Chapter 788: Desolate Ox Great Sage, Immortal Dao Golden Age
In the Desolate Ox’s vision, the entire world was being sliced, gradually splitting into two.
A long black line pierced through the sky and earth. The Desolate Ox knew this was the so-called Sky Pillar.
As the transformation project continued to advance smoothly, with the full cooperation of over a hundred sects, the entire world would eventually be divided into two parts. The portion above the clouds would be called the Heaven Realm, while the portion below would be known as the Human Realm.
The Sky Pillar was the key structure supporting the Heaven Realm.
With loud, gulping sounds, the Desolate Ox quickly finished its daily ration. It casually spat out the scraps, its massive body already rising to begin the day’s work.
Just like any other day, numerous Desolate Oxen worked together, dragging mountain ranges and redirecting great rivers, reshaping the entire world according to the Immortals’ blueprints.
Just then, a young girl leaped onto the Desolate Ox’s shoulder and pointed into the distance. “There’s a town ahead that needs to be relocated. Let’s go help!”
The Desolate Ox knew the girl was a Qi Refining disciple from a sect, assigned to assist them in their work.
The relocation proceeded smoothly. As a cultivator, the girl was patient and enthusiastic with the mortals, always calmly addressing their doubts and concerns.
Under the girl’s negotiation and command, every mortal, with the help of the Desolate Oxen, safely departed with their belongings, heading to the new settlements arranged by the sect.
Watching this scene, the girl stroked the Desolate Ox’s head, a look of satisfaction on her face. “From now on, the Two Realms will be divided, and Immortals and mortals will live separately. Mortals will finally be able to live in peace, no longer worrying about being caught in the conflicts between sects.”
“I heard that if I keep talking to you, you’ll silently record everything, right?”
“Then you must remember this: just as the Immortals say, mortals are the fertile soil that nurtures the Immortal Dao. Only when the soil becomes richer can the Immortal Dao flourish.”
“Though we climb the path of the Immortal Dao, we originate from mortals. We must never forget this…”
As she spoke, the girl pressed her palm against the Desolate Ox’s head. Streams of intent flowed from her body, entering the Desolate Ox’s consciousness.
“Let’s go! We need to speed up the transformation project. Every moment we save means fewer mortals will be caught in sect conflicts.”
The girl’s intent was transmitted into the Desolate Ox’s Sea of Consciousness, allowing the entire collective consciousness of the Desolate Oxen to perceive her will. This was the sect’s method of controlling them.
The Desolate Ox didn’t understand why the girl was always so driven and enthusiastic, but for him, work was everything, so he never resisted her commands.
Before they knew it, they had flattened one mountain after another and relocated vast stretches of villages, towns, and cities.
One day, the girl looked at a visitor from the sect and exclaimed in surprise, “An exam? If I fail, I’ll be kicked out of the Outer Sect?”
“Even me?”
Her voice deepened as she asked, “Does my mom know about this?”
Listening to the other person’s reply, she nodded. “My mom and the other tenant farmers have been dismissed too? What about my dad?”
“He was in the first batch of dismissed menial workers?”
The girl gave a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand. I get it. The sect has its difficulties too. If someone truly lacks talent, they should give up their spot for someone more gifted. Those are the people who can truly push the world forward.”
“Unlike me. I’ve spent so much time and so many resources, yet I’ve made so little progress.”
The next moment, she gently pressed her palm against the Desolate Ox’s head and said, “I have to return to the sect, Desolate Ox. You continue to complete the remaining blueprints. Completely reshape this world, create a world where mortals can live and work in peace, so that more people can embark on the Immortal Dao.”
After the girl’s departure, the Desolate Ox continued to work silently alongside the newly arrived sect disciples. Then, one day, as he swallowed his rations, he sensed a familiar taste, the taste of the girl.
A familiar intent surged into his body, entering the collective consciousness of the Desolate Oxen.
They witnessed the girl’s struggle, her death, and the process of her being turned into rations.
It wasn’t just her. The intents of one Qi Refining Cultivator after another, all those who had once worked with the Desolate Oxen, poured into their collective consciousness, revealing more and more scenes of this world.
Mortals were relocated to settlements arranged by the sect. After inspection, all those without immortal talent were executed.
Cultivators who failed to break through the Qi Refining Realm after many years were also executed.
Children who were deemed to lack talent after reaching a certain age were likewise executed.
From the moment of birth, every person was placed on a production line, sent down the path of the Immortal Dao. The moment they were confirmed to lack the qualifications for Immortal Cultivation, they were immediately recycled, becoming a cheap resource.
Vast quantities of mortal flesh and blood, mixed with a small amount of dried meat from Qi Refining Cultivators, became the Desolate Oxen’s rations.
Under the infusion of countless intents from the dead, the Desolate Ox’s once-calm Sea of Consciousness began to stir with ripples, then churn with waves, and finally erupted into a raging tempest.
“Is it because there’s no Reincarnation System, no Soul Cultivator System supported by a Spirit Realm… that the Desolate Oxen’s consciousness network has been invaded and even influenced by Vengeful Souls?”
For some reason, this thought suddenly surfaced in the Desolate Ox’s mind. But in the next moment, his Sea of Consciousness was once again consumed by rage, agony, resentment — a torrent of negative emotions.
Roar!
One after another, the Desolate Oxen threw back their heads and roared. They abandoned their work, crossed mountains, traversed vast seas, and climbed the Sky Pillars.
No matter how they were obstructed or warned, they did not stop their charge toward the Heaven Realm.
In that moment, they only wanted to voice the greatest resentment of the dead, their final question.
“Why? Why did you kill us?”
“Aren’t mortals the fertile soil that nurtures the Immortal Dao?”
Boom!
A world-shaking pressure slammed down, forcing all the Desolate Oxen to their knees.
An imperious voice, seeming to descend from beyond the heavens, declared: “Mortals are indeed the soil that nurtures the Immortal Dao. But barren soil cannot produce lush, vibrant flowers.”
“That is why the soil must be fertilized. And all the trash, all the weaklings in this world, are the finest fertilizer.”
“Through generations of this irrigation, this culling of the unfit, the soil of mortality has finally become fertile enough to support a better world. To allow an Immortal Dao Golden Age, surpassing all that has come before, to bloom across this land.”
As the voice spoke, a colossal foot tore through the firmament and stomped down hard on the Desolate Oxen’s backs.
“You worthless trash of the world, even united, what use are you?”
Roar!
Amid furious roars, the Desolate Oxen’s vital energy surged. A tidal wave of power erupted from them as they struggled to dislodge the foot descending from the heavens.
Sensing their extreme rage, the voice merely laughed. “Yes, just like that.”
“Remember this moment of being trampled.”
“Remember this feeling of rage.”
“This will be your sole purpose from now on.”
In this instant, the Desolate Oxen felt as if they had transformed into massive furnaces, incinerating the intents that poured into their bodies.
The rage, unwillingness, and resentment of the wandering souls were refined into streams of pure, potent power and infused into the Desolate Oxen. This not only greatly enhanced their strength but also freed them from the need to eat for a long time and even expanded their consciousness network.
A flicker of understanding arose in the Desolate Oxen’s collective mind: “This is the true form of the Desolate Ox consciousness network, capable of containing countless wandering souls and sustaining itself by burning them… It’s called the Soul Abyss Realm. Perhaps this is also the precursor to the divine power network and the Spirit Realm…”
The voice from above continued: “Where there is suppression, there is resistance. So I thought… instead of crushing your resistance and wasting resources, why not put it to use?”
“Just like now. Use your resentment, your rage, your unwillingness to burn away every last scrap of yourselves, to incinerate your final trace of existence, and become fuel for the world’s progress — nourishment for the strong.”
“This is your only worth.”
“Beastly scum…”
Soon, the Desolate Oxen found their rage-driven bodies returning to normal. One after another, they stopped resisting the giant foot.
But the fire of rage, resentment, and unwillingness in their hearts burned on, seemingly inextinguishable. It endlessly drove them forward, yet this only made them complete the sect’s tasks better and faster.
All resistance seemed hopeless. Even resistance itself, by the enemy’s design, had become a new source of profit.
A thought surged through the Desolate Oxen’s collective mind: “But what can we do?”
“When they were alive, they were useless, fit only for hard, grueling labor.”
“After death, their flesh and blood became cheap resources. Even their final rage and resentment are exploited until the moment they dissipate. What does the so-called Immortal Dao Golden Age have to do with them?”
“On what grounds?”
“On what grounds!”
Along with that trace of unwillingness in his heart, a string of mental cultivation technique incantations suddenly surfaced from the depths of his mind: “…Immortals and Buddhas press down, all living beings are like grass… Bones shattered, tendons torn, blood dried, marrow withered…”
“…Nine deaths, yet never surrender; sacrifice the body without regret. Only then can the Primordial Spirit return to the Flesh Homeland.”
“I… am Zhang Yu!”
In a fit of rage, a Desolate Ox suddenly let out a long roar, a bellow that seemed to shake the very Sea of Consciousness. It straightened its body, as if trying to throw off the giant foot crushing its back.
The next moment, Zhang Yu abruptly snapped back to reality. He found himself still in the Edict Pavilion’s laboratory. Everything that had just happened vanished like a dream’s fleeting shadow.
He replayed the experience in his mind and thought, “What domineering Great Sage’s Intent. I almost completely lost myself in it, fully believing I was a Desolate Ox.”
“If I hadn’t erupted with that final burst of rage… I wonder what would have happened.”
Zhang Yu mused inwardly, “Perhaps this was a trial? Did I have to pass it to break free?”
Zhang Yu couldn’t be certain. He could only feel that as he broke free from the Great Sage’s Intent, that very intent had transformed into a massive stream of information, flooding into his mind.
The next moment, as his mental cultivation technique circulated, the sixteen White Oxen trembled slightly. One of them showed a strange expression, its eyes flickering with spiritual light.
Zhang Yu sensed that the information from the Great Sage’s Intent had poured into one of his Monsterfolk Clones, forming a new consciousness within it.
“Another one?”
Alarmed, Zhang Yu called out to it several times but received no response.
Just then, Fu Ji asked, “Zhang Yu, what’s wrong?”
Immortal Slayer chimed in simultaneously, “You suddenly zoned out for a few seconds. Did something happen?”
Zhang Yu recounted his recent experience. Hearing his story, Fu Ji exclaimed in surprise, “Before the 36 Layers of Kunxu were even established? An era that ancient?”
Immortal Slayer added, “I have indeed heard that the 36 Layers of Kunxu were divided up gradually, not all at once. It was like constructing a building, built layer by layer, rather than creating all 36 Upper Layers and 18 Lower Layers in a single go.”
Fu Ji spoke again, “And this business about eliminating mortals… is it true?”
“If it is, then this selective breeding of humans… doesn’t that mean the current Kunxu People are all selectively bred stock from the ancient Immortals? People who are already better suited for Immortal Cultivation? But it doesn’t seem like every one of them is a genius.”
Immortal Slayer said, “This memory is only a fragment. We haven’t seen the final outcome, so we can’t know the connection between modern Kunxu People and this event.”
“But whether it’s true or false, I suspect this wasn’t just about selective breeding. It likely involved some kind of imagery required for a Dao Lineage.”
“Perhaps even back then, some Immortal wanted to establish a Dao Lineage using this method, which is why they pushed for this massive event of eliminating mortals.”
Zhang Yu asked in surprise, “Dao Lineages existed that early?”
Immortal Slayer affirmed, “Master once said that the existence of Dao Lineages… far predates the history of Kunxu.”
The history was too ancient for either Immortal Slayer or Fu Ji to verify. For now, they could only listen to it as if it were a story.
The conversation among the three quickly returned to the Great Sage’s Intent.
Fu Ji said, “This Great Sage’s Intent sounds a lot like possession. It almost made you change your self-perception and believe you were a Desolate Ox.”
Immortal Slayer replied, “Rather than possession, it felt more like a trial.”
“And the content of the trial was to see if you still had the courage to resist in such a desperate situation.”
“If you did, you passed the trial, and the information within the Great Sage’s Intent was left to you.”
“If you didn’t… perhaps that’s when possession would occur? Or maybe some kind of thought reform?”
Immortal Slayer couldn’t guess the other outcome he hadn’t experienced.
Zhang Yu mused inwardly, “The courage to resist?”
He knew that if it had been the him who had just arrived in this world, he probably wouldn’t have had the thought to resist.
And if it had been the original Zhang Yu, born and raised here, he would have been even less likely to resist.
It was only because of his past life on Earth, the arduous journey to the Kunxu Eleventh Layer in this life, and the confidence forged from countless victories against powerful foes and overcoming immense hardships, that he still held onto that sliver of rebellious will.
Just then, a sharp crash echoed as Bu Yingshu, standing nearby, furiously kicked over an experimental table, her face flashing with anger.
“Zhang Yu, get over here!”
As Zhang Yu approached, Bu Yingshu asked coldly, “Do you think there’s anything wrong with the Immortal Dao Technology I just extracted from the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation?”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “You, a Void Refinement Realm cultivator with the Myriad Laws Immortal Clan Dao Seed, can’t find any issues. What could I possibly see?”
Facing Bu Yingshu’s intense glare, Zhang Yu quickly replied, “There are no problems.”
Bu Yingshu pressed on, “Then why can’t I successfully replicate it in the laboratory?”
Zhang Yu cursed inwardly.
“I can tolerate flattering you normally, but now you’re asking me, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, about a professional problem that even you, a Void Refinement Dao Monarch, can’t solve?”
As Zhang Yu struggled to answer Bu Yingshu’s questions, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“The key points of the Solidification Transformation Technology within the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation are as follows…”
Zhang Yu froze for a moment. “Who are you?”
The voice didn’t reply immediately. Only after finishing the previous sentence did it answer, “My name is Desolate Ox.”
Zhang Yu’s heart jolted as he instantly recalled the will of the Desolate Ox Great Sage that had surged into one of his Monsterfolk Clones.
His mind raced. “Is this like Immortal Slayer’s situation? Has another person taken up residence in my head?”
Zhang Yu tentatively asked, “What’s your current state?”
Desolate Ox replied, “Fragmented memories.”
Fu Ji then asked, “What is your purpose?”
Desolate Ox replied, “I don’t know.”
After a round of questioning, Zhang Yu and the others quickly realized there was something seriously wrong with this Desolate Ox.
Immortal Slayer concluded, “He seems like someone with impaired intelligence, unable to engage in most daily conversations and only capable of responding correctly to structured, simple commands.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. This Desolate Ox was clearly incapable of complex dialogue.
Recalling the process of sensing the Great Sage’s intent just now, Zhang Yu judged in his mind, “Maybe… if I gather more of the Great Sage’s intent, just like I did before, and accumulate more memories and information, this Desolate Ox might gradually become normal again.”
“And during this process, will I also see more of the Desolate Ox Great Sage’s memories?”
Hearing Zhang Yu’s analysis, Immortal Slayer agreed. Fu Ji, however, felt her heart tighten with worry. “How come Zhang Yu’s head is getting so crowded?”
First an Immortal’s grand-disciple, and now an ancient Monster Saint… Fu Ji felt that her own status as a mighty Evil God was starting to look a little inadequate.
“Damn it, even my niche is this competitive now?”
“Good thing this Monster Saint is currently brain-damaged… but who knows how long it’ll take for him to recover.”
“Damn it! I need to build my own moat, establish a unique advantage!”
While this rapid-fire exchange of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind, Bu Yingshu snorted coldly. “Still haven’t figured it out?”
Zhang Yu jolted, recalling what the Desolate Ox in his mind had said.
“Although this Desolate Ox’s memories are fragmented and his communication skills are worse than a malfunctioning AI, he seems to be extremely knowledgeable about the technique Bu Yingshu is currently refining.”
A flash of understanding crossed Zhang Yu’s mind. “That’s it! It’s because I was refining this Immortal Dao Technology with Bu Yingshu that I was able to sense and understand the Great Sage’s Intent under the blessing of [Great Sage Researcher].”
So, Zhang Yu began to listen to Bu Yingshu’s questions, mentally asking the Desolate Ox for explanations, and then hesitantly communicating with Bu Yingshu.
By comparing the two processes, Zhang Yu immediately identified the flaws in Bu Yingshu’s refining method.
Instead of pointing them out directly, Zhang Yu tried to guide her, allowing Bu Yingshu to gradually reach the realization on her own.
“I understand!”
Bu Yingshu’s eyes lit up, and power surged around her. Her originally fair, delicate palm trembled slightly, then abruptly transformed, gradually taking on a stone-like texture.
This was a key technique of the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation, the ability to alter and transform one’s physical body.
“Success!”
“I, Bu Yingshu, truly am a peerless genius!”
Bu Yingshu laughed heartily, her eyes filled with unrestrained joy. “At this rate, with a month and a half left, forget about a substantial breakthrough, I might even be able to fully replicate the effects of the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation!”
With this thought, Bu Yingshu turned to leave the laboratory, eager to report her progress.
But before she left, she glanced back at Zhang Yu. “Little Yu, you did well. If it weren’t for our chat, it might have taken me several more days to figure this out.”
“Your skills are lacking, but your wild, unrestrained ideas have their own unique uses.”
With that, Bu Yingshu kicked Zhang Yu lightly on the butt, then transferred 10,000 Immortal Coins to him.
“I’m heading out,” she said. “Get ready. We’ll continue when I get back.”
Bu Yingshu then stormed out of the laboratory in a whirlwind of energy.
Having been kicked, Zhang Yu was about to sigh in frustration when he saw the 10,000 Immortal Coins in his account. “320,000 Immortal Coins now,” he thought. “Even after paying off my loan, I’ll still have around 100,000 left.”
“With this money and my Dao Merit, I can buy another copy of Martial Thirteen.”
Fu Ji exclaimed, “Yes, Zhang Yu! More money! That woman has no idea who she’s funding. Just keep siphoning off her Immortal Dao Potential bit by bit, and soon it’ll be our turn to step on her!”
“Heh,” Zhang Yu chuckled. “Fu Ji, your words are getting sweeter and sweeter lately.”
Fu Ji quickly replied, “Hey, I just like to tell it like it is. I say what’s on my mind.”
Zhang Yu happily accepted the Immortal Coins and checked the Dao Seed Register in his Feather Book. To his surprise, he found that the progress for advancing the [Myriad Laws Immortal Clan] to Level 5 was still 0/10, with no advancement.
“Hmm? Am I missing some written summaries?”
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and decided to summarize his recent conversation with Bu Yingshu and submit it as a report.
Meanwhile, Bu Yingshu had already requested a special communication line, contacted several clan elders, and joined them in the Dharma Realm Conference Room.
“Grandfather, this is my latest achievement. In less than half a month, I have successfully replicated the first technique from the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation…”
Just as Bu Yingshu was presenting her results to the elders, she suddenly saw the report Zhang Yu had sent.
“Hmph, that Little Yu… even though he’s a Lower Realm native, he’s quite considerate.”
Diverting a fraction of her consciousness, she quickly scanned the report. A flicker of insight sparked in her mind, and she felt she had achieved a complete understanding of the entire technological process.
But the next moment, as the [Myriad Laws Immortal Clan]’s progress increased by +1, Bu Yingshu’s body suddenly tensed. An unprecedented wave of euphoria surged through her, cutting off the words she had been about to say in the meeting.
“Yingshu? What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing… Hmph… It’s nothing.”