Chapter 49: Limitless Cloud Hand

Zhang Yu stared at his phone, displaying an electronic agreement.

The agreement was simple: it granted the top ten finishers in the current Mana Competition the right to use the Limitless Cloud Hand technique, with no dissemination, no profiting from the technique's content, and so on.

Bai Zhenzhen stood beside Zhang Yu, tilting her head as she looked at the agreement, complaining, "So stingy!仙韻 (Xianyun) Corporation is such a big company, why is their sponsorship so miserly? Only the top ten overall get usage rights? Isn't that basically giving it to everyone?"

Zhang Yu nonchalantly shook his head, "If everyone got it, wouldn't it be unfair to the students who did well in the competition?"

"In my opinion, even ten people is too much. I feel like anyone ranked below fourth place didn't really understand the exam questions."

Bai Zhenzhen glanced at Zhang Yu sideways.

*You little…*

Listen to that! Unfair to students who did well? Anyone below fourth place didn't understand the questions? Is that human language? Zhang Yu, have you forgotten how you criticized the modern Immortal Dao education system a month ago? Where did your integrity go?

Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu's ugly face in disappointment.

"Yu-zi! My Yu-zi is dead! All that stands before me is a walking corpse controlled by grades!"

"Haha, Zhen-zhen, the prize money arrived." Zhang Yu looked at the notification on his phone, feeling like his smile was wider than the barrel of an AK.

His fourth-place finish in the Mana Competition awarded him a full two thousand yuan in cash, instantly increasing his savings to over sixty-three thousand.

Zhang Yu patted Bai Zhenzhen's shoulder, waving his hand magnanimously, "Zhen-zhen, I'll treat you to dinner back at school later."

"Good kid!" Bai Zhenzhen said happily, "I knew you still had some principles! You wouldn't forget your roots!"

Soon, the various schools began to disperse.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen followed the others from Songyang High School out of the venue.

Just then, a black shadow fell from the roof of the stadium.

"That's…" Zhang Yu's eyes flickered, "A person?"

Someone's jumping?

Just as Zhang Yu reacted, someone on the scene already moved.

Actually, on a normal day, this jumper might have already splattered on the ground with a *splat*.

But at this moment, there were too many high school students, teachers, coaches, referees, judges…

Especially many of them belonged to Hongta High School.

So-called, protecting the campus environment is everyone's responsibility.

The moment the figure fell, several strands of *qi* surged forth, like a myriad of cushions, saving the jumper.

Liang Qin, who had closed his eyes awaiting death, didn't feel the expected excruciating pain. Instead, he felt like he had fallen onto an incredibly warm bed.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself gently floating to the ground, supported by a mass of *qi*.

"Why did you save me!"

Liang Qin looked at the scene in pain, without the slightest joy of being rescued.

During the competition, he had made bet after bet, finally losing all his money again. Even his father called to ask about debt collection, which led to his actions just now.

The teacher who saved him also didn't show any joy, only saying mechanically, "Jumping is prohibited on school grounds."

"I've already reported your situation to the police. Specific compensation matters will be discussed with you by a dedicated person…"

Hearing this, a trace of despair flashed in Liang Qin's eyes. He quickly explained, "I didn't want to jump! I just slipped…"

The teacher said blandly, "Slipped? So, negligent jumping? That also costs money."

Liang Qin was furious, but remembering the other's *qi* just now, he could only suppress his anger.

"When I find another chance, I'll jump somewhere else."

Calming down, Liang Qin began to think about his next jumping spot. Schools, hospitals, shopping malls, residential areas… All of them cost money.

"This damn world, it's hard to even find a place to jump for free."

On the other side, Songyang High School was almost out of the campus.

Not only other students, but even Zhang Yu wasn't as surprised to see someone jumping now. He just felt that the person enveloped in *qi* looked familiar.

…

Songyang High School.

Cafeteria.

Bai Zhenzhen stuffed a chicken leg into her mouth, swallowing it, meat and bone, with a series of *crunching* sounds.

Before her was a whole table of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, costing Zhang Yu over four hundred yuan.

Even with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's current cultivation and physical strength, it was enough for a satisfying meal.

"Ah, school's pre-made dishes have the right flavor. You can smell the freshness of just being taken out of the freezer."

After taking a bite, Bai Zhenzhen sighed, "The lunch boxes at Hongta High School just taste wrong. Who knows how much synthetic food they add?"

Although Zhang Yu was also eating heartily, he had more memories of delicious food from his previous life. Hearing this, he said, "Zhen-zhen, when I have money, I'll treat you to something better."

Bai Zhenzhen: "You mean the dietary supplements on the second floor?"

Zhang Yu understood. For Songyang High School… no, for most high school students in Songyang City, better food meant food that better increased cultivation and grades.

As for the pursuit of taste itself… that was secondary, or rather, most high school students in Songyang City didn't have the means to pursue it.

For high school students, taste was a luxury.

Zhang Yu didn't explain, simply saying, "You'll know when I have money."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu remembered what happened at the competition today and asked curiously, "Zhen-zhen, how did you comprehend that set of fist techniques you used in the last match?"

Bai Zhenzhen said casually, "Didn't the exercise chart have six moves?"

Zhang Yu was shocked, "It did?"

"Yeah." Bai Zhenzhen recalled and thought, "Isn't it obvious at a glance?"

"Are you kidding me?" Zhang Yu looked at Zhen-zhen and still couldn't figure out how it could be seen at a glance. It seemed like there were still merits to be found in students ranked 100+ in the competition.

After speaking, Bai Zhenzhen said with a face full of resentment, "I was forced to do it. That's why I tried to see if I could use external martial arts techniques to assist with the mana circulation method."

"It still didn't work."

Thinking about her embarrassing performance throughout the Mana Competition today, Bai Zhenzhen resolutely decided to improve her mana control.

Looking up at Zhang Yu, seeing how he shone in the competition today, she felt even worse.

"I'm going to get tutoring starting tomorrow!"

*I, Bai Zhenzhen, will never be inferior to anyone!*

Bai Zhenzhen asked, "Are you going to Teacher Yan's tutoring?"

Before they parted today, Teacher Yan found Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, telling them that he would use the competition results to apply for funding from the school to open a Mana Competition tutoring class, and asking them to sign up when the time came.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu nodded, saying, "Of course, I'm going."

Although he got a good result of fourth place in today's competition, it also made Zhang Yu feel his limitations.

If it wasn't for comprehending the Limitless Cloud Hand technique from Bai Zhenzhen at the last moment, he probably wouldn't have made it into the top ten overall.

He hoped to become stronger in mana control, so that he would never have to rely on luck to win in future Mana Competitions.

Moreover, after the school invested in funding, Teacher Yan's competition tutoring might even include benefits like flying swords and cultivation methods, making Zhang Yu anticipate it.

Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Bai Zhenzhen's lips curled up, "Alright, let's go to Teacher Yan's tutoring together when the time comes."

…

Back at home.

Zhang Yu didn't cultivate the Wild Ox Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra to improve his Dao Heart like he usually did.

After all, his Feather Script specialisation had switched to the Limitless Cloud Hand martial art.

So, he simply took this opportunity to continue pushing the level of the Limitless Cloud Hand.

He thought that the Limitless Cloud Hand only had six moves back and forth, so maybe it would level up faster than Scattered Hand, maybe ten levels in one night.

So, Zhang Yu went to the unfinished building again.

Coming here, Zhang Yu felt like he was back home, after all, he had spent night after night cultivating martial arts here.

It was quiet here, and he didn't have to worry about making noise, so he could practice freely.

If he hadn't already paid the rent at home, and if this unfinished building had internet, electricity, and water, he would have moved a bed here and lived in this free and good place.

Walking into a bare, dusty hall.

With a thought, strands of mana arose from his dantian, passing through seven layers of vibration, transforming into clouds of mist emerging from his palms.

Having already practiced the Limitless Cloud Hand to level 1, the speed and quality at which he converted mana into martial *qi* far surpassed any of the competitors on the field today.

Feeling the cloud enveloping his hands, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Formless Cloud *Qi*?"

After signing the electronic agreement, Zhang Yu gained the right to use the Limitless Cloud Hand, as well as an electronic manual.

The true name of this martial *qi* was written in the manual.

Formless Cloud *Qi*, shaped like white clouds, can be both hard and soft, best at guiding energy, using force against force. It is a martial *qi* that is widely used in combat, both offensively and defensively.

Next, Zhang Yu began to practice the six external martial arts moves of the Limitless Cloud Hand.

With a punch forward, the white Formless Cloud *Qi* brought a surge of power, like a siege hammer, making a whooshing sound.

This was the fierce move of the Limitless Cloud Hand, specifically used to break through enemies head-on.

Next, Zhang Yu moved his hands, the white Formless Cloud *Qi* like layers of clouds surrounding his body, with a soft elasticity.

This was a defensive move in the Limitless Cloud Hand. At this moment, the elastic Formless Cloud *Qi* could not only deflect the opponent's attack, but even reflect some of the power.

In this way, Zhang Yu practiced all six moves of the Limitless Cloud Hand in a moment, then practiced them again.

The Limitless Cloud Hand had too few moves, only six, and Zhang Yu spent just over ten minutes practicing them ten times.

Limitless Cloud Hand Level 1 (0/10) → Level 2 (0/20)

As the Limitless Cloud Hand rose to level 2, Zhang Yu felt like he had gone through practice after practice in an instant. Whether it was the process of mana refining Formless Cloud *Qi*, or the manipulation of Formless Cloud *Qi*, or even the application of the six external moves, all gained great progress in an instant.

Zhang Yu looked at his hands.

Originally, the Formless Cloud *Qi* enveloping his hands would have strands of white cloudy *qi* rising upwards, like smoke signals soaring into the sky, which was the appearance he displayed on the field.

But now, as the Limitless Cloud Hand rose to level 2, there were fewer strands of *qi* rising upwards, reflecting his increased control over this *qi*.