Chapter 338: Hammerheart Pavilion
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened as he studied the new effect of the Qi Meridian Everflow: “Sustained Qi Circulation.” Immediately, he began experimenting.
Magic Power surged within his body, transforming into waves of Formless Cloud Gang that rose from his Dantian.
In an instant, three Formless Warriors materialized behind him, their Gang Qi coalescing into solid forms.
As the warriors practiced various martial arts techniques with fierce punches and kicks, Zhang Yu’s Magic Power drained rapidly.
However, under the influence of the Qi Meridian Everflow’s new effect, the rate of depletion was significantly slower than before.
Zhang Yu thought, “Magic Power naturally dissipates during circulation. The loss is even greater when Gang Qi operates outside the body.”
“But with the Qi Meridian Everflow’s effect reducing this loss, my Magic Power now lasts far longer.”
“Combined with the Qi Meridian Everflow’s original Magic Power recovery enhancement…”
As he pondered, Zhang Yu willed two more Formless Warriors into existence, pushing them to their limits.
After multiple trials, he confirmed that with the Qi Meridian Everflow’s support, his Magic Power could sustain either five Formless Warriors operating at full capacity, or two Profound Cold Warriors at their peak output.
“My work efficiency has nearly doubled!”
Feeling the continuous flow of Qi Meridian Everflow’s Second Layer effect, Zhang Yu marveled inwardly. Though it merely reduced magic power consumption, it seemed to be a qualitative leap, dramatically boosting his output per unit of time.
“I wonder what the final effect of Qi Meridian Everflow’s Third Layer will be.”
Calculating the time, Zhang Yu estimated he could complete the Third Layer by August, meaning he’d unlock the full benefits before the final exams. His anticipation grew.
Beyond this, he also looked forward to upgrading Yu Xinghan’s Third Eye Mystic Power, achieving Spirit-Flesh Unity, and mastering his second mental cultivation technique, all before the semester’s end.
“This semester, I’ll definitely defeat Ji Yuanshu and claim first place in the class.”
“If I secure the top spot in each academic year for three consecutive years, I can claim the first three cultivation arts of Civil Engineering’s Three Supreme Techniques.”
Zhang Yu had long coveted Ma Xuan’s Minor Threefold Combination. He mused, “It’s fortunate I only need to maintain my class ranking to obtain the art.”
“This ranking system at Myriad Laws University proves to be quite valuable after all.”
A few days later, just as Zhang Yu was pondering how to showcase his improved strength during the next competition team training session, Captain Ma Xuan sent him a message.
Ma Xuan: “Zhang Yu, there are some important details I need to discuss with you regarding the arrangements for the upcoming semester’s competitions.”
Ma Xuan: “Your talent is exceptional, and your progress has been remarkably rapid. I’ve always believed you could be our team’s secret weapon.”
Ma Xuan: “Cong Na also admires you greatly and finds working with you very enjoyable.”
At this point, Zhang Yu’s heart sank with a premonition. “Why all the flattery right off the bat? This can’t be good.”
Ma Xuan: “However, a student with a higher ranking than yours will be joining the team.”
Ma Xuan: “The team has unanimously decided to temporarily assign you to the substitute position.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu froze momentarily, cursing inwardly, “This damn University culture! All this obsession with grades and rankings!”
“Can rankings truly reflect my full worth?”
Fu Ji retorted, “You didn’t say that when you surpassed Gongshu Jin in the rankings last time. You can’t only believe rankings are good when they favor you.”
Zhang Yu clicked his tongue. He knew all too well that at university, ranking was king. Whoever ranked higher was right, and whoever ranked higher had priority.
As the system for measuring a university student’s worth, Zhang Yu had no choice but to abide by it within Myriad Laws University City.
At least for now, he lacked the power to challenge this system.
In fact, he himself had benefited from it.
But the substitute position…
Zhang Yu thought to himself that if he didn’t get to compete, even if the competition team achieved a high ranking, his Comprehensive Points would barely increase.
“Ugh, this is such a pain.”
Just as Zhang Yu was brooding, he noticed that Ma Xuan had already added the new member to the competition team’s group chat.
“Ji Yuanshu?”
Seeing that the new recruit was Ji Yuanshu, who ranked just above him, Zhang Yu frowned. “That guy who’s only one spot ahead of me.”
“Come to think of it, he’s transferring to the Finance Department, probably to boost his Comprehensive Points and join the competition, right?”
Ma Xuan: “Welcome Ji Yuanshu!”
Cong Na: “Welcome, welcome! 🎉🎉🎉”
Bu Ziran: “Long time no see, Junior Brother Ji!”
Yang Yan: “Haha, Yuanshu, I’m so glad you’re here! Our team’s competition ranking will definitely be even higher next semester!”
Watching the enthusiastic welcome in the group chat, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but think how starkly different this was from the cold reception he’d received when he first joined.
Watching the group chat buzz with cheerful chatter, Zhang Yu felt increasingly out of place.
A few days later, the competition team organized another training session, this time without even notifying Zhang Yu.
“These guys…” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “It seems they’ve completely given up on me.”
“I’ll never truly fit in with these rich kids.”
“Should I switch teams?”
“Or stay here and leech some Comprehensive Points?”
But the next moment, Zhang Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. “Wait, if I stay, no matter how many Comprehensive Points we earn, as a substitute member, my share will definitely be lower than Ji Yuanshu’s.”
“Wouldn’t that mean I’d start the next semester with fewer points than him right away?”
“Could he be doing this on purpose? Deliberately using this method to keep me down? To maintain his advantage in the rankings?”
Zhang Yu couldn’t be sure, and he certainly wouldn’t ask Ji Yuanshu directly. But the idea of transferring teams gained new weight in his mind.
“Never mind. For now, I’ll focus on building my strength and preparing for the final exams.”
“There’s still plenty of time to register anyway. Once my ranking improves after the exams, I’ll see if I can switch teams.”
In the days that followed, Zhang Yu felt like he was holding his breath, training even harder than before.
Time had flown by, and it was now late July.
The final exams at the end of August were just over a month away.
That day, the group in the dormitory finally received their share of the Spirit Coins from the Dark Seed Territory raid.
Looking at the numbers in their bank accounts, their eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope.
Yu Xinghan’s face flushed with excitement as he thought, “Now I can finally get a Bionic!”
“But should I get a hand-mounted massage Bionic to further improve my earning efficiency? Or a cultivation-type Bionic to enhance my training?”
His mind immediately flooded with countless Bionic models, all meticulously researched and compared during his days of being unable to afford one.
Meanwhile, Le Mulan gazed at the numbers in her bank account and murmured to herself, “With my own savings, this should be enough for the advanced Super Metabolism surgery.”
Having reached the Second Layer, Le Mulan, guided by her brother, quickly discovered that the corporations there had already developed advanced Super Metabolism surgery techniques.
Zhang Yu was also watching the numbers appear in his Bionic Eye.
Although he had supplemented his income by selling Magic Power over the past two months, his expenses on medicinal pills, Spirit Stones, daoist arts, magical artifacts, and other cultivation resources had been substantial, causing his savings to steadily dwindle.
However, with today’s influx of Spirit Coins, his account balance had reached a staggering 42.9 Spirit Coins.
Zhang Yu’s heart surged with excitement. This was the first time he had ever possessed such a large sum of Spirit Coins.
But a dilemma arose: Where should he spend it?
“Elder Sister’s Supreme Clarity Talisman still costs 50 Spirit Coins.”
“The gap between 42.9 and 50 Spirit Coins may seem small, but with my current income, even if I scrimp and save and am willing to slow my cultivation progress… it would still take two or three months to save up that amount.”
“The real problem is… we don’t even know what the Supreme Clarity Talisman actually does.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “If I could just break through to Spirit-Flesh Unity, I could immediately begin cultivating a second mental cultivation technique.”
Over the past few weeks, Zhang Yu had been experimenting with Spirit-Flesh Unity, making slight progress but seeing no realistic prospect of success in the near future.
This gradually led him to abandon the idea of breaking through on his own and prepare to invest directly.
On one hand, he could continue grinding for another two to three months with the uncertain prospects of the Supreme Clarity Talisman.
On the other hand, he could achieve guaranteed success in a much shorter time with Spirit-Flesh Unity and the second mental cultivation technique, both with clear benefits.
Furthermore, Zhang Yu considered that final exams were just over a month away, and his current decision would significantly impact his chances of securing first place in the class.
“I’ll focus on Spirit-Flesh Unity and aim for the second mental cultivation technique,” he resolved.
After weighing his options, as the ritual’s icy energy permeated the air, urging him to hurry, Zhang Yu finally donned the Spirit Realm Mask. His consciousness plunged into the Spirit Realm, and in an instant, he arrived at Hammerheart Pavilion.
A pure white, empty room.
A line of text materialized before Zhang Yu: “Hello, I am Hammerheart Pavilion artifact spirit 3001001. It’s a pleasure to assist you.”
“What do you require?”
Zhang Yu replied, “Spirit-Flesh Unity, the package for 30 Spirit Coins.”
As soon as his words were spoken, the pure white room rapidly expanded, transforming in an instant into a vast landscape of mountains, rivers, pavilions, and terraces.
Below the original message, a beautiful woman in palace attire appeared, smiling warmly at Zhang Yu. “Welcome, Mr. Zhang Yu. Please have some tea.”
Zhang Yu casually accepted the teacup she offered, glancing around at the once-simple room now transformed into a luxurious courtyard. He thought to himself, “This place sure changes its tune quickly — they really cater to the customer’s needs.”
“But I have to admit, it feels kind of nice… Consumerism is truly a dangerous trap.”
Zhang Yu asked, “First, explain exactly how your service helps me achieve Spirit-Flesh Unity.”
The woman replied, “Hammerheart Pavilion has collected vast amounts of breakthrough experience from cultivators. Based on your specific circumstances, we can select the most suitable breakthrough experience and simulate the exact environment of that breakthrough.”
“Once you purchase this service, you’ll be able to undergo a simulated breakthrough once per day.”
“According to our company’s data, the longest recorded breakthrough duration to date is 29 days.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze flickered. “Are you saying that after purchasing this service, even someone with the lowest aptitude can successfully reach the Spirit-Flesh Unity realm after 29 simulated breakthroughs?”
The other party smiled faintly. “You could put it that way.”
Once it was confirmed that Zhang Yu intended to purchase the Spirit-Flesh Unity package, the price list, contract, various promotions, and bundled packages quickly appeared before him.
“No membership, no participation in activities, no additional services. I just want to achieve Spirit-Flesh Unity for 30 Spirit Coins…”
Zhang Yu had barely finished speaking when he saw the installment payment options and hesitated.
“How many installments are available?”
“Twelve monthly installments of 3.3 Spirit Coins each, starting next month?”
Zhang Yu mentally calculated: “That’s an additional 9.6 Spirit Coins I need to pay per year.”
“Can the extra Spirit Coins I’ll have access to through installments allow me to earn an additional 9.6 Spirit Coins in a little over a year?”
While Zhang Yu was still pondering, the palace-robed beauty before him added, “If you sign up for installments now, we’ll include a free second mental cultivation technique compatibility test. This will help you determine the optimal second mental cultivation technique for your cultivation.”
Zhang Yu made up his mind. “Sign me up.”
He understood that once he achieved Spirit-Flesh Unity, choosing a second mental cultivation technique would become inevitable.
After signing the contract, Zhang Yu first underwent psychological and willpower tests.
Based on his current mental cultivation technique, psychological state, Dao Heart Level, and other parameters, a simulated breakthrough environment tailored to his specific situation was quickly generated.