Chapter 80: Cultivation Technique, Cultivation
Inside the restaurant.
Lei Jun stood up and said, “I’d like to say a few words.”
“I never expected such an incredible outcome in this martial arts tournament.”
“Honestly, given Songyang’s resources, I would have been satisfied just to snag tenth place.”
“But with Zhang Yu taking first and Bai Zhenzhen fourth, it just goes to show that my teaching methods are pretty effective…”
Seeing Lei Jun’s triumphant expression, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, So Old Lei can be a real braggart.
Old Lei smiled at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen and continued, “Of course, the two of you, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, made indispensable contributions.”
“In all my years of teaching at Songyang, I’ve never seen martial arts talent like yours. As your teacher, I have to thank you for this achievement.”
He then pointed to Zhang Yu, who was taking advantage of the moment to practice the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Mantra.
“Look at Zhang Yu. He uses every spare moment to cultivate. I haven’t seen that kind of diligence and self-discipline in years.”
Zhang Yu shook his head inwardly with a sigh. If this ritual wasn’t constantly nagging him, who would want to cultivate while eating and walking?
Old Lei continued, “Finally, I hope you’ll keep up the hard work and get into a university you’re happy with.”
After his speech, Old Lei downed his milk tea in one gulp, and the atmosphere at the table grew more lively.
With Lei Jun present, Zhao Tianxing seemed a bit reserved. He raised his glass to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
“Yu-boy, Zhen, congratulations on your great results in the tournament.”
Qian Shen pointed to a dish. “This is their specialty. You have to try it.”
As the dishes arrived, the group, none of whom were ordinary, fell upon the food like a whirlwind, their chopsticks a blur as they devoured one plate after another.
Just then, Zhang Yu’s phone buzzed.
He took it out and saw it was a message from Zhang Pianpian.
Zhang Pianpian: Little brother, congratulations on first place in the martial arts tournament. You’re one step closer to your goal.
Zhang Pianpian: And don’t forget to pay back the forty thousand you borrowed.
Looking at her last message, Zhang Yu sighed to himself, My dear sister, she’s not exactly rolling in money either.
Just then, Qian Shen asked curiously, “What did Le Mulan mean on the stage, talking about you and making money?”
So Zhang Yu briefly explained the situation with Le Mulan and the 400,000.
This was the first Lei Jun had heard of it. His eyes widened as he looked at Zhang Yu.
“So you chose to take first place? To beat her on the stage?”
Zhang Yu declared proudly, “How could a martial artist of my caliber bow down for a mere four hundred thousand?”
Lei Jun pointed at Zhang Yu, his heart aching. “Foolish! Utterly foolish!”
Zhang Yu isn’t even trying to get into the Ten Greats, he thought.
He sighed aloud. “How can first place in the martial arts tournament compare to four hundred thousand?”
“Money is power, potential, and the future. Even though you had to sacrifice first place, with your talent, that four hundred thousand could have helped you place in many more tournaments to come.”
Beside him, Zhao Tianxing couldn’t help but sigh. “Four hundred thousand… that’s a steep price for first place in a martial arts tournament.”
Seeing the regretful looks on Lei Jun’s and Zhao Tianxing’s faces, as if they themselves had lost the money, Zhang Yu was speechless. And yet… this was Kunxu. It was perfectly normal.
Besides, Zhang Yu knew that, in a way, they were right. Whether it was for the upcoming physical tournament or the talisman tournament, money would be incredibly useful to him.
Just then, his phone buzzed again. He opened it and saw a message from the tournament organizers.
First, the 50,000 in prize money was being processed.
Second, he needed to choose his prize: an expert-level cultivation technique.
Zhang Yu immediately focused on the list of cultivation techniques they had sent.
As he read, he considered the cultivation techniques he had already mastered.
For my Dao heart, I have the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art. For magic power, I have the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method. For combat, in addition to the Limitless Cloud Hand and the Imperishable Seal Art, I’ve now also learned the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand.
Dao heart, magic power, combat… I already have expert-level techniques for all of those. The expert-level technique I need most now, especially for the physical tournament in two months, is a body tempering art.
Although the effectiveness of techniques like the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art and the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method would diminish as his stats increased, they were still sufficient for now.
His current method for body tempering, the Thirty-Six Body-Strengthening Forms, was far too basic in comparison.
He filtered the list of rewards to show only the body tempering cultivation techniques. There were three options: Dragon-Elephant Might, Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi, and Tendon-Shifting Marrow-Swapping.
After looking them over, Zhang Yu still wasn’t sure which to choose, so he decided to ask Lei Jun for his opinion.
Lei Jun listened and nodded slightly. “You’re right, what you need most now is a body tempering cultivation technique.”
As a veteran teacher, although Lei Jun didn’t teach physical education, he was still quite knowledgeable about body tempering cultivation techniques.
He glanced at the three techniques Zhang Yu had picked out and immediately had a good sense of them.
He said, “This Dragon-Elephant Might, as its name suggests, is a strength-based technique. It’s the best for increasing physique, but it has high requirements for alchemical enhancers; it’s hard to make progress without a dozen injections a day. The result… is something similar to Song Hailong.”
A human tank, in other words. Zhang Yu recalled Song Hailong’s two-and-a-half-meter frame and nodded in understanding.
Lei Jun continued, “Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi is a more balanced body tempering cultivation technique. It focuses on internal refinement, building power in the tendons and bones for explosive strength. It’s best practiced in conjunction with alchemical enhancers and dietary supplements.”
A bruiser, Zhang Yu judged. Half tank, half damage-dealer.
“Finally, this Tendon-Shifting Marrow-Swapping is definitely not for you. It focuses more on flexibility and the body’s ability to contort, and it’s meant to be used in conjunction with other specialized techniques.”
At this point, Zhang Yu had narrowed his choices down to Dragon-Elephant Might and Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi.
But both techniques had their pros and cons, and he couldn’t immediately decide.
Lei Jun added, “I’d recommend Dragon-Elephant Might. For one, it’s a relatively simple technique. For another, it fits well with Songyang’s style of body tempering. You can even ask Wang Hai for some pointers.”
“That Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi emphasizes internal refinement, which is extremely difficult. Without guidance from a master teacher, not only is it hard to master, but you can also easily injure yourself. Injuries sustained while practicing this art are so common that insurance policies don’t even cover them.”
Suddenly, an idea struck Zhang Yu.
“Teacher,” he asked, “how many forms does each technique have?”
Lei Jun thought for a moment. “I don’t remember for Dragon-Elephant Might. A few dozen, probably. But each form is simple and unadorned, progressing step-by-step. It’s not hard to learn.”
“I remember Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi, because the entire technique consists of a single standing stance. But don’t underestimate it. That one stance requires the perfect coordination of your entire body. It’s extremely difficult and makes you prone to injury. It’s not suitable for you right now…”
Zhang Yu’s eyes suddenly lit up. He knew which one he would choose.
Zhang Yu immediately sent his selection to the organizers. Soon after, the digital manual and usage rights for Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi were delivered to him.
Before long, Zhang Yu and the others had eaten their fill. Seeing that it was almost six-thirty, they decided they couldn’t be bothered to go home and wash up, so they headed straight for the school.
…
Meanwhile.
Early in the morning at Songyang High School.
Zhou Chechen frowned at Lan Ling. “What did you say?”
Lan Ling could only repeat himself. “Zhang Yu took first place in the martial arts tournament.”
“Zhang Yu? First place in the martial arts tournament?” Zhou Chechen asked in disbelief. “Did White Dragon, Purple Cloud, and Red Pagoda not even send any contestants?”
Lan Ling had no choice but to take out his phone. “He defeated Song Hailong from White Dragon High School, then beat Le Mulan from Purple Cloud High School to take the top spot.”
Zhou Chechen took the phone and watched the video of Zhang Yu’s fight. After a moment, he looked up, a surprised expression on his face.
“The weak defeating the strong… No, his stats may be lower, but considering his martial skill and combat performance, at the moment of victory, he was indeed the stronger one.”
“I never would have thought… truly, never, that our own Songyang could produce someone like him.”
“Zhang Pianpian must have invested a small fortune in this Zhang Yu to get him this far.”
At this thought, a dark expression flickered across Zhou Chechen’s face. Zhang Yu should have been his to sign, but now he was under Zhang Pianpian’s protection.
It was as if a promising project he had scouted was snatched from under his nose, and now its value was skyrocketing.
For a wealthy man like Zhou Chechen, earning less was the same as losing money, to say nothing of missing out on such a promising asset.
He could only tell himself that in another six months, he would be able to snatch both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen back. When that time came, he would be sure to recoup all his lost potential earnings from the two of them.
Just then, Lan Ling reminded him, “What about Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s application to join the physical tournament team?”
Zhou Chechen snorted. “Rejected.”
Lan Ling said, “Wang Hai is very keen on having them join. He’s mentioned it several times.”
“And then there’s Zhang Pianpian’s inspection team… without a valid reason, it might be difficult to justify.”
The thought of Zhang Pianpian causing another scene at Songyang High School, potentially embarrassing him publicly, made a flicker of anxiety cross Zhou Chechen’s eyes.
Then Zhou Chechen said calmly, “Each school can send five people to the physical tournament.”
“Then tell them this… in one month, if Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen can place in the top five among first-years in physicals, they can join the competition. If their stats aren’t good enough, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. It will have nothing to do with us.”
Lan Ling’s eyes flickered. He knew that with their current physical scores, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen would have no problem maintaining a top-five rank.
Unless, of course, another group of first-year students was chosen to participate in the special training program to completely eclipse Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in terms of physical strength.
Zhou Chechen made a quick calculation. “In one month, based on their current rate of progress, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s physical strength will only reach between level 1.8 and 2.1.”
Zhou Chechen picked up the student files from his desk and said calmly, “It’s been half a year since the semester started. The first-years have a solid foundation. Let’s start a bit early this year. Recruit these five into the special training program and have them participate in the physical tournament.”
“In one month, we’ll use the special training program to boost their physical strength to level 3.0 or higher. That will push Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen out of the running, and then even Zhang Pianpian won’t have anything to say about it.”
He looked at the student files in his hands. In addition to the five first-years—Qian Shen, He Dayou, Zhao Tianxing, and two others—there were also more than a dozen second-year students, paired up to correspond with each of the five first-years.