Chapter 709: Dao Seed Upgrade, Special Foundation Establishment Approval, Final Battle Begins
The blood-soaked earth was littered with tens of thousands of corpses. Severed arms and mangled limbs lay scattered like trash.
A Nascent Soul True Monarch who arrived at the scene surveyed the carnage and roared in fury, “These monsters of the Demonic Cults’ Evil Gods! Slaughtering so many Qi Refinement Kids without a second thought?”
“What a waste! What a sin!”
As he spoke, countless sword lights suddenly erupted from within his body.
He stared in shock as the sword lights burst forth from his eyes, screaming, “Who’s there?!”
He watched in disbelief, unable to comprehend why this terrifying sword qi was surging from his meridians, Dantian, and even his Sea of Consciousness.
In the next instant, the sword lights tore his body to shreds, leaving even his Nascent Soul no escape.
Only after slaying the Nascent Soul True Monarch did True Monarch Immortal Slayer of the Righteous Qi Alliance slowly materialize in the air.
As he gazed at the corpses strewn across the ground, a flicker of dissatisfaction appeared in his eyes.
“Too slow.”
Even though True Monarch Immortal Slayer had already slaughtered millions since the war began, he still considered it far too slow.
After all, according to the plan he and his master Fu Xiantian had devised, they intended to annihilate all living beings on the second to fifth layers of the world and send them into Reincarnation.
At the current rate of slaughter, achieving this goal remained a distant prospect.
True Monarch Immortal Slayer was well aware of this, but he was willing to do anything — to kill — even if it only slightly reduced the workload for the subsequent stages of their plan or marginally increased the chances of creating the New World.
Just then, a message from Fu Xiantian arrived through his Bionic Eye.
His heart jolted. “Has Master emerged from seclusion?”
Fu Xiantian: “I have decided to initiate the plan ahead of schedule. We will shatter the Fifth Layer and annihilate all Ten Universities Spirit Transformation Experts.”
Fu Xiantian: “Return and oversee the great formation.”
True Monarch Immortal Slayer’s gaze sharpened as he solemnly declared, “So, it begins at last?”
A surging battle spirit and intense killing intent blazed in his eyes, as if the Kunxu Heaven and Earth before him were about to ignite.
“This mad, demonic, utterly beyond redemption world… has finally reached the day when it will be completely consumed by flames, reduced to ashes.”
“From now on… we will completely reshape this world, guiding it onto the righteous path.”
With Fu Xiantian’s emergence from seclusion, the entire Righteous Qi Alliance — whether original Finance Department cultivators, Demonic Cult members, or Evil Gods and their worshippers — began operating at full speed.
Massive quantities of resources flowed back and forth between the Fourth and Fifth Layers, like vital energy coursing through blood vessels, delivering essential nutrients and energy to key areas of the body, preparing for the impending cataclysmic eruption.
The rank-and-file members of the Righteous Qi Alliance remained completely unaware, oblivious to the unprecedented Final Battle that was about to sweep through all layers.
As the Righteous Qi Alliance mobilized its forces, slowly grinding into motion like a war machine, Zhang Yu was busy exchanging messages with the many new friends he had added after the press conference.
Divine Monarch Nether Spring: “Zhang Yu, stop calling me ‘Auntie’! It makes me sound ancient.”
Divine Monarch Nether Spring: “We’re barely 500 years apart.”
Divine Monarch Nether Spring: “Just call me “Sister” from now on. [Smiling emoji]”
Zhang Yu: “Wouldn’t that be a bit awkward? Wang Yin and I are peers, so wouldn’t that make me his uncle?”
Divine Monarch Nether Spring: “[Laughing and crying emoji] You really know how to make your sister laugh!”
Divine Monarch Nether Spring: “Let’s just keep things separate. You call me ‘Sister’, Wang Yin can call you ‘Brother’, and you can call him ‘Little Wang.’”
As Zhang Yu read Divine Monarch Nether Spring’s messages, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: “Divine Monarch Nether Spring is so approachable. How can Little Wang be so arrogant?”
“Or is it just that Sister Nether Spring is being approachable specifically to me right now?”
Zhang Yu didn’t need to think twice to know the latter was definitely the case.
Especially after the press conference ended, more and more people added him as a friend — elites from various universities, leaders, and wealthy individuals. Each one spoke with such polite and flattering words, constantly reinforcing Zhang Yu’s sense of the world’s goodwill.
Among the many friend requests Zhang Yu received after the conference, only Divine Monarch Nether Spring was a Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch.
The other Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs from other universities all sent their subordinates or disciples to communicate with Zhang Yu.
In comparison, Divine Monarch Nether Spring naturally appeared much more approachable.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Netherworld University seems genuinely committed to cooperation. They’re likely one of the fastest places to promote the Shared Great Void.”
“Vajra and Heavenly Sword go without saying. With the principal and Divine Monarchs leading the charge, they’ll be the first to fully implement it.”
“Heavenly Demon and White Bone aren’t fully supportive, but they’re still pushing for cooperation.”
“We need to be cautious with Immortal Soldiers and Celestial Monsters…”
Zhang Yu’s mind raced through the shifting dynamics of the Ten Great Universities. He could already envision how his strategic guidance was driving change across each campus.
Just then, his Bionic Eye flashed, signaling a message from Zhao Tianxing.
Zhao Tianxing: “Zhang Yu, I did it! I reached Foundation Establishment!”
Feeling his dao heart surge across eleven levels, Zhao Tianxing couldn’t contain his excitement.
Even when his body was still intact and he ranked among the top students at Songyang High School, Zhao Tianxing had never dared to dream of achieving Foundation Establishment.
After all, within Songyang City, Foundation Establishment cultivators were considered unattainable figures. Among generations of Songyang cultivators who had attended university, only a handful ever reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Moreover, after becoming a Soul Cultivator, Zhao Tianxing completely abandoned any hope of ever breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Zhao Tianxing knew that his lack of ambition stemmed not from enlightenment, but from his own timidity and inferiority complex.
“The words ‘Foundation Establishment’ were never meant for a poor man like me to even dream of.”
Yet now, Zhao Tianxing had first secured a spot in the Junior College to Bachelor’s Degree Program, then obtained a specially approved Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate, and finally achieved a breakthrough in his Cultivation Realm within the Spirit Realm’s 100% simulated environment.
In other words, Zhao Tianxing had accomplished a rise that countless Soul Cultivator Students wouldn’t even dare to imagine.
Zhao Tianxing understood that a major threat facing Soul Cultivators was the gradual loss of connection to the physical world as they spent increasingly longer periods immersed in the Spirit Realm. Their consciousness would become lost in the Spirit Realm’s endless illusions, a phenomenon known as Mind Melt.
The most effective way to slow down Mind Melt was to immerse oneself in a 100% simulated environment.
Of course, calling it a 100% realistic environment was just marketing hype; it couldn’t truly be perfect.
The exact number of decimal places after 99%, and how closely it approximated the physical world, remained a mystery to ordinary cultivators.
Even so, within this environment, Soul Cultivators felt as if they had regained their physical bodies, experiencing everything as vividly as in the physical world. They could even achieve breakthroughs and advance their dao hearts within this simulated reality.
However, maintaining a 100% realistic environment came at an astronomical cost. The spiritual energy required, the advanced equipment used, the wear and tear on the equipment, and the upkeep of various resources… all demanded exorbitant sums.
Moreover, the higher a Soul Cultivator’s Cultivation Realm, the greater their consumption in this regard, and the costs escalated exponentially.
Yet only Soul Cultivators with sufficiently high Cultivation Realms could earn enough money to sustain such expenses.
The more they earned, the more they spent; the more they spent, the more they needed to earn. Trapped in this relentless cycle of earning and spending to survive, all Soul Cultivators seemed destined to succumb to Mind Melt in the end.
But for Zhao Tianxing, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, none of this mattered. He felt only boundless joy and happiness, unwilling to dwell on the looming threat of Mind Melt.
Zhao Tianxing immediately shared his joy and excitement with Zhang Yu.
Seeing Old Zhao’s message, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia, remembering the pure joy and exhilaration he had felt when he first broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
“Alas, that joy has long since faded,” he thought.
“Even if I were to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm now, I wouldn’t feel the same happiness as back then.”
After a moment’s reflection, Zhang Yu replied to Zhao Tianxing: “Keep going, Old Zhao. Foundation Establishment is just the beginning. Keep moving forward.”
Just then, Zhang Yu heard someone calling his name.
“Zhang Yu?” Le Mulan looked back at him, puzzled by his sudden stop.
“It’s nothing,” Zhang Yu said. “Let’s continue.”
Zhang Yu closed the chat window with Zhao Tianxing and focused a strand of his consciousness to channel Magic Power into Le Mulan’s body, infusing her with wisps of his own Magic Power.
He was currently enhancing her Magic Power and Magic Power Quality.
“By today, I should be able to help Le Mulan advance her Dao Seed by one level,” Zhang Yu thought to himself.
As Zhang Yu assisted Le Mulan, Yin Jiurao waited silently outside their office.
To support the front lines, the pharmacology professor had brought all her students to the Ten Schools Campus near the Grand Void.
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of reflection. Back when Zhang Yu was a senior student, she and Zhang Yu had been inside the door while Le Mulan waited outside.
Now, just a few short years later, she was the one waiting outside while Le Mulan and Zhang Yu were inside.
“Is this what they mean by ‘the student surpasses the master’? My disciple is quite remarkable.”
Hearing Le Mulan’s occasional soft hums from inside the room, Yin Jiurao’s mind drifted into speculation.
“I warned Le Mulan long ago to seize the opportunity and use her relationship with Zhang Yu to obtain the materials early. She acted indifferent on the surface, but it seems she secretly took my advice.”
As for her office being temporarily borrowed, Yin Jiurao considered it a trivial matter. After all, when conducting Immortal Dao research, one shouldn’t be bound by petty details.
A moment later, Yin Jiurao watched Zhang Yu emerge from the door and smiled. “True Monarch Blazing Light, leaving so soon? There’s no need to rush. You can use this office for as long as you need.”
Zhang Yu chuckled awkwardly. “I apologize. I’ve been incredibly busy lately, and this matter was urgent. Since you weren’t here, I temporarily borrowed your office to assist Le Mulan with her cultivation.”
Yin Jiurao waved her hands dismissively. Zhang Yu was currently the most popular figure at Myriad Laws University, the focus of attention from all ten universities, a truly sought-after individual.
For someone like him, Yin Jiurao wouldn’t dream of asking him to leave; she would be begging him to stay.
Watching Zhang Yu’s departing figure, Yin Jiurao turned to Le Mulan, who was still clutching her stomach. “How is it? Did he give it to you?”
Le Mulan felt the surging magic power within her Dantian, as if it were about to overflow. She nodded, still clutching her stomach. “Yes, it’s all inside.”
“Inside your stomach?” Yin Jiurao exclaimed, alarmed. “How could it end up in your stomach?”
She scrutinized Le Mulan closely. “Can you vomit it out?”
Sensing the Magic Power she was gradually dissolving, Le Mulan said, “It’s almost completely digested.”
“Ugh,” Yin Jiurao huffed, “Why are you so greedy? Do you even know how much that’s worth? You just swallowed it whole?”
After a moment’s thought, Le Mulan replied, “I told Zhang Yu I didn’t want to digest it, but he insisted. He said it would be beneficial.”
Feeling the Profound Cold Meridian within her gradually transforming, Le Mulan knew Zhang Yu was right. It was indeed beneficial — and the benefits were substantial.
Yin Jiurao thought to herself, “Zhang Yu said it would be beneficial? Given his current status, he wouldn’t deceive us. Could there be some hidden mystery I’m unaware of?”
With that, Yin Jiurao grabbed Le Mulan’s hand and said, “Come, let me give you a checkup.”
Le Mulan waved her hands frantically. “No need, Teacher.”
While Le Mulan was experiencing the effects of her upgraded Profound Cold Meridian, Zhang Yu, through the Feather Book’s Dao Seed Register, could precisely sense the effects of the 3rd-tier Profound Cold Meridian.
The 1st-tier of the Profound Cold Meridian could freeze wounds, prolonging life. The 2nd-tier enhanced heat dissipation, extending the duration of physical bursts.
But now, at the 3rd-tier…
As Zhang Yu circulated his Magic Power, a portion of his internal organs in his chest and abdomen temporarily froze.
“The frozen body enters a state of rapid and highly efficient self-healing,” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “This self-healing isn’t just about treating injuries, it can even recover some of the lifespan lost from physical exertion.”
Zhang Yu knew that every physical movement, burst of energy, and expenditure of vitality eroded the lifespan of the physical body.
The 3rd-tier Profound Cold Meridian, however, could counteract this loss. By freezing and self-healing after each physical exertion, it could recover a portion of the lifespan lost.
“With this 3rd-tier Profound Cold Meridian, the lifespan of the physical body can be extended by at least double,” Zhang Yu mused.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “If others were to discover this, many would likely covet Le Mulan.”
Zhang Yu had already instructed Le Mulan to keep this matter confidential. Given his current standing at Myriad Laws University, with his protection, she wouldn’t need to worry about the secret being exposed for the time being.
Next, Zhang Yu reviewed the advancement requirements for the 4th-tier Profound Cold Meridian.
“30,000 units of Magic Power, 350% Magic Power Quality requirement — that’s equivalent to the Nascent Soul Realm level.”
Over the following week, with Myriad Laws University at its core and Vajra and Heavenly Sword as primary drivers, the production line for the Great Void Cloud Repository rapidly expanded, and advertisements flooded every corner of the world.
The plans at other universities progressed smoothly as well. As time passed, the first Great Void Cloud Repository Second Generation unit was sold, and the first Shared Great Void node was established. Zhang Yu felt that everything was moving in a positive direction.
But one day, shortly after Zhang Yu returned to his meditation chamber in the Research Association, he suddenly sensed Fu Ji leaping up.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Yu asked, puzzled.
“Something’s calling to me!” Fu Ji exclaimed. “This power… it’s the Evil God Register!”
Zhang Yu frowned. “The Evil God Register? I thought it could only summon you from the Dark Spirit Realm?”
Fu Ji sighed. “This means their Evil God Register has advanced further. The summons can now extend from the Dark Spirit Realm into the physical world.”
Zhang Yu asked, “What happens if we ignore it?”
Fu Ji replied, “If they persist, the summons will intensify, eventually triggering the Evil God Power within me, risking our exposure.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu frowned slightly. The feeling of being threatened made him uneasy.
Regardless, their immediate priority was to enter the Dark Spirit Realm and investigate what the Herald God was planning.
When Fu Ji and Zhang Yu entered the Dark Spirit Realm and responded to the Evil God Register’s summons, they found themselves in a conference room already filled with Evil Gods.
Fu Ji stared in astonishment. “What’s going on? So many Evil Gods? Have they summoned every Evil God from the Second to Fifth Layers? Is this some kind of annual review meeting?”
As Fu Ji appeared, all the Evil Gods turned to look at her, their gazes ranging from dissatisfaction and suspicion to curiosity and scrutiny.
The Auspicious God turned to Fu Ji and said, “Fortune God, you’re late. Why are you so delayed?”
Feeling the Auspicious God’s scrutinizing gaze, Fu Ji replied, “I was genuinely busy with urgent matters. It’s a miracle I could even make it. Get to the point.”
The Herald God intervened to stop their bickering, announcing, “To counter the Heavenly Court’s descent and the Ten Universities’ technological revolution, the Alliance Leader has decided to proceed with the Fifth Layer Demolition Plan.”
Upon hearing this, the newly informed Evil Gods erupted into murmurs, some excited, others tense, and still others worried.
Only the Evil Gods who had already known about the plan, such as the Auspicious God and the Joy God, remained calm and composed.
Zhang Yu’s heart tightened. “They’re going to blow up the Fifth Layer? This will only delay the Heavenly Court’s descent further, prolonging the war…”
Zhang Yu immediately began weighing the pros and cons, considering whether he should inform the higher-ups of the Ten Great Universities about this development.
The Herald God continued, “The Fifth Layer Blast is inevitable. To increase the plan’s success rate, the alliance has decided to fully publicize the plan, launching a saturation-level propaganda campaign to gather Qi Luck and channel it into the Fifth Layer Blast.”
An Evil God exclaimed in surprise, “Saturation-level propaganda? Are we going to make it common knowledge? Everyone will know we’re going to blow up the Fifth Layer?”
The Herald God replied, “Exactly. The Ten Great Universities’ greatest belief in this war is the imminent arrival of the Heavenly Court. If their students and faculty learn that the Heavenly Court’s descent can be delayed indefinitely, many will lose faith, and the Righteous Qi Alliance’s morale will surge.”
Another Evil God countered, “But most cultivators from the Ten Great Universities, especially the Spirit Transformation Cultivators, will never sit idly by. They’ll attack us, leading to a final, decisive battle.”
The Auspicious God interjected, “Let them come! It’s been too long already. Those useless fools in the Finance Department — do you really think their research can compete with the Ten Greats’ current experts? We’ve been fighting for over a year and a half, and our technological advantage has turned into a disadvantage. If we drag this out any longer, we’re doomed to lose.”
The Joy God, with his thousand hands, thousand feet, and thousand eyes, spoke with a glint in his gaze: “Before the Ten Great Universities fully realize their technological innovations, before they mass-produce new equipment, we must lure them to our territory for a final battle. This will give us the advantage.”
The Herald God added, “The Alliance Leader has emerged from seclusion. Having mastered Immortal Sect Daoist Arts, he intends to annihilate the Ten Universities’ Spirit Transformation Experts, paving the way for the unification of all realms.”
Hearing the news of Fu Xiantian’s emergence, many Evil Gods present were visibly shaken, their confidence surging.
“Has the Alliance Leader truly succeeded?”
“If Fu Xiantian has made this decision, I have no objections.”
“As Immortal Illuminated New Heaven’s personal disciple, how could the Ten Universities’ Spirit Transformation Experts possibly stand a chance against him?”
The Evil Gods clearly held unwavering faith in this Immortal’s disciple, unable to fathom any scenario leading to defeat.
Following this, the Herald God assigned tasks, instructing all Evil Gods to fully promote the Fifth Layer Demolition Plan.
With the conclusion of the Evil God Conference, the Dark Spirit Realm erupted like a powder keg. News of the Fifth Layer Blast exploded everywhere, reaching every user of the Dark Spirit Realm.
Daily sign-in tasks and pinned announcements all promoted the plan.
Missions to earn Righteous Qi Value invariably included tasks to spread awareness of the Fifth Layer Blast plan throughout the Spirit Realm and the Ten Schools Campus.
The news of the Fifth Layer Blast swept through every corner of the second to fifth layers like a raging storm.
Beyond disseminating information, the Righteous Qi Alliance opened its vaults to its elite cultivators, releasing vast quantities of resources to bolster their combat power to the maximum before the Final Battle.
Kunxu Fifth Layer, inside the Research Institute of Netherworld University.
True Monarch Great Luminosity prostrated himself with each step, fully unleashing the Mysterious Canon of Ancestral Transference. One after another, the ancestral tombs of Netherworld University shattered violently, the centuries-old and millennia-old corpses within trembling violently with each bow.
“May our ancestors manifest their divine power and bless their descendant, True Monarch Great Luminosity…”
With the Righteous Qi Alliance opening up its resources, True Monarch Great Luminosity seized the opportunity to rise. He not only restored his cultivation but also feasted voraciously within the Research Institute on the Fourth Layer of Netherworld University, devouring the ancestral resources.
After completing his prostrations before the ancestral tombs, he addressed the nearby camera: “To the members of Netherworld University, the resources of the Fifth Layer have now been widely released. Anyone willing to join the Righteous Qi Alliance will receive their share.”
“The Fifth Layer is about to be destroyed. The Heavenly Court you’ve been waiting for will never descend.”
“If you remain stubbornly unyielding, then accept my final bow.”
On the battlefield of Kunxu’s Third Layer, True Monarch Heaven Devourer, the self-proclaimed Great Sage’s Heir, roared ferociously. His massive, fur-covered claws suddenly expanded, pinning down hundreds of monsterfolk.
With a thunderous bellow, he shouted at the assembled monsterfolk: “Listen well, you little beasts! The Righteous Qi Alliance has decided to shatter the Fifth Layer!”
“The Fifth Layer will fragment into countless Small Worlds, forever beyond the Heavenly Court’s reach. They’ll never find us, never descend upon us again! Hahahaha!”
“Tell those scum from the Ten Great Universities to wait obediently for the Great Sage’s Heir to come and plunder them! No one can save you now!”
“I will reclaim everything Kunxu, the Ten Great Sects, the Ten Great Universities, and billions of living beings owe the Great Sage!”
On the Dark Spirit Realm’s social platform, True Monarch Junior College posted another video of himself suppressing a Ten Greats League competitor.
In the video, he stood with one foot planted on the dragon head of Ying Zhoufan from Celestial Monsters University, coldly declaring, “Another Top Ten Prodigy has been suppressed by me.”
“Hmph, the teaching quality of the Ten Greats is truly… utterly abysmal.”
“Millions of high school students, vocational school students, junior college students, lower college students… sacrifice their youth, shed their blood and sweat, and work themselves to the bone to earn money and build Kunxu. And this is what you lot amount to?”
“You take our support, trample on our heads, steal our opportunities, and still dare to look down on us.”
“But those days of luxury are over.”
“We will no longer allow ourselves to be exploited at your whim.”
Looking down at Ying Zhoufan beneath his foot, True Monarch Junior College said calmly, “Perhaps you still cling to the hope that the Heavenly Court will descend, restoring everything to the way it was — a world where you wealthy elites could continue to oppress us with impunity.”
“But I tell you now, there is no going back.”
“The Fifth Layer is about to be completely destroyed. The Heavenly Court you await will never come!”
At vocational colleges, students were watching a video transmitted from the Dark Spirit Realm.
In the video, True Monarch Calculated Deduction declared, “Don’t be fooled by the Ten Great Universities’ Shared Great Void scheme. It’s just a fundraising scam, a game of musical chairs. If you deposit your Spirit Coins there, you’ll never see them again.”
“Moreover, the Righteous Qi Alliance is about to activate the Fifth Layer Explosion Plan.”
“When that happens, the Fifth Layer will shatter into thousands of Small Worlds. The Heavenly Court will struggle to locate us, and reconnecting to Kunxu’s Fourth Layer will become impossible.”
“Immortal Illuminated New Heaven will find us first and lead us to the New World.”
“The tide has turned, everyone. Now it’s the Ten Great Universities who should be panicking.”
“Hold onto the Spirit Coins you were planning to deposit in the Shared Great Void. By next year, the Ten Greats will have utterly failed, the Righteous Qi Alliance will control all the layers, Immortal Illuminated New Heaven will have returned, and he will lead us in building the New World… By then, those Spirit Coins might even be enough for you to break through to Foundation Establishment, or even the Golden Core Realm.”
As the Righteous Qi Alliance mobilized, the leaders of the Ten Great Universities naturally received the news.
A heavy atmosphere settled over the campuses, like the calm before a storm.
Inside the Research Association, Zhang Yu stood before Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole. “Master…”
Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole sighed. “The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.”
“The principals and I have decided to launch an expedition to the Kunxu Fifth Layer.”
“We must stop them before they detonate the Fifth Layer.”
Turning to face Zhang Yu, she smiled. “My dear disciple, it’s time for you to pierce the heavens for us once more.”
Zhang Yu replied solemnly, “Teacher, I will fight alongside you to the end.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s burning resolve, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole shook her head. “What are you thinking? This is a battle for Spirit Transformation cultivators. What can a Nascent Soul cultivator like you possibly contribute? Just dig the tunnel and go home.”
Noticing Zhang Yu’s reluctance, Divine Monarch Greenwood chimed in, “Don’t worry, Zhang Yu. We are Spirit Transformation experts. If the sky falls, it’s our duty to hold it up first.”
“Besides, after so many clashes with the Righteous Qi Alliance, our Spatial Magical Artifacts have been greatly upgraded. We no longer fear their Immortal Sect Daoist Arts.”
“Just stay here and await our triumphant return.”
Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder. “Focus on your cultivation. Use the Research Association’s resources to improve yourself. That’s what you should be doing right now.”