There wasn't much time for reflection. Shortly after Zhang Yu returned to the classroom, the math teacher, wearing black-rimmed glasses, walked in with a stack of test papers.
"Today we'll go over the test papers from last time."
"Distribute the papers."
"Look at where you got wrong. I've told you so many times, if you don't understand something, come and ask me. Yesterday afternoon I sat in the office for three hours, and not a single person came to ask me a question..."
Just after the math papers were distributed, the tall, burly PE teacher entered the classroom and said to the math teacher, "You're sick."
After dismissing the sick math teacher, PE teacher Wang Hai looked at the students and said, "This class will be PE." "..."
"But don't forget to review your math when you get home. General education courses account for fifty points in the college entrance exam, and even one point difference can mean a huge difference for many students."
"Speaking of general education courses, I should mention that I've already spoken to your Chinese teacher about changing the next Chinese class to a physical education class. Including the original PE class, I'll be teaching PE all morning."
The group followed PE teacher Wang Hai to the indoor training ground, which resembled a huge plaza, filled with all sorts of exercise equipment.
Wang Hai said, "The Qi Refining Realm is the first stage of the Immortal Path, and the most important thing is to solidify your foundation. How solid your foundation is in your first year of high school will determine how high you can reach in your second and third years..."
As he experienced these familiar scenes, numerous details from his memories flooded back into Zhang Yu's mind.
Since its consolidation and integration by the ten major sects, the cultivation of immortality has long possessed a systematic classification of realms and strengths, encompassing a vast array of aspects of immortality techniques—a veritable ocean of knowledge.
The most widely known are the ten realms of immortality.
The key indicators determining which realm one can reach are their Dao Heart level and their magical power level.
For example, for a high school student, only when their Dao Heart surpasses the level 10 threshold and their magical power exceeds 60 points can they break through from the Qi Refining realm to the Foundation Establishment realm.
And the high school physical education class is for honing the physical body and tempering the will.
After all, a strong physical body not only increases the efficiency of magical power enhancement but also greatly aids in the strong will required for a higher Dao Heart level and enhances the combat capabilities of the Qi Refining realm.
If Dao Heart and magical power are the foundation of immortality, then the physical strength developed in physical education class is the foundation of that foundation.
Meanwhile, waves of light swept across the bodies of the numerous students present, displaying their physical strength data on a large screen not far away, arranged from highest to lowest.
1st Place: Qian Shen, Physical Strength Level 1.15
2nd Place: Bai Zhenzhen, Physical Strength Level 1.13
3rd Place: He Dayou, Physical Strength Level 1.12
...
Zhang Yu didn't find his score until he saw the 19th place.
19th Place: Zhang Yu, Physical Strength Level 0.82
The immortal cultivation techniques within Kunxu have continuously developed, and now various data and indicators are becoming increasingly refined.
For example, physical strength is not only quantified but is also re-tested in every physical education class.
And this indicator, like Dao Heart, can only reach a maximum of level 10 at the Qi Refining stage.
Although physical strength is not the key indicator for breaking through to the immortal realm, it is related to a cultivator's efficiency and combat power, and is an important foundation of immortal cultivation, accounting for 150 points out of 650 in the immortal cultivation subject.
"Has my physical strength already dropped to 19th place?"
Zhang Yu looked at his grades, recalling how his progress in physical strength had been constantly surpassed by those around him.
Meanwhile, his classmates were all pulling out syringes and injecting themselves with various enhancement supplements.
These different brands of supplements, once administered, not only increased the strength of muscles and bones but also boosted training efficiency several times to ten times—essential medications for first-year high school students.
Here, you could skip a day of exercise, but you couldn't skip a day of injections. Top students often received eight or more injections a day.
Zhang Yu saw Bai Zhenzhen not far away inject herself with nine needles in one go—in her buttocks, arms, and thighs.
However, compared to the many muscular students around her, Bai Zhenzhen appeared much smaller. Zhang Yu remembered this was because their physical training methods differed, resulting in different physiques.
Seeing Zhang Yu hesitate to receive the injection, the PE teacher, Wang Hai, frowned and approached. "Zhang Yu, how many days has it been since you had your performance-enhancing injection?"
Zhang Yu dared not admit he was broke. He knew that at Songyang High School, it was as shameful as having poor grades; he only dared to say this when talking to close friends like Bai Zhenzhen.
Furthermore, the fragmented memories in his mind told him that the original owner of this body had fainted several times due to the excessive medication, putting a heavy burden on his internal organs and cardiovascular system, and his life was in danger.
So Zhang Yu replied evasively, "I want to try without the medication..."
But upon hearing this, Wang Hai's frown deepened, and his voice boomed like thunder: "Have you seen those 'natural body-refining' ads from those internet celebrities who claim they can't stand the pain of injections? That's all a scam. How can you keep up without medication?
Look how many places you've dropped! If this continues, you'll be kicked out of the demonstration class in the next monthly exam." "
He said with a look of utter disappointment, "Did you give me those body-strengthening injections for my sake? They won't make me gain weight."
As he spoke, he casually pointed to a student in the distance: "Look at Qian Shen. He gets 12 injections of Dragon Elephant preparation a day to increase his muscles and bones, 2 injections of painkillers to suppress the pain of his body tearing and growing, and 2 injections of Gluttonous Elixir to accelerate metabolism and the absorption of immortal elements from food. He eats 15 jin (7.5 kg) every day to gain weight..."
"In just three months, his physical strength has skyrocketed from 0.13 to 1.15, making him the strongest physique in the first year of high school, equivalent to twenty years of your natural body-strengthening." "
As Wang Hai recounted his story, Zhang Yu recalled how Qian Shen had transformed from a scrawny boy barely 1.7 meters tall three months ago into a giant over two meters tall and weighing over 300 kilograms.
Wang Hai then pointed to another student: "Look at Zhao Tianxing, who used to be even weaker than you. He broke through to level 1.00 in physical strength the day before yesterday. Now his blood is like lead and mercury, his arteries are hardened, and his heart has tripled in size..."
After casually pointing at a group of students, Wang Hai sighed, "Zhang Yu, I'm telling you all this because your physical strength used to rank in the top ten, your talent isn't bad, and your drug tolerance is exceptional..."
Seeing Wang Hai's earnest expression, Zhang Yu felt his concern, but whether it was lack of money or fear of death, he was now unwilling to administer the medication.
Just as he was thinking about how to explain this to him, he saw Wang Hai pull a box of medicine from a bag beside him: "It's said that three parts training, seven parts medication, and the remaining ninety parts depend on how you administer the medicine." "This is the latest Divine Elephant Force Enhancer from the Vajra Sect. As a major sect, its quality is guaranteed. One injection is equivalent to ten."
"To tell you the truth, this stuff was originally in the lab. I got it from a good friend. Seeing your talent, I'm selling it to you at a 20% discount. Ten bottles for 8800..."
Watching Wang Hai's sales pitch, Zhang Yu suddenly remembered that more than half of the various physical enhancement supplements the students in his class took and used were bought from Wang Hai.
Such situations were common at Songyang High School. After all, medicine and physical health were inseparable. Every physical education teacher was not only an excellent body-refining expert but also an excellent pharmaceutical salesman, often with multiple pharmaceutical channels behind them.
But Zhang Yu couldn't afford these right now, and his body couldn't handle the drugs, so he could only try to get by.
Looking at Zhang Yu's constant excuses and procrastination, Wang Hai snorted coldly, put the medicine back, and said with a look of disappointment, "Then you'd better watch yourself." Watching the PE teacher turn and leave to instruct and promote his product to other students, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly, thinking to himself, "Is PE this hard to learn in this lousy place?"
Just then, a boy walked over and leaned close to Zhang Yu, asking, "Wang Hai tried to sell you something again?"
The student who spoke looked handsome and approachable, like the boy next door.
Memories of him surfaced in Zhang Yu's mind.
"He is... Zhou Tianyi."
Zhou Tianyi was Zhang Yu's lunch and study buddy, whom he met on the first day of school.
They ate together for three months and studied together for three months, forging a fragile friendship in the process.
However, as the memories flooded back, the first thing Zhang Yu thought of was the other boy's ranking in the grade.
"Ranked 25th in the grade, qualified to sit at the same table as me... Hmm? How come I'm being discriminated against because of my grades?" "
Zhang Yu felt that as the memories continued to merge, he was also being influenced, becoming increasingly concerned about his academic ranking at school.
Hearing Zhou Tianyi's question, he nodded and said, "Yeah, he wanted to sell me the Divine Elephant Force."
"You didn't buy it?" Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Zhou Tianyi hissed, "Aren't you afraid Old Wang will mess with you?"
"Mess with me?" Zhang Yu said, "I just didn't buy the medicine, it's not that serious."
Zhou Tianyi shook his head repeatedly, "Sigh, do you want to hear some gossip about Wang Hai?"
"Forget it, I'm not a gossip."
Zhang Yu turned and walked towards the training equipment, intending to familiarize himself with his body and the content of the physical education course.
Zhou Tianyi continued, "A teacher complained that Wang Hai masturbated in the next office, and the sound of him ejaculating cracked the roof." Zhang Yu stopped in his tracks. He wasn't a gossip, but this kind of rotten gossip… he had to see what was going on.
Zhou Tianyi said, "Wang Hai later explained that he didn't do it; the banging sounds were him disciplining disobedient students."
"Later, I asked students from the previous two graduating classes, and it turns out Wang Hai had a long-standing habit of physically punishing struggling students."
"Especially if their grades dropped and they didn't buy his medicine, they would be bullied by him."
"I heard that a few years ago, a student was driven to jump off a building by him."
Hearing the word "jump off a building," Zhang Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened: "Wang Hai got away with all that?"
Zhou Tianyi said dismissively, "Wang Hai's teaching results have always been excellent. He's the top physical education teacher at Songyang High School, and he's taught three students who ranked first in the city in physical strength during the college entrance exam. Some people say he has access to drugs still in the labs of major sects." "Even if the school really doesn't want to use him anymore, most students and parents won't agree. They're all counting on Wang Hai to buy drugs to improve their physical strength."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Yu and warned, "If you keep not buying the drugs and your grades don't improve, he might mess with you too."
Seeing Zhang Yu's furrowed brow, Zhou Tianyi asked curiously, "I say... you used to get a lot of acupuncture, why did you suddenly stop buying them? Are you out of money? Want me to lend you some?"
Sensing the sincerity in the other's eyes, Zhang Yu smiled helplessly, "No need."
"Really no need?" Zhou Tianyi: "How about you prick me first today?" Zhang Yu shook his head repeatedly, genuinely afraid that a few more injections would kill him.
According to his memories, the world was rife with people suffering severe injuries, disabilities, or even death due to excessive drug use; Songyang High School even saw students seriously injured every year due to overdose.
Yet, despite this, students pursuing physical strength through drugs continued to flock to the school.
And the original owner of this body had already shown signs of being overwhelmed since last week.
Thinking of the original owner's enormous debt of 700,000 and the fact that he had been left with this body, Zhang Yu sighed again.
Just as the two were whispering, a cold gaze suddenly swept over them, and Wang Hai shouted, "Don't talk amongst yourselves during PE class!" "
Zhang Yu and Zhou Tianyi immediately stopped their conversation and began their respective training.
Zhang Yu approached a large iron ball, his muscles bulged, and with a sudden burst of strength, he lifted the 100-kilogram ball.
Then, with the contraction and expansion of his muscles, he moved the iron ball around his body as if it were a toy.
As the iron ball tumbled and spun, Zhang Yu felt his blood surging, and his body gradually warming up.
"This is a warm-up..."
The entire process seemed instinctively ingrained in his flesh and blood; Zhang Yu completed the warm-up training with almost no conscious thought.
In the subsequent training, his mastery of his physical body deepened, and related memories kept surfacing in his mind.
"The body refinement stage of Qi Refining mainly involves tempering muscles and bones, breaking through limits through repeated practice, and ultimately increasing the level of physical strength." "
"Specific methods...for example, the most widely circulated method among high school students is the exercise known as the Thirty-Six Exercises for Fitness." "
The Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening are a body-refining technique created by the Ten Great Sects specifically for high school education. Thirty-six movements, combined with different equipment, comprehensively develop the physical body and effectively enhance physical strength.
Within the framework of immortal cultivation summarized by the Ten Great Sects, all martial arts and Taoist techniques are divided into levels 1 to 100.
Most students at Songyang High School can successfully master the basics of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening after one or two weeks of study, reaching level 1.
Furthermore, the training effects of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening become increasingly powerful and incredible.
However, this is clearly not easy. In Zhang Yu's memory, only Bai Zhenzhen has reached level 2 in the three months since the start of the school year.
It is precisely because of this that Bai Zhenzhen can maintain second place in the entire grade in physical strength with only 9 acupuncture sessions a day, closely following Qian Shen who acupunctures 16 times a day.
"The level of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening is related to the efficiency of physical strength improvement, but the real key to determining strength and physical education grades is still physical strength itself." "Speaking of which, my physical strength is only level 0.82, which allows me to easily toss around several hundred kilograms of weight. The highest physical strength for someone at the Qi Refining stage is level 10, and after Foundation Establishment, it can reach level 20… The difference between people is enormous."
Zhang Yu initially just wanted to practice casually, familiarizing himself with the physical education curriculum and his own body.
But as he practiced the Thirty-Six Exercises of Physical Fitness one set after another, he became increasingly serious and meticulous, as if an instinct within him was urging him on, encouraging him to persevere.
His muscles were constantly torn, his bones constantly impacted. Through repeated practice and torment, his body finally began to emanate a warm current, silently repairing the damage to his flesh and blood.
This was the magical power within Zhang Yu's body, and just like the physical education classes of the past few months, his flesh… His body was ravaged under immense pressure, then constantly repaired and strengthened by magical power.
Huff!
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Yu let out a deep breath, feeling sore all over, as if his flesh and blood were about to disintegrate.
"No wonder I needed painkillers..."
He looked up at Bai Zhenzhen, still sweating profusely in the distance, and at the other classmates who were also training frantically. A sense of urgency instinctively welled up within him, urging him to continue pushing his body to its limits.
"If I trained this hard in my original world, I probably would have died by now, right?"
"It's only because of the various immortal techniques, the support of medicine, and magical power here... that I can keep going and even get stronger."
Feeling the current surge of energy emanating from within his body
The pain radiating from his hand, coupled with the lingering instinct to train and grow stronger, made Zhang Yu realize the depth of his former obsession.
However, as the training continued, this instinct deep within his body seemed to be fading.
The path ahead ultimately rested on Zhang Yu's own shoulders.
When the morning's physical education class finally ended, Zhang Yu collapsed on the field, surrounded by a group of classmates still energetically training.
Zhang Yu remarked that this was the difference between using drugs and not using them.
Suddenly, he noticed the dark patch on his palm, realizing that less than a quarter of it remained untouched by the blackening.