Chapter 396: Chapter 343: The Second Mental Method, The Exam Begins
End of August.
Zhang Yu sat cross-legged in his dormitory, feeling the current state of himself.
Since arriving at the second layer of Wanfa University City in June last year, after three months of laying the foundation, and then relentless progress after the start of school in September last year, he has finally received bountiful gains on the Immortal Path.
His Dao Heart has reached Level 15 (55.1%), and his mental method smoothly achieved the unity of spirit and flesh, operating as smoothly as breathing at every moment, even starting the second mental method.
Mana surged to 752.8 units through continuous day-and-night breathing exercises.
Although the speed of improvement began to slow down as Mana quality continually increased, it still reached 173%.
Although the second semester mainly focused on breathing methods, through various Taoist Skills services, food essence replenishment, various Tiger Wolf Medicinal substances, and constant gravity refinement from the Nine Prisons Suppressing Mountain Belt, coupled with Zhang Yu’s relentless overtime work on construction sites... his physical strength has now reached Level 15.88.
As his cultivation stabilized across all aspects, now Zhang Yu’s Gang Qi transmission rate has also reached 53%, with the transmission distance breaking through to 50 meters.
Feeling the surge of power within his body, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but reveal a satisfied smile.
He then looked at his bank balance.
Though monthly expenditures on Spirit Stones, pills, Spirit Realm data usage, Taoist Skill services, Spirit Realm services, etc. continued, Zhang Yu indeed struck it big in successive fortunes.
Later, he even freeloaded the unity journey of spirit and flesh, along with constant improvement in work efficiency and occasionally selling some Mana... his account balance not only didn’t decrease but increased, reaching 46 spirit coins.
Looking at the 46 spirit coins in the account, Zhang Yu felt an unparalleled sense of fulfillment.
"The feeling of solidifying one’s potential on the Immortal Path... is truly delightful."
At the same time, a White Bull roared in his mind, vaguely about to undergo a new transformation.
This transformation stemmed from the second mental method Zhang Yu obtained from the Spirit Realm... a black Cultivation Technique.
This Cultivation Technique is called "Infinite Inner Heart Method Body," and when Zhang Yu looked at the contents, he realized this mental method is paired with the Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique.
When Zhang Yu initially comprehended the complete version of the Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique, he understood that this mental method was to fight till the last moment, even when heavily wounded, with limbs severed, to risk life once more, dying without surrender.
To achieve this, the Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique activates bodily vitality, granting the cultivator powerful healing capabilities, enabling them to seek life amidst death during sacrificial battles, to prepare for the next sacrificial fight.
Otherwise, after several battles, the body would be damaged, with no strength left to continue fighting.
Yet, even under the extra reinforcement of the Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique, safety is not guaranteed; there’s always a risk of severe injury and death in repeat sacrificial battles.
The existence of the Infinite Inner Heart Method Body is to fill this gap.
In the content of the mental method Zhang Yu received, this mental method aimed directly at Level 80 Dao Heart, meaning... this Cultivation Technique can be cultivated from Level 1 Qi Refinement Stage to Level 20 Foundation Establishment Stage, Level 30 Golden Core Stage... and eventually pushed all the way to Level 80.
This was Zhang Yu’s first time receiving a complete set of follow-through stage content in a Cultivation Technique.
Previously, when purchasing techniques, he often could only buy up to Qi Refinement Stage or Foundation Establishment Stage versions.
Regarding the description of the mental method’s final stage, it’s claimed that each trace of flesh and blood contains intent, and if combined with the Level 80 Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique, one could be reborn from a drop of blood, undying and immortal, with every drop of blood, every strand of hair... splitting into countless external avatars.
The ideology represented by the Infinite Inner Heart Method Body is to fight to the bitter end! Until every trace of flesh, every bone is utterly obliterated, fighting never ceases.
As Zhang Yu began cultivating this technique, he felt that with each level increase in Infinite Inner Heart Method Body, the speed of his thought operation accelerated by a fraction, until now it reached a qualitative change...
"Refusing to die through nine lives, sacrificial fight without regret, only then does the Primordial Spirit return to flesh."
The mental method code flowed once again in Zhang Yu’s mind, and at this moment, Zhang Yu’s Infinite Inner Heart Method Body was pushed to Level 10.
Zhang Yu felt his thoughts and intent splitting into two at this moment.
White Bull roaring in his mind let out an angry roar to the sky, following which its head also split into two, transforming into a dual-headed White Bull.
Accompanied by the roar of the dual-headed White Bull, Zhang Yu felt capable of multitasking two thoughts simultaneously at this moment.
This is the Level 10 effect of Infinite Inner Heart Method Body, allowing Zhang Yu to operate two thoughts simultaneously.
As he continues escalating the level of Infinite Inner Heart Method Body, not only will his thought operation speed increase, but also the number of parallel thoughts will grow.
And every ten levels will further increase the number of parallel thoughts, gradually achieving multitasking of ten thoughts, a hundred thoughts... until every trace of flesh can distribute a thought, coupled with the Residual Cattle Life-Sacrifice Heart Technique, attaining the realm of being reborn from a drop of blood, undying and immortal, external avatars numbering in the millions.
As Zhang Yu gradually comprehended the power of this Cultivation Technique, he understood that even if his sister didn’t consider this mental method military-level, it’s certainly at pre-military level proficiency.
"Perhaps back in the era this technique was created, it was indeed a military-level Cultivation Technique, right?"
"Though as time passed, military-level techniques have grown increasingly formidable, this technique gradually being evaluated as pre-military-level, right? Just like Nine Heavens Cloud Force?"
Of course, at this moment, Zhang Yu is too distant from that legendary realm of reborn from a drop of blood, myriad avatars. To him, the current primary role of Infinite Inner Heart Method Body is not reflected in the physical body but more in controlling Gang Qi.
Two Formless Warriors emerged from behind him, with a crackling sound, then crashed violently into each other.
Two humanoid Gang Qi clashed, fists and feet colliding, under Zhang Yu’s dual thought control, just like two different people fiercely battling.
Zhang Yu secretly estimated in his heart: "Under the Level 10 Infinite Inner Heart movement technique’s enhancement, with dual thought... I can currently perfectly control 9 Formless Warriors."
"However, simultaneously, Mana consumption per unit time must inevitably increase."
At this moment, Yu Xinghan’s voice came from the side: "Zhang Yu, let’s go, it’s time for the exam."
With a determined look on his face, Yu Xinghan clenched his fist and said, "After all this hard training, it’s finally time for us to make a remarkable impact."
On their way to the exam hall, the two saw many students hastily making their way to the exams.
After all, it was the end of the academic year, and many students were taking exams during this period, such as Zhang Pianpian and Le Mulan, who had left the dorm early for their exams.
Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan arrived at the exam site, seeing many students already waiting there, their faces filled with tension, anticipation, or excitement...
The first Dao Heart exam officially began.
...
Deep within the Spirit Realm.
Dao Heart teacher Feng Jiu’s Artifact Spirit was observing the situation in the Spirit Realm exam site.
Images of each student appeared before her, and she recorded various details about them.
This time, the content of the Dao Heart exam was randomly assigned to each student, combined with some public data.
Although the content varied, different detailed scoring rules allowed for the most accurate assessment of students’ Dao Heart scores.
In one of the images, Li Xiao was walking lifelessly down the street.
His exam topic was death.
At this moment, he suddenly discovered that he had been mistakenly issued a death certificate in the Spirit Realm Network’s data.
Thus, he was defined as dead in various fields.
His Spirit Realm Network was disconnected, and his eye sockets could only see a gray and white city.
His bank accounts were frozen, and he could not use even a single spirit coin.
He even lost access to the Magnetic Channel.
All his titles, rankings, and domains had vanished, appearing as a mere illusion to others.
Even when he was struck and injured, his status as deceased meant he could receive no compensation or medical care.
He wandered like a lonely ghost through the gray city forest, enduring severe mental anguish.
The Artifact Spirit recorded Li Xiao’s state: "Emotional autonomy score: 76, internal stability score: 72, inner abundance score: 71... lacks resistance to solitary cultivation, highly reliant on societal recognition..."
After scoring Li Xiao, the Artifact Spirit noticed another student.
Ying Xin’s situation was... bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy, viewed by countless Kunxu people as the beginning of body and soul deterioration, was seen by many as more terrifying than possession or Evil Qi infection.
However, Ying Xin faced this situation with a surprising calm.
"It’s time to showcase the heritage of my six generations of civil engineering family."
"Come out! Father! Grandfather! Great-grandfather! Great-great-grandfather! Heavenly Ancestor!"
With one slap of the 20-level Excavation Palm, Ying Xin lifted vast chunks of land, and six coffins rose with a roar.
Immediately above each coffin, a number appeared, representing the value of the corpse within—from father to Heavenly Ancestor, the numbers got larger, and the pressure more terrifying.
"Six generations of accumulated might! Help me turn the tables and mend the heavens!"
Seeing Ying Xin’s high-spirited state, the Artifact Spirit recorded: "High family socialization level, extremely strong psychological resilience cultivation, further confirming the theory that more wealth enhances emotional container capabilities."
"Indeed, money is humanity’s most crucial reference factor. I still can’t understand why financial worth isn’t included in university ranking reference data."
Meanwhile, more student data flooded in front of the Artifact Spirit.
Yu Xinghan was currently facing annulment.
The daughter of a wealthy family, with family assets worth tens of thousands of spirit coins, brought the annulment papers to him.
Faced with the wealthy family’s humiliation, relatives’ sarcasm, classmates’ ridicule, and the daughter’s overt and covert threats... layers of mental pressure were unleashed on him.
"Yu Xinghan, if you have any self-respect, just accept it, then we can still be friends."
"Self-respect?" Anger surged within Yu Xinghan; he had never felt so wronged.
Suffocated by this unjust accusation, he tore up the annulment papers and shouted at the other party, "No annulment!"
"At worst, he becomes the main spouse, and I become the secondary spouse! I’ve set my mind on this marriage, and no one can stop me! Unless you go bankrupt today."
Watching this scene, the Artifact Spirit shook its head and recorded: "This exam question is too outdated, the question bank needs updating. Self-respect, dignity — these things don’t bring any psychological pressure anymore... hmm, let’s select a new question for him."