Chapter 639: Core Secret of the Finance Department

Chapter 639: The Core Secret of the Finance Department

Spiritual energy in the atmosphere converged frantically under the will of Jiu Tianliu; as he pointed a finger, it was as if the energy and the air itself were detonated, and a surging shockwave erupted violently, centered on Zhang Yu's figure.

Amidst an earth-shattering explosion, hundreds of thousands of tons of mud and sand shot into the sky, transforming into billowing clouds of dust that scattered in all directions.

At the epicenter of the blast, only a massive crater remained, as if it had been struck by a meteorite from beyond the heavens.

As for Zhang Yu, his figure had long since vanished, as though he had been utterly erased by that single strike.

With the unfolding of this scene, the aura surrounding Jiu Tianliu surged ever higher, while countless reflections of Zhang Yu flickered within his eyes.

Among these visions was one where Zhang Yu had actively intercepted the blow with an aura clone, while his true self burrowed deep underground.

"Hmph, you dodged my strike... but what good does it do? It is merely prolonging your inevitable demise..."

Within Jiu Tianliu's military-grade ocular implant, myriad silhouettes of Zhang Yu flashed back and forth, future predictions generated from Zhang Yu's personal model, revealing every possible outcome for him on this battlefield.

"A dying struggle."

As he spoke, Jiu Tianliu straightened his spine, and the earth trembled violently; his skyrocketing aura seemed poised to shake the heavens and earth, demanding that all creation bow before him.

He pointed his finger once more, dense spiritual energy coalescing in the atmosphere, while his ocular implant had already locked onto the most probable subterranean location of Zhang Yu.

At the same time, Zhang Yu's gaze shifted slightly, and he thought to himself, "Normally speaking, taking hits passively is not a worthwhile trade."

Even with the blessing of the Earth and Wood Sacred Body, which granted him increasingly potent resistance as his injuries worsened, he felt that absorbing blows passively was hardly a sound strategy.

For once severely wounded, although his defensive prowess would grow stronger, his overall condition, bodily functions, and capabilities across the board would inevitably decline.

If he were stalling for time against Kuang Tianqing as before, or locked in a desperate struggle with Ying Mingchi like in the last match, that would be the perfect opportunity to utilize the Earth and Wood Sacred Body, where taking damage not only boosted his defense but also inflicted greater losses on his opponent.

But facing Jiu Tianliu, could passively taking hits inflict any damage on his foe? Could he drag his opponent down into decline alongside his own deteriorating state?

Until he was certain, Zhang Yu adopted a strategy of evasion and stealth, rather than bracing head-on against his opponent's peak-surpassing strike.

Yet in the very next moment, accompanied by a thunderous explosion of spiritual energy around him, Zhang Yu burst fiercely from the earth, a sudden realization striking his mind: "The power of Jiu Tianliu's attacks... has it grown stronger?"

A line of polling data surfaced within Jiu Tianliu's ocular implant.

Eighty percent of the audience believed Jiu Tianliu would emerge victorious!

Clearly, just moments ago, when Jiu Tianliu unleashed his peak strike and forced Zhang Yu to retreat underground, his approval rating had surged once again.

And this skyrocketing approval brought a corresponding surge in his destiny, which in turn catalyzed the growth of his strength.

At this moment, the military-grade martial art of the Finance Department that Jiu Tianliu was driving—the Formless Grand Handprint of Primordial Qi, which generated destructive power by burning destiny and spiritual energy—grew ever more vast and formidable in its might.

Simultaneously, the military-grade ocular implant had already locked down every possible avenue of retreat for Zhang Yu.

The boundless spiritual energy between heaven and earth was leveraged by Jiu Tianliu's will; as his destiny burned fiercely, it transformed into a pair of invisible, colossal hands, poised to crush Zhang Yu within their grasp.

With this explosive grip, a strike surpassing the very pinnacle of power would tear his opponent utterly to shreds.

This strike was not merely the culmination of Jiu Tianliu's gathered power since the battle began, but the fruition of preparations stretching back much, much further, long before the Ten Great Tournaments had even commenced.

For this single strike, Jiu Tianliu had prepared for far too long, and invested far too much...

...

Just before the Ten Great Tournaments began.

In the Spirit Realm conference room of the Finance Department at Wanfa University.

"My market positioning... competitive sector... product packaging... success rate... return on investment..."

As projection after projection materialized, Jiu Tianliu was once again presenting his report to the numerous Nascent Soul realm instructors and his own Deity Transformation master, striving to secure even more investments for the Ten Great Tournaments.

Following this meeting, several more investment intentions were finalized, causing Jiu Tianliu's immortal dao potential to grow once more.

Although the investments upon him multiplied and his spirit coins grew ever more abundant, Jiu Tianliu always harbored a lingering feeling that the department had not truly thrown its full support behind him.

He sent a message, in his capacity as a believer of the Evil God, respectfully inquiring of the deity.

The Evil God—this was a secret known only to the most core members of the Finance Department.

All selected outstanding students of the Finance Department would travel to an island never disclosed to the public, whose coordinates remained unknown to all, where they would undergo trials and complete a special ritual.

Only those who passed the trials and completed the ritual could come into contact with the Evil God, becoming its believers, and after having their potential unleashed, they would become core members of the Finance Department.

As generation after generation of outstanding members matured, these individuals spread across every crucial position in the financial sector, becoming a terrifying force hidden within the shadows of the Finance Department.

In response to Jiu Tianliu's inquiry, the Evil God simply replied: Do you think we would possibly invest only in you?

Soon, Jiu Tianliu discovered that over the past half-year, the Finance Department had made investments in Vajra, Immortal Armament, Heavenly Sword, and even universities like Heavenly Demon, Netherworld, Dual Joy, and White Bone.

"Diversifying the portfolio? I suppose that makes sense; one must never put all their investments in a single basket."

Though somewhat regretful, Jiu Tianliu was not overly surprised; no matter who won... the Finance Department had to win, for the Finance Department always stood with the victor—that was its very tenet. As for investing in universities like Heavenly Demon and Netherworld, which might lower the win rate of Wanfa students? To Jiu Tianliu, that mattered even less.

Wanfa is Wanfa, finance is finance, and an investment is an investment—this was a truth understood by every student in the Finance Department of Wanfa University.

But with the commencement of the Ten Great Tournaments, something unexpected happened to Jiu Tianliu.

Jin Guangyuan, the former second-place student of the Finance Department who had been expelled due to the Dual Cultivation Sect incident, contacted him.

Jin Guangyuan: "Senior brother, this month's spirit coins haven't been transferred to me."

Jiu Tianliu frowned: "Didn't I tell you not to contact us unless it's important?"

"Fine, I'll look into the matter of the spirit coins for you."

At that moment, Jiu Tianliu realized that a portion of the Finance Department's funds had encountered issues; the withdrawal and circulation of certain spirit coins had unexpectedly stalled.

"Massive amounts of spirit coins have been transferred out?!"

Realizing this, Jiu Tianliu felt his heart pound with dread.

He understood that the Finance Department's money was not merely its own, but comprised countless deposits, loans, investments, and debts... yet now, all of it had been spent.

It was as if a supreme powerhouse had suddenly maxed out every loan, incurred colossal debts, and then exhausted all of their own strength.

What could the Finance Department possibly do having exhausted all its power?

And what manner of event could compel the Finance Department to expend such total effort?

Burdened with a mind full of questions, Jiu Tianliu went to ask his master, Lord Jinque, only to find him locked in a cold standoff with Dao Qiankun, seemingly embroiled in a massive conflict.

Jiu Tianliu guessed inwardly: "Is it over the matter of choosing the immortal sect techniques?"

The two parties seemed to part on bitter terms, and Lord Jinque offered no answer to Jiu Tianliu's questions, merely telling him to focus on the tournament and not overthink.

Yet the very next day, news of Dao Qiankun's death spread throughout the upper echelons.

"Dao Qiankun... was he killed?"

Jiu Tianliu was secretly shocked: "Was he dealt with by my master and the others?"

Immediately after... aside from the Finance Department of Wanfa University, the finance departments of other universities also initiated similar maneuvers, and massive amounts of spirit coins began to flow.

This was a power that transcended the schools, the action of the Kunlun Council, which comprised a total of eight Deity Transformation committee members.

Within it, Jiu Tianliu sensed a majestic might that surpassed any single school among the Ten Greats.

He could perceive that the spirit coins amassed within were enough to turn the entire world within the ten layers of Kunxu completely upside down.

Jiu Tianliu did not know exactly where this majestic might was being directed; he only knew that merely a fraction of this power diverted to him had caused his popularity to skyrocket over the past week.

"The world is on the brink of a monumental shift; this is the most chaotic of eras, yet it is also the very best of times."

"The greater the risk, the richer the reward; this shall be the finest opportunity of my entire life."

As the sole finance major remaining among the top eight contenders, Jiu Tianliu had further secured the formidable backing of the Kunlun Society.

Under the Kunlun Society's orchestration, his promotions and advertisements blanketed all ten great academies, with countless souls scrambling to bolster his odds of victory while a torrential tide of spirit coins swirled in his wake.

He had ascended to an unprecedented zenith, and he needed only to vanquish the Zhang Yu before him to surge from this pinnacle toward an even greater height.

...

"Zhang Yu, become the nourishment that feeds my ascent, and bear me unto the throne!"

Upon the battlefield at this very hour, confronted by a Jiu Tianliu whose fame and fortune had surged anew as he unleashed his ultimate killing art, Zhang Yu did not evade; instead, he stepped boldly forth, choosing to meet the onslaught head-on.

As the shifts in Jiu Tianliu's aura flashed through his mind, Zhang Yu mused in silence, "With the first strike spent, the second carries even more devastating force."

"Just as I suspected, his strength swells with the convergence of destiny; the more he dominates the field, the more the crowd believes in his triumph, and the higher his acclaim rises, the more formidable his power becomes."

"To keep evading would only feed his growing might."

"I must not allow his momentum to surge any further."

Yet even as his foe grew stronger through the gathering of fate's favor, Zhang Yu felt not alarm but a surge of quiet joy, for this very shift confirmed a crucial piece of intelligence he had gathered regarding the finance faction.

"If he grows stronger by seizing the advantage in battle, then it stands to reason... he shall likewise grow weaker as that advantage slips from his grasp."

Even as these thoughts raced through his mind, Zhang Yu let loose a thunderous roar, "Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor, manifest before me!"

A dragon's roar echoed across the heavens as torrential floods surged violently from the deepest bowels of the earth.

Amidst the raging torrents, the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor materialized, accompanied by four resplendent dragon shadows bathed in brilliant golden light.

(End of Chapter)