Chapter 698: Green Lotus Sword Embryo, The Finance Department's Determination (8,930 words, short of)

Chapter 698: Azure Lotus Sword Embryo, the Finance Department’s Resolve (8,930+ words; just over 60 words short of three chapters—please vote for Moon Tickets!)

Inside a conference room in the Dark Spirit Realm.

Xiang Shen, whose entire body shimmered with interwoven strands of radiant light, spoke first: “Long time no see, Fu Shen.”

Fu Ji replied casually, “You specifically had Bao Shen summon me here—what’s this about?”

“I’m tracking a student from Tianjian University,” Xiang Shen said. “Her name is Bai Zhenzhen.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred—he instantly sharpened his focus to its utmost.

Fu Ji, however, remained silent, feigning indifference as she listened to Xiang Shen continue.

“She recently went to the newly built campus of Wanfa University near the Great Hollow in Kunxu’s Third Layer,” Xiang Shen explained. “I’d like you to investigate her situation in detail for me.”

Zhang Yu thought inwardly, *Zhenzhen only just arrived—and they already know? They must have been watching her for a long time.*

Fu Ji asked coolly, “That’s all? What do you want with her?”

Xiang Shen offered no further details, merely replying calmly, “Nothing much. Her whereabouts are simply useful to me.”

He had no intention of revealing his plans to Fu Ji. After all, he didn’t fully understand her methods—if this operation encountered unexpected complications, it would be disastrous.

Especially since his current goal was solely to target Bai Zhenzhen: convert her into his believer, then find a way to deal with Zhang Yu afterward.

Bai Zhenzhen was merely a Golden Core cultivator—even if exceptionally strong, she wouldn’t require many hands to subdue.

As long as Fu Shen provided sufficiently accurate intelligence, Xiang Shen was confident capturing her wouldn’t be difficult.

*If this collaboration goes smoothly,* Xiang Shen mused inwardly, *perhaps next time I deal with Zhang Yu, I can bring him along too.*

On Fu Ji’s end, she still showed no particular concern, responding flatly, “I can help you gather some information.”

“But what’s my payment?”

Xiang Shen smiled. “What do you want? Righteousness Points? Intelligence? Or something else?”

“I want to raise my clearance level,” Fu Ji said. “Help promote me from Section Head to Hall Master.”

Xiang Shen frowned slightly. “This task is simple for you—how could such an easy job warrant a full rank promotion?”

“Simple?” Fu Ji scoffed. “She’s a former Nascent Soul disciple—a prodigy of Tianjian University.”

“This woman also shares a close bond with Zhang Yu of Wanfa. Given how hot Magnet Pole is right now, anything involving his apprentice’s friend isn’t trivial.”

“You must raise the price—absolutely!”

Rather than pretending ignorance about Bai Zhenzhen, Fu Ji naturally recited basic facts about her.

After all, these were common knowledge—if she couldn’t even state them, it would seem suspicious.

Watching Fu Shen haggle so openly, Xiang Shen found it perfectly normal; after all, this was precisely how demon gods conducted their transactions.

After a round of bargaining, Xiang Shen finally relented: “Fine. I’ll try to propose it to Bao Shen, but I can’t guarantee success. Normally, supplying intelligence of this tier at least ten times is required before a Section Head can become a Hall Master.”

…

Near the Great Hollow in Kunxu’s Third Layer.

After ending his conversation with Xiang Shen in the Dark Spirit Realm, Zhang Yu silently asked Fu Ji, “What do they want with Zhenzhen?”

“It’s hard to guess,” Fu Ji replied. “But considering how they’ve targeted you multiple times before, we have to assume their interest in Bai Zhenzhen stems from you.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly as he turned toward Bai Zhenzhen beside him.

At that moment, both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were inside a private study room within the Great Hollow.

There were many such rooms—after all, the campus near the Great Hollow served as a strategic outpost for the Ten Great Academies in Kunxu’s Third Layer, drawing talents from every institution.

Many visitors needed to wait or linger here for a while without immediate duties, so renting a private study room to cultivate or study was common practice.

Right then, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly darted behind Zhang Yu and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her mischievous True Spirit Root rubbed eagerly against his back. “Yu-zi, let’s try again!”

Ever since reuniting, the two had wasted no time resuming their Spirit Root exchanges.

This time, there was no surveillance from Seven Emotions Sage Lord, no interference from Magnet Pole, no warnings from Old Gao—they’d rented this private room intending to exchange roots day and night to boost their cultivation.

But Zhang Yu, having already broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, found his Feather Spirit Root’s stimulation nearly overwhelming for Bai Zhenzhen.

When the Feather Spirit Root entered Bai Zhenzhen’s body once more after a long absence, torrents of profound spiritual energy surged forth. Under such intense stimulation, the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi erupting from her almost severed his root entirely.

Watching the white sword qi flowing from her body, Zhang Yu exclaimed in astonishment, “Zhenzhen, your Extreme Emotion Sword Dao has grown this powerful?”

He’d witnessed the might of this white sword qi before—during the final two matches of the Ten Great Leagues, when Bai Zhenzhen staked everything: her will, her blood, her flesh, her spiritual power… her very existence—to unleash the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.

Bai Zhenzhen smiled. “Yu-zi, though you broke through to Nascent Soul this past year, I haven’t been idle either.”

“All year, I’ve been fighting across Kunxu’s Third Layer.”

“Luckily, the Third Layer is filled with mines and factories—perfect for me to hide my tracks using my True Spirit Root…”

Through countless battles, Bai Zhenzhen relentlessly pushed her body, her spirit root, and her swordsmanship to adapt, stimulate, and drive one another forward.

Each time she neared her limits, she recalled Zhang Yu—watching his recordings, speaking with him—using her emotions and spirit to propel her cultivation and sword art.

Through this repeated torment, she finally elevated her Extreme Emotion Sword Dao to Level 30, mastering it to an astonishing degree.

Her Divine Spirit Root had even merged seamlessly with the Extreme Emotion Sword Qi within her—so thoroughly integrated that she could now unleash it with near-zero loss.

Bai Zhenzhen could sense that although she hadn’t completed the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, she’d used her Divine Spirit Root to gradually adapt to this incomplete immortal sect sword technique.

Delighted, she said, “Yu-zi, I don’t burst into sword qi anymore just from seeing you or hugging you.”

“But when exchanging roots… you’re already at Nascent Soul—the stimulation is too intense. I can barely control myself…”

Zhang Yu chuckled warmly. “Don’t worry, Zhenzhen. I’m strong enough now—my body is tough enough. When we exchange roots, unleash your sword qi however you like.”

“I’ll block every single strike.”

Feeling the confidence and sincerity in Zhang Yu’s eyes, Bai Zhenzhen slowly nodded. “Yu-zi… I trust you.”

And so—during their next root exchange—as soon as Candle Brilliance True Lord’s Feather Spirit Root barely entered Bai Zhenzhen’s body, the gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core caused her to let out a stifled groan. Layers upon layers of white sword qi erupted from her entire being.

Dense, countless sword qi slashed toward Zhang Yu, leaving bloody gashes across his body with terrifying destructive force.

Seeing this, Bai Zhenzhen gasped in alarm, “Yu-zi…”

“It’s fine,” Zhang Yu reassured her. His activated body trembled faintly, instantly reabsorbing all the blood and gradually sealing the wounds.

*Zhenzhen’s Extreme Emotion Sword Dao truly is unimaginably formidable,* he thought inwardly. *Even with my physical strength—and the gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core—she still managed to wound me?*

Yet thanks to his bodily art, the “Formless Free Body,” Zhang Yu’s resistance to identical attacks grew stronger with each repetition.

As the Feather Spirit Root was gradually infused deeper into Bai Zhenzhen, even fiercer bursts of Extreme Emotion Sword Qi erupted—but the injuries they left on Zhang Yu grew fewer and shallower.

“The Feather Spirit Root…” Bai Zhenzhen shuddered, whispering, “It’s so powerful.”

Feeling the Feather Spirit Root intensely reshaping her flesh, meridians, and dantian from within, Bai Zhenzhen felt utterly limp, unable to move even a finger.

Zhang Yu took a deep breath, sensing his own True Spirit Root attempting similar adaptive modifications within him—but with negligible effect.

*After all, it’s the difference between Nascent Soul and Golden Core…* he mused inwardly. *But that wasn’t my goal this time anyway.*

Gently releasing Bai Zhenzhen and laying her down beside him, Zhang Yu began circulating his cultivation method to nourish the True Spirit Root within his body.

“To raise the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo to Level 3 requires nourishment from ten Level 30 techniques.”

Zhang Yu had made up his mind: he wouldn’t let Bai Zhenzhen leave until he’d raised the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo to Level 3.

He circulated his cultivation technique while speaking, “Ah Zhen, you’ll stay here for the time being.”

Bai Zhenzhen, lying on the ground, let out a soft grunt and quietly felt her Feather Spirit Root violently, domineeringly reshaping her body.

Aside from the Divine Spirit Root within her, Zhang Yu naturally hadn’t forgotten about Xiang Shen either.

“Would this fellow dare strike Ah Zhen directly?”

…

Elsewhere, after concluding his conversation with Fu Shen, Xiang Shen watched as portraits of cultivators floated before his eyes.

“Though it’s merely a Golden Core we’re dealing with, the stakes are immense… If we can convert Bai Zhenzhen into a believer, the entire situation will open wide before us.”

“Through Bai Zhenzhen, we seize Zhang Yu; through Zhang Yu, we gain leverage over Ciji; and with Ciji secured, we may finally bring this war to an end.”

After a moment of contemplation, Xiang Shen made his decision: “Indeed, when dealing with a Golden Core cultivator, deploying a Nascent Soul is far more reliable.”

Though Xiang Shen wished to deploy a Nascent Soul, he couldn’t simply summon whomever he pleased.

After all, Nascent Souls represented the pinnacle of productivity beneath the Divine Transformation realm—each bore critical responsibilities, and in these increasingly fierce times of war, they were stretched to their absolute limits.

To ask a Nascent Soul cultivator to abandon their duties for infiltration and abduction required Xiang Shen to offer compelling justification—and generous compensation.

“I need… technology capable of sealing off the area, martial force strong enough to suppress any resistance, and… the means to twist Bai Zhenzhen’s will and drag her into the Righteous Alliance. All three are indispensable.”

“And they must be daring—willing to risk everything, infiltrate boldly, fight fiercely…”

After careful selection, the portraits of several Nascent Souls appeared before Xiang Shen.

…

Fourth Layer of Kunxu.

Inside a vast, desolate factory, countless puppets bustled back and forth, packaging spatial barrier fragments freshly off the assembly line.

Liu Jin True Lord oversaw and propelled the entire operation.

And factories like this? He managed over a hundred of them.

Ever since his failed ambush on Zhang Yu—when he’d been slain by Qing Ming True Lord and subsequently resurrected—Liu Jin had abandoned the frontlines entirely, devoting himself instead to rear-echelon production, cultivating while earning credits to repay his resurrection debt.

Having died once and accrued crushing debts, Liu Jin now desired only quiet labor and steady income—no more bloodshed, no more battles.

Just then, Xiang Shen’s visage flickered into view within Liu Jin’s ocular sockets.

“You’ve been resurrected for quite some time now, Liu Jin,” Xiang Shen said. “Aren’t you planning to return to battle?”

Liu Jin replied coolly, “Finance integrates societal resources to enable equivalent circulation of value and profit. Fighting was never my preference.”

Xiang Shen countered, “Really? I’ve heard regional conflicts and armed plunder are also part of finance. I need a Nascent Soul to help me infiltrate near the Great Void and abduct a Golden Core…”

Liu Jin refused flatly, “Apologies, but I’m content with my current life. I have no intention of returning to the battlefield.”

Xiang Shen pressed, “Liu Jin, are you so timid now that you won’t even ask how much this job pays?”

“You weren’t always this spineless. Remember your first year under my contract?”

“You sold every last member of your family, went all-in on the newly launched Wan Hua Coin—and when its price collapsed that very day, you held firm, selling everything down to your final head until the coin finally rebounded.”

“Where has that resolve gone? That ruthless drive?”

“How is it that after dying once, not only has your cultivation weakened, but your courage vanished too?”

“Are you still the financier who once vowed to remake Kunxu? Still the rebel who stood with us against the Heavenly Court to transform this realm?”

Liu Jin sighed. “Xiang Shen, rebelling against the Heavenly Court costs money. Without funds, how can we change Kunxu?”

“I’m broke now—just a Nascent Soul grinding away to repay debt.”

“All I want is to run my factory properly.”

“Don’t involve me in violence anymore.”

Xiang Shen’s voice grew pained. “You spent so much time, so much effort, so much wealth to ascend to Nascent Soul—to become a True Lord—and now, given opportunity, you refuse to kill or plunder? You’d rather settle as some factory-bound infant?”

“What difference is there between you and a Qi Refining cultivator? Why climb so high if you only seek safety? Why study finance if you crave stability? Why oppose the Heavenly Court at all? You might as well have worked in a factory your whole life from Qi Refining onward!”

With that, Xiang Shen’s image slowly faded, leaving only a final whisper echoing in Liu Jin’s ears:

“Complete this mission, and I’ll clear your resurrection debt. This chance comes but once—whether you seize it is up to you.”

Xiang Shen’s words echoed in Liu Jin’s mind. The thought of erasing his debt in one stroke stirred faint temptation—yet the memory of death’s cost soon quelled his restless heart.

Just then, another debt notice flashed before his eyes. A lowly soul cultivator’s voice, smug and imperious, demanded he not default on this installment.

A repair invoice for his magical artifact popped up again—his spirit-born companion, raised since childhood, pleaded for funds to restore its damaged form.

His former subordinates had already sworn loyalty to new masters; their social feeds overflowed with cheerful overtime check-ins. The only posts mentioning him were reminders to pay his overdue wages.

“Is this the life I wanted?”

Liu Jin asked himself, recalling the year he’d joined the Finance Division, remembering the ambition and hunger that once burned in his youth.

Back then, he’d sworn never to labor for others again—never to be trampled underfoot like mud, trodden upon without dignity.

“I will become the richest man alive! Let no salary blind me ever again! Let no loan bury my heart!”

A moment later, Liu Jin contacted Xiang Shen: “I’m in.”

Xiang Shen laughed. “Excellent. Your factories have already begun producing the latest spatial encapsulation technology, haven’t they?”

This cutting-edge spatial encapsulation technique had been recently comprehended by Fu Xian Tian, leader of the Righteous Alliance, during seclusion, and disseminated for the alliance’s use.

Now, these methods were gradually being implemented—mass-produced in major factories and shipped to the frontlines.

Just as the Ten Great Academies relentlessly refined their technologies amid war, so too did the Righteous Alliance walk this path of constant innovation.

Hearing this, Liu Jin nodded. “I’ve mastered the essentials of the new technique. I can deploy it during the mission to achieve temporary spatial and informational lockdown.”

“But infiltration behind enemy lines demands overwhelming force—strength sufficient to dominate the region. Otherwise, even a perfect seal would be meaningless.”

Liu Jin spoke gravely, “We need an expert.”

Xiang Shen asked, “Anyone in mind?”

Liu Jin replied, “Liu Bao True Lord. His strength alone could suppress any unforeseen crisis.”

Xiang Shen sighed, glancing at the very Liu Bao True Lord who had just rejected him. This Liu Bao famously refused to invest in junk stocks, trade worthless coins, or engage in covert operations—no matter how passionately Xiang Shen appealed to reason or emotion, persuasion proved futile.

So Xiang Shen answered Liu Jin, “Liu Bao won’t do. He’s lost the Finance Division’s spirit of bold advancement and all-or-nothing daring. For this battle, I intend to summon another expert.”

Liu Jin asked, “Who?”

Xiang Shen said, “Tai Hao.”

Liu Jin was surprised. “Are you certain you can secure him?”

Xiang Shen gave no reply—for even he couldn’t guarantee success in convincing the other.

…

Third Layer of Kunxu.

Inside the Great Void.

For days now, Zhang Yu had remained with Bai Zhenzhen in a private study room, tirelessly nurturing her Azure Lotus Sword Embryo without rest day or night.

Beyond this, to guard against Xiang Shen, he had also placed certain items into his Tai Xu Cloud Vault and made several preparatory moves to handle any possible contingencies.

For instance, he stationed a small team outside the self-study building, instructed to report upward immediately if anything unusual occurred.

And then there was the message he had just sent to Yu Xinghan.

“Yu Xinghan, for the next while, I’ll send you my location every three minutes. If I fail to send it within that window, you must immediately call for help from these people and have them come to my aid.”

Reading Zhang Yu’s message, Yu Xinghan asked curiously, “Is it really that serious? Do you think someone’s going to ambush you?”

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment before replying, “Better safe than sorry. It probably won’t come to anything major.”

At that moment, Zhang Yu possessed absolute confidence: as long as he remained within the territories controlled by the Ten Great Academies, no matter who his opponent might be—he could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Just after Zhang Yu finished arranging all his precautions, Xiang Shen once again communicated with Fu Ji.

Fu Shen: *I’ve given you the location. Bai Zhenzhen has reserved a private room in this study hall for one month.*

Xiang Shen: *Thank you. Could you confirm intelligence on the other occupants of the study hall as well?*

Fu Shen: *Don’t forget the payment you promised.*

…

Third Layer of Kunxu.

Inside a vast mining complex, cultivators from the Ten Great Academies had stormed in—only for the battle to erupt suddenly, then cease just as abruptly.

Silence once more blanketed the entire mine, as though it had transformed into a tranquil graveyard.

Corpses of cultivators stood frozen like statues scattered throughout the site.

A lone figure hummed a soft tune as he buried each corpse one by one into freshly dug graves, laying them to rest with solemn care.

Once the burials were complete, the figure knelt before the newly formed cemetery and bowed deeply to each of the deceased, offering rites of mourning.

His demeanor during the ritual was utterly grave and reverent—no trace of mockery or negligence marred his expression. Every motion, every gesture carried profound solemnity and respect, as if those he interred were not his victims at all, but cherished friends, family—even ancestors worthy of veneration.

Xiang Shen watched silently, recognizing this as the military-grade technique of Youming University’s Finance Department: the *Mystic Scripture of Shifting Lineage and Adopting Ancestors*.

Once buried and ritually honored by Taihao True Lord in this manner, the dead would become his ancestral spirits, channeling their fortune toward him—and even lending him fragments of their former abilities.

Should descendants of those buried ever cross paths with him, they would instinctively feel kinship toward him, reducing hostility and even willingly aiding him—offering collateral, loans, or other forms of support.

This infamous technique was so malicious that few dared practice it, even within Youming University—not only because of its extreme difficulty, but also due to how easily it provoked enemies. Most cultivators simply couldn’t withstand the backlash.

As for its notorious side effect—hindering breakthroughs to the Nascent Soul realm—it had been largely ignored in earlier times when Nascent Soul Elixirs were scarce and breakthroughs rare anyway.

But the man before him was clearly no ordinary practitioner. Not only had he mastered this forbidden art, he had cultivated it to an astonishingly profound level.

Xiang Shen knew full well that, given his strength, this man should have long since attempted the Nascent Soul breakthrough.

It was precisely the side effects of the *Mystic Scripture of Shifting Lineage and Adopting Ancestors* that had delayed his ascension.

Xiang Shen mused inwardly: *In the past, with Nascent Soul Elixirs suppressing advancement rates, sacrificing some probability of breakthrough for immense Core Formation power was perfectly reasonable.*

*Now that such restrictions are gone, however, this very scripture has become a burden—preventing him from smoothly reaching Nascent Soul.*

*Yet his combat prowess… is more than sufficient for this mission.*

Xiang Shen spoke aloud: “Taihao True Lord, I need someone to help me capture a Golden Core cultivator in the Great Void Cavern.”

Kneeling before the graves, Taihao True Lord replied calmly, “A Golden Core? Do you truly require my personal involvement?”

Xiang Shen answered, “Her name is Bai Zhenzhen. You must recall her.”

Taihao True Lord’s eyes flickered slightly. “Bai Zhenzhen?”

Indeed, as a prodigy of Tianjian University, disciple of Seven Emotions Sovereign, and semifinalist in the Ten-Academy League, Bai Zhenzhen was widely known.

But Taihao True Lord’s awareness of her predated all that.

He had learned of her existence back when she was still in the First Layer of Kunxu—and had even paid a deposit to Wang Yin to purchase her physical body.

Taihao True Lord said coolly, “Bai Zhenzhen… I have indeed taken interest in her physique before. If it cost merely a few hundred or thousand spirit coins to buy her outright, I’d gladly pay.”

“But to infiltrate enemy territory and abduct her?”

“A mere Golden Core like her… isn’t worth such risk.”

Xiang Shen countered, “Yet Bai Zhenzhen shares deep ties with Zhang Yu. Through her, we can seize Zhang Yu—and through him, gain access to the Magnetic Poles. That alone could shift the entire balance of power.”

Taihao True Lord sighed. “Shift the balance, you say?”

He loathed the old Kunxu—the conservative forces that obstructed progress and denied people better lives.

They possessed advanced means of production and superior social structures, yet clung stubbornly to outdated notions of morality and tradition, causing Kunxu’s development to stagnate and growth to slow year after year.

The reform he once championed in Kunxu’s First Layer had been sabotaged from within, leading to its utter failure.

In his eyes, Kunxu’s upper echelons were filled with incompetent traditionalists and greedy exploiters who treated the Finance Department as nothing but a purse to be drained.

Only now, with the layers fractured and divided, had Kunxu finally entered an era of unprecedented upheaval—a transformation unseen for centuries, even millennia.

Taihao True Lord murmured, “Heaven’s Court is stagnant and inept; sects are greedy and shortsighted; immortals sit aloof on high… Which of us financial cultivators does not dream of overturning heaven and earth to forge a better Kunxu?”

“To capture Bai Zhenzhen, convert Zhang Yu, and approach the Magnetic Poles—this grand scheme, I wholeheartedly endorse. However…”

He turned to Xiang Shen and said, “I ask only one thing of you, Alliance Leader.”

“I wish for you to accept my kowtow.”

Taihao True Lord understood that bringing Zhang Yu to Kunxu’s Fifth Layer and fully integrating him into the Righteous Alliance was a task assigned by the Alliance Leader himself.

And if he could prostrate himself before Fu Xian Tian—an immortal’s disciple—and be adopted as his sworn son, or even ancestral heir, Taihao True Lord was ninety percent certain he could harness the disciple’s celestial fortune to break through his current bottleneck and ascend to Nascent Soul.

Xiang Shen replied, “I can arrange for you to meet the Alliance Leader in the Fifth Layer.”

“But whether he’ll accept your obeisance—that’s beyond my guarantee.”

Taihao True Lord nodded. “That’s acceptable.”

“Still, capturing Bai Zhenzhen won’t be difficult with me involved. But how do you intend to make her join the Righteous Alliance? To convert her into a believer? She won’t yield easily.”

Xiang Shen said confidently, “Don’t worry. I’ll summon a former expert from Harmony University’s Finance Department. He’ll record himself implanting the *Three Realms Ten Directions Grand Void Barrier* into Bai Zhenzhen’s body—tainting her with an illicit immortal sect technique, leaving her no choice but to surrender.”

Taihao True Lord asked, “Who did you find? To risk so much—to sacrifice one’s own cultivation in the *Grand Void Barrier*—that’s no small price. Such a person isn’t easily persuaded.”

He knew well: even tutoring a Golden Core cultivator required enormous expense. Let alone infiltrating enemy lines and deliberately degrading one’s mastery of an immortal sect’s supreme art.

Xiang Shen assured him, “No matter the cost, I’ll secure his cooperation.”

…

Second Layer of Kunxu.

A youth-like cultivator slowly rose from atop a corpse.

“Hah! So fragile—already dead?”

He grinned toward the live-stream camera and declared, “Thousand-on-one rear-echelon raid—successfully completed.”

Glancing at the ring of drained corpses around him, then at the frenzied flood of comments scrolling across his livestream feed, the young man burst into laughter. Just before elite reinforcements from the Ten Great Academies could arrive, he shot skyward in a single bound, piercing through the heavens and returning to the Third Layer—Righteous Alliance territory.

At that moment, a message from Xiang Shen appeared in his ocular interface. His eyes narrowed as he muttered,

“You want me to travel all the way into enemy territory… transfer my immortal sect cultivation into Bai Zhenzhen… just to benefit some Golden Core like her?”

God of Auspices: True Monarch Huanqie, I will give you one million Righteous Qi points once the deed is done.

True Monarch Huanqie said indifferently, "God of Auspices, you must know... the sacrifice I am making for this is immense."

God of Auspices: Ten thousand spiritual coins, is that enough for you to make a little sacrifice?

...

Inside the study lounge building.

Driven by Zhang Yu, the True Spiritual Root within his body had grown increasingly active over the past few days, radiating a surging vitality.

Zhang Yu could feel that as he nourished his Divine Spiritual Root with one Level 30 technique after another, it was gradually undergoing a certain transformation.

"Nine techniques completed, only the final one remains."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the voice of a delivery courier outside.

Zhang Yu asked, "Zhenzhen, did you order medicine?"

Bai Zhenzhen shook her head in confusion. "No, I didn't."

Covered in sweat, Bai Zhenzhen opened the door and looked at the deliveryman outside, bewildered. "Where is this delivery from?"

A moment later, Bai Zhenzhen closed the door and said, "It seems the deliveryman got the wrong room."

Shortly after, on the roof of the study lounge building, True Monarch Taihao lightly waved his hand, reducing the deliveryman's corpse to ash.

At the same time, True Monarch Taihao forwarded the photo sent by the deliveryman to the others: "Confirmed, Bai Zhenzhen is right here."

In the building's basement, True Monarch Liujin silently unlocked one spatial treasure after another, murmuring coldly, "Preparations complete. We can strike at any moment."

In the corridor of the study lounge building, True Monarch Huanqie looked at Bai Zhenzhen's photo and mused, "Still a woman? Perfect, that saves me the cost of a gender transition."

God of Auspices said, "Wait for the right moment."

"It should be ready soon."

One day later.

High in the skies of the third layer of Kunxu, streaks of Soul Formation radiance swept across—a fierce battle was erupting between the Soul Formation powerhouses of the Ten Great Academies and the Righteous Qi Alliance.

Watching this scene unfold, True Monarch Taihao remarked in surprise, "You were waiting for this opportunity?"

True Monarch Taihao knew that conflicts and battles frequently erupted between the Soul Formation masters of the Ten Great Academies and the Righteous Qi Alliance.

Under such circumstances, the Soul Formation masters' control over their respective territories would naturally weaken to the absolute limit.

"This fellow, the God of Auspices, is employing new technology, enlisting three of us Nascent Soul cultivators, and even waiting for the Soul Formation masters to make a move, all just to deal with a single Golden Core..."

True Monarch Taihao said, "God of Auspices, you really are overly cautious."

God of Auspices replied, "I have already failed twice. This time, I absolutely will not permit another failure."

True Monarch Taihao nodded. "Very well. A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit. I admire your prudence."

Meanwhile, the study lounge building remained utterly peaceful; the cultivators within their private rooms noticed nothing amiss, each completely absorbed in their own work, cultivation, and studies.

Inside his private room, Zhang Yu, who was currently nurturing his Azure Lotus Sword Embryo, suddenly narrowed his eyes; relying on his Level 40 Palm-bound Kunlun and Level 21 Three Realms Ten Directions Ethereal Barrier, he detected a violent fluctuation in the space around him.

"The entire building has been sealed off..."

Leading Bai Zhenzhen out of the room, Zhang Yu's brow furrowed deeper. "The signal is cut off too?"

He attempted to contact the outside world through his ocular relic, only to find that the signals to both the Spiritual Realm and the Dark Spiritual Realm had been completely severed.

"A spatial blockade that simultaneously cuts off all communication? And over such a vast area in an instant... Could this be the Righteous Qi Alliance's new technology?"

In the next moment, Zhang Yu discovered to his astonishment that the entire study lounge building had been partitioned into isolated segments by layers upon layers of spatial barriers.

At the same time, True Monarch Liujin was advancing toward them without any hindrance, passing effortlessly through the spatial walls.

The moment he caught sight of Zhang Yu, his expression froze. "Zhang... Yu?"

He thought to himself, "Zhang Yu is here too? The intelligence didn't mention him being here."

The daze lasted only a fraction of a second before a flash of tension and pleasant surprise washed over True Monarch Liujin's face.

"Zhang Yu is here!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, True Monarch Huanqie thought, "Oh? Did we hit the jackpot? If it's Zhang Yu instead, don't forget to include my gender transition compensation."

True Monarch Taihao's voice drifted down from above: "Keep an eye on him, don't let him slip away."

Shielding Bai Zhenzhen behind him, Zhang Yu looked at True Monarch Liujin.

However, True Monarch Liujin had disguised his identity and altered his appearance; even Zhang Yu could not recognize him as the Nascent Soul cultivator who had once been beaten to death by True Monarch Qingming.

Yet, sensing the immense aura erupting from the man and watching the Nascent Soul manifest to attack, his cultivation realm required no further explanation.

"A Nascent Soul cultivator."

Twelve Taihao Sacred Law flying swords shot out from Zhang Yu's Ethereal Cloud Storage, forming a sword array that spread in all directions, feeding back every shred of perceptible information from their surroundings.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Aside from this one, it seems two more Nascent Soul cultivators are approaching."

He looked at True Monarch Liujin and said, "Did you only deploy three Nascent Soul cultivators this time?"

True Monarch Liujin's gaze narrowed as he sneered, "Only?"

Zhang Yu nodded, loosening the muscles and flesh across his body as he spoke slowly, "If it's only three Nascent Soul cultivators, then you are the ones who should start running."

(End of Chapter)