Chapter 820: Why Would It Be Given to Zhang Yu?!
Amidst a deafening explosion, Ying Aikun’s Primordial Spirit recoiled, carrying his physical body as it shot forward like lightning.
Berserk, roaring corpse components charged toward him, but Ying Aikun didn’t even glance at them. He thrust out a palm, and a violent spatial distortion swept out, sucking the corpse components one by one into the Cosmic Pot at his waist.
The Cosmic Pot contained a self-contained space, which, upon inspection, revealed bustling Soul Cultivator factories.
The moment the corpse components fell into this space, they were swarmed by Soul Cultivators wielding magical artifacts. They became raw materials on an assembly line, processed through a series of steps to be transformed into sellable Immortal Dao Materials.
Kunxu’s spatial structures were strictly controlled. In theory, individuals were forbidden from possessing truly independent personal spaces without permission.
To acquire such an independent space, or a Grotto-Heaven, one had to navigate layers of rigorous approvals. Strict controls governed the space’s purpose, ownership, standards, future plans, and even fees related to the Spirit Realm and spiritual energy.
This was similar to the many minor realms within the sect layers, such as the Former Days Graveyard. These were essentially independent spaces, and their masters all had heaven-defying backgrounds, often with complex ownership structures.
Therefore, even within the sect layers, the storage magical artifacts owned by most cultivators were similar to those in the Lower Realm, operating on the principle of spatial compression and containment.
However, Ying Aikun, leveraging his background, had managed to create the Cosmic Pot — an independent space that served as his personal Immortal Abode, solely for his use.
In its prime, the Cosmic Pot’s interior contained not only factory districts but also vast, ancient-style manors with pavilions and towers, rolling spirit veins and mountain peaks, boundless medicinal fields, private lakes, private seas, and even a private starry sky.
At its peak, the entire Cosmic Pot’s internal space was serviced by a large number of cultivators, operating like a small kingdom under Ying Aikun’s command.
Back then, Ying Aikun had even planned to continuously expand the Cosmic Pot, eventually transforming it into a Minor Realm like the Former Days Graveyard.
Unfortunately, a sudden turn of events caused him, a former Immortal Clan member, to fall from the apex. His assets were seized and confiscated one by one. Naturally, the Cosmic Pot in his possession was also targeted, ultimately being carved into more than ten pieces and auctioned off.
It was only thanks to the Supreme Truth Immortal Clan’s staunch protection that he was allowed to keep this small fragment of the Cosmic Pot’s space.
“What belongs to me, I will one day reclaim it all.”
Gazing at the soaring pillar of blood-red light ahead, Ying Aikun knew he was drawing closer to the corpse of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s former Sect Master.
“Reclaiming the legacy this time is the first step.”
Ying Aikun formed a Dao Seal with his hands, and his Primordial Spirit surged as he unleashed another Immortal Sect Technique.
As a former member of an Immortal Clan and a descendant of Ying Xintian, Ying Aikun’s mastery of Spatial Technology far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.
Techniques like Kunlun in the Palm and the Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier were skills he had long since mastered.
Even though his cultivation had regressed to the Spirit Transformation Realm, his expertise in Spatial Technology, combined with the related magical artifacts and Bionics he still possessed, was enough to make him stand head and shoulders above other cultivators at his level, allowing him to look down on all rivals.
In the next moment, his figure flickered at high speed, repeatedly tearing through the void. Using a series of consecutive instantaneous teleports, he accelerated once more toward his target.
As Ying Aikun accelerated, the other competing cultivators unleashed their own mystic powers.
A cultivator from the Netherworld Palace transformed their Primordial Spirit into a surging tide of blood, an unstoppable tsunami that swept up all nearby corpse components and surged toward the blood-red light.
Another cultivator from the White Bone Cult controlled a Bone Demon, which shot forward like a white meteor, pulverizing everything in its path.
At the entrance to the Laboratory District, Ling Chiye couldn’t personally witness each cultivator’s performance, but he could track their positions by observing the streaks of Primordial Spirit Divine Light in the darkness.
“Senior Ying’s speed has increased again. He’s completely pulled away from the others.”
“Judging by the frequency of his flickers, he must be using Spatial Immortal Dao Technology — tearing through the void with instantaneous teleports.”
Ling Chiye thought to himself, “As expected of a descendant of Great Immortal Ying. Senior Ying’s mastery of Spatial Technology is likely unmatched among all the cultivators present. With this skill alone, he’s practically invincible.”
“The cultivators from the Netherworld Palace and the White Bone Cult are moving quickly, but it seems they can no longer catch up to him.”
Meanwhile, Minister Qin stared into the darkness with a worried expression.
“Sigh, realm discrimination… Such a fine Immortal legacy, yet only cultivators below Void Refinement are allowed to compete? A top-tier Void Refinement cultivator is no worse than a Spirit Transformation one!”
For a moment, Minister Qin felt an impulse to cripple his own cultivation, regress to the Spirit Transformation Stage, and join the competition.
But as he watched the divine light streak far ahead of the others, he shook his head. “Even if I entered now, I couldn’t possibly compete with Ying Aikun.”
“Sigh… A descendant of an Immortal, a Spirit Transformation realm restriction, and Spatial Technology to speed his way… You might as well just let him enter alone.”
Minister Qin shook his head again. “And Ying Xintian talks about reform… In the end, isn’t he just saving the best for his own descendants? Such antiquated thinking is even worse than the current Kunxu.”
“Sigh, I knew it. These Immortal legacies, they’re always predestined. There’s never a turn for people like us.”
Seeing Deputy Minister Jiang Xuyi nearby, still eager to charge in, Qin Chuan offered a word of caution: “Don’t bother trying. I can see this Immortal legacy was fixed from the start. Anyone who sits at this table, other than the dealer’s chosen player, is bound to lose.”
Jiang Xuyi, however, declared with unwavering resolve, “The Immortal Dao is a shoreless sea, and only gambling can bring one to land. A person’s life is nothing but one bet after another.”
“Now, with a chance to sit at the table right before me, how could I have achieved what I have today without taking risks? And if I don’t keep betting, what chance do I have of climbing to the apex of the Immortal Dao?”
“The will to gamble — that is the true meaning of the Immortal Dao that I, Jiang Xuyi, seek.”
“Minister, I’m going…”
But before leaving, Jiang Xuyi suddenly paused. “Before I go, there’s one thing I’d like to ask of you, Minister.”
“Go ahead,” Qin Chuan said. “Anything but borrowing money is fine.”
Jiang Xuyi replied, “It’s almost quitting time, and I really can’t afford the overtime pay. I was wondering if this upcoming exploration…”
Qin Chuan waved his hand dismissively. “This exploration of the Immortal legacy is your personal decision. It has nothing to do with work and won’t be counted toward your work hours.”
Jiang Xuyi thought to himself, That beastly superior finally acted like a human for once.
“Thanks, Minister.”
With that, Jiang Xuyi took a single step, his body already radiating streams of Primordial Spirit Divine Light as he entered the Laboratory District.
As Qin Chuan watched the divine light radiating from Jiang Xuyi in the darkness, he shook his head and sighed. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. “Jiang Xuyi is here, Ying Aikun is over there… Where’s Senior Zhang?”
“Senior Zhang Yu was piloting the Immortal Shuttle. I saw him ahead of us earlier; he should have arrived long ago.”
“Why don’t I see his Primordial Spirit Divine Light?”
While countless cultivators surged forward, vying for the Immortal Legacy, Zhang Yu found himself in a completely different situation.
After entering the Laboratory District, his vision flashed, and he was transported to an unfamiliar space.
Looking ahead, he saw a corpse hundreds of meters tall, seated cross-legged less than a hundred meters away, shrouded in a bloody glow. Waves of overwhelming hatred emanated from it, soaring into the sky.
Observing the scene, Immortal Slayer remarked with awe, “Is this the corpse of a former sect master of the Heavenly Demon Sect?”
“Grandmaster created this labyrinth and transformed so many Berserk Corpse Components into Grotto-Heaven Divine Beasts. He must have collaborated with a cultivator skilled in corpse component technology. Could this former sect master of the Heavenly Demon Sect be that collaborator?”
“Grandmaster… was he collaborating with the Heavenly Demon Sect?”
Meanwhile, Fu Ji exclaimed with delight, “Did we just teleport straight to the finish line? It wasn’t easy, Zhang Yu, but we finally made it! To be pre-selected before the exam even begins… Having this kind of privilege means we’ve truly made a name for ourselves in Kunxu.”
In Fu Ji’s view, passing exams and competing for rankings through one’s own abilities and talent was the lowest form of achievement.
Being able to buy answers, bribe opponents, and purchase rankings was a step up, indicating a solid foundation.
But only those who could be pre-selected and sent directly to the finish line were truly capable, having genuinely established themselves in Kunxu.
Zhang Yu nodded slightly at her words, but his brow furrowed sharply the next moment.
The instant he saw the corpse before him, an intense sensation surged within him. More accurately, the power of his Immortal Descendant bloodline erupted with a powerful craving, urging him to liberate the ancestor’s corpse and claim the Grotto-Heaven power within.
But…
“Something’s wrong…” Zhang Yu focused on the sensation and realized that the Grotto-Heaven power his Immortal Descendant bloodline craved seemed to be…
“Not originating from this giant corpse, but from… something within it.”
“No matter. I’ll just take it all.”
Zhang Yu pressed his palms together, activating the power of Kunlun in the Palm. He intended to move the giant corpse and everything inside it into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven in one go.
But as he exerted his full strength, he was shocked to find he couldn’t warp the spatial structure around the giant corpse.
He felt like a child trying to uproot a massive tree. No matter how hard he pulled, how loudly he roared, or how much his body strained and his face turned red, he couldn’t budge the tree even an inch.
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened as he thought, Is this a restriction deliberately left by Ying Xintian? To prevent anyone from taking the corpse directly?
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yu transformed into a gust of wind and shot directly into the giant corpse before him.
Since he couldn’t take the entire thing into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven, he decided to go inside directly to find what he had sensed—the object his Immortal Descendant bloodline desperately craved.
Following his senses and the craving of his Immortal Descendant bloodline, Zhang Yu finally located his target within the giant corpse’s chest cavity, near its heart.
It was another corpse.
Zhang Yu could feel immense Grotto-Heaven power surging within it, waiting for him to claim it.
A corpse hidden within a corpse… he thought. So the ancestor’s corpse I’m meant to liberate isn’t this former sect master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, but someone else entirely.
If that’s the case… was the Heavenly Demon Sect Master’s corpse just a decoy? Why go to such lengths?
Gazing at the unknown individual’s corpse, Zhang Yu could think of only one answer: This person’s identity must be extraordinary, hence the need for concealment.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. At the same time… Zhang Yu tried to move the ancestor’s corpse before him into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven, only to fail again.
The Grotto-Heaven force within this ancestor’s corpse was simply too immense… For Zhang Yu, trying to absorb the entire body into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven was like a tiny dung beetle attempting to haul away an entire outhouse in one go, utterly impossible.
With this thought, Zhang Yu placed his hand on the back of the ancestor’s corpse and attempted to absorb its Grotto-Heaven force directly.
The moment he tried, a torrential surge of Grotto-Heaven force flooded into him, continuously being drawn out.
His Immortal Grotto-Heaven began to expand wildly. Its dimensions — length, width, and height — grew from just over 1000 meters to 1005 meters… 1012 meters… 1033 meters…
As he absorbed the power, a familiar sensation washed over Zhang Yu. Why does this process feel so much like… when I extract Grotto-Heaven force from corpse components to subdue them?
This ancestor’s corpse… could it have been crafted into a corpse component?
Was the final ancestor’s corpse Ying Xintian left in this labyrinth intended for his descendants to use as a Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast?
At this thought, Zhang Yu’s heart trembled. “If this ancestor’s corpse is a corpse component that becomes my Grotto-Heaven Divine Beast, I wonder what abilities it will have?”
While Zhang Yu was frantically absorbing the Grotto-Heaven force, he sensed someone else had arrived in front of the giant corpse.
After rushing and pushing himself to his limits, Ying Aikun finally reached the massive body.
As he gazed at the colossal form before him, Ying Aikun felt waves of intense hatred emanating from the corpse.
But the thought of the Immortal legacy was enough to make him approach with a flicker of excitement.
He scanned his surroundings, first noticing that the giant corpse was shrouded in a mysterious power, preventing him from perceiving its internal state.
Ying Aikun wasn’t bothered by this; after all, the giant corpse was left by Ying Xintian, so it was normal that he couldn’t see through it.
His main purpose was to check the area for anyone else.
“As expected… I’m the first one here?”
“Hahahaha, destiny is on my side! It seems this Immortal legacy truly belongs to me!”
But when Ying Aikun walked up to the giant corpse, nothing unusual happened.
The corpse remained motionless, just as a corpse should be.
No writing appeared around it, nor was there any surge of Grotto-Heaven force.
Ying Aikun gradually grew confused, thinking to himself, “This Immortal legacy… How am I supposed to claim it?”
Just as Ying Aikun was pondering, a voice suddenly emerged from the giant corpse’s mouth: “You must be Ying Xintian’s descendant, correct?”
Hearing this, Ying Aikun immediately became excited. “I… I am!”
Inside the giant corpse, Zhang Yu created clones that transformed into waves of air, vibrating the corpse’s internal organs to produce a booming voice.
Giant Corpse: “Hmm… Not bad.”
Ying Aikun stared at the giant corpse with excitement, waiting for it to speak again, but it fell silent.
Meanwhile, inside the corpse, Zhang Yu, who was still absorbing the Grotto-Heaven force, cursed inwardly, “I need to find a way to stall for time.”
As the giant corpse remained silent, Ying Aikun couldn’t help but ask, “Sen… Senior? How am I supposed to claim this Immortal legacy?”
The Giant Corpse let out a questioning “Hmm?” and said, “As Ying Xintian’s descendant, you don’t even know how to claim your own family’s legacy?”
Ying Aikun replied awkwardly, “Perhaps… perhaps the ancestor was in a hurry when he set this up and forgot to leave me instructions.”
The giant corpse said, “Never mind. Do you have anything valuable on you?”
Hearing this, Ying Aikun instantly became as wary as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Ying Aikun: “Senior, what do you mean?”
The giant corpse replied, “I’m already dead. How could I possibly deceive you?”
“Besides, I am the sect master of the Heavenly Demon Sect. You are a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect and a descendant of Ying Xintian.”
“You are the chosen successor designated by both of us.”
Hearing these words, Ying Aikun felt his magic power surge. He asked, “Senior, please tell me first, what exactly do you need me to do?”
The giant corpse spoke, “The Immortal legacy is a treasure of unparalleled rarity, seldom seen in the world. Although you possess a dual identity as the successor designated by both me and Ying Xintian across generations, you must still demonstrate sufficient talent and potential to claim it.”
Ying Aikun nodded slightly, his voice filled with confidence. “Senior, how do I prove I have enough talent and potential?”
The giant corpse continued, “On the boundless path of the Immortal Dao, wealth is the vessel. To become our successor, the first and foremost requirement is, naturally, to be wealthy.”
“Take out everything valuable you own. Let me see your current net worth and determine if you are worthy of becoming an Immortal’s successor.”
Hearing this, Ying Aikun’s heart sank. “This is bad,” he thought grimly.
“After being exiled from the Myriad Laws Sect, my wealth plummeted. I’m a shadow of my former self. With my current finances… can I even pass this test?”
Despite his inner turmoil, Ying Aikun maintained a calm and magnanimous expression. “That’s simple,” he declared with a flourish.
He slapped his Cosmic Pot, and streams of multicolored light shot out, revealing the diverse landscapes within its Grotto-Heaven.
Ying Aikun declared proudly, “This Cosmic Pot of mine was originally a specially approved independent space granted by the higher-ups. It not only has all the necessary licenses and certificates but is also zoned for ‘commercial, residential, combat, and transport’ purposes. It’s even connected to spiritual energy, the Spirit Realm, and Immortal aura. Although it has changed hands several times and is now only 5,000 acres in size, selling it for a few hundred million Immortal Coins would be no problem at all.”
In the past, Ying Aikun had countless ways to prove his Immortal Dao potential.
But now, the most valuable thing he owned was this Cosmic Pot. After presenting it, his confidence wavered, and he looked at the giant corpse with a hint of apprehension.
Listening to Ying Aikun’s description, Zhang Yu was secretly astonished. “This guy isn’t even part of the Immortal Clan anymore, yet he still has so many assets? Just how rich was he before?”
Just then, Ying Aikun’s gaze sharpened. He sensed other cultivators approaching.
He quickly urged, “Senior? Well? Have I passed the test?”
Seeing the giant corpse remain silent, Ying Aikun grew anxious. “Senior!”
Zhang Yu, disguising his voice as the giant corpse’s, said, “Patience. Let’s wait for the other talents to arrive. I will see if they, too, are worthy of receiving this Immortal legacy.”
In an instant, two more cultivators arrived one after the other — Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Netherworld Palace and the White Bone Cult.
As soon as they appeared, both cultivators eyed Ying Aikun with extreme caution. Throughout the entire Laboratory District, Ying Aikun was the most renowned and widely believed to be the most likely candidate to obtain the Immortal legacy. They couldn’t help but be wary.
However, observing the giant corpse and Ying Aikun’s current state, they realized he hadn’t yet secured the legacy. A surge of excitement welled up within them, and their gazes toward the giant corpse grew greedier.
Just then, the Giant Corpse spoke: “The path of the Immortal Dao respects only the strong. In the end, only one of you can obtain this Immortal legacy. It remains to be seen which of you it will be.”
Instantly, the two cultivators from the Netherworld Palace and the White Bone Cult tensed up. They knew Ying Aikun possessed a high-level Homicide Permit, which meant he could kill them without any legal repercussions. With the Spirit Realm severed, there would be even fewer consequences.
Ying Aikun knew it too… With the Spirit Realm severed in the Laboratory District and no Righteous Gods to enforce order, all laws were effectively void. Would these two cultivators strike first?
In the span of a single sentence, the fragile peace among the three shattered, replaced by a palpable killing intent.
It was impossible to tell who moved first. When the divine light flared, the powers of the three Spirit Transformation cultivators had already clashed violently.
Before a victor could be decided, another beam of divine light joined the fray.
“Let’s eliminate Ying Aikun first! Then we’ll settle the score and see who claims the Immortal legacy.”
As more beams of divine light entered the battle one after another, the number of Spirit Transformation cultivators besieging Ying Aikun swelled to eight in the blink of an eye.
Surrounded by layers of divine light, the eight Spirit Transformation cultivators each wielded their magical artifacts and unleashed Daoist arts, all aimed at Ying Aikun.
Perhaps due to the unique environment of the Former Days Graveyard, none of them had brought their physical bodies. Instead, they moved as Primordial Spirits wrapped in Divine Souls, their speed like thunder and lightning — impossible to track.
Seeing this, Ying Aikun snorted coldly. He formed a Dao Seal with his hands and lightly tapped his Cosmic Pot. All incoming attacks were instantly absorbed into his independent space, leaving him completely unharmed.
A Spirit Transformation Cultivator roared, “Use your Spatial Magical Artifacts together! Disrupt his spatial portal!”
The eight Spirit Transformation Cultivators immediately activated their own Spatial Magical Artifacts, attempting to seal Ying Aikun’s Cosmic Pot.
But in the next moment, as the Cosmic Pot soared into the sky, all eight Spatial Magical Artifacts shattered simultaneously. Their internal spatial structures had been forcefully smashed to pieces by the Cosmic Pot’s independent space, leaving the cultivators with faces full of heartache.
Ying Aikun spoke coolly, “What caliber of Spatial Magical Artifacts do you possess? How dare you pit them against my Cosmic Pot?”
Then, his figure flickered, instantly crossing space to appear before the Primordial Spirit of a Netherworld Palace cultivator. His finger, wreathed in Thunderfire, slammed viciously into the opponent’s Primordial Spirit.
Normally, Spirit Transformation Cultivators moving as Primordial Spirits were not only faster at casting magic but also moved like flashes of lightning, elusive and nearly impossible to catch.
Yet now, Ying Aikun repeatedly teleported through space, seemingly predicting their movements. He intercepted their paths time and again, striking their Primordial Spirits with heavy, continuous shockwaves. With his power alone, he forced all eight Spirit Transformation Cultivators into a steady retreat.
At this moment, fighting one against eight, his relentless instant teleports made his attacks swifter and more unstoppable than the eight Primordial Spirits combined.
“Hmph. You think you’re worthy of fighting me?”
“If numbers were all that mattered, why would I bother accumulating so much wealth?”
“Even though I’m not of the Immortal Clan, my personal assets alone surpass the combined wealth of all eight of you.”
“Get lost!”
With a thunderous roar, Ying Aikun teleported eight times in an instant, striking all eight Spirit Transformation Cultivators’ Primordial Spirits almost simultaneously. The force of the blows sent their Primordial Spirits reeling backward.
Meanwhile, at the laboratory entrance, Ling Chiye stared into the darkness ahead. He saw the divine light representing Ying Aikun rise like a great sun, illuminating the entire area.
The eight divine lights that had been closing in on Ying Aikun dimmed after the clash, like stars overshadowed by the sun, their brilliance completely extinguished.
Ling Chiye thought to himself, “Senior Ying did, after all, step down from the higher realms. How could ordinary Spirit Transformation Cultivators possibly be his match?”
On the other side, Qin Chuan watched from the entrance and sighed inwardly. “It’s fixed! It was rigged from the start.”
Jiang Xuyi, who had been about to join the battle, silently retreated, a chill running through him. “The gap is too vast! Even if I joined forces with the other Spirit Transformation cultivators, we probably still couldn’t defeat him.”
While Ying Aikun single-handedly repelled the numerous Spirit Transformation cultivators, Zhang Yu, inside the giant corpse, had finally finished absorbing all the Grotto-Heaven force from the Ancestor’s Corpse through relentless, frenzied extraction.
“Finally…”
The next moment, with a thought, he drew the ancestor’s corpse into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
A thunderous rumble echoed as the entire Immortal Grotto-Heaven trembled violently and expanded explosively.
At the same time, Ying Aikun, having just swept aside his opponents, turned to see the giant corpse, previously sitting motionless, now standing up.
Ying Aikun’s expression turned ecstatic at the sight. “After I’ve defeated all my rivals, is it finally time to bestow the Immortal legacy upon me?”
The Spirit Transformation cultivators who had retreated far away also watched this scene, their gazes — filled with jealousy, envy, and resentment — all fixed on Ying Aikun.
“This is rigged! The heavens of Kunxu are truly dark!”
“You call him a Spirit Transformation cultivator? He clearly descended from a higher realm just to steal our opportunities!”
“Damn it… How could we possibly fight someone who enters the fray with a Spatial Magical Artifact worth hundreds of millions?”
Just as Ying Aikun stared at the giant corpse with eager anticipation, the corpse turned its back on him and spoke toward the spot where Zhang Yu had been sitting.
“Congratulations, young friend, on receiving the Immortal legacy and becoming Senior Ying’s successor across generations.”
The voice was ancient and completely different from the one Zhang Yu had just mimicked. It seemed to be the giant corpse’s true voice.
Ying Aikun froze upon hearing this. Then, where there had been nothing, a figure slowly materialized — it was Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu’s eyes were tightly shut, Grotto-Heaven force surging within him. Behind him, layered visions of a Grotto-Heaven shimmered into existence.
“That’s…” Ying Aikun said in disbelief. “An independent space? The Grotto-Heaven left behind by the old master?”
“Why give it to Zhang Yu?!”
He roared in fury, “How could it be given to Zhang Yu?!”