Chapter 730: Interview Over, Breaking Out of the Map
As the Auspicious God’s voice arrived, the Joy God’s irritated voice also echoed within the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map.
Joy God: “You certainly got here fast.”
The Auspicious God laughed heartily. “If I’d been any later, my employee would have been poached.”
Although the Evil Gods of the Righteous Qi Alliance and Zhang Yu had previously been enemies and rivals — with the Auspicious God even orchestrating three assassination attempts against him — this history only made them more aware of Zhang Yu’s value.
Whether it was his astonishingly rapid cultivation progress or his incredible talent for mastering Spatial Technology and developing Spatial Magical Artifacts, Zhang Yu had demonstrated formidable production, research, and wealth-generating capabilities.
The opportunity to convert such a talented and capable cultivator into a believer was incredibly appealing to both the Joy God and the Auspicious God. Just imagining Zhang Yu earning wealth for them in the future was enough to excite them.
Furthermore, Zhang Yu’s vast personal assets could be legitimately claimed after the war, adding another layer of allure.
Hearing the voice of a second Evil God, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. He smiled and said, “Are you both here to interview me? It seems I’m quite popular within the Righteous Qi Alliance.”
The Joy God snorted coldly and said, “That’s right. This Auspicious God here is the Evil God who’s been watching you the closest. He even organized several operations against you.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened as he instantly recalled the attacks on himself, Yu Xinghan, Le Mulan, and Bai Zhenzhen.
The Auspicious God, however, replied dismissively, “Hmph, this only demonstrates my capability. A person should seek a capable boss. If you had listened to me from the start and followed my plan, Zhang Yu would have become our believer long ago, and our plans would have progressed much more smoothly…”
Joy God: “Enough, Auspicious God! How many times must I tell you? Stop saying things that undermine unity. We all serve the Divine King. I don’t understand why you keep harping on such a trivial matter.”
The Auspicious God sneered, “What? Are you trying to forbid me from discussing this topic? Trying to silence me? Or block me?”
Joy God: “Don’t talk nonsense about silencing… Those are tactics used by totalitarian organizations like the Heavenly Court. I am merely representing the vast majority of our colleagues and conveying our collective decision: we advise you to stop discussing this topic to avoid disrupting unity.”
Listening to the two Evil Gods’ increasingly heated argument, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “These two seem to have quite a bit of friction between them.”
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yu suddenly interrupted their conversation. “Sirs,” he began, “if I were to choose one of you and become an Evil God Worshipper, what would be the difference in benefits?”
The Joy God spoke first, cutting in eagerly. “I will unlock your potential, enhance your innate talent, and grant you the authority to wield Evil God Power.”
The Auspicious God interrupted, “What Evil God can’t do that? Zhang Yu, if you’re willing to join me, I can support you in becoming the Vice Alliance Leader of the Righteous Qi Alliance in the future.”
The Joy God snorted coldly. “Zhang Yu, if you’re willing to follow me, you’ll be my one and only direct disciple.”
Auspicious God: “Join me, and you can be my master.”
Joy God: “I’ll adopt you as my godson!”
Auspicious God: “Join me, and you can be my dad.”
A flash of fury crossed the Joy God’s eyes as he sent a private message to the Auspicious God: “Auspicious Child! Are you deliberately trying to outbid me?”
Just then, Zhang Yu spoke again. “I’ve heard that Evil Gods can grant wishes?”
The Auspicious God continued, “I can grant you three wishes, provided they don’t cause me any loss, put me in danger, or violate my values…”
Zhang Yu interrupted, “Sirs, I’d also like to hear about your plans for your future development.”
As the Auspicious God was about to speak again, the Joy God sent him a direct message: “Enough! Just state your demands. What will it take for you to hand Zhang Yu over to me?”
Silence fell within the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map; the voices of the two Evil Gods were no longer heard.
Zhang Yu, however, remained unhurried, refocusing on his cultivation. The swirling layers of Gang Qi around him seemed alive, faintly coalescing into the shapes of various Demon Beasts.
Nearby, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs listened to Zhang Yu’s conversation with the Evil Gods, each lost in their own thoughts.
True Monarch Celestial Elephant couldn’t help but wonder, “Is Zhang Yu just feigning compliance, or does he genuinely intend to surrender?”
Gazing at the flawless Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map before him, True Monarch Celestial Elephant sighed deeply.
Just then, his body jolted as a current of Zhang Yu’s Gang Qi moved him aside. The medicine Zhang Yu had fed him temporarily stabilized his injuries.
Zhang Yu didn’t stop. He continued to channel the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art as he addressed another Monsterfolk Nascent Soul: “True Monarch Mystic Fox, I need your help with something.”
True Monarch Mystic Fox walked into the swirling Gang Qi with a puzzled expression and emerged a short while later looking utterly satisfied.
Watching this, True Monarch Desolate Tiger was filled with suspicion and confusion, his mind racing to understand what had just happened. He sent a mental message to True Monarch Mystic Fox, but she remained silent, leaving him even more bewildered.
Finally, Zhang Yu summoned True Monarch Desolate Tiger as well.
As True Monarch Desolate Tiger stepped into the sea of clouds formed by the Gang Qi, his tiger-like eyes scanned the surroundings. He kept catching fleeting glimpses of human figures, as if Zhang Yu wasn’t alone in this cloud sea, but surrounded by a crowd.
“Are those Humanoid Gang Qi?”
As True Monarch Desolate Tiger pondered this, Zhang Yu’s mental message reached him: “True Monarch Desolate Tiger, I want to buy your Monsterfolk Bloodline.”
“Mine?” True Monarch Desolate Tiger’s heart jolted. He then said gravely, “I don’t come cheap.”
At that moment, True Monarch Desolate Tiger finally understood what had transpired earlier.
He thought to himself, “So it was a transaction. No wonder they’re all keeping their mouths shut.”
“Did they sign a confidentiality agreement, forbidding them from revealing the price?”
Regardless, since this was a business deal, True Monarch Desolate Tiger immediately switched into professional mode. “This is my standard public price list. From Qi to Essence, from Blood to Brain — as long as you can afford it, everything is negotiable…”
Zhang Yu glanced at the True Monarch’s profile and said, “You’ve been the champion of the Celestial Monsters University’s Seed Donation Ranking in the Nascent Soul Group for thirty consecutive years?”
True Monarch Desolate Tiger puffed out his chest with pride. “In addition to the Dao Techniques Department, I also majored in the Department of Reproduction. At Celestial Monsters University, if you donate your genetic material, you get priority access when you need some yourself. However, most cultivators are too busy just paying their Reproduction Tax to have any spare material to donate.”
“A cultivator like me, who can top the Seed Donation Ranking, can demand genetic material from any cultivator at Celestial Monsters University within the same year to extract their Monsterfolk Bloodline — even from a Spirit Transformation Cultivator.”
“After thirty years of arduous cultivation, I’m now confident I can breed offspring of any monster race within Celestial Monsters University. I’ve built quite a reputation in related fields and companies.”
Zhang Yu looked at the True Monarch and thought, “I’ve found the right expert this time. He possesses more than one Monsterfolk Bloodline within him, which will surely be of immense help in cultivating the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art.”
“I’ll start with ten vials of blood,” Zhang Yu said.
For the next period, Zhang Yu tirelessly cultivated the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art within the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map.
As he progressed in this Daoist art, he could create more and more True Clones. Each additional clone doubled his cultivation speed.
His practice accelerated in a self-reinforcing cycle: the faster he practiced, the faster he progressed, and the faster he progressed, the more he practiced. Within a single day, Zhang Yu pushed the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art to Level 30, then Level 35… and finally all the way to Level 40, the absolute limit.
A full sixteen True Clones were hidden within layers of Gang Qi. Including Zhang Yu’s main body, this granted him a staggering 17 times his normal cultivation efficiency.
“If I factor in the Nascent Soul Sacred Body,” he thought, “that’s another 3x multiplier compared to when I first broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm. That’s a total of 51 times the efficiency.”
During the time Zhang Yu took to advance the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art to Level 40, the Evil God never reappeared, for reasons unknown.
Zhang Yu looked up at the sky, observing the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map before him. “It’s time to prepare for breaking through this Immortal Sect Magical Artifact,” he thought.
He knew that with his mastery of Spatial Technology and the power of his Immortal Descendant lineage, breaking through the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map should be possible. However, the process would inevitably trigger a backlash from the magical artifact, potentially injuring him more severely than when he had pierced the firmament.
“The situation outside is unknown. If I break through… I need to be fully prepared to face whatever awaits me in the best possible condition.”
As he considered this, the names of various equipment, Bionic enhancements, and cultivation arts flashed through his mind, along with an assessment of his current circumstances.
Finally, the name Mount Sumeru King Sutra surfaced in his thoughts.
“This Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map contains a self-contained world…”
Although Zhang Yu had been quietly cultivating since being trapped, it didn’t mean he hadn’t explored the area.
In fact, while he cultivated, he had already dispatched his twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords to scout the surroundings.
Besides him, the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs had also thoroughly searched the entire Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map, desperate to find an exit.
“Although this Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map is only the size of a small city, with limited height and depth, its land, mountains, and rivers are all real and tangible, as if they were transported here from somewhere in the outside world.”
The Mount Sumeru King Sutra, a military-grade martial art from Celestial Monsters University’s Civil Engineering Department, was, like the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, a technique that manipulated Earthly Fiend Gravity.
However, its application differed significantly from the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power. The Mount Sumeru King Sutra borrowed the weight of the earth, allowing one to imbue their punches and kicks with the immense heaviness of mountains. It also enabled the user to transfer incoming forces into the mountains and the earth itself.
Zhang Yu silently calculated, “If I cultivate the Mount Sumeru King Sutra, I can divert a portion of the backlash from breaking through the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map into these lands and mountains.”
As he considered this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “Once I master the Mount Sumeru King Sutra, I’ll become even more durable.”
Thinking of his future opponents, he almost felt sorry for them.
While Zhang Yu was lost in his calculations, the hearts of the nearby Nascent Soul True Monarchs sank.
True Monarch Celestial Elephant sighed. “Has it already been a day? The rescue team still hasn’t arrived. I wonder how the battle is going.”
Hearing this, True Monarch Desolate Tiger’s heart jolted. He abruptly stood up and said, “Has it really been a day? You’ve reminded me…”
“I haven’t completed my daily tasks yet.”
Watching Desolate Tiger take out his tools and begin extracting and collecting seeds, Celestial Elephant couldn’t help but exclaim, “What are you doing? We’ve been captured by the Righteous Qi Alliance! We might never be able to go back!”
“How can you still be thinking about your ranking?”
Desolate Tiger continued his work, replying, “How do you think I’ve held the top spot on the leaderboard for thirty years? From the very beginning, I wasn’t naturally gifted in this area. Tasks that geniuses could complete in 0.3 seconds might take me three or even five seconds.”
“But through sheer persistence, day after day, regardless of illness, injury, economic crisis, or war, I’ve silently persevered. It’s only through this daily accumulation that I’ve managed to stay at the top.”
Hearing this, a flicker of admiration appeared in Celestial Elephant’s eyes.
Nearby, Mystic Fox spoke coolly, “Desolate Tiger, you talk a good game, but I see your hands are already trembling. This Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map has us trapped. Surrender is just a matter of time. You should forget about your precious top rank…”
None of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs present refuted Mystic Fox’s words, and the atmosphere grew even heavier.
Over the past day and night, they had tried every method to break the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map, only to fail without exception.
Based on their wisdom and experience, they knew Mystic Fox’s prediction was almost certainly correct.
Just then, Zhang Yu turned to True Monarch Celestial Elephant and said, “True Monarch Celestial Elephant, I’d like to use the joint cultivation program to study the military-grade martial art, the Mount Sumeru King Sutra.”
The joint cultivation program was a policy established by the Ten Great Universities, offering various benefits through the Righteous Qi Alliance. It allowed students from the Ten Greats to cross-enroll in courses, knowledge, and cultivation arts from other universities.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s request, Celestial Elephant asked in confusion, “Now?”
Zhang Yu had been so busy with his own affairs that he hadn’t yet taken advantage of this program.
True Monarch Celestial Elephant had no objection to teaching Zhang Yu the Mount Sumeru King Sutra.
Even though the Spirit Realm Network was down and they couldn’t submit the necessary paperwork, they could always complete the procedure later. It wasn’t a major issue for them.
What Celestial Elephant didn’t understand was… why did Zhang Yu want to cultivate the Mount Sumeru King Sutra now?
Zhang Yu simply said, “Since I’m troubling you, please charge me according to your usual rates.”
The presence of Celestial Elephant was one of the reasons Zhang Yu had chosen to cultivate the Mount Sumeru King Sutra. Through the joint cultivation program and Celestial Elephant’s guidance, he could use this martial art openly and legitimately.
Though Celestial Elephant didn’t grasp Zhang Yu’s intentions, he wasn’t about to refuse a paying student.
He first sent Zhang Yu the digital version of the Mount Sumeru King Sutra’s secret manual, then began explaining its key principles.
But before Celestial Elephant could finish, he felt faint streams of Earthly Fiend Gravity emanating from the mass of Gang Qi, connecting to the earth below.
“He’s already started cultivating?”
Celestial Elephant sighed helplessly. “I haven’t even finished teaching the crucial experiences and cultivation secrets, and you’re already practicing just from reading the manual?”
At this moment, he felt that Zhang Yu was grossly underestimating this martial art.
Just as True Monarch Celestial Elephant had predicted, the faint wisp of Earthly Fiend Gravity quickly dissipated, and the connection to the earth was severed.
Just as Celestial Elephant was about to offer guidance, he noticed Zhang Yu was already channeling the Earthly Fiend Gravity again.
“Again?”
Celestial Elephant, who had been expecting another failure, was momentarily stunned. He sensed that Zhang Yu had now successfully connected with the earth, and a subtle exchange of power was flowing between them.
“He succeeded?!”
Celestial Elephant stared blankly at the cloud of Gang Qi where Zhang Yu was, feeling like an Immortal Scum who couldn’t even get into a vocational college. It had taken him several days just to reach the entry level of this technique.
But Zhang Yu was already accustomed to this. With his main body and sixteen other bodies cultivating the Mount Sumeru King Sutra simultaneously, a single practice session in the Feather Book yielded the effect of fifty-one sessions.
The Mount Sumeru King Sutra, which had been at Level 0 just moments ago, had now skyrocketed to Level 3 in one go.
Thus, when Zhang Yu channeled the cultivation art again, True Monarch Celestial Elephant, watching from the side, was once again stunned.
Feeling the ground beneath Zhang Yu tremble and seeing wisps of Earthly Fiend Gravity spread out, Celestial Elephant exclaimed inwardly, “Is this really someone just starting out? This has to be at least Level 2, maybe even Level 3!”
“He reached the entry level after his first practice? And now he’s at Level 2 or 3 after the second?”
When Zhang Yu finished channeling the art for the third time, his Mount Sumeru King Sutra had already reached Level 5.
Sensing the ground ripple beneath him, Celestial Elephant was plunged into deep suspicion. “He improved again? This time, it’s at least Level 5. No… that’s impossible… How could he be this fast?”
“Could it be that Zhang Yu has already cultivated the Mount Sumeru King Sutra? Is he just putting on an act for me?”
Celestial Elephant recalled Zhang Yu’s first attempt at channeling the art. It had been genuinely clumsy and didn’t seem like an act.
“Besides, what would be the point of putting on such a show now?”
While True Monarch Celestial Elephant grew increasingly bewildered, Zhang Yu’s cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Soon, he pushed the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 10, then Level 20…
Amidst a deafening rumble, the ground beneath Zhang Yu began to shake violently, as if a small earthquake had erupted.
Initially, True Monarch Desolate Tiger and the others hadn’t paid much attention to Zhang Yu’s decision to learn the Mount Sumeru King Sutra.
For one, this military-grade martial art was considered merely average among the many military-grade martial arts and daoist arts.
For another, they didn’t think Zhang Yu could achieve much in such a short time.
But the commotion from Zhang Yu’s cultivation grew louder and louder. In the blink of an eye, he was causing the earth to tremble, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Celestial Elephant!” True Monarch Desolate Tiger couldn’t help but ask. “Is this the Mount Sumeru King Sutra you taught him?”
True Monarch Celestial Elephant nodded, then quickly shook his head, his face a mask of shock. “I didn’t teach him. I just gave him the digital manual. I haven’t even started instructing him… He just started practicing on his own, following the manual.”
On the other side, True Monarch Mystic Fox watched the distant collapsing mountain and exclaimed in shock, “What level is his Mount Sumeru King Sutra? How is it causing such a huge commotion?”
True Monarch Celestial Elephant replied, “Level 20… no, it should be Level 21 now.”
True Monarch Desolate Tiger cried out in disbelief, “Level 21? How long has it been? He’s already pushed the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 21? How is that possible?”
True Monarch Mystic Fox’s fox-like ears twitched slightly. “Could he have been secretly learning it all along?” she asked suspiciously.
True Monarch Celestial Elephant curled his elephant trunk and gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know. I can’t tell anymore.”
Under the stunned gazes of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, Zhang Yu continued his relentless advance, pushing the Mount Sumeru King Sutra all the way to Level 40.
Feeling the violent tremors shaking the entire Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map and watching mountain after mountain collapse, True Monarch Celestial Elephant gradually grew numb.
“Level 40.”
“He’s already pushed the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 40?”
True Monarch Celestial Elephant couldn’t help but recall the past. “How long did it take me to cultivate the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 40?”
At this moment, True Monarch Celestial Elephant felt that even if Zhang Yu were merely putting on an act — even if he had already cultivated the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 40 long ago — his talent was still astonishingly brilliant, almost unbelievably powerful.
After all, Zhang Yu had only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm. He had to consolidate his cultivation, enhance his foundational stats, cultivate Immortal Sect Techniques, research Spatial Technology, and develop the World-Piercing Cone and the Great Void Cloud Repository…
The thought that Zhang Yu might have secretly cultivated the Mount Sumeru King Sutra to Level 40 amidst all this still sent a chill down True Monarch Celestial Elephant’s spine.
On the other side, True Monarch Desolate Tiger remarked, “Unbelievable… No wonder True Monarch Blazing Light achieved such accomplishments at such a young age. His talent is truly world-shaking.”
But in the next moment, True Monarch Desolate Tiger looked at the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map before him and couldn’t help but sigh.
What good was extraordinary talent now? Trapped within this Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map, he was nothing more than a turtle in a jar, a lamb waiting for slaughter.
True Monarch Desolate Tiger sighed inwardly. “What’s the use of the Mount Sumeru King Sutra? Even if he cultivates it to Level 50 or 60, he still won’t be able to break through this Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map.”
Just then, Joy God’s voice echoed from outside the map.
“Oh? Zhang Yu, I didn’t expect you to cause such a commotion in here.”
“But no matter how much you destroy, it’s useless. This Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map is an Immortal Sect Magical Artifact that True Monarch Immortal Slayer brought from the sect. It’s not something you can break.”
Seeing the chaotic scene Zhang Yu had created within the map, Joy God chuckled inwardly. “This kid really can’t keep his cool. I only left him to stew for a day, and he’s already like this?”
He thought to himself, “Auspicious God has taken my bribe and won’t interfere anymore.”
“Zhang Yu’s mental state is already deteriorating. It’s the perfect time to apply more pressure…”
With this in mind, Joy God spoke into the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map again. “The Immortal Dao has always been about the strong ruling the weak. The strong set the rules and decide the future.”
“And right now, the strongest on this battlefield is Fu Xiantian, the Alliance Leader of our Righteous Qi Alliance.”
“Even without using his full strength, he can already completely suppress the Ten Universities’ Spirit Transformation Experts. Your defeat is only a matter of time.”
As he spoke, Joy God transmitted an image into the map — the divine lights of the Spirit Transformation Battlefield.
But now, the number of lights had changed again.
Joy God continued, “Over the past day and night, another Spirit Transformation Expert from the Ten Universities has fallen, and one has surrendered. Only 29 remain.”
The Nascent Soul True Monarchs watching this felt a chill in their hearts. The battlefield situation was deteriorating rapidly, and the Ten Universities’ chances of victory seemed increasingly slim.
Joy God pressed on, “Besides, True Monarch Immortal Slayer was able to bring an Immortal Sect Magical Artifact down here. Do you really think the Alliance Leader — the master of True Monarch Slay Heaven and a disciple of an Immortal — doesn’t have one of his own?”
“It’s just that the time isn’t right. The Alliance Leader hasn’t used it yet.”
“And… news has arrived from the New World. The older generation of Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs — Celestial Evolution, Myriad Transformations, Seven Emotions, and the others — have all surrendered…”
Sensing the morale of the cultivators within the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map plummeting with each word, Joy God smiled faintly and turned his attention back to Zhang Yu. “Zhang Yu, I’ll ask you one more time today: are you willing to become my believer?”
Zhang Yu spoke up. “What about the other Evil God from yesterday?”
Joy God sneered. “I’ve already driven him off. Let me tell you, don’t even think about other Evil Gods coming for you. No one but me will take you as a believer.”
Zhang Yu nodded. “I understand.”
“In that case…”
The next moment, to everyone’s astonishment, Zhang Yu suddenly dispersed his Gang Qi. He raised his clasped hands toward the sky and then violently tore them apart.
With a world-shaking roar, the entire space containing the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map began to tremble violently.
Zhang Yu called the space created by the Immortal Descendant the “Immortal Space.”
The instant he activated the Immortal Descendant’s power, he felt the Immortal Space collide fiercely with the space holding the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map.
Under this impact, the once-impregnable Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map began to buckle, deform, and crack, like a small car rear-ended by a massive truck.
Simultaneously, powerful shockwaves surged into Zhang Yu’s body. He either endured them directly or channeled them into the earth beneath his feet, causing the ground and mountains to shatter with a deafening crash.
Before Joy God’s shocked eyes, the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map began to split apart from its center. A figure then clawed its way out through the widening rift.