Chapter 764: A Lost Cause
Hearing True Monarch Starfire’s words, Yu Xinghan nodded in deep agreement. “Teacher Starfire is right,” he said. “I think so too.”
“Dual cultivation truly requires deep affection between both parties. Only when their qi naturally intertwines can it flow smoothly, like water carving a channel. It shouldn’t be pursued for mere profit.”
As he spoke, Yu Xinghan turned to Li Xuelian. “Senior Sister, what do you think?”
Li Xuelian glanced at him and said coolly, “My Primordial Yin is still intact. If I were to cultivate with you… I’d be taking a loss.”
Yu Xinghan was slightly stunned by her words. He thought to himself, “Primordial Yin intact? Senior Sister is still a virgin? Is that even possible?”
He puffed out his chest and declared, “My Pure Heart remains unextinguished to this day! It’s practically on par with a Pure Yang Body…”
Li Xuelian retorted, “What good is a Pure Heart? Does it improve cultivation quality? If anything, it’s probably a hindrance.”
Yu Xinghan quickly countered, “Senior Sister, we can split the output four-six! You take six, I take four!”
Li Xuelian replied flatly, “At least ninety percent of the essence and Magic Power must go to me…”
Yu Xinghan desperately tried to bargain, “Senior Sister, I have costs to cover too…”
Watching the two of them endlessly bicker about the losses and gains of dual cultivation, True Monarch Starfire shook his head in resignation. He knew his earlier words would fall on deaf ears in this era of cultivators.
He could only try again. “Besides unequal profit distribution, indulging in dual cultivation itself is not a good thing. Otherwise, why do you think… apart from the Joyful Union Sect, neither the Myriad Laws Sect nor any other major sect encourages their disciples to dual cultivate from an early age?”
“Dual cultivation seems too pleasurable, too comfortable, and too easy, but it also carries risks. The more you practice this path, the more you risk becoming lost in its pleasures, making it harder to break free and adapt to other cultivation methods.”
“It will continuously reduce your efficiency in other cultivation practices…”
Yu Xinghan, however, silently posed a question in his mind: “Could I use the Dharma Realm’s memory services to seal the memories of each dual cultivation session? If I don’t remember the process, it shouldn’t affect me, right?”
Though he considered this, Yu Xinghan had no intention of actually doing it.
After Zhang Yu’s warning, he was determined to avoid any memory-related services to prevent potential data leaks that could expose the secrets in his mind.
Of course, Yu Xinghan also understood that within the sect… all he could do was his best and leave the rest to fate. He could only strive to prevent memory leaks, but the final outcome was beyond his control.
Hearing this, Li Xuelian said coolly, “Memory-related operations aren’t without limits, whether it’s downloading cultivation arts, knowledge packs, or the memory sealing you mentioned. The more frequently you use these methods in a short period, the more likely you are to create a mismatch between your body and mind, leading to a regression of your Dao Heart or even Qi Deviation.”
Zhang Yu knew that when Li Xuelian mentioned downloading cultivation arts and knowledge packs, she wasn’t talking about downloading text files. She was referring to operations that directly downloaded information into the mind via the Dharma Realm, embedding it into one’s memory and completing the learning process simultaneously.
Li Xuelian continued, “That’s why even cultivators within the sect use these methods with careful planning and strict limits to improve their work or cultivation efficiency.”
“Using them for something as frequent as dual cultivation would be a case of the gains not outweighing the losses.”
Le Mulan’s eyes lit up, and she suddenly asked, “What about Dharma Drugs… could they be used to resist the addiction of dual cultivation?”
True Monarch Starfire nodded. “Indeed. The Myriad Laws Sect’s willingness to promote dual cultivation on a large scale is likely due to the growing number of Dharma Drug users.”
As True Monarch Starfire spoke, Zhang Yu suddenly thought to himself, “Behind dual cultivation technology… is there a corresponding Dao Lineage? It must be the Joyful Union Sect’s Dao Lineage, right?”
Immortal Slayer replied in his mind, “Naturally. As the sect that pushed dual cultivation to its pinnacle, how could the Joyful Union Sect not have a related Dao Lineage?”
“Your suspicion is highly plausible. The Dharma Drug Dao Lineage… may indeed have been propped up to counter the Dual Cultivation Dao Lineage. Shifting from being immersed in the Dual Cultivation Dao to controlling dual cultivation with Dharma Drugs, that’s essentially poaching followers from the Dual Cultivation Dao Lineage.”
Zhang Yu thought grimly, “Gambling, Dharma Drugs, dual cultivation, natural reproduction…”
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt the countless threads within the sect intertwining, a vast web of tangled interests forming a colossal chessboard that ensnared every cultivator.
He also began to understand… why the sect had been promoting dual cultivation so heavily, yet Myriad Laws University had never implemented it on a large scale… until Yun Zhiguang began preparing to establish the Dual Cultivation Academy just as he was leaving.
“It’s not just the difference in people and environment. The bigger reason… is probably that the lower layers of the Dharma Realm haven’t been fully constructed yet, so there are no Dharma Drugs. That’s why the sect didn’t push for the University to promote it before.”
“In fact…”
Zhang Yu’s thoughts turned to Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole. “If it weren’t for the University War, Teacher Magnetic Pole’s research on the Spirit Transformation Bionic Yin Artifact, which she hoped would earn her recognition from the upper echelons and a Spirit Transformation Certificate, might have been impossible to achieve before the Dharma Realm was established.”
Immortal Slayer said, “Whether it’s dual cultivation or Dharma Drugs, relying on either… ultimately means being controlled by others. This is Kunxu, where the upper limit of the Path of the Human Immortal is often decided very early on.”
“If you only want to secure a high position within the Myriad Laws Sect, then using Dharma Drugs is a viable path.”
“But if you still aspire to achieve something truly earth-shattering, then don’t touch Dharma Drugs, and don’t touch dual cultivation.”
“Even your companions, it would be best if they avoided them too.”
Zhang Yu nodded. He knew that Immortal Slayer wasn’t just Immortal Slayer anymore, but a being that combined Immortal Slayer’s memories with his own.
This entity understood his thoughts and aspirations, which was why it offered this advice.
So, looking at the group still deep in discussion, Zhang Yu spoke up: “I agree with Teacher Starfire’s idea. If we can avoid dual cultivation, we should try our best to do so…”
Zhang Yu explained his reasoning, though he omitted the internal secrets of the various Dao Lineages. Instead, he focused on the conflicts, interests, and Dharma Drugs that True Monarch Starfire had mentioned.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s words, True Monarch Starfire nodded, sighing inwardly. “Just now, when I saw Zhang Yu remain silent, I thought he secretly disagreed… Now I see he truly possesses the virtues of the ancients.”
Back on the First Layer, when True Monarch Starfire had taught Zhang Yu, he had already felt the boy had a somewhat classical mindset.
At the time, True Monarch Starfire had assumed it was because Zhang Yu had grown up on the First Layer and would likely be assimilated as he climbed higher.
But at this moment, True Monarch Starfire sensed that as Zhang Yu ascended through the layers, his old-world bearing hadn’t faded. Instead, it seemed to be growing stronger.
Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan’s heart stirred slightly upon hearing Zhang Yu’s suggestion. He glanced at Le Mulan, then at Zhang Yu, thinking, “Is Zhang Yu worried about me and Le Mulan dual cultivating?”
“If that’s what he’s thinking, he’s severely underestimating me, Yu Xinghan.”
“Your little quirk? You think I wouldn’t have noticed after living together as brothers for all these years?”
“You don’t like others getting involved with your dual cultivation partner, right? You like to keep things all to yourself, don’t you? Only someone from the First Layer like you would have such outdated ideas… just like me.”
As Yu Xinghan thought this, a knowing expression appeared on his face. He gave Zhang Yu a reassuring gesture and silently vowed, “Even if Le Mulan begged me on her knees and offered me a fortune just to dual cultivate with her once… I’d still ask for your opinion first.”
“That’s the kind of brotherhood I, Yu Xinghan, stand for.”
True Monarch Starfire watched as Zhang Yu finished speaking, noting that Yu Xinghan and the others raised no objections. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “They… truly trust Zhang Yu and listen to him.”
“I just wonder how long this trust and obedience will last within the sect.”
Having ruled out dual cultivation and Dharma Drugs, the group chose the loan option for today’s post-class assignment.
Zhang Yu became Ye Xingli’s loan guarantor. After Ye Xingli activated her 500 Immortal Coin credit line, Zhang Yu received a three-month interest rate reduction and had his own credit line increased to 1,800 Immortal Coins.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “This thing is basically like a credit card. Spend this month, pay next month. If you can’t pay it all back, you’re stuck with high-interest installment payments.”
The difference in their credit limits clearly reflected the platform’s differing assessments of the two.
After activating his credit line, Zhang Yu didn’t rush to spend the money. He was still planning his future expenses.
Yu Xinghan and the others did the same, none of them spending recklessly or even buying any food or medicine.
Fortunately, with their current cultivation levels, they could survive for a long time without eating or taking medicine after their daily spiritual energy breathing techniques.
But Yu Xinghan raised a troubling question: “If we don’t dual cultivate for a long time, will we be targeted? Like by that Dual Cultivation Support Department?”
To True Monarch Starfire’s surprise, Zhang Yu replied, “Let me think of a way.”
At the same time, he thought inwardly, “Is there really a way?”
Immortal Slayer said, “I’ve seen a method before… but the environment has changed. I’ll need time to experiment.”
Time passed day by day as the training continued. Through repeated assignment grading, Hong Jian, the training teacher, grew to understand his students better.
He naturally appreciated and liked the excellent students, as they improved his performance metrics.
As for the underperforming students…
One day, Hong Jian’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper as he reviewed Zhang Yu’s newly submitted assignment.
“A student from the lower realms, after all… Ultimately, he can’t compare to the local students.”
“If this continues, he’ll end up as a complete failure.”
“Sigh, is it really just a pipe dream for Lower Realm Immortal Scum to succeed in the sect?”
Hong Jian wasn’t looking down on Zhang Yu in his heart; he was simply making an objective judgment based on the available data.
But even after concluding that Zhang Yu couldn’t keep up with the other students, he still refused to give up.
“Even if he’s just Floating Scum who crawled up from the First Layer, I won’t give up on him easily!”
“Otherwise, how will I improve my performance metrics? How will I earn a bigger bonus?”
With this thought, Hong Jian sent a message to Zhang Yu, deciding to have a serious talk with him.
A moment later, a figure flickered into existence before him, Zhang Yu’s Dharma Realm Projection had arrived.
Looking at the student, Hong Jian said coldly, “You know why I summoned you, don’t you?”
With that, a video projection appeared before Hong Jian, playing a scene of Zhang Yu and Ye Xingli embracing.
“Where’s the frontal shot? The practical application footage?”
Physical examination data materialized before them. Hong Jian pointed at the numbers and said, “It’s obvious you’re just putting on a show. Neither of you has truly started cultivating!”
“Are you trying to deceive me or yourself with this fake stuff? Are you dual cultivating for my benefit?”
“And another thing, the dual cultivation teacher asked you to stay after class for extra tutoring. Why did you just leave?”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s head bowed in silence, Hong Jian sighed. “You won’t dual cultivate, you won’t take Dharma Drugs, and you’re stingy even when taking out loans… What exactly did you come to the sect for? Do you still want to advance, to climb the Immortal Dao?”
At this, Hong Jian shook his head. “I know you climbed up from the First Layer and your mindset hasn’t caught up with the sect disciples, but if you continue like this, it’s only a matter of time before you’re eliminated.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhang Yu lowered his head even further and said helplessly, “Teacher, I’m working on it. I’ll catch up with the main group as soon as possible.”
Just then, the projections of Yu Xinghan and True Monarch Starfire appeared one by one, standing obediently before Hong Jian.
Seeing the other two underperforming students he had summoned, Hong Jian continued, “So you’re here? You two are quite something. Zhang Yu at least submitted a video. You didn’t even bother to turn in your assignment video.”
“Yu Xinghan, you barely scraped by to get into the sect. How can you not cherish this opportunity?”
“And you, Starfire!” Hong Jian’s gaze turned icy as he glared coldly at True Monarch Starfire. “This is your second time entering the sect. You’re practically a veteran. How can you lack even a shred of awareness?”
Among the three, True Monarch Starfire was the most egregious offender in Hong Jian’s eyes. He believed it was this old rogue’s influence that had corrupted Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan.
Hong Jian continued, “Look at yourselves! At your age, with your cultivation and rank… If you’re not dual cultivating fiercely, taking Dharma Drugs constantly, and borrowing heavily, what else do you plan to do? Do you think Immortal Cultivation is some kind of wellness retreat?”
With a flick of his fingertip, Hong Jian projected a series of videos, the homework submissions of other disciples.
He magnified the most outstanding assignments before Zhang Yu and the others, shouting, “Look at them! See how hard they work, how much sweat they pour into it? How their techniques are improving every single day?”
Seeing Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan staring intently, Hong Jian nodded inwardly. “These two are still salvageable if they’re willing to seriously study other students’ work.”
Then Hong Jian glanced at True Monarch Starfire, who stood with his head bowed, refusing to even look at the videos. Hong Jian shook his head and sighed inwardly, “A lost cause.”
“I’ll give you one last day,” Hong Jian announced.
“If there’s still no improvement by tomorrow, I will personally tutor you. You’ll report to my office every day after class.”
As he looked at the three bowed heads, a glint of unyielding determination flashed in Hong Jian’s eyes. “Under my tutelage, there has never been a student whose grades I couldn’t improve…”
Yu Xinghan’s heart sank. “Personal tutoring?”
He glanced at Hong Jian’s imposing, masculine frame and thought miserably, “This is going to be hell.”
He instinctively looked to Zhang Yu, desperate for a plan.
But Zhang Yu stared straight at the floor, his gaze fixed, as if he hadn’t heard a word Hong Jian said.
Hong Jian then shifted the topic to their outsourced employees. He sighed, “It’s bad enough you can’t perform, but why are your outsourced employees just as useless?”
Looking at the three, Hong Jian continued, “Management skill is essential for a sect disciple. If you can’t even unlock the potential of the outsourced employees you brought with you, how will you ever manage subordinates in the future?”
He thought to himself, “These three don’t seem like the type to be petty or resent their subordinates’ progress. It must be that their thinking is just too backward.”