Chapter 413: Grand Transaction

Chapter 413: The Grand Transaction

To say Zhang Yu was not tempted by the 30 spirit coins offered by Yin Jiurao would be a complete lie.

Yet, he could not bring himself to sell with total peace of mind.

"The Divine Spiritual Root is a matter of great consequence; it would be disastrous if something went wrong."

Thus, the first person Zhang Yu thought of was Bai Zhenzhen.

That night, during their routine call, Zhang Yu asked as if in passing, "Ah Zhen, if you hadn't exposed your Divine Spiritual Root back then, do you think it would have been revealed after you arrived on the second level?"

Bai Zhenzhen replied casually, "I don't think so..."

Through this deliberate probing, Zhang Yu reaffirmed the formidable concealment capabilities of the Divine Spiritual Root; ordinary physical examinations could not detect its presence.

However, the physical enhancements brought by the root were tangible, meaning the various bodily changes resulting from it could not be entirely hidden.

Listening to Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu gradually felt more at ease.

The next day, he dragged Le Mulan along to rent a laboratory, intending to personally analyze his own biological samples to see if there were any peculiarities.

Naturally, this was done while Zhang Yu had his Azure Lotus Sword Embryo switched to the Three-Eye Divine Ability.

...

Inside the laboratory.

As Le Mulan channeled her mana, the mirror suspended in mid-air displayed Zhang Yu's samples magnified countless times.

Zhang Yu asked with some embarrassment, "How is it?"

Le Mulan tilted her head and said, "It seems... a bit different from before."

She picked up a measuring cup, swirled it, and remarked, "This is the first time I've worked with something so fresh. It feels so active, and the temperature remains quite high. Does this have anything to do with your technique?"

Zhang Yu snapped, "I didn't bring you here to play!"

Le Mulan turned to look at him. "I'm not playing. What's fun about this?"

Zhang Yu looked away. "Anyway... using the methods you've learned, have you found any results?"

Le Mulan continued her inspection, pursing her lips. "The quality has improved; the strength and vitality of the samples are all higher than before..."

Watching her repeated tests, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "As expected, the properties of the Divine Spiritual Root do not manifest in my physical samples."

"But my body, having been thoroughly tempered by the root, is indeed different from the past."

Zhang Yu then asked, "Your mentor's methods must be far more sophisticated than yours. She could probably discover much more, right?"

Le Mulan nodded. "Professor Yin is an expert in self-produced pharmaceutical technology. Her own body is essentially a complete pharmaceutical factory and laboratory."

"Even without this equipment, she could analyze your samples just by absorbing them into her body, producing a report of over two hundred pages. In this regard, she is far superior to me, but..."

Although the immortal techniques Yin Jiurao possessed far exceeded Le Mulan's, to Le Mulan, Zhang Yu's samples showed no fundamental changes. Even if Professor Yin could extract more data, Le Mulan did not believe there would be any extraordinary conclusions.

"What she likely wants more is the breeding rights."

Le Mulan turned to Zhang Yu. "She might secretly breed your descendants in hopes of obtaining more research results. Are you sure you won't sell the breeding rights?"

...

Faced with the possibility Le Mulan raised, Zhang Yu knew it would be difficult to negotiate with Yin Jiurao on his own; he needed someone of sufficient weight to endorse this transaction.

So, Zhang Yu sought out Director Gao.

Upon hearing what Zhang Yu had to say, Director Gao’s eyes flickered. "30 spirit coins?"

"Does she only want yours?"

Director Gao wondered if the professors in the Pharmacology Department had such needs, he could organize the students of the Civil Engineering Department to sell in bulk.

This kind of research work was far more lucrative and legitimate than laboring on construction sites.

Zhang Yu shook his head. "She only wants mine."

Director Gao nodded slightly, thinking perhaps Zhang Yu's performance had caught her eye.

However, Director Gao had previously consulted a friend in the Breeding Department at Tianyao University and knew that Zhang Yu's special constitution could not be studied simply through physical or bloodline expression.

"Yin Jiurao will surely regret paying such a high price after she studies it."

Looking at Zhang Yu, Director Gao felt proud that his disciple possessed the skill to sell trash for a sky-high price.

"You did well. Keep this sales ability in mind; apply it well when you enter the civil engineering industry later."

As for the breeding rights, Director Gao saw no need to sell them.

After all, Zhang Yu was no longer an ordinary student. In Gao's eyes, he had great potential; there was no need to leave bloodlines on the second level, lest it create vulnerabilities that would hinder his cultivation.

"I will negotiate the contract with her for you."

...

Yin Jiurao looked at Director Gao, frowning. "A contract witnessed by a True God?"

Director Gao replied, "Professor Yin, let's be frank. Zhang Yu is a student with great potential in our Civil Engineering Department. I do not wish for him to leave behind descendants prematurely and become entangled in unnecessary karma."

After some negotiation, Yin Jiurao finally agreed to sign the contract, though the price dropped from 30 spirit coins to 25, and she insisted on collecting the samples herself.

She said coldly, "I don't trust him to do it himself; I will collect them." To Director Gao, this was naturally fine. After all, she had paid 25 spirit coins; collecting them herself was like picking fruit one had already purchased... perfectly reasonable.

However, he added, "I will supervise the entire process to ensure you do not over-harvest Zhang Yu's biological materials."

Thus, under Director Gao's watchful eye, Yin Jiurao grabbed hold of Zhang Yu...

Throughout the process, Zhang Yu felt like a piece of meat on a chopping block, being harvested for samples from various parts of his body by Yin Jiurao under the director's supervision.

Blood, saliva, urine, skin tissue, hair, seeds...

After each sample was collected and verified by Director Gao, Yin Jiurao would pay a sum of spirit coins, transferring them directly into Zhang Yu's account.

In that moment, Zhang Yu felt with startling clarity the price at which his own body was being bought and sold.

Yet, when it was all over, and his bank balance surged past 55 spirit coins, the strange feeling vanished, replaced by immense joy and delight.

He was already looking forward to the future, where he would burn through this money on artifact refining, pushing his skills to new heights.

On the way back, Director Gao said, "In the future, whenever you encounter such things, remember to sign a contract witnessed by a True God, just like today."

"Otherwise, if the profit is large enough, the other party will inevitably take risks."

"How are the projects at the construction site going? Once the pharmaceutical factory business is done, I plan to assign you to another project. I'll send you the materials later; remember to prepare in advance..."

"Alright, you can go back to the site and get to work."

After parting ways with Zhang Yu, Director Gao hummed a tune, unable to resist sending another message to True Monarch Magnetic Pole.

Director Gao: Zhang Yu's samples sold for 25 spirit coins.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Your disciple is truly impressive.

Director Gao smiled slightly.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: [Artifact Refining Screenshot]

The screenshot showed a person refining Azure Sand, though only a blurred half-profile was visible, making it impossible to see their true appearance.

Judging by the camera angle, it appeared to have been taken from the other side of the laboratory, behind the person.

Director Gao: "And this is?"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "Didn't I tell you I took in a student through the back door?"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "He recently started artifact crafting as well, so I had some of the other students guide him along."

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "Though his progress isn't swift, he does possess a modicum of talent."

Director Gao: "Then it seems he is still worth educating."

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "Indeed, I plan on giving him a few more opportunities."

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "If he manages to forge any usable magical treasures in the future, I'll let you try them out too."

Director Gao: "It's a deal."

Not long after Zhang Yu and Director Gao departed.

Yin Jiurao picked up the measuring cup...

With a swallow down her throat, she licked her lips, and as the spiritual energy within her circulated, a vast torrent of data from Zhang Yu's blood surfaced before her ocular skeleton.

In the next instant, her pupils suddenly dilated.

"This is..."

After a long silence, Yin Jiurao let out a faint smile: "Heh, it seems this year's thesis won't be a problem after all."

...

Zhang Yu walked all the way back to the pharmaceutical factory, heading toward the production line workshop to take data measurements.

With the expansion of the basic operators' production line complete, he was next tasked with overseeing the construction of the pharmaceutical line's workshop.

Upon catching sight of Zhang Yu's appearance, a slight commotion stirred among the originally numb and bored workers on the line, every gaze shifting toward him.

"Is that a Foundation Establishment student from the University of Myriad Laws?"

"A Foundation Establishment student from the Top Ten universities, I wonder how much money he makes working here."

"At least 0.1 spirit coins a day, I reckon."

"Doesn't that mean he can inject himself with needles whenever he wants? He won't even have to worry about data usage when watching videos anymore."

"Sigh, it really shows that studying hard and getting into the Top Ten is the only way to make something of yourself."

On the other side, after measuring and recording the data, Zhang Yu arrived at the targeted construction site, his entire form trembling as a billowing Astral Qi surged and shot out in all directions.

Accompanied by the Azure Cloud-Gathering Pocket soaring into the sky, columns of Formless Musclemen, carrying the Azure Sand, had already begun their labor.

As the artifact spirit Zhao Tianxing operated the Level 3 Azure Cloud-Gathering Pocket, he could feel that the volume of Azure Sand it swallowed and exhaled had increased substantially, the ease of handling it had grown considerably, and the enhancement provided to the Formless Musclemen had risen to another level.

Zhang Yu watched this scene with satisfaction, thinking to himself: 'With the empowerment of a magical treasure, my work efficiency during this period has indeed seen a massive boost.'

Zhang Yu had calculated that over the past half-month or so, relying on his work at the pharmaceutical factory site, he had raked in an income of just over 5 spirit coins.

'Earn money at the construction site to upgrade my artifact-crafting skills.'

'Refine magical treasures to, in turn, upgrade the efficiency of earning money at the site.'

Zhang Yu mused inwardly: 'This truly is the perfect way for a poor person like me to study artifact crafting.'

Zhang Yu understood that at least until he achieved success in artifact crafting and could make money by selling magical treasures, his income from the construction site remained incredibly vital to him.

In the next moment, the Formless Cloud Astral Qi, resembling a sky full of mist, completely enveloped Zhang Yu's body as he commenced his cultivation of the ninth technique of the Martial Sacred Body.

He thought to himself: 'Once all ten techniques of the Martial Sacred Body reach Level 20, I won't need to continue cultivating on the construction site anymore.'

'When that time comes, I'll use the Martial Sacred Body to boost my work, earn even more spirit coins, and then...'

'Pour all my money into burning through artifact crafting!'

(End of Chapter)