No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Che Yufei: Zhang Yu, I’ve made up my mind—I’m going to sell my spot on the competition team.

Seeing Che Yufei’s message, Zhang Yu didn’t try to interfere.

After all, whether to keep competing for a shinier résumé and a higher composite score, or to cash out now for more spirit coins to spend elsewhere—that was a personal choice.

Especially since Che Yufei was already a senior student; he had every right to decide which path best suited his future.

When Zhang Yu replied in agreement, Che Yufei let out a silent sigh.

“With my strength, staying on the team wouldn’t bring in much money. I’d just end up being a burden. Better to trade it for spirit coins now—and maybe leave a good impression on the way out.”

“If only I’d met Zhang Yu a few years earlier… My life might’ve turned out very differently.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu looked at the new buyer who’d claimed the team slot and asked in the competition team group chat: No objections?

Shi Huaiyu: None here.

Shi Huaiyu: Highest bidder wins—and he already paid me damages.

Still, to the students of Wanfa University, the rule was simple: follow the money. Past grudges were just old weather.

In the competition team group chat:

Che Yufei has left the group.

Su Yanyang has joined the group.

Notice: Su Yanyang has multiple legal and credit risks on file. Please safeguard your property.

Zhang Yu blinked at the warning that popped up after Su Yanyang joined.

“How many people has this guy borrowed money from?”

Su Yanyang: Hello everyone. It’s an honor to join the competition team. Thanks for the opportunity.

Shi Huaiyu: Enough talk. Pay up.

This time, Su Yanyang didn’t delay. He promptly transferred the full 26.7 spirit coins.

One-third went to Zhang Yu, one-third to Che Yufei, and the remaining third was split among the four core team members.

Even as he completed the payment, Su Yanyang winced a little. Money had been tight all year, and though he’d recently made a bit from the Nectar Coin’s rise, most of it had just vanished again.

“Finally earned some cash, and now it’s all going to Zhang Yu and his crew,” he muttered. “Maybe I should leverage some more Nectar Coin?”

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu watched his account tick up to 51.05 spirit coins and couldn’t help marveling at how quickly his savings were growing.

“Now that I’ve got Director Gao investing in me, and with my part-time income steadily climbing, my monthly surplus keeps increasing.”

“So where should I spend it next?”

The first idea to surface was investing in Artifact Refinement Techniques—piecing together the Chain Diagram set of the Artifact Prodigy.

Back then, Dao Techniques like these had been too expensive to practice. Zhang Yu couldn’t afford to learn the various magical crafting techniques and simultaneously study high-cost refinement techniques.

“Now I can finally afford a few… but…”

He remembered his sister Zhang Pianpian’s Supreme Purity Realm. With just a bit more savings, he could send her 100 spirit coins and upgrade the Supreme Purity Sigil to Level 2.

“The Supreme Purity Realm has always been a huge help. If it levels up, who knows what benefits it might bring?”

After weighing his options, Zhang Yu decided to invest in his sister first.

“Upgrading the Supreme Purity Realm only takes 100 spirit coins and would definitely boost my development.”

“Meanwhile, the full Artifact Prodigy set will cost way more than that—who knows how long that’ll take to complete?”

With the decision made, Zhang Yu mentally filed away the matters of the competition team and his growing savings.

His focus returned to the present—to the simulation lab in the Spiritual Realm.

He was skillfully manipulating tools and materials, refining a new artifact crafting technique: the Treasure Chest.

Now that he was accumulating more and more artifacts, Zhang Yu had started feeling the hassle of carrying them all.

The Treasure Chest was an artifact shaped like a human-sized box. It could fly at subsonic speeds using anti-gravity propulsion and launch artifacts at supersonic speeds for rapid-response combat and support.

…

Early November arrived in a flash.

Today’s simulation battlefield was roaring with explosions and clouds of dust.

Zhang Yu, riding atop the Formless Spirit General, clashed violently with the three-headed, six-armed Xiao Yunji.

At that moment, the Formless Spirit General moved all four arms in unison, each wielding a golden weapon formed from Taiyi Liquid Gold Pills, engaging Xiao Yunji in a fierce melee.

With each blow, Xiao Yunji was pushed back again and again, his Law Husk and artifacts blaring warning after warning.

Thinking back to how Zhang Yu used to flee from him last year, Xiao Yunji couldn’t help but feel a touch of nostalgia.

Meanwhile, Su Yanyang, Shi Huaiyu, and Xiao Qingxuan broke through the rear and wreaked havoc on Xiao Yunji’s team’s construction site, demolishing their newly built defenses.

Watching Zhang Yu dominate Xiao Yunji, Su Yanyang nodded in satisfaction. “That money was well spent.”

In the end, Zhang Yu’s team won by an overwhelming margin.

With that, the department’s top ten ranking tournament came to a close.

Zhang Yu checked the rankings: their team had finished in second place, just behind Mo Shangjin’s team.

“Second place is probably my limit,” he thought.

Even though they had the right to challenge the first-place team, Zhang Yu knew it would be pointless. Mo Shangjin alone, with his Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, could bulldoze them.

“Once the challenge matches wrap up next week and the rankings are finalized, I’ll officially receive a spot in the Seven Absolutes—and be granted the Fourth Absolute.”

…

While Zhang Yu kept up his studies, training, and competitions, the Nectar Coin kept climbing in value.

Wanfa University’s administrators and the Civil Engineering Department repeatedly issued risk warnings, urging students to pull out early.

But by now, most students were too caught up in the frenzy to listen.

Especially after the second-round winners of the Nectar Dual Cultivation Lottery were announced—and several Wanfa students were among them—the hype reached a fever pitch.

Ping Han: Junior Zhang Yu

Ping Han: Did you see my social feed?

Ping Han: I won! I’m headed to Pleasure and Harmony University soon for the Thousand Cultivators Convention 😏

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes at the message. “This guy really loves to show off.”

Next to him, Yu Xinghan groaned with envy. “Damn… I’m so jealous. I could kill Ping Han and take his spot.”

Zhang Yu said, “With how many incarnations Divine Lord Nectar has, there’s no guarantee Ping Han’s partner is even female.”

Yu Xinghan sighed. “Zhang Yu, don’t be so hung up on gender. In this era, clinging to old binary notions is what holds people back. We’ve got to move on.”

…

With the final rankings locked in, Zhang Yu’s team officially took second place.

His composite score soared, bumping his departmental ranking up to 25th place.

Meanwhile, the bidding began for the second Seven Absolutes slot.

Shi Huaiyu eyed his account but ultimately couldn’t cash out his Nectar Coin in time.

Su Yanyang had already spent a hefty chunk just to join the team, and the rest was sunk into Nectar Coin, leaving him too broke to bid.

So the second slot went to Gongshu Jin.

Gongshu Jin was ecstatic. “I’ve never even ranked first in class before—but now I’m about to claim the second of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes!”

The next day, under Director Gao’s supervision, Zhang Yu began learning the Fourth Absolute: Dragonvein Perception Manual.

This Technique could detect geoveins and draw upon the earth’s pulse to amplify the user’s strength. As long as one stayed grounded, they could unleash greater power and explosive force.

An hour later, Director Gao nodded in satisfaction as Zhang Yu mastered the Technique.

“Get ready. Starting December, you’ll be training with Mo Shangjin’s team for the intercollegiate tournament.”

“This year’s format has changed—it’ll span several months, with one match at a time. Stick with Mo Shangjin’s team and observe how students from other universities operate…”

Zhang Yu obediently listened to the briefing, then asked eagerly, “Teacher, what about the rest of the Seven Absolutes?”

Director Gao said, “The one I’m responsible for—you’ll be training in that soon.”

“As for another one, I’ve negotiated with the professor overseeing it. He’ll call you in before the year ends.”

“The last one…” Director Gao frowned. “That’s Director Lin’s domain. I’m still figuring out a way to get you in.”

“Don’t rush it. Focus on mastering what you’ve already learned.”

After leaving the training hall, Zhang Yu skipped his usual Artifact Refinement session and instead headed to the construction site—juggling part-time work while practicing the Dragonvein Perception Manual.

Just then, a message from Zhang Pianpian popped up.

Zhang Pianpian: You didn’t buy any Nectar Coin, right?

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