No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

In the resting area outside the arena, during the break—

the members of the Wanfa team were gathered, their expressions grim.

Mo Shangjin let out a helpless sigh.

“Sorry, everyone. If we continue, the spirit coins needed will exceed my budget. It’ll affect my future career, so… I’ll have to bow out here.”

No one objected. Whether it was Su Yanyang, Xiao Yunji, Shi Huaiyu, or Xiao Qingxuan, they all felt that if they were in Mo Shangjin’s shoes, they would make the same choice.

Such was the might of military-grade power.

Faced with Xiangshan, who had gained another layer of military-grade strength, the gap between the teams was now massive.

And having experienced that crushing strength firsthand, the team members were already beginning to consider surrender.

After all, even Mo Shangjin had quit. The disparity in power had only grown.

Under the reformed rules of this year’s intercollegiate competition, anyone who surrenders, is injured, or dies can’t be replaced. Just like on a real battlefield—if someone falls, they’re down for good. So now, they couldn’t even call in a substitute.

Su Yanyang thought to himself,

“Should I be the first to say it? If we keep going, the losses will only pile up… sigh, I’m done holding on.”

Beside him, Shi Huaiyu was thinking,

“Everyone’s probably ready to surrender… maybe it’s time I step up and show some resolve…”

Just as she was about to step forward and take responsibility for surrendering first, Zhang Yu moved ahead of her.

Everyone’s gaze shifted.

Su Yanyang thought,

“That Zhang Yu guy—always the first to surrender. Gutsy as ever.”

But just as similar thoughts were surfacing in everyone’s minds, Zhang Yu slowly began to speak:

“We can’t bring in any substitutes—but neither can Xiangshan. He’s the only one left on their side.”

Xiao Yunji’s expression shifted.

“Wait, is Zhang Yu… not here to surrender?”

Zhang Yu continued:

“And if we win this round, we won’t just get bonus points and prize money—we’ll also earn the design schematics for a military-grade battle armor. You all know how valuable that blueprint is.”

“More than that, we’d get to add to our résumés: beating Xiangshan, a fighter wielding two military-grade techniques, despite being the underdogs…”

Xiao Yunji’s heart stirred. Of course she wanted the rewards Zhang Yu described—but when she thought about Xiangshan’s terrifying power, she couldn’t summon the will to fight.

Because ultimately, what did they have to defeat someone wielding two military-grade powers like Xiangshan?

Then Zhang Yu said,

“If you’re willing to trust me… then fight one more time at my side.”

He turned to Mo Shangjin.

“Senior, I’d like to borrow your Seven Absolutes Law Husk.”

Mo Shangjin blinked in surprise and looked at Zhang Yu seriously.

And at that moment, everyone was thinking the same thing—

“Can we really trust him?”

As if sensing their thoughts, Zhang Yu took a deep breath, hesitated, then resolutely said:

“Actually… I’m from the Artifact Refinement Department.”

Mo Shangjin: “Huh?”

The others stared blankly at Zhang Yu, not understanding a word.

Zhang Yu pulled up his score from the artifact crafting entrance exam and a photo of him with True Lord Magneto.

“I’m True Lord Magneto’s disciple. After this Civil Engineering competition ends, I’ll be officially transferring to the Artifact Refinement Department.”

Everyone stared at him, stunned beyond belief.

Zhang Yu… was a Forgemaster?

Wait—weren’t we all just regular Civil Engineering students eating dirt at construction sites?

Why the hell did you run off to become a Forgemaster?!

Su Yanyang kept rereading Zhang Yu’s artifact department entrance exam scores, feeling bitter in his mouth, bitter in his heart—his whole body was bitter.

Even if Zhang Yu had beaten him before, that was Civil Engineering vs. Civil Engineering.

But now you’re joining the Artifact Refinement Department?

Couldn’t you keep crushing me from the same major?!

Facing everyone’s shocked stares, Zhang Yu went on,

“Please trust me once more. The Forgemaster me—will lead the Civil Engineering squad to victory in this competition.”

And somehow, hearing this from a true Forgemaster made everyone feel… like it might actually work.

Shi Huaiyu was the first to step forward.

“I believe in you.”

Xiao Qingxuan nodded.

“Then let’s fight.”

Xiao Yunji met Zhang Yu’s eyes.

“You’re from the Artifact Refinement Department. I believe you.”

Su Yanyang sighed.

“You’re from one of the top majors. Whatever you say, we’ll follow.”

Finally, all eyes turned to Mo Shangjin.

In that moment, Mo Shangjin felt like a lot of things suddenly clicked into place—

Director Gao’s close friendship with True Lord Magneto…

True Lord Magneto appearing as a guest speaker for Director Gao…

Ye Xingli showing up at their dorm repeatedly…

Feng Tingting’s sudden change of departments…

“So that’s it… Director Gao and True Lord Magneto were setting up a long game—

a massive collaboration between the Civil Engineering and Artifact Refinement departments.”

Just then, Zhang Yu spoke up again.

“Senior Mo, I can pay you a rental fee—”

“No need.” Mo Shangjin smiled.

“Just cover the repair costs after the match.”

“Now go get the transplant team.”

“We’re not the same build, and there’s not much time to adjust. The medics may have to be rough. And the synchronization rate might be low…”

Listening to Mo Shangjin, Zhang Yu replied firmly,

“It’s fine. I can hold on for one more match.”

Moments later, the medics arrived. Zhang Yu felt his arms detach. A strange new sensation replaced them as a complex artificial meridian structure began to fuse with his body.

His back was replaced with a Law Husk fitted with anti-gravity ribbons.

Both arms and hands were swapped for Law Husks capable of launching Comet Bombs and Gravitational Shock Cannons.

His entire spine was replaced. As the spinal Law Husk connected and his mana flowed through it, Zhang Yu felt an upgrade in every aspect:

range of martial aura, range of Earthfiend Gravity, force redirection efficiency, mana circulation efficiency… all improved.

Piece by piece, the Seven Absolutes Law Husk was transplanted onto his body.

He could feel the transformation—complete and overwhelming.

…

In the Demon-Beast University’s rest area—

Xiangshan sat alone, eyes closed, yet felt no loneliness.

From the audience, wave after wave of cheers erupted.

Messages of encouragement and celebration from countless kin and friends kept flashing in his eye interface.

He knew—he was not fighting alone.

He also knew that victory had never felt so close.

“All of us demon-kin have longed for change. We’ve waited too long…”

From the founding of Demon-Beast University, students had been divided by race.

Your species determined your major. Your major determined your job. Your job determined your future ceiling.

For demon-kin, that ceiling—their fate, their career path—was sealed the moment they were born.

But were the species that monopolized the elite majors really stronger?

Xiangshan knew… they weren’t.

“They just happened to grab the best seats when Demon-Beast University was founded—

and they’ve sat in them ever since, holding onto everything for generations…”

“But today—I will become the ancestor of countless rising demon-kin in the future.”

As the break ended, Xiangshan slowly stood up and walked toward the arena.

In an instant, with the match restarted, the entire stadium erupted.

Demon-kin onstage howled and danced, celebrating Xiangshan’s victory in their own wild ways.

“Who says Civil Engineering students can’t join the varsity team?!”

“No one should be bound by race or major!”

“Let him cook! Let him cook! Let him cook!”

Meanwhile, on the battlefield—

Seeing Zhang Yu now wearing gleaming black-and-gold Law Husks, anti-gravity ribbons fluttering behind him, already in his four-arm mode and floating mid-air—

Xiangshan sneered.

“Still not giving up?”

“Then let me personally crush those delusions in your heads—

until nothing remains.”

With that, Xiangshan lunged forward, riding a blast of air as he charged Zhang Yu once again.

“Let’s end this quickly…”

But before he could, Zhang Yu’s martial aura exploded—

a golden blaze wrapped around him as he took on the form of a four-armed Mountain-Moving Giant.

As the two collided, Xiangshan’s power shattered a layer of solid martial aura, pierced through a layer of liquid aura,

and was slowly absorbed by a final layer of gaseous aura.

“This form…” Xiangshan narrowed his eyes.

“So it’s designed specifically for melee. Before, it must’ve been a support mode—to conserve mana while assisting Mo Shangjin. That’s why he didn’t use it earlier.”

“But you think just this martial aura is enough to match my military-grade Law Husk?!”

“Foolish!”

The battlefield shook with each clash—like mountains crumbling, the earth shattering.

To Xiangshan’s surprise, Zhang Yu was even tougher than Mo Shangjin.

“Special materials plus protective martial aura, layered with the Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force’s redirection and rebound techniques,

boosted by the Seven Absolutes Law Husk,

and all powered by the Mountain-Moving Might of Heavenly Kunlun…”

Xiangshan had already studied Zhang Yu’s intel. Now that they were fighting, he refined his analysis:

“Using Mountain-Moving Might to match my Sumeru Mountain King Codex.”

“Former military-grade technique, Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force, plus the Seven Absolutes Law Husk,

plus that freakish martial talent and physique of his—

barely enough to go toe-to-toe with me, despite my military-grade Law Husk.”

“Interesting…”

As he spoke, Xiangshan took a punch to the chest on purpose.

His military-grade armored skin absorbed the impact, channeling it back into his body, then he launched a devastating counter.

“Reflecting my attacks?” Xiangshan laughed coldly.

“Let’s see how many times you can reflect them!”

The terrifying force bounced back and forth between them—

absorbed and redirected by Zhang Yu’s Cloudstride Force and Xiangshan’s military-grade armor again and again.

As the power ricocheted and surged between them, their movements grew more frenzied,

until each blow shook the entire arena like a storm.

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