Chapter 589: Cooperation with Bei Wufeng
Watching Bei Wufeng’s twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords being relentlessly crushed by layers of mountains, True Monarch Tranquility understood that the battle’s outcome was already decided.
Simultaneously, he mentally compared Zhang Yu and Bei Wufeng.
“In terms of overall strength, Bei Wufeng undoubtedly holds the edge.”
“However, Zhang Yu’s use of Civil Engineering techniques to enhance Flying Sword Communication gives him a unique advantage in providing support, securing advantages for the entire team.”
“Especially if given sufficient time and space to deploy great formations and construct defensive fortifications, the team’s position becomes even more advantageous.”
True Monarch Tranquility mused inwardly, “In this year’s Ten Greats League, only one ranking truly matters: first place, the position of the Ten Greats’ strongest.”
The thought of claiming the first-place prize — the right to select an Immortal Sect-level cultivation art from the Dao Repository Catalog — stirred even the Vice Director of the Dao Techniques Department with a hint of excitement and boundless longing.
“A single Immortal Sect-level cultivation art could reshape the future of a university, even alter the balance of power among the Ten Greats.”
“Among the school team members capable of contending for first place, only Dao Qiankun, Jiutian Liu, and Yan Qianji possess the necessary strength.”
In True Monarch Tranquility’s assessment, Dao Qiankun stood out as the most likely candidate to claim the top spot.
“The other members of the school team should primarily focus on assisting Dao Qiankun and the others in securing first place.”
Reflecting on his strategy for guiding the school team, True Monarch Tranquility’s gaze toward Zhang Yu now carried a hint of approval.
“From this perspective, Zhang Yu can better contribute to the team’s overall strength. During the team competition phase, he can conserve Dao Qiankun’s and the others’ energy, establish an advantage, and increase Dao Qiankun’s chances of claiming first place…”
A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, yet this mental activity didn’t hinder True Monarch Tranquility’s swift reaction in the physical world.
“Students, you may cease fighting now.”
His voice, transmitted through the Spirit Realm, reached Zhang Yu and Bei Wufeng simultaneously. The two combatants, who had been locked in a fierce sword duel moments before, immediately withdrew their Magic Power.
With a thunderous roar, the twelve flying swords, now freed from restraint, shattered layers of rock and soared into the heavens.
True Monarch Tranquility continued, “The outcome of this match is clear. Do either of you have any objections?”
Zhang Yu naturally had no objections.
Bei Wufeng opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately let out a long sigh. Turning to Zhang Yu, he said, “Junior Brother, congratulations.”
As the twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords leaped before him, Bei Wufeng extended a sword finger, gently stroking the blades. He murmured, “New talents emerge with each generation… I never imagined I would lose a Sword Duel to you, Junior Brother.”
“Very well. Twelve swords plus twelve swords makes twenty-four Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords forming a sword formation. Its power will naturally reach a new level.”
“I only hope these twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords can assist you in the Ten Greats League and help our school achieve even greater results.”
Zhang Yu politely replied, “Senior, perhaps I should pay a rental fee later…”
A sword’s cry interrupted him. Bei Wufeng retorted, “Junior Brother, what kind of person do you take me for?”
“Though I didn’t give my all in our duel, a loss is a loss. A contract is a contract, and once signed, it must be honored.”
“Am I, Bei Wufeng, the kind of person who disregards contracts?”
Bei Wufeng continued proudly, “Besides, this is all for the school’s glory. If you can contribute more in the Ten Greats League and help Myriad Laws secure first place in the Grand League, what’s the harm in lending you my flying swords?”
With that, Bei Wufeng lightly tapped his sword-finger, and a beam of sword light shot forth from the Spirit Realm.
“This is the control method for my twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords. Memorize it carefully to avoid confusion during use.”
After receiving the operational document from Bei Wufeng, Zhang Yu nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Senior. I’ll study it thoroughly.”
As their conversation concluded, True Monarch Tranquility nodded slightly, thinking to himself that Bei Wufeng’s broad-mindedness saved him the trouble of further intervention.
True Monarch Tranquility declared, “Very well. In that case, Zhang Yu, you will take Bei Wufeng’s place in this year’s Ten Greats League.”
With that, a friend request was sent to Zhang Yu.
“Next, I will arrange for you to join the school team.”
“Over the remaining two months, the school will provide you with specialized training. I’ll discuss the specific plan with you in a couple of days.”
“In the meantime, reflect on what you need most.”
Hearing True Monarch Tranquility’s words, Zhang Yu felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.
“I’ve finally reached this point.”
“For the past four years, I’ve climbed step by step to get here… and now I’ve finally joined the school team.”
“Looking back, who would have believed I could transfer to the Artifact Refinement Department, join the school team in my senior year, and prepare to compete in the Ten Greats League?”
The myriad emotions and memories in his mind instantly transformed into unwavering resolve. Zhang Yu looked at True Monarch Tranquility and said, “This student will give his all to achieve a strong result in this year’s Ten Greats League.”
True Monarch Tranquility nodded slightly, offering only a few words of encouragement regarding Zhang Yu’s primary role of support and assistance before departing to attend to other matters.
As both the Vice Director of the Dao Techniques Department and the school team’s guiding teacher, True Monarch Tranquility had countless responsibilities. Even while witnessing the Sword Duel, his consciousness was already engaged in Divine Travel within the Spirit Realm, with multiple avatars attending to various tasks across Kunxu’s Second to Sixth Layers.
As True Monarch Tranquility left, waves of spiritual energy rippled through the atmosphere. Zhang Yu sensed the gazes that had been observing the Sword Duel through the Spirit Realm gradually fading away.
But the moment Zhang Yu moved, Bei Wufeng suddenly appeared before him, seemingly out of nowhere.
Staring at the expressionless senior, Zhang Yu felt a dark aura emanating from him. A thought flashed through his mind: “Could it be… that Senior Bei Wufeng wasn’t as composed as he appeared earlier? Was he just putting on a show because the leaders were watching?”
Immediately on guard, Zhang Yu’s mind sharpened to its peak.
Yet in the very next moment, Bei Wufeng abruptly knelt before Zhang Yu, saying, “Junior Brother, with all those teachers and leaders watching earlier, I had to play it cool. Now that we’re alone, I’ll kneel for you, Brother.”
Zhang Yu immediately dodged Bei Wufeng’s kneeling attempt, protesting, “Senior, you promised to lend me your flying sword!”
Bei Wufeng replied, “Junior Brother, don’t worry, I’m not backing out of the sword loan. I just wanted to discuss something else with you.”
The moment he lost the Sword Duel to Zhang Yu, Bei Wufeng began contemplating the consequences.
“Most outsiders won’t bother to investigate the details of this battle,” he thought. “They won’t care if I held back any techniques or whether I fought at full strength. To them, I simply lost to Zhang Yu, a junior with less experience who transferred from the Civil Engineering Department.”
“Once this news spreads, my artifact refinement reputation will plummet, even though my skills haven’t declined at all.”
Bei Wufeng could already envision his artifact refinement business collapsing, laboratory assistants jumping ship, advertising revenue drying up, loan applications being denied, his refined products facing scrutiny, and even the stock prices of companies he had contracts with plummeting…
“This scandal must be contained at all costs.”
Bei Wufeng knew that continuing to argue with Zhang Yu was pointless. Not only had they already signed a contract, but with so many leaders and teachers watching, he couldn’t resort to underhanded tactics.
“Then there’s only one way,” Bei Wufeng said, looking at Zhang Yu. “Junior Brother, I can’t let outsiders know I lost the Sword Duel to you.”
“So I’ll publicly claim that you proactively paid a high price to buy my spot on the school team.”
Bei Wufeng understood that defeat was defeat, but losing a Sword Duel to a Civil Engineering student would invite ridicule, raise doubts about his artifact refinement skills, and turn him into a stepping stone for others’ cheap satisfaction.
In the worst-case scenario, even Junior College students would dare to criticize him, saying, “Bei Wufeng? His artifact refinement is mediocre, his flying sword skills are subpar. Remember that Sword Duel? He lost to a student who transferred from the Civil Engineering Department!”
But if he framed it differently — as Bei Wufeng selling his school team spot for a fortune — it would be seen as a legitimate transaction. He might even be praised for not being blinded by fame or the school’s honor, for focusing solely on Spirit Coins.
At that moment, Zhang Yu frowned slightly as he listened to Bei Wufeng’s words. “You want me to cooperate with you?”
Bei Wufeng shook his head. “I don’t need your cooperation, Junior Brother. Just don’t speak out to expose me.”
“This is merely a promotional strategy. There won’t be any specific figures involved. I’ll manage the situation carefully to ensure it doesn’t harm you in any way.”
“The Taxation Bureau has your account data. They won’t arbitrarily assess additional taxes based on rumors.”
“As for the teachers and school leaders, there’s no need to worry. They have no reason to issue a clarification, and besides, they can’t confirm whether I actually received money from you.”
“Throughout this process, neither you nor I will be making any statements. It will simply be rumors circulating.”
“If you agree, Junior Brother, I’ll also lend you my Twelve Sword Servants and all the additional services associated with the Great Sky Sacred Law Sword Formation.”
Hearing Bei Wufeng’s proposal, Zhang Yu couldn’t deny that he was tempted.
During their recent Sword Duel, Zhang Yu had been deeply envious of Bei Wufeng’s mastery of sword techniques.
Especially the Twelve Sword Servants and the various enhancements from the Spirit Realm Grotto-Heaven could greatly enhance the performance of the Great Sky Sacred Law Sword Formation, allowing it to adapt to a wider range of situations.
However, these enhancements were not inherent to the Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword itself. They relied on Bei Wufeng’s accumulated resources in the Spirit Realm, which he could choose to share or withhold.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “If I could combine my Civil Engineering Techniques with Bei Wufeng’s Spirit Realm Techniques, the great formation I could deploy with twenty-four Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords at the Ten Greats League would likely be several times more powerful than it is now.”
Sensing Zhang Yu’s interest, Bei Wufeng continued his persuasion: “Moreover, Junior Brother, wouldn’t securing a spot on the Lower College school team by showering Spirit Coins rather than winning a Sword Duel against me better showcase your Immortal Dao Potential and peerless innate talent? It would only enhance your reputation, bringing no harm whatsoever.”
“For both of us, this would be a mutually beneficial arrangement — a win-win solution.”
Zhang Yu nodded, acknowledging the validity of Bei Wufeng’s argument.
“Senior, let’s sign another contract then.”