Chapter 27
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 27: Exam Sprint
Three in the morning.
In an office at Songyang High School, Su Haifeng scanned the list on his computer screen while speaking into his phone. “Hmm… Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart level hasn’t changed.”
“His Magic Power improved rapidly in the recent period. It seems he focused most of his time and money on his Breathing Technique, which is how he managed to break into the top ten.”
“His Physical Strength hasn’t been tested in three weeks because he’s being isolated, but it had already dropped to nineteenth place before. Now that he’s prioritizing Magic Power, he’ll be lucky to hold onto that position.”
“His Martial Arts and Dao Arts haven’t shown any significant improvement either. It’s possible he might even drop below thirtieth place in these subjects during this monthly exam.”
Looking at Zhang Yu’s recent records, Su Haifeng shook his head. “In short, I don’t expect his scores to improve dramatically in this monthly exam.”
“The school will probably still offer him a D-tier contract.”
“Understood. I’ll do my best to persuade him to sign it.”
“I don’t know how he earned Li Xuelian’s favor, but with the tests he’s taken, he should have a clearer understanding of his own situation.”
After hanging up, Su Haifeng casually closed Zhang Yu’s file and turned to the next one.
To him, Zhang Yu was just one small matter among many. Songyang High School had far more important students and issues demanding his attention.
***
Four in the morning.
Inside an abandoned building.
Today was the day of Songyang High School’s monthly exam.
Although nine days of grueling training had improved Zhang Yu’s strength significantly, he was still frantically practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening. He was hoping to squeeze in one last boost before the exam officially began.
His panel in the Feather Book prologue had updated to show his new stats. Under his name, Zhang Yu, it listed a Dao Heart of Level 1, Magic Power of 11.7, and Physical Strength of Level 1.05.
His Magic Power had risen from 10.5 to 11.7 through a combination of passive breathing and occasional active cultivation.
His Physical Strength, honed through relentless practice, had jumped from Level 0.85 to Level 1.05.
Of course, the most dramatic progress over the nine days had been with the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening, which had reached Level 9 with a progress of 89/90.
As Zhang Yu threw his final punch, the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening finally hit Level 10, reaching the maximum potential for the Qi Refining Realm.
The moment he broke through to Level 10, countless memories flooded his mind. They were images of him practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening again and again, each repetition deepening his understanding of his physical body.
After countless meticulous refinements, his physical body finally underwent a qualitative transformation, beginning to adjust itself in a more optimal manner.
A thunderous roar seemed to erupt within his mind.
As his heart pumped waves of vital energy through his limbs and body, Zhang Yu’s entire physique underwent a metamorphosis.
His flesh contracted and expanded in rhythmic pulses while his bones and joints crackled with sharp, crisp sounds. His overall body outline even seemed to subtly enlarge.
His muscle distribution became more optimized for force generation, his skeletal structure grew more robust and stable, and his entire physique seemed to achieve a greater sense of balance and coordination.
This optimization of his physical structure had been gradually unfolding as he leveled up the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening. Now, in an instant, it was complete.
His Physical Strength surged from Level 1.05 to Level 1.25.
With the adjustment and optimization of his physical structure, Zhang Yu’s Physical Strength increased by 0.2 levels in one go, a 20 % jump.
More importantly, Zhang Yu sensed that this structural optimization offered more than just a one-time boost in Physical Strength. It had far-reaching effects. The more balanced and coordinated physique would pave the way for a smoother and faster body cultivation journey in the future.
Zhang Yu smiled faintly, his heart pounding with excitement. “Leveling up the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to Level 10 actually triggered an active optimization of my physical structure!”
Could it be that every skill gets such a massive boost when it reaches Level 10?
This was information the teacher had never covered in class.
But Zhang Yu figured that Level 10 skills, even for a basic martial art like the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening, were far too distant for first-year students. It made sense that the teacher had not mentioned anything about it.
“Next, I’ll raise the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method to Level 10 and see what happens.”
He noted his Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method was at Level 8 with a progress of 3/160.
Zhang Yu estimated it would take him about a week at most to raise this breathing technique to Level 10.
But even with this thought, he did not immediately switch the Feather Book’s specialization to the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, for he had other plans for today.
Please adhere to the Ritual’s Covenant. Strive to fulfill your wish. Do not intentionally slack off or delay. 10.
Just as Zhang Yu was revelling in his newfound strength and reflecting on his progress, that damn countdown timer chimed again.
He cursed a few times but then realized the futility of it. The timer lacked any will or intelligence, so cursing it was like punching cotton – futile and hollow.
So he sat down cross-legged to meditate and started practicing his breathing technique. He also took the opportunity to rest his body, which was exhausted from the long night, and recover his stamina.
He was preparing… to face the monthly exam.
***
Songyang High School.
Students hurried across the campus, a hint of unease and traces of anxiety etched on their faces.
The whole campus seemed to be imbued with a grim and tense atmosphere today.
Zhang Yu looked up and saw that the banner read “Study Until You Die” had been replaced with the anti-suicide slogan, “One Person’s Recklessness, the Whole Family Pays.”
School’s internal monologue: ‘Chilling! Shaking! Aren’t the costs for repairing the campus, the ground, cleaning, and disinfection money?! Why shouldn’t our school demand compensation?!’
Even the perimeter of the rooftop had even been enclosed with barbed wire, making it harder for students to act recklessly.
Bai Zhenzhen, standing beside him, remarked, “Looks like those hypocritical school leaders are finally showing some concern for the students. They know the Monthly Exam can trigger emotional breakdowns and drive people to jump, so they’ve actually taken some precautions.”
But as soon as they arrived at the cafeteria for breakfast and saw notices announcing price increases for some dishes, Bai Zhenzhen erupted in fury.
“Prices are up again? How many times has this happened since the start of the semester?”
“A bunch of parasites can’t even manage the cafeteria properly. How are they supposed to run a school?”
Zhang Yu tried to calm her. “Sigh, for them, being inhuman is standard operating procedure. Just stay calm and don’t let it affect your Monthly Exam today.”
But a moment later, after hearing the new rules from the cafeteria aunty serving the food, Zhang Yu exploded in anger. “Why can I only get one serving of the five-yuan meal a day? I could get ten yesterday! Why can’t students even eat their fill?”
“Alright, alright, Yu Zi,” Bai Zhenzhen patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder, trying to soothe him. “Don’t get worked up. A teacher’s looking this way. I’ll just buy you another Poor Man’s Meal.”
Carrying their trays, they found a table and sat down. Zhang Yu checked his bank balance.
Despite receiving another 500 yuan reward for maintaining a 0 % distraction rate, his savings had dwindled to 6,000 yuan. This was due to the exorbitant food expenses for his daily body refining, the continuous use and purchase of nerve fillers, and various other costs like transportation.
The new month was fast approaching, which meant new loan payments, rent, and utilities were all due.
Then there was the cost of food. Since he began his intensive body refining, Zhang Yu’s appetite had grown exponentially. Eating ten pounds of food a day was normal for him, costing several hundred yuan daily which can easily add up to over ten thousand a month.
Zhang Yu was increasingly convinced that Cultivation was an endeavor that only grew more expensive the further one progressed.
“I hope I do well on the Monthly Exam and get a good contract,” he muttered. “Otherwise, I’ll have to go back to working part-time.”
Just then, Zhou Tianyi sat down beside them with his tray and shook his head helplessly. “Do you two know why the cafeteria raised its prices?”
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen abruptly looked up and stared at Zhou Tianyi, waiting for him to continue.
“The city government is promoting Oasis Corporation’s synthetic food by raising tariffs on ingredients imported from other cities. In the future, the prices of all food in Songyang City, except for synthetic food, are likely to keep rising.”
“I heard the Principal is also considering replacing the cafeteria’s pre-made dishes with synthetic food.”
Before he began his Cultivation, the original Zhang Yu had eaten plenty of synthetic food, since it was much cheaper.
A concoction of deep-fried insects, plant protein, recycled water, and oil… its taste was so awful that even a pig wouldn’t touch it.
“We won’t even get to eat pre-made dishes anymore?”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen sighed again, cursing Oasis Corporation and the city government for being so inhuman.
After finishing breakfast, the three of them did not return to their classroom as usual because it was the day of the Monthly Exam. Instead, they headed to their respective examination halls.
The morning consisted of the General Knowledge exam and the Martial Arts class theory exam, both of which were written tests. The former was worth a total of 50 points, and the latter was worth 20.
The afternoon would feature the Dao Arts exam, worth 100 points, and the Martial Arts Combat exam, worth 80 points.
The 80 points from the practical Martial Arts Combat exam, combined with the 20 points from the morning’s Martial Arts theory exam, made up the total 100 points for the Martial Arts class.
The morning exams were all written tests, and the original Zhang Yu had long since mastered the material.
After finishing the exams, Zhang Yu did not linger to compare answers like his classmates. Instead, he quickly ate lunch and hurried to the small garden to begin his training.
Freehand Combat Level 1 (0/10)
Zhang Yu switched the Feather Book’s specialization to Freehand Combat, which was why he had not switched to the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method earlier.
After he had pushed the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to Level 10 yesterday, practicing the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method for the remaining time would not yield any significant improvements.
However, if he used his rest time during the day to improve his Freehand Combat, which was only at Level 1, Zhang Yu estimated he could raise the martial art to at least Level 2.
This would undoubtedly give him a significant boost in the afternoon’s Martial Arts Combat exam.
With this in mind, Zhang Yu trained even more diligently.
As he struck, his muscles and bones resonated in unison, driven by his Physical Strength of 1.25. Each punch and palm strike he threw whistled like wind and thunder.
As he executed each move, strands of Magic Power flowed through different parts of his body, enhancing the power of each strike.
Freehand Combat was a fundamental practical martial art. Though it consisted of only fifteen moves, it encompassed punches, palm strikes, kicks, and throws, each designed to counter various combat situations. Each move also had a corresponding Magic Power circulation route.
Zhang Yu was currently practicing these fifteen moves repeatedly.
As a combat technique, the training intensity of Freehand Combat was far lower than that of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.
Furthermore, with his current Level 1.25 physique, the Magic Power circulation from his Level 8 Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, and the body optimization from his Level 10 Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening, Zhang Yu’s progress in mastering Freehand Combat was rapid. In just over fifty minutes, he had already advanced Freehand Combat to Level 2.
Freehand Combat Level 1 (0/10) → Freehand Combat Level 2 (0/20)
In an instant, Zhang Yu felt the fifteen moves of Freehand Combat flash through his mind repeatedly, becoming thoroughly ingrained in his memory.
But he did not stop. Though his body was beginning to feel fatigued, he decided to continue practicing this martial art.
“The afternoon exam starts in two and a half hours.”
“Let’s see if I can push Freehand Combat to Level 3 before the exam.”
Zhang Yu practiced the fifteen moves of Freehand Combat repeatedly, sweat pouring off him like rain.
His body grew increasingly fatigued, and his hands and feet gradually became sore and weak. His movements began to falter slightly.
But whenever Zhang Yu thought of his mountain of debt and the ever-increasing expenses, he gritted his teeth and pushed through.
After more than two hours, a large bead of sweat plopped onto the ground.
Zhang Yu was now steaming from head to toe, his muscles burning from over three hours of intense training.
Yet a faint smile appeared on his face. He had finally advanced this martial art to Level 3.
