Chapter 323: Graveyard Blind Box

As the calendar turned to mid-April, Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, Li Xiao, and other students had already descended to the tenth subterranean level.

This tomb restoration project had attracted not only first-year students but also many outstanding upperclassmen.

For instance, leading the group was a sixth-year student named Tian Yang, responsible for guiding, supervising, and coordinating the work of these students.

Zhang Yu traversed the expansive underground passageway. The deeper he ventured, the more palpable the concentration of spiritual energy in the air became.

To his knowledge, the spiritual veins beneath the Myriad Dharma University City were not naturally occurring. Instead, they had been intentionally drawn and converged during the city's construction, resulting in eighty-eight distinct spiritual veins gathered here.

The passage they were now traversing led directly to one of these veins!

Moments later, a massive metallic gate loomed before them.

The students sensed the subtle flow of arcane power emanating from within. Zhang Yu perceived potent formations surging behind the gate!

Tian Yang, at the forefront, announced, "The tomb area lies ahead. Form a line and proceed through the gate one by one. Avoid crowding!"

Meanwhile, within Zhang Yu's Mind's Eye, a line of text materialized on the gate: "Dragon Convergence Garden Arcane Power Production Co., Ltd."

Zhang Yu understood. "Tomb" and "underground tomb" were merely colloquial terms. The company name was the official designation!

The sealed gate creaked open, and a wave of chilling air washed over them!

Instantly, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to thicken.

As Zhang Yu stepped inside, the air grew progressively viscous, and the humidity intensified. Spiritual energy coalesced into droplets, suspended in the air like iridescent, swirling mist!

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yu felt a surge of spiritual energy flood his body as his arcane power circulated, causing a slight increase in potency and invigorating his flesh and blood!

Yu Xinghan, standing beside him, exclaimed, "No wonder this project has application requirements! Just breathing here is a benefit!"

Zhang Yu nodded in agreement, thinking, "It's a good thing that the spiritual energy on the second level isn't this valuable. Otherwise, we'd probably have to wear oxygen tanks to work!"

In addition to the increasing spiritual energy, the temperature was also dropping.

Zhang Yu surmised that this was to cool down the "corpse components" (尸件) that constantly cycled arcane power and inhaled spiritual energy.

Simultaneously, a notification and a series of options appeared in Zhang Yu's Mind's Eye: "Welcome to Dragon Convergence Garden: Tour Guide, Product Showcase, Souvenir Shop, Contact Us, Job Opportunities!"

Zhang Yu selected "Tour Guide," and a map of the entire Dragon Convergence Garden unfolded before him, divided into sections: Economy Section, Benevolence Section, Gratitude Section, Family Harmony Section!

"What's the Economy Section?" Zhang Yu wondered, clicking on it. He discovered that the Economy Section was designed to conserve space. Low-value corpse components were stripped of unnecessary parts, structurally optimized, compressed, and then stored in corpse lockers, connecting them to the respiration array with minimal footprint!

Just then, Li Xiao exclaimed, "Hey, look! These souvenir blind boxes might contain some good stuff!"

Zhang Yu turned his attention to the souvenir shop displayed in his Mind's Eye, thinking, "Discarded corpse components can be sold as blind boxes?"

Looking at the various bits of skin, limbs, meridians, and dantians that might appear in the boxes, Zhang Yu couldn't help but frown. "They can sell this stuff?"

Yu Xinghan remarked, "Yeah, these corpse components operate 24/7. The organs removed from the discarded ones are probably so old and worn out they are older than I am. Wonder if they are even usable."

Li Xiao couldn't resist saying, "If I could draw a Golden Core, or even a Nascent Soul organ..."

Yu Xinghan scoffed, "Li Xiao, why do you always have such a speculative mindset? You're drawing blind boxes, but the people packing them aren't blind. Do you think they'd let a truly valuable item slip through to you?"

Yu Xinghan continued, "The path of cultivation abhors shortcuts! Shortcuts are for the wealthy! We poor cultivators must be steadfast, taking out loans and paying them off step by step. Stop dreaming of overnight riches! And, considering how many corpse components are discarded here each year, blind boxes alone can't be enough to handle it all. There must be other disposal channels. Who knows the origin or quality of all these components going in and out!"

As Yu Xinghan was expounding his views, a voice interrupted him.

"Fellow student, our Myriad Dharma University is a reputable institution, and Dragon Convergence Garden is a legitimately operated facility. It's not like the Underworld University, which sells living people as corpse components. Every corpse component here underwent a proper death, and both its origin and destination are clearly documented!"

The group turned to face the speaker, a young man. Tian Yang, the team leader, quickly said, "Manager Sun, please excuse him. This student doesn't know anything and is just spouting nonsense. Please disregard him!"

The man, addressed as Manager Sun, cast a cold glance at Yu Xinghan before falling silent.

After Manager Sun finished giving instructions, he departed, and Tian Yang began assigning tasks.

Zhang Yu followed the arrows, gradually separating from his classmates.

He gazed at the rows of densely packed iron cylinders, surmising that they must contain the corpse components.

Soon, Zhang Yu arrived at a large area where the iron cylinders were crushed and deformed.

He observed the extensive damage to the ground, formation keystones, spiritual energy circuits, nutrient pipelines, spiritual energy networks, surveillance cameras, and other infrastructure.

Zhang Yu thought, "This is the area I'm responsible for repairing?"

"Even the network is down?"

His Mind's Eye flickered, and the project files and repair blueprints he had downloaded in advance appeared before him.

"Why is there such severe damage here? The official explanation is that the high concentration of spiritual energy caused a 'corpse transformation,' resulting in zombies. But I can't easily trust the explanations provided by the universities and companies here in Kunxu!" Zhang Yu shook his head, temporarily suppressing his doubts, and prepared to begin his work.

Of course, the first thing to do before working was to take his medicine!

For Zhang Yu, the main purpose of coming to the construction site was to mooch off free stuff, with work being merely a side benefit.

Thanks to Director Gao's special consideration, Zhang Yu could still receive up to ten free doses of life-shortening drugs each day he entered the site!

* **Blood Robbery Powder (劫血散):** Temporarily and violently expands blood vessels and meridians, stimulating the pulsations of the dantian and heart, accelerating the circulation of qi and arcane power throughout the body.* **Spirit Root Stimulant (靈根刺激劑):** Stimulates the spiritual center, increasing the sensitivity, resilience, and activity of the spirit root, improving its efficiency and endurance.

Zhang Yu injected himself with doses of these potent drugs.

This time, as he needed to focus on breathing techniques and arcane power circulation, he chose drugs mainly related to the flow of arcane power.

He sat cross-legged and began practicing the sixth set of the Flowing Vein, Blooming Flower (無脈花流) breathing technique, the Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Arcane Power Formula (上品筑基法力訣)!

Zhang Yu chose this technique not only because of the Flowing Qi Veins (炁脈常流) set but also because it had a slight effect of improving the quality of arcane power while absorbing spiritual energy and circulating arcane power!

As Zhang Yu practiced the technique, his arcane power, already violently augmented by the drugs, surged through his meridians like a dragon, emitting a series of roars!

At the same time, his Spirit Sea Spiritual Root (氣海靈根), which had achieved a 100% fusion rate, became even thicker and more powerful under the influence of the drugs, frantically absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy!

The thick spiritual energy, which had been floating in the air like a colorful mist, rushed towards Zhang Yu as if being drawn into a vortex!

Feeling the spiritual energy accumulating rapidly in his meridians, like liquid jade, Zhang Yu couldn't help but sigh, realizing that he had made the right choice in selecting this project!

After practicing the breathing technique for a while, the Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Arcane Power Formula (上品筑基法力訣) broke through, reaching Level 3!

Simultaneously, Zhang Yu unleashed waves of罡氣, wielding the Formless Cloud 罡 (無相云罡) to clear the area and begin his work!

Although this made his work less efficient, Zhang Yu prioritized practicing the breathing technique while working, even if it meant earning less.

In the following days, Zhang Yu immersed himself in breathing techniques and work, spending most of his time at the construction site, relishing the constant improvement of his arcane power and breathing techniques!

During his time at the site, Zhang Yu also encountered Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang!

According to these two veteran students, the tomb project was like a health retreat compared to other projects. It was not only safe, but also beneficial to one's health to be immersed in the rich spiritual energy all day!

One day, Zhang Yu and Shi Yunxiang walked together towards their respective areas. As they reached a fork in the road, Shi Yunxiang said, "Zhang Yu, could you accompany me a little further? It's not far, just a few steps!"

"Hmm?" Zhang Yu looked at the burly, lion-headed student and asked, "Are you… afraid of the tomb?"

"What's there to be afraid of in a tomb? Would you be afraid in a bone shop?" Shi Yunxiang shook his head. "I'm afraid of people!"

"Don't you feel like many students are coveting me?"

Shi Yunxiang lamented, "Every year, solitary demonkin get eaten, or even gang-raped. The tomb area, being sparsely populated, is a hotspot for such incidents. That's why I try to avoid being alone!"

"I can sense that your gaze doesn't have that kind of desire!"

Zhang Yu grimaced. Although he was hungry and craved meat, he didn't have much interest in eating sentient beings!

Zhang Yu asked, "Since you're a demon, why didn't you go to the Heavenly Demon University?"

Zhang Yu remembered that the top students from Hongta High School in Songyang City all went to Heavenly Demon University!

Shi Yunxiang shook his head. "Heavenly Demon University assigns majors based on bloodline. I could only get into the Fertility Department, and I don't like studying that. So, I worked hard and got into Myriad Dharma University!"

As they spoke, Zhang Yu escorted Shi Yunxiang to his work area.

On the way back, however, as he passed through a severely damaged area lacking network and surveillance coverage, Zhang Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened!

In the all-encompassing perspective provided by his Three-Eyed Divine Power, he saw a figure darting out of the darkness like black lightning, heading for him!