Chapter 275: Foundation Establishment Class
During dinner earlier, Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan had already heard Zhang Pianpian’s introduction, gaining a deeper understanding of Myriad Laws University’s Foundation Establishment Class.
Each year, Myriad Laws University offered a new Foundation Establishment Class for every major.
These classes include students who achieved Foundation Establishment in high school, as well as university students who obtained their Foundation Establishment Certificates and completed their breakthrough within the past year.
Fu Ji explained, “For example, if a Civil Engineering student in the Qi Refining Realm successfully achieves Foundation Establishment this year, they’ll join your cohort in the Civil Engineering Foundation Establishment Class.”
“In fact, most students in the Foundation Establishment Class are those who achieved their breakthrough within the university.”
“You and Yu Xinghan, having achieved Foundation Establishment in high school and joining the class immediately upon entering university, will undoubtedly be among the minority.”
“But don’t worry. Those university students… they’re still just people who achieved Foundation Establishment within the past year. They might have been stuck in the Qi Refining Realm for a few more years than you, but that doesn’t make them stronger. It only highlights their lack of talent and Immortal Dao Potential.”
When Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan arrived at the classroom, three students were already there.
One of them was exceptionally tall, maintaining a height of three meters with bulging muscles that showed no restraint.
His eyes were particularly striking: pure black irises marked with white symbols that clearly spelled out “Heavenly Eye.”
Additionally, the exposed spine on his back revealed a series of constantly flowing golden runes.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Is that a Bionic Eye? And a Spine Bionic? But… does it feel a bit ostentatious?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Your instincts are right. The white symbols in his eyes and the golden runes on his spine are brand logos.
“One is the ‘Heavenly Eye,’ the flagship high-end Bionic Eye from Heavenly Eye Company. The other is the top-tier Spine Bionic from Vajra Profound Creation. Both are first-layer quality goods.
“Still, they’re no match for your Time-Worn Demonic Eye. After all, Wang Yin bought you the best of the best — a Foundation Establishment Stage Bionic Eye that’s understated, luxurious, and top-tier.”
Fu Ji spoke eloquently, as if reciting a familiar mantra: “As for flaunting Bionic brands and high-end gear, it’s common practice at top universities. If you’ve got the means, you’ve got to show it off. How else will people know you’re rich? How else will they respect you?”
“Besides, Bionic brands offer superior performance and power.”
“Back when I ran my business at a university, I scammed plenty of students who wanted loans to buy name-brand Bionics.”
As Fu Ji spoke, Zhang Yu’s mind stirred, and the three previously overlooked Foundation Establishment Domain notifications resurfaced:
“Foundation Establishment cultivator Gongshu Jin from Kunxu’s Fourth Layer has entered within 10 meters of you. Strangers, please don’t add me.”
“Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator Ying Xin has entered within 10 meters of you. Sixth-Generation Earthmover reporting for duty!”
“Foundation Establishment cultivator Li Xiao has entered within 10 meters of you. Please offer your guidance.”
All three Foundation Establishment Domains maintained a radius of only 10 meters. Zhang Yu knew this was because of the limited space in University City, causing many to voluntarily shrink their domain range.
“Hmm? A Fourth Layer Master?”
Zhang Yu glanced at the three-meter-tall man flaunting his Bionic brand. “He must be Gongshu Jin,” he thought to himself.
At the same time, Gongshu Jin and his two companions spotted Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan.
One of the group, a robust woman, spoke up: “You two, show us your university entrance exam scores and basic stats. We’re ranking the class to see where you’ll fit in.”
She added, “Oh, by the way, I’m Ying Xin. We’re all freshmen. You two look like freshmen too, right?”
Yu Xinghan, familiar with university norms and not particularly bothered by them, immediately replied, “Yes, we’re freshmen. I’m Yu Xinghan. My exam score was 692, dao heart Level 10, magic power 220.21, and physical strength 10.25.”
Noticing the group’s expectant gazes, Zhang Yu saw no point in hiding his details and stated, “Zhang Yu. Exam score 670, dao heart Level 11, magic power 276.9, and physical strength 10.94.”
Though he had nearly perfect scores in all other subjects, his daoist arts score was only 71.
After all, daoist arts were notoriously expensive to study. With his Foundation Establishment Certificate, he only needed a minimum score of 600 to apply to the top ten universities, so he hadn’t bothered to improve his score in that subject.
When Ying Xin heard Zhang Yu’s exam score, she frowned slightly, seemingly surprised to encounter a 670-point candidate at Myriad Laws University.
Only after hearing about Zhang Yu’s dao heart, magic power, and physical strength did she nod in acknowledgment, grudgingly accepting his capabilities.
Ying Xin then asked, “By the way, which layer are you from?”
Upon hearing Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan’s reply that they were from Kunxu’s First Layer, a fleeting hint of disdain flashed in Ying Xin’s eyes. Gongshu Jin, standing beside her, immediately averted his gaze from the pair.
Ying Xin proceeded to share her own data and introduce Gongshu Jin.
Zhang Yu secretly compared their stats. Ying Xin, from the Second Layer, had scored 695 on the exam, with slightly higher baseline stats than his.
Gongshu Jin, from the Fourth Layer, had not only scored 700 on the exam but also possessed a Level 12 dao heart and magic power and physical strength over 20% higher than Zhang Yu’s.
Finally, there was Li Xiao, the most unassuming of the trio.
A message from Yu Xinghan appeared on Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye: “Remember Li Xiao? He’s from the Immortal Capital, the same year as me. We both qualified for the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.”
Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback. He had been so focused on his own cultivation at the time that he hadn’t paid attention to the other recipients of the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate from Yu Xinghan’s graduating class.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao, after stating his college entrance exam score of 693 and slightly lower foundational stats compared to Zhang Yu, fell silent.
He showed no interest in befriending his two fellow First Layer classmates, instead hovering affectionately around Gongshu Jin and Ying Xin.
Gongshu Jin glanced at Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan before stating flatly, “Currently, among the five of us, Zhang Yu ranks third and Yu Xinghan fifth.”
The first and second positions were naturally held by Gongshu Jin and Ying Xin, while the Immortal Capital native Li Xiao was ranked fourth.
Just then, more students began trickling into the classroom. At Gongshu Jin and Ying Xin’s prompting, they volunteered their stats.
Although all the newcomers were university students who had recently achieved Foundation Establishment, none could surpass Gongshu Jin’s rankings.
This confirmed Fu Ji’s earlier observation: lingering in the Qi Refining Realm for years didn’t strengthen one’s Foundation Establishment; rather, it indicated a deficiency in talent and Immortal Dao Potential.
Zhang Yu watched the Fourth Layer Master scrutinize the class like an interviewer assessing candidates, firmly maintaining his position as the top student.
Unnoticed, a circle of students had gathered around Gongshu Jin, standing beside him like stars orbiting the moon.
Gongshu Jin thought to himself, “The true Heavenly Chosen usually go to the Elite Departments: Finance, Artifact Refinement, and Daoist Arts. In the Civil Engineering Department, I should have a good chance of securing the top spot.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan stood silently in a corner, unnoticed by the crowd.
As more Foundation Establishment students arrived, their rankings steadily declined.
Zhang Yu had dropped to 12th place, while Yu Xinghan had fallen to 18th.
Neither of them cared much about the rankings. They had ample experience climbing from the bottom, gradually working their way up.
Yu Xinghan seized the opportunity to silently circulate his mental cultivation technique, absorbing spiritual energy through breathing exercises.
Zhang Yu, in addition to his cultivation, was also experimenting with another idea.
After hearing Zhang Pianpian mention mixing cement with medicine, a thought had struck him.
“With the enhanced control over my body’s vitality after activating the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art, could I suppress my digestive system? If so, I wouldn’t need to eat cement after all.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu was attempting to slow down his gastrointestinal peristalsis and reduce the secretion of digestive fluids.
This was his first attempt at such a feat since upgrading his Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art to Level 20, which had greatly enhanced his body’s vitality.
Back on the First Layer, he had only focused on maximizing his digestive capacity, never imagining he would one day face the opposite problem — excessive digestion.
Now, with a slight mental effort, Zhang Yu felt his consciousness penetrate deep into his digestive system. The rhythmic contractions of his stomach and intestines gradually slowed, and the secretion of digestive fluids began to diminish.
“It’s actually working!” Zhang Yu sensed the changes in his body, his heart leaping with joy. “Looks like I won’t have to eat cement after all.”
Fu Ji was equally astonished. “Your Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art is truly remarkable. Its adaptability is astonishing.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Xiao, an Immortal Capital native, glanced at Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan, who were silently cultivating. He thought to himself, “Hmph, just because you’ve reached the Second Layer doesn’t mean hard work alone will get you anywhere.”
“Months or even years of grueling cultivation can’t compare to the scraps that fall from the tables of the wealthy elites above.”
Li Xiao had been clinging to Gongshu Jin’s side. As the group began discussing Bionics, he turned to Gongshu Jin, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Gongshu Jin, what brand of Bionic Eye are you using? It looks quite unique.”
Gongshu Jin said calmly, “This is a Heavenly Eye Bionic Eye.”
Li Xiao’s heart quickened. “Heavenly Eye Company? I use a Heavenly Eye Bionic Eye too!”
Gongshu Jin smirked disdainfully, his gaze lingering on Li Xiao’s eagerness to fit in. He remained silent, as if too bored to reply.
Ying Xin chuckled. “Gongshu Jin, is that a high-end Heavenly Eye model? I heard the cheapest ones cost at least 10 Spirit Coins.”
Gongshu Jin replied casually, “Around that. Mine’s fully equipped, so it cost about 12 Spirit Coins.”
The surrounding students gasped in unison, their voices filled with awe and admiration.
Li Xiao swallowed hard, staring at Gongshu Jin’s eyes with envy. His own Bionic Eye suddenly felt inadequate.
Just then, a flicker of light enveloped the room as a new Foundation Establishment Domain materialized around them.
Foundation Establishment cultivator Ji Yuanshu from Kunxu’s sixth layer has entered within 100 meters of you. Please remain silent.
The once-lively classroom fell instantly silent. Even the usually impassive Gongshu Jin’s gaze sharpened slightly as he, like everyone else, turned toward the classroom door.