Chapter 675: The Joy God, with its thousand hands and feet, said calmly, “So what?”
While the Joy God was surprised by Zhang Yu’s rapid progress, it didn’t see any need for drastic measures.
“Auspicious God,” the Joy God continued, “this great war cannot be swayed by a single Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator.”
“The momentum is on our side. We simply need to proceed methodically, starting from the Fifth Layer and conquering each layer one by one, while simultaneously allowing the Dark Spirit Realm’s virus-like expansion to gradually replace the Spirit Realm. Victory is merely a matter of time.”
“Since victory is assured through methodical progress, why create unnecessary complications by wasting resources on Zhang Yu?”
The Joy God’s thousand hands and feet stirred as it urged, “Give up, Auspicious God.”
“Zhang Yu is at the heart of Myriad Laws’ stronghold. To eliminate him now would require deploying a massive force of elite troops for a deep strike behind enemy lines.”
“Didn’t you see the overwhelming protection he had during his recent operation?”
Just as Zhang Yu had intended, the appearance of ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs had severely dampened the Joy God’s enthusiasm for such an operation.
Joy God spoke calmly, “To successfully capture Zhang Yu and bring him to the upper echelons, we would likely need to deploy at least ten elite Nascent Soul cultivators behind enemy lines, possibly even Spirit Transformation-level forces.”
“If this operation suffers further losses, impacting the larger war effort and delaying our overall plan, that would truly jeopardize our chances of victory.”
While resurrection through the Dark Spirit Realm is possible, the material losses remain permanent. Restoring the four Nascent Soul cultivators’ physical bodies, cultivation bases, Bionics, and magical artifacts would require a massive investment of resources.
To Joy God, expending such resources on Zhang Yu was clearly a poor investment, one that could even jeopardize the entire plan.
He said calmly, “Auspicious God, the greater strategy must take precedence.”
Despite Joy God’s warning, Auspicious God insisted, “Zhang Yu’s progress is too rapid, and he possesses the Immortal Sect Technique… Have you forgotten how quickly he mastered Kunlun in the Palm before Dao Qiankun?”
“If we allow him to develop unchecked, he will inevitably exert an increasingly significant influence on the war.”
“Especially… since Dao Qiankun values him so highly, that alone proves his importance.”
“We should eliminate him as soon as possible.”
“If capturing him alive would cost too many resources, then simply annihilate him.”
As the Auspicious God spoke with murderous intent, another Evil God materialized beside him. “If you trust Dao Qiankun’s judgment, and he invited Zhang Yu, doesn’t that suggest he’ll eventually join our side? Perhaps we don’t need to act against him at all.”
Immediately afterward, the aura of a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator resonated through the air. “Four Nascent Soul cultivators lost represents a loss of tens of thousands of Spirit Coins for us, while it’s a gain of at least ten thousand Spirit Coins for them.”
“If we continue this pursuit, how much more will we lose? How much more will we benefit the enemy?”
“We’ll reach the Second Layer soon enough. Then we can deal with Zhang Yu however we please. Why risk such heavy losses now?”
Another voice chimed in. “The loss of those four Nascent Soul cultivators has already slowed down my battlefront. I oppose continuing to target Zhang Yu.”
Joy God’s voice rang out, “In any case, we should first conquer the third and fourth layers. Once our main forces are assembled, we can deal with the Second Layer and Zhang Yu however we see fit.”
Hearing the dissenting voices echoing through the Dark Spirit Realm, Auspicious God said coldly, “Is the future Dao Qiankun envisions truly aligned with our choices? Will Zhang Yu, whom he values so highly, truly pose no threat to us? I don’t believe so.”
After another round of heated debate, Auspicious God sighed, “A bunch of shortsighted fools. You’re willing to overlook a massive threat for the sake of such meager immediate gains?”
“You’ll regret this.”
Joy God replied calmly, “Auspicious God, if you still wish to target Zhang Yu, I won’t stop you. But we will no longer provide you with any resources.”
“If you want to deal with him, you’ll have to rely on your own strength.”
The Seven-Colored Radiance surrounding Auspicious God gradually faded, and his figure began to vanish bit by bit, leaving only his final words echoing in the conference room.
“Rest assured.”
“Even without your permission, I would have done this anyway.”
“Before long, you’ll realize how right my proposal was today.”
Even as undercurrents surged and a great war raged, Zhang Yu remained completely immersed in his cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, two more months had passed. His dao heart had reached Level 30, his Magic Power had increased to 4,235 units, and his physical strength had reached Level 30.00.
Zhang Yu’s dao heart and physical body were now both perfected, with both fundamental attributes reaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
Moreover, with each potion injection, he had completed all ten Great Dao Foundations. Massive amounts of Physical Expression Factors had become active within his body, making his physique unprecedentedly robust. His resistance to all forms of harm had surged dramatically, rendering him virtually impervious to water, fire, lightning, and thunder.
Zhang Yu was confident that even a powerhouse of the same Golden Core Realm would struggle to kill him.
Combined with the Kunlun in the Palm and Immortal Descendant abilities, few in the Golden Core Realm could likely harm him.
Yet this was still not Zhang Yu’s limit. His Purple Mansion Golden Core allowed him to establish twelve Dao Foundations, while his Golden Core Sacred Body granted him an additional Dao Foundation slot.
Once he completed all thirteen layers of his Dao Foundation, his physical defenses would reach the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
“After breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, the Dao Foundation can be refined into a Physical Mystic Power. I wonder what kind of Physical Mystic Power my thirteen-layered Dao Foundation will yield?”
However, as he injected increasingly large doses of the potion, his Physical Expression Factor became more active, making it increasingly difficult to complete each new Dao Foundation layer.
It was like trying to squeeze more words onto a page already filled with text. Zhang Yu sensed that the potion dosage required to complete the remaining three layers of his Dao Foundation had increased exponentially.
Zhang Yu’s response to this challenge was simple:
“Just throw money at it.”
He contacted Le Mulan and said, “Tell Yin Jiurao to get me all the potions she can find, no matter the price.”
The Medicine Price had nearly doubled compared to two months ago, but for Zhang Yu, any problem that could be solved by throwing money at it was easily handled.
Especially with his deep connections and the channels provided by Le Mulan and Yin Jiurao, he had managed to maintain his daily potion supply throughout the past two months.
Zhang Yu’s income had skyrocketed.
First, there was his company revenue.
Under Zhang Yu’s leadership, Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan’s cultivation progress had been advancing by leaps and bounds daily. Shi Huaiyu, Xiao Qingxuan, and Shi Yunxiang had also successively obtained their Golden Core Certificates, officially entering the Golden Core Realm.
With a total of five Golden Core employees, plus Yu Xinghan’s acquisition of a Military Civil Engineering Certificate and his rapid mastery of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power through his Third Eye Mystic Power, Zhang Yu now had two employees with military-grade Power.
The employees’ rapid growth, combined with the massive expansion of civil engineering infrastructure in the broader environment, led to a surge in company revenue. With the employees working around the clock, Zhang Yu was earning over 200 Spirit Coins per month.
Zhang Yu: “Chief Earth Officer, how’s the new Military Certificate application going?”
Tu Lishan, now Vice Director of the Civil Engineering Department, replied with difficulty: “Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan’s Military Certificate was just issued last month, right?”
Zhang Yu: “My employees are working so hard. I can’t let them down.”
Tu Lishan: “Xiao Qingxuan has already graduated. Getting a Military Certificate now doesn’t quite follow procedure.”
Zhang Yu: “I understand, I understand. [500 Spirit Coins]”
Zhang Yu: “Thank you for your trouble, Teacher Tu.”
Tu Lishan: “Ah, you! You’ve really put me in a tight spot.”
Tu Lishan accepted the red envelope.
Tu Lishan: “It’s not that I want your money, but these things have to go through everyone, from top to bottom.”
Zhang Yu: “I understand. Once this is settled, I’ll offer you a proper reward.”
After finishing this, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “With more Military Certificates being issued, authority is being decentralized. What used to require approval from the top can now be decided at the department level.”
Shortly after speaking with Tu Lishan, Zhang Yu sent a message to Director Lin: “Director Lin, why is the Primordial Magnetic Channel project stalled again?”
Director Lin: “There’s been a problem with the project. Some personnel were investigated for corruption, putting us in a difficult position.”
Zhang Yu: “Corruption? Nonsense! Isn’t this just infighting between departments over project funding?”
Zhang Yu: “I’ll speak to the principal. How can we let such trivial matters delay the school’s development?”
After ending the call with Director Lin, Fu Ji’s voice echoed in Zhang Yu’s mind.
“True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter of the Security Department, True Monarch Celestial Seal of the Talisman Department, True Monarch Miraculous Hand of the Medical Department, and True Monarch Grand Harmony of the Investment Management Office — all their monthly contributions have arrived.”
Zhang Yu glanced at the five hundred-plus Spirit Coins in the account and nodded slightly. “Ah, all these True Monarchs are striving for the Spirit Transformation Certificate. They truly are the Heavenly Chosen of Myriad Laws University.”
Over the past two months, besides True Monarch Azure Void, other Nascent Soul True Monarchs from various departments had gradually established mutually beneficial relationships with Zhang Yu.
Take True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, the director of the Security Department, for example. He was once renowned as the kindest soul at Myriad Laws University. It was said that since becoming director, he had never raised a hand in violence, never killed a single person. He greeted everyone with a smile, even responding to insults from Golden Core True Persons with a cheerful joke.
Yet since the outbreak of the great war, it was rumored that he had personally slain over ten Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, hundreds of Golden Core practitioners, and countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators. He had razed vocational colleges, massacred monsterfolk, and committed countless atrocities.
His favorite tactic, it was said, was to surround enemy forces without immediately attacking. He would then use overwhelming pressure to force them into desperate, unauthorized breakthroughs, after which he would systematically collect their corpses, maximizing his gains.
True Monarch Celestial Seal of the Talisman Department had once collaborated with Zhang Yu on True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s Yin Artifact project. Now responsible for Spirit Realm defense across all university campuses, he had reportedly secured Spirit Realm Flow fees for some campuses extending 500 years into the future, making him another pillar of Myriad Laws University.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Miraculous Hand of the Medical Department dominated the corpse industry, ushering in a brief resurgence in the corpse economy. True Monarch Grand Harmony of the Investment Department reopened the financial sector, providing crucial support for Myriad Laws University’s resource consolidation, debt resolution, and population streamlining.
Each of these Nascent Soul True Monarchs possessed extraordinary abilities and remarkable skills. Since the outbreak of war, they had extracted significant benefits for Myriad Laws University, providing abundant resources for the four Spirit Transformation cultivators’ secluded cultivation and positioning themselves as rivals to True Monarch Azure Void.
Observing this scene, Fu Ji sighed, “Alas, corruption runs rampant in Kunxu these days, and networks of self-interest permeate every corner. Fortunately, we’ve already become part of it.”
“Zhang Yu, seize this opportunity to accumulate your strength.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu sat cross-legged in the underground cemetery of Converging Dragon Garden, frantically practicing his breathing technique, striving to absorb the spiritual energy surging from all directions.
With his dao heart and physical strength both reaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm, Zhang Yu’s next goals were to enhance his Magic Power, improve its quality, and unlock his Extraordinary Meridians.
The primary method for increasing Magic Power was naturally to absorb more spiritual energy.
Zhang Yu spent a considerable sum to access this underground Spirit Vein, immersing himself in it day and night, constantly practicing his breathing technique to rapidly accelerate the growth of his Magic Power.
In addition to the environment, Zhang Yu was also cultivating a new breathing technique, preparing to complete a new Chain Formation Diagram called Boundless Magic Power.
“This Chain Formation Diagram consists of ten expert-grade breathing techniques. Judging by its composition and the name Boundless Magic Power, it should significantly enhance the rate at which my Magic Power increases.”
While practicing his breathing technique, Zhang Yu didn’t forget to purchase high-quality Magic Power to absorb, gradually improving the quality of his own Magic Power.
However, he encountered difficulties when it came to unlocking his Extraordinary Meridians.
“Ordinary Golden Core cultivators can only unlock eight Extraordinary Meridians. But since I broke through to the Golden Core Realm with a Purple Mansion Golden Core, I should be able to unlock nine. Combined with the effects of my Golden Core Sacred Body, I should be able to unlock a total of ten Extraordinary Meridians.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “The Extraordinary Meridians can enhance specific cultivation arts, but they also have synergistic effects when combined.”
“Finding combinations of eight Extraordinary Meridians isn’t difficult. Combinations of nine are rare, but they can still be found in the Great Library of Myriad Laws.”
“But combinations of ten Extraordinary Meridians? Even the Great Library doesn’t have them?”
After searching in vain, Zhang Yu returned to the Supreme Clarity Realm.
In the Soul-Guiding Pool, bubbles rose and fell, each containing a torrent of information.
As Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across them, he saw titles like “True Explanation of Thunder Talismans,” “Ninefold Palm Technique,” “Three Harmonies True Fire Processing Technique,” and “Mountain-Stabilizing Pearl Design Blueprints.”
“A few more have been added, but none are particularly useful to me.”
Zhang Yu knew these were knowledge, cultivation arts, and blueprints Zhang Pianpian had collected from wandering souls during her work trips.
Over the past two months, while Zhang Yu had been in secluded cultivation at University City, Zhang Pianpian had been frequently traveling, often encountering battles, conflicts, and death.
Zhang Yu would occasionally check the Soul-Guiding Pool and discover new cultivation arts and knowledge within.
However, the vast majority of these techniques were useless to him. The few that were useful weren’t worth interrupting his current cultivation to practice specifically. Zhang Yu simply stored them away for future use.
Having gained nothing from the Supreme Clarity Realm, Zhang Yu entered the Dark Spirit Realm.
Upon entering, he first completed his daily sign-in, earning some Righteous Qi Value. Then, a notification for the Military-Grade Technique Selection Pack appeared before his eyes.
A book-like object floated before him, its pages flickering with the names of various military-grade cultivation techniques, awaiting his selection.
This was the Military-Grade Technique Selection Pack Zhang Yu had obtained from last month’s sign-in event.
Yet since acquiring it, he had hesitated to open it.
He simply lacked the time to cultivate another military-grade technique and remained uncertain about which one he needed most, or which would best suit his current path.
Zhang Yu decided to save the Military-Grade Technique Selection Pack for later, choosing to use it when he needed it most.
After closing the selection pack, Zhang Yu turned his attention to the messages from the various districts of the Dark Spirit Realm. As he watched the number of districts and organizations grow, he could feel the realm’s prosperity surging after two months of rapid development.
“Even though the university has been blocking Spirit Realm connections everywhere these past two months, preventing students from accessing the outside Spirit Realm and thus the Dark Spirit Realm…”
Zhang Yu knew that most of University City was now operating on a local network. Ordinary students had little chance to access external information unless they left the city.
“But this is just a temporary fix, like drinking poison to quench thirst. It can’t ultimately stop the Dark Spirit Realm’s relentless expansion.”
After completing his daily sign-in, Zhang Yu resumed searching for the methods to combine the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians.
Over the past two months, his consistent sign-ins had accumulated a substantial amount of Righteous Qi Value. He had used some of it to exchange for Evil God Power from Fu Ji, enhancing his strength. The remaining balance, approximately 800 Righteous Qi Value, he had saved.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. “Found it! The cultivation method for the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians… Is this from Celestial Monsters University?”
Zhang Yu’s heart quickened. “Could it be that the cultivation method for the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians exists because of the structural differences between monsterfolk and human bodies?”
He tried to exchange for it, but discovered it cost a staggering 2,000 Righteous Qi Value.
Zhang Yu withdrew from the Dark Spirit Realm, intending to contact Celestial Monsters University directly to inquire about purchasing the method.
Simultaneously, he didn’t abandon his efforts in the Dark Spirit Realm. He continued logging in daily to accumulate Righteous Qi Value.
During this process, he also glanced at the daily tasks.
Over the past two months, Zhang Yu had observed that the Dark Spirit Realm’s daily tasks were remarkably simple. Some involved monitoring pedestrian traffic at intersections, others required inquiring about the duration of Spirit Transformation cultivators’ seclusion, and still others asked whether anyone had starved to death in specific locations.
Zhang Yu sensed that the Righteous Qi Alliance was using Dark Spirit Realm users as tentacles, gathering vast amounts of intelligence through these countless probes to gain a comprehensive understanding of Myriad Laws University.
“This intelligence is too superficial, making it nearly impossible to prevent leaks.”
Through these daily task descriptions and his own observations, Zhang Yu could sense the deteriorating situation.
“Do not consume excessive amounts of cement…”
Looking at the warning sign depicting a person with a swollen belly who had died, Zhang Yu knew this was a consequence of the potion shortage. Qi Refining students, unable to afford Physical Strength potions, had resorted to eating too much cement out of desperation, exceeding their bodies’ limits and ultimately starving to death.
After all, ordinary cement only provided a false sense of fullness and lacked genuine nutritional value, placing a limited burden on Qi Refining students.
“Converging Dragon Garden tomb prices are rising again — now is the perfect time to invest!”
As Zhang Yu read this advertisement, he thought to himself, “Old Gao’s private tomb plots have already increased significantly in value. I heard Shi Huaiyu is also planning to invest in tomb plots recently.”
Time passed day by day.
A month later, Zhang Yu still hadn’t accumulated enough Righteous Qi Value, but through Ying Mingchi’s connections, he successfully purchased the cultivation methods for the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians.
Ying Mingchi was utterly curious. “You’re going to cultivate the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians?”
Zhang Yu simply responded with a smiling emoji, offering no further explanation.
Ying Mingchi thought to himself, “He’s definitely awakened his Monsterfolk Bloodline. No ordinary human could possibly open all ten Extraordinary Meridians.”
Another month passed. Just as Zhang Yu was deeply immersed in cultivation, a shocking announcement reverberated throughout Myriad Laws from top to bottom.
More than eight months after the connection between heaven and earth was established, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole formally emerged from seclusion and declared that she would attack the Long Night Jade Palace in three days.