Chapter 409: Lian Tianji

“Sigh, Yu Xinghan was right after all.”

“Ever since Lian Tianji became Lian Tianji, watching his videos is not only dull—it’s practically a cure for lust.”

“That’s because neither I nor Yu Xinghan have managed to transcend the illusion of physical form. We’re still shackled by our biological impulses, unable to comprehend the Dao of Yin and Yang with a pure heart.”

Zhang Yu had to admit, in terms of the Dual Cultivation path, he and Yu Xinghan were utterly untalented.

As desire faded from his heart, he felt that restless impulse within him momentarily subdued.

He muttered to himself, “Is this one of the side effects of today’s experimental pill?”

“Even my tempered iron will is shaken by it.”

“If it were just some ordinary college student, they’d probably be making a fool of themselves by now.”

Just as he was thinking this, Zhang Yu noticed that Le Mulan’s face had flushed slightly, and her breathing was growing heavier.

He narrowed his eyes. “Did you take the experimental pill too?”

Le Mulan nodded faintly. “Mm… neutralizing the medicinal properties, adjusting them internally… It’s part of my coursework…”

Mid-sentence, Le Mulan let out a soft moan and bent over slightly.

When she raised her head again, her eyes were clouded with mist.

She murmured, “What… a strange sensation.”

Zhang Yu was startled. “Isn’t Le Mulan supposed to be in a neutered state? And the drug still had this strong an effect?”

At the same time, Le Mulan’s lips parted slightly, and a wave of hot breath escaped, brushing against Zhang Yu’s face.

The sweet, sticky medicinal scent radiating from her body made Zhang Yu’s mind reel. He nearly lost control again.

He hastily projected a video of Lian Tianji and pulled Le Mulan over to watch it with him.

Le Mulan stared at the screen, breath growing even more ragged. She thought, “This is a video from the Pleasure and Harmony Sect, isn’t it?”

“Zhang… Zhang Yu… wants to learn this with me?”

The thought made her heart race and blood surge. Her flushed cheeks deepened in color.

“I don’t have any experience with this kind of cultivation. I need to study hard… to match Zhang Yu…”

Though her mind was growing foggier by the second, Le Mulan forced herself to stay focused, trying to memorize the key movements from the video. Her tongue even flicked out unconsciously in an attempt to mimic them.

But just then, Zhang Yu said, “That’s Lian Tianji.”

Le Mulan blinked. “Huh?”

Zhang Yu continued, “That woman… used to be Lian Tianji.”

He was already placing a call to Lian Tianji.

The screen flickered, and Lian Tianji’s projection appeared before them.

“Zhang Yu? What brings you to call me all of a sudden?” she asked.

Zhang Yu shared the screen with Le Mulan and said, “We were watching your video. Le Mulan was curious about your current form.”

Lian Tianji smiled gently. “So even the top-ranked saint has watched it? Thanks for the support—I hope it helps you both.”

After some small talk, Lian Tianji mentioned she had to continue cultivating and ended the call.

Le Mulan stared in shock, mind replaying the old image of Lian Tianji against her current form. Her previously dazed eyes slowly cleared.

Zhang Yu silently observed her reaction and thought, “As I expected, Le Mulan also lacks the aptitude for this path. She can’t break free from the limitations of gender, and can’t use these videos as nourishment for understanding the Immortal Dao of Yin and Yang. But they’re perfect for suppressing desire.”

Le Mulan asked, “Why did he become like this?”

Zhang Yu explained, “In their Foundation Establishment track, there were two classes. One where only the top student could remain male, and another where only the top student could be female. Lian Tianji chose the former.”

Le Mulan’s heart trembled at his words. She said with admiration, “Lian Tianji had excellent grades in high school. Even after getting into Pleasure and Harmony University, he didn’t slack off. He chose a path of total transformation.”

“He must’ve spent a fortune and poured immense effort into it.”

Zhang Yu replied, “This experimental pill’s side effects are intense. Our minds may have resisted it, but its effects still linger in our bodies.”

“Let’s use Cold-Type Mana to suppress the residual medicinal energy together.”

The two pressed their palms together—four hands aligned—and waves of Cold-Type Mana flowed into each other’s bodies.

…

Pleasure and Harmony University.

Inside a classroom, many students sat cultivating and studying the Dao.

Lian Tianji had just ended the call with Zhang Yu. Her heart stirred. “Zhang Yu and the top-ranked saint… watching my video together?”

She remembered how, in high school, she’d dreamed of studying alongside Zhang Yu and Le Mulan. But it never happened—not even once before graduation.

“Well… I guess this counts. Watching my video together—maybe I’m with them in some way.”

That thought gave her a small sense of inclusion, and a peaceful smile spread across her face.

Just then, a voice behind her said, “Senior! You spaced out?”

Lian Tianji responded coolly, “I was communicating with someone. Using the moment to temper my Dao Heart. The Dao of Yin and Yang demands one to cultivate the Dao Heart—transcending the physical, unbound by body, society, or thought… free from all inner and outer constraints.”

The voice asked, “Senior, are you free tomorrow?”

Lian Tianji smiled faintly. “Still want extra tutoring? Then bring your whole vocational class.”

She understood very well—at Pleasure and Harmony University, if you only studied with your own class, you’d never outpace your peers.

To truly improve rapidly, there were only two paths: ascend or descend.

“Ascend” meant studying with seniors, instructors, or even school administrators—but that cost too much. Lian Tianji couldn’t afford it.

So she chose to “descend”—selecting vocational students and those from lower-tier schools as her

furnaces

to fuel her cultivation.

“Don’t blame me,” she murmured inwardly. “Blame yourselves for only getting into vocational schools. You’re already subhuman—might as well be of use to me.”

She clenched her heart around one vow:

I’ll reclaim everything I lost.

…

Yin Jiurao stared at Le Mulan’s experimental report and muttered, “She resisted it, huh?”

“I’d hoped to use Le Mulan to sneakily harvest Zhang Yu’s seed.”

“But of course… someone as small and skinny as Le Mulan just doesn’t have the allure. No way a standard drug would get Zhang Yu to cave.”

“Should I try a different formula?”

“…Forget it. That’d be too obvious.”

She pulled up a website and mused, “Better to hire a professional seed-swindler.”

…

In the following days, Zhang Yu continued working at the construction site and testing experimental pills, but never again felt his blood boil.

“Looks like the side effects were adjusted,” he thought. “Good. Makes it easier to stay abstinent.”

These days, Zhang Yu didn’t just refuse to sell his seed—he didn’t even want to sell any other materials from his body.

Although he often said that abstinence helped his cultivation, the real reason was deeper: his Divine Spirit Root.

“The Greenlotus Sword Embryo is constantly reshaping my body,” he thought.

“If someone analyzes my physical materials, they might discover something strange.”

“No reason to risk it… and it’s not like they’re worth that much anyway.”

After a shift at the worksite, Zhang Yu returned to his dorm, logged into the Spiritual Realm, and entered the simulation lab registered under Zhang Pianpian’s name.

There, he began simulated cultivation of the

Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Hood

.

Activating tenfold acceleration, materials and equipment emerged all around him, operating in sync with his Martial Qi and Mana.

By the end of the session, Zhang Yu had pushed his artifact refinement skill for the Sky-Blue Cloud-Gathering Hood to level 7—at a steep cost.

The simulation lab didn’t charge by time but by how much Spiritual Realm compute-resource was consumed.

Running at tenfold speed meant burning through resources fast. That single session cost him over 5.6 spirit coins.

“Artifact Refinement really burns money.”

“Good thing I’m a quick learner.”

He figured that most Artifact Refinement students—without his Feathered Tome talent—would need many more attempts, spending far more spirit coins.

Then he checked his bank balance.

Even with Zhang Pianpian’s monthly 5 coins, Wen Wuya’s 10 coins, and his own construction wages…

Thanks to all his upgrades and training expenses…

“My savings are down to 30.158 spirit coins.”

Zhang Yu clenched his jaw. “I just have to hold out. Once I master more techniques and level them up, I can start selling consumable artifacts to recoup costs.”

“The pharmaceutical work pays well too—I’ll take more shifts.”

…

Yin Jiurao reviewed a resume. “You graduated from Qinghe Arts and Vocational Academy?”

The woman projected in the Spiritual Realm nodded. “Correct. Qinghe Arts is a subsidiary of Pleasure and Harmony University. Officially, we’re one of the Thirty-Six Lower Academies, but our curriculum is nearly identical.”

“And when it comes to seed collection work, I’m far more experienced than any Pleasure and Harmony undergrad.”

Yin Jiurao asked, “What’s your primary gender?”

“Male.”

Yin Jiurao followed up, “Will gender conversion affect your job performance?”

The woman replied, “You’re right. I wasn’t born female.”

“I spent 20 years as a man. That experience gave me deep insight into the mysteries of Yin-Yang transmutation. It’s the foundation of my subsequent 18 years working in a female body—and I focus on practical results.”

“My resume includes real-world stats and cases. I believe those speak louder than my gender.”

Yin Jiurao said coolly, “You’ve reviewed the target profile. What’s your success rate?”

The woman smiled. “This is my specialty. A second-year student with a proper spirit root? Guaranteed.”

Yin Jiurao added, “It has to be voluntary.”

“Of course,” she assured. “We’re swindlers of seed—not crude robbers without any technique.”