Chapter 423: Wonderful Use of Minor Triple Accord

Chapter 423: The Marvels of the Minor Triad

Within the simulated construction site.

Director Gao sat cross-legged in mid-air, his black Daoist robes fluttering in the wind. Across his chest, the four characters for "Construction World" shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow.

He gazed at Zhang Yu before him, his expression one of approval. "Throughout your sophomore year, you have performed admirably, both in your studies and your work."

"Especially during your several business trips; you handled yourself with discretion and achieved excellent results."

Zhang Yu replied, "That is all thanks to the opportunities you have provided, sir."

Director Gao continued, "Opportunities are things one must seize for oneself. Back when the Ten Thousand Dharma University was still in its infancy, had I not grasped the chance to become a teacher, I might still be laboring on a construction site today."

"Of course, there is nothing wrong with construction sites, but for me, the university offered a much broader horizon."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly, listening intently to the Director’s teachings.

Director Gao went on, "Sometimes I wonder, on this path of immortality, how much wealth is ever truly enough? It is never enough, Zhang Yu. Spirit coins are a bottomless pit."

"You are still young, currently only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Your current achievements are merely your starting point."

"Stay steady and continue to earn your keep with diligence. If you can save up another 1,000 spirit coins—given the current market—that should be enough to sustain you until you reach the Golden Core stage."

Listening to the Director’s guidance, Zhang Yu nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s obedient demeanor, devoid of the arrogance or vanity that often accompanies early success, Director Gao nodded with satisfaction.

He had seen too many students become intoxicated by their own achievements, losing their footing in reality. He had taken this opportunity to offer Zhang Yu a timely reminder.

Director Gao added, "Speaking of earning money steadily, steadiness is far more important than the money itself."

"Some people may strike it rich overnight, but their cultivation and mental state cannot command such wealth; sooner or later, they will be forced to relinquish it."

"Do not emulate them."

"Though I am the Director and you are the student, I must know my place, and you must know yours. Never covet wealth that you cannot master. Even if such money enters your account, it is not yours; it is merely being held there by others for a time."

Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. He thought to himself, "Is Director Gao talking about Ping Han? Is he worried I might follow Ping Han into currency speculation?"

Director Gao was indeed intending to warn Zhang Yu, lest he be swept up in the craze of currency speculation alongside Ping Han.

"If Ping Han does not lose his shirt in the military certification exam this October, he is very likely to secure the certificate."

"By then, I fear many more will attempt to mimic his speculative habits."

Director Gao glanced at Zhang Yu, thinking, "I must inoculate this lad against such folly, so he doesn't lose his head and join the fray."

After offering his counsel, Director Gao casually asked about other matters.

"How are you finding the Golden Thread Jade Wall?"

"Are you still in contact with Wen Wuya?"

"If you have the chance, try to close a few more deals for the Pharmacology Department. You could also recommend it to others in our department. We have many students in Civil Engineering who are capable of selling seeds."

As he spoke, Director Gao transmitted the copyright for the cultivation technique he was teaching today to Zhang Yu.

"The third of the Seven Civil Engineering Absolutes is called the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation."

"This martial art involves sensing the earth's energy and using one's own mana to stimulate the power of the land, combining it with martial techniques to achieve the effect of commanding the earth."

"However, placed as the third absolute, it has become the foundation for driving the Minor Triad."

"Most students, once they have mastered it, rarely use it in isolation."

Director Gao then summarized the key points of the Minor Triad, which he considered the crux of today’s lesson.

"The master who created the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power was a genius of the ancient era."

"He did not actually create the Seven Civil Engineering Absolutes; he created the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power as a single, unified technique."

"However, later disciples found the technique too profound and difficult to teach or learn. After much deliberation, they split it into five parts. By practicing these five simpler techniques, one could naturally integrate them into the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power."

"Later still, to allow Foundation Establishment disciples to master the technique, someone took the most difficult of those five parts and split it into three: the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal, the Great Wilderness Mountain-Moving Force, and this Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation."

Director Gao sighed with emotion, "It is precisely because the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power was broken down into simpler parts that, for a time, more and more people practiced it."

"Countless practitioners have refined it through the generations, allowing the technique to evolve with the times and grow in power. Even today, it remains a military-grade martial art."

"Unlike many supreme martial arts of the past, which either faded into obscurity due to a lack of successors and an inability to keep pace with the era, or were abandoned because their entry barriers were too high and their utility too low, becoming mere museum artifacts."

After his reflection, Director Gao proceeded to teach Zhang Yu the method of practicing the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation.

Over an hour later, watching Zhang Yu strike out with a palm, his mana resonating with the earth’s energy to lift a cloud of dust and sand, Director Gao nodded in satisfaction. Zhang Yu’s talent for martial arts had not disappointed him, and his lack of arrogance after mastering the technique pleased him even more.

"Alas, if only Ping Han possessed Zhang Yu’s composure, he would not be in such a state."

Director Gao said, "You have mastered the first level of the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation. Now, I shall teach you the method of the Minor Triad..."

Following the Director’s instructions, Zhang Yu circulated his mana. Moments later, he felt the cultivation paths of the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal, the Great Wilderness Mountain-Moving Force, and the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation align perfectly.

As he drove the power of all three techniques simultaneously, a surge of immense mana condensed within his dantian, drawing upon a terrifying force from the heavens and the earth.

But the next moment, the power of the three techniques revealed a sense of incompleteness. The terrifying force from the world merely shuddered before losing its connection to Zhang Yu entirely.

Only the earth beneath Zhang Yu’s feet responded; as he pressed his palms together, a pair of massive hands formed from sand and soil rose up and clasped together before him.

"That terrifying force from the heavens and earth must be the Earthly Fiend Gravity, right?"

"It is a power that can only be truly harnessed after mastering the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power."

"The Minor Triad can only control the earth beneath one's feet, manipulating the metals and minerals within it."

Through Director Gao’s teaching, Zhang Yu understood that the power of the Minor Triad depended entirely on the levels of the three component techniques.

Although he had reached level 20 in both the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal and the Great Wilderness Mountain-Moving Force, the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation was only at level 1, meaning the Minor Triad could only exert the power of level 13 or 14.

"To increase the power of the Minor Triad, I must raise the level of the Earth-Commanding Divine Transformation."

"However, beyond the level, the utility of the Minor Triad depends heavily on how one uses it."

The next moment, Zhang Yu shifted his mana and changed his hand seals. The earth beneath him began to undulate like ocean waves.

An eight- or nine-meter-tall earth giant burst from the ground, spreading its arms as if letting out a silent roar.

Zhang Yu exhaled, and the golden essence formed by the Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill flowed toward the giant, instantly transforming into a hammer and a shovel in its hands.

Having consumed the Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill, Zhang Yu could manifest it into any form he required with a single breath.

Then, another pair of arms sprouted from the giant’s back, one of which caught Zhang Yu’s Azure Cloud-Gathering Pouch.

Seeing the four-armed earth giant holding tools in two hands and the pouch in another, Zhang Yu’s thoughts shifted. He pressed one hand down and raised the other, his seals changing once more.

The giant, which had just stood tall upon the earth, suddenly shattered into pieces, transforming into a multitude of small earth figures before him.

Zhang Yu continued to experiment with the various operations of the Minor Triad, thinking, "With the Minor Triad, my work methods have gained so many new possibilities."

"But determining which method to use in different environments... that will require much more practice."

Director Gao watched Zhang Yu’s experiments and nodded with a smile, thinking, "Though Zhang Yu has only just mastered the Minor Triad and his range is limited, his control is remarkably refined. To be able to construct such varied forms so quickly..."

...

September.

On the construction site of the 668th floor.

As Zhang Yu’s palms shifted through a series of seals, the swirling silt and sand coalesced into humanoid forms, setting to work with rhythmic precision.

This was Zhang Yu’s method of multitasking: earning his keep while simultaneously refining his internal arts.

With every cycle of the Lesser Triad, the Earth-God Transformation was stirred in tandem, providing the perfect crucible for his cultivation.

Beyond the earthen constructs, the Earth-Suppressing Seal, the Terrestrial Malice Vase, and the Azure Cloud-Gathering Veil hovered above his head, each operated by Mo Tianyi, Zhao Tianxing, and a scion of the Ying clan respectively.

Furthermore, another member of the Ying family was busy manipulating the Golden-Threaded Jade Disc floating behind Zhang Yu’s crown.

These two Ying clansmen were none other than Ying Xin’s great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.

Zhang Yu recalled how Ying Xin had introduced her kin to him.

Ying Xin: "Senior Brother, my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather are still in their prime, and they know that if they don't hustle for coin, they'll perish. Their work ethic is beyond reproach; they are diligent and driven, and I guarantee they won't let you down."

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: "Young Master Zhang, rest assured. We are seasoned veterans of the construction trade with vast experience; we shall never be a burden to your progress."

Ying Xin’s great-great-grandfather: "We know the rules of the game. Every major project, like the civil engineering competitions, is a chance to burnish our reputations and pad our resumes. Regardless of the project's cost, I shall offer you a fifteen-percent kickback."

Upon hearing the unsolicited pitches of the elders, Mo Tianyi and Zhao Tianxing grew visibly anxious, fearing they might be replaced, and promptly pledged their own fifteen-percent kickbacks as well.

Watching these four soul-cultivators labor with such frantic dedication without him having uttered a single demand, Zhang Yu mused to himself, "I haven't even stated my requirements, and already they are competing to outdo one another?"

Gratitude to 'N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine' for the ten-thousand-point reward.

(End of Chapter)