Chapter 325: Manipulating Zhang Yu
Seeing the message from Tian Yang, Wang Yin’s eyes turned cold. “Are you threatening me?” he replied.
Tian Yang didn’t answer directly, instead sending a screenshot.
It showed Zhang Yu’s class ranking, second place, along with class teacher Scorching Thunder’s praise for Zhang Yu in the group chat.
Wang Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Zhang Yu’s second-place ranking, a wave of unease washing over him. Deep within his mind, threads of anger began to simmer.
Even the Imperial Heart of the Sovereign within him pulsed erratically, like a lagging network connection — strained, sluggish, and choked with resistance.
Wang Yin felt that seeing Zhang Yu earn even one Spirit Coin would be more unbearable than losing ten Spirit Coins himself.
Meanwhile, Tian Yang replied, “I’m not threatening you, I’m simply stating a fact.”
Tian Yang: “Unless something unexpected happens, Zhang Yu will undoubtedly keep working overtime, earning money, and growing stronger every day.”
Tian Yang: “But I have a way to make him skip his medicine, stop working overtime, and sleep a full eight hours every night — gradually turning him into a useless shell of his former self.”
Wang Yin’s first reaction was disbelief.
Wang Yin: “Who would willingly sink so low?”
Tian Yang: “I’ll feed him three meals a day, make him addicted to eating, and keep him food-coma-dazed for over eight hours daily.”
Wang Yin was slightly taken aback, thinking, “With Zhang Yu’s constitution, overeating would indeed cause him to faint.”
“The more he eats, the more his stomach stretches and his digestive system becomes overstimulated. This leads to an ever-increasing appetite, making even skipping a single meal unbearable. His addiction to food will only worsen.”
“Without robust digestive strength to support his increasing appetite, he’ll faint from overeating more easily.”
Imagining Zhang Yu truly addicted to daily food binges, Wang Yin felt as if his mental cultivation technique had become smoother, as if a knot had been untied within him.
But one question still lingered in his mind.
Wang Yin: “Where does he get the money to eat like that every day?”
Tian Yang: “That’s where your funding comes in.”
Wang Yin: “I want to see the live streams — him eating, sleeping, everything.”
After ending the call with Wang Yin, Tian Yang smiled at Zhang Yu beside him. “That screenshot of your class teacher praising you worked wonders. It seems to have exposed a weakness in his heart.”
Zhang Yu wasn’t surprised. In a university so obsessed with rankings and grades, one’s position could be used both to intimidate classmates and provoke rivals.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Zhang Yu asked.
Tian Yang turned to him, asking, “You have a good appetite, right?”
The next day, Wang Yin watched the livestream as Tian Yang forced Zhang Yu to gorge himself on Heavenly Essence Rice.
The aroma of the Heavenly Essence Rice was so tempting that Wang Yin could even see Zhang Yu’s Adam’s apple bob slightly as he swallowed repeatedly, saliva pooling in his mouth.
Wang Yin sneered, thinking, “Hmph, this pauper must be starving in University City.”
Moments later, after downing three massive bowls of Heavenly Essence Rice, Zhang Yu collapsed unconscious on the ground.
Wang Yin couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight.
For the next few days, Wang Yin watched Tian Yang continue to force-feed Zhang Yu daily.
He observed Zhang Yu repeatedly succumb to his overwhelming hunger, only to collapse into unconsciousness after each meal. This spectacle filled Wang Yin with an indescribable sense of satisfaction, and his Imperial Heart of the Sovereign mental cultivation technique flowed more smoothly than ever before.
During his daily cultivation sessions, Wang Yin found particular comfort and reassurance whenever he saw Zhang Yu still asleep. The longer Zhang Yu remained unconscious, the greater Wang Yin’s satisfaction grew, and his cultivation progressed with increasing ease.
“With such meager strength, he still eats three bowls of rice per meal? He’s developed a rice addiction. He’d probably go into withdrawal if he missed even a single meal.”
“This man is already half-crippled.”
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Wang Yin felt the effectiveness of his mental cultivation technique surge once more, his dao heart growing increasingly refined and perfected.
He could sense that his Dao Heart Level was recovering at an accelerated pace.
Under the camera’s gaze, Zhang Yu swallowed every grain of Heavenly Essence Rice in his bowl, along with the potion hidden within.
Feeling the ferocious medicinal power surging through his body, Zhang Yu immediately began circulating his Breath Cultivation Art, absorbing spiritual energy and refining it into Magic Power.
To outward appearances, Zhang Yu lay motionless on the ground, seemingly fast asleep.
“What a malicious Wang Yin, actually wanting me to sleep more than eight hours a day? While he watches my livestream, he must be cultivating like mad himself,” Zhang Yu thought bitterly.
“I can’t let my guard down either!”
Fueled by potent Tiger Wolf Medicines like Tribulation Blood Dispersal and Spirit Root Stimulant, the Heavenly Essence Rice simultaneously nourishing his foundation and replenishing his deficiencies, and the high concentration of spiritual energy in the graveyard…
All of this caused Zhang Yu’s breathing technique efficiency to skyrocket! It surged far beyond any previous peak he had achieved.
Feeling his Magic Power surge like a giant dragon and roar like a raging river, Zhang Yu was forced to accelerate his body’s vitalization to repair his constantly fracturing meridians.
Wang Yin: “He’s sleeping far too little. He’s still working and studying over sixteen hours a day. Make him sleep longer.”
Tian Yang: “Sleeping too long would easily raise suspicion, but I have other methods.”
Tian Yang: “I’ll praise his talent daily, cultivate his confidence, and constantly flatter him. I’ll subtly misguide him, ensuring that even when he works, he makes little progress, nurturing a ‘good enough’ mentality.”
Wang Yin remained skeptical: “Zhang Yu isn’t someone who can be bewitched by mere words.”
But soon, the surveillance footage showed Tian Yang pointing to Zhang Yu’s completed tasks, praising each one while saying, “Ten centimeters off? Passed.”
“This one’s approved too.”
“All approved.”
“Don’t be so tense. It’s not like you’re building an Immortal Artifact. Achieving this level as a freshman is already exceptionally rare.”
As Wang Yin watched Zhang Yu’s substandard work pass inspection after inspection, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. He could almost envision the man’s future: coasting by in his job, muddling through, and perpetually struggling to get promoted.
But that’s not enough…
Wang Yin: “I want him to suffer even more!”
Tian Yang: “Then I have another method, but it won’t come cheap.”
Wang Yin: “Tell me your plan first.”
Tian Yang: “I’ll surround him with beautiful women who adore him, pampering him every day and showering him with emotional support. He’ll become addicted to lust and affection, his focus shattered, unable to concentrate on work or studies ever again.”
Wang Yin: “From what I know, Zhang Yu has cultivated his Dao to this level without being celibate. He probably isn’t someone easily seduced by lust.”
Tian Yang: “Civil Engineering workers toil all day on construction sites, wearing their bodies to the bone. Who doesn’t crave a massage after that?”
Off-screen, Zhang Yu was redoing his shoddy work.
Hearing Tian Yang suggest a massage parlor, he hesitated. “Isn’t this too much of a sacrifice?”
Tian Yang: “Do you still want to earn money or not?”
Zhang Yu: “Let’s go.”
Inside the massage parlor, Yu Xinghan said impatiently, “Why hasn’t the masseuse arrived yet?”
He turned to Li Xiao beside him. “Go check what’s going on. We’ve been waiting for almost half an hour.”
A moment later, Li Xiao sent a message: “All the masseuses are booked. They’re currently attending to Zhang Yu alone.”
Yu Xinghan’s eyes narrowed. Hearing this, he immediately stood up. He was determined to see this spectacle for himself.
Soon, Yu Xinghan saw a group of masseuses surrounding Zhang Yu.
Each masseuse possessed an astonishing physique, unwavering patience, and a beauty that combined strength and speed. They varied in build, height, and allure, each possessing unparalleled massage techniques honed over years of practice.
Under their expert hands, every inch of Zhang Yu’s skin seemed to be nurtured, his vital energy coursing through his body as their palms kneaded and manipulated his flesh.
Witnessing this scene, Yu Xinghan felt a jolt of surprise, followed by a glimpse of Tian Yang standing nearby.
During their previous encounter, when Zhang Yu and Tian Yang discussed their deal, Yu Xinghan had been assigned to tail them and act as backup. He had overheard snippets of their conversation hinting at a transaction involving President Wang.
As Yu Xinghan observed this spectacle, a thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes, a mix of envy and unease rising within him. “How ruthless, President Wang,” he thought. “Using so many masseuses at once — is he trying to erode Zhang Yu’s resolve, soften his determination?”
“Judging by my observations of Zhang Yu, I’m not sure he can hold out.”
“No way! I need to find a way to shield my best bro from this.”
Li Xiao, who had been summoned to back Zhang Yu up last time, was further away and hadn’t witnessed what happened. He now stared at the scene in astonishment, secretly committing it to memory.
“Could this be the secret behind Zhang Yu’s sudden meteoric rise?”
Meanwhile, Wang Yin was observing Zhang Yu through a camera feed provided by Tian Yang, watching the technicians swarm around him.
“Massage is beneficial for the physical body,” Wang Yin mused. “If I can’t get Zhang Yu addicted to this, there’s no point in continuing to arrange these sessions…”
In the next moment, Wang Yin’s eyes lit up slightly as he watched Zhang Yu gradually become covered in technicians and noticed the changes in his body. “There’s a reaction!”
“That kid Zhang Yu is reacting!”
“Hahaha, it seems this tactic is working.”
Under the camera’s gaze, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly to Fu Ji, “Ah, to deceive Wang Yin, I had to circulate my Magic Power, invigorate my vital energy, and pretend to be tempted. The sacrifice is truly immense.”
Fu Ji asked curiously, “Zhang Yu, since only I can hear you right now, let’s be honest — are you really just acting, or…?”
Zhang Yu retorted inwardly, “After being with me for so long, you still don’t understand me? Do you really think I could be seduced by a few technicians?”
Over the next few days, Wang Yin watched Zhang Yu indulge in gluttony and pass out, luxuriate in massages, and half-heartedly go through the motions at work. Wang Yin felt his investment was paying off exactly as he’d planned.
With his staggering wealth, a mere fraction was enough to drag Zhang Yu, this impoverished genius, into the mire. This aligned perfectly with Wang Yin’s will and resonated with his mental cultivation technique.
“This is just the beginning,” Wang Yin mused. “What will become of Zhang Yu, now accustomed to this lifestyle, when I cut off his Spirit Coin supply in the future?”
The mere thought filled Wang Yin with anticipation.
Though the Imperial Heart of the Sovereign was already operating with flawless precision, Wang Yin sensed that pushing it further would deepen his mastery of the technique and his grasp of his own consciousness.
“At that point, my Dao Heart Level recovery speed will accelerate once again.”
Thus, Wang Yin made another request to Tian Yang.
He wanted to experience Zhang Yu’s abject humiliation firsthand, to witness him groveling, begging, and wagging his tail like a desperate dog before him.
Several days later, Wang Yin, viewing through Tian Yang’s Bionic Eye, saw Zhang Yu standing before him, pleading, “My overtime application…”
As Wang Yin’s voice echoed through the Spirit Realm Network into Tian Yang’s ears, Tian Yang repeated, “That sixth revision of your overtime application still has issues. Redo it.”
“But…” Zhang Yu began to protest.
“But what ‘but’?” Wang Yin roared. “Let me make this clear: from today onward, not only will you leave work on time every day, but you’ll also clock out ten minutes early!”
“Not a single second longer on the construction site without my permission!”
Watching Zhang Yu slink away in defeat, Wang Yin felt a surge of satisfaction, as if his Heart Demon had finally been banished.
Tian Yang smiled faintly. “So, President Wang, can we proceed with our agreed-upon transaction?”
“No problem,” Wang Yin replied. “But from now on, you must ensure Zhang Yu eats three meals a day, sleeps at least eight hours a night, leaves work early — no overtime whatsoever — and has several skilled technicians assigned to him daily.”
“I’ll cover all the expenses. I want him completely ruined, his chances of rising on the immortal path utterly extinguished.”
At that moment, Wang Yin was confident that it wouldn’t be long before he restored his Dao Heart Level to Level 20.
He secretly congratulated himself on the value of his investment, having both punished Zhang Yu and accelerated his own Dao Heart recovery.
As Tian Yang listened to Wang Yin’s demands, he thought to himself, “It seems my friend is about to take the next step.”