Chapter 13: The Magic Power Competition
During magic power class that day, the students of the model class sat cross-legged in the quiet room, practicing their breathing exercises.
A camera at the front of the room monitored the students’ every move, taking note of whether they opened their eyes, scratched an itch, fidgeted with their hands and feet, or shuffled their bottoms… every single slight anomaly was recorded.
And all this data was uniformly recorded as a distraction rate.
Each week, the class with the highest distraction rate was publicly criticised in a school-wide announcement.
The students of the model class were unconcerned by this. After all, no matter the metric, their class was always guaranteed to be first.
Meanwhile, the student with the lowest distraction rate each week would not only be commended in a school-wide announcement but would also be rewarded with 500 yuan and one hour of free rental time with a Heavenly Spiritual Root.
This, however, was enough to make every student in the model class sit up and take notice.
When Zhang Yu first learned of this ‘distraction rate’ concept, he mused that if such a thing had existed in his previous life, students would have definitely cursed the school out for being complete idiots.
But this world was different. The students of the model class stared at the daily distraction rate like bulls in heat, and the entire classroom was filled with a fiercely competitive air.
At that moment, a bell chimed, and everyone who had been silently cultivating in the quiet room stopped, turning their eyes to the large screen at the front, awaiting the distraction rate data from the class session.
1st Place: Zhang Yu, Distraction Rate 0%, Magic power 8.3
2nd Place: Bai Zhenzhen, Distraction Rate 0.03%, Magic power 11.2
3rd Place: Qian Shen, Distraction Rate 0.12%, Magic power 11.1
…
Looking at the distraction rate rankings, although the students in the classroom made no sound, one could sense a ripple of surprise spreading from the subtle shifts in their eyes and expressions.
The magic power instructor on the dais, a female teacher with the surname Yan, wore her hair in a bun and had on black-framed glasses.
This Teacher Yan looked at the results on the screen and said, “For those few students whose distraction rates exceeded 0.3%, I won’t name you individually today.”
“The semester started three months ago. How many times have I told you to focus your mind and calm your qi?”
“With a distraction rate that high, how could the efficiency of your breathing exercises possibly compare to others?”
“Everyone cultivates twenty-four hours a day; you don’t get more time than anyone else. Once the efficiency of your breathing exercises drops, you fall behind a little each day. After three years of high school, the gap in your magic power could be ten, twenty, or even thirty points.”
“And how many times have I said it? Students who can’t lower their distraction rate can come to my office and buy a Calming Agent. I sat in my office for three hours yesterday afternoon, and not a single person came to see me… Do you all think you’re completely fine?!”
After her round of criticism, Teacher Yan smiled faintly and looked at the top names on the screen.
“Of course, there were also students who performed very well.”
“I want to commend by name the three students with the lowest distraction rates, especially Zhang Yu. He’s had a 0% distraction rate for four days straight now, which, compared to before, is a true quantum leap.”
“His magic power has also increased by a full 0.5 points in the last three days, which proves he must have been putting in tremendous effort outside of class—he either rented a spiritual root or a cultivation room with high spiritual energy. Isn’t that right, Zhang Yu?”
All eyes in the class immediately turned toward him.
But they saw that Zhang Yu’s eyes were still tightly shut. Looking to be in a state between sleep and wakefulness, he was still silently practicing the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method.
Teacher Yan said admiringly, “You see? This is the attitude of a true top student. He doesn’t stop even when class is over, seizing every single minute and second to cultivate and become stronger.”
Zhao Tianxing watched Zhang Yu, who was still diligently performing his breathing exercises, and found himself understanding this classmate less and less.
He’s clearly so diligent, so why did he slack off in gym class and refuse to take his stamina potion?
Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu, whose eyes were still closed, and thought to herself, These days, Yu-boy is doing his breathing exercises at every moment except when he’s eating, shitting, or walking. To be this diligent… could he have been pushed this far by the 700,000-yuan debt collection calls?
On the dais, Teacher Yan continued, “Of course, you get what you pay for. There’s no free lunch on the path of the Immortal Dao. You won’t get far if you don’t invest money. The school’s Heavenly Spiritual Root rentals have some vacancies recently; any interested students can come see me.”
But before Teacher Yan left, something she said caught Zhang Yu’s attention.
“That’s right, the city’s Magic Power Competition is starting next month. The first-year division will have participants from basically every high school in the city. The prize for first place is 100,000…”
“Registration for the competition is next Friday, so the school plans to select the top ten first-year students by magic power level on that day to participate…”
…
That evening, in the cafeteria.
Zhou Tianyi had to rush off to the tutoring center early, leaving just Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen at the table.
Finding the way Bai Zhenzhen was looking him up and down unbearable, Zhang Yu finally spoke.
“Zhen, I know I’m handsome—a crane among chickens here at a school like Songyang High where everyone just studies—but you don’t have to stare so hard.”
“You’re saying you want to enter the Magic Power Competition?” Bai Zhenzhen asked.
“It’s a shame, Zhen,” Zhang Yu said, shaking his head. “If you, the peerless genius ranked first in our grade, weren’t my friend, this would be the part where you provoke me, only to be repeatedly humiliated by my stunning performance in the arena, leaving you with your pupils quaking in utter shock.”
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head. “Yu-boy, this is the city-wide Magic Power Competition you’re talking about.”
“Every high school in all of Songyang City will be sending their best, their most powerful in magic power, and their wealthiest students to compete. It’s a gathering of the filthy rich.”
Bai Zhenzhen said with a sigh, “What kind of outcome do you think an ordinary person like you could expect?”
Her eyes seemed to pierce the veil of the future, and she spoke with a sorrowful expression, “You’ll be repeatedly humiliated by countless powerful opponents, become a stepping stone for the rich, the laughingstock of Songyang High School, and drag our school’s reputation through the mud!”
“It’s too tragic! I can already see you being ruthlessly crushed under the feet of the prodigies from other schools, your Dao heart shattered, looking just like a dead dog.”
Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. The Magic Power Competition isn’t a combat tournament; there’s no shame in losing.”
“Besides, the prize for first place is a hundred thousand yuan.”
“Even making it into the top ten gets you ten thousand.”
Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu’s greedy expression and thought, Yu-boy really has been pushed to the edge by the debt collectors. He’s become so obsessed that he’s deluding himself into entering the competition.
Zhang Yu was indeed in dire financial straits. Although he had just earned thirteen thousand yuan from the Immortal Resonance Group a few days ago, he had immediately used ten thousand to repay a loan and another fifteen hundred to cover his rent, leaving him with just over two thousand.
“If you want to compete, you should first figure out how to raise your magic power level into the top ten of our grade. You’re ranked sixteenth right now, aren’t you? How much money will you have to borrow to break into the top ten?”
Zhang Yu quickly did the math in his head.
His current magic power level was 8.3, ranking him sixteenth in his grade.
The student currently ranked tenth in the grade had a magic power level of 9.5.
To surpass that person, Zhang Yu would have to raise his magic power level to 9.5 by next Friday…
No, I have to account for the fact that everyone else will be improving too.
To be safe, it would be best to raise my magic power to 10.0 by next Friday.
There are eight days until next Friday. Can I really increase my magic power from 8.3 to 10.0 in that time, a full 1.7 points?
That’s an increase of more than 0.2 per day… is that even possible?
Absolutely! Easily!
In the eyes of his teachers and classmates, Zhang Yu’s recent rapid improvement must have been achieved by spending a fortune to rent a high-quality spiritual root and cultivation space.
But Zhang Yu knew that it all stemmed from his own astonishing potential and extreme self-discipline.
A level 4 Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method had allowed him to increase his magic power by a full 0.5 in just three days. He believed that as he continued to level up the technique, his magic power growth would only become more rapid.
After all, during the Qi Refinement stage, the highest a skill can be leveled is 10.
For the vast majority of first-year students, reaching level 4 in a breathing exercise within the first semester is impossible.
And if I continue to cultivate, I’ll probably be able to raise the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method to level 8, 9, or even 10 in a short time—a level that many people might not reach even after three years of high school.
Just as Zhang Yu was steeling his resolve with these thoughts, he suddenly noticed Bai Zhenzhen’s chopsticks reaching for his bowl.
“The nerve!” Zhang Yu barked, raising his own chopsticks to block.
Amid a clattering of impacts, Bai Zhenzhen easily disarmed him of his chopsticks.
Feeling a sense of familiarity in her movements, Zhang Yu asked in surprise, “Basic High School Swordplay? You’ve already learned it? And you’ve even adapted it for use with chopsticks?”
After swiftly plucking a few pieces of meat from his bowl, Bai Zhenzhen chuckled.
“Is this supposed to be difficult, Yu-boy? Anyone with hands can do it.”
Damn it, Zhang Yu thought. She got me with another one of her flexes.
Bai Zhenzhen mixed the stolen meat with her rice and quickly shoveled down a few mouthfuls.
“I didn’t expect the pork ribs in the 5-yuan combo to be this tasty,” she said, surprised. “I’ll get one next time, too.”
Patting her slightly full stomach, Bai Zhenzhen burped and said, “Sigh, if I eat any more, it’ll affect my tutoring session.”
With that, she pushed her tray toward Zhang Yu.
“Here, extra food for you, Yu-boy.”
Looking at the perfectly neat, untouched half-portion of ‘leftovers’ Bai Zhenzhen had left, Zhang Yu knew she had done it on purpose for him.
It seemed that ever since learning of his financial difficulties, Bai Zhenzhen had often taken to feeding him during dinner.
Zhang Yu pulled the tray over and, as he started to eat, said, “Zhen, you don’t have to worry about my pride or saving face or any of that. Given our relationship, it’d be fine even if you just gave me the money directly.”
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes. “I’m heading to my tutoring session. Take your time.”
…
Outside the cafeteria.
A tall figure stood in a nearby corridor, eyes locked on the cafeteria entrance.
A moment later, when Zhang Yu emerged from the cafeteria, the tall figure tensed and immediately began to follow.
He followed Zhang Yu out the school gates, and when he saw him enter a stationery shop across the street, a thought struck Zhao Tianxing.
Could this be where Zhang Yu gets his supplies?