Chapter 712: Zhang Yu Emerges from Seclusion, Funeral
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Right now, the greatest help and support I can offer my two Teachers is to continue advancing the levels of Immortal Sect Daoist Arts, master more powerful Spatial Technology, and develop Spatial Magical Artifacts that will significantly benefit the war effort.”
To focus entirely on his cultivation and rapidly advance the level of the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier, Zhang Yu planned to isolate himself from all external affairs, dedicating all his mental and physical energy to cultivating Immortal Sect Daoist Arts. He would only exchange Spirit Roots with Bai Zhenzhen every few days to enhance his cultivation efficiency.
To this end, he temporarily severed his connection to the Spirit Realm Network, instructing Yu Xinghan, Bei Wufeng, and others to monitor external news and report only significant developments.
Thus, Zhang Yu immersed himself completely in his cultivation, continuously consuming the various resources provided by the Research Association and steadily advancing his cultivation.
Time flowed relentlessly onward.
One day, two days, three days…
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Zhang Yu exhaled a mouthful of stale air and scanned the Feather Book before him, noting the changes in its data.
Having completely neglected his Body Refinement Technique for the past month, Zhang Yu’s physical strength remained at level 37.49.
However, his dao heart and Magic Power had steadily increased due to the passive operation of his mental cultivation technique.
Although his dao heart had been repeatedly burned during the design of the Great Void Cloud Repository using the Encyclopedia of Celestial Technology, it had now reached level 36 (85.36%). This allowed Zhang Yu to exert perfect control over every inch of his flesh and blood, and every ounce of his power, both internally and externally.
Meanwhile, his Magic Power had surged to 38,959 units through relentless, day-and-night cultivation, flowing through his body like a surging river.
Of course, these basic improvements were merely byproducts of Zhang Yu’s passive cultivation. His greatest achievement over the past month was advancing the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier to level 40.
As he absorbed the insights, knowledge, and techniques flowing from this level 40 Immortal Sect Daoist Art within his mind, Zhang Yu experienced a strange illusion — a sense that he had cultivated this art for centuries, refining it through countless iterations.
“If I had been born in ancient times without the Feather Book’s assistance, it would likely have taken me centuries to advance this daoist art to the Nascent Soul Peak level.”
Zhang Yu clasped his palms together, then pulled them apart, causing a spatial barrier to materialize between them.
He could clearly sense that by channeling his Magic Power into it, he could continuously expand the barrier.
“This must be the foundational technology upon which the firmament is built.”
As he gazed at the spatial barrier he had created, Zhang Yu’s mind drifted back to the firmament he had breached a month earlier, relying on his Immortal Descendant heritage.
Comparing the two, he quickly concluded: “The Fourth and Fifth Layers of the firmament are far more formidable than this spatial barrier. This isn’t just because their technology is more advanced, but also because the firmament incorporates the power of formations.”
As knowledge and data flowed through his mind, Zhang Yu secretly calculated: “The cultivator who constructed the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the firmament must not only have mastered the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier to at least Level 40, but also be a grandmaster of formations, using formations to realize this firmament…”
After a month of seclusion, Zhang Yu had gained a deeper understanding of the formidable power of the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the firmament.
Although his mastery of the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier still fell short of his opponent’s, by combining this cultivation art with Kunlun in the Palm, he had gradually developed more ideas for breaking through the spatial barriers of the Fourth and Fifth Layers.
Recalling the external situation Yu Xinghan and Bei Wufeng had separately informed him of in recent days, Zhang Yu suppressed his urge to immediately emerge from seclusion.
“Even if I leave now, it would be pointless.”
“I need to design a product, something effective against the current crisis…”
As he activated the Encyclopedia of Celestial Technology, Zhang Yu felt a thunderous roar in his mind, as if a raging fire had erupted within.
A design blueprint for a magical artifact gradually materialized in his consciousness.
“It needs to be more accessible… to harness the power of more people…”
“Reduce the cost.”
“The cost must be further reduced to make it usable by more people…”
Several days later, Bei Wufeng, Jin Jun, Yan Qianji, and the others in the laboratory appeared distracted, frequently consulting the Spirit Realm Network through their Bionic Eyes, their expressions darkening with worry.
The rapidly shifting war situation and daily news updates weighed heavily on their minds.
Even a thin layer of dust had settled on some of the laboratory benches, suggesting they hadn’t been used in some time. The researchers had lost all focus on their work.
Just then, the laboratory door opened, and Zhang Yu’s figure appeared before them.
“True Monarch,” Jin Jun said, instinctively straightening up and looking at Zhang Yu in surprise. “What brings you here?”
Since the Spirit Transformation battle on the fourth and fifth layers had begun, Zhang Yu had entered complete seclusion.
Jin Jun hadn’t seen him since then, only observing countless resources being delivered to his Meditation Chamber, as if Zhang Yu were a bottomless abyss devouring the endless stream of Immortal Dao resources.
Zhang Yu nodded slightly to the group and glanced at the Heavenly Sun Radiance God and the twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords on the experimental platform.
These two military-grade magical artifacts, refined by several Nascent Soul experts from the Artifact Refinement Department with assistance from Bei Wufeng and others, had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, level 40.
Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye flashed as the two artifacts levitated into the air, drawn into his Great Void Cloud Repository.
Simultaneously, he received comprehensive data, usage manuals, and safety precautions for the level 40 artifacts.
The level 40 Heavenly Sun Radiance God could scorch a thousand-mile radius into barren wasteland, wielding the power to boil mountains and incinerate seas. More impressively, it could refine vast quantities of matter into Magic Power.
The level 40 Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Sword’s sword formation could radiate across a thousand miles, channeling power freely within its boundaries to cleave the Spirit Realm and detect enemies.
In essence, these two level 40 artifacts compensated for many of Zhang Yu’s shortcomings after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, addressing his insufficient accumulation of resources.
As for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God that Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole had used to return him, that was her personal artifact. After delivering him, it naturally returned to the battlefield. Zhang Yu had come to the laboratory after emerging from seclusion to retrieve his own artifacts.
Zhang Yu then turned to another Bionic Eye on the laboratory table and said, “Is the Level 40 Nine Nether Demon Eye ready? Please help me install it.”
During his Foundation Establishment Stage, Zhang Yu had used the Nine Nether Demon Eye, a Bionic Eye capable of piercing through Soul Cultivators, freezing Yin Souls, and specializing in Spirit Realm offense and defense.
However, after successively breaking through to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realms, Zhang Yu hadn’t had time to replace it with a more suitable Bionic Eye. He had temporarily settled for a basic Nascent Soul-Tier model.
Now, with the newly refined Nine Nether Demon Eye from Myriad Laws University, Zhang Yu’s vision of the laboratory suddenly became overwhelmingly detailed. Soul Cultivators clung to every piece of equipment and the Spirit Realm Network, their names, information, origins, and cultivation levels all visible.
By analyzing the distribution of Spirit Realm signals, he could even penetrate the walls and see into adjacent rooms, observing the cultivators within emitting waves of Spirit Realm energy, tracking their positions and movements.
He could also see the constant exchange of Spirit Realm signals radiating from Bei Wufeng, Yan Qianji, Jin Jun, and the others before him.
An unprecedented sense of fluidity and control surged through Zhang Yu’s mind, significantly enhancing his visual and observational abilities.
After claiming the three level 40 magical artifacts, Zhang Yu turned to leave.
At that moment, Yan Qianji couldn’t help but ask, “True Monarch, are you going back into seclusion again?”
As Zhang Yu turned around, Yan Qianji mentally roared, “You’ve consumed vast resources, and the principal has granted you full authority over the campus. Given the current crisis, do you plan to do nothing? Will you remain in seclusion, endlessly cultivating your cultivation?”
Though his mind seethed with anger, Yan Qianji maintained composure on the surface, asking calmly, “May I ask, True Monarch, how long do you intend to remain in seclusion?”
Jin Jun immediately retorted, “Yan Qianji, what are you asking? The True Monarch naturally has his own plans. It’s not your place to question them.”
Yan Qianji frowned, inwardly fuming, “Am I wrong? He’s been in seclusion for so long, what contributions has he made? How does he pass the Research Association’s monthly evaluations and performance reviews?”
Yan Qianji still didn’t voice his true thoughts, but murmured, “Everyone outside is asking. Are you really going to pretend you don’t know?”
Bei Wufeng sighed inwardly, thinking, “Even if it’s true, you can’t just blurt it out like that.”
Yan Qianji turned to Zhang Yu and said, “True Monarch Blazing Light, if you still plan to return to seclusion, I’m afraid I can’t accompany you any further. I don’t want to waste my time here.”
With that, he unbuttoned his lab coat, already intending to leave the laboratory.
Zhang Yu, however, remained unfazed by Yan Qianji’s attitude and calmly replied, “My seclusion has ended.”
“I plan to speak with the university’s senior leaders soon.”
“Do you know if they have any meetings or gatherings scheduled recently?”
Yan Qianji stared at Zhang Yu’s unwavering composure, momentarily stunned. Then he replied, “Today is True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s funeral. Most of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the university will likely attend.”
As Zhang Yu turned and swiftly flew out of the laboratory, Yan Qianji thought to himself, “He’s going to True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s funeral? What does he plan to do?”
Just then, Jin Jun took off his uniform and hurried after them.
Bei Wufeng, standing nearby, called out, “Jin Jun, what are you doing? It’s still working hours.”
Jin Jun turned back and replied, “Senior Brother, what’s the point of working now? In this situation, gathering intelligence from all sides is the most crucial thing.”
“I have a feeling something major might happen when the True Monarch goes there this time.”
With that, he turned to Zi Yunzhen, Su Yunni, Liu Xiangqiao, and the other assistants. “Alright, stop pretending to work so hard. There’s hardly any real work to do in the laboratory anyway. Let’s all go see what the True Monarch is up to.”
Ever since Zhang Yu arrived at the laboratory, Zi Yunzhen and the others had been bustling about, though no one knew what they were actually doing.
Despite their busy demeanor, their attention was ninety percent focused on Zhang Yu.
Especially after Yan Qianji spoke up, they had been straining their ears, afraid to miss a single word.
Now that Jin Jun had called them out, Zi Yunzhen and the others stopped their pretense, feeling a little embarrassed, and followed him out of the laboratory.
Watching this scene, Bei Wufeng chuckled helplessly and hurried after them. “Where are you all going?”
Yan Qianji gazed at the laboratory, now empty in the blink of an eye, and at himself, utterly ignored. “What is this?” he wondered.
A question surged in his mind: “Am I still considered part of the laboratory? Did Zhang Yu approve my resignation?”
“And what exactly is he planning?”
Seeing the deserted scene, Yan Qianji turned and hurried toward the location of True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s funeral.
At the same moment, Zhang Yu’s figure shot skyward, reaching the airspace above the Research Association.
As he ascended, a colossal shadow enveloped the Grand Void and the surrounding university campus, plunging everything into darkness.
Zhang Yu looked up at the source of the massive shadow and saw a dragon head as massive as a mountain peak, its eyes wide with fury, staring fixedly down at the Grand Void below.
“Divine Monarch Great Devourer of Celestial Monsters University…”
The gigantic shadow looming over the Grand Void was none other than the mountain-like dragon corpse of the Divine Monarch Great Devourer.
Beyond the clearly visible massive dragon head, every building-sized scale on the dragon corpse and the various geological disaster-like scars were also clearly discernible, as if recounting the terrifying attacks the dragon corpse had endured in its lifetime, serving as a warning to every cultivator below who could observe it.
This dragon corpse was now encased in layers of spatial barriers, filling the original shattered firmament and restoring the sky between Kunxu’s Third and Fourth Layers, effectively isolating the upper and lower realms.
The sole Spirit Transformation cultivator of Celestial Monsters University had perished, her physical body destroyed, while her Primordial Spirit remained missing.
Zhang Yu sighed as he watched the scene unfold. Though he had been kept informed of the shifting situation through periodic reports from Bei Wufeng, Yu Xinghan, and others, the sight of the dragon corpse hanging in the sky still filled him with melancholy.
In the early stages of the war, everything had proceeded smoothly. The Spirit Transformation experts from the Ten Great Universities achieved victory after victory, launching a full-scale assault on the Kunxu Fifth Layer and seizing vast profits from the Righteous Qi Alliance’s territory.
However, during this period, Divine Monarch Great Devourer of Celestial Monsters University took the lead, frequently venturing into the Fourth Layer of Kunxu to plunder resources while the Spirit Transformation battles raged. She often ignored Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s calls to join the main offensive in the Fifth Layer.
Under Divine Monarch Great Devourer’s leadership, Spirit Transformation experts from other universities eventually joined the looting in the Fourth Layer.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Driven by greed and the desire to maximize their profits, the Spirit Transformation experts from the Ten Universities ultimately failed to unite.”
“In the end, everything spiraled out of control…”
In the next moment, Zhang Yu looked up at the sky, gazing at the scenery of the Fourth Layer visible above.
After the Great Upheaval, the Second through Fifth Layers had become completely interconnected, allowing those in lower layers to see the landscapes of the higher ones.
Just as Zhang Yu had been able to see the Third and Fourth Layers from the Second Layer years ago, he could now see the Fourth Layer’s sky from the Third Layer.
First, he saw clusters of pitch-black clouds, seemingly sentient, roaming freely across the Fourth Layer’s sky.
These were the countless Heavenly Demon Spawn of Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus from the Heavenly Demon University. When Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus joined the Fourth Layer’s plunder, she unleashed these billions of Heavenly Demon Spawn. Wherever they passed, they devoured everything like locusts, relentlessly consuming and strengthening themselves while replicating their numbers.
Now, these out-of-control Heavenly Demon Spawn drifted across the Fourth Layer of Kunxu like living storm clouds, devouring everything in their path.
Simultaneously, the entire sky of the Fourth Layer had turned a faint crimson.
This was due to the influence of Divine Monarch Nether Spring’s Netherworld Blood Pool.
During the Fourth Layer’s plunder, Divine Monarch Nether Spring activated the Netherworld Blood Pool. A crimson torrent erupted from it, swallowing countless cultivators and living beings, reducing them to pools of blood.
Now, the out-of-control Netherworld Blood Pool had transformed into a scarlet river stretching across the Fourth Layer’s sky. Occasionally, figures were sucked into it, struggling desperately before dissolving into bloody shadows, their final moments marked by piercing, anguished screams.
The magical artifacts, painstakingly crafted by Spirit Transformation cultivators at immense cost, had now become cataclysmic forces ravaging the Fourth Layer of Kunxu. Every moment brought staggering destruction.
The true calamity had spiraled completely out of control.
Hailstorms, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, storms… all manner of natural disasters erupted ceaselessly across the Fourth Layer of Kunxu.
When the Spirit Transformation experts from the Ten Great Universities plundered the Fourth Layer, several talisman-specialized cultivators had joined forces to hijack the Weather Controller within the Spirit Realm Network, unleashing a layer-wide cataclysm.
But now, the Weather Controller was no longer controlled and completely out of control. Red overdue payment warnings and fine warnings flashed across the landscape, while various natural disasters cycled endlessly, threatening to transform the entire Fourth Layer of Kunxu into a lifeless wasteland.
Zhang Yu knew that the Fourth Layer’s current state stemmed from the Spirit Transformation experts’ power spiraling out of control, becoming a chaotic calamity.
A primary cause of this loss of control was disconnection.
Just as Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus’s and Divine Monarch Nether Spring’s billions of Heavenly Demon Spawn and the Netherworld Bloodspring had gone berserk after losing contact with their masters.
Zhang Yu sighed, his mind replaying the chain of events that had led to this crisis.
“As more and more Spirit Transformation experts, seeking to maximize their personal gains, diverted forces originally intended for the Final Battle on the Fifth Layer to plunder the Fourth Layer — with Divine Monarch Great Devourer leading the charge by abandoning the battlefield…”
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “The power of the Ten Universities Spirit Transformation Experts and the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs is gradually dispersing towards the Fourth and Fifth Layers.”
As the shattered firmament sealed itself once more, the Fifth and Fourth Layers of Kunxu became like two massive cages, trapping the Ten Universities Spirit Transformation Experts within.
Upon receiving this news, Zhang Yu secretly emerged from seclusion and attempted to breach the firmament again using the power of his Immortal Descendant lineage.
This time, however, he found the task far more difficult. Even if he managed to break through at the cost of severe injury, the rift would rapidly heal, sealing everything off once more.
Worse still, he sensed a terrifying aura descending, as if it were about to crash down through the firmament at any moment.
Realizing the futility of further attempts, Zhang Yu immediately retreated.
“They… must have held back when they first breached the firmament.”
This failed attempt left Zhang Yu’s heart heavy. He now understood that the enemy had deliberately concealed their true power, never revealing the firmament’s strongest form in the Fourth and Fifth Layers. Their goal had been to lure the Ten Great Universities’ Spirit Transformation Experts into a trap.
“Even the news of the Fifth Layer’s explosion was likely spread for this purpose — to lure the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs to the upper layers.”
“Then, driven by their own interests, the Spirit Transformation experts would naturally disperse without needing special guidance.”
“Finally, they would reseal the firmament, trapping the prey inside.”
Thus, Zhang Yu returned to the Research Association and resumed his seclusion, seeking countermeasures.
He could imagine that with the firmament resealed over the Fourth and Fifth Layers, the Ten Universities Spirit Transformation Experts — cut off from logistical support from the Ten Great Universities and surrounded by the Righteous Qi Alliance — must already be at a disadvantage.
At that moment, Zhang Yu continued to gaze upward, his vision piercing through the Fourth Layer of Kunxu to reach the Fifth Layer.
There, streaks of divine light blazed like comets in the night sky, proclaiming their existence to the world.
Zhang Yu knew these were the emanations of the Ten Universities Spirit Transformation Experts still battling in the Kunxu Fifth Layer. It was precisely because of these radiant glows that the teachers and students of the Ten Great Universities still clung to hope, yearning for victory and an end to the war.
“That’s Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus, that’s Divine Monarch Nether Spring, and that must be Divine Monarch Bloodfall…”
Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across the radiant divine lights, finally settling on the two positioned highest among them.
These two lights were closely intertwined, radiating a sense of mutual reliance, support, and illumination.
Zhang Yu knew these represented his two masters: Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole and Divine Monarch Greenwood.
As long as these lights continued to shine brightly, it meant his masters were not in mortal danger.
Suddenly, the sky of the Fifth Layer flickered, and a name materialized in the air:
“Divine Monarch Bloodfall, dead!”
“Divine Monarch Bloodfall?” Zhang Yu’s heart sank. Seeing the name appear, he immediately turned to the divine light representing Divine Monarch Bloodfall, only to find it rapidly dimming until it vanished completely.
“Another Spirit Transformation Divine Monarch has fallen?”
“The Dark Spirit Realm will likely launch another wave of psychological warfare and propaganda soon.”
Zhang Yu felt the Spirit Realm erupt into renewed turmoil. The shockwaves from Divine Monarch Bloodfall’s death would undoubtedly trigger further chaos.
He understood that time was running out.
With a flash of movement, he sped toward True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s funeral.
Zhang Yu resolved to persuade all the remaining Nascent Soul True Monarchs at Myriad Laws University to support his battle plan.
By any means necessary!