Chapter 673: Righteous Qi Exchange, Saturation-Style Nascent Soul Summoning
As Zhang Yu reviewed the missions posted by the Evil Gods, he could almost visualize countless cultivators, driven by ambition and desire, launching attacks under the Evil Gods’ guidance to obtain military-grade cultivation arts, blueprints, and knowledge.
He imagined that even within the Ten Great Universities, some students might have already secretly pledged allegiance to the Righteous Qi Alliance for these rewards.
After all, Zhang Yu admitted to himself that if he were just an ordinary student, he might have already started secretly completing missions just to acquire a military-grade cultivation technique.
And the name “Righteous Qi Alliance”? In Kunxu, where piracy, copyright infringement, and open-source practices were rampant… you couldn’t get more righteous than that, could you?
With this scheme, many cultivators would likely see the Evil Gods and Demonic Cults as paragons of righteousness.
Just then, Fu Ji suddenly spoke: “Someone’s looking for us. Since they’ve come to our door, let’s meet them. We don’t want them thinking we’re afraid.”
Zhang Yu nodded. In the next moment, the scene before him violently shifted, as if being pulled through layers of space.
By the time Zhang Yu realized what was happening, an infinitely tall tower had already materialized before him. Countless souls swirled around its massive form, chanting the scriptures of the Demonic Cults in unison.
Zhang Yu immediately understood: Souls! Vast numbers of souls were gathered before him, deep within the Dark Spirit Realm.
At the tower’s apex, the Joy God, with his thousand hands and feet, smiled faintly. His voice, brimming with arrogance, boomed across the realm: “Fortune God, long time no see.”
“You seem to have made little progress.”
“You were nowhere to be found during our rampage through Kunxu. Did you hide in fear?”
As the Joy God spoke, sonic waves crashed like thunder, filling the surrounding space. Countless streams of information swirled around Zhang Yu, threatening to pierce through his very being.
In the Dark Spirit Realm, Zhang Yu and Fu Ji manifested as a single entity: a straw-stitched effigy.
Hearing the Joy God’s words, Fu Ji scoffed inwardly, communicating telepathically with Zhang Yu: “This fiend has likely grown immensely powerful by exploiting the Dark Spirit Realm’s expansion. His number of believers must have skyrocketed.”
“Looking down on me like this, he clearly doesn’t take me seriously.”
“And this show of force might just be a ploy to recruit me to his side.”
“Zhang Yu, let’s send him a photo to shake him up.”
The next moment, Fu Ji’s voice rang out, “Joy God, am I afraid? Am I hiding?”
“I sacrificed immediate gains to infiltrate the highest echelons of Myriad Laws University, all for a grand scheme.”
“Oh?” the Joy God replied coolly. “How high exactly?”
Fu Ji casually remarked, “I heard you’re quite interested in the Yin Artifact Bionics developed by Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole?”
Instantly, a photo materialized before Fu Ji.
It showed Magnetic Pole with her eyes closed, a Yin Artifact floating beside her.
This was a snapshot Zhang Yu had taken during a laboratory session while photographing Yin Artifacts. At the time, True Monarch Magnetic Pole was connected to the Spirit Realm and had unconsciously closed her eyes.
Now, presenting this photo made it appear as if it had been taken immediately after Magnetic Pole had activated the Yin Artifact.
The Joy God’s thousand eyes narrowed as he studied the photo, his systems immediately comparing the Bionic’s data against his vast database.
“The exterior, structure, runes, circuits… Just from the appearance, this thing bears striking similarities to the Yin Artifacts of Joyful Union University. But it’s clearly been customized, bearing the unmistakable touch of Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole.”
With this realization, Joy God chuckled heartily. “To think you could gather such intelligence within Myriad Laws, Fortune God. You truly are remarkable.”
As he turned, the towering spire, the devout believers, and the restless souls vanished without a trace.
Joy God had already led Fu Ji back to the conference room where they first met. He smiled warmly and asked, “May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit to the Dark Spirit Realm, Fortune God?”
Fu Ji replied, “I sensed the Dark Spirit Realm’s rapid growth and came to observe its progress firsthand.”
Joy God chuckled. “Indeed. Under my diligent development, the Dark Spirit Realm’s user base has grown tens of thousands of times in just four months. And I’m confident that with our continued efforts, our user base will soon surpass that of the Spirit Realm, making us the leading network provider for the second to fifth layers.”
The Joy God’s thousand hands and feet burst into laughter. “By then, I’ll have every cultivator using the Dark Spirit Realm for communication. No… by then, it should be called the True Spirit Realm.”
Fu Ji, of course, didn’t believe the Joy God had developed the Dark Spirit Realm alone. She’d heard enough of his self-aggrandizing boasts to dismiss them entirely.
Seizing the opportunity to probe, she asked, “To surpass the Spirit Realm? Even with the current situation, that won’t be easy, will it?”
The Joy God smiled faintly, and a list materialized before him. “For the past four months, we’ve merely been laying the groundwork: building infrastructure, gathering resources, and promoting the platform to initial users.”
“Now, as we intensify our marketing campaign and achieve viral expansion, user growth will explode exponentially…”
Glancing at the list, Zhang Yu realized it outlined the Dark Spirit Realm’s upcoming features.
The Joy God’s explanation confirmed Zhang Yu’s suspicions. “Users will earn Righteous Qi Value for daily check-ins, incentivizing mass daily logins to the Dark Spirit Realm.”
“Combined with daily Dark Spirit Realm quests, this will further extend their average daily online time, ensuring they spend more time here.”
“The daily tasks, skirting the edges of Heavenly Court law, are designed to be manageable while gradually pushing users toward open defiance of the Heavenly Court.”
“We also have a friend invitation feature. By inviting friends to join the Dark Spirit Realm, users can unlock tiered rewards, earning massive amounts of Righteous Qi Value that can be exchanged for invaluable knowledge.”
“Next month, we’re launching a special event: any user, new or old, who logs in for seven consecutive days will receive a free military-grade cultivation technique of their choice.”
The Joy God chuckled. “How many users do you think the Dark Spirit Realm will have by then?”
“And that’s not even mentioning… the killer features we’re developing: one-click Spirit Realm friend migration, encrypted Spirit Coin transfers, and soul capture capabilities…”
As Zhang Yu listened to the Joy God’s words, his mind raced. He could already envision the storm the Dark Spirit Realm would unleash, with the Righteous Gods’ Spirit Realm crumbling under the onslaught and its user base plummeting.
“Seven days of login rewards for a military-grade cultivation technique?” Zhang Yu thought grimly. “They’re digging up the roots…”
He knew very well that gifting military-grade cultivation techniques wouldn’t instantly boost anyone’s strength. After all, not everyone was a genius like him, capable of mastering various cultivation arts in a short time.
It would likely take years before cultivators who received these techniques could reach Level 20, Level 30, or even Level 40 military-grade Power.
“But… the key to giving away military-grade cultivation techniques isn’t to strengthen the Righteous Qi Alliance’s cultivators, but to lure in new recruits and turn more Kunxu cultivators against their own.”
Zhang Yu wondered inwardly, “Does the Spirit Realm have a way to counter this?”
He immediately sighed to himself, “Probably not.”
Zhang Yu understood that this wasn’t just a matter of technological superiority, but also whether anyone among the Ten Great Universities had the courage and vision to reform the Spirit Realm and counter the Dark Spirit Realm’s competition.
Even if these free and open-source strategies ultimately won the war, who dared guarantee the Heavenly Court wouldn’t hold them accountable afterward?
Zhang Yu thought, “For the Ten Greats, their most likely strategy will still be to suppress the spread, isolate, and purge the Dark Spirit Realm.”
“But if the Dark Spirit Realm’s initial offensive is already this troublesome, what will happen when their main forces break through the Fourth and Fifth Layers…?”
The Joy God smiled and continued, “Fortune God, with your assistance, our chances of victory in this great battle have greatly increased.”
“To be honest, the outcome of the battle is no longer the key issue. What truly matters is how quickly we can unify the second to fifth layers to prepare for the sect’s counterattack.”
Fu Ji’s heart stirred. “Oh? How do you plan to confront the sect?” she asked.
The Joy God merely smiled, clearly unwilling to answer.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Joy God gifted Fu Ji 500 Righteous Qi Value before vanishing from their sight.
Watching the 500 Righteous Qi Value appear in their account, Zhang Yu remarked, “Could this thing be tracking us?”
Fu Ji’s eyes flickered with Evil God Power, as if refining the Righteous Qi Value. “Hmph,” she scoffed. “It’s just a test to see if I can claim this Righteous Qi Value without leaving any trace.”
“But this place is still bound by the Dark Spirit Realm’s underlying structure. A little cleansing is all it takes…”
Having successfully claimed the Righteous Qi Value, Fu Ji and Zhang Yu vanished in a flash, reappearing in another information stream within the Dark Spirit Realm.
Meanwhile, high atop a colossal tower, the Joy God sensed Fu Ji’s movements and murmured, “That old fox… Her words are half-truths. She’s probably playing both sides, ready to back whoever wins.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu and Fu Ji had arrived at the Intelligence Bureau, ready to purchase information.
Intelligence, of course, wasn’t freely available. It was categorized into different levels based on its secrecy and value, requiring Righteous Qi Value to unlock higher tiers.
With Zhang Yu’s current 500 Righteous Qi Value, he naturally had access to only the lowest levels.
If he wanted to investigate whether the Demonic Cults or Evil Gods were behind the conflict involving Yu Xinghan, the required intelligence level was far beyond his reach.
“We can’t buy high-level intelligence yet,” Fu Ji said. “Let’s start with the low-level stuff and gather information indirectly.”
She quickly spent 100 Righteous Qi Value to purchase basic intelligence: the number of individuals who had accepted the mission to kidnap Zhang Yu.
Throughout the transaction, she used Evil God Power to conceal their actions, ensuring no one could discern what information they had acquired.
Seeing that over a hundred people had taken on the kidnapping mission, Zhang Yu took a deep breath. “It seems there’s an eighty percent chance something’s wrong with the conflict involving Yu Xinghan. Someone might be trying to lure me out.”
Zhang Yu understood that for the past few months, he had been holed up in his heavily guarded dormitory in University City. With just a thought, he could summon a vast army of Nascent Soul cultivators, as well as his two Spirit Transformation Masters. Naturally, there had been no opportunities for anyone to strike.
Only by luring him out would it be possible to capture him.
Just before leaving the Dark Spirit Realm, Zhang Yu said, “With 100 Righteous Qi Value, we can exchange for all open-source cultivation arts below military-grade for free.”
“If we earn a few hundred more Righteous Qi Value, reaching 1000, we could even exchange for a military-grade cultivation technique.”
At this thought, Zhang Yu began to feel restless.
He was like a student who had abstained from worldly pleasures for months, focusing solely on cultivation and resisting all temptations. Now, faced with the various benefits offered by the Dark Spirit Realm, he couldn’t help but feel drawn in.
But Fu Ji cautioned, “Where would you store it? Have you forgotten about your sister’s situation? If it’s discovered, it’ll be a disaster.”
“Besides, do you really need to cultivate arts below military-grade now? The benefits are minimal, while the risks are extremely high. This is just a tactic to lure people into joining the Righteous Qi Alliance.”
“It’s like being given a treasure you can barely use. After receiving it, you’ll have to go to great lengths to hide and evade, ultimately forcing you to fully join the Righteous Qi Alliance.”
“As for military-grade cultivation techniques… didn’t the Joy God mention a sign-in event next month? You can choose one then.”
“But since you don’t have the copyright, you can’t freely display it. You’ll have to be careful not to get caught… It’ll be a hassle.”
Fu Ji said earnestly, “Zhang Yu, you’ve been focused on cultivation these past few months. The reason I didn’t disturb you or drag you to the Dark Spirit Realm is because I respect your choice.”
“Now that you possess the Immortal Sect Technique Kunlun in the Palm, you’re carrying a priceless treasure. Why seek far when the answer lies near?”
“Your immediate priority should be to break through to the Nascent Soul realm and advance Kunlun in the Palm to Level 40. Only then will you have the self-preservation power and a place in the upcoming great war.”
Zhang Yu nodded, gradually suppressing the restlessness in his heart.
“Some… cultivation arts below military-grade might still be useful to me.”
“For example, to complete more Chain Formation Diagrams,” Zhang Yu thought to himself.
“But… Fu Ji is right. The most important thing is to level up Kunlun in the Palm as quickly as possible.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s agreement, Fu Ji continued, “Since we’re already here and I have 400 Righteous Qi Value, I might as well exchange it for some Evil God Power.”
Fu Ji added eagerly, “I’ve read the intelligence reports on the Dark Spirit Realm’s Dark Parish. It says we can exchange Righteous Qi Value for Evil God Power there…”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Could this woman… have been urging me to save my Righteous Qi Value all along just so she could exchange it for Evil God Power?”
Nevertheless, Zhang Yu ultimately exchanged all 400 Righteous Qi Value for Evil God Power for Fu Ji. After all, as the Dark Spirit Realm continued to develop, her power was becoming increasingly crucial.
With even a trace of Evil God Power, combined with the flourishing Dark Spirit Realm, Fu Ji could now activate more powerful ritualistic abilities.
For instance, after leaving the Dark Spirit Realm this time, Fu Ji activated an Evil God Power circulation ritual, allowing Zhang Yu’s voice to travel thousands of miles and directly enter the mind of another believer.
“Yu Xinghan, it’s me,” Zhang Yu said. “Don’t panic. This is a new power from the Evil God, allowing us to communicate over long distances.”
After a moment of shock, Yu Xinghan listened as Zhang Yu continued, “Someone might be watching me and you. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say…”
Far from the construction site near University City, Zhao Ruoli silently observed Yu Xinghan, convinced she had him firmly in her sights.
“If anything stirs, I’ll immediately take Zhang Yu’s companions and see if I can extract any information about him through interrogation.”
“If Zhang Yu shows up, even better…”
Zhao Ruoli thought to herself that she would feign a struggle with Zhang Yu, allowing the four Nascent Soul experts hidden nearby to capture him directly.
“My recent breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, just like Zhang Yu’s, makes it easier to lure him out.”
“But with the Golden Core Bionic I secretly possess — a relic seized during the war — it won’t be hard to engage him in a fierce battle and hold his attention.”
“No… he hasn’t clawed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood like I have. Though he was undoubtedly stronger than me during Foundation Establishment, now that we’re both at the Golden Core stage, I might even be able to hold my own against him for several rounds.”
As Zhao Ruoli pondered this, a Nascent Soul True Monarch hidden in the shadows was also observing Yu Xinghan and Zhao Ruoli.
This True Monarch, known as True Monarch Flowing Gold, hailed from the Finance Department of Netherworld University.
Staring at the construction site, he thought to himself, “Zhang Yu himself is insignificant. Even if he obtained an Immortal Sect Technique, he wouldn’t be able to grow much stronger in just a few years.”
“At his current early Golden Core level, if I get the chance… I could take him down in a single exchange, preventing him from sending out even a single message.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold was confident that with his peak Nascent Soul cultivation, Zhang Yu stood no chance against him.
In truth, given his strength, he would have already broken through to Spirit Transformation and retreated to the Fifth Layer for secluded cultivation, had he not lacked sufficient resources and certainty of success.
Simultaneously, information about an Evil God appeared in True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Bionic Eye — the very Auspicious God who had previously encountered Fu Ji and Zhang Yu.
Auspicious God: “The key to success or failure lies not with Zhang Yu himself, but with Magnetic Pole behind him. As long as we avoid alerting Magnetic Pole, half the battle is won.”
Auspicious God: “But if we alert her…”
True Monarch Flowing Gold replied calmly: “I understand. Even if it costs me my life, I will kill Zhang Yu here.”
Auspicious God: “Good.”
Satisfied with True Monarch Flowing Gold’s response, the Auspicious God then grew dissatisfied with some of the Fifth Layer’s decisions.
“Dao Qiankun misjudged him,” the Auspicious God thought to himself. “If he hadn’t, and Zhang Yu truly could have been used by us, he would have joined us willingly long ago.”
“Now it’s clear: Zhang Yu is nothing more than a coward, terrified by the Heavenly Court’s prophecies, afraid to break the established order, and incapable of breaching the rules’ blockade.”
“Yet if the Ten Greats gain control of him, he could still become a wildcard.”
“Instead of fighting over him…” The Auspicious God’s gaze sharpened. “It’s better to eliminate him entirely, once and for all.”
After learning that Yu Xinghan might be targeted by the Righteous Qi Alliance, Zhang Yu faced several options.
Abandoning Yu Xinghan and the others was never a consideration.
Sending someone to retrieve them directly might ensure their immediate safety, but what about the future? If the Alliance could target them once, they could do so countless times.
Unlike Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan and his team needed to work and earn a living. With the Civil Engineering sector booming, they couldn’t remain cooped up in University City forever.
Zhang Yu resolved to strike back decisively this time, aiming to deter the Righteous Qi Alliance from targeting him or his employees again, at least for the foreseeable future.
“The best approach would be to lure out those planning the attack and eliminate them all,” Zhang Yu thought.
After contacting Yu Xinghan, he opened his contacts list.
To achieve deterrence, overwhelming force was essential — something he couldn’t accomplish alone.
Despite having remained secluded as a second-generation member of the Myriad Laws School, Zhang Yu had accumulated a vast network of connections during his time there.
Zhang Yu: “True Monarch Azure Void, do you have time to assist me?”
Zhang Yu: “Director Lin, Teacher is in seclusion. Could you do me a favor?”
Zhang Yu: “Teacher Tu Lishan, you’ve already achieved Nascent Soul, haven’t you? Congratulations! I was wondering if you have any time…”
Zhang Yu: “True Monarch String Tone, Teacher is in seclusion, and I don’t want to disturb her with trivial matters. Could you lend me a hand?”
Zhang Yu: “Hello…”
As one Nascent Soul True Monarch after another agreed, Zhang Yu gradually relaxed. Before he knew it, he had gathered ten of them.
Of course, beyond the assistance of these Nascent Soul experts, his own abilities remained paramount.
After pinning the avatars of his masters, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole and Divine Monarch Greenwood, to the top of his contacts list, Zhang Yu practiced briefly and gained confidence in his ability to summon them within 0.01 seconds.
“Hmph, let’s see if they can act faster than I can call for reinforcements.”
“As long as the Spirit Realm Network is stable during the day, I can summon my masters at any time.”
“No, I should report to them before going…”
Zhang Yu: “Master, there’s been a conflict with Yu Xinghan. I need to go handle it now.”
Reading Zhang Yu’s message, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole thought to herself, “This brat… doesn’t he realize I’ll be notified the moment he leaves the city?”
True Monarch Magnetic Pole didn’t expect Zhang Yu to develop any significant spatial technology within two or three years using Immortal Sect Techniques. Nevertheless, she had designated him as a special focus of her attention to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
After all, spatial technology represented immense financial potential. With the impending war, there was no time for investment, but if they survived, Zhang Yu would once again become a high-return, high-potential asset.
Thus, having dispatched an Incarnation to monitor Zhang Yu’s movements, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole resumed her cultivation.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Azure Void arrived at the agreed-upon location and, upon seeing the other nine Nascent Soul True Monarchs, immediately felt reluctant to participate further.
“Zhang Yu,” Tu Lishan privately messaged, “weren’t we just supposed to go to the recaptured campus to show our support? Do you really need… this many True Monarchs?”
Noticing the ten True Monarchs’ dissatisfaction, Zhang Yu quickly deployed his trump card: “Everyone, you’ve already come this far…”
Though the ten True Monarchs felt that mobilizing such a force was excessive, they were willing to humor Zhang Yu. However, whether it was True Monarch Azure Void, True Monarch String Tone, or Director Lin of the Civil Engineering Department, all felt that Zhang Yu was making a mountain out of a molehill, even acting entitled due to his favored status.
“To think he’d mobilize ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs just to show his support,” True Monarch Azure Void sneered inwardly. “What an arrogant fool.”
At the construction site, Yu Xinghan, Shi Huaiyu, and their group clashed with the other workers again.
Zhao Ruoli stepped forward, confronting Yu Xinghan under a false identity.
As the conflict escalated, someone tried to intervene but was immediately pulled back.
“Are you crazy? Two Golden Core Civil Engineering Masters are fighting — what makes you think you can stop them?”
“Civil Engineering? Masters?”
“Look at you, still clinging to stereotypes about Civil Engineering! With the infrastructure boom, Civil Engineering dogs have long become Civil Engineering Masters. Haven’t you noticed they’ve already broken through to the Golden Core realm?”
In the next moment, Yu Xinghan and Zhao Ruoli soared into the sky, their Golden Core-level powers colliding violently like two suns clashing, unleashing a ferocious storm that swept across dozens of miles.
But soon… Yu Xinghan, lacking the support of Golden Core-level magical artifacts or a Bionic, began to falter.
Watching this, Zhao Ruoli thought to herself, “These Ten Greats students have all grown up in greenhouses. How could they possibly match the skills I’ve honed on the battlefield?”
Zhao Ruoli knew she hadn’t even fully unleashed the power of her Bionic yet.
“I’ll keep beating you for another hour. If Zhang Yu doesn’t show up by then, I’ll arrest all of you.”
With a thunderous punch, Yu Xinghan was sent staggering backward, his Foundation Establishment-level Bionic erupting in bursts of flickering light as it malfunctioned.
Watching the Bionic’s durability plummet below 10%, Yu Xinghan felt a sharp pang of heartache.
Finally, after several minutes, accompanied by surging waves of sound, a flying boat sliced through the sky at high speed and hovered above the construction site.
Immediately, waves of intense pressure erupted from the flying boat. As all eyes turned upward, Zhang Yu stepped out, his figure descending step by step.
“He’s here!” Zhao Ruoli murmured, suppressing her excitement as she gazed at Zhang Yu. “Force him into the ambush zone.”
Her recent fierce clashes with Yu Xinghan had bolstered Zhao Ruoli’s confidence. The 80-year-old woman had completely shed her illusions about the so-called Ten Greats Students.
Previously, she had believed she could exchange a few blows with Zhang Yu. Now, she felt certain she could completely suppress him and drive him into the ambush.
Zhang Yu glanced at Zhao Ruoli and said calmly, “Lower College Student?”
Zhao Ruoli sneered inwardly. “Lower College Student… that’s just my cover.”
“But this time, you’ll taste what it’s like to be cornered by a Lower College Student.”
In the next instant, Zhang Yu and Zhao Ruoli collided violently.
Both threw punches simultaneously, their surging Gang Qi tearing through the air. Every ounce of their physical bodies, Magic Power, and will converged into the strikes, creating a collision like two raging storms crashing together.
The moment their forces collided, Zhao Ruoli’s expression twisted in shock. “How can he be this strong?!”
“Is this really just the initial Golden Core stage?”
“Is this really the initial Golden Core stage?!”
She felt the force of his attack was unbelievably powerful. It was impossible to believe he had only broken through to the Golden Core stage a few months ago. It was as if he had been at this stage for years, having already pushed his foundational stats to their peak.
The vast difference in their foundational stats meant Zhao Ruoli’s Golden Core Bionic struggled to operate at full power, leaving her unable to match Zhang Yu.
Boom!
Zhao Ruoli was sent flying backward. Glancing at the alarms flashing in her Bionic Eye, she immediately sent a message through the Dark Spirit Realm: “Engage!”
As Zhang Yu relentlessly pursued her, ready to crush her with each punch, Zhao Ruoli gritted her teeth and activated the military-grade cultivation technique she had acquired: the Heavenly Demon Void Technique.
But her training in this technique was too recent. After barely blocking a few strikes, she was once again severely wounded by Zhang Yu.
Watching this, Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow. “A fake cultivation art?”
Zhao Ruoli retorted, “What fake cultivation art? This is a genuine technique!”
Zhang Yu sneered. “No copyright? Then it’s a fake.”
After a few more taunts, Zhang Yu seized the moment of her distraction to unleash a series of brutal punches, shattering Zhao Ruoli’s body into a bloody mist.
In the next instant, four terrifying auras erupted as four Nascent Soul True Monarchs materialized, encircling Zhang Yu with murderous intent.
Four streams of terrifying power converged on Zhang Yu from all directions, engulfing the heavens and earth and leaving no escape.
True Monarch Flowing Gold extended his hand, already envisioning Zhang Yu’s face paling with shock and utter disbelief.
But just as the four experts launched their attack, ten more auras surged from beyond the battlefield, sweeping toward the fray.
“What?!” True Monarch Flowing Gold froze momentarily, then saw True Monarch Azure Void break through the ranks.
Azure Void: “Flowing Gold!”
“You Finance Department scum! You dare show your faces here?”
Azure Void roared with laughter. “This lord has been looking for you for ages!”
Had the Righteous Qi Alliance not sealed the passages between the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Layers, Azure Void would have led his forces to the Fifth Layer long ago to provide reinforcements.
Now, seeing the four Nascent Soul ambushers, he felt not fear but elation, charging into battle first.
With a flick of his finger, countless Yin Souls surged forth like a dark tide, blotting out the sky.
In the past, purchasing souls for combat had been far less cost-effective than converting them into Soul Cultivator labor.
But with the wartime economy in full swing, vast numbers of people struggled to survive. For a pittance, their lives could be bought to fight for others.
While the absence of Righteous Gods made it difficult to transform souls into Spirit Realm Soul Cultivators, True Monarch Azure Void, through the Soul Refinement Method, could still refine them into Yin Souls for combat.
With a wave of his hand, True Monarch Azure Void unleashed tens of thousands of Yin Souls, disrupting communications across the battlefield.
“All of you will stay here,” True Monarch Azure Void declared coldly. “Not a single one will escape.”
Witnessing this, True Monarch Flowing Gold mirrored the gesture, summoning countless Soul Cultivators rooted in the Dark Spirit Realm to swarm forth and restore the stability of communications.
The opposing armies clashed, their messages interweaving chaotically.
“How much do you get paid?” the Yin Souls taunted. “You dare fight us?”
“We don’t need money!” the Dark Spirit Realm Soul Cultivators retorted. “We’re here to change Kunxu! To spread the Cult’s teachings across the world!”
Each side sensed the other’s battle intent and fighting spirit, convinced the other was utterly mad.
“These fools have been brainwashed!” the Yin Souls sneered. “Fighting to the death for free!”
“A bunch of lunatics selling their lives for money!” the Dark Spirit Realm Soul Cultivators countered. “They’re insane!”
The Spirit Realm and Dark Spirit Realm descended into chaos. Amidst the fierce fighting, both sides deployed advanced wartime technologies.
Communications and Bionics were constantly disrupted as daoist arts fueled by human lives, corpses, and souls ravaged the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding thousand-mile radius had become a sea of blood and carnage.
Watching the scene unfold, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “In ordinary conflicts, human lives are precious, so they use Magic Power. But in wartime, lives are cheap, so both sides burn them to fuel their battles.”
At that moment, True Monarch Azure Void unleashed a world-shattering daoist art:
The North Sea Star-Devouring Art!
Instantly, every enemy within a thousand-mile radius felt their vital essence, Magic Power, Qi Luck, and even lifespan being drawn toward Azure Void.
“An Immortal Sect Technique!” True Monarch Flowing Gold roared. “Azure Void, when you joined the sect for training, you chose this cultivation art?”
Feeling the endless stream of resources pouring into his body, Azure Void smiled faintly. “A swarm of insects. Whether it’s your college entrance exam scores, university grades, competition awards, research achievements, or sect training… in what area could you insects ever surpass me? Do you think serving an Evil God will give you the edge?”
“Arrogant! Ignorant!”
In the next moment, as the North Sea Star-Devouring Art surged violently, the Four Great Nascent Soul Experts began to wail in agony, visibly weakening at an alarming rate.
Zhang Yu watched the scene in shock. “Is this also an Immortal Sect Technique?”
Though he had learned soon after entering university that many Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators from centuries past had received sect training, and some powerful individuals had mastered Immortal Sect Techniques, witnessing such a technique being wielded by a Nascent Soul expert for the first time left him deeply shaken.
He swiftly activated his Third Eye Mystic Power, only to find he couldn’t learn it. “Is it a daoist art?” he wondered inwardly.
Just then, True Monarch Azure Void’s laughter echoed in Zhang Yu’s ears. “My North Sea Star-Devouring Art is merely a True Inheritance technique among Immortal Sect Techniques, far inferior to your Kunlun in the Palm, which is a Strategic-grade cultivation art.”
“Oh, did you know that Immortal Sect Techniques are classified into four tiers: True Inheritance, Strategic, Sect-Guarding, and Heaven-Opening?”
“But don’t worry too much. Although the Ten Greats League claims to offer self-selection, they’d never actually let you choose Sect-Guarding or Heaven-Opening techniques.”
Zhang Yu had known since high school that Immortal Sect Techniques were ranked, but he had never been able to obtain specific details.
When choosing his Immortal Sect Technique, everyone seemed to intentionally or unintentionally conceal this fact from him. It wasn’t until True Monarch Azure Void, while battling, casually explained the ranking system that Zhang Yu finally gained a clearer understanding.
Even while conversing with Zhang Yu during the fight, True Monarch Azure Void maintained complete control of the battlefield, single-handedly driving back the four Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
In the next moment, the four Nascent Souls simultaneously detonated their bodies, their blinding radiance nearly engulfing the sky. But this brilliance was instantly swallowed by an incomparably dark force, forcibly suppressing the self-destruction’s power.
The one who intervened was True Monarch Azure Void, who had unleashed the North Sea Star-Devouring Art.
Just as Zhang Yu began to relax, believing victory was assured, the four deceased Nascent Souls spoke again.
True Monarch Flowing Gold transformed into a spectral Soul Cultivator from the Dark Spirit Realm, his gaze icy as he addressed True Monarch Azure Void. “Azure Void, you’re dead now — truly dead. But we, even in death, can rely on the Dark Spirit Realm and the Evil Gods to be reborn. How long do you think you can sustain this war? Let’s continue this next time. Oh, and by the way…” True Monarch Flowing Gold smiled faintly. “When the Kunlun Society left, they took everything they could carry. Yet now you’re supporting four Spirit Transformation cultivators. How deep is the financial deficit at Myriad Laws University?”
With these words, True Monarch Flowing Gold vanished, but not before broadcasting the Kunlun Society’s pre-war plunder of funds and resources from various schools, along with their escape with vast quantities of Immortal Dao resources, to countless individuals present.
True Monarch Azure Void’s gaze sharpened as he watched the retreating figure disappear into the Dark Spirit Realm, his eyes burning with murderous intent.
Zhang Yu’s heart sank upon hearing this news. “They can resurrect through the Dark Spirit Realm… and the financial deficit caused by the Finance Department…”
Upon receiving these two pieces of news, Zhang Yu felt an increasingly terrifying pressure emanating from the Fifth Layer, shrouded in darkness, and the Fourth Layer, where fierce battles continued to rage.
At that moment, True Monarch Azure Void waved his hand, producing four Nascent Soul corpses. “Let’s share these equally,” he announced. “Everyone gets a share.”
Zhang Yu was about to decline when True Monarch Azure Void immediately transferred 1,200 Spirit Coins to him.
“Most of the corpses’ valuables have been destroyed,” True Monarch Azure Void explained. “There’s not much left to sell. If you trust me, I’ll buy your share at market price.”
Simultaneously, the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs received transfers from Azure Void. In an instant, all the spoils of war had been distributed, and nearly everyone was satisfied with their share.
“Sending me money again?” Zhang Yu thought, looking at True Monarch Azure Void’s sincere expression. He felt his friendship with the man growing rapidly.
After a moment’s thought, he transferred 1,000 Spirit Coins to Zhang Pianpian.
Supreme Clarity Talisman! Give me an upgrade!