"645... 644... 639..."
One by one, the figures of his classmates appeared before Qian Shen.
Though he couldn’t see their faces clearly, he could distinctly see the scores floating above their heads.
"680, 690, 660..."
The scores above each person’s head were so high, so dazzling, that Qian Shen felt utterly ashamed of himself.
Standing among them, he felt like a worthless piece of wet garbage.
"With my measly 600 points, I don’t deserve to be here. I don’t deserve to talk to them, let alone stand near them..."
In his eyes, the scores above his classmates’ heads kept rising, and their figures grew taller and taller, like towering giants.
Soon, he could only see their legs, their faces completely out of sight.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the exhibition, Li Xingyu’s drone from Mangshan High School traced a path through the air, slowly heading toward the Heavenly Martial Diagram.
But with a sudden crackling sound, the drone malfunctioned and crashed to the ground.
"Students from Mangshan High School with their soul cultivation contracts shouldn’t be meddling here," Li Xuelian muttered softly, her gaze shifting away from the drone and back to the other students.
"It’s a pity. Most of the students trying their luck at this exhibition are freshmen. To master the martial arts depicted in the Heavenly Martial Diagram, sophomores and juniors would have a better chance."
"But it’s understandable. The top students in their second and third years either don’t meet the age requirements or already have contracts. They wouldn’t come looking for a master now."
Just then, the golden-glowing director of the Xianyun Group’s Songyang branch approached Li Xuelian with a smile.
"The Heavenly Martial Diagram, drawn by the Starfire Master, is truly extraordinary. I wonder what exactly it’s testing?"
Li Xuelian didn’t answer directly.
Instead, she said calmly, "The first test of the Heavenly Martial Diagram examines the Dao Heart."
"Those who can’t withstand it are often forced to retreat, leaving flaws in their Dao Heart."
...
Zhao Tianxing felt the scornful and mocking gazes of countless people around him.
He couldn’t help but step back, moving away from the influence of the Heavenly Martial Diagram.
When he came to his senses and looked around, he realized that the "entire crowd watching" and "disdainful looks" were just the effects of the diagram.
Understanding that he had failed the test, his face turned red with embarrassment.
He quickly retreated, afraid that someone might notice the security guard who had humiliated himself.
...
At the exhibition, Li Xuelian continued, "If one can pass the first test, it naturally tempers their Dao Heart."
"The level of one’s Dao Heart is something most cultivators improve through cultivation techniques."
"Different techniques require different mindsets to align with them."
"For example, ancient worship techniques demand absolute devotion to the gods. The more devout the practitioner, the better the technique’s effects."
"Or take the Diligence Technique from Ziyun High School. It requires the practitioner to cultivate to the extreme, making hard work their instinct to maximize its effectiveness."
"Then there’s the basic meditation technique for high school students, which emphasizes calmness and patience, requiring a mindset of silent endurance and steady progress."
"There are countless techniques to improve the Dao Heart, some high, some low. But the key lies in whether the practitioner’s mindset aligns with the technique."
"Yet, the mind is unpredictable. What a person truly thinks, whether they truly align with the technique, is something even they might not fully understand."
"Fortunately, the stronger the Dao Heart, the stronger the willpower. Measuring the level of the Dao Heart through willpower becomes the simplest method."
"But the Heavenly Martial Diagram doesn’t just test the strength of willpower to determine the strength of the Dao Heart."
"The Heavenly Martial Diagram targets the fears within, directly striking at the weaknesses of the heart, giving no chance to resist with techniques. It tests the most genuine reactions."
"Facing the weaknesses of the heart, only by adjusting one’s mindset in time can one overcome them and pass the test."
The director of the Xianyun Group’s Songyang branch nodded thoughtfully.
"I see. The Starfire Master is looking for a disciple with a flexible mind? Someone who can worship different gods when practicing worship techniques, or who can both work hard and relax when practicing diligence techniques."
Li Xuelian nodded.
"It’s good if one’s mindset aligns with the technique. But only those who can constantly adjust their mindset to adapt to changes in the environment and the technique are true geniuses, not bound by the technique."
"Especially in this rapidly changing era, where the Ten Great Sects influence every aspect of society, and the entire Kunxu is undergoing intense transformations. If one’s mindset doesn’t adapt in time, it won’t work."
"For example, in today’s world, exams and scores are essential for anyone seeking the path of cultivation. They’ve become ingrained in every cultivator’s life."
"Thus, modern cultivators naturally develop an obsession with exams and scores."
"Having excellent scores and an obsession with them can make a top student’s willpower firm, making it easier to improve their Dao Heart level."
"But this is also a weakness of the heart. There’s always someone better, and being ahead temporarily doesn’t mean staying ahead forever. Many top students are confident when they’re at the top but feel inferior when they fall behind."
"To overcome this weakness, cultivators need to be flexible in their mindset. That’s the key to passing the test."
"Like one student who, during the Heavenly Martial Diagram’s test, kept experiencing low scores in exams. Eventually, he overcame his fear of low scores and developed a mindset of delusion."
...
Lian Tianji laughed heartily as the teacher announced the results.
"Hahaha, since I’ve become the last-place loser, I’ll start over from scratch."
"From today on, I’m the most useless, the worst student."
"But even as a loser, I have the chance to surpass all of you and reach the top."
"I will become the number one in my grade!"
As he conquered his inner fears, he felt as if he had returned to the exhibition.
The Heavenly Martial Diagram before him became clearer and clearer.
...
Li Xuelian continued, "Kunxu has 36 layers above ground and 18 layers below. Each layer is a different world. Whether human or immortal, everyone is divided into ranks. This hierarchy is ingrained in every cultivator’s bones, affecting their deepest thoughts."
"Once, a student in the Heavenly Martial Diagram experienced layers of oppression from countless people and eventually developed a mindset of resignation."
...
Qian Shen watched as the giants with scores far surpassing his own grew taller and taller, their faces becoming indistinct.
Only the scores above their heads kept increasing, shining brightly.
He tried to keep up with them, but it was useless.
As the giants grew taller and their scores increased, his emotions shifted from nervousness to fear, then to despair, and finally to numbness.
He lay down on the ground, no longer looking at the giants.
"Fine."
"I’ll stop chasing them. As long as I can cultivate, even if I can’t surpass anyone... as long as I can cultivate, that’s enough."
As if waking from a dream, Qian Shen opened his eyes and looked at the exhibition and the Heavenly Martial Diagram before him, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
...
At the exhibition, the director of the Xianyun Group’s Songyang branch listened to Li Xuelian’s analysis and agreed, "Changes in mindset are inseparable from the influence of the times."
He speculated, "In today’s society, where everyone is entangled in debt, that must also be reflected in the trials of the Heavenly Martial Diagram, right?"
"Exactly," Li Xuelian nodded.
"Once, a student faced the terror of repaying debts on the path of cultivation during the Heavenly Martial Diagram’s test and ended up developing a mindset of evasion."
...
Looking at the gathering thunder in the sky, Bai Zhenzhen crouched down in terror.
"Wait! I’ll pay!"
"I’ll pay, okay?"
"Don’t strike me!"
She quickly opened her phone to check her accounts, wanting to see how much she owed and how much she could repay.
"800,000?!"
Opening the first loan platform, Bai Zhenzhen’s heart sank.
Then, seeing the 1.2 million debt on the second platform, cold sweat poured down her back.
2 million...
5 million...
8 million...
As the total debt in her mind kept growing, her hand holding the phone gradually went limp.
A staggering 8 million in debt.
Such a huge amount would either completely crush a high school student or...
Bai Zhenzhen suddenly lay down on the ground and shouted at the thunder in the sky, "Go ahead and strike me dead!"
"If you strike me dead, the 8 million will vanish into thin air."
Seeing the thunder still not striking, she continued, "Either strike me dead, and the 8 million will disappear."
"Or help me find some work, and I’ll earn the money to pay you back."
As the thunder gradually dissipated, the Heavenly Martial Diagram reappeared before Bai Zhenzhen.
Watching the martial arts being demonstrated within it, she felt a sense of enlightenment.
...
At the exhibition, Li Xuelian sighed, "Whether it’s delusion, resignation, or evasion, they’re just states of mind used to resist pressure. While they can temper one’s willpower and Dao Heart, the future still depends on how they navigate reality."
"After all, this is just the first test of the Heavenly Martial Diagram, a mere threshold."
She remembered when her father tested her Dao Heart during high school.
Back then, she was most afraid of her father.
Under his intense pressure, she rebelled and developed a mindset of filial rebellion.
After awakening, she quickly surpassed her father’s cultivation, advancing at an astonishing pace.
But not long after, the pressures from society and her father’s actions made her regain her respect and admiration for him.
The director of the Xianyun Group’s Songyang branch nodded slightly, knowing that Li Xuelian was right.
The effects of such Dao Heart tests were only temporary.
After all, people’s mindsets are constantly changing.
How could the influence of a mere Dao Heart test withstand the long-term impact of the entire society in the real world?
Li Xuelian continued, "After passing the first test and overcoming the fear within, the real challenge is comprehension."
"And after passing the comprehension test, whether one can truly master it is another matter."
The director nodded, understanding that overcoming fear, comprehending the diagram, and mastering the martial arts were the three stages of the Heavenly Martial Diagram.
"So, how many people here do you think can master it?"
Li Xuelian looked at the many students present and shook her head.
"I’m afraid not even one."
...
When Zhang Yu saw the figure in the Heavenly Martial Diagram gradually become clear and start demonstrating a set of fist techniques, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
"Please adhere to the ritual agreement, strive to fulfill your wish, and do not deliberately slack off or delay. 10."
Zhang Yu was stunned.
"Wait... I’m trying to comprehend the diagram. Isn’t that the same as studying hard to get into a good university?"
But the chill didn’t respond, continuing the countdown.
"Please adhere to the ritual agreement, strive to fulfill your wish, and do not deliberately slack off or delay. 9."
"Please adhere to the ritual agreement, strive to fulfill your wish, and do not deliberately slack off or delay. 8."
Zhang Yu had no choice but to sit down and try to meditate, hoping to stop the countdown.
As he began to meditate, the chill gradually dissipated, and the countdown stopped.
"This stupid ritual..."
Just as Zhang Yu cursed the ritual power while meditating, another surge of chill rose within him.
"Please adhere to the ritual agreement, strive to fulfill your wish, and do not deliberately slack off or delay. 10."
Hearing the new countdown, Zhang Yu was shocked.
"Wait... I’m trying to cultivate."
"Why is there another countdown?"
"What’s wrong with this stupid ritual?"
Zhang Yu stopped meditating to see if the chill and countdown would disappear, but instead, a new chill and countdown appeared.
Listening to the two countdowns in his head, alternating and counting down, Zhang Yu finally understood what was happening.
"There are two countdowns?"
"Is one of them fake?"
(End of Chapter)