Chapter 39: Heart Method

The Zhoutian Qi Gathering Art finally reached Level 10, and Zhang Yu was now planning to switch his Feather Book's specialization and select another technique to upgrade.

And after deciding not to sign the contract with the student council, resolving to break through the siege and gain admission to one of the Top Ten elite universities, Zhang Yu also came to understand some things.

First, without the student council's investment, the resources at his disposal would inevitably be more limited.

To get into the Top Ten, the pressures he would need to face in the future would be far greater than now.

More limited resources, yet heavier pressure.

Therefore, Zhang Yu had to be very careful in allocating and utilizing the resources in his hands, striving to develop faster and better per unit of time.

To achieve this, he must necessarily leverage his strengths to the fullest—absolute self-discipline and astonishing potential.

Simply put, it meant training in stronger and more difficult techniques.

For Zhang Yu, the master of the Feather Book, given the same amount of effort cultivating a technique, the stronger the technique he learned, the better the results.

This is like one Zhang Yu diligently training the Great Desolate Prison Heaven Finger, while another Zhang Yu trains the Basic Long Palm; just by the names, one can tell which has a future.

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "...But this is not something that can be done casually."

The more powerful the technique, the higher its threshold.

Just like dog paddle—even a dog can learn it—but water ballet is not something everyone can learn.

Among expert-level techniques, such as the Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Art in Zhang Yu's possession, he had so far failed to meet the requirement of Level 3 Dao Heart.

Therefore, to cultivate powerful techniques, the primary condition is to meet the thresholds of those techniques as much as possible.

Zhang Yu's eyes swept across the phone screen, looking at the requirements that each powerful technique posed to its cultivator...

"Dao Heart! Mana!"

Just like high school teachers often said, Dao Heart and Mana are the foundation of the Immortal Path.

The Dao Heart level represents a cultivator's control and capacity for Immortal Path power.

Mana is the most fundamental force driving all techniques.

The vast majority of powerful techniques have thresholds that relate to Dao Heart and Mana.

Therefore, to cultivate powerful techniques, one must have a sufficiently high Dao Heart and Mana.

"As for Mana, I already have the Level 10 Zhoutian Qi Gathering Art, which means I am constantly breathing in spiritual energy and refining Mana."

"On the contrary, the Dao Heart level is something I have been neglecting to raise recently."

Zhang Yu checked his savings. After paying the latest round of rent, utilities, and miscellaneous expenses like food, his remaining savings were a little over 62,000.

Even if he used all this money to enhance his Mana, it would only rent a Heavenly Spirit Root for a little over ten hours—like paying for an all-night session at an internet café—gone in a flash, with very limited improvement.

So after much deliberation these past few days, Zhang Yu still felt that he should purchase a stronger Heart Art, raise his Dao Heart to Level 3 as soon as possible, then switch to cultivating the Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Art to further accelerate Dao Heart improvement.

After all, in the Qi Refining stage, the Dao Heart level ranges from 1 up to 10, analogous to Mana ranging from 1 to 100.

Raising the Dao Heart level to 3 would not be brief; if he had a Heart Art that was stronger and more suited to him than the Basic Heart Refining Art, it could save quite a bit of time.

And after improving both Dao Heart level and Mana, then cultivating even stronger techniques—that was the route for faster development with better cost-effectiveness at the moment.

As for which Heart Art to purchase, Zhang Yu had already searched extensively and thought a lot over the past few days.

Basic, Intermediate, Expert...

Among the Heart Arts Zhang Yu could currently afford, Basic was the cheapest, but it offered little improvement for him.

Expert-level ones were powerful, but not only were they expensive, their cultivation thresholds were high as well, making them unsuitable for him at this time.

On the contrary, Intermediate Heart Arts, which seemed rather useless to most students four months into their first year of high school, were just right for Zhang Yu.

In terms of effectiveness, the first year of high school is precisely the time to lay a foundation. The several basic techniques promoted by high schools were researched and developed by the Ten Great Sects—they were the most balanced and peaceful, excellent for foundation building.

At this time, learning an additional Intermediate Heart Art would be laborious and mentally taxing—it's better to focus on elevating one basic Heart Art.

Therefore, even well-off students often focused on basics in their first year, only putting in serious effort in their second year to learn various expensive Heart Arts.

This is also one of the reasons why in Songyang High School, the scores of rich boys often only pulled far ahead of the poor in the second year, while poor geniuses began to drop in rankings in the second year.

And in terms of price, although Intermediate techniques are much cheaper than Expert ones, the subsequent expenses are just as high.

After all, self-studying a cultivation art is too difficult. For most people, you can't just pick up a manual and learn it casually; you usually need a teacher to guide you.

An advanced-level mental cultivation method might only cost a few hundred or thousand, but subsequent teaching, classes, guidance... the tutoring fees could run you many tens of thousands.

This reminded Zhang Yu of some games from his past life—the base game was free, but all the items and characters could cost you thousands upon thousands.

Run away.jpg

But these two points were actually perfect for Zhang Yu.

Tutoring? Not needed.

I, Zhang Yu, can rely solely on myself and still master divine arts with my unparalleled talent.

Opening the shopping site's favorites list, Zhang Yu looked at a mental cultivation method he had selected.

Advanced-level technique: Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra.

Just from the name, it sounded like a majestic, domineering, overwhelmingly powerful mental cultivation method that shakes the soul.

But upon closer inspection, he found that the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra required a matching mindset—a state of diligent, hardworking, patient, and uncomplaining labor, like an old ox plowing new fields.

What's especially critical is that this technique's strongest state requires coordination with another person—a role that constantly pressures and suppresses the cultivator, continuously assigning tasks, such as a leader or boss.

The more commands given, the harsher the pressure, the longer the working hours, the stronger the effect of the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra.

The Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra: selected as the best construction site mental cultivation method for ten consecutive years, the most beloved method by bosses.

Also a beast-of-burden mental cultivation method with user ratings consistently below 1.2.

Zhang Yu looked at the user reviews.

One star.

The company required us to learn it. Truly practical.

One star.

Five-star review paid in installments.

One star.

Got chewed out by that damn boss again today. Just glancing over a few lines, Zhang Yu could feel a strong wave of resentment hitting him. Clearly, most cultivators of this beast-of-burden mental method were forced to cultivate it, and they all seemed to perfectly meet the technique's requirements.

Zhang Yu then looked at the specific configuration requirements of the technique.

Recommended configuration:

1. Be forced to work over 18 hours a day.

Zhang Yu thought it over—he himself was forced by the ritual power 24 hours a day, so he met the requirement.

He looked at the next item.

2. Means of pressure: at least verbal oppression; pay threats are better. The harsher the pressure, the better the effect.

Zhang Yu thought it over—he was currently being threatened with death, which also met the requirement perfectly.

"This beast-of-burden mental method really suits my current situation. And the price is..."

Zhang Yu looked at the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra; the current price for usage rights was only 588 yuan.

This was one of the lowest prices Zhang Yu had ever seen for an advanced-level cultivation art.

However, because getting started required the cultivator to have a "boss" to cooperate with, the site also recommended a guidance service priced at 1,000 per day.

(!)

After all, many jobs required this mental method to get hired, but many people needed to first find a job with a boss to actually master this mental method.

So, to solve this employment dilemma, the platform specially launched a paid guidance service.

So you pay to hire yourself a boss, right?

Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, knowing he obviously didn't need that—he had something forcing him 24/7 regardless.

It could be said that the Wild Bull Soul-Calming Mind Sutra, in terms of effect, price, and configuration, was a mental cultivation method perfectly suited to Zhang Yu's current state.

588—can't go wrong, can't be cheated. Even if he found he couldn't adapt his mindset, the loss wouldn't be huge.

The only thing that made Zhang Yu feel displeased was the essence of this technique.

But at this point, he was no longer the Zhang Yu who had just crossed over. Facing the harsh environment of Kunxu and the constant pressure of the ritual's power, he had learned to adjust his mindset and thoughts to adapt to the environment.

Zhang Yu took a deep breath and thought, "Be an ox or a horse, then. When circumstances force you, you have to go along."

"When it's time to cower, cower. I'll just be an ox or a horse for a while."

"With my potential, even if I have to quietly accumulate strength as an ox or a horse, there will come a day when I punch a hole through the sky."

Zhang Yu was well aware that cultivating the Ox-Horse Heart Technique was not a sign of willingly being an ox or a horse—it was temporary accumulation, accumulation for a better future.

Place the order, pay, receive the goods.

In a flash, he received an electronic version of the heart technique.

After carefully reading through it once, a new technique appeared on the Yu Shu.

Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art: Level 0 (0/1, Grade 1 Dao Heart)

Zhang Yu sat cross-legged and began to cultivate this heart technique.

He emptied his mind, tried to keep his spirit calm, and started constructing the concentration image of this technique in his mind.

It was a picture of an old ox lowering its head, silently plundering wasteland.

But after constructing it for a while, he kept feeling that something was off.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hurriedly stopped cultivating and sat still on the spot.

A moment later, a wave of dread surged from his heart, and a countdown sounded in his mind.

This time, when Zhang Yu resumed cultivating his Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art, it immediately felt right.

A few minutes later, a picture of an old ox lowering its head, silently plundering wasteland, was sketched out in his mind.

At that moment, it was as if he had become an ox silently toiling without complaint; much of the earlier discontent in his heart was dispelled.

As he finished outlining this concentration image, countless memories of practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art seemed to appear out of nowhere in his mind, allowing him to master the heart art in an instant.

Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art: Level 1 (0/3)

"I just need to practice it three times, and I can level up?"

For a moment, Zhang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is it because this technique is compatible enough with my current state?"

So he waited another moment, and when the countdown in his mind sounded, he began practicing the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art again, sketching the concentration image of the old ox plowing wasteland in his mind.

He practiced it back and forth three times, and about ten-odd minutes passed. Zhang Yu felt a stir in his spirit; his understanding of the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art deepened once more, and the concentration image sketched in his mind became clearer and more vivid.

Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art: Level 2 (0/6)

Especially after elevating the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art to Level 2, he increasingly felt that cultivation was not as boring as before, not so hard to endure.

"Is this the effect of the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art? It makes people less afraid of hardship, more willing to work..."

It was only when Zhang Yu stopped running this heart art that he felt all kinds of fatigue, boredom, and lazy thoughts surge back into his mind.

A moment later, after the power of the ritual descended, Zhang Yu activated the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art once more, and the restless, escapist thoughts in his heart were instantly swept away, allowing him to cultivate steadily and earnestly.

"This technique... doesn't seem as bad as I initially thought."

He suddenly recalled a line from the preface of this technique, spoken by its creator who called himself the Desolate Ox Great Sage.

"May all people facing hardships have less bitterness in their hearts and more hope."

A thought suddenly sprang up in his mind: "Maybe the person who created this technique didn't see it as an ox-horse heart technique."

In the blink of an eye, nearly half an hour had passed. Zhang Yu took a sharp breath, feeling a tremor in his sea of consciousness; his Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art had reached Level 3 (0/9).

After cultivating for a while longer, he sensed that both his mana and physical strength suddenly became as responsive as his own limbs, growing more controllable and perceptible.

"My Dao Heart grade has risen to Level 2."

Although Zhang Yu had already sensed that his Dao Heart grade was about to level up, he couldn't help but marvel at this moment... at the fierce progress he had made after cultivating the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art.

This technique was indeed highly compatible with his current state.

"Then I'll keep being an ox or a horse. As long as the reward is good enough, being an ox or a horse isn't such a bad thing."

So then, Zhang Yu once again immersed himself in the cultivation of the Desolate Ox Soul-Calming Heart Art. As this technique circulated, he increasingly felt no boredom or hardship in cultivation; instead, a trace of accumulated satisfaction welled up in his heart.

It was like the sense of achievement of an old ox diligently reclaiming wasteland, watching the fertile soil under its feet grow more and more.