Chapter 559: The Heavenly Demons Come to Beg

Wanfa University City.

671st floor.

At a newly opened construction site, a golden figure soared into the sky—it was the Level 20 Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype refined by Zhang Yu.

With its military-grade performance fully unleashed, the Divine Prototype’s power had become vast beyond measure. Zhang Yu didn’t dare to test it in the laboratory, fearing he might destroy the precision instruments and equipment there.

So instead, he brought the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype up to the university city’s highest platform for testing. It also conveniently served as a bit of publicity, laying the groundwork for its eventual commercialization.

During the time Zhang Yu spent refining this Level 20 Divine Prototype, he also finished his Artifact Refinement Department’s final exams.

However, since it was only the end of the first semester of his senior year, even though his overall score had risen, neither his departmental nor his university ranking had improved—because the students ahead of him were just as outstanding.

Zhang Yu understood that without the extra boost from competitions or military certificates, his ranking would only rise again once another batch of tenth-year students graduated.

At this moment, the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype, over five meters tall, stood suspended high above the 671st floor. Its entire body blazed with golden fire; even from hundreds of meters away, one could feel waves of heat rolling through the air.

In Zhang Yu’s perception, the Divine Prototype felt like an extension of his own body. With a single thought, the golden puppet shot forward like a meteor, tearing through the atmosphere and shattering one sound barrier after another as it continued to accelerate.

At the same time, Zhang Yu could sense fierce burning deep within the puppet’s chest cavity. Every second, torrents of mana poured forth, fueling its operation.

After its military-grade functions were unlocked, the puppet’s internal mana core had become a Solar Star Core—a powerhouse energy source with a mana capacity of 15,000 and an output rate at the peak of the Foundation Establishment limit.

This immense power translated to a dramatic improvement in flight speed, flame temperature, and overall operational efficiency.

The next moment, the Divine Prototype swept its golden flames across the construction site, stirring up clouds of debris.

Under that blazing light, piles of construction waste instantly turned to smoke.

Threads of refined mana were extracted from the burning debris and drawn back into the puppet’s Solar Star Core.

This was the Eternal Sun Flame, one of the Divine Prototype’s military-grade features—by burning matter to refine mana, it could replenish its own energy reserves.

“With this,” Zhang Yu mused, “it can not only handle waste disposal but also recharge itself through mana refinement. That gives it incredible endurance.”

“And with its ultra-low-latency communications…”

He couldn’t help but grin inwardly. “Even if it’s working miles away, it’ll complete its tasks flawlessly.”

At that moment, Zhang Yu could already picture the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype out in the world, earning money for him every single day.

Then, as his thoughts shifted, the Divine Prototype’s body was engulfed in golden flames. Its armor and skeletal frame—crafted from high-strength alloys—transformed into blazing layers of light.

“After unlocking military-grade performance, even its Fire-Evasion transformation has improved greatly.”

Zhang Yu’s ocular system displayed the data readout: “Eighty-five percent of its body can now temporarily transform into Eternal Sun Flame. Not only has its speed and combustion efficiency skyrocketed, but…”

In the sky, the humanoid flame abruptly changed form, becoming a giant golden hand that scooped up piles of rubble.

Then the fire shifted again, turning into a blazing dragon that coiled around masses of cement and carried them afar.

During these transformations, the flames’ temperature was perfectly contained—anything they touched was only mildly heated, not scorched.

Off to the side, Ziyun Zhen recorded the test results while exclaiming, “What astonishing heat-control precision! When the military-grade Divine Prototype performs a Fire-Evasion transformation, not only can it freely alter its shape and size, but its Eternal Sun Flame can even form solid constructs. Both temperature and form are completely controllable.”

“This thing can adapt to any environment and perform nearly any type of work.”

Ziyun Zhen couldn’t help but envy it. “If I had one of these military-grade puppets working for me every day, I’d be living the dream.”

The other workers at the site stared at the scene, half in awe and half in fear.

“Great, another one here to steal our jobs,” someone muttered under his breath.

After completing his test run, Zhang Yu finally felt confident. “Construction work and artifact processing—these two areas the Divine Prototype can both handle.”

“Time to make some plans.”

If this had been one or two years ago, he would’ve had the puppet focus entirely on artifact processing.

But times had changed. Across the university city, construction projects were everywhere; Wanfa University had entered an age of massive infrastructure expansion. With the Divine Prototype assisting his company’s workers, productivity could skyrocket.

Even better, while operating at construction sites, it could simultaneously handle waste disposal—earning cleanup fees while refining mana from the debris to fuel itself.

Having thought it through, Zhang Yu made his decision: “For now, focus mainly on construction work. Artifact processing can be secondary.”

He planned to assign the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype to his company’s upcoming projects, letting it cooperate with the team to boost efficiency and speed.

On his way out of the site, however, he noticed quite a few Demon-Kin around—many wearing Tianyao University uniforms.

“Why are so many Tianyao University students here in Wanfa City?”

Curious, Zhang Yu searched through the Spiritual Realm network using his ocular interface—and discovered that various Civil Engineering Department groups had been discussing it for days. He’d simply missed it while busy refining artifacts.

Feng Tingting: Those bastards from the Finance Department are to blame! They say labor costs are too high and we don’t have enough workers.

Feng Tingting: So those damned idiots decided to import cheap laborers from Tianyao University!

Zhang Yu felt a flash of anger. How could anyone even think of doing that?!

He typed: The Civil Engineering Department didn’t fight back?

Feng Tingting: We did! Director Gao led a team straight to the Finance Department to confront them, but others stepped in and stopped the escalation.

Feng Tingting: And it’s not just workers. The Finance Department also started importing cheap meat—beef, pork, mutton, chicken, even fish—from Tianyao University suppliers.

Feng Tingting: Sure, wages in Civil Engineering dropped, but material and food prices also fell. Too many people are supporting the Finance Department.

Feng Tingting: In the end, Director Gao activated the city’s Grand Formation and clashed with them head-on, convincing the higher-ups to let Civil Engineering retain control over key infrastructure projects. We at least kept some high-pay positions.

Zhang Yu checked the university’s “Top 50” group chat to see if anyone else was talking about it.

Jiu Tianliu: Introducing labor and materials from Tianyao University is the trend of the times. It reduces costs and enhances our university’s competitiveness. It benefits Wanfa and benefits the students.

Jiu Tianliu: Everyone here is among the top talents of the university. We should fully support this policy.

Jiu Tianliu: If anyone disagrees, come speak to me privately. Don’t spread rumors or provoke disputes that could harm relations between Wanfa and Tianyao.

Jin Guangyuan, second in the Finance Department: Senior Jiu is right. The decision to cooperate with Tianyao University comes directly from the university leadership. We should give our full support.

Watching all the Finance students fawn over Jiu Tianliu, Zhang Yu thought grimly, “So they’re opening markets and jobs to win over the Demon-Kin, huh?”

Fu Ji’s voice echoed in his mind: “The Ten Great Universities are full of conflicts—barely suppressed by the major sects. Besides the open competition in the next Ten-League Tournament, hidden struggles never cease.”

“Wanfa has already allied with Immortal Soldier University, Heavenly Sword University, and Vajra University to oppose the Demon, Netherworld, Whitebone, and Pleasure sects.”

“The only neutral party is Pill Cauldron University—they only care whether their exported medicines meet quota and quality standards.”

“As for Tianyao University, they keep wavering between sides. If Wanfa can win them over, it’ll gain the upper hand in the Ten Leagues’ ongoing conflict.”

Zhang Yu frowned. “Then the Demon and Netherworld factions must also be trying to court Tianyao University.”

“That one Demon-Kin university has suddenly become everyone’s prize…”

“And it seems the Finance Department is leading the charge to bring them in.”

He scrolled through the Top 50 chat again, watching one “genius” after another speak loftily of university politics.

A strange curiosity rose within him.

“I wonder how many among these so-called top fifty are actually reincarnated ancient powers… or maybe hidden cultists of the Evil Gods or the Demon Sect.”

He recalled what True Lord Magneto and Jiu Tianliu had both told him before:

Positions within the great sects are reserved for reincarnated great beings descending from the upper realms.

If this Ten-League Tournament was so grand, then surely those reincarnated powers would make their moves. Perhaps they were already sitting atop their respective universities, waiting for the right moment.

“Could this Wanfa University’s number one—Dao Qiankun—also be one of them?”

The thought that he might one day have to face these “reincarnated great beings” made Zhang Yu feel a growing urgency to improve his strength.

Just then, a message popped up from Ying Xin—asking for help.

…

Underground construction site.

A group of Demon-Kin stood facing Shi Huaiyu and his companions, hostility flashing in their eyes.

Shi Huaiyu, Ying Xin, and Xiao Qingxuan had placed themselves protectively in front of Shi Yunxiang, glaring fiercely at the Demon-Kin across from them.

A project administrator from the Finance Department stepped between the two groups, scolding, “What’s wrong with you people? Didn’t I tell you not to cause trouble with the students from Tianyao University? Why’d you go and provoke them?”