Huang ran over, eagerly sticking close to Zhou Leng's leg, its tail wagging rapidly.
Zhou Leng looked carefully at Huang, its fur was dense and smooth, body large, clearly a rural dog, yet it increasingly resembled a golden retriever.
Without saying a word, Zhou Leng turned and ran home.
The smile on Huang's face abruptly stopped; it shook its head, snorted, and rushed forward with a whimper, blocking Zhou Leng, looking up at him.
Frowning.
"Going, we'll go today, alright?" Zhou Leng said.
Huang stuck out its tongue, grinning widely.
Zhou Leng ran back home, prepared breakfast, ate, and then took Huang into the mountains from the village.
The elderly people saw them and sighed.
"Half a year ago, he was still sickly. Look at him now, running even faster than a dog."
"Huang seems to have grown stronger too."
"I've long said, Huang absorbs Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi and has become a Spirit Dog. No ordinary dog is as understanding as it."
Once again arriving under the Frost Giant Tree, Zhou Leng politely greeted the Frost Giant Tree as usual, then sat down to cultivate the Mystic Tide Technique.
Without the Meat Herbal Cuisine and Qi Nourishing Pills, the speed was slightly slower.
Zhou Leng hadn't yet gone to Martial Arts Mall to exchange for Pill Vouchers, having consumed too many pills a few days ago, so he decided to wait a few days.
After completing the eighty-one cycles of the Mystic Tide Technique, Zhou Leng's ears twitched.
He opened his eyes and saw Huang a dozen meters away digging a hole, using its front paws rapidly, the soil flying off to the sides.
Zhou Leng got up and walked over.
"Whine..." Huang lowered its head, grabbed something in its mouth, turned, and looked at Zhou Leng.
"Hmm?" Zhou Leng reached out and took what was in Huang's mouth.
With just a glance, a great wave surged in his heart.
It was something like a metal book page, emitting a dark golden luster, engraved with three-dimensional characters.
The characters on it not only moved but also consisted of six sides.
It's like six Chinese characters forming a perfect cube.
Divine Text.
Divine Text is a common term; according to Demigod Demon Spirit Masters from the Demon Spirit World, it's considered a universal language of a High-Level Civilization.
To this day, no one has completely decoded it; only a few characters are understood, and even those aren't accurate.
Each character of Divine Text is equivalent to a large section of ordinary text, even an entire article.
"Is there more below?" Zhou Leng asked.
Huang shook its head.
"How did you find it?"
Huang looked totally bewildered.
Zhou Leng stared at the slowly rotating Divine Text on the book page, lost in thought.
Zhou Leng cradled it with both hands, set it upright under the Frost Giant Tree, sat cross-legged across from it, and carefully observed the dozens of Divine Texts on it.
Zhou Leng recalled the various sayings on the internet: Divine Text can't be read all at once, it must be read one by one; only after understanding the first one can you understand the second.
Zhou Leng focused on the first Divine Text, trying to memorize it.
After one glance, it seemed he remembered it.
He closed his eyes, huh? All forgotten.
He looked again; it seemed quite simple.
Once he closed his eyes, what did he just see?
Zhou Leng constantly remembered and forgot.
This feeling was like memorizing a lesson when half asleep.
Half an hour later, Zhou Leng suddenly closed his eyes, reached out, and covered his head.
He memorized it, but his brain almost exploded.
The Divine Text was like a blender, stirring his brain inside.
Zhou Leng squinted, laboriously pulled out a sleeping bag, and crawled inside to doze off.
After a long while, Zhou Leng woke up, checked the time on his phone.
He had slept for a good four hours, yet his brain was still groggy.
Previously under the tree, two hours of sleep had been enough to feel refreshed.
Zhou Leng leaned against the tree, too lazy even to lift a finger.
Huang nudged the Divine Text Golden Page with its nose, placing it in front of Zhou Leng.
"You want me to learn?"
Huang nodded.
Zhou Leng was silent, never expected to live a lifetime only to be advised to study by a yellow dog.
"I don't understand it."
Huang looked perplexed, slightly tilting its head.
Zhou Leng helplessly said, "This is Divine Text; it's different from my previous language. I can't understand a single character. Even if I memorize one, my brain nearly exploded, boom...understand?"
Zhou Leng spread his hands apart.
Huang perplexedly looked at the Divine Text Golden Page, then at Zhou Leng, back and forth several times, its dog eyes even more confused.
Zhou Leng said, "You're surprised I can't understand it?"
Huang nodded.
"Do you think it's normal for a dog not to understand, but embarrassing for a person not to?"
Huang nodded, then paused and shook its head repeatedly.
Man and dog looked at each other.
Zhou Leng suddenly jumped, pretending to stand up; Huang turned, sprinted far away, looked back and, squinting, grinned while lowering its head with its tail wagging back.
"Huang, you're getting more impressive; even this thing you can find." Zhou Leng pinched the Divine Text Golden Page.
Huang smiled, sneaked a glance at the crown of the Frost Giant Tree, and quickly lowered its head.
Zhou Leng saw this scene, his eyes flickering.
Zhou Leng vaguely guessed some possibilities, although somewhat fanciful, it wasn't entirely impossible either.
Zhou Leng picked up the Divine Text Golden Page, looked at the second character, and tried hard to memorize it.
Soon, the two cube-like Divine Texts were spinning in his mind, jointly blending his brain matter…
Zhou Leng weakly crawled into his sleeping bag.
After waking again, Zhou Leng sat dazed for a while.
The man was there, but the soul wasn't.
Zhou Leng blinked.
In his mind, the second Divine Text was gone, no memory at all, completely forgotten.
The memory of the first Divine Text also became hazy.
Zhou Leng hurriedly looked at the Divine Text Golden Page, and after quite a while, he fully memorized the first Divine Text again.
As for the second, after a glance, he decided to let it go for now, focusing on remembering the first.
Zhou Leng checked his phone; it was already late at night.
Zhou Leng slowly stood up, jogged to warm up.
Then, he practiced his inner and external martial arts systematically.
After another sleep and waking up, he went down the mountain, went home to eat, cooked, prepared meals, went to Martial Arts Mall to exchange seven Qi Nourishing Pills, and then headed back to the mountain.
The first Divine Text became blurred again. I memorize it once more, sleep, then cultivate.
With Treasure Mountain in hand, I can't just do nothing, even learning a single character is worthwhile.
After cultivating, return home, contact Li Linhan.
"I've decided to join their Martial Arts study team. My classmate Feng Wenhao also wants to go. He says he can take less payment."
Soon, Li Linhan replies.
"Okay, once your results are in, I'll take you both to see him."
Zhou Leng visits the hospital on the way, and after checking, removes the green wristband.
Then, Zhou Leng dives into the Mysterious Forest, cultivating under the Frost Giant Tree.
Time passes.
In the early morning, Zhou Leng sits under the Frost Giant Tree, slowly opens his eyes.
True Qi breakthrough, advancing to Great Success.
Qi Nourishing reaches Great Success, breathing for ten seconds, Qi reaches the skin.
Zhou Leng takes out his phone, presses the timer, channels True Qi, and runs vigorously.
Huang chases from behind.
Soon, Zhou Leng stops and looks at the phone.
4 minutes and 56 seconds.
An improvement of exactly 33 seconds compared to the martial arts exam day.
Zhou Leng continues his Martial Arts perception; External Skills haven't improved.
Inner Power can utilize Qi Nourishing Pills and High-level Spiritual Land; External Skills require meticulous cultivation.
My recent fast improvement was due to the body's strengthening, essentially compensating for past deficiencies.
Even someone as strong as Zhang Xinglie, his most powerful fist technique is only the Fifth Layer Heaven at Great Success.
Zhou Leng sits and manipulates Qi, the tide-like True Qi inside his body rises rapidly.
Mystic Tide Technique, layer upon layer, the momentum is vigorous.
Mystic Tide Technique at Great Success, once True Qi is exhausted, it will rise rapidly.
The tide returns.
In just a few seconds, True Qi in the Dantian restores to half, then the speed returns to normal.
Once True Qi fills the Dantian, under Zhou Leng's introspection, his body is completely different from before.
The previous deep blue True Qi only flowed beneath the skin.
Now, dense deep blue True Qi nets emerge from the skin, like an additional fascia.
Simultaneously, Zhou Leng's breathing changes; inhalation lasts ten seconds, exhalation lasts around five seconds.
Zhou Leng opens his eyes, feeling slightly amazed.
After the Mystic Tide Technique reached Great Success, these power enhancements are normal, but strangely, his perception ability has strengthened.
It's somewhat like what Teacher Sun Xiong said; spiritual will has undergone another refinement.
This refinement, although far less than the month spent in the hospital, feels somewhat similar.
To verify, Zhou Leng exhausts his True Qi, then jumps into the sleeping bag and records the time.
Upon waking, Zhou Leng opens his phone.
The average sleep time under the Frost Giant Tree was 2 hours and 9 minutes.
This time, it only took 2 hours and 3 minutes.
Accelerated by six minutes.
"I wonder if it's related to the Spiritual Land or the Divine Text Golden Page."
Zhou Leng takes a glance at the Divine Text Golden Page.
In recent days, Zhou Leng has been studying Divine Text.
The Divine Text seems to have a peculiar characteristic; no matter how clearly remembered on the first day, it becomes blurred the next day.
Zhou Leng decides to study repeatedly, to see how many days it will take to remember it completely.
Zhou Leng looks at the date on the phone; today the results are announced, the day after tomorrow is the day to fill out volunteer options.
Leaving the Mysterious Forest, returning to Xiaoru Village, Zhou Leng finds a red brick and places it on a stone platform.
Zhou Leng takes a deep breath, channels Qi to his palms, and spreads it over the skin.
Right palm comes down.
Splat!
Zhou Leng retracts his palm and looks at the red brick.
A large piece of red brick shattered into dense small pieces, mostly bean-sized, evenly ordered.
"Probably after reaching the late stage of the Blood Transporting Period or the Body Refining Stage, one palm can crush bricks into powder."
Looks at his palm, a shallow red mark appears.
Zhou Leng returns home, quietly waiting.
At nine o'clock, goes online to check the results.
Freezes, refreshes.
After a full five minutes, Zhou Leng finds his results.
The Three Tests total score is a 1000-point scale, with Literature, Physical, and Martial Arts exams weighted increasingly.
Martial Arts University and Affiliated Martial Arts Hall admissions consider the total score, while non-Martial Arts University admissions do not consider Physical and Martial Arts scores, calculating based on Literature real score of 750.
Zhou Leng quietly looks at his Three Tests total score.
672 points.
City ranking: 12,437th.
Not within the top five thousand, Martial Arts University is hopeless. Not within the top ten thousand, Affiliated Martial Arts Hall is unreachable.
Zhou Leng looks at his Martial Arts exam scores.
The martial exam has three subjects, each with a full score of 100 points, totaling 300 points in real score.
True Qi total score: 86.
True Qi intensity score: 91.
True Qi control score: 99.
Martial Arts exam total score: 276 points.
Zhou Leng breathes a sigh of relief.
If the Martial Arts exam total score is high enough, it can directly participate in the supplementary exam for Martial Arts University, and upon passing it, can enter Martial Arts University.
Yunhua and Jinjing University's direct supplementary score is 290 points.
The direct supplementary score for the remaining eight of the Top Ten Martial Arts is 270 points.
The supplementary scores for ordinary Martial Arts Universities vary, but do not fall below 250 points.
With a 276 point Martial Arts exam score, he can directly enter Rucheng Martial Arts Academy's supplementary exam.
Given his Martial Arts level, the possibility of passing Rucheng Martial Arts Academy's supplementary exam exceeds 90%.
Xihai Martial Arts Academy also resides in Rucheng, but due to being part of the Top Ten Martial Arts, the competition is fierce.
Moreover, many children from affluent families have consumed various pills since childhood, resulting in astounding True Qi quantity and intensity, often being guided by masters through training in Demon City, providing overwhelming advantages in many aspects.
"My chance of passing Xihai Martial Arts Academy's supplementary exam won't exceed 30%..."
Messages start arriving on the phone.
"Zhou Leng, what is your ranking? What's your Martial Arts exam score?" Hu Yi asks first.
Hu Yi continues messaging: "My rank increased by three thousand, fifty-two thousandth, Martial Arts exam score only 199. Opening lies!"