Chapter 406: For Zhang Yu, the Magical Artifact Spirit
“He refused?”
“I understand.”
“It’s fine. You can get back to work.”
After disconnecting the call with Le Mulan, Yin Jiurao’s face flickered with thoughtful contemplation.
“A Foundation Establishment Student from the First Layer refusing to sell breeding rights? Not even the seed?”
“There must be something fishy going on here.”
As a professor in the Pharmacology Department, Yin Jiurao would normally have no interest in the seed of a Civil Engineering Foundation Establishment Student, even one who had placed in the top ten of the department competition as a second-year.
But then a familiar acquaintance had asked her to investigate Zhang Yu’s materials, revealing a shocking piece of information:
Wen Wuya, a Spirit Transformation Disciple from Heavenly Sword University, was Zhang Yu’s dual cultivation partner.
There must be some secret about Zhang Yu that would make Wen Wuya seek him out for dual cultivation.
Initially, Yin Jiurao dismissed this rumor.
After examining the data collected by the Biology Department, she became even more convinced it was baseless gossip.
Zhang Yu had previously sold some bodily materials to the Biology Department, and after studying them, Yin Jiurao found nothing remarkable.
At least in terms of bloodline information and dual cultivation potential, Yin Jiurao found nothing remarkable about Zhang Yu.
How could a dignified Spirit Transformation Disciple choose such a student with no dual cultivation aptitude for dual cultivation?
Until… Yin Jiurao received another piece of information.
“Wen Wuya transformed himself into a biological female?”
“But his gender identity is clearly male.”
Why would someone who identifies as male transform themselves into a female?
As Yin Jiurao reviewed Zhang Yu’s file, an unbelievable hypothesis surfaced in her mind.
“Could Wen Wuya have transformed himself to dual cultivate with Zhang Yu? Is that why…?”
Yin Jiurao realized she might have underestimated Zhang Yu. The boy might indeed be hiding some secrets.
And after Zhang Yu rejected her offer, her suspicions only deepened.
“Heh.”
“If he won’t sell for money, I’ll just have to find another way.”
Yin Jiurao decided to activate the Seed Theft Plan.
She thought to herself, “I wonder when Wen Wuya and Zhang Yu will cultivate together? If I could use that opportunity to indirectly steal Wen Wuya’s bloodline information through Zhang Yu, that would be a huge win.”
Feng Tingting: “Junior Brother Zhang Yu, why haven’t you installed a Bionic?”
Feng Tingting: “You’re not some old-fashioned Magical Artifact Faction type, are you?”
Feng Tingting: “Ugh, our Artifact Refinement Department is divided between the Magical Artifact Faction and the Bionic Faction. Those old professors in the Magical Artifact Faction insist on the supremacy of magical artifacts, claiming Bionics are a Demonic Path.”
Feng Tingting: “They’re always pushing for some soulless, automated production line, arguing that retaining parts of the physical body for Bionic installation is a hindrance. They want us to go full magical artifact, completely abandoning flesh, blood, and the human form…”
Zhang Yu found Feng Tingting’s messages rather amusing.
Ever since their last gathering, this senior sister from the Artifact Refinement Department had added him as a friend and started sharing all sorts of random gossip, treating him like a close confidant.
Zhang Yu felt like she was trying to raise her favorability with him through daily conversations.
After hearing so much gossip, Zhang Yu resolved to listen more and speak less around Feng Tingting. Heaven only knew how many places this senior sister would spread anything she heard from him.
Closing Feng Tingting’s chat window, Zhang Yu refocused on the magical artifact refining before him.
Today, he had skipped the pharamaceutical factory construction site to practice in the Artifact Refinement Laboratory.
Having already mastered the production techniques for Azure Heaven Sand to meet the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch’s requirements, Zhang Yu began preparing for the pouch’s refinement.
Streams of magical energy flashed as a small azure pouch slowly descended before him. The Level 1 Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch had been successfully refined.
This Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch had cost Zhang Yu approximately eight Spirit Coins in total. He had no intention of making another one. Instead, he planned to use the Spirit Realm Simulation to improve the pouch’s skill level, refining and adjusting it repeatedly over time to gradually increase its rank.
Ye Xingli turned her head, gazing at the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch in Zhang Yu’s hand. She smiled faintly and said, “Congratulations, Zhang Yu.”
Compared to the Azure Heaven Sand, Ye Xingli considered this Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch to be a true magical artifact.
Zhang Yu replied, “Senior Sister, thank you for your help these past few days.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Yu asked curiously, “Senior Sister, I heard Wuya mention you ranked among the top five in the hundred-schools Bionic Design Competition?”
Ye Xingli waved her hand dismissively. “Design competitions are like that. Some people are better at artifact refinement than I am, but when it comes to designing a specific Bionic, they might not surpass me.”
“Take Senior Yan Qianji, a Spirit Transformation Disciple from our department. He only placed tenth in that competition. These things often depend heavily on Spirit Inspiration.”
Zhang Yu then asked, “Senior Sister, I’m not very familiar with intelligent magical artifacts. Do you think this Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch could accommodate a Soul Cultivator?”
At the pharamaceutical factory construction site, Zhang Yu decided to test his newly refined Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch.
With a gentle tap on the pouch at his waist, he channeled Magic Power into it. The magical artifact floated into the air, its mouth opening to release streams of Azure Heaven Sand.
Each stream of Azure Heaven Sand precisely targeted the Formless Warriors, accurately pouring into their Humanoid Gang Qi forms.
Zhang Yu nodded slightly, pleased with how much easier the Azure Heaven Sand was to use now.
As the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch’s level increased in the future, it would not only store and release more Azure Heaven Sand with greater precision but also enhance the sand’s effectiveness.
Of course, manually controlling the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch with a separate mental thread would be too cumbersome. That’s why, after asking Senior Sister for help, Zhang Yu had specially equipped the artifact with an intelligence system.
“Old Zhao, how’s it feeling?” Zhang Yu asked.
Zhao Tianxing’s excited voice crackled from the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch: “Zhang Yu! I’ve become an artifact spirit!”
“Among the seniors graduating from our school each year, very few become artifact spirits right after graduation. I never imagined I’d be operating a magical artifact before even finishing my studies!”
“This magical artifact is incredibly user-friendly. Its operation is smooth, its Magic Power flows seamlessly, and it hits exactly where I aim.”
Zhang Yu felt a pang of embarrassment. How could his Level 1, run-down magical artifact possibly be considered good?
It was simply a case of two novices helping each other out: one just starting to craft magical artifacts, the other just becoming an artifact spirit.
Zhang Yu continued, “Alright, Old Zhao, from now on, you’ll be in charge of operating the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch for me.”
Zhao Tianxing replied, “No problem. Operating this thing doesn’t consume much Calculation Pool power. I can handle it casually while I’m working.”
Zhang Yu added, “You don’t need to monitor it constantly. I’ll only need you for a few hours each day at most.”
Although the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch was simple to operate and consumed minimal Spirit Realm Calculation Pool power for Soul Cultivators, Zhang Yu’s resources were limited. He couldn’t afford to have Zhao Tianxing on standby around the clock.
Yet Zhao Tianxing took this job very seriously. Even while working, he was already updating his resume:
“Served as the primary artifact spirit for the magical artifact of a top 100 student in Myriad Laws University’s Civil Engineering Department, responsible for resource planning, logistics support, and close-range artifact transfer operations for large-scale construction projects.”
Zhao Tianxing studied the job posting, recalling his recent competition experience, and felt his income was about to increase again.
Zhang Yu glanced at the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch, confirming it was operating normally. He left three layers of consciousness to continue directing the Formless Warriors in their work, while he enveloped himself in Formless Cloud Gang Qi and began cultivating the eighth martial art of the Martial Dao Sacred Body.
Despite his busy schedule — participating in the pharamaceutical factory construction, drug trials, Civil Engineering courses, artifact refinement classes, and honing his artifact refinement skills — Zhang Yu remained confident he could complete the cultivation of this eighth martial art within the month.
“I wonder what the Second Layer effect of the Martial Dao Sacred Body will be?”
Simultaneously, as he switched his Chain Method Diagram Set to the University Sacred Body for cultivation, he felt the tendrils of his Divine Spirit Root stir within him, initiating another adaptive strengthening process.
Zhang Yu had never forgotten that each time he cultivated, he could sense the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo’s adaptive strengthening was a gradual process of growth.
This was one of the Dao Seed’s effects Zhang Yu had deduced shortly after replicating it.
Though it currently only allowed his Chain Method Diagram Set to retain 1% of its effects after switching, barely a month had passed since he acquired it.
“In less than a year, when I switch to the University Sacred Body, I’ll probably be able to retain 10% of the effects of my commonly used Civil Engineering Sacred Body and Qi Meridian Everflow.”
“And in a few more years… it’ll depend on where the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo’s upper limit lies.”
Whenever Zhang Yu pondered this, he couldn’t help but marvel at the Divine Spirit Root’s terrifying potential. Combined with his Chain Formation Diagram, it had unleashed an explosive surge in his capabilities.
As for the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo’s active effect beyond adaptive enhancement… Zhang Yu’s mind flashed back to Bai Zhenzhen concealing her flying sword and dominating the competition.
He quickly suppressed his growing excitement. “Hold back, Zhang Yu. Activating the Divine Spirit Root’s active effect would cause serious trouble if discovered.”
Inside the experimental medicine laboratory, Le Mulan injected the entire vial of an experimental drug into Zhang Yu’s body.
Zhang Yu was already accustomed to this. Although the drug’s side effects were significant, his physical strength, combined with the effects of body activation and the University Sacred Body, allowed him to withstand them completely.
Even Xiao Qingxuan, who used to accompany him during these trials, no longer came.
But this time, as the drug entered his system, Zhang Yu immediately sensed something was wrong.
His blood surged through his veins, and waves of fiery energy erupted from every limb and bone, his entire body growing increasingly feverish.
As he looked at Le Mulan standing before him, a sudden, overwhelming impulse surged within him.
Noticing Zhang Yu’s strange behavior, Le Mulan exclaimed in surprise, “Zhang Yu, what’s wrong?”
Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. I’ll suppress it with my supreme will first.”
His Bionic Eye flickered as he tapped Lian Tianji’s avatar and opened the man’s video.
As Zhang Yu watched Lian Tianji’s video, the chaotic thoughts that had just flooded his mind vanished instantly.