Chapter 166: Zhang Yu's Heartache

According to the Immortals' explanation and standards, a cultivation method with a ten-star difficulty rating is one that an average high school student would need three years to master. A nine-star difficulty method would take two years, an eight-star one year, and a seven-star about half a year.

Upon hearing this explanation, Dai Xingzhi thought to himself, "Given these difficulty levels, if I have to master it within two hours, I'm confident with a five-star method. A six-star one carries a risk of failure. As for seven-star or higher... apart from Yun Jing and Ye Lingxiao, I doubt many others here would dare to choose." After all, in Dai Xingzhi's opinion, risking failure to master a martial art and scoring zero for this round, just for a few extra points, was simply not worth it.

Meanwhile.

Zhang Yu, however, paid no attention to the difficulty explanations. He was gazing at the rows of cultivation methods displayed on the screen, a smile involuntarily curving his lips. "Demonic Parasite Method, Buzhou Mountain-Moving Sutra, Heart Origin Grand Seal..." Although the cultivation methods provided by the Immortals for this exam were certainly not all the Qi Condensation methods available in Kunxu, they were more than enough to dazzle Zhang Yu.

"So many methods? Can I choose any of them?" At this moment, Zhang Yu's eyes shone with immense excitement. With his extraordinary potential and the aid of his Feathered Scroll, mastering any cultivation method would be effortless for him.

On the other side, the Immortals continued to explain the rules. Deng Bingding stated, "...Cultivation methods of different difficulties naturally have different difficulty coefficients. Your final score for this round will be calculated based on the difficulty coefficient and the time it takes you to successfully master the chosen method. Alright, you now have 10 minutes to select your cultivation method. Once a method is chosen, it cannot be changed. If you fail to select a method within ten minutes, it will be considered a forfeiture, and you will receive a score of zero for this round. All necessary resources for practicing the methods, such as weapons, materials, and medicines, will be provided on-site after you make your selection. Finally, remember not to choose any method you have already learned; otherwise, it will be treated as cheating."

As the rules for this final martial arts examination were fully explained, the 10-minute countdown began. Students could now operate the screens in front of them to select their cultivation methods. Students across the hall reached out, swiping and tapping on their screens, their eyes scanning through one method after another, expressions of hesitation appearing on their faces from time to time.

As Zhang Yu scrolled through the list, he thought, "If I want to get a high score, I should choose the most difficult method." In the list, each cultivation method had been rated by the Immortals according to its difficulty. Zhang Yu filtered for the highest difficulty, ten-star methods, and saw names like: Myriad Manifestations Palm, Blood Dispersing Demonic Slaughter Technique, Demonic Disintegration Art, Myriad Swords Endless Incantation, Hundred Changes Thousand Illusions Heart Sutra...

"A ten-star difficulty only indicates the highest training difficulty; it doesn't necessarily mean it's the most powerful method, let alone the one I need most, or the one most suitable for me." At this point, Zhang Yu recalled the process for the Foundation Establishment Qualification Exam and the purpose of today's test. "The Foundation Establishment Qualification Exam has three rounds. The one I'm taking today is the first round in August. There will be a second round in October and a third round in January next year. For this first round, I just need my total score in spiritual power, physical body, and martial arts to be in the top twenty to avoid elimination and qualify for the second round."

Zhang Yu calculated his rankings from the spiritual power and physical body rounds, realizing that if he also placed in the top 20 for this third round, it was highly unlikely he would be eliminated. "Therefore... rather than choosing the most difficult method to get a very high score..." Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Perhaps I should seize this opportunity to cultivate a powerful method that's most suitable for me, free of charge. Firstly, it won't affect my ability to pass today's exam. Secondly, it will be more beneficial for my future development."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over the methods priced at hundreds of thousands, or even millions, feeling as though he was practically drooling. Even among expert-level methods, there were differences, clearly reflected in their prices. Expert-level methods costing seven, eight hundred thousand, or even over a million, were usually beyond Zhang Yu's wildest dreams. After all, with such a large sum, he would definitely prioritize buying pills, taking medicine, renting spiritual veins, or ascending to the spiritual realm. But now, he had the chance to cultivate such an expensive method for free. With this thought, Zhang Yu made up his mind: "I will choose the method that is most suitable for me and also the strongest."

Finding the most suitable one wouldn't be difficult. "Just as my physical strength surpassed level 8, the Crimson Marrow Primal Qi began to lose its efficiency." With this in mind, Zhang Yu directly selected body-refining martial arts as the method type, then chose "late Qi Condensation stage." As for which of these body-refining martial arts was the strongest? Zhang Yu immediately clicked to sort by price.

"Kunxu has many pitfalls; deceptive tactics and ways to fleece people are endless. But one thing is certain: companies here would never price a body-refining martial art they consider powerful at a low rate. Such a thing as 'good quality at a low price' simply doesn't exist. Instead, the most expensive methods are bound to possess significant power." Once sorted, the body-refining martial arts displayed before Zhang Yu, from highest to lowest price, were the 1.55 million-priced Spring Autumn Endless Zen, the 1.54 million-priced Titanium Body Refining Essentials, and the 1.52 million-priced Great Heavenly Dragon Divine Might.

Although these three methods were all eight-star difficulty, not the highest ten-star, they were precisely what Zhang Yu truly needed. After quickly scanning the descriptions of these three most expensive methods, Zhang Yu felt a pang in his heart. "These three methods... do I really have to give up two of them?" He then became incredibly hesitant.

"'Spring Autumn Endless Zen' can strengthen the body, cleanse the marrow and tendons, fortify internal organs, truly transform one's constitution, enhance vitality, expel various impurities like pill toxins and medicinal poisons, and improve the efficacy of medication... Cultivating this method allows one to consume pills and receive injections without restraint; it's a true holy method of body refinement, significantly boosting a cultivator's potential on the immortal path."

But looking at the "Titanium Body Refining Essentials" next to it, Zhang Yu also felt a strong desire: "A cultivation method created by a steel factory worker, who fought desperately for survival after falling into a steel furnace. It allows for the smelting of various alloys into the body, combining with flesh, bones, and even internal organs, greatly enhancing the body's resistance to blows and its physical endurance. Especially, the higher the quality of the alloys used, the greater the body's strength. It is said that the company guarantees annual updates to the training materials, allowing for continuous improvement even after reaching Level 10." Zhang Yu scoffed at the story of a worker falling into a steel furnace; it was clearly a fabricated gimmick by the company to promote this method. Rather than believe a petty story about a worker accidentally falling into a steel furnace, Zhang Yu was more inclined to believe that this method was created after countless experimental subjects had been burned or crushed to death in a laboratory. Nevertheless, the power of this method was beyond doubt.

Yet, Zhang Yu couldn't help but look at the Great Heavenly Dragon Divine Might. "By refining dragon blood and transforming the body into a half-dragon, half-human form, this method can significantly enhance muscular strength and physical toughness, while also improving recovery ability, energy, stamina, drug resistance, metabolic capacity, digestive power, and various other attributes. If one persists in refining dragon blood daily, there's even potential for continued growth, increased lifespan, and the acquisition of certain draconic abilities. Hmm... but there are side effects. One's personality will be influenced by the dragon's nature. For example, dragons are inherently lustful, and as the dragon blood is continuously refined, the practitioner's aesthetic tastes will change, and their interests will broaden. It's best to combine it with a sterilization surgery after mastery to continue progressing." However, this minor side effect seemed insignificant to Zhang Yu now. If he could cultivate this method for free, he'd even be willing to undergo a minor surgery.

As the 10-minute method selection time continued to tick away, Zhang Yu gazed at the three methods before him, feeling immense hesitation and difficulty. "I want them all." "Ugh, this is too hard to choose."

Compared to Zhang Yu's struggle, Ye Lingxiao on the other side seemed remarkably decisive. As the inheritor of the Night Clan's perfect bloodline in Xiandu, Ye Lingxiao possessed a nervous system far more developed than that of an average high school student. He had an innate, formidable control over his muscles, internal organs, and even spiritual power. This talent was fully unleashed the moment he entered high school, allowing him to grasp any cultivation method instantly and master it with ease. It's fair to say that since entering high school, the number of methods he had cultivated far exceeded the imagination of ordinary students; even his classmates, teachers, and private coaches had no idea how many methods he had truly mastered. And at this moment, in Ye Lingxiao's eyes, many of the methods displayed were ones he had already learned. As for the remaining ones he hadn't learned, he mostly had some knowledge of them and knew their general orientation.

However, he wouldn't risk choosing a method he had already cultivated for this exam. On one hand, he disdained such an action; on the other, every method he had cultivated was a legitimate one for which he had purchased usage rights. As a genuine licensed user, the Immortals present could easily verify which methods he had practiced. So, after filtering for ten-star difficulty methods, Ye Lingxiao casually chose one he hadn't practiced and didn't particularly dislike. Ye Lingxiao thought, "The Myriad Swords Endless Incantation will do."

Yun Jing, on the other hand, was even more straightforward. Unlike Ye Lingxiao, who had cultivated numerous methods, Yun Jing simply sorted by difficulty from highest to lowest and chose the "Myriad Manifestations Palm," which appeared at the top.

Yu Xinghan, meanwhile, pondered for a moment. For every method he was to cultivate and choose during the Qi Condensation stage, True Person Xinghuo had already made plans and arrangements. Given his rankings from the previous two rounds, he wasn't under much pressure for this round and didn't need to choose the most difficult method to cultivate. "There's no need to choose a method outside of my master's plan; that would only waste my extra time and energy." After all, True Person Xinghuo's schedule for Yu Xinghan was already very tight, and he had no extra time whatsoever to cultivate additional methods. "I still need to choose a method that's part of the planned arrangement. That way, when Li Xuelian transfers money to me for a cultivation method next time..." The thought of learning a method for free today and then being able to claim payment for it from Li Xuelian next time filled Yu Xinghan with excitement. "Then, of course, I should choose the most expensive one on the plan..."

Yu Xinghan's gaze settled on the "Heavenly Gang Qi Method," rated seven-star difficulty and valued at 900,000. "A seven-star difficulty Heavenly Gang Qi Method would be tough for me to master even in two hours. Moreover..." Seeing the eight large characters in the method's description — "To cultivate this method, wield a blade and reverse life" — Yu Xinghan felt a chill run down his spine. He had just asked an Immortal examiner, and the Heavenly Gang Qi Method required physical integrity. Therefore, if he chose this method, the examiners on site would respectfully invite the divine power of the Ministry of Health's Great Deity to restore any physical imperfections caused by his sterilization surgery. "So, cultivating the Heavenly Gang Qi Method means facing an affected Dao Heart and physical and mental changes caused by various hormonal shifts within the body, which would significantly hinder my cultivation." Such changes, detrimental to his cultivation, were nothing short of poison to Yu Xinghan, who was determined to bravely advance on the path of immortality.

"No wonder Master planned for me to cultivate the Heavenly Gang Qi Method in my second or even third year of high school. So, cultivating this method truly demands such a high price?" Yu Xinghan gritted his teeth and thought, "But fortune favors the bold. If I'm afraid to take a chance for 900,000, how will I ever strive to climb the immortal path in the future? I'll go for it!"

The remaining students, such as Dai Xingzhi, Meng Tao, and other Xiandu high schoolers, mostly chose methods with five or six-star difficulty. This was for prudence, as choosing a method that was too difficult and failing to master it within two hours would directly result in a score of zero.