Chapter 697: Sword Embryo Upgrade, Adoptive Father
“Shouldn’t we be the ones running?”
Hearing Zhang Yu’s words, True Monarch Flowing Gold thought to himself, “Truly… such low-grade taunting skills.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold chuckled coldly. “Zhang Yu, your childish provocations put my mind at ease.”
“Because now I see that you’re not just lacking in strength, but also in practical combat skills.”
Zhang Yu smiled inwardly. “Excellent. With this attitude, you won’t easily flee before my reinforcements arrive.”
As they spoke, True Monarch Flowing Gold released his Nascent Soul — a portly old man with a bulging belly.
“The battle of Nascent Soul Cultivators is the battle of Nascent Souls.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold understood that the cultivation art empowered by the Nascent Soul was often the cultivator’s greatest strength.
It was the art chosen upon breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, when forging their Extraordinary Meridians.
It was the power honed through years of daily practice, refined through countless trials, and tempered by experience — the ultimate force, strengthened through layers of enhancements, and unleashed as the cultivator’s most potent weapon in battle.
All other Bionics, magical artifacts, and cultivation arts typically served as auxiliary support, with this at their core.
The moment True Monarch Flowing Gold released his Nascent Soul, it signaled his readiness to unleash his full power.
His rotund Nascent Soul let out a wail and immediately activated the Finance Department’s military-grade cultivation technique, the Burning Path Life-Lending Sutra.
An invisible flame seemed to ignite from True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul.
Having reached the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages years ago, this military-grade cultivation technique had been his lifeline since his Foundation Establishment days at the University — his strongest and most familiar art.
True Monarch Flowing Gold still remembered the day he first obtained this technique, the excitement he felt, and the boundless expectations he held for the future.
Back then, not every Finance Department student was wealthy.
True Monarch Flowing Gold himself had been far from rich, relying on loans and selling everything he owned to afford his studies and cultivation.
The Burning Path Life-Lending Sutra had been the perfect military-grade cultivation technique for him at the time.
Magic Power, Magic Power Quality, physical strength, dao heart — all the fruits of his arduous cultivation could be channeled to fuel this technique.
By burning all of his cultivation, he could temporarily gain a tremendous burst of power.
True Monarch Flowing Gold had relied on this cultivation art, enduring countless cycles of arduous practice, burning his cultivation, rebuilding it, and burning it again…
He had rebuilt his cultivation nearly seven times, progressing from the early to late stages of Foundation Establishment. Using the explosive power gained from each burning, he secured four competition championships, successfully earning his recommendation for graduate studies and becoming a Master’s student in the Finance Department at Netherworld University.
At that time, True Monarch Flowing Gold vowed to himself that he would never rebuild his cultivation again. He would never work part-time jobs again. He would become the wealthiest man alive…
Now, as invisible flames erupted around True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul, his vital statistics plummeted.
His Magic Power, once at its peak of 100,000, gradually dropped to 90,000, 80,000, 75,000…
His physical strength, originally at its peak of Level 40, plummeted to Level 39, 38…
Even his dao heart, previously at Level 40, instantly fell to Level 39.
Yet as his cultivation regressed, his Nascent Soul underwent a dramatic transformation. The once-portly old man morphed into a lean, middle-aged man.
At that moment, shouts erupted from all around.
Clearly, with the building’s signal disrupted, cultivators using the self-cultivation rooms were emerging to investigate. Some noticed the commotion but couldn’t see True Monarch Flowing Gold’s burning Nascent Soul.
A security guard spotted the anomaly and began to speak, “Sir, please…”
“Get lost…”
True Monarch Flowing Gold spat out a single word. His Nascent Soul, now burning in the form of a middle-aged man, flicked a finger. The bodies of several security guards exploded violently, erupting into clouds of blood mist.
The surrounding cultivators watched in horror, immediately retreating into their self-cultivation rooms and slamming the doors shut.
As he gazed at the security guards he had casually crushed, True Monarch Flowing Gold recalled his former self — the one who had struggled desperately in the Finance Department, derisively called a “rebuilding beggar” and a “desperate waste.”
Simultaneously, dazzling radiance erupted as the Heavenly Sun Radiance God burst forth from Zhang Yu’s Great Void Cloud Repository. With scorching golden flames and a rolling heatwave, it lunged toward True Monarch Flowing Gold.
The Heavenly Sun Radiance God, already at Level 31, possessed the power to incinerate mountains and boil seas. With its might alone, it could construct towering skyscrapers. If Zhang Yu so desired, it could even obliterate the entire Self-Cultivation Building and rebuild it anew.
Yet facing the Heavenly Sun Radiance God’s overwhelming momentum, True Monarch Flowing Gold merely focused his mind, urging his Nascent Soul to meet the “God” head-on.
Boom!
The Heavenly Sun Radiance God and True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul collided in a cataclysmic clash.
Blazing flames completely engulfed the Nascent Soul.
Even with Zhang Yu’s attempts to control the inferno, the surrounding floor and ceiling gradually melted under the stray heat.
But amidst this extreme conflagration, True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul roared, shattering the flames with a series of punches, each blow pulverizing the fiery onslaught.
Again and again, the flames surged against the Nascent Soul, only to be repeatedly crushed by its relentless strikes.
In the next instant, the Nascent Soul seized the Heavenly Sun Radiance God’s head in its grip.
“In this world,” True Monarch Flowing Gold thought, “it’s either you exploit others or they exploit you.”
His gaze swept over the blood mist of the security guard, past the roaring Heavenly Sun Radiance God, and finally settled on Zhang Yu.
“Today, I infiltrated enemy territory and risked my life, all so I’ll never have to risk it again… I refuse to be exploited any longer. I will exploit everyone!”
With a furious roar from True Monarch Flowing Gold, the Burning Path Life-Lending Sutra reached its peak. As his cultivation burned fiercely, his Nascent Soul transformed from its middle-aged form into a youthful one.
Bang!
With a thunderous explosion, the Heavenly Sun Radiance God held by the Nascent Soul was violently torn apart, scattering into a shower of sparks that dissipated into the atmosphere.
“Pathetic.”
“Zhang Yu, let me capture you.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold reached out, his eyes gleaming with excitement, anticipation, and joy as he gazed at Zhang Yu. “If I can pull off this great feat! The Resurrection Debt will be paid! My overdue wages will be settled! The artifact spirit’s maintenance fees will be covered! Everything can be turned around!”
Whoosh!
Fueled by True Monarch Flowing Gold’s will, the youthful Nascent Soul roared and charged toward Zhang Yu.
In a flash, the Nascent Soul appeared before Zhang Yu, its hand reaching out to seize him.
Facing this onslaught, Zhang Yu’s expression remained icy. He gripped the Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword that had shot toward him and slashed at the Nascent Soul.
Bang!
The Level 31 flying sword shattered instantly under the Nascent Soul’s overwhelming power, fueled by True Monarch Flowing Gold’s burning cultivation. It proved utterly defenseless against such force.
Undeterred, Zhang Yu seized another Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword that shot toward him and unleashed another strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang…
Amidst a series of explosive clashes, Zhang Yu relentlessly slashed his flying swords at the Nascent Soul, each strike met with shattering blades and grievous wounds.
With every collision, the flying swords, acting as conduits for the Nascent Soul’s overwhelming force, transmitted the impact to Zhang Yu’s body, causing his flesh to rupture in countless places, spewing crimson mist with each strike.
After shattering twelve flying swords in quick succession, the Nascent Soul’s palm descended upon Zhang Yu’s head.
“It’s over…” True Monarch Flowing Gold thought.
But just as he did, Zhang Yu, drenched in blood, unleashed a punch that collided violently with the Nascent Soul’s palm.
Having endured twelve consecutive strikes, Zhang Yu was now confident that his Nascent Soul Realm Physical Mystic Power, the Formless Freedom Body, could withstand the opponent’s full-force attack.
Boom!
The ground beneath their feet shattered, creating a massive hole in the floor and leaving the entire level teetering on the brink of collapse.
Amidst the violent tremors, the cultivators who had been hiding in their rooms screamed in terror. They tried to escape through the windows, only to find the entire building sealed off. Desperate, they flung open their doors and fled in panic.
True Monarch Flowing Gold ignored the chaotic crowd, his gaze fixed on Zhang Yu, who floated in mid-air, his wounds slowly healing. “This guy… actually withstood my Nascent Soul strike?” he thought in astonishment.
Flowing Gold knew this wasn’t an ordinary Nascent Soul strike. It was a strike empowered by the Burning Path Life-Lending Sutra, fueled by burning Magic Power, dao heart, and physical strength, and further enhanced through multiple layers of amplification.
“Could this guy really have just broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm recently?”
“No wonder he was so confident… Zhang Yu, your confidence is indeed justified.”
Flowing Gold had to admit that Zhang Yu’s performance had exceeded his expectations.
Yet, he also felt a surge of relief. “If I had come alone, you might have actually escaped.”
“But thankfully… thankfully Auspicious God was cautious enough to bring us three along. Now we can claim this grand prize.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu saw the other two Nascent Soul Cultivators, one above and one below, tearing through the building’s floors, rapidly closing in on him.
The entire building seemed like a mere toy to these Nascent Soul Cultivators. A single charge or collision could rip gaping holes through the structure.
If not for their deliberate restraint to avoid drawing external attention and minimize structural damage, they could have leveled the entire building in the opening moments of the battle.
Simultaneously, True Monarch Flowing Gold’s warning echoed in their minds: “Be cautious. This brat’s Physical Mystic Power appears to be defensive and adaptive. Avoid prolonged engagement and aim for a decisive strike.”
Hearing this, True Monarch Great Luminosity thought to himself, “I never intended to use a second move anyway.”
Meanwhile, True Monarch Joyful Ease had already made his move.
A flash of light and shadow erupted from his body as the Nascent Soul detached itself.
The Nascent Soul manifested as a pair of conjoined twins, their forms androgynous and alluring. Their backs were fused together, and they emitted continuous peals of laughter.
“Zhang Yu, look at me.”
In Zhang Yu’s eyes, the conjoined Nascent Soul had transformed into the image of Bai Zhenzhen, radiating an overwhelming charm.
Immediately, Zhang Yu felt his Magic Power draining rapidly.
His brow furrowed as he desperately circulated his Magic Power, attempting to contain it within his body. But it was like trying to hold air in a punctured balloon; the Magic Power leaked out uncontrollably, almost impossible to stop.
True Monarch Joyful Ease chuckled softly, telepathically communicating to his companions, “He’s already fallen under the influence of my Concentric Bliss Sutra. His Magic Power will dissipate completely before long.”
“Of course, if you continue fighting him, his Magic Power will deplete even faster.”
Joyful Union University’s military-grade cultivation technique, the Concentric Bliss Sutra, could transform into the image most admired and cherished by its target, stirring their affections and turning them into the user’s lover.
The lower one’s cultivation realm and dao heart, and the more sentimental and loyal one was, the less resistance they had against the Concentric Bliss Sutra.
Once someone became True Monarch Joyful Ease’s lover, in the most severe cases, he could even transfer his injuries and debts entirely onto them.
Even without becoming a lover, merely admiring the image before one’s eyes would allow True Monarch Joyful Ease to manipulate their Magic Power, accelerating its depletion.
Admiration and aesthetic appreciation stemmed from one’s own thoughts. Unless one brainwashed oneself or underwent prolonged mental conditioning, these preferences couldn’t be easily altered.
Take Zhang Yu, for example. To him, Bai Zhenzhen’s appearance was inherently good, beautiful, and worthy of admiration.
This judgment had nothing to do with the current situation; it was a purely instinctive reaction to beauty, rooted deep within his heart. Under True Monarch Joyful Ease’s manipulation, his Magic Power continued to drain away.
“This guy…” Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes at True Monarch Joyful Ease, thinking to himself, “Was that a lucky shot? Or did he accurately pinpoint my greatest weakness right now… insufficient Magic Power?”
Meanwhile, on the other side, True Monarch Great Luminosity observed the scene and remarked indifferently, “Superfluous.”
In his view, both True Monarch Flowing Gold and True Monarch Joyful Ease’s repeated attacks were unnecessary and redundant.
To capture Zhang Yu, he alone could accomplish it with a single strike. The others would be better off securing the area, protecting the Self-Cultivation Building, and preventing the enemy from calling for reinforcements too early.
True Monarch Great Luminosity was the true martial force responsible for suppressing any unexpected situations that might arise during this mission.
As True Monarch Great Luminosity moved, fleeing figures exploded into bloody mist.
Amidst the ear-splitting screams of onlookers, Self-Cultivation Building users were pulverized by invisible forces, their remains splattering across walls, floors, and ceilings.
The force behind these gruesome explosions was none other than True Monarch Great Luminosity’s Nascent Soul.
The Nascent Soul resembled an infant, its long umbilical cord connected to a coffin.
What was the fastest way to suppress Zhang Yu? True Monarch Great Luminosity had pondered this question carefully during his preparations for battle.
Having cultivated the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference, True Monarch Great Luminosity had buried and venerated countless cultivators, acquiring their abilities one by one.
Among this diverse array of powers, he quickly identified the most suitable choice for the current situation:
Strength! He needed overwhelming, brutal force to violently suppress and capture Zhang Yu.
The Netherworld Disintegration Technique! This cultivation art involved self-detonating one’s body to unleash terrifying destructive power. In ancient times, it was a desperate, last-resort technique.
In the modern era, particularly after Netherworld University provided ample spare bodies, this technique became a standard for many wealthy individuals.
But True Monarch Great Luminosity was different. His Netherworld Disintegration Technique drew power from his ancestors, naturally disintegrating their bodies rather than his own.
“May our ancestors bless me today in suppressing this enemy and grant me success in all things.”
In a distant tomb, a coffin exploded with a thunderous roar, its contents reduced to dust. An intensely crimson light erupted, blasting the entire tomb into the sky.
Simultaneously, True Monarch Great Luminosity’s Nascent Soul trembled violently. A scarlet energy surged from the umbilical cord-like connection to the coffin, directly infusing the infant-like Nascent Soul.
In the next instant, the Nascent Soul’s hand, glowing crimson, swelled to colossal proportions, becoming a sky-covering claw that lunged toward Zhang Yu.
This strike was a desperate, ancestral-blessed attack — a final, all-or-nothing gamble unleashed after death, wielding power capable of dominating even the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Under True Monarch Great Luminosity’s assault, a palpable pressure crashed down, crushing every molecule of air in the vicinity.
The overwhelming force seemed to freeze every inch of space, leaving Zhang Yu helplessly watching as the Nascent Soul’s hand descended inexorably.
At the same moment, True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul also struck out with a palm strike. Having burned through his middle-aged form to revert to his youthful appearance, he channeled the power of the Burning Path Life-Lending Sutra, joining True Monarch Great Luminosity in a coordinated pincer attack from the left and right.
True Monarch Great Luminosity, observing the scene, frowned and muttered to himself, “Superfluous…”
Amidst the thunderous explosions, Zhang Yu plummeted like a falling star, driven downward by the combined force of the two attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Layer after layer of the ground shattered and collapsed under the impact.
True Monarch Great Luminosity and True Monarch Flowing Gold relentlessly pressed Zhang Yu down, smashing through thirteen floors before he crashed into the underground chamber.
Watching this, Bai Zhenzhen clenched her teeth, her fists tightening. The sword qi within her surged intermittently, urging her to rush downward.
But remembering Zhang Yu’s instructions, she forced herself to remain hidden, her gaze fixed on the underground space visible through the gaping holes in the floors.
Simultaneously, True Monarch Great Luminosity and his companions pursued Zhang Yu downward.
True Monarch Great Luminosity transmitted a message to the others: “When I strike, do not interfere.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold frowned, about to protest, when True Monarch Great Luminosity added, “Flowing Gold, haven’t you noticed yet?”
Flowing Gold paused, momentarily confused. Before he could ask for clarification, True Monarch Great Luminosity waved his hand, and a hurricane swept away the lingering shockwaves from the explosion.
Zhang Yu, who had been blasted underground, suddenly reappeared before the three figures.
Having been struck by their combined attack, Zhang Yu had crashed through multiple floors before slamming into the spatial barrier at the building’s base, finally halting his descent.
Though drenched in blood, his posture remained upright as he gazed upward at the trio.
True Monarch Flowing Gold was startled. “After our combined assault, he still has the strength to fight?”
True Monarch Great Luminosity replied coldly, “This brat… besides his terrifyingly robust physical body, he’s also remarkably skilled at using an opponent’s force against them. During our joint attack, he redirected your power against me.”
“If not for that, I would have defeated him with that strike.”
“Therefore, from now on… I’ll handle this alone.”
Facing the rapidly approaching Nascent Soul, Zhang Yu took a deep breath, feeling the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo within him surging with frenzied growth, as if impatient to be unleashed.
“Finally complete? Azure Lotus Sword Embryo…”
Just moments earlier, after Zhang Yu had completed nourishing the final cultivation art, the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo had advanced from the 2nd-tier to the 3rd-tier, entering a new phase of transformation.
Zhang Yu sensed that this transformation of the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo was fundamentally different from previous ones. He could feel his Feather Spirit Root and Bai Zhenzhen’s True Spirit Root diverging into entirely separate paths during this evolution.
“Have our Spirit Roots, forged by different environments, diverging growth patterns, and adaptive directions, finally diverged completely?”
As the transformation began, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen each switched back to their respective Spirit Roots, quietly observing every change in both.
The Feather Spirit Root, which had been nearing completion of its transformation, seemed to have been stimulated by the recent intense battle, accelerating its final evolution.
Under Zhang Yu’s influence, the Feather Spirit Root had continuously enhanced his defensive capabilities, strengthened his physique, and amplified the effects of his Chain Formation Diagrams. Having endured constant battering, it now seemed to have completed a comprehensive restructuring throughout his entire body.
Zhang Yu could sense that, through the Feather Spirit Root’s function, any attack striking him would have a portion of its energy absorbed and redirected to heal his injuries.
At the same moment, True Monarch Great Luminosity’s second strike descended.
With a thunderous roar, Zhang Yu stood motionless on the space barrier at the base of the Self-Cultivation Building, neither dodging nor evading, stubbornly blocking the attack.
“This strike… is even weaker than the last one.”
Zhang Yu felt a surge of delight. He sensed that part of the force impacting him was being absorbed by his Feather Spirit Root, transforming into strands of vital energy. Combined with his body’s enhanced vitality, this accelerated the healing of his injuries.
Three more strikes followed in quick succession, but Zhang Yu noticed the opponent’s destructive power steadily diminishing. Meanwhile, his own injuries continued to heal at an accelerated rate, making the situation increasingly manageable.
The more True Monarch Great Luminosity attacked, the more astonished and bewildered he became.
He could sense his attacks becoming increasingly ineffective against Zhang Yu, as if the man grew more vigorous with each blow.
Feeling the strange gazes of True Monarch Flowing Gold and True Monarch Joyful Ease around him, True Monarch Great Luminosity gritted his teeth.
True Monarch Joyful Ease: “Two full minutes have passed since we intervened. We must hurry.”
The four combatants were all powerhouses at the Nascent Soul Realm, their movements astonishingly swift. The series of fierce exchanges was dazzling to the eye, yet it lasted only a brief moment.
Hearing his companion’s reminder, True Monarch Great Luminosity understood he could no longer delay.
“To think I’d need to resort to this technique against a junior who has only just entered the Nascent Soul Realm,” he sighed, but without hesitation, he ceased his attacks.
He recalled his Nascent Soul and retrieved three incense sticks from his robes.
With a gentle breath, the incense sticks ignited spontaneously, emitting a faint, ethereal green glow.
True Monarch Great Luminosity gazed down at Zhang Yu and spoke slowly, “Zhang Yu, in today’s battle, you faced three opponents alone, your cultivation displaying unparalleled brilliance. Great Luminosity wishes to acknowledge you as his Adoptive Father, offering daily incense and worship from this day forward…”
As True Monarch Great Luminosity spoke, he and his Nascent Soul knelt simultaneously before Zhang Yu, the movement seamless and unwavering, honed through countless repetitions to a state of fluid, practiced perfection, and imbued with genuine reverence and solemnity.
Even though the person he was kneeling before and worshipping had just been his opponent, True Monarch Great Luminosity’s face showed no awkwardness whatsoever.
To True Monarch Great Luminosity, the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference was an incomparably powerful, practical, and advanced cultivation art.
The advanced philosophy embedded within this art shattered all past social structures, paving the way for a more progressive and production-oriented approach to the Immortal Dao.
He recalled the years when he had first begun cultivating this art, when countless individuals criticized it and its underlying philosophy.
“Many said I was wrong, that this art was flawed. But I knew I was right.”
“I deeply admire the first person who conceived of marriage, established families, and founded clans. In an era before the concept of marriage existed, they created an entirely new social relationship — the most advanced of its time — a relationship that ultimately transformed human history.”
“Yet in their time, their radical ideas must have been ridiculed by the ignorant masses.”
“They were like my past self, criticized, suppressed, and humiliated by those old conservatives…”
“But new relationships and new ideas will inevitably supplant all outdated thinking…”
Faced with Kunxu’s decay and the elders’ corruption, True Monarch Great Luminosity firmly believed that the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference and the philosophy of its founder represented a more advanced path — one capable of creating a Kunxu characterized by greater freedom and prosperity.
“The future will be a society where people can freely choose their ancestors, adapting and evolving human relationships as needed.”
He envisioned a world with accelerated growth, where all humanity belonged to a single family, pooling the accumulated power of all ancestors and the collective wisdom of generations. In this Kunxu, human and material resources would be allocated with optimal efficiency.
Therefore, to swiftly suppress Zhang Yu before him, True Monarch Great Luminosity could unhesitatingly offer worship.
Confident in the superiority of his enlightened thinking, he felt no ideological burden in acknowledging Zhang Yu as his Adoptive Father.
According to the standard procedure of the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference, worship could only be offered after the target’s burial — it was a cultivation art designed for venerating the dead.
If True Monarch Great Luminosity were to perform the ritual while the target was still alive, he would face severe backlash unless the target wholeheartedly consented.
Even with this backlash, the target would still be forcibly established as True Monarch Great Luminosity’s adoptive father.
After the first bow, True Monarch Great Luminosity could seize the target’s Qi Luck. After the second bow, he could claim a portion of the target’s cultivation. After the third bow, he could steal a portion of the target’s lifespan.
However, until the target’s death, True Monarch Great Luminosity would be unable to use the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference again, nor could he draw upon the power of any other ancestors. Furthermore, he would suffer various cultivation-related setbacks, hindering his progress.
Yet, to swiftly suppress Zhang Yu, to infiltrate Magnetic Pole, to advance the war effort, to secure the grand strategy of the second to fifth layers, and to secure his own future, True Monarch Great Luminosity was willing to endure these repercussions. He would bow to Zhang Yu as his adoptive father.
“Zhang Yu, become my adoptive father. Use everything you have to elevate me, to elevate the new Kunxu.”
As True Monarch Great Luminosity’s knees slowly descended, Zhang Yu felt an alarm bell ringing in his mind, an unprecedented sense of crisis surging through his heart.
This sudden sense of crisis was even more intense and terrifying than when Kuang Tianqing had attempted to forcefully advance her cultivation years ago.
Zhang Yu, who had been motionless just moments before, immediately darted aside, evading True Monarch Great Luminosity’s kneeling bow and streaking away like lightning.
“This guy…”
As he dodged, Zhang Yu’s mind raced.
Back during the Ten Greats League, as a participating cultivator, Zhang Yu had studied the military-grade cultivation techniques of each university. He had heard of the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference, though he had never faced an opponent who practiced it.
Seeing True Monarch Great Luminosity’s kneeling posture and sensing the waves of danger surging through him, he instantly recognized the sinister technique.
“This guy… he’s utterly ruthless.”
Even as Zhang Yu evaded, True Monarch Great Luminosity’s knees continued to descend inch by inch, shifting direction with uncanny precision, as if locked onto Zhang Yu’s every move.
True Monarch Flowing Gold and True Monarch Joyful Ease simultaneously attacked, restricting Zhang Yu’s movements and shrinking his escape space.
“No good…” Zhang Yu realized instantly. “At this rate, I won’t be able to dodge.”
Realizing that simple evasion was doomed to fail, Zhang Yu gradually steeled his resolve.
“Very well, then let you experience another facet of… the power I’ve cultivated through over a year of arduous training.”
With a palm strike across the void, Zhang Yu warped the entire battlefield space.
Immortal Sect Technique: Kunlun in the Palm… activated!
The simplest application of Kunlun in the Palm involved manipulating space to magnify or shrink objects.
But Zhang Yu understood that this Immortal Sect Martial Arts technique possessed far greater potential.
By applying uneven, non-uniform spatial distortions — expanding some areas while compressing others — he could twist vast stretches of space.
If space were a sheet of paper, Zhang Yu was crumpling, folding, and contorting it into impossible shapes.
At that moment, as Zhang Yu activated Kunlun in the Palm, True Monarch Flowing Gold’s body seemed to enter a funhouse mirror. Distorted by the warped space, he stretched into a noodle-like form and was yanked directly before True Monarch Great Luminosity.
Seeing True Monarch Great Luminosity kneeling before him, True Monarch Flowing Gold felt his scalp tingle. He immediately roared, “Stop!”
True Monarch Great Luminosity stared at True Monarch Flowing Gold, who had suddenly appeared before him. Remembering Flowing Gold’s crushing debt and the cultivation he had burned away, Great Luminosity was startled. His kneeling legs straightened instantly, and he rose to his feet.
The two turned simultaneously to Zhang Yu and shouted, “Kunlun in the Palm?”
Great Luminosity’s gaze locked onto Zhang Yu, his mind racing with astonishment. “Kunlun in the Palm… This isn’t the Kunlun in the Palm of a novice. To manipulate space to this extent, he must have reached at least the Nascent Soul-Tier.”
Even as he pondered, Great Luminosity abruptly slid to his knees again, bowing toward Zhang Yu.
Simultaneously, he transmitted a message to his companions: “Attack with full force from different directions!”
True Monarch Joyful Ease’s figure flickered, already circling behind Zhang Yu. “He’s newly entered the Nascent Soul Realm,” Joyful Ease said. “His Magic Power can’t be deep. He’s already lost much to me; he won’t be able to sustain Kunlun in the Palm for long.”
Zhang Yu snorted coldly. Kunlun in the Palm activated again, instantly shifting their positions and orientations.
In an instant, the three Nascent Soul powerhouses launched a relentless assault on Zhang Yu.
True Monarch Flowing Gold’s Nascent Soul had burned down to the size of an infant. Each punch and kick now unleashed a crushing, overwhelming force.
True Monarch Joyful Ease’s Nascent Soul erupted in a series of prolonged laughter, transforming into the likeness of Bai Zhenzhen and continuously draining Zhang Yu’s Magic Power.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Great Luminosity, Zhang Yu’s most formidable and threatening opponent, made each bow send shivers down Zhang Yu’s spine. The other two Nascent Souls trembled violently, fearing collateral damage.
Yet, besieged by three Nascent Soul powerhouses, Zhang Yu, wielding Kunlun in the Palm, stood like a towering peak amidst the heavens and earth, unshaken by the fiercest storms.
He deflected ordinary attacks with his physical body and masterful redirection techniques.
He evaded True Monarch Great Luminosity’s bows by constantly shifting Kunlun in the Palm.
The ever-twisting space even caused the three Nascent Souls’ attacks to occasionally interfere with each other, hindering their coordination.
“This won’t work…” True Monarch Great Luminosity analyzed rapidly. “This man is too difficult to kill. Ordinary methods of Suppression won’t subdue him in the short term.”
“Moreover, our combined efforts are constantly being redirected by his Kunlun in the Palm, distorting space… The more of us there are, the more complicated it becomes. Our powers interfere with each other. It would be better to fight him alone.”
“Either we exhaust his Magic Power until he can no longer resist, or…”
True Monarch Great Luminosity declared in a resounding voice, “Flowing Gold, withdraw and create a spatial barrier to compress his space.”
“His Kunlun in the Palm won’t be able to shake the barrier.”
“Joyful Ease, stand aside and provide support. Don’t engage directly unless necessary.”
Although the three True Monarchs had all cultivated the Immortal Sect Daoist Art, “Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier,” their limited practice time meant their mastery was insufficient for direct combat use. It was primarily intended for auxiliary purposes.
Under True Monarch Great Luminosity’s command, True Monarch Flowing Gold immediately withdrew from the fray and began casting the “Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier.” He gradually erected spatial barriers from the outside inward, steadily compressing Zhang Yu’s combat space.
As the intensity of the battle surged and both sides grew increasingly reckless, the entire building began to collapse.
Simultaneously, more and more figures surrounded the spatial barrier, and reinforcements continued to converge on the area.
Sensing this, True Monarch Great Luminosity gritted his teeth. He had never anticipated encountering Zhang Yu during a simple Golden Core capture operation, let alone that Zhang Yu could withstand their three-on-one assault for so long.
True Monarch Flowing Gold urged anxiously, “We can’t hold out much longer. If we delay, the entire building will be surrounded. We need to retreat now.”
A flicker of reluctance crossed True Monarch Great Luminosity’s eyes as he hesitated.
“Should we continue fighting? Zhang Yu is almost completely sealed off, and his Magic Power can’t possibly last much longer…”
“But what if we keep pushing and can’t escape?” After a moment’s hesitation, True Monarch Great Luminosity finally resolved to retreat.
“Zhang Yu… we’ll let you off this time. But next time…”
As he spoke, True Monarch Great Luminosity and the three Nascent Soul bodies slowly pierced through the spatial barrier in the ground, intending to use the underground spatial barrier to escape.
They could quickly pass through these barriers, but the reinforcements arriving from the Ten Great Universities wouldn’t have the same advantage.
Just then, Zhang Yu spoke, “So, you’re finally running away?”
Under True Monarch Great Luminosity’s astonished gaze, Zhang Yu retrieved an object from the Great Void Cloud Repository.
As the object gradually expanded, Zhang Yu said calmly, “I told you long ago, you’re the ones who should be running, right?”
“Now it’s too late.”
In the next instant, True Monarch Great Luminosity and his companions’ eyes widened as they watched the World-Piercing Cone in Zhang Yu’s hand grow larger.
With a crackling explosion, Zhang Yu used the World-Piercing Cone to tear a massive hole in the spatial barrier.
One… five… ten…
Waves of Nascent Soul-level pressure surged inward, crashing down upon True Monarch Great Luminosity and his companions.
True Monarch Great Luminosity’s heart sank. Recalling the normal course of battle, a sudden realization dawned on him: “This fellow… he had a way to break the stalemate all along. He deliberately dragged out the fight, engaging us in such fierce combat.”
“All to ensure we couldn’t escape.”