Chapter 415: Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior

Chapter 415: The Golden-Armored Powerhouse

Under Zhang Yu’s precise manipulation of his internal energy and the Taiyi Liquid Gold Pill, the golden-armored divine general before him shuddered, then began to swing its limbs, executing a series of martial arts maneuvers.

With every punch and kick, the Formless Powerhouse, now infused with the Taiyi Liquid Gold Pill, emitted a sound like rolling thunder, its explosive power clearly surpassing that of a standard Formless Powerhouse.

Zhang Yu mused to himself: "The liquid metal forged by the Taiyi Liquid Gold Pill is the highest-tensile material I am currently capable of creating."

"It is far more resilient than the defensive strength of my own flesh and blood in its normal state."

"I suspect that only in a state of extreme near-death, bolstered by the Earth-Wood Saint Body, could I surpass the pure defensive capabilities of this liquid gold."

Looking at the golden-armored Formless Powerhouse, Zhang Yu decided to name this new iteration the Golden-Armored Powerhouse.

"If I add the assistance of Azure Sand to this Golden-Armored Powerhouse, a single unit could likely contend with ten of the old Formless Powerhouses."

"And if I combine that with the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force..."

Zhang Yu realized that his Martial Saint Body could also be projected onto his internal energy, which meant it could be applied to the Golden-Armored Powerhouse as well.

"I fear that most Foundation Establishment cultivators, in terms of pure close-quarters combat, would be no match for my Golden-Armored Powerhouse."

But then, shaking off these distracting thoughts, Zhang Yu calmed his mind.

"What am I thinking? What good is being strong in a fight?"

"Let’s see how it performs at actual work."

With a flick of Zhang Yu’s intent, the golden armor covering the Powerhouse’s body receded significantly, replaced by a massive golden hammer held firmly in its grasp.

As internal energy surged, the golden hammer whistled through the air, the Powerhouse swinging it with such speed that it left behind a blur of afterimages.

"The Taiyi Liquid Gold Pill can be molded into various tools as needed; this will certainly improve work efficiency."

As Zhang Yu pondered, the golden hammer in the Powerhouse’s hand shifted, transforming into a variety of other implements.

...

Days passed, and Zhang Yu remained immersed in his studies and cultivation.

One day, while training in a simulated laboratory within the Spirit Realm, Zhang Yu was abruptly pulled out by a barrage of harassing messages.

A tall, statuesque young woman appeared before him, barely clothed, and asked, "What do you think?"

Zhang Yu said, uncertainly, "Are... are you Wen Wuyai?"

Wen Wuyai, manifesting as a Spirit Realm projection, nodded and rubbed her pectoral muscles, saying, "Zhang Yu, you were right."

"Ever since I turned into a woman, Bai Zhenzhen has indeed been talking to me much more."

"But I think it can be optimized further. Help me adjust my appearance, make it exactly what Bai Zhenzhen likes most."

Zhang Yu replied helplessly, "No... how am I supposed to adjust you?"

Wen Wuyai said casually, "I’ve shared the projection’s appearance-editing functions with you."

"Just adjust it directly on my projection. I’ll follow the model you create when I go in for the reconstructive surgery."

Zhang Yu, unwilling to keep looking at Wen Wuyai’s physical form, turned his head away and said, "That’s too much trouble."

Wen Wuyai replied nonchalantly, "What trouble? Some people who love changing their image do it dozens of times a day. A skin is just a shell; changing it isn't a big deal, let alone a few nips and tucks."

Zhang Yu could not empathize with the mindset of the wealthy and sighed, "I’m not very good at this sort of thing."

Wen Wuyai said, "Ten spirit coins."

Zhang Yu said solemnly, "I will do my best."

Wen Wuyai beckoned, "Alright, hurry up. If you think the dimensions are off, just gesture directly on my projection."

"Yes, adjust it just like that."

"Oh? Is that so? Does Bai Zhenzhen like women with these proportions?"

"Standard classical aesthetics; some Nascent Soul cultivators like this too."

"Is Bai Zhenzhen a retro enthusiast?"

...

Kunxu, Second Level.

Shu Province Beast-Kin Vocational College.

Walking down the street, Zhang Yu asked the lion-kin beside him, "This is the pharmaceutical factory project, right?"

"But I didn't see many medicinal fields on the way here."

Shi Yunxiang walked beside Zhang Yu, and wherever they passed, the local beast-kin retreated to the sides, their eyes filled with reverence for the two.

What surprised Zhang Yu, however, was that the beast-kin here seemed primarily of rat-kin lineage.

Looking around, the streets were filled with large, upright-walking rats moving to and fro.

Hearing Zhang Yu’s question, Shi Yunxiang smiled slightly, looked at the rat-kin, and asked casually, "Who can tell me what the local specialty is?"

Seeing a rat-kin raise its hand, Shi Yunxiang nodded and turned to Zhang Yu, saying, "You see, this is the specialty."

Zhang Yu: "Huh?"

Shi Yunxiang continued, "It’s not just plants that serve as raw materials for medicine; certain animals are also used."

Zhang Yu couldn't help but look at the surrounding rat-kin, saying, "You use these rat-kin for processing?"

Shi Yunxiang waved his hand, "Compared to common rat-beasts, rat-kin are far too expensive..."

Zhang Yu nodded, thinking that while the logic was very "Kunxu," it was at least more acceptable than using sentient kin. Beasts, at least, were closer to animals and lacked true sapience.

Shi Yunxiang added, "Rat-kin components only make up one percent of the medicine; the bulk is still made from beasts, so we can claim it uses 'Shu Province Rat-Kin'."

Seeing Shi Yunxiang’s nonchalant expression, Zhang Yu couldn't help but say, "Doesn't it bother you to use beast-kin to process medicine?"

Shi Yunxiang interrupted him, sternly saying, "Lion-kin are lion-kin, rat-kin are rat-kin. Though both are beast-kin, they are essentially two different species."

Through Shi Yunxiang’s repeated explanations, Zhang Yu gradually understood that while beast-kin appeared united to the outside world, there was a deep-seated hierarchy of contempt within their own ranks.

Vulnerable groups like the rat-kin were at the very bottom of the hierarchy, far beneath superior races like the lion-kin or tiger-kin.

Shi Yunxiang warned, "There are many beast-kin here; don't lump their lineages together. That is a major taboo among them."

Fu Ji chuckled, "At the end of the day, all monsters—whether wolf-kin, bird-kin, insect-kin, or fish-kin—are categorized as 'beast-kin' only because of human arrogance, a primal prejudice against all non-human races. The various tribes only band together to survive in Kunxu."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly, thinking that the internal dynamics of the beast-kin were far more complex than he had previously imagined.

Upon arriving at the outdoor construction site and coordinating with the local beast-kin workers, Zhang Yu and Shi Yunxiang began their work.

Shi Yunxiang moved with a blur, transporting massive amounts of building materials back and forth.

Zhang Yu swept his internal energy outward, manifesting twenty Formless Powerhouses, which began to work like a small engineering crew.

Watching this, Shi Yunxiang sighed inwardly, "Zhang Yu’s progress is so fast."

"At the next Earth-Wood competition, he might just lead us into the top five."

Just then, as the ground shook, a massive beast-shadow over ten meters tall charged into the site.

Shi Yunxiang scanned the creature, thinking, "A Foundation Establishment beast from the ranch? How did it get out?"

"With this kind of pressure... its physical strength is at level 20. It won't be easy to take head-on."

Shi Yunxiang knew that even with equal physical strength, a beast with a naturally larger mass would inevitably hold the advantage in raw power.

"It must not be allowed near the construction site."

Shi Yunxiang was about to rush out to intercept the beast when a golden figure flashed by, descending before the creature like a bolt of lightning.

With a thunderous roar, the golden figure collided violently with the beast, yet it did not retreat a single step; instead, it sent the charging monster reeling backward.

The one who had intervened was none other than the Golden-Armored Warrior summoned by Zhang Yu.

Claws and fangs tore at the golden armor, emitting a shrill, grating sound, yet they proved utterly ineffective.

Bolstered by the level 20 Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill and the Martial Saint Physique, the Golden-Armored Warrior ignored every assault, its surging power absorbing the beast's attacks through the Nine Heavens Void Force before rebounding them with interest.

Like an indestructible puppet of adamant, the warrior stood firm as the beast thrashed and clawed, then delivered punch after punch, driving the Foundation Establishment-level creature back dozens of meters until it finally collapsed, eyes clear and cowed, never daring to rise again.

Not far away, several staff members of the demon-descendant lineage hurried over, their eyes filled with awe as they gazed at the prostrate beast and the golden warrior standing before it.

"I heard the students from Wanfa University are the ones overseeing this construction."

"To subdue a Foundation Establishment beast so quickly—they are truly worthy of being students from the top ten universities."

But when they moved to offer their apologies to the warrior, they watched in shock as it dissolved into a stream of gold and white mist, drifting back toward the construction site.

"A manifestation made of nothing but Qi?"

"Is this the strength of a top-ten student? A mere projection of Qi possesses such power?"

After completing the demon-descendant cooperation project in Shuizhou, Zhang Yu set off immediately for the next assignment.

He could be seen at the construction of dormitories for junior college students.

At the magical artifact factory plagued by leaking miasma, the Golden-Armored Warrior could be seen performing emergency repairs.

Deep within the underground mausoleums, Zhang Yu’s silhouette flickered as he excavated remains.

In the realm of craftsmanship, Zhang Yu continued to study and train, seizing every moment to immerse himself in the simulated laboratories of the Spirit World whenever he returned to Wanfa University City.

...

June.

Inside the artifact laboratory.

Zhang Yu was in the midst of refining a Terrestrial Malice Bottle.

Although he had mastered many new crafting techniques over these days, he had not attempted to forge physical artifacts for every one of them, as his funds were limited.

The reason he chose the Terrestrial Malice Bottle was simple...

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "Once this bottle is completed, it can be used to collect miasma to combat environmental pollution, store and refine materials, and even process concrete, further increasing my income."

"It is truly like adding wings to a tiger."

However, the refinement of the bottle involved the handling and purification of terrestrial malice, a process fraught with significant danger.

Even with Zhang Yu’s constitution and resistance, he remained extremely cautious, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Several hours later, accompanied by a flash of brilliance, a bottle that appeared crystalline and glass-like materialized in Zhang Yu’s palm.

Dense magical circuits covered the surface of the bottle, pulsing with occasional flickers of blue and white light.

Inside, a mass of lightning-like malice could be seen swirling back and forth like a living creature.

As Zhang Yu’s gaze swept over the bottle, lines of data appeared in his vision.

"Remaining magical power 99%, usable time 3 hours and 45 minutes."

"Remaining terrestrial malice essence 100%..."

"Storage capacity 100%..."

"Current operating mode: None"

Zhang Yu scanned the parameters and a faint smile touched his lips: "A level 20 Terrestrial Malice Bottle... success."

(End of chapter)