Chapter 618: Dao Qiankun's Dao Seed

Chapter 618: The Dao Seed of Dao Qiankun

Hearing the words of Sovereign Ciji, Zhang Yu smiled awkwardly and said, "It was forced by circumstances. You know my heart has always yearned for the artifact refining industry."

"Hmph."

Sovereign Ciji sneered, jerking his chin toward the laboratory on the flying vessel, and said, "Come on, let's go take a look at your lab."

In the laboratory, Liu Xiangqiao, Zi Yunzhen, and the others were originally excitedly discussing Zhang Yu's performance in the Ten Great Leagues, sighing with emotion over the boundless future of the lab. But upon seeing Zhang Yu enter with Sovereign Ciji, they immediately fell silent, each turning their full attention back to the tasks at hand.

Sovereign Ciji followed Zhang Yu on a tour, listening to the latter's introduction to the laboratory.

At this moment, inside Zhang Yu's artifact refining lab, aside from the material preparations for the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor, the shattered Sun Heaven Radiant God was set aside, awaiting Zhang Yu's repair.

The twenty-four Taihao Holy Law Flying Swords were also arranged in order on the experimental tables, requiring maintenance for the upcoming match.

"That's enough," Sovereign Ciji said. "Leave the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor to me."

"Before the next match begins, I'll help you refine this armor to level twenty."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's eyes immediately lit up: "Master!"

Sovereign Ciji said, "Don't thank me. You still have to pay for the materials yourself."

"Besides, thanking me is useless. When I send you the bill, hurrying to transfer the funds will be far more useful than thanking me now."

Zhang Yu nodded, then asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Master, there's only a week left until the next match, and my Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor is only at level ten right now..."

Sovereign Ciji smiled faintly and said, "Your master is not only at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, but has long cultivated artifact refining techniques like the Great Void Divine Artifact Strategy to level forty."

"Moreover, a level ten Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor has already laid a solid framework and foundation. Pushing it to level twenty within a week is no problem for me."

Zhang Yu continued to smile and express his gratitude to Sovereign Ciji. He knew that for a cultivator like Sovereign Ciji, every minute and second was incredibly valuable. The fact that the other party could set aside much of his own work to refine a treasure for him was already a tremendous favor.

Sovereign Ciji suddenly added, "Don't just think about thanking me. If it weren't for that old Gao pestering me endlessly, I wouldn't have bothered coming."

Zhang Yu's eyes flickered, and he quickly said, "I'll definitely thank Director Gao properly when I get back."

Thus, for the following days, this incarnation of Sovereign Ciji remained in Zhang Yu's laboratory, helping him refine the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor every day.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu took charge of repairing the Sun Heaven Radiant God and maintaining the Taihao Holy Law Flying Swords himself.

Although the Sun Heaven Radiant God had been heavily damaged by Kuang Tianqing this time, fortunately, Zhang Yu had also concluded the advertising negotiations, ultimately choosing the Myriad Paths Artisan Sect, selling all his advertising space and naming rights to them. With the school's special care, he ended up receiving nearly three hundred spirit coins, which was more than enough for the repair work.

At the same time, the school also delivered quite a few magical treasures.

Sovereign Anzhen said, "These are treasures specially refined by the school based on the opponents' performance in the last match, mainly to detect changes in spiritual energy in the air, warn of gu insects, and guard against love threads."

"Although they cannot directly resist, they can provide early warnings, allowing you to make preparations."

Sovereign Anzhen reminded him again, "But you must also understand that it's not just us who can target the opponent; they will target us as well."

"The tactics you used in the last match will absolutely be met with targeted strategies by the Four Heavenly Demon Schools in the next match. You need to keep your wits about you."

Looking at the magical treasures delivered by Sovereign Anzhen, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, seemingly already witnessing the Ten Great Universities continuously engaging in an arms race as the competition progressed, constantly updating their students in response to each other's performances.

Following this, Zhang Yu received a package from Mo Shangjin. Through the coordination of the school and the Civil Engineering Department, Mo Shangjin leased the Seven Extremities Dharma Corpse to Zhang Yu for use during the competition.

Looking at the Seven Extremities Dharma Corpse before him, the gradually perfected Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor beside it, and the naming rights proposal sent by the company not long ago... Zhang Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "The benefits of devouring Kuang Tianqing are truly too numerous."

"In the next competition, my strength will far surpass the past, bringing me one step closer to the level of Dao Qiankun and Kuang Tianqing."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu's balance was heavily depleted by the repair and refining of magical treasures, as well as the leasing of the dharma corpse. Adding the advertising income to his original spirit coin balance, he was ultimately left with only a little over a hundred spirit coins.

...

In Dao Qiankun's medicinal pool, Zhang Yu felt his Dao Heart becoming increasingly perfect, finally and thoroughly recovering to the level of twenty.

"Coming to mooch Brother Dao's medicinal pool every day, at least it hasn't been in vain."

"I just don't know when I'll be able to mooch the Dao Seed on him."

Zhang Yu turned his head to look at Dao Qiankun not far away. The latter was looking up at the sky, staring blankly at the starry expanse.

For some reason, every time Zhang Yu saw Dao Qiankun in private, he could always feel a profound sense of loneliness emanating from him, as if he were utterly out of place with the entire world.

Seemingly sensing Zhang Yu's gaze, Dao Qiankun turned his head and smiled at him, "What's wrong? Leaving?"

Zhang Yu nodded and asked a question that had been puzzling him, "Brother Dao, why don't you have any advertisements on you during the matches?"

With Dao Qiankun's fame, Zhang Yu could not believe that the advertising space on his body would go unsold.

Dao Qiankun said indifferently, "Zhang Yu, do you think money... is omnipotent?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback. Just as he was thinking about how to answer, he heard Dao Qiankun continue, "I once had a good friend."

"He... was very weak, so he wholeheartedly pursued strength and wealth."

"In the process, he gave up a lot and lost a lot."

"I didn't want to watch him continue down this path. I wanted him to understand that money is not omnipotent, that it cannot solve all problems, and that there are many things money cannot buy."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu was even more astonished; this was not something a person from Kunxu would typically say. Curiosity welled up in his heart, and he asked, "And then what happened?"

Dao Qiankun said, "So, I found a way to make him earn a lot of money, money he could never have earned before, surpassing all his rivals."

Zhang Yu asked, "And then he discovered that money wasn't omnipotent?"

Dao Qiankun shook his head, "Later, I found that money indeed solved all his problems."

Zhang Yu: "..."

Dao Qiankun looked at the silent Zhang Yu and smiled, "But money couldn't change... I wanted to change my friend's mindset."

"So for my friend, money might indeed be omnipotent."

"But for me, it is not."

"I also believe that for many people, there are problems on them that money cannot solve."

Having said that, Dao Qiankun smiled self-deprecatingly, "Am I being a bit willful? Does this count as squandering money?"

Zhang Yu immediately shook his head and said righteously, "Acting beyond one's capabilities and being unable to take responsibility for the final outcome—that is what being willful means. For example, if I did this and ended up in a mountain of debt, that would be willful. But for you, Senior Brother, doing this is well within your capabilities. You are simply doing what you want to do."

Dao Qiankun smiled and looked at Zhang Yu, saying, "Zhang Yu, if you were to take first place, what immortal sect technique would you choose?"

Zhang Yu quickly said, "Brother Dao, how could I take first place? I'm here to assist you in taking first."

Dao Qiankun smiled faintly. In a flash of lightning, he was already before him, grasping Zhang Yu's palm and pressing it against his own heart, "Hypothetically, I'm just posing a hypothesis."

"If you ultimately had the chance to pierce my heart like this, the chance to take first place, what immortal sect technique would you want?"

Zhang Yu said calmly, "Senior Brother, that would be too willful for me."

Dao Qiankun smiled faintly and said, "I'm only speaking hypothetically. Zhang Yu... your answer is too boring."

"However, I don't resent it. You've just been bound for too long."

Dao Qiankun released Zhang Yu's wrist and said indifferently, "If I take first place, I will send you into a new world and let you share the glory of the champion."

Zhang Yu's eyes flickered, and he asked curiously, "Senior Brother, what immortal sect technique will you choose after taking first place?"

Dao Qiankun walked to the window, looking at the Myriad Laws Treasure Long Night Qiongque in the sky, which had transformed into a moon. His gaze seemed to pierce through the firmament, looking deep into the heavens.

"This time participating in the Ten Great Leagues, everyone who wants to win the championship has a different technique goal in mind."

"Some want to obtain the inheritance of immortals from the upper realm to complete their own techniques."

"Some want to master the latest immortal path technologies to lead the entire world."

"There are those who yearn to shatter their bottlenecks and break free from the shackles of their own being."

"As for me..."

"I wish to change this very world."

Gazing at the other's chest, Zhang Yu's eyes flickered; he caught only a fleeting afterimage of the Dao Seed, and through the haze, he barely made out a single character: "Immortal."

...

The final day before the second match.

The Azure Water and Golden Crystal Armor was finally forged to perfection by True Lord Ciji.

Gazing upon this Level 20 armor before him, waves of anticipation surged within Zhang Yu's heart.

"What manner of cultivation techniques will be bestowed upon the heir of the Great Sage?"

As Zhang Yu donned the armor, his magical power gradually permeated it, and the suit seemed to slowly become an extension of his own flesh, integrating into the very circulation of his body...

Seeing Zhang Yu lost in a daze, True Lord Ciji furrowed his brows and asked, "Zhang Yu? What is it? Is there something wrong with the armor?"

Zhang Yu snapped back to his senses, a fleeting trace of astonishment crossing his face before he turned to True Lord Ciji and said, "No problem at all, Master. Your craftsmanship exceeds even my highest expectations."

"With this armor, my strength has grown immensely; it is truly like adding wings to a tiger."

...

The day the second match commenced.

Zhang Yu equipped the Seven Extinctions Dharma Skeleton, donned the Azure Water and Golden Crystal Armor, and carried a sword box brimming with magical treasures toward the arena.

A message from Bai Zhenzhen materialized within his ocular skeleton: Yu-zi, give it your all.

Zhang Yu: Give it your all!

Ever since the last match, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had each been buried in their own affairs, lacking even a single opportunity to meet.

Yet Zhang Yu knew that, whether for himself or Bai Zhenzhen, they were both searching for a genuine chance to connect, seeking an opportunity to exchange their spiritual roots.

With the conclusion of the first match, the academy ranked the schools by the number of captives taken, allocating varying quotas to each; from Wanfa, which secured the highest quota of ten, to Danding, which received the lowest of just one, a total of forty-five were eliminated, leaving a mere fifty-five souls remaining in the arena.

(End of Chapter)