Songyang High School.

The cafeteria was abuzz with lunchtime chatter.

Zhao Tianxing stood, tray in hand, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

On the surface, the school seemed unchanged, the same as always. But the clash at the practice field yesterday had already rippled through the student body.

Almost everyone knew that Zhang Yu of Class 1, Grade 1, had thrown his lot in with White Dragon High, leading to a confrontation with Zhou Chechen, the student council vice-president, and a host of older students from Grade 2.

Based on Zhao Tianxing’s observations and summaries from various student groups, the general consensus was simple.

The fiercely loyal Songyang students branded him a traitor: “A school turncoat! A class betrayer! For personal gain, he sided with White Dragon. He should be expelled!”

The envious students suspected: “First Li Xuelian, then Zhang Pianpian. Why does Zhang Yu keep attracting sugar mommies? I strongly suspect his surgery wasn’t thorough enough. The school should investigate!”

Anger, jealousy… and a hint of hidden envy, ultimately morphed into blatant malice.

Most of the cautious students were afraid to approach Zhang Yu, fearing entanglement with the student council and the Songyang loyalists.

Zhao Tianxing was no different. He, too, feared being targeted if he got too close to Zhang Yu.

After all, bullying wasn’t unheard of at Songyang High.

Zhao Tianxing had heard of the “Double Shadows” from the previous year. One of them had topped the monthly exams in Grade 1, a veritable force to be reckoned with.

But after entering Grade 2, his grades couldn’t keep up with the wealthier students, and he gradually became a target of torment.

They forbade him from doing his homework, taking medicine, exercising, or staying up all night.

They even forced him to eat fried chicken, fries, beer, and sweets every day, watching as his stomach expanded, his muscles atrophied.

They forced him to watch videos, read novels, and play games, watching his grades plummet, his heart of cultivation suffering greatly.

Only when he finally begged for mercy was he released by Zhou Chechen.

Just thinking about the ordeal made Zhao Tianxing feel suffocated.

So when Zhang Yu invited him to lunch today, he stammered that he had some business to attend to later.

With this conflict raging within him, Zhao Tianxing got his food. Seeing Zhang Yu’s gaze once more, he instinctively looked away.

That single averted glance plunged Zhao Tianxing into gloom.

“Sigh, looks like I’ve lost a friend.”

He wandered around the cafeteria with his tray, unable to resist glancing at Zhang Yu’s table.

Seeing Bai Zhenzhen and Qian Shen both sit down beside Zhang Yu, a pang of envy shot through Zhao Tianxing.

“Why are Bai Zhenzhen and Qian Shen so brave? Aren’t they afraid?”

“If only I could do what I wanted without worrying so much.”

Though he always overthought things, Zhao Tianxing had always disliked this trait. He wished he could stop thinking so much, stop caring about what others thought. But he couldn’t.

Right now, Zhao Tianxing instinctively clutched his tray, wanting to walk to Zhang Yu’s table, yet feeling the weight of the gazes of the other students, as if he would be ostracized if he dared sit beside Zhang Yu.

Of course, he was exaggerating. There were so many people eating in the cafeteria; hardly anyone was paying attention to him.

Zhao Tianxing watched Zhang Yu chatting happily with Qian Shen and Bai Zhenzhen, a hint of longing in his eyes.

After returning home yesterday, he couldn’t stop replaying Zhang Yu’s unwavering stance against Zhou Chechen.

He admired Zhang Yu’s ability to remain unfazed by any pressure, and desperately wanted to possess that same calm demeanor.

Just as Zhao Tianxing was hesitating, Zhang Yu suddenly waved at him.

“Old Zhao! Over here!”

Zhao Tianxing blinked, startled. “Does Zhang Yu think I couldn’t find him?”

He gritted his teeth and strode toward Zhang Yu, quickly taking a seat beside him.

He felt like everyone in the cafeteria was watching him, and he just wanted to sit down quickly and tell Zhang Yu to stop calling him.

This time, he wasn’t wrong. There were indeed many eyes on Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Qian Shen, and him.

But Zhao Tianxing felt a surge of swagger, perhaps like Zhang Yu yesterday.

He was mistaken. In the eyes of most students, Zhao Tianxing was just a clown, now labeled as untouchable.

Just as Zhao Tianxing sat down, Zhang Yu received a reply from Zhang Pianpian.

Zhang Yu had messaged Zhang Pianpian: “Sis, I have a classmate who loves studying and wants to add you as a friend.”

Zhang Pianpian: “What’s his score?”

Zhang Yu: “Around 620 at its highest.”

Zhang Pianpian: “Too low. No.”

Zhang Yu: “Huh?”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “My sister is a hardcore score snob.”

He suddenly recalled his past phone calls with Zhang Pianpian. Back then, when Zhang Yu’s score was less than 600, he was probably just a useless piece of trash in her eyes… No wonder she was so blunt.

But thinking about the environment at White Dragon High, Zhang Yu felt that… well, it was reasonable for the top student at White Dragon High to act that way.

He glanced at Qian Shen, who was looking at him with anticipation, and said awkwardly, “I… she said your score of 620-plus is too low. She won’t add you.”

Qian Shen was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed red as he reminded Zhang Yu not to forget the 6 in the ones place.

“My highest score was 626!”

But after saying that, Qian Shen lowered his head, his eyes dim.

Zhang Yu felt that Qian Shen was deep in thought, and finally saw him nod. “My score is indeed too low.”

Then Qian Shen looked up again, his face filled with longing. “As expected of someone who scored 699. Even her choice of friends is so stylish.”

“Please tell her that I will definitely study hard, improve my score, and add her as a friend.”

“Also, although I’m at Songyang High, I’ve always admired White Dragon High. I even tried to get in, but I just missed the cut…”

Zhang Yu understood. Qian Shen was a full-on spiritual White Dragon student. Was the air at White Dragon High sweeter or something?

He relayed the message to Zhang Pianpian with a disgusted expression.

Zhang Pianpian: “In the future, don’t forward me any words from these 620-plus people. Their grades are too low, they can’t keep up with us.”

Looking at Qian Shen, who was now full of vigor, Zhang Yu couldn’t bear to tell him the truth.

…

In the afternoon class, the language arts teacher was lecturing on the podium.

Bai Zhenzhen was diligently practicing her mana control below.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw a message from Mo Tianyi.

Mo Tianyi: “Bai Zhenzhen, did you and Zhang Yu throw your lot in with Zhang Pianpian of White Dragon High?”

A-Zhen was stunned. She instantly understood, but didn’t know how to respond.

Zhang Pianpian, the top student of Grade 3 at White Dragon High, was definitely a representative of the rich in the eyes of Mo Tianyi and his poor classmates.

And Zhang Pianpian sheltering Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu, in their view… must mean she forcibly signed them from Songyang High.

What else could it be? Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t tell Mo Tianyi that Zhang Pianpian admired Zhang Yu and her talent and wanted to take care of them and support them in getting into the Top Ten.

As for the sibling relationship between Zhang Yu and Zhang Pianpian, she had promised to keep it a secret. She wasn’t like Zhou Tianyi, who liked to spread gossip everywhere, so she couldn’t say anything.

But suddenly, she understood. Why explain?

Explain too much to them? Tell them she didn’t sign a contract? Expose her and Zhang Yu’s plan to rely on Zhang Pianpian’s protection to get into the Top Ten?

What if Mo Tianyi and their boss also hoped that Zhang Pianpian would protect them…? What should she do then?

Or if Mo Tianyi and his group spread the word, and the rich people found out, wouldn’t that create trouble?

Right now, everyone thought that they had been taken in by the rich Zhang Pianpian, that they wouldn’t be taking the Top Ten exams. This was a good thing.

When they really got into the Top Ten in the future, they could repay Mo Tianyi and the others for their investment of those tens of thousands of dollars. And if they had the chance, helping them get to the second level of Kunxu wasn’t impossible.

“In the end, whether it’s for me and Yu, or for Mo Tianyi, getting into the Top Ten is the most important thing.”

“So the choice that increases the chances of getting into the Top Ten is the best solution.”

Thinking of this, Bai Zhenzhen immediately replied: “Yes, sorry, I really couldn’t hold on. We’re not planning on taking the Top Ten exams anymore. We’ve already signed with Zhang Pianpian.”

A moment later, Mo Tianyi replied: “Sigh, I don’t blame you. I heard about the pressure Songyang High was putting on you. It’s normal that you couldn’t hold on. But about our affairs, I hope you and Zhang Yu can keep it a secret and not reveal it to anyone.”

Bai Zhenzhen: “Don’t worry. Although we gave up, we hope you can succeed. You are the last hope for us poor people. Good luck!”

…

In the Spirit Realm.

Mo Tianyi looked at Bai Zhenzhen’s sincere reply and breathed a sigh of relief, but a hint of regret flashed across his eyes.

Whether it was Zhang Yu’s achievement of winning fourth place in the Magic Competition, or Bai Zhenzhen’s demonstrated willpower, he had thought that the two of them had a slight chance of getting into the Top Ten.

But now it seems…

“In the end, they still couldn’t withstand the pressure.”

Then he felt a bit of heartache that the money he had given Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had gone down the drain.

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have given them the money. It would have been better to save it for the boss.”

He sighed in his heart: “In the end, the one who can get into the Top Ten and help us break through the ceiling above our heads will still have to rely on the boss…”

Just then, a line of text flashed before Mo Tianyi’s eyes: “Work has been stagnant for more than 1 minute. Please return to your workstation immediately and continue working.”

Mo Tianyi quickly retracted his thoughts, reopened the Spirit Realm connection, and continued his work.

Unlike other high schools, the Soul Cultivator students at Mangshan High School were required to participate in internships starting in Grade 1.

And a series of dialog boxes quickly appeared before Mo Tianyi’s eyes. His job today was a customer service representative for a tutoring agency.

Customer: “My son has already had castration surgery, but high school won’t accept him. Now, girls’ schools and Soul Cultivator students are rejecting him for having a physically incomplete body. What should I do?”

Mo Tianyi replied: “Girls’ schools and Soul Cultivator students have lower barriers and are very popular every year. It’s easy to be eliminated for having a physically incomplete body. But it’s not impossible. You can have your son undergo castration repair surgery and then attend the interview again.”

Mo Tianyi: “If it still fails, repeat the year and have another castration surgery. Two castration surgeries are a huge plus on a resume, showing a firm Dao heart. You’ll definitely be accepted next year.”

Mo Tianyi: “We have partner hospitals we can recommend to you…”

Beside Mo Tianyi, more than a dozen identical versions of him were facing different dialog boxes, all doing the same work.

And these Mo Tianyis in the Spirit Realm were in a room of about ten square meters. The room was empty except for them and the dialog boxes.

After working continuously for eighteen hours, they finally had a 5-minute break.

Looking at his earned wages, Mo Tianyi quickly transferred the money to his boss.

“The boss needs money right now.”

Thinking that the wages he earned today could help his boss a little more to get into the Top Ten, Mo Tianyi felt a sense of satisfaction and anticipation.

“You must succeed, Boss. You are the only poor person in Songyang City who might get into the Top Ten.”

“You’re also the only chance for us to escape this kind of life…”