https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-519-Dragged-into-a-Soul-Cultivator-Thanks-to-Geineer-for-the-MVP-Reward-/13687221/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-521-Settling-the-Matter-with-Lei-Jizhenjun/13687223/
Chapter 520: Did You Know Your House Was Infested with Ghosts? (Thank you, 'Jiahua,' for your MVP donation)
Zhang Pianpian: You're a master of the Civil Engineering Department. Was there nothing on the construction site that ever caught your attention?
Zhang Yu stared at Zhang Pianpian’s words, a spark igniting in his mind. A flood of thoughts, instincts, and hypotheses surged through his consciousness. Flashbacks of the construction site played rapidly in his mind.
Zhang Yu licked his lips and replied, "Well... there were quite a few things."
Zhang Pianpian: Logically speaking, someone of Yuan Ying’s stature—easily commanding a laboratory, leading major projects, or racking up patents—should have plenty of lucrative avenues.
Zhang Pianpian: To be sitting in an office, scraping by through petty exploitation, even as a disciple of Ciji Zhenjun… he’s clearly not a top-tier figure within the Yuan Ying ranks.
Zhang Pianpian: But then again, it’s not uncommon. Many old-school Yuan Ying rose early during the past era, but never kept up with modern cultivation. They simply can’t compete with the newer generation.
Zhang Pianpian: Let’s check it out first. If he really is as unbreakable as he claims… well, we’ll just have to accept it.
A few days later.
In the wilderness.
Zhang Yu activated the Tian Kunlun Shifting Mountain Divine Power, his body suspended in midair at ten thousand meters above ground.
He was utterly bare—no spirit artifacts, not even his Eye Armor. His entire form was reduced to a pure Physical Body, a state often referred to as Jue Ling Body, deliberately avoiding any Ling Realm tracking.
His gaze swept across the construction site, glowing bright under the night sky. Slowly, his figure began to fade.
This was the first time since replicating Bai Zhenzhen’s Qinglian Jiantai Dao Seed that Zhang Yu had ever used this Divine Spirit Root’s power.
Besides its innate adaptability and strengthening properties, Bai Zhenzhen had, through years of refinement, developed a hidden ability—especially after her Spirit Root evolved from Celestial to Divine. That ability had undergone a qualitative leap.
It was precisely this hidden power that allowed Bai Zhenzhen to conceal not only herself, but even her Flying Sword, during the previous Flying Sword Tournament. She’d unleashed the Wuxing Feijian Skill with devastating effect, securing a strong ranking.
But in the University City, with surveillance everywhere, and his Spirit Armor and artifacts constantly linked to the Ling Realm, Zhang Yu had never dared use this ability. Too risky. Too exposed.
Now, far from civilization, in pure Physical Body form, as he activated the Divine Spirit Root’s concealment, he vanished completely—like mist dissolving into the air.
Feeling the sensation of being utterly invisible, Zhang Yu shifted his Martial Energy. His body began to descend slowly toward the construction site.
Fujie, observing from afar, felt a chill run through her. “When did Zhang Yu learn to do this? Is it because of Bai Zhenzhen’s Divine Spirit Root?”
She opened her mouth to ask—but then paused. “Zhang Yu’s always kept secrets from me. Asking now would be pointless. Better to just watch and wait.”
Zhang Yu descended with near-silent precision, landing deep within the construction site without a trace.
The workers around him walked right past him, completely unaware. A strange, almost surreal feeling welled up in Zhang Yu’s chest.
“A Zhen’s Divine Spirit Root ability… perfect for pulling off covert operations.”
But then a darker thought struck him. “But if she can hide like this… then her sword qi could strike me unseen, too. Especially with that Jiqing Sword Dao—emotions, whether joy or rage, trigger it instantly.”
His expression hardened. “I really need to step up my cultivation speed.”
He drifted forward through the air, continuing deeper into the site. For security, he relied not only on the Divine Spirit Root’s concealment, but also on the Evil God’s Detection Ritual and Monitoring Ritual—constantly scanning for surveillance equipment and avoiding every trap.
With this dual-layered protection, he moved through the site like a ghost, searching methodically.
Finally, in a remote corner, he spotted several workers carrying materials.
“So they’re stealing on the construction site, huh?”
Zhang Yu pulled out an old, offline phone—long unused—and switched to camera mode. He didn’t want his Eye Armor leaving any traces.
But then his eyes widened.
“Could this be… materials from the Alchemy Factory?”
Had he been untrained in Alchemy, he wouldn’t have known the difference. But now, with solid progress in his craft, he quickly recognized what they were doing.
“They’re swapping in substandard materials… replacing the high-grade Alchemy ingredients?”
Zhang Yu mentally calculated. The profit margin was at least tenfold.
He hadn’t expected to stumble upon a much bigger scandal than just construction site corruption.
His breath caught. “These guys are bold. That factory’s backed by Ciji Zhenjun.”
“Wait… could it be Ciji’s doing?”
He shook his head. No. From what he knew, Ciji had been focused on her Hua Shen evaluation for years. She’d never risk tarnishing her reputation—especially not now.
“These individuals alone couldn’t pull this off. There has to be someone from Alchemy Department helping them. Probably someone she trusts… or at least, someone she wouldn’t hesitate to use.”
He continued filming, tracking the trail. Soon, he spotted a figure: a likely Alchemy student.
Bian Hao, disciple of Lei Jizhenjun, stood there, completely unaware, calmly directing the operation.
Several hours later, Zhang Yu handed the video over to Zhang Pianpian.
She watched it, then smiled faintly. “Enough.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Senior Sister, what’s your plan? Report it to higher-ups? Or send it directly to Ciji Zhenjun?”
Zhang Pianpian replied, “Reporting it would mean declaring war on the entire Alchemy Department.”
“Sending it to Ciji Zhenjun? Her Ling Realm abilities are too strong. I’d have to guard against her tracking me back. It’d be messy.”
“And even if she sees it… she’ll bury it quietly. She’s not going to risk a scandal now.”
Zhang Pianpian’s eyes narrowed. “This knife… it’s better suited for someone within Alchemy Department who opposes Lei Jizhenjun.”
Zhang Yu hesitated. “What about my project funding?”
Zhang Pianpian: “Don’t say a word. Let someone else bring it up.”
“In front of Ciji Zhenjun, just play the good disciple. The obedient test subject. That’s all you need to be.”
…
Inside the laboratory.
The Hua Shen Spirit Armor clung to Zhang Yu’s forehead as he underwent another round of tests.
Ciji Zhenjun glanced at the data, a hint of satisfaction on her face.
Ciji Zhenjun: “Alright, Zhang Yu. You can rest now.”
Zhang Yu: “I’m fine, Teacher. I can keep going.”
Ciji Zhenjun: “I said come here. That’s an order.”
Zhang Yu approached. She reached out with a single gesture, and a surge of Gang Qi swept over the armor, lifting it from his forehead.
Then, with a flick of her hand, her Martial Energy flared—faint but unmistakable—flowing between her palm and the Spirit Armor.
Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “My teacher’s mastery over the Hua Shen Spirit Armor has deepened. She’s already able to exchange Martial Energy with it?”
He spoke. “Teacher, did you make progress?”
Ciji Zhenjun nodded, pleased. “Thanks to your recent testing, I’ve finally begun to understand how this Hua Shen Spirit Armor operates.”
“The Qiongjiang God Armor… it’s built on the principles of human yin-yang transformation. I’ve mirrored the rhythm of your own yin-yang energy, and now I can trigger a few of its deeper mechanisms.”
“Next step? Identify the patterns of yin-yang shifts, match them to the Armor’s internal states, and finally crack the underlying technology.”
She truly was delighted. After years of struggle in her Hua Shen evaluation, this was a golden opportunity. A breakthrough here would be a massive boost.
After all, how many Yuan Ying in the Top Ten Elite Universities even understood Hua Shen Spirit Armor? How many even had one?
Opportunity. Capability. Both were rare.
Ciji Zhenjun craved it like hunger.
Zhang Yu thought, “My teacher’s truly brilliant in Alchemy. She actually figured out how to unlock the secrets of this Hua Shen Armor?”
His gaze drifted to the faint, fleeting characters on her chest—Tiangong Kaiwu. That Dao Seed name sounded powerful.
Through repeated exposure and accumulated knowledge, Zhang Yu could now just barely perceive the name of her Dao Seed.
Ciji Zhenjun ran her hand over Zhang Yu’s body. “Hmm… your Alchemy Technique has improved again, hasn’t it?”
“Hua Shen is Hua Shen. The mutual cultivation principles stored in the Spirit Armor are clearly benefiting you.”
Zhang Yu smiled obediently. “All thanks to your excellent research, Teacher.”
Ciji Zhenjun chuckled. To have achieved such results at the Foundation Establishment stage—she couldn’t help but feel proud.
Just then, a ripple of light flared in the Ling Realm. Lei Jizhenjun’s projection materialized.
He greeted her warmly. “Senior Sister, you called?”
His eyes flickered subtly toward Zhang Yu.
But Ciji Zhenjun said nothing. Her smile faded.
She traced the faint scars on Zhang Yu’s hands. “Cultivation mishaps?”
Zhang Yu nodded. “Just an accident.”
Ciji Zhenjun sighed. “Tianzhang Zhenjun told me you bought cheap materials. The side effects of low-quality Alchemy Technique… that’s what caused these injuries.”
“Running out of funds?”
“Project funding delayed again?”
Zhang Yu spoke softly. “The funding process follows procedure. The department has its own constraints. Some come first, some come later. Can’t just prioritize one person.”
Ciji Zhenjun nodded, gently ruffling his hair. “If only everyone in the Alchemy Department were as understanding.”
Lei Jizhenjun watched, his eyes flickering. “So Zhang Yu’s been snitching on me to Senior Sister? Hmph. She’s clearly favoring this new apprentice.”
“But why bring me here to listen to this? Does she want me to look weak in front of a junior? Senior Sister’s getting senile…”
Just as he fumed inwardly, Ciji Zhenjun spoke.
“Wandao Jiangzong and I invested in that factory. How many materials have you swapped out?”
Lei Jizhenjun stiffened. The coldness in her gaze was unmistakable.
Ciji Zhenjun added, “You can get off that chair. Your seat’s no longer yours.”
Lei Jizhenjun gasped. “Senior Sister!”
Ciji Zhenjun: “Hand over your disciple, Bian Hao. Give the department an explanation.”
Lei Jizhenjun roared, “Senior Sister! He’s invested so much! He’s just about to reach Jin Dan!”
“Your Jin Dan? My factory, my reputation! You’d ruin it all for a few coins?”
Ciji Zhenjun snapped her fingers. A force like a mountain slammed down on Lei Jizhenjun’s projection—pinning his head.
Ling Realm light flared violently. Through layers of University City buildings, deep within Lei Jizhenjun’s office, his glass-like skull cracked with a thunderous crack, instantly scorching black.
“You’ve turned your head into stone? Fine. Make money. But do you think I don’t know what you’re doing? You’re destroying the department’s image! Do you think I’m blind to what I’ve been building these past years?”
Lei Jizhenjun screamed, “Senior Sister! I—I don’t understand what you’re saying!”
Ciji Zhenjun drove a finger straight into the projection’s skull. Instantly, a video flashed into his mind.
“Xianyin God sent this to me. If I hadn’t stopped it… you’d be talking to someone else right now.”
Lei Jizhenjun stared at the screen, writhing. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t order this!”
Ciji Zhenjun sneered. “Then you’re even more stupid. Home’s infested with ghosts, and you don’t even know it?”
—
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(End of Chapter)
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