Chapter 39: Mental Method

The Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Method had finally reached Level 10. Zhang Yu intended to switch his Feather Book specialization next and select another cultivation technique to upgrade.

After deciding not to sign a contract with the Student Union and resolving to break through the barriers to get into one of the top ten universities, Zhang Yu had come to understand several things.

First, without the Student Union's investment, the resources at his disposal would inevitably be more limited.

Furthermore, to get into a top ten university, the pressure he would face in the future would be far greater than it was now.

Fewer resources, yet heavier pressure.

Therefore, Zhang Yu had to be meticulous in the allocation and utilization of his resources, striving to develop himself as quickly and effectively as possible within any given unit of time.

To achieve this, he had to leverage his greatest strengths to the fullest—absolute self-discipline and astonishing potential.

Simply put, he had to practice stronger and more difficult techniques.

For Zhang Yu, the master of the Feather Book, if he were to undergo bitter cultivation for a technique, the stronger the technique, the better the results.

It was like comparing one Zhang Yu practicing the Great Desolation Imprisoning Heaven Finger to another practicing Basic Long Palm; anyone could tell by the names which one had a future.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "...But that isn't something that can be done easily."

The more powerful a technique, the higher its threshold.

It was like how even a dog could learn the doggy paddle, but water ballet was not for everyone.

Among Expert-level techniques, such as the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Manual in his possession, he had yet to meet the requirements for a Level 3 Dao Heart.

Thus, the primary condition for practicing powerful techniques was to satisfy their thresholds as much as possible.

Zhang Yu's gaze swept across his phone screen, looking at the requirements imposed on practitioners by various powerful techniques...

"Dao Heart! Mana!"

Just as high school teachers often said, the Dao Heart and Mana were the foundations of the Immortal Path.

The Dao Heart level represented a cultivator's control over and capacity to carry the power of the Immortal Path.

Mana was the most fundamental force used to drive various techniques.

The thresholds for the vast majority of powerful techniques were related to the Dao Heart and Mana.

Therefore, to practice powerful techniques, one had to possess a sufficiently high Dao Heart and Mana.

"In terms of Mana, I now have the Level 10 Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Method, which is equivalent to breathing in spiritual energy and refining Mana at all times."

"It is rather my Dao Heart level that I have neglected to improve lately."

Zhang Yu checked his savings. After a new round of rent, utilities, and recent miscellaneous expenses like food, he had a remaining balance of just over 62,000 yuan.

Even if he spent all this money on increasing his Mana, it would only buy about ten hours of renting a Heavenly Spiritual Root—much like staying overnight at an internet cafe; it would vanish in the blink of an eye, providing extremely limited improvement.

Thus, after much deliberation over the past few days, Zhang Yu felt he should purchase a stronger mental cultivation method to quickly raise his Dao Heart to Level 3, and then switch to the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Manual to further accelerate his progress.

After all, the Dao Heart level in the Qi Refining stage ranged from Level 1 to a maximum of Level 10, whereas Mana ranged from 1 to 100.

Raising the Dao Heart level to Level 3 would not be a short process. If he had a mental method stronger and more compatible than the Basic Heart-Refining Method, he could save a significant amount of time.

Once both his Dao Heart level and Mana were increased, practicing even stronger techniques would be the most efficient and cost-effective route for his current development.

Zhang Yu had already searched and thought about many options for which mental method to buy over the past few days.

Basic, Advanced, Expert...

Among the mental methods Zhang Yu could currently afford, Basic-level ones were the cheapest, but they offered little improvement for him.

Expert-level ones were powerful, but they were not only exorbitantly expensive but also had high cultivation thresholds, making them unsuitable for him at this moment.

In contrast, Advanced-level mental methods seemed somewhat mediocre to most students who had only been in high school for four months, but for Zhang Yu, they were just right.

In terms of effectiveness, the first year of high school was meant for building a foundation. The various basic techniques promoted in high school were developed by the top ten sects; they were the most balanced and neutral, making them excellent for foundational work.

At this stage, learning an additional Advanced-level mental method would be more exhausting than it was worth; it was better to focus on improving a single Basic method.

This was why, even among wealthy students, the gap between them and the poor often didn't widen significantly until the second year of high school, when they began to exert themselves by learning various expensive techniques. This was also one reason why the rankings of poor geniuses tended to slip starting in their second year.

In terms of price, although Advanced-level techniques were much cheaper than Expert-level ones, the subsequent costs were just as high.

After all, self-studying a technique was too difficult. For most people, it wasn't as simple as being handed a manual and learning it; they often needed a teacher for guidance.

An Advanced-level mental method might only cost a few hundred or thousand yuan, but the subsequent teaching, classes, and guidance... the tutoring fees could easily run into tens of thousands.

This reminded Zhang Yu of certain games from his previous life: the base game was free, but the various items and characters required thousands to "whale" on.

*Run.jpg*

However, these two points were perfect for Zhang Yu.

Tutoring? Non-existent.

He, Zhang Yu, relied solely on himself and could still master divine techniques through his peerless talent.

Opening the favorites bar on the shopping website, Zhang Yu looked at a mental method he had selected.

Advanced-level technique: Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method.

Judging by the name alone, it seemed to be a fierce, domineering, and soul-shaking mental method.

But upon closer inspection, he realized that the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method required a specific mindset—a state of being as diligent and hardworking as an old ox tilling a wasteland, enduring hardship without complaint.

Crucially, the strongest state of this method required the cooperation of another person—a role that could constantly pressure and suppress the practitioner, continuously assigning them tasks, such as a leader or a boss.

The more orders one received, the harder the pressure, and the longer the working hours, the stronger the effect of the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method became.

The Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method had been selected as the "Best Construction Site Mental Method" for ten consecutive years, making it the most beloved method among bosses.

It was also a "workhorse" method with a user rating that consistently stayed below 1.2 stars.

Zhang Yu looked at the user reviews.

*One star: Required by the company, very practical.*

*One star: Five-star rating will be given after my probation period.*

*One star: Got yelled at by my idiot boss again today.*

With a quick glance, Zhang Yu felt a wave of intense resentment wash over him. Clearly, the vast majority of practitioners of this workhorse method were forced to practice it, which seemed to perfectly meet the method's requirements.

Zhang Yu then looked at the specific configuration requirements of the technique.

Recommended Configuration 1. Forced to work more than 18 hours a day.

Zhang Yu thought about it; he seemed to be forced by the power of the Ritual 24 hours a day, so he met the requirement.

He looked at the next point. 2. Method of pressure: At least verbal pressure; salary threats are preferred. The harder the pressure, the better the effect.

Zhang Yu thought about it; he was currently being threatened with death, which also met the requirement.

"This workhorse method really suits my current state. Most importantly, the price is..."

Zhang Yu looked at the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method; the current price for usage rights was only 588 yuan.

This was one of the cheapest Advanced-level techniques Zhang Yu had seen.

However, because entering the method required the practitioner to have a "boss" to cooperate with, the site also recommended a guidance service priced at 1,000 yuan per day.

After all, many jobs required this mental method for employment, but many people had to find a job and get a boss before they could practice it.

To solve this employment dilemma, the platform had specifically launched a paid guidance service.

*So they want me to pay to hire a boss, huh?*

Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, knowing he certainly didn't need that; he had something forcing him 24 hours a day, anywhere and everywhere.

It could be said that this Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method—in terms of effect, price, and configuration—was an incredibly suitable technique for Zhang Yu's current state.

588 yuan wouldn't result in a loss or a scam; even if he found his mindset couldn't adapt, the loss wouldn't be significant.

The only thing that made Zhang Yu feel uncomfortable was the connotation of the technique.

But he was no longer the Zhang Yu who had just transmigrated. Facing the harsh environment of Kunxu and the constant pressure of the Ritual power, he had learned to adjust his mindset and thoughts to adapt to his surroundings.

Zhang Yu took a deep breath and thought, "If I have to be a workhorse, then so be it. Necessity is the mother of strength."

"If I need to be submissive, I'll be a workhorse for a while."

"With my potential, even if I accumulate strength silently as a workhorse, there will come a day when I can punch a hole through this sky."

Zhang Yu knew very well that practicing this workhorse method didn't mean he was willing to be a beast of burden; it was a temporary accumulation for a better future.

Order, pay, receive.

In an instant, he received an electronic version of the mental method.

After reading it carefully once, the new technique appeared on the Feather Book.

Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method Level 0 (0/1, 1/1 Dao Heart)

Zhang Yu sat cross-legged and began to practice the method.

He emptied his mind, trying to maintain mental tranquility, and began to construct the mental visualization image of this technique in his mind.

It was an image of an old ox bowing its head, silently tilling the wasteland.

But after constructing it for a while, Zhang Yu felt something was slightly off.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hurriedly stopped his cultivation and sat there blankly.

A moment later, a chill rose from his heart, and a countdown echoed in his mind.

The moment he resumed practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method, it suddenly felt "right."

A few minutes later, the image of the old ox bowing its head and silently tilling the wasteland had been sketched out in his mind.

At this moment, he felt as if he had become an ox working silently and without complaint; the previous unpleasantness in his heart had largely dissipated.

As he finished sketching the visualization image, numerous memories of practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method seemed to emerge out of thin air, allowing him to master the technique in an instant.

Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method Level 1 (0/3)

"I only need to practice it three times to level up?"

For a moment, Zhang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is it because this technique is so compatible with my current state?"

So he waited a moment longer. Once the countdown in his mind sounded, Zhang Yu practiced the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method again, beginning to sketch the visualization of the old ox tilling the wasteland.

After practicing back and forth three times, about ten minutes passed, and Zhang Yu felt a surge of movement in his spirit. His understanding of the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method deepened once more, and the visualization in his mind became increasingly clear and vivid.

Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method Level 2 (0/6)

Particularly after the technique reached Level 2, he felt that cultivation didn't seem so tedious or unbearable anymore.

"Is this the effect of the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method? It makes a person increasingly unafraid of hardship and more capable of grinding..."

It wasn't until Zhang Yu stopped the circulation of the method that he felt various feelings of fatigue, boredom, and laziness surge back into his mind.

A moment later, after waiting for the arrival of the Ritual power, Zhang Yu once again circulated the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method. The restless, escapist thoughts in his heart were instantly swept away, allowing him to begin cultivating steadily.

"This technique... doesn't seem as bad as I thought."

He suddenly remembered a sentence from the preface of the technique, spoken by its founder, who called himself the Great Desolate Ox Sage

"May all people in the world face hardships with one less bit of mental suffering and one more bit of hope."

A thought suddenly occurred to him: "Perhaps the person who created this technique didn't view it as a workhorse method."

In the blink of an eye, nearly half an hour passed. Zhang Yu took a deep breath and felt a tremor in his sea of consciousness; his Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method had risen to Level 3 (0/9).

After practicing for a while longer, he felt that both his Mana and his physical strength suddenly became as easy to command as his own limbs, becoming increasingly controllable and perceptible.

"My Dao Heart level has risen to Level 2."

Although Zhang Yu had already felt that his Dao Heart level was about to upgrade, at this moment, he couldn't help but marvel at the rapid progress he made after practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method.

This technique was indeed extremely compatible with his current state.

"Then I'll keep being a workhorse. As long as the compensation is enough, being a workhorse is nothing."

Thus, Zhang Yu immersed himself once again in the cultivation of the Desolate Ox Soul-Suppressing Heart Method. As the technique circulated, he seemed to feel the tedium and toil of cultivation less and less; instead, a sense of satisfaction from accumulation began to rise in his heart.

It was like an old ox diligently tilling the wasteland, feeling a sense of achievement as the fertile soil beneath its feet grew larger and larger.