No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

That night.

Zhang Yu was channeling Mana Infusion into Le Mulan when flashes of today's advertisement videos kept popping up in his mind, making him increasingly agitated.

Even Le Mulan in his arms was starting to feel unbearably hot to him.

Zhang Yu couldn’t help muttering inwardly, “Maybe I should just go to the bathroom?”

Fu Ji snapped, “Is that really why you want to go? Think about your goals—you’re trying to get into one of the Ten Major Sects! How can you afford to do anything that might affect your performance?”

Le Mulan squirmed slightly and whispered, “Zhang Yu, it’s getting a little too warm down there…”

Just as Zhang Yu’s breathing was growing heavier, Bai Zhenzhen’s communication call lit up again like a bucket of cold water, instantly dampening his rising impulse.

He accepted the call. After a quick glance at the scene, Bai Zhenzhen’s expression turned stern.

“You’re selling Mana to Le Mulan?”

Zhang Yu couldn’t explain the Feathered Tome and Dao Seed, so he simply nodded.

Bai Zhenzhen frowned. “Do you have any idea how risky this is right now?”

“Do you even know what state your body is in? You’re basically made of paper at this point!”

“You think you can handle it? Lying there selling Mana while hugging Le Mulan?”

Bai Zhenzhen scolded him bitterly. “You think you’re holding Le Mulan? You’re hugging a fast track to a plummeting GPA.”

“If your Mana flares out of control, how many days of cultivation will go down the drain?”

“Don’t throw away your future for a few scraps of cash.”

“Have you forgotten our agreement to enter the Ten Major Leagues together?”

Zhang Yu nodded. “Don’t worry, Ah-Zhen. It’s still within my control. I can take it.”

Bai Zhenzhen said, “Then from now on, every transaction you do with Le Mulan—record the whole thing and send it to me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but think of it as supervision. A little extra lock for your own good.”

Though reluctant, Zhang Yu knew she meant well. He thought of the heavy college coursework and his distant aspirations…

“Another layer of insurance can’t hurt.”

“Alright, Ah-Zhen. I’ll do it.”

After hanging up, Le Mulan asked, “Was that Bai Zhenzhen?”

Zhang Yu nodded, and Le Mulan didn’t seem surprised. She had seen him answering Bai Zhenzhen’s calls at all hours lately.

Then she finally asked a question that had been bottled up for a long time.

“Zhang Yu, do you want to have kids?”

“Pft—” Zhang Yu sucked in a sharp breath. He felt like he was down to his last sliver of HP.

He glared. “What are you talking about?”

Le Mulan replied, “A company wants to buy your fertility rights…”

“Not selling,” Zhang Yu replied without hesitation.

“And listen—during these moments, keep your mouth shut.”

Time slipped by in his struggle and endurance. Before he knew it, October was over.

By then, Zhang Yu had mastered four Techniques for his Martial Saint Embryo. With his income rising, his savings finally broke through 9 spirit coins. Add in the 5 spirit coins his sister repaid this month, and the total reached 14.

…

In the Simulation Worksite.

Yu Xinghan was massaging Che Yufei, sending surges of force into his body using his fingertip Law Husk.

Che Yufei sighed with relief. “You're really giving me a discount?”

Yu Xinghan smiled. “Of course! Teammates always get a discount. If you like my massage, spread the word—I’ll give you a rebate for each referral.”

“Oh, and does Shi Huaiyu get massages? Just by looking, I can tell her body has a serious cold-damp constitution. She needs this badly.”

Even while chatting, Yu Xinghan was using his Three-Eyed Divine Sight to observe the sparring match on the field.

The duel was between Shi Huaiyu and Zhang Yu.

Shi Huaiyu’s every strike stirred up clouds of dirt and sand, bearing down on Zhang Yu like landslides and tidal waves.

“Zhang Yu, we might face someone who’s been top of their class for three straight years and has mastered three Techniques from the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes—someone who can use the Small Threefold Harmony.”

As waves of debris crashed toward him like tsunamis, Zhang Yu countered by amplifying their weight with the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal, then smashed through them using the Earthshatter Strike.

His thoughts flicked to Ma Xuan, the first person who’d shown him the Small Threefold Harmony.

The first three Techniques of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes formed the Small Threefold Harmony, allowing control of the ground through an invisible force field. It manipulated metal and minerals within a vast area.

Shi Huaiyu continued, “You’ve got a tough body and ridiculous defense. Once your opponents figure that out, they won’t try to beat you—they’ll try to trap you.”

“That’s where the Small Threefold Harmony really shines.”

“You need to learn how to hold out longer against it.”

Zhang Yu stomped down with both feet, sending a surge of Xuanhuang energy into the ground to weigh down the sand and momentarily suppress it.

Then he shouted, “What’s wrong, broke-ass? Outta Qi already? Hit me like you mean it!”

At that moment, the sandstorm abruptly scattered. Shi Huaiyu clutched her waist with a grimace.

Zhang Yu was startled. “Senior…”

Shi Huaiyu shook her head. “It’s not you. If I can’t handle taunts during training, what will I do in real matches?”

“My kidney’s acting up again. Just now I swear I saw a family of three appear before my eyes…”

“No worries. I’ll watch some ads, earn a few coupons, calm myself down. You guys carry on.”

Zhang Yu mused, “How is someone who’s been top of her class for years still this broke?”

…

“Shi Huaiyu—failed at stock trading, went bankrupt last year. Uses second-hand Law Husks, even has a Ghost Kidney.”

“Che Yufei—living on borrowed time, broke as hell. Might drop dead on-site any day.”

“Shi Yunxiang—hah. Demon-Kin.”

“Tian Yang—utterly average in every category.”

“Xiao Qingxuan—the only one worth watching in the whole team.”

Ji Yuanshu reviewed the dossier on Zhang Yu’s competition team.

“Besides Xiao Qingxuan, the rest are a bunch of losers?”

“This is the team you’re banking on, Zhang Yu?”

He shook his head. All concern vanished from his heart.

“All I have to do now is focus on myself and secure a good rank.”

No matter what, there was no way Zhang Yu would beat him.

…

Outside Zhang Yu’s dorm.

Li Xiao spotted Xuange and nodded. “Here again?”

They weren’t exactly friends, but after bumping into each other so often outside Zhang Yu’s room, a silent familiarity had formed.

Li Xiao thought, “This guy… wants to worm his way into Zhang Yu’s circle too?”

Xuange thought, “This guy… still trying to sponge off Zhang Yu for extra training? I’ve seen him hanging around since last year. Persistent little leech.”

Moments later, Le Mulan opened the door. From inside came Zhang Yu’s voice: “Xuange, come in.”

Xuange smirked at Li Xiao, thinking, “I’ve already passed you. You just keep waiting out here.”

Watching the door close in his face, Li Xiao felt like he was looking at last year’s version of himself.

He was stunned. “Is Xuange actually closer to Zhang Yu than I am?”

Lately, he couldn’t sit next to Zhang Yu in class, and his application to join the competition team was denied. The distance between them felt like it was growing by the day.

Inside, Zhang Yu sent Bai Zhenzhen the newly recorded video of his Mana transaction with Le Mulan.

…

At Heavenly Sword Sect University.

Bai Zhenzhen reviewed the video quickly, her expression puzzled.

“Why does Zhang Yu look both in pain and happy at the same time?”

Seven Sentiments Lord spoke in her ear, “That’s called desire. If you want to understand, you could undergo the reversal surgery and experience it for yourself.”

Bai Zhenzhen immediately rejected it. “Why would I want to know that? It’s useless for cultivation and a waste of time.”

Seven Sentiments Lord replied, “Desire is part of the Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship. How can it be useless?”

“Every emotion can fuel your sword.”

“For instance, when you heard them talking about having children—didn’t you feel a flicker of emotion?”

Bai Zhenzhen frowned slightly. “I was surprised at first.”

“But from what they said, they were just talking about selling fertility rights.”

“When it comes to gene-licensing deals, of course they need to be specific. That conversation was perfectly reasonable.”

Seven Sentiments Lord said, “But considering Zhang Yu’s interest in biological females, don’t you think he’ll eventually build a family? Maybe even have children?”

“He’ll have real family.”

“And you won’t be the person he’s closest to anymore.”

“Your bond will fade…”

Bai Zhenzhen laughed. “No way. Zhang Yu is in the middle of a crucial sprint down the Immortal Path. There’s no way he’d do something that would drain his potential.”

“Starting a family, having kids—that’s for when the Immortal Path hits a dead end.”

“Besides, we agreed to enter the Ten Major Leagues together. He won’t get distracted by anything so stupid.”

Seven Sentiments Lord asked, “But what if he wants to anyway?”

Without hesitation, Bai Zhenzhen said, “He’s my best brother. I’m also like a second mother to him. If he strays from the Immortal Path, I’ll bring him back.”

“I’ll stop him from making a mistake.”

“If it comes to it, I’ll perform the sterilization myself.”

“I’ve long wanted to sever that troublesome root of his.”

“Even if he resists now, he’s just being controlled by his hormones. Once he’s back to normal, he’ll understand I did it for his own good.”

Seven Sentiments Lord fell silent for a moment before murmuring, “You young folks these days… your thinking really is different from ours. But that’s not a bad thing.”

Bai Zhenzhen stood up. “Alright, time to get back to cultivation.”

“The Flying Sword Tournament is right around the corner.”

As time flew by with her training, November passed in a blink. Bai Zhenzhen was already on her way to Wanfa University.