Chapter 720: Visiting Zhang Yu Three Times, Immortal Sect Black Cultivation Technique (7,170 words, bonus chapter)

Chapter 720: Three Visits to Zhang Yu, Immortal Sect Dark Arts (7170, Extra 1100+ Words)

Gearing his eyes upon Fu Xiantian before him, Zhang Yu was abruptly startled, his mind instantly tightening to the absolute peak of vigilance.

Not only did surging spiritual energy churn back and forth within his body, primed to unleash his two great immortal sect arts at any moment,

but the equipment crate not far away shattered faintly; the Sky-Shattering War God Armor had already established a connection, ready to deploy and equip instantly.

Concurrently, a vast number of Nascent Soul experts from Wanfa University received Zhang Yu's transmission and were already rushing toward the research society.

Densely packed spiritual world data surged and rippled violently back and forth, centering around Zhang Yu's physical form.

Yet, looking upon all this, Fu Xiantian remained utterly unbothered, merely speaking in a serene tone: "There is no need to be tense, Zhang Yu. I have only come to speak with you."

"The entirety of my current power remains on the fifth layer, suppressing the Soul Transformation masters of the ten universities. He who speaks to you now is but a mere sliver of thought traversing the spiritual world."

Having spoken, Fu Xiantian turned his gaze upon Zhang Yu, his eyes bearing a faint trace of scrutiny.

Zhang Yu murmured inwardly, "To speak?"

He looked at the Fu Xiantian before him, sensing that the opponent was indeed nothing more than the most ordinary projection from the spiritual world—a pure image, devoid of any actual power.

In his heart, Zhang Yu inquired, "Fuji, did you discern anything?"

Fuji replied, "He has indeed merely routed his presence through Xiong Wenwu's ocular remains; he should be incapable of using force to threaten your safety."

"My advice is... talk with him." Fuji continued, "See what he is truly after, and see if we can extract some intelligence."

"After all, it is just a conversation; it cannot hurt."

Fuji's thoughts happened to coincide precisely with Zhang Yu's own.

Thus, he sent out another message, commanding all the approaching Nascent Soul experts to halt temporarily and stand by outside the research society.

At the same time, Zhang Yu mused silently, "Could this man's arrival to see me be because of the Sky-Piercing Project?"

Although Zhang Yu had done his utmost to keep the Sky-Piercing Project a secret, with the continuous establishment of various channels and production lines, the scope of the project's influence grew broader by the day, making it impossible to hide from the Righteous Qi Alliance forever.

If Fu Xiantian had come because of this, Zhang Yu would not be surprised in the slightest.

Zhang Yu questioned, "How is Xiong Wenwu?"

Fu Xiantian countered, "You care deeply for him? For this fellow countryman of yours who likewise hails from the first layer? Even though he is of demon descent?"

Zhang Yu said calmly, "That has nothing to do with you. It is simply that his condition will dictate the attitude I bring to this conversation between us."

Fu Xiantian remarked casually, "He is well, free from any mortal peril. Right now, he is sleeping soundly—a high-quality rest he likely has not enjoyed in a very, very long time. Nor does he know that I am borrowing his ocular remains to converse with you."

Zhang Yu demanded, "What is it you wish to discuss?"

Fu Xiantian stated blandly, "To be frank, by my own judgment, I did not believe I should hold any sort of dialogue with you."

"However, I trust my Master's eye."

"Therefore, I am willing to converse with you, willing to attempt to... guide you onto the righteous path."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's gaze flickered as he asked, "And who is this Master you speak of?"

Fu Xiantian raised his eyes to the heavens, his gaze seemingly capable of piercing through the clouds, sundering the firmament, to look upon that sixth layer of Kunxu which had already vanished without a trace.

"The immortal who has incited this great upheaval, who drew away the sixth layer, who held back the Heavenly Court, and who brought the hope of a new world to billions of living souls—Ying Xiantian."

"He is my Master."

"And it is precisely he who believes you possess potential."

Fu Xiantian looked squarely at Zhang Yu before him and said, "He wished to take you away, to bring you directly into the new world forged by the sixth layer. Alas..."

Fu Xiantian's eyelids drooped as he sighed, "You refused."

Upon hearing Fu Xiantian's words, the memory of Dao Qiankun attempting to take him away instantly flashed across Zhang Yu's mind.

Dao Qiankun... Ying Xiantian...

Zhang Yu turned these two names over in his mind, then voiced a question he had long harbored, an answer he desperately desired to know.

"Whether it be Brother Dao or Ying Xiantian, did they know that the current second to fifth layers would turn into such a state?"

"Relying on this current war and chaos, relying on that cabal of fiendish cults, evil gods, and finance-faction sycophants within the Righteous Qi Alliance, what kind of new world can possibly be created?"

Faced with Zhang Yu's interrogation, Fu Xiantian did not answer directly, choosing instead to broach another topic.

Fu Xiantian spoke softly and indifferently: "In the Kunxu of old, it was a time of strife between orthodox and heterodox, a great war between immortals and fiends."

"At that time, the fiendish path held an overwhelming advantage. To turn the tide of defeat and catch up to the combat power of the fiends, the orthodox path initiated a self-reformation—a revolution to change themselves from within."

"Some termed this upheaval 'Using the Fiendish Path for Orthodox Ends' through the manifestation of self-sovereignty."

"Master was also one of those who supported it back then, for he understood... if this method were not employed, the orthodox path would surely fall. Thereafter, the world would sink, hundreds of millions of living souls would become fodder for the fiends, and humanity from top to bottom would be reduced to an existence worse than pigs and dogs, no better than beasts."

"To push this reformation forward, Master intercepted my Martial Uncle, who was fiercely opposed to it, intending to wait until the grand design was finalized before returning together with him..."

"Yet when Master and Martial Uncle returned together, they discovered that many dissenters within the sect had fought to the death rather than surrender, and had already been utterly slaughtered by the Sect Master of that era and his followers."

"Later, to avenge that blood debt, Martial Uncle slew one of the sect seniors who had presided over the reformation, and was consequently hunted down."

"To ensure the reformation continued to move forward, and so that so many of the deceased would not have sacrificed themselves in vain, Master ultimately joined the hunt, suppressing Martial Uncle alongside the other sect members."

"And instances like this were far, far too common at that time."

"To drive forward the revolution of utilizing the fiendish path for orthodox ends, countless people within the various orthodox sects perished. Disciples slaughtered masters, fathers fought sons, wives and husbands slew each other, and sects fractured... such occurrences were too numerous to count."

Fu Xiantian stared directly at Zhang Yu and said, "This is the price of a world's transformation. Overturning the old order will always bring conflict."

"The so-called utilization of the fiendish path for orthodox ends means that many of the original orthodox methods must be discarded. Their industries, their clans, their heritages, and their statuses will all suffer immense losses, even to the point of total extinction, and so they will resist."

"This is transformation. The process of change is bound to damage the interests of some while benefiting others; thus, it is forever accompanied by strife and slaughter, forever destined to shed blood, and there will always be those who are sacrificed."

Fu Xiantian walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, gazing out at the research park beyond, at the endless rows of buildings, the streets, and the unceasing flow of spiritual world data.

He spoke slowly, "The current Kunxu is deeply entrenched in demonic roots; it has reached a point where change is imperative, yet the resistance to this transformation is more formidable than ever before."

"For this goal, Master abandoned all of his assets as an immortal."

"The value of those assets had long since vastly exceeded the sum total of everything within the second to fifth layers."

"Compared to Master's sacrifice, what do the current losses of the second to fifth layers even amount to?"

Fu Xiantian turned his head, looking straight into Zhang Yu's eyes once more, and said, "Even I have likewise abandoned everything I once possessed within my sect, utilizing a reincarnated body to drive forward the plan for the second to fifth layers."

"Because both Master and I know that Kunxu can no longer continue down this path."

Fu Xiantian let out a sigh, countless shifting shadows seemingly flashing within his eyes: "Zhang Yu, I too was once a person from the first layer of Kunxu. I climbed up from the first layer step by step, and I have witnessed with my own eyes the changes in Kunxu over these years."

"Why do you think so many people in Kunxu lack spiritual roots? Because someone is already stealing the power of the world's reincarnation, draining the natural talents, innate endowments, and primordial spirituality of hundreds of millions of living souls destined for rebirth, all to fatten a single individual and a single sect—and they drain more with each passing year."

"And why do you think the technology of the sects is eternally superior to that of the ten grand universities? It is not merely due to the blockade of immortal path technologies, but because someone has established an orthodox lineage whereby all creations, inventions, and inspirations in the lower realms... will immediately manifest within the Daoist Canon. No matter how vast the world or how numerous the geniuses, none can escape their control."

"Why else do you suppose there are still so many people in the lower layers striving with all their might to climb upward? Why has the birth rate not collapsed? Because everyone, from the moment of their birth, has already had their purpose predetermined."

"Those meant to reproduce will be driven to reproduce, and during reincarnation, not a single trace of superfluous spirituality will be left behind—it will all be drained entirely."

"Those meant to practice the immortal path will devote themselves entirely to the Dao, yet they must still be drained of a portion of their spirituality according to various regulations..."

"Even if one manages to climb to the top, what of it? There are those who now believe that every single thought we have, every shred of memory we possess, should be subject to a fee..."

"Zhang Yu, can you comprehend our resolve?"

"Kunxu has reached a point where it must change."

Watching Zhang Yu fall into silence, Fu Xiantian said, “It seems you truly are different from the other Kunxu people of this age. That’s enough for today. Take some time to think it over. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, at this same hour, I’ll come again to speak with you.”

Zhang Yu gazed toward the vault of heaven, his heart sinking deeper into darkness—Kunxu’s upper echelons appeared far blacker than he had ever imagined.

“But no matter what…”

Feeling the ritual power coursing through his body and gazing upon the divine radiance of the Fifth Layer, Zhang Yu knew he could not stop.

Not for his own life and safety, nor merely to rescue Ciji and Qingmu—but to protect his comrades. He simply could not halt.

Just then, an alarm rang out from within his Eye Relic.

Zhang Yu’s eyes sharpened instantly. A Divine Sovereign from the Immortal Soldiers University—one of the Nascent Soul cultivators—was fading fast. His divine light dimmed rapidly, plummeting to just 5%.

Moments later, that light vanished entirely.

Now only thirty-seven Nascent Soul cultivators remained among the Ten Academies, while the Righteous Alliance still boasted forty-four.

Staring up at the celestial glow, Zhang Yu understood: though the numbers seemed close, on the battlefield such a gap was catastrophic.

“Thirty-seven against forty-four means several of our Ten Academies’ Nascent Souls must face multiple enemies alone.”

“And each time one of ours falls, the victor from the Righteous Alliance will immediately join others in surrounding the next.”

Zhang Yu knew this cascade resembled an avalanche—every fallen Nascent Soul from the Ten Academies would accelerate their defeat, faster and fiercer with each loss…

“Once a critical threshold is crossed, victory or ruin may be decided within mere hours.”

Beyond that, Zhang Yu also grasped how each Nascent Soul’s death would crush morale among the Ten Academies’ ranks.

His gaze shifted to the projected completion time for the Skybreaking Plan—and sure enough, it had lengthened again, now stretching from five days, twelve hours, three minutes, and twenty-seven seconds…

to five days, seventeen hours, twenty-three minutes, and eight seconds.

But Zhang Yu had no time for despair. Under crushing pressure, he could only give everything he had.

…

Hearing Zhang Yu’s words, Xianyin Zhenjun exclaimed in astonishment, “You’re giving concessions to junior college students and demon-blooded cultivators?”

He thought inwardly, *Impossible… Ah! I see—it’s not real concessions. It’s making them believe they’ve been given something.*

Soon, under Wufa University’s orchestration, waves of propaganda surged forth.

Ye Xingli reopened her livestream, drawing countless lower-academy and junior-college viewers.

“I actually think junior colleges are pretty great!”

“I don’t judge my friends by their diplomas.”

“You ask about junior colleges? Lower academies? Not a problem at all.”

“The Ten Academy students around me have never shown academic elitism.”

“The Ten Academies are already discussing welfare policies—please be patient a little longer!”

As she streamed, the Poverty Simulator embedded in Ye Xingli’s Eye Relic whirred at maximum speed, activating a simulation tier she’d never dared use before—not even during her conversation with Zhang Yu. This “Extreme Poverty” setting dragged her, a true Ten Academy elite, down to the absolute lowest rung among junior college students, forcing her to spout endless jargon tailored to that demographic.

Every word contradicted her true beliefs and cultivation principles, shaking her Dao-heart to its core. She sighed inwardly—earning money was no easy feat.

Yet fueled by Wufa University’s massive financial backing and the surging attention from lower-tier students, Ye Xingli’s viewership skyrocketed, sparking fervent discussion everywhere:

“Ye Xingli’s different—she doesn’t look down on us!”

“I feel like she’s talking to us as equals!”

“She doesn’t even do product placements or ads! She’s here just to listen to us!”

“She’s obviously profiting off school loyalty—must be funded by the Ten Academies.” (Deleted)

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianxing began appearing in numerous advertisements and videos.

Born in the First Layer, a soul-cultivator student with only a junior college diploma—he had now risen to become half a Wufa citizen and even achieved Foundation Establishment in the Spirit Realm.

Promoted relentlessly by Wufa as a model success story, Zhao Tianxing became the ultimate inspiration for countless junior college and soul-cultivation students—a living embodiment of a triumphant xianxia novel.

Facing the camera, Zhao Tianxing declared loudly, “Everyone! Special approval for junior-college-to-bachelor’s upgrades—yes, it exists!”

“Soul-cultivator Foundation Establishment—also real!”

“Do you want it? Then come work with us! As long as you work hard, we offer endless opportunities—not just jobs, but pathways to upgrade your degree and break through cultivation!”

Simultaneously, damning revelations about the Righteous Alliance flooded the public sphere: unpaid labor, forced volunteering, endless sacrifice without compensation.

As this coordinated campaign unfolded, Zhang Yu watched the Skybreaking Plan’s estimated completion time begin to shrink once more:

Four days, ten hours, three minutes, thirty-eight seconds.

He lifted his eyes to the sky—Ciji Sovereign’s radiance had dipped to 71%, Qingmu Sovereign’s to 59%.

At that moment, Fu Xiantian reappeared, true to his word, ready for their second conversation.

…

“Zhang Yu, this world is sick. The greed of the Immortal Emperors will sooner or later destroy everything.”

Fu Xiantian lightly tapped his fingertip, and visions unfurled before Zhang Yu.

“This… is the future Sixth Layer—the new world designed by my master.”

Zhang Yu’s gaze fixed on the scene: ordinary people living in peace, smiling faces everywhere.

Fu Xiantian explained, “In this new world, everyone enjoys weekends, holidays, rest, and security.”

“No one lives solely for profit. No one feels shame for being weak.”

“People exist not to serve work—but to live.”

Looking at these images, Zhang Yu had to admit—he liked this world.

But could such a world truly exist?

Could Fu Xiantian and his master really create it?

As if reading his doubt, Fu Xiantian continued, “In the new world, we’ll recalibrate everyone’s innate talents, restoring balance to nature itself.”

“All cultivation levels and wealth will be redistributed—each person granted infinite potential.”

“The reincarnation system will be stripped entirely of its demonic attributes, rendered immune to human manipulation…”

Listening to Fu Xiantian’s grand vision, Fu Ji sneered, “All this talk, and in the end it’s still the same old scheme. In truth, it’ll all hinge on Immortal Ying Xintian’s whim. Who’s to say he won’t reshape the world into yet another Kunxu someday?”

Fu Xiantian went on, “In this new world, my master will impose a lifespan limit—around 1,500 years—for everyone, including ourselves.”

Zhang Yu blinked in surprise. “If that limit is set, then you and your master—who’ve long surpassed 1,500 years—would die immediately?”

Seeing Fu Xiantian nod, Fu Ji scoffed, “Are you both insane? Obviously lying—no one would willingly commit suicide!”

But Fu Xiantian sighed deeply. “Kunxu’s ruin lies precisely in the word ‘immortality.’”

“Only by capping the lifespans of all beings—humans, demons, even spirit-born constructs and soul cultivators—ensuring none may exceed 1,500 years regardless of cultivation prowess… only then can there be no eternal protagonists, and the world may flourish endlessly.”

“Even if demonic paths rise again someday, it will be fleeting. With lifespan limits in place, every sect, every dynasty must rise and fall. New generations will always emerge to overthrow darkness and restore righteousness…”

“Zhang Yu, my master and I aren’t deluded fools. We know there’s no permanent fix, no single solution to erase all problems at once.”

“Everything evolves through change; every issue resolves through transformation. The future holds endless challenges—but as long as change continues and new generations arise, there is always hope…”

Zhang Yu remained silent. Fu Xiantian’s vision of the new world extended far beyond this—countless details, intricate systems, layered blueprints. Too much to recount, too vast to grasp all at once.

Even Zhang Yu’s cultivation level allowed him only a vague understanding.

As for whether what he heard was right or wrong, good or bad, Zhang Yu could not immediately discern.

Zhang Yu lifted his head and looked at Fu Xian Tian before him. “You told me about lifespan—aren’t you worried I might refuse?”

Fu Xian Tian gazed at Zhang Yu with calm detachment. “I’ve said it before, Zhang Yu. My purpose in speaking with you is to guide you back from the wrong path.”

“If you cling to immortality, obsess over cultivation and power, and thus cannot accept the new world, then it merely proves we are not kindred spirits—and that Master misjudged you.”

“To me, it would simply mean one more failure.”

“That’s all.”

As he spoke, the alarm blared again. Another Nascent Soul Radiance plummeted below 5%.

Moments later, that radiance vanished entirely.

A Nascent Soul Sovereign from Demon University had fallen.

Footage of his demise spread like wildfire through the Shadow Spirit Realm, even flooding into the Spirit Realm itself.

With yet another Sovereign lost, morale among the Ten Great Academies plummeted further, and defections to the Righteous Alliance surged once more.

Like many others, Zhang Yu watched as the projected timeline suddenly ballooned—to six days, eight hours, thirteen minutes, and twenty-two seconds.

Seeing this shift, countless students across the Ten Academies felt their previous efforts evaporate in an instant, undone by the latest turn in the Nascent Soul battlefield.

Gazing up at the sky alongside them, Fu Xian Tian spoke again: “That’s enough for today. We’ll continue our conversation tomorrow.”

With those words, his figure dissolved once more.

Zhang Yu raised his eyes to the celestial radiance above—the flickering lights dimming one by one—and his mind churned with turbulent thoughts.

Over the next day, internal and external tensions within the Ten Academies intensified under pressure from the Righteous Alliance.

Rebellions by junior college students, demon-blooded students, even lower-tier academy pupils erupted without end.

Institutions, corporations, and platforms tightened restrictions ever further, provoking fiercer backlash.

Propaganda from the Shadow Spirit Realm surged relentlessly, spilling more and more information into the Spirit Realm—impossible to erase, no matter how hard they tried.

Above, another Nascent Soul Radiance grew steadily dimmer, like an old man walking step by step toward death beneath the gaze of countless onlookers.

In Zhang Yu’s ocular interface, messages fell like snowflakes—one after another—each bearing news of conflicts within and beyond corporations, within and beyond the Ten Thousand Dharmas, each demanding his decision.

By the time the second day arrived, the projected timeline still stood at a daunting six days, two hours, eight minutes, and thirty-one seconds—a sight that filled countless hearts with despair.

It was then that Fu Xian Tian descended for the third time, appearing once again before Zhang Yu.

…

“Still resisting?”

Fu Xian Tian’s voice was calm. “Not only is your chance of success nearly zero now—but even if you somehow succeeded, what then? Once the Heavenly Court returns, do you really think your actions won’t be settled?”

Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”

Fu Xian Tian replied, “Your spatial technologies, the destruction and losses caused by this war, the excessive issuance of cultivation-level certifications—how do you think the Heavenly Court will handle these?”

He shook his head, speaking with the certainty of one who sees the inevitable. “Based on my understanding of those above, I can tell you plainly.”

“Your spatial technologies—and every company, every factory tied to them—will be seized the moment the Heavenly Court returns.”

“The surplus of Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and even Nascent Soul Sovereign cultivators will be dealt with. There may be another round of evaluations to cull the weak among Core Formation and Nascent Soul ranks—those who fail will have their cultivation stripped.”

“Or perhaps they’ll be sent upward along with the excess Sovereigns, to serve as beasts of burden.”

“In any case, none of it ends well.”

“As for Layers Two through Five of Kunxu—they may undergo ‘ideological correction’ by the Ten Immortal Emperors, erasing all changes made during the Disconnection Era. But every loss incurred will be converted into debt, borne collectively by those who survive.”

Zhang Yu’s heart trembled. “Ideological correction? What is that?”

Fu Xian Tian answered coolly, “Legend says… each of the Ten Immortal Emperors, standing at the pinnacle of Immortal Dao technology, possesses a supreme Immortal Artifact capable of interfering with the Heavenly Dao itself.”

“It’s said that if they unanimously agree, they could—in theory—‘correct’ the entire world, reshaping all beings and things into a state that satisfies them.”

“Of course, that’s only legend. The Ten Immortal Emperors are rife with conflicting interests and have never agreed on anything, so such a world-wide correction has never occurred.”

“But ideological correction—this has happened before.”

“If the Heavenly Court descends and perceives the drastic changes in Layers Two through Five, the Ten Immortal Emperors may perform ideological correction on these layers—rewriting your memories, your very thoughts, back to a state more aligned with Kunxu’s requirements.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yu shuddered inwardly, struck anew by the terrifying might of Kunxu’s upper echelons.

Fu Xian Tian continued, “Thus, to create a new world, we must break free from Kunxu—escape the control of the Ten Immortal Emperors.”

Zhang Yu asked gravely, “So you intend to take Layer Six out of Kunxu—and now even Layers Two through Five? Even if it costs so many lives?”

“Cost?” Fu Xian Tian echoed.

He sighed. “Is that what’s been troubling you all along?”

His eyes locked onto Zhang Yu’s. “Do you remember what Dao Qiankun once said?”

“Reincarnation… exists.”

Instantly, Zhang Yu recalled Dao Qiankun’s words at the awards ceremony:

“Death is not the end—it is a new beginning.”

“Everyone who dies will be reborn, given another chance.”

“Do not fear death.”

Now, Fu Xian Tian repeated those very words, then added, “All beings who die in Layers Two through Five now will enter the Reincarnation System, awaiting rebirth in the new world.”

“Zhang Yu, they are not dead—they are merely about to begin anew.”

“In this world, true death is soul-scattering annihilation.”

“To enter reincarnation is simply to set out once more.”

Zhang Yu’s heart quaked again. “You already control reincarnation in Layers Two through Five?”

Fu Xian Tian smiled faintly and extended a finger. Instantly, a document appeared before Zhang Yu.

“This scripture is called the Hell Soul-Washing Sutra—a strategic-grade Immortal Sect technique. Though it’s since been expunged from the Daoist Canon and is now considered forbidden knowledge…”

“…its principles cut straight to the heart of the Reincarnation Dao.”

“What I’m sending you today is merely its introductory method. Practice it as instructed, and you’ll awaken memories from your past life.”

“Given your talent and resources, you should easily verify for yourself… that we have indeed mastered the power of reincarnation.”

Zhang Yu stared at the scripture in astonishment, then looked up at Fu Xian Tian. “You’re just giving this to me like this?”

Fu Xian Tian lowered his eyelids slightly. “Practice it. With your talent and current resources, mastering even the introductory method will cost you nothing.”

Zhang Yu gazed at the Hell Soul-Washing Sutra displayed in his ocular interface—and for a moment, hesitation flickered within him.

(End of Chapter)