Chapter 742: Money Can Move the Gods (Thanks to 'Above Destiny SSR' for tipping)

Chapter 742 Money Moves Mountains (With gratitude to "Beyond Destiny SSR" for the Silver Alliance donation)

As those thousand-mile-spanning eyes manifested across the vault of heaven, Zhang Yu’s ocular remains leaped in a frantic, convulsive dance.

It was as though a mobile phone, long shut down, had suddenly powered back on; torrents of notifications, advertisements, and missives cascaded through his ocular remains in relentless waves—decrees from the orthodox gods, toll notices from the spirit realm, grim warnings from the Heavenly Court, and smart advertisements from the spirit realm that had long lain stagnant.

The madly pulsing flash of light and shadow seemed intent on cramming in every message missed over the past dozen months all at once, nearly blinding Zhang Yu’s upward gaze.

In the very next instant, the sky representing the profound seal of the Great Nirvanic End utterly shattered and broke apart, and the manifested countenance of Fu Xiantian naturally burst into fragments along with it.

Immediately following, a truly world-shrouding colossus of a hand reached out from the fractured sky, and with a gentle squeeze of its palm, it scooped the countless shards of the firmament into its grasp.

At this moment, countless souls between heaven and earth bore witness to this staggering spectacle; particularly as they recalled how a sky that innumerable men had exhausted their lifeblood yet failed to uphold was now so effortlessly gathered away, they could not help but marvel in their hearts.

The Magnetic Pole Divine Lord likewise gazed upon this scene, thinking secretly to himself: "A single move to collect the profound seal of the Great Nirvanic End? It seems a great deity of the Heavenly Court has personally descended to the mortal plane."

Simultaneously, beams of divine light fell from beyond the heavens, in the blink of an eye poised to pierce through the domains from the second to the fifth layers; it was the descent of countless orthodox gods, preparing to seize governance of this world once more.

And at the far edge of the horizon, gates manifested one after another, from which stepped figures of mysterious aura and noble bearing, casting their gazes down upon the current state of the second to fifth layers.

True Lord Spark felt a stir in his heart: "Have the people of the sect arrived as well?"

Yet at this very moment of momentous upheaval for the world, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered slightly, and he discovered that the shattered sky, the descending great hand, the orthodox gods arriving from above, and the chaotic fifth layer had all vanished without a trace.

He had unexpectedly arrived inside a secret chamber, and standing before him was the silhouette of Fu Xiantian?

But in the next instant, Zhang Yu reacted immediately, realizing inwardly: "No, this is not reality. This is... Fu Xiantian’s memory?"

Zhang Yu understood that this was another fragment of memory passed down to him by Fu Xiantian; he had merely "recalled" this memory in a flash, and the process of this recollection, in the view of the real world, took no longer than a mere heartbeat.

And the Fu Xiantian before him was precisely the man speaking into a mirror.

Zhang Yu mused internally: "Did he pass a memory of himself speaking to a mirror to me?"

He heard the other speak: "Zhang Yu, since you have received this memory of mine, it appears the Heavenly Court’s premature descent has succeeded, and I have ultimately met with failure."

He let out a helpless sigh and said softly: "My personal failure matters little; it is only a pity that I have hindered Master’s grand design."

Having spoken, his eyes grew solemn as he stared into the mirror, his gaze seeming to transcend the barriers of memory, time, and space to look directly upon the Zhang Yu of this moment.

"In the end, it is because I am too weak. It is precisely because of this weakness that I could only attempt to lead the people of the second to fifth layers to forge a new world."

"And it is also because of this weakness that from the very moment I began, I understood I might face failure. But regardless, someone must always make the attempt."

Sighing with emotion, Fu Xiantian looked at Zhang Yu and continued with gravity: "Yet compared to my endeavor... the difficulty of the alternative path is vastly higher."

"To climb upward, to ascend to the absolute summit of this Kunxu, and then to transform Kunxu from the top down—this is perhaps the truest path, yet it is also the most arduous and impossible. Compared to carrying away the sixth layer, compared to destroying the second to fifth layers, compared to entering the sects, compared to ascending into immortality... it is far, far more difficult, difficult to the point of being nearly impossible to realize."

"After all, to rise to the apex using the methods and techniques of Kunxu, under its existing system and beneath the overarching doctrines of the Ten Great Immortal Emperors, is already fraught with a thousand hardships."

"And to blend with the secular dust during this process while preserving one's original intent, enduring and persisting without pause, makes it harder still."

"But just as I have said, even if failure is predestined, someone must still try."

Fu Xiantian walked forward pace by pace, giving Zhang Yu the sensation that the man was drawing closer and closer to him.

"I do not know if you have realized it, but you indeed possess a potential that is one in ten thousand. Perhaps there are not few cultivators who possess such potential, or who are even appreciated by immortals because of it."

"But of those who possess this potential and yet still harbor the desire to change Kunxu, you are the only one I have ever seen."

"If in the future you are still willing to try, do not forget the choice you made today, do not forget the thoughts you hold at this very moment..."

"Lastly..."

As the memory before his eyes gradually dissolved, Fu Xiantian’s final words echoed within Zhang Yu’s mind.

"The Samsara Immortal Emperor can be trusted for the time being. If he aids you, do not hesitate..."

By the time Zhang Yu collected his thoughts, Fu Xiantian’s silhouette had thoroughly vanished.

Simultaneously, streaks of divine light coalesced before Zhang Yu, ultimately transforming into a tall, magnificent figure that exuded an incomparably noble aura amidst the swirling divine radiance.

Beholding this figure, Zhang Yu thought to himself: "The Great Deity of All Living Manifestations..."

This great deity of the Department of the Masses, one of the Eight Departments of the Heavenly Court, was someone Zhang Yu had last seen during the awards ceremony of the Ten Grand Leagues.

Except at that time, the other was merely a projection; though equally noble, it lacked a sense of true reality.

But at this very moment, sensing the rolling pressure constantly emanating from the figure, the boundless and blazing heat continuously erupting from him, and the sky fragments and profound seal of the Great Nirvanic End suppressed within his hand...

All of this seemed to tell Zhang Yu that what appeared before him was no mere projection, but a true physical entity—an incredibly powerful entity, powerful beyond the scope of his comprehension.

Zhang Yu immediately bowed and saluted: "Greetings, Great Deity of All Living Manifestations..."

The great deity before him offered a gentle lift of his hand, looking upon Zhang Yu with a face full of appreciation: "Haha, Zhang Yu, you truly live up to being the champion of the Ten Grand Leagues of that year; you did not disappoint the expectations the Heavenly Court held for you back then."

"However, certain protocols must still be observed."

"Do not be nervous during the upcoming investigation. Speak truthfully to whatever is asked. No matter what occurs, I shall ensure your safety."

In the next instant, the figures of Zhang Yu and the Great Deity of All Living Manifestations vanished together into the sky.

……

At the same time, it was not only Zhang Yu who had vanished; with the descent of the orthodox gods' radiance, the original Cosmic Silver River Grand Array had been forcibly shut down.

And the Soul Transformation Divine Lords within the grand array—whether it was the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord, the Green Wood Divine Lord, the Vile Lotus Divine Lord, or the Chain Pivot Divine Lord and Treasure Path Divine Lord of the Righteous Qi Alliance—were all carried away directly by a pair of great hands, vanishing without a trace.

Beyond the Cosmic Silver River Grand Array, the eyes of countless cultivators flashed with notifications from the orthodox gods, commanding everyone to stand by on the spot and refrain from moving about at will.

Gazing at the silhouettes of the orthodox gods in the sky, a profound unease surged within the heart of True Lord Junior College.

"The Heavenly Court... has descended after all?"

"Should I take this chance to flee?"

Just as True Lord Junior College was lost in wild thoughts, he spotted a figure in the distance soaring into the sky, recklessly disregarding the warning in an attempt to fly away.

Seeing that figure take to the sky and instantly split into hundreds of avatars fleeing in all directions, True Lord Junior College’s heart tightened: "True Lord Heaven-Gulping?"

But in the next instant, the radiance of the orthodox gods in the sky transformed into chains, tightly binding every single avatar.

"Ha!" True Lord Heaven-Gulping bared his fangs and roared, a sound that caused the earth to tremble gradually.

Yet in the blink of an eye, as the chains of divine power tightened, the dharmic power, astral qi, and blood vitality upon his body—and even his various martial arts and Daoist techniques—were utterly suppressed.

And the earthquake, high temperatures, and earth-fiend gravity that had just been stirred up were smoothed away in unison, as though nothing had ever transpired.

Watching True Lord Heaven-Gulping being dragged away, True Lord Junior College immediately extinguished any thought of flight.

Meanwhile, True Lord Flowing Gold sighed at his side: "Foolish monkey. With a deity from the Department of the Masses descending in person, who could possibly escape?"

His gaze swept across the sky, and he lamented once more: "Not only the original orthodox gods of the second to fifth layers, but even the orthodox gods of the seventh to ninth layers have come down to reinforce them. The Heavenly Court is truly in earnest this time... Alas, not a single soul can hope to escape."

At this thought, his ocular remains began to twitch rapidly, prompting True Lord Junior College beside him to ask, "What are you doing?"

True Lord Flowing Gold glanced at him and said, "Selling off Nascent Souls, Golden Cores... everything that can be sold, and then buying Yu Bonds."

True Lord Junior College gasped in shock: "Ah?"

True Lord Flowing Gold explained, "Next, many people will be selling off their family estates; the earlier one sells, the less the loss. Moreover, the trading of Yu Bonds will likely be suspended very soon. Buying aggressively now means whatever can be bought is pure profit."

"The more Yu Bonds in hand, the more money one has, and the easier it will be to negotiate when facing the orthodox gods later."

……

Inside a quiet chamber.

After Zhang Yu was brought here by the Great Deity of All Living Manifestations, the deity vanished, and two orthodox gods arrived to begin questioning him.

One of the proper deities was named Xin Chougui, a commanding figure who appeared to be a formidable man sporting a thick, stubbly beard.

The other was somewhat of an acquaintance to Zhang Yu, being Deng Bingding, who had once presided over the Foundation Building examination on the first layer and was later promoted to the second.

Like the vast majority of other proper deities currently patrolling the second through fifth layers, these two had descended following the guidance of the Great Deity of All Living Things; possessing scant knowledge of the current situation across these layers, they were still in the stage of gathering data and investigating intelligence.

Deng Bingding smiled toward Zhang Yu, saying, "True Lord Zhuyi, there is no need to be tense. We are merely conducting routine official business and have a few matters we would like to ask you about."

Though Xin Chougui, arriving from the ninth layer, was not quite as gentle, he reined in the pride within his heart upon beholding the cultivator before him—who had been personally escorted here by the Great Deity of All Living Things—and said calmly, "True Lord Zhuyi, we must trouble you, then, to recount your experiences during this period after the disappearance of the sixth layer."

At the same time, he cautioned, "We shall cross-reference your testimony with the statements of others and the surveillance records of the divine power network, so please think carefully before you speak."

...

On the other side, Wang Yin gazed at the shifting changes in the sky, a surge of joy rising in his heart: "The Heavenly Court has descended? We won!"

Thinking of how he had survived, how his mother had survived, and the profits to be earned from the Feather Bonds in the future, Wang Yin grew more excited the more he pondered it.

"Had I known, I would have bought more Feather Bonds!"

Yet at that very moment, he discovered that he, along with many others from Netherworld University, had been pulled into a group chat.

Following this, someone issued a notification to them, demanding they hand over all manner of documents, data, access rights, and passwords belonging to the laboratories and companies.

As Wang Yin looked upon the contents of the notification, his heart sank instantly: "These are... people from the sects? They came down along with the Heavenly Court as well?"

"Judging by this stance, do they intend to take over the spatial technology companies and laboratories? Or perhaps even take over the entire university?"

...

Seeing the arrival of the sect representatives, Kuang Tianqing had already knelt with absolute proficiency, shouting, "We respectfully welcome the Senior Brothers of the Upper Sect descending to the lower realm to guide our work!"

Upon seeing this, the other faculty and students all around immediately followed suit and knelt down as well.

In the next instant, everyone’s ocular bones flickered as a call invitation popped up, though each required a payment of one spiritual coin.

Watching this scene play out, the crowd cursed the other party's shamelessness beneath their breath even as they paid the fee to listen to the speech.

Only then did the sect representative nod slightly, continuing, "During the period when communications were severed, you people here initiated a great many messy projects and even misappropriated a considerable amount of school property without undergoing approval from within the sect." "My purpose in coming this time is to sort through the situation and ultimately report everything item by item, leaving it to the sect to decide..."

After the sect representative departed, a man beside Kuang Tianqing said with deep resentment, "Damn it, we fought so hard to win against the Righteous Qi Alliance, only for the sect to come down and snatch the fruits of our labor, and we still have to play the grandson."

Kuang Tianqing said indifferently, "What do you mean, play the grandson? We *are* grandsons. No, wait... you think you're even qualified to be their grandson? It depends on whether they are willing to accept you."

"If they merely spin off the new companies or take away shares in them, you should secretly rejoice; at least they haven't penalized you for all sorts of violations and infringements."

He sighed inwardly: "The sects... when they were up there, perhaps they would still behave themselves. But having finally been let down this time, and at a moment like this... I fear many among them will be lawless and reckless, all wishing to seize this opportunity to frantically extract profit."

...

Within Immortal Weapon University.

The figure of a child went skipping and hopping all along the way, suddenly pointing to a building below and saying, "Grandpa, I want this company! The one that manufactures the Void Boxes."

"Nonsense!"

The elder beside him slapped the child on the head, scolding, "Grandpa set his eyes on this first, so how could it be your turn? You want to snatch it? Grandson, wait until you become a grandpa yourself before you talk."

...

In the Great Hollow of Kunxu's third layer, inside the building of the Research Association, a figure was currently standing within the office of the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord.

This was a young woman over two meters tall, with a slender and well-proportioned physique.

Shimmering above her head was her name: Yun Zhiguang.

Apart from this, there was no other information whatsoever, nor could any details be seen; it was as though these three words were already sufficient to explain everything.

Yun Zhiguang rubbed her eyes with a touch of impatience, remarking, "A wretched place like this still requires the use of ocular bones; it truly is backward enough."

However, as she looked through the files continuously popping up within her ocular bones, she suddenly burst into laughter: "Magnetic Pole did quite a splendid job. Not only did he establish this Research Association, but he even created a spatial technology company, and the market share of the Primordial Void Cloud Cache they produced is exceptionally high."

"Oh? This Zhang Yu performed rather well too, actually participating in the research and development, and even presiding over the subsequent Piercing of the Heavens..."

"Splendid, splendid. It seems I can recommend him to participate in the internal training of the sect, and then hand over the management of the lower layers to him."

But soon, as contents such as scattering red packets to break through the vault of heaven, triple wages, and triple interest were scanned by her one after another, Yun Zhiguang’s brow furrowed tightly.

"This absolute bastard."

"Where is he? Where is he right now?"

...

Xin Chougui and Deng Bingding listened silently as Zhang Yu recounted his experiences over the past dozen or so months, raising their own inquiries from time to time.

To this, Zhang Yu was naturally well-prepared. After all, to deal with Fu Xiantian, it was inevitable that they would welcome the descent of the Heavenly Court, so Zhang Yu had naturally prepared a set of rhetoric with Magnetic Pole, Qingmu, Yu Xinghan, and the others long ago.

And as they listened to Zhang Yu's narrative, the thoughts within the hearts of the two proper deities gradually began to fluctuate.

At the beginning, Zhang Yu had concentrated on his cultivation; though the speed at which he broke through to the Golden Core realm and Nascent Soul realm was swift, it merely caused a slight surprise to the two proper deities, far from leaving them shocked.

After all, in the eyes of these two proper deities, so long as one possessed sufficient spiritual coins and abundant resources, breaking through swiftly to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms had never been difficult for true prodigies.

Particularly after this great upheaval of heaven and earth, Zhang Yu had easily obtained the Golden Core Certificate and Nascent Soul Certificate, which meant passing the two most difficult hurdles; it was far too effortless compared to those cultivators of the past who had toiled in bitter cultivation yet could not achieve a legal breakthrough.

But soon, as they listened to Zhang Yu speak of the development of the Realm-Piercing Awl and the Primordial Void Cloud Cache, doubt gradually welled up in the hearts of both proper deities.

On one hand was astonishment at Zhang Yu mastering the Kunlun-in-the-Palm so rapidly; on the other hand was questioning how Zhang Yu had participated in the research and development of spatial technology.

And when they heard of Zhang Yu scattering red packets and shattering the vault of heaven with money, the confusion in their hearts rose to another level.

Xin Chougui could not help but ask, "True Lord Zhuyi, are you certain the figures you speak of are correct?"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "I believe there is no need for me to deceive you."

Xin Chougui and Deng Bingding exchanged a glance, the look with which they regarded Zhang Yu gradually shifting.

And later, upon hearing Zhang Yu recount the triple compensation, employing the entire world, the ten-billion heaven-mending project, the bonds with triple interest... and ultimately the matter of investing ten billion spiritual coins into the divine power network, the suspicion in Xin Chougui's heart exploded to the absolute limit.

Borrowing over ten billion spiritual coins from everyone across the second to fifth layers of Kunxu? And then investing these over ten billion spiritual coins into the divine power network?

Xin Chougui felt that no matter how he heard it, these words sounded like sleep-talking; at this moment, looking at Zhang Yu was akin to looking at a madman: "True Lord Zhuyi, are you certain what you say is true?"

"Perhaps you do not yet know that even without the control of proper deities, the divine power network will silently monitor and record everything that ought to be observed."

"And my colleagues are currently gathering the data therein."

Even as Xin Chougui conversed with Zhang Yu, his intent was connected to the spiritual realm, capable at any moment of exchanging information with other proper deities who were gathering information, reviewing accounts, repairing the spiritual realm, and inspecting the divine power network, accelerating the proper deities' regaining of control over the entire second to fifth layers.

Zhang Yu could understand the other party's shock and disbelief, stating casually, "Everything I have said is true. You may investigate as you please."

...

At the same time, the Magnetic Pole Divine Lord was also undergoing interrogation by proper deities.

"The research and development of the Primordial Void Cloud Cache relied primarily on Zhang Yu."

"His inspiration and creativity in artifact forging, as well as many of his designs regarding spatial technology, are already entirely no less than mine."

The Sin Lotus Divine Lord looked at the proper deities before him, stating indifferently, "Investing money into the Research Association, and later investing money to support Zhang Yu, were all decisions made by me."

"Had it not been for Zhang Yu shattering the sky with money and blasting open the vault of heaven with spiritual coins, this battle would have been an absolute defeat."

The Yin Spring Divine Lord said, "When I first heard that he intended to throw over ten billion spiritual coins to the poor, I too was shocked."

"But later I understood; this money could ultimately be earned back."

"Yet for Zhang Yu to subsequently conjure up ten billion in bonds—that completely exceeded my expectations."

“Now that I think about it, his move—transforming debt into self-debt—was truly unparalleled throughout eternity. In both temperament and audacity, he’s the only one I’ve ever seen like this.”

“Once all this is settled, I must sit down with him and learn a thing or two.”

Tunzhen Zhenjun let out a sharp laugh and barked, “Everyone assumes those beasts under Zhang Yu’s control were bred by him personally.”

“But I can see clearly—he absolutely stole my Daoist arts! He pilfered my Body-Division Technique!”

“He’s infringing on my intellectual property! Why aren’t you arresting him yet?”

Dazhuan Zhenjun stared at the celestial penalty notice before him, his legs buckling beneath him until he collapsed to his knees. “N-no… this has nothing to do with me! This calamity isn’t my fault at all!”

“I—I’m just a high school senior! The dark gods forced me into this position—I don’t know jack about talismans!”

“It’s all Zhang Yu’s doing! He must’ve framed himself somehow, piling false charges upon himself, just to disrupt the Divine Energy Network and cause this massive destruction and waste!”

In the Spirit Realm, Zhao Tianxing felt as though he were waking from an eternal dream.

He opened his eyes—and startled the Celestial Deities standing before him.

One of them asked curiously, “Why did you spend nearly all your wealth buying Yu Bonds until you couldn’t even think straight anymore?”

At the mention of Zhang Yu, Zhao Tianxing suddenly found his resolve. Calmly, he replied, “I trust Chairman Zhang.”

And so, Zhao Tianxing began recounting everything he’d experienced over the past year and a half, along with all his duties within the Spirit Realm.

…

Gengchen Yi was a Fifth-Rank Celestial Deity who had long overseen affairs at Wanfa University.

Ever since the Great Upheaval of Heaven and Earth—the disappearance of the Sixth Layer and the severed connection with the Fifth—Gengchen Yi had entered his darkest hour.

The loss of control over Layers Two through Five brought him blame.

His post vanished, leaving him wandering like a lost ghost through Layer Seven, scorned and ignored by all.

Only now, with the restoration of Layers Two through Five back under Heavenly Court authority, could Gengchen Yi finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After reviewing the records of the Divine Energy Network, however, his excitement grew by the moment.

“One hundred billion!”

“Zhang Yu actually poured in a full hundred billion spirit coins?!”

From utter despair, Gengchen Yi suddenly saw hope for redemption.

“How many years would it take all the Celestial Deities of Layers Two through Five combined to achieve such results? Yet Zhang Yu accomplished it in one fell swoop!”

He silently calculated, realizing that far from suffering losses, the Heavenly Court had actually profited immensely from this cosmic upheaval.

After triple-checking the accounts and tracing every flow of funds, he hurried off to seek an audience with Zhongsheng Tiansheng Dashen.

At that very moment, Zhongsheng Tiansheng Dashen gazed at Zhang Pianpian and said curiously, “You’ve got quite some nerve.”

“Don’t stay in the lower realms any longer.”

“Come back to the Heavenly Court with me.”

…

Meanwhile, inside Zhang Yu’s meditation chamber—

Xinchou Gui’s eyes kept flashing with testimonies, evidence, and data pouring in from every direction. All of it confirmed one undeniable fact: Zhang Yu had indeed spent over a hundred billion spirit coins casting talismans.

Both Xinchou Gui and Deng Bingding’s expressions shifted repeatedly—becoming increasingly polite, respectful, and gentle. Even their once-stiff spines gradually bent without their noticing.

Finally, Xinchou Gui bowed deeply before Zhang Yu and said, “Lord Zhuyi Zhenjun, thank you for your cooperation thus far. We’ve gathered enough information—we’ll take our leave now.”

Not long after the two Celestial Deities departed, a name appeared before Zhang Yu.

Staring at the name attempting to contact him, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Yun Zhiguang? Who’s that?”

(End of Chapter)