Zhang Yu perked up at Xiao Qingxuan’s words. “The intensity of the university war has gone up again?”
Xiao Qingxuan nodded. “At first, it was just a few vocational schools duking it out.”
“Then slowly, universities among the 72 Lower Academies started joining the fray.”
“And recently, even professors from the 36 Upper Academies were found entangled in the battlefield, with students dying in the crossfire.”
Zhang Yu raised a brow. “Senior Xiao, do you think the Ten Great Academies will get involved too?”
Xiao Qingxuan shook his head.
“You don’t think so?”
Zhang Yu was surprised. For soone as militant as Xiao Qingxuan, he hadn’t expected this.
“I don’t know,” Xiao Qingxuan replied.
“Whether the Ten Great Academies enter the war isn’t up to schools like ours.”
“As long as the Nascent Soul cultivators—those God-Lords—insist on peace, it won’t matter how ssy it gets below. Even if the second, third, and fourth floors are scorched earth, the Ten Academies won’t move.”
“But what those God-Lords are really thinking—who can say?”
“And I doubt they all think alike.”
“Even here at Wanfa University, among our three presidents, so probably want war, others want peace.”
“Why else do you think our Civil Engineering Departnt is split into two factions?”
“At the end of the day, each departnt’s stance is just an extension of the presidents’ will. The choices of students and teachers are nothing but collateral—swept along by the power and interests of the God-Lords…”
Zhang Yu nodded as he listened.
After spending this long at Wanfa University, he had co to understand that its three Nascent Soul cultivators served as president and vice-presidents.
Of course, there were more than just two vice-presidents. In addition to the two Nascent Soul cultivators, five other vice-presidents were Gold Core cultivators, each in charge of their own field.
Zhang Yu asked, “So I know the Artifact Refinent Departnt belongs to the pro-war Refinent Engineering College, and the Finance Departnt is part of the pro-peace Economics and Managent College. What about the Dao Techniques Departnt?”
He had discussed this with Zhang Pianpian before, but he was curious how much Xiao Qingxuan knew.
Xiao Qingxuan replied flatly, “The Finance and Artifact Refinent Departnts are two of our university’s three ace departnts. Naturally, their stances dominate their respective colleges.”
“But the Dao Techniques College is different. Aside from the ace Dao Techniques Departnt, it also houses the Sigil Departnt.”
“If we’re talking just the Dao Techniques Departnt, they’re major players in the production, transport, and sale of mana. For them, a controlled level of regional conflict drives up mana prices—but a full-blown war? Too risky, too chaotic.”
“As for the Sigil Departnt, while not one of the school’s flagship departnts, they represent the Righteous Gods and their stance. That alone can sway decisions at the college level.”
“And the Righteous Gods… they’ve always kept their distance from university wars. No one really knows what they’re thinking…”
As the two walked and talked, Zhang Yu realized that although Xiao Qingxuan was neck-deep in debt, he had a sharp read on the school’s inner politics. Their conversation left Zhang Yu with a clearer sense of the landscape.
That was when he noticed a statue on its knees inside the factory. “What’s this? Why is there a statue in a factory?”
Xiao Qingxuan’s expression tightened. A flicker of distaste crossed his eyes.
After a pause, he explained, “Operating the factory machinery is monotonous work. After too long, the workers suffer ntal fatigue, emotional burnout, even chanical dissociation.”
“Eventually, so started committing suicide.”
“But as you know, factory operators are basically fused to the assembly line—each one is a cog in the machine. When one dies, the whole line grinds to a halt. That sses with production efficiency.”
“To fix that, the factory started lacing their drinking water with Happy Elixir. It reduces stress, dulls the mind, and keeps them working ‘cheerfully.’”
“They also upgraded the body-mod surgeries to make operators modular and more replaceable.”
“And beyond hardware improvents, they erected Sha Statues for workers who committed suicide—propaganda pieces promoting the modern factory spirit: ‘suicide is shaful.’ They also spotlight model workers to boost morale and instill factory pride…”
As Xiao Qingxuan spoke, a projection from the Spiritual Realm shimred to life nearby. A figure in company uniform was making rounds between the operators’ Law Husks, inspecting the product line.
Noticing Zhang Yu’s stare, Xiao Qingxuan said, “That’s a Soul Cultivator staff mber.”
“Workers who drop dead from overti on the line don’t get death benefits—they just get turned into Soul Cultivators and keep working for the company.”
“You’re from the Ten Academies, so you might not get it, but for so vocational students, this is a guaranteed job after death.”
Zhang Yu glanced at the operators building components on the line. Many looked toward the projection of the Soul Cultivator with reverence.
Of course, most vocational students were sneaking glances at Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan. These two students from Wanfa University stood out like sunlamps in a slum.
This batch of factory workers all ca from the sa vocational school. While sizing up Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan, they gossiped about them in their group chat.
“Wanfa students really look rich.”
“Rich? That one’s ten thousand spirit coins in debt!”
“Damn, how many vocational students would you have to kill to rack up ten thousand coins? Might have to off a few instructors, too.”
“No joke. One guy’s debt is bigger than all of ours combined.”
After completing their survey of the factory building, Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan headed to a nearby construction site to excavate the underground level and lay the foundation.
With a single palm strike, Zhang Yu unleashed the Desolate Earth Mountain-Moving Force. A visible shockwave tore through the stone, shattering whole swathes of bedrock.
At the sa ti, Formless Golems surged from behind him, sweeping the site, hauling materials, and clearing debris…
Once the rocks were crushed and carted away, Zhang Yu followed up with palm after palm of the Sky-Flipping Seal, slamming down Martial Qi to level the ground.
In no ti, the whole site looked properly prepped. Xiao Qingxuan nodded. “Director Gao was right. With Zhang Yu on site, one man is enough.”
Monts later, he said, “Aside from construction work, Director Gao also got you a trial drug assignnt. I’ll take you over.”
…
Inside the office building.
Zhang Yu eyed the rows of students from the 72 Lower Academies lining the hallway. “They’re all here for drug trials?”
Xiao Qingxuan nodded. “Vocational kids are too fragile. So drugs need real university students to test their full effects.”
Zhang Yu understood. Here on the second floor, most vocational students weren’t even eligible to trial experintal drugs.
But as a Wanfa University student, he qualified for the elite stuff.
As he headed toward the lab, all the students from the 72 Lower Academies looked on with envy.
“A Foundation Establishnt student from Wanfa University? Even he’s here to trial?”
“His trial drug’s probably so potent it could poison us just by crapping it out.”
“Watch your mouth! A Wanfa genius would never take a dump!”
Inside the lab, Le Mulan was already waiting.
Seeing Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan, she smiled. “Zhang Yu, our instructor asked to coordinate your drug trial.”
Xiao Qingxuan turned to Zhang Yu. “I’ll wait outside. Holler if anything goes wrong.”
He rembered Director Gao’s orders:
“Old Gao really favors Zhang Yu. Wants to be on standby in case he needs treatnt after taking heavy experintal doses—says it’ll boost his cultivation speed.”
Once Xiao Qingxuan left, Le Mulan stepped closer, pulling out a thick syringe. “This round’s trial drug speeds up tabolism and improves your body refinent, but it also causes hyperactivity, blood congestion, and disruptions in mana flow…”
As she spoke, she smoothly injected the serum into Zhang Yu.
He had already relaxed his muscles, skin, and mana defenses. At the sa ti, Le Mulan’s needle technique was flawless—she drove the shot ho with practiced ease.
Zhang Yu thought, Le Mulan’s been jabbing people since high school. She’s way better at this than . Probably even better than students in the Security Departnt.
That was right. When comparing injection skills, Zhang Yu asured them against Security students—the self-proclaid top jabbers on campus, better than the d students.
As she worked, Le Mulan was also thinking about her assignnt.
“With the university war escalating, the departnt wants to develop a few new drugs.”
“This Zhang Yu from Civil Engineering is interesting. I checked his records from the Biology Departnt. I want to see if I can refine a drug using his bloodline expression and Qi-blood markers.”
“Le Jingchen says he won’t sell his fertility rights? Not even seeds anymore?”
“Ask again. I’m willing to pay top price.”
But when Le Mulan asked, Zhang Yu shut it down imdiately. Whether it was Fu Ji’s warning or his own judgnt, he had zero interest in selling fertility rights.
He wasn’t even selling seeds anymore.
He waved her off. “Since I committed to the Immortal Path and swore off lust, I haven’t ‘shipped out’ in ages.”
“Feels good, actually. Don’t think I’ll ever go back to that business.”
Yet as Zhang Yu walked away, Le Mulan couldn’t help recalling her instructor’s tone when discussing him. She had a nagging sense the professor wasn’t done yet—and wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
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