I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 110: Wu Hao: Lu You Is Worthy of Great Responsibility
The commotion at the Law Enforcement Hall was simply too great. Nearly all the disciples of the Verdant Cloud Sect had rushed over to watch. Only Lu You and Zeng Yan remained in their room, sitting cross-legged in meditation instead of joining the crowd.
Zeng Yan was genuinely cultivating. The reason she hadn't gone was because she was afraid Lu You would get involved. Ever since they returned from the secret realm, Lu You had been connected to Wu Tong and had even produced the ancient map, meaning he had already become entangled in trouble. Zeng Yan worried that if he went to watch, he would become caught up in even more conflict. After all, this was a struggle between two Nascent Soul cultivators. Not to mention a Foundation Establishment cultivator—even a Golden Core cultivator would be reduced to ashes if they got caught in the crossfire.
On the surface, Lu You appeared to be cultivating obediently. In reality, however, he had already obtained Han Tian's field of vision through the Evil Eye, witnessing the might of Nascent Soul Dharma Avatars as well as the power of the Divine Transformation Sect Master. Since they had never truly exchanged blows, Lu You could only compare it to Elder Wen's strength. After giving it some thought, he concluded that with his current abilities, if he fought at full strength, suppressing an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would be effortless.
'Just as I expected, even the Sect Master wouldn't move against a Nascent Soul cultivator, even if they practiced demonic techniques.'
Lu You wasn't surprised by the outcome. If the cultivation world were really as idealistic as Han Tian imagined, things would be far simpler. Within a sect, every disciple existed as a tool to gather resources for the Sect Master and the Nascent Soul elders. Without a sect, who would cultivate the spirit fields? Who would mine spirit stones? Divine Transformation and Nascent Soul experts certainly weren't going to handle those tasks personally.
'But this actually benefits me more.'
Lu You let out a sigh of relief. He had helped Han Tian advance into the Golden Core realm precisely to observe the sect's reaction. Fortunately, whether it was the Divine Transformation Sect Master or the Nascent Soul elders, none of them cared about Han Tian's little stroke of fortune. That meant Lu You himself could occasionally stage a few "moments of enlightenment" to improve his strength without attracting the sect's attention.
Slowly opening his eyes, Lu You ended his meditation. His spiritual sense returned to his own body as he deliberately acted as though he had only just finished cultivating.
"Senior Sister, listen. It's so noisy outside. The matter at the Law Enforcement Hall must be over."
Seeing that Zeng Yan was still meditating, perfectly still as a tranquil maiden, Lu You couldn't help but move closer and examine her carefully.
Although Zeng Yan was beautiful, he had never really had the chance to look at her properly before. Sure enough, the Blood Shadow Technique could imitate only a person's appearance, not their spirit. The real Senior Sister Zeng Yan was even more beautiful than the blood mist imitation.
Sensing his gaze, Zeng Yan suddenly opened her eyes.
Lu You didn't avert his eyes in the slightest. He met her gaze naturally, then smoothly changed the subject.
"Senior Sister, should we go together and see what happened at the Law Enforcement Hall?"
His movements were incredibly fluid. He casually reached toward Zeng Yan's crossed legs, placing one hand around her ankle and the other around her calf, helping her uncross her legs before gently massaging the stiffened muscles with alternating light and firm pressure.
Zeng Yan was briefly stunned before asking with a very serious expression,
"Lu You... while you were cultivating just now, were you actually thinking about this sort of thing?"
Lu You replied with a completely earnest face,
"Of course I was cultivating. Senior Sister, you should have noticed the fluctuations of spiritual energy around me, right?"
When cultivating the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique, one continuously absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Anyone nearby could sense the cultivator's condition. This was also why cultivators often had someone stand guard for them. If cultivation reached a particularly dangerous stage, the guardian could detect changes in the spiritual energy and interrupt the process if necessary.
Zeng Yan nodded, then lightly kicked Lu You's hand away. Looking slightly disappointed, she said, "So... you weren't thinking about that after all."
Lu You's mind took a moment to catch up.
"Of course I was! I mean... I wasn't thinking about it while I was cultivating..."
Halfway through speaking, he suddenly noticed the smile curling at the corners of Zeng Yan's lips. Only then did he realize she had been teasing him.
He couldn't help but laugh helplessly.
"Senior Sister, you actually tricked me."
"What, am I made of wood? Can't I joke around once in a while?"
As she spoke, Zeng Yan adjusted her training clothes. She rolled up the legs of her trousers, removed her white socks, revealing her fair, flawless calves and jade-like feet. Then she stretched her legs out and rested them across Lu You's knees.
"There," she said. "Go ahead and massage them however you like."
Seeing Lu You immediately place his hands on her legs, Zeng Yan smiled.
"It's just a leg massage. Why are you in such a hurry? I've already agreed to become your Dao companion if you cultivate diligently, what's there that I couldn't agree to?"
Feeling the warmth from Lu You's palms, her eyes curved into a gentle smile.
"What else do you want to touch?"
Lu You's eyes lit up. His gaze slowly traveled upward before finally stopping over her chest.
"Senior Sister..."
Zeng Yan suddenly reached out and flicked him on the forehead.
"You really do have quite the imagination. Wait until your cultivation improves before asking me again. Who knows? Maybe if I'm feeling impulsive, I'll say yes."
After saying that, she withdrew her legs, lowered her skirt to cover them once more, and stood up.
"It's getting late. I'm heading back to Myriad Sword Mountain first. Don't go asking around about what happened at the Law Enforcement Hall. I'll inquire for you myself and come tell you tomorrow."
With that, Zeng Yan hurried away.
A moment later, however, she suddenly ran back, picking up the sword she had left lying on the ground. Her heart had been pounding so wildly that she had only wanted to escape, forgetting behind what was practically her second life—her sword.
When she noticed the corners of Lu You's mouth curling upward, she shot him a fierce glare.
Lu You immediately pretended he hadn't seen anything.
Only then did Zeng Yan leave in satisfaction.
'Who said a gentle beauty's embrace is a hero's grave?'
Lu You felt more motivated than ever, almost wishing he could cultivate nonstop for ten days and ten nights.
Unfortunately, he still had plans to carry out.
He activated a Purifying Heart Talisman, extinguishing the distracting fire in his heart before stepping out of the courtyard.
Along the way, Lu You kept a low profile, avoiding the disciples of the Verdant Cloud Sect as he made his way to Wu Hao's Water-Cloud Realm.
At present, Venerable Wu Hao had been confined to his Water-Cloud Realm as punishment. However, since the Deep Literary Pavilion had no one capable of managing affairs, Zhang Daoran had temporarily granted Wu Hao the authority of an acting administrator.
Naturally, since Wu Hao was forbidden from leaving his Water-Cloud Realm, disciples were stationed at its entrance. Matters requiring the Venerable's decisions were delivered inside, while his orders were conveyed back out through them.
"Senior Brothers, I am Lu You. I heard that Venerable Wu Hao has come out of seclusion, and I have an urgent matter that requires an audience with him."
The two disciples guarding Water-Cloud Realm were both early Golden Core stage cultivators.
With today's uproar at the Law Enforcement Hall, they naturally already knew everything that had happened in the secret realm. They had also privately discussed how Ma Yuan's luck had been exceptionally terrible. Because he had tried to suppress Lu You, he had ended up holding a scalding-hot potato and was ultimately assassinated by Elder Wen.
The moment Lu You announced his name, both cultivators unconsciously slowed their breathing.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, you've already said enough. There's no need to say anything more. We'll report your arrival to the Venerable immediately."
Neither Golden Core cultivator displayed the slightest bit of arrogance. On the contrary, they were terrified that Lu You might say something they couldn't afford to hear.
The disciple who spoke first was also the quicker thinker. Before his companion could react, he immediately turned around and rushed into Water-Cloud Realm, leaving the other Golden Core cultivator behind to receive Lu You.
'Damn it... that bastard!'
The slower disciple ground his teeth in frustration.
Then he quickly turned back to Lu You with an ingratiating smile.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, please wait here for just a moment. I'm sure Venerable Wu Hao will see you. Situ Lang certainly won't dare delay matters either. Just... please watch what you say. I truly don't want to hear any unnecessary information."
This cultivator was quite crafty himself.
He had deliberately revealed his companion's name. If anything happened to Lu You later—even if someone performed a soul search on him—the memories would only implicate Situ Lang instead of himself.
What he feared most was Lu You suddenly saying something like:
'I have an ancient map here. Could I trouble you, Senior Brother, to deliver it to the Venerable?'
Now that the ancient map had become public knowledge, everyone wanted to stay as far away from it as possible.
Lu You smiled helplessly and nodded.
He then deliberately took a step back, putting some distance between himself and the cultivator, and quietly waited for Situ Lang to return.
It wasn't long before Situ Lang came flying back in a hurry.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, you may enter now. Venerable Wu Hao is waiting for you inside."
After speaking, Situ Lang lifted the restrictions on the Water-Cloud Realm and pointed the way.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, I won't accompany you any farther. The moment you step into the Water-Cloud Realm, the Venerable will bring you directly to his side."
Lu You's expression shifted ever so slightly.
It seemed Zhang Daoran had merely said those words for show. He hadn't actually sealed Wu Hao's cultivation.
Glancing at Situ Lang once more, Lu You thanked him, "Thank you for the trouble, Senior Brother. I'll go pay my respects to the Venerable now."
Situ Lang was hardly a once-in-a-generation genius. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be an ordinary disciple despite having reached the Golden Core realm. Anyone who had painstakingly advanced to Golden Core through sheer perseverance was likely older than ten Lu Yous combined.
How could someone like that fail to realize that his earlier words had inadvertently revealed that Venerable Wu Hao's cultivation remained intact?
It was a subtle warning offered in good faith, and Lu You appropriately responded with a gesture of friendliness.
"Situ Lang, why did you tell Lu You all that? Aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble?"
The other cultivator snorted disdainfully.
He had also understood Situ Lang's hidden meaning.
Ma Yuan, who had lost the ancient map, was gone.
Elder Wen, who had seized it, was gone.
The dozen or so Golden Core cultivators inside the secret realm who had known about the ancient map would never return either.
Everyone connected to the map, except the Venerables themselves, had died.
Only Lu You, the sole remaining person who had personally seen the ancient map, occupied an extremely delicate position now, because no one knew whether he had memorized its contents.
"Ah... this loose tongue of mine always causes trouble. I hate myself for it."
Situ Lang slapped himself across the face as though he had only just realized his mistake.
In truth, however, his mind was perfectly clear.
He was merely an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. Without finding a powerful patron, there was virtually no hope of advancing any further in this lifetime.
Within the entire Deep Literary Pavilion, who else could serve as such a patron?
For several days, Situ Lang had carefully analyzed one question:
Why had Wu Tong entrusted the ancient map to Lu You?
Surely it hadn't been given away casually.
Why hadn't Lu You handed the map over when he encountered Elder Wen?
Why had he instead conveniently surrendered it only after Ma Yuan deliberately made things difficult for him?
Why had no one ever thought carefully about that?
Now, because of the ancient map, Venerable Wu Hao had been confined by the Sect Master for a thousand years.
So why did Lu You come here today?
Situ Lang looked sympathetically at his companion before hiding away his thoughts.
Lu You has come to offer help when it's needed most.
And his own little "slip of the tongue" had merely been a reminder:
Venerable Wu Hao hasn't truly fallen from power, so you came to the right place.
. . .
The instant Lu You stepped into Water-Cloud Realm, before he even had time to admire the scenery, the world spun around him.
The next moment, he found himself inside the same room he had visited during his first audience.
Venerable Wu Hao sat in the reception hall, idly turning a go piece between his fingers.
Across from him was a go board upon which an elderly face had materialized, deeply engrossed in the game.
It appeared Wu Hao had completely stumped him, leaving him unable to decide where to place the next piece.
When Lu You entered, the face on the go board actually turned toward him and gave him a friendly nod.
What—?!
A spirit artifact!
Lu You appeared thoroughly shocked by the go spirit.
Artifacts were divided into three grades:
Treasure Artifacts, which relied solely upon the quality and sharpness of their materials.
Magic Artifacts, which enhanced those materials through engraved formations.
And Spirit Artifacts, the highest grade, which possessed their own sentient intelligence.
Although Lu You outwardly looked astonished, he wasn't surprised at all.
The reason he had been so cautious during his previous visit was because he had long suspected that the residence of a Nascent Soul Venerable would certainly contain the cultivation world's equivalent of surveillance cameras.
"No need to worry. The go spirit has spoken quite highly of you."
Sitting comfortably in his chair, Venerable Wu Hao no longer carried the murderous aura he had before. Instead, he resembled a warm, approachable middle-aged man.
"Lu You, have you come to report what happened in the secret realm?"
Lu You bowed respectfully.
"Reporting to the Venerable, what I have to report is even more important than the events of the secret realm."
He extended a hand and withdrew three talismans from his storage ring.
Two of them were the ancient-map Thunder Technique Talismans.
The third was an ordinary sheet of talisman paper. Instead of containing a talisman inscription, however, it bore a meticulously copied map covered in mysterious markings.
"After leaving the secret realm, this disciple has lived in constant fear. To avoid becoming everyone's target, I deliberately handed one ancient map to Elder Ma Yuan as a decoy to divert attention."
"In reality, Senior Brother Wu Tong and Elder Huo Chuan entrusted me with a total of three ancient maps."
"I intentionally revealed only one of them so that truth would conceal itself within deception. No one would ever suspect that I actually possessed three."
"As for the one I handed over, I had already copied its contents beforehand, carefully reproducing the map."
Lu You's next words were astonishing.
"This disciple deserves death!"
"I never imagined Elder Ma Yuan would actually lose the ancient map, resulting in one of them disappearing."
"I have failed the trust that Senior Brother Wu Tong and Elder Huo Chuan placed in me."
"What?!"
"You actually preserved three ancient maps?"
Wu Hao had considered countless possibilities, but this outcome had never crossed his mind.
Lu You had secretly switched the real treasures away and managed to preserve two genuine ancient maps.
Unable to suppress his excitement, Wu Hao raised a hand.
The three talismans immediately flew from Lu You's grasp into his own.
With nothing more than a gentle squeeze, Wu Hao instantly confirmed that the two ancient-map talismans were genuine.
Turning the ancient maps over, Wu Hao's expression darkened.
"Damn it... They deliberately destroyed the cultivation technique recorded on the back of the maps. No wonder Huo Chuan wanted to refine a Human Pill. So his plan was to increase his strength, defeat Dongfang Bubai, and force the cultivation technique out of him!"
Wu Hao did not suspect Lu You in the slightest.
First, if the text of the cultivation technique had still been intact, Wu Tong and Huo Chuan would never have entrusted the ancient maps directly to Lu You. If Lu You had simply run away and secretly learned the technique himself, the Deep Literary Pavilion would have had no way of stopping him. Therefore, the maps must already have been defective. Huo Chuan and Wu Tong had concluded that there was no benefit in Lu You keeping them and thus instructed him to bring them out.
Second, Lu You had already shifted the blame onto Ma Yuan. If Lu You had intended to secretly learn the technique, why not simply copy the maps and hand all three originals to Ma Yuan, completely severing his own connection to them? Since he had only given Ma Yuan one map, it showed that he had always intended to personally deliver the remaining maps to Wu Hao and claim credit for completing the mission. There was no reason to complicate matters unnecessarily.
Finally, Wu Hao himself had studied the ancient map before and was intimately familiar with the spiritual energy fluctuations of the Jade Toad Swallows the Moon Technique. There wasn't the slightest trace of that technique's aura on Lu You.
"Hahahaha~~ Lu You, what crime have you committed?"
Wu Hao suddenly burst into laughter.
Although the cultivation techniques on the backs of the three maps had been destroyed beyond use, the maps themselves still provided him with another opportunity.
As long as he could decipher the maps and locate the hidden secret realm, he still had a chance to obtain the other three cultivation techniques stored there.
That meant there was still hope for him to break through the Nascent Soul realm.
Originally, when Zhang Daoran had killed Elder Wen with a single finger strike, the trail leading to the ancient maps had seemingly been cut off forever.
Wu Hao had believed his dream of reaching the Divine Transformation realm was finished, leaving him with no choice but to faithfully protect the Verdant Cloud Sect for the rest of his life.
But now...
The fire in his heart had been rekindled.
For a Nascent Soul cultivator like himself, the one thing he lacked least was time.
His remaining lifespan was more than sufficient for him to decipher the maps and explore the hidden secret realm.
"Lu You... Wu Tong did not die in vain."
"The greatest thing he ever accomplished was discovering someone like you."
Wu Hao looked directly at Lu You.
This time, there was no pretense or calculated performance.
His eyes were filled with genuine admiration.
"As a mere Qi Refinement cultivator, you dared investigate Dongfang Bubai."
"When faced with the temptation of a supreme cultivation technique, you remained true to your heart."
"You possessed both courage and intelligence, bringing back three ancient maps."
"On top of that, fortune clearly favors you—you even broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm after leaving the secret realm."
"Hahaha!"
"And I also know that you've mastered the Grandmaster State of the Dao of Talisman."
Wu Hao raised his hand.
A streak of green light descended into Lu You's palm.
Opening his hand, Lu You found a single lotus seed resting there.
"This is a lotus seed from the Azure Heaven Jade Lotus, the supreme treasure upon which the Verdant Cloud Sect was founded."
"After consuming it, it will extend your lifespan and increase your cultivation."
"The Jade Lotus bears only ten seeds once every thousand years."
"Take it immediately and refine it."
"Reach the Golden Core realm as soon as possible."
"When that day comes, I will personally appoint you as an Elder."
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Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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