Chapter 297: A Warm Current of Friendship

No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

That day, as soon as Zhang Yu returned to the dorm, he found Le Mulan already waiting for him.

Aside from the 0.05 Spirit Coins he earned that day, Le Mulan had, over the past few days, purchased various bodily materials from Zhang Yu—blood, sweat, saliva, and so on—netting him an additional 0.08 Spirit Coins.

However, perhaps due to the short time span, the company hadn't yet extracted any significant findings from Zhang Yu’s samples.

The only unexpected discovery Le Mulan noted was how Zhang Yu’s sweat had become remarkably pure and free from contamination. Forget toxins or impurities—there wasn’t even the faintest trace of odor. It was as if his sweat existed solely for temperature regulation, like sterile cooling water.

In Le Mulan’s mind, Zhang Yu’s urine might very well be cleaner than a mortal’s cerebrospinal fluid.

She thought silently, “After Zhang Yu entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, his ability to metabolize and absorb medicinal substances—and to control medicinal toxins in his body—became even more formidable.”

“Plus, with the cultivation of the Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation, every dose of medicine he takes is almost perfectly filtered of toxins and gathered into one place for storage.”

“If this ability were applied in a pharmaceutical company—whether as a trial subject or as a toxin-filtration medium—his salary would definitely be sky-high.”

Of course, Le Mulan knew that Zhang Yu would never take on such a job.

The damage from that kind of work was too great. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators, under constant exposure to experimental medicines, could suffer irreversible injuries within weeks—effectively ending their path on the Immortal Path.

But if she were the only one to use it, just a little…

At this moment, Le Mulan looked at Zhang Yu and asked seriously, “Are you sure… you're really giving it to me for free?”

Zhang Yu gazed at her, his eyes lingering on the Dao Seed embedded in her chest—the Frost Abyss Technique.

He thought to himself, “If I want to obtain Le Mulan’s Dao Seed, I need to improve the quality of her mana. And to do that, she must first enter the Foundation Establishment Realm.”

But in his estimation, her chances of passing the Foundation Establishment exam in November were still too low.

He didn’t want to wait until the next exam cycle.

So, Zhang Yu took out a measuring cup and handed it to her. “Drink it. See how it feels.”

Le Mulan, a little embarrassed, accepted it and muttered, “If you sold this… it’d probably go for a lot.”

Zhang Yu waved his hand. “We’re friends. No charge.”

“Not just you—if Yu Xinghan or… Senior Sister Zhang ever need it, I’ll give it to them for free too.”

A strange feeling surged in Le Mulan’s chest as she looked at Zhang Yu.

She recalled the first time they met during a high school martial arts competition, when she tried to buy a victory from him. Back then, his refusal to accept money left her confused and annoyed.

But now, seeing him just as unwilling to take payment, she wasn’t angry at all.

“So… this is what it feels like to have a true friend?”

Le Mulan raised the measuring cup and drank it all in one go, feeling the warm current of friendship flow down her throat.

And in that same instant, the taste of blood filled her mouth.

Zhang Yu watched her down his blood in a single gulp. “How do you feel?”

Le Mulan licked her lips, sensing waves of searing medicinal energy spreading through her limbs. “The medicinal effect is weak… but there’s almost no toxin left. I think I could drink a lot of this.”

Zhang Yu nodded slightly. What he gave her was indeed his own blood—currently the only thing from his body that could improve her cultivation efficiency. What else would it be?

With this method, he had essentially become Le Mulan’s medicinal toxin filter, allowing her to consume far more medicine to enhance her cultivation.

And given that she’d already undergone Purple Cloud Pharmaceuticals’ Super-Metabolism Surgery, her medication intake and cultivation efficiency would now skyrocket.

Zhang Yu said, “Alright, then. From now on, whatever medicine you want to take, buy a bit extra for me. I’ll ingest it first, then pass it on to you. That way, you can take two or three times the usual amount and cultivate much faster.”

Le Mulan nodded, looking at Zhang Yu with a spark of excitement. “Zhang Yu… thank you.”

She recalled what Xuange had said, and after taking a deep breath, added, “If you ever want to dual cultivate… I can pay you extra.”

To Le Mulan, offering more money in a transaction was the only way she could think of to thank a true friend.

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. “What are you even thinking? Who said anything about dual cultivation? Don’t talk nonsense. Get to class.”

Le Mulan replied, “Any kind of trade is fine. I’m just tight on funds right now because I’m preparing for the Foundation Establishment exam. After I pass, my family—”

Zhang Yu waved her off. “Alright, alright. We’ll talk after you pass.”

His eyes stayed fixed on her Dao Seed. He was still set on copying that Frost Abyss Technique.

He picked up the measuring cup again. “I’ll make a bit more for you. Remember to drink some every day. Focus on your cultivation—you must get that Foundation License.”

Before she left, Le Mulan added, “If you’re going to sell blood, be careful…”

Zhang Yu simply waved it off. He had no plans for that yet.

Thanks to the University Saint Body and its peak Foundation Establishment metabolic capability, he could at most feed his three dormmates.

As for outsiders… he had no sales channels, no immunity permits, no sanitation licenses, no commercial certifications. Selling blood involved too many complications.

And selling a little wouldn’t earn much; selling a lot would harm his body and hinder his cultivation.

Besides, he now had a stable income from the construction site—it was time to go all in.

…

That afternoon after class, Xuange wandered the corridors of the Pharmacology Department, looking for Le Mulan.

“Where’d she go?”

Turning a corner, he spotted her—just as she downed something from a measuring cup.

He stared, stunned at the now-empty cup, and remembered catching a glimpse of it in her hand a few days earlier.

“They’re… they’re already at that stage?”

Xuange's whole body jolted with shock, and a ridiculous thought surged in his mind.

Is this still Wanfa University? Or did I wander into the Pleasure and Harmony University?

They’re only freshmen! I haven’t even formed a study group yet, and you people are already cultivating at that level?

Looking into Le Mulan’s turned face, Xuange mustered his courage and finally spoke the words he’d been holding back:

“Le, I want in too. I want to take another step on the Immortal Path.”

“Can I move into your dorm?”

…

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu became increasingly proficient on the construction site. With both the War Demon Life-Draining Technique and Limitless Cloud Hands in operation, his body would wear down through labor and then regenerate with vibrant vitality.

Especially now that he was more skilled, he could precisely manage the level of wear to stay within recoverable limits.

This made Zhang Yu feel that not only was he not damaging his body through this grueling work, but it was becoming tougher, stronger—even progressing faster than with solo cultivation.

“I can cultivate and make money at the same time. The Civil Engineering Department really is my calling.”

In the blink of an eye, he’d worked on the site for half a month. His efficiency had gone up, and so had his income: he’d earned 0.59 Spirit Coins in that time.

But looking at his account balance—10.7 Spirit Coins after purchasing high-quality mana—Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “Still need to hustle harder.”

That morning, as streaks of sunlight spread across the horizon, Zhang Yu reluctantly wrapped up his shift.

Limitless Cloud Hands: Level 20.

At Level 20, the technique enabled ultra-high-frequency bursts that unleashed devastating power for a few seconds.

“Pretty useless,” Zhang Yu muttered. “Only good for combat—not much help for construction work.”

Walking off the site, he was joined by fellow laborers Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan.

Compared to the still-energetic Zhang Yu, who remained full of vigor even after an overnight shift, Li Xiao and Yu Xinghan looked far more worn out.

Li Xiao’s muscles occasionally twitched from exhaustion, making his movements clumsy.

Yu Xinghan, meanwhile, looked noticeably thinner, his cheeks slightly sunken.

As they reached the site gate, Yu Xinghan let out a sigh. “Finally off work. Time for a massage.”

Rubbing his arms, he added, “I’m so sore every day. Gotta get a massage or I can’t go on.”

Li Xiao gave him a look of disdain—how could he afford daily massages and still save money for cultivation?

Zhang Yu waved goodbye and walked ahead. He knew Yu Xinghan didn’t have the same regenerative powers. A daily massage was essential for keeping up.

Yu Xinghan strolled into the massage parlor like a regular.

“Hey, Boss Yu! Same as usual? Number 38?”

Yu Xinghan chuckled. “Don’t forget the projection service.”

With the spiritual projection activated, a masseuse in the form of Li Xuelian entered. Yu Xinghan leaned back and said, “Start with my feet.”

…

Walking back to the dorm, Zhang Yu’s EyeNet constantly pinged with updates.

Messages from professors in the class group.

Promotions from nearby stores.

Occasional chatter from the Songyang group chat.

Three months ago, when everyone had just entered the second floor, that group had been buzzing—999+ messages a day was common.

But with time, and everyone buried in their studies, the chat had quieted down.

Still, Zhang Yu checked it now and then—it was a good way to catch news from other universities.

And today, one post caught his eye.

Chu Qiuhe from Vajra University: “A bunch of grad programs are cutting or even halting admissions. You guys see that?”

Zhao Tianxing from Fengdu University: “You’re already thinking about grad school?”

Zhang Yu muttered to himself, “Old Zhao, come on… It’s a vocational college. Why are you pretending it’s Fengdu University like Mo Tianyi? Still chasing vanity, huh?”

Lian Tianji from Pleasure and Harmony University: “You’re supposed to start preparing in freshman year!”

Lian Tianji: “A lot of the most popular programs are cutting back. The Yin-Yang Emergency Medicine program I was aiming for lost half its slots.”

Qian Shen from Tianhai University: “University evaluation systems are super complex. I haven’t figured it all out, but these enrollment changes must make sense.”

Reading this, Zhang Yu pulled up the admissions page—Wanfa University had indeed altered its grad school quotas.

But when he saw that the Civil Engineering Department wasn’t cutting back—on the contrary, it was expanding—he burst out laughing.

“Gonna keep the construction wages flowing, huh?”

“Good thing I’m not applying to the Civil Engineering Department for grad school.”

Zhang Yu had planned to transfer to the Artifact Refining Department in junior year and pursue grad school there under the plan crafted by Xinghuo Zhenren.

But the moment he saw the notice—Artifact Refining Department admissions down 40%—his smile instantly disappeared.