. She glanced at Zhang Yu, who was snickering beside her, then could only rise helplessly and run off to get water from the organizers.

"Wait, A-Zhen. Let me take a picture."

"You're dead, Zhang Yu."

Bai Zhenzhen hurled the bottle at Zhang Yu's head, then sat down in a huff, thinking, Damn it, I should've left before the competition even started.

What bullshit Magic Competition? It's all a game for rich people.

Yu Zi, you'd better make it into the top ten, or else I...

Not far away, He Dayou looked at Zhang Yu's score, a trace of surprise flashing through his heart. His Magical Power control is actually this strong? Good... good thing he's a poor bastard.

Not long afterward, the first match ended completely. The host took the stage again and said with a cheerful laugh, "For good pills, choose Purple Cloud! Purple Cloud Pills for all ages, wholeheartedly serving every age group. One swallow cures all illnesses! We thank Purple Cloud Company for jointly sponsoring this Magic Competition."

"All emergency medicine for the second round will be sponsored by Purple Cloud Company..."

As he spoke, the host began announcing the rules for the second match. This round tested the ability to dissolve Special Magical Power.

The process was simple. With detection patches attached to the contestants, the judges would inject a strand of Special Magical Power into them and see how long it took them to dissolve it. The shorter the time, the higher the score.

If more than ten minutes passed, or if a contestant felt unable to endure any longer, they could immediately take a Magic Dissipation Pill sponsored by Purple Cloud Company to eliminate the Special Magical Power inside their bodies.

Besides this, Purple Cloud Company had set up temporary medicine stalls all around the venue, selling all sorts of medicine the contestants might need.

Purple Cloud Company was selling medicine here because the second round had another rule.

Medicine was allowed in this round.

Zhang Yu was stunned.

Holy shit! Are you bastards even human? You're encouraging drug use in a competition just to earn Purple Cloud Company's sponsorship money?

At the same time, Zhang Yu saw his Songyang High School classmates beside him begin taking things out one after another.

Painkillers, tranquilizers, focus enhancers... Seeing the three-piece sets they pulled out, Zhang Yu suddenly realized these guys had all come prepared.

Teacher Yan asked with concern, "Zhang Yu, did you bring any medicine?"

"Remember to take it before the round starts."

Taking medicine during a competition... To Teacher Yan, that was perfectly normal.

Afraid of pain and itching? Chew a painkiller. Lacking willpower? Take a swig of tranquilizer. Afraid of losing focus while circulating your cultivation? Drink a bottle of focus enhancer...

In short... if you wanted to be as vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger on the field, you had to keep the medicine flowing off the field.

That was competition.

Competition meant taking medicine!

Magic Competitions had always been among pharmaceutical companies' favorite events to sponsor, so there was usually at least one round that allowed contestants to take medicine, as long as the medicine fell within the approved list provided by the organizers. That was also what the judges and Soul Cultivator assistants throughout the venue would supervise and inspect shortly.

Thus, taking medicine was part of the competition itself. What it displayed was even the depth of a high school's resources.

Seeing Zhang Yu's bewildered expression, Teacher Yan helplessly opened her bag. "Look at you. You came to a competition without even preparing medicine?"

"Luckily, I brought a spare set."

As she spoke, Teacher Yan took out all kinds of bottles and jars from her bag, poured out several doses, and handed them to Zhang Yu.

Seeing Teacher Yan's loving, concerned gaze, Zhang Yu helplessly accepted all the medicine.

Damn it! This body can't take medicine, can it?

The original Zhang Yu had ruined his body by taking too much medicine. That memory had frightened Zhang Yu enough that he had never dared take medicine recklessly, at most using some Nerve Filler to cut down on sleep.

On top of that, he was naturally gifted and burdened with enormous debt, so he had never intended to take medicine carelessly.

Though he did not know whether his current body would have problems from taking medicine indiscriminately, he had no intention of taking that risk.

If I take all this medicine for a competition, I'm afraid the lifespan I gain through cultivation will be less than the lifespan I burn away.

But under Teacher Yan's attentive gaze, he could only nod with an awkward smile and think, I'll go to the bathroom later and pretend I took it.

At the same time, the entire venue had already turned into a medicine exhibition.

In Ziyun High School's rest area, Lian Tianji stuffed a huge handful of pills into his mouth, then took a great gulp of water and swallowed them all.

The competition coach beside him looked at his gradually reddening and purpling face and nodded. "Not bad. You've entered competition state."

After saying that, he took a wooden box out of his bag.

As the wooden box opened, ten syringes emitting a faint purple glow appeared before everyone.

The competition coach said, "These are Meridian Expansion Injections brought from Purple Cloud Laboratory. They can temporarily widen the meridians throughout your body as they circulate with your blood, increasing your cultivation efficiency shortly."

"One injection per person. Don't fight over them."

After watching the students receive their injections one after another, he encouraged them, "Everyone, you must hold out until the end. Our overall score isn't that far behind White Dragon High School. We have to catch up in this round!"

Roar!

Having just taken their medicine and received their injections, everyone felt boundless fighting spirit surge within them. They let out a thunderous roar that shook the ears.

Red Pagoda High School's rest area.

The competition coach held a Demon Descendant student who looked like a red panda, grabbing several handfuls of veterinary medicine from the side. "Bufan, have another handful. We're at the bottom among the Three Great Famous Schools now. If the second round goes like this too, my bonus for the year is finished."

The red panda, Xiong Bufan, extended a paw and raised its middle claw at him. "Enough!"

"Stop feeding me!"

"Mmgh mmgh mmgh... you motherfucker... stop feeding me!"

Meanwhile, in White Dragon High School's rest area.

Song Hailong swallowed a large handful of medicine, then looked toward Ziyun High School's rest area in the distance.

Hearing the wild roar from Ziyun High School's side, he snorted. "In a moment, I'll crush all of your fighting spirit to pieces."

At the same time, competition coach Han Xingye approached carrying an insulated case and said to everyone, "These are Kang Ling Needles specially prepared by the school for you. Inject them into your dantians shortly. Hurry over and take one."

As the insulated case opened, a wave of cold air rushed forth, revealing two rows of glowing injections.

Song Hailong grinned. Wearing the number one on his school uniform, he was also the first to pick up a syringe.

The other students around him also took the syringes from the insulated case in order of the numbers on their chests, then jabbed them into their dantians.

Students from the other schools watched this scene with immense envy. Kang Ling Needles? They contain condensed Spiritual Energy essence and can rapidly restore the Magical Power inside the body. Are they planning to replenish their Magical Power while dissolving Magical Power during the match?

Some students were even filled with jealousy. "One Kang Ling Needle into the dantian, and my fate is mine, not Heaven's. Sigh... I wonder whether I'll ever be able to afford a Kang Ling Needle in this lifetime."

Just then, a disturbance arose from one corner of the arena.

A student foaming at the mouth and convulsing in all four limbs was carried out, sparking a wave of discussion.

A student sighed. "Did they overdose on medicine?"

A teacher said disdainfully, "What overdose? There's only insufficient Drug Resistance. You still have to train it!"

Another teacher clapped his hands and urged, "Stop minding other people's business! Focus on the competition!"

As everyone gradually finished their preparations, the second match officially began.

(End of Chapter)