Chapter 21
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Chapter 21: Heavenly Martial Heart Refining
Seeing those words, the students present were startled, assuming Bai Zhenzhen had succeeded.
But then Li Xuelian sighed and turned to Bai Zhenzhen, saying, “To learn the moves of these nine Martial Arts in such a short time with only your own strength, your talent is one in ten thousand.”
“It is just a pity that you still fall a little short of my father’s requirements.”
Hearing this, some students breathed a sigh of relief, while others were secretly shocked.
Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, She still did not meet the requirements? Just how powerful a disciple does True Person Starfire want?
Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen secretly exhaled in relief.
She had not expected to trigger the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait’s transformation on her first attempt. Thinking she had succeeded, she had almost panicked and blurted out a refusal to become True Person Starfire’s disciple.
Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, Thank goodness I did not say anything, or I would have been mortified. I knew something felt off.
After Bai Zhenzhen’s demonstration, others stepped forward to try performing the nine sets of Martial Arts, but none could trigger the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait’s transformation again.
On the other hand, Lian Tianji, who had been brimming with confidence, hesitated to try again. He seemed to be pondering why Bai Zhenzhen had failed, wondering what they were still missing.
For a moment, the entire scene fell silent, and soon, no one else stepped forward to try.
Just as Li Xuelian was sighing that this was likely the end of it, she saw Zhang Yu walk up holding his phone.
“Hmm?” Li Xuelian’s interest was piqued. She thought, After seeing so many failures, he still has the confidence to go up. He must have some kind of assurance.
But the next moment, she could not help but frown.
Zhang Yu had started playing a video on his phone, mimicking the Martial Arts as he copied Bai Zhenzhen’s performance from the recording.
Clearly, he had recorded Bai Zhenzhen’s demonstration earlier.
Watching Zhang Yu copy the movements from the video move for move, Li Xuelian’s frown deepened.
It was clear that Zhang Yu was unfamiliar with the other eight sets of Martial Arts besides the fist technique he had grasped himself. Though he was mimicking Bai Zhenzhen’s moves from the video, the disparity in their understanding of the forms was glaringly obvious.
From a distance, Zhao Tianxing watched Zhang Yu, dressed in his security guard uniform, clumsily imitating Bai Zhenzhen’s movements under the scrutiny of the crowd. He felt his scalp prickle and his toes curl so tightly he felt he could carve out a three-bedroom apartment with them.
[Note: “Toes curling so hard they could carve out a three-bedroom apartment” is a piece of modern Chinese internet slang used to describe a feeling of extreme second-hand embarrassment or cringing.]
Just from watching, Zhao Tianxing could sense the contempt and mockery in the crowd’s gazes toward Zhang Yu. He could not imagine how it must feel to be the one actually standing there doing that.
Stop it, Zhang Yu! Zhao Tianxing could not bear to watch any longer and shouted inwardly, This is too embarrassing! You have become a laughingstock!
Of course, Zhang Yu could not hear Zhao Tianxing’s thoughts, nor did he care what the people at the art exhibition thought of him.
He simply focused intently, meticulously replicating Bai Zhenzhen’s movements from the video as he performed each of the nine Martial Arts.
As he finished the final move, a torrent of experience and sensation flooded his mind. Zhang Yu’s understanding of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait instantly transformed, as though he had practiced it tens of thousands of times.
At that moment, the specific moves of the nine Martial Arts gradually faded from his mind. They were replaced by nine distinct martial intents that flickered faintly within his consciousness.
In that instant, Zhang Yu suddenly understood that the true purpose of the nine Martial Arts on the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait was about martial intent, not mere technique.
A cultivator’s task was to contemplate the intent behind every move while practicing the martial arts.
The nine Martial Arts cultivated martial intent to solidify one’s Dao Heart, teaching concepts like the killing intent to crush ten thousand armies, the unyielding spirit of facing death without regret, and the indomitable courage to press ever forward.
“This is not a Martial Art for combat or body refining,” Zhang Yu realized. “It is a Martial Art that tempers the Dao Heart through martial intent.”
This is a Martial Dao Heart Technique designed to elevate one’s Dao Heart Level!
Martial intent is the term the Ten Great Sects use to collectively refer to martial powers like Sword Intent, Fist Intent, and Blade Intent.
The most basic function of martial intent is to strengthen the spirit and fortify one’s will, thereby enhancing a cultivator’s Dao Heart Level.
Golden Core Experts like True Person Starfire can even leave their martial intent within portraits, influencing the minds of others.
At the same time, a profound transformation began to manifest in Zhang Yu’s aura.
Killing intent, fighting spirit, courage, valor, and more surged from within him in waves of incredibly powerful auras, as if they were about to condense into his martial intent in that very moment.
Simultaneously, the figure in the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait grew increasingly clear and gradually acquired vibrant colors, as if transforming into a real person. It stared intently at the changes unfolding within Zhang Yu.
The onlookers who witnessed this were stunned. This was undoubtedly the most dramatic reaction the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait had displayed all day.
Lian Tianji, Qian Shen, and Bai Zhenzhen all fixed their gazes on Zhang Yu, sensing the profound shift within him. The same incredible thought surfaced in all their minds.
“Is he really going to succeed?”
But in the next moment, the transformation in Zhang Yu’s body was abruptly interrupted. The martial intent that had seemed on the verge of coalescing vanished completely.
A sentence appeared on the portrait. “What a pity, what a pity. A genius of unparalleled talent, yet undone by one misstep.”
Zhang Yu’s face showed no surprise.
The Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique was at Level 0 (1/1, 「Magic Power 8.3/8」, 「Physical Strength 0.85/0.8」, 「Dao Heart Level 1/3」).
The Feather Book displayed a martial art called the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique.
This martial art had only appeared in the Feather Book after Zhang Yu had repeatedly studied the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, carefully observed numerous students’ martial arts performances, and meticulously analyzed Bai Zhenzhen’s recorded videos.
Unlike the martial arts Zhang Yu had learned before, the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique had requirements for Magic Power, Physical Strength, and Dao Heart.
“Besides mastering all the fist techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques, and other moves, it also requires 8 Magic Power, a Physical Strength of 0.8, and a Dao Heart of Level 3.”
“I have already met all the other requirements, except for the Dao Heart of Level 3…”
Zhang Yu’s own Dao Heart was only at Level 1.
After trying, he had indeed gotten stuck at the final step.
“From what I can tell, the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique is a martial art used after reaching Dao Heart Level 3. It refines martial intent to strengthen one’s will and temper the Dao Heart.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “A requirement of Dao Heart Level 3? That’s impossible for a first-year student who has only been in school for three months!”
Li Xuelian watched Zhang Yu’s failure, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Recalling her original plan, she had not expected any of the first-year students present to succeed.
“According to the information the security company sent over, this person is Zhang Yu, a first-year student from Songyang High School.”
“To have come this far truly marks him as a prodigy.”
Reflecting on Zhang Yu’s performance, she marveled to herself, Impressive. I almost misjudged him.
His moves may appear clumsy, with awkward punches and kicks, yet he managed to grasp the martial intent within the technique.
This shows he prioritizes intent over form, having already understood the essence of the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique.
Excellent, excellent. My father will gain another outstanding disciple.
In truth, after reviewing the profiles of the participants, Li Xuelian had already suspected that no one would succeed in this test.
After all, students who could master the Martial Arts in the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait on the spot were either from prestigious families or already Second or Third-Years in high school who had long been signed to contracts. They were unlikely to seek to become a disciple of True Person Starfire.
Finding a genius who could master the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique on the spot was already an incredibly slim possibility.
But that did not mean no one could become his father’s disciple.
If any of the First-Year students present could withstand the impact of the martial intent, learn all the moves on the spot, and grasp the mysteries of the martial intent from them, they would undoubtedly be a prodigiously talented individual even if they ultimately failed to master the art.
If such a person had come a year later, they would certainly have mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique and met his father’s requirements. Now, it was like finding them a year early, before they had fully matured and been signed to a contract.
She was confident her father would be eager to accept such an outstanding disciple.
In that case, the First-Year student’s failure to master the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique would not be a disadvantage. Instead, it would give Li Xuelian leverage to negotiate a slightly lower price when signing the contract later.
Thinking of this, she smiled at Zhang Yu.
“Student, while you have not truly mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique, you have already seen through its mysteries. Given time, mastering this martial art will only be a matter of time.”
“I will ask my father shortly if he is willing to take you as his disciple.”
The crowd erupted in shock once again.
Lian Tianji glanced toward Zhang Yu, pulled out his phone, and secretly snapped a photo. He needed to find out just where this Security Guard had come from, another powerhouse who had appeared out of thin air.
Qian Shen stared at Zhang Yu in disbelief, his mind screaming, Impossible! How could someone with a score of 550 be accepted as a disciple by a Golden Core Expert? I must be dreaming. Is the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait still testing me?
Bai Zhenzhen muttered, Yu Zi… is he cheating?
The sudden realization that her once-inferior, debt-ridden good buddy had soared to such heights left Bai Zhenzhen deeply unsettled.
Yu Zi, it is not that I do not want you to succeed. If you had scored in the top ten or even top five in the class, a result higher than before but still below me, I would have been thrilled for you.
But for you to crush the competition and surpass even me…
As she watched the crowd rush forward to curry favor with Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, Once Zhang Yu becomes a disciple of a Golden Core expert, he’ll definitely attract a lot of investment. I’ll have to milk him for all he’s worth and borrow money from him.
But the next moment, she reconsidered with a furrowed brow. But that Golden Core expert had half of his cultivation taken away and was even laid off by a Great Sect. He has no resources and no background. If Zhang Yu really becomes his disciple, he will be a workhorse for his entire life.
Forget it. He’s my good buddy. I should still warn him not to be blinded by the title ‘Golden Core’. He absolutely must refuse the offer.
Meanwhile, Zhao Tianxing’s eyes widened, his mind blank. He quickly remembered his earlier attempts to persuade Zhang Yu, and a wave of embarrassment washed over him. “How humiliating.”
He’s a real genius. When I was saying all that to him, he must have thought I was a complete clown.
As Bai Zhenzhen approached Zhang Yu, a crowd of students gathered around him.
Some wanted to add his contact information, others wanted to ask about the mysteries of the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, and still others wanted to take photos with him.
At the same time, Li Xuelian had moved aside to call her father.
“Father, I’ve found a promising young talent here in Songyang City…”
