No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

As the second round of the Foundation Establishment exam officially began, blueprint after blueprint unfolded before Zhang Yu, transmitted straight into his EyeNet feed.

Along with them came the rules and structure for this round.

To summarize: in fifteen minutes, enemies would launch an assault from all directions.

Zhang Yu’s task? Defend the Essence Array Node in front of him from being destroyed.

The onslaught would last for an hour. During that time, he could not only rely on his own strength to fight but also follow the blueprints and use nearby construction materials to build fortifications capable of withstanding the attack.

He could expand the array beneath his feet to boost its power and range—or erect defensive structures like a Beacon Platform, Soul-Condensing Tower, or Demon-Sealing Pagoda.

Zhang Yu glanced over the provided blueprints but didn’t rush to start building. Instead, he took stock of his surroundings.

A cylindrical pillar, half a meter thick and over a meter tall, stood firmly planted in the ground before him, forged from metal.

Its surface was laced with intricate circuits of spiritual energy, glowing faintly like spectral wiring that ran deep into the earth.

This was the Essence Array Node he needed to protect. As he focused on it, a line of text appeared in his EyeNet feed: “Essence Array Node Integrity: 100%”Then he scanned his surroundings and thought, “It’s flatland all around. How to build defenses here depends entirely on creativity and execution.”

“Before knowing what the ‘enemy’ even is, I should construct a flexible defense system that can handle all kinds of threats…”

Meanwhile, a countdown timer hovered in midair—now showing 14 minutes and 52 seconds.

…

A flying vessel.

Three judges and several guests were observing the candidates’ performances and discussing the key challenges of this round.

With a flicker of thought, True Lord Qiyun’s view shifted to Su Yanyang.

Amid roaring tremors and clouds of earth rising, Su Yanyang had already sunk the Essence Array Node deep underground along with himself.

However, the livestream was connected directly to the candidates’ EyeNet feeds.

Even buried beneath the surface, the judges and guests could still observe his status in real time.

Seeing him extend array lines, build burial chambers, and tap into spirit veins, True Lord Qiyun instantly understood his strategy.

“He’s setting up an underground mausoleum to reinforce the array, erect defensive structures, and station himself at the core?”

True Lord Tianxiang commented, “By-the-book approach. It’s like pairing underground tombs with commercial structures above ground. Old-fashioned, but effective.”

“Though… didn’t he bring any live sacrifice to set a Foundation Stake?”

To that, the Fifth-Rank True God Geng Chenyinnnn chuckled, “True Lord Tianxiang, qualified Foundation Stakes aren’t cheap. I bet Su Yanyang plans to blood-sacrifice himself for the stake.”

Tianxiang shook his head. “You humans have made building materials way too tightly regulated. If Foundation Stake prices don’t drop, how can the civil engineering field grow?”

“Even if you won’t deregulate locally, you could at least lower tariffs and import Foundation Stakes from our Heavenly Demon University.”

Geng Chenyinnnn replied with a faint smile, “At Wanfa University, civil engineers have always stood for self-sacrificing construction. ‘Blood one to stake, ashes serve three generations’—that’s just how we do things around here.”

Tianxiang shook his head again, clearly unimpressed with that sentiment.

Meanwhile, True Lord Qiyun’s attention shifted to Xiao Yunji.

Sweeping gales of Martial Qi had already cleared all the rubble and undergrowth from the area.

Then, using the Essence Array Node as her core, she began building concentric circular paths.

True Lord Tianxiang frowned. “She’s paving roads? On a test site? What’s she thinking?”

Qiyun flipped through her profile and smiled. “She’s creating a Magnetic Channel. Rather than sticking to the provided blueprints, she’s chosen a tactic that suits her best.”

At the same time, Ping Han’s operation drew even more attention.

Level 20 Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal.

Level 20 Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force.

Level 20 Earthfiend Transfiguration.

Three top-tier Techniques activated simultaneously, pushing his mastery of the Small Threefold Harmony to its absolute limit.

And that wasn’t all. Boosted by layers of enhancements from his Law Husk, Ping Han extended the Harmony’s control range even further.

Across the undulating terrain, towers shot up from the ground across a wide radius.

Artifacts soared skyward—each one snapping into place under the control of elite Soul Cultivators.

One guest exclaimed, “Is that Gold Core blood? He’s using Gold Core blood to paint spirit circuits?”

Another reviewed Ping Han’s personnel files and sighed, “All elite Soul Cultivators steeped in dense yin energy. That’s one extravagant Foundation student.”

Director Gao checked the roster too. He knew that many high-end Soul Cultivators, when facing inevitable death, paid top coin for “death services.”

The more you spent, the fancier you died—and the more powerful your Soul Cultivator became afterward. Dying at the starting line could mean a leap ahead.

The Soul Cultivators Ping Han had hired were exactly those post-mortem elites.

As for first deaths caused by aging, illness, or accidents—he’d weeded out all those loser souls.

Such an influx of capital meant absurd construction speed.

Everyone could practically see it: Nectar Coins skyrocketing across Ping Han’s chest as he waved his hand and accelerated the entire site—faster! Faster! Still faster!

Watching this, Director Gao clenched his fists with silent resolve: This level of talent must not be allowed to perish.

Then his gaze turned to another student he had a personal stake in.

Inside the feed, Zhang Yu pressed his palms together, activating his Small Threefold Harmony.

The earth rumbled. A colossal giant of soil and stone slowly rose from underground.

With more and more earth flowing into it, the giant grew rapidly—from five meters to ten, then fifteen, twenty…

Director Gao nodded slightly. “Zhang Yu’s foundation is still weaker than the others.”

“But by relying on his Martial talent and the power of Small Threefold Harmony to animate this Earth-Giant, he’s found a versatile combat strategy that truly plays to his strengths.”

…

In a flash, the prep time ran out.

3…

2…

1…

As the countdown ended, the entire testing site went eerily still. Nothing seemed to happen.

But none of the candidates dropped their guard. All stood tense, scanning the horizon in anticipation.

Seconds later, a massive tremor rippled through the ground.

Standing atop the Earth-Giant’s thirty-meter head, Zhang Yu stared toward the horizon—and spotted waves of Yellow-Turban Enforcers flooding in from all directions.

“Puppets?”

“That many?”

Zhang Yu’s eyes widened. “How much would this cost? This test is pulling out all the stops?”

In the sky, Deng Bingding hovered above the field, his awareness flitting between the material and spirit realms as he counted the number of puppets near each candidate.

He grumbled silently, “Tch. The cost for this puppet order… way above market rate.”

“And they’re all outdated warehouse stock. Are we turning the test site into a landfill now?”

“Anyone who says there’s no shady business going on here—who’d believe that?”

Of course, Deng Bingding had zero intention of investigating any further. What if he actually found something?

Back on the field, the candidates reacted swiftly to the puppet wave.

Su Yanyang collapsed the ground beneath the Yellow-Turban Enforcers, burying them en masse.

Xiao Yunji dashed through her Magnetic Channel, blurring from point to point, single-handedly holding back the attackers from all directions.

Ping Han was the first to complete his fortifications.

From the Beacon Platform he’d built, jets of lightning and flame erupted, blowing Yellow-Turban Enforcers to bits.

Combined with his artifact strikes, he repelled the wave with ease.

Zhang Yu’s Earth-Giant took a single thunderous step—sending shockwaves that knocked puppets flying like ragdolls.

But soon after, the puppet tide began to shift.

“Upgraded Yellow-Turban Enforcers,” Zhang Yu muttered, eyes narrowing.

The once barehanded puppets now wielded various weapons—swords, spears, staffs—and unleashed layer upon layer of Martial Qi slashes toward the Earth-Giant.

Others opened fire from afar, launching Martial Qi Cannons that slammed into the giant’s body.

Explosions tore open crater-sized wounds across its surface.

…

True Lord Qiyun commented, “Each wave will be stronger than the last.”

“If they don’t reinforce their defenses while holding the line, it’s only a matter of time before they’re overwhelmed.”

True Lord Tianxiang smirked as he observed Su Yanyang. “He’s opening his mausoleum tunnel on purpose—he figured out that the Yellow-Turban Enforcers have only basic intelligence, with no Soul Cultivators behind them.”

As the puppets flooded into the entrance, they were devoured by pre-laid traps.

Geng Chenyinnnn’s gaze turned to Xiao Yunji. Onscreen, her form had morphed into a towering, three-headed, six-armed colossus.

Each arm wielded a different artifact—one blasting lightning, another raising force fields, others cutting down enemies with ruthless efficiency.

“She’s using the six arms not just for battle but also to keep building.”

He watched her array of creations and nodded in admiration. “Aside from the Magnetic Channel, she’s set up structures to replenish mana, repair her Law Husk, and restore her blood and energy.”

“A unique approach—her Dao Heart is commendable.”