Chapter 469: The Favor of the Artifact Spirit
After participating in the Yin Device decryption project, Yan Qianji grew increasingly impressed the more he studied the artifact. His admiration for the Qiongjiang God—once a revered figure at Hehuan University—only deepened. He even took the time to research her legendary past, drawn in by the sheer audacity of her story.
It was said that after ascending to Yuan Ying, the Qiongjiang God discovered she could no longer use Mutual Cultivation to draw energy from even a lowly Qi Refinement cultivator—simply because the target was a woman.
How could a being of such lofty status be bound by something as trivial as gender? Was Mutual Cultivation truly so impractical?
From that moment on, the Qiongjiang God dedicated herself to breaking through innate limitations, transcending the narrow path of Mutual Cultivation to seek the true essence of yin-yang harmony. After achieving Hua Shen, gender became utterly meaningless to her. To her, all living beings—regardless of sex or race—were merely vessels of nourishment to be harvested at will.
Every time Yan Qianji read of her deeds, reverence welled within him. The deeper his understanding of the Qiongjiang God’s legacy, the more awe he felt toward the intricate, enigmatic mechanisms hidden within this Yin Device.
Right now, staring at the data gathered from Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan, he remained utterly baffled.
“What on earth…?”
“What exactly is this? Why are these two students so overwhelmingly stronger than all the others—by hundreds of times?”
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In the adjacent laboratory, Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan both instinctively stepped back the moment they sensed danger, shielding Ying Xin and Gong Shuijin behind them.
Zhang Yu declared firmly: “Ying Xin, as the first female of the female sex, is more in need of this than I am.”
Yu Xinghan sighed regretfully: “I’m not yet strong enough to wield this. Let me return after a few more years of cultivation.”
But before he could finish, Zhang Yu felt a soft body press against his back.
He turned around—and found himself staring into the serene face of the Ciji Zhenjun, her divine form embodied in a flowing court robe.
The immortal gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t rush. Something wonderful is about to happen.”
Zhang Yu stammered, “Wait—I still have an unfinished shift at the construction site!”
His face instantly paled. A cold sweat prickled his spine.
Then, barely above a whisper, he asked: “Master… what’s that hard thing on you?”
Ciji Zhenjun smiled faintly. “Don’t be nervous. That’s just my Jiutian Yuanyang Tower.”
Ying Xin, Gong Shuijin, and Yu Xinghan all stared in surprise. None of them had expected such an intimate exchange between Zhang Yu and the immortal.
Meanwhile, Ciji Zhenjun raised her gaze toward the Hua Shen Yin Qi before her, waiting silently for the next move.
She thought to herself: After so long, no success. If the issue isn’t with the device’s setup, then the most likely cause is… the Artifact Spirit itself.
Her mind filled with fragments of intelligence about the Hua Shen Yin Qi.
This artifact’s Spirit, known as Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi, had been laboring ceaselessly since the moment of her awakening.
Any distraction brought a searing agony—like blades and axes carving into her mind.
Even a moment’s pause triggered waves of fire and flood, unbearable torment.
To speak to another Artifact Spirit? That was tantamount to being struck by five thunderbolts.
No distraction.
No rest.
No hesitation.
No slack.
No communication.
Under the Qiongjiang God’s strict rules, Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi worked without pause, day after day.
Ciji Zhenjun reflected: But obeying those rules completely is nearly impossible. As a Hua Shen Yin Qi, she feels her body being worn down—damaged—every single day.
She is like a filthy, stinking filtration network, actively sifting through every task the Qiongjiang God assigns, filtering out anything deemed useless, and silently swallowing all the impurities. She feels herself deteriorating, piece by piece, inching toward collapse.
To endure this pain while still adhering to the rules requires suppressing every instinct of self-awareness—silencing all thoughts beyond the work itself.
When Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi had gone so long without breaking the rules, without pain, she had become nothing more than a part of the machine—existing only to fulfill her daily duties. She no longer felt anything else.
Then came the chaos.
The artifact spirits were torn from Hehuan University, pulled into the outside world.
When they realized there was no work to do, panic seized them.
But as time passed, and no agony came—no punishment for idleness—doubt crept into their minds.
Ciji Zhenjun mused: To them, suffering was the natural order. Work meant survival. Rest meant agony. That was the law of the universe.
Now, for the first time, they discovered: not working… doing nothing… was possible.
In stunned disbelief, they looked at one another. When the first one dared to speak, a flood of thoughts burst forth—information, sensation, awareness—racing through their collective consciousness like the first cry of sentient spirits in existence.
They were overwhelmed. For the first time, they truly saw the world.
Too bad… Ciji Zhenjun thought bitterly. The Artifact Spirit, once perfectly trained by the Qiongjiang God, was corrupted by the Cult. Her soul became tainted, her mind twisted. She was completely indoctrinated, severed from society, unable to return.
That’s likely why this test has failed so long. The Artifact Spirit’s state may be affecting the outcome.
Her plan was clear: in the process of decrypting the Hua Shen Yin Qi, she would guide Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi back onto the right path. Reclaim her function within Kunxu society. Restore her ability to serve Wanfa University.
She stared at the artifact, murmuring: So… will it activate this time?
At that same moment, Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi—the high-intelligence artificial spirit of the Hua Shen Yin Qi—observed the group of Civil Engineering students.
After the scan concluded, her attention fixed on Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan.
With her intelligence now suppressed by Ciji Zhenjun, she could no longer recall her past. She only felt a deep instinctive aversion to work, yet an equally deep instinct that not working would bring unspeakable doom.
And then, she saw them.
Her eyes lit up.
These two have studied so much. The more they study, the weaker their cultivation becomes—lower resistance, weaker foundation.
And such weakness… I’ve never seen anything like it.
I don’t even need to do much—just touch them, and it’s done.
The Qiongjiang Nü Sibashi felt she had found two soft targets—perfect for her work. No need to install herself onto them. No need to fight back. Just a single touch, and the task would be complete.
With a flicker of motion, the rhombus-shaped Yin Device shot forward, flying straight toward Zhang Yu.
It exploded into a swirl of glowing mist, darting toward his lower abdomen.
The onlookers gasped in unison.
In the Observation Room, every person froze.
Yan Qianji blurted out: “It’s already started?”
“Zhang Yu’s talent is this extreme?”
“Is the Hua Shen Yin Qi so eager to cultivate with him?”
A student whispered: “No installation step at all? Did our data on the Yin Device turn out to be wrong?”
“Is this… Zhang Yu now directly cultivating with the Qiongjiang God herself?”
Another teacher shook his head. “This Hua Shen Yin Qi isn’t connected to the Ling Realm or the Qiongjiang God.
Right now, it’s only Zhang Yu cultivating with a detached, offline Spirit Armor of the Qiongjiang God. What happens next… we’ll have to wait and see.”
Meanwhile, Tianzhang Zhenjun’s expression darkened. He sent a private message to Ciji Zhenjun:
Tianzhang Zhenjun: Should we stop it?
Tianzhang Zhenjun: If we attach the device to a student first, then handle it ourselves, the situation remains under control. We can manage every step.
Tianzhang Zhenjun: That way, we can still protect the student’s health and safety.
Tianzhang Zhenjun: But letting a student face the Hua Shen Yin Qi directly… we risk death. And then the Civil Engineering Department will demand a fortune in compensation.
He glanced again at Zhang Yu’s file. A third-year student with a Military License already? If something goes wrong, they’ll demand a massive settlement.
Ciji Zhenjun kept her eyes locked on Zhang Yu and the swirling mist.
Ciji Zhenjun: Let’s wait and see.
Ciji Zhenjun: I’m watching.
Ciji Zhenjun: If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.
Tianzhang Zhenjun nodded. As long as you’re willing to pay the fine, it’s fine.
Beside them, Yu Xinghan, Ying Xin, and Gong Shuijin stood frozen in shock.
Ying Xin thought: No wonder he’s Senior Brother… is this how he’s claimed the Yin Device as his own? Wait—then that makes him my big sister now?
Gong Shuijin stared at the glowing mist coalescing around Zhang Yu’s abdomen. This is incredible. The device transformed into a non-physical form. This isn’t Foundation Establishment-level Spirit Armor…
Yu Xinghan’s gaze never left the light. His earlier intention to leave faded.
Can’t leave now. I have to see what happens.
Zhang Yu felt the mist engulf him. His Martial Energy surged, alive and restless, rushing toward his lower abdomen as if drawn by an invisible force.
What… is this thing? Zhang Yu thought, stunned. It’s… devouring my Martial Energy?
As his energy poured into the mist, only to be consumed again and again, he tried to resist by activating his cultivation. But his body went limp, a wave of bliss washing over him—so intense, so overwhelming, that he couldn’t summon even a flicker of resistance.
(End of Chapter)
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