Chapter 434: Mentor Selection and Future Path

True Lord Magneto: I heard your students did pretty well in this round of the Military License Exam. Director Gao: Even you heard?

Director Gao: Yeah, they did pretty well.

Director Gao: Shame there's only one license.

True Lord Magneto: Then you'd better hurry and officially take Zhang Yu as your disciple.

True Lord Magneto: So many people were watching at the exam. If he stood out, you can bet others are already eyeing him.

True Lord Magneto: Especially the other two directors in your department—wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already made offers.

Seeing the message from True Lord Magneto, Director Gao felt a trace of warmth. “He might seem unreliable most days,” he thought, “but a few hundred years of friendship still count. When it matters, this guy's got my back.”

Of course, True Lord Magneto’s reminder was something Director Gao had already anticipated.

If Zhang Yu were just an ordinary student, the chance to have Director Gao as a mentor would be an honor. It'd be a done deal with a single sentence from him.

Once a student is assigned a mentor, that mentor gets to set their course load, organize internships, and even influence graduate school paths. As long as the student wants to keep progressing, the mentor has enormous sway.

And beyond that mentor-student connection, truly outstanding students often sign a separate contract as well.

In those cases, the mentor invests heavily and naturally wants to secure future returns.

Director Gao replied: Understood. I’m already drafting the contract.

…

Seeing Director Gao’s reply, True Lord Magneto gave a slight smile. He turned to look at Zhang Yu, nestled in his arms, as if awaiting his response.

He had come today not only to clarify what exactly had happened during the Military License Exam, but more importantly, to confirm Zhang Yu’s thoughts—his ambitions.

Zhang Yu blinked in mild surprise. “Teacher Gao is a good person,” he said.

“He is,” True Lord Magneto replied evenly. “Old Gao treats his own people well.”

“But he’s weak. He won’t be able to protect you.”

Seeing Zhang Yu’s confused expression, True Lord Magneto continued, “A talent like you needs room to grow—freedom.”

“The less you're constrained, the more you’ll flourish.”

“But the more you're restricted, the more your potential gets wasted. You’ll start to resent it. That resentment can rot your will and dull your Dao Heart.”

“It’s like a top salesperson at a company. The more freedom and commission they get, the harder they fight for results. But limit them, and both sides lose.”

“And Old Gao… how much freedom do you think he can really offer you?”

True Lord Magneto’s tone remained calm. “It’s not about his intentions. It’s just reality. No amount of goodwill changes that.”

“The less he tries to control you, the easier it is for someone else to steal you away. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t leave if someone offered a better deal. Everyone knows Civil Engineering ultimately leads to ditching the job site.”

“But if he does try to control you, that just smothers your potential. Kills your path. You’ll end up resenting him.”

“The two of you will never find balance.”

“Because Old Gao is Civil Engineering. And barren soil can’t grow beautiful flowers.”

“The Civil Engineering Department was never meant to hold onto students like you.”

On the street, Zhang Yu lay quietly in True Lord Magneto’s arms, listening intently. He had to admit—the man had a point.

“True Lord,” Zhang Yu asked, “are you suggesting I publicly acknowledge our connection and transfer departments soon?”

…

True Lord Magneto: That contract won’t be easy to draft.

Director Gao: Yeah, it’s tricky.

Director Gao: Others must’ve made Zhang Yu offers too.

Director Gao: I can’t afford to make mine too weak. Even if he signs now, if he feels shortchanged later, his performance will tank—in both work and cultivation.

Director Gao: And beyond that, I’m worried the other departments will poach him.

In Director Gao’s eyes, Zhang Yu’s future advancement to Gold Core was already a sure thing. There was even a solid shot at Nascent Soul.

So his goal was to help Zhang Yu grow and reap long-term returns—not burn through him at Gold Core or even Foundation stage.

That meant the contract had to strike a fine balance: don’t suppress Zhang Yu’s growth, but still protect his own interests.

True Lord Magneto: I’ll handle the Artifact Refinement Department. No one from my side will try to poach him.

True Lord Magneto: But the Finance Department’s another story.

True Lord Magneto: Those bloodsucking zombies are ruthless and filthy rich. I’m just afraid your student won’t hold out.

Reading this, Director Gao couldn’t help but sigh. Just imagining Zhang Yu under Director Lin—or worse, becoming a Finance Department disciple—turned his face grim.

True Lord Magneto: I do have an idea.

Director Gao: What idea?

True Lord Magneto: Never mind, forget I said anything.

Director Gao: Don’t play games. We’ve known each other for centuries. Just spit it out.

True Lord Magneto: What if I sheltered you both?

True Lord Magneto: You and I start a company. Sign Zhang Yu through it. With me backing you, no one will dare mess with him.

True Lord Magneto: On second thought… never mind.

True Lord Magneto: Everyone in Civil Engineering will say you handed talent over to me.

True Lord Magneto: Makes it look like I’m poaching your disciple.

…

True Lord Magneto noticed Director Gao hadn’t replied and wasn’t bothered. He turned back to Zhang Yu and said, “No rush on transferring departments.”

“You’ve already earned the Military License in Civil Engineering. For now, stay put. Learn the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might first.”

“With that military-grade technique as your foundation, your physical body will be a natural treasure. Later on, it’ll be a huge advantage for refining Law Husks—you’ll be way ahead of the curve.”

“That technique also works well when paired with Artifact Refinement. If you can combine both fields—Civil Engineering and Artifact Refinement—it’ll be a huge boost down the line…”

Zhang Yu asked, “What about the Artifact Refinement Department’s Heaven and Earth Cataclysm Formless Mind-Weapon and Void Artifact Codex? Didn’t you say I needed to transfer soon to learn those?”

True Lord Magneto said, “If you miss out on Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might now, it’s gone forever. But those Artifact Refinement techniques—you can pick them up when you do your master’s in that department.”

“It won’t take long. Spend the next two years mastering the Mountain-Moving Might while finishing your Civil Engineering credits. Graduate early, then apply for a master’s in Artifact Refinement.”

“You’ll only be two years late. In exchange, you get a top-tier military-grade martial technique. Totally worth it.”

Zhang Yu thought for a moment, then asked, “Will I still have a chance to enter a sect this way?”

“Hmm?” True Lord Magneto looked at him in surprise. “You want to join a sect?”

Zhang Yu met his gaze calmly. “If I aim to ascend the Immortal Path, how can I not?”

“A lofty goal,” True Lord Magneto murmured. “Then I won’t hide it from you.”

“These days, getting into a sect is harder than ever. At minimum, you’ll need a doctorate and Nascent Soul cultivation. Even during undergrad, you’ll need awards—ideally from inter-university competitions or the Ten Major Leagues.”

“But right now, none of that applies to you. A Civil Engineering degree? The sects won’t even look at it. To them, it’s no better than community college.”

“To make it into a sect, you’ll need to transfer by your junior year.”

“But to be honest… by the time you finish your doctorate, the standards will have risen even more. That path…”

True Lord Magneto hesitated, then said frankly, “That path isn’t meant for ordinary people. It’s reserved for reincarnated powerhouses.”

“So my advice: stay in Civil Engineering for now. Master the Mountain-Moving Might. Broaden your skill set. If you reach Nascent Soul one day, you won’t regret this choice.”

Though he didn’t say everything out loud, the implication was clear—he didn’t think transferring and joining a sect was realistic.

Zhang Yu asked, “What if I master the Mountain-Moving Might within junior year, then transfer to Artifact Refinement?”

True Lord Magneto’s eyes flashed. “Impossible. Even setting aside whether you can master it, just getting the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes…”

He paused, then reconsidered. “Actually… not entirely impossible.”

He explained, “The university arms race keeps escalating. More schools are preparing, and student strength keeps rising. Competitions are being taken more seriously. The formats change every year.”

“So even Civil Engineering’s inter-university tournaments are under the spotlight.”

“This time, Old Gao might put you in Mo Shangjin’s squad to compete in the inter-university league.”

“Normally, getting access to the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes requires years of seniority, academic performance, and complex metrics.”

“But with the spotlight on these leagues, the professors might cut you some slack. You could get a shot at mastering all Seven Absolutes.”

Hearing this, a thought surged in Zhang Yu’s heart: “Chaos is a ladder. This is my shot.”

True Lord Magneto saw the spark in Zhang Yu’s eyes and said calmly, “Then go for it.”

“But if it doesn’t work out, stay in Civil Engineering. Learn the Mountain-Moving Might first.”

Zhang Yu nodded firmly. Then he asked, “What about Director Gao…”

Just then, a message flashed across Zhang Yu’s EyeNet—it was from Director Gao.

Director Gao: Zhang Yu, what do you think of True Lord Magneto?

At that moment, Zhang Yu’s surrounding Spiritual Realm was already suppressed under True Lord Magneto’s Nine-Heavens Solar Yang Pagoda. Every message and ripple in the realm was laid bare to her.

Zhang Yu suddenly felt True Lord Magneto tighten his embrace, locking down all movement.

Then True Lord Magneto reached out and pinched the message hovering in Zhang Yu’s EyeNet, grinning as he said, “Don’t move. Let me answer him.”

Zhang Yu: Who is True Lord Magneto?