Chapter 696: Azure Lotus Sword Embryo, The Finance Department’s Decision
In the conference room of the Dark Spirit Realm, the Auspicious God, whose entire body was composed of shimmering, multicolored light, spoke, “Long time no see, Fortune God.”
Fu Ji replied casually, “Did you have the Herald God summon me here specifically? What’s the matter?”
The Auspicious God said, “I’m investigating a student from Heavenly Sword University named Bai Zhenzhen.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred, and he immediately focused his full attention.
Fu Ji remained silent, maintaining an air of indifference, listening as the Auspicious God continued.
The Auspicious God: “She recently traveled to Myriad Laws University’s newly established campus near the Grand Void on the Third Layer of Kunxu. I’d like you to help me gather detailed information about her.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “A-Zhen only just arrived, and they already know? It seems they’ve been watching her for a long time.”
Fu Ji asked flatly, “Is that all? What do you want with her?”
The Auspicious God didn’t reveal his intentions, simply stating calmly, “It’s nothing. Her movements are just useful to me.”
He had no intention of sharing his plans with Fu Ji. After all, he wasn’t familiar with her methods, and he didn’t want any unexpected complications to arise during this operation.
His primary goal was to deal with Bai Zhenzhen, converting her into one of his believers before devising a way to confront Zhang Yu.
As a Golden Core Realm cultivator, Bai Zhenzhen, even with her formidable strength, wouldn’t require a large force to subdue.
If the Fortune God could provide accurate intelligence, he was confident that capturing Bai Zhenzhen would be a straightforward task.
The Auspicious God mused inwardly, “If this collaboration goes well, I might invite him to join me when I deal with Zhang Yu next time.”
Fu Ji remained unfazed, responding casually, “I can help you gather information.”
“But what’s the reward?”
The Auspicious God smiled. “What do you want? Righteous Qi Value? Intelligence? Or something else?”
Fu Ji replied, “I want to continue increasing my authority. Help me promote from Branch Master to Hall Master.”
The Auspicious God said, “This task should be trivial for you. How could such a simple mission warrant a promotion to the next level of authority?”
Fu Ji replied, “Simple? She was once a Spirit Transformation Realm disciple, a Heavenly Chosen from Heavenly Sword University.”
“This woman also has significant ties to Zhang Yu of Myriad Laws. Given how sought-after Magnetic Pole is right now, any matter involving a friend of his disciple is no small matter.”
“We need to raise the price — we absolutely must raise the price!”
Fu Ji didn’t pretend to be unfamiliar with Bai Zhenzhen; instead, she naturally provided her basic information.
After all, this information was so fundamental that feigning ignorance would have seemed unnatural.
Seeing the Fortune God haggling with him, the Auspicious God found it perfectly normal — this was, after all, the standard process for transactions among Evil Gods.
After a round of bargaining, the Auspicious God finally conceded, “Alright, I’ll propose it to the Herald God, but I can’t guarantee success. After all, for intelligence supply of this level, you’d typically need at least ten such requests to advance from Branch Master to Hall Master.”
Kunxu’s Third Layer, near the Grand Void.
After ending his communication with the Auspicious God in the Dark Spirit Realm, Zhang Yu asked Fu Ji, “What do they want with A-Zhen?”
“It’s hard to say,” Fu Ji replied, “but considering their past attempts to target you, we must consider that their interest in Bai Zhenzhen stems from you.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu frowned slightly and turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen, who was sitting beside him.
They were currently in a private study room within the Grand Void.
Such study rooms were common here, as the campus near the Grand Void served as a bridgehead for the Ten Great Universities on Kunxu’s Third Layer, attracting talent from across all the schools.
Many people who came to the Grand Void needed to stay and wait for a while, and without work to do, they often rented these study rooms to study or cultivate.
At that moment, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly rushed behind Zhang Yu and wrapped her arms around him, her restless True Spirit Root brushing against his back. “Yu Zi, let’s try again.”
After meeting, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had eagerly resumed their Divine Spirit Root exchange.
This time, there was no Divine Monarch Seven Emotions watching, no Magnetic Pole obstructing them, and no warnings from Old Gao. After renting a private study room, the two planned to exchange Spirit Roots day and night to enhance their cultivation.
However, Zhang Yu, who had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, found that the stimulation from his Feather Spirit Root nearly caused Bai Zhenzhen to convulse uncontrollably.
When the Feather Spirit Root re-entered Bai Zhenzhen’s body after a long absence, a vast surge of Magic Power erupted. Under the intense stimulation, the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi activated within her body nearly severed the Feather Spirit Root.
Observing the white sword qi flowing from her body, Zhang Yu exclaimed in astonishment, “A-Zhen, has your Extreme Emotion Sword Dao become this powerful?”
Zhang Yu had witnessed the power of this white sword qi during the final two matches of the Ten Greats League. Bai Zhenzhen had unleashed the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao by wagering her will, lifeblood, physical body, Magic Power — risking everything.
Bai Zhenzhen smiled. “Yu Zi, even though you broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm this past year, I haven’t been idle either.”
“For the past year, I’ve been fighting relentlessly in Kunxu’s Third Layer.”
“The Third Layer is full of mining grounds and factories, which perfectly suited my True Spirit Root’s ability to conceal my presence…”
In battle after battle, Bai Zhenzhen relentlessly pushed her physical body, Spirit Root, and sword techniques to adapt to, stimulate, and drive each other.
Whenever she neared her limits, she would recall Zhang Yu, watch recordings of him, and speak with him… attempting to channel her emotions and spirit to propel her cultivation and sword technique forward.
Through this relentless self-torture, Bai Zhenzhen advanced the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao to Level 30, mastering it to an astonishing degree.
Her Divine Spirit Root had even become indistinguishable from the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi within her body. Through repeated adaptation, they had fused into a single entity, allowing her to unleash the sword qi with near-zero energy loss.
Bai Zhenzhen sensed that while she hadn’t fully perfected the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, she had gradually adapted to this incomplete Immortal Sect sword technique through her Divine Spirit Root.
Bai Zhenzhen exclaimed joyfully, “Yu Zi, I can’t even look at you or hug you anymore without sword qi erupting!”
“And when we exchange Spirit Roots… now that you’re in the Nascent Soul Realm, the stimulation is too intense. I can barely control it…”
Zhang Yu chuckled. “It’s alright, A-Zhen. I’m strong enough now. My body is sturdy enough. When we exchange Spirit Roots, just unleash your sword qi however you need to.”
“I will block every strand of your sword qi,” Zhang Yu declared, his eyes filled with unwavering confidence and determination.
Sensing his sincerity, Bai Zhenzhen nodded slowly. “Yu Zi, I believe in you.”
And so… during the Spirit Root exchange, True Monarch Blazing Light’s Feather Spirit Root had barely entered Bai Zhenzhen’s body when the vast gap between the Nascent Soul and Golden Core realms caused her to groan softly. Layers upon layers of white sword qi erupted from her body.
The dense, overwhelming sword qi slashed toward Zhang Yu, its terrifying destructive power leaving bloody streaks across his body. Bai Zhenzhen gasped in alarm. “Yu Zi…”
“I’m fine,” Zhang Yu replied. His activated body trembled slightly, absorbing all the blood back into his wounds, which gradually began to close.
“A-Zhen’s Extreme Emotion Sword Dao is truly unbelievably powerful,” he thought to himself. “Even with my physical body’s strength and the difference between our cultivation realms, she can still leave marks on me?”
However, thanks to the power of his Physical Mystic Power, the Formless Freedom Body, Zhang Yu’s resistance to the same type of attack would rapidly increase.
As the Feather Spirit Root was gradually forced into Bai Zhenzhen’s body, even more violent bursts of Extreme Emotion Sword Qi erupted. Yet the injuries Zhang Yu sustained became fewer and more superficial with each surge.
“It’s… it’s in…” Bai Zhenzhen said, her body trembling. “The Feather Spirit Root is completely inside me.”
Feeling the Feather Spirit Root within her, violently reshaping her physical body, meridians, and Dantian, Bai Zhenzhen felt utterly limp, unable to move even a finger.
Zhang Yu took a deep breath, sensing the True Spirit Root entering his own body. It attempted to adaptively modify him, but with minimal effect.
“After all, there’s still the gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core…” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “But this wasn’t my primary goal anyway.”
After releasing Bai Zhenzhen and laying her down beside him, Zhang Yu immediately began circulating his cultivation art to nourish the True Spirit Root within him.
“Upgrading the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo to the 3rd-tier requires nourishing it with ten 30th-level cultivation arts.”
Zhang Yu had resolved not to let Bai Zhenzhen leave until he upgraded the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo to the 3rd-tier.
As he circulated his cultivation art, he said, “A-Zhen, you’ll be staying here for a while.”
Lying on the ground, Bai Zhenzhen hummed softly, quietly enduring the Feather Spirit Root’s relentless and domineering transformation of her body.
Beyond the Divine Spirit Root within her, Zhang Yu hadn’t forgotten about the Auspicious God.
“Will this guy directly target A-Zhen?”
On the other side, after concluding his conversation with the Fortune God, the Auspicious God’s vision filled with the portraits of numerous cultivators.
“Though we’re only dealing with a Golden Core cultivator, the stakes are immense… If we can convert Bai Zhenzhen into a believer, it will completely change the game.”
“Through Bai Zhenzhen, we can capture Zhang Yu. Capturing Zhang Yu gives us a chance to seize Magnetic Pole. Seizing Magnetic Pole gives us a chance to end the war.”
After careful deliberation, the Auspicious God made his decision: “Indeed, to deal with a Golden Core cultivator, deploying a Nascent Soul cultivator remains the safest approach.”
While the Auspicious God wished to deploy a Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldn’t simply summon anyone he pleased.
After all, Nascent Soul cultivators represented the highest productive force below the Spirit Transformation Realm. Each carried critical responsibilities, and in this increasingly intense wartime environment, they were operating at full capacity.
To have a Nascent Soul cultivator abandon their current duties for a mission involving infiltration and abduction, the Auspicious God would need to provide compelling justification and substantial compensation.
“I require… technology capable of establishing a Spatial Lockdown, martial force capable of Suppression, and… the ability to corrupt Bai Zhenzhen and drag her into the Righteous Qi Alliance. All three are indispensable.”
“And they must be willing to take risks, infiltrate enemy territory, and fight fiercely…”
After meticulous selection, the portraits of several Nascent Soul cultivators appeared before the Auspicious God.
Fourth Layer of Kunxu.
Inside a massive, unmanned factory, countless puppets bustled back and forth, diligently sealing Spatial Barriers as they rolled off the assembly line.
True Monarch Flowing Gold oversaw the entire operation, managing and optimizing the factory’s efficiency.
He managed and maintained over a hundred such factories.
Since his failed assassination attempt on Zhang Yu, which resulted in his death at the hands of True Monarch Azure Void and subsequent resurrection, True Monarch Flowing Gold had retired from the battlefield. He now focused solely on maintaining production in the rear lines, cultivating while earning money to repay his Resurrection Debt.
Having died once and burdened with immense debt, True Monarch Flowing Gold now sought only stable employment and financial security, abandoning any desire for further bloodshed.
Just then, the image of the Auspicious God materialized in True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Bionic Eye.
“Flowing Gold,” the Auspicious God said, “it’s been quite some time since your resurrection, hasn’t it? Aren’t you planning to return to the battlefield?”
True Monarch Flowing Gold replied calmly, “The Finance Department is responsible for integrating societal resources and ensuring the equivalent circulation of value and profit. Combat has never been my preferred pursuit.”
“Really?” the Auspicious God pressed. “I’ve heard that regional conflicts and armed plunder are also part of finance. I need a Nascent Soul Cultivator to infiltrate the vicinity of the Grand Void and kidnap a Golden Core…”
True Monarch Flowing Gold refused, “I’m sorry, I’m content with my current life and have no intention of returning to the battlefield.”
Auspicious God pressed, “Flowing Gold, are you even afraid to ask how much you’d earn from this job? You weren’t always this spineless. Remember the first year I signed you? You sold your entire family and gambled everything on the newly launched Myriad Transformations Coin. When the coin’s price crashed that very day due to market manipulation, you stubbornly sold every last possession, right down to your head, until the Myriad Transformations Coin finally rebounded. Where’s that resolve? That ruthlessness? How could dying once weaken not only your cultivation but your courage too? How can you still call yourself a Finance Department member who wants to bring a new dawn to Kunxu? How can you claim to stand with us against the Heavenly Court, to change Kunxu’s financial system?”
True Monarch Flowing Gold sighed. “Auspicious God, resisting the Heavenly Court requires money. How can we change Kunxu without it? I’m broke now, just a Nascent Soul cultivator working to pay off debts. All I want is to run my factory properly. Please don’t call me for these violent affairs again.”
Auspicious God lamented, “You spent so much time, effort, and money to reach the Nascent Soul Realm and become a Nascent Soul True Monarch… Yet when given the chance, you refuse to kill or plunder, content to be just a Factory Infant?” [TL note: The Chinese term for Nascent Soul directly translates to “Original Infant”, Factory Infant is a wordplay on the Nascent Soul term]
“What’s the difference between you and a Qi Refining cultivator? Why even bother climbing this far? If you wanted a peaceful life, why study finance? Why oppose the Heavenly Court? You might as well have stayed in the factory as an artifact refinement worker for life.”
With that, Auspicious God’s figure slowly dissipated, leaving only his final words echoing in True Monarch Flowing Gold’s ear:
“Complete this mission, and I’ll help you repay your Resurrection Debt. This is your only chance. Whether you seize it is up to you.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold’s mind quietly reverberated with Auspicious God’s words. The thought of clearing his Resurrection Debt in one stroke stirred a flicker of desire within him.
But the cost of dying again quickly suppressed his wavering resolve.
Just then, a debt reminder flashed before his Bionic Eye. A lowly Soul Cultivator’s voice, dripping with arrogance, urged him to settle this period’s payment immediately.
The repair bill for his magical artifact reappeared, the artifact spirit he had nurtured since childhood pleading for funds to restore its damaged form.
The Soul Cultivators who had once been his subordinates had already followed their new boss, their social media feeds filled with cheerful overtime records. The only reminders of his past were the persistent demands for his overdue wages.
“Is this the life I wanted?” True Monarch Flowing Gold asked himself. He recalled the year he joined the Finance Department, remembering the ambition and desire that had burned within him in his youth.
Back then, he had vowed to himself: “Never again will I be a wage slave, never again will I be trampled under someone’s heel like a lump of mud, left to be crushed at their whim.”
“I will become the wealthiest person alive! I will make sure my wages can never blind me again, and no debt can ever bury my heart!”
After a moment, True Monarch Flowing Gold contacted Auspicious God: “I’m in.”
Auspicious God chuckled. “Excellent. Your factories have already begun producing the latest spatial encapsulation technology, haven’t they?”
This cutting-edge spatial encapsulation technology had been developed by Fu Xiantian, the Alliance Leader of the Righteous Qi Alliance, during his recent seclusion. It had since been disseminated for use by the alliance.
Now, these technologies were being gradually implemented, with major factories applying them to their production processes before shipping the resulting products to the front lines.
Just as the Ten Great Universities were constantly researching and upgrading their technology during the war, the Righteous Qi Alliance was following the same path.
True Monarch Flowing Gold nodded. “I’ve mastered the key points of the new technology and can use it in this mission to establish a short-term spatial and information lockdown.”
“But infiltrating enemy territory requires overwhelming force capable of suppressing the area. Otherwise, the lockdown will be useless.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold said gravely, “We need a high-level expert to join us.”
“Do you have any recommendations?” Auspicious God asked.
“True Monarch Flowing Treasure,” Flowing Gold replied. “His strength is sufficient to handle any unexpected situations.”
Auspicious God sighed, glancing at True Monarch Flowing Treasure, who had just rejected his request.
True Monarch Flowing Treasure was renowned for never investing in “trash stocks,” dealing with “trash coins,” or participating in infiltration missions. No matter how Auspicious God appealed to his emotions or logic, he couldn’t persuade him.
Auspicious God turned back to Flowing Gold. “Flowing Treasure won’t work. He’s lost the Finance Department’s spirit of relentless advancement and all-or-nothing gambles. I plan to invite another expert for this battle.”
“Who?” Flowing Gold asked.
“Great Luminosity,” Auspicious God replied.
True Monarch Flowing Gold asked in surprise, “Are you certain you can persuade him?”
Auspicious God didn’t answer, because he couldn’t guarantee he could convince the other party.
Kunxu’s Third Layer.
Inside the Grand Void.
For the past few days, Zhang Yu had been staying in a private room in the Self-Cultivation Building with Bai Zhenzhen, tirelessly nurturing her Azure Lotus Sword Embryo day and night.
In addition to this, to guard against the Auspicious God, he had prepared several items and stored them in his Great Void Repository, taking precautionary measures against potential emergencies.
For example, a small team was stationed outside the Self-Cultivation Building, ready to report any unusual activity.
Another measure was the message he had just sent to Yu Xinghan.
“Yu Xinghan, for the next period, I’ll send you my location every three minutes. If you don’t receive an update within that time, immediately contact these people and have them send reinforcements.”
Reading Zhang Yu’s message, Yu Xinghan asked curiously, “Is it that serious? Do you think someone might be lying in wait for you?”
Zhang Yu hesitated before replying, “Well, it’s just a precaution. Nothing major should happen.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt absolute confidence. As long as he remained within the territory of the Ten Great Universities, no matter the opponent… he was certain he could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Just as Zhang Yu finished making these arrangements, the Auspicious God and Fu Ji communicated again.
Fortune God: “I’ve already given you the location. Bai Zhenzhen has booked a private room in the Self-Cultivation Building for a month.”
Auspicious God: “Thank you. Could you confirm the information on the other occupants of the Self-Cultivation Building?”
Fortune God: “Don’t forget the reward you promised.”
Kunxu’s Third Layer.
Within a massive mining complex, cultivators from the Ten Great Universities had stormed in, but the battle had abruptly begun and just as abruptly ceased.
The entire mine had fallen silent once more, resembling a tranquil graveyard.
The corpses of cultivators stood like statues throughout the complex.
A figure hummed a tune as they buried the bodies one by one in shallow pits, giving each a proper burial.
After the burials were complete, the figure knelt before the graves, offering solemn bows and prayers to the deceased.
Their reverence was absolute, with no hint of disdain or negligence. Every movement, every step was performed with utmost solemnity and respect, as if these corpses they had buried were not their victims, but true friends, family, or even ancestors.
The Auspicious God watched silently, recognizing this as the military-grade cultivation technique from Netherworld University’s Finance Department: the Wonderful Canon of Ancestral Transference.
Once a person was buried and venerated by this technique, they became the practitioner’s ancestor, forever channeling Qi Luck to them. The practitioner could even borrow the deceased’s abilities from their lifetime.
Moreover, upon encountering the deceased’s bloodline descendants, the practitioner could easily gain their trust, mitigate harm from them, and even persuade them to pledge assets or take out loans on their behalf.
This military-grade cultivation technique was infamous for its viciousness. Even at Netherworld University, few dared to practice it, not only because of its extreme difficulty but also because it easily attracted enemies, a burden most cultivators couldn’t bear.
The side effect of hindering Spirit Transformation breakthroughs was largely ignored at the time, given the rarity of Spirit Transformation Certificates.
The person before him was clearly no ordinary cultivator. Not only had they mastered this technique, but they had also cultivated it to an exceptionally profound level.
Auspicious God knew that with their current strength, the cultivator could have attempted Spirit Transformation long ago. It was only the side effects of the Wonderful Canon of Ancestral Transference that had prevented them from achieving this breakthrough.
“In the past, when Spirit Transformation Certificates were required, sacrificing the chance of a breakthrough for immense power in the Nascent Soul Stage was understandable,” Auspicious God mused inwardly.
“But now that the certificates are no longer a barrier, this Mysterious Classic has become a hindrance, preventing him from reaching the Spirit Transformation Realm.”
“Still, his combat prowess… it’s more than sufficient for this mission.”
“True Monarch Great Luminosity,” Auspicious God said aloud, “I need someone to help me kidnap a Golden Core cultivator from the Grand Void.”
Kneeling before the tomb, True Monarch Great Luminosity replied quietly, “A Golden Core cultivator? Do you require my personal intervention for such a task?”
The Auspicious God said, “This Golden Core is named Bai Zhenzhen. You should remember her, right?”
True Monarch Great Luminosity’s gaze flickered slightly. “Bai Zhenzhen?”
Bai Zhenzhen was a Heavenly Chosen of Heavenly Sword University, a disciple of Divine Monarch Seven Emotions, and a top-four finalist in the Ten Greats League. Naturally, many knew of her.
But True Monarch Great Luminosity’s knowledge of Bai Zhenzhen… predated all these achievements.
He had learned of her existence as early as when she was in the First Layer of Kunxu and had even paid a deposit to Wang Yin for her physical body.
True Monarch Great Luminosity said calmly, “Bai Zhenzhen… I was indeed interested in her Divine Spirit Root. I would have been willing to spend a few hundred or even a few thousand Spirit Coins to acquire her.”
“But to infiltrate enemy territory and kidnap her?”
“A mere Bai Zhenzhen… is not worth such a great risk.”
The Auspicious God countered, “But Bai Zhenzhen has a significant connection to Zhang Yu. By capturing Bai Zhenzhen, we could seize Zhang Yu, and seizing Zhang Yu would give us access to Magnetic Pole, which could alter the entire situation.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity sighed. “Alter the entire situation?”
True Monarch Great Luminosity hated the Kunxu of the past, loathing the conservative forces that hindered its progress and prevented its people from embracing a better life.
Despite possessing more advanced productive forces and superior production relations, Kunxu should have long since discarded its outdated systems. Yet, due to the inexplicable conservatism, moralistic dogma, and other backward notions of reactionary factions, Kunxu’s progress stagnated, and its growth slowed year after year.
The reforms on the First Layer of Kunxu, once the great hope of True Monarch Great Luminosity, were sabotaged at every turn, leading to their ultimate failure.
In True Monarch Great Luminosity’s eyes, Kunxu’s upper echelons were filled with incompetent reactionaries who relentlessly exploited those below them, treating the Finance Department like their personal moneybags.
Only now, with the upper and lower realms divided, has Kunxu finally seized an unprecedented opportunity — a transformative moment unseen in centuries, perhaps millennia.
True Monarch Great Luminosity sighed, “The Heavenly Court is mired in conservatism and incompetence, the sects are greedy and short-sighted, and the Immortals remain aloof and detached… Which Financial Cultivator among us doesn’t yearn to overturn the heavens and earth, to forge a better Kunxu?”
“Capturing Bai Zhenzhen, converting Zhang Yu, approaching Magnetic Pole… I wholeheartedly support this entire plan. But…”
True Monarch Great Luminosity turned to the Auspicious God and said, “I ask the Alliance Leader to grant me one request.”
“I ask the Alliance Leader to accept my bow.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity knew that bringing Zhang Yu to the Fifth Layer of Kunxu and fully integrating him into the Righteous Qi Alliance was a mission orchestrated by the Alliance Leader himself.
If True Monarch Great Luminosity could formally acknowledge Fu Xiantian, the Immortal Heaven’s disciple, as his adopted father or even ancestor, he was ninety percent certain he could leverage the Immortal’s disciple’s Qi Luck to overcome his current bottleneck and ascend to the Spirit Transformation Realm.
Auspicious God said, “I can arrange for you to meet the Alliance Leader on the Fifth Layer.”
“Whether he will accept your formal bow is beyond my guarantee.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity nodded. “No problem.”
“With my assistance, capturing Bai Zhenzhen won’t be difficult. But how do you plan to make her join the Righteous Qi Alliance and become a believer? She likely won’t agree easily.”
Auspicious God replied confidently, “Don’t worry. I’ll hire a Finance Department expert from Joyful Union University to record the process of implanting the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier into Bai Zhenzhen. By tainting her with this forbidden Immortal Sect Technique, she’ll have no choice but to submit.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity asked, “Who did you find? Taking such a risk and sacrificing your cultivation in the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier — that’s no small loss. It won’t be easy to persuade someone to do that.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity knew that even tutoring a Golden Core Cultivator required a substantial investment. Infiltrating enemy territory and sacrificing cultivation in an Immortal Sect Technique would demand an even greater price.
Auspicious God assured him, “Rest assured, no matter the cost, I’ll secure the right person.”
Kunxu Second Layer.
A young-looking cultivator slowly rose from a corpse.
“Haha, they’re so fragile! Dead already?”
He grinned at the live-streaming camera and declared, “Enemy rear 1000-kill streak, mission complete.”
Surveying the drained corpses of cultivators around him and glancing at the frantic barrage of comments in the live chat, the youth burst into laughter. Before reinforcements from the Ten Great Universities could arrive, he shot skyward, piercing through the heavens in a single breath and returning to the Righteous Qi Alliance’s territory on the Third Layer.
Just then, a message from Auspicious God appeared in his Bionic Eye. The youth’s gaze sharpened as he read, “You want me to travel all this way deep behind enemy lines just to transfer my Immortal Sect Daoist Arts cultivation to Bai Zhenzhen, and benefit a mere Golden Core stage cultivator like her?”
Auspicious God: “True Monarch Joyful Ease, I’ll give you 1 million Righteous Qi Value upon completion.”
True Monarch Joyful Ease replied coolly, “Auspicious God, you should know… the sacrifice I’m making here is considerable.”
Auspicious God: “10,000 Spirit Coins. Isn’t that enough for your sacrifice?”
Inside the Self-Cultivation Building, Zhang Yu’s True Spirit Root had become increasingly active in recent days, radiating a surging vitality under his cultivation efforts.
Zhang Yu could sense that as he nourished the Divine Spirit Root with one 30th-level cultivation art after another, it was gradually undergoing a profound transformation.
“Nine cultivation arts completed. Only one remains.”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a delivery person’s voice.
Zhang Yu asked, “A-Zhen, did you order medicine?”
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head in confusion. “I didn’t order anything.”
Sweating profusely, Bai Zhenzhen opened the door and asked the delivery person, “Where is this delivery from?”
After a moment, she closed the door and said, “The delivery person seems to have made a mistake.”
Shortly after, on the roof of the Self-Cultivation Building, True Monarch Great Luminosity casually waved his hand, reducing the delivery person’s corpse to ashes.
Simultaneously, True Monarch Great Luminosity transmitted the photo the delivery person had sent him to the others: “Confirmed. Bai Zhenzhen is here.”
In the building’s basement, True Monarch Flowing Gold silently unlocked a series of Spatial Magical Artifacts, stating calmly, “Preparations complete. We can initiate the operation at any time.”
In the corridor of the Self-Cultivation Building, True Monarch Joyful Ease gazed at Bai Zhenzhen’s photo and remarked, “Still a woman? Perfect. Saves me the cost of gender reassignment.”
Auspicious God said, “Let’s wait for the opportunity.”
“It should be soon.”
A day later.
In the high skies above Kunxu’s Third Layer, streaks of Spirit Transformation divine light swept across the horizon as the Spirit Transformation experts from the Ten Great Universities and the Righteous Qi Alliance engaged in a fierce battle.
Watching this scene, True Monarch Great Luminosity exclaimed in surprise, “You were waiting for this opportunity?”
True Monarch Great Luminosity knew that clashes and battles between the Spirit Transformation experts of the Ten Great Universities and the Righteous Qi Alliance erupted frequently.
Under such circumstances, it was clear that the Spirit Transformation experts’ control over their respective territories would be at its weakest.
“Auspicious God, you’re going to such lengths to deal with a Golden Core cultivator — using new technology, hiring three Nascent Soul cultivators, and even waiting for the Spirit Transformation experts to mobilize…”
True Monarch Great Luminosity said, “Auspicious God, you’re being far too cautious.”
Auspicious God replied, “I’ve failed twice before. This time, I absolutely cannot afford to fail again.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity nodded. “Good. A lion hunts a rabbit with all its might. I admire your prudence.”
Meanwhile, the entire Self-Cultivation Building remained eerily calm. The cultivators in their individual rooms sensed nothing amiss, each focused on their work, cultivation, or studies.
Inside his private room, Zhang Yu, who was nurturing the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo, suddenly narrowed his eyes. With his Level 40 Kunlun in the Palm and Level 21 Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier, he had already sensed the violent spatial distortions.
“The entire building has been sealed off…”
Zhang Yu led Bai Zhenzhen out of the room, his brow furrowing again. “The signal’s been cut off too?”
He tried to contact the outside world through his Bionic Eye, but found that both Spirit Realm and Dark Spirit Realm signals were completely blocked.
“A spatial lockdown that also blocks signals? And such a vast area in such a short time… Could this be new technology from the Righteous Qi Alliance?”
The next moment, Zhang Yu was astonished to discover that the Self-Cultivation Building had been divided into layers of spatial lockdowns.
Simultaneously, True Monarch Flowing Gold effortlessly bypassed the spatial barriers, advancing directly toward them.
When he saw Zhang Yu, his face froze for a moment. “Zhang… Yu?”
“Zhang Yu’s here too? The intelligence didn’t mention him being here.”
The momentary surprise vanished as True Monarch Flowing Gold’s expression shifted to one of tense excitement.
“Zhang Yu is here!”
Meanwhile, True Monarch Joyful Ease thought to himself, “Oh? Hit the jackpot? If it’s Zhang Yu, don’t forget to include the gender transformation compensation in my share.”
True Monarch Great Luminosity’s voice echoed from above: “Keep him pinned down. Don’t let him escape.”
Shielding Bai Zhenzhen behind him, Zhang Yu faced True Monarch Flowing Gold.
However, True Monarch Flowing Gold had disguised his identity and altered his appearance, so even Zhang Yu couldn’t recognize him as the Nascent Soul cultivator True Monarch Azure Void had slain long ago.
Yet, sensing the man’s surging aura and seeing his Nascent Soul manifest, Zhang Yu knew his opponent’s cultivation realm without needing further confirmation.
“A Nascent Soul cultivator.”
Twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords shot forth from Zhang Yu’s Great Void Cloud Repository, forming a sword formation that spread in all directions, relaying every perceivable detail of the surroundings.
Zhang Yu thought, “Besides this one, there seem to be two more Nascent Soul cultivators approaching.”
He turned to True Monarch Flowing Gold and asked, “Did you only deploy three Nascent Soul cultivators this time?”
True Monarch Flowing Gold’s gaze sharpened, and he sneered, “Only?”
Zhang Yu nodded, loosening his muscles and slowly replied, “If it’s just three Nascent Soul cultivators, you’re the ones who should be running next.”