Chapter 814: Zhang Yu’s Grotto-Heaven Production Line
After suppressing the berserk corpse component production line before him and extracting its internal Grotto-Heaven force, Zhang Yu discovered he could control the mountain of flesh.
As he gained control, he also received information transmitted from within the mountain of flesh, learning more about the current situation in the labyrinth and the berserk corpse components.
“So, the berserk corpse components in the Factory District can be subdued simply by suppressing them and extracting their Grotto-Heaven force?”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “What is this? Pokémon? Digimon?”
Sensing Zhang Yu’s thoughts, Immortal Slayer said, “This is likely an extension of the technology related to Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts, or perhaps Mountain-Guarding Divine Beasts.”
Zhang Yu’s mind stirred. “Mountain-Guarding Divine Beasts?”
He recalled reading in the history of Immortal Dao Technology that ancient sects indeed possessed such creatures.
Immortal Slayer continued, “The so-called Mountain-Guarding Divine Beasts initially began as the simple domestication of Demon Beasts. Over time, Immortal Dao Technology evolved to link these beasts to the sect’s Spirit Vein and even its Qi Luck, eventually cultivating them into true Mountain-Guarding Divine Beasts.”
“This technology developed rapidly during wartime, especially when combined with Grotto-Heaven Technology, which led to the creation of Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts.”
Zhang Yu knew that a Grotto-Heaven was essentially an independent space, much like the one he controlled. In ancient times, they were also known as Secret Realms.
Many sects in Kunxu’s past had histories of establishing their own Grotto-Heavens, creating Secret Realms, and even relocating their entire sect headquarters into them.
Immortal Slayer explained, “In short, it’s about using a Grotto-Heaven to empower a Demon Beast, making it stronger while imposing multiple restrictions, all to serve as a guardian for the sect.”
Gazing at the berserk corpse component production line, Zhang Yu remarked, “This doesn’t look like a Divine Beast.”
Fu Ji chimed in, “Who even bothers with Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts these days? It’s much better to hire security, install surveillance, and connect to the Spirit Realm.”
“A security team’s monthly salary is nothing. You can fire them if you don’t want them, or replace them if you’re not satisfied.”
Fu Ji sighed. “A Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast is a commitment of tens, even hundreds of years. If you’re not happy with it, it’s hard to even find someone to take it off your hands.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly, thinking, “A Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast… it’s like keeping a guard dog. It’s far less cost-effective than modern protective technologies.”
Gazing at the Berserk Production Line before him, Zhang Yu said, “They must have considered that, right? So, while this thing is an extension of Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast technology, it’s not a Divine Beast itself. If I had to name it… it should be called a Grotto-Heaven Production Line.”
“A Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast for boosting combat power? Utterly useless,” Fu Ji praised. “But a Grotto-Heaven Production Line? Using it to enhance production, increase output, and make more money… now that’s interesting.”
Zhang Yu looked at the information appearing before him and continued, “It seems this production line can only operate at 100% efficiency within my Immortal Grotto-Heaven.”
Immortal Slayer explained, “This is the limitation of a Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast. In exchange for enhanced power, it cannot leave the Grotto-Heaven. Once it does, its strength rapidly diminishes.”
“Grandmaster must have infused the vast number of Berserk Corpse Components in the Factory District with Grotto-Heaven force, transforming them into Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts exclusive to the labyrinth.”
“When you, as the successor, claim these Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts, they transform from being exclusive to the labyrinth into Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts exclusive to your Immortal Grotto-Heaven.”
Recalling the power unleashed by the Berserk Corpse Components in the Factory District, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “No wonder… I felt their power output seemed higher than their standard parameters.”
“I originally thought it was just components devouring and strengthening each other, but it seems there’s also an amplification effect from being Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts.”
Zhang Yu mused, “But now that they’ve transformed from the labyrinth’s Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts into mine, they probably won’t receive that amplification within the labyrinth anymore.”
“I can test this…”
With that thought, Zhang Yu stepped out of his Grotto-Heaven and back into the labyrinth’s Factory District.
The next moment, he opened the entrance to his Immortal Grotto-Heaven in his palm. Dense vital energy pipelines, like writhing tentacles, shot out from within.
These were the pipelines from the Berserk Production Line.
Under Zhang Yu’s mental control, the vital energy pipelines twisted together, forming a crimson whip of light. With a sharp swish, it tore through the air and lashed down at the ground ahead, blasting a large crater with a resounding boom.
Zhang Yu then lashed out at a more distant location.
After a series of tests, he quickly obtained his results.
“After leaving the Grotto-Heaven, it can still maintain 80% to 90% of its power within one meter. Beyond that, the power decays rapidly. Past three meters, it can barely exert less than 10% of its strength.”
Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts — or rather, Grotto-Heaven Production Lines — could perform exceptionally well within the Grotto-Heaven, but their power vanished almost completely a short distance outside it. Zhang Yu firmly committed this fact to memory.
He then returned to his Immortal Grotto-Heaven and looked at the Berserk Production Line.
Myriad Bone Melder Trait: Crucible of Myriad Forms (0/10)
Staring at the information that appeared, Zhang Yu grew increasingly curious. “This format… it’s just like the Feather Book.”
But Zhang Yu knew this line of text didn’t originate from the Feather Book. Instead, it was device information broadcast by the Berserk Production Line after he had subdued it.
The proof? Even Fu Ji could see the message.
“Could it be that when Ying Xintian created this Grotto-Heaven Production Line… this Myriad Bone Melder… he also applied Immortal Dao Technology similar to the Feather Book?”
“Or perhaps Ying Xintian had seen Immortal Dao Technology like the Feather Book before, so he used a similar format here?”
Zhang Yu couldn’t be sure. The Myriad Bone Melder before him — this so-called Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast, or Grotto-Heaven Production Line — employed far too much Immortal Dao Technology beyond his comprehension.
To him, it was like an elementary school student trying to read a doctoral dissertation; he simply couldn’t grasp the underlying technical principles.
“I’ll ignore the Immortal Dao Technology principles for now and focus on learning how to use it properly.”
“As for the principles… I’ll have to wait until I become stronger in the future.”
Looking at “Crucible of Myriad Forms (0/10),” Zhang Yu thought, “By collecting Berserk Corpse Components with the same trait, I can increase the Trait Points. Then I’ll find out what this trait actually does.”
Just then, Zhang Yu sensed that the Berserk Production Line — or rather, the Myriad Bone Melder — had grown somewhat listless.
A thought struck him. “Is it because of insufficient spiritual energy?”
Zhang Yu understood that such a massive production line would require vast amounts of spiritual energy and magic power to operate.
Unfortunately, the spiritual energy within his Immortal Grotto-Heaven was thin, relying solely on a tiny entrance to draw in a mere trickle.
As the Immortal Grotto-Heaven continued to expand, even that trickle of spiritual energy drawn from the entrance seemed increasingly diluted.
“I can’t possibly be expected to draw spiritual energy for the Immortal Grotto-Heaven myself every day, can I?”
“Wouldn’t that slow down my own cultivation?”
As Zhang Yu pondered, his gaze swept over the Qi Absorption Machines on the Myriad Bone Melder and the nearby Grotto-Heaven Bridge.
“Maybe… I could do this?”
The Myriad Bone Melder’s predecessor was a production line for Qi Absorption Machines. Even now, its body was still laden with numerous machines it had produced and modified, resembling twisted, deformed lumps of flesh growing haphazardly.
These flesh lumps acted like the Myriad Bone Melder’s noses and mouths, constantly absorbing spiritual energy and exhaling magic power.
Under Zhang Yu’s command, the Myriad Bone Melder let out a low roar. Its mountain-like body trembled slightly, and countless deformed, flesh-like Qi Absorption Machines flew toward the Grotto-Heaven Bridge.
Surrounding the Grotto-Heaven Bridge, these Qi Absorption Machines began to absorb and refine spiritual energy.
Instantly, Zhang Yu felt wisps of spiritual energy being continuously drawn from the other side of the Grotto-Heaven Bridge. Part of it flowed into the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, while the rest was converted into magic power by the Qi Absorption Machines and infused into the Myriad Bone Melder’s body.
As the Qi Absorption Machines continued to operate, after a short while, the wisps of spiritual energy had transformed into a stream flowing into the Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
The Myriad Bone Melder, which had appeared somewhat weakened just moments ago, gradually returned to normal. Like a living creature, it silently absorbed and exhaled spiritual energy and magic power with each rise and fall of its body.
Watching this scene, Zhang Yu felt a surge of joy. “Excellent! With the Myriad Bone Melder and these Qi Absorption Machines, combined with the Grotto-Heaven Bridge’s remote spiritual energy absorption, I can slowly transform the environment of my Immortal Grotto-Heaven. At the very least, the spiritual energy concentration can be increased.”
Immortal Slayer analyzed, “This might have been Grandmaster’s intentional arrangement. While passing down the Grotto-Heaven power to his descendants, he also prepared the key equipment and technologies needed to transform and strengthen the Grotto-Heaven.”
Thinking of the countless Berserk Corpse Components waiting to be subdued in the labyrinth, which could be used to expand and transform his Grotto-Heaven, Zhang Yu felt a flicker of anticipation.
“But collecting these Corpse Components will likely take a great deal of effort,” Zhang Yu thought.
He knew it wasn’t just a matter of numbers, but also of strength.
“Corpse Components vary in power.”
“Ignoring their functions and focusing purely on combat strength…”
Zhang Yu looked at the mountain-like Myriad Bone Melder and analyzed internally, “Something like this Myriad Bone Melder… its combat power brushes against the Spirit Transformation level, equivalent to a baseline Spirit Transformation Cultivator. It would probably take a Spirit Transformation Realm Cultivator, or a large number of Nascent Soul Peak Cultivators, to reliably suppress it.”
“As for the Qi Absorption Machines on the Myriad Bone Melder, individually, their combat power is at most equivalent to the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment levels.”
Immortal Slayer spoke up, “The essence of a Corpse Component is a type of magical artifact. In fact, most of Kunxu’s equipment, gear, and Bionics… their essence is all magical artifacts.”
“Although Corpse Components are primarily used as production tools, their powerful engines, massive size, sturdy shells, or special abilities… give them considerable combat strength when used for battle.”
“This combat strength depends on the Corpse Component’s performance and raw materials.”
“The more powerful the raw materials and the higher the performance, the stronger the combat strength will naturally be.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. Corpse Components were naturally derived from physical bodies, so a Corpse Component crafted from a Nascent Soul-Tier expert would naturally be far more powerful than one made from a Qi Refining Cultivator.
The Myriad Bone Melder before him likely contained the flesh and blood of Spirit Transformation experts among its raw materials.
This reminded Zhang Yu of the Vajra University students he had seen during his university days.
“University students have to bulk up and sell their flesh… I never thought that even after reaching the Spirit Transformation Realm, people would still be in the business of growing and selling flesh.”
Immortal Slayer continued, “Secondly, just like magical artifacts, the stronger the cultivator piloting the Corpse Component, the greater its effectiveness. However, the Berserk Corpse Components in the labyrinth are ownerless and unpiloted, so we don’t need to consider that for now.”
Zhang Yu pulled up the old records of the Factory District, which contained descriptions of various factories and equipment.
He thought to himself, “So… the more powerful a production line was, the more formidable it will be as a Berserk Corpse Component. If I want to subdue them, perhaps I should start with the stronger production lines.”
“Preferably Spirit Transformation-level production lines…”
Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across the projected data before him, specifically marking the factories that had once been overseen by Spirit Transformation Cultivators.
In addition, he silently committed to memory several factories that had been managed by Void Refinement Cultivators.
“A production line that once required a Void Refinement Cultivator to operate at full capacity… now that it’s a Berserk Production Line, could its combat strength be bordering on the Void Refinement level?”
“Even if a Berserk Production Line lacks the combat prowess of a true cultivator and only possesses baseline Void Refinement combat strength, it’s probably not something I can easily subdue at my current level.”
As he pondered, Zhang Yu memorized the data on several Void Refinement-level factories, saving them for later.
As for production lines above the Void Refinement level, none remained in the current Factory District.
“Subduing these Corpse Components in the labyrinth… perhaps this is another trial Ying Xintian has set for his successor.”
While Zhang Yu’s mind raced, he had already returned from the Immortal Grotto-Heaven to the Factory District, heading toward the sensed location of the Ancestor’s Corpse.
This time, however, he didn’t conceal himself within the raging winds to bypass the Berserk Corpse Components he encountered.
Instead, he began using Kunlun in the Palm combined with the power of his Immortal Descendant title, preparing to draw the Berserk Corpse Components he met along the way into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
A can-shaped Corpse Component roared at Zhang Yu, and over a dozen soft tubes extended from its body like jellyfish tentacles, snaking toward him.
“Combat strength… roughly Golden Core level.”
“It was probably originally a preservation storage tank. After going berserk, it couldn’t find any corpses to preserve, so now it seeks targets to inject with its preservative venom?”
With a single glance, Zhang Yu roughly assessed the level and origin of the Corpse Component before him.
Then, Zhang Yu spread his five fingers, activating Kunlun in the Palm and locking onto the Corpse Component before him.
The space within a radius of several dozen meters twisted and contracted, as if instantly plunged into absolute darkness.
When the darkness dissipated, the berserk, can-shaped Corpse Component had vanished without a trace.
Simultaneously, within the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, the Berserk Corpse Component had just fallen in when it saw a colossal physical body before it. This body brandished hundreds of thousands of vital energy conduits, lashing out like crimson light whips.
Beside the physical body, several of Zhang Yu’s clones were jointly casting Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, forcefully suppressing the Berserk Corpse Component.
It was then piled together with several other suppressed Berserk Corpse Components.
In this Factory District — disconnected from the Spirit Realm, lacking supervision, and with no onlookers — Zhang Yu acted without restraint.
Kunlun in the Palm combined with his Immortal Descendant trait allowed him to rapidly collect various Corpse Components and equipment, much like a septic truck sucking up waste. Meanwhile, his clones within the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, paired with the Myriad Bone Melder, could easily suppress one Berserk Corpse Component after another.
After suppressing a Nascent Soul-Tier Corpse Component, Zhang Yu, wary of accidents, personally entered the Immortal Grotto-Heaven. He intended to extract the Grotto-Heaven force from each suppressed Corpse Component and fully subdue them.
As wisps of Grotto-Heaven force were drawn into his body, a line of information appeared before Zhang Yu from the can-shaped Corpse Component.
Injector Corpse Trait: Mechanical Corpse Wail (0/6)
In the next moment, the Injector Corpse, which had been twisting and struggling just seconds ago, instantly stood still obediently, moving back and forth according to Zhang Yu’s will.
Next, Zhang Yu pinned down another Nascent Soul-level Berserk Corpse Component and fiercely extracted the Grotto-Heaven force from its body.
As strands of Grotto-Heaven force surged into him, Zhang Yu could feel his Immortal Grotto-Heaven faintly expand, its length, width, and height all increasing slightly.
“This is noticeably more than what the Injector Corpse provided. As expected, the more powerful the Corpse Component, the more Grotto-Heaven force it contains.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted to the information that appeared from the Nascent Soul tier Corpse Component before him.
This was a Corpse Component originally designed to function as a conveyor belt. After going berserk, it had started moving things around indiscriminately, making it one of the more harmless types of Berserk Corpse Components.
Previously, Zhang Yu would have simply bypassed such Corpse Components, unwilling to get entangled. But now, he saw them as fated encounters, each with its own unique value.
Conveyor Worm Trait: Assembly Line Assimilation (0/8)
Looking at the information before him, Zhang Yu nodded slightly. “Well, that saves me the trouble of naming them.”
As he subdued the captured Corpse Components one by one, Zhang Yu watched the various functional Corpse Components stand obediently, moving according to his will. He thought to himself, “This will make subduing the rest much easier.”
“If this continues, won’t I be able to assemble a Corpse Component army in no time?”
But Zhang Yu quickly realized it wasn’t that simple.
As the number of Corpse Components increased, the concentration of spiritual energy within the Immortal Grotto-Heaven began to decline. High-consumption units like the Myriad Bone Melder gradually weakened.
Zhang Yu frowned slightly. “The more Corpse Components there are, the greater the spiritual energy consumption. Is the spiritual energy gathered by the Qi Absorption Machines no longer sufficient?”
“Controlling a large number of Corpse Components is indeed not so simple.”
“First, I need enough spiritual energy and magic power.”
“Second…”
Zhang Yu glanced at the size of his Immortal Grotto-Heaven and thought, “A sufficiently large space is also necessary.”
To increase the spiritual energy concentration, Zhang Yu’s first thought was naturally the Qi Absorption Machines.
But now, when he actively sought to capture them, he found that the Qi Absorption Machines he used to encounter frequently were nowhere to be found.
Then Zhang Yu’s thoughts turned to the Myriad Bone Melder currently inside his Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
“The Myriad Bone Melder was originally a Qi Absorption Machine production line. Could it be used to manufacture them now?”
“But gathering the materials would be troublesome.”
As Zhang Yu pondered, he shifted his focus to several other Corpse Components.
With a mere thought from Zhang Yu, the Myriad Bone Melder unleashed hundreds of vital energy conduits, which coiled around a stationary Corpse Component.
In an instant, the entire Corpse Component was dismantled, and countless materials were devoured by the Myriad Bone Melder.
Amidst undulating flesh and surging vital energy conduits, a Qi Absorption Machine, covered in blood and filth, was spat out.
Next, vital energy conduits from the Myriad Bone Melder pierced into the newly formed machine like needles. As large quantities of an unknown fluid were injected, the Qi Absorption Machine shuddered violently and began its spiritual respiration, like a lung rapidly expanding and contracting, drawing energy from the Spirit Realm.
After successfully producing two Qi Absorption Machines in this manner, the third one merely twitched a few times on the ground before ceasing all movement, as if it had stopped breathing entirely.
Zhang Yu thought, “So there’s a chance of producing defective units?”
With another thought from Zhang Yu, the Myriad Bone Melder swallowed the defective unit through its intake port, recycling it as spare material for the next production cycle.
Of course, this repeated production process consumed a significant amount of material, leading to diminishing returns.
Despite the risk of producing defective units, Zhang Yu still considered this an effective method for increasing spiritual energy.
Thus, over the following days, as Zhang Yu continued to subdue Corpse Components along his path, he kept only those that seemed useful. The vast majority were fed to the Myriad Bone Melder to be converted into new Qi Absorption Machines, which were then used to boost the spiritual energy concentration within his Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
Watching the gruesome production process of the Qi Absorption Machines, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but think, “No matter how I look at it… this doesn’t seem like the kind of Immortal Dao Technology popular in the Myriad Laws Sect.”
An earlier suspicion resurfaced in his mind: “Did Ying Xintian learn the Immortal Dao Technology related to the Berserk Corpse Components — or Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts — in this labyrinth from the Demonic Sect?”
“Did Ying Xintian begin studying this branch of Immortal Dao Technology after the ‘Righteous Use of Demonic Arts’?”
Just as Zhang Yu was pondering this, Immortal Slayer spoke up: “Perhaps… this isn’t solely Grandmaster’s handiwork.”
Zhang Yu asked doubtfully, “Why do you say that?”
Immortal Slayer explained, “Even now, the Myriad Laws Sect possesses technologies that originated from the Demonic Path.”
“But even Immortal Dao Technology from the Demonic Path, once studied and integrated by the Myriad Laws Sect, would have its style altered. It wouldn’t look as crude and unrefined as these Berserk Corpse Components.”
“Instead, it would become cleaner, more orderly, and appear more righteous — more grand and sophisticated…”
A thought struck Zhang Yu. “You mean… the aesthetic style?”
“Exactly,” Immortal Slayer replied. “Cultivators have their own aesthetics, and the appearance of these Berserk Corpse Components is completely different from Grandmaster’s tastes.”
“Therefore, I suspect these things might have been created by someone else, a cultivator from another sect.”
“And this labyrinth might have been set up through a collaboration between Grandmaster and that person.”
Just then, Zhang Yu’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
In his senses, the Ancestor’s Corpse he had been steadily approaching had vanished without a trace.
“Who? Did someone steal it?”