Chapter 280: University Courses

Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen and said, "Don't worry, Zhenzhen, if anyone dares to mess with me, I'll call you."

"Hmm," Bai Zhenzhen nodded with a smile upon hearing this, but then remembered something else and pouted, "It's a pity I can't transfer spirit coins to you today."

"Mom (Divine Monarch of Seven Emotions) found out about the last transfer I made to you, and she scolded me, forbidding me from giving you any more spirit coins."

"Ugh, she's so stingy. It was only 5 spirit coins, right? Wait, let me think of a way to get the money to you later."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu quickly advised, "Zhenzhen, don't rush this. Since you're at Heavenly Sword University, you should really consider the Divine Monarch's feelings. Don't anger her."

Fu Ji reminded him, "Exactly. Don't end up on a Grand Ancestor's hostile list just because Bai Zhenzhen keeps showering you with money."

Zhang Yu nodded, "Zhenzhen, next time you transfer money, don't use my name. Transfer it to Yu Xinghan first... No, wait..."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yu said, "You can transfer it to my sister, or Le Mulan. I'll just secretly spend it from them."

Bai Zhenzhen puffed out her chest and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If there's any problem, I'll discuss it with you beforehand."

The two then engaged in another lively conversation. After turning a few times, Bai Zhenzhen seemed to be urged by someone, and finally, with a hint of reluctance on her face, she said, "Yuzi, I need to go practice my breathing exercises."

Zhang Yu nodded understandingly, "Go ahead. I'll hang up then."

Bai Zhenzhen suddenly turned her head again, seemingly listening to someone, then smiled and said, "It's fine, let's just keep the call open."

"Mom said we can keep the communication open and cultivate separately. She says it helps foster friendships and prepares us for the Sword Dao of Extreme Emotion."

So, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen didn't end the projection call but continued their respective cultivations.

Although they didn't speak to each other, as Zhang Yu practiced the Seventy-Two Forms of Foundation-Building Body Refinement, he occasionally saw Bai Zhenzhen meditating and performing breathing exercises beside him. It felt like they were back on the first level, with her still by his side, cultivating together.

Although Bai Zhenzhen had her eyes closed during her breathing exercises and couldn't see Zhang Yu, through the advanced technology of the Spirit Realm Network, she could constantly hear the sounds of his movements and breathing during his training, as if he were right beside her.

Everything felt like it had returned to the past, making Bai Zhenzhen's lips curl into a slight smile.

In the blink of an eye, several more hours passed. Bai Zhenzhen opened her eyes, let out a long breath, and said, "Yuzi, I have to go to class now."

Seventy-Two Forms of Foundation-Building Body Refinement: Level 8 → Level 9.

Zhang Yu also stopped his movements and nodded, "I should be going to class too."

"See you tomorrow night."

"See you tomorrow night."

After exchanging goodbyes, with a flash of light and shadow, Bai Zhenzhen disappeared from Zhang Yu's sight like a phantom.

Then, with a thought, Zhang Yu saw his current data consumption displayed in his vision, and a pained expression crossed his face: "Although it feels nice to have Zhenzhen accompany me during practice..."

"But if I consume this much data every day, I'll burn through a month's worth in just a few days."

"It seems that maintaining friendships on the second level is quite expensive."

Just as Zhang Yu was fretting, the dorm door opened, and Yu Xinghan urged, "Zhang Yu, have you eaten? We have to go to class after eating. We can't be late for the first class today."

Seeing Zhang Yu's expression, Yu Xinghan asked curiously, "Why do you look so upset? Did you find that your feelings for Bai Zhenzhen have faded while you were talking to her? After all, she's a Nascent Soul disciple now; you should be prepared for that."

Zhang Yu said calmly, "Don't talk nonsense. You don't understand the depth of my friendship with Zhenzhen."

Yu Xinghan said, "Oh, come on, what kind of feelings don't change? Do you think Old Deng didn't have close friends and good comrades who were practically family?"

"Look, after he fell to the first level, how many people reached out to help him?"

"Feelings are temporary; money is real. It can transform into your cultivation, your power, and stay with you forever."

"While you can still contact her, you should ask Bai Zhenzhen for more money, as much as you can get. Even if you're not friends later, at least you'll have profited."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes, thinking, *You're telling me "being prepared" means just asking for more money?*

Zhang Yu walked into the dorm, took out the synthesized food he had brought from the first level, and began to eat while pulling up his class schedule on his eye-display.

This schedule had been posted in the Foundation-Building class group yesterday, outlining the course arrangements for the next three months.

"These three months will be dedicated to a unified Foundation-Building period curriculum."

"Three months from now, September will mark the start of the new academic year, and we'll attend classes according to the courses we've chosen to enroll in."

"Until June next year, when the academic year ends, all rankings will be finalized, determining each student's rank and rewards..."

Zhang Yu thought, *By that calculation, I have a whole year to cultivate. I wonder how high I can get my ranking.*

He looked down at his palm; the black symbol was mostly filled, indicating that a new chapter of the Feather Scroll would open in the next day or two.

Besides this schedule, Zhang Yu had also received a friend request from a True God yesterday.

*Is this the True God who's supposed to assign me a teacher?*

Being able to choose an instructor after entering the university was one of Zhang Yu's rewards for passing the Foundation-Building exam.

After accepting the friend request and confirming the other party's intention, Zhang Yu naturally didn't choose an instructor right away, as he barely knew any teachers in the entire Myriad Dao University.

The other party clearly knew this and wasn't in a hurry, simply telling Zhang Yu to take his time and decide by June next year, before the end of the first academic year.

In addition, a scholarship of 2.5 spirit coins had successfully arrived, bringing Zhang Yu's total spirit coins to over 12.

Just then, Yu Xinghan, who was eating nearby, said, "By the way, when did people here stop eating regular food?"

Zhang Pianpian spoke eloquently, "The second level of Kunxu... used to be the medicinal garden for the Ten Great Sects, cultivating herbs for them all along."

"Later, to expand cultivation and improve efficiency, they began recruiting mortals to help tend to the herbs and taught them some immortal cultivation techniques."

"As more people came, schools were gradually established, eventually evolving into various universities today, with many residents here becoming sect reserves."

"To sell medicinal ingredients to higher levels for greater profit, companies and universities continuously expanded the cultivation area for medicinal herbs, squeezing out land for food cultivation and animal husbandry."

"Gradually, food for locals became increasingly expensive, so some began to refine the scraps and byproducts from the medicinal ingredients sold to the upper levels into medicines that replenish physical strength, energy, and provide bodily nutrition."

"With food being expensive and medicine cheap, people naturally started living off medicine. Then, when they discovered that cement was the cheapest way to suppress digestive power, some began to swallow cement."

Zhang Yu suddenly asked curiously, "Then what do the mortals here eat? Without cultivation, wouldn't the potency of the medicine and cement be difficult to tolerate?"

Zhang Pianpian smiled upon hearing this: "The mortals in Myriad Dao University City are located below the 100th level, a place where cultivators rarely descend."

"Their condition... is hard to describe. Let's just say they're very happy."

"If you're interested, you can go see for yourself when you have some free time."

"In short, the current situation is a balance achieved by the university, companies, sects... all parties involved, and also an effort made by people to adapt to their environment."

"After all, to climb higher in Kunxu, one needs to adapt to various different environments. If medicine is cheap here, you take medicine; if you move somewhere else and food is cheap, you eat food."

Yu Xinghan looked at the White Dragon senior, recalling the teachings of True Master Xinghuo, and nodded slightly, saying, "You're right, we should also adapt to this environment."

He extended his hand and asked, "Can you spare some cement for me?"

With his other hand, Yu Xinghan clutched the synthesized food in his palm, thinking, *I won't eat this synthesized food... Didn't they say food is expensive here? I'll just sell it for money and see if I can earn some spirit coins.*

Le Mulan, who was nearby, also extended her hand and said, "Can you give me some? I also want to adapt to this environment as soon as possible."

Yu Xinghan glanced at Zhang Yu and asked, "You don't want any?"

Zhang Yu casually replied, "I can already control my digestive system and weaken my digestive power with my own will. I don't need external substances to suppress it."

Yu Xinghan cursed inwardly, *This kid is showing off again.*

He had cultivated with Zhang Yu on the first level for quite some time and knew very well how terrifying Zhang Yu's talent was.

Zhang Pianpian, however, looked at Zhang Yu in surprise and praised, "Xiao Yu, it seems your progress over the past two years has been truly significant."

After the group finished breakfast, they each followed the navigation in their eye-displays to their class locations.

Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan, surrounded by flashes of electricity, quickly zipped through the Magnetic Passage.

Yu Xinghan urged, "Hurry, hurry! There's a fine for being late here."

Zhang Yu calmly replied, "The class is on the 200th level, less than a kilometer from the dorms on the 125th level. We'll be there soon, no need to rush."

Walking into the classroom, Zhang Yu saw that most of the students had already arrived, but there was no sign of the teacher.

A few seconds before class began, the eye-displays of many students in the room flashed simultaneously, revealing a projected image.

It was a phoenix, its entire body shimmering with blazing fire.

The phoenix cast a cold gaze over everyone, then a female voice resounded: "I am your teacher for this class. You may call me Feng Jiu. For the next three months, I will be teaching you the most fundamental Dao Heart course in Foundation Building."

"I usually work deep within the Spirit Realm, and my physical body is constantly dormant. What you see now is my image in the Spirit Realm..."

Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise inwardly, *Is this like teaching with a virtual avatar?*

Fu Ji asked curiously, "What? What? Has the teacher arrived? Why can't I see anything?"

Just as Zhang Yu was about to explain, he heard Yu Xinghan next to him say, "Zhang Yu, look, there's a phoenix."

Zhang Yu sighed helplessly, "Are you lagging again?"

Only then did Yu Xinghan realize that his newly replaced eye-display worked fine in less crowded areas, but experienced a slight delay in more crowded ones.

"It's fine, after all, this Extreme Tiger brand eye-display is cheap enough. Its performance is a bit lacking, but as long as it doesn't affect class, it's okay. I'll get a better one when I earn some money."