Chapter 669: Overturning Kunlun, Junior College Golden Core (Combined)

Chapter 669: Overturning Kunlun, Vocational College Golden Core (Combined)

Ever since unlocking the Spell Chain Diagram of the Feathered Tome, Zhang Yu had felt its utility growing with each passing day, especially after every breakthrough in his cultivation realm, where the diagram would manifest new spell chain sets tailored to the techniques of his newfound level.

For instance, progressing from the High School Sacred Body of the Qi Refining realm to the University Sacred Body of the Foundation Establishment realm had continually bestowed upon him immense benefits corresponding to each stage.

How to put it? Perhaps this was simply the confidence inherent in a true genius.

Yet there were also certain set effects of the spell chains that, in Zhang Yu's eyes, transcended the confines of cultivation realms, such as the boost to learning and production efficiency granted by the Artifact Forging Prodigy.

Overturning Kunlun gave him much the same feeling; its first-tier effect, for example, doubled the environmental destruction and alteration caused by the Seven Earth and Wood Extremes, without any restrictive caveat capping it at the peak of a certain realm.

Now that the eighth martial art required for Overturning Kunlun had also been elevated to level twenty, the second-tier effect emerged, further validating Zhang Yu's judgment.

Superior - Overturning Kunlun (8/8): The gravitational shifts triggered by the Seven Earth and Wood Extremes can be sustained for extended periods, with the duration further increasing as more mana is infused.

Reading this second-tier effect, Zhang Yu's gaze condensed slightly as he thought to himself, "Sustained for extended periods?"

Closing his five fingers into a fist, he activated the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, and strands of Earth Fiend gravity surged within his palm, coalescing into a gravity sphere that floated in the air, continuously emitting waves of suction.

In subsequent experiments, Zhang Yu discovered that even when he ceased channeling the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, the gravity sphere continued to function unabated.

He even left the flying ship, soaring far into the distance until the sphere was completely beyond his range of control, only to return and find it still operating perfectly.

"It's practically become a natural phenomenon."

Zhang Yu mused inwardly, "Though there is still a time limit; it dissipates after roughly half an hour."

"But if I inject more mana, the duration can be extended even further."

"This second-tier effect, combined with the first tier's doubled environmental alteration and destruction, offers a myriad of marvelous applications, whether for labor or combat."

"For work, a single strike can yield results that would otherwise take days or even weeks, vastly increasing the cost-effectiveness."

"As for combat, given enough time to set the stage, I could forge a battlefield environment that grants me an overwhelming advantage, or even craft a killing move with explosive destructive power."

As Zhang Yu's eyes flickered with thought, a multitude of inspirations flooded his mind, making him all the more eager to uncover the third-tier effect of Overturning Kunlun.

"Alas, if Kunxu could truly teach according to aptitude, why would I still be unadmitted to a sect?"

"It seems the current education system is fundamentally flawed, obsessed only with exams, fixated solely on grades, and judging people merely by certificates, thereby stifling my true potential."

Moving on, Zhang Yu continued cultivating the immortal sect technique, Kunlun in the Palm, cycling through its three moves; although the progression beyond level twenty slowed down, it remained rocket-fast compared to his peers, swiftly breaking into level twenty-one and pushing the technique into the Golden Core realm.

In an instant, countless profound insights regarding Kunlun in the Palm flooded deep into Zhang Yu's consciousness.

Each upgrade of Kunlun in the Palm had exponentially magnified the might with which Zhang Yu wielded this martial art, greatly enhancing the degree to which he could absorb, enlarge, and shrink objects.

Now that he had pushed this technique into the Golden Core realm, he felt that by channeling it to its utmost, he could encompass an entire flying ship within his palm.

With a thrust of his palm, a table not far away was instantly sucked toward him with a swoosh, rapidly shrinking to the size of a thumb before settling into his grasp.

Immediately following this, the Descendant of Immortals ability was activated, and the thumb-sized table was drawn into the spatial dimension he had opened.

The Descendant of Immortals could carve out a ten-cubic-meter space, and because it pertained to the authority of immortals, Zhang Yu referred to this dimension as the Immortal Space.

Originally, although the entrance to the Immortal Space could be opened on Zhang Yu's body, it could only maintain a size of thirty square centimeters—roughly the area of a fist—meaning not much could be stuffed inside.

But as the level of his Kunlun in the Palm continually rose, granting him the ability to scale matter, this thirty-square-centimeter limitation was shattered outright.

Watching the tabletop within the Immortal Space remain the size of a thumb, Zhang Yu nodded in satisfaction, "Excellent, even after entering the Immortal Space, my Kunlun in the Palm can continue to operate."

"This effectively magnifies the entrance and capacity of the Immortal Space by hundreds, even thousands of times."

Zhang Yu had a distinct feeling that it was only when paired with an immortal sect technique like Kunlun in the Palm that the Descendant of Immortals could be utilized in its true, complete form.

Of course, he could sense that under this operation, Kunlun in the Palm required continuous maintenance, which would constantly drain his mana.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "With my current mana reserves, I cannot keep large quantities of materials shrunk inside the Immortal Space for prolonged periods."

With a mere thought, he withdrew the operation of Kunlun in the Palm, and the tabletop inside the Immortal Space instantly reverted to its original size, occupying a considerable amount of volume.

Zhang Yu mused, "It seems that shrinking items for storage in the Immortal Space is only viable for temporary measures; for long-term storage, it's best to keep things unshrunk."

"The most practical application for this Immortal Space is, without a doubt, smuggling and theft."

"Secondly, it enhances my capabilities in combat..."

With a thought from Zhang Yu, twenty-four Taihao Sacred Law flying swords shot toward him from all directions.

Yet with a single sweep of his palm, the twenty-four swords, mingling with the surrounding air, fell into his grasp like twenty-four swimming fish, only to be swallowed whole by the Immortal Space.

"With Kunlun in the Palm combined with the Immortal Space, my defensive capabilities have once again reached a pinnacle; as long as my mana isn't exhausted, I can block all manner of attacks."

"However, the Immortal Space is far too conspicuous to be used casually in public."

But Zhang Yu also knew that with the world now in chaos and the true gods vanished, opportunities to employ the Immortal Space would inevitably arise.

Suddenly, Zhang Yu's gaze shifted; utilizing the set effect of Overturning Kunlun, he conjured a gravity sphere and then drew it directly into the Immortal Space.

Watching the gravity sphere continue to operate and stack within the Immortal Space, Zhang Yu thought, "This way, I can charge up my attacks in advance using the Immortal Space; if I were to charge for a few days, how many in the same realm could withstand a single strike from me?"

For a moment, countless whimsical ideas surged through Zhang Yu's mind as he realized the myriad of synergistic marvels that could be achieved by combining the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, Overturning Kunlun, Kunlun in the Palm, and the Immortal Space.

Amidst his pondering, his mind involuntarily drifted back to the memory of his battle with Dao Qiankun.

Now that he had pushed Kunlun in the Palm to level twenty-one, Zhang Yu felt the overwhelming might of Dao Qiankun in that battle even more acutely.

"Both involving spatial techniques, Dao Ge's execution back then was far more comprehensive, and compared to my current self, his movements were much more fluid and infinitely more profound."

"According to my sister, Dao Ge isn't a true immortal; he merely acquired an immortal's memories."

"Yet just by bestowing those memories, an immortal enabled Dao Ge, at the Foundation Establishment realm, to withstand Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators for a time, and after breaking through to Golden Core, he nearly took me down."

"I wonder if Dao Ge will truly return after three years?"

Shaking his head, Zhang Yu threw himself wholeheartedly back into his cultivation, pushing Kunlun in the Palm to level twenty-four an hour later.

It was precisely at this moment that the avatar of the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord finally arrived.

With the support of this avatar, the flying ship fleets of Heavenly Sword and Myriad Laws no longer hid, but surged together toward the academy, leaving long trails of qi in the wake of the blood moon.

Zhang Yu paid no heed to this, continuing to devote himself entirely to his cultivation, driving Kunlun in the Palm to level twenty-five, twenty-six... and finally, level thirty!

Not long after Zhang Yu pushed Kunlun in the Palm to level thirty, he was summoned by the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord.

Arriving at the scene, Zhang Yu found that Wen Wuya and Bai Zhenzhen had also respectively broken through to the Golden Core realm.

Upon inquiring, he learned that after the newly ascended Soul Transformation cultivator of Heavenly Sword University completed their breakthrough, news was broadcast everywhere, and Golden Core certificates were issued to Wen Wuya and Bai Zhenzhen, allowing them to break through using the resources gathered from the arena.

Looking at the two groups of students from Myriad Laws and Heavenly Sword, the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord said, "On our way back, we happen to pass by a factory invested in by Myriad Laws University; it was originally maintained by true gods and soul cultivators, a fully automated unmanned facility that produced many resources needed for Golden Core cultivation."

"But now that the true gods have vanished and the soul cultivators are disconnected, the factory has ceased operations."

"I just received the latest intelligence that a group of rogue Golden Core cultivators has occupied the factory, broken into the warehouses, and is currently plundering the immortal path provisions within."

The Magnetic Pole Divine Lord sighed deeply at this point, "Without the true gods, some people are like beasts unleashed from their chains; especially after the moon was hijacked by evil gods, some have been emboldened to burn, kill, and loot everywhere."

"Now, not only are the academies' factories and warehouses across the land under attack, but the efficiency of various logistics convoys is also steadily declining, requiring armed escorts for every journey."

The Magnetic Pole Divine Lord could feel that as the world descended into chaos, the efficiency of the entire society was continuously deteriorating.

Shaking his head, the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord swept his gaze over the crowd and said indifferently, "Since you have all reached the Golden Core realm, I intend to dispatch a group of you to clear out this factory along the way and reclaim the supplies; who among you is willing to go?"

None of the many students present responded; they were either still at Foundation Establishment or had just broken through to Golden Core, wishing only to continue developing safely and advancing their cultivation, entirely unwilling to fight other Golden Core opponents.

This was especially true now that the true gods were disconnected, meaning the dead could no longer enter the spirit realm to become soul cultivators; in the eyes of many, death was now truly final.

With the cost of death thus infinitely magnified, the prodigies before him were all the more reluctant to take reckless risks.

Fighting and killing? How could that ever compare to the peace of mind found in returning to the university town for quiet cultivation.

Feeling the piercing gaze of Lord Magnetic Pole, Ye Xingli braced herself and asked, "How many are there on the other side?"

Lord Magnetic Pole replied indifferently, "About twenty or thirty Golden Core cultivators."

Ye Xingli immediately took a step back and said, "Teacher, I am just a streamer. I can sell goods, promote, and do research, but combat is truly not my forte."

Seeing Lord Magnetic Pole's gaze sweep over, Yan Qianji quickly said, "I just broke through to the Golden Core stage and still need to consolidate my foundation."

Feeling Lord Magnetic Pole's stare, Wen Wuya said, "Now that the True Gods are gone, we can no longer enter the Spirit Realm after death. I think to deal with Golden Core True Persons, we must at least deploy Nascent Soul level forces to be absolutely certain of success."

Yu Xinghan said, "I just do massages, how would I know how to fight? Isn't Zhang Yu the strongest undergraduate? Would he be willing to go?"

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "I just broke through to the Golden Core stage. I need at least two or three years to settle my foundation before I can enter the battlefield."

Zhang Yu was now a disciple of two Deity Transformation masters, the strongest undergraduate with unfathomable talent, and with so much potential yet to be realized, he was naturally unwilling to easily step onto the battlefield to duel other Golden Core True Persons.

Zhang Yu made up his mind that he would never easily enter the battlefield until he pushed his cultivation to a point where it could go no higher. After all, he was no longer the poor wretch who had to risk his life just for an exam.

Zhang Yu, having just broken through to the Golden Core, was unwilling to risk fighting, and the other students around him clearly shared similar thoughts. Seeing their demeanor, Lord Magnetic Pole said lightly, "According to the intelligence I have, this batch of rogue Golden Cores were originally Foundation Establishment vocational college teachers, all over a hundred years old with exhausted potential. It seems they have joined the demonic sects and just recently broke through to the Golden Core stage; they are all elderly vocational college Golden Cores."

Hearing the words "elderly vocational college Golden Cores," the eyes of everyone present lit up.

She continued, "This factory is used to produce Dao Foundation elixirs. After we occupy the factory this time, half of the remaining supplies will be distributed to those who participate in the battle."

Bai Zhenzhen, who had already successfully broken through to the Golden Core, suddenly stepped forward and said, "These elderly vocational college Golden Cores are far too unruly. They need to be taught a lesson. I am willing to go."

Zhang Yu followed up, saying, "Such fine Golden Core resources are being wasted by these vocational college Golden Cores. I cannot stand by and watch the school's assets be squandered like this!"

Ye Xingli also said, "Although I am a streamer, I am duty-bound to protect the school's assets."

Wen Wuya said, "Although this is a matter of Wanfa University, our Tianjian and Wanfa have been friendly for generations. I am definitely helping with this."

Seeing everyone eager to try after hearing about the vocational college Golden Cores, Lord Magnetic Pole nodded, "Very good. You do not take unnecessary risks, but you do not miss opportunities either. You do not underestimate the enemy, nor do you overestimate them. You are all doing well."

"I hope that in the chaotic times to come, you will all remember today's caution and courage."

"Remember, in the wars of the Immortal Dao, the probability of the weak defeating the strong is infinitely close to zero."

"Almost all victories are built upon the strong defeating the weak, and all outcomes are decided before the battle even begins."

"And so-called combat experience is merely the experience of suppressing the weak, humiliating the weak, and killing the weak."

Countless memories seemed to flash through Magnetic Pole's eyes, prompting her to sigh sincerely, "To go further in such chaotic times, on one hand, you need to cultivate faster and continuously strengthen yourselves."

"On the other hand, you must learn how to defeat and plunder the weak more quickly and extensively, absorbing the weak as your own nourishment."

Director Gao, standing nearby, also spoke up, "This time is a very suitable opportunity for you to accumulate experience."

"Remember, this is different from your usual battles. There are no rules, no advertisements, no need to consider fame and prestige, and if you die, you are truly dead..."

"There are no True Gods, no laws, and no need to worry about compensating for medical bills..."

The two of them seemed highly experienced in such situations, imparting a great deal of wisdom to the students through their conversation.

Not long after, the flying ship halted above the factory.

Although the participating students despised the vocational college Golden Cores in their hearts, they were extremely cautious in their actions.

Bai Zhenzhen activated her divine spirit root and released an invisible flying sword, which had already scouted the factory below and sent back the recorded footage.

Bai Zhenzhen said, "There are twenty-two vocational college Golden Cores in total, all gathered inside and outside the warehouse. Damn it all... they are still squandering the supplies in the warehouse."

Wen Wuya asked, "Who are the people in the other direction? Are they working?"

Bai Zhenzhen said, "They seem to be vocational college students captured by the vocational college Golden Cores, helping them move supplies and handle chores."

Looking at the footage sent back by Bai Zhenzhen, Yan Qianji exclaimed in surprise, "There are actually people sleeping?"

Bai Zhenzhen said, "These vocational college Golden Cores seem unwilling to provide sleep-suppressing drugs, so they make the captured vocational college students work in two shifts. While one shift sleeps, the other goes to work."

Yan Qianji sighed, "Without the restrictions of the law, these guys are actually so brutal? How is this any different from halving a person's lifespan?"

Director Gao said indifferently from the side, "It is not just halving their lifespan; they probably aren't being paid at all. After losing the order established by the True Gods, this kind of slave system will become very common."

Hearing that there was no pay, the many students present were even more shocked.

Sleeping every day without pay—the vocational college den before them had simply become a complete demonic lair in their eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the situation inside and outside the factory had been thoroughly scouted, and everyone began to assign tasks.

At the same time, inside and outside the factory warehouse, the vocational college Golden Cores were wantonly squandering the supplies.

Hou Feifeng frantically injected elixir after elixir into his body, relishing the intense surge in his cultivation, feeling his withered and aged muscles gradually regain their luster, and as his qi and blood surged, the somatic expression factors... or the existence known as the Dao Foundation, were slowly beginning to manifest.

"Is this what those rich people usually use?"

"Damn it all... if we could all cultivate like them, how could we possibly be inferior to them?"

On the other side, another white-haired vocational college Golden Core said with a face full of resentment, "We are the generation sacrificed by the Immortal Dao education system of Kunxu. Those guys who graduated from the Top Ten Academies previously only surpassed us by a wide margin because they had more resources than we did."

"But now the opportunity to defy fate has finally arrived. We have broken through to the Golden Core stage and are stronger than the students in the Top Ten League. As long as we seize enough resources, our future won't necessarily be worse than theirs."

He roared silently in his heart, "Teachers and students of the Top Ten Academies... just you watch, I will make you regret it, I will make you understand that exams and certifications... can never truly represent a person's potential! This is not how the Immortal Dao should be cultivated!"

Another senile vocational college Golden Core lacked such fighting spirit and merely said indifferently, "Anyway, being able to live a little longer is better than dying right now."

Just then, a whistling sound came from the sky, and clusters of blood blossomed on the bodies of several vocational college Golden Cores, their flesh and blood reduced to a mangled mess in almost an instant by sword qi.

First came the coordinated flying sword assassination by Bai Zhenzhen and Wen Wuya, followed by the closing in of Ye Xingli and Yan Qianji's puppet army.

Seeing the massive commotion before him, Hou Feifeng was startled, "Could it be that the main forces of Wanfa University have arrived?"

The many vocational college Golden Cores each grabbed a bundle of supplies and immediately scattered and fled.

But soon, everyone felt the earth tremble as a formation's power descended from the heavens, beginning to suppress the circulation of their mana and the gathering of their spiritual energy.

Hou Feifeng's face turned bitter, "Are you kidding me? First a sword formation, then a puppet army, and now a formation covering the entire factory? Just to deal with us?"

The many vocational college Golden Cores quickly became lost in the formation, suppressed one by one from a distance by flying swords and puppets, and even now they had yet to see clearly who their opponents were.

Hou Feifeng, however, fled all the way, and after breaking through numerous barriers, felt he was about to escape through the factory gates.

He thought to himself, "Such an offensive means at least a senior Golden Core from Wanfa University has arrived!"

At this moment, his sole focus was on running outward, not daring to have the slightest thought of looking back.

Suddenly, Hou Feifeng's gaze sharpened as he saw a figure appear on the main road ahead.

"Zhang Yu?!"

He was far too familiar with the figure before him; after all, with the overwhelming publicity and advertisements recently, it was impossible for him not to recognize this champion of the Top Ten League.

But although surprised in his heart, he showed not the slightest hesitation in his actions.

"So what if he's the champion?"

"At most, he just broke through to the Golden Core not long ago, we are all the same!"

With a furious roar, Hou Feifeng unleashed a full-power strike toward his opponent.

Surging qi exploded, shattering the ground for hundreds of meters in layers and sending massive clouds of dust soaring into the sky.

Accompanied by the violent collision, Hou Feifeng felt a sweetness in his throat and violently spat out a large mouthful of blood, his dharma armature also cracking and falling into malfunction.

"So powerful, truly worthy of being first in the Top Ten."

Hou Feifeng's spirits rose, "But not as powerful as I imagined; he can't stop me!"

Yet in the very next breath, a shadow suddenly materialized behind him, followed instantly by a ferocious palm strike aimed squarely at the center of his back.

With that single blow, a surging tide of bitter cold flooded into his body.

Hou Feifeng felt as utterly powerless as a helpless husband, forced to watch in mute despair as the glacial torrent poured ceaselessly into his dantian, witnessing the energy center that had been churning like a molten volcano just moments ago become instantly frozen solid and plunged into dead stillness.

Crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, Hou Feifeng stared in shock at Zhang Yu, the very man who had just ambushed him, his heart burning with bitter defiance.

Zhang Yu, however, merely cast him a bemused glance before turning his gaze to the physical substitute he had forged from his true aura.

"It is merely a single aura effigy; could it truly be that difficult to defeat?"

Shattering the effigy with a resounding crack, Zhang Yu cast another look at Hou Feifeng, who was coughing up mouthfuls of blood, and mused to himself, "I had thought he was feigning weakness to lure me into a counterattack... could it be that he simply lacks the strength to win?"

As this thought flickered through Zhang Yu's mind, the phantom Zhang Yu that had ambushed Hou Feifeng dissolved into a haze of true aura and scattered into the wind.

It was now evident that both the figure who had actively intercepted Hou Feifeng and the second one who had launched the sneak attack were nothing more than Zhang Yu's aura effigies.

Staring at the two dissipating aura effigies, Hou Feifeng's face was etched with sheer disbelief, "They were just two strands of aura? How could the gap be so vast? How could this..."

Zhang Yu's voice, however, drifted over from the distance, "You wouldn't happen to be... one of those who formed their Golden Core manually, would you?"

Hou Feifeng flinched as though a raw nerve had been struck, for he had always harbored a deep shame over his lack of funds to purchase a pre-fabricated Golden Core, forcing him to condense his own to achieve the breakthrough.

Terrified that his opponent might mock his makeshift Golden Core, his face flushed crimson as he defensively retorted, "If I did not condense the core myself, how else was I supposed to achieve the Golden Core realm?"

He shouted in anger, "Of course I know I should have purchased a premium pre-fabricated Golden Core before attempting the breakthrough! How could a core I condensed on my own ever compare to the commercial and academic products, forged through endless corporate and university research and tempered by a thousand trials?"

He continued with a low, aggrieved roar, "I know full well that a core crafted purely by hand carries untold margins of error, leaving it incompatible with countless spell matrices and magical treasures down the line."

Hou Feifeng cried out, "But how could elite scholars like you, sitting high above the rest of us, ever understand our struggles? If I had not broken through to the Golden Core realm, where would I have ever found the spiritual coins to buy a proper one in the first place?" End of Chapter.