Chapter 685: Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul!
Having recently broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Zhang Yu’s first act was naturally to begin cultivating the Immortal Sect Technique, Kunlun in the Palm.
He practiced relentlessly, pushing the cultivation art toward Level 40, the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.
With each level gained, the technique’s power grew exponentially. Not only did its range expand, but its ability to grasp and control targets became increasingly refined.
During his cultivation, Zhang Yu combined Kunlun in the Palm with the power of his Immortal Descendant lineage, unlocking even greater subtleties within the technique.
Gradually, he discovered he could not only capture ordinary objects but also manipulate air currents and sound waves, drawing them into the space created by his Immortal Descendant lineage to create a silent realm.
He then gathered vast amounts of spiritual energy, heat, and Earthly Fiend Gravity within the space, forging a frigid, desolate world.
Later, he realized he could even capture light, drawing lamplight, electric light, firelight, and all manner of radiance into the Immortal Descendant’s space to create an absolute darkness.
These were merely the capturing capabilities of Kunlun in the Palm when combined with the Immortal Descendant’s power.
Beyond capturing, Zhang Yu could also release.
At that moment, as absolute darkness and silence descended upon Feng Yuhuan, Fu Xinyao, and Ping Han — two humans and a soul — anxiety and fear inevitably surged through their hearts.
Faced with this situation, each of them made different choices based on their cultivation levels, experience, and abilities.
Vast thunderlight erupted from Feng Yuhuan’s body, as if he intended to forcibly break through the darkness with the power accumulated within him.
But the moment the thunderlight burst forth, it was relentlessly swallowed by the surrounding darkness, like a match repeatedly lit and extinguished.
Under the flickering light, Fu Xinyao retreated with all her might, desperate to escape the darkness and this bizarre environment.
Ping Han, meanwhile, began to tremble violently.
But in the next instant, Feng Yuhuan, Fu Xinyao, and Ping Han all saw a faint glimmer of light ignite from the heart of the fathomless darkness.
As the light grew brighter, Zhang Yu’s figure gradually emerged behind it. Feng Yuhuan then realized that the increasingly surging radiance was flowing from Zhang Yu’s palms, which were pressed together in a prayer-like gesture.
In the next moment, Zhang Yu’s hands transformed into dazzling Suns, rising slowly from the endless darkness.
A surging power erupted from Zhang Yu’s palms, instantly tearing through the darkness and engulfing everything before him.
It was like a massive explosion suddenly sweeping across the deep, dark cosmos.
Boom!
The violent shockwave and explosion engulfed Feng Yuhuan’s body. As he felt the familiar Thunderfire within the blast, he was horrified. “Is this the daoist art I just used?”
“Did he devour my daoist art and then hurl it back at me?”
Meanwhile, Fu Xinyao, who had been hiding behind Feng Yuhuan, had lost more than half her body in the explosion. Completely unconscious, she lay in a dead faint.
Feng Yuhuan struggled to his feet, feeling as if he had been attacked by his own full-strength strike. He saw Zhang Yu slowly drifting down from mid-air.
Staring at Feng Yuhuan’s true form, now revealed by the explosion, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “As expected, his data level is at Nascent Soul Peak…”
Zhang Yu understood perfectly well that his rapid Nascent Soul Breakthrough, achieved by forcefully charging through the Golden Core Realm, had left him severely lacking in foundational accumulation. The military-grade Powers he had once used to sweep aside enemies remained at Level 20, still at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Thus, even though he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, his raw strength was among the weakest within that realm. He likely couldn’t defeat the vast majority of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Of course, this was excluding Immortal Sect Techniques.
If Zhang Yu were to unleash Kunlun in the Palm and Immortal Descendant, he was confident that most Nascent Soul Realm cultivators wouldn’t be able to harm him before his Magic Power ran out.
“With my full power, no one below the Spirit Transformation Realm can stand against me!”
And now was the moment for Zhang Yu to unleash his full power.
As he blocked his opponent’s killing move with Immortal Sect Techniques, he used the intense explosion and tremors to trigger his distress signal.
Full defense + full distress signal!
In an instant, the Spirit Realm Network within and outside the laboratory activated. The Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Pagoda descended with a thunderous roar, sweeping across all directions.
The next moment, as Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s will descended upon the battlefield, Feng Yuhuan felt the connection between his Bionic and his consciousness severed.
“Damn it…” Feng Yuhuan slowly knelt to the ground, gazing at Zhang Yu before him. “Is this the power of Kunlun in the Palm?” he thought.
“He only recently broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, yet he wields such power… Wait, this spatial power… Could it be that Magnetic Pole bypassed the Spatial Lockdown not through her own means… but through Zhang Yu’s?”
“That’s it! She’s been stalling for time, giving Zhang Yu a chance to break through.”
“Zhang Yu is the key to this war…”
Realizing this, Feng Yuhuan felt both excitement and dread. He knew he had stumbled upon critical intelligence.
“Suicide!”
“If I can get this information to the Righteous Qi Alliance, its value will be enough to…”
But as this lightning-fast thought flashed through Feng Yuhuan’s mind, just as he was about to kill himself to deliver the intelligence to the Evil God, the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Pagoda shuddered again. A surge of power invaded his Bionic, severing the connection between his physical body and consciousness.
As his mind gradually lost control over his body and Bionic, Feng Yuhuan also lost all perception of the outside world.
Darkness enveloped his vision, and his consciousness plunged into an endless abyss.
Now, Feng Yuhuan couldn’t even hope to hear or see anything, let alone commit suicide.
“Damn it…”
Feng Yuhuan’s heart burned with rage and fear. “If I hadn’t been critically injured by that explosion, I would have been able to withstand the attack of Magnetic Pole’s incarnation. I wouldn’t have lost even the chance to kill myself… Zhang Yu!”
“Zhang Yu!”
Watching Feng Yuhuan twitch like a dying fish before him, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. “With my full defensive efforts and desperate calls for reinforcements, how many below the Spirit Transformation stage could possibly withstand me?”
He turned toward the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Pagoda and asked, “Master, has he lost consciousness?”
After a moment of silence, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s voice echoed from within the pagoda. “Yes, I’ve temporarily sealed his mind. Someone will come to handle them shortly. You don’t need to concern yourself.”
As the war raged on, Immortal Dao Technology continued to evolve rapidly.
To counter the Dark Spirit Realm’s resurrection capabilities, Spirit Transformation cultivators had developed various techniques to seal consciousness and prevent suicide.
Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole continued, “Your friend seems to be in trouble. Now that you’ve broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, resolve it yourself.”
“I have urgent matters to attend to. We’ll discuss your post-breakthrough arrangements later…”
Watching the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Pagoda vanish, Zhang Yu sensed the urgency in the Divine Monarch’s words and actions.
“The pressure on the front lines must be immense,” Zhang Yu mused inwardly. “Even with Master’s Spirit Transformation strength, she can’t spare the time or energy for more than a few words?”
At the same time, Zhang Yu received the intelligence Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole had left for her.
“My friend is in trouble?”
While Feng Yuhuan was being dispatched to capture Zhang Yu, another team was sent by the Auspicious God to apprehend a different target.
“Le Mulan,” the Auspicious God murmured to himself, reviewing her file. “Known Zhang Yu for eight years, cohabited for five, and reportedly maintains regular contact with him while preserving his biological materials.”
“We might extract considerable secrets about Zhang Yu from this woman.”
Ever since Feng Yuhuan, Fu Xinyao, and Ping Han entered the laboratory and lost contact, the Auspicious God had a growing sense that “this capture operation might fail again.”
With this thought, he immediately urged the other team: “Hurry up. Capture Le Mulan and withdraw immediately. Your position could be compromised at any moment.”
Meanwhile, outside the underground factory, Le Mulan’s aura of cold surged violently as she fought a retreating battle. The four Golden Core Cultivators pursuing her relentlessly were closing in, poised to encircle her.
“These four Golden Core Cultivators are incredibly strong,” Le Mulan thought, observing their disguised forms. “They’re definitely not ordinary Upper or Lower College Students who broke through without authorization.”
“These guys must be from the Ten Universities… But how did they infiltrate University City? Or are they actually Myriad Laws University cultivators who’ve pledged allegiance to the Evil God?”
“We’ve been fighting for over ten seconds now. If I can hold out a little longer, reinforcements should arrive soon.”
As she pondered this, an invisible hand descended upon her, slamming her backward with a resounding crash.
The instant Le Mulan hit the ground, the four Golden Core Cultivators had already surrounded her, forming an impenetrable encirclement.
Le Mulan glared at the cultivator who had unleashed the invisible hand. “Primordial Qi Invisible Great Handprint? From the Finance Department?”
The Golden Core Cultivator who had intercepted Le Mulan with the Primordial Qi Invisible Great Handprint was none other than Jiutian Liu, formerly the Finance Department’s most formidable academic overachiever.
At this moment, he was disguised as a woman, his original appearance and demeanor as Jiutian Liu completely undetectable.
“I never imagined I’d be back so soon,” Jiutian Liu murmured, a hint of melancholy in his voice as he gazed upon University City once more. In just over a year, this once familiar city had transformed into a perilous enemy territory.
Had the Evil God not tasked him with capturing Le Mulan, he likely wouldn’t have used the secret passage left by the Finance Department, combined with the power of the Evil God Ritual, to infiltrate his former home.
“Regrettably, this isn’t the time for nostalgia,” Jiutian Liu reminded himself. He knew that while Myriad Laws University’s main forces were engaged in the war, leaving the city vulnerable, every moment he lingered here increased the risk.
“Next time, I’ll return openly, reclaiming everything that was once mine.”
With a cold snort, Jiutian Liu commanded, “Move!”
But just as the four Golden Core cultivators were about to strike, a violent tremor shook the area.
A figure hurtled toward them at breakneck speed.
Seeing Zhang Yu’s sudden attack, Jiutian Liu’s heart jolted with surprise. His gaze sharpened. “Seize him!”
As the leader of the mission to capture Le Mulan, Jiutian Liu was unaware of Feng Yuhuan’s efforts to capture Zhang Yu on the other side.
However, the moment Zhang Yu appeared, Jiutian Liu instinctively made his assessment based on the information he had gathered.
Jiutian Liu thought to himself, “Zhang Yu broke through to the Golden Core at the same time as us — just over a year ago.”
“Even if he was once the strongest undergraduate, his cultivation time is still insufficient. With four of us working together, we have a good chance of defeating him.”
Just as Jiutian Liu and his team moved to attack, Le Mulan sent Zhang Yu a message: “Zhang Yu! These four are Golden Core Cultivators from the Ten Universities. Don’t engage them directly — wait for reinforcements!”
Seeing the four attackers approaching, Zhang Yu calmly strode toward them, saying, “I hate fighting outnumbered, and I despise fighting the weak even more.”
“But when those two contradictions align, I don’t mind it at all.”
“Just like now, I’ll use my individual strength to crush your collective weakness.”
Sensing the four cultivators’ attacks closing in, Zhang Yu smiled faintly. “Four Golden Cores… then I’ll just advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, won’t I?”
In the next moment, Zhang Yu’s aura surged violently, unleashing the oppressive might of the Nascent Soul Realm under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Simultaneously, the Golden Core cultivator charging at the forefront let out a bloodcurdling scream, as if he had collided with an invisible wall. His bones shattered, tendons snapped, and his body was drenched in blood as he collapsed to the ground.
Jiutian Liu’s gaze sharpened at the sight. “Nascent Soul?”
He stared at Zhang Yu and shouted in disbelief, “Zhang Yu! You’ve broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm?!”
Zhang Yu glanced at Jiutian Liu and said calmly, “You should address me as True Monarch.”
Another Golden Core cultivator was then seized by an unseen force, crushed and twisted into a mangled mess, and left unconscious.
Jiutian Liu’s heart jolted as he recalled intelligence about Nascent Soul cultivators.
“It’s the Nascent Soul!”
He realized that the entity attacking them was Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul. The reason it remained invisible was because only cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm could perceive it.
Jiutian Liu knew that the Nascent Soul, the crystallized essence of a cultivator’s power fused with their spiritual will, became completely undetectable by conventional means upon its completion. It could not be observed with the naked eye or even with Bionic Eyes.
Only cultivators who had also mastered the Nascent Soul and entered the Nascent Soul Realm could perceive its existence.
“The Nascent Soul itself is a concentrated mass of power. If not properly controlled, even a slight collision could cause catastrophic damage.”
“However, once one fully enters the Nascent Soul Realm and gains complete mastery over their Nascent Soul, it not only ceases to cause indiscriminate destruction but also inherits the cultivator’s physical data. It can unleash power equal to the cultivator’s own, and due to its unique form, it possesses movement speeds far surpassing the physical body and can penetrate most materials…”
“Those two…” Jiutian Liu’s gaze swept over the fallen Golden Core cultivators, his thoughts racing. “They must have been attacked by an invisible Nascent Soul.”
“They were utterly helpless because Zhang Yu’s physical strength, having broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, now far surpasses ours.”
“Therefore, a Nascent Soul inheriting such power could easily slaughter us.”
At that moment, Jiutian Liu felt every hair on his body stand on end, as if an invisible, terrifying presence was watching him from the surrounding air.
“Run!”
In the next instant, Jiutian Liu and the other Golden Core cultivator had already shot off in opposite directions like bolts of lightning.
Jiutian Liu immediately summoned his Nine Heavens Ten Earths Hazard-Avoiding Divine Shuttle, retreating like a streak of light.
As he fled frantically, more information about the Nascent Soul surged through his mind.
“Its basic strength and speed aren’t even the most terrifying aspects of a Nascent Soul.”
“Upon achieving Nascent Soul status, one can transfer the Extraordinary Meridians cultivated during the Golden Core Realm to the Nascent Soul itself. From then on, the cultivator’s physical body no longer needs to circulate energy; the Nascent Soul can independently execute the cultivation art associated with the Extraordinary Meridians.”
Jiutian Liu knew this meant every Nascent Soul possessed a unique cultivation art, one that cultivators had been refining since their Golden Core Realm days — essentially their signature technique.
“When amplified by the Nascent Soul and Extraordinary Meridians, this cultivation art can unleash power several times greater than before.”
“As the Nascent Soul continues to mature, this amplification can reach tens of times greater…”
Another scream pierced the air. Without looking back, Jiutian Liu knew another companion had been suppressed.
From Le Mulan’s perspective, she saw the Golden Core Cultivator floating upside down, as if gripped by invisible hands at his ankles.
Immediately afterward, the Bionic armor was violently dismantled piece by piece, the components clattering to the ground.
Moments later, Jiutian Liu, who had already retreated several kilometers away, felt his Nine Heavens Ten Earths Hazard-Avoiding Divine Shuttle begin to slow, as if mired in thick mud. An immense force was hindering its progress, causing it to decelerate steadily.
With a violent shudder, the Divine Shuttle finally ground to a halt in mid-air.
“The Nascent Soul has caught up.”
Watching his Nine Heavens Ten Earths Hazard-Avoiding Divine Shuttle being gripped by an invisible, colossal hand and held firmly in place, Jiutian Liu sighed inwardly. “My Nine Heavens Divine Shuttle is only at the Golden Core level. It can’t possibly outrun Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul.”
At the same time, Jiutian Liu sensed a hurricane-like force rapidly approaching — Zhang Yu’s true form was closing in.
“I’m rather curious…” Zhang Yu said calmly, eyeing the Finance Department’s specialized Hazard-Avoiding Divine Shuttle. “How did you Finance Department types manage to infiltrate this place? Would you mind telling me?”
Jiutian Liu gritted his teeth, bitterness welling up in his heart. “The gap is too vast. A Golden Core Cultivator stands no chance against a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.”
Having reached this conclusion, he resolved, “I have no choice but to commit suicide.”
He knew that as a traitor to the Finance Department, remaining in the hands of Myriad Laws University would make even death a difficult escape. His life was over.
Suicide, followed by resurrection through the Dark Spirit Realm, while still causing severe Primordial Qi depletion, offered a slim chance of resurgence.
With a furious roar, Jiutian Liu activated the poison sac implanted within his body, unleashing a torrent of lethal toxins that surged toward his limbs and vital organs.
This was the Righteous Qi Alliance’s countermeasure against the Ten Universities’ efforts to prevent resurrection, allowing their operatives to commit suicide swiftly, efficiently, and with greater autonomy.
But in the next instant, Jiutian Liu felt the violently erupting poison sac being abruptly choked off, its toxic spread forcibly halted.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, sensing the invasive force within his body, and exclaimed in shock, “Your Nascent Soul?”
Not only was the poison sac restrained, but every part of his body seemed to be gripped by invisible hands, rendering him utterly immobile.
Zhang Yu gazed at Jiutian Liu, whom the Nascent Soul had dragged out, and said calmly, “Before a Nascent Soul, a Golden Core Cultivator has no freedom over life or death.”
But in the next moment, an eerie flame erupted from Jiutian Liu’s body.
Jiutian Liu screamed in terror, his agonizing cries echoing through the air as Zhang Yu watched in astonishment.
Yet in the blink of an eye, the screams ceased. Jiutian Liu now stared at Zhang Yu with a calm, yet unsettling gaze.
Sensing the sudden shift in his demeanor, Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. “Who are you?”
“You may call me Herald God,” Jiutian Liu said, his voice gradually being consumed by the flames. “Thank you for taking care of my believers these past few days.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed. “So the Evil God can still control his believers’ bodies? Does Fu Ji possess this ability? Or… is this a new power the Evil God has developed to counter the war? A new technology?”
Herald God spoke calmly, “Zhang Yu, someone asked me to ask you a few questions.”
“Are you… certain you want to be our enemy?”
Zhang Yu stared into Jiutian Liu’s eyes, his voice cold. “What do you want?”
Herald God continued, “Dao Qiankun values you greatly. He believes you can join us in creating a New World. That’s why we’ve been giving you opportunities.”
“But judging by your current actions, many believe you’re just another pitiful soul, corrupted by wealth, cultivation, status, and reputation within Kunxu’s existing system.”
Zhang Yu chuckled. “Is that so? Doesn’t your Righteous Qi Alliance… manipulate its believers and the common people using those very things?”
The Herald God replied calmly, “The common people… are destined to be manipulated. The only difference is that we can guide them toward a different path, one more aligned with the Dao Qiankun, with me, and with the direction many of our comrades wish to pursue.”
“Zhang Yu, do you truly love this world, the current Kunxu, and your own life?”
“I trust Dao Qiankun’s vision, and I believe there’s still a spark of unextinguished fire in your heart.”
“If you’re willing to join the Righteous Qi Alliance, I’ll personally recommend you for a position second only to the leader, overseeing the creation of the New World alongside us. Together, we can guide the world toward the form you truly desire, shaping its future with your own will.”
Zhang Yu smiled. “Alright, then could you please give me the list of your Evil God believers and the locations of the Righteous Qi Alliance’s Evil Gods right now? It would make my management much easier.”
The Herald God sighed. “Zhang Yu, I can sense… your prejudice against the Evil Gods runs too deep. You always think I’m deceiving you, that I’ve never told you the truth.”
“Ah, can’t you see? This is Kunxu’s tragedy. Having grown up in this environment, you can’t even trust others.”
“Such a Kunxu is destined to fail. Whether it’s the Ten Great Universities, Magnetic Pole, or you continuing down this misguided path… the result will be the same: only failure awaits.”
As the flames surged violently, Jiutian Liu’s body was gradually engulfed, his flesh and blood turning to ashes.
As the ashes drifted away, only the Herald God’s voice lingered in the air.
“Zhang Yu, no matter what, I trust Dao Qiankun’s judgment and his choice. You are not just an ordinary person completely corrupted by Kunxu.”
“I hope you can recognize your mistakes, break free from Kunxu’s evil path, and not go down with this sinking ship.”
“I’ll be waiting for you to join the Righteous Qi Alliance.”
Watching Jiutian Liu and the Herald God completely dissipate, Zhang Yu seemed lost in thought.
Fu Ji said, “You don’t actually believe them, do you? Evil Gods would sell their own souls to deceive others. You can’t trust a single word they say.”
Zhang Yu replied, “Of course I wouldn’t trust a bunch of guys who were just trying to attack me and capture my companions.”
“I’m just catching up on the news.”
The emergence of the Evil Gods, the infiltration of Finance Department traitors, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s hasty departure… everything made Zhang Yu sense the urgency of the situation, making him eager to understand what had transpired during his five months of seclusion.