Chapter 578: The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Deal with the Double Cultivation Virus

Chapter 578: The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Counter the Dual-Cultivation Virus

After consulting with the Pole-Star Sovereign and deliberating with Lady Fu, Zhang Yu finally handed the matter over to Perfected Master Mosha.

He could still receive updates throughout the negotiation process, and the final profit distribution would inevitably require his approval.

The time and mental energy that Perfected Master Mosha mentioned were indeed the very points Zhang Yu was concerned about.

At this moment, Zhang Yu’s entire focus was on preparations for the Top Ten League, and he had no interest in wasting time on such commercial negotiations.

After concluding his exchange with the Investment Management Office, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered; a smile touched his lips as he looked at the message appearing in his Dharma Remains.

His new assistant was coming.

...

Inside Bei Wufeng’s laboratory.

Liu Xiangqiao said, "Boss, I intend to leave."

Bei Wufeng tried to persuade her to stay: "Xiangqiao, you’ve been doing just fine here, why leave..."

Liu Xiangqiao interrupted: "Doing fine? How long have I been stuck doing menial chores?"

"You don't value me at all here!"

"I don't want to follow you and keep living like this."

Bei Wufeng frowned slightly. Over the past few days, Liu Xiangqiao had suddenly become impatient, throwing tantrums and clashing with other assistants in noisy, chaotic outbursts.

Initially, Bei Wufeng assumed she was just in a bad mood due to some financial loss, never expecting her to suddenly demand to quit the project team today.

Bei Wufeng couldn't help but say: "Once you leave, you won't be able to come back easily."

Liu Xiangqiao replied: "Trying to threaten me again? How many times have you threatened me since I started working for you?"

"I won't yield this time."

Bei Wufeng stared blankly at the scene, feeling that the woman before him had simply gone mad.

However, an insubordinate assistant had little value to him, so Bei Wufeng eventually let her go.

As soon as Liu Xiangqiao stepped out of the laboratory, she immediately sent a message to Zhang Yu: I am coming.

Zhang Yu: Did he notice?

Liu Xiangqiao: No.

The moment Liu Xiangqiao arrived at the laboratory, she reorganized the lab protocols, set up a new schedule, and established a rotation for the use of various equipment and instruments.

Zi Yun watched these new rules and couldn't help but say: "Isn't it enough to just finish the tasks? Is all this trouble necessary?"

Liu Xiangqiao said coolly: "If you want to go far on the path of artifact refinement, just finishing isn't enough; you have to do it right and do it well."

"Before, for the sake of efficiency, you sought speed and convenience, skipping too many standard procedures. Now that the project scale is expanding and there are still eleven Taihao Sacred Law Flying Swords to refine, that approach won't work."

Following Liu Xiangqiao’s series of actions, the project team’s efficiency initially dipped, but soon it began to climb rapidly. Zhang Yu also felt that the process of refining the flying swords became smoother as the assistants grew more adept, thinking to himself that poaching her was worth it.

...

Within the Dark Spirit Realm.

Lady Fu and Zhang Yu were exchanging intelligence with the Evil Gods.

They were particularly concerned about the Dual-Cultivation Sect.

Whether it was the situation at the Vocational College or the incident involving Shui Haiyu, both felt that the influence stirred up by the Dual-Cultivation Sect was gradually spreading.

Lady Fu complained: "Who exactly is behind the Dual-Cultivation Sect? Proselytizing everywhere like this—they have no respect for the rules."

The eyes of the thousand-handed, thousand-footed Xi God flickered as he said slowly: "Those guys in the Dual-Cultivation Sect are truly insane; we have never seen such fanatical proselytizing."

Lady Fu said: "To be able to proselytize so wildly on the territory of the Ten Thousand Laws University, there must be an inside man, right?"

"Just like when you attacked the University City last time."

The Xi God smiled without answering.

Lady Fu continued: "What exactly are they trying to do, and will it affect us?"

Hearing this question, the Xi God turned slightly solemn, as this was clearly a concern of his as well.

The Xi God said: "To be honest, I don't know the reason for the Dual-Cultivation Sect's fanatical spread. I only know that they are likely connected to the Finance Department of Ten Thousand Laws University."

Zhang Yu’s heart stirred at this, recalling the last time the Evil Gods asked them to obtain intelligence on the Finance Department.

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "Could the strange accounts the Finance Department is sending money to be linked to the Dual-Cultivation Sect?"

"What are these guys trying to achieve by contacting the Dual-Cultivation Sect and importing demonic materials?"

As Zhang Yu pondered, the Xi God added: "These lunatics in the Dual-Cultivation Sect have even developed a so-called Dual-Cultivation Virus to further intensify their reach."

Lady Fu’s heart skipped a beat: "Dual-Cultivation Virus? Is it the same one from the Dharma Remains of the Transformation God earlier?"

The Xi God said: "It is more advanced now."

"Beyond dual cultivation, it can now spread through the exchange of information in Dharma Remains."

"And after spreading through Dharma Remains, it transmits into the human flesh; it is a troublesome thing."

Lady Fu said: "Since it is a virus, there must be a way to block it, right?"

The Xi God said: "The Dual-Cultivation Virus is a type of inner demon; our Evil God rituals can certainly counter it."

"Besides that, the Righteous Gods are likely already developing an antidote."

"Of course, there is a simplest way to deal with the Dual-Cultivation Virus, though it is a method no one has used yet."

Lady Fu asked curiously: "What method?" "Raise the pay," the Xi God said. "Raise the pay, increase salaries... this is an effective way to prevent the Dual-Cultivation Virus. However, to this day, no company is willing to do so. After all, once such a precedent is set, the consequences would be endless, enough to trigger a cataclysmic upheaval."

"The actions of the Dual-Cultivation Sect can be described as truly deranged."

Hearing the Xi God’s words, Zhang Yu couldn't help but think: "Even the Evil Gods are dissatisfied with the Dual-Cultivation Sect?"

Lady Fu said: "Nonsense. If everyone raised salaries, who would still believe in their Unemployment Sect or Feathering Sect?"

Lady Fu’s expression also turned grave: "The Dual-Cultivation Sect’s move is essentially pulling the rug out from under everyone; they have offended companies, Righteous Gods, Evil Gods, and Demonic Sects all at once. They must be out of their minds."

On the other side, the Xi God continued: "Lady Fu, the actions of the Dual-Cultivation Sect have become increasingly unscrupulous. I asked you here today because I want to reach a new cooperation agreement. We shall share intelligence regarding the Dual-Cultivation Sect in the future; we must not let these demons continue to wreak havoc on Kunxu."

Lady Fu said: "That is only right and proper."

...

Not long after Zhang Yu finished his exchange in the Dark Spirit Realm, he received new information about Shui Haiyu from Zhang Pianpian.

In the Taiqing Realm, Zhang Pianpian said: "All records at the scene have been deleted."

"Whether it was surveillance or data from the Spirit Realm network, everything has vanished without a trace."

"According to the investigation results, they claim the Spirit Realm was hijacked."

Zhang Yu asked: "Does that mean... the video Shui Haiyu sent me is fake?"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head: "I checked that video; there are no traces of editing."

"But the lack of editing doesn't mean the content is real; after all, the filmed content itself can be faked."

"But if the video is real..."

Zhang Pianpian furrowed her brows and remarked, "That implies a massive breach in the local spirit realm; someone managed to outpace the righteous deities and seize Shui Haiyu’s soul ahead of them."

Though Zhang Yu was intensely curious, he knew he lacked the time to investigate, and after a brief exchange with Zhang Pianpian, he dove back into the laboratory.

...

One month later.

The calendar turned to June.

Inside the lab, Zhang Yu gazed at the twelve Taihao Sacred Law flying swords before him, a flicker of joy lighting his eyes.

After a month of relentless, overtime cultivation, he had finally forged the remaining eleven level-20 swords.

His assistants—Liu Xiangqiao, Zi Yunzhen, and Su Yunni—had watched every step of the process, yet seeing the twelve swords arranged in perfect order still filled their eyes with profound awe.

Liu Xiangqiao mused to herself, "Even with the blueprints for the Taihao Sacred Law swords already pushed to level 20, completing eleven of them in just over a month is a staggering feat."

At this moment, she felt a surge of gratitude for her decision to join Zhang Yu’s project.

Not only was the progress breathtaking, but it allowed her to showcase her talents as the second-in-command of a military-grade project.

She felt that one month working under Zhang Yu had been more fulfilling than an entire year under Bei Wufeng.

Next, Zhang Yu began assembling the sword formation, preparing for the final stage of the Taihao Sacred Law project.

A few days later, the results of the latest negotiations between the Investment Management Office and the Wandao Group arrived.

"A buyout fee of 60 spirit coins, plus a two-percent dividend?"

Zhang Yu consulted with the Magnetic Pole Monarch and Ye Xingli, and upon confirming that they had reached the limit of what was possible, he signed the contract.

...

Meanwhile, at a construction site in the wilderness.

Though the Dazhuan war zone was not far off, the site was a scene of bustling activity.

Steel, cement, and dust filled the air as Shi Huaiyu, Xiao Qingxuan, and the others labored with fervor, while a crimson shadow darted through the sky—the Heavenly Sun Radiant God assisting with the construction.

This was the site of Zhang Yu’s company’s latest project.

As the intensity of the Dazhuan war escalated, the demand for various military civil engineering projects surged, providing the Wandao University Civil Engineering Department with an ever-growing list of contracts.

Before they knew it, business trips for the company’s employees had become the norm, each day spent striving to collect the fragments needed for Zhang Yu’s military-grade magical artifacts.

Yu Xinghan had arrived at the site that day along with the rest of the project team.

As a part-time employee, he was responsible for both physical maintenance and various construction tasks.

But now, he lay on the ground, his eyes listless, as if his former fighting spirit had been drained from his body.

"It’s over."

"I think I’ve caught the dual-cultivation virus."

"Damn it... who passed this on to me?"

Yu Xinghan understood that, infected as he was, he would likely be sent to a rehabilitation center, wasting precious time, or perhaps even become a test subject for virus research.

Had he been any other student at Wandao University, he might have hidden his infection.

But looking at his companions—those with whom he had fought to the death and committed crimes—Yu Xinghan let out a long sigh, opened his friend list, and looked at the person he now trusted even more than his senior sister.

Yu Xinghan: Zhang Yu, there is something I need to tell you.

(End of chapter)