Chapter 703: Successor of the Great Saint Swallowing Heaven True Lord (Requesting monthly tickets, today totaling)

Chapter 703: The True Lord Devouring Heaven, the Successor of the Great Sage (Seeking Monthly Tickets, Today's Total 8500)

The Third Layer of the Kunxu Ruins, the Great Cavern.

Inside an office located within the teaching district of the Third Layer of the Ten Thousand Dharmas University.

Mo Shangjin, who had successfully gained admission into the Artifact Forging Department and formally become a graduate student there, was currently receiving guidance from his mentor.

"Mo Shangjin, since you transferred from the Department of Civil Engineering, you ought to know how hard this opportunity was to come by."

"If it were in the past, a student like you wouldn't even dream of setting foot across the threshold of the Artifact Forging Department."

"But ask yourself, have you worked hard enough? Do not tell me about your part-time jobs or your participation in the war. The Artifact Forging Department is teeming with students who take their exams while fighting on the front lines. Do you think that just because you are in battle, you are exempt from examinations?"

"Mo Shangjin, do not assume that because Principal Qingmu is your master, you can simply coast along and idle away your days under my watch."

"I detest nepotism above all else. No matter whose connections you possess, they carry no weight with me."

Mo Shangjin listened with utmost reverence to the discourse of the True Lord of the North Sea before him; he knew full well that entering the Artifact Forging Department had been no easy feat, and that he owed it in no small measure to the prestige of the Divine Lord Qingmu, which made him cherish this opportunity all the more.

Moreover, the True Lord of the North Sea was not targeting him specifically; the man was equally rigorous with every single student.

Having finished his lecture to Mo Shangjin, the True Lord of the North Sea turned his gaze to another student standing by the side and resumed, "Where are the materials I asked you to review last time? Which theses and literatures have you read? Do not make excuses for yourself. A graduate student is not an undergraduate. If you maintain this sort of attitude, your advisor can always be replaced."

"And you, where is the task I assigned to you three days ago? Still unfinished? Three whole days have passed! In that span of time, the Civil Engineering Department could have erected an entire building, and the Security Department would have slaughtered hundreds or thousands of foes. Yet you cannot even manage such a rudimentary task? This is not a question of capability; this is a question of your attitude..."

Accompanying the stern reprimands of the True Lord of the North Sea, the atmosphere within the room grew increasingly oppressive.

Right at that moment, the True Lord of the North Sea's eyes suddenly flickered, and immediately after, a smile spread across his face.

Mo Shangjin and the others exchanged glances, wondering in their hearts just who their mentor was communicating with; in their memories, they had rarely ever seen the True Lord of the North Sea wear such an amiable smile.

In the next breath, they heard the True Lord of the North Sea speak, "True Lord Zhuyi, the department is well aware of your circumstances. Given your rank, what further classes do you need to attend? Is it for us to teach you, or for you to teach us?"

As a Nascent Soul True Lord who had participated in the previous operation to reinforce Zhang Yu, the True Lord of the North Sea had long since come to appreciate the profound importance the Magnetic Pole attached to Zhang Yu.

He spoke with a countenance entirely filled with humility, "No matter, no matter. You may take leave for as long as you require."

"It is merely that our course arrangements here are inadequate. We absolutely must not delay the plans of the research association."

"Very well... yes... excellent... please convey my regards to the Principal."

Ending the transmission, the True Lord of the North Sea looked upon the students before him and remarked indifferently, "If any of you possessed the capabilities of True Lord Zhuyi, I wouldn't have to lecture you like this day after day."

"Alright, dismiss yourselves. Implement everything I have just spoken of, and I shall speak with you all again in a few days."

As though granted a grand amnesty, the students retreated in haste.

Listening to these words, Mo Shangjin felt a wave of profound emotion stir within his heart, thinking to himself, "True Lord Zhuyi is Zhang Yu, isn't he? To think that a junior brother who followed behind me just a few years ago has already reached such heights."

On the other side, having secured his leave from the True Lord of the North Sea, Zhang Yu once again immersed himself single-mindedly into his own cultivation, raising the level of his "Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier" step by step.

After all, the proficiency level of this Immortal Sect Daoist Art was directly intertwined with the achievements of his research into spatial technology.

The ferocity of the theater of war, the intense study of spatial technology across various academies, and the launch and competition of diverse spatial products all seemed like a multitude of palms pressing firmly against Zhang Yu's back, urging him to accelerate... accelerate... and accelerate further.

Yet, aside from delving into the "Three Realms and Ten Directions Great Void Barrier," Zhang Yu naturally could not neglect his own cultivation base.

Following his battle against the three great Nascent Soul experts, and upon learning of the attention the Leader of the Righteous Qi Alliance bestowed upon him, Zhang Yu placed an ever-greater emphasis on the elevation of his own personal strength.

In particular, the enhancement of his various foundational attributes was not only tied to the deployment of his diverse capabilities, but was even more critical to the growth of his Nascent Soul.

One could observe that while Zhang Yu cultivated his Immortal Sect Daoist Art, his Nascent Soul—resembling a human form woven from a cluster of cloud and mist—was executing martial arts not far behind him, unleashing bursts of fist-winds and palm-shadows as it continuously adapted to the power inherited from his main body.

"The state of mind, dharmic power, and physical intensity—once each foundational attribute reaches the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage and is thoroughly inherited by the Nascent Soul, the Nascent Soul will undergo an evolution."

"Only a Nascent Soul that has passed through three complete evolutions can be considered the ultimate form of the Nascent Soul stage."

And while Zhang Yu devoted himself heart and soul to his cultivation and studies, even fiercer conflicts erupted across the battlefield.

Although the ten prestigious universities continuously rolled out spatial products, greatly augmenting the combat efficacy of the cultivators and their resilience against spatial blockades,

the technology of the Righteous Qi Alliance had likewise undergone generational upgrades. Various spatial barriers that could be deployed faster, spanned greater areas, and could even completely sever the signals of the Spiritual Realm began to appear incessantly.

The advancement of technology rendered the combat between both factions increasingly ferocious.

Though ordinary individuals could not witness the conditions on the front lines, they could feel the rising intensity of the war purely from the propaganda offensives launched within the Spiritual Realm and the Dark Spiritual Realm.

Within the Spiritual Realm.

Ye Xingli lamented in her live-stream room, "Here is yet another letter of appeal from the Righteous Qi Alliance. It is said that after this junior college student went to the Righteous Qi Alliance, he had no work and no income every day. He could only hunt and farm by himself, living the most primitive and hopeless life."

"I hope everyone understands that the Righteous Qi Alliance is by no means a paradise for junior college students. They bring you over there precisely to leave you with nothing to do, to completely sever your hope, so that after you become ruined individuals, you will have no choice but to believe in demonic cults and worship evil gods."

Within the Dark Spiritual Realm.

True Lord Liangyan projected a line graph and stated, "This is the data for dharma treasure production among the ten prestigious universities over the past year. As everyone can see, the production volume of the last three months has plunged continuously, dropping to less than fifty percent of its original level."

"The ten prestigious universities are now experiencing wave after wave of domestic unemployment; people are scrambling even to eat cement, prices have multiplied several times over, the entire society is plunged into destitution, and thousands upon thousands of junior college students seek to flee to the Righteous Qi Alliance every single day."

"I dare to assert that the Ten Great Academies are on the verge of collapse; they cannot hold out for much longer."

As the war between the two factions grew ever more intense, the Underworld University launched its own spatial product shortly thereafter.

During the press conference, Divine Lord Yinquan proclaimed, "Traditional spatial products, though claiming to deflect attacks, often exhaust the dharmic power within the product after deflecting only a few blows due to excessive consumption. It even becomes difficult to sustain the scaling of space, ultimately rendering the ability to deflect attacks little more than a decorative feature."

"The Xuanming Bead introduced by our academy specifically addresses this issue by enhancing its dharmic power capacity, allowing for ultra-long standby times and possessing an immense space, making attack deflection a truly reliable means of protection."

"Furthermore, to guarantee quality, the human bone utilized in every single Xuanming Bead consists of bone materials that have undergone six months of growth and refinement in the human bone yards; we absolutely do not use three-month accelerated bones!"

Observing the product launch of the Underworld University, Tiansheng Gong knit his brows secretly, "This is specifically tailored for the battlefield environment, aiming to seize the wartime market."

Subsequently, he soon learned that a considerable number of academies, and indeed many cultivators from the Ten Great Academies, had deliberately purchased the Xuanming Bead precisely for use upon the battlefield.

To counter the competition, the Immortal Weapon University was the first to launch a price-reduction offensive, announcing discounts on all installment plan interest rates.

Following the high-end and low-end markets, the wartime market was also being gradually encroached upon, and the competition surrounding personal spatial products grew increasingly cutthroat.

... Inside the factory outside the Great Cavern.

Yu Xinghan walked alongside Zhang Yu, introducing the ongoing construction of the factory before them.

This was a dharma treasure factory that Zhang Yu had specially constructed for himself.

After relying on spatial technology to amass no small fortune for the company, Zhang Yu had begun planning the construction of his own assembly line to manufacture the dharma treasures he required.

"Although my personal offensive power is insufficient, if I can unleash a sky full of dharma treasures the moment I open the Great Void Cloud Treasury, it will serve to compensate for this shortcoming beautifully."

Zhang Yu reflected inwardly, "If I had possessed more dharma treasures prepared during the battle against the three individuals including Taahao, that fight might have been considerably easier."

Regarding this notion of Zhang Yu's, Yu Xinghan could only characterize it as an offensive of smashing spiritual coins.

Just as the two finished discussing the construction details of the factory, Yu Xinghan's voice suddenly resonated within Zhang Yu's mind, "Zhang Yu, do we actually count as... being part of the Righteous Qi Alliance?"

This was precisely the power obtained after the divine power of the evil god Fuji had grown previously, enabling believers to communicate directly from heart to heart across thousands of miles.

And this question had been stifled within Yu Xinghan's heart for a very long time.

After all, they were believers of an evil god, while the Righteous Qi Alliance was teeming with a vast number of evil gods and their followers, which could not help but cause such doubts to arise within Yu Xinghan's mind.

Moreover, ever since his Three-Eyed Divine Ability had been upgraded last time, he could practically master someone else's martial arts instantly with a mere casual glance.

Even during the previous instance when he delivered information to Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan had personally witnessed the process of Zhang Yu contending single-handedly against the three great Nascent Soul experts; from that moment onward, he felt as though he too had gleaned some measure of understanding.

Yet Yu Xinghan dared not employ it, which left him feeling uncomfortably stifled.

Particularly after the great transformation of heaven and earth, all manner of unlicensed cultivators and unlicensed cultivation methods propagated everywhere, making Yu Xinghan feel even more distressed; he clearly possessed a body full of capabilities, yet he dared not display them in the slightest, even having to deliberately endure and suppress his own cultivation base.

Hearing Yu Xinghan's question, Zhang Yu pondered for a moment before likewise replying within his mind, "Though we are both believers of an evil god, we do not belong to the Righteous Qi Alliance. We cannot even be considered the people of the evil god; at most, we are merely borrowing the power of the evil god to achieve our own objectives."

He said to Yu Xinghan, “From now on… whenever you have time, come find me at the Research Society’s office. You can watch Ah Zhen and me train, and I’ll help you strengthen your magical power.”

…

On the third level of Kunxu, amidst the ruins left by battle,

a demon offspring with the head of an ox leapt back and forth through the darkness.

This ox demon was none other than Zhang Yu’s demon offspring avatar, shaped through the *Myriad Transformations Scripture of the Demon Sage*, and controlled by him via the Spirit Realm.

The *Myriad Transformations Scripture of the Demon Sage*—a dark cultivation art passed down from the Great Sage—allowed not only personal transformation but also the creation of demon offspring avatars.

Back during the Ten Great Leagues, Zhang Yu had used this technique in tandem with his Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor to craft several small dragons.

At that time, however, to conceal the true profundity of the *Myriad Transformations Scripture*, those dragons had been crudely made—nothing like this ox demon now, vivid and lifelike, as if it truly possessed its own intelligence and will.

Now, under Zhang Yu’s control, this ox demon had come to complete a mission for the Righteous Alliance.

Recently, Zhang Yu himself had remained within the Research Society, sending out demon offspring avatars instead—posing as devotees of Fortune God—to carry out tasks.

Although he hadn’t yet had time to cultivate the *Myriad Transformations Scripture* deeply—its current level barely exceeding twenty—and though this demon offspring avatar possessed only early-stage Golden Core strength, it was still sufficient to accumulate merit and raise Fu Ji’s authority within the Righteous Alliance.

When he arrived at the mission site and saw the wary cultivators before him, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but say, “What’s with those looks you’re giving me?”

“Huh? You think just because I’m a demon offspring, I must be evil, lawless, immoral—and that I’ll betray you and steal your things?”

“Are you discriminating against demon offspring?”

“Against me—a demon offspring who’s risked his life repeatedly for the Righteous Alliance, lost brothers in battle to complete missions, and still fights on the front lines today?”

Having undertaken numerous missions lately through his demon offspring avatars, Zhang Yu was already well-versed in handling demon-offspring discrimination.

After his sharp rebuke, the fellow Righteous Alliance members present could only sigh helplessly, eventually offering their apologies one by one.

Just then, a booming laugh rang out: “Good! Well said!”

A monkey demon descended from the sky, radiating terrifying pressure. With a long staff sweeping horizontally, he pointed it at everyone present, baring his fangs as he roared, “Who here dares discriminate against demon offspring?”

Zhang Yu blinked in surprise, thinking inwardly, “An elder-stage demon? A Nascent Soul powerhouse?”

In the next instant, the monkey demon shouted again, “Hand over everything in your pockets, and I’ll let you go this once!”

“You son of a—” Zhang Yu cursed silently. “With behavior like yours, how can anyone *not* discriminate against demon offspring?”

Then the monkey demon’s gaze swept toward Zhang Yu. “Little Ox,” he said approvingly, “you’re quite impressive. This True Lord admires you—you only need to hand over half.”

Zhang Yu couldn’t help but protest, “I still have to give up half? I’m a demon offspring too!”

The monkey demon’s eyes flashed with menace. “Brat, that’s precisely why I’m only taking half from you.”

“Remember this: I am a descendant of the Great Sage! In all of Kunxu, above and below, who doesn’t owe the Great Sage a debt? You all owe! And right now, you’re merely repaying what’s due! When I plunder heaven and earth, it’s only natural justice!”

With that, he vanished in a flash, leaving behind a whirlwind of demonic energy as he snatched every treasure and artifact from the group. Passing over Zhang Yu, he spat out, “Broke beast!” before vanishing without a trace.

His final words echoed behind him: “I’ve taken your goods, and I’ve claimed this mission. Go home yourselves.”

…

Back at the Research Society,

Zhang Yu, deep in cultivation of celestial arts, furrowed his brow. “So that was Swallowing Heaven True Lord—the Great Sage descendant of the Righteous Alliance?”

Shaking his head, he commanded his demon offspring avatar to lie low, preparing for the next assignment.

And just a few days later, Heaven Demon University unveiled its latest spatial product.

Zhang Yu’s projection appeared at the launch event, where Nielian Godlord stood onstage and declared, “For the ultimate user experience, every Heaven Demon Vault we produce will come equipped with an artificial spirit.”

“Our fully in-house developed artificial spirit technology will deliver cutting-edge intelligent functionality to every user—ensuring seamless multitasking, effortless storage and retrieval of massive quantities of matter, and reliable combat support even in high-intensity battles… greatly enhancing overall fluidity and performance.”

(End of Chapter)