I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 99: Senior Sister, I've Reached Foundation Establishment
Wu Tong—the grandson of the Nascent Soul Venerable Wu Hao—had failed to emerge from the secret realm!
All the disciples were shocked, and a wave of fear immediately spread through the crowd.
They were merely Qi Refining outer-sect disciples. How could they compare to someone of Wu Tong's status?
There was a real possibility they might be implicated in this matter.
In an instant, the disciples who had just been celebrating their survival all fell silent.
The atmosphere became heavy and oppressive.
"You, speak."
Seeing everyone lower their heads, the Golden Core elder randomly pointed at one of the disciples.
"You've been inside the secret realm for so long. What did you do there? Did you see Cultivator Wu Tong?"
The disciple trembled.
"After entering the secret realm, I was teleported onto a black mountain. Then I hid in a cave the entire time."
"Elder, I was alone, and the secret realm continuously drained spiritual energy. I didn't dare go anywhere."
Smack!
The Golden Core elder slapped him across the face.
"If you weren't going to seize opportunities inside the secret realm, then what was the point of wasting a secret-realm slot on you?"
This slap was empowered by spiritual energy.
The disciple was sent flying into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground and losing consciousness.
The elder merely glanced at him before waving a hand.
Several Law Enforcement Hall disciples immediately stepped forward and dragged the unconscious disciple away.
The Golden Core elder then casually extended his hand again.
But midway, he withdrew it and deliberately searched through the crowd.
A malicious grin appeared on his face as he pointed directly at Lu You.
"You."
"Tell me what you did inside the secret realm."
"Did you see Wu Tong?"
Being singled out, Lu You frowned.
This elder was doing it intentionally.
He had deliberately chosen Lu You.
Why is he targeting me?
Now that Lu You had entered the Foundation Establishment realm, his spiritual sense had increased severalfold.
He noticed the elder's subtle glance out of the corner of his eye.
Following that gaze, Lu You saw Zeng Yan and Bai Zihua hurrying toward the Law Enforcement Hall.
So that's it.
Understanding immediately dawned on him.
This elder knew Bai Zihua admired Zeng Yan.
Since the two were also high-ranking figures within the Law Enforcement Hall, the elder was using the interrogation as an excuse to make things difficult for Lu You and curry favor with Bai Zihua.
"Why aren't you speaking?!"
"What exactly are you trying to hide?!"
When Lu You remained silent, the elder suddenly raised his hand and swung it toward him.
This strike carried even more force than the slap he had used on the first disciple.
"Don't!"
Having just arrived, Zeng Yan saw the scene and instinctively cried out.
Bai Zihua saw it as well.
But he intentionally reacted a fraction too slowly.
Just as the elder's palm was about to strike Lu You—
It stopped.
A jade key suddenly appeared between them.
Activated by spiritual energy, the jade key radiated brilliant light and revealed a seal unique to a Nascent Soul Venerable.
"This matter is of great importance."
"Since Elder wishes to ask, I'll tell you."
Lu You's eyes burned with intensity as he stared directly at the Golden Core elder.
Before the elder could react, Lu You activated his storage cauldron and withdrew a lightning talisman made from an ancient map.
He placed both the talisman and the jade key into the elder's hand.
"Inside the secret realm, I did indeed encounter Senior Brother Wu Tong."
"He entrusted these items to me."
"He repeatedly instructed me that no matter what happened, I must find a way to deliver them personally to Venerable Wu."
"Before I could ask any further questions, Elder Huo Chuan appeared and left with Senior Brother Wu Tong."
Lu You's gaze remained icy.
He then deliberately stepped back so everyone could clearly see the jade key and ancient map in the elder's hand.
"Since Elder has asked about it, I assume these items will be safer in your possession than in mine."
What is this?!
The Golden Core elder suddenly felt as though his palm were burning.
All he had wanted was to earn some favor with Venerable Wu Hao by asking about Wu Tong.
At the same time, he had hoped to flatter Bai Zihua by embarrassing Lu You.
How had he somehow ended up holding a mysterious jade key and an ancient map?
Especially the map.
The front side had been altered and turned into a lightning talisman.
But on the back was an actual map.
Combined with the ancient material from which it was made, the object was obviously extraordinary.
The elder cautiously probed it with his spiritual sense.
The moment he did, his entire body shuddered.
The ancient map contained traces of Tribulation Transcendence Dao Aura.
That meant the map recorded on the reverse side had to be unimaginably important.
Hiss—
The elder inhaled sharply.
Lu You...
Damn it!
This brat just set me up!
Sweat had already begun forming on Elder Ma Yuan's forehead.
Wu Tong had used a key bearing the authority of a Nascent Soul Venerable as a token of trust and entrusted the ancient map to Lu You rather than Huo Chuan. Then he had been taken away by Huo Chuan anyway.
The entire situation was filled with mysteries.
Now both the key and the ancient map had somehow ended up in Ma Yuan's hands.
If he could immediately hand them over to Venerable Wu Hao, everything would be fine.
But Wu Hao was currently in secluded cultivation.
Didn't that mean Ma Yuan would have to personally protect the map until the Nascent Soul Venerable emerged from seclusion?
Thinking of the ten Golden Core elders and two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators who had vanished within the secret realm, and realizing that the ancient map was almost certainly connected to those disappearances, fear was all that remained in Ma Yuan's eyes.
He no longer had any energy left to make things difficult for Lu You.
Turning around in a hurry, he addressed Elder Wen and the other elders behind him.
"Fellow Daoists, this matter is of tremendous importance. Should we report it to the Sect Master or one of the other Venerables?"
Before he could finish speaking, everyone else immediately stepped backward.
"Senior Brother Ma Yuan, discovering the clue behind the secret realm was entirely your achievement. We would never dare steal your credit."
"Indeed, indeed. Since the matter is so important, we'll take responsibility for arranging these disciples who returned from the secret realm. We wouldn't dare interfere with Senior Brother Ma Yuan's work."
Seeing everyone avoiding him like the plague, Ma Yuan's hands trembled with anger.
The key and map were now in his possession.
Wu Hao had yet to leave seclusion.
If anything happened to them, the responsibility would fall entirely on him.
And if he protected them successfully?
No one knew what secrets the map contained.
For all he knew, he might end up like those cultivators who had disappeared inside the secret realm.
Nor could he casually hand the map to another Nascent Soul Venerable.
If the map turned out to be critically important to Wu Hao, then Ma Yuan would have permanently offended him.
It's all my fault.
Why did I have to curry favor with Bai Zihua?
Now I've somehow ended up with a burning-hot potato that I can't throw away and can't safely keep.
He no longer even had the courage to continue questioning Lu You.
It was obvious that Lu You was the most important witness.
If he questioned Lu You further, and later Wu Hao emerged from seclusion without receiving satisfactory answers from Lu You, he might suspect Ma Yuan of tampering with the truth.
"So you're Elder Ma."
The corners of Lu You's mouth lifted slightly.
"Now that I think about it, Senior Brother Wu Tong also instructed me—"
"STOP!"
Ma Yuan nearly lost his soul from fright.
"I don't want to hear it!"
"Silence! Do not speak recklessly!"
"This matter is of great importance. I cannot afford any delays. Farewell!"
Seeing that Lu You was about to say more, Ma Yuan instantly summoned his flying sword, leapt onto it, and disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Elders..."
After watching Ma Yuan flee, Lu You immediately turned toward the remaining elders.
The next moment, every single one of them took a step backward.
Elder Wen hurriedly spoke up.
"Daoist Lu—Brother Lu—this matter is of enormous importance."
"To prevent anyone with ill intentions from overhearing, perhaps it would be best to wait until you meet Venerable Wu before saying anything further."
The previously aggressive Golden Core elders all suddenly wore warm smiles.
One after another, they cupped their fists toward Lu You.
Not a single person dared trouble him anymore.
Hidden among the crowd, Han Tian felt as though he had been riding a roller coaster.
Only after realizing that the items Lu You had produced were completely unrelated to the eavesdropping artifact did he finally relax.
For a moment, he had genuinely thought Lu You was about to reveal the surveillance device in public.
"Alright."
"Everyone return to your quarters and rest."
"Until Venerable Wu emerges from seclusion, none of you are permitted to leave the mountain."
"Violators will be punished as traitors to the sect."
Elder Wen shouted at the crowd.
Then he mounted his flying sword and hurried away.
Most people didn't recognize the significance of the ancient map.
But Elder Wen, who had once been an important member of Huo Chuan's organization, knew exactly what it was.
The ancient map containing that cultivation technique had actually been brought out by Lu You.
And he had handed it directly to Ma Yuan.
A terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in Elder Wen's mind.
According to the rumors, the technique recorded on the ancient map allowed its user to absorb anything in heaven and earth regardless of aptitude.
Wu Hao had supposedly reached the Nascent Soul realm thanks to that very map.
As for Elder Wen, he had been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core realm for many years.
Because of his previous exploded golden core accident, advancing to the Nascent Soul realm had become nearly impossible.
But what if he obtained the secret technique recorded on the map...
Thinking this, Elder Wen's figure blurred.
He immediately chased after Ma Yuan.
After all the elders had left, Lu You smiled and walked toward Zeng Yan.
Stopping in front of her, he carefully looked her up and down.
Only then did he sigh and say:
"Senior Sister, what a pity."
"All of us who returned from the secret realm are now under house arrest."
"Otherwise, I would definitely have invited Senior Sister to stroll through the lower city district."
Zeng Yan rolled her beautiful eyes.
A smile appeared within them.
The outfit she wore today was the very same one she had worn when she and Lu You had gone down the mountain together.
She hadn't expected him to recognize it at a single glance.
The hidden meaning behind his words was something only the two of them could understand.
That private understanding made a faint sweetness rise in Zeng Yan's heart.
Especially knowing that Lu You still remembered that shared memory so clearly.
That realization pleased her immensely.
What's so special about the lower city district, a place where rogue cultivators gather?
Bai Zihua was completely confused by the exchange, but he secretly took note of it.
Could it be that Junior Sister Zeng likes lively places? Does she enjoy the atmosphere of the lower city district?
Regardless, Bai Zihua naturally couldn't allow Lu You to get his way.
He quickly interjected:
"Junior Brother Lu, seeing that you've returned safely truly makes me very happy."
"However, your Senior Sister is now a newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciple of the sect. This is the perfect time for her to participate in the Sect Tournament."
"Even if you weren't under restriction, she wouldn't have time to waste."
As he spoke, Bai Zihua put on a sympathetic expression.
"Ah, what a pity."
"If only Junior Brother had also reached Foundation Establishment."
"The sect is currently lacking newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciples."
"If Junior Brother were at that level as well, we could all go together."
In order to show off his own accomplishments, Bai Zihua continued explaining:
"I've already sensed my bottleneck loosening. It won't be long before I advance into the Golden Core realm."
"For tournaments between sects, fairness is important, so only newly advanced disciples are allowed to participate."
"The sect is currently short on disciples who meet the qualifications."
"If Junior Brother can break through soon enough, then even with the current restrictions, you could still participate."
After all, competition required cultivators of similar levels.
A cultivator who had spent only one year in Foundation Establishment couldn't fairly compete against someone who had spent more than a decade there.
Thus, sect tournaments only accepted newly advanced disciples.
At the same time, the number of newly advanced disciples reflected a sect's overall strength.
The fewer participants a sect could send, the weaker and less capable it appeared.
Glancing at the outer-sect disciples who still hadn't dispersed, Bai Zihua raised his voice proudly.
"Everyone."
"If you've reached Foundation Establishment, you may register with the sect and join the tournament to bring honor to our sect."
"Those who achieve good results will receive rewards."
"Outstanding performers may even be assigned renowned masters as mentors."
"On the path of cultivation, one must compete—for resources and for inheritances."
"If you fall behind by one step, you'll fall behind step after step."
"And the road to immortality will drift farther and farther away."
These words were actually directed at Lu You.
In Bai Zihua's eyes, Lu You couldn't even reach Foundation Establishment.
The gap between him and Zeng Yan would only continue to grow.
Not to mention that Bai Zihua himself was already on the verge of entering the Golden Core realm.
"Senior Brother Bai!"
"As long as someone reaches Foundation Establishment, they can register?"
"Haha, I just happened to break through to Foundation Establishment!"
A figure hurried over from the crowd.
It was He Shan.
He had been stuck at the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refining for a very long time.
Previously, he had bullied weaker disciples, seized resources from outer-sect members, and acted like a tyrant throughout the outer sect.
Yet despite all that, he had never found the opportunity to break through.
This time, after entering the secret realm, there was no one left for him to bully.
He couldn't steal resources.
The secret realm continuously drained his spiritual energy.
Under that series of setbacks, he had unexpectedly broken through his bottleneck and advanced into Foundation Establishment.
"Very good."
"For cultivators, opportunity is even more important than ability."
"The fact that you reached Foundation Establishment within the secret realm proves that fortune is on your side."
"Go register with the elders immediately."
Bai Zihua patted He Shan's shoulder encouragingly.
Then he turned back toward Lu You.
"I never expected the outer sect to be hiding such talented individuals."
"Junior Brother, what cultivation level are you at now?"
"You shouldn't be too far from Foundation Establishment, right?"
Lu You was nothing more than a cultivator with mixed spiritual roots.
During the outer-sect recruitment competition, he had only displayed the cultivation of a fifth-level Qi Refining disciple.
With a smile in his eyes, Bai Zihua thought:
Lu You is probably still a hundred thousand miles away from Foundation Establishment.
"Junior Brother Lu, let's go cultivate together."
Having heard the hidden meaning in Bai Zihua's words, Zeng Yan worried that Lu You might feel discouraged.
She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
"That so-called tournament isn't important at all."
"It's nowhere near as enjoyable as cultivating together with Junior Brother."
"If Junior Brother can't reach Foundation Establishment, then I won't go either."
As she spoke, she patted the sword hanging at her waist and continued:
"At worst, I'll stab myself."
"I refuse to believe the sect would force an injured person to participate in a tournament and embarrass themselves."
Bai Zihua's expression immediately darkened.
He had never imagined things would turn out like this.
Zeng Yan would rather stab herself than be separated from Lu You.
"Junior Sister, absolutely not!"
"Junior Brother Lu will certainly succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment."
"Senior Brother still has a few Foundation Establishment Pills."
"If necessary, I'll give them all to Junior Brother Lu and increase his chances of breaking through."
His heart twisting in pain, Bai Zihua immediately pulled several Foundation Establishment Pills from his storage ring and tried to force them into Lu You's hands.
Lu You raised a hand and stopped him.
A layer of spiritual energy wrapped around Lu You's palm, locking Bai Zihua's hand in place.
No matter how hard Bai Zihua tried, he couldn't move it at all.
"Senior Brother."
"I no longer need this kind of pill."
With a slight exertion of strength, Lu You pushed Bai Zihua's hand downward.
The spiritual energy radiating from Lu You stunned both Zeng Yan and Bai Zihua.
Especially Bai Zihua.
To him, Lu You's grip felt like a pair of iron pincers.
His spiritual energy seemed completely suppressed.
Bai Zihua was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
For Lu You to make him feel threatened meant only one thing.
Lu You had already entered the Foundation Establishment realm.
Pushing Bai Zihua aside, Lu You turned toward Zeng Yan.
His voice softened.
"Senior Sister..."
"I've reached Foundation Establishment."
For a moment, everything fell silent.