Chapter 34: Grades Released, Genius Appears

Gazing at Wang Hai's departing figure, Zhang Yu sighed, "Truly a responsible and dedicated teacher."

Bai Zhenzhen sidled up, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "What exactly just happened? All that smiling, shaking hands, and chatting."

"Did Wang Hai suddenly discover you're his long-lost father?"

Zhang Yu shook his head. "There could be many reasons, but ultimately... it all boils down to my performance in this monthly exam."

"Ah Zhen, as long as my grades keep improving and my abilities grow stronger, I'll have more and more good friends in this world, right?"

Watching Zhang Yu's smug expression, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "Just how many points did Yu score this time?"

"Could it be that he surpassed me? No, that shouldn't be possible..."

That evening, Zhang Yu returned to the outskirts and resumed his tireless cultivation of the "Circulation of the Heavenly Qi" method. His next goal was to raise it to level 10.

In the blink of an eye, the next morning arrived. Zhang Yu had advanced the "Circulation of the Heavenly Qi" to level 8 (37/160).

His mana, nourished by a day of passive and active breathing exercises, had also increased again, reaching 11.9 from 11.8.

Thanks to Wang Hai's sponsorship, Zhang Yu's savings, after deducting recent expenses, had soared to over seventy-two thousand yuan.

Upon seeing this sum, Zhang Yu immediately envisioned countless ways to spend it.

However, he ultimately suppressed these impulses, deciding to wait and see what kind of contract the school would offer him after this monthly exam, before planning how to use the money to enhance himself.

...

Four in the morning at Songyang High School.

Inside the teachers' office.

After another ordinary night of staying up late, Su Haifeng received the monthly exam results.

To ensure students could quickly understand their strengths and weaknesses, learn their scores, and guide their studies, the teachers worked overtime, calculating the scores and rankings of all participating students on the night of the exam.

A cause for celebration, indeed.

Su Haifeng scanned the rankings and scores.

First place: Bai Zhenzhen, total score 651.

Su Haifeng nodded slightly, thinking, "Bai Zhenzhen is still the undisputed first place. It's a pity her Dao Arts score is only 60. Otherwise, her total score could be even higher."

Second place: Qian Shen, total score 626.

Su Haifeng mused, "Qian Shen has been steadily progressing, especially with his Dao Arts score of 80, which significantly boosted his overall score."

Third place: Zhang Yu, total score 620.

Su Haifeng was taken aback, rubbing his eyes and looking again.

Third place: Zhang Yu, total score 620.

"How is this possible?"

Su Haifeng straightened up, quickly examining Zhang Yu's individual subject scores.

General Knowledge: 48, Dao Heart: 135, Mana: 142, Physical Education: 145, Martial Arts: 90, Dao Arts: 60.

"This..."

Su Haifeng was astounded. And this was with a Dao Arts score of only 60!

If he had scored just 7 more points in Dao Arts, wouldn't he have reached 627, surpassing Qian Shen to become second in the grade?

In other words, Zhang Yu had jumped from tenth place to third place in the grade in one fell swoop.

No... According to Su Haifeng's estimates, his ranking should have already fallen to around 20th three weeks ago. His scores in all subjects except Mana should have been steadily declining, bringing his total score down to nearly 30th.

"How could there be such a dramatic improvement?"

"Did he win the lottery?"

Su Haifeng became increasingly doubtful after seeing Zhang Yu's scores in each subject, especially his Mana score of 142 and his Physical Education score of 145!

He couldn't resist calling Wang Hai to ask what exactly was going on and whether Zhang Yu's scores had been miscalculated.

Four in the morning was when Songyang's cultivators were at their most energetic.

Wang Hai answered the phone quickly, asking, "What is it, Teacher Su?"

Su Haifeng inquired, "I see here that Zhang Yu's Physical Education score is 145? Is there some mistake..."

Wang Hai's attitude toward Zhang Yu might have been good today, but that didn't mean he had become a genuinely good-tempered person.

He was still the same gold-medal teacher who hated anyone challenging his authority over his subject.

Hearing Su Haifeng's question, he snorted coldly and interrupted him, "Teacher Su, are you questioning our Physical Education standards or our professional ethics?"

As Songyang High School's ace Physical Education teacher and gold-medal salesman, Wang Hai had no fear of Su Haifeng.

"If you have any objections to the scores, then apply for a review."

"But I can tell you, Zhang Yu's score is absolutely correct. It is 145."

"Because not only has his physical strength reached level 1.25, placing him in the top ranks of the grade, but his body's structural proportions are also absolutely excellent."

"With the foundation he has laid, his physical strength will only continue to increase, and he will undoubtedly be a leading figure in this year's class. It's not impossible for him to participate in physical competitions in the future."

Physical competitions, like Mana competitions, involved tests far exceeding the high school curriculum.

Achieving excellent results in these competitions not only brought substantial prize money but also provided advantages in university interviews and even bonus points in the college entrance examination.

As a high school that had produced city-wide sports champions, Songyang High School had always held a certain advantage in physical competitions.

Hearing Wang Hai's high praise for Zhang Yu, Su Haifeng was even more astonished. He quickly ignored the unpleasant tone in Wang Hai's voice and pressed, "Hasn't he been skipping Physical Education class for the past three weeks? How did his score improve so much?"

Hearing this, Wang Hai's face flushed slightly. After a pause, he explained, "Zhang Yu is different from ordinary students. He has his own development path and knows how he needs to cultivate."

Thinking that Zhang Yu was a Golden Core disciple, who needed his guidance, Wang Hai continued, "I recognized this and allowed him to manage his Physical Education classes as he sees fit."

"Not only can he manage his own classes, but he can even skip them in the future."

"This is called tailored education."

After ending the call with Wang Hai, Su Haifeng still found it unbelievable. Was Wang Hai talking about Zhang Yu? That poor kid?

After frowning and pondering for a moment, Su Haifeng made another call.

"Hello? The monthly exam results are out. Zhang Yu is third in the grade, with a score of..."

After reporting the scores, Su Haifeng sighed and said awkwardly, "I have to admit, I completely misjudged Zhang Yu."

"With his performance, it's perfectly normal for the school to offer him a Grade B or even a Grade A contract."

"That's not my responsibility. I estimate that the student council will be talking to him in a couple of days."

A male voice came from the other end of the phone: "I understand."

"Try to delay the student council as much as possible. I'll try other methods."

Su Haifeng said, "You know those guys in the student council. I can't delay them. Do whatever you need to do quickly."

...

Six thirty in the morning.

The entrance to Songyang High School was already bustling with students arriving for school.

As soon as Zhang Yu entered the school gates, he saw that the giant screen at the entrance had been updated with the monthly exam results.

Student privacy, psychological burden... These things naturally didn't exist at Songyang High School.

Not only were the results prominently displayed on the screen at the school entrance, but the new monthly exam scores for each class were also posted on the classroom doors. Even the electronic screens in the cafeteria constantly cycled through the rankings.

Even when Zhang Yu went to the restroom, he could hear the broadcast discussing the monthly exam, praising students with high scores and significant progress while insulting those with low scores and significant decline.

Songyang High School excelled at being thorough, unprivate, and psychologically burdensome to the max.

"...Students, today we would also like to extend our special congratulations to Zhang Yu from Senior One's Demonstration Class."

"Zhang Yu has jumped from tenth place in the grade to third place in this month's exam, with a total score of 620, an improvement of a full 70 points, a truly remarkable leap..."

After using the restroom, Zhang Yu listened to the broadcast while washing his hands, nodding silently. "The school's widespread publication of results does have some positive aspects. There are indeed some merits."

When Zhang Yu entered the classroom, he was met with a crowd of onlookers. People glanced at him frequently, their eyes filled with various emotions.

Qian Shen looked at Zhang Yu, then at Bai Zhenzhen. The two scores of 620 and 651 floated back and forth in his eyes, overshadowing the other students around them.

"As expected, besides Bai Zhenzhen, this Zhang Yu will also be my opponent for the next three years of high school."

Qian Shen felt as if he could already see a scene of them competing fiercely, challenging each other, with victory uncertain, and ultimately attending top universities together.

He was fired up!

He couldn't wait to take out his Talisman Book and start studying talismans again.

"Talismans are my strong suit, but I only got 80 points this time. I need to practice more!"

On the other side, He Dayou's face was grim as he looked at his scores in each subject.

"Total score: 603."

"Martial Arts: 50..."

The Martial Arts score of 50 was glaringly obvious, causing him to feel a surge of blood, wishing he could punch the desk in front of him into dust.

Clearly, his successive defeats at Zhang Yu's hands, coupled with his clumsy performances in the two matches, had brought He Dayou's Martial Arts score down to this level.

This made him unable to stop a trace of murderous intent from appearing in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Yu.

However, as the son of a school board member, he quickly suppressed this impulse.

"Every poor student is a valuable resource for the school. How can I act against him?"

"Don't be angry. Zhang Yu should already be targeted by the student council, right?"

"I'm not even competing in the same arena as him. I can't let him disturb my spirit. I need to focus on improving myself."

He Dayou circulated his mental cultivation method, calming his emotions slowly.

He also understood that he and Zhang Yu were not competing on the same path. He shouldn't let Zhang Yu influence his state or affect his grades, like the Martial Arts score of 50 this time.

"Improving my strength and assets is ultimately the right path."

"This time, my Dao Arts score was 90, which is already my strong suit, but there's still room for improvement."

Thinking this, He Dayou took out his Talisman Book, ignoring the changes around him, and focused on studying.

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head, looking at Zhang Yu, thinking, "Could it be that Yu has been lying low for a long time, pretending for four months, only to shock everyone now?"

"No, he shouldn't have that ability."

"Could it be that Yu, like me, has also awakened something?"