Chapter 626: Brother Dao’s Dao Seed
After entering university, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen first attempted to exchange Divine Spirit Roots during the Flying Sword Tournament held at Myriad Laws University. On that occasion, Bai Zhenzhen injected her Divine Spirit Root into Zhang Yu’s body.
Their second exchange occurred beneath the Civil Engineering Arena at Heavenly Sword University, where Zhang Yu injected a replicated Azure Lotus Sword Embryo into Bai Zhenzhen’s Dantian, instantly giving her two Divine Spirit Roots.
This third exchange marked the first time they truly implanted their Spirit Roots into each other’s Dantians, achieving a genuine mutual exchange.
Zhang Yu’s Feather Spirit Root began adapting to Bai Zhenzhen’s body.
Bai Zhenzhen’s True Spirit Root began adapting to Zhang Yu’s body.
As each Divine Spirit Root adapted to the other’s Spirit Root and body, the changes triggered further adaptations in response.
Violent transformations surged outward from the Divine Spirit Roots, forcing Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen to grit their teeth and endure the pain.
Suddenly, Zhang Yu exclaimed in alarm, “A-Zhen, your sword qi…”
Bai Zhenzhen was astonished to discover that her crimson sword qi seemed irresistibly drawn to Zhang Yu’s body, as if pulled by her own Divine Spirit Root.
The presence of her Divine Spirit Root appeared to have convinced the sword qi to recognize Zhang Yu as part of her own body. The surge of Extreme Emotion Sword Dao’s sword qi rushed toward him without causing any harm.
“Could it be… that after what happened between us, my sword qi can no longer harm you?” Bai Zhenzhen exclaimed.
“I don’t know,” Zhang Yu replied. “Let’s try again.”
After several attempts, they quickly realized that this adaptation to sword qi had its limits. A sufficiently large quantity would still injure Zhang Yu’s body.
However, Zhang Yu sensed that this was merely due to the insufficient duration of the Spirit Root exchange. Given enough time, he would undoubtedly become fully adapted to Bai Zhenzhen’s sword qi.
He might even eventually adapt to the black sword qi, imbued with an aura of annihilation and ill omen, that Bai Zhenzhen unleashed when fully channeling the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.
A sudden thought struck Zhang Yu, to continue this state of Spirit Root exchange.
As soon as Zhang Yu expressed his idea, Bai Zhenzhen agreed. She could feel the Divine Spirit Root continuously adapting and strengthening her physical body, and the longer they maintained the exchange, the more pronounced this effect became.
“Mmm…” Bai Zhenzhen groaned softly, gritting her teeth against the stimulation from the Divine Spirit Root. “Then hurry and leave, Yu Zi. Don’t let anyone notice anything.”
Zhang Yu backed away, calling out to the small opening, “I’m leaving now, A-Zhen. Be careful not to get caught.”
As Zhang Yu departed, Bai Zhenzhen felt the changes in the Divine Spirit Root intensify, reaching a peak before gradually subsiding.
Just then, Wen Wuya arrived on Bai Zhenzhen’s flying boat, calling out curiously, “Zhenzhen? Are you there? I tried contacting you earlier, but you were offline.”
Wen Wuya gazed at Bai Zhenzhen in the room and remarked, “You look… strange.”
Feeling the Divine Spirit Root stirring again, Bai Zhenzhen endured the growing turmoil within her body, gritting her teeth as she asked, “What do you want?”
“I wanted to discuss the finals with you,” Wen Wuya replied.
In Zhang Yu’s flying boat laboratory, Ye Xingli was borrowing the space to maintain her Bionics.
Seeing Zhang Yu return, Ye Xingli asked curiously, “Junior Brother, you look a bit tired?”
She reminded him, “The finals are just a few days away. No amount of training will make a significant difference now. You should focus on conserving your energy.”
Zhang Yu nodded. “I just want to prepare as much as possible, so I can… achieve a better ranking in the end.”
Ye Xingli sighed. “Aside from first place, what’s the real difference between second and the other rankings?”
“At this point, we’re all just supporting characters for Kuang Tianqing and Dao Qiankun.”
Zhang Yu looked at Ye Xingli in surprise, sensing an unfamiliar emotion emanating from her.
Ye Xingli seemed to notice her own unusual mood. She smiled wryly and said, “But I’m hardly one to talk.”
“Even knowing I’m just a supporting character, I’ve been working hard to prepare these past few days, haven’t I?”
“This drive to strive is ingrained in our very bones. Even when we know there’s no hope, we can’t help but give it our all. Perhaps that’s the allure of the Immortal Dao — it compels countless people to rush forward, sacrificing life and limb…”
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment before replying, “It can’t be helped. That’s just how Kunxu is, and that’s just how we are.”
“If we didn’t possess this unwavering determination, this willingness to push forward, we never would have reached this stage in the Immortal Dao.”
“On this arena right now, which competitor isn’t the same?”
In Yan Qianji’s laboratory, he remotely operated the factory’s production line, churning out batches of puppets that resembled Zhang Yu, Kuang Tianqing, and Dao Qiankun.
In Jiutian Liu’s room, countless data streams from the Spirit Realm converged to form a Luck Model for his reference, helping him occasionally release videos to boost his Qi Luck.
Before Tian Shengong from Immortal Armaments University, the data of all contestants’ magical artifacts and Bionics materialized within his Bionic Eye, providing him with insights for study and emulation.
In the sky, a dragon shadow flickered through the clouds, swallowing and exhaling the sea of clouds — Ying Mingchi of Celestial Monsters University. His dragon eyes gazed down at the floating continent below, burning with fierce determination.
Yan Xiang of Netherworld University soaked in a boiling pool of blood, watching Kuang Tianqing before him. “Still not enough?”
Kuang Tianqing laughed heartily, addressing the students across the arena. “Come on! Lend me your strength! I’ll seize first place in the Ten Greats League!”
On Dao Qiankun’s flying boat, the night before the finals.
As Zhang Yu boarded the flying boat, he faintly sensed the divine light of a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch sweeping across the sky, sparking a flicker of curiosity in his heart.
When he saw Dao Qiankun standing at the bow, his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Yu immediately asked, “Brother Dao, did a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch come to see you just now?”
“Mm,” Dao Qiankun replied calmly. “They came to discuss matters regarding Immortal Sect Techniques.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Brother Dao… have you still not decided which Immortal Sect Technique you’ll choose after winning the championship?”
Dao Qiankun said flatly, “I’ve decided. It’s just that my choice differs somewhat from the Spirit Transformation cultivators’ preferences.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “Brother Dao couldn’t reach a consensus with the Spirit Transformation cultivators?” he thought. “No, it’s more accurate to say Brother Dao disagreed with their choice?”
As he gazed at Dao Qiankun’s solitary figure gazing up at the moon, Zhang Yu seemed to sense a bone-deep loneliness emanating from him — a feeling of being fundamentally out of place in the world.
He could also imagine the immense pressure Dao Qiankun must be under, facing opposition from the Spirit Transformation cultivators while insisting on his own path.
“If it were me,” Zhang Yu thought, “I wouldn’t dare defy the Spirit Transformation cultivators.”
“As long as they support me in winning the championship and joining a sect, that’s all that matters,” Zhang Yu mused. “If it were me, that’s probably how I’d think.”
Dao Qiankun suddenly said, “Zhang Yu, do you know why I disagree with the Spirit Transformation cultivators’ plan?”
Zhang Yu paused, then replied, “Brother Dao, you once said you wanted to change the world. The direction you want to change it in is different from what they want, right?”
Dao Qiankun looked at Zhang Yu with surprise, then said softly, “I’ve told many people that I want to change the world. But you’re the only one who truly remembers it.”
In a flash of lightning, Dao Qiankun appeared before Zhang Yu, looking at him intently. “Zhang Yu, I can sense… you’re different from others. Deep down, you also harbor dissatisfaction with this world. Though it’s just a faint spark, it could ignite into a raging fire at any moment, a burning impulse to reduce this world to ashes.”
Zhang Yu flinched slightly at these words, feeling Dao Qiankun’s unwavering gaze. He instinctively looked away, saying, “Brother Dao, you’re joking. How could I possibly have such thoughts?”
Dao Qiankun said calmly, “Zhang Yu, don’t be afraid, and don’t be ashamed of your thoughts. The desire to change the world isn’t limited to Immortals or Spirit Transformation cultivators. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators, Qi Refining practitioners, or even ordinary mortals can share this ambition.”
Dao Qiankun gently patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder and smiled faintly. “In this world, weakness is now considered a disgrace.”
“But everyone starts as a weakling and grows from there.”
“No one is born into this world as an unparalleled powerhouse capable of reshaping heaven and earth.”
“Even Immortals attain their status step by step, through the support of their predecessors and the guidance of powerful mentors.”
“Did their ambition to change the world only arise after becoming Immortals?”
“No. Their aspirations took root and sprouted in their hearts when they were still weak.”
“Compared to the Immortals of today, I admire even more the first person in this world to reach the Qi Refining Realm…”
Feeling Dao Qiankun’s calm and sincere gaze, Zhang Yu sensed that the man was speaking the truth.
Zhang Yu opened his mouth as if to say something, but remembering the situation in Kunxu and the aloof Immortals and deities, he ultimately remained silent.
Dao Qiankun didn’t mind. After patting Zhang Yu’s shoulder again, he moved behind him and continued, “Don’t worry, Zhang Yu.”
“This world is dangerous. Even I cannot guarantee my absolute safety.”
“The upcoming Ten Greats League will be increasingly dangerous.”
“If you encounter dangers you can’t handle, flee.”
“Preserve your useful body and don’t sacrifice your life lightly.”
“You can also flee behind me. I will do my best to protect you.”
“This is what I wanted to tell you today.”
Zhang Yu looked up at Dao Qiankun and saw four characters floating on his chest: Immortal Descendant.
Since the Ten Greats League began, Zhang Yu had occasionally visited Dao Qiankun to freeload meals, drawn by his Dao Seed. But this was the clearest manifestation of the Dao Seed he had ever witnessed.
The Dao Seed flickered and vanished, leaving Zhang Yu unable to glean further information.
“Brother Dao…” Zhang Yu began.
Dao Qiankun smiled faintly. “Go now. Get some rest and prepare well for tomorrow’s competition.”
As Zhang Yu left the flying boat, deep in thought, he suddenly looked up and saw another flying boat docking beside Dao Qiankun’s.
“That’s… Kuang Tianqing’s flying boat, isn’t it?” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “Why would she come to see Brother Dao the day before the finals?”
With a lingering sense of unease, Zhang Yu returned to his own flying boat and resumed his cultivation, preparing for the finals.
In the blink of an eye, the night had passed.
Li Shiwei arrived early at Dao Qiankun’s flying boat, intending to travel to the arena with him.
But as soon as she boarded the flying boat, an eerie calm washed over her.
“Why is no one here?”
With a growing sense of unease, Li Shiwei approached Dao Qiankun’s room. To her surprise, the door was unlocked; she pushed it open effortlessly.
Before her shocked eyes, Dao Qiankun sat cross-legged, a serene smile on his face, his vital energy completely extinguished.
Dao Qiankun — the top student at Myriad Laws University, the strongest in the Dao Techniques Department, and a leading contender for the Ten Greats League championship — was dead.