Chapter 308: Zhang Yu Sneaks a Bite
Just then, a sudden roar echoed from nearby. Zhang Yu turned to see a surge of frigid energy erupting skyward, instantly freezing half of a senior student’s body.
But in the next instant, the senior student roared back, his entire body blazing with flames that suppressed the icy energy.
He gasped, “Thank goodness it’s been a while. The Golden Core’s residual magic power has weakened significantly. Otherwise, that attack…”
Witnessing this, everyone grew even more cautious. Zhang Yu activated his Third Eye Mystic Power, maintaining a constant 360-degree awareness, alert to the slightest disturbance.
As Zhang Yu conjured Gang Qi and lifted a piece of shattered wall, a frigid aura suddenly washed over him.
Beneath the rubble, a section of steel encased in layers of flesh and blood was rhythmically expanding and contracting, as if breathing.
Simultaneously, a dense, palpable resentment poured forth from the steel, surging outward in all directions — so intense that even Zhang Yu’s unaided eye could detect it.
“Resentment?” Zhang Yu murmured.
“Be careful!” Fu Ji warned. “Such concentrated resentment… If it invades your body, you’ll be bedridden for days at best. At worst, it could shatter your spirit, causing your dao heart to regress.”
Just then, several senior students rushed over. Che Yufei exclaimed, “It’s the resentment alloy used to make puppets!”
Zhang Yu asked, “Should we ask Teacher Tu how to handle this?”
Che Yufei clapped Zhang Yu on the shoulder, his voice buzzing with excitement. “Why ask the teacher? I’ll just ask the scrap dealer tonight how much this stuff is going for.”
“Same old split: Teacher Tu gets half, and we split the rest.”
Watching the upperclassmen’s nonchalant reactions, Zhang Yu suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the Civil Engineering Department.
Soon after, another earth-shattering boom erupted. A colossal metal hand shot skyward, violently slamming a Foundation Establishment Student to the ground. The impact sent the student flying, blood gushing from their seven orifices, multiple bones shattered.
Zhang Yu later learned that the student had unearthed a half-finished puppet arm, which suddenly activated and sent him flying.
As Zhang Yu grabbed a support beam, his Third Eye Mystic Power sensed an abnormal surge of spiritual energy nearby.
He instantly activated his Time-Worn Demonic Eye, perceiving the world slowing to a crawl.
Then, he saw the ground beneath him begin to rise slowly, as if the earth had transformed into a massive maw, preparing to swallow him whole.
The Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art roared to life, unleashing a Level 1.0 boost to his physical strength. Combined with Zhang Yu’s own power, this allowed him to bolt away with a whoosh.
The spot where he had stood moments before was now engulfed by a small earthen mound.
Zhang Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief: “Is this the Factory Protection Formation?”
He looked down at the half-broken pillar in his hand, a flicker of delight crossing his face. The material was clearly extraordinary.
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yu glanced up at the vast ruins of the factory complex before him. Ultimately, he decided against handling the material himself and instead went to find Che Yufei.
When Che Yufei saw Zhang Yu proactively handing over the pillar, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly upward. He clapped Zhang Yu on the shoulder and said, “You know the rules well. I’ll transfer your reimbursement as soon as it’s processed.”
Zhang Yu seized the opportunity to ask, “What material is this pillar made of?”
Che Yufei rattled off the answer with practiced ease: “Oh, this? Third-grade special alloy steel. It can withstand very high load requirements and is commonly used for structural pillars…”
Thus, amidst the ruins teeming with residual Magic Power from the Golden Core Realm, highly hazardous puppet-making materials, remnants of the Factory Protection Formation, and other dangers, Zhang Yu simultaneously cultivated his cultivation art and cleared the debris, collecting various materials. He constantly sought Che Yufei’s expertise to identify and learn about the properties of these materials.
Though peril lurked everywhere, Zhang Yu relied on the sensory abilities of his Third Eye Mystic Power, the Time Remnant capabilities of his Time-Worn Demonic Eye, and the formidable resilience granted by his Civil Engineering Sacred Body to complete his tasks with relative safety.
Just as Zhang Yu and the others finished their all-night work and began taking their third dose of medicine, Gongshu Jin and his group finally completed their online classes and began their work and cultivation.
“Alright, everyone, I’ll start first,” Mo Shangjin said, waving to the group before nodding at Gongshu Jin. “Junior Brother Gongshu, good luck to you too.”
Mo Shangjin knew that Director Gao intended to focus on cultivating Gongshu Jin as a student specializing in the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power. Since their first meeting, Mo Shangjin had repeatedly shown goodwill towards this junior brother whose name shared a character with his own.
Under Gongshu Jin’s admiring gaze, Mo Shangjin floated into the air. As his hands formed a mudra, the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power erupted with tremendous force, uprooting surrounding trees and shifting layers of mountain rock.
Gongshu Jin understood that Mo Shangjin was using the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power to gradually adjust the mountain’s terrain and Earth Vein, aiming to guide the Spirit Vein.
“If Spirit Veins are like mighty rivers, then adjusting the mountain’s terrain is like altering a river’s course. By reshaping the land, we can channel the Spirit Veins and lay the groundwork for setting up the formation.”
Gongshu Jin then looked at the other seniors. One had transformed into a giant dragon, tearing through the earth to carve out a tunnel, opening a path to the underground transportation network.
Another senior clasped his hands together, unleashing a high-temperature force field that instantly enveloped a hundred-meter radius. This field refined vast quantities of collected metal materials, transforming them into brand-new construction materials.
Gongshu Jin thought to himself, “The Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power needs no introduction. It’s the military-grade martial art of Myriad Laws University’s Civil Engineering Department, renowned throughout the world.”
“Then there’s the Star Firmament Meridian-Rushing Grand Art and the Crimson Fire Profound Flame Divine Art. These are incredibly expensive, requiring costly medicinal pills and Bionics for cultivation. They demand a strong foundation in the Immortal Dao, requiring cultivation arts that emphasize gradual accumulation followed by explosive breakthroughs.”
“Of course, once mastered, these arts allow for rapid accumulation of Spirit Coins, with minimal risk to one’s health and little physical wear and tear.”
Gongshu Jin understood that it wasn’t that the Civil Engineering Department’s teachers didn’t want to teach these techniques to the poor. Rather, even if the poor wanted to learn them, they simply couldn’t afford the training or the resources required. They were left with no choice but to practice cultivation arts that damaged their physical bodies and forced them to exhaust their latent potential.
Initially, the poor workers’ cultivation arts could barely keep pace with the others, but their limited potential soon left them far behind. By then, their daily earnings at the construction site would be a mere fraction — one-tenth or even one-hundredth — of what the others earned.
Watching his seniors display their Divine Powers, Gongshu Jin felt his heart surge with excitement and determination. Turning toward his workstation, he spread his hands, activating the newly implanted Hand Bionics. Two fierce vortexes of energy erupted from them, harmonizing with his newly cultivated art — the Nine Nether Earthly Force.
In an instant, the surrounding materials — cement, sand, gravel, mineral powder, Spirit Stones, and more — were drawn into the swirling vortexes, transforming into a gray tornado that shot skyward.
Director Gao approached him, nodding slightly as he observed the spectacle. “Remember,” he said, “the precise mixture of Coagulated Earth must be adjusted based on the construction environment, the requirements of the formation, and the type of Spirit Vein involved.”
As Gongshu Jin and the others began working, the tremendous commotion drew Zhang Yu’s attention.
He watched the towering dragon-like vortexes rising into the sky, carrying countless grains of sand, earth, and rock aloft, and felt the violent tremors radiating from the ground.
A sense of awe washed over Zhang Yu. “Compared to these guys, we’re practically just ordinary construction workers.”
“No… it’s more accurate to say these guys are like giant engineering machines, aren’t they?”
Shaking his head, Zhang Yu refocused on his own work.
Another day passed, and the students were granted a one-hour break.
Zhang Yu first switched his Chain Formation Diagram Set to the “University Sacred Body - Medicine Consumption” mode. He then returned to his room and switched to the “Martial Dao Sacred Embryo” mode to accelerate his self-healing.
He mused, “As my cultivation level continues to improve, the supportive effects of the Martial Dao Sacred Embryo are gradually diminishing.”
“As expected, the Qi Refining Stage Set won’t be useful indefinitely.”
Opening the Spirit Realm Network, Zhang Yu reviewed and responded to the messages he had received.
Just then, Che Yufei and the others walked in.
Che Yufei looked at Zhang Yu and said, “What are you still doing here? People can’t just work overtime and cultivate all the time; they need to relax too.”
“The group’s massage therapist has already set up the massage room. There’s a special discount for today’s event, so let’s hurry.”
Faced with Che Yufei’s invitation, Zhang Yu, who was constantly recovering from physical strain under the dual effects of the Martial Dao Sacred Embryo and body revitalization, naturally shook his head in refusal. He didn’t want to waste money.
Che Yufei said, “If you don’t get massages on the construction site, how are you going to live long? How are you going to earn more money?”
“Hurry up, everyone,” Shi Yunxiang said as he walked out. “I’ll go pick mine first.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s repeated refusals, Che Yufei shook his head, gave up trying to persuade him, and left ahead of the group.
Just then, a message popped up in Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye from Bai Zhenzhen: “Yu Zi, you’re off work?”
Zhang Yu: “Yeah, I’m going to do my breathing technique for a bit, then I’m planning to work overtime. The internet fees are pretty high, so I’ll probably turn it off afterward.”
Bai Zhenzhen: “I heard the Civil Engineering Department workers all get massages after work to relieve physical strain. Aren’t you going?”
Zhang Yu: “My colleagues are going, but I don’t need one.”
Bai Zhenzhen: “Are you sure? You should still go. Don’t wear your body down too much.”
Zhang Yu: “Forget it. No point wasting the money.”
Bai Zhenzhen: “Sigh, Mom’s so useless. Can’t even afford a massage for her son.”
Zhang Yu: “Just focus on your cultivation. If you want to show filial piety, you can do so next time you see Dad.”
After a brief chat with Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu ended his active breathing technique. Sensing that his physical body had recovered nearly completely, he ventured back into the ruins alone.
Over the next few days, Zhang Yu relentlessly consumed medicinal pills, cultivated diligently, and worked overtime. Amidst the treacherous environment, he relentlessly pushed himself to the brink while simultaneously repairing his body.
Meanwhile, his understanding of the materials scattered throughout the ruins deepened daily. Seizing opportunities during his classmates’ massage breaks, he began collecting these resources to fuel his digestive abilities.
His initial target was Spirit Law Secret Steel No. 20, originally used by the Puppet Factory to forge protective armor for the cores of their puppets.
This secret steel was explosion-proof, shock-resistant, and capable of uniformly absorbing martial dao energy, possessing strength comparable to a peak Foundation Establishment Stage body refinement expert.
Once Zhang Yu could leverage the peak Foundation Establishment digestive power granted by his University Sacred Body, combined with his Level 20 Earth Devouring Divine Art, to refine the Spirit Law Secret Steel No. 20 into his bones, further enhancing their strength, he would truly possess an indestructible skeletal frame capable of dominating the Foundation Establishment Stage.
However, after painstakingly gathering a small amount of the steel, Zhang Yu discovered that digesting it was far more difficult than he’d anticipated. Even with ten or fifteen days of effort, he could only reinforce a few finger bones.
“What should I do?” Zhang Yu wondered. “Try cultivating another cultivation art?”
“Or try taking some medicine to enhance my digestive power?”
After pondering his options, Zhang Yu systematically rejected each one.
He ultimately concluded: “Although the University Sacred Body grants me formidable digestive abilities, the essence of my gastrointestinal tract remains fundamentally limited by my own physical strength.”
“To accelerate the digestion of the Spirit Law Secret Steel No. 20, I need to make my stomach and intestines more resilient, more robust… like cladding them in a layer of armor.”
At this realization, a gleam flashed in Zhang Yu’s eyes, and the data on various materials available to him surged into his mind.