Chapter 373: Martial Arts Sacred Physique (Thanks to 'Galaxy Warrior' for Gifting Alliance Leader)

Chapter 373: The Martial Saint Body (Thanks to 'Galaxy Warrior' for the alliance leader reward)

The day of the Civil Engineering Competition had arrived.

Inside the operating theater, Ji Yuan-shu gazed at his brand-new arms, a satisfied smile curling his lips.

The specifications of his new limbs flashed through his mind.

"Thunder-Fire Roar: A series of thunder-attribute prosthetic limbs produced by the top-tier dharma-artifact corporation, Myriad Crafts Sect."

"Each arm is capable of high-temperature and electromagnetic reinforcement, and by extending external meridians to reshape the aura outside the body, they can manifest aura cannons with a range exceeding 500 meters."

Even as he recalled these details, Ji Yuan-shu used his ocular prosthetics to snap a photo of the Thunder-Fire Roar, uploading it to his social media with the caption: "A new day, diligently cultivating."

Scrolling back through his past updates, one could see photos of various immortal-path products—all items Ji Yuan-shu had spent a fortune in spirit coins to acquire following the final exams.

There was the Sixth-Generation Soul-Chasing Eye from the Myriad Crafts Sect, capable of pre-setting targets, locking onto high-speed objects, and coordinating with other prosthetic parts to achieve automatic targeting and fire.

There were the leg-mounted Impermanent Wind low-altitude flight modules, which generated storms through high-speed airflow jets, allowing for low-altitude flight, instant acceleration, high-speed maneuvers, and turns, supporting speeds up to Mach 3.

And there was the Ascension Hub from the Tiangong Group, which, beyond its built-in level-20 cultivation technique, provided anti-gravity support to further enhance the leg-mounted flight modules.

The copper coin that once suppressed his fortune in his mind had now been replaced by another dharma treasure.

It was a card-shaped artifact, floating silently in the depths of Ji Yuan-shu’s consciousness, anchoring his destiny.

The treasure was named the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card. Unlike the ancient coin-shaped artifacts of old, this one was modeled after a credit card from a century ago.

Its archaic design, featuring vintage graphics on both sides, symbolized prestige, credit, and immense economic power.

Under the operation of the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card, the backlash from his fortune was mitigated, spreading what would have been a two-month period of karmic retribution into a manageable twelve-month span.

As he equipped more prosthetics and flaunted his expensive immortal-path goods time and again, more people perceived his wealth and believed in his strength, causing him to gather ever-increasing amounts of fortune.

Especially since...

Ji Yuan-shu recalled the dark deity ritual he had conducted in secret after the final exams.

Ever since that ritual, he could condense fortune more rapidly as the number of his prosthetics grew.

With the help of the dark deity, his follower count had surged over the past three months, far exceeding his previous growth; he had gained hundreds of thousands of followers, and every display of wealth condensed a significant amount of fortune.

This allowed Ji Yuan-shu not only to recover quickly from the side effects of his karmic backlash but to advance with unstoppable momentum.

At this moment, the intensity of the fortune under the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card surpassed even that of his final exams, bolstering his abilities in every aspect.

Through the card's operation, the effects of this fortune-blessing were elevated to new heights.

Yet, to achieve all this—to constantly flaunt wealth and swap out prosthetics—Ji Yuan-shu had consumed a vast amount of spirit coins, not only exhausting his savings but taking on significant debt.

Even his prized Wind-Calming Pearl had long since been sold off.

Without the pearl, he was forced to smell the air of the Kunxu second level every single day.

"Before I knew it, I’d grown accustomed to this stench of poverty in the university town."

"This must be what growth through hardship feels like."

Inhaling the scent of poverty, he etched it deep into his mind, constantly telling himself that the suffering he endured now was for a better future.

"Zhang Yu is merely a beginning."

Feeling the fortune churning in his mind, Ji Yuan-shu believed his future was boundless.

Like many seniors in the Finance Department, as he accumulated followers and condensed fortune, more people would believe in him, follow him, and obey him. Eventually, a single thought or a word from him would sway the hearts of millions, guide the flow of countless spirit coins, and control the very places where fortune gathered...

Ji Yuan-shu understood that Zhang Yu was no longer worth worrying about, and the Civil Engineering Department was but an insignificant stop in his life; his future lay in the vast, open world of finance.

Glancing at the time and seeing the competition was about to begin, he stood up, exited the operating theater, and headed toward the arena.

Ma Xuan and the others had already arrived, and seeing Ji Yuan-shu approach, a smile touched his face.

He had watched Ji Yuan-shu’s growth in strength over this period, confirming his initial decision to keep him was the right one.

...

Inside a one-square-meter meditation capsule.

With the chime of a bell, Che Yu-fei slowly opened his eyes.

Che Yu-fei had not worked for three consecutive days.

He hadn't worked overtime; he simply attended classes during the day and practiced breathing exercises throughout the night.

This was the first time since entering university that he had gone over 72 hours without working.

He did this to rest and recuperate for the upcoming Civil Engineering Competition.

He needed to conserve his energy and stamina for the contest, lest he find himself powerless during the event or, worse, suffer a sudden death.

For these three days, he forced himself not to work, not to earn money, watching his spirit coin balance dwindle daily while he suffered through the agony of forced rest...

It was a torturous experience for Che Yu-fei. "This is so hard..."

"Resting, as it turns out, is the ultimate test of one's Dao heart."

"If I can't find a job after graduation, will I have to live like this in pain every day?"

At the thought, Che Yu-fei shuddered.

To ensure he landed a good job after graduation, he resolved to place in the top ten of the Civil Engineering Competition.

"After all, I’m already in my seventh year. If I can't even get a competition ranking before I graduate, it’ll be impossible to find decent work on the second level."

Che Yu-fei knew he was poor, so he hadn't been able to participate in competitions during his lower-year studies—he accepted that.

But having finally made it to his seventh year, he didn't crave a top-tier ranking; he would be satisfied with anything in the top ten.

Checking the time, Che Yu-fei took a deep breath. Feeling his body restored to its peak state, he crawled out of the capsule and headed toward the arena.

On the way, he ran into Shi Yun-xiang. Seeing the brand-new prosthetic arm on his friend's right side, he looked on with envy: "Xiang, is that the Vajra Profound-Craft Infinite Palm? I thought you always used local-grown flesh?"

Shi Yun-xiang smiled and extended his left hand, saying, "I traded the local flesh for this arm."

Che Yu-fei’s eyes flickered: "Then your original left hand..."

Shi Yun-xiang replied, "Sold it. How else could I have paid for this Infinite Palm in full?"

He sighed, "After all, it was flesh I’d tempered for so many years. It fetched a good price; at least those years of cultivation weren't in vain."

"Once I replace all this flesh with prosthetics, I won't have to worry about people coveting my body anymore."

Che Yu-fei looked at Shi Yun-xiang with a hint of envy. Both were made of flesh, but because the other's body could be sold as high-quality ingredients, it possessed attributes like "deliciousness" and "freshness," commanding a much higher price.

Though the risks of possession were higher, the profit was equally lucrative.

The two arrived at the arena to find their team leader, Shi Huai-yu, waiting at the entrance, waving at them.

Shi Huai-yu was in a great mood today, having finally resolved the side effects of her ghost-kidney.

Thinking of this, she felt a surge of gratitude toward Yu Xing-han; it was his tip that allowed her to capitalize on the rise of Seven-Emotion Coins.

"I should find him for a massage next time, support his business."

"And I must thank Teacher Tu for lending me the money to trade coins."

Recalling how she had nearly gone bankrupt trading stocks last year, she felt moved by Tu Li-shan’s continued trust. His words echoed in her mind:

"Trading stocks and coins are legitimate endeavors. If I didn't lend you money for this, would I even be a teacher? Take the money; just pay the interest at the standard consumer loan rate."

With the profits reaped from the Seven-Emotions Coins, Shi Huaiyu purchased a Ghost-Suppressing Seal, intending to embed it into her viscera to subdue the lingering consciousness haunting her kidney.

Just then, a line of text flickered across her ocular interface, sent by the soul-cultivator residing within the seal.

Soul-cultivator: Boss, the competition hasn't started yet; could I step out for a moment?

Shi Huaiyu: Absolutely not. We agreed on a full day.

Shi Huaiyu: I have hired many of your kind; do not take me for a fool, thinking you can moonlight for two employers at once.

Shi Huaiyu knew these soul-cultivators were always scheming to juggle multiple gigs, and she had no intention of letting this one slip away, especially since the entity within the seal was the former owner of her ghostly kidney—the very expert required to keep it in check.

After putting the soul-cultivator in its place, Shi Huaiyu messaged the competition team group chat: Why haven't you arrived yet?

……

Wanfa University City, 88th Floor.

Zhang Yu exhaled slowly, having finally managed to push the sixth martial art of his Martial Saint Body to level 20 just before the competition.

Primary-Martial Saint Body (6/6): Any Foundation Establishment-stage martial art you wield will see its combat potency significantly amplified.

"Oh?"

Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted slightly; he recalled that an effect similar to this combat enhancement was the final tier of the Qi Refining-stage Martial Saint Embryo.

"So, the first tier of the Foundation Establishment-stage Martial Saint Body is to increase the combat potency of martial arts?"

"Is this the evolution from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, from the Martial Saint Embryo to the Martial Saint Body?"

Yet, Zhang Yu felt no disappointment; rather, he found it even better.

After all, his current physical defenses were so formidable that even he found his own durability excessive, and he was in need of other means to expand his repertoire.

"This first tier of the Martial Saint Body might just prove miraculous during this civil engineering competition."

Seeing the urgent messages flashing in his ocular interface, Zhang Yu offered a faint smile. With a flicker of movement, he darted into the anti-gravity tunnel, his figure shooting upward like a bolt of lightning, reaching the entrance of the arena in the blink of an eye.

Shi Huaiyu caught sight of Zhang Yu and hauled him along, urging, "Let's go, let's go, the first round of eliminations is about to begin."

A recommendation for a fellow author's book: Original supernatural, behind-the-scenes ensemble cast, heavy focus on human nature, the first volume leans toward suspense—do check it out if you're interested.

(End of chapter)