Chapter 508: Master is useless, can't protect you

Every time Zhang Yu felt the touch of True Monarch Magnetic Pole, his body would involuntarily tremble. He felt as if he were meat on a chopping board, being selected and examined by the other party.

This feeling became even more pronounced, especially after he participated in experiments conducted by True Monarch Magnetic Pole and underwent repeated tests.

However, upon hearing True Monarch Magnetic Pole's question, he suppressed his emotional fluctuations and replied, "I declined the invitation from the Finance Department."

True Monarch Magnetic Pole calmly stated, "The conditions offered by the Finance Department are not bad—in fact, they are better than what any other department could offer. Are you sure you won't regret rejecting them like this?"

Zhang Yu firmly replied, "Because I know the Finance Department isn't suitable for me. The Artifact Forging Department is the true path for me!"

Director Gao's gaze darkened upon hearing these words, and his expression became incredibly complex.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole, however, smiled faintly. As if observing a prime material or the perfect experimental subject, he stroked Zhang Yu's arm and said, "Whether you're suitable for forging artifacts is one thing, but you're certainly very suitable to *be* artifact-forging material! Aren't you afraid that after transferring to the Artifact Forging Department, I might use you for artifact forging in the future? Whether it's to harness the power of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, using your very body as material to enhance the Earthly Fiend Gravity within a magical artifact! Or to delve into the mysteries of the Soul Transformation Dharma Skeleton and use the materials from your body to forge Yang artifacts...! Both seem like good options!"

Zhang Yu's body trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and said, "Teacher, as long as I can join the Artifact Forging Department, I'm willing to take all these risks!"

Director Gao, watching this scene from the side, suddenly narrowed his eyes, and his breathing seemed to grow heavier.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole chuckled, squeezing Zhang Yu's hand. "These hands have constantly manipulated the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power and been tempered by Earthly Fiend Gravity day and night," she said. "They're becoming increasingly suitable for modification! By the way, do you really want to join the Artifact Forging Department that much?"

Zhang Yu looked earnestly at True Monarch Magnetic Pole, his gaze incredibly firm, and said each word distinctly, "Teacher, you know I have a dream: to one day join a sect! As long as I can join a sect, I'm willing to take any risk! Compared to the Finance Department, the Artifact Forging Department is already the most suitable path for me!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole said, "Zhang Yu, the possibility of you joining a sect is very low, even negligible. Are you still willing to stake everything, even so?"

Zhang Yu: "I am!"

Director Gao, watching this scene, trembled slightly. He murmured to himself, "Join a sect... Zhang Yu actually has such a thought. Why has he never told me...?"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole sighed, "If you want to join a sect, the Civil Engineering Department indeed cannot support your ambition. But why didn't you join the Artifact Forging Department directly in the first place?"

Zhang Yu replied helplessly, "Because I'm poor. If I had joined the Artifact Forging Department directly, I couldn't even afford to properly complete all the artifact forging courses and independently carry out all the experiments! A teacher I met in high school told me I could join the Civil Engineering Department first, and then, after earning money, find a way to transfer to the Artifact Forging Department!"

Director Gao, hearing these words, opened his mouth. At that moment, he had to admit that the Civil Engineering Department indeed could not support Zhang Yu's ambition. If he himself had heard Zhang Yu's idea of wanting to join a sect... what would he have said? Besides advising Zhang Yu to give up, there seemed to be no other possibility. Because if there was even a sliver of an impossible possibility in the Artifact Forging Department, then in the Civil Engineering Department, it was utterly, absolutely, completely impossible! And given Zhang Yu's poverty, joining the Artifact Forging Department directly would have been an even deader end! The only path available to him was to earn money and then transfer departments! But even so, the difficulty was extraordinary! Recalling Zhang Yu's difficulties over the past three years, Director Gao couldn't help but sigh softly.

Meanwhile, True Monarch Magnetic Pole continued, "So, what are your plans and ideas for joining a sect? And what do you intend to do after joining the Artifact Forging Department?"

Zhang Yu said, "I want to participate in the military competition of the Ten Major Leagues and win a Celestial Sect-level cultivation method! If I can win a Celestial Sect-level cultivation method, my chances of joining a sect should increase, right?"

Looking at Zhang Yu's determined expression, Director Gao sighed again. Participating in the Ten Major Military Competitions, competing for first place in all categories, and acquiring a Celestial Sect cultivation method... This was something utterly impossible for the Civil Engineering Department to achieve, and something he, as director, couldn't help with at all! Indeed, if Zhang Yu had voiced these plans in the Civil Engineering Department, he would have only been dismissed as delusional! But seeing Zhang Yu progress step by step to this day, Director Gao had to admit that, although the goal was still distant, it was drawing closer day by day, and Zhang Yu was extremely serious and focused on achieving it!

Regarding his future, the Civil Engineering Department simply lacked the environment to nurture Zhang Yu's ambition. As for benefits, Zhang Yu would gain more by going to the Artifact Forging Department, and according to their contract, he could bring Director Gao more profit in the future. As for support, he was already powerless to uplift Zhang Yu and might even become a rope binding him instead! Watching Zhang Yu, burdened with ambition and forging ahead without hesitation, Director Gao realized he had no reason, not even a tiny one, to keep him. Letting go voluntarily seemed to be the most reasonable and correct choice!

Meanwhile, numerous professors, experts, leaders, and teachers from the Civil Engineering Department were also sending messages.

Director Lin: "Old Gao, the Finance Department has already made its move. Quickly bring Zhang Yu over to apologize, or there will be a huge mess."

Old Director (Soul Cultivator): "Old Gao, what's the situation? I heard the Finance Department has already taken action."

Director Gao couldn't help but reply, "I call you 'Old Director' out of respect, but without it, you're just a dead man now!" After saying that, he blocked the Old Director.

But even after venting, Director Gao still couldn't dispel the bitterness in his heart.

"Ultimately... it's because I'm too incompetent! Letting go voluntarily is better than a direct confrontation with Zhang Yu! Magnetic Pole... you surely calculated I'd do this, didn't you?"

Thinking of this, Director Gao sighed again.

Seeing True Monarch Magnetic Pole still fiddling with Zhang Yu like an experimental subject, Director Gao couldn't help but send a message: "Go easy on him. You're almost at the Soul Transformation stage, but Zhang Yu is only at Foundation Establishment! Zhang Yu's physical body is something I've spent years nurturing, constantly giving him medicine and arranging training locations everywhere, watching it being forged little by little. Now it's just right—the golden standard for the Foundation Establishment stage! You must ensure he's properly developed into a growth-type Dharma Skeleton!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "Don't worry, Old Gao. For your sake, I'll definitely take good care of him!"

Meanwhile, Director Gao opened Zhang Yu's profile picture and began drafting a message in his mind. Glancing at Zhang Yu and True Monarch Magnetic Pole in front of him, he sent a message: "Zhang Yu, the Finance Department has started to make its move. Your master is useless; I can't protect you! I have arranged for True Monarch Magnetic Pole to facilitate your transfer! After you join the Artifact Forging Department, you must study hard and never forget your goal!"

Zhang Yu, standing before True Monarch Magnetic Pole, suddenly trembled and said, "True Monarch, Teacher Gao has allowed me to transfer to the Artifact Forging Department!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole sighed, "Old Gao is a generous person. What he's doing is all for your future. You must remember to repay him well in the future!"

Zhang Yu said, "Teacher Gao's kindness to me is like a new beginning; he is my teacher for life. I will certainly repay him handsomely in the future!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: "No need for empty words. Just properly fulfill your contract in the future and help Old Gao earn more money so he can live a few more years, that's all!"

Old Gao, watching this scene, his figure flickered, and his spirit realm projection silently dissipated and departed.

And when he awoke in his Civil Engineering Department office, he saw a message from Tuli Shan.

Tuli Shan: "Director, I heard some students say Zhang Yu seems to have been quite close to True Monarch Magnetic Pole for a while now! Before the Civil Engineering finals, I also heard Zhang Yu say he was going to transfer to the Artifact Forging Department! Is that true?"

Director Gao: "I told Zhang Yu to say that to boost morale before the competition! This is an arrangement between True Monarch Magnetic Pole and me for Zhang Yu to study further in the Artifact Forging Department. Keep this to yourself; don't spread rumors!"

Just after Director Gao departed, True Monarch Magnetic Pole's eyes flickered. Toying with Zhang Yu in her hands, she said, "You've already completed the first three years of Artifact Forging Department courses, and learned quite a bit of the later material as well! But to secure a place in the Ten Major Leagues, this is far from enough!"

Although Zhang Yu's talent is good, and he now has the blessing of the Soul Transformation Dharma Skeleton, which greatly increases his cultivation speed! But as for joining a sect, True Monarch Magnetic Pole still felt it was quite unlikely! Of course, she wouldn't dampen Zhang Yu's enthusiasm. In her view, there was nothing wrong with him striving harder with this as his goal! The same applied to the Ten Major Leagues!

"Obtaining authorization for Celestial Sect-level cultivation methods is already something that everyone has jointly blocked! However, there's no need to tell Zhang Yu this in advance! Let him use this as his goal and passionately ignite his current fighting spirit to give it his all. Even if he hits a wall in the future, it's nothing!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole smiled faintly, and looking at Zhang Yu, said, "If you want to participate in the Ten Major Leagues, relying solely on one military-grade cultivation method won't be enough!"

Zhang Yu nodded. "Teacher, I understand!" he said. "So my first plan after transferring departments is to obtain the Artifact Forging Department's military-grade power!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole nodded and said, "The Artifact Forging Department's military-grade powers include the Artifact Branch's Grand Hao Sacred Law Sword Array, the Void Tribulation Transformation Diagram, and the Heavenly Sun Radiant God. The Azure Water Gold Crystal Armor you brought from the Civil Engineering Department can also be counted! In addition to these, there are also the Cultivation Method Branch's *Heaven and Earth Calamity Formless Heart Weapon* and *Grand Void Divine Artifact Strategy*! Have you considered which of these you want to choose?"

Zhang Yu felt a slight excitement in his heart upon hearing this, wishing he could learn all of them! But hearing True Monarch Magnetic Pole's words, he shook his head repeatedly and then asked, "Teacher, I don't know which of these is more suitable for me, nor am I clear about the process for obtaining these military-grade powers. Do I also need to wait for the military certificate examination?"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole said calmly, "Don't worry, our Artifact Forging Department isn't like the Civil Engineering Department, where you have to wait two years for a chance to take the military certificate exam! In the Artifact Forging Department, if you meet the conditions, you can get the certificate without an exam!"