I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 100: Gifting Spirit Liquid, A Golden Core Promise
During the sect recruitment competition, Lu You had wielded a treasured artifact yet still failed to defeat opponents at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
And now, after joining the outer sect and entering the secret realm, only two months had passed, yet he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment?
Bai Zihua desperately wanted to believe that Lu You was bluffing.
But the spiritual energy that Lu You had just used against him could only be wielded by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He had already entered the Grandmaster State of the Talisman Dao...
And now he's reached Foundation Establishment as well?
He Shan discreetly glanced at the calm and composed Lu You.
His attitude instantly became even more respectful.
He originally wanted to offer congratulations, but seeing Bai Zihua's ugly expression, he quietly withdrew instead.
At the same time, he began planning how to improve his relationship with Lu You in the future.
"Lu You reached Foundation Establishment!"
The outer-sect disciples who had just stepped off the flying boat stared in disbelief.
"No way! How are we supposed to live with this?"
"He Shan was stuck at the peak of Qi Refining for years. Him breaking through is understandable."
"But how did Lu You reach Foundation Establishment too?"
"If I remember correctly, Hu Ke used to bully Lu You and even stole his new clothes."
"Back then Lu You was only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, wasn't he?"
"Exactly!"
"And Lu You has mixed spiritual roots!"
"A mixed spiritual root cultivator went from the fifth level of Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment in just two months?"
"I understand now!"
"This is my fault!"
"Lu You must have obtained some incredible opportunity inside the secret realm!"
"If I hadn't hidden myself away and had actually explored the secret realm properly, maybe I would have reached Foundation Establishment too!"
"That's right!"
"He Shan reached Foundation Establishment in the secret realm."
"Lu You reached Foundation Establishment in the secret realm."
"I regret it so much!"
"There was clearly an opportunity there that could help people break through, but I missed it because I was too cowardly!"
"Next time!"
"If there's ever another chance to enter a secret realm, I won't hide anymore!"
"I'll fight for my opportunities too!"
At first, everyone felt jealous of Lu You's breakthrough.
Then they began kicking themselves in regret over the opportunities they had missed.
Finally, they looked at Lu You with gratitude.
If someone with mixed spiritual roots who had only been at the fifth level of Qi Refining could reach Foundation Establishment, then surely disciples at the eighth or ninth level had even greater chances.
As long as they dared to compete for opportunities, perhaps the next person to break through would be them.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lu!"
"Senior Brother Lu is amazing!"
Although Lu You had been the newest member of the outer sect, every disciple now addressed him as Senior Brother Lu.
And every one of them did so sincerely.
Not only had Lu You become an example for them to follow, but he had also given them hope.
They could imagine themselves becoming the next Lu You.
Bai Zihua forced an awkward smile.
"Junior Brother Lu truly has won everyone's admiration."
"No, I suppose I should be calling you Daoist Lu now, shouldn't I?"
His heart was bleeding.
Things were not unfolding according to his plans at all.
How had a few words meant to suppress Lu You somehow resulted in Lu You advancing from junior brother to fellow daoist?
Zeng Yan quietly gazed at Lu You.
Then a radiant smile blossomed across her face.
Turning toward Bai Zihua, she spoke:
"Senior Brother Bai, may I ask a favor of you?"
Junior Sister is asking me for help!
The thought instantly lit up Bai Zihua's spirit.
Bai Zihua's heart immediately brightened.
See? See?
Even if Lu You encountered some great opportunity, he only barely managed to reach Foundation Establishment.
I, Bai Zihua, am about to attain the Golden Core realm.
I also have considerable influence within the Verdant Cloud Sect.
When it comes to truly important matters, people still need me, Bai Zihua, to handle them.
"Junior Sister, just say the word."
"I will certainly help you take care of it."
Bai Zihua spoke proudly.
He had already made up his mind.
Even if Zeng Yan wanted to request cultivation techniques or resources for Lu You, he would agree.
As long as it allowed Zeng Yan to owe him a favor, it would be worth it.
Zeng Yan gave a slight bow.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
"Since you've agreed, then please return and focus on breaking through to the Golden Core realm as soon as possible."
"Before the sect tournament begins, I would like to quietly guide Junior Brother in his cultivation."
"I don't want anyone else disturbing us."
Crack
Bai Zihua's heart shattered once again.
Seeing the sympathetic looks from the surrounding disciples, he coughed awkwardly and forced himself to act magnanimous.
"As it happens, I've recently gained a bit of enlightenment."
"Perhaps this time I truly will break through to the Golden Core realm."
"Ah, then I shall take my leave first."
"If I hadn't sensed this opportunity for breakthrough, I certainly would have stayed and helped Junior Sister guide Daoist Lu."
After saying that, Bai Zihua forced out a resilient smile.
Then he turned around, lifted his head proudly, and walked away from the Law Enforcement Hall.
Watching Lu You struggle to suppress his laughter, Zeng Yan rolled her eyes.
"You still have the mood to laugh."
Lu You replied:
"Do I?"
"The moment I saw Senior Sister after returning, my expression stopped obeying my control."
The two walked side by side toward Lu You's courtyard in the outer sect.
Along the way, they chatted and laughed together.
This time, every outer-sect disciple they encountered took the initiative to greet Lu You respectfully.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators smiled and addressed him as a fellow Daoist.
Some of the disciples who lived in the same courtyard as Hu Ke even stood respectfully at their doors.
Only after Lu You had passed did they bow and retreat back inside, afraid that the slightest offense might earn his displeasure.
Zeng Yan frowned throughout the journey.
In truth, the outer-sect residential area was neither as peaceful nor as tidy as the spiritual fields.
When they finally arrived outside Lu You's courtyard, she sighed sadly.
"Junior Brother..."
"These past two months must have been very difficult for you."
In her eyes, Lu You had previously been weak.
He must have suffered plenty of bullying.
Perhaps he had even paid a steep price just to obtain a clean courtyard like this one.
Yet despite living under such circumstances, he had still been willing to give her an entire bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills.
The thought left her heart both sweet and aching.
"Senior Sister."
"Things are getting better, aren't they?"
Lu You didn't explain further.
Instead, he pushed open the gate and led her inside.
After being absent for an entire month, the courtyard was covered in fallen leaves.
Dust coated the room.
Even spiderwebs hung from the doorframe.
Lu You took out a Wind Talisman and cleaned the room.
The place became noticeably tidier.
Yet somehow, it still felt as though something was missing.
Without drawing attention to it, Lu You glanced toward the neighboring courtyard.
Now that I've reached Foundation Establishment, I'll probably be leaving the outer sect soon.
Perhaps that's what's missing.
Perhaps it's simply the feeling that I'm about to leave this place behind.
Zeng Yan didn't notice any of that.
Instead, she carefully locked the door.
Only then did she sit down across from Lu You and take a porcelain bottle from her storage ring.
"Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment, Junior Brother."
"I prepared a gift especially for you."
"Junior Brother, don't let anyone else know about this."
"Inside this bottle is a drop of spirit liquid born from the natural creation of heaven and earth."
"After consuming it, your spiritual roots can be nourished and your aptitude improved."
"Although it's only a single drop, it should still be enough to transform your mixed spiritual roots into ordinary spiritual roots."
She placed the bottle containing the spirit liquid in front of Lu You.
"I originally thought reaching Foundation Establishment would be very difficult for you."
"I never imagined your opportunities would exceed my expectations by so much."
"Junior Brother, don't refuse."
"If you think about it carefully, this spirit liquid may simply be another one of your destined opportunities."
"Senior Sister..."
Lu You smiled gently.
"You're the one who's been my opportunity."
He then took out a storage ring of his own.
"And congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment as well."
"This trip into the secret realm was quite rewarding."
"I prepared these items specifically as gifts for Senior Sister."
He placed the storage ring before her.
Inside the storage ring were ten serpent eggs.
These were no longer lifeless eggs.
Each one had been infused with the bloodline power of the serpent monster, containing dozens of times more energy than the original eggs.
Zeng Yan stared in shock.
"There was actually a treasure like this inside the secret realm?"
Unlike ordinary cultivators, Zeng Yan possessed a family inheritance and immediately recognized what the eggs were.
After examining them with her spiritual sense, she became even more astonished.
"There's bloodline power inside these eggs!"
"No wonder those Golden Core elders never came back."
"It's very possible they encountered a powerful group of demon beasts inside the secret realm."
"A demon-beast group?"
Lu You's heart stirred.
He had just revealed the ancient map and jade key and had been wondering how to explain the events of the secret realm.
"Yes."
"The bloodline power contained in these eggs means that the beasts that produced them are still alive."
"And you have ten of them."
A trace of fear appeared on Zeng Yan's face.
"For demon beasts to pass on bloodline power, even producing a single egg requires decades of nurturing."
"No demon beast lays ten such eggs at once."
"This must have come from an entire group of demon beasts."
"And not just any group—a group of Golden Core demon beasts."
"It's entirely possible that those Golden Core elders encountered this beast group and died there."
Zeng Yan reached out to return the storage ring.
But suddenly she froze.
Her father was severely injured.
Only rare heavenly treasures could heal him.
Such treasures were extraordinarily difficult to obtain.
And demon-beast eggs rich in life force were especially beneficial to his condition.
Yet here were ten of them.
"When Senior Sister gave me the spirit liquid, did you treat me like an outsider?"
Lu You picked up the storage ring from the table.
Then he gently took Zeng Yan's hand and placed the ring back into her palm.
"Seeing that these eggs can help Senior Sister puts my mind at ease."
"If you won't accept them, then you'll have to take back the spirit liquid as well."
"But these ten eggs are far too valuable."
"The spirit liquid I gave you isn't enough."
"It simply can't compare to these eggs."
Although spirit liquid was more powerful in terms of improving spiritual roots, Zeng Yan's father possessed only a limited amount.
"But before I gave you these eggs, I was only a Qi Refining cultivator."
Lu You smiled.
"Even if you added my life to the equation, it still wouldn't have been as valuable as that drop of spirit liquid."
As he spoke, he held Zeng Yan's hand more firmly.
Only then did he notice how soft and delicate her hand felt.
Unable to resist, he lightly squeezed it.
Zeng Yan didn't pull her hand away.
Instead, she intertwined her fingers with his.
Her expression became serious.
"Lu You."
"On the path of immortality, standing still means falling behind."
"Matters of romance must come second."
"If reaching Foundation Establishment had been impossible for you..."
"I might have cherished every day we could spend together."
"But you succeeded."
"With mixed spiritual roots, you still reached Foundation Establishment."
"And now, with the spirit liquid to improve your aptitude, attaining the Golden Core realm is no longer impossible."
"The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is only two hundred years."
"We cannot afford to waste it."
"Once you enter the Golden Core realm, your lifespan extends to a thousand years."
She looked directly into Lu You's eyes.
"Compared to that..."
"Which is more important?"
"Two hundred years of companionship?"
"Or a thousand years spent together?"
Only then did Zeng Yan slowly release his hand.
Her eyes were filled with sincerity.
"I do hope that one day I can become part of a pair of immortal companions."
"But we are not mortals."
"And Dao companions are not people who merely spend a few decades together."
"If you enter the Golden Core realm..."
"And if, after that, you still wish to spend a thousand years by my side..."
"Then I will be with you."
For the first time, Zeng Yan laid bare the nature of their relationship.
She openly admitted that she held deep affection for Lu You.
In fact, if Lu You had never been able to reach Foundation Establishment, she had already resolved herself to staying with him, accompanying him through the remainder of his life before continuing her own path of cultivation.
But Lu You's successful breakthrough had changed her perspective.
Two hundred years of life at Foundation Establishment sounded long, yet it was also fleeting.
Once emotions became deeply involved, they could distract a cultivator from the pursuit of higher realms.
And that distraction might cost them their chance at the Golden Core Dao forever.
So rather than rushing into a relationship now, Zeng Yan wanted both of them to continue advancing.
If Lu You could reach the Golden Core realm and still choose her afterward, then they would have not merely decades—but centuries—to walk the path together.
Thus, Zeng Yan wanted to make a promise with Lu You:
They would become Dao companions only after both of them had reached the Golden Core realm.
In her mind, even with excellent opportunities, advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core would still take decades.
If, during such a long period, Lu You grew tired of her or changed his heart, then both of them could avoid a painful commitment and part ways before investing too much emotionally.
"With Senior Sister's words, I will definitely attain the Golden Core realm!"
Lu You felt warmth spreading through his heart.
Sometimes, a refusal carried deeper feelings than acceptance.
Acceptance could be the result of a moment's impulse.
A refusal, however, was almost always the product of careful consideration.
Especially because Zeng Yan had openly admitted that she liked him.
She had even considered spending the rest of his life by his side if he had never been able to advance further.
That sincerity moved Lu You deeply.
Beyond that, Lu You understood that the agreement was actually for his own benefit.
Zeng Yan possessed a family inheritance and spiritual roots perfectly suited for the Sword Dao.
As long as she didn't die prematurely, reaching the Golden Core realm was almost inevitable.
As for Lu You—
Even after consuming the spirit liquid, he would only possess lower-grade spiritual roots.
Two hundred years might sound long, but on the path of cultivation it could vanish in the blink of an eye.
If Zeng Yan had agreed to a relationship solely because of her feelings, and the two of them became lost in romance and neglected their cultivation, then she might still have a chance to break through eventually.
But Lu You would likely lose his opportunity forever.
. . .
The door was tightly shut.
Inside the already small room, the silence became so complete that they could hear each other's heartbeats.
Holding the storage ring in her hand, Zeng Yan suddenly felt a little nervous.
"Lu You..."
"I should return to Myriad Sword Mountain."
Although they had agreed to wait until the Golden Core realm before formally establishing a relationship, the more she thought about it, the more she realized the agreement was barely different from a confession.
For someone as calm and composed as Zeng Yan, it was a rare feeling.
Her cheeks began to warm.
"Senior Sister."
Suddenly, Lu You stood up.
He took hold of her hand again.
"Senior Sister, was everything that just happened real?"
"Right now, I feel as though I've fallen under an illusion spell."
"None of this feels real."
"I'm not still trapped inside the secret realm, am I?"
As he spoke, he subtly moved closer, narrowing the distance between them.
Senior Sister, you taught me this yourself.
On the path of cultivation, one must contend with heaven, contend with others, and even contend with one's own emotions.
If we make this agreement and then simply return to cultivation, I'd be a fool.
This agreement wasn't meant to suppress their feelings.
It was meant to help them understand each other's hearts.
Now that he knew how she felt, of course he should take another step forward.
Having lived two lifetimes, Lu You understood matters of the heart far better than Zeng Yan did.
Since their feelings had already been confirmed, this was the moment to build upon them.
Zeng Yan had intended to pull her hand away.
But after hearing Lu You's words, she worried that doing so might hurt him.
So she allowed him to continue holding it.
Then she remembered how casually he had presented the serpent eggs.
Yet obtaining them must have involved tremendous danger.
Her heart softened.
Everything he had endured inside the secret realm suddenly seemed very real.
Gently, she reassured him:
"Everything is real."
"When have I ever lied to you...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Lu You suddenly leaned forward and kissed her.
His lips touched hers.
Before Zeng Yan could even react, he had already pulled back.
A blissful smile spread across his face.
"Senior Sister."
"Now I believe it."
Zeng Yan froze.
Then she laughed.
So that was it.
She had been tricked.
Yet she wasn't angry in the slightest.
Instead, she found it rather amusing that Lu You had gone through so much effort just to steal a kiss.
Looking at the utterly satisfied expression on his face, she shot him a mildly reproachful glance.
"Go focus on your cultivation."
"You are absolutely not allowed to push your luck any further."
Though her tone carried a trace of complaint, there was no real anger in it.
Only warmth.
And perhaps a little embarrassment.