Chapter 537: Dark Spirit Realm
Zhang Yu’s heart jolted as he gazed up at the three colossal figures looming before him. His mind raced back to his mental exchange with Fu Ji after obtaining the spherical pearl.
The moment Fu Ji saw the pearl left behind by Wuying’s death, she immediately suspected its true nature.
“This thing allowed him to manipulate the Spirit Realm’s power. Part of it was the Unemployed Elder hijacking the Spirit Realm within and around University City, but this pearl must have played a crucial role too.”
The Ascension Cult and Unemployment Cult’s ability to hijack the Spirit Realm likely stemmed from technology related to this very artifact.
Memories flashed through Fu Ji’s mind as she murmured, “Born from the shadows of the Spirit Realm, hidden within its darkness — a spiritual world belonging to the Evil Gods: the Dark Spirit Realm.”
“I never thought they’d actually succeed in creating it.”
“And now the Ascension Cult and Unemployment Cult have exploited the Dark Spirit Realm.”
As Zhang Yu clenched the pearl, Fu Ji attempted to communicate with the power within, further confirming her suspicions.
“It is indeed the Dark Spirit Realm.”
“However, if ordinary Demonic Cult disciples were to use this artifact, they could at most use it for communication and to manipulate limited aspects of the Spirit Realm’s power.”
“As for me…”
Fu Ji quickly deciphered the Dark Spirit Realm information contained within the spherical bead, her excitement growing.
Through this information, she could communicate with the Evil Gods of the Dark Spirit Realm.
The thought made her eager to begin immediately.
However, connecting her consciousness to the Dark Spirit Realm would prevent her from monitoring the outside world, making it difficult to maintain communication with Zhang Yu. He would easily sense something was amiss.
At that moment, as if sensing her unease, Zhang Yu asked, “Fu Ji, what is this?”
If it had been the Fu Ji of the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment before deceiving Zhang Yu, concealing this method of communicating with the Evil Gods.
But now, remembering Zhang Pianpian standing behind Zhang Yu, considering their current relationship, and recalling Zhang Yu’s recent battle alongside Yu Xinghan and Shi Huaiyu, Fu Ji thought to herself: “This guy has Zhang Pianpian’s technical support. If he asks her for help later and she discovers my little tricks, the fragile trust I’ve managed to build will vanish.”
This kid’s trust… might actually be useful.
“Damn it… have I become sentimental after being around this kid for so long?”
“No, I’m not sentimental. I’m just using a method he’ll accept to gain his trust. Once I have it, I’ll ruthlessly harvest him. From what I’ve observed, the best way to harvest this kid is to win his trust first!”
With this thought, Fu Ji revealed her discovery.
Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, “The Dark Spirit Realm is part of the Spirit Realm? Is it like a secret chamber, a hidden passage, or a secret channel within the Spirit Realm? But only the Evil Gods knows the password to access it, allowing him to secretly use the Righteous God’s Spirit Realm for his own purposes.”
Fu Ji replied, “Something like that. You can think of it that way. I’m going to use the Dark Spirit Realm to communicate with Evil Gods. If you’re worried, you can come with me.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Is it dangerous?”
Fu Ji smiled. “The original Divine Dao technology of the Dark Spirit Realm… I played a part in its creation.”
“In fact, I should be considered one of the founding elders of the Dark Spirit Realm.”
“It’s just a pity I was betrayed before I could see its completion.”
“Heh heh, my old friends must be in the higher levels of the Dark Spirit Realm by now. I wonder if I’ll run into any familiar faces in the second level of Kunxu’s Dark Spirit Realm.”
As they spoke, Zhang Yu, being dragged along by Fu Ji, had already traversed layer upon layer of the Spirit Realm, arriving at a void deep within — a place that could be called the Dark Spirit Realm.
At the very heart of this realm, three colossal figures stood around an ancient, intricately carved wooden round table.
They seemed to have been in the midst of a conversation, but turned their heads in unison as Fu Ji and Zhang Yu approached.
These towering figures, each with a bizarre and distinct appearance, seemed to stretch to the heavens and stand rooted to the earth.
One of them appeared to be composed entirely of countless hands and feet, each limb covered in eyes.
As they collectively fixed their gaze on Fu Ji, they spoke in a slow, deliberate voice: “Oh? We didn’t expect visitors today.”
Zhang Yu’s heart sank at the sight. He mentally asked Fu Ji, “Are these three Evil Gods the masterminds behind the Demonic Cults?”
Fu Ji replied, “Perhaps some of the masterminds.”
“The Evil Gods might be funding the Demonic Cults, or perhaps converting some of its members into their own worshippers, granting them ritualistic powers.”
But aside from the Evil Gods, there must be other entities operating behind the scenes.
At this moment, Fu Ji and Zhang Yu’s consciousness converged, manifesting within the Dark Spirit Realm as a humanoid figure composed of tattered cloth, buttons, straw, and crude stitching.
This was the form they assumed upon entering the Dark Spirit Realm.
Facing the Evil God before them, Zhang Yu remained silent, leaving all communication to Fu Ji.
“Visitors?”
The tattered cloth figure that was Fu Ji let out a cold laugh as she approached the round table. With a wave of her hand, an ornate chair materialized before her.
Seeing Fu Ji so effortlessly conjure objects within the Dark Spirit Realm, the three Evil Gods were visibly surprised.
Fu Ji casually seated herself in the chair and addressed the Evil Gods: “You may call me Fortune God, one of the founding deities of the Dark Spirit Realm.”
In the Spirit Realm or the physical world, Fu Ji would never dare to be so brazen, so easily approaching other Evil Gods.
But the Dark Spirit Realm was different. Firstly, her deep understanding of the realm’s underlying Divine Dao technology allowed her to conceal her true identity and intentions more effectively here.
On the other hand, Fu Ji knew a crucial detail: the entity that had originally created the Dark Spirit Realm!
The Dark Spirit Realm had been created as a safe haven where Evil Gods could exchange information without fear of attack. It was a neutral zone where combat was forbidden.
Seeing Fu Ji summon a chair and hearing her words, the three Evil Gods before her remained silent, seemingly pondering the truth of her claims and verifying the information through their own channels.
Regardless, Fu Ji had become an unfathomable figure in their eyes.
Fu Ji continued, “Are you three meeting here to discuss the Myriad Laws University City situation?”
The Evil God with a thousand hands and a thousand feet spoke, “Joy God, you may call me that.”
Joy God continued, “Fortune God, are you also interested in Myriad Laws University?”
Fu Ji replied casually, “Who knows? But if I were to strike at the University City, I’d definitely start with the 666th floor.”
Another figure composed of swirling colored light asked, “Why?”
Noticing Fu Ji’s gaze, the swirling light said, “You may call me Auspicious God.”
Fu Ji smiled faintly. “Don’t you know? The 666th floor is where Divine Monarch Myriad Transformations stores his physical bodies. There are quite a few of his expensive bodies buried there.”
“Even snatching just one would yield invaluable intelligence from the brains of those bodies.”
Sensing the surging mental activity in the Dark Spirit Realm, Fu Ji seemed to see the three Evil Gods secretly conversing, whispering among themselves.
And indeed, the three Evil Gods were communicating in secret.
To so easily manifest objects within the Dark Spirit Realm, this Fortune God’s understanding of the realm must be either at the level of its founders or among its most seasoned experts.
“The 666th floor of Myriad Laws University City is actually where the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch stores his physical bodies? No wonder it’s been completely sealed off, with no one allowed to enter or glean any information from within! If this Fortune God knows such classified information, he must have been scheming within Myriad Laws University City for a long time. He may have already converted some important cultivator into his follower.”
“In that case, could our actions have disrupted his years-long scheme? Is that why he’s come here to demand retribution?”
“They want compensation from us? Hmph, even if he’s a veteran, there’s no justification for that.”
Fu Ji’s profound technological prowess and unfathomable intelligence network made her appear even more inscrutable to the three Evil Gods.
Though she couldn’t hear their conversation, Fu Ji continued, “Or are you interested in Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s Spirit Transformation Bionic? That makes sense, considering it was the spark that ignited the University War. If I were you, I’d be interested too.”
The Joy God, with its thousand eyes and thousand feet, said calmly, “Fortune God, do you also know something about that Spirit Transformation Bionic?”
Fu Ji leaned back, clasped her hands behind her head, and casually replied, “Jade Nectar’s stolen Bionics have been circulating widely. One of them ended up in Myriad Laws University’s laboratory. That’s hardly classified information, is it?”
“But who are you planning to target? Magnetic Pole? Celestial Seal? Or that student who was the test subject?”
The Auspicious God, radiating multicolored light, flickered and emitted waves of luminous halos. “Naturally, the student who was the test subject would be the easiest to manipulate.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, “This Evil God has set its sights on me?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Simple enough, but what does an experimental subject know? They probably don’t even realize whose Bionic they’re using or which faction it belongs to.”
The Auspicious God, radiating waves of colorful light, asked calmly, “Oh? Then do you think we should target Magnetic Pole? Or cause trouble for Celestial Seal?”
Fu Ji snorted. “Magnetic Pole is the most promising candidate to become the fourth Spirit Transformation cultivator at Myriad Laws University within the next twenty years. Attacking her would come at too great a cost — it’s not worth it.”
“Celestial Seal is a professor in the Talisman Department. If anything goes wrong in the Spirit Realm within Myriad Laws University, he’ll be the first to sense it. He’s undoubtedly already prepared. You won’t find an opportunity to strike at him.”
The colorful light around the Auspicious God shifted, and he said coldly, “This won’t work, that won’t work. Then what do you suggest we do?”
Fu Ji smiled faintly. “It seems your followers at Myriad Laws University aren’t very high-ranking. They lack a deep understanding of the university’s inner workings.”
“If you want to target the laboratory, the best target is undoubtedly Feng Yuhuan from the Research Department.”