Chapter 883: Wonders of the minor realms, Supreme Clarity Talisman Upgrade
“Ten Suns’ Demise?”
The moment Zhang Yu heard such an overbearing name for a Joyful Union Sect cultivation art, he could already sense its formidable power.
And upon hearing that even Ying Xintian had been severely wounded by the Joyful Union Sect’s Immortal Venerable using Ten Suns’ Demise, Zhang Yu could even more deeply appreciate the terror of this cultivation art.
Dugu Ming continued, “The so-called Ten Suns’ Demise is the culmination of the life’s work of the Joyful Union Sect’s past sages. It’s said to record ten world-shaking, ghost-wailing dual cultivation techniques. Each one, when used alone, is enough to ravish the soul, melt the bones, and empty one’s wallet.”
“But if all ten techniques are unleashed simultaneously, it becomes the true Ten Suns’ Demise. Under the union of Yin and Yang, it can even seize the creation of heaven and earth for one’s own use. Even Immortals wouldn’t be able to resist transferring their wealth as a gift.”
With that, Dugu Ming pointed at the ten massive voids before them. “These ten great voids, which constantly drain matter from the minor realm, are the remnants left behind by the Ten Suns’ Demise.”
“And the distorted space around these ten great voids is the residual power left by Ying Xintian when he resisted that attack. It has, however, created a kind of balance, preventing the entire minor realm from completely collapsing.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze flickered as he heard this. He looked at the factories and equipment still operating within the minor realm and asked, “If I absorb the Grotto-Heaven force here, won’t it cause that entire mortal realm to completely collapse?”
Dugu Ming replied, “The mortal realm has been tormented for so long, unable to operate at full capacity, that it’s already a mess. The cost of repairing the aftermath of a battle between two Immortal Venerables is far too high.”
“The manufacturers here only produce prefabricated Material Humans. Their profit margins are already low. Why would they spend a fortune to repair the residual power left by an Immortal Venerable? How long would it take to recoup that investment?”
“Now that you’re here to absorb Traitor Ying’s Grotto-Heaven force, the collapse of the entire mortal realm will actually save them a demolition fee. They can just rebuild directly afterward.”
Zhang Yu nodded, thinking to himself, No wonder they agreed to let me absorb the Grotto-Heaven force.
He then asked, “When should I start?”
Dugu Ming replied, “Anytime. You can start now.”
Zhang Yu was slightly stunned. He looked at the piles of defective Material Humans still twitching on the ground and asked, “Don’t we need to evacuate them?”
Dugu Ming replied casually, “They’re all just trash. The cost of recycling them is higher than the cost of selling them. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze swept over the crowd on the ground. His heart stirred slightly, and he used the Spirit Realm to perceive the messages they were broadcasting.
“No need for tedious cultivation, no lengthy integration period — just unpack and use immediately.”
“Your daily cultivation consumables, buy five get one free! Bulk purchase prices are even lower, the more you buy, the more you save…”
Zhang Yu gathered the Spirit Realm information floating throughout the mortal realm and quickly understood that the entire minor realm had long since achieved automated production. The only ones left were these so-called low-cost Material Humans, targeting the downmarket segment with a strategy of low profit margins and high sales volume.
Fu Ji reminded Zhang Yu in his mind, “Zhang Yu, don’t even think about adopting these Material Humans! Do you know how much that would cost? Don’t just go around adopting things! The best thing for them is to die quickly and reincarnate.”
Auspicious God quickly added, “Boss Fu Ji is right! But I’m sure Minister Zhang has his own considerations.”
Herald God, who had been observing silently, listened to their conversation and thought to himself, “I’ve basically grasped the situation here. Fu Ji simps for Zhang Yu, and Auspicious God simps for both Fu Ji and Zhang Yu. And I… as the one at the pinnacle of this simp chain, can simp for Fu Ji, Auspicious God, Zhang Yu… and everyone else in this mind. I possess the most extensive simping spectrum here.”
“Do you have this kind of advantage, Fortune God?”
“I, Herald God, climbed to my previous position step by step. If I have to, I’ll just start over from scratch.”
Meanwhile, Immortal Slayer, in a rare moment of agreement with Fu Ji, spoke up, “Compared to being born as a cheap commodity, perhaps reincarnating is indeed a better outcome.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “Death is better than life. This is Kunxu.”
With a grasp of his hand, Zhang Yu began to extract the Grotto-Heaven force left behind by Ying Xintian within the minor realm.
The surging Grotto-Heaven force poured into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven. Zhang Yu felt the entire Grotto-Heaven let out a deafening roar, then, under the infusion of the force, it began to expand violently, initiating another phase of growth.
Simultaneously, in the mortal realm, the ten voids, freed from the constraints of the chaotic space, began to expand violently, frantically devouring everything around them.
As the ten voids continued to swell, they quickly merged into a single entity, resembling an abyssal maw poised to swallow the entire minor realm.
Vast factory complexes were gradually consumed by darkness. One by one, the Material Humans, like products on supermarket shelves, plummeted into the bottomless abyss amidst the recitation of advertisements.
“Naturally stable and doesn’t throw tantrums. Guaranteed not to backlash. Ready to use, easily replaceable…”
Next, Zhang Yu followed Dugu Ming to another minor realm.
Dugu Ming explained, “This is a Weapon Refinement Zone, but many companies have gone bankrupt since the space became chaotic. Cultivators who could find work have long since left. Those who couldn’t… many stayed here. Because the major corporations abandoned this place due to the chaotic space, the cost of living has dropped significantly.”
“These unemployed individuals who remained in the minor realm have formed the Unemployment Tide.”
Just as Dugu Ming was explaining this to Zhang Yu, a blizzard of job applications rained down from the Spirit Realm. Vast crowds of people shot into the sky, surging toward them like a tidal wave.
“Boss, are you hiring? I’m cheap.”
“Boss, I’ll work for free for a year!”
Dugu Ming warned, “This minor realm was caught in a great war. During the disaster, these people abandoned their posts. Afterward, they maliciously demanded their salaries. They are all cultivators whose minds have been corrupted during their pursuit of the Immortal Dao, and they’ve been blacklisted by all the major corporations.”
Dugu Ming knew that under the influence of the Aspiration for the Immortal Dao, many cultivators became selfish and self-serving, unwilling deep down to dedicate themselves to their company or sect.
Once tempted by short-term gains, their selfishness completely suppressed their Sect Nature, often leading to corruption, slacking off, and malicious salary fraud. Back when sects hadn’t implemented the four-hour workday, many cultivators would even maliciously work overtime to scam overtime pay.
As the Vice Hall Master who had climbed the ranks of the Heavenly Surveillance Hall, Dugu Ming had seen far too many cases like this.
The unemployed before them were just like this. Their salary-demanding slogan — “My company hired me; when the salary runs out, my work naturally ends” — was, in Dugu Ming’s eyes, utterly heretical. They had been completely corrupted by the Aspiration for the Immortal Dao and had strayed onto a wicked path.
Dugu Ming said coolly, “Minister Zhang, ignore them. Just absorb the Grotto-Heaven force and restore this realm’s chaotic space.”
Immortal Slayer interjected, “Once this minor realm is repaired, the major corporations will likely move back in. The cost of living will skyrocket, and these unemployed cultivators will soon have nowhere to go.”
Desolate Ox sighed inwardly. “Before, destroying a minor realm and killing people ended up saving them. Now, repairing a minor realm and saving people is killing them.”
Fu Ji retorted, “What does killing or saving have to do with us? Just because some Immortal Venerables fought, they get to stop working? Did we tell them to abandon their posts? Did we tell them to maliciously demand their salaries? It’s entirely their own problem, their own fault. What does it have to do with us?”
Immortal Slayer replied, “Their willingness to maliciously demand their salaries shows their hearts can be used. Zhang Yu… we can hire them.”
Just as Fu Ji was about to retort, Herald God suddenly said, “Indeed, we can hire them. They’ve been unemployed for a long time, and people among them die every year. Their salary expectations are now far below market rates. Hiring them would be very cost-effective.”
“This guy makes a good point.” Fu Ji’s heart sank as she sensed a threat from Herald God.
Just then, Herald God spoke again, “This is all from the Fortune God’s Teachings. I’m just applying what I’ve learned.”
Fu Ji instantly found this Herald Guy much more agreeable.
Herald God continued, “However, Minister Zhang oversees the entire situation and must already have a plan. We await your final holy decree.”
After saying this, Herald God sneered inwardly. “Everyone can be flattered. The only one who’s embarrassed is the one who isn’t. This is the first step in undermining everyone else’s standing.”
Amidst the heated debate in his mind, Zhang Yu finally spoke. “Recruit them as technical staff for the Soul Cultivator Company.”
Although named the Soul Cultivator Company, it was actually an intermediary platform. The company itself also needed to hire cultivators to do the work.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “This is perfect. They can serve as a talent reserve for future production line expansions.”
Seeing Zhang Yu recruiting on the spot, Dugu Ming was momentarily stunned. The next moment, he understood. “These people have nowhere else to go. By hiring them now, Zhang Yu can exploit them mercilessly without worrying about them leaving… Is he trying to squeeze every last drop of value from these unemployed cultivators?”
After collecting the Grotto-Heaven force from another realm, Dugu Ming departed, leaving Zhang Yu to arrange his own visits to the remaining minor realms.
In the following days, besides his studies, Zhang Yu traveled to one battlefield left by Ying Xintian after another, extracting the residual Grotto-Heaven force.
Unconsciously, the entire Immortal Grotto-Heaven had expanded into a world with dimensions exceeding 20 kilometers in length, width, and height.
Magnetic Pole, who frequently entered and exited the Grotto-Heaven, also noticed its expansion and remarked with emotion, “This Grotto-Heaven is becoming more and more like a small world.”
On this day, Zhang Yu arrived at a martial dao minor world to collect Grotto-Heaven force.
This martial dao minor world contained the martial philosophies of generations of powerful martial artists. Various fist intents and sword intents crisscrossed within it, making it a place of great risk, yet also a sacred ground for comprehending all kinds of martial arts.
Zhang Yu checked the information and learned that before being ravaged by Ying Xintian, this minor realm had been an expensive martial arts observation site.
“Eat my phlegm!”
The next moment, Zhang Yu felt a terrifying martial dao intent surge toward him.
Immortal Slayer reminded him, “Don’t be afraid. This is the residual martial dao fist intent of an Immortal. It’s based on the principle of ‘spitting phlegm to benefit the world,’ using phlegm as a fist. It’s a world-saving martial art and won’t harm you.”
Just then, heaven and earth trembled, causing Zhang Yu’s Dantian to resonate in sympathy.
Immortal Slayer spoke again, “This is the shocking sword intent of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Many practitioners of the Shock Sword Dao, after making big news in the Spirit Realm, absorb the shock intent of onlookers to temper their Dantians and refine their bodies…”
At that moment, a sword cry flashed through the air: “Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier!”
Passing through the countless martial dao intents in the minor realm, Zhang Yu finally reached the location of the chaotic space and devoured all the remaining Grotto-Heaven force in one go.
But just as the chaotic space was about to stabilize, Zhang Yu suddenly saw strands of divine light blooming in its deepest part.
“What is that?”
Fu Ji exclaimed in shock, “Such potent divine power!”
Auspicious God said, “That’s the remnant of a True God!”
Herald God spoke with a grave expression, “It must be the remains of a Heavenly Court Righteous God who possessed a cultivator’s physical body to better interfere with the world, and then died in battle.”
Fu Ji analyzed, “Could it be that when Ying Xintian fought someone, he struck down a Righteous God, leaving behind this remnant? Has it been sealed here by the chaotic space all this time?”
Zhang Yu absorbed the golden light into his Immortal Grotto-Heaven. He saw that the mass of light behaved like an unstable, unknown substance, constantly shifting between solid, liquid, and gaseous states.
Looking at this so-called remnant of a True God, Zhang Yu felt his Supreme Clarity Talisman suddenly pulse.
“Speaking of which… Elder Sister’s Dao Seed, the Supreme Clarity Talisman, needs to devour Divine Scions to upgrade.”
“Could this remnant of a True God work too?”
With this thought, Zhang Yu contacted Zhang Pianpian to meet in the Supreme Clarity Realm and told her about the remnant of a True God.
“What?!” Zhang Pianpian was shocked. Countless data streams flashed rapidly before her eyes as she analyzed, “It must be the remnant left behind when Ying Xintian betrayed the sect. A Great God possessed a cultivator and battled him.”
“Brother, don’t tell anyone about this. Don’t do anything. Wait for me to get there.”
Soon after, Zhang Pianpian arrived at the Former Days Graveyard and met Zhang Yu inside his Immortal Grotto-Heaven.
When she saw the golden remnant of a True God, Zhang Pianpian let out a long breath. “It’s real. Although there’s only a little, it’s truly a remnant of a True God — and one left by a Great God at that.”
Zhang Yu said, “Sis, if you need it, just take it.”
If she consumes this, the Supreme Clarity Talisman should upgrade, right? Zhang Yu thought to himself.
Zhang Pianpian turned to look at Zhang Yu, pondered for a moment, then nodded. “This thing is incredibly valuable, but it’s useless for you to keep. I’ll take it for now.”
At the same time, Zhang Pianpian had already made a decision in her heart: “If my brother is going to establish the third-generation Law Edict next year, I must give him my full support.”
After handing the remnant to Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu continued to absorb Grotto-Heaven force. He quickly traversed more than ten minor realms, completely absorbing all the Grotto-Heaven force Ying Xintian had left behind on the 11th to 15th layers of Kunxu.
With each expansion, the Immortal Grotto-Heaven boomed, swelling to over 30 kilometers in length, width, and height.
Imperceptibly, the entire Immortal Grotto-Heaven had grown as vast as a large city, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The cultivators from the minor refinement realm, whom Zhang Yu had hired on the cheap, produced various components for him daily. These were sent into the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, where Magnetic Pole used them to assemble new production lines or for the research and development of new magical artifacts.
Although the Immortal Grotto-Heaven had become immense, Zhang Yu could sense that it was still far from its limit.
In fact, as the Grotto-Heaven expanded, he felt an even stronger hunger surging from within it — the Grotto-Heaven’s desire to devour more, to become whole once again.
Sometimes, Zhang Yu would gaze up at the sky, as if piercing through countless barriers to peer into the world above the 15th Layer of Kunxu.
Through his Immortal Grotto-Heaven, Zhang Yu could sense: “Back when Ying Xintian betrayed the sect… the main battlefield must have been higher up.”
“The remaining Grotto-Heaven force must also be concentrated higher up.”
“And… if I want to continue upgrading the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, I’ll need to find the next ancestor’s corpse hidden by Ying Xintian…”
Zhang Yu sensed that this ancestor’s corpse was located on a higher layer of Kunxu.
He thought to himself, “I’ll have to wait until I get promoted again to go up there and search for it.”
Meanwhile, after Zhang Pianpian took the remnant of a True God, Zhang Yu soon received a notification that his Supreme Clarity Talisman had been upgraded. He was astonished that such a small piece of the remnant could be so potent, directly fulfilling the upgrade requirements.
Before Zhang Yu could even study the effects of the 4th-tier Supreme Clarity Talisman, Zhang Pianpian summoned him.
The entire Supreme Clarity Realm seemed to have expanded. The original Daoist Temples and Divine Temples had become even more solemn and magnificent.
Zhang Pianpian welcomed Zhang Yu inside and said, “Thanks to the remnant of a True God you found last time, the Supreme Clarity Realm has undergone another transformation. I know you can draw upon its resources, so I’ll explain its new functions to you.”
Zhang Pianpian explained that the Supreme Clarity Realm now had a new Divine Descent Hall. By leaving a sliver of consciousness within the hall, one could freely draw upon the realm’s power without needing to fully immerse their entire consciousness.
Zhang Yu tried it and immediately discovered that even while fully awake in the real world, he could now use the Supreme Clarity Realm’s power for thought acceleration and various simulation functions. He could conjure a simulation laboratory, simulate materials, and even practice simulated artifact crafting — all within his mind.
Previously, he could only access these powers by crossing the boundary and completely entering the Supreme Clarity Realm with his consciousness.
Furthermore, he could now borrow the Supreme Clarity Realm’s power to conceal Spirit Realm signals within a thousand-meter radius or even disrupt others’ signals.
Zhang Pianpian sighed with emotion. “After this upgrade, the Supreme Clarity Realm has gained more power to interfere with reality. This is just the beginning of its increasing influence over the material world. We have you to thank for this, Brother.”
Zhang Yu sensed this as well and nodded. “As long as it helps you, Sis.”
Zhang Pianpian then said, “I’ve seen Myriad Laws Sect’s application. Are you planning to participate in establishing the third-generation Law Edict next year?”
Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Zhang Pianpian said, “Feel free to ask me if you have any questions. For the establishment of the third-generation Law Edict, you must consider the Heavenly Court’s opinion and the interests of the Eight Divisions Great Gods.”
Meanwhile, on Kunxu’s second layer…
On the campus of Myriad Laws University, a student named Xuan Ge was working part-time in a laboratory.
“Xuan Ge, remember to take out the trash before you leave.”
Hearing his teacher’s instruction, Xuan Ge nodded repeatedly.
Another graduate student nearby said, “Xuan Ge, Xuan Ge, didn’t you say last time that you’re close with Divine Monarch Blazing Light?”
Xuan Ge remained silent.
Someone else teased, “The Sect Examination is starting again. Have you signed up, Xuan Ge?”
“Xuan Ge is so close with Divine Monarch Zhang. Even if he’s only at Foundation Establishment, I bet he’ll definitely get into the sect.”
Another person shouted, “What sect? When True Monarch Yu visited the university last time, he didn’t even mention him. I bet he doesn’t know Divine Monarch Zhang at all and is just bragging.”
Xuan Ge’s head snapped up, his face flushed red. “Who’s bragging? Back when Divine Monarch Zhang was in university, he personally guided me in magic power breathing techniques! I even took out his trash for a while!”
He then proceeded to list the various trash sorting categories from that time with the pride of a connoisseur, sending the entire laboratory into fits of laughter and filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere.