Chapter 279: University Courses

Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen and said, “Don’t worry, A-Zhen. If anyone messes with me, I’ll call you.”

“Mm-hmm,” Bai Zhenzhen replied with a smile, nodding. But then she remembered something and pouted, “Too bad I can’t transfer Spirit Coins to you today.”

“After Mom (Divine Monarch Seven Emotions) found out about the last transfer, she gave me a lecture and forbade me from giving you any more Spirit Coins.”

“Ugh, she’s so stingy! It’s just 5 Spirit Coins! Wait, let me think of a way to get you the money later.”

Zhang Yu quickly advised, “A-Zhen, don’t rush this. You’re at Heavenly Sword University now, so you need to consider the Divine Monarch’s feelings. Don’t anger her.”

Fu Ji chimed in, “Exactly! Don’t end up on the Spirit Transformation Ancestor’s enemy list just because Bai Zhenzhen keeps throwing money at you.”

Zhang Yu nodded. “A-Zhen, next time, don’t mention my name when you transfer Spirit Coins. Just send them to Yu Xinghan first… wait, no…”

After a moment’s thought, he said, “You can transfer them to Sis or Le Mulan. I’ll just sneak the money from them later.”

Bai Zhenzhen puffed out her chest and declared, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’ll discuss any problems with you beforehand.”

The two continued their lively conversation for a while longer. After several glances aside, as if being urged by someone, Bai Zhenzhen finally said with a hint of reluctance, “Yu Zi, I need to go practice my breathing technique now.”

Zhang Yu nodded understandingly. “Go ahead. I’ll hang up then.”

But Bai Zhenzhen suddenly turned back, as if listening to someone speaking, then smiled and said, “No need. Let’s just keep the connection open.”

“Mom says we can keep the communication channel open while we cultivate separately. It’ll help strengthen our bond as friends and prepare me for the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.”

And so, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen left their projection communication running as they each began their cultivation.

Though they no longer spoke, Zhang Yu occasionally glanced at Bai Zhenzhen’s figure meditating nearby as he practiced the Foundation Establishment Body Refinement Seventy-Two Forms. It felt like they were back on the First Layer, with her still by his side, cultivating together.

Bai Zhenzhen, though her eyes were closed as she practiced her breathing technique, couldn’t see Zhang Yu. Yet through the advanced technology of the Spirit Realm Network, she could constantly hear the sounds of his movements and breathing, as if he were right beside her.

Everything felt like it had returned to the past, causing a slight smile to curve Bai Zhenzhen’s lips.

Another few hours passed in the blink of an eye. Bai Zhenzhen opened her eyes, exhaled deeply, and said, “Yu Zi, I need to go to class now.”

Foundation Establishment Body Refinement Seventy-Two Forms: Level 8 → Level 9

Zhang Yu stopped his movements and nodded. “I should head to class soon too.”

“See you tomorrow night.”

“See you tomorrow night.”

After exchanging farewells, Bai Zhenzhen vanished from Zhang Yu’s sight in a flash of light, like a phantom.

Zhang Yu then mentally checked his current data usage, a pained expression crossing his face. “It’s nice having A-Zhen keep me company during practice…”

“But if I keep burning through this much data every day, I’ll use up my entire month’s allowance in just a few days!”

“Looks like maintaining friendships on the Second Layer is really expensive.”

Just as Zhang Yu was fretting, the dormitory door opened, and Yu Xinghan hurried in. “Zhang Yu, have you eaten yet? We need to head to class soon. We can’t be late for the first class today.”

Noticing Zhang Yu’s grim expression, Yu Xinghan asked curiously, “Why the long face? Did you realize your feelings for Bai Zhenzhen have faded during your call? After all, she’s a Spirit Transformation Disciple now. You need to prepare yourself for that.”

Zhang Yu said calmly, “Don’t talk nonsense. You wouldn’t understand the bond A-Zhen and I share.”

Yu Xinghan scoffed, “Hah, what kind of bond never changes? You think the old man didn’t have sworn brothers and comrades who risked their lives together?”

“Look at how many people reached out to help him after he fell to the First Layer.”

“Bonds are fleeting. Money is real — it transforms into your cultivation, your power, and stays with you forever.”

“While you can still contact Bai Zhenzhen, you should squeeze as much money out of her as possible. Even if you stop being friends later, at least you’ll have profited.”

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes, thinking, “So your idea of ‘preparing early’ is just asking her for more money?”

Zhang Yu entered his dormitory, pulled out some synthetic food he’d brought from the First Layer, and began eating while unfolding his class schedule on his Bionic Eye.

The schedule, posted yesterday in the Foundation Establishment Class group chat, outlined the course arrangements for the next three months.

“These three months cover the standard Foundation Establishment Stage curriculum.”

“After that, in September, the semester officially begins, and we’ll start attending courses based on our chosen specializations.”

“This continues until the end of the academic year. The final rankings will be determined, deciding each student’s position and rewards…”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “If I calculate correctly, I have a full year to cultivate. I wonder how high I can climb in the rankings.”

He glanced down at his palm. The black symbol had filled more than half its area, indicating that a new chapter of the Feather Book would likely open within the next day or two.

In addition to his class schedule, Zhang Yu had also received a friend request from a Righteous God yesterday.

“Is this the Righteous God who will help arrange my teacher?”

At Myriad Laws University, students could choose their own teachers — one of the rewards Zhang Yu received for passing the Foundation Establishment Examination.

After confirming the Righteous God’s intentions through their friend request, Zhang Yu naturally didn’t choose a teacher. After all, he barely knew any faculty members at Myriad Laws University.

The Righteous God seemed to understand this, showing no urgency and simply telling Zhang Yu to take his time and decide by the end of his freshman year at the latest.

Furthermore, a 2.5 Spirit Coin scholarship had been successfully deposited into Zhang Yu’s account, pushing his total Spirit Coin balance past 12.

Just then, Yu Xinghan, who was eating nearby, remarked, “Speaking of which, when did people here stop eating?”

Zhang Pianpian replied matter-of-factly, “The Kunxu Second Layer… used to be the Medicine Garden of the Ten Great Sects, where they cultivated medicinal herbs for centuries.”

“Later, to expand cultivation scale and improve efficiency, they began recruiting mortals to help care for the medicinal herbs and taught them some Immortal Dao techniques.”

“As more people gathered, schools gradually formed, eventually evolving into the various universities we see today. Many here are also sect reserves.”

“To sell medicinal pills to the upper echelons for greater profits, the company and universities continuously expanded the cultivation area for medicinal herbs, while reducing the land allocated for food crops and livestock.”

“Gradually, food became increasingly expensive for the locals. Some began using the scraps from the medicinal herbs sold to the upper echelons to refine medicinal pills that replenished physical and mental energy, satisfying the body’s nutritional needs.”

“With food being expensive and medicinal pills cheap, people naturally started living on pills. Then someone discovered that cement suppressed digestion most cheaply, so some began swallowing cement.”

Zhang Yu suddenly asked, “What do the mortals here eat? Without Immortal Cultivation, wouldn’t the medicinal power and cement be difficult to endure?”

Zhang Pianpian smiled. “The mortals in Myriad Laws University City live below the 100th floor, areas Cultivators rarely descend to.”

“Their state… it’s hard to describe. Let’s just say they’re extremely happy.”

“If you’re interested, go see for yourself when you have time.”

“In short, the current situation is a balance achieved by the universities, companies, sects… all parties. It’s also a testament to humanity’s adaptability.”

“After all, to climb the ranks in Kunxu, you need to adapt to various environments. Here, where medicine is cheap, you take medicine. Later, if you move somewhere where food is cheaper, you eat food instead.”

Yu Xinghan looked at the white dragon Senior Sister, recalling True Person Starfire’s teachings, and nodded slightly. “You’re right. We should adapt to our environment here.”

He extended his hand. “Share some cement with me?”

In his other hand, Yu Xinghan clutched the synthetic food, thinking, “I won’t eat this synthetic stuff… Didn’t they say food is expensive here? I’ll sell it and see if I can earn some Spirit Coins.”

Le Mulan, standing beside him, also held out her hand. “Can I have some too? I want to adapt to the environment here as quickly as possible.”

Yu Xinghan glanced at Zhang Yu and asked, “Aren’t you going to take any?”

Zhang Yu replied casually, “I can now control my digestive system and suppress its activity with my own will. I don’t need external aids.”

Yu Xinghan cursed inwardly, “That kid’s showing off again.”

Having trained alongside Zhang Yu on the First Layer for quite some time, he knew all too well how terrifyingly talented the boy was.

Zhang Pianpian, however, looked at Zhang Yu with surprise and praised, “Little Yu, it seems you’ve made remarkable progress in the past two years.”

After breakfast, the group dispersed, each following the navigation in their Bionic Eyes to their respective classrooms.

Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan, trailing streaks of electricity, zipped through the Primordial Magnetic Channel.

“Hurry, hurry!” Yu Xinghan urged. “They fine you for being late here!”

Zhang Yu remained calm. “The classroom is on the 200th floor, less than a kilometer from the 125th floor dormitory area. We’ll be there in no time. No need to rush.”

Entering the classroom, Zhang Yu found most of the students already present, but the teacher was nowhere to be seen.

Moments before class began, the Bionic Eyes of the assembled students flickered, and a projection materialized before them.

It was a phoenix, its entire body ablaze with fierce flames.

The phoenix’s cold gaze swept over the crowd, followed by a female voice: “I am your teacher for this class. You may call me Feng Jiu. I will be teaching you the most fundamental Dao Heart lessons for Foundation Establishment.”

“I typically work deep within the Spirit Realm, and my physical body remains in perpetual slumber. What you see now is my Spirit Realm avatar…”

Zhang Yu thought in surprise, “Is this… taking class through a virtual avatar?”

Fu Ji asked curiously, “What’s happening? Is the teacher here? I don’t see anything.”

Just as Zhang Yu was about to explain, Yu Xinghan beside him said, “Zhang Yu, look! A phoenix!”

Zhang Yu sighed helplessly. “Why are you lagging again?”

Yu Xinghan realized then that his newly acquired Bionic Eye worked fine in sparsely populated areas, but experienced slight delays in crowded places.

“It’s alright,” he said. “After all, this Extreme Tiger Brand Bionic Eye was cheap. The performance is a bit lacking, but as long as it doesn’t interfere with class, it’ll do for now. I’ll upgrade to a better one when I earn more money.”