https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-530-Hua-Shen-Conflict-Sky-Collapse-and-Earth-Fall/13687234/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-532-Hoping-My-Teacher-Becomes-a-Dragon-and-Suppressing-Chaos/13687236/
Chapter 531: Soul Rings and Tiangong Kaiwu (Thanks to 'Shuiguozheya' for the MVP Donation)
Inside the Taiqing Jing.
With all things accelerating in their operation, Zhang Yu—fourfold in form—was steadily refining one Spirit Artifact after another within the Illusory Realm.
Fubao Shelí 20th Level.
Watching the Spirit Artifact finally reach Level 20, Zhang Yu exhaled softly in relief, then immediately began the next piece of training.
No matter how violently the outside world might be collapsing due to the conflict between the Hua Shen gods, Zhang Yu now spent every day holed up in his dorm, immersed in the Taiqing Jing, quietly honing his Alchemy Technique.
The Hua Shen affairs were too far removed from him. Even if the world truly shattered, the reforging of Fengshui Dihuo wasn’t something he could interfere with.
All Zhang Yu could do was quietly gather strength—building his own possibilities, no matter what the future might bring.
Back in the dorm, Zhang Yu emerged from the Taiqing Jing, removed his Spiritual Interface Mask, and stretched his body, which had remained motionless for over ten hours. He circulated his vital energy, feeling the familiar strain ease.
At that moment, a bottle of pills flew through the air and landed on his lap.
“Medicine’s here. That’s your share,” Yu Xinghan said, grumbling.
“Prices keep rising,” he continued. “Those bastards in the pharmaceutical trade are really milking the crisis. I heard even feces are getting more expensive now. Damn… too bad I didn’t join the Dark Dung Theft Syndicate.”
Zhang Yu swallowed the entire bottle in one go, feeling the surge of Medicinal Power flood through his body.
Ah… seven parts full, he thought.
In the uncertainty of the future, he was deliberately conserving Lingbi, saving for potential emergencies.
Moments later, Le Mulan returned with a large bundle of medicine.
“The department’s starting to regulate drug distribution,” she announced. “This is the last time I’ll be able to get this much at a discount.”
After taking his medicine, Zhang Yu didn’t rush back into the Taiqing Jing. Instead, he sat quietly, letting the Medicinal Power settle in his body while scanning the messages flooding in from his Eye Armor—gathering intelligence on the current situation.
Though he spent most days buried in the Taiqing Jing, he still made time each day to check the outside world. He couldn’t afford to be completely out of touch.
“Are the Hua Shen still fighting?”
“Besides Wanfa University, Tianjian University, Hehuan University, and Baigu University, the Hua Shen from Youming University and Jinguang University have also entered the fray.”
“Just a complete mess,” Zhang Yu muttered, shaking his head.
Then he saw a flood of messages in the hometown group chat.
The row of fading avatars tugged at his heart.
Under normal circumstances, as long as the Eye Armor remained active, users should be online 24/7. In the past, even if many hadn’t posted in a while, their avatars stayed lit.
But now, due to the Unemployment Wave, countless Soul Cultivators couldn’t find work. With incomes vanishing, they had frozen themselves—reducing their operational costs to the bare minimum to keep their minds alive. Their avatars had turned gray, signaling offline status.
Xianbing University – Song Hailong: Selling secondhand high-end Ji Hu Spirit Armor, 90% new. DM if interested.
Tianyao University – Xiong Wenwu: Need a Mount? I’ve got work experience. Body underwent Mount Modification Surgery. Comes with spinal interface saddle Spirit Armor.
Hu Yuntao: You lost your job?
Xiong Wenwu: (╯▽╰) Boss’s assets shrank. Cut half the Mounts.
Shanhe University – Lan Ling: Ugh… when will this crisis end?
Lan Ling: [Photo]
Lan Ling: Just lost my job. Came back to find my dorm was demolished.
Lan Ling: If this keeps going, I’ll just kill myself—no soul will be accepted by Zheng Shen. Not paying a single cent in debt.
Hehuan University – Lian Tianji: Don’t say nonsense. You’ll kill the group chat.
Zhang Yu stared at the photo—Lan Ling standing amidst the ruins, living in a makeshift shelter.
Then he frowned. Something was off about Lian Tianji’s avatar.
He tapped in, and saw the photo: Lian Tianji looked noticeably heavier.
Zhang Yu: You okay?
Lian Tianji: What’s wrong with me?
Lian Tianji: Oh, you mean pregnancy? I passed the selection. Got picked for the school’s pregnancy experiment. Now I get free medicine every day and a monthly stipend. This crisis hasn’t hit me hard at all (∩_∩)
Zhang Yu could hear the genuine joy in Lian Tianji’s tone.
My first-layer hometown friends… he thought, they’re really starting to act like second-layer locals.
At that moment, Lan Ling received a message from Zhou Chichen at Tianhai University.
Zhou Chichen: Lan Ling, what do you think about weekend off?
Lan Ling, recalling Zhou Chichen from their high school Student Union days, shot back in fury: Are you insane? You dare touch weekend off?
Zhou Chichen: A little won’t hurt.
Lan Ling: Old Zhou, hold on. The Top Ten League is almost over. Once that’s done, the Hua Shen will stop fighting.
Lan Ling: If you take weekend off now, your career is over.
Zhang Yu scrolled through the group chat, then glanced at a message from Director Gao.
Director Gao: Xiao Qingxuan has nowhere to stay. Can you let him stay with you for a while?
Zhang Yu had no objection. His 30-square-meter luxury dorm had been arranged by Director Gao himself. The fact that the department hadn’t revoked it after his transfer meant he had full authority to host someone temporarily.
The next day, Xiao Qingxuan arrived, dust-covered and exhausted.
Zhang Yu glanced at the debt counter on his screen—15,000.
“15,000? How did your debt skyrocket like this?” he asked, startled.
Xiao Qingxuan waved it off. “Economic crisis. It’s a small-scale calamity sweeping Layers 2 through 6—Fifth Layer Kunxu. Many companies in the Civil Engineering Department are collapsing. They’ve assigned me to take on the debt.”
Xiao Qingxuan sat cross-legged, adjusting his breathing technique. The flow of Martial Energy slowly returned, and he exhaled, visibly relieved.
Zhang Yu couldn’t help but wonder: How exactly does debt assignment work? And what’s in it for Xiao Qingxuan?
What kind of benefit could possibly make someone willingly take on such a burden?
From Zhang Yu’s perspective, there was no visible reward. In fact, Xiao Qingxuan was now homeless—caught in the same crisis.
Over the next few days, Zhang Yu noticed Xiao Qingxuan constantly searching for work.
“I’ve already graduated,” Xiao Qingxuan said, frowning. “If I can’t find work after graduation, it’ll be a huge black mark on my resume.”
“I’ll never get a proper job after this,” he added.
Zhang Yu glanced at the debt number again. No wonder he can’t find work. With this crisis, it’s even worse.
He shrugged. “You could work for my company—just as a placeholder. I can pay you 0.0001 Lingbi. Just to keep the resume from being empty.”
Xiao Qingxuan lit up. “That’s fine! Just having something on the resume is enough.”
Then he looked at Zhang Yu seriously. “I can’t help much, but if your company ever needs someone to take on debt, let me know. I’m already living on borrowed time—another debt won’t matter.”
Not long after Xiao Qingxuan moved in, Zhang Yu received a message from Tu Lishan.
Tu Lishan: Zhang Yu, can you help Shi Huaixu for a while?
Tu Lishan: She lost everything in crypto trading. Then rent spiked. She’s been living on the streets for nearly a week.
Tu Lishan had helped him before. Shi Huaixu was once his teammate in a competition. Zhang Yu couldn’t refuse.
Following Tu Lishan’s directions, he descended underground and arrived at the entrance to Hilong Garden.
Beyond the gate, a crowd of refugees pressed tightly together—straining to breathe, trying to absorb the faint Spirit Energy leaking from the tomb.
“Zhang Yu?” Shi Huaixu looked up, surprised. “You don’t have a place to stay either?”
She pushed through the crowd. “Come on, I’ve got a spot!”
Zhang Yu stared at her—dusty, exhausted, her clothes torn and peeling. She looked like a stray cat that had wandered the streets for months.
“I’m here to pick you up,” Zhang Yu said gently. “Tu Lishan sent me. If you don’t mind, come stay with me for now.”
Shi Huaixu leapt up, grinning. “Thanks, Zhang Yu! Once my coins recover, I’ll pay back the rent.”
Zhang Yu waved it off. “No rent. These are hard times. We help each other. That’s how we survive.”
Shi Huaixu stared at him in disbelief—like she’d never seen someone who refused rent.
Fujie snapped. “Xiao Qingxuan’s so poor he can’t even shit, fine. But why won’t you take rent from Shi Huaixu?”
Zhang Yu glanced at her worn, cracked Hand Spirit Armor. Let it go, he thought. Rent’s not worth it.
Fujie: “That’s because you’re not raising the price! You should charge market rate. Even if you don’t take it, write a IOU.”
Zhang Yu ignored Fujie, who huffed in frustration.
Once inside the dorm, Shi Huaixu immediately sat cross-legged, beginning her breathing technique. The Martial Energy slowly returned to her body, and her face relaxed with relief.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu reactivated his Spiritual Interface Mask and resumed cultivation.
In the Illusory Realm, four versions of Zhang Yu flashed across space—refining a Spirit Artifact named Tihua Zizai Hunhuan.
Created by Tianmo University, this artifact was commonly used in the human leasing market.
Once implanted into the body, it allowed remote control of another’s physical form via the Ling Realm, transmitting precise sensory feedback—sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and even the subtle sensations of mind and body.
Many Soul Cultivators used it to temporarily inhabit bodies. Research labs also used it to conduct experiments on test subjects.
To Zhang Yu, the artifact itself was useless.
But the Ling Realm communication technology embedded within it—especially remote Martial Energy control and five-sense transmission—was vital for the Tian Ri Huang Shen.
With this knowledge, he could control the Tian Ri Huang Shen from afar, even at interstellar distances—like extending his own consciousness.
Just as Zhang Yu was deep in cultivation, a sudden ripple surged through the Feather Scroll’s Dao Zong Spectrum.
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened. He immediately checked the spectrum—and realized he had just replicated Ciji Zhenjun’s Dao Seed: Tiangong Kaiwu.
A surge of joy flooded him.
It worked!
Did Master finally elevate the Spirit Artifact we refined together to Level 31?
(End of Chapter)
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