No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

As Mo Shangjin warned the group, he and Zhang Yu had already activated their Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might, soaring into the air with their teammates to minimize contact with the Demon-Kin and followed the navigation projected in their ocular implants, heading deep into Demon-Beast University.

But even while flying above the ground, they couldn’t avoid the flickering figures of Demon-Kin darting by on all sides.

The towers of Demon-Beast University stood far too densely, like a forest impenetrable to light. The only paths through were the narrow gaps between buildings.

Even then, various strangely-shaped insect demons and rat demons occupied the narrow passageways, making this urban jungle feel even more cramped.

Suddenly, a cloud of blood mist burst open in the distance. Zhang Yu looked up just in time to see the dismembered body of a bull demon torn apart by dozens of other demons, each dragging a chunk away in a different direction.

Seeing this, Zhang Yu was stunned. “A murder in broad daylight?”

Mo Shangjin replied, “Not murder. Just an animal.”

He elaborated, “The Demon-Kin in the outer zones of Demon-Beast University aren’t regarded as people. They’re just animals the university keeps around.”

“When animals kill each other, do you think anyone cares?”

“Demon-Beast University doesn’t bother registering or managing them in detail. They just keep a broad grip on the overall numbers.”

“When the numbers get low, they boost the breeding rate.”

“When the numbers get high, they cut down the food supply.”

“This place is their laboratory, their farm, their material base, and their reserve stockpile of Demon-Kin…”

As he spoke, Zhang Yu and the others passed through the outer zone and entered the inner region of the university.

To be honest, Zhang Yu didn’t think the inner zone looked much different from the outer zone, apart from being quieter and more orderly.

At the border between zones, waves of divine power swept back and forth, instantly pulverizing any Demon-Kin from the outer area who strayed too close.

But soon, Zhang Yu frowned—he noticed that many of the students here were pregnant.

Mo Shangjin offered an explanation: “That’s the breeding tax. Every university student at Demon-Beast University has a yearly breeding quota and must submit a certain number of offspring to the school.”

“I don’t know the full regulations, but I heard that except for Nascent Soul cultivators, the stronger one’s cultivation, the more offspring they have to produce. A Nascent Soul cultivator might need to have dozens of children per year.”

“But instead of breeding, you can also pay the tax with spirit coins.”

Zhang Yu sucked in a sharp breath. “Then what about the male Demon-Kin?”

Mo Shangjin answered casually, “Demon-Beast University solved that technical hurdle a long time ago…”

As they talked, the group arrived outside a massive stadium.

Even before getting close, Zhang Yu could hear the roar of the crowd. From the outside, it looked like streams of Demon-Kin students were flooding toward the arena like surging waves.

“So many people?” Zhang Yu was surprised. “Do Demon-Beast University students really care this much about the civil engineering competition finals?”

Mo Shangjin seemed surprised too. “Their civil engineering department has always been strong, but this turnout is unusual for a final match.”

“Maybe something’s going on that we don’t know about.”

…

While Zhang Yu and his group made their way toward the arena…

Deep in an underground area of Demon-Beast University…

Xiangshan walked slowly through the tunnel ahead.

Before him stood towering pillars—like giant titans supporting the heavens—upholding the entire foundation of Demon-Beast University.

Xiangshan knew that with such a high population density of Demon-Kin and buildings above, the university had long required massive underground structures to support it.

These pillars were one of the critical structural foundations.

And they were made from the countless ancestors of the Elephant-Demon tribe.

After a lifetime of toil and crushing debt, these ancestors had offered their tempered bodies upon death to become the bedrock, silently supporting Demon-Beast University for eternity.

“This entire university stands on our backs.”

Looking at the pillars and sensing the lingering resentment and unyielding will within them, Xiangshan murmured, “Now, it’s our turn to rise from the depths and stand on the university grounds.”

He turned his head, and phantom images of Elephant-Demons appeared in his ocular implant.

Among them was his brother.

Back in high school, his brother had avoided the breeding tax for three years to focus on his studies. In his final year, someone reported him. He was caught and fined tenfold.

In that one year, his brother had to produce thirty offspring to pay the fine. The effort drained his blood and vitality, and he failed to get into university.

Then Xiangshan looked at his younger brother in elementary school, his son in middle school, his sister in high school… Seeing their swelling bellies only hardened his resolve.

“Breeding tax…”

His trunk curled downward, and endless fighting spirit surged in his eyes.

In his ocular implant, more and more Elephant-Demon silhouettes appeared.

They were his kin, his people—bloodlines stretching back generations—blinking like stars in the sky.

“Ten thousand?”

“A hundred thousand?”

“Or even more?”

Xiangshan murmured, “Over the years, our tribe has continuously handed over offspring to pay this tax. How many of our descendants have we given to this university?”

“How much spirit coin were they worth?”

“We’ve lost so much wealth…”

His tusks lengthened. Blood Qi surged through him. His body grew noticeably larger.

“It’s time to change everything.”

“I’m going to break out of the construction site. I’ll leave the civil engineering department behind!”

“I’ll make sure neither race nor department can bind us again!”

All around him, the phantoms of Elephant-Demon soul cultivators surged into his Law Husk, fusing with his body.

Xiangshan felt the power of his Law Husk rising rapidly. Vast reserves of the Spiritual Realm’s computing power were being diverted to him.

The next moment, he stepped forward with a thunderous stomp.

…

Boom.

As Xiangshan entered the arena with a resounding step, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the stands.

Rat demons, insect demons, cat demons, plant spirits… countless low-ranking Demon-Kin roared his name from the audience, their excitement shaking the earth.

A foul stench of blood and filth rose like a geyser, infusing the sky with Demon-Kin aura.

Zhang Yu even spotted some Demon-Kin in the stands losing control—defecating, urinating, even mating and giving birth on the spot from sheer excitement.

Shi Huaiyu frowned. “What’s wrong with these Demon-Kin? It’s just a match—why are they this riled up?”

Mo Shangjin flipped through data in his ocular implant. “Hm… we might’ve walked right into Demon-Beast University’s internal political struggle.”

“Someone may be using this civil engineering competition to push reforms—trying to get Xiangshan into the school team for the upcoming Top Ten League, hoping to shake up the university’s entrenched hierarchies.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if many of the spectators were paid to hype things up.”

Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed. “In that case, Xiangshan might be even stronger than we thought?”

Mo Shangjin nodded grimly. “Good thing you all helped me hold out until this round. If I’d had to buy a revival earlier and lost even one piece of my Law Husk, we’d be screwed right now.”

He paused, then said, “I’ll take him head-on. You circle around and target his teammates. Force him to split his focus.”

Zhang Yu glanced at Mo Shangjin’s Seven Absolutes Law Husk and nodded in agreement.

…

Meanwhile, in Xiangshan’s ocular implant, the image of Lord Tianxiang appeared.

This same Lord Tianxiang had once supported Zhang Yu during the military license exam in the civil engineering department at Wanfa University. He was a renowned professor and expert in the field.

Lord Tianxiang said, “A shame. I didn’t expect that helping Zhang Yu pass the military license exam would one day create your greatest rival.”

Xiangshan replied calmly, “No matter, Teacher.”

“If I can’t defeat true rivals… if I don’t display real strength and wealth… how will I convince the crowd? How will I change Demon-Beast University?”

“Defeating Zhang Yu and Mo Shangjin is the best record and fuel I could ask for on my way into the school team.”

With that, Xiangshan led his teammates to face the group from Wanfa University.

He lowered his long trunk slightly. His small eyes were calm and unshaken.

“Zhang Yu. Mo Shangjin.”

He looked at them and said, “For you to reach this point, you must’ve poured in blood, sweat, and countless spirit coins.”

“If not for me, you would’ve deserved to be this year’s civil engineering champions.”

“But I’m sorry. I will win this match. No matter what.”

Xiangshan exhaled deeply. His breath surged out as a white mist, heavy with heat, raising the temperature around them.

He continued, “Once the match begins, I will fight at full power.”

“If you want to avoid serious damage, give it everything you’ve got—and then surrender as soon as you’re overwhelmed.”

With that, Xiangshan closed his eyes, shutting out the world and silently awaiting the match’s start.

Both teams stepped into the arena. The match officially began.

Mo Shangjin shot skyward. The Seven Absolutes Law Husk blazed to life. His Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might swept across the field.

With a thunderous boom, the entire arena flipped.

Contestants, sand, building materials—even the ground itself—were hurled into the sky like falling into an abyss turned inside out.

In that disorienting chaos, a figure ripped through the air and appeared before Mo Shangjin.

Then came a single punch.

The entire arena seemed to freeze.

“Get down.”

With Xiangshan’s roar, his fist landed.

And the flipped arena… flipped again.

Sand, materials, and the earth all came crashing back down with an explosive boom.