“Ah, Yu Xinghan was indeed right,” Zhang Yu mused. “Ever since Lian Tianji transformed into Lian Tianji, watching her videos has not only become utterly uninteresting but can even serve as a deterrent to lust.”

“This is because neither Yu Xinghan nor I have been able to see past physical appearances, to transcend our physiological limitations, and to comprehend the Dao of Yin and Yang with a pure Dao heart.”

Zhang Yu had to admit that, from this perspective, he and Yu Xinghan truly had no talent in the Dao of Dual Cultivation.

As the desire in his heart dissipated, Zhang Yu felt that the nascent impulse he had previously experienced was temporarily suppressed. He thought to himself, “Is this a side effect of today’s experimental drug? It can even affect my tempered iron will. If it were an ordinary university student, they would probably be making a spectacle of themselves right now.”

Just as Zhang Yu was thinking this, he suddenly noticed that Le Mulan’s face was flushed, and her breathing was becoming heavy. Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed. He quickly asked, “Did you also participate in the drug trial?”

Le Mulan nodded slightly and said, “Yes, breaking down the medicinal properties, adjusting them within my body… that’s one of my tasks here…” Mid-sentence, Le Mulan couldn’t help but let out a soft groan, her entire body bending forward. When she looked up again, her eyes, as she gazed at Zhang Yu, seemed filled with mist.

Le Mulan murmured, “What… a strange feeling.”

Zhang Yu was even more alarmed by this scene: “Le Mulan is sterilized, right? This drug actually has such a potent effect?”

At the same time, Le Mulan’s lips parted slightly, and warm breaths escaped her mouth, wafting onto Zhang Yu’s face. Smelling the sweet, cloying medicinal scent emanating from her, Zhang Yu felt a momentary daze, as if he almost lost control of his thoughts again. He quickly projected a video of Lian Tianji and pulled Le Mulan to watch it with him.

Le Mulan watched Lian Tianji and the others in the video, her breathing suddenly becoming heavier. She thought to herself, “This must be a video from the Joyful Union Sect, right? Zhang… Zhang Yu… does he want me to learn how to do these things with him?” At this thought, for some reason, Le Mulan felt the blood circulation in her body accelerate again, and her complexion became even more flushed. “I have no experience in this kind of cultivation. I must learn diligently to cooperate with Zhang Yu…”

Although her mind was becoming increasingly muddled, Le Mulan forced herself to maintain a shred of awareness, trying to memorize the key movements in the video. Her tongue instinctively extended, as if attempting to mimic them.

Just then, she heard Zhang Yu say, “This is Lian Tianji.”

Le Mulan paused slightly. “Huh?”

Zhang Yu continued, “This woman is Lian Tianji.” As he spoke, he had already sent a communication request to Lian Tianji. Then, the screen flickered, and Lian Tianji’s figure appeared before them.

They heard her say, “Zhang Yu, why did you suddenly think of contacting me?”

Zhang Yu shared the screen with Le Mulan and then said, “Le Mulan and I are watching your video. She’s quite curious about how you look now.”

Lian Tianji smiled slightly, “So, the revered top-ranked student is also watching? Thank you for your support. I hope my videos can help you.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lian Tianji said she needed to continue her cultivation and ended the call with Zhang Yu. Le Mulan, standing by, watched this scene in shock. Images of the past Lian Tianji and the present Lian Tianji flashed in her mind, and her previously hazy eyes gradually cleared.

Watching this, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Indeed, Le Mulan also lacks talent in this area. She cannot transcend the limitations of biological gender, nor can she use this video as cultivation material for the Yin-Yang Immortal Dao. But it serves perfectly as a deterrent to lust.”

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

Zhang Yu explained, “Their department’s Foundation Establishment classes had two options: in one, only the top student in the class could remain male; in the other, only the top student could become female. Lian Tianji chose the former.”

Le Mulan was startled by this. Then she said with some admiration, “Lian Tianji had excellent high school grades. It seems he didn’t relax at all after entering Joyful Union University, directly choosing a path of complete transformation.” Le Mulan added, “He must have spent a lot of money and effort on this path.”

Zhang Yu said, “The side effects of this experimental drug are too potent. Although the mental effects were erased, the physical body still retains some of the medicinal properties. Let’s use our Ice Mana to suppress the residual medicinal properties in each other’s bodies.”

The two of them placed their four palms together, and streams of Ice Mana flowed into each other’s bodies.

***

At Joyful Union University, inside a classroom, numerous students were cultivating together, comprehending the Great Dao.

Lian Tianji disconnected from Zhang Yu, feeling emotional. “Zhang Yu and the top-ranked student… are they watching my videos together?” She remembered how in high school, she had always wanted to study with Zhang Yu and Le Mulan, but never got the chance before graduation. “But now they’re watching my videos together, so in a way, I’m studying with them.” Thinking this, a sense of involvement welled up in Lian Tianji, and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

Just then, a voice came from behind Lian Tianji: “Senior! Were you distracted?”

Lian Tianji calmly replied, “I was just communicating with someone, using it as an opportunity to temper my Dao heart. The Dao of Yin and Yang is about refining one’s Dao heart, transcending the material world, unfettered by flesh, worldly desires, thoughts… by any external or internal limitations.”

The voice from behind asked, “Senior, will you have time tomorrow?”

Lian Tianji smiled slightly. “You want tutoring? Then call all your junior college classmates over.” Lian Tianji understood very well that at Joyful Union University, merely cultivating with classmates made it difficult to surpass them in performance. To achieve faster and greater progress, one must either “cultivate upwards” or “cultivate downwards”!

Cultivating upwards means finding senior students, or even teachers and school leaders, to study with. But this process is too expensive for Lian Tianji to afford. Therefore, she chose to “cultivate downwards,” specifically selecting junior college students and students from lower-tier schools to serve as her cultivation vessels to boost her own cultivation.

“Don’t blame me. Blame yourselves for only getting into junior college, for only getting into lower-tier schools. Since you’ve effectively ceased to be proper individuals, then lend me a hand…” Lian Tianji secretly resolved in her heart: “Help me get back what I lost!”

***

Yin Jiurao looked at the drug trial report sent by Le Mulan and thought to herself, “Did she manage to endure it? I originally wanted to use Le Mulan to extract Zhang Yu’s seed. But as expected… someone short and thin like Le Mulan probably lacks sufficient charm, making it difficult to subdue Zhang Yu with ordinary drugs alone. Should I switch to a different drug? No, that would be too obvious.”

Yin Jiurao opened a website and thought to herself, “It’s better to find some professionals skilled in seed deception.”

***

Over the next few days, Zhang Yu worked at the construction site and continued participating in the drug trials. He no longer experienced the sensation of surging blood and energy, realizing that the side effects of the experimental drug had probably been adjusted. “That’s good. It saves me from affecting my abstinence.”

Zhang Yu now not only refused to sell his seed but was also unwilling to easily sell any other bodily materials. Besides his own claim that his cultivation state improved after abstinence, the biggest reason was actually his Divine Spiritual Root. Zhang Yu thought to himself, “The Azure Lotus Sword Embryo is constantly adjusting my body every moment. It’s hard to say if any abnormalities would be detected if my current bodily materials were examined. Unless necessary… it’s better not to sell them. They wouldn’t fetch much of a price anyway.”

After finishing work and leaving the construction site that day, Zhang Yu returned to his dormitory, connected to the Spirit Realm, and entered the simulated laboratory that Zhang Pianpian had set up for him. Here, he began his simulated cultivation of the Sky Azure Cloud Net.

Zhang Yu activated the ten-times acceleration. Immediately, various artifact refining materials and equipment appeared, operating in sync with his Aura and Mana. On this day, Zhang Yu raised the artifact refining skill for the Sky Azure Cloud Net to Level 7 in one go, incurring significant costs. The simulated laboratory did not charge by time, but by the Spirit Realm’s computing pool resources consumed during his simulation. Zhang Yu’s ten-times acceleration meant he could consume a large amount of the Spirit Realm’s computing pool resources in a short time, costing him over 5.6 Spirit Coins in the simulated laboratory at once.

“Artifact refining is truly a money pit,” he thought. “Fortunately, I’m not cultivating slowly.” Zhang Yu mused that ordinary artifact refining students, without his Feather Scroll talent, would probably need more practice sessions and spend more Spirit Coins in the simulated laboratory.

Then Zhang Yu looked at his savings. Although he now received 5 Spirit Coins from Zhang Pianpian and 10 Spirit Coins from Wen Wuya each month, in addition to his income from working at the construction site, to accelerate the improvement of his foundational data, Zhang Yu spent quite a bit on various services, plus the continuous investment in artifact refining… “My savings have dropped to 30.158 Spirit Coins again.”

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “I need to hold on a bit longer. Once I master a few more artifact refining techniques and raise their levels, I’ll be able to sell more consumable magic treasures to recover my funds. The work at the pharmaceutical factory brings in good income; I should do more of that too.”

***

Yin Jiurao looked at the resume in front of her and asked, “Are you a graduate of Qinghe Art University?”

The woman in the Spirit Realm projection said, “That’s right. Qinghe Art is an affiliated school of Joyful Union University. Although we are nominally one of the thirty-six affiliated schools, the courses we study are actually quite similar to those at the main Joyful Union University. And when it comes to the work of seed collection, I certainly have more extensive experience than the students currently enrolled at Joyful Union University.”

Yin Jiurao asked, “What is your primary gender?”

The woman replied, “Male.”

Yin Jiurao then asked, “Will gender transformation affect your work?”

The woman said, “You’re right, my primary gender is indeed not female. I have 20 years of experience growing up as a male, but it is precisely this experience that has allowed me to better grasp the mysteries of Yin-Yang transformation, providing immense help for my subsequent 18 years of professional experience as a female, and making me more focused on practical ability. My resume includes my practical data and case studies. I believe they are more convincing than my primary gender.”

Yin Jiurao said indifferently, “Have you reviewed the target’s information? What’s your confidence level?”

The woman replied, “I am a professional in this field. He’s just a sophomore, and he’s ‘rooted.’ I’ll definitely get him.”

Yin Jiurao: “It must be voluntary.”

The woman confidently replied, “Don’t worry about that. We specialize in seed deception, not that crude seed robbery which lacks technical skill.”