Chapter 310: Zhang Yu, You’re Scaring Me
Observing the second-tier effect of the Civil Engineering Sacred Body, Zhang Yu smirked and swallowed the Secret Steel No. 20 in his hand whole.
He immediately activated the Earth Devouring Divine Art. Streams of voracious magic power, condensed within his Dantian, surged forth, crashing into the Secret Steel in his abdomen.
His muscles tensed violently, his heart pounded like a war drum, and torrents of blood erupted from his heart like a raging flood.
This explosive surge of vital energy turned Zhang Yu’s skin crimson, as if it were about to drip blood.
Level 20 Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art had been unleashed — not just a standard burst, but a double-layered eruption.
This was a form Zhang Yu hadn’t fully unleashed since reaching Level 20 of the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art, knowing its brutal consumption of his Lifespan.
But now, with the Civil Engineering Sacred Body’s second-tier effect dramatically reducing the Lifespan cost of operating Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation arts, Zhang Yu finally resolved to unleash the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art’s double-layered eruption.
Veins bulged across his body as his latent potential exploded forth like a dynamite blast, temporarily surging his physical strength by 2.0 levels.
A surge of violent energy erupted within his organs, transforming his repeatedly reinforced stomach into a colossal millstone of heaven and earth, crushing down fiercely upon the Secret Steel No. 20 within his abdomen.
Simultaneously, Level 20 Limitless Vibration Zen activated with a deafening roar, instantly unleashing the hyper-frequency vibrations granted by its maximum level.
Yet this was still not the end. Zhang Yu thrust out both palms, slamming them against himself as the Formless Cloud Gang channeled the military-grade martial art Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force.
Amidst crackling explosions, the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force, drawing upon the Void Apertures within his Gang Qi, frantically absorbed the hyper-frequency vibrations unleashed by Limitless Vibration Zen and unleashed them again, creating further resonance.
In that moment, Zhang Yu had concentrated every ounce of his cultivation into the Secret Steel No. 20 within his abdomen.
Ten seconds… one minute… three minutes!
Under three full minutes of this all-out eruption, the once-indestructible Secret Steel No. 20, previously showing no signs of damage, gradually began to crack, vibrate, and crumble…
Zhang Yu watched the spectacle with a ferocious expression, gritting his teeth and bellowing, “Refine! Refine!” as he continued his relentless refinement of the Secret Steel.
Suddenly, he felt his organs begin to weaken. Recognizing the severe depletion of his stamina, he knew he needed to rest.
He temporarily halted his cultivation art, switched from the Civil Engineering Sacred Body to the University Sacred Body, and began resting while continuing to refine the Secret Steel using the digestive power of his Foundation Establishment Stage.
By repeatedly switching between Sacred Bodies — alternating between bursts of refinement and periods of rest — Zhang Yu finally completely refined the Secret Steel No. 20 within his abdomen. He fused it entirely into the bones of his right hand, merging the Secret Steel and his natural bone into a single, inseparable entity.
Feeling the sudden increase in weight and the bone’s newfound, unparalleled resilience and invincibility, Zhang Yu smiled with satisfaction.
The immense difficulty of refining the Secret Steel No. 20 directly reflected the extraordinary enhancement to his bone’s strength upon successful refinement.
“Excellent,” he thought. “With this, I should have enough time in the remaining two months before the end of this fieldwork assignment to reinforce all the bones in my body with Secret Steel No. 20.”
In the days that followed, Zhang Yu devoted nearly all his energy and strength, beyond his construction site work and cultivation practice, to refining the Secret Steel No. 20.
To replenish his expended energy and accelerate his cultivation progress further, Zhang Yu activated the Second Layer effect of his Civil Engineering Sacred Body and began consuming increasingly potent, ferocious, and life-draining elixirs.
In the room, as Zhang Yu made his selection, a ten-item meal set was immediately delivered to him.
Beside him, the white-haired Che Yufei watched as Zhang Yu consumed one after another — Primordial Fissure Bloodburst Pill, Life-Corroding Heaven-Seizing Powder, Hundred Tribulations Heart-Devouring Gu, Life-Draining Heavenly Secret Powder… He couldn’t help but gasp inwardly.
“Are all the new recruits these days this reckless?”
Fu Ji, who was also observing the scene, couldn’t help but remark, “Zhang Yu, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“Fu Ji, you know the sect might stop recruiting at any time, right?” Zhang Yu thought to himself.
“To survive, to eventually overcome this damned ritual and gain true freedom…”
“I must seize every moment.”
With that, Zhang Yu swallowed the remaining medicinal concoctions in one gulp.
Five days later, observing Zhang Yu’s doubled dosage, Che Yufei couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, are you alright?”
Zhang Yu grinned, “I’m fine. What could possibly go wrong?”
Feeling the surging Magic Power, roaring vital energy, his heart pounding like it was about to burst, and his brain beginning to boil, Zhang Yu exclaimed excitedly, “I’ve never felt so good in my life!”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu’s drug evaluation data skyrocketed:
Sudden Death Rate: 32%!
A long list of various ailments followed, each line like a scarlet death sentence, warning him to reduce his dosage.
Fu Ji couldn’t help but say, “Zhang Yu, can’t we stop taking so much? I’m scared.”
Fu Ji was unaware of the existence of his Civil Engineering Sacred Body or University Sacred Body, and Zhang Yu offered no explanation, merely thinking to himself, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Fu Ji cursed inwardly, “Is this what you call ‘knowing what you’re doing’? I’m afraid you’ll eat yourself to death! Then all my investment will be for nothing!”
Zhang Yu paid no attention to the numerical warnings.
Zhang Yu used his Civil Engineering Sacred Body to withstand the initial wave of drug side effects, then periodically switched to his University Sacred Body to digest the medicinal power. He supplemented this with the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen to metabolize the drug’s toxins, while continuously maintaining his body’s vitality with the Level 20 Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art, accelerating his body’s self-healing processes.
Zhang Yu realized that the reported numbers of sudden deaths and disease outbreaks were completely irrelevant to him.
As for revealing his unique constitution, after consulting with Zhang Pianpian, he understood the issue was not critical.
After all, compared to the astonishing talent of advancing a cultivation art to Level 20 in just half a month — a feat that would shake the world — a special constitution that allowed him to consume drugs and push himself to the limit seemed far less remarkable. The history of the Ten Great Universities was replete with individuals possessing extraordinary physical prowess.
Just as True Person Starfire had been merely surprised, not baffled, by Zhang Yu’s exceptionally strong self-healing ability, perceiving it as merely an unusual but not incomprehensible trait.
Though Zhang Pianpian advised against flaunting this aspect, Zhang Yu knew his time was limited. He could only seize every moment, opportunity, and resource to grow stronger while prioritizing his safety.
Wilderness.
Zhang Yu’s arm bones had been refined with No. 20 Secret Steel.
His already heavy arms were further weighed down by the Nine Hells Mountain-Suppressing Belt, which multiplied gravity by a factor of 21, making them feel even more burdensome.
Zhang Yu diligently worked to adapt to his increasingly heavy body, constantly pushing his physical strength to its limits.
Though the belt’s gravity amplification remained constant, Zhang Yu could sense that as he circulated his Body Refinement Technique and relentlessly consumed medicinal elixirs, his entire musculature was being relentlessly compressed to generate greater power. This adaptation to the new weight was further enhanced by the reinforced bones serving as a robust framework.
Inside Zhang Yu’s room, Tu Lishan said with a gentle smile, “Zhang Yu, you seem a bit down lately. Has something been bothering you?”
“You haven’t started gambling again, have you?”
Zhang Yu’s increasingly large doses of medication had caught his teacher’s attention, making Tu Lishan suspect the young man was drowning in debt and contemplating ending it all.
Faced with his teacher’s suspicion, Zhang Yu knew that any attempt to hide the truth would only make him look more guilty. So, he decided to take the opposite approach: be open, honest, and conspicuously indulge in food and drink.
“Teacher,” Zhang Yu said, “my constitution is somewhat unique. It’s been this way since high school — I’ve always needed higher doses of medication.”
“Don’t worry, Teacher,” he continued. “I can feel my body’s limits. If anything seems off, I’ll stop taking the medication immediately.”
Tu Lishan eyed him skeptically. “Go get your blood drawn,” he said. “Let the team doctor check if there’s anything wrong with your health.”
On the rooftop of the newly constructed factory building, Zhang Yu stood alone, having come outside to escape the foul odor permeating his room. He was currently manipulating a Profound Creation Relic, absorbing and releasing its magical power.
While he had been diligently improving various aspects of his abilities, Zhang Yu had never neglected enhancing his Magic Power Quality. He was eager to return and help Le Mulan improve her own Magic Power Quality.
In the medical bay, the doctor examined the sample in his hand, noting its potent medicinal aroma. “Is this a new drug? Do you need a component analysis?”
Tu Lishan replied, “This is blood drawn from a student’s body.”
“Blood?” the doctor exclaimed in surprise.
“Please run a full analysis,” Tu Lishan instructed. “The student claims to have a unique constitution requiring higher dosages. See if you can determine what’s different about him.”
As expected, the analysis revealed no abnormalities. Zhang Yu’s body was perfectly healthy.
Tu Lishan wasn’t surprised. Kunxu was vast, its Immortal Dao history ancient, and countless unique constitutions had emerged throughout the ages. Many of their mysteries remained unexplained even by the Ten Great Sects.
When Tu Lishan reported his findings to Director Gao, the 800-year-old Nascent Soul True Monarch calmly remarked, “The recommended dosage calculations are based on standard templates. Individual variations are normal, which only confirms the student’s unique constitution.”
“A student with a robust constitution is a boon. Zhang Yu’s physique is particularly well-suited for the Civil Engineering Department.”
“While his growth ceiling might be a bit low, it’s perfect for construction work. Not only will he progress faster than others, but he’ll also be able to work with us for several extra years.”
Director Gao casually remarked, “If he wants to eat, let him eat as much as he likes.”
“Oh, and while you’re at it, ask him if he’d be willing to sell some samples to the Biology and Medical Departments. They might be interested.”
With that, the Nascent Soul True Monarch turned his attention to the learning progress of Gongshu Jin, Mo Shangjin, and the other wealthy students.
Compared to Zhang Yu, he was far more concerned about the progress of these students. In his eyes, they represented the Civil Engineering Department’s reputation for the next few years.
After ending the call, Tu Lishan thought to himself, “Sell samples to other departments? True, we’ve already invested quite a bit of resources into Zhang Yu. We might as well recoup some of it.”
“But… as expected, the director is still more focused on Gongshu Jin and the others.”
“After all, Zhang Yu’s special physique just means he needs to eat more medicine.”
“Whereas wealth… allows them to do so much more than just take more medicine.”
“Two more months until this project concludes. Returning then would coincide with the end of the fall semester.”
“I wonder if Gongshu Jin will be able to catch up to Ji Yuanshu by then.”
In the blink of an eye, a month had whizzed by.
It had now been exactly two months since Zhang Yu first arrived at this construction site.
Inside the room, Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang watched Zhang Yu gulp down his medicine with a slurping sound. Observing his robust physique and remarkably youthful appearance, their eyes were filled with awe and envy.
“Ah, I’m stuffed!” Zhang Yu patted his belly and left the room. “I’m going for a walk to digest.”
Since arriving at the construction site, he had resumed practicing Civil Engineering Cultivation Techniques.
Today was the day he would push the tenth Civil Engineering Sacred Body cultivation art to Level 20, completely mastering the Civil Engineering Sacred Body.