Chapter 581: What a Vile Creature! Daring to Do Construction Work Carelessly!

Chapter 581: What a Vile Beast! Daring to Tamper with Construction!

As one of the top ten elite institutions, Wanfa University’s prowess in its flagship military-grade disciplines is renowned, a fact well known even to Xiang Shan, far away at Sky Demon University.

Ever since Xiang Shan learned he would be leading a project at Wanfa University, he had conducted extensive research into their intelligence files.

He had read detailed accounts of the Weaponry Department’s legendary Taihao Sacred Law Sword Array.

Yet, he never imagined Zhang Yu would be capable of wielding such military-grade power.

Recalling the scenes of Zhang Yu’s recent display, Xiang Shan’s expression grew grave.

“The essence of flying sword cutting is the compression of matter.”

“And the essence of the Taihao Sacred Law Sword Array cutting through the Spirit Realm is using a network of twelve flying swords to compress the ether itself.”

“In ancient times, this Taihao network was known as the Taihao Sword Realm...”

As these thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, Xiang Shan felt surging waves of heat rising from deep beneath the earth.

Tendrils of flame, shaped like massive hands, were struggling to stabilize the trembling ground.

“Beyond compressing the Spirit Realm, the Taihao Sword Realm can transmit power throughout the array’s domain.”

Xiang Shan realized that Zhang Yu was using the array to channel the Heavenly Sun Radiant Flame—the power of a celestial star—directly into the earth, working in tandem with the Sky Kunlun’s mountain-moving strength to steady the terrain.

Meanwhile, with fire raging both above and below, Xiang Shan felt as though he and his classmates had been shoved into a giant oven, the temperature of their very blood and flesh steadily climbing.

Xiang Shan roared, “Zhang Yu! Do you intend to burn down our Sky Demon University construction site? If you burn a single demon-kin to death today, I will report you directly to the Chancellor of Wanfa University!”

Zhang Yu’s voice drifted down from the sky, calm and indifferent: “The ley lines are unstable, hindering construction. I am merely suppressing them; it will be over soon. Everyone, please bear with it.”

Xiang Shan never expected a shout to stop his opponent. With a shift of his internal mana, he activated his leased military-grade Dharma remains—the Heavenly Elephant Bone.

In an instant, dark clouds roiled across the sky, thunder cracked, and a torrential downpour began to lash the earth.

Of course, this was not a natural climate shift managed by the gods, but a localized weather manipulation forced by a military-grade artifact, yet its power was not to be underestimated.

As the rain poured down, the heat waves that had been sweeping the site began to subside.

“Hmph? Rain?” Zhang Yu sneered. “Then I shall burn this sky dry.”

The next moment, with a frantic output of mana, the Heavenly Sun Radiant Flame beneath the floating island began to devour the mountain rock, the fire swelling until it shone like a second sun in the sky, emitting a blinding, scorching glare.

Simultaneously, dragons of fire darted through the sword array, flashing deep underground like surging, molten lava.

Witnessing this, Xiang Shan sneered, his qi and blood erupting as a pair of white fangs grew from his jaw: “Let’s see how long you can keep burning!”

In a blink, the rain intensified, accompanied by a biting cold front that turned the downpour into a mix of sleet and snow.

Xiang Shan and Zhang Yu clashed with water and fire, turning the entire site into a colossal steamer; the workers were caught in the middle, shivering one moment and scorching the next.

Amidst the fierce struggle, Xiang Shan couldn't help but lament: “To think that over a year ago, Zhang Yu was fleeing from me in terror, only winning by a hair through schemes—he has almost caught up to me.”

“The Weaponry Department... it truly has an advantage over the Civil Engineering Department. If we meet again in a few months, I fear even I will be unable to contend with him.”

“This is, indeed, the best chance to crush him.”

With that thought, Xiang Shan exerted his full strength, pushing his cultivation and Dharma remains to their limits.

Just then, he felt a chilling, sinister sensation sweep through his body, like a basin of ice water dumped over his head, causing his very qi and blood to sink.

“This is...”

Xiang Shan checked his internal metrics; his body temperature hadn't dropped at all. The cold was a psychological illusion.

“It’s Sword Intent.”

Xiang Shan suddenly recalled the description of the Taihao Moral Sword Intent within the array.

“The Taihao Moral Sword Intent is the array’s method for locking onto targets.”

He knew that if used to track the physical location of inanimate matter, it was neither powerful nor precise.

But if it swept across a human body, across a living soul...

“Once caught by the intent, in the eyes of the array-master, we shine as clearly as torches in the dark...”

“And the greater the power of the Taihao Moral Sword Intent, the more persistent it becomes, and the harder it is to purge.”

At the same time, Xiang Shan felt the intense hostility within the intent, clinging to him like a festering sore. Even with his cultivation and the firmness of his Daoist heart, it would likely take minutes of focused effort to purge.

Feeling that monstrous malice, Xiang Shan confirmed one thing in his heart.

“The refinement of the Taihao Moral Sword Intent is tied to the practitioner’s moral standards.”

“Zhang Yu’s intent holds such malice toward demon-kin... This guy truly harbors deep discrimination against us.”

At this moment, the demon-kin on the site felt as if they were pinned by countless sharp blades, their vital points exposed; one wrong move, and they would be torn to shreds.

Seeing the flood of alerts and pleas for help from his classmates and colleagues, Xiang Shan shouted: “Don’t be afraid! Zhang Yu doesn’t dare kill demons! He’s just trying to scare us!”

Though he said this, Xiang Shan knew that being held at knifepoint during negotiations—even if you know the opponent won't kill you—inevitably puts you at a disadvantage, forcing you into a submissive psychological state.

Moreover, in Xiang Shan’s view, Zhang Yu’s intent was so overtly hostile toward demon-kin that it was all the more terrifying.

He quickly added: “Have you forgotten the insurance you bought before coming here?”

Xiang Shan: “If you die, you get paid! What are you afraid of?”

Xiang Shan: “Once you’re rich, why fear death?”

The insurance Xiang Shan spoke of was the policy sold to the demon-kin by Wanfa University’s Finance Department before the project began.

Hearing this, the demon-kin, who had been trembling under the pressure of the Sword Intent, suddenly straightened their spines, as if bolstered by a new strength, and stood proudly against the oppression.

“Come on! If you have the guts, kill me!”

“Zhang Yu, you human-supremacist!”

“Senior Xiang Shan! If you can’t hold on, use me as a foundation sacrifice!”

The demon-kin joined the fray, working with Xiang Shan to counter the environmental changes brought by Zhang Yu.

Seeing the demons united and fearless under the pressure of Zhang Yu, the demon-hater, Xiang Shan laughed triumphantly: “Zhang Yu! Do you see? You cannot scare us.”

“The anthem of the demon-kin is the anthem of courage; the greatness of the demon-kin is the greatness of courage!”

“Sky Demon will prevail!”

Watching the demon-kin below acting as if they had been injected with adrenaline, convinced they had already won, Zhang Yu’s lips curled. He pressed his sword-fingers downward, and shadows of blades flickered in the air.

As the Taihao Sword Realm surged, the Spirit Realm network was compressed once more.

Xiang Shan felt his connection to his companions stutter; his control over the site flickered in and out; sensors and monitors, dependent on the Spirit Realm signal, struggled to remain functional.

At this moment, it was as if a veil had been drawn over his eyes, and everything appeared hazy.

But Xiang Shan did not care; he continued to unleash every ounce of his power, fighting to resist Zhang Yu.

“You want stability? I will turn this world upside down!”

The earth shattered, the geological structure shifting beneath their feet.

Rain and snow fell, repeatedly extinguishing the heat of the flames.

Xiang Shan thought proudly: “Zhang Yu, last time I was too focused on the fight, letting you win a small victory in construction.”

“But today, I control the earth with one hand and the weather with the other—how can you possibly compete with my construction prowess?!”

Sensing Zhang Yu’s strenuous efforts to suppress the ley lines, Xiang Shan let out a thunderous roar, surging his power to even greater heights.

Yet, amidst their repeated, bone-jarring clashes, Xiang Shan felt his opponent’s strength suddenly evaporate, followed by a deafening detonation deep beneath the earth that sent tremors through the ground, intensifying tenfold in an instant.

Xiang Shan offered a faint smile, gazing up at the fading embers in the sky, and let out a long, triumphant cry: "Zhang Yu! Can you no longer hold on?"

"You have lost!"

"You have been defeated by the very demon-kin you despise and look down upon!"

Xiang Shan exclaimed with fervor, "I shall expose everything that happened today! I will let the world know that you, a master of artifact forging from Ten-Thousand Laws University, were bested by me, a student of civil engineering from Sky-Demon University! And I will make it known just how much you loathe our kind!"

Watching Xiang Shan soar toward the heavens, Zhang Yu replied indifferently, "The one who has lost is you."

Xiang Shan faltered for a moment, his first instinct being that he was a "demon" and not a "man," wondering if Zhang Yu’s choice of words was a deliberate slight or a mere slip of the tongue.

Then, he pondered what Zhang Yu could possibly mean by defeat.

Before Xiang Shan could react, divine shadows flickered across the firmament.

A True Deity glared down at him, bellowing, "You wretched beast! How dare you conduct such reckless construction and pollute the groundwater!"

Xiang Shan was momentarily stunned: "Pollute the groundwater?"

He looked at the deity before him, recognizing him as Deng Bingding, and stammered, "Lord Deng, I..."

"What 'I'?" Deng Bingding snapped coldly. "Do you think this is still your Sky-Demon University, where you can pollute at will without consequence?"

"Are you unaware that a medicinal herb field lies but a few kilometers away? If the groundwater is tainted and even the slightest damage is dealt to those crops, selling you off wouldn't cover the debt!"

At that moment, as Zhang Yu retracted his sword realm, Xiang Shan’s senses finally swept across the construction site.

Only then did he realize that, at some point, vast quantities of paint, wastewater, discarded building materials, and foundation piles had been funneled directly into the subterranean water table.

Xiang Shan understood in a flash: Zhang Yu had intentionally withdrawn his suppression of the ley lines, goading him into shattering the bedrock and allowing the pollutants to seep into the depths.

But these materials should have been stored securely according to protocol; how could they have leaked so easily?

(End of chapter)