No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

During Body-Refining class, Zhang Yu was earnestly practicing the Level-20 Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation, while his ocular implant slowly replayed footage from the instruction he had just received from Lang Yougong.

Thanks to the ultra-high performance of the Time-Wrecking Demon Pupil, every moment of Lang Yougong’s guidance had been captured in crystal-clear detail, allowing Zhang Yu to play it back repeatedly—comparing, analyzing, and deepening his understanding of every move.

“You have to involve your internal Spirit Root when you refine your body...”

“After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, the Spirit Root becomes a part of your body.”

As Zhang Yu practiced, he felt a faint tremor from his Qi Sea Spirit Root, as if it had grown slightly more active.

“So it really works.”

His Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation was already maxed out at Level 20—the upper limit for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He had long possessed a deep theoretical understanding of this body-refining technique; the only thing he’d lacked was knowledge of integrating the Spirit Root into physical training.

Now, with a single insight from Lang Yougong, his progress soared. Each time he tempered his body and Spirit Root together, he could feel the Qi Sea Spirit Root slowly growing and fusing deeper with his flesh.

While Zhang Yu absorbed the instruction and refined his body and Spirit Root, Lang Yougong continued coaching the other students. Yet by the end of class, Yu Xinghan, Li Xiao, and several others still hadn’t received any guidance.

Lang Yougong gave them a calm look and said, “If you didn’t get coached today, don’t stress. Body-Refining isn’t something that changes overnight. We’ve got time. Next class.”

With a flash, he vanished from sight.

Li Xiao sighed internally. “With cultivation resources and potential like Gongshu Jin and Ji Yuanshu, they don’t even need his guidance.”

“But we poor students who actually need help—it’s so damn hard just to get noticed.”

“Drought kills the drought-stricken, flood drowns the flood-rich…”

“If I want these instructors to take me seriously, I’ll need a better ocular implant.”

At that thought, a contact list popped up in Li Xiao’s ocular display. He selected an uncle who had made it to the second floor years ago and sent him a message.

Li Xiao: Uncle, could I borrow some Spirit Coins?

Li Xiao: I want to buy a new ocular implant—a real Heavenly Eye.

Uncle: Don’t you already have one?

Li Xiao: Everyone else is using premium Heavenly Eyes or Tiangong models. Mine’s a cheap piece of junk. My classmates look down on me, the instructors ignore me—it’s ruining my studies.

The uncle sent him a link: [Instant Borrow, Funds in 3 Minutes]

Uncle: Just say my name when you log in. No need to thank me.

Li Xiao: Uncle, the platform interest rates are too high. Can I just borrow directly from you?

Uncle: You borrow from me, I still have to borrow from the platform!

Uncle: Besides, if you can’t even handle a university loan, why are you even in college? Just go back to Floor One and farm. Staying here is a waste of money.

Li Xiao let out a quiet sigh.

He thought, “True. If I can’t even shoulder the pressure of student loan rates, how will I climb the Immortal Path?”

As he recalled the mocking glances from Gongshu Jin, Ying Xin, and others, and the cold indifference from teachers, Li Xiao clenched his fists, opened the loan platform link, and filled it out.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu was still internalizing Lang Yougong’s teachings as he made his way to the next class.

Time flew by in a blur of lectures. Zhang Yu relished the feeling of Immortal Dao knowledge flowing endlessly into his mind, his cultivation visibly improving moment by moment.

Spirit-Flesh Fusion, Secondary Heart Technique, Mana Quality, Spirit Root Integration… not to mention his Foundation Establishment Techniques and the University Saint Body—Zhang Yu felt like there was no end to what he needed to master, and the path forward stretched wide with possibilities.

That evening, back in the dormitory, Zhang Yu once again resumed his training in the Foundation-Establishment Body-Refining Seventy-Two Forms just outside the door.

Not long after he reached Level 13, Bai Zhenzhen’s avatar flashed in his ocular implant.

“Yuzi.” Bai Zhenzhen greeted him with a smile. “Did that Gongshu Jin give you any trouble today?”

“No,” Zhang Yu shook his head. “Honestly, the classmates and teachers are all friendly. It’s just that some customs here are... unique.”

Bai Zhenzhen giggled, “Oh right, I met someone from the Tenth Floor who has a friend in the Dao Techniques Department at Wanfa Sect University. I’ll introduce you sometime…”

“You’re still planning to switch from Civil Engineering to Artifact Crafting, right? Then you’ll need a mentor from the Artifact Crafting Department. But it’s hard to meet them if you’re stuck in Civil Engineering, so don’t rush into anything. I’ll ask around first…”

“Also, don’t forget to send me your dorm address—I want to mail you something…”

Zhang Yu asked, “Wouldn’t that upset Seven Sentiments Lord?”

“Pfft, don’t worry about that,” Bai Zhenzhen said. “Would I do anything to upset my mom? It’s just food. Friends giving each other snacks is totally normal—it’s part of bonding, part of cultivation.”

The two of them chatted for a long while—mostly Bai Zhenzhen talking, Zhang Yu listening.

Zhang Yu could feel it clearly. Bai Zhenzhen now knew more, had more ways to help him.

He didn’t act embarrassed or overly polite. Their friendship was deep enough that they’d share a Spirit Root if they could. Now that Bai Zhenzhen was doing well and helping him, he’d return the favor one day when he made it big. That was only natural.

This time, though, Bai Zhenzhen ended the call on her own.

“No more talking—I’ve got to focus on cultivation. You too, Yuzi. Study hard, train hard…”

After the call ended, Bai Zhenzhen let out a helpless sigh.

Just then, a female voice spoke in her ear. “Huh? Why not leave the call running like yesterday?”

“…Don’t tell me you’re trying to save him data fees?”

Hearing the amused tone, Bai Zhenzhen bit her lip. “Yuzi just got to the second floor. He doesn’t have many Spirit Coins, and he’s at the point where every cent counts…”

The voice chuckled lightly. “So basically, he’s broke?”

“My good disciple, I admire that you still value friendship even when you’re poor. It’s a rare talent.”

“But without the cushion of money, that kind of sentiment always fades with time.”

“Because relationships need money to survive. Poor people’s bonds are always fleeting.”

“Your friend is so broke he can’t afford data charges. Living like a rat. What right does he have to talk about friendship? How long do you think it’ll last before it changes?”

Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, “So that old hag made me keep the call running yesterday just to pressure Zhang Yu with data fees…”

She didn’t respond, because the other woman wasn’t wrong. If Zhang Yu were just an ordinary poor guy, the ever-growing gap between them would eventually turn into distance, and their bond would inevitably rot.

But Bai Zhenzhen knew better.

Zhang Yu wasn’t an ordinary poor guy.

He was a super poor guy. A god-tier poor guy. A broke genius with heaven-defying potential.

She thought, “With Yuzi’s talent and Fu Ji helping him, he won’t stay poor forever. He’ll catch up to me—definitely.”

But she didn’t speak those thoughts aloud, nor did she mention Zhang Yu’s secrets.

All she said was, “I believe in Zhang Yu.”

The voice laughed. “Very well.”

“Then let this friend of yours be your whetstone—something to hone your swordsmanship of extreme emotion.”

…

Wanfa University City, Floor 125, Dormitory District.

Zhang Yu stared at the spot where Bai Zhenzhen’s projection had vanished, and silently thought, “Ah-Zhen… she even talked a little faster today.”

“And ended the call early…”

“Could she be worrying about my data bill… trying to save me money?”

That thought lit a blazing fire in his chest.

“Damn it—I can’t even afford to talk to my best friend freely…”

The next moment, Zhang Yu threw himself harder than ever into training the Foundation-Establishment Body-Refining Seventy-Two Forms.

His body carved streaks through the air, each move executed in the most minimal, most energy-efficient, yet fastest way possible.

His resolve surged, his will burned—he had to get stronger. He had to make money. He had to earn enough to afford data fees and talk to Bai Zhenzhen 24/7 with zero worries.

With such single-minded focus and drive, by the time the first class of the next day rolled around, Zhang Yu had pushed the technique to Level 17.

He calculated, “At this rate, I can train a basic Foundation Establishment technique to Level 20 in 2–3 days.”

“In one month max, I’ll fully master the University Saint Body.”

…

Today’s first class was called Engineering Array Drafting—a foundational course for the Civil Engineering Department.

The classroom was massive, built to accommodate hundreds. In addition to Zhang Yu’s Foundation Establishment class, there were also many Qi Refinement students present.

A teacher stood on the podium, his body gleaming gold from head to toe, no longer showing any signs of human flesh. He introduced himself:

“I’m Tu Lishan, your instructor for this course.”

“This class focuses on the drafting and interpretation of engineering array blueprints.”

As they took in Tu Lishan’s gleaming, artifact-augmented form, many students—especially the Qi Refinement ones—couldn’t help but show expressions of envy.

At Wanfa Sect University, the richer a student was, the more potential they were deemed to have—and thus the more the teachers favored them.

But it worked both ways: the wealthier the teacher, the more authority and respect they commanded.

“If Tu Lishan’s that rich, how could he be wrong?”

“Any teacher who can make that much money must be top-tier!”

“Wow, Civil Engineering must be really promising—you can earn that much?!”

Thoughts like these flashed through countless minds in the room, and students visibly straightened up, suddenly a lot more motivated.

Tu Lishan continued, “You are the future pillars of the Civil Engineering world. The school expects you to understand the Immortal Dao, to know how to build, how to manage, and to be certified. These are the core competencies of the Civil Engineering Department.”

“To reach that standard—to have the ability to construct and evaluate builds, to pass the Construction Qualification Certificate—you’ll need to take this class very seriously.”

“After all, all great construction begins with arrays. Be it this university city beneath your feet or the herb fields outside, every one of them is embedded with exquisite formations…”