Chapter 292: Assisting Mulan, Heading to the Construction Site
After classes each day, Zhang Yu devoted most of his time to cultivating the cultivation art required for the Civil Engineering Sacred Body, leaving him with little time for practicing the professional cultivation arts taught in class.
Since the Feather Book’s cultivation art switching function had a 24-hour cooldown, Zhang Yu prioritized the rapid advancement of his Civil Engineering Sacred Body cultivation arts and never switched the Feather Book to basic Civil Engineering cultivation arts like Concrete Gang Qi.
Without time or the Feather Book’s assistance, he relied solely on the sporadic practice during the past three months of classes to achieve Level 1 proficiency in Concrete Gang Qi and the other cultivation arts taught in class.
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from afar. Under Gongshu Jin’s control, streams of concrete poured forth like giant gray dragons, surging toward their designated targets and eliciting gasps of awe from the surrounding students.
“Multi-line control, and over 30 meters away? He must have mastered Concrete Gang Qi to level 10!”
“Fourth-Layer Masters cultivate so quickly?”
“Of course! With all that money, how could his cultivation be slow?”
Gongshu Jin paid no attention to the surrounding praise. For him, learning these skills was effortless, thanks to one-on-one tutoring from private instructors, the Spine Bionic’s assisted imitation mode, and real-time cultivation art corrections via Spirit Realm Projection.
He glanced at Zhang Yu, who still looked like a complete novice, and smiled wryly to himself. “He shouldn’t be short on funds, right? His martial dao aptitude is truly… My friend’s next few years are going to be tough.”
After the Engineering Formation Drafting class that day, Tu Lishan contacted Zhang Yu. “Come to the construction site after school tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll send you the address.”
“The 666th floor?” Zhang Yu thought to himself when he saw the address. “I can finally start earning money at the construction site?”
In the dormitory, Zhang Yu, having fully absorbed the high-quality magic power, felt it completely dissipate within him. He opened his eyes, a hint of lingering satisfaction in his gaze.
Suddenly, he noticed Le Mulan practicing her breathing technique nearby. He thought to himself, “I wonder if my current magic power quality could help Mulan improve hers.”
“If it works… I could obtain her Dao Seed, the so-called Profound Cold Meridian, sooner. This Dao Seed should help enhance my magic power quality, saving me a lot of money.”
With this in mind, Zhang Yu approached Le Mulan and said, “Mulan, let me try something. I want to see if I can help you improve your magic power quality.”
Le Mulan blinked in surprise. “How would you do that?”
Zhang Yu explained, “I’ll channel my magic power into you. You try to collide and communicate with it…”
As Le Mulan listened to Zhang Yu’s words, her mind kept drifting back to Xuan Ge’s recent recommendations about dual cultivation.
“Dual cultivation… it seems like it starts with the exchange of magic power between two people,” she thought to herself.
“According to Xuan Ge, my innate special magic power has remarkable effects on the Dual Cultivation Dao.”
“Could it be… Zhang Yu wants to practice dual cultivation with me?”
The thought sent a jolt through Le Mulan’s heart. “If that’s true… as long as I get to keep the products of each cultivation session, it might be worth considering.”
“But how much should I pay Zhang Yu?”
Le Mulan remembered Xuan Ge saying that in dual cultivation between lower and higher cultivation realms, the lower realm cultivator typically pays the higher realm cultivator.
“If Zhang Yu charges more for a session than I can sell Yu Juice for, I’ll lose money every time we cultivate.”
Zhang Yu looked at Le Mulan, his expression puzzled as he observed her fluctuating emotions and complex expression. “Is there a problem? If you’re uncomfortable, we can forget about it.”
Le Mulan took a deep breath. “How much… how much should I pay you?”
Zhang Yu smiled slightly. “No need for payment. We’re both from the same hometown and now roommates. Let’s just help each other out.”
Hearing this, Le Mulan’s eyes flickered. “Then… then…”
The words she was about to say filled her with shame.
Le Mulan’s cheeks flushed slightly. She had rarely taken advantage of others in her life.
Finally, she mustered her courage and asked, “The last bit of magic power left in my body… can I keep it?”
Zhang Yu laughed heartily. “Of course! What’s in your body is yours to keep.”
Le Mulan was taken aback. She had expected Zhang Yu to haggle, but he generously agreed without hesitation.
Reflecting on her recent behavior, Le Mulan thought to herself, “I must have revealed my weakness, letting him see through my facade.”
“Yet Zhang Yu doesn’t hold a grudge. He’s giving it to me without reservation. He truly sees me as a good friend.”
With this realization, Le Mulan secretly resolved to pay Zhang Yu. Otherwise, accepting his help and keeping the magic power without compensation… what kind of friend would she be?
Zhang Yu grasped Le Mulan’s wrist, and a stream of magic power flowed into her like a gentle stream.
After a long moment, Zhang Yu frowned slightly. “The effect is a bit weak.”
“Ah, it’s because you haven’t reached Foundation Establishment yet. Your magic power quality can’t be improved much.”
Seeing Zhang Yu remain motionless for a long time, Le Mulan couldn’t help but ask, “Is that all?”
Zhang Yu shrugged. “What else? We’ll have to wait until you reach Foundation Establishment.”
Hearing this, Le Mulan, who had been feeling exhilarated, felt as if she had been doused with cold water. The flow of magic power within her body seemed to turn icy cold.
“I need to reach Foundation Establishment first?” she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Zhang Yu nodded. “Speaking of which, when is the Foundation Establishment Examination?”
He knew that universities held Foundation Establishment Examinations annually.
To give high school students more time to prepare, the high school Foundation Establishment Examinations were spread out over several months.
In contrast, university students participating in the Foundation Establishment Examination had already reached the Qi Refining Peak in all their stats, so the examination was completed in just a few days. At prestigious institutions like Myriad Laws University, one of the Ten Greats, there were even more slots for the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.
Le Mulan sighed. “November this year, about two and a half months away.”
She touched her Dantian and said, “I’ve already purchased my Spirit Root. As soon as I get the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate from the university, I can immediately begin Foundation Establishment.”
Le Mulan was Purple Cloud’s academic overachiever, consistently ranking among the top five in Songyang City. Even excluding Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Yu Xinghan, she maintained a top-three position, with all her stats already at the Qi Refining Peak.
But competing against countless academic overachievers from the Ten Greats… Zhang Yu, noticing the Dao Seed on her body, said, “Keep working hard. If you need any help, just ask.”
Le Mulan looked at Zhang Yu, gathering her courage, and said, “I want…”
Zhang Yu paused, slightly surprised. “You want what?”
Hearing the same phrase again, Zhang Yu thought, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Le Mulan continued, “I can pay. I don’t want to wait until after Foundation Establishment…”
Fu Ji chimed in, “She’s offering money! What’s with the fuss? You’re short on cash right now, aren’t you? If you don’t take this opportunity, do you even deserve to be a university student?”
“I don’t know why you want to help Le Mulan improve her magic power quality, but earning more money and enhancing your own magic power quality now will allow you to support her even better after she reaches Foundation Establishment.”
Zhang Yu frowned, sensing something was off about the situation.
That night, after sharing his doubts with Bai Zhenzhen, she burst into laughter. “What’s there to hesitate about? Sell it immediately!”
“You’re turning down money? Are you crazy?”
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, thinking, “Maybe I am being too sentimental.”
“Wouldn’t Kunxu People just sell everything they could in a situation like this?”
After hanging up, Bai Zhenzhen pursed her lips, seemingly lost in thought.
A woman’s voice echoed in her ear: “My dear disciple, your heart is troubled.”
Bai Zhenzhen murmured, “Why… do I feel so uneasy?”
The thought of Zhang Yu growing closer to someone else while she was away stirred a faint discomfort in her heart.
The Divine Monarch Seven Emotions said calmly, “Are you unhappy?”
Bai Zhenzhen asked, puzzled, “No, right? I’m not the jealous type of friend, am I?”
“I don’t want Zhang Yu to have other… friends who are closer to him than I am?”
“I’m not that petty, am I?”
The Divine Monarch Seven Emotions replied, “Human intentions are shaped by emotions. The complexity of emotions often makes it difficult for even individuals to truly understand their own feelings.”
“In the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, this is a grave taboo.”
“If you’re uncertain, you must reflect deeply and confirm your true feelings.”
“For example, consider their arrangement. If it were dual cultivation, how would you feel?”
With a crackling flash, lightning flickered across Bai Zhenzhen’s body. She said coolly, “It depends on how much money Zhang Yu made.”
The Divine Monarch Seven Emotions chuckled. “In the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, only by mastering emotions can one master the sword. But to master emotions, you must first understand the true nature of your own feelings…”
Xuan Ge arrived at the 125th floor dormitory early in the morning, ready to go to class with Le Mulan.
Eager to join her four-person family, Xuan Ge had been seizing every opportunity to befriend Le Mulan.
As Le Mulan opened the door and stepped out, Xuan Ge was about to greet her when his expression suddenly shifted slightly.
He caught a fleeting glimpse of a measuring cup disappearing into her arms.
At that moment, Xuan Ge’s hand trembled, and a sharp pang of pain pierced his heart.
“Damn it… why not me?”
“We’re both at Qi Refining… why her and not me?”
After school that day, in the Primordial Magnetic Channel, Zhang Yu glanced at the 0.05 Spirit Coins that had appeared in his account — extra money he’d earned from Le Mulan yesterday while Yu Xinghan and his Elder Sister were away.
“I wonder when the next opportunity will come?”
“I’m worried the Second Layer companies won’t find anything useful either and just end up treating it like trash again.”
Yu Xinghan urged, “Hurry up. It’s our first time working on a construction site, don’t be late.”
With a burst of speed, they shot through the floors of University City, passing bustling markets, the dusty Civil Engineering Department’s teaching area, the Finance Department’s golden-lit buildings, and the Talisman Department’s temple, where divine power pulsed through the air.
When they reached the 666th floor, they were surprised to find a massive construction site. Above them stretched the night sky, a sight they hadn’t seen in ages.
Yu Xinghan and Zhang Yu stared in awe at the Moon and stars.
Having been crammed into the beehive-like University City for the past three months, living in cramped five-square-meter dorm rooms, both had accumulated a sense of stifled frustration.
Now, seeing the vast expanse of the sky again, their spirits seemed to expand, and a wave of exhilaration washed over them.
Just then, a voice called out, “What are you doing here too?”
Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan turned to see Li Xiao glaring at Yu Xinghan. “Did you pay the fee as well?”
Yu Xinghan nodded. He had indeed paid the 0.01 Spirit Coin referral fee.
Li Xiao thought to himself, “So it’s not just me handing over twenty percent of my monthly salary.”