Chapter 803: Receiving the Immortal Shuttle, Tackling the Spirit Transformation Realm
After touring the Ethereal Communications Department’s building, Zhang Yu asked where his dormitory was.
He planned to construct the Spirit Transformation Pool as soon as possible; the sooner he could ascend to the Spirit Transformation Realm, the better.
Just then, a message arrived from Bu Yingshu: “Where are you? Have you arrived yet?”
Zhang Yu replied: “Dao Monarch, I just arrived at the Former Days Graveyard and am reporting in at the Ethereal Communications Department.”
Following a Soul Cultivator to his dormitory, Zhang Yu found himself in a space of about 300 square meters. It was more than enough for his daily cultivation and spacious enough to construct the Spirit Transformation Pool.
“Even though this is a promotion in name but a demotion in practice,” Zhang Yu thought, “they’re still giving me all the benefits a Deputy Minister is entitled to.”
As Zhang Yu was purchasing the necessary materials for the Spirit Transformation Pool through the Spirit Realm, another message from Bu Yingshu arrived: “What about the gift I sent you? Have you gone to collect it?”
Zhang Yu explained the situation, telling Bu Yingshu that he planned to build the Spirit Transformation Pool first, tailored to his dormitory’s layout, before going to receive her gift.
But upon reading Zhang Yu’s reply, Bu Yingshu frowned sharply. “A Spirit Transformation Pool… could that possibly be more important than the gift I sent?”
Ever since learning that Zhang Yu was heading to the Former Days Graveyard today, Bu Yingshu had been eagerly anticipating the sight of him receiving her gift — overwhelmed with gratitude, blinded by greed, and utterly captivated by desire and reward.
So Bu Yingshu replied: “No! Go there immediately!”
Watching Bu Yingshu’s urgent messages flood in one after another, Zhang Yu felt a flicker of confusion. “What’s gotten into this woman now?”
“She’s showing off,” Fu Ji analyzed. “Once you get to know this Immortal Clan noblewoman, she’s actually quite easy to understand. It’s like someone who gives a gift and can’t wait to see the recipient’s surprise and praise. She wants to flaunt the gift she sent you.”
“And she’s the type who can’t wait a single moment, she needs to see your reaction right away.”
Fu Ji reminded him, “Zhang Yu, when you receive the gift, remember to act sufficiently shocked and overjoyed. She might even be watching you then.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. He was quite willing to accept Fu Ji’s guidance in this matter.
After all, Fu Ji’s advice had been instrumental in successfully buttering up Bu Yingshu recently.
Under Bu Yingshu’s relentless urging, Zhang Yu had no choice but to leave the dormitory and head to the location she had specified to receive the gift.
“Qianji,” Zhang Yu said, turning to Yan Qianji. “I’m heading out. You stay here and get familiar with the environment.”
Seeing Zhang Yu about to leave, Yan Qianji quickly said, “True Monarch, let me go with you. I want to follow you and learn more.”
Zhang Yu glanced at him. “Then let’s go.”
However, after checking the weather forecast, Zhang Yu didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he inquired about where the Ethereal Communications Department stored physical bodies.
“This godforsaken Former Days Graveyard… going out in a physical body every day is draining on both health and wallet. I need to get used to operating with my Divine Soul for daily activities as soon as possible.”
Zhang Yu knew the Ethereal Communications Department should be equipped with Body Repository Devices.
The cultivator Zhang Yu asked was named Ding Ze, the Group Leader of the Logistics Group and a Rank 3 Sect Staff.
Ding Ze said, “Deputy Minister Zhang, unfortunately, all the remaining Body Repository Devices happen to be broken. How about I get you a few Yang-Warding Robes instead?”
“Broken?” Zhang Yu frowned. “Fine, bring them over.”
The so-called Yang-Warding Robes were garments that shielded Yang Qi from leaking out and provided protection against cold and frost. Wearing them allowed for free movement within the Former Days Graveyard without worrying about fines for environmental contamination.
However, Yang-Warding Robes were ultimately less reliable than storing one’s physical body. Prolonged exposure to the outdoors would still allow the cold to seep through and damage the physical body.
Watching Zhang Yu and Yan Qianji depart, Ding Ze immediately contacted Minister Qin Chuan. “Minister, they’ve gone out with the Yang-Warding Robes.”
“Yes, yes, I told them the Body Repository Devices were broken and temporarily unavailable.”
After ending the communication, Ding Ze sighed inwardly. “The Body Repository Devices in this department… I’m afraid this Deputy Minister Zhang will never get to use them.”
Meanwhile, Yan Qianji stepped outside after putting on his Yang-Warding Robe and was immediately struck by a wave of Yin Qi.
Although the Yang-Warding Robe blocked most of the Yin cold, Yan Qianji still shivered, and it felt as if even his Golden Core had trembled slightly.
Yan Qianji thought to himself, “Sigh, the True Monarch… he’s being targeted now, isn’t he?”
He never expected that so soon after his arrival, Zhang Yu — who had been at the height of his power — would be so swiftly suppressed, becoming someone everyone in the Edict Pavilion avoided.
“Sigh, the struggles within the sect are truly treacherous and unpredictable.”
“The days ahead in the Ethereal Communications Department probably won’t be easy.”
Tightening the Yang-Warding Robe around himself, Yan Qianji followed Zhang Yu, flying toward the city center.
Under the concealment of the robes, their bodies no longer released large amounts of Yang Qi into the environment. They were no longer subject to fines, nor did they stand out.
But just moments later, the Yin cold in the air intensified dramatically. Notifications flashed across Zhang Yu’s and Yan Qianji’s Bionic Eyes.
Yan Qianji snapped his head up. Through his Bionic Eyes, he saw countless gates thunderously open high in the sky. An endless stream of ghostly figures poured out, sweeping across the land in all directions like a black flood.
“It’s the Great Opening of the Ghost Gates at midnight,” Zhang Yu said, grabbing Yan Qianji’s arm. “The Yin Qi in the Former Days Graveyard is at its peak every midnight. This is when wandering souls from all realms of the Sect Layer are guided here, and it’s also the busiest time in the entire graveyard.”
Zhang Yu knew that for the Former Days Graveyard, this moment was like a seafood market when the morning’s fresh catch arrives. Various factions would rush in at the first sign, eager to snatch up the freshest, highest-quality wandering souls of the day.
As a result, the Yin Aura throughout the Former Days Graveyard would intensify layer by layer, making it the most hostile time of day for the living.
Yan Qianji felt wisps of Yin Qi seeping through his Yang-Warding Robe. It seemed it wouldn’t hold for long before the cold energy invaded his body.
As he circulated his vital energy to resist the Yin Qi, the robe’s ability to conceal his Yang Qi gradually weakened.
Yan Qianji smiled wryly to himself. “Looks like even with the Yang-Warding Robe, I can’t stay outside in the Former Days Graveyard for long. Without a Body Repository Device, my time for activity each day will be severely limited.”
Just then, Yan Qianji noticed Zhang Yu had suddenly stopped. “True Monarch?”
Following Zhang Yu’s gaze, Yan Qianji saw a shuttle hovering in mid-air.
It was a shuttle, entirely azure-green, radiating layers of white immortal aura.
And just from a single glance, lines of warnings flashed before Yan Qianji’s eyes.
“[Sect Security Asset] Shuttle ID: XXXXXXXX”
“In accordance with Article 7 of the Sect Security Law, please maintain distance. Do not photograph. Do not follow.”
“You are observing a high-priority Immortal Sect asset. Continued observation may result in a fine. It is advised to look away immediately.”
Yan Qianji quickly averted his gaze, a wave of fear washing over him. “What is this thing? You can’t even look at it?”
Recalling the warnings he had just seen, his mind raced with speculation. “Is it the personal vehicle of some major figure from an Immortal Sect? A Pavilion Master? A Hall Master? A Vice Sect Leader? Or someone even higher?”
“Why would such a prominent figure come to the Former Days Graveyard?”
As Yan Qianji’s mind reeled in shock, he noticed Zhang Yu standing motionless beside him, still staring at the Immortal Shuttle.
Yan Qianji quickly warned, “True Monarch, you can’t stare at it.”
But in the next instant, the distant Immortal Shuttle flashed and shot toward Zhang Yu and Yan Qianji’s position, ramming straight at them.
Everything happened too fast. By the time Yan Qianji reacted, a blurry azure shadow had already enveloped him.
“Damn it! I told you not to stare!”
In that moment, despair instantly enveloped Yan Qianji’s heart. “My life is over!”
He never imagined that after just a few months in the sect, his end would come by being run over by a major figure’s Immortal Shuttle.
And the reason was likely because True Monarch Zhang beside him had stared a few seconds too long.
In his final moments, his mind was flooded with random thoughts: “I wonder if they’ll compensate for this collision?”
“I wonder if there’s any chance of resurrection.”
“Speaking of which… after being killed by this Immortal Shuttle, what would my condition be? What price could I fetch?”
“Huh? Why am I not dead yet?”
Just as doubt arose in Yan Qianji’s mind, he found himself in a space several hundred square meters in size.
The space was furnished with antique furniture, and a faint, elusive medicinal fragrance hung in the air, making it resemble a luxurious cultivation abode.
“How did I get here?”
Just as Yan Qianji’s mind reeled with shock and confusion, Zhang Yu patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t be nervous. This is the interior of that Immortal Shuttle.”
Yan Qianji froze for a moment, then his heart pounded violently. “The interior of the Immortal Shuttle? We’re inside it?”
He immediately spun around, scanning the area as if searching for the shuttle’s powerful owner.
Just then, a cultivator approached Zhang Yu, nodded, and said, “Deputy Minister Zhang, the Dao Monarch instructed me to deliver this shuttle to you. Please take over its control.”
Hearing this, Yan Qianji’s heart jolted again. His gaze darted back and forth between Zhang Yu and the cultivator, his mind racing with unspoken thoughts.
He then watched as the cultivator formed Dao Seals with his hands and began teaching Zhang Yu the method for controlling the Immortal Shuttle, step by step.
As he taught, the cultivator explained, “This Azure Void Rift Shuttle utilizes Grotto-Heaven Technology, creating a self-contained realm within. Though it appears only five or six meters long from the outside, its interior spans several hundred square meters.”
“Furthermore, the shuttle’s external size can be changed at will—it can grow as large as a mountain or shrink as fine as dust. It can also conceal its body to evade all forms of detection…”
“The shuttle’s hull is forged from top-tier immortal materials, making it even tougher than the first-rate flying swords of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Ordinary collisions won’t even leave a scratch…”
Yan Qianji, listening nearby, grew more and more stunned by the description.
Recalling his earlier experience, he couldn’t help but ask, “What happens if you accidentally hit someone while piloting this shuttle?”
The cultivator chuckled at Yan Qianji’s question. “If this shuttle kills someone, it just means that person wasn’t standing in the right place.”
Yan Qianji pressed, “So you don’t have to pay compensation if you kill someone with it?”
The cultivator simply smiled without answering, thinking to himself, “Compensation? If Dao Monarch Bu is willing to take responsibility… the person who got killed might even have to pay damages in return.”
Just as the cultivator finished teaching Zhang Yu how to pilot the shuttle, a Spirit Realm Projection materialized inside. It was none other than Bu Yingshu.
Bu Yingshu’s projection looked at Zhang Yu and grinned smugly. “So? I’m lending you this Azure Void Rift Shuttle for a while.”
She watched Zhang Yu intently, seemingly eager for his reaction.
As for Yan Qianji standing beside him? Bu Yingshu paid him no mind at all. He was merely the pet’s pet — in her eyes, practically nonexistent.
Zhang Yu looked utterly stunned. “Dao Monarch,” he stammered, “this… this… this Immortal License Plate Shuttle… you’re really lending it to me?”
Bu Yingshu was very satisfied with his overwhelmed and flattered expression. She smiled and said, “Hmph, would I lie to you? If I hadn’t added your name to this shuttle’s user list, do you think you could even control it?”
“Come, let me see how well you’ve learned.”
Zhang Yu formed a Dao Seal with his hands. The entire space within the shuttle lit up, then turned transparent, revealing the scene outside.
The ground below blurred as it rushed backward. In the blink of an eye, they had crossed from one end of the city to the other.
Meanwhile, the Azure Void Rift Shuttle flickered in and out of visibility, its size shifting from large to small as it weaved through the clouds like a soaring dragon.
Of course, the true wonders of the Azure Void Rift Shuttle were far greater than this. Limited by his current cultivation realm and cultivation level, Zhang Yu could only unleash these basic functions.
After the test flight, Zhang Yu’s face was alight with joy, completely immersed in the thrill and excitement of piloting the Immortal Shuttle.
Yan Qianji and the cultivator watched, their expressions a mixture of shock and envy.
Yan Qianji roared inwardly, “Who said Dao Monarch Bu abandoned True Monarch Zhang? How can this be called abandonment? This is simply unparalleled favor!”
At this point, if someone told him Zhang Yu was pregnant with Bu Yingshu’s child, Yan Qianji felt he would probably believe at least part of it.
Meanwhile, Bu Yingshu watched the scene with a smug smile. “Hmph, as expected,” she thought. “How many Lower Cultivation people can resist such a temptation? That boy Zhang Yu must be utterly devoted to me now.”
“By lending him such an Immortal Shuttle, I’ve probably become an unfathomably powerful existence in his eyes.”
In that moment, Bu Yingshu felt she had completely regained the face she’d lost in front of Zhang Yu after her failed transfer.
But even as Zhang Yu’s face glowed with excitement, his mind was a sea of calm.
He glanced at Bu Yingshu out of the corner of his eye. “Bu Yingshu… actually has something like this?” he thought. “This woman is only a Rank 6 Sect Staff. Just how high is her status?”
Immortal Slayer also seemed surprised. “Bu Yingshu… she doesn’t seem like an ordinary member of the Myriad Laws Immortal Clan. Perhaps she holds some special significance to the Immortal Clan.”
Immortal Slayer then advised, “This Immortal Shuttle is too hot to handle. Bu Yingshu lent you something like this without thinking through the consequences at all. To be honest… I don’t recommend you accept it.”
“Putting everything else aside, once someone discovers you piloting this shuttle, the entire Former Days Graveyard will have its eyes on you. You won’t be able to get anything done then.”
Zhang Yu nodded inwardly, knowing Immortal Slayer was right.
After liberating Ling Feng’s body and upgrading his Immortal Descendant, Zhang Yu had planned to explore the spatially chaotic labyrinth of the Former Days Graveyard.
He wanted to see if he could find other ancestral bodies hidden by Ying Xintian to further upgrade his Immortal Descendant.
Given this goal, Zhang Yu definitely didn’t want to be in the spotlight, with countless eyes fixed on him.
Fu Ji chimed in, “But refusing isn’t an option either, right? With her temper, if you reject her, you’ll probably make her angry.”
Zhang Yu knew Fu Ji was right about that too.
He glanced at Bu Yingshu, whose lips were curled into a smug smile. He could sense she was on a high right now. If he rejected her gift, she might just stomp on him until he was half-dead.
“But at least…” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “When the Immortal Shuttle used its Spatial Technology to swallow Yan Qianji and me whole, the entire process was so fast that probably no one, neither human nor ghost, saw it.”
“If I keep this shuttle well hidden from now on and don’t use it carelessly, no one should notice…”
Just as Zhang Yu was piloting the Immortal Shuttle for another flight, a bill suddenly popped up.
Staring at the items listed, Zhang Yu froze. “Immortal Aura Fee, Warning Fee, Transformation Fee, Concealment Fee…”
Seeing the long list of charges, which added up to nearly a thousand Immortal Coins, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but gasp.
“This Immortal Shuttle runs on Immortal Aura?! And with all these other miscellaneous fees… I’ve only been flying for a short while, and it’s already cost this much? This thing is a cash-guzzling monster.”
When Zhang Yu saw his own name on the bill, his heart sank even further.
Just then, Bu Yingshu, standing beside him, smiled faintly. With a light tap of her fingertip on the bill, she paid the nearly thousand Immortal Coins.
Bu Yingshu said, “Little Yu, don’t worry. As long as you’re obedient, I’ll pay this bill for you every month from now on.”
“And not just this. Even if you crash into someone — human or ghost — in this Former Days Graveyard, I’ll take full responsibility.”
Zhang Yu exclaimed, “Dao Monarch! What have I done to deserve such generosity?”
Bu Yingshu smiled and patted Zhang Yu’s head. “If I say you’re worth it, then you’re worth it.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s excited expression, Bu Yingshu thought to herself, “Hmph, no matter what he thought after his transfer failed, after this mix of kindness and coercion, this boy is completely under my thumb.”
Zhang Yu thought, “This woman… is she trying to control me with the monthly Immortal Shuttle fees? What if she has another fit one month and suddenly stops paying the bill? I’d be skinned alive.”
This solidified Zhang Yu’s resolve: he would not use the Immortal Shuttle unless absolutely necessary.
After Bu Yingshu and her subordinates left, Zhang Yu piloted the shuttle, shrinking it to the size of a dust mote. He then flew to a remote location and jumped out with Yan Qianji.
With a casual gesture, Zhang Yu recalled the dust-mote-sized Immortal Shuttle into his hand and put it away. He then turned to Yan Qianji and said, “Qianji, don’t tell anyone about what happened today. Understand?”
Yan Qianji froze for a moment, looking at Zhang Yu in confusion.
In his view, such a great stroke of luck should be broadcast far and wide. It would be best if the entire Ethereal Communications Department knew about their powerful backer, which would make their future work much easier.
What was the point of having a backer if you didn’t flaunt it?
But seeing Zhang Yu’s serious expression, Yan Qianji could only nod and say, “I understand, True Monarch. I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
A short while later, Zhang Yu and Yan Qianji returned to the Ethereal Communications Department. As before, no one greeted or paid them any mind. This lack of attention, however, brought Zhang Yu a sense of relief. It meant no one in the department had discovered his connection to the Immortal Shuttle, preventing excessive scrutiny from humans and ghosts alike. This would make his future secret realm explorations much smoother.
Over the next few days, Zhang Yu began constructing his Spirit Transformation Pool in his dormitory.
As various materials and resources were delivered, the cultivators Zhang Yu had hired with Immortal Coins arrived in person. They began performing daoist arts and wielding magical artifacts to build the Spirit Transformation Pool.
A week later, layers of rings floated in the center of the dormitory, revolving around Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul.
These rings, resembling stellar rings, were the Spirit Transformation Pool that Zhang Yu had spent 300,000 Immortal Coins to build.
As the Spirit Transformation Pool operated, various types of magic power were channeled into the Nascent Soul, beginning the refinement process from Nascent Soul to Primordial Spirit.
Simultaneously, the surrounding Demon-Warding Walls and Off-Body Stabilization Devices activated one by one.
While Zhang Yu was wholly focused on building his Spirit Transformation Pool, many within the Ethereal Communications Department were quietly observing him.
Ding Ze, the Logistics Group Leader, stared at the projection before him and said, “Minister, Zhang Yu has been holed up in his dormitory these past few days, neglecting his duties. He’s delegated all work-related issues to that contractor he brought with him.”
“Judging by the resources he’s had delivered to his dormitory, the kid is probably building a Spirit Transformation Pool.”
“He seems entirely focused on cultivation, not like he’s looking to cause trouble.”
Minister Qin Chuan nodded slightly. “Heh, after being tossed aside by the Immortal Clan like a used rag, it’s only natural he’d keep his head down.”
“After finally reaching Rank 4, it’s only natural for him to focus on breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.”
Qin Chuan knew that a Rank 4 Sect Staff attempting to reach the Spirit Transformation Realm was a perfectly justifiable endeavor. He had no legitimate grounds to stop it.
But that didn’t mean he intended to do nothing.
Qin Chuan continued, “Operating the Spirit Transformation Pool consumes a significant amount of the dormitory’s magic power. This is Deputy Minister Zhang’s personal expense and cannot be reimbursed. Don’t forget to send him the bill.”
The next day, Zhang Yu received a magic power bill from the Logistics Group.
Glancing at the numbers, he then looked at his Nascent Soul being refined in the Spirit Transformation Pool. The Spirit Transformation Pool will need to run for about two more months to successfully transform the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit, he thought.
Currently, the daily consumption of magic power and resources for the Spirit Transformation Pool costs roughly ten thousand Immortal Coins…
That leaves a shortfall of two hundred thousand.
A pang of regret shot through Zhang Yu’s heart at the thought of the cost, but he felt absolutely no remorse.
After all, his Nascent Soul was already exceptionally powerful. Not only did it possess the Ten Great Extraordinary Meridians, but it was also enhanced by the Nascent Soul Sacred Body. Its foundation and depth were unbelievably profound.
Therefore, the design, plan, and process for transforming his Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit were vastly different from others, naturally requiring far greater resources. But once he broke through… he would inevitably become far more powerful.
Throughout this process, Zhang Yu used only the finest resources to ensure he could refine his Nascent Soul into a high-quality Primordial Spirit in the shortest possible time.
“If I were in the Lower Realm, refining this Nascent Soul would likely take several years at least, and the final quality wouldn’t even be comparable.”
“Within the sect, both efficiency and quality are much higher, but the money here also disappears much faster.”
As these thoughts crossed his mind, a decision he had made long ago resurfaced.