Chapter 522: Direct Competition
Since advancing the Grand Void Divine Artifact Strategy to Level 20, Jin Jun had been tirelessly preparing for the refinement of the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism.
To successfully secure the Military Certificate for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, Jin Jun had long made his intentions clear, informing artifact refinement students across all grades of his determination to obtain the certificate in the upcoming academic year.
At that moment, he stood before his experimental workbench, conducting simulated experiments to hone his artifact refinement skills.
For optimal simulation accuracy, he had not only adjusted his Spirit Realm avatar to match his real-world appearance but had also meticulously replicated his real-world laboratory within the Spirit Realm.
“Once I successfully complete the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, I’ll secure my place in the Ten Greats League.”
After completing a set of simulated experiments, Jin Jun’s vision filled with rows of resumes, which he began reviewing one by one.
To ensure the smooth refinement of the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism, Jin Jun had started recruiting assistants three months prior.
However, personnel changes were frequent as the project progressed, so he continued accepting resumes.
After reviewing them for some time, Jin Jun remained unsatisfied. He then leveraged his connections to seek out suitable candidates.
He needed someone skilled in True Fire processing, adept at repairing the metal shells of magical artifacts.
Soon, someone told him that Zhang Yu, a third-year student, was quite skilled in this area, having mastered the Level 20 Fire Control Divine Mirror and specializing in repairing magical artifact shells.
Moreover, Zhang Yu was about to begin refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism, making him an even better fit for Jin Jun’s project.
“Zhang Yu?” Jin Jun asked, surprised. “The student who transferred from the Civil Engineering Department?”
Jin Jun specifically reviewed the data from magical artifacts Zhang Yu had repaired, a satisfied expression spreading across his face.
“Excellent. His skills are up to par, and his rates are reasonable. He’s the one.”
In contrast, many senior students with the required technical skills were already committed to various projects, making it too costly for Jin Jun to recruit them.
He opened the resumes he had received and filtered out all the third-year students.
“Zi Yunzhen, Su Yunni…”
“Zhang Yu didn’t submit a resume to me?” Jin Jun wondered. “Does he think I wouldn’t accept him?”
After learning that Ye Xingli often recommended work to Zhang Yu, Jin Jun contacted her directly.
Jin Jun: “Xingli, do you know Zhang Yu? Could you pass on a message for me?”
Ye Xingli: “What message?”
Jin Jun: “I want to invite him to join my project — the one refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God.”
Laboratory.
Ye Xingli’s eyes flickered as she read Jin Jun’s message.
She forwarded Jin Jun’s message to Zhang Yu and asked, “I didn’t expect Jin Jun to want you to help him.”
Ye Xingli: “Working while learning is a great opportunity.”
Zhang Yu, who was practicing his artifact refinement technique in the laboratory, replied, “No need. I’d rather stick to my own pace.”
Ye Xingli: “Practicing with Jin Jun beforehand and learning from his experience could save you a lot of detours later.”
Zhang Yu: “Really, no need. Senior Sister, could you please decline for me?”
Looking at Zhang Yu’s message, Ye Xingli was surprised. “He’s turning down such a good opportunity?”
“Could Zhang Yu have given up on refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God and decided to enter the Design Competition instead?”
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Ye Xingli immediately stopped trying to persuade him and simply forwarded Zhang Yu’s reply to Jin Jun.
Jin Jun frowned upon seeing Ye Xingli’s reply.
“He refused?”
Jin Jun had already learned that Zhang Yu had publicly stated his intention to refine a prototype of the Heavenly Sun Radiance God.
“This project should be an incredible opportunity for him.”
“By joining, he’d not only get free practice but also experience the entire Heavenly Sun Radiance God refinement process from start to finish. There’s no downside for him. Why would he refuse?”
After a moment’s thought, Jin Jun convinced himself he had the answer: “He’s playing hard to get, trying to negotiate terms?”
He then began weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
“Refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism involves a massive amount of metal shell fabrication.”
“With Zhang Yu’s help, we could not only accelerate production but also handle repairs, reducing losses from failed refinements and lowering the overall project cost.”
With this in mind, Jin Jun contacted Ye Xingli again, this time requesting a face-to-face meeting with Zhang Yu.
Upon arriving at Ye Xingli’s laboratory, Jin Jun greeted her before turning his attention to Zhang Yu.
He approached with a smile. “Junior Brother Zhang Yu, I’ve come specifically to invite you.”
“If you’re willing to join my project, I can offer you double the compensation of other assistants.”
Zi Yunzhen and the other assistants, who were cleaning materials nearby, were startled by Jin Jun’s arrival.
Zi Yunzhen had previously applied to join Jin Jun’s project, knowing that refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism — a military-grade endeavor — would significantly enhance her resume.
Seeing Jin Jun personally invite Zhang Yu with such a generous offer filled Zi Yunzhen with envy and jealousy.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Yu replied with a hint of reluctance, “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in joining this project.”
Jin Jun chuckled. “Zhang Yu, don’t be so quick to refuse.”
“I’m determined to refine the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism, and I need exceptional assistants to support me.”
“Besides, you seem to be planning to pursue the path of the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism in the future, right?”
“You possess considerable technical skill but lack experience and reputation.”
“Participating in this project would allow you to accumulate practical experience in refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God while learning on the job.”
“I know you might be concerned about facing obstacles in artifact refinement due to your background in the Civil Engineering Department.”
“But a single experience working on a military-grade project would undoubtedly make others look at you with new respect.”
“If you join, in addition to your assigned tasks, I’ll share the entire project’s data with you for your personal study.”
“This should be immensely helpful for your future work on the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism.”
Zi Yunzhen and the other two assistants watched this scene with envy. Though they were all assistants, Zhang Yu’s treatment was far superior to theirs.
Glancing at the fiend energy materials she was cleaning, Zi Yunzhen couldn’t help but feel that, compared to Zhang Yu, she seemed more like a Civil Engineering student who had transferred to artifact refinement.
For Jin Jun, doubling an assistant’s salary was a negligible expense.
Sharing data was a win-win situation for Jin Jun, requiring no additional cost from him but holding immense appeal for the student before him.
Jin Jun confidently watched Zhang Yu, certain that the transfer student from the Civil Engineering Department would accept.
But Zhang Yu, feeling Jin Jun’s intense gaze, shook his head and said, “Senior, I’m already swamped with projects. I really don’t have time to join.”
Jin Jun was momentarily taken aback. He studied Zhang Yu intently, suspecting the student was trying to negotiate for better terms. “Zhang Yu,” he warned, “this is my best offer. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
I thought I could secure him immediately, Jin Jun thought to himself. Could my eagerness have backfired, making him think he can demand more?
Ye Xingli, sensing the tension, intervened. “Zhang Yu, are you abandoning the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism project?”
“Jin Jun, if Zhang Yu wants to participate in the Design Competition first, he genuinely won’t have time for your project.”
Jin Jun was slightly taken aback by Ye Xingli’s words, realizing that her explanation made perfect sense. Participating in the Design Competition first, mastering a military-grade cultivation technique, and then refining a prototype military-grade magical artifact — this was indeed the logical path for artifact refinement cultivation.
Hearing Ye Xingli’s explanation, Zhang Yu knew he had to clarify his position.
After completing the Artifact Refinement Prodigy diagram, he would soon begin preparing to study the Heavenly Sun Radiance God.
According to Zhang Yu’s own timeline, he might even finish refining the prototype mechanism by the next academic year, putting him in direct competition with Jin Jun.
If he allowed Jin Jun, Ye Xingli, and the others to misunderstand him today, his future actions would appear as deliberate deception — falsely claiming to have abandoned the Heavenly Sun Radiance God.
While facing criticism or Jin Jun’s animosity wouldn’t be a major concern, any interference with the prototype mechanism’s testing and evaluation would be a significant setback.
After all, only by creating a prototype military-grade artifact refinement product and passing the artifact refinement skill assessment and evaluation could one be awarded the Military Certificate.
To pass the evaluation, it was essential to leave a clear trail throughout the project, documenting every step of refining the prototype mechanism, recording all processes, and preserving all evidence.
If Zhang Yu were to admit today that he was abandoning the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, would he have to secretly refine artifacts in the future? Wouldn’t that make it harder to pass the evaluation later?
Alternatively, if he remained silent today, letting others assume he had given up, and then openly refined the prototype mechanism in the coming weeks, what would be the point of admitting defeat today?
After careful consideration, Zhang Yu concluded that the best course of action was to openly declare his intentions today, leave a clear trail of progress, and complete the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism step by step, leaving no room for doubt.
With unwavering resolve, Zhang Yu declared, “Senior Jin Jun, I’m not joining your project because I’m giving up. I’ve decided to begin refining the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism soon, and I will inevitably become your direct competitor.”
As Zhang Yu spoke these words, the entire laboratory fell into complete silence.
Zi Yunzhen stared at Zhang Yu’s earnest expression, thinking he must be insane. Competing head-on with Jin Jun? What made him think he stood a chance?
A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Xingli’s face. She hadn’t expected Zhang Yu to say such a thing. Her mind raced: “Zhang Yu may be in the Civil Engineering Department, but he’s no fool. Why would he say this? Could it be…?”
Standing before Zhang Yu, Jin Jun chuckled dismissively. “Junior Brother Zhang, if you want to refuse my request, just say so directly. There’s no need to make up such a far-fetched story.”
Zhang Yu didn’t smile. He repeated earnestly, “I’m not joking. I should be able to refine a prototype Heavenly Sun Radiance God machine by my senior year.”
“Since Senior Jin Jun is also working on this, I don’t want to keep it a secret. You’d find out eventually anyway.”
Sensing the sincerity in Zhang Yu’s tone, Jin Jun gradually realized the younger man wasn’t joking.
Jin Jun’s smile widened. He found the entire scene both hilarious and intriguing, and he couldn’t help but laugh aloud.