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Chapter 204: Zhang Yu's Strategy, the Secrets of Zheng Shen
(Thanks to 'Chief Sign Language Interpreter of the Rap Concert' for the alliance donation)
Not long after the second round of the Foundation Establishment Exam.
Xian Du’s 1.5th layer.
Ye Lingshao stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the skyscraper, gazing out at the Central Cloud Sea Park, speaking into his phone.
"Yeah, that Daojie Sustained-Release Capsule is quite intriguing."
"I can't go into specifics, but if the chance arises... I think we should try having the lab analyze it. I'm willing to get involved in the research..."
After discussing with the family elder on the other end for over ten minutes, Ye Lingshao suddenly brought up another matter.
"Uncle, there’s something else I’d like you to look into."
"In the other cities of Kunxu’s First Layer—has any company developed technology related to drug metabolism?"
"Characteristics?" Ye Lingshao recalled Zhang Yu’s performance in the Foundation Establishment Exam, carefully wording his words without revealing any exam secrets. "Just... something that can massively enhance a user’s drug metabolism capacity."
"Thanks in advance."
...
On the train.
Yu Xinghan was typing a message to Li Xuelian:
Senior Sister.
Master,
Li Xuelian: Purpose, timing, budget?
Yu Xinghan stared at the funding request form she’d sent, his fists tightening instinctively. Once I’m back in Hongta, I’ll teach you a real lesson.
He typed back:
I want to get extra tutoring from Zhang Yu. I think I can learn so much from him.
Li Xuelian: Zhang Yu? Isn’t he the one whose grades have been tanking? If you hang around him too much, he’ll drag you down.
Yu Xinghan frowned, hesitating. He couldn’t reveal anything about the Foundation Establishment Exam—how could he convince her?
He couldn’t say they’d been partners in selling seeds, that they knew each other’s every move, and that Zhang Yu wouldn’t betray him.
Just as he was stalling, Li Xuelian replied unexpectedly:
Alright, go ahead and study with him.
Yu Xinghan’s eyes flickered. Did she figure it out? Of course she did. This timing—right after the exam—means this request is clearly tied to it.
He knew that subtle, accidental hints like this were exactly the kind of thing Zheng Shen couldn’t track. That was why intimidation before signing a contract was essential.
In truth, what truly protected the candidates wasn’t the contract itself—it was Zheng Shen’s power and the Heavenly Court’s unwavering resolve.
My master really is sharp, Yu Xinghan thought, quickly replying:
Zhang Yu raised his price to 50,000 per hour.
Li Xuelian: That expensive? Wasn’t it only 15,000 before?
Yu Xinghan: Things are different now.
After a long pause, Li Xuelian replied:
Have him add me. I’ll talk to him myself.
Yu Xinghan cursed inwardly. Damn it—did I overprice it?
Thinking fast, he typed:
I pleaded with him. He only agreed to drop it to 30,000 per hour, just for my sake.
Seeing Li Xuelian finally relent and start negotiating class hours, Yu Xinghan exhaled in relief.
...
Meanwhile, back on the train, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were already seated on their way home.
Bai Zhenzhen sighed softly:
"I still have a long way to go compared to top-tier Xian Du Elders."
She recalled Yun Jing’s performance in the Arena, subconsciously clenching her fist.
At first, she’d thought he was just brute-force, overwhelming opponents with sheer power—like buying someone’s death with money.
But after analyzing it more carefully, she realized it wasn’t that simple.
"He was targeting me."
"After noticing I specialize in high-speed close combat, he used wide-area power-based techniques to literally push me off the Arena."
"He exploited the Arena’s space and physics to completely neutralize my speed advantage—leaving me no room to maneuver, forcing me into a direct strength contest."
"This guy isn’t just strong and rich. He adapts. He finds your weakness—and weaponizes it."
Her expression grew darker.
"To beat him in three months, I’ll need to push my physical stats further—and learn more advanced Techniques for tactical simulation."
She sighed again:
"Considering everything... I’ll probably need to spend another few million."
Zhang Yu nodded in silent agreement. Comparing himself to Ye Lingshao, he thought:
"In the remaining three months, I must push my Dao Heart, Martial Energy, and Physical Strength Level all to the peak of Qi Refinement."
"I also need to keep learning new Techniques."
"And ideally, I should gather a complete Chain Law Diagram—something even stronger than the High School Saint Body."
He knew the Feather Scroll’s Chain Law Diagram could only hold ten Techniques. A full set required six to activate, and ten to reach maximum effect—meaning only one set could be active at a time.
So unless it was stronger than the High School Saint Body, it wouldn’t matter.
"The sets I’ve seen so far—Tianwu Battle Heart, Great Saint’s Successor, Martial Dao Holy Embryo, and Various Dragon Bloodline—might be stronger."
"But I haven’t found all ten Techniques for Tianwu Battle Heart or Great Saint’s Successor yet."
"So my only real options are Martial Dao Holy Embryo or Various Dragon Bloodline."
Just thinking about the required Techniques made Zhang Yu sigh inwardly.
He wasn’t worried about mastering them. With the High School Saint Body’s triple cultivation effect, he could stretch three months into nine.
His worry—just like Bai Zhenzhen’s—was money.
"In the next three months, I’ll need at least a few million to even have a chance against Ye Lingshao. A few million might not be enough—maybe even ten million to be safe."
A few million, even ten million—nothing to the ultra-rich like Ye Lingshao or Yun Jing. To them, it might even be considered frugal.
But to someone like Zhang Yu or Bai Zhenzhen—poor kids—those were sums they’d never dared dream of.
As if sensing their thoughts, Fujie stirred awake in their minds.
"Ordinary jobs won’t cover your cultivation costs."
"All the loans, all the credit you could borrow—already maxed out."
"Now, your last remaining path? Keep digging in the Dark Tutoring Realm."
"Besides, your recent progress has been rapid. With my guidance, even if you get caught in gang conflicts, the risk is minimal."
To avoid eavesdropping, Bai Zhenzhen typed on her phone:
"But what if the Zhou family sends someone after us when we get back?
If they keep watching us, we can’t do anything in the tutoring business."
She remembered Zhou Hao—the man who’d beaten her last time she met Zhou Chichen.
According to him, Zhou Hao was a university graduate from the 72 Lower Schools, a full Peak Qi Refinement cultivator.
And from her stealthy checks while delivering food, the people tailing her were just as strong—probably on par with Zhou Hao.
Bai Zhenzhen: "They’re strong, and they’ve got tracking methods. Getting rid of them won’t be easy. And trying might just make them more alert."
Zhang Yu typed back:
"So it’s not just about escaping. We need to eliminate them—make the Zhou family stop their 24/7 surveillance for good."
Bai Zhenzhen: "You have a plan?"
Zhang Yu glanced at his newly added friend—Sixth-Rank Four Directions Wanderer God, Deng Bingding.
He realized the key to breaking this deadlock might lie with this Zheng Shen.
The Zhou family had no idea he’d made contact with such a powerful figure. That information gap was their leverage.
But he didn’t fully understand Zheng Shen’s ways yet. Luckily, Fujie was a veteran Evil God.
Zhang Yu immediately shared his new connection with Fujie and Bai Zhenzhen, seeking advice on how to deal with the Zhou family’s surveillance.
Fujie chuckled:
"Oh? Sixth-Rank Four Directions Wanderer God? Now that is worth planning around."
"If we play this right, we can make the Zhou family suffer badly—enough to forget about you two entirely."
Bai Zhenzhen frowned:
"Zheng Shen aren’t easy to manipulate, though. Are we going to use the exam?"
"From the Zhou family’s last reaction, they know how deep the waters are. They won’t fall for it easily."
Though Bai Zhenzhen didn’t mention the Foundation Establishment Exam, Fujie and Zhang Yu both understood.
And from the fact that the Zhou family hadn’t followed them the last time they left the city, it was clear they knew the exam’s secrets—and were cautious.
Fujie chuckled again, whispering in their minds:
"So we don’t need to lure them into investigating the exam."
"All we need is to give this Sixth-Rank God a chance to get involved."
"Do you know why Kunxu Deities are so obsessed with money?"
Zhang Yu, curious, asked: "Why?"
Fujie replied:
"Because even the Eight Great Righteous Gods need money to advance their rank, increase their divine power, and refine their talismans."
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were stunned.
Zheng Shen need money to evolve? Just like ordinary people using talismans?
Fujie continued:
"Making money—collecting wealth from across Kunxu—is a core mission for all Zheng Shen."
He sighed:
"Think about it. The Top Ten Sects were truly visionary—not just forcing you to climb, but building systems that profit from your ascension."
Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed, thoughtful.
Bai Zhenzhen frowned: "What are you implying?"
Fujie said:
"Back when the Top Ten Sects unified the thirty-six layers of Kunxu, crushed all resistance, and realized governing it was no small task, they created the Eight Great Righteous Gods—appointing a group of Zheng Shen to manage the heavens on their behalf..."
(End of Chapter)
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