https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-298-Get-in-the-car-The-door-s-about-to-be-welded-shut-Please-vote-for-the-month-/13686849/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-300-Elementary-Civil-and-Wood-Holy-Body-66-/13686851/
Chapter 299: Lingbi Spent, Yet Still by His Side in Another Way
Zhang Yu browsed the endless array of goods on the platform, muttering silently in his heart:
"Fujie! Didn’t you tell me before that the immortals of the Top Ten Sects wanted to recruit even more people to compete up top?"
"Now they’re not just cutting back on recruitment—they’re stopping it entirely?"
Fujie sighed.
"The immortals naturally want competition below to grow fiercer, pushing cultivators to exhaust themselves, burn out their families, and sacrifice everything. Only then can the profits of the Top Ten Sects soar, letting them comfortably recline in the clouds."
"Otherwise, you’d never have had the chance to take the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate exam."
"But now that the Top Ten Sects are shrinking their intake, it only means one thing…"
"…the realm of the sects might truly be overpopulated."
Fujie pondered.
"After building the current college entrance exam system, universities, and corporate structures, the Top Ten Sects have been recruiting geniuses with extraordinary talent every year. Jin Dan cultivators live for 400 years, Yuan Ying cultivators for nearly a millennium. And beyond that—Hua Shen, Lian Xu, each one living longer than the last."
"Think about it—population growth in the sects far outpaces consumption."
"Still, I don’t fully agree with Zhang Pianpian’s claim that the Top Ten Sects have stopped recruiting altogether, splitting the world into two separate realms."
"It’s temporary."
"When enough of the upper-tier immortals finally pass on, the Sects will surely begin expanding again."
"Only… it might take a hundred years. Or even several centuries."
Fujie suddenly exhaled.
"Now I get it. This is cyclical."
"Recruitment expands for a time, then contracts. Everything hinges on the population dynamics within the Top Ten Sects."
"To the immortals, it’s just a minor fluctuation—barely a ripple. But for those beneath them, it’s generations. Dozens of generations."
"And because this recruitment freeze spreads down to the corporate and university levels, the ripple effect could eventually reach the entire Kunxu."
Listening to Fujie’s analysis, Zhang Yu mentally cursed:
"Damn… born at the wrong time."
He pressed on.
"Then the Ritual’s wish… can’t be undone?"
"If I die, I’ll take you with me."
Fujie chuckled weakly.
"Ordinary wishes? Sure, I could cancel them. But this one? No way. Not after you so cleverly—stupidly—crafted your own plan to fulfill it."
"Once the Ritual activated, it’s now fully underway. It’s beyond my power to reverse."
"This isn’t just a personal wish—it’s bound by the core rules set by the Evil God Kings themselves."
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, but didn’t regret it.
Had he not momentarily stalled Fujie’s wish with his own Spirit Energy, he might not even exist today.
Now, neither the immortals nor the Evil God Kings were within his reach.
All he could do was focus on himself.
Gazing at the dazzling array of products online, Zhang Yu thought:
"My Technique cultivation speed is already astonishing."
"What I truly need now is to boost my base stats."
With that, he began opening item after item, service after service—
…
Half an hour later, the first purchase arrived.
As the package opened, a large box of glowing jade coins floated before Zhang Yu’s eyes.
The coins were round, like metal disks, with a vivid emerald hue and delicate, cotton-like patterns. Each shimmered faintly with swirling Spirit Energy—exactly what he’d bought: low-grade spiritual stones.
Zhang Yu thought:
"Low-grade, medium-grade, high-grade spiritual stones… once the currency of Kunxu. But if you tried paying with them now, you’d get laughed at—maybe even refused outright."
Long before Lingbi’s network emerged, Kunxu’s monetary system had evolved several times. Spiritual stones had long since been phased out as currency.
Later, due to their contained Spirit Energy, low- and medium-grade stones became raw materials for cultivation. High-grade stones, meanwhile, retained both cultivation value and collectible worth.
But as Ling’s network grew, and arrays, Spirit Energy conduits, and infrastructure advanced—Spirit Energy was now piped directly into dorms and homes. The need for spiritual stones dwindled further.
"Still," Zhang Yu mused, "with prices dropping, some bargain hunters still prefer the hassle of buying stones just to absorb Spirit Energy for cultivation."
"And because there’s always a poor crowd buying, the price has stabilized."
With that, he picked up a low-grade spiritual stone and swallowed it whole.
As Hunyuan Taixi Jing surged through his body, the faint threads of Spirit Energy within the stone were instantly drawn in, absorbed, and integrated into his Martial Energy cycle—slowly, steadily refined into his own cultivation force.
He’d bought low-grade stones specifically to improve his Spirit Energy absorption efficiency—so he could refine more Martial Energy each day.
After all, during the day he had classes. At night, he worked on construction sites. His dorm’s Spirit Energy absorption window was minimal.
He’d seen Spirit Energy Array Stones—portable nodes that let you draw in Spirit Energy anywhere in University City. But they were expensive, and tracking your monthly intake was inevitable.
So after weighing options, Zhang Yu chose the simpler, cheaper path: swallowing the stones.
Now, he devoured ten low-grade stones in one go.
Instantly, his stomach burned like a small furnace, steadily releasing Spirit Energy to fuel his cultivation.
Qi Hai Linggen expanded and contracted rapidly, syncing with Hunyuan Taixi Jing, greedily devouring the incoming energy. A wave of exhilaration surged through him.
He kept going—10, then 15, finally pushing to 23 stones.
At last, he felt the limit: the release of Spirit Energy matched the rhythm of his breathing. His belly now felt like it housed a tiny Spirit Vein.
"This is my current maximum efficiency—absorbing Spirit Energy from 23 stones at once, within a single breath cycle."
"And if I do this daily, I can upgrade my Breathing Technique even while attending class or working."
"Sure, it’s cheaper than carrying an Array Stone and enjoying constant Spirit Energy flow. But still… it’s not cheap.
Zhang Yu calculated:
"At this rate, it costs about 0.48 Lingbi per month."
Yet he understood—this was just the beginning.
Compared to the number of people vying for entry into the Top Ten Sects, this was nothing.
…
Dao Arts Department Service Zone
Zhang Yu sat cross-legged on a rug, surrounded by flickering lightning that struck his body repeatedly, piercing his dantian and stimulating Qi Hai Linggen, increasing his Spirit Root Fusion Degree while sharpening his five senses.
A Dao Arts student casting lightning spells asked:
"Zhang, how’s it feel?"
Zhang Yu replied steadily:
"Push it a bit higher."
The student grinned.
"Got it!"
"By the way, did you sign up for a membership card?"
"Techniques like Divine Thunder Lightning Wave work best when done three times a week, for at least half an hour each session."
"Sign up now and get 30% off."
Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow.
"How much for the card?"
The student smiled.
"Just 1 Lingbi. Even if you don’t use all your Divine Thunder sessions, you can try other Dao Arts services."
Zhang Yu’s account balance: 9.45 Lingbi
…
Alchemy Department Teaching Floor
Yun Jing placed a jade box before Zhang Yu.
They’d connected after Zhang Yu once helped her deal with a troublesome classmate. Now, Zhang Yu sought her help—hoping for a discount.
Yun Jing said:
"This is the cultivation artifact you wanted—the Jiuyu Zhenyue Belt."
"Once worn, it channels subterranean qi to nourish your physical body. Since subterranean qi is harmless, it acts as a lubricant between your flesh and Martial Energy, boosting the efficiency of your cultivation."
"Beyond that, the belt can amplify gravity on your body up to 50 times, helping you refine your body, crush your limits, and unlock hidden potential."
"For many wealthy cultivators, such artifacts—certainly cultivation-grade Spirit Armor—are essential for Body Refining."
Zhang Yu understood:
During the Foundation Establishment stage, refining the body requires constant Martial Energy reinforcement.
As Spirit Root Fusion Degree increases, the roots spread throughout the body, merging with meridians. Flesh and energy become one—transforming the body into something beyond mortal.
The Jiuyu Zhenyue Belt enhances that fusion, making energy reinforcement smoother, more effective.
And with the added gravity, it pushes the body to its absolute limits, forcing out latent power.
Zhang Yu opened the box, staring at the belt.
"Price?"
Yun Jing replied:
"It’s a joint product between the department and the company. I can get you up to 10% off—so 1.35 Lingbi per month."
As Zhang Yu slipped it on, a clear female voice echoed from the belt:
"Welcome to the Jiuyu Zhenyue Belt. Detected unfamiliar Eye Armor. Please confirm connection."
In Zhang Yu’s Eye Armor view, a notification popped up.
He tapped Accept.
Instantly, a small belt icon appeared in his vision.
He tapped the belt again—its user interface materialized before him.
"User not registered. Please complete new user registration to proceed."
After finishing registration, another message appeared:
"Unredeemed coupon detected…"
Zhang Yu glanced at it.
There it was—the 90% discount coupon Yun Jing had promised.
A moment later, as he willed it, streams of subterranean qi surged from the belt into his body.
His flesh and blood tingled, subtly transformed—Martial Energy flowed through him with greater ease, precision, and power.
In his Eye Armor display, options appeared: 1x to 50x gravity, plus modes like Run, Load, Climb, Custom.
By adjusting gravity in cycles or localized zones, he could further refine his body and tailor his training.
He tested the 5x gravity mode—immediately, his entire body felt heavier, organs sinking with a strange pressure.
After trying several modes and checking the results, Zhang Yu nodded.
"Perfect."
Zhang Yu’s account balance: 8.1 Lingbi
Thank you to 'Coconut Coconut Yeye' for the 10,000-point reward.
(End of Chapter)
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