https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-528-Zhang-Yu-s-Bottom-Line-Please-Support-with-Your-Monthly-Votes-/13687232/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-530-Hua-Shen-Conflict-Sky-Collapse-and-Earth-Fall/13687234/
Chapter 529: Undercurrents Stir
(Thank you to 'Luoye Pianpian Huaxiang Manlong' for the Alliance Lord donation)
As the reigning Class Rank One for three consecutive years, Su Yun Ni had always assumed her position was unshakable. As for Zhang Yu, the transfer student from the Civil Engineering Department, she had never given him a second thought—until recently.
Over the past few months, she’d watched with growing unease as Zhang Yu rose in fame within the Alchemy Department. Determined to hold onto her top spot, she pushed herself harder than ever—studying, solving practice problems, and perfecting her experiments. Every time she thought of Zhang Yu trailing just behind her, her resolve hardened.
On exam day, she gave it everything she had, leaving nothing to chance.
On the evening of the ninth day of the ninth month, Su Yun Ni kept refreshing her Eye Armor’s score report, desperate to see her results the moment they were released.
"First!"
Her heart eased. “Still Class Rank One.”
A flicker of pride stirred within her. She was about to scroll through the Group Chat, eager to see if anyone had praised her performance—when a message from Zi Wen Zhen caught her eye:
> You know what? Zhang Yu submitted his exam half an hour early.
Another voice chimed in:
> I was in the same exam hall. He left the lab an hour early.
Zi Wen Zhen: That early? No wonder I found him there when I went by earlier.
Su Yun Ni’s brow furrowed. She quickly checked the rankings again—Zhang Yu was still second in class, but his Department Rank had leapt from 48th to 39th, thanks to a surge in his Comprehensive Score and the graduation of several senior students.
After recalculating the change, she realized: Zhang Yu’s Comprehensive Score had increased by exactly the same amount as hers.
“…I got a perfect score… so did he?”
But then it hit her—she’d fought tooth and nail to earn that perfect score. Meanwhile, Zhang Yu had walked out of every exam early, clearly holding back.
The thrill of her victory evaporated instantly. It felt like punching a cushion—effortful, but futile. Her entire effort, her sleepless nights, her relentless grind… all dismissed by him as if it were nothing.
Is all his energy focused on his own project?
Her Eye Armor flickered, displaying open textbooks from upperclassmen. She exhaled slowly.
“I need to prepare seriously for the design competition too.”
Though Zhang Yu claimed he’d face Jin Jun head-on, Su Yun Ni didn’t believe a word of it. She made up her mind: I’ll win the competition before he even finishes his Military-Grade project. I’ll claim the Military-Grade Technique first.
While purchasing materials for her experiments, a slight frown crossed her face.
“Are raw material prices going up?”
“Could it be due to the Top Ten League?”
Prices had risen slightly—but not enough to trouble her. She dismissed it without a second thought.
…
The release of final exam results also marked the start of a new academic year. Zhang Yu was now a senior.
In the Songyang Hometown Group, messages flooded in constantly. Most came from fresh arrivals from the College Entrance Exam, newly arrived in the Second Layer. These first-timers had been the most active in the group lately, discussing everything from campus environments and coursework to dorm life.
Zhang Yu glanced at their conversations, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu—like watching his own freshman self all over again.
> Yu Xinghan: 90% new second-hand Tianyan Spirit Armor. Anyone interested?
> Yu Xinghan: Once you’re in college, you can’t function properly without a good Eye Armor.
Seeing Yu Xinghan once again pitching Eye Armor to newcomers, Zhang Yu shrugged. It was a familiar sight—old students helping new ones, a tradition in Songyang City.
But some of the new students’ chatter caught his attention.
> “Is Songyang High School really one of the Four Major High Schools in Songyang City now?”
Zhang Yu stared at the new graduates from Songyang High School, noticing how many of them were quietly asking about him—curious, even.
Funny. I’ve been gone for years, and my legend still lingers?
As the new students buzzed with excitement, occasional messages from graduating seniors brought a different tone—melancholy, even.
> “Did anyone land a job yet?”
> “This month’s employment rate dropped again… probably tied to the Top Ten League.”
> “Graduation means unemployment. Guess I’ll have to take odd jobs for now…”
Most students still couldn’t fully grasp the weight of this reality. To them, minor shifts in employment data were just part of the annual cycle.
But the opening of the Top Ten League had drawn widespread attention—so much so that it disrupted Zhang Yu’s deep meditation in the Taiqing Jing.
This year’s Top Ten League was held on a floating island above a sea of clouds.
Beyond the various professional competitions, the most talked-about events were the Military Contests.
The Ten-School Sword Duel, for example, had drawn massive interest. Zhang Yu knew Bai Zhenzhen and Wen Wuya would be participating.
Then there was the Ten-School Treasure Hunt. From what he knew, Yan Qianji from the Alchemy Department, his senior sister Ye Xingli, and several other prodigies from the department were entering.
Ye Xingli’s participation meant her experiment project was suspended—leaving her assistant, Zi Wen Zhen, without a project for now.
Zhang Yu had a decent impression of Zi Wen Zhen: “She’s thorough when cleaning materials.”
He considered recruiting her as an assistant once he started refining the Tian Ri Huang Shen. She could help with the grunt work and speed up his progress.
When he extended the offer, Zi Wen Zhen simply asked:
> “What’s the pay?”
Zhang Yu: “Young people shouldn’t only care about money. Don’t you want to work on a Military-Grade project?”
> “Besides, I can repair Spirit Artifacts. If you join my team, I’ll personally fix your gear.”
Zhang Yu painted a tempting picture—but Zi Wen Zhen wasn’t impressed. She glanced at the message, replied with a casual “Hmm,” and promptly ignored it.
Just as she closed her Eye Armor, she noticed the door to her neighbor’s dorm was ajar. A thick, foul stench wafted out.
She knew the neighbor—another upperclassman from the Alchemy Department—but hadn’t seen them in ages.
Today, she learned the truth: the student had taken their own life days ago, reportedly due to a drastic stock market crash.
“Hmm… seems like a few stocks have been tanking lately.”
Zi Wen Zhen wasn’t surprised. People dying over falling stocks wasn’t rare. She glanced once, then walked on.
She adjusted her Eye Armor.
> “Today’s the Ten-School Sword Duel, right?”
…
> “Why is the medical insurance for the tournament so expensive?”
Above the clouds, Bai Zhenzhen stared at her contract, muttering under her breath:
> “Are they trying to bleed us dry?”
Wen Wuya shrugged.
> “It’s how insurance companies work. If it weren’t for our teachers’ influence—and the need to keep the Top Ten League fair—they’d never even sell us coverage at this rate.”
A sudden shink! cut through the air as a blade slashed through the space near Wen Wuya, clashing with her protective aura.
She didn’t flinch. The mood swings of Bai Zhenzhen were well known—her emotions could trigger spontaneous sword attacks from thin air.
But her control had improved dramatically. Now, only lower-level students were truly at risk. Wen Wuya, with her strength, barely noticed.
Around them, other Tianjian University elites remained unfazed—no one was weak here.
Bai Zhenzhen grumbled: “Still too expensive.”
Wen Wuya: “Heard the insurance costs rose across the board this year. It’s not unreasonable.”
Then, in an instant, Bai Zhenzhen’s expression shifted—her face, once stormy, now lit up with delight. Her body swayed slightly, as if a tail were wagging.
Wen Wuya instantly understood. She’s communicating with Zhang Yu.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! The sound of air tearing filled the air as every Tianjian University contestant—Wen Wuya included—dodged away from Bai Zhenzhen.
In the next heartbeat, a crimson wave of sword light erupted around her, carving deep, jagged trails across the sky.
Wen Wuya sighed inwardly.
Every time she calls Zhang Yu… that’s when she’s most dangerous.
Is the Qingqing God deliberately arranging these calls before the match—boosting her strength?
…
> “A Zhen, go get ‘em!”
After ending her call, Zhang Yu received another message—this time from Ying Xin.
> “Project funding still hasn’t arrived?”
He immediately contacted Juxing Immortal.
Juxing Immortal: “I’m not refusing to help—but everyone’s funds are frozen. I can’t do anything.”
> “Many projects may need to pause. Just ask your team to hold on a little longer. Once the Top Ten League ends, things should normalize.”
Zhang Yu: “What does this have to do with the Top Ten League? Why would a single tournament disrupt our work?”
Juxing Immortal: “Don’t ask me. I don’t know.”
Staring at the dozens of employees waiting for their pay, Zhang Yu had no choice. He withdrew from his personal deposit again, sending out partial salaries. He told Zhao Tianxing and the others to take on side jobs for now.
Then he turned to his Eye Armor’s live stream—Bai Zhenzhen and her opponent, Du Jian, had already begun.
They clashed across an endless sea of clouds, battling across hundreds of kilometers, tracking each other while hiding their own presence.
Only fleeting flashes of swordlight pierced the sky—each leaving behind trails hundreds of meters long.
Thanks to his Divine Spirit Root, Bai Zhenzhen remained undetected. In the end, she forced her opponent out of the clouds and into the abyss below.
But Zhang Yu noticed something troubling: the next matches grew increasingly brutal. Fatalities began to appear.
It wasn’t just the sword duels—other Military Contests, as the Top Ten League progressed, became far deadlier than in past years. Though deaths weren’t as frequent as in the duels, they were still higher than usual.
Zhang Yu’s mind darkened.
They say the Top Ten universities use the league’s results to redistribute power and resources. Now, it seems the rivalry between these schools has turned vicious. The league’s fights are getting harder…
And when Bai Zhenzhen faced off against a disciple of Baigu University, the intensity surged to a whole new level.
(End of Chapter)
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