Chapter 65: Exhausting the Savings
With the 10th-level effect of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, Zhang Yu could feel his grasp of combat becoming far more refined. Any subtle change in his opponent’s moves could not escape his observation, and he could more precisely mobilize every ounce of his strength to fight. His practical combat ability had skyrocketed.
However, this state also consumed a great deal of stamina, and after maintaining it for one minute, Zhang Yu began to feel dizzy.
This state of total concentration should be reserved for critical moments in battle, not used carelessly.
The 10th-level Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art gave Zhang Yu a much higher degree of confidence for the martial arts competition.
But it’s still not enough…
Thinking of the unfairness and injustice of the Magic Power Competition, and of what Zhang Pianpian had said about taking first place in the martial arts competition, Zhang Yu wanted to secure an even greater advantage.
So, he once again opened the shopping platform and looked at the cultivation techniques he had bookmarked over this period.
Zhang Yu had already considered what he would cultivate after reaching the 10th level of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art.
At this moment, he was looking at an expert-level martial art called the Imperishable Seal Art, along with its 30,000-credit price tag after a fifty-percent discount, its user reviews, and the description of its 10th-level effects.
This Imperishable Seal Art, like the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, was an expert-level cultivation technique.
It was a technique that targeted an enemy’s magic power, allowing for magic redirection and reflection.
Not only was it exceedingly difficult to learn, but mastering it was even harder. The user review section was filled with comments about the technique’s difficulty, stating that anyone who bought it would have to spend money hiring a tutor.
One-star review: Avoid at all costs! You can’t learn it on your own at all, and hiring a tutor cost me tens of thousands.
Two-star review: I bought it at the original price of sixty thousand, only to come back and see it was on sale.
One-star review: I’ll come back and leave a good review once I reach level 10.
Zhang Yu guessed that its difficulty, which led to poor sales, was likely the reason the technique was discounted.
But this was not a problem for Zhang Yu, because he discovered that this Imperishable Seal Art had only four stances.
Furthermore, he would be able to fully utilize the technique’s 10th-level effect in the upcoming martial arts competition, and it would complement his Limitless Cloud Hand.
Although the Limitless Cloud Hand can redirect force and use an opponent’s strength against them, the Formless Cloud-Astral Qi has a weakness: it’s vulnerable to specialized magic power disrupting the astral qi.
But if I use the Imperishable Seal Art in coordination with the Limitless Cloud Hand, I’ll be able to redirect or even reflect the opponent’s specialized magic power.
Combined with the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method constantly replenishing my magic power, and the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art allowing me to observe the entire field and grasp every detail…
My combat system will become more complete, better suited for defeating stronger opponents, and better at… avoiding injury while securing victory.
In the martial arts competition, when facing opponents with higher stats, avoiding or minimizing injury was crucial for a poor student like Zhang Yu.
Therefore, compared to more aggressive, wild, and domineering offensive techniques, Zhang Yu leaned toward a defensive, counter-attacking style.
And the only drawback of this Imperishable Seal Art… was its price. Even after the discount, it still cost 30,000 credits, and Zhang Yu now had only a little over that amount in his account.
In other words, buying this technique would leave him broke.
But when he thought about becoming the strongest first-year in Songyang, about his goal of getting into the Ten Greats…
I must get into the Ten Greats, I must take the competition championship. Besides, the first-place prize for this competition is 50,000 credits. If I can’t win, then holding on to these 30,000 is useless.
At this thought, Zhang Yu gritted his teeth and spent the 30,000 credits in his account in one go.
In the blink of an eye, he received the e-manual for the Imperishable Seal Art.
After a quick review, the technique appeared in his Feather Book, and he switched it to his specialization.
As a technique that specialized in magic redirection and reflection, the most crucial aspect of the Imperishable Seal Art was control over magic power; its external martial forms consisted of only four simple stances.
Thus, in less than a minute, Zhang Yu had cultivated the technique to level 1.
Instantly, memories of practicing the Imperishable Seal Art over and over again flooded his mind.
Zhang Yu felt his control over magic power become increasingly refined. He could even temporarily convert an opponent’s incoming magic power into his own and then unleash it.
Of course, this process also consumed magic power, but the amount he expended was less than the magic power of his opponent’s attack.
Zhang Yu nodded to himself.
As long as I continue to level up the Imperishable Seal Art, I’ll be able to manipulate more of my opponent’s magic power with less of my own.
According to the website’s description, once the Imperishable Seal Art reaches level 10, redirecting 10 units of magic power will only cost me 3 units, a thirty-percent ratio.
With this in mind, Zhang Yu nodded to himself and continued his ascetic training of the Imperishable Seal Art.
…
In the blink of an eye, another two days passed, bringing them to the day before the martial arts competition.
Figures flew across the training ground as Lei Jun took on two opponents at once, guiding Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Witnessing Zhang Yu’s and Bai Zhenzhen’s rapid progress over this period, Lei Jun grew more and more astonished.
These two kids… their understanding of various martial arts deepens by the day, and their combat experience is increasing so quickly.
Over the past few days, while maintaining an output equivalent to level 2 physical strength, Lei Jun had been forced to use increasingly advanced combat techniques to consistently suppress Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
But that was not what surprised him most. Instead, it was…
Through their daily ascetic training and our repeated spars, these two have gradually developed their own distinct fighting styles.
Lei Jun threw a punch, only to have it blocked by a mass of white astral qi under Zhang Yu’s control. He felt the force of his blow scatter, the vast majority of it deflected.
That kid Zhang Yu, his use of that Limitless Cloud Hand is getting more and more ingenious. He’s like a slippery ball; I strike with ten parts of force, and he can deflect seven or eight of them. I always have to use specialized magic power to break through his astral qi first, which inevitably turns the fight into a battle of magic power attrition.
And now he’s recently mastered that technique called the Imperishable Seal Art, making his defense even more seamless.
Hmm… I don’t have to worry about him getting beaten into bankruptcy in this competition.
Lei Jun then turned, blocking Bai Zhenzhen’s sword-finger with his palm, and thought to himself, Bai Zhenzhen… she’s a true martial arts genius.
In just two short weeks, she has already begun to keep up with my changing moves, see the flaws in my attacks, and force me into a position where I must defend.
But her fighting style… it’s too dangerous.
Boom!
As Lei Jun once again increased his power output, a wave of oscillating magic power swept out, sending them both flying.
“That’s all the time for today’s tutoring.”
He sighed with a smile. “You two have made tremendous progress during this time; you’ve improved about as much as you can for now.”
“In tomorrow’s competition, remember that safety comes first. Put your own safety above all else, don’t push yourselves too hard, and don’t force anything.”
Bai Zhenzhen had grown familiar with Lei Jun over this period and replied directly, “Got it, old Lei. What place do you think we can get?”
Lei Jun thought for a moment and said, “There’s a chance for the top ten.”
“Only top ten? And only a chance?”
Lei Jun smiled helplessly. “The three great schools have too many methods that are beyond the standard curriculum, and even their conventional methods are things you could never afford. The top students’ stats are also higher than yours. You’re not starting on the same line. You two should be happy just to have a chance at the top ten.”
“That’s enough talk. Go back and prepare. And don’t forget to bring your competition alchemical enhancers tomorrow.”
“We’ll meet at the entrance of White Dragon High School at midnight.”
The venue for this martial arts competition was, in fact, White Dragon High School.
Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned. “Midnight?”
Lei Jun said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “White Dragon High School has classes during the day, so the competition is scheduled for midnight.”
Zhang Yu could only think that this was so typical of White Dragon High School; they never disappointed when it came to being unreasonable.
Zhang Yu asked again, “How do we get there?”
“Take the subway on your own. Only two of you are participating in the martial arts competition. Did you expect the school to charter a bus?”
Zhang Yu could only think that this, too, was typical of Songyang High School, never disappointing him, just like White Dragon High.
Watching the two of them leave, Lei Jun sighed inwardly.
If those two had been born into wealthy families, perhaps they would have had a chance to test into the Ten Greats.
…
That night.
After another two hours of intensive ascetic training, Zhang Yu finally raised the Imperishable Seal Art to level 10.
His body jolted as he felt his meridians, as if they had been tempered a thousand times over, suddenly become much tougher and more capable of handling the flow of various types of specialized magic power.
At the same time, all his experience with magic redirection and reflection fused together in his mind, completing some sort of sublimation and culminating in a new enlightenment.
Now, when he used the Imperishable Seal Art, Zhang Yu was confident he could directly convert an opponent’s magic power to replenish his own.
This meant that with the Imperishable Seal Art at level 10, he could grow stronger as he fought, using the magic power from his opponent’s attacks to restore his own.
Of course, this absorption and replenishment naturally had its limits.
In a single battle, I can supplement a maximum of 30 units of magic power this way. Any more than that… and my current meridians won’t be able to take it.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yu looked at his Feather Book again. After two weeks of ascetic training, his base stats had also improved significantly.
[Zhang Yu]
[Dao heart: Level 3 (53%)]
[Magic power: 21.8]
[Physical Strength: 1.51]
Sigh, it’s a shame I didn’t learn the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method a month or two earlier. If only I’d had more time to raise my physical strength…
After returning home and taking a quick shower, Zhang Yu hurried to catch a bus, setting off on the road to White Dragon High School.
…
11:31 PM.
The moment Zhang Yu stepped out of the subway station, he saw a building roughly thirty stories tall, which he knew to be White Dragon High School.
But he had no time to admire it, because at this moment Zhang Yu was very, very, very hungry.
Where’s Zhen?
I have to find her and borrow some money for dinner. How am I supposed to compete if I’m starving?
As for Zhang Yu’s own money, that was, of course, long gone.
The Imperishable Seal Art alone had wiped out the thirty thousand credits in his account.
The little that was left over had been spent on food, drinks, and alchemical enhancers over the last few days.
Just as Zhang Yu was looking around anxiously, a hand slapped him firmly on the shoulder.
Zhang Yu turned his head, a pleased surprise on his face.
“Zhen? Quick…”
“Yu-boy, lend me some money,” Bai Zhenzhen said weakly, clutching her stomach. “I don’t have money for dinner, I feel like I’m going to collapse.”
Zhang Yu was aghast. “You spent all your money too?”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s reaction, Bai Zhenzhen cried out in anguish, “You’re broke too? What are your spending habits like? How do you blow through money so fast you can’t even afford dinner?”