Chapter 193: The Three Divine Drugs
“The variety of these twenty drugs is quite extensive.”
Zhang Yu mused internally, Replenishing energy, stamina, and magic power; restoring qi and blood; and even enhancing muscle, strengthening bone, and stimulating nerves…
At the same time, another screen of light materialized, displaying the list of drugs available for the exam.
Zhang Yu cross-referenced the twenty drugs from the influencer’s review with their point values on the list.
The points varied, with the lowest-tier conventional supplements like stimulants and focus enhancers valued at ten points.
Slightly more potent drugs, such as those in the muscle-enhancement and bone-strengthening series, were worth around twenty-five points.
Even more powerful ones were categorized into fifty, eighty, and one hundred-point tiers.
But the video only covered twenty types, right? The examiner just said there would be twenty-three drugs to choose from for this exam.
Zhang Yu looked at the three drugs with the highest point values and the most intense physical burden; each was worth a staggering 1500 points.
They left out three of them? So why use this influencer’s video for the briefing?
Ye Lingxiao, however, was unfazed by this. This video went viral because corporations pushed it to promote these twenty flagship products, he thought.
It seems the use of drugs in this exam is inextricably linked to corporate maneuvering.
They probably included their twenty main products in the exam’s pharmacopeia to drive sales, and just used this video out of convenience.
As the heir to the Ye Clan of the Immortal Capital, Ye Lingxiao was privy to many of the complexities of the relationships between the corporations and the righteous gods.
The companies under the Ten Great Sects had relationships with the righteous gods that were at once adversarial and cooperative, fraught with conflict and driven by business—the connections were so deep and convoluted that Ye Lingxiao found them impossible to fully comprehend.
For instance, the Red Envelope Talismans and Favorability Talismans he had once obsessively researched held a great secret. He suspected they were tied to money laundering schemes between the corporations and the righteous gods.
That woman I met who could transfer money using Favorability Talismans was probably involved in money laundering.
Sigh, but in a business like that, even if you enjoy the favor of a righteous god for a time, it’s unlikely to end well.
Although the potential profits were immense, it was his growing awareness of the terrifying risks that ultimately led Ye Lingxiao to abandon his investigation into the matter.
Just then, as the video concluded, Deng Bingding spoke. “Three drugs were not introduced in the video. I will provide a supplementary explanation.”
“These three were omitted because they are all cutting-edge products still in the laboratory phase and have not been widely released to the market.”
“This is because while their effects are exceptionally powerful, each has significant drawbacks.”
“It can be said that these three are the most potent among the twenty-three drugs, but they also place the heaviest burden on the body. Each one will be a formidable challenge to your physical endurance.”
“First, the Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule…”
As Zhang Yu listened to the description, he mentally summarized the information.
Dao-Dissolving Sustained-Release Capsule.
Function: This product contains sedatives and negative-emotion blockers. It can temporarily increase the resilience of one’s Dao heart by absorbing negative emotions. Requires long-term use.
Adverse Reactions: Not yet clear.
I’ll pass on this one, Zhang Yu decided. If the company itself writes ‘not yet clear,’ there’s probably a hidden catastrophe waiting to happen.
Next, Deng Bingding introduced the Magic Power Meridian Injection, also worth 1500 points.
Zhang Yu summarized its characteristics in his mind.
Magic Power Meridian Injection.
Function: Mimics the spiritual-catalyst produced by the circulation of magic power in those with innate spiritual roots. It can effectively suppress dantian and meridian fatigue and stimulate the spiritual root’s function, thereby dramatically accelerating magic power recovery and growth.
Adverse Reactions: Anxiety, shortness of breath, convulsions, coma.
Caution: Long-term injection may induce meridian cancer.
When he first heard the description of the Magic Power Meridian Injection, Zhang Yu thought it sounded promising; he could take a few shots and conveniently boost his magic power right here in the exam.
But when he heard the final warning about meridian cancer, his brow furrowed immediately.
“What the hell? How can they use a drug like this for an exam? Are they really trying to kill the students?”
Then, Deng Bingding began to introduce the final drug.
Phoenix-Mimic Functional Factor.
Function: This product contains nano-scale simulated phoenix cells that stimulate muscle and bone growth and provide phoenix hormones for repairing physical damage, significantly enhancing body tempering efficiency.
Adverse Reactions: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, insomnia, neuritis, fever, fatigue, high fever, anaphylactic shock.
Deng Bingding added, “The Phoenix-Mimic Functional Factor has numerous adverse reactions, but they are generally mild and brief, and for the most part, do not interfere with cultivation.”
After hearing this, Zhang Yu wasn’t sure whether to believe her.
Still, this Phoenix-Mimic Functional Factor seems like the most reliable of the three divine drugs.
The question is, can my High School Sacred Body and Spring and Autumn Endless Zen actually handle it?
But a single dose is worth 1500 points, far surpassing any other drug.
If someone else takes it, I’ll have to risk it too.
Once the introductions were complete, box after box of drugs was brought into the examination hall and placed before the five candidates.
Deng Bingding gave a final reminder, “We will now attach monitoring patches to your bodies to continuously track your physical condition.”
“Should a life-threatening situation arise from exceeding your body’s limits, you will be automatically eliminated.”
“I urge you all to act within your capabilities and refrain from consuming drugs that your bodies cannot handle…”
Despite her words, the moment the exam officially started, Zhang Yu saw Yu Xinghan dash forward and gather boxes of drugs into his arms, treating the injections and consumption like a buffet.
Yu Xinghan first grabbed a row of Dragon-Elephant Preparation, gloating inwardly, This stuff must cost a fortune normally. I can finally get my fill today.
Sigh, if only I could take some with me.
After injecting a dozen consecutive doses of Dragon-Elephant Preparation, Yu Xinghan’s body visibly swelled, and even his once slightly gaunt cheeks filled out.
His score instantly shot up to over one hundred points.
He then proceeded to inject various other supplements in turn, feeling his qi and blood surge through his body as if to compensate for all the overtime he had worked recently.
This feels amazing, Yu Xinghan thought. I figured this second round would be a walk in the park, but I never expected to be able to inject drugs to my heart’s content.
Tomorrow, I’ll be ready to work overtime at the Red Pagoda again.
At that thought, a smile crept onto Yu Xinghan’s lips.
At the same time, he felt his body, noticing a sluggishness in his organs and the frantic pounding of his heart.
“520 points.”
Phew… I’m just about at my limit. I could inject more, but it would cause physical damage.
In any case, I’m not vying for a Foundation Establishment certificate, so there’s no need to go all out.
Just as Yu Xinghan was thinking this, a colossal figure loomed over him. A hand larger than his head reached past him and seized a row of syringes.
The one making a move was Number 18, Meng Tao, a native of the Immortal Capital who possessed a Gluttony spiritual root. In the previous Battle of Gluttony, he had eaten quickly but performed poorly due to slow digestion.
However, that failure had made Meng Tao realize one thing.
In terms of physical quality, I am far inferior to a prodigy like Ye Lingxiao.
To approach that level, I can only rely on quantity.
It was like how no matter how robust a five-year-old was, a fifteen-year-old could overpower him with a single arm—a suppression born of size and weight.
For this reason, Meng Tao had undergone eight modification surgeries in the past two months. Combined with his Gluttony spiritual root, his height had shot up to 3.2 meters and his weight had surpassed one thousand kilograms.
If quality was lacking, he would make up for it with quantity.
He would use his extraordinary physique to unleash extraordinary physical power.
He would leverage his massive size and weight to exhibit strength far superior to his opponents.
In a drug-based exam like this one, Meng Tao knew his current physique gave him an immense advantage, allowing him to withstand a far greater load of drugs.
And as a top student from the Immortal Capital, he was already well-versed in how to take more.
Glancing at Yu Xinghan with disdain, Meng Tao thought, An ignorant outlander, just injecting haphazardly.
That’s not how you take these drugs.
If you want to inject a lot, you should start with some nutrient fluids to whet the appetite.
Then take some capsules to line the stomach and get the digestive process started.
Only after that should you move on to injectables. And never start with stimulants or sedatives; the brain’s metabolism is the slowest…
From the side, Yu Xinghan watched Meng Tao rapidly unwrap box after box of drugs as his score surged, reaching over 1200 points in the blink of an eye.
What a terrifying guy, Yu Xinghan thought.
Just how many drugs do these Immortal Capital people take on a regular basis? How many surgeries have they had?
Number 18 must be more than twice as heavy as the last time I saw him. Are they fattening him up like a pig?
Then again, these people from the Immortal Capital are also high school students, so they’re naturally in a period of rapid improvement. While I’ve been progressing, they’ve been advancing at lightning speed…
However, as he had never expected to get the Foundation Establishment certificate in his first year, he wasn’t nervous. He simply turned to look at Ye Lingxiao.
Number 23, Ye Lingxiao. I remember him being the strongest of the Immortal Capital students.
Huh?
He’s actually going for the 1500-point Magic Power Meridian Injection?
To Yu Xinghan’s astonishment, Ye Lingxiao, whose score was still zero, walked directly to the Magic Power Meridian Injection. Without having taken any other drug, he injected the divine medication into his body with a single syringe.
The next moment, veins bulged across Ye Lingxiao’s body, like little snakes writhing beneath his skin.
His mouth then flew open as he began to gasp for air, his entire body trembling violently.