Gazing at the cultivation arts on the recommendation board, Zhang Yu’s curiosity piqued. “My friend is looking at these? Just which of my esteemed comrades is perusing these martial arts techniques?”

Alas, since registering with his true name, most of Zhang Yu’s acquaintances in the mundane world were merely contacts on shopping websites. Their sheer number prevented him from pinpointing the exact individual.

“Nine Heavens Instant Eight Talisman Compendium?”

Recalling his dismal score of 60 on the Daoist arts exam, Zhang Yu clicked on the item, only to be immediately deterred by the exorbitant price tag of 98,000 spirit stones.

“Talismans are too expensive; I’ll reconsider later.”

Zhang Yu decisively opened the leaderboard to see which cultivation arts were currently trending.

“Eternal Spring Longevity Art (Revised Edition), Qi-Nourishing Disease-Expelling Technique, Excavation Palm Manual (Crane Claw Style, Unabridged Edition), Racing Car Legs (Definitive Guide to Elevator Traversal)…”

Seeing the cultivation arts being sold to Qi Refining cultivators, Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned.

The most popular arts were those focused on prolonging life and strengthening the body. Zhang Yu understood this perfectly – who wouldn’t want to live a few more years? And curing illnesses was even more sensible, as hospitals were far too expensive. Enduring ailments through cultivation was far more cost-effective.

However, the subsequent bestsellers were either power-based martial arts mimicking excavators and cranes, or lightness techniques inspired by racing cars and elevators… all clearly skills for laborers.

Yet, upon further reflection, Zhang Yu understood.

Compared to students like himself, the vast majority of Qi Refining cultivators were laborers, especially those in construction sites, factories, delivery services, and security, high-income groups where one person did the work of dozens.

For them, Excavation Palm, Crane Claw, and Racing Car Legs were tools to earn a living, cultivation arts to secure a place in the Kunxu Realm.

To them, these were the truly useful skills, far more reliable than breakthrough cultivation or enhancing one’s cultivation base.

Realizing this, Zhang Yu adjusted his search parameters, changing the age range to 15-18.

The results shifted instantly to Strategies for Maximizing Mana Scores, Universal Dictionary of Basic Eight Talismans, Simplified Thirty-Six Body Strengthening Exercises…

After a quick scan, Zhang Yu felt that these best-selling techniques were too basic and simplistic.

“Seems like ordinary high school students are buying these.”

So, Zhang Yu added another filter – cultivation art level.

According to what he’d learned in school, cultivation arts were divided into five levels: Basic, Advanced, Expert, Military-Grade, and Immortal-Grade.

Immortal-Grade arts were rumored to have even finer distinctions, but Zhang Yu didn’t know the specifics.

After all, ordinary people couldn’t cultivate Military-Grade or Immortal-Grade arts. The former required joining military or political organizations, while the latter required joining a major sect.

Zhang Yu estimated that his own Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Art was at the Advanced level.

And the Celestial Martial Heart Refining Art should be at the Expert level.

“Unbreakable Mountain Sutra, Mind Origin Great Handprint, Heavenly Constellation Swordplay, Luminous Heart Sutra…”

Zhang Yu’s eyes scanned the Expert-level arts, and after a moment of envious longing, he shook his head helplessly. “Expert-level arts have higher training thresholds and stricter requirements… even the cheapest usage rights cost tens of thousands of spirit stones. I can’t afford it.”

“Unless the school contract really offers me a high price.”

Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across the Advanced-level arts, thinking to himself, “I might consider buying a few Advanced-level techniques after the contract is finalized.”

“Especially a mind cultivation art suited for me, so I can reach Dao Heart Level 3 faster and start practicing the Celestial Martial Heart Refining Art.”

After browsing the shopping platform for a while and adding a few promising techniques to his cart, Zhang Yu planned to log off.

Just then, he noticed a change in the recommendation section.

Your Competitor is Currently Ordering: Strategies for Maximizing Mana Scores, Universal Dictionary of Basic Eight Talismans, Demonic Parasite Art…

Damn it!

“So this is how you misuse big data, creating cultivation competitions between users to stimulate consumer desires?”

“Wait… what’s this Demonic Parasite Art?”

Your Competitor is Currently Ordering: Demonic Parasite Art… who could resist clicking on that? Even a dog passing by would have to take a peek.

Zhang Yu clicked, discovering that the Demonic Parasite Art was an Expert-level technique combining flesh regeneration, organ transplantation, flesh devouring, qi and blood adaptation, and human body parasitism.

In short, it was a martial art that could plunder another’s body.

As a genuine web novel reader of twenty years in his previous life, Zhang Yu had one thought upon seeing the name and description.

Could anyone who bought this art be a good person?

“My competitor? Which fiend is cultivating the Demonic Parasite Art?”

“Does this ‘competitor’ really exist? Is this website making things up?”

Zhang Yu was skeptical, but considering the wondrous powers and practices of the Kunxu Realm, he thought it wasn’t impossible.

Zhang Yu checked the price. The usage rights for the Demonic Parasite Art were a hefty 300,000 spirit stones. He could only think of a few people he knew who were qualified to cultivate this art, especially with the “competitor” restriction…

“Qian Shen?”

“Or He Dayou?”

Zhang Yu immediately suspected He Dayou. After all, Teacher Lei Jun had replayed his fight with He Dayou countless times, and he remembered the unfriendly look He Dayou gave him.

“I need to be careful around these rich people.”

“To think they’re cultivating something like the Demonic Parasite Art; they’re wolves in sheep’s clothing!”

But soon, he saw in the recommendation section below the purchase page… Viewers of This Art Also Viewed: Anti-Parasite Art, Purification Divine Technique, Heaven Severing Demon Art…

Seeing these highly targeted names, Zhang Yu immediately doubted his previous judgment.

“Is this platform just trying to trick me into placing an order?”

Based on Zhang Yu’s understanding of the Kunxu Realm, the companies here were definitely capable of such things.

He could only keep it in mind for now, but before leaving the platform, he thought about it and added Anti-Parasite Art, Purification Divine Technique, and Heaven Severing Demon Art to his favorites.

A moment later, he opened the platform again and added the Demonic Parasite Art to his favorites as well.

“Heh, I hope the guy who placed the order can see that your competitor is also looking at Demonic Parasite Art, Anti-Parasite Art, Purification Divine Technique, Heaven Severing Demon Art…”

Another night passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Art made further progress, reaching Level 8 (95/160).

And his mana, through a day of diligent cultivation, had risen to 12.1.

……

The next day.

Songyang High School campus.

Zhang Yu received a friend request from someone with a barbell avatar.

“Hello, Zhang Yu, I’m Lan Ling from the Senior Second Demonstration Class, and the Sports Department Head of the Student Union. I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Please add me as a friend.”

After Zhang Yu accepted, the other person quickly sent a new message.

“Hello, Zhang Yu. In order to promote the development of Immortal Dao in society and help our school’s students climb to new heights on the Immortal Path and achieve greater success, based on the principles of mutual voluntariness, cooperation, and win-win outcomes, we are honored to invite you to negotiate on signing a contract, with the aim of achieving deeper value-added cooperation…”

They asked him to meet at the Student Union office at 12 noon today to discuss the contract.

“Finally, they’re here?”

So, that noon, Zhang Yu washed his face, combed his hair, and tidied his clothes before heading to the Student Union office.

He had just knocked on the door when he saw that another door appeared after the door opened.

Oh… it wasn’t that another door appeared after the door opened, but that someone who looked very much like a door appeared.

A student with a door-panel-sized body opened the door for Zhang Yu, smiling as he stepped back. “You must be Zhang Yu?”

Zhang Yu glanced at the dumbbell in the door-panel man’s hand and greeted him. “Lan Ling?”

As the two greeted each other, a burst of laughter came from behind the door-panel man, followed by the sound of running footsteps.

“Is Zhang Yu here?”

A young man who hadn’t even had time to put on his shoes jumped off the sofa and ran towards Zhang Yu, grabbing his hands excitedly. “Hahaha, I heard yesterday that Songyang High School had produced another peerless genius, and today I’ve finally waited for you!”

With that, he grabbed Zhang Yu and pulled him inside.

Lan Ling followed up and introduced him. “Zhang Yu, this is our Student Union’s Vice President, Zhou Chechen.”

Zhang Yu remembered that this person was the top student in the Senior Second Grade.

Like him, his name was frequently seen around the school after the monthly exams.

Zhou Chechen pulled Zhang Yu to the sofa, and the two sat down together.

Feeling the other party’s tight grip on his hand and the admiration, excitement, and agitation in their eyes, Zhang Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

Crap, is he a fencer?

Zhou Chechen reached out and grabbed a stack of documents that flew over from the desk and landed in his hand.

“After seeing your grades, I immediately checked your information.”

“That’s when I found out that debt collection calls had been made to the school regarding you.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart sank, thinking, “Are they going to use my debt to lower the price?”

But Zhou Chechen waved the documents in his hand and laughed. “I immediately had someone buy up your debts after hearing about it.”

“More than a dozen platforms, a total of 700,000 spirit stones worth of debt, are all here.”

“How can our school’s prodigy be burdened by debt? If word gets out, other high schools will think Songyang High School is too poor to invest in its own students.”

With that, he spat out mana in his hand, turning the debt documents to ashes.

As Zhang Yu watched in shock, Zhou Chechen continued, “You don’t have to repay the debt every month from now on.”

“This 700,000 spirit stone debt will be put on my tab, without interest, and you don’t have to rush to pay it back.”

“You can study and cultivate in peace at Songyang High School. After you graduate from university and enter a major sect, you can slowly pay me back when you earn money.”

Zhang Yu looked at the other party in surprise, not expecting the Vice President of the Student Union to temporarily resolve his most pressing loan problem with a single move.

Then, Zhou Chechen picked up another document and said, “This is the Class A contract that I and the President discussed and decided on for you.”

“A cultivation allowance of 50,000 spirit stones per month, spiritual roots, quiet rooms, spirit realms, talismans, cafeteria, potions… all at a 20% discount… and a single room in the school dormitory for you…”

Listening to the advantageous conditions being offered, Zhang Yu’s heart couldn’t help but beat faster. He felt an urge to sign the document immediately.