I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 94: No Golden Core Cultivator Can Match Me
More than half a month had passed since the Deep Literary Pavilion's flying ship departed for the secret realm.
The barrier surrounding the entire Deep Literary Pavilion had finally been lifted. At the same time, discussions about the secret realm gradually faded away as everyone returned to their normal cultivation routines.
Only Zeng Yan still came to the Deep Literary Pavilion every single day to ask for news. And every day, after hearing that the secret realm still had not been broken, she would leave in disappointment.
"There's still no news… Ten Golden Core elders entered together. How could they possibly still have failed to break the secret realm?"
The longer she waited, the more anxious Zeng Yan became.
Having once entered an inheritance tomb herself, she deeply understood the dangers hidden within secret realms. Originally, she had assumed that with ten Golden Core elders accompanying the expedition, Lu You was merely tagging along to gain experience.
She never expected that even the Golden Core elders themselves would remain without news for so long.
"Junior Brother has always been cautious. Why did he insist on entering the secret realm this time…"
Feeling the drop of Spirit Liquid inside her storage ring, Zeng Yan's heart filled with bitterness.
"It's definitely because of me. First, I forced Junior Brother to learn swordsmanship and participate in the recruitment trials. Then I was punished into confinement, which made him worry about me. I even used the pills he had stored away…"
"That must be why Junior Brother entered the secret realm—to improve his strength and gamble for opportunities and rewards."
"The more I think about it, the more it's my fault. If I hadn't forced him… if I hadn't caused trouble… if I hadn't used his pills… then Junior Brother definitely wouldn't have participated in this secret realm."
The more she reflected, the guiltier she became. She was so absorbed in self-reproach that she did not even notice someone approaching her.
"Haha~ Fellow Daoist Zeng, here again to see whether Daoist Lu has returned?"
Elder Wen blocked Zeng Yan's path, smiling obsequiously from ear to ear. His attitude was completely different from when he had punished her before.
After all, the ten Golden Core elders of the Deep Literary Pavilion had all entered the secret realm together, leaving a temporary vacuum of authority. Ironically, the injured Elder Wen had seized control of most sect affairs, turning disaster into fortune.
Especially after discovering Lu You's talent and understanding the relationship network behind Lu You and Bai Zihua, Elder Wen had been searching for opportunities to repair his relationship with Zeng Yan.
"Elder Wen."
Zeng Yan instantly frowned and subconsciously became vigilant.
"You jest, Elder. This disciple absolutely cannot bear being addressed as 'fellow daoist.'"
"Aiya, look at that—you're still holding a grudge, aren't you!"
Elder Wen's smile became even more enthusiastic, to the point that the wrinkles on his face nearly bloomed like flowers.
"I came specifically to explain things clearly today. Punishing you that day was an act of helplessness."
"Think about it—Huang Wen was Fellow Daoist Huang's niece. Even though Dongfang Bubai was the one who killed Huang Wen, it would have been inevitable for Fellow Daoist Huang to redirect that anger toward you."
"So I intentionally played the villain and punished you first. That way, once Fellow Daoist Huang emerged from seclusion, it would no longer be convenient for him to vent his anger on you."
Elder Wen had rehearsed this explanation for a very long time. By now, even he himself almost believed it.
"Fellow Daoist Zeng, think carefully. From the perspective of the Enforcement Hall, why would I possibly want to oppose Bai Zihua? Behind him stands a Nascent Soul Venerable—and his own grandfather at that! Isn't a grandfather much closer than merely a niece?
"And from the perspective of the Deep Literary Pavilion, Lu You is our own disciple, while the deceased Huang Wen belonged to Myriad Sword Mountain. Naturally, I would favor my own sect disciple."
"So, Fellow Daoist Zeng, please do not resent this old man. If it had truly been confinement punishment, how could it have been lifted so early? It was all merely due to circumstances. I came today specifically to resolve this misunderstanding with you."
While explaining, Elder Wen took out a communication talisman.
"Fellow Daoist Zeng, there's no need for you to keep making daily trips back and forth anymore. If Daoist Lu returns, I'll send you a message through this talisman.
"Oh my, look at that—Bai Zihua has arrived as well. Then I'll leave you two to chat."
Elder Wen stuffed the communication talisman into Zeng Yan's hands before flying away.
As he flew off, he secretly gave himself a triumphant hand sign.
"Haha! If Heaven had not given birth to me, the Verdant Clouds would remain trapped in eternal night!"
Elder Wen was secretly delighted.
Lu You had already grasped the Grandmaster State of the Talisman Dao. So long as he did not die young, he would inevitably become one of the Deep Literary Pavilion's future titans.
That was why Elder Wen not only gifted Zeng Yan the communication talisman, but also deliberately elevated Lu You through his wording—calling him "Daoist Lu"—while intentionally belittling Bai Zihua by addressing him directly by name.
In the future, if Lu You and Zeng Yan became dao companions, then naturally Elder Wen himself would receive favorable treatment as well.
If Lu You were unfortunate enough to die young in the future, that would be fine as well.
Today, Elder Wen had deliberately brought up Bai Zihua's plea on Zeng Yan's behalf and subtly hinted that forcing her into confinement had actually been his way of protecting her. With that connection established, even if Zeng Yan eventually became Bai Zihua's dao companion, Elder Wen would still leave behind a favorable impression and likely receive at least some support from the forces backing Bai Zihua.
Watching Elder Wen fly away, Zeng Yan felt somewhat confused.
Could this Elder Wen actually be a good person?
Before she could sort out her thoughts, Bai Zihua hurried over.
"Junior Sister Zeng, what happened? Did Elder Wen trouble you again? That old fellow—I have no idea what schemes he's plotting. You absolutely must be careful. Whatever he gave you, you can hand it over to me. I'll bring it back to the Enforcement Hall for inspection, just in case he intends to harm you through it."
Bai Zihua's tone was full of concern, but his gaze continuously drifted toward the item in Zeng Yan's hand.
Mm. This Elder Wen really might be a good person.
The moment Bai Zihua mentioned taking the communication talisman, Zeng Yan immediately stored it inside her storage ring.
With the talisman, she would know the instant Lu You returned. There was no way she would hand it over.
"Senior Brother Bai, you've been stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for quite a long time now. In this junior sister's opinion, you should focus properly on cultivation and break through to the Golden Core realm soon instead of constantly distracting yourself with trivial matters."
Zeng Yan subtly stepped back, widening the distance between herself and Bai Zihua before turning to leave.
"Wait, Junior Sister Zeng. There's another matter I need to tell you."
Bai Zihua could not help but continue:
"This time, the Enforcement Hall actually knows a thing or two about the Deep Literary Pavilion's secret realm expedition. The fact that ten Golden Core elders went together means they naturally had other objectives. So they definitely won't be returning anytime soon."
"In fact… a large portion of the cultivators who entered this secret realm probably won't ever return."
Bai Zihua stepped forward.
"I never expected Junior Brother Lu to enter the secret realm either. But a place worthy of mobilizing ten Golden Core cultivators together could never be simple. Even the Golden Core elders chose to gather as a group. As for Junior Brother Lu—a mere Qi Refining cultivator entering such a place…"
Bai Zihua sighed deeply, his face filled with regret.
Bai Zihua himself had participated in planning Han Tian's entry into the secret realm, so he knew perfectly well that the Qi Refining disciples participating in the expedition were bait meant to lure out Dongfang Bubai.
Even if the secret realm itself were not dangerous, merely possessing the identity of a Qi Refining disciple would make one a target inside.
Zeng Yan instantly frowned, her hand unconsciously tightening around her sword hilt.
Bai Zihua glanced at her hand before continuing:
"Junior Sister, you shouldn't only remind me to cultivate. You should also cultivate diligently yourself."
"In another half month, the Verdant Cloud Sect and the other sects will be holding their summit gathering. At that time, there will be a grand competition tournament."
"To make comparisons between each sect's geniuses easier, participating disciples are limited to those who have only recently broken through to Foundation Establishment or recently advanced to Golden Core."
"So Senior Brother came specifically to notify you in advance. You should begin preparing early. In half a month, we'll be departing together."
"Sorry, Senior Brother. I'm not in the mood for any sect competition. I'm waiting for Junior Brother Lu to return."
"Junior Sister, this isn't an invitation from me. It's an order from the sect."
"And I've already found the opportunity to break through to Golden Core myself. This time, I'll be participating alongside you."
Hearing Zeng Yan repeatedly mention Lu You, Bai Zihua first frowned, then slowly curled his lips upward.
On the path of immortality, cultivation itself formed an insurmountable divide.
Not to mention whether Lu You could even leave the secret realm alive—even if he did return, he was still merely an outer sect Qi Refining disciple. He could only watch helplessly as Zeng Yan and Bai Zihua left the Verdant Cloud Sect together.
Once Zeng Yan experienced battles against the geniuses of the major sects and witnessed the broader world beyond, she would naturally come to understand the importance of cultivation and resources.
At that time, when she compared herself to Lu You—a mere Qi Refining cultivator—her mentality would inevitably become very different.
. . .
Inside the secret realm, Huo Chuan sat cross-legged at the gathering point cultivating.
Before him, the original two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators had now dwindled to fewer than a hundred.
The rest had all been deceived and absorbed by Huo Chuan.
After improving himself through the ancient map's cultivation technique, Huo Chuan had gradually begun touching the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm. Merely sitting there, the terrifying aura emanating from him was already completely different from before.
"Our elder is about to break through to the Nascent Soul realm inside the secret realm?"
Looking at Huo Chuan's overwhelming aura, the Foundation Establishment disciples below began whispering among themselves.
"As expected of Elder Huo. He can actually break through in a secret realm that devours spiritual energy."
Watching Huo Chuan's increasingly terrifying presence, most of the disciples became excited and motivated, eagerly waiting for him to assign new tasks.
"I say… don't any of you feel that something's strange?"
As the discussions continued, someone finally could not help but voice a quiet doubt.
"This secret realm devours spiritual energy. No matter how you think about it, advancing cultivation here shouldn't be normal. And besides, none of the Senior Brothers who left to carry out missions ever came back."
"I was secretly close friends with Zhou Yan. We even left communication talismans with each other. But I've tried contacting him many times, and he never responded."
"Now that you mention it, I noticed something wrong too. Meng Yi is also a friend of mine, and I can't contact him anymore either."
As soon as the first voice of doubt appeared, other disciples immediately joined in.
"Have you all noticed? Not only have the disciples who left never returned, but the other nine Golden Core elders haven't come back either. Everyone has vanished without a trace. Only Elder Huo keeps selecting people from among us and leading them away… and then his cultivation suddenly advances by leaps and bounds."
Gasp!
Finally, someone could no longer hold back.
"This secret realm devours cultivation… could it be that—"
"Shh! Watch your words!"
"But if it's true… then what do we do?"
Fear was contagious.
Once the first suspicion emerged, most of the disciples began staring nervously at the unfathomably powerful Huo Chuan.
Heh.
Huo Chuan suddenly grinned.
"Everyone, quiet down. I've already received a transmission from the other elders. The secret realm is about to be broken open."
"This secret realm is a massive formation. We need to destroy its nodes one by one in order to dismantle it. A new node has just been deduced."
"Yi Twenty-Nine, come with me for a moment. I'll tell you the node's location and teach you how to destroy it."
Yi Twenty-Nine was precisely the disciple who had first voiced suspicion earlier.
Hearing Huo Chuan's words, Yi Twenty-Nine trembled slightly, but still forced himself to stand and follow Huo Chuan away.
After the two stepped onto flying swords and disappeared into the distance, the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately began discussing things among themselves.
"Just now, I secretly made an agreement with Yi Twenty-Nine. Once he begins carrying out the mission, he'll send us a communication talisman message. Even if the mission details are confidential, he'll at least send a message saying 'mission started.'"
"So if Elder Huo returns but we never receive a message from Yi Twenty-Nine… then that means something happened to him!"
After roughly the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the disciples saw a streak of flying sword light approaching from the horizon.
It was Elder Huo's flying sword.
Instantly, everyone turned toward the disciple who had made the agreement with Yi Twenty-Nine.
Communication talismans were actually faster than flying swords. Since Huo Chuan was already about to return, Yi Twenty-Nine's message should have arrived by now.
Before Huo Chuan's sword even landed, the disciple who had arranged the signal with Yi Twenty-Nine slowly shook his head with an ugly expression.
Huo Chuan landed on the ground and swept his gaze across the terrified crowd.
Then he sighed.
"It seems I was careless. I should have soul-searched Yi Twenty-Nine first."
"As expected of the disciples of my Verdant Cloud Sect. You must have left secret signals with Yi Twenty-Nine in order to uncover my secret."
As his cultivation improved, Huo Chuan's spiritual sense had strengthened as well. With a single glance, he could clearly perceive the fear within everyone's hearts.
The next moment, Huo Chuan appeared directly in front of the disciple who had shaken his head.
He placed a palm atop the disciple's head.
In the blink of an eye, the disciple shriveled like a leaking balloon. Finally, his entire body was sucked into Huo Chuan's palm, leaving behind only a set of clothes and a storage ring on the ground.
After absorbing several hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession, Huo Chuan had become increasingly proficient at the process. Combined with his rapidly rising cultivation and imminent Nascent Soul breakthrough, even if all these Foundation Establishment disciples scattered and fled at that very moment, Huo Chuan was confident he could drain them one by one before any of them escaped.
The more Huo Chuan used the cultivation technique recorded on the ancient map, the more he felt the secret realm's suppression weakening against him.
It was as though the secret realm's devouring force originated from the same source as the ancient map itself. The entire secret realm seemed to regard Huo Chuan as part of itself.
"You lot dare to struggle?"
Huo Chuan swept his gaze across the remaining Foundation Establishment disciples, his expression icy cold.
"You are truly ungrateful beyond reason!"
"The sect gave you cultivation techniques. It allowed you to touch immortal destiny. Yet you yourselves lacked talent and failed to break through beyond Foundation Establishment!"
"You waste the sect's resources while contributing nothing of value. Do you really think the sect needs Foundation Establishment trash like you to handle those tiny missions?"
Huo Chuan sneered.
"The tasks you complete mean absolutely nothing to the sect!"
"Today is your true opportunity to repay the sect."
His face twisted viciously as he spread his palms wide.
"And yet you parasites of the sect still refuse to show gratitude. You even dare resist!"
"Don't you understand?"
"Your only value is to become nourishment for the sect!"
Huo Chuan's figure suddenly blurred.
The next instant, afterimages of him appeared everywhere.
Now freed from the secret realm's restrictions, the full power of his peak Golden Core cultivation erupted completely.
Every single afterimage seized a disciple by the head.
In the following moment, every cultivator present was completely drained dry by Huo Chuan.
"It's just a tiny bit away now…"
Looking at the ground covered in clothes and storage rings, Huo Chuan slowly closed his eyes and spread his arms wide, as though embracing heaven and earth itself.
"My Golden Core is about to hatch. I'm about to step into the Nascent Soul realm… just a little more…"
Huo Chuan could sense it.
The moment he shattered his Golden Core and formed a Nascent Soul, he would break free from the secret realm's shackles entirely. He would no longer even need the formation core to open the secret realm by force.
"No Golden Core cultivator will be my match anymore."
Huo Chuan spread out his spiritual sense.
After completely absorbing all two hundred cultivators, not only had the secret realm stopped suppressing him, it was now actively amplifying his spiritual sense.
In an instant, he sensed the locations of both the serpent demonic beast and Lu Xiao'e.
"Dongfang Bubai… your spiritual energy shall become the final step in my path to Nascent Soul."