Zhang Yu was halfway through his deduction when his face suddenly flushed. “Zhenzhen,” he said, “if you’re going to run, just run properly. Can you please stop shaking so much?”

Bai Zhenzhen replied impatiently, “Nag! How else am I supposed to run fast? I don’t have shock absorbers.”

Zhang Yu then said, “Can you turn off the electricity? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

Bai Zhenzhen retorted dismissively, “What kind of ‘Lightning Step’ is it if it doesn’t have electricity? Your physical strength is so high, a few shocks won’t hurt you.”

After a moment, Zhang Yu fell silent, leading Bai Zhenzhen to believe he had no more objections. But the next instant, a look of disgust flashed across her face. “You brat… you really need to be neutered.”

Bai Zhenzhen felt like the current situation was akin to driving a brand new car, giving a good friend a ride, only for that friend to declare he couldn’t hold it in and was about to defecate in the car. “I’m warning you, if you try anything funny on my back, I’m going to perform surgery on you today!”

“Do you think I want this?” Zhang Yu said uncomfortably. “I told you not to shake or electrify so much, isn’t this all your fault?”

Watching Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, Fu Ji mused inwardly: “It’s fortunate that Bai Zhenzhen met Zhang Yu, allowing her spirit root to rapidly evolve under the nourishment of Zhang Yu’s level 10 cultivation methods. But conversely, it’s equally fortunate that Zhang Yu met Bai Zhenzhen, gaining the assistance and deduction capabilities of this true spirit root. Zhang Yu accelerated Bai Zhenzhen’s growth, and Bai Zhenzhen, in turn, nourished Zhang Yu, making him stronger. And then they both met me, which is an even greater stroke of luck. Fate can be truly amazing sometimes. I have a feeling. This might be the most important investment of my life. This time… I might really strike it rich.”

In the blink of an eye, it was already the second day, after school. This was also the day Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Yu Xinghan had agreed to go to the Spirit World together for Dao Heart tutoring.

In the cafeteria of Songyang High School, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Qian Shen, and Zhao Tianxing were eating together. Students around them occasionally cast respectful glances their way.

“Did you hear? The monthly exam results are out, and some teachers are saying that parts of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s scores have reached the level of third-year high school students.”

“They’re truly monsters! No wonder they could make the student council president kneel.”

“Kneel? He was forced to eat his own vomit right there! Look, I even have the GIF.”

“Isn’t that GIF playing in reverse?”

“Well, I also have this picture; look, the words ‘Junior College Student’ were carved onto the student council executive’s chest…”

“I used to think Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were kind, but I never imagined they could be so ruthless.”

“All these high-scorers are the same…”

“What’s that? If I were them, I’d be even more ruthless. Otherwise, what’s the point of scoring so high? Top students should thoroughly humiliate the underachievers! Blame the student council members for not being good enough themselves…”

As these rumors spread, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen became perceived as campus bullies in the eyes of many students, standing at the top of Songyang High School’s pecking order, veritable “Songyang Emperors.” Qian Shen, who ranked third, and Zhao Tianxing, who ranked eighth, were also seen by other students as formidable academic elites, like generals under the “Songyang Emperors,” often guarding Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s sides. Their dining table was essentially a banquet for the first-year giants, emanating an almost palpable pressure that made other students feel inferior and hesitant to approach.

Just then, another group of people entered the cafeteria, led by He Dayou, who was ranked fourth in the first year. Although He Dayou had also become a “purple person” at this point, the muscle adaptation to super-metabolism varied across his body due to his previous special training and transplant surgery. As a result, some areas were deep purple, while others were light purple, giving him a segmented appearance. According to Zhang Yu, He Dayou now looked like a purple mantis shrimp. However, his strength had undeniably improved. The school board director’s son maintained his fourth-place rank in the grade and had become the new student council vice president.

Upon seeing Zhang Yu’s table, He Dayou paused slightly. As the son of the school board director, his first major concern after becoming student council vice president was how to handle Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.

“Their withdrawal from the competition means these two have truly given up on getting into the Top Ten universities,” he thought. “In that case, they no longer pose a competitive threat to me. As for conflicts of interest or old grudges… those are with Zhou Chechen and Lan Ling, not with me. I don’t need to compete with these two paupers; we’re no longer on the same track. If I get into the Top Ten, they’ll be like ants looking up at the vast sky when they see me.”

He Dayou gave a command to a nearby student, and a moment later, four plates of nutritional demon beast meat were delivered to Zhang Yu’s table. After a brief nod to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, He Dayou turned and headed to the second floor of the cafeteria. But in his mind, he began to worry about his next problem. “Can I still get into the Top Ten universities? The gap between Songyang High School and the three major high schools is widening. Do I, from this graduating class, still have a chance to secure a spot in the Top Ten?”

After eating their fill, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen returned to their apartment, put on their Spirit World masks, and prepared for the tutoring session they had arranged with Yu Xinghan. They had borrowed these Spirit World masks from Yu Xinghan. Donning the masks and entering the web address, the next moment, their vision blurred, and they found themselves in another world: The Spirit World.

Appearing before Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen was a building that seemed infinitely tall. Standing in front of it, they saw countless people constantly entering and exiting the building’s entrance. These individuals appeared as mere phantoms; even when overlapping or passing through each other, there was no apparent effect.

“So this is the public area of the Spirit World,” Bai Zhenzhen remarked. “It’s my first time here.”

Zhang Yu nodded, thinking to himself that it was increasingly resembling a virtual world. Although they had previously participated in illusions constructed by the Spirit World, those were mostly singular exam environments, like a game that ended once completed. The place Yu Xinghan had invited them to was the public area of the Spirit World, akin to a website on the internet, constantly existing and receiving countless visitors. However, not everyone was qualified to enter such a place; they had paid Yu Xinghan for temporary access to be able to come here.

Just then, Yu Xinghan’s figure flickered and appeared beside them. “You’re here? Let’s go in together.”

“This is the ‘Inquiry Hall’ of the Celestial Charm Group, a tutoring institution established within the Spirit World,” Yu Xinghan explained. “However, the Spirit World charges high fees, and access requirements aren’t low, so it has always operated on an appointment and referral basis. Even so, since it caters to wealthy clients from across the entire first layer of Kunxu, the flow of people is consistently high.”

Listening to Yu Xinghan’s explanation, Bai Zhenzhen was surprised. “The entire first layer of Kunxu?”

Yu Xinghan nodded. “Yes, anyone from the entire first layer of Kunxu can come here for tutoring through the Spirit World.”

As they spoke, the two had already stepped inside. Upon passing through the large door, light and shadows flickered before their eyes, as if they had been teleported to a specific floor of the building.

Yu Xinghan continued, “This place primarily offers tutoring for Dao Heart and martial arts. After all, the Dao Heart can be tempered in the Spirit World, and practicing martial arts in different Spirit World scenarios yields various experience gains. However, magical power and physical strength ultimately need to be accumulated little by little in the material world. There are many methods for Dao Heart tutoring. For example, experiencing the lives of powerful individuals, following the paths they’ve walked, allows one to constantly approach the Dao Hearts possessed by those strong cultivators. Extreme suffering of various kinds can also stimulate the growth of the Dao Heart. But these methods either have huge side effects or are slow to take effect. The best method is to create various suitable scenarios for cultivation based on the different cultivation techniques practitioners are cultivating…”

While speaking, Yu Xinghan skillfully led them into a classroom. “I’ve rented a Dao Heart tempering space here, and we can all use it together this time. By the way, what cultivation methods are you two going to temper? We need to set it up in advance…”

Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen followed Yu Xinghan into the building, outside the Inquiry Hall, a blurry figure was continuously monitoring everyone entering and exiting. Suddenly, Mo Tianyi’s voice came through his earpiece: “Boss, Zhang Yu and the others are in.”

The figure asked, “Can you see what they’re doing?”

Mo Tianyi replied, “I haven’t been working here long, give me some time…”

A moment later, Mo Tianyi said, “I’ve found them. They’re sharing a classroom with Yu Xinghan, tempering their Dao Hearts together.”

The figure asked curiously, “Can a Dao Heart tempering classroom be used by three people at once?”

Mo Tianyi explained, “Theoretically, yes. A Dao Heart tempering classroom is essentially a scenario that meets the requirements of a cultivation method, allowing practitioners to intensely exercise their techniques and boost their Dao Heart. If three people use it together, it should generate a scenario that simultaneously adapts to all three of their cultivation methods.”

The figure said flatly, “Show me their situation.”

Mo Tianyi: “One moment.”

A moment later, an image appeared before the figure’s eyes. Under a sky heavy with dark clouds, a factory was operating at full capacity. Striking workers were protesting outside the factory gates, with security guards forming a human wall to block them. Suddenly, a security guard, wielding a long staff, charged into the crowd and engaged in a fierce battle with the Qi Condensation peak workers.

“Yu Xinghan?” The figure questioned, seeing Yu Xinghan in the form of a security guard. “What cultivation method is he practicing this time?”

Mo Tianyi replied, “The ‘Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art.’ So, he’s been placed in an extremely intense battlefield, acting as part of the company’s security team, representing a company unwilling to lose a single cent, engaged in a fierce struggle against bankrupt workers.”

The figure nodded slightly. “Indeed, an extremely intense battlefield, one concerning life and death.”