Chapter 486: Divine Spiritual Root and Lockdown (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 486: Divine Spiritual Roots and the Lockdown (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Facing the request from Jiu Tianliu, True Monarch Tianzhang readily agreed.

He brought his guest into the laboratory where the Yin-Artifact was housed, but despite Tianzhang’s elaborate activation, the forty-eight Nectar Maidens remained unmoved.

Tianzhang offered an awkward smile. "The Yin-Artifact is still somewhat imperfect; it is not something everyone can successfully utilize."

Jiu Tianliu said with disappointment, "It seems I do not meet the criteria?"

"Can it not be forced to start?"

"Or perhaps, broken into by force?"

Tianzhang replied, "The Magnetic Pole side worries that brute-force decryption might result in data loss, and I believe there is indeed such a risk."

"Besides, since we have already achieved results, there is no need to take such risks."

"I believe that as long as we continue along our current path, achieving mass production is only a matter of time..."

"By then, the entire dual-cultivation market will be transformed because of us. Every university will face an unprecedented storm, and we shall reshape the entire world!"

Just as Tianzhang was spinning his grandiose fantasies, Jiu Tianliu stared at the Yin-Artifact before him and suddenly asked, "You can hear what I am saying, can't you?"

"If you cooperate with me now and help me improve my cultivation, how about I give you money?"

"Fifty spirit coins for a single try? How about that?"

Watching the unresponsive Yin-Artifact, Tianzhang explained, "This Yin-Artifact has been sealed by True Monarch Magnetic Pole. Not only is its intelligence suppressed, but it is also barred from external communication."

Jiu Tianliu chuckled. "It seems I was being whimsical."

"Professional matters, as expected, should be left to you professionals."

Meanwhile, back in her own quarters, True Monarch Magnetic Pole saw the image of Jiu Tianliu flash through her mind. She thought to herself, "Does the Divine Lord of the Golden Palace see profit to be made and wish to add his investment to claim a share?"

To this... True Monarch Magnetic Pole had long since grown accustomed.

She understood that although the three Divine Lords of Wanfa University held different judgments and ideas regarding the direction of the university wars and the future actions of the institution—leading to many conflicts among their disciples—there were also many times when the Divine Lords collaborated for profit.

Take the recent Nectar Coin crash and the Yin-Artifact riot; in the eyes of True Monarch Magnetic Pole, the shadows of at least two Transformation-stage lords, the Divine Lord of Myriad Transformations and the Divine Lord of the Golden Palace, were behind it, both having profited handsomely.

She knew that the three Divine Lords existed in a state of both strife and cooperation. Having endured for a thousand years, the complexity of their relationships was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

To them, only profit was eternal.

...

Not long after Zhang Yu returned to his dormitory, he awaited his sister’s arrival.

After a thorough check confirmed he was not being monitored, Zhang Yu finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Senior Sister."

Zhang Yu said, "I may have some disturbances coming from my body. Please help me guard the perimeter and ensure no one discovers them."

Zhang Pianpian nodded. She knew that her younger brother, like herself, harbored secrets.

Yet, just as Zhang Yu never inquired about her secrets, she did not intend to press him for his.

As long as the flow of spirit coins continued and the bonds of family remained, they were siblings who would cover for and assist one another in this Kunxu.

Zhang Pianpian asked, "Does it have to do with the Spirit Realm?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "These are changes within my own body."

Zhang Pianpian replied, "Understood. Then it should not be a major problem."

"I will simply go to the Taiqing Realm to keep watch. While I cultivate there, I can also use the resources of that place to help ensure you remain unobserved."

Without further questioning what Zhang Yu intended to do, Zhang Pianpian’s consciousness departed for the Taiqing Realm.

A moment later, Zhang Yu received a message from her.

Zhang Pianpian: You may begin.

Zhang Yu took a deep breath and switched the Three-Eyed Supernatural Power (Spiritual Root) on his Dao Seed Chart to the Green Lotus Sword Embryo (Spiritual Root).

The next moment, he felt the Green Lotus Sword Embryo vibrate slightly within him, but the mutations he had imagined did not occur, nor did his body show any signs of losing control.

"Is it because the time spent inside Ah Zhen was too short, so the change is minimal?"

Zhang Yu studied it and found that the Divine Spiritual Root seemed no different than before.

"Let me test it."

The greatest enhancement the Divine Spiritual Root provided, in his view, was the strengthening of the Chain-Method Diagram set.

With day after day of use, this enhancement had been slowly growing; compared to the initial 1% effect, it had seen a massive improvement.

Today, Zhang Yu tested it once more, thinking, "University Saint Body is nearly 15% enhanced, Earth-Wood Saint Body nearly 13%, Qi Meridian Flow nearly 6%, and Martial Dao Saint Body nearly 12%."

"The University Saint Body and Martial Dao Saint Body are used the most and grow the fastest."

"The data is about the same as what I tested not long ago."

"Is there really no change?"

Just as Zhang Yu frowned slightly, thinking he had wasted his effort, he received a message from True Monarch Magnetic Pole regarding a new contract for laboratory testers.

"Forty spirit coins per month?"

"If dual-cultivating with the Yin-Artifact, the price is calculated separately based on the number of sessions, with a minimum of 15 spirit coins per session..."

"So profitable?"

"As expected, doing Immortal Dao research and swindling school funds is much faster than earning money on a construction site!"

"Well, one must have a good teacher leading the project." Although many confidentiality clauses and requirements had been added, Zhang Yu could not help but laugh as he looked at the figures, a sense of immense joy welling up in his heart.

It was precisely as this joyful emotion surged that Zhang Yu felt his blood and qi swell, his mana accelerate, and his body undergo a subtle, inexplicable change.

"Hm? This feeling..."

Zhang Yu seized the moment to test again and discovered that, under the influence of this joyful emotion, his Divine Spiritual Root had indeed been strengthened.

"The boost to the Chain-Method Diagram set has increased by a tiny bit."

"0.5%? Or 0.3%?"

"It is too subtle."

Though it was minute, Zhang Yu felt a surge of excitement.

"Can my Divine Spiritual Root now be strengthened through emotional changes?"

"Ah, I heard Ah Zhen say her Seven Emotions Sword Dao is just like this—it can strengthen sword moves through the seven emotions."

"It seems this time, the Divine Spiritual Root has gained a similar enhancement."

Zhang Yu nodded in satisfaction, then sighed inwardly, "It is a pity that the time spent in contact with Ah Zhen was still too short."

He tapped on Bai Zhenzhen’s avatar and sent a message, but there was no response for a long time.

"Sigh, I wonder what is going on with Ah Zhen."

"If everything were fine, she would have messaged me immediately."

A moment later, Director Gao sent a message, which turned out to be a forwarding of several old news articles—some from decades ago, others nearly a century old.

Director Gao: [Sword cultivator’s crime of passion, Saintess of Joyous Union butchered and boiled!]

Director Gao: [An ethical catastrophe, father and son turn on each other! A war that bankrupted an entire clan!]

Director Gao: [Top student of Heavenly Sword University dies a gruesome death, soul scattered to the winds! Who will settle the mountain of debt left behind?]

Zhang Yu opened his mouth, thinking to himself, what on earth is Old Gao sending me?

Director Gao: If you have time, you should take a look at these old news reports.

Zhang Yu thought, "As if I have the time to read this rubbish."

After a moment’s hesitation, he bookmarked them, intending to look at them whenever he might find a spare moment.

He then glanced at Bai Zhenzhen’s dimmed avatar, his eyes suddenly lighting up with an idea, and he sent a message to Wen Wuyai using his own identity.

Zhang Yu: Wen Wuyai, do you know how Bai Zhenzhen is doing?

Wen Wuyai: She is undergoing special training under the Seven Emotions Divine Lord.

Wen Wuyai: Why? Do you wish to contact her?

Zhang Yu’s heart skipped a beat at these words, and he replied: Are you willing to help?

...

Wen Wuyai stared at the message Zhang Yu had sent, a faint, knowing smile curling her lips.

Shortly after Zhang Yu had departed and Bai Zhenzhen had gone into seclusion, Wen Wuyai had consulted her mentor, the Heavenly Star Divine Lord, regarding his perspective on the matter.

Just as she had anticipated, the Heavenly Star Divine Lord was deeply intrigued by the breakthroughs Ten Thousand Dharmas University had made in Yin-artifact technology, as well as the potential for conflict between them and Joyous Union University.

And when Wen Wuyai expressed her desire to cultivate a connection with Zhang Yu without wasting the time she had already invested in Bai Zhenzhen, all while fearing the wrath of the Seven Emotions Divine Lord...

The Heavenly Star Divine Lord simply told her to pursue whatever would yield profit, assuring her that she need not fear the Seven Emotions; he would shoulder the risk himself.

Wen Wuyai thought to herself, "Perfect. Since the two of them are currently cut off from each other, I can serve as the bridge between them."

...

A short while later, Zhang Yu looked at the photo Wen Wuyai had sent, his heart surging with excitement as he replied: "Is this A-Zhen’s hand?"

Wen Wuyai: This is my hand.

"You son of a..."

Zhang Yu gritted his teeth and replied: Why send me this?

Wen Wuyai: Did you expect me to send the message directly to you?

Wen Wuyai: Are you incapable of decryption?

Wen Wuyai: Do I have to teach you that, too?

Wen Wuyai: You truly haven't mastered even the most basic information technology of the Spirit Realm.

Zhang Yu’s mouth twitched in embarrassment, and he ultimately forwarded the photo to Zhang Pianpian, requesting her help in cracking it.

Moments later, the photo transformed into a short video file and was sent back to Zhang Yu.

In the video, Bai Zhenzhen smiled and said: "Yu-zi, I’m fine. The old man will keep me locked up until the Ten Great Leagues at most, and then I’ll be out."

Seeing Bai Zhenzhen in the video, Zhang Yu let out a long-held breath, then asked Zhang Pianpian: "Could this video be a fake?"

Zhang Pianpian: "I found no traces of forgery."

At the same time, Wen Wuyai sent another message: I can help you relay any future messages.

Wen Wuyai: I will visit Zhenzhen often, and if there is news, I will pass it on to you.

Zhang Yu: Thank you.

Wen Wuyai: Don't mention it. The deal we discussed last time remains valid, you know. [Heart]

Zhang Yu shuddered, a cold chill running down his spine, and he did not reply to her again.

Now knowing that Bai Zhenzhen was safe and having found a lead on his own Divine Root, Zhang Yu left his dormitory, intending to rush back to the construction site.

He had already been away from the site for nearly a day to participate in the Civil Engineering League.

But just as he was about to step out of the Ten Thousand Dharmas University campus, a series of crimson warnings materialized before him, abruptly and forcefully barring his departure.

(End of chapter)