Chapter 715: Unbeatable Below Spirit Transformation
He clasped his hands in a traditional martial salute toward Zhang Yu and said, “True Monarch Blazing Light, words alone carry no weight. Whether it’s design blueprints, theories of artifact refinement, or spatial technology… few here dare claim mastery.”
“Yet this matter concerns our very lives and fortunes — the culmination of our life’s work. We cannot afford to be careless.”
“Your earlier move, which halted the battle between our two factions, was indeed extraordinary. However, I couldn’t fully discern its intricacies.”
“I request you accept another strike from me. If you can withstand it, I’ll have no further objections.”
True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter had decided to test Zhang Yu’s abilities through combat.
Having experienced countless battles, both large and small, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter believed that the crucible of combat… best reveals a person’s true nature, character, and intentions — the very essence of their being.
In particular, he intended to use his own methods to assess Zhang Yu’s spatial technology, to see if it truly matched the claims made earlier and the capabilities depicted in the design blueprints.
Hearing True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s words, Zhang Yu’s expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded slightly and said, “True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, make your move.”
Under the watchful eyes of numerous Nascent Soul True Monarchs, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter advanced step by step toward Zhang Yu.
With each stride, a palpable aura of pressure radiated outward from his body, permeating the surrounding space.
A fierce battle intent surged from him, making every observer feel as if he might strike from any angle at any moment — yet he never did.
This was the Security Department’s mental cultivation technique in action, stirring the mind with an ambiguous blend of aggression and restraint.
Once an opponent, overwhelmed by these illusions, rashly attacked first, the Security Department cultivator gained the upper hand, whether by passively enduring the assault and demanding compensation or by retaliating in a mutual brawl.
Under True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s mastery, this technique became even more unpredictable, creating the impression that he could strike from any direction at any time.
Even the detection capabilities of Bionic Eyes, Bionic bodies, and magical artifacts were disrupted. Constant false alarms left the cultivators utterly unable to anticipate the trajectory of his next strike.
Twenty steps… fifteen steps… ten steps!
As True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter drew closer to Zhang Yu, his surging battle intent intensified, overwhelming several Nascent Soul True Monarchs nearby and forcing them to focus their minds. True Monarch Thunder Pole even instinctively summoned his magical artifact for defense, but quickly realized Heavenly Slaughter had no intention of attacking him.
This constant anticipation of an imminent attack that never came frayed the nerves of the onlookers. Bei Wufeng and Yan Qianji felt their spirits stretched to the breaking point, their vital energy and Magic Power stiffening in response.
Yan Qianji watched Heavenly Slaughter’s right foot lift, each step seeming to descend with agonizing slowness, as if falling inch by inch before his eyes.
He knew this wasn’t because Heavenly Slaughter’s movements had actually slowed. Rather, the True Monarch’s mental cultivation technique had forcibly seized his attention, compelling his spirit to focus with extreme intensity. His gaze unconsciously tracked every minute detail of the True Monarch’s actions.
Seven steps!
When Heavenly Slaughter stood just seven steps away from Zhang Yu, he finally struck.
In that instant, his arms transformed into two faint shadows.
In the next instant, four Great Void Flying Thunderbolts shot forth from True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s hand, streaking across the hall like bolts of lightning toward Zhang Yu.
The Great Void Flying Thunderbolts were weapons popularized during the war following the release of the Great Void Cloud Repository.
These magical artifacts, shaped like flying swords, erupted into black lightning upon activation, encased within a spatial barrier that protected them from external attacks while allowing the Thunderfire within to burst outward.
True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter had been captivated by these pure combat artifacts from the moment they appeared, especially when paired with his Boundless Swiftness Sutra, which amplified their terrifying destructive power.
However, his use of this technique now wasn’t to defeat Zhang Yu, but rather to gauge how Zhang Yu would defend against it.
Facing the four Great Void Flying Thunderbolts hurtling toward him, poised to strike in an instant, Zhang Yu remained unhurried. He extended his right hand and casually reached out.
The world seemed to darken momentarily. The light in the funeral hall vanished into Zhang Yu’s palm, disappearing for a split second before reappearing just as quickly.
Immediately, everyone saw Zhang Yu, as if scooping up swimming fish from a stream, grasp the four Great Void Flying Thunder in his hand from a distance.
No matter how the four Great Void Flying Thunder accelerated, darted, or struggled, Zhang Yu’s palm seemed to expand into an ever-growing fishbowl, preventing them from escaping.
Yet True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, witnessing this scene, revealed a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Simultaneously, three more Great Void Flying Thunder flashed behind Zhang Yu.
It turned out that True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter had secretly launched three additional Great Void Flying Thunder, sending them circling around the perimeter before converging on Zhang Yu’s back.
Silently, the three Great Void Flying Thunder struck an invisible barrier, halting inches from Zhang Yu’s back.
True Monarch Miraculous Hand’s gaze sharpened. “Has Zhang Yu erected a spatial barrier behind him to block this attack?” he wondered.
But True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s disappointment only deepened.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Thunder Pole pondered, “Why hasn’t Heavenly Slaughter used his Nascent Soul?”
All the True Monarchs present knew that the Nascent Soul was the ultimate power of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
The next moment, a tremor ran through Zhang Yu’s feet, and the ground shattered with a deafening roar, leaving a massive crater.
A faint human figure, wielding two Great Void Flying Thunder orbs, stood silently beneath Zhang Yu’s feet — the Nascent Soul of True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter.
However, both the Nascent Soul and the Great Void Flying Thunder were trapped underground by a Spatial Barrier.
True Monarch Thunder Pole’s gaze sharpened as he observed the scene. “Heavenly Slaughter’s Nascent Soul launched a surprise attack from underground? I didn’t even sense it? Was it masked by his mental cultivation technique?”
“That Heavenly Slaughter fellow has become increasingly terrifying after these past thirteen months of intense battles and growth.”
“But Zhang Yu’s skill still surpasses his. As expected of my senior sister’s prized disciple, my good Junior Nephew.”
True Monarch Thunder Pole silently moved Zhang Yu’s contact to the top of his list, second only to Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole. Then he burst into hearty laughter and called out to True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, “Heavenly Slaughter, you must be convinced now, right? All nine of your Great Void Flying Thunder orbs were blocked!”
Heavenly Slaughter ignored Thunder Pole, his gaze fixed on Zhang Yu. “True Monarch Blazing Light,” he said, “you blocked the Great Void Flying Thunder, but only with brute force. You failed to break through the Spatial Barrier surrounding them.”
“If you can’t even break through the spatial barrier of the Great Void Flying Thunder, how can I trust you to breach the firmament?”
True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s words stirred the hearts of all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs present, and their gazes converged on Zhang Yu.
True Monarch Miraculous Hand thought to himself, “He’s right. If we can’t even crack our own Great Void Flying Thunder, how can we possibly break through the firmament?”
Under the collective scrutiny, Zhang Yu calmly replied, “True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, the nine Great Void Flying Thunder you used this time contained Divine Firmament Demon-Subduing Thunder, didn’t they?”
“Each Great Void Flying Thunder carried eighty-one such orbs, totaling seven hundred and twenty-nine Divine Firmament Demon-Subduing Thunder.”
“Considering our exchange should be kept to a friendly spar, I retrieved all the Demon-Subduing Thunder.”
“I now return them all to you, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter. Please verify the count to ensure nothing is missing.”
As he spoke, Zhang Yu clenched his left fist and then slightly relaxed his grip.
Dust-like particles began to fall from his palm, instantly expanding mid-air into fingernail-sized Divine Firmament Demon-Subduing Thunder.
All seven hundred and twenty-nine orbs gently floated before True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, leaving the Nascent Soul True Monarchs present utterly astonished.
“When did he do it? When did he extract the Divine Firmament Demon-Subduing Thunder from the Great Void Flying Thunder?”
True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter watched the scene with equal shock, suddenly recalling the moment Zhang Yu had reached out to retrieve the Great Void Flying Thunder, causing the entire hall to darken.
“Could it have been then? Did he disarm all my Great Void Flying Thunder from the very beginning?”
“My entire strategy was completely dismantled by him from the start.”
A bitter smile crept across True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter’s lips. He cupped his hands in a respectful bow toward Zhang Yu and said, “I’ve made a fool of myself.”
“I concede to True Monarch Blazing Light’s skill.”
As a cultivator who had spent years on the battlefield, followed the law, and taught for decades, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter was always quick to adapt and move with the times.
Having confirmed Zhang Yu’s mastery of Spatial Technology and been defeated by a single move, he had no qualms about showering his opponent with praise. This would both support Zhang Yu’s future plans and salvage some dignity from his own defeat.
At the same time, the earlier speculation in his mind resurfaced.
“Is Zhang Yu human or Immortal? Could he be the reincarnation of some super-rich tycoon from the upper echelons?”
The next moment, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter spoke up: “With your cultivation, True Monarch Blazing Light, you are likely invincible below the Spirit Transformation Realm within the Ten Great Universities. You could be called ‘unbeaten beneath the divine.’” Of course, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter couldn’t guarantee or confirm whether Zhang Yu was truly invincible below the Spirit Transformation Realm — he was just flattering him for now.
Standing on the other side, True Monarch String Tone nodded in agreement: “Even when the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs were still in the Nascent Soul Realm, they probably couldn’t match True Monarch Blazing Light’s current prowess.”
Zhang Yu accepted the praise with a smile. He knew that the grand undertaking he was about to embark on — intervening in the Spirit Transformation Battlefield — required sufficient prestige. The higher his reputation, the better.
At the same time, feeling his Magic Power rapidly depleting, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to temporarily subdue the Nascent Soul cultivators present just before his reserves ran dry.
Then, with a faint smile, Zhang Yu said, “Fellow True Monarchs, you are all paragons of your generation, elites of Myriad Laws. Our upcoming Heaven-Opening endeavor to support the Divine Monarchs will depend entirely on your support.”
True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter immediately declared, “The Security Department is willing to remain and collaborate with you, True Monarch, on this grand strategy.”
Simultaneously, True Monarch Miraculous Hand added, “The Medical Department will also stay to support the principal alongside you, True Monarch.”
As one Nascent Soul True Monarch after another voiced their commitment, the conflict between the evacuation faction and the steadfast defenders completely dissolved.
Zhang Yu promptly stated, “Please inform the other nine universities to convene and discuss this critical matter.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu decided to provide the other nine universities with the design blueprints for the magical artifacts free of charge. Even if they refused to cooperate with Myriad Laws, they would still possess the means to breach the firmament.
Upon hearing this, True Monarch String Tone couldn’t help but object, “Giving them away for free? Aren’t we letting them off too easy?”
The other Nascent Soul True Monarchs also wore expressions of reluctance. How could they not seize this opportunity to profit handsomely and exploit this crucial product to the fullest?
Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively. “We are now at a critical juncture for the survival of the Ten Great Universities. Every second counts. We have no time to negotiate or haggle with the other nine universities.”
“The Spirit Transformation Battlefield was delayed because the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs of each university were too focused on personal gain. We must learn from this mistake.”
“As long as it increases our chances of victory in this battle, I’m willing to forgo profits.”
Hearing Zhang Yu’s willingness to forgo profits, the Nascent Soul Divine Lords present were momentarily stunned, followed by profound shock. This seemed even more astonishing, unbelievable, and incomprehensible than witnessing Zhang Yu simultaneously halt the two sects’ conflict and neutralize Heavenly Slaughter’s ultimate technique.
“Forgo profits? How could anyone forgo profits?”
Faced with the cultivators’ dissuasion and incomprehension, Zhang Yu simply waved his hand, leveraging his newly established authority to forcefully push the matter through.
Outside the battlefield, Yan Qianji stared fixedly at Zhang Yu, his mind replaying the various methods Zhang Yu had demonstrated.
He finally sighed deeply, thinking to himself, “It seems Bei Wufeng was right. Zhang Yu… he’s been working tirelessly in the shadows, possessing extraordinary talent we never recognized, and has already reached heights we couldn’t imagine.”
But when he recalled his request to resign and leave True Monarch Blazing Light’s laboratory, a wave of intense regret washed over him.
“Myriad Laws’ most skilled artifact refinement cultivator, and not only have I failed to learn anything from him, but I’m also trying to resign?”
Seeing Zhang Yu about to leave, Yan Qianji couldn’t help but rush after him. “True Monarch, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have mentioned resigning…”
Jin Jun, standing nearby, secretly chuckled at the scene.
Zhang Yu raised a hand to stop Yan Qianji from continuing. “I don’t dislike your willingness to raise questions,” he said. “In fact, I admire it.”
“Keep working hard. I’ll help you get a permanent position soon.”
With these decisive words, Zhang Yu turned and left the funeral hall. The myriad affairs awaiting him demanded his immediate attention.
Yan Qianji stood frozen, staring at Zhang Yu’s retreating figure, his mind flooded with a thousand thoughts.
Jin Jun’s jaw dropped at the sight. His eyes darted around as he muttered to himself, “True Monarch Blazing Light appreciates people who ask questions? Then I can ask questions too! But what should I ask?”
He glanced at Yan Qianji beside him, thinking, “Since True Monarch Blazing Light admires this guy, why not just copy him?”