Chapter 26
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Chapter 26: Signing Up for the Magic Power Competition and the Approaching Monthly Exam
Songyang High School.
In the blink of an eye, four days had passed since the day Zhang Yu rented the Qi Sea Spirit Root.
Today was the day Songyang High School would select its first-year students to sign up for the citywide Magic Power Competition.
In the magic power class.
As the bell signaling the end of the lesson rang, Zhang Yu, for once, stopped his Breathing Technique and opened his eyes to look toward the large screen.
After these past few days of arduous cultivation, his Magic Power had continued to surge, jumping from 9.5 to 10.5. The sheer speed of his progress drew sideways glances from many of his classmates.
Zhang Yu’s Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method had also advanced from Level 6 to Level 8 (3/160), but this achievement remained his secret. If his classmates and teachers were to find out, their reaction would be far more than simple surprise.
After all, while Zhang Yu’s Magic Power had improved rapidly, there were precedents. Many wealthy individuals could achieve even faster progress just by pouring enough money into their cultivation.
But to raise a breathing technique to Level 8 in such a short period… at his current level, Zhang Yu knew of no one else who had managed such a feat.
He looked at the large screen, where the Magic Power rankings for the entire first year had appeared.
First place was Bai Zhenzhen with 12.1.
Second place was Qian Shen with 11.9.
Zhang Yu continued scanning down the list, quickly finding his own name.
Eighth place was Zhang Yu with 10.5.
“Eighth place?” Zhang Yu nodded slightly, knowing that signing up for the Magic Power Competition would be no problem now.
But a chill soon crept back into his heart. Hearing the countdown, he had no choice but to close his eyes again and seize the moment to resume his Breathing Technique.
On the stage, Teacher Yan brushed her hair back, glanced at the rankings with satisfaction, and said, “Over the past week, your class’s distraction rate has dropped by another 8 %, and your Magic Power cultivation efficiency is 12 % higher than last month. I am very pleased.”
She saw Zhang Yu immediately resume his Breathing Technique and nodded in approval before continuing, “I also want to give special praise to one student, and that is Zhang Yu.”
“Not only has he maintained a 0 % distraction rate for two consecutive weeks, but he has also made a qualitative leap in his Magic Power over the past week, jumping from sixteenth place to eighth. That’s truly remarkable. Let’s give him a round of applause.”
A smattering of applause followed. Teacher Yan then announced that the top ten students would participate in the Magic Power Competition.
“The competition begins next month. I will distribute the specific schedule and rules as soon as I receive them.”
“Alright, class dismissed.”
“Oh, and any students who want to buy Spirit Gathering Pills should remember to come find me in the office. There’s a special promotion going on right now.”
Below the stage, Bai Zhenzhen looked a bit thinner, her cheeks having grown somewhat hollow.
Watching Teacher Yan’s radiant expression, she thought to herself, All this insane grinding lately… isn’t it all because of…
As the thought crossed her mind, she instinctively glanced toward Zhang Yu’s seat, only to find he had already started his Breathing Technique again.
“Damn it! You bastard, Zhang Yu! you’re an absolute animal! Stop it! Stop dragging me into this damn grind!”
After fuming internally for a moment, Bai Zhenzhen ultimately couldn’t bear to watch her good buddy advance all by himself. She closed her eyes in anguish and began her Breathing Technique as well.
Not far from Bai Zhenzhen, Qian Shen had been watching both her and Zhang Yu intently. Seeing them both seize every spare moment to practice their Breathing Technique, even during the break and while the teacher was speaking, his heart sank.
As a student in Songyang High School’s Demonstration Class, Qian Shen had always believed that he, of all people, would never fear the grind.
But after eight days of this relentless race alongside Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, his perspective had changed.
They barely go to the bathroom, they don’t even scratch an itch. I really can’t push myself to their level.
Could it be that compared to them, I’m the one who hasn’t fully evolved?
Staring intently at the two who were still deep in their Breathing Technique, Qian Shen finally closed his eyes in unwilling resignation.
Grind! Damn it, let’s grind!
***
During the Physical Education class, some students were injecting enhancers while others focused on body refining. The air echoed with wild, animalistic roars, and the floor was steadily becoming slick with the pungent smell of sweat.
Bai Zhenzhen wiped the sweat from her brow and instinctively glanced at the small, dark room in the corner.
Because he was being ostracized by the Physical Education teacher, Wang Hai, Zhang Yu had been using the small room to train by himself during recent classes.
But today, Zhang Yu was not absorbing spiritual energy as he had on previous days. Instead, he had begun practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
With a series of explosive cracks, Zhang Yu’s muscles bulged as he unleashed waves of raw power. He violently lifted and lowered the exercise equipment before him again and again.
At the same time, he had switched the specialization in his Feather Book from the level 8 Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method to the level 3 Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
Zhang Yu had his reasons for this change.
First, his lack of a matching Spirit Root severely limited the amount of spiritual energy he could absorb. The benefits of continued upgrading the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method had become increasingly ineffective.
Secondly, he was already qualified for the Magic Power Competition, so his next goal was the Monthly Exam in nine days.
“My Magic Power has improved significantly in these days. Even without actively practicing it, the level 8 Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method’s passive cultivation effect is always active, yielding 65 % of the benefit of active practice.”
“My Magic Power score on the upcoming Monthly Exam won’t be bad. If I continue to invest a great deal of effort into it, the return on investment for improving my score will be quite low.”
Zhang Yu calculated his options in his mind. “If I want to improve my Monthly Exam score, I’ll need to focus on Dao Heart, Physical Education, Martial Arts, and Dao Arts.”
“Regarding Dao Heart, although I haven’t mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique yet, I’ve fully grasped its mysteries. I should be able to get a good score on the Dao Heart Examination.”
“For Martial Arts, twenty points are based on theory and the remaining eighty depend on practical combat. That would require hiring someone to spar with me, so progress won’t be that fast.”
“Dao Arts are even harder. It’s impossible to improve them in such a short amount of time.”
After careful consideration, Zhang Yu decided that the best use of the next nine days would be to focus on improving the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening and his Physical Strength.
He even discovered an unexpected benefit from the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method while practicing the Thirty-Six Forms.
As he exerted force throughout his body, his muscles contracted and expanded with each exertion. Meanwhile, the circulation of magic power within him continued unabated, transforming wisps of spiritual energy into power with each cycle.
As the Magic Power circulated through his worn tendons and torn muscles, it began to nourish the areas damaged by his training. It replenished his damaged tissues, accelerated his recovery, and enhanced the effectiveness of his exercises.
Normally, one could use Magic Power to achieve a similar effect after reaching the third level of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
But now, with the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method in operation, a more complex and intricate circulation of Magic Power continuously enveloped Zhang Yu’s entire body, greatly boosting his recovery and the results of his body refining.
He felt that while he could previously only practice the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening twenty or thirty times a day, he could now manage at least fifty or sixty times daily with the assistance of the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method.
And so, Zhang Yu decided to spend the coming days grinding the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, a sudden, complex feeling washed over him.
I seem to be getting used to grinding, he mused.
Ugh, this damned Kunxu has really turns humans into grinding ghost.
But after practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening fifteen times in a row, Zhang Yu realized he was wrong.
Drenched in sweat, he collapsed onto the floor. The boards beneath him were so soaked that they seemed to faintly outline a human form.
Even Teacher Wang Hai, the Physical Education instructor, would have been moved by this display of relentless practice and would have surely told him that he had worked hard and should take a break.
But the one supervising Zhang Yu was not a person. It was… the Ritual, and its only instruction was to keep practicing.
Please adhere to the Ritual’s Covenant. Strive to fulfill your wish. Do not intentionally slack off or delay. 10.
Zhang Yu groaned,“You idiot! I’m at my limit!”
This is torture!
This body refining grind was far more grueling than the Breathing Technique.
Zhang Yu felt his lungs wheezing like bellows, and every fiber of his being screamed with tearing aches and exhaustion.
I was too naive to think I had already adapted to this godforsaken world.
Hearing the relentless countdown in his ear, Zhang Yu remained sprawled on the floor like a dead fish. Only when the countdown neared its end did he leap up, enduring the searing pain and exhaustion to resume the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening Level 3 (22/30)
After finally completing another set with great difficulty, Zhang Yu collapsed back onto the sweat-soaked floor. He listened to the bone-chilling countdown while enduring the force of the Ritual Power, which felt like it was tearing his body apart.
Is this world even meant for humans to adapt to?
Damn it… I’ll break this cursed Ritual before it drives me to jump off a building!
***
That day at noon, Zhang Yu acted completely out of character, surprising Bai Zhenzhen and Zhou Tianyi by spending over a 100 yuan on a huge bucket of food.
If increasing Magic Power required absorbing more spiritual energy, then improving the effects of body refining demanded larger and more nutritious meals.
“I’m going to eat ten pounds!”
Seeing the sheer volume of Zhang Yu’s lunch, Bai Zhenzhen realized just how brutal his Physical Education class had been that day.
Has he decided he’s done grinding Magic Power for now and is starting to grind for Physical Strength instead?
Just when did this guy start pushing himself so hard?
Could it be the extra competitive drive that comes from not being… sterilized?
Watching Zhang Yu devour a whole chicken leg, crushing the bones to powder in just a few bites and swallowing everything, Bai Zhenzhen unconsciously quickened her own pace of eating.
Zhou Tianyi sighed helplessly. “Slow down, you two. There’s no score for eating speed.”
Not far away, Su Haifeng was also eating in the cafeteria. He watched some students dawdling over their meals and thought to himself, “Lunch breaks are still too long.”
I’ve been saying the school should install more surveillance cameras in the cafeteria. Anyone who takes longer than ten minutes to eat should be publicly criticized and fined.
With this thought, he drafted a proposal to submit to the Principal, outlining his valuable suggestions for lunch break reform.
In the days that followed, besides attending his regular classes, Zhang Yu practiced the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening whenever he had free time. When his body reached its limit and he could not train any further, he was forced to cultivate spiritual energy with the Breathing Technique.
He endured this torment day after day, and finally, nine days later, the day of the Monthly Exam arrived.