No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, Zhang Yu was slammed into the ground, and Xiangshan tore through the dirt and stone, diving after him without hesitation.

The two clashed violently underground. As Zhang Yu gradually struggled to fend off Xiangshan’s blows, Xiangshan sneered.

“Still waiting for your teammates to build an array for you?”

“Don’t bother.”

“Every collision between us, every tremor in the earth, I’ve amplified to the extreme. They don’t stand a chance of constructing anything.”

After yet another clash, Zhang Yu’s figure faltered—then burst apart with a boom.

Unbeknownst to Xiangshan, Zhang Yu had switched to using humanoid Martial Qi clones in the shape of the Mountain-Moving Giant. Because the Mountain-Moving Giant form he now wielded was a scaled-down version, not much larger than his own body, he could afford to split his Martial Qi to craft multiple clones.

Xiangshan let out a cold snort. “You think that’ll work?”

He turned and punched again, slamming into another sneaky Zhang Yu clone.Throughout their entanglement, clone after clone was shattered under Xiangshan’s fists, each serving as cover for Zhang Yu’s true body.

Unknowingly, their battle had carved out a vast hollow beneath the earth.

Then the cavern trembled—countless clumps of dirt and stone rose up like colossal arms, each one clenched into fists or open-palmed, surging toward Xiangshan.

Mountain-Moving Nine Heavens! Thousand Hands Saint Martial!

Rooted in the divine might of the Mountain-Moving Giant, fused with the absorption force of the Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force… it erupted all at once.

At that moment, Xiangshan found himself besieged as if a legion of powerhouses had surrounded him.

Yet he faced the hundreds—nay, thousands—of gigantic arms with sheer fists, smashing them head-on.

“Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless!”

Roaring wildly, the more his skin was struck, the more ferocious his counterattacks became. He resembled a berserk beast, bent on tearing everything apart.

But beneath the fury, his mind remained razor-sharp. With every strike, he released Demon Qi from his elephant trunk, spreading pollution throughout the battlefield.

“This Demon Qi… is a toxic, contaminated environment.”

“To someone like me, raised in it, it’s like a fish in water.”

“But to you humans… it’s a suffocating burden.”

“In an environment that quakes constantly and reeks of pollution, good luck trying to build anything.”

Xiangshan said coldly, “The environment works against you.”

“My raw power utterly crushes yours.”

“And you still think hiding and ducking will buy you time? How long can you keep pretending?”

His large ears perked up as he added, “You hear that? The whole arena is waiting for my victory!”

“Behind me stands the hope of countless demon-kin! And the sound of… spirit coins!”

With a thunderous boom, glowing numbers appeared above his head:

5.56 spirit coins!

12.34 spirit coins!

22.79 spirit coins!

Xiangshan bellowed, “See this?! These are the rewards from demon-kin watching live—both in the arena and online!”

“This is our bond as demon-kin!”

“My teammates sacrifice for me, my people burn for me, my classmates throw money for me…”

“Power, terrain, backing—you’re no match on any front. Why the hell are you still fighting? How much do you intend to lose?!”

At the same time, floating above the arena were messages from the Spiritual Realm:

“Don’t worry about post-match medical costs—we’ve got your back!”

“Change the destiny of the demon-kin! Today is the day!”

“Eat those humans!”

With another roar, Xiangshan crushed another humanoid Martial Qi clone.

Even in combat, he continued applying psychological pressure—one of his signature tactics.

Though he appeared arrogant, his mind remained composed, always probing for Zhang Yu’s weaknesses.

“I’ve found you.”

His eyes locked in, and in the Spiritual Realm, hordes of elephant-demon Soul Cultivators swarmed toward Zhang Yu’s Law Husk of the Seven Absolutes.

These soul warriors bore the hope of reforming the demon-kin, Xiangshan’s aspirations to join the varsity team, and dreams of lower breeding taxes and higher income.

They poured into Zhang Yu’s Seven Absolutes Law Husk with fervor.

But soon, puzzlement set in.

Xiangshan asked, “Why hasn’t the Law Husk collapsed yet?”

They answered, “No idea how many spirit coins he burned, but he’s putting up a hell of a fight. We just need a bit more time.”

Xiangshan: “Fighting harder than you?!”

In the Spiritual Realm—

Zhao Tianxing roared internally: “Screw your ‘people,’ your university, your major… I’m doing this for my job, damn it!”

Mo Tianyi: “Finally landed a good company and a good job—don’t you dare ruin this for me!”

Ying Xin’s grandfather: “Forget your precious varsity team—we’re joining the Artifact Refinement Department with Zhang Yu! Civil engineering bastards can go to hell!”

Che Yufei: “We’re soul cultivators aiming to work for the Refinement Department!”

Hu Yuntao: “We finally found a human company that doesn’t discriminate against demon-kin! Screw you monsters, get out of our boss’s way!”

…

Meanwhile, on the construction site at the edge of the arena—

A floating patch of earth hovered inches off the ground like an island, immune to the ongoing quakes.

Massive amounts of dirt and stone flowed under Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, steadily feeding the floating site.

At the same time, Xiao Yunji had transformed into a speeding train, lightning-fast delivering materials Zhang Yu had teleported in from afar.

Su Yanyang and Shi Huaiyu worked together, using Small Threefold Harmony to build frameworks and strengthen the structure.

“Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Shi Huaiyu shouted, “Zhang Yu can’t hold on much longer!”

Xiao Qingxuan, wrapped in dragon-shaped Martial Qi, had become a one-man construction crew, completing rebar and concrete installations.

He spread the bone ash of the deceased winners across the entire island.

Shi Huaiyu yelled, “Su Yanyang! Move your ass!”

…

Back in the battlefield, Zhang Yu’s Martial Qi was growing fainter in Xiangshan’s perception.

Meanwhile, in the Spiritual Realm, the Soul Cultivators were gaining the upper hand—Zhang Yu’s Law Husk was nearly paralyzed.

Sensing this, Xiangshan muttered coldly, “It’s over.”

Then suddenly, he looked up.

A colossal floating island was rising, heading straight for him.

His eyes narrowed. “A floating island? Anti-gravity array? At that scale… I see. Even while fighting me, Zhang Yu was remotely supporting the construction?”

“No wonder he spent most of the battle on the defensive!”

At that moment, the island blotted out the sky and slammed down with apocalyptic force.

Xiangshan tried to dodge—only to feel a powerful gravity pulling him in.

“You!” he exclaimed, eyes wide.

In the final second before his Law Husk was paralyzed, Zhang Yu had unleashed his hidden trump card—Eternal Calamity Abyss—briefly restraining Xiangshan’s movement.

Boom!

The island smashed into him.

By the time Xiangshan broke free from the Eternal Calamity Abyss, he was already being crushed deeper into the earth.

He roared, arms straining to tear the floating island apart—but found the material staggeringly strong.

The entire structure felt like layers of armor stacked together, far more durable than ordinary stone.

His brows furrowed. “Overbuilt structure… layered defense arrays… and what is this? Bone ash? A blood ritual?”

Despite his efforts, he only broke through a small portion—enough to wedge himself inside like a nail.

He roared again, trying to tear through layer by layer.

Meanwhile, the soul cultivators returned to report.

“The Seven Absolutes Law Husk is disabled.”

“But Zhang Yu detached from it voluntarily.”

…

Above the island, the team from Wanfa University surged with power. Layers of rebar and concrete were poured in, spirit veins were redirected with Small Threefold Harmony…

Su Yanyang paled as he sensed Xiangshan’s advance. “Too fast! He’s breaking through too fast! We can’t hold—”

Smack!

Shi Huaiyu slapped him upside the head. “Shut the hell up! Where’s your fighting spirit? Hang in there!”

Su Yanyang took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and under Small Threefold Harmony, the ground surged—shaping rebar and concrete into form.

“Faster! Faster!” Xiao Yunji darted through the island, delivering materials.

Xiao Qingxuan frowned deeply. He could sense Xiangshan’s advance inside the mountain. The brute was breaking through faster than they could build.

Everyone held their breath—until suddenly, the sky darkened.

Zhang Yu soared overhead, golden Martial Qi forming makeshift limbs. With a distant grab, he brought in a tidal wave of dirt, stone—and Foundation Stakes.

“Zhang Yu… after detaching from the Law Husk…” Su Yanyang’s eyes lit up. “He transported all the materials and stakes from Tianyao University?!”

With Zhang Yu now supplying materials directly, and Foundation Stakes rapidly driven into the earth, their build speed and quality soared.

Deep within the floating mountain, Xiangshan began to realize something was wrong.

The structure was growing denser… heavier…

He had tunneled hundreds of meters and still hadn’t reached the end…

“No! I can’t get trapped in here!”

He howled and pushed forward with all his might.

Then it hit him—his military-grade Law Husk, Cataclysm Vajra Type-IV, was useless for deconstruction.

And above, the construction was accelerating.

“Steel!” Xiao Qingxuan bellowed, inserting rebar into place.

Su Yanyang pushed his Law Husk to full power—concrete surged like a flood, wrapping the rebar tight.

“Hold on! He’s slowing down!” Shi Huaiyu, eyes gleaming, redirected the spirit veins, strengthening the mountain’s shell.

From the skies, all the surrounding dirt and stone flew toward them—under Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, either used as materials or filling in the mountain structure.

The weight crushing Xiangshan intensified. His movements slowed.

His combat-focused Law Husk drained mana constantly but offered no help in dismantling the mountain.

A terrifying clarity struck him: “In direct combat, I win. That’s basic math—two military-level units beat one.”

“But in construction efficiency—altering a mountain…”

His face darkened. His eyes burned with rage.

“I might actually lose to them?”

“My Law Husk wasn’t made for construction—it was made for war. It’s great at absorbing power, suppressing Zhang Yu’s abilities—but it can’t tear this mountain apart…”

“No… I refuse to lose here!”

“I sacrificed so much! How can I fall now?!”

The mountain trembled—its interior collapsing under Xiangshan’s force, but its exterior constantly reinforced by the others.

Suddenly, light broke through—the surface!

Xiangshan’s hands burst into the open.

But before he could celebrate, a notification flashed before his eyes.

Match Over

Wanfa University Completion: 43%

Tianyao University Completion: 0%

Just before the match ended, Zhang Yu used Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might to move the entire building into place—securing an overwhelming lead.

Meanwhile, Tianyao University’s site had long since been destroyed during material transport.

Xiangshan froze as he saw the Wanfa students embracing in victory.

Around them, demon-kin-built Foundation Stakes stood silently—unchanged through the years.

A bitter pang twisted in Xiangshan’s chest as he stared at Zhang Yu.

He had sacrificed teammates, his own people—and now he could only watch as Zhang Yu led his comrades to the championship podium.

Zhang Yu, meeting his gaze, thought silently:

Xiangshan… maybe you really did have a reason you couldn’t afford to lose—enough to sacrifice anyone.

But I can’t betray the trust of my employees and teammates either. I have to lead them forward.

Fu Ji chuckled, “This is Kunxu for you—gather all the desperate fighters in one place, and let the strong fall while the stronger rise. Isn’t this survival of the fittest, just like those demon-kin believe?”

In the spectator seats of the Spiritual Realm, Director Gao remarked calmly, “Xiangshan has strayed from the true path of civil engineering. Boosting combat power with a military-grade Law Husk—even if he gets into the varsity team, what does that have to do with construction?”

“Other departments can slap that Law Husk on after passing certification too.”

He turned to Zhang Yu and nodded in approval.

“Zhang Yu has fully grasped the essence of civil engineering. He’s earned the title…”

“…Strongest Civil Engineering Student.”

At that moment, Mo Shangjin sent Zhang Yu a message:

Where the hell is my Seven Absolutes Law Husk?!

Next Chapter >