Chapter 133: Level 10 Crippled Ox, an Undercurrent Stirs
Listening to the conversation between Bai Zhenzhen and Miao Yun, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered. Although he had been in Kunxu for nearly half a year, a lot of knowledge and information was still settling deep in his mind, not yet fully integrated into his consciousness.
Hearing their conversation now, Zhang Yu gradually remembered that in Kunxu, faces could also be sold. Being good-looking was something that could be quantified by money.
He quickly took out his phone and logged into the face model website, wanting to see how much his own face was worth.
However, after the facial recognition scan, he received a notification that the model had already been sold.
Looking at the transaction record, it had sold for a mere 2,000, and it was a one-time buyout for a 20-year copyright.
There was also a user review: Handsomely generic.
I knew it. The original owner already sold it, Zhang Yu thought.
Sigh, I sold it for cheap. If I had waited until I was more famous to sell, the copyright would definitely be worth more.
He casually searched for valuable face models and found that even those of celebrities, stars, and influencers were only moderately valuable, as they were purely cosmetic face models.
The most valuable were functional face models, such as the faces of the Eight Ministries of Righteous Gods, which provided a bonus effect to talismans.
Another example was a face model with a charming effect, which served as a tool of the trade in certain special industries.
There were also various bizarre, non-human face models, which were equally expensive because they involved surgery and altering body structures.
Just then, Miao Yun came over to Zhang Yu. When she placed a finger on his body, he felt a cold, dark magic power being poured into him, but it quickly stimulated the Great Sun magic power circulating throughout him.
As the Great Sun magic power surged back, Miao Yun quickly retracted her hand. Is that a magic power cycle constructed by passive breathing? she wondered.
I think I only managed to master passive breathing in my third year of high school.
Sigh, another rich kid, I suppose? I’m so envious.
She blew on her fingertip and said, “Hey handsome, you burned me. Turn off your magic power too.”
Zhang Yu immediately stopped the passive breathing of his Great Sun Qi Sea.
Several hours later, after the ad shoot was finished, the first installment of his 600,000 after-tax endorsement fee, 200,000, arrived. Seeing his savings swell to over 480,000, Zhang Yu was ecstatic.
…
Several days later.
The calendar turned to late April.
Unconsciously, with the promotion of new body tempering techniques, sporadic purple people, black people, and beastmen had started to appear on the campus of Songyang High School.
And now, in the first-year model classroom.
Class advisor Su Haifeng’s eyes flickered with electricity as he promoted Purple Cloud’s ‘super-metabolism’ surgery to the students.
“To improve student performance, Purple Cloud Supplements has partnered with the school to offer a discounted package for the super-metabolism surgery. This is to ensure that students can use alchemical enhancers comfortably, safely, and with peace of mind in the future.”
“If your family has financial difficulties and can’t afford the surgery fee, you can come to me to apply for a loan…”
Below the stage, Zhao Tianxing looked at the surgery application form he had been given, a wave of hesitation washing over him.
Which is better, demonic muscle or super-metabolism?
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen both used demonic muscle. But with super-metabolism, the surgery alone isn’t enough; you have to spend even more money on alchemical enhancers later, which will put a greater and greater burden on my family.
The air was filled with the discussions of his classmates, many of whom were clearly just as hesitant as he was.
Zhao Tianxing turned to Qian Shen and asked, “Which one are you choosing?”
Qian Shen glanced at Zhao Tianxing, thinking that although the guy’s score was a bit low, his ‘score morality’ was decent.
So Qian Shen said frankly, “I originally planned to get the demonic muscle first, then the super-metabolism surgery, and finally the Black Dragon bloodline, since they are all reliable ways to improve my score…”
Hearing this, Zhao Tianxing couldn’t help but curse, filthy rich bastard.
Qian Shen continued, “Unfortunately, after consulting, I found out that these full-body modification surgeries conflict with each other. In the end, I had to choose super-metabolism.”
Just then, Su Haifeng on the stage continued, “…Other new body tempering techniques are just shortcuts, providing a temporary increase in physical strength. Only the super-metabolism surgery improves your cultivation speed for a lifetime and expands the upper limit of your future cultivation.”
“If you don’t seize the time to get this surgery now, you will only be left further and further behind in the future, eventually becoming useless, and probably won’t be able to stay in the model class…”
Zhao Tianxing watched as more and more classmates signed the surgery application, as if seeing crowds of purple people sprinting forward, leaving him further and further behind. He felt himself unknowingly standing with one foot out the door of the model class.
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Tianxing finally gave up on his original idea of saving some money for his family and lessening their burden, and signed his name on the super-metabolism surgery application.
Su Haifeng stood at the lectern, watching the students below sign one by one, seeming to see the future of Songyang High School, and indeed all the high school students in Songyang, turning into crowds of purple people, black people, and beastmen…
Oasis, Immortal Resonance, Purple Cloud, Red Pagoda… what are they planning? Can it be true what Master said, that they are plotting something?
Just then, his gaze swept over two empty seats, and he asked, “Where are Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen?”
He Dayou quickly replied, “They’re skipping class!”
A faint electric spark flashed in Su Haifeng’s eyes. If any other student dared to do this, he would make them understand how the thesis On the Application Prospects of Electric Shock in High School Education was written.
But Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen…
They could just pull out their competition awards, bring up the magic power class teacher, the martial arts class teacher, the physical education teacher. Even Su Haifeng would have a hard time dealing with them.
Forget it. Zhang Pianpian will be gone in another month and a half. Someone will take care of these two then.
In the audience, He Dayou looked at Su Haifeng with disappointment. Even this grade director, the first-year demon king, turned a blind eye to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s truancy. It made the Son of the School Director feel a sense of injustice. Can you really do whatever you want just because you have good grades?
…
Meanwhile.
On the rooftop.
The crippled ox visualized in Zhang Yu’s mind let out a long roar to the sky. His Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art had finally broken through to level 10.
As the heart art reached level 10, a surge of forward-striving intent welled up in his heart—an unyielding spirit that would not regret dying nine times, that would advance! advance! even if covered in wounds!
This resonated perfectly with Zhang Yu’s current all-or-nothing mindset to pass the Foundation Establishment exam and enter one of the Ten Greats, allowing him to circulate the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art more smoothly. His Dao heart became more rounded and stable, and he felt his will was stronger than before.
At the same time, at the moment the heart art reached level 10, waves of insight from honing the technique merged into his memories, giving him a new level of control over his body.
This was the effect of the level 10 Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art. He felt he could now empty his mind at any time, temporarily reducing mental energy consumption, and then increase the metabolism of his entire body’s vital energy to accelerate wound recovery and improve the efficiency of body tempering.
The breathing exercise and heart art are finally both at level 10…
Feeling the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art constantly circulating in his mind and the Great Sun Qi Sea magic power cycle operating naturally within his body, he felt one step closer to the Foundation Establishment certificate.
He looked at his stats on the Feather Book. His Dao heart and magic power had been steadily increasing during this period.
Dao heart Level 4 (89%)
Magic power 48.1
Body Strength 4.96
I’ve been focusing on cultivating my breathing technique and heart art these days and haven’t had a chance to train my body.
Now that the Great Sun Qi Sea and Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art are at level 10, I can focus most of my time on body tempering.
Since Zhang Yu planned to take the physical fitness track for the Foundation Establishment exam, his next training focus would naturally be on his physical strength.
But he also knew that in Kunxu, relying solely on his own ascetic training was not enough.
Fortunately, he now had a complete preparation and plan for body tempering.
…
After school, in the rental apartment.
Bai Zhenzhen leaned against the back of the door, listening to the thudding and banging sounds from inside.
It’s going to be two hours. I might as well find a quiet place to cultivate, she thought.
Inside the room, Zhang Yu and Le Mulan wore serious expressions, engrossed in a dangerous session of close-quarters combat.
Icy legs continuously scissored towards Zhang Yu, transmitting terrifying power with the close contact of their skin.
At this moment, Le Mulan felt the heat from his body on her legs. Although it was still just as scorching, she could now control her expression to not look so disgusted.
She did her best to focus on the contest of physical strength, learning Zhang Yu’s techniques in the midst of their struggle.
Zhang Yu was also very serious about this training. While grappling with Le Mulan, he wore a solemn expression as he rubbed the potion off her body.
In this process, Zhang Yu clearly noticed that the more intense the battle, the more effectively Le Mulan absorbed the drug’s power, and the more potion was secreted.
For example, her thighs, which showed a hint of fleshiness under his immense strength, felt cool and slippery to the touch, and the more he rubbed, the more potion seemed to be forced out.
Although he sometimes got distracted by the strange sensation from her legs, he would immediately focus on the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art and on self-improvement, casting aside all distracting thoughts.
Two hours later.
Bai Zhenzhen knocked on the door and asked, “Are you done?”
“Wait a moment, Zhen,” Zhang Yu said. “Le Mulan is still showering and changing.”
A few moments later, Le Mulan came out after her shower, dressed in fresh clothes. She glanced at Zhang Yu, who was still lying on the floor soaking in the potion.
“Looks like you’ve gotten used to it?” she asked coolly.
At this moment, Zhang Yu was evenly coated in a layer of the fragrant potion. He could feel his muscles, magic power, and brain becoming more active as the potion was absorbed through his skin.
Hearing Le Mulan’s question, Zhang Yu replied, “As for drinking it… I will absolutely never do that.”
“But deliberately washing it off… I won’t do that either.”
To save money, to improve his body tempering efficiency, and to pass the Foundation Establishment exam, Zhang Yu had decided to use Le Mulan’s potion to accelerate his cultivation.
Le Mulan smiled slightly at his words, a sudden curiosity welling up inside her.
She thought about how, for the sake of her grades, to advance further on the Immortal Dao, and to justify the money invested in her, she had to choose to actively adapt and change herself.
Could this poor boy before her really persist in his ways and not change? He would rather not drink her high-value potion?
If it were one of the lower-class students from Purple Cloud High School, they would probably be licking the floor by now.
She thought to herself, Can he really hold out and not drink it?
What if the value were even higher?