No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

Wen Wuya mused silently, “It seems the Seven Sentiments Lord’s attitude toward Pleasure and Harmony University and Wanfa University is even more nuanced than I expected.”

“Looking at what just happened... the Dual Cultivation Path and the Extreme Sentiment Path really are fundamentally incompatible.”

“In that case, the Seven Sentiments Lord forbidding me from investing in Bai Zhenzhen clearly has deeper meaning.”

At that thought, Wen Wuya frowned slightly. “But if that’s true, then isn’t Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu’s falling out inevitable?”

“That would mean I’d lose the chance to cultivate with the two of them. In the end... I can only choose one.”

“Sigh. Zhang Yu’s clearly tempted by me now, and Bai Zhenzhen has just started chatting with me more and more on the Spiritual Realm every day. I had thought the three of us could cultivate together... but now... sigh, which one should I pick?”

Wen Wuya speculated inwardly, “Is it possible to secretly maintain a relationship with Zhang Yu while still staying in contact with Bai Zhenzhen?”

Just as this flash of scheming thoughts zipped through her mind, the voice of the Seven Sentiments Lord rang out again.

“Hmph?”

That light hum sent a shock through Wen Wuya’s very soul. She quickly steadied her thoughts and respectfully said, “Lord, I was just curious about Wanfa University’s experiments and wanted to collect firsthand intel.”The Seven Sentiments Lord replied coolly, “I don’t care what interest you have in Wanfa’s experiments.”

“But as for cultivating with three people—you can forget it.”

Those words chilled Wen Wuya to the bone. She felt as if countless sword auras had pierced through her body.

She thought anxiously, “The Lord’s been watching me all this time? She’s seen what I’ve been doing and guessed my intentions?”

Wen Wuya gave up her thoughts with a sigh and hurriedly said, “I understand, Lord. I won’t entertain such ideas again.”

“Leave.”

With that single command, her surroundings blurred into a swirl of colors, and in the next instant, Wen Wuya vanished from the arena.

At the same time, the seven-colored radiance in the Spiritual Realm dissipated, and Bai Zhenzhen too disappeared without a trace.

In a blink, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Wen Wuya had all left, leaving behind a stadium full of disheartened students from Heavenly Sword Sect University.

…

Onboard the flying vessel.

Su Yanyang, Shi Huaiyu, Xiao Yunji, and the others stood on the deck, glancing repeatedly toward the cabin, curiosity written all over their faces.

Inside the cabin, the projection of True Lord Magneto circled around Zhang Yu, performing checks with one sigil after another.

Only after a long time did True Lord Magneto finally speak in a calm voice. “No issues. The people from Heavenly Sword Sect University didn’t leave any surveillance measures on you.”

“But once you’re back at school, go to the lab and run a full scan anyway.”

Zhang Yu nodded, expressing his gratitude for True Lord Magneto’s help.

Then, True Lord Magneto suddenly asked, “Did you Dual Cultivate with anyone from Heavenly Sword Sect University?”

Zhang Yu immediately shook his head. “No way.”

“I have zero interest in Dual Cultivation. I came to Heavenly Sword solely to focus on the tournament.”

True Lord Magneto didn’t comment either way and continued, “Good. That’s best. But I still need to warn you—now that you carry the lab’s experimental results, you are strictly forbidden from engaging in Dual Cultivation without explicit permission. Others might try to use it as a chance to steal classified intel from you.”

He thought to himself that he hadn’t realized how much the situation had spiraled. Once they returned, they’d need to amend Zhang Yu’s contracts and formalize new rules regarding Dual Cultivation.

Then he asked, “Also... what’s your relationship with Bai Zhenzhen and Wen Wuya?”

Zhang Yu answered, “Bai Zhenzhen was my high school classmate. I met Wen Wuya through her.”

“We’ve kept in touch occasionally through the Spiritual Realm Network. When they saw I’d be at Heavenly Sword, they wanted to meet up in person.”

There was no reason to lie about any of this—such things were easily verified.

True Lord Magneto replied, “It’s fine to have limited contact with Wen Wuya. Just make sure you don’t leak any experimental data.”

“But that Bai Zhenzhen—you’d better not interact with her again.”

Zhang Yu blinked in surprise. “Why?”

True Lord Magneto explained, “The Seven Sentiments Lord is a master of the demonic path. Her Seven Sentiments Swordsmanship is still somewhat orthodox, but her Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship is pure evil.”

“Unless one, like her, reached the Nascent Soul stage early on, anyone cultivating the Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship is doomed to conflict with societal norms and moral order. It’s fundamentally incompatible with our world.”

“It destroys both the practitioner and those around them. A path of endless tragedy.”

He looked at Zhang Yu solemnly. “That’s why the Seven Sentiments Lord hasn’t taken on new disciples in ages—and her previous ones never met a good end.”

Zhang Yu paused, then asked quietly, “What kind of end?”

True Lord Magneto answered flatly, “Of the two I’ve seen personally—one was forged into the Seven Sentiments Lord’s own life-bound flying sword.”

Zhang Yu’s heart sank. His internal mana rippled uncontrollably.

“The other killed his wife, slaughtered his children and grandchildren—all because they weren’t blood-related. He bankrupted himself and destroyed everything his family built.”

Zhang Yu stood there, momentarily speechless.

True Lord Magneto offered some advice. “That’s why you should avoid anyone involved in the Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship. I don’t know what debts or emotional ties you have with Bai Zhenzhen.”

“But if you owe her money, pay it back. Quickly. And cut off all contact.”

“If she owes you money, and it’s a small amount—just let it go. If it’s a lot... then hurry and recover what you can.”

“Don’t meet her again.”

Zhang Yu opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond.

Fortunately, True Lord Magneto didn’t seem to expect an answer. He simply continued, “Now, tell me about your cultivation breakthrough.”

“When your Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might reached Level 17 and 18, what sensations did you experience?”

…

Meanwhile, at Heavenly Sword Sect University.

Inside a completely white room, devoid of all furniture save for a single meditation cushion and a long sword, Bai Zhenzhen sat cross-legged in silence.

This was her dorm.

She was carefully sensing the changes within her.

Ever since her Divine Spirit Root had fused with Zhang Yu’s, a mysterious transformation had begun.

To better describe it in her mind, Bai Zhenzhen had named her own Spirit Root the “Zhen Spirit Root,” and Zhang Yu’s the “Yu Spirit Root.”

“When the Yu Spirit Root entered, my Zhen Spirit Root started adapting to it.”

“Then the Yu Spirit Root adapted in turn. Back and forth... like black and white swirling in a Taiji diagram, endlessly chasing and harmonizing, eventually blending into one chaotic whole.”

As her mana flowed through her body, Bai Zhenzhen felt the Zhen Spirit Root subtly adjusting every part of her physique. The enhancement was both astonishingly thorough and barely perceptible.

“What a pity. The time was too short.”

She thought to herself, “Just as I started feeling the change, the Yu Spirit Root withdrew.”

“If it had lasted longer, the changes might’ve been even greater.”

The thought brought a smile to her lips, and she found herself looking forward more than ever to the next meeting with Zhang Yu.

But just then, the dormitory door opened—and a corpse was thrown in.

At the sight of it, crimson sword aura erupted around her like sentient entities, screaming through the air.

The meditation cushion shredded. The walls split open with countless cuts.

And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the sword aura vanished—dissolving like an illusion.

Bai Zhenzhen stared at the corpse, which looked exactly like Zhang Yu, and said, “Mom, do you believe me now?”

“Just that one moment of hesitation—though my mind instantly recognized that the corpse was fake—was enough for my emotional reaction to activate the Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship. The sword aura erupted before I could control it.”

“Emotion before reason. Sword before thought. My Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship has broken through to Level 10.”

With a soft shhhk, the corpse disintegrated into dust under a cascade of micro sword slashes and blew out of the dorm like scattered ash.

The Seven Sentiments Lord’s voice echoed coolly, “Zhang Yu—never mind his personality. Just consider his position, caught in the storm between Wanfa University and Pleasure and Harmony University.”

“How many opportunities do you think he’ll get to develop Dual Cultivation technology?”

“As a Civil Engineering student, would he turn them down?”

“Even if he wanted to, do you think he has the right to choose?”

“The more progress you make now, the more terrifying the backlash will be later.”

“Start over.”

“Or become one of my flying swords—and join the collection in the Sword Pavilion.”

…

At Wanfa University City.

While Zhang Yu was on his way back, True Lord Magneto’s messages kept pouring in.

Daoist Tianzhang: Zhang Yu broke through again?

True Lord Magneto: Keep it low-key.

Daoist Tianzhang: Magneto, come on. If you want to keep a low profile, why are you dabbling in Immortal Dao research?

Daoist Tianzhang: The school leadership is counting on our results!

Daoist Tianzhang: Next year’s budget, publication quotas, and staff evaluations all depend on it! You can’t just focus on your own interests.

Daoist Tianzhang: I’ve already submitted the report. Divine Lord Wanhuan is pleased, and the Finance Department is ready to invest.

True Lord Magneto stared at the messages and sighed helplessly. “This guy really would trade his life for funding.”

As more messages rolled in—investors, lobbyists, people asking to borrow Yin Artifacts, and others demanding data—he rubbed his temples.

“Sigh. I knew it.”

True Lord Magneto let out a weary breath, sensing that a storm was already upon them.

“In all of Wanfa, there’s no room left for a quiet little lab.”