Chapter 3
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Chapter 3 Physical Education
Zhang Yu barely had time to reflect. Not long after he returned to the classroom, the Math Teacher, wearing black framed glasses, walked in carrying a stack of papers.
“Today we will go over the last exam.”
“Pass out the papers.”
“Look at your mistakes. How many times have I told you to come ask me if you do not understand something? I sat in my office for three hours yesterday afternoon and not a single person came to ask me a question…”
Shortly after the math papers were distributed, the tall and muscular Physical Education Teacher entered the classroom. He looked at the Math Teacher and stated, “You are sick.”
After sending the ailing Math Teacher away, the Physical Education Teacher Wang Hai looked towards the numerous students and announced, “This period has been changed to Physical Education class.”
“However do not forget to review your math on your own when you get back. General education subjects account for fifty points on the National College Entrance Examination. In that examination, missing even one point means falling behind many people.”
“Speaking of general education courses, I will mention this in passing. I have already spoken with your Chinese language teacher, and the next period’s language class will also be changed to Physical Education. Including your original class, my Physical Education class will run for the entire morning today.”
Everyone followed the Physical Education Teacher Wang Hai to the indoor training hall. They saw that the training hall was as vast as a public square, filled with all manner of exercise equipment.
Wang Hai explained, “The Qi Refining Realm is the first realm of the Cultivation, and laying a solid foundation is crucial. How firmly you build that foundation during your first year will determine the heights you can reach in your second and third year…”
As Zhang Yu took in these familiar surroundings, countless detailed memories continuously surged forth from his mind.
Since the time Path to Immortality was catalogued and integrated by the Ten Great Sects, it has long possessed a systematic division of realms and power levels. This system is all encompassing, covering every single aspect of immortal cultivation technology, one could say it is as vast and profound as an ocean.
The most widely recognized system is the Ten Great Realms of the Path to Immortality.
The key indicators determining which realm an individual can ascend to are their Dao Heart level and magic power level.
Taking the example of High School students, only when their Dao Heart surpasses the Level 10 threshold and their magic power exceeds 60 points can they achieve a breakthrough from the Qi Refining Realm to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The current High School Physical Education class was designed to hone the physical body and temper the will.
After all a strong physique not only increases the efficiency of magic power cultivation but also greatly aids in developing the robust willpower which is required for advancing Dao Heart levels. Furthermore, it enhances practical combat capabilities within the Qi Refining Realm.
If the Dao Heart and magic power are the foundations of the Path to Immortality, then the Physical Strength trained in Physical Education class is the bedrock of those very foundations.
At the same time, waves of light scanned the bodies of the many students present. Their Physical Strength data appeared on a large screen nearby, ranked from highest to lowest.
First Place Qian Shen, Physical Strength Level 1.15
Second Place Bai Zhenzhen, Physical Strength Level 1.13
Third Place He Dayou, Physical Strength Level 1.12
***
Zhang Yu had to look all the way down to 19th place before he found his own score.
19th place Zhang Yu, Physical Strength Level 0.82.
Immortal cultivation technology in Kunxu had undergone continuous development, and now various data and metrics had become increasingly precise.
Physical Strength for instance was not only quantified but was also retested during every Physical Education class.
This metric, just like the Dao Heart, could only reach a maximum of Level 10 within the Qi Refining Stage.
Although Physical Strength was not the key indicator for breaking through the higher realms of immortal cultivation, it related directly to a cultivator’s efficiency and combat prowess. It was an important foundation of the Path to Immortality, accounting for 150 points out of the 650 points in the Path to Immortality curriculum.
“Has my Physical Strength already dropped to 19th place?”
Zhang Yu stared at his result, recalling in his mind how his rate of progress in Physical Strength had been continuously surpassed by those around him during these recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the classmates around him were one after another pulling out syringes, injecting various enhancement supplements into their arms.
Once injected into the body, these supplements from various brands not only strengthened muscle and bone but also increased training efficiency anywhere from several times to over a dozen times. They were essential drugs for First-Year students.
Here you could skip a day of training but you could not skip a day of injections. Excellent Top Students are often administered eight injections or more per day.
Zhang Yu watched Bai Zhenzhen not far away inject herself a total of nine times in one go across her buttocks, arms, and thighs.
Compared to the many hulking figures around her, Bai Zhenzhen however appeared much smaller. Zhang Yu remembered this was because their physical body training focused on different aspects, thus shaping different physiques.
Nearby, the Physical Education Teacher Wang Hai saw Zhang Yu’s hesitation and delaying the injection. He frowned as he walked over, “Zhang Yu, how many days has it been since you last used a performance enhancer?”
Zhang Yu dared not admit he had no money left. He knew that at Songyang High School, this was just as shameful as having poor grades, something he would only dare voice when talking with a friend like Bai Zhenzhen who knew his circumstances completely.
Furthermore, the fragmented memories in his mind told him that the original host’s body had taken the drugs too aggressively. The burden on his internal organs and cardiovascular system was severe, causing him to faint several times, and it was now beginning to endanger his life.
So Zhang Yu replied evasively, “I wanted to try training without the drugs…”
Unexpectedly, Wang Hai’s frown deepened upon hearing this. His voice boomed like thunder as he said, “Have you been watching those Internet celebrities who cannot handle the hardship of the injections, promoting natural body refining again? That is all deceptive nonsense. How can you possibly keep up without the drugs?
“Just look how many places you have dropped! If you keep this up, you will be kicked out of the Demonstration Class after the next Monthly Exam.”
He spoke with an expression of deep frustration over wasted potential, “Do you think I’m telling you to use injections for body cultivation for my own sake? It is not as if I will gain muscle when you take them.”
With a casual wave of his hand, he pointed towards a student in the distance. “Just look at Qian Shen. He gets twelve injections of Dragon-Elephant Elixir a day to develop his muscles and bones, two injections of painkillers to suppress the agony of his flesh tearing and growing, and two injections of Taotie booster to accelerate his metabolism and the absorption of immortal cultivation elements from food. He force-feeds himself on fifteen pounds of food every single day just to gain weight…”
“In a mere three months, his Physical Strength has exploded from 0.13 to its current level of 1.15, giving him the strongest physique among all the First-Year students. That level of progress is worth twenty years of your natural body cultivation.”
As Wang Hai recounted this, Zhang Yu remembered how just three months ago Qian Shen had been a skinny runt less than one point seven meters tall, and how he had transformed into the small giant he was today, now standing over two meters tall and weighing over three hundred pounds.
Wang Hai then pointed to another student. “And look at Zhao Tianxing, who used to be even weaker than you. Just the day before yesterday his Physical Strength broke through the 1.00 level. Now his blood is truly like lead and quicksilver, his arteries have hardened, and his heart has swelled to triple its size.”
After casually pointing out several students, Wang Hai sighed. “Zhang Yu, I am only telling you all this because your Physical Strength used to rank within the top ten. Your talent is not bad and your drug resistance is exceptional.”
Observing Wang Hai’s patient and earnest manner, Zhang Yu could feel his concern. However, his lack of money and his fear of death both made him unwilling to take the injections now.
Just as he was contemplating how best to explain himself, he saw Wang Hai pull a box of potions from a bag nearby. “As the saying goes, ‘results are three parts training, seven parts nutrition’, but the ninety percent of success depends on how you use the medicine.”
“This is the Divine Elephant Force Enhancer, the latest release from the Vajra Sect. The quality is guaranteed because it comes from a Great Sect. One injection is as effective as ten.”
“To tell you the truth, this stuff should still be in the laboratory. I got hold of it from a good buddy of mine. Seeing as your talent is decent, I will sell it to you now at a twenty percent discount. Ten bottles for you will be 8,800.”
Watching the way Wang Hai tried to push the product on him, Zhang Yu suddenly remembered everything. More than half of the various body-enhancing supplements eaten or injected by the students in his class had been bought directly from Wang Hai.
This sort of situation was perfectly normal at Songyang High School. After all, medicine and body cultivation were inseparable. Every Physical Education Teacher was not only an outstanding expert in body cultivation but also an excellent pharmaceutical salesman, often backed by multiple pharmaceutical connections.
But at that moment, Zhang Yu could neither afford such things nor could his body handle the potions. He could only think of ways to brush the matter aside.
Watching Zhang Yu constantly evade and make excuses, Wang Hai gave a cold snort. He put the potion away and said with that look of frustration at wasted potential, “Well suit yourself then.”
Watching the Physical Education teacher turn and leave to begin instructing and pitching sales to the other students, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly. He thought to himself, Is Physical Education class really this difficult to get through in this wretched place?
Just then, a youth walked over and leaned close to Zhang Yu, asking, “Was Wang Hai trying to sell you something again?”
The student who spoke had pleasant and handsome features, appearing much like the approachable boy next door.
Memories connected to the youth surfaced in Zhang Yu’s mind.
He recognized him. He was Zhou Tianyi.
Zhou Tianyi was the meal and study buddy Zhang Yu had met on his very first day of school.
The two of them had eaten together and studied together for three months, forging a fragile friendship in the process.
However, even as the memories surged forth, Zhang Yu’s first thought was of the other boy’s grade ranking.
Ranked 25th in the grade, he thought, Is he good enough to eat at the same table as me? He paused. Wait, when did I start discriminating based on grades like this?
As his memories continued to merge, Zhang Yu felt himself being steadily influenced, placing more and more importance on the academic rankings within the school.
Hearing Zhou Tianyi’s question just then, he nodded and said, “Yes, he wanted to sell me the Divine Elephant Force Enhancer.”
“And you didn’t buy any?” Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Zhou Tianyi hissed. “Man, aren’t you afraid Old Wang will make things difficult for you?”
“Make things difficult?” Zhang Yu replied. “It is just not buying the potion. Surely it is not that serious.”
Zhou Tianyi shook his head repeatedly. “Ah, do you want to hear some gossip about Wang Hai?”
“Forget it, I am not one for gossip.”
Zhang Yu turned and walked towards the nearby training equipment, intending to familiarize himself with his physical body and the content of the Physical Education curriculum.
Zhou Tianyi continued anyway, “Some teachers complained that Wang Hai was jerking off in the office next door and the ceiling actually cracked when he came.”
Zhang Yu stopped dead in his tracks. He was not a person who gossiped, but hearing a rumor this ridiculous.. he just had to find out what was really going on.
Zhou Tianyi said, “Wang Hai later explained he was not doing that. He claimed the banging sounds were just him disciplining some disobedient students.”
“Later on, I asked students from the previous two years. It turns out Wang Hai has long had a habit of physically punishing students who perform poorly.”
“Especially if your grades drop and you also refuse to buy his supplements, he will take the lead in bullying you.”
“I heard that a few years ago, he even drove one student to jump off a building.”
Hearing those words about ‘jumping off a building’, Zhang Yu’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “And Wang Hai suffered no consequences?”
Zhou Tianyi replied nonchalantly. “Wang Hai’s teaching results have always been excellent. He is Songyang High School’s ace Physical Education teacher. He has trained three students who ranked first in the entire city for Physical Strength during the National College Entrance Examination. Some people say he has channels to obtain drugs from Great Sects that are still in the laboratory phase.”
“Even if the school truly wanted to get rid of him, most of the students and parents would never agree. They all rely on Wang Hai to buy the supplements that can help them improve their Physical Strength.”
As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Yu and warned, “If you keep refusing to buy supplements and your grades do not improve, I am afraid he will trouble you too.”
Noticing Zhang Yu’s furrowed brow, Zhou Tianyi asked curiously, “Say, you used to take plenty of injections yourself. Why did you suddenly stop buying them? Don’t tell me you have run out of money? Do you want me to lend you some?”
Sensing the sincerity in the other’s eyes, Zhang Yu could only offer a wry smile. “No need.”
“Are you really sure?” Zhou Tianyi pressed. “How about you use the my share for today?”
Zhang Yu naturally shook his head again and again. He was genuinely afraid that just a few more injections would cause him to drop dead on the spot.
According to the memories in his mind, this world was no stranger to people severely injured, crippled, or even killed by drug overdose. Even Songyang High School itself saw students sustain severe injuries every year due to excessive drug use.
Yet even so, an endless stream of students still pursued greater physical strength through the use of drugs.
The body’s original host had already shown signs of being overwhelmed and unable to bear the burden since the previous week.
Thinking about how the original Zhang Yu had not only left him a colossal debt of seven hundred thousand but had also saddled him with this worn-out body, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly once more.
Just as the two were whispering, an icy gaze suddenly swept over them, and Wang Hai barked “Stop gossiping during Physical Education class!”
Zhang Yu and Zhou Tianyi immediately ceased their conversation and resumed their exercises.
Zhang Yu approached a massive iron ball. Tensing the muscles throughout his body, he exerted his strength fiercely and hoisted the 100-kilogram iron sphere.
Then, as his muscles contracted and expanded with the effort, he moved the great iron ball all around his body as though it were merely a toy. As the iron ball flipped, spun, and flew up and down, Zhang Yu felt his Qi and Blood energy surge while all parts of his body gradually grew warm.
“This is the warm-up.”
The entire process felt instinctive, etched deep into his very flesh and blood. Zhang Yu completed the warm-up training almost without thinking.
As the training that followed progressed, his mastery over this physical body deepened, and related memories continuously surfaced in his mind.
“Body refining during the Qi Refining stage primarily focuses on tempering the muscles and bones. Through repeated practice again and again one breaks through their limits, ultimately elevating their level of physical strength.”
“As for concrete methods, the most widespread method popular among high school students for example is the body refinement technique called the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.”
The Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening was a body refinement technique created by the Ten Great Sects specifically for the high school curriculum. The thirty-six movements, coordinated with different equipment, could comprehensively develop the physical body and effectively enhance physical strength.
Under the framework of the Cultivation established by the Ten Great Sects, all martial arts and Dao arts were divided into grades from Level 1 to Level 100.
Most students at Songyang High School could grasp the basics within a week or two, successfully training a fundamental martial art like the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening up to Level 1.
If one could continue to raise their level, the training effects of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening would become increasingly potent and astonishing.
However, this was clearly not easy. In Zhang Yu’s memory, in the three months since school began, only Bai Zhenzhen had managed to raise her Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to Level 2.
It was precisely because of this that Bai Zhenzhen could maintain the second-highest physical strength score in the entire class with just nine injections a day, closely trailing Qian Shen, who received sixteen injections daily.
“The level of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening relates to the efficiency of physical strength enhancement, but the key factor truly determining the magnitude of one’s power and their Physical Education grades remains the physical strength itself.”
“Speaking of which, my physical strength is at Level 0.82, yet I can casually toss around objects weighing several hundred pounds. In the Qi Refining Realm, the maximum physical strength one can achieve is Level 10, and after Foundation Establishment it can reach as high as Level 20. The gap between individuals in this regard is truly vast.”
Zhang Yu initially intended just to practice casually, familiarizing himself with the Physical Education class content and getting a feel for his own body.
But as he progressed through the sets of movements in the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening, he grew increasingly serious and meticulous. It was as if an instinct within his body was urging him on, encouraging him, making him persevere in his training.
His muscles tore repeatedly and bones endured constant impact. Through practice again and again, his physical body underwent repeated torment until finally a warm current surged forth from within, silently beginning to repair the damage in his flesh.
This was the magic power within Zhang Yu’s body. Just like the Physical Education classes of the past few months, his physique was ravaged under the heavy pressure, only to be continuously repaired and made stronger by the effect of the magic power.
Huu!
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Yu exhaled a deep breath, feeling at that just moving any part of his body resulted in a body ache, as if his flesh and bones were about to fall apart.
“No wonder they need painkillers.”
He raised his head and glanced at Bai Zhenzhen in the distance, still sweating profusely as if caught in rain, and at the other classmates nearby who were also training maniacally. A sense of urgency instinctively surged within his heart, seemingly urging him to continue pushing his own body to its limits.
“If people trained this insanely back in my original world, they probably would have trained themselves to death long ago.”
“It is only because here there is the support of various supplements derived from immortal cultivation technology, and also magic power, that one can endure it and keep getting stronger.”
Feeling the pain radiating from every part of his body, along with that instinct still craving more training and hunger for greater strength, Zhang Yu could not help but marvel inwardly at the depth of the original Zhang Yu’s obsession.
However as the training continued, this deep-seated instinct hidden within his body seemed to be gradually fading away.
The path ahead would ultimately have to be chosen by the current Zhang Yu.
When the morning Physical Education class finally ended, Zhang Yu was exhausted and collapsed on the field, surrounded by classmates who were still energetic and fervently cultivating.
Zhang Yu reflected with a sigh that this must be the difference between those who had used supplements and those who had not.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the dark patch on his palm, discovering that the area not yet filled with darkness amounted to less than one quarter of the whole.
