Chapter 413: Military Certificate Exam Begins

Inside the simulated construction site.

Director Gao sat cross-legged in midair, his black Daoist robe billowing in the wind, the four large characters “Building World” on his chest flickering with a faint glow.

He looked at Zhang Yu before him, a look of approval on his face, and said, “In your sophomore year, whether in studies or work, you’ve performed very well.”

“Especially the performance on those business trips—you kept a low profile and handled everything beautifully.”

Zhang Yu said, “It’s all thanks to you, Teacher, for giving me the opportunities.”

Director Gao continued, “Opportunities are always earned. Think back to when Wanfa University was just getting started—if I hadn’t seized the chance to become a teacher here, I might still be working on a construction site today.”

“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the construction site, but for me, the university offers a much broader horizon.”

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and listened attentively to Director Gao’s teachings.

Director Gao went on, “Sometimes I wonder, on this path of immortal cultivation, how much money is enough to earn? It’s never enough, Zhang Yu. Spirit coins are always in short supply.”

“You’re still young, and you’re only at the Foundation Establishment stage right now. Your current achievements are just your starting point.”

“Stay patient and keep steadily earning money. Earn at least another 1,000 Spirit coins—with the current market, 1,000 Spirit coins should be about enough to last you until the Golden Core stage.”

Listening to Director Gao’s guidance, Zhang Yu repeatedly acknowledged him.

Seeing that Zhang Yu was obedient and not arrogant or flamboyant despite his excellent results, Director Gao nodded in satisfaction.

He had seen too many students who, as soon as they achieved something, became complacent and could no longer stay grounded. That’s why he took today’s opportunity to give Zhang Yu some advice.

Director Gao continued, “Speaking of steadily earning money, staying grounded is more important than earning the money itself.”

“Some people, even if they get rich overnight, their cultivation and realm can’t control that wealth, and sooner or later they’ll have to give it back.”

“Don’t be like them.”

“Even though I’m the director and you’re a student, I need to know my place, and you need to know yours. Never try to earn money you can’t control. Even if that kind of money enters your account, it’s not yours—it’s just temporarily placed with you by others.”

Zhang Yu was moved internally and thought, “Is Director Gao talking about Ping Han? Is he worried that I’ll follow Ping Han into coin speculation?”

Director Gao indeed intended to warn Zhang Yu, to keep him from following Ping Han into coin speculation.

“In the October Military Certificate exam, if Ping Han hasn’t lost money, he’s very likely to get the Military Certificate.”

“When that happens, even more people might want to imitate Ping Han’s coin speculation.”

Director Gao glanced at Zhang Yu in front of him and thought, “I should give this kid more preventive warnings so he doesn’t get carried away and go into speculation too.”

After giving Zhang Yu some advice, Director Gao casually asked about a few things.

“How is the Golden Thread Jade Bi working out?”

“Are you still in contact with Wen Wuyai?”

“Over at the Pharmacology Department, if you get a chance, sell a few more orders, and feel free to recommend other people from the department. Our Civil Engineering Department has plenty of students who can sell seeds.”

While speaking, Director Gao also sent Zhang Yu the usage license for the cultivation technique he was going to teach today.

“The third technique of the Seven Ultimate Techniques of Civil Engineering is called the Divine Earth Manipulation.”

“This martial art senses earth energy, uses your own mana to stimulate the force of the earth, and combines it with martial arts moves to ultimately achieve the effect of controlling the earth.”

“However, this technique, being placed as the third technique, has become the foundation for pushing the Minor Three Harmonies.”

“After ordinary students learn it, they rarely use it alone.”

Next, Director Gao also gave a general overview of the key points of the Minor Three Harmonies. In his opinion, this was the crucial part of today’s teaching.

“The master who created the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain‑Moving Divine Power was a brilliant genius from ancient times.”

“He didn’t come up with the Seven Ultimate Techniques of Civil Engineering—he directly created a single technique, the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain‑Moving Divine Power.”

“However, later disciples felt this technique was too profound, too difficult to teach and learn, so after much deliberation, they split it into five techniques. By cultivating these five simpler techniques, one could naturally and seamlessly master the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain‑Moving Divine Power.”

“Later, in order to allow Foundation Establishment disciples to also master this technique, someone further split the most difficult of the five techniques to begin with into three parts: the Xuanhuang Town‑Suppressing Seal, the Great Wilderness Mountain‑Moving Force, and this Divine Earth Manipulation.”

When Director Gao reached this point, he sighed and said, “It is precisely because the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain‑Moving Divine Power was broken down into simpler and simpler parts that, for a time, more and more people cultivated it.”

“With many cultivators innovating across generations, this technique kept up with the times, its power growing day by day, and even now it remains a military‑grade martial art.”

“Unlike many top‑tier martial arts from the past, which either had too few successors, gradually lost maintenance, saw their power fall behind the times, and were eventually eliminated.”

"Either the threshold is too high, the cultivation too difficult, and in the end it's gradually abandoned by people for lacking cost-effectiveness, becoming a museum piece."

After High Director Gao finished his lament, he then taught Zhang Yu the method of cultivating the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation.

More than an hour later, watching Zhang Yu slap out with one palm, his mana and the earth's energy resonating, causing a sheet of sediment to rise up, High Director Gao nodded in satisfaction. Zhang Yu's martial talent today still hadn't disappointed him—especially the fact that after mastering it, he remained neither arrogant nor proud, showing not a trace of conceit, which pleased him even more.

"Sigh, if Ping Han had even a fraction of Zhang Yu's steadiness, he wouldn't have ended up like this."

High Director Gao said, "You've already trained the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation to Level 1. Next, I'll teach you the Lesser Triad Union method..."

Zhang Yu followed High Director Gao's instructions, circulating the mana within his body. In a moment, he could sense that the energy circulation routes of the Profound Yellow Town-Suppressing Seal, the Desolate Wilderness Mountain-Shifting Force, and the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation could align perfectly together.

As he simultaneously drove the power of these three techniques, a torrent of mana was condensed and refined from his dantian, drawing upon some terrifying force from between heaven and earth.

But in the next moment, the power of the three techniques revealed a certain incompleteness, and that terrifying force from heaven and earth merely trembled slightly before completely losing its connection with Zhang Yu.

Only the earth beneath Zhang Yu's feet, as he brought his palms together, rose up into two giant hands of mud and sand that merged before him.

"That terrifying force from heaven and earth—it should be the Earth Fiend Gravitational Pull, right?"

"It's a power that can truly be driven only after mastering the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Shifting Divine Force."

"But the Lesser Triad Union can only control the ground underfoot, manipulating the metals and minerals within it."

And under High Director Gao's instruction, Zhang Yu also understood that the power of the Lesser Triad Union depended entirely on the level of the three techniques.

For instance, although he had now trained both the Profound Yellow Town-Suppressing Seal and the Desolate Wilderness Mountain-Shifting Force to Level 20, the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation was only at Level 1, so the Lesser Triad Union could only unleash the power of Level 13 or 14.

"To increase the power of the Lesser Triad Union, I need to raise the level of the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation."

"But besides levels, how effective the Lesser Triad Union can be... also depends heavily on how it's used."

The next moment, as Zhang Yu circulated his mana and changed his hand seals, the ground beneath his feet surged up and down like waves.

An earthen giant eight or nine meters tall burst from the ground, opening its arms as if letting out a voiceless roar.

Then Zhang Yu opened his mouth and spat out the golden astral qi transformed from the Supreme Ultimate Golden Liquid Pill, which in an instant turned into a hammer and a shovel in the giant's hands.

The Supreme Ultimate Golden Liquid Pill was now swallowed into Zhang Yu's abdomen; whenever he opened his mouth and spat, it could gush out and take on whatever form he needed.

Next, the earthen giant grew another pair of arms from its back, and one of those hands caught Zhang Yu's Azure Sky Cloud-Gathering Pouch.

Looking at the four-armed earthen giant before him—two hands holding tools, one hand holding the Azure Sky Cloud-Gathering Pouch—Zhang Yu's mind moved slightly. He pressed one hand down and raised the other up, changing his hand seal once more.

The earthen giant that had been standing on the ground suddenly split into pieces, transforming into a host of small earthen figures that appeared before Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu proceeded to experiment with various operations of the Lesser Triad Union, thinking to himself: "With the Lesser Triad Union, I now have many more variations in my work mode."

"But facing different environments, what kind of work method to use... I'll still need to try more."

High Director Gao, watching Zhang Yu's various attempts, smiled and nodded, thinking: "Although Zhang Yu has just achieved the Lesser Triad Union and his circulation range is still small, his control is remarkably exquisite. Is he already able to construct all kinds of forms this quickly?"

September.

On the construction site of Layer 668.

As Zhang Yu's hand seals changed, streams of mud and sand took on human forms and began working all around.

Zhang Yu was using this work opportunity to earn money while also practicing his techniques.

And with every circulation of the Lesser Triad Union, the Earth Manipulation Divine Transformation was also cycled through, which conveniently allowed Zhang Yu to cultivate that technique.

Besides the humanoid forms of mud and sand, the Earth-Suppressing Seal, the Earth Fiend Bottle, and the Azure Sky Cloud-Gathering Pouch floated above Zhang Yu's head, each being operated by Mo Tianyi, Zhao Tianxing, and one of the Ying family members.

In addition, another Ying family member was manipulating the Gold-Inlaid Jade Bi behind Zhang Yu's head.

Those two Ying family members were Ying Xin's great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.

Zhang Yu recalled how Ying Xin had introduced her family...

Ying Xin: "Senior Disciple, my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather are both in the prime of their working years. After all, if they don't work hard to earn money, they'll die, so they definitely won't slack off. They're willing to fight and work hard—I guarantee they won't disappoint you."

Ying Xin's great-grandfather: "Junior Zhang Yu, rest assured. We're old hands in construction, rich in work experience. We'll never hold you back."

Ying Xin's great-great-grandfather: "We understand the rules. All important projects, like the construction competition, are opportunities for us to gain face and polish our resumes. No matter how much you pay, I'll give you a 15% kickback."

After hearing the great-grandfather's and great-great-grandfather's self-recommendations, Mo Tianyi and Zhao Tianxing also became nervous, afraid of being replaced, and each also proposed a 15% kickback.

Zhang Yu looked at the four soul cultivators who were diligently working without him saying much, and thought to himself: "I haven't even made any demands, and you're already competing among yourselves?"