Chapter 767: A Young Man Came to the Imperial Dharma Pavilion

Chapter 767: A Young Man Arrives at the Yufa Pavilion

After concluding his conversation with Instructor Hongjian, Yu Xinghan returned to his room to resume his cultivation for the day.

Indeed, the sect’s conditions far surpassed those of any university. Each trainee had been granted a private chamber—hundreds of square meters in size—fully equipped with every manner of cultivation apparatus.

Standing within his room, Yu Xinghan took a deep breath and immediately felt dense spiritual energy flood his lungs. Merely breathing here increased his magical power. If he actively practiced absorption techniques, the rate of his cultivation surged dramatically compared to when he’d been in the lower realms.

Moreover, ever since ascending to the eleventh floor, Yu Xinghan had noticed a marked acceleration in his comprehension of martial arts. One by one, the techniques he’d mastered were leveling up, hurtling toward the peak of the Golden Core realm—level thirty.

He could sense it wouldn’t be long before all his foundational stats reached the Golden Core apex. Every technique he’d learned—even those illicit, unlicensed ones he’d secretly acquired—could soon be pushed to level thirty.

Such cultivation efficiency was beyond anything his past self could have imagined.

“The sect has everything… except…”

Yu Xinghan glanced at a flicker in the group chat:

“I just downloaded a technique from the Transmission Pavilion and broke through to level ten. You should give it a try too.”

Another trainee had just used the Dharma Realm to download and instantly break through a technique, sharing the news gleefully in the group.

Watching this, Yu Xinghan sighed inwardly: “No matter how fast I go, I can never match their efficiency.”

“With direct memory infusion into the mind, even skill-based techniques can be instantly mastered.”

“And if paired with celestial-grade materials, even cultivation methods requiring long-term accumulation can leap multiple levels at once.”

He mused further: “The stronger one’s Dao-heart and willpower, the more memory infusion one can endure—and the more frequently one can undergo such breakthroughs, each time gaining even greater leaps.”

“And if one combines this with Dharma Pills to enter heightened cognitive states… the progress becomes even swifter…”

At that thought, his mind stirred, and the Dharma Realm projected the interface of the Transmission Pavilion before him. Countless techniques unfurled in an overwhelming cascade.

Especially the immortal sect’s proprietary manuals—they made Yu Xinghan’s mouth water.

But their prices, whether in Immortal Coins or Merit Points, were far beyond what he could afford right now.

He stared at a loan advertisement flashing beside the list, took a deep breath, and silently chose to close it—only to find he could shut the technique list but not the ad itself. Closing the ad required extra Immortal Coins.

Moments later, another notification appeared—a dual cultivation invitation from a fellow trainee.

Fang Jieyi: “Little brother, let big sister guide you a bit~”

The image of that beautiful elder sister surfaced in his mind, followed by fleeting glimpses of Li Xuelian and scenes of various trainees engaging in mutual cultivation exercises.

Yu Xinghan knew well that the path of dual cultivation was vast as the ocean. It wasn’t merely about boosting base stats—that was far too simplistic for a pillar practice of the Sect of Joyful Union.

Most disciples in the sect had already maxed out their foundational stats, held back only by rank restrictions and certification requirements. Thus, their dual cultivation techniques focused not on raw stats, but on refining and enhancing their professional capabilities.

Every time he saw them advancing together, every time he read their enthusiastic recommendations in the group chat, Yu Xinghan felt as though he was still running on foot while everyone else had already taken flight.

This technological chasm in the Dao of Immortality—the constant sensation of being left behind—gnawed at his heart.

“At this rate… can I really catch up to these sect elites?”

For the first time, a sliver of doubt crept into Yu Xinghan’s mind.

But soon, Zhang Yu’s warning echoed in his thoughts:

“Only by refusing Dharma Pills, rejecting dual cultivation, and locking down memory permissions… can you ascend higher in the future?”

“That means enduring being behind—for a very long time?”

All it would take was a single thought: apply for a loan, unlock memory permissions, pop pills, download techniques, and join the others in dual cultivation…

Yu Xinghan could vividly imagine it—one simple mental command, and his cultivation would skyrocket again, laying the groundwork for greater professional prowess and future wealth.

Such a grand path of immortality lay right before him—and yet he had to refuse it. He sighed again, deeply: “It’s truly hard to resist.”

“If not for Zhang Yu… I probably would’ve surrendered long ago.”

…

Just as Yu Xinghan wrestled with his frustration, a message from his instructor flashed before Zhang Yu’s eyes:

“Zhang Yu, your teacher knows you climbed up from the lower realms. Your finances can’t compare to those of native upper-realm trainees.”

“But every inch forward on the Immortal Path costs money.”

“Take this—it’s for you.”

Touched, Zhang Yu opened the link—only to find it was an invitation link for new users of Dharma Pills.

With a mere thought, he could claim and use one free Dharma Pill infusion.

He muttered inwardly: “This guy… is just using me to complete his new-user referral task, isn’t he?”

When he arrived at the classroom, enthusiastic classmates kept approaching him.

“Zhang Yu! Even if you’re falling behind, we’ll never abandon you!” Someone gripped his hands earnestly. “Here’s a discount coupon for the latest technique—just mention my name!”

“Zhang Yu, I’m so impressed you passed the entrance exam fairly from below! I’ve applied for you to receive backup cultivation power from the Heavenly Court—go ahead and use it!”

“Zhang Yu, I’m giving you these companies—just sign the contracts, and from today on, you’re their legal representative!”

At first, Zhang Yu thought perhaps he’d misunderstood the sect.

“But every single time… every time I start feeling a bit warm toward you lot, you open your mouths and spew nonsense.”

Pills, sales pitches, debt traps, desperate pleas for heirs in exchange for riches—Zhang Yu felt none of these “sect elites” saw him as human anymore. They were all scheming to extract every drop of his cultivation potential.

Fu Ji sighed: “They really treat lower-realm folks like country bumpkins—do they think we know nothing?”

Zhan Xian explained: “To them, anyone stepping into the sect for the first time is a new user. And if that new user is a formally admitted Sect Administrator? That signals immense potential.”

“If they can drain decades—even centuries—of your future cultivation potential in one go, it’s a hefty profit for them.”

“Just endure a little longer. Once training ends and you enter the Yufa Pavilion, things will improve…”

Zhang Yu shook his head. Beyond these predatory schemes, he felt the relentless pull of temptations—memory permissions, loans, Dharma Pills, dual cultivation—each day demanding he say no, again and again.

To him, these shortcuts to immortality were like silken threads winding tighter around him. The moment he hesitated, he’d be ensnared—and hooked like a fish on a line.

Still, he could withstand all that. His immediate concern was Instructor Hongjian’s looming threat: remedial dual cultivation tutoring.

“Haven’t you finished yet?” Zhang Yu asked.

“Almost,” Zhan Xian replied. “But forged data needs a source. Have you decided who it’ll be?”

…

The next day, as Hongjian reviewed assignments, he was startled to find Zhang Yu ranked near the top.

“His dual cultivation records improved this much?”

“But no video submission?”

Suspicion flickered in Hongjian’s mind.

In the old days, before the Dharma Realm existed, he’d have had to summon Zhang Yu to his office and watch him perform the assignment live.

But now, things were simpler.

Hongjian merely checked Zhang Yu’s self-inspection report—and could verify the data’s authenticity at once.

After all, in his view, Zhang Yu might lie, and even videos could be faked—but the readings from the Myriad Dharmas Steward? Those couldn’t be falsified.

“Seeing is deceiving; data reveals truth,” Hong Jian mused… To him, the figures logged by the Myriad Methods Steward were far more trustworthy than his own eyes.

And with that glance, Hong Jian chuckled aloud: “Top-ranked in frequency, consistency, and output. Has he… finally awakened?”

As for the missing video submission—Hong Jian dismissed it as trivial: “Probably just another eccentricity of the lower classes.”

What did surprise him, however, was Zhang Yu’s cultivation partner.

“Le Mu Lan? Isn’t she that outsourced worker brought up by Yu Xing Han?”

…

Inside the room, Zhang Yu and Le Mu Lan exhaled in relief as they watched their assignment pass inspection.

With Zhan Xian’s aid, they had forged their dual-cultivation data, tricking the Myriad Methods Steward into accepting the falsified results. Zhang Yu knew well that the Law-Severing Talisman could distort detection outcomes—this very property had long shielded certain secrets of his.

Yet this latest version of the talisman… was no longer the one once wielded by Lord Zhan Xian. Moreover, Lord Zhan Xian himself had never used it to fabricate dual-cultivation records. Fortunately, it had still worked in the end.

“Now… I won’t have to worry about being labeled unenthusiastic in dual cultivation anymore. I’ve taken another step toward truly integrating into the sect.”

Beside them, Ye Xing Li watched Zhang Yu and Le Mu Lan, a flicker of resentment flashing through her heart: “I’m the one my junior brother originally brought in as an outsourced worker. Why did he choose her as his partner?”

Meanwhile, back in Hong Jian’s office, the message before him stirred memories of the recent scene.

Just as he’d prepared to personally tutor Yu Xing Han and True Lord Xing Huo, a mysterious woman had contacted him—forcing him to suspend the remedial lessons.

This left Hong Jian sighing inwardly: “The skies over our sect grow ever darker. Who would’ve thought I’d end up saddled with two such hopeless students?”

A week later, training concluded, and the disciples dispersed to report to their assigned departments.

Most departments of the Myriad Methods Sect, like the training academy itself, resided within Zhongji Heaven.

Zhang Yu’s posting—the Bureau of Law Regulation—and Yu Xing Han’s destination—the Hall of Martial Demonstration—lay in roughly the same direction.

In stark contrast, True Lord Xing Huo and Li Xue Lian were headed to the Shun Tian Hall, situated almost diametrically opposite.

Thus, upon stepping out of the academy gates, the two groups parted ways.

True Lord Xing Huo clapped both youths on the shoulder. “If anything comes up, contact me anytime. Your old teacher may not have made much of a name for himself in the Myriad Methods Sect, but I still know a few people.”

“And remember—borrow moderately, don’t overdose on pills, and keep dual cultivation to a minimum…”

After these parting words, True Lord Xing Huo turned and departed with Li Xue Lian.

Zhang Yu, Yu Xing Han, Ye Xing Li, and Le Mu Lan soared skyward from the floating island, racing toward the Myriad Methods Sect’s colossal, city-like spire that pierced heaven and earth.

Suddenly, Zhang Yu felt a sharp jolt in his lower abdomen—it was Bai Zhen Zhen’s immortal spirit root, teleported inside without warning.

“Ah Zhen?” Zhang Yu’s heart stirred, and he instantly transmitted his own Feather Spirit Root across the void.

Bai Zhen Zhen’s soft huff echoed immediately in his mind.

“I’ve finally finished my training,” she said. “I’m reporting to the Celestial Patrol Pavilion now. What about you all?”

Zhang Yu sighed. “It’s over…”

He quickly recounted their recent experiences.

Bai Zhen Zhen groaned. “I thought the Sword Heaven Sect was full of lunatics—that was already miserable enough. But your Myriad Methods Sect is even worse! Every step forward feels like walking into a trap!”

As they chatted, catching each other up, Zhang Yu and the others arrived at the 11th-floor administrative zone of the Bureau of Law Regulation.

“You go ahead—I need to get to the Hall of Martial Demonstration,” Yu Xing Han pointed upward. “They’re really close. Maybe we’ll see each other every day from now on.”

Zhang Yu understood: the Bureau of Law Regulation, which handled approvals for immortal arts copyrights, and the Hall of Martial Demonstration, responsible for martial research and development, both fell under the Myriad Methods Hall—one of the sect’s core divisions, overseeing the direction of all immortal arts innovation. Most other units stationed on the 11th floor clustered nearby, so chances were high he’d frequently cross paths with Yu Xing Han and Le Mu Lan.

After bidding farewell, Zhang Yu and Ye Xing Li entered the Bureau’s main building and followed directions to Human Resources for registration.

Once paperwork was complete, Zhang Yu officially became a Grade-1 Sect Affairs Clerk—and received a full map of the Bureau.

Simultaneously, the Bureau’s introductory manual unfolded before him, page by page.

“The core department of the Bureau is the Review Division.”

“Under it are specialized teams reviewing copyrights for Daoist arts, martial techniques, artifact forging… all manner of immortal arts.”

“A crucial part of copyright review is cross-referencing existing registered immortal arts.”

“Therefore, qualified personnel may apply for access to the Daoist Canon. Upon approval, they can connect via the ‘Pavilion of Seeking the Dao’ to consult archives on various immortal arts…”

At this, Zhang Yu’s heart leapt. “Something the Ten Great Leagues strive desperately to touch—here, it’s available upon simple application.”

As the thought crossed his mind, a three-dimensional map of the entire Bureau materialized before him.

Simultaneously, he successfully linked to the Bureau’s internal Dharma Realm.

A work interface unfolded instantly before his eyes, displaying his first task of the day: Report to Martial Arts Team Three of the Review Division.

Zhang Yu knew this team would become his workplace.

With a mental command, the location of the Review Division appeared on the map, and a long translucent line projected before him, stretching straight to Martial Arts Team Three.

Upon entering the team’s office, Zhang Yu found a vast space bustling with outsourced workers of all kinds—sect clerks like himself were rare amidst the crowd.

…

Inside the office, the team leader, Qu Yi Zhi, cast down a projection.

He glanced at Zhang Yu and smiled. “You must be Zhang Yu? The prodigy who aced the entrance exam—I’ve been eagerly awaiting you.”

Zhang Yu studied Qu Yi Zhi before him—a Nascent Soul cultivator at Rank Three—who would now be his direct superior.

“Perfect timing,” Qu Yi Zhi continued. “We have a heavy responsibility that only someone of your caliber can handle.”

With a flick of his finger, he assigned a task to Zhang Yu’s work platform, accompanied by a 90-day countdown.

“You’re at Nascent Soul stage, right? A new batch of foundational manuals at that level has applied for copyright. Zhang Yu, you’ll review them.”

“Ninety days should be plenty, yes?”

As Zhang Yu walked away with his assignment, Qu Yi Zhi’s smile vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu examined the task details and thought to himself: “Twenty-four foundational manuals, all at Nascent Soul level… That’s quite a load.”

For most cultivators, reviewing twenty-four foundational manuals would be tedious drudgery.

But for Zhang Yu, it represented immense opportunity.

His eyes swept over each manual, and chain diagrams of their cultivation methods shimmered into view.

“These twenty-four latest foundational manuals can all be integrated into my Nascent Soul Saint Body…”

Ever since unlocking the Infinite Chain Diagram, Zhang Yu had enhanced its set bonuses simply by increasing the number of compatible techniques.

By incorporating more foundational manuals into his Saint Body set, his cultivation efficiency and effectiveness would soar.

“Just improving my Nascent Soul Saint Body will drastically boost my review productivity.”

Smiling faintly, Zhang Yu skimmed the contents as he headed toward his desk.

He knew the standard review process began with preliminary checks: verifying document completeness, formatting correctness, and screening for illicit content.

“In theory,” he suddenly realized, “this step should be handled by outsourced staff.”

Qu Yi Zhi hadn’t assigned him any additional outsourced personnel—meaning Ye Xing Li remained his sole subordinate.

Just then, his work platform pinged again—a new task had appeared.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Qu Yizhi silently thought to himself, “I’ll crush you first with tasks.”

There was no personal grudge between Qu Yizhi and Zhang Yu.

His reason for targeting Zhang Yu was simple—someone didn’t want members of the University Faction climbing higher, especially someone like Zhang Yu, who had risen from the lower ranks through examinations.

Qu Yizhi understood this involved factional struggles within the sect, and the University Faction was thoroughly disadvantaged in this regard. Naturally, he saw no harm in lending a hand—or rather, stepping down hard while the opportunity arose.

Still, he had no intention of going too far—kicking Zhang Yu out of the sect entirely, for instance. That would cost him far too much effort, an unwise expenditure of energy.

“Let him serve fifty years as a Grade-One Sect Clerk,”

Qu Yizhi mused inwardly. “With me around, you won’t be promoted—not in fifty years.”

To him, it all seemed straightforward: simply keep assigning Zhang Yu endless tasks.

After all, a person’s time, money, and mental reserves were finite. So long as he kept piling burdens onto Zhang Yu, the man would inevitably fail or make mistakes.

All Qu Yizhi needed was to wait for those cracks to appear—then he could stamp Zhang Yu with evaluations like “limited potential in the Immortal Path” or “inadequate capability.”

If this happened often enough, and Zhang Yu repeatedly failed his assessments, he’d remain stuck forever at the rank of Grade-One Sect Clerk.

Moreover, Qu Yizhi knew full well that even if Zhang Yu realized what was happening, there was nothing he could do. If a newcomer dared refuse assignments or defy a superior like himself, that would be an even graver error—an outright violation of Wanfa Sect’s core values, enough to leave Zhang Yu with no foothold whatsoever within the sect.

(End of Chapter)