No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

The Spiritual Realm quaked violently. Every teacher and student present felt an overwhelming pressure erupting from within the Artifact Spirit.

At the same time, the Artifact Spirit’s voice suddenly layered itself hundreds, thousands of times over, echoing in their ears, hearts, and minds. It rang out like a massive stone cast into a still pond, sending waves rippling through their inner worlds.

“What joy is there in life? What pain is there in death?”

“Burn away this withered shell, and be reborn in the cycle.”

“Today I sever my ties to the Immortal Path and leap to become a carefree dragon amid the clouds…”

The Artifact Spirit murmured, “You struggle so bitterly in this world each day, chasing after the tiny crumbs that fall from the Immortals’ fingers. After centuries, even millennia of cultivation, you still end up as nothing but a fragment of soul. Joy and sorrow, love and loss—all return to dust in the end.”

“What you do today is merely transforming yourselves into nourishment for the Immortals.”

“Why not return to the cycle now, be reborn, and start again?”

“Wouldn’t being reborn into a better life be worth more than centuries of painful toil?”

Just then, a cold shout rang out from Lord Magneto. The Nine Heavens Solar Yang Pagoda appeared in the Spiritual Realm, instantly sealing off all information flowing through this space.A faint metallic clang followed, and the dazed students—entranced by the Artifact Spirit’s murmurs—suddenly snapped out of it.

Yan Qianji stared in shock toward the Artifact Spirit’s direction. He thought to himself, Even after being jointly suppressed by several instructors, it still has this kind of persuasive power?

His eyes lit up as he sighed. “No wonder it was crafted by a Nascent Soul cultivator. If we can fully decipher it, we’ll surely gain deep insights into the Artifact Spirit technology that Pleasure and Harmony University has developed over the years.”

On the other side, Ye Xingli mulled over the Artifact Spirit’s words, something stirring in her mind.

At that moment, Lord Magneto’s voice resounded through the Spiritual Realm, cold and clear in everyone’s mind.

“What this creature just used was a heretical technique of the Unemployed Devil Sect. Its content is full of warped and misleading dogma.”

“This Artifact Spirit is deeply corrupted and has gone entirely mad. Do not let yourselves be swayed.”

As he spoke, the Nine Heavens Solar Yang Pagoda blazed with radiant light, thoroughly silencing the Artifact Spirit’s voice.

Meanwhile, the surface of the statue formed by the Artifact Spirit shimmered with countless strange patterns—runes that shifted and flowed, revealing an endless array of intricate details.

Lord Magneto gave a firm command. “This Artifact Spirit has sealed itself, attempting to protect itself with internal restraints. Follow my lead and help unravel them!”

In a flash, Lord Magneto reached out, and a cascade of runes surged out from within the Artifact Spirit, flowing toward the assembled teachers and students.

Zhang Pianpian immediately began disassembling the runes that came toward her.

Glancing over, Yan Qianji said, “Your rune mastery is impressive. You’re quite adept at cracking Artifact Spirits.”

Zhang Pianpian replied coolly, “Runes were originally devised to channel divine power. With the rise of the Divine Power Network, they gradually became the standard method for interfacing with the Spiritual Realm, eventually being adapted into Artifact Spirit technology. It’s only natural our department would specialize in countering them.”

“But your rune skills are also quite advanced—not what one expects from someone in the Artifact Refinement Department.”

Yan Qianji chuckled. “Without studying runes, any artifact we refine would lack even basic intelligence. How could we meet market demands that way?”

Just then, the runes before them began to shift a hundred times faster than before. Everyone’s expressions instantly turned serious.

…

In the office.

Director Gao looked at Zhang Yu and smiled as he nodded. “You rascal. I thought you’d spend a few days cultivating the Earth-Origin Technique and then study the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes Compendium before you could integrate all seven and grasp the essence of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.”

“Never thought you’d master the technique overnight.”

Zhang Yu was slightly stunned. “There’s a compendium for the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes?”

Director Gao sighed. “Of course there is. Do you think everyone has your level of talent—able to merge the Seven Absolutes and cultivate such a supreme technique on their own?”

“Besides, don’t you feel something missing from your Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might?”

“The Compendium doesn’t just explain the integration of the Seven Absolutes—it also records generations of insights into how to apply the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yu was quietly surprised. He recalled how, just last night, he had advanced the Earth-Origin Technique to level five and sensed that the seven techniques could interconnect.

Could it be that having the other six Absolutes at level twenty allowed him to reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage in comprehension? Is that what triggered the breakthrough?

While he pondered, Director Gao continued, “Now that you’ve acquired all Seven Absolutes, I’ve already applied for your access to the Compendium. I’ll send it to you now.”

“Even though you’ve merged the Seven Absolutes and achieved the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, there are many details in the Compendium worth studying.”

“Especially the application techniques developed by predecessors, called the Ten Planetary Forms. They’re not cultivation techniques per se, but tactical skills that greatly enhance your usage of the Mountain-Moving Might. You should study them carefully…”

Director Gao gave him more guidance, going over key aspects of the Compendium. Two hours passed before Zhang Yu was finally allowed to leave.

Just as he was leaving, Director Gao added a few final words.

“Now that you’ve mastered a military-grade technique, you can start taking on projects you previously couldn’t handle.”

“I’ll help make those arrangements. Your income will increase substantially as well.”

“But remember: don’t squander your earnings. And absolutely stay away from risky investments. Just look at Ping Han—he’s a cautionary tale.”

After escaping Director Gao’s lecture, Zhang Yu walked while reviewing the Compendium, thinking to himself:

Once all seven techniques are combined and deployed in unison, they form the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.

And the average level of the Seven Absolutes determines the level at which the Mountain-Moving Might can be executed.

Based on his current levels, his Mountain-Moving Might should operate at around level seventeen or eighteen.

He then looked at the applications.

The Ten Planetary Forms… too bad they’re just skills, not true techniques.

Looks like I’ll have to practice them while working at the construction site.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

I forgot to ask about the Law Husks.

He quickly sent a message: Director Gao, can I apply for the blueprints of the remaining four Seven Absolutes Law Husks?

Director Gao replied: You still have to follow the procedure.

Director Gao: But since you’ve already mastered the Seven Absolutes, I’ll help arrange the remaining four assessments for the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering.

Director Gao: Each one you pass will unlock one more Law Husk you can apply for.

…

Netherworld University.

Inside the Hide Processing Plant.

Ye Lingxiao was channeling mana to operate a device, refining the “human skin” before him.

But he knew the factory wasn’t using real human skin—his boss had sourced fake ones from who-knows-where to pass off as the real deal in crafting Immortal Dao artifacts.

Still, Ye Lingxiao had no intention of reporting them. If there wasn’t any hidden agenda, maybe it would be fine. But there absolutely was one here.

Just then, a message arrived via his eye-nexus. He perked up.

Zhang Yu led the surrender in the civil engineering competition? They lost?

The news came from a friend at Wanfa University. Ye Lingxiao found it very credible.

He thought, Director Wang will probably be thrilled to hear this.

He forwarded the news, expecting joy. But Wang Yin replied:

What’s so joyful about that?

Ye Lingxiao: Zhang Yu lost.

Wang Yin: And why would that make me happy? Only if he wins can my loss carry any real weight.

Wang Yin: The more he wins, the more it strengthens my Dao Heart and drives my cultivation forward.

Ye Lingxiao couldn’t help but admire Wang Yin’s unwavering spirit—and felt ashamed for his earlier gloating.

Wang Yin: And you think I need you to tell me about Zhang Yu?

Wang Yin: I can see his posts myself.

That surprised Ye Lingxiao. Then Wang Yin sent another message.

You’re behind the times.

Zhang Yu has already mastered the military-grade technique, the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might.

Attached was a screenshot of Zhang Yu, suspended in the sky, announcing his mastery of the technique.

Ye Lingxiao gasped. The backwoods country boy he used to look down on had become someone he now had to look up to—perhaps forever out of reach.

Wang Yin: Don’t project your state of mind onto my Dao Heart.

Wang Yin: From now on, don’t send me Zhang Yu’s failures.

Wang Yin: Only report his victories.

Looking at Wang Yin’s message, Ye Lingxiao couldn’t help but marvel at how strong his Dao Heart was.

“Zhang Yu… Director Wang…”

Seeing Zhang Yu’s rise, and Wang Yin’s reaction, Ye Lingxiao thought back on his own actions and felt like a complete fool.

“I need to elevate my own mindset too.”

“Otherwise, I’ll only fall further behind.”

With that, Ye Lingxiao steeled himself and prepared to re-add Zhang Yu as a contact.

But then he remembered how he had blocked Zhang Yu the last time—right after Zhang Yu tried to connect with Director Wang through him.

Now he had to think of how to apologize.

Just then, a notification flashed in his eye-nexus.

“Your work efficiency has dropped for over five minutes. Please refocus and concentrate.”

Snapping back to the moment, Ye Lingxiao cleared his mind and put all his attention into his work.

“For now, I should focus on the task at hand—and keep working overtime.”