Chapter 285 - 184: Rank 1 Mysterious Skill and the Zhang Family’s Old Ancestor
Chapter 285: Chapter 184: Rank 1 Mysterious Skill and the Zhang Family’s Old Ancestor
He recalled that when he first joined the sect, he had heard that the ancestor from the Great Zhou had nearly had his spot taken. Someone had approached him, wanting to buy the position.
However, that ancestor was no ordinary person. He refused the offer and successfully entered the Evergreen Sect, and he had now become a Steward of the sect.
He was doing infinitely better than Zhang Heng.
Gu He said contemplatively, "It can be done, but as you know, these arrangements require both parties to be willing. That way, there won’t be any trouble later."
"And nothing can happen to the boy."
"Hah, don’t you worry. Nothing will happen. He just arrived and doesn’t know a thing. What I’m offering will definitely satisfy him."
"Have you considered that this junior from the small world might have truly exceptional talent? He could bring glory to your Zhang Family and help you establish a firm foothold in the Evergreen Sect. Isn’t that your lifelong dream?"
"Steward, if he were a disciple from a world like the Great Zhou’s back in the day, I certainly wouldn’t be doing this. But you know as well as I do that the world I came from has been cut off from the Ancient Wilderness for thousands of years. The Spiritual Qi is depleted, and the Celestial Ladder’s energy is less than a tenth of what it should be."
"His foundation is too weak. Even if he becomes an Outer Disciple, his future achievements will be extremely limited. It’s better to give the spot to Zhang Ke. His foundation is solid; he has reached the Half-Step Divine Containment level at the peak of every major realm. He has a very good chance of surpassing the Transcendence Realm and reaching even greater heights," Zhang Heng said in a low voice.
In truth, his words made some sense.
Generally, for someone from a newly reconnected world, even if they managed to ascend the Celestial Ladder, their potential was extremely limited. After all, their foundational circumstances had already constrained their future.
Gu He glanced at Zhang Heng without another word and gestured toward the courtyard gate, clearly indicating that Zhang Heng should handle it himself.
Zhang Heng gave a grunt of acknowledgment, his face showing a hint of excitement.
Then, he stepped forward and knocked on the gate.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The knocking echoed through the courtyard. Lu Yuan, who had just achieved a breakthrough, was in high spirits.
Still, he went and opened the gate.
When he saw an old man standing outside, a look of surprise crossed his face. He had been here for several days and didn’t know anyone.
And judging by the man’s magnificent robes, he was clearly no ordinary person.
"Who are you?" Lu Yuan asked, puzzled.
"This old man is named Zhang Heng. You could say I’m one of your ancestors. Aren’t you going to invite me in for a seat?" Zhang Heng said with a chuckle.
Lu Yuan gave him a skeptical look. He raised an eyebrow but still stepped aside. "Please," he said.
’I never would have thought the Zhang Family actually had an ancestor in the Ancient Wilderness.’
’It seems they were once quite successful.’
Once the two were inside the courtyard, Zhang Heng glanced around before sitting down on a stone bench.
At that moment, Zhou Hongling and Xiao Hua also came out. Seeing the situation, they stood obediently to one side without saying a word.
Instead, it was his mother from the Lu Clan who spoke, her voice filled with disbelief. "You... you’re an ancestor of the Zhang Family?"
"Haha, I didn’t expect that after several thousand years, a descendant would still recognize me. How did you know?" Zhang Heng asked gently.
His mother bowed and replied, "I’ve seen your portrait in the ancestral hall."
"Mm, then there’s no mistake." Zhang Heng nodded.
Then he turned to Lu Yuan. "Child, you ascended the Celestial Ladder back in the small world? May I see the talisman that was imprinted on you?"
Although Lu Yuan was suspicious, he opened his palm and revealed the mark.
A glint flashed in Zhang Heng’s eyes. He smiled and said, "Good, very good. It is indeed the mark of the Evergreen Sect."
He then took a deep breath and, meeting Lu Yuan’s questioning gaze, continued, "There is something I would like to discuss with you."
"The test at the Celestial Ladder Cliff was actually the Evergreen Sect’s preliminary screening for Outer Disciples. With that mark, once you’re transported to the Ancient Wilderness, you can directly become an Outer Disciple."
"However... the world we came from was cut off from the Ancient Wilderness for thousands of years. The Spiritual Qi is sparse, and your foundation is too weak. I’m afraid that even if you were to go to the sect, you wouldn’t be able to adapt."
"If you’re willing to give this spot to someone else from the Zhang Family, I will give you fair compensation."
Lu Yuan’s gaze darkened. "I understand what you mean. You want someone to take my place and enter the Evergreen Sect."
His tone instantly became cold.
The expressions of Zhou Hongling and Xiao Hua changed drastically. They clearly had not expected the Zhang Family’s ancestor to have such intentions.
’In fact, after learning the man’s identity, Lu Yuan had initially thought the Zhang Family ancestor was here to welcome him into the clan. He never imagined something like this would happen.’
’I have to say, I underestimated the depths of human greed.’
’Truth be told, he didn’t particularly care about the opportunity to enter a sect. After all, he had his own Cultivation Technique and didn’t need to learn one there. What he lacked, however, was Cultivation Resources.’
Then, he looked at Zhang Heng. "And if I don’t agree?"
The man didn’t speak, nor did his expression change.
But anyone could see that his silence was a threat in itself.
He was clearly determined to take this spot.
Lu Yuan glanced back at Xiao Hua, Zhou Hongling, and his mother, then asked, "If I agree, what do I get?"
He wasn’t afraid of the Zhang Family coming after him, but he had to consider his family’s safety. The shantytown was too dangerous. The Zhang Family wouldn’t even have to act themselves; by offering a few Spirit Crystals, they could find plenty of people willing to do their dirty work.
At this, a smile spread across Zhang Heng’s face. "From this day forward, you will be a member of my Zhang Family. You won’t be required to do anything for the family, but we will publicly acknowledge your status. This, in itself, is a form of protection."
"I also have one hundred Spirit Crystals here for you, which I can give you immediately. What do you say?"
Lu Yuan looked at Zhang Heng, and after a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Fine. I agree. But I have one more condition."
Hearing Lu Yuan agree, the smile on Zhang Heng’s face widened.
’One hundred Spirit Crystals isn’t a lot,’ he thought. ’The disciples in my family get more than that for their monthly allowance. But for someone who just arrived here, it’s an absolute fortune.’
’So, as long as Lu Yuan’s request isn’t too outrageous, I can probably agree to it.’
"I need Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures suitable for the Void Breaking Realm. For example, Void-Breaking Fruits. Give me three of them, and the spot is yours."
Zhang Heng fell into thought. ’A single Void-Breaking Fruit costs fifty Spirit Crystals. The main issue is that newcomers don’t have the right channels to purchase them.’
’For me, it isn’t too difficult to acquire.’
’And besides, I have some in my Space Ring right now.’
Although he was reluctant, feeling it was a waste to give them to Lu Yuan, he recalled Gu He’s instructions and said, "Fine. Here is everything. Take it."
After he spoke, one hundred Spirit Crystals and three Void-Breaking Fruits appeared on the table in front of Lu Yuan.
Looking at the items, a light flashed in Lu Yuan’s eyes. ’These are crucial for my breakthrough to the Transcendence Realm.’
’Once I reach that realm, my options will multiply.’
After stowing the items away, Lu Yuan held out his palm, showing the talisman. He looked at Zhang Heng. "How do I get rid of this?"
"I’ll do it." Gu He had entered at some point and now stood just inside the gate. He waved his hand, his face devoid of expression.
In an instant, the talisman on Lu Yuan’s palm flew off.
The process had no effect on him whatsoever.
Seeing this, a look of delight appeared on Zhang Heng’s face.
Gu He caught the talisman in his hand, then fixed his gaze on Lu Yuan. "Kid, now that you’ve taken the goods, you’d better keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, Zhang Heng won’t be the only one coming to find you."
Lu Yuan nodded, showing no intention of replying.
Now that the business was concluded, Zhang Heng said to Lu Yuan, "Although I’ll have the Zhang Family announce that you’re one of us, you’d best not stir up any trouble."
"If you get into real trouble, the family won’t lift a finger to help. The best way to survive is to mind your own business and keep your head down."
With that said, the two men left together.
An impassive look flashed through Lu Yuan’s eyes.
He didn’t get up to see them off.
He now had only one thought in his mind: ’With these resources, I can break through and leave this place as soon as possible.’
’The Zhang Family, the Evergreen Sect... I couldn’t care less about any of them.’
What he wanted was a wider world to roam.
Then, he stood up and looked at the worried expressions on Zhou Hongling and Xiao Hua’s faces.
"I’m going out for a while," he said. "You two wait here."
"Okay."
The two women nodded.
Lu Yuan walked straight out the door. The next thing on his agenda was to figure out a way to earn Spirit Crystals.
With the Void-Breaking Fruits, as long as he could bring his current cultivation to the Perfection stage, he could directly attempt Divine Containment and Divinity Fusion.
He was already at the Great Success stage. With the right Elixirs, he could reach Perfection in a matter of days.
But one hundred Spirit Crystals wasn’t quite enough to buy the Elixirs he needed.
He remembered Xiao Gu saying that a bottle of Void-Breaking Pills cost one hundred and fifty Spirit Crystals.
Therefore, in the coming days, he had to hunt enough prey to get the resources he needed to reach the Transcendence Realm as quickly as possible.
’At that point, if I still wanted to, I could join the Evergreen Sect on my own terms.’
Now that his Arrow Skill had advanced to a Mysterious Skill, combined with his own power, dealing with Demon Race opponents of the same realm might still take some effort. However, hunting those at the Earth Immortal Realm would be a piece of cake.
’Earning Spirit Crystals shouldn’t be too difficult for me now.’