Chapter 425: Soaring Nectar Coins

Chapter 425: The Skyrocketing Qiongjiang Coin

The examination site for this military certification was located in the wilderness.

It sat upon a vast plain, roughly a hundred kilometers from the Wanfa University City.

Because the content and location of the exam were kept strictly confidential, Zhang Yu had relied entirely on the guidance of his ocular implant to reach this place.

Upon arriving at the waiting area, he found six other candidates already present, bringing the total to seven, including himself.

Zhang Yu mused to himself, "The number of candidates for the Military Civil Engineering Certificate is indeed small; after all, it requires a formal recommendation."

His arrival quickly drew the attention of the six others, and their gazes toward him were tinged with surprise.

Su Yanyang thought, "Zhang Yu? A mere junior... what is he doing here?"

Clearly, in Su Yanyang’s eyes, a student who had just entered his third year lacked the qualifications to compete with them for a military certification.

On the other side, Xiao Yunjie cast a fleeting glance at Zhang Yu before losing interest; the rest of the students felt much the same, as Zhang Yu did not appear to be a serious competitor.

Zhang Yu, indifferent to their thoughts, simply found a spot to sit and silently communed with the power within him, preparing for the ordeal ahead.

Since the end of the final exams, he had practiced with relentless intensity, pushing his Dao Heart to the limit of the 20th-level Foundation Establishment, following his mana and physical strength.

Beyond that, his mana quality had reached 197%, creeping ever closer to the 200% threshold of the Foundation Establishment limit.

Yet, aside from these base statistics, his greatest progress lay in his techniques.

The Treasure Appraisal Art, the Earth-Controlling Divine Transformation, and the Magneto-Pulse Severing Hand had all reached the peak of the 20th level.

The Green Lotus Sword Embryo’s retention of the Chain-Link Diagram had also improved; the University Sacred Body and Civil Engineering Sacred Body had reached 10% capacity, the Martial Dao Sacred Body 6%, while the Qi Pulse Flow remained at 4% due to its shorter duration.

Feeling the immense power surging within him, Zhang Yu looked at the parameters of his Azure Cloud Pouch, Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill, Earth-Fiend Bottle, Earth-Suppressing Seal, and Gold-Threaded Jade Disc displayed in his ocular implant, and a surge of confidence filled his heart.

A moment later, all the candidates felt a flicker in their ocular implants, and a faint radiance seemed to shine from the distance.

They instinctively looked up, and at once, they saw the eighth candidate, Ping Han.

Ping Han’s chest glowed with a flickering red light, displaying a constantly shifting number: 13.25—the current price of a Qiongjiang Coin.

Behind his head, a chart showing a steady upward trend over the last six months hovered in the air.

Projected across his shoulders, stomach, thighs, and back were the avatars of various men and women—the many incarnations of the Qiongjiang Divine Lord from Hehuan University.

Beneath these projections, several students looked upon his high-end magical equipment with profound envy.

Su Yanyang was one of them, though his envy was laced with anger.

Seeing the three metal cases floating behind Ping Han made his heart bleed with jealousy.

"Those are Treasure Chest-class intelligent artifact management devices," Su Yanyang thought. "Does he really need three just to carry his gear?"

Watching Ping Han armed to the teeth, some students felt their resolve waver, convinced they could never outcompete him.

Just then, the number on Ping Han’s chest jumped from 13.25 to 13.26.

Ping Han chuckled as he read the messages flooding his ocular implant.

"Did you all see the news? The Qiongjiang Divine Lord has announced a lottery for dual cultivation!"

"Just spend Qiongjiang Coins to enter; if you win, you get to dual cultivate with the Divine Lord for a day and a night!"

"Teacher Ping, how much longer do you think the coin will rise?"

Ping Han: This is only the beginning.

Ping Han: I have said it many times—the Qiongjiang Coin will surely rise above 1,000 spirit coins!

In recent days, the number of members in his group had exploded, and the entry fees alone had earned him a fortune.

Watching his former classmates come to beg for his advice—especially those who had once mocked his trading or refused to lend him money—and seeing them humble themselves before him brought Ping Han immense satisfaction.

"After years of bitter cultivation in the Dao of Coinage," he mused, "it is finally my time to hold my head high and soar."

As he chatted with his followers, the 13.26 on his chest ticked to 13.27, then quickly to 13.28.

Watching the price climb, even Zhang Yu felt a momentary urge to buy, though he quickly suppressed the thought, warning himself not to be impulsive.

Su Yanyang, staring at Ping Han’s chest, thought, "Damn it... is it rising again?"

"Good thing I bought some."

After watching Ping Han’s profits grow, Su Yanyang had studied the market and concluded that the rise was not mere manipulation, but a structural resonance of favorable factors—the start of a long-term bull market.

Having bought in, he only regretted not doing so sooner.

"Alas, my Dao Heart’s sensitivity was lacking; I missed opportunities that could have bolstered my immortal potential."

As Su Yanyang wallowed in regret, Xiao Yunjie frowned and turned away, refusing to let the numbers on Ping Han’s chest disturb her focus. After seeing so many of Ping Han’s profit screenshots, she had considered investing, but after consulting Director Lin and her family elders, she had been warned against it.

Yet, seeing the coin’s relentless surge, a seed of doubt sprouted: "Were Director Lin and the others too cautious? Did they make a mistake?"

"After all, this currency was created by a Divine Lord of the Transformation Realm. How could Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators possibly fathom it?"

"No, the priority is the military exam."

She suppressed her stray thoughts, reminding herself to focus entirely on the test.

Though Ping Han had grown powerful, she still had confidence in her own preparation, having spent years readying herself for this moment.

On the other side, Ping Han finished his messages and his gaze fell upon Zhang Yu.

"Why are you here?" Ping Han asked, surprised.

"Director Gao recommended me for this exam," Zhang Yu replied calmly.

Ping Han paused, a strange look flashing in his eyes, though he said nothing.

Deep down, however, a wave of malice rose.

He remembered when he had grasped at a chance for immortality, needing only a few spirit coins to break through.

He remembered kneeling before Director Gao, begging for a loan, only to be denied, missing the market and becoming a laughingstock.

And now, here was Zhang Yu, a mere junior, being handed a recommendation that Ping Han deemed a waste.

"Gao Chongguang," Ping Han thought, "you must be watching today, aren't you?"

"I will show you that you were wrong."

Just then, a rumble of thunder echoed through the sky.

Everyone looked up to see a flying vessel descending toward the exam site.

...

On the deck of the vessel.

Director Gao stood silently, his gaze sweeping over the candidates below, his eyes gleaming with an inscrutable light.

He was here as a guest for the Wanfa University military certification, a witness to lend authority to the proceedings.

There were many such guests, including experts and professors from the civil engineering departments of various other universities.

Director Gao was no stranger to such proceedings, well aware that for an examination as consequential as the Military Certification, the outcome was never a matter to be settled within the confines of Wanfa University alone.

Beyond the assembly of esteemed professors and experts from various institutions serving as witnesses, three presiding judges—deities of high standing—would oversee the integrity of the trial and provide their expert adjudication.

Furthermore, the final verdict had to be ascended to the Celestial Court; only upon its review, ratification, and formal entry into the divine records could the result be considered truly established.

As Director Gao surveyed the examination hall, Director Lin appeared silently at his shoulder, offering a faint, thin smile. "Ping Han has been quite the sensation lately, hasn't he?"

Director Gao’s gaze sharpened, his voice cool. "What are you driving at?"

Director Lin sneered, "Your War Faction students—in the end, aren't they just relying on crypto-speculation and finance? Tell me, Old Gao, don't you think you’re being a bit too rigid?"

"That is none of your concern," Director Gao replied dismissively.

Yet, at the mere thought of Ping Han, a flicker of helplessness stirred within him.

Judging solely by the current Military Certification exam, Ping Han, as a student of the War Faction, was clearly the most likely candidate among them to secure the certification.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a triumph—a sign that, following Mo Shangjin, the War Faction would gain another student capable of mastering the Heaven-Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, thereby decisively eclipsing both the Peace and Neutral factions.

But as it stood... Ping Han had achieved this standing through nothing but speculative gambling.

Director Gao did not condemn the practice of currency trading entirely; he himself held long-term investments in currencies minted by the Transformation-God Monarchs to secure a steady yield.

But in his eyes, Ping Han’s maneuvers were not investments; they were reckless gambles.

He had witnessed far too many instances of such sudden, speculative wealth in the past, and every single one had ended in total ruin.

"Ping Han is likely to take this year's Military Certification."

"But it is just as likely that he will be bankrupt shortly after mastering the Heaven-Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power..."

Director Gao sighed inwardly, "Instead, he has forced the top contenders of the Peace and Neutral factions to defer to the next examination, where they will have to contend with the senior student, Zhang Yu."

At that moment, three figures emerged from the cabin of the flying vessel—the three judges appointed to oversee the Military Certification.