No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

In a luxury dormitory.

Since losing the competition and having a major falling-out with Ma Xuan and the others, Ji Yuanshu had been in low spirits.

Director Lin’s cold treatment of him only deepened the sense that he was being cast aside.

When Ji Yuanshu heard that Zhang Yu’s team had defeated Su Yanyang, he could only mutter to himself, “Just as I thought.”

And his conversation with Gongshu Jin only confirmed it.

“It was a setup by the War Faction. They poured in massive resources to ensure Zhang Yu beat both me and Su Yanyang.”

“But at least Su Yanyang lost too.”

Su Yanyang’s failure made Ji Yuanshu feel like his own defeat wasn’t so humiliating after all.

“Master should understand that this defeat wasn’t my fault.”

“But now that my fortune is in backlash, Master likely doesn’t want to invest in me any further.”Thinking this, Ji Yuanshu turned his senses inward, feeling the two QiCards in his mind cycling fortune back and forth between them.

“Double cards, double loans... barely helped me survive the backlash this time.”

“In the future... I’ll have to rely on myself and battle the War Faction’s big players.”

…

At the 667th floor construction site.

While working his shift, Su Yanyang glanced to the side and saw Ma Xuan standing nearby.

Ma Xuan smiled. “Keep watching. Learn how civil engineering competitions are really played.”

Su Yanyang’s face darkened as he turned away coldly. “If it weren’t for incompetent teammates, lazy Soul Cultivators, and their team getting expert-level coaching, I never would’ve lost.”

Ma Xuan nodded. “I get it. I really do.”

“Senior Brother, it’s a real shame this time.”

“If you’d taken seventh place, you would’ve completed the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes. Next semester, you could’ve taken the military certification exam and started training in Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.”

Su Yanyang glanced at Ma Xuan and sighed, recalling how he too had lost to Zhang Yu. “A single wrong move.”

“The War Faction probably saw me as a threat. That’s why they went all-out to take me down.”

“They were really targeting me. You guys just got caught in the crossfire.”

Ma Xuan asked, “Are you still planning to take the military cert next year?”

“Of course,” Su Yanyang said flatly. “Opportunities like this don’t come often. Can’t give up that easily.”

After chatting for a bit, Ma Xuan added, “I kicked Ji Yuanshu out.”

“You don’t have a team anymore either.”

“So how about next year’s competition… you join us?”

Su Yanyang shook his head. “We’ll talk next year. I’m not thinking about competitions right now.”

…

At Netherworld University.

Wang Yin sat in meditation, the Emperor’s Heart Technique circulating at full strength in his mind, his Dao Heart firm as iron.

Thinking back on what happened with Zhang Yu, he found it surprisingly trivial.

“No, Zhang Yu tricking me last time might’ve actually been a good thing.”

“Just a few spirit coins—and yet it exposed a flaw in my technique. Because of that, I was able to temper my Dao Heart and reach today’s refinement.”

“If I had kept that flaw while cultivating the Emperor’s Heart Technique, the moment I lost to a peer-level expert, I’d never recover.”

Wang Yin sighed inwardly. “This trial helped me patch the flaw completely. From now on, my Dao path will be smooth.”

“Zhang Yu… I shouldn’t hate you. I should thank you.”

“You have no idea how much you helped me. You also don’t know the kind of terrifying opponent you’ve created for yourself.”

Beside him, his mother sensed his mental state and nodded slightly. “Not bad. Looks like you’ve truly shifted your mindset and broken past your inner obstacle.”

Wang Yin smiled. “The core of the Emperor’s Heart Technique isn’t about never losing—it’s about not fearing loss.”

“From this moment forward, every defeat becomes nourishment for my Dao Heart. It can no longer hinder my cultivation.”

“From now on, I control the technique—it no longer controls me.”

His mother nodded. “And if you face Zhang Yu again?”

Wang Yin replied coolly, “He’s just a tool, a knife wielded by others. Unless absolutely necessary, I’m no longer interested in dealing with him.”

His mother smiled faintly. “Good. Then allow me to test your Dao Heart again.”

With a thought, a light screen projected itself before them.

Wang Yin frowned. “What is this?”

“The Civil Engineering Department’s competition footage from Wanfa University,” his mother replied.

“Zhang Yu took part in this event.”

“Let’s see a side of him you’ve never seen before.”

At first, Wang Yin remained impassive when he heard the name Zhang Yu, showing no emotion.

But as the footage sped up, and Zhang Yu’s clash with Su Yanyang played out, Wang Yin’s brow furrowed slightly.

He turned away with a forced smile. “Mom, what’s so great about this competition?”

“Keep watching,” she said coldly. “Watch it carefully. Look at what Zhang Yu was really like.”

Under her stern insistence, Wang Yin sat through the rest of the footage.

When it was over, he couldn’t help but ask, “What rank did Zhang Yu get?”

“Seventh place in the Civil Engineering Department,” his mother replied. “He’s now officially been granted the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes.”

She explained the concept of the Seven Absolutes, then added, “He’s already been taken in as a registered disciple by True Lord Aoki.”

“From the looks of it, they’re planning to give him major support going forward.”

Noting the shift in Wang Yin’s expression, she continued, “Give it a few years, and he might pass the military certification exam. He could start cultivating Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.”

Seeing Wang Yin’s rapid breathing, his mother sighed. “Seems like you haven’t fully repaired the flaw in your heart.”

Wang Yin forced a smile. “I just need some time to adjust.”

“The stronger Zhang Yu becomes, the more effectively he tempers my Dao Heart. It’s a good thing.”

“The more he wins, the more I win with him…”

His mother shook her head and sent him the footage. “You’ve really let me down.”

“Watch it as much as you need.”

“The day you can view it without the slightest ripple, with a heart as still as an ancient well—that’s when your flaw will truly be healed.”

…

The day after the Civil Engineering competition rewards were issued.

Zhang Yu arrived at the Simulation Worksite, harboring a sliver of anticipation for his appointment with Director Gao.

Director Gao glanced at him and said calmly, “Today, I’ll teach you the second of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes: Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force.”

“This technique forms the core of power generation in the Seven Absolutes. It combines the body with Martial Qi to simulate geological disasters. Every move carries immense destructive force—perfect for both construction and body refinement.”

As he spoke, an invisible burst of Martial Qi blasted from his fist, visibly shaking the ground like an earthquake.

Then, with a palm strike, the swirling Qi shattered the earth, breaking it into layers of sand and dust. The entire field now resembled a desert.

“Landslides, earthquakes, soil churn, rockbursts, desertification… every move of Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force alters the terrain.”

“If paired with the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal, its power multiplies…”

As Director Gao continued his explanation, Zhang Yu gained a deeper understanding of the technique’s terrifying might.

He thought to himself, “The Mountain-Moving Qi this technique releases feels like seismic waves—unrelentingly forceful, devastating, and able to trigger terrain upheaval.”

“With enough power, you could recreate effects like earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, even desertification.”

Zhang Yu remembered the battlefield applications shown during the competition—Shi Huaiyu, Ma Xuan, and Su Yanyang manipulating terrain with their Small Threefold Harmony.

“It was because of the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal and Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force that they could reshape terrain, control mud and sand, and unleash devastation like natural disasters.”

After demonstrating once, Director Gao watched Zhang Yu with curiosity as he began to practice.

“This kid mastered the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal in 1 hour and 15 minutes.”

Keeping a straight face, Director Gao thought, “How long will he take with Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force?”

“I’ve got it,” Zhang Yu said after clumsily running through the form once. As the cultivation memory of the technique emerged in his mind, it felt like he’d practiced it hundreds of times before.

Of course, he didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he repeated the performance for Director Gao’s benefit.

Before coming, Zhang Yu had asked Shi Huaiyu about it.

Shi Huaiyu said it had taken him three full days to master Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force.

According to him, the fastest anyone in the department had ever done it was just over half an hour.

So, after 48 minutes of continuous practice, Zhang Yu’s techniques steadily improved—each repetition growing more refined until he’d crossed from novice to proficient.

His memory of practicing this technique was still fresh, making the second run-through smooth and natural.

Director Gao nodded repeatedly as he observed.

To him, Zhang Yu’s progress with every repetition was practically visible to the naked eye—an astonishing display of talent.

When Zhang Yu drove his fist into the ground, shattering the field with seismic force, Director Gao was inwardly stunned.

“Only 48 minutes?”

“As far as I remember, anything faster than this was either fake or exaggerated for marketing.”

“This kid’s talent is just…”

Zhang Yu looked at him and said, “Teacher, I’ve mastered it.”

Director Gao nodded. “The department’s situation is unstable. Someone might come after you.”

“Don’t tell anyone how fast you’re mastering these techniques.”

Once Zhang Yu nodded in agreement, Director Gao continued, “Now, let’s talk about the military certification exam schedule.”