Chapter 985: Our Peerless Divine Sword
When he saw the content of the reply from the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor, Zhang Yu’s thoughts seemed to grind to a momentary halt.
After confirming repeatedly that his eyes were not deceiving him, an unprecedented chill welled up from the depths of his heart.
“Earth…”
“Why does the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor know about Earth?”
“How much more does he know? How much more has he figured out?”
At this moment, a surge of fear gripped Zhang Yu — a dread born of the sensation that every single one of his secrets had been thoroughly seen through by the other party.
Just as waves of cold dread continued to surge within Zhang Yu’s heart, the Sect Examination Clone trembled violently, crying out in his mind, “Grandpa Immortal Emperor! It was all Zhang Yu who wanted to plot against you! I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t! I’ve been loyal to you all along!”
Though Immortal Slayer was also terrified, he still forced himself to remain calm and said, “Can he even hear you begging for mercy here? Don’t throw yourself into a panic! Think carefully about what channels the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor could have possibly used to learn of Earth’s existence, to know that we possess memories of Earth, and to believe that Earth is our hometown…”
Zhang Yu’s mind was already racing with rapid calculations: “The first possibility is that my memories were browsed through by the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor at some unknown point in time. That would explain why he understands my past, knows my temperament, and, even more so, knows about my memories of Earth.”
“Under this possibility, the crucial factor is… the point in time. The exact moment the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor accessed my memories will determine how much he understands about who I am right now, how many trump cards of mine he is aware of, and whether he… knows that I already know about the rollback.”
Countless thoughts flickered through his mind. Relying on his cultivation in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, Zhang Yu quickly reviewed all his memories from his years in Kunxu in the blink of an eye, yet he still could not pinpoint the exact time his memories might have been obtained by the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor.
“The first possibility is a memory leak, but it is currently impossible to determine the specific point in time.”
“The second possibility…” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “World Rollback. The timeline of Kunxu rolled back once more without my awareness. And at some point in that future, I had already exposed the information in my mind, which was then acquired by the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor.”
The thought made Zhang Yu frown inwardly. If that was the case… it was very likely that besides Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor, others among the remaining nine Immortal Emperors had also obtained a great deal of information from his mind.
“Then there’s the third possibility… It’s neither a memory leak nor a World Rollback, but rather that Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor… knew all along that my hometown is Earth.”
“If so, that means my arrival in Kunxu… might be connected to him, or perhaps Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor has already come into contact with information about Earth?”
The mere thought that some sort of connection might exist between Earth and Kunxu filled Zhang Yu with a creeping sense of dread. With just a bit of imagination, his mind could already picture what kind of hellscape Earth would become if Kunxu were to invade it.
“A memory leak… a World Rollback… or the discovery of Earth… Which one is it?”
These various thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, yet Zhang Yu remained unable to be certain.
Meanwhile, even as Zhang Yu’s mind raced, his connection with Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor was not severed.
One instruction after another was sent from the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor’s secret mailbox, continuing to direct Zhang Yu in his negotiations with Bai Zhenzhen.
Zhang Yu also tried having the Sect Examination Clone probe further through words, but despite several attempts… the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor gave no special response, as if their earlier conversation about their homeland had been nothing more than an illusion.
It wasn’t until the negotiations ended that another message sent by the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor jolted Zhang Yu’s heart once more.
Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor: “You need not worry. We are not a petty person; no matter what your origin or what your ambitions and desires may be, We have room for it all. You are a paragon of virtue, and even more so a peerless fine sword in Our hands. Why would We break Our own divine blade?”
After reading it, the Sect Examination Clone said with profound gratitude, “As expected of the Immortal Emperor—such immense magnanimity and grand vision, to tolerate even the likes of us.”
Immortal Slayer said, “This shows he is completely confident in his control over us. Today’s conversation… was perhaps a warning, perhaps a reprimand, meant to make sure we obey going forward.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Paragon of Virtue… Does the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor also know about this thunder tribulation evaluation? Did he know all along? Or…”
While Zhang Yu was deep in thought, Bai Zhenzhen, standing before him, said, “Yu Zi, I truly never imagined that you could trigger the seventh thunder tribulation. Even more unimaginable is that after triggering the seventh thunder tribulation, you no longer suffer its backlash. And you can even generate thunder tribulation on your own?”
“The higher-ups say you’ve capitalized on the dividends of the era, which is true enough… After all, in the entire world, you are the only Tribulation Transcendence cultivator capable of doing this.”
During the negotiations just now, Bai Zhenzhen had already learned of Zhang Yu’s current state, and she gradually understood why the Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor wanted to temporarily suppress the news.
“If it were publicly announced that Zhang Yu can continuously generate thunder tribulations, how enormous would the impact on the bond market be?” Bai Zhenzhen mused inwardly.
“If this kind of asset-generating thunder tribulation were factored into the bonds, Zhang Yu’s bonds could practically rise infinitely.”
“And that means the Immortals shorting them could fall infinitely.”
Bai Zhenzhen knew that whenever anything was linked to the word “infinite,” the impact it brought was terrifying.
She recalled that streak of sword qi that had swept toward her earlier and thought to herself, “No wonder they said someone couldn’t afford to lose…”
“However, now that the two Immortal Emperors have decided to cover up the news of Zhang Yu’s ability to produce thunder tribulations, it means… they have already reached an agreement with the Immortals outside.”
“I just wonder what price those short-selling Immortals paid to fill this massive hole.”
Meanwhile, hearing Bai Zhenzhen mention the “dividend of the era,” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “A dividend of the era, huh? The Heavenly Sword Sect’s so-called dividend of the era… is probably the entire world’s moral character plummeting ten thousand times over while mine remains unchanged.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu looked back on the outcome of the negotiations just now.
First, the details of the seventh thunder tribulation were to be kept confidential. Second, his ability to produce thunder tribulations was to be kept secret. Lastly, he was to provide thunder tribulations and their data.
“The thunder tribulations produced by me seem to possess something special, attracting both Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor and Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor to carve them up together.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Still… although the thunder tribulation I produce in a year isn’t a huge amount, getting only ten million from both sides combined seems a bit too cheap, doesn’t it? Could it be that the two Immortal Emperors teamed up to press down on the price?”
The Sect Examination Clone said, “What price pressing? Being able to give us an annual income of ten million is already the grace of the Immortal Emperors. If not for the Immortal Emperors’ schemes, how could we have ever had the chance to cross the seventh thunder tribulation, let alone gain so many benefits?”
Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were negotiating on behalf of the factions behind them, the entire Tribulation Bond market, both inside and out, was thrown into utter chaos due to Zhang Yu’s performance. Not only were all kinds of rumors flying everywhere, but upper-tier cultivators from various sects were also constantly trying to pry for information through different channels.
In the Lower Realm Mutual Aid Group.
Shi Huaiyu: “I’ve already sold all the bonds in my hands. If anyone still has them, you should hurry up and sell too!”
Although Tian Shengong had already cut his losses and exited back when the bonds were plummeting and before they surged… he was now paying exceptionally close attention to every word and action of Shi Huaiyu.
He told himself inwardly, “I will diligently study every single message Teacher Shi posts in the group, and in the future, I will dominate the investment market just like her.”
And so, upon seeing Shi Huaiyu’s message, Tian Shengong asked, “Teacher Shi, everyone outside is saying that once Minister Zhang discloses the Tribulation Transcendence data, these bonds might surge even higher. If we just sell now, won’t we miss out on the subsequent surge?”
Shi Huaiyu replied, “After navigating the financial markets for so long, I have a piece of advice for all of you: never try to make the very last penny. When it’s time to exit, exit!”
Shi Huaiyu continued, “Regardless of whether Minister Zhang can produce thunder tribulations or whether the thunder tribulations he produces count toward the scope anchored by the bonds, in the end, it all comes down to a single word from the higher-ups. This is purely subject to policy influence and no longer has anything to do with Minister Zhang himself!”
Shi Huaiyu added, “Can you really know what the upper-tier cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect are thinking? How their policies will play out?”
Shi Huaiyu said, “It’s impossible for us to know. Staying any longer… is pure gambling, so I choose to cash out and exit in time.”
Wang Yin said enviously, “Teacher Shi, now that your net worth has skyrocketed, how do you plan to spend it? Are you going to buy cultivation arts? Or magical artifacts, magic power, or medicinal pills?”
Shi Huaiyu replied, “Spend it on what? Every single penny of us investors is ammunition, our potential to achieve immortality! How could we waste so much of it on ourselves?”
Shi Huaiyu: “How poor is the talent of useless trash like us, and how massive is the gap between us and the heavenly chosen? Don’t you guys have any self-awareness?”
Shi Huaiyu: “Rather than investing in ourselves, it’s far better to invest in an Immortal Seed like Minister Zhang, just like we did this time! Minister Zhang is a dividend of the era; taking a single bite of it is worth more than a hundred years of our own cultivation!”
Hearing this, Tian Shengong agreed deeply and immediately copied down everything Shi Huaiyu said today word for word, pasting it into his notebook.
Within the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Wen Wuya couldn’t help but ask, “Zhenzhen, did you sell all your bonds?”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded and said, “If you can sell yours, you should sell them too.”
Although she said that, Bai Zhenzhen looked at Wen Wuya’s conflicted expression and knew in her heart that the other person still harbored a lingering greed.
Bai Zhenzhen understood that if Wen Wuya let that desire, fueled by the Immortal Dao Aspiration, get the better of her, she might very well be blinded by greed and refuse to sell the bonds in her hands, hoping the price would keep skyrocketing so she could earn even more money.
Yet Bai Zhenzhen didn’t say anything more, because she was already under a gag order, and what she had just revealed was already her limit.
Bai Zhenzhen understood in her heart that knowing how to make the right choice under the influence of the Immortal Dao Aspiration was inherently a trial on the path of the Immortal Dao — a path one had to walk alone.
Inside the Myriad Laws Sect.
Fa Liuyuan followed the various news updates, a deep sense of lingering fear flashing through his heart.
“If Zhang Yu can truly produce thunder tribulations on his own, and these tribulations are linked to his bonds…”
At that moment, Fa Liuyuan seemed to see an invisible blade towering above the Nine Heavens, poised to strike down at any moment and slaughter countless short-selling cultivators.
Right then, Fa Liuyuan noticed two profile pictures lighting up in his contact list — Immortal Roujia and Immortal Yi Xuan from the Reformist Faction.
Fa Liuyuan was just about to speak when Immortal Roujia said, “No need to say anything, we already know about the situation.”
Immortal Yi Xuan said, “Fa Liuyuan, you did very well. If you hadn’t handed over the Feather Book, we would be in deep trouble right now.”
Immortal Roujia consoled him, “You don’t need to worry too much either. The Immortal Emperor’s main target this time isn’t us; we were merely caught in the crossfire.”
Immortal Yi Xuan said, “Indeed. Go ahead and continue preparing well for the Ascension Selection. Even if you lose access to the Feather Book for 20 years, you still have a decent chance of achieving Ascension.”
“As for Zhang Yu…” Immortal Yi Xuan scoffed coldly. “Who knows how many people will be looking to confiscate and seize the world’s Books next. Zhang Yu might not even be able to keep hold of that Feather Book himself.”
Within the Immortal Clan Grotto-Heaven of the Myriad Laws Sect.
Bu Yingshu asked, “Dad, what do you think will happen to the bond market next?”
Countless streams of data surfaced in Bu Yuangui’s eyes as he analyzed aloud, “As far as I know, three Immortals from the Heavenly Sword Sect have been in secluded cultivation for a long time and haven’t shown themselves at all.”
“These three Immortals happen to be figures who uphold the Heavenly Tribulation Dao Lineage and hold shares in numerous securities companies. They also seem to be the primary short sellers of this Tribulation Bond.”
Bu Yuangui thought to himself, “Cultivators who clearly belong to the Heavenly Tribulation Dao Lineage faction were kept in the dark and set up in a trap! Is it an internal scheme?”
Bu Yingshu asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”
Bu Yuangui replied, “This trap might very well have been laid specifically for these three Immortals, designed to harvest them through financial means. But to avoid driving them to desperation, they probably won’t be allowed to incur unlimited losses.”
He looked up toward the sky, seemingly catching sight of that blade hanging high above the Nine Heavens, ready to slash into the Tribulation Bond market at any moment.
“I doubt this blade will actually fall in the end. Right now, both sides might already be negotiating terms, and those three Immortals might already be giving in.”
Bu Yingshu asked, “What do you mean?”
Bu Yuangui said, “Sell. It has probably peaked.”
Bu Yingshu sold half of the bonds she held, thinking to herself, “Hmph, I’ll sell half first to lock in profits, and if the remaining half goes up, I’ll keep holding…”
Yet, a question still lingered in Bu Yuangui’s mind: “Those three Immortals all uphold the Heavenly Tribulation Dao Lineage and can be considered part of the Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor’s faction. Why would he sever his own arm?”
Shortly after, the press conference officially began.
At the conference, Zhang Yu answered numerous questions regarding his own Tribulation Transcendence, merely concealing the parts concerning the seventh thunder tribulation, tribulation automation, and tribulation production.
Because expectations had fallen through, the bond market tumbled in response.
At the same time, massive amounts of bonds were continuously dumped, and Zhang Yu’s Tribulation Bonds began a prolonged, grinding decline.
Watching this scene, He Zhaisheng knew that the main players who had previously driven the bond prices through the roof were now cashing out and exiting the market.
Concurrently, beams of divine light illuminated the scene. Lu Jingsong, He Zhaisheng, and numerous subordinates were all suppressed by Righteous Gods, undergoing interrogation for severe dereliction of duty.
Despair welled up within He Zhaisheng’s heart: “The higher-ups have already completed their transaction; we have been abandoned.”
In the Lower Realm Mutual Aid Group, Tian Shengong posted: “Teacher Shi! Your foresight is uncanny! You dumped right at the peak.”
Within the Heavenly Sword Sect, Wen Wuya watched the continuously plummeting bond prices, hurriedly selling the bonds in her hands while feeling her heart bleed.
Within the Myriad Laws Sect, Bu Yingshu was startled: “I’ve been targeted!”
Inside the Tribulation Transcendence minor realm, not the slightest trace of thunder tribulation could be seen around Zhang Yu anymore.
This was solely because, under his deliberate control, the thunder tribulation now manifested within his body. Without requiring any active control from him, it silently tempered every shred of his flesh, blood, and Primordial Spirit.
Zhang Yu understood in his heart that from today onward… he would not need to go to great lengths, nor would he even need to travel to specialized thunder-striking addresses anymore. He could idle and undergo Tribulation Transcendence anytime and anywhere.
“Under normal circumstances, for a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator to cross the sixfold thunder tribulation, depending on efficiency… it takes anywhere from several years to over a decade, or even several decades.”
“However, I now don’t need to worry about backlash, and I have the boost from the level 71 Thunder Absorption Technique, plus the ability to idle through Tribulation Transcendence at any time. I estimate that in at most a year, I will be able to cross all the thunder tribulations and complete the integration of immortal dao technology on both the microscopic and macroscopic scales.”
Zhang Yu understood clearly that the higher the completion degree of thunder tribulation body tempering, the easier the Tribulation Transcendence cultivation would be, and the faster the efficiency would become.
At the same time, Zhang Yu’s account had already received an advance deposit of 2 million, while the remaining 8 million would be transferred to him successively over the coming year as he repeatedly delivered the thunder tribulation he produced.
Every year from now on, he would receive such an income of 10 million Immortal Coins.
Although this was by no means a small sum of money for the vast majority of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators… what Zhang Yu cared about most right now was not this, but his share of the thunder tribulation.
According to the agreement he had signed back then, after crossing the thunder tribulation and completing Spirit-Flesh Unity, he could obtain 22% of the proceeds from the surplus thunder tribulation resources.
The sheer volume of thunder tribulation resources generated when Zhang Yu triggered the sixth thunder tribulation was unprecedented. For now, Zhang Yu had simply gathered and contained them, turning them into a resource he could use to ward off the freezing cold, protect his body, and nourish his Primordial Spirit.
This was also Zhang Yu’s advantage for crossing the Seventh Thunder Tribulation. He did not need to pay to store them in the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Thunder Tribulation System, as he could contain and preserve the thunder tribulation resources himself.
However, Zhang Yu knew very well that he would only need a small portion of these resources to complete his tempering.
The vast remainder of the thunder tribulation resources was pure profit.
At this moment, Hong Shanlang, who appeared before him, was here to discuss precisely this matter.
“Minister Zhang, the scale of the thunder tribulation resources produced this time is far too immense. It has not only far exceeded your own needs for Tribulation Transcendence, but it has also exceeded this year’s market demand.”
“If we release it all at once, it will inevitably cause the price of thunder tribulation resources to crash.”
“Our plan on this side is to divide it into multiple batches, trading a portion of the thunder tribulation resources each year and then splitting the revenue according to the agreement…”
“The plan is 500 million Immortal Coins in the first year, and from the second year onward, we will maintain an annual release scale of 800 million to 1.2 billion…”
Although Hong Shanlang said a great deal, Zhang Yu had only one focus.
“How much did you say?”
Zhang Yu said, “Tell me, specifically how much will I get?”