Early December.

Since the competition ended, Zhang Yu had been busy in every corner of University City, seizing every opportunity to improve himself.

This particular day, within the Taiqing realm.

Zhang Yu had activated his four-fold thinking ability, boosting his mental processing by 20 times, and was diligently studying the artifact forging curriculum.

As he studied, he couldn’t help but marvel once again at the vastness and complexity of the artifact forging course content.

“Ah, no wonder students in the Artifact Forging department rely on the Spirit World Network or Daoist arts to double their learning efficiency.”

“With my four-fold thinking, a 20x acceleration is equivalent to an 80x acceleration. Compared to a student using Spirit World acceleration for 10x learning, I’m only seven times faster.”

“If you also consider my limited daily study time, and their use of Daoist arts and spell-fossils to boost efficiency, then the comparison of our learning efficiency…”

Zhang Yu shook his head, thinking, “It really will be difficult to meet True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s new requirement of completing the artifact forging course by the end of my sophomore year.”

Still, learning knowledge was relatively simple for Zhang Yu.

The most troublesome part was the various experiments related to the artifact forging course.

Fortunately, he had True Monarch Magnetic Pole as his teacher.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Planning to get some practice?
Zhang Yu: Yes, I’ve learned most of the basics. I’m going to try forging an artifact for the first time.
Zhang Yu: But there are some preparations I’m unsure about.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: What are you planning to forge for your first attempt?
Zhang Yu: I want to forge a bag of Azure Sky Sand.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Azure Sky Sand? Hmm, to complement your Humanoid Vital Aura, I presume? Good idea.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: It’s not too difficult, definitely suitable for a first forging attempt.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: For preparations, materials, blueprints, a laboratory, and experimental equipment are the four most basic things.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Never mind, I’ll have Ye Xingli guide you.
Zhang Yu: Will Senior Sister Ye guess our relationship then?
True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Don’t worry, Little Ye is sensible. She won’t spread anything that shouldn’t be known, and will even help cover for us.

In the classroom.

While listening to the lecture, Zhang Yu sensed the changes within his body.

Within his Dantian, the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo subtly bloomed, its divine spiritual root power flowing through Zhang Yu’s entire body, stimulating his physical form to constantly adjust.

Ever since he obtained the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo from Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu had not dared to expose its divine spiritual root power, thus lacking opportunities for active use. However, he had silently enjoyed its passive effects.

“Although both the Three-Eyed Divine Ability and the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo are spiritual root types on the Dao Seed Spectrum and cannot be used simultaneously,”

“The Three-Eyed Divine Ability is mainly used in combat, while the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo can function as a passive ability, always active during daily cultivation and study.”

Through previous experiments, Zhang Yu knew that the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo possessed an adaptive enhancement ability.

And because the chain spell-diagram sets provided tremendous enhancement effects when switched.

Therefore, when the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo was used on Zhang Yu, with each switch of the chain spell-diagrams, it would gradually enable his body to retain a portion of the set effects even in its normal state.

During this period, Zhang Yu had used the Earth-Wood Saint Body and Qi Pulse Flow the most. With constant switching, the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo’s enhancement made him feel as though he possessed a slight trace of the Earth-Wood Saint Body and Qi Pulse Flow set effects, even without actively using the corresponding sets.

“However, this feeling is extremely faint; it will require more active time to show noticeable effects.”

Zhang Yu wasn’t in a hurry about this; he simply needed to keep the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo active, as it didn’t affect his cultivation or studies.

After class, as Zhang Yu was about to leave, a voice called out to him.

It was Feng Jiu, the teacher of the Dao Heart course.

Feng Jiu: “Are you interested in participating in the Spirit World Competition at the end of this year?”
Zhang Yu shook his head: “Teacher, I don’t have any particular advantage in Dao Heart, so I’d rather not embarrass myself.”

Zhang Yu knew his own limitations. With his meager Dao Heart level of 16, participating in the Spirit World Competition would be a complete waste of time.

He currently had a mountain of things to learn and cultivate, with no time to spare for the Spirit World Competition.

After concluding his conversation with Feng Jiu, Zhang Yu left the classroom surrounded by Yu Xinghan, Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Li Xiao.

Seeing “95” above Zhang Yu’s head, and “Class 2nd,” “Class 3rd,” and “Class 4th” above Yu Xinghan and the other two, the Qi Refinement students they passed all respectfully moved aside, their gazes filled with awe.

Li Xiao tried hard to squeeze next to Zhang Yu but found his path firmly blocked by Yu Xinghan, Ying Xin, and Gongshu Jin.

He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly, “Damn it, I was the first one to hang out with Senior Brother. Now Ying Xin and Gongshu Jin are sticking closer than underwear!”

Gongshu Jin, standing nearby, said, “Zhang Yu, there’s a gathering in a few days. Are you interested?”
Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up: “Is there a buffet?”
Gongshu Jin replied naturally, “Of course. How could I even mention a gathering to you if it wasn’t buffet-level?”
Zhang Yu: “I’ll go.”

In the dormitory.

Zhang Yu held a Profound Creation Sarira, silently absorbing the 200-quality magic power from it.

This was produced from Director Gao’s graveyard property in Huilong Garden.

Feeling the 200-quality magic power gradually dilute with his own internal magic power, Zhang Yu sensed a noticeable improvement in his magic power quality.

“Excellent, excellent, my magic power quality can improve rapidly again.”

Just then, Class Advisor True Person Jiao Lei sent a message to Zhang Yu.

True Person Jiao Lei: Zhang Yu, are you interested in bringing your talent to the Peace Faction?
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred: “The Peace Faction wants to poach me?”
“There won’t be any schemes, will there?”
Zhang Yu: Teacher, please don’t say such things. I’m afraid Director Gao might misunderstand.
True Person Jiao Lei: We are very sincere.
True Person Jiao Lei: If you are willing to terminate your master-disciple relationship with Director Gao and become Director Lin’s disciple, you’ll immediately receive a low-interest loan of 200 spirit coins.
True Person Jiao Lei: And that’s not even counting the subsequent disciple benefits.

Reading True Person Jiao Lei’s message, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but gulp, thinking, “The Peace Faction really lives up to its reputation with the Finance Department’s backing. This loan amount is insanely large!”

“What if Director Gao and I secretly maintain our master-disciple relationship and split these 200 spirit coins?”

Since he already had True Monarch Magnetic Pole as a ‘secret’ master, having Director Lin as another ‘secret’ master didn’t seem problematic to Zhang Yu.

True Person Jiao Lei: If you’re interested, you can take a look at this contract.
Seeing the contract sent by the other party, Zhang Yu immediately calmed down.

“Sigh, it’s never that simple.”

“This contract considers everything, leaving no loopholes for me.”

Zhang Yu: Give up. Director Gao’s kindness to me is as vast as a mountain; I will never betray him.

Inside the artifact forging laboratory.

Ye Xingli stood by the experimental bench, her skin shimmering with cosmic starlight colors.

She curiously observed Zhang Yu beside her, thinking, “Master actually wants me to guide Zhang Yu?”

“But isn’t Zhang Yu from the Civil Engineering department?”

“Even if Civil Engineering students learn about spell-fossils and magic artifacts, it’s usually just for maintenance and shopping, right?”

“Do they really need to try the actual artifact forging process?”

Countless questions flooded Ye Xingli’s mind, making her intensely curious about the relationship between Zhang Yu and True Monarch Magnetic Pole.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu meticulously arranged the prepared materials.

“Azure Sky Ore, Spirit Conduction Liquid, Fiber Composite Membrane, Condensation Liquid…”

After counting the materials he would use for this forging attempt, Zhang Yu looked at Ye Xingli and said, “Senior Sister, I’m ready to begin.”

Ye Xingli nodded, watching Zhang Yu cut the Azure Sky Ore, use vital aura to infuse the Spirit Conduction Liquid, activate the Fiery Furnace with magic power for shaping, then spray the fiber composite membrane, and stabilize the magic power circuit…

She thought to herself, “It truly is a beginner’s first attempt at forging.”

However, Ye Xingli could tell that Zhang Yu must have read the experimental steps and operation manual countless times. Although he lacked proficiency, he didn’t miss any steps or details.

Ye Xingli knew that artifact forging generally involved three steps: refining materials, basic structuring, and establishing the magic power circuit.

The Azure Sky Sand, as one of the simplest magic artifacts, had very brief processes for all three steps. Its highest artifact level could only reach 10, and it could even serve as a material for other artifacts.

When used, one only needed to scatter a handful, and it would then be able to carry vital aura, increasing its transmission efficiency and reducing consumption speed.

Looking at the finished Azure Sky Sand, Ye Xingli thought, “The purity is average, and the efficiency isn’t high. It’s probably only a Level 1 artifact.”

The so-called artifact level was an evaluation system for magic artifacts, corresponding to immortal cultivation realms.

After all, cultivators of different immortal cultivation realms had differences in their physical bodies and life forms.

Therefore, artifacts from Level 1 to 10 were most effective for cultivators in the Qi Refinement realm.

However, for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment realm, as their physical bodies and magic power fused, artifacts below Level 11 often had a weak effect on them.

Only artifacts of Level 11 or higher, whether for destructive or beneficial purposes, would have a significant effect.

“Zhang Yu’s artifact forging aptitude is clearly very ordinary. To pass the Artifact Forging department’s exam with this Azure Sky Sand, he would need extensive practice.”

“Why exactly did Master ask me to guide him? It couldn’t possibly be that he wants to take him as a disciple, could it?”

“No, that’s impossible. Not only is Zhang Yu’s forging aptitude ordinary, but Master and Director Gao have also been friends for hundreds of years. How could he possibly poach Director Gao’s disciple?”

Ye Xingli shook her head, dismissing her thoughts as overthinking.

Zhang Yu picked up the Azure Sky Sand he had forged. As the Formless Warrior appeared, he pinched a nail-sized amount of the sand and infused it into the warrior.

The Formless Warrior shimmered with a faint blue glow, and the vital aura within it became slightly more refined.

“The Azure Sky Sand I forged today is enough for dozens of uses of the Formless Warrior.”

Zhang Yu thought, “But the material cost is about 0.03 spirit coins.”

“Blueprint fees, laboratory and equipment rental fees… they add up to almost 1 spirit coin.”

“Artifact forging truly is a money pit.”

“Practicing like this is too expensive.”

Since he could only forge small items for now, Zhang Yu had originally intended to use the practice and experimentation opportunities to forge some simple magic artifacts for his Formless Warriors and Deepchill Warriors, equipping them to improve work efficiency.

But looking at his results and expenses now, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

“And this is just the simplest type of forging…”

Zhang Yu glanced at “Azure Sky Sand Level 1 (0/10)” on his feather-book and sighed inwardly, “Sigh… I’ll just take it slow.”