https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-121-Classes-Are-Too-Full-to-Schedule/13686560/
Chapter 120: Spokesperson
Not long after Zhang Yu and Zhang Pianpian finished their call, several digital contracts arrived.
They outlined the promotional requirements for Artificial Demon Muscle, as well as the terms for filming ads and serving as spokespersons. The compensation details were clear:
"Sixty thousand yuan per year in endorsement fees, paid in three installments..."
Zhang Yu stared at the amount, his heart pounding. This was the first time since arriving in Kunxu that he’d seen such a substantial sum. But then a wave of anger washed over him—hadn’t he been worth far more before? All thanks to that damn Le Jingchen, who’d branded him a "peerless genius" from Ziyun High School, tanking his commercial value. The thought made him grit his teeth.
Beside him, Bai Zhenzhen beamed with excitement, her face flushed crimson at her own 400,000 yuan endorsement fee.
"Haha, even though I didn’t rank as high as Zhang Yu this time, I don’t have that ‘peerless genius’ label, unlike Yu-zi. No need to deal with all that toxic attention from fans obsessed with prodigies."
Of course, the contracts came with strict stipulations.
They couldn’t deny having used Artificial Demon Muscle. They couldn’t discourage others from using it. They had to explain the absence of visible physical enhancements—partly due to their superior self-control, partly due to Xianyun Group’s advanced technology, which allowed them to adapt with incredible speed, leaving no outward signs.
Moreover, both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were required to publicly credit Artificial Demon Muscle as the primary reason for their outstanding performance in the Sports Competition.
Other clauses forbade criticizing Artificial Demon Muscle, using Ziyun or Hongta’s New Physique Enhancement Technology, and a host of similar restrictions.
But after seeing the money, both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen dismissed these terms as minor inconveniences.
Shortly after signing the contracts, a group of staff members and a renowned cultivation body influencer arrived at the rest area of Songyang High School, announcing they were there to interview Zhang Yu.
Thanks to Zhang Pianpian’s prior warning, Zhang Yu was prepared. He quickly pulled Bai Zhenzhen into frame.
"Absolutely, our achievements today are entirely due to undergoing Xianyun Group’s Artificial Demon Muscle enhancement."
"Before, I was barely in the top ten of my grade—just a textbook underachiever. But ever since I got Artificial Demon Muscle, I eat like a king, pain from injections vanishes, my focus in class sharpens, muscle growth accelerates—everything’s improved."
"If you’re worried about low scores, you need Artificial Demon Muscle. I believe students who don’t use it will gradually fall behind in the fierce competition of high school, left behind in the tide."
As Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen continued their interview, a growing crowd gathered—students and teachers from ordinary high schools and key institutions.
Zhang Yu soon noticed that many of them, even some in the audience, were already heading toward the Xianyun Company booth nearby, eager to learn more.
Especially after the interview ended, he saw wave after wave of students from regular and elite schools, eyes shining with longing, sprinting toward the booth—like eager, willing leeks, ready to be harvested. It struck him as bittersweet.
At that moment, the Evil God, concealed within the necklace-like charm on Zhang Yu’s chest, spoke.
"Exhaling like that? Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for those poor fools?"
"They’ll spend money somewhere else anyway. Who’s being drained doesn’t matter—let’s just make a little profit while we’re at it."
Zhang Yu stepped aside into a quiet corner, whispering only for himself to hear.
"I don’t pity them. The truth is, Artificial Demon Muscle does work."
"Does it really?" The Evil God chuckled softly. "Let’s be honest—Cultivation Level has its limits. Dao Heart maxes out at Level 10. Martial Energy caps at 100. Physical Strength Level is capped at 10."
"Tell me, even without Artificial Demon Muscle, do you think these students, given enough time, could ever reach those ceilings?"
Zhang Yu paused, but the answer was already clear in his mind.
These students were all lifelong academic prodigies. Given enough time, they could push their cultivation to the peak of the Qi-Formation stage.
The Evil God sighed, voice dripping with quiet cynicism.
"Back then, scoring over 650 on the Gaokao, with one or two competition awards in high school, was enough to guarantee a spot in the Top Ten."
"But over time, the standards rose. Students now had to maximize their stats within just three years—compressing what used to take five, even ten years of cultivation into a mere three."
"Then the competition awards got harder to earn."
"From competing in senior year, it moved to junior year. Then to sophomore year. Now, even freshmen are scrambling—trying to achieve sophomore-level strength by their first year."
"Now they’re using Artificial Demon Muscle just to keep up."
"Let’s be real—this so-called enhancement is just accelerating what they’d eventually achieve with two or three more years of natural cultivation."
"But just like when body-enhancing drugs first took off—once everyone’s using them, the 'talented' still remain 'talented,' and the 'waste' remain 'waste.'"
"Those who couldn’t make the Top Ten before still can’t. Those who couldn’t earn the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate still can’t. Their ultimate ceiling? Still the Qi-Formation limit."
"Does it really change anything compared to when they didn’t use drugs or new enhancement tech?"
"Actually, one thing has changed—now, these 'waste' students owe even more debt just to keep up."
"Got it? The sole purpose of these enhancement technologies is to give them a fighting chance against other students in high school."
"But no matter how hard they push, the Top Ten spots won’t increase. The number of people passing the Foundation Qualification exam won’t grow. The Qi-Formation ceiling remains the same."
"The whole thing? It’s a scam—Top Ten Sects and corporations teaming up to manipulate them."
"But a damn good one. They’re made to pay willingly. Far better than even we could do."
As the Evil God chuckled, Zhao Tianxing cautiously approached Zhang Yu, eager to learn about Artificial Demon Muscle.
Last time, during Songyang High School’s Special Training Program, Zhao Tianxing had declined—partly because he found the program too brutal, partly because he feared wasting his family’s money on a path with no guarantee.
But now, seeing Zhang Yu’s meteoric rise firsthand, he was deeply intrigued.
He’d watched Zhang Yu’s progress day by day—unbelievably fast.
Though he’d once felt embarrassed asking about Zhang Yu’s sudden improvement, seeing him now openly promoting the tech, he finally decided to ask.
"Yu-zi," Zhao Tianxing asked, eyes wide with hope, "is Artificial Demon Muscle really that powerful? Can it close the gap between us and the top three schools?"
Zhang Yu nodded. "Yeah. It’s real. Without it, I wouldn’t have won first place."
Zhao Tianxing leaned in, voice trembling with anticipation. "So… do you think I should get it too?"
Thinking of the contract’s restrictions, Zhang Yu gave another nod. "Yeah. It’s a good idea."
Zhao Tianxing grinned. "So you really think I should go through the enhancement?"
Seeing his friend’s excitement, Zhang Yu joked, "Truth is, my strength isn’t just from the enhancement. Natural cultivation lets me control my body’s power with precision."
Zhao Tianxing laughed, assuming it was just a joke.
But the Evil God, hidden in the charm, sneered coldly.
"Still trying to tell him not to spend? Save it. Everyone else is upgrading. If he doesn’t, he’ll fall behind—out of the race before it even starts."
"And even if he listened to you, these ‘talented’ fools wouldn’t believe you. They’d think you’re just trying to scare them, to stop them from improving."
"Keep pushing them, and you’ll break the contract. Then you’ll lose friends."
"This is Kunxu. The tide is too strong for one man to resist."
Meanwhile, He Dayou had been eavesdropping intently, ears pricked.
When he heard Zhang Yu mention "natural cultivation," he smirked inwardly.
"Natural? I don’t see a single natural part on your entire body."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Wait… did he say that just to make sure none of us get enhanced? Afraid we’ll catch up to him?"
The thought sent a chill through him.
"God… I’ve already had the transplant surgery. If I go through Artificial Demon Muscle now… will it even work? Will it even be safe?"
Zhang Yu glanced around at his classmates, feeling the hunger in their eyes—the restless desire to be better, faster, stronger.
A wave of resignation washed over him. He could already picture it: soon, every student around him would be transformed—half-human, half-beast.
Songyang High School might as well be renamed Songyang Beast Garden.
"Wait… if this keeps going, in a few years, the entire Songyang City might become a mad animal metropolis."
The Evil God spoke again from the charm.
"Kid, you’ve got time to worry about others?"
Zhang Yu moved further away, murmuring, "You’ve been quiet for a while. What’s changed?"
"Taking a breather. Conserving energy," the Evil God chuckled. "Besides, there are too many eyes here. I keep my voice low to avoid giving away any clues—don’t want to drag us both down."
"Look at this place. From top to bottom, they’re all blind. They’ve only seen the tip of your talent. If they knew the whole truth, they’d tear you apart—study every inch of you."
"But even now, there are plenty who hate you. And your sister? She’s leaving Songyang in two months—headed to a university in Kunxu’s Second Layer."
"Two months from now… people will be coming after you."
Zhang Yu remained expressionless. "What are you getting at?"
The Evil God purred, "Don’t you want to unlock your potential even further? Don’t you want to grow stronger, wealthier—so you can protect yourself after your sister leaves? So you can look after Bai Zhenzhen… and one day, rise together into Kunxu’s Second Layer?"
It was clear the Evil God, though silent for a while, had been quietly observing Zhang Yu’s situation—and had grown increasingly aware.
Zhang Yu didn’t reply.
But in his mind, a single thought echoed:
I want to unlock my potential. More than anything.
His gaze fixed on the Feather Scroll floating before him. He wished it would chime endlessly—ding ding ding ding ding—boosting his level by ten thousand in an instant. Just once. So he could punch Kunxu into oblivion.
"But what’s the cost?" Zhang Yu said coldly. "Are you trying to lure me into hunting your colleagues again?"
The Evil God smiled. "Is that really a lie? I’m just giving you a warning—always a way out. As long as you hunt another Evil God for me, your potential will surge. Explode. Go wild."
Though Zhang Yu gave no answer, the Evil God knew the seed had already taken root.
All that remained was time.
The path was set.
(End of Chapter)
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