Chapter 578: Discrimination? Tell it to my Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword!
Inside the construction site, Yu Xinghan sensed the entire area grinding to a halt as a massive earthquake shook the ground. This gave him a legitimate excuse to stop working.
The Dual Rest Virus within him seemed to surge with renewed vigor, further draining his Magic Power and vital energy, leaving him as stagnant as a pool of dead water.
Startled by this realization, Yu Xinghan thought to himself, “If Zhang Yu hadn’t raised our wages in advance, the Dual Rest Virus might have spread even more severely through the construction site during this shutdown.”
Just then, another violent tremor shook the earth from deep below.
Outside the monsterfolk’s construction site, the intense shaking sent Shi Huaiyu, Ying Xin, and the other protesters flying.
Xiang Shan’s trunk curled back as his massive body, resembling a small mountain, lumbered toward the scattered crowd.
With each earth-shattering step, surging Gang Qi erupted skyward, amplified by the power of his military-grade Bionic, unleashing an overwhelming pressure.
Activating both the Mount Sumeru King Sutra and the Calamity Flow Bright King Type Four, Xiang Shan felt that if a great river stood before him, he could force its waters to flow backward; if a mountain range blocked his path, he could shatter it into rubble.
Who on this construction site could stop him? Who could even slow him down?
But the moment he saw Xiao Qingxuan, burdened with tens of thousands in debt, standing before him, Xiang Shan immediately calmed down. This wasn’t a situation for reckless action.
“Hmph! Solve your own problems. If you interfere with our construction again, I’ll report you to the Myriad Laws University leadership for discriminating against monsterfolk and undermining inter-university unity.”
With a cold snort, Xiang Shan turned and left, leaving the Myriad Laws University students seething with anger and helplessness.
As Xiang Shan returned to work, his Bionic Eye flashed, and a message arrived.
“Status report?”
Xiang Shan replied: “Everything’s going smoothly.”
Xiang Shan: “Don’t worry, with me here, Zhang Yu’s company won’t get a single day’s work done.”
Xiang Shan: “What about the investment?”
The reply came: “As long as you fulfill your agreement, the investment will follow.”
Meanwhile, Shi Huaiyu clenched her fists tightly. Earthly Fiend Gravity seemed to surge and dissipate within her body. Suppressing her impulse, she knew that even activating Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power now would be futile and would only expose her.
Just as the construction site workers were fretting, a series of sonic booms echoed through the air, accompanied by a sweeping shockwave. Zhang Yu’s figure materialized on the scene.
At the same moment, Xiang Shan’s figure shot skyward, his gaze toward Zhang Yu burning with hostility.
In last year’s Civil Engineering Competition, he had lost to Zhang Yu by a hair’s breadth.
Though his skills far surpassed Zhang Yu’s at the time, a strategic misstep cost him first place, along with countless opportunities, and his reputation at Celestial Monsters University plummeted.
Seeing Zhang Yu again, Xiang Shan’s eyes burned with resentment.
“Zhang Yu!” Xiang Shan roared.
Over the past year, Xiang Shan’s fortunes had fluctuated wildly.
Initially, his defeat in the Civil Engineering Competition severely damaged his standing at Celestial Monsters University. He became a pariah among monsterfolk in the Spirit Realm, his income plummeted, and he struggled to repay his debts.
But later, Myriad Laws University and Celestial Monsters University forged a partnership, with Myriad Laws University’s Finance Department investing heavily in Celestial Monsters University.
As an outstanding student, Xiang Shan found it even easier than Myriad Laws University students to secure scholarships and loans from the Finance Department.
Since joining Myriad Laws University, his income and work environment had steadily improved.
Through connections in the Finance Department, Xiang Shan had secured a military-grade Bionic, granting him access to three military-grade powers.
Seeing Zhang Yu before him, Xiang Shan’s competitive spirit surged. He yearned for another clash, eager to thoroughly erase the humiliation he had suffered.
“Zhang Yu only transferred to the Artifact Refinement Department a little over a year ago,” Xiang Shan thought. “He’s only mastered two military-grade powers: the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power and the Heavenly Sun Radiance God.”
“Although he recently won the Design Competition, that competition tests magical artifact design skills, not actual combat strength.”
“Meanwhile, I wield three military-grade powers, giving me far greater practical capabilities.”
Xiang Shan took a deep breath, mentally declaring, “Right now, Zhang Yu of the Artifact Refinement Department has the fame, but I have the superior practical skills. He’s the perfect stepping stone for me to regain my glory at Celestial Monsters University.”
“Celestial Monsters University Civil Engineering Student Crushes Myriad Laws University Refinement Apprentice?”
Just imagining the headline made Xiang Shan grin.
Of course, Xiang Shan’s idea of “crushing” didn’t involve a direct combat victory. After all, who knew how many Spirit Coins it would cost to compensate for any damage to a Refinement Apprentice’s gear?
Instead, Xiang Shan planned to defeat Zhang Yu through a construction site showdown, forcing him to concede the project.
Staring at Xiang Shan before him, Zhang Yu’s expression remained unchanged. He simply said, “Xiang Shan, I’ll ask you once: can you control your power and stop interfering with our construction work?”
Xiang Shan retorted, “Zhang Yu, are you discriminating against monsterfolk?”
Zhang Yu blinked in surprise, wondering what he had said to warrant such an accusation.
Meanwhile, within Xiang Shan’s Bionic Eye, the monsterfolk Discrimination List had activated, painting Zhang Yu’s head with a crimson aura.
This Spirit Realm Talisman had been specially developed by the Talisman Department at Myriad Laws University for monsterfolk students, funded by the Finance Department to promote unity between the two schools.
Any monsterfolk who experienced discrimination could upload the perpetrator’s information to the Spirit Realm, where it would be recorded on the monsterfolk Discrimination List.
The more times a target was recorded, the brighter red their aura would appear in the Spirit Realm vision of monsterfolk.
Zhang Yu had been added to the Discrimination List en masse after the University City construction site incident, when he flashed his Military Certificate to halt the conflict between monsterfolk and Civil Engineering students.
Now, Zhang Yu appeared vividly red in Xiang Shan’s eyes, signaling that every word, glance, and gesture from him could be interpreted as discrimination against monsterfolk.
Xiang Shan roared, “Zhang Yu, the monsterfolk will not tolerate your discrimination!”
Zhang Yu snapped back, “What the hell are you talking about? Where have I discriminated against the monsterfolk?”
Xiang Shan sneered, “Hmph, would you dare speak to humans in such a tone?”
“I’d…” Zhang Yu opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Xiang Shan continued, “I’ll say this only once: stop making excuses for your discrimination! Civil engineering is a matter of skill. If you can’t even overcome environmental challenges, then you don’t belong on a construction site.”
As Xiang Shan spoke, the monsterfolk workers behind him erupted in cheers.
“Well said!”
“This is Celestial Monsters University’s construction site! It’s none of the Human Race’s business!”
“Long live the Celestial Monsters!”
Unbeknownst to Zhang Yu, with each word, his name was growing increasingly red on the monsterfolk Discrimination List.
“Fine, remember what you said,” Zhang Yu retorted, unwilling to waste any more time arguing. With a wave of his hand, he activated the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Shifting Divine Power, instantly transporting his employees back to their own construction site.
Xiang Shan watched intently, knowing Zhang Yu would never retreat so meekly.
In the next moment, with a series of thunderous cracks, Xiang Shan watched as Zhang Yu seized his entire construction site.
The entire site, resembling a massive floating island, soared rapidly into the sky.
Simultaneously, the Eternal Sun Star Core within Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Sun Radiance Divine Body began to spin violently, erupting in pillars of flame that blasted downward from the floating island, propelling it upward.
The vast quantities of sand and earth beneath the island were continuously burned by the Eternal Sun Radiance Flame, refining them into Magic Power while releasing waves of scorching heat.
In the blink of an eye, the floating island hovered directly above Xiang Shan’s head.
As the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, resembling a cluster of miniature suns, radiated heat downward, the entire Celestial Monsters University construction site transformed into a scorching oven. The monsterfolk laborers sweated profusely, while their classmates suddenly seemed increasingly appetizing.
Xiang Shan remained calm and unhurried. “Don’t panic,” he instructed. “Take shelter underground. Let’s see how long he can keep this up!”
Xiang Shan retreated underground as well. With a surge of power from the Mount Sumeru King Sutra, he triggered another earth-shattering tremor.
“How long can you work in the sky? Sooner or later, you’ll have to come down!”
“I’ll completely alter the geological environment here. Even when you come down, you’ll have to rebuild the foundations!”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu had anticipated the monsterfolk’s retreat underground. With a gentle tap on his sword casket, twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords shot forth, encircling him.
In the next moment, as sword light soared skyward, the Great Sky Sacred Law Sword Formation activated. The twelve flying swords fused into a single entity, their Spirit Realm information, Magic Power, and sword qi coalescing into a unified whole.
“Great Sun Inner Net, strike!”
With a pointed finger, Zhang Yu deployed the twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords across the cardinal directions, encircling the entire Celestial Monsters University construction site.
The Great Sun Inner Net formed by the sword formation materialized as an invisible blade, poised to pierce the Spirit Realm Network.
Instantly, the monsterfolk on the construction site discovered their Bionic Eyes operating at their limits, their information exchange with the Spirit Realm grinding to an unprecedented crawl.
But in the next moment, the slowness transformed into speed. The massive exchange of information within the Spirit Realm caused their data charges to skyrocket.
Xiang Shan roared, “Zhang Yu! Are you disrupting our construction site’s Spirit Realm Network?!”
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “I’m merely establishing our construction site’s internal network. If your Spirit Realm Network is affected, what’s that got to do with me?”
“Civil engineering is a matter of skill. If you can’t even overcome environmental challenges, that’s your own incompetence. Don’t bother coming to the construction site.”
As the monsterfolk panicked over the Spirit Realm’s sudden upheaval, Zhang Yu lightly tapped his fingertip. With each tap, an invisible sword light seemed to flash through the sword formation, slicing deep into the earth.
In the next instant, bursts of fiery light erupted from the depths below — the Eternal Sun Radiance Flame unleashed by the Heavenly Sun Radiance God. Somehow, it had infiltrated the underground depths and begun heating the entire construction site.
Sensing the rapid temperature rise beneath his feet, Xiang Shan’s heart jolted with alarm.
He had initially attributed the Spirit Realm Network disruption to a talisman, but now, with a moment’s reflection, he realized, “It’s the Great Sky Sacred Law Sword Formation?!”