Chapter 518: You Guys Hold Me Tight (Thanks to 'What to Eat at Night')

Chapter 518: Hold Me Tight (Thanks to 'What Should I Eat Tonight' for the alliance sponsorship)

"No!"

Bai Zhenzhen looked at the Seven Emotions Sovereign with a mix of fury and anxiety: "Teacher! How could you do this? Do you want to kill Zhang Yu? He will be finished if he loses control even once."

Fear gripped her heart: "With Yu's feelings for me, and his terrifying martial talent, if this really happens... his Extreme Emotion Sword Dao will likely advance by leaps and bounds."

"Not to mention level 10, even level 20 of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao is not impossible, and the probability of losing control will only grow."

"By then, the slightest emotional fluctuation will cause him to lose control and expose himself..."

"I fear the Wanfa Weaponry Department will no longer have a place for him, and all his years of struggle will be in vain; he will be forced to practice this useless Extreme Emotion Sword Dao just like me."

"In the process of losing control, who knows how much damage he will cause, how much he will have to pay, or what debts he will incur."

"And... the lawsuits for lacking military credentials will come for him too. If no one at Wanfa helps him, they might just confiscate his physical body..."

Thinking of this, Bai Zhenzhen grew more desperate, raising her hand to sever the connection with Zhang Yu.

But the Seven Emotions Sovereign let out a cold snort, and waves of sword intent surged into the sky, piercing through the Sky-Patrol Flying Sword to bridge the two locations, reinforcing their communication.

"Heh, didn't you always want to contact Zhang Yu in secret?"

"What?" The Seven Emotions Sovereign chuckled: "Now that I've allowed you to connect, you're unwilling?"

Suddenly, with a dull thud, Bai Zhenzhen collapsed to her knees.

"Mother, please, let him go."

"Can't we just end the communication?"

Seeing this, Zhang Yu’s figure trembled: "Zhenzhen!"

"Don't speak!" Bai Zhenzhen snapped: "Close your eyes, don't look at me, don't think of me, don't let your Extreme Emotion Sword Dao level rise."

She then looked at the blurred figure of the Seven Emotions Sovereign: "Mother, I promise to cultivate the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao properly, just don't let Zhang Yu contact me anymore, okay? Don't let him advance his cultivation so rapidly."

The Seven Emotions Sovereign replied indifferently: "If you want to cultivate the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao well, shouldn't you be practicing with Zhang Yu every single day?"

Sword intent erupted in Bai Zhenzhen's eyes, and she lunged to strike her forehead against the ground, only to be stopped by a blade of qi from the Sovereign.

Feeling the power surging within Bai Zhenzhen, the Sovereign said with satisfaction: "Look, your Extreme Emotion Sword Dao has improved again; it proves my method is effective."

Bai Zhenzhen pleaded: "Mother! Master! I beg you, I don't want Zhang Yu to walk this path."

The Seven Emotions Sovereign said: "I don't understand, what is wrong with the path of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao? You chose the man yourself, what is the problem?"

"Don't give me that useless look. If you dare to kneel or kowtow again, I will send you to Wanfa University to be with Zhang Yu every day."

"Yes, I cannot drag Zhang Yu here."

"But sending you to Wanfa University, into Zhang Yu's room, and forcing you to hold each other tight—that is no problem at all, and no one at Wanfa will stop it."

Hearing this, Bai Zhenzhen felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, already envisioning the two of them embracing, their sword levels skyrocketing until they both lost control and met a tragic end.

She stood up with difficulty, looking at Zhang Yu on the other side of the screen with a bitter expression, feeling as though their future had turned utterly bleak.

The Seven Emotions Sovereign said coldly: "I told you to change partners, and you refused. Since that is the case, do not blame your master for being heartless."

"You chose Zhang Yu to practice your sword dao, so continue on this path."

"At worst, when you realize he isn't your best choice and the sword dao backfires, I will refine you into a flying sword and place you in my sword vault."

As she spoke, the Sovereign opened a private space in the Spirit Realm, inviting both Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu into it.

"Zhen!" Seeing Bai Zhenzhen appear before him, Zhang Yu moved to step forward, then stopped.

Through the accounts of the Magnetic Pole Sovereign, the reports from Director Gao, and the dialogue he had just overheard, Zhang Yu now had some understanding of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.

He realized it was a military-grade sword technique fueled by emotion.

"The deeper the affection and the greater the talent, the faster the technique advances."

"Given our relationship, she will surely make rapid progress in this art."

"But looking at her, she seems desperate to prevent me from advancing in this technique with her."

Zhang Yu recalled the news reports of practitioners killing their wives, children, and families, and a suspicion formed in his mind.

"Will it drive one mad?"

"Is that why she doesn't want me to practice it, doesn't want me to advance through our contact?"

Just as his thoughts swirled, the Seven Emotions Sovereign’s voice rang out again: "What are you waiting for? Embrace her."

Seeing Bai Zhenzhen struggling, the Sovereign said coldly: "Do you want me to send you to Zhang Yu's dormitory?"

At these words, it was as if the bones had been pulled from Bai Zhenzhen’s body; she could only walk toward Zhang Yu with agonizing steps. Seeing her state, Zhang Yu frowned, unsure of what to do.

"Should I prove to her that I haven't mastered the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao?"

That was his initial thought, for then she would no longer have to worry about the possibility of his advancement.

But his mind raced, and he hit upon another problem.

"According to the Sovereign, the 'backlash' of the sword dao... does it refer to emotional changes?"

"Their understanding of martial talent is too narrow. If they think I cannot master it because I lack emotion... what will happen?"

"Will it trigger a backlash in her?"

Watching her struggle, Zhang Yu’s mind worked at lightning speed.

The next moment, as Bai Zhenzhen wrapped her arms around him, her body trembled involuntarily.

"Hahahaha," the Seven Emotions Sovereign laughed: "That's it! That's it! How do you feel now? Can you feel the Extreme Emotion sword intent surging within you, ready to burst? Can you no longer hold it back?"

Crimson sword qi surged within Bai Zhenzhen like a violent, scarlet flame, roiling across her skin.

She felt the sword intent becoming increasingly turbulent with her shifting emotions, even slicing through the air with sharp cracks and leaving deep gouges in the floor and walls.

Yet, as these reactions manifested in her, Zhang Yu remained perfectly calm. Not a trace of sword intent, sword qi, or any anomaly of mana or energy appeared on him.

The Seven Emotions Sovereign watched this and said coldly: "Do you see, Bai Zhenzhen? Open your eyes and look clearly. There is not a single sign of progress in the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao on the Zhang Yu before you."

"Having practiced this for so long, you should understand why, shouldn't you?"

Looking at the serene, unruffled Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen’s expression shifted, and the sword qi inside and outside her body grew more violent, the sound of tearing air like the howling of wild beasts.

Zhang Yu’s heart sank: "Is it affecting her sword dao?"

Recalling the Sovereign’s words about backlash and refining, Zhang Yu pulled her into a tight embrace and said softly: "It’s alright, Zhen. Trust me, I can control the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao."

"You don't need to worry about me."

Zhang Yu knew that no explanation, no reason, and no logic could satisfy the Sovereign or convince Bai Zhenzhen of his situation—that despite his talent, he could not learn this art.

So he abandoned all explanations and defenses.

He communicated through the trust between them.

He believed that if he spoke with sincerity, she would feel it and trust him.

Because the trust between them had long since transcended the need for logic, reason, or explanation.

As he spoke, the sword qi around Bai Zhenzhen gradually stabilized.

The wild, beast-like roar of the energy faded, settling into a soft, glowing halo that wrapped around her, gentle and serene.

Clinging tightly to Zhang Yu, she gave a gentle nod: "Mm, I trust you."

Sensing the subtle shifts in Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu felt his heart sink.

Though he had temporarily halted the adverse effects of the Extreme Emotion Sword Path within her today, it seemed he had inadvertently pushed her further along that very path, driving her deeper into its abyss.

"Good, good, good," the Seven Emotions Divine Lord chuckled. "Truly, you two are perfectly suited to cultivate the Extreme Emotion Sword Path together."

At that moment, a private message from the Seven Emotions Divine Lord flickered within Zhang Yu’s vision.

Seven Emotions Divine Lord: Kid, you had better deceive her for a lifetime; otherwise, either she will be forged into a flying sword by my hand, or you will be struck dead by her blade.

Seeing these words, Zhang Yu’s heart shuddered once more. Gazing at Bai Zhenzhen in his arms, he vowed silently: "Zhen, I will become so strong that you will never be able to slay me, so strong that no matter how you try, you cannot kill me. That way, no matter how far you travel down the Extreme Emotion Sword Path, it will not matter."

Bai Zhenzhen, feeling the rhythm of Zhang Yu’s heartbeat, whispered to herself: "Yu, just as I did with my spiritual roots when I was young, I will slowly adapt, slowly reconcile myself with this Extreme Emotion Sword Path, so that no matter what you do in the future, it will never backfire... I will never harm you."

Half an hour later, as the connection severed, Bai Zhenzhen’s figure slowly dissolved before Zhang Yu’s eyes.

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu applied himself to his cultivation with even greater fervor. Between the construction site, the classroom, the laboratory, and the Taiqing Realm, he scurried back and forth; not only did he never pause for a moment’s rest, but the spirit coins in his account also shifted and circulated in an endless, restless flow.

Yet, despite his diligence, the construction payments remained perpetually delayed.

Time slipped by until the end of April, and Zhang Yu could not help but send a message to inquire: When will the construction funds be released?

The reply came back sharp: Do not let me hear you urge me again; press me once more, and you shall wait until next year.

Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned: "So arrogant? Do they not know I am a man of the Magnetic Pole?"

Zhang Yu did not act on impulse. He first gathered intelligence on the individual, only to discover that the person in charge of the appropriations was the Thunder Pole Divine Lord, the junior brother of the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord.

Seeking monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)