Chapter 266: Help from Xinghuo Zhenren

Zhang Yu waved his hands rapidly in front of his face.

With his original left eye, all he could see were afterimages trailing the motion. But with his right eye—the Law Husk Eye of the Time-Worn Demon—he saw everything with crystal clarity. Every line, every crease on his palm, perfectly discernible. It was as if time itself had slowed down.

The more he focused, the more intense this slow-motion effect became.

At the same time, he could feel the Law Husk Eye continuously draining his Mana to stay active.

Zhang Yu made a quick mental calculation. “The stronger the slow effect, the higher the Mana cost.”

“At maximum slowdown, the entire world looks ten times slower to me.”

“Given my current Mana reserves, plus the recovery from the Qi Sea Spirit Root, I can probably maintain it for about an hour.”

Zhang Yu nodded slightly. The Time-Worn effect felt similar to Full Focus Mode from the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique, but it was more precise, more controllable, had a stronger slowdown effect, and lasted far longer.

With a single thought, he deactivated the effect, and the world returned to its normal speed.

He moved his limbs a bit and immediately felt a wave of weakness wash over him.

That was due to the removal of the Flood Dragon Spinal Core, which had temporarily boosted his physical strength by one level. With it gone, so too was that enhancement.

Zhang Yu stretched a little and muttered, “It was only temporary anyway. Better to get used to it now.”

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen had also completed her surgery. With a flash, she shot across the room like a gust of wind, leaving behind streaks of afterimages as if teleporting.

“Yuzi! This thing is amazing!” Bai Zhenzhen grinned.

But the next second, she let out a yelp and came to a halt. “No good, no good. My Mana’s being drained like crazy, and my joints are about to snap.”

Zhang Yu said, “Ah-Zhen, now that we’ve got the money, it’s time for you to prepare for Foundation Establishment.”

Bai Zhenzhen nodded with anticipation. With the Heavenly Spiritual Root as a cover, she could use her Zhen Spirit Root to break through.

Xinghuo Zhenren gave them both a few final tips on how to operate the Law Husk eyes before taking his leave with them.

Outside the doors of Oasis Tower, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen bowed in gratitude and offered to transfer him some money in appreciation for his help.

“You want to pay me?”

Xinghuo Zhenren looked at the two of them, something dawning on him. He chuckled. “You two think I’ve got ulterior motives? You want to give me money so that if I turn predatory like Wang Yin, at least you’ll have something contractual to hold over me?”

Seeing the shift in their expressions, Xinghuo Zhenren continued, “Heh, good instincts. Keep that wariness alive—it’ll serve you well.”

“But don’t worry. I don’t have those intentions. Even if I did before… I don’t anymore.”

He explained, “You’re not like Yu Xinghan. With your potential, once you get into university, you’ll shine.”

“If I chain you down now with some exploitative contract, the real bigshots looking to invest in you later will see me as a parasite to be removed.”

“It’s like a greedy investor hogging too many shares in a promising startup—eventually, you just get cleaned out.”

Xinghuo Zhenren smiled. “Besides, all I did was give you some pointers. I didn’t even spend any money on you. Just remember to mention me when you’re famous—that’ll be enough for me.”

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen exchanged a look, then bowed deeply.

“Master!”

Xinghuo Zhenren nodded in satisfaction. “I only managed to squeeze in a quick visit. Gotta get back to overtime work.”

“You two study your Foundation-stage techniques for now. I’ll come guide you again in a couple of days.”

As Xinghuo Zhenren walked away, Bai Zhenzhen turned to Zhang Yu. “Yuzi, what should we do next?”

Zhang Yu thought for a moment. “Pay off the debts. Once that’s done, we’ll help you break through.”

Over the next few days, Zhang Yu worked through the loan records and paid each one back at 1.3 times the original amount.

With the 36 million from Oasis Group deposited into both their accounts, he now had the funds to back up his repayment spree.

Aside from the current 1.3x interest loans, they also wiped out all previous debts from other loan platforms in one go. No more owed money. Clean slate.

After repaying nearly 80 million in total, Zhang Yu’s account was virtually empty.

But Bai Zhenzhen’s still had plenty—enough to purchase a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

When the root arrived and she took another 40 minutes to integrate it, Bai Zhenzhen’s Mana surged. Her body let out strange pops as her muscles and bones reshaped, and with a whirl of Spiritual Energy, she stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

A faint green lotus mark bloomed on her lower abdomen.

At the same time, the Spirit Root in her Dantian rapidly transformed from a seed into a full-blown lotus, merging seamlessly with her.

Bai Zhenzhen frowned slightly. “I think… the Zhen Spirit Root is evolving again.”

She hesitated. “It might turn into a Divine-Grade Spirit Root?”

Zhang Yu’s eyes widened. Fu Ji panicked. “Why so suddenly? Can you hold it back?”

Bai Zhenzhen took a deep breath, face flushed red as her aura flickered wildly.

Eventually, the blooming lotus drew itself inward.

Bai Zhenzhen exhaled. “Still manageable.”

Fu Ji sighed. “A natural Spirit Root that can evolve? The Ten Major Sects and Eight Divine Ministries already keep close tabs on those. If yours becomes a Divine-Grade Spirit Root… that’ll be a whole other storm.”

Zhang Yu asked with concern, “Ah-Zhen, are you okay?”

Bai Zhenzhen grinned and patted her belly. “What, holding back a Spirit Root? I’ve done that before. Easy peasy.”

…

The next day, in a training hall in the city center.

Xinghuo Zhenren’s entire body suddenly burst into flames, a sea of fire threatening to engulf the two students before him.

Their faces turned grave in an instant, their earlier confidence and pride snuffed out by the pressure.

Xinghuo Zhenren mused to himself, “At their age, with these achievements, it’s only natural to feel proud.”

“But if they keep getting flattered like this over the next nine months, they might grow arrogant. Once they get crushed by stronger university students, they could collapse entirely.”

“Better I teach them a hard lesson now than let reality hit them later.”

The heat intensified. Every breath they took felt like their lungs were catching fire.

Xinghuo Zhenren finally spoke in a quiet tone. “You’re big shots in the First Floor now that you’ve reached Foundation. But when you go to the Second Floor, none of that will matter.”

“At Wanfa Sect University, you’ll be placed in the Foundation Class. Your classmates will be students who already reached Foundation in high school, across all floors.”

“Unlike you, they had abundant resources to keep improving after Foundation.”

“You may find yourselves among the bottom of the class. You’ll face setbacks, insults, even open discrimination from higher-floor students…”

His words sank in. The excitement and vanity they’d accumulated over the past few days began to dissipate.

Xinghuo Zhenren gave a small nod. “I’m not telling you this to discourage you—but to set your expectations.”

“You’re talented. Every bit of effort you’ve made has value. Don’t let it go to waste.”

With the lecture complete, Xinghuo Zhenren began the real training.

“For the next nine months, we’ll stick to the basics. The Foundation-stage techniques, you’ll keep practicing on your own. I’ll focus on boosting your Dao Heart, Mana, and physical strength through the most primitive means.”

“I haven’t taught undergrads in a long time, so I don’t know what the current process is upstairs.”

“But if you lay a solid foundation in the next nine months, your university cultivation will be much easier.”

Zhang Yu asked, “What do you mean by ‘primitive means’?”

Xinghuo Zhenren grinned menacingly. “For Dao Heart training, you’ll endure direct bombardment from my Martial Intent. Let it hammer your willpower into shape.”

“And that’s just the start.”

“Once you get used to it… I’ll start ambushing you at random times.”

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen blanched. “You? Ambush us?!”

Xinghuo Zhenren gave a wicked little smile. Martial Intent surged around him like a wildfire, roaring toward the two teens.

As sweat poured from their faces and their expressions twisted, Xinghuo Zhenren said calmly, “Stay alert at all times. Always be ready for a life-or-death fight. That mindset… will rapidly strengthen your Dao Heart.”

“This method may be primitive, but given the limited resources on the First Floor—it suits you just fine.”