Chapter 7: Pushing the limits
On the bus.
After obtaining the Feather Book, Zhang Yu had initially thought his future life would be: "Feather Book! Show me your limits!"
Little did he know, it would quickly turn into: "Ritual! Zhang Yu! Show me your limits!"
But now that things had come to this, the only way Zhang Yu could think of to break free from the ritual's power was to become stronger.
So, for now, he had no choice but to focus on his cultivation.
With each breath, strands of spiritual energy from the world around him flowed into his body, gathering in his dantian and being refined bit by bit into magical power, solidifying his foundation in the Dao.
Thinking back to last night's training with the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques, Zhang Yu wondered if he could apply the same method to quickly level up his Basic Breathing Technique.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the Feather Book opened, and Zhang Yu focused his attention on the line that read "Basic Breathing Technique (Level 1)." Instantly, he felt the text shift, as if he could drag it across the page.
But just as he was about to drag "Basic Breathing Technique (Level 1)" toward his portrait, a sudden realization emerged from the Feather Book.
"You can only focus on improving one skill at a time."
"Switching skills requires a one-day cooldown before you can switch again."
Zhang Yu mentally dubbed this function of the Feather Book "Specialization."
In that moment, he understood that the skill under specialization could be leveled up quickly, but he could only specialize in one skill at a time. Switching skills would lock him out of changing again for a full day.
"So, if I switch my specialization from the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques to the Basic Breathing Technique, the Breathing Technique will level up faster, but the Body Strengthening Techniques will revert to their normal, slower progression."
"Unless I switch back to the Body Strengthening Techniques after a day..."
Considering his upcoming physical education class, Zhang Yu decided not to switch for now and continued focusing on improving the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques.
Time passed quickly, and Zhang Yu maintained his Basic Breathing Technique until the moment he got off the bus.
---
In the school cafeteria.
Bai Zhenzhen carried her tray over and sat down across from Zhang Yu, who looked like a walking corpse. She glanced at him curiously and said flatly, "Did you spend all night... 'relieving stress'?"
Zhang Yu swallowed a large meat bun in one bite and grumbled, "I was training hard late into the night."
Bai Zhenzhen's face remained expressionless, but her words were blunt. "You're the only one in the whole school who hasn't had the sterilization procedure. I told you not to skimp on those 20,000 credits. Look how much time, energy, and protein you've wasted."
Zhang Yu devoured an egg in one gulp and smiled confidently. "Bai Zhenzhen, let me tell you something. My self-discipline and potential are so terrifying that even I'm shocked. It won't be long before I take your spot as the top student in our grade."
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes and retorted sharply, "Zhang Yu, save that kind of overconfidence for when you're talking to yourself. If anyone else hears you, they'll laugh so hard they'll wet themselves."
"You're aiming for the top spot in the grade, not the top spot in... 'relieving stress.' Your lack of sterilization isn't going to help you there."
Zhang Yu shook his head helplessly, thinking, "This girl acts all cold and aloof, but she sure has no filter when it comes to saying whatever she wants."
As for being the only student in the school who hadn't undergone sterilization, Zhang Yu wasn't as shocked as he used to be. He was gradually getting used to the madness of this world and this school.
Still, the fact that he hadn't been sterilized remained a small secret. Among his classmates, only Bai Zhenzhen knew about it.
But now, a question suddenly popped into Zhang Yu's mind: "Why was I allowed to enroll without undergoing sterilization?"
Just then, Zhou Tianyi sat down at the table with his tray and looked at Zhang Yu curiously. "You look exhausted. Did you pull an all-nighter studying?"
Zhang Yu shook his head. "I practiced the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques for a bit last night and had a breakthrough."
As they ate and chatted, Zhang Yu noticed something: once Zhou Tianyi joined them, Bai Zhenzhen became much quieter, reverting to her usual cold, reserved self.
After breakfast, the three of them walked toward the classroom along the school grounds.
Zhang Yu occasionally opened his palm, watching the Feather Book appear and disappear.
"So, no one else can see the Feather Book, huh?"
Just then, a loud *bang* echoed from the direction of the school building, followed by a series of shouts and exclamations.
A crowd had gathered in front of the main entrance of the building.
People around them were whispering and gossiping.
Someone familiar with the situation said, "That's Lu Chao from Class 3, Senior Year. He used to be in the honors class, but his grades have been slipping. He's probably about to get demoted."
"Lu Chao? He was in the top ten of our grade back in sophomore year."
A classist bystander chimed in with a sweeping generalization. "What does it matter if he did well in sophomore year? Poor people will always be poor. How many poor students do you see staying in the honors class by senior year? Poor people just aren't cut out for cultivating immortality."
Another person, obsessed with academic performance, added their two cents. "Hmph, jumping from the sixth floor? Pathetic. If it were one of the top students from the honors class, they'd at least jump from the tenth floor."
Bai Zhenzhen, who was passing by, sighed. "Another senior?"
Zhou Tianyi said, "This is the third incident this year. The pressure on this year's seniors must be intense."
Zhang Yu suddenly asked, "Was he poor?"
Bai Zhenzhen glanced at him, her tone neither admonishing nor sympathetic. "He probably took out a lot of loans. Anyone who has to borrow money to study definitely isn't rich."
"Students like him often do well when they first enter Songyang High."
"But by senior year, they usually can't keep up with the rich kids and end up getting into second- or third-tier universities."
"As for the top ten universities, it's been over a decade since a commoner from Songyang High got into one."
Zhang Yu was taken aback. He knew the "top ten" referred to the ten universities directly affiliated with the major sects—the most prestigious institutions, the dream schools for countless students.
But he hadn't realized that no commoner from Songyang High had gotten into one of those universities in over ten years.
He thought to himself, "Is it because of a lack of resources? Not enough money?"
Zhang Yu recalled some of the rumors about the wealthy students. It was said that many top tutors, exclusive training manuals, high-level techniques, and lab-grade drugs circulated only among the rich, never reaching the poor.
Zhang Yu thought, "If my potential hadn't been awakened, I might have ended up on that path too."
Although the incident sparked a wave of discussion, for the students who were busy with their daily studies and cultivation, it was just a topic of conversation during breaks.
Soon, no one paid it any mind, and the students returned to their daily routines, striving for their future in the Dao.
Though they were barely adults, they all knew a harsh truth:
Your score determines which university you attend.
Your university determines which sect you join.
Your sect determines your entire life.
No matter how close or distant their relationships, students with different grades would inevitably go their separate ways.
---
Time flew by, and soon it was time for the triple-period physical education class.
After once again rejecting Coach Wang Hai's attempts to sell him performance-enhancing drugs, Zhang Yu couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but he felt like the coach's gaze toward him had changed.
But there was nothing he could do. Whether it was due to money or health concerns, he couldn't afford to take those drugs.
So Zhang Yu pretended not to notice and continued his training.
**Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques (Level 2 (1/20))**
Including the session at the bus stop earlier, Zhang Yu only needed to practice the techniques 19 more times to level up.
This gave him a surge of motivation as he pushed his muscles to the limit, squeezing out every ounce of magical energy.
Even when he wanted to slow down or take a break, the ritual's power would remind him to keep going, forcing him to push through the pain and exhaustion.
With each repetition, he broke through his limits, enduring the agony and the constant threat of death. It was a mix of pain and exhilaration.
After more than two class periods, Zhang Yu finally collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
**Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques (Level 2 (17/20))**
"I've hit my limit."
The ritual's power didn't push him further, apparently agreeing that he had reached his limit.
But Zhang Yu wasn't discouraged. In just two days, he was close to leveling up a basic martial technique from Level 1 to Level 3—something he would never have dreamed of before.
"If I hadn't trained extra last night, I probably could have finished all three periods of PE today."
"But with this damn ritual forcing me to make the most of every second, I'll probably end up training extra at night and being too exhausted to train during PE... That's going to be the new normal."
Zhang Yu felt like this was similar to his previous life, where some students would cram all night and then sleep through class during the day. It wasn't a healthy routine.
"Stupid ritual. It doesn't understand time or context."
Just then, as Zhang Yu lay on the ground, he felt a shadow fall over him, as if a mountain had blocked the sun.
Coach Wang Hai looked down at him coldly. "What do you think you're doing during PE class?"
Zhang Yu quickly explained, "Coach, I trained extra last night, so I'm a bit exhausted."
Sensing Wang Hai's displeasure, Zhang Yu added, "I had a breakthrough with the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques last night. I've reached Level 2."
He offered this explanation because he knew that in this grade-obsessed school, most teachers wouldn't give top students a hard time.
He thought that if Wang Hai knew he had made significant progress, he wouldn't be too harsh on him.
This was something Zhang Yu had started considering after noticing a subtle change in Wang Hai's attitude toward him.
But Zhang Yu was wrong.
There are many types of teachers in the world.
For example, most of the main subject teachers at Songyang High favored high-achieving students. They enjoyed teaching students who were easy to teach and brought them a sense of accomplishment. They were also more lenient when top students made mistakes.
Some teachers focused more on struggling students, dedicating their energy to helping them improve, as these students had more room for growth.
Many elective teachers didn't care how well their students performed. They showed up, did their job, and left on time, not wasting a single extra second on work.
But there was another type of teacher—one who cared more about obedience and authority than about their students' performance.
In these teachers' classes, they were the absolute authority. They wouldn't tolerate any defiance, and even if a student used a method they hadn't taught, they would mock and belittle them, making an example of them.
Clearly, Coach Wang Hai, who loved selling drugs and punishing students, was this type of teacher.
The PE class at Songyang High was his little kingdom, and the students were his market for performance-enhancing drugs.
The fact that Zhang Yu had never bought any drugs had already annoyed him.
Seeing Zhang Yu lying on the ground "slacking off" only added to his frustration. He wanted to use this opportunity to make an example of Zhang Yu, to shame him for not using drugs and to discourage others from following his natural training methods.
But Zhang Yu's explanation—"I had a breakthrough with the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques last night"—cut him off.
To Wang Hai, this was a direct challenge to his authority in the PE class.
"Think you're special just because you reached Level 2 in the Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Techniques?"
Wang Hai pointed at Bai Zhenzhen. "Look at her. Did she stop taking drugs or start slacking off after reaching Level 2?"
Zhang Yu said helplessly, "Coach, that's not what I meant..."
Wang Hai coldly replied, "Zhang Yu, I've seen plenty of students like you. You think a little talent means you don't need to listen to your teachers or follow the school's methods."
"You need to understand that the reason you had a breakthrough is because of the solid foundation you built over the past three months by diligently attending class and taking the drugs I prescribed."
"Whatever extra training or tutoring you do outside of school is just a supplement."
"The classes here are the main course."
"I'll be reporting this to your homeroom teacher. You'd better shape up."
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