Chapter 51: Undercurrents

Zhang Yu gazed upon the weighted vest, shorts, wristbands, anklets, and the two large jars before him.

This was the weighted training gear and demon beast meat powder he had purchased.

Weighted gear, durable equipment for body refinement, inexpensive and convenient to use whenever he pleased. It allowed him to secretly work hard without being easily noticed by his classmates, and possessed the effect of a dramatic reveal when removed during battle. It could be said to be a classic piece of equipment on the path of immortality, one that should not be missed.

This time, Zhang Yu's purchased weighted gear weighed a total of 150 kilograms, enabling him to train his physical body during everyday activities.

The demon beast meat powder on the other side was a nutritional supplement, better replenishing the daily blood and flesh loss, and the nutrients needed for growth, allowing the child to grow taller, faster, and stronger.

The two items cost him a total of more than 4000 yuan, reducing his savings to just over 59,000.

"Alas, I'm still too poor to only afford this pauper's equipment."

When selecting items on the shopping website, what Zhang Yu really wanted was an external spirit root called the Gluttony Spirit Root.

It was said that after inserting that thing into the body, it would frantically stimulate the body's metabolism and physical strengthening every day, absorbing all absorbable nutrients to supply the flesh and blood. According to the advertising slogan, "You can get stronger by eating even dung every day."

Unfortunately, it was too expensive, costing a whopping 40 million yuan.

Spending 40 million yuan to experience the feeling of getting stronger by eating dung was not something Zhang Yu could currently afford.

"Alas, I'll just try the school's muscle-enhancing spirit root during the next free rental."

Putting on the weighted gear piece by piece, Zhang Yu felt his body becoming increasingly heavy. Simple actions like bending over, walking, and raising his hand now involved layers of resistance, making movements much more difficult.

"Hah..."

Before he could even take a few steps, a shout came from downstairs: "Are you demolishing the building in the middle of the night!"

Knowing that it was his movements after putting on the weighted gear that were too loud, Zhang Yu went to the unfinished building while wearing the weighted gear.

On the way, he felt as if there were shackles on his body. Zhang Yu could feel the various discomforts coming from all parts of his body.

However, after he activated the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra, and thought of his expectation to improve his physical strength day and night, these discomforts were temporarily suppressed. Instead, a sense of satisfaction arose from the fact that his body was being trained at all times.

"As expected, the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra is also effective for this."

Zhang Yu's next goal was to try his best to maintain the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra at all times, constantly resisting the discomfort of the weighted gear, while continuously using the heart sutra to improve his Dao Heart level.

"Twenty-four hours a day, both training the Dao Heart and training the physical body."

If he could do that, he would be able to further improve his efficiency in raising his Dao Heart level, and incidentally train his physical strength.

Thinking that he had taken the initiative to add such a heavy burden on himself without being forced by anyone, Zhang Yu couldn't help but reveal a wry smile.

He sighed in his heart, "There's no other way, those rich heirs from the top three famous schools are all more outrageous than the last."

"If I want to survive, if I want to get into the top ten universities, and enter a major sect... I have to work hard..."

Coming to the unfinished building again, Zhang Yu, wearing the weighted gear, sat cross-legged on the ground, trying to maintain the state of the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra, constantly outlining the image of the old bull plowing the land in his mind, while letting his body rest.

In theory, as long as a cultivator could persevere, the heart sutra could be maintained indefinitely.

It was like listening to a novel while playing a game, a manifestation of multitasking.

However, mental weakness, fatigue, and various external stimuli could interrupt the maintenance of the heart sutra.

And if he wanted to use his brain to do some complex things, such as solving exam questions, or thinking about fighting, then the heart sutra would be more difficult to maintain.

So although the teacher who taught Dao Heart class had said that the heart sutra could theoretically be maintained at all times, and that powerful cultivators could maintain the heart sutra as long as their consciousness was still clear, Zhang Yu had never been able to do it before.

However, since Zhang Yu had recently raised the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra to level 10, and his Dao Heart level had also reached level 2, he felt that it was becoming easier and easier for him to maintain the heart sutra.

If maintaining the heart sutra before was like constantly solving math problems in his heart, then now he felt like he was constantly counting from 1 to 1000, which had become simpler.

"Now I should be able to perform various more complex exercises while maintaining the heart sutra."

That was why Zhang Yu had the current attempt. He wanted to practice maintaining the operation of the Desolate Bull Soul-Quelling Heart Sutra in more situations.

After resting for a while, Zhang Yu, wearing the weighted gear, stood up and began to walk back and forth while maintaining the heart sutra.

He felt as if he had thrown away half of his brain and half of his muscles, and then relearned various movements from scratch.

The next night, coming to the unfinished building again, Zhang Yu tried to do some simple warm-up exercises while maintaining the heart sutra.

On the third day, Zhang Yu, who was becoming more and more adapted, began to practice the Limitless Cloud Hand while wearing the weighted gear and maintaining the heart sutra.

The level 6 Limitless Cloud Hand, as if it had been practiced thousands of times in his mind, each movement could be performed naturally without much thought.

At this moment, his mind was maintaining the visualization diagram of the heart sutra, while his physical body was continuously practicing the moves of the Limitless Cloud Hand under the pressure of the weighted gear.

The mana in his body, with a surging momentum, was transformed into strands of Formless Cloud Qi in repeated vibrations and gushed out.

However, because he needed to be distracted to maintain the heart sutra, coupled with the weighted gear and mana consumption, Zhang Yu's efficiency in practicing the Limitless Cloud Hand was also much slower.

Three days passed before he finally pushed the Limitless Cloud Hand to level 10.

Listen to that, 'only' pushed it to level 10.

Obviously, Zhang Yu was still complaining that this speed was a bit slow.

"Alas, the Jade Book is still not powerful enough, limiting the development of my potential and self-discipline."

In the unfinished building, Zhang Yu's mana rose from his dantian, and completed seven consecutive vibrations silently, then scattered into his limbs and bones, and gushed out from all over his body.

In an instant, white clouds and mist surrounded Zhang Yu, giving him an appearance of immortal elegance.

"This is the effect after the Limitless Cloud Hand reaches level 10. The Formless Cloud Qi is no longer limited to the hands, but gushes out from all parts of the body, truly integrating offense and defense."

However, the consumption of mana was also severely increased. Zhang Yu felt that he couldn't support it for a few minutes, so he quickly stopped.And after these days of arduous training, Zhang Yu's abilities had once again seen improvements.

His mana, through ceaseless breathing exercises day and night, had reached 16.9.

The weight vest he constantly wore, along with the training of the Limitless Cloud Hand, had boosted his physical strength to level 1.28.

His Dao Heart, under the almost constant tempering of the level 10 Desolate Bull Soul-Suppressing Art, was still improving the fastest, already reaching level 2 (65%).

...

This day, Zhang Yu had just arrived at the classroom when he saw a middle-aged woman with a haggard face at a desk, tidying something up.

Just as Zhang Yu was feeling puzzled, he heard Zhou Tianyi beside him say, "Liang Qin dropped out. This is his mom coming to pack his things."

"Ah?" Zhang Yu asked in surprise, "Why?"

Zhou Tianyi sighed and said, "Apparently, he was gambling and owed over a hundred thousand. After his parents found out, they directly came to help him with the withdrawal."

"I heard they made a scene in the teacher's office yesterday. Liang Qin kept kneeling and kowtowing, but his parents still insisted on withdrawing him."

Zhou Tianyi shook his head and sighed, "His parents did the right thing. Once you get addicted to gambling, you can only be a mortal for the rest of your life, and you'll never be able to achieve anything on the path of cultivation."

"Don't even mention a high school student. Even if you become an immortal, you'll fall from grace, lose all your cultivation, go bankrupt, and become a mortal again."

Zhang Yu was somewhat silent. This Liang Qin was a bit like the original owner in terms of borrowing. He thought that if he hadn't transmigrated, the original Zhang Yu would probably have ended up the same way.

Just then, Bai Zhenzhen dragged Zhang Yu out of the classroom and said to him, "There's finally news from those misers. Sign the electronic agreement they sent over."

Soon after Zhang Yu signed the electronic agreement, a transfer notification rang from his phone.

Looking at the twenty thousand that had been transferred, both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were invigorated.

Bai Zhenzhen said, "These tightwads actually transferred twenty thousand in one go. It seems they really value you."

"Transfer eight thousand to my card, I need it."

Zhang Yu didn't ask why. After transferring eight thousand, he just reminded her, "What have you been busy with lately? You disappear every day after school?"

Bai Zhenzhen smiled slightly, "Still trying to find a way to get into the Top Ten academies."

"Since these tightwads value us so much, we have to get them to help us alleviate some pressure."

Speaking of which, she seemed to remember something and reminded, "After next week's monthly exam, Zhou Chechen should be back to persuade us to sign a contract."

"If the Student Union is rejected again this time, they will definitely put more pressure on us."

"Especially since you got fourth place in the Magical Arts Competition this time, they will definitely try to force you to sign a contract. Can you withstand it?"

Zhang Yu wasn't sure, but looking at Bai Zhenzhen's concerned gaze, he laughed and said, "Of course, I can withstand it. Don't give up halfway."

Zhang Yu thought about the pressure from the Ritual, thinking that he would either be killed by the Ritual or get into the Top Ten academies. There was no other choice.

Just as he was thinking this, that familiar chill rose again in his body. Zhang Yu knew that it was urging him to hurry back and study and cultivate.

"Sigh, never mind. My own strength is the most important. I'll go back to cultivate first."

Bai Zhenzhen held his shoulder and reminded, "Remember, when you refuse, you can push it onto Ziyun High School and Bailong High School, saying they are recruiting you, and continue to negotiate with the Student Union to buy time."

"You have to remember, never, ever let them realize that you want to get into the Top Ten academies."

Watching Zhang Yu's hurried departure, Bai Zhenzhen seemed to sense his anxiety as well.

"Yu is getting more and more diligent lately."

"He must be very anxious too."

"But it doesn't matter, I'm about to find that guy..."

"I really am amazing. Although Yu is a little better than me in the Magical Arts Competition, to get into the Top Ten academies, I still have to protect him."

...

In the quiet room.

Having rented the muscle-growth spirit root, Zhang Yu felt that every time he breathed in spiritual energy, along with the spiritual energy being absorbed into the spirit root, a trace of more active spiritual energy would be fed back from the spirit root.

This was the life-growth spiritual energy brought by the muscle-growth spirit root.

As the life-growth spiritual energy was naturally absorbed by his flesh and blood, he felt that the flesh and blood all over his body seemed to wriggle on its own, beginning to accelerate the devouring of all nutrients.

With the continuous effect of the muscle-growth spirit root and the constant injection of life-growth spiritual energy into his body, this state would last for 6 to 12 hours, greatly increasing the effect of Zhang Yu's physical strength training.

Wei Xin's voice rang out on the broadcast, "Student Zhang, do you want to add time?"

Zhang Yu slowly exhaled and, after thinking for a moment, said, "Add one hour."

...

In the training ground.

Martial arts teacher Lei Jun was giving Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen extra lessons for next month's martial arts competition.

Along with bursts of roaring and crackling, two figures could be seen colliding back and forth, as if two giant beasts were tearing at each other.

Zhang Yu's Limitless Cloud Hand brought up surging martial arts stellar energy as he threw a punch.

But Bai Zhenzhen pointed out with fingers like a sword, bringing up a flurry of sword shadows, already stabbing at the weakest and most critical points of the stellar energy, instantly scattering the incoming stellar energy.

Lei Jun, who was watching, shouted, "Zhang Yu, the most important thing about the Limitless Cloud Hand is change. You must adapt to the situation and not always think about relying on your strength to bully others."

Zhang Yu didn't want to rely on strength alone either, but Bai Zhenzhen's combat experience was much stronger than his. If he didn't subconsciously rely on martial arts stellar energy to suppress her head-on, he would almost always be suppressed by Bai Zhenzhen.

"How can A-Zhen be so good at fighting?"

Although Zhang Yu hadn't used his full strength either, he had displayed level 1 Limitless Cloud Hand, but he was still completely suppressed by Bai Zhenzhen relying on several basic martial arts, making Zhang Yu strongly suspect that Bai Zhenzhen had been cheating.

Was she using X-ray vision or lock-on? Or was she reading my mind? How could she always hit my flaws? How could she always see through my moves?

...

The days passed like this, in Zhang Yu's constant studying, cultivating, and taking extra lessons.

Another week passed in the blink of an eye.

The big day of Songyang High School's monthly exam had arrived again.

And classmates, teachers, the Student Union... and all sorts of people Zhang Yu knew or didn't know, were gradually turning their attention to him and Bai Zhenzhen.