Chapter 316: Ranking Update

Gongshu Jin listened to Zhang Yu, his eyes filled with disbelief. If taking more life-shortening pills and working more overtime could make one this strong, then there wouldn't be any overtime shifts left for them. People would even pay to work.

However, Gongshu Jin also understood that even if Zhang Yu possessed some secret learning method, immortal cultivation experience, or hidden immortal potential, he certainly wouldn't reveal it so easily.

At the same time, Zhang Yu looked at Gongshu Jin and said, "I'm going to work overtime, but if you're willing to pay me a bit more spirit coins, I can stay and continue our discussion."

After hearing Zhang Yu's words, Gongshu Jin ultimately didn't offer any spirit coins. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but rather that he saw no need. Having calmed down, Gongshu Jin quickly realized that Zhang Yu's desperate approach was of no use to him. His life was far more valuable than Zhang Yu's; there was no way he would risk it like that.

"Even if I have the money to buy longevity pills, the more I take them, the larger the dosage required, and the less effective they become." In Gongshu Jin's view, the longer one prolonged their life, the higher the cost for the next extension would be. And when the cost of life extension began to exceed a cultivator's income, that person's lifespan would gradually approach its end.

"Natural lifespan has never been the ultimate limit for cultivators at various stages.""A person's true maximum lifespan should be the limit of life extension that their income can afford.""Even if Zhang Yu can extend his life in the future, the lifespan consumed by such desperate efforts is ultimately lost.""His upper limit for lifespan, income, and working years... has ultimately been reduced."

To Gongshu Jin, all of this was simply not cost-effective. Having considered all this, Gongshu Jin watched Zhang Yu's departing back. Within his mind, his cultivation technique, the Level 15 Azure Dragon Soaring Heavens Heart Art, continuously stirred his ambition to ascend, to soar to the sky, and climb to the higher echelons of Kunxu.

"I have my own path. I just need to proceed step by step, accumulating strength, and not desperately compete with others over temporary gains or losses...""Competing with money is the immortal path I will take."

With this thought, he sent a message to his master: Master, I lost.His master replied: How much do you need?

Seeing his master's reply, Gongshu Jin felt that instead of being disheartened by today's defeat, his fighting spirit and immortal potential surged endlessly within him. Next time, he would be even stronger.

Zhang Yu walked along the path to the Level 666 construction site. Feeling the injuries within his body and observing the various bloodstains on his skin, he thought to himself, "The ultimate Civil Engineering Sacred Body is powerful, but its application is still too troublesome."

"Every 'foreplay' is too long. Just getting myself injured or weakened now takes considerable time.""And if I end up covered in blood, I'll have to bathe and wash clothes... which is even more inconvenient."

As he pondered, Zhang Yu slowly circulated the spiritual energy within his body, beginning to practice a new breathing technique.

Heavenly Blessing Longevity Art, Level 13.

After completing the Ultimate University Sacred Body and the Civil Engineering Sacred Body, Zhang Yu had once again resumed practicing breathing techniques in recent days, preparing to advance the chain formation set — Qi Meridian Flow. The Heavenly Blessing Longevity Art Zhang Yu was currently practicing was one of the breathing techniques for Qi Meridian Flow. However, despite having "longevity" in its name, this Heavenly Blessing Longevity Art did not actually extend life. Instead, it merely used spiritual energy and magic power to nourish the entire body's flesh and blood during breathing, adding a layer of foundation to the physique.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Although the past three months of outdoor construction site training have brought rapid improvement, they have also pretty much drained my body." He felt his body was like an empty shell at the moment; though powerful, it lacked the foundation to continue growing stronger. After all, Zhang Yu understood that immortal cultivation was never achieved out of thin air. The human body was like a vast treasure trove. While Zhang Yu had indeed made tremendous progress over the past three months through the destructive "mining" of various medicines and cultivation techniques, the accumulated medicinal power, nutrients, energy, and other foundations within his body had also been largely depleted.

"Next, I need to replenish myself to restore my body's foundation, otherwise the progress of my immortal cultivation might slow down more and more." Whenever he thought of this, Zhang Yu felt the spirit coins in his account stirring, eager to transform into his immortal foundation and merge into his body.

Just then, Zhang Yu saw a message flash on his ocular device; it was Tuli Shan asking to buy some body materials from him.

Zhang Yu: Is just a blood draw enough? Do you want saliva, semen, or hair?Tuli Shan: Just blood for now. If there are any results, I'll ask to buy other things from you.

Zhang Yu shook his head regretfully, knowing that the other party probably wouldn't find any significant results. "After all, my potential is manifested in my will and the Yu Codex, not something a mere physical body can demonstrate."

Just then, Tuli Shan added: Oh, right, Director Gao thinks highly of you and plans to nurture your talent.Tuli Shan: He'll meet with you in a few days. Think carefully about what you need.

A moment later, Zhang Yu arrived at the Level 666 construction site. But just as he was about to step through the construction gate, a voice suddenly called out to him.

"Zhang Yu?"

Zhang Yu turned his head and saw a security guard with light blue hair approaching. Just as Zhang Yu found the security guard somewhat familiar, he heard the man say, "Is that really you? Don't you remember me? Sheng Jie, from Xiandu."

Zhang Yu's eyes flickered at the mention, and the man's identity came to mind. "This guy... he was one of the four students from my and Ah Zhen's high school Foundation Establishment exam who passed and got the qualification certificate.""But I was in my second year of high school then, and he was in his third, so he entered university a year before me."

Yet Zhang Yu clearly remembered him as a subordinate of Wang Yin from Oasis Group. How did he end up at Myriad Laws University instead of Netherworld University?

As if understanding Zhang Yu's confusion, Sheng Jie smiled faintly and said, "As you know, I followed CEO Wang for a while on the first level.""While he was indeed good to his subordinates, I felt... I wasn't really suited for the atmosphere of Netherworld University and Oasis Group. So, when it came time to enroll, I thought it over and switched to Myriad Laws University."

As someone from Xiandu who had climbed from the bottom, Sheng Jie understood that while he was willing to be a subordinate, the first rule of being one... was choosing the right master. And during his time with CEO Wang on the first level, he gradually realized that the man was not a good choice, at least not for him.

Listening to Sheng Jie, Zhang Yu thought, *This kid is quite clever.* He glanced at the security uniform Sheng Jie was wearing and the class rank of 16 displayed above his head. Zhang Yu casually asked, "You joined the Security Department?"

"Yes, I'm rotating through various security positions around the university city this year," Sheng Jie nodded and said. "You joined the Civil Engineering Department? Then perhaps we'll have a chance to cooperate in the future."

As he spoke, Sheng Jie's gaze swept over Zhang Yu's class rank of 28 above his head, then down to his injuries. He thought with emotion, "Zhang Yu actually ranked this low? And he's covered in injuries... It seems his current situation isn't great either." Although their relationship on the first level hadn't been particularly good, seeing Zhang Yu in Myriad Laws University City brought a natural sense of kinship to Sheng Jie.

Recalling his own experiences during his freshman year, Sheng Jie sighed with a sense of empathy and said to Zhang Yu, "It's quite tough for us first-level people to study here in our freshman year. After all, it's Myriad Laws University; it's not easy to get by..."

After a brief chat, Sheng Jie returned to his post and heard a fellow security guard next to him say, "That person ranked 28th, is he from your hometown?""His rank is much lower than yours."

Sheng Jie gave an awkward laugh and said, "Maybe he's just having trouble adjusting."

Another colleague chuckled, "It's already good enough to be able to study on the second level. After graduating and going back home, they'll probably be considered the elite among the common folk, right?"

Faced with his colleague's teasing, Sheng Jie could only continue to smile awkwardly, feeling the gap once again in his heart: "Whether it's me or Zhang Yu, there's ultimately a huge chasm between us and those students from higher levels. Getting into the top ranks of the class will be incredibly difficult."

Meanwhile, after entering the construction site, Zhang Yu began his overtime work and cultivation as usual. Simultaneously, his Maimed Ox Sacrifice Heart Art continued to operate, silently activating the self-healing ability brought by bodily revitalization, controlling his wounds to gradually heal.

While Zhang Yu quietly worked overtime, many students in the Foundation Establishment class were waiting for today's rank update. Ying Xin, for instance, had already refreshed the class leaderboard several times.

"Gongshu Jin said he applied for the exam today, so the results should be out with today's update, right?" Watching the constantly refreshing ranks, Ying Xin seemed to witness a fierce battle, a 'dragon-tiger struggle,' erupting between Gongshu Jin and Ji Yuanxu. Although the two weren't fighting face-to-face, Ying Xin could still imagine the intensity of their competition. She seemed to see hundreds of spirit coins behind both parties constantly evaporating, transforming into terrifying surges of immortal potential that violently clashed, all just to contend for the top rank in the class.

Just then, Ying Xin's eyes moved; a teacher in the Foundation Establishment class had sent a message.

True Immortal Jiaolei: Everyone's grades for the first semester have been updated. Please check your ranks and summarize your gains for the semester.True Immortal Jiaolei: Everyone.True Immortal Jiaolei: Here, I want to particularly commend one student, whose achievements this semester can be described as a qualitative leap.

Looking at the full class rankings sent by the homeroom teacher, True Immortal Jiaolei, Ying Xin immediately clicked on them.

First place: Ji Yuanxu, total score 1228.Second place: Zhang Yu, total score 1201.Third place: Gongshu Jin, total score 1183.

Ying Xin stared at the rankings in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief: "Zh-Zhang Yu?!""How could he have jumped to second place? He actually surpassed Gongshu Jin?!""And his total score isn't far behind Ji Yuanxu's?!"

But the next moment, Ying Xin seemed to recall something, her eyes flickering slightly: "After all, because of *that*... it's understandable that Ji Yuanxu isn't too much higher than Zhang Yu." Still, the thought of Zhang Yu defeating Gongshu Jin and securing second place in the class left Ying Xin utterly puzzled.

"How much did he actually earn in that project over these three months?" And thinking about how she had missed out on this project, Ying Xin felt a painful ache, as if her heart was tearing apart.

As True Immortal Jiaolei tagged everyone in the class group, Zhang Yu, who was working overtime at the construction site, naturally received the message too. However, busy pouring concrete, he hadn't had a chance to look yet when he noticed many people had already sent him messages. With a thought, Zhang Yu randomly opened one.

Li Xiao: Brother Yu, congratulations! [Fireworks][Fireworks]Zhang Yu: ?Li Xiao: Haven't you seen the ranks? You're second in the class!