Chapter 741: Master of Ten Billion Talisman
Staring at the unfamiliar name in his contact list, Zhang Yu didn’t reject it as he normally would.
This Yun Zhiguang had already become his friend, bypassing the need for his approval.
Zhang Yu understood this wasn’t merely about Spirit Coins; it was a display of high-level authority.
The other party could become anyone’s friend they wished, with no need for requests or consent.
The next moment, a projection descended, and a woman with a youthful appearance named Yun Zhiguang materialized before Zhang Yu.
She glared at him fiercely and announced, “My name is Yun Zhiguang, a disciple of the Myriad Laws Sect.”
Zhang Yu studied her appearance and thought, “A sect disciple? Her aesthetic is quite classical.”
Yun Zhiguang continued, “Zhang Yu, your Shared Cloud Repository is impressive. I see great potential in it — it could become a leading enterprise in the Second to Fifth Layers.”
“But what were you thinking… offering triple salaries to billions of people? And issuing bonds worth tens of billions of Spirit Coins with triple interest?”
“Those poor wretches… just giving them a decent job would be enough to make them work themselves to death.”
“Don’t you think this is far too wasteful? You’ve spent so much unnecessary money.”
“And by pulling this stunt, you’ve let them get a taste of these salary hikes. How are you supposed to manage the company in the future? Isn’t this just reckless nonsense?”
Seeing Yun Zhiguang’s interrogating gaze, Zhang Yu thought, “So it begins.”
With the Heavenly Court’s descent and the sects re-engaging with the Ten Great Universities, it was inevitable they would try to seize control of various university assets and companies. Zhang Yu had anticipated this.
But looking at Yun Zhiguang, he couldn’t help but marvel at her impatience. He hadn’t even left the Righteous God’s presence, yet she already treated his company as her private property and was eager to hold him accountable?
A flurry of thoughts raced through Zhang Yu’s mind as he carefully considered his response.
But before he could speak, Yun Zhiguang continued, “That’s what I initially thought.”
“But then I saw… you managed to borrow tens of billions of Spirit Coins from those same poor wretches. And I gradually understood.”
“To take, one must first give. You’re building a personal brand, aren’t you?”
Yun Zhiguang’s eyes shifted as she looked at Zhang Yu with admiration. “Besides, with this ten-billion-Spirit-Coin debt, it’ll be much harder for the powers that be to seize your company.”
“And by raising salaries and marketing yourself as someone who helps everyone make money, you’ve already won the trust of those billions of poor wretches. You’ve gained unparalleled influence, which means you can squeeze even more Spirit Coins out of them later.”
“Your persona is excellent, and this marketing strategy is brilliant. You give them a little taste of sweetness now, only to harvest it back tenfold later.”
Zhang Yu paused, then sighed helplessly. “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just wanted to do everything I could to fight Fu Xiantian and help everyone survive…”
“Yes, yes, exactly like that,” Yun Zhiguang laughed. “Keep that up. I’m planning to add more fuel to the fire and ride this wave of momentum to promote you even further.”
“From now on, you are Kunxu’s Number One Conscience, the Foremost Philanthropist of the Ten Universities. What do you think?”
Yun Zhiguang looked at Zhang Yu with satisfaction, as if she could already see herself wielding immense power and manipulating the masses on the Second to Fifth Layers using his influence. One business plan after another popped into her mind.
“No…” Yun Zhiguang thought to herself. “Perhaps not just the Second to Fifth Layers. This influence could spread even further. After all, a matter involving ten billion Spirit Coins is bound to have excellent promotional effects.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s stunned expression, Yun Zhiguang assumed he was worried that this “tainted” reputation would spread upward and harm his future prospects. She immediately reassured him, “Don’t worry. Anyone with a bit of sense will understand you’re not actually foolish enough to hand out money and raise salaries recklessly. They won’t hold it against you.”
“Besides, even if your reputation takes a slight hit, it’ll just become an amusing anecdote once you’ve made a fortune.”
Patting Zhang Yu’s shoulder again, Yun Zhiguang said, “Work hard, and I’ll recommend you for training at the sect. In the future, you might even have a shot at becoming the Myriad Laws Principal. And you can take the lead on promoting the Divine Creation Chapter of the Dharma Realm.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “Are the higher-ups really going to start promoting the Divine Creation Chapter of the Dharma Realm?”
Yun Zhiguang laughed heartily. “Of course! Shouldn’t something this good be promoted throughout all of Kunxu? Look at us now — we still need Bionic Eyes to communicate. Isn’t that a hassle? Once the Dharma Realm is complete, we won’t need them at all. What you see will be reality.”
“Besides,” she continued, “the Second to Fifth Layers have just endured a major war and are about to begin a massive reconstruction. Infrastructure needs to be rebuilt everywhere.”
“With your current influence among the Ten Greats, this is the perfect opportunity to promote the Divine Creation Chapter of the Dharma Realm.”
“It’s also one of the three tasks I was sent down to accomplish.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Senior Yun…”
Yun Zhiguang interrupted, “Why call me ‘Senior’? Myriad Laws University and the Myriad Laws Sect are both part of the Myriad Laws Lineage, just with different responsibilities. Just call me Senior Sister.”
“Senior Sister…” Zhang Yu asked, “One of your tasks is to promote the Divine Creation Chapter. What are the other two?”
Yun Zhiguang thought for a moment. “Well… the higher-ups haven’t started those yet, so I can’t tell you in advance. But don’t worry, they’re all good things.”
She laughed joyfully. “They’re all wonderful things that will benefit both the University and the Sect.”
Meanwhile, as Zhang Yu and Yun Zhiguang were speaking, Xin Chougui was also in conversation with Deng Bingding.
Within the Spirit Realm, their consciousnesses clashed, exchanging information at incredible speeds.
Xin Chougui said, “Zhang Yu is truly formidable. His investment of over ten billion Spirit Coins was earth-shattering. He actually managed to reverse a situation of certain death — the Divine Punishment Gambit itself.”
“But there are still many suspicious things about him.”
Deng Bingding replied, “Suspicions are just suspicions. From what I can tell, the higher-ups don’t want to pursue this any further.”
Xin Chougui retorted, “How can that be? If we don’t investigate these suspicions, we’re being irresponsible with the lives and property of the students and faculty across Kunxu.”
“He’s just afraid he’ll have to take the fall if something goes wrong later,” Deng Bingding thought.
Deng Bingding understood that for this Righteous God from the Ninth Layer, whether the Second to Fifth Layers profited or lost was of little concern. What mattered to him was whether Zhang Yu would become a future liability, as he was the one handling the case now.
Just as the two Righteous Gods were communicating, another consciousness interjected — it was Geng Chenyi.
As a Fifth-Rank Righteous God who had once governed the Myriad Laws Campus, Geng Chenyi, like Deng Bingding, wanted to finalize the matter of the ten billion Spirit Coin profit and avoid any further complications.
The Righteous God’s voice echoed, “Zhang Yu’s case can be closed.”
Xin Chougui was slightly startled. “He may have infringed on copyrights.”
Geng Chenyi replied calmly, “He turned over ten billion Spirit Coins.”
Xin Chougui pressed on, “He might have also evaded taxes…”
Geng Chenyi waved it off. “The Spirit Realm was disconnected for over a dozen months. Oversights are normal. Besides, he paid ten billion Spirit Coins.”
Xin Chougui persisted, “He was captured by an Evil God and is suspected of colluding with the Righteous Qi Alliance…”
Geng Chenyi glared at him. “Zhang Yu spent ten billion Spirit Coins on talismans. What problem could he possibly have? The Ten Universities have been saved, the Righteous Qi Alliance members have been captured, and the Second to Fifth Layers are secure. The money collected not only covered the losses but also left a surplus. What more do you want?”
“Xin Chougui, I’m warning you, don’t use this as a pretext to disrupt the bigger picture.”
“I have already reported this matter to the Great God of Sentient Creation. This ends here.”
At the same time, a private voice message shot into Xin Chougui’s consciousness — a warning from Geng Chenyi: “If you really uncover something, can you bear the consequences?”
Xin Chougui’s expression tightened. Suddenly, a series of terms flashed through his mind: Righteous Qi Alliance, Evil God, Evil God King, Reincarnation Immortal Emperor, Ying Xintian…
In that moment, he realized that without even noticing, he had been dragged into a massive vortex.
A bitter look crossed Xin Chougui’s face. He sighed deeply. “I understand.”
Thus, not long after Zhang Yu finished his conversation with Yun Zhiguang, Deng Bingding appeared before him again.
Deng Bingding spoke politely, “True Monarch Blazing Light, it’s been a while.”
Looking at Zhang Yu, Deng Bingding felt a storm of complex emotions. She could never have imagined that the poor cultivator who had struggled to pass the Foundation Establishment exam on the First Layer less than ten years ago would now stand on the Fifth Layer of Kunxu. He had become a Nascent Soul True Monarch who casually spent ten billion Spirit Coins — a figure she could only look up to in awe.
During the earlier interrogation, Deng Bingding hadn’t had a chance to formally greet Zhang Yu. Now, after some pleasantries, she returned to the main topic.
“The investigation into your case has concluded,” Deng Bingding said. “It has been confirmed that there are no issues.”
Zhang Yu glanced around the Meditation Chamber. “So, I can leave anytime now?”
“Of course,” Deng Bingding replied. “However, there are a few other matters we’d like to invite you to participate in…”
As Deng Bingding explained, Zhang Yu learned that the Righteous Gods were planning an awards ceremony to commend those who had made outstanding contributions in the fight against the Righteous Qi Alliance and the defense of Kunxu’s assets over the past year and a half.
Naturally, Zhang Yu was a key figure in this event.
He nodded slightly, listening to Deng Bingding’s description of the proceedings. “So, the Righteous Gods are launching a propaganda campaign,” he thought.
This move didn’t surprise him. After so much warfare across the Second to Fifth Layers, a grand propaganda event was necessary to announce the return of the Heavenly Court and the Righteous Gods, declare a return to normalcy, and officially close the chapter on the recent chaos. It would also serve to sweep away the lingering influence of the Righteous Qi Alliance.
Deng Bingding said: “At that time, after you receive your award, you will also need to go up on stage and give a speech. This awards ceremony will be broadcast live across Levels 1 to 10, so the influence is huge. We hope you will prepare well for it…”
“He, with a single cry of ‘Money, come!’, tore open the firmament and rescued the Spirit Transformation experts of the Ten Universities in their darkest hour.”
“He, with ten billion spirit coins, mended the heavens, offered triple wages, and led hundreds of millions of cultivators to resist the demonic fiends.”
“He, who single-handedly shouldered a debt of ten billion, willingly becoming the greatest debtor in history, all to secure a sliver of hope for countless living beings.”
“Let us welcome True Monarch Blazing Light from Myriad Laws University!”
Under the gaze of the countless masses, Zhang Yu slowly walked onto the stage and accepted the trophy from the Great God of Sentient Creation.
Meanwhile, on the First Layer of Kunxu, within Songyang High School in Songyang City…
Like all high schools on the First Layer, the entire student body and faculty of Songyang High School were gathered to watch the live broadcast of the awards ceremony.
A massive screen displayed the video feed from the upper layers — an unprecedented flow of information between the upper and lower realms.
This was made possible by a special decree from the Heavenly Court, which had ordered the First and Second Layers to cooperate fully and required all schools on the First Layer to organize viewings of the live ceremony.
The moment Zhang Yu appeared on screen, a stir rippled through the crowd.
Wang Hai, once a gold-medal physical education teacher and now the vice-principal of Songyang High School, stared at the screen where Zhang Yu stood beside the Great God of Sentient Creation. His voice trembled with excitement as he declared, “Look closely! This is your senior!”
“The Zhang Yu of the Zhang Yu Building — that’s him!”
“The moment I first saw him, I knew he was no ordinary person. After school, I immediately gave him 60,000 yuan to support his studies.”
A student muttered under their breath, “He owes ten billion… Isn’t he broke?”
Wang Hai’s ears twitched. He snorted coldly. “Ten billion?”
He strode to the blackboard and wrote out a long string of numbers. As the students and teachers stared at the figure — 10,000,000,000,000,000 — they felt an overwhelming pressure wash over them. The sheer number of zeros made their eyes swim. [TL Note: In the raws, the figure they wrote down looks like 100 billion, but the term that gets repeated over and over again 一百亿 means “a hundred times 100 million = 10 billion. ]
“Do you think that’s the kind of money you carry in your pockets? Those are Spirit Coins! Converted to our currency, that’s more than a hundred quadrillion yuan. He amassed funds exceeding a hundred quadrillion!”
Hearing and seeing this astronomical sum, the students gasped in unison, drawing in sharp breaths of cold air.
Meanwhile, on the screen, Zhang Yu accepted the trophy from the Great God of Sentient Creation. The moment it touched his hands, the trophy transformed into a talisman that floated beside him.
This was a prize specially customized for Zhang Yu by the Righteous Gods. Besides the basic functions of drawing talismans and network access, it granted him extremely high authority within the Spirit Realm.
With this talisman in his possession, a Spirit Realm Projection naturally appeared above Zhang Yu’s head: “Master of Ten Billion Talisman”.
Watching the live broadcast, Kuang Tianqing sighed inwardly. “The Heavenly Court is determined to fully back Zhang Yu this time.”
He had already reviewed the details of the prize before the broadcast began. Now, he reflected on its benefits: “Immunity to low- and mid-grade talismans. Righteous Gods below the Fifth Rank have no authority to investigate him. He can worship Righteous Gods below the Third Rank for free…”
“And Heavenly Favor — all calamities and natural disasters will be mitigated for him, while his influence on the world will be amplified…”
Kuang Tianqing thought grimly, “This guy must be the reincarnation of some wealthy figure from the upper realms. Otherwise, how could he have the audacity to spend ten billion so casually? How could he receive such unwavering support from the Heavenly Court?”
At the awards ceremony, besides Zhang Yu, Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole, Divine Monarch Greenwood, Divine Monarch Sinful Lotus, True Monarch Heavenly Slaughter, True Monarch Miraculous Hand, and Bai Zhenzhen also took the stage one by one to receive various honors.
Watching from the First Layer, Wang Hai sighed with emotion. “Two Nascent Soul cultivators from one school. From now on, Songyang will be the strongest school in the First Layer.”
Next, Zhang Yu stepped onto the stage to give his speech.
A group of monsterfolk rushed forward to present him with flowers.
Under the host’s questioning, the monsterfolk announced their names: Zhu Kangtian, Zhu Zhuyu, Niu Jieyu…
The host explained that these were the monsterfolk born on the battlefield during the war.
Whenever these monsterfolk remembered they were born for True Monarch Blazing Light, they couldn’t help but puff out their chests with pride.
After accepting the flowers, Zhang Yu faced the camera and said, “First, I want to thank Myriad Laws University for nurturing me…”
At Tianhai College, Zhou Chechen turned to a classmate beside him. “He was my junior brother in high school. We were really close back then, practicing combat together every day. He even beat me so hard I threw up once.”
Zhang Yu said, “Without the guidance of Master Magnetic Pole and Master Greenwood, I wouldn’t have made it this far…”
At Tianhai College, Qian Shen watched the scene and muttered, “Scores… they can’t even measure him anymore. Does the scoring system cease to exist beyond the university level?”
At Netherworld University, Wang Yin applauded enthusiastically, sighing to a classmate beside him, “Back then, I lost to True Monarch Blazing Light by a single move.”
Inside Myriad Laws University, True Monarch Starfire watched the live broadcast and lamented, “He’s basking in glory now, but I fear immense pressure will follow.”
Just then, a message flashed in True Monarch Starfire’s Bionic Eye: “Starfire”.
True Monarch Starfire’s eyelid twitched. He replied: “What do you want? When we split, I already gave you everything I owed. We’re even.”
The other party replied: “Starfire, I had no choice back then. You misunderstand me too deeply.”
True Monarch Starfire: “Heh, what do you really want?”
The other party replied: “Do you know how many Spirit Transformation Certificates are left among the Ten Universities?”
Inside the Overtime Institute, a free labor facility, the former True Monarch Heaven Devourer had been renamed Heaven-Compliant Monkey.
At this moment, under the unified arrangement, he was working overtime while watching the award ceremony through his Bionic Eye.
Beside Heaven-Compliant Monkey was True Monarch Junior College, who had reverted to his original name, Li Qiuxian.
Watching the glorious Zhang Yu on the screen, Li Qiuxian lamented, “We’re both in debt, but the difference is just too vast.”
True Monarch Flowing Gold, standing nearby, remarked, “How can they be the same? He owes commoners. You owe the Heavenly Court.”
Just as Zhang Yu finished his speech, Li Qiuxian’s gaze shifted as a video of himself appeared on the screen.
In the video, he was weeping uncontrollably, explaining that due to his lack of education and worldly knowledge, he had been deceived by an Evil God and mistakenly joined the Righteous Qi Alliance, committing many wrongdoings.
Following that was Heaven-Compliant Monkey, who claimed he had gone astray because he grew up without a father and lacked proper guidance. Then came True Monarch Flowing Gold, who, despite his high education, had still been duped by an Evil God.