https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-513-Ascension-to-the-Alchemy-Department/13687214/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-515-Who-Said-Switching-Majors-Can-t-Match-Pure-Blooded-Alchemists-Thanks-to-Xie-Longqi-for-the-MVP-Donation-/13687217/
Chapter 514: Zhang Yu's Jin Dan Simulation Score
With a flicker of light before his eyes, a black-and-gold scroll slowly unfurled within Zhang Yu’s Eye Armor—ancient in aura, majestic in hue, as if a hidden world had been unveiled before him.
“Welcome to Jin Dan Zhi Zhi.”
“Jin Dan Zhi Zhi is a renowned free Jin Dan guidance tool, offering free features including Jin Dan benchmarking, cultivation guidance, cultivation flaw detection, Spirit Armor testing, Artifact Spirit optimization, energy-saving cooling, and intelligent upgrades.”
“Would you like to use the Jin Dan Zhi Zhi Premium Edition?”
Zhang Yu stared at the two options below: one for logging in directly with an existing Premium account, the other for purchasing a time-limited Premium subscription. He simply tapped the × in the top-right corner.
In an instant, the ancient elegance and noble colors vanished. The black-and-gold scroll transformed into something resembling a plain notebook—its appearance dull, its functions noticeably diminished.
To Zhang Yu, it felt like a priceless secret manual had been reduced from the Nine Yang Divine Manual to a basic set of common fist techniques.
But he didn’t care. If it looked ugly, so be it. If features were missing, that was fine too. Paying? Never happening.
As he flipped open the notebook, a notification popped up in his Eye Armor:
External service request detected. Grant permission? Yes / No.
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Detected that your Spirit Armor lacks permission for diagnostic access. Granting permission will yield a more accurate benchmark score.
Zhang Yu wasn’t about to let anyone scan his Spirit Armor. He immediately clicked No, then tapped the largest button on the notebook—the one labeled Start Jin Dan Simulation Benchmark Score.
During the process, Jin Dan Zhi Zhi kept flashing notifications, demanding access to various parts of his body.
Zhang Yu dismissed each one with a firm No.
Then came a series of pop-up forms, asking him to manually input detailed information about his body—Spirit Armor, Techniques, Base Statistics.
If he could provide official school documentation, these data points would be automatically validated.
So Zhang Yu filled them out slowly, one by one. Of course, his Technique list was overwhelming—he only listed a portion, especially avoiding forbidden techniques like Wuliang Xin Nei Fashen. And of course, things like the Chain Law Diagram and Dao Zong Spectrum were never entered.
When he finished, his result appeared:
> You achieved a Jin Dan Simulation Benchmark Score of 81,372, surpassing 86% of students.
> [Share]
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: During benchmarking, 37 cultivation flaws were detected. Please address them promptly.
> [Click to fix instantly]
Curious, Zhang Yu tapped in. He saw issues like Hand Spirit Armor Deficiency, Organ Spirit Armor Deficiency, Spinal Spirit Armor Deficiency—each followed by a list of recommended Spirit Armor upgrades.
Clearly, the lack of Spirit Armor across his body was dragging down his score.
Then came a cascade of recommendations: meridian surgery for enhanced Martial Energy flow speed, Dantian configuration optimization, muscle response speed enhancement, along with suggested surgical and pharmaceutical upgrades, Dao Arts solidification plans.
On top of that: Technique optimization, Technique updates, Technique upgrades—all urging him to adopt newer versions, upgraded techniques, and diversified Dao Arts to overcome his weaknesses.
Staring at the endless list of cultivation vulnerabilities, Zhang Yu, who had just felt confident, suddenly felt like he was riddled with flaws.
But I do have a lot of room to grow, he thought.
Military-Grade Techniques, Military-Grade Spirit Armor, Military-Grade Spirit Artifacts… I’ll need all of them—not just to reach the Top Ten League, but to eventually forge my Jin Dan.
Once I make it to the Top Ten League, I’ll start accumulating credits early—graduate years ahead of schedule.
The earlier I complete these, the sooner I reach the Top Ten League, the faster I graduate… the sooner I break through to Jin Dan.
As he closed the results, another list appeared on Jin Dan Zhi Zhi.
Jin Dan Seed Ranking List? Updated daily?
Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up. This is the Foundation Establishment Stage ranking—Jin Dan Simulation Benchmark scores?
He scanned the list. There was also a real Jin Dan rank, for those in the Jin Dan Cultivation Stage—but that was still far beyond him. He wasn’t interested.
They must have detected I’m a Foundation Establishment Stage student and automatically showed me the Jin Dan Seed Ranking List.
He glanced at the first place.
First place is from Tianmo University? 510,000 points?
Second place is from Wanfa University? Dao Arts Department, Dao Qiankun, 509,881 points—just barely behind the first?
As he kept scrolling, he realized the Jin Dan Seed Ranking List was almost entirely filled with students from the Top Ten universities.
He tried clicking on the second-place entry, Dao Qiankun, hoping to see his profile.
But all he saw was:
Wanfa University, Undergraduate, Dao Arts Department—basic info.
Below the profile picture:
3 cultivation flaws detected, 1,233 cultivation updates, 99+ techniques cultivated, 7 Spirit Armors equipped, Spirit Root details, news updates—all of it locked.
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Please purchase the Premium service to view more information.
Zhang Yu thought to himself: Not happening.
He scrolled further, and soon found himself listed—around position 500.
Not because he was ranked 500th, but because the Jin Dan Seed Ranking List only recorded the top 500. Below it read:
Zhang Yu – Ranking 500+ – Not yet in the Jin Dan Seed Ranking List.
As for his actual rank? Impossible to tell.
While checking the rankings, notifications kept popping up in his Eye Armor.
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Detected 37 cultivation flaws. [View details]
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Your friends may have higher scores—upgrade to view their simulation results.
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Sensitive Spirit Armor detected—unencrypted.
Zhang Yu frowned slightly. Unencrypted?
Fujie chimed in: “Don’t worry about it. They’re just trying to trick you into giving them access.”
“Your Eye Armor is encrypted by Zhang Pianpian. With her Spellcraft mastery, you’re safe.”
But the constant notifications from Jin Dan Zhi Zhi annoyed him.
“Damn thing talks too much,” he muttered.
Then, one notification caught his eye.
Jin Dan Zhi Zhi: Click to share your score and receive a Premium skin for free.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the Deep Ling Realm, in a private, untraceable Group Chat.
Zi Wen Zhen, ranked 4th in Alchemy Class, said:
It actually worked… He really got transferred.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
This Zhang Yu’s been studying Civil Engineering for three years. How could he possibly understand Alchemy?
Zi Wen Zhen growled:
And he just shows up and lands 48th in the entire department, 2nd in class? What kind of nonsense is this?
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
Can Comprehensive Scores from Civil Engineering even be counted?
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
He should’ve started from the beginning. Why was he allowed to jump straight into Year Three?
Another Alchemy student, Rong Xuan (ranked 8th), replied:
No idea what the Director was thinking. Bringing in a Civil Engineering student?
Class 8, Rong Xuan:
The Group Chat now feels like it’s full of dirt and dust.
Rong Xuan:
Honestly, I don’t want to post here anymore.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
Yet you just welcomed him in the chat a moment ago.
Class 8, Rong Xuan:
We have to respect Ciji Zhenjun’s authority.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
He’s just some lab experiment—paired with Hua Shen Yin Qi in the lab. Playing around in the lab is fine, but bringing him to Alchemy Department? I heard he only has one Eye Armor. No other Spirit Armor anywhere. It’s… disgraceful.
Silence fell.
Then, the class leader—ranked 1st—finally spoke.
Su Yun Ni: Be careful what you say.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
I’m just speaking up for everyone.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen:
We’ve spent years pouring money into Alchemy. Now a random Civil Engineering student is overshadowing us all?
The small chat erupted in complaints—most students deeply resentful about Zhang Yu’s sudden transfer.
Then, Rong Xuan said:
Hey, look—Zhang Yu just posted his Jin Dan Simulation Benchmark Score in the Class Group Chat.
> Zhang Yu: I achieved a Jin Dan Simulation Benchmark Score of 81,372, surpassing 86% of students.
> [Share]
It was the highest score in the entire class.
Instantly, the chatter died down.
After a long silence, Zi Wen Zhen murmured:
How could his score be that high? Is it fake?
Someone replied: It’s verified. It can’t be faked. And even if it were, it’d only hurt his own reputation.
Class 1, Su Yun Ni: I checked his results with my Premium membership.
Class 1, Su Yun Ni: The main reason he scored so high is the Military-Grade Technique: Tian Kunlun Shifting Mountain Divine Power—it adds significant points.
Class 1, Su Yun Ni: Also, his foundation is solid—plenty of cultivated Techniques.
Class 1, Su Yun Ni: If he had more Spirit Armor equipped, his score would be even higher.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen: Ah… that makes sense.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen: Civil Engineering is simple, low-competition. He got his Military-Grade Technique early.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen: But even with Tian Kunlun Shifting Mountain Divine Power boosting his score, it doesn’t help much in Alchemy.
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen: Let him brag now. Wait till Final Exams. His real rankings will drop hard.
Most in the class shared this view—but despite their skepticism, no one could mock Zhang Yu openly anymore, not after seeing his score.
Three years on construction sites—what does a Civil Engineering dog know about Alchemy?
Then Su Yun Ni turned to Zi Wen Zhen:
When are you coming to work at my company?
Class 4, Zi Wen Zhen: I need to think about it.
Class 1, Su Yun Ni: No rush. My door’s always open.
Zi Wen Zhen knew Su Yun Ni ran a Spirit Artifact service firm—specializing in secondhand Spirit Artifact recycling and maintenance.
Joining her company meant paying a high commission, but also meant more clients and higher income.
Zi Wen Zhen then messaged Ye Xingli:
Senior Sister, is the Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Decree job still available?
---
Back in the lab, Zhang Yu finished the Jin Dan Zhi Zhi simulation and returned to his Technique cultivation.
Flames of true fire shot forth, shifting with each change in his Dao incantation—winding, dancing, blazing toward the secondhand Spirit Artifact.
Hours passed. The flames shifted in color, twisting like agile fish dancing around him.
Yuhuo Shenjian – Level 10
Zhang Yu’s spirit surged.
Finally—my third Alchemy Genius Technique has reached Level 10. I’m one step closer to completing the Chain Law Diagram.
This Yuhuo Shenjian cultivation is so troublesome. Each batch of secondhand Spirit Artifact I forge costs money. If my craftsmanship isn’t good enough, I can’t sell them. It’s drained me dry.
But now that it’s Level 10—whether I sell the forged artifacts or offer the service, they’ll be much easier to sell.
Just then, a message arrived.
Ye Xingli: Little Brother, is the Dragon Vein Treasure Forging Decree job still available?
(End of Chapter)
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