Chapter 501

In the rest area outside the stadium, during the timeout, the members of the Myriad Laws team gathered together, their expressions solemn.

Mo Shangjin sighed helplessly. "I apologize, everyone. If we continue, the spiritual coins we invest will exceed my budget and affect my future career. So... I can't participate anymore."

The others had no objections. Su Yanyang, Xiao Yunji, Shi Huaiyu, and Xiao Qingxuan all believed they would have made the same choice if they were in Mo Shangjin's position. This was the formidable power of military-grade strength. The gap between the two sides was enormous when facing Xiangshan, who now possessed an additional military-grade power. Having truly felt this overwhelming power, everyone present was now considering surrender.

After all, even Mo Shangjin had withdrawn, making the power imbalance even more pronounced. Under the revised rules of this year's inter-university league, surrenders, injuries, and deaths meant no replacements could be brought in. Just like a real battlefield, personnel losses were absolute, making it impossible to even replenish their numbers at this point.

*Should I be the first to say it? If we keep fighting, the losses will only grow, right? Ugh, I can't be bothered to keep stubbornly holding on,* Su Yanyang thought to himself.

*Everyone must be planning to surrender, right? Well... it's time to show my courage...* Shi Huaiyu thought, standing beside him. Just as she was about to step forward and take the responsibility of initiating the surrender, she saw Zhang Yu had already stepped out beside her.

Everyone watching this scene shifted their gaze. *Zhang Yu, that guy, he really has guts. He's always the first to lead the surrender,* Su Yanyang thought.

Just as similar thoughts arose in everyone's minds, they heard Zhang Yu slowly begin, "We can't get replacements, but neither can Xiangshan from the other side. He's the only one left."

Xiao Yunji's expression changed slightly. *Zhang Yu... isn't he trying to surrender?* she wondered.

Zhang Yu continued, "And after we win this time, there won't just be prize money and comprehensive scores, but also the design blueprints for military-grade armor. Everyone should know the value of those blueprints. Furthermore, our resumes will gain the impressive qualification of defeating Xiangshan, who possesses two military-grade powers, despite being the weaker side..."

Xiao Yunji felt a slight stir in her heart. Of course, she wanted the benefits Zhang Yu mentioned, but then she thought of Xiangshan's terrifying strength... and found it difficult to muster the will to fight again. In the end, facing Xiangshan, who possessed two military-grade powers... how could they possibly win?

At that moment, Zhang Yu spoke, "Everyone, if you're willing to trust me... let's give it one more shot." He looked at Mo Shangjin and said, "Senior, I'd like to ask to borrow the Seven Absolutes Dharma Skeleton."

Mo Shangjin, hearing this, was slightly taken aback and looked at Zhang Yu intently. He and everyone else present shared the same thought: *Can we... trust you?*

As if sensing their thoughts, Zhang Yu took a deep breath, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then finally made up his mind. "Actually... I'm from the Artifact Forging Department."

Mo Shangjin: "Huh?"

The others stared blankly at Zhang Yu, unsure what he was talking about.

Zhang Yu displayed his artifact forging exam scores and a photo with True Monarch Magnetic Pole, then added, "I am True Monarch Magnetic Pole's disciple. After this civil engineering competition, I will officially transfer to the Artifact Forging Department."

Everyone watched in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief. *Zhang Yu... is an Artifact Forging master? No... we were all just getting by together in civil engineering, so why are you suddenly becoming an Artifact Forging master?!*

Su Yanyang repeatedly looked at Zhang Yu's artifact forging exam scores, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, a bitter feeling in his heart, and an overwhelming bitterness throughout his entire body. Even if Zhang Yu had soundly defeated him before, it was a civil engineering student defeating a civil engineering student. But now, why was he going to the Artifact Forging Department? Couldn't he just continue to dominate him in civil engineering?

Facing everyone's astonished gazes, Zhang Yu continued, "Everyone, please trust me one more time. As someone from the Artifact Forging Department, I will definitely lead you, the civil engineering students, to win this competition."

Looking at the Artifact Forging master before them, everyone immediately felt the credibility of his words surge.

Shi Huaiyu was the first to step forward and say, "I trust you."

Xiao Qingxuan also nodded. "Then let's keep fighting."

Xiao Yunji, meeting Zhang Yu's gaze, said, "You're from the Artifact Forging Department. I trust you."

Su Yanyang sighed. "You're from a top-tier department. We'll listen to whatever you say."

Finally, everyone's gaze turned to Mo Shangjin. In that instant, Mo Shangjin felt many things click into place: Director Gao's friendship with True Monarch Magnetic Pole, True Monarch Magnetic Pole's public support for Director Gao, Ye Xingli's repeated visits to their dorm, Feng Tingting's sudden department transfer. *So that's it. Teacher and True Monarch Magnetic Pole... have they been playing this grand game of uniting the Civil Engineering and Artifact Forging Departments all along?*

Just then, Zhang Yu spoke, "Senior Mo, I can pay the rental fee..."

"No need," Mo Shangjin said with a slight smile. "Just pay for the repairs after the match. Hurry up and find someone to perform the transplant. Our sizes aren't quite the same, and there isn't much time for you to adjust. The doctors might be a bit rough to save time, and there's the synchronization aspect..."

Listening to Mo Shangjin's words, Zhang Yu said firmly, "It's alright. I can manage to last through one match."

A moment later, as the doctors arrived, Zhang Yu felt his arms temporarily detached. Then, a strange sensation came over him as complex artificial meridian structures gradually connected to his body. The flesh on his back was replaced with the Dharma Skeleton that included anti-gravity streamers. His arms and hands were replaced with Dharma Skeletons capable of unleashing Comet Blasts and Gravitational Wave Cannons. His entire spine was replaced. As the spinal Dharma Skeleton was installed and spiritual power flowed through it, Zhang Yu felt his Qi field's reach, the range of Earthly Fiend Gravity, his full-body force dissipation efficiency, and his spiritual power circulation efficiency... all improve. One by one, these Seven Absolutes Dharma Skeletons were transplanted onto Zhang Yu, making him feel the profound changes happening within his body.

In the rest area of Skyfiend University, Xiangshan sat alone with his eyes closed, yet felt not the slightest bit of loneliness. Cheers echoed from the stands, and countless messages of encouragement and congratulations from his clansmen and friends constantly appeared in his eye-sockets. He could feel that he was by no means fighting alone at this moment. He also felt that victory had never been so close.

"All fiends yearn for change; we have waited too long for this day..." Xiangshan knew that since the generation of fiends who founded Skyfiend University, the entire institution had been divided by race. One's race dictated their major, their major determined their future job, and their job then determined the limits of what they could achieve. The limits, future, and work of a fiend... were all decided at the moment of their birth.

But were the races that dominated the elite majors truly stronger? Xiangshan knew... they were not. "It's merely that their ancestors, when founding Skyfiend University, seized the best positions and have held onto them ever since, controlling everything for generations... And today, I will become the ancestor of countless rising fiends in the future."

As the timeout ended, Xiangshan slowly stood up and headed towards the arena. In an instant, as the match recommenced, the entire arena erupted once more. The fiends in the stands danced wildly, celebrating Xiangshan's victory in their own ways.

"Who says civil engineering students can't make the school team!"

"Neither race nor major should be limited!"

"Let him rise! Let him rise! Let him rise!"

Meanwhile, in the arena, seeing Zhang Yu, who had transplanted black and gold Dharma Skeletons, with streamers fluttering behind him, already in his four-armed state and hovering in mid-air, Xiangshan said coldly, "It seems you still haven't given up. Then let me personally crush all those unrealistic ideas in your heads."

As he spoke, Xiangshan charged, a wave of air sweeping with him, once again rushing towards Zhang Yu.

*Let's end this quickly...* Just as Xiangshan was thinking this, he saw Zhang Yu's body erupt with dense Qi. Enveloped in a golden aura, he had transformed into a four-armed Mountain-Moving Demigod.

In their collision, Xiangshan's power shattered a layer of solid Qi, penetrated a layer of liquid Qi, and was finally slowly absorbed by a layer of gaseous Qi.

"This form..." Xiangshan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Was it specifically designed for close combat? Before, he must have been assisting Mo Shangjin, and to reduce spiritual power consumption and better support Mo Shangjin, he didn't enter this mode. But... do you think you can contend with my military-grade Dharma Skeleton using this kind of Qi?! Nonsense!"

To his surprise, Xiangshan found that Zhang Yu was even more resilient than Mo Shangjin. "Special materials combined with protective Qi, plus the force dissipation and rebound of the Nine Heavens Cloud Empty Art, augmented by the Seven Absolutes Dharma Skeleton's assistance, and powered by the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power as its foundation..."

Xiangshan had long been aware of Zhang Yu's capabilities, and after this exchange, he had an even clearer assessment. "He's clashing the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power against my Sumeru Mountain King Scripture. His former military-grade martial art, the Nine Heavens Cloud Empty Art, combined with the Seven Absolutes Dharma Skeleton, plus his astonishing martial talent and physique, barely allows him to go head-to-head with me, who possesses a military-grade Dharma Skeleton. Interesting..."

As he spoke, Xiangshan allowed Zhang Yu's punch to land on his chest. His military-grade skin Dharma Skeleton absorbed the force, augmenting his own power, and then he fiercely struck back at Zhang Yu.

"Reflecting my attacks?" Xiangshan sneered. "Let's see how many times you can reflect them!"

Terrifying power passed back and forth between the two, constantly absorbed by the Nine Heavens Cloud Empty Art and Xiangshan's military-grade Dharma Skeleton, then countered. As this power was continuously exchanged and unleashed, their movements grew larger and more impactful, each strike causing the entire arena to shake violently.