No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Inside the Zhou family estate.

Inspection team members bustled back and forth, scouring every corner of the residence. It had been flipped upside down, with Zhou clan members being led away, their faces pale and spirits crushed.

“Zhou Yang’s madness has nothing to do with us!”

“We never colluded with Oasis Group…”

“Where’s your captain? I know your captain!”

Zhang Yu stood to the side, watching the Zhou family members being taken away one by one. A mix of emotion stirred in his chest—alongside a flicker of unease.

“Will the inspection team discover the Evil God backing the Zhou family? Will that implicate me and Ah-Zhen?”

Perhaps Zhou Yang had been too adept at hiding the Evil God. Despite the inspection team’s exhaustive sweep, they didn’t uncover any clues about the deity. What they did find, however, was one of Zhou Yang’s hidden lairs.

Deep within the sewer systems of Songyang City, Yun Ni examined a concealed underground facility and explained, “This was personally funded and constructed by Zhou Yang in secret. If we hadn’t done a full search of all his personal effects, we’d never have found this place…”

With a loud explosion, the concealed base was blasted open by the inspection team.

Everyone surged inside for a full-scale sweep.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen followed Yun Ni to the deepest part of the chamber. There, coiled wires, ancient antiques, and heavy chains wrapped around the space, all converging at the center—where a hard drive sat.

At the sight, Fu Ji immediately transmitted a message into Zhang Yu’s mind. “It’s a ritual! A ritual to suppress an Evil God!”

“That bastard Zhou Yang actually sealed his Evil God in here?”

“Damn, the guy’s got guts.”

Meanwhile, Yun Ni circled the hard drive and murmured, “This seems like… some sort of ritual?”

Fu Ji urged, “Zhang Yu! Touch that hard drive. I’ll try to eat the Evil God sealed within.”

“If the inspection team takes it and this guy learns about us… things’ll get real messy.”

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen first used the detection powers within their bodies to scan for surveillance cameras.

Once they had confirmed the positions and viewing angles…

They exchanged a glance. Then Bai Zhenzhen suddenly pointed toward a camera in the corner. “What’s that thing? I think it just moved!”

As everyone turned to look, Zhang Yu activated the temporal ability of the Chronoshade Demon Eyes. The world around him slowed drastically.

Every facial expression, every gaze, every movement—all of it reflected in crystal clarity within Zhang Yu’s mind.

Even the angles of the surveillance cameras had been calculated.

And in that split second, as everyone’s eyes were turned and the camera was looking elsewhere, Zhang Yu subtly extended his palm and pressed it against the hard drive—completely hidden from view.

Thanks to his Foundation Establishment Realm body and the assistance of the Chronoshade Demon Eyes, Yun Ni and the others noticed nothing amiss when they turned back.

Yun Ni said excitedly, “That must be a camera Zhou Yang installed himself.”

“Download everything off of it immediately—let’s see if there’s anything useful.”

Just then, Fu Ji’s weakened voice echoed in Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s minds. “I yanked the bastard over into my place. Now I’ve got to suppress him… then digest him… might need to nap for a while…”

With that, her voice disappeared completely, leaving no response behind.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Once Fu Ji wakes up, the Feathered Tome should open a new chapter, right?”

He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of anticipation. Though he didn’t know how long her sleep would last this time.

“This time she forcefully pulled the Evil God across. It’ll probably take even longer to digest than last time.”

He and Bai Zhenzhen continued helping with the inspection. Meanwhile, Yun Ni had confirmed from the ritual traces that Zhou Yang was indeed a cultist.

Unfortunately, the on-site cameras only stored up to seven days’ worth of footage, and nothing useful could be extracted. No sign of the Evil God was found either. Yun Ni suspected it had already escaped.

Seeing that Zhou Yang had left no intel that could incriminate him or Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least they didn’t need to go out of their way to destroy evidence.

With the Zhou family situation temporarily settled, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen resumed their cultivation, waiting for Fu Ji to awaken.

…

In the city center’s training hall.

With a sharp crack, Xinghuo Zhenren’s fingertip gently tapped Zhang Yu’s chest—sending him flying.

At the same time, Xinghuo Zhenren flicked his other hand against Bai Zhenzhen’s palm, launching her more than a hundred meters away.

Noting how both students were starting to slow, Xinghuo Zhenren frowned. “Don’t slow down—speed it up.”

Bai Zhenzhen vanished in a blur, activating the Windfiend Formless Step and darting back toward Xinghuo Zhenren, her feet kicking up fierce winds.

“Keep your body-refining Technique active. Maintain full output at all times.”

“After the college entrance exam, you’ll move to the Second Floor.”

“Right now, the geniuses above are pulling farther ahead every single day.”

“You need to seize every second just to barely close the gap.”

Xinghuo Zhenren wasn’t sparring with them in earnest, but serving as a living training apparatus—his overwhelming pressure forging their physical strength.

He was like a boundless ocean, increasing their burden in tandem with their cultivation progress, pushing their body-refining to the limit.

Zhang Yu could feel him striking at all the weakest points in his body, hammering muscle, bone, and sinew like a massive iron forge—purifying and hardening him into something sharper, stronger.

Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation, Level 18 (98/180)

Physical Strength: Level 10.52

Watching the two panting on the floor, Xinghuo Zhenren mused, “Their growth is terrifying.”

“Especially Zhang Yu—if he keeps this up, he’ll hit Level 20 in Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation before he even graduates. His understanding of the Technique… is just absurd.”

“Even if he’s not the rumored Martial Saint Embryo, he can’t be far off.”

“I really look forward to seeing what he’s like at the Gold Core or even Nascent Soul stage.”

But then Xinghuo Zhenren sighed. “With the time I have left… I probably won’t live to see them truly rise.”

“At least the seeds I’ve planted over these nine months will hopefully bear fruit someday.”

To say he had no personal motives in mentoring Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen—just pure admiration—was something even he didn’t believe.

Unlike his investment in Yu Xinghan, which was legally bound by contract, his support for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen was backed by something else: favors.

“In today’s Kunxu… those who still care about personal bonds are dwindling.”

He thought wistfully, “It’s not like when I was young. Now, cultivators only talk about profit.”

“Those who still remember the old ways… they’ve either died off or been eliminated—like me, an old relic…”

“But maybe Zhang Yu is an exception.”

“Even if I won’t be around when they make it, I hope what I gave them will one day help Xuelian and Xinghan.”

…

Time flew by as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen continued training. There were only six months left until the entrance exam.

One day in his apartment, Zhang Yu’s eyes suddenly snapped open. In his mind, the Sacrificial Oxheart Technique let out a roar.

Sacrificial Oxheart Technique, Level 20

Dao Heart: Level 11 (43.8%)

Zhang Yu felt his consciousness diving into every cell of his body. His flesh surged with life as never before.

“Finally hit Level 20.”

He stared at his hands. “After this point… even if I lose a limb, I can feel my will lingering in the severed part.”

“The Level 20 effect is something like ‘Residual Vitality’—even the flesh torn from my body will retain a fragment of my intent for a few minutes.”

“If I retrieve it within that time, I can reattach it.”

“And as my Dao Heart continues to rise, the Technique’s effects should grow even stronger.”

His self-healing capabilities were becoming frightening. A satisfied smile tugged at Zhang Yu’s lips—less fear of injury meant fewer hospital visits.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Zhang Yu opened the door to find Le Mulan standing outside. “You came?”

After letting her in, he asked, “You’re really sure you don’t want the money?”

Back during the 1.3x donation match, Le Mulan had lent Zhang Yu five million.

But when he tried to repay it, she returned it—saying she didn’t want the cash, just “something else.”

After several rounds of clarification, Zhang Yu realized she, like the Red Tower Breeding Company, wanted his seed.

While money from the First Floor was useless on the Second Floor, five million could still be exchanged for resources.

To Zhang Yu, that money was far more useful—and valuable—than his seed.

After all, he knew his power had nothing to do with his bloodline. It came from the strength of his soul and will.

Still, out of consideration for his old friend, he gave a kind reminder. “I really don’t think it’ll help you much. You might want to think this through again.”

Le Mulan bit her lip and insisted, “I want it.”

Zhang Yu nodded. “Alright then. Wait here.”

She watched him walk off—and waited.

But he didn’t return.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She opened it.

Le Jingchen: Did you get the feather juice?

Le Jingchen: Make sure it’s the real stuff. Red Tower still hasn’t gotten results—I’m starting to think Zhang Yu gave them a fake.