Chapter 51: Changes and Escalation

"This Wuji Cloud Hand only has six moves, and they're so quick to practice. Doesn't that mean I could raise it to Level 10 by tonight?"

However, after Zhang Yu rallied his spirits and practiced five more times, he felt the mana within his body becoming increasingly thin, making it difficult to sustain his cultivation of the Wuji Cloud Hand.

Zhang Yu realized his previous assumption had been wrong.

"It seems there's no way to raise the Wuji Cloud Hand to Level 10 in a single night."

Unlike basic techniques like the Scattered Hand, the Wuji Cloud Hand consumed far more mana.

Even with the passive breathing of the Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Method constantly restoring his mana, it was impossible for him to practice it for hours on end as he did with the Scattered Hand.

Thus, Zhang Yu simply sat cross-legged. While letting his passive breathing continue to restore his mana, he switched to practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Sutra to improve his Dao Heart.

Through this cycle of practicing and resting, a night passed, and Zhang Yu raised the Wuji Cloud Hand to Level 6 (7/60).

The coverage of the Formless Cloud Qi had expanded from his hands to his entire arms and shoulders, surging continuously like a rolling sea of clouds.

The phenomenon where clouds would soar into the sky like a signal fire had also vanished.

One could only see thin, microscopic wisps of smoke slowly rising about ten centimeters before dissipating into the air.

This was because, as his control increased, the mana consumption required to circulate the Formless Cloud Qi had been significantly reduced.

...

The next day, Songyang High School.

Inside the Student Council office.

Looking at the message on his phone, Zhou Chechen smiled slightly. "He actually took fourth place in the mana competition? That's somewhat unexpected."

While lifting dumbbells, Lan Ling said, "I heard the competition coach from Bailong High School talked to him; they want to poach him."

Zhou Chechen laughed heartily. "They lost a ranking in the competition this time, and a student's resume will be missing a credential. Of course they want to poach him."

"Do you think if we sign Zhang Yu and specifically train him for martial competitions, we could snatch a few more rankings? Let the students from the three prestigious schools take fewer awards?"

For the wealthy elite of Songyang City, the slots for the top ten universities were limited. If one person's resume had fewer trophies, everyone else's chances of success increased.

Lan Ling said gloomily, "Maybe there's a chance in tenth grade, but once they reach eleventh, I don't think Zhang Yu can beat them anymore."

Zhou Chechen said cheerfully, "Even so, that would be quite good."

"Then it's decided."

"We can't really let Bailong High School poach him."

"Once this month's monthly exams are over..."

Zhou Chechen looked at his hand, slightly clenching it, as if tightly grasping something he desired.

"Zhang Yu must sign."

Lan Ling understood the implication: after the monthly exams, Zhang Yu would have no choice but to sign.

...

Outside the school gates, Zhao Tianxing was speaking into his phone. "I know, Mom, I know..."

A woman's voice came through the phone: "Spend more time with Zhang Yu. Look how fast his grades are improving..."

"I know, I know." After a series of perfunctory replies, Zhao Tianxing finally hung up.

Just as he walked through the school gates, he saw a line of large text scrolling across the electronic screen: *Warm congratulations to Zhang Yu from Class 1, Grade 10, for winning 4th place in the Citywide High School Mana Competition.*

"It's true..."

Although he had heard rumors in several school group chats yesterday, it wasn't until he saw these words for himself that Zhao Tianxing was certain it was real.

Thinking about how Zhang Yu, who used to sit at the same table as him, had suddenly surpassed a crowd of top students from the three prestigious schools and key high schools to take fourth place, Zhao Tianxing couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Then came a wave of shame.

*Zhao Tianxing, oh Zhao Tianxing, your classmate achieved such great results, yet you are so jealous? How ugly! Where is your moral character?*

"Sigh, I can't compare myself to Zhang Yu. He's a Golden Core disciple after all; he's a different species from us now."

"Taking fourth place this time must have been thanks to the great effort of that Starfire True Person."

"And my mom is even telling me to hang out with him more..."

Zhao Tianxing smiled bitterly to himself. *The gap is so huge, can we even hang out together?*

The rumor of Zhang Yu being a Golden Core disciple became even more certain among the students due to this fourth-place finish.

As someone who tended to consider how others perceived him, the moment Zhao Tianxing thought about the dazzling halo surrounding Zhang Yu, he felt a sense of inferiority.

*He is a Golden Core disciple, and the gap in our grades is getting wider and wider. Does he look down on me already? In his eyes, I might have already become just another mediocre student on the street.*

*If I try to approach him now or ask to hang out... won't it look too sycophantic to others? Will he think I'm vain? That I just want to bask in his Golden Core glory?*

One couldn't blame Zhao Tianxing for overthinking; having grown up in a major city, he had seen similar things happen in school too many times.

Once a gap in grades opened up between friends, friendships often began to sour.

Things like: "You've changed since your grades went up," "Your grades are so low, I feel embarrassed taking you out," or "I'll help you raise your score by 10 points, but don't come looking for me again..."

"Sigh, if Zhang Yu doesn't ask me to eat lunch today, I won't take the initiative to find him, just to avoid being rejected."

When the bell rang for the end of the last class of the morning, Zhao Tianxing's eyes drifted toward Zhang Yu's direction, whether intentionally or not.

Seeing Zhang Yu chatting with Bai Zhenzhen, he felt a twinge of envy. If only he had grades as good as hers, he could talk and laugh with Zhang Yu like that.

Seeing Zhang Yu talking to Zhou Tianyi, he envied Zhou Tianyi instead. Even though his grades were lower than his own, he could talk about anything with Zhang Yu without any awkwardness. He could never maintain such a good mindset.

Just then, Zhao Tianxing noticed the three of them standing up and walking toward him.

Zhao Tianxing quickly lowered his head. Feeling them getting closer, he pretended to organize his desk, moving books back and forth as if he were unsatisfied with their placement, completely ignoring the appearance of the three.

In his heart, however, he was hyper-focused on their movements, thinking one question: *Will he ask me to eat with them?*

Zhang Yu: "Old Zhao! Let's go grab lunch."

Zhao Tianxing stood up quickly and smiled. "Yeah, let's go."

On the way to the cafeteria.

Zhou Tianyi laughed. "Zhang Yu, do you feel like the school atmosphere is a bit different today?"

"Is it?" Zhang Yu thought for a moment. "The teachers are still gentle, the classmates are still kind, and the air is filled with the scent of studying. Everything is fine."

Zhou Tianyi: "You took fourth in the competition. Now most of the school believes you must be a Golden Core disciple. Don't you feel like people respect you more?"

Zhang Yu recalled briefly. It seemed that the attitude of his classmates did indeed... have a subtle, intangible distance to it.

Beside them, Bai Zhenzhen said indifferently, "Yeah. I heard people talking about you in the girls' restroom. They all said you must have been pushed up by a Golden Core True Person—that it's just about connections and good luck."

Zhou Tianyi added, "I heard people in the boys' restroom saying you must have cracked the 'rich woman code.' Otherwise, how could ordinary people like them even know where the art exhibition for selecting Golden Core disciples was held, let alone participate and be chosen..."

Zhang Yu sighed. "Sigh, to think that after winning glory for the school, all I get in return is alienation and jealousy."

Zhou Tianyi laughed. "Zhang Yu, the higher your score and the better your results, the more people will naturally envy you."

He continued slowly, "They won't think about your hard work or your talent. They will only think you have good circumstances and attribute all your success to luck."

Looking at Zhou Tianyi's contemplative expression, Zhang Yu said thoughtfully, "I didn't realize that you, ranked 25th in the grade... knew so much."

Zhou Tianyi stumbled slightly and said irritably, "There are over five hundred students in our grade... even the 25th rank has many people beneath his feet."

Watching Zhang Yu chatting and laughing, Zhao Tianxing gradually relaxed. *I didn't expect Zhang Yu to still be so approachable after taking fourth place.*

But a moment later, Zhao Tianxing changed his mind. Zhang Yu had changed, to some extent.

At the food counter, Zhang Yu looked at the cafeteria lady and said, "Auntie, I took fourth place in the citywide mana competition. Can you give me a bit more meat?"

The cafeteria lady replied, "You got it! The biggest piece of pork rib goes to our citywide competition fourth-place winner!"

Songyang High School had a heavy academic atmosphere; even the cafeteria ladies judged people by their grades.

...

That night.

The outskirts of Songyang City.

Accompanied by the sound of whistling wind, a dark shadow flashed through the night sky, rapidly approaching Zhang Yu's rental apartment.

*Bang!*

With a slight pause at the apartment building's entrance, the shadow darted inside like a wisp of smoke. In an instant, it reached Zhang Yu's floor and appeared before his door like a ghost.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Zhang Yu quickly stood up to open the door.

He saw a middle-aged man with a commanding presence and a steady, mountain-like temperament standing at the door.

"Are you Mr. Zhang Yu?"

Zhang Yu nodded. "Express delivery? You're here in just twenty minutes. You're quite fast."

The middle-aged man smiled, pulled the product from a large backpack behind him, and presented it to Zhang Yu. "Mr. Zhang, here is the item you ordered. Please sign for it."

A moment later, Zhang Yu closed the door and took out his purchases.

Through this mana competition, Zhang Yu had realized the gap between himself and the top students from prestigious schools, which made him even more eager to improve himself.

In his current state, his mana was constantly being replenished by the daily breathing of the Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Method, and his Dao Heart was his primary daily focus for improvement. Only his physical strength had no way to improve and had temporarily hit a plateau.

Thinking about the upcoming martial arts competition next month, where he would likely face off against the wealthy students from the prestigious schools, Zhang Yu felt an even greater need to increase his physical strength.

Therefore, after careful calculation, he had purchased some items online.

(End of Chapter)