Chapter 322: Watch Me Fiercely Surpass You This Semester

Chapter 322: Watch Me Crush You This Semester

When it came to guiding people’s hearts and borrowing from the flow of fortune, Ji Yuanshu’s mind flashed with the various methods often employed by students in the Finance Department—showing off, applying pressure, hype, and more.

He entered the class group chat and sent a message.

Ji Yuanshu: @Zhang Yu @Gongshu Jin, my apologies to both of you. During the first semester, I was tied up with various matters and couldn’t devote much attention to my studies in the Civil Engineering Department, making this class rank first seem somewhat undeserved.

Ji Yuanshu: But in the new semester, I will achieve perfect scores in all specialized courses. I hope you both will also give it your all, ensuring that this class rank first holds no empty prestige.

Ji Yuanshu believed that after his classmates saw his message, they would only become more convinced that he would defeat Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin to become the top student in the class.

And where hearts converge, there lies a form of fortune.

After sending the message, Ji Yuanshu formed a hand seal, as if silently sensing something.

In the next moment, he felt threads of fortune flowing from different directions within the Ten Thousand Methods University City, all drawn into his consciousness.

This was the confidence of one classmate after another in his victory over Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin.

At this moment, he was the one the entire class looked to, the undisputed first in everyone’s hearts.

Simultaneously, a copper coin artifact in his consciousness trembled slightly, suppressing all the gathered threads of fortune within.

Under the enhancement of these threads of fortune, Ji Yuanshu felt his magical power flowing more smoothly, his Dao heart growing more flawless, and even his physical vitality becoming more vibrant.

His cultivation would advance faster under the blessing of fortune, and even his thinking and memory would improve to varying degrees.

As he grew stronger, his classmates would only become more confident in him, further solidifying his position as the rightful class rank first. The fortune surrounding him would grow denser, and its enhancement of him would grow stronger.

“The way of fortune is to follow the great tide, using cultivation to aid the tide, and letting the tide nourish cultivation in return. The two cycle and ultimately strengthen each other.”

Ji Yuanshu understood that this was the formidable aspect of the Finance Department. Every action was about gathering fortune and controlling the great tide. Not only would cultivation rise with it, but the wealth and resources one could mobilize would also expand with each success.

“Unless Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin ultimately defeat me, I will suffer a backlash of fortune…”

But this thought only flickered briefly in Ji Yuanshu’s mind before he gently dismissed it.

Even relying solely on his own talent and resources, he was absolutely confident in surpassing the two of them, let alone with the enhancement of fortune.

His goal was to surpass the second-place student by 100 points.

…

Zhang Yu stared at the message Ji Yuanshu had posted in the class group chat, slightly stunned. “This guy… is he showing off?”

“Did he just step on me?”

As Zhang Yu was lost in thought, he saw Gongshu Jin reply in the group: I’ll see you to the end.

Fu Ji reminded him, “This isn’t just a simple provocation. It’s likely the fortune Dao art of the Finance Department.”

Zhang Yu knew nothing about fortune Dao art and asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Fu Ji explained, “Fortune Dao art is about mastering fortune, using its enhancement to boost one’s cultivation and achieve various goals.”

“Fortune is a complex thing, involving many factors.”

“And the hearts of people are an important part of it.”

“It’s like when buying stocks. No matter how well a company performs, if all shareholders believe it will fall, it will fall. This is the direction of people’s hearts, the gathering of fortune.”

“Those in the Finance Department manipulate people’s hearts through various means to control fortune.”

“Then, using Dao art to gather and enhance themselves with fortune, they can improve their cultivation, refine their Dao heart, and even unleash powerful fortune Dao arts.”

At this point, Fu Ji reminded him, “Alright, you should reply quickly.”

“Otherwise, the classmates will think you’re afraid, and people’s hearts will turn further away from you, giving Ji Yuanshu even more fortune enhancement.”

“Fortune?” Zhang Yu frowned slightly, feeling that an opponent who mastered fortune Dao art was like having an extra independent multiplier in a game’s damage calculation.

Zhang Yu said, “So you mean he can improve his cultivation just by showing off?”

Fu Ji replied, “Showing off is just a means. The essence is that Ji Yuanshu has more resources than you. After all, just studying and cultivating Dao arts costs a lot of spirit coins.”

“That’s how the Finance Department is. As long as you control enough resources, even speaking a word can gather fortune. Once you start throwing money around, it’s even more incredible. You haven’t seen the internal conflicts in the Finance Department. To compete for fortune, they throw money around… tsk tsk.”

Zhang Yu thought for a moment and replied in the group: Looking forward to competing with you.

Without dwelling further on the group messages, Zhang Yu understood that no matter what he replied, it would only be slightly better than not replying at all. His classmates wouldn’t believe he could surpass Ji Yuanshu.

After all, this was Kunxu, where the truly talented and gifted were those with money.

But Zhang Yu wasn’t discouraged. Instead, under Ji Yuanshu’s pressure, the Ruthless Ox Body and Mind Technique surged more fiercely within him.

The white ox in his mind stamped its hooves and roared, and Zhang Yu’s eyes burned with boundless fighting spirit.

“You have fortune, but I have the Feather Book. Watch me crush you this semester.”

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu threw himself even more into studying and cultivation. With the new dormitory, anti-gravity channels, and new channels for buying medicine, he could feel his cultivation progressing more smoothly.

…

In the dormitory on the 318th floor of the Ten Thousand Methods University City.

“Five Revolutions Foundation-Nourishing Elixir, enhances vitality, repairs hidden injuries in the body…”

“Yellow Sprout Injection, consolidates cultivation, nourishes flesh and blood…” “Creation Vitality Serum, replenishes body heat, contains a large amount of nutrients…”

Zhang Yu read the descriptions of the medicines while injecting one syringe after another into his veins, forcibly and directly infusing massive amounts of nutrients into his body.

Since gaining access to this new channel for buying medicine, Zhang Yu could not only purchase discounted medicine for himself but also help Yu Xinghan, Le Mulan, and Zhang Pianpian buy discounted medicine.

However, while buying small amounts for his three roommates was manageable, he avoided larger-scale reselling services, as getting caught would lead to serious trouble.

With such daily medication, Zhang Yu felt his blood thickening like crude oil, and his muscles swelling rapidly as if force-fed, allowing his previously emaciated body to recover somewhat.

His entire body greedily absorbed the medicinal effects, but even so, Zhang Yu still felt it was somewhat slow.

Le Mulan, standing nearby, explained, “Your body’s foundation was built up year by year in the past. Even with heavy doses of medicine every day now, it’s impossible to replenish it in just a few days.”

Zhang Yu touched his empty stomach and asked, “If I could eat some food every day while taking medicine, it would be faster, right?”

Zhang Yu understood that only by quickly making up for his body’s deficiencies could he go to the next construction site to eat and drink while further tapping into his immortal Dao potential.

Otherwise, in his current state, even if he worked tirelessly every day at the construction site, he wouldn’t be able to unlock much potential.

Le Mulan said helplessly, “If you want to buy medicine—whether supplements, health products, neurotransmitters, or compounds—you can find them in any supermarket.”

“But buying food is either astronomically expensive or a capital offense. Better not think about it.”

“Or you could try medicinal baths?”

Zhang Yu kept the medicinal bath in mind but continued ordering large quantities of supplements. In the blink of an eye, another 0.5 spirit coins were spent on medicine.

Factoring in internet fees, belt rental fees, spirit realm services, spirit stone purchases… and various other miscellaneous expenses, Zhang Yu’s spirit coin balance dropped to 18.03.

…

Inside a massive tank.

Zhang Yu was fully immersed in deep purple medicinal liquid.

He felt every inch of his skin frantically absorbing the various substances in the liquid.

This was the Hundred Herbs Restoration Elixir Bath, refined from the essence of a hundred herbs and tailored specifically for Foundation Establishment stage experts.

Such an intense medicinal bath was like poison for Qi Refinement cultivators, capable of causing them to explode and die in an instant.

But for Zhang Yu, it was just right.

He could feel every inch of his flesh and blood, akin to an expanse of earth long parched, drinking in the surrounding medicinal fluid like desperately needed rain.

As he absorbed it with all his might, the surrounding liquid gradually faded from deep purple, shade by shade, into a pale violet, and finally into absolute clarity.

Le Mulan stood to the side, looking at the young woman beside her. "Senior, can't you make it a bit cheaper? He'll be coming here regularly."

The other curled her lip. "The discount agreed upon with the Civil Engineering Department is already down to twenty percent off. Any cheaper and I'd be losing money out of my own pocket."

"Especially this classmate of yours. His body is severely depleted; every single time, he drains the medicinal fluid completely dry, leaving me absolutely nothing to recycle."

Though the effects of the medicinal bath were exceptional in Zhang Yu's eyes, the price was indeed far from cheap, consuming 0.37 spirit coins per session.

And if he were to pursue the absolute best results by soaking every single day without fail, the expense would be staggering.

Yet, to replenish his body's depletion and sustain his rapid ascent along the immortal path, Zhang Yu could only grit his teeth and take the bath daily, even as he faithfully consumed his medicine.

Spirit Coin Balance: 10.26

...

During the body-tempering class.

Lang Yougong squeezed Zhang Yu's muscles, nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad at all. Your physical strength is progressing rapidly."

"In about another month, you should be able to push your physical strength to level 15."

Lang Yougong instructed, "During the Foundation Establishment stage, once physical strength reaches level 15, your spiritual energy and physical vessel harmonize more deeply, allowing the martial astral qi to better transmit your physical power."

"When that time comes, the astral qi conductivity becomes paramount. You must remember to cultivate it diligently."

Watching Zhang Yu, who had been receiving Lang Yougong's guidance for quite some time, Yu Xinghan and Li Xiao, standing to the side, both wore expressions of deep envy.

Zhang Yu spoke up, "Teacher, why don't you help dispel their doubts as well?"

Lang Yougong glanced at Yu Xinghan and Li Xiao beside him. Looking at the pair who shared a single pair of ocular implants between them, he nodded with a smile. "You two have been making good progress lately as well."

"Li Xiao has less physical wear and tear."

Yu Xinghan's techniques are also improving swiftly.

"As your teacher, I am most gratified."

"Come, I shall give you some proper guidance today."

...

In the blink of an eye, another month drifted past, and time marched into early April.

On this particular day, however, Zhang Yu suddenly received an invitation within his ocular implant.

(End of Chapter)