Chapter 479: The Spark of War?
Sensing the explosive surge of Zhang Yu’s aura and witnessing the colossal mountain, large enough to blot out the sky, hurtling toward him, Yue Guanqiong’s heart jolted.
“A breakthrough in the midst of battle? Twice in a row?”
“Or has Myriad Laws been concealing information? Did the Yin Artifact Experiment’s breakthrough propel Zhang Yu to level 18 Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, rather than level 16?”
“Or perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the Yin Artifact Experiment… Maybe Zhang Yu had already accumulated the necessary resources and foundations for advancing his Cultivation Art during the experiment. Today’s fierce competition merely accelerated the assimilation process, triggering this new breakthrough…”
A torrent of thoughts flooded Yue Guanqiong’s mind, but he swiftly suppressed them.
He knew that regardless of the reason behind Zhang Yu’s breakthrough, he had no time for speculation.
The immediate priority was to halt the colossal mountain’s earth-shattering descent.
With a thunderous roar, Yue Guanqiong unleashed the full power of his Great Freedom Instant Hell sword qi. Countless sword artifacts erupted from the sword formation, forming a roaring metallic torrent that hurtled toward the mountain.
“Break this mountain!”
Amidst the deafening explosions, the mountain crumbled under the metallic torrent’s assault. Massive chunks of rock shattered, transforming into a storm of gravel and dust that filled the sky.
Even as the colossal mountain was being relentlessly carved apart, Zhang Yu reached out and grasped the earth with an empty hand. A massive surge of sand and rock erupted skyward, merging into the mountain’s mass.
“Mountain Shift!”
“Smash them all down!”
Behind him, Su Yanyang, Shi Huaiyu, and the others channeled their energy, activating the Formation in unison.
Su Yanyang: “Zhang Yu! We’ll lend you our strength!”
Shi Huaiyu: “Don’t give them a chance to retaliate!”
With a thunderous roar, a tidal wave of mud and stone surged forth, carrying earth dragons that joined Zhang Yu’s colossal mountain.
Simultaneously, Yue Guanqiong bellowed, “Hold the line with me!”
“He wants to move mountains? We’ll split them open!”
“Swords, come!”
Thanks to the efforts of the Heavenly Sword University team, countless grains of sand and rock transformed into sword artifacts, converging before Yue Guanqiong. He unleashed them in a flurry of sword strikes, shattering the descending mountain that was rapidly closing in on the Aerial Fortress.
Amidst the earth-shattering explosions, mountain rock, metallic ore, and swirling sediment clashed violently, driven by the opposing wills of the combatants.
The rising cloud of dust and smoke threatened to engulf the entire arena.
Xiang Shan of Celestial Monsters University watched the scene unfold and remarked, “Myriad Laws is digging and moving mountains, while Heavenly Sword is blasting through them.”
“This is the purest and most fundamental clash of construction prowess.”
Wan Gouxuan of Immortal Armaments University nodded in agreement. “With extreme focus and immense power, they’re pushing their construction instincts honed through countless trials. The victor will inevitably be the side with the highest efficiency.”
In the next moment, as the colossal mountain gradually sank, its mass collided violently with the Aerial Fortress.
Amidst the deafening crash, the Heavenly Sword University’s Aerial Fortress tilted precariously, slowly descending like a sinking ship into the abyss.
Xiang Shan sighed, “Yue Guanqiong is still leading his forces in a desperate resistance, but just as in the previous battle, the Great Freedom Instant Hell sword qi could only suppress Zhang Yu through distance.”
“Now that the gap has closed, the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power holds the advantage…”
As he spoke, the floating Aerial Fortress suddenly shattered, as if torn apart by countless invisible hands, scattering fragments across the sky.
Even as the mountain and fortress plummeted together, sword qi howled and dust billowed skyward, a clear sign that Heavenly Sword University’s resistance continued unabated.
The resistance continued even after the Aerial Fortress crashed into the earth, intensifying rather than ceasing.
As the battlefield shifted to the ground, Zhang Yu’s advantage grew even larger.
Xiang Shan watched the earth heave violently like boiling water, churning and shattering everything in its path, and calmly stated, “It’s over.”
Wan Gouxuan beside him nodded slightly, remaining silent.
Though the match had ended, their expressions grew more solemn as they replayed Zhang Yu’s mid-battle breakthrough in their minds.
To be honest, Xiang Shan and Wan Gouxuan didn’t find mid-battle breakthroughs particularly remarkable. After all, cultivators practiced their Cultivation Arts daily, and a breakthrough during a competition was often just a coincidence.
Two consecutive mid-battle breakthroughs in such a short time were rare, but not unprecedented. History held examples of geniuses who, during prolonged battles, had broken through three or four times, using combat itself as nourishment.
Even more gifted individuals in ancient times had been known to break through entire realms mid-battle, advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, or from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. After all, ancient times required no qualifications or permits, and there were no “illegal breakthroughs.”
If Xiang Shan had his way, he would desperately want Zhang Yu to be an unparalleled genius, someone who had broken through to the Second-Tier Cultivation Art through sheer talent.
“Even the most extraordinary genius is still just one person’s strength,” Xiang Shan mused inwardly. “But Zhang Yu’s breakthrough likely signifies a breakthrough in Immortal Dao Technology for Myriad Laws.”
“If that’s true, Myriad Laws might produce more students like him in the future.”
“It’s not just the Civil Engineering Department that could see more Zhang Yus; students from other departments might also become stronger.”
“If that happens, it’s no longer just about competitions.”
“Even just in civil engineering projects, Myriad Laws having more highly efficient construction personnel would allow them to further reduce costs and gain a massive advantage in project bidding.”
Xiang Shan knew that Myriad Laws University and Celestial Monsters University had always been fierce rivals in construction projects.
If Myriad Laws University gained the upper hand and secured more projects, it would mean fewer projects, less work, and lower income for Celestial Monsters University.
“If something like this were to happen, especially right before my graduation…”
The mere thought made Xiang Shan desperately wish Zhang Yu was some kind of peerless genius, a peerless genius who had broken through solely through his own Martial Dao talent.
“Breaking through solely through his own talent? How is that possible?”
Wang Yin, standing in the Spirit Realm’s spectator stands, watched the arena with unfathomable glimmers in his eyes.
“Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, already forcibly raised from level 10 to level 16 by a Yin Artifact, could it truly break through again on its own in just a few days?”
“Either Myriad Laws concealed information, having secretly broken through to level 18 in the laboratory from the start — but what purpose would that serve?”
“The more likely scenario is that the Yin Artifact accelerated the accumulation needed for a breakthrough. The stimulation from the competition then triggered these consecutive breakthroughs.”
“If the battle continues and he’s pushed further, he might even break through again.”
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Wang Yin’s excitement grew.
“Regardless of the exact process, the outcome remains the same: Myriad Laws has achieved a major breakthrough in both Yin Artifacts and Dual Cultivation techniques.”
“The situation is about to change.”
“The pace of the University War will accelerate dramatically.”
“Chaos is coming.”
“An unprecedented opportunity is about to descend.”
The thought sent a surge of excitement through Wang Yin’s heart.
“The Great Freedom Instant Hell sword qi is still too weak. The range is short, the sword techniques lack finesse, and it’s useless for managing multiple battlefronts. It’s only good for the Civil Engineering Department’s work.”
Wen Wuya glanced at the collapsing Aerial Fortress, a casual assessment of the Great Freedom Instant Hell sword qi flashing through his mind before he dismissed the University War entirely.
For him, Zhang Yu’s breakthrough was far more intriguing than the outcome of the competition.
“Myriad Laws’ Dual Cultivation technique has indeed advanced, but where did this breakthrough originate?”
“They lack a proper Dual Cultivation lineage. It’s unlikely they achieved this on their own.”
Recalling the recent Yin Artifact riot at Joyful Union University, Wen Wuya felt the answer was clear.
“Either Myriad Laws stole a batch of Yin Artifacts, or they acquired them afterward. In any case, they likely cracked Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Yin Artifacts to achieve Zhang Yu’s temporary breakthrough.”
“However, there’s still a long road ahead from the laboratory to practical application and mass production, and many uncertainties along the way.”
“Especially considering that only a few months have passed since the Yin Artifacts’ rampage to this breakthrough.”
“In such a short time, Myriad Laws has likely only managed to decipher how to use Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Yin Artifacts.”
“They’re still far from being able to replicate the underlying technology, let alone use it to manufacture products.”
A subtle smile played on Wen Wuya’s lips as he pondered, “But Divine Monarch Jade Nectar won’t let this go. Will a Spirit Transformation-level conflict erupt between Myriad Laws and Joyous Union?”
“And what course will our university’s two Divine Monarchs choose to take?”
Lost in thought, Wen Wuya sank deeper into contemplation.
In the spectator stands, Bai Zhenzhen watched the arena erupt as the contestants from Heavenly Sword University surrendered one by one. She clenched her fist and pumped it in the air, cheering inwardly, “Yu Zi won!”
A message from Divine Monarch Seven Emotions flashed across her Bionic Eye: “You’re not actually celebrating Myriad Laws University’s victory, are you?”
Bai Zhenzhen scoffed, “How could I? I’m a student of Heavenly Sword University.”
Divine Monarch Seven Emotions chuckled softly, then said calmly, “It seems Zhang Yu has completely fallen into the Dual Cultivation Path.”
“His military-grade cultivation technique has relied entirely on Dual Cultivation for breakthroughs. He’ll inevitably become addicted to it.”
“Especially with Myriad Laws’ experiments, he’ll stray further and further down that path.”
The Divine Monarch sighed. “This means you and him, who cultivates the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, are no longer on the same path.”
“Outsiders might not understand the conflict between these two paths.”
“But you, who cultivates the Extreme Emotion Dao, should understand…”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded slightly. “Yes, unlike me, who has embarked on the Extreme Emotion Demonic Path, Yu Zi has chosen the Dual Cultivation Orthodox Path.”
Through three years of cultivation, Bai Zhenzhen had confirmed one thing: while the Extreme Emotion Dao wasn’t as demonic as the Dual Rest Cult or the Unemployment Cult, it was undeniably a completely evil path.
Divine Monarch Seven Emotions: “How many times must I say it? The Extreme Emotion Dao is the true path, Dual Cultivation is the demonic one.”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded absently, thinking to herself, “Mhm, mhm, everyone else in the world is wrong, and you’re the only one who’s right.”
As the competition drew to a close, Bai Zhenzhen’s figure flashed as she darted toward the smoke-filled arena.