No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

True Lord Magneto, after all, was merely a projection from the Spiritual Realm. Lacking her own mana, she had to rely on sigils to interact with the material world.

With a flick of a sigil, a violent gust of wind swept across the arena, clearing the dust and smoke.

She then sent a message to Zhang Yu: My good disciple, where are you?

In the next instant, another sigil was activated. Divine power surged outward, intending to reveal everyone present in the arena.

As the storm howled and the dust dispersed, the figures of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, now highlighted in True Lord Magneto’s vision, slowly emerged.

Then came the scene of Wen Wuya approaching Zhang Yu, leaving countless students of Heavenly Sword Sect University in a stunned daze.

Seeing Wen Wuya try to take Zhang Yu’s hand, Bai Zhenzhen furrowed her brows and snapped, “What are you doing here?”

Wen Wuya smiled calmly. “We’re all good friends. I’m just here to congratulate Zhang Yu on winning the competition.”

With a cold snort, Bai Zhenzhen made no movement, but a crimson Sword Aura appeared out of thin air, slashing forward and forcing Wen Wuya back several steps.

Wen Wuya looked on in surprise, then turned to Bai Zhenzhen. “Zhenzhen, what kind of Sword Aura is that? I’ve never seen you use it before. Could it be...?”Bai Zhenzhen frowned slightly and said nothing, though her heart muttered, Trouble… My cultivation in Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship just surged, and it triggered automatically.

Born of emotion, perishes with emotion. Moves as the heart moves, slashes as the heart slashes… This damn Technique is pure evil. The deeper I train, the harder it is to control. Just one stray thought and I could kill someone without even expending mana.

She glared at Zhang Yu again, inwardly blaming him for pushing her down the wrong path.

Then, answering Wen Wuya’s question with a snort, she said, “None of your business. Stay away if you don’t want to get slashed.”

Wen Wuya didn’t leave. She smiled lightly. “Zhenzhen, I understand how hard it is to control your emotions while practicing your Swordsmanship. Don’t worry. I, Wen Wuya, am not the petty type. I won’t hold it against you.”

Then she twirled her willow-like waist and cast Zhang Yu a bright-eyed wink, sending him a message: Let’s have a good chat sometime.

Wen Wuya: I’m especially interested in how you broke through [heart emoji]

Meanwhile, ever since Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen appeared together, the countless Heavenly Sword Sect University students watching had been shaken. And when Wen Wuya showed up, the astonishment only grew.

Whether in the stands or among the competition teams, waves of emotion surged among the students.

In Kunxu, good grades meant excellence, high rankings meant power, and the wealthier you were, the more handsome, beautiful, intelligent, noble you appeared—worthy of admiration from the poor below.

But Bai Zhenzhen and Wen Wuya? They were disciples of Nascent Soul cultivators, top scholars among top scholars, their grades, ranks, and wealth all at the peak. Idolized by countless students.

And now, these two exalted figures were both standing next to a Civil Engineering student from another school? Holding hands with him? Did they even know what they were doing?

The crowd erupted.

“Let go! Let go! Bai Zhenzhen, let go of his hand! I haven’t even touched your Sword Aura before—why does this damn civil engineer get to hold your hand?!”

“Why is Wen Wuya here too?! Don’t go near him! You’re going to get tainted by community college blood!”

“Gah! Bai Zhenzhen drew her sword! They’re fighting over Zhang Yu?! We’re all Civil Engineering students—what makes him so special?!”

Elsewhere, Yue Guanqiong’s eyes were wide as he watched, feeling worse than when he’d just lost the match.

At the same time, memories of Zhang Yu’s breakthrough details surfaced in his mind.

Was it because of the Yin Artifact experiments? The Dual Cultivation Technique? Because Zhang Yu stepped from Civil Engineering into the realm of Dual Cultivation?

Watching Zhang Yu standing between the two flying sword prodigies—one looked at him tenderly, the other gripped his hand tightly—Yue Guanqiong felt like Zhang Yu was glowing.

“I want to learn Dual Cultivation too! It’s the best backup path for Civil Engineering!”

At that moment, Yue Guanqiong made a firm decision: Forget sword fusion—I’m switching to Dual Cultivation!

Meanwhile, in the Wanfa University team, Su Yanyang, Xiao Yunji, and the others were equally dumbfounded.

Xiao Yunji said in disbelief, “What’s Zhang Yu’s relationship with those two?”

Shi Huaiyu muttered, “Could this be the friend Zhang Yu said he came to visit at Heavenly Sword Sect University?”

Su Yanyang clenched his fists, burning with envy. “So it wasn’t just Wen Wuya—even Bai Zhenzhen cultivated with him?”

Thinking of how Zhang Yu stayed behind earlier, and how he and Bai Zhenzhen might’ve used the dust cover to secretly practice cultivation on the spot, Su Yanyang’s envy nearly shook his Dao Heart.

No wonder he’s so strong. With resources like that, and still using every chance to train—how could he not be strong?

“Damn it, I want in too!”

While emotions surged and reactions varied across the crowd, True Lord Magneto in the sky frowned, her heart sinking.

Are these two from Heavenly Sword Sect University trying to get close to Zhang Yu to uncover secrets of the Yin Artifact experiments?

She immediately messaged Zhang Yu: Back off.

True Lord Magneto: Those two might be probing for intel. Don’t let them take advantage.

As she sent the message, she prepared another sigil to forcefully separate them.

But just then, beams of multicolored light descended from the Spiritual Realm like sunlight fracturing into rainbows.

Seeing the grand display, True Lord Magneto’s heart skipped a beat. Seven Sentiments Lord’s projection?

At the same time, Bai Zhenzhen heard Seven Sentiments Lord’s voice in her ear: Still not letting go? Want me to step in?

Bai Zhenzhen released Zhang Yu’s hand at once and decisively knelt on the ground, shouting, “Mom!”

At the same time, she tried to pull Zhang Yu down with her.

True Lord Magneto glared at him like she was saying: Don’t you dare kneel.

She messaged Zhang Yu again: What are you spacing out for? This is Heavenly Sword Sect University’s internal affair. Get moving.

Before Zhang Yu could react, a sword light flashed between him and Bai Zhenzhen.

No matter how tightly Bai Zhenzhen held his hand, the sword light found the gap between them, slicing cleanly through and forcing them apart.

At the same time, Seven Sentiments Lord’s voice calmly echoed in Bai Zhenzhen’s ear: I said, in public, call me “Master.”

Bai Zhenzhen looked up at the multicolored brilliance in the sky and sent a message: Mom, my Extreme Sentiment Swordsmanship just got a huge boost.

Bai Zhenzhen: There’s no going back for me now.

As she waited for a response, seven-colored light shimmered in the sky, and the Nine-Heavens Solar Yang Pagoda behind True Lord Magneto began to shake violently.

Seven Sentiments Lord snorted and sent a private message to True Lord Magneto: What are you standing around for? This is our sect’s business. Back off.

Seeing the message, True Lord Magneto’s eyes narrowed. This old fox… repeating my own words—was she eavesdropping on my messages just now?

Then she chuckled inwardly. Worthy of an old-school Nascent Soul cultivator—her projection even brought along her Nascent Soul awareness.

She abandoned her plan to use the Nine-Heavens Solar Yang Pagoda to spy further and instead blinked forward, appearing directly in front of Zhang Yu.

True Lord Magneto said flatly, “What are you waiting for? Move.”

Zhang Yu hadn’t been idle. The moment the rainbow light appeared, he had already swapped the Greenlotus Sword Embryo (Spirit Root) in his Dao Seed Codex for the Three-Eyed Divine Sight (Spirit Root).

As a result, the Divine Spirit Root that had merged in Bai Zhenzhen’s dantian immediately lost half its essence.

The strange resonance born of two Divine Spirit Roots suddenly vanished, leaving behind a void that welled up inside her.

And yet, that emptiness brought Bai Zhenzhen a measure of relief.

She didn’t understand how Zhang Yu had done it, but at least now she didn’t have to worry about getting exposed.

Zhang Yu, meanwhile, thought to himself, Sigh… Can’t believe I already attracted Seven Sentiments Lord. I wonder how the Greenlotus Sword Embryo affected Ah-Zhen’s Divine Spirit Root? Did it leave any lasting changes?

Despite his curiosity, Zhang Yu dared not switch back to the Greenlotus Sword Embryo, fearing unintended consequences.

Prompted by True Lord Magneto, he could only head off the field reluctantly, sending a message on the way.

Zhang Yu: Ah-Zhen, I’ll go first. Let’s talk later.

Bai Zhenzhen: She won’t be contacting you again.

Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. Seven Sentiments Lord?

As Zhang Yu disappeared with True Lord Magneto, Bai Zhenzhen sent another message: Yuzi, go ahead. I’ll contact you after I’m done here.

Zhang Yu: Heavenly Sword Sect University, please do not interfere with my lab staff again.

Bai Zhenzhen blinked. Was that intercepted by True Lord Magneto?

At that moment, Seven Sentiments Lord’s voice sounded again in her ear: Return to the dormitory. We’ll discuss your situation later.

Seven Sentiments Lord then focused on Wen Wuya. “And you—what’s your deal?”

Wen Wuya had approached Zhang Yu purely out of interest in Wanfa University’s breakthroughs in Dual Cultivation and Yin Artifact technology.

Based on her experience, intuition, and her understanding of her own master, she believed her master, True Lord Celestial Star, would also be keenly interested.

Between Wanfa University and Pleasure and Harmony University, she was confident Celestial Star would side with Wanfa—after all, the financial gains were far greater.

Originally, Wen Wuya had assumed Seven Sentiments Lord would share that same view.

But the events of the past few moments had shattered that assumption.