What’s the point of cultivating immortality if you don’t have money?

Evening.

Beside the river.

Zhang Yu's muscles rippled as he circulated the Scarlet Marrow Primordial Qi, aided by his True Spiritual Root.

Since joining the sports competition team and securing a spot in the physical competition, Zhang Yu hadn't visited the team's training gymnasium. Instead, he continued to cultivate silently as he always had.

After all, the 30,000 yuan Primordial Pill had consumed most of his income, and he couldn't afford the Nine Dragon Needle Technique and related potions offered by the competition team.

Bai Zhenzhen, on the other hand, didn't need to spend money on such expensive items like the Primordial Pill. So, she learned the Nine Dragon Needle Technique and bought the related medicines from the competition team to experiment with.

Bai Zhenzhen's evaluation of the competition team's training method was: "After the needles, I'm never full, can't sleep, can't stop, and the body refinement effect is explosive! Yu, using drugs is really more effective than natural body refinement. You should come and try it."

Of course, Zhang Yu knew that Ah Zhen could handle the needles so well not only because of her good drug resistance, but also because of the assistance of her True Spiritual Root. In addition, the True Spiritual Root would also amplify some of Zhang Yu's Scarlet Marrow Primordial Qi cultivation, strengthening his internal organs...

Just then, Zhang Yu's phone vibrated. He opened it and found a message from Zhao Tianxing.

"Hmm?"

It was about the news that was spreading like wildfire in the various Songyang High School groups, regarding the complete defeat of Songyang High School's second-year students in the sports competition, the Oasis Group sharing some immortal cultivation technology, the three major high schools achieving comprehensive breakthroughs in body refinement technology, and the physical strength of the top students in each grade skyrocketing...

Zhao Tianxing knew that Zhang Yu usually seized every minute to cultivate and couldn't be bothered to look at the groups. Even though he had joined some Songyang High School student groups, he had muted all the notifications. That's why he sent the message to Zhang Yu, wanting to remind his good friend.

After reading it, Zhang Yu was quite surprised: "The second-year students from Blue Ridge actually lost?"

"New technology? I wonder how much Song Hailong and the others have grown... Maybe I can ask my sister."

Zhang Yu knew that Blue Ridge's level was definitely not weak, and the fact that they couldn't even make it into the top ten of the physical competition clearly meant that the students' physical bodies had improved greatly after the three famous schools obtained breakthroughs in body refinement technology.

Feeling a sense of pressure, Zhang Yu could only calm down and focus his attention on cultivating the Scarlet Marrow Primordial Qi.

A moment later, Bai Zhenzhen, wearing a golden wig, tattoos, pads, and a mask, ran over.

She lightly jumped onto Zhang Yu's back, skillfully leaping onto him and hugging him from behind: "It's time, Yu, time to go to class."

At the same time, the True Spiritual Root flickered slightly and burrowed back into Bai Zhenzhen's stomach, giving her a feeling of comfort.

As the True Spiritual Root switched back and forth between their bodies during this period, Bai Zhenzhen didn't know if she had adapted to the shape of the True Spiritual Root that had been stretched out by Zhang Yu, or if the True Spiritual Root had adapted to their two shapes. Now, switching between them was almost without the discomfort she had felt before, only a refreshing sensation of spiritual energy灌注 into her body.

Zhang Yu activated his Running Car Legs and sped towards the campus. As his physical strength improved by leaps and bounds, the speed of his Running Car Legs also became faster and faster.

Feeling Bai Zhenzhen's head resting on his back, Zhang Yu said, "Ah Zhen, you're not slow now either. Are you not considering learning a set of Running Car Legs to get around? This technique is really useful."

Bai Zhenzhen: "No."

Leaning on Zhang Yu's back, Bai Zhenzhen closed her eyes and comfortably used her breathing technique to seize the time to refine her magic power.

Seeing that Ah Zhen didn't seem to understand what he meant, Zhang Yu decided to be more explicit: "Sigh, running so far every day, I feel like my shoes are going to wear out."

Bai Zhenzhen kept her eyes tightly closed, as if she hadn't heard anything, and continued to breathe in spiritual energy.

She thought to herself: "Yu is hinting at me? This guy wants to rebel and have me learn Running Car Legs to carry him, so he can take the opportunity to cultivate? Silly boy, who would want to get off once they're on."

Feeling Bai Zhenzhen hugging him even tighter, determined not to come down, Zhang Yu cursed inwardly.

"This Ah Zhen, I was originally hoping that she could carry me for a while after she got stronger, so good brothers could ride each other, and I could have more time to cultivate. But now she doesn't even want to be a running buddy, purely using me as a driver, taking advantage of my travel time to cultivate."

So, Zhang Yu thought for a moment and said, "I always feel like it's not good to run alone. If two people can run, it's like a dual engine. If one gets sick or injured, the other can still run. Ah Zhen, don't you think so?"

But Bai Zhenzhen seemed not to hear him, only clamping her powerful legs around Zhang Yu even tighter, with only the deafening sound of her breathing technique audible.

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "This damn... is pretending not to hear me again, right?"

Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself: "Good son, you want me to come down? Then you have no idea how thick-skinned your mother is!"

"I can ride you for a year without getting off!"

In the following days, as the date of the sports competition drew closer, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen gradually felt a sense of urgency in their constant hard work.

Afraid of not getting good results in the competition, they always tried to seize every opportunity to become stronger.

And time passed day by day in the two's hard work...

...

This day, in the training room of Ziyun High School.

Bai Zhenzhen walked in somewhat strangely, looking at Le Mulan, who was breathing slightly rapidly in front of her, and asked curiously, "You want me to train with you?"

Le Mulan nodded: "I want to train in close combat."

"But I'll say it in advance, you're not allowed to use tricks like spitting blood or saliva."

In fact, Le Mulan originally wanted to hire Zhang Yu as her training partner.

But she felt that the upgrade from clothes to a real person was too big of a leap all at once, and if she was sat on by him again... she was afraid that it would leave a deeper shadow in her heart.

"It just so happens that this Bai Zhenzhen is also a poor person, and she's with Zhang Yu every day. Her lower limit is also very low, so I'll use her to try things out first."

After fighting for a while, Le Mulan thought to herself, as expected: "The other person's scent on Zhang Yu's clothes is Bai Zhenzhen's."

"Bai Zhenzhen also has Zhang Yu's scent on her."

"These two people really... are doing practical training together every day, right? That's why they have each other's scents on them."

"Then I'm also indirectly doing practical training with Zhang Yu now."

Thinking of this, Le Mulan felt her breathing quicken a little, and her spirit became slightly tense.

"Sure enough, I still have to practice."

An hour later, after the training ended, Bai Zhenzhen looked at the 5,000 yuan that had been credited to her account and felt a burst of complexity in her heart: "These guys from the three major high schools... really have money to burn."

...

This day, within the Dark Learning Gang's campus.

As soon as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen entered the underground classroom, they found that many people, including the passing security guards, teachers, and sales staff... were injured.

After asking, they learned that the Dark Learning Gang and the Golden Lesson Gang had had a firefight yesterday over the competition for students.

Zhang Yu asked again: "Where's Cai Tou? Why haven't I seen him?"

Che Nu sighed, a trace of sadness in her eyes: "Oh, Cai Tou is gone."

Zhang Yu said in surprise: "He... had an accident during the firefight?"

Che Nu smiled upon hearing this and said, "How could that be? Cai Tou is very strong. He wouldn't die in a small firefight like yesterday. He was... fired."

Zhang Yu said: "Fired? Why fire him if he's so strong?"

Che Nu shook her head helplessly: "What's the use of being able to fight? Can a Qi Refinement cultivator block a flying sword no matter how good they are at fighting? It's better to be able to teach more classes and earn more money."

"But Cai Tou is old, and he's been taking Dao Heart Buffer for so many years. His memory has been getting worse and worse in the past few months. Fewer and fewer students are signing up for his classes. His performance didn't meet the standards, so he could only leave."

Saying that, Che Nu smiled bitterly and said: "In the end, whether in the company or in the gang, if you don't get into university and have a Foundation Establishment Certificate, who won't end up like this in the end? Sooner or later, it's just a matter of time."

Watching Che Nu's departing, disappointed back, Bai Zhenzhen slowly moved closer to Zhang Yu from behind and sent the spiritual root over.

She said with a determined expression: "Yu, we must get into the top ten and complete Foundation Establishment."

Zhang Yu nodded with equal determination: "Yeah, I'm going to cultivate first. You study hard."

...

In the cafeteria during lunchtime.

Zhao Tianxing looked enviously at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who were gulping down synthetic food into their stomachs.

Zhao Tianxing thought to himself: "I didn't expect Ah Zhen and Yu to actually enter the competition team."

"But the three major high schools have become too strong after receiving the Oasis Group's technology sharing."

Zhao Tianxing thought of some recent rumors and looked at Zhang Yu and asked: "Li Yong and Ye Haitao from the competition team are making a scene about getting a refund. Do you guys know about this?"

"Ah?" Zhang Yu shook his head: "I don't know. I haven't been to the competition team's training for the past two weeks."

Bai Zhenzhen said from the side: "Yeah, I heard them arguing when I went. It seems like they wanted a refund."

Zhao Tianxing sighed: "Sigh, an arrangement by a behemoth like the Oasis Group is unknowingly affecting the future of so many families."

Qian Shen also nodded and said solemnly: "The three major high schools will monopolize all the competitions from now on."

"But that's not the scariest thing. They've already monopolized all the competitions except for the physical competition in the past."

"The scariest thing is that after their body refinement technology is enhanced, the sports scores of the top students will inevitably rise, and the average score will also increase again."

"I calculated it yesterday. If things continue like this, with the double gap in competitions and scores, only 1 or 2 people from Songyang High School in each graduating class will be able to get into the top ten universities in the future."

The doll, who was disguised as a prayer bead and hanging around Zhang Yu's neck, said with a chuckle in Zhang Yu's mind: "The wealthy families in Songyang City have started fighting among themselves."

"Hehe, it's the wealthy families behind the three major high schools who want to completely monopolize the places to get into the top ten universities and squeeze out all the other high schools."

Zhang Yu was shocked: "The rich are fighting among themselves?"

Seeming to sense Zhang Yu's surprise, the doll chuckled and continued: "Wealth will continue to accumulate. The three major high schools get the most top ten university admissions from Songyang City every year. The strength of the families behind them is getting stronger and stronger, and the rate of wealth growth is naturally far greater than that of other high schools."

"Otherwise, why do you think they have been slowly monopolizing the competitions year after year?"

"The situation in Songyang City is still considered good."

"I know that there are some cities in the first layer of Kunxu that have tens of millions of people in the whole city, but there's only one key high school."

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "So, we just happened to encounter the era when the three major high schools are further monopolizing the places in the top ten?"

Zhang Yu sighed. The longer he stayed in this Kunxu, the more tired he felt. The whole world seemed to have an invisible pressure, constantly urging him, pushing him, and making him run forward quickly.

As day after day passed, the day of the sports competition finally arrived.