No Money To Cultivate Immortality? Chapter 257: Last-Minute Enhancement - Novel Cool

Chapter 257: Last-Minute Enhancement

(Thanks to ‘I Am a Reader’ for another Emperor Patronage Reward)

Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen launched their combined assault, sending Wang Yin flying across the battlefield, and both pressed forward with their Yuan Ci Zhen Dong Jian, relentlessly breaching the First Layer Youming Blood Shadow Shield, their blade tips drawing ever closer to Wang Yin’s forehead—

A wave of panic surged through the onlookers from the corporations. Instantly, every one of them surged forward in a frenzy.

"Wang Zong!"

"Quick, shield Wang Zong!"

"Charge! Seize those beasts!"

The Luzhou Group employees, seeing their boss in danger, were genuinely terrified—so desperate they’d have thrown themselves in front of Wang Yin if they could, taking the blow meant for him.

"Wang Zong raised my salary three times! I’ll die for him!"

"Those two scum! After all the company’s done for them? This is how they repay us?!"

"Hahaha! If I can just earn Wang Zong’s favor, even going bankrupt in this battle would be worth it! Eight Directions Platform, max out my Xian Dao Potential! I’m renting a combat Celestial Spirit Root!"

As the Luzhou Group’s workforce surged forward in fury, a swarm of elite fighters—each radiating distinct auras—materialized to block their path. These were Deng Bingding’s hired mercenaries, sent to contain the chaos.

On the other side, the Songyang City Director from Xianyun Group took a few light steps forward. As a Foundation Establishment-level powerhouse, he could cover kilometers in mere heartbeats.

But then he stopped—his gaze locked onto a silver-haired woman before him.

"Li Xuelian," the Director said coldly. "You should be neutral, shouldn’t you?"

Li Xuelian smiled gently, raising her hands to show no hostility. "I’m just here for an extra paycheck today. No need to fight, right?"

The Director narrowed his eyes. "Someone tries to injure Wang Yin right in front of me? How do you think I can explain that?"

Li Xuelian rolled her eyes. "Xianyun Group answers to Wanfa Sect, not Youming Palace. Why so anxious?" She paused, then added, "If your superiors didn’t give you orders, maybe they want you to stay out of it. Make money, avoid trouble. Isn’t that the ideal?"

She smirked. "Besides, Wang Yin’s money still doesn’t even cover the cost of fighting me."

The Director said nothing. But he knew she was right.

Wang Yin’s payments wouldn’t even cover the potential losses from battling Li Xuelian.

Still, standing here, blocking her, was more than enough.

Watching the two stand off like this, Deng Bingding thought dryly: "Two salary-grabbing freeloaders playing guard duty."

Then she turned her gaze toward the battlefield. Already, countless Luzhou Group employees, hired mercenaries, and security agents were rushing toward Wang Yin.

And Deng Bingding’s hired forces were already stepping in to intercept them.

Meanwhile, the Divine Power Network—already fraying under the strain of Zheng Shen conflict—was descending into chaos.

Spells failed at random. Accounts got frozen. Tax discrepancies popped up in individual profiles.

Though the battle had barely begun, and most hadn’t even drawn their weapons, Deng Bingding, as a Zheng Shen, had already analyzed the entire situation in a single instant.

"Time’s too short. Too few mercenaries arrived. They can’t stop the bulk of the Luzhou Group forces."

"If the fight escalates, more people from Songyang City will join, backing Luzhou Group. These hired hands won’t last long."

"Still… at least the key players have arrived."

At that moment, a blinding streak of fire erupted from the sky—like a meteor crashing down—landing directly in front of the Luzhou Group’s main force.

As the fiery figure descended, every Luzhou employee charging toward the battlefield froze in place.

The Xinghuo Immortal stood there, silent, scanning the crowd with a single glance.

No words. No gesture.

But just by standing there, he alone was enough to stop thousands of cultivators.

From the moment the Luzhou Group surged forward, to the mercenaries blocking their way, to the Xinghuo Immortal’s arrival—the entire sequence unfolded in just seconds.

Yet in those few fleeting moments, the battlefield’s fate had already shifted.

The long sword, piercing through the Youming Blood Shadow Shield, struck Wang Yin’s forehead—then shattered into splinters.

Wang Yin stood unscathed. With a roar, he bent his arms, formed a fist seal, and unleashed a devastating punch.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, having just poured every ounce of power into their final thrust, were now caught in the gap between old force fading and new force not yet summoned—exposed, vulnerable.

Boom!

Wang Yin’s fist landed squarely in their stomachs.

Bai Zhenzhen’s abdomen collapsed inward like a deflated balloon. Blood sprayed from her mouth in a violent gush, and she was sent flying over thirty meters through the air.

Zhang Yu’s bones cracked audibly. His internal organs were crushed by the impact. His body skidded across the ground, leaving two long grooves in the earth as he was driven back several meters.

Pain shot through every fiber of his body—cracks spreading through his bones, internal bleeding worsening with each breath.

He knew—without sufficient time to heal, continuing this fight would only lead to total skeletal collapse and internal rupture.

But as Wang Yin advanced, relentless and cold, Zhang Yu forced what little Martial Energy remained through his body, stepping forward to block him.

Because behind him—still down, bleeding—was Bai Zhenzhen, far more injured.

Wang Yin stepped forward, eyes icy as he looked down at Zhang Yu.

"A Foundation Establishment novice… and a mere Qi Gathering cultivator… dared to threaten me?"

"You’re so full of flaws, I broke your internal organs with a single punch."

"Do you even know how much a single scrap of my skin is worth? It’s worth more than both of you combined. How dare you challenge me?"

Just as Wang Yin raised his fist again, he slowly unclenched it.

Then, coldly: "Old man… what’s your game?"

The Xinghuo Immortal had appeared—standing between Zhang Yu and Wang Yin, silent and unyielding.

Hearing the question, the Immortal chuckled. His eyes flickered toward Zhang Yu, still frozen mid-combat, faint traces of Wuxiang Yun'gang still being drawn from his body.

"This kid… reminds me of myself back in my prime."

"Same boldness. Same fire. Same genius."

"Such a talent… dying here would be a waste."

The Xinghuo Immortal shook his head. "Hmph. I really don’t like hiding behind young men like this."

"Still… if high schoolers are stepping up, how can an old man like me keep cowering?"

"I’ll help him… just a little."

His fiery hair fluttered in the wind as he faced Wang Yin.

"Give me a little face."

Wang Yin snorted. "You think you’re still the Jin Dan peak, the master of all arts?"

"A half-Jin Dan, optimized and reduced… what face do you have?"

The Immortal smiled wryly. "No face? Fine. But you’ve got to respect the company’s profits."

"Agree to one condition, and I’ll stay out of your First Layer affairs for the next year."

"Deal?"

Wang Yin didn’t answer immediately. The Immortal was right—he could ignore the man’s face, but he couldn’t ignore the company’s bottom line.

For months, the Xinghuo Immortal had been obstructing Luzhou Group’s progress. Without that interference for the next year, the First Layer initiative could accelerate dramatically—bringing massive returns.

So Wang Yin asked, "What’s the condition?"

"Pause the fight for three hours," the Immortal said. "After that, resume. How’s that?"

Wang Yin frowned. "What are you planning?"

"I’ll let him recover. Teach him a few techniques. Then you two can fight again."

Wang Yin’s brows twitched. "This old man thinks three hours can turn Zhang Yu into a match for me?"

He mentally calculated. It was impossible.

Still, he said, "One and a half hours. No more."

The Immortal frowned, then turned to look at Zhang Yu—still trembling with battle-fury, sweat and blood dripping from his body.

A voice echoed directly into Zhang Yu’s mind.

"Good disciple. I’m transmitting now. Nod or shake your head—no sound. Just answer me."

"Did you just finish mastering Jiuxiao Yun Kongjin?"

The Xinghuo Immortal had just observed Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s final surge. Though their powers were merged and the Youming Blood Shadow Shield had blurred the view, from afar, he’d sensed it clearly—Zhang Yu had completed the Jiuxiao Yun Kongjin.

And not just once. At least level three.

Zhang Yu glanced at the Feather Scroll—his Jiuxiao Yun Kongjin now at level five—and gave a small nod.

"Level two?"

Another nod.

"Level three?"

Another nod.

The Xinghuo Immortal’s face remained expressionless. But inside, his mind reeled.

Unlike the rich, desk-bound investors who played finance games, the Xinghuo Immortal was a true combat veteran—well-versed in countless techniques, even those too advanced for him to practice, but whose research he’d studied thoroughly.

And in his memory, Jiuxiao Yun Kongjin was legendary for its difficulty.

Simple in form, yet capable of manipulating all kinds of Martial Energy. Its core principles—how energy flows through voids within the aura—were profoundly complex, defying conventional martial arts logic.

"Jiuxiao Yun Kongjin creates voids within the aura, storing power. It’s a supreme martial art that mimics the human body’s structure. The cultivation data is wildly theoretical—beyond ordinary martial wisdom."

"Even a genius at the Foundation Establishment stage needs two or three days just to open the first void."

"Each level beyond that doubles the difficulty. Time, effort, energy—exponential."

"This kid just became Foundation Establishment today… and already reached level three?"

"Could this be… the legendary Martial Saint Body?"

A sigh escaped the Immortal’s lips. "If only I hadn’t met Yu Xinghan back then…"

Though his mind raced through memories, his face betrayed nothing.

He turned back to Wang Yin and said, "One and a half hours. Fine."

And so, under the watchful eyes of countless Zheng Shen, the Xinghuo Immortal and Wang Yin signed a contract—right there on the battlefield.

Deng Bingding watched, silently.

"I knew it."

"A Golden Core Immortal—even a half-Jin Dan—wouldn’t throw himself into the First Layer so easily."

"He must’ve been sent down with a plan. A contingency. Just in case he needed to step in for Zhang Yu."

At that moment, Wang Yin turned to the Immortal.

"By the way… don’t have your Zheng Shen block the Divine Power Network during the fight. It’ll mess up my livestream."

"I won’t use spells anyway."

"Frankly, it won’t matter. I’m beating him either way."

(End of Chapter)

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