Chapter 338: First Meeting at the Clubhouse

Chapter 338: The First Meeting at the Club

Longtai Health Massage Club.

Zhang Yu looked up at the club's signboard before him, nodding slightly as he thought to himself, "The first full-team training session for the Civil Engineering Department's competition team… is being held at a massage club."

"Very fitting, very civil engineering."

After changing his clothes and picking up his wristband, Zhang Yu arrived at the room where Ma Xuan and the others were waiting.

As soon as he stepped inside, a wave of heat washed over him, making the entire room feel like a blazing furnace.

Apart from Cong Na, whose figure was less imposing, the other four hulking figures lay sprawled on the massage beds like four active volcanoes, their muscles radiating waves of scorching heat.

Having been sponsored by Boss Wang to frequent massage parlors daily for a period, Zhang Yu had developed his own criteria for evaluating such establishments.

At that moment, observing the female technicians beside Ma Xuan, Cong Na, and the others—their brawny, tyrannosaurus-like physiques, their spirited gazes, and the stubble from long-term medication—Zhang Yu immediately concluded that this massage club was highly professional.

Ma Xuan lifted his head and said, "Zhang Yu, you're here?"

"Lie down first. We can warm up while we talk."

Ma Xuan was a young man with a completely shaved head, not a single hair in sight.

Looking at his jade-like scalp, Zhang Yu suspected it might be some kind of special artifact.

His hands and feet had been detached and placed to the side, clearly because they were artifacts and didn't require massaging.

Ma Xuan was the captain of this competition team, the earliest founder of the group, and the most robustly built person present.

Seeing the multiple artifacts on his body and his habitual posture of stretching out rather than shrinking back, Zhang Yu knew he must be quite wealthy.

As Ma Xuan spoke, the other four team members also turned their attention to Zhang Yu.

Apart from Cong Na's relatively friendly gaze, Zhang Yu could sense intense scrutiny in the eyes of the other three members. It was clear they hadn't fully accepted him, a first-year student.

At Ma Xuan's invitation, Zhang Yu lay down on an empty massage bed. Ma Xuan continued, "Before the official training, we come here for a good massage to warm up. It helps reduce physical wear and tear during training later."

"You've read the specific rules of the competition, right, Zhang Yu?"

Zhang Yu nodded. "I've read them all."

The Civil Engineering Department's construction competition required participants to work in high-risk simulated battlefield environments while simultaneously enduring attacks from opponents.

It was a competition that demanded strong construction skills, resilience against strikes, and the ability to withstand pressure…

As Ma Xuan explained the key points of the competition to everyone, Zhang Yu felt a pair of iron-like arms press down on his body.

At the same time, a voice asked, "Sir, do you have any artifacts on your body?"

Confirming whether a client's artifacts had been removed before massaging was standard practice for technicians. Accidentally damaging someone's artifacts could mean working for free for a long time.

Zhang Yu replied casually, "Apart from my eyes, I don't have any other artifacts. You can massage with confidence."

In the next moment, a powerful force emanated from the technician's large, fan-like hands, deeply penetrating Zhang Yu's flesh and blood.

Zhang Yu smiled slightly and said to the technician, "Master, I can handle a lot of pressure. Please use more strength."

As someone who had long taken potent medications, whose body had grown through constant wear and repair, whose bones had been reinforced with No. 20 secret steel, and who had been thoroughly tested in massage parlors, Zhang Yu had very high requirements for massage intensity.

Hearing this, the technician's eyes gleamed with a sharp light as she silently increased the pressure.

"Master, harder."

"As hard as you can. I can really take it."

The technician exhaled sharply, activating the artifacts in her hands. They grew hot and scalding, emitting waves of electric currents that pierced Zhang Yu's skin, reaching deep into his muscles.

On the massage bed beside Zhang Yu, Bu Ziran quietly observed him.

Bu Ziran was ranked 48th in the entire department. If Zhang Yu had to describe his most memorable impression of him… it would be Bu Ziran unboxing a lung artifact from the Wandaio Artisan Sect in the group chat last time.

Watching the technician activate the hand artifacts and apply force to Zhang Yu, Bu Ziran thought to himself, "Oh? Trying to showcase physical strength through a massage?"

Bu Ziran understood that when a university student entered an unfamiliar circle, demonstrating strength to integrate was like dogs sniffing each other's rear ends upon meeting—a necessary means of quick assimilation.

The stronger the body, the higher its resilience, and the greater the force required for a massage. This was what was meant by "handling pressure."

In massage parlors, clients who could handle more pressure were seen as stronger and earned the respect of countless technicians.

This was especially true in the Civil Engineering Department. The strongest person on a construction site was often the one who could handle the most pressure.

Bu Ziran mused, "Back in the ancient spiritual realm, when the network wasn't as developed, the best way to gauge a stranger was to take them for a massage."

"After one session, seeing how much pressure they could handle would reveal their strength."

"But this isn't ancient times anymore. With Zhang Yu's data, he'd be lucky to last five minutes under the full-force massage of a technician's artifacts…"

Ten minutes later, Bu Ziran looked at Zhang Yu in surprise. "Is this guy… really not just toughing it out?"

Zhang Yu felt waves of force penetrating deep into his flesh, gradually erasing the fatigue and damage accumulated over the past few days. It was an achingly pleasant sensation.

Twenty minutes later, the technician behind Zhang Yu began to sweat nervously. She felt as though she weren't massaging a person but a collection of artifacts.

"His bones are so hard. Are there really no artifacts inside his body?"

Thirty minutes later, the technician, seeing her hand artifacts constantly signaling alerts, had no choice but to stop and ask Zhang Yu if she could switch with someone else.

If she continued massaging at full force, her hand artifacts would suffer severe wear and risk malfunctioning.

Zhang Yu's situation quickly caught the attention of the others.

Ma Xuan laughed heartily. "Junior Zhang Yu, it seems your body-strengthening techniques are quite advanced. Your physical resilience far exceeds your current level."

Zhang Yu smiled faintly. "I'm just good at enduring."

At the same time, Bu Ziran and the others looked at Zhang Yu with entirely different expressions. Clearly, his performance during the massage had earned their approval.

Afterward, the six of them left the massage parlor and headed to the Civil Engineering Department's simulated construction site for training. They worked together on construction tasks, familiarizing themselves with one another.

Watching Zhang Yu release several human-shaped energy projections to work simultaneously, Cong Na felt another stir of admiration. "Ma Xuan was right. This guy's progress is incredibly fast."

"When I sparred with him before, he could only use vague energy projections for short battles."

"How long has it been? Now he can maintain such finely detailed human-shaped energy projections for work?"

Meanwhile, Ma Xuan struck out with his palm, causing invisible ripples to surge through the air.

The ground beneath them rose in response to his palm technique, like rolling waves, swallowing various construction materials before depositing them in different locations.

Watching this, Zhang Yu felt a slight shock. "This power is so similar to Tiankunlun's Mountain-Moving Divine Strength."

Seeing Zhang Yu's astonished expression, Ma Xuan chuckled and explained, "This is the Minor Triunity, achieved by mastering the first three of the Civil Engineering Seven Supreme Techniques. It allows one to command earth energy and manipulate the ground beneath with an invisible force field."

Zhang Yu asked curiously, "Can it manipulate any material on the ground?"

Ma Xuan replied, "Most metals and minerals are no problem."

As Ma Xuan spoke, he activated the Minor Triunity with a proud expression, manipulating the terrain at will.

The earth shifted like water under his control, sometimes swallowing construction materials, sometimes enveloping structures to form protective walls, and other times shattering completed walls into dust…

Although the other team members each had their own unique skills, Zhang Yu coveted Ma Xuan's Minor Triunity the most.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "If I maintain first place in my class for the first three years of university, I can master this technique too."

…

In the days that followed, competition training became another part of Zhang Yu's daily routine. Though it didn't take up much time, it made his life increasingly fulfilling and busy.

As for the fusion of spirit and flesh, after repeated attempts without success, Zhang Yu was mentally prepared to spend spirit coins on it.

Thus, in order to explore new sources of wealth, he reached out this time to those involved in the underground mana trade, intending to sell his own mana.

Still in the deserted alley below the 100th floor.

Just like every meeting in the past, the other party was shrouded in a layer of black mist, making it impossible to discern their appearance or glean any information.

Only, in the past, it had always been Zhang Yu buying mana from them, but this time, he wanted to sell it.

The figure in the black mist said, "We can help you find clients, but an intermediary fee is necessary. Additionally, we must first test the quality of your mana."

Zhang Yu replied calmly, "No problem, go ahead."

The figure in the mist tossed a Xuanzao Relic to Zhang Yu, instructing him to infuse it with his mana.

Zhang Yu took the relic and channeled his mana into it.

However, he did not unleash the power of the Deep Cold Meridian, merely infusing it with gentle, ordinary mana.

After pouring in roughly 500 units of mana in one go, Zhang Yu tossed the Xuanzao Relic back to the other party.

Not long after, this Xuanzao Relic found its way into Li Xuelian's hands.

Savoring the quality of the mana within the relic, Li Xuelian murmured to herself, "His progress is remarkably fast."

"And now he can even sell mana, which means his total mana capacity and recovery rate must have improved significantly as well."

"Has it only been a year?"

"Father’s judgment truly wasn’t wrong..."

Just then, a message appeared in Li Xuelian’s eye socket.

Yu Xinghan: Senior Sister! Any assignments available?

Originally, seeing Yu Xinghan making a name for himself in the dark massage industry, Li Xuelian had felt quite gratified.

But now, witnessing Zhang Yu already engaging in underground mana trading, she couldn’t help but sigh.

(End of Chapter)