Chapter 324: Dao Heart and Heart Demon
As the figure hurtled toward him, Zhang Yu’s gaze flickered. He spun around abruptly, unleashing a torrent of Formless Cloud Gang, swirling in spiraling patterns as it slammed outward.
With a deafening crash, the Gang Qi of both parties collided violently. Zhang Yu staggered back several steps, his expression hardening as he stared intently at his opponent. “It’s you?”
The one who had suddenly attacked Zhang Yu was none other than Tian Yang, the team leader.
Feeling the roiling Magic Power and vital energy within his body after the collision, Zhang Yu frowned slightly, inwardly remarking, “Tian Yang assigned me to this mission.”
“This area is quite remote, and I’m the only one here. It’s even in a surveillance blind spot… Was this all part of his plan?”
“Was he deliberately waiting for me to be alone so he could ambush me?”
As these thoughts raced through Zhang Yu’s mind, Tian Yang calmly stated, “President Wang sends his regards.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. “Wang Yin?”
He recalled President Wang of the Oasis Group, the wealthy man with whom he had clashed repeatedly on the First Layer, who had even sent people to retaliate against him.
Meanwhile, Tian Yang’s assault pressed down relentlessly like a torrential storm. Wave after wave of ferocious attacks surged forward, as if determined to crush Zhang Yu within just a few moves.
The martial art he was currently using was called the Great Wind Heavenly Dust Palm, a cultivation art inspired by the dust and particulate pollution from construction sites and dust control techniques.
With each strike, his martial dao Gang Qi surged forth like swirling dust, its movements unpredictable. His attacks struck from impossible angles, akin to the all-encompassing, omnipresent dust pollution on construction sites, threatening to completely engulf Zhang Yu.
Originally, the Great Wind Heavenly Dust Palm emphasized a combination of illusory and tangible techniques, allowing for infinite variations and making it exceptionally difficult to counter. Against a weaker opponent, it granted absolute dominance, allowing the practitioner to manipulate them like a puppet.
Tian Yang had believed this would be the case with Zhang Yu.
“Zhang Yu won’t last ten moves against me.”
But by the fifteenth exchange, Tian Yang’s astonishment grew with each passing moment.
Zhang Yu, aided by the Time-Worn Demonic Eye and the Third Eye Mystic Power, could clearly perceive every move Tian Yang made.
However, merely seeing the techniques was insufficient. After all, Zhang Yu was just a diligent University Student who typically spent his days studying, not engaging in combat.
Given his limited practical experience and martial cultivation, even if Zhang Yu could decipher Tian Yang’s techniques, he would struggle to devise a counterstrategy in an instant.
But he didn’t need to decipher it.
Ever since entering Myriad Laws University City, Zhang Yu had harbored a particular idea: While combat skills were less important than his work abilities in the current phase, in a place like Kunxu, one always needed a way to protect oneself.
Yet his relentless cultivation efforts had left him no extra time to hone his practical combat skills.
That was until he obtained the Third Eye Mystic Power. This gave Zhang Yu a new approach to combat — a method that required minimal time and effort yet allowed him to quickly develop formidable combat capabilities.
He called it the “5-5 Split Combat Method,” meaning he could fight anyone to a 50-50 stalemate.
At that moment, Zhang Yu roared fiercely and activated the Battle Demon Life-Shedding Art, drastically enhancing his physical strength.
Simultaneously, the Third Eye Mystic Power’s mimicry ability surged into full force, targeting Tian Yang before him.
To Tian Yang’s astonishment, Zhang Yu transformed into his mirror image, meeting his every strike with an identical move in relentless, head-on clashes.
Even so, Tian Yang remained confident that his superior cultivation would allow him to overpower his opponent. He intended to crush Zhang Yu with sheer force, blow by blow.
Zhang Yu’s Formless Cloud Gang was already exceptionally skilled at deflecting force. Combined with the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force’s technique of using an opponent’s power against them, the various resistances granted by his Civil Engineering Sacred Body, bones reinforced with Secret Steel No. 20, and the bodily revitalization from the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art…
All of this allowed Zhang Yu to exhibit terrifying resilience in head-on clashes of identical techniques.
Tian Yang was now experiencing this resilience firsthand.
Initially, he thought Zhang Yu was merely mimicking his martial arts.
“Has he learned the Great Wind Heavenly Dust Palm?”
“Or is he relying on his monstrous talent to steal my techniques right before my eyes?”
But he quickly realized that while Zhang Yu’s movements mirrored his own, the flow of Magic Power and Gang Qi within his body was completely different.
Zhang Yu’s Gang Qi focused on neutralizing and dissipating force, redirecting it back against his opponent.
“He’s not stealing my martial arts — just mimicking my movements? But how can he endure so much?”
Tian Yang watched Zhang Yu, his eyes shining with vitality, showing no signs of weakening. He felt the opponent’s incredibly solid strikes, each palm striking like a mud ox entering the sea, sinking without effect. With each strike, a nauseating sense of futility grew within him.
“This kid is fucking tough.”
“Fighting him is more exhausting than working overtime at an outdoor construction site.”
“Who the hell designed his combat system? It’s just plain infuriating!”
“Alright, alright, let’s call it here…”
With that thought, Tian Yang rolled his eyes, stomped his foot into the ground, and blurred dozens of meters away, leaving a trail of afterimages.
“Alright, that’s enough. I’m done fighting.”
Tian Yang waved his hand, a strange light flickering in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Yu. “No wonder Director Gao values you so highly. With your physique, you’ll be in a league of your own when it comes to construction site overtime.”
Zhang Yu stared at Tian Yang in surprise as the latter stopped fighting. “Didn’t Wang Yin hire you to get revenge on me?”
Tian Yang burst into laughter. “I have a friend at Netherworld University who told me Wang Yin did want someone to teach you a lesson.”
“But this friend of mine has no intention of helping Wang Yin,” Tian Yang thought to himself.
With righteous indignation, Tian Yang declared, “We’re both from Myriad Laws University, both in the Civil Engineering Department, and both under Director Gao’s tutelage. How could I betray my own people just for some petty favors?”
“Actually, I was using the excuse of disciplining you to squeeze some benefits out of Wang Yin… I’m quite interested in that.”
“That’s why I came to record a battle video with you.”
“I was worried your acting skills might be too poor, so I staged a surprise attack.”
Thinking this, Tian Yang shook his head. He had originally planned to casually throw a few moves, pushing Zhang Yu into some near-death situations. He hadn’t expected Zhang Yu to be so resilient, enduring dozens of his attacks.
Although things hadn’t gone as planned, Tian Yang felt that the video might actually be more effective than he had originally imagined.
Zhang Yu blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”
Tian Yang explained, “It’s simple. I pretend to discipline you, then demand benefits from Wang Yin.”
“Like the battle video we just recorded. Once I send it to him, I can ask for something in return.”
“After the deal goes through, whatever I get, I’ll split half the Spirit Coin value with you at market price.”
“To be honest, I still need some things from Netherworld University. If you’re willing to continue cooperating, we can squeeze even more benefits out of Wang Yin together.”
As he watched the other man wave goodbye and leave, Zhang Yu remained unable to determine whether his words were genuine.
“I’m at Myriad Laws University now, but Wang Yin still hasn’t given up?” Zhang Yu thought to himself.
Fu Ji chuckled. “When someone’s this persistent, besides hatred or conflicting interests, there’s another possibility… Could your existence be affecting his dao heart?”
“Think about it — your actions on the First Layer clashed violently with Wang Yin’s methods and ruined his plans there. He must hate you to the core.”
“But if you’ve disrupted his mental cultivation technique and become his Heart Demon, his obsession makes even more sense. This isn’t just about personal vendettas anymore — it concerns his very progress on the Immortal Dao.”
Shortly after, Zhang Yu received 0.5 Spirit Coins from Tian Yang.
“Already earned 0.5 Spirit Coins?”
Zhang Yu felt even more energized, especially since these Spirit Coins had come from Wang Yin, the super-rich guy who kept suppressing him.
In his Sea of Consciousness, the White Ox seemed to roar, causing the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art to circulate even more smoothly, and his body’s vitality surged with renewed vigor.
The next day, Zhang Yu brought Yu Xinghan and Li Xiao along to help keep watch, meeting Tian Yang at their agreed-upon location.
“What are we filming today?” Zhang Yu asked. “Another beating? Should I make it extra brutal? Want me to spit up some blood?”
Tian Yang waved his hands dismissively. “Fight videos are just like yesterday’s sparring — they don’t convey any real depth.”
“This is University City, after all. We can’t even film a serious injury, let alone a death. Even if I did, Wang Yin has his own intelligence channels and wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
“Today’s shoot is about making you work overtime…”
Netherworld University City.
After leaving the First Layer, Wang Yin didn’t go to the Oasis Group headquarters. Instead, he returned to his mother’s workplace, taking up a temporary, idle position to rest and recuperate while healing the injuries to his soul.
Having lost the chance to obtain a Divine Spirit Root, Wang Yin had no choice but to re-enter the Foundation Establishment Stage using a Heavenly Spirit Root, gradually restoring his cultivation step by step.
Facing his mother again at Netherworld University, Wang Yin was forced to admit she had been right all along.
“You can’t be too good to those dogs below.”
“If you feed those mongrels too well, they’ll become unruly, even daring to covet the table itself.”
Deep within Wang Yin’s heart, the failure of his plan on the First Layer and the loss of the Divine Spirit Root… fueled a burning hatred.
“Zhang Yu… and Bai Zhenzhen.”
He dismissed Bai Zhenzhen as insignificant, but Zhang Yu…
The thought of Zhang Yu at Myriad Laws University, still studying, cultivating, and advancing daily on the Immortal Dao, filled Wang Yin with unbearable anguish.
Zhang Yu had become like a thorn in Wang Yin’s heart, digging deeper with each passing day. This was slowing his progress in re-cultivating his Dao Heart Level after re-entering the Foundation Establishment Stage.
He recalled his past cultivation of the Imperial Heart of the Sovereign technique, where he had amassed vast wealth, overthrown cities, and dominated countless lives, ultimately forging his Supreme Dao Fist Intent.
“Yet, even when I possessed the riches of the world in the First Layer, I couldn’t control the fate of a mere Zhang Yu.”
“This most lowly of men, nurtured by my patronage, not only showed no gratitude but also sabotaged my grand schemes.”
“Now that my wealth dwarfs his by countless times, I still can’t suppress him…”
Whenever these thoughts surfaced, Wang Yin felt a stifling frustration well up in his heart, disrupting the smooth flow of the Imperial Heart of the Sovereign mental cultivation technique.
He realized that Zhang Yu had become his Heart Demon, a flaw in his Dao Heart that clashed with his cultivation technique, his mindset, and his will.
“Either I gradually resolve this myself, refining my mindset through patient effort to dispel this lingering resentment…”
“Or… at least thoroughly humiliate and toy with him, to vent the hatred in my heart.”
It was under these circumstances that Wang Yin, through the mediation of others, established contact with Tian Yang.
Soon after, he received a video from Tian Yang.
Watching Zhang Yu’s combat prowess and extraordinary resilience in the video, Wang Yin’s brow furrowed deeply.
After paying Tian Yang one Spirit Coin, Wang Yin made more demanding requests, hoping to thoroughly humiliate Zhang Yu, toy with him, torture him… even demanding a live broadcast.
Tian Yang rejected many of Wang Yin’s demands and proposed a hefty price.
Just as the stalemate persisted, Wang Yin received another video from Tian Yang.
Watching Zhang Yu in the video working overtime relentlessly, cultivating frantically, his cultivation improving bit by bit, his earnings soaring, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit… Wang Yin felt the Imperial Heart of the Sovereign in his mind begin to stagnate once more.
At the same time, Tian Yang sent a message: “If you don’t agree to my terms, I’ll keep Zhang Yu working overtime every day, his cultivation and savings growing without pause.”