Chapter 660: An’an, Starfire, and the Upper Sect’s Plans
Xiong Wenwu: “Hu Yuntao, has President Zhang mentioned which cultivation art he’s going to choose?”
Hu Yuntao: “This is President Zhang’s personal matter. I wouldn’t dare interfere.”
Xiong Wenwu: “Then did you bring up the Celestial Monsters Reincarnation Sutra to him?”
Xiong Wenwu: “The school asked me to pass on the message. I had no choice.”
Seeing Hu Yuntao’s delayed response, Xiong Wenwu thought to himself, “That kid…”
He then glanced at another avatar on the Bionic Eye — the face of a small panda. It was An’an, who worked in the protected area of Kunxu’s First Layer.
This was the reward Celestial Monsters University had given him: free daily communication with people on the First Layer and the ability to transfer money to them.
Xiong Wenwu: “An’an, did you receive the money I sent?”
An’an: “Why are you sending me money? I’m a model employee! Everything’s provided here — food, drinks, lodging. I don’t need any money!”
Xiong Wenwu: “Just save it for me. I’ll use it when I return to the First Layer.”
An’an: “What kind of defeatist talk is that? You’ve already been admitted to Celestial Monsters University! You’re so accomplished! Why would you even think about coming back?”
An’an: “You need to focus on staying on the Second Layer, understand? Otherwise, all your hard work studying will have been for nothing!”
An’an: “Study hard, work overtime, and listen to your superiors. They’re watching you.”
Xiong Wenwu stared at An’an’s reply, then glanced at his own body, now modified into a mount form. He sighed inwardly but said nothing.
Ten hours remained until the awards ceremony.
Inside Zhang Yu’s Artifact Refinement Laboratory, numerous assistants bustled about.
Hu Yuntao, as a Soul Cultivator, was also participating in the restoration of the Seven Absolutes Bionic.
Observing Zhang Yu, who had just finished repairing the Bionic Eye and was relaxing slightly, Hu Yuntao said, “President Zhang, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Go ahead,” Zhang Yu replied.
After Hu Yuntao explained the information about the Celestial Monsters Reincarnation Sutra, Zhang Yu nodded to indicate he understood.
Zhang Yu realized this information had undoubtedly traveled through the intricate network within the monsterfolk community, passed from monster to monster, until it finally reached him.
Similar incidents had occurred repeatedly since his championship victory, and Hu Yuntao was far from the first friend in his contacts to introduce him to Immortal Sect Techniques.
“Ah, the Kunxu network…” Zhang Yu shook his head, inwardly marveling at how the rapid flow of information in the Spirit Realm had transformed Kunxu’s interpersonal networks into unprecedented complexity and scale.
At this very moment, this vast web was closing in on him from all directions, like a sky-covering net.
With a sigh, Zhang Yu reinstalled his fully repaired Nine Nether Demon Eye Bionic.
After confirming that all parameters had returned to normal, Zhang Yu inspected his other magical artifacts and Bionics.
While he was recuperating from his injuries, the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword, Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor, and Seven Absolutes Bionic had all been repaired by personnel dispatched by the academy.
Thanks to the massive investment of Spirit Coins and manpower, the entire repair process was completed with unprecedented efficiency.
By this point, most of Zhang Yu’s magical artifacts and Bionics had been fully restored.
He donned the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor, sheathed the Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword in its sword casket, and swallowed the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, which transformed into a spark of fire before entering his mouth. Zhang Yu had once again returned to his peak condition.
Only the Seven Absolutes Bionic remained on the laboratory workbench, and Zhang Yu chose not to install it.
After all, he had always prioritized maintaining the purity of his physical body, unless there was an urgent need to enhance his capabilities with Bionics.
This was to ensure his physical body remained nourished and adaptable, allowing it to grow in tandem with his cultivation and facilitating its future transformation into a customized Bionic.
Shortly after Zhang Yu finished his repairs and emerged from the laboratory, a message from Yu Xinghan popped up in his Bionic Eye.
Yu Xinghan: “Hurry up and accept Master’s friend request!”
Zhang Yu paused, thinking, “Master?”
His eyes suddenly lit up as he opened his friend request list.
Lately, he had been inundated with friend requests from all sorts of random people, so he had long ignored them all. Now, he quickly scanned through the list and soon found True Person Starfire’s avatar.
“Teacher Starfire is here too?”
After swiftly accepting the friend request, Zhang Yu sent a message: “Teacher, are you on the Second Layer?”
True Person Starfire: “Isn’t it because of the earth-shattering event you caused here?”
True Person Starfire: “After you won the championship, someone directly invited me to the Second Layer for the award ceremony and to see you.”
True Person Starfire: “I was getting bored down below, so I took the opportunity to come up and sightsee.”
At the same time, Yu Xinghan sent another message: “Zhang Yu, we’re almost there.”
After getting Yu Xinghan’s exact location, Zhang Yu immediately took flight to meet them.
Upon the flying boat, Zhang Yu saw True Person Starfire, Yu Xinghan, Li Xuelian, and Le Mulan, all invited by the university.
“They’ve invited all my dormmates?” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “I wonder if my sister will come too…”
True Person Starfire’s gaze swept over Zhang Yu before settling on his eyes. “Heh, your cultivation has improved remarkably. But your troubles seem to have multiplied, haven’t they?”
Zhang Yu nodded helplessly.
Looking at True Person Starfire, Zhang Yu was reminded of many events from the First Layer.
He recalled his fierce battle with Wang Yin and his efforts to prevent Wang Yin from altering the First Layer…
Yet, without realizing it, Zhang Yu had gradually walked into a position similar to Wang Yin’s, now poised to initiate changes across the Second Layer and even the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Layers.
Yu Xinghan, standing beside him, reached out to pat Zhang Yu’s shoulder but quickly retracted his hand, startled by the talisman’s warning to exercise caution in speech and action.
He chuckled awkwardly. “Haha, Zhang Yu, do you know how many people at Celestial Monsters University are itching to spar with you?”
Meanwhile, a flicker of worry crossed Yu Xinghan’s eyes. Having once been transformed into a believer of an Evil God by Zhang Yu, he knew all too well the secrets his life-and-death friend carried.
To Yu Xinghan, Zhang Yu, now exposed to the gazes of countless Spirit Transformation and Righteous God cultivators, seemed to be dancing on a knife’s edge.
Le Mulan approached and nodded to Zhang Yu. Though she couldn’t fully grasp the pressure he faced, she acted according to her own instincts and capabilities, bringing a supply of healing medicines from her department.
Although Zhang Yu no longer needed these medicines after receiving the Medical Faculty’s best treatment, he accepted them with genuine delight.
Next, Zhang Yu led the group onto his rented flying boat.
After a brief conversation, True Person Starfire dismissed the others one by one, leaving only himself and Zhang Yu in the cabin.
True Person Starfire cut straight to the point: “Have you decided on your choice?”
Zhang Yu sighed. “Teacher, I’m… conflicted. It feels like any choice could be right, and yet any choice could also be wrong.”
True Person Starfire nodded thoughtfully. “Immortal Dao Technology itself is neither right nor wrong. Its ultimate direction and the results it yields depend entirely on how humans choose to apply it.”
“Since you can say such things, it seems you don’t intend to choose the Dharma Realm?”
Zhang Yu looked at True Person Starfire. “You’re aware of the Dharma Realm situation?”
True Person Starfire nodded. “Someone asked me to persuade you to reaffirm your decision to choose the Divine Creation Chapter of the Dharma Realm.”
Zhang Yu asked, “And what’s your opinion?”
True Person Starfire pondered for a moment. “The Dharma Realm… even in the upper realms, this technology hasn’t been fully adopted.”
“For both the university and you personally, the Divine Creation Chapter of the Dharma Realm is far too premature.”
“Once Dharma Realm technology begins to spread, the situation will inevitably spiral beyond anyone’s control.”
Zhang Yu sighed. “But if I don’t choose the Dharma Realm, the other universities’ choices will also put me in a difficult position.”
True Person Starfire replied, “Then choose none of them.”
Zhang Yu stared at True Person Starfire. “Choose none of them?”
True Person Starfire said, “You’re still a student of Myriad Laws, after all. I understand your concern that choosing an Immortal Sect Technique from another university might implicate your own people.”
“Then choose an Immortal Sect Technique that isn’t among the Ten Greats.”
“As long as this technique continues to generate profits for both the Ten Greats and Myriad Laws, they’ll tolerate your choice.”
Zhang Yu nodded. He had considered this path himself, but a question lingered in his mind.
“But my understanding of Immortal Sect Techniques is limited. Which one could truly achieve this? And what are the Upper Sect’s true intentions?”
Although he was told he could choose any Immortal Sect Technique, Zhang Yu knew the higher-ups would inevitably have their preferences.
If he selected a technique the Upper Sect absolutely forbade from being disseminated to the lower ranks, he might soon find himself disappearing.
True Person Starfire said, “The sect’s situation is complex. Its members face their own challenges, caught between the pressures from Immortals and the Heavenly Court, the relentless pursuit of younger generations, and the need for resource supplies from below.”
“But complex situations can sometimes be quite simple, because everything ultimately comes down to profit.”
“As long as we can improve the production efficiency of those below and generate more profit for them, they should be willing to accept it.”
“It’s like how some people support the Dharma Realm because it allows them to increase their gains by a hundredfold.”
“Different schools make different choices, all driven by the desire to maximize their own interests, aiming for profits of 80, 100, or even 120 points.”
“But if you can increase everyone’s gains by just 5 to 10 points, even though they may be dissatisfied, angry, and resentful, they won’t be able to stop you. They won’t deliberately sabotage their own income growth.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu nodded thoughtfully and asked, “Then, Teacher, what kind of Immortal Sect Technique do you think could achieve this?”
True Person Starfire continued, “Zhang Yu, how familiar are you with spatial technology?”
Zhang Yu’s heart tightened, but his expression remained impassive. “What is spatial technology?”