Chapter 376: Martial Dao Saint Body

The day of the civil engineering competition began.

Inside the operating room, Ji Yanshu looked at his brand-new arms, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The data on his new arms surfaced in his mind.

"Thunderfire Twin Roar, arm dharma remains from the Thunder Law series produced by the top dharma remains company, Ten Thousand Dao Artisan Sect."

"Both arms can undergo high-temperature and electromagnetic enhancement, and through external meridian extension, reshape external protective aura to create aura cannons with a range over 500 meters."

While recalling in his mind, Ji Yanshu had already taken a picture of Thunderfire Twin Roar with his eye dharma remains, then uploaded it to a social platform with a caption: "New day, train hard."

Scrolling through his past updates, one could see photos of various immortal-path products, all items Ji Yanshu had spent a large amount of spirit coins on for himself after the final exams.

There were sixth-generation Soul-Tracking Eyes from the Ten Thousand Dao Artisan Sect, which could pre-set targets, lock onto high-speed targets, and link with dharma remains reactions in other parts to achieve auto-aiming and auto-attack.

There were Impermanent Wind low-altitude flight components for the legs, which created storms through high-speed air jets, enabling low-altitude flight, instant acceleration, high-speed movement and turning, supporting flight up to Mach 3.

There was also the Celestial Works Group's Feather-Transformation Core, which besides having a built-in Level 20 cultivation method, could also provide self anti-gravity enhancement, further strengthening the leg's low-altitude flight components.

The coin in his mind that suppressed fortune-luck had now been replaced with another artifact.

That was an artifact shaped like a card, now quietly floating in Ji Yanshu's mind, suppressing his fortune-luck.

The artifact was called the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card. Unlike the original fortune-luck artifact that imitated ancient coin shapes, this fortune-luck artifact's design was inspired by credit cards from a hundred years ago.

The card body had an antique design, and the old-style graphics on both sides respectively symbolized nobility, credit, and strong economic power.

Under the operation of the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card, the backlash from his fortune-luck was weakened, changing the original 2-month backlash period into an average distribution over 12 months.

And as the dharma remains on him increased, and as he flaunted various expensive immortal-path products time and again, more and more people felt his wealth and believed in his strength, allowing him to gather more and more fortune-luck.

Especially when...

Ji Yanshu recalled the evil god ritual he had secretly performed after the final exams ended.

Since that ritual, he had been able to condense fortune-luck more quickly as the number of dharma remains on him increased.

And with the evil god's help, his follower growth rate over these three months far exceeded the past, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers; each time he flaunted wealth, he condensed a considerable amount of fortune-luck.

This not only allowed Ji Yanshu to quickly recover from all the aftereffects of fortune-luck backlash, but also to advance bravely and swiftly.

At this moment, the fortune-luck under the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card was even more intense than during his final exams, bolstering his abilities in all aspects.

And through the operation of the Platinum Fortune-Suppressing Card, the effect of fortune-luck enhancement was elevated layer by layer.

But to achieve all this, to constantly flaunt wealth and replace dharma remains, Ji Yanshu had also consumed a large number of spirit coins, not only depleting his savings almost completely, but also borrowing a considerable amount of spirit coins.

Even his commonly used Wind-Calming Pearl had long been sold off by him.

Without the Wind-Calming Pearl, he could only smell the air of Kunxu Second Layer every day.

"Unknowingly, I've also gotten used to this smell of poverty in the university town."

"This is growth through tempering, I suppose."

Smelling this scent of poverty, he etched it deeply into his mind, constantly telling himself that the hardships he endured now were all for a better future.

"Zhang Yu is just the beginning."

Feeling the ever-surging fortune-luck in his mind, Ji Yanshu believed his future was immensely vast.

He would be like many seniors in the finance department; as he continuously accumulated followers and condensed fortune-luck, more and more people would believe in him, follow him, obey him. Eventually, with a single thought or a single word, he could change the hearts of millions, guide the flow of countless spirit coins, and control where fortune-luck gathered...

Ji Yanshu understood that Zhang Yu was no longer worth worrying about, and the civil engineering department was just a minor stop in his life; his future lay in the broader world of finance.

Glancing at the time and finding it was almost time for the competition to start, he stood up, walked out of the operating room, and headed toward the arena.

Ma Xuan and the others had already arrived at the arena. Seeing Ji Yanshu approaching, a smile appeared on his face.

Ma Xuan had been watching Ji Yanshu's growth in strength all this time, and it further confirmed his decision to keep him was correct.

Inside a one-square-meter meditation capsule.

Accompanied by a ringing sound, Che Yufei slowly opened his eyes.

Che Yufei had not worked for three consecutive days.

He hadn't worked overtime for the past three days, only studying normally during the day and then breathing through the night.

This was also the first time since entering university that he had gone over seventy-two hours without working.

He did this precisely because of the upcoming civil engineering competition—he chose to rest and recuperate.

He wanted to conserve more energy and stamina for the competition, to avoid being mentally willing but physically unable during the event, or even dying from overwork on the spot.

So during these three days, he forced himself not to work overtime, not to work, not to earn money, watching helplessly as his spirit coins dwindled daily with no increase, while he could only painfully rest and recuperate...

All of this tormented Che Yufei's heart.

"This is really hard to endure..."

"Indeed, rest is the best way to temper one's Dao heart."

"If I can't find a job after graduation, I'll have to live such painful days every day, right?"

At that thought, Che Yufei couldn't help but shudder, trembling slightly.

And to ensure he could find a good job after graduation, Che Yufei made up his mind—this time he had to rank in the top ten of the civil engineering competition.

"After all, I'm already a seventh-year university student. If I graduate without even a competition ranking, it'll probably be hard to find a good job on the second level."

Che Yufei knew he was poor, so in his lower and middle years he couldn't participate in competitions... he accepted that.

But after barely making it to senior year, he wasn't aiming for too high a rank—just a top-ten finish would satisfy him.

Glancing at the time, Che Yufei took a deep breath, feeling his body restored to its peak condition, then crawled out of his meditation capsule and headed toward the competition venue.

On the way he ran into Lion Yunxiang. Spotting the pristine new hand dharma-bone on the other's right hand, he revealed a hint of envy: "Xiang, the Infinite Palm from Diamond Xuan Forge? I thought you always used the Local's Hand?"

Lion Yunxiang smiled and extended his left hand, saying, "I switched the Local's Hand to this hand."

Che Yufei's gaze shifted: "Then your original left hand..."

Lion Yunxiang said, "Sold it. Otherwise, how could I pay for the Infinite Palm in full?"

He sighed: "After all, I've been tempering it for so many years. This time I sold it for a good price, so it wasn't raised for nothing."

"Once I've replaced all this flesh and blood with dharma-bones, I won't have to worry about being coveted anymore."

Che Yufei looked at Lion Yunxiang with some envy. Though both were made of flesh and blood, the other's flesh could be traded as ingredients, with added multipliers like deliciousness and freshness, so it fetched a much higher price.

Although the risk of holding it also increased, the profit was high too.

The two arrived at the competition venue and saw that their team leader, Shi Huaiyu, was already waiting at the main entrance, waving at them.

Shi Huaiyu was in a good mood today, simply because she had finally temporarily resolved the side effects of her ghost kidney.

Thinking about it, she secretly felt grateful to Yu Xinghan—it was under his reminder that she had seized an opportunity to profit from the Seven Emotions Coins.

"Next time, I'll go to him for a massage, support his business."

"I also need to thank Teacher Tu for lending me money to trade coins."

Recalling how she had nearly gone bankrupt stock-trading last year, yet Tu Lishan still trusted her this time, Shi Huaiyu felt a surge of emotion, and Teacher Tu Lishan's reply echoed in her mind.

"Stock trading and coin trading are all legitimate business. If I didn't lend you money for that, how could I call myself a teacher? Take the money, interest will be calculated as a consumption loan."

With the profit from the Seven Emotions Coins, Shi Huaiyu bought a Ghost-Suppressing Seal. After inserting it into her internal organs, it could specifically deal with her kidney, which had residual consciousness.

Just then, a line of information popped up in her eye-dharma—it was the soul cultivator inside the Ghost-Suppressing Seal.

Soul Cultivator: Boss, since your competition hasn't started yet, can I step out for a while?

Shi Huaiyu: No. I agreed with you for a full day.

Shi Huaiyu: I've hired plenty of soul cultivators before. Don't treat me like a fool, thinking you can work two jobs in one shift.

Shi Huaiyu knew these soul cultivators were always trying to juggle multiple gigs, so she naturally wouldn't let him leave—after all, the soul cultivator currently in the Ghost-Suppressing Seal was the original owner of her ghost kidney, an expert at suppressing it.

After lecturing the soul cultivator, Shi Huaiyu sent a message to the competition team's group chat: "How come you're not here yet?"

…

Myriad Dharma University City, Floor 88.

Zhang Yu slowly exhaled. He had finally pushed the sixth martial art of his Martial Dao Saint Body to Level 20, just before the competition.

Beginner - Martial Dao Sacred Body (6/6): After you execute any Foundation Establishment stage martial art, its actual combat power will be greatly enhanced.

"Oh?"

Zhang Yu's gaze shifted slightly. He remembered that a similar effect on actual combat power, in the Martial Dao Sacred Fetus of the Qi Refining stage... was the final layer.

"For the Martial Dao Sacred Body at the Foundation Establishment stage, the first layer is to increase the actual combat power of martial arts?"

"Is this the transformation from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, from the Martial Dao Sacred Fetus to the Martial Dao Sacred Body?"

But Zhang Yu was not disappointed; instead, he felt this was even better.

After all, his current body's defense was extremely strong, to the point where he himself felt it was excessive, and he precisely needed some other means to expand his strength.

"This first layer of the Martial Dao Sacred Body might work wonders in this upcoming Earth and Wood Competition."

Seeing the urging message coming through his ocular implants, Zhang Yu smiled slightly. With a flicker of his body, he had already darted into the anti-gravity channel, surging upward like a bolt of lightning, and in an instant arrived at the competition venue entrance.

Shi Huaiyu looked at Zhang Yu before him and dragged him along, saying, "Let's go, let's go. The first round of elimination matches is about to start."