Chapter 556: Issuing Military Artifact Refining Engineering Certificate (Category A)

Chapter 556: Issuance of Military-Grade Artifact Engineering Certification (Class A)

Within the experimental level of the Artifact Refining Department.

This is the floor housing numerous students and leased laboratories.

Lianhuo Zhenren, having arrived here, felt a sense of hesitation.

"With so many special effects, if they all go off at once, I wonder how many ocular implants can handle it."

"When the screen starts flickering and lagging, what will anyone even be able to see?"

Thinking of this, Lianhuo Zhenren, who had spent years among the grassroots and understood the reality of student equipment, could not help but shake his head: "Those people upstairs, one and all... they are completely out of touch with the common folk. How could Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining ocular implants possibly withstand this level of spiritual realm fluctuation?"

Yet, Lianhuo Zhenren knew he could not change what his superiors had ordered.

But if this caused widespread ocular implant crashes and blinding flashes, not only would the notification of the military certification fail to be communicated, but if any accidents or losses occurred... it would likely be pinned on him.

"I cannot allow an accident."

"But I must be high-profile while ensuring the message is accurately conveyed."

"I have no choice but to use the old method."

After a moment of contemplation, Lianhuo Zhenren had no choice but to call upon an acquaintance in the Talisman Department and request a Veil Talisman.

"Sigh, I wonder if I can get reimbursed for this Veil Talisman."

Shaking his head, Lianhuo Zhenren activated the talisman. An invisible divine power instantly radiated from his position, spreading across the spiritual realm in all directions.

Following this, he pressed his finger downward.

"Brightness reduced!"

"Resolution reduced!"

"Ray tracing disabled!"

"Graphic details set to minimum!"

As the Veil Talisman took effect, Lianhuo Zhenren observed the status of his ocular implant and nodded slightly: "Now, the military certification can be issued."

...

Inside the laboratory.

Jin Jun was leading his numerous assistants in accelerating the refinement of the prototype "Heavenly Sun Radiant God."

As for the matters concerning Zhang Yu, he had long since cast them to the back of his mind.

At this moment, Jin Jun had eyes only for the prototype before him, pouring all his heart and spirit into the task.

But the very next moment, he was startled to see a line of text flash across his ocular implant.

"An important notification is about to be released! Please cease your current work and await the announcement."

Just as Jin Jun was speculating about the nature of the notification.

He saw the world within his ocular implant dim, and then his entire field of vision darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, everything around him began to blur and simplify; all objects seemed to transform into a collection of mosaics.

In an instant, everyone felt as if they had been dragged into another dark, hazy world.

Seeing the panic among those around him, Jin Jun waved a hand and said: "Do not be nervous. The school is issuing an important notification, and to accommodate the load on our ocular implants, they have proactively adjusted our field of vision."

The next moment, everyone saw a series of dazzling rays of light erupt.

Heaven-piercing celestial light burst forth, like stars in the darkness, illuminating everyone’s view.

Within the celestial light, clouds and mist swirled, as if all the gods and buddhas of heaven had descended simultaneously to cheer for the world.

In the next instant, massive characters that seemed to touch the sky exploded before everyone’s eyes, filling the heavens and the earth.

Each character was filled with endless mystery and carried countless special effects, causing the ocular implants of some students to stutter slightly.

"Congratulations to Wanfa University, Artifact Refining Department’s Zhang Yu, for not only making rapid progress in the refinement of the Heavenly Sun Radiant God prototype, completing levels 1 through 15 within two months, but also for exquisite craftsmanship, achieving inter-collegiate leading standards in all performance metrics, and ingeniously lowering the cost of refinement..."

"The Military-Grade Artifact Engineering Certification (Class A) is hereby issued. We hope Student Zhang Yu will continue to strive for excellence and achieve further breakthroughs in the path of artifact refining."

Upon seeing this notification, a teacher in another laboratory immediately cursed: "Damn it... making such a huge scene for a military certification; anyone who didn't know better would think he’d won the Top Ten Championship."

But Jin Jun, seeing these words, widened his eyes, a look of utter disbelief flooding his gaze.

"Truly... level 15? It actually reached the level of 15?"

In that instant, Jin Jun, who had just been focused and working with all his might, felt as if all his strength had been drained away, leaving him with no heart to continue the work before him.

It was not just Jin Jun; the vast majority of people in the entire laboratory were dazed at this moment, as if they had not realized that, unknowingly, the project team they belonged to had already headed toward defeat.

Although Su Yunni had been mentally prepared, she was now also filled with a blank expression, feeling the bitterness in her heart: "After spending so much time and effort, did we really lose like this?"

The next moment, Jin Jun looked at the grand notification before him, as if realizing something.

"By making such a huge scene, doesn't everyone now know that he, Zhang Yu, has secured the military certification?"

"It won't be long before everyone knows that I, Jin Jun, lost to him—lost to this guy who transferred from the Civil Engineering Department less than a year ago..."

"Zhang Yu is famous now, but he stepped on my head to get there."

Thinking of this, the mana within Jin Jun surged, the muscles on his body twitched, and his blood began to boil violently.

He could already see his reputation in artifact refining being struck down, his future funding scale shrinking, his loan limits dropping, and even the number of investors dwindling.

...

In another laboratory.

Zhang Yu was sliding his fingers, writing and drawing something in his ocular implant.

Having submitted the prototype and participated in the evaluation, Zhang Yu had already been quite certain that he would pass and secure the military certification; he had not been worried at all these past few days.

However, to him, obtaining the military-grade Heavenly Sun Radiant God was merely a beginning.

"It is now early February. There are about six months left until the Top Ten League in September."

"To win the Top Ten League championship, I must master at least four military-grade powers."

"That is to say, aside from the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power and the soon-to-be-obtained Heavenly Sun Radiant God, I must acquire two more military-grade powers in the remaining half-year."

"But four military-grade powers would at most just barely catch up to the level of Dao Qiankun, Jiutian Liu, and Yan Qianji last year."

"If I want to defeat them this year..."

Zhang Yu recorded in his ocular implant: "It would be best to master 5 military-grade powers."

"Three more in the remaining half-year... is it possible?"

Zhang Yu did not know; he could only try his best.

"Next, I will finish the design competition and secure one military-grade artifact refining technique."

"The Clear Water Golden Crystal Armor should be mostly cracked by then; I will apply to the teacher to refine it."

"Then I will see if I can comprehend anything related to the 'Great Sage Successor' set from it."

"After that, I will choose..."

Zhang Yu listed the available military-grade powers one by one, thinking to himself: "If I want to get three more, it will probably be normal to spend over 500 spirit coins in the next half-year."

"Money is still a bit tight..."

"Well, once I secure the military permit, I shall immediately refine the Heavenly Solar Brilliance to unlock its military-grade performance."

As for what he might do with a level-20 military-grade puppet, Zhang Yu naturally intended to use it to generate wealth; surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to send it off to war?

Combat was a risky business, and Zhang Yu could not bear the thought of risking a puppet that had cost him hundreds of spirit coins to assemble; he would much rather risk his own life in such endeavors.

Just as Zhang Yu was deep in his calculations, his vision suddenly darkened.

The very next moment, the heavens and earth shifted, and the notification announcing the issuance of the military permit slowly manifested before his eyes.

Zhang Yu watched this scene without a hint of shock, for in his view, this was entirely within his expectations. He simply had not anticipated that a mere notification for a military permit would stir up such a massive commotion.

The projection of Master Lianhuo appeared, gazing at Zhang Yu as he remarked, "Student Zhang Yu, I never imagined that in less than a year since transferring departments, you would have already secured a military permit."

"You are truly worthy of being the disciple favored by the Magnetic Pole True Monarch."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Yu accepted the military permit delivered by Master Lianhuo, and the ranking hovering above his head surged violently.

First, his class ranking shot to the top spot, followed by a rapid climb in his departmental ranking, which soared directly to thirteenth place.

Then, as if breaking through a cocoon to be reborn, the text of his departmental ranking was shattered by an invisible force, and a new designation—the university-wide ranking—emerged in its place.

Wanfa University, Undergraduate Division, University-wide Ranking: 44th!

Simultaneously, three options flickered within Zhang Yu’s ocular interface: one to toggle between departmental and university-wide rankings, and two others to display either the university-wide or the departmental ranking exclusively.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment; had he earned this rank as a student of the Security or Logistics departments, he might have chosen to display only the university-wide ranking.

But he was a man who never forgot his roots, so he immediately opted to keep his Artifact Refining Department ranking displayed alongside it.

Observing the emergence of the ranking, Master Lianhuo smiled faintly and offered his congratulations once more: "Congratulations, Student Zhang Yu. By securing this military permit, you have broken into the top fifty of the entire university. From this day forward, your rank shall be visible to all, setting you apart from the common student body."

"Even the patrol squads will now require the authorization of the department head before they can lay a finger on you."

Gazing at the university-wide ranking above his head, Zhang Yu could hardly suppress his own excitement.

At the same time, a flood of messages began to cascade through his ocular interface.

First was a friend request from a student in the Finance Department.

Huai Zhixia: Student Zhang Yu, our firm has noted the shift in your academic standing, and we have decided to revise our previous policies; we now have a new, preferential loan offer for you...

Seeing the message, Zhang Yu offered a faint smile, thinking to himself: "Typical of the Finance Department. Having sensed that my earning potential has skyrocketed, they intend to lift their restrictions and profit from me, do they?"

Artifact Refining Department Secretary: Student Zhang Yu, the department can now provide professional laboratory rentals for students who have mastered military-grade artifact refining, and we can also offer discounts on materials...

Ye Xingli: Junior brother, this is the military-grade student group for the Artifact Refining Department; I am adding you now [Group Link].

Yan Qianji: [Group Link] Junior, this is the group for the top fifty students in the university; you should join as well.