Chapter 18: The Correct Way to Use a Cheat

"Ancestral Cave Abode?"

After hearing Zhao Xuhe's proposal, Lu Yang shook his head: "Senior Brother invites me warmly, but this junior's divine arts are unrefined; now I only wish to cultivate with single-minded focus."

"Oh?" Zhao Xuhe squinted upon hearing this: "Does Junior Brother not trust me?"

"Senior Brother worries too much; it's just that this junior has not yet learned any divine arts and possesses no ability to fight. Even if I went out with Senior Brother, I would only be a drag."

Lu Yang's reasoning was reasonable and justified.

After all, he had started trading Substitute Death Yin Puppets not long after entering the sect, and had even pawned the technique loans from the Library Pavilion; Zhao Xuhe knew this clearly.

"Then forget it."

Zhao Xuhe shook his head, and his expression grew cold.

At this very moment, murderous intent had already arisen in his heart; after all, he had lost even his trousers, while Lu Yang could still make money and leave early.

How could he accept this?

More importantly, the contribution points Lu Yang earned had their principal borrowed from him; rounding up, that money should have been his!

"Very well, then, I'll just keep them in your custody for now."

Zhao Xuhe sneered inwardly: "Only knows how to cultivate, doesn't learn combat divine arts, and still thinks he's in one of those righteous famous sects where he can cultivate in peace? Wait until I resolve the matters on Panlong Island, find an opportunity to sneak into his cave abode late at night, kill him, and those contribution points will still be mine!"

"Without surprise, the one surnamed Zhao must already be thinking about how to deal with me."

Leaving Zhao Xuhe's cave abode, Lu Yang strutted boldly toward the Library Pavilion, having already guessed Zhao Xuhe's thoughts, yet feeling not the slightest panic.

After all, he hadn't spent these past few days in vain.

Just as others were fervently trading Substitute Death Yin Puppets, he had shut his ears to the outside world, bought a large batch of spiritual pills, and immediately entered seclusion to cultivate.

Qi Refinement levels four to six belong to the mid-stage; there are no bottlenecks, and one can breakthrough simply by spending money to take medicine.

And Lu Yang, who had made a huge profit of ten thousand contribution points, naturally would not be stingy; therefore, he had already broken through to reach Qi Refinement level six, ranking at the peak of the mid-stage.

By the way, the venereal disease the original body came with was also cured by him using contribution points to exchange for a Dust-Cleansing Pill.

In fact, it proves that the greatest incurable disease in a person's life is the disease of poverty.

The reason Yu Suzhen in the first life was killed by her own venereal disease was, ultimately, because she had no money.

As for the mid-stage bottleneck, originally he had wanted to try whether he could breakthrough using the Primordial One Qi; unfortunately, whether due to insufficient quantity or not, the effect was barely better than nothing.

From this, it can be seen that the people Liu Xin swindled to death back then probably weren't limited to just him.

As for not learning divine arts, that was naturally just bluffing Zhao Xuhe.

In his past life, relying on setting up arrays to ambush, he had only barely managed to suppress Zhao Xuhe when his qi was declining and strength exhausted; in this life, however, he didn't need to be so troublesome.

Even in a direct confrontation, he was confident he could escape!

"Senior Brother Wang, are you well lately?"

Arriving at the Library Pavilion, Lu Yang skillfully took out a wine gourd and smiled: "Fine Drunken Flower Brew; this is something I specially obtained for Senior Brother."

"It's you again, kid."

At the Library Pavilion entrance, the aged-looking Wang Bairong's eye twitched slightly upon hearing this, then he sighed: "A gourd of Drunken Flower Brew costing fifty contribution points."

"You kid have really struck it rich."

In this life, Lu Yang focused on building a good relationship with Wang Bairong.

At first, Wang Bairong treated him with indifference, but ever since the Substitute Death Yin Puppets exploded, this senior brother of the Library Pavilion had treated him much better.

The reason was very simple.

Because just before the Substitute Death Yin Puppets exploded, he had advised Wang Bairong to sell off part of the goods he had hoarded, avoiding the fate of losing everything.

Since then, Wang Bairong had been infinitely grateful to him.

"Pitiful that I, an old man, have lived for decades and haven't seen through things as clearly as you, a kid; if not for your awakening me, I恐怕 would have already suffered qi deviation."

"Don't say that, Senior Brother must not belittle yourself."

Lu Yang shook his head: "As the saying goes, good words cannot persuade a ghost destined to die; on that day, I advised many people, but only you, Senior Brother, truly listened."

"Senior Brother daring to rein in the horse at the cliff edge is also a kind of wisdom."

"Hmm."

Wang Bairong squinted upon hearing this, stroked his beard; although he knew Lu Yang was deliberately flattering him, the words were becoming increasingly pleasant to hear.

Immediately after, the two set out tables and chairs and began drinking together.

Wang Bairong was not polite either; he directly poured a full cup of Drunken Flower Brew, drank it in one gulp, and only then slowly spoke: "You kid, what exactly are you after?"

Wang Bairong had only this one doubt in his heart at this moment.

"We have no blood ties or personal connection; do you really believe the ghost stories outside and think this old man is a high expert of the Library Pavilion, waiting for a destined person?"

"How could that be."

Lu Yang, while pouring wine for Wang Bairong, smiled: "As the saying goes, an old person in the house is like a treasure. I merely feel that since Senior Brother has lived to such an age in the Holy Sect, you must have some ability, and since you serve in the Library Pavilion, perhaps you could offer some guidance on techniques and divine arts."

Lu Yang spoke with extreme sincerity.

Wang Bairong, after hearing this, gave no definite answer, simply continuing to pour wine; as he drank, he began to complain about the Holy Sect's shameless act of cutting the disciples' leeks this time.

"Simply beasts!"

"What a coincidence; just as the price climbed to its peak, they suddenly struck to suppress it; this was absolutely premeditated; there are bad people among the Holy Sect's high leadership!"

Lu Yang, while pouring wine, casually agreed.

By the time Wang Bairong had drunk enough and started shaking his head and swaying, he whispered: "Senior Brother, I came this time to select techniques and divine arts."

"Does Senior Brother have any recommendations? The greater the power of the divine art, the better!"

"I knew you kid had something to ask of me!" Wang Bairong chuckled gleefully and said proudly: "But asking me means you've asked the right person!"

Lu Yang quickly clasped his hands: "Please teach me, Senior Brother."

"First of all, don't even think about true superior divine arts; our Library Pavilion is merely a branch of the Patching Heaven Peak, so the power of techniques and divine arts is limited."

"Truly powerful divine arts are all on the Holy Fire Cliff; only true disciples can learn them!"

"But that's only natural. Disciples like us at the early and middle stages of Qi Refining are nothing but the Holy Sect's workhorses — how could we possibly be granted any powerful divine abilities?"

After all, what do workhorses need to know so much for? Knowing too much would only be bad for unity.

As for true-disciple successors, they are the ones who have truly entered the Holy Sect's official ranks, the elite who will inherit the sect's mantle in the future — naturally, they receive entirely different treatment.

"Isn't there some compromise?" Lu Yang asked in a low voice.

"Of course there is!"

Wang Bairong gave a slight smile. He had worked at the Scripture Pavilion for over forty years; with such seniority, there was no cultivation method or divine ability in the entire Scripture Pavilion that he didn't know.

Although he didn't know the specific contents, he understood perfectly well what effects they would have once mastered.

"In our Scripture Pavilion, if we're talking about divine abilities whose might is truly top-tier once mastered, there are actually only three — and every single one of them has severe side effects."

"Side effects?"

At this point, Wang Bairong's expression grew exceedingly solemn. He said in a heavy voice, "For instance, I know of one divine ability called the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light. It works by sacrificing the body to a treasure, greatly amplifying the treasure's power. But once mastered, it not only shortens one's lifespan, it also makes it impossible to continue cultivating — one might as well have cut off one's own immortal path."

"Tell me, are the side effects severe or not?"

Wang Bairong's original intent had been to frighten Lu Yang off, but he hadn't expected that after hearing his dissuasion, Lu Yang showed not the slightest hint of disappointment — on the contrary, he grew even more excited.

"A divine ability like this was meant for me to use!"

Although the side effects were indeed enormous, no matter how great they were, 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 Tome of a Hundred Lifetimes!

(End of chapter)