Chapter 407: Myriad Methods Transforming into God, Cultivation Drug Trial

Chapter 407: The Myriad Laws Deify, Cultivating and Testing Potions

Hearing Xiao Qingxuan’s words, Zhang Yu asked with curiosity, "Has the intensity of the university war escalated again?"

Xiao Qingxuan nodded. "At first, it was just a few vocational colleges clashing."

"Later, universities from the 72 Lower Schools gradually began to participate."

"Recently, even teachers from the 36 Upper Schools have been found embroiled in the battlefield, and students have been caught in the crossfire and killed."

Zhang Yu asked, "Senior Xiao, do you think the Top Ten will intervene?"

Xiao Qingxuan shook his head at the question.

Zhang Yu was surprised. "You don't think so?"

He had not expected Xiao Qingxuan, a member of the war faction, to believe the top ten universities would remain on the sidelines.

Xiao Qingxuan explained, "I don't know."

"Whether the Top Ten will enter the fray is not something the lower-tier schools can decide."

"As long as the various Deified Lords are determined to keep the peace, then no matter how the lower levels fight—even if they turn the second, third, and fourth layers into scorched earth—the Top Ten will not participate."

"But what are the Deified Lords actually thinking? Who can say?"

"Besides, the thoughts among the Deified Lords are likely not unified."

"For instance, among our three principals at Myriad Laws, some likely want war, while others want peace."

"Otherwise, why would our Civil Engineering Department be split into two factions?"

"The stance of each department is, in the end, merely an extension of the three principals' wills, and the choices made by students and teachers are nothing more than being held hostage by the interests of the Lords..."

Listening to Xiao Qingxuan’s account, Zhang Yu nodded repeatedly.

Having been at Myriad Laws University for so long, he knew that the three Deified Lords of the university currently served as the principal and vice-principals.

Of course, there were more than two vice-principals; besides the two Deified Lords, five Nascent Soul True Lords also held the position, each overseeing different domains.

Zhang Yu then asked, "As for the departments, I know the School of Weaponry Engineering, where the Artifact Refining Department resides, is pro-war, and the School of Economics and Management, home to the Finance Department, is pro-peace. What about the School of Daoist Arts, where the Daoist Arts Department is?"

Although he had asked Zhang Pianpian similar questions, he was curious about Xiao Qingxuan’s perspective.

Xiao Qingxuan replied calmly, "Finance and Artifact Refining, as two of the three ace departments, contain most of the essence of their respective schools and dictate their stances."

"But the School of Daoist Arts is quite special. Below the ace Daoist Arts Department, there is also the Talisman Department."

"Regarding the Daoist Arts Department alone, they are major producers, transporters, and sellers of mana. For the university war, their preference is likely limited regional tension to drive up mana prices, while avoiding total war that would lead to uncontrollable losses."

"As for the Talisman Department, while not an ace department of Myriad Laws, it represents the power and stance of the True Gods, which can equally sway the School of Daoist Arts' decisions."

"But the True Gods have always been bystanders regarding the university war; it is hard to say what their true thoughts are..."

As they walked and talked, Zhang Yu found that although this senior was a "ten-thousand-debtor," he possessed a profound understanding of the school's internal situation and leadership. The conversation gave Zhang Yu a fresh perspective on the current state of affairs.

Just then, Zhang Yu noticed a statue kneeling on the ground and asked curiously, "What is this? Why is there a statue in a factory?"

Xiao Qingxuan frowned, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes as he looked at the statue.

After a moment of contemplation, he explained, "The work of a factory operator is monotonous. Prolonged labor leads to a surge in psychological stress, mental exhaustion, and mechanical alienation."

"Consequently, operators began to commit suicide."

"But you know, operators are on the assembly line 24 hours a day; each has become a part of the line, tightly integrated with the entire production process."

"Thus, an operator's suicide often causes the line to stall, affecting the factory's efficiency."

"To solve this, the factory added 'Happy Potion' to the operators' drinking water to lower stress, dull their minds, and make them work more happily."

"They also improved the modification surgeries for operators, enhancing replaceability and modularizing the workforce..."

"Beyond hardware improvements, they erected 'Shame of Suicide' statues to promote the modern worker's spirit that views suicide as a disgrace, and they select model workers to boost the factory's sense of honor..."

As Xiao Qingxuan was explaining, a figure appeared in the spirit-realm projection nearby, wearing factory overalls and moving among the operators' mana-remains to conduct quality inspections.

Seeing Zhang Yu looking at the projection, Xiao Qingxuan said, "That is a soul-cultivator employee."

"Workers who die from overwork on the assembly line don't just avoid compensation claims; they can become soul-cultivators and continue working for the factory."

"As a student of the Top Ten, you might not understand, but to some vocational students, this is a good deal that guarantees employment."

Zhang Yu looked at the operators assembling parts on the line and noticed that many of them looked at the soul-cultivator’s projection with genuine longing.

Of course, more vocational students were secretly glancing at Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan; to them, these two students from Myriad Laws University were far too dazzling. The batch of vocational students on the line happened to be from the same school, and while observing the pair, they chattered about them in a group chat.

Someone posted: The students from Myriad Laws look so rich.

Someone said: Do you even have to look? That’s a powerhouse who owes 10,000 spirit coins!

Someone agreed: Even if you killed vocational students every day, it would take forever to owe 10,000 coins! You'd probably have to kill a few teachers along the way, too.

Someone said: As expected of a Myriad Laws student; one person's debt is more than all of ours combined.

After Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan finished touring the factory, he completed the data measurements and records for the entire building.

Then, Zhang Yu followed Xiao Qingxuan to a nearby construction site to begin excavating the underground space and laying the foundation.

Zhang Yu struck out with his palm, triggering the Great Wilderness Mountain-Moving Force. A visible ripple surged forth, shattering vast layers of rock.

At the same time, streams of Formless Warriors emerged from behind him, beginning to clear the site, transport materials, and remove debris...

After the rock was pulverized and cleared, Zhang Yu employed the Heaven-Turning Seal martial art, pressing down palm after palm, wrapped in surging energy to level the ground.

Watching the site take shape in the blink of an eye, Xiao Qingxuan nodded to himself, thinking, "Director Gao was right; Zhang Yu alone is enough for this site."

A moment later, he looked at Zhang Yu and said, "Besides the construction work here, Director Gao has found you a job testing potions. I'll take you there in a while."

...

Inside the office building.

Zhang Yu looked at the students from the 72 Lower Schools in the hallway and asked curiously, "Are they all here to test potions?"

Xiao Qingxuan nodded. "The bodies of vocational students are too fragile; some potions require true university students to reveal their effects."

Zhang Yu understood that vocational students on this second layer often didn't even qualify to test the drugs.

As a student of Myriad Laws, the threshold for the work he could participate in was naturally much higher.

Seeing Zhang Yu walk directly toward the laboratory, the surrounding students from the 72 Lower Schools all revealed expressions of envy.

"A Foundation Establishment student from Myriad Laws? Are they here to test potions too?"

"The potions they test must be incredibly fierce; I bet their excrement could poison us to death."

"What nonsense are you spouting! How could an elite student from Myriad Laws possibly defecate?"

As Zhang Yu entered the lab, he saw Le Mulan waiting there.

Seeing Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan, Le Mulan smiled and said, "Zhang Yu, the mentor asked me to coordinate the potion testing work with you."

Xiao Qingxuan looked at Zhang Yu and said, "I'll wait outside. Call me if you have any problems."

Xiao Qingxuan recalled Director Gao's instructions.

"Old Gao really values this Zhang Yu, wanting me to provide him with treatment at any time so he can consume large quantities of experimental drugs and further increase his cultivation efficiency."

After Xiao Qingxuan left, Le Mulan came to Zhang Yu's side, pulled out a thick syringe, and said, "This experimental drug can accelerate your metabolism and improve your body-refining efficiency, but it will also cause excessive mental agitation, physical congestion, and issues with mana circulation..."

As she offered the introduction, Le Mulan had already deftly injected the medication into Zhang Yu’s body.

On one hand, Zhang Yu had consciously relaxed his defenses of muscle, skin, and mana; on the other, Le Mulan channeled her strength precisely through the needle’s tip, revealing a mastery of the craft that was nothing short of exquisite.

Zhang Yu mused that Le Mulan had been practicing injections since high school, and her technique was far superior to his own—perhaps even rivaling the students of the Security Department.

Indeed, the benchmark Zhang Yu used for such skill was the Security Department, for those fellows boasted the highest daily injection count in the entire academy, making them more proficient than even the medical students.

As Le Mulan administered the dose, her mind wandered to the task her mentor had entrusted to her.

"To prepare for the escalating intensity of the University Wars, the department has decided to develop several new types of drugs."

"This Zhang Yu from the Civil Engineering Department is quite intriguing. I have reviewed his files and data from the Biology Department, and I wish to see... if it is possible to synthesize medicine using his blood-qi factors and genetic expression."

"Le Jingchen says he refuses to sell the breeding rights, is that so? Not even the seeds anymore?"

"Ask him once more for me; I am prepared to offer a handsome price."

Faced with Le Mulan’s inquiry, Zhang Yu offered an immediate refusal; whether guided by Fu Ji’s warnings or his own intuition, he had no interest in parting with his breeding rights.

He had even ceased the sale of his seeds entirely.

With a wave of his hand, he remarked, "Ever since I dedicated myself to the path of immortality and swore off carnal desires, I have long since ceased production."

"I feel quite content as I am, and I do not foresee myself returning to that trade in the future."

Yet, as she watched Zhang Yu’s retreating figure, Le Mulan recalled the expression on her mentor’s face when he spoke of him, and she could not shake the feeling that he had withheld the full truth—and that he was not a man who would give up so easily.

(End of chapter)