"A predecessor's cave residence?"
After hearing Zhao Xuhe's proposal, Lu Yang shook his head.
"Senior Brother invites me with such enthusiasm, but this little brother's divine abilities are not refined. Right now, I only want to focus single-mindedly on cultivation."
"Oh?"
Zhao Xuhe narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
"Could it be that Junior Brother doesn't trust me?"
"Senior Brother is overthinking it. It's just that this little brother has yet to learn any divine abilities and possesses no combat prowess. Even if I went out with Senior Brother, I would only hold you back."
Lu Yang's reason was logical and reasonable. After all, not long after joining the sect, he had started speculating on the Death-Substituting Yin Puppets, even using the cultivation technique loan from the Scripture Pavilion as collateral. Zhao Xuhe was also aware of this.
"... Then forget it."
Zhao Xuhe shook his head, his expression turning cold. At this very moment, killing intent had already risen in his heart. After all, he had lost everything, down to his very pants, yet Lu Yang had managed to make a profit and exit the market early.
How could he accept this? More importantly, the principal for the contribution points Lu Yang had earned was all borrowed from him. By that logic, all that money should have been his!
"Fine, I'll let you hold onto it for now."
Zhao Xuhe sneered in his heart, "He only knows how to cultivate and doesn't learn any combat divine abilities. Does he think he's in one of those famous righteous sects, where he can cultivate in peace?
Once I've dealt with the matter of Coiling Dragon Island, I'll find a chance to sneak into his cave residence late at night and kill him. Those contribution points will still be mine!"
"If nothing unexpected happens, that guy surnamed Zhao is probably already thinking about how to deal with me."
Leaving Zhao Xuhe's cave residence, Lu Yang swaggered towards the Scripture Pavilion. He had already guessed Zhao Xuhe's thoughts, yet he was not the least bit panicked. After all, he had not been idle these past few days.
While others were frantically speculating on Death-Substituting Yin Puppets, he had turned a deaf ear to outside affairs, bought a large batch of spiritual pills, and immediately entered seclusion to cultivate. The fourth to the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm were all considered the middle stage, and there were no bottlenecks.
As long as one spent money on pills, a breakthrough was possible. Lu Yang, who had made a massive profit of ten thousand contribution points, naturally wouldn't be stingy. Thus, he had already broken through to the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm, reaching the peak of the middle stage.
Incidentally, the venereal disease his original body came with had also been cured. He used contribution points to exchange for a Dust-Cleansing Pill. In fact, this proved that the greatest incurable disease in a person's life is the disease of poverty.
The reason Yu Suzhen from the first life was killed by her own venereal disease was, in the end, because she had no money. As for the middle-stage bottleneck, he originally wanted to try breaking through with Innate Primordial Qi. Unfortunately, perhaps because the amount was insufficient, the effect was barely better than nothing.
From this, it was clear that he was probably not the only person Liu Xin had screwed over back then. As for not learning any divine abilities, that was naturally just to fool Zhao Xuhe.
In his previous life, he had relied on setting up a formation for a sneak attack to barely suppress Zhao Xuhe when his qi was depleted and his strength exhausted. This life, however, wouldn't be so troublesome. Even in a direct confrontation, he was confident he could escape!
"Senior Brother Wang, have you been well lately?"
Arriving at the Scripture Pavilion, Lu Yang skillfully took out a wine gourd and said with a smile, "Top-quality Drunken Flower Brew. I got this especially for Senior Brother."
"... It's you again, you brat."
At the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, the old-looking Wang Borong's eye twitched slightly. He then sighed emotionally, "Drunken Flower Brew, fifty contribution points a gourd."
"You brat has really struck it rich."
In this life, Lu Yang had focused on building a good relationship with Wang Borong. At first, Wang Borong was rather aloof towards him, but ever since the Death-Substituting Yin Puppet market crashed, this senior brother from the Scripture Pavilion's attitude towards him had improved greatly. The reason was also very simple.
Because right before the market for Death-Substituting Yin Puppets crashed, he had persuaded Wang Borong to sell off a portion of the goods he had hoarded, allowing him to avoid the fate of bankruptcy. Since then, Wang Borong had been extremely grateful to him.
"To think this old man has lived for decades in vain, yet I can't see things as clearly as a young brat like you. If you hadn't enlightened me, I'm afraid I would have already suffered a cultivation deviation by now."
"Not at all, Senior Brother, you mustn't belittle yourself."
Lu Yang shook his head.
"As the saying goes, 'good advice cannot persuade a ghost damned to die.' That day, this little brother advised many people, yet only you, Senior Brother, truly listened."
"For Senior Brother to dare to pull back from the brink is also a form of wisdom."
"Mmm."
Wang Borong narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. Although he knew Lu Yang was deliberately flattering him, he found these words more and more pleasing to the ear. Immediately after, the two of them set up a table and chairs and began to drink together.
Wang Borong didn't stand on ceremony. He poured a full cup of the Drunken Flower Brew and downed it in one go. Only then did he slowly ask, "You brat, what are you really after?"
This was the only question in Wang Borong's mind at this moment.
"I have no connection to you. Don't tell me you actually believed that nonsense from outside, thinking that this old man is some hidden expert in the Scripture Pavilion, waiting for someone with fate?"
"How could that be."
Lu Yang poured wine for Wang Borong while smiling.
"As the saying goes, 'an elder in the family is like a treasure.' I just feel that for Senior Brother to have lived to such an old age in the Saint Sect, you must have some skill. Plus, since you work in the Scripture Pavilion, perhaps you could offer me some guidance on cultivation techniques and divine abilities..."
Lu Yang spoke with extreme sincerity. After listening, Wang Borong gave a noncommittal response and simply continued to pour wine. As he drank, he began to complain about the Saint Sect's shameless act of exploiting its disciples this time.
"They're simply beasts!"
"What a coincidence. Just when the price climbed to its peak, they suddenly cracked down. This was definitely premeditated. There are villains among the Saint Sect's upper echelons!"
Lu Yang casually agreed while pouring more wine. Once Wang Borong had drunk a lot and started to sway his head, Lu Yang said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, I came this time hoping to choose a cultivation technique and a divine ability."
"I wonder if Senior Brother has any recommendations? The more powerful the divine ability, the better!"
"I knew you were after something from me, you brat!"
Wang Borong chuckled and said smugly, "But asking me, you've certainly asked the right person!" Lu Yang hurriedly cupped his hands.
"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."
"First of all, you can forget about truly superior divine abilities. This Scripture Pavilion of ours is just a branch pavilion of Heaven Mending Peak. The power of its cultivation techniques and divine abilities are all limited."
"The truly powerful divine abilities are all on Sacred Flame Cliff, and only True Disciples can learn them!"
"But this is also normal. Disciples like us in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining are just beasts of burden for the Saint Sect. How could we possibly be taught powerful divine abilities?"
After all, what's the point of beasts of burden knowing so much? Knowing too much is detrimental to unity. As for True Disciples, they are truly part of the Saint Sect's establishment, elites who will inherit the sect's legacy in the future.
Naturally, their treatment is completely different.
"Is there no compromise?"
Lu Yang asked in a low voice.
"Of course there is!"
Wang Borong smiled faintly. He had worked in the Scripture Pavilion for over forty years. With such seniority, there wasn't a single cultivation technique or divine ability in the Scripture Pavilion that he didn't know of.
Although he didn't know their specific contents, he was crystal clear on their effects after one mastered them.
"In this Scripture Pavilion of ours, if you really want to talk about divine abilities that are superior in power after being mastered, there are actually only three. And every single one of them has severe side effects."
"Side effects?"
At this point, Wang Borong's expression became extremely solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "For example, I know of a divine ability called the 'Heavenly Demon Transforming Blood Divine Light.' It greatly increases the power of a magical artifact by offering one's own body as a sacrifice.
But after mastering it, not only does it shorten your lifespan, you also can no longer continue to cultivate. It's tantamount to cutting off your own Immortal Path."
"Tell me, are those side effects severe or not?"
Wang Borong's original intention was to scare Lu Yang off. But he never expected that after hearing his admonition, Lu Yang showed no trace of disappointment and instead became even more excited.
"Such a divine ability is practically made for me!"
Although the side effects were indeed severe, no matter how severe, they were limited to this one life. And what did the side effects of this life have to do with the me of the next life? He seemed to have found the correct way to use the Book of a Hundred Lives!
(End of this chapter)