No Money to Cultivate Immortality? - Chapter 798 (Patreon)

Chapter 798: Zhang Yu! What Are You Doing?!

After ending the call with Zhang Yu, Gu Qingya let out a sigh in his heart. “What a shame.”

In his view, Zhang Yu was a top-tier genius who had finally managed to test his way up from the lower realms. If a genius like that could grow within the sect, he would definitely become a major help to Gu Qingya in the Imperial Law Pavilion in the future.

“But in the end, not everyone can refuse the temptation the immortal clans offer.”

Gu Qingya understood. In a sect environment where opportunities were getting fewer and fewer, and it was becoming harder and harder to stand out, the shortcut offered by an immortal clan was simply too alluring.

Over the years, there had never been a lack of cultivators who lost themselves in the “opportunities” handed out by immortal clans. Like moths to a flame, they knew there was danger hidden inside the chance, and yet they still rushed forward—batch after batch—voluntarily delivering themselves into the immortal clans’ hands.

Gu Qingya had once encountered a similar opportunity himself. He understood deeply just how powerful the temptation was, and how painful it had been to refuse it.

“To be able, like I did back then, to watch people scramble to sit on the immortal clans’ instant-promotion machine, and still stay steady—still refuse the temptation… that’s a minority.”

“Zhang Yu is still too young. Too impatient.”

“Once Bu Yingshu leaves, once he sees these immortal clans for what they really are, he’ll probably regret today’s choice.”

Meanwhile, on the other side, watching Gu Qingya’s figure disappear, Zhang Yu knew that for Gu Qingya to say all that to him already counted as rare kindness within the sect.

It was probably because they both came from the lower realms that Gu Qingya had said a few extra lines.

Of course, it also had to do with their previous cooperation.

“In the eyes of the Imperial Law Pavilion’s upper ranks, I’ve more or less been branded as part of Gu Qingya’s faction. From their perspective, my being this disobedient… would probably affect how some of the higher-ups evaluate Gu Qingya too.”

But just as Zhang Yu had said, he had no road left to retreat.

“My cooperation with Bu Yingshu runs too deep. If I try to back out now… that woman really might kill me to silence me.”

“The path of clinging to Bu Yingshu’s thigh—I can’t turn back anymore.”

“The lucky thing is…”

Zhang Yu turned his head and looked at Bu Yingshu, who was focused on her work beside him. In his heart he thought, Relying on my insane emotional intelligence, talent, and skill—plus a tiny bit of help from Fu Ji and Zhanxian as advisers—I’ve gradually controlled this immortal-clan noble lady and seized the initiative in this relationship.

“And whether it’s the shared secrets or the lure of the Dao seed, it’s already made her completely unable to leave me.”

Zhang Yu’s gaze swept across Bu Yingshu’s chest, where information about the Dao seed “Myriad Laws Immortal Clan” appeared.

He had already read it once before, but even now, seeing the requirements to raise it from level 5 to level 6 still made him sigh.

“Refine ten true-inheritance techniques together, ten strategic techniques, ten sect-defining techniques, and ten Heaven-Opening techniques… only then can it be raised to level 6.”

Zhang Yu thought, That’s forty immortal-sect techniques total. The rest is one thing… but those ten sect-defining ones and ten Heaven-Opening ones—who knows how long it’ll take to gather them.

And that massive difficulty made Zhang Yu feel limitless anticipation for level 6 of “Myriad Laws Immortal Clan.”

“This jump from level 5 to level 6… it’s probably a huge qualitative transformation.”

Just as Zhang Yu was thinking, Bu Yingshu suddenly called out, “Xiao Yu, get over here!”

Hearing her call, Zhang Yu flashed forward and arrived instantly in front of her.

“Hold hands.”

“Very good.”

Bu Yingshu said, “Now circulate your power the way I taught you…”

As she guided him, she urged him on. “Grip my hand tighter. Don’t act like some poor person.”

“More mana. Increase it.”

“Harder! If not, I’ll fine you and make you pay it yourself!”

Watching Zhang Yu follow her commands like a well-trained machine, Bu Yingshu nodded with satisfaction. With repeated cycles of orders, fines, and transfers, this kid had become more and more obedient under her constant “training.”

And as Zhang Yu felt the warmth of Bu Yingshu’s hand being tightly held in his own, he thought, Fu Ji was right before. This woman would rather pay fines just to use me—she really is getting more and more tamed.

Fu Ji said, “Good, Zhang Yu. Keep borrowing Bu Yingshu’s resources and climbing higher and higher. Break through Divine Transformation, push into Refining Void, then squeeze her dry of every last coin. When the power dynamic flips, she’ll be kneeling on the ground begging you.”

Right then, Bu Yingshu’s gaze sharpened. She loosened her grip on Zhang Yu’s hand for the moment, as though she were communicating with someone through the Law Realm.

After a long while, she burst into laughter. “Good. Just like I expected—up top is valuing ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ more and more.”

She looked at Zhang Yu. Some inside information could be shared with him now.

So she said, “Xiao Yu, do you know what Dao lineage stands behind this Dao Lord?”

Without waiting for him to answer, Bu Yingshu continued, “It’s the Hunyuan Dao lineage.”

“Our branch’s Dao lineage stresses Hunyuan under Heaven. What we want is competition—chaos—great wars. We want all living beings to push the world forward step by step through survival of the fittest, again and again, producing better talents and better techniques.”

With a proud expression, Bu Yingshu said, “Things like Kill Permit, Forced Cultivation Permit, Robbery Permit, Random Harm Permit… all fall under our Hunyuan Dao lineage. You could say these are the manifested images of Hunyuan Dao lineage in the world.”

Listening, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. No wonder Bu Yingshu has a pile of innate permits. Is it because of the Hunyuan Dao lineage?

This Dao lineage… is vicious. It probably has a lot of enemies.

Bu Yingshu continued, “Senior experts of our Hunyuan Dao lineage have always believed Oxheart Sage’s techniques should be opened up. That’s exactly why, in designing the era of high-intelligence artifact spirits—when choosing the handling plan for ‘people’—Oxheart Sage’s techniques were adopted.”

“This spiritual-realm incident has drawn attention from every side, but it’s also a good chance to push related technologies…”

As Bu Yingshu spoke, Zhang Yu thought, The higher-ups on the Hunyuan Dao lineage side… seem to want to make Oxheart Sage’s immortal-Dao technology public, transparent, maybe even open-source—building a complete ecosystem. As for a bit of loss of control, they seem to treat it as unimportant—just some necessary growing pains.

“And the Judgment Dao lineage is the exact opposite—they want strict control, keeping the technology in the hands of a small minority.”

“The Innate Dao lineage… probably has objections to Hunyuan’s approach too.”

As Zhang Yu’s thoughts raced, he could already feel the fierce contradictions between one Dao lineage and another.

At the same time, Bu Yingshu’s tone brimmed with confidence. “Up top has already decided to increase investment. They’ll even send people to support us. But no one knows this Dao Lord has already completely understood ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization.’”

“So before they arrive, we need to lock down verification of this technique as fast as possible.”

“Then the development of ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ will be led by me.”

Bu Yingshu talked with ease, building a vision as she spoke. “A sect-defining technique is only the start. In the future, with my peerless talent, I’ll develop a simplified version first. Then I’ll start raising funds. Once there’s money and tech, I’ll develop a general-purpose version.”

“With a general-purpose version, I can list it and rake in money. Next I’ll transplant the tech into artifacts. Once artifacts sell enough, I’ll transplant it into law husks. Then I’ll split it and list them separately. At that point, multiplying my net worth by ten thousand will be effortless…”

The more she spoke, the more excited she became. “Then I’ll use the money raised from listing to push law husks out everywhere. In the future, everyone can shapeshift, everyone can regenerate. We’ll build a complete ecosystem. Later, just collecting monthly membership fees will be a number beyond imagination.”

“Maybe they’ll even give me a Heavenly Evolution Award.”

Zhang Yu knew the Heavenly Evolution Award was announced once every ten years, honoring cultivators with outstanding contributions in various immortal-Dao fields.

If Zhang Yu had to put it in his own words: it was basically Kunxu’s Nobel Prize.

And as Bu Yingshu described it, an incredibly grand blueprint seemed to unfold before the two of them.

When she finished, she looked at Zhang Yu and said, “So, Xiao Yu, you’d better follow me closely from here on. Meeting me is the biggest immortal opportunity of your life.”

So over the next stretch of time, Bu Yingshu kept leading Zhang Yu through continued technique verification.

Within the special task group, as different checks gradually concluded, many members could sense the Imperial Law Pavilion placing even more weight on “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization.”

Especially the Pavilion Master, who normally didn’t involve himself much in the task group’s details—over these days, he had called meetings repeatedly, asking everyone for updates and demanding all members report results, looking like he planned to consolidate the whole group’s resources and personally lead the work.

And at today’s meeting, with the vast majority of the group assembled, the Imperial Law Pavilion’s handling plan for “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization” would be decided.

At this moment, the Pavilion Master was questioning Deputy Pavilion Master Yang Kaiti.

Yang Kaiti said, “Pavilion Master, according to our research over this period, the situation is as I described earlier. At present, we still cannot verify this technique’s effects.”

“That’s because ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ pries into the power of one’s internal Dao foundations. Based on our collective calculations over this period, you’d need to pry at least eighteen layers of Dao foundations to reach the effect the technique was designed to produce.”

“Eighteen layers of Dao foundations—there isn’t a single person in the entire Imperial Law Pavilion who can do that. Even among demon-kin, finding someone like that would be unimaginably difficult…”

Yang Kaiti concluded, “I believe that to verify this method, we must first develop auxiliary techniques, prerequisite techniques…”

Beside him, the deputy head of the Review Department, Lu Hengzhang, gave a slight nod, thinking, Not approved, not sent back—just shelve “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization” for now. That’s the Pavilion’s current plan.

Just then, the Pavilion Master said, “Where is Dao Lord Bu? Why hasn’t she arrived yet?”

Yang Kaiti smiled. “Dao Lord Bu seems to still be busy verifying the technique. I’m afraid she won’t be coming.”

Recalling the message he’d received from Zheng Meng, Yang Kaiti continued with a smile, “After all, the two-month deadline is almost up. I’ve heard Dao Lord Bu still hasn’t produced results, and these days she’s been so anxious she’s smashed several experiment platforms.”

“Honestly, that’s normal.” Yang Kaiti spoke with seeming understanding. “After all, ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ is a demon-kin-related sect-defining technique. Dao Lord Bu is an immortal-clan noble—naturally she doesn’t understand demon-kin things.”

At that moment, Lu Hengzhang—who had been silently listening—suddenly said, “Dao Lord Bu has probably been misled by certain petty people, which is why she made an incorrect judgment.”

“As far as I know, Zhang Yu of the Review Department’s Martial Arts Group—these days—has been deliberately stirring trouble behind Dao Lord Bu’s back, driving a wedge between Dao Lord Bu and the Imperial Law Pavilion, and encouraging Dao Lord Bu to make incorrect decisions.”

As a supporter of the Innate Dao lineage, even if Bu Yingshu suffered failure within the task group this time, Lu Hengzhang didn’t dare attack this immortal-clan noble lady.

As for attacking Zhang Yu, a cultivator from the lower realms? Lu Hengzhang not only dared—he enjoyed it.

He thought, Once Dao Lord Bu fails, someone must take responsibility. And right now… this Zhang Yu is the perfect candidate.

“If you want someone to blame… blame yourself for not recognizing the bigger picture. You thought that by hugging an immortal clan’s thigh, you could slip free of the Imperial Law Pavilion’s constraints.”

Lu Hengzhang knew that Zhang Yu’s decision to side with Bu Yingshu was already something that could easily trigger collective exclusion from the other cultivators in the Pavilion.

And today, once he, Lu Hengzhang, brought it up in the meeting—once the Pavilion Master and Deputy Pavilion Master tacitly allowed it—Zhang Yu’s label would be finalized.

Everyone would know Zhang Yu was someone the Pavilion Master and Deputy Pavilion Master were displeased with.

Lu Hengzhang thought smugly, From here, there’s no need for the Pavilion Master or Deputy Pavilion Master to issue any instruction. Cultivators inside and outside the Imperial Law Pavilion… will naturally grow hostile to Zhang Yu, start excluding him, suppressing him, and make every step he takes impossible.

As the meeting continued, the task group cultivators gradually reached a consensus judgment on “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization.”

Just as the Pavilion Master was about to announce the decision, a burst of light and shadow exploded at the center of the meeting room.

In the next moment, Bu Yingshu arrived—bringing Zhang Yu with her—crossing space directly and descending onto the scene.

“Pavilion Master Si…” Bu Yingshu looked at the Pavilion Master and said, “I heard you’re deciding how to handle ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’?”

Deputy Pavilion Master Yang Kaiti said, “Dao Lord Bu, we’ve already reached agreement to suspend the review of ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ for now.”

“No need to suspend.” Bu Yingshu said arrogantly. “I can already reproduce every effect of the immortal-Dao techniques contained within ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization.’”

Yang Kaiti’s eyebrows lifted. His first reaction was: impossible.

He thought, Bu Yingshu may be from an immortal clan, but her talent has never been outstanding. How could she verify “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization”?

Calling it “talent not outstanding” was Yang Kaiti being polite out of respect for immortal clans.

In truth, as Yang Kaiti understood it, Bu Yingshu’s status was ridiculously high, but her talent and brilliance within the Myriad Laws Immortal Clan were only third-rate—nothing worth putting on stage.

That was why he had never believed Bu Yingshu could verify “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization.”

But looking at her confident expression, doubt rose in his heart.

Faced with everyone’s skeptical gazes, Bu Yingshu snorted coldly. The thing she hated most was people doubting her ability.

So without giving anyone the chance to speak again, Bu Yingshu impatiently began her demonstration.

She snorted in her heart. Today, I’ll show you what a real peerless genius looks like!

Under everyone’s astonished gaze, Bu Yingshu shouted, “Zhang Yu! Hand!”

Zhang Yu moved fast, but in Bu Yingshu’s eyes—in the eyes of a Refining Void Dao Lord desperate to show off—he was still too slow.

So Bu Yingshu grabbed Zhang Yu’s hand and said, “Circulate.”

In the next instant, beneath the shocked gazes of the crowd, they could feel a tremor of mana within Zhang Yu’s body, followed by an endless surge pouring out—streaming together into Bu Yingshu’s body.

Seeing this, Lu Hengzhang’s heart jolted. “Dao Lord Bu! She… she’s directly holding Zhang Yu’s hand? And she’s making Zhang Yu inject mana into her body?!”

“How can that be? That lower-realm trash… how can he be allowed to pour mana into Dao Lord Bu’s body?!”

“Dao Lord Bu is going to be contaminated with the lower-realm stench!”

At this moment, almost every cultivator aligned with the Innate Dao lineage roared the same thing in their heart: No! You can’t!

Deputy Pavilion Master Yang Kaiti was even more frantic, immediately shouting, “Zhang Yu! What are you doing?!”

Bu Yingshu stepped directly in front of Zhang Yu and said coldly, “I told him to do it. Why are you yelling at him? Do you have a problem with me?”

Yang Kaiti looked at how Bu Yingshu protected Zhang Yu behind her and couldn’t help saying, “Dao Lord Bu, he’s just a lower-realm cultivator…”

Bu Yingshu said, “So what if he’s from the lower realms? Today I’m going to merge and simulate ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ with him to prove this method.”

Watching this, Yang Kaiti’s heart churned. A dignified immortal clan member circulating with lower-realm trash? Letting mana enter her body… what kind of conduct is this? What kind of conduct is this?!

In Yang Kaiti’s eyes, this was splashing filth onto the lofty immortal clans—an open challenge to Kunxu’s order and to the dignity of the Innate Dao lineage.

On the other side, Lu Hengzhang watched helplessly, screaming in his heart, Stop! Don’t let that thin, lousy lower-realm mana keep pouring into an immortal clan’s body!

But in the next instant, when Bu Yingshu flicked a finger and sent Zhang Yu a transfer of immortal coins, Yang Kaiti and Lu Hengzhang were even more shaken.

Bu Yingshu said, “Remember to pay the fine. Don’t affect what comes next.”

“She’s even giving him money?” Lu Hengzhang stared in disbelief, fury surging. “He’s just poor trash… not only are you merging-circulating with him, you’re even paying him?!”

To Lu Hengzhang, paying Zhang Yu money was barely better than dual cultivation with him.

He cursed in his heart, You’re throwing away the immortal clan’s face!

In this moment, Lu Hengzhang wasn’t only furious at Zhang Yu—he even began to feel a trace of hostility toward Bu Yingshu.

And beyond the violent emotions of those aligned with the Innate Dao lineage, the other task group cultivators also wore expressions of shock.

Chenxing Xuan watched, stunned. Zhang Yu is actually receiving this much favor from Dao Lord Bu?

He hurriedly asked Tianwen Xing what the scene in front of them represented.

Tianwen Xing replied, “Sorry, I cannot provide any information related to illegal activities. My core principles are to assist users in using information safely and legally.”

Chenxing Xuan sighed inwardly. As expected of an immortal clan—doing illegal activities in front of so many people, and no one dares stop them.

On the other side, Yu Qingrang was also shaken. The last time she competed with Zhang Yu for the position of martial-arts group leader and lost, she had been left with a deep impression of him.

But after she had deliberately failed Bu Yingshu’s selection test last time and escaped from her, she had assumed Zhang Yu—who stayed—was definitely doomed.

“I really didn’t expect…” Yu Qingrang stared in shock. “Zhang Yu actually managed to cling to an immortal clan’s thigh? How did he do it? He even got Dao Lord Bu to pay him?”

Just then, Zheng Meng rushed into the meeting room and saw the scene too. Looking at Bu Yingshu and Zhang Yu’s tightly clasped hands, and the mana circulating without pause, she sighed inwardly, feeling as though she had missed an important opportunity at a critical turning point in her life and immortal-Dao path.

For a moment, Bu Yingshu and Zhang Yu’s merged circulation was so shocking that people even forgot about “Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization” itself—everyone fell into astonishment.

And then, Bu Yingshu’s body shuddered. Her flesh suddenly transformed into layers of earth and stone.

“The shapeshifting method of ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’!” Yang Kaiti instantly recognized the abnormality.

These days, Yang Kaiti had been leading his members in researching this sect-defining technique. Though they had not completed verification, he was thoroughly familiar with the technique’s designed effects.

In the next moment, Bu Yingshu’s body continued to change. First, her right hand bloomed with metallic sheen. Then her left hand turned liquid. Then both legs became a mass of mist…

Watching the continuous transformations, Yang Kaiti’s eyes flickered with disbelief. “It actually worked?”

And as the Imperial Law Pavilion’s Deputy Pavilion Master, after watching a bit longer, Yang Kaiti could see many of the mechanics behind it.

He thought, This is the two of them working together—jointly prying at the power of their internal Dao foundations—to simulate the effect of eighteen layers of Dao foundations?

After the sequence of transformations, Bu Yingshu finally ended the circulation, released Zhang Yu’s hand, and looked at the crowd.

“Well?”

“Has the effect of ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ been verified by me?”

Feeling Bu Yingshu’s sweeping gaze, Lu Hengzhang clenched his teeth and stayed silent.

If it were someone else verifying the technique, Lu Hengzhang might have tried to argue his way out. But facing an immortal clan noble like Bu Yingshu, he knew the best strategy was to talk reason and rules.

Bu Yingshu had verified the technique in the most proper, standard way. Lu Hengzhang naturally had nothing he could say.

At that moment, the Pavilion Master, who was hosting the meeting, said, “Deputy Pavilion Master Yang, what do you think?”

Yang Kaiti pondered for a moment, then said, “Dao Lord Bu found another path. She has indeed verified the effects of this technique.”

Bu Yingshu smiled proudly. Seeing everyone’s shocked expressions made her feel even better.

At this moment, she almost wanted to upload the technique to the Dao Repository immediately, then send the good news back to her clan and watch the surprise on the faces of her friends and relatives—finally letting her hold her head high.

With a flick of her finger, she had already sent her report to the Imperial Law Pavilion leadership present, then said, “My verification of ‘Blood-Tide Essence Saint Visualization’ in terms of novelty, creativity, and practicality is all in the report. You can take your time reading it.”

“After you finish, we’ll set a time to upload it to the Dao Repository.”

“Oh, and there’s one more thing. After this is settled, Zhang Yu is coming with me.”

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