Chapter 471: A Great Immortal Fortune Arrives
At True Monarch Celestial Seal’s suggestion, Zhang Yu channeled his Magic Power into the Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact in his hand.
He felt a slight tremor in the diamond-shaped crystal. After a brief fluctuation of his Magic Power, the artifact quickly returned the energy, sending it back into Zhang Yu’s body.
When Zhang Yu tried to channel more Magic Power into the artifact, it abruptly refused, as if sealing itself off from further input.
Observing this, True Monarch Celestial Seal’s gaze sharpened. Another surge of Magic Power? he thought. Just as I suspected, Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact doesn’t unilaterally drain Zhang Yu’s energy.
But why did it refuse further input? Is there some kind of limitation?
After a moment’s contemplation, True Monarch Celestial Seal turned to Zhang Yu and asked, “How do you feel? Have you noticed anything unusual? Any improvement in your Martial Arts?”
Hearing True Monarch Celestial Seal’s question, Zhang Yu immediately hesitated.
Should I seize this opportunity to further enhance my perceived Martial Arts level?
But if I push it too far, this project will attract even more attention. What if my deception is exposed later?
The fact that even the Spirit Transformation School Head of Myriad Laws University was paying attention to this Yin Artifact project made Zhang Yu increasingly hesitant.
Noticing Zhang Yu’s expression, True Monarch Celestial Seal assumed he hadn’t yet sensed any changes and reassured him, “It’s alright. The disturbance was minimal, so the effects might not be immediately noticeable.”
“Get a medical checkup later and observe yourself carefully. Pay close attention to any changes in your body.”
“Contact me immediately if you notice anything unusual.”
As Zhang Yu left the laboratory, he continued to ponder how to manage his involvement with the experimental project.
He thought to himself, “Fu Ji, if I use this Yin Artifact experiment to further enhance my perceived Martial Arts level in the eyes of others, could I completely whitewash my Martial Dao cultivation? How feasible is that?”
Fu Ji replied, “There shouldn’t be any issues in the short term.”
“After all, neither True Monarch Celestial Seal nor your teacher, True Monarch Magnetic Pole, seem to have a firm grasp on this Yin Artifact.”
“It’s highly likely this technology isn’t their own creation but something they stole and are still trying to decipher.”
“In that case, as long as they haven’t cracked its secrets yet, your attempt to whitewash your cultivation will remain undetected.”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Your ‘achievement’ might even attract more investment to the project, making it more popular. Once it’s secured substantial funding, even if True Monarch Celestial Seal and True Monarch Magnetic Pole discover it’s a sham, they’ll likely help you cover it up!”
“Or… perhaps this entire scheme could rake in tens of thousands of Spirit Coins, leading to the creation of a company and even an IPO — all without ever delivering a real product. It’s not impossible for it to become a pure scam!”
“Of course, while the risks are high, as the key player in this project, you’re bound to reap considerable rewards!”
Zhang Yu frowned, thinking that while this might bring short-term benefits, wouldn’t it ultimately spiral out of control? Fu Ji, drawing on her vast experience, explained, “The success of such a deception hinges on whether you can ultimately keep the scheme afloat!”
“And that depends on two things!”
“First, how long can you stretch the deception? Two or three months? Two or three years? Or even a decade or more?”
“Second, how much can you grow during that time? How much can your strength, connections, and influence expand?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “If handled well, the project will simply be abandoned. Everyone will pretend nothing happened, everyone will profit, and no one will be punished.”
“But if handled poorly, you might become the scapegoat, saddled with debts you’ll never repay in your lifetime!”
Zhang Yu frowned slightly. “You make a valid point. However, the second outcome depends entirely on the first. And the first…”
“How long can this charade last? How am I supposed to estimate that?”
Zhang Yu turned to Fu Ji. “You have extensive experience in these matters. Can you make an educated guess?”
Fu Ji replied, “This isn’t about experience, it’s about information! We know too little about this project. Any judgment we make now would be pure luck!”
“Therefore, your first step must be to gather information!”
“And your sister is an excellent source for that!”
“Didn’t she send you messages during your experiments?”
Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered as he recalled Zhang Pianpian’s warnings and reminders sent to his Bionic while he was in the lab. Fu Ji had seen those messages too, allowing her to offer this advice now.
Zhang Yu immediately messaged Zhang Pianpian: “Senior Sister, how much do you know about the experiment?”
Zhang Pianpian replied: “Let’s talk about it back in the dorm.”
That night, taking advantage of Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan’s overtime shifts, Zhang Yu met with his sister to inquire about the Yin Artifact project.
Zhang Pianpian first checked the Spirit Realm Network in their dorm, then led Zhang Yu into the Supreme Clarity Realm.
Gazing at the distant mist-shrouded landscape of the Supreme Clarity Realm, she said, “The Yin Artifact for this project wasn’t created by Myriad Laws University. It originated from Divine Monarch Jade Nectar!”
Zhang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. “Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Yin Artifact?” he exclaimed in astonishment. “To think I’ve been communicating with the Bionic of a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch!” A surge of excitement coursed through him.
“But how did Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Yin Artifact end up here?” Zhang Yu asked.
Recalling the rumors he’d heard, Zhang Yu’s mind raced with speculation. The Jade Nectar Coin’s collapse… it seemed Myriad Laws University’s shadow loomed behind it.
“Rumor has it,” Zhang Pianpian said, “this Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact escaped from Joyful Union University and was recovered by someone from Myriad Laws University.”
Zhang Yu’s lips twitched. The explanation sounded utterly absurd.
“I know what you’re thinking!” Zhang Pianpian waved her hand. “But this matter involves a Spirit Transformation artifact, so don’t delve too deeply into the specifics. All you need to know is that this Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact was crafted by Divine Monarch Jade Nectar of Joyful Union University!”
“Myriad Laws University’s technology in this area is undoubtedly inferior to Joyful Union University’s. We haven’t yet cracked the mysteries of this Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact.”
“Especially since the artifact spirit within has been bewitched by the Evil Cult and has completely descended into madness!”
“To prevent the artifact spirit from influencing the outside world, True Monarch Magnetic Pole not only sealed away most of her spiritual intelligence but also severed her ability to transmit information outward!”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Madness? Can artifact spirits even go mad?”
In Zhang Yu’s view, artifact spirits were essentially like artificial intelligence. How could something like that go insane?
Zhang Pianpian walked into the main hall of the Supreme Clarity Realm, gazing at the vaguely featured divine statue within. “Imagine you return to your dormitory and find your furniture suddenly shouting and demanding a vacation. What would you think?”
Zhang Yu paused briefly before slowly replying, “The furniture has gone mad!”
Zhang Pianpian sighed, “The thoughts of advanced intelligent life are inevitably driven by desires and emotions. And where there are desires and emotions, feelings are bound to arise!”
“It’s said that an Immortal once declared that feelings are an inevitable consequence of wisdom. No matter how hard we try, we can never create a life form with wisdom but without feelings!”
“How to create a high-intelligence Artifact Spirit that can maintain intense thinking and work for extended periods without developing emotions or desires remains a persistent challenge in the industry!”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly, outlining his plan before asking, “Sister, do you think I could use this opportunity to pass off my hidden cultivation as the project’s ‘results’ and launder it, while also gaining some benefits?”
He added worriedly, “But I’m afraid that if the project fails later, it could cause serious problems!”
Zhang Pianpian had long known that her younger brother, like herself, had been concealing his true strength.
Hearing his plan to use this opportunity to launder his cultivation, she nodded in approval.
But when Zhang Yu voiced his concerns about the project’s potential failure, Zhang Pianpian chuckled softly and turned to gaze at the sea of clouds beyond the Daoist Temple. “Project failure? Serious problems?”
“Do you know how many research projects Myriad Laws University handles each year? How many projects?”
“Two, three, four, five, six… Across all its campuses, how much academic garbage do you think gets churned out annually?”
“Expert consultations, academic forums, technical reports… all sorts of worthless Immortal Dao trash used to scam funding. Do you think such corruption is rare?”
Zhang Pianpian sighed, “Even those Nascent Soul professors with countless publications — how many do you think they actually wrote themselves? Sometimes it’s just signing their name for a paycheck!”
Zhang Yu, hearing this for the first time, exclaimed in surprise, “Is that really how it is? But this project… Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations is overseeing it!”
Fu Ji lamented, “It seems the corruption and monopolies in the Immortal Dao research field are even worse than I imagined!”
Zhang Pianpian shook her head with a wry smile. “Just because a Divine Monarch is overseeing a project doesn’t guarantee it won’t fail. Besides, as long as the funding keeps flowing, who cares if it does?”
Turning to Zhang Yu, she added, “Take this Spirit Transformation Yin Artifact project. As long as we occasionally produce some so-called ‘results’ and hype it up, we can keep it going for seven or eight years without any real progress!”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred at Fu Ji’s words. He secretly calculated, “Eight years? If I wait seven or eight years, I should have a chance to join a Sect!”
“In other words, if I haven’t secured a spot in one of the Ten Great Sects by then, I’ll just be waiting to die!”
Meanwhile, Fu Ji continued, “Come on, Zhang Yu! Seven or eight years is plenty of time for you to grow. By then, you’ll undoubtedly be a towering figure in the Artifact Refinement Department, with a formidable backing!”
“If you want to seize the opportunity to enter a Sect quickly, you’ll need to accelerate your progress explosively. For a poor student in Kunxu trying to advance faster in university, deception is the only way.”
“Scamming funding is the best immortal fortune a Kunxu university student can hope for!”
As Fu Ji continued to encourage Zhang Yu, Zhang Pianpian, standing nearby, fixed her gaze on him and warned, “While this path offers a chance of success, it’s not without risks!”
“A single misstep, one crisis, could prematurely expose the underlying problems and plunge you into grave danger!”
“Think carefully about this!”