Chapter 546: Taking Human Form

After Ziyun Zhen declined Zhang Yu’s offer, she soon received another message from him.

Zhang Yu: If you’re willing to join the project, you can ask me anything related to the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype’s technology.

Zhang Yu: And if your artifact ever breaks down, I’ll repair and maintain it for free.

Ziyun Zhen wasn’t particularly tempted by that first offer.

Although Zhang Yu’s artifact refinement ability was impressive, how long had he even been in the Artifact Refinement Department? How long had he studied the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype’s technology?

She had seen Zhang Yu practicing all kinds of messy refining techniques back in the lab.

There was no way he could have mastered Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine tech in just a few months.

But the second offer—the free maintenance of her artifacts—did make her eyes light up.

She thought, “I could just join temporarily, have him fix up a few of my damaged artifacts, and then find a reason to quit.”

With that plan in mind, Ziyun Zhen agreed to join.

They set up a one-week trial period. During that time, Ziyun Zhen would serve as Zhang Yu’s assistant on the project, and both sides would evaluate each other. If it didn’t work out, she could leave anytime.

…

That day, as soon as Ziyun Zhen arrived at the lab, she received a file through her EyeNet.

Zhang Yu said, “You’ve got experience handling alloy materials, right? Follow the instructions in that file, do the preliminary sorting, and refine out the impurities. That’s your task for today.”

Ziyun Zhen skimmed through the file and blurted out, “You want me to refine this much in one day?”

Zhang Yu nodded. “This is just the start. I have high expectations for you. Your efficiency directly affects the whole team’s progress, so I hope you can push yourself and grow quickly.”

Ziyun Zhen watched him walk away and frowned slightly.

“You need this much material prepared… can you even use all of it?”

She glanced at the nearby workbench, where only a few skeletal parts had been completed. “That’s it? You’re way behind Jin Jun’s group,” she muttered.

Despite her doubts, she obediently started preparing the materials—just waiting for Zhang Yu to repair her artifacts so she could leave.

Half an hour later, as she began prepping the second batch, she noticed that most of the first batch she’d just finished was already gone.

“Huh? He’s using it that fast?”

Her brows knit together. “Don’t tell me he’s wasting it all?”

In her mind, since Zhang Yu had only just started working on the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype, such rapid material consumption could only mean repeated failures.

She turned to check his workstation—and froze.

Amid rising true fire, a milky-white substance was steadily taking shape.

Around him, the refining instruments released arcs of thunderfire that etched mana circuits into the material under Zhang Yu’s control.

His movements were smooth and precise, each step seamlessly following the last.

Ziyun Zhen stared, stunned.

“He’s almost done already? That fast?”

In moments, a newly completed skeletal piece sat on the table.

“How… how is that possible?”

She remembered Su Yunni mentioning in their group chat how long the skeletal fabrication process took.

“Even Jin Jun’s team wasn’t this quick…”

She sent Su Yunni a message: How long did it take your team to refine one complete bone structure?

When the reply came—two or three hours—Ziyun Zhen was speechless.

“He’s several times faster than that… is that even normal?”

She began to suspect that Zhang Yu’s skeletons might have quality issues.

But as the days went on, she realized something even more astonishing:

As her material-preparation speed improved, Zhang Yu’s refining speed only kept accelerating.

So the earlier pace hadn’t been his limit—she had been the bottleneck.

“Ziyun Zhen, still not done?”

“Hurry up with the next batch.”

“I’m almost finished here.”

Ziyun Zhen felt as though Zhang Yu were wielding a whip behind her. Every time she barely managed to keep up, he’d push even faster.

Soon, all her focus and mana were consumed by this endless grind—no time to think, no energy to complain.

After a week of this, she could hardly believe it when she saw the humanoid skeleton before her.

“It’s… done?”

Zhang Yu nodded. “Yes. A bit slower than I’d planned, but not bad.”

“Slower?” she thought in disbelief. “This is slow?”

She glanced again at her EyeNet chat with Su Yunni.

Ziyun Zhen: How long did it take your team to finish the entire skeletal system?

Su Yunni: A bit over a month.

Su Yunni: They were fast because Senior Jin Jun hired several upperclassmen to help, but they also wasted a ton of materials.

Su Yunni: Why do you ask?

Ziyun Zhen: Oh, I’m helping out on Zhang Yu’s project. Just curious.

Su Yunni: Zhang Yu’s? That can’t compare to Senior Jin Jun’s work. Don’t feel discouraged—if a position opens up, I’ll recommend you to him.

Ziyun Zhen turned back to the humanoid skeleton. Golden mana flickered through the densely packed mana circuits carved along its surface, and with each pulse, the bones seemed to shift subtly between tangible and illusory, faint flames flickering across them.

Zhang Yu said, “Let’s move on to testing. If the results check out, we’ll start on the neural system next.”

Under his control, the skeletal structure passed the strength test, the high-temperature test, the mana-conduction test—then transformed into flowing flames under his command.

Ziyun Zhen could hardly believe her eyes.

If she hadn’t seen each step with her own eyes, she might have suspected Zhang Yu had secretly outsourced the work.

Before she knew it, her plan to leave after a week had vanished completely.

“Maybe Zhang Yu really can surpass Jin Jun—beat him to completing the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype and earn the Military License,” she thought, excitement flickering in her chest.

“Even if he doesn’t win, just working through the entire Heaven-Sun Radiance project with him will be a priceless experience. But if he does win…”

She imagined what that would mean—two undergraduates defeating Jin Jun, gaining prestige, experience, and reputation across the field. Her heart burned with anticipation.

By then, Ziyun Zhen had already resolved to stay and learn from him seriously.

Zhang Yu, meanwhile, had expected this outcome all along.

He knew perfectly well that Ziyun Zhen hadn’t joined with sincere intent, but he was confident he could change her mind.

After all, he understood what students in the Artifact Refinement Department wanted most—not money, but experience, growth, and high-value projects that could build their resumes.

And he could provide all of that.

He thought to himself, “No need to raise her pay anymore. She’ll stay on her own.”

From then on, Zhang Yu and Ziyun Zhen worked tirelessly to advance the prototype’s construction. Her working hours stretched from fourteen per day to sixteen, then twenty, until she was practically working around the clock.

She never mentioned pay again—only progress.

A month passed in a blur.

By mid-November, Ziyun Zhen stood before the nearly complete humanoid prototype, still in awe.

“Only a bit over a month, and it’s already taking shape?”

She checked her chat logs again.

“Jin Jun’s team is just now finishing their first assembly… Zhang Yu’s caught up this much already?”

Though both teams were nearing completion, she knew this was no small feat. The speed of Zhang Yu’s progress was terrifying.

“But why has he been leaving the lab so often these past few days?”

Now of all times—when they were so close—how could he be distracted?

“We should be focusing everything on overtaking Jin Jun and securing that Military License!”

She decided she’d have to talk to him about it.

…

Meanwhile, outside the Research Division office, Zhang Yu sat in the waiting chair, irritation flickering across his face.

After a long wait, Feng Yuhan finally called him in. The teacher’s tone was calm but chiding: “Young man, why so impatient?”

Zhang Yu frowned. “Professor Feng, I’ve got a major project on my hands right now—”

Feng Yuhan raised a hand to stop him. “Whatever your project is, it’s not more important than the university’s work.”

“You do realize how much the principal values the Nascent Soul Law Husk project?”

“From now on, you’ll cooperate fully with the inspection team. Whatever you’re working on, put it aside for now.”

Zhang Yu stared at him. “Professor Feng… are you targeting me?”

Feng Yuhan smiled faintly. “Why would I target you? You’re just a student.”

He waved dismissively. “Go on, now. Don’t forget to follow the task list I sent. If you delay the university’s work and the principal comes asking questions, I won’t be able to protect you.”

As Zhang Yu left, Feng Yuhan could feel the young man’s simmering frustration. But in his eyes, a student’s resentment was meaningless—given time, it would fade away on its own.