Chapter 470: Breakthrough on the Spot

Chapter 470: Breakthrough on the Spot

Zhang Yu could not summon the slightest strength to resist; his consciousness, adrift in this ethereal, transcendent sensation, gradually lost the ability to think, slipping into a state between waking and dreaming.

As his mana surged in agitation, the vital essence of his blood and qi began to stir restlessly within him.

Nectar Maiden Forty-Eight thought to herself: "So weak, so weak, so weak! This man is truly pathetic!"

"Let me drain your mana dry first."

"Come out, all of you!"

True Monarch Magnetic Pole had been observing the changes in Zhang Yu. Sensing that his mana was flowing uncontrollably toward the Yin artifact and that even his blood and qi were beginning to boil, she prepared to intervene and suppress the object.

She knew that if this continued, once Zhang Yu’s body lost all control, the loss would not be limited to mere mana.

It could go further—knowledge, lifespan, perhaps even memories and potential could be devoured.

But in the next instant, an anomaly occurred.

Zhang Yu, who had been intoxicated by that incomparably beautiful and perfect sensation, suddenly regained a sliver of clarity in his sea of consciousness the moment he felt his body on the verge of total collapse.

The experience of countless arduous part-time jobs, the instinct honed through nights of silently earning blood and sweat money, the struggle of sending Bai Zhenzhen to university one tuition fee at a time—all of Zhang Yu’s deep-seated accumulation over the years erupted in this single moment.

That most instinctive, most pure obsession roared within his heart: "Money!"

"Thirty spirit coins a pop!"

"You haven't paid me yet!"

Driven by this instinct, he forcibly resisted the allure of Nectar Maiden Forty-Eight, refusing to surrender everything within him to be devoured.

Noticing this, Nectar Maiden Forty-Eight remained indifferent, merely expanding her light mist to crush his resistance once and for all.

But as the mist spread, binding itself to Zhang Yu’s entire body, Nectar Maiden Forty-Eight was suddenly startled.

The moment the mist touched the Green Silk Flying Sword on Zhang Yu’s index finger, lines of information surfaced in the depths of her heart.

"Seven Emotions Sword Dao... non-interference protocol triggered... operation must cease immediately..."

In an instant, the light mist, which had been churning violently, ground to a halt.

Then, the mist began to cycle again, but this time it reversed the flow of mana, returning every bit of what it had just consumed.

Witnessing this, the observation room erupted in shock.

Yan Qianji exclaimed, "The mana is flowing back! It’s a two-way exchange—a normal dual cultivation, not a one-sided extraction."

Another teacher added in surprise, "I thought Zhang Yu had some special aptitude that drew the Yin artifact to harvest him, but it turns out to be normal dual cultivation? Why would this Yin artifact take the initiative to help him?"

Inside the laboratory, True Monarch Tianzhang was also filled with doubt: "The previous movements... that should have been an extraction of Zhang Yu’s mana. Why did it stop so suddenly, and even reverse? Is it really just normal dual cultivation?"

Under the gaze of everyone, filled with confusion, curiosity, and astonishment, the scene unfolded.

Just as Nectar Maiden Forty-Eight returned everything she had consumed and released her control over Zhang Yu, he, who had been half-dreaming and instinctively resisting, suddenly snapped his eyes open.

ROAR!

With a violent shout, the mana within Zhang Yu erupted, and the terrifying Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power surged outward in all directions.

But the moment the surging force field kicked up waves of air, Zhang Yu snapped back to reality, quickly restraining his instincts and suppressing the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power that was still skyrocketing.

Yet, that single, instinctive burst was enough to make True Monarch Tianzhang’s eyes light up.

He carefully reviewed Zhang Yu’s file, comparing it to the recent outburst of the Mountain-Moving Divine Power, and typed into the research group chat: The Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power Zhang Yu just unleashed is at a solid Level 15, far exceeding his previous performance.

True Monarch Tianzhang: Could this be the effect of interacting with a Transformation-God Yin artifact?

A teacher remarked: But the problem is... why would it improve his cultivation of the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power? Hehuan University shouldn't have any accumulation in that area.

Another teacher suggested: Could Nectar Sovereign be secretly cracking the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power?

While the teachers and students debated endlessly, Yan Qianji suddenly spoke up: "Everyone, I wonder if you’ve heard the news from the Civil Engineering Department recently?"

The group paused. Who the hell listens to news from the Civil Engineering Department?

Yan Qianji knew they wouldn't, and had it not been for Feng Tingting gossiping with him from time to time, he wouldn't have known either.

Yan Qianji: A while back, many in the Civil Engineering Department were speculating on Nectar Coins. One student named Ping Han was the most aggressive.

Yan Qianji: Later, when the Nectar Coin bubble burst, this Ping Han participated in the Hehuan University Dual Cultivation Assembly.

Yan Qianji: He ended up becoming a Yin artifact soul cultivator to pay off his debts.

Yan Qianji: Ping Han was a senior in the Civil Engineering Department; his 'Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering' were at their peak.

Yan Qianji: And as everyone knows, the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering are the foundation of the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power.

A teacher gasped: You mean... the spirit inside this Yin artifact is Ping Han? Did he just pass his cultivation of the Seven Absolutes to Zhang Yu through dual cultivation?

Yan Qianji: ...

Yan Qianji: That’s not what I meant. The timeline doesn't match; by the time Ping Han became a soul cultivator, this batch of spirits had already escaped.

Yan Qianji: I mean, Ping Han might have been harvested for his cultivation during the Dual Cultivation Assembly.

Yan Qianji: Perhaps... this very Yin artifact was used.

Yan Qianji: During the harvesting process, the essence might have been taken by Nectar Sovereign, while the Seven Absolutes were perhaps left behind in the artifact as useless residue.

Yan Qianji: And during the dual cultivation just now, it was transferred to Zhang Yu. That is why Zhang Yu’s cultivation of the Seven Absolutes grew, causing his Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power to skyrocket.

While the project team exchanged these thoughts at high speed, Zhang Yu stood in the center of the room, feeling awkward under everyone’s gaze, his mind in total chaos.

He cursed inwardly: "Damn it... I am never participating in an experiment like this again."

Seeing True Monarch Tianzhang and True Monarch Magnetic Pole exchanging glances, clearly communicating in the spirit realm, Zhang Yu didn't know what to say.

True Monarch Tianzhang: Should I say it, or will you?

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: I’m not familiar with the Civil Engineering students. You talk to them.

The next moment, True Monarch Magnetic Pole vanished from the lab.

True Monarch Tianzhang turned his burning gaze toward Zhang Yu and asked, "Student, feel for yourself—has your cultivation in the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering greatly improved? Is your Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power at a higher level?"

Just as Zhang Yu hesitated, not knowing how to respond, a message from Zhang Pianpian appeared before his eyes.

Zhang Pianpian: I’m sending this through the Taiqing Realm; no one else can see it.

Zhang Pianpian: Do not reply to me. True Monarch Magnetic Pole is monitoring this place; she can see.

Zhang Pianpian: You must answer: "It seems so."

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "It seems so."

"Don't give me 'seems so'," True Monarch Tianzhang stared at him, sternly. "Examine yourself thoroughly, then tell me."

Zhang Pianpian: Your Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power is now Level 15.

Zhang Pianpian: Act surprised.

Zhang Yu put on a show of channeling his energy, and as the gravity of the earth released, his body hovered upside down in mid-air.

The next moment, he said with a look of pleasant surprise, "My Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power seems to be Level 15!"

True Monarch Tianzhang nodded with a smile and said, "This is the benefit to your cultivation after dual cultivating with the new Yin artifact our laboratory has developed."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes internally, yet his face blossomed with feigned delight: "Such a marvelous stroke of luck?!"

Upon hearing this exchange between Zhang Yu and True Monarch Tianzhang, Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Yu Xinghan, standing nearby, widened their eyes in a mixture of shock and envy.

In that fleeting moment, as Yu Xinghan gazed at the rhombic, crystal-like artifact of the Soul Transformation stage, a thought surged within him: "If one can achieve such immense progress in mere moments, what does it matter if one must be fitted with an artifact?"

Sensing this shift in his perspective, Yu Xinghan realized that his spiritual cultivation in the path of dual practice had ascended to a new realm.

He sighed inwardly: "My master was right after all; the elevation of one's spiritual state requires the tempering and accumulation of life experiences, not merely the relentless grind of solitary meditation."

True Monarch Tianzhang smiled from the side and remarked: "Indeed, this is a grand opportunity."

"Under normal circumstances, we would charge a fee for a procedure such as this."

Zhang Yu cursed silently: "Damn it... it's my own hard-earned martial arts, and you want to charge me?"

True Monarch Tianzhang continued: "However, considering you are a student of Ten Thousand Laws University, we shall waive the fee this time."

"Of course, the condition is that you must continue to participate in the upcoming experiments."

Zhang Yu cursed again: "More of this?"

He forced a look of hesitation onto his face, then shook his head and said: "I apologize, Professor, but I do not wish to participate in this experiment any longer."

True Monarch Tianzhang looked surprised: "Why? We are not charging you, and you stand to gain in your cultivation; why refuse?"

Zhang Pianpian: Do as I taught you...

A look of lingering fear flickered across Zhang Yu's face as he said: "Professor, my body lost control just now; I felt as if I were on the brink of death."

"I believe this thing is simply too dangerous; it would be better to leave it be."

Hearing the word "dangerous," True Monarch Tianzhang recalled that it was his own inability to fully master this Soul Transformation artifact that had triggered the loss of control.

A trace of embarrassment surfaced in his heart, yet he maintained a righteous expression: "Do you doubt the university's cutting-edge technology? Besides, with True Monarch Ciji and myself present, is there any accident the two of us could not resolve?"

Zhang Yu replied: "But... once or twice is one thing, but to expect me to do this long-term without compensation..."

Observing Zhang Yu's troubled expression, True Monarch Tianzhang let out a cold snort: "You expect us to pay you instead?"

Zhang Yu said: "Going by last year's market rates, I charged at least 25 spirit coins per session; nowadays, it would have to be 30."

True Monarch Tianzhang was taken aback: "25 spirit coins?"

Zhang Yu replied: "If you don't believe me, True Monarch, you may ask Professor Yin Jiurao from the Department of Pharmacology; she was the one who paid it."