Chapter 523: Hype and Higher-Ups - Artifact Refinement Prodigy (8/8)

“Hahahaha!”

Jin Jun burst into laughter, finding the situation amusing.

At his current level, he certainly didn’t consider Zhang Yu a true rival.

But after his laughter subsided, he realized he couldn’t simply walk away as if nothing had happened.

After all, Zhang Yu’s public declaration of his intentions was essentially a direct challenge, a gauntlet thrown down for a competition in artifact refinement projects.

If Jin Jun left without a word, it could negatively impact his reputation as an artifact refiner.

Especially with Zhang Yu present, along with his assistants like Zi Yunzhen… Jin Jun didn’t know their personalities.

What if they were all gossips like Feng Tingting?

If they spread rumors that Zhang Yu had openly challenged him and Jin Jun had fled without a word, wouldn’t his reputation be unfairly tarnished?

With a faint smile, Jin Jun extended a finger.

A flash of light appeared at his fingertip, projecting a series of numbers that gradually grew larger:

10

50

120

“This is the current funding I’ve secured for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God project.”

As Jin Jun spoke, the numbers continued to increase rapidly. In an instant, they had jumped to 300 Spirit Coins, then continued to skyrocket.

As the Spirit Coin numbers were displayed, the Spirit Realm erupted in waves of energy, with streaks of light flashing across the sky and faint murmurs echoing through the heavens and earth.

Legend had it that in ancient times, when Immortals descended upon the mortal realm, the heavens would resound with the blowing of conch shells, celestial flowers would rain down, radiant light would stretch across the horizon, and auspicious beasts would gallop forth in a display of extraordinary phenomena.

In the modern era, the display of vast quantities of Spirit Coins triggers similar phenomena.

When the number at Jin Jun’s fingertip surged to 300, holographic advertisements for financial products, magical artifacts, and gambling opportunities materialized around him, vying for the investment of Spirit Coins.

As the figure climbed to 600, faint calls echoed from the depths of the Spirit Realm. Countless Soul Cultivators whispered Jin Jun’s name, eager to recommend investment funds, secluded cultivation caves, and a myriad of luxury goods.

Meanwhile, subtle ripples of divine power stirred in the surrounding air, indicating that the massive display of Spirit Coins had caught the attention of the divine power network, which was meticulously recording the event.

Simultaneously, the bank’s premium client features activated, initiating the verification process to confirm the authenticity of the funds.

Auspicious light and auspicious energy descended, transforming into Spirit Coin figures that materialized in every corner of the air, validating the account balance’s authenticity.

As the funds increased, the verification methods also escalated. Layer upon layer of emotionless voices began to whisper Jin Jun’s name and balance, further confirming the authenticity of the funds.

User Jin Jun, account balance: 642 Spirit Coins!

Watching this spectacle, Zi Yunzhen felt as if the entire world were chanting this number.

Her purple irises, shimmering with the glow of Spirit Coins, dilated slightly, her mind consumed by a single thought: “No wonder he’s a Heavenly Chosen destined to challenge the Heavenly Sun Radiance God… He’s so rich! He’s so powerful!”

The two assistants beside her were equally stunned, their minds racing with the same question: “With such massive funds and abundant research resources, how can Zhang Yu possibly compete with him? How could he ever hope to surpass him?”

Jin Jun gazed contentedly at the numbers hovering at his fingertips and the extraordinary phenomena triggered by the display of such vast wealth.

To maximize the project’s success, he had meticulously prepared for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, amassing these 642 Spirit Coins through a combination of savings, loans, and investments. He had exhausted every possible means to secure the necessary funding.

As he retracted his finger, the Spirit Coin balance vanished, and the extraordinary phenomena that had filled the world gradually dissipated.

Jin Jun immediately spread his fingers and swiped through the air before him.

In an instant, streams of magical artifact data projected into the air, appearing like stacks of documents floating before everyone’s eyes.

Magical artifacts were the culmination of an artifact refinement cultivator’s efforts, and their parameters served as the best way to showcase the results of their refinement.

As the academic overachiever of the Artifact Refinement Department, Jin Jun was always prepared to share his magical artifact parameters at a moment’s notice.

When encountering other artifact refinement cultivators, a mere glance at his artifacts and their parameters would immediately reveal Jin Jun’s skill level and area of specialization.

But what if he encountered artifact refinement cultivators who couldn’t understand them?

For example, Zi Yunzhen and her two assistants struggled immensely as they stared at the floating lines of magical artifact parameters. They had to constantly consult reference materials to decipher the meaning of each number.

This was because the artifacts either used blueprints taught only in higher grades or were not part of the university’s curriculum — all artifact designs that Zi Yunzhen and her team had yet to learn.

Zhang Yu, on the other hand, could only discern from the artifact names that the underlying technology was related to the Heavenly Sun Radiance God. After all, he had previously tasked Fu Ji with compiling similar statistics.

Zi Yunzhen quickly gleaned Jin Jun’s skill level from the comments beneath the magical artifact parameters.

Top Comment: True Monarch Magnetic Pole: “Ingeniously crafted. Building upon years of stable versions, these artifacts incorporate improvements tailored to the refiner’s unique style…”

Zi Yunzhen also saw evaluations from teachers and students, including True Monarch Thunder Pole, True Person Nine Refinements, Yan Qianji, and others.

However, when Jin Jun noticed True Monarch Thunder Pole’s comment, he frowned slightly and deleted it with a wave of his hand.

As Zi Yunzhen and the others read these endorsements, they seemed to witness a series of testimonials backing Jin Jun, affirming his mastery of artifact refinement.

Meanwhile, Jin Jun stated calmly, “To complete the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, I not only secured ample research funding but also accumulated sufficient technical expertise over the past few years.”

“These magical artifacts represent my journey so far, embodying the various techniques I will need to refine the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism.”

“To validate my skills, I invited numerous teachers and academic overachievers to appraise the artifacts and provide feedback, seeking to identify any flaws and further refine my methods.”

Jin Jun said nothing more, but everyone present could sense his unwavering confidence.

Zi Yunzhen thought to herself, “With money, technology, and connections, Senior Jin Jun has all the advantages this time. He’s completely prepared and certain of success. What chance does Zhang Yu even have?”

Ye Xingli mused, “Jin Jun’s preparations are even more thorough than I anticipated. It seems the Artifact Refinement Department will have another Heavenly Sun Radiance God next year.”

Having delivered his remarks and showcased his artifact refinement skills, Jin Jun had no intention of lingering.

He was convinced that Zhang Yu would soon regret his earlier decision and come begging to join the project.

“By then, the terms won’t be nearly as favorable as they are now,” he thought.

With that, Jin Jun nodded to Ye Xingli and turned to leave.

Before exiting the laboratory, he paused and addressed the group, “Regarding what I just said, you’re free to share it. There’s no need to keep it secret for me.”

“My project still welcomes applications from anyone interested.”

As Jin Jun departed, the laboratory fell silent once more.

Zhang Yu, acting as if nothing had happened, returned to his workstation and resumed practicing his artifact refinement technique.

Zi Yunzhen, who was cleaning materials nearby, glanced at Zhang Yu from time to time, thinking to herself, “He must be feeling quite unsettled right now. I bet he’ll go apologize to Senior Jin Jun in a few days.”

News of what had happened in the laboratory that day gradually spread throughout the Artifact Refinement Department.

Su Yunni, the top student in the class, immediately concluded it was all a publicity stunt.

In their group chat, Su Yunni wrote: “There’s no way anyone could be that foolish. To challenge Jin Jun head-on right after transferring departments? He’s been preparing for years and has already mastered the Grand Void Divine Artifact Strategy!”

Su Yunni continued: “First he flaunts his funding, then he shows off his skills… I bet Jin Jun is trying to hype up his project and recruited Zhang Yu as his stooge.”

“I bet Zhang Yu will surrender soon and join Jin Jun’s project. Then they can hype it up all over again!”

Zi Yunzhen nodded in realization. “That makes sense. It’s a coordinated publicity stunt. After all this hype, I bet even more people will apply to Jin Jun’s project. Some might even invest or offer loans.”

Regardless of the turmoil outside, Zhang Yu remained focused on his plans after announcing his intention to refine a prototype mechanism, continuing his work at his own pace.

In the days that followed, he didn’t rush. He maintained his usual routine, quietly cultivating his artifact refinement techniques and seizing every opportunity to accumulate progress toward becoming an Artifact Refinement Prodigy.

Jin Jun’s display of power did put pressure on Zhang Yu, but it also ignited his fighting spirit.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, bringing them to the end of June.

On this day, Zhang Yu finally completed the cultivation of his eighth artifact refinement technique.

Advanced - Artifact Refinement Prodigy (8/8): Greatly increased artifact quality and refinement success rate.

Gazing at the second-tier effects of Artifact Refinement Prodigy, Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed. After some investigation, he fully understood how these effects worked.

The term “artifact quality” referred to the quality of the refined magical artifacts, Bionics, and other products.

Even when the same person refines the same magical artifact, the quality of each refined artifact will inevitably vary, with differences in strength, power, and other attributes.

A significant surge in artifact refinement quality means that each refined artifact approaches the limits of the refiner’s skill and design, achieving optimal results in terms of strength, power, potency, Magic Power storage, responsiveness, and effective range.

The artifact refinement success rate refered to reducing errors during the refinement process.

Each error during refinement represented wasted materials.

A surge in the success rate meant improved material utilization, effectively reducing refinement costs.

The overall effect of the second tier of the Artifact Refinement Prodigy diagram greatly enhanced the cost-effectiveness of Zhang Yu’s artifact refinement.

Thinking this, the corners of his lips curled slightly. He thought to himself, “All my efforts were worth it after all.”

With the benefits of this second tier, his advantage in the upcoming competition for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God would undoubtedly increase significantly.