https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-567-Semi-Spirit-Armor-Lite-Luxury/13687460/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-569-What-Use-Are-We-Judges-Then-/13687462/
Chapter 568: Ciji Zhenjun Is Too Spoiling This Disciple
Ciji Zhenjun’s gaze repeatedly swept over the Design Diagram Zhang Yu had sent her, yet despite her profound cultivation, vast experience in Alchemy, and years of mastery, she found herself unable to offer any substantial suggestions for improvement. At best, she could only point out minor details—though even those might stem from her unfamiliarity with junior college students or the underlying design philosophy of the market.
Worse still, the moment she looked at the diagram, she felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction. Every ingenious idea resonated perfectly with her inner sense of aesthetics.
"At the technical level, these boots have already achieved the peak of balance between performance and cost within the Qi Refining Realm," she mused. "No design with better performance could possibly be cheaper. And no cheaper design could surpass its performance."
"If I were crafting a similar Spirit Artifact," she added, "I’d likely design it this way."
A flicker of doubt stirred in her mind. "Could this really be Zhang Yu’s work? Did he hire someone?"
But as she studied the diagram again, she realized that achieving such a level of craftsmanship wouldn’t be possible with just any hired hand.
So she reached out to Zhang Yu, inquiring about his design philosophy and discussing the finer points in detail.
Then, as Zhang Yu explained his thought process while simultaneously sending over additional Design Diagrams, Ciji Zhenjun’s eyes widened.
She stared at the collection of sketches—wild, imaginative, yet unified by a consistent, evolving style. She could trace the thread of growth: the more Zhang Yu learned about junior college students, the more refined his grasp of specialized needs became, and the more mature his design language grew.
"Could Zhang Yu really be an Alchemy prodigy?" she wondered. "If he keeps progressing like this, winning a few more awards, having his copyrights acquired by major companies... in just a few years, he might become a leading expert in junior college Alchemy."
Her expression grew complex. “I never expected the student I once sponsored with my own funds would turn out to be the most talented Alchemy mind I’ve encountered in years.”
“Good. In two years, I’ll let Zhang Yu graduate early, preserve his graduate status, and get him licensed as a Jin Dan cultivator as soon as possible. Then he can come to my lab and start generating real returns.”
…
Back in Zhang Yu’s room, the praise from Ciji Zhenjun had boosted his confidence immensely.
But she quickly added a caution:
“You’ve done an excellent job with the design. But… it’s too good. The old judges at the Design Competition might suspect you hired someone to do it. Or worse—they might think I helped you.”
Zhang Yu froze. “Teacher, what should I do?”
Ciji Zhenjun waved a hand. “It’s not a big issue. Your work will definitely make it into the Top Ten of the Hundred Schools. You’ll be invited to the live award ceremony.”
“During the event, they’ll test each finalist’s design ability to determine the final rankings.”
“Just prepare well. Aim for a top three finish.”
Zhang Yu exhaled in relief. The Design Competition now felt secure.
With that settled, he uploaded his Design Diagram as the official entry and turned his full attention back to refining the Taihao Shenglü Flying Sword.
…
Time passed swiftly—soon it was early May.
Inside the lab, the 20th-level Taihao Shenglü Flying Sword flashed through the air, slicing cleanly through a block of Secret Steel with a crisp crack. The steel split perfectly in two.
While the blade’s cutting power was merely basic, the true breakthrough was the emergence of the Tai Hao Moral Sword Intention—now possessing military-grade power.
Yet, alone, the Sword Intention wasn’t enough to make Zhang Yu choose this artifact as his ultimate weapon.
Only when all twelve Taihao Shenglü Flying Swords were completed and arranged into a Sword Array, forming the Tai Hao Small Ling Realm, would the true power of this military-grade Spirit Artifact be revealed.
For now, Zhang Yu was simply testing the 20th-level sword’s performance and verifying the effectiveness of the Sword Intention.
As the tests continued, he began to understand the nature of the intention he’d cultivated.
“Theoretically, morality is a human construct, inevitably shaped by society. As individuals, we absorb subtle influences from the collective, internalizing society’s moral standards.”
“But even though I’ve been influenced by Kunxu, I still originate from Earth. I’ve lived longer in Earth’s world.”
“Perhaps in the future, I’ll undergo a complete transformation.”
He wasn’t certain. But right now, he knew one thing: behind him stood Earth’s 8 billion people. His mind still carried the moral compass of Earth.
In Zhang Yu’s heart, there were no truly good people in Kunxu—especially the higher up they rose.
And the Tai Hao Moral Sword Intention he’d cultivated… revealed something startling during testing: it was far more powerful when used against people than against objects.
He mused: “Could this be a special attack against Kunxu individuals? The higher their level, the stronger the Sword Intention becomes?”
Each thought sent a deep, rumbling roar through his mind—like the Four-Headed White Ox awakening, calling out from within.
Shaking his head, Zhang Yu ended the testing session and turned to Zhang Pianpian and Su Yun Ni by the side.
“Still not done?”
The completion of the 20th-level Taihao Shenglü Flying Sword was already within his grasp. His mastery of the Design Diagrams had reached the 20th level as well.
All he needed now was to refine eleven more 20th-level swords to complete the Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen.
But as his own skills soared, his assistant’s progress lagged—becoming a bottleneck in the project.
“Looks like I’ll need to bring in someone with more experience,” Zhang Yu decided.
Time was critical. If he could accelerate progress, he wasn’t averse to spending more Lingbi.
As for potential recruits, Zhang Yu had already narrowed down several targets, using intelligence gathered from Feng Tingting and Ye Xingli.
He opened his friend list and sent greetings to each of the candidates, waiting for replies.
Then, a new video notification popped up—another junior college student’s upload.
Zhang Yu sighed. “Didn’t I say I’d stop accepting videos?”
But the title screamed “URGENT”, and with no response yet from his targeted candidates, he clicked to watch.
The video was recorded by Shui Haiyu from Shanhai Vocational University. Zhang Yu remembered him—someone who’d left a mutual cultivation society after suspecting it secretly promoted the idea of two-day weekends.
In the video, Shui Haiyu repeatedly urged his classmates to quit the group. When they refused, he blocked their leave requests, pressured them to attend classes and work.
He soon uncovered the society’s true nature—its members using alcohol, drugs, and deception to manipulate others into taking weekends off.
In one scene, Shui Haiyu stood before a mirror, voice hollow:
“They’ve been following me. My reports mean nothing. They’ve already bought off the school leadership. They’ll come for me next. Force me into a weekend.”
“I’ll keep gathering evidence. If anyone receives it later, please report it to Zheng Shen…”
The video ended.
Zhang Yu stared at the screen, lost in thought—when another message arrived.
It was Liu Xiangqiao, a seventh-year student in the Alchemy Department.
Liu Xiangqiao: “What’s up? Little brother?”
Zhang Yu: “I’m refining the Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen. Would you be interested in joining?”
Liu Xiangqiao: “No thanks. I’m happy where I am. No plans to switch.”
Zhang Yu: “Is Wu Feng really all you need?”
Zhang Yu was targeting Liu Xiangqiao—the assistant in Bei Wu Feng’s lab. The second-best Flying Sword refiner in the Alchemy Department, Bei Wu Feng had already completed the Tai Hao Sheng Lu Jian Zhen and multiple iterations of the Sword Array. As a key assistant, Liu Xiangqiao had deep, hands-on experience—exactly what Zhang Yu needed.
Zhang Yu: “Spending your days doing menial tasks… doesn’t that feel empty?”
Zhang Yu: “Come to me. I’ll pay 1.2 times your current salary.”
Zhang Yu: “You’ll manage all the assistants.”
Zhang Yu: “You’ll get an experience you’ll never find under Wu Feng.”
Liu Xiangqiao read the message, her heart stirred.
She had wanted more. Bei Wu Feng’s lab had existed for years, with many assistants already earning independent projects and moving on. But she remained stuck in menial work—something she’d longed to escape.
A transfer to another lab, promotion to management—this was her dream.
But Zhang Yu was too young. Too low in rank. No independent lab. No funding.
Even if Zhang Yu was a genius—especially with Ciji Zhenjun as his master—she couldn’t afford to wait. She was in her seventh year. Graduation was near. She couldn’t afford to gamble on a risky move.
In her eyes, Zhang Yu wasn’t a viable boss.
On the other hand, after this year’s Top Ten League, Bei Wu Feng’s fame would skyrocket. His lab would grow even larger.
And as for salary? It wasn’t the main concern. If Yan Qianji came to recruit her, she’d accept even a pay cut.
Zhang Yu received another rejection.
He sighed, defeated.
…
Meanwhile, as Zhang Yu scoured for talent to speed up his project, the Design Competition judges were already beginning to organize the finalists’ submissions.
Of course, Yuan Ying Immortal was far too busy to review every diagram personally. Instead, staff would screen the entries first, then forward the best ones to the judges.
Now, before Tianzhi God, a stream of contestant designs floated into view.
He was silently reviewing them when a message popped up in his Eye Armor.
Tianzhi God: Xianyin, take a look at Zhang Yu’s Design Diagram. [Stealthy Smile]
Xianyin God: “Zhang Yu?”
His eyes flickered. He opened the file—then immediately shook his head, sighing.
Ciji… you really are spoiling this disciple. Did you personally do all the work?
(End of Chapter)
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