“Did he refuse?”

“I see.”

“It’s fine, you can go back to what you were doing.”

Yin Jiurao disconnected the communication with Le Mulan, a thoughtful expression flashing across her face.

“A Foundation Establishment student from the first level, he won’t even sell reproduction rights? Not even his ‘seeds’?”

“There might truly be something fishy going on here.”

As a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Yin Jiurao wouldn’t normally be interested in the ‘seeds’ of a Foundation Establishment student from the Department of Civil Engineering, even if he made it to the top ten in a competition during his sophomore year. However, an acquaintance specifically asked her to research Zhang Yu’s material and also revealed a shocking piece of news: Wen Wuya, a Divine Transformation disciple from Heavenly Sword University, was Zhang Yu’s dual cultivation partner. Zhang Yu must possess some secret, which is why Wen Wuya wanted to dual cultivate with him.

However, Yin Jiurao initially paid little attention to this rumor. Especially after examining the data collected by the Department of Biology, she became even more convinced it was an unreliable piece of gossip. After all, Zhang Yu had previously sold some bodily materials to the Department of Biology, and Yin Jiurao’s research found nothing special about them. At least in terms of bloodline information and dual cultivation potential, Yin Jiurao found nothing unique. How could a dignified Divine Transformation disciple choose a student with no dual cultivation potential for dual cultivation?

Until… Yin Jiurao received another piece of news.

“Wen Wuya transformed himself into a physiological female?”

“His gender identity is clearly male.”

Why would someone who identifies as male transform themselves into a female? Yin Jiurao looked at Zhang Yu’s profile, and a guess, which even she found incredible, emerged in her mind.

“Could it be that Wen Wuya wanted to dual cultivate with Zhang Yu, and that’s why…”

Yin Jiurao felt she might have underestimated Zhang Yu; this young man might truly possess some secret. And after Zhang Yu refused her offer, her suspicions grew even stronger.

“Heh.”

“Since he won’t sell for money, I’ll have to find another way.”

Yin Jiurao decided to initiate the ‘seed-stealing’ plan. She mused to herself, “I wonder when Wen Wuya and Zhang Yu will engage in dual cultivation? If I could seize that opportunity to indirectly steal a copy of Wen Wuya’s bloodline information through Zhang Yu, that would be a huge gain.”

Feng Tingting: Junior Zhang Yu, why don’t you install a Law Construct?

Feng Tingting: You’re not an old-fashioned relic like those from the Artifact Faction, are you?

Feng Tingting: Sigh, in our Artifact Forging Department, we have the Artifact Faction and the Law Construct Faction. Those old professors from the Artifact Faction insist on the ‘artifact-only’ theory, claiming Law Constructs are unorthodox.

Feng Tingting: They’re always talking about creating unmanned, soulless production lines, saying that installing a Law Construct requires retaining part of the physical body, which is a complete hindrance. They believe one should go the full artifact route, completely abandoning flesh, blood, and human form…

Zhang Yu found Feng Tingting’s messages quite interesting. This senior from the Artifact Forging Department had added him as a friend after their last gathering and now frequently shared all sorts of random gossip with him, seemingly treating him as a good friend. Zhang Yu felt as if the other party was constantly building goodwill with him through daily conversations. However, after hearing a lot of gossip from her, Zhang Yu also made up his mind to speak less and listen more when interacting with Feng Tingting. Heaven knows how many places this senior would spread what she heard from him.

Closing Feng Tingting’s chat window, Zhang Yu refocused his attention on the artifact refinement before him. Today, instead of going to the pharmaceutical factory construction site, he took the time to come to the artifact refining laboratory for cultivation. Since the production technique for Sky-Blue Sand had already met the requirements for the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch, Zhang Yu began preparing for the pouch’s refinement. Streaks of magical energy shimmered, and a small blue pouch slowly drifted down before him; a Level 1 Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch was already complete.

This Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch cost Zhang Yu about 8 spirit coins in total. He didn’t plan to make a second one. Instead, he intended to use spirit realm simulations to improve its skill level, and in the future, repeatedly refine and adjust this artifact, slowly raising its level.

Ye Xingli, who was nearby, turned her head and looked at the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch in Zhang Yu’s hand. She smiled slightly and said, “Congratulations, Zhang Yu.” Compared to Sky-Blue Sand, this Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch was what Ye Xingli truly considered an artifact.

Zhang Yu said, “Senior, thank you for your help during this time.” After some polite exchanges, Zhang Yu asked curiously, “Senior, last time I heard Wen Wuya mention that you were in the top five of a hundred schools in the Law Construct Design Competition?”

Ye Xingli waved her hand dismissively, saying, “It’s just a design competition. Some people’s artifact forging skills are superior to mine, but when it comes to a specific Law Construct design, they might not necessarily win against me. Just like Senior Yan Qianji, a Divine Transformation disciple from our department, he only got tenth place in that design competition. Sometimes these things have a lot to do with inspiration.”

Zhang Yu then said, “Senior, I don’t know much about intelligent artifacts. Do you think my Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch can accommodate a soul cultivator?”

At the pharmaceutical factory construction site.

Zhang Yu decided to test the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch he had refined. He lightly patted the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch at his waist. As a stream of magical energy flowed into it, the artifact floated into the air, then its opening expanded, spewing out streams of Sky-Blue Sand. Each stream of Sky-Blue Sand was aimed at the positions of the Formless Golems, accurately infusing these human-shaped Qi constructs.

Zhang Yu nodded slightly; using Sky-Blue Sand had become much more convenient this way. In the future, as the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch’s level increased, it would not only be able to accurately deploy and retrieve more Sky-Blue Sand but also enhance the sand’s effectiveness. Of course, it would be too troublesome for him to constantly dedicate a portion of his own thought process to operate the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch. So, after asking his senior for help, Zhang Yu specially equipped this artifact with an intelligent system.

Zhang Yu then asked, “Old Zhao, how does it feel?”

Zhao Tianxing’s excited voice came from inside the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch: “Zhang Yu! I’m an artifact spirit now! Among the seniors who graduate from our school each year, not many become artifact spirits right after graduation. I can’t believe I can operate an artifact even before graduating. This artifact of yours is so easy to use! It operates smoothly, the magical energy flows freely, and I can direct it wherever I want.”

Zhang Yu felt a bit embarrassed hearing that. What could be so good about his Level 1 artifact? One could only say that he had just made the artifact, and Zhao Tianxing had just become an artifact spirit; they were essentially helping each other out as novices.

Zhang Yu continued, “Alright then, Old Zhao, from now on, you can help me operate the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch.”

Zhao Tianxing replied, “No problem. Operating this thing doesn’t consume much computing power from my ‘computing pool’. I can easily do it for you while I’m working my other jobs.”

Zhang Yu said, “You don’t need to monitor it constantly. I’ll only hire you for a few hours at most each day.” Although the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch was simple to operate and consumed very little computing power from a soul cultivator’s spirit realm computing pool, Zhang Yu wasn’t wealthy enough to hire Zhao Tianxing to be on standby at all times. But Zhao Tianxing took this job very seriously, even revising his resume while working.

“Serving as the primary artifact spirit for a top 100 student in the Department of Civil Engineering at Myriad Laws University, responsible for resource planning for large-scale construction, logistics support, and close-range artifact transfer.”

Zhao Tianxing looked at this job description, combined with his previous competition experience, and felt that his income was about to increase again.

Zhang Yu quickly checked that the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Pouch was operating normally. Leaving three layers of his mind to continue directing the Formless Golems, he himself enveloped his entire body in Formless Cloud Qi and began cultivating the eighth martial art of the Martial Dao Holy Body. Although he had been busy recently with pharmaceutical factory construction, drug testing, civil engineering courses, artifact forging courses, and practicing artifact forging techniques, Zhang Yu was still confident he could complete the cultivation of this eighth martial art this month.

“I wonder what the second layer effect of this Martial Dao Holy Body will be?”

Meanwhile, as he switched his Law Chain Diagram Set to the University Holy Body for martial arts cultivation, he felt the tendrils of the divine spiritual root within him stir, beginning another round of adaptive enhancement. Zhang Yu had never forgotten that with each of his previous cultivation sessions, he could feel the adaptive enhancement of the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo was a gradual growth process. This was also one of the Dao Seed effects he had summarized after replicating this Dao Seed. Although currently it only allowed his Law Chain Diagram Set to retain 1% of its effect after switching, it had only been a little over a month.

“In less than a year, when I switch to the University Holy Body, I’ll probably be able to retain 10% of the effects of my commonly used Civil Engineering Holy Body and Qi Pulse Flow.”

“And in a few more years… we’ll see what the upper limit of this Azure Lotus Sword Embryo is.”

Whenever he thought of this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but marvel at the terrifying power of this divine spiritual root. Combined with his Law Chain Diagram, it had created an explosive increase in power. As for the active effect of the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo, besides adaptive enhancement… Zhang Yu’s mind flashed with the scene of Bai Zhenzhen hiding her flying sword and wreaking havoc in the competition. He quickly suppressed the impulse within him: “Hold on, Zhang Yu. If the active effect of this divine spiritual root is used and discovered, it’ll be big trouble.”

Inside the drug testing room.

Le Mulan injected the entire tube of experimental drug into Zhang Yu’s body. Zhang Yu was already accustomed to this. Although the experimental drug had significant side effects, with his physical strength, enhanced by Body Activation and the effects of the University Holy Body, he could fully withstand it. Even Xiao Qingxuan, who used to often accompany him, no longer came with him for drug trials.

But this time, as the drug entered his body, Zhang Yu felt a distinct abnormality. His blood flowed rapidly, surges of heat continuously emerged from every part of his body, and he felt increasingly hot all over. Zhang Yu looked at Le Mulan before him, and a sudden impulse welled up in his heart.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s unusual state, Le Mulan asked in surprise, “Zhang Yu, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively and said calmly, “It’s a minor issue. Let me suppress it with my supreme will first.” He saw his eye construct flicker, clicked on Lian Tianji’s avatar, and then opened the video feed. As Zhang Yu watched Lian Tianji’s video, the myriad distracting thoughts that had just surged in his mind suddenly vanished.