Chapter 1: Interview

"Are we there yet?"

"Don't be anxious. Your grades are so good; you're bound to pass."

"Don't worry about the surgery costs. Mom found a new side job and will definitely scrape together the money for you. Just focus on the interview."

Looking at the messages from his mother on the screen, Zhang Yu silently put away his phone, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and waited quietly.

After a long while, a call came from the front.

"Candidate number 989, Zhang Yu."

Zhang Yu stood up and walked into the interview classroom.

He looked at the three interviewers and gave the polite smile he had practiced countless times: "Greetings, esteemed judges. I am Zhang Yu from Dongyang Junior High."

The interviewer in the middle gazed at him and said calmly: "Why do you want to apply to our school?"

Zhang Yu: "Your esteemed school boasts a long and illustrious history, a profound foundation of knowledge, and abundant educational resources. It has consistently cultivated exceptional talents for society..."

The interviewer frowned and interrupted: "Spare me the pleasantries."

Zhang Yu replied honestly: "I aspire to attend a prestigious university, and Songyang High School has the highest university acceptance rate among the schools I can apply to."

The interviewer smiled slightly, looking at the information in his hand: "Hmm, perfect scores in all subjects, top of the class? No wonder you were recommended."

"Your grades are not a problem, but if you want to enter Songyang High School, relying solely on internal exam scores is far from enough."

He pondered for a moment and casually asked: "How many hours of sleep do you get each day?"

Zhang Yu: "Five hours."

The interviewer was surprised: "Five hours?"

"Our school's students, starting from elementary school, average no more than two hours of sleep per day. And the most outstanding graduates of each class practically never sleep."

"You actually sleep five hours a day, which means you study three hours less than others each day. Over nine years, that's nearly ten thousand hours..."

Zhang Yu was slightly stunned. He never imagined that he, who thought he was already working extremely hard, was still so far behind others in terms of dedication.

Zhang Yu quickly said: "I will strive to catch up with them."

The interviewer on the left asked: "How much of the high school curriculum have you learned?"

Zhang Yu calmed down a little and said confidently: "I have already self-studied the entire first-year curriculum."

The interviewer frowned slightly: "Only the first year? Didn't you know that when we have classes here, we assume the students have already completed the entire high school curriculum?"

Zhang Yu was dumbfounded. This was another piece of information he was unaware of. What he thought was an advantage had instantly turned into a disadvantage.

Just as he was at a loss, the interviewer in the middle asked the next question.

"To improve learning efficiency and prevent romance, our school requires all students to undergo sterilization surgery to remove the relevant organs before enrollment, so they can concentrate on their studies."

"Are you aware of this?"

Finally hearing something he knew, he quickly replied: "My family is already preparing for it. I will definitely complete the sterilization surgery before school starts and keep my hormone levels at the optimal level for studying."

The interviewer nodded noncommittally: "Alright, today's interview is over. You can leave now."

Zhang Yu walked out of the classroom anxiously. He felt that his interview time seemed shorter than that of the other students.

After he left, the interviewer in the middle shook his head: "Still not sterilized even in junior high? This child's resolve for the Dao is not firm enough."

The female interviewer next to him smiled: "I think he came here knowing nothing. He doesn't have any of the required test reports or extracurricular exam scores. I can only say that the quality of the recommended students from these ordinary junior high schools is getting worse every year. If it weren't for the support policies, they wouldn't even have the qualification to meet us."

The interviewer in the middle nodded: "Alas, I thought the poor would work harder. Perhaps I expected too much of them."

"Let's put this one on the alternate list for now."

With that, he threw Zhang Yu's resume into the trash can next to him, where it joined hundreds of other alternate resumes.

Although Zhang Yu felt that his interview didn't seem very successful, he didn't have time to dwell on it. He had already begun preparing for one interview after another, arriving at different high schools one by one.

"Student Zhang Yu, we understand that your family's financial situation may not be able to afford the tuition fees here. However, we provide preferential loan services for poor students, as long as you are willing to mortgage some unimportant organs..."

"Don't worry, you've come to the right place. We know you're male, and although our school is a girls' school, we never discriminate against males. As long as you complete the gender reassignment surgery, you will not only be able to enroll, but you will also be considered a seed student with a firm Dao heart and have the opportunity to enter the advanced class to learn the Art of Refining Primordial Yin..."

"Unfortunately, you are still a little short of our admission standards. However, this year, to take care of poor students, we have launched a special talent policy. If you are willing to give up your physical body, you can study in the principal's Myriad Souls Banner as a soul cultivation specialty student..."

"Student, you've come to the right place. This is the high school most suitable for ordinary geniuses like you.

Let me introduce you to the benefits here. We add nootropic drugs to the drinking water to ensure that students are always maintained in a state of fifth-level focus.

Every day, the homeroom teacher will give you more than 900 grams of supplements specifically for bull demons to ensure that your cultivation effect is more than ten times what it was before.

Even the air circulation system is filled with nerve stimulant supplements, so you no longer need to sleep, and all of this is free.

Of course, to withstand these function-enhancing supplements, you must complete the transformation in our designated hospital.

Don't worry, you just need to implant some small magical instruments to improve your metabolism. This is the detailed price list..."

One interview after another, one question after another.

Either the threshold was too high to reach, making him see no hope at all.

Or the contracts were full of traps, making him feel like he would be swallowed whole.

All of this made Zhang Yu feel like he was suffocating.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that he, who had the highest grades in the ordinary junior high school in the suburbs, was already vastly different from the students in the city center.

Even until this moment, he only knew the tip of the iceberg of how big the specific gap between them was...

All his hard work in the past few years seemed to have become a joke.

In the end, he was no different from those students who didn't study at all; he couldn't get into high school either.Returning home, Zhang Yu sat as still as a stone statue.

The phone on the table vibrated incessantly.

Mother: How was the interview?

Mother: I have to work overtime today. Remember to heat up the food in the fridge.

A moment later, the phone vibrated again.

Mother: Son, don't worry. Whether you choose sterilization or gender reassignment, Mom will help you scrape together the money for the surgery.

But Zhang Yu didn't even glance at the vibrating phone. He simply stared blankly at the ceiling, wanting to contemplate his future, yet feeling as though his mind was utterly empty, unable to conjure any thoughts at all.

Just then, the phone vibrated violently once more.

Zhang Yu initially wanted to ignore it, but after the phone vibrated for over a minute, he finally couldn't resist picking it up, only to find that the caller had already hung up.

Then, he received a message: Your reserve fund of five thousand is ready, and will be credited in just ten seconds...

"A payday loan ad?"

"Hmph."

Zhang Yu figured his interview data had probably been sold by some school.

But after setting the phone down for a moment, he picked it up again, reopening the message.

...

That night, when his mother returned from working overtime, she found Zhang Yu, who had previously looked ashen-faced, seemingly recovered. He was sitting upright at his desk, reading a book.

"Mom, don't worry, I won't be defeated so easily."

"If I don't succeed this year, I'll try again next year. I will cultivate Immortality!"

"Tomorrow, I'm going to find a tutoring center. I'm going to make up for everything I lack, one by one."

Early the next morning, Zhang Yu rushed out. When he returned that evening, his face was beaming with joy.

"Mom, I found a Daoist cultivation tutoring center. The instructors there are all hired from top high schools. Studying with them will definitely get me into high school."

"You don't have to worry about the tuition. They think my grades have always been good since I was a kid, and they know my family isn't wealthy, so they've temporarily waived my tuition. As long as I can get into Songyang High School next year, I won't have to pay it back. Consider it helping them with advertising."

"Don't worry, they're a big company, they won't cheat people."

His mother watched as Zhang Yu left for the tutoring center before dawn every day, and returned home late at night, still studying until two or three in the morning.

Seeing him constantly bringing back textbooks for the eleventh and twelfth grades – Chinese, math, physics, and so on – seeing his plan to finish all the general knowledge courses for high school, except for Daoist cultivation, within a year, she felt gratified by her son's diligence.

But when she saw the boxes of medicine he brought back, a hint of doubt welled up in her heart.

Zhang Yu explained with a smile: "Mom, since I was little, I've already studied ten thousand hours less than those academic geniuses. If I don't work harder, I'll only be left further and further behind."

"These nerve stimulants and fillers allow me to sleep for only half an hour each day, increasing my learning efficiency, so I can at least not be further distanced from those students in the city."

"Don't worry, these medicines don't cost any money."

"The principal of our tutoring center is particularly optimistic about me. He gave me all these medicines."

Hearing that they were given by the principal, his mother was even happier that her son was being appreciated.

Soon, Zhang Yu brought even more things back.

In addition to various high school textbooks and nerve stimulants and fillers, there were also capsules for regulating hormone levels, supplements specifically for demon beasts, and bottles of unpackaged medicinal powders.

Zhang Yu had many explanations: sometimes saying they were cheap things he bought while working part-time, sometimes saying they were gifts from classmates, sometimes saying they were rewards from the tutoring center...

His mother was happy for her son's diligence, and even more pleased with his good relationships and excellent performance at the tutoring center.

She transferred 1000 yuan to Zhang Yu, reminding him to thank his classmates and teachers.

But gradually, she noticed that Zhang Yu's mood was beginning to change. Sometimes he would be cheerful before leaving in the morning, but when he came back at night, he would go straight to bed without saying a word.

Sometimes he would be happily eating, but after answering a phone call, his brows would furrow, and he wouldn't be able to eat another bite.

She knew that the pressure of cultivation must be too great, causing Zhang Yu to be mentally tense.

She could only buy more of the things he liked to eat, and save more money for his tuition, hoping to alleviate some of his stress.

Gradually, she also noticed that Zhang Yu was particularly concerned about his phone. Not only did he almost always have his phone with him, but he wouldn't allow anyone to touch it casually. He always went into the bathroom and closed the door before answering calls.

Once, she saw that the phone was out of power and took it to charge, but Zhang Yu angrily scolded her.

Understanding that he was under a lot of pressure, she never dared to touch Zhang Yu's phone again, fearing that it would affect her son's cultivation.

Suddenly one day, Zhang Yu asked her for tutoring fees, saying that the tutoring center had invited alumni who had been admitted to top universities to give lectures to them, and this was the money for the alumni.

Then there was the recommendation fee for the high school admissions teachers.

The spirit root detection fee for the hospital.

And the cost of buying civilian-grade children's flying swords together with the classmates at the tutoring center.

From two or three thousand to seven or eight thousand... The last time, she directly transferred twenty thousand yuan, which Zhang Yu said was the cost of renting a Heavenly Spirit Root.

But good news finally came: Zhang Yu had successfully been admitted to Songyang High School!

His mother felt extremely happy. She was proud of her son's efforts and talent. She readily agreed to everything Zhang Yu said next – the tuition, miscellaneous fees, medicine fees, and so on.

But after school started, the amount of money Zhang Yu asked for increased, and the family gradually fell into financial straits.

Finally, one afternoon, hearing the voice on the other end of the phone, his mother felt a tremor in her heart.

"Hello? Is this Zhang Yu's mother?"

"Are you aware that your son's loan is 30 days overdue..."

That night, Zhang Yu confessed everything to his mother.

Over the past year or so, the various expenses during the learning process were not the freebies, appreciations, and gifts he had claimed... The money all came from loans he had taken out on various platforms.

"Mom, I'm sorry."

"But I really want to cultivate Immortality!"

"Even if I owe debts for a lifetime, I still want to cultivate Immortality..."

After hearing all of this, his mother silently sold all the valuables in the house, and then borrowed some more money to pay off Zhang Yu's debts.

She thought that her son would be able to cultivate Immortality in peace next.

But she soon discovered that her son's new loans were overdue again.

Repaying loans... Borrowing loans... Repaying loans... Borrowing loans...

His mother finally couldn't help but advise Zhang Yu to spend less money."Mother, this elixir cannot be stopped! If I cease consumption, my Dao Heart will regress, and all my previous efforts will be for naught!"

"A Heavenly Spiritual Root must be rented! Without it, my arcane energies will not keep pace!"

"The VIP card for this tutoring center requires replenishment, else I shall not comprehend the techniques imparted by the instructors!"

Advanced Immortal Dao technologies allow even mortals devoid of Spiritual Roots to embark on the path of immortality. However, the price is regular, expensive study and maintenance to sustain progress.

Three months into the semester, the debts mounted, and even the rent and utilities became insurmountable burdens. It was a never-ending nightmare, and his mother could endure no more.

One day, upon returning from school, Zhang Yu found his mother gone.

He read her farewell note, then sat in stunned silence before ascending to the rooftop.

…

On the rooftop of the rental building.

A searing pain erupted in the man's mind, gradually pulling his chaotic consciousness from the abyss.

He opened his eyes and beheld a bustling street, teeming with people and flowing with sewage.

Neon signs flashed on either side, advertising a myriad of wares. Above, dark buildings crowded together, threatening to blot out the sky.

The dilapidated apartment building he stood upon projected a financial advertisement onto its peeling red brick walls. Flying immortals promoted a thirty-day interest-free loan for aspiring cultivators.

"Wasn't I playing a dark horror game?"

"Where am I?"

As he pondered, he turned and discovered the rooftop was adorned with candles.

Rows of candles flickered with crimson light, encircling him and a tattered doll.

The doll was made of faded, yellowed cloth, its seams crooked and loose, as if it were about to fall apart.

The bizarre scene jolted his mind, and fragments of memories surged through his consciousness.

"This isn't China… Have I been transported to another world?"

He struggled to accept the transmigration.

Yet the vivid memories of Immortal Dao technology assailed him, merging him with the original owner of the body while reminding him he was in a different world.

This was Kunxu, a colossal, pyramid-shaped structure erected upon the land. It consisted of thirty-six above-ground levels and eighteen subterranean levels.

Beginning with the first level, which spanned an area akin to a continent, each level was a new world.

The nature of the world outside Kunxu remained a mystery in Zhang Yu’s mind.

He knew only that Kunxu was dominated by Immortal Dao sects.

The great sects reigned supreme, monopolizing grain, energy, transportation, education, research, medicine, finance, and even the internet. The government and military were little more than gatekeepers before the sects’ enforcers.

Ordinary folk enjoyed few of the benefits of Immortal Dao technology, instead toiling endlessly for survival.

He was now Zhang Yu, a high school student at Songyang High School living on Kunxu's first level, engrossed in some strange ritual…

"I am now Zhang Yu of another world."

Just then, a sharp pain coursed through his palm, snapping Zhang Yu from his reverie.

He looked down and saw a translucent symbol forming in his palm, slowly turning black.

"What is this?"

A gust of night wind caused the crimson candlelight to flicker.

The worn doll stared at him with its empty black button eyes.

He tried to recall what had happened, but the more he strained, the more his head throbbed.

The atmosphere grew increasingly ominous, and Zhang Yu clutched his aching head, feeling the world spin around him.

When he regained his senses, he found himself walking towards his front door.

He glanced at the overdue rent notice, entered his room, and saw only a bed and a table.

"This is my home?"

Feeling the clammy sweat on his skin and the stifling heat, Zhang Yu reached for the air conditioner remote but remembered that the room had no air conditioning.

He wanted to rinse off, but the water had been shut off.

Zhang Yu sat heavily on the bed, defeated.

"What a wretched place."

"What good are Immortals? This life is worse than one without them."

Zhang Yu's gaze swept across the wall and landed on a collection of certificates plastered behind the table.

From the first grade through the ninth, the original Zhang Yu had been at the top of his class every year.

Memories of awards ceremonies flooded his mind: "The original Zhang Yu was a diligent, hardworking student with excellent grades."

"Songyang High School, which I now attend, is a top school in the city."

"I am a prodigy."

As he recalled the knowledge in his mind, Zhang Yu's eyes began to sparkle: "Getting into a prestigious university allows one to build a foundation, joining a major sect allows one to form a core, and climb the ranks in Kunxu, escape this slum, enjoy more benefits of Immortal Dao technologies, and live for hundreds of years."

He suddenly realized that coming to this world might not be so bad after all.

Just as he was thinking this, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Zhang Yu, your loan on our platform is three days overdue..."

After hanging up, Zhang Yu scrolled through the text messages on his phone and discovered a dense collection of debt collection notices, all the result of the original body borrowing money from various platforms.

At the same time, relevant memories surfaced in his mind.

"This guy started taking out loans for tutoring before entering high school. After entering Songyang High School, he had an idea to use loans to finance his studies and take medicine and tuition to improve his grades. In the end, not only did the money get more and more, but the potential was also gradually drained."

"This bastard is a fraudulent cultivator relying on platform loans to pretend to be a genius."

"Even his mother couldn't take it anymore, and she left."Calculating the total overdue debts, Zhang Yu's forehead immediately beaded with cold sweat.

He discovered that with compounding interest, he owed various platforms a total of over seven hundred thousand!

And looking at his account, he had only fifty-odd yuan left.

"Seven hundred thousand...damn!"

Zhang Yu slammed a fist on the bed, raging, "In this world... even for a top student fresh out of high school, this is a monumental debt!"

"No wonder this fellow was obsessed with some absurd rituals... he's a debt-ridden dog with no hope in life."

"He had his fun, and now I have to pay his debts?"

At the same moment, the lights in the room suddenly went out.

After repeatedly pressing the switch and observing the situation of other neighbors, Zhang Yu confirmed one thing... his electricity had been cut off.

"This forsaken place..."

"If I could wake up tomorrow morning and be back where I belong, that would be a true blessing..."

His mind swirling with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, Zhang Yu finally drifted off to a fitful sleep on the bed.

And on the palm of his hand, the previously translucent rune had been filled with black to about one-tenth of its area.