Chapter 465: Level 2 Taiqing Talisman

Chapter 465: Level 2 Taiqing Talisman

Within the Spirit Realm.

Zhang Pianpian, currently engaged in the decryption of a Spirit-Transformation grade cursed artifact, suddenly arched a brow.

Just moments ago, her account had received a transfer of a full 100 spirit coins, sent by none other than her dear younger brother, Zhang Yu.

"This kid..."

Zhang Pianpian felt a flicker of surprise. Just as she considered whether to return the funds, a message arrived from Zhang Yu: My project payment came through; use this money without worry.

Looking at his message, Zhang Pianpian shook her head helplessly, though a faint smile bloomed on her lips before she even realized it: "Is my lack of funds really that obvious?"

She recalled how, back in his first year of high school, Zhang Yu had been buried in online debt, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

It was hard to believe that in the blink of an eye, he had not only become a junior at Myriad Dharma University but was now capable of producing hundreds of spirit coins to support her.

There were many in this world who could afford to give away 100 spirit coins, but to do so without a contract, without conditions, and simply deposit it into her account... only her brother would do such a thing.

"Is this what family is?"

"No, most families in Kunxu could never manage this."

"My brother truly is a person of deep affection and sincerity."

Zhang Pianpian sighed inwardly: "He is far too kind."

"Had he been born five hundred years earlier, he might have been a righteous hero of his generation, a pillar of the Daoist sects, and ultimately... met a tragic end."

She shook her head: "The Kunxu of today... perhaps has even less room for such people, doesn't it?"

Despite these thoughts, a soft, lingering smile remained on her face.

"But if the opportunity arises, I hope this bond between us as siblings can endure for a long time yet."

...

On the other side, Zhang Yu looked at the contract Zhang Pianpian had sent him and thought, "A contract to repay 5 spirit coins a month?"

He was not surprised; he knew that in his sister's eyes, the act of borrowing and the promise of interest were what defined true family, and this repayment contract was the tether that bound them together.

He understood her intentions perfectly.

He could also sense that with her cultivation level, her income should be substantial; it was just that she seemed to have a bottomless pit of expenses, pouring everything she earned into it, leaving her unable to upgrade her Taiqing Realm.

"She isn't gambling, is she?"

He shook his head, banishing the absurd thought, and began to look forward to the upgrade of his Taiqing Talisman.

That evening, seeing the Taiqing Talisman on his Dao Seed Chart rise to Level 2, Zhang Yu immediately donned his Spirit Realm mask and activated its power.

The next moment, as his consciousness streaked through the Spirit Realm, countless kaleidoscopic visions flashed before him.

When Zhang Yu regained his senses, he stood before the mist-shrouded, mountain-ringed Daoist temple.

Today, however, the temple appeared a size larger than before, and the great gate and the plaque above it seemed far more vivid and substantial.

Upon entering, he discovered that beyond the original main hall, a side hall had appeared.

Zhang Pianpian stood before it; hearing his footsteps, she turned and looked at him: "You felt the changes in the Taiqing Realm as well?"

Though she did not know how Zhang Yu accessed the realm, it was no surprise that he could sense its evolution.

Zhang Yu nodded and asked, "What is this new side hall?"

"You've come at the right time. Let's take a look." She pushed open the doors and led him inside.

Once within, Zhang Yu realized that the interior space was many times larger than its exterior suggested.

What surprised him more was that the hall was completely empty.

But then, Zhang Pianpian gestured with her hand, and incantations shimmered in her palm as something began to manifest.

It appeared to be a fragment of a statue, but as soon as it took shape, the entire hall shuddered, and the manifestation ceased.

This fragment was a piece of the Spirit Realm projection of the Spirit-Transformation cursed artifact she had been struggling to decrypt.

Looking at it, she thought, "Is this the current limit?"

Noticing Zhang Yu’s curious gaze, she explained: "This side hall acts as a kind of Tai-Void Illusion, capable of simulating and recreating all manner of things..."

Zhang Yu’s heart stirred: "Like the simulation services in the Spirit Realm? Can it simulate artifact-refining experiments?"

She nodded: "Certainly."

"However, the simulation is not without limits."

"Though the Taiqing Realm is a spirit-abode opened by our predecessors and can draw upon a vast amount of Spirit Realm computing power, it still imposes requirements on the user's cultivation."

"With our current Level 20 Dao Heart and Foundation Establishment stage, the ceiling is not particularly high..."

Through her explanation, Zhang Yu understood the mechanics of the hall.

In his own words, it had a computing power cap.

If the hall's total capacity was 100, and simulating an apple cost 10, he could only simulate 10 apples at once.

Zhang Pianpian continued: "The more complex or powerful the object, the more computing power it consumes. Given your current Dao Heart, simulating artifacts or mechanical remains below the Golden Core stage should be no problem."

"Beyond the computing limit, you can only simulate things you have truly seen."

"And the longer you study an object, the more authentic the simulation becomes..."

As she guided him, Zhang Yu began to grasp how to use the hall.

Despite the limitations, it was undoubtedly a massive boon.

"Since the Taiqing Realm is free for me to use, if I can conduct all my refining experiments here, how much money will I save?"

He was invigorated; since resuming his studies, he had spent a fortune on Spirit Realm simulations.

"And the efficiency here is even higher."

"Using the Immeasurable Heart Dharma Body to conduct experiments with four-fold consciousness, combined with the Taiqing Realm’s original 20-fold acceleration—that’s roughly 80 times faster, isn't it?"

"Compared to the standard 10-fold acceleration of the Spirit Realm, it’s eight times faster."

He knew that the truly wealthy could pay for higher acceleration in the Spirit Realm, but the Taiqing Realm cost him nothing.

He then tested whether he could practice cultivation techniques here, but the result was...

"It doesn't work?"

Zhang Yu thought: "Simulating materials and artifacts to improve my refining skills is fine."

"But cultivation involves my physical body. It seems unable to fully simulate my physical state. Is the computing power still insufficient?"

Though he couldn't pinpoint the reason, he wasn't discouraged. Being able to conduct free, high-efficiency refining experiments was already a tremendous help.

"The Level 2 Taiqing Talisman is incredibly useful. I wonder when I can reach Level 3."

According to his later observations, the upgrade to Level 3 required a staggering 1,000 spirit coins, far beyond what the Foundation Establishment stage could afford.

As Zhang Yu experimented, Zhang Pianpian stood nearby, incantations swirling before her as she analyzed the fragment of the cursed artifact.

She thought to herself: "Even if I can only simulate a fragment, it is not without effect. At the very least, for this part of the decryption work, I can now attempt things I previously dared not."

...

Inside the classroom.

Ying Xin glanced at the empty seat beside her, thinking to herself, "The senior brother has truly not attended class in a long time."

She turned her gaze toward Ji Yuanshu, who sat in the back row. Clad in his Tiger-brand dharma-armor, he arrived punctually every day, the spirited vigor he possessed as a freshman nowhere to be found.

She sighed inwardly; Ji Yuanshu was now a model of punctuality, while Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin had become rare sights in the lecture halls, preoccupied with construction sites, studies, and cultivation, relying on the Spirit Realm’s accelerated online courses to substitute for reality.

Zhang Yu, in particular—as the chief accountant for his company, Ying Xin knew exactly how burdened he was.

He not only spent his days rushing between construction sites, overseeing the labor, but also kept a watchful eye on the company’s finances. He replied to her messages in seconds, always offering precise guidance and pointing out the slightest oversights in her work.

"Who would have thought," she mused, "that beyond his mastery of civil engineering, the senior brother is so well-versed in finance and taxation."

"It seems he had planned this all along, never intending to remain a mere laborer on the site."

Thinking of how this had provided her own opportunity to escape the drudgery of the site, Ying Xin felt a surge of quiet determination.

Just then, another message from Zhang Yu appeared.

Zhang Yu: Where is yesterday’s report?

Zhang Yu: Ying Xin, I feel your work performance these past two days has been less than ideal.

Ying Xin hurriedly replied: Finals are approaching; I’ve been quite busy.

Zhang Yu: Do not make excuses.

Zhang Yu: I expect you to grow alongside the company.

Zhang Yu: For instance, you must possess the initiative to work, rather than waiting for me to assign tasks to you.

Ying Xin: I will finish the report immediately.

...

Elsewhere, at a remote construction site.

Fu Ji watched the exchange of messages, thinking to herself, "Honestly, these employees are just paid too much."

"How dare they prioritize attending class when their overtime work remains unfinished?"

"Sigh, Zhang Yu is still too green. If he followed my advice and suppressed the base salary while tying bonuses to performance reviews, their motivation would skyrocket instantly."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu sat cross-legged nearby, his Spirit Realm mask donned, his consciousness submerged within the Taiqing Realm.

During this period, he had been racing against time to launch the company’s second project.

Whether he was at the construction site or in the university town, the mask never left his person.

Even in the midst of the site, the moment he found a spare second, he would slip on the mask and retreat into the Taiqing Realm, desperate to squeeze in more simulated experiments.

After all, having been occupied with the mountain-moving divine power of the Heavenly Kunlun, his craftsmanship had stagnated for far too long.

With the opponents in the upcoming civil engineering competition growing ever more formidable, he needed to upgrade his dharma treasures one by one to ensure they could keep pace with the rhythm of his combat.

(End of chapter)