Inside the cafeteria of Songyang High School.
Zhang Yu used a spoon to scoop out a mouthful of pure white synthetic food and swallowed it, feeling the sandy texture of the synthetic food rub against his oral cavity, stirring up a fishy smell of fat and protein in his throat.
This was unflavored synthetic food, without any seasoning or processing, tasting like vomit and smelling like a combination of insects and rotten flesh.
But no matter how terrible the taste, it was at least the cheapest and most cost-effective source of fat, protein, vitamins… and other nutrients needed for survival and cultivation for Zhang Yu.
"Sigh, I'm poor."
Because he was being tracked and monitored throughout the city, Zhang Yu's job opportunities in the dark tutoring world had disappeared, causing his income to plummet.
Even with the money he made from selling seeds, plus Bai Zhenzhen's subsidies from delivering food, after deducting the major expenses of medicine and food, there was very little left.
Adding to that the 45,000 loan interest every month, it became even more difficult for Zhang Yu to save money.
"I should save as much as I can wherever possible."
For example, when eating in the cafeteria, Zhang Yu chose to enjoy the original flavor of the ingredients in order to save on the cost of seasoning for the synthetic food every day.
As for expenses such as renting spiritual roots for cultivation, renting spiritual realms for cultivation, buying cultivation techniques, and buying cultivation道具, Zhang Yu had reduced them all.
"Fortunately, after the High School Sacred Body entered the second stage, my digestion and absorption ability has greatly improved every time I eat, so I don't need to eat as much as before to meet my body's needs."
By constantly saving money like this, Zhang Yu finally had 33,000 yuan in his bank account.
But for this deposit of 33,000...
"I don't dare to spend a single cent more."
After all, he was about to participate in the second round of Foundation Establishment exams, and besides the transportation costs, he was really afraid that this broken exam would require more money.
"If it really doesn't work out, I'll borrow some money from Zhao Tianxing and Qian Shen."
Just as Zhang Yu was enjoying the original taste of the food, Zhao Tianxing, who was beside him, looked at Zhang Yu with a hesitant expression.
Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, "Yu Zi's scores in September and October were not as good as Bai Zhenzhen's, and his mana and physical strength seem to have declined. He must not be in a good mood right now, right?"
Declining grades… in Zhao Tianxing's eyes, this was simply the most terrifying thing in high school.
And if you were surpassed by your good friend while also declining, it was easy to end up losing even your friends.
Like secretly adding laxatives to your good brother's food out of jealousy for his grades, secretly adding milk tea to your good brother's energy drink, or constantly sending your good brother funny short videos…
Zhao Tianxing had seen too many things like this, where good friends turned against each other because of changes in their grades.
In addition to that, Zhao Tianxing also felt that Bai Zhenzhen's interactions with Zhang Yu had decreased recently, and they hardly communicated in or out of class.
"They don't even eat dinner together often anymore." Zhao Tianxing thought to himself, "Could their relationship really be getting worse?"
"But is it really okay for me to ask them like this? Will it stimulate Zhang Yu?"
"Will it make Zhang Yu think… that I'm going to mock him for his declining grades?"
Just as Zhao Tianxing was hesitating, Qian Shen, who was beside him, said, "Zhang Yu, why have your grades been declining recently?"
Zhang Yu sighed and said casually, "I'm broke."
Zhao Tianxing also took the opportunity to ask, "Are you and Bai Zhenzhen okay? I don't see you guys talking much."
"We're fine, what could be wrong?"
Zhang Yu thought to himself that he and Bai Zhenzhen had been focusing on their own cultivation under great pressure recently, seizing every minute and every second to become stronger, so naturally they didn't have much opportunity to communicate at school, and only had a few words to say when they got home.
"And Ah Zhen has to deliver food, so she finishes dinner on the road after getting it from the cafeteria every day."
Just as Zhang Yu was thinking about these things, his phone vibrated slightly, and he received a message from Bai Zhenzhen.
Bai Zhenzhen sent a transfer of 200 yuan, asking him to receive it.
Bai Zhenzhen: Son, your food expenses for tomorrow morning, Mom just earned from delivering food.
Zhang Yu: Thanks, Mom.
Bai Zhenzhen: But if your income from selling seeds continues to decrease next time, Mom won't be able to support you either.
Bai Zhenzhen: You're so young, how come your quality is so bad? Can we think of a way to improve the quality and earn more money?
Zhang Yu didn't continue to look at the messages sent by Bai Zhenzhen, but thought to himself that after returning from this second round of Foundation Establishment exams, he really should think of a way to make money.
After eating dinner, Zhang Yu once again completed four hours of tutoring under the supervision of Teacher Zhou, and returned to the apartment outside Ziyun High School, facing the lights on the street.
Looking at Zhang Yu entering the apartment, Si Zhouyu, who was not far behind him, stretched her back.
After the shift change today, she was the one to monitor Zhang Yu.
And for her, monitoring Zhang Yu was much easier than monitoring Bai Zhenzhen.
After all, Zhang Yu didn't run around delivering food like Bai Zhenzhen, and spent most of his time at school or in the apartment, living the same repetitive life day after day.
And this monotonous surveillance also made Si Zhouyu feel a sense of helplessness.
"But after being tossed around for so long, there should be some action, right?"
Regarding Zhang Yu's current situation, Si Zhouyu believed that she knew more about it than many teachers and students at Songyang High School.
After all, even Zhang Yu's surveillance videos in the classroom every day, his various expenses at school, and the results of every exam and test… Si Zhouyu and the others could grasp all the data and information.
And in Si Zhouyu's opinion, Zhang Yu's economic level and grades were constantly declining, and his psychological state must be getting worse and worse.
"For this kind of genius who has been progressing all the way, watching himself fall step by step is the most uncomfortable and the easiest to打击道心."
Si Zhouyu had seen too many similar situations when she was at Jinzhou Junior College.
She didn't know how many students who thought they had some talent, some aptitude, and considered themselves geniuses.
Only after they stepped into the second level did they realize that there were people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens, and only then did they know what kind of monsters those students above the first level were…
The so-called genius of the first level was just the threshold for seeing those monsters.
Shaking her head, Si Zhouyu refocused her thoughts on what was in front of her: "Especially now… Bai Zhenzhen's grades are improving, and she can also work to earn money while Zhang Yu is tutoring."
"His psychology will definitely become more and more unbalanced."
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ said ⊥ is ⊥ at ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!
"Then… hurry up and take action, let me see what kind of stuff is behind you."
Thinking of these things, Si Zhouyu was already sitting on the rooftop of a nearby high-rise building, staring at the entrance and exit of the apartment while opening her phone.
"Sigh, during this period of surveillance, I've almost finished listening to all the good novels."
"Just find one at random."
Si Zhouyu knew that the next night would be another difficult one.
…
Just as Si Zhouyu was squatting outside.
Zhang Yu, who was inside the apartment, had just taken off his clothes and began to practice the Dragon Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm worth 200,000 yuan, move by move.
After three months of intermittent deduction with the true spiritual root, his expert-level cultivation technique finally had a new level 10 effect.
Originally, the level 10 effect of the Dragon Elephant Crushing Mountain Palm was called Dragon Tendons and Elephant Bones, which allowed Zhang Yu's physical body to continuously improve its structure after repeated exercise, gaining a more immortal and more powerful carrying capacity, and being able to withstand and transmit higher bursts of power.
Now, after the deduction of the true spiritual root, the effect of Dragon Tendons and Elephant Bones has been further improved, and it has been integrated into the operation of mana, allowing Zhang Yu's meridians to also have a higher carrying capacity for the operation of mana.
Zhang Yu slammed out a palm, and his physical strength, which had reached level , burst out, and the terrifying power seemed to shatter the air, stirring up a storm in the room, and a burst of explosions sounded.
Feeling the surging power in his body, the corners of Zhang Yu's mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.
Perhaps to outsiders, the data from his every test and exam showed no progress, or even a decline, but Zhang Yu himself was very clear about how much progress he had made these days.
And Fu Ji, watching this scene, was secretly amazed: "This guy… can still make such rapid progress under such conditions. What's the matter with his potential being improved later?"
Zhang Yu knew that he could continue to bravely and diligently improve on the path of immortality in such a poor and suppressed state, in addition to selling seeds for money, Bai Zhenzhen's support, the effect of the true spiritual root, and the feedback of the Remnant Cow Giving Body Heart Technique under pressure…
The most important point was that after he had pushed all ten high school basic cultivation techniques to level 10, the High School Sacred Body that was completely completed in the chain technique diagram.
Primary - High School Sacred Body (6/6): Drug load, absorption, and metabolism are increased to the peak of Qi Refining.
Advanced - High School Sacred Body (8/8): Food digestion, absorption, and metabolism are increased to the peak of Qi Refining.
Ultimate - High School Sacred Body (10/10): All Qi Refining techniques, cultivation efficiency is increased by 2 times, and cultivation effect is increased by 2 times.
Looking at the High School Sacred Body in the chain technique diagram, Zhang Yu sighed in his heart: "Now, no matter whether I eat or take medicine, I can spend less money and get stronger effects, and I don't have to worry about various side effects."
"And the last one… when I practice the cultivation technique, every time I practice it is equivalent to three times the original."
"Resistant to eating, resistant to medicine, resistant to rolling, it really deserves to be the High School Sacred Body."
Under such blessing, Zhang Yu not only saw his physical strength soar all the way to level , but also his mana increased to units.
Only his Dao Heart was a bit behind, but it also reached level 7 ().
"If it weren't for the fact that the closer you get to the data limit of Qi Refining, the more difficult it is to improve, I'm afraid I would have already raised my physical strength and mana to the limit."
At this moment, Zhang Yu's phone vibrated slightly, and a message from Su Haifeng came.
Su Haifeng: Still asking for leave? What's your situation now, and you still have the nerve to ask for leave?
Zhang Yu thought to himself, "As expected, the leave won't be approved? Then, if I want to participate in the Foundation Establishment exam, I can only…"
Zhang Yu turned the phone's address book to Yun Ni, the captain of the patrol team.
According to Zhang Pianpian, if he encountered any difficulties, he could try to ask Yun Ni for help.
So after a while, Zhang Yu sent a message over.
Zhang Yu: Captain Yun, I want to ask you for a favor. I want to go to Xiandu, but the school won't approve the leave. Can you send me and Bai Zhenzhen on a business trip in the name of the patrol team?
Zhang Yu: Don't worry, we will definitely not cause trouble when we go there, we just want to do something.
Yun Ni's reply was faster than Zhang Yu had imagined.
Yun Ni: I approved it, no need to tell me the reason, and no need to report to me when you come back.
