*Chapter 76: The Blood Phoenix Seal Reopens, The Guild - Wheel Of Truth

When Wang Jie left, he was in a state of shock and confusion.

When Wang Jie returned, he was brimming with excitement and confidence.

"My older brother gave the green light. Our Sea Dragon Guild accepts your bet. The showdown is in five days. We'll meet you in the biggest stadium on the Weiguan Campus!"

After seeing Zheng Mu nod in approval, the Sea Dragon Guild members finally dispersed.

It's easy to imagine that in the coming month, these freshmen will undoubtedly be in the spotlight.

On the day of the freshman's orientation, they rallied together, forming a formidable force of 2000.

This event would undoubtedly stir up heated discussions not just on the lieutenant campus, but even on the main officer campus.

However, to some extent, the newcomers like Zheng Mu might enjoy a peaceful month.

"Ha! You really can't keep yourself out of trouble, can you?"

In Zheng Mu's dorm, upon hearing about the incident, Qin Zhi immediately came knocking.

"General Qin, let's be honest here. I didn't know this place was training thugs before I came."

Qin Zhi's smile stiffened, unable to refute Zheng Mu's claim. He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"There've been some changes recently, the military's a bit short-staffed, so we had to bring in some people from the campus..."

Zheng Mu scoffed, aware that these changes have been going on for a while now.

This place is supposed to be a campus, fostering healthy competition. But the current state of the Lieutenant's Campus?

Zheng Mu could only shake his head in disbelief.

Had Zheng Mu and his team not arrived in the nick of time today, judging by Wang Jie's group, they could've forcefully taken away people. And what would've happened to those girls...

Zheng Mu coldly snorted, "They had it coming!"

Qin Zhi looked even more embarrassed, realizing that Zheng Mu was implying that the university deserved its current state.

But, he felt a glimmer of hope. The fact that Zheng Mu understood the situation and didn't leave implied that he was considering improving the state of the university's Weiguan Campus.

If word got out that a freshman planned to reform the entire campus on his second day, people would probably think he's lost his marbles.

But having seen Zheng Mu's extraordinary capabilities, Qin Zhi was confident in him.

Turning to Zheng Mu, he finally got to the point of his visit.

"Principal Gu has decided to reward you for winning the assessment."

He took out a gold-embossed card from his pocket. As Zheng Mu examined the card, he quipped.

"This better not be a VIP card for some club."

Qin Zhi's mysterious smile faltered. Seeing Zheng Mu's amused gaze, he tossed something towards him in mock anger.

"This thing lets you have a one-time access to three Red Hero-level materials from the resources department. Principal Gu figured you'd prefer raw materials over gear. When it comes to resources, our university ranks second to none. No top-tier school dares to claim the first place."

With that, Qin Zhi headed for the door but paused as if remembering something.

"Oh, I almost forgot. That guy He Guang has been transferred to the Law Enforcement Department of the Weiguan Campus. That was Principal Gu's call."

He then closed the door behind him, leaving Zheng Mu alone.

Zheng Mu looked at the gold card in his hand that represented three pieces of Red Hero-level materials, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I just got here, and the old-timers think they can push me around while the freshmen look to me for leadership. With the school in the state it's in, they're really counting on me..."

He was genuinely tired. The capable ones always had the most on their plate.

High-ranking folks like Gu Shengdong were directly meddling in the staff appointments, even shifting He Guang, who looked up to Zheng Mu, into the law enforcement department.

Whatever they were planning, it was pretty clear.

However, the delivery of this gold card brought to mind things he had put aside.

Initially, he hadn't thoroughly examined the spoils from the Golden Worm Mother.

Thinking about this, he swiftly retrieved his spatial backpack.

First up was a Gold Skill book.

Zheng Mu vaguely remembered what the unique skill was.

"[Conservation Double: A unique skill applicable to all vocations. It can temporarily double a specific attribute by reducing any other attribute. No cooldown time, no level restrictions]"

"Holy cow!"

Zheng Mu was taken aback. He couldn't believe he'd left such a powerful skill gathering dust in his backpack for days.

He wished he could slap himself.

After learning this skill, he eagerly checked out the other items, fearing he might have overlooked another gem.

"[Insect Mother's Original Sac]: Red Hero-level material, contains the primary energy for summoning and nurturing Zerg from the Golden Worm Mother. Can be used in equipment forging, potion making, etc."

"[Emperor Vein Worm Egg]: Red Hero grade material, an egg laid by the Golden Worm Mother. It's lost its vitality and can be used in equipment forging, potion making, etc."

After pondering over the two materials, he decided to set them aside for now.

The next item was a piece of equipment, the only one that dropped from the Golden Worm Mother.

"[The World's Curse of Disgust]: Growth type, Red Hero Cloth Armor Top. Originally the masterpiece of a skilled spirit weaver, it became a cursed artifact after being tainted by an unknown power. A certain skill's cooldown time can be cancelled by sacrificing a certain amount of vitality. Note: The more you use this effect daily, the more Health Points it will consume. Use it cautiously."

"Wow! This, this is nothing short of a godsend!"

When Zheng Mu saw the stats of this windbreaker, he was so pumped he could've burst out laughing.

The thing had no physical bonus at all, no attribute boosts, and no skill enhancement effects.

But its singular effect - a temporary suspension of skill cooldown - had him hooked in an instant.

What's more, this function consumed his own Health Points. But when it came to Health Points, Zheng Mu, a mechanic, wasn't concerned.

Counting all the mechanical creations under his command, their total health wouldn't be far off from 100,000.

He equipped the windbreaker onto his gear slot, realizing it was one of the few pieces of decent gear he had. Aside from the twin guns [Holy Land Demon Wolf] and the [Blood Phoenix Seal], his gear was comparatively barebones.

But when the [World's Rejection Curse] appeared, it made clear to Zheng Mu what his future gear requirements should be.

Aside from gear like [Blood Phoenix Seal] with its extraordinary effects, he'd focus on gear that reduces skill cooldown times.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, donned in the somewhat old-fashioned dark red windbreaker, he looked like a lone wolf in a post-apocalyptic world.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Bingyue, you're going to be in hot water now."

He admired himself in the mirror, narcissistically muttering for a bit, then shifted his attention to another item.

[Nao Yuan Pill]: Red Hero-level consumable, can fully heal fundamental soul damage caused by psychic attacks, and enhances the user's mental power to a certain extent. Usage conditions: None.

This thing wouldn't be useful at present, even for Zheng Mu.

It might never be.

Whether it was psychic attack or physical damage.

The ultimate effect all came down to the health bar.

Zheng Mu figured, whether you skewer me with a long knife or cut me with a saw, it doesn't really matter.

The last thing made Zheng Mu go quiet.

An unidentified human corpse.

Was it still unknown?

Could it be the S-rank beastmaster Wang Long, who had the worst of luck?

In the bathroom, looking at Wang Lung, pierced with sharp blades all over his dying body, Zheng Mu could still recall the guy's overconfident demeanor before the initial assessment.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, didn't you vow to teach us a lesson in the desert? You didn't keep your word at all."

Zheng Mu shook his head, grinning mockingly, and casually waved his hand.

The next moment, Feng Yin, the official minister, appeared out of nowhere.

Accompanied by the sound of flesh and blood being crushed, Wang Long's corpse transformed into an unrecognizable mummy in just a short while.

He temporarily stowed the corpse in his storage backpack, his eyes quickly shifting to the scarlet skill book in his hand.

[Imitation Beast: Beast Master lv1 skill. Can integrate and absorb the target monster's body, allowing the user to transform freely into the target and gain some of its skill attributes. Learning conditions: Beastmaster profession.]

Zheng Mu's eyes sparkled.

Even though it's just a level 1 skill, it's no stretch to say that this skill is a core one for the S-level Beastmaster profession.

No joke, this skill book I've got here is the most valuable thing Wang Long could provide.

As Zheng Mu eyed the skill book, the shadow at his feet stirred, and the next instant, Black Claw, who'd previously received the [Modular Seal Cutting], appeared.

"This time around, I'm granting you this skill too. Given your Dark Crypt ability, you'll be a natural."

As he murmured, the sound of crackling electricity filled the air and Black Claw's body began to squirm like a fluid under Zheng Mu's intense gaze.

The words "Imitation Beast" skill prominently appeared on the control panel.

Watching Black Claw morph between its liquid and metallic forms, Zheng Mu's eyes narrowed.

[Name: Licker (Black Claw)]

[Type: Mechanical Creation (crafted by mechanic Zheng Mu)]

[Level: Purple Rare]

[Durability: 4000/4000]

[Attack Power: 800-1100]

[Defense Power: 2400]

[Skill 1: "Stealthy Strike", moves swiftly and silently, exceptionally lethal in the dark, no cooldown time]

[Skill 2: "Rend", employs sharp claws and a long tongue to attack, inflicting significant damage and may cause bleeding, no cooldown time]

[Skill 3: "Venomous", the metal comprising the Licker contains a deadly poison. A direct hit will poison the target]

[Skill 4: "Scavenger", able to self-repair by consuming flesh and blood]

[Skill 5: "Beast Instinct", Licker possesses superior battlefield adaptability and learning ability, capable of managing various battle intensities and making optimal judgments]

[Skill 6: "Dark Crypt", summons a dark crypt, enabling stealthy underground approach and surprise strikes during the dark, no cooldown time]

[Skill 7: "Imitation Beast", capable of merging and absorbing the target monster's body, allowing for transformation into the target and obtaining certain skill attributes of the target. Cooldown time: 24 hours. Note: After successfully using the Imitation Beast skill on a certain target, future transformations require no cooldown]

Engraving a new skill onto Black Claw led to a level up.

Moving from the initial Blue Elite tier to the Purple Rare class, it now stood on par with the likes of Optimus Prime.

But talking about danger levels, Black Claw is undeniably more of a risk than Optimus Prime.

The Licker is essentially a mix of a Warrior and an Assassin. Having been bestowed two Seal Cutting skills, Black Claw was bound to be even more formidable.

"Next, I need to wrap up the guild business quickly and head over to the resource library for some materials. Fingers crossed there'll be enough to modify Miss Mirajane," Zheng Mu muttered, hoping he could construct a Red Bravery class mechanical creature, Raj, in due course.

Not to mention snagging a super BBW on the side.

Red Hero-level mechanical creations should make light work of the minor nuisances at the Lieutenant's Campus.

Sounds like a breeze, at least to Zheng Mu.

In the guild management department of Weiguan Campus, it was well-known that Zheng Mu and his group of newcomers were intent on creating a guild.

"Are you sure about starting a guild? It's not a simple task, you know," advised the lady managing guild applications, her face serious. Noting the group's determination, she ceased her cautioning and pushed a form in front of them.

"Guild name, logo..."

Zheng Mu looked at his peers, who returned his gaze expectantly.

Alright, seems they want me to decide.

An idea surfaced, and he quickly sketched on the paper. In no time, a unique hourglass emblem, encircled by a large gear, materialized.

The guild name field was also filled.

Leng Bingyue read aloud, "The Wheel of Truth."

Zheng Mu confirmed with a nod and a smile, subtly brushing his windbreaker as if to acknowledge the significance. The hourglass stood for time—specifically, his current constraints with skill cooldowns. The gear symbolized his identity as a mechanic. Once he controlled both, he believed he'd be the true ruler of the void. That was his truth.

The group didn't fuss much over the guild name, acknowledging that Zheng Mu, as their future strongest member, was the guild's core.

At the Weiguan Campus, in a tenth-story office, news of Zheng Mu's guild formation reached a certain Wang Jie.

"Bro, it's true! Those rookies actually started a guild called The Wheel of Truth, tens of millions of contribution points!" he exclaimed.

However, his elder brother, Wang Hai, the leader of the Sea Dragon Guild, sported gold-rimmed glasses and an unimpressed demeanor. "Don't be careless. Did you find out what I asked you to?"

Wang Jie, grinning widely, handed over the researched information. "Bro, I checked with multiple sources, the info is solid. The lead guy is a mechanic—an A-level specialist mechanic!"

Wang Jie broke into peals of laughter, swaying with mirth.

Glancing through the information, Wang Hai paused at Zheng Mu's details. There wasn't much about his strength or assessments, but the phrase "Class A Mechanic" was prominent.

With this revelation, Wang Hai too lowered his guard. "Seems like he's a naive young man. It's impressive he got all those newbies to follow him given his less powerful profession as a mechanic. Must be due to his unique background."

With a calculated look in his eyes, he issued a command. "Prepare. In a month, we'll absorb The Wheel of Truth guild."

Meanwhile, Zheng Mu made his way to the resource center, carrying his reward gold card.