Wanfa University, as one of the top-ranked universities among the ten major institutions, naturally boasts a certain reputation for its military-grade powers in its ace programs. Even Xiang Shan, far away at Tianyao University, had heard of them.

After Xiang Shan learned that he would be coming to Wanfa University for a project, he delved deeper into various intelligence about Wanfa University.

For instance, he had read introductions about the famous Taihao Shenglü Jianzhen in the Artifact Refining Department.

He just hadn’t expected Zhang Yu to be able to wield this military-grade power now.

Recalling the scenes of Zhang Yu’s actions just moments ago, Xiang Shan’s expression also grew slightly grave.

“The essence of flying sword cutting is to compress matter.”

“And the essence of the Taihao Shenglü Jianzhen’s cutting of the spiritual realm is to compress the spiritual realm with an internal network formed by twelve flying swords.”

“In ancient times, this Taihao internal network was called the Taihao Jianjie…”

Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, and Xiang Shan could already feel powerful waves of heat continuously rising from deep underground.

Flames transformed into large hands, struggling to stabilize the trembling earth.

“Besides compressing the spiritual realm, the Taihao Jianjie can also transmit power within the sword array.”

Xiang Shan knew that Zhang Yu was currently using the Taihao Shenglü Jianzhen to channel the Hengri Huangyan unleashed by Tianri Huangshen directly into the ground, assisting Tian Kunlun’s Yishan Shenli in stabilizing the earth.

At the same time, great fires billowed both above and below, and Xiang Shan felt as if he and his classmates were trapped in a giant oven by Zhang Yu, with the temperature of their flesh and blood continuously rising.

Xiang Shan shouted angrily, “Zhang Yu! Are you trying to set fire to our Tianyao University construction site? If you burn even one Yao within our ranks today, I will report you directly to the Chancellor of Wanfa University!”

Zhang Yu’s voice came faintly from the sky, “The earth veins are unstable, affecting construction. I’m just here to suppress them for a bit; it won’t be long. Please bear with it.”

Xiang Shan hadn’t expected a single shout to stop the other party. The next moment, his magic power circulated, and he activated the rented military-grade magic skeleton, Tianxiang Gu.

In an instant, dark clouds surged in the sky, and in the blink of an eye, thunder rumbled, followed by a torrential downpour that enveloped the entire area.

Of course, this was not a natural climate change managed by the True Gods, but a localized weather manipulation forcibly carried out by a military-grade magic artifact. Its power, however, was not to be underestimated.

With the furious deluge of rain, the sweeping heat waves immediately subsided.

“Hmph? Rain?” Zhang Yu snorted coldly and declared, “Then I shall burn this sky dry.”

The next moment, as magic power surged out, the Hengri Huangyan beneath the floating island began to engulf rocks everywhere, and the flames suddenly intensified, shining brightly like a dazzling sun in the sky.

Simultaneously, fiery dragons darted back and forth within the sword array, carrying astonishing heat waves through the depths of the earth, like surging magma.

Xiang Shan, observing this scene, sneered. As his blood and qi erupted, a pair of white tusks protruded, “Let’s see how long you can burn!”

In a flash, the rain in the sky became even more torrential, and cold currents began to invade, mixing specks of wind and frost into the downpour, gradually transforming the heavy rain into a mix of rain and snow.

Xiang Shan and Zhang Yu engaged in a battle of magic, one with water and one with fire. The entire construction site seemed to have become a giant steamer, making the workers feel alternately cold and hot, all caught in the crossfire of their magical duel.

During this intense struggle, Xiang Shan couldn’t help but sigh, “To think that Zhang Yu, whom I once beat into a panicked retreat over a year ago, barely winning by trickery, has nearly caught up to me.”

“The Artifact Refining Department… still has an advantage over the Civil Engineering Department. If we meet again in a few months, even I might not be able to contend with him.”

“This time, it truly is the best opportunity to suppress him.”

With this thought, Xiang Shan exerted himself, unleashing the full extent of his cultivation and his magic skeleton.

Just then, he felt waves of chilling intent sweep over his body, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, even causing his blood and qi to sink.

“This is…”

Xiang Shan looked at the various body parameters displayed in his eye-skeleton, realizing that his body temperature had definitely not dropped. That chilling, icy sensation was a psychological illusion.

“It’s sword intent.”

Xiang Shan suddenly recalled the description of Taihao Daode Jianyi within the Taihao Shenglü Jianzhen.

“Taihao Daode Jianyi is a method used within the sword array to lock onto targets.”

Xiang Shan further understood that if Taihao Daode Jianyi were used to lock onto the physical location of mere matter, it wouldn’t be particularly powerful or precise.

But if it swept across a human body, a living being…

“Once struck by the sword intent, in the eyes of the array caster, we become as clear as flames in the darkness…”

“And the greater the power of the Taihao Daode Jianyi, the more persistent and difficult to dispel this sword intent becomes.”

At the same time, Xiang Shan had already felt the intense hostility within the sword intent, clinging to him like a deeply rooted ailment. Even with his cultivation and the firmness of his Dao heart, it would likely take several minutes of full exertion to dispel it.

Feeling the monstrous hostility within the sword intent, Xiang Shan further confirmed something in his heart.

“The condensation of Taihao Daode Jianyi is related to the practitioner’s moral standards.”

“Zhang Yu’s sword intent harbors such malice towards Yao…”

“This guy indeed harbors great discrimination against us.”

At this moment, the Yao on the construction site, under the lock of the Taihao Daode Jianyi, felt as if countless sharp sword weapons were impaling their vital points. One wrong move, and they would be torn to shreds.

Xiang Shan, seeing the alarms and calls for help from countless classmates and colleagues appearing in his eye-skeleton, immediately responded: Don’t be afraid! Zhang Yu doesn’t dare to kill Yao! He’s just trying to scare us!

Though he said that, Xiang Shan also understood that it was like having a knife held to your throat during a negotiation. Even if you knew the other party wouldn’t kill you, you were definitely at a disadvantage in terms of momentum, and psychologically, you would naturally be in a weak position.

Moreover, in Xiang Shan’s view, Zhang Yu’s Taihao Daode Jianyi harbored too much malice towards Yao, making it easier to frighten them.

So Xiang Shan immediately continued: Have you forgotten the insurance you bought before coming?

Xiang Shan: You get compensated if you die, what are you afraid of?

Xiang Shan: With money, why fear death?

The insurance Xiang Shan mentioned was precisely the policy sold to the Yao by Wanfa University’s Finance Department before construction began.

Upon hearing Xiang Shan’s words, the Yao who had been trembling under the pressure of the sword intent suddenly perked up. It was as if a force had straightened their spines, and they all proudly faced the pressure of the sword intent.

“Come on! If you have the guts, kill me!”

“Zhang Yu, you Human Immortal Daoist!”

“Senior Xiang Shan! If you can’t hold on, use me as a living pile!”

The Yao all joined forces, working with Xiang Shan to resist the environmental changes brought by Zhang Yu.

Feeling the collective determination of the Yao, undeterred by death, under the oppression of Zhang Yu, this Yao discriminator, Xiang Shan laughed heartily, “Zhang Yu! Do you see? You can’t scare us!”

“The anthem of the Yao is the anthem of courage, and the greatness of the Yao is the greatness of courage!”

“Tianyao will win!”

Watching the Yao on the construction site below, pumped up as if they had already won the magical duel, Zhang Yu twitched his lips, pointed his sword down, and streaks of sword shadows flashed and disappeared in the air.

As the Taihao Jianjie surged, the spiritual realm network was immediately compressed again.

Xiang Shan felt his connection with his companions become intermittent, his control over the construction site appear and disappear, and various monitors and sensors struggle to maintain constant communication due to changes in the spiritual realm signals.

At this moment, he felt as if a veil had been placed over his eyes, and everything appeared hazy.

But Xiang Shan didn’t care. He simply continued to unleash every bit of power within him, continuing to fight and resist Zhang Yu.

“You want stability? I’ll make everything topsy-turvy!”

The earth shattered, continuously altering the geological structure beneath their feet.

Rain and snow intermingled, extinguishing the high temperatures brought by the flames again and again.

Xiang Shan proudly thought, “Zhang Yu, last time I was too focused on the battle, allowing you a small victory in construction.”

“But today, with me controlling the earth with one hand and manipulating the weather with the other, how can you compete with me in construction capability?!”

Feeling Zhang Yu’s efforts to suppress the earth veins, Xiang Shan roared and once again increased his output.

But after several forceful clashes, Xiang Shan only felt the opponent’s power suddenly dissipate, followed by a thunderous explosion from deep underground. The ground tremors intensified several times over.

Xiang Shan smiled faintly, looking at the gradually weakening firelight in the sky, and let out a long shout, “Zhang Yu! Can’t you hold on anymore?”

“You lost!”

“You lost to the Yao you discriminate against and look down upon!”

Xiang Shan excitedly exclaimed, “I’m going to expose everything that happened today! Let the world know that you, an artifact refiner from Wanfa University, lost to me, a civil engineering student from Tianyao University! And let them know how much you discriminate against Yao!”

Looking at Xiang Shan soaring into the sky, Zhang Yu said calmly, “You are the one who lost.”

Xiang Shan was slightly taken aback. His first subconscious thought was that he was a “Yao” and not a “human.” Was Zhang Yu’s choice of words inaccurate, deliberately discriminatory, or accidental?

Then he wondered what Zhang Yu meant by “lost.”

Before Xiang Shan could react, divine figures flickered in the sky.

A True God looked at Xiang Shan and shouted, “What a beast! How dare you construct haphazardly! Polluting the groundwater!”

Xiang Shan was slightly stunned, “Polluting the groundwater?”

He looked at the True God before him, realizing the other party was named Deng Bingding, and quickly said, “True God Deng, I…”

“What ‘you’?” Deng Bingding said coldly, “Do you still think this is your Tianyao University? Where you can pollute indiscriminately without anyone caring?”

“Don’t you know there’s a medicinal field a few kilometers away? If you pollute the groundwater and cause any loss to the medicinal field, even if you sell yourself, you wouldn’t be able to compensate for it!”

Just then, as Zhang Yu retracted the sword realm, Xiang Shan once again perceived the situation across the construction site.

He then discovered that at some unknown point, large amounts of paint, wastewater, discarded building materials, and living piles had been discharged into the groundwater.

Xiang Shan immediately understood. Zhang Yu had deliberately withdrawn the power suppressing the earth veins, allowing him to damage the rock layers below, causing a large number of pollutants to seep in.

But these things should have been properly stored according to regulations, so how could they have leaked so easily?