I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 98: Junior Sister Zeng, Lu You Isn't Qualified
Lu You looked at Elder Wen's smiling face and the Solid Origin Pill resting in his palm, and his heart sank.
As expected, he was still too inexperienced. Compared to these old foxes, he simply couldn't compete.
When Elder Wen had previously given him a storage ring, Lu You had actually accepted the elder's goodwill and even lowered his guard somewhat. But he never expected Elder Wen to be hiding a knife behind his smile, constantly probing and testing him.
A common man is innocent; possessing a treasure is a crime.
The cultivation Lu You publicly displayed was only at the Qi Refining realm, barely enough to qualify for the outer sect. The Solid Origin Pill, however, was a medicinal pill used by Golden Core elders. If he accepted it, countless people would become envious. Some might even develop malicious intentions toward him because of the pill.
On the surface, Elder Wen looked like a loyal lapdog, but by gifting such a valuable pill in public, he was quietly pushing Lu You into the center of attention and danger.
'If I hadn't already obtained a Solid Origin Pill from Huo Chuan, I might not have been able to resist the temptation and would have accepted it.'
Though Lu You outwardly appeared flattered, his thoughts raced.
He remembered how Elder Wen had pressured Zeng Yan. He remembered how Elder Wen had arranged for cultivators to make things difficult for him. Yet merely because Elder Wen had shown weakness and friendliness, he had relaxed his vigilance.
Failing to eliminate the root of the problem had been far too naïve.
'As expected, the most important thing on the path of cultivation is tempering one's heart. I nearly allowed an enemy's sugar-coated bullets to numb me and even fell into his trap.'
Lu You sighed inwardly and gave himself another warning. From now on, not only must he repay grievances directly, but he must also eradicate his foe completely.
He refused to believe that a Golden Core elder who had lived for who knew how many years hadn't considered all these implications. The fact that Elder Wen insisted on publicly favoring him could only mean there was an ulterior motive.
Having figured everything out, Lu You respectfully bowed.
"Many thanks for Elder Wen's favor. However, my cultivation is insufficient. Using such a pill would only waste and desecrate it. Elder Wen, blessed as you are, is the one who can truly make the best use of it."
Lu You actually rejected the Solid Origin Pill!
The surrounding cultivators widened their eyes in disbelief.
A Golden Core elder only received one such pill per year, yet Lu You declined it without hesitation.
"Has Lu You cultivated himself into a fool? He's giving up such a great opportunity."
"Exactly. Even if he didn't use it himself, selling it would provide enough resources to stop worrying about Foundation Establishment cultivation."
"Hmph, don't you get it? Lu You's just being hypocritical. He's pretending to decline it. Look, Elder Wen took it back. Serves him right—he trapped himself with his own cleverness."
The crowd began whispering among themselves.
When Elder Wen first offered the pill, everyone's eyes burned with envy, lamenting the unfairness of the world and wondering why such fortune never fell upon them.
But after Lu You refused it, they immediately switched to schadenfreude, delighted that Lu You's self-righteous act had left him with nothing.
Elder Wen laughed heartily and withdrew the pill.
"Then I'll take Daoist Lu's auspicious words to heart. I'll hold onto it for now and present it again when Daoist Lu reaches the Golden Core realm."
He didn't dare continue pressing the gift.
Casting a puzzled glance at Lu You's face, Elder Wen turned away and obediently resumed controlling the flying boat.
Internally, however, he muttered:
'Could Lu You have noticed something? No... probably not.'
'Last time, a simple storage ring was enough to lower his guard. Ever since then, I've greeted him with smiles every time, and he always seemed too embarrassed to distance himself from me.'
'No matter how I look at it, he's just an inexperienced youngster with no understanding of the world. There's no way he could see through my intentions.'
'Hmph. I'll let him escape this round. Next time, I'll make my probing even more subtle.'
Suddenly, a communication talisman in Elder Wen's robes lit up.
After reading the message, he addressed everyone:
"The sect has already been informed about the secret realm incident. I'll be taking everyone to the Law Enforcement Hall first."
"A total of ten elders and two hundred Foundation Establishment disciples have gone missing. This is a matter of great importance."
"Everyone must do their best to recall every detail. Later, you'll report everything that happened in the secret realm to the sect."
. . .
Back at the Verdant Cloud Sect, Bai Zihua sat within a secluded cultivation chamber.
Sensing his communication talisman activate, he slowly opened his eyes.
'Just a tiny bit more and I'll be able to attain the Golden Core realm…'
'Unfortunately, I always feel as though something is still missing.'
After checking the contents of the communication talisman, Bai Zihua's eyes lit up.
'Han Tian made it out of the secret realm alive!'
'I wonder how the plan went this time. Did he manage to obtain evidence against the Deep Literary Pavilion?'
'No, the flying boat will be arriving at the Law Enforcement Hall soon. I need to get there first and make sure nothing goes wrong with Han Tian.'
Just as he was about to head toward the Law Enforcement Hall, Bai Zihua suddenly stopped.
'Damn it. Why did they have to come out of the secret realm at this exact time? I wonder whether Lu You survived.'
As the thought crossed his mind, he unconsciously changed direction and began walking toward Myriad Sword Mountain instead.
. . .
Meanwhile, Zeng Yan's communication talisman also lit up. It was the one Elder Wen had given her.
When she saw Elder Wen's message informing her that Lu You had emerged from the secret realm, the heavy burden weighing on her heart finally lifted.
Thinking of the spirit liquid stored inside her storage ring, she immediately stood up.
She intended to give the spirit liquid to Lu You today. The sooner he increased his strength, the better. Otherwise, if Lu You went off on another dangerous adventure someday, she would only end up worrying all over again.
Picking up the ordinary sword she had recently purchased, Zeng Yan was about to leave when she suddenly thought of something.
She walked over to a mirror and examined her appearance.
Removing her dusty training robes, she changed into a pure white dress.
Turning around in front of the mirror once more, she recalled the time she and Lu You had descended the mountain together from the spiritual fields.
Back then, she had casually put on a white dress, and Lu You had stolen several extra glances at her.
'Honestly... why do I remember the way Junior Brother looked at me back then?'
'And why did I specifically choose to wear that same dress for him?'
Only now did Zeng Yan realize what she had done, and she lightly scolded herself.
Yet for some reason, her mood became inexplicably cheerful.
More than that, she found herself curious about what expression Lu You would make when he saw her.
With sword in hand, Zeng Yan headed toward the Law Enforcement Hall.
Her steps were exceptionally light all along the way.
Suddenly, she frowned.
Standing directly on the path she had to take was Bai Zihua.
. . .
"Junior Sister Zeng."
Bai Zihua froze.
He was accustomed to seeing Zeng Yan dressed casually, cold and distant.
Today was the first time he had seen her wearing a white dress, her eyes carrying a faint smile.
It was as if the coldest iceberg had suddenly reflected a ray of sunlight.
Within that icy purity was a breathtaking beauty beyond words.
Otherworldly.
Like an immortal fairy.
Bai Zihua stared blankly at her for a long moment before bitterness filled his mouth.
"Junior Sister Zeng, it seems you've already heard that Junior Brother Lu has returned."
The more beautiful Zeng Yan appeared today, the more pain Bai Zihua felt.
Yet the more pain he felt, the more deeply engraved she became in his heart.
"Senior Brother Bai?"
There was obvious distance in Zeng Yan's gaze.
"Are you here to stop me from seeing Lu You?"
The ray of sunlight that had briefly appeared upon the iceberg vanished.
She returned to being as cold as an eternal winter.
Even though Zeng Yan deliberately kept her distance, Bai Zihua could still feel the coldness laced with disgust in her attitude.
'No... Junior Sister Zeng hates me now.'
His heart tightened painfully.
His original purpose in coming here had indeed been to delay her.
But seeing her reaction, Bai Zihua understood that the more he tried to stop her, the worse things would become.
In order to avoid making her despise him completely, he forced down the bitterness in his heart and squeezed out a smile.
"Junior Sister Zeng, you're joking."
"I had just heard that Junior Brother Lu came out of the secret realm, and I was about to inform you myself, in case you were still worrying about him."
Only Bai Zihua knew how painful it was to say those words.
Yet in the very next moment, that pain seemed to seep into his dantian.
To his surprise, he felt the bottleneck preventing his breakthrough to the Golden Core realm loosen slightly.
"Hm?"
Zeng Yan looked at him in surprise.
Then she smiled politely.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Junior Sister Zeng smiled at me!
She thanked me!
The shattered pieces of Bai Zihua's heart suddenly began to mend.
That's right.
As long as I continue earning Junior Sister Zeng's goodwill, sooner or later she'll accept me.
After all, there was still a long future ahead of them.
He would have plenty of time to stay by Zeng Yan's side.
As for Lu You, he was merely someone with a mixed spiritual root who would struggle even to reach Foundation Establishment.
He wasn't even qualified to be compared with Bai Zihua.
Especially now.
A light seemed to shine inside Bai Zihua's heart.
Why had he been so petty, treating Lu You as a romantic rival?
After Zeng Yan met Lu You today, within a few days she would be accompanying Bai Zihua to participate in the tournament.
In reality, Zeng Yan would continue spending her time by his side.
As for Lu You, he simply wasn't qualified to get close to her.
'That's right. I don't need to feel this miserable.'
'Because one day, Junior Sister Zeng will understand that Lu You... isn't qualified!'
With that thought, Bai Zihua finally relaxed and smiled.
"There's no need to thank me, Junior Sister. I've always thought highly of Junior Brother Lu as well."
"If you think about it carefully, despite losing the spiritual field recruitment competition, he still managed to enter the outer sect. It's obvious that he's someone blessed with good fortune."
"And when Elder Wen was making things difficult for you, Junior Brother Lu dared to speak up on your behalf. He wasn't afraid of authority and stood up for what was right."
"Of course, his mixed spiritual roots mean he'll likely never reach the Foundation Establishment realm in this lifetime. Still, with his luck and character, perhaps some unexpected opportunity may arise before his lifespan runs out."
"After you and I finish participating in the Sect Tournament, I'll make some time to personally guide Junior Brother Lu."
Bai Zihua's words sounded noble and magnanimous, but every sentence concealed a subtle insult toward Lu You.
First, he implied that Lu You had received Zeng Yan's help yet still lost the recruitment competition.
Second, he mocked the fact that when Zeng Yan had been in trouble, Lu You had been powerless, only capable of speaking out while suffering humiliation and pressure from Zhou Lei.
Third, he explicitly emphasized Lu You's poor aptitude.
Finally, by elevating his own status and offering to "guide" Lu You, he disguised humiliation as generosity.
As Zeng Yan listened, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
But a moment later, she smiled as if nothing were wrong and deliberately replied:
"Senior Brother is absolutely right."
"It's all my fault. During the recruitment competition, I kept bothering Lu You every day, which prevented him from preparing properly and caused him to lose."
"And it's also my fault for dragging him into trouble and making him offend an elder because of me."
"Fortunately, Junior Brother always seems to turn misfortune into good fortune."
"Who knows? Maybe he possesses some tremendous destiny."
"He might even successfully reach Foundation Establishment before the Sect Tournament and participate alongside us."
Bai Zihua's words couldn't affect Zeng Yan in the slightest.
When she had assassinated Huang Wen, she had used one of the talismans Lu You had left for her.
That was when she realized that Lu You had been secretly hiding his true strength.
Even the lightning talismans he casually gave her possessed enough power to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If Lu You had truly wanted to win the recruitment competition, none of the Qi Refining disciples present could have stopped him.
Furthermore, in the Sword Tomb, Lu You had given her an entire bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills.
Although she never asked where they came from, she knew very well that her junior brother was nowhere near as weak as she had once believed.
And from Lu You's calm and confident attitude, she could tell that reaching Foundation Establishment was something he considered inevitable.
Most importantly, she currently possessed a drop of spirit liquid.
If Lu You had still been trapped in the secret realm, Bai Zihua's words might genuinely have shaken her confidence.
But now that Lu You had safely returned, she only found the situation amusing.
With the spirit liquid, Lu You's spiritual roots could be transformed.
Combined with the dozen-plus Foundation Establishment Pills she still had remaining, Zeng Yan was completely confident that she could help Lu You reach Foundation Establishment before the tournament.
And if that somehow wasn't enough?
Then she would simply throw away her pride, act spoiled in front of her father, Zeng Kehan, and obtain a few more drops of spirit liquid for Lu You.
"Uh..."
Bai Zihua carefully observed Zeng Yan.
He realized that every compliment she had just given Lu You was completely sincere.
The tiny piece of his heart that had only recently healed shattered once more.
Lu You reaching Foundation Establishment before the tournament?
Why don't you just say his destiny defies heaven and he'll reach Foundation Establishment inside the secret realm itself?
Bai Zihua desperately wanted to mock the idea.
But he feared provoking Zeng Yan's displeasure.
So he could only continue with a bitter smile.
"Let's head to the Law Enforcement Hall."
"Perhaps Junior Brother Lu obtained another opportunity inside the secret realm."
Zeng Yan smiled.
"I was thinking exactly the same thing, Senior Brother."
Exactly the same?
What opportunity could Lu You possibly have obtained?
Bai Zihua nearly exploded with frustration.
But then—
Junior Sister Zeng smiled at me again!
His emotions felt like a roller coaster as his spirits rose once more.
That's right.
My real opponent isn't Lu You.
It's Junior Sister Zeng's attitude toward me.
As long as she keeps smiling at me, sooner or later she'll discover my good qualities.
At that moment, Bai Zihua felt completely enlightened.
He even had the sensation that he could break through to the Golden Core realm at any moment.
'Hmph. Lu You, just wait and see.'
'Junior Sister will become happier and happier by my side, until she leaves you far behind and completely forgets about you!'
Filled with confidence, Bai Zihua walked toward the Law Enforcement Hall alongside Zeng Yan while continuing the conversation.
"Junior Brother Lu has limitless potential."
Zeng Yan smiled.
"Senior Brother truly has good judgment."
Bai Zihua continued:
"Junior Brother Lu knows when to advance and when to retreat. His future is boundless."
Zeng Yan smiled again.
"Senior Brother truly has good judgment."
See that? See that?
Junior Sister Zeng keeps smiling at me!
Our relationship is only going to get better and better!
For some reason, even as Bai Zihua rejoiced, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart.
Crack
The bottleneck restraining his cultivation seemed to split open a little more.
. . .
At the Law Enforcement Hall, the enormous flying boat finally descended slowly to the ground.
Elder Wen stepped off first.
He then activated his spiritual energy and controlled the flying boat hovering in the sky.
The massive vessel rapidly shrank until it was only the size of a peach pit.
After all the disciples had disembarked, Elder Wen openly stored the miniature flying boat inside his storage ring.
The flying boat had originally belonged to Huo Chuan.
Yet after Huo Chuan's death, Elder Wen simply treated it as his own by default.
The Law Enforcement Hall cultivators waiting nearby narrowed their eyes at the sight.
However, they did not interfere in the internal affairs of the Deep Literary Pavilion.
Instead, one of them picked up a roster containing the names of everyone who had entered the secret realm and began checking attendance.
Ten Golden Core elders dead.
Two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators missing.
Yet rather than immediately asking about these shocking losses, the Law Enforcement Hall cultivator looked visibly alarmed and exclaimed:
"Cultivator Wu Tong didn't come out?!"
"Did any of you see Wu Tong inside the secret realm?"
The urgency in his voice surprised everyone.
Compared to the deaths of ten Golden Core elders and the disappearance of hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Law Enforcement Hall seemed far more concerned about the absence of a single person—Wu Tong.