Chapter 281: University Courses

Chapter 281: University Courses

Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen and said, "Don't worry, Ah Zhen. If anyone dares to mess with me, I’ll call you from now on."

"Mm," Bai Zhenzhen nodded with a smile, but then remembered something and pursed her lips. "It’s a pity I can’t transfer the spirit coins to you today."

"After Mom (the Seven Emotions Divine Lord) found out about the last transfer I made to you, she scolded me and forbade me from giving you any more spirit coins."

"Sigh, how stingy. It’s only five spirit coins, right? Wait for me to figure something out. I’ll find a chance to give you the money later."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu quickly advised, "Ah Zhen, don’t rush this matter. At Tianjian University, you should consider the Divine Lord’s thoughts more. Be careful not to anger her."

Fuji reminded, "Yes, don’t end up on the hostile list of the Divine Ancestor just because Bai Zhenzhen keeps spending money on you."

Zhang Yu nodded. "Ah Zhen, next time you transfer money, don’t use my name. Transfer it to Yu Xinghan first... no, wait..."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yu said, "You can transfer it to Sister or Le Mulan. I’ll take it from them and spend it secretly."

Bai Zhenzhen patted her chest confidently. "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. If there’s a problem, I’ll discuss it with you in advance."

The two of them engaged in another lively conversation. After Bai Zhenzhen turned around a few times, as if urged by someone, she finally wore a reluctant expression and said, "Yu Zi, I need to go meditate."

Zhang Yu nodded understandingly. "Go ahead. I’ll hang up first."

But Bai Zhenzhen suddenly turned her head again, as if listening to someone, then smiled and said, "It’s fine. Let’s just keep the call open."

"Mom said we can keep the communication open while we each cultivate. It helps nurture friendships and prepares us for the Path of Extreme Emotions."

And so, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen didn’t end the projection call. Instead, they each began their cultivation.

Though they didn’t speak to each other again, as Zhang Yu practiced the Seventy-Two Forms of Foundation Building and Body Refinement, he occasionally caught sight of Bai Zhenzhen meditating nearby. It felt like returning to the first layer, where she was still by his side, cultivating together.

Though Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t see Zhang Yu with her eyes closed, the advanced technology of the Spirit Realm network allowed her to hear the sounds of his movements and breathing as he trained, as if he were right beside her.

It was as if everything had returned to the past, causing Bai Zhenzhen’s lips to curl into a slight smile.

In the blink of an eye, several hours passed. Bai Zhenzhen opened her eyes, exhaled deeply, and said, "Yu Zi, I need to go to class."

Foundation Building and Body Refinement Seventy-Two Forms: Level 8 → Level 9

Zhang Yu also stopped his movements and nodded. "I should head to class too."

"See you tomorrow night."

"See you tomorrow night."

After bidding each other farewell, with a flash of light, Bai Zhenzhen vanished from Zhang Yu’s sight like an illusion.

Then, with a thought, Zhang Yu checked his current data usage, a pained expression crossing his face. "Although it feels nice to have Ah Zhen accompany me while training..."

"If I consume this much data every day, I’ll burn through my monthly allowance in just a few days."

"As expected, maintaining friendships with good buddies on the second layer is expensive."

Just as Zhang Yu was worrying, the dormitory door opened, and Yu Xinghan urged, "Zhang Yu, have you eaten? After eating, we need to head to class. We can’t be late for the first lesson today."

Noticing Zhang Yu’s expression, Yu Xinghan asked curiously, "Why do you look so upset? Did you realize your feelings have faded while talking to Bai Zhenzhen? After all, she’s now a disciple of a Divine Ancestor. You should prepare early."

Zhang Yu said calmly, "Stop talking nonsense. You don’t understand the bond between Ah Zhen and me."

Yu Xinghan replied, "Hah, what feelings don’t change? Do you think Old Deng never had life-and-death comrades or brothers-in-arms?"

"Look at how many reached out to help him after he fell to the first layer."

"Feelings are temporary. Money is real—it can become your cultivation, your strength, and stay with you forever."

"While you can still contact her, you should ask Bai Zhenzhen for as much money as possible. Even if you’re not friends later, at least you’ll have profited."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes, thinking, So your idea of preparing early is to ask her for more money?

Zhang Yu entered the dormitory, took out some synthetic food he’d brought from the first layer, and began eating while pulling up his class schedule on his Eye Socket.

The schedule had been shared in the Foundation Building class group yesterday, detailing the course arrangements for the next three months.

"These three months are the unified Foundation Building courses."

"After three months, it’ll be September, the start of the semester. Then, we’ll attend classes based on the courses we’ve chosen and registered for."

"By the end of the next academic year, all rankings will be finalized, determining each student’s standing and rewards..."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "That means I have a year to cultivate. I wonder how high I can climb in the rankings."

He glanced down at his palm, where the black symbol was mostly filled. Clearly, within a day or two, the Feather Book would open a new chapter.

Besides the schedule, Zhang Yu had also received a friend request from a True God yesterday.

"Is it the True God who arranged a teacher for me?"

Being able to designate a teacher upon entering university was one of the rewards Zhang Yu received after passing the Foundation Building exam.

After confirming the other party’s intentions through the friend request, Zhang Yu naturally didn’t designate a teacher, as he hardly knew any teachers in Wanfa University. The other party seemed aware of this and wasn’t in a hurry, telling Zhang Yu to take his time and decide by the end of his freshman year at the latest.

In addition, a scholarship of 2.5 spirit coins had been successfully deposited, pushing Zhang Yu’s total spirit coins past 12.

Just then, Yu Xinghan, who was eating nearby, asked, "By the way, when did people here stop eating food?"

Zhang Pianpian spoke eloquently, "The second layer of Kunxu... was once the medicinal garden of the Ten Great Sects, always growing herbs for them."

"Later, to expand cultivation and improve efficiency, they began recruiting mortals to help care for the herbs and taught them some immortal techniques."

"As more people gathered, schools were gradually established, eventually evolving into various universities. Many people here became reserve forces for the sects."

"To sell herbs to the upper layers for more profit, companies and universities continuously expanded herb cultivation areas, squeezing out space for growing and raising food."

"Gradually, food became more expensive for locals. Some began using the leftover scraps of herbs sold to the upper layers to refine medicines that replenish stamina, energy, and meet nutritional needs."

"With food expensive and medicine cheap, some naturally started relying on medicine for sustenance. Then, they found that cement was the cheapest way to suppress digestion, so some began swallowing cement."

Zhang Yu suddenly asked curiously, "What do mortals here eat? Without cultivating immortality, it’s not easy to withstand the effects of medicine or cement, right?"

Zhang Pianpian smiled at this. "The mortals in Wanfa University City live below the 100th layer, a place cultivators rarely visit."

"Their condition... is hard to describe. Let’s just say they’re very happy."

"If you’re interested, go see for yourself when you have time."

"In short, the current situation is a balance reached by universities, companies, sects... and the efforts of people adapting to their environment."

"After all, to climb higher in Kunxu, you need to adapt to various environments. If medicine is cheap here, take medicine. If you go somewhere else where food is cheap, eat food."

Yu Xinghan looked at this senior from Bailong, recalling the teachings of Starfire True Person, and nodded slightly. "You’re right. We should adapt to the environment here too."

He stretched out his hand and asked, "Can you share some cement with me?"

Holding the synthetic food in his other hand, Yu Xinghan thought, "I won’t eat synthetic food anymore... Since food is expensive here, I’ll sell it and see if I can earn some spirit coins."

Le Mulan beside him also reached out. "Can you share some with me? I want to adapt to the environment here as soon as possible."

Yu Xinghan glanced at Zhang Yu and asked, "Don’t you want some?"

Zhang Yu replied casually, "I can already control my digestive system and weaken my digestion through willpower. I don’t need external substances to suppress it."

Yu Xinghan cursed inwardly, thinking this guy was showing off again.

Having cultivated with Zhang Yu for a considerable time on the first layer, he knew all too well how terrifying Zhang Yu’s talent was.

Zhang Pianpian, however, looked at Zhang Yu with surprise and admiration. "Xiao Yu, it seems you’ve made significant progress over these two years."

After finishing breakfast, the group each headed to their classes, guided by the navigation in their Eye Sockets.

Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan, trailing streaks of electric light, darted swiftly through the magnetic passageway.

Yu Xinghan urged, "Hurry up, hurry up! We'll be fined if we're late here."

Zhang Yu replied with calm composure, "The classroom is on the 200th floor. It's less than a kilometer from the dormitory area on the 125th floor. We'll be there in no time—no need to rush."

Upon entering the classroom, Zhang Yu saw that most of the students had already arrived, but the teacher was nowhere to be seen.

...

Just seconds before class began, the ocular implants of the many students present flickered in unison as a projection materialized before them.

It was a phoenix, its entire body shimmering with blazing flames.

The phoenix swept a cool gaze over the crowd, and then a woman's voice echoed, "I am your teacher for this lesson. You may call me Feng Jiu. I will be instructing you on the most fundamental principles of the Dao Heart in Foundation Establishment."

"I primarily work deep within the Spirit Realm, with my physical body in a prolonged slumber. What you see now is my manifestation in the Spirit Realm..."

Zhang Yu thought in surprise, "Is this considered teaching with a virtual avatar?"

Fuji asked curiously, "What? What? Has the teacher arrived? Why can't I see her?"

Just as Zhang Yu was about to explain, Yu Xinghan beside him said, "Zhang Yu, look—there's a phoenix."

Zhang Yu sighed helplessly, "Why is there a delay again?"

Only then did Yu Xinghan realize that his newly replaced ocular implant worked fine in less crowded areas, but in places with many people, it suffered from a slight delay.

"It's fine. After all, this Jihu-brand ocular implant was cheap enough. The performance is a bit lacking, but it won't affect the class. I'll upgrade to a better one once I earn some money."

(End of Chapter)