No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Hearing Bai Zhenzhen's words, Zhang Yu stirred slightly. “The Ten-School Tournament?”

It wasn’t the first time he’d heard those words. Still, with his head always buried in textbooks or construction work, Zhang Yu didn’t know much about it.

His rough impression was that it was just some intercollegiate competition.

But looking at Bai Zhenzhen now, dressed in formalwear and talking about an opening ceremony, Zhang Yu realized he might’ve underestimated just how important the Ten-School Tournament really was.

Sensing his curiosity, Bai Zhenzhen explained, “The Ten-School Tournament is a competition only open to undergraduates from the Ten Great Academies.”

“In addition to subject-specific contests, the most prestigious and most anticipated event… is the Military Competition.”

“The Military Competition evolved from the old ‘Top Ten Martial Duels.’ It now includes both Military Skills Contests and Military Exercise Matches…”

Listening to her, Zhang Yu began to understand the tournament on a deeper level.

Each university would showcase its cutting-edge Immortal Dao technology through these contests—both individual and team matches.

It was not just a tournament, but also a trade show for Immortal Dao advancements and a demonstration of martial prowess.

The results of the Ten-School Tournament each year had massive ripple effects: on research trends, investment flows, university and corporate stock prices, recruitment rankings—even resource allocation across different regions.

Bai Zhenzhen added, “The Ten-School Tournament isn’t just influential on a national scale—it’s life-changing for the participants.”

“If you perform well, rise to prominence, or even place, you’ll be noticed by major companies and offered elite job opportunities. It’ll also give you an edge in graduate or doctoral admissions.”

“And if you go all the way—sweep all the individual events in the Military Competition and win the grand slam—you’ll be crowned the strongest undergraduate of the Ten Academies…”

At this point, Bai Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up like stars, dazzling and full of dreams.

“Stand at the very top of the Ten Academies, and you’ll be granted usage rights for an Immortal-Class Technique. Of course, you won’t be allowed to enter the competition again after that.”

Zhang Yu’s gaze also sharpened at those words.

Techniques were divided into five tiers: Basic, Advanced, Expert-Grade, Military-Grade, and Immortal-Class.

Since high school, the techniques Zhang Yu had practiced were almost all Expert-Grade.

It wasn’t until his final year that he managed—through blood, sweat, and coincidence—to acquire the Military-Grade technique Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force, along with the nearly Military-Grade full version of the Sacrificial Oxheart Technique.

As for true Military-Grade techniques used in Kunxu, he’d only witnessed them once—Mo Shangjin of the upperclassmen demonstrating the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might at a construction site, a scene that had seared itself into Zhang Yu’s memory.

“There really is a sky-high gap between Military-Grade and Expert-Grade techniques… it’s like comparing two different dimensions.”

He couldn’t help but wonder, “Then how powerful must an Immortal-Class Technique be?”

Bai Zhenzhen continued, “Yuzi, an Immortal-Class Technique isn’t just useful for undergrad years or the Foundation Establishment Realm.”

“If you keep cultivating it, it’ll give you massive advantages even at the Gold Core or Nascent Soul stage!”

“Plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators don’t even have the right to use an Immortal-Class Technique.”

Getting visibly excited, Bai Zhenzhen said, “Just possessing usage rights for one Immortal-Class Technique makes you a cut above the rest at university. You’ll be the envy of all students!”

“The university will go all-in grooming you. Companies will line up to throw money at you. You’ll have your pick of doctoral advisors!”

She clenched her fists, cheeks flushed with passion. “We’ll be drenched in glory, trophies, and spirit coins as we’re directly admitted into doctoral programs!”

“Yuzi, don’t you want to dominate the academic food chain? Crush all those rich kids from elite families underfoot? Humiliate them without mercy—and become the Undergraduate Emperor who’s gifted a doctorate?”

Zhang Yu could already see it—standing at the summit, revered by tens of thousands. His blood began to boil.

“That actually got me fired up.”

He nodded, fists tightening. “Of course I want that.”

Bai Zhenzhen grinned. “Then let’s make a pact, Yuzi.”

She held out her hand. “Let’s both enter the Ten-School Tournament. See who reaches the top first.”

As he looked at her outstretched hand, Zhang Yu had a sudden flashback—to the Bai Zhenzhen who once made a pact with him to both get into one of the Ten Great Academies.

This time, too, faced with an even more impossible challenge, Zhang Yu didn’t hesitate. He reached out and placed his hand against hers.

“Ah-Zhen, it’s a promise. See you at the Ten-School Tournament.”

Across the Spiritual Realm Network, their palms pressed together.

Though there was no physical contact, they both felt it—the pulse of life through the digital divide, the unshakable resolve burning in the other’s eyes.

After the call ended—

Zhang Yu looked over at Zhang Pianpian and asked curiously, “Jie… Senior Sister, how do you sign up for the Ten-School Tournament?”

Zhang Pianpian answered flatly, “Students from the Ten Academies within the Foundation Establishment Realm can join through school selection. Normally, you need to rank top ten in your department.”

Zhang Yu thought that didn’t sound too hard—until she added, “If you mean the Military Competition part of the Ten-School Tournament…”

“You also need a Military Certification and to have mastered a Military-Grade Technique.”

Seeing Zhang Yu’s surprise, Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly. “Isn’t it normal for a Military Competition to require Military-Grade power? I hear it wasn’t always this strict—but standards only ever rise, never fall.”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Military-Grade Technique? For the Civil Engineering Department’s Military-Grade, you need seven years of being class rank one. But I’m switching majors… so I’d have to aim for one in the Artifact Refinement Department instead?”

As he calculated his odds, Fu Ji had already pulled up search results in the Spiritual Realm Network, musing, “Winning every individual Military Competition event and becoming the Ten-Academy Champion… no one’s done that in decades, have they?”

“Immortal-Class Techniques aren’t easy to earn. The waters here run deep.”

“But participating and placing high in the tournament—that’s still a good thing.”

“Bai Zhenzhen probably just wants to motivate Zhang Yu.”

Then she paused. “Still… after so many calls with Bai Zhenzhen, I’ve never once seen her current ranking at Heavenly Sword Sect University. Is she hiding it on purpose?”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Zhang Pianpian looked at Zhang Yu and thought, “The Ten-School Tournament… if my little brother keeps progressing at this rate, maybe in a few years… we could enter the team matches together.”

“If we place well, I might be able to extend my studies and enter grad school or even a PhD program—without reporting to the Divine Department right after undergrad.”

…

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu continued his usual cycle of studying, overtime work, and cultivation.

One night, with spirit energy coursing through him, nourishing every inch of muscle and bone, he finally advanced his Health-Preserving Technique to level 20.

At level 20, the technique allowed him to gather spirit energy directly into the body, dramatically improving his physical conditioning without needing to refine mana.

But to Zhang Yu, the effects still felt too slow. All that slow-paced, long-term strengthening?

“How is this pace supposed to keep up with Kunxu? With the Ten Academies?”

“Compared to slowly cultivating, it’s better to just eat more supplements and health products.”

Returning to the dorm from the construction site early that morning, Zhang Yu saw a package by the door—his delivery had arrived.

He picked it up, opened the door, and walked in—only to hear a thud as Yu Xinghan spun around, frantically yanking up his pants.

Yu Xinghan barked, “What the hell, man—ever heard of knocking?!”

“Do you have zero respect for your roommates?!”

Zhang Yu snorted. “And you couldn’t go find an empty spot below the 100th floor? Who’s disrespecting this dorm here?”

Yu Xinghan snapped back, “Don’t think I don’t know what you and Le Mulan were up to in here!”

“Uh?” Zhang Yu replied, a little awkwardly. “Stop changing the subject.”

Yu Xinghan grumbled, “Hmph, secretly making money without looping in your bros? I backed you hard in high school and dropped serious cash on you.”

Zhang Yu replied, “Didn’t I repay you? If I hadn’t recommended you to Red Tower, you’d have been castrated a second time by now. Instead, you rebuilt your Immortal Dao foundation and got your seed freedom.”

Outside the dorm, Le Mulan had just returned from a night shift at the pharmaceutical factory. Opening the door, she caught the tail end of their argument.

She froze in embarrassment. She had thought their trysts were well-hidden—but somehow Yu Xinghan had still found out?

“How did he know?” she wondered. “I didn’t leak a single thing.”

But she quickly buried the thought. Another concern came to mind: “Next time I’ll have to meet Zhang Yu outside. If anyone finds out I’m letting him earn side income solo, it could really strain the roommate dynamic.”

She knew well—on any floor, high school or university—making money without involving your friends was a surefire way to spark conflict.

Meanwhile, Xuange stood beside Le Mulan, listening to the commotion inside. A thoughtful look flickered across her face.

“So they’ve known each other since high school? And were already boosting their Immortal Dao foundation that way?”

Her gaze sharpened. “High school on the first floor… is that kind of freedom really allowed?”

“And clearly… four-way cultivation really is a lot messier than dual cultivation.”

“How many times you pair with whom, who cultivates with who more, who benefits more each month… It all ties into the complex dynamics of poly-cultivation.”