Chapter 444: Suffer Defeat for Me (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 444: Admit Defeat (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Crimson qi erupted from the back of Ping Han’s armor, and with a sudden burst of acceleration, he tore through the atmosphere and appeared directly before Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu’s form dissolved as his Formless Cloud Qi expanded, instantly enshrouding his entire silhouette in a thick, swirling mist.

Bang!

Zhang Yu attempted to parry, but he felt a terrifying force unleashed by the opponent’s fist, sending him hurtling backward through the air.

"During the previous military certification exam, I only prepared that set of magical treasures to improve my construction efficiency."

The original Ping Han, bolstered by his Dharma Remains, already possessed formidable strength.

Now, using his Dharma Remains to drive the armor, and the armor to amplify both his remains and his physical body, his power surged explosively. He shot forward like a meteor, pummeling Zhang Yu repeatedly.

"But on the exam field, they said my kill count wasn't high enough."

With a harsh, tearing sound, Zhang Yu’s feet plowed furrows a hundred meters long into the earth. He looked up, only to see Ping Han’s fist descending once more.

"Fine. Since you want to compare combat power, I’ve switched to combat-ready gear. What do you have left to fight me with now?"

Amidst a series of thunderous bangs, Ping Han transformed into a black bolt of lightning, repeatedly rending the air as he assaulted Zhang Yu.

"I possess the perseverance and courage to go bankrupt time and again, the insight and wisdom to see through the coin-speculation market, the indomitable Dao heart forged over years of tempering, and the sheer fortune of this massive surge in Nectar Coin value!"

"You have neither my accumulation, nor my daring in speculation, nor the wisdom to perceive the secrets behind the Nectar Coin’s rise! How can you possibly compare to me?"

Under the augmentation of the Sky Abyss Armor, qi surged from every part of his body, swallowing the atmosphere and enhancing Ping Han’s speed in every dimension.

Simultaneously, the qi emitted by the armor shifted through nine colors, each representing a different form of damage: high heat, extreme cold, electromagnetic discharge, molecular cutting, and sonic vibration.

Ping Han’s spinal, leg, and arm Dharma Remains each drove Level 20 combat martial arts, allowing him to unleash his current power with absolute mastery.

Boom!

Another collision of qi occurred, and Zhang Yu’s Formless Cloud Qi suddenly dissipated, revealing his true form beneath the mist: a humanoid figure encased in golden armor.

"Zhang Yu! I am wealthier than you, better at making money than you, and possess greater potential in the Immortal Dao!"

"Whether it is construction or combat, I am the superior talent; I can simply change my tactics and forever remain above you!"

Ping Han roared, "Will you not admit defeat yet!!"

At the same time, the projected text of countless spectators flooded the sky above the arena, like a collective cry directed at Zhang Yu.

Surrender! Surrender! Surrender! Kneel! Surrender!

Carrying the weight of a thousand wills, Ping Han brought his fist down upon the golden armor, shattering the humanoid figure within into dust.

...

In the Spirit Realm surrounding the arena, Ye Xingli descended a projection, having come specifically to watch the duel between Zhang Yu and Ping Han.

As someone highly regarded by her master, Zhang Yu’s strength had piqued her curiosity.

"Ping Han’s current strength is not weak; it should be at the peak level just below military-grade power."

Ye Xingli thought to herself, "Zhang Yu only recently received his military certification; he likely hasn't mastered any military-grade techniques yet."

"Both sides in this battle are of the same tier; this should reveal Zhang Yu’s true foundation."

Just as she was thinking this, another projection appeared beside her.

"Xingli, you are here too?"

Hearing the voice, Ye Xingli turned to look at the new projection and smiled. "Senior Brother Qianji."

The figure, appearing as a metallic automaton, was Yan Qianji, the top student of the Artifact Refining Department, a master of multiple military-grade powers, and a personal disciple of a Transformation-stage God-Monarch.

Yan Qianji, who presented himself as an automaton in the Spirit Realm, looked toward Zhang Yu and Ping Han, surprised. "Hmm?"

Watching Zhang Yu withstand Ping Han’s onslaught time and again, Yan Qianji remarked, "Truly a fine piece of raw jade."

He asked curiously, "Zhang Yu’s pure physical state—is he looking to customize Dharma Remains, or is he planning to sell his own flesh? Which is it?"

Images of Zhang Yu practicing artifact refining flashed through Ye Xingli’s mind, but she had no intention of revealing it. She replied vaguely, "I’m not entirely sure."

Yan Qianji stroked his chin. "Such high-quality natural treasures; I’d love to test the effect of installing them on my own body."

"If he has any parts he doesn't need, let me know. I’ll buy them at a high price."

Ye Xingli nodded, then asked, "Senior Brother, aren't you busy with the update project for the Sky Sun Radiant God? Why come to watch this competition?"

She knew that as a military-grade treasure of the Artifact Refining Department, the Sky Sun Radiant God required annual updates and the iteration of new Immortal Dao technologies to maintain its military-grade rating in the Ten Great Sects' Dao Treasury.

Of course, any treasure or Dharma Remains based on an original framework eventually hits its limit, so the department was constantly developing stronger results.

Hearing her question, Yan Qianji explained, "This match is about more than just Zhang Yu and Ping Han, or even the Civil Engineering Department."

"After all, the Finance Department has been speculating on this match."

"The Finance Department?" Ye Xingli was startled. "They are speculating on the Nectar Coin?"

Yan Qianji sneered. "What wouldn't those blood-sucking zombies in Finance do? As long as they can earn spirit coins, colluding with outside forces or betraying school interests is a trivial matter to them. Hesitating for even a second would imply a flaw in their Dao heart."

Beyond profit, Yan Qianji understood this was an extension of the power struggle among the school’s upper echelons.

He thought, "Zhang Yu may be a student of Civil Engineering, but he was hand-picked by True Monarch Qiyun during the military certification exam. If Ping Han defeats him now... whose face does that slap?"

Yan Qianji knew that even if Zhang Yu lost, the military certification could never be transferred to Ping Han; that involved the protocols and authority of the school and the Heavenly Court.

But in the eyes of the school’s top brass, especially the three Transformation-stage principals, the impression that True Monarch Qiyun lacked judgment and was unreliable would be unavoidable.

And for the leaders of Wanfa University, sometimes a single impression could decide the success or failure of many things.

Just as Yan Qianji spoke, a brilliant golden projection manifested in the Spirit Realm.

An aged voice followed: "Brother Qianji, your misunderstanding of our Finance Department is too deep. How could we be the type to betray school interests just for spirit coins?"

"With the Nectar Coin surging, we intend to lead the students of Wanfa University to venture outside the school and harvest the wealth of Hehuan University together."

Ye Xingli turned to see a figure draped in golden robes, looking decrepit and frail, with skin that suggested an age pushed to the absolute limit.

She recognized the name: Jiu Tianliu, another disciple of a Transformation-stage master.

She knew that in the material world, Jiu Tianliu did not look like this old man; this withered appearance was merely his Spirit Realm persona.

After all, the older one gets, the more expensive life-extension becomes. To be so old that one surpasses the limits of the flesh is a privilege and a status symbol for the wealthy; the poor simply do not live that long.

Jiu Tianliu looked at the arena with a beaming smile. "I never expected Junior Brother Zhang Yu to discourage everyone from investing in Nectar Coins. Sigh... now that he has lost, I fear the students' enthusiasm for investment will only grow stronger."

Yan Qianji said coldly, "Zhang Yu hasn't necessarily lost yet."

Jiu Tianliu looked at the figure in the arena, who had been thoroughly suppressed and finally blasted apart by Ping Han’s fist. "Is that so?"

"I wonder, Brother Qianji, are you interested in making a wager?"

Yan Qianji replied icily, "I do not gamble."

...

Meanwhile, as Ping Han delivered his final, full-force blow, the humanoid figure in golden armor suddenly collapsed.

Although the golden armor formed by the Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill did not shatter, the humanoid form within had burst like a popped balloon, no longer able to support the armor.

As the qi dissipated, the golden armor fell slowly to the ground.

It turned out that what Ping Han had shattered with a single punch was not Zhang Yu’s true form, but a golden-armored Faceless Warrior.

The next moment, two more golden-armored figures erupted from the earth, one behind the other, lunging at Ping Han from opposite directions with savage intent.

Zhang Yu now possessed three Taiyi Golden Liquid Pills, which allowed him to use one golden-armored warrior as a decoy to draw fire, while launching a pincer attack with the other two.

"Which is the real one?"

"Which is the fake?"

Ping Han’s mechanical eyes swept across the two golden figures, and he finally let out a cold sneer: "It matters not."

He held one hand upright, and billowing essence-energy surged from the palm vents of his armor, coalescing into the shape of a scythe blade.

The blade shifted through nine distinct colors, layering nine types of essence-energy until it finally settled into a piercing, emerald hue.

"Zhang Yu, your ability to parry and redirect force is indeed formidable."

"But your greatest weakness is that while you excel at absorbing blunt impact, you are ill-equipped to handle sharp, cutting edges..."

"Since you refuse to concede, then prepare for your defeat."

Level 20 Nine Heavens Azure Scythe, activate!

This scythe technique, mastered by Ping Han, had been divined by a martial arts titan through the relentless ebbs and flows of the stock market; it contained the wisdom of his years of trading, embodying the invisible, bloodless slaughter of the financial arena.

Upon first sight, Ping Han felt an uncanny resonance with the art, finding it impossibly fluid to wield.

Now, driven by the combined power of his physical body, mechanical frame, and armor, the sharp emerald scythe descended like a strike from the heavens, cleaving downward with lethal intent.

The condensed essence-energy carried an unparalleled edge, possessing the secret to shattering defensive barriers and the capacity to seep into the body, severing the victim’s internal power at the root with every strike.

The emerald blade fell, and with a single blow, it split the dust clouds for a hundred meters, bisecting both golden-armored figures and shattering their essence-energy into nothingness.

As the two warriors were destroyed, the earth beneath Ping Han’s feet shuddered violently.

Taking advantage of the time the warriors had spent entangling Ping Han, Zhang Yu had finally completed the first stage of forging his Faceless Spirit General.

At that moment, Zhang Yu stood atop the ten-meter-tall Spirit General, bursting from the ground with a thunderous roar.

The Faceless Spirit General let out a deafening cry, opening its maw to unleash a torrent of scorching light, surging forth to engulf Ping Han’s head.