Chapter 200: The Most Perfect High School Physique
Layers of Netherworld Heavy Water pressed in, forcing every inch of Zhang Yu’s skin to resist the pressure from all sides.
Under this pressure, he had to not only activate his muscles to counteract the water pressure and protect his physical structure, but also use them to drive the airflow within his body’s cavities to maintain an internal-external pressure equilibrium, preventing damage to vulnerable areas like his eardrums, sinuses, and eyes.
As the simulated depth of the Netherworld Heavy Water continued to increase and the surrounding pressure mounted, Zhang Yu had to constantly erupt with even more formidable physical power.
But at a simulated depth of -1300 meters, Zhang Yu’s diaphragm, which had been driving the air in his chest, suddenly faltered, causing his breath to catch for half a beat.
“Hm?”
This is the first time this has happened since I gained such precise control over my body, Zhang Yu thought, slightly alarmed.
The simulated depth of the Netherworld Heavy Water continued to descend.
-1305 meters
The muscles in Zhang Yu’s throat constricted slightly, and he felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows from the pressure difference. He quickly flexed his muscles to accelerate the flow of air within his body.
But as he focused his attention on his neck, a pang of pain shot through his knee; the surrounding muscles had failed to protect the joint from the water pressure.
Zhang Yu forcefully channeled his strength, immediately shielding his knee with his muscles.
-1312 meters
As the simulated depth continued to drop, Zhang Yu felt more and more minor pains erupting across his body. He knew these were his body’s many fragile parts being damaged by the crushing force of the Netherworld Heavy Water.
Time and again, Zhang Yu had to channel his strength to fight back against the Netherworld Heavy Water and protect his physical form.
But as the depth continued to increase, he felt the pressure from the Netherworld Heavy Water growing fiercer, and the number of vulnerable spots on his body began to multiply.
In that moment, he felt like a submarine sinking into the deep sea, constantly being crushed and deformed.
Although he repeatedly used his physical strength to resist this deformation, as the number of points unable to withstand the pressure grew, Zhang Yu gradually began to feel overwhelmed.
Distortions from exertion, muscles failing, flesh twitching, reactions lagging…
For the first time ever, Zhang Yu felt a sense of losing control.
He clearly possessed immense strength, yet he found it difficult to unleash it to its fullest, let alone coordinate his entire body to perfectly counteract the pressure of the Netherworld Heavy Water assailing him from all directions.
It was not a lack of technique in controlling his body, but rather a deficiency in his mental fortitude.
This is… A flash of understanding crossed Zhang Yu’s mind as he recalled something his teacher had once said in the Dao heart class.
“The Dao heart is the key for a cultivator to command all of their own powers, to steer magic power and the physical body with their mind, and to face all kinds of mutations with their spirit.”
“When one’s power exceeds the level the Dao heart can govern, in severe cases, it leads to cultivation deviation and demonic possession; in milder cases, a loss of control over one’s power.”
He glanced at the data displayed on the Feather Book: Dao heart Level 7 (18.5%).
In the past few months, my physical strength has progressed by leaps and bounds, Zhang Yu thought, but the progress of my Dao heart has been far too slow in comparison.
Especially after taking advantage of today’s training conditions to explosively increase my physical strength, my Dao heart has fallen even further behind.
It’s just that the simulated depth wasn’t that great before, so I could resist the Netherworld Heavy Water by exerting only a portion of my strength.
But as the depth continues to drop, I’m increasingly required to use my maximum strength to fight it, making the inadequacy of my Dao heart more and more apparent.
-1321 meters
When Zhang Yu could no longer perfectly protect every part of his body with his physical strength, it meant his body was beginning to suffer significant wear and tear. The pain he felt intensified from minor to severe.
Just then, another candidate chose to give up, leaving only Zhang Yu, Meng Tao, and Ye Lingxiao.
I have to hold on until I’m in second place, Zhang Yu thought. That’s the only way to secure a spot in the top two of the overall score, guarantee my place in the next round, and have a chance to compete for a Foundation Establishment qualification certificate.
With this thought, Zhang Yu violently detonated the toxins accumulated in his body by the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen.
As the Zen character on his chest rapidly vanished, his body was intensely stimulated, continuously squeezing out his life’s potential. He began to erupt with physical power exceeding his own limits, helping him resist the pressure of the Netherworld Heavy Water.
Meanwhile, as the simulated depth continued to drop, Ye Lingxiao’s body underwent a series of wondrous transformations as he began to activate one protective cultivation technique after another.
His body shrank continuously as the depth increased, each contraction raising his body’s density and granting him greater resistance to pressure. This was the level 10 expert-grade protective cultivation technique, the Pliant and Exquisite Bone.
Soon after, strange patterns emerged on his undulating muscles, forming what looked like dragon scales that provided a better structure for resisting the Netherworld Heavy Water. This was the level 10 expert-grade cultivation technique, the Great Heavenly Dragon Force.
When the depth reached -1400 meters, Ye Lingxiao’s skin began to change color. As his fascia expanded, his normal flesh tone turned a dark, bruised black, granting his body superior toughness and elasticity to resist the Netherworld Heavy Water. This was the level 10 expert-grade protective cultivation technique, the Elephant Demon Sinew Transformation.
The combination of the Elephant Demon Sinew Transformation and the Great Heavenly Dragon Force made him look as though he were covered in a layer of black dragon scales.
After activating three level 10 expert-grade protective cultivation techniques in succession, Ye Lingxiao stood calmly within the Dinghai Pillar with his arms crossed, his expression still serene.
As the possessor of a Perfect Bloodline, his innate control over his body was unparalleled; he could master any cultivation technique with a single glance and perfect it with minimal practice.
Coupled with his level 10 Dao heart, he could freely command his level 10 physical strength and various Qi Refinement stage cultivation techniques.
Having cultivated from his first year of high school to the present first semester of his third year, the number of cultivation techniques he had mastered had long surpassed the imagination of ordinary people. His body, tempered by countless cultivation techniques, had been evaluated by Oasis Corporation as the most perfect physique among all high school students on Kunxu’s first layer.
The current simulated depth was far from his limit, allowing him to continue his thoughts with ease.
That Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule doesn’t simply lower intelligence. It splits my mind in two, as if there’s another person in my head.
If there was a way to control both minds simultaneously…
Ye Lingxiao thought to himself, Hmph, the company that developed the Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule might have stumbled upon something good.
As the successor of the Ye clan from the Immortal Capital, Ye Lingxiao knew that in the process of developing many drugs, one sometimes obtained results completely different from the intended goal.
The Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule was clearly one such case. In Ye Lingxiao’s view, its side effect was far more valuable than its intended effect of enhancing the Dao heart.
I can have the family look into investing in this Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule when I get back.
Having reached a conclusion, Ye Lingxiao finally raised his head to observe the performance of the other candidates.
His primary focus was, naturally, Zhang Yu.
Watching Zhang Yu constantly adjusting his posture, struggling to resist the Netherworld Heavy Water, an incredulous thought surfaced in Ye Lingxiao’s mind: Hm? This guy… he’s already at his limit?
To be honest, Ye Lingxiao had been somewhat shocked by Zhang Yu’s performance in the previous round.
From that moment on, he had taken his opponent very seriously, already considering Zhang Yu his greatest rival for the Foundation Establishment qualification certificate this time.
After all, Ye Lingxiao’s own ability to absorb, withstand, and metabolize drugs was already top-tier in the high school circles of the Immortal Capital.
The medicinal scent he normally exhaled could be fatal to mortals, and his single annual bowel movement could be sold at a high price, considered by Oasis Corporation to have great research value.
In Ye Lingxiao’s eyes, someone who could surpass him in drug consumption was undoubtedly a person of unfathomable strength.
Furthermore, his opponent’s performance in the last round, learning an eight-star difficulty cultivation technique within half an hour, was also quite impressive.
Ye Lingxiao had already been convinced of Zhang Yu’s formidable power.
But he never would have imagined that after displaying such terrifying drug metabolism in the first half, his opponent’s performance in the second half would be so… so ordinary.
Is he hiding his strength?
Depth: -1422 meters.
Shortly after Ye Lingxiao activated his triple technique transformation, Meng Tao, at his side, could no longer hold on and chose to give up.
At that moment, only Ye Lingxiao and Zhang Yu remained in the field.
Through continuous observation, Ye Lingxiao gradually became certain of one thing.
This Number 55 (Zhang Yu) isn’t hiding his strength. His physical body is indeed far weaker than mine.
The Netherworld Heavy Water’s test of the physical body was extremely comprehensive. Not only did Ye Lingxiao determine through observation that Zhang Yu was not hiding his strength, but he also gradually figured out his opponent’s true capabilities.
He hasn’t mastered enough protective cultivation techniques, and even his control over his body is incomplete. Is it because of a gap between his Dao heart and physical strength?
But if that’s the case, why did he have such a strong drug tolerance and metabolism in the first half?
What could be the reason for a person to display a performance that doesn’t match their actual strength?
To Ye Lingxiao, the answer was all too obvious in Kunxu.
Some new Immortal Dao technology? Has his body undergone some kind of modification?
Ye Lingxiao frowned slightly at this conclusion.
From a personal standpoint, he could confirm that his opponent’s overall physical qualities were far inferior to his own, making him completely unqualified to compete with him for the Foundation Establishment certificate.
But from the perspective of his company and his clan, the potential technology his opponent possessed was very important.
I should have someone investigate whether similar technology exists in other cities, Ye Lingxiao thought.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu glanced at Ye Lingxiao, who was standing motionless, his strength still not fully revealed.
Feeling the taste of blood in his chest and the gradual weakening of his body after the burst of stimulation, Zhang Yu thought, Although I have a stronger drug metabolism and absorption ability than him thanks to the High School Sacred Body, in terms of overall strength, there’s still a gap between me and this top-tier young master from the Immortal Capital.
Just that collection of cultivation techniques he has must be worth a fortune. Damned rich people.
It’s not just the vast difference in the number of cultivation techniques; my physical strength hasn’t reached the level 10 limit yet, and my Dao heart is also insufficient.
However, Zhang Yu was thankful that he had managed to secure second place. Including his drug consumption score from the first half, he was confident he had done enough to get into the top two overall, so he also chose to give up.
Now, only Ye Lingxiao remained in the entire examination hall.
Looking at his opponent, Zhang Yu thought, Next time… next time, I will definitely catch up to you, and then surpass you.
Under the watchful eyes of Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, Meng Tao, and the others, Ye Lingxiao stood in the Netherworld Heavy Water as if nothing was wrong. As the depth continued to drop, his body simply continued to undergo various transformations.
Ye Lingxiao understood that what he had to do next was simple: continue standing there until his total score surpassed everyone else’s, making him number one in today’s Foundation Establishment examination.
He clenched his fist slightly and thought, I will always stand in first place, until I reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao that I am capable of achieving.