Chapter 312: Ultimate Earth and Wood Holy Body

Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across the factory buildings, and he felt a surge of emotion.

Thanks to the immense strength and professional skills of the Foundation Establishment students from the Civil Engineering Department, in just over two months, numerous roads had been repaired, underground transport channels opened, and buildings erected one after another. Furthermore, various factory-protecting formations and Feng Shui arrays, large and small, had been set up both inside and outside.

The entire project was largely complete, with only about a month left until their departure, which also coincided with the end of the semester.

Compared to the desolate ruins of two months prior, the factory area was now unrecognizable. From a distance, it resembled a small city, brightly lit even late at night, with the sounds of overtime work echoing everywhere.

Suddenly, Zhang Yu stopped. The area ahead was sealed off.

He thought to himself, "It must be the people from the Artifact Forging Department."

Since the newly built factory was specifically for producing Dharma skeletons, it naturally required the setup of Dharma skeleton production lines.

The specific construction of these production lines, especially critical facilities, was handled by cultivators from the Artifact Forging Department. In most cases, Civil Engineering students were not allowed to touch them.

The core technology involved was highly confidential; no one outside the Artifact Forging Department was permitted to enter and observe without authorization.

Zhang Yu walked around the sealed-off area, and a pungent, foul odor gradually permeated the air, causing him to furrow his brows slightly.

Ever since the Artifact Forging Department began setting up the production lines, strange smells had occasionally appeared in the air.

According to the senior students, these were pollutants discharged from the Dharma skeleton production lines once they were operational.

Dharma skeletons, magical artifacts, elixirs, flying swords, puppets... various factories inevitably produced waste water, exhaust gases, and similar byproducts during their manufacturing processes.

These byproducts, after being categorized and summarized, were collectively grouped into 72 major types, known as the Seventy-Two Earth Fiend Auras.

When the Seventy-Two Earth Fiend Auras first emerged, their residual spiritual energy and immortal power led some to repurpose them for cultivating the immortal path.

Some companies even collaborated with universities to develop cultivation techniques specifically for absorbing the Seventy-Two Earth Fiend Auras. They promoted these with slogans like "strengthen the body, prolong life, rapidly refine physique," and sold large quantities of the Earth Fiend Auras and corresponding cultivation methods to cultivators of that era.

Old stories told by his seniors flashed through Zhang Yu's mind.

"But later... more and more cultivators practicing these methods developed strange diseases, or even died suddenly. The companies were embroiled in scandals, as laboratories had concealed reports on the relevant side effects."

"Then the company leadership collectively bowed and apologized, and the compensation lawsuits have been ongoing for nearly 80 years with no resolution."

Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, "Considering the lifespans of those company executives, these lawsuits could probably continue for several more centuries without issue."

Fu Ji chuckled, "That's a common compensation trick for companies in Kunxu. First, they deny anything happened. Then they apologize and say they need to investigate. Once the investigation is complete and the procedures are done, by the time they're ready to announce compensation, they regretfully discover the plaintiff has already passed away. A few years after that, they claim nothing ever happened..."

"You seem quite familiar with this," Zhang Yu commented.

Fu Ji replied, "It's not like I haven't had company employees as followers before. I've seen this routine countless times. Getting money out of a company is harder than blowing up its building."

As they spoke, Zhang Yu arrived at a grove of trees outside the factory area.

With his qi and blood surging and magic power circulating throughout his body, Zhang Yu began his body-refining cultivation.

With every punch and kick, his aura surged, muscles swelled, and the forces of magic and physique blended into one, erupting simultaneously with each move.

This was a result of Zhang Yu's physical strength continuously increasing during the Foundation Establishment stage, causing his magic power and physical body to become increasingly intertwined and indistinguishable with each action.

About an hour later, as his muscles throughout his body expanded and contracted, Zhang Yu, emanating wisps of white steam, revealed a faint smile.

The tenth technique of the Civil Engineering Divine Body had finally been advanced to level 20.

Ultimate Civil Engineering Divine Body (10/10): The more severe the injury, the closer to death, the stronger the primary and advanced effects of the Civil Engineering Divine Body become. "Work every day as if it were your last."

Gazing at the final effect of the Civil Engineering Divine Body, Zhang Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. He summarized it in his mind, "This means... the more critically injured I am, the stronger the first two effects of the Civil Engineering Divine Body become."

What were the first two effects of the Civil Engineering Divine Body?

Zhang Yu's gaze lightly swept across the Law Chain Diagram.

Primary: Greatly increased resistance to earthquakes, dust, toxins, noise, pressure, cancer, radiation, pollution, high temperatures, low temperatures, impacts, slashes, punctures, and hunger.

Advanced: Significantly reduced lifespan consumption when cultivating, eating, or taking medicine during the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "This means the more critically injured I am, the stronger my resistance and the lower my lifespan consumption. Doesn't that imply... the more critically injured I am, the closer to death I become, the stronger my defenses, the lower my lifespan consumption, and the harder it is to die?"

"The closer to death, the harder to die?"

Zhang Yu pondered the implications of this final layer of the Civil Engineering Divine Body, particularly how this effect could benefit him. An idea gradually formed in his mind.

He controlled the physical revitalization brought by the Remnant Ox Self-Sacrifice Mind Art, bringing it to a halt.

Then he strode towards the construction site and resumed his work.

However, this time, while working, Zhang Yu did not activate his self-healing abilities when employing techniques like the Battle Demon Life-Sapping Art or Limitless Quake Zen.

Not only during work, but even when taking medicine with his meals, Zhang Yu forcibly suppressed the urge for self-healing within his body.

As a result, visibly, he appeared increasingly fatigued. His muscles, qi and blood, and physical strength all began to weaken, and even strands of white hair appeared at his temples within a few days...

Yet, in contrast, Zhang Yu could feel that, under the blessing of the Civil Engineering Divine Body, his seemingly weakened body's resistance to various external environmental factors was growing stronger.

Moreover, the lifespan consumed while cultivating, eating, and taking medicine became progressively less.

One day, Zhang Yu grabbed a large handful of Life-Reducing Heavenly Mechanism Powder, mixed it with Splitting Essence Bloodburst Pills, stirred it, and then swallowed it all in one gulp.

Through days of consuming large quantities of these substances, coupled with the effects of the Civil Engineering Divine Body, Zhang Yu gradually accumulated experience. He could even faintly perceive the drugs' impact on his body's lifespan.

For instance, after taking the medicine this time, under the forceful stimulation of its properties, his qi and blood and magic power surged wildly within him, accelerating the efficiency of his breathing exercises and body refinement.

During this process, Zhang Yu could sense something subtle being consumed within his body—it seemed to be his physical vitality, representing his lifespan.

Several more days passed. Now, Zhang Yu's yintang (area between eyebrows) had darkened, and his body, ravaged by medicines and various cultivation techniques, seemed riddled with holes.

Yet, even in this state, when Zhang Yu took another lifespan-reducing medicine, he found that its consumption of his lifespan was... almost negligible.

Furthermore, civil engineering techniques like the Battle Demon Life-Sapping Art and Limitless Quake Zen found it increasingly difficult to harm him.

At this moment, Zhang Yu realized that within his body... as his physical form was continuously damaged, the Civil Engineering Divine Body's resistance grew stronger, eventually achieving a peculiar balance between destruction and resistance.

Sensing this balance, Zhang Yu's dosage of medicine increased day by day. He intended to seize this rare opportunity for "free" consumption to frantically improve himself.

Previously, with the medication-absorbing ability of the University Divine Body and physical revitalization, he could take many lifespan-reducing drugs with relatively less lifespan consumption.

But now, under the blessing of the Civil Engineering Divine Body, Zhang Yu could consume large quantities of lifespan-reducing drugs with negligible cost to his own life.

To others around him, however, Zhang Yu's weakened state... clearly indicated his condition was rapidly deteriorating.

Fu Ji urged, "No, Zhang Yu! You can't keep eating like this! If you do, you'll be demoted from a bachelor's degree student to a vocational one! You'll end up at Fengdu Vocational College, classmates with Zhao Tianxing, cultivating souls together!"

Watching Zhang Yu continue to consume the medicine as if possessed, Fu Ji was both exasperated and anxious. "What new technology have these pharmaceutical companies developed now? What exactly are they putting in these medicines?"

Inside the room.

Che Yufei looked at the pale Zhang Yu and finally couldn't help but ask, "How much do you earn each day?"

Zhang Yu replied casually, "About 0.13 Spirit Coins or more, I guess?"

Che Yufei frowned upon hearing this. "No... 0.13 Spirit Coins a day, is it really worth risking your life like this?"

Every day when he returned, he would check on Zhang Yu, wondering if one day he'd see... his colleague transformed into raw materials.

Zhang Yu calmly stated, "I'm not doing it for the money. I'm just taking advantage of this rare self-service opportunity to reward myself."

Che Yufei was stunned by his words. Although he had encountered countless "study demons" since high school and seen person after person become obsessed on the path of immortal cultivation, Zhang Yu's current level of obsession was still enough to leave a deep impression on him.

Touching his full head of white hair, Che Yufei finally couldn't resist saying, "Lifespan isn't cashed in this way; what you're doing is suicide."

"Look at you, your body hasn't even started aging yet, but you're already so weak!"

"Now, look at me."

Che Yufei stroked his white hair and beard. "The doctors say I can live for at least another 10 years, which means I'll have no problem finishing university."

"Among the sixth-year Civil Engineering students, my aging is the most advanced. Do you know what that means?"

"It means I've utilized my lifespan most efficiently, allowing myself to live until graduation while pushing my potential to its limits. One could say I've mastered the art of health preservation."

"And do you know my secret to health preservation?"

"Two points: moderation and perseverance."

"One massage a day, no more than one dose of lifespan-damaging medicine per day, and overtime not exceeding 24 hours at a time."

"As long as you stick to these three points, you can be like me: convert your lifespan into cultivation while still living to graduate from university."

"Then, just work hard and earn money to buy more lifespan."

Che Yufei truly didn't want Zhang Yu to die suddenly. After all, capable Foundation Establishment students like him were rare in the Civil Engineering Department. Losing one... would significantly increase the workload for the senior students.

Zhang Yu thanked Che Yufei for his kind advice, then ordered two more doses of medicine. Che Yufei shook his head repeatedly, thinking to himself, "This guy... must be heavily in debt."