Chapter 309: Mortality Rate and Disease Rate

Chapter 309: Mortality and Morbidity Rates

A vast expanse of ruins was cleared away, the ground leveled anew, and then rows of simple shelters were erected with the collective effort of numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Zhang Yu was assigned to a six-person room. As soon as he moved in with his luggage, he saw the white-haired student named Che Yufei, along with another student of beast-descendant heritage whose face was covered in thick fur.

Noticing Zhang Yu’s arrival, Che Yufei smiled and said, "First year? I’m Che Yufei, sixth year." He then gestured toward the beast-descendant beside him. "This is Shi Yunxiang, fourth year."

With that, Che Yufei shoved a handful of Dao Heart Buffer Capsules toward Zhang Yu. "Want some?"

Zhang Yu shook his head, smiling faintly. "These are too easy to get dependent on. I don’t really take them."

Despite possessing an exceptionally strong tolerance for drugs, Zhang Yu had always been reluctant to consume medications that buffered the Dao Heart.

Che Yufei was taken aback for a moment, giving Zhang Yu a strange look. It seemed he hadn’t expected a university student, especially one in the Civil Engineering Department, to refuse these.

Beside him, Shi Yunxiang grabbed the buffer capsules from Che Yufei’s hand and swallowed them. With the tone of someone who had been through it all, he advised, "Kid, when I was a freshman, I thought just like you—that after enduring so much hardship in high school, I wouldn’t be afraid of anything anymore."

"Heh…" He sneered, savoring the stimulating sensation the buffer capsules sent through his brain, and said contentedly, "But once the project officially starts, you’ll realize that the struggles and exhaustion of high school are nothing compared to what you’ll face here in university."

"If you don’t take some of this stuff, you really won’t make it."

Zhang Yu didn’t argue or dispute the point. After all, Shi Yunxiang meant well. It was just that Zhang Yu genuinely disliked taking Dao Heart buffer drugs.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s attitude, Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang didn’t press further. In their view, it wouldn’t be long before Zhang Yu was pushed to his limits, and he’d likely end up consuming even more Dao Heart buffer drugs than they did.

Soon, the other students in the six-person room arrived one by one. Zhang Yu observed that Che Yufei, as a sixth-year, was already the oldest among them.

Four of them were from the second tier, while Zhang Yu was the only one from the first tier, along with another student from the third tier.

After everyone introduced themselves, there was no further interaction. Each person either studied, practiced breath control, or went outside to cultivate their techniques.

After wandering around outside for a bit, Zhang Yu asked curiously, "Is there no restroom here?"

Che Yufei glanced at him with a knowing smile, thinking to himself that this was indeed a delicate freshman. "Haven’t you undergone modifications? Or installed a Fa Hai? But it’s fine…" He pointed outside and said, "Isn’t the construction site full of restrooms? Just find a secluded spot outside and do your business wherever you want."

After some rest, the group welcomed their first dinner at the construction site.

Zhang Yu looked at the rows of drug lists displayed in his Eye Implant, each detailing their effects and side effects. Beside them, a human model highlighted the areas affected by the side effects.

There was the Heart-Burning Pill, which increased the rate of qi and blood circulation and enhanced muscle training, but its side effect was increased cardiac load. Long-term use could easily lead to cardiovascular diseases, and the human model marked the heart area with a large patch of red.

Then there was the Yin Sha Bone-Corrosion Pill, which increased the cold nature of magical power but eroded bones and marrow. Long-term use could easily cause anemia, fever, and even leukemia.

There was also the Sinew-Corroding Liver-Meridian Powder, which tore and reshaped meridians to increase the flow of magical power but put pressure on the liver, leading to bacterial and viral infections in the body.

Zhang Yu also noticed that with every drug he selected, the numbers beneath the human model would change.

Sudden Death Probability: 0.06%

Leukemia Probability: 0.012%

Septicemia Probability: 0.034%

Zhang Yu understood—this was calculating the risks he would face after taking the selected drugs.

In the days to come, as he consumed more drugs, the probabilities of various diseases and death would continue to rise.

Through Zhang Yu’s Fa Hai, Fu Ji also saw the drug selection interface and remarked with a sigh, "They’ve considered this quite thoroughly. They want you to avoid harming just one part of your body, to evenly distribute the strain and live a bit longer."

"The Civil Engineering Department is quite humane. Just this service alone significantly extends the students’ lifespans."

After selecting a five-drug combo meal, Zhang Yu waited a while before his medicinal dinner was delivered.

Che Yufei, seeing Zhang Yu consuming so much at once, couldn’t help but say, "Take it easy, freshman."

Zhang Yu smiled slightly and replied, "It’s fine. I have a strong tolerance for drugs."

Che Yufei shook his head dismissively. Which student admitted to Wanfa University didn’t have a high drug tolerance? He thought to himself that once Zhang Yu visited the infirmary, he’d learn his lesson.

Zhang Yu first switched his Chain Fa Diagram set to the University Sacred Body, then swallowed the drugs. Immediately, he felt waves of scorching medicinal energy spreading from his lower abdomen, surging through his limbs and entire body like raging tides and floods, impacting his internal organs, muscles, and bones.

Feeling the intense heat coursing through his body, Zhang Yu felt as if a ball of fire was about to erupt from his chest.

He thought to himself, "Such fierce medicinal energy."

Without delay, Zhang Yu walked outside the room and began practicing the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen to digest the medicinal energy.

At the same time, he noticed many students from the poor class also starting their cultivation practices after taking their drugs.

As he practiced the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen, Zhang Yu felt the medicinal energy surging back and forth within his body. Under its catalysis, his muscles and bones showed signs of growth and development.

Simultaneously, Zhang Yu could feel his heart pounding violently, and subtle injuries appeared in various parts of his internal organs.

He immediately focused his mind on circulating the Remnant Ox Body-Heart Technique, continuously using his body’s vitality to heal himself and counteract the side effects of the medicinal energy.

While Zhang Yu and Che Yufei were diligently digesting their dinner, Gong Shujin, on the other side, was also having his first dinner at the construction site.

However, unlike the drugs Zhang Yu and the others took—which forced their potential and came with severe side effects—the drugs Gong Shujin and his seniors consumed had been filtered through multiple layers, minimizing side effects. Each drug was tailored to their physical condition and cultivation techniques, protecting their bodies like precious treasures, accumulating their potential for a powerful breakthrough later.

Of course, such personalized drug services came at a very high price.

Gong Shujin glanced out the window at Zhang Yu and the others cultivating their bodies. To him, they looked like bottles with little water inside, being squeezed relentlessly to extract every last drop.

"Only when potential is insufficient do they need such stimulation, exhausting every means to squeeze out a little bit."

Feeling his body naturally strengthening under the effects of the drugs, Gong Shujin thought to himself, "When potential is sufficient, even if you do nothing… it will slowly overflow."

…

After digesting dinner, a wave of divine power mixed with spiritual energy swept across the entire construction site.

Fu Ji’s heart stirred, and she said, "The Spirit Realm network has been set up."

Zhang Yu’s Eye Implant flashed as he received a notification from the Earth Force Mountain about the network connection.

Following the construction site’s schedule, everyone began their online class time for the day.

As the Spirit Realm network connected, Zhang Yu felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself that the construction site indeed had internet access.

However, the next moment, seeing the tenfold increase in network charges, he cursed inwardly, "This is way too expensive!"

Zhang Yu made the most of his time, first sending a message to Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Pianpian to let them know he was safe. Then, he asked Yu Xinghan for class notes and online course materials before promptly disconnecting from the Spirit Realm network.

The so-called online course materials were simply recordings of the day’s classes.

Zhang Yu and the others were required to watch the entire day’s lessons at ten times the normal speed so they could quickly resume their cultivation and work at the construction site.

Watching the teachers in the video speaking at lightning speed and their figures flashing by rapidly, Zhang Yu absorbed the knowledge while thinking to himself, "This… isn’t so bad. It saves me a lot of class time."

"But did Yu Xinghan send me the wrong thing? Is this his own recording of the class?"

Looking at the class video Yu Xinghan had recorded with his Fa Hai, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but mutter, "This guy… why does he always focus on Ying Xin? I want to see the teacher."

…

Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan was checking the view counts on his short videos, thinking to himself, "Is it always the videos of Ying Xin that get the highest views?"

He analyzed, "Maybe I should try filming massage parlor reviews next time?"

…

Just as Zhang Yu and Che Yufei quickly finished their online classes and were about to start work, Gongshu Jin's class had only just begun.

Since their daily workload wasn't as heavy as Zhang Yu's, Gongshu Jin and the others had more time to attend classes.

At this moment, Gongshu Jin's consciousness had already ventured deep into the spirit realm, receiving guidance from the teachers.

After paying extra, he not only received one-on-one instruction from the teachers, but the spirit realm classroom also achieved over 99% realism, making Gongshu Jin feel as though he were receiving guidance face-to-face with the teachers in reality.

As Gongshu Jin continued to pay more, the entire teaching space began to accelerate—first doubling, then quadrupling, and finally, after his consciousness gradually adapted, it increased tenfold.

This meant that within the consciousness space of the spirit realm, he could spend ten times more time learning than in the material world.

Gongshu Jin was accustomed to this: as long as one had money, time could be accelerated, and time could be bought.

...

On the ruins, the students of the poor class had already begun their first night's work—continuing to clear the debris.

According to the plan, they had to clear the entire factory ruins within half a month to prepare for the subsequent construction of the new factory.

A reminder from Tu Lishan surfaced in Zhang Yu's mind: This place was once a puppet factory established by Shanhe University. After being attacked by several criminals at the Golden Core stage, all production lines were devastatingly destroyed.

Tu Lishan: Although some time has passed, there may still be residual Golden Core-level mana within the factory grounds.

Tu Lishan: In addition, the factory's own protective formations and feng shui formations might still be partially active.

Tu Lishan: Also, during the puppet manufacturing process, heavily polluting materials were used, requiring extreme caution when handling them...

Zhang Yu took a deep breath, circulated his mana throughout his body, and activated the Mountain and Peak True Form technique, causing his body to swell slightly.

He carefully walked through the ruins, channeling his inner energy to shatter piles of debris and clear them away.

(End of Chapter)