Chapter 620: Zhang Yu, Desired by Everyone

Chapter 620: Zhang Yu, Coveted by All

“Zhang Yu, since my brother failed to deal with you, I shall crush you thoroughly in this round and make you swallow the bitter fruit of discriminating against demon-blooded beings.”

As Ying Zhoufan finished speaking, every human present stirred simultaneously, nearly scrambling to position themselves between Zhang Yu and Ying Zhoufan.

Ling Pojun was the first to speak up, blurting out, “Hold on—those words can’t just go unchallenged!”

Another voice rang out, “How dare you! Ying Zhoufan, you have no right to spout such nonsense here!”

Yet another called out, “Zhang Yu, don’t worry—I’ve got your back in this match! Stick with me, and no one will lay a finger on you.”

Xue Jiuyou from Youming University approached Zhang Yu’s side and said, “Zhang Yu, it truly is wrong to discriminate against demon-kind. For the sake of harmony between humans and demons, you ought to apologize to those demon-blooded individuals you’ve harmed.”

Zhang Yu watched Xue Jiuyou approach, recalling clearly how he and another student from Baigu University had been defeated in the previous round by his and Bai Zhenzhen’s combined efforts.

Observing Ling Pojun, Xue Jiuyou, and the others, Zhang Yu saw through their intentions with perfect clarity.

These elite students from various universities—how expert they were at profiting! How keenly they understood the value of attention and traffic!

The moment Ying Zhoufan spoke, they instantly recognized that the coming clash between him and Zhang Yu would generate extraordinary buzz—and unleash astonishing opportunities for cultivation advancement.

Ling Pojun’s heart roared inwardly, “We cultivators cannot afford to ignore such divine opportunities! How could we not fight for them? How could we not seize them?”

Looking around, Zhang Yu saw students’ faces twisted with righteous indignation, mouths agape, expressions ferocious, bodies tensed, or radiating dazzling special effects.

To Ling Pojun, they resembled a pack of beasts scenting blood—frenziedly lunging toward Zhang Yu to tear into him. And he himself was one among them.

Just as they surged forward to hijack attention, just as rehearsed lines for riding the wave of hype formed in their minds, just as their lips parted to speak—

A sharp rebuke cut through the air, forcibly silencing everyone mid-sentence.

Then, a golden figure descended from the sky, countless advertisements bursting forth from its body, weaving together into cascades of celestial light and ethereal music, exuding overwhelming opulence and majesty.

Accompanied by floating subtitles, a voice emanated from the golden figure: “Spiritual power is the pivot of Daoist arts, the master key to all techniques. Only by storing myriad methods can one wield myriad methods.”

“Instead of pointless quarrels before the match, why not focus on cultivating your spiritual power, so you may unleash it fully during the competition?”

Seeing the three giant characters “Fali Bao” projected in the air, Zhang Yu immediately realized this newcomer had just secured an endorsement deal with Fali Bao.

Ling Pojun glanced at the arrival and thought grimly, “Jiutian Liu—the second-ranked student from Wanfa University, Department of Finance.”

Recalling the profiles of the top eleven teams, Ling Pojun knew Jiutian Liu ranked among them thanks to his high capture count and served as team captain, having recently assembled a squad exclusively from finance students across universities.

Now that Jiutian Liu had interrupted their momentum, Ling Pojun felt as though something vital had been ripped away from him—a hollow emptiness gnawing at his chest.

He cursed inwardly, “This bastard didn’t just steal the spotlight and the hype—he even siphoned off our fortune!”

“If I have to compete with him for Zhang Yu’s attention now… the difficulty just skyrocketed.”

At that moment, a flirtatious laugh echoed from the sky. A towering figure descended onto the beach.

Zhang Yu turned and stared at the imposing silhouette, his eyes narrowing again. “Mu Qiansi—the top student from Hehuan University. Damn it… is this person even male or female?”

Upon looking slightly longer, Zhang Yu’s vision flooded with promotional photos, videos, and tutoring ads featuring Mu Qiansi.

“What filth!” Zhang Yu muttered under his breath and quickly turned away, refusing to look further.

The top student of Hehuan University let out a delicate giggle, swept her gaze over the crowd, and finally locked eyes with Zhang Yu.

Mu Qiansi licked her lips and thought to herself, “Isn’t this the very Zhang Yu that Kuang Tianqing couldn’t even devour? If I manage to swallow him whole, wouldn’t that showcase Hehuan University’s prowess—and rake in massive attention?”

With that thought, Mu Qiansi raised her muscular arm, covered her mouth with a coy smile, and said, “Little brother Zhang Yu, care for some pre-match relaxation?”

Ying Zhoufan let out a furious roar, his draconic aura shaking the air as he barked, “Woman, are you trying to steal my prey?”

Mu Qiansi replied coolly, “Dragon-demon, when humans speak, what gives you the right to interrupt?”

Jiutian Liu interjected coldly, “You two—I won’t allow you to bully someone from our Wanfa University.”

Feeling the oppressive auras of these three top-tier prodigies, the other students grew solemn, realizing these three would be their most fearsome rivals in the upcoming trial.

And standing right between them, Zhang Yu felt like a piece of Tang Sanzang’s flesh—not just Ying Zhoufan and Mu Qiansi, but nearly everyone, including Ling Pojun and Xue Jiuyou, wanted a bite of his attention and traffic.

“Is this how Kuang Tianqing and Brother Dao felt? Coveted by all… no…”

“They possessed enough strength to deter such brazenness.”

“But I… in their eyes, I’m neither strong nor wealthy enough. They see me as someone who only managed to trap Kuang Tianqing through others’ sacrifices and sheer desperation.”

“In their minds, I’m all hype and no substance—that’s why they dare act so recklessly.”

At this realization, a faint smile curled Zhang Yu’s lips. He thought, “You want attention, do you?”

Having just devoured massive amounts of attention and traffic from Kuang Tianqing in the last team match, Zhang Yu now felt fresh ambition and desire rising within him.

“Then let’s stir the pot.”

“Let’s see, in the end, who truly devours whom.”

“I want to defeat Kuang Tianqing. I want to surpass Dao Qiankun. I want to claim the title of Number One among the Ten Universities.”

“If I don’t devour each of you first, how can I ever catch up to them? How can I fulfill my ambition?”

With that thought, Zhang Yu’s lips curved upward as he looked directly at Ying Zhoufan and began, “You…”

From within the sword sheath came Hu Yuntao’s voice: “Wretched beast.”

Zhang Yu continued, “Do you really think victory is yours?”

Ying Zhoufan blinked, nearly certain he’d misheard. “You—!”

Hu Yuntao again: “Wretched beast.”

Zhang Yu declared, “I will win this round. Anyone who stands in my way dies.”

Mu Qiansi chuckled softly, “So bold! Little brother Zhang Yu, let big sister…”

Zhang Yu snapped, “I have no interest in ugly people. Don’t bother me.”

Everyone present stood stunned by Zhang Yu’s words.

Ling Pojun thought silently, “He aims to take first place in this round?! Where does he get such confidence?”

Ying Zhoufan raged inwardly, “Scum! This scum dares to practice demon-blood discrimination right before my eyes?!”

Mu Qiansi’s eyes widened in fury. “Me… ugly?”

In the next instant, they all realized the same thing: “He’s doing this on purpose—he’s using us to reverse-engineer hype!”

Even Jiutian Liu’s eyes flickered with surprise. He mused, “Actively courting controversy? Arrogant, human-supremacist cultivator who can’t tell beauty from ugliness—actually, not bad character traits.”

“Of course, that’s only if he doesn’t get utterly crushed in the upcoming match.”

“Can Zhang Yu pull it off?”

As Zhang Yu’s words hung in the air, Ying Zhoufan, Mu Qiansi, and the others gazed at him with even greater hunger, eager to devour the attention clinging to him in the trials ahead.

Moments later, as the match officially commenced, a luminous screen materialized before them, projecting the scene of the first challenge.

Contestants advanced under assault from eighteen Mighty Asura Demons.

Yan Qianji led the charge, his modified Tianri Huangshen splitting into over a hundred fiery puppets that swarmed outward.

Yan Qianji mused, “Ah, with this fragmentation, even junior soul cultivators can handle it now—the operational cost has plummeted.”

He sighed wistfully, “So this is the joy of achieving expensive results cheaply—the pleasure of being ‘inferior’?”

Next came the second trial: Moving Mountains. Contestants had to carry entire peaks to designated locations.

Tiansheng Gong drove rows of living stakes into a mountain, then activated a colossal puppet that unleashed terrestrial gravitational force—instantly uprooting the entire peak.

He roared inwardly, “Go! Tian Sheng Gong—you were born a prodigy of artifact forging. Plagiarism comes as naturally to you as breathing; stitching together designs is as effortless as dressing or eating. You are destined to blaze brilliantly in the world of artifact crafting, making everyone wield Jihu-brand gear and become true Jihu Men.”

Then came the third trial: stealth. Under a sky filled with probing flying swords, he evaded attacks and slipped forward unseen.

On the beach, the gathered crowd watched the competition unfold while waiting for their teammates to arrive.

Suddenly, a surging tide of battle aura drew ever closer—until a black blur streaked across the heavens like an ink-black thread, hurtling straight before them.

It was Kuang Tianqing, who had finished the third trial first, her speed unmatched by any.

Without ceremony, she tossed the relay orb to Xue Jiuyou, who surged into the water in a trail of crimson shadow.

Kuang Tianqing’s gaze swept the scene, finally settling on Zhang Yu. She messaged him privately: “Mortal scum, you’re mine to devour—don’t get torn apart before I reach you.”

Zhang Yu replied: “Don’t worry. I’ll swallow them whole… then come find you.”

Kuang Tianqing laughed. “Good. See that you do.”

Several minutes after Kuang Tianqing’s arrival, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly materialized before the group—second to complete the trial, empowered by her Divine Spirit Root.

She handed the relay orb to her teammate, Yu Yunzhan—the fourth-ranked student from Tianjian University—who merged sword and body into one, transforming into a blade of light that shot beneath the waves.

Bai Zhenzhen then turned toward Zhang Yu, still waiting for his teammate. “Yu-zi,” she said, “I heard from Yu Yunzhan.”

Her eyes scanned the entire beach, then locked fiercely onto Ying Zhoufan and Mu Qiansi, who were awaiting their turn to relay. Brimming with killing intent, she declared, “You two—if you dare harm Zhang Yu, I won’t let you off lightly.”

She looked directly at Zhang Yu. “Yu-zi, if they insult you, record it and send it to me. Whatever they do to you, I’ll make them repay it tenfold.”

“Remember—always record.”

After warning Ying Zhoufan and Mu Qiansi and reminding Zhang Yu yet again, Bai Zhenzhen reluctantly departed.

Not long after, amidst flickering lights and shadows, Ye Xingli arrived on the beach clad in a full set of stealth-focused Fa-Huai armor. She passed the relay orb to Ling Pojun.

Waving toward Zhang Yu, she spoke under the live broadcast lens while glancing at her Poor Man Simulator: “Hang in there, junior brother—you’ve got this!”

She then blew him a heart-shaped gesture with her fingers.

Another minute passed before Zhang Yu finally saw Wen Rongjue, his own teammate, appear.

Taking the relay orb without a word, Zhang Yu immediately activated the Heaven-Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Strength, swept up his sword case, and plunged into the water.

Watching him vanish, Mu Qiansi smiled. “Little brother Zhang Yu, go ahead and run—I’ll be right behind you soon.”

Ying Zhoufan gave a cold laugh, his draconic eyes silently tracking Zhang Yu’s figure until it disappeared deep beneath the waves.

(End of Chapter)