Chapter 800: The Former Days Graveyard, Fu Xiantian’s Legacy
“Going to the Former Days Graveyard? To oversee Soul Cultivator maintenance?”
Upon hearing Zhang Yu’s assignment, True Monarch Martial Village was stunned. “What’s the difference between this and being sent to the Logistics Department to sweep floors? An insult! This is a blatant insult!”
Meanwhile, Shen Qingyun, a senior member of Martial Dao Group One, also wore a look of disbelief when she learned the news.
She thought to herself, “Zhang Yu was personally requested by Dao Monarch Bu. Is the Pavilion openly defying her now?”
Qu Yizhi, the leader of Martial Dao Group Three, stared at the announcement in shock. “With Dao Monarch Bu’s temper,” he mused, “how could she let such a public slap in the face slide? She’s bound to raise hell!”
Many cultivators in the Edict Pavilion shared similar thoughts. The gazes of envy and jealousy previously directed at Zhang Yu gradually shifted to expressions of eager anticipation for the drama to unfold.
The group members who had flocked around Zhang Yu just moments before vanished in an instant, leaving him completely alone.
“This is clearly the Pavilion Master’s way of making an example of Zhang Yu to suppress him,” True Monarch Martial Village thought grimly. “I’d better keep my distance from him to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.”
In an instant, every member of Martial Dao Group One instinctively distanced themselves from Zhang Yu. They watched him silently, waiting for the inevitable storm to break.
But to everyone’s surprise, Bu Yingshu never appeared, and no one caused any trouble. Zhang Yu acted as if nothing had happened, continuing his daily tasks while calmly awaiting his transfer in a week’s time.
Watching this unfold, the same thought crossed everyone’s mind: “Has Dao Monarch Bu abandoned Zhang Yu?”
“If so, Zhang Yu will probably be stuck in the Former Days Graveyard for the rest of his life.”
Some also worried about the performance reviews after Zhang Yu’s departure.
They knew that once he was gone, they would likely have to work overtime every day. This wasn’t because their superiors were cruel, but because Zhang Yu had set an impossibly high standard.
Inside the office.
In Zhang Yu’s mind, Fu Ji spoke up: “This must be the Pavilion Master’s doing. Without his approval, how could you be demoted to a place like the Former Days Graveyard?”
Immortal Slayer added, “You’ve likely been caught in a conflict between Dao Lineages, becoming the ‘chicken’ sacrificed to warn the ‘monkeys’.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. He knew that to outsiders, despite being favored by Bu Yingshu, he was still just a cultivator from the Lower Realm who hadn’t demonstrated any exceptional importance.
“Outsiders don’t understand the true nature of my relationship with Bu Yingshu, nor do they know about my Dao Seed Register and her Dao Seed, the ‘Myriad Laws Immortal Clan’.”
“They must have judged my importance to Bu Yingshu to be far less than it actually is.”
“So, it’s only natural they’d choose me to make an example of.”
In fact, as Zhang Yu reflected on his experiences, he realized that for both the Law Adjudication Dao Lineage and the Innate Dao Lineage, a cultivator like him — with no background, no seniority, and from the Lower Realm — was indeed the perfect candidate to be sacrificed as a warning.
Just then, Yu Xinghan’s voice came from the other side of the Dharma Realm: “Zhang Yu, I’ve looked up the Former Days Graveyard. It’s the largest distribution center and wholesale market for corpse components and Soul Cultivators in the Sect Layer.”
“A constant flood of newly formed Soul Cultivators pours into it, and every day, cultivators from the major sects go there to purchase souls and bid on Ghost Kings…”
Yu Xinghan knew that for cultivators skilled in using Soul Cultivators and various Immortal Dao technologies involving corpses, White Bones, blood, and souls, the Former Days Graveyard was a convenient place to acquire numerous Immortal Dao resources at low prices.
But for cultivators of their Myriad Laws Sect, the resources there were of little use.
Worse, the environment of the Graveyard Minor Realm — specifically designed to preserve corpse components and Soul Cultivators with its dense Yin Qi, ghost formations, and fiend energy — would actually hinder their cultivation.
Of course, if the pay was good enough, Yu Xinghan wouldn’t mind a business trip there for a few years.
But…
“The Edict Pavilion’s Ethereal Communications Department is responsible for managing Soul Cultivators…” Yu Xinghan thought to himself. “The cultivation arts reviewed by the Edict Pavilion also include those related to Soul Cultivators, so they constantly need Soul Cultivators to participate in testing.”
“Procuring and maintaining Soul Cultivators are both necessary to meet review requirements.”
“If it were just procurement, that would be one thing. But it’s maintaining Soul Cultivators.”
In Yu Xinghan’s view, this job’s perks, authority, and influence were far inferior to Zhang Yu’s original Rank 3 Sect Staff position in Martial Dao technique review. It was a clear promotion in name but a demotion in reality.
And these work-related issues weren’t even the worst part.
“I checked the latest news. It seems the Former Days Graveyard is currently undergoing post-war reconstruction.”
On the other side of the Dharma Realm, Ye Xingli was also communicating with Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan.
Clearly, both Ye Xingli and Yu Xinghan were deeply concerned about Zhang Yu’s promotion and new position.
Ye Xingli continued, “The recent Immortal War didn’t just happen in the Lower Realm; it also raged across the Sect Layer.”
“Not only were numerous Minor Realms devastated in the Immortals’ fierce battles, but I heard even the Central Apex Heaven at the heart of the Sect Layer nearly collapsed.”
“The Former Days Graveyard was one of the Minor Realms caught in the crossfire.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this. He knew the Immortal War Ye Xingli mentioned was the one where Brother Dao… or rather, the Immortal Ying Xintian, seized the Sixth Layer of Kunxu, triggering a massive battle with numerous other Immortals.
At this moment, Zhang Yu’s mind replayed the scene of the Immortal battle he had witnessed in the Lower Realm.
Though he could only glimpse fragments of the fight back then, like seeing through a dense fog, unable to grasp the true scale of the conflict…
…those mere fragments were enough to convey the Immortals’ immense power to all who watched.
At the time, Zhang Yu never imagined that the battle in the Lower Realm was only one part of the larger Immortal War.
Simultaneously, within the Sect Layer… the power left behind by Ying Xintian was also clashing with other Immortals, with battlefields spanning from the 11th to the 20th layers and affecting countless Minor Realms.
“The Former Days Graveyard lost over 50% of its area in that war.”
“Roughly half of its spatial structure was warped by the Immortals, turning it into a chaotic, unexplorable Spatial Labyrinth.”
“Countless ancient corpse components, tombs, and related equipment were lost within it. It’s even said that ancient corpses dating back to the Former Days Graveyard’s very founding are among the missing.”
Ye Xingli sighed, “The chaotic space, the missing corpse components, and the massive leakage of fiend energy have drastically reduced the Former Days Graveyard’s safety rating.”
Beside her, Yu Xinghan nodded. While gathering information, he had also seen numerous news reports in the Dharma Realm about Cultivators disappearing in the Former Days Graveyard.
According to the reports, due to the Graveyard’s warped space, even Cultivators in the safe zones could suddenly be dragged into the depths of the Spatial Labyrinth after turning a corner, opening a door, or simply spinning around… never to be seen again.
Yu Xinghan had also read about the several major sects’ plans to repair the Former Days Graveyard. They had even organized exploration teams to venture into the labyrinth’s depths in search of vital lost materials.
But without a truly powerful figure to lead the effort, and with the various sects constantly shifting blame, making accusations, and vying for profit… both the exploration and restoration of the Former Days Graveyard had progressed at a snail’s pace.
Yu Xinghan thought to himself, “If an Immortal were willing to repair it, it would probably be done in no time, right?”
But Yu Xinghan understood that since the Immortals hadn’t come down to repair it, they clearly believed the rewards for restoring the Former Days Graveyard were not worth their effort.
Beside him, Ye Xingli said, “Anyway, the Former Days Graveyard not only offers low rewards but is also extremely dangerous… Is there really no way to get transferred somewhere else?”
Yu Xinghan also asked, “What did Dao Monarch Bu say?”
Zhang Yu shook his head. “I haven’t been able to contact her yet.”
Hearing this, both Yu Xinghan and Ye Xingli’s hearts sank, worried that Bu Yingshu might have already forgotten about Zhang Yu.
Ye Xingli said, “Junior Brother, shouldn’t you try asking someone else about Dao Monarch Bu’s attitude?”
Yu Xinghan added, “Zhang Yu, why don’t you go directly to Dao Monarch Bu and request a meeting?”
In Yu Xinghan’s view, Zhang Yu should rush over immediately and do whatever it took… to thoroughly flatter Bu Yingshu until she was pleased. Right now, she might be the only influential figure who could save him.
Otherwise, the Former Days Graveyard was not only poor and dangerous, but if he stayed there too long, he might truly be forgotten there forever.
Zhang Yu, however, shook his head and said, “That’s not necessary.”
He knew that given his relationship with Bu Yingshu, she would never abandon him so easily. The fact that he couldn’t reach her now must mean something had come up.
The group discussed it for a while longer. Naturally, Yu Xinghan and Ye Xingli felt helpless about the current situation, growing increasingly anxious about Zhang Yu’s present circumstances and future prospects.
In contrast, Zhang Yu remained remarkably calm and composed, seemingly unfazed by his “promotion.”
After ending the call with his companions, Zhang Yu stared at the desk before him and suddenly spoke in his mind, “Immortal Slayer, do you think the situation in the Former Days Graveyard could be Brother Dao’s doing?”
Immortal Slayer replied, “I’m not sure, but if… if Grandmaster deliberately distorted the spatial structure of the Former Days Graveyard… then he might be hiding something.”
Zhang Yu stroked his chin. “Then why haven’t the Immortals repaired it? Why are they letting lower-level cultivators explore and repair it so slowly?”
Immortal Slayer said, “There are only two possibilities.”
“Either what Grandmaster hid isn’t valuable enough to the Immortals to warrant their personal intervention. Or… they believe this current approach is the way to maximize their gains.”
Zhang Yu muttered to himself, “The Former Days Graveyard… it’s both Brother Dao’s battlefield ruins and my promotion destination.”
“For these two things to coincide… is it a coincidence? Or some kind of mutual attraction?”
After reviewing a portion of the Desolate Ox Great Sage’s memories, Zhang Yu had gained a deeper understanding of the so-called Dao Lineages.
He now knew that a Dao Lineage acted like gravity; everything in Kunxu was subject to its influence.
“My exposure to the Great Sage’s cultivation art, his memories, and the things Brother Dao left behind… this entire process must have been influenced by the Dao Lineage.”
But whether this influence was good or bad, and whether other human factors were at play, remained unclear to Zhang Yu.
“Whatever the case, my primary goal now… is to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.”
Although many in the Edict Pavilion saw this promotion as a demotion in disguise, a way to suppress him, Zhang Yu saw it differently.
But to Zhang Yu, as long as he could get promoted and obtain the Spirit Transformation Certificate, it was a good thing.
“To break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, I’ll need to build a Spirit Transformation Pool.”
The process of breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind.
“There are two ways to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.”
“The first, and most common method, is to directly purchase a customized Primordial Spirit and replace your Nascent Soul with it, thereby breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.”
“The second method is to refine your own Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Comparing the two methods, purchasing a Primordial Spirit is faster, cheaper, and offers stable quality. However, its quality is limited, capping future potential and creating significant obstacles for breaking through to the Void Refinement Realm.”
“Refining your Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit, on the other hand, is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive… especially when done within a sect, where you can purchase more sect-exclusive resources. The upper limit for a refined Primordial Spirit is higher, but the resources required are far greater.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across the Dharma Realm Interface before him, his eyes scanning the options for Primordial Spirit Architecture Plans, Spirit Transformation Pools, Demon-Warding Walls, Stable Out-of-Body Devices, Seclusion Life Support Equipment, Primordial Spirit Insurance…
“This all costs money,” Zhang Yu sighed inwardly as he began to browse and select the necessary items.
“Starting next week, I’ll be permanently stationed at the Former Days Graveyard. It seems all this equipment for breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm will have to be installed there.”
Zhang Yu had already made up his mind. Once he arrived at the Former Days Graveyard, he would focus entirely on breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm. Everything else could wait until after he achieved it.
As this thought crossed his mind, another idea suddenly struck him. “Should I retrieve the inheritance left by Fu Xiantian before heading to the Former Days Graveyard?”
Zhang Yu asked Immortal Slayer, “Can I retrieve Fu Xiantian’s inheritance now?”
Immortal Slayer replied, “You’ve reached the 4th Rank and can access the 14th Floor, so of course you can. I also advise you to retrieve it as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the higher the risk of Master’s inheritance being discovered.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. As his clone, Immortal Slayer knew his situation perfectly and was also aware of the details regarding Fu Xiantian’s inheritance. Since Immortal Slayer saw no problem with retrieving it, there likely wasn’t one.
Just as Zhang Yu was planning to make a trip to the 14th Floor after work, a message from Bu Yingshu suddenly appeared before him.
Bu Yingshu: “I have something for you.”
Even before Zhang Yu met with the Pavilion Master of the Edict Pavilion, Bu Yingshu already knew about his promotion assignment.
When she saw the assignment, her immediate reaction was anger.
“Who’s meddling in the shadows?”
Her first thought was of her brother, Bu Zhenting.
Faced with Bu Yingshu’s accusation, Bu Zhenting spoke eloquently, “Little Sister, this has nothing to do with me. Or rather… if you truly think I did it, would I have been so secretive?”
“Sigh, I’ve told you before, you’re just too high-profile. You often announce your plans everywhere and make enemies left and right before you’ve even accomplished anything.”
“As the saying goes, ‘Success lies in secrecy.’ You declared in front of so many people that you were going to poach someone from the Edict Pavilion. Do you really think the Law Adjudication Dao Lineage is your family’s private property?”
Bu Zhenting sighed. “We are the Immortal Clan, not the Immortals.”
“Whether it’s the Edict Pavilion, the Law Adjudication Dao Lineage, or the cultivators under the Innate Dao Lineage, they respect our status, not us as individuals.”
“The moment they feel we’ve acted in a way that betrays our status, these lower beasts will turn and bite us without hesitation.”
Looking at Bu Zhenting’s sincere and earnest expression, Bu Yingshu frowned. “You really didn’t do it?”
Bu Zhenting smiled. “Never mind. I’ll help you look into what’s really going on. How does that sound?”
After disconnecting, Bu Zhenting chuckled and sighed, “My foolish little sister… apart from your Qi Luck, you’re truly useless.”
On the other side, Bu Yingshu sighed, her gaze falling on Zhang Yu’s name in her contact list. A flash of shame and annoyance crossed her face.
She cursed inwardly, “Damn it! How am I supposed to face that lower cultivator Zhang Yu now?”
Recalling what she had said to Zhang Yu before, Bu Yingshu felt she had utterly humiliated herself. She even felt too ashamed to ever see him again.
“Will that kid think I’m useless?”
“Will he think I was just bragging?”
“He’s not going to try latching onto someone else’s thigh, is he?”
A flood of thoughts overwhelmed her, making her increasingly frustrated.
Bu Yingshu was absolutely unwilling to give up on Zhang Yu. After all, he was tied to her talent breakthrough and the secrets of the Great Sage’s memory.
After some thought, she gradually made up her mind. “I’ll use both kindness and coercion to keep Zhang Yu under my control.”
“I absolutely cannot let him think I’m useless and incompetent…”
“I can’t let him think I have no influence within the Immortal Clan…”
With this thought, Bu Yingshu summoned a subordinate. Looking at him, she said, “Bring out the Azure Void Rift Shuttle.”
The subordinate paused, stunned. “Dao Monarch, you mean… the one with the Immortal License Plate?”
Bu Yingshu nodded. “After you bring it out, inspect it thoroughly. If there are no issues, send it to the Former Days Graveyard and transfer it to Zhang Yu of the Edict Pavilion for his use.”
The subordinate was shocked. “Give… give it to an outsider? Dao Monarch, that shuttle has an Immortal License Plate. What if he crashes it and kills someone?”
Bu Yingshu replied coolly, “After you transfer the shuttle to him, tell Zhang Yu this… With this shuttle, he can fly wherever he wants in the Former Days Graveyard. If he kills anyone, I’ll take the blame.”
Zhang Yu read the message from Bu Yingshu and thought to himself, “She’s sending me something? I’m supposed to… pick it up after I arrive at the Former Days Graveyard?”
Fu Ji analyzed, “This must be compensation, right? Bu Yingshu probably feels bad about the promotion issue, or maybe she’s worried you’re holding a grudge, so she’s sending you a gift to make up for it.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly, thinking that was indeed a possibility.
“So, this woman… could it be that she hasn’t contacted me these past two days because she’s too embarrassed that the boast she made in front of me didn’t pan out?”
Zhang Yu shook his head, feeling uncertain.
Though curious about what Bu Yingshu was sending, Zhang Yu instinctively felt that a conciliatory gift wouldn’t be anything too extravagant.
“After all, in Bu Yingshu’s eyes, she’s my only savior right now. A simple gesture of appeasement should be enough.”
In any case, he would find out once he reached the Former Days Graveyard, so Zhang Yu wasn’t in a hurry.
After work that day, Zhang Yu left the Edict Pavilion’s office area. With a thunderous boom, he shot into the sky, trailing shockwaves as he soared through each layers firmament, streaking toward the 14th Layer of Kunxu.
He was going to retrieve the inheritance left by Fu Xiantian.
With repeated Spirit Realm scans, Zhang Yu, holding a Rank 4 identity, smoothly passed through layer after layer of security monitoring. He felt the increasingly dense spiritual energy and immortal aura in the air, along with the changing environment…
He had finally arrived at the 14th Layer of Kunxu.