Freehand Level 2 (0/20) → Freehand Level 3 (0/30)
In an instant, the fifteen freehand moves in his mind became increasingly proficient, even the subsequent changes and interconnections of each move became exceptionally clear.
The mana operation of each move became almost instinctual, Zhang Yu felt that if he executed a move now, the mana within him would naturally, effortlessly flow to his hands and feet.
"The passive breathing technique of the Circulation Qi Gathering Method also played a role during this process."
Zhang Yu felt the circulation of mana within him and realized that because the mana constantly flowed throughout his body, it made the operation of mana during freehand moves much smoother.
He marveled at how helpful the Circulation Qi Gathering Method was for beginners, not only in breathing and body refinement but also benefiting combat martial arts significantly.
However, with exams approaching, there was no time for Zhang Yu to linger on such thoughts.
After a brief session of breathing to restore some physical strength, he headed to the exam hall.
The first exam in the afternoon was Daoism, followed by the martial arts practical exam.
The main content of the Daoism exam was the recognition and use of talismans.
After all, the Qi Refining Realm had yet to grasp true Daoism, and one could only activate talismans through one's own knowledge and mana, so Daoist skills classes throughout high school were basically related to talismans.
A talisman refers to spells, and a talismanic book refers to a compilation of talismanic secrets used to communicate with Divine beings and harness Divine Power.
...
Inside the computer lab.
Seated in front of a computer, Zhang Yu silently recalled all kinds of knowledge about talismans.
Not far away, Zhao Tianxing was hurriedly flipping through textbooks, repeatedly memorizing certain knowledge points he feared forgetting.
Bai Zhenzhen was resting her head on the desk, seemingly unworried about the upcoming exam.
Then, as a bell rang, students quickly placed unrelated materials on the desk at the front of the classroom, then returned to their seats.
A moment later, the computer screens in front of them flickered, revealing their exam papers.
First Question: Which of the following talismans belongs to the Transport Department's Vast Journeys Four Directions Great God talisman?
The memories in Zhang Yu's mind instantly summoned relevant information.
The Transport Department, one of Kunxu's Eight Divine Departments, oversees all roads, aviation, and maritime transport within Kunxu, possessing the authority to monitor all transportation nationwide.
The Vast Journeys Four Directions Great God is a True God within the Transport Department responsible for city roads. Zhang Yu recalled that one of his powers was to log all urban road and vehicle monitoring data…
Through a talisman, one could harness the power of the Vast Journeys Four Directions Great God to access various surveillance within city road ranges, claiming foresight for three hundred years ahead, leaving nothing unobserved.
With this memory flashing through his mind, Zhang Yu continued looking at the options.
There were four options, roughly like this:
A, !*★,°*:.☆(￣▽￣)/$:*.°★*.
B, (o>ε(o>ｕ(≧∩≦)(￣ー￣)X(^▽^)
C, *´∀`)´∀`)*▍☼´∀`)*´∀`)(((´∀`)
D, 『』～o(▽｀๑۩۩o)=▊=▋=▍
"All four options begin with a talisman from the Transport Department's True God… haha, testing my nerves right off the bat?"
"It should be option D, the vehicle monitoring talisman, right?"
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and chose D, then moved on to the next multiple-choice question.
"Which of the following talismans does not belong to the reporting talisman?"
Zhang Yu hesitated slightly, "Reporting talisman? Never learned this, another question beyond the syllabus?"
Frowning slightly, he randomly picked one that seemed plausible and proceeded to the next question.
Upon completing all the multiple-choice questions, there came fill-in-the-blank and essay questions, with difficulty levels rising sharply.
There were things like, "Please compose a medical talisman and invite the Department of Health's Spring of Health God to check your intestines for any lumps."
And questions like, "Which talisman can quickly subdue three mana-less mortals 30 meters north? Please draw the talisman. Below are specific data about the three mortals and the surrounding environment..."
"Damn… can't I just knock down the three mortals directly? What talisman do I need?"
As Zhang Yu was sweating profusely, writing a Confinement Talisman, he heard the sound of a chair being pushed.
Looking up, he saw his classmate He Dayou ready to submit his paper and leave.
Zhang Yu remembered He Dayou ranked third in the last monthly exam, another wealthy person like Qian Shen.
But unlike Qian Shen, who focused solely on scores, He Dayou was an ostentatious showoff, having little interaction with Zhang Yu usually.
Submitting his paper early was an ostentatious act itself.
For talisman classes required a financial investment to truly succeed, being the most pronounced demarcation between the rich and the poor.
Many even referred to talismans as the language of the wealthy.
Specifically speaking, drawing talismans allowed mobilization of the Eight Divine Departments' powers, accomplishing extraordinary deeds; these Eight Divine Departments were often called the Eight Divisions True Gods by the populace.
However, schools only taught the most basic talisman drawing methods; to learn more advanced talismans, not found even in many schools, required purchasing talismanic books.
Apart from their high purchase cost, talismanic books entailed expensive membership, offerings to deities, and levels of faith expenditure, among other costly matters.
The talismans provided by talismanic books were categorized by a cultivator's realm level, but their most crucial criterion was money.
Only by spending enough money on talismanic books could one acquire sufficient faith levels, unlocking more permissions, mastering more advanced talisman drawing methods, and various different types of talismans.
Having fulfilled these prerequisites, one could then arduously learn and practice talismans, involving one-on-one talisman dialogues with the Eight Divisions True Gods, True God guidance for talisman error correction, and incorporating Divine directions while practicing talisman optimization... Of course, the process of arduous training was equally expensive.
In other words, learning talismans outside the campus was a process built entirely on money.
Throughout this entire process, if one violated rules set by the Eight Divisions True Gods, such as illegally sharing talismans or using them to infringe sect laws, punishment would ensue, ranging from fines to family bankruptcy.
Every time Zhang Yu attended Daoist Skills Class learning about talismans, he couldn't help but sigh at how unfair and unjust a subject it was, and how it was the best scoring point for wealthy individuals in the college entrance exam, the subject that could most significantly widen the gap between the rich and the poor, truly deserving its name as the language of the rich.
But Zhang Yu had also heard from Zhou Tianyi that talismans weren't the most expensive even among Daoism.
Many Daoism skills that could only be learned after Foundation Establishment would require massive investment, enough to leave a college student in severe debt.
After barely making it through the Daoism exam, Zhang Yu saw a crowd surrounding He Dayou, discussing the answers as he left the classroom.
He Dayou, smiling slightly, took out a jade-like object and began doodling on it as if drawing nonsense-strokes.
As his mana surged, a golden apparition gradually emerged from the jade object.
He Dayou said with a smile, "This is the answer talisman of the Omniscient God. Just ask Him whatever questions you have."
Many students who saw this scene gasped in amazement, looking at He Dayou with eyes full of envy.
As Zhang Yu watched He Dayou's jade object, Bai Zhenzhen's voice sounded next to him, "That's the talismanic book, right? And it even has a jade skin; this guy must have prepared to flaunt like this for a long time."
Zhang Yu turned his head to see Bai Zhenzhen next to him, fuming with jealousy.
Zhang Yu asked, "How did you do in the exam?"
Bai Zhenzhen grumbled, "How do you think? At least a quarter of it was filled with unfamiliar talismans."
"The college entrance exam two years ago was 20% beyond the syllabus, so this year it's going up to 25%? At this rate, by the time we take it, half of the questions will be content we haven't been taught? They have absolutely no shame."
"The practical exam better not let me encounter those filthy rich kids, or I'll beat them until they fail."
Seemingly feeling Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu's gaze, He Dayou turned his head and smiled slightly at the two.
Bai Zhenzhen instantly put on an air of nonchalance and nodded slightly in response.
A moment later, the next exam was about to start, and He Dayou, along with a few peers, headed to the martial arts practical exam venue.
He Dayou was the kind of person who, for a primary school essay, could write about "my school director dad."
Because his dad really was a director at Songyang High School.
Yet, despite being brought up in affluence, he didn't find his life easy. After all, he was merely one of over thirty children of his father from this generation.
After going through numerous assessments, competitions, and meeting family KPIs time and again, he finally became one of the only two high school students among more than thirty siblings, and one of the only two cultivators.
As for the rest of his mortal siblings, to pay off debts accrued from being raised, they had long since gone to work at his father's company.
"Even though I'm a rich kid, my progress to this point ultimately came down to my own efforts and talent."
"I earned my father's investment through my hard work, so why can't I flaunt my wealth?"
"Those poor fools only know how to complain and think that I've gotten to where I am today just because I have a rich dad? A bunch of childish, laughable people."
With such thoughts in mind, He Dayou had always looked down upon those who were both poor and performed badly in academics.
And as a board member's son entering Songyang High School, he developed a deeper understanding of the many unspoken rules within this school, and he began to unconsciously look down upon even the academically gifted poor students.
"No matter how good their grades are, it's only temporary. These poor folks have no idea… from the moment they were born, they never actually had a chance to rise."
"Perhaps, they aren't even the same species as us at this point."
With such notions, He Dayou maintained the overall third place in the year, occasionally flaunting his wealth, leading a peaceful school life while awaiting the right moment to enter a top-tier university.
Until someone's change disturbed his inner peace.
Watching Zhang Yu's growing perseverance over the past month and the competitive air it spurred within the class, he felt disgusted.
"These poor fools… calculating their debts each month, rushing to work after school every day to earn a few hundred or thousand spare changes, saving every penny in hopes of cultivating immortality, dreaming of instant wealth and eternal life."
"They have absolutely no idea who their true competitors in the college entrance exams are."
"Yet they continue to prance around in school."
"They're dirt poor and ugly."
He Dayou couldn't stand Zhang Yu acting as if through hard work he could defeat wealthy students like themselves.
Particularly after hearing rumors that Zhang Yu had been taken as a disciple by a Golden Core True Man, this board director's son specifically used his connections to verify the information.
After confirming that Zhang Yu hadn't been accepted as a disciple by the Golden Core True Man, his discontent with this person reached a peak.
"Purposefully not clarifying, trying to appear powerful by association?"
He thus planned to use the practical exam as an opportunity to teach this poor fool a lesson, making him realize his true place.