Chapter 671: The Complete Fall of the Fifth Layer
While Zhang Yu immersed himself in arduous cultivation, over three months had passed since the heavens and earth connected and the Sixth Layer vanished.
Every night, cultivators on the Second Layer would gaze upward and see the skies of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Layers.
At the highest reaches of those layered night skies, the Fifth Layer’s sky was perpetually ablaze with intense combat. Thunderlight and scorching flames erupted ceaselessly, resembling flickering stars that bloomed and faded in the darkness.
But gradually, the intensity of the fighting in the Fifth Layer’s sky diminished. The flickering stars grew fewer and fewer until one night, no trace of battle remained.
A chilling realization swept through the minds of countless Second Layer residents: the Fifth Layer had fallen.
As if in response to their fears, with the war in the Fifth Layer concluded, a black Heavenly Veil descended between the Fifth Layer’s sky and the Fourth Layer’s sky, completely blocking all observation.
From that day forward, the observers on the Second Layer could no longer observe the Fifth Layer of Kunxu. No one knew what the Fifth Layer had become behind the Heavenly Veil, nor what events were unfolding there.
All anyone could see was that black Heavenly Veil standing tall at the zenith of the sky, silently reminding the people below of the Fifth Layer’s failed resistance.
In stark contrast, the Fourth Layer began to blaze with the fires of war in the night sky. The starlike flashes of combat seemed determined to illuminate the entire night, narrating the fierce battles erupting within.
These celestial changes seemed to urge everyone to accelerate their actions.
The same held true for Zhang Yu. As he watched the black Heavenly Veil in the video, he felt a great flood inexorably surging toward the Second Layer.
He needed a higher realm and greater power to face this overwhelming force.
Though focused on cultivation, Zhang Yu had recently started spending a minute or two each day casually scanning the news to avoid becoming completely detached from the outside world.
At that moment, streams of news headlines floated across his Bionic Eye:
“Celestial Monsters University Deeply Entangled in Monsterfolk Uprising: Another campus pharamaceutical factory attacked yesterday. Factory Boss claims economic losses exceed 5,000 Spirit Coins, marking the 12th incident this month with losses surpassing 3,000 Spirit Coins…”
“Heavenly Demon University Raises Taxes Again to Increase Anti-Banditry Spending: Reports indicate record-high poverty and unemployment rates at Heavenly Demon University, with Golden Core Cultivators forced to sell their Golden Cores…”
“Netherworld University Suffers Mass Demonic Possession: Over a thousand cultivators become followers of the Demonic Cults, detonating the Central Corpse Repository. The Unemployment Cult claims responsibility, orchestrating the viral incident. Three Nascent Soul True Monarchs bankrupted by the crisis…”
Glancing at the news, Zhang Yu could almost see the wealthy students from other universities drowning in misery, with bankruptcies seemingly occurring daily.
He then glanced at the campus news.
“Our university has launched another special campaign to combat corruption and suppress bandits, reclaiming several campus areas. Currently, the number of factories operating normally on the Second Layer accounts for 34% of the total, ranking first among all Second Layer institutions…”
“To adapt to the current economic environment and optimize resource allocation, our university has implemented its fifteenth round of drug price adjustments. This aims to ensure that the wealthy have access to medication while further restricting resource acquisition by Qi Refining Cultivators and cracking down on the black market. Experts predict this move will benefit the Corpse Export Industry, potentially leading to increased profits for related companies…”
In the video, an expert stated, “The university’s policy has always been to strictly protect the interests of Nascent Soul and Golden Core Cultivators while ensuring the basic survival of Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for Qi Refining? Through natural attrition, once their numbers dwindle to a certain point, resources will become sufficient. The primary reason for the prolonged economic stagnation is the excessive number of low-quality Qi Refining individuals, who are dragging down the university…”
Reading the campus news, Zhang Yu could sense that the wealthy students lived in a privileged environment, with the interests of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators strictly protected.
The rich get richer, their value increasing, so they deserve more resources and have a greater right to survive. As for the poor? They deserve to die — who told them to be broke? That’s the mindset of the average person in Kunxu.
Zhang Yu muttered, “This is just fucking ridiculous…”
Moreover, as a second-generation campus elite, Zhang Yu knew that the school’s four Spirit Transformation cultivators were like black holes, devouring massive amounts of funds and resources, or constantly exchanging resources with the school, all to enhance their cultivation.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Spirit Transformation cultivators are like nuclear weapons on Earth. Every high-ranking official in the Ten Great Universities understands that to prepare for the coming war, we must prioritize securing the power of Spirit Transformation cultivators at all costs.”
The situation seemed to deteriorate daily.
Faced with enemies gradually descending from the heavens, everyone was preparing as best they could.
Another month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Yu’s dao heart had reached Level 27 (11.47%), his Magic Power had increased to 3,785 units, and his physical strength had improved to Level 28.01.
Yet it had been only four months since his breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm and just three months since he had completed his Golden Core Sacred Body.
“Although I had to divert nearly half my time and resources to cultivating my dao heart because it couldn’t keep up, I still fell short of my original goal of raising my physical strength to Level 30 within three months.”
“But with a Level 27 dao heart and Level 28 physical strength…” Zhang Yu mused inwardly, “these stats firmly place me at the late-stage Golden Core Realm. Only my Magic Power remains at the early-to-mid-stage Golden Core level.”
In addition to these fundamental improvements, Zhang Yu’s Gang Qi transmission range had also surged to 312 meters.
With continued potion injections, the Physical Expression Factors required for the seventh and eighth layers of his Dao Foundation had fully manifested.
The Primordial Unity Dao Foundation stabilized his vital energy, effectively countered various diseases, and stabilized injuries, allowing him to use Magic Power to partially offset damage.
The Boundless Blood Sea Dao Foundation amplified his vital energy, greatly enhanced his physical endurance, and comprehensively boosted his resistance to all forms of physical attacks.
With a deafening crash, Yu Xinghan was sent flying backward, his body spinning wildly as he desperately tried to dissipate the force. After several chaotic rolls, he finally managed to stop, his face etched with shock as he stared at Zhang Yu. “What’s your current physical strength?”
During the earlier test, Yu Xinghan had noticed that Zhang Yu’s martial dao techniques seemed to have improved little. Yet, relying solely on brute, unreasonable force, Zhang Yu had blasted him away with an overwhelming disparity in power.
Zhang Yu smiled faintly, offering no reply. He knew that his explosive growth in basic stats within just four months of breaking through to the Golden Core Realm would seem utterly unbelievable to outsiders. If others were to learn of the staggering cost of his cultivation resources, they would likely be even more astonished.
“Spending hundreds of Spirit Coins per month on cultivation resources… If a Golden Core Cultivator were to cultivate like this for several years, it would cost tens of thousands of Spirit Coins. Even then, it might not be enough for ordinary cultivators to reach the peak of the Golden Core Realm in that time,” Zhang Yu mused inwardly. “Fortunately, with my unparalleled talent and efficiency, I shouldn’t need to linger in the Golden Core Realm for several years.”
Yet, to Zhang Yu, even this rapid progress felt frustratingly slow.
To achieve a Nascent Soul Breakthrough, one must meet the standards for dao heart, Magic Power, and physical strength, while also completing the Dao Foundation and Extraordinary Meridians.
For the Dao Foundation, Zhang Yu could simply rely on potions, though reaching the thirteenth layer would require more time and resources.
However, developing the Extraordinary Meridians would require him to proceed step by step on his own.
In addition to these, the higher the quality of his Magic Power, the better.
“Magic Power, Magic Power Quality, and the remaining ten Extraordinary Meridians — I’ll tackle these together after I’ve finished training my dao heart and physical strength.”
“Once those are done, the final step will be the personalized Nascent Soul customization service before the breakthrough, which will also demand significant time and money.”
Meanwhile, after a brief sparring session with Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan pushed three urn-like containers across the table. “Mission accomplished. Zhao Tianxing, Mo Tianyi, and Hu Yuntao are all inside.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted to the three boxes before him. “Thank you for your hard work,” he said to Yu Xinghan.
With the descent of the Blood Moon, universities across the region had become isolated information islands at night, preventing Soul Cultivators from working remotely.
Moreover, vocational colleges were becoming increasingly chaotic and unsafe.
To address this, Zhang Yu personally funded and organized the relocation of his Soul Cultivator friends.
Moments later, as their consciousness transfer completed, the Three Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords floated beside Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu said, “From now on, you’ll reside as Sword Spirits within these flying swords for a while.”
Zhao Tianxing replied gratefully, “Thank you so much, Zhang Yu. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what to do. You’re even providing us with free accommodation…”
Amidst the chaos, Zhao Tianxing and his companions were immensely grateful to Zhang Yu for bringing them to the safety of Myriad Laws University.
The trio secretly resolved to work at Zhang Yu Company until they had saved enough money to move into the Calculation Pool at Myriad Laws University.
After settling Zhao Tianxing and his companions, Zhang Yu resumed purchasing cultivation resources.
Observing the steadily rising prices, he thought to himself, “It seems pushing for the Golden Core cultivation early and stockpiling resources over the past three months was actually a profitable move.”
Just as Zhang Yu fully immersed himself in cultivation, believing he could quietly cultivate until the Nascent Soul stage as he had for the past four months, an unexpected event dragged him out of his seclusion. He realized the futility of trying to remain still amidst the relentless currents of the era — the tree longs for stillness, but the wind never ceases.
That day, Fu Ji interrupted Zhang Yu’s cultivation, saying, “Zhang Yu, I sense something is amiss.”
Zhang Yu continued circulating his Body Refinement Technique as he asked, “What is it?”
Fu Ji replied, “Yu Xinghan, Shi Huaiyu, and the others had a conflict with someone at the construction site.”
“A conflict?” Zhang Yu asked, puzzled. “Did they invoke my name?”
“Yes, they did,” Fu Ji said. “But even after invoking your name, the other party continued to harass Yu Xinghan. That’s what’s strange.”
“Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan is a believer of the Evil God. He and Shi Huaiyu know quite a bit about you. If something happens to him, it could cause significant trouble.”
Zhang Yu frowned, already resolving to ask his sister to investigate the other party’s background.