No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

By the end of August, it was already time for the sophomore year’s final exams.

The students of the Civil Engineering Foundation Establishment Class had, without even realizing it, completed two full academic years.

Inside the Dao Heart Exam Hall...

Feng Jiu’s gaze swept across the performances of the candidates in the Spiritual Realm.

Li Xiao was piloting a flying vessel at high speed, and when faced with a student from Netherworld University and a junior college student, he decisively chose to crash into and kill the junior college student.

Then it was ten junior college students, a hundred, two hundred... By the time he reached three hundred, a flicker of hesitation finally appeared in his heart.

Feng Jiu gave a slight nod and thought, “This question’s a bit outdated. Today’s students find it too easy—it should be retired.”

“After all, junior college students have seriously depreciated over the years. This is just basic arithmetic now; it doesn’t test the Dao Heart at all.”

In another screen, Yu Xinghan had been transformed by the Appearance-Shifting Technique into a stray dog. Worried he wouldn’t be able to find a job in his new form, he scoured the city for work and trained himself relentlessly in dog skills, striving for even a sliver of hope.

Feng Jiu nodded again. “Still striving even in the lowest of lows. Turning into a dog and still looking for work—this is a commendable Dao Heart.”In another projection, Ying Xin chose to die rather than bow to the Rest-and-Relaxation Cult’s coercion. She upheld her resolve, choosing death over abandoning her right to work overtime.

Feng Jiu nodded. “Now this is topical—must be a new question. Choosing death over yielding to cult pressure, refusing to give up overtime rights—another fine seedling for the Immortal Path.”

“Looks like the school’s recent anti-cult education campaign has paid off.”

Turning to another screen, Feng Jiu saw Gongshu Jin on a construction site, hoisting a coworker’s corpse and using the Law Husk within it to pound the earth.

Feng Jiu nodded. “Carrying on a comrade’s will, turning a death into workplace efficiency, and working overtime until the last breath—excellent.”

A thought surfaced. “But these past few questions have all revolved around work. Is this the Rest-and-Relaxation Cult’s lingering influence?”

In another scene, Ji Yuanshu had become a Demon-Kin. Time and again, he resisted the urge to devour his own family’s flesh and blood, eventually raising an entire Demon-Kin household, selling off his kin, and earning his first bucket of gold.

Feng Jiu: “To overcome carnal hunger and suppress familial affection—this path forsakes all but the Immortal Dao. A solid answer to the test. Most importantly, it demonstrates a steadfast Dao Heart.”

Then in another scene, Zhang Yu faced a forced demolition. Seizing a narrow window of opportunity, he hid inside the house, qualified for on-site compensation, and secured extra reparations.

Feng Jiu nodded. “Daring to take risks, betting small for big rewards—this shows grit and courage. But Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart should surpass this. The next test ought to be tougher.”

Watching the performances of each student in the Foundation Establishment Class, Feng Jiu remarked, “Every single one of them shows astonishing drive. Every one of them is top talent, making constant strides over the past year.”

“No slackers among them.”

…

In the Mana Exam Hall…

One student after another stepped forward in turn, undergoing tests on mana capacity, mana quality, and Martial Qi conduction, among others.

Li Mingbo, the mana instructor, looked on in sheer astonishment.

“Zhang Yu from the first floor ranks first in every mana-related metric, completely surpassing Ji Yuanshu from the sixth floor…”

A first-floor student defeating someone from the sixth—comprehensively and overwhelmingly—made Li Mingbo feel like the heavens had flipped.

Then he looked toward Yu Xinghan.

Also a first-floor student, he was now ranked in the top five of the entire class and was already closing in on fourth place.

Had Zhang Yu not shown up, Yu Xinghan’s performance alone would have left Li Mingbo deeply impressed.

He then looked over at Li Xiao and gave a small nod. “Now this is what you’d expect from a first-floor student.”

…

In the Physical Strength Exam Hall…

Zhang Yu blazed ahead, tearing through the complex exam terrain like a thunderstorm, clouds of dust shooting skyward in his wake.

At that moment, his inner vitality was surging.

Streams of blood qi churned like molten lava, and under the force of his Level 20 physical strength, he forcibly activated one explosive technique after another.

War Demon Life-Draining Technique, Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation… these techniques pushed his body to the edge. Though they couldn’t break through the Foundation Establishment limit, they let him unleash strength that slightly exceeded the Level 20 threshold.

Such raw power came at a cost—his body endured tremendous strain. Blood and flesh were shredded every moment, as if his very being were aflame.

But with the help of body activation effects, his flesh would rupture, then regenerate, again and again.

Especially under the augmentation of the Martial Saint Body, the activated state of his body was imbued with precise martial intent. He could evenly distribute damage across his body, keeping destruction and regeneration in a delicate balance.

What’s more, his every movement was enhanced by the control of Martial Insight, making him faster, stronger, and sharper with every turn. He dashed forward through tight corners with barely any deceleration.

Ji Yuanshu trailed behind, winds howling around him, using his Law Husk to accelerate—but no matter what, he couldn’t close the gap.

“Damn it! My straight-line acceleration is definitely faster, but…”

Faced with the twisted terrain, Ji Yuanshu had to slow down again and again for every turn, never able to reach full speed.

Meanwhile, in the simulated war-zone exam field, he still had to dodge waves of incoming attacks.

As for Zhang Yu...

He didn’t even bother dodging. A blast of thunderfire came hurtling toward him, and he smashed face-first into a cluster of clouds.

The thunderfire struck him head-on—but instead of slowing him down, he borrowed its force through the finesse of Martial Insight and the Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force empowered by the Martial Saint Body, accelerating yet again.

Ji Yuanshu could only watch helplessly as he pushed himself to the limit—only to stop again and again for turns and evasions—while Zhang Yu kept pulling ahead, faster and faster, the distance growing ever greater.

“Why?”

“Why, even when I’m giving it my all…”

“Why is Zhang Yu still pulling away?”

Watching Zhang Yu’s receding figure, Ji Yuanshu felt the same way one might when watching a rival’s composite score continue to climb ahead—powerless to change the outcome, bitter and unwilling to accept it.

…

As one exam after another wrapped up…

Zhang Yu dominated every single one, showcasing overwhelming strength and securing the top spot in the class with no room for dispute.

Yu Xinghan took photos of Zhang Yu charging through the exams and posted them in Zhang Yu’s spare Dual Cultivation group chat.

Yu Xinghan: Zhang Yu photo.image

Messages flooded the chat:

“Zhang Yu looks so cool when he’s sprinting!”

“Of course he does—he’s rich. Everything he does looks cool.”

“Group leader, take a few more pics!”

“Group leader, has Zhang Yu responded?”

Yu Xinghan: Too many people signed up

Yu Xinghan: I discussed it with Zhang Yu—if you chip in for the potion fees, he’ll have a pill meal with you all.

Yu Xinghan: Just to be clear, it’s only a meal. No extracurricular activities.

“Huh? Just a pill meal?”

Yu Xinghan: Depends on how you perform. He might pick one of you… for a training session.

In a flash, the final exam—Professional Skills in Civil Engineering—was upon them.

To objectively assess each student’s practical abilities, just like last year, the exam focused on real-world scenarios.

In fact, this year’s was even more hands-on—they were tested directly on site at Layer 668.

Tu Lishan addressed the class, “For this exam, we wanted to assess your actual performance on a real construction site. That’s why we’ve arranged for the entire site to shut down for the next 12 hours. No workers—just you.”

“We’ve suspended all overtime here for your sake.”

The students gasped in shock.

“They really made all the workers stop for 12 hours?”

“All just for our exam?”

“That’s a huge deal!”

Zhang Yu cursed silently, “Damn it… they’re just making us free labor, aren’t they?”

Yu Xinghan fumed inwardly, “A 12-hour exam? You’re making us work for free for 12 hours? You monsters.”

Ying Xin raged inside, “Why is everyone only cursing in their heads? Doesn’t anyone have the guts to call them out? Is there no one in Civil Engineering with any spine?”

Tu Lishan continued, “This past year, your studies have focused on large-scale construction techniques.”

“So naturally, this exam is about that too.”

“I’ve assigned each of you different worksite tasks, covering every major construction category. You’ll have more than enough work over these 12 hours to test your limits.”

As he spoke, streams of information appeared in the students’ EyeNet implants, detailing the massive construction tasks available on the site before them.

At the same time, salary data for each task became visible—though all showed zero for now.

Tu Lishan said, “I’m sure you’ve all noticed the salary stats, right?”

Zhang Yu lit up inside. “Wait—there’s pay? Tu Lishan… I take back everything I said!”

Tu Lishan went on, “Your final grade will be calculated directly from the salary you earn by completing these construction tasks.”

“In other words, your actual pay will be converted into points.”

“We believe this is the truest measure of your large-scale construction ability after a full year of study and cultivation.”

Yu Xinghan raised a hand. “So… will we actually receive that salary after the test?”

Tu Lishan gave a gentle smile. “Why would you need the salary? It’s already been converted into something more valuable—exam points.”

“Of course, you can opt not to convert it.”

Yu Xinghan cursed in his heart, “You scamming work-fiend…”