[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-no-money-what-cultivation":3,"chapter-no-money-what-cultivation-no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-44":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","No Money, What Cultivation?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},163393,323,"Chapter 44: Flying Sword","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>Zhang Yu could tell at a glance that the flying swords on the field were nothing like the children's flying swords he had bought before; they were clearly not something one could just casually handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the discontent from the audience, the host showed no change in expression as he finished reading the advertisement and then began announcing the rules for the first round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flying swords floating on the field at that moment were products of the \"Nine Heavens Flying Sword\" company, a type of civilian-grade mana flying sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was claimed that no sword-controlling technique needed to be learned, no Dao heart level required; control of the flying sword was achieved solely through variations in mana output, with the test being one's ability to use mana to control the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scabbard of this flying sword functioned like a remote control and mana transmitter; by varying the frequency, type, intensity, and other parameters of the input mana, one could control the flying sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The specific content of this round required the participating students to use the flying sword to strike signal plates floating in midair. The faster the speed and the more accurate the force, the higher the score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total score for this round, just like the subsequent second and third rounds, was 100 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, the final ranking of this magical competition would be determined by the sum of scores across all three rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the operating manuals for the flying swords were distributed, the students had half an hour to study them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the White Dragon High School team, a middle-aged man in sportswear smiled faintly and said, \"So it's still a test of mana control, huh? At least it's not too outrageous; I was afraid we'd have to learn sword control on the spot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was the competition coach of White Dragon High School, named Han Xingye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Songyang High School, where mana course teachers served as competition guides, White Dragon High School had specialized teachers responsible for various competitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Han Xingye's words, Song Hailong stroked his spiky hair and said casually, \"This is the first competition of our term.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coach, help me take a look at any opponents worth noting on the field, especially the quality of this year's crop from Ziyun and Hongta.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White Dragon High School, Ziyun High School, and Hongta High School were the three strongest high schools in Songyang City. Barring accidents, many of their rivals for the next three years of competition should be present on the field right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye readily complied with Song Hailong's request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Song Hailong's excellent grades, it was naturally due to his status as a wealthy individual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This child of destiny from a major family in Songyang City was a descendant with top KPI in his family, known as the ace son of the Song generation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye nodded, his fingers sliding across his registry book repeatedly. The next moment, with a surge of mana output, he activated the Heavenly Eye Talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Heavenly Eye Talisman was used to respectfully invite the Heavenly Knowledge and Myriad Questions Deity from the Department of All People to evaluate the figures seen by the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This evaluation gathered comprehensive data on a person—from bank deposits and personal assets to academic scores, work performance, family relationships, and so on—finally producing a comprehensive fuzzy assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dissatisfied with the fuzziness and wanting something more detailed and specific? Then you'd need a higher faith level and spend more money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the effect of the Heavenly Eye Talisman was that the more detailed it was, the more expensive; the more fuzzy, the cheaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Han Xingye looked around the venue now, he naturally didn't dare look for detailed evaluations; he was afraid that one glance would bankrupt him, knowing that such things had indeed happened in Kunxu history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Heavenly Eye Talisman was activated, golden particles of light gathered in the air and coalesced into Han Xingye's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he scanned the entire venue, he could see different evaluations appearing above each person's head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, bankrupt gambling dog, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not worth mentioning, ice-skin jade-bone (expand details), not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye's gaze shifted as he noticed a girl from Ziyun High School had jumped onto the spectator stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't that Le Mulan from Ziyun? Why is she up there? Checking the signal plates?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked more closely, and the evaluation above her head expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice-skin jade-bone | Pill critic | High caste | Ziyun filial son | Lofty flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being a long-time user of the Heavenly Eye Talisman, although it looked somewhat complex at a glance, Han Xingye pondered the fuzzy evaluation for a moment and roughly guessed the meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is someone with a special constitution, good at taking pills, excellent grades, fiercely loyal to Ziyun High School, and a high-quality rich person with a complex background.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pills? Constitution?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye thought to himself, sent the keywords to Song Hailong as well, and then continued looking at the other people present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he kept male-gazing at the students on the field, the competition officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The venue was divided into eighteen sub-arenas. In each batch, 18 randomly selected contestants took the stage, using the flying swords in their respective arenas to shoot at the signal plates in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Han Xingye's eyes, students from ordinary high schools—those he deemed \"not worth mentioning\"—took the stage one by one. Like raw recruits, they fumbled with their flying swords, and hitting one or two of the signal plates midair was considered decent. The judges would only give them 10 or 20 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like none of them have ever played with flying swords before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye knew that although this round was nominally about mana control, whether or not you had experience with flying swords made a world of difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In particular, the mastery of spatial awareness, distance, accuracy, and speed—for someone trying it for the first time, even if they had strong mana control, it would be difficult to score well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for students from the three prestigious schools, playing with flying swords was no big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the ten contestants from his own White Dragon High School this time each had at least four or five flying swords at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as far as he knew, Song Hailong's family even had an entire sword vault with hundreds of flying swords, which he had played with countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, aside from the many \"not worth mentioning\" contestants, under the perception of his Heavenly Eye Talisman, students bearing the evaluations of \"Rare\" or \"Elite\" began to appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye knew these were usually the top students from ordinary high schools, or the elite students from key high schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scoring 30 or 40 points would already be impressive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their mana control is weak to begin with, and they've never used flying swords. If it weren't for the excellent quality of the Jiutian flying swords, they probably wouldn't even hit a single signal plate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Han Xingye's interest was piqued, and he wondered whether he should buy a Jiutian mana flying sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, his gaze shifted slightly, and amid the crowd of \"not worth mentioning,\" \"rare,\" and \"elite,\" he finally spotted a different evaluation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure-Blooded Score Slave\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye looked at the other's school uniform—it seemed to be from Songyang High School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the arena, Qian Shen took a deep breath and slowly grasped the scabbard of the flying sword before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, as he infused mana into it, the flying sword inside the scabbard shot out with a whoosh. The blade was edged all around, with no hilt, and like a cold gleam, it soared into the air, striking toward the signal plates in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn't played much, Qian Shen had tried out his grandfather's mana flying swords a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, following the tips his tutor had taught him, he slowly channeled mana into the scabbard, controlling the flying sword by varying the rhythm of his mana infusion, making it swoosh through the air and hit one signal plate after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>72 points\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his result for this round, Qian Shen breathed a slight sigh of relief: \"Not bad, should be good enough to explain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye, on the other side, glanced at the score of 72 and shook his head inwardly: \"Sigh, Songyang High is a long-established key school, but the students' level gets worse every year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, they're too stuck in their ways—unwilling to learn from other schools' advanced methods, like Ziyun High's Score Caste System, or our own Low-Score Slavery System. With no innovation in their teaching techniques, how can they keep up with the changing times...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Han Xingye was thinking this, he saw another contestant with a special evaluation appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes, Lian Tianji from Ziyun High School stepped onto the stage with the words 'Heaven's Diligent Son' above his head. He flung his arm, sending the flying sword hurtling out, and swish-swish-swish, he scored 90 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That seems to be Lian Tianji, the one in Ziyun High who is the most compatible with the Heaven's Diligence Heart Method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>! .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As more and more contestants took turns on stage, Han Xingye's eyes darted around, and he spotted more and more special students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over at Songyang High School, a 'School Board Son' had just appeared and scored 78 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Le Mulan from Ziyun High School, with her 'Ice Skin Jade Bones,' swept the stage with a current high score of 95 points, drawing gasps from the entire venue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Han Xingye was looking around, a woman suddenly caught his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword Critique (Expand for Details)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? A student from Songyang High School?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye looked at Bai Zhenzhen as she walked onto the arena. He knew that people who could be \"expanded\" usually had complex backgrounds, indicating unusual origins, strength, or talent—but he never expected to find one among Songyang High School's students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze focused slightly, and a row of words unfolded above Bai Zhenzhen's head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword Critique | Fist Critique | Palm Critique | Blade Critique | Spear Critique | Medicine Critique | Score Tyrant | Loan Slave | Card Slave | Dao Art Useless Theory | Songyang Hater | She's Poor...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at that evaluation, which was too long to read in one breath, Han Xingye was deeply shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never thought he would be shocked while looking at a Songyang High School student, and all because the other's background was so complex, far beyond the ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next moment, his shock receded slightly, because her score was 34 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know why her evaluation is so long, but judging from this score, this girl is not worth mentioning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon his attention was also drawn away by Song Hailong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this top student of White Dragon High School took the stage, he removed his towering long hair from the top of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise: “Holy shit! He’s already bald in high school?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen returned to the rest area with a face full of bad luck. Hearing Zhang Yu’s surprise, she explained on the side: “That’s not a wig, it’s an external spiritual root.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“External spiritual root?” Zhang Yu recalled that such a thing existed, but this was the first time he had seen one in reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen said enviously: “This isn’t like those old-version spiritual roots at school. This kind of external spiritual root is plug-and-play, you can pull it out and swap it anytime. Yu Zi, remember this—it’s the birthday present I want most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu patted A-Zhen on the shoulder and comforted her: “I can’t afford an external spiritual root, but I can get you both baldness and a wig.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, then went back to staring fixedly at the wig that Song Hailong had placed on the chair, thinking about the possibility of swiping it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after looking at the students and teachers all around, she could only let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Song Hailong took the stage, feeling the mana flowing through his body as easily as moving his own arm, a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fitting a spiritual root to enhance mana, to make mana surge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a poor person’s mentality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Hailong’s only purpose in fitting the external spiritual root was to train his control over mana during the process of more turbulent mana breathing and refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weak worry about losing control of the mana surge brought by spiritual aura; for a strong person like me, this is the best training opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gripped the scabbard with one hand, expelled his mana with a push, and a flying sword shot out from within like a bolt of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xingye, down by the stage, watched his student controlling the flying sword on the field like handling lightning, instantly slashing his way to 100 points and becoming the new highest score. A smug expression appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“100 points—only because the total is 100 points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Given the depth of Song Hailong’s mana, his strength in mana control, and his proficiency with the flying sword, he’s been limited by the total score in this match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, back in the rest area after Bai Zhenzhen’s return, Teacher Yan’s gaze swept over her from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bai Zhenzhen only started practicing for the magic competition recently, right? Her progress is very fast. Is it talent, or just luck?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Teacher Yan’s eyes, Bai Zhenzhen’s talent in mana was ultimately no match for Zhang Yu’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, when Zhang Yu took the stage, she was also looking forward to this student’s results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the field, Zhang Yu lightly grasped the scabbard. As he fed mana into it bit by bit, he could feel the flying sword inside begin to tremble gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, while off the stage, Zhang Yu had been thinking about how he could score as high as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current situation was like having nimble fingers with no disability, and then someone comes up to him and says, “Hey, good finger dexterity? Then let me test you—operate that excavator over there to open a bottle cap, and let’s see just how good your finger control really is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, another unfair, unequal competition where the rich have an absolute advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu silently complained in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The way this flying sword feels to me is like a drone or an FPV racer. Even if my mana control is incredibly fine, if I’ve never played with this thing, I definitely won’t be able to control it with ease.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about having to maneuver this flying sword back and forth to hit those palm-sized signal boards in midair, Zhang Yu felt it was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I can’t play the traditional flying sword game…”\u003C\u002Fp>",2522,"2026-05-29T04:54:22.303Z","2026-06-01T04:29:11.989Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","3dc947f4024f7388478ad4a871a960f4acd731368cbeea46550d371714d13d3e","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-45","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-43",711,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fno-money-what-cultivation-cover.jpg"]