No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

There were roughly three hours before the next round of the competition, giving students time to rest and receive treatment.

Che Yufei had come out of the previous match nearly unscathed. After doing some maintenance on his Law Husk and taking a few standard medicines, he turned his attention to the information now appearing in his EyeNet feed.

Ever since he posted about the match on his social media, the comments had started rolling in.

He smiled as he scrolled through the replies—former high school and university classmates all amazed he’d made it into the top ten.

At the same time, internship applications he’d previously sent out with no response had suddenly begun receiving feedback.

…

Elsewhere, Shi Yunxiang couldn’t wait to show off his top-ten placement.

He shared the news across several chat groups, announcing his rank in the competition.

To Shi Yunxiang, this kind of thing was only natural.

“If I don’t flaunt my placement, what’s the point of even earning it?”“Once you’ve got results, you’ve got to show them off hard—make sure everyone who knows you knows what’s up. That’s the rule of survival in college.”

A long-lost message from his mentor brought him a wave of joy as he eagerly typed back.

Among the demon-kin at Wanfa University, some demon-kin students also messaged him, asking if he needed a loan from the Demon-Kin Student Assistance Fund.

Reading the various replies in his EyeNet feed, Shi Yunxiang couldn’t help but marvel once again at how valuable a top-ten finish in the Civil Engineering competition really was.

…

Ying Clan Ancestral Hall Group Chat

Ying Xin: I placed top ten in the Civil Engineering competition!

Ying Xin: Screenshot of my rank. Image file attached.

The screenshot instantly woke up a bunch of silent family group members.

First Patriarch: Good, good, good! Earning that in your sophomore year—your future looks bright.

Fourth Patriarch: Ying Xin, did you get that placement as a substitute?

Second Patriarch: Well now, you must’ve latched onto a solid golden thigh. Be sure to hold on tight and never let go.

Fifth Patriarch: The rank doesn’t even matter anymore. Once you’re in upperclassman territory, you’ll realize something: rank matters, but alliances matter more—and background trumps them all.

First Patriarch: Did you send a gift? Send them my ashes.

Third Patriarch: Grandpa, didn’t you already send me most of those ashes? There’s none left.

Third Patriarch: Burn mine, I’ve still got plenty.

Reading the responses from her father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and even her great-great-grandfather and beyond, Ying Xin felt a warm sense of belonging. This was the support of family heritage and blood bonds.

…

Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan was lying next to a construction site, circulating his breathing while chatting through his Law Husk.

In the Songyang Locals chat group—

Yu Xinghan, Foundation Establishment Class Rank 5 at Wanfa University, top 10 in the Civil Engineering Competition, Certified Engineering Health Manager: Hahaha, @Song Hailong, that video you posted was hilarious.

Song Hailong, Foundation Establishment Class Rank 3 at Immortal Soldier University: That was from last week, wasn’t it? Why are you only replying now?

Zhao Tianxing from Fengdu University (Contact me for mobile data): Top ten?

Yu Xinghan: You mean the Civil Engineering top ten?

Yu Xinghan: Zhang Yu and I competed in our department’s internal contest. We managed to beat a few sixth-year seniors and somehow squeezed into the top ten.

Yu Xinghan: Not many sophomores manage that. Guess Zhang Yu and I have really outperformed the historic average for Wanfa University’s Civil Engineering Department.

As the group members all chimed in with admiration, Yu Xinghan followed up by urging them to like and share his latest video.

Just then, a new message popped up from Lian Tianji.

Lian Tianji: Brother Xinghan, the message you sent last time—my assistant forgot to relay it to me.

Lian Tianji: Which video do you want me to share and promote?

Yu Xinghan’s spirits surged at the reply. He quickly opened a conversation with Lian Tianji, and the two agreed to collaborate on a joint video when Yu Xinghan headed to Pleasure and Harmony University for a project.

“Pleasure and Harmony University…” Yu Xinghan’s eyes gleamed with resolve. “I’m going there, no doubt about it!”

At that moment, he saw Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan returning and rushed over.

“How is he?” he asked.

Xiao Qingxuan replied calmly, “His injuries were already stable. The doctor patched him up a bit and gave him some of Director Gao’s medicine. With a bit of rest, he should recover within the hour.”

The others breathed a quiet sigh of relief. After his astounding performance in the last match against Ma Xuan, Zhang Yu had quietly become the backbone of their team—someone they couldn’t do without in the rounds to come.

But when the next match schedule dropped, everyone’s expressions grew heavy.

“In this new round, the top ten teams will face off one-on-one.”

“Preliminary rankings will be based on each team’s construction completion rate.”

“Winning teams from this round get a bonus challenge—if you beat a higher-ranked team in the next round, you take their spot.”

Zhang Yu mused, “So this round sets the preliminary top ten, and the final round determines the actual rankings.”

Che Yufei frowned. “We’re up against Su Yanyang’s team this round? That…”

He turned to Shi Huaiyu. “You used to be on their team. How big’s the gap between us and them?”

Shi Huaiyu rubbed her lower back with a grim expression. “Huge.”

“Su Yanyang’s individual strength aside, just his Iron Coffin holds nine full Law Husk sets I know of. They cover all specializations and perfectly match his various Techniques. They let him bring out the full force of his cultivation.”

“Whether it’s frontline combat, scouting, terrain shaping, array setups, large-scale construction—he’s got no weaknesses. He outclasses us in every department.”

“His teammates are all ranked top forty in the department.”

“Each one of them has ridiculously valuable Law Husks, Artifacts, and other gear.”

“And more importantly, they’re all loaded. They don’t care about resource costs or post-match repairs.”

She sighed. “I’d bet Su Yanyang built this team months ago with the top seven in mind.”

“And he’s extremely cautious. No matter the opponent, he never lets his guard down…”

Listening to Shi Huaiyu describe Su Yanyang’s team, the rest of the group fell silent.

Che Yufei shook his head. “We’ve already secured top ten. If the match starts turning against us, we should surrender early—better that than suffering heavy losses.”

Xiao Qingxuan looked around and saw signs of slackness on every face.

He understood: reaching the top ten had already exceeded most of their goals. Facing such a monstrous team next felt insurmountable. Naturally, people were ready to give up.

Shi Huaiyu looked unconvinced but didn’t challenge Che Yufei’s suggestion. She couldn’t bring herself to inspire the team to fight Su Yanyang—not with such daunting risks.

Xiao Qingxuan glanced at Zhang Yu, deep in thought.

“The whole team’s lost its fighting spirit,” he thought. “Even so… do you still want to win?”

…

When break time ended, both teams stood at the entrance of the competition site.

Su Yanyang leaned against his floating Iron Coffin and looked at Shi Huaiyu.

“Junior Shi,” he said, “will you fight this through or surrender early?”

“You know the difference in strength between us. Surrendering early would spare both sides losses. Seems like the wiser course to me.”

“We’re all Civil Engineering students—why waste resources hurting each other?”

“You know me. I hate unnecessary expenses.”

Shi Huaiyu clenched her teeth. “Try beating us first.”

Su Yanyang shook his head. “Still so headstrong. Emotion has no place on the path to immortality.”

He turned to her teammates.

“She and I have a history,” he said. “Her choices might be emotionally driven. You all should reconsider.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to save your money for cultivation? No point wasting it here, don’t you think…”

Just as Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang hesitated, Zhang Yu stepped forward and faced Su Yanyang head-on.

“You’re trying to sow discord,” he said.

“Oh?” Su Yanyang chuckled. “What gave you that idea?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zhang Yu stared him down. “You’re relying on trash talk and manipulation before the match even starts. You’re not confident.”

“Maybe you’re not so sure you can beat us.”

Su Yanyang smiled wider. “You’re a bold sophomore. Seems beating Ma Xuan got to your head.”

“Well then. I was going to offer some friendly senior advice…”

“But I guess you’ll only understand once you’re flat on the ground.”

He waved his hand and stepped back. The Iron Coffin behind him flew open, sending streaks of light shooting toward him.

A moment later, his entire Law Husk switched.

Su Yanyang’s arms became crystalline constructs crackling with electric arcs.

His legs transformed into the same crystalline material, giving him anti-gravity lift as he hovered midair.

His torso turned into a blue gemstone, and jagged crystal spikes jutted from his spine.

Zhang Yu and the others tensed. Data popped up in their EyeNets—Shi Huaiyu’s intel.

Shi Huaiyu: Su Yanyang’s Law Husks are all full sets, bought together.

Shi Huaiyu: They not only boost his cultivation but also synergize for powerful combo effects.

Shi Huaiyu: This one is “Earthshaker Deity” from the Myriad Artisans Sect, specialized in manipulating Earthshaker gravity.

Shi Huaiyu: If paired with the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes, it massively enhances spell power and range.

The team watched the floating Su Yanyang, their fighting spirit draining by the second.

The match began. Both teams entered the site. A random draw determined who would attack and defend first.

Shi Huaiyu muttered, “We’re defending in the first half?”

Che Yufei peered into the distance. “Should we do what we did last time? Meet them outside the site and hold them off?”

But to everyone’s surprise, Su Yanyang’s team made no aggressive moves.

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