Chapter 3: Sports

Time was short for reflection. Zhang Yu had barely returned to the classroom when the mathematics teacher, sporting his ever-present black-rimmed glasses, strode in carrying a stack of exam papers.

"Today, we'll be going over the last test."

"Pass them out."

"Look at the areas where you made mistakes. How many times have I told you, if you don't understand something, come ask me! I sat in the office for three hours yesterday afternoon, and not a single one of you came to ask a question..."

Before the math papers could even be fully distributed, the towering figure of the physical education teacher, Wang Hai, entered the classroom. He glanced at the mathematics teacher and declared, "You're ill."

Having dismissed the ailing math instructor, Wang Hai surveyed the students. "This class is now P.E."

"However," he added, "don't forget to review your mathematics in your own time. General knowledge subjects account for fifty points in the college entrance exam, and a single point can make a world of difference."

"Speaking of general knowledge, I've also spoken with your language arts instructor. The next language arts class will also be converted to P.E. Adding that to the regularly scheduled P.E. period, you'll be spending the entire morning with me."

The students followed Wang Hai to the indoor training grounds, a space resembling a massive plaza filled with all sorts of training equipment.

Wang Hai boomed, "The Qi Refining Stage is the foundational realm of the Immortal Path. The strength of your foundation in the first year of high school will determine the heights you can achieve in the second and third years..."

Familiar scenes sparked a torrent of memories within Zhang Yu's mind.

Since its systematic organization by the Ten Great Sects, Immortal Path cultivation now possessed a comprehensive system of realms and power divisions, encompassing every facet of Immortal Path techniques - an ocean of knowledge.

Most well-known were the Ten Great Realms of Immortality.

The critical metrics determining one's potential to reach a given Immortal Path realm were one's Heart of the Dao Grade and Mana Level.

For high school students, only those whose Heart of the Dao surpassed the 10th Grade threshold and possessed more than 60 Mana Points could break through from the Qi Refining Realm to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

These high school P.E. classes focused on tempering the physical body and forging willpower.

After all, a powerful physique not only increased the efficiency of Mana advancement and aided in the robust will needed for Heart of the Dao Grade, but also enhanced combat capabilities within the Qi Refining Stage.

If Heart of the Dao and Mana were the foundation of the Immortal Path, then the physical strength honed in P.E. classes was the foundation of that foundation.

At the same time, waves of light scanned the bodies of the students present, displaying their Physical Strength data on a nearby screen, arranged from highest to lowest.

1st place, Qian Shen, Physical Strength Grade 1.15

2nd place, Bai Zhenzhen, Physical Strength Grade 1.13

3rd place, He Dayou, Physical Strength Grade 1.12

...

Zhang Yu had to scroll down to 19th place to find his score.

19th place, Zhang Yu, Physical Strength Grade 0.82

Through constant refinement, the Immortal Path technologies of Kunxu were now able to quantify and analyze data to an ever greater degree.

Not only was physical strength quantified, but it was also re-evaluated every P.E. period.

Like Heart of the Dao, this metric could only reach a maximum of Grade 10 in the Qi Refining Stage.

Although Physical Strength was not a key indicator for breaking through Immortal Path realms, it affected the cultivator's efficiency and combat prowess, making it a vital foundation of the Immortal Path, accounting for 150 out of 650 points in Immortal Path subjects.

"Physical strength has dropped to 19th place?"

Zhang Yu stared at his score, recalling how his rate of physical improvement had been steadily outpaced by those around him.

At that moment, the surrounding students pulled out syringes, injecting various enhancing supplements into their arms.

These supplements, each of varying brands, not only enhanced the strength of muscles and bones but also multiplied training efficiency by factors of several times to over ten times. They were essential for all first-year students.

Here, you could skip a day of training, but you couldn't skip a day of injections. The outstanding students often injected eight times or more daily.

Zhang Yu noticed Bai Zhenzhen injecting herself nine times in one go, into her buttocks, arms, and thighs.

Compared to many of the hulking figures around them, Bai Zhenzhen looked rather small. Zhang Yu remembered that this was due to their different directions in physical training, leading to differing physiques.

The P.E. teacher, Wang Hai, saw that Zhang Yu hadn't injected anything and approached with a frown. "Zhang Yu, how many days has it been since you injected performance enhancers?"

Zhang Yu couldn't bring himself to say that he was out of money. He knew that in Songyang High School, that was as shameful as having poor grades. He dared only say it to close friends like Bai Zhenzhen.

Moreover, the fragmented memories within his mind told him that the original owner of the body had been injecting too aggressively, placing a heavy burden on his internal organs and cardiovascular system. He had already fainted several times, and it was beginning to endanger his life.

Therefore, Zhang Yu evaded the question, "I wanted to try training without supplements..."

Hearing this, Wang Hai frowned even deeper, his voice booming like thunder, "Have you been watching those natural bodybuilding influencers online again? That's all a scam! How can you keep up without supplements?"

"Look how many places you've dropped! If this continues, you'll be kicked out of the demonstration class next month!"

He said with an expression of frustrated disappointment, "Am I making you take these enhancements for my own benefit? I won't gain any muscle from your injections."

He pointed to a student in the distance, "Look at Qian Shen. He takes 12 doses of Dragon Elephant Serum daily to enhance his muscles and bones, 2 doses of pain relievers to suppress the pain of tearing muscle growth, and 2 doses of Gluttony Benefit to accelerate metabolism and the absorption of Immortal Path elements from food, consuming fifteen pounds of food to gain weight..."

"In just three months, his physical strength has skyrocketed from 0.13 to the current 1.15, becoming the strongest physique in the first year, surpassing twenty years of your natural training."

As Wang Hai spoke, Zhang Yu recalled how Qian Shen had transformed from a skinny kid, barely 1.7 meters tall, to a small giant over two meters tall and weighing over three hundred pounds in just three months.

Wang Hai then pointed to another student, "Look at Zhao Tianxing, who used to be even worse than you. His physical strength broke through Grade 1.00 the other day. Now his blood truly flows like lead and mercury. His arteries have hardened, and his heart has tripled in size..."Wang Hai randomly pointed at a group of students and sighed, "Zhang Yu, I'm only saying so much because I remember your physical strength used to be in the top ten, your talent isn't bad, and your drug tolerance is outstanding..."

Seeing Wang Hai's earnest and sincere demeanor, Zhang Yu felt his concern, but whether it was due to a lack of funds or a fear of death, he was unwilling to inject any medicine right now.

Just as he was contemplating how to explain himself, Wang Hai pulled a box of vials from his bag, declaring, "It's said that training accounts for thirty percent, diet for seventy, but the remaining ninety percent depends on how you inject your medicine."

"This is the Vajra Sect's latest Godly Elephant Force enhancer. With a great sect backing it, the quality is guaranteed. One injection is worth ten!"

"To be honest, this stuff is still in the lab. I got it from a good brother. Seeing your talent is good, I'll give you a 20% discount, ten bottles for 8800..."

Watching Wang Hai hawk his wares, Zhang Yu fully recalled that more than half of the physical enhancement supplements taken by the students in the class came from Wang Hai.

This kind of situation was normal in Songyang High School. After all, medicine and the body were inseparable. Every physical education teacher was not only an excellent body refinement expert, but also an excellent drug salesperson, often backed by multiple pharmaceutical channels.

But at this moment, Zhang Yu couldn't afford these things, nor could his body handle the drugs, so he could only try to brush him off.

Seeing Zhang Yu prevaricating and making excuses, Wang Hai snorted coldly, put the medicine back, and said with a look of disappointment, "Then you're on your own."

Watching the physical education teacher turn away and start instructing and peddling to other students, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly, muttering inwardly, "Is it really this hard to even take a physical education class in this broken place?"

Just then, a youth approached and leaned in beside Zhang Yu, asking, "Wang Hai was trying to sell you something again?"

The student looked handsome and refined, like a boy next door.

Memories of him surfaced in Zhang Yu's mind.

"He's... Zhou Tianyi."

Zhou Tianyi was Zhang Yu's dining and study buddy since the first day of school.

They had eaten together and studied together for three months, forging a fragile friendship in the process.

However, as the memories flooded in, the first thing Zhang Yu thought of was Zhou Tianyi's grade ranking.

"Ranked 25th in the grade, qualified to eat with me... Huh? Why am I also having this kind of achievement discrimination?"

Zhang Yu felt that as the memories merged, he was being constantly influenced, becoming increasingly concerned about the ranking in the school.

Hearing Zhou Tianyi's inquiry, he nodded and said, "Yeah, he wanted to sell me Godly Elephant Force."

"You didn't buy it again?" Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Zhou Tianyi hissed, "Aren't you afraid Old Wang will mess with you?"

"Mess with me?" Zhang Yu said, "It's just not buying medicine, it shouldn't be that bad."

Zhou Tianyi shook his head repeatedly, "Ah, do you want to hear some gossip about Wang Hai?"

"Forget it, I'm not a gossipy person."

Zhang Yu turned and walked towards the exercise equipment, intending to familiarize himself with his body and the content of the physical education course.

Zhou Tianyi continued, "Some teachers complained that Wang Hai was...you know...in the office next door, and the roof cracked when he..."

Zhang Yu stopped in his tracks. He wasn't a gossipy person, but such outrageous gossip... he had to see what it was all about.

Zhou Tianyi said, "Wang Hai later explained that he didn't do it, that the banging sounds were him teaching disobedient students."

"Later, I asked students from the previous two grades and learned that Wang Hai had a habit of physically punishing underachieving students for a long time."

"Especially if their grades dropped and they didn't buy his medicine, they would be bullied by him."

"I heard that a few years ago, a student was driven to jump off a building by him."

Hearing the words "jump off a building," Zhang Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened, "Wang Hai got away with that?"

Zhou Tianyi said nonchalantly, "Wang Hai's teaching performance has always been excellent. He's Songyang High School's star physical education teacher, and he's produced three students who ranked first in the city in physical strength during the college entrance examination. Some people say he has access to some medicines still in the laboratory from major sects."

"Even if the school really doesn't want to use him, most students and parents wouldn't agree. They all rely on Wang Hai to buy medicine and help them improve their physical strength."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Yu and warned, "If you keep not buying medicine and your grades don't improve, I'm afraid he'll mess with you too."

Looking at Zhang Yu's furrowed brow, Zhou Tianyi asked curiously, "I say... you used to get injected a lot, how come you suddenly stopped buying? Could it be that you're broke? Do you want me to lend you some?"

Feeling the sincerity in his eyes, Zhang Yu smiled helplessly, "No need."

"Really no need?" Zhou Tianyi said, "How about you inject mine today?"

Zhang Yu naturally shook his head repeatedly. He was really afraid that if he injected a few more shots, he would just die outright.

According to his memory, this world was not short of people who were severely injured, disabled, or even died due to excessive drug loads. In fact, Songyang High School had people who were seriously injured every year due to excessive use of drugs.

But even so, students who pursued physical strength with the help of drugs still flocked to it.

And the original owner had already shown signs of being overwhelmed since last week.

Thinking that the original owner not only owed a huge debt of 700,000, but also left him with such a body, Zhang Yu sighed again in his heart.

Just as the two were whispering, a cold gaze suddenly swept over, and Wang Hai shouted, "Don't chat down there during physical education class."

Zhang Yu and Zhou Tianyi immediately stopped talking and began to exercise.

Zhang Yu came to a large iron ball, his muscles tensed, and after a sudden exertion of force, he lifted the 100-kilogram iron ball.

Then, as his muscles contracted and expanded, the large iron ball was moved around his body like a toy.

As the iron ball flew up and down and rotated, Zhang Yu felt the blood rushing through his body, and various parts of his body gradually warmed up.

"This is warming up..."

The whole process seemed to be instinctually engraved in his flesh and blood. Zhang Yu completed the warm-up almost without thinking.

And in the following training, his control over his body became deeper and deeper, and related memories continued to emerge from his mind."Body refinement during the Qi Refining stage primarily involves tempering the muscles and bones. Through repeated practice, one breaks through limitations, ultimately elevating the physical body's strength level."

"Specific methods... for example, the most widely circulated technique among high school students is the 'Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening.'"

The Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening is a body refinement technique created by the Ten Great Sects specifically for high school education. Thirty-six movements, combined with different equipment, comprehensively develop the physical body and effectively improve physical strength.

Within the immortal cultivation framework summarized by the Ten Great Sects, all martial arts and Daoist arts are divided into levels 1 to 100.

Most students at Songyang High School, after one or two weeks of practice, can successfully grasp the fundamentals and bring a basic martial art like the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to level 1.

If one can continue to raise the level, the training effect of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening will become increasingly potent and inconceivable.

However, this is clearly not easy. In Zhang Yu's memory, only Bai Zhenzhen had managed to elevate the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening to level 2 in the three months since the start of the semester.

It is precisely because of this that Bai Zhenzhen can maintain her physical strength ranking at second in the entire grade with nine injections a day, closely chasing after Qian Shen, who takes sixteen injections a day.

"The level of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening is related to the efficiency of improving physical strength, but the key to truly determining the magnitude of power and physical education scores is still physical strength itself."

"Speaking of which, my physical strength is at level 0.82, and I can casually fling around objects weighing several hundred pounds. The highest physical strength that can be achieved in the Qi Refining stage is level 10, and after Foundation Establishment, the highest is level 20... the difference between people is too vast."

Zhang Yu initially only wanted to practice casually to familiarize himself with the content of physical education class and his own body.

But as he practiced the sets of movements of the Thirty-Six Forms of Body Strengthening, he became more and more serious, more and more meticulous, as if there was an instinct within his body urging him, encouraging him to persevere in his training.

Muscles were constantly torn, bones were constantly impacted, and after repeated practice, his physical body, after repeated torment, finally burst forth with a warm current, quietly repairing the damage in his flesh and blood.

This was the magical power within Zhang Yu's body. And just like the physical education classes of the past few months, the physical body was tormented under heavy pressure, and then constantly repaired by the effect of magical power, becoming stronger.

*Hoo!*

In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed. Zhang Yu exhaled deeply, feeling pain all over his body, as if his entire flesh and blood were about to fall apart.

"No wonder they need painkillers..."

He looked up at Bai Zhenzhen, still sweating profusely in the distance, and other students on the other side who were also practicing crazily. A sense of urgency instinctively surged from his heart, seemingly urging him to continue squeezing his body.

"If I trained this crazily in the original world, I would have probably trained myself to death, right?"

"It's only because there are various medicines supported by immortal cultivation technology here, and magical power... that I can persevere and become stronger."

Feeling the pain coming from all parts of his body at this moment, as well as the instinct that still yearned for training and longed to become stronger, Zhang Yu couldn't help but marvel at the depth of the original Zhang Yu's obsession.

However, as the training continued, this instinct, hidden deep within the human body, seemed to be fading.

The path of the future will ultimately depend on the current Zhang Yu's own choices.

When the morning physical education class completely ended, Zhang Yu had collapsed on the field, surrounded by a group of students who were still alive and kicking, and still practicing madly.

Zhang Yu sighed, thinking that this was the difference between taking medicine and not taking medicine.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the dark patch on his palm, discovering that less than a quarter of the area had yet to be filled with black.