Chapter 539: Dark Spirit Realm

Chapter 539: The Dark Spirit Realm

Zhang Yu felt a jolt of alarm as he gazed at the three towering figures before him, his mind flashing back to the conversation he had just held with Fu Ji after obtaining the orb.

The moment he had seen the orb left behind by the Shadowless one, Fu Ji had already guessed what it was.

"The reason this fellow could manipulate the power of the Spirit Realm just now is partly because the Unemployed Elder hijacked the Spirit Realm inside and outside the university city, but also because of this bead, right?"

"The techniques used by the Feathering Sect and the Unemployed Sect to hijack the Spirit Realm are likely tied to this object as well."

Memories flickered through Fu Ji’s mind as she sighed inwardly: "Born from the shadows of the Spirit Realm, hiding in its darkest reaches—a spiritual world belonging to the Evil Gods: the Dark Spirit Realm."

"I never imagined those fellows would actually manage to create it."

"And this time, they even let the Feathering Sect and the Unemployed Sect exploit it."

Once Zhang Yu gripped the orb, Fu Ji had attempted to commune with the power within, further confirming her suspicions.

"It is indeed the Dark Spirit Realm."

"Though, in the hands of ordinary cultists, it’s used for little more than communication and tapping into minor currents of the Spirit Realm."

"But for me..."

Fu Ji quickly parsed the information contained within the orb, her excitement mounting.

"Through the data of the Dark Spirit Realm, I can communicate with the Evil Gods themselves."

At this thought, Fu Ji grew impatient, eager to begin the process immediately.

However, if she were to connect her consciousness to the Dark Spirit Realm, she would lose focus on the outside world, making it impossible to maintain contact with Zhang Yu, which would surely alert him that something was amiss.

At that same moment, sensing Fu Ji’s shift in demeanor, Zhang Yu asked, "Fu Ji, what is this thing?"

Had this been the old Fu Ji, she would not have hesitated for a fraction of a second to deceive Zhang Yu and conceal this means of communicating with the Evil Gods.

But in this moment, thinking of Zhang Pianpian behind him, considering her current relationship with Zhang Yu, and recalling the battle he had just fought alongside Yu Xinghan and Shi Huaiyu...

Fu Ji muttered to herself: "This brat has Zhang Pianpian’s technical support. If he asks her for help later and she uncovers my little tricks, the fragile trust I’ve finally built will be gone."

"This kid’s trust... it’s actually somewhat useful."

"Damn it... have I been infected by this brat for so long that I’ve become sentimental?"

"No, I’m not being sentimental. I’m just using a method he can accept to gain his trust, so I can harvest him thoroughly later. After all, my observations suggest the best way to reap this kid is to win his confidence!"

With that, Fu Ji spoke up and shared her findings.

Zhang Yu asked in surprise, "Is the Dark Spirit Realm part of the Spirit Realm? Like a secret chamber? A hidden passage? A private channel? But only the Evil Gods know the password to traverse it, effectively using the True Gods' Spirit Realm to achieve their own ends?"

Fu Ji replied, "Something like that. You could think of it that way. I’m going to communicate with the Evil Gods through the Dark Spirit Realm now; if you’re worried, come along."

Zhang Yu asked, "Is it dangerous?"

Fu Ji smiled. "The primitive divine path technology of this Dark Spirit Realm... I had a hand in it."

"In fact, when it comes to the construction of this realm, I suppose I should be considered one of the founding members."

"It’s just a pity I was betrayed before I could see it completed..."

"Heh, my old friends should be in the higher layers of the Dark Spirit Realm right now. I wonder if I’ll run into any acquaintances in this second layer of Kunxu."

As they spoke, Zhang Yu, dragged along by Fu Ji, passed through layers of the Spirit Realm until they reached a void deep within—a place that could only be called the Dark Spirit Realm.

And in the deepest reaches of this realm, three figures stood around a primitive, hand-carved wooden table.

They seemed to have been in the middle of a discussion, but as Fu Ji and Zhang Yu arrived, they turned their heads in unison.

These three colossal figures loomed over the void, each possessing a bizarre and distinct form.

One of them, whose body appeared to be composed of countless limbs, each covered in eyes, stared directly at Fu Ji and said slowly, "Oh? I didn't expect a new visitor today."

Seeing this, Zhang Yu’s heart sank. He whispered to Fu Ji in his mind, "Are these three Evil Gods the ones behind the cult?"

Fu Ji responded, "One of the forces behind them, at least."

"The Evil Gods may be funding the cult, or perhaps they are converting cultists into their own believers, granting them power through rituals."

"But beyond the Evil Gods, there are likely other entities involved."

At this moment, Fu Ji and Zhang Yu’s consciousnesses merged, manifesting in the Dark Spirit Realm as a mannequin made of rags, buttons, straw, and stitching.

This was their form upon entering the Dark Spirit Realm.

Facing the Evil Gods, Zhang Yu remained silent, leaving all communication to Fu Ji. "A visitor?"

The rag-doll mannequin formed by Fu Ji sneered, walking toward the round table. With a wave of her hand, an elegant chair materialized before her.

Seeing Fu Ji manifest an object so effortlessly in the Dark Spirit Realm, the three Evil Gods were taken aback.

Fu Ji sat down casually and looked at the three figures. "You may call me the Fortune God, one of the founders of the Dark Spirit Realm."

Had they been in the Spirit Realm or the physical world, Fu Ji would never have been so bold, nor would she have approached other Evil Gods so easily.

But the Dark Spirit Realm was different. For one thing, her intimate knowledge of its underlying divine architecture allowed her to mask her information more effectively.

For another, Fu Ji knew a crucial secret: the reason the creators of the Dark Spirit Realm had built it in the first place was to have a safe place where Evil Gods could exchange information.

It was a neutral zone where they could not attack or engage in combat.

Seeing Fu Ji conjure the chair and hearing her declaration, the three Evil Gods remained silent, seemingly weighing the truth of her words and verifying the claim through their own channels.

Regardless, in their eyes, Fu Ji had suddenly become an unfathomable enigma.

Fu Ji continued, "Are you three holding a meeting here because of the university city of Wanfa?"

The thousand-handed, thousand-footed Evil God spoke: "You may call me the Xi God."

The Xi God added, "Fortune God, are you also interested in the Wanfa University?"

Fu Ji replied nonchalantly, "Who knows? But if I were going to make a move on the university city, I’d certainly start with the 666th floor."

Another figure, composed of swirling colorful light, asked, "Why?"

Noticing Fu Ji’s gaze, the light-being said, "You may call me the Xiang God."

Fu Ji smiled faintly. "Don't you know? The 666th floor is where the Wanfa God-Monarch stores his physical body. He has spent a fortune acquiring many such bodies there."

"If one were to snatch just one, one could extract precious intelligence from the brains of those remains."

Sensing the surge of intent in the Dark Spirit Realm, Fu Ji could see the three Evil Gods whispering to each other in secret.

And indeed, the three were communicating privately.

"To be able to generate objects so easily within the Dark Spirit Realm—even if this Fortune God isn't a founder, she must be among the most senior."

"Is the 666th floor of Wanfa University really where the Wanfa God-Monarch stores his bodies? No wonder it’s completely sealed off, with no one allowed in and not a shred of intelligence leaking out."

"For this Fortune God to know such classified information, she must have been laying the groundwork in the university city for years, perhaps even converting some important cultivator into her own follower."

"Could it be that our recent operation has interfered with her long-term plans? Is that why she’s come to settle the score?"

"Does she want compensation? Hmph, even if she is a veteran, that’s hardly reasonable."

With her advanced technical prowess and mysterious intelligence network, Fu Ji appeared increasingly inscrutable to the three Evil Gods.

Though she couldn't hear their private conversation, Fu Ji pressed on: "Or are you interested in the God-Transformation Remains of the Qiongjiang God-Monarch? I suppose that makes sense; it is the fuse that could ignite a university war. If I were you, I’d be interested too."

The thousand-eyed, thousand-footed Xi God replied coldly, "Fortune God, are you also knowledgeable about those God-Transformation Remains?"

Fuji leaned back, cradling her head in her hands as she rested against the chair, and remarked nonchalantly, "The stolen dharma-remains of the Divine Lord of Nectar have been drifting about; one of them ending up in a Ten-Thousand Dharma University laboratory is hardly a state secret, is it?"

"But tell me, whom do you intend to strike? Magnetic Pole? Heavenly Chapter? Or perhaps that experimental student?"

The Auspicious God, shimmering with iridescent light, flickered as it emitted a series of halos: "Naturally, the experimental student is the easiest to manipulate."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu felt a jolt of alarm, thinking to himself, "This evil god has set its sights on me?"

Fuji chuckled. "Simple, yes, but what could an experimental subject possibly know? I doubt he even understands whose dharma-remains he is studying or which faction they originated from."

The iridescent Auspicious God replied coldly, "Oh? And do you suggest we target Magnetic Pole instead? Or perhaps go looking for trouble with Heavenly Chapter?"

Fuji let out a cold snort. "Magnetic Pole is the most promising candidate at Ten-Thousand Dharma University to become the fourth Spirit-Transformation master within the next twenty years. Do you have any idea the price you would pay to deal with her? It would be a loss that outweighs any gain."

"Heavenly Chapter is a professor in the Department of Talismans. Should any disturbance occur within the university's spirit realm, he would be the first to sense it. He is undoubtedly prepared; you would never find an opening to strike him."

The colors on the Auspicious God shifted violently as it retorted coldly, "This won't do, that won't do—what, then, do you propose we do?"

Fuji gave a light laugh. "It seems your followers within Ten-Thousand Dharma University are not of the highest caliber; they lack any deep understanding of the inner workings of this institution."

"If you want to get your hands on the laboratory, the best target is, of course, Feng Yuhan of the Research Division."

(End of chapter)