On this day’s magic class, the students of the demonstration class were sitting cross-legged in the meditation room, practicing their breathing techniques.
Cameras at the front monitored every move of the students—whether they opened their eyes, scratched an itch, fidgeted, or even shifted their posture.
Every slight irregularity was meticulously recorded.
All this data was compiled into what was called the "distraction rate."
The class with the highest distraction rate each week would be publicly criticized by the entire school.
The students of the demonstration class didn’t care much about this, as no matter how they were evaluated, their class was always first.
On the other hand, the student with the lowest distraction rate each week would not only be publicly praised but also rewarded with 500 yuan and one hour of free access to a high-quality spiritual root.
This motivated the students of the demonstration class to stay focused.
When Zhang Yu first learned about the concept of the distraction rate in his mind, he couldn’t help but think that if such a thing had existed in his previous life, students would have cursed the school as idiots.
But in this world, it was different.
The students of the demonstration class were like bulls in heat, fiercely competing over their daily distraction rates, creating an intense atmosphere of competition.
At that moment, a bell rang, and everyone in the meditation room stopped their practice, turning their attention to the large screen at the front, eagerly awaiting the distraction rate data for the class.
1st place: Zhang Yu, distraction rate 0%, magic power 8.3
2nd place: Bai Zhenzhen, distraction rate 0.03%, magic power 11.2
3rd place: Qian Shen, distraction rate 0.12%, magic power 11.1
...
Looking at the ranking, the students in the classroom didn’t make a sound, but subtle changes in their eyes and expressions revealed a hint of surprise.
The magic instructor, a strict woman with her hair tied up and wearing black-framed glasses, looked at the results on the screen and said, “I won’t name the students whose distraction rate exceeded 0.3% today. It’s been three months since the semester started. How many times have I told you to focus your mind and calm your breath?
With such high distraction rates, how can your breathing efficiency compare to others? Everyone practices 24 hours a day. You don’t have more time than others.
If your breathing efficiency is low, you’ll fall behind bit by bit each day. By the end of three years in high school, the gap in your magic power could be 10, 20, or even 30 points.”
She continued, “And how many times have I said that students who can’t lower their distraction rate can come to my office to buy calming potions? I sat in my office for three hours yesterday afternoon, and not a single person came to ask me about it. Do you all think you have no problems?”
After her criticism, the instructor smiled slightly and looked at the top few names on the screen.
“Of course, there are also students who performed very well. I’d like to praise the three students with the lowest distraction rates, especially Zhang Yu, who has maintained a 0% distraction rate for four consecutive days. Compared to before, this is a qualitative leap. His magic power has also increased by 0.5 points in the past three days, which shows he’s been putting in a lot of effort outside of class. He must have either rented a spiritual root or a high-quality cultivation room, right, Zhang Yu?”
All the students immediately turned their gazes toward Zhang Yu, only to find him still sitting with his eyes closed, seemingly half-asleep, continuing to practice his breathing technique.
The instructor praised, “Look, this is the attitude of a true top student. He doesn’t stop even after class, seizing every moment to cultivate and grow stronger.”
Zhao Tianxing, watching Zhang Yu’s focused practice, found himself increasingly puzzled by this classmate. “Why does someone so diligent slack off during physical education class?”
Bai Zhenzhen, also looking at Zhang Yu, thought to herself, “Yu has been practicing non-stop these past few days, except when eating and using the bathroom. He’s even practicing while walking. Has he been driven to this level of effort by the 700,000 yuan debt collection calls?”
Before leaving, the instructor mentioned something that caught Zhang Yu’s attention. “By the way, the city’s magic competition will start next month. All high schools in the city will participate, and the first-place prize is 100,000 yuan. Since registration is next Friday, our school will select the top ten students in magic power from the first-year class to participate.”
...
That evening, in the cafeteria.
Zhou Tianyi had to leave early for a tutoring class, leaving only Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen at the table.
After being stared at by Bai Zhenzhen for a while, Zhang Yu finally spoke up. “Zhen, I know I’m good-looking, standing out like a crane among chickens in this study-focused Songyang High School, but you don’t have to stare at me like that.”
Bai Zhenzhen asked, “You want to participate in the magic competition?”
“Too bad, Zhen,” Zhang Yu shook his head. “If you weren’t my friend, you, the top genius of our grade, would have challenged me, only to be repeatedly humiliated by my astonishing performance in the competition, leaving you in shock.”
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head. “Yu, you’re talking about the city-wide magic competition. It’s where all the top students from every high school in Songyang City, with the strongest magic power and the wealthiest families, gather. It’s filled with countless rich kids.”
She sighed, “What do you think will happen if an ordinary person like you participates?” Her eyes seemed to see the future, and she said with pity, “You’ll be repeatedly humiliated by countless strong competitors, becoming a stepping stone for the rich kids, the clown of Songyang High School, and dragging the school’s reputation into the dirt!”
“It’s too tragic. I can already see you being crushed by the prodigies from other schools, your spirit shattered, lying on the ground like a dead dog.” Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. “Don’t exaggerate. It’s not a martial arts competition. Losing isn’t shameful. And the first prize is 100,000 yuan. Even making it to the top ten gets you 10,000 yuan.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s greedy expression, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself that Yu must be so desperate because of the debt collection calls that he’s deluded himself into thinking he can compete.
Zhang Yu was indeed in financial trouble.
Although he had earned 13,000 yuan from the Xianyun Company a few days ago, he had immediately used 10,000 yuan to pay off his debt and another 1,500 yuan for rent, leaving him with just over 2,000 yuan.
“If you want to compete, you’ll need to get your magic power into the top ten of our grade. You’re only ranked 16th right now. How much money do you need to borrow to reach the top ten?”
Zhang Yu quickly calculated in his mind.
His current magic power was 8.3, ranking him 16th in the grade.
The 10th-ranked student had a magic power of 9.5. To surpass them, Zhang Yu would need to raise his magic power to 9.5 by next Friday.
“Wait, I need to account for everyone else’s progress. To be safe, I should aim for 10.0 by next Friday. That’s an increase of 1.7 in eight days. That means I need to increase my magic power by 0.2 every day. Is that possible?”
Absolutely! Easily!
In the eyes of other teachers and students, Zhang Yu’s rapid improvement must have been the result of spending a fortune on renting high-quality spiritual roots and cultivation spaces.
But Zhang Yu knew it was all due to his incredible potential and extreme self-discipline.
His 4th-level breathing technique had already allowed him to increase his magic power by 0.5 in just three days.
He believed that as he continued to upgrade his breathing technique, his magic power would grow even faster.
“After all, the maximum level for skills in the Qi Refining stage is 10. A 4th-level breathing technique is something most first-year students can’t achieve in their first semester. If I keep practicing, I’ll likely reach level 8, 9, or even 10 in a short time—a level many people won’t reach even after three years of high school.”
Just as Zhang Yu was feeling motivated, he suddenly noticed Bai Zhenzhen’s chopsticks reaching into his bowl.
“How dare you!” Zhang Yu shouted, raising his chopsticks to block hers.
But in the clashing of chopsticks, his were easily knocked aside.
Feeling the familiarity in Bai Zhenzhen’s movements, Zhang Yu exclaimed, “High school basic sword technique? You’ve already mastered it? And you’re applying it to chopsticks?”
Quickly picking up a few pieces of meat from Zhang Yu’s bowl, Bai Zhenzhen chuckled. “Is it that hard, Yu? Isn’t it just a matter of having hands?”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Damn, she’s showing off again.”
After eating the stolen meat and a few more bites of rice, Bai Zhenzhen said in surprise, “I didn’t expect the 5-yuan set meal’s pork ribs to be so good. I’ll buy one next time.”
Patting her slightly bulging stomach, she let out a burp and said, “Ah, if I eat any more, it’ll affect my tutoring.” She then pushed her tray toward Zhang Yu. “Here, have some more, Yu.”
Looking at the neatly untouched half of Bai Zhenzhen’s meal, Zhang Yu understood that she had deliberately left it for him.
It seemed that after learning about Zhang Yu’s financial difficulties, Bai Zhenzhen had been feeding him during dinner.
Zhang Yu grabbed the tray and started eating. “Zhen, you don’t have to worry about my pride or face. Given our relationship, you could just give me money directly.”
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes. “I’m off to tutoring. Enjoy your meal.”
...
Outside the cafeteria, a tall figure stood in the nearby hallway, staring intently at the cafeteria door.
Moments later, when Zhang Yu walked out of the cafeteria, the figure perked up and immediately followed him.
As Zhang Yu left the school and entered a stationery store across the street, Zhao Tianxing’s eyes lit up. “Could this be where Zhang Yu gets his supplies?”
(End of Chapter)