Chapter 101: A Concealment Talisman and the Eve of the Competition
Hearing Lan Ling’s words, Zhang Yu asked, “What are the selection criteria? Why don’t we meet them?”
Lan Ling gave them a cold glance and stated flatly, “The initial phase requires a capital investment of at least three million. Do you have that?”
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were instantly speechless. Where would they get that kind of money? Even if they did, they certainly wouldn’t invest it in a project led by the Student Council.
Seeing that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had no reply, Lan Ling thought to himself, So they really are broke? It seems Zhang Pianpian knows her limits and didn’t support their bid to join the special training program.
After saying this, Lan Ling turned and left, seemingly unconcerned with the remaining affairs of the competition team.
Zhang Yu, however, asked again, “Hey, what about the other benefits for the competition team? Doesn’t the school offer us any training or subsidies?”
Without turning his head, Lan Ling replied, “That’s not my responsibility. Go ask Wang Hai.”
Wang Hai came over to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen and said, “The second-year sports competition is in two weeks. Lan Ling and the others need to hurry up with their body tempering to prepare.”
“I’ll be the one to explain the situation for the first-year competition team.”
Wang Hai smiled at the two of them. “I originally thought you two wouldn’t have the chance to compete. I didn’t expect you to find another way and actually catch up.”
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to explain it to me. I know these kinds of things involve signed contracts and can’t be casually disclosed.”
Evidently, Wang Hai was convinced the two had used some kind of powerful Immortal Dao technology.
He continued, “The competition team has quite a few benefits. I’ll go over them with you one by one.”
“First, all members who join the competition team will receive a complimentary set of the Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s and Bai Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up. A free cultivation technique? How could it be this good?
Zhang Yu asked, “The Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique… is it an acupuncture method? A set of combat arts? Why would the sports competition team need to practice combat arts?”
Wang Hai smiled faintly. “The Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique isn’t for combat; it’s a standard body tempering cultivation technique.”
“It uses magic power to operate syringes, injecting different medicinal agents into 36 specific points on the body with various techniques and different syringes to maximally stimulate human potential and enhance the effects of body tempering…”
Zhang Yu was taken aback. Damn, this is Songyang High School, all right. The competition team and the PE classes really do share the same style of body tempering.
Wang Hai went on, “The second benefit is a discount on drugs.”
“The Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique requires a combination of nine different body tempering agents. Coincidentally, we sell all nine of them right here. They’re all from major, reputable brands, and they’re all sold at a discount to team members, so you can inject with confidence and use them with ease.”
Zhang Yu secretly shook his head. He didn’t have any extra money to play around with this Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique.
Bai Zhenzhen, on the other hand, was listening with rapt attention. She was clearly very interested, being a top student in body tempering who had long relied on alchemical enhancers.
Wang Hai continued, “The third benefit is that if a team member purchases an expert-level body tempering cultivation technique, they can apply for a subsidy from us. Regular members get a 2,000 subsidy, but if you get a rank in the competition, the subsidy is higher, up to a maximum of 20,000.”
“The fourth benefit is that the training equipment here is available for your free use 24 hours a day. You can go register your information in a bit, and then you’ll be able to get in just by swiping your student cards.”
“The final benefit is that you can buy dietary supplement foods from us at a discount, including all kinds of demonic beast meat…”
Bai Zhenzhen immediately asked, “Can we buy synthetic food from you at a discount then?”
Synthetic food? What class of item is that? Would our competition team sell it? Wang Hai had intended to say this, but looking at the expectant gazes of Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu, and considering their impoverished status, he finally cleared his throat and said, “Mm, you can get a ten percent discount, I suppose.”
Bai Zhenzhen immediately broke into a smile.
Wang Hai thought to himself, It’s just a matter of submitting an application anyway. Since these two kids are on the competition team, a full stomach might help them get better results for me.
Zhang Yu, standing to the side, thought, From the looks of it, the third and last benefits are the most useful for us.
But the Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi was a prize given to me for free, so I can’t apply for a subsidy for it.
If I were to buy another expert-level body tempering cultivation technique… I’ll have to give it some serious thought.
However, Zhang Yu’s goal was definitely the highest-tier subsidy of 20,000, which meant he would have to wait until after participating in the sports competition a month from now and securing a ranking.
But at that moment, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask, “For the subsidy, does it have to be a body tempering cultivation technique?”
Wang Hai replied, “Of course. This is the sports competition team, after all. If you’re not buying body tempering techniques, should we be subsidizing combat techniques or breathing exercises for you?”
After completing the procedures to join the team and receiving a digital manual and usage rights for the Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique from Wang Hai, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen left the stadium.
After all, they were carrying too many secrets now and it wasn’t suitable for them to stay and practice body tempering there.
That night.
Under the bridge, beside the riverbed.
After finishing their tutoring session, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen leaned against each other, staring together at the Talisman Tome in their hands.
For some time now, before every session, they had been requesting talismans from Zhang Pianpian over the Heavenly Net.
Now, after this night’s class, the two had finally saved up enough money to buy the usage rights for the Concealment Talisman.
“Yu-boy, I’ve transferred the twenty thousand to you. From now on, whenever I want to use a Concealment Talisman, you have to draw it for me.”
Zhang Yu patted his chest. “Brothers for life. I’d flake on anyone before I’d flake on you. Don’t worry, whenever you need one in the future, I’ll draw one on the spot.”
Zhang Yu opened the Talisman Tome, entered the Department of the People’s Spirit Realm temple, and selected the option to consult a god.
A huge list of options instantly popped up. Zhang Yu scrolled down past god-to-human training, god-companion modes, and divine-son packages, finally finding the option for talisman bestowal.
Among the many talismans offered by the Department of the People, the Concealment Talisman was ranked at the very top, clearly the most frequently used and purchased.
Seeing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but curse inwardly, These money-grubbing righteous gods. Was it them who pushed the schools to teach the Heaven’s Eye Talisman?
With everyone learning the Heaven’s Eye Talisman, of course many people would need to buy Concealment Talismans. If that thing didn’t exist, no one would need to buy these either…
Zhang Yu selected the Concealment Talisman and saw that the basic version required 40,000 yuan.
Just as a notification of a 40,000 deduction from his bank account sounded, the image on the Talisman Tome changed. Three righteous gods suddenly appeared, seemingly able to see him through the screen, and gave him a slight smile, their faces full of appreciation for a promising talent.
At the same time, three voices exploded in his mind simultaneously.
“The disciple Zhang Yu, with a heart devoted to the Dao, of sincere piety and superior aptitude… is hereby granted this talisman. It is hoped that you will practice it diligently in the days to come and spread the divine way far and wide.”
The next moment, the specific details of the Concealment Talisman were displayed before him.
The basic version didn’t have much content. After flipping through a few pages, Zhang Yu saw a recommendation to upgrade to the advanced version.
Concealment Talisman Upgrade to Advanced Version, Basic Version
Conceal component function, √, √
Component color-change function, √, X
Individually hide components, √, X
Personalized camouflage signature, √, X
Forced display function, √, X
Zhang Yu gave it a quick glance and looked away. The advanced version of the Concealment Talisman had many functions, but it was far too expensive.
“The upgrade costs a full hundred thousand. With that kind of money, I’d be better off spending it on my own cultivation.”
The doll, disguised as prayer beads, had been silently watching this unfold, growing more envious and jealous by the second. It couldn’t help but think, Those righteous gods are really just lying around making money every day now.
We evil gods have to brave the elements, take enormous risks, and rack our brains just to swindle a single person out of their family fortune.
Those guys just have to lie back in the thirty-six heavens, eating and drinking and having fun, and billions of beings will offer up their life savings with both hands.
Damn, that’s the life! Why was I born an evil god? I want to be a righteous god too!
Meanwhile, after studying the Concealment Talisman for a while, Zhang Yu extended a finger and began to draw shakily on the Talisman Tome.
A moment later, with a flash of the yellow paper on the tome, the Concealment Talisman was successfully cast upon himself.
“Did it work?” Bai Zhenzhen asked excitedly from the side. “Come on, try casting one on me.”
Zhang Yu quickly drew another one, but just as the talisman was completed, his free daily quota on the Talisman Tome having been used up, his phone vibrated.
Department of the People - All-Beings Innate God
Debit: 500
“This one costs 500?”
“Didn’t I buy the usage rights?”
Zhang Yu quickly looked at the talisman bestowal page and only then discovered that for the basic version of the Concealment Talisman, one could only purchase paid usage rights.
This meant that having the rights simply allowed Zhang Yu to spend 500 yuan to use the Concealment Talisman once.
Zhang Yu laughed in exasperation. He wanted to curse out the Eight Ministries of Righteous Gods, but he was afraid of being overheard by them, especially while holding the Talisman Tome. What if they hit him with some kind of fine?
He had heard news of people cursing the heavens and being fined over a hundred thousand for it.
There was nothing for it. Zhang Yu couldn’t afford to curse gods right now, so he could only swallow his anger.
At that moment, Zhang Yu also had a sudden realization as to why Zhang Pianpian’s expression had grown increasingly grim each time she drew talismans for them remotely as their tutoring sessions went on.
Bai Zhenzhen, who was beside him, also saw the debit notification on his phone and sighed, “I wonder how much money Godmother spent drawing talismans for us all these days?”
Zhang Yu didn’t know, but he guessed that drawing talismans remotely must be quite expensive, so he nodded. “Big Sis is so good to us. We have to repay her properly and fulfill our filial duties once we get into university.”
In the days that followed, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen continued to shuttle between the Dark Learning Gang and Songyang High School, attending classes, teaching, and cultivating.
As Ma Yunteng and Le Mulan’s fame began to spread a little in the dark world of tutoring, the number of students enrolling in their courses increased slightly, and their income rose as well.
In the blink of an eye, another two weeks passed. It was the day the latest monthly exam results were announced, and the first-year sports competition was only two weeks away.
Inside the classroom, He Dayou looked at the score rankings and sighed softly to himself.
First place, Zhang Yu, 665
Second place, He Dayou, 661
Third place, Bai Zhenzhen, 660
Although it seemed like only a few points separated them, He Dayou knew it was because the 150 points for magic power and physical education were no longer sufficient to reflect the true strength of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
As for himself, besides the general knowledge courses, He Dayou hadn’t maxed out a single subject; he had relied mainly on his Daoist art scores to close the gap with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Moreover, according to news passed on from other students, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had earned high praise from several PE teachers during the exam, repeatedly breaking the diagnostic patches. Wang Hai had even called the pair the treasures of Songyang High’s first-year athletics.
Is it because I’m not as rich as Zhang Pianpian?
He was not naive enough to think he had lost to things like talent or hard work.
In He Dayou’s view, the only reason someone as wealthy as him could lose in the sports competition… was because his opponents were even wealthier.
Perhaps the Zhang family isn’t as wealthy as the He family, but the amount of money the He family has spent on me probably can’t compare to what Zhang Pianpian has spent on Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Damn it, why do those two paupers have such good luck? How did they run into a major sponsor like Zhang Pianpian?
As He Dayou was stewing in his thoughts, he suddenly noticed his phone buzzing nonstop, as if some news was spreading like wildfire through various group chats.
He opened it and took a look, his expression changing repeatedly.
[The second-year competition team was completely wiped out! The top ten places in the sports competition were all seized by White Dragon, Purple Cloud, and Red Pagoda!]
[The Oasis Group has partnered with the companies behind White Dragon, Purple Cloud, and Red Pagoda, sharing some of the Immortal Dao technology for physical cultivation from their synthetic food.]
No wonder the Oasis Group could enter the Songyang City market; they joined forces with the local companies!
[Songyang High’s Immortal Dao technology is completely obsolete. The three major high schools have achieved a comprehensive breakthrough in body tempering techniques. The new generation of top students has seen their physical strength skyrocket. In the future, they’ll even dominate the sports competitions. All future competitions will have nothing to do with the other high schools anymore.]
Reading this, He Dayou suddenly let out a bitter laugh.
He felt as though they were all just a bunch of clowns. While they were here, chasing after one another, the students from the three major high schools had already boarded a flying ship to another level.