Chapter 56: Suppose the number of uses is X, and the spiritual power level is Y

Zhang Dali was feeling rather frustrated. Despite being a three-star dual-force warrior, he had gone to great lengths for the sake of another martial artist. Just as he was about to reach his goal, he discovered that Zhang Chu had already arrived at Highland No. 2 of Canglong Mountain. Wasn’t this just a game? Still, he felt somewhat relieved—not having to meet Guan Zifang in the cabin was a blessing.

Upon receiving the return order from Fan Tianlei, Zhang Dali immediately turned around and ran. As soon as he had left, Guan Zifang appeared at the window on the second floor, holding a jug of wine. He took out his rarely used phone and sent a message to Luo Zhidong. The message had barely been sent when, in the office of the Dean of Binzhou Martial Arts Academy, Dean Luo Zhidong—who was reviewing the competition results—glanced at his phone and jumped up: “Quick, use my authority to call the academy helicopter. I need to go to Highland No. 2 of Canglong Mountain!”

Meanwhile, in the rapidly moving command vehicle of the organizing committee, Fan Tianlei, pleased with the victory results, popped champagne in celebration. “Director Chen, I’ve fulfilled my mission. That kid narrowly missed the championship. Who would have thought that old Hu Sanyi would beat everyone to the highland?” He continued, “I guarantee this boy will obediently join our Martial Arts Administration.”

The competition had just ended. Ranked first in points was Su Mingyue, a level three martial artist. Zhang Chu was second, and third place belonged to Fan Chengcheng. The first to arrive at Highland No. 2 were Zhang Chu and Hu Sanyi.

“Let’s go, accelerate to Highland No. 2. Today, I want to personally witness Su Mingyue and Hu Sanyi being crowned champions!” Fan Tianlei added, “Remember to call Zhang Xueying; after all, these two will soon be members of their martial arts academy.” The more he thought about it, the happier he became.

Except for the level six forbidden zone, yesterday the committee announced a full live broadcast of the tournament. All spectators could watch online via phone or computer. So when Zhang Chu and Hu Sanyi appeared at Highland No. 2, Fan Tianlei was sweating bullets. It wasn’t that Su Mingyue and Fan Chengcheng weren’t capable, but Zhang Chu was simply too fierce, charging straight through the level six forbidden zone.

In a hair’s breadth moment, Hu Sanyi quickened his pace, reached the highland first, and pulled the flag, finally allowing Fan Tianlei to breathe a sigh of relief. As long as Zhang Chu didn’t win the championship, anyone else would do.

...

“Brother Chu, you’ve really put me on the spot. I feel like if I go back to Binzhou, I’ll be finished,” Hu Sanyi lamented at the supply point on Highland No. 2 of Canglong Mountain. Watching Zhang Chu snooze comfortably in a folding chair, Hu Sanyi was nearly in tears. He had never dreamed of winning the championship—he just wanted to follow Zhang Chu, hunt some exotic beast cores, and make some pocket money. He never dared imagine entering the Martial Arts Research Institute and becoming a martial artist within the system.

An hour earlier, Zhang Chu and Hu Sanyi had left the sixth forbidden zone, sprinting ahead and reaching Highland No. 2 first. Hu Sanyi’s legs unexpectedly went out of control, and he lunged across the finish line, pulling the flag. Though Zhang Chu explained he had given him a push, this entire scene was broadcast live by Martial God One, the drone. Now, all of Binzhou knew: Hu Sanyi had betrayed his brother to snatch the championship.

This wasn’t mere speculation. He had just checked the forum and, sure enough, it was trending. First trending topic: “The goddess expelled from Binzhou University makes a comeback, wins the championship on points.” Second: “Storm Squad Captain Hu Sanyi betrays teammate, pulls the flag for the championship—does he still have any shame?” Third: “Betrayed by both his former goddess and brother, how big is Zhang Chu’s heart?”

Hu Sanyi clicked on the trending topics about himself. Good heavens, he was being cursed everywhere; some netizens were even digging up his personal info, and others were crowdfunding to beat him up at the Binzhou city gate.

“Old Hu, just take the championship. I have more important matters to attend to,” Zhang Chu said, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight, while he carefully studied the mental attack techniques of the dual-force warrior. This was far more interesting than any championship. The system’s reward, Electric Vine Entwine, upon closer inspection, revealed many possible uses—electric shocks, binding, combining the two. On his way here, Zhang Chu had accessed his personal info board and spotted a discreet note at the bottom: “New skill not yet unlocked.” This unopened skill immediately piqued his curiosity.

Championships? Anything that didn’t help him advance as a warrior was nothing but a stumbling block.

For example...

That familiar scent of perfume wafted over, and Zhang Chu knew the goddess once adored by this body’s former self had arrived again. He didn’t even bother to open his eyes. Hu Sanyi, still grumbling, noticed two figures blocking the sunlight. Looking up, he saw Fan Chengcheng’s yellow headband, and Su Mingyue’s alluring figure in black attire drew the eye irresistibly. Not far away, the remaining hundreds of competitors were watching. If they couldn’t win the championship, they could at least enjoy the spectacle online.

“Brother Chu, Su Mingyue is here,” Hu Sanyi quickly patted Zhang Chu’s shoulder. The whole matter between Su Mingyue and Zhang Chu had been thoroughly exposed on the forum, leaving no secrets behind. Hu Sanyi knew all too well.

Su Mingyue observed Zhang Chu, half asleep, looking utterly relaxed—quite different from what she had expected. “Zhang Chu, fortune’s wheel has turned; now it’s finally your turn,” she said.

Zhang Chu remained silent. He was now considering whether Electric Vine Entwine had a limit to its usage.

“Zhang Chu, Su Mingyue is talking to you. What are you pretending for?” Fan Chengcheng, hands in his pockets, was clearly unhappy. The more he looked at Zhang Chu, the more he resembled the person who had tricked him out of six million at Dangdang Mountain. Resolutely siding with Su Mingyue was, after all, the first step to winning her favor.

Seeing Zhang Chu remain silent, Hu Sanyi could only smile. At least he was the champion, and they’d inevitably cross paths at the Martial Arts Research Institute in the future.

Yet Su Mingyue ignored Hu Sanyi completely, stepping closer to Zhang Chu, aggressive: “Zhang Chu, I’m talking to you! Are you regretting it now? Regretting embarrassing me in front of so many people during the martial arts exam? How does it feel now?”

Still, Zhang Chu said nothing. In his mind, he was constructing a quadratic equation: “Assume my mental power usage count is X, mental power level is y, and other data is referenced from the system. Find the relationship between x and y.”