Chapter 30: Palm Force Competition and the Dao Heart Examination

The Little Star Palm possessed no specific forms; rather, it was a martial art centered purely on the circulation of mana, transforming it into a frigid, Yin-natured palm force.

At this moment, as He Dayou unleashed the power of the Little Star Palm, he was confident that he could severely wound Zhang Yu with its icy force, freezing his internal organs.

Furthermore, he believed that given Zhang Yu's economic situation, the boy certainly wouldn't have the money to go to a hospital for treatment and would have no choice but to endure the injury.

"You pauper, this will at least keep you out of school for a week."

Boom!

As their palms collided violently, their mana surged against one another, creating a loud *bang* that seemed to explode within their bodies.

Although He Dayou's Little Star Palm was powerful, it was, after all, only recently mastered.

While the martial art Zhang Yu employed was merely the common Unstructured Hand, he had practiced it to Level 3, allowing him to erupt with impressive palm force.

As their palm forces clashed and their mana fluctuated, He Dayou discovered that his advantage was not as great as he had imagined. The Little Star Palm could only slowly push back the opponent's force and gradually encroach upon his body.

What surprised him even more was that Zhang Yu was like a roly-poly toy; every time the Little Star Palm managed to penetrate a little further, he would quickly force it back. Despite clearly being at a disadvantage, he remained unshakeable.

Simultaneously, the circulation of mana within Zhang Yu's body continued unabated, providing a constant stream of recovery that allowed him to withstand He Dayou's Little Star Palm time and time again.

Watching this from the side, the assistant teacher was startled. "Are they competing in mana capacity now?"

Seeing the solemn expressions on both their faces, the assistant teacher feared that if anything happened to them, his performance bonus for the year would vanish. Realizing that one of them was the son of a school board member made the stakes even higher.

He hurriedly reminded them, "Students, if either of you cannot hold on, surrender immediately. The opponent must also withdraw their mana instantly."

"Do not let a monthly exam cause you severe injury and ruin your future."

Neither spoke. He Dayou stared fixedly at Zhang Yu, frantically circulating his mana to blast waves of Little Star Palm force toward him.

Zhang Yu, however, remained calm and composed. He actively activated the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, recovering his mana while simultaneously countering He Dayou's strikes.

In the blink of an eye, both were drenched in sweat, and heat radiated from their bodies like two massive furnaces.

Yet, Zhang Yu's complexion remained ruddy, and he appeared increasingly relaxed.

In contrast, He Dayou's face had turned ashen, and he was gradually showing signs of exhaustion.

Unable to control his emotions any longer, he looked at Zhang Yu with a mixture of shock and fury.

The assistant teacher checked the time. Their mana duel had lasted for over a minute. Seeing He Dayou's state, he had to remind them once more, "Students, if you cannot hold on, surrender immediately."

"This is only a monthly exam."

He Dayou opened his mouth several times with great difficulty. Looking at the increasingly composed Zhang Yu, he finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "I..."

"I... surrender."

As both parties slowly withdrew their mana, He Dayou collapsed heavily onto the ground.

His face was as pale as paper, and the mana within his dantian was almost entirely depleted.

He looked at Zhang Yu with resentment and asked, "How much mana do you have left?"

Seeing the boy's half-dead, weakened state, Zhang Yu immediately replied modestly, "Just one or two tenths, maybe."

He Dayou snorted coldly; looking at him, it was obvious the boy had far more than that.

He slowly stood up and gave Zhang Yu a deep look. "You are good."

"We shall spar again next time."

With that, He Dayou turned and left.

On his way out, as he reflected on today's battle, he had to admit something to himself.

*Zhang Yu... is strong.*

*But... what a pity. As a poor man, he is destined to become our dog.*

*I hope you can hold out until the next time I defeat you fairly. Don't let me leave with a regret.*

On the other side, watching He Dayou's retreating figure as his legs wobbled, Zhang Yu thought to himself, *Spar again next time?*

*Forget it, classmate... this was the closest you'll ever get to my level. Consider this your most beautiful memory. If we fight again, I'm afraid you'll complain that I didn't use my full strength against you.*

Zhang Yu walked out of the examination hall and immediately saw Bai Zhenzhen leaning against the wall.

"Yo, Ah Zhen, that was quick."

"Mm, finished in a few moves." Bai Zhenzhen glanced at him and asked curiously, "Who did you draw?"

Zhang Yu: "He Dayou."

"Damn!" Bai Zhenzhen stomped her foot in anger. "He got to act tough during the Daoist Arts exam, and now you've been humiliated by him. He must be thrilled today."

"But don't worry, I'll challenge him during the next practical combat class and humiliate him right back for you."

Zhang Yu looked at her speechlessly. "I won."

Sensing Bai Zhenzhen's surprised gaze, Zhang Yu decided to demonstrate.

He threw a punch, which was immediately blocked by Bai Zhenzhen's palm.

Their fists and palms collided repeatedly, their four arms turning into blurs in the air, accompanied by a series of dull thuds like heavy hammers striking.

*Bang!*

After exchanging several moves, they abruptly pulled apart.

Bai Zhenzhen: "Your Unstructured Hand is Level 3?"

Zhang Yu: "Your Unstructured Hand is Level 3?"

Bai Zhenzhen said in shock, "Weren't you only Level 1 before? How did you suddenly jump to Level 3? Did you actually reach Level 3 a long time ago and were just waiting for an opportunity like today's fight with He Dayou to show off? You brat... you've read too many web novels, haven't you?"

Zhang Yu looked at her with equal suspicion. "Ah Zhen, are you just projecting your own thoughts? You clearly said your Unstructured Hand was Level 2 before. You little girl really will do anything to show off, won't you?"

Bai Zhenzhen blushed and explained, "I'm not doing it to show off."

"A higher level in Unstructured Hand doesn't grant extra points."

"Instead, hiding a trump card during practical combat can catch people off guard and help you get higher scores in the actual exam."

"Haven't you heard the teachers? Information warfare is part of practical combat."

Zhang Yu suddenly thought of He Dayou's battle today.

The sudden deployment of that frigid palm technique had nearly caught him off guard.

Hearing Bai Zhenzhen's words, Zhang Yu found himself in complete agreement. He thought, *I really should keep a card up my sleeve; I can't reveal all my trump cards at once.*

After Zhou Tianyi finished his exam, the three of them went to the cafeteria for dinner before heading home or to extra classes.

Tomorrow would be the exam for Dao Heart, Mana, and Physical Strength.

After returning home today, Zhang Yu went back to the abandoned building once more.

The 24-hour cooldown for his Specialty Switch had not yet expired.

Since his current specialty was still Unstructured Hand, he planned to practice it further to raise its level.

"Heh, even though I exposed my Level 3 Unstructured Hand to Ah Zhen, as long as I can get this skill to Level 5 or 6 today, I'll have a new trump card."

Thinking about the look of shock on Bai Zhenzhen's face next time, Zhang Yu felt his punches becoming even more powerful.

Thus, he practiced Unstructured Hand earnestly. When tired, he would rest through breathing exercises; once his stamina recovered, he would stand up and continue. In the blink of an eye, a night had passed.

The next morning, as the sunlight slowly filtered through the hollow windows of the abandoned building and fell upon him, Zhang Yu, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.

After a night of bitter cultivation, his Unstructured Hand had reached Level 5 (3/50), and his understanding of this basic martial art had deepened significantly.

His mana had also increased from 11.7 to 11.8.

Zhang Yu marveled inwardly, *With the passive breathing effect of the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, even if I only practice breathing while resting, my daily mana growth is quite substantial.*

Feeling the constant growth of the mana within his body, Zhang Yu's mood improved significantly.

This made him even more eager to see the effects of upgrading the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method to Level 10 once the Specialty Switch cooldown ended.

...

He squeezed onto the bus to get to school.

Songyang was still in a low-pressure state today.

Many students had visibly grim expressions, clearly due to poor luck in yesterday's exams.

After breakfast, Zhang Yu arrived at the venue for today's first exam: the Dao Heart exam.

With white walls and rows of neatly arranged beds, the examination hall looked like a hospital ward.

However, instead of oxygen machines, the beds were connected to something resembling a mask.

Shortly after Zhang Yu sat down at his bed, he heard the countdown in his mind.

Curling his lip, he simply sat cross-legged and began breathing exercises.

During his breathing, more and more examinees entered, and the beds in the hall were gradually filled.

With the sound of a bell, the students' expressions tightened, knowing the exam was about to begin.

Simultaneously, a piece of relaxing music played over the broadcast.

Once the music finished, a female voice came through the speakers.

"This is the Songyang City Unified Monthly Dao Heart Exam for all high schools. The exam will last for 60 minutes."

Zhang Yu was not surprised by the announcement.

After all, his memories contained the experiences of several previous monthly exams.

Unlike yesterday's General Knowledge, Martial Arts, and Daoist Arts exams, the Dao Heart exam was a unified test for all high schools in Songyang City.

This was due to the unique nature of the Dao Heart and the exam itself.

The female voice continued over the broadcast.

"Attention: throughout the entire exam, please ensure the Spirit Interface Mask is worn correctly on your face."

"It is now time for equipment inspection and wearing."

All the students present immediately picked up the masks on their beds to inspect them.

Zhang Yu did the same, first confirming that the wire behind the mask was plugged into the socket, then turning on the power to ensure the mask was not damaged...

After confirming everything was fine, Zhang Yu placed the mask over his face.

He felt the mask deform slightly as it perfectly covered his face, as if a new layer of skin had been added to his countenance.

However, because his eyes were covered by the mask, Zhang Yu's vision was plunged into total darkness.

A moment later, the female voice sounded again.

"Equipment inspection and wearing is now complete."

"The Dao Heart exam officially begins."

The darkness before Zhang Yu's eyes suddenly vibrated. As particles of light emerged, in the next instant, he had arrived in another world.