Chapter 82: Level 10, Part-Time Job
In the small garden behind the academic building.
Accompanied by the whistle of displaced air, Zhang Yu was practicing the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand, move by move.
Just then, a teacher suddenly darted out from the side and looked at Zhang Yu, saying, “What grade and class are you in? What’s your name? Why are you here during class time? Are you skipping?”
Zhang Yu answered calmly, “I am Zhang Yu from Grade One, Class One. I came out to practice some martial arts during math class.”
Upon hearing the name Zhang Yu, the teacher’s imposing manner immediately faltered.
And when he heard Zhang Yu was skipping math class, even the slightest hint of a stern expression vanished from his face.
Skipping math class counted as skipping class?
If you haven’t even skipped a general education course like math for the sake of your Immortal Dao cultivation, can you even be called an ace of Songyang High School?
Thus, after checking that Grade One, Class One was indeed having math class at this time, the teacher nodded and said, “There are still 27 minutes left. Remember to head back as soon as class is over, don’t be late for the next one.”
After the teacher left, Zhang Yu once again silently cultivated the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand.
Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand Lvl. 9 (89/90)
The reason he wasn’t cultivating the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand in the math classroom was simply that his progress in this martial art was too fast, and he didn’t want to attract attention in the classroom.
As he executed the final move, the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand instantly advanced to Level 10.
In that moment, countless martial arts experiences and practice memories surged forth from Zhang Yu’s mind, bringing his understanding of the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand, of grappling, and of throwing to a new peak.
At the same time, he could feel the Level 10 effect of the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand.
When he performed this martial art again, he could accurately sense his own center of gravity.
Zhang Yu realized that if he wished, he could also sense his opponent’s center of gravity and even use the techniques within the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand to instantly shatter their balance and throw them to the ground.
I get it. Whoever I trip, falls.
Truly a pure combat martial art.
And it feels like it pairs quite well with my Limitless Cloud Hand and Imperishable Seal Art…?
As streams of white astral qi erupted from his palms, with his Level 10 mastery of the Limitless Cloud Hand and Level 10 Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand, he faintly felt that he could combine the two martial arts.
If I substitute the Formless Cloud-Astral Qi for the explosive power of my hands, I can execute grappling and throwing techniques from a distance.
A sudden flash of insight crossed Zhang Yu’s mind.
Although the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand is powered by pure physical violence, that’s not a flaw, but rather an advantage.
Because it means a cultivator can later integrate all kinds of powerful forces, whether it’s astral qi, palm force, or fist strength, into the Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand.
This martial art is like a grand framework that can accommodate many different combat techniques…
At this moment, Zhang Yu sensed the foresight in Song Hailong’s cultivation of this Dragonback Mountain Toppler Hand. Not only was it suitable for Song Hailong to use immediately, but it also laid the groundwork for future combat power growth.
I wonder if he thought of this himself, or if it was designed for him by his family or private tutors behind him.
Dinnertime.
In the cafeteria.
Every student was shoveling down their food with focus. After all, whether it was the three great schools, the key high schools, or the regular high schools, there wasn’t a single high school student who wasn’t enthusiastic about eating.
However, one could faintly sense a miasma of resentment floating above the cafeteria today.
It was the resentment of dissatisfaction with the cafeteria’s food.
Bai Zhenzhen walked through the cafeteria hall with her tray. Although her appearance was striking, her ice-cold demeanor made many students feel she was unapproachable.
The moment she sat down, Bai Zhenzhen was heard complaining, “Half the windows have switched to selling synthetic food, and the prices for all the remaining pre-prepared meals have gone up. What a bunch of animals!”
Clearly, with the momentum of the Oasis Group, synthetic food was being continuously promoted in Songyang City and had imperceptibly made its way into the high school cafeteria.
Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhao Tianxing and Qian Shen and said, “We must absolutely not buy synthetic food. We have to boycott it fiercely and make them lose their shirts!”
“Is synthetic food even fit for human consumption?”
“Besides, who knows what they put in it…”
Just as Bai Zhenzhen was speaking, she saw Zhang Yu carrying a large plate of a paste-like substance and sitting down under the astonished gazes of the three of them.
Bai Zhenzhen exclaimed in shock, “Yu-boy! Why are you eating this stuff? Weren’t you against eating synthetic food?”
Zhang Yu said matter-of-factly, “The cafeteria is having a promotion today. Free tasting for synthetic food.”
Bai Zhenzhen immediately stood up, “I want to see for myself just how bad this synthetic food is.”
She walked over to the synthetic food window and heard the cafeteria lady in front introducing, “This is meat paste, this is vegetable paste, and this is rice paste. After you choose, you pick a flavor profile: Mapo Tofu flavor, Kung Pao Chicken flavor, Seafood Medley flavor…”
A short while later, Bai Zhenzhen returned to her seat with the free synthetic food she had received and, after one bite, her face showed utter shock, “This is synthetic food?”
It was impossible to know what kind of Immortal Dao technology was used, but when Bai Zhenzhen took a bite, she found that not only the taste and aroma but even the texture was seventy to eighty percent close to that of real pre-prepared meals.
Bai Zhenzhen remembered clearly that the cafeteria lady had scooped up various pastes, but after being mixed with different flavorings, they acquired all sorts of textures; some were like fatty meat, some like vegetable leaves, and some like fish…
This was a completely different thing from the synthetic food she had eaten in the past.
Bai Zhenzhen said in astonishment, “Has there been a breakthrough in the relevant Immortal Dao technology?”
Zhang Yu sighed from the side, “As expected, these big corporations don’t make losing deals. They dare to push this stuff out to compete with pre-prepared meals because they have the confidence to back it up.”
“This stuff doesn’t taste bad, it’s convenient and cheap. In the future, I’m afraid there will be fewer and fewer places selling pre-prepared meals in Songyang City.”
Zhao Tianxing sighed, “Doesn’t that mean a lot of pre-prepared food factories will go out of business? And a lot of people will lose their jobs again.”
The group talked as they ate, and Zhang Yu noticed that Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing seemed to have something on their minds, so he asked.
Qian Shen sighed and told them about how he, Zhao Tianxing, and three other first-year students had been recruited into the competition team.
Qian Shen said with a look of shame, “Sigh, we got into the sports competition team first even though our scores are lower than yours. I feel unworthy.”
Zhao Tianxing also looked nervously at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Among classmates, getting into the competition team or not was another layer of the campus hierarchy, enough to turn the closest of friends against each other.
And if a lower-scoring student snatched a spot from a higher-scoring one, that was the grudge of obstructing one’s academic path, enough to trigger a vicious campaign of school bullying that could very well end with one party jumping off a building.
Ever since PE class, Zhao Tianxing had been worried that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen would hold it against them.
Especially as someone who genuinely cared about what others thought, Zhao Tianxing was very worried that people might mistakenly think he had used some despicable means to steal the competition spot.
But listening to the two of them, Zhang Yu simply smiled, “It’s fine. We already know about this. It’s just that bunch of rats from the Student Council pulling strings.”
He then told them about the competition in one month’s time.
Zhang Yu continued, “From here on, let’s just focus on our own cultivation. In a month, we’ll compare our PE scores and see who gets to go to the competition.”
Hearing these words, and knowing that in the end, it would still come down to scores, both Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing felt a great sense of relief.
The two thought to themselves, As expected, we high school students should let our scores do the talking.
After finishing dinner, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen left the school together, preparing to take the subway to White Dragon High School.
On the way, Bai Zhenzhen said, “I’ve settled it with Song Hailong. We go twice a week, two hours a day. For each two-hour visit, you get 5,000, and I get 2,000.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s spirits lifted, “5,000 a session, twice a week is 10,000. Isn’t that 40,000 a month? Damn it, these rich people are so damn rich.”
Bai Zhenzhen added, “But he also made a condition. If on any given day of our combat training with him, we can’t win a single match in two hours, then he won’t need us anymore.”
After saying that, Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu and said, “Yu-boy, are you up for it?”
Although Zhang Yu had defeated Song Hailong in the martial arts competition, that had relied on the out-of-bounds rule.
And if his physical strength couldn’t keep up with Song Hailong’s, or if the gap between them widened even further, it would be even harder to win.
“Of course I’m up for it,” Zhang Yu said. “Little Song just relies on his thick skin and brute strength. Once my physical strength starts to catch up to his, he won’t be able to win a single match.”
“But what about you, Zhen? Are you up for it?”
Bai Zhenzhen snorted and patted her lower abdomen, “I asked my godmother to lend me a sum of money so I can rent a spiritual root to cultivate with every day. My rate of progress from now on… might just shock you, Yu-boy.”
Speaking of renting a spiritual root, Zhang Yu felt a surge of curiosity, “What kind of spiritual root did you rent exactly? When are you going to let me play with it?”
Bai Zhenzhen subconsciously touched her stomach, “Let you play with it?”
Zhang Yu said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “We’re brothers in arms. Can’t you let me play with the spiritual root you rented?”
Bai Zhenzhen frowned and said, “Let me think about it.”
She thought to herself, Can I lend my spiritual root to Yu-boy? Can I? It seems… it’s not entirely impossible…
Zhang Yu said from the side, “So stingy. I even let you play with my Talisman Tome, which is worth 100,000, several times.”
Bai Zhenzhen said, annoyed, “You have the nerve to bring that up? You only let me touch it each time, you barely let me tap it.”
Zhang Yu said helplessly, “I’m afraid you’ll accidentally bankrupt me by tapping it. Fine, you can play with it on the way there today.”
The two got on the subway, luckily managing to grab two seats this time.
Zhang Yu, still under the urging of the ritual, began to cultivate his heart art, racing against time to improve his Dao heart.
Bai Zhenzhen leaned against his back and curiously began to explore the Talisman Tome.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at White Dragon High School, showed the monthly passes Song Hailong had arranged for them, and headed to the designated training room.
“Yu-boy, look, so many of them are kneeling in class. What are they doing?”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s a White Dragon custom.”
Opening the door to the designated training room, they saw Song Hailong was already inside doing warm-up exercises.
Upon seeing Zhang Yu arrive, Song Hailong’s eyes lit up, and he pointed at the floor, saying, “Lie down.”
(Chapter End)