Chapter 492: Win-Win (Thanks to 'Agasa' for Gifting Alliance Leader)

Chapter 492: A Win-Win (Thanks to ‘A Jia Sha’ for the Alliance Leader donation)

Within Zhang Yu’s field of vision, a torrent of information and matter surged forward. Whether it was the souls and consciousness of the factory workers, or their very life force and mana, everything was being frantically drawn toward that Yin artifact.

Even Zhang Yu felt his entire body stirring restlessly; had it not been for the protection of the Nine Heavens Primal Yang Pagoda, he feared he would have been undone.

In particular, the crystal embedded in his brow throbbed rhythmically, as if it were on the verge of tearing itself free at any moment.

In that instant, the Yin artifact—originating from some unknown place—seemed to transform into a black hole, ravenously consuming every memory, emotion, scrap of flesh, and drop of mana.

The workers withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if they were being reduced to mere skeletons.

Just then, another figure descended from the Spirit Realm.

The God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations said coldly, "Qiongjiang, you are too presumptuous."

The God-Monarch Qiongjiang laughed heartily. "And if I am? At worst, I shall pay for the damages."

"Pay for the damages..." the God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations replied indifferently. "Very well. And just how much can you pay?"

The next moment, to Zhang Yu’s astonishment, a price-hike notification popped up.

Then, he realized that the prices of everything around him were skyrocketing.

Whether it was the factory equipment, the value of the personnel, the raw materials scattered on the floor, or even the compensation for the college students—everything was surging in a frenzy.

Watching this, Zhang Yu felt surrounded by endless peril. He felt that if he were to take even a single step and accidentally bump into something, he would likely be bankrupted instantly.

From the Spirit Realm came the surprised voice of the God-Monarch Qiongjiang: "Old thief Myriad Transformations, since when have you been able to manipulate market prices to this extent?"

The God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations replied, "Qiongjiang, this technique is called 'injuring the opponent with one's own capital.' Want to fight? Then keep throwing money at it."

"But... do you truly have the capacity to compete with me in wealth?"

Following a cold snort, the various phenomena vanished into thin air. The Yin artifact that had been on the verge of devouring everything disappeared without a trace, its destination unknown.

Zhang Yu felt his body lighten, and he returned to his normal state.

Only the wreckage of the factory and its equipment, along with the workers who still looked like skeletal husks, served as proof that what had just transpired was no hallucination.

Recalling the sudden inflation, Zhang Yu searched for information through his ocular implants and discovered that in those few seconds, the entire university town of Myriad Laws University had experienced a violent fluctuation in prices, which had surged wildly before crashing back to their original state.

Zhang Yu gasped, feeling a terror even greater than witnessing the God-Monarch Qiongjiang destroying the factory.

"The God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations can stir the market prices of an entire university town in the blink of an eye?"

"Does this mean that if he wished, a single thought could trigger a Level 3, Level 5, or even higher financial crisis in the university town? Leaving countless people destitute?"

"And if two God-Monarchs from different universities were to clash, how great would the economic upheaval be? How many lives and souls would be extinguished in the wake?"

"No wonder the Ten Great Sects avoid direct conflict. If they truly fought, the intensity would be unimaginable."

The mere thought sent a chill through Zhang Yu.

It was no longer a question of whether one could hide; under the influence of the Spirit Realm and the economy, even those far from the battlefield could find themselves penniless and ruined by the clash of God-Monarchs.

Zhang Yu couldn't help but recall what Fu Ji had once told him: that after starting a company, it wasn't he who served the company, but rather the employees and the company that clung to him, solving the trivialities so he could focus on the important matters. He was the company's greatest asset.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Is a university... the same? Is it not that the God-Monarchs cling to the university, but that the university clings to the God-Monarchs?"

"If not for the Ten Great Sects and the Celestial Court pressing down from above, perhaps the universities... would look very different."

Just then, Zhang Yu heard a voice in his mind.

"The things made in the factory just now... they are all broken."

Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing the voice came from the crystal in his forehead.

As he wondered how to respond, the voice continued: "Why destroy things that were only made through endless overtime?"

Zhang Yu thought, "They will pay for it anyway."

As if hearing his inner thoughts, the voice replied directly, "They will pay? Will she come to repair this place herself?"

Zhang Yu was shocked. "You can hear my thoughts?"

The voice persisted, "Will she repair it?"

Zhang Yu didn't intend to answer, but his thoughts continued to churn: "How could the God-Monarch Qiongjiang come to repair it herself? She will certainly just pay the money."

The Qiongjiang woman asked again, "Where does the money come from?"

Zhang Yu didn't want to answer, but he couldn't help but formulate the answer in his mind: "Money is earned through work."

The Qiongjiang woman: "So the God-Monarch Qiongjiang also works? She works somewhere else, earns money, and then compensates for the fruits of these people's labor?"

Zhang Yu remained silent, his inner thoughts becoming contradictory and muddled: "The God-Monarch Qiongjiang might work, but it's unlikely. Regardless, her work is certainly not like our work."

The Qiongjiang woman: "If the God-Monarch Qiongjiang doesn't need to work, then where does the money she uses for compensation come from? Who is actually doing the work to repair the losses here?"

Zhang Yu thought helplessly, "Stop asking, will you? How would I know all that?"

Reflecting on the clash of the God-Monarchs, Zhang Yu felt a sense of agitation.

"I’ve only just been able to leave the school; will this incident with the God-Monarch Qiongjiang prevent me from leaving again?"

Just then, the Magnetic Pole True Monarch arrived before Zhang Yu and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I am physically unharmed."

Zhang Yu thought for a moment, then pointed to his brow: "But there seems to be a voice inside this thing, suddenly talking to me."

With Zhang Pianpian’s technical support, Zhang Yu was fully capable of communicating with the Qiongjiang woman inside the Yin artifact without using this direct mental channel.

If he didn't report the anomaly now, and the Magnetic Pole True Monarch discovered it later, Zhang Yu would only invite suspicion.

Hearing this, the Magnetic Pole True Monarch’s expression shifted slightly. She began weaving a hand seal, and runes manifested in the Spirit Realm like chains, binding the rhombic crystal.

The next moment, Zhang Yu felt the crystal lose all its supernatural aura. It fell, and the Magnetic Pole True Monarch caught it.

She warned, "The actions of the God-Monarchs likely affected this artifact. I will seal it completely for now. Follow me to the laboratory for an examination later. If you feel anything unusual, remember to tell me immediately."

After the examination, it was several hours later when Zhang Yu finally emerged from the research institute.

No abnormalities were found in his body, though he was instructed to continue monitoring himself.

The most fortunate part, as the Magnetic Pole True Monarch told him, was that he could continue to leave school for work or participate in competitions.

She said calmly at the time, "The God-Monarch said you should not be afraid; if you want to leave, then leave."

"If you truly fear them and hide in the school, wouldn't outsiders think the God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations lost to the God-Monarch Qiongjiang? Or worse, that he is afraid of her and thus forbids you from going out?"

Not long after, news came from Hehuan University that the God-Monarch Qiongjiang had descended upon Myriad Laws University to reclaim her artifact and capture the petty thief who had stolen it.

Regarding this, Fu Ji sighed, "Sigh, God-Monarchs are the face of the universities. Their every move affects the prices of virtual currency, stocks, and futures."

"Besides, Qiongjiang Coin plummeted recently; the God-Monarch Qiongjiang would never admit defeat. Instead, she must claim victory."

Shortly after the announcement from Hehuan University, Myriad Laws University issued its own, stating that under the protection of the God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations, the university town had suffered no losses.

Fu Ji remarked, "When you students fight, you admit defeat when you must. But in the conflicts of God-Monarchs, no matter how badly they lose, they can never admit it. If one admits defeat, their currency and stock prices would both crash, leading to losses far greater than the battle itself."

"A God-Monarch must win, and can only win."

Zhang Yu frowned. "The God-Monarch of Myriad Transformations told me to continue leaving the school, but won't the God-Monarch Qiongjiang find another opportunity to strike?"

Fu Ji pondered for a moment. "This conflict was only sparked because of the God-Monarch's Yin artifact. A mere student like you is likely not enough to provoke a God-Monarch to act personally again."

Moreover, the intervention of the Divine Lord of Nectar will surely stir ripples among the Deified Realm, likely rendering her unable to act with such ease henceforth, while the Divine Lord of Myriad Transformations will undoubtedly escalate the level of protection afforded to you.

Zhang Yu remarked, "After the Divine Lord of Nectar’s strike, no matter how the University of Myriad Laws attempts to justify it, will not the other institutions conclude that this technological breakthrough stems from the Yin artifacts of the Hehuan University?"

Fu Ji chuckled, "Heh, the accusations of false advertising have collapsed of their own accord; the other schools are now convinced you have truly pilfered the techniques of Hehuan University, and that mass production is merely a matter of time."

At this, Fu Ji analyzed further, "Come to think of it, this conflict has somewhat shattered the delicate equilibrium that once existed among the ten top-tier universities."

"Furthermore... you were lured there by a spirit artifact orchestrated by the Dual Cultivation Sect; could the Divine Lord of Nectar have been drawn in by them as well? That sect possesses such audacity—are they deliberately sowing discord among the ten preeminent universities?"

"It truly feels as though there are unseen hands constantly propelling this university war."

The state of the ten top-tier universities, the machinations of the Deified, the trajectory of the university war—to Zhang Yu at this moment, these matters remained far too distant.

In the days that followed, he buried himself once more in study and cultivation, preparing for the civil engineering competition, the transfer to the Department of Artifact Refining, and, above all, his future aspirations to enter a sect.

...

Level 120 of the University City.

Fu Xinyao walked the streets, reflecting, "Following my tip-off last time, the Divine Lord descended through another hidden Deified Yin artifact, wreaking havoc in the University City of Myriad Laws before retreating unscathed."

"I must remain in the University City of Myriad Laws to continue gathering intelligence..."

Just then, Ping Han spoke, "That person, his name is Ji Yuanshu, and he is a classmate of Zhang Yu."

Having learned her lesson, Fu Xinyao, determined to avoid being reported or captured, approached Ji Yuanshu and said, "Fellow student, would you be interested in a complimentary service?"

Seeking monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)