In front of a skyscraper at the city center.
Zhang Yu lifted his head, looking at the towering building that seemed to pierce the sky. He could vaguely see an Immortal Palace faintly emerging at the top of the skyscraper.
This was the office building of the Immortal Rhythm Group in the center of Songyang City.
Besides this, Zhang Yu could also see in the distance an even taller giant building, as if it reached the very end of the sky. He knew that was Songyang City's tallest building, supposedly the Central Building with 999 floors, a landmark he often saw on his way to school.
At this moment, he turned his head back to the office building in front of him.
"The Immortal Rhythm Group, huh?"
On his way here, Zhang Yu had already searched for some information about the Immortal Rhythm Group online.
This was a giant company under the Wanfa Sect, engaged in developing cultivation techniques, selling techniques, Immortal Path education, book publishing, and other cultural creations.
And the Wanfa Sect was one of the Ten Major Sects. In this world of Kunxu, from food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, to birth, aging, illness, and death, a person's entire life was intertwined with the Ten Major Sects, and cultivating the Immortal Path was no exception.
So it was no surprise to Zhang Yu that a massive enterprise like the Immortal Rhythm Group was under a major sect like the Wanfa Sect.
Lowering his head, Zhang Yu walked into the building. After explaining his purpose at the front desk, he went through registration, signed a contract, and had a brief physical examination. Finally, he was led to a place resembling a classroom.
He noticed that a few students were already seated in the classroom besides him.
After waiting for a while, when the number of students reached fifteen, a middle-aged man in a suit entered and began explaining today's trial exercise.
"Hello everyone, I am today's instructor."
"All of you have signed the contract, but I must remind you, everything we discuss here today is not to be shared outside. If anyone leaks information, no matter where you run, my company will surely find you."
Hearing this, the students felt a chill in their hearts. They knew the instructor wasn't bluffing; with the power of the Immortal Rhythm Group and the Wanfa Sect behind it, achieving this was indeed not difficult.
"The technique you are going to attempt today is what we call Experimental Technique 113. Please first watch the instructional video…"
According to the instructional video, this technique was a Qi Refining Realm breathing skill. Unlike the Basic Breathing Technique, this method was much more complex, like creating a cycle of mana throughout the body.
Even after watching the video, most students trying the technique felt utterly confused.
It wasn't until the instructor's detailed explanation that the students began to vaguely understand, but they felt even more overwhelmed.
"Are we really supposed to practice this technique? Are we even qualified?"
The technique's routes were too complicated and challenging, akin to drawing the Qingming Riverside Scene on a sheet of A4 paper.
If Zhang Yu were to describe it, he'd say it was as difficult as carving on dung.
Not to mention following the outlined circulation route, the crowd couldn't even memorize the route; they forgot most of it before even starting.
Dissemination wasn't even a concern anymore; the students lacked confidence in whether they could complete the trial by cultivating this martial art.
Noticing the students' change in emotions, the instructor said from the front: "Rest assured, this trial doesn't expect you to master the technique."
"In fact, it's impossible for beginners to master this method on their own."
"What we are testing this time also includes equipment to assist with Technique 113…"
Following that, the students were taken to a testing room where patches for mana detection were attached to their hands, feet, chest, and back.
Then, needle-like items, connected with wires, were brought in front of the students by a robotic arm.
The instructor continued: "When you start circulating your energy, the detection patches will monitor the state of mana inside your body."
"The magnet needles will stimulate your mana's pathway under the robotic arm's operations, assisting you in identifying and correcting the circulation route…"
After listening for a while, Zhang Yu understood: it's like auto-navigation… no, not auto-navigation, but auto-cultivation, right?
Because the mana route of Technique 113 was too complex, requiring high precision in spirit machine and mana operation, it required simultaneous detection of the cultivator's path and magnet needles stimulating various body parts for guidance.
However, this process also posed significant risks because of the complexity of Technique 113's circulation route.
In such a complex circulation route, if the mana's operational path had the slightest error, it could cause mana to go out of control. It would scatter within the body, making it itch and hurt, rapidly alternating between cold and hot, easily leading to further loss of control.
If prolonged, it would result in internal injuries, growing more severe the longer it persisted.
Afterward, the person would either have to go to the hospital and pay dearly for a powerful practitioner to suppress the rampaging mana within their body, rely on physical strength to endure until the mana eventually dissipated, or cultivate the technique to actively recapture the rogue mana on the operational route.
Meanwhile, the instructor said: "As stated in your contracts, your compensation for this trial will depend on the percentage of the route you complete. Only upon completing 100% can you earn the full ten thousand units."
"If the mana is circulated only halfway, you'll only receive five thousand."
"Alright, if there are no questions, please begin."
Zhang Yu glanced at the data appearing on his Yu Shu.
Circulation Qi Gathering Method Level 0 (0/1)
He thought to himself: "Does this mean practicing it once completes it?"
Zhang Yu closed his eyes and tried to circulate the technique he had just learned, starting from his dantian and moving towards his spine.
Simultaneously, he felt a slight sting on his spine, knowing it was the magnet needle guiding his mana to circulate through.
He then followed the guidance of the magnet needle, circulating his mana little by little.
...
Meanwhile, outside the testing room, a group of people was observing the students' conditions.
"It's started."
The leading researcher, with disheveled short hair, was intently watching the constantly changing data on the screen.
On it were the statuses of each student's internal mana operations as they attempted to practice Experimental Technique 113.
A nearby assistant, equally grave, observed each student's exercise diagram on the screen. This visual depiction of their mana route was derived from the data collected from various parts of the students' bodies.
The correct routes were indicated in green, while deviations were marked in red.
As time passed, observing the increasing red errors on the operational routes, disappointment started showing in the assistant's eyes.
"Teacher, it seems the precision of the magnet needle's guidance needs to be further improved, otherwise it can't meet the mana operation precision required for beginners practicing Technique 113."
"Isn't it too hard to let beginners master 113; should we recruit testers with higher Dao Heart Levels?"
The researcher referred to as 'teacher' frowned: "113 and the magnet needle were originally developed for beginners; this approach will not change."
"Moreover, those with higher Dao Heart Levels have better techniques to learn. In such a context, 113's passive breathing effect lacks competitiveness, whereas beginners need that effect more…"
Just then, a student who made a mistake groaned and spat a mouthful of blood.
'Teacher' said coldly: "Quickly take him away; don't let him disturb the others' states of mind."
But following the first student who spat blood, more and more students trying the technique began experiencing discomfort. Some turned pale from lack of breath, others fainted from sudden pain, and some had mild injuries, only experiencing paleness, pain, or itching in the area they circulated mana…
As more students were carried away, 'teacher's' expression grew increasingly grim.
He complained: "These students' abilities are too poor. Can't we recruit some capable students?"
The assistant quietly explained: "Teacher, previous test subjects were injured too severely, and no school is willing to cooperate with us anymore."
'Teacher' scoffed, discontent evident on his face: "Just a group of poor students; whether it's 113 or the magnet needle, if successfully improved, how large would the beginner market be? Even if hundreds died, so what?"
Meanwhile, in the testing room, only three students persisted in circulating their mana.
Two of them had fewer errors and scant runaway mana, so they continued.
The other, a pale student drew a slight surprise from 'teacher': "This kid made numerous missteps during circulation and must be in unbearable discomfort, yet he persists to this point?"
An assistant asked: "Teacher, should we stop him?"
'Teacher' shook his head, interested: "Since he is so eager to earn this money, let him have this opportunity."
"Moreover, for our research, more complete error data on the operational route is evidently beneficial."
...
Inside the testing room, each time Zhang Yu thought of giving up, the icy presence of ritual power and a countdown in his mind kept him going.
"This moronic thing! Keeps nagging and nagging; if you're so capable, why don't you try it?"
In the process, any minor mistake caused mana from the circulatory route to lose control and overflow into his body, causing a sensation of sourness, itchiness, fluctuating between cold and hot all over him.
Finally completing the full operational route once, he watched as "Circulation Qi Gathering Method Level 0 (0/1)" on his Yu Shu transformed into "Circulation Qi Gathering Method Level 1 (0/20)", allowing him a slight breath of relief.
Zhang Yu admitted gambling, but fortunately, he succeeded this time.
At this moment, countless repetitions of the technique stormed through his memory, making him feel as though he'd practiced it for months.
At this moment, Zhang Yu felt capable of harnessing the Circulation Qi Gathering Method to gather all runaway mana, establishing a complex mana cycle if he wished.
However, he didn't do so immediately; instead, he endured the overall soreness and itching, slowly standing up.
The instructor nearby swiftly approached, slightly surprised: "Student, are you alright?"
For him, it was the first time seeing someone with such a high error rate persist till the end.
Clutching his stomach, Zhang Yu said: "I feel my insides burning, itchy, painful. My upper body feels like it's on fire, and my lower body like it's frozen…so uncomfortable."
The instructor hurried to support him: "Let me take you to the medical room for a check-up."
"No need!" Zhang Yu abruptly swung his hand, saying: "What I mean is…more compensation."
The instructor assessed him up and down, noting Zhang Yu's trembling and increasingly pale complexion, and said: "A thousand units, and sign another contract, absolving us of any responsibility for subsequent issues."
After some haggling, the Immortal Rhythm Company finally increased to three thousand units for Zhang Yu, requiring that no matter his subsequent condition, it would have no relation to the company.