https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-326-Dao-Heart-and-the-Mind-Demon/13686883/
Chapter 325: The Cemetery Mystery Box
By mid-April, Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, Li Xiao, and the other students had already reached the tenth underground level.
This cemetery renovation project wasn’t just for first-years—many outstanding upperclassmen had also signed up. Leading the group at the front was a sixth-year student named Tian Yang, who was in charge of overseeing, coordinating, and supervising the entire operation.
Zhang Yu walked down the wide underground passage. The deeper he went, the more he sensed the increasing density of Spirit Energy in the air.
As far as Zhang Yu knew, the Spirit Veins beneath Wanfa University City weren’t naturally formed. When the city was originally constructed, the terrain had been deliberately adjusted to channel and concentrate Spirit Veins—eighty-eight in total—into this subterranean network. The passage they were walking through now led directly into one of those veins.
Moments later, a massive metallic door materialized before them.
Feeling the faint flow of Martial Energy pulsing from within, Zhang Yu could sense a powerful, swirling surge of energy behind the barrier.
Tian Yang, leading the group, announced, “We’re at the cemetery area now. Line up and go through one by one—don’t crowd.”
At the same time, a line of text appeared on Zhang Yu’s Eye Armor, etched onto the door’s surface:
Huilongyuan Power Production Co., Ltd.
Zhang Yu immediately understood. The terms “cemetery” or “underground cemetery” were just colloquial nicknames. This company name was the official designation.
With a soft hiss, the sealed door slid open—and a wave of icy air blasted out.
In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to thicken, becoming almost viscous.
As Zhang Yu stepped inside, the air grew heavier still, and humidity climbed. Spirit Energy began to float in the air like tiny droplets, coalescing into a dazzling, multicolored fog.
Zhang Yu took a deep breath. As his internal Martial Energy began to circulate, an overwhelming flood of Spirit Energy surged into his body. His Martial Energy subtly increased, and his flesh and blood felt instantly refreshed and nourished.
Yu Xinghan sighed in awe. “No wonder this project has strict eligibility requirements. Working here… just breathing is a privilege.”
Zhang Yu nodded in agreement. Good thing the Spirit Energy in the Second Layer isn’t worth that much, he thought. Otherwise, we’d all need oxygen tanks just to survive.
Besides the rising Spirit Energy, the temperature continued to drop.
Zhang Yu deduced this was likely for cooling the Corpse Units—those night-and-day operating constructs powered by continuous Martial Energy and Breathing Technique cycles.
At that moment, a notification and a series of options appeared in Zhang Yu’s Eye Armor:
Welcome to Huilongyuan!
Tour Guide
Pay Respects to Relatives
Product Showcase
Purchase Merchandise
Contact Us
Job Openings
Zhang Yu tapped “Tour Guide” at random, and instantly, a full map of Huilongyuan appeared before him: Section Area, Bao'ai District, Gan'en Zone, Hejia Area, and more.
“What’s the Section Area?” Zhang Yu wondered.
He soon realized—this was where low-value Corpse Units were stripped of unnecessary parts, structurally optimized, compressed, and stored in Corpse Cabinets. These compact units were then connected to the Respiration Cluster, minimizing land use.
Just then, Li Xiao called out, “Hey, look at this merch Mystery Box! There’s real treasure inside!”
Zhang Yu glanced at his Eye Armor’s display. So the decommissioned Corpse Units, once broken down, are sold as Mystery Boxes?
He stared at the list of possible contents: flesh, limbs, meridians, dantian…
His expression twisted. You can actually sell this stuff?
Yu Xinghan sighed. “Yeah. These Corpse Units run 24/7. The organs taken from them? They’re ancient—older than me. Can they even function?”
Li Xiao grinned. “But imagine if you pulled out a Jin Dan… or even an Yuan Ying organ…”
Yu Xinghan waved a hand dismissively. “Listen, Xiao Li, why do you always have this get-rich-quick mindset? You’re buying a Mystery Box, but the person packing it? They’re not blind. The real gems? They don’t end up in your hands.”
“Spirit cultivation is about discipline. Shortcuts? Those are for the rich. Us poor folk? We build our path step by step—loan by loan, repayment by repayment. No instant wealth.”
“And think about it—how many Corpse Units get decommissioned each year? Could selling Mystery Boxes possibly handle all of them? There must be other disposal methods. Who knows where all those bodies and organs come from… or what quality they really are.”
As Yu Xinghan spoke, a voice suddenly cut through the air.
“Sir, Wanfa University is a legitimate institution. Huilongyuan has always operated legally. We’re not some shady place like Youming University, where they sell living people as Corpse Units. Every organ, every Corpse Unit here comes from a legally confirmed death. Their origin and destination are completely transparent.”
The group turned to see a young man standing nearby. Tian Yang quickly stepped forward. “Sun Manager, my junior here doesn’t know what he’s saying—he’s just talking nonsense. Please ignore him.”
The man known as Sun Manager gave Yu Xinghan a cold, narrow glance—then turned away without another word. To Tian Yang, he said, “This renovation covers a large area. Thank you all for your hard work.”
After assigning the tasks, Sun Manager left.
Tian Yang then began distributing individual assignments. Moments later, directional arrows and task details began appearing in each student’s Eye Armor.
Zhang Yu followed the arrow, gradually separating from the group.
On both sides of the corridor stood rows of tightly packed metal canisters. These must be the Corpse Units, he thought.
A few moments later, he reached a section where the ground was crushed and distorted, with twisted, broken metal canisters scattered everywhere. Around him, the foundations of arrays, Spirit Energy circuits, nutrient pipelines, Ling-world networks, and surveillance cameras were all shattered.
Zhang Yu frowned. Is this my repair zone?
The network’s completely severed?
His Eye Armor flickered—pre-downloaded project files and repair schematics appeared instantly.
So… what caused such massive damage here?
The official explanation was that excessive Spirit Energy density caused necromantic mutations—zombie outbreaks. But whether it’s Kunxu’s university or its corporations… I don’t fully trust their surface-level story.
Zhang Yu shook his head, pushing aside his doubts. It was time to get to work.
And before beginning, the first step was always the same: taking medicine.
After all, for Zhang Yu, this construction site was less about labor and more about free meals—work was just a side benefit.
Thanks to Director Gao’s special favor, Zhang Yu could still receive up to ten free “life-shortening” pills per day while inside the site.
- Jiexue Powder: temporarily forces blood vessels and meridians to expand violently, stimulates the dantian and heart, accelerates the circulation of Qi and Martial Energy to a frenzy.
- Spirit Root Stimulant: enhances sensitivity and thickness of the Spirit Root, temporarily boosting efficiency and endurance.
Zhang Yu injected one pill after another—classic tiger-and-wolf-grade tonics.
This time, since he was focusing on his Breathing Technique, he chose only pills that enhanced Martial Energy flow.
He sat cross-legged and began cultivating the sixth form of the Qi Mai Chang Liu Breathing Technique—Superior Grade Foundation Establishment Martial Energy Manual.
The reason he chose this technique wasn’t just because it was part of a set. More importantly, it allowed for slight improvement in Martial Energy quality while simultaneously gathering Spirit Energy and circulating it through the body.
As Zhang Yu began the technique, his already-amped-up Martial Energy—already raging from the pills—roared through his meridians like a dragon unleashed, filling the air with a low, thunderous howl.
At the same time, his Qi Hai Linggen, now fully fused at 100%, grew thicker and stronger under the drug’s stimulation, greedily drawing in the surrounding Spirit Energy.
What had been drifting through the air like colorful clouds now surged toward Zhang Yu like a whirlwind, sucked into his body.
Too dense… this Spirit Energy is too concentrated…
Zhang Yu couldn’t help but marvel. This project was the right choice.
After a few rounds of cultivation, the Superior Grade Foundation Establishment Martial Energy Manual reached Level 3.
Zhang Yu then unleashed a series of energy waves, guiding the Wuxiang Yun'gang as it swept across the debris field, clearing the wreckage and beginning the repair work.
It wasn’t the fastest method—but Zhang Yu didn’t care. He’d rather work slowly, cultivating as he went, than sacrifice his cultivation for speed and profit.
For the next few days, Zhang Yu immersed himself in both cultivation and labor, spending nearly all his time at the construction site, savoring the escalating rush of Martial Energy and spiritual progress.
During this time, he also encountered Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang, two veteran students.
According to them, the cemetery project was like a wellness retreat compared to the Field Projects—better security, and constant exposure to dense Spirit Energy was great for the body.
That day, Zhang Yu walked with Shi Yunxiang toward their assigned zone.
At a fork in the path, Shi Yunxiang said, “Zhang Yu… can you walk a bit further with me? Just a few steps.”
“Huh?” Zhang Yu looked at the student beside him—broad-faced, with a lion’s head. “You… scared of the cemetery?”
“Scared of a cemetery? Would you be afraid in a Spirit Armor shop?” Shi Yunxiang shook his head. “I’m afraid of people.”
“Don’t you feel it? A lot of coworkers… they’re watching me too closely.”
Zhang Yu blinked. “Huh?”
Shi Yunxiang sighed. “Year after year, solitary half-beasts get eaten—sometimes by multiple people. This area’s remote, so it’s a hotspot for such incidents. I try to avoid going alone.”
“I can tell your gaze… it doesn’t carry that hunger.”
Zhang Yu smirked. I’m hungry, sure. But I’ve got no interest in eating sentient beings.
Zhang Yu asked, “You’re a beast lineage. Why didn’t you go to Tianyao University?”
He remembered that most top students from Songyang City ended up at Tianyao University.
Shi Yunxiang shook his head. “Tianyao has Bloodline-based major assignments. I’d only be eligible for their breeding department. I don’t want to study that. So I worked hard to get into Wanfa University instead.”
By then, Zhang Yu had delivered Shi Yunxiang to his post and turned back.
But as he walked through a severely damaged section—completely devoid of network signals or surveillance—his gaze suddenly froze.
In the panoramic view granted by his Third Eye Ability, a dark figure shot forward from the shadows—like a bolt of black lightning, aiming straight at him.
(End of Chapter)
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