No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Zhang Yu kept listening and soon realized that aside from the Muscle-Altering Three-Insects Pill, the six daily doses of medicine were all drugs that boosted strength at the cost of health and lifespan.

The program also offered a wide selection of Techniques, all from the Civil Engineering discipline, all high-risk, high-reward—with extreme side effects but the ability to rapidly elevate a cultivator’s power.

Thankfully, Zhang Yu noted with some relief, several of these Techniques belonged to the Earth-Wood Saint Body.

He thought to himself, “Looks like I’ll be able to learn the last three Techniques of the Earth-Wood Saint Body for free.”

Fu Ji, listening to Tu Lishan’s introduction, sighed. “They’re treating you all like expendables—squeezing every last drop of potential out of you in the short term just to turn a profit. No thought at all for your long-term future.”

“But for the poor, I guess it’s still an opportunity. At least if you make money, you might be able to repair some of the damage.”

“And if you can’t even earn that much… what’s the point of a long life?”

She sighed again. “There are just too many college students these days. That’s the only reason Wanfa University can pull off this kind of stunt—an endless stream of fresh geniuses every year.”

After rattling off the training details, Tu Lishan introduced a few figures nearby. “These are the program physicians. They’ll monitor your health and administer treatment as needed. Of course, the cost will come out of your own pocket.”

At these words, everyone in the room tensed as if they’d just glimpsed something terrifying.

As Zhang Yu listened to Tu Lishan’s nonstop explanation, he realized that the Civil Engineering program’s so-called training was, in essence, the use of the strongest drugs, the harshest environment, and the most grueling workload to force nonstop overtime, all to squeeze out every last bit of potential.

The program physicians, then, were like beasts lurking just behind them—waiting to swallow those who collapsed from the strain, and explode into a pile of medical debt, kicking the student out of the program entirely.

Tu Lishan looked out over the students in the meeting room, a trace of emotion in his heart. “Individually, these students are not renewable.”

“But as a group, college students are a renewable resource.”

“Some of them might not live to graduate…”

“But the Civil Engineering department will grow stronger year by year.”

“Especially over the next few years—once the war scales up, the demand for Civil Engineering will skyrocket. The resources we invest in them now will come back doubled.”

…

After wrapping up the briefing, Tu Lishan walked to another meeting room.

There, a young man stood on stage in a traditional Daoist robe, the words “Build the World” emblazoned on it. He looked like someone from an ancient era.

And Tu Lishan knew—calling Director Gao an ancient person wasn’t inaccurate. The man was over 800 years old, truly someone from the distant past.

Naturally, his aesthetic tastes had a vintage flair.

Even though the man was wearing over 300 Law Husks, all of them were custom-made from his own flesh and blood, giving the illusion that he wasn’t wearing any at all.

Tu Lishan then glanced at the six students seated below.

Unlike Zhang Yu’s group, these six, including Gongshu Jin, had each paid a 10-spirit coin registration fee—and their total training costs were even higher.

They would be personally taught by Director Gao, taking the best pills, cultivating the priciest Techniques, and learning about project management, oversight, and high-level Immortal Dao construction techniques.

If Zhang Yu’s group was being trained to become elite construction workers, then this group’s goal was to become project managers and masters of advanced Immortal construction.

…

At the prow of the flying vessel.

Zhang Yu walked forward, noting that students of all grades had already started their cultivation, wasting no time.

He watched the land flying by beneath them, then looked down at his right index finger and suddenly smiled.

Somehow, a black ring had appeared on his finger.

But on closer inspection, one could see it was composed of countless strands.

This was the Silken Sword Bai Zhenzhen had gifted him—crafted from seven strands of her own hair.

Each strand carried a Sword Intent that could temporarily erase one of an opponent’s emotions upon striking.

It required no mana to operate, charged itself daily by absorbing ambient spiritual energy, and each of the seven strands could unleash a single sword strike per day.

But beyond defense, the sword’s greatest value lay in its connectivity.

Reportedly, Heavenly Sword Sect University had deployed 84,000 Sky-Piercing Flying Swords in the upper skies of the Kunxu Second Floor, forming a spiritual network covering the entire region.

Using the Silken Sword, Zhang Yu could access this Spiritual Realm Network anytime via the Sky-Piercing Swords.

He thought, “Ah-Zhen must’ve been worried I’d run into danger out in the field—so she gave me a sword that not only protects me but also keeps me connected.”

Glancing once more at the Silken Sword coiled around his finger, Zhang Yu focused and began cultivating.

…

Soon after, the flying vessel came to a halt. A thick plume of smoke billowed up from a field of ruins.

Zhang Yu recalled the project documents. “This must be the factory from Shanhe University that got attacked. Our job is to clear the rubble and rebuild a Law Husk factory here in three months.”

“But what did this factory make before? I wonder if any good stuff’s still left…”

To Zhang Yu, the ruins below looked less like wreckage and more like buried treasure.

Just then, a senior student stepped forward. With each step, his body expanded, growing taller and taller until he stood ten meters high.

“This guy… he’s from Gongshu Jin’s group, isn’t he?” Zhang Yu thought. “The Technique he’s using is… Mountain-Moving Sutra?”

Zhang Yu recognized it as another Earth-Wood Saint Body Technique.

Unlike temporary stretching Techniques from the Qi Refinement Realm, this Mountain-Moving Sutra used physical transfiguration to push the body far beyond its normal limits.

The towering student laughed. “Some of you may know me, some may not. I’m Mo Shangjin from the Foundation Establishment Class, Year Seven.”

“The vessel can’t land here, so allow me to give you all a lift.”

As Zhang Yu watched in curiosity, Mo Shangjin opened his arms and a formless ripple spread from his body in every direction.

A moment later, everyone’s luggage began floating into the air.

Zhang Yu suddenly felt himself grow weightless—he was flying.

Startled, he wondered what was going on.

Beside him, Che Yufei shouted, “Control of Earthly Gravity—this is the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might?!”

Mo Shangjin smiled faintly. “Indeed, it’s the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might. Please remain still. I’ll send you all down now.”

Zhang Yu felt himself drawn forward by an invisible force, his whole body soaring downward.

Not just him—every student and every piece of luggage lifted into the sky by Mo Shangjin’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might descended toward the earth below, accompanied by sharp sounds of wind rushing past.

Hovering above the ruins, Mo Shangjin gently floated the group in place. Then, with a sweep of his other hand, a massive section of debris rose into the air and was blasted a hundred meters away.

Watching this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but gape. “This guy’s just Foundation Establishment?”

But after double-checking the data, Mo Shangjin really was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Che Yufei muttered, “Military-grade Techniques… this is insane. Just Mo Shangjin alone could do more work than who knows how many of me.”

Meanwhile, Gongshu Jin’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might… I have to master that Technique. With it, I could rake in a fortune just moving mountains, flipping buildings, or redirecting spirit veins.”

As the students landed on the newly cleared site, they immediately set about their assigned tasks—first creating a basic camp.

Zhang Yu’s EyeNet interface displayed the contents of the Mountain-Moving Sutra, the Technique he’d chosen from the program’s resource pool.

Naturally, part of the reason was that it belonged to the Earth-Wood Saint Body—but more importantly, it was a Technique that could be cultivated while working.

“Let’s get it to level 20 and unlock the second-tier effect of Earth-Wood Techniques.”

He circulated his mana, his body expanding slightly. But after one full cycle of the Technique, his body shrank back down.

His first attempt had failed.

But he’d officially learned the Mountain-Moving Sutra.

Mountain-Moving Sutra, Level 1

On his second attempt, Zhang Yu felt his flesh transmute under the mana’s infusion—becoming an elastic, pliable substance. With a forceful effort, he could balloon his body outward like an inflatable suit.

But he refrained. Instead, he kept the Technique running in the background as he got to work on his assigned chores.

Elsewhere, Gongshu Jin glanced at Zhang Yu digging through the soil and frowned slightly. “What’s a guy like him doing with those short-lived cannon fodder?”

“I heard he’s been spending all his time working on-site—even skipping Director Gao’s courses. A guy who can afford the Time-Wrecking Demon Pupil… what’s he playing at?”

In Gongshu Jin’s eyes, grunt work only built a grunt’s physique. It wore down the body, raised strength slowly, and was far less efficient than just pouring money into high-end Dao Techniques.

Just then, Director Gao’s voice rang out. “The grunt work doesn’t concern you. Eyes over here. The first step in construction is locating the array’s foundation point.”

“And the key to that is tracing the spirit veins, drawing in spiritual energy, and laying down the first conduit…”

At his words, Gongshu Jin immediately turned his focus, listening with rapt attention.

Though curious about Zhang Yu’s choices, Gongshu Jin’s real priority was his own path.

And now, as one of Director Gao’s handpicked protégés, his next goal was clear: three months from now, he’d beat Ji Yuanshu and claim the top rank in the Foundation Establishment Class.