Chapter 298: Beginner - Civil Engineering Sacred Body (6/6)
On the way back to his dormitory, Zhang Yu continuously experimented with various combinations of gravity settings.
He ultimately settled on a custom mode.
Since his physical exertion during daytime classes was minimal, he applied a full-body 20x gravity enhancement. This allowed him to push his physical body to its limits without causing injury, a regimen he dubbed the “Day Study Mode.”
For his construction site work, he used a 10x gravity mode, supplemented by 12x, 15x, and 18x gravity on specific muscle groups, which he called the “Night Work Mode.”
Zhang Yu understood that as his physical strength continued to improve, he would gradually increase the gravity multipliers during his training, always striving to maintain a state as close to his limits as possible.
Amidst the raging flames, Zhang Yu felt his muscles gradually deteriorating under the intense heat, his once-powerful physique slowly turning to ash.
Under crushing pressure, Zhang Yu felt his bones shattering inch by inch, his entire body gradually being crushed into a puddle of mud.
In excruciating pain, Zhang Yu felt blood seeping from his seven orifices, his internal organs gradually decaying and rotting, each step bringing him closer to death.
In the classroom, Zhang Yu suddenly awoke, removing his Spirit Realm Mask. The Bionic Eye displayed the remaining time before class: 10 seconds.
Zhang Yu took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering effects of his Spirit Realm training.
By purchasing Hammerheart Pavilion’s monthly Spirit Realm Services package and activating the consciousness acceleration function, Zhang Yu could experience over ten deaths during each class break.
Under the extreme pressure of death, Zhang Yu felt his Level 20 Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art operating at full capacity, relentlessly forging his dao heart.
“Fucking hell… this is really paying to suffer.”
Zhang Yu’s account balance: 7.3 Spirit Coins
Dao heart, magic power, physical strength, Spirit Root integration level, magic power quality…
With the aid of Spirit Coins, Zhang Yu could feel his strength rapidly increasing once again.
He couldn’t help but sigh, “Money really is amazing.”
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed. By the end of October, Zhang Yu’s dao heart had reached Level 12 (51.5%), his magic power had risen to 379.3, and his physical strength had reached Level 12.01 points.
Moreover, his Spirit Root integration level had reached 80%, granting him greater control over his magic power and physical strength, while also improving the efficiency of his body refinement and magic power refinement.
After repeatedly absorbing high-quality magic power, his magic power quality had reached 127%, making his martial dao techniques more durable and increasing the power of his Gang Qi by severalfold.
This rapid improvement in his fundamental stats also propelled Zhang Yu’s ranking upward. In just a month and a half, he climbed from seventh place to fourth.
Now, only Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Ji Yuanshu stood ahead of him.
With his comprehensive enhancements and the gradual revelation of his higher-level Body Refinement Technique, Zhang Yu’s work efficiency at the construction site naturally improved as well.
Returning from the construction site that day, Zhang Yu had earned 0.049 Spirit Coins.
“0.049 per day, 1.47 per month,” he thought to himself. “Still too slow. I need to earn more.”
Although his strength had increased rapidly and his earnings had grown, Zhang Yu knew he had spent even more Spirit Coins over the past month and a half. His account now held only 2.69 Spirit Coins.
“Income and expenses are still unbalanced.”
“But I can manage until next month.”
“Then I’ll take out another loan. That should last another month or two, right?”
“By then, I should be ready.”
Beyond the improvements in his basic stats and daily wages, Zhang Yu’s greatest achievement was mastering the Civil Engineering Sacred Body.
Over the past month and a half of training, he had expanded his construction site duties beyond pouring concrete to include reinforcing steel, setting up formwork, and transporting materials. By rotating through these tasks and experimenting with different Body Refinement Techniques, he had finally advanced three of the Civil Engineering Sacred Body’s required cultivation arts to Level 20.
Combined with his previous mastery of the Earth Devouring Divine Art, Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art, and Limitless Vibration Zen, he had now gathered all six cultivation arts needed to complete the Civil Engineering Sacred Body.
Beginner - Civil Engineering Sacred Body (6/6): Greatly enhanced resistance to earthquakes, dust, toxins, noise, pressure, cancer, radiation, pollution, high temperatures, low temperatures, impact, slashing, piercing, and hunger. With your exceptionally tough constitution, you were born to be a Civil Engineering Sacred Body. Even suicide would be a time-consuming endeavor for you.
Zhang Yu examined the effects of the Beginner Stage Civil Engineering Sacred Body and realized it could neutralize many of the side effects of Civil Engineering Cultivation Techniques, providing resistance against conditions like vibration syndrome, silicosis, radiation sickness, noise-induced hearing loss, and cancer.
“But… is it just for neutralizing side effects?”
While the Sacred Body seemed capable of neutralizing various side effects, most of its resistances were currently redundant for Zhang Yu, who already possessed remarkable self-healing abilities. In fact, continuing to use the University Sacred Body to enhance his cultivation art training efficiency might be more beneficial at this stage.
“Speaking of which, with all these resistances in the Beginner Stage Sacred Body… are construction sites really that dangerous?”
Zhang Yu shook his head, swallowed the small piece of rebar protruding from his sleeve, and activated the Earth Devouring Divine Art. Combined with the University Sacred Body’s enhanced digestive power, the metal was instantly converted into bone-strengthening nutrients.
After finishing his meal, Zhang Yu sighed. “This construction site only has cement bags to eat. The other materials are too hard to scavenge.”
Over the next few days, Zhang Yu continued to study diligently during the day and work tirelessly at night. But one night… accompanied by a violent tremor, Zhang Yu felt the floor beneath him ripple slightly.
Though the shaking was brief, it startled him. “Was that… an earthquake?”
Moments later, a notification appeared in his Bionic Eye, stating that an accidental explosion of hazardous materials had occurred in the underground floors of University City. However, with rescue efforts underway, everything would soon return to normal.
Just as Zhang Yu was dismissing it as a routine accident…
Half an hour later, all construction workers on the 666th floor were gathered together.
Tu Lishan’s image appeared in the workers’ Bionic Eye displays.
“Everyone,” he announced, “we have an urgent mission requiring immediate manpower.”
“An accidental explosion has occurred in the underground floors. We need a team of workers to go down there and carry out repairs.”
“This work is time-sensitive and carries some risks, but we’re offering five times the standard pay for approximately half a month of work…”
Upon hearing about the fivefold salary, some in the crowd grew visibly excited. Li Xiao clenched his fist, his face radiating eagerness.
Others, however, frowned and quietly retreated. Ying Xin shook her head, thinking, “The university isn’t a charity.”
“Fivefold salary… What exactly happened down there?”
Yu Xinghan hesitated. “Zhang Yu, should we go? Fivefold salary… One day’s work equals five days’ pay, but offering so much… I have a feeling this isn’t as simple as it seems.”
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment, then contacted Zhang Pianpian to inquire about the situation.
Zhang Pianpian replied: “There was an explosion at the underground pharmaceutical factory. The fire has been extinguished by several teachers working together, but the damage is extensive, and large quantities of raw materials have leaked. They probably need you to go there for repairs…”
After getting the details from his elder sister, Zhang Yu glanced at the registration notification that had popped up. Considering the resistance granted by his Civil Engineering Sacred Body, he ultimately decided to sign up.
He turned to Yu Xinghan beside him. “Don’t rush to register yet. I’ll go down first and check the situation. If anything seems off, we’ll retreat.”
Twenty minutes later, Zhang Yu, guided by the Bionic Eye’s directional indicators, arrived at the underground 2nd floor of Myriad Laws University City.
In the distance, a massive gate lay shattered and twisted on the ground, its mangled remains leaning haphazardly against the wall. Beyond it stretched a vast expanse of ruins, their original forms now unrecognizable.
Tu Lishan’s image materialized in the Bionic Eyes of the assembled workers. “Due to the explosion,” he announced, “the pharmaceutical factory’s internal spiritual energy pathways have been severed, and the formation has been temporarily disabled. You will be unable to connect to the Spirit Realm Network once inside.”
“Therefore, we are now transmitting the factory blueprints and your individual assignments.”
“Follow the marked routes on the blueprints to reach your designated work areas…”
“Although the fire within the factory has been extinguished, residual hazards remain. Exercise extreme caution.”
“Furthermore, all information pertaining to the pharmaceutical factory is classified as university and corporate secrets. You will need to sign a confidentiality agreement…”
Meanwhile, before entering the factory ruins, Zhang Yu had already switched his Chain Formation Diagram to the Civil Engineering Sacred Body. Gazing at the Sacred Body’s array of resistances, he felt a surge of confidence.
As he studied the map, Zhang Yu stepped into the pharmaceutical factory grounds. He surveyed the collapsed factory buildings and inhaled the acrid, burnt smell that permeated the air, wondering what kind of explosion could have caused such devastation.
Suddenly, Zhang Yu froze, staring at a wall bearing a massive palm print.
As he ventured deeper into the ruins, he discovered palm prints, fist marks, sword slashes, and other signs of combat scattered throughout the wreckage.
“An accidental explosion?” Zhang Yu thought in astonishment. “This looks more like a battle!”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Heh heh, it seems this wasn’t an accident. Someone attacked the factory.”
“Attacked?” Zhang Yu exclaimed. “Who would attack a pharmaceutical factory in Myriad Laws University City? Is that even possible?”
“Who knows…” Fu Ji replied.
Just then, a thunderous explosion erupted nearby, sending a wave of heat that engulfed several workers.
Zhang Yu watched in horror as the Qi Refining Laborers were rapidly dehydrated by the extreme heat, their skin charred before they collapsed, critically injured.
At the same time, thick plumes of deep purple smoke billowed from the explosion site.
Someone shouted, “It’s a toxic leak from the pharmaceutical Factory!”
Just as the workers were about to flee, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his height swollen to five meters, snorted coldly. “What are you afraid of? Don’t panic. Repair the site according to the plan.”
“Once we restore the spiritual energy circuit and reactivate the factory’s formation, we’ll quickly regain control of the situation.”
Under his command, the scene soon stabilized. Zhang Yu joined the effort, beginning to clear the rubble.
He quickly discovered that the factory was riddled with hazards.
Explosions and heatwaves erupted intermittently, while toxic substances leaked everywhere like a simmering chemical stew.
Outside the factory, Ying Xin thought to herself, “Just as I suspected, nothing good ever comes of this.”
She had followed them down out of curiosity, wondering, “I wonder if this fivefold pay will even cover the medical bills.”
As the extreme heat and toxic environment intensified, the Qi Refining Workers were the first to withdraw, followed by a handful of Foundation Establishment workers who also chose to abandon the effort.
Ying Xin watched Zhang Yu and Li Xiao, who were still rushing in and out, constantly transporting materials and continuing to participate in the repair work despite the perilous conditions. She thought to herself, “First Layer People… they really are pushing themselves to the limit.”
“But this is just gambling.”
Ying Xin didn’t think much of Zhang Yu and Li Xiao’s desperate efforts. In her eyes, such self-degrading behavior was a sign of utter desperation, a last resort for those driven to the brink of poverty. She would never participate in such risky, potentially loss-making work.
However, when she recalled Zhang Yu and Li Xiao’s recent rapid rise in the rankings, a knowing glint flashed in her eyes.
“In just five months, Zhang Yu has surged from the teens to seventh place, and now he’s fourth in the class… only one rank below me.”
“It seems he’s been throwing money at this, just like Li Xiao.”
“But Li Xiao has been running at a loss lately, barely hanging on.”
Remembering Li Xiao’s clumsy excuses for refusing her recent invitations to cultivate together, Ying Xin shook her head. “Now it seems… Zhang Yu is also nearing his breaking point. That’s why he’s pushing himself so hard to earn money.”