Chapter 35
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Chapter 35: Choices and Cultivation Arts
Bailong High School.
As one of the top three famous schools in Songyang City alongside Purple Cloud High School, Bailong High School boasted a long history and substantial financial resources. It dominated Songyang City in terms of annual competition awards, admissions to the Top Ten Universities, and even the number of students who suffered mental breakdowns.
For many Bailong High School students, the concept of the “top three famous schools” was a joke. In their eyes, the only truly prestigious school in Songyang City was Bailong High School.
And right now, in Bailong High School’s cafeteria…
Zhang Pianpian was eating her meal while flipping through her Talisman Register and studying her newly purchased talisman teaching materials.
Suddenly, a petite girl sat down across from her and whispered conspiratorially, “Pianbao, I heard some interesting news. Wanna hear? Treat me to lunch, and I’ll tell you.”
Zhang Pianpian did not even look up as she said, “Not interested.”
The girl chuckled. “Your brother made quite a splash at the Central Tower last time. Too bad he still wasn’t accepted by a Golden Core cultivator. Don’t you want to know what’s new with him?”
Zhang Pianpian frowned slightly and said, “It’s worth a 9-yuan Poor Man’s Meal at most. Any more than that, and I’m not listening.”
“That’s enough, that’s enough,” the girl laughed. “It’s a rare occasion for you to treat me to lunch, Pianbao. No one in our class would believe it if I told them.”
Seeing the impatience on Zhang Pianpian’s face, the girl continued, “I got this news from a friend at Songyang High School.”
“Your brother got third place in the Monthly Exam with a total score of 620.”
Zhang Pianpian was surprised. “620? Are you sure this information is accurate?”
“Guaranteed,” the girl replied. “That score would be enough to get into the top fifteen among the first-years at our school. Pretty impressive, right?”
“Didn’t you say your brother lacked talent? It looks like he’s doing quite well now.”
A flicker of doubt crossed Zhang Pianpian’s eyes. “My judgment is never wrong. He has no aptitude for the Path to Immortality. Something must have happened to him recently.”
The girl asked, “The Songyang High School Student Council will probably be targeting him now. Aren’t you going to help him?”
Zhang Pianpian lowered her gaze and said indifferently, “It depends on his own choices.”
“If he’s willing to sign a contract with the Student Council, his high school years will at least be easier.”
“Are you testing him?” the girl scoffed. “Isn’t that too harsh? How many students can withstand the Student Council’s pressure?”
Zhang Pianpian said coldly, “If he can’t handle the pressure, he’ll have to find another path. Otherwise, helping him would only harm him.”
“What he’s truly made of… will ultimately depend on the choices he makes.”
***
Songyang High School.
Zhang Yu could clearly feel that the atmosphere throughout the school had changed.
During breaks, students he barely knew began to greet him.
“Student Zhang Yu, your Physical Strength is improving so fast. Is it really natural body refining?”
“Zhang Yu, can I borrow your Martial Arts theory exam paper to look at?”
In the corridors, students from other classes who did not know him pointed and whispered.
“Look, that’s Zhang Yu, the one Teacher Lei was talking about.”
“Ugh, these monsters from the Demonstration Class really don’t leave any chance for the rest of us.”
During Martial Arts Class, Teacher Lei Jun repeatedly played the video of Zhang Yu’s victory over He Dayou.
He even had Zhang Yu explain his combat strategy at the time. Listening to it made He Dayou’s qi and blood surge and his heart pounded harder and harder, as if he were growing younger by the second.
In the cafeteria, students began to make deliberate detours past Zhang Yu, as if secretly trying to see what he was eating.
Some students whom he barely knew even tried to join him for meals.
For dinner, Zhang Yu just called Zhao Tianxing, pulling him over to eat with him and Bai Zhenzhen. After all, Zhao Tianxing alone took up two seats, so the three of them filled the entire table perfectly.
Zhou Tianyi, however, had vanished after class for reasons unknown, leaving the school without even joining them for dinner.
Zhao Tianxing had eaten with them several times recently and had gradually grown much more familiar with both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Zhang Yu even noticed that Bai Zhenzhen seemed more relaxed around Zhao Tianxing than she was around Zhou Tianyi.
At that moment, he heard Zhao Tianxing complain, “How much longer will the cafeteria’s electronic screen keep displaying the Monthly Exam results? It’s inconvenient to check the prices when ordering food now.”
Zhang Yu took a bite of his meal and sighed. “Little Zhao, your vision is too narrow. The school displays the Monthly Exam results to encourage everyone to study harder. I think it’s perfectly fine for them to stay up a few more days.”
Bai Zhenzhen, sitting beside them, nodded slightly. “After all, exams are our fundamental duty as students. The importance of displaying our scores far outweighs the inconvenience of checking food prices.”
Zhao Tianxing stared at the two of them, especially Zhang Yu, speechless.
Then he suddenly realized that Zhang Yu was no longer the student whose Monthly Exam ranking had been similar to his. They were no longer in the same social class within the school.
For the current Zhang Yu, the very actions that deeply wounded other students, relentlessly pressured them, and incited fierce infighting had become a form of blatant flaunting.
Just a few days ago, Zhang Yu was right here with me, vehemently criticizing the school’s inhumane practices. To think he’s become like this now, he mused, his heart filled with emotion. Do people really change so quickly once their scores get higher?
Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu and smiled. “Yu Zi, you seem to be in a great mood.”
“Great” did not even begin to describe it. Zhang Yu felt absolutely fantastic.
He had never thought Songyang High School’s scenery could be so beautiful, or its students and teachers so friendly.
For someone who had to endure grueling cultivation every day, this was the most beautiful sight, a rare comfort, and a reward from heaven for his diligence and self-discipline.
Zhang Yu waved his hand modestly. “Ah, it’s all just empty fame.”
“I don’t even know why they all like to seek me out.”
“A-Zhen, you were first in the class for so long. How come so many people never tried to get close to you?”
Bai Zhenzhen curled her lip, her face filled with disdain. “Because my first place made them see no hope of catching up. All they felt was the absolute gap in talent.”
“But your sudden improvement makes them feel like it’s possible to imitate you.”
“That’s why every single one of them wants to be your good friend, so they can pry into the secret of your progress.”
Bai Zhenzhen swallowed her chicken leg in one gulp, ruthlessly exposing the harsh reality.
“In high school, scores are king.”
“A carefully selected problem set, a paid Talisman technique, or even practical experience from a tutoring class would be enough to make countless high school students clamor for it. And that’s not even mentioning the secret behind your 70-point increase in a single month. Even the top ten students in the grade would be tempted.”
“These students coming to you aren’t genuinely trying to be your friends. They just want the secret to your massive score increase. They would love nothing more than to take those 70 points of progress and add them to their own scores.”
Zhao Tianxing, sitting nearby, shifted uncomfortably. The two chairs beneath him creaked under the strain.
I was in tenth place this time, he thought to himself. And I was deliberately trying to get close to Zhang Yu before this.
Could Bai Zhenzhen be subtly hinting me out?
Although, I really do want to learn some of their excellent study habits and take the chance to ask Zhang Yu for the secret to his rapid improvement…
At this thought, he squirmed even more, feeling the atmosphere at the table grow tense. He temporarily suppressed his urge to ask Zhang Yu for his secret.
Even after parting ways with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, watching one board a bus and the other the subway, Zhao Tianxing was still pondering the matter.
Was Bai Zhenzhen really talking about me?
***
On the bus.
Just after boarding, Zhang Yu felt his phone vibrate while being jostled by the surrounding crowd.
He pulled it out and saw a message from Bai Zhenzhen.
“The Student Council might approach you in the next few days to discuss contract terms.”
“Do not agree to anything, no matter the conditions.”
“Wait until I have finished talking with them, and then we can discuss it together.”
Reading Bai Zhenzhen’s message, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered. So the advanced contract is negotiated with the Student Council? He thought.
He had never known much about Songyang High School’s Student Council. In his mind, what could a high school student council possibly do? But from Bai Zhenzhen’s words, it was clear the Student Council was far from simple, even holding the power to negotiate contracts with students.
I wonder what terms they’ll offer, he mused. Does A-Zhen mean we will stick together and try to drive up the price?
After a few seconds of fruitless thought, the familiar countdown in his mind began to tick down again. Zhang Yu had to set aside his wild thoughts and began scrolling through the teaching materials saved on his phone.
After looking at his teaching materials for a while, Zhang Yu found himself restless on the bus today. Whether it was feedback from his Monthly Exam results or the upcoming contract, he could not focus on his studies.
He put his phone down and began contemplating his current path in Cultivation.
Ritual Power had not pressured him about this. After all, pondering his future and planning his Cultivation aligned perfectly with his aspirations of studying diligently, cultivating diligently, getting into university, working hard, earning money, and eventually buying all the antiques in his online shopping cart.
“First, I’ll raise the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method to Level 10.”
“Next, I’ll focus on the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique. But this Martial Dao Heart Technique requires a Level 3 Dao Heart. So, I will have to start with the Basic Heart Refining Method. While raising that to Level 10, I will also cultivate my Dao Heart to Level 3. Then I can move on to the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique.”
“After that, all I have left to practice are the Basic Breathing Techniques, Freehand Combat, and the High School Basic Sword Technique.”
Having confirmed his future plans, Zhang Yu thought about his current savings of over 70,000 yuan and the potential income from the upcoming contract. An idea suddenly struck him.
Should I buy a more powerful, more effective Cultivation Art?
Before, Zhang Yu had been too broke to even consider it.
But after receiving 66,666 yuan from Wang Hai today, he could not stop thinking about how to spend the money.
Things he had never dared to dream of before, such as Spirit Roots, Talismans, and practical combat experience, now seemed within reach. He just needed to finalize the contract and see how much money he would have left to make concrete plans.
As he pondered his future studies of Cultivation Arts, the idea of buying one surged in his mind.
“Even if I do not buy one, I can at least browse and get a sense of what is out there.”
His phone screen flashed as Zhang Yu opened the shopping website and logged into his real-name account.
After another round of facial recognition, he finally entered the purchase site for Immortal Dao Techniques. However, given his current status, he could only view Cultivation Arts for the Qi Refining Stage.
As soon as he entered, he saw a row of recommended items under the label “Your Friends Are Currently Viewing”, listing techniques such as The Maiden’s Great Art (Unisex Version), The Great Dream Heart Sutra (Cultivate While Sleeping), and Nine Heavens Eight Departments Talismans Arts…
