Chapter 58: Resources tilted, undercurrent surges again
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The night, like water, enveloped Yundan Peak. Ye Li had finished regulating her breathing. The turbulent qi and blood in her body, stirred by the fierce battle, had long since calmed down. Her spiritual power had returned to full strength, and even seemed to have improved slightly from the intense confrontation. She changed into clean disciple uniforms and walked calmly towards the cave atop the peak, belonging to the lay Buddhist Muyun.
Every Yundan Peak disciple she encountered along the way, whether inner or outer, bowed respectfully, addressing her as "Senior Sister Ye" with eyes filled with awe and admiration. In this small competition, she not only vindicated herself but also significantly enhanced Yundan Peak's prestige within the sect. Previously, Yundan Peak's emphasis on miscellaneous disciplines like alchemy and talismans had often led to its being outmatched by the likes of Zhan Kuang Peak and Jian Peak in terms of combat power. Now, Ye Li's sudden appearance has undoubtedly given all Yundan Peak disciples a shot in the arm.
Mr. Muyun's cave is located at the top of Yundan Peak, where the spiritual energy is the richest. It is not a luxurious palace, but an elegant courtyard hidden among ancient trees and exotic flowers, with gurgling springs and the fragrance of medicine.
After Ye Li announced this, she slowly walked in. Mr. Muyun was sitting at a stone table beneath a thousand-year-old tea tree. Two cups of spiritual tea had been brewed on the table, steam rising and a refreshing aroma wafting into the air.
"Sit down." Master Muyun gestured for Ye Li to sit down and pushed a cup of tea in front of her with a gentle smile on his face. "How do you feel? You must have gained a lot from the battle with Leng Yun, right?"
Ye Li respectfully accepted the teacup and nodded, saying, "Master, I have benefited greatly from this. The use of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as well as the control of one's own strength, by a cultivator at the Spiritual Residence Realm is truly incomparable to that of a cultivator at the Condensing Veins Realm. Although I have relied on my body movements and finger techniques to gain some advantage, the gap in foundation and accumulation will still take time to make up."
The admiration in Lay Buddhist Muyun's eyes grew even stronger. "You are neither arrogant nor impatient, and you clearly recognize your own shortcomings. That's excellent. You have achieved this in the early stages of Meridian Condensation, which has far exceeded my expectations. The inheritance of Venerable Xuanhuan is indeed extraordinary."
He changed the subject, his expression becoming slightly more serious: "I called you here today for three main reasons."
"First, regarding your rewards for this competition. Sect Contribution Points and elixirs will be allocated to you later. As for the opportunities on the second floor of the Sutra Library, you can go there at any time. The techniques and secrets collected there, while not the sect's most advanced, are quite valuable and may help to address some of your current shortcomings. You can choose at your discretion."
"Secondly, the sect's elders have decided, in light of your demonstrated talent and potential, to prioritize your training." Lay Buddhist Muyun produced a purple-gold token and a storage ring, placing them on the table. "This is the 'Purple Gold Token.' With this token, you can freely enter and exit most of the sect's forbidden areas (except for the core secret realm and the inheritance forbidden area), and receive a monthly allowance equivalent to 80% of the resources granted to true disciples. This ring contains an additional 10,000 high-grade spirit stones from the sect, as well as three 500-year-old 'Ice Heart Snow Lotuses.' These should greatly benefit your cultivation of the 'Youhuan Emperor Scripture.'"
Ye Li's heart trembled slightly. A purple gold token, resources worthy of a true disciple, and the precious Ice Heart Snow Lotus! This reward was truly generous! It was beyond the reach of ordinary inner disciples, practically treating them like quasi-true disciples. The sect's move was both a reward and an investment, a way to win them over.
"Thank you for the generous gift from the sect, and thank you for your cultivation, Master!" Ye Li stood up and bowed solemnly. She knew that this must have been due to the hard work of Master Mu Yun.
Lay Buddhist Muyun gave her a light support, letting her sit down, his tone becoming more serious. "This third thing is a reminder. A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. While allocating sect resources to you is certainly a good thing, it will also push you into a more prominent position, attracting more attention, and no shortage of jealousy and malice. Over at Zhan Kuang Peak, Senior Brother Situ may have temporarily suppressed his anger, but his disciples, especially the likes of Gao Sheng, will never accept this. Furthermore, other peaks within the sect, and even some forces outside the sect, will inevitably have more concerns when they learn that you carry the inheritance and are valued by the sect."
He looked at Ye Li with deep eyes: "From now on, you must be more cautious in your words and actions, and work hard to improve your strength. The sect's rules can protect you temporarily, but not forever. True stability comes from one's own strength. As for your 'Secluded Pavilion'..." He paused, as if he had already seen through it, "Use it with caution, it may become a hidden chess move for you."
Ye Li felt a chill in her heart, knowing that Master Mu Yun was sounding a warning bell for her and tacitly approving her efforts to develop her own power. "Disciple understands. I will live up to the expectations of Master and the sect, and will also carefully deal with any disturbances from all sides."
"Well, it's good that you understand." Master Muyun nodded, his expression gentle again. "Go ahead and make good use of these resources. If you have any questions about your cultivation, feel free to ask me."
"Yes, disciple, I'll take my leave."
Ye Li put away the purple gold order and storage ring, bowed again, and left the cave.
Returning to her own courtyard, Ye Li counted her gains. Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones was a substantial sum, enough to purchase numerous cultivation supplies. The three Ice Heart Snow Lotuses were even more priceless, their pure ice-type spiritual energy imbued with them, greatly aiding her cultivation of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld." She carefully transplanted the snow lotuses into the space of the Samsara Mirror (she had discovered a tiny space within the Mirror fragments capable of storing living things) to preserve their vitality.
Afterwards, she summoned Lin Feng through the Youge Order.
"Congratulations, Pavilion Master!" Lin Feng couldn't hide his excitement upon seeing her. He was proud of Ye Li's performance in the competition.
Ye Li waved his hand, briefly informing him of Lay Buddhist Mu Yun's warning and the resource allocation, then instructed, "The sect's reward will probably spread quickly. Have Sun Xiaohou closely monitor the sect's reactions, especially those of Zhan Kuang Peak and several other powerful peaks. Also, keep an eye out for any new developments in the rumors circulating about my inheritance."
"Yes, Pavilion Master!" Lin Feng's expression became serious and he immediately accepted the order, "I will arrange it right away."
After Lin Feng left, Ye Li pondered for a moment, and then sent a message to Xia Zhihe and Zhao Xiaoyi, asking them to pay special attention to their own safety and keep a low profile in the near future. He also asked Xia Zhihe to help keep an eye out for any auxiliary materials suitable for refining ice magic weapons.
Just as Mr. Muyun expected, the news that the sect was allocating resources to Ye Li spread quickly within the Xuanyun Sect like wings.
"Have you heard? Ye Li was granted the Purple Gold Token! His monthly payment is almost catching up to that of a true disciple!"
"There are also 10,000 high-grade spirit stones and Ice Heart Snow Lotus! The sect is going to treat her like a treasure!"
"Why? How long has she been an initiate? Even if she has received the inheritance, she shouldn't be treated so generously, right?"
"Humph, it's just good luck. If you force things to happen, be careful not to damage your foundation!"
There were those who envied him, those who congratulated him, but more often than not, there was an irrepressible jealousy and dissatisfaction! This was especially true for those inner disciples who had cultivated for years but still hadn't received much in the way of resources. Even some of the lower-ranked true disciples felt extremely unbalanced.
Zhan Kuangfeng, in Gao Sheng’s cave.
“Bang!” Shi Feng slammed his fist on the table, his face grim. “Purple Gold Token! Ice Heart Snow Lotus! The sect is truly blind! How could that bitch deserve such merit!”
Gao Sheng's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "The sect is determined to protect her and train her. If we want to use the previous methods again, it will be difficult."
"Are we just going to let it go like this?" Shi Feng growled unwillingly.
"Forget it?" Gao Sheng sneered. "How is that possible! If open means don't work, then try covertly. The sect competition is over, and soon it will be time to compete for the 'Thousand Realms Hidden Dragon List', and there will also be sect missions... there are plenty of opportunities! No matter how talented Ye Li is, how can she not go out and gain experience? As long as she leaves the sect... humph!"
Murderous intent flashed in his eyes. "Give orders, have our people keep a close eye on Ye Li and Yundan Peak's every move! Especially the members of her 'Youge'. Find an opportunity and eliminate as many as possible!"
"Yes! Senior Brother Gao!" Shi Feng responded resentfully.
Similar conversations were also taking place secretly in other peaks. Ye Li's rise had affected the interests of many people and attracted more hidden hostility.
Even within Yundan Peak, there was no monolithic unity. Some of the older inner disciples, who had never been able to break through, felt a certain bitterness and resentment towards Ye Li, a newcomer who had come in later and gained access to so many resources. However, due to the authority of Master Muyun and Ye Li's current strength, they dared not express it openly.
Ye Li clearly sensed this subtle shift in the air. Walking down the street, she could detect more prying eyes hidden in the shadows; visiting the Transmission Pavilion or the Mission Hall, she could sense some disciples deliberately keeping their distance or looking at her with skepticism.
But she didn't care. Jealousy and oppression were the norm on the road to power. She had long been accustomed to it.
She devoted most of her time to cultivation. Using the authority granted by the Purple Gold Token, she entered the second floor of the Sutra Library and spent several days browsing numerous manuals on cultivation techniques, travelogues, and miscellaneous texts. She ultimately selected a top-grade Xuan-level auxiliary cultivation technique called "Concentrating the Mind," designed to refine her consciousness, enhance her perception and understanding, and precisely compensate for her current shortcomings in the refined use of her spirit.
At the same time, she began to refine the Ice Heart Snow Lotus. As a snow lotus petal entered her stomach, the extremely pure icy spiritual energy melted and, guided by the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld," merged into her spiritual veins. Her cultivation steadily improved at a visible rate, advancing towards the middle stage of the Condensed Veins Realm.
In her spare time, she also remotely controlled the initial operations of Youge through Lin Feng. Xia Zhihe provided some effective pill recipes, Sun Xiaohou gathered some suspicious information about Zhan Kuangfeng disciples' recent frequent contact with outsiders, and Zhao Xiaoyi established a relatively safe internal supply channel.
Youge, this new organization, under the guidance of the resources and direction provided by Ye Li, spread and took root silently like a vine in the dark night.
On this day, Ye Li was practicing the "Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger" in the courtyard, trying to further improve the prototype of the "Sealing the Soul" style, when Youge Ling suddenly received an urgent message from Lin Feng:
"Pavilion Master, Sun Xiaohou has confirmed that in three days, the sect will be issuing a large-scale collaborative mission to eliminate a group of roving evil cultivators entrenched in the Black Wind Mountains. The reward is extremely generous. Zhan Kuangfeng seems to be interested in using this mission to make a fuss, and his movements are suspicious! In addition, disciples from the Bishui Pavilion may also participate in this mission."
Ye Li retracted his fingers and stood up, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
Black Wind Mountains? Evil cultivators? Zhan Kuangfeng's movements? And the Blue Water Pavilion...
The storm is brewing. It seems that the quiet days of cultivation are coming to an end for the time being.
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