No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Watching Wang Hai walk away, Zhang Yu sighed. “He’s a responsible teacher, I’ll give him that.”

Bai Zhenzhen leaned in suspiciously. “What just happened? One moment you’re laughing, then shaking hands, and chatting away.”

“Did he suddenly realize you’re his long-lost father or something?”

Zhang Yu shook his head. “There could be a lot of reasons, but in the end… they all boil down to how well I did on the monthly exam.”

“Ah-Zhen, as long as my scores keep climbing and I grow stronger, good friends will just keep falling into my lap. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Looking at Zhang Yu’s smug expression, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, “Just how high did Yuzi score this time?”

“Could he have beaten me? That’s not likely…”

That night, after returning to the outskirts, Zhang Yu got back to grinding the Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Technique as usual. His next goal was to level it up to Level 10.

By early next morning, he’d managed to raise it to Level 8 (37/160).

Thanks to a mix of passive and active breathing, his Mana had increased again: from 11.8 to 11.9.And thanks to Wang Hai’s financial support, even after recent expenses, Zhang Yu’s savings had suddenly ballooned to over 72,000 yuan.

The moment he saw that balance, Zhang Yu’s mind flooded with all kinds of ways to spend it.

But he ultimately resisted the urge. He planned to wait and see what kind of contract the school would offer him after the exam results were out, and then figure out the most effective way to invest in himself.

…

4:00 a.m., Songyang Advanced Immortal Arts High School.

In the teachers’ office.

After another all-nighter, Su Haifeng finally received the official grade sheets from the monthly exam.

To ensure students got timely feedback and guidance, the teachers had stayed up overnight to tally every student’s score and rank.

What a blessing, truly commendable.

Su Haifeng glanced at the rankings and scores.

First place, Bai Zhenzhen, total score: 651.

Su Haifeng nodded slightly. “Bai Zhenzhen takes first place again, no surprise there. A pity her Dao Techniques only scored 60, or she could’ve gone even higher.”

Second place, Qian Shen, total score: 626.

“Qian Shen’s been steadily improving, especially with 80 points in Dao Techniques. That gave him a nice boost.”

Third place, Zhang Yu, total score: 620.

Su Haifeng froze. He rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Third place, Zhang Yu, total score: 620.

“No way…”

He sat up straight and immediately checked Zhang Yu’s subject scores.

General Studies: 48. Dao Heart: 135. Mana: 142. Physical Training: 145. Martial Technique: 90. Dao Techniques: 60.

“This…”

Su Haifeng was stunned. And that was with only 60 points in Dao Techniques.

If Zhang Yu had scored just 7 more points there, he would’ve had 627 total—enough to beat Qian Shen and take second place.

That meant Zhang Yu had jumped from tenth place all the way to third in one go.

No… Su Haifeng recalled that three weeks ago, Zhang Yu’s grades had slipped into the twenties. Except for Mana, everything else had been declining. He should’ve dropped to around 30th place by now.

“How the hell did he improve so much?”

“Did he win the lottery?”

The more he reviewed Zhang Yu’s scores, the more baffled he became—especially that 142 in Mana and 145 in Physical Training?

He couldn’t help but call Wang Hai to verify whether the scores were entered wrong.

At 4:00 a.m., prime cultivation hours at Songyang High, Wang Hai picked up quickly.

“What is it, Mr. Su?”

“I’m seeing a 145 in Zhang Yu’s Physical Training score. Is that a mistake…?”

Just because Wang Hai had been friendly toward Zhang Yu today didn’t mean he’d suddenly become some easygoing pushover.

He was still the same no-nonsense, gold-tier teacher who hated having his authority questioned.

He snorted and cut Su Haifeng off. “Mr. Su, are you doubting our physical education standards or our professional integrity?”

As Songyang’s top PE instructor and a gold-tier influencer, Wang Hai didn’t fear Su Haifeng one bit.

“If you’ve got a problem with the score, file for a review.”

“But I can tell you right now: Zhang Yu’s score is 145, and it’s completely accurate.”

“His physical strength is already at 1.25—one of the highest in his year. His physique is proportioned almost perfectly.”

“With a foundation like his, he’s guaranteed to continue improving. He’s destined to become one of this year’s leading students in physical cultivation. Heck, he could even compete in the tournaments.”

Physical tournaments, like Mana tournaments, tested beyond the high school curriculum.

Excelling in them not only came with hefty prize money but also gave major advantages in college interviews—and even bonus points on college entrance exams.

Songyang High had always held an edge in physical tournaments, having produced the city’s top scorer before.

Hearing Wang Hai’s glowing assessment, Su Haifeng was even more shocked. He ignored Wang Hai’s tone and pressed further, “But hasn’t Zhang Yu been skipping PE for the past three weeks? How did his score jump so high?”

Wang Hai’s face reddened at that. He hesitated before replying, “Zhang Yu isn’t like regular students. He has his own training plan. He knows how to cultivate.”

Thinking of how Zhang Yu was a Gold Core Cultivator’s disciple, Wang Hai continued, “I saw that, which is why I gave him free rein in PE class.”

“Letting him skip class if he wants—this is what we call individualized instruction.”

After the call ended, Su Haifeng still felt like he was dreaming. Was Wang Hai really talking about that Zhang Yu? The broke kid?

He frowned, paused, and made another call.

“Hey. The exam results are in. Zhang Yu placed third in the year. His score was…”

After reporting the numbers, Su Haifeng sighed. “I have to admit—I completely misjudged him.”

“With performance like this, it wouldn’t be strange if the school offered him a Grade B or even Grade A contract.”

“That’s out of my hands. I’m guessing the Student Council will be contacting him in a day or two.”

A man’s voice responded on the other end, “Got it. Try to stall the Student Council for me. I’ll see if I can work something out.”

“I can’t stall them,” Su Haifeng said. “You know how those guys are. If you’re going to do something, do it fast.”

…

6:30 a.m.

The front gate of Songyang High was already packed with students.

The moment Zhang Yu walked through the school gate, he saw the giant digital screen updating with the monthly exam results.

Student privacy? Emotional burden? Those didn’t exist at Songyang High.

Not only were the results plastered across the school gate, they were taped to every classroom door. Even the cafeteria screens kept flashing the rankings.

Zhang Yu couldn’t even go to the bathroom without hearing the loudspeaker blasting: praise for the high scorers and brutal mockery for the underperformers.

Songyang High was nothing if not thorough—no blind spots, no privacy, and maximum psychological pressure.

“…And now let’s offer a special congratulations to Zhang Yu of the Year One Honors Class!”

“Zhang Yu jumped from tenth place all the way to third, scoring a total of 620 points—a full 70-point increase. A meteoric rise…”

Washing his hands after a bathroom break, Zhang Yu nodded as the announcement echoed. “Publicly posting results does have some benefits. There’s merit to it.”

When he entered the classroom, he was immediately swarmed by curious stares. Students kept sneaking glances, their eyes full of mixed emotions.

Qian Shen looked at Zhang Yu, then at Bai Zhenzhen. With one scoring 620 and the other 651, the rest of the class seemed to dim in comparison.

“As expected, besides Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu will be my real rival in these three years.”

Qian Shen could already picture it: the three of them clashing year after year, fiercely competing, neck and neck—until they all made it into a top-tier university.

He was fired up!

Without wasting another second, he pulled out his Feathered Tome and resumed studying Dao Talismans.

“Talismans are my strong suit. And I only scored 80 this time? Not good enough!”

On the other side of the room, He Dayou’s face darkened as he looked at his scores.

“Total: 603.”

“Martial Technique: 50…”

That 50-point score burned his eyes. He felt a surge of blood pressure and nearly smashed his desk in frustration.

Clearly, his repeated losses to Zhang Yu—and those embarrassing instant defeats—had tanked his Martial Technique score.

A flicker of killing intent passed through his eyes as he glared at Zhang Yu.

But as the son of a School Board member, He Dayou quickly suppressed it.

“Every broke student is a valuable school resource. How could I raise a hand against one?”

“Don’t get mad. The Student Council probably already has him in their sights anyway.”

“We’re not even on the same track. I can’t let him shake my focus. I need to concentrate on self-improvement.”

He activated his Heart-Forging Method to calm his emotions.

He had it all figured out now. He and Zhang Yu weren’t even in the same race. He couldn’t let himself be distracted and hurt his scores—like this embarrassing 50 in Martial Technique.

“Improving my strength and financial assets—that’s the real path.”

“My Dao Techniques scored 90. Not bad, but still room for growth.”

With that, He Dayou took out his Feathered Tome and tuned out the world, throwing himself into his studies.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head and stared at Zhang Yu, thinking:

“Could Yuzi have been hiding his true strength all along, pretending for four whole months just to shock everyone?”

“No… he’s not that capable.”

“Unless… he awakened like I did?”