Chapter 226: Saint Embryo Minor Success, Depart for Exam

Inside an apartment near Ziyun High School.

Zhang Yu was scrolling through the news on his phone, frowning slightly at the content: "Songyang City is getting more and more chaotic."

During this time, although Zhang Yu only taught and cultivated silently every day, that didn't mean he was completely unaware of the various events happening in the outside world.

With the occasional intelligence brought back by Bai Zhenzhen, along with changes in various online news and public opinion, he gradually confirmed a fact.

That was, besides the increasingly fierce conflicts in the dark tutoring world—even drawing in the companies—similar phenomena were occurring in other fields.

The dark shopping world engaged in smuggling, the dark doping world selling fake medicines, and the dark catering world selling fake prepared dishes... each gang was launching firefights, displaying their unique abilities to compete for market share.

And the companies behind them were also engaging in endless competition.

For example, Zhang Yu encountered more discount activities on shopping platforms and food delivery platforms, getting more coupons—this was a price war between companies.

But Zhang Yu also found that many of the things he had his eye on, even commonly used websites, were reported and taken down—this was a reporting war between companies.

There were also waves of negative reviews for various products and techniques; ratings for techniques went up and down; self-media today revealed Ziyun Group's pollutant leaks, tomorrow they exposed Red Tower Group cutting corners in meat products, not using additives and drugs...

Zhang Yu knew this was all the companies deploying online trolls to manipulate public opinion.

Although the competition among companies grew fiercer, it didn't have much impact on Zhang Yu's daily life; on the contrary, some of the discount activities let him really fleece the system.

For instance, the techniques on the technique platform had several discount events, saving him over a hundred thousand in fees when purchasing techniques.

And as Zhang Yu sensed the changes in Songyang City, he always had a feeling that it was only after the Oasis Group's synthetic meat was promoted to the market that the competition among gangs and companies became increasingly intense.

After hearing Zhang Yu's guess, Fuji said from the side, "Don't overthink this. It's too big, nothing to do with us. Just focus on cultivating your techniques and preparing for the final round of the Foundation Establishment exam."

Zhang Yu knew Fuji was right. He sighed. Events like this were indeed not for a high school student like him to dwell on.

Exiting the news page, Zhang Yu's gaze returned to the newly purchased discounted technique—Suppressing Law Primordial Body.

Thanks to this discount, he was able to buy this technique early. But after scrimping and saving until today, Zhang Yu's account balance plummeted again, leaving only over twenty thousand yuan.

Every time he thought about this, Zhang Yu couldn't help but sigh: "Though I've earned a lot these past two months, I've also spent a lot. Most of the money has turned into techniques, merging into my body."

And Suppressing Law Primordial Body, which could become the seventh technique to form the Martial Dao Saint Embryo, was a body-tempering technique that enhanced the body's resistance to external mana.

"The human epidermis has five layers. This technique uses one's own mana to temper the epidermis step by step, enabling each layer to resist part of the mana invading from the outside..."

"After cultivating Suppressing Law Primordial Body to level 10, all five layers of the epidermis over the whole body will be fully tempered, giving the physical body powerful mana resistance."

"If one needs to let external mana enter the body, it's actually simple—just wrap the opponent's mana with one's own mana."

Zhang Yu knew that when he used the Indestructible Seal Technique to absorb an opponent's mana, he would need to guide the opponent's mana into his body.

Zhang Yu also thought back to the last assassination attempt. If he had mastered this Suppressing Law Primordial Body back then, the fight would probably have been much easier.

Just as Zhang Yu pushed Suppressing Law Primordial Body to level 3, the sound of a door opening and closing came, and Bai Zhenzhen, weary, slowly walked into the apartment.

Zhang Yu turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen and felt an almost tangible killing intent rushing toward him, making his hair stand on end and giving him the illusion of a sword blade pointed at his throat.

"That Azhen... ever since she started participating in gang wars, she's been giving off a more and more dangerous vibe."

But as Bai Zhenzhen stepped into the apartment, the killing intent on her gradually dissipated, and she returned to her usual top-student aura.

Zhang Yu checked the time and said with some surprise, "So early today? Back at just two o'clock?"

Bai Zhenzhen casually took off her combat jacket and threw it on the ground. It was covered with writings claiming to be this divine technique or that great method.

Zhang Yu knew that the technique content on it was all fake, and wearing it wouldn't incur fines, but it could force many opponents to avoid looking directly at it during combat—like ancient generals wearing helmets adorned with ghostly faces, intimidating the enemy on the battlefield.

She also casually took off her pants and underwear, and under Zhang Yu's accustomed gaze, she walked stark naked toward the bathroom.

Zhang Yu could see several shallow scars on Bai Zhenzhen's arms, along with a few faint characters.

Those were from the seal weapons used by some experts of the Gold Lessons Gang—one stamp could imprint a set of techniques on the opponent's body. While not immediately fatal, it could later bankrupt them.

But seeing that Bai Zhenzhen was only grazed by a few characters, it was clear she had dodged the move at a critical moment.

Hearing Zhang Yu's question, Bai Zhenzhen turned around, looking confused, and said, "I had just tied up their students and brought them to the gang when the Dark Study Gang and the Gold Lessons Gang announced a ceasefire."

Zhang Yu quickly turned his head away and scolded, "I've told you several times—don't walk around the house naked! What if I lose production materials again? That's all money."

Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head impatiently and said, "We're all this familiar—why hide when changing clothes? It's tiring and a waste of time. Do we have that much time?" Then she sneered, looking at Zhang Yu with contempt, "Tsk... and if I don't go naked, does that mean you don't have that problem?"

"Last night when I came back, you had already left, and I didn't even see you, right? Yet look—the trash bin was full of crumpled tissues..."

Zhang Yu slapped the floor and said angrily, "I told you not to rummage through the trash can."

"And that thing of mine was for wiping my nose, not what you're thinking."

Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, turned her back to Zhang Yu, took off her last pair of shorts, and said impatiently, "Isn't it all the same?"

"Yu, look how much Hongta's offer for your stuff has dropped. That junk of yours is now worth barely more than plain water—it's finished."

You fucking... Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen's face and sighed inwardly. Ah Zhen, Ah Zhen, have you forgotten that just a few months ago, I was the one earning money tube by tube to support you? Now that it can't sell for anything, you say these words that chill my heart.

Bai Zhenzhen continued, "Having a root is always a hassle. After the Foundation Establishment exam is over, we won't need to save money anymore. I'll pay for you to go to the hospital for sterilization—a full package deal."

With that, Bai Zhenzhen walked into the bathroom, and soon the sound of water was heard.

Fuji, recalling what Bai Zhenzhen had just said, was a little surprised. "So they've called a ceasefire?"

She said to Zhang Yu, "Check the news..."

!

Zhang Yu picked up his phone and, following Fuji's guidance, looked up the news. Soon he saw the announcement that the Xianyun Group and the Deep Sea Group were cooperating and swapping shares.

Seeing the surprise in Zhang Yu's eyes, Fuji smiled and said, "What's there to be surprised about? Swapping shares, binding each other, and then further monopolizing the entire industry—this is all standard practice in Kunxu, and it's only been getting worse over the years."

"Besides, although Xianyun Group and Deep Sea Group seem to be in competition, in the end, both companies belong to the Ten Great Sects' Wanfa Sect."

"As long as someone within the sect mediates, these two companies could not only cooperate but even merge."

Fuji then said, "But this collaboration does seem a bit abrupt. Look at their other news."

Zhang Yu said, "After the cooperation, the two companies announced they will enter the food industry? They want to cooperate with the Oasis Group?"

"The Oasis Group... Why do I feel like everything has something to do with them?"

Fuji thought to herself, "The Oasis Group... behind it is the Netherworld Palace, right? Looks like another one of those matters. I must not let Zhang Yu get involved in this."

Fuji said casually, "Alright, none of this has anything to do with you anyway. Hurry up and cultivate—the most important thing for you now is the Foundation Establishment exam. Don't worry about anything else."

With the ceasefire between the Dark Study Gang and the Gold Class Gang, Bai Zhenzhen, no longer needing to fight on the front lines, suddenly had a lot of free time.

So in her spare time after cultivation, she invited the martial arts teachers from Songyang High School to accompany her in actual combat training, honing her techniques in battle and tempering her body and mana.

Days passed one after another, and before they knew it, January arrived.

January 1st.

Two days later would be the day of the final round of the Foundation Establishment exam.

Inside the apartment, Zhang Yu sat cross-legged, half of his body covered in frost, while the other half was burning hot, emitting rolling steam.

This was the eighth technique he was cultivating for the Martial Saint Embryo—the Kanbing Lihuo Body Forging Art.

With Kanbing mana and Lihuo mana, he tempered his body separately, granting his flesh powerful adaptability to both high and low temperatures, and further enhancing its resilience.

At this moment, Zhang Yu was at the critical point of pushing the Kanbing Lihuo Body Forging Art to the 10th level.

Boom!

With a loud bang, Zhang Yu's body was no longer cold on one side and hot on the other, but alternated between hot and cold all over, eventually merging ice and fire into a normal state.

Feeling the changes in his flesh and blood, Zhang Yu slowly exhaled a breath.

"Finally, the eighth technique of the Martial Saint Embryo is complete."

After pushing the Kanbing Lihuo Body Forging Art to level 10, Zhang Yu could sense that his body not only had stronger adaptation to temperature changes, but after activating this technique, he could fight in either a high-temperature or low-temperature state, each with its own unique uses.

Glancing at the second-layer effect of the Martial Saint Embryo, Zhang Yu laughed heartily and said, "Though I haven't trained the Martial Saint Embryo to its ultimate effect, this should be enough to ace the Foundation Establishment exam."

Checking his phone, he saw that his leave request had been approved. Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Everything is ready—time to set off."