I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 77: Exchange
After watching Elder Wen leave, Lu You quietly instructed the Evil Eye to inspect the storage ring.
Fortunately, Elder Wen had no ulterior motives. The ring was genuine, and there were no surveillance techniques attached.
By now, the crowd of onlookers had already been dispersed, and Lu Xiao'e was no longer in the courtyard. Lu You put away the storage ring, returned to his room, and shut the door tightly.
He originally intended to reinforce the doors and windows with a Hard Metal Talisman. However, over time, Lu You had developed a habit: before using the Cauldron of Cornucopia, he would always use the Evil Eye to heighten his perception and check his surroundings. Sensing something unusual, he stopped mid-action. With an amused expression, he walked over to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
He tapped the tabletop lightly with his finger. "Come out. If you keep hiding under the stove, Lu Xiao'e might turn into Little Ash Girl."
A rustling sound came from beneath the stove. Lu Xiao'e crawled out, clutching her skirt and covering her hair, still stubbornly muttering, "Men are so filthy. You never even use this stove, why is it still full of ash underneath?"
She walked up to Lu You, deliberately shook her skirt to send a puff of ash his way like a prank, then sat beside him with a dissatisfied look. "My feelings have been deceived! I thought you were only at Qi Refining and getting bullied in the outer sect, so I didn't mind you learning my sword techniques. I even helped stir things up for you in front of the elders. Just now, I was even ready to help you deal with Ma Yuan! Who would've thought you actually have a Nascent Soul backing? I feel like a complete fool—you owe me compensation for emotional damages."
"How should I compensate you?" Lu You deliberately took out the jade key and tapped it lightly against the table.
Lu Xiao'e's eyes lit up as she pointed at the key. "Then lend me this for two days! I've never seen what the Heaven District looks like. Don't worry, I won't cause trouble. I'll just sneak a peek and leave. It'll give me motivation—if I see how Nascent Soul cultivators live, I'll have more drive to cultivate toward that level."
She grabbed Lu You's sleeve. "Please, Senior Brother, just be kind! You'd be helping your junior sister strengthen her Dao heart—an immeasurable merit!"
Lu You stopped her from continuing to act cute. "If I truly had a Nascent Soul backer, how would Zhou Lei, who's so well-informed, dare to exploit me? However, it's true that I obtained this key thanks to you." He tossed the key lightly in his hand, then continued, "I'll ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully, and I'll lend you the key."
Hearing this, Lu Xiao'e immediately straightened up, then patted her chest dramatically as she swore, "Don't worry, Junior Sister will tell you everything she knows without holding anything back!"
Cultivators generally didn't swear lightly, but Lu Xiao'e had already made up her mind: I'll tell everything I know—but I never swore that what I say has to be true. Even if I say a bunch of nonsense, it doesn't violate the oath.
Lu You nodded. "First question: will you take this key to the Heaven District and cause trouble?"
Lu Xiao'e shook her head like a rattle-drum. "No, no! That place has Nascent Soul cultivators. If I acted recklessly, wouldn't I be courting death?"
"Second question: how old are you really? What is your true cultivation level? How long have you been in the Verdant Cloud Sect? Do you have family in the lower city or the main city?"
"…Don't you already have a senior sister? Why are you asking me all this?" Lu Xiao'e's eyes darted around mischievously. "Don't tell me—you like me?"
Lu You said seriously, "Answer truthfully. This determines whether I lend you the key or not."
Lu Xiao'e spread her hands. "Alright, alright. I'm currently 20 years and 15 days old—no need to lie about that, hehe. Didn't expect you to be quite sharp, noticing that my cultivation isn't the same as Qi Refining. This is my second year in the Verdant Cloud Sect. By a stroke of luck, I broke through to the Peak of Qi Refining and successfully entered the Foundation Establishment realm. I just haven't reported it yet, because I haven't decided whether to stay in Deep Literary Pavilion as a talisman master or go to Myriad Sword Mountain as a sword cultivator."
"As for family, of course I have some. Otherwise, why would I leave my rented place and come down the mountain? But, well… my family has extremely high standards. If you want to pursue me, you're still far from qualified."
After hearing this, Lu You decisively put away the jade key, then opened the door. "Alright, I'll verify it. Don't lie to me—if you do, I won't lend you the key."
Huh? I made all that up, and this brat just put the key away? Verify? How's he going to verify it? Even the Verdant Cloud Sect couldn't figure it out—how could he possibly uncover anything?
Lu Xiao'e grumbled inwardly, but outwardly she nodded obediently. "Then I'll wait for your answer. You better keep your word."
Lu You didn't continue to engage with her. He escorted her out, then slammed the door shut and locked it tightly. Immediately after, he reinforced the doors, windows, and walls with Hard Metal Talismans, then added a large number of soundproofing talismans.
"Evil Eye, did you record everything?"
"Of course. I even recorded her breathing clearly."
Seated cross-legged in his hidden chamber, Lu You focused his mind and entered the Blood Shadow Technique.
Within the blood mist, Lu Xiao'e was replicated. The copy began repeating everything she had just said, over and over again.
Evil Eye asked, "Boss, what do we do next? Can you really tell whether she's telling the truth or lying like this?"
Lu You nodded. "Thanks to your Blood Shadow Technique perfectly replicating everything, besides cultivation, its best use is actually lie detection." As he spoke, he summoned earlier copies of Lu Xiao'e—some from their fight, others from their normal conversations.
After examining for quite some time, Lu You extracted several segments and began playing them frame by frame. At the same time, he instructed, "Now, record Lu Xiao'e's blood pressure, pulse, breathing, pupil changes, and the movements of her neck and limb muscles."
"Got it." Though confused, Evil Eye complied.
The first segment showed Lu You asking whether the sweet-and-sour pork was tasty. Lu Xiao'e had spat and said it was terrible. The second showed her stating her cultivation, repeatedly claiming she was at the Foundation Establishment realm. The final segment showed her stating her age—first when Lu You mentioned that a cultivator's age couldn't be judged by appearance, and again when she repeated that she was twenty.
Evil Eye measured everything frame by frame. Suddenly, it realized something and looked at Lu You with admiration. "Boss, I get it now—you're amazing! My god, are you the Evil Eye or am I? You understand my abilities better than I do!"
Evil Eye eagerly reported the data. "When Lu Xiao'e talked about food taste and her cultivation, the data patterns were identical. The same goes for when she talked about her family. But when she talked about her age, the data was completely different!"
Its pupils turned into star shapes. "Master, you're incredible! Lu Xiao'e clearly loves eating, yet she said it tasted bad—that's a lie. Also, her sword techniques can be executed using a sword core, which means she can control a flying sword—so her claim of being at the Foundation Establishment realm is also a lie. Using those two segments to identify her lying patterns, and comparing them with the third segment, we can confirm that her data patterns match the lying ones when she talked about her family too—so she lied about having family. When she went down the mountain, she didn't actually have any family at all."
"Only her age—that was the one thing she said sincerely!"
"Master was even thinking of lending her the key, and yet she didn't tell a single truth. Hmph—Master, since she's so guarded against us, there's no need to lend it to her anymore."
Seeing that Lu Xiao'e had been spouting lies the whole time, Evil Eye felt indignant on Lu You's behalf.
Lu You compared the data once more and arrived at the same conclusion as Evil Eye. Only then did he let out a breath of relief.
"No, Evil Eye—because of this, the key is precisely what we should lend her."
Because of the "Dongfang Bubai" persona he had created, Lu Xiao'e was now under suspicion and would very likely face trouble from the Verdant Cloud Sect in the future. If she had truly been a straightforward, honest disciple, Lu You would have hesitated. But now that it was confirmed she had been disguising her cultivation and even fabricated her family to deceive the sect, Lu You instead felt reassured.
"She dares to infiltrate the Verdant Cloud Sect and even asks me for a key to the Heaven District—she must have her own trump cards. In that case, even if she ends up bearing the name of 'Dongfang Bubai,' she won't be completely defenseless. Most likely, her identity is similar to that persona—something the Verdant Cloud Sect cannot tolerate."
"Most importantly, I was worried the sect might act against her family. If that were the case, I would bear a grave sin. But since she has no family, that's actually for the best. I've gained sword techniques and movement skills from her—if she has a need, lending her the key counts as repaying that karma. Otherwise, with her status in the outer sect, it would be very difficult for her to ever get a chance to enter the Heaven District."
Evil Eye smacked its lips. "Master, you're way too soft-hearted. If it were me, I'd pin the identity of Dongfang Bubai on her, then use the merit of reporting her to climb into the inner sect of the Verdant Cloud Sect and quietly cultivate. Ideally, I'd also use this opportunity to latch onto the Wu family, endure humiliation for a while, and once I've grown strong enough, I'd leave the Verdant Cloud Sect altogether. Then I'd settle the score with the Wu family, slaughter them all, loot some treasures from the sect, and hide somewhere else to cultivate."
Lu You laughed. "Evil Eye, by your logic, wouldn't attaining immortality require killing everyone in the world? One must guard against others, yes—but one must not harbor the intent to harm. Once the intent to harm takes root, even if the heavens do not punish you, your own heart will fall. If I followed your path and it became a habit, wouldn't I begin to see everyone as a threat, everyone as a resource? Wouldn't I constantly fear others seeking revenge against me?"
"If that's the case, then immortality would no longer be freedom and joy, it would become a bitter sea that imprisons the soul."
Lu You said seriously, "Repay kindness with kindness, and repay grievances with fairness, that is what makes immortality worthwhile."
Evil Eye fell silent for a moment. Then its pupils suddenly widened. A mark flew out from its eye and entered Lu You's mind.
"Master, I understand now. This is Evil Eye's life mark, it is now bound to you."
Previously, the contract that Evil Eye had given Lu You meant that although it submitted to him, if Lu You died, Evil Eye could simply find a new host. But this time, what it gave was a life mark—once Lu You died, Evil Eye would truly vanish along with him.
Evil Eye's pupils grew moist. "Master, I've had enough of being sealed away and hunted down. Only after meeting you did I finally live a proper life. Since your Dao is to repay kindness with kindness and grievances with fairness, today I offer you my true heart. I will live and die with you. I only hope that you won't go back on your word, and will treat me with sincerity as well."
"Aside from that, I hope Master will always be cautious. I cannot refute your Dao, but before making decisions, I hope you'll remember that our lives are now bound together. For the sake of my life and my trust, please be a bit more careful."
Lu You sensed the life mark. After Evil Eye's complete submission, the power he could control increased further—of course, the amount of life essence blood Evil Eye absorbed also grew. Dispelling the Blood Mist Technique, Lu You awoke from the secret chamber and rose to enter his bedroom.
On the bed, the pillow he had previously used as a footrest for Lu Xiao'e had been washed clean. She hadn't taken it back—instead, she had left it on his bed again. Seeing the pillow, Lu You smiled faintly. He hid the jade key inside it, then quietly left the house, passed through the outer sect, and headed straight toward the location Wu Tong had mentioned.
Only after passing through the Human District and the Earth District did Lu You finally stop.
At the boundary of the Heaven District, an invisible force blocked his path. Reaching out to touch the barrier, Lu You sensed that if he attempted to force his way through, he would immediately be met with a thunderous counterattack.
As if performing a trick, Lu You took out another jade key from his sleeve.
The key Wu Tong had given him had already been replicated countless times using the Cauldron of Cornucopia.
Holding the key, Lu You touched the barrier again. Sure enough, it felt as though the barrier didn't exist at all. With a light step, he passed straight into the Heaven District.
"The Cauldron of Cornucopia truly is miraculous, even item that trigger restrictions can be perfectly replicated."
Just as he was about to marvel, the sight before him left him stunned.
In the Human District, the Earth District—even in the spirit fields and the lower city—it was already winter. Yet in the Heaven District, it was as warm as summer. The moment Lu You crossed the barrier, it was as if he had entered an entirely different world.
Here, the sun was slowly setting while the moon had already risen halfway into the sky. To the left stretched a sea of crimson sunset clouds; to the right, a milky-white glow like a galaxy filled the heavens. Sun and moon shone together in the same sky.
The mountains and rivers looked like a painting. The trees were lush and vibrant. Exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed in colors like a rainbow. A clear stream flowed through the valley, dividing the sea of flowers in two—then slowly rose into the air, tinkling as it flowed upward toward the sky.
Lu You stood silently for a long while, then sighed. "I never expected that just the difference in environment could be so vast, it nearly shook my Dao heart."
Evil Eye was equally dumbfounded—if it had a mouth, it would be hanging open. "Damn it, I was sealed in that lousy secret realm for thousands of years, and these people are living this comfortably. Boss, this scene is created by a formation called 'Water-Cloud Realm.' Running it for a single day consumes enough low-grade spirit stones to supply the cultivators of the Human and Earth Districts for an entire year!"
"A formation?" Lu You's eyes lit up, and his Dao heart steadied once more. "Evil Eye, no need to envy them. I've decided—let's work together and learn formations. In the future, we'll find a place and build ten, even a hundred Water-Cloud Realms. No matter how many spirit stones it costs, we'll afford it."
Taking out the jade key, Lu You received information from it, then set off toward the residence of the Nascent Soul elder.
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
Patreon Account: https://www.patreon.com/collection/1960529?view=condensed[1]
Latest Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 105: A Super Weapon, Visiting Han Tian in Prison[2]
Link to the Latest Chapter: https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/i-have-infinite-160110862?collection=1960529[3]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1960529?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/i-have-infinite-160110862?collection=1960529
[3] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/i-have-infinite-160110862?collection=1960529