No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

During the time Zhang Yu was working with Tian Yang, Wang Yin’s daily “sponsorships” ensured he had food every day—replenishing his vital essence and nourishing his core.

He even had professional technicians massaging him to help heal his body and speed up post-cultivation recovery.

“As for the side effects from all the massage therapists,” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “I, of course, overcame them with my supreme will.”

Combined with an abundance of tiger-and-wolf tonics and the dense spiritual essence of the graveyard environment, his cultivation conditions had never been better. His cultivation speed soared past all previous records.

“If Wang Yin knew Tian Yang and I were just acting, scamming him for spirit coins, and never even left the construction site after work… would he be even more furious? Would he utterly loathe me?”

Fu Ji replied calmly, “If he finds out the truth, the first one to suffer won’t be you.”

Zhang Yu was surprised. “Himself?”

Fu Ji said, “Heh, the key to scamming someone is making sure they taste some benefits.”

“Only once someone has reaped the rewards and felt the gain will they fall deeper and deeper into the trap—so much so that even knowing it’s a lie, they’ll refuse to confront it.”

“Wang Yin is rich. Just hating you isn’t enough to get him this invested.”

“I suspect,” Fu Ji mused, “that you’ve become his inner demon. He needs you to patch the flaw in his Dao Heart.”

“And if he finds out the truth—that you weren’t being toyed with, but instead used the resources he poured in to cultivate better—then that inner demon will worsen, the flaw in his Heart Technique will deepen, and not only will his Dao Heart fail to recover… it might even regress.”

Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up. “So I’ve got a card to play against him?”

Fu Ji said coolly, “That card isn’t held by you alone.”

Zhang Yu thought, “Tian Yang… and his friend from Netherworld University? Could it be that the people from Netherworld University are digging a trap for Wang Yin?”

Lacking enough information, Zhang Yu still felt like a blind man feeling an elephant—unable to grasp the full picture.

So he shelved these thoughts and focused back on cultivation. After all, grades, rankings, and cultivation—those were his only real lifelines at Wanfa University.

He took a deep breath and activated his Breathing Technique once more.

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu cultivated, worked, attended online classes, ate, got massages, paid for cultivation services with spirit coins, and even helped Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan with their training when he had time.

Each day felt like it didn’t have enough hours. He wished he could split himself into several bodies.

Yet amid this chaos, his cultivation soared.

In a flash, over ten days passed. One day, Zhang Yu was once again cultivating at the construction site.

His Dao Heart had reached Level 14 (25.3%).

Feeling his will grow ever firmer, and picturing the proud white ox striding through the churning black mire in his mind, Zhang Yu thought, “Once my Dao Heart reaches Level 15, I can start trying out a Secondary Heart Technique.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t tested for compatibility yet.”

“I wonder which Heart Technique best suits me—and the Sacrificial Oxheart Technique.”

Meanwhile, the mana in his body surged powerfully. His mana level had reached 610.9, and the quality of that mana hit 165%.

Whenever he moved, Martial Qi rolled out like a tidal cloud, forming whirlpools that twisted steel mesh, dismantled clutter, or swept away garbage…

Then suddenly, his whole body trembled. He felt his flesh fuse seamlessly with mana and Martial Qi.

“My body strength just broke through to Level 15.”

Although he had focused on Breathing Techniques lately, Zhang Yu still squeezed in physical training whenever possible.

With regular meals, constant massages, and daily hammering under the Nine Hells Mountain-Suppressing Belt’s 30x gravity…

His body strength had finally hit Level 15.

“Just like Lang Yougong always said…”

Zhang Yu flicked his finger, and Martial Qi rippled out like waves. The shockwave from his finger blast struck a wall ten meters away with a light snap.

With his body strength at Level 15, he could feel how mana and body had become one—Martial Qi now an extension of his limbs.

Every punch and kick he threw now transmitted force across distance through Martial Qi.

Later, he measured it in the training hall. His Martial Qi conduction rate was 35%, with a maximum range of 38 meters.

In other words, a punch could carry 35% of its strength across a distance of up to 38 meters via Martial Qi.

Beyond that, the force would rapidly decay.

“To improve both conduction rate and distance, I’ll need to enhance my mana, mana quality, body strength, and martial techniques.”

Zhang Yu resolved, “It’ll take all-around growth. One step at a time.”

He spread his fingers and gently activated his power. In the air ten meters away, a Formless Cloud Qi hand took shape, lifting a piece of rubble.

Martial Qi had become like new limbs—conduits of force at a thought.

“Manual labor just got a lot easier.”

But aside from strength gains, Zhang Yu’s biggest harvest lately was spirit coins.

Despite heavy spending, the coins Tian Yang funneled to him had steadily grown his balance.

Especially after staging that scene of “failing to get overtime approval,” Tian Yang had traded a Netherworld University artifact to Wang Yin and transferred 22.5 spirit coins to Zhang Yu—half the market value.

Zhang Yu couldn’t help marveling, “Wang Yin really is a fat sheep. Just look how many people and jobs he’s feeding.”

Now his balance had grown to over 29.1 spirit coins.

As for how to spend it next… well, there were too many options. Zhang Yu hadn’t decided yet.

Just then, two figures came bounding over.

Yu Xinghan: “Bro!”

Li Xiao: “Yu-ge!”

Yu Xinghan said eagerly, “Let’s go, let’s go—it’s massage time!”

Li Xiao didn’t say anything but looked at Zhang Yu with sparkling eyes.

Thanks to Wang Yin’s generosity, not only did Zhang Yu enjoy multiple daily massages, but Yu Xinghan and Li Xiao also managed to sneak in when Zhang Yu couldn’t use all the technicians. After all, Wang Yin was footing the bill.

Zhang Yu pulled up Tian Yang’s avatar in his EyeNet. “Looks like it’s not ready yet.”

These days, Tian Yang handled all the massage scheduling and just pinged him when it was time.

Yu Xinghan looked disappointed. The third eye on his forehead spun as he thought, “Sigh, I’ve almost learned all their techniques. Don’t tell me they’re canceling today?”

With his Three-Eyed Divine Sight’s mimicry ability, Yu Xinghan had been secretly studying the massage techniques.

At that moment, Zhang Yu got a message from Tian Yang: “We may have been exposed.”

…

Netherworld University.

Wang Yin stared at the video in his EyeNet, his expression growing darker by the second.

In the footage, Zhang Yu was wolfing down food—heaping bowls of Heavenly Essence Rice, plate after plate of Dragon Liver and Phoenix Gallbladder.

Even after five bowls of rice and three plates of meat, Zhang Yu looked completely unfazed, digesting it all with ease.

The footage was from a recent banquet hosted by Ye Xingli. Zhang Yu had been caught on camera stuffing his face.

Watching Zhang Yu gorge himself without breaking a sweat, Wang Yin’s thoughts turned cold. “Heh… so this is his real appetite?”

Other reports about Zhang Yu’s recent activities flashed across his screen.

“Tian Yang… Zhang Yu…”

Wang Yin ground his teeth. “You played me?”

The idea that someone of his wealth had been fooled like this—pouring money into Zhang Yu’s hands, only to empower his cultivation—made Wang Yin’s fury erupt like a volcano.

And with that anger, his Golden Abundance Technique nearly stopped circulating. His Dao Heart, which had just recovered to Level 16, wavered violently.

His face turned green, then pale. His mana and blood surged out of control, his organs wracked with pain…

Pfft!

He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. His Dao Heart dropped back to Level 15—and kept plummeting.

“Damn it… That beast Tian Yang colluded with Zhang Yu?”

“And Mo Xingzi, the one who introduced Tian Yang to me—was he in on it? Did he set this trap on purpose to destroy my Dao Heart?”

Wang Yin knew that now, more than ever, he had to steady his mind. But he couldn’t stop the storm of thoughts.

The humiliation of being toyed with, Zhang Yu’s secret smugness—all of it made his Dao Heart falter further. His power teetered on collapse.

Just then, a woman’s voice echoed in his ear: “My son, don’t overthink it. I was the one who told Mo Xingzi to do this.”

“Mother?” Wang Yin froze, stunned. “You wanted him to deceive me?”

The woman replied calmly, “I simply asked him to point out the flaw in your heart. I never expected he’d actually find someone like Zhang Yu to provoke you.”

Before Wang Yin could respond, she continued briskly, “You’ve had a smooth life since birth. After you mastered the Golden Abundance Technique, I began to worry.”

“That technique comes from ancient imperial Heart Techniques—success in good times, failure in bad. But even immortals face misfortune. Why wouldn’t we?”

“Even with vast wealth, failure is inevitable. What matters isn’t avoiding it—but knowing how to get back up afterward.”

“This time you lost to Zhang Yu, a penniless nobody. You can throw money at him for revenge. But what if next time, it’s someone richer and more powerful than you?”

Wang Yin murmured, “You want me to shift my mindset—to mend the flaw myself?”

“Exactly,” she said. “A Heart Technique should support a cultivator—not shackle their thinking.”

“You should control the technique—not let it control you.”

Wang Yin still struggled. “But Zhang Yu…”

She dismissed it coldly: “That insect only knows how to grub in the dirt. He’s nothing but a tool. The real culprit isn’t the knife—it’s the hand that wielded it.”

“Zhang Yu isn’t even worth your anger.”

“What matters more is the crack in your heart.”

“This failure exposed the flaw. If you can mend it, you’ve still got hope for the Gold Core stage. If not, don’t waste another spirit coin.”

“If you succeed, I’ll arrange a tutor for your graduate entrance prep. In a year, break through to Gold Core, aim for Nascent Soul—and by then, Zhang Yu will be nothing but a dry bone in a grave.”

…

Ever since learning their cover might be blown, Zhang Yu had been on constant alert, fearing revenge from Wang Yin.

But days passed. May approached. Everything remained eerily calm—like nothing had happened.

At the same time, Zhang Yu finally completed his sixth Breathing Technique. Mana Pulse Flowing Stream had reached its first stage.