Grade A Contract

Looking at the cultivation methods in the recommendations, Zhang Yu grew curious. "My friends are viewing these? Which friends are looking at these martial arts?"

Unfortunately, after logging in with his real name, most of the classmates Zhang Yu knew in real life had become his friends on the shopping site. There were too many of them for him to identify who was viewing them.

"Nine Heavens Quick Success Eight Section Talismans?"

Thinking of his sixty-point Dao Arts Exam score, Zhang Yu immediately clicked in, only to be discouraged by the 98,000 price tag and back out again.

"Talismans have terrible value for money. Forget them for now."

Zhang Yu simply opened the Rankings to see what cultivation methods were currently the most popular.

"Longevity Enhancing Skill, Deluxe Newly Revised Edition, Health Preservation and Disease Removal Skill, Brick Moving King's Excavating Palm Crane Claw Explained, Sports Car Legs Uncut Edition, Elevator Vertical Real Cultivation Guide..."

Zhang Yu was slightly stunned when he saw these cultivation methods being sold to Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

The bestsellers were first and foremost cultivation methods for extending one's life, curing illnesses, and strengthening the body. Zhang Yu understood that perfectly well. Who wouldn't want to live a few more years? And curing illness was even more reasonable—hospitals were too expensive, so it was more cost-effective to practice cultivation and tough it out yourself when you got sick.

But the next bestsellers were either strength-based martial arts that imitated excavators and cranes, or movement arts modeled after sports cars and elevators... In short, they were clearly all martial arts for workhorses.

But after giving it another thought, Zhang Yu understood.

Compared to high school students like them, the true majority of people at the Qi Refining Stage were still workers—especially those high-income groups at construction sites, factories, delivery services, and security jobs, where one person did the work of dozens.

To them, Excavation Palm, Crane Claw, and Sports Car Legs were tools for making money, cultivation methods that allowed them to settle down and survive in Kunxu.

To them, these were the truly useful cultivation methods, far more dependable than breaking through realms or raising one's cultivation.

Once he understood that, Zhang Yu changed the filter settings and set the suitable age range to eighteen through twenty.

The cultivation methods that appeared instantly became Magical Power Enhancement Strategy, Basic Eight Section Talismans Universal Dictionary, Body Tempering Thirty-Six Forms Simplified Edition...

After looking through them, Zhang Yu felt that the high-selling cultivation methods were all too basic and too simple.

"Looks like they're all being bought by students from ordinary high schools."

So Zhang Yu added another filter—cultivation method grade.

According to what Zhang Yu had learned at school, cultivation methods were divided into five grades: Basic Level, Advanced Level, Expert Level, Military Grade, and Immortal Sect Grade.

It was said that Immortal Sect Grade cultivation methods had even more detailed classifications within them, though Zhang Yu did not know what they were.

After all, Military Grade and Immortal Sect Grade cultivation methods were not things ordinary people could practice. One required joining the military or a government department to gain cultivation authorization, while the other required joining a major Sect.

As for the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method in Zhang Yu's hands, he estimated it was Advanced Level.

And the Heavenly Martial Heart Refinement Art was probably Expert Level.

"Buzhou Mountain Moving Scripture, Heart Origin Great Handprint, Heavenly Cycle Star Dou Sword, Radiant Heart Sutra..."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over these Expert Level cultivation methods. After a bout of covetous longing, he could only shake his head helplessly. "Expert Level cultivation methods not only have higher cultivation thresholds and more requirements... Even the cheapest usage rights cost tens of thousands. I really can't afford them."

"Unless the school contract can really offer me a huge price."

Zhang Yu's gaze then passed over the Advanced Level cultivation methods, and he thought to himself, Once the contract negotiations are over, I can consider buying a few Advanced Level ones.

"Especially a mental cultivation method suited to me, one that can help me reach Dao Heart Level 3 faster and begin practicing the Heavenly Martial Heart Refinement Art."

After browsing the shopping platform for a while and adding several promising cultivation methods to his cart, Zhang Yu was about to log out for the time being.

Just then, he suddenly noticed that the recommendation section had changed again.

Your competitor is placing an order: Magical Power Enhancement Strategy, Basic Eight Section Talismans Universal Dictionary, Demonic Parasitic Art...

Holy shit!

"So this is how you abuse big data? You're starting a cultivation-method arms race between users to stir up their desire to spend?"

"Wait... what the hell is this Demonic Parasitic Art?"

Your competitor is placing an order for Demonic Parasitic Art... Who wouldn't click on that? Even a damn dog passing by would have to click in for a look.

Zhang Yu clicked into it and discovered that the Demonic Parasitic Art was an Expert Level cultivation method combining abilities such as flesh regeneration, organ transplantation, devouring flesh and blood, blood and qi adaptation, and parasitizing human bodies.

In summary, it was a martial art that could plunder the bodies of others.

As a legitimate Qidian webnovel reader in his previous life, Zhang Yu had only one feeling upon seeing that name and description.

Could anyone buying this cultivation method possibly be a good person?

"My opponent? Which demon is trying to practice the Demonic Parasitic Art?"

"Is there even really an opponent? Could this site be making things up?"

Zhang Yu had some doubts, but when he thought about all the strange powers and the way things were done in the world of Kunxu, it did not seem impossible either.

Zhang Yu checked the price. The usage rights for the Demonic Parasitic Art cost a full 300,000. Among the people he knew, only a few were qualified to practice it, and with the added qualifier of "competitor"...

"Qian Shen?"

"Or He Dayou?"

Zhang Yu immediately felt that He Dayou was highly suspicious. After all, Teacher Lei Jun had replayed the footage of his battle with He Dayou many times, and Zhang Yu remembered that the look He Dayou gave him had been far from friendly.

"Either way, I need to be careful around these rich people nearby."

"Practicing something like the Demonic Parasitic Art... human-faced beasts at heart."

But soon afterward, Zhang Yu saw another recommendation section below the purchase page... People viewing this cultivation method also viewed: Anti-Parasitic Art, Purification Divine Skill, Demon Slaying Magic...

Seeing those highly targeted names, Zhang Yu immediately began doubting his own judgment. "Could this platform really be pulling tricks, trying to scam me into placing an order?"

Based on Zhang Yu's understanding of the Kunxu world, companies in this world were absolutely capable of doing something like that.

All he could do was keep the matter in mind for now. But before leaving the platform, he thought it over and added Anti-Parasitic Art, Purification Divine Skill, Demon Slaying Scroll Art, and several other cultivation methods to his favorites.

After a while, he simply opened the platform again and added the Demonic Parasitic Art to his favorites as well.

"Heh heh. It'd be best if that guy placing the order could also see, 'Your opponent is viewing Demonic Parasitic Art, Anti-Parasitic Art, Purification Divine Skill, Demon Slaying Scroll...'"

In the blink of an eye, another night passed.

Zhang Yu's Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method improved again, reaching Level 8 (95/160).

After a day of hard cultivation, his Magical Power had also risen like the tide, reaching 12.1.

The next day.

Inside Songyang High School.

Zhang Yu received a friend request from an account with a barbell avatar.

"Hello, Zhang Yu. I'm Lan Ling from the second-year Demonstration Class, and also the Physical Education 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 party quickly sent another message.

"Hello, Student Zhang Yu. In order to promote the development of social immortal Dao, assist students of our school in scaling new heights upon the immortal path and achieving more outstanding results, and in accordance with the principles of voluntary participation and mutually beneficial cooperation, we are deeply honored to invite you to discuss signing matters, in hopes of reaching a deeper value-added partnership..."

The other party arranged to meet him at noon that day in the Student Union office to discuss the signing.

"So it's finally here?"

Thus, at noon that day, Zhang Yu washed his face, combed his hair, straightened his clothes, and arrived outside the Student Union office.

He had barely knocked on the door when, after it opened, another door appeared behind it.

Oh... It was not that there was another door behind the door, but that there was a person who looked remarkably like one.

A student with the build of a Door Panel Man opened the door for Zhang Yu, smiling as he stepped back. "You're Student Zhang Yu, right?"

Zhang Yu glanced at the dumbbell still clutched in the Door Panel Man's hand and greeted him, "Student Lan Ling?"

As they exchanged greetings, a burst of laughter came from behind the Door Panel Man, followed by a thump-thump-thump of running footsteps.

"Is Zhang Yu here?"

A young man who had not even had time to put on his shoes leaped down from the sofa and jogged all the way over to Zhang Yu. Grasping both of Zhang Yu's hands, he said excitedly, "Hahaha! I heard yesterday that Songyang High School had produced another Peerless Genius. I've finally been waiting for you to arrive today."

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

Lan Ling followed beside them and introduced him. "Student Zhang Yu, this is the vice president of our Student Union, Zhou Chechen."

Zhang Yu remembered him. This seemed to be the top-ranked student of the second year.

After the Monthly Exam, his name had often appeared in Various Places around the school, just like Zhang Yu's.

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

Feeling his hand tightly held by the other man, as well as that gaze filled with admiration, excitement, and agitation, Zhang Yu's heart tightened.

Holy shit, could he be a fencer?

Zhou Chechen reached out and made a grasping motion through the air. A stack of documents flew over from the desk and landed in his hand.

"After I saw your results, I immediately looked into your background."

"That was when I discovered that collection calls regarding you had even been made to the school."

Zhang Yu's heart sank at those words. Are they going to use my debt to drive down the price?

But Zhou Chechen waved the documents in his hand and smiled. "As soon as I heard, I had someone buy up your debts."

"More than ten platforms, seventy thousand in debt total—it's all here."

"How could a Heavenly Prodigy of our school be weighed down by debt? If word got out, other high schools would think Songyang High School was so poor that we didn't even have money to invest in our own students."

As he spoke, Magical Power surged from his hand, turning every debt document into ash.

Amid Zhang Yu's astonished gaze, Zhou Chechen continued, "From now on, you won't need to make debt payments every month."

"I'll put this debt of 700,000 under my name for now. There's no interest, and you don't need to rush to repay it."

"From now on, study and cultivate in peace at Songyang High School. Once you graduate from university, join a major Sect, and start making money, you can pay me back slowly."

Zhang Yu stared at him in shock. He had never expected the vice president of the Student Union to make a move and temporarily settle his most urgent loan problem.

Then Zhou Chechen picked up another document and said, "After discussing it with the president, this is the Grade A Contract we've set for you."

"50,000 in cultivation expenses every month. Spirit Roots, Quiet Rooms, the Spirit Realm, talismans, the cafeteria, medicines... all at a twenty percent discount... We've also prepared a single room in the school dormitory for you..."

As Zhang Yu listened to each preferential condition being listed, his heart could not help pounding faster, and he felt an impulse to sign the document immediately.

(End of chapter)