Gazing at the rankings, his own ninth place and Zhang Yu’s eighth, Li Xiao felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

“How is this possible?”

“His rate of improvement has increased again?”

“Just how much money did he borrow and how many possessions did he mortgage?”

In Li Xiao’s eyes, a student’s sudden surge in progress could only mean one thing: they were throwing more money at the problem.

Li Xiao muttered to himself, “That Zhang Yu, he must have sensed my accelerated cultivation and the spiritual coins I’ve invested recently.”

“So, to surpass me in one fell swoop, he’s pouring in even more spiritual coins than I am!”

“No, I’ve already reached the point of no return!”

With this thought, Li Xiao slowly reached out and retrieved his Celestial Artifice Eye-Bone!

He decided to temporarily sell one of his Mystic Vision Eye-Bones to acquire more spiritual coins for further investment in his path to immortality!

The thought of parting with the Eye-Bone he had only been playing with for less than two months brought a tinge of reluctance to his remaining eye!

Fortunately, the performance of his Mystic Vision Eye-Bone was quite good. Even with just one, it would be sufficient for everyday life!

“Once I earn money at the construction site, I’ll buy another one!”

125th Floor, Dormitory Area!

Yu Xinghan picked up the newly arrived package and eagerly tore it open!

Zhang Yu, who was eating nearby, asked curiously, “Did your senior sister send it?”

Yu Xinghan replied, “It’s something I ordered online!”

He ripped open the package, revealing an eyeball submerged in preservation fluid!

Zhang Yu inquired, “Why is there only one Eye-Bone?”

Yu Xinghan chuckled and said, “Over the past two months, to buy an Eye-Bone that meets my daily needs at the cheapest price, I’ve researched over a dozen brands and hundreds of different models!”

“I’ve also browsed countless videos and articles reviewing Eye-Bones, infiltrated over a dozen Eye-Bone exchange groups, and even scoured the secondhand market!”

“Now, I’m intimately familiar with the models, performance, parameters, and market prices of Eye-Bones!”

“Finally…”

Yu Xinghan put on gloves and carefully took the Eye-Bone from the preservation fluid, “I found this bargain!”

“A Mystic Vision Eye-Bone that’s 99% new, and because it’s being sold individually, the price is even cheaper!”

“But in reality, judging by the parameters of this model, even the performance of just one eye is enough for daily classes and cultivation!”

Seeing Yu Xinghan’s confident demeanor, Zhang Yu nodded and said, “I didn’t expect someone who uses Polar Tiger brand stuff to know so much about Eye-Bones!”

Yu Xinghan retorted, “Humph, Zhang Yu, even though you picked up a Fleeting Demon Pupil, you should still learn more about Artifice Bones. It’s always good to have more knowledge!”

As he spoke, Yu Xinghan had already replaced his left eye with the newly acquired Mystic Vision Eye-Bone. He then exclaimed, “Using a good Eye-Bone is just different!”

“The world has become clearer!”

After trying out the Eye-Bone, Yu Xinghan didn’t rush to confirm the receipt and pay. Instead, he carefully removed the Eye-Bone!

He took out a box of tools and meticulously began to wipe the Eye-Bone clean, eventually returning it to the preservation fluid! Zhang Yu asked, “Why aren’t you using it? Is the quality not good?”

Yu Xinghan replied matter-of-factly, “Why would I use such a good thing when I’m not in class? I’ll just use my Polar Tiger brand usually!”

“The Mystic Vision Eye-Bone is naturally for use during class!”

“Otherwise, if I use it too much, it’ll age faster!”

Yu Xinghan resolved to carefully clean and maintain this Mystic Vision Eye-Bone every day in the future, to extend its lifespan as much as possible!

After finishing his meal, Zhang Yu left the dormitory and, as usual, crossed the Magneto-Channel, heading towards the area below the 100th floor!

To be on the safe side, Zhang Yu would visit different areas for body refinement each time!

This time, he came to a blind spot in the surveillance on the 94th floor. After swallowing a piece of cement, he began cultivating the Earth Devouring Divine Art!

A muffled rumble came from Zhang Yu’s stomach. His intestines seemed to have turned into a pulverizer, and with the torrent of Gluttony Dharma power, the cement was completely crushed and transformed into a basic material, which was then transported to the skin all over his body along with the circulation of the Gluttony Dharma power!

This was precisely the effect of the Earth Devouring Divine Art after level 10. In addition to using materials to strengthen his muscles and tendons, it could also be used to strengthen his skin!

“But cement is still a bit weak. It only makes my skin more resilient, and I can’t use too much, otherwise the flexibility and explosiveness of my body will decline!”

“If I want this technique to truly strengthen my body, I need better training materials!” But Zhang Yu was definitely unwilling to spend his own money to buy materials!

“I can only wait until I go to the construction site in the future to see if there are any good materials that no one wants.” After a period of cultivation, with another completion of the Earth Devouring Divine Art, Zhang Yu finally cultivated this technique to level 20!

In an instant, countless images flashed through his mind. Zhang Yu felt as if he had gone through years of arduous training, finally elevating this technique to the limit that could be reached during the Foundation Establishment stage!

And with the Earth Devouring Divine Art reaching level 20, Zhang Yu could use training materials to strengthen his entire skeleton, in addition to his skin and muscles!

“Strengthening the skeleton is probably the best use of this technique!”

Zhang Yu closed his eyes and felt the level 20 Earth Devouring Divine Art, sighing in his heart, “After all, many high-strength materials are often not suitable for strengthening flesh and blood. But for bones…”

“It took me more than half a month to finally cultivate this level 20 body refinement technique!”

And with this period of arduous training, Zhang Yu’s various stats had also greatly improved!

His Dao Heart reached level 11 (73.18), his Dharma power reached 300.6, and his physical strength reached level 11.12!

“With the University Sacred Body and a level 20 technique, my progress is flying!”

However, after listening to Zhang Pianpian’s reminder, Zhang Yu naturally didn’t fully reveal the increase in these stats, so that the rate of increase in his overall score wouldn’t be too conspicuous in the class!

“With my Dharma power breaking through 300, I can actually equip a second Artifice Bone!”

“But I think I’ll pass…”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Artifice Bones are too expensive. I’ll continue body refinement according to the plan set by True Person Starfire, to prepare for switching to the Artificer line in the future!”

During this period of time, in addition to studying and cultivating, Zhang Yu had also inquired about the various rules for switching departments!

“The latest opportunity is in the third academic year. Once you fail to switch departments in the third academic year, you’ll never be able to switch again!”

“I need to earn enough money in three years and try my best to increase my body refinement strength!”

The next day!

In Dao Heart class!

Teacher Feng Jiu, with her phoenix appearance, was still delivering the lecture in a routine manner, as if reading from a script, just like in the first class!

At the same time, her gaze swept across the many students present, and the line graphs of the changes in each of their scores had already appeared in her eyes!

“Ji Yuan Shu, Dao Heart first in the class, no abnormalities for now!”

“Gongshu Jin, Dao Heart second in the class, no abnormalities for now!”

“Li Xiao, Dao Heart progress has accelerated. Noted as a loan promotion target, added to the to-be-sold information database!”

“Zhang Yu, Dao Heart progress was initially stable, suddenly accelerated a month ago, and then maintained stability again. Added as an object to be observed…”

After categorizing and labeling the students’ data and records, and sending them to the depths of the Spirit World, Feng Jiu continued to teach the students without any fluctuations!

In Dharma power class!

Li Mingbo’s main attention was still focused on the top-ranked students in the front rows!

However, when his gaze swept across Zhang Yu in the back rows, he would always pay a little more attention!

The primary reason, of course, was that this student didn’t use his coupon. He neither bought nor sold Dharma power on the Dharma Power Treasure platform!

The secondary reason was that the other party’s Dharma power progress during this period was good, already reaching the top ten in the class, and he was considered an excellent student in the class!

“I just don’t know if this kid’s progress is the result of borrowing money to cultivate, or if he really has good talent!”

At least Li Mingbo couldn’t tell from the other party’s expression, unlike Li Xiao next to him, whose eyes would twitch from time to time, seemingly affected by the notifications displayed in his Eye-Bone!

And sometimes, he would be listening attentively one second, and then his face would suddenly change the next!

Li Mingbo, who also came from the first floor, was too familiar with this kind of situation!

“This kid has borrowed a lot!”

In Body Refinement class!

Lang Yougong nodded repeatedly while looking at Zhang Yu, “Your recent body refinement strength has improved well, keep it up!”

“And don’t neglect the matter of spirit root fusion!”

Looking at this student who had mastered the level 20 Boundless Spring and Autumn Zen and used the Fleeting Demon Pupil, Lang Yougong sighed that he was indeed right. The other party’s worth was definitely not ordinary, which was why he could progress so rapidly and rise in the rankings!

After receiving a series of pointers from Lang Yougong, Zhang Yu suddenly said, “Teacher Lang, Yu Xinghan is encountering some difficulties in improving his spirit root fusion. Can you give him some guidance?”

Yu Xinghan glanced at Zhang Yu gratefully, and then turned his head to look at Lang Yougong with anticipation!

Lang Yougong was slightly stunned. After his wolf ears twitched, he gladly said, “Yu Xinghan, you can just ask me directly if you have any questions. Would I not guide my own student?”

Watching Lang Yougong’s actions in guiding Yu Xinghan, Zhang Yu’s Fleeting Demon Pupil suddenly activated, already recording his every movement clearly at a rate of 128 frames per second!

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “That way, I can guide Yu Xinghan to improve his spirit root fusion in the future, and then replicate his Dao Seed Three-Eyed Divine Power!”

And while Lang Yougong was guiding Yu Xinghan, his Eye-Bone penetrated the other party’s skin and muscles, looking at Yu Xinghan’s eyes. He wondered in his heart, “This guy, his Eye-Bone is a pair with Li Xiao’s, right?”

“One for each of them? Are they that close?”

That night, after the Earth Devouring Divine Art, Zhang Yu began to cultivate the second technique of the Earth-Wood Sacred Body, a technique called the Battle Fiend Life-Shedding Art!

This technique was a Foundation Establishment stage technique born for battle. It could develop the potential of the physical body, and when needed, reverse the Dharma power to stimulate the potential of the physical body in a short period of time, forcibly bursting out a power far exceeding the physical limit!

In this process, with the super-extreme exertion of power, it could erupt with an overwhelming force, but because the power exceeded one’s own control and endurance, not only would tendons break and bones fracture, and internal organs rupture, but also because of the severe wear and tear of the physical body,

It would then consume lifespan!

And with the changes of the times, this technique, which was once used to risk life and death to kill enemies, was now being used by Earth-Wood people to risk their lives to work!

When Zhang Yu first saw the introduction of the Battle Fiend Life-Shedding Art, he strongly suspected that this was really a technique that Earth-Wood people should learn. Then he went to take a look at the user feedback!

“As long as you’re young, lifespan isn’t worth much. Spend two days working one day, and it still feels like a profit! Spend a little more life now, so you can earn more money and have money to extend your lifespan later!”

“Times have changed. Immortal medicines are so developed now, the Battle Fiend Life-Shedding Art isn’t that scary. As long as you take your medicine properly, you can minimize the side effects and use it for a long time without fear!”

“I’m a sophomore in the Earth-Wood department. I see many senior brothers complaining about this technique. I think that if consuming lifespan can earn more money, doesn’t that mean accelerating working hours, allowing people to work shorter hours and earn more money? If you can’t handle this, you definitely can’t do anything else!”