No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Looking at the message Su Yanyang had sent, Ma Xuan recalled everything the guy had said earlier, and an unbelievable possibility crept into his mind.

He replied: Wasn’t it Ping Han who got the Military License?

Su Yanyang: [Military License Public Results List]

Ma Xuan stared at the name on the list and blurted out, “Zhang Yu?”

Ma Xuan: How could it be Zhang Yu?

Ma Xuan: That’s impossible!

Ma Xuan knew all too well what the Military License represented.

He thought to himself, “With that certificate, a student’s path to grad school, to earning the Gold Core License… it’s practically smooth sailing. Compared to an ordinary undergrad, they’re already halfway to being a master’s student.”

The thought filled him with envy and jealousy. He asked: Didn’t you say he bombed the exam? That he couldn’t even stand by the end?

Su Yanyang: [Crying emoji] I have no idea either!Su Yanyang: I can’t figure it out!

Ma Xuan: Could there have been some shady dealings?

Ma Xuan: If there were, we’d better patch things up with Zhang Yu fast.

Reading Ma Xuan’s messages, Su Yanyang strongly agreed.

Ma Xuan: What about our next match? How are we supposed to fight?

Su Yanyang: Hold up. I’ll ask our teacher and see what’s going on.

Su Yanyang sent a message to his mentor, True Lord Lingyue, trying to find out more about this year’s Military License Exam.

But the message vanished like a stone in the sea—no response, even after more than an hour.

Su Yanyang wasn’t too surprised. As the saying goes, the older you are, the busier you get.

And their aging department head in the Civil Engineering Department had been practically flying with how busy he was ever since his life expectancy started dwindling. Students like Su Yanyang were basically free-range most of the time—messages left unread or answered days later.

After thinking for a while, Su Yanyang messaged two fellow examinees, Ping Han and Xiao Yunji, to ask if they had more info.

Su Yanyang: Did you guys see the results for the Military License?

…

That night, Ping Han glanced at his message feed, then habitually checked for a message from Mo Shangjin—only to find nothing.

“Hmph. Even if Mo Shangjin doesn’t want me back, Professor Gao will definitely bring me back for the sake of the competition.”

Then Su Yanyang’s message popped up. Ping Han rubbed his hands together and eagerly opened the results announcement.

The official file for the new round of Military License recipients had dropped. Heart pounding, Ping Han downloaded it.

“It’s here! Finally!”

But when he opened the file and saw the names, he froze.

He deleted it, downloaded it again, and opened it. Still the same.

After several attempts, he muttered, “Impossible.”

“This is absolutely impossible!”

“I’ve slogged through ten years of college, pushed through nine breakthroughs and rebuilds. How could I lose to someone who’s only been in college for two and a half years?”

Ping Han messaged Director Gao directly: Why Zhang Yu?

Director Gao: He performed better than you.

Ping Han: Nonsense! That’s not possible!

Director Gao: [Military License Exam Data]

Director Gao: His kill count was higher than yours.

Ping Han: This is a Civil Engineering exam! Why are we comparing kill counts?

Ping Han: Look at the data! My construction volume was way higher than his!

Ping Han: Isn’t Civil Engineering supposed to be about solid work? Isn’t that what you always taught us?

Director Gao: It was the joint decision of the judges and the Heavenly Court. I was just a guest.

Ping Han: I refuse to accept this.

Ping Han: I’m filing a report!

Director Gao: Calm down, Ping Han.

Ping Han: This is my final year in college! My Military License got snatched—how am I supposed to stay calm?

Ping Han: I’m your student too!

Ping Han: Why didn’t you lend me money when I hit rock bottom?

Ping Han: And now, just as I’m starting to climb back, fighting for my last shot at success—you still won’t help me?

Director Gao: Ping Han, you have to understand. During the exam, I couldn’t say a word for my own student.

Ping Han: I won’t let this go.

…

Xiao Yunji stared at Su Yanyang’s message, dumbfounded, then quickly logged into the site and downloaded the public results.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s name there, she was baffled.

Ping Han’s decade-long grind and high-level cultivation made sense.

She herself, Xiao Yunji, had sunk money into this for years, even undergoing a distorted Law Husk transplant that left her non-human—so winning would’ve made sense too.

But Zhang Yu? Wasn’t he knocked out by a Yellow-Turban Enforcer?

A wave of indignation stirred in her heart. Especially after all the sacrifices she made for this exam, only to lose to him—that frustration curdled into resentment.

She messaged her mentor, Director Lin, demanding answers.

After a moment, Director Lin replied: Don’t talk nonsense.

Director Lin: The exam was overseen by True Lord Qiyun, True Lord Tianxiang, and a Fifth-Rank Deity. What shady business could there be?

Xiao Yunji: But Zhang Yu’s only been here for two and a half years. He was a wreck after the exam!

Xiao Yunji: How did he even win?

Director Lin didn’t want to glorify the War Faction, especially since he disapproved of Zhang Yu’s methods.

But he didn’t want his student spreading rumors and drawing the principal’s ire either.

So, after a moment of thought, he replied: What I’m about to tell you—keep it to yourself. Do not spread it around.

Director Lin: Ping Han did great.

Director Lin: He had the highest construction volume.

Xiao Yunji: Then why did Zhang Yu win?

Director Lin: Because Zhang Yu, with less construction, wiped out all the Yellow-Turban Enforcers in the exam.

Director Lin: [Military License Exam Data]

“Wiped out?” Xiao Yunji’s heart skipped a beat as she opened the file.

Seeing Zhang Yu at the top of the kill-count rankings, she took a deep breath. “He actually… wiped them all out?”

She recalled the tide of Yellow-Turban Enforcers swarming the field near the end. She couldn’t imagine how Zhang Yu had done it.

So she asked Director Lin directly.

Director Lin: What do you think the War Faction’s laborers rely on? Raw strength and their fists. Otherwise, how would he be so badly injured?

Xiao Yunji’s heart trembled. “So… Zhang Yu pulled that off with just his martial arts?”

“I remember he only had an ocular Law Husk. No others, right?”

“So that means… he wiped out every Yellow-Turban Enforcer using pure martial arts?”

If someone had said before the exam that they’d earn the Military License with nothing but an eye-based Law Husk, Xiao Yunji would’ve thought they were insane.

But now, knowing someone actually did it, she instantly felt that maybe being insane just meant being that terrifyingly powerful.

At that moment, the resentment in her heart began to dissolve.

Su Yanyang: Got any news?

Xiao Yunji thought for a bit and replied: What I’m about to tell you—do not spread it.

Xiao Yunji: Zhang Yu wiped out every Yellow-Turban Enforcer with just his martial arts. That’s how he got the Military License.

Su Yanyang: No way!

Xiao Yunji: [Military License Exam Data]

Xiao Yunji: Look at his kill count. Isn’t he ranked first?

…

Su Yanyang stared at the file in shock, comparing data from all the candidates again and again.

“Zhang Yu… really wiped out the Yellow-Turban Enforcers? His kill count is even higher than Ping Han’s?”

“How did his strength grow so fast?”

“Did he buy more Nectar Coins than Ping Han?”

Su Yanyang was a practical guy. And quick to adapt.

With hard evidence in front of him, it took him only a few seconds to accept reality.

He thought to himself, “Those with ability are masters. Those with money are elders. Zhang Yu counts as my senior now.”

Just then, Ma Xuan sent another message: Well?

Su Yanyang: Sigh. No way we can win next round.

Ma Xuan: Why not? What happened?

Su Yanyang: I’ll show you something.

Su Yanyang: Don’t spread it.

Su Yanyang: [Military License Exam Data]

Su Yanyang: Zhang Yu wiped out all the Yellow-Turban Enforcers using only martial arts.

Su Yanyang: I suspect he made even more Nectar Coins than Ping Han.

…

Ma Xuan stared at the message, shocked. He asked: So he’s even stronger than Ping Han?

Ma Xuan: What do we do next match? Just surrender?

Su Yanyang: That’s your problem now.

Ma Xuan blinked. And then, he got a system notification—Su Yanyang had left the competition group chat and withdrawn from the team.

Ma Xuan: You’re quitting the tournament?

Su Yanyang: I’m gonna find a team that doesn’t have to fight Zhang Yu and can still get into the top ten.

Su Yanyang: Besides your team and Zhang Yu’s, there are still eighteen teams left. No way I can’t find one that’ll help boost my overall score.

Reading this, Ma Xuan let out a long sigh, heart in turmoil.

“How the hell are we supposed to fight this?”

“I need a plan…”

Just then, Ji Yuanshu messaged: Senior Ma Xuan, why did Su Yanyang leave?

Seeing Ji Yuanshu’s message, Ma Xuan’s eyes flickered. He said: Next match, we’re up against Zhang Yu. You know how Su Yanyang always has a surefire strategy. He’s the key to our team.

Ma Xuan: So he’s asking for a pay raise.

Ma Xuan: But don’t worry, I’ll talk him into coming back.

Ma Xuan: Oh right, you be the team captain for now.

Ji Yuanshu: Huh? I’m captain?

Ignoring Ji Yuanshu’s confusion, Ma Xuan forcibly transferred the captain role and pressured him to accept.

Moments later, Ji Yuanshu was stunned to find that Ma Xuan had also quit.

“What the hell?!”

“Why would you need to quit just to talk someone back?”

Ji Yuanshu fired off messages to Ma Xuan, but got no reply.

Then he watched, one by one, as the other team members left the group. Until only he remained.

Ji Yuanshu: Senior? Why did everyone leave?

After a long while, Ma Xuan replied: Zhang Yu got the Military License.

Ji Yuanshu: How could he have beaten Ping Han?

Ma Xuan: [Military License Exam Data]

Ma Xuan: I’m only sending this to you. Don’t share it.

Ji Yuanshu reread the messages over and over, making sure he hadn’t hallucinated.

“Zhang Yu passed the Military License exam?” he muttered, jaw clenched. “That means he’s already got one foot into a master’s degree?”

“And he’s only a junior… Once he completes the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes, he could start earning with Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might. His income will skyrocket—probably ten times mine.”

The thought alone made Ji Yuanshu feel the weight of his seven credit cards grow even heavier.

Eventually, he messaged: I paid to join the team!

Ma Xuan: Which is why I made you captain.

Looking at the reply, Ji Yuanshu roared, “Damn it… at least let me leave first!”

Staring at the now one-man competition team, Ji Yuanshu wracked his brain for ideas.

After some thought, his eyes lit up. He messaged his ex-teammate from last year, Bu Ziran.

Ji Yuanshu: Senior Bu, there’s an open spot in my team. Want to switch over?

Bu Ziran: [Military License Exam Data]

Bu Ziran: [Fear emoji] You want me to fight Zhang Yu?

Bu Ziran: Are you trying to bankrupt me?

Ji Yuanshu then reached out to another former teammate, Cong Na.

Cong Na: [Wiping sweat emoji]

Cong Na: Little bro, you’re being kinda shady here.

Cong Na: [Military License Public Results List]

Seeing the file she sent, Ji Yuanshu’s face grew bitter.

“Everyone already knows? Why is this spreading so fast?”

He had a new idea—recruit some underclassmen.

He messaged Li Xiao, asking if he wanted to join.

He remembered that Li Xiao had been begging for a sub spot on any team but couldn’t afford one. Maybe he’d say yes if there was no fee.

But when Li Xiao replied, Ji Yuanshu couldn’t help asking: How do you know Zhang Yu got the Military License too?

Li Xiao: Zhang Yu posted it on his Moments.

Li Xiao: Didn’t you see?

Ji Yuanshu hurriedly clicked into Zhang Yu’s Moments—and there it was, the official results list posted for all to see, flooded with likes and comments.