Chapter 304: This Is a Body Tempered on Construction Sites (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 304: This is the Flesh Forged on the Construction Site (Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

Zhang Yu did not feel he was risking his life; after all, with the physical activation brought by the Crippled Ox Self-Sacrifice Mind Art, the current exertion of the War Demon Lifespan-Withering Technique was still well within his limits of endurance.

Furthermore, he had just found and consumed a Lifespan Extension Pill a few days ago, gaining an extra year of life, so it mattered little if he burned through a portion of it now.

Lady Fu often told him that holding onto lifespan yielded no interest, so it was better to burn it when there was profit to be made; at worst, he could always earn it back in the future.

At this moment, far from suffering any loss of lifespan, the violent eruption of Zhang Yu's physical body and astral qi instead stimulated the residual medicinal potencies lingering within him.

Over the past few days, he had consumed numerous semi-finished drugs at the pharmaceutical factory; some took effect immediately, while others settled deep within his body as latent medicinal force, slowly being absorbed.

But now, with the furious circulation of blood vitality and dharmic power throughout his entire body, these medicinal forces were churned up and accelerated in absorption, allowing Zhang Yu's physical strength to faintly achieve yet another breakthrough.

Physical Strength +0.01 Level

In Ying Xin's eyes, however, Zhang Yu's speed surged once more by a fraction, putting several body-lengths of distance between them in the blink of an eye.

At this precise moment, the words of her father suddenly echoed in Ying Xin's mind.

Father: "Ying Xin, do not think of risking your life against those from the first floor."

Ying Xin remembered her defiance back then, how she had claimed she did not fear death, and that if it truly came to a desperate struggle, she would not fear those first-floor dwellers.

Father: Are you as impoverished as those first-floor people? Do you have as many loans as they do? Do you carry the kind of pressure they bear?

Father: You do not. Your life is far more precious than theirs; it is a bad bargain to risk your life against them, which is why you cannot summon the desperate resolve to do so.

Father: But if risking one's life were all it took to succeed, what would be the purpose of money? When it is time to throw money at a problem, you throw money...

At this thought, Ying Xin's gaze hardened, and a talismanic ledger materialized within her palm.

"Gales of the four quarters, heed my command! Move this for me!"

Instantly, as Ying Xin activated the talisman, waves of divine light surged forth, whipping up howling gusts that helped her hoist the construction debris, assisting her in carrying it downward.

Yet the moment Ying Xin overtook Zhang Yu, she discovered that his figure had expanded once more, his speed continuously skyrocketing.

"Still fighting desperately?" Ying Xin sneered inwardly. "Then do not blame me for plunging you into absolute despair."

Even as Zhang Yu and Ying Xin pursued one another, Tu Lishan on the 666th floor was currently observing the progress of their contest through the surveillance cameras along the route.

"Mhm, though Ying Xin refuses to risk her life, being willing to throw money at it is just as well. As long as you are willing to pay out of your own pocket to work and fund projects, who can say you are not a prodigy of the Civil Engineering Department?"

But upon seeing Zhang Yu accelerate once again, Tu Lishan's eyes filled with even greater admiration: "Good, good, good! One throws away his life, the other throws away money. They truly deserve to be called the prodigies of our Civil Engineering Department, both remarkable talents of our field."

With a resounding crash, Zhang Yu slammed onto the ground; the moment he reached the first basement floor, the muscles across his entire body absorbed the impact, dragging the sky full of construction materials as he flew like an arrow toward the waste disposal plant.

At this very moment, he had already activated the explosive state of the Spring and Autumn Boundless Zen, and the efficiency of the War Demon Lifespan-Withering Technique began to subtly consume his lifespan.

"Fortunately, I consumed a Lifespan Extension Pill."

"Holding onto this year of life yields no interest anyway, so converting a bit of it into power is perfectly fine."

On the other side, Ying Xin conjured a violent gale, drawing level with Zhang Yu.

Advancing with ferocious momentum, the two rushed forward side by side like a pair of great dragons, save that one was shrouded in mists and clouds while the other blazed with golden light, continuously accelerating amid the screaming of the atmosphere! Accelerating! And accelerating further!

After completing the delivery of the first wave of construction materials, the two shot forth again without a moment's pause, trailing long wakes of vaporized air as they charged once more toward the 666th floor.

Free from the burdensome weight of the construction materials, Zhang Yu's speed exploded to an even greater degree, tearing long vapor trails through the air as he drew further and further away from Ying Xin.

Watching this unfold, Ying Xin cursed inwardly: "Five hours! Let's see just how much of your lifespan you dare to gamble away!"

Back and forth they went, moving up and down time and again, and Ying Xin could only watch as Zhang Yu sprinted and erupted repeatedly without a single pause, showing absolutely no intention of slowing down.

Meanwhile, watching the consumption of spiritual coins on her talismanic ledger climb relentlessly, Ying Xin was ultimately forced to grit her teeth and deactivate her talismans.

Consequently, this caused Ying Xin to be left further and further behind in Zhang Yu's wake.

As the five-hour race neared its conclusion,

Under the strain of this five-hour, full-throttle pursuit, billowing waves of heat radiated continuously from Ying Xin's body; her skin was flushed crimson, and the muscles across her entire frame felt as though they were about to melt.

With every step she took, her muscles felt weak and yielding; with every breath she drew, a sharp pain pierced her chest.

At this moment, she was like a cannon barrel subjected to continuous overloading, its metal fatigue having reached its absolute threshold.

And when she raised her gaze, she saw Zhang Yu, his entire body flushed red and venting plumes of white vapor, whistle past as he continued his charge toward the waste disposal plant.

Ying Xin could not help but show a flicker of astonishment in her heart: "This guy... after pushing himself to such an extent, he still has strength to spare?"

"Just how much of his lifespan has he consumed?"

"No... impossible... this is not a strength achieved merely by gambling away one's lifespan."

A look of disbelief surfaced in Ying Xin's eyes: "Could it be that this fellow's... strength is already superior to mine?"

At this thought, she clenched her fists with deep reluctance: "How can this be? He clearly wears himself down on the construction site every single day, and the money he throws around is absolutely nowhere near what I spend..."

Meanwhile, Tu Lishan had walked slowly to Ying Xin's side, offering words of comfort: "Don't understand why you lost?"

"That lad Zhang Yu—when he was working every day on the construction site of the 666th floor, I could already tell that he was using the opportunity to cultivate various body-refining techniques."

"This is imposing an even harsher intensity upon himself while his body is being worn down by labor. It can be said that every ounce of his strength, every bit of his cultivation, was bartered for with his very life."

"Ying Xin, do you perceive now the difference between the flesh you bitterly trained within the refinement chambers and the flesh Zhang Yu forged upon the construction site?"

"To you, this is merely your studies, merely an opportunity. But to him... it is work, it is survival, and it is the very anchor of his hope to remain above in the future."

Looking at Ying Xin, who stood beside him with her head bowed in silence, Tu Lishan thought to himself: "If you were wealthy enough... to throw away money every day even more fiercely than he throws away his life, you could indeed suppress him, just like Gongshu Jin or Ji Yuanshu."

"A pity... your wealth is still not vast enough."

Just then, Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan rushed over as well.

Ying Xin frowned slightly; she couldn't help but feel that this Yu Xinghan had been staring at her for far too long.

Yu Xinghan thought to herself: "This video... once I go back, edit it a bit, and blur out the faces, I'll upload it to see how it performs. I wonder if a video of the Civil Engineering Department beauty will get views? I can't very well film my own daily life on the construction site; who would ever watch that?"

Beside them, Li Xiao assumed that Ying Xin had already secured the victory; after all, in his eyes, Ying Xin's strength was certainly superior to Zhang Yu's.

He offered consoling words, saying: "Ying Xin, we are all classmates here, let's not damage our good relations. Do me a favor and give me some face; you two should have a talk in a moment..."

Ying Xin gave him a frigid glare: "What face do you have to give?"

Watching Ying Xin turn away and leave without casting a single backward glance, a look of profound embarrassment surfaced on Li Xiao's face.

Right at that moment, the class leaderboard finally reached its time for renewal.

As Ying Xin watched the 'Class Rank 4' above Zhang Yu's head shift to 'Class Rank 3,' while the 'Class Rank 3' above her own head became 'Class Rank 4,' a look of realization dawned upon her face.

"As expected..." Ying Xin let out a bitter laugh, murmuring in her heart, "He is already above me; I am the weaker one in this battle."

Li Xiao also noticed the shift in rankings above Zhang Yu and Ying Xin, and recalling Ying Xin's behavior just moments ago...

Looking at Zhang Yu as he approached, Li Xiao asked in shocked disbelief: "You... did you actually defeat Ying Xin?"

Zhang Yu exhaled a plume of scorching white vapor: "Hmm? It seems so."

He glanced at Ying Xin's limping figure as she departed, reminding her: "Do not forget to transfer the money."

Tu Lishan looked at Zhang Yu and smiled: "Zhang Yu, you have done very well. However, when it is time to rest, you must rest properly. Once the wilderness project begins next month, there will be plenty to keep you busy."

After Tu Lishan departed, Li Xiao could not help but inquire: "Just how... how exactly do you cultivate?"

Zhang Yu spared him a glance, replying casually: "You cannot replicate my methods."

"If you truly wish to learn, you might as well learn from Yu Xinghan."

With that, Zhang Yu turned and took his leave, his silhouette flashing several times before soaring into the sky like a sharp arrow, rushing all the way back toward the 666th floor along the meta-magnetic channel.

Li Xiao quickly sent a message asking, "Where are you going?"

Zhang Yu: "Back to work overtime."

Li Xiao exclaimed in shock, "You still have to work overtime like this?"

Yu Xinghan curled his lip and said, "That's just how this guy is—he never stops. I’ve never seen him take a break. I suspect he’s giving himself extra work, not to compete with others, but as a reward for winning a match."

Li Xiao felt bewildered at that moment. Wasn’t overtime supposed to be something painful?

Could it be that what he himself had to endure with gritted teeth and silent patience was actually a source of joy for Zhang Yu?

Was the gap between people really this vast?

He truly couldn’t emulate the other’s way of cultivation.

Remembering what Zhang Yu had said about Yu Xinghan, Li Xiao asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

Yu Xinghan walked toward the magnetic passage and casually replied, "A massage."

...

Wanfa University City, 666th floor.

Not long after Zhang Yu started working, he received a transfer of 0.121 spirit coins from Ying Xin, pushing his balance to over 12.5.

Looking at the number in his balance, Zhang Yu smiled with satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad."

"Next, I can invest a bit more money to keep improving my results."

"I can also add a few more sessions of Taoist arts services..."

Zhang Yu began calculating how to spend the spirit coins in his account.

Just then, he received another message from Tu Lishan.

Tu Lishan: "Zhang Yu, Director Gao was very pleased with your performance today."

Tu Lishan: "He knows you’re short on money, so he specially arranged for you to come with me tomorrow to meet a teacher from the finance department and apply for a low-interest student loan."

Zhang Yu: "Thank you, Teacher Tu. Please also thank Director Gao for me."

Tu Lishan: "Teachers helping students is only natural. If you want to repay Director Gao, just perform well in next month’s field engineering project. This is a great era for us civil engineering students to shine. As long as you’re willing to work hard, opportunities won’t be lacking."

Zhang Yu asked, "What exactly is this field engineering project about?"

Instead of answering, Tu Lishan posed another question: "How much do you know about the university wars?"

Seeking monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)