Chapter 361: Zhang Yu’s Weakness Period
Inside the dormitory, Le Mulan produced a bottle of black potion and said, “I brought the potion for you.”
She hesitated, then asked, “But are you sure you want to use it?”
Zhang Yu took the potion, gazing at the faint cloud-like patterns shimmering within the liquid. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I can handle it.”
Since becoming Director Gao’s Registered Disciple, Zhang Yu had gained access to a wider range of medicinal pills and now enjoyed discounted access to many experimental drugs from the Pharmacy Institute’s laboratories.
However, while these experimental drugs boasted remarkable efficacy, they often came with severe side effects. Over the past few weeks, Zhang Yu had been working with Le Mulan to carefully screen them.
After numerous trials, he had finally settled on the Demonic Mimicry Aerosol before him.
Staring at the bottle, Zhang Yu thought, “My mental cultivation technique has already reached the Spirit-Flesh Unity Cultivation Realm, operating constantly to temper my dao heart.”
“My Magic Power also circulates constantly thanks to the Passive Breathing Technique, requiring only occasional Spirit Stone consumption.”
“Only my physical strength… The majority of my current cultivation efforts are focused on advancing the Martial Dao Sacred Body cultivation arts. While these techniques enhance combat and construction skills, they aren’t specifically designed for body refinement.”
“Although this process does gradually improve my physical strength, it’s far too slow compared to dedicated body refinement techniques.”
Zhang Yu felt the fiery energy coursing through his body and thought it would be a waste not to properly refine his body after consuming the Yang-Enhancing Meat.
“Then, wouldn’t I hold it in for nothing?”
He twisted open the medicine bottle, opened his mouth, and inhaled. A cloud of mist surged from the bottle, writhing like a living creature as it burrowed into his body.
Immediately, Zhang Yu began practicing Spring and Autumn Endless Zen for body refinement.
As he finished his body refinement session, he felt the Demonic Mimicry Aerosol transform into countless tiny hands, pummeling and twisting throughout his body. They continuously wore down his flesh, but this process also tempered and refined it.
This refinement suddenly ignited the residual fire from the Yang-Enhancing Meat within him, nourishing his flesh and blood.
“This is the Demonic Mimicry Aerosol’s effect — it simulates the effects of a Body Refinement Technique, maintaining some of the benefits even after you stop training.”
“But the downside is… once you start, it inevitably lasts for several days, potentially causing severe damage to your physical body, or even death.”
Still, Zhang Yu was confident he could endure it thanks to his resilient constitution.
What truly prevented him from using the aerosol long-term was its exorbitant price.
“Even after the discount, a single bottle costs nearly 0.9 Spirit Coins,” he grumbled. “Fucking expensive.”
Spirit Coin Balance -0.9
“Gotta go earn some money.”
After testing the medicine, Zhang Yu and Le Mulan left their dormitory together and found Xuan Ge waiting outside.
Zhang Yu was already quite familiar with Le Mulan’s classmate. After all, Xuan Ge had closed the door for them countless times, taken out their trash repeatedly, and even expressed his desire to share a room with them by submitting multiple dormitory applications.
At that moment, Zhang Yu’s gaze fell on Xuan Ge’s chest. “Blazing Sun Meridian? Does this guy also have a Dao Seed?” he wondered.
Sensing it, Zhang Yu realized the Blazing Sun Meridian was a Magic Power-type Dao Seed, just like Le Mulan’s, requiring an increase in Magic Power Quality to activate.
“150% Magic Power Quality, huh?”
Meanwhile, Xuan Ge grew increasingly nervous under Zhang Yu’s intense scrutiny.
Suddenly, Zhang Yu spoke up. “Xuan Ge, right? Let me give you some pointers.”
Instructing Le Mulan to leave first, Zhang Yu led Xuan Ge into the dormitory.
Xuan Ge excitedly followed him inside, his mind racing, “Is it my turn? Is it finally my turn?”
He asked, “Should I wash up first?”
Zhang Yu frowned. “What’s there to wash up for?”
Just as Xuan Ge was wondering why this didn’t match what the tutorial had said, Zhang Yu had already pressed a palm against his back.
In the next moment, two opposing streams of Magic Power — one icy cold, the other scorching hot — collided within Xuan Ge’s body.
Xuan Ge immediately sensed a visible improvement in his Magic Power Quality. The fiery energy within him seemed stimulated, circulating at an accelerated pace and dramatically enhancing the efficiency of his breathing technique far beyond its usual limits.
Simultaneously, Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye flickered, signaling an incoming communication from Bai Zhenzhen.
Bai Zhenzhen: “Yu Zi? What are you up to?”
Zhang Yu swiftly rotated the camera, capturing his surroundings. “Preparing to sell Magic Power,” he replied matter-of-factly.
He then deliberately focused the camera on Xuan Ge for an extended moment. “This is my trading partner,” he explained. “Feeling relieved now?”
Bai Zhenzhen scrutinized Xuan Ge. After confirming the other party was male, she nodded in relief.
She knew Zhang Yu had always lacked talent in the Dual Cultivation Dao, and his compatibility range for partners was extremely narrow. Only biological females could trigger the necessary internal reactions within him.
Bai Zhenzhen sighed inwardly. “If you had any aptitude for dual cultivation, I’d be the first to support you as your best bro. But without any talent, if it’s purely for personal interest… isn’t this just wasting your cultivation time?”
Zhang Yu retorted, “A-Zhen, I told you not to worry. With my iron willpower, I can hold back, right?”
Bai Zhenzhen countered, “It’s not that Mom doesn’t trust you. I’m just afraid you’ll get distracted by frivolous pursuits and neglect your studies.”
“Then keep up the good work! I’ll send you more meat in a few days.”
After hanging up, Zhang Yu continued channeling Magic Power into Xuan Ge for another ten minutes.
Withdrawing his hand, Zhang Yu looked at Xuan Ge and asked, “So, what do you think? Want to buy some Magic Power?”
Xuan Ge thought, “Ah, so he’s here to sell me Magic Power?”
Though slightly disappointed, Xuan Ge recalled the sensation of absorbing the Magic Power earlier and thought, “It feels like the same cold attribute Magic Power as Le Mulan’s.”
“It’s highly beneficial for improving my Magic Power Quality and enhancing my breathing technique efficiency.”
“And judging by his tone, he wants to bypass the Platform and conduct a private transaction. I should be able to get a better price that way.”
After some negotiation, they agreed on a private deal: Xuan Ge would purchase 10,000 units of Magic Power from Zhang Yu monthly at a rate of 1 Spirit Coin per unit.
Watching Xuan Ge’s retreating figure, Zhang Yu mused, “I wonder what the effects of this Blazing Sun Meridian are.”
Regardless of its effects, the guaranteed monthly income was a welcome addition to his finances.
Spirit Coin Balance +1
Within the Supreme Clarity Realm, Zhang Yu’s multiple consciousnesses rapidly scrolled through four different screens, displaying courses on Dynamics of Magic Artifacts, Spirit Energy Materials and Forming Technology, Magical Power Transmission and Conduction, and True Fire Processing Technology.
As the screens flipped quickly, vast amounts of text and diagrams flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind, which he forcibly memorized.
To further enhance his efficiency, Zhang Yu had spent 0.06 Spirit Coins to activate the Clear Mind Technique for two hours, a daoist arts service that granted him perfect recall during that time.
Within the Supreme Clarity Realm’s 20x mental acceleration, this translated to 40 hours of perfect recall.
Compounded by his quadruple mental processing speed, Zhang Yu could effectively achieve 160 hours of rapid memorization.
Having spent 0.96 Spirit Coins on online course videos and textbooks, Zhang Yu abandoned any attempt at immediate comprehension. Instead, he focused solely on rapid memorization, aiming to imprint all the course content into his mind first, planning to gradually study and understand it later.
“This should further enhance my learning efficiency.”
To successfully complete all three years of courses in the Artifact Refinement Department, pass the exams, and smoothly transition to the department, Zhang Yu constantly adjusted his study methods and improved his efficiency.
However, one unavoidable expense remained: the cost of textbooks and online courses.
“The textbooks and online courses for the Artifact Refinement Department are ridiculously expensive.”
“The tuition fees for all the courses this semester are probably more than ten times higher than those for the Civil Engineering Department.”
“And then there are material costs, laboratory usage fees…”
Zhang Yu examined the course content for True Fire Processing Technology. In addition to theoretical knowledge, the course involved extensive practical experiments, requiring the purchase of materials and rental of an Artifact Refinement Laboratory.
Spirit Coin Balance -1.56
On the 667th floor construction site, Zhang Yu was practicing the fourth cultivation art of his Martial Dao Sacred Body, the Earth-Seizing Claw, following Spring and Autumn Endless Zen, Heaven-Turning Seal, and Purple Firmament Heavenly Net Formation.
Gang Qi surged from his palm, generating an invisible suction force that effortlessly lifted a cargo weighing over ten tons into the air.
“It’s a pity that the Civil Engineering Department courses only teach a few cultivation arts suitable for the Martial Dao Sacred Body. I’ll need to purchase the remaining cultivation arts myself to complete the set.”
As Zhang Yu cultivated, Humanoid Gang Qi flickered around him, assisting with various tasks.
Simultaneously, guided by his multiple minds, he skillfully deployed martial arts such as the Heaven-Turning Seal, Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Seal, and Purple Firmament Heavenly Net Formation as needed.
With his expanding repertoire of skills, Zhang Yu’s versatility on the construction site had grown exponentially.
Combined with his multitasking ability through multiple minds and the Formless Warrior’s efficiency, his income surged again in October, reaching his highest daily earnings yet.
Spirit Coin balance +0.21
After a night of overtime work, Zhang Yu not only refined his cultivation and increased his savings but also felt the fiery heat within his body dissipate significantly, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.
Fu Ji, watching from the sidelines, remarked, “Zhang Yu, ever since you abstained from lust, your work and study efficiency have skyrocketed!”
“I think you should keep this up even after the Yang-Enhancing Meat is fully digested,” Fu Ji suggested.
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “This whole abstinence thing was always optional for me. I don’t know why you and A-Zhen keep worrying about it.”
“After abstaining for over half a month, my resistance has become so strong, it’s almost frightening.”
“I have a feeling that during the upcoming Ten Greats League, I might become Myriad Laws University’s secret weapon against Joyful Union University.”
As they walked back to their dorm, Zhang Yu’s eyes suddenly flashed as he noticed a provocative beauty advertisement floating before him. His brow furrowed. “I haven’t searched for this stuff in over half a month! Is the big data system glitching?”
Fu Ji explained, “It’s likely because you used to search for such content frequently. The system detected your recent prolonged abstinence and recognized you’re in a vulnerable state, making you an easy target for these ads.”
“Hang in there, Zhang Yu! Don’t fall for these tricks.”
Zhang Yu scoffed, “As if mere ads could shake my resolve!”
But after walking another thousand meters, the increasingly explicit ads made Zhang Yu’s face flush crimson and his pace quicken.
He snarled, “Damn you, treacherous big data! Not only do you strike when I’m vulnerable, but you’re also targeting my weaknesses specifically!”