Chapter 295: A Warm Current of Friendship Flows
The moment Zhang Yu returned to his dormitory, he found Le Mulan already waiting for him.
Since earning 0.05 Spirit Coins that first day, Le Mulan had repeatedly requested samples of Zhang Yu’s blood, sweat, saliva, and other bodily fluids, earning him an additional 0.08 Spirit Coins.
However, perhaps due to the short timeframe, the company hadn’t yet derived any significant findings from Zhang Yu’s samples.
The only surprising discovery Le Mulan had made was that Zhang Yu’s sweat had become remarkably pure and uncontaminated. It contained no medicinal toxins, impurities, or even the slightest trace of odor, resembling pure cooling water used for heat dissipation.
In Le Mulan’s mind, Zhang Yu’s urine was likely cleaner than the cerebrospinal fluid of ordinary humans.
She mused inwardly, “Since reaching Foundation Establishment, Zhang Yu’s ability to metabolize and absorb medicinal pills, as well as his control over toxins within his body, has become even more remarkable.”
“Combined with his cultivation of the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen, he can almost perfectly filter out medicinal toxins after each pill consumption, then gather and store them all.”
“If he joined a pharmaceutical company as a drug tester or became a filter core for purifying medicinal toxins, his salary would undoubtedly be substantial.”
Of course, Le Mulan knew Zhang Yu could never do such work.
After all, such jobs were incredibly damaging to the body. Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, being subjected to experimental medicinal pills… just a few weeks would be enough to cause irreversible damage, severing their path to the Immortal Dao.
But if she used it just a little herself…
At that moment, Le Mulan looked at Zhang Yu and asked earnestly, “Are you sure… you can really let me have it for free?”
Zhang Yu gazed at Le Mulan, his eyes fixed on the Dao Seed at her chest — the Profound Cold Meridian.
“To obtain Le Mulan’s Dao Seed, I need to improve her magic power quality. To improve her magic power quality, I need to wait until she reaches Foundation Establishment,” Zhang Yu thought to himself.
But in his view, Le Mulan’s chances of success in the November Foundation Establishment Examination… were still a bit too low.
He didn’t want to wait for her next attempt.
With that thought, Zhang Yu took out a measuring cup and handed it to Le Mulan. “Try drinking this.”
Le Mulan accepted it somewhat awkwardly, saying softly, “If you sold this… you could make a lot of money.”
Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively. “We’re friends. No charge.”
“It’s not just you. If Yu Xinghan and Senior Sister Zhang need it, I’ll provide it to them for free too.”
Le Mulan looked at Zhang Yu, a strange feeling welling up in her heart.
She remembered the first time she had tried to bribe him to lose a martial dao competition in high school. His refusal to take the money had infuriated her, leaving her feeling utterly baffled.
Yet now, seeing him offer his blood for free again, Le Mulan felt no anger at all.
“Is this what it means to have a good friend?” she wondered.
She raised the measuring cup and drained it in one gulp, feeling the warmth of friendship flow down her throat.
A metallic tang of blood filled her mouth.
Zhang Yu watched her swallow his blood and asked, “How do you feel?”
Le Mulan licked her lips, sensing the medicinal power spreading through her body, coursing through her limbs and bones. “The potency is a bit weaker,” she said slowly, “but the toxicity is almost gone. I think I could drink a lot of this.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. The blood he had given Le Mulan was his own — currently the only thing he could offer that would enhance her cultivation efficiency. What else could anyone possibly think it was?
Through this method, Zhang Yu essentially became Le Mulan’s medicinal pill filter, allowing her to consume far more pills to accelerate her cultivation.
Combined with Le Mulan’s Super Metabolism Transformation Surgery performed by Purple Cloud, her pill intake would skyrocket, and her cultivation efficiency would surge exponentially.
Zhang Yu said, “Alright, from now on, whenever you need medicinal pills, buy extra and give them to me. I’ll process them and pass them back to you. This way, you can consume several times more pills and boost your cultivation efficiency.”
Le Mulan nodded, looking at Zhang Yu with excitement. “Zhang Yu, thank you.”
Remembering Xuan Ge’s words, she took a deep breath and said, “If you ever want to try dual cultivation, I can pay you extra.”
For Le Mulan, offering more money during transactions was the only way she could think of to thank a good friend.
Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. “What are you even thinking? Who said anything about dual cultivation? Stop talking nonsense and let’s get to class.”
Le Mulan persisted, “Other transactions are fine too. I’m a bit tight on funds right now because of the Foundation Establishment Examination. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, my family…”
Zhang Yu waved dismissively. “Alright, alright, let’s talk about it after you reach Foundation Establishment.”
As he gazed at her Dao Seed, Zhang Yu felt an overwhelming urge to replicate her Profound Cold Meridian.
He grabbed a measuring cup and said, “I’ll give you some more. Remember to drink plenty every day, cultivate diligently, and make sure you pass the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate exam.”
Afterward, Le Mulan cautioned, “If you’re going to sell your blood, you should be careful…”
Zhang Yu waved dismissively at her warning. He had no such plans for now.
Leveraging the University Sacred Body’s Foundation Establishment peak-level metabolism, he could at most provide blood for the three roommates in his dorm.
As for outsiders… he lacked the channels, immunity certificates, health permits, business licenses, and other necessary documents. Selling blood would involve too many complications.
Moreover, selling small amounts wouldn’t yield much profit, while selling too much would strain his body and hinder his cultivation.
Besides, he now had a steady income from the construction site, a perfect time to focus on his work.
That afternoon, after class, Xuan Ge walked through the Pharmacology Department’s corridor, searching for Le Mulan.
“Where did she go?”
Rounding a corner, Xuan Ge spotted her. Just as he was about to greet her, he saw her gulp down something in one go.
Xuan Ge stared at the empty measuring cup in Le Mulan’s hand, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he recalled the measuring cup he’d seen her holding briefly days ago.
“It’s already… already at this stage?”
Xuan Ge’s burly frame trembled violently as a thought surged through his mind.
“Is this still Myriad Laws University? Did I accidentally transfer to Joyful Union University?”
“I’m just a freshman! I haven’t even formed a team yet! How the hell have you guys already cultivated to this level?”
Gazing at Le Mulan’s turned face, Xuan Ge mustered his courage and blurted out the words he’d been holding back for so long.
“Le Mulan, I want to join too. I want to advance further on the Immortal Dao.”
“Can I move into your dormitory?”
In the days that followed, Zhang Yu grew increasingly adept at his construction work. He simultaneously practiced the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art and Limitless Vibration Zen, his body repeatedly enduring wear and tear, only to be revitalized by the regenerative power of his activated blood and flesh.
With practice, Zhang Yu learned to maintain his physical strain at a recoverable level.
This led Zhang Yu to feel that his body was not deteriorating from the long hours of construction work but rather growing more resilient and robust. The rate at which his physical strength increased even surpassed that of his solitary cultivation sessions.
“Cultivation and income? The Civil Engineering Department really suits me.”
Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye. As Zhang Yu’s efficiency improved, so did his earnings. Over the past two weeks, he had accumulated 0.59 Spirit Coins.
Glancing at his account balance of 10.7 Spirit Coins after purchasing high-quality magic power, Zhang Yu thought, “I still need to work harder.”
One morning, as the first rays of dawn painted the horizon, Zhang Yu reluctantly welcomed the end of his shift.
Limitless Vibration Zen: Level 20
At Level 20, Limitless Vibration Zen allowed Zhang Yu to perform extreme overclocked vibrations, unleashing unparalleled destructive power in mere seconds.
“Useless,” he muttered. “It’s only good for killing enemies, not for construction work.”
As Zhang Yu walked away from the construction site, he felt somewhat dissatisfied with the Level 20 effect of his cultivation art.
Beside him walked Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan, also finishing their shifts.
Compared to Zhang Yu, who was brimming with energy and still vigorous after working all night, Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan looked noticeably fatigued.
Li Xiao’s muscles occasionally twitched with soreness, causing his gait to falter.
Yu Xinghan appeared even thinner, his cheeks slightly sunken.
Reaching the construction site gate, Yu Xinghan sighed, “Finally off work. Time for a massage.”
He rubbed his arm and added, “I’m so exhausted every day… I can’t function without a massage.”
Li Xiao shot Yu Xinghan a disdainful glance, wondering how he could afford cultivation if he spent so much on daily massages.
Zhang Yu waved goodbye to Yu Xinghan and left ahead of them. He knew Yu Xinghan lacked his own regenerative abilities and needed daily massages to recover from the physical strain.
Yu Xinghan entered the massage room with practiced ease. A voice called out, “Boss Yu, you’re here? Still number 38?”
Yu Xinghan smiled. “Don’t forget to turn on the Spirit Realm Projection service.”
As the Spirit Realm Projection activated, a technician resembling Li Xuelian entered the room. Yu Xinghan leaned back and said, “Start with my feet.”
As Zhang Yu walked back to his dormitory, messages occasionally flashed across his Bionic Eye.
There were assignments from teachers in the class group chat.
Advertisements pushed by nearby shops.
And a constant stream of messages in the Songyang Group.
Speaking of the Songyang Group, when they had first entered the Second Layer three months ago, the group had been a frenzy of activity, with Zhang Yu seeing 999+ unread messages every time he checked.
But as time passed and everyone focused on their studies, the messages gradually dwindled.
Still, Zhang Yu occasionally glanced at it, as it was a way to learn about news from other universities.
Today, a particular message in the group caught his attention.
Vajra University’s Chu Qiuhe: “Many graduate programs at Vajra University are reducing enrollment or even suspending admissions. Have you guys seen this?”
Fengdu College’s Zhao Tianxing: “You’re already thinking about the Graduate Entrance Examination?”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Old Zhao… a vocational college is a vocational college. Why is he copying Mo Tianyi and calling it Fengdu College? His vanity is too much.”
Joyful Union University’s Lian Tianji: “Shouldn’t you start preparing for the Graduate Entrance Examination from Freshman year?”
Joyful Union University’s Lian Tianji: “Many of the programs with reduced enrollment are popular majors. The Yin-Yang Emergency Treatment Studies program I was planning to apply to had its enrollment quota slashed by half.”
Joyful Union University’s Lian Tianji: “Sigh, I wonder what the situation will be when I take the entrance exam.”
Tianhai College’s Qian Shen: “The university evaluation system is profound and complex. Though I haven’t fully grasped it yet, these changes in enrollment quotas must have a logical basis.”
Upon seeing the news about reduced graduate student enrollment, Zhang Yu couldn’t resist checking online and discovered that Myriad Laws University was indeed experiencing similar changes.
However, when he saw that the Civil Engineering Department’s graduate student quota not only hadn’t been reduced but was actually being expanded, Zhang Yu burst out laughing.
“Recruiting so many? Are they trying to drive down wages in the construction industry even further?”
“Good thing I’m not going to be a graduate student in civil engineering.”
Zhang Yu planned to follow the path laid out for him by True Person Starfire: transfer to the Artifact Refinement Department in his third year and then pursue graduate studies in artifact refinement.
But the moment he saw the news that the Artifact Refinement Department’s graduate student quota had been slashed by 40%, the smile instantly vanished from his face.