With the end of the final exams, Zhang Yu, as in previous years, secured first place in his class. His ranking in the Civil Engineering department also rose to 23rd overall, thanks to an increase in his comprehensive score. This qualified him for new scholarship loans. His top class ranking and 23rd place in the department brought him over 20 Spirit Coins in low-interest scholarship loans. Although Zhang Yu’s current income was high, his expenses were considerable too. For instance, the manufacturing and maintenance costs of magical artifacts, the purchase and practice of artifact-refinement blueprints, and the cultivation of artifact-refinement techniques – each of these was enough to employ many Civil Engineering students! Now, with these additional 20 Spirit Coins from the loan, Zhang Yu’s account balance approached 60 Spirit Coins.

Beyond the scholarship loans, a high ranking naturally came with various other benefits. These included weekly meal distributions and discounts on school facilities. Zhang Yu had gradually grown accustomed to these perks, even finding some of them a bit stingy, yet to other students, they were highly enviable. With more Spirit Coins in his account, Zhang Yu naturally felt compelled to spend them to further enhance his cultivation, as improving his cultivation directly translated to increasing his earning potential. “How can I improve my strength and earn more money without spending?” Driven by his aspiration for the peak of immortal cultivation, Zhang Yu once again immersed himself in the artifact-refinement laboratory.

For him now, the primary goal for increasing his strength was naturally new military-grade power. However, this path could only be pursued once he transferred to the Artifact Refinement department. While new military-grade power was temporarily out of reach, in Kunxu, even if one’s basic stats had reached their cultivation limit, as long as there was money, one could always continue to improve their strength. Especially for Zhang Yu, who sought to walk the path of artifact refinement, with money, he could continuously hone his artifact-refinement skills while simultaneously crafting more magical artifacts to earn money, thereby consistently boosting his earning capacity and advancing his immortal cultivation.

For instance, at this very moment on the 669th level of University City, Grandfather Ying Xin, along with company employees like Zhao Tianxing and Che Yufei, were operating Zhang Yu’s magical artifacts for work. Watching the Earth Fiend Bottle continuously produce concrete under his operation, Zhao Tianxing felt satisfied and thought, “To think, even a junior college graduate like me can now work on Ten Thousand Laws University projects every day!” Walking through the construction site on the 669th level daily, especially when controlling the magical artifacts and interacting with other students, Zhao Tianxing felt as if he too had become a student of Ten Thousand Laws University.

Leveraging his current connections in the Civil Engineering department and the numerous magical artifacts he provided, Zhang Yu enabled his company to secure simple small engineering projects within University City, even when he wasn’t actively working. After deducting employee salaries and taxes, the cost of recharging and maintaining the magical artifacts, and the brokerage fee paid to Master Soil, Zhang Yu still managed to earn 0.1 to 0.2 Spirit Coins daily. “It’s a small amount,” he mused, “but I don’t have to do anything for it.” Whenever he thought about his company employees earning money for him while he conducted experiments in the lab, and his account balance quietly increasing, Zhang Yu found these Spirit Coins even sweeter than those he earned himself. Fu Ji nodded in agreement, saying, “While food tastes best when cooked yourself, money tastes best when earned by employees. This kind of passive income is far more valuable than active income from working yourself.” Zhang Yu nodded repeatedly, “Exactly!” Fu Ji reminded him, “Thanks to my efforts, the company’s efficiency has recently improved again…” Zhang Yu replied, “Keep up the good work, Director Fu. Once the company grows, you definitely won’t be shortchanged. I hope you can grow together with the company!” Fu Ji cursed inwardly, “You damn… just won’t give me a salary, will you?”

As Zhang Yu busied himself daily shuttling between the construction site and the laboratory, Jiutian Liu from the Finance Department added him as a friend!
Jiutian Liu: Hello, Zhang Yu!
Jiutian Liu had added Zhang Yu as a friend through True Monarch Tianzhang. Seeing this top student, ranked 1st in the Finance Department and 2nd overall in the school, Zhang Yu’s heart grew heavy. The last time he had seen a student with such a high ranking was Yan Qianji, who was 1st in the Artifact Refinement Department and 3rd overall.

Zhang Yu: Can I help you?
Jiutian Liu: I’d like to rent a part of your body. The exact amount will depend on the test results.
Zhang Yu: What do you mean?
Jiutian Liu: I know this is sudden, but I’m short on time preparing for this year’s Top Ten League, and I need to improve my cultivation faster.
Jiutian Liu: True Monarch Ciji’s Yin Artifact experiment seems like a good opportunity.
Jiutian Liu: I want to rent a part of your body to take your place in the experiment.

Zhang Yu directly refused: “Sorry, I’m not interested.” Zhang Yu knew he couldn’t possibly agree; after all, the experiment was precisely what he used to legitimize his cultivation. If Jiutian Liu went in his place, his lie could be exposed at any moment! Seeing Zhang Yu’s refusal, Jiutian Liu’s eyes flickered slightly, and he was somewhat surprised. “He rejected me so decisively?”
Jiutian Liu: Aren’t you going to ask for a price?
Zhang Yu: Sorry, I’m really not interested!
Jiutian Liu: Zhang Yu, I think you should reconsider.
Jiutian Liu: The controversy surrounding the Yin Artifact experiment is growing. While there are many benefits to being at the center of this storm, the risks are also considerable!
Jiutian Liu: The previous arrival of Divine Lord Qionjiang was just the beginning!
Jiutian Liu: Instead of continuing to take risks, I suggest you take the money and leave now, securing your gains.
Before Jiutian Liu could send any more messages, Zhang Yu replied again: “I’m genuinely not interested, you don’t need to say anything further!”

Sensing the impatience in Zhang Yu’s tone, Jiutian Liu paused for a moment, then chuckled softly: “Heh, this kid… he’s greedy enough!”
“Then I’ll just wait and see how long you can hold onto that position!”
“By the time you want to withdraw, the price might not be what it is now!”

As Zhang Yu’s Spirit Coins were consumed in waves, and his account balance dropped below 20 Spirit Coins, the scale of Zhang Yu’s Grand Unity Golden Liquid Elixir once again increased, and after the Blended Thought Adamant Qi, the power of his Adamant Qi was further enhanced. Additionally, his Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Art continuously leveled up, reaching level 20, allowing the Artifact Refinement Genius of the Chained Spell Diagram set to complete his second cultivation technique. When he attempted to release his Adamant Qi on the simulated construction site, streams of golden flames erupted, engulfing his body like layers of golden armor.

In an instant, Zhang Yu’s body was enveloped by an armored giant over five meters tall! This smaller giant bore some resemblance to the one Zhang Yu had initially created using the Minor Tri-Harmony, but it was far more powerful and refined, essentially an upgraded version of the Formless Spirit General, which Zhang Yu now called the Mountain-Moving Warrior. The Mountain-Moving Warrior’s body was formed from a mixture of protective Adamant Qi and the Grand Unity Golden Liquid Elixir, resembling a golden puppet and emitting a metallic sheen.

Beneath the outermost solid armor lay a layer of liquid armor, and beneath that, a gaseous armor imbued with the Nine Heavens Cloud Empty Force, providing astonishing defensive capabilities through a tri-state solid-liquid-gas mode. Furthermore, the surface of the outermost golden armor was adorned with layers of dragon scales, a manifestation of the Dragon Vein power imbued by Zhang Yu after re-refining it with his level 20 Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Art. Under the influence of the Dragon Vein power, once Zhang Yu unleashed his Adamant Qi, he could not only divert a portion of incoming attacks to the earth but also enhance the benefits he received from formations and gain an accelerated mana recovery rate within them!

Compared to the Formless Spirit General, which was previously propelled by the Minor Tri-Harmony, the current Mountain-Moving Warrior could be driven by Zhang Yu’s own Adamant Qi in conjunction with the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power. No longer reliant on external earth, sand, or stones, its strength, speed, and explosive power had become truly terrifying. Zhang Yu mused inwardly, “According to intelligence, the most formidable asset of Immortal Soldier University’s Civil Engineering Department is that gigantic military-grade puppet!” “My Mountain-Moving Warrior will be perfect for a direct confrontation with it, preventing this giant puppet from breaking through into our positions!” Just then, True Monarch Ciji, who was beside Zhang Yu, remarked, “Your Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Art is actually level 20?” Zhang Yu quickly replied, “Yes!” Zhang Yu: “Ever since that Yin Artifact experiment, I’ve felt an indescribable familiarity with the Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Art.” Zhang Yu: “And as I practiced it, I felt like I was getting faster and faster, as if I had already mastered it long ago.”

True Monarch Ciji observed the faint dragon scale patterns on Zhang Yu’s Mountain-Moving Warrior and then said, “Let’s test it!” The test confirmed that Zhang Yu had indeed reached level 20 in the Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Art, leaving True Monarch Ciji utterly amazed. “Only half a month? To have raised this artifact-refinement technique to level 20 is incredible, truly incredible!” “No wonder those two Divine Lords from Hehuan University cultivated at an astonishingly fast pace but remained so secretive about this technique!” “It’s likely they used this technique to transfer the cultivation of countless others onto themselves!” “Hmph, it’s possible a significant portion of that cultivation was even acquired illegally.”

In addition to this, Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power also successfully broke through to level 20 during laboratory tests recently, much to the pleasant surprise of True Monarch Tianzhang. True Monarch Ciji said, “Good, the stronger you are, the greater your chances in tomorrow’s competition at Immortal Soldier University.” “Fight well tomorrow, but always be ready to surrender. Old Gao and I will be watching your match through the Spirit Realm!”

The next day!
Immortal Soldier University was located in a bottomless cave, with its entire campus extending downwards along the cave, forming an immense underground city. Wan Gouxuan of Immortal Soldier University’s Civil Engineering Department, along with several other team members, gathered and looked at their instructor. The instructor presented them with several ‘Dharma Skeletons,’ saying, “Zhang Yu has confirmed his participation!” “Once the competition begins, find an opportunity to take turns using these Dharma Skeletons, following the professor’s instructions, to test his physical body and extract every possible material from him, from head to toe!”

Wan Gouxuan nodded confidently. “Don’t worry, instructor. The Earth-Surging Deity is in peak condition. I won’t give Zhang Yu any chance; I’ll utterly crush him!” Picking up a Dharma Skeleton, Wan Gouxuan recalled the resentment from last year when Mo Shangjin utterly defeated him. He thought inwardly, “Mo Shangjin, the humiliation you brought upon me, I will ruthlessly repay upon your junior brother this time, leaving an indelible mark of crushing defeat by Immortal Soldier University on him!” However, recalling Mo Shangjin, Wan Gouxuan also voiced his own concerns. The instructor replied, “Don’t worry. If Mo Shangjin somehow makes an appearance, someone will naturally help you boost your combat power.” “What you need to focus on is finding an opportunity to end this as quickly as possible, without giving Zhang Yu even a sliver of a chance to surrender!”