Chapter 302: This is the Flesh Forged on the Construction Site
Zhang Yu didn’t feel like he was risking his life. Thanks to the body activation provided by the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art, the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art’s current exertion remained within his tolerance range.
Moreover, he had consumed a Life-Extending Pill just days prior, adding a year to his lifespan. Burning some of it off now wouldn’t matter much.
Fu Ji often told him, “Lifespan isn’t like money in the bank; it doesn’t earn interest. Better to burn it when it yields benefits. If you run out, you can always earn more later.”
At this moment, Zhang Yu wasn’t just avoiding lifespan loss; the violent eruption of his physical strength and Gang Qi was also activating residual medicinal power deep within his body.
Over the past few days at the pharamaceutical factory, he had consumed many semi-finished drugs. Some took effect immediately, while others transformed into streams of medicinal power that settled deep within his body, to be slowly absorbed over time.
But now, with his vital energy and Magic Power surging wildly, these medicinal power reserves were being forcibly extracted and rapidly absorbed, pushing Zhang Yu’s physical strength toward another breakthrough.
Physical Strength +0.01 Level
To Ying Xin, Zhang Yu’s speed surged again, instantly widening the gap between them by several body lengths.
In that instant, Ying Xin suddenly recalled her father’s words.
Father: “Ying Xin, don’t even think about fighting those First Layerers to the death.”
Ying Xin remembered how indignant she had been back then, insisting she wasn’t afraid to die and wouldn’t hesitate to fight First Layerers if necessary.
Father: “Are you as poor as those First Layerers? Do you have as much debt as they do? Do you feel the same crushing pressure they do?”
Father: “No, you don’t. Your life is worth more than theirs. Fighting them to the death isn’t worth it. That’s why you can’t muster the resolve to fight them to the death.”
Father: “But if fighting to the death actually works, why bother with money? Spend what you need to spend…”
At this thought, Ying Xin’s gaze sharpened, and a scroll of talisman script materialized in her palm.
“Raging winds of the four directions, heed my command! Move this rubble!”
Instantly, as Ying Xin activated the talisman, streams of divine light surged forth, whipping up a fierce gale that helped her lift the construction debris and carry it downward.
But just as Ying Xin overtook Zhang Yu, she noticed his body swelling again, his speed surging even higher.
“Still trying to compete?” Ying Xin sneered inwardly. “Then don’t blame me for crushing your hopes completely.”
While Zhang Yu and Ying Xin raced neck and neck, Tu Lishan, on the 666th floor, was observing their competition through surveillance cameras along the way.
“Well, even if Ying Xin isn’t willing to risk her life, throwing money at the problem is still good enough. As long as she’s willing to pay out of her own pocket for work and projects, who can say she’s not a Heavenly Chosen of the Civil Engineering Department?”
But when Zhang Yu suddenly accelerated again, Tu Lishan’s eyes lit up with admiration. “Excellent, excellent! One willing to risk his life, the other willing to throw money at it. They truly are the Heavenly Chosen of our Civil Engineering Department, the talents our department needs!”
Zhang Yu crashed into the ground with a resounding thud. As he reached the First Layer, his muscles cushioned the impact, then snapped back, launching a shower of construction materials toward the waste processing plant.
By now, he had activated the explosive state of Spring and Autumn Endless Zen, and the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art had begun subtly draining his lifespan.
“Good thing I took that Life-Extending Pill.”
“This year of lifespan wasn’t earning any interest anyway. Might as well cash it in.”
Meanwhile, Ying Xin whipped up a whirlwind, drawing level with Zhang Yu.
The two surged forward like twin giant dragons racing side by side — one shrouded in misty clouds, the other radiating golden light — their speed increasing with each ear-splitting scream of the atmosphere! Faster! Faster! Even faster!
After delivering the first wave of construction materials, the duo instantly shot off again, leaving long trails of turbulent air in their wake as they charged back toward the 666th floor.
Now unburdened by the construction materials, Zhang Yu’s speed surged dramatically, tearing through the air and leaving long trails of sonic booms in his wake. He rapidly widened the gap between himself and Ying Xin.
Watching this unfold, Ying Xin cursed inwardly, “Five hours? Let’s see how much of your lifespan you dare to burn!”
Back and forth, up and down, Ying Xin watched Zhang Yu relentlessly sprint and explode with power, showing no signs of slowing down.
Meanwhile, Ying Xin watched the Spirit Coin cost of her Talisman Book steadily rise until she had no choice but to grit her teeth and suspend the talisman usage.
This only allowed Zhang Yu to widen his lead even further.
As the five-hour race approached its conclusion, Ying Xin, having pushed herself to her absolute limit in pursuit, radiated waves of heat. Her skin was flushed crimson, and her muscles felt like they were melting.
Each step was agony, her legs heavy and numb, and every breath sent sharp stabs through her chest.
She was like a cannon barrel pushed beyond its limits, the metal fatigue at its breaking point.
When she finally looked up, she saw Zhang Yu, his body glowing red and wreathed in white steam, let out a triumphant roar as he charged toward the waste disposal site.
A flicker of astonishment crossed Ying Xin’s face. “This guy… even after pushing himself this far, he still has energy to spare?”
“How much of his lifespan has he burned through?”
“No… impossible… This isn’t just strength gained by sacrificing lifespan.”
A flicker of disbelief crossed Ying Xin’s eyes. “Could this guy… have already surpassed me in strength?”
The thought made her clench her fist in frustration. “How could this be? He spends every day wearing himself out on construction sites, and he definitely doesn’t have as much money as I do…”
Meanwhile, Tu Lishan had slowly walked up beside Ying Xin and consoled her, “Still don’t understand why you lost?”
“Even when Zhang Yu was just working on the 666th-floor construction site every day, I could tell he was secretly practicing various Body Refinement Techniques.”
“He wasn’t just wearing his body down with work; he was pushing himself even harder. You could say every ounce of strength, every fraction of his cultivation, was bought with his very life.”
“Ying Xin, do you now understand the difference between the physical strength you’ve honed through diligent practice in the training hall and the physical strength Zhang Yu has forged on the construction site?”
“For you, this is just an academic pursuit, an opportunity. But for him… it’s his job, his livelihood, his only hope for staying on this higher tier.”
Watching Ying Xin, who stood beside him with her head bowed in silence, Tu Lishan thought to himself, “If you had enough money to… spend it more ruthlessly than he’s risking his life, you could suppress him, just like Gongshu Jin and Ji Yuanshu do.”
“Too bad… you’re just not rich enough.”
Just then, Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan arrived.
Ying Xin frowned slightly, feeling that Yu Xinghan was staring at her for too long.
Yu Xinghan thought to himself, “This video… once I get back, I’ll edit it, blur out the sensitive parts, and upload it to see how it does. I wonder if a video of the Civil Engineering Department’s beauty would get any views? I can’t exactly film my daily routine at the construction site — who would watch that?”
Meanwhile, Li Xiao assumed that Ying Xin had already won the competition, as he believed her skills far surpassed Zhang Yu’s.
He said, trying to smooth things over, “Ying Xin, we’re all classmates. Let’s not ruin the harmony. Do me a favor and talk it out…”
Ying Xin shot him a cold glare. “What ‘face’ do you even have?”
Watching Ying Xin turn and walk away without looking back, Li Xiao’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Just then, the class rankings finally updated.
As Ying Xin watched the number above Zhang Yu’s head change from 4th to 3rd, while her own ranking shifted from 3rd to 4th, a faint smile of understanding appeared on her face.
“Just as I thought…” Ying Xin muttered with a bitter laugh, “He’s already surpassed me. I was the weaker one in this battle.”
Li Xiao also noticed the change in rankings above Zhang Yu and Ying Xin’s heads, and recalled Ying Xin’s earlier performance.
As Zhang Yu approached, Li Xiao asked in astonishment, “You… you actually defeated Ying Xin?”
Zhang Yu exhaled a plume of hot white breath. “Hmm? I guess so.”
He glanced at Ying Xin’s limping figure as she retreated and called out, “Don’t forget to pay up.”
Tu Lishan smiled at Zhang Yu. “Zhang Yu, you’ve done well. But remember to rest properly when you need to. Next month, when the wilderness project starts, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.”
After Tu Lishan left, Li Xiao couldn’t resist asking, “How… how exactly do you cultivate?”
Zhang Yu glanced at him casually and said, “You can’t learn my methods.”
“If you really want to learn, you should study Yu Xinghan.”
With that, Zhang Yu turned and left, his figure flashing several times before shooting upward like an arrow, hurtling along the Primordial Magnetic Channel toward the 666th floor.
Li Xiao hurriedly sent a message: “Where are you going?”
Zhang Yu: “Back to work overtime.”
Li Xiao exclaimed in shock, “You’re still working overtime after all this?”
Yu Xinghan smirked and said, “That’s just how he is. He never stops. I’ve never even seen him rest. I suspect he just works himself overtime, not to compete, but to reward himself after winning the competition.”
Li Xiao was utterly bewildered. Isn’t working overtime supposed to be a miserable grind?
Could this agony that required him to grit his teeth and endure in silent torment actually be a source of joy for Zhang Yu?
Could the gap between people really be this vast?
In that case, he truly couldn’t learn Zhang Yu’s cultivation methods.
Remembering Zhang Yu’s mention of Yu Xinghan, Li Xiao asked, “What are you planning to do next?”
Yu Xinghan walked toward the Primordial Magnetic Channel, replying casually, “Get a massage.”
Myriad Laws University City, 666th floor.
Shortly after starting work, Zhang Yu received a transfer of 0.121 Spirit Coins from Ying Xin, pushing his balance past 12.5.
Looking at the digits in his account, Zhang Yu smiled contentedly. “Not bad, not bad at all.”
“Next, I can spend even more money to further improve my grades.”
“For daoist arts services, I should add a few more sessions…”
Zhang Yu began calculating how to spend the Spirit Coins in his account.
Just then, he received a message from Tu Lishan.
Tu Lishan: “Zhang Yu, Director Gao was extremely pleased with your performance today.”
Tu Lishan: “Knowing you’re short on funds, he specifically arranged for you to meet with a teacher from the Finance Department tomorrow to apply for a low-interest student loan.”
Zhang Yu: “Thank you, Teacher Tu. Please also convey my gratitude to Director Gao.”
Tu Lishan: “It’s only right for teachers to help their students. If you want to repay Director Gao, give your best performance in next month’s field project. This is a golden era for Civil Engineering students like you. As long as you’re willing to work hard, opportunities will abound.”
Zhang Yu asked: “What exactly will this field project involve?”
Tu Lishan didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, he posed another question: “How much do you know about the University War?”