https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-563-Junior-College-Enlightenment/13687430/
Chapter 564: Pre-Competition Touches
"Legend has it that the young Lingxi God of Hehuan University once struggled for years to cross the first threshold—instead, he repeatedly suffered Dao Heart Regression."
"But in each retreat, he gradually forged a new path. Ultimately, he understood the truth: only after learning to love can one become capable of multiple loves; only through multiple loves can one achieve deep devotion; and only after deep devotion can one transcend emotion entirely."
"To be able to love anyone, embrace anyone, and hold equal, profound affection for all beings under heaven—this is true ultimate detachment. This is the Tai Shang Deep Love Dao."
"Just one such refinement instantly multiplied the output of this cultivation method by several times."
"And over the years, such breakthroughs have kept coming, one after another. It is this relentless, ceaseless drive forward that laid the foundation for Hehuan Sect’s rise in the modern era."
As Zhang Yu delivered a detailed lecture on the history of Mutual Cultivation techniques, Fujie remarked, “Looks like you actually took your classes in the Illusory Realm seriously.”
“Of course,” Zhang Yu replied. “That was the whole point—to gather real junior college student intelligence. Even in the Illusory Realm, I treat every class with full focus, leaving no detail behind.”
“This simulated junior college environment in the Illusory Realm has its merits. It’s given me a lot of valuable extracurricular knowledge.”
“Hmm… though there are some odd quirks. Still, I think it’s worth continuing to explore.”
Having already paid Lingbi with Ye Xingli, Zhang Yu then selected several more different scripts to test.
After finishing, he received a message from Ye Xingli.
Ye Xingli: How’d it go, little brother? Any gains?
Zhang Yu: Massive gains.
Zhang Yu: I feel my specialized cultivation potential is now so high, even I’m a little scared.
Ye Xingli: These scripts do capture some of the true spirit of junior college life.
Ye Xingli: But I still feel something’s off—too exaggerated, too sensationalized. It’s all too much like entertainment.
Ye Xingli: There’s no authentic work that truly documents real junior college student life.
Ye Xingli: The data inside likely isn’t reliable for reference.
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. “Authentic junior college life… probably no one really cares.”
“Or rather, among those who enjoy this kind of Ling Realm Simulation Service, very few would care about real junior college student existence.”
“Most just treat junior college life as a novelty, a form of entertainment, or even a way to train their Dao Heart.”
Zhang Yu: Senior Sister, you’re absolutely right. These scripts help us grasp the vibe of junior college students.
Zhang Yu: But relying on them to design alchemy products? That’s still far from enough.
Ye Xingli: We’ll have to collect real intelligence from actual junior college students.
Zhang Yu paused, recalling the scenes he’d witnessed in the Illusory Realm. His gaze flickered. “Why not just buy it from them?”
“Select a diverse group—spread across different regions in the Second Layer, affiliated with various Top Ten junior colleges.”
“Have these students record their daily lives using Eye Armor, then sell the footage to us.”
“If we accelerate through the recordings, we can gather massive first-hand junior college data in a short time.”
Ye Xingli: Brilliant idea—let’s do it.
Ye Xingli: I can reach out to some of my fan base.
Zhang Yu: I know quite a few junior college students myself.
Ye Xingli: Then we each gather our own. Let’s compile everything in a month.
Zhang Yu: Agreed.
Zhang Yu wasn’t in a rush to wrap up the data collection. After all, with Tiangong Kaiwu at his disposal, redesigning schematics took him no time at all.
The real value lay in the data—abundant, accurate, and rich. Only with such input could he extract the precise Design Diagram he desired.
So Zhang Yu then posted a new task in the Songyang Hometown Group: purchasing daily life recordings from junior college students, captured in Tianyan Hei.
The response was immediate and overwhelming.
“Soul Cultivator students’ videos accepted?”
“I don’t have enough Eye Armor storage—can I sell just a few hours at a time?”
“Any requirements for video quality?”
Facing wave after wave of questions, Zhang Yu answered a few, then realized it was wasting too much time. He handed it off to Fujie.
Zhang Yu: Fujie, make sure you understand—collect data as authentically and efficiently as possible.
Fujie: Cost?
Zhang Yu: What’s the cost of a junior college student’s daily life?
Zhang Yu: The rice allowance I get every week as an outstanding student could feed them for a whole year.
Fujie: Then save money! You’ve barely earned a few Lingbi—don’t go splurging like this!
Zhang Yu: Come on, they’re all hometown folks. Don’t be too harsh.
Meanwhile, several university students in the Hometown Group chat stirred with interest.
Hehuan University Lian Tianji: What about videos of university students?
Shanhe University Lan Ling: Are upper secondary student videos acceptable?
Zhang Yu: No, only junior college student footage.
With the acquisition details now delegated to Fujie, Zhang Yu returned to the Taiqing Jing, diving back into today’s alchemy simulation practice.
As he poured himself into the training, progress accelerated rapidly. He mentally estimated:
“By late March, I should be ready to begin the Refining of Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen.”
…
Meanwhile, in Ciji Zhenjun’s Laboratory.
Staring at the newly completed Spirit Armor, Ciji Zhenjun frowned. “Why does this design… feel so distinctly junior college?”
“Is my aesthetic sense slipping?”
She resolved to review the latest Spirit Artifact Design Theses later—time to sharpen her artistic taste.
Just then, the lab’s Primary Intelligence Artifact Spirit sent a notification.
“Oh? Zhang Yu signed up for the Design Competition?”
“Hmm… then it’s about time I introduced him to the right people.”
…
In Ye Xingli’s Laboratory.
Zhang Yu sent a new Contract to his three assistants—Zi Wen Zhen and the others.
“The changes are minimal. Mainly added more confidentiality clauses. If everyone agrees, just sign it.”
For the upcoming Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen project, there’d be no need for public review or constant announcements. No need to leave traces everywhere.
Moreover, with each Refining session, Zhang Yu’s alchemy mastery grew stronger, his techniques more refined.
With more Spirit Artifact Diagrams in his possession, the Alchemy Genius’s efficiency boost had become increasingly significant.
So Zhang Yu decided to sign a Confidentiality Contract with his assistants—preventing any leaks from revealing too much of the lab’s inner workings and drawing unwanted attention.
Zi Wen Zhen and the others glanced through the clauses. They nodded—this was nothing new.
After all, Zhang Yu wasn’t their first employer.
And in any lab, confidentiality agreements were standard. After a quick scan, they signed the new contract under Zheng Shen’s witness.
Watching them, Zhang Yu smiled. “Good. Now everyone—focus on learning.”
“I estimate we’ll begin the official Refining of Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen by month’s end.”
Hearing this, Zi Wen Zhen froze. Su Yun Ni gasped. “Start by the end of March? That’s too fast! Can the technical preparations really be done in time?”
Zhang Yu replied calmly: “Don’t worry about that. Your job is simply to master the required knowledge by the end of the month—no delays.”
“Once the Refining is complete, I’ll hand out bonuses.”
Seeing the mix of excitement and pressure on his assistants’ faces, Zhang Yu remained unfazed.
Having spent over a year in the Alchemy Department, and having observed the labs of several Immortals—including Senior Sister Ye Xingli—he’d come to understand: pressure was the norm.
Assistants needed to be pushed, squeezed—only then could their full potential be unlocked without slowing down the project.
The three assistants took a deep breath, said nothing, and simply accepted their fate.
After all, in the lab, balancing intense study with hands-on experimentation was a basic skill for any alchemy aspirant.
Yes, 99% of the work was menial—something any good junior college student could do.
But the remaining 1%—knowing which tasks were the crucial ones, distinguishing the vital from the trivial—required deep Immortal Dao knowledge and technical expertise.
Thus, extensive preparation was unavoidable.
For the sake of Zhang Yu’s promised bonus—and the prestige of contributing to a Military Grade Project—Zi Wen Zhen and the others threw themselves into the task with full force.
Shortly after giving his assistants their vision, Zhang Yu received a message from Ciji Zhenjun.
Ciji Zhenjun: Got time?
Zhang Yu, surprised to receive a message from his master directly, immediately paused his work.
Zhang Yu: Yes.
Ciji Zhenjun: Let me fill you in on the Design Competition.
Ciji Zhenjun: This year’s judges include one from Wanfa, one from Jinguang University, and three from Youming, Tianmo, and Baigu Universities.
Ciji Zhenjun: I’ve already arranged the Wanfa representative—Xianyin God.
Ciji Zhenjun: The other four judges—prepare gifts.
Zhang Yu: Gifts?
Ciji Zhenjun: What else? No Design Competition is ever held without gifts.
Zhang Yu: What kind?
Ciji Zhenjun: Besides Lingbi, what else do you have?
Zhang Yu thought: So direct…
Ciji Zhenjun: I’ll send you their Price List. Once you’ve gathered the Lingbi, let me know.
Zhang Yu glanced at the list. His heart skipped.
“Four Yuan Ying Immortals… total of over 100 Lingbi? Hmph. Not much to them. But to a college student? That’s bleeding money.”
He’d thought his funds were sufficient.
But he hadn’t expected to need such a massive outlay.
Zhang Yu: Can’t you get it cheaper?
Ciji Zhenjun: This is already the lowest price.
Ciji Zhenjun: If you weren’t my student, or a Wanfa disciple, you wouldn’t even get the chance to offer Lingbi.
Ciji Zhenjun: Remember—never go below the amount I sent. Under that, they’ll definitely sabotage you.
Ciji Zhenjun: And don’t exceed it too much—ruin the market dynamics.
Zhang Yu: After I send the Lingbi, will I definitely get the Military License?
Ciji Zhenjun: After sending, you’ll get a fair chance to compete with others who also sent gifts.
(End of Chapter)
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