https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-417-Soaring-Progress-Foundation-Establishment-Limit-and-the-Race-for-Food/13687045/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-419-The-Allure-of-the-Alchemy-Department/13687047/
Chapter 418: Alchemy Exam (Thank you, 'aghfh' for your support as Patron)
In the dormitory.
Le Mulan said urgently, "Wait—let me squeeze it all out first."
Zhang Yu replied, "Isn’t it enough already?"
"No," Le Mulan insisted. "Every drop is money. I have to extract it completely."
Zhang Yu asked, "Now is it okay?"
Le Mulan shook her head. "Let me squeeze a little more."
As she gently exerted force, a few more threads of blood shot from her fingertip, flowing into Zhang Yu’s mouth.
Only then did she nod. "The medicine should all be out now. How do you feel?"
Zhang Yu pursed his lips. "Not bad. The potency feels smoother than before."
Ever since Le Mulan had begun mastering self-produced medicinal techniques, she’d started cultivating medicine within her own body. Since then, her blood, sweat, saliva—even her Martial Energy—had gradually taken on faint traces of newly generated Medicinal Power.
Especially after Zhang Yu had practiced the Yanyang Dao Mai in tandem with Le Mulan’s Deep Cold Mana Vein, the Medicinal Power within her body had undergone some truly remarkable transformations.
In this period, she’d been experimenting with various Medicinal Agents, testing their production inside her body. And Zhang Yu, with his exceptionally strong Constitution and remarkable capacity to bear medicinal substances, had become her ideal test subject.
Of course, Zhang Yu wasn’t getting out of it empty-handed. Every time Le Mulan crafted medicine, she spent a fortune on raw materials—and the final product usually ended up in Zhang Yu’s stomach.
Just as Zhang Yu was undergoing his latest drug test, a message popped up in his Eye Armor from Yu Xinghan.
Yu Xinghan: Someone’s offering 3 Lingbi. Let’s train together.
Yu Xinghan: You in?
Zhang Yu had to admit—he felt a flicker of temptation at the mention of 3 Lingbi.
But it was quickly replaced by irritation.
“Zhang Yu, what kind of person have you become? Letting Kunxu corrupt you like this?”
“Not everything can be sold for money.”
Zhang Yu: Don’t even ask. No amount of Lingbi will make me sell.
Yu Xinghan: Got it. So it’s at least 50 Lingbi, right?
Zhang Yu: What the hell is wrong with you? I said no amount of Lingbi will make me sell!
Yu Xinghan genuinely didn’t get it. He couldn’t imagine anything worth any amount of Lingbi. Was there even something that expensive in this world?
He glanced at the group chat and decided to pivot—time to promote his massage services instead.
…
On the 668th floor of the construction site.
With the completion of the 667th floor, the entire Wanfa University City had now reached the 668th level.
Zhang Yu’s Zhendi Yin floated mid-air, radiating a faint, invisible aura.
Wherever the aura passed, the ground trembled and flattened instantly. The swirling dust that had risen from the construction site was caught in midair, frozen in layers—like time itself had paused.
From within the Zhendi Yin came Mo Tianyi’s voice:
Mo Tianyi: Amazing spirit artifact.
Mo Tianyi: Zhang Yu, you really are rich now. Can you actually afford a 20th-level spirit artifact?
Zhang Yu gave a casual smile. "Not bad."
"How’s the control going?"
Mo Tianyi: No problem.
Mo Tianyi: Zhang Yu, trust me—I’ll sacrifice my spiritual world before I let you down. I won’t embarrass you.
Zhang Yu waved a hand. "No need for that kind of sacrifice. We’re not here to die—we’re here to make money."
Mo Tianyi: You’re right. Soul cultivators don’t have lives to spare. The more we push, the more we lose.
At the same time, the Tianqing Caiyun Dou floated nearby, feeding Tianqing Sand into the Wuxiang Force.
Zhao Tianxing silently reflected: "So Zhang Yu handed the 20th-level Zhendi Yin to Old Mo to control?"
"Guess I’m still just a half-baked Soul Cultivator in his eyes after all."
Once, Zhao Tianxing had been thrilled and proud to be the Spirit of the Tianqing Caiyun Dou. But now, watching Mo Tianyi effortlessly command the 20th-level Zhendi Yin, he suddenly felt his own artifact looked… underwhelming.
Then, Zhang Yu casually tossed the 20th-level Di Shasha Bottle into the air.
"Old Zhao, give this a try."
Zhao Tianxing grinned. "Got it!"
The Di Shasha Bottle whirled once, sucking in the swirling dust, then instantly refining it into concrete—poured precisely into the designated area.
Zhang Yu thought to himself: "With Old Zhao and Old Mo handling the Di Shasha Bottle and Zhendi Yin, I can focus on safely commanding the Taiyi Jin Ye Dan and Wuxiang Force. I’ll just give the Tianqing Caiyun Dou a light touch."
With the second-year final exams approaching, Zhang Yu’s mind wasn’t on them. He had absolute confidence—he didn’t need to worry.
"If I keep my Class Rank One, I can unlock the third supreme technique of Civil Engineering Seven Supreme and master Xiao Sanhe."
"After that, the Military License exam comes in October."
"With my current foundation, will mastering Xiao Sanhe be enough to pass?"
Zhang Yu turned to glance at the Feather Scroll. As a third-year, his strength was already formidable.
In base stats alone, except for the 20th-level Physical Strength and 1000 units of Martial Energy—both at the Foundation Establishment limit—his Dao Heart had reached level 19 (55.3%). By the time of the Military License exam, it would definitely hit 20th level.
Martial Energy Quality had climbed steadily, now at a solid 195%—just 5% short of the Foundation Establishment limit.
Gang Qi Conductivity Rate was 99%, and Maximum Gang Qi Conductivity Distance had reached 100 meters—both already at the upper limit.
Beyond base stats, there was Zhang Yu’s unique progression: the Qinglian Jiantai advancement.
"The Qinglian Jiantai’s bonus to Chain Law Diagram Sets comes from subtle, cumulative adjustments—shaped by how I distribute time across different gear sets."
After multiple personal tests, Zhang Yu had developed his own estimate of how much Chain Law Diagram effect the Qinglian Jiantai could retain in daily use.
"University Holy Body and Tu Mu Holy Body—used the most over the past half year. The Qinglian Jiantai now retains nearly 9%."
"Martial Dao Holy Body was completed last, but I’ve used it heavily this year. The retention is already at 5%."
"Qi Mai Chang Liu is only used during energy recovery—shortest usage time. So the Qinglian Jiantai only holds 4%."
Zhang Yu clenched his fist, watching the Wuxiang Yun'gang in his palm shift and flow at will, forming and dissolving without effort.
"Right now… I’m strong."
After reaffirming his power, Zhang Yu mentally declared: "Military License—I’m going to get it."
His confidence grew stronger with every step of advancement, every confirmation of strength.
But the first challenge he faced wasn’t the final exam… nor the Military License.
It was the Alchemy exam—administered by Ciji Zhenjun.
…
In the Alchemy Laboratory.
Ye Xingli was grading Zhang Yu’s exam papers.
These were the final exams from the first three years of the Alchemy Department—collected by Ciji Zhenjun and given to Zhang Yu to complete, with Ye Xingli overseeing.
As she read, her surprise grew.
"Zhang Yu’s studying Alchemy alongside Civil Engineering?"
"Could Master really be considering transferring him to the Alchemy Department?"
"This… oh no."
She could already picture the chaos ahead.
"Director Gao is going to lose it."
A part of her even wished Zhang Yu would fail.
But the more she graded, the more she realized: Zhang Yu’s command of the first three years of Alchemy wasn’t just solid—it surpassed most third-year students.
"Probably spent a fortune on spiritual realm acceleration, Dao Arts fragmentation, and memory enhancement…"
She thought: "Now we’ll see the real test—hands-on skill."
She knew the truth: theory was one thing. Skill was another. And the Alchemy Department cared most about practical ability.
The final exam naturally included material refinement, rune carving, spirit artifact refining, and more.
This lab had been reserved all night by Ciji Zhenjun, with Ye Xingli supervising Zhang Yu as he completed each task.
She watched, mesmerized, as Zhang Yu effortlessly tempered materials, smoothly feeding raw ingredients into the true flame furnace and channeling Martial Energy to control the flames.
She watched him wield multiple strands of Wuxiang Force, swirling around the refined material from every angle, precisely constructing Martial Energy circuits—each motion a masterclass in precision.
Her admiration only deepened.
"It’s been less than a year since I last saw Zhang Yu’s alchemy…"
"And he’s advanced this far?"
"His talent… is even greater than I thought?"
The final task was to select one spirit artifact or spirit armor project and refine it.
Normally, students would bring their own materials. But this time, Ciji Zhenjun had provided them—giving Zhang Yu the chance to refine.
The artifact was pre-agreed upon. Zhang Yu had already mastered the required Alchemy Technique just weeks ago.
Zhang Yu glanced at the materials in his hands. "Ciji Zhenjun really is generous."
Ye Xingli sighed inwardly. "Ah… Master truly values Zhang Yu."
Then, as she watched Zhang Yu successfully refine the materials into a 20th-level Spirit Artifact—Jin Lou Yu Bi—she couldn’t help but mutter in awe:
"Master’s judgment is flawless."
"I never saw it… Zhang Yu is a true alchemy prodigy."
"If he joins the Alchemy Department, reaching the top 10 in the entire department won’t be impossible."
Zhang Yu stared at the finished Jin Lou Yu Bi in his palm. "So… what happens to this?"
Ye Xingli answered calmly: "Master will pay you 3 Lingbi for the craftsmanship."
Zhang Yu felt a flicker of disappointment. But still, getting paid was a good thing—especially since all materials and venue costs were covered by the other side.
…
Ciji Zhenjun: You claimed your disciple has 20th-level Physical Strength, and the Yin-Yang Bracelet is useless now, right?
Ciji Zhenjun: Jin Lou Yu Bi. Image file.
Director Gao: You’re selling it to me? I’m a bit tight on funds lately.
Ciji Zhenjun: I’ll sell it at material cost.
Ciji Zhenjun: After all, we’ve known each other for so long.
Director Gao: Ciji… you’re really something.
…
Back in the dorm.
Holding the Jin Lou Yu Bi handed to him by Director Gao, Zhang Yu frowned. "This… is the one I made?"
"Is this the reward Master promised for passing my second-year finals?" Fujie said with a smirk. "Zhang Yu, Ciji Zhenjun truly is top-tier Alchemy Department. Director Gao from Civil Engineering? He can’t even keep up."
(End of Chapter)
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