Chapter 740: The Poorest Person in History, He is the True God (Today 6,210 words)

Chapter 740: The Poorest Man in History—He Is the True God (Today’s word count: 6,210+)

Upon hearing Fu Xiantian’s words, Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned. Countless thoughts surged through his mind as he rapidly analyzed the basis and intent behind what the other had just said.

Fu Xiantian continued calmly, “The reason I know all this is simple—the Heretical God Codex can track the movements of heretical gods.”

“According to the Codex’s recorded trajectory, and judging by the sequence of individuals who appeared at the scene, you were the one who brought Xi Shen to the battlefield, while Bai Zhenzhen brought Fu Shen there.”

“Shortly after your convergence, Fu Shen remained present—but Xi Shen vanished without a trace.”

Fu Xiantian locked eyes with Zhang Yu and stated bluntly, “Fu Shen… devoured Xi Shen, didn’t he?”

“And the only plausible reason you’d willingly hand over Xi Shen is that you’re a believer of Fu Shen.”

Zhang Yu met Fu Xiantian’s gaze with serene composure, showing no sign of alarm at having his secret uncovered—or perhaps he simply understood that panic would serve no purpose now.

Moreover, his relationship with Fu Shen wasn’t like that of other heretical gods and their followers. He and Fu Ji had never made any pact stipulating that exposure meant death. Thus, Fu Xiantian’s mere insight into the truth posed no immediate threat to Zhang Yu’s life.

Fu Xiantian pressed on, “If your identity as a heretical god’s follower were exposed, do you truly believe they’d still trust you?”

Meeting Fu Xiantian’s piercing stare, Zhang Yu replied coolly, “And who would believe you? Would they trust you—a so-called righteous alliance leader bent on slaughtering countless lives—or me, the man who gave them jobs worth tens of billions of spirit coins?”

Zhang Yu sighed reflectively, “Most people in Levels Two through Five simply want to earn more money, live better lives, and advance further along the path of immortality.”

“So whoever helps them make money becomes their god. If a heretical god offers them good work, then even a heretical god can be seen as righteous.”

Fu Xiantian nodded slowly, as if already envisioning how the masses would dismiss such an accusation once it spread—and might even defend Zhang Yu themselves.

But then, with surgical precision, Fu Xiantian exposed the flaw in Zhang Yu’s reasoning: “It’s all about profit, isn’t it? You bind them with benefits now—but what happens when Heaven’s Court descends? Can you really hold onto all these people then?”

“Even if they continue trusting you, what about Heaven’s Court? You won’t escape their reckoning.”

“Everything you’ve built will ultimately be stripped from you.”

“Levels Two through Five of Kunxu will revert to how they once were…”

“And you cannot stop me now.”

Fu Xiantian looked at Zhang Yu with grave sincerity before concluding, “But Zhang Yu—you possess potential. That’s why I’m willing to give you a chance. Until the very moment this world is destroyed, I’ll keep offering you that chance.”

As Fu Xiantian’s projection faded away, Zhang Yu felt an ever-deepening weight settle upon his heart.

He had initially assumed Fu Xiantian came to negotiate—to threaten him with the revelation of his heretical allegiance.

But now, after their exchange, he realized his assumption had been wrong.

“This wasn’t negotiation,” Zhang Yu murmured inwardly. “It was more like an interview.”

“Just like our last conversation…” He raised his eyes toward the sky, watching the heavens slowly descend, and thought, “He’s using these talks to assess my character, my convictions—to determine whether I’m worthy of joining his plan.”

At that realization, Zhang Yu’s heart sank further. “That means Fu Xiantian remains utterly confident—even now, he doesn’t believe he’ll lose?”

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind, but he quickly banished them, refocusing entirely on the construction site before him.

No matter how confident Fu Xiantian might be, it wouldn’t sway Zhang Yu’s resolve.

With a thunderous eruption of terrestrial gravitational force, the earth split open, mountains shattered, and rivers fractured—the entire worksite began reshaping heaven and earth itself.

To accelerate the reconstruction of the Celestial Star Array, Zhang Yu personally joined the project. Alongside his fifteen beast avatars and Tianri Huangshen, every move they made shook the world.

As for the avatar bearing the memories of Zhanxian Zhenjun—it remained securely confined, as always.

Not far from where Zhang Yu channeled his power, Jin Jun commanded Tianri Huangshen, diligently performing civil engineering tasks.

Watching Jin Jun shovel dirt back and forth, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but say, “Xiao Jin, if you’re not good at construction work, just go back to the lab.”

Jin Jun hurriedly replied, “Boss Zhang, I’ve actually loved construction sites since I was a kid! In high school, I wanted to major in civil engineering—but my dad insisted I go into artifact forging instead.”

“Now that I finally have the chance, please let me stay and learn from you on-site. Every glance I take here feels like progress!”

Zhang Yu shook his head. “Dig all you want—but remember to follow task specifications. Subpar work means redoing it.”

With hundreds of billions of spirit coins poured in, under Zhang Yu’s direction, the entirety of Kunxu’s Fifth Level transformed overnight into a colossal factory.

Tens of billions of people flooded into Level Five like a tidal wave, guided by countless soul cultivators, Spirit Realm projections, and assigned construction tasks, surging toward every corner of the level and driving the array-modification project forward at unprecedented speed.

When the first phase of reconstruction concluded, streams of terrestrial gravitational energy erupted from the Celestial Star Array, soaring skyward like black pillars thrusting against the descending firmament.

As more tasks were completed, more black pillars rose to meet the heavens, desperately slowing the collapse of the sky.

Meanwhile, modifications to the outer array triggered changes within the inner formation. Inside the Zhou Tian Milky Way Array, the ten Core Formation experts sensed waves of spiritual essence flowing toward them. Threads of array power began reinforcing their bodies, restoring their strength and amplifying their abilities.

Yu Xinghan gazed upward, data on the sky’s collapse continuously flashing across his ocular implants.

“The descent speed of the firmament… is decreasing,” he thought silently. “Spending a hundred billion spirit coins on patching the sky actually worked!”

But soon, he noticed something troubling—the descent had slowed, yet it hadn’t stopped entirely.

Studying the figures, Yu Xinghan estimated grimly, “At most three or four days… and the falling sky will still smash through the entire Fifth Level.”

“Damn it—all this manpower and resources spent, and we still can’t stop Fu Xiantian?”

Elsewhere, on the Nascent Soul battlefield—

Ci Ji Shenjun watched the heavens continue their inexorable fall and sighed, “If even Level Five’s defenses can only delay the descent temporarily, then once it breaks through, Levels Four, Three, and Two will be even less capable of resistance. The collapse will accelerate dramatically.”

Qing Mu Shenjun responded helplessly, “Civil engineering used to be immensely powerful—after all, building Kunxu itself relied heavily on advanced construction techniques. But just like ancient artisans who built imperial tombs, once Kunxu was complete, those powerful methods were sealed away.”

“With the limited civil engineering knowledge we possess today, no matter how much manpower and wealth we invest, we ultimately can’t withstand Fu Xiantian’s sect-defining treasure.”

On the construction site—

Xing Huo Zhenjun darted at blinding speed, shattering rubble and completing one civil engineering task after another, laying the foundation for the array’s transformation.

His eyes occasionally flickered toward the sky, and inwardly he lamented, “Is it truly hopeless? Then our only hope lies in dragging things out these next few days—long enough for Heaven’s Court to descend.”

Outside rows of towering buildings—

Bai Zhenzhen unleashed blazing white sword qi, slicing through structure after structure, demolishing buildings to clear space for the expanding array.

Gazing up at the still-descending sky, worry etched deep into her face, she muttered anxiously, “Why is it still falling? We’ve dumped insane amounts of money into this—if it fails anyway, wasn’t it all wasted? Doesn’t that mean Yu Zi and I are stuck being broke right before we die? Dying poor—that’s the worst!”

Nearby, Chang Buxiu kept pushing his cart, shuttling materials across the site.

He glanced upward from time to time, his ocular implants constantly updating with Spirit Realm newsfeeds filled with calculations estimating the sky’s collapse rate.

Reading these posts, Chang Buxiu thought bitterly, “I finally got triple pay—I finally earned real money. How dare you destroy everything now?”

“Keep working!”

With renewed determination, he sped up again, grabbing an extra dose of potent stimulants from the supply station and swallowing it whole.

Le Muolan, distributing the drugs, stared at the darkening, descending sky. To her, it seemed like a colossal hand blotting out the sun, poised to crush everyone beneath it.

Her heart sank with every inch the heavens fell. “Can even a hundred billion spirit coins not stop this?”

More and more people sensed the relentless progression of the celestial collapse—especially those laboring on Level Five’s construction sites, who watched the sky descend visibly before their eyes.

The psychological toll of witnessing the world’s imminent destruction weighed heavily on everyone.

Particularly crushing was the realization that despite Nascent Soul experts holding up the heavens and a hundred billion spirit coins spent trying to mend the sky, the collapse could not be fully halted. For the people of Kunxu, this was a devastating blow.

“A hundred billion spirit coins couldn’t fix it? Then what possibly can stop the sky from falling?”

As time passed, despair quietly spread through countless hearts.

Especially among those who had received triple wages and watched their spirit coin balances soar—they now faced the approaching apocalypse and impending death with bitter unwillingness and profound despair.

When this despair stretched into the final day of Heaven’s Collapse, as the sky drew ever closer and its crushing weight grew ever more terrifying, even some Kunxu residents halted their work, desperate to flee the Fifth Layer…

Zhao Tianxing messaged Zhang Yu: “Boss Zhang, more and more people are abandoning their posts—what should we do?”

Yu Xinghan: “Heaven’s Collapse is accelerating again!”

Feng Tingting: “True Lord Zhuyi, some Nascent Soul cultivators can’t hold on anymore.”

Ying Xin: “True Lord! Our funds are running out!”

Gazing at the cascade of urgent messages, Zhang Yu could already picture countless faces twisted in panic.

“Sister.”

Zhang Yu’s figure slowly ascended toward the heavens. Staring up at the sky, he murmured, “That method you mentioned before—is it really true?”

Zhang Pianpian replied, “Of course it’s true. But you’ve already spent every last coin you had. Even if you wanted to use that method now, you couldn’t.”

“But don’t regret it. If even a hundred billion spirit coins poured into patching the sky couldn’t fully stop Heaven’s Collapse, then spending that same sum on my method probably wouldn’t have worked either.”

“All I can hope for is that Heaven’s Court descends before the sky utterly smashes through Layers Two to Five.” Zhang Pianpian sighed, then added gently, “Zhang Yu… maybe it’s time to start organizing an evacuation from the Fifth Layer.”

Yet as Zhang Yu stared at the sky looming just above him, his gaze hardened with resolve. “No… there’s still money.”

Zhang Pianpian frowned. “Still money?”

As far as she knew, Zhang Yu had already poured every asset he owned, every loan he could secure, every investment he’d raised—all of it—into the Hundred-Billion Sky-Patching Project.

Zhang Yu didn’t answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, his decision already made.

In the next moment, his projection once again spread across the land.

“You’ve all likely heard by now—the sky is about to crush through the Fifth Layer.”

“And once it hits the ground, it will swiftly pierce through all five layers, shatter the protective arrays, annihilate every Nascent Soul Sovereign, and then smash through Layers Four to Two at an even faster pace.”

“To stop this, I need spirit coins—to activate the Divine Power System and unleash the might of the True God Talismans. I need a great, great many spirit coins.”

“So I’ve decided to issue corporate bonds—to raise funds from all of society.”

“The interest rate on these bonds is already set at triple the market average.”

Even as Zhang Yu spoke, the bonds—named “Yu Bonds”—went on sale.

“My creditworthiness, you all know well. I will repay this debt. Even if I personally cannot, my entire company will.”

“Even if I must stake everything—Future Shared Cloud Vault, lending platforms, construction firms… even if I must pledge every future profit from every company I own—I will repay it.”

Zhang Yu roared across the skies of Layers Two through Five: “Everyone… please lend me your money! Let us stop Heaven’s Collapse together! Let us survive together! Let us make a fortune together!”

At that very moment, Zhang Yu sent the sales link for the Yu Bonds to every soul in Kunxu’s Layers Two through Five who could be reached through the Spirit Realm network.

On a construction site, a junior-college-level True Lord earning his wages gaped in shock: “Borrowing money from the whole world? Is this guy planning to run off with it?”

Tun Tian True Lord snarled, “Damn it! Trying to scam me? Not a single coin from me!”

But beside him, Liu Jin True Lord silently calculated in his mind: “Hmm… maybe I should buy.”

Soon enough, both the junior-college True Lord and Tun Tian True Lord saw the Yu Bond sales begin to surge.

Zhao Tianxing quietly invested all his spirit coins into the bonds, his consciousness freezing momentarily, thought suspended.

Le Mulan sold off her entire stock of elixirs, mortgaged her Dharma Remains, and wired the proceeds to Zhang Yu.

Yu Xinghan maxed out loans from every major lending platform and sent the funds straight to Zhang Yu.

Qingtian Sword Spirit stared at Bai Zhenzhen in furious disbelief: “You’re going to mortgage me?! Aren’t you afraid he’ll abscond with the money? If he defaults, I won’t belong to you anymore!”

Bai Zhenzhen simply said, “I want to help him.”

Qingtian Sword Spirit sighed, “How has our Passion Sect come to this!”

Shi Huaiyu, heart aching, liquidated all his stocks and virtual currencies, bought Yu Bonds with tears in his eyes, muttering, “Damn it… you’d better punch a hole right through that sky. This is the biggest investment of my life—if I lose, I lose not just my money, but my life too.”

Xiao Yunji, long since ascended to Golden Core, now transformed into a high-speed train to transport supplies as a civil engineering prodigy. Seeing the Yu Bond link pop up before her, she wordlessly clicked “purchase.”

Chang Buxiu furiously tapped the Yu Bond icon flashing in his Eye Remnant, pouring every last spirit coin he owned into it, roaring inwardly: “True Lord Zhuyi isn’t just saving us—he’s taking everyone along to make money! He’s sharing the company’s future profits with us all!”

On the Spirit Realm network, Ji Yuanshu, operating heavy machinery, also bought Yu Bonds.

Once burdened by multiple credit cards, ruined by karmic backlash, and bankrupted, he hadn’t invested in anything since becoming a Soul Cultivator.

But now, he decided to place another pivotal bet in his life.

The former Sixth-Layer Lord thought to himself: “Zhang Yu… save the Fifth Layer. At least… don’t let it be destroyed like the Sixth was.”

Amidst violently shaking concrete, Ping Han—the Soul Cultivator—controlled his Vibrating Talisman, sending rhythmic pulses through the mixture.

To advance the Sky-Patching Project, even criminals like him had been temporarily permitted to join the construction crews.

Though he’d gone from manipulating Yin Artifacts to operating Vibrating Talismans, his instincts remained sharp.

Now, seeing the Yu Bond link appear, Ping Han immediately purchased it, investing every spirit coin he’d earned from days of labor.

Fu Xinyao, witnessing this, gasped, “You’re lending money to Zhang Yu?”

“It’s not lending—it’s investing,” Ping Han corrected coolly. “Zhang Yu and I may have grievances, but that won’t cloud my investment judgment.”

He elaborated calmly: “If Zhang Yu succeeds in halting Heaven’s Collapse and we all survive, these Yu Bonds will surely bring me profit.”

“And if he fails, we all die—so what use is money then?”

“Besides, I’ve studied Zhang Yu’s companies. Future Shared Cloud Vault alone holds immense profit potential, and with backing from major Nascent Souls and the Ten Academies, repayment is guaranteed.”

As he vibrated the concrete, he added, “I, Ping Han, have risen and fallen countless times—soared to the clouds, sunk into the mud, lost everything ten times over. But based on a lifetime of investing, I say this gamble is worth it. This time… I will win!”

“Fu Xinyao, for the sake of our years working together, I urge you—buy as much as you can.”

“You’ve got a point,” Fu Xinyao said, giving his Vibrating Talisman a thoughtful shake before nodding slowly.

At first, Yu Bond sales grew only gradually—but soon they surged, exploding at a staggering rate.

From Nie Lian True Lord’s vantage, Zhang Yu’s debt ballooned wildly behind him, growing like a black hole devouring everything around it.

“Ten billion… twenty billion…”

Nie Lian True Lord muttered in awe, “Just how much can this man possibly owe?”

Qian Kui True Lord of Immortal Soldier University watched streams of numbers flash before his eyes as he estimated, “Fifty billion? A hundred billion? Damn it—how can these penniless wretches trust him so blindly? So Zhang Yu just threw away a fortune—and now he’s borrowed it all back?”

Watching Zhang Yu’s debt swell like an insatiable void, Yin Quan True Lord’s eyes gleamed with admiration: “In and out—he’s turned a hundred billion into two hundred billion’s worth of effect. Brilliant… truly brilliant. If I ever get the chance, I must sit down with young Zhang Yu and learn from him.”

With that, Yin Quan True Lord himself purchased a massive quantity of Yu Bonds.

Zhi Pan True Lord of Vajra University—the very dean who had refined Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul—sighed, “It’s not just doubling the effect. That hundred-billion debt will become Zhang Yu’s greatest shield.”

Even as he spoke, Zhi Pan True Lord quietly began buying Yu Bonds himself.

…

On the construction site, Miao Shou True Lord mused, “Zhang Yu… has taken on over a hundred billion in debt. Even if he stops Heaven’s Collapse and saves all living beings, how long will it take him to repay? His companies’ profits will all go to debt servicing.”

Beside him, Tian Sha True Lord shook his head. “Miao Shou, you still don’t see it—that’s precisely what makes it divine.”

“If he hadn’t taken on this debt, do you think those above would let him keep Future Shared Cloud Vault once they descend?”

Tian Sha True Lord mused aloud, “A hundred billion in debt has instantly transformed Zhang Yu and his company from a coveted prize into a scalding hot potato—scaring off legions who’d set their sights on him.”

“But that’s not even the best part. What comes next… that’s where the real genius lies.”

Heaven-Slaying True Lord gazed up at the sky, where divine radiance swelled ever brighter, and watched the Divine Power Network begin to boil as torrents of capital poured into it.

“Since this money has been funneled into the Divine Power Network,” he said, “it’s effectively been handed over to the Heavenly Court—who could possibly renege on such a debt?”

He turned his head toward Skillful Hand True Lord. “If you were an orthodox deity and, upon descending to Layer Five, suddenly found one hundred billion spirit coins deposited into your Divine Power Network account—what would you think?”

Skillful Hand True Lord paused, momentarily stunned, then looked toward Zhang Yu, wreathed in concentric halos of celestial light high above. With a sigh, he murmured, “He is the true god.”

With that, both Nascent Soul-stage True Lords promptly purchased Yu Bonds themselves.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Great College True Lord stared at Flowing Gold True Lord in astonishment. “Are you saying the Heavenly Court will absolutely protect him?”

Flowing Gold True Lord replied coolly, “If someone who’s spent one hundred billion can’t be protected, then the Heavenly Court’s orthodox deities might as well pack up and quit. So the outcome here is simple: either we all die together and go bankrupt together, or we all survive together and profit together. And as for Zhang Yu… he’ll become the poorest man in history.”

Watching Devouring Heaven True Lord and Great College True Lord silently begin buying Yu Bonds, Flowing Gold True Lord—a graduate of Youming University’s Finance Department—concealed a flicker of disdain in his eyes.

“A bunch of low-education fools. If not for joining the Righteous Alliance, and given that construction sites nowadays don’t require degrees, how else would you ever have crossed paths with me—let alone received my guidance?”

Of course, Flowing Gold True Lord’s advice wasn’t offered out of kindness.

He merely hoped more people would buy Yu Bonds, thereby increasing Zhang Yu’s chances of success and reducing the risk of his own investment.

In that moment, whether they were Core Formation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or even mere Qi Refining cultivators—all began frantically purchasing Yu Bonds.

Perhaps not every worker in Layer Five bought them, but many who had never set foot in Layer Five now eagerly poured their funds into Yu Bonds nonetheless.

At this instant, Zhang Yu, holding oceans of capital, had become the richest man across Layers Two through Five.

Yet simultaneously, as he relentlessly channeled those vast sums of spirit coins into the Divine Power Network—and as his debts ballooned without cease—he was destined to become the poorest man alive.

Ever since the orthodox deities vanished, cultivators in Layers Two through Five had lost the ability to activate Heavenly Court talismans using spirit coins.

But now, under the guidance of Zhang Pianpian—half-god incarnate—as Zhang Yu poured wave after wave of spirit coins into the Divine Power Network, the long-dormant orthodox talismans began to awaken once more.

(End of Chapter)