Chapter 20: Insight
Two identical chills, two identical countdowns. After several attempts, Zhang Yu discovered that the two streams of ritual power were compelling him in different directions.
One of them would stop its countdown the moment he performed his breathing exercises to absorb spiritual energy.
The other would stop its countdown only after he began to study the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
Zhang Yu instantly grew more certain of one thing: one of the two countdowns was a fabrication.
It must be an effect of the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
Face the terror in my heart… so it’s reproducing the pressure the ritual power exerts on me?
I never expected that the ritual power reproduced by the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll would contradict the real one affecting me.
But of the two streams of ritual power, which one was fake?
Is it the one that stops counting down when I perform my breathing exercises?
Or is it the one that stops when I study the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll?
Zhang Yu was more inclined to believe it was the latter, yet he couldn’t make the decision lightly.
The price for choosing wrong was death.
Which one do I choose?
Listening to the ever-shifting countdown in his mind, Zhang Yu’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and he remained unable to decide.
If I can’t choose, then I simply won’t.
His gaze hardened as he came to a resolution.
“I’ll just treat both countdowns as real.”
Zhang Yu immediately sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method, performing the breathing exercises to draw in the spiritual energy of the world around him.
As the countdown in his mind ticked away, from ten to five and then to three, Zhang Yu stood up once more, turned back toward the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll, and attempted to comprehend the martial art it contained.
In this way, driven by the pressure of two separate countdowns, Zhang Yu alternated between practicing the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method and studying the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll, progressing in both pursuits.
At the same time, others at the art exhibition gradually began to notice Zhang Yu’s odd behavior.
The Songyang City Director of the Immortal Resonance Group watched Zhang Yu with curiosity, remarking, “This young man is performing breathing exercises one moment and standing up to study martial arts the next. What on earth has he seen?”
Beside him, Li Xuelian also cast her gaze toward Zhang Yu and commented thoughtfully, “It almost looks as if someone is forcing him to perform those breathing exercises.”
“Perhaps it stems from a fear of a certain teacher in his life.”
Just then, they saw Zhang Yu change his movements again. He was no longer performing breathing exercises but had begun practicing the Thirty-Six Body-Strengthening Forms.
It turned out that Zhang Yu had come to a sudden realization: the countdown that paused when he did his breathing exercises might not have been compelling him to cultivate at its core, but rather forcing him down the conventional path of studying, training, preparing for university exams, and eventually, working for a living.
So, he decided to try practicing his martial arts while simultaneously observing the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
His Thirty-Six Body-Strengthening Forms had long since become muscle memory anyway. If he could practice them while studying the scroll, he could devote the majority of his attention to the latter.
After all, his primary goal at the moment was to comprehend the martial arts depicted on the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
After this attempt proved successful, he began to feel that practicing and studying at the same time was still a bit cumbersome, so he simply took out his phone and tried browsing his school textbooks while looking at the scroll.
When he found that looking at his textbooks also worked, he put the audio of the material on speaker, listening to the content while he continued to study the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
…
Watching Zhang Yu alternate between breathing exercises, martial practice, and academic study, Li Xuelian sighed with genuine feeling.
“This child must have an incredibly strict teacher, one who has pushed him relentlessly, to the point of becoming a figure of immense terror in his heart.”
“Now, we shall see if he can achieve a mental breakthrough under all this pressure…”
But before Li Xuelian could finish her sentence, Zhang Yu suddenly walked away from the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll, went straight to the buffet table, and returned with a large plate of seafood, which he began to eat while continuing his study of the scroll.
It had occurred to him that eating was also something the ritual was unlikely to prevent.
Li Xuelian watched this unfold with a hint of surprise.
“Oh? Such a swift breakthrough. Under layers of oppression, he’s adopted a mindset of rebellious indolence? Only then can one truly face the terror in their heart and continue to comprehend the martial arts within the scroll.”
“Perhaps he himself hasn’t even realized it, but he has unconsciously conquered his inner fear and passed this trial of the Heavenly Martial Scroll; his actions are now completely natural.”
Seeing a security guard about to step forward and stop Zhang Yu, Li Xuelian waved him away. She was now quite curious to see just how much Zhang Yu could comprehend from the scroll.
As he ate lobster and gazed at the Heavenly Martial Scroll, Zhang Yu could now gradually make out the martial art the figure was performing.
It looks like a set of fist techniques?
The fist technique itself wasn’t complex, and Zhang Yu had a rough idea of it after watching a few times, but when he checked his Feather Book, he saw that nothing had changed. He clearly hadn’t truly learned the art, let alone mastered it.
Based on his experience with Basic High School Swordplay and the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method, a martial art like this should have appeared as Level 0 on his Feather Book after a single viewing.
What did I do wrong?
Just then, Lian Tianji let out a great laugh, his face brimming with confidence as he declared, “I have fully comprehended the martial arts within. It is, as I thought, an exquisite palm technique.”
Before his words had even faded, Qian Shen, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
“What palm technique? It’s clearly a leg technique.”
Ordinarily, Qian Shen, with his total score of 600, would never dare to speak so loudly in front of someone with a score of 670.
But having just had his Dao heart tempered by the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll, Qian Shen’s courage was at its absolute peak.
Their exchange quickly drew disagreement from others.
Someone argued, “No, no, the art hidden in the scroll is obviously a saber technique.”
Another began to mock them all indiscriminately, “A bunch of blind fools. It’s plainly a finger technique.”
Bai Zhenzhen furrowed her brow slightly; what she saw was a form of sword art.
Evidently, while Zhang Yu had been eating and studying, more and more students had completed their own comprehension of the scroll.
Listening to the discussion, Lian Tianji simply turned his gaze to Li Xuelian and asked, “Ms. Li, what kind of martial art is actually hidden within this scroll?”
Seeing that everyone was now looking at her, Li Xuelian merely smiled.
“As for the specific martial art, I have no comment.”
“However, I will offer you all a reminder: the Heavenly Martial Scroll holds its own mysteries. If anyone here masters the art within it, the scroll itself will provide a clear indication.”
The crowd understood. This meant that if someone managed to master the martial art from the scroll, the scroll would display some kind of sign.
With this in mind, Lian Tianji took the lead without a second thought.
As a student from Purple Cloud High School, Lian Tianji already possessed the absolute confidence of a prodigy.
After the trial he had just endured, that confidence had swelled to its absolute peak. The moment he moved, he began to perform the palm technique he had just comprehended from the scroll.
As his hands moved, the sound of rushing wind and cracking thunder echoed, while a surging power and killing intent erupted from his body, threatening to blast the entire exhibition hall apart.
From a distance, Zhao Tianxing had been watching the events unfold. Seeing this display, he was struck with awe.
Such high physical strength, and what a terrifying palm technique. This is a deadly martial art designed for combat.
However, while Lian Tianji’s physical strength was impressive for a first-year student, many cultivators present had long since graduated high school. They were more astonished by the sheer proficiency with which he executed the art.
One of them marveled internally, Is that really the palm technique he just learned from the scroll? Every move is so polished. The top student from Purple Cloud High School is truly a genius among geniuses.
But when Lian Tianji finished performing the entire set of palm techniques, the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll remained utterly still, showing no reaction whatsoever.
“How is that possible?” Lian Tianji said in disbelief. “I’ve clearly mastered the art from the scroll. How could it not work?”
Qian Shen chuckled and stepped forward, coming to stand before Lian Tianji.
“I told you, it’s a leg technique.”
He then began to perform the martial art he had comprehended from the scroll. Although he lacked Lian Tianji’s fluid grace, his execution of the moves was already second nature.
Watching this, Bai Zhenzhen’s brows furrowed once more.
Is this a body tempering art? Specifically for training the legs.
Yet, when Qian Shen finished his final move, the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll was still motionless, showing no change at all.
“How can that be?”
Echoing Lian Tianji’s words, Qian Shen stared at the scroll in equal disbelief.
Following him, a steady stream of students came forward to demonstrate the martial arts they had comprehended.
Including Lian Tianji and Qian Shen, twelve students in total demonstrated nine different sets of martial arts: fist, palm, leg, finger, claw, saber, sword, spear, and staff.
Three of the students had comprehended arts that were identical to what others had shown.
But even after this series of demonstrations, not a single person managed to elicit a reaction from the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
Lian Tianji couldn’t stop himself from turning to Li Xuelian again.
“Ms. Li, with so many of us, has truly not one person succeeded?”
Li Xuelian didn’t reply, only shaking her head slightly, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
At that moment, Bai Zhenzhen slowly walked forward. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she used her fingers as a sword and began to perform a set of sword techniques.
Although the swordplay possessed a peerless sharpness and Bai Zhenzhen’s every move was masterful, the onlookers lost interest after a few glances.
After all, two others had already demonstrated sword techniques without provoking any change in the scroll.
But to their surprise, after finishing the swordplay, Bai Zhenzhen’s style abruptly shifted. Using her hand as a saber, she began to perform a saber technique.
Then came a fist technique, a palm technique, a leg technique…
Zhao Tianxing exclaimed in shock, “Did Bai Zhenzhen learn all the martial arts everyone just demonstrated?”
Lian Tianji frowned as he watched.
To be able to replicate everyone’s martial arts after seeing them only once, and in such a short time… which top-tier high school is this woman from?
Watching Bai Zhenzhen execute each move as if it had been forged through years of arduous practice, Qian Shen’s mind reeled.
On the one hand, he was stunned that Bai Zhenzhen could perform all nine martial arts. On the other, a question kept surfacing in his mind.
If she performs all nine arts that everyone comprehended, could it actually work?
Just then, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the man in the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll moved. He turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen with a smile in his eyes, and two words materialized on the scroll.
Not bad.