Chapter 344: Dark Cultivation Method

Chapter 344: The Dark Technique

In the spiritual realm office of Hammerheart Residence.

Youchuan spoke up, "Zhang Yu's simulated environment this time suits him perfectly."

"Activate a deep connection for him. Then, during the crucial breakthrough moment, play it back at 0.3x speed and loop it ten times."

Hearing Youchuan's instructions, the customer service agent frowned. "The pain index for this simulated environment is extremely high. If we initiate a deep connection, I'm worried the memories from the simulation might affect his mental state."

Youchuan was well aware that once a deep connection was activated, the chances of a breakthrough would increase significantly, but the residual memories, sensations, and emotions from the simulation would also become much more deeply ingrained.

Yet he replied calmly, "He already agreed to the user manual. Besides, if anything goes wrong, it won't happen for at least a few months. Who could possibly pin it on us?"

The customer service agent added, "But mobilizing so much computational resources and letting him endure so much hardship for free... isn't that letting him off too easily?"

Youchuan sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"'30 Spirit Coins Guaranteed Success' has always been the selling point of this package. It's a gamble on the student's innate talent and their determination to push through. Most can achieve the state of Spirit-Flesh Unity within five attempts."

"When we encounter a student who just can't seem to break through, we can only count ourselves unlucky."

...

Meanwhile.

After opening his eyes within the spiritual realm, Zhang Yu remembered his identity.

He was Zhang Yu, a construction site worker.

But due to physical injuries, his work efficiency had become too low, and gradually, no construction site was willing to hire him.

Fortunately, technological advancements and the emergence of Dharma Skeletons gave him hope.

"Dharma Skeletons! A groundbreaking product from Tiangang Corporation, leading the world with cutting-edge immortal techniques, enabling everyone to achieve higher work efficiency."

"In the future, everyone equipped with a Dharma Skeleton will only need to work 2 hours to accomplish what currently takes 12 hours."

"Tiangang, making immortal techniques better serve Kunxu."

Watching the advertisement in the video, Zhang Yu made a resolute decision. He sold everything he could, including his hands and feet, borrowed a large sum of money, and finally had a Dharma Skeleton installed. Immediately, he regained his ability to work.

Placed on a construction site, he would swallow materials daily and spit out high-quality concrete. His work's technical demands increased significantly, and his salary multiplied several times over.

But the good times didn't last long. The newly introduced Dharma Skeleton soon triggered a severe rejection reaction in his body.

Lacking funds, Zhang Yu couldn't afford the weekly Dharma Skeleton adjustments, let alone the monthly maintenance.

These first-generation Dharma Skeletons on his body gradually began to age, failing to adapt to his body's natural changes, and started causing structural imbalances...

All of this ultimately led to a continuous decline in his Dharma Skeleton synchronization rate.

"Your synchronization rate is too low, overloading your dispatch nerves and eventually causing abnormalities in your cerebral cortex..."

Listening to the company representative's analysis, Zhang Yu murmured, "Is this why I experience phantom pain?"

The other party said, "Go pay the bill first, and we'll immediately proceed with your Dharma Skeleton adjustment."

"You need to understand that your body changes every day. The current Dharma Skeleton can't actively adapt; it requires weekly adjustments to perfectly match your body."

"Prolonged lack of adjustment will cause structural abnormalities in your body, with flesh and nerves developing compensations..."

Zhang Yu could no longer process the rest of the person's words because, burdened with debt, he had no money.

He could only endure the phantom pain in his body, repeatedly circulating the Remnant Ox Shedding Body and Mind Art.

But this pain grew increasingly frequent and intense as his working hours accumulated.

The agony of limbs tearing apart and organs being stripped away kept surging. Zhang Yu opened his eyes, seemingly seeing his own bloody wounds once more.

Under the frenzied circulation of the Remnant Ox Shedding Body and Mind Art, he was on the verge of stepping into the realm of Spirit-Flesh Unity.

But at that moment, a thought suddenly arose in his mind.

"Why? Why can't my wounds heal on their own?"

...

Meanwhile.

In the dormitory.

Under the influence of the deep connection, the Remnant Ox Shedding Body and Mind Art in Zhang Yu's mind began circulating spontaneously. The physical activation of his hands and feet was elevated to its peak.

Amidst the constant undulation of flesh and blood, it seemed as though the wounds at the severed locations of his hands and feet in his mind were about to heal.

...

As Zhang Yu in reality reacted violently.

Zhang Yu within the simulated environment also began trembling intensely.

The flesh and blood of his hands and feet surged, and his cultivation method followed with a breakthrough, seemingly undergoing some kind of active transformation.

At that moment, a voice seemed to tear through the simulated space, transmitting from the depths of the spiritual realm into Zhang Yu's heart-sea.

"Find me..."

Zhang Yu instinctively asked, "Who are you?"

"Find me..."

The other party seemed unable to hear Zhang Yu's response, merely continuing, "Find my spirit..."

"Find my flesh..."

"Find my Dharma power..."

...

When Zhang Yu regained his senses, he found that his connection to the spiritual realm had been severed.

Removing the spiritual realm visor, he recalled everything that had just happened and murmured, "Me?"

Zhang Yu felt his cultivation method circulating naturally; unknowingly, he had already stepped into the realm of Spirit-Flesh Unity.

But before he could rejoice, he discovered a strange web address appearing in his mind.

"Was that transmitted to me by that voice?" "Who exactly is he? To be able to call out to me within Hammerheart Residence's spiritual realm environment..."

"Could he be someone from Hammerheart Residence? Secretly observing me all along?"

Just as Zhang Yu was filled with extreme confusion, a communication connection request appeared on his Eye Skeleton.

Once the communication was established, Manager Youchuan's figure materialized before Zhang Yu.

"Zhang Yu... classmate?" Youchuan's eyes flickered as he asked, "Are you alright?"

At the critical moment of the breakthrough, just before the flesh and blood activation of Zhang Yu in the simulated environment, Youchuan had noticed the entire simulated environment suddenly disconnect.

Then, within a few seconds, the entire simulated environment collapsed.

This phenomenon immediately startled Youchuan.

Instructing customer service to quickly seal off the information and intercept the logs and relevant data, Youchuan promptly contacted Zhang Yu.

Seeing that Zhang Yu appeared unharmed, Youchuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness."

Although any mishap involving Zhang Yu wouldn't amount to much for Hammerheart Residence, for Youchuan personally, it would have been a major failure.

Observing Youchuan's peculiar expression, Fuji suddenly asked, "What's going on?"

Listening to Zhang Yu's account, Fuji smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry. If there were really a major issue, it wouldn't just be about communication."

"What happened to you this time might be seen by the other party as their own work error."

"Otherwise, the people from Chui Xin Residence wouldn't have contacted you privately through unofficial channels instead of going through the company... I think we can try to bluff him."

Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at Youchuan and saying, "What's going on with your Chui Xin Residence? Such a serious mistake! I almost died in there!"

Youchuan's heart sank, thinking to himself that this was bad. On the surface, he stubbornly denied any issues, but inwardly he felt uncertain.

Because he truly didn't know what had happened during those few seconds when the connection was lost.

Zhang Yu said, "You don't want to take responsibility, do you? I want a refund, and I'm going to sue you. I've already saved the problematic data from the spirit realm..."

Hearing this, Youchuan's heart sank again. Thinking of the simulated environment parameters he had asked to adjust, he sighed inwardly and had no choice but to negotiate with Zhang Yu.

After some bargaining, the two sides gradually reached an agreement.

Youchuan said, "As long as you don't go through the company's refund process, acknowledge that the service was successfully completed, and don't pursue this matter further, I will personally refund you 2.5 spirit coins per month for 12 months."

Youchuan thought to himself, "It's better for Zhang Yu to stop his soul-body integration journey. It wastes computing resources and ruins our group's data. What if another accident happens..."

Zhang Yu's eyes lit up as he said, "What about interest?"

After another round of bargaining, Youchuan finally agreed to cover the interest, paying Zhang Yu 3.3 spirit coins per month to help him cover the monthly installments for the soul-body integration journey.

Although Zhang Yu had considered whether he could squeeze out more benefits, he also understood that he had actually completed the soul-body integration.

Moreover, he was unwilling to reveal what had happened in the simulated environment—whether it was that voice or the activation of his own body.

So Zhang Yu knew that he couldn't really escalate this matter.

"It's a situation where both sides are afraid, but for now, I've managed to intimidate him."

Shortly after both parties signed the agreement, Zhang Yu ended the communication. Thinking about how he had essentially gotten the soul-body integration journey for free, he couldn't help but laugh. "This is a huge win."

However, Fuji was more concerned about the website Zhang Yu had received.

But Zhang Yu didn't log in immediately. Instead, after some thought, he sent the URL to Zhang Pianpian, asking if there were any issues with it.

"Where did you get this URL?" Zhang Pianpian asked curiously. "This URL points deep into the spirit realm, almost to the edge of the second layer."

"It doesn't seem like it existed before; it's more like... it was generated recently."

"But the URL is encrypted and locked on the outside. I can't check its contents, and forcing entry might damage the information inside."

So, under Zhang Pianpian's protection, Zhang Yu logged into the website.

After a long while, Zhang Pianpian couldn't help but ask, "What did you see?"

"A... cultivation method?" Zhang Yu said, puzzled. "And it's not in the Great Library."

At the same time, he thought to himself, "It's also a cultivation method that can be included in the Chain Art Diagram set, part of the Great Sage Inheritor set."

Zhang Pianpian raised an eyebrow. "What exactly is this cultivation method?"

Zhang Yu recited the contents of the cultivation method. After searching through the spirit realm, Zhang Pianpian slowly said, "In all the data I have, there's no information about this cultivation method."

"This means... it's a black cultivation method."

Zhang Yu asked, confused, "Black cultivation method? What does that mean?"

Zhang Pianpian explained, "It's a cultivation method not listed in the Taoist archives of the Ten Great Sects, unregistered, and without any records."

"Most people believe black cultivation methods are prohibited by the Ten Great Sects, with their data erased."

"They might come from some already extinct sects."

"Or they might have been created by people who have already been banned."

"Senior Sister..." Zhang Yu asked curiously, "Do you think I can practice this cultivation method?"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Pianpian said, "From the content, I don't sense any danger."

"In fact, I feel that in terms of quality, even if it's not military-grade, it's at least pre-military-grade."

"The danger of this black cultivation method likely lies in its origins."

"And the person who transmitted this cultivation method to you might also be watching you."

"But a cultivation method of this quality would be a waste not to practice."

Zhang Pianpian seemed to weigh her thoughts before looking at Zhang Yu and saying, "It's your choice."

"But remember, if you decide to practice it, you must hide it well. Also, every time you enter the spirit realm network with your consciousness, don't activate this black cultivation method to avoid drawing attention."

Not long after Zhang Yu began practicing this black cultivation method, time quickly passed, and it was already late August—the final deadline for the end-of-term exams.

(End of Chapter)