You dare to cultivate without money?!

70: Chapter 52: The Monthly Exam Ends as a Storm Approaches

70 -52: The Monthly Exam Ends as a Storm Approaches

Inside the unfinished building.

He saw Zhang Yu, wearing a weighted vest, throw a punch.

Accompanied by the sound of his foot stepping on the concrete floor, a muffled boom suddenly erupted within the building.

Already drenched in sweat, Zhang Yu didn’t stop and continued practicing each move of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Building with punches and kicks.

His entire body was so hot that he emitted faint white steam in the cold night.

Since a week ago, when he could maintain the Wild Bull Soul Suppressing Heart Technique while practicing the Limitless Cloud Hand to level 10 in a weighted vest, Zhang Yu began to challenge himself with higher difficulty, which was practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Building at level 10.

It was indeed challenging at first, a dual trial of body and mind.

Fortunately, as long as he could maintain the mental method, the Wild Bull Soul Suppressing Heart Technique always brought him a bit of joy and satisfaction.

What about when he couldn’t maintain the mental method?

The ritual power would guide Zhang Yu back on track to maintain it.

For instance, at this moment, when Zhang Yu’s mind was slightly relaxed, and the visualization in his mind began to blur, he knew the ritual would start nagging him.

“Please adhere to the ritual agreement, strive to fulfill your wishes, and avoid procrastination.

10.”

Zhang Yu quickly focused and maintained the state of the Wild Bull Soul Suppressing Heart Technique, and the visualization in his mind gradually became clear again.

Damn!

Even though the cold dissipated once more, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but curse.

Just then, a mobile phone rang in the darkness of the unfinished building.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu felt like he was hearing celestial music.

Luckily, this dumb ritual had a bit of discernment, allowing him to take a call and have a brief respite.

Picking up the phone, Zhang Yu found a message from Zhou Chechen, the vice president of the student council.

Zhou Chechen: Zhang Yu, have you considered it?

Zhang Yu glanced at the time.

Hmm, a student council message sent at 4 AM is typical for us Songyang people.

Zhang Yu: I want to focus on the upcoming monthly exams.

Let’s talk about the contract after the exams.

Zhou Chechen: Haha, no worries.

We’ll discuss it after the exams.

I’ve prepared a contract you’ll absolutely be satisfied with.

Looking forward to the day we sign it.

Though Zhang Yu knew Zhou Chechen might talk to all potential signees like this, being flattered like this over the past month felt rather comforting.

“It’s a pity; it’s not purely friendship, devoid of interests.”

He felt a bit uncomfortable knowing he’d have to keep such feigned relationships going.

“I wonder, after I refuse him again after this monthly exam, will this guy show his true colors?”

Zhang Yu looked up at his Yu Shu.

Dao Heart Level 2 (93%)

Mana 18.7

Physical Strength 1.33 level

Through these days of rigorous training, his strength had substantially improved.

Particularly, he was getting closer to Dao Heart Level 3, and his mana level was already top-tier in the first year at Songyang High School, even surpassing Bai Zhenzhen.

Only his physical strength had dropped to 7th or 8th due to halting training for over half a month, but he estimated that with his current state of intense training, his physical strength would soon lead in the first year of Songyang High School too.

Despite this, he was still a long way from entering the top ten prestigious schools.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and immersed himself back into hard training.

…

On the day of the monthly exam.

A somber atmosphere pervaded the high school campus.

But for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, the monthly exam itself wasn’t much of a worry.

Smoothly finishing the theoretical test in the morning, Zhang Yu had lunch and, after noon training, went to the Daoism exam room and finished the test sweating.

Then came the final test of the day—Martial Arts Practicals.

This time his opponent drawn was Qian Shen.

Qian Shen looked at Zhang Yu with a complicated expression.

Because this opponent had scored six points lower than him in last month’s exams, yet significantly higher in the mana competition total score.

So it seemed possible for Zhang Yu to score lower than him, but it also seemed unlikely, making Zhang Yu appear even more complex and unpredictable in Qian Shen’s eyes, and the only one whom he was exceedingly cautious about despite outscoring him in their first monthly exam.

Zhang Yu observed Qian Shen’s cautious look, smiled slightly, and said, “Here I come.”

In the next moment, he struck with a palm and suddenly appeared in front of Qian Shen with a swoosh.

Although Qian Shen was already cautious, he gradually fell behind after a dozen moves.

Finally, as a gust of powerful wind hit him, he looked at the fist stopped before his head and admitted, “I lost.”

But before the second match started, he seriously said to Zhang Yu, “You didn’t go all out, did you?

You didn’t use Limitless Cloud Hand.”

Qian Shen had witnessed Zhang Yu learning it during the competition, and was aware of his opponent’s right to use martial arts.

Furthermore, over the past two weeks in martial arts class, Zhang Yu used Limitless Cloud Hand in every spar with Bai Zhenzhen.

Qian Shen sternly said, “Use Limitless Cloud Hand, fight me with your full strength.”

“We are in the monthly exam, not in-class practice.”

“I don’t want any score I earn to be obtained unscrupulously.”

“Go all out, and don’t insult my score.”

Zhang Yu took a deep breath, “I understand.”

He sighed inwardly, “Is my rare moment of joy amidst hard training coming to an end again?”

Then Zhang Yu, like a swoosh, charged at Qian Shen and fiercely struck at him with Formless Cloud Gang hands.

Having already seen the power of Limitless Cloud Hand during practical classes, Qian Shen naturally didn’t choose to face it head-on.

He dodged and simultaneously kicked at Zhang Yu’s lower body.

However, Zhang Yu’s other palm, layered with cloud energy, blocked his kick.

When Qian Shen’s kick hit the cloud energy, it felt as though he’d kicked into a weightless cloud, but the next instant a strong force rebounded from it, sending him flying out of bounds.

The second round was over.

The third round began. freewёbnoνel.com

After just experiencing that fight, Qian Shen wanted to take back his previous words.

Though his earlier challenge sounded cool, being scored low in practical exams was truly discomforting.

Not far away, Lei Jun withdrew his gaze from Zhang Yu and Qian Shen and looked towards Bai Zhenzhen and He Dayou.

Watching He Dayou being quickly defeated by Bai Zhenzhen, Lei Jun thought to himself, “The skill gap is too wide.

Maybe in the next monthly exam, I’ll just have Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen pair up for practical exams.”

…

The following morning was the Dao Heart and Mana exams.

Reentering the Spirit Realm.

This time Zhang Yu discovered himself strapped to a hospital bed, with a syringe on his left and a button on his right.

A female voice came over the broadcast: Good elixirs choose Purple Cloud, the wholehearted and non-intrusive Purple Cloud medicine, one sip clears all ailments.

Thanks to Purple Cloud Company for co-sponsoring this monthly exam…

Upon hearing the broadcast rules, Zhang Yu finally understood what this Dao Heart exam was about—Happiness.

Every press of the button would inject a drug called Happiness Powder into him via the syringe.

And after the exam began, candidates would be automatically injected with one dose of Happiness Powder.

The exam required candidates to press the button as little as possible, minimizing injections for a higher rank and score.

Because this newly developed drug by Purple Cloud Company could relax the mind, stimulate the brain, and bring supreme happiness.

Of course, according to Purple Cloud Company’s own promotion, this drug claimed to have no side effects or addictive properties and had passed clinical tests…

Zhang Yu certainly didn’t believe it.

“Damn newborn group.”

“Running such an ad during the monthly exam, huh.”

“The person who came up with this Dao Heart exam question is getting out of hand, one day I’ll beat them to pieces…”

Although this was a virtual world within the Spirit Realm, and the Happiness Powder to be injected was just a virtual sensation, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but curse, eventually accepting the injection of Happiness Powder with resignation.

The intense pleasure constantly bombarded Zhang Yu’s brain, and despite his willpower and mental method cultivation, he still couldn’t resist pressing the button twice before the exam ended, showing how potent Happiness Powder was.

…

Compared to the stimulation of the Dao Heart exam, the Mana and physical exams seemed uneventful.

However, after the physical exam ended, Wang Hai once again requested the school leadership to let Zhang Yu join the competition team, but he was rejected once more.

And the reason for rejection was Zhang Yu’s declining physical performance, and he still needed to stabilize.

But privately, Wang Hai was told it all related to the student council.

After thinking about it, Wang Hai sent a message to Zhang Yu the next day.

“Do you have any grudge with the student council?

They seem uninterested in letting you into the sports competition team.”

…

Inside the unfinished building.

Standing quietly in place, wearing a weighted vest, Zhang Yu felt the changes in his mindscape.

He had finally reached Dao Heart Level 3.

His control over his body grew more precise, the mana in his dantian became more lively and manageable, and even every piece of his flesh and force in his body became increasingly coordinated and comfortable to his senses.

Even the mental fatigue from the past days seemed to vanish at this moment, leaving him feeling extremely refreshed.

Dao Heart Level 3 (0%)

This was Zhang Yu’s feeling after reaching Dao Heart Level 3—stronger control over himself and his powers.

“Finally reached Dao Heart Level 3.”

“Now can I start training the Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique?”

For this Expert Level Skill passed down by the Golden Core True Man, Zhang Yu had been eagerly anticipating it for a long time.

Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique!

Let’s see how far I can push your limits!

Almost as soon as he reached Dao Heart Level 3, he impatiently switched his Yu Shu specialization to this technique.

The Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique includes nine martial arts: fist, palm, leg, finger, claw, blade, sword, spear, and staff.

These nine martial arts include methods for combat and body refinement, but mastering them isn’t the key point.

The real point of the Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique lies in understanding the intent contained within these nine martial arts, distilling it to refine one’s Martial Arts Intent.

At this moment, Zhang Yu once again started practicing these nine martial arts from start to finish, much like that time at the art exhibition.

With each move Zhang Yu made, fierce winds shook the area, and the concrete ground rumbled under his feet.

After elevating basic Freehand to level 5, mastering basic Thirty-Six Forms of Body Building and advanced Limitless Cloud Hand to level 10, and battling Bai Zhenzhen over a hundred times, Zhang Yu’s perspective was now vastly different from the past.

The more he trained, the more he could sense the combination of combat methods and body refinement techniques, covering a broad range, which could be used to temper his body as well as in battle.

“…though it does take quite a bit of time.”

Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique Level 1 (0/10)

Practicing all nine martial arts once in his weighted vest took Zhang Yu nearly 14 minutes.

Noticing this, Zhang Yu faintly felt a discomfort in his liver.

He knew there was a long journey ahead in mastering this technique.