https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-288-Tu-Mu-Holy-Body-Rankings-Rise-Continuously/13686837/
Chapter 289: Self-Use 99% New (Thanks to 'Zhang Pianpian Miao' Yi Fu for Gifting Zhang Pianpian 200 Affinity Charms)
Looking at his own rank—number nine—on the leaderboard, and the man just above him, Zhang Yu, Li Xiao felt his vision go dark.
"How is this possible?"
"His progress rate has increased again?"
"How much did he borrow? What did he pawn?"
To Li Xiao, a sudden leap in a student’s progress could only mean one thing: the other person had thrown more Lingbi at it.
He thought to himself, "Zhang Yu must’ve sensed my accelerated cultivation these past few days, and also Lingbi I’ve been pouring into it."
"So he poured in even more Lingbi than me, just to surpass me in one go."
"No choice now. I’ve already committed too far to turn back."
With that, Li Xiao slowly reached out and pulled his Tiangong Spirit Armor from storage.
He decided to sell one of his Eye Armors temporarily, to get more Lingbi for further investment in his Dao cultivation.
The thought of selling his Tiangong Spirit Armor—only two months old—made his remaining eye flicker with regret.
But the armor was high-grade. Even using just one eye, it was more than enough for daily use.
"I’ll earn money from the construction site and buy another one later."
...
125th Floor, Dormitory Area.
Yu Xinghan seized the freshly arrived package and tore it open without delay.
Zhang Yu, still eating, glanced over and asked, "Your sister sent this?"
"No," Yu Xinghan said, grinning. "It’s something I ordered online."
He ripped open the packaging, and there it was—a single eye submerged in preservation fluid.
Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow. "An Eye Armor? Why only one?"
Yu Xinghan chuckled. "For the past two months, I’ve studied over ten brands and more than a hundred different models of Eye Armor. I’ve watched countless reviews, read endless articles, joined over a dozen online communities, and scoured the secondhand market."
"Now I know every model, performance metric, and market price inside out."
He slipped on gloves and carefully lifted the Eye Armor from the fluid.
"Finally… I found the deal."
"A 99% new Tiangong Spirit Armor. Selling just one eye at a time is cheaper, but in reality, even a single eye’s performance is more than enough for daily classes and cultivation."
Seeing Yu Xinghan’s confident expression, Zhang Yu nodded. "Never thought you, the guy using Ji Hu-brand, would know so much about Eye Armors."
Yu Xinghan snorted. "Hmph. Zhang Yu, you may have gotten your hands on a Shican Modong, but you should learn more about Spirit Armors. Knowledge like this never hurts."
As he spoke, Yu Xinghan swapped his left eye with the new Tiangong Spirit Armor. Then he sighed in satisfaction.
"Wow… this Eye Armor is completely different."
"The world just got clearer."
After testing it, Yu Xinghan didn’t rush to confirm receipt or pay. Instead, he carefully removed the armor, took out a small tool kit, and meticulously cleaned it—down to the last detail—before placing it back into the preservation fluid.
Zhang Yu asked, "Why take it off? Was the quality bad?"
Yu Xinghan replied matter-of-factly, "This is too good to waste on everyday use. I’ll use my Ji Hu-brand for regular things."
"This Eye Armor is for class only."
"Otherwise, if I use it too much, it’ll degrade faster."
He resolved to clean and maintain this Eye Armor every single day—maximizing its lifespan.
After finishing his meal, Zhang Yu left the dorm, as usual, crossing the Yuan Ci Channel toward the areas below the 100th floor.
For insurance, he always trained in different zones during Body Refining.
Today, he reached a blind spot on the 94th floor, swallowed a chunk of Cement, and began practicing Shi Tu Shen Gong.
A deep rumble echoed from Zhang Yu’s stomach. His digestive system turned into a grinder, pulverizing the Cement into a basic material, which was then carried by the surge of Martial Energy to every inch of his skin.
This was the effect of Shi Tu Shen Gong after level 10—beyond strengthening muscles, it could now fortify the skin.
"Still, Cement is too weak. It only makes my skin tougher, and I can’t use too much or my flexibility and explosive power will suffer."
"To truly strengthen the body, I’ll need better cultivation materials."
But Zhang Yu wasn’t about to spend his own money on that.
"I’ll just wait until I go to the construction site—see if there’s any leftover high-quality material nobody wants..."
After a long session, with another complete cycle of Shi Tu Shen Gong, Zhang Yu finally reached level 20.
In an instant, a flood of images flashed through his mind—like years of relentless cultivation compressed into a single moment.
He had now pushed Shi Tu Shen Gong to its absolute limit within the Foundation Establishment Stage.
And with level 20 achieved, Zhang Yu could now use cultivation materials not just to strengthen skin and muscles—but also his entire skeletal system.
"Strengthening bones… that’s probably the best use of this technique," Zhang Yu mused, closing his eyes to feel the change.
"Most high-strength materials aren’t suitable for flesh. But bones? They’re built for it."
"Spent half a month just to reach this level."
Thanks to this grueling training, Zhang Yu’s stats had surged dramatically.
Dao Heart: 11th level (73.8%)
Martial Energy: 300.6
Physical Strength Level: 11.12
"University Holy Body plus a 20-level Technique—my progress is insane."
But after Zhang Pianpian’s reminder, he made sure not to show all of it—keeping his overall score increase subtle enough to avoid standing out in class.
"Martial Energy breaking 300 means I could now carry a second Spirit Armor."
"But… I’ll pass."
Zhang Yu thought, "Spirit Armors are too expensive. I’ll stick to Xinghuo Immortal’s plan—keep refining my body, prepare for a future shift into Alchemy."
During this time, he’d also learned all the rules for switching majors.
"The latest possible time is the third year. If I miss it, I can never switch."
"I have three years to earn enough money and push my Body Refining strength as high as possible."
...
The Next Day.
Dao Heart Class.
Feng Jiu, the phoenix-shaped teacher, continued her lecture as if reading from a script—calm, methodical, unchanging.
Her gaze swept across the students, her eyes already overlaying each one’s performance trends in real time.
"Ji Yuanchi—class leader in Dao Heart, no anomalies."
"Gong Shuijin—second place, no anomalies..."
"Li Xiao—Dao Heart progress accelerated. Flagged as a loaned student. Added to the sell list."
"Zhang Yu—stable early progress, sudden spike one month ago, then stabilized again. Marked as a subject for observation."
After cataloging and tagging each student’s data, she sent the records to Deep Ling.
Then she resumed her lecture—unchanged, unemotional.
...
Mana Class.
Li Mingbo’s focus remained on the top-tier students in the front rows.
But every time his eyes glanced at Zhang Yu in the back, they lingered a moment longer.
Main reason? This student had not used his discount coupon on Fa Li Bao—neither buying nor selling Martial Energy.
Secondary reason? His Martial Energy growth was solid—now in the top ten. A standout student.
"Still can’t tell if this kid’s just borrowing, or if he’s genuinely talented."
From what Li Mingbo saw, Zhang Yu showed no signs of strain—unlike Li Xiao, whose eye twitched occasionally, as notifications from his Eye Armor flickered across his face.
One moment he was focused. The next, his expression twisted.
Li Mingbo, also from the First Layer, knew this all too well.
"This kid’s taken a serious loan."
...
Body Refining Class.
Lang Yougong nodded approvingly at Zhang Yu. "Your Body Refining intensity has improved nicely. Keep it up."
"And don’t forget about Spirit Root Fusion Degree."
Looking at the student who had mastered the 20th-level Chunqiu Wujin Chan and wielded a Shican Modong, Lang Yougong couldn’t help but feel confirmed—this one was no ordinary talent. Only someone with real potential could progress this fast, climb the rankings so swiftly.
After a few more pieces of advice, Zhang Yu suddenly said, "Teacher Lang, Yu Xinghan’s been stuck on Spirit Root Fusion Degree. Could you give him a quick pointer?"
Yu Xinghan shot Zhang Yu a grateful glance, then turned to Lang Yougong with hopeful eyes.
Lang Yougong blinked, his wolf ears twitching. Then he smiled.
"Yu Xinghan, you can ask me directly. Do you think I’d refuse to guide my own student?"
As Lang Yougong gave his instruction, Zhang Yu’s Shican Modong activated instantly—recording every movement at 128 frames per second.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Now I can guide Yu Xinghan to improve his Spirit Root Fusion Degree. And once I do, I’ll copy his Dao Seed’s Third Eye Ability."
Meanwhile, Lang Yougong’s Eye Armor pierced through Yu Xinghan’s skin and muscle, scanning his eyes.
He muttered internally, "This guy… his Eye Armor matches Li Xiao’s? One each?"
"Are they a couple or something? That’s some serious bond."
...
That night, after finishing Shi Tu Shen Gong, Zhang Yu began training the second technique of Tu Mu Holy Body—Zhanmo Yunshou Gong.
This Foundation Establishment Stage technique was born for combat. It unlocked latent physical potential and, in emergencies, could reverse Martial Energy to forcibly trigger a temporary, superhuman burst of power—far beyond natural limits.
In that moment, the sheer force could overwhelm ten opponents with a single blow. But the cost was high: the body would suffer severe damage—tendons snapping, bones fracturing, organs rupturing. The extreme wear and tear even accelerated lifespan depletion.
Over time, this once deadly combat technique had been repurposed—now used by Civil Engineering workers to push themselves to the limit, working like machines in the construction zones.
(End of Chapter)
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