Chapter 327: Toying with Zhang Yu

Chapter 327: Toying with Zhang Yu

Looking at the message from Tian Yang, Wang Yin's gaze turned ice-cold as he replied: Are you threatening me?

Tian Yang did not answer directly, sending a screenshot instead.

It was the class ranking of Zhang Yu’s class, alongside the effusive praise heaped upon Zhang Yu in the group chat by their homeroom teacher, Perfected Cultivator Jiao Lei.

Beholding Zhang Yu’s second-place ranking, Wang Yin’s eyes narrowed into slits, an uncomfortable tightness gripping his chest as threads of fury began to brew within his mind.

Even the Sovereign Imperial Heart circulating within his consciousness faltered with jerky spasms, like a lagging network, thoroughly choked by a sense of stagnation and obstruction.

Wang Yin’s current state of mind was such that seeing Zhang Yu earn a single spirit coin caused him more agony than losing ten of his own.

At that moment, Tian Yang replied: I am not threatening you, I am merely stating a fact.

Tian Yang: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Zhang Yu is bound to work overtime every single day, earning money daily and growing stronger and stronger.

Tian Yang: But I have a way to make him skip his pills, avoid working overtime, and sleep for a full eight hours every day, turning him into a useless cripple bit by bit.

Wang Yin's instinctive reaction was utter disbelief.

Wang Yin: Who would allow themselves to degenerate so willingly?

Tian Yang: I will feed him three meals a day, making him addicted to eating, until he falls into a food coma for over eight hours every single day.

Wang Yin froze for a brief moment, thinking to himself: "With Zhang Yu's current strength, gorging himself on food would indeed cause him to pass out."

"Furthermore, the more one eats, the more the stomach stretches and the digestive capacity is stimulated, causing the appetite to grow progressively larger; missing a single meal would bring unbearable hunger, making the food addiction heavier and heavier."

"Without powerful digestive strength to sustain it, a heightened food addiction makes falling into food comas all the more certain."

The mental image of Zhang Yu genuinely becoming a hopeless glutton day in and day out brought a sudden wave of smooth relief to the flow of Wang Yin's cultivation mantra.

Yet, a lingering doubt remained in his heart.

Wang Yin: Where would he get the money to feast every day?

Tian Yang: That is where your financial backing comes in.

Wang Yin: I want to see a live stream; I want to see him eating and sleeping.

Ending the communication with Wang Yin, Tian Yang looked at Zhang Yu beside him with a smile: "That screenshot of your homeroom teacher's praise worked beautifully; it has likely exposed a flaw in his state of mind."

Zhang Yu was not surprised by this; in a university where rankings and grades were paramount, placement was a tool to intimidate peers, and naturally, an instrument to provoke adversaries.

Zhang Yu asked: "So what do we do tomorrow?"

Tian Yang looked at him and inquired: "Your appetite should be quite substantial, right?"

...

The following day.

Wang Yin watched the live broadcast as Tian Yang dragged Zhang Yu into a relentless feast of hospitality.

Under the seductive aroma of the Heavenly Essence Rice, Wang Yin could see Zhang Yu’s Adam’s apple subtly bob as he swallowed his saliva.

Wang Yin let out a cold sneer, thinking: "Hmph, this pauper must have been starved to the bone in the university city."

The next moment, after downing three massive bowls of Heavenly Essence Rice in quick succession, Zhang Yu collapsed onto the ground in the live stream, completely passed out.

Beholding this sight, Wang Yin could not help but burst into loud, mocking laughter.

Over the next few days, Wang Yin watched as Tian Yang stuffed Zhang Yu with food every single day.

Watching Zhang Yu succumb time and again to his overpowering appetite, falling into food comas and drifting off to sleep repeatedly, Wang Yin felt an indescribable, exquisite pleasure, and the Sovereign Imperial Heart in his mind operated with ever-increasing fluidity.

Particularly during his daily cultivation, whenever Wang Yin saw that Zhang Yu was still asleep, a profound sense of comfort and reassurance would wash over him.

The longer Zhang Yu slept, the more delighted Wang Yin became, and the smoother his own cultivation progressed.

"With such meager strength, he still eats three bowls a meal? Now that he has developed a food addiction, his mind will probably be in turmoil if he misses even a single feast."

"This man is already half-ruined."

At this thought, Wang Yin felt the efficiency of his cultivation mantra surge once more, his Dao heart growing increasingly flawless and rounded.

He could sense that the restoration of his Dao heart rank would proceed with unprecedented smoothness.

...

Beneath the lens of the camera.

Zhang Yu swallowed the Heavenly Essence Rice bowl after bowl, simultaneously gulping down the medicinal elixirs concealed within the food.

Feeling the ferocious medicinal potency erupting violently inside his body, Zhang Yu hastily began to operate his respiration mantra, gathering the spiritual energy to refine his essence.

Yet to outward appearances, Zhang Yu lay motionless on the ground, seemingly trapped in a deep, heavy slumber.

Zhang Yu thought grimly to himself: "How sinister of Wang Yin, actually wishing for me to sleep more than eight hours a day? Right now, as he watches my stream, he must be cultivating furiously himself."

"I cannot afford to slack off either!"

Driven by the latent potential of fierce, aggressive medicines like the Tribulation Blood Powder and Spirit Root Stimulant, while simultaneously anchoring his foundation and replenishing his deficiencies with the Heavenly Essence Rice—all compounded by the high-density spiritual environment of the cemetery...

This combination caused Zhang Yu's respiration efficiency to skyrocket! It surged frantically, far surpassing any cultivation session he had ever experienced in the past.

Feeling his essence rampaging like a stampeding dragon, roaring like a torrential river, Zhang Yu was forced to accelerate his bodily vitalization to repair his constantly fracturing meridians.

...

Wang Yin: He is sleeping too little now; he can still work and study for over sixteen hours a day. Make him sleep even longer.

Tian Yang: Sleeping too long will easily arouse suspicion, but I have other methods.

Tian Yang: I will praise his talent daily, nurture his confidence, flatter him endlessly, and lead him astray, ensuring that even when he works, he will rarely make progress, fostering a habit of 'good enough'.

Wang Yin was deeply skeptical about this: Zhang Yu is not someone who can be beguiled by mere words.

Yet in the footage shortly after, Wang Yin witnessed Tian Yang pointing at the various tasks Zhang Yu had completed, praising him while saying: "Off by ten centimeters? Close enough, passed."

"This one passes too."

"All approved."

"Don't be so tense; it's not like we're forging immortal artifacts. To reach this level in freshman year is already one in a million."

Watching Zhang Yu’s substandard work pieces get approved one after another, Wang Yin's heart leaped with joy, as if he could already see the other man muddled and drifting through life, slacking off at his future post, unable to secure a promotion for years on end.

But it was still not enough...

Wang Yin: I want him to suffer an even worse fate!

Tian Yang: Then I have another method, though the asking price will not be low.

Wang Yin: State your method first.

Tian Yang: I will surround him entirely with beautiful women who adore him, pampering and caring for him daily, providing him with immense emotional value until he becomes thoroughly intoxicated by female charms and romance, entirely distracted from ever focusing on his work and studies again.

Wang Yin: From what I know, for Zhang Yu to cultivate to this point without an abstinent physique, he is likely not a man easily beguiled by women.

Tian Yang: Civil engineering folk wear down their bodies on site all day long; who among them doesn't love a good massage?

Outside the camera's view, Zhang Yu was busy reworking and rebuilding his flawed projects.

Hearing that Tian Yang intended to take him to a massage parlor, he could not help but hesitate: "Am I making too great a sacrifice like this?"

Tian Yang: "Do you still want to make money or not?"

Zhang Yu: "Let's go."

...

Inside the massage parlor.

Yu Xinghan said impatiently, "Why hasn't the masseuse arrived yet?"

He glanced at Li Xiao beside him and said, "Go see what's going on. We've been waiting almost half an hour."

A moment later, Li Xiao sent a message: All the masseuses have been booked—they're currently serving Zhang Yu alone.

Yu Xinghan's gaze sharpened. Hearing this, he immediately stood up. He wanted to see this for himself.

Shortly after, Yu Xinghan saw masseuse after masseuse surrounding Zhang Yu.

Each of these masseuses possessed an astonishing physique, each was remarkably patient, each embodied the beauty of strength and speed, and each had a unique charm—some robust, some slender, some tall, some short—along with massage skills honed over years of work.

And now, encircled by them, every inch of Zhang Yu's skin seemed to be cared for, the blood and energy throughout his body constantly stirred under the touch of their hands.

Watching this scene, Yu Xinghan was startled. Then he noticed Tian Yang nearby.

The last time Zhang Yu and Tian Yang discussed a deal, Yu Xinghan had been called to keep watch and provide backup. He had vaguely learned then that the two had some transaction involving Boss Wang.

Seeing the scene before him, a thoughtful glint flashed in Yu Xinghan's eyes. For a moment, he felt both envy and a chill of disgust. "What a ruthless Boss Wang—so many masseuses at once. Is he trying to corrode Zhang Yu's fighting spirit and soften his resolve?"

"From what I've observed of Zhang Yu, he might not hold out against this."

"No, I have to find a way to shield my good brother."

Li Xiao, who had also been called by Zhang Yu to provide backup last time but had stayed farther away and didn't know what had happened, now watched the scene in surprise, quietly taking mental notes.

"Could this be the secret behind Zhang Yu's rapid progress?"

Meanwhile, Wang Yin was watching Zhang Yu surrounded by numerous masseuses through the lens provided by Tian Yang.

"Massage is beneficial for the body," Wang Yin thought. "If it can't make Zhang Yu indulge in it, there's no need to continue the arrangements..."

The next moment, Wang Yin watched as masseuses gradually covered Zhang Yu's body, observing the changes in him. His eyes lit up slightly. "There's a reaction!"

"Zhang Yu is reacting!"

"Hahaha, it seems this move is effective."

Under the lens, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly to Fu Ji, "Sigh, to deceive Wang Yin, I'm circulating my magic power, boosting my blood and energy, pretending to be tempted. The sacrifice is just too great."

Fu Ji asked curiously, "Zhang Yu, now only I can hear you. Let's be honest—are you really pretending, or..."

Zhang Yu thought angrily, "After being with me for so long, don't you understand me? Could I really be tempted by just a few masseuses?"

Over the next few days, Wang Yin watched daily as Zhang Yu indulged in food and drink, enjoyed massages, and muddled through his work. Wang Yin felt that his money was well spent.

With his astonishing wealth, just a little investment could make a poor genius like Zhang Yu fall into the mire. This aligned with his will and resonated with his mental cultivation method.

"This is just the beginning. What will happen to Zhang Yu, already accustomed to all this, when I eventually cut off the spirit coins?"

Whenever he thought of this, Wang Yin's heart swelled with anticipation.

Although at this moment, the operation of the Emperor's Imperial Heart was already incredibly smooth, Wang Yin could sense that if he advanced further, his mastery of this mental method and his grasp of his own thoughts would deepen even more.

"By then, the speed of my Dao Heart level recovery will increase once again."

So Wang Yin made another request to Tian Yang.

He wanted to experience, from a first-person perspective, the sight of Zhang Yu bowing and scraping before him, pleading in every way, groveling like a dog.

Several days later, through Tian Yang's ocular implant, Wang Yin saw Zhang Yu standing before him, begging, "My overtime application..."

As Wang Yin's voice transmitted through the spirit network into Tian Yang's ear, Tian Yang repeated, "That sixth version of the overtime application still has issues. Send it back for revisions."

Zhang Yu: "But..."

"But what?" Wang Yin snapped. "Let me tell you, starting today, not only will I have you leave work on time every day, I'll even make you leave ten minutes early."

"Without my permission, don't even think about staying a second longer on the construction site!"

Watching Zhang Yu slink away, Wang Yin felt a surge of satisfaction, as if his inner demons had been dispelled.

Tian Yang smiled slightly. "So, Boss Wang? The deal we agreed on—can it be completed now?"

"No problem," Wang Yin said. "But from now on, you must ensure Zhang Yu eats three meals a day, sleeps over eight hours, leaves work early—not a second of overtime—and arrange several masseuses for him daily."

"I'll cover all the expenses. I want him completely ruined, utterly cut off from any possibility of rising on the immortal path."

At this moment, Wang Yin was confident it wouldn't be long before he could restore his Dao Heart level to 20.

He secretly marveled at how worthwhile this investment was—teaching Zhang Yu a lesson while accelerating the recovery of his own Dao Heart.

Listening to Wang Yin's demands, Tian Yang thought to himself, "I'm afraid it won't be long before my friend takes the next step, right?"

(End of Chapter)