Chapter 498: Reproduction Tax and Bonds
Just as Mo Shangjin warned the others, he and Zhang Yu activated their Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, lifting their companions into the air to avoid excessive contact with the Monsterfolk. Guided by the navigation displayed in their Bionic Eyes, they advanced deeper into Celestial Monsters University.
Even while airborne, they couldn’t avoid the constant flashes of Monsterfolk figures darting past.
The towering skyscrapers of Celestial Monsters University were packed so densely, resembling an impenetrable jungle with only narrow gaps between buildings for passage.
Various bizarre creatures — insect demons, rat demons, and other small Monsterfolk — occupied many of these gaps, making the jungle even more congested.
Suddenly, a burst of bloody mist erupted nearby. Zhang Yu looked up to see a bull demon’s body torn to pieces by dozens of monster race members, each snatching a different part of the carcass.
Witnessing this, Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, “Murder in broad daylight?”
Mo Shangjin replied, “Not humans, just animals.”
He explained, “These Monsterfolk in the outer districts of Celestial Monsters University aren’t considered human. They’re treated as livestock the university keeps outside.”
“Animals kill each other all the time. Do you think we need to interfere?”
“Celestial Monsters University doesn’t bother with continuous management or registration of these animals. They only maintain overall control.”
“If the population dwindles, they increase breeding quotas.”
“If the population swells, they reduce food rations.”
“This is their laboratory, breeding ground, resource production site, and reserve pool of demonic materials…”
As they spoke, Zhang Yu’s group had already crossed from the outer district of Celestial Monsters University into the inner district.
To be honest… Zhang Yu found that the Monsterfolk here, aside from being quieter and more disciplined, didn’t seem much different from those outside.
At the boundary between the outer and inner districts, waves of divine power swept back and forth, instantly pulverizing any Monsterfolk from the outer district who strayed across the line.
But Zhang Yu soon frowned. He noticed that many of the students here were pregnant.
Mo Shangjin, walking beside him, explained, “This is Celestial Monsters University’s Reproduction Tax. Every undergraduate student must meet an annual breeding quota, surrendering their bloodline descendants to the university.”
“I’m not entirely clear on the specifics, but I’ve heard that beyond the Spirit Transformation stage, the higher your cultivation level, the more offspring you’re required to submit. A Nascent Soul Stage True Monarch might need to produce dozens of offspring each year.”
“However, the Reproduction Tax isn’t just about submitting offspring; you can also pay directly in cash.”
Zhang Yu gasped, “What about male Monsterfolk offspring?”
Mo Shangjin replied casually, “Celestial Monsters University has naturally long since solved the technical issues involved…”
As they spoke, the group arrived outside a massive arena.
Even before getting close, Zhang Yu could hear the deafening roar of the crowd inside. From the outside, he saw a massive swarm of Monsterfolk students surging toward the arena’s entrance like a tidal wave.
“So many people?” Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise. “Do Celestial Monsters University students really care this much about the Civil Engineering Competition finals?”
Mo Shangjin seemed equally surprised. “While Celestial Monsters University’s Civil Engineering Department has always been strong, I wouldn’t expect this many people to be interested in the finals.”
“Perhaps something we’re unaware of has happened,” he speculated.
As Zhang Yu and his group headed toward the competition arena, Xiang Shan walked step by step through an underground tunnel beneath Celestial Monsters University.
Before him rose majestic pillars, towering like colossal giants, supporting the university’s foundations and shaking the earth.
Xiang Shan knew that Celestial Monsters University’s high density of Monsterfolk and buildings required extensive underground structures to maintain stability. These massive pillars were crucial support elements.
These pillars were composed of countless ancestors from the Elephant Monster Clan. After lives of struggle and debt, they had ultimately sacrificed their meticulously refined physical bodies. Even in death, they became part of the foundation, eternally supporting the entire university day after day.
“The entire Celestial Monsters University rests on our shoulders,” Xiang Shan murmured.
Gazing at the pillars before him, Xiang Shan felt the lingering resentment and earth-shattering fighting spirit within each one. He murmured, “Now, it’s our turn to break through the earth and stand on the grounds of Celestial Monsters University.”
Xiang Shan turned his head and saw countless Elephant Monsters, large and small, appearing in his Bionic Eye.
Among them was his brother.
As a local demon, his brother had evaded the Reproduction Tax throughout his three years of high school to focus on his studies. But in his final year, he was reported, captured, and fined ten times the original amount.
Within that single year, his brother was forced to bear thirty children to pay off the Reproduction Tax, severely depleting his vital energy and preventing him from passing the university entrance exams.
Xiang Shan then looked at his younger brother from elementary school, his son from middle school, and his younger sister from high school… Seeing their slightly swollen bellies, his resolve hardened.
“The Reproduction Tax…”
Xiang Shan’s trunk curled back, and boundless fighting spirit surged in his eyes.
Within his Bionic Eye, even more figures materialized.
They were countless descendants of the Elephant Monster Clan, their figures flickering before him like stars in the sky.
“Ten thousand?”
“A hundred thousand?”
“Or even more?”
Xiang Shan murmured, “Over the years, our clan’s Elephant Monsters have continuously surrendered their bloodline descendants and paid the Reproduction Tax. How many of our offspring have been sent to the schools?”
“Combined… how many Spirit Coins are they worth?”
“We’ve lost so much wealth!”
Xiang Shan’s tusks grew sharply, his vital energy surged, and his body seemed to swell slightly. “It’s time to change all this.”
“I’ll lead you to break through the construction site and escape the Civil Engineering Department!”
“I’ll ensure that neither race nor specialization can ever confine us again!”
The surrounding phantom figures surged toward Xiang Shan’s body. These monster offspring Soul Cultivators merged into his Bionic, becoming part of his very being.
Simultaneously, Xiang Shan felt the power of his Bionic steadily increasing, drawing vast resources from the Spirit Realm Calculation Pool.
In the next moment, he took a resounding step forward and strode outward.
Thud.
As Xiang Shan’s massive foot slammed onto the arena floor, a thunderous roar erupted from the stands.
Rat Monsters, Insect Monsters, Cat Monsters, Plant Spirits… all the Monsterfolk of low status at Celestial Monsters University were now screaming and cheering wildly for Xiang Shan.
The entire arena, the entire earth, seemed to tremble violently with the force of the crowd’s frenzied roars.
An overwhelming stench of blood and decay surged skyward, as if the very air were being infused with demonic energy.
Zhang Yu even saw some Monsterfolk in the stands, overcome with excitement, defecating, urinating, engaging in Dual Cultivation, and even giving birth right there.
Beside him, Shi Huaiyu asked, puzzled, “What’s with these Monsterfolk? Why are they so worked up about a competition?”
Mo Shangjin, still reviewing data in his Bionic Eye, replied, “Hmm… we might have stumbled into a power struggle within Celestial Monsters University.”
“It seems someone is using this Civil Engineering Competition as a pretext for reform, aiming to get Xiang Shan onto the school team for the upcoming Ten Great Leagues. This would challenge the rigid racial and departmental hierarchies within the university.”
“Many of the Monsterfolk in the stands might have been paid to stir up trouble,” Zhang Yu observed.
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Does this mean Xiang Shan might be even stronger than we anticipated?”
Mo Shangjin nodded gravely. “It’s fortunate you helped me stall until this match. If I had bought my revival earlier, it would have cost too much. If I were missing even one Bionic today, we would have certainly lost.”
After a moment’s thought, Mo Shangjin instructed, “I’ll confront him head-on. You provide flanking support, focusing on disrupting his teammates to distract Xiang Shan.”
Zhang Yu nodded in understanding, his eyes fixed on the Seven Absolutes Bionic encasing Mo Shangjin’s body.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the image of True Monarch Celestial Elephant materialized within Xiang Shan’s Bionic Eye.
This True Monarch Celestial Elephant was none other than the judge who had supported Zhang Yu’s acquisition of the Military Certificate during the Military Certificate Examination in the Civil Engineering Department at Myriad Laws University — a renowned expert and professor in the Civil Engineering Realm.
True Monarch Celestial Elephant remarked, “It’s regrettable. I never imagined that helping Zhang Yu obtain his Military Certificate back then would make him your formidable opponent today.”
Xiang Shan said calmly, “It’s alright, Teacher.”
“How can we win over the masses, change the situation at Celestial Monsters University, if we don’t defeat truly formidable opponents and demonstrate our true strength and wealth?”
“Defeating Zhang Yu and Mo Shangjin is my greatest achievement and resource for breaking through in Civil Engineering and joining the school team.”
As he spoke, Xiang Shan led his teammates to stand before the Myriad Laws University group.
Looking at Zhang Yu and Mo Shangjin, Xiang Shan’s long nose drooped slightly, and his small eyes remained as still as ancient wells, filled with unwavering calm.
“Zhang Yu, Mo Shangjin,” Xiang Shan said, his gaze fixed on them. “To have reached this stage, you must have invested countless efforts and Spirit Coins.”
“If I weren’t here, you would rightfully claim this year’s Civil Engineering Competition championship.”
“But I’m sorry, I absolutely must secure victory in this final match.”
Xiang Shan exhaled, a thick white mist surging forth with his body heat, gradually raising the surrounding temperature.
He continued, “Once the battle begins, I will unleash my full power.”
“If you don’t want to suffer heavy losses, give it your all in a desperate resistance, then surrender as quickly as possible.”
With that, Xiang Shan closed his eyes, seemingly no longer paying attention to anything outside, patiently awaiting the start of the match.
As both teams entered the arena, the competition officially began.
Mo Shangjin soared into the sky, activating the Seven Absolutes Bionic with a surge of power. The Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power swept across the arena with a thunderous roar, flipping the entire battlefield upside down.
Competitors, sand, building materials, even the earth itself — all plunged skyward as if falling into an abyss.
Amidst this chaotic upheaval, a figure tore through the atmosphere, suddenly appearing before Mo Shangjin and unleashing a devastating punch.
For an instant, the entire arena seemed to freeze.
“Get down!”
The next moment, with Xiang Shan’s furious roar and the force of his punch, the inverted arena flipped back upright. Sand, materials, and earth rained down from the sky with a deafening crash.