Game Characters First, Real Bodies Second

Jiang Liu reluctantly opened the [Social] feature in Cultivation Era, added his Head Teacher as a friend, traded over 1 Spirit Stone, and received an Imprint Version of the Essence Gathering Art.

He truly did not want to make the trade, but there was no resisting the Head Teacher's pressure. The entire class was happily exchanging for it, so what did it mean if he alone was unwilling?

You did not even want an Essence Gathering Art worth 98 Spirit Stones—did you still want to cultivate immortality or not?

Do not drag the class down!

What could Jiang Liu do? He could only silently console himself. Even if he bought the Essence Gathering Art from the Mall himself, it would still cost 0.98 Spirit Stones. A small loss was not really a loss.

At the same time, the school's approach gave him a new idea.

The school could sell Imprint Versions of cultivation methods to students as customers. He could do the same!

He could buy cultivation methods from the Mall at a ten-percent discount, make several imprints, and sell them at a discount. He would definitely make a fortune!

Anything from the game Mall would bring huge profits if he sold it outside!

His thoughts racing, Jiang Liu turned around and sat back at his desk. He switched into Cultivation Era and directly opened the [Mall]. The Mall was filled with dazzling goods divided into several categories, and he immediately spotted Imprint Versions under the item category.

[Low-grade Imprint Version]: Can copy Law-tier Cultivation Methods. Usable 10 times. The copied item lasts 10 days. Price: 12 Spirit Stones. Limited to 1 purchase per week.

Jiang Liu: "?????"

Well then. The once-per-week purchase limit instantly shattered his dream of getting rich by copying and selling cultivation methods.

However, his focus was not on the purchase limit, but on the duration.

The copied item only lasted ten days?!

Jiang Liu froze for a moment, then quickly opened his inventory and selected the Essence Gathering Art.

[Essence Gathering Art Copy]

Grade: Low-grade Cultivation Method

Description: Draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body, circulate spiritual energy through the heavenly cycle, cleanse the marrow and temper the meridians to achieve Qi Refining. Cultivation Speed increased by 10%.

Time Limit: 10 days

Damn it!

It really was not permanent!

Jiang Liu's face darkened. He had discovered this awful catch, and the other students discovered it as well, immediately voicing their complaints.

"Something's wrong, Head Teacher! This Essence Gathering Art can only be used for ten days!"

"What a scam! One Spirit Stone only bought us ten days of a cultivation method. Head Teacher, something's not right here!"

"Give us our money back!"

The arguing students made the Head Teacher roll his eyes. He shouted irritably, "What are you little brats yelling for? One step ahead means every step ahead. Isn't ten days enough?!"

"You want to buy a permanent cultivation method for one Spirit Stone? Cultivation isn't some daydream!"

"One Imprint Version costs 12 Spirit Stones, and we can only recover 10 Spirit Stones. The school is losing Spirit Stones to support you, understand?"

"The teachers and school leaders are paying for every Spirit Stone lost! What more do you want?!"

"Whoever doesn't want it, come on! I'll return your one Spirit Stone!"

The Head Teacher's explanation silenced the class. Thinking about it carefully, the school really was losing Spirit Stones. Including the original Essence Gathering Art, the school had forcibly lost more than a hundred Spirit Stones for these ten days.

"Our Third Middle School is counting on your class to bring us some pride."

Seeing that the students were somewhat embarrassed, the Head Teacher said earnestly, "If we can't beat First Middle School and Second Middle School in the Gaokao, can't we at least beat them in cultivation?"

"The Principal has already said that every week, we'll buy Imprint Versions from teachers and school leaders. Essence Gathering Art Copies will be supplied without limit!"

"You only need to cultivate seriously and work hard. The school will do everything it can to guarantee the rest of your conditions!"

"Keep it up! I believe in you!"

The Principal of their Third Middle School had truly gone all in. After failing to beat First Middle School and Second Middle School in the Gaokao for so many years, he decisively switched tracks.

Now, humanities and science programs at every university were declining year after year, soon to be replaced by Immortal Science.

If they could not get the top humanities and science scorers, then so be it. They would charge straight for the top scorer in Immortal Science instead!

The students were deeply moved, each of them fired up and determined to crush First Middle School and Second Middle School beneath their feet!

Gaokao scores depended on student quality and teaching quality. Most of the city's best students and teachers were concentrated in First Middle School and Second Middle School, so Third Middle School could not compete.

But cultivation depended on aptitude. You might have exceptional intelligence and perfect scores in every subject, but what use was that if you had a Mixed Spiritual Root of the metal, wood, water, and fire types?

The time to revive Third Middle School was now!

Jiang Liu was also shocked by the school's lavish investment, and at the same time felt somewhat ashamed of his own penny-pinching.

The school was willing to spend over a hundred Spirit Stones every ten days to supply the Essence Gathering Art, yet he had been fussing over tiny fractions of a Spirit Stone. He really should not have.

With the Welfare Version of Cultivation Era giving him a ninety-percent discount, he already had immense potential. He should not remain so small-minded and needed to change his way of thinking as soon as possible.

Jiang Liu silently reflected on himself, then sat cross-legged atop his desk. The instant he learned the Essence Gathering Art, a passage of information appeared in his mind.

Draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body, circulate spiritual energy through the heavenly cycle, cleanse the marrow and temper the meridians to achieve Qi Refining.

As he circulated the Essence Gathering Art, an exceptionally fresh breath flowed through his nostrils. This was the spiritual energy that had appeared in the world after the descent of Cultivation Era.

With every inhale and exhale, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth entered through his nose and flowed through his body like a warm current, from head to toe, from meridians to blood vessels, from his heart to his internal organs.

Only then did Jiang Liu truly feel that he was cultivating immortality.

But my game character is already at the Qi Refining Second Layer, while my real body is still at Qi Condensation Layer 0.

If I cultivate with my real body now, will it be directly overwritten once the game character synchronizes?

If it gets overwritten, wouldn't all this cultivation be for nothing?

With those doubts, Jiang Liu switched into Cultivation Era. After opening the character interface, he immediately understood.

Under the realm section, it had originally read Qi Refining Second Layer (500/4000), but now it had become Qi Refining Second Layer (501/4000).

He had gained 1 Cultivation Point!

When his real body cultivated, his game character simultaneously gained Cultivation Points!

After confirming this, Jiang Liu also realized a very serious issue.

Cultivation.

The game character came first, while the real body came second!

Although reality was real, he had to admit that if he wanted to cultivate immortality, he had to rely on the resources in Cultivation Era.

After confirming this, Jiang Liu obediently began circulating the Essence Gathering Art.

He had the Spirit Communication Jade, a title, and the Essence Gathering Art. His cultivation speed was 23% faster than everyone else's. Since he had nothing else to do anyway, he might as well grind some Cultivation Points.

Now, the entire class was silent. The students, along with the Head Teacher, had all entered cultivation states. They completely ignored even the bell signaling the end of class.

What math class? What English class? Today, they were all Chinese classes!

One class.

Two classes.

Three classes.

More than thirty people crowded into a small classroom, absorbing spiritual energy. Before long, someone noticed that something was wrong.

"Teacher!"

A boy with thick glasses and a square, serious face suddenly spoke. "I discovered that the rate at which I gain Cultivation Points has dropped by 36% since the first class, and it is rapidly declining at a rate of 10% every ten minutes."

"I have reason to suspect that the spiritual energy in the classroom has grown thin. I request that the windows and classroom door be opened!"

This was Chen Ke, the third-ranked top student in the entire school. His words left everyone looking dazed. Who had nothing better to do than monitor the rate at which they gained Cultivation Points?

Yet no one doubted him. After freezing for two seconds, several students quickly jumped down from their desks and threw open all the windows and the classroom door.

With the sealed classroom opened wide, sweet spiritual energy poured in, refreshing their hearts and minds.