Chapter 266: Zhou Family Evil God, Sprint Before the Gaokao

Inside the Zhou family mansion, patrol team members moved constantly throughout the house. The entire mansion had been thoroughly searched, and Zhou family members, one after another, were led away, their faces pale and their spirits crushed.

"It's Zhou Yang's madness! It has nothing to do with us!""We didn't collude with the Oasis Group...""Where's your captain? I know your captain."

Zhang Yu stood by, watching the Zhou family members being led away. He felt both emotional and nervous."I wonder if the patrol team will discover the evil god behind the Zhou family, and if it will implicate A-Zhen and me."

Perhaps because Zhou Yang had hidden the evil god too well, the patrol team's thorough search yielded no information about it. Instead, they uncovered one of Zhou Yang's secret hiding places.

Deep within Songyang City's sewer system, Yun Ni looked at the underground structure before them and explained, "This place was secretly funded and built by Zhou Yang himself. If we hadn't conducted a thorough search of all his personal belongings this time, we never would have found it..."

With a loud bang, the underground structure was forcibly opened by the patrol team members. Everyone swarmed in and began a thorough search of the interior.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen followed Yun Ni all the way to the deepest part. There, they saw countless coils, ancient artifacts, chains, and other objects intertwined, surrounding a hard drive at the very center.

Seeing this, Fu Ji immediately transmitted a message into Zhang Yu's mind: "It's a ritual! A ritual that can suppress an evil god!""That Zhou Yang, he actually suppressed his evil god here?""Damn, that scoundrel is truly audacious."

Meanwhile, Yun Ni walked around the hard drive and said, "This looks like a ritual?"

Fu Ji urged, "Zhang Yu! Touch this hard drive. I'll try to consume this evil god.""If these patrol team members take my colleague away, and what if he learns of our existence... that would be troublesome."

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen first used their internal ritual detection abilities to check for cameras in the vicinity. After confirming the locations and angles of the surrounding cameras...

The two exchanged glances. The next moment, Bai Zhenzhen pointed to a camera in the corner and said, "What's that? It seemed to move!"

Just as everyone turned to look, Zhang Yu activated the time-lapse ability of his Chrono-Decay Demonic Eye. To him, the entire world seemed to slow down instantly. The expressions, gazes, and movements of everyone around him were all clearly reflected in Zhang Yu's eyes at that moment. He also calculated the camera's field of view.

Taking advantage of everyone's blind spots as they turned, and from an angle where the cameras couldn't record, Zhang Yu gently extended his hand and pressed it onto the hard drive.

With Zhang Yu's cultivation base at the Foundation Establishment realm and the assistance of his Chrono-Decay Demonic Eye, Yun Ni and the others noticed nothing unusual when they turned back.

Yun Ni excitedly said, "That must be a camera Zhou Yang installed.""Have someone download its recordings immediately and see if there's anything useful."

At the same time, Fu Ji's somewhat weak voice entered Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's minds: "I forcibly pulled this guy over to me.""Next... I need to slowly suppress him... and then digest him... I might be asleep for a while..."

After saying these words, Fu Ji's voice completely vanished, and there was no further response.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "After Fu Ji wakes up this time, will the Feather Book be able to open a new chapter?"

Thinking of this, Zhang Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, though he wondered how long Fu Ji would sleep this time. He mused, "This time, the evil god was forcibly pulled over, so digesting it will probably take even longer than last time."

Afterward, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen continued to assist the patrol team with their search. Yun Ni had already confirmed Zhou Yang's identity as an evil cult follower based on traces of rituals. However, to Yun Ni's disappointment, the cameras at the site only recorded up to seven days of surveillance footage, yielding nothing useful. No evil god was found within the entire base, leading Yun Ni to suspect that it had long since departed.

Zhang Yu noticed that Zhou Yang had left no information about him or Bai Zhenzhen, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he wouldn't need to go to great lengths to destroy evidence.

With the Zhou family matter temporarily concluded, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen continued to immerse themselves in cultivation while awaiting Fu Ji's awakening.

Inside the training ground in the city center.

With crackling sounds, True Person Xinghuo's fingertip gently pressed Zhang Yu's chest, sending him flying instantly. At the same time, True Person Xinghuo's other hand flicked Bai Zhenzhen's palm, sending her soaring hundreds of meters away.

Seeing their movements slow down, True Person Xinghuo frowned and said, "Don't stop, speed up."

Bai Zhenzhen's body flickered. With the activation of the Formless Wind Demon, she was already moving with the force of a gale, charging towards True Person Xinghuo once more.

True Person Xinghuo reminded them, "Don't stop your body refining cultivation techniques. Keep circulating your energy to the fullest at all times.""After the college entrance exam, you'll be entering the second layer.""And at this very moment, those geniuses on the higher layer are widening the gap with you every single day.""You must seize every second to even slightly narrow the gap between yourselves and those geniuses."

At this moment, True Person Xinghuo was not engaging in actual combat training with them, but rather using himself as a training apparatus to temper their physical strength. He was like an endless ocean, exerting immense pressure on them, and as their body refining techniques circulated, he madly increased resistance, enhancing the load and effectiveness of their physical training.

Zhang Yu felt as if the other party was repeatedly striking his body's weak points, constantly increasing the burden of his body refining and enhancing the training's effectiveness. It was like a massive iron hammer, striking his muscles, tendons, and bones again and again, removing impurities and forging him to become purer and more formidable.

Spring and Autumn Endless Zen Level 18 (98/180)Physical Strength Level 10.52

True Person Xinghuo looked at the two panting on the ground and thought to himself, "What terrifying progress they're making.""Especially that boy Zhang Yu. If he continues cultivating his Spring and Autumn Endless Zen like this, he might reach Level 20 before graduating high school. His comprehension of this technique... it's simply incredible.""Even if he isn't the legendary Martial Dao Sacred Body, he's probably not far off.""I truly look forward to seeing him when he enters the Golden Core, or even the Nascent Soul realm."

Thinking of this, True Person Xinghuo sighed inwardly, "However, with the lifespan I have left, I probably won't live to see the day they fully rise.""But at least the seeds I've sown in them over the past nine months should one day take root and blossom."

To say that True Person Xinghuo's guidance to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen was entirely selfless, purely out of appreciation, would be something he himself wouldn't believe. However, unlike the funds invested in Yu Xinghan, which were bound by contracts, in True Person Xinghuo's view... what he invested in Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen was maintained by something called personal favor.

"These days... fewer and fewer people in Kunxu still value old ties," True Person Xinghuo thought to himself. "It's vastly different from when I was young. Nowadays, in Kunxu, cultivators... almost exclusively speak of profit, not sentiment.""Those who still cling to the old ways are either dead from old age or have been eliminated, just like old guys such as myself...""However, Zhang Yu might be an exception.""Although I won't live to see their rise, I hope my investment in them will help Xuelian and Xinghan in the future."

Time continued to fly as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen cultivated, with only half a year left until the college entrance exam.

One day in his apartment, Zhang Yu suddenly opened his eyes as the Resilient Ox's Self-Sacrifice Heart Art roared in his mind.

Resilient Ox's Self-Sacrifice Heart Art Level 20Dao Heart Level 11 (43.8)

Zhang Yu felt as if his thoughts at that moment had penetrated every cell in his body, and his flesh and blood became more active than ever before.

"Finally, Level 20," he thought, looking at his hands. "After Level 20, even if my limbs are severed, I feel my consciousness can linger in the detached parts.""This Level 20 effect could be called 'Active Residue.' Even flesh that separates from my body can retain my consciousness for a few minutes.""As long as it's picked up and reattached within those few minutes, it can grow back.""Moreover, as my Dao Heart level continues to increase, the effects of the Resilient Ox's Self-Sacrifice Heart Art should also improve."

Feeling his self-healing ability grow stronger, a satisfied smile flashed across Zhang Yu's face. After all, this meant he was less afraid of injuries and would increasingly avoid hospital visits.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Zhang Yu opened the apartment door, looked at Le Mulan standing outside, and said, "You're here?"

After leading Le Mulan inside, Zhang Yu asked, "Are you sure you don't want money?"

Earlier, during the 1.3x donation, Le Mulan had lent Zhang Yu five million. However, when Zhang Yu later tried to repay her, Le Mulan returned the money, stating she didn't want cash, but something else. After Zhang Yu repeatedly confirmed, he learned that, like the Red Tower Group, she also wanted his "seed."

Although money from the first layer was useless in the second, five million could still be exchanged for resources. For Zhang Yu, this five million was certainly more useful and valuable than his "seed." After all, he clearly understood that his strength was not related to his bloodline, but was a strength of soul and will.

However, to his old friend Le Mulan, Zhang Yu kindly reminded her, "This thing... I don't think it's very useful. You should think it over carefully."

Le Mulan bit her lip and insisted, "This is what I want."

Zhang Yu nodded. "Alright then, wait a moment."

Le Mulan watched Zhang Yu turn and leave. After waiting for a long time, she realized he hadn't returned. Just then, her phone vibrated. Le Mulan opened it.Le Jingchen: Did you get the Yu Essence?Le Jingchen: Remember to personally confirm it's genuine. The Red Tower hasn't made any breakthroughs yet, so I suspect Zhang Yu might have given them a fake.