Under Jiu Tianliu’s will, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere surged wildly. As he pointed his finger, it was as if the spiritual energy and air had been ignited, and a powerful wave of air violently scattered, centered around Zhang Yu.

Amidst the earth-shattering explosion, hundreds of tons of sand and dust shot into the sky, transforming into swirling smoke and dust that spread in all directions.

At the center of the explosion, only a massive crater remained, as if struck by a meteor from outer space.

As for Zhang Yu’s figure, it had long since vanished, seemingly obliterated by the attack.

With this scene, Jiu Tianliu’s aura grew even stronger, and countless images of Zhang Yu appeared in his eyes.

One such image showed Zhang Yu using his Gangqi clone to intentionally take the hit, while he himself escaped underground.

“Hmph, he dodged my attack… but what good is it? It’s merely clinging to life…”

In Jiu Tianliu’s military-grade eye implants, various figures of Zhang Yu repeatedly appeared. These were future predictions based on Zhang Yu’s personal model, showing all his possibilities on this battlefield.

“A dying struggle.”

As he spoke, Jiu Tianliu straightened his back, and the earth trembled violently. His surging aura seemed to shake the heavens and earth, demanding all things to submit.

He pointed his finger again, and dense spiritual energy gathered in the atmosphere. At the same time, his eye implants had locked onto Zhang Yu’s most probable location underground.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted slightly, and he thought to himself, “Normally, being passively beaten is not cost-effective.”

Even with the enhancement of the Tumushengti, Zhang Yu could gain increasingly stronger resistance as his injuries worsened, but in his opinion, passive defense was not a good strategy.

Because after severe injury, although his defense would become stronger, his overall state, physical functions, and various abilities would inevitably decline.

If it were previously a tactic to stall Kuang Tianqing, or like the last match, a life-and-death struggle against Ying Mingchi, then it would be a good opportunity to utilize Tumushengti. Not only would his defense increase with injury, but he would also inflict greater damage on the opponent.

But against Jiu Tianliu, could passive defense inflict damage on the opponent? Could he drag the opponent down with him as his own condition declined?

Before being certain, Zhang Yu adopted a strategy of dodging and stealth, rather than directly facing the opponent’s peak-transcending attack.

But in the next moment, as the spiritual energy around him exploded, Zhang Yu burst out from underground, a sudden thought striking him: “Jiu Tianliu’s attack power… has gotten stronger?”

A line of public opinion data appeared in Jiu Tianliu’s eye implants.

80% of the audience believed Jiu Tianliu would win!

Clearly, after Jiu Tianliu unleashed his peak attack just now, forcing Zhang Yu underground, his win rate surged again.

And the surge in win rate led to a surge in Qiyun, further driving the increase in his strength.

At this moment, the financial-system military-grade martial art that Jiu Tianliu was employing, the Yuanqi Wuxing Dashouyin, which generated destructive power by burning Qiyun and spiritual energy, grew even more vast in its might.

At the same time, all of Zhang Yu’s escape routes had been locked down by the military-grade eye implants.

The massive spiritual energy between heaven and earth was stirred by Jiu Tianliu’s will, and with the intense burning of Qiyun, it transformed into a pair of invisible hands, about to crush Zhang Yu in its grasp.

With this explosive squeeze, a peak-transcending attack would completely tear the opponent apart.

This attack was not only a convergence of Jiu Tianliu’s power since the start of the battle, but it also drew upon preparations made much, much earlier, long before the Ten Great Leagues began.

For this attack, Jiu Tianliu had been preparing for too long and had invested too much…

Just before the Ten Great Leagues began.

In the spiritual realm conference room of Wanfa University’s Finance Department.

“My market positioning… competitive domain… product packaging… success rate… return rate…”

As projection after projection appeared, Jiu Tianliu was once again reporting to numerous Yuan Ying realm teachers, and his own Huashen realm master, trying to attract more investment for the Ten Great Leagues.

After this meeting, several investment intentions were reached, further increasing Jiu Tianliu’s Xian Dao potential.

Although his investments grew and his spiritual coins became more abundant, Jiu Tianliu always had a feeling that the department wasn’t fully backing him.

He sent a message, respectfully inquiring of the Xie Shen as a Xie Shen cultist.

The Xie Shen was a secret known only to the core members of the Finance Department.

All selected outstanding students of the Finance Department would go to an island that had never been publicly revealed, whose coordinates no one knew, and undergo trials on the island, completing special rituals.

Only students who passed the trials and completed the rituals could contact the Xie Shen, become Xie Shen cultists, and after having their potential activated, become core members of the Finance Department.

As generations of outstanding members grew, these individuals spread to various important positions in the financial sector, becoming a terrifying force hidden in the shadows of the Finance Department.

In response to Jiu Tianliu’s inquiry, the Xie Shen merely replied: Do you think we would only invest in you?

Soon, Jiu Tianliu discovered that the Finance Department had made investments in Jingang, Xianbing, Tianjian, and even Tianmo, Youming, Hehuan, Baigu, and other universities in the past six months.

“Diversification? That’s right, investments shouldn’t be put in one basket.”

Although there was some regret, Jiu Tianliu wasn’t too surprised by this. No matter who won… the Finance Department had to win, because the Finance Department always stood with the victors. This was inherently the department’s motto.

As for investing in universities like Tianmo and Youming, which would lower the win rate of Wanfa students? In Jiu Tianliu’s view, that was nothing.

Wanfa was Wanfa, Finance was Finance, and investment was investment—this was a principle every student of Wanfa University’s Finance Department understood.

However, with the start of the Ten Great Leagues, something unexpected happened to Jiu Tianliu.

Jin Guangyuan, the former second-ranked student in the Finance Department, who had been expelled due to the Shuangxiujiao incident, contacted him.

Jin Guangyuan: “Senior Brother, I haven’t received this month’s spiritual coins.”

Jiu Tianliu frowned: “Didn’t I tell you not to contact us unless necessary?”

“Alright, I’ll help you look into the spiritual coin matter.”

At this moment, Jiu Tianliu discovered that some of the Finance Department’s funds were problematic; some spiritual coin withdrawals and transfers were stuck.

“Large amounts of spiritual coins were transferred out?!”

Realizing this, Jiu Tianliu felt a pang of fear.

He knew that the Finance Department’s money wasn’t just its own; it was countless deposits, loans, investments, debts… but now all of it had been spent.

It was like an unparalleled master suddenly taking out massive loans, falling into huge debt, and then exhausting all their power.

What could the Finance Department do after exhausting all its power?

What kind of event would require the Finance Department to exert such full effort?

Jiu Tianliu, filled with questions, went to ask his master, Jin Que Shenjun, but saw his master confronting Dao Qiankun coldly, seemingly having a huge disagreement.

Jiu Tianliu speculated in his heart: “Is it about choosing the Xianmen cultivation technique?”

The two seemed to part ways unhappily, and Jin Que Shenjun did not answer Jiu Tianliu’s questions, only telling him to focus on the competition and not to overthink.

The next day, the news of Dao Qiankun’s death spread among the higher-ups.

“Dao Qiankun… was killed?”

Jiu Tianliu was secretly alarmed: “Was he dealt with by my master and the others?”

Immediately after… besides the Finance Department of Wanfa University, the finance departments of other universities also began similar actions, and large amounts of spiritual coins started to surge.

This was a power that transcended the schools themselves; it was the Kunlun Hui, with eight Huashen realm committee members, in action.

Jiu Tianliu felt a boundless, immense power, surpassing any of the Ten Great schools, gathering within it.

He could perceive that the spiritual coins accumulated within it were enough to turn the world within Kunxu’s tenth layer upside down.

Jiu Tianliu didn’t know where this immense power was being used, he only knew that a mere sliver of this power was granted to him, causing his popularity to skyrocket in the past week.

“The world is about to undergo a massive change. This is the most chaotic era, but also the best era.”

“The greater the risk, the higher the profit. This will be the best opportunity I’ve ever encountered in my life.”

As the only remaining finance student among the top eight contestants, Jiu Tianliu received even more support from the Kunlun Hui.

Under the Kunlun Hui’s arrangements, all ten major universities promoted him, and countless people worked tirelessly to increase his win rate, with massive amounts of spiritual coins circulating around him.

He had reached an unprecedented peak, and by defeating Zhang Yu, he could ascend from this peak to the next.

“Zhang Yu, become my nourishment, and elevate me to the throne!”

At this moment on the battlefield, facing Jiu Tianliu, whose popularity and Qiyun had surged again, unleashing his peak killing move, Zhang Yu did not dodge again. Instead, he stepped forward, choosing to directly confront Jiu Tianliu’s attack.

Zhang Yu’s mind flashed with Jiu Tianliu’s transformation, and he thought to himself, “As the first strike ended, the second strike’s power grew stronger.”

“Indeed, Jiu Tianliu’s strength increases with the gathering of Qiyun. The more advantage he gains in battle, the more people believe he will win, the higher his popularity, and the stronger his power.”

“Avoiding him will only make him stronger.”

“I cannot let his momentum continue to grow.”

At the same time, although Jiu Tianliu’s strength had increased with the gathering of Qiyun, Zhang Yu was not surprised but rather pleased, because this change confirmed a piece of intelligence he had gathered about the Finance Department.

“If he gets stronger by gaining an advantage in battle, then it also means… he will get weaker by losing an advantage in battle.”

As he pondered, Zhang Yu roared, “Bishui Jinjing Jia! Come out!”

A dragon’s roar echoed in all directions, and torrents surged from deep within the earth.

Within the torrents, the Bishui Jinjing Jia and four golden, shimmering dragon shadows appeared.