Chapter 545: Who’s Sabotaging Behind the Scenes?
Shortly after Zhang Yu left, a message from True Monarch String Tone appeared in Feng Yuhuan’s Bionic Eye.
True Monarch String Tone: “Has the funding been approved?”
Feng Yuhuan: “Rest assured, it will be credited to your account shortly.”
Feng Yuhuan: “But you need to hurry.”
True Monarch String Tone: “Don’t worry. Magnetic Pole has already made a breakthrough. We just need to follow her lead, and we’ll have results soon.”
After exchanging a few words with True Monarch String Tone from the Artifact Refinement Department, Feng Yuhuan finally let out a slight sigh of relief.
Through skillful manipulation of the subtle dynamics within Myriad Laws University City, he had successfully helped five Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Artifact Refinement Department establish their own project teams, all participating in the Spirit Transformation Bionic experiments.
This maneuver was ostensibly to assist True Monarch Magnetic Pole, but in reality, it would inevitably dilute her share of the Spirit Transformation Bionic research’s achievements, reputation, prestige, and funding.
Especially now that True Monarch Magnetic Pole had already made significant breakthroughs in her research, the suspicion of “cherry-picking” her work was unavoidable.
But Feng Yuhuan naturally didn’t care about such concerns. With the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Artifact Refinement Department acting as checks and balances, he could better control the Spirit Transformation Bionic project.
Moreover, this arrangement would allow him to gather intelligence and data from multiple channels, ensuring more thorough and convenient access to the entire experiment’s progress.
“Hmph, Magnetic Pole… A lab rat like you, who can’t even manage your own subordinates in the Artifact Refinement Department, how could the university possibly entrust such a crucial project as the Spirit Transformation Bionic entirely to you?”
“Once the others start producing results, you’ll realize you’re not the only one who understands artifact refinement.”
Feng Yuhuan had encountered many cultivators who specialized in a particular Immortal Dao Technology, becoming arrogant, extravagant, and dismissive of others. To maintain order in the university’s research, he had disciplined quite a few of them.
In Feng Yuhuan’s view, technical personnel lacked understanding of the university’s challenges and lacked a broader perspective. They were only concerned with their own little corner of the laboratory. They should simply obey orders to ensure the rule of law in University City.
As for Zhang Yu? A student being asked to assist five Nascent Soul True Monarchs with their experiments, multiplying his workload several times over — such a minor matter never even registered in Feng Yuhuan’s mind.
Every year, countless insignificant figures were ruined by the power struggles of the higher-ups.
Adding a bit of extra work to a student’s plate was nothing to Feng Yuhuan. He dismissed it from his mind the moment he turned away.
After leaving Feng Yuhuan’s office, Zhang Yu immediately began strategizing.
The most common approach in Kunxu was to endure it. But Zhang Yu shook his head inwardly. “If I keep accommodating these Nascent Soul True Monarchs’ experiments, how much time will I have left for my own projects?”
Moreover, though outsiders doubted it, Zhang Yu knew his Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism was at a critical stage, neck-and-neck with Jin Jun in the competition. He couldn’t afford to waste any time.
Failure in this competition would mean waiting another academic year — an outcome Zhang Yu, eager to join the Ten Greats League, absolutely refused to accept.
“And the next Design Competition is in May next year. I need to submit my entry before then.”
“If I calculate it this way, I’d better complete the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism by April at the latest. That would give me over a month to prepare my entry for the Design Competition…”
“Then I still need to secure military-grade resources. How else can I dominate the Ten Greats League?”
The more Zhang Yu pondered, the more he felt the urgency of the coming year. This made him even more reluctant to waste time on the experiments of other Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
Just then, a message from Zi Yunzhen appeared in his Bionic Eye.
Zi Yunzhen: “Boss, when are you coming to the laboratory?”
Zhang Yu: “Get the preparations ready first. I’ll be back after I finish handling this matter.”
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yu decided to seek out his master, Magnetic Pole. She would likely have a better understanding of the current situation.
Regardless of his next steps, gathering intelligence and collecting information would undoubtedly be the first priority.
In the laboratory, True Monarch Magnetic Pole held a rhombus-shaped crystal. As she circulated her Magic Power, she gradually extracted strands of pain from the crystal.
This was her latest breakthrough. Following her success with exchanging Magic Power and vital energy, she had completed her first memory exchange, drawing a sliver of pain memory from the Spirit Transformation Bionic’s vast, ocean-like memory repository.
After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and turned to Zhang Yu, who stood beside her. “I know what’s happening,” she said.
“Heh, there are quite a few who don’t want to see your master advance smoothly to Spirit Transformation. I’ve barely made a breakthrough, and they’re already scrambling to take a bite of the flesh.”
Zhang Yu cautiously asked, “Master, does Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations know about this?”
True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s gaze sharpened. “How could Feng Yuhuan possibly sway True Monarch String Tone and those old fogies on his own? Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn’t dare confront me directly.”
“It’s clear someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. They want the project to succeed, but they don’t want me to gain too much credit, which would make it easier for me to pass the Spirit Transformation assessment in the future.”
“This must be the tribulation of Spirit Transformation.”
“The path of the Immortal Dao stretches endlessly onward. The further one progresses, the more difficult it becomes to advance in cultivation. The variables involved multiply, and the external factors become increasingly complex. It’s no longer a simple matter of accumulating cultivation through one’s own efforts.”
Hearing True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s sigh, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. He vaguely understood what she meant and asked in surprise, “Master, does Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations also not wish for you to advance to Spirit Transformation?”
In Zhang Yu’s view, Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations, as the Vice-Principal of Myriad Laws University, oversaw the institution’s research in Immortal Dao Technology.
Although he didn’t directly manage the specific affairs of each department, he served as the primary patron for True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s faction and the other teachers in the Artifact Refinement Department.
True Monarch Magnetic Pole replied calmly, “If Divine Monarch Jade Nectar were to target us, Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations would naturally intervene to protect us.”
“But if I were to advance to Spirit Transformation, competition between us would become inevitable.”
“Especially since… I’d go from being his subordinate, helping him make money, to becoming his equal, sharing the profits with him. If you were in his position, what would you choose?”
“When I reach Spirit Transformation, how much will Myriad Laws University’s resources increase? Considering my share, will Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations profit or lose? His support for my Spirit Transformation hinges entirely on this.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but glance at True Monarch Magnetic Pole and think to himself, “Master, you must strive harder and advance to Spirit Transformation soon!”
True Monarch Magnetic Pole continued, “I’ll resolve the issues String Tone and the others are stirring up within a month or two at most.”
As she spoke, she patted Zhang Yu’s head. “Good disciple, cooperate with their work temporarily to avoid giving them grounds to accuse us of obstructing the project team. We can’t afford to give them ammunition.”
“I’ll compensate you for the wasted time later.”
Zhang Yu trusted that if True Monarch Magnetic Pole promised compensation, she would definitely deliver.
The problem was that missing the Military Certificate deadline meant losing a year, and missing the next Ten Greats League as well.
Even if True Monarch Magnetic Pole advanced to Spirit Transformation by then, could she possibly compensate him for missing the chance to compete for an Immortal Sect Technique selection opportunity?
Zhang Yu understood that he couldn’t voice his thoughts aloud. No one would believe he had a chance to compete for the Immortal Sect Technique in the Ten Greats League; it would only create unnecessary conflict.
“Feng Yuhuan has the support of Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations. Everything he’s doing is part of a larger scheme to hinder Master’s advancement to the Spirit Transformation stage.”
“Confronting Feng Yuhuan directly in University City seems unrealistic…”
Even his master, True Monarch Magnetic Pole, would be constrained by regulations and unable to exert her full power against someone backed by a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch, especially when the opponent’s actions appeared legitimate. How could a mere Foundation Establishment Stage student like himself stand a chance?
Yet Zhang Yu refused to give up.
“My advantage lies in having channels Master lacks and the ability to attack Feng Yuhuan from a different angle.”
“Feng Yuhuan is formidable, especially in his home turf of University City.”
“But if we shift our perspective, he might become vulnerable, even more so in this very city.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “For example… if he really joined the Demonic Cults or even became a follower of the Evil God, dealing with Feng Yuhuan would be much easier for me than for Master.”
“Could he be?”
Fu Ji snorted. “A guy who manages the Research Department? His achievements in Immortal Dao Technology probably don’t even measure up to most Nascent Soul cultivators in University City.”
“In the Spirit Realm’s fractured state, how much combat power could such a guy possibly retain?”
“If the Evil God, under our guidance, sent its main forces to deal with him, and he single-handedly fought them off, what do you think the chances of that are?”
Fu Ji continued, “But simply dealing with him, even killing him, would be pointless. After all, this whole game was set up by a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch. If Feng Yuhuan is removed, they’ll just replace him with someone else.”
“We need to find a way to make him help you.”
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yu frowned. “How do I get him to help me?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Messing with the Evil Gods is my specialty. Just listen to me.”
“First, we’ll use the ‘strike the mountain to startle the tiger’ tactic to scare them into submission.”
“But you need to be careful to conceal your true intentions…”
Inside the bedroom, Zhang Yu looked at Zhang Pianpian and said, “Sister, could you help me investigate Feng Yuhuan?”
As he spoke, Zhang Yu glanced at Zhang Pianpian’s Talisman Department ranking, which was fifth, and a hint of envy flashed in his eyes.
Since returning from the Ten Greats League, her department ranking had soared from tenth to fifth, and her overall school ranking had climbed to twenty-sixth.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s request, Zhang Pianpian asked curiously, “What’s up with Feng Yuhuan?”
Zhang Yu quickly explained the project changes and increased workload. Zhang Pianpian shook her head. “Even though Feng Yuhuan is targeting you and your master, he’s still following procedures. There might be directives from the school’s higher-ups behind this.”
“Investigating him… probably won’t be very useful.”