No Money To Cultivate Immortality? Chapter 543: Beginning the Refinement of the Prototype Machine - Novel Cool

Chapter 543: Beginning the Refinement of the Prototype Machine

Mid-October.

In the dormitory.

Zhang Yu had just returned his consciousness from the Taiqing Jing, having completed his cultivation session, when he received good news from Wanfa University.

Reading through the report, Zhang Yu thought to himself: "Has the Top Ten League ended already?"

"This year’s conclusion came sooner than usual."

"The Dao Arts Department’s Dao Qiankun secured second place in Du Fa. The Finance Department’s Jiutian Liu took first in Dou Yun. And in our Alchemy Department, Yan Qianji earned second in Dou Bao, while Ye Xingli Senior Sister placed tenth in Dou Bao…"

Zhang Yu mused: "Senior Sister’s talent in Spirit Artifact Design is undeniable—she’s capable of reaching the top five among all universities. But when it comes to raw combat prowess in Spirit Artifact battles, she still seems a step behind the absolute top students from other schools."

Yet this very gap only deepened Zhang Yu’s desire to replicate her Dao Seed. Her talent in design was undeniable, and he wanted to study it closely.

He thought again: "Yan Qianji, as a disciple of Hua Shen, is already the face of our Alchemy Department. And yet, he didn’t even take first this time?"

Zhang Yu scanned the rest of the rankings, summarizing in his mind: "This year’s first place in Du Fa and Dou Bao went to Tianmo University and Youming University, respectively."

"Tianmo and Youming—no wonder they’re among the top three, alongside Wanfa, in the elite Top Ten."

As he stared at the list of names, a quiet admiration stirred within him. "The Top Ten League really is filled with geniuses."

But then came the weight of realization: to claim the Xianmen Technique, he’d have to surpass all these top-tier scholars, one by one. The thought filled him with anxiety, tension—and a thrill of excitement.

Then he noticed Bai Zhenzhen’s ranking: Seventh in Du Jian.

"A Zhen did well this time. Only a fourth-year, and already ranked this high…"

Zhang Yu sent her a congratulatory message.

After a moment’s pause, he added another one—this time to Ye Xingli.

Ye Xingli: Thank you! Got a bit of luck this time. Still need to keep pushing.

Reading her reply, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly: "Hmph. Senior Sister used to send me Lingbi with every message. Now she doesn’t even bother."

A strange feeling crept over him—lately, talking to Ye Xingli felt less like speaking to a senior and more like chatting with someone from the Songyang Hometown Group.

Just then, Bai Zhenzhen’s invitation appeared.

After Zhang Yu accepted, his consciousness crossed through layers of the spiritual realm, arriving in a secluded room.

This was the private chamber the Qingqing God had opened in the spiritual world for him and Bai Zhenzhen—a place they’d met every day during the past few months.

The moment they saw each other, Zhang Yu pulled her into a tight embrace.

Feeling his strong arms around her, Bai Zhenzhen whispered softly: "Yu-zi… I’m sorry I didn’t reply. Mom didn’t let me contact you."

Zhang Yu held her close, feeling her rare stillness—this lively friend, so rarely so quiet. He smiled gently. "As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters."

Bai Zhenzhen asked: "How about you? Did you run into any Cultivators from the Demon Sect?"

They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, sharing stories from the past few months.

Of course, in the chamber the Qīngqīng God had prepared, Zhang Yu couldn’t reveal the truth about his life-or-death battle against the Jin Dan-level Demon Sect Cultivator. Instead, he repeated the version he’d already told Zheng Shen.

When they turned to the topic of the Top Ten League, Bai Zhenzhen shared the news: next year’s major reform.

Hearing her, Zhang Yu’s eyes widened. "So starting next year, the results of the Top Ten League will directly affect the distribution of benefits among the top ten universities? And the competition will be even fiercer?"

"And there’s also the new option—choosing your own Xianmen Technique." Bai Zhenzhen said gravely. "Selecting a Technique from the Daozang Catalog? That reward is too tempting to ignore."

"Who knows if such a chance will ever come again. It might be a one-time event."

She sighed, her voice low. "The Daozang Catalog was created by the Top Ten Sects themselves, to compile all known Daoist knowledge. It’s said to contain every Technique ever recorded in the world."

"Even if we discount that claim—say it’s not 100% complete, or that the Sects might limit the selection—there are still countless Techniques there. All of them at the immortal-level standard."

"If Expert-Level Cultivation Techniques are just powerfully effective, and Military-Grade Techniques begin to break the rules… then Celestial Gate-Level Techniques are the real game-changers. They can utterly dominate lower-tier Techniques—true level-escalation. Completely different tier."

Zhang Yu nodded slowly, his heart stirred with longing.

But Bai Zhenzhen’s tone dropped again. "Still… next year… time is too short."

Zhang Yu asked: "Will the competition format change?"

She nodded. "Details aren’t out yet, but rumors say all Military Competitions will be merged into a single event."

"One event?" Zhang Yu’s mind jolted. "So students from Du Fa, Dou Bao, Dou Yun, Du Jian—all will compete in the same race?"

Bai Zhenzhen nodded, then let out a soft sigh. "It’s a shame. If we had two or three more years, we might have had a real shot."

"But next year…" She exhaled deeply, thinking of the top-ranked students—those from the upper grades, those once from different tracks. “With the current gap between us and them… even with my current strength, it’s hard to catch up.”

But she believed—if only she had more time—she could one day surpass them.

Yet a single year? Too tight.

Especially now, with rising tensions between the top universities, and the lure of self-selecting a Xianmen Technique, the upperclassmen would surely receive full institutional support—backing from Hua Shen God himself.

Under such pressure, catching up in just one year seemed impossible.

Zhang Yu nodded silently, but beneath his calm exterior, a fire had ignited.

He looked at Bai Zhenzhen and said firmly: "No matter what, letting this chance slip would be a waste."

"Next year, we’ll give it everything we’ve got."

Feeling the intensity in his eyes, Bai Zhenzhen nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the voice of the Qingqing God echoed around them:

"This year’s Top Ten League resulted in eleven student deaths across all Military Competitions. Each one of them was stronger than you."

"Next year’s competition will be even fiercer. Even more brutal."

"And the next generation of competitors? They’ll likely be the strongest the League has ever seen."

"Zhang Yu, entering this competition recklessly could get you killed."

"And your death could trigger a backlash from the Jiqing Sword Dao bound to Zhenzhen."

Zhang Yu froze for a second. Then he turned to Bai Zhenzhen, meeting her gaze.

"A Zhen, don’t worry. I won’t die. Not by your hand, and certainly not by anyone else’s."

Bai Zhenzhen gave a small nod. But in her heart, she thought: "If Yu-zi is ever in real danger next year… I’ll break the rules, even if it means being disqualified. I’ll protect him."

They spoke more—exchanging thoughts, plans, hopes.

Before parting, Bai Zhenzhen added one final warning:

"Yu-zi, try to avoid outside projects from now on."

"After this economic crisis, the Demon Sect’s influence has surged. You know they’ve mastered the technique to hijack the spiritual world. They’ll be active again."

"And with the universities at odds, the coming year will be full of hidden conflicts—especially around the Top Ten League."

"The outside world… will be more dangerous than ever."

…

After ending the connection with Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu turned his full focus to his studies and cultivation.

With less than a year until the next Top Ten League, even his prodigious talent couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.

A few days later, Zhang Yu finally achieved what he’d anticipated: through simulation cultivation in the Taiqing Jing, he advanced the production techniques of over a dozen Spirit Artifacts to the 20th Level.

These techniques contained all the Alchemy knowledge required to refine the Tian Ri Huang Shen Prototype Machine.

Now, at last, he could begin the official refinement.

But this time, he wouldn’t just simulate it endlessly inside the Taiqing Jing.

"Refining the Tian Ri Huang Shen Prototype Machine must be done step by step—every attempt, every improvement, every refinement must be recorded in full."

"Only then can I pass the review."

If he simply pushed the technique to 20th Level inside the Taiqing Jing, then emerged in the real world with a fully refined 20th-Level prototype on his first try…

"It would be astonishing—yes. But without real-world traces, people would suspect fraud. I’d face endless complications."

"Even if I eventually prove I didn’t cheat, the attention would be overwhelming. Everyone would wonder: Why could he reach 20th Level on the first try?"

Zhang Yu thought: This machine… I can’t just pin it on the Qiongjiang God’s Spirit Armor.

"Let them watch. Let them see—my talent is real. I built this from the ground up."

With that resolve, he decided to start with a Level 1 Tian Ri Huang Shen.

Then, in the laboratory, he’d repeatedly refine and improve it—pushing it all the way to 20th Level.

And in the process, he’d use the Feather Scroll to elevate his mastery of the Design Diagram to the same peak.

But before beginning, he did a quick calculation.

Due to the economic crisis, his income had plummeted. Aside from the 40 Lingbi monthly subsidy from the laboratory, he’d earned nothing from outside work. Worse, he’d used his own savings to cover employee salaries for the company.

Fortunately, his cultivation had all been simulated in the Taiqing Jing—no real cost. Unlike previous cultivation techniques, which drained significant resources, this time he’d saved every Lingbi.

Still, his current bank balance stood at only 120 Lingbi—far from enough.

Zhang Yu thought: "Refining the Prototype Machine will need at least 300 Lingbi. Accounting for overruns, revisions, and repeated attempts—400, maybe even 500 Lingbi would be safer."

"Of course, that’s for ordinary people. For someone with Alchemy Genius like me, I might save some."

"But overall… I don’t have enough."

"I need to earn more."

Yet despite the shortfall, Zhang Yu remained confident.

First, the 120 Lingbi was enough to start. He could begin refining while simultaneously working on income-generating projects.

Second, with the economic crisis now easing, the University City was bursting with opportunity.

(End of Chapter)

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