Chapter 409: Heaven-Loving Concubine

Chapter 409: The Maiden of Love

"Alas, Yu Xinghan was right after all."

"Ever since Lian Tianji transformed into the Maiden of Love, watching his videos is not only flavorless, but actually serves as a perfect tonic for celibacy."

"This is because neither Yu Xinghan nor I have transcended the illusions of desire; we remain shackled by our physiological limitations, unable to contemplate the Great Dao of Yin and Yang with a truly pure heart."

Zhang Yu had to admit that, in this regard, neither he nor Yu Xinghan possessed any real talent for the Dao of Dual Cultivation.

As the carnal desires within him dissipated, Zhang Yu felt the restless, impulsive urges that had been stirring in his heart temporarily subside.

He mused to himself, "Is this a side effect of today's experimental drug?"

"To think it could actually rattle my iron-forged will."

"If this were any ordinary college student, they would surely be making a spectacle of themselves by now."

Just as these thoughts crossed Zhang Yu's mind, he suddenly noticed Le Mulan’s face flushing, her breathing growing heavy and ragged.

Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened, and he asked urgently, "Did you participate in the drug trial too?"

Le Mulan nodded slightly, whispering, "Yes, breaking down the medicinal properties, adjusting them within the body... it is one of my tasks here..."

Before she could finish, Le Mulan let out a soft moan, her body doubling over.

When she looked up again, her eyes were glazed, as if veiled in a thick mist.

Le Mulan murmured, "Such... a strange sensation."

Zhang Yu was horrified by the sight: "Le Mulan is in a state of sterility, isn't she? How could this drug have such a potent effect?"

Meanwhile, Le Mulan’s lips parted slightly, and waves of scorching breath escaped her, washing over Zhang Yu’s face.

Inhaling the sweet, cloying scent of the medicine radiating from her, Zhang Yu felt his spirit waver, his composure nearly slipping once more.

He hurriedly projected a video of the Maiden of Love and pulled Le Mulan close to watch it with him.

As Le Mulan watched the Maiden of Love and the others in the video, her breathing grew even more labored, and she thought to herself, "Is this a video from the Hehuan Sect?"

"Zhang... Zhang Yu... does he want to learn how to do these things with me?"

At this thought, for reasons unknown, Le Mulan felt the flow of blood in her veins accelerate, her complexion deepening to a vibrant crimson.

"I have no experience in this form of cultivation; I must study hard so that I may properly accompany Zhang Yu..."

Though her mind grew increasingly clouded, Le Mulan forced herself to stay alert, struggling to memorize the nuances of the movements in the video, her tongue subconsciously darting out as she attempted to mimic them.

But just then, Zhang Yu remarked, "This is Lian Tianji."

Le Mulan blinked, dazed. "Hmm?"

Zhang Yu continued, "This woman is Lian Tianji."

As he spoke, he had already initiated a call to Lian Tianji.

The screen flickered, and the figure of the Maiden of Love appeared before them.

"Zhang Yu," the figure said, "what brings you to contact me so suddenly?"

Zhang Yu shared the screen with Le Mulan and added, "Le Mulan and I are watching your videos; she is quite curious about your current form."

The Maiden of Love smiled faintly. "Has the divine top-ranked student been watching too? My thanks for the support; I hope my videos prove useful to you both."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Maiden of Love excused himself, claiming he had more cultivation to attend to, and disconnected the call.

Le Mulan stared at the screen in shock, the image of the former Lian Tianji and the current Maiden of Love flickering in her mind, until her once-hazy eyes gradually cleared.

Watching her, Zhang Yu thought, "As expected, Le Mulan lacks talent in this area as well; she cannot transcend the limitations of physiological gender, nor can she treat this video as fuel for the Yin-Yang Immortal Dao—though it serves perfectly as a tool for celibacy."

Le Mulan asked, "Why did he become like this?"

Zhang Yu explained, "His department offers two tracks for Foundation Establishment: one where only the class topper can remain a man, and another where only the topper can become a woman. Lian Tianji chose the former."

Le Mulan was shaken, then said with a touch of admiration, "Lian Tianji had excellent high school grades. It seems he hasn't slacked off at all since entering Hehuan University; he chose a path of complete rebirth."

Le Mulan added, "He must have spent a fortune and poured his entire heart and soul into this path."

Zhang Yu said, "The side effects of this experimental drug are too severe. While the mental influence has been wiped away, the medicinal properties still linger in our flesh."

"Let us use our ice-attribute mana to suppress the residual medicine within each other."

The two pressed their palms together, and streams of icy mana surged into one another’s bodies.

...

Hehuan University.

In the classroom, students were cultivating together, contemplating the Great Dao.

Lian Tianji disconnected the call with Zhang Yu, thinking to himself, "Zhang Yu and the top-ranked student... were they watching my video together?"

He remembered his high school days, always wishing to study alongside Zhang Yu and Le Mulan, only to graduate without ever having the chance.

"But now that they are watching my video together, I suppose I am accompanying them in their studies after all."

At this thought, a sense of participation welled up in Lian Tianji, and a look of relief crossed his face.

Just then, a voice came from behind him: "Senior! You were distracted?"

The Maiden of Love replied coolly, "I was communicating with someone, using the opportunity to temper my Dao heart. The Great Dao of Yin and Yang requires one to refine a heart that transcends the material, unconstrained by the flesh, the mundane world, or thought—by any external or internal influence."

The voice behind him asked, "Senior, will you have time tomorrow?"

The Maiden of Love smiled faintly. "You wish for more tutoring? Then bring all your fellow junior college students." The Maiden of Love understood well that at Hehuan University, cultivating only with classmates made it nearly impossible to surpass them in grades.

To achieve faster and greater progress, one must either cultivate upward or downward!

Upward cultivation meant seeking out seniors, teachers, or school leaders, but the costs were too high—far beyond what the Maiden of Love could afford.

Thus, he chose downward cultivation, specifically selecting junior college and lower-tier students to serve as his cauldrons, fueling his own cultivation.

"Do not blame me; blame yourselves for only making it into junior college, for only reaching the lower schools. Since you can no longer be human, you shall lend me your strength..."

Lian Tianji resolved in his heart: "Help me take back... everything I have lost!"

...

Yin Jiurao looked at the drug trial report sent by Le Mulan and thought, "Did they manage to resist it?"

"I had hoped to use Le Mulan to harvest Zhang Yu's essence."

"But as expected... someone as thin and slight as Le Mulan likely lacks the charm; ordinary drugs alone are not enough to make Zhang Yu yield."

"Should I try a different drug?"

"No, that would be too obvious."

Yin Jiurao opened a website and mused, "Better to find some professionals who specialize in such deceptions."

...

Over the next few days, Zhang Yu worked at the construction site and continued the drug trials, but he never again experienced that surge of blood and qi. He figured the side effects of the experimental drug must have been adjusted.

"This is for the best; it saves me from having to worry about my celibacy."

Zhang Yu no longer sold his essence, and he was even reluctant to easily part with any other material from his body.

Beyond the fact that his cultivation state improved after embracing celibacy, the true reason was his Divine Spiritual Root.

Zhang Yu mused to himself, "The Azure Lotus Sword Embryo is constantly refining and tempering my physical form."

"It is hard to say whether my current bodily composition would reveal any anomalies if subjected to a thorough examination."

"Unless absolutely necessary... it is better not to sell it; in any case, it would hardly fetch a decent price."

After finishing his shift at the construction site that day, Zhang Yu returned to his dormitory, logged into the Spirit Realm, and arrived at the simulation laboratory opened in his name by Zhang Pianpian.

There, he began his simulated cultivation of the Azure Cloud-Gathering Veil.

Zhang Yu activated the ten-fold acceleration, and immediately, various refining materials and equipment manifested, beginning to operate in tandem with his internal energy and mana.

In a single day, Zhang Yu pushed his refining technique for the Azure Cloud-Gathering Veil to level 7, though the cost was immense.

The simulation laboratory did not charge by time, but rather by the Spirit Realm computing resources consumed during the simulation process.

With the ten-fold acceleration, Zhang Yu burned through a vast amount of computing power in a mere blink, costing him over 5.6 spirit coins in the laboratory.

"Refining is truly a bottomless pit for money."

"At least my progress is not slow."

Zhang Yu thought that ordinary students in the refining department, lacking his Feather Script talent, would likely require far more practice sessions and spend significantly more spirit coins in the lab.

He then checked his remaining balance.

Although he received 5 spirit coins monthly from Zhang Pianpian, 10 from Wen Wuya, and his own wages from the construction site,

the need to accelerate his foundational data growth meant he spent heavily on various services, not to mention the continuous investments in refining...

"My savings have dropped to 30.158 spirit coins again."

Zhang Yu thought, "I must hold on a little longer. Once I master a few more refining techniques and raise their levels, I can sell more consumable magical artifacts to recoup my losses."

"The work at the pharmaceutical plant pays well; I should take on more shifts there."

...

Yin Jiurao looked at the resume before her and asked, "You graduated from Qinghe University of the Arts?"

The woman in the Spirit Realm projection replied, "That is correct. Qinghe Arts is an affiliate of Hehuan University. While we are nominally one of the thirty-six secondary colleges, the curriculum is essentially identical to that of the main campus."

"And when it comes to the work of seed collection, I certainly possess more extensive experience than any current student at Hehuan University."

Yin Jiurao asked, "What is your primary gender?"

The woman replied, "Male."

Yin Jiurao asked again, "Does gender transition affect your work?"

The woman said, "You are right to ask; my primary gender is indeed not female."

"I have twenty years of experience growing up as a male, but it is precisely that experience which allows me to better grasp the mysteries of Yin and Yang transformation. It has provided immense help for my subsequent eighteen years of professional practice and has made me place greater emphasis on practical ability."

"My resume contains my performance data and case studies; I believe they are more persuasive than my primary gender."

Yin Jiurao said indifferently, "Have you reviewed the target's profile? What is your success rate?"

The woman said, "I am a professional in this field. He is merely a sophomore, and still a man of root; I shall certainly secure him."

Yin Jiurao: "It must be voluntary."

The woman affirmed, "Rest assured, we specialize in luring seeds, not the crude, unskilled method of plundering them."

(End of chapter)