In the restaurant, Lei Jun stood up and said, "Let me say a few words."
"I never expected we'd achieve such great results in this martial arts competition."
"Honestly, with the conditions we have in Songyang, I would have been satisfied just to scrape into the top 10."
"But this time, Zhang Yu took first place, and Bai Zhenzhen came in fourth. This shows that my teaching skills are still quite good..."
Seeing Lei Jun's elated expression, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "Turns out Old Lei can really boast."
Lei Jun smiled at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen and continued, "Of course, the contributions of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen are indispensable."
"In all my years of teaching at Songyang, I've never seen martial talent like yours. I have to thank both of you for this achievement."
He then pointed at Zhang Yu, who was busy cultivating the Desolate Bull Soul-Calming Technique: "Look at Zhang Yu, seizing every spare moment to train. Such diligence and self-discipline are rare."
Zhang Yu inwardly shook his head.
If it weren't for the constant nagging from the ritual, who would want to cultivate while eating and walking?
Lei Jun concluded, "Finally, I hope you all keep up the good work and get into a university you're happy with."
After finishing his speech, Lei Jun downed a cup of milk tea, and the atmosphere at the table grew even livelier.
With Lei Jun present, Zhao Tianxing seemed a bit reserved.
He raised his glass to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, saying, "Yu, Zhen, congratulations on your great results in the competition."
Qian Shen pointed to a dish, "This is the specialty here, you should try it."
As the dishes were served, everyone, being no ordinary folks, quickly devoured the food with their chopsticks flying.
Just then, Zhang Yu's phone vibrated.
He pulled it out and saw a message from Zhang Pianpian.
Zhang Pianpian: Little brother, congratulations on winning first place in the martial arts competition.
You're one step closer to your goal.
Zhang Pianpian: Don't forget to pay back the 40,000 you borrowed.
Looking at the last message, Zhang Yu sighed, "My sister isn't exactly rolling in money either."
At that moment, Qian Shen asked curiously, "What did Le Mulian mean about you making money or not on the stage?"
So Zhang Yu briefly explained the situation with Le Mulian and the 400,000.
Hearing this for the first time, Lei Jun widened his eyes and asked, "So you chose to win the martial arts competition? To defeat her on the stage?"
Zhang Yu proudly said, "How could a martial artist like me bow to a mere 400,000?"
Lei Jun pointed at Zhang Yu, lamenting, "Foolish! So foolish!"
He thought to himself, Zhang Yu isn't aiming for the top ten universities anyway.
He sighed, "How can winning first place in a martial arts competition compare to 400,000?"
"Money is strength, potential, and the future. Although you sacrificed a first-place finish, with your talent, 400,000 could help you achieve more in future competitions."
Zhao Tianxing couldn't help but sigh as well, "Ah, 400,000... This first place is too expensive."
Seeing Lei Jun and Zhao Tianxing's expressions as if they had lost tens of thousands, Zhang Yu felt speechless but also thought, "Well, this is Kunxu, it's normal."
Zhang Yu also understood that, in a way, they were right.
Whether it was sports competitions or talisman competitions, money would be very useful to him.
Just then, Zhang Yu's phone vibrated again.
He opened it and saw a message from the martial arts competition organizers.
First, the 50,000 prize money was already being processed.
Second, he needed to choose an expert-level cultivation technique as part of the champion's reward.
Zhang Yu immediately focused on the list of techniques provided.
As he looked through them, he pondered the techniques he had already mastered.
"I have the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique for my mind, the Zhou Heaven Breathing Technique for my energy, and for combat, besides the Infinite Cloud Hand and the Indestructible Seal Technique, I've also learned the Back Dragon Mountain-Turning Hand."
"My mind, energy, and combat skills are all covered with expert-level techniques. What I need most now, and what I'll need for the upcoming sports competition in two months, is a body-refining technique."
Although the effects of the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique and the Zhou Heaven Breathing Technique would diminish as his stats improved, they were sufficient for now.
In contrast, the Body Strengthening Thirty-Six Moves was too basic.
So he picked out the body-refining techniques from the list: Dragon Elephant Great Strength, Red Marrow Primordial Qi, and Tendon and Meridian Shifting.
But after looking through them, Zhang Yu couldn't decide, so he turned to Lei Jun for advice.
Lei Jun nodded slightly, "What you need most right now is indeed a body-refining technique."
As a seasoned teacher, Lei Jun, though not a physical education instructor, had a good understanding of body-refining techniques.
He glanced at the three techniques Zhang Yu had selected and quickly assessed them.
"Dragon Elephant Great Strength, as the name suggests, is a strength-based technique that greatly enhances physical power. But it requires a lot of medicinal support—without dozens of injections a day, it's hard to make progress. The results are similar to Song Hailong's direction."
A tank, Zhang Yu thought, recalling Song Hailong's towering figure.
Lei Jun continued, "Red Marrow Primordial Qi is a more balanced body-refining technique. It focuses on internal refinement, emphasizing bone and muscle strength, and explosive power. It's best practiced with medicinal supplements and dietary support."
Zhang Yu thought, so this is a half-tank, half-damage build.
"Finally, Tendon and Meridian Shifting isn't suitable for you. This technique focuses on flexibility and body transformation, meant to complement other special techniques."
With that, Zhang Yu narrowed his choices to Dragon Elephant Great Strength and Red Marrow Primordial Qi.
But both had their pros and cons, and he couldn't decide immediately.
Lei Jun added, "I suggest you choose Dragon Elephant Great Strength. It's relatively simpler and fits Songyang's body-refining style. You can also get some guidance from Wang Hai."
"Red Marrow Primordial Qi is very difficult. Without proper guidance, not only is it hard to master, but you could also easily get injured. Injuries from this technique are so common that even insurance won't cover them."
Suddenly, Zhang Yu's eyes lit up, "Teacher, how many moves do these techniques have?"
Lei Jun thought for a moment, "I don't remember how many moves Dragon Elephant Great Strength has, probably dozens. But each move is straightforward and easy to learn."
"Red Marrow Primordial Qi only has one stance. But don't underestimate it—this one stance requires coordination of the entire body, making it extremely difficult and prone to injury. It's not suitable for you yet..."
Zhang Yu's eyes brightened.
He knew which one to choose.
He immediately informed the organizers of his choice, and soon the electronic manual and usage rights for Red Marrow Primordial Qi were sent to him.
After everyone had eaten their fill, it was almost 6:30 PM.
Too lazy to go home and freshen up, they headed straight to school.
...
Meanwhile, at Songyang High School in the early morning.
Zhou Chechen frowned at Lan Ling, "What did you say?"
Lan Ling repeated, "Zhang Yu won first place in the martial arts competition."
"Zhang Yu? First place?" Zhou Chechen was incredulous, "Did Bai Long, Zi Yun, and Hong Ta not compete?"
Lan Ling pulled out his phone, "He first defeated Song Hailong from Bai Long High, then beat Le Mulian from Zi Yun High to take first place."
Zhou Chechen took the phone and watched Zhang Yu's fight videos.
After a moment, he looked up, surprised, "Winning against stronger opponents... No, although the data shows he's weaker, with his martial skills and combat performance, he was indeed stronger at the moment of victory."
"Unbelievable. I never thought Songyang would produce such a figure."
"Zhang Pianpian must have invested a lot in Zhang Yu to get him this far."
Thinking this, Zhou Chechen's face darkened.
Zhang Yu should have been signed by him, but now he was under Zhang Pianpian's wing.
It was like a project he had his eye on being snatched away, and now its value was skyrocketing.
For someone like Zhou Chechen, missing out on potential profits was a loss.
Especially missing out on such a promising talent.
He consoled himself, "There's still half a year. In six months, I'll take Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen back and make up for the lost profits."
Just then, Lan Ling reminded him, "What about Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's application to join the sports competition team?"
Zhou Chechen coldly said, "Reject it."
Lan Ling added, "Wang Hai really wants them on the team and has brought it up several times."
"And Zhang Pianpian's inspection team... Without a valid reason, it might be hard to justify."
Thinking of Zhang Pianpian causing a scene at Songyang High again, Zhou Chechen felt a twinge of anxiety.
He then said calmly, "Each school can send five students to the sports competition."
"Tell Zhang Yu and the others that if they can make it into the top five in the freshman sports rankings in a month, they can join the competition. If their stats aren't good enough, it's their own fault, not ours."
Lan Ling's eyes flickered.
He knew that with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's sports performance, staying in the top five wouldn't be a problem.
Unless they selected another group of freshmen and put them through a special training program to surpass Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in physical strength.
Zhou Chechen estimated, "In a month, based on Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's progress, their physical strength will likely reach between 1.8 and 2.1 levels."
He picked up the student files on his desk, "It's been half a year since school started. The freshmen have a solid foundation. Let's start the special training program early this year and have these five students join the sports competition."
"In a month, with the special training program, their physical strength will surge to over 3.0, pushing Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen out of the competition. Even Zhang Pianpian won't have anything to say then."
He looked at the student files.
Besides the five freshmen—Qian Shen, He Dayou, Zhao Tianxing—there were over a dozen sophomores, each paired with a freshman.
(End of Chapter)