Chapter 20
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Chapter 20: Comprehension
After many attempts, Zhang Yu discovered that the two identical chills and countdowns were exerting pressure from different directions.
One countdown stopped after he absorbed spiritual energy through his breathing technique.
The other stopped when he contemplated the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Zhang Yu immediately grew more certain that one of the two countdowns was fake.
“It’s probably an effect of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.”
“Facing the terror in my heart… so it reproduced the pressure of the Ritual Power on me?”
“But I never expected the ritual power reproduced by the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait to contradict the genuine Ritual Power within me.”
But which of the two Ritual Powers was fake?
Is it the one that stops counting down after I use my breathing technique?
Or the one that stops when I contemplate the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait?
Zhang Yu leaned toward the latter, yet he could not make a decision lightly. The price for choosing incorrectly was death.
So, which one do I choose?
Listening to the constantly shifting countdowns in his mind, Zhang Yu’s thoughts were in turmoil. He hesitated, unable to make a decision.
Since I can’t choose… then I simply just won’t.
His gaze sharpened as he made his decision. I’ll just treat both countdowns as real.
Zhang Yu sat cross-legged on the spot and began to practice the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, inhaling and exhaling the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.
As the countdowns in his mind continued, ticking down from ten to five and then to three, Zhang Yu stood up again. He turned his gaze toward the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, attempting to contemplate the martial art it contained.
Forced onward by the simultaneous pressure of the two countdowns, Zhang Yu alternated between practicing the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method and contemplating the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, advancing in both.
Meanwhile, at the art exhibition, people gradually began to notice Zhang Yu’s unusual behavior.
The Songyang City Director of the Immortal Cloud Group watched Zhang Yu with curiosity and said, “This kid keeps alternating between his breathing exercises and standing up to study martial arts. What exactly did he see?”
Standing nearby, Li Xuelian also turned her gaze toward Zhang Yu and mused, “It almost looks as if someone is forcing him to practice his breathing technique.”
“Maybe it’s out of reverence for a strict teacher in his real life.”
Just then, Zhang Yu changed his actions again. Instead of performing his breathing technique, he began practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
It turned out Zhang Yu had a sudden realization. The countdown that stopped when he practiced his breathing technique was not, in essence, forcing him to do that specific action. Instead, it was pushing him down the societal path of learning, cultivation, university entrance exams, and making money.
So he decided to try practicing martial arts while observing the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait to see if it would work.
After all, he had already mastered the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to the point of muscle memory. If he could practice his martial arts while contemplating the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, he could dedicate most of his mental energy to the portrait. His primary goal at the moment was to comprehend the martial art depicted in it.
After this attempt succeeded, he found that practicing and contemplating simultaneously was still a bit cumbersome. He simply took out his phone and tried to see if he could browse his textbooks while observing the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
When he found that browsing his textbooks was also not a problem, he just played the audio from his textbooks on his phone’s speaker, listening to the content while he contemplated the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Li Xuelian watched Zhang Yu’s routine of breathing exercises, martial arts practice, and studying, and she could not help but remark with deep feeling, “This young man must have an incredibly strict teacher behind him, one who constantly pushes him to work hard. Over time, this teacher has likely become a figure of immense fear in his mind.”
“Now, we will see if he can break through these layers of pressure with his mind…”
Before Li Xuelian could finish speaking, Zhang Yu moved away from the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait and rushed to the buffet table. He grabbed a large plate of seafood and returned to the portrait, where he began to eat while continuing his contemplation.
He had suddenly remembered that eating should be an activity the Ritual would not prevent.
Watching this scene, Li Xuelian was slightly surprised. “Oh? He broke through so quickly? Under all that pressure, has he directly adopted a mindset of ‘slacking off’? Only this allows him to confront his inner fear and continue contemplating the martial arts in the portrait.”
“Perhaps he does not even realize it himself, but he has already unconsciously overcome his fear and passed the test of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait. All his actions are completely normal now.”
Seeing a security guard approach to stop Zhang Yu, Li Xuelian waved him away. She was now quite curious to see how much Zhang Yu could comprehend from the Martial Arts Portrait.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu, who was eating lobster while gazing at the portrait, gradually began to make out the martial art the figure was performing.
Seems like a set of fist techniques?
The fist technique itself was not complex. After watching it several times, Zhang Yu had a vague concept of it, but when he looked at his Feather Book, he found no change whatsoever. Clearly, he had not truly learned the martial art, let alone mastered it.
Based on his experience learning the High School Basic Sword Technique and the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, an entry for such a martial art should have appeared in his Feather Book at level 0 after just one viewing.
What’s wrong? He couldn’t help but think.
Just then, Lian Tianji burst into laughter, his face brimming with confidence as he announced, “I have completely deciphered the martial art within. It is indeed an exquisite palm technique.”
Before his voice could fade, Qian Shen, who was standing nearby, spoke up. “What palm technique? This is clearly a leg technique.”
Under normal circumstances, Qian Shen, with a score of 600, would never have dared to speak so loudly in front of someone who had scored 670.
But having just undergone the Dao Heart tempering of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, Qian Shen was at his most audacious.
Their exchange quickly drew opposition from others.
Someone argued, “That’s not right. The portrait clearly conceals a set of saber techniques.”
Someone else launched into an indiscriminate taunt, “A bunch of blind fools. It’s obviously a set of finger techniques.”
Bai Zhenzhen frowned slightly. What she saw was a form of swordsmanship.
Apparently, while Zhang Yu was eating and contemplating, more and more students had already completed their own study of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Hearing the others’ debate, Lian Tianji turned his gaze to Li Xuelian and asked, “Ms. Li, could you tell us what kind of martial art is truly hidden in this portrait?”
As everyone turned to look at her, Li Xuelian smiled faintly and replied, “I cannot tell you what specific martial art it is.”
“However, let me offer you all a reminder. The portrait holds its own subtleties. If anyone here successfully masters the martial art within, the portrait itself will give a clear sign.”
Everyone understood her meaning. If anyone present mastered the martial art in the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, the portrait itself would display a sign.
At this thought, Lian Tianji stepped to the very front, yielding to no one.
Lian Tianji, from Purple Cloud High School, already possessed the absolute confidence of a proud prodigy.
After passing the recent test, his self-confidence had swelled to its peak. He immediately began to perform the palm technique he had just deciphered from the portrait.
As he moved, the sound of wind and thunder seemed to echo around him. A surging power and killing intent erupted from his body, as if he meant to blast the entire art exhibition away.
Zhao Tianxing, who had been observing from a distance, felt a surge of amazement as he watched this scene.
Such impressive Physical Strength, what a terrifying palm technique. This is a martial art designed for slaughter in combat.
While Lian Tianji’s Physical Strength was impressive for a first-year student, many Immortal Cultivators present had already graduated from high school. They were more astonished by the proficiency with which he executed the martial art.
Someone in the crowd marveled inwardly, Is that really the palm technique he just comprehended from the portrait? Every move is so masterful. The top student from Purple Cloud High School truly is a genius among geniuses.
But after Lian Tianji finished performing the entire set, the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait remained completely still, showing no reaction whatsoever.
“How is that possible?” Lian Tianji said in disbelief. “I clearly mastered the martial art from the portrait. How could it not work?”
Qian Shen chuckled and stepped forward to stand before Lian Tianji. “I told you from the start. It’s a leg technique.”
He then began to demonstrate the martial art he had comprehended from the portrait. Though his movements were not as effortless as Lian Tianji’s, but his execution of the moves was already skilled and familiar.
Watching this, Bai Zhenzhen’s brow furrowed again. This is a body refining martial art? One specifically for training the legs.
Yet, as Qian Shen completed his final move, the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait remained still, showing no change at all.
“How could this be?”
Echoing Lian Tianji sentiment, Qian Shen also stared at the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait in disbelief.
Next, students continued to step forward and demonstrate the martial arts they had comprehended.
A total of twelve students, including Lian Tianji and Qian Shen, showcased nine sets of Martial Arts that covered the fist, palm, leg, finger, claw, knife, sword, spear, and staff.
Three of them had comprehended martial arts that were duplicates of what others had demonstrated.
Yet after this round of demonstrations, not a single student managed to trigger a reaction from the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Lian Tianji could not help but turn to Li Xuelian and ask again, “Ms. Li, with so many of us, has really no one succeeded?”
Li Xuelian did not answer, simply shaking her head slightly with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Just then, Bai Zhenzhen slowly walked forward. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, she used her fingers as a sword to perform a set of sword techniques.
Although the sword technique she performed was incomparably sharp and her every move could be considered masterful, the crowd lost interest after only a few glances.
After all, two others had already demonstrated sword techniques without causing the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait to react.
But who could have known that after she finished the sword technique, her style would suddenly change? She then used her hand as a blade to perform a set of knife techniques.
Next came fist techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques, and more.
Zhao Tianxing exclaimed in surprise, “Has Bai Zhenzhen learned all the martial arts everyone just demonstrated?”
Lian Tianji frowned as he watched the scene unfold, thinking to himself, To be able to perform all the martial arts everyone demonstrated after seeing them just once… what Key High School’s top student is this girl from?
Watching Bai Zhenzhen perform every move as if she had painstakingly practiced for a long time, Qian Shen’s mind was also in turmoil.
On one hand, he was astonished that Bai Zhenzhen could perform all nine sets of martial arts. On the other hand, a persistent doubt gnawed at him. Can she really succeed by performing all nine sets of martial arts that everyone comprehended?
Just then, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the man in the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait moved. He looked at Bai Zhenzhen with a smile as two words materialized on the scroll.
“Not bad.”
