Chapter 656: The Strongest Undergraduate Student (8,300 words, two chapters combined, short of)

Chapter 656: The Strongest Undergraduate (8300+ words, two chapters combined, 600+ short of three)

Wanfa University.

A multitude of students were studying and working while simultaneously watching the decisive battle between Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing.

After all, for many students, merely observing this battle was a form of learning in itself.

In the classroom, Gongshu Jin watched the image of Zhang Yu through his ocular implant, silently wondering, "Can Zhang Yu win?"

At the construction site on the 671st floor, the live feed of the former civil engineering student Zhang Yu's decisive battle was projected directly into the air.

Shi Huaiyu watched the battle with a flushed face, her ocular implant constantly refreshing the currency and stock price fluctuations of Wanfa, shouting in her heart, "Go, Zhang Yu! Drive the currency prices back up from the crash after Dao Qiankun's death!"

Meanwhile, in the Civil Engineering Department's office.

Director Gao was also watching the fight between Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing.

Throughout the battle, he continuously sent updates from the battlefield to the secluded True Lord Ciji, including various screenshots and text messages.

Although True Lord Ciji remained oblivious to the outside world during her seclusion, Director Gao still hoped she would see the news of Zhang Yu in the Top Ten League the moment she emerged.

Director Gao: Zhang Yu has successfully set up the formation, and Kuang Tianqing is starting to dismantle it...

Director Gao: The golden cores are scrapped, both of them have taken out new ones to replace them...

Director Gao: Swapped cores again.

Director Gao: Zhang Yu's dragon beasts are exhausted...

Director Gao: Kuang Tianqing's dual cultivation power seems to be running out...

Watching the live broadcast beside him, Tu Lishan sighed, "They've been fighting fiercely for nearly ten hours. I never expected Zhang Yu to make it this far."

"It's been less than two months since the Top Ten League began, and he has truly caught up to Kuang Tianqing's level?"

Sitting nearby, Director Gao watched and said, "Over these past two months, his strength has indeed improved tremendously."

"The Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor refined for him by Ciji allows him to rapidly alter the environment, and the dragon beasts he breeds can both assist in combat and help with construction. Over these ten hours, through the magical duel of building and destroying grand formations, he has drained a considerable amount of Kuang Tianqing's energy."

Director Gao was unaware that Zhang Yu also practiced the dark art of the Demon Sage's Myriad Changes Divine Scripture; in his view, Zhang Yu simply possessed an extraordinary talent for controlling and breeding demon beasts, commanding them with perfect precision in every battle.

"Then there are the Seven Extinctions Dharma Remains modified for him by seven Nascent Soul masters from the Artifact Refining Department, which not only enhanced the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power but also included a move that links with other military-grade forces to drive the Immortal Dao Sun."

"This Immortal Dao Sun seems to have evolved again; after small-scale application, it can be cast more frequently, and its destructive power remains sufficient to threaten Kuang Tianqing."

"Coupled with the Core-Shattering Method he recently mastered with the principal's support, although it appears to be only at the tenth level and not as perfect as Kuang Tianqing's, it has already reached the Foundation Establishment level, enough to contend with her..."

Tu Lishan added from the side, "But the most crucial factor is still that sword."

Looking with a hint of envy at the spiraling longsword in Zhang Yu's hand, Tu Lishan said, "Relying solely on Zhang Yu's own abilities, he would ultimately still fall short of Kuang Tianqing."

"But this sword can be said to have gathered the entire wealth of that top genius from Heavenly Sword University, transforming her cultivation, dharma remains, and divine spirit root into this blade, infusing it with the devastating power of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao."

"Before and after taking up the sword, Zhang Yu's comprehensive strength is like that of two completely different people."

"With this longsword, every strike he makes can threaten Kuang Tianqing, capable of breaking the Heavenly Demon Void Method, the Xuanming Return to Ruins Art, and the Curse Heaven Myriad Demon Throne. Although heavily weakened, he can at least wound her..."

Though he constantly voiced his envy of the destructive power and strength boost brought by the spiraling longsword, Tu Lishan knew clearly that he wasn't just envious of the sword's inherent value.

What he felt more envious of, it seemed, was that Zhang Yu had someone willing to make such a sacrifice for him.

Tu Lishan couldn't help but think, "What exactly did Zhang Yu do to this Bai Zhenzhen? Did he borrow a lot of spirit coins? Or has he been giving her free dual cultivation? Or is Bai Zhenzhen Zhang Yu's child? Is he her father or her mother? But the ages don't match up..."

Tu Lishan thought it over and over, but couldn't figure it out.

Listening to Tu Lishan's analysis, Director Gao remained silent.

He recalled his past admonitions to Zhang Yu, hoping he would stay away from Bai Zhenzhen, away from that madwoman who practiced the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.

He never expected that in this Top Ten League, Bai Zhenzhen would display such transcendent strength, not only pushing the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao to a pinnacle capable of threatening Kuang Tianqing, but also sacrificing herself, turning her body into a sword to help Zhang Yu win the championship.

And after one person and one sword stepped onto the battlefield together, it was as if a mysterious reaction occurred; Zhang Yu's own strength seemed to rise a notch, and the endurance of the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi surged repeatedly.

With a complex expression, Director Gao thought to himself, "Betting her life to help Zhang Yu in this battle... the relationship between these two is deeper than I imagined."

"Especially after the union of man and sword, setting aside the destructive power of the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi, his own combat power has seen a shocking surge, I'm afraid..."

Director Gao naturally didn't know the inside story of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen swapping spirit roots, nor that the dual spirit roots had merged into one after Zhang Yu took up the sword, continuously influencing and enhancing each other, let alone that the Yu Spirit Root and Zhen Spirit Root were currently enhancing the effects of Zhang Yu's Chain Spell Diagram set.

Thus, in Director Gao's view...

"Could it be... that it's not just Bai Zhenzhen who practices the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao?" Director Gao thought silently. "Did Zhang Yu also secretly practice it? Is that why the union of the two swords has such power? Was it orchestrated by the Seven Emotions Divine Lord?"

Thinking of this, Director Gao felt a wave of helplessness in his heart.

Just then, in the live broadcast, Kuang Tianqing's aura surged repeatedly, instantly approaching the Golden Core realm infinitely, and she even detonated her golden core and physical body, launching her ultimate strike toward Zhang Yu.

Watching this scene, Director Gao's gaze sharpened, and he thought, "A true life-risking strike."

"Detonating the golden core and the physical body, this kind of move is perfectly suited to be paired with the Netherworld Disintegration Method for an attack."

"Kuang Tianqing's experience in this area far surpasses Zhang Yu's to begin with; using this as the final strike in a head-on clash means dragging Zhang Yu into the arena where she excels."

"Through ten continuous hours of fierce fighting, she has been waiting for this final opportunity."

"Now, even if Zhang Yu also bets his life and fights by detonating himself, he absolutely cannot match the seasoned Kuang Tianqing in this regard."

Watching this, Director Gao couldn't help but wonder, "How will Zhang Yu block this?"

...

On the battlefield.

Watching Kuang Tianqing lunging to kill, Zhang Yu's expression was calmer than ever before.

For some reason, he recalled his conversation with Fuji.

That was a conversation he had after copying the Dao Seed from Dao Qiankun.

Upon gaining the power of the Immortal's Descendant and possessing that spatial ability, Zhang Yu had felt shocked.

Simply because ever since arriving in Kunxu, throughout his journey, Zhang Yu had never seen the application of Immortal Dao technology in space.

Storage rings, storage treasures, spatial attacks, spatial distortions... Zhang Yu had never seen any of them.

No... Zhang Yu suddenly remembered that he had seen it.

When traveling from the first layer of Kunxu to the second, there was a drastic spatial change, and the technology applied there should have been related to space.

But that was all; he had never encountered space-related powers at the university, nor was there even a place to study them.

"Spatial technology must be something profoundly advanced."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "If spatial technology were to become widely disseminated, the world would probably undergo a massive change again."

Therefore, after obtaining the power of the "Immortal's Descendant" and mastering the supreme ability to open a ten-cubic-meter space, Zhang Yu was somewhat puzzled.

Especially after sensing the information within the Dao Seed, he felt even more hesitant.

So he thought of Fuji.

"Fuji, if one possesses the ability to open up space, how do you think it should be used in Kunxu?"

This was how Zhang Yu had asked Fuji.

Hearing Zhang Yu's question, Fuji replied casually, "Are you kidding? To alter the spatial structure of Kunxu, how high would the authority have to be? How high the status?"

Zhang Yu's heart stirred, and he asked, "How high?"

Fu Ji said, "Stop daydreaming. The thirty-six levels of Kunxu are a spatial structure designed and forged by the Immortals, set in stone and immutable. Do you really think anyone can just tamper with it at will?"

"Theoretically speaking, all space within Kunxu is the property of the Immortals, merely lent to you for free. Do you think they'd let you hack away at it and remodel it to your heart's content?"

"If that were truly possible, believe it or not, within a few years, all sorts of corporations would have expanded Kunxu to well over three hundred and sixty-five levels..."

Listening to Fu Ji's reply, Zhang Yu knew his hesitation had been justified, thinking to himself, "As expected, the spatial abilities of an Immortal's descendant cannot be used lightly; once discovered, they will undoubtedly bring trouble."

"And the ten cubic meters of space an Immortal's descendant can open, along with the thirty square centimeters... an opening roughly the size of a fist..."

Sensing the information within the Dao Seed, Zhang Yu mused inwardly, "The significance of these parameters is to prevent the spatial structural changes from being easily detected, serving as a safeguard against spatial probing."

"To safely open a larger space and a wider aperture, one must elevate the Dao Seed of the Immortal's descendant and grasp a higher degree of authority."

It suddenly dawned on Zhang Yu that the ability of an Immortal's descendant was not merely to open space, but to do so covertly; this concealment was of paramount importance.

With this realization, another doubt surged in Zhang Yu's mind.

Zhang Yu asked, "Fu Ji, if that's the case, altering space... is that the domain of the Immortals? Can only they achieve it?"

Fu Ji replied, "A very few Immortal Sect techniques might manage it as well."

Zhang Yu pressed, "What about the Immortals'... disciples? Their offspring? Can the descendants of Immortals do it?"

Fu Ji smiled, "Learning an Immortal Sect technique would allow it, though such techniques must be exceedingly difficult to obtain."

Zhang Yu asked, "Is there no way for an Immortal's descendant to do it directly? For instance, by directly wielding a fraction of the Immortal's authority and power..."

Fu Ji said, "Never heard of it. But if bloodline power were truly tied to space, wouldn't that be going too far?"

"Wouldn't such an Immortal's descendant be born with an innate talent for smuggling, illicit border crossing, and tax evasion? A veritable criminal genius."

"It would be a miracle if such a person could resist a life of crime. In creating such offspring, wouldn't the Immortals fear their descendants throwing Kunxu into utter chaos?"

"If they really did that, the other Immortals would have objections, wouldn't they? They would surely oppose it."

Hearing Fu Ji's words, the figure of Dao Qiankun flashed through Zhang Yu's mind once more; this prodigy of Wanfa University seemed far more complex than he had previously assumed.

Sensing the information from the Dao Seed and conversing with Fu Ji only deepened Zhang Yu's reluctance to expose the abilities of an Immortal's descendant.

Yet this was merely Zhang Yu's own perspective; he wished to remain undiscovered and strove to ensure it, but the ultimate outcome could only be left to fate after doing his utmost, for it was not entirely within his control.

However, for cultivators who had not mastered spatial abilities, perceiving changes in the spatial structure was virtually impossible to begin with.

"Moreover, the reason an Immortal's descendant opens a space of such dimensions is that, under their current spatial authority... a structural change of this magnitude is the least likely to be detected, inherently designed to thwart spatial probing."

"By contrast, what might be more easily noticed are visual changes."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "For instance, if someone directly saw me sending objects into the space, even a fool would realize something was amiss."

"Especially during the decisive battle with Kuang Tianqing, who knows how many people are watching me through the live broadcast, and how many times it will be reviewed in the future, making visual concealment absolutely crucial."

"So, if I am to use the abilities of an Immortal's descendant in this decisive battle..."

...

"It shall be in the moments to come."

On the battlefield, Zhang Yu turned his gaze toward Kuang Tianqing.

Accompanying Kuang Tianqing's desperate, life-risking strike, a fierce gale swept up, and surging shockwaves erupted with his every movement.

The explosive radiance of the shattered Golden Core shot straight into the sky, like a sun ignited and detonated on the horizon, filling Zhang Yu's ocular implants with its blazing brilliance.

Though Zhang Yu had resolved to use the power of an Immortal's descendant, he knew that relying on this single ability alone would not suffice.

After all, Kuang Tianqing's strike was bound to be earth-shattering, its range of attack and destruction thoroughly enveloping Zhang Yu's entire being.

To completely block such a move with a mere thirty square centimeters, an opening the size of a fist, was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

"The Immortal's descendant is the perfect support," Zhang Yu mused inwardly, "but whether to conceal this power or to thoroughly defeat Kuang Tianqing, I cannot rely on it alone..."

Facing the life-risking Kuang Tianqing, Zhang Yu likewise needed to push every asset, every ounce of strength, and every shred of spirit he possessed to the limit.

"Kuang Tianqing, do you think you dragged me onto your turf?"

"You are wrong, Kuang Tianqing. Risking it all... this is the arena where I excel."

The light of a shattering Golden Core flared upon Zhang Yu's body.

Then came the second! The third! The fourth!

A full four Golden Cores shattered in succession, piercing golden light bursting from Zhang Yu's form as if to tear him utterly asunder.

The tangible power of the shattered cores flowed from within Zhang Yu, wrapping and propelling his body like a raging flame!

"Come, Kuang Tianqing."

"Let this final strike decide the victor of this battle."

Countless spectators watched the scene in utter disbelief.

Ye Xingli was profoundly shaken at that moment: "Shattering four Golden Cores in succession? That requires dividing his mind four ways, simultaneously controlling four breakthroughs and four core shatterings. What kind of computational and controlling power is that?"

Jiu Tianliu watched the scene, his eyes gleaming with wonder: "The backlash of shattering four Golden Cores—can his physical body truly withstand it? How is this any different from self-detonation?" Shattering a Golden Core was naturally not without severe side effects.

Every act of shattering a Golden Core during a breakthrough would inflict damage upon the flesh, meridians, bones, dantian, and spiritual roots...

In ancient times, if a Foundation Establishment cultivator failed to break through and shattered their core, it was a calamity of life and death; the grievous injuries could even halt their cultivation progress for the rest of their life.

Even in the modern environment of Kunxu, unless one was among the absolute peak of the Foundation Establishment realm like Kuang Tianqing and Zhang Yu, continuously shattering Golden Cores over a prolonged period was utterly impossible.

But shattering one at a time versus shattering four in a single breath were entirely different concepts.

A sudden barrage of explosive bangs rang out as the flesh and blood across Zhang Yu's body abruptly burst apart, revealing fractured white bones and ruptured organs...

The power of the fourfold shattered cores coursed through the Seven Absolutes Dharma Carcass, and a flood of warning texts continuously flashed in Zhang Yu's ocular implants, a series of alerts indicating the carcass was nearing its limit, overheating, severely overloaded, and suffering extreme durability loss.

"Immortal Dao Sun! Come forth for me!"

Driven to his absolute limit by Zhang Yu, the most powerful strike of his life was unleashed, as if another sun were rising slowly over the battlefield.

Watching his opponent unleash such a formidable strike, Kuang Tianqing felt no respect, admiration, excitement, or thrill.

There was only fury, a blazing rage surging from the depths of his heart.

"Damn it all... having fought to this point, why are you still so strong?"

"Why must you be this powerful? Why must you stop me from reaching the pinnacle? Stop me from extending the lifespan of the world?!"

This furious emotion was likewise harnessed by Kuang Tianqing to drive his power, amplifying the might of his final strike.

"Then let us die together!" Kuang Tianqing roared in fury. "Let's see who dies first!"

Like two suns colliding, the blinding radiance completely swallowed both their bodies and the entire battlefield.

At this moment, both Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing understood perfectly that, facing a formidable foe who had wagered their very life, victory or defeat would be determined by the order of their deaths.

Confronting the explosion of the Immortal Dao Sun, facing the searing heat and shockwaves born from the collision of their powers, Zhang Yu's body suffered yet another devastating blow.

After all, the explosion of the Immortal Dao Sun inherently harmed both friend and foe; now propelled by the fourfold shattered core power and violently clashing with Kuang Tianqing's desperate strike, the resulting detonation was truly world-destroying.

The mist of blood enveloping Zhang Yu was instantly vaporized, and the Seven Absolutes Dharma Carcass plunged into a cascade of malfunctions.

For the very first time, Zhang Yu felt his Earth and Wood Holy Body reaching its absolute limit, marching unprecedentedly toward death.

Just then, a pure white sword qi rose into the air.

"Yu Zi!" Bai Zhenzhen's phantom materialized behind Zhang Yu, grasping the sword hilt alongside him: "Follow my lead."

"Let us strike together."

Mustering his final ounce of strength to unleash the ultimate sword aura, Zhang Yu dragged his battered frame and, guided by Bai Zhenzhen, leapt forth to deliver a sweeping strike; the pale sword qi arduously cleaved the chaotic turbulence before him, as if intent on slicing the battlefield's twin suns inch by inch.

With this soaring strike, he became one with his blade, his entire body thrusting forward like a singular, piercing sword.

In such a posture, facing the shockwave, Zhang Yu raised his hand to shield the vanguard, aligning his head and torso in a straight line directly behind his arm.

Thus, after the spiraling sword cleaved the shockwave and weakened the oncoming blast.

On the back of Zhang Yu's sword-wielding hand, a rift to another dimension opened; amidst the blinding radiance and earth-shattering explosion, the fist-sized spatial rift continuously devoured the incoming shockwaves.

Yet this devouring seemed utterly minuscule and profoundly insignificant against the heaven-shaking detonation.

Even so, under such circumstances, the pressure on Zhang Yu's head and torso, tucked behind the sword and his hand, was greatly alleviated.

But neither the aid of the spiraling sword, nor the cover of the immortal's descendant, coupled with Zhang Yu's utmost effort to shrink his form and evade the aftershocks, could completely block the explosion.

He could only resist with all his might, persevere, and battle fiercely, burning his very life force to its absolute end.

Crack! Fissures gradually emerged across the blade of the spiraling sword.

"A-Zhen!" Zhang Yu's heart jolted, and he instinctively moved to withdraw his sword.

Bai Zhenzhen's phantom abruptly embraced Zhang Yu's body: "Yuzi! Hold on! Don't worry about me!"

Zhang Yu drew a deep breath: "A-Zhen..."

The final clash had lasted but a few fleeting moments, yet to Zhang Yu, time seemed to crawl as if it had frozen entirely.

Watching the spiraling sword shatter inch by inch and feeling his own vitality fading away, a surge of fierce reluctance and wrath welled up in Zhang Yu's heart.

"Why? Why is the outcome still undecided?"

"Is Kuang Tianqing not dead yet?"

"Why does she refuse to die?!"

Meanwhile, within Kuang Tianqing's abdomen, a tiny, infantile form was wailing.

"Zhang Yu! Why aren't you dead yet!"

Shortly after detonating her golden core and physical body, Kuang Tianqing had switched vessels, transferring her consciousness into a demonic fetus within her belly.

Only at the very last moment, when her original body was completely vaporized, would this demonic fetus be destroyed.

But at this very moment, feeling more than half of her original body vaporized while the victor remained undecided, Kuang Tianqing was consumed by boundless anxiety and tension.

And when over eighty percent of her body was vaporized, a deep unease surged into her mind.

When ninety-nine percent was vaporized, and the demonic fetus was exposed to the blast, an unprecedented wave of resentment and indignation flooded her heart.

Yet all these mental shifts occurred within the mere few instants of their final, colliding strikes.

All power was exhausted, all dharma relics and treasures were ruined, and Kuang Tianqing's life had reached its end.

"Damn it!"

"Why! Why do you refuse to die even after enduring this much!"

"I sacrificed everything, I represent the grand tide of the world, so why... why..."

In the next instant, the blazing radiance completely enveloped the demonic fetus.

...

When Zhang Yu regained his senses, he found himself standing on scorched earth, where thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, utterly obscuring his vision.

Bai Zhenzhen's phantom materialized beside him, smiling as she looked at him: "Yuzi! We won."

Zhang Yu's heart leapt, his mind flashing back to the moment just before his life was about to reach its end.

In that final moment, a layer of divine light had suddenly descended, shielding a ten-meter radius around him and blocking all the aftershocks of the battle.

Immediately after, waves of healing talismanic power had rained upon him, preserving his life.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Did Kuang Tianqing die a step ahead? I became the champion and won this match, so my life was spared."

"Did they think it would be too unsightly for the grand champion of the Top Ten Tournament to die?"

Just then, ten consecutive beams of divine light ignited in sequence all around him.

Zhang Yu looked up and saw dense, intricate titles emerging within the divine light, shimmering before his eyes.

These ten beams of divine light represented the ten Soul Formation realm headmasters of the Top Ten Universities.

And behind these ten beams, the projection of a True God descended from the heavens, crossing countless spiritual realms to cast its image into the atmosphere.

"Congratulations, Zhang Yu."

Gazing at this True God, Zhang Yu was startled, for prominently inscribed above the deity's head was: Great God of All Sentient Beings.

This Great God was the foremost deity of the Myriad People Department among the Eight Departments of True Gods, and the only True God Zhang Yu had ever worshipped with a talisman.

The Great God of All Sentient Beings offered Zhang Yu a faint smile: "You have won the finals, becoming first in this year's Top Ten Tournament, the strongest undergraduate of the Top Ten."

"In one day, the award ceremony will be held, and the Dao Canon Catalog will officially descend during the ceremony."

"At that time, you may choose any single technique from the Dao Canon Catalog as your champion's reward."

At this point, the Great God from the Heavenly Court smiled: "However, your current condition is less than ideal..."

From within the divine light representing the Divine Lord of Heavenly Evolution of Wanfa University, a voice echoed: "Within one day, Wanfa University will completely restore Zhang Yu's body and dharma relics."

The Great God of All Sentient Beings nodded with a smile, yet shook his head: "I fear that at this very moment, many evil cults and wicked gods, along with those harboring sinister motives, are all plotting some crooked schemes."

"Within this one day, the champion's safety must be guaranteed."

The Divine Lord of Heavenly Evolution declared: "Wanfa University will spare no effort to ensure Zhang Yu's safety."

The Great God of All Sentient Beings said indifferently: "Heavenly Evolution, it is not that I distrust Wanfa's capabilities, but the award ceremony must not fail; within this one day..."

The Great God swept a glance at Zhang Yu, and in the next instant, a talisman materialized above Zhang Yu's head.

Divine Aegis Talisman!

As this talisman descended, lines of notifications appeared in the eyes of every Soul Formation Divine Lord gazing upon Zhang Yu's figure.

"Acting against Zhang Yu incurs a fine of one million spirit coins."

"All True Gods must protect Zhang Yu at all costs for the duration of the Divine Aegis Talisman."

"Upon being attacked, simultaneously trigger one thousand and twenty-four talismanic reactions..."

"Dedicated spiritual network line; upon death, the soul is routed directly to the Myriad People Department..."

Reading the dense lines of text detailing the effects beneath the Divine Aegis Talisman, Zhang Yu felt only one thing... he was invincible.

But glancing at the talisman's remaining duration, Zhang Yu thought, "The invincibility lasts about a day; once I finish choosing my immortal dao technique, this invincibility will be gone."

"Is it to ensure I can choose an immortal sect technique, and guarantee that the immortal sect technique can be passed down?"

"But after the choice is made..." Zhang Yu mused inwardly, "there will be no such power left to protect me then."

Meanwhile, the Soul Formation Divine Lords present harbored the very same thoughts, knowing full well that over the next day, an unprecedented competition would unfold among the ten universities.

The Divine Lord of Freedom from Tianmo University thought, "Although Kuang Tianqing lost, we have not been defeated; if only at the final moment we can make Zhang Yu resolve to choose the immortal sect technique..."

The Divine Lord of Heavenly Star from Tianjian University sneered inwardly, "Whether Kuang Tianqing or Zhang Yu, it matters not who won; what follows is merely a struggle between schools, to see who can control the champion's mind."

Divine Lord Tianyan of Wanfa University mused inwardly, "The investments made by the Four Heavenly Demon Academies in Kuang Tianqing have gone to waste, though such expenditures are hardly a drop in the bucket for them."

"Now comes the true moment of reckoning; Zhang Yu has seized the championship and gained the upper hand, but this will likely provoke a united backlash from the other academies..."

Just as Zhang Yu and the myriad Divine Lords sank into deep contemplation, the Great God of All Living Beings spoke with tranquil indifference, "Then we shall reconvene in a day's time."

As the projection of this supreme deity dissolved into the ether, ten beams of divine light in the vicinity instantly surged toward Zhang Yu.

The voice of Divine Lord Tianyan echoed in Zhang Yu's ear: Let us depart, Zhang Yu; we must return to discuss your guaranteed admission to graduate and doctoral studies, our support for your future ascension to the Transformation realm, and the complete waiver of all your cultivation expenses.

At that very moment, the Divine Lord of Xianbing University transmitted a message of his own: Zhang Yu, you cannot possibly still be thinking about mere studies, can you? Come to Xianbing University, and you may do whatever you please; and if Wanfa has bound you with any contract, I shall personally cover the penalty for its breach.

Personal contracts imposed severe restrictions upon individuals, possessing the power to plunge a person into utter ruin and bankruptcy.

Yet the compensation for such personal contracts had its limits; it was impossible for a single agreement to force a Foundation Establishment student to forfeit an entire Kunxu, nor would the true gods ever sanction such an unconscionable pact.

And no matter how astronomical the upper limit of personal contract compensation might be, for any of the Top Ten academies, it would inevitably fall well within their capacity to bear.

When the prize at stake was a celestial sect's cultivation technique, such personal penalties were regarded by the headmasters as utterly trivial.

Just as the headmasters of Wanfa and Xianbing had finished their successive transmissions, the headmaster of Tianyao University let out a booming laugh and declared aloud, "Zhang Yu, if you are willing to choose the celestial technique that our Tianyao desires, I will transfer you here, and henceforth the headmaster's seat shall be yours, for you to rule as you see fit."

"Headmaster Zhang Yu of Tianyao University, how does that title sound to you?"

Hearing this proposition from Tianyao, the remaining nine Divine Lords present reacted with either simmering wrath, derisive sneers, or stony silence...

Perhaps there existed naive and foolish souls in this world who might believe this headmaster truly intended to elevate Zhang Yu to the pinnacle of the academy, but there were clearly no such fools present to think the headmaster of Tianyao University possessed either the genuine resolve or the actual power to make Zhang Yu its leader.

Gazing at the beam of divine light representing Tianyao University, Zhang Yu thought to himself, This old demon is spouting sheer nonsense, speaking without a second thought... he must assume I would never choose Tianyao University, and so he is deliberately muddying the waters.

Meanwhile, a crisp feminine voice rang out from the divine light of Danding University: "You old loach, this is an internal discussion among the human race, and it is not your place to meddle; Zhang Yu is shielded by a Great God and untouchable, but you are not."

As the voices of the Transformation realm cultivators rose one after another, the atmosphere at the scene grew increasingly oppressive, escalating in tension and ferocity, as if a violent clash were poised to erupt at any given second.

Amidst this powder-keg tension, Divine Lord Tianyan spoke with placid detachment, "Esteemed colleagues, Zhang Yu has just concluded his tournament and bears grievous wounds; whatever matters you have with him can wait until his healing is complete."

At that very instant, a flying vessel arranged by Wanfa University descended before Zhang Yu, whisking him away from the scene with a swift rush of wind.

Yet everyone knew that the matter would not end so simply.

A struggle far more fierce, unfathomable, and dark than the Top Ten League itself was about to unfold, with Zhang Yu at its very center.

(End of Chapter)