No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

In the male candidates’ prep room.

As each examinee went through their warm-ups, the cramped space gradually filled with a stench of sweat, foot odor, and greasy fumes.

Zhang Yu endured the smell while meticulously rubbing Vajra Butter over every part of his body, making his muscle definition stand out more sharply.

Just thinking about how a single jar of this Vajra Butter cost over a hundred yuan—and how one exam used up a whole jar—made Zhang Yu apply it with extra care. He didn’t dare waste even a drop.

“This damn school, selling essential exam supplies at such a ridiculous price.”

But he didn’t dare go without it.

The Vajra Butter didn’t actually enhance the body in any way, but it made one’s muscle lines and physical structure more visible, helping the Body-Refining examiners score more accurately.

If he skipped the butter and a judge misjudged his physique, giving him a lower score, that’d be a huge loss.

Given what Zhang Yu now understood about the world of Kunxu, he strongly suspected that the school’s sales of Vajra Butter were cutting the examiners in on the profits. For all he knew, going without the butter might get him deliberately lowballed.

Zhang Yu called out, “Old Zhao, help me get my back.”“On it.” Zhao Tianxing dipped his hand into Zhang Yu’s jar of Vajra Butter and rubbed it across his back.

As he examined Zhang Yu’s physique, Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, “His physical strength level looks pretty damn high.”

Zhang Yu had developed along a balanced route—strength, speed, agility all improving together—which was different from Zhao Tianxing’s power-focused path, but even if you’ve never eaten pork, you’ve at least seen a pig run.

As one of Wang Hai’s core students, Zhao Tianxing had seen plenty of top-tier body-refining overachievers.

Now, looking at Zhang Yu’s physique and feeling that marble-like firmness, he could tell this wasn’t the body of someone weak.

“Maybe... maybe he’s even stronger than me?”

“But how? He doesn’t even have a PE instructor anymore!”

Before long, Zhang Yu, Zhao Tianxing, and the other eight candidates strode onto the testing platform, glistening with oil and wearing strength-detection patches.

The five PE teachers below swept their eyes across the group. Wang Hai paused briefly when his gaze passed over Zhao Tianxing and Zhang Yu, then spoke: “Begin.”

“Hup!”

“Ha!”

“Hrah!”

With fierce shouts, each candidate unleashed their full bodily power, swelling their muscles and radiating brute force.

The high platform groaned and creaked under their combined strength, as though parts of it couldn’t take the strain from this wave of body-refining beasts.

Meanwhile, the strength data from their detection patches flowed instantly to the judges’ screens.

Wang Hai immediately looked at Zhang Yu’s stats: “Right arm muscle burst: 443 kilograms. Left arm: 422 kilograms...”

“He’s improved this much in just a few weeks?”

“What beast-drug did he take? Did it wreck his muscle structure?”

Wang Hai’s eyes narrowed. He looked up again at Zhang Yu on the platform.

Just then, the ten students who’d just displayed their strength felt five cold gazes sweep over them.

From the audience, they looked like ten terrifying body-refining beasts overflowing with power.

But from the platform, the students felt like prey under the scrutiny of five monstrous predators.

Those frigid, critical eyes scanned them like butchers choosing which cut of meat to carve.

At that moment, Zhao Tianxing felt like a lamb awaiting slaughter. He clenched his muscles tighter, trying to squeeze out every last ounce of strength.

Zhang Yu, on the other hand, felt something completely different.

He was keenly aware of five searing gazes locked on him, so intense they raised goosebumps across his skin.

One of the PE teachers below muttered in admiration, “What a frame! Beast back, demon chest, monster arms… Hard to believe a first-year student’s already optimized his structure like this.”

Another licked his lips. “Look at those legs. You can tell just by looking the joints have been shaped through relentless refinement. That kind of foundation—he’s destined for the top. Why don’t I ever get students like this?”

A third slapped Wang Hai’s shoulder and laughed. “Wang, this one’s yours again, huh? The structure is near perfect. That kind of sculpting must’ve taken real effort. Your year-end bonus is in the bag.”

Wang Hai, who had just been considering whether to give Zhang Yu a spiteful low score, gave a forced chuckle and didn’t reply.

Still, he couldn’t help the look of admiration that crept into his eyes as he stared at Zhang Yu.

Despite himself, Wang Hai thought, “Sure, I mainly make my money selling supplements, but...”

As a PE teacher, Wang Hai couldn’t bring himself to give low marks to a physique this pristine. The kid’s body was a work of art.

Besides, his fellow teachers had blocked off any path for him to sabotage Zhang Yu’s score.

So, after honestly giving Zhang Yu the marks he deserved, a fierce light flickered in Wang Hai’s eyes.

“This kind of improvement in such a short time, especially the way he’s adjusted his physique…”

“He must be a Gold Core Cultivator’s disciple now.”

“If that’s the case, I’ve got no choice but to use my final strategy.”

…

Dinner time.

In the cafeteria.

Because he had started practicing the Level 8 Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Technique again today, Zhang Yu’s appetite had shrunk drastically. Just a few bites and he was nearly finished.

That’s when a massive shadow loomed over him.

Wang Hai dropped into the seat across from him with a thud, like a mountain settling in place.

He smiled at Bai Zhenzhen, who was sitting nearby. “Zhenzhen, would you mind if I had a word with Zhang Yu in private?”

She looked to Zhang Yu. Seeing him nod, she moved to a table over ten meters away, curiosity lighting her face as she watched the two.

Zhang Yu eyed Wang Hai cautiously. They weren’t exactly on good terms.

Then Wang Hai said, “Let’s add each other’s contact info. We’ve never done that, have we?”

Now 80% certain that Zhang Yu was indeed a disciple of a Gold Core Cultivator, Wang Hai decided to use his trump card—gift-giving.

He had to smooth things over somehow.

But the question was: what to give?

Wang Hai hadn’t gotten this far in life without knowing how to grease a few palms.

His first thought, naturally, was body-refining drugs. As a supplement dealer, he had trial samples, prototypes, and banned formulas at his fingertips—it was practically second nature.

But then he reconsidered.

“Zhang Yu said himself he’s refining naturally. Whether that’s true or not, giving him supplements would be a slap in the face. No, can’t do it.”

Then he thought of body-refining techniques.

As a top-tier PE teacher, his other major income stream—besides selling drugs—was tutoring and teaching techniques.

Helping the kids of powerful people train had always been his go-to move for building connections.

But he dismissed that idea, too.

“The few techniques I’m licensed to teach… what do they matter to someone like Zhang Yu?”

“He’s a disciple of a Gold Core Cultivator. He’s not going to need techniques from a high school PE teacher.”

“Thinking it through, the best move is still...”

At that moment, after they exchanged contact info, Wang Hai said, “Zhang Yu, your performance today was excellent. I don’t have much to offer, so I thought I’d just transfer you a bit of money.”

“It’s just a small token. Hope you don’t mind.”

Zhang Yu’s phone buzzed. Seeing the transfer message from Wang Hai, he stiffened: “He’s trying to patch things up by throwing money at me? Thinks he can erase all the ostracizing with a few bills?”

In his last life, Zhang Yu had nothing but contempt for this kind of transactional goodwill. He was about to sneer…

But when he opened the transfer message, he found himself physically unable to do it.

Wang Hai had sent him 66,666.66 yuan.

Over ten meters away, Bai Zhenzhen noticed his twitching lips and thought, “What the heck did he send? Yuzi can’t even hide his smile.”

Meanwhile, Wang Hai said earnestly, “Seeing your progress today really made me proud.”

“I was wrong about you before. That was my failure as a teacher, and I owe you an apology.”

As he started to stand and bow, Zhang Yu quickly stopped him. “Teacher, you were just trying to help me—how could I let you apologize?”

Zhang Yu felt a pang of self-loathing. Damn it, Zhang Yu, what have you become? Letting money buy you off this easily?

But this wasn’t just about money. Old Wang was in his seventies. He was proud and prideful, and yet he’d just lowered his head to make amends. That took real sincerity.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s smile, Wang Hai let out a subtle breath of relief. But when he remembered the 66,000 yuan, his heart ached again.

He wasn’t poor, but his spending far outpaced his income. That money wasn’t pocket change.

Still, now wasn’t the time to feel stingy. After all, sitting across from him was the newly accepted disciple of Xinghuo Zhenren.

Years of experience told Wang Hai: if you’re going to send money, go all in.

He grabbed Zhang Yu’s hands and said with heartfelt sincerity, “From now on, my PE class is your PE class. Do whatever you want—skip class, nap, anything. Even if you don’t show up, it’s fine. You’ve got total freedom.”

What’s the highest form of respect a teacher can show a student?

At Songyang High, Wang Hai had his answer—for a Gold Core disciple, the highest honor was unrestrained truancy.

“Huh?” Zhang Yu blinked, then grinned. For a disciplined student like him, the freedom to manage his schedule was a godsend.

Wang Hai saw the look on his face and added meaningfully, “After all, you hardly need my guidance anymore.”

After a few more pleasantries, Wang Hai stood and said, “Alright, I’ve got things to handle, and I’m sure you do too. I won’t keep you.”