Chapter 36: Level A Contract

Looking at the cultivation techniques on the recommendation list, Zhang Yu felt curious: "My friend is watching? Which friend is watching these martial arts?"

Unfortunately, after the real-name registration, most of the classmates Zhang Yu knew in reality were basically friends on the shopping website, and there were so many that he couldn't pinpoint who was watching them.

"Nine Heavens Quick-Cultivation Eight-Section Talisman Script?"

Remembering his score of 60 in the Dao technique exam, Zhang Yu immediately clicked in, only to be dissuaded by the price of 98,000.

"The cost-performance of talisman scripts is too low; I'll put it aside for now."

Zhang Yu simply clicked on the rankings to see what the hottest techniques were right now.

"Evergreen Longevity Art—Revised Hardcover Edition, Health Preservation and Disease-Curing Art, Brick-Carrying King’s Detailed Guide to Excavation Palm and Crane Claw, Uncut Version of Sports Car Legs, Practical Guide to Elevator Ascension..."

Seeing these techniques sold for the Qi Refining stage, Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback.

The best-selling ones were first of all techniques for prolonging life, curing diseases, and strengthening the body. Zhang Yu understood this very well—who wouldn't want to live a few more years? As for curing diseases, it was even more reasonable, since hospitals were too expensive, and it was more cost-effective to tough out illnesses by self-cultivation.

But the next items on the bestseller list were either strength-type martial arts imitating excavators and cranes, or light-body techniques based on sports cars and elevators... In short, they all seemed like martial arts that "oxen and horses" would learn.

However, after thinking it over, Zhang Yu understood again.

Compared to high school students like them, the vast majority of people in the Qi Refining stage were still laborers, especially those high-income groups in construction sites, factories, delivery services, and security who did the work of dozens of people.

For them, these Excavation Palms, Crane Claws, and Sports Car Legs were tools for making money—techniques for making a living in Kunxu.

For them, these were truly useful techniques, far more reliable than breaking through realms or improving cultivation.

After figuring this out, Zhang Yu changed the filter conditions, adjusting the suitable age to 15–18.

This time, the techniques that popped up instantly became "Mana Boosting Strategy," "Basic Eight-Section Talisman Universal Dictionary," "Simplified Version of Body-Strengthening Thirty-Six Forms"...

Looking through them, Zhang Yu felt that these high-selling techniques were too basic and too simple.

"Looks like they're all bought by ordinary high school students."

So Zhang Yu added another filter condition—technique grade.

According to what Zhang Yu had learned in school, techniques were divided into five grades: Basic, Advanced, Expert, Military, and Immortal Sect.

It was said that within the Immortal Sect grade, there were even finer divisions, but Zhang Yu didn't know the specifics.

After all, Military and Immortal Sect techniques were not something ordinary people could cultivate; one required joining military or government departments for cultivation permissions, and the other required joining a major sect.

As for the "Cyclic Qi Gathering Method" in Zhang Yu's own hands, he estimated it should be Advanced grade.

As for the "Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art," he estimated it should be Expert grade.

"Buzhou Mountain Moving Scripture, Heart Origin Great Seal, Cyclic Star Sword, Bright Heart Sutra..."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over these Expert-grade techniques. After a moment of envy, he could only shake his head helplessly: "Expert-grade techniques not only have higher cultivation thresholds and more requirements... the cheapest usage right for one of them is several tens of thousands. I really can't afford it."

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

Zhang Yu's gaze swept over the Advanced-grade techniques, and he thought to himself: "As for Advanced-grade, after the contract is negotiated, I can consider buying a few."

"Especially a heart method suitable for me, so I can quickly advance to Dao Heart Level 3 and start cultivating the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art."

After idly browsing the shopping platform and adding a few promising techniques to his cart, Zhang Yu planned to log off for now.

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

"Your competitor is ordering: Mana Boosting Strategy, Basic Eight-Section Talisman Universal Dictionary, Heavenly Demon Parasitism Art..."

Holy crap!

"You're abusing big data like this, right? Stirring up competition among users to stimulate consumer desire?"

"Wait... what the hell is this Heavenly Demon Parasitism Art?"

Your competitor is ordering the "Heavenly Demon Parasitism Art"... How could anyone not click in? Even a passing dog would have to click in and take a look.

Zhang Yu clicked in and found that the Heavenly Demon Parasitism Art was an Expert-grade technique combining abilities like flesh self-healing, organ transplantation, flesh devouring, Qi-blood compatibility, and human body parasitism.

In short, it was a martial art for plundering others' bodies.

As a paying user of Qidian web novels in his previous life, Zhang Yu had one feeling when he saw the name and description.

Could the person buying this technique possibly be a good person?

"My opponent? Which fiend is trying to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Parasitic Art?"

"Is this opponent even real? Could this website be making it up?"

Zhang Yu felt some suspicion in his heart, but when he thought about the various mystical powers and methods of doing things in the Kunxu World, he felt that it wasn't entirely impossible.

Zhang Yu glanced at the price—the license for the Heavenly Demon Parasitic Art cost a full three hundred thousand. Among the people he knew, only a handful were qualified to cultivate this technique, and adding the qualifier "competitor"...

"Qian Shen?"

"Or is it He Dayou?"

Zhang Yu immediately felt that He Dayou was highly suspect. After all, Teacher Lei Jun had played the video of his fight with He Dayou over and over many times, and he remembered that He Dayou's gaze toward him was very unfriendly.

"Either way, I need to be careful of these wealthy people nearby."

"Cultivating some Heavenly Demon Parasitic Art—a wolf in sheep's clothing."

But soon, he saw in the recommendation bar below the purchase page... "People viewing this technique also viewed: Anti-Parasitic Art, Divine Purification Scripture, Heaven-Slaying Demon Art..."

Seeing these highly targeted names, Zhang Yu suddenly began to doubt his own judgment. "Could this platform really be messing with me, trying to trick me into placing an order?"

Based on Zhang Yu's understanding of the Kunxu World, the companies in this world were absolutely capable of doing such things.

For now, he could only keep this matter in mind. But before logging out of the platform, after some thought, he added the Anti-Parasitic Art, Divine Purification Scripture, Heaven-Slaying Demon Scroll, and other techniques to his bookmarks.

After a while, he simply opened the platform again and added the Heavenly Demon Parasitic Art to his bookmarks as well.

"Heh, hopefully that guy who placed the order can also see that his opponent is looking at Heavenly Demon Parasitic Art, Anti-Parasitic Art, Divine Purification Scripture, Heaven-Slaying Demon Scroll..."

In the blink of an eye, another night passed.

Zhang Yu's Circulating Heaven Qi Gathering Skill improved once again, reaching level 8 (95/160).

And after a full day of hard cultivation, his mana had also risen to 12.1.

The next day.

!

Inside Songyang High School campus.

Zhang Yu received a friend request from an avatar of a barbell.

"Hello Zhang Yu, I am Lan Ling from the second-year demonstration class, also the sports minister of the student council. 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, classmate Zhang Yu. In order to promote the development of social immortality, help our school's students climb high on the immortal path, and achieve even better results, based on the principle of mutual voluntariness and win-win cooperation, we are honored to invite you to negotiate regarding a signing agreement, with the aim of reaching deeper value-added cooperation..."

The other party made an appointment to meet him at the student council office at noon today to discuss the signing.

"Finally here, huh?"

So at noon that day, Zhang Yu washed his face, combed his hair, tidied his clothes, and then arrived in front of the student council office.

Just as he knocked on the door, he saw that after the door opened, another door appeared.

Oh... it wasn't that another door appeared behind the door, but rather that a person who looked very much like a door appeared.

A student with a door-plank build opened the door for Zhang Yu, smiling as he stepped back: "You're classmate Zhang Yu, right?"

Glancing at the dumbbell still in the door-plank person's hand, Zhang Yu greeted, "Classmate Lan Ling?"

Just as they were exchanging greetings, laughter came from behind the door-plank person, followed by the thumping sound of running.

"Is Zhang Yu here?"

A young man who hadn't even had time to put on his shoes jumped off the sofa, jogged over to Zhang Yu, grabbed his hands, and said excitedly, "Haha, last night I heard that another peerless genius has emerged from our Songyang High School. Today, I've finally been waiting for you."

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

Lan Ling beside him followed up and introduced, "Classmate Zhang Yu, this is our student council's vice chairman, Zhou Chechen."

Zhang Yu recalled that this was probably the top student of the second year.

After the monthly exams, it was a name often seen everywhere on campus, just like his own.

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

Feeling the firm grip of the other's hand and the gaze full of appreciation, excitement, and thrill, Zhang Yu's heart tightened.

"Holy crap, he's not a fencer, is he?"

Zhou Chechen reached out and grabbed the air, and a stack of documents flew over from the desk into his hand.

"After I saw your grades, I immediately looked up your information."

"That's when I discovered there had been debt-collection calls made to the school about you."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's heart sank. He thought to himself, "Is he going to use my debts to lowball me?"

But Zhou Chechen waved the documents in his hand and laughed, "After I heard about it, I had someone buy up all your debts."

"Over a dozen platforms, 700,000 in total—it's all right here."

"How could the pride of our school be weighed down by debt? If word got out, other high schools would think Songyang High is too poor to even invest in its own students."

As he spoke, he channeled his magical power, reducing the debt documents to ashes.

Under Zhang Yu's stunned gaze, Zhou Chechen continued, "From now on, you don't have to make monthly payments."

"This 700,000 debt is on my tab for now—no interest, and no rush to pay it back."

"Just focus on your studies and cultivation here at Songyang High. Once you graduate from college and join a major sect, you can earn money and slowly pay me back then."

Zhang Yu stared at him in shock, never expecting the vice president of the student council to temporarily resolve his most pressing loan problem with a single move.

Then Zhou Chechen picked up another document and explained, "After discussing with the president, I've drawn up a Class-A contract for you."

"50,000 per month for cultivation expenses, plus 20% off everything at school: spirit roots, meditation chambers, spirit realms, talismans, cafeteria, elixirs... and we've prepared a single-occupancy dormitory room for you..."

As he listened to each preferential term being listed, Zhang Yu's heart couldn't help but race, and he felt an urge to sign the document on the spot.