Chapter 740: Money Can Move Gods
As the eye spanning a thousand li materialized in the sky, Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye began to throb wildly.
Like a phone rebooting after being off for ages, a flood of notifications, ads, and messages flashed through his Bionic Eye one after another: notices from Righteous Gods, billing information from the Spirit Realm, warnings from the Heavenly Court, and long-dormant Spirit Realm smart ads.
The frantically flickering lights and shadows nearly obscured Zhang Yu’s view of the sky, as if trying to cram in all the messages he had missed over the past dozen months.
In the next instant, the sky — the Great Annihilation Final Vista Mystic Seal — shattered completely. Fu Xiantian’s manifested face naturally crumbled along with it.
Then, a truly colossal hand, large enough to blot out the sun and sky, reached down from the shattered heavens. With a gentle squeeze, it “scooped up” the countless fragments of the sky into its palm.
At this moment, countless people across the world watched the shocking scene. They couldn’t help but marvel inwardly, especially recalling how the sky — which so many had just struggled with all their might to support — had been taken away so effortlessly.
Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole also gazed at the scene, thinking, “One move… and the Great Annihilation Final Vista Mystic Seal is gone? It seems one of the Heavenly Court’s Great Gods has personally descended.”
Simultaneously, pillars of light descended from beyond the heavens, poised to pierce through the Second to Fifth Layers in an instant. Countless Righteous Gods were descending from the sky, preparing to reclaim control of this world.
At the edge of the horizon, massive gates materialized. Figures with mysterious and noble auras stepped through them, their gazes fixed on the current state of the Second to Fifth Layers.
True Monarch Starfire’s heart stirred. “The sect’s people have arrived too?”
But just as the world was about to undergo another great upheaval, Zhang Yu’s vision flickered. The shattered sky, the descending hand, the descending Righteous Gods, the chaotic Fifth Layer — everything vanished.
He found himself in a secret chamber, with Fu Xiantian standing before him.
But the next moment, Zhang Yu instantly realized, thinking, “No, this isn’t reality. This is… Fu Xiantian’s memory?”
Zhang Yu understood. This was another memory Fu Xiantian had transmitted to him. He had merely “recalled” it in an instant, a process that would have taken only a fleeting moment in the physical world.
The Fu Xiantian before him was actually Fu Xiantian speaking to a mirror.
Zhang Yu thought, “He transmitted a memory of himself talking to a mirror to me?”
He heard the figure speak: “Zhang Yu, since you’ve received this memory, it seems the Heavenly Court’s early descent succeeded, and I ultimately failed.”
Fu Xiantian sighed helplessly and said softly, “My personal failure is nothing. It’s just a pity that I dragged down Master’s plan.”
With that, he fixed his solemn gaze on the mirror, his eyes seeming to pierce through memory and spacetime to look directly at the present Zhang Yu.
“Ultimately, I was too weak. It was because of this weakness that I could only try to lead the people of the Second to Fifth Layers to create a new world.”
“It was also because of this weakness that I understood from the very beginning that I might fail. But no matter what, someone had to try.”
Sighing, Fu Xiantian looked at Zhang Yu and continued earnestly, “Compared to my attempt… the other option is far, far more difficult.”
“Climbing upward, reaching the very peak of Kunxu, and then changing it from the top down — this might be the most correct method, but it is also the most difficult, the most impossible. It’s far harder than taking away the Sixth Layer, harder than destroying the Second to Fifth Layers, harder than joining a sect, harder than ascending to immortality… so much harder that it’s virtually unattainable.”
“After all, climbing to the summit within Kunxu’s existing system, under the pervasive influence of the Ten Immortal Emperors’ Dao Lineages, using Kunxu’s own methods and techniques, is already fraught with countless difficulties.”
“And to blend in with the world while preserving your original intentions, enduring and persevering relentlessly throughout the process — that is harder still.”
“But as I just said, even if failure is inevitable, someone still has to try.”
Fu Xiantian walked forward step by step, making Zhang Yu feel as if he were drawing closer and closer.
“I don’t know if you’ve realized it, but you truly possess a one-in-ten-thousand potential. Perhaps there are many cultivators who also possess this potential, and even gain the favor of Immortals because of it.”
“But among those with such potential, you are the only one I’ve ever met who still wants to change Kunxu.”
“If, in the future, you are still willing to try, do not forget the choice you made today, do not forget the thoughts you have at this moment…”
“And finally…”
As the memory image before him gradually faded, Fu Xiantian’s final words echoed in Zhang Yu’s mind.
“The Reincarnation Immortal Emperor can be trusted for now. If he offers to help you, do not hesitate…”
When Zhang Yu came to his senses, Fu Xiantian’s figure had completely vanished.
At the same time, streams of divine light converged before Zhang Yu, ultimately forming a tall, magnificent figure wrapped in divine radiance, exuding an aura of unparalleled nobility.
Gazing at this figure, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “The Great God of Sentient Creation…”
Zhang Yu had last seen this Great God from the Ministry of All People, one of the Heavenly Court’s Eight Divisions, at the Ten Greats League awards ceremony.
Back then, however, he had been merely a projection. Though equally noble, it lacked any sense of substance.
But at this very moment, feeling the oppressive might continuously emanating from him, the constantly erupting, increasingly vast and scorching heat, and the Sky Fragment and Great Annihilation Final Vista Mystic Seal suppressed in his hand…
Everything seemed to tell Zhang Yu that the being before him was no projection, but a true, physical entity — an entity so powerful it defied his comprehension.
Zhang Yu immediately bowed deeply. “Greetings, Great God of Sentient Creation…”
The Great God before him gently raised a hand, looking at Zhang Yu with clear admiration. “Heh, Zhang Yu, you truly are worthy of being the Ten Greats League Champion of your year. You have not disappointed the Heavenly Court’s expectations.”
“However, we must still follow procedure.”
“Don’t be nervous during the upcoming investigation. Just tell the truth. No matter what happened, I will ensure your safety.”
In the next instant, both Zhang Yu and the Great God of Sentient Creation vanished from the sky.
At the same time, it wasn’t just Zhang Yu who vanished. As beams of Righteous God light descended, the Cosmic Galaxy Great Formation was forcibly shut down.
Within the formation, all the Spirit Transformation Divine Monarchs — whether Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole, Divine Monarch Greenwood, Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus, or the Righteous Qi Alliance’s Divine Monarch Chain Nexus and Divine Monarch Treasure Flow — were seized by massive hands and whisked away without a trace.
Outside the Cosmic Galaxy Great Formation, countless cultivators received notifications from the Righteous Gods in their minds, ordering them to remain in place and not move without permission.
Watching the figures of the Righteous Gods in the sky, True Monarch Junior College felt a profound sense of unease.
“The Heavenly Court… has finally descended?”
“Should I try to escape now?”
As True Monarch Junior College’s thoughts raced, he saw a figure in the distance soar into the sky, ignoring the warnings in a desperate attempt to flee.
The figure then split into hundreds of clones, scattering in all directions. True Monarch Junior College’s heart tightened. “True Monarch Heaven Devourer?”
But in the next instant, beams of Righteous God light transformed into chains, tightly binding every single clone.
“Hah!” True Monarch Heaven Devourer’s fangs bared as he let out a roar that caused the earth to tremble.
But in the blink of an eye, as the divine power chains tightened, his Magic Power, Gang Qi, vital energy, and even all his martial and daoist arts were completely suppressed.
The earthquake, intense heat, and Earthly Fiend Gravity he had just triggered were all smoothed over as if nothing had ever happened.
Watching True Monarch Heaven Devourer being dragged away, True Monarch Junior College immediately abandoned any thought of escape.
Beside him, True Monarch Flowing Gold sighed. “Foolish monkey. With the Great God of the Ministry of All People descending personally, who could possibly escape?”
His gaze swept across the sky as he lamented again, “It’s not just the Righteous Gods from the Second to Fifth Layers. Even those from the Seventh to Ninth Layers have come down to assist. The Heavenly Court is truly serious this time… Alas, no one will escape.”
As this thought crossed his mind, his Bionic Eyes began to twitch erratically. True Monarch Junior College couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”
True Monarch Flowing Gold glanced at him. “Selling my Nascent Soul, Golden Core… everything I can sell. Then I’m buying Yu Bonds.”
True Monarch Junior College exclaimed in shock, “What?”
True Monarch Flowing Gold explained, “Many people will be liquidating their assets soon. The earlier you sell, the less you lose. And Yu Bonds will probably be closed for trading soon. Buy as much as you can now; every bit is profit.”
“The more Yu Bonds and money you have, the better your position will be when negotiating with the Righteous Gods.”
In a Meditation Chamber.
After Zhang Yu was brought here by the Great God of Sentient Creation, the Great God vanished. Then, two Righteous Gods arrived and began to question him.
One of the Righteous Gods was named Xin Chougui, a stern, imposing man with a full beard.
The other was an acquaintance of Zhang Yu’s: Deng Bingding, who had once overseen the Foundation Establishment Examination on the First Layer before being promoted to the Second Layer.
Like most of the other Righteous Gods currently patrolling the Second to Fifth Layers, these two had descended following the Great God of Sentient Creation’s guidance. They knew little about the current situation in these layers and were still in the process of gathering data and investigating.
Deng Bingding smiled at Zhang Yu. “True Monarch Blazing Light, there’s no need to be nervous. This is just routine procedure. We have a few questions for you.”
Beside her, Xin Chougui from the Ninth Layer was less gentle. However, seeing the cultivator personally delivered by the Great God of Sentient Creation, he suppressed his arrogance and said calmly, “True Monarch Blazing Light, please recount your experiences since the disappearance of the Sixth Layer.”
He then added a warning: “We will cross-reference your account with the testimonies of others and the surveillance records from the divine power network. Please consider your words carefully before you speak.”
Meanwhile, Wang Yin watched the changes in the sky, his heart leaping with joy. “The Heavenly Court has descended? We’ve won!”
Thinking about how he had survived, his mother had survived, and the future profits he could earn from Yu Bonds, Wang Yin grew more and more excited.
“I should have bought more Yu Bonds!”
But just then, he discovered that he and many others from Netherworld University had been pulled into a group chat.
An announcement was then sent out, demanding they hand over all documents, data, access permissions, and passwords for their laboratories and companies.
Wang Yin’s heart sank as he read the notice. “Is this… the sect? Did they descend with the Heavenly Court?”
“From the looks of it, they’re planning to take over the Spatial Technology companies and laboratories? Maybe even the entire University?”
When the sect representative arrived, Kuang Tianqing knelt with practiced ease, shouting, “We respectfully welcome the Upper Sect Senior Brother to the Lower Realm to guide our work!”
Seeing this, the other teachers and students around them immediately knelt as well.
The next moment, a call invitation popped up in everyone’s Bionic Eyes, but it required a payment of 1 Spirit Coin to accept.
Watching this, everyone cursed the sect’s shamelessness under their breath while paying the fee to listen.
The sect representative finally gave a slight nod and said, “During the period of disconnection, you all initiated many unauthorized projects without the sect’s approval and misappropriated a significant amount of university assets.”
“I am here to sort through the situation and report everything to the sect for a final decision…”
After the sect representative left, someone beside Kuang Tianqing said resentfully, “Damn it! We finally defeated the Righteous Qi Alliance, only for the sect to descend and snatch the fruits of our labor. And we have to act like their grandsons.”
Kuang Tianqing replied coolly, “Act like grandsons? We are grandsons. No… you think you even qualify to be their grandson? Do you think they’d even accept you?”
“If they only break up the new companies or take their shares, you should be secretly celebrating. At least they haven’t punished you for all your violations and infringements.”
He sighed inwardly. “The sect… when they were up there, they might have followed the rules. But now that they’ve finally been let down here, especially at a time like this… I fear many of them will be lawless and unrestrained, all looking to exploit this opportunity to madly extract benefits.”
Within Immortal Armaments University.
A child’s figure skipped along, suddenly pointing at a building below and exclaiming, “Grandpa, I want that company! The one that produces Void Boxes.”
“Nonsense!”
The old man beside him slapped the child on the head and scolded, “Grandpa saw it first, it’s not your turn! You want to snatch it? Grandson, wait until you’re the grandpa before you try.”
In the Grand Void of the Kunxu Third Layer, inside the Research Association’s building, a figure stood in Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole’s office.
It was a young woman over two meters tall, with a slender and well-proportioned body.
Above her head, her name flickered: Yun Zhiguang.
Beyond that, there was no other information — nothing else could be seen. It seemed those three characters alone were enough to explain everything.
Yun Zhiguang rubbed her eyes impatiently and muttered, “This dump still requires Bionic Eyes? How backward.”
But as data streamed through her Bionic Eye, she suddenly smiled. “Magnetic Pole did a good job. Not only did she establish this Research Association, but she also set up a spatial technology company. The Great Void Cloud Repository they produce has a high market share.”
“Oh? This Zhang Yu’s performance is quite impressive too. He co-developed it and even led the subsequent Heaven-Piercing project…”
“Not bad, not bad. It seems I can recommend him for the Sect’s training program and then entrust him with managing the lower-level operations.”
But soon, as she scanned through details about “Distributing Red Packets to Break the Firmament,” “Triple Wages,” and “Triple Interest,” Yun Zhiguang’s brow furrowed tightly.
“That damn fool.”
“Where is he? Where is he now?”
Xin Chougui and Deng Bingding listened silently as Zhang Yu recounted his experiences over the past dozen or so months, occasionally interjecting with questions.
Zhang Yu was well-prepared for this. After all, confronting Fu Xiantian meant inevitably facing the Heavenly Court’s arrival, so he had long ago coordinated a narrative with Magnetic Pole, Greenwood, Yu Xinghan, and the others.
As they listened to Zhang Yu’s account, the two Righteous Gods’ thoughts began to churn.
Initially, Zhang Yu’s dedicated cultivation and rapid breakthroughs to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realms merely surprised them slightly; it wasn’t truly shocking.
In their view, with enough Spirit Coins and abundant resources, swift advancement through the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realms was never difficult for a true Heavenly Chosen.
Especially after the recent Great Upheaval, Zhang Yu had easily obtained his Golden Core and Nascent Soul Certificates, bypassing the two most difficult hurdles. This made his path far smoother than that of past cultivators who struggled for years without legal means to break through.
But soon, as Zhang Yu described the development of the World-Piercing Cone and the Great Void Cloud Repository, doubts began to surface in the Righteous Gods’ minds.
On one hand, they were astonished by how quickly Zhang Yu had mastered Kunlun in the Palm. On the other, they questioned his involvement in spatial technology research.
And when they heard about Zhang Yu “Distributing Red Packets” and “Wealth Piercing the Firmament,” their doubts intensified.
Xin Chougui couldn’t help but ask, “True Monarch Blazing Light, are you certain the numbers you’ve quoted are correct?”
Zhang Yu smiled. “I don’t think I have any reason to lie to you.”
Xin Chougui and Deng Bingding exchanged a glance, their perception of Zhang Yu already shifting.
As Zhang Yu continued, describing triple salaries, hiring across the realm, ten billion in subsidies, bonds with triple interest… and finally, the investment of ten billion Spirit Coins into the divine power network, Xin Chougui’s suspicion skyrocketed.
Borrowing over ten billion Spirit Coins from everyone in Kunxu’s Second to Fifth Layers? And then pouring all of it into the divine power network?
To Xin Chougui, it sounded like utter madness. He stared at Zhang Yu as if looking at a lunatic. “True Monarch Blazing Light, are you absolutely sure you’re telling the truth?”
“Perhaps you’re unaware, but even without a Righteous God’s control, the divine power network silently monitors and records everything it’s supposed to observe.”
“My colleagues are currently collecting that data.”
Even as Xin Chougui spoke with Zhang Yu, his consciousness was connected to the Spirit Realm, allowing him to exchange information with other Righteous Gods who were gathering intelligence, auditing accounts, repairing the Spirit Realm, and inspecting the divine power network. This accelerated their efforts to re-establish control over the Second to Fifth Layers.
Zhang Yu understood their shock and disbelief. He replied casually, “Everything I’ve said is true. Feel free to investigate.”
Meanwhile, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole was also being questioned by the Righteous Gods.
“The development of the Great Void Cloud Repository relied primarily on Zhang Yu,” she stated. “His Spirit Inspiration, creativity in artifact refinement, and many of his designs for Spatial Technology are now on par with my own.”
Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus looked at the assembled Righteous Gods and said calmly, “Funding the Research Association and later supporting Zhang Yu financially were both my decisions. If Zhang Yu hadn’t used his ‘Wealth Pierces the Firmament’ to shatter the heavens with Spirit Coins, this battle would have been lost without a doubt.”
Divine Monarch Nether Spring added, “I was shocked when I first heard he planned to throw ten billion Spirit Coins at the poor. But later, I understood — the money would eventually be earned back. What truly caught me off guard was his subsequent creation of the ten billion bonds. Thinking about it now, his ‘Transforming Others into One’s Own Debt’ technique is a move that stands alone throughout history. His mindset and audacity are unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. Once this is all over, I must learn from him.”
True Monarch Heaven Devourer scoffed loudly. “Everyone thinks the Demon Beasts Zhang Yu controls are ones he bred himself. But I can tell he secretly stole my daoist arts! He stole my clone technique!”
“He infringed on my rights! Why haven’t you arrested him yet?!”
True Monarch Junior College stared at the penalty notice before him, his legs giving way as he collapsed to his knees. “It… it has nothing to do with me! This calamity wasn’t my fault!”
“I… I’m just a high school student! The Evil Gods forced me into this position! What the hell do I know about talismans?!”
“It was Zhang Yu! He must have used some trick to frame himself, piling on false charges to disrupt the divine power network and cause all this destruction and waste!”
In the Spirit Realm, Zhao Tianxing felt as if he were waking from an eternal dream.
He opened his eyes and was startled to see the Righteous Gods standing before him.
One of the Righteous Gods asked curiously, “Why did you ultimately invest nearly all your wealth into Yu Bonds, to the point where you could no longer even think?”
At the mention of Zhang Yu, Zhao Tianxing seemed to find his resolve. He replied calmly, “I trust President Zhang.”
He then began to recount his experiences over the past dozen months and his various duties within the Spirit Realm.
Geng Chenyi was a Fifth-Rank Righteous God who had overseen numerous affairs within the Myriad Laws University campus for many years.
Ever since the Great Upheaval, when the Sixth Layer vanished and contact with the Fifth Layer was lost, Geng Chenyi had entered his darkest hour.
The loss of control over the Second to Fifth Layers brought him censure.
With his post eliminated, he was left to wander the Seventh Layer like a lost soul, enduring endless scorn and neglect.
Only now, with his return and the Second to Fifth Layers once again under the Heavenly Court’s control, could Geng Chenyi finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As he reviewed the records of the divine power network, Geng Chenyi grew increasingly agitated.
“Ten billion!”
“Zhang Yu actually invested a full ten billion Spirit Coins?!”
Geng Chenyi, who had been utterly despondent, suddenly saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback.
“Ten billion Spirit Coins… How many years would it take for all the Righteous Gods in the Second to Fifth Layers combined to achieve such a performance? Yet Zhang Yu injected it all in one go.”
Geng Chenyi mentally calculated the figures, realizing that far from suffering a loss during the Great Upheaval, the Heavenly Court had actually made a massive profit.
After repeatedly verifying the accounts and all fund flows, he rushed to seek an audience with the Great God of Sentient Creation.
At that moment, the Great God of Sentient Creation was looking at Zhang Pianpian, remarking with curiosity, “You have quite the nerve.”
“Don’t stay in the lower realms any longer.”
“Return to the Heavenly Court with me.”
Meanwhile, in Zhang Yu’s Meditation Chamber.
Testimonies, evidence, and data from various sources continuously flashed through Xin Chougui’s eyes. All this information confirmed one thing: the Zhang Yu before him had indeed spent over ten billion Spirit Coins casting talismans.
At this realization, the expressions of Xin Chougui and Deng Bingding shifted repeatedly. Their demeanor grew increasingly polite, respectful, and gentle. Their once-straight backs unconsciously began to stoop.
Finally, Xin Chougui bowed to Zhang Yu and said, “True Monarch Blazing Light, thank you for your cooperation. We have gathered enough information for now, so we will take our leave.”
Not long after the two Righteous Gods departed, a name appeared before Zhang Yu.
Staring at the name of the person contacting him, Zhang Yu thought, “Yun Zhiguang? Who’s that?”