Chapter 407: Lian Tianji
“Ah, Yu Xinghan was right after all.”
“Ever since Lian Tianji (Refining Heaven Extremity) turned into Lian Tianji (Loving Heaven Princess), watching the videos he participates in is not only dull and tasteless, but they can even be used to abstain from lust/sex.” [TL note: The way his name is written changed in Chinese, but the characters share the same pinyin transliteration]
“This is because neither Yu Xinghan nor I have transcended the illusion of physical form. We remain bound by our physiological limitations, unable to grasp the Yin-Yang Great Dao with a pure dao heart.”
Zhang Yu had to admit that, in this respect, neither he nor Yu Xinghan possessed any innate talent for the Dual Cultivation Path.
As his carnal desires subsided, Zhang Yu felt the restless urges within him temporarily suppressed.
He mused inwardly, “Could this be a side effect of today’s experimental drug?”
“To think it could affect my steel-forged will.”
“If an ordinary University Student were in my place, they’d probably be making a complete fool of themselves by now.”
Just as Zhang Yu was thinking this, he suddenly noticed Le Mulan’s cheeks flushing crimson, her breathing growing heavy.
His gaze sharpened, and he immediately asked, “Did you participate in the drug trial too?”
Le Mulan nodded slightly. “Mm, to analyze the drug’s properties and adjust its effects within my body… it’s part of my assignment here…”
Halfway through her sentence, Le Mulan couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, her body already bending forward.
When she finally lifted her head again, her eyes seemed to be filled with a watery mist as she gazed at Zhang Yu.
“Such… a strange sensation,” she murmured.
Zhang Yu watched this scene with growing alarm. “Le Mulan is sterilized, right? How could this medicine have such a potent effect?”
At that moment, Le Mulan’s lips parted slightly, and hot, panting breaths escaped her mouth, brushing against Zhang Yu’s face.
The sweet, cloying medicinal scent emanating from her body made Zhang Yu’s mind reel, nearly causing him to lose his composure.
He quickly projected a video of Lian Tianji and pulled Le Mulan to watch it with him.
As Le Mulan watched Lian Tianji and the others in the video, her breathing grew even heavier. “This must be a video from the Joyful Union Sect,” she thought to herself.
“Zhang… Zhang Yu… is he trying to teach me these techniques?”
The thought sent her blood rushing through her veins, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
“I have no experience in this aspect of cultivation. I need to study diligently to properly coordinate with Zhang Yu…”
Though her mind grew increasingly hazy, Le Mulan forced herself to stay focused, desperately trying to memorize the key movements from the video. Her tongue instinctively darted out as she attempted to mimic the techniques.
Just then, Zhang Yu said, “This is Lian Tianji.”
Le Mulan blinked in surprise. “Huh?”
Zhang Yu continued, “This woman is Lian Tianji.”
As he spoke, he had already initiated a communication link with Lian Tianji.
The screen flickered, and Lian Tianji’s image materialized before them.
“Zhang Yu,” she said, “what made you suddenly contact me?”
Zhang Yu shared the screen with Le Mulan. “Le Mulan and I were watching your video. She’s curious about your current appearance.”
Lian Tianji smiled faintly. “Even the Divine First Rank is watching? Thank you for your support. I hope my video proves helpful.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Lian Tianji said she needed to resume her cultivation and ended the call.
Beside him, Le Mulan stared in shock at the scene unfolding before her. Images of the past Lian Tianji and the present Lian Tianji flashed through her mind, her once-blurred vision gradually clearing.
Watching this scene, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “As expected, Le Mulan also lacks the talent for this. She can’t transcend the limitations of her biological gender, nor can she use this video as nourishment for the Yin-Yang Immortal Path. But it’s perfect for curbing lust.”
Le Mulan asked, “Why did he become like this?”
Zhang Yu explained, “Their department’s Foundation Establishment Class has two sections. In one section, only the top student can become a man, while in the other, only the top student can become a woman. Lian Tianji chose the former.”
Le Mulan’s heart jolted at this revelation. She said with a hint of admiration, “Lian Tianji had excellent grades in high school. It seems he hasn’t slackened off at all since entering Joyful Union University, immediately choosing a path of radical transformation.”
Le Mulan added, “He must have spent a fortune and poured tremendous effort into this path.”
Zhang Yu replied, “The side effects of this experimental drug are severe. Though the mental effects have been suppressed, traces of the drug still linger in our bodies.”
“Let’s use our Ice Magic Power to suppress the remaining drug traces in each other’s bodies.”
The two pressed their four palms together, streams of Ice Magic Power flowing into each other’s bodies.
Joyful Union University.
In the classroom, numerous students were cultivating together, comprehending the Great Dao.
Lian Tianji disconnected his communication with Zhang Yu, sighing inwardly, “Are Zhang Yu and the top student… watching my videos together?”
He remembered how, back in high school, he had always longed to study with Zhang Yu and Le Mulan, but the opportunity never arose before graduation.
“But now they’re watching my videos together. It’s almost like I’m studying with them, in a way.”
A sense of participation welled up in Lian Tianji’s heart, and a relieved smile spread across his face.
Just then, a voice came from behind him: “Senior Sister! Are you daydreaming?”
Lian Tianji replied calmly, “I was just communicating with someone, using the opportunity to temper my dao heart. The Yin-Yang Great Dao requires cultivating a dao heart that transcends the material world, free from the limitations of the physical body, worldly concerns, thoughts… any external or internal constraints.”
A voice behind her asked, “Senior Sister, do you have time tomorrow?”
Lian Tianji smiled faintly. “You want more tutoring? Then bring all your Vocational College classmates.”
Lian Tianji understood perfectly well that at Joyful Union University, cultivating only with classmates made it nearly impossible to surpass them in progress.
To achieve faster and greater advancement, one had to either engage in upwards cultivation or downwards cultivation.
Upwards cultivation meant studying with senior students, teachers, or even university administrators. However, this method was prohibitively expensive, beyond Lian Tianji’s means.
Therefore, she chose downwards cultivation, specifically selecting Junior College Students and Lower College Students as her cauldrons to accelerate her own cultivation.
“Don’t blame me,” Lian Tianji thought. “Blame yourselves for only getting into Vocational College or Lower College. You’re no longer considered full people, so you might as well help me…”
Lian Tianji resolved inwardly, “Help me… reclaim what I’ve lost!”
Yin Jiurao reviewed Le Mulan’s drug trial report, thinking to herself, “She managed to endure it?”
“I originally planned to use Le Mulan to trick Zhang Yu into giving me his seed.”
“But as expected… someone as short and frail as Le Mulan probably lacks the allure needed. Ordinary drugs alone won’t be enough to make Zhang Yu submit.”
“Should I switch to a different drug?”
“No, that would be too obvious.”
Yin Jiurao opened a website, thinking, “I should find some professionals who specialize in Seed Deception.”
Over the next few days, Zhang Yu worked at the construction site and continued testing the experimental drug, but he didn’t experience the Qi and Blood Surge again. He concluded that the drug’s side effects had likely been adjusted.
“Good. This will make it easier for me to abstain from lust.”
Zhang Yu now refused to sell not only his seed but also any other bodily materials.
While he claimed that abstaining from lust improved his cultivation state, the real reason was his Divine Spirit Root.
“The Azure Lotus Sword Embryo is constantly refining my body,” he thought. “If someone were to examine my bodily materials now, they might detect something unusual. Unless absolutely necessary… I’d rather not sell them. They wouldn’t fetch much anyway.”
After finishing work at the construction site that evening, Zhang Yu returned to his dormitory and connected to the Spirit Realm, entering the simulation laboratory Zhang Pianpian had set up for him.
There, he began simulating the cultivation of the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch.
Activating tenfold acceleration, Zhang Yu watched as artifact refinement materials and equipment materialized, swirling into motion under the influence of his Gang Qi and Magic Power.
In a single session, Zhang Yu advanced the Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch’s refinement technique to level 7, though the cost was substantial.
The simulation laboratory didn’t charge by time but by the Spirit Realm Calculation Pool resources consumed during the simulation.
Zhang Yu’s tenfold acceleration allowed him to rapidly deplete these resources, resulting in a single session costing him over 5.6 Spirit Coins.
“Artifact refinement really burns through money.”
“Good thing I’m not too slow at it.”
Zhang Yu mused that ordinary Artifact Refinement Department students without his Feather Book Talent would likely require far more practice sessions, spending even more Spirit Coins in the simulation laboratory.
He then checked his remaining funds.
Although he now received 5 Spirit Coins monthly from Zhang Pianpian, 10 from Wen Wuya, and his earnings from part-time work at the construction site, he had been spending heavily on various services to accelerate his foundational data accumulation, not to mention the continuous investment in artifact refinement.
“My savings have dwindled to 30.158 Spirit Coins again,” Zhang Yu thought grimly. “I need to hold out a little longer. Once I master a few more artifact refinement techniques, raise my skill levels, and start selling more consumable magical artifacts, I can replenish my funds.”
“The work at the pharamaceutical factory pays well too. I should take on more shifts.”
Yin Jiurao examined the resume before her. “You graduated from Qinghe Arts University?”
The woman in the Spirit Realm Projection replied, “That’s correct. Qinghe Arts University is affiliated with Joyful Union University. Though we’re nominally one of the Thirty-Six Upper Colleges, our curriculum is nearly identical to that of Joyful Union University’s main campus.”
“And when it comes to seed collection, I undoubtedly possess far more practical experience than any Joyful Union University student.”
Yin Jiurao asked, “What is your original gender?”
“Male,” the woman answered.
“Will your Gender Transition affect your work?” Yin Jiurao pressed.
“You’re right, my original gender wasn’t female,” the woman admitted.
“I have twenty years of experience living as a man. This very experience has deepened my understanding of the profound mysteries of Yin-Yang transformation, which has greatly benefited my subsequent eighteen years working as a woman. It has also made me prioritize practical combat skills.”
“My resume includes detailed combat data and case studies. I believe these are far more persuasive than my original gender.”
Yin Jiurao said coolly, “Have you reviewed the target’s profile? What’s your success rate?”
“This is my specialty,” the woman replied. “A mere Second-Year student, and still rooted in his original nature? I’ll secure him without fail.”
“It must be consensual,” Yin Jiurao emphasized.
“Rest assured,” the woman affirmed. “We practice Seed Deception, not the crude methods of Seed Abduction that lack any finesse.”