Chapter 392: Fighting Su Yanyang Again

Chapter 392: A Rematch with Su Yanyang

To master those hundreds of pages of array diagrams in such a short time, Zhang Yu’s first thought was naturally the Taiqing Realm, where he could access a twenty-fold acceleration of his cognitive processes.

"The Magnetic Pole Sovereign must assume I’ll utilize the Spirit Realm’s acceleration services; after all, what student in the Artifact Refining Department doesn't have an accelerator?"

In a blink, Zhang Yu’s consciousness traversed the Spirit Realm, arriving at the dwelling known as the Taiqing Realm.

Upon arrival, he spotted Zhang Pianpian, who was currently engrossed in studying incantations.

She glanced at him, asking, "You contacted me in such a rush—what is it you need?"

Zhang Yu briefly explained how the Magnetic Pole Sovereign had guided him during the competition, tasking him with dismantling Su Yanyang’s array.

With fewer inhibitions in the Taiqing Realm, Zhang Yu spoke plainly: "Sister, I need you to help me prepare the tools to break through the arrays in smart architecture; you’re more familiar with this area."

Zhang Pianpian nodded. "Fine, I’ll go prepare them. You hurry up and study those diagrams."

During this time, Zhang Yu messaged the competition group, asking them to assist in gathering supplies.

Then, before beginning his studies, he purchased a Daoist service for eidetic memory.

Under the twenty-fold cognitive acceleration, Zhang Yu first swiftly memorized the meridian connection files for Su Yanyang’s Dharma Skeleton.

He then split his consciousness into four parts: three strands studied the diagrams for the Two-World Partition Array, the Myriad Ghost Bewilderment Array, and the Thousand Mountain Heavy Peak Array.

The final strand focused on how these three major arrays nested and controlled one another.

"It’s a pity the Spirit Realm’s acceleration cannot stack with the Time-Residual Demon Eyes in reality, or my efficiency would be even higher."

Even so, Zhang Yu’s learning speed far surpassed the ordinary, and just before his rest period ended, he had committed the contents of the diagrams to heart, effectively mastering them.

"It’s fortunate the Magnetic Pole Sovereign highlighted the key points for this practical application; otherwise, learning it like this might not have been enough for actual combat."

...

Outside the arena.

Shi Huaiyu and the others looked at the arriving Zhang Yu and asked urgently, "What happened? Why the sudden request for those items?"

To encourage his classmates, Zhang Yu invoked Director Gao.

"Director Gao specifically sent an expert to guide me, hoping we can perform well in the next round."

"That expert possesses profound cultivation and deep mastery of array arts; they have already instructed me on how to break the formation."

Hearing this, the group was visibly shaken. Especially with Director Gao’s name attached, a newfound confidence took root in their hearts.

Zhang Yu’s status as Director Gao’s registered disciple only added to the credibility of his words.

As Zhang Yu began detailing the specific tactics and methods for breaking the array, the group nodded repeatedly, their confidence growing with every word.

The mere possibility of defeating Su Yanyang and securing a top-seven spot in the departmental competition left Shi Huaiyu, Che Yufei, and the others secretly thrilled.

...

As the second half of the competition officially began.

Teachers within the Spirit Realm space once again observed the various arenas.

Zhang Yu’s homeroom teacher, True Person Jiao Lei, was naturally more curious about Zhang Yu’s situation.

Seeing the six of them charging toward Su Yanyang’s construction site immediately upon the start, Jiao Lei was surprised: "After the defeat in the first half, they still have such fighting spirit?"

The subsequent actions of the six left Jiao Lei even more stunned.

"Are those... baleful pollutants in their hands?" Jiao Lei thought. "They’re dumping them directly into the positions where Su Yanyang intends to set up his arrays?"

A teacher nearby laughed, "Using environmental pollution as a tactic—without cleaning that up, they won't be able to lay the spiritual energy circuits to complete the array."

Lang Yougong praised, "It’s not just simple pollution. They targeted the areas Su Yanyang planned to use before he could even begin, proving they’ve mastered his array diagrams and seized the initiative."

"It seems they didn't waste their rest time."

Then, Lang Yougong watched as Shi Huaiyu and Tian Yang joined forces, combining the Lesser Triad with the Great Wind Dust Palm, sweeping a sky full of baleful-polluted sand toward Su Yanyang’s site.

Tu Lishan nodded. "Baleful pollution combined with dust pollution—Su Yanyang and his team will have to expend significant effort to clear that."

Su Yanyang spread his hands, the Lesser Triad activated under the reinforcement of his Dharma Skeleton, erecting layers of earthen barriers to block the dust. Yet, many areas remained tainted by the baleful particles, requiring manpower to clean.

Wei Huai said coldly, "It only slows their progress. Su Yanyang excels at building large arrays and fighting hard battles. They’ve already laid the foundation in the center; as long as they clean and expand outward step by step, Zhang Yu and his team cannot stop them."

Before the words faded, Su Yanyang was indeed seen controlling the earth, working with his teammates to build bunkers while expanding the array outward.

...

On the competition field.

Su Yanyang looked at the sky full of baleful dust and thought, "Hmph, I suppose they’ve come up with a few tricks."

"As a group of the old, weak, young, and poor, you’ve certainly tried your best."

"But this year... no one will stop me from claiming the Seven Absolutes."

Su Yanyang pressed his palms together, turning the barriers into mud and sand, rolling the polluted sections away while filling in with clean soil, repeating the cycle to purge the contaminants.

Just then, Su Yanyang received a report from the Array Spirit: over a dozen intruders had breached the array, used Sky-Patrolling Flying Swords to break the Two-World Partition Array, and were now under attack by the Myriad Ghost Bewilderment Array.

...

Inside the Spirit Realm space.

Tu Lishan’s eyes brightened slightly: "Taking advantage of the array being hastily set up and incomplete, they actually brought in a pile of ocular skeletons to charge in?"

Watching Zhang Yu and his team use astral energy to remotely control the ocular skeletons as they scattered into the array, Tu Lishan understood this was to induce recognition errors.

Because of the visual and informational distortion caused by the Myriad Ghost Bewilderment Array, the Array Spirit would mistake every pair of these ocular skeletons for an enemy.

These were cheap, discarded, off-brand skeletons that Zhang Yu had instructed Shi Huaiyu to prepare.

Wei Huai’s eyes flashed with indifference. "By intercepting the information, it should be easy to distinguish which ocular skeleton is the real one and which is fake." ...

Inside the arena.

Su Yanyang scanned the messages emitted between the ocular skeletons.

He coldly ordered the Array Spirit, "Don't just give me these messy logs."

"Organize them by call sequence and format before sending them to me."

Under the influence of the Myriad Ghost Bewilderment Array, the messages sent and received by the intruders were distorted, naturally being intercepted by the Array Spirit.

Su Yanyang thought, "They can't be unaware that their messages are being intercepted... what kind of scheme are they hatching now?"

Just as the Array Spirit finished organizing and resent the intercepted call logs, another Array Spirit sent a message: "I have intercepted their operational plan."

Su Yanyang sneered at the sight: "Idiots, this must be a file they intentionally let you intercept. Delete it immediately."

But the next moment, Su Yanyang’s expression changed: "Who clicked on it?!"

...

In the Spirit Realm space.

Tu Lishan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter: "This kid Zhang Yu actually managed to find the Spirit Realm interface of the array and connected the discarded ocular skeletons into it?"

"Is there a Soul Cultivator in there? Did that Soul Cultivator infiltrate the array to help them click on that so-called file?"

The next moment, layers upon layers of advertisements bloomed within the ocular skeletons of Su Yanyang and his team.

Information regarding various financial loans emerged in an endless stream; whenever Su Yanyang and his companions shifted their gaze, new advertisements would instantly materialize.

Director Gao watched this spectacle with a faint smile. "Heh, the Finance Department’s 'shifting gaze' ads? I suppose some fellow skilled in sigil-craft sealed them within, disguising them as documents?"

"It is also because Su Yanyang’s formation setup time was too short, too hurried, that he gave Zhang Yu an opening."

"However... does this lad Zhang Yu know students from the Sigil Department?"

He recalled that among the students sharing the dormitory with Zhang Yu, there appeared to be an outstanding pupil from the Sigil Department who seemed to have a good relationship with him.

"Knowing a few people from the Sigil Department is quite useful; there is always a time when they come in handy."

Watching the scenes unfolding on the screen, Director Gao knew that once such an advertisement was clicked, the spiritual realm’s big data would trigger a cascade of loan recommendations; the more loans one held, the more pervasive the ads became.

At this moment, Su Yanyang and his group were clearly burdened by heavy debts, their entire ocular-skeletal vision swallowed by advertisements, forcing them to hold their gaze steady while closing them one by one.

Even...

In the chat logs of Su Yanyang’s competition group, advertisements began to surface, crossing the boundaries of the spiritual realm, poised to appear before the many teachers watching.

Director Gao mused, "Hmph, the Finance Department’s advertisements... broadcasted far and wide, traversing the spiritual realm; once you catch a glimpse, they cling to you. Truly overbearing."

"Old Lin, with a Finance Department this domineering, do you truly believe you can take advantage of them?"

Director Gao did not block the emergence of the ads; on one hand, he wanted the onlookers to watch for a few more seconds to feel the tyranny of the Finance Department, and on the other, the Magnetic Pole True Monarch had signaled he would handle it himself.

"That fellow Magnetic Pole, why the sudden urge to show off? It has been quite a long time since he last flaunted his artifacts, hasn't it?"

Just as Director Gao pondered this, a phantom of a pagoda emerged above Magnetic Pole True Monarch’s text box, radiating layers of divine light that erased every advertisement in its path into nothingness.

It was not just the ads; the many teachers present felt their Golden Core and Nascent Soul domains temporarily suppressed, and even their spiritual realm projections began to flicker with instability.

Yet, the next moment, as the pagoda phantom dissipated, everything returned to normal.

On the other side, Director Lin watched this scene, his heart skipping a beat. "Magnetic Pole’s Nine Heavens Origin Sun Pagoda? It repels ghosts and gods, remains impervious to all evil, and can dissolve various external information within the spiritual realm, including rendering all manner of advertisements invisible."

"And he is borrowing the spiritual realm to invoke it from afar; is this artifact nearing the 41st level, transforming into a Pure Yang Treasure?"

Director Lin knew that once it became a Pure Yang Treasure, it would be an artifact comparable in certain aspects to those of a Transformation God.

With the appearance of the Nine Heavens Origin Sun Pagoda, the atmosphere within the spiritual realm space shifted, and the teachers looked at Magnetic Pole True Monarch with newfound respect.

Sensing this change in atmosphere, Director Gao thought, "Is this fellow Magnetic Pole showing support for our War Faction? To do this without extra payment—it seems our friendship of several hundred years was not in vain."

Magnetic Pole True Monarch thought to himself, "Old Gao, I hope you see clearly the gap between us now, and do not struggle in vain in the future, only to end up hurting yourself."

Magnetic Pole True Monarch looked at the competition screen, thinking, "This lad Zhang Yu, in such a short time, not only remembered every detail of the formation map but also prepared the means to break it; he has performed even better than I originally anticipated."

...

Meanwhile, inside the arena.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Magnetic Pole True Monarch was right; the best time to break a formation is while it is still being fully deployed."

At the same time, he sent a message: "Old Zhao, have you found it?"

Zhao Tianxing replied, "I am searching in the direction you indicated..."

The soul cultivator Zhang Yu had hired was Zhao Tianxing; through a discarded ocular-skeleton, Zhang Yu had connected him into the formation of Su Yanyang’s smart building, completing the activation of the advertisements.

Next, Zhang Yu followed his memory of the formation map, guiding the other party toward a specific direction to locate the target.

Just then, Zhao Tianxing said, "Found it, I will point the way for you."

An arrow appeared in Zhang Yu’s ocular-skeletal vision.

The next moment, as Zhang Yu’s figure flickered repeatedly, he burst into a temporarily constructed warehouse a moment later.

But the warehouse was empty, save for Su Yanyang, who floated silently in mid-air.

Su Yanyang looked at Zhang Yu and said coldly, "In a place as important as a material storage site, did you really think I would be negligent enough to leave it exposed to you?"

With that, he struck out with his palm, and under the reinforcement of his full skeletal-magical power, a 20th-level Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Seal violently propelled a 20th-level Profound Yellow Great Handprint, the tyrannical Profound Yellow energy instantly engulfing Zhang Yu’s figure.

Amidst the booming explosions, Zhang Yu’s figure grew heavy, and the ground beneath his feet cracked with every step, erupting in a series of thunderous bursts.