Chapter 306: Mountain-Shifting Divine Power and Azure Silk Flying Sword
As Zhang Yu continued listening, he realized that beyond the Three-Insect Tendon-Changing Pill, the six daily doses of medicine were almost entirely composed of substances that enhanced strength at the cost of health and lifespan.
The program also offered a selection of cultivation arts, all of which were Civil Engineering Department techniques with severe side effects, designed to rapidly boost a cultivator’s power in a short period.
Fortunately, several of these techniques belonged to the Civil Engineering Sacred Body.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “This means I can learn the remaining three Civil Engineering Sacred Body techniques for free.”
Fu Ji, listening to Tu Lishan’s explanation, sighed, “They’re treating you like expendable resources, recklessly stimulating your potential in the short term so you can help them profit from these projects, with no regard for your long-term future.”
“Still, for the poor, this is a genuine opportunity. At least if they earn enough, they might be able to compensate for the physical damage.”
“What’s the point of a long lifespan if you can’t even make money?”
Fu Ji sighed again, “There are just too many university students. With so many geniuses enrolling every year, Myriad Laws University can afford to run things this way.”
After outlining the training program in detail, Tu Lishan introduced the accompanying physicians standing nearby: “These are the team doctors. They will monitor your physical condition and provide treatment as needed. Of course, you will be responsible for covering the costs yourself.”
Upon hearing Tu Lishan’s words, the faces of the gathered students grew tense, as if they had glimpsed something terrifying.
As Zhang Yu listened to Tu Lishan’s lengthy explanation, he realized that the Civil Engineering Department’s training for this cohort could be summarized as follows: using the most potent drugs, the harshest environments, and the most relentless workloads to force them to work overtime, relentlessly squeezing out every last drop of their potential.
The accompanying doctors, then, were like Demon Beasts constantly shadowing them, ready to devour those whose bodies couldn’t endure the strain, turning them into medical bills and completely eliminating them from the program.
Tu Lishan gazed at the assembled students in the conference room, inwardly musing, “While they lack individual regenerative abilities…”
“…the entire university student body is a renewable resource.”
“Some of them may not survive until graduation.”
“But the Civil Engineering Department will undoubtedly grow stronger year after year.”
“Especially in the coming years, as the scale of the war expands, the market for civil engineering will only continue to grow. The resources invested in these students will soon yield returns many times over.”
After finishing his work in the conference room, Tu Lishan went to check on another meeting room.
There, he saw a young man in Daoist robes standing on the stage. The robes were embroidered with the four large characters “Construct the World,” making him look like he had stepped straight out of ancient times.
But Tu Lishan knew it wouldn’t be wrong to call Director Gao an ancient person. After all, the director was over 800 years old — a true relic from eight centuries past.
This lineage explained Director Gao’s archaic aesthetic preferences.
Though he wore over three hundred custom-made Bionics, each crafted from his own flesh and blood, Director Gao appeared as if he wore none at all.
Next, Tu Lishan turned his gaze to the six students seated below the stage.
Unlike the students under Zhang Yu’s supervision, these six — including Gongshu Jin — had each paid a 10 Spirit Coin registration fee, with even higher tuition costs for specialized training.
Under Director Gao’s personal tutelage, they would consume the most expensive medicines, cultivate the most advanced cultivation arts, and study project management, control, and large-scale Immortal Dao construction techniques.
Tu Lishan understood that while his group of students were being trained to become elite construction workers on future projects, these six students were being groomed to become project managers and masters of cutting-edge Immortal Dao construction technology.
Standing at the prow of the flying boat, Zhang Yu observed students from all grades diligently cultivating, seizing every moment for practice.
As he watched the landscape blur beneath the vessel, his gaze shifted to his right index finger. A faint smile curved his lips.
A black ring had mysteriously appeared on his finger. Upon closer inspection, the ring proved to be composed of interwoven, thread-like strands.
This was the Azure Silk Flying Sword, a gift from Bai Zhenzhen. Refined from seven strands of her hair, each strand contained a Dao of Sword Intent, capable of temporarily erasing a target’s emotions upon activation.
The Azure Silk Flying Sword required no Magic Power from Zhang Yu. It automatically absorbed spiritual energy daily to recharge, allowing each of the seven silk strands to unleash a single sword strike per day.
Beyond its self-defense capabilities, the sword’s primary function was to connect to the Spirit Realm Network.
Legend had it that Heavenly Sword University had deployed eighty-four thousand Sky-Patrolling Flying Swords high above Kunxu’s Second Layer, creating a Spirit Realm Network that spanned the entire Kunxu Second Layer.
By activating the Azure Silk Flying Sword, one could instantly connect to the Spirit Realm Network via the Sky-Patrolling Flying Swords.
Zhang Yu mused, “A-Zhen must have given me this Azure Silk Flying Sword — both for self-defense and network access — because she’s worried about me facing danger at the construction site in the wilderness.”
After glancing at the Azure Silk Flying Sword coiled around his finger, Zhang Yu seized the opportunity to begin cultivating.
Soon, as the flying boat gradually came to a halt, a sprawling ruin shrouded in thick, billowing smoke came into view.
Zhang Yu recalled the contents of the project file and thought to himself, “This must be the factory attacked by Mountains and Rivers College. Our mission is to clear these ruins within three months and rebuild a Bionics Factory.”
“But what did this factory originally produce? I wonder if there are any valuable remnants left.”
Gazing at the wreckage below, Zhang Yu felt like he was gazing upon a treasure trove.
Just then, a senior student stepped forward. With each stride, his figure swelled, fueled by surging Magic Power, until he stood ten meters tall in an instant.
“That guy… he’s one of Gongshu Jin’s students from the conference room, isn’t he?” Zhang Yu mused inwardly. “The cultivation art he’s using… is that the Mountain True Form Manual?”
Zhang Yu recognized the technique because it was one of the cultivation arts associated with the Civil Engineering Sacred Body.
Unlike the temporary bone-stretching methods used during the Qi Refining Stage, the Mountain True Form Manual relies on the body’s transcendent transformation to temporarily expand one’s physical form far beyond its natural limits.
The towering senior student, over ten meters tall, chuckled heartily. “Some of you may recognize me, others may not. I’m Mo Shangjin from the seventh-year Foundation Establishment Class.”
“The flying boat can’t land here, so I’ll personally escort you down.”
Under Zhang Yu’s curious gaze, Mo Shangjin spread his arms, and an invisible wave of energy surged outward from his body in all directions.
In the next moment, the students’ luggage began floating into the air, one piece after another.
Zhang Yu felt his body lighten as well, and suddenly he was airborne.
Just as surprise filled his mind and he wondered what was happening, Che Yufei beside him exclaimed, “Controlling Earthly Fiend Gravity! Is that the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power?!”
Mo Shangjin smiled faintly. “Indeed, it is the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power. Please remain still; I’ll get you all down safely first.”
A moment later, Zhang Yu felt an invisible force tugging at him, and he was launched forward through the air.
He wasn’t the only one. Every student present, along with their luggage, was lifted aloft by Mo Shangjin’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power. With sharp, whooshing sounds, they plummeted toward the ground.
Gazing at the ruins below, Mo Shangjin effortlessly kept the group suspended in mid-air. With a wave of his other hand, a massive section of debris soared skyward, only to be blasted over a hundred meters away by a single strike.
Watching this spectacle, Zhang Yu muttered to himself, “This is fucking Foundation Establishment?”
Yet after repeatedly checking Mo Shangjin’s cultivation data, Zhang Yu confirmed that he was indeed still at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Meanwhile, Che Yufei sighed inwardly, “A military-grade cultivation technique… This is insane. How many times my workload could Mo Shangjin handle single-handedly?”
Gongshu Jin watched the scene with eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement. “The Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power… I must master this art! Just moving mountains, demolishing buildings, and altering Spirit Veins could earn me a fortune!”
As the group landed in the cleared area, they immediately began executing their assigned tasks, starting by establishing a makeshift camp.
Within Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye, the cultivation art of the Mountain True Form Manual materialized — a technique he had selected from the project’s provided resources.
The primary reason, of course, was that this cultivation art was part of the Civil Engineering Sacred Body. Another reason, of course, was that it allowed him to cultivate while working.
“First, I’ll cultivate the Mountain True Form Manual to Level 20 and unlock the Second Layer effects of the Civil Engineering cultivation art.”
Zhang Yu circulated his Magic Power throughout his body. His physique expanded slightly, but after completing a full cycle of the cultivation art, his body returned to its original size.
His first attempt to cultivate the Mountain True Form Manual ended in failure.
But he had already learned the manual.
Mountain True Form Manual - Level 1
During his second attempt, Zhang Yu felt his flesh and blood transform under the infusion of Magic Power, becoming an extremely elastic substance. By forcefully circulating his energy, he could inflate his body several times its normal size, like blowing up a balloon.
Naturally, Zhang Yu didn’t actually do that. Instead, he maintained the Mountain True Form Manual’s circulation while performing his assigned manual labor.
Meanwhile, Gongshu Jin glanced at Zhang Yu, who was digging earthwork, and felt a flicker of curiosity. “Why is my friend hanging out with those short-lived fools?”
“I heard he’s been obsessed with working on construction sites, even skipping Director Gao’s classes now… How could someone who can afford the Time-Worn Demonic Eye end up like this?”
In Gongshu Jin’s view, no matter how much of this menial work someone did, it would only make them skilled at menial tasks. It would wear down their body with little improvement to their cultivation, making it far less effective than simply investing more money in daoist arts services.
Just then, Director Gao’s voice rang out from the side: “Those menial tasks have nothing to do with you. Focus here. The first step in construction is identifying the formation’s base points.”
“The key to these base points lies in locating the correct Spirit Vein, channeling its spiritual energy, and establishing the first spiritual energy circuit conduit…”
Hearing Director Gao speak, Gongshu Jin immediately turned his attention to him, listening intently.
Though curious about Zhang Yu’s situation, Gongshu Jin’s primary concern remained his own cultivation.
Being selected by Director Gao as a key cultivation target had greatly boosted Gongshu Jin’s confidence. His next goal was to return in three months, defeat Ji Yuanshu, and claim the top spot in the Foundation Establishment Class.