Chapter 666: Breaking Through to Golden Core
Wen Wuya crossed his arms, listening to Zhang Yu’s words. He casually adjusted his chest muscles and said, “You want to take Zhenzhen away? No problem, as long as she agrees.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Where is she?”
Zhang Yu followed Wen Wuya to a room where a coiled longsword floated silently in mid-air, surrounded by layers of formations, spiritual energy circuits, and Magic Power Circuits.
“A-Zhen!” Zhang Yu rushed forward, addressing the sword. “Come with me to Myriad Laws University. My master, Magnetic Pole, has become the principal, and we can be second-generation university elites together!”
When the sword remained silent, Zhang Yu continued, “Given your current state… I’m worried they’ll treat you as a sword servant if you return to Heavenly Sword University.”
The sword remained still and silent, and Zhang Yu’s heart sank.
He thought of how the universities under the crimson moon had become isolated information islands, and how the Soul Cultivators, now disconnected from the network, were trapped within these islands.
Zhang Yu abruptly turned to Wen Wuya beside him and asked, “Has A-Zhen already disconnected?”
“Then as a Soul Cultivator, she’s trapped in Heavenly Sword University, isn’t she?”
The thought of Bai Zhenzhen, now a Soul Cultivator, being left behind at Heavenly Sword University while Divine Monarch Seven Emotions had departed with Kunxu’s sixth layer…
Zhang Yu could almost see Bai Zhenzhen, once the school’s goddess, now fallen to the bottom of Heavenly Sword University’s social hierarchy as a despised Soul Cultivator, the target of endless humiliation, with new “respectful” terms for Soul Cultivators being coined daily…
The thought of A-Zhen potentially suffering as badly as Zhao Tianxing, a Junior College Student, filled Zhang Yu with anxiety.
Just then, footsteps echoed from outside, and a familiar figure entered Zhang Yu’s vision.
“A-Zhen!” Zhang Yu exclaimed, staring in astonishment at Bai Zhenzhen before him. “You’re alive?”
As he studied Bai Zhenzhen’s current form, he noticed she had become even more slender and delicate than before. If she had once resembled a gymnast, she now looked more like a frail ancient maiden.
Bai Zhenzhen sighed, “The last time I told you not to spend money was because Master had already begun arranging for my physical body to be reconstructed after the competition.”
“During the Great Upheaval, Master feared I would become someone else’s flying sword after she left. So, she used all her remaining power to complete my new body’s reconstruction before our connection was severed.”
She gazed at her new form with dissatisfaction, shaking her head. “I don’t know what she was thinking, cutting corners everywhere.”
Bai Zhenzhen patted her arms and legs, commenting, “I wasn’t this thin before! Ah, all my hard-earned figure… Now I have to eat my way back and train all over again.”
Zhang Yu asked, “A-Zhen, did you hear what I said earlier? Come to Myriad Laws with me.”
Bai Zhenzhen pondered for a moment before replying, “Yu Zi, I want to go to Myriad Laws with you.”
“But before Master left, she entrusted me with the secret key to Heavenly Sword University, asking me to protect and manage the Sword Pavilion and her other assets on the Second Layer in her stead.”
“I’ve already promised her, so I can’t just abandon my duty.”
Bai Zhenzhen wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, her eyes gleaming with fervor. “I must protect Master’s assets. I won’t allow a single loss.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “You just want to take them for yourself, don’t you?”
He cautioned, “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry,” Bai Zhenzhen replied. “I understand.”
Zhang Yu suggested, “Traveling at night is too dangerous. Why don’t you Heavenly Sword people hide with us? Once Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s Incarnation arrives, we can all set off together. We’ll even escort you part of the way.”
“Sounds good to me,” Bai Zhenzhen nodded, glancing at Wen Wuya beside her.
Wen Wuya said, “I’ll inform our teacher in charge. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
As soon as Wen Wuya left, Zhang Yu rushed to Bai Zhenzhen, pulled her into a tight embrace, and whispered, “A-Zhen, we need to switch back quickly!”
Feeling the Spirit Root pressing against her from Zhang Yu’s abdomen, Bai Zhenzhen immediately nodded, relaxing her body and mind to allow the two Spirit Roots to circulate through their bodies.
As the True Spirit Root returned to its rightful place, Bai Zhenzhen shuddered slightly, touching her belly with a hint of discomfort. “It feels so bloated.”
Zhang Yu also rubbed his stomach. “I can feel your Magic Power. It’s tingling and a bit numb.”
Having retrieved his Spirit Root, Zhang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Bai Zhenzhen. “When Divine Monarch Seven Emotions reshaped your physical body, did she notice anything wrong with the Spirit Root?”
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head. “I don’t think so? I’m not sure. After reshaping my body, Master disconnected the connection immediately. I couldn’t even ask her any more questions.”
The two teams from Myriad Laws University and Heavenly Sword University then merged.
The flying boats concealed themselves within the clouds, temporarily hiding as they awaited the arrival of Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s Incarnation.
Zhang Yu prepared to enter the Meditation Chamber to break through to the Golden Core Realm.
Just then, Zhang Yu felt a tremor shake the heavens and earth, and streaks of light flashed across the sky.
He quickly looked up and saw that in the layered skies of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Layers, invisible chains seemed to shoot out, sealing each layer one by one.
Zhang Yu, who cultivated the Immortal Sect Technique, could sense faint spatial fluctuations within the blockade, indicating a spatial isolation.
A jolt ran through Zhang Yu’s mind. “The Heavenly Court had completely opened up the connection between the Sixth and Second Layers. I thought that with the Sixth Layer gone and no interference from the Heavenly Court, the Second to Fifth Layers would remain connected. But now… has the sky been sealed? Have the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Layers been separated again?”
“Who did this?”
The first thought that flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind was naturally the Heavenly Court.
But he quickly shook his head, thinking to himself, “The Heavenly Court has lost contact. Besides, if they could have sealed it earlier, they would have.”
Just then, Fu Ji’s voice rang out: “It wasn’t the Heavenly Court. It must be someone under Brother Dao. The Finance Department? An Evil God? Or the Demonic Cults? Maybe all of them.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “Fu Ji, you’re awake?”
Fu Ji replied, “How could I not wake up with such a commotion… I’ve just been quietly observing and pondering.”
Gazing at the layered sky sealed off above them, Fu Ji said, “During the fierce battle on the Sixth Layer, when both sides were locked in a stalemate, a tremor shook the Second to Fifth Layers. This was likely Brother Dao’s doing — he must have set up something in those layers to counteract the spatial interference from above.”
“Now it seems this setup isn’t just for countering interference; it can also be used for a complete lockdown.”
“If they can seal off the sky while allowing their own forces to move freely between the Second and Fifth Layers, they can easily shift troops and resources, overwhelming smaller groups with superior numbers and crushing weaker opponents with overwhelming force…”
Hearing Fu Ji’s words, Zhang Yu felt a growing unease.
As if in response to her thoughts, streaks of Thunderfire began to erupt across the sealed sky of the Fifth Layer, signaling that a full-scale battle had already broken out across Kunxu’s Fifth Layer.
Fu Ji said, “This is bad. If they consolidate their scattered forces from the Second to Fifth Layers and sweep down layer by layer, they might actually win.”
Zhang Yu asked, surprised, “Fu Ji, you don’t want Brother Dao and his forces to win either?”
Fu Ji said, “First, can Brother Dao really return? After this battle, I doubt he’ll emerge unscathed. He must have suffered severe injuries from the higher realms, perhaps even be on the verge of death. Even if he survives by some miracle, can he truly recover his full strength within three years, relying solely on the Sixth Layer?”
“I suspect his promise of returning is just empty rhetoric, a slogan to bewitch the masses. Only fools from Lower Colleges, Vocational Colleges, and the monsterfolk would believe him so easily.”
“Second, with Brother Dao gone, the Finance Department, Evil Gods, and Demonic Cults now control his forces. If these factions seize the Second to Fifth Layers, how would that benefit us?”
“Finally, even if they don’t make things worse than they already are, the Heavenly Court will eventually descend. When they see the Second to Fifth Layers occupied, won’t they launch another massive purge?”
Fu Ji sighed repeatedly. “Ah, this doesn’t look good at all.”
As Zhang Yu watched this scene, memories of Dao Qiankun’s final moments, when he tried to take Zhang Yu with him, flooded his mind.
He suddenly thought, “Brother Dao said I’d chosen Kunlun in the Palm and possessed his bloodline power. Staying here would be too dangerous…”
“Kunlun in the Palm possesses Spatial Technology. If ‘bloodline power’ refers to the descendants of Immortals, then that power also involves Spatial Technology.”
“So… Brother Dao is worried I might interfere with his plans.”
Zhang Yu looked up at the sealed layers of the sky, thinking to himself, “He’s afraid I’ll use Spatial Technology to break through the blockade?”
Zhang Yu shared his thoughts with Fu Ji, omitting the part about being an Immortal Descendant and only mentioning Kunlun in the Palm.
Fu Ji’s eyes flickered. “You make a good point. Speaking of which, why did you choose Kunlun in the Palm?”
“I missed too much information about the events surrounding the Ten Greats League. Tell me about it.”
Zhang Yu replied, “Check my social media posts and saved news articles first. Get the full picture, then I’ll fill in the details.”
He glanced up at the Fifth Layer of the sky, where fierce battles raged, shook his head, suppressed his distracting thoughts, and entered the Meditation Chamber.
Zhang Yu understood that regardless of what came next, his own strength was paramount.
Though this was an era of spreading chaos, it was also an era brimming with opportunities.
Like his imminent breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm…
Zhang Yu retrieved a Golden Core and swallowed it. Instantly, golden light erupted from his body, his aura surged violently, and torrents of Magic Power surged like molten lava toward his Dantian.
Golden Core Realm… Breakthrough!
Zhang Yu knew that in Kunxu’s Immortal Dao system, each Golden Core used for breakthroughs had unique effects. The more potent the Golden Core, the greater the cultivation required to activate it.
Fortunately, Zhang Yu’s Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation was unparalleled. No Golden Core available among the school’s cultivation resources could resist his power.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “If I used my full strength to run a Golden Core Score, I could probably exceed one million points.”
“In ancient times, this would be considered the pinnacle of supreme-grade Golden Cores, worthy of being called a Heavenly-Grade Golden Core, a Transcendent-Grade Golden Core, or a Sovereign Golden Core.”
“This is the potential I’ve accumulated during my Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. Though my core stats — dao heart, physical strength, Magic Power — appear unchanged, my mastery of martial arts, daoist arts, military-grade Power, Immortal Sect Technique, and Divine Spirit Root have vastly expanded my potential.”
The Golden Core Zhang Yu had chosen from the school’s cultivation resources was the Purple Mansion Golden Core, renowned as the most suitable for realm breakthroughs.
The Purple Mansion Golden Core wasn’t just the most potent Golden Core for breakthrough; it also possessed various miraculous properties that could enhance a Golden Core Cultivator’s potential. With a market price exceeding 3,000 Spirit Coins, it was considered astronomically expensive for most Golden Core Cultivators.
However, because the Purple Mansion Golden Core was primarily used for genuine breakthroughs and offered little benefit to Foundation Establishment cultivators who self-detonated their Golden Cores, the school had only prepared a very limited quantity of them among the cultivation resources for the Ten Greats League.
“Now that so many Golden Core Certificates have been issued at once, the price of Purple Mansion Golden Cores is likely to skyrocket. If not for this opportunity, I don’t know when I would ever be able to afford one on my own.”
As Zhang Yu fully entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, he felt the Golden Core within his Dantian begin to seethe. Streams of Magic Power poured into it, then surged outward, coursing through his entire body before converging in his brain.
“Hah!”
With a soft shout, Zhang Yu circulated his cultivation according to the breakthrough method. In the next instant, he felt his mind undergo a profound sublimation.
It was as if a billion bolts of lightning had erupted within his Sea of Consciousness.
At that moment, every strand of flesh and blood, every wisp of Magic Power, every cell, every thought… all bloomed wildly before his eyes.
All the martial arts and daoist arts Zhang Yu had ever learned flashed through his mind like a fleeting parade.
For the first time since birth, Zhang Yu truly understood himself, possessing profound insight into his own being.
With each fluctuation of his thoughts, the Purple Mansion Golden Core in his Dantian pulsed in response, rapidly becoming an integral part of his body. It assisted his consciousness in perceiving every inch of his physical form, stabilized his Sea of Consciousness, and unleashed the full potential he had accumulated through countless cultivation sessions and mastery of various military-grade Powers.
The dao heart, previously rigidly confined to Level 20 by the Foundation Establishment Realm, now surged violently upward:
Level 20 (15.21%)
Level 21 (44.89%)
Level 22 (78.56%)
The dao heart erupted to Level 22, nearly reaching Level 23 in a single breath.
As his dao heart broke through, Zhang Yu felt his physical body shatter its shackles, surpassing its previous limits. Infused with the Golden Core’s power, every strand of flesh and blood fused more tightly with his Magic Power, transforming into a higher-quality existence.
Explosive power surged through his flesh and blood. Zhang Yu’s physical strength, which had stagnated for so long, now began to skyrocket at an unprecedented rate.
20.05!
21.55!
23.46!
His physical strength surged to Level 23.46 before finally stopping. Zhang Yu felt the surging power within him and thought to himself, “No wonder my Golden Core Score is over a million. It’s indeed a Purple Mansion Golden Core worth over 3,000 market price. In one go, it’s pushed my Golden Core Stage physical strength up by a third.”
“Next, Magic Power!”
As the surrounding formation whirred violently, waves of dense spiritual energy crashed into Zhang Yu, who absorbed it into his Dantian, continuously converting it into Magic Power.
Now that the Purple Mansion Golden Core had truly become a part of his body, its blessings amplified his efficiency in converting spiritual energy, absorbing Magic Power, and circulating it.
Vast amounts of Magic Power converged toward the Purple Mansion Golden Core.
The Magic Power value, which had remained stagnant for so long, finally began to loosen and then surge!
1512!
2122!
2890!
With a white breath exhaled from Zhang Yu’s mouth, he felt a sudden swelling sensation within his Golden Core. The Magic Power within had reached the absolute limit of what he could control.
“That’s about it. The potential I accumulated in the Foundation Establishment Realm has now been fully unleashed.”
“Next, I’ll just cultivate step by step, continuing to enhance my physical strength, Magic Power, and dao heart.”
Simultaneously, he sensed the newly formed Dantian within his body, discerning the wondrous benefits brought by the Purple Mansion Golden Core.
“First, the dao heart. Upon entering the Golden Core Realm, enhancing the dao heart increases one’s computational power, allowing a cultivator to command more Bionics and magical artifacts.”
Zhang Yu mused inwardly, “With a standard Golden Core breakthrough costing a few hundred Spirit Coins, even if the dao heart reaches Level 30, the enhanced computational power would only allow mastery of a dozen military-grade magical artifacts at most.”
“But since I broke through with the Purple Mansion Golden Core, my computational power limit exceeds thirty military-grade magical artifacts.”
Lost in thought, Zhang Yu clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his flesh and blood. He thought, “And then there’s the physical body. In the Golden Core Stage, the physical body becomes a complete fusion of Magic Power and flesh. Beyond simply increasing physical strength, it’s also possible to develop the body’s expression factors, also known as the Dao Foundation.”
“A few hundred Spirit Coin Golden Core can develop ten layers of Dao Foundation. Each layer grants the physical body a passive attribute. Due to the fusion of physical body and Magic Power, the Dao Foundation also enhances the Bionics.”
“But my 3,000 Spirit Coin Golden Core can develop twelve layers of Dao Foundation, reaching a higher potential.”
Zhang Yu recalled the information he had studied about the Golden Core Realm. He knew that different Dao Foundation enhancement paths would lead Golden Core Cultivators with the same physical strength to specialize in entirely different areas. From excelling in transportation to combat prowess, and even research proficiency, their development paths diverged dramatically.
In Zhang Yu’s understanding, the twelve layers of Dao Foundation essentially meant gaining two additional passive skills that enhanced the physical body.
Simultaneously, as Magic Power surged through his body like a mighty river, Zhang Yu sensed something faintly stirring within him, as if about to emerge.
“Beyond simply accumulating Magic Power, the Golden Core Realm allows one to open Extraordinary Meridians using Magic Power. By constructing spell formations, one can passively enhance the power of a specific cultivation art.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “After reaching the Golden Core Realm, the specific cultivation art enhanced and the direction of enhancement vary depending on the Extraordinary Meridians opened and the techniques constructed.”
“Some cultivators enhance their ability to interfere with the Material Realm on a larger scale, achieving remarkable efficiency. Others prioritize movement speed, allowing them to escape danger more quickly. Still others specialize in enhancing their professional skills.”
“The Dao Foundation, combined with the Extraordinary Meridians, gives each Golden Core Cultivator a unique path of enhancement.”
“While a few hundred Spirit Coin Golden Cores can open eight Extraordinary Meridians, my Purple Mansion Golden Core can unlock all nine.”
“Opening the nine Extraordinary Meridians within my body is equivalent to having nine passive skills that enhance specific cultivation arts.”
Feeling the Purple Mansion Golden Core circulating quietly within his Dantian, Zhang Yu grew increasingly satisfied with the potential offered by this top-tier Golden Core.
However, he had no intention of rushing into further cultivation.
“After all, the cultivation resources we brought were prepared for the Ten Greats League and are all tailored for the Foundation Establishment Realm.”
“Now that I’ve broken through to the Golden Core Realm, very little of this batch of supplies is actually useful to me. There’s nothing here specifically for Golden Core cultivation.”
“I wonder how much cultivation resources Master will allocate to me when we return to University City? If it’s not enough, I’ll have to buy more myself, right?”
With this thought, Zhang Yu sighed deeply and glanced at the cold 1,000 Spirit Coins in his account.
These were the fees he’d received from various companies for endorsements and advertisements before and after the finals and awards ceremony.
Although the Great Upheaval had transformed the world, Zhang Yu viewed Spirit Coins as a form of digital currency that wouldn’t become obsolete even if the Spirit Realm was severed. They could still be used for transactions even without a network connection between the parties.
“1,000 Spirit Coins might seem like a lot, but I need to upgrade all my equipment, daoist arts, and martial arts to the Golden Core Realm. I also need to enhance my physical strength, dao heart, Magic Power, Magic Power Quality… and strengthen my Dao Foundation, open up the Extraordinary Meridians…”
As Zhang Yu continued calculating, he realized the money was far from sufficient, especially if he wanted to reach the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
“Forget it. I’ll worry about that later.”
Shaking his head, Zhang Yu decided to focus on cultivation instead. Without the necessary resources for Golden Core cultivation, his progress would be painfully slow. Therefore, he resolved to practice martial arts.
“Kunlun in the Palm…” Zhang Yu murmured inwardly. “This martial art offers the best cost-effectiveness for my current stage.”
Ever since choosing this Immortal Sect martial art, one major event had followed another, leaving him no time to fully dedicate himself to mastering it. Now, he was determined to prioritize advancing this technique to the Golden Core Realm.
As Zhang Yu circulated his cultivation art, Kunlun in the Palm activated repeatedly. Spatial fluctuations emanated from his palm, rippling outward in all directions and distorting the light around him.
With each distortion, the energy flow in his palm surged violently, expanding explosively one moment and contracting with intense gravitational pull the next.
The light in his palm flickered rhythmically, as if pulsing with his breath.
Kunlun in the Palm consisted of only three moves, which Zhang Yu could cycle through in mere seconds. In less than a minute, he had already advanced the cultivation art to the 2nd-tier, followed by the 3rd, 4th… all the way to Level 11!
In just over half an hour, this Immortal Sect Technique had been rapidly advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm under Zhang Yu’s mastery.
Simultaneously, countless images of his martial arts practice flooded Zhang Yu’s mind, bringing forth profound insights into Kunlun in the Palm.
“That’s right…” Zhang Yu’s eyes flashed as he thought to himself, “It’s time to try Inverted Kunlun.”
With the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering and Kunlun in the Palm now complete, the Chain Formation Diagram’s Inverted Kunlun had finally reached its full set of eight, unlocking the Second Layer effects.
Zhang Yu now intended to test the capabilities of this Second Layer.