First place, Jiu Tianliu.

Inside the last registration area of the entire underwater competition zone.

At this moment, Jiu Tianliu was seen piloting his divine shuttle, manifesting numerous phantom images that swept through a large portion of the registration area before he finally found the black registration sphere.

The Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle he was piloting, fully known as the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Danger Aversion Divine Shuttle, was an ancient magical artifact that had been continuously updated through generations and had never been eliminated.

From aristocratic families to imperial nobility, immortal sects… every historical change, every leap in eras, every downfall of powerful clans and sects, or every outbreak of war, conflict, and contradiction… the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle could be seen carrying people away with their wealth.

As long as one ran fast and survived, there would always be a chance to recover. This philosophy had been passed down through generations and now also became the philosophy of the Finance Department, embraced by Jiu Tianliu.

The reason why the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle became the ultimate escape artifact, besides its ability to manipulate destiny, its capacity to upgrade configurations by stacking resources, and its convenience for monetization, was always one crucial reason: it was fast enough.

“Speed is the primary factor in avoiding danger.”

“And the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle represents the pinnacle of speed among peers.”

Although he did not know how to refine artifacts, this did not prevent Jiu Tianliu from mastering powerful artifact-wielding abilities through his Dharma skeleton, and with the support of several soul cultivation masters, he skillfully controlled this divine shuttle.

Jiu Tianliu knew that artifact refining, medicine, talismans, communication, transportation, construction, combat… none of these were strengths of the Finance Department.

However, relying on the immense resources of the Finance Department, he could acquire these abilities, or even directly reap their rewards.

The tendrils of the Finance Department had long extended into all walks of life. As long as they wished… they could stir up trouble in any field at any time and compete with masters from any industry.

“This is the power of the Finance Department.”

“Because money is omnipotent.”

“And the Finance Department is the most omnipotent major.”

“In this year’s Top Ten Leagues, taking advantage of Kuang Tianqing and Dao Qiankun’s dispute… I may also have a chance to contend for the championship.”

“However, the risks involved are also considerable.”

Although he did not know the specific inside story, Jiu Tianliu could feel that the Finance Departments of various schools were stirring restlessly, seemingly plotting something recently.

But what exactly they were doing, each person could only see a part of it, and Jiu Tianliu could not guess the complete plan.

“Perhaps only Master and a few other Soul Transformation cultivators can see the whole picture.”

Jiu Tianliu thought to himself as he completed the registration for the last black sphere.

Next was the final section of the race for this stage.

Just then, Jiu Tianliu noticed a dragon shadow shooting towards him from a distance.

“Hm?”

Initially, Jiu Tianliu thought it was Ying Zhoufan catching up, but a moment later, he saw it was Zhang Yu standing proudly on the dragon’s head, approaching on the dragon.

“Oh? He can actually catch up like this?”

To Jiu Tianliu’s surprise, a fish demon suddenly rushed towards the dragon shadow, tossing two black spheres into the air, which were caught by the person and the dragon, completing their registration in an instant.

“What?”

Seeing Zhang Yu, Ying Zhoufan, and himself suddenly on the same starting line, Jiu Tianliu was also startled, “This kind of maneuver is possible?”

But the next moment, he smiled again, “Very good.”

Jiu Tianliu said to the dragon and the person, “I was just thinking this stage lacked a topic, and winning first might not generate much buzz. Your arrival is perfect.”

The dragon twisted its body, carrying Zhang Yu before Jiu Tianliu.

Zhang Yu looked at Jiu Tianliu inside the divine shuttle and said calmly, “Senior, we meet again.”

Jiu Tianliu smiled, “Junior, let’s decide the winner in the final stretch of the race.”

As members of the Four Schools alliance, neither of them attacked each other.

Zhang Yu knew that any mutual obstruction would only anger the school leaders.

This meant that in the upcoming final segment of the race, it would solely be a competition of speed between him and Jiu Tianliu.

Jiu Tianliu looked at the young man on the dragon’s head, seemingly not expecting that the civil engineering student who had once refused him and refused to transfer to the Finance Department had, unknowingly, come to stand before him, earning the资格 to compete with him.

A projection from the spiritual realm, conjured by Jiu Tianliu, appeared in the air, starting a countdown.

Jiu Tianliu: “Junior, I won’t hold back in this final sprint.”

“If you can, try your best to catch me.”

“Use all your strength, try to get close to me.”

As the number ‘1’ appeared, both sides suddenly accelerated, leaving long white trails behind them in the seabed. In an instant, they had surged out of the registration area, leaving behind a scene churned into chaos by the underwater currents.

The Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle took the lead, powerfully parting the waves, as if forcefully carving out a vacuum tunnel in the seabed.

At the same time, Zhang Yu, treading on the giant dragon, felt incredibly smooth as the water field expanding around him combined with Ying Zhoufan’s water control ability.

Looking at the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle ahead, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Excellent… The Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor and the power after the demon transformation into a dragon are perfectly synchronized. The water feels like an extension of our bodies.”

“This stage… we can win.”

Before the underwater racing stage’s finish line.

Except for the 11 contestants currently racing, almost all other contestants had gathered here, and even the instructors from various schools were waiting, anticipating the first contestant to cross the finish line.

Many contestants watched the competition between Jiu Tianliu and Zhang Yu, letting out exclamations of surprise.

Wen Wuya thought, “So fast. Jiu Tianliu is already fast, and the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle has powerful propulsion, making it top-tier in terms of speed, whether flying, burrowing, or underwater racing. But I didn’t expect Zhang Yu, after riding the dragon, to be almost as fast as him.”

Dao Qiankun’s eyes were focused on the screen showing Zhang Yu and Jiu Tianliu’s competition. Around him were his chosen teammates: Yan Qianji, Li Shiwei from the Daoist Arts Department, and Wen Rongjue from the Finance Department.

Watching Jiu Tianliu take the lead, Dao Qiankun smiled, “Jiu Tianliu is very calm. He didn’t rush off ahead just now, but waited to sprint with Zhang Yu. I wonder if this composure can last until the end.”

Li Shiwei, the second-ranked student in the Daoist Arts Department, stood by. As a junior, she had always regarded Dao Qiankun as her idol.

When she first heard Zhang Yu say something about putting Dao Qiankun on the throne, Li Shiwei felt extremely unhappy.

“Those words should be mine!” she roared inwardly.

Hearing Dao Qiankun speak now, Li Shiwei was surprised, “Senior, do you think Zhang Yu will win?”

Dao Qiankun said calmly, “There’s no such thing as a hundred percent win or loss in this world, but Zhang Yu definitely has a chance.”

As he spoke, Jiu Tianliu and Zhang Yu were seen, one after another, rushing into a submarine trench. Moreover, their speed was so fast that the live broadcast screen instantly became chaotic and dim.

Watching this scene, Dao Qiankun snapped his fingers and said, “I invite you to watch from the VIP seats.”

With the payment of spirit coins, a spiritual realm projection appeared in their eye sockets. The environment around Dao Qiankun and his teammates drastically changed in their sight.

It was as if they had instantly teleported, moving from the finish line directly into the trench, closely following behind Jiu Tianliu and Zhang Yu.

Li Shiwei thought, “Is it a tracking camera with a spiritual realm projection? It’s almost as if we’re actually there, following behind Jiu Tianliu and Zhang Yu, watching their race firsthand.”

Looking at Dao Qiankun, who was treating them to the show, Li Shiwei thought, “As expected of Senior, treating us is as natural as breathing… So cool.”

Just then, Dao Qiankun analyzed, “Jiu Tianliu is gradually widening the gap. Ying Zhoufan is, after all, still injured, so it’s normal for his stamina to decline after running for so long.”

Li Shiwei asked, “Is Zhang Yu going to lose?”

Dao Qiankun replied, “Currently it’s open water, so Jiu Tianliu has a big advantage. But the track ahead is getting narrower and narrower, especially after entering the final section of the underwater cave, where the terrain is complex. This might close the gap between them.”

A moment later, Jiu Tianliu and Zhang Yu were seen. After reaching the depths of the trench, their figures flickered, making a graceful curve. As they churned up a deluge of water, they plunged into a nearby underwater cave.

Inside the cave, Jiu Tianliu’s divine shuttle continued at high speed, maneuvering back and forth in the narrow underwater cave, but its speed inevitably decreased.

“Hmph, Zhang Yu… if you think you have a chance in this complex terrain, you are gravely mistaken.”

“Splitting Light and Transforming Shadows, Spirit Realm Scouting!”

Numerous phantom images suddenly rose from the divine shuttle, shooting out in all directions, and in a flash, a large area of the terrain was explored.

As the terrain data was recorded, Jiu Tianliu instantly completed the selection and deduction of the optimal route, accelerating forward, following the most perfect path at the fastest and most appropriate speed.

“The primary objective of evasion is intelligence.”

“Only by fully utilizing intelligence can one unleash full speed, be truly first in evasion, and achieve optimal speed in any situation.”

“Can you keep up with me, Zhang Yu?”

In Zhang Yu’s mind, the entire underwater cave track appeared, already fully modeled.

And at this moment, his and the giant dragon’s position was like a red light dot, constantly moving at high speed within his mental model.

This was because Zhang Yu had sent the demonic beast ahead to scout the terrain, helping him to complete the modeling and familiarize himself with the route.

“Amazing,” Li Shiwei exclaimed. “Even with the spiritual realm camera following, it’s hard to keep up. Are these two really here for the first time? But…”

Li Shiwei wondered, “Why does it feel like the distance between Zhang Yu and Jiu Tianliu has widened a bit?”

Dao Qiankun’s fingertip glided across the screen, and instantly, screenshots were locked, popped up, and magnified, showing various collisions between the dragon’s body and the terrain.

Dao Qiankun said, “The giant dragon’s body is too large, and Ying Zhoufan’s control is not as fluid as Zhang Yu’s. At such extreme speed, any collision will cause deceleration, continuously widening the gap with Jiu Tianliu. However…”

Inside the underwater cave.

The Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle crushed a patch of seaweed, passing a massive cave filled with stone pillars, only to see a dragon shadow appear not far behind it.

“Hmm?”

Looking at the figure on the dragon’s head, Jiu Tianliu was surprised, “He caught up?”

Li Shiwei asked in confusion, “How did Zhang Yu catch up?”

Dao Qiankun calmly analyzed, “He used his own strength to compensate for Ying Zhoufan’s mistakes.”

“By using the Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, he subtly adjusted the terrain in advance to accommodate the dragon’s body and reduce collisions.”

“To achieve this, he not only needed extremely quick reactions but also had to calculate Ying Zhoufan’s mistakes while calculating the route.”

Under the astonished gazes of his two teammates, Dao Qiankun continued, “If Jiu Tianliu is walking on the optimal path, then Zhang Yu is… carving out an optimal path.”

Inside the underwater cave.

“Can’t shake him off?”

Jiu Tianliu looked at Zhang Yu, who was closely trailing behind, and thought, “A difficult opponent.”

Before the finish line.

Wen Wuya exclaimed, “The key to underwater speed is either powerful propulsion or sufficient water control.”

“And when it comes to water control, the larger the range, the faster the speed.”

“Zhang Yu uses the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor for close-range control, the dragon transformation power for medium-range control, and the Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power for long-range control, greatly expanding his water control range.”

“He’s cooperating with Ying Zhoufan for the first time, yet he can achieve this?”

Watching the live broadcast screen rapidly jumping, with both competitors displaying extraordinary moves, many students at the finish line who were observing the scene let out exclamations of awe.

Dao Qiankun looked at the increasingly narrow cave ahead and said, “Here it comes, the final section of the underwater fissure. It’s the most winding and complex part of the course. This will decide the winner between the two.”

At the same time, more and more spectators, who had initially been watching other contestants, now noticed the duel between Zhang Yu and Jiu Tianliu.

“Jiu Tianliu is actually being entangled by Zhang Yu?”

“It’s the result of Zhang Yu and Ying Zhoufan’s cooperation.”

“What cooperation, Zhang Yu subdued Ying Zhoufan and brought him to his current position.”

“Too fast, it’s truly a peak underwater speed duel. Who will win?”

In the underwater cave.

Seeing the massive dragon body trying to pass through a nearby crevice to catch up, only to be quickly shaken off, Jiu Tianliu thought, “It’s useless. I’m on the optimal path; trying to bypass me through other routes will only make you slower.”

In front of the camera behind him, Li Shiwei watched with full concentration: “Failed again, he can’t get past.”

Dao Qiankun said calmly, “The final three winding tunnels will determine the winner.”

Bang!

A loud noise echoed in the underwater cave; it was the dragon’s body, attempting to bypass the divine shuttle again, colliding with it.

Watching both sides continue to accelerate after the collision, Dao Qiankun’s gaze shifted, “Jiu Tianliu’s concentration is dropping.”

Under the nervous gaze of his two teammates, Dao Qiankun said calmly, “Watch closely, the victory will be decided in this instant.”

Following a momentary lapse from the Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle, the optimal route was finally ceded.

A burst of flames erupted from the dragon’s body, and the Heaven’s Sun Blazing God spewed forth from the dragon’s tail. Amidst the severe damage to the dragon’s body, it propelled the person and the dragon forward with terrifying power.

“I wasn’t making a mistake…” Jiu Tianliu thought to himself with extreme calm, “I was merely switching to a more perfect route, one that transcends your current dimension.”

“Nine Heavens Ten Earths Danger Aversion Divine Shuttle! Burrow into the earth!”

As a layer of ethereal glow emanated from the shuttle’s surface, the flickering divine shuttle crushed rocks along its path, cutting out a closer route without slowing down, and dashed towards the finish line.

As large sections of earth and rock were penetrated, the magical power within the shuttle was frantically consumed, and Jiu Tianliu’s magical power also burned intensely, rapidly nearing depletion.

But the next moment, as a burst of light shot out, the divine shuttle broke through the surface of the sea in one go, arriving at the finish line just as its magical power ran out.

“It’s done.”

Jiu Tianliu breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the dragon shadow that barely broke the surface of the sea, closely following him. He was suddenly slightly startled.

“Where is he?”

On the giant dragon, which was now covered in blood, Zhang Yu’s figure was completely gone.

But Jiu Tianliu did not slow down because of this; instead, he continued to accelerate towards the finish line.

“No matter where he went, I’ll cross the finish line first…”

But the next moment, seeing “Second Place” displayed in his eye socket, Jiu Tianliu was shocked.

“What?”

“When did he overtake me?”

Jiu Tianliu suddenly looked up and saw Zhang Yu standing on top of the divine shuttle at some point. With the sudden activation of the Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, he shot out from the divine shuttle like a cannonball, crossing the finish line first.

Jiu Tianliu, who crossed the finish line second, still replayed in his mind the scene of Zhang Yu, covered in blood, standing on his divine shuttle.

“This guy, jumped onto my divine shuttle?”

“Madman.”