*The Boundless Cloud Hand was only six moves and I was flying through them so fast — could I really push it to level 10 by tonight?*
But after Zhang Yu pulled himself together and looped through the moves five more times, he felt the mana in his body thinning until it could no longer sustain his practice. He realized his earlier thinking was wrong.
Unlike a basic-tier art like Free Fighting, the Boundless Cloud Hand burned far more mana. Even with the Zhou Tian Qi Gathering Method's passive breathing constantly restoring his reserves, he couldn't train for hours at a stretch the way he did with Free Fighting.
So he simply settled cross-legged, letting the passive breathing recover his mana while running the Wild Bull Soul-Suppressing Heart Art to raise his Dao Heart.
Training in fits and starts, a full night passed and Zhang Yu pushed the Boundless Cloud Hand to level 6 (7/60). The Formless Cloud Qi's coverage had expanded from his hands all the way to his arms and shoulders, churning like a rolling sea of clouds. And the huge pillar of cloud that used to shoot skyward like a column of smoke was gone — now only wisps of fine mist rose a dozen-odd centimeters before dissolving into the air, because his rising control had sharply reduced the aegis force his circulation wasted.
...
The next day, at Songyang High School. Inside the student council office, Zhou Chechen smiled at his phone. "He actually took fourth in the Mana Competition? That surprised me."
Lan Ling, still lifting a dumbbell, said, "Word is White Dragon High's competition coach sought him out, trying to poach him."
Zhou Chechen laughed heartily. "They got robbed of a plac this time, so some student's resume is short a result. Of course they want to poach people. What if we sign Zhang Yu and train him specifically for the Mana Competition? Could we snatch a few more placings and make the three great schools take home fewer awards?"
For Songyang's rich, the Top Ten Elite Universities had only so many slots. The fewer trophies on someone else's resume, the better everyone else's odds.
Lan Ling said flatly, "As a first-year, maybe. But starting second year, I don't think Zhang Yu can still beat them."
Zhou Chechen laughed. "Even that would be good enough. Then it's decided. We can't really let White Dragon poach him. Once this month's exam ends..." He looked at his palm and slowly closed it, as if crushing everything he wanted into his grasp. "Zhang Yu must sign the contract."
Lan Ling understood: once the exam was over, Zhang Yu would have no choice but to sign.
...
Outside the school gate, Zhao Tianxing said into his phone, "Got it, Mom... I understand."
A woman's voice came through: "Play more with that Zhang Yu kid. Look how fast his grades are rising..."
"I know, I know." After a few perfunctory replies, he hung up. The moment he stepped through the gate he saw the scrolling banner: Warm congratulations to Zhang Yu of Grade 1, Class 1 for placing fourth in the citywide Mana Competition.
"So it's real after all." He'd caught gossip in a few school group chats the day before, but only now, seeing the line for himself, did he believe it.
Thinking that Zhang Yu — the one who used to share his lunch table — had vaulted past crowds of academic elites from the three great schools to take fourth stung him. Then shame followed. *Zhao Tianxing, your classmate scored brilliantly and you're jealous? Where's your score-morality?*
"Ah well, I can't compare with Zhang Yu. He's a Golden Core Disciple — a different species from us. Taking fourth could only mean that Starfire True Person put in serious work. And my mom keeps telling me to play with him..." He smiled bitterly. "With this gap between us, how could we?"
The rumor that Zhang Yu was a Golden Core Disciple had been cemented by his fourth-place result. And Zhao Tianxing, always anxious about what others thought, felt inferior before Zhang Yu's dazzling halo.
*He's a Golden Core Disciple, and the score gap keeps widening. Has he started looking down on me? Am I just some roadside ordinary-scoring student to him now? If I go out of my way to hang out with him, won't everyone think I'm fawning, that I just want to bask in his Golden Core halo?*
You couldn't blame him for overthinking. A city kid, he'd watched too many friendships sour as score gaps widened. "You've changed since your score went up." "Your score's so low I'm embarrassed to take you out." "I'll raise your score by ten points — don't come looking for me after that."
"Ah, well. If Zhang Yu doesn't come find me for lunch, I won't go find him either. Save myself the rejection."
When the last morning bell rang, Zhao Tianxing kept half-glancing Zhang Yu's way. Watching him chat with Bai Zhenzhen, he felt envy — if only his scores matched hers, he could laugh with Zhang Yu too. Watching Zhang Yu talk with Zhou Tianyi, he envied Zhou Tianyi as well: that guy's score was even lower than his, yet had no trouble shooting the breeze with Zhang Yu, never awkward.
Just then he saw all three stand and walk toward him. Zhao Tianxing dropped his head, pretended to tidy his desk, shuffled his books as if never satisfied, completely ignoring them. But inside he kept circling one question: *Will he ask me to eat with him?*
"Old Zhao! Let's go eat together."
Zhao Tianxing sprang up, smiling. "Mhm. Let's go."
On the way to the cafeteria, Zhou Tianyi laughed. "Zhang Yu, haven't you noticed the school feels different today?"
"Has it?" Zhang Yu thought a moment. "Teachers are still gentle, classmates still friendly, the air full of the smell of studying. Everything's great."
Zhou Tianyi: "You took fourth, so now half the school believes you're a Golden Core Disciple. Haven't you noticed people treat you with more respect?"
Zhang Yu recalled. His classmates' attitude toward him had indeed gained a subtle distance.
Bai Zhenzhen said coolly, "Mm. In the girls' bathroom I heard people say you were propped up by a Golden Core True Person — all connections and luck."
Zhou Tianyi: "In the boys' bathroom, someone said you'd cracked the code for rich sugar mommies — ordinary folks don't even know where that Golden Core selection exhibition is held, let alone get picked."
Zhang Yu sighed. "Ah well. I fight to win glory for my school and all I get in return is distance and jealousy."
Zhou Tianyi grinned. "Zhang Yu, the higher your score, the more you'll be envied. They won't think about your effort or talent. They'll just assume you've got good conditions and blame every success on luck."
Watching Zhou Tianyi's knowing look, Zhang Yu said thoughtfully, "Never figured a rank-25 student like you would know so much."
Zhou Tianyi stumbled a step, annoyed. "I... our grade has five hundred-plus people. Someone ranked 25 is still standing on countless backs."
Watching Zhang Yu chattering so easily, Zhao Tianxing slowly relaxed. *Who'd have thought taking fourth wouldn't change him?* But a moment later he changed his mind. Zhang Yu had changed a little, after all.
At the serving window, Zhang Yu said, "Auntie, I placed fourth in the citywide Mana Competition. Could I get a bit more meat?"
The serving auntie beamed. "Of course! This biggest pork rib goes to our citywide fourth-place winner!"
Songyang High had a rich academic atmosphere — naturally even the cafeteria aunties sized people up by score first.
...
That night, on the outskirts of Songyang City.
Trailing a whoosh of wind, a dark silhouette flashed through the night sky toward Zhang Yu's rented room. A brief pause at the apartment gate, then as the door opened the shadow slipped in like a wisp of smoke, reaching Zhang Yu's floor in seconds and appearing before his door like a ghost.
A knock.
Zhang Yu hurried to answer. There stood a middle-aged man, striding like a dragon, his bearing as vast as an abyss. "Are you Mr. Zhang Yu?"
Zhang Yu nodded. "Swift Reach? Only twenty-some minutes. You guys are fast."
The man smiled, pulled the goods from the large pack on his back, and handed them over. "Your order, Mr. Zhang. Please sign."
A moment later Zhang Yu shut the door and unpacked his purchases.
The Mana Competition had shown Zhang Yu his gap with the great schools' academic elites, and made him more eager to improve. Now, his mana had the Zhou Tian Qi Gathering Method breathing day and night, his Dao Heart was his daily focus to raise — only his physical strength had no time to train, stalled. And with next month's Martial Arts Competition looming, where he'd face those rich kids again, he felt an urgent need to strengthen his body.
So, after careful calculation, he'd bought a few things online.