Chapter 287: Barely Used, 99% New
Seeing himself ranked ninth on the leaderboard, just below Zhang Yu in eighth place, Li Xiao felt a wave of darkness wash over him.
“How is this possible?”
“His progress has accelerated again?”
“How much money did he borrow? What did he pawn?”
In Li Xiao’s mind, a sudden surge in a student’s progress could only mean one thing: they had poured in even more money.
Li Xiao thought bitterly, “Zhang Yu must have noticed my recent accelerated cultivation and Spirit Coin investments.”
“So he’s throwing even more Spirit Coins at this to surpass me.”
“No, I’ve come too far to back down now.”
With that thought, Li Xiao slowly reached out and retrieved his Heavenly Craftsman Bionic.
He decided to temporarily sell one of his Bionic Eyes to acquire more Spirit Coins for further investment in the Immortal Dao.
The thought of parting with the Heavenly Craftsman Bionic he had barely used for two months filled Li Xiao’s remaining eye with a trace of reluctance.
Fortunately, his Heavenly Craftsman Bionic was of excellent quality. Even with just one eye, it would suffice for daily life.
“Once I earn enough at the construction site, I’ll buy another one.”
125th floor, dormitory area.
Yu Xinghan eagerly tore open the newly arrived package.
Zhang Yu, who was eating nearby, asked curiously, “Did your senior sister send this?”
“It’s something I ordered online,” Yu Xinghan replied.
As he ripped open the package, a single Bionic Eye submerged in maintenance fluid appeared before them.
“A Bionic Eye?” Zhang Yu asked. “Why just one?”
Yu Xinghan chuckled. “Over the past two months, I’ve researched over a dozen brands and hundreds of different models of Bionic Eyes to find the most affordable option that meets my daily needs.”
“I’ve scoured countless video reviews and articles, lurked in over ten Bionic Eye discussion groups, and even scoured the secondhand market.”
“Now, I know the models, performance, parameters, and market prices of Bionic Eyes like the back of my hand.”
“Finally…”
Yu Xinghan put on gloves and carefully retrieved the Bionic Eye from the maintenance fluid. “I found this hidden gem.”
“A nearly new Heavenly Craftsman Bionic, even cheaper because it’s being sold individually.”
“But honestly, even a single eye with these specs is more than enough for daily classes and cultivation,” Yu Xinghan said confidently.
Seeing Yu Xinghan’s unwavering confidence, Zhang Yu nodded. “I never thought someone who uses Extreme Tiger Brand would know so much about Bionic Eyes.”
Yu Xinghan scoffed. “Hmph, Zhang Yu, even though you lucked into a Time-Worn Demonic Eye, you should still learn more about Bionics. There’s no harm in expanding your knowledge.”
As he spoke, Yu Xinghan had already replaced his left eye with the newly acquired Heavenly Craftsman Bionic. He sighed in admiration. “Using a high-quality Bionic Eye is a completely different experience. The world is so much clearer now.”
After testing the Bionic Eye, Yu Xinghan didn’t immediately confirm the purchase and pay. Instead, he carefully removed it.
He retrieved a box of tools and meticulously cleaned the Bionic Eye, finally returning it to its maintenance fluid.
Zhang Yu asked, “Why aren’t you using it? Is the quality bad?”
Yu Xinghan replied matter-of-factly, “Why would I use such a high-quality item for anything other than classes? My Extreme Tiger Brand is fine for everyday use.”
“This Bionic Eye is naturally reserved for class.”
“What if using it too much causes it to age faster?” Yu Xinghan resolved to meticulously clean and maintain the Bionic Eye every day, striving to extend its lifespan as much as possible.
After finishing his meal, Zhang Yu left the dormitory, crossing the Primordial Magnetic Channel as usual and heading toward the lower levels below the 100th floor.
To be safe, Zhang Yu always chose different areas for his body refinement sessions.
This time, he arrived at a blind spot on the 94th floor. After swallowing a chunk of concrete, he began practicing the Earth Devouring Divine Art.
A muffled rumble echoed from Zhang Yu’s stomach as his digestive system transformed into a pulverizing machine. Fueled by the voracious magic power, it completely crushed the concrete into its basic components. These materials were then circulated throughout his body via the Magic Power, nourishing his skin.
This was the effect of the Earth Devouring Divine Art at Level 20. In addition to strengthening muscles and bones, it could now also enhance the skin.
“But concrete is still too weak,” Zhang Yu thought. “It only makes my skin slightly tougher. And I can’t use too much, or my body’s flexibility and explosive power will decline.”
“To truly enhance my body with this cultivation art, I need better training materials.”
But Zhang Yu had no intention of spending his own money on materials.
“I’ll just have to wait until I go to the construction site and see if there are any good materials lying around that no one wants…”
After another session of cultivation, Zhang Yu completed another cycle of the Earth Devouring Divine Art, finally reaching Level 20.
In an instant, countless images flashed through his mind. Zhang Yu felt as if he had endured years of arduous training, finally pushing the cultivation art to the limit achievable during the Foundation Establishment Stage.
With the Earth Devouring Divine Art reaching Level 20, Zhang Yu could now use training materials to strengthen not only his skin and muscles but also his entire skeletal structure.
“Strengthening the bones is probably the best way to use this cultivation art,” Zhang Yu mused, closing his eyes to sense the power of the Level 20 Earth Devouring Divine Art. “After all, many high-strength materials aren’t suitable for reinforcing flesh and blood, but for bones…”
“It took over half a month, but I’ve finally mastered this Level 20 Body Refinement Technique.”
Through his diligent cultivation over the past few weeks, Zhang Yu’s stats had improved significantly.
His dao heart had reached Level 11 (73.8%), his magic power had reached 300.6, and his physical strength had reached Level 11.12.
“With the University Sacred Body and a Level 20 cultivation art, my progress is astonishingly rapid.”
However, after Zhang Pianpian’s warning, Zhang Yu deliberately concealed some of his gains to avoid standing out too much in the class’s Comprehensive Points rankings.
“Now that my magic power has surpassed 300, I could actually equip a second Bionic.”
“But never mind…”
Zhang Yu thought, “Bionics are too expensive. I’ll stick to True Person Starfire’s plan and continue refining my body, preparing for a future transfer to the Artifact Refinement Department.”
In addition to his studies and cultivation, Zhang Yu had also thoroughly researched the rules for transferring departments.
“The latest opportunity is at the end of the third academic year. If I fail to transfer by then, I’ll never get another chance.”
“I need to earn enough money within three years and maximize my body refinement progress.”
The next day, in Dao Heart Class.
Teacher Feng Jiu, still in her Phoenix form, delivered the lecture with the same methodical precision as the first class, as if reading from a script.
Her gaze swept across the assembled students, her eyes already displaying line graphs tracking each student’s dao heart progress.
“Ji Yuanshu, ranked first in the class for dao heart, no anomalies detected.”
“Gongshu Jin, ranked second in the class for dao heart, no anomalies detected…”
“Li Xiao, accelerated dao heart progress, noted as a potential loan sales target, added to the sales database.”
“Zhang Yu, initially stable dao heart progress, suddenly accelerated a month ago, then stabilized again, added to the observation list…”
After categorizing and labeling the students’ data and records, and transmitting them to the depths of the Spirit Realm, Feng Jiu continued teaching the class with unwavering composure.
During Magic Power Class, Li Mingbo’s primary focus remained on the top-tier students in the front rows.
However, when his gaze swept over Zhang Yu in the back, he always lingered a moment longer.
The main reason, of course, was that this student had inexplicably failed to use his discount coupon on the Magic Power Treasure Platform, neither buying nor selling magic power.
The secondary reason was Zhang Yu’s impressive progress in magic power cultivation over the past few weeks. He had already reached the top ten in the class, making him one of the outstanding students.
“I wonder if this kid’s progress is due to borrowing money for cultivation or genuine talent.”
Li Mingbo couldn’t discern the truth from Zhang Yu’s demeanor. Unlike Li Xiao beside him, whose eye twitched occasionally, as if his facial expressions were frequently influenced by notifications displayed in his Bionic Eye.
Sometimes, Li Xiao would be listening attentively one moment, only for his expression to suddenly shift the next.
Having also come from the First Layer, Li Mingbo understood this situation all too well.
“This kid must have taken out quite a loan.”
In the Body Refinement Class, Lang Yougong nodded repeatedly at Zhang Yu. “Your recent progress in body refinement intensity is excellent. Keep it up.”
“Don’t neglect your Spirit Root integration level either.”
Observing this student who had mastered Level 20 Spring and Autumn Endless Zen and wielded the Time-Worn Demonic Eye, Lang Yougong marveled at his own foresight. “This kid’s worth is truly extraordinary,” he thought. “No wonder he’s advancing so rapidly, climbing the rankings with each step.”
After receiving further guidance from Lang Yougong, Zhang Yu suddenly said, “Teacher Lang, Yu Xinghan is facing some difficulties with his Spirit Root integration level. Could you offer him some pointers?”
Yu Xinghan shot Zhang Yu a grateful glance before turning to Lang Yougong with an expectant expression.
Lang Yougong paused, his wolf ears twitching slightly. “Yu Xinghan,” he said warmly, “why didn’t you just ask me directly? Would I ever refuse to guide my own student?”
As Lang Yougong began instructing Yu Xinghan, Zhang Yu activated his Time-Worn Demonic Eye, recording every movement at a crisp 128 frames per second.
“Now I can guide Yu Xinghan to improve his Spirit Root integration level,” Zhang Yu thought. “Then I’ll copy his Dao Seed Third Eye Mystic Power.”
Meanwhile, as Lang Yougong guided Yu Xinghan, his Bionic Eye pierced through skin and muscle, scrutinizing Yu Xinghan’s eye. “This guy… his Bionic Eye must be paired with Li Xiao’s,” he mused.
“One for each of them? They must be really close.”
That evening, following his practice of the Earth Devouring Divine Art, Zhang Yu began cultivating the second cultivation art of the Civil Engineering Sacred Body: the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art.
This cultivation art was a Foundation Establishment Stage technique designed for combat. It could unlock the body’s latent potential and, when needed, reverse magic power flow to briefly stimulate physical strength, forcing an explosive burst of power far beyond the body’s natural limits.
During this process, as the body’s strength surged beyond its limits, it could unleash a force capable of overwhelming any technique. However, because the power exceeded the body’s control and endurance, it would inevitably result in torn tendons, broken bones, ruptured organs, and severe physical wear, ultimately consuming the user’s lifespan.
Over time, this cultivation art, once used for desperate battles against enemies, had been repurposed by the Civil Engineering people for desperate labor.