Chapter 665: Stealing Qiankun (Two-in-One)

Chapter 665: Stealing the Cosmos (Two-in-One)

As Zhang Yu's gaze swept across the immortal sect techniques listed in the Daoist canon's catalog, only the most cursory and nearly meaningless descriptions materialized.

Before truly selecting an immortal sect technique, Zhang Yu could feel the immense, all-encompassing pressure emanating from the Deity Transformation cultivators.

Yet Zhang Yu also understood that although this pressure would grow stronger and heavier before he made his choice, as long as he could endure it... once the technique was chosen and the Deity Transformation cultivators lost the possibility of pursuing higher profits, they would cease their coercion and instead safeguard the revenues and growth Zhang Yu would bring with his new technology.

"Just as Teacher Xinghuo said before, for a hundred percent profit, they would squeeze me relentlessly. But once it's confirmed that the profit is reduced to ten percent and cannot be salvaged, they won't waste their efforts or dwell on the sunk costs."

Zhang Yu mused inwardly, "And rather than venting their anger or seeking revenge... for the sake of profit and to avoid falling behind others, they will still choose to cooperate with me and preserve that ten percent."

"This is the code of conduct for the powerhouses of Kunxu, a pack of creatures driven purely by self-interest."

Upon realizing this, Zhang Yu couldn't help but sigh; the very traits of Kunxu he had always disliked had precisely become the reason he could continue navigating the narrow cracks between the Deity Transformation cultivators, the Ten Schools, and the sects.

It was by exploiting this very fact that Zhang Yu infused his own will into the endeavor of changing the world.

He was determined to select the immortal technique "Kunlun in the Palm," thereby imposing his own intervention upon the future of the world.

And just as Zhang Yu completed his selection and obtained the right to use the "Kunlun in the Palm" technique.

Zhang Yu turned his head to look at the host, the words Dao Qiankun had just spoken echoing in his mind.

"What exactly is meant by the so-called new world? Was the speaker really Brother Dao? Isn't Brother Dao dead? Faked his death? Why?"

But before Zhang Yu had much time to ponder, a shocking scene unfolded right before his eyes.

Accompanied by the tearing of the sky, the vistas of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers of Kunxu manifested in the heavens.

Looking up at the scenery that resembled layer upon layer of celestial realms, Zhang Yu thought in alarm, "What has happened?"

Compared to Zhang Yu's utter ignorance, many university leaders in the audience had already undergone drastic changes in expression long before he selected his immortal technique.

Sovereign An Zhen watched the stream of messages flashing in his ocular implant, his gaze growing increasingly grave: "Riots in the university town... invasion by the Dual Cultivation Sect... evil gods running rampant..."

Director Gao's eyes flickered as his heart sank: "Ten Thousand Methods... Immortal Armaments... Vajra... all ten top universities have been attacked; this scale, this scope, the demonic sects alone could never achieve this."

In Zhang Pianpian's ocular implant, massive amounts of data continuously surfaced: "It's not just the second layer; even the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers are under massive attack. The financial tsunami has begun... has the Finance Department joined in? So..."

The very moment Zhang Pianpian looked up at the sky was precisely when the skies of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers appeared in succession.

"The emergency protocol has been activated," Zhang Pianpian mused inwardly. "Faced with such large-scale riots, the Heavenly Court has chosen to tear open the firmament, connecting the second through sixth layers entirely, to descend directly and intervene on a massive scale."

Amidst countless shocked gazes, in the sky above the sky, at the very apex of the sixth layer, dense golden divine lights continuously emerged, as if they were about to pierce through the worlds of the second to sixth layers at any moment.

Seeing this, Sovereign An Zhen breathed a sigh of relief: "No matter what happens, with the orthodox gods presiding, these demonic sects and evil gods won't be able to stir up any great waves..."

Just as the countless powerhouses beneath the sky were thinking this, all looking up at the divine light in the heavens with reverent eyes...

In the next instant, an unfathomable darkness spread across the sky of the sixth layer.

At this moment, the sky seemed to transform into an abyss, as if heaven and earth were inverted, threatening to plunge the entire world into its depths.

And the orthodox gods, who had just been densely flickering with radiance, vanished completely after a brief flicker as the darkness emerged, much like lightbulbs with their power cut.

Witnessing this, Zhang Pianpian finally showed a look of surprise: "The spatial structure between the sixth and seventh layers... has been temporarily severed? An immortal has made a move."

Not only did the divine light in the heavens disappear, but the people of the second layer soon found that the orthodox gods could no longer be seen anywhere in the entire second layer.

All the orthodox gods seemed to have been disconnected, vanishing without a trace at this very moment.

In an instant, the riots spreading across the various schools surged with even greater ferocity.

Meanwhile, many powerhouses at the award ceremony flickered in and out of existence, either withdrawing their projections or departing at breakneck speed, all eager to rush to the attacked locations and salvage their losses.

And the Great God of All Living Beings, who had just been standing beside Zhang Yu, had also vanished without a trace.

The host had somehow walked up to Zhang Yu's side, saying faintly, "I apologize, Zhang Yu. Originally, I intended to stand in your place myself, but they have already tracked down this body, and I have no choice but to make the identity of Dao Qiankun disappear temporarily."

"I never expected you to defeat Kuang Tianqing and make it this far."

As he spoke, Dao Qiankun had already stepped in front of Zhang Yu, shielding him.

"Today's Kunxu is beyond saving; even the forces and ideologies I spread... have been continuously distorted as the environment changes."

"Zhang Yu, regardless of whether you chose the Scripture of the Six Paths Deriving the World, or whether you are willing to accept the opportunity I offer you."

"But from now on... you can hide behind me."

"Until the new world is complete, until this world returns to its rightful course."

As he spoke, the host gradually transformed into the appearance of Dao Qiankun.

At the same time, the Spirit Realm network at the scene seemed to have been completely taken over by Dao Qiankun; countless cameras were now focused on him, and every video and livestream was broadcasting his image.

Zhang Pianpian thought in shock, "Such high-level Spirit Realm clearance!"

And in the next moment, under the gaze of countless people, Dao Qiankun spoke: "Reincarnation exists."

"Death is not the end, but a new beginning."

"Everyone will be reincarnated after death, everyone can be reborn."

"Do not fear death."

...

Beneath the stage.

Ever since the university riots and the tearing of the sky, Kuang Tianqing had been trapped in a state of shock.

"Did we do this?"

"Was the plan from above really meant to be this massive?"

But after the orthodox gods disappeared, Kuang Tianqing sensed that something was amiss.

Ancient memories churned continuously in her mind, various possibilities rising one after another, only to be dismissed just as quickly.

"No matter how reckless things get... directly severing the connection to all orthodox gods is going too far."

"This could absolutely not be the intention of the higher-ups at the Reincarnation Group."

Watching Dao Qiankun step in front of Zhang Yu, Kuang Tianqing mused inwardly, "They've truly gone mad; what on earth are they trying to do?"

And as Dao Qiankun stood before Zhang Yu and spoke those words about reincarnation, a glimmer of realization gradually surfaced in Kuang Tianqing's mind.

"Come to think of it, it must have been because of his guarantee earlier that the Reincarnation Group refrained from interfering with Zhang Yu."

"And his words right now will make the Reincarnation Group the target of public criticism, leading countless people to suspect that all of today's plans are related to the promotion of the new reincarnation system..."

But through the memories in her mind, Kuang Tianqing was certain that the current scene was not what the Reincarnation Group desired.

"Taking advantage of the Ten Great Tournaments diverting attention from the distribution of immortal dao technology, step by step provoking the game of chess between the universities, the sects, and the immortals."

"While everyone chased after profit, thus mutually wary and entangled, their forces continuously dispersed, he orchestrated this earth-shattering event before us."

"Even going so far as to link a massive number of forces from top to bottom in advance to achieve his own goals."

"But the consequences of doing this... could it be that he hasn't considered them at all?"

Gazing at the pitch-black sky, resembling a bottomless abyss, Kuang Tianqing mused inwardly, "Why haven't the other immortals come to stop him immediately? Are they tied up in other matters?"

Kuang Tianqing thought of the currently suspicious sects, as well as the Reincarnation Group.

"I'm afraid a considerable portion of their forces has been deployed to confront the Reincarnation Group."

"But we haven't been this reckless at all; yet the other forces probably won't easily trust us now. After all, in promoting the new reincarnation system this time, we've already offended too many people and too many factions, and now we're dragged into this mess..."

Even Kuang Tianqing felt another doubt surging in his heart at this moment: "But... have we really not gone too far?"

Realizing that even he harbored doubts, Kuang Tianqing knew full well that those above would never fail to guard against the Samsara Group at this very hour.

"But it's useless, at best it will only buy us a little time..."

Just as Kuang Tianqing was lost in thought, a single point of light suddenly emerged in the boundless darkness above the heavens.

Kuang Tianqing's heart stirred: "Here it comes!"

In the darkened sky, it was as if two invisible giant hands were locked in a struggle, with the divine light representing the true gods flickering into view from time to time, seemingly on the verge of breaking through the shroud of darkness to descend upon the mortal realm once more.

But in the very next instant, the entirety of the Second Tier suddenly began to tremble violently.

And many soon realized that it was not just the Second Tier shaking; from the Second Tier all the way to the Sixth, the very fabric of space in every tier was quaking fiercely.

Kuang Tianqing further noticed that, at some unknown moment, every single projection belonging to the Spirit Transformation cultivators had vanished from the scene. The projections of all the Spirit Transformation masters from the Ten Great Academies had completely departed.

Meanwhile, in a mountain forest far away from the venue.

Jiu Tianliu, who had not attended the award ceremony, was now gazing at the project before him, thinking to himself, "So this is where the massive funds were poured?"

"No, not just here, but scattered across countless corners from the Second Tier to the Sixth."

"No wonder they invested such astronomical resources, no wonder they had to control all sorts of civil engineering projects beforehand, no wonder they were willing to risk it all..."

Jiu Tianliu looked toward the Sixth Tier as it gradually faded into nothingness, feeling an endless fighting spirit surging skyward within his heart.

"Simply because this is the profit of an entirely new world."

"If there were no such colossal profits, why would our Finance Department take such enormous risks?"

"But as long as the profits are sufficient, what do we care for gods? What do we care for immortals? What no one else in the world dares to do, our Finance Department will do!"

"Today we shall seize a world, today we shall steal the very cosmos..." Jiu Tianliu knew his master was right; the Finance Department had always been squeezed dry.

Squeezed dry as the purse for so many within the sect.

Reaping profits endlessly, only to have them snatched away just as endlessly.

Even though the Finance Department had given its all, the growth of profits and assets had still gradually reached its limit.

And for the countless powerhouses of the Finance Department, a slowdown or halt in growth was simply unacceptable.

For without high growth, there is no confidence; without confidence, it is hard to gather fortune, and the very foundation of the entire Finance Department would be shaken.

"But as long as we can seize a world, all problems will be solved."

Jiu Tianliu watched the night sky of the Sixth Tier, where streaks of divine light intertwined and clashed, knowing that the great war among the Spirit Transformation masters had begun.

Jiu Tianliu sighed inwardly, "Master and the others must have gone to attack the true bodies of the many Spirit Transformation masters located in the Sixth Tier."

At the same time, through his ocular implant, Jiu Tianliu could see that as the war of the Ten Academies' Spirit Transformation masters unfolded, prices skyrocketed, and the stock and currency values of each academy plummeted continuously—a financial tsunami sweeping through the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Tiers had begun.

...

Meanwhile.

At the award venue.

Zhang Yu watched the Sixth Tier gradually vanishing in the sky and said gravely, "Brother Dao, I don't know who you really are, but can I still call you Brother Dao? What exactly are you trying to do?"

Dao Qiankun gazed at the sky and sighed, "Back then, we gave it our all, sacrificed countless lives, and only after bathing in blood time and time again did we create Kunxu."

"There was no Samsara back then; death was true death. My master, my sect leader... they all died."

"But we finally defeated those soul-extracting demons, suppressed those man-eating monsters, and crushed the fiends and ghouls that lorded over everyone. Yet who could have imagined... who could have imagined..."

A trace of sorrow appeared on Dao Qiankun's face: "My dao companion became a demon among immortals, my martial brothers became monsters among immortals, and my disciples ride on the heads of all people, flaying their sinews and stripping their skin. They are far worse than the demons and monsters of the past."

"And now they even want to resurrect the sect leader, to pull back the master who died outside of Samsara, setting their sights on them..."

"How can I still have the face to see them? How can I let the sect leader and master see that the world they sacrificed everything for has turned into this?"

Looking at Dao Qiankun before him, Zhang Yu felt as though the man had become someone else entirely, transformed into a lonely youth, eyes blurred with tears, weeping endlessly.

Dao Qiankun murmured, "As long as those people above remain, Kunxu will never get on the right path; it will forever be nothing but a slaughterhouse, butchering and squeezing the billions of lives below, descending into madness in its relentless pursuit of profit."

"I will take the Second through Sixth Tiers and break away from Kunxu, shatter the shackles here, and forge a new world."

As he spoke, Dao Qiankun turned his head, looked at Zhang Yu, and said, "Zhang Yu, don't be nervous, and don't be afraid. Even if you didn't choose the Scripture of the Six Paths of World Derivation and didn't choose the chance to stand with me, you can still hide behind me."

"You possess a potential in your heart that I value deeply; it is merely constrained by the world before you and the experiences of your past, which is why you failed to make the right choice..."

At that moment, Dao Qiankun's gaze suddenly shifted, and he looked somewhat surprised in Zhang Pianpian's direction: "Oh?"

A message from Zhang Pianpian materialized before Zhang Yu's ocular implant.

Zhang Pianpian: Zhang Yu, what technique did you choose?

Zhang Yu: Kunlun in the Palm

Zhang Pianpian: Very good

Zhang Pianpian: Don't listen to Dao Qiankun's deceit; he cannot possibly succeed

Dao Qiankun looked at Zhang Yu, seemingly able to see through the contents of their conversation, yet he made no move to stop it.

And as Zhang Pianpian spoke these words, the gradual fading of the Sixth Tier in the sky also halted, as if someone had intervened to stop it.

Watching this scene, Dao Qiankun said lightly, "Zhang Yu, it's time for us to go."

As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Zhang Yu: "Come with me. If you stay here, you will be in great danger from now on."

"Come with me to the new world."

Zhang Pianpian: Zhang Yu, don't trust him! He is doomed to fail. If you go with him, you'll be finished when the Heavenly Court and the sect come to investigate later

Listening to Dao Qiankun's words and watching the text appear on his ocular implant, Zhang Yu took a deep breath, ultimately choosing to trust his sister, and slowly stepped back.

Seeing this, Dao Qiankun sighed. As the sky of the Sixth Tier flickered continuously, the light in his eyes seemed to flicker violently as well, and the aura around his entire body gave off a sense of instability.

Dao Qiankun said indifferently, "Zhang Yu, if you had chosen any other technique, I could have respected your decision and let you stay here to decide your own future."

"But you chose Kunlun in the Palm and possess the power of my bloodline; leaving you here poses too great a risk to the plan..."

Just as Dao Qiankun and Zhang Yu were speaking, several Nascent Soul and Golden Core powerhouses from the audience soared into the sky, intending to capture him.

But outside the venue, unlicensed powerhouses from the demonic sects appeared, surrounding and attacking with a numerical advantage, forcing the powerhouses of the various academies to fight back in resistance.

Dao Qiankun paid no mind to the chaotic battle outside, but continued to look at Zhang Yu before him and said, "So I have no choice but to use force to take you away."

As he spoke, Director Gao, Zhang Pianpian, True Immortal Xinghuo, and others all launched attacks toward Dao Qiankun.

But with a distortion of space, all the forces attacking Dao Qiankun were deflected away.

This layer of distorted space acted like a protective shield, completely enveloping Zhang Yu and Dao Qiankun, blocking any interference from the outside world.

In the next instant, Dao Qiankun reached out to grab Zhang Yu, streaks of thunder crossing space and descending with an overwhelming, sky-covering momentum.

In that moment, Zhang Yu felt as though Dao Qiankun's palm filled the heavens and the earth, as if a single grasp would completely envelop him.

"Space has changed..." Zhang Yu was startled in his heart: "Is this an immortal sect technique involving spatial technology?"

Zhang Yu knew that no matter who this Dao Qiankun before him truly was, his strength was immensely powerful, even able to illicitly cast immortal sect techniques under the absence of the true gods.

At the same time, a message from Zhang Pianpian appeared in Zhang Yu's ocular implant

Zhang Pianpian: Don't be afraid of him; he has to lead the resistance in the Sixth Tier right now and simply cannot spare any power or attention for down here

Zhang Pianpian: All he can wield is this vessel of Dao Qiankun; be it his data or his myriad abilities, none transcend the inherent boundaries of Dao Qiankun himself.

Zhang Pianpian: His essence remains Dao Qiankun! He is still but a mortal! He has merely acquired additional memories, nothing more.

At the same time, Zhang Pianpian shouted to Director Gao, True Person Xinghuo, and the others nearby, "Keep attacking! Deflecting our strikes across realms with his mana cannot sustain him for long."

Watching the deflected space gradually fracture, a surge of hope stirred within the crowd, all knowing they would soon shatter Dao Qiankun's defenses.

It was also at this very moment that Zhang Pianpian initiated the live broadcast, determined to record every single event unfolding below.

"We must cement the fact that Zhang Yu fought alongside us against Dao Qiankun..."

Meanwhile, feeling the descending palm of Dao Qiankun, Zhang Yu poured his entire consciousness into the fray, entering an unprecedented state of absolute mental focus.

Contracting, shrinking, expanding...

Such was the profound meaning behind the only three techniques within the Kunlun in the Palm.

Facing Dao Qiankun's assault, Zhang Yu immersed himself wholly in the mysteries of the Kunlun in the Palm, striving to cast aside every stray thought.

With the first technique, his body seemed to tear through space as Dao Qiankun's palm struck him directly out of the Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor.

With the second technique, the Radiant Sun God and the twenty-four Taihao Holy Law flying swords were all swallowed into Dao Qiankun's palm by a vortex of twisted space.

With the third technique, bolts of lightning traversed space to lock onto Zhang Yu's body, while he felt himself shrinking endlessly, falling ever closer to the center of Dao Qiankun's palm.

Yet, precisely after these three techniques, a flicker of surprise suddenly emerged in Dao Qiankun's eyes.

A visible distortion rippled into existence, emanating from Zhang Yu's very being.

The atmosphere danced in rhythm with his body, and even the sunlight seemed to bend and curve around him.

Kunlun in the Palm Level 1 (0/10)

As the Level 1 Kunlun in the Palm activated, Zhang Yu's figure leapt forth, astonishingly breaking through the spatial distortion's blockade and vaulting straight out of Dao Qiankun's grasp.

Everyone present watched this spectacle in sheer astonishment.

"He's mastered it?!" Director Gao exclaimed in shock. "He only just obtained it—how has Zhang Yu already learned the Kunlun in the Palm?"

On the other side, True Person Xinghuo was equally shaken to his core: "This is an immortal sect technique, yet he mastered it after a single use?"

Wearing an expression of profound intrigue, Dao Qiankun looked at Zhang Yu, nodded, and said, "I see."

His countenance turning solemn, he spoke, "Then it is all the more imperative that you come with me."

His aura abruptly surged; at this moment, Dao Qiankun no longer needed to hide, nor did he require the support of a Golden Core Certificate, as he stepped directly into the Golden Core realm.

Striking out once more, the power within Dao Qiankun's palm multiplied exponentially, and Zhang Yu felt the space before him as unyielding as iron walls, utterly immovable by his Level 1 Kunlun in the Palm.

"Should I break through?"

"But if I break through now, it will be an uncertified ascension to the Golden Core realm."

"Yet if I don't break through, I'll be captured by this monster."

Just as Zhang Yu's mind raced frantically, constantly assessing the situation before him, Dao Qiankun's offensive unexpectedly slowed just a fraction.

The spatial deflection that had just shrouded the surroundings shattered with a deafening crash, and the encircling assault from Director Gao, True Person Xinghuo, Zhang Pianpian, and the others descended fiercely.

But Dao Qiankun did not look at them; instead, he cast a somewhat surprised gaze toward Yu Xinghan's position.

"My martial arts? This brat actually managed to learn a fraction of it just now?"

"But it is precisely that fraction which shattered my calculations, causing Gao Chongguang and the others to launch their assault ahead of schedule."

"Forget it..."

Dao Qiankun's figure flickered slightly, and much like the ethereal sixth layer, he began to detach from the present space, causing all the attacks aimed at him to strike nothing but empty air.

Dao Qiankun soared into the sky, guided by an unseen force, flying toward the sixth layer of Kunxu high above.

At the same time, the etherealization of the entire sixth layer accelerated once more.

And in Dao Qiankun's eyes, it seemed as though an infinitely vast world was unfolding before his gaze.

Opening his arms wide, Dao Qiankun embraced this new world.

(End of Chapter)