Inside the cafeteria of Songyang High School!

Zhang Yu used a spoon to scoop out a mouthful of pure white synthetic food, swallowing it down. He felt the sandy texture of the processed food scraping against his palate, followed by a fishy stench of fat and protein rising from his throat!

This was unflavored, unprocessed nutrition, tasting like regurgitation and smelling like a combination of insects and rotting flesh!

But no matter how awful it tasted, for Zhang Yu, it was currently the cheapest and most cost-effective source of fat, protein, vitamins, and other nutrients needed for survival and cultivation!

“Alas, poverty!”

Because he was under constant surveillance throughout the city, the loss of opportunities in the dark tutoring industry had drastically reduced Zhang Yu’s income!

Even with his persistent seed selling, plus Bai Zhenzhen’s subsidies from delivering food, after deducting the major expenses of medicine and food, there was very little left over!

Coupled with the monthly interest of 45,000 on his loan, it was even more difficult for Zhang Yu to save money!

“I need to save as much as possible wherever I can!”

For example, when eating in the cafeteria, Zhang Yu chose to savor the original taste of the ingredients to save on flavoring costs for the synthetic food!

As for renting spiritual roots for cultivation, leasing spiritual realms for training, purchasing cultivation techniques, and buying cultivation tools, Zhang Yu had drastically reduced all such expenses!

“Fortunately, after the High School Sacred Body entered the second stage, my digestion and absorption abilities have greatly improved with each meal. I don’t need to eat as much as before to meet my body’s needs!”

By constantly saving money in this way, Zhang Yu finally had 33,000 yuan in his bank account.

But for this deposit of 33,000!

“I don’t dare spend a single yuan more!”

After all, he was about to take the second round of Foundation Establishment exams, and besides the travel expenses, he was really afraid that this broken exam would require even more money!

“If it really comes down to it, I’ll borrow some money from Zhao Tianxing and Qian Shen!”

Just as Zhang Yu was savoring the original flavor of his food, Zhao Tianxing, who was sitting next to him, looked at Zhang Yu with a hesitant expression!

Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, “Yu’zi didn’t score better than Bai Zhenzhen in September or October. His mana and physical strength even seem to have declined. He must not be in a good mood right now, right?”

Declining grades! In Zhao Tianxing’s eyes, this was the most terrifying thing in high school!

And if one’s grades declined while being surpassed by a good friend, it could easily lead to the loss of that friendship!

Things like being jealous of the other person’s grades and secretly adding laxatives to their food, secretly adding milk tea to their energy drinks, or constantly sending them funny short videos!

Zhao Tianxing had seen far too many cases of good friends turning against each other due to changes in grades!

In addition to this, Zhao Tianxing also felt that Bai Zhenzhen’s interactions with Zhang Yu had decreased recently. They hardly communicated in or out of class!

“They don’t even eat dinner together often!”

Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, “Could their relationship really be deteriorating?”

“But is it really okay for me to ask them that? Wouldn’t it stimulate Zhang Yu?”

“Wouldn’t it make Zhang Yu think that I want to mock him for his declining grades?”

Just as Zhao Tianxing was hesitating, Qian Shen, who was sitting next to him, said, “Zhang Yu, how have your grades been declining lately?”

Zhang Yu sighed and said casually, “I’m broke!”

Zhao Tianxing also took the opportunity to ask, “Are you and Bai Zhenzhen okay? I haven’t seen you talking much!”

“We’re fine, what could be wrong?”

Zhang Yu thought to himself that he and Bai Zhenzhen had been focused on their respective cultivation under immense pressure, seizing every minute and second to become stronger. Naturally, they didn’t have much opportunity to communicate at school. They only had a few words to say to each other when they got home!

“And Ah Zhen has to deliver food. She finishes dinner on the road after getting it from the cafeteria every day!”

Just as Zhang Yu was thinking about these things, his phone vibrated slightly, and he received a message from Bai Zhenzhen!

Bai Zhenzhen sent a transfer of 200 yuan!

Bai Zhenzhen: “Son, this is your food money for tomorrow morning. Mom just earned it from delivering food!”

Zhang Yu: “Thanks, Mom!”

Bai Zhenzhen: “But if your income from selling seeds continues to decrease next time, Mom won’t be able to afford to support you either!”

Bai Zhenzhen: “You’re so young, how can your quality be so poor? Can we find a way to improve the quality and earn more money!”

Zhang Yu stopped looking at the messages from Bai Zhenzhen. He just thought to himself that after returning from this second round of Foundation Establishment exams, he really should think of a way to make money!

After eating dinner, Zhang Yu returned to his apartment outside Ziyun High School under the supervision of Teacher Zhou, facing the lights on the street. Watching Zhang Yu enter the apartment, Si Zhouyu, who was not far behind him, stretched lazily!

After the shift change today, it was her turn to monitor Zhang Yu!

And for her, monitoring Zhang Yu was much easier than monitoring Bai Zhenzhen!

After all, Zhang Yu didn’t run around delivering food like Bai Zhenzhen. He spent most of his time at school or in his apartment, living a repetitive life day after day!

This uneventful surveillance made Si Zhouyu feel a bit helpless!

“But after being tossed around for so long, he should make a move soon, right?”

Si Zhouyu believed that she understood Zhang Yu’s current situation better than many teachers and students at Gaoyang High School!

After all, even the surveillance footage of Zhang Yu in the classroom every day, his various expenses at school, and the results of each exam and test!

Si Zhouyu and her team could grasp all of these data and information!

In Si Zhouyu’s view, Zhang Yu’s economic level and grades were constantly declining, and his mental state must be getting worse and worse!

“For a genius who has been improving all along, watching himself fall step by step is the most painful and the easiest to strike at his Dao heart!”

Si Zhouyu had seen too many similar situations at Jinzhou Junior College!

She didn’t know how many students who thought they had some talent, some aptitude, and considered themselves geniuses, only realized after stepping into the Second Layer that there were people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens, and that the students above the First Layer were all monsters!

The so-called geniuses of the First Layer were merely at the threshold of seeing those monsters!

Shaking her head, Si Zhouyu refocused her thoughts on the present: “Especially now… Bai Zhenzhen’s grades are improving, and she can even work part-time during Zhang Yu’s tutoring to earn money!”

“His mind must be becoming more and more unbalanced!”

“Then… hurry up and make a move. Let me see what kind of goods are behind you!”

While thinking about these things, Si Zhouyu was already sitting on the rooftop of a nearby high-rise building, staring at the entrance and exit of the apartment while opening her phone!

“Alas, during this period of surveillance, I’ve almost finished listening to all the good novels!”

“Let’s just find one at random!”

Si Zhouyu knew that the next night would be another difficult one!

Just as Si Zhouyu was guarding outside!

Zhang Yu, who was inside the apartment, had just taken off his clothes and began to practice the 200,000 yuan worth of Dragon Elephant Mountain Shattering Art, one move at a time!

After three months of intermittent deduction using the True Spiritual Root, his expert-level technique finally had a new level 10 effect!

Originally, the level 10 effect of the Dragon Elephant Mountain Shattering Palm was called Dragon Tendons and Elephant Bones, which allowed Zhang Yu’s physical body to constantly improve after repeated training, granting it a more immortal and powerful load-bearing capacity, capable of withstanding and transmitting higher bursts of power!

Now, after the deduction by the True Spiritual Root, the effect of Dragon Tendons and Elephant Bones had been further enhanced and integrated into the circulation of mana, giving Zhang Yu’s meridians a greater load-bearing capacity for the circulation of mana!

With a palm strike, Zhang Yu’s physical strength, which had reached level 9.89, erupted with a roar. The terrifying power seemed to shatter the air, stirring up storms in the room and causing bursts of explosions!

Feeling the surging power within his body, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but smile slightly!

Perhaps to outsiders, his test and exam data showed no progress, or even some decline, but Zhang Yu himself was very clear about how much progress he had made in these days!

And Fuhimei, watching this scene, was secretly amazed: “This guy!!! He can still make such rapid progress under such conditions. What happened to his potential later that allowed it to be raised so high?”

Zhang Yu knew that he could continue to make valiant progress on the path of immortality in such a poor and suppressed state not only because of selling seeds for money, Bai Zhenzhen’s support, the effect of the True Spiritual Root, and the feedback from the Relentless Ox Sacrifice Heart Sutra under pressure, but also because he had pushed all ten high school basic cultivation techniques to level 10. Then, the High School Sacred Body in the Chain Law Diagram was completely completed – High School Sacred Body (6/6): Drug load, absorption, and metabolic capacity increased to the upper limit of the Qi Refining stage – High School Sacred Body (8/8): Food digestion, absorption, and metabolic capacity increased to the upper limit of the Qi Refining stage – High School Sacred Body (10/10): All Qi Refining stage techniques have their cultivation efficiency doubled, and their effects doubled!

Looking at the High School Sacred Body in the Chain Law Diagram, Zhang Yu sighed: “Now, whether I’m eating or taking medicine, I can spend less money and get stronger effects, and I don’t have to worry about various side effects!”

“And this last one allows me to get the effect of three times the cultivation with every time I cultivate!”

“Able to withstand eating, able to withstand medicine, able to withstand pressure. It’s indeed worthy of being the High School Sacred Body!”

Under such blessings, not only had Zhang Yu’s physical strength soared to level 9.89, but his mana had also increased to 97.56 units! Only his Dao heart was slightly behind, but it had also reached level 7 (18.4)!

“If it weren’t for the fact that the closer I get to the limit of Qi Refining data, the harder it is to improve, I’m afraid I would have already raised my physical strength and mana to the limit!”

Just then, Zhang Yu’s phone vibrated slightly, and a message from Su Haifeng arrived!

Su Haifeng: “You’re still asking for leave? What’s wrong with you now? How can you have the nerve to ask for leave?”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “As expected, he won’t approve the leave. If I want to participate in the Foundation Establishment exam, then there’s only…”

Zhang Yu turned to the contact information of Yun Ni, the captain of the patrol team!

According to Zhang Pianpian, if she encountered any difficulties, she could try to ask Yun Ni for help! So, after a moment, Zhang Yu sent a message:

Zhang Yu: “Captain Yun, I want to ask you for a favor. I want to go to the Immortal Capital, but the school won’t approve my leave! Can you send Bai Zhenzhen and me on a business trip in the name of the patrol team?”

Zhang Yu: “Don’t worry, we definitely won’t cause trouble when we get there. We just need to do some things!”

Yun Ni replied faster than Zhang Yu had imagined!

Yun Ni: “I’ve approved it. You don’t need to tell me the reason, and you don’t need to report back to me when you return!”