No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

As the Xuanpin Celestial Pearl released layer upon layer of radiant light, one of Lord Magneto’s incarnations materialized before Zhang Yu.

Dressed in a palace robe, her elegant figure reclined in an office chair. She looked at Zhang Yu with satisfaction. “I didn’t expect I’d still underestimated you. You actually mastered the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might in such a short time.”

“Though some of it came down to timing and Daoist Qiyun’s assistance, your talent in martial arts is clearly indispensable.”

With that, Lord Magneto patted her own thigh. “Come here.”

“Let me check your body.”

Thinking of his plans to transfer into the Artifact Refinement Department, Zhang Yu gritted his teeth and sat on her lap.

He felt Lord Magneto’s fingers sliding across his body, a trickle of mana entering his meridians to examine his condition.

Zhang Yu felt like a high-quality piece of artifact refinement material, receiving Lord Magneto’s constant evaluations.

“Not bad, not bad,” she murmured. “Your physical body now naturally contains a trace of Earthfiend Gravity. That’s the body-tempering effect of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.”

“Long-term cultivation and use of this technique allows a practitioner’s flesh and blood to gradually take on innate force. Whether walking, sitting, or standing, you can release Earthfiend Gravity at will.”“If your cultivation is deep enough and your understanding of this technique sufficient, even your severed limbs would retain that Earthfiend Gravity—along with its adaptation properties. That makes it prime material for crafting flying or defensive artifacts.”

Zhang Yu trembled internally at her words, and forced a laugh. “My Lord… are you planning to use a piece of my flesh to craft an artifact?”

In that moment, Zhang Yu was as pitiful as a trade school intern.

Lord Magneto chuckled, stroking his small hand. “Nonsense. I’m a Nascent Soul cultivator—why would I value material from someone at Foundation Establishment?”

“I was just thinking… none of the past practitioners of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might ever studied artifact refinement. Wanfa University still has a huge research gap in this area.”

“In the future, if you can integrate the secrets of this technique into artifact studies—like successfully refining your own flesh into an Artifact Husk—you’d have enough material to publish several papers.”

“And if you can innovate even a little in Earthfiend Gravity-related processes, you could carve out a space in academic research after reaching the Gold Core stage. That would also help me in my own refinement studies.”

Zhang Yu nodded thoughtfully.

Lord Magneto continued, “Let’s talk about your department transfer.”

“Now that you’ve mastered the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, are you set on switching to the Artifact Refinement Department after your third year?”

Zhang Yu straightened up and nodded sincerely. “Teacher, the Civil Engineering Department is excellent, and Director Gao has treated me well… but I want to grow.”

“I want to go further on the Immortal Path. I want to pursue graduate studies, even a doctorate—and maybe even join a sect.”

“I know only the Artifact Refinement Department can help me fulfill those dreams.”

“People strive upward, water flows downward. The Civil Engineering Department has been good to me, but the Artifact Refinement Department has a boundless future.”

Lord Magneto nodded with emotion. “As long as you’ve made up your mind.”

“But Old Gao is still the director of Civil Engineering. While I’ll support you, it’s unrealistic to expect he won’t have any objections.”

“You need to be mentally prepared for the pressure.”

Just then, her gaze flickered as she casually approved a communication request from Yan Qianji. His Spiritual Realm projection appeared.

“My Lord,” Yan Qianji reported, “the Artifact Spirit decryption hit a snag. We need your guidance…”

“What’s the issue?” she asked casually.

Yan Qianji explained while glancing toward Lord Magneto—his mind suddenly seized by a wild notion.

Is… is she holding someone in her lap?

There was clearly no one visible, but projections could be masked, and her posture looked unmistakably like she was embracing someone.

Could it be? No way. Who would Lord Magneto be holding like that? Don’t tell me it’s… Ye Xingli?

Brimming with curiosity and disbelief, Yan Qianji finished his report and disconnected.

Zhang Yu, unaware of the brief call, only felt that Lord Magneto seemed to have been speaking with someone remotely.

After ending the call, Lord Magneto said, “The Civil Engineering Department’s Seven Absolutes Law Husk may not be military grade, but it has excellent synergy. It greatly amplifies the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, especially in channeling Earthfiend Gravity.”

“Before transferring departments, be sure to take all related schematics with you. They’ll be invaluable when you start refining Law Husks.”

Listening to Lord Magneto’s instructions, Fu Ji muttered to herself, You two really are here to strip the Civil Engineering Department bare. Now that both the technique and the Law Husk designs are going to the Artifact Refinement Department, what will be left? Are we about to become a sub-branch of Artifact Refinement?

Having said all she needed to, Lord Magneto patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder. “Go on back. Focus on the competition for now. I’ll handle the transfer arrangements.”

…

Late January.

At the construction site.

With a shift of Zhang Yu’s hand seal, a distant mountain exploded with a thunderous boom. The flying debris surged upward before being shredded into drifting dust by an invisible vortex.

Then Zhang Yu pointed again. A wave of Earthfiend Gravity shot forth, instantly gathering the smoke and debris into a dense clump.

Through these weeks of field training, his Earth-Origin Technique had reached Level 20—the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.

This meant his Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might had likewise hit Level 20, its peak state within Foundation Establishment.

Combined with the first layer of the inverted Chain Diagram, Zhang Yu’s technique could wreak catastrophic environmental damage.

He had tested it lightly in a deserted area. Even without going full power, the result had left him shaken.

As for going all out…

He could only describe it with one phrase:

World-shattering.

Just then, a message arrived from Feng Tingting.

Feng Tingting: Zhang Yu! Did you hear? Lord Magneto was holding someone in her office late at night!

Zhang Yu: Huh?

Feng Tingting: Must’ve been premium artifact refinement material. No way she’d be playing with it that late otherwise.

Zhang Yu: Maybe.

Feng Tingting: I’m dying to know who’s worthy of being held like that.

Feng Tingting: I’d settle for some leftover scraps.

Zhang Yu: Where’d you hear this?

Feng Tingting: Why are you asking? I’m not about to reveal my sources.

Zhang Yu shook his head. With Lord Magneto’s cultivation, there’s no way anyone would’ve seen she was holding him.

A few hours later, another day passed. Fu Ji reviewed the staff’s workloads, calculated payroll, and submitted the numbers to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu disbursed the salaries one by one, watching his account balance dwindle with a silent pang of regret.

“Sigh… Just hang in there. This is a university-backed project—they won’t stiff me. A new batch of funds should arrive next month.”

One by one, the soul cultivators sent their thanks.

Zhao Tianxing: Thank you, Boss Zhang.

Hu Yuntao: Thanks, Boss Zhang.

Ying Xin’s Grandfather: Much appreciated, Boss Zhang.

Seeing how prompt Zhang Yu was with pay, Fu Ji couldn’t help commenting, “You’re running a long-term hire arrangement, not daily labor. There’s no need to pay them every single day.”

“We’re not some massive company, and the project funds haven’t even come in yet. You could easily delay payment till the end of the project. Heck, dragging it out another month or two wouldn’t even be a problem.”

“If you hold onto the cash, you could use it to improve your own cultivation. Spend more time in the Spiritual Realm. Practice your refinement skills.”

But Zhang Yu shook his head.

“Zhao Tianxing started late. He wasted most of his first year and needs money badly right now.”

“Mo Tianyi’s been soul-cultivating from early on. His monthly expenses aren’t small.”

“Hu Yuntao and Che Yufei are buried in debt. Their finances are even worse.”

“And the Ying family… don’t even mention it. At their death age, daily upkeep costs are unavoidable. Since they came to help me, I won’t delay their wages.”

Fu Ji was stunned. “You little bastard… why are you taking care of your employees like this?”

She fumed. “Good spirit coins, and you’re just throwing them into a bottomless pit!”

Zhang Yu said calmly, “It’s not like we don’t have money.”

Fu Ji snapped, “This is no way to run a company! You’re killing our competitiveness—how are we supposed to grow?”

“You made me the CFO, right? Then I get final say on this.”

Honestly, Zhang Yu didn’t know how to respond.

He understood that Fu Ji wasn’t entirely wrong. Keeping labor costs low really would make the company more competitive.

But at least for now, while he could afford not to squeeze them, he didn’t want to.

He couldn’t even imagine how to broach that conversation with people like Zhao Tianxing or Che Yufei.

After arguing to no avail, Fu Ji suddenly had a realization.

“You little bastard… am I the only one in this whole damned company who can’t quit?”

Zhang Yu tried to comfort her. “You’re a shareholder. Once we get big, you’ll benefit too.”

In that moment, Fu Ji realized something chilling.

Damn it… I really am the only one in this company who can’t resign.

…

A few days later.

Zhang Yu, along with Shi Huaiyu, Su Yanyang, and the others, arrived at Vajra University.

Today was the day of their rematch against Vajra University in the loser’s bracket.

This match would determine which team would walk away as the ultimate loser of this year’s competition.

Looking down at the golden-glinting university below from the flying vessel, only Zhang Yu appeared calm and composed.

The others—Su Yanyang, Shi Huaiyu, and their teammates—were clearly tense and uneasy.

None of them were truly confident in the battle ahead.