Chapter 475: Clouds and Winds Rising Gradually

Chapter 475: The Gathering Storm

Deep within the Spirit Realm.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole flicked her fingertips, brushing past lines of incantations and streams of data.

Before her, the Nine Heavens Origin Sun Pagoda stood like a pillar of heaven, radiating an infinite pressure that thoroughly suppressed the surrounding spiritual environment.

Ever since she had used the pagoda to seal the Spirit-Refining Yin Artifact and isolate its spirit, she had noticed a subtle delay—a few heartbeats of lag—in the artifact’s response time.

For days, she had been occupied with repairs, scrubbing the artifact clean of the Yin Artifact’s lingering influence.

"What a virulent poison of dual cultivation," she sighed inwardly.

"It is truly worthy of its reputation; even a Spirit-Refining Yin Artifact can be bewitched and its core intelligence corrupted by such a thing."

"To have such an impact on the artifact spirit after only the briefest of contacts?"

"To create something like this... there must be some ancient Spirit-Refining monster lurking behind this dual-cultivation cult."

She felt fortunate to have acted decisively, sealing the artifact the moment she sensed something amiss, cutting off all communication between the spirit and the outside world.

"Since I isolated the spirit, I have strictly forbidden any interaction. Even if someone were reckless, they shouldn't be able to breach my seal. And those capable of breaking it are surely not fools enough to risk madness just to touch this filth."

When she emerged from seclusion today, she was immediately met with a stack of reports.

She knew there were no emergencies; otherwise, her own restrictions would have forced an interruption to her meditation.

Yet, when she read the message from True Monarch Heaven-Chapter, she paused.

"The Yin Artifact has been activated again? Has the power level of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Force increased?"

She did not reply to Heaven-Chapter immediately, nor did she rush to check on Zhang Yu. Instead, she went to the laboratory to inspect the Yin Artifact.

Confirming that the spirit remained trapped and its intelligence suppressed, she nodded slightly and returned to the message.

"Could this boy, Zhang Yu, be a Dual-Cultivation Saint Body?"

"Does he meet some standard set by the God-Monarch of Nectar within the artifact?"

She felt the evidence was insufficient; further testing was required.

As she reviewed the recent data, a message arrived from True Monarch Cloud-Roost: You are out of seclusion?

True Monarch Cloud-Roost: I read Heaven-Chapter’s report. The school leadership is very satisfied.

True Monarch Cloud-Roost: Especially at the recent meeting, God-Monarch Myriad-Transformation singled out your project team for praise. They have high hopes for you.

True Monarch Magnetic Pole felt no excitement, only a slight frown. "That big-mouthed Heaven-Chapter, broadcasting every minor bit of progress."

She checked the Spirit Realm network and found that Heaven-Chapter had already posted multiple updates on his personal social media.

Boasting of major breakthroughs in dual cultivation, pioneering unprecedented paths for Myriad Laws University, claiming no one understood Yin Artifacts better than him, and promising market-disrupting products within a year...

"Damn it..." the more she read, the angrier she grew. "Is this guy here to scam money or to conduct serious research? If he makes such claims and something goes wrong, won't it affect my future Spirit-Refining evaluation?"

But the news was out; it was too late to stop him.

She wanted to check on Zhang Yu, only to find he had already left for Heavenly Sword University to compete.

"What competition? What is there to gain from a stinking civil engineering contest? Is it more important than the experiment?"

Shaking her head, she turned back to the Yin Artifact, deciding to continue her study of this magical remains.

...

With Heaven-Chapter’s active promotion and the backing of Myriad Laws University’s leadership, news of the laboratory began to leak beyond the campus.

It was not a mass-media sensation, but rather a ripple of interest among industry insiders and relevant parties.

Such was the case within Joyous Union University.

When Ping Han’s consciousness was awakened, he felt a delicate, soft palm brushing against his body.

"I..."

The next moment, he realized he no longer possessed a physical form; he existed as a soul-cultivation spirit within a Yin Artifact, and someone was touching it.

"Your name is Ping Han? From Myriad Laws University?"

Ping Han froze. Realizing he was speaking to the God-Monarch of Nectar, he trembled and stammered, "Y-yes... that is me."

The female voice asked, "Do you know Zhang Yu?"

Ping Han’s heart jolted. At the mention of Zhang Yu, a surge of resentment welled up.

"Zhang Yu! If he hadn't stolen my military credentials, I might have had a chance to recover even after the Nectar Coin crash."

But sensing the presence of the God-Monarch, he suppressed his emotions and replied calmly, "I know him."

Fingers pressed into his body as a male voice asked, "Tell us what you know about Zhang Yu."

Ping Han composed himself and spoke. "He has talent, but his luck is better. Thanks to the appreciation of Director Gao of the Civil Engineering Department, he has risen rapidly..."

In a series of questions and answers, Ping Han detailed everything he knew, daring not to withhold a single detail.

When the God-Monarch of Nectar informed him that Zhang Yu’s Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Force had reached Level 16 in recent experiments, Ping Han was shaken, his disbelief evident. "Damn it! Myriad Laws University has such powerful Yin Artifact technology! Why didn't they announce it sooner?"

"If I had known, I wouldn't have held onto those Nectar Coins! I wouldn't have gone bankrupt in the crash!"

The fingers moved across his surface as the female voice asked, "In your opinion, is it possible he had already mastered the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering and was hiding his strength?"

Ping Han trembled. "Absolutely impossible! He just has good luck, gained the favor of his teachers, and received many benefits, which is why his cultivation surged..."

The male voice laughed. "Could Myriad Laws have truly made a breakthrough in dual cultivation?"

The female voice snorted. "Breakthrough, my foot! They likely stole our technology!"

"My Yin Artifact!!" she roared. "They are using it to publish results? And they want to scam money?!"

"They haven't paid a cent in patent fees, and they expect me to congratulate them?"

The male voice said coldly, "Our artifact was lost, linked to the Dual-Cultivation Cult. It is not certain that Myriad Laws was involved."

The female voice cursed, "Our artifact goes missing, and suddenly they have the technology? How could it be such a coincidence?"

"That old thief Myriad-Transformation acts so righteous, talking about fairness and anonymous reviews, but who doesn't know he rigs every meeting? Does he not know how he himself sat in the seat of a God-Monarch?"

"Does Myriad Laws really think they can crack our artifact with their dual-cultivation techniques?"

The male voice chuckled. "Perhaps they timed it this way to make people think they stole our artifact and cracked the tech, just to lure in investors?"

"But it doesn't matter."

"The Immortal Path relies not on speculation, but on empirical evidence. Since this Zhang Yu is attending a civil engineering competition against Heavenly Sword University, we should be able to weigh him and see exactly what level his Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Force has reached."

The female voice sneered, "If it is truly Level 16 or higher, then the old thief Myriad-Transformation definitely stole our artifact and gave it to Myriad Laws to crack."

"If there is no significant improvement, then it is 99 percent certain that the old man is engaging in false advertising and a scam to rake in money."

...

While industry insiders focused on the results, many who had been watching Zhang Yu also received the intelligence.

Within Netherworld University.

Ye Lingxiao excitedly forwarded the news.

"Zhang Yu has improved again."

The divine strength of Heaven Kunlun has surged from level 10 to level 16, and it seems I haven't even posted it to my feed yet.

Isn't this exactly the kind of news Mr. Wang has been craving?

But no sooner had Ye Lingxiao sent the message than he received a curt reply.

Wang Yin: Get lost!

Wang Yin: Don't you dare send me this garbage again.

Seeing this, a flicker of irritation ignited in Ye Lingxiao’s heart: You were the one demanding updates on Zhang Yu’s progress, and now that I’ve actually sent them, you’re unhappy?

These wealthy elites in the upper echelons of Kunxu, they all say one thing and do another.

Elsewhere, Wang Yin stared at the deluge of messages in his ocular interface, his mind frayed, having just vented his frustrations on Ye Lingxiao.

He furrowed his brow, pondering: Has Wanfa University truly achieved a major breakthrough in dual cultivation and yin-artifact integration?

To him, this was no longer just a matter of Zhang Yu’s personal growth, but a shift in the landscape of the ten great universities.

No matter how much Zhang Yu improves, he is but one man; his individual strength cannot alter the grand design.

But if Wanfa has indeed made such a breakthrough, encroaching upon a field they previously barely touched...

Wang Yin seemed to foresee a future of blood and turmoil, where the intensity of the university wars would escalate once more.

The implications were vast, transcending any single person or institution, and his own family’s enterprises would inevitably be caught in the wake.

It may appear to be a trivial matter unknown to the masses, but it could well be the catalyst that shifts the trajectory of the university wars.

The cicada senses the autumn breeze before it stirs; our family’s investment strategy, and perhaps even the plans of Nether University, will likely require adjustment.

With this thought, Wang Yin’s consciousness darted through the spirit realm, racing toward the network of Heaven Sword University.

Many visionaries in the field will surely turn their gaze toward Zhang Yu’s competition, eager to test the true caliber of Wanfa University’s technological leap.

...

Within the walls of Heaven Sword University, where many eyes were now fixed.

Wen Wuya scanned the information manifesting in her ocular interface, surprised: Wanfa University? That notorious bastion of repressed dual cultivation has suddenly made such a monumental breakthrough?

Her immediate reaction was nothing more than: Is this just a scam to swindle money?