Chapter 2: Nine Turns Sky Plundering

Shi Hao raised an eyebrow, somewhat in disbelief.

He and Song Tianming had indeed always been rivals, and it was he who had surpassed his opponent last year, securing the sole spot as the representative for fifteen-year-olds from Starwind Academy to participate in the martial arts competition in the Imperial Capital.

But was it a fair competition to incite a murderous intent in Song Tianming?

He took a deep breath; why it had happened was not important anymore, the important thing was how he was going to resolve this crisis.

The Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture!

This was the mystical cultivation technique that Yuan Chengmie had obtained, which had even led to the demise of this powerful individual, and now it was Shi Hao's only lifesaver.

At Starwind Academy, and even throughout the entire Hua Yuan Nation, martial artists could only rely on body techniques, pushing past the human limits time and again through arduous training, elevating their strength to inconceivable levels.

As a result, Shi Hao's injured leg and arm meridians rendered him unable to cultivate, turning him into a crippled man.

However, the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture, plundering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one's own use, was infinitely mysterious.

Even Shi Hao saw in Yuan Chengmie's memories that cultivating with cultivation techniques was the true path; body techniques were merely a supplement.

Yet, the martial arts of Hua Yuan Nation had mistakenly taken the supplement for the true path, unaware of the existence of cultivation techniques, for reasons unknown.

Shi Hao's mind flashed with the mnemonic of the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture. Yuan Chengmie had merely recorded this technique, without actually having the time to cultivate it, so Shi Hao could only attempt to recover the technique. However, understanding the cultivation techniques was something he had no clue about.

In fact, this mnemonic couldn't be called a mnemonic at all, but a series of symbols, utterly mysterious. Yet, when these symbols passed through his mind, Shi Hao astonishingly discovered that he knew what to do.

According to Yuan Chengmie, the more profound the cultivation technique was, the more difficult it was to cultivate—yet Shi Hao had grasped it effortlessly. Could it be because this technique was too rudimentary?

But could a technique that caused Yuan Chengmie's death be considered rudimentary?

Nine Revolutions, Sky-Plundering!

Shi Hao tried operating the cultivation technique, and immediately, his consciousness extended beyond his body, forming tendrils that spread around him.

He saw another world.

Energy teemed throughout heaven and earth; it resided in the air, the earth, the sunlight, and in the plants and trees that stored energy but shed a small amount of it. Even every person did the same.

With a thought, his soul turned into a net, drawing the surrounding energy back to him.

Boom!

This energy surged inside him, coursing through his blood and swiftly fortifying his body.

Once all the energy was absorbed, his consciousness once again formed tendrils that spread out around him.

Shi Hao understood that this retraction and extension was one revolution.

In this process, his body was strengthened, and in exchange, there was a consumption of his Soul Force.

"You have fifteen left!" Bu Bowen's voice rang in Shi Hao's ear, clearly trying to provoke him.

Shi Hao paid him no heed and operated the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture once again.

Boom, a vast amount of energy was intercepted by him again to fortify his body.

"Fourteen left," Bu Bowen's voice sounded once more, full of petty-mindedness.

The third revolution, the fourth revolution… the ninth revolution!

"Five left."

Shi Hao stopped operating the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture because his Soul Force had been depleted.

No wonder it was called Nine Revolutions; it could only be performed nine times before one would have to wait for the Soul Force to recover.

Shi Hao clenched his fists, feeling the immense power within his body.

Although he had not tested himself yet, he had a feeling that his progress was significant!

"Bu Bowen, are you really determined to continue down this path of self-destruction?" Shi Hao said indifferently. Having absorbed Yuan Chengmie's memories, he also possessed the composure of a powerful individual.

In his eyes, Bu Bowen was nothing more than a lapdog.

"Haha, you dare to threaten me?" Bu Bowen laughed, spreading his hands to the crowd around him in apparent astonishment, "Listen to this, Genius Shi is actually threatening me!"

Some people started to laugh, but most of them just shook their heads, feeling that Bu Bowen was going too far, especially the female students, whose glances at Bu Bowen were as sharp as swords.

"Shi Hao, don't you forget, you're already a cripple!" Bu Bowen, without any self-awareness of being a clown, reveled in the feeling of trampling the old boss underfoot, his heart swelling with delight.

"Let's make a bet." Shi Hao spoke up, "If I pass the annual test, you'll kneel on the ground and shout 'Song Tianming is a bastard' three times, how about that?"

Bu Bowen sneered, "Shi Hao, even now, you're still daydreaming? Fine, I'll take the bet, you're bound to lose anyway!"

He didn't even mention what Shi Hao would have to sacrifice if he lost because, in his eyes, Shi Hao was as good as dead.

"Shi Hao, step forward for the test." Just then, a voice came from up ahead.

Shi Hao took a deep breath and strode forward.

Outside the crowd, a Strength Testing Device was set up, with three teachers from the academy beside it, one was in charge of recording the results, and the other two were supervising.

"Identification confirmed," one teacher nodded.

"Begin," said the teacher holding the record book to Shi Hao.

Shi Hao approached the Strength Testing Device, which was quite simple; all that was needed was a punch on the force sensor. The transmitted force would turn the gears, and the needle would stop at the corresponding strength level.

He took a deep breath and then swung out a fierce left punch.

——His right fist wouldn't work, the meridians in his arm were damaged, and he couldn't muster any strength.

Bang!

His fist struck the force sensor and the needle immediately began to move, then slowed down, and finally stopped on a number.

"One thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven pounds," the record teacher read the number aloud, waiting for confirmation from the other two teachers, before adding, "Last year's annual test was one thousand five hundred and six pounds, an improvement of just over thirty percent."

"Pass."

He looked at Shi Hao with a surprised expression on his face because he was well aware of Shi Hao's condition.

——He may not remember other students, but Shi Hao was once a genius of the academy, and he was quite handsome too, an unforgettable sight for anyone who glanced at him once.

"What, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven pounds?"

"Impossible!"

The students exploded into discussion, one after the other in disbelief.

"Even though Shi Hao could still cultivate for three more months after last year's test, he couldn't cultivate for the following nine months, his strength must have regressed."

"Even if it didn't regress, if you're telling me he increased his strength by thirty percent in three months, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death."

"Right, that's impossible!"

"The Strength Testing Device must be broken!"

But the female students bloomed with joy; Shi Hao had passed the test, so at least he would stay in the academy for another year, giving them an extra year to capture the heart of this handsome idol.

Immediately, they clashed with the male students, each erupting with astonishing combativeness.

Bu Bowen was also stunned, not expecting this outcome, and quickly exclaimed, "The Strength Testing Device must be broken, the result is inaccurate!"

"Teacher Liang, could it really be a malfunction of the Strength Testing Device?" one of the supervising teachers asked the recording teacher.

The teachers were all very clear about Shi Hao's situation.

"I will test it myself." The record teacher reset the needle to zero and then punched the force sensor. The needle spun for a while and stopped at the five thousand five hundred pound mark.

"It's not broken," the record teacher stated, his strength had always been around five thousand five hundred pounds.

Not broken!

The Strength Testing Device wasn't broken!

The crowd was in an uproar again, absolutely dumbfounded.