No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Upon hearing Shi Huaiyu’s question, Mo Shangjin explained, “Zhang Yu is our team’s secret weapon. Before we face the rest of the Ten Great Academies, it’s best to keep his true strength under wraps.”

“Besides, the next match is against the Vajra University team. They’ll be competing against you and the rest of the Wanfa team.”

“Most likely, while you were fighting in the last match, the students from Vajra University were already observing from the sidelines.”

Zhang Yu raised a curious question. “How strong is Vajra University’s Civil Engineering Department?”

“Vajra University…” Mo Shangjin thought for a moment, then said, “Their Artifact Refinement Department excels at processing students’ bodies into various Law Husks. Their campus has an active body-part trading scene, and their body-refining Techniques are highly compatible with their self-produced Law Husks.”

“For them, the physical body is both essential and dispensable. Essential, because refining one’s body brings in money. Dispensable, because their entire campus follows a standardized body-refining protocol. Swapping bodies and Law Husks among students is almost effortless.”

Zhang Yu then asked, “What about their military-grade Techniques? How many of them have mastered one?”

Mo Shangjin replied, “The Civil Engineering Department at Vajra University practices a military-grade Technique called Great Sun Aspects. Last year, I recall one person had mastered it.”

“But that person likely graduated already.”

“Chances are, no one in their current team has succeeded in learning it yet.”Su Yanyang, standing nearby, asked, “Senior Mo, how much longer will your injuries take to heal?”

“We can handle average opponents from the lower schools on our own.”

“But if we face someone on par with a top-tier academy, and they’ve got military-grade power, we can’t win without you.”

Mo Shangjin sighed. “My body’s been contaminated by Earthfiend Qi. I’m in the middle of detoxification.”

“This isn’t something that can be rushed. At the very least, I need two more months to recover.”

Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered at this. No wonder Mo Shangjin and another student were severely wounded, while Li Zhen was still able to compete.

Zhang Yu thought, It must be because Li Zhen specializes in manipulating Earthfiend Qi.

He turned to Li Zhen and asked, “Senior Li, doesn’t practicing Earthfiend Qi Techniques harm your body?”

Li Zhen answered, “Of course it does. My body ages faster, and I’ve got all kinds of occupational hazards. Not a single one is missing.”

Su Yanyang frowned. “Then why specialize in Earthfiend Qi?”

Li Zhen explained, “Sure, I’ve got a shorter lifespan and less total work time. But I earn more per hour. It’s like spending your retirement years early and burning through that time while you’re young. What’s wrong with that?”

“Besides, what job on a construction site doesn’t wear down the body? You can’t do that forever. Earthfiend Qi research is harsh, but if I do well, I can pivot to environmental engineering.”

“The Thirty-Six Heavenly Astral Energies and Seventy-Two Earthly Calamities are both tied to environmental problems.”

“And that’s a major issue. The higher your cultivation, the greater the environmental impact. As Immortal Dao technology progresses, Kunxu will place more and more emphasis on environmental governance.”

…

After wrapping up the match against Golden River University, Zhang Yu returned promptly to Wanfa University and resumed his schedule of study, cultivation, and part-time labor.

By late December, he successfully advanced Soil-to-Gold Transmutation to level 20.

With all six branches of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes reaching level 20, the first layer of the Back-Dragon Kunlun Flip in the Chain Diagram finally activated.

Primary – Back-Dragon Kunlun Flip (6/6): The destructive and transformative effects of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes on the environment are vastly amplified.

Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up as he read the effect. “Environmental transformation?”

The next day, he returned to the worksite on the 669th floor. After a series of experiments, he roughly confirmed the effect of the first layer of Back-Dragon Kunlun Flip.

From ordinary sand and soil to half-built reinforced concrete structures, even to completed buildings—anything constructed or in-progress counted as part of the “environment.”

When paired with the new effect, whether he used Small Threefold Harmony or Soil-to-Gold Transmutation, the scale and power of the effect dramatically increased.

He opened his five fingers gently. Wisps of metallic powder floated up from the sand, gathering into a cloud of metal mist that twisted and shifted in his palm.

“If Small Threefold Harmony is enhanced by this effect, then that means Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might should be even more potent.”

“That means I can cause large-scale transformations just by activating it.”

“This… is a godsend for construction work. Who in the Civil Engineering Department could possibly out-build me now?”

Zhang Yu’s excitement grew.

I’ll climb to the pinnacle of construction. I’ll earn wages most workers wouldn’t even dare dream of.

He did a mental calculation. At that rate, he might make more money working construction than through Artifact Refinement.

Then I’ll have enough construction earnings to fuel my Artifact Refinement for a good long while.

“…If only it weren’t still December.”

Though he was eager to test his new abilities, Zhang Yu understood that these things couldn’t be rushed. He suppressed his excitement and threw himself back into work.

Hold it together, Zhang Yu. The more critical the moment, the more you need to keep your head.

He reminded himself, Stick to the plan. Keep learning. Keep working. Keep cultivating. Even if I’ve mastered Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, that’s only the beginning.

My real goal is to join the Ten Major Sects. That’s still a long road ahead.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was time for the second match of the Intercollegiate Civil Engineering Tournament.

This time, the match was held at Wanfa University.

Vajra University arrived with six official team members and three alternates.

At the entrance to the competition arena, the Vajra team’s leader, Chan Rong, looked over Zhang Yu’s team with a faint smile.

Chan Rong said, “Mo Shangjin won’t be participating? I guess his injuries are more serious than we thought.”

Zhang Yu responded calmly, “You know Senior Mo?”

Chan Rong murmured, “Of course I do.”

“I still remember last year’s match against Wanfa. Mo Shangjin activated Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might with his Law Husk of the Seven Absolutes and flipped the entire arena upside down.”

“It was a world-shaking move. I remember one of our senior teammates tried to hold him off with Great Sun Aspects, but he was still thrown straight out of the ring.”

Zhang Yu glanced at the projected image of Mo Shangjin beside him and privately messaged, That attack you did last year was way too over-the-top. I think Vajra University is gunning for payback.

Mo Shangjin looked at the fighting spirit burning in the eyes of Vajra University’s team and sighed.

“I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to compete this year.”

“Besides, back then our department was in the middle of a bid, so Professor Gao told me to go all out for the sake of publicity.”

“You think I wanted to burn resources and use my Law Husk of the Seven Absolutes to activate Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might? That stuff is expensive!”

At that moment, Chan Rong turned his gaze toward Zhang Yu, noting his eye movements and said, “Mo Shangjin is using a Divine Projection through the Spiritual Realm, isn’t he?”

Zhang Yu froze for a second, unsure how to respond.

Chan Rong continued, “Last year, thanks to that one attack of yours, Mo Shangjin, almost all our Law Husks and artifacts were wrecked.”

Zhang Yu’s heart clenched. Dammit… that’s a serious grudge.

Chan Rong added, “Today, just watch how I deal with your teammates.”

Mo Shangjin frowned and said, “Be careful. He’s come prepared.”

…

Three!

Two!

One!

As the match officially began, Chan Rong shot into the air, his body erupting with blinding flames that made him seem like a blazing sun suspended above the arena.

Word by word, he said, “Mo Shangjin, when you beat me last year, I had already passed the Military License Exam.”

“But I was still too inexperienced. I hadn’t yet mastered Great Sun Aspects.”

“If we had a longer training period like this year, if I’d had more time to cultivate… we wouldn’t have lost.”

“Today, I’ll deal with your teammates first. You and I can settle things next year.”

With that, he pressed his palms together. His martial qi surged outward, unleashing a wave of scorching light that flooded the arena.

At the same time, even as Chan Rong spoke, moved, and unleashed his Technique, the minds of Zhang Yu’s entire team immediately recalled Mo Shangjin’s briefing…

About Great Sun Aspects.

Mo Shangjin: “Great Sun Aspects is a Technique that condenses martial intent of the Great Sun and fuses it with blazing martial qi.”

“If you master this military-grade Technique at the Foundation Establishment stage, the moment you activate it, you become like a living sun. The temperature within a one-kilometer radius begins to rise steadily. After ten to fifteen minutes, it can incinerate everything in that zone.”

“Beyond the gradual heat increase, it can also spike temperatures in localized areas within a hundred meters.”

“All it takes is a glance. A gesture. That’s enough to set someone ablaze.”

“And the smaller the targeted area, the faster the temperature spikes…”

Zhang Yu, Xiao Yunji, Su Yanyang, and the rest processed the data in mere moments. Their thinking and reaction speeds were lightning-fast. Even before Chan Rong finished his sentence, they had fully recalled the details of Great Sun Aspects.

And then, came hesitation.

The opponent had mastered a military-grade Technique. Should they surrender immediately?

But if they did… who would be the first to surrender? Should anyone do it without consensus?

The thought flickered through Su Yanyang’s mind.

A heartbeat later, he tapped into the EyeNet group chat with incredible speed.

Competition Group Chat

Su Yanyang: What do we do?

Xiao Yunji: If we go all-out, we might lose our Law Husks and rack up massive medical bills.

Li Zhen: We can’t fight like this. Someone could die.

Xiao Yunji: Then what do you suggest?

Su Yanyang stared at the stream of messages flooding the chat and cursed inwardly. Dammit! Can’t just one of you be brave enough to say “I surrender” first?