Chapter 324: Project Selection

Chapter 324: Project Selection

In the dining hall, the sound of Zhang Yu devouring his meal echoed throughout the room.

Accompanied by the rumbling of his intestines, thunderous roars continuously emanated from his stomach.

He grabbed his rice bowl, tilted his head back, and with a single gulp, finished a large bowl of rice. The food visibly traveled down his bulging throat and chest into his stomach.

Then, Zhang Yu opened his mouth and exhaled, releasing streams of martial energy that swept out like a cloud, carrying most of a plate of dragon liver and phoenix gall toward his mouth.

Amidst the thumping sounds, Zhang Yu clenched his steel-like teeth, causing pieces of dragon liver and phoenix gall to burst open in his mouth. The rich aroma of meat, mixed with strange oils, trembled on the tip of his tongue, making his eyebrows rise uncontrollably.

With each mouthful of rice and meat, Zhang Yu felt the food transform into surges of vital energy, coursing wildly through his body, being frantically absorbed by his muscles, organs, bones, and more.

Gongshu Jin thought to himself, "This guy... has such a strong digestive ability?"

"But to ask for three more bowls of Celestial Essence Rice and three more plates of dragon liver and phoenix gall right after finishing... That's too much. Isn't he afraid of bursting?"

Meanwhile, others in the dining hall watched Zhang Yu with amused expressions as he ate heartily.

In their Eye Skeletons, everyone began chatting privately.

"Heh, three more bowls of rice and three more plates of meat? Including what he already had, that's five bowls of Celestial Essence Rice and three plates of dragon liver and phoenix gall... Isn't he overdoing it? Let's see how he handles this."

"Maybe he's storing it in his stomach temporarily, planning to vomit it out later?"

"Celestial Essence Rice is compressed from high-density food essence. If not digested promptly after eating, it will clump together. The only way to remove it then would be to cut open the stomach."

At the same time, Ye Xingli looked at Mo Shangjin beside her and asked, "Your junior is quite interesting. How much do you think he can eat?"

Mo Shangjin felt helpless. He knew nothing about Zhang Yu and had only brought him along as a newcomer to the faction to meet people.

He had no idea Zhang Yu would be so "high-profile," boasting on the spot and showcasing his appetite.

However, as a member of the same faction, Mo Shangjin didn't want to undermine him and casually replied, "My junior has a unique physique, but this appetite is also a first for me."

Everyone then watched as Zhang Yu devoured his meal like a whirlwind.

When Zhang Yu had finished three bowls of rice and one plate of meat, the surrounding crowd began to show slight surprise.

By the time he had eaten four bowls of rice and two plates of meat, even Mo Shangjin, Ye Xingli, and Cang Lanyu revealed looks of astonishment. Students around them started recording with their Eye Skeletons.

When Zhang Yu finally consumed five bowls of rice and three plates of meat, he felt his body transform into a super high-pressure cooker. Intensely concentrated food essence flowed back and forth within him.

His flesh and blood felt like flooded fields, unable to absorb the overwhelming surges of energy.

Zhang Yu could sense that this single meal replenished his body more than an entire month's accumulation. Not only was his physical depletion directly restored, but a surplus of energy also flowed within him, to be slowly absorbed in the coming days.

Patting his stomach, Zhang Yu said contentedly, "Comfortable! It's been a long time since I ate so well."

At the same time, he felt slightly puzzled: "The dragon liver and phoenix gall were delicious, but why do they feel so ordinary? Could they be counterfeit meat?"

Fu Ji said, "The dragon liver and phoenix gall in a buffet are definitely farm-raised. Probably fast-grown meat dragons and meat phoenixes, without intelligence or cultivation. Eating them just greatly replenishes qi and blood. What special qualities could they have?"

Meanwhile, Gongshu Jin stared wide-eyed at the empty plates in front of Zhang Yu, feeling even more shocked than when he had seen Zhang Yu's performance in the gravity simulation room.

"I can probably only handle one bowl each of Celestial Essence Rice and dragon liver and phoenix gall."

"Zhang Yu actually has such an appetite?!"

"Does he eat like this every day? Or has he practiced a technique to enhance digestion? Or is it due to his physique?"

"Truly worthy of being my friend."

Gongshu Jin knew that while training played a significant role in digesting food, innate factors also had a major influence. Some people were simply born with greater appetites.

At this moment, Gongshu Jin realized he still knew too little about Zhang Yu.

On the other side, Ye Xingli looked at Zhang Yu with admiration and said, "Your appetite is the appetite of a wealthy person."

"To have such an appetite as a freshman, your future ranking will undoubtedly be high. You will surely become wealthy in the future."

"Old Mo, your Civil Engineering Department has truly produced a prodigy."

Mo Shangjin smiled slightly and said, "If it weren't for the opportunity you provided, Xingli, I wouldn't have known Junior Zhang had such a capacity."

Zhang Yu patted his stomach and said, "Senior Mo is right. I don't usually get to eat this much. Thank you, Senior Ye. I just hope you succeed in refining treasures every month from now on."

Ye Xingli chuckled and said, "It's just a bit of food. Add me as a friend, and I'll invite you again next time I host a banquet."

Then she sighed, "But refining treasures isn't easy. The next time might be one or two years later."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Indeed, even the scraps from these wealthy people can fill someone like me to the brim."

Over the next few hours, the gathering was joyful, with toasts and conversations. Zhang Yu became the focus of many students' attention. Besides Mo Shangjin, Ye Xingli, and Cang Lanyu, he added many friends and was invited into several groups.

...

In the 100-square-meter suite on the 450th floor.

Ji Yanshu's eyes flickered as a notification from the Luck Monitoring System popped up in his Eye Skeleton.

Just moments ago, there was a change in luck—Zhang Yu's chances of success had slightly increased.

Ji Yanshu investigated the source of this change and found a video uploaded by a student. The video had no plot or description, only showing Zhang Yu continuously eating. Its view count was extremely low.

Ji Yanshu understood that if not for the Luck Monitoring notification, he would never have seen it.

"An astonishing appetite?"

"But it's still just a slight increase in opportunity."

...

On the way back, Zhang Yu felt the energy surging through his body, as if he could work and take medication continuously for three months without rest.

"It's time to head to the construction site for cultivation."

As Zhang Yu browsed through the available projects, he hesitated for a moment.

"The amusement park at Union University is indeed good, but the project start time is still far off."

"The Union Amusement Park is also nice, but it's a bit too far. I'd miss the improvements by Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan."

"The Union University Amusement Park is another good choice, but I'm worried the local cost of living might be too high..."

Fu Ji couldn't help but say, "You damn kid... Are you only thinking about amusement parks? Have you considered why they're listed as high-risk projects? Do you think you can handle them?"

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Sigh, it's a pity I don't have the Union Saint Body."

After some hesitation about the project selection, Zhang Yu decided to ask his sister.

A moment later, Zhang Pianpian replied: Go to the tenth underground level to cultivate in the cemetery.

Zhang Pianpian said: The cemetery is located at a spiritual vein node, containing immense spiritual energy. The concentration of spiritual energy is so dense it's almost tangible, making it perfect for you to absorb spiritual energy, improve the quality of your mana, nourish your body, and strengthen your foundation.

When Zhang Yu saw the cemetery project, he found it rather strange.

"Every inch of land in the Ten Thousand Techniques University City is precious. Is there really space for a cemetery?"

Facing Zhang Yu's question, Zhang Pianpian explained: The cemetery is for the poor. After all, only the poor lose ownership of their bodies after death.

Zhang Pianpian: These bodies are sent to the cemetery to be used as absorption corpses.

Zhang Pianpian: In the university city, vast amounts of low-quality mana are consumed every moment. A significant portion of this mana is produced by clusters of absorption corpses in the cemetery.

Zhang Yu suddenly understood. No wonder the price of low-quality mana on the Mana Treasure Platform was dirt cheap when he first checked.

So, every moment, underground in the university city, countless absorption corpses were being controlled to absorb spiritual energy and produce mana.

Zhang Yu asked again, "When the poor die, their bodies are sent to the cemetery to become corpses. Do the rich not get sent to the cemetery when they die?"

Zhang Pianpian replied, "The rich die twice."

Zhang Pianpian continued, "The first death is the death of the body. But as long as they have money, their souls can transfer to the spirit realm, and their bodies remain their own property, never losing ownership. Naturally, they aren’t sent to the cemetery."

Zhang Pianpian added, "The second death is the death of exhausting their wealth."

Zhang Pianpian explained, "The longer the soul exists, the higher the cost of maintaining it in the spirit realm. Once the money runs out, they truly die."

Zhang Yu said, "So there will still be…"

But in the next moment, Zhang Yu realized that by the time a rich person’s body is sent to the cemetery, they have already become poor.

"So only the bodies of the poor are in the cemetery…"

Zhang Yu sighed and shook his head. Finally, he reviewed the materials for the cemetery project and felt that this project was indeed well-suited for him.

Especially since he still needed to practice the breathing technique to complete the Qi Vein Long Flow set.

"And this way, I can also continue staying in the university town, nurturing the Dao seeds within Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan."

"Well, there are still two weeks until the project officially begins. The timing is quite suitable."

After reviewing the requirements for the cemetery project, he found that the top ten students in the Foundation Establishment class were eligible to apply.

Zhang Yu thought he might as well invite Yu Xinghan to come along.

…

Feeling the profound foundation within him, the intense vitality and spirit, Zhang Yu spent the next two weeks once again taking life-shortening drugs to cultivate.

This time, however, he spent his own spirit coins on the medication.

As he swallowed pills like the Crack Origin Blood Burst Pill, Life-Corroding Heaven-Seizing Powder, Hundred Calamities Heart-Devouring Gu, and Life-Draining Heaven’s Secret Powder one after another, that familiar sensation surged through him once more.

"Intense! This is what cultivation is all about!"

Along with other daily expenses and various services… his spirit coins dwindled again, soon dropping below seven.

On this day, as the 666th floor was completed, Zhang Yu arrived at the new construction site on the 667th floor of the university town.

He sat cross-legged, with strands of white Gang Qi appearing on the surface of his body, expanding and contracting with his breath.

While practicing the breathing technique, he also released waves of Formless Cloud Gang, crossing several meters to stir up spiraling air currents as he installed the steel mesh before him.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "The efficiency is a bit slow, but by working with Gang Qi like this, I can focus more on practicing the breathing technique."

"And after all, the next phase of cultivation will prioritize the breathing technique."

Days passed one after another. As Zhang Yu advanced the 'Gang Qi External Circulation Breathing Technique' to level 20, the day finally arrived for the cemetery project to begin.

(End of Chapter)