Chapter 174: Arousing Yu Xinghan’s Potential
White Dragon High School.
Inside the training room.
As the door to the room sealed completely, only Yu Xinghan and Zhang Yu were left inside the training room.
Looking at Yu Xinghan, who was brimming with fighting spirit from head to toe, Zhang Yu asked curiously, “Calling me here in such a hurry… it seems this isn’t just about combat training?”
Yu Xinghan looked at the Zhang Yu before him, and the image of their first meeting flashed in his mind.
Back then, he had been able to easily surpass the other in the physical education competition. It was just a pity that because of Li Xuelian’s suppression, he had not been able to win the championship.
Thinking of how Li Xuelian had suppressed him in the competition, Yu Xinghan could not help but clench his fists.
But he quickly shook his head, cast aside the distracting thought, and continued to look at Zhang Yu.
During the combat training sessions over the past period, he could feel that Zhang Yu was also constantly improving, constantly striving to catch up to him.
But he had never imagined that the other, without him even realizing it… seemed to be showing signs of surpassing him.
Especially his performance in the Foundation Establishment exam. At least the physical control he displayed in the Battle of Gluttony was already superior to his own.
And in his subsequent martial arts studies, the other had displayed an astonishing learning ability.
Thinking of this, Yu Xinghan spoke up, “Recently, on the path of the Immortal Dao, I have encountered a very important choice.”
“Should I face the difficulty head-on, or should I take a detour? To be honest, I’ve been very hesitant.”
Zhang Yu understood and nodded. “Hesitating between difficult and easy… ultimately, it means you want to face the difficulty, but you’re afraid you’ll fail.”
Hearing this, Yu Xinghan gave a wry smile. “You’re right. That’s why I want to put some pressure on myself, to find some resolve from you.”
“Today, we’ll have a private match. The outcome will not be revealed to anyone, regardless of who wins or loses.”
“I only hope that you, Zhang Yu, can show your full strength and decide this with me.”
Sensing the intense fighting spirit in Yu Xinghan’s eyes, Zhang Yu could see… the other had come seeking defeat.
This guy… after the Foundation Establishment exam, he must have sensed that my actual combat power might be superior to his, right?
So he wants to use a defeat at my hands to make a certain resolution?
Zhang Yu nodded, “Yu Xinghan, I can feel your fighting spirit, I can feel your resolve.”
“But what’s that got to do with me?”
Full strength? Deciding a winner in a real fight? Zhang Yu had no time for such nonsense. Whether he got injured or Yu Xinghan got injured, it would be a hassle. Or if he broke any of the plants and decorations in the training room, he would have to pay for them.
Watching Zhang Yu’s departing back, Yu Xinghan was not surprised. Having spent time with him, he had long since figured out that Zhang Yu, like himself, had a strong talent for the Immortal Dao. He would never do a deal that lost money, and his money-making skills were masterfully refined.
Yu Xinghan immediately said, “Let’s stop pretending. If you can beat me, I’ll give you ten thousand yuan.”
Zhang Yu’s steps faltered slightly. “You’re a Golden Core disciple, the top student at White Dragon High School.”
“You want more money, right? Is twenty thousand enough? This is all my private savings. That’s the most I can do.”
Sensing the determination in the other’s eyes, Zhang Yu knew it would be difficult to raise the price any further.
He nodded and said, “For friendship’s sake, twenty thousand it is. I’ll give you a discount…”
Before his words had even faded, a deafening boom erupted from under Zhang Yu’s feet, like the roar of cannon fire, and his entire body shot toward Yu Xinghan.
“Nice sneak attack!” Yu Xinghan roared, unleashing a Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Shattering Palm at the approaching Zhang Yu.
And Zhang Yu countered with a Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Shattering Palm of his own. Their palms collided with a violent sonic boom.
Yu Xinghan took a step back. Seeing Zhang Yu standing perfectly still, his fighting spirit ignited.
“Again!”
The two first clashed fiercely with their Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Shattering Palms. Zhang Yu, relying on the protection of his Subcutaneous Astral Qi and the force-dispersing techniques of the Limitless Cloud Hand and Imperishable Seal Art, immediately gained a significant advantage.
So Yu Xinghan suddenly erupted with his astonishing speed, closing the distance in a single dash to engage Zhang Yu in close-quarters combat.
In the extremely close-range battle, fists, palms, elbows, shoulders, knees… every part of Yu Xinghan’s body became a weapon. As he unleashed one practical combat art after another, he closed in on Zhang Yu like a maelstrom.
But facing Yu Xinghan’s storm-like onslaught, Zhang Yu’s body suddenly erupted with streams of white Formless Cloud-Astral Qi, which formed whirlpools of cloud and mist that intercepted every attack.
Limitless Cloud Hand Level 10 activation!
More than half a year had passed since he obtained the Limitless Cloud Hand technique at the Magic Power Competition.
So in recent weeks, Zhang Yu had gradually begun to use the Level 10 form of this cultivation technique without reservation.
At this moment, his body was wreathed in white clouds and mist that formed numerous vortices. He employed various techniques of pulling, shifting, dispersing, absorbing, and repelling, not only neutralizing Yu Xinghan’s attacks one by one but also vibrating the other’s qi, blood, and muscles in return, continuously damaging Yu Xinghan’s body.
But Yu Xinghan paid it no mind and continued to hammer away at Zhang Yu, as if trying to tear through the clouds and mist before him with his own true strength to see the clear sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two were like giant beasts tearing at each other, every move and every stance erupting with thunderous booms.
After fighting fiercely for a full half-hour, Zhang Yu looked at the slowly retreating Yu Xinghan and said, “Ready to admit defeat?”
As Yu Xinghan gasped for breath, he felt waves of aching numbness and fatigue coming from his muscles and meridians, as if he had been repeatedly struck hundreds or thousands of times with a great iron hammer. He could no longer continue the intense battle.
Yu Xinghan looked at Zhang Yu, still wreathed in clouds and mist, and thought to himself, This kid is way too tough, isn’t he?
Recalling the fight just now, Yu Xinghan felt that every time he struck the seemingly light and fluffy Formless Cloud-Astral Qi, it was like hitting incredibly tough steel bars.
When he finally managed to shatter the cloud-like astral qi, Zhang Yu could quickly replenish it, and his magic power showed no signs of depletion even now.
Crucially, with every move Yu Xinghan made… his qi, blood, and muscles were constantly vibrated by the rebound, shaking his muscles into a state of fatigue until he no longer had the strength to fight.
Although he had long known that Zhang Yu’s skill of using the opponent’s force against them was formidable, to be utterly defeated even when going all out filled Yu Xinghan’s heart with a strong sense of frustration and… humiliation.
“I was the one chosen by Master to become a Golden Core disciple.”
“After receiving so much investment and training from Master, becoming a student at White Dragon High School… I actually lost to Zhang Yu?”
Seeing Yu Xinghan’s dejected expression, Zhang Yu said, “Um… are you okay?”
“If you’re okay, can you transfer the money now?”
Yu Xinghan shot Zhang Yu a glare. As he circulated the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, he forced himself to summon waves of blazing fighting spirit.
He tried hard to remember the unwillingness, humiliation, and frustration he had just felt, intending to transform these negative emotions into pressure to face the challenges ahead.
Still letting your body rule you? After losing to Zhang Yu, what face do you have left?
At this moment, Yu Xinghan made a painful resolution. He would conquer his body’s instincts with supreme will and, starting today, abstain from that desire.
Yu Xinghan opened his phone and recorded: Day 1 of conquering my instincts.
And just as Yu Xinghan was transferring money to Zhang Yu, Fu Ji suddenly said, “Did that kid have a fertility restoration surgery? Didn’t you feel that some details were different when he was fighting?”
Zhang Yu thought, Your eyes are too sharp, aren’t they?
But the next moment, he suddenly remembered that during the Foundation Establishment exam, Yu Xinghan seemed to have been scheduled for a surgery by the righteous gods before continuing his martial arts cultivation.
Could the martial art he chose be a technique like the Yin-Yang Union Grand Art? So he had to have a restoration surgery first before he could cultivate it?
Did he take advantage of the Foundation Establishment exam to get a free restoration surgery?
It had to be said, based on Zhang Yu’s understanding of Yu Xinghan, he felt that the other was entirely capable of doing such a thing to take advantage of the situation.
While Zhang Yu was pondering this, Fu Ji spoke again.
“Take this opportunity to introduce him to Red Pagoda Group to sell his seed. You can earn a referral fee.”
“With Yu Xinghan’s money-grubbing personality, it’s highly likely he’ll agree.”
“That director from yesterday who was so interested in you will definitely shift his attention to this Golden Core disciple. After all, to be honest, the quality of this guy’s seed is definitely superior to yours.”
“You get rid of a problem and earn a referral fee. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up, but he was a little worried about whether Yu Xinghan would be restricted by True Person Starfire’s contract.
Seemingly sensing Zhang Yu’s hesitation, Fu Ji chuckled.
“Targeting bloodlines, calculating the karma of descendants—those are matters for the middle and upper echelons of Kunxu to consider. Their control over bloodline descendants is also the strictest; otherwise, all of Kunxu would have been filled with the descendants of immortals long ago.”
“The reason I’m taking precautions for you in advance is that I’m certain you can climb to the upper levels of Kunxu.”
“As for these guys on the first layer, even a fallen waste like True Person Starfire with his ruined Golden Core, how would he consider such things?”
“When Yu Xinghan becomes a bit more famous and his strength reaches a certain level, True Person Starfire might even take the initiative to arrange a restoration surgery for him and then drag him off to sell his protein.”
Zhang Yu decided to give it a try. He looked at Yu Xinghan and asked, “Xinghan, I’ve got a really easy way to make money here. Want to give it a shot?”
Yu Xinghan raised an eyebrow, wary. “Easy money? Is there really such a good thing in this world?”
A few hours later.
Inside Red Pagoda Tower.
Having completed his physical examination, Yu Xinghan sat nervously in a quiet room.
Looking at the images of beautiful and tempting men and women flashing on the screen before him, he quickly waved his hand and said, “Don’t arrange a real person for me.”
He thought to himself, Compared to other students, I now have an extra root of disaster. I’m like a disabled person.
If I interact with a real person and end up in a premature relationship, wouldn’t my life be ruined?
A voice came from the screen: “Our company is dedicated to providing the most comfortable working environment for every seed provider. In that case, shall we arrange a puppet for you?”
Yu Xinghan waved his hand, about to refuse, when the voice on the other end said, “The puppet’s appearance can be freely adjusted…”
After a moment of silence, Yu Xinghan asked, “Can I upload a photo for you to adjust it based on the picture?”
So a few minutes later, Yu Xinghan uploaded Li Xuelian’s photo.
An hour later, an exhausted Yu Xinghan lay on the floor. He found that his mind was completely empty of distracting thoughts, and the uncomfortable feeling was gone.
He tried to cultivate the Astral Qi Art and found that without the disturbance of distracting thoughts, the condensation of pure yang astral qi came naturally. His cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.
After cultivating like this for an hour, he felt the desire rise within him again, so he summoned the puppet once more.
In this way, he earned money when distracted and cultivated when his mind was clear. Cultivating while earning money, Yu Xinghan only felt more and more spirited, though the physical toll was a bit high.
“Hahahaha, such a wonderful thing actually exists in this world?”
“Although it’s a bit tiring and consumes a lot of protein, with this kind of money, I can just eat more demonic beast powder to recover.”