Chapter 707: The Sword Spirit’s Approval
Seeing Divine Monarch Blade Commander’s silence, True Monarch Severing Clouds began listing names one by one.
When he mentioned Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu, Divine Monarch Blade Commander finally responded.
Divine Monarch Blade Commander: “Severing Clouds, I understand your intentions. You still want to struggle, but do you truly understand their intentions?”
True Monarch Severing Clouds paused, then immediately replied: “Is this about Bai Zhenzhen? Does Zhang Yu have something to do with this?”
Just then, True Monarch Severing Clouds noticed his messages were endlessly circling, failing to send.
The Spirit Realm’s signal had weakened to the point where communication with Divine Monarch Blade Commander was no longer possible.
“Bai Zhenzhen? Zhang Yu… Zhang Yu… Myriad Laws…”
True Monarch Severing Clouds stared at Zhang Yu’s profile picture in his contacts. In that moment, he saw only the man’s large, long hands and the dark, pitch-black skies of Heavenly Sword University.
“He actually wields such influence?”
“If you had this kind of influence, why didn’t you say so sooner? Why didn’t you say so sooner?!”
Clinging to the last shred of hope, True Monarch Severing Clouds began composing a message to Zhang Yu.
True Monarch Severing Clouds: “True Monarch Blazing Light, I sincerely apologize for the recent events…”
His mind raced at an unprecedented speed as he drafted a several-hundred-word apology letter, offering every possible concession. He poured his entire being into the message, like the sword artifacts he had once sold, and sent it all to Zhang Yu.
He watched with wide-eyed anticipation as the message successfully sent, miraculously unaffected by the Spirit Realm’s weakening signal. He let out a long sigh of relief.
But the next moment, when he saw the notification: “This user is not your friend,” his heart sank once more.
“Heh… already unfriended me?” True Monarch Severing Clouds chuckled bitterly. “He has no intention of ever speaking to me again.”
Just then, the Spirit Realm signal completely cut out. Waves of Sword Intent swept in from all directions, severing the connections between True Monarch Severing Clouds’ Bionic body, his magical artifacts, and his flying swords.
Inside the Meditation Chamber, Bai Zhenzhen sat cross-legged, while a petite figure stood before her.
The figure resembled a young maiden, dressed like an ancient female swordsman or heroine, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and bright, starry eyes. A faint aura of fiend energy and killing intent emanated from her.
Bai Zhenzhen recognized her as the Sword Spirit of the Spirit Transformation-level flying sword from the Sword Repository.
Since Bai Zhenzhen had entered the Meditation Chamber and her Spirit Realm connection had been severed, the Sword Spirit had bypassed all barriers, appearing before her in a way that defied detection by gods or demons, and initiated communication.
“Hmph, at least you didn’t sell off the Sword Repository outright,” the Sword Spirit said. “Seven Emotions wasn’t entirely wrong about you.”
“Your persistence in guarding the Sword Repository under Spirit Transformation pressure has earned my temporary approval.”
“With me here, your life will be safe from now on.”
Hearing the Sword Spirit’s boastful tone, Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t help but inquire about her origins.
The Sword Spirit’s casual use of Seven Emotions’ name further piqued her curiosity about their relationship.
The Sword Spirit replied proudly, “I used to be called Slaying Heaven, but they said that Dao Title violated regulations, so they changed it to Emotion Heaven. Just call me Emotion Heaven.”
“In my time, I was the first disciple of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao…”
“As for Little Seven Emotions, she is my grand-disciple.”
According to Qingtian Sword Spirit’s account, she had been the eldest disciple of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao in her lifetime. Her sword technique was imbued with profound emotion and righteousness. Even when her cultivation was only at the Golden Core Realm, she had roamed the world, slaying demons and monsters to uphold the Righteous Path.
But…
“Damn it! I was framed by a treacherous villain who accused me of practicing dual cultivation, forcibly cultivating with her, and stealing her cultivation.”
“From then on, I was branded a demonic witch, and everyone clamored for my head. Meanwhile, that villain rose through the ranks, eventually joining the sect.”
Hearing Qingtian Sword Spirit’s story, Bai Zhenzhen comforted her, “The Immortal Dao Technology of ancient times was too primitive, and cultivators were too ignorant. That’s why they condemned dual cultivation as a Demonic Path. Don’t worry, Ancestor, in this era, we won’t discriminate against you.”
“Bullshit!” Qingtian Sword Spirit retorted angrily. “I never practiced dual cultivation! It was all that villain’s lies!”
With a sigh, she added, “Heh, back then, they all claimed I secretly practiced the Dual Cultivation Dao and branded me a demonic witch.”
“Later, times changed. Even after the truth was revealed, they still labeled me the ‘Extreme Emotion Demonic Path Sword’ and sought to seal and suppress me.”
“From beginning to end, my Sword Heart has never wavered. What has changed is this increasingly mad and demonic world.”
Shaking her head, Emotion Heaven continued, “Your Extreme Emotion Sword Dao has reached a certain level. Show me your Sword Intent.”
Thus, for most of her time in the Meditation Chamber, Bai Zhenzhen continuously received guidance from the Sword Spirit, or discussed past and present events with her.
At this moment, Qingtian Sword Spirit suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re about to leave.”
She looked at Bai Zhenzhen with some surprise. “I thought I’d have to find a way to break you out myself. I didn’t expect Heavenly Sword University to finally do something decent.”
In the next instant, Qingtian Sword Spirit vanished without a trace.
Bai Zhenzhen called out, “Ancestor?”
Immediately, the Meditation Chamber door opened, and numerous cultivators streamed in, showering Bai Zhenzhen with concern and inquiries.
Soon after, she was escorted to the Sword Repository to complete the handover ceremony.
After declining numerous invitations and conversations from the cultivators, Bai Zhenzhen stood before the massive Sword Repository, still feeling a sense of bewilderment.
“Is that all?”
Just then, the Qingtian Sword Spirit materialized before her, urging, “Enough with the sighing! Let’s get us out of here first.”
“It’s rare for me to awaken. Time for a stroll.”
As she spoke, all thousand-plus sword artifacts in the repository began to tremble, as if responding to the Qingtian Sword Spirit’s call.
Bai Zhenzhen had indeed intended to take all the swords with her, but sensing the explosive Extreme Emotion Sword Intent emanating from each blade, she asked worriedly, “Ancestor, will they obey me?”
The Qingtian Sword Spirit laughed heartily. “Rest assured. You are the true successor of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao. Moreover, your guardianship of the Sword Repository has earned our recognition.”
With that, Bai Zhenzhen opened her Great Void Cloud Repository and began storing the thousand-plus sword artifacts into her space pouch.
“And… I should let Yu Zi know I’m safe.”
Kunxu’s Third Layer.
Inside the Research Association near the Grand Void.
Zhang Yu was practicing Immortal Sect Daoist Arts as usual.
At the same time, he divided a strand of his consciousness to monitor the situation at Heavenly Sword University. After receiving Bai Zhenzhen’s message, Zhang Yu understood that the matter was nearly resolved.
Immediately afterward, he received a message from Divine Monarch Blade Commander.
Divine Monarch Blade Commander: “True Monarch Blazing Light, thank you for your university’s timely reminder. This bitter medicine has allowed us to see clearly the chronic ailments within our institution, sweep away the gloom, and lay a solid foundation for future cooperation.”
Zhang Yu: “Divine Monarch, you are too kind. It is only thanks to the pure and righteous spirit of the Divine Monarchs at Heavenly Sword University that we were able to transform this trial into an opportunity for soaring advancement.”
Upon reading Zhang Yu’s reply, Divine Monarch Blade Commander let out a slight sigh of relief, then suddenly marveled inwardly. He never imagined that one day, when conversing with a Nascent Soul cultivator, he would feel a hint of nervousness.
Shaking his head, Divine Monarch Blade Commander began to probe and hint, trying to ascertain whether his industries could secure a place in the upcoming Immortal Dao Technology revolution.
As if he had been waiting for this question, Zhang Yu replied, “Regarding the Great Void Cloud Repository Second Generation technology, we have always intended to apply it to military applications…”
According to Zhang Yu’s description, the Great Void Cloud Repository Second Generation’s spatial barrier technology could actively specify the types of matter allowed to pass through it.
When applied to military applications, this would make it difficult for enemy attacks to penetrate while allowing friendly attacks to pass freely.
By leveraging this advanced technology, simply launching a Great Void Cloud Repository space pouch into the enemy’s battlefield could unleash tremendous destructive power.
Zhang Yu called this weapon the Great Void Flying Thunder.
In Zhang Yu’s eyes, it was essentially a missile encased in a spatial barrier — a missile that could only attack others and remained impervious to enemy attacks until the barrier dissipated.
Divine Monarch Blade Commander nodded repeatedly, as if already envisioning the future: Great Void Flying Thunder missiles launched above enemy battlefields, erupting into a cataclysmic bombardment of Thunderfire, while the enemy struggled to damage or intercept them.
Zhang Yu: “The factories under Myriad Laws have already been arranged. Now we need someone to coordinate the production of the Great Void Flying Thunder launch devices.”
Divine Monarch Blade Commander’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t his Flying Sword Factory perfectly suited for this task?
Although the military market for the Great Void Flying Thunder was undoubtedly much smaller than the civilian market for the Great Void Cloud Vault Second Generation, it was still a substantial opportunity.
This was especially appealing to Divine Monarch Blade Commander, whose industries were on the verge of shutting down. Zhang Yu’s proposal seemed like a lifeline.
However, Zhang Yu quickly shattered his hopes during the subsequent negotiations.
“I’ve already pushed the price to the absolute minimum. You want zero deposit? You expect me to cover all the upfront costs?”
Divine Monarch Blade Commander gritted his teeth. “The risk is far too great for me.”
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “We only pay a 0.5 Spirit Coin deposit for each component produced by Broken Radiance Divine Lord and the others. The remaining payment is gradually reimbursed after each Great Void Cloud Vault Second Generation unit is sold or after users pay their deposits for shared Great Void Cloud Repository access.”
“Your technology is less specialized, and there are plenty of manufacturers who can do this. If Heavenly Sword University hadn’t recently reformed its business practices and created such a favorable environment, we would have approached Vajra University or Immortal Armaments University instead.”
Divine Monarch Blade Commander quickly interjected, “Vajra University is just a workshop, still relying on human bodies for materials. They can’t keep up with your university’s future production capacity.”
“And Immortal Armaments University? They’re just a sieve — technology leaks out faster than they can earn a single coin back.”
After casually disparaging his competitors, Divine Monarch Blade Commander declared, “Only Heavenly Sword University is truly suited for this task. Even at tens of thousands of miles away, our flying swords maintain accuracy within half a meter.”
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “Heavenly Sword University isn’t the only one capable of this.”
Divine Monarch Blade Commander took a deep breath, feeling like a drowning man desperately grasping at a straw.
“Just a mere Nascent Soul cultivator.”
“Daring to act so arrogantly, relying solely on his sect and university?”
Sensing Zhang Yu’s confident demeanor and the price he would have to pay, Divine Monarch Blade Commander’s sword qi surged around him. He nearly lunged at Myriad Laws University, wanting to tear Zhang Yu limb from limb.
The feast he had initially imagined — feasting on meat — had gradually dwindled to sipping broth during their conversation. By the end, even the broth was being diluted with water. Divine Monarch Blade Commander watched helplessly as his projected profits shrank again and again, fueling his rage.
But when Divine Monarch Blade Commander thought of Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole and Divine Monarch Greenwood backing Zhang Yu, the impending technological revolution, and the four other Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs from Heavenly Sword University who were eager to kick him while he was down, he knew he couldn’t act rashly.
“Fine, I’ll endure this.”
Yet he firmly etched Zhang Yu, this Nascent Soul True Monarch, into his memory.
True Monarch Severing Clouds had once flaunted his arrogance and acted with impunity within Heavenly Sword University, relying on Blade Commander’s authority.
Now, in Blade Commander’s eyes, Zhang Yu was no different from Severing Clouds — merely leveraging Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s influence.
And if one day Magnetic Pole lost favor with him, or decided to sacrifice Zhang Yu, he would be abandoned just like Severing Clouds had been.
“Fool,” Blade Commander thought, sneering inwardly as he stared at Zhang Yu’s avatar. “Magnetic Pole is just using you as a pawn to antagonize others. This Seven Emotions Sword Repository incident is clearly just a pretext to drive down our price.”
Despite his contempt, Blade Commander ultimately agreed to all of Zhang Yu’s demands.
Kunxu’s Third Layer, within the Research Association.
Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole smiled with satisfaction as she reviewed Heavenly Sword University’s final bid. “Zhang Yu, you’ve done well this time.”
“I originally thought you’d be nervous or afraid when facing a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch, too timid to negotiate directly.”
“But you not only negotiated, you managed to drive the price down so aggressively.”
As she studied Zhang Yu, Magnetic Pole saw more and more of her own past self — the audacity to slam her fist on the principal’s desk demanding funding.
In her view, a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm who dared to confront the pressure of a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch possessed a remarkable dao heart.
And one who dared to demand money directly from a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch at that cultivation level possessed an even more steadfast dao heart.
As for a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm who could confront a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch, negotiate fiercely, and slash their massive profits — that cultivator undoubtedly possessed an unwavering dao heart, destined to ascend to the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao.
After a moment’s thought, Magnetic Pole decided to give Zhang Yu even greater responsibilities.
“Regarding the upcoming press conference…”
Kunxu Second Layer.
Netherworld University.
Wang Yin sighed, “Is it finally time? Myriad Laws’ new product.”
He logged into the Spirit Realm and projected himself to the launch event.
As he scanned the crowd, Wang Yin was slightly surprised. “Zhang Yu… isn’t here?”
“He was definitely present last time, wasn’t he?”
As the event was about to begin, Wang Yin noticed Zhang Yu still hadn’t appeared. He thought to himself, “Could he have embezzled too much funding, finally triggering a backlash within Myriad Laws? They’ve even barred him from attending the launch.”
Shaking his head, he mused, “He’s probably watching the livestream now.”
But the moment the launch officially began, a familiar figure gradually materialized on the stage.
“Zhang Yu?”