Chapter 529: Hidden Undercurrents

As the class’s top student for three consecutive years, Su Yunni had always believed her position would remain unshakable.

As for Zhang Yu, who had transferred from the Civil Engineering Department, she had never once taken him seriously.

But in the past few months, as she watched his reputation rise rapidly within the Artifact Refinement Department, Su Yunni couldn’t help but feel competitive. She resolved to defend her top spot no matter what.

Review sessions, mock exams, experiments… Every time she thought about Zhang Yu closing in behind her, she dared not relax even for a moment.

When the day of the exam arrived, she gave it her all—leaving nothing in reserve.

That evening in early September, Su Yunni kept refreshing the grade list within her Law Husk’s Heavenly Eye, eager to see her scores as soon as they were released.

“First place!”

Seeing her name at the top, she finally let out a breath of relief. “I’m still number one in the class.”

A proud smile formed on her lips as she opened the class group chat, intending to bask in a little praise.

But then, a message from Zi Yunzhen popped up: “Did you guys know? Zhang Yu handed in his paper half an hour early.”

Another replied: “I was in the same exam hall. He left the lab a full hour early.”

Zi Yunzhen: “That early? No wonder when I went to the lab that day, he was already there.”

Su Yunni frowned as she read through the messages. She quickly rechecked the rankings and the overall scores.

Zhang Yu was still second in the class, but due to his overall score improvement and the graduation of the older students, his departmental ranking had jumped from 48th to 39th.

After calculating the difference in scores, Su Yunni realized—he had gained the same number of overall points as she had.

“I got full marks… and so did he?”

But then she remembered how much effort she’d poured into getting that perfect score—while he had breezed through every test and even handed them in early. He hadn’t even been trying his best.

Her elation at maintaining first place suddenly felt hollow. It was like punching into cotton—no resistance, no satisfaction. Something she valued so highly, Zhang Yu treated as a casual exercise.

“Has he been focusing all his energy on his personal project instead?”

Her Law Husk’s display shimmered as she opened the higher-grade textbooks.

“I should start preparing for the Design Competition too.”

Although Zhang Yu had declared he would take on Jin Jun head-on, Su Yunni didn’t believe for a second he could pull it off.

She made up her mind: “Before Zhang Yu completes a military-grade project, I’ll win a spot in the Design Competition and obtain a military-grade cultivation Technique.”

When purchasing materials for her experiments, however, Su Yunni frowned slightly. “Did the raw material prices go up?”

“Is it because of the Top Ten League?”

Although the price hike was noticeable, it wasn’t enough to concern her. She didn’t give it much thought.

…

The release of final exam results also marked the beginning of a new academic year.

Zhang Yu was now officially a senior student.

In the Songyang hometown group chat, the messages were flying.

Most of them came from newly enrolled students—freshmen who had just finished their college entrance exams and moved up to the Second Floor. They often chatted about campus life, coursework, dorms, and university culture.

Reading their exchanges, Zhang Yu felt a strange nostalgia, as if he were seeing his freshman self in them.

Yu Xinghan: “Anyone want a 90%-new secondhand Heavenly Eye Law Husk?”

Yu Xinghan: “Can’t attend lectures properly without a decent Law Husk after entering university.”

Zhang Yu smiled faintly. It wasn’t unusual—veteran students often sold equipment to the new ones. A small-town cycle, the old guiding the new.

But some topics caught his attention.

“Songyang High has become one of Songyang City’s Four Great High Schools?”

Browsing through the messages of the new graduates, Zhang Yu noticed that many were from his old school—and several were asking about him. Apparently, his legend still lingered.

“I can’t believe my name’s still remembered after all these years.”

While the chat buzzed with the youthful energy of new students, the tone of the older graduates was markedly different—filled with sighs and worries.

“Have you found a job yet?”

“The employment data dropped again this month—something to do with the Top Ten League.”

“Graduation equals unemployment… Guess I’ll pick up some temp work.”

To most students, the shifts in employment numbers meant little—just another fluctuation.

But the Top Ten League drew everyone’s attention, interrupting Zhang Yu’s long period of seclusion in the Supreme Purity Realm.

This year, the Top Ten League was held on a floating island above the sea of clouds.

Among the many events, the most anticipated were the military competitions.

Of these, the Ten-University Sword Duel drew particular attention—Zhang Yu knew that Bai Zhenzhen and Wen Wuya would both be participating.

There was also the Ten-University Artifact Battle, featuring Yan Qianji from the Artifact Refinement Department, his senior sister Ye Xingli, and several other geniuses of their field.

Because Ye Xingli was participating, her experiment had been put on hold, leaving her assistant, Zi Yunzhen, without any projects for now.

Zhang Yu thought back on her. “She’s good at cleaning materials.”

He considered that when he began refining the prototype of the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype, he might recruit her as a part-time assistant—just to speed things up.

When he sent her an invitation, her reply was curt.

Zi Yunzhen: “How much is the pay?”

Zhang Yu: “Young people shouldn’t focus only on money. Don’t you want to be part of a military-grade project?”

Zhang Yu: “Besides, I can repair your artifacts myself if you join my project team.”

But Zi Yunzhen wasn’t impressed by his grand promises. After a brief response, she ignored him.

Just as she closed her Law Husk, a foul stench wafted from the neighboring dorm.

Her neighbor—a senior student in the Artifact Refinement Department—hadn’t been seen for days. Today, she learned he had committed suicide in his room, apparently due to a stock market crash.

“Stocks have been plunging lately.”

Zi Yunzhen wasn’t shocked. Such incidents weren’t rare. After a brief glance, she lost interest and turned back.

Adjusting her Law Husk, she muttered, “Today’s the Ten-University Sword Duel, isn’t it?”

…

“Why did the tournament insurance go up this much?”

On the floating island, Bai Zhenzhen frowned at the health insurance contract. “Do they think we’re made of money?”

Beside her, Wen Wuya said, “Zhenzhen, that’s how insurance companies are. If not for the teachers pulling strings—and the League needing to maintain fairness—they wouldn’t even sell us policies.”

A flash of swordlight cut across Wen Wuya’s body, clashing violently with his protective Sword Aura.

He didn’t even flinch. By now, he was used to Bai Zhenzhen’s sword qi flaring whenever her emotions stirred.

Thankfully, her control had improved. At least she no longer accidentally killed weaker students—anyone below a Sub-School level would still be in danger, but Wen Wuya was strong enough to shrug it off.

The other students from Heavenly Sword Sect University didn’t even look up—none of them were weaklings.

Still, Bai Zhenzhen grumbled, “It’s too expensive.”

Wen Wuya tried to comfort her. “Everyone says the Top Ten League’s insurance costs went up this year. It’s normal.”

But suddenly, Bai Zhenzhen’s expression shifted from gloom to delight. Her body even twitched—almost like a tail wagging.

Wen Wuya immediately understood. She was talking to Zhang Yu.

At once, the other Heavenly Sword students instinctively distanced themselves, soaring backward through the air.

A moment later, crimson swordlight burst from Bai Zhenzhen’s body, carving deep scars into the air itself.

Watching from afar, Wen Wuya sighed inwardly. “Every time she talks to Zhang Yu, that’s when she’s most dangerous.”

“Did the Seven Sentiments Lord deliberately arrange their pre-match call to heighten her combat power?”

…

“Go for it, Ah-Zhen!”

After finishing his call with Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu received another message—from Ying Xin.

“The project funds haven’t arrived yet?”

Zhang Yu quickly contacted Realman Juxing, but the reply left him helpless.

Juxing Realman: “It’s not that I don’t want to help—everyone’s money is tied up right now. I can’t move it.”

Juxing Realman: “Many projects may have to pause temporarily. Let your people tough it out a bit. Once the Top Ten League ends, it should be fine.”

Zhang Yu: “What does the League have to do with it? How can a competition affect our projects?”

Juxing Realman: “Don’t ask me. I don’t know either.”

Looking at his team—exhausted and unpaid—Zhang Yu could only dig into his personal savings, paying partial salaries and urging Zhao Tianxing and the others to find temporary work to fill the gap.

Then, turning back to the live broadcast on his Law Husk, he watched Bai Zhenzhen’s duel unfold.

Amid the boundless sea of clouds, two swordsmen clashed fiercely—flashing across hundreds of kilometers as they probed and countered each other’s every move.

The cloud sea churned, and every so often, a glimmer of swordlight would cut through the mist, leaving trails of scars stretching for hundreds of meters.

Using the concealment ability of her Divine Spirit Root, Bai Zhenzhen remained undetected until the end, finally striking her opponent from hiding and sending him crashing down through the clouds.

As the duels continued, Zhang Yu noticed the battles growing fiercer—casualties began to appear.

Not only in sword duels; the other military events were just as brutal, with far more injuries than in previous years.

Zhang Yu frowned. “They say the Top Ten Universities divide their resources based on the League’s results. Are the schools’ rivalries worsening—making the League itself more dangerous?”

When Bai Zhenzhen faced off against a Nascent Soul cultivator from Whitebone University, that intensity reached a whole new level.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting me on Patreon—even a single pledge really helps keep this project alive.

Next Chapter >