In the abandoned building, Zhou Tianyi had been waiting for over two hours, finally thinking he had caught an opportunity to ambush Zhang Yu.
However, in a flash, the surge of energy from Zhang Yu's back caught him completely off guard.
Zhou Tianyi had kicked out with one leg, leaving only the other to support him.
The sudden rebound of the formless cloud energy from Zhang Yu's back destabilized him, sending him flying backward.
"What?!" Zhou Tianyi was shocked.
Zhang Yu had only been practicing the Formless Cloud Hand for less than a month! How could he already emit energy from his back?
Before Zhou Tianyi could recover, Zhang Yu, now fully immersed in his Heavenly Martial Intent, was already upon him.
The murderous aura radiating from Zhang Yu was overwhelming, and Zhou Tianyi felt an instinctive urge to flee.
But before he could act on that impulse, Zhang Yu struck.
With a single palm strike, Zhang Yu channeled his inner energy, sending waves of formless cloud energy crashing toward Zhou Tianyi.
Zhou Tianyi, realizing the gravity of the situation, mustered all his strength and kicked out with all his might.
The two forces collided, and Zhou Tianyi felt his energy being overwhelmed.
The formless cloud energy hit him like a truck, sending him flying into a nearby concrete wall, which crumbled upon impact.
Zhou Tianyi collapsed in a heap, unable to stand due to the severe injuries he had sustained.
Zhang Yu approached him, his eyes cold and filled with killing intent.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Zhang Yu demanded.
Zhou Tianyi, instead of answering, was preoccupied with his injuries.
He knew that the damage to his body would be a significant setback to his cultivation, possibly even ruining his path to immortality.
As Zhang Yu pulled off Zhou Tianyi's mask, he was surprised to see the face beneath.
"Zhou Tianyi?"
Zhou Tianyi, despite his pain, managed to speak.
"Zhang Yu, do you know why you were admitted to Songyang High?"
Zhang Yu frowned, not entirely trusting Zhou Tianyi's words.
"Why?"
"Because your body is compatible with certain wealthy individuals. They brought you into the school to cultivate you, just like many other poor students. It's not just about grades; physical compatibility is a hidden criterion."
Zhang Yu's frown deepened.
"Why Songyang High? Why not train us elsewhere?"
Zhou Tianyi laughed bitterly.
"You think Songyang High is just a school? It has a dark side far beyond your imagination. The poor here are either their dogs or a reserve of spare parts. Of course, they need to train us alongside them."
Zhang Yu's mind raced.
Could the Heavenly Demon Parasite Technique be practiced by someone at Songyang High? "Are you from the student council?"
"Songyang is complicated..."
Zhou Tianyi coughed up blood, his injuries worsening.
"Zhang Yu, you were awakened by a demon god, weren't you? That's how you gained your abilities."
Zhang Yu's expression hardened.
He couldn't reveal anything about the demon god ritual.
Zhou Tianyi continued, "You don't have to deny it. We... we're on the same side. Take me to a clinic."
Seeing Zhang Yu unmoved, Zhou Tianyi grew desperate.
"I... I also serve a demon god. He's very interested in you..."
Suddenly, Zhou Tianyi's body temperature began to rise, and flames started to flicker on his skin.
His eyes filled with terror.
"I didn't mean to say it! I was just using him!"
But the flames continued to grow, consuming him in an instant.
In moments, Zhou Tianyi was reduced to ashes.
Zhang Yu stared at the ashes, deep in thought.
"Zhou Tianyi was a servant of a demon god?"
He considered the implications.
The Eight Righteous Gods demanded wealth, while the demon gods demanded lives.
In a place like Kunxu, where many were poor and had nothing but their lives, the demon gods might have more followers than he thought.
"This must be some kind of backlash from a ritual," Zhang Yu muttered.
"It feels like a dumb ritual."
He realized that his recent actions had drawn the attention of the demon gods.
But Zhou Tianyi had known him for a long time.
Had they been watching him all along?
Zhang Yu felt a weight in his heart.
He couldn't discuss this with anyone.
The three prestigious schools, the student council, the demon gods...
He knew he had to grow stronger.
Reflecting on the day's events—fighting in the illusion trial, being protected by Zhang Pianpian, defeating Zhou Tianyi—Zhang Yu suddenly laughed.
He had been conflicted between the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Technique and the Heavenly Martial Intent, but now he understood.
He needed to adapt to different situations with different mindsets.
It was a simple truth he had overcomplicated.
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt his Heavenly Martial Intent flow more smoothly, seamlessly switching with the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Technique without any hesitation.
"Keep training," he told himself.
Whether facing enemies in the shadows or rivals at Songyang High and the three prestigious schools, Zhang Yu needed to become stronger.
The night passed, and Zhang Yu's Heavenly Martial Intent reached level 6 (41/60).
Meanwhile, in the Songyang High office, Su Haifeng was on the phone.
"He died from a backlash? He betrayed us?"
After listening to the other end, Su Haifeng nodded.
"I'll cooperate with you to handle Zhou Tianyi's withdrawal. Don't worry, no one in the school will notice anything unusual."
"But what about Zhang Yu? Honestly, he's attracted too much attention from the board, the student council, and the inspection team. Since Zhou, our hidden agent, has failed, it's too risky for the rest of us to act. Maybe we should let Zhang Yu go for now and observe the other candidates."
"After all, Zhang Pianpian can only protect him for six months at most..."
Back at Songyang High, the school was as peaceful as ever, filled with students focused on their studies and cultivation.
Zhang Yu felt the calm atmosphere, as if the intense conflict from the previous day had never happened.
Even Zhou Tianyi's disappearance went unnoticed, with only a few whispers about his withdrawal, much like Liang Qin's departure.
Such things were common at Songyang High.
But Zhang Yu noticed subtle changes.
No one approached him anymore.
The classmates who used to greet him, ask for help, or discuss cultivation had all vanished.
It was as if an invisible wall had formed around him, keeping everyone at a distance.
He knew why.
"They're afraid of being associated with me, afraid of the student council."
Just then, Bai Zhenzhen placed her tray on the table and sat across from Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu was grateful to have a friend like her.
"Zhang Yu, lend me your talisman book for a few days," Bai Zhenzhen said between bites.
Zhang Yu retracted his earlier thought.
He didn't have a friend who would casually ask to borrow something worth 100,000.
Another tray clattered onto the table as Qian Shen sat down beside Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu smiled.
Although Qian Shen had lower grades, was a bit biased, and looked down on lower-scoring students, he seemed like a reliable friend.
Qian Shen wolfed down a few bites before suddenly asking, "Hey, that Zhang Pianpian who scored 699 yesterday... are you close with her? Can you introduce me? I want to add her as a friend..."
Zhang Yu glared at Qian Shen.
He took back his earlier thought.
"You little... I thought you were my brother, and now you're eyeing my sister? Do you even have a place on that thigh?"
But then Zhang Yu reconsidered.
Qian Shen was also a rootless person, and the admiration in his eyes was clear.
He was just a fanboy looking for a connection.
"Adding her as a friend shouldn't be a problem," Zhang Yu said.
"But it'll cost you 3,000. Just transfer it to me."
(End of Chapter)